September 28, 2011: After years of speeches, lawsuits and lobbying, the U.S. government is finally paying out insurance claims for troops who suffered severe injuries outside combat zones between October 7, 2001, and November 30, 2005. This change is part of the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury Protection Program. This new benefit worth between $25,000 and $100,000 for, each veteran that was badly injured while in the military, but not while in a combat zone. Hundreds of military personnel are badly injured each year, even when there isn’t a war going on. The original program was only for those injured in a combat zone. Most of those qualifying were support personnel, who often suffered the same injuries, in the same kinds of accidents, outside of combat zones. It was soon noted, especially at military hospitals that getting the payment depended on where you were injured, not how. Injuries covered are amputation, mangled limbs, severe burns, loss of sight, hearing or speech, paralysis, facial reconstruction and other forms of mutilation.