Military Members and Veterans with Disabilities
Learn Life-Changing Skills
VA to Offer Educational Breakouts
WASHINGTON - This week more than 120 wounded military personnel,
disabled Veterans and their families are traveling to Walt Disney World
in Orlando for the 6th Annual Road to Recovery Conference. The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing on-site counseling and
information about VA programs.
"VA is honored to work with our partners in the private sector and
Veterans service organizations to help America's heroes and their
families, particularly Veterans who are facing unique challenges," said
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki.
The week-long event is presented by The Coalition to Salute America's
Heroes and the American Legion.
VA will have counselors on site to provide one-on-one counseling. Other
VA employees will be available to provide participants with information
about health care and financial benefits available to injured military
personnel, Veterans and family members.
Participants will attend more than 40 hours of seminars, workshops, and
panel discussion devoted to enhancing personal relationships and
providing information on benefits, services, insurance, health care,
financial support and employment opportunities. Experts from
government, the private sector and other non-profits groups will also be
on hand to offer advice and guidance on resume rewriting, career
counseling and many more topics.
Representatives from the U.S. Olympic Committee's paralympic program
will be on site to discuss the new joint VA-Paralympic program for
disabled service men and women who may be interested in representing
their country as a U.S. Paralympian.
For more information about the Road to Recovery Conference, visit
www.saluteheroes.org , or contact Jose
Llamas, VA public affairs coordinator, at (202) 461-7549
Showing posts with label wounded warrior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wounded warrior. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Glenn Beck Equates Veterans with Communists
Is this about a man seeing communists hiding under his bed or is it about a man making a lot of money off the way he talks and doesn't care about who he hurts anymore?
Beck hates liberals, that much is clear. What good they do in this country doesn't matter in his eyes. Everyone is fair game if he can attack liberals.
According to people like Beck, liberals should be hated even though they have historically been about taking care of other people, taking care of the troops instead of just talking about it, taking care of veterans when they come home and yes, even questioning the reason they had to go into combat in the first place. Beck fights for the rich, tells people the government wants their money, but kept silent when Bush and the GOP borrowed against our kids futures to give stimulus money to the rich (in other words welfare for the wealthy) along with telling them that insurance companies should be in charge of their health and deciding if they live or get better was a good thing. He may even think privatizing the VA is a good thing too but considering I avoid what Beck says most of the time, not sure where he stands on this but his peeps approve.
So where was Beck when the troops were coming home with wounds needing medical care but no one thought to gear up the VA when the troops were sent into two wars? Silent!
Not the first time he did something against the troops
Beck hates liberals, that much is clear. What good they do in this country doesn't matter in his eyes. Everyone is fair game if he can attack liberals.
According to people like Beck, liberals should be hated even though they have historically been about taking care of other people, taking care of the troops instead of just talking about it, taking care of veterans when they come home and yes, even questioning the reason they had to go into combat in the first place. Beck fights for the rich, tells people the government wants their money, but kept silent when Bush and the GOP borrowed against our kids futures to give stimulus money to the rich (in other words welfare for the wealthy) along with telling them that insurance companies should be in charge of their health and deciding if they live or get better was a good thing. He may even think privatizing the VA is a good thing too but considering I avoid what Beck says most of the time, not sure where he stands on this but his peeps approve.
So where was Beck when the troops were coming home with wounds needing medical care but no one thought to gear up the VA when the troops were sent into two wars? Silent!
IN THE NEWS
Professional Idiot Glenn Beck Equates Veterans with Communists
by Bill Bradley November 17, 2010, 5:28 PM
Yesterday, an Iraq veteran named Denise called in to The Glenn Beck Program to complain about the fun she had on Veterans Day. Denise, who returned from Iraq two years ago, walked with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America (I.A.V.A.) in last Thursday’s parade in New York City and then attended a soiree at The Providence, in Midtown Manhattan, where she encountered “a spread like you wouldn’t believe.”
Personally, I think all our veterans deserve this treatment (in addition to the free Bloomin’ Onion and pint they’re offered at Outback Steakhouse). But Denise found herself questioning I.A.V.A.’s motives. “Where did they get the money for all this? It was unbelievable how they treated us that day,” she said. So she took to the Internet, where she claims she found out that the I.A.V.A.—America’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars of the past decade—is supported by George Soros and MoveOn.org. “George Soros has his hand in the military,” Denise told Beck, who was only too happy for the opportunity to take a few whacks at one of his favorite punching bags.
“What [liberal donors such as Soros are] doing is, they’re creating the misery, and they’re coming out and organizing all these people—under the guise of labor unions or something as innocuous sounding as, you know, Iraqi [sic] and Afghanistan Veterans Foundation [sic]—but it is Soros and Communist and radical money and they are tying and duping people in as much as they can,” Beck said, referring to an organization whose activities include lobbying for veterans policy on Capitol Hill, giving away N.F.L. and concert tickets to veterans, and working to improve mental health.
read more here
Glenn Beck Equates Veterans with Communists
Not the first time he did something against the troops
Glenn Beck took advantage of the troops and our love for them!
There have been reports that the money Beck raised during his rally did not come with a warning that the money would first go to pay for the rally and then into the foundation. There is a disclaimer on his site about this but when a reported $5 Million dollars was raised for the sake of the troops and the wounded, it is sickening that this happened.
If you donated for them you ended up donating to Beck and his rally.
Thank you to all those that attended 8/28 both in person and online
With your support and help we were able to raise more than $5-million dollars for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
If you would like to donate to their cause you can do so online here OR you can text SOWF to 85944 to make a $10 donation.
THE SPECIAL OPERATIONS NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Every day service personnel risk their lives to protect our country. It is through the support of non-profit organizations like the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) that the families of these service members are taken care of in the event of an accident or loss of life. Learn more about the SOWF today by visiting www.specialops.org.
Help us to honor our heroes, our heritage and our future by making a tax-deductible donation online or by sending a check to:
SOWF
C/O Mercury Radio Arts
1270 Avenue of the Americas, 9th Floor
NY, NY 10020
(all checks should be payable to Special Operations Warrior Foundation)
This is at the bottom of the page,,,,,,,,,
This rally is compliant with IRS Rules and Regulations found in IRS publication 557 and IRS publication 4221-PC. For tax purposes a gift to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation is deductible in accordance with Internal Revenue Service's tax laws. No goods or services were provided in exchange for your contribution. The purchase of Restoring Honor Rally merchandise is not a donation to SOWF, but all net proceeds from the sale of Restoring Honor Rally merchandise is being donated to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. All contributions made to the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) will first be applied to the costs of the Restoring Honor Rally taking place on August 28, 2010. All contributions in excess of these costs will then be retained by the SOWF. Tax ID 52-1183585.
http://www.glennbeck.com/828/
Where did the money left over go to? Anyone know?
Here's one more
Where was Glenn Beck when Spc. Barber killed himself
Friday, November 12, 2010
Marine Runs Marathon in a Gas Mask to Raise Awareness
Marine Runs Marathon in a Gas Mask to Raise Awareness for Disabled Veterans
By Cristina Corbin
Published November 11, 2010 | FoxNews.com
Why would a U.S. Marine run more than 26 miles wearing a gas mask that restricts up to 30 percent of his oxygen?
To call attention to those who will never be able to run again.
One year ago, Marine Sgt. Jeremy Soles founded Team X-T.R.E.M.E. (Train, Rehabilitate, Empower, Motivate, Endure), a non-profit organization that raises awareness for wounded veterans. The group, which consists of five runners and five volunteer board members, attempts rigorous physical challenges to bring attention to the struggles of disabled service members.
So when Soles met Cpl. John Peck at Walter Reed Army Medical Center last month, the 33-year-old Marine had all the inspiration he needed for this year's challenge.
Peck, 24, had lost his arms and legs to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in May. But when he met with Soles, his attitude was buoyant, and Soles decided he'd run the 26.2-mile Marine Corps Marathon in his honor.
read more here
Marine Runs Marathon in a Gas Mask to Raise Awareness
By Cristina Corbin
Published November 11, 2010 | FoxNews.com
Why would a U.S. Marine run more than 26 miles wearing a gas mask that restricts up to 30 percent of his oxygen?
To call attention to those who will never be able to run again.
One year ago, Marine Sgt. Jeremy Soles founded Team X-T.R.E.M.E. (Train, Rehabilitate, Empower, Motivate, Endure), a non-profit organization that raises awareness for wounded veterans. The group, which consists of five runners and five volunteer board members, attempts rigorous physical challenges to bring attention to the struggles of disabled service members.
So when Soles met Cpl. John Peck at Walter Reed Army Medical Center last month, the 33-year-old Marine had all the inspiration he needed for this year's challenge.
Peck, 24, had lost his arms and legs to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in May. But when he met with Soles, his attitude was buoyant, and Soles decided he'd run the 26.2-mile Marine Corps Marathon in his honor.
read more here
Marine Runs Marathon in a Gas Mask to Raise Awareness
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau and military talk about healing PTSD veterans
Garry Trudeau, military leaders highlight Patriot Hills event
By CHRIS KNIGHT, Enterprise Senior Staff Writer
SARANAC LAKE - Nearly 140 years ago, Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau came to the Adirondacks expecting to die from tuberculosis.
But not only did he cure; he cured countless others with his pioneering research, treatment and the sanitarium he established. This center for healing quickly exploded into a village, with Trudeau as its first mayor.
On Tuesday, Trudeau's great-grandson, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, made a rare public appearance in the community where he was raised to build support for a project that organizers say could once again make the village a center for healing.
Patriot Hills at Saranac Lake, a proposed respite and reintegration center for active-duty soldiers, veterans and their families, held its first major local event, a half-day forum at the Trudeau Institute titled "Soldier Resiliency: A Fresh Approach." The program, which included two U.S. Army generals, experts in the field of post-traumatic stress disorder and other speakers, focused on the stresses faced by soldiers returning home from war, two unique treatment methods that could help them, and the Patriot Hills model.
Trudeau, who has focused on veteran and "wounded warrior" issues in his comic strip and other writings, opened the event with a strong endorsement of Patriot Hills, calling it "a return to the healing ethos for which Saranac Lake was once world-renowned."
read more here
Garry Trudeau military leaders highlight Patriot Hills event
By CHRIS KNIGHT, Enterprise Senior Staff Writer
SARANAC LAKE - Nearly 140 years ago, Dr. Edward Livingston Trudeau came to the Adirondacks expecting to die from tuberculosis.
But not only did he cure; he cured countless others with his pioneering research, treatment and the sanitarium he established. This center for healing quickly exploded into a village, with Trudeau as its first mayor.
On Tuesday, Trudeau's great-grandson, Doonesbury cartoonist Garry Trudeau, made a rare public appearance in the community where he was raised to build support for a project that organizers say could once again make the village a center for healing.
Patriot Hills at Saranac Lake, a proposed respite and reintegration center for active-duty soldiers, veterans and their families, held its first major local event, a half-day forum at the Trudeau Institute titled "Soldier Resiliency: A Fresh Approach." The program, which included two U.S. Army generals, experts in the field of post-traumatic stress disorder and other speakers, focused on the stresses faced by soldiers returning home from war, two unique treatment methods that could help them, and the Patriot Hills model.
Trudeau, who has focused on veteran and "wounded warrior" issues in his comic strip and other writings, opened the event with a strong endorsement of Patriot Hills, calling it "a return to the healing ethos for which Saranac Lake was once world-renowned."
read more here
Garry Trudeau military leaders highlight Patriot Hills event
Thursday, June 24, 2010
American casualties total 500,000
Yes it is true they hide the real numbers, but even these numbers are low. Many people working with the troops know we're already past the million mark. Very sad.
IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN: American casualties total 500,000, counting injury and disease, writer claims
June 24, 2010 10:07 am
Here's an eye-popping number:
A blogger and writer claims American military casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan now exceed 500,000.
That's if you count certain injuries and diseases including mental illness that he alleges the Department of Defense doesn't include in its official combat-related casualty toll in an effort to soften U.S. military losses in the wars and win funding for them from the Congress.
For example, cases of traumatic brain injury and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, as a result of serving in Iraq and Afghanistan are excluded from the official list of casualties.
"Under this scheme, chronic injuries and many acute internal injuries such as hearing impairment, back injuries, mild traumatic brain injuries, mental health problems and a host of diseases suffered by personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan are usually not counted as being war-related regardless of how debilitating they are," writes Matthew Nasuti in an article published on the Afghan news site and media organization Kabul Press. "They are either generally lumped into the category of 'non-hostile wounded' or simply not counted at all."
Masuti is a former Air Force captain and Los Angeles deputy city attorney who worked for the State Department in Iraq for a spell. He's now a critic of the U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The writer claims that 95% of injured soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen were not reported as casualties due to what he refers to as the Pentagon's "fudging the numbers" in a bid to win funding from American lawmakers to finance the wars.
read more here
American casualties total 500,000
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Warriors Not Forgotten Motorcycle Run
Tom has left a new comment on your post "Motorcycles roll across Eastern Connecticut have "..."
The “Warriors Not Forgotten Motorcycle Run” to assist severely wounded returning veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan will be sponsored by RI-4GIs for the Wounded Warrior Project on June 27, beginning with staging at 9 a.m. and kickstands up at 11 a.m.
This ride will be hosted by and begin at VFW Post 9404, 29 South Main St., Coventry RI 02816.Riders will return to the VFW post where food, entertainment, prizes and raffles will be available. The cost per person is $25. There are 1,765 veterans in New England considered severely wounded who need support and help.
Bikers please show your support for our wounded veterans.
Contact; frankmarabello@aol.com
Friday, June 11, 2010
Soldier critically wounded in Iraq ripped off by parents?
They managed to raise a son who wanted to join the military. This same son, most parents would feel grateful to have come home still alive, ended up being used to provide them with financial gain, according to the charges. Is there a word in the English language strong enough to describe such a despicable act?
Injured Soldier's Parents Charged With Stealing Son's Recovery Fund
Investigators: Lori and Michael Nault Gambled Money Meant to Pay for Son's Care
By SARAH NETTER
June 10, 2010
A Wisconsin couple who have pleaded for help in caring for their son after he was severely injured while serving in Iraq have been charged with stealing more than $100,000 meant to finance his care and rehabilitation.
Lori and Michael Nault are accused of using at least $167,000 of their 23-year-old son's money to heavily gamble at casinos in three states and fund their own household expenses, a new truck and thousands of dollars in jewelry.
Army Specialist Shane Nault, who cannot speak and requires 24-hour care, suffered catastrophic brain injuries after an IED explosion in Iraq in May 2007. Just 23 years old, he is blind and suffered strokes.
According to court documents supporting felony theft charges for both Lori and Michael Nault, they tried to cover their tracks by listing their son's assets as $35,218 when there had actually been $254,191 deposited into nine bank accounts, many of them in Shane's name.
read more here
Parents Charged With Stealing Sons Recovery Fund
Monday, May 17, 2010
Fort Bragg soldiers to be in Jamie Tate video
Bragg soldiers to be in country music video
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 17, 2010 8:09:12 EDT
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The 82nd Airborne Division's All American Chorus will appear in a music video filmed at Pope Air Force Base.
The video shoot Monday will feature the chorus and country music artist Jamie Tate performing in front of a C-130 cargo plane in a hangar at the base. Tate and the All American Chorus recorded the song "I'll Give My All" at a Nashville studio in March.
A portion of sales from the song will be donated to charity, including the Wounded Warrior Project for the 82nd Airborne Division and the Military Family Lifestyle Charitable Foundation.
The video and the song will be released May 31.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/ap_bragg_chorus_051710/
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 17, 2010 8:09:12 EDT
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The 82nd Airborne Division's All American Chorus will appear in a music video filmed at Pope Air Force Base.
The video shoot Monday will feature the chorus and country music artist Jamie Tate performing in front of a C-130 cargo plane in a hangar at the base. Tate and the All American Chorus recorded the song "I'll Give My All" at a Nashville studio in March.
A portion of sales from the song will be donated to charity, including the Wounded Warrior Project for the 82nd Airborne Division and the Military Family Lifestyle Charitable Foundation.
The video and the song will be released May 31.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/ap_bragg_chorus_051710/
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Army veteran's walking sticks help wounded stand tall
ND couple honored for helping military veterans
By DAVE KOLPACK
Associated Press Writer , The Associated Press - MAYVILLE, N.D.
A North Dakota man who has crafted hundreds of walking sticks for wounded veterans says he's looking forward to the day when his services are no longer needed.
"The war's not going to be over," Dennis Enger said Friday after he and his wife were honored in a surprise ceremony at the Mayville VFW. "I wish it would be over tomorrow morning so I could quit. But I'll keep on."
Enger, a retired tree trimmer and Army veteran, started the project about four years ago as a way to help fellow soldiers. The first package to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center contained only three sticks, but he was so touched by the reaction from veterans and their families he kept on carving.
He has since finished about 400 sticks.
"They're known as Grandma and Grandpa Walking Stick out there at Walter Reed," said Dan Stenvold, of Park River, the president of the North Dakota Vietnam Veterans of America who has helped deliver the sticks to the Washington, D.C., hospital.
go here for more
ND couple honored for helping military veterans
By DAVE KOLPACK
Associated Press Writer , The Associated Press - MAYVILLE, N.D.
A North Dakota man who has crafted hundreds of walking sticks for wounded veterans says he's looking forward to the day when his services are no longer needed.
"The war's not going to be over," Dennis Enger said Friday after he and his wife were honored in a surprise ceremony at the Mayville VFW. "I wish it would be over tomorrow morning so I could quit. But I'll keep on."
Enger, a retired tree trimmer and Army veteran, started the project about four years ago as a way to help fellow soldiers. The first package to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center contained only three sticks, but he was so touched by the reaction from veterans and their families he kept on carving.
He has since finished about 400 sticks.
"They're known as Grandma and Grandpa Walking Stick out there at Walter Reed," said Dan Stenvold, of Park River, the president of the North Dakota Vietnam Veterans of America who has helped deliver the sticks to the Washington, D.C., hospital.
go here for more
ND couple honored for helping military veterans
Staten Islanders offer heartfelt salute to wounded warriors
Staten Island Advance/Jan Somma-Hammel
Motrorcyclists, 200 strong, escort wounded soldiers visiting from Water Reed Hospital in Washington along Korean War Veterans Memorial Parkway.
Staten Islanders offer heartfelt salute to wounded warriors
By Jeff Harrell
May 14, 2010, 10:48PM
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- It was impossible to miss the wounded war heroes today.
Behind an advance guard of 200 deafening choppers, their motorcade wended its way along Richmond Avenue past the Staten Island Mall, attended by fluttering flags and chants of "America rocks!"
It was a fitting New York City welcome for nine severely wounded veterans who ventured from Walter Reed Hospital in Washington, D.C., to visit the Island as guests of the Tamburri Post, American Veterans (AMVETS).
"It's very exciting. I got goosebumps," said Tamburri Post member Dennis McLoone of Westerleigh.
"I'm just proud, proud, proud of our guys doing a job nobody else would want," proclaimed Kathryn Fixsen of Eltingville. "It makes America what it is."
go here for more
Staten Islanders offer heartfelt salute to wounded warriors
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister, wounded in Iraq climbs Mount McKinley
Wounded warriors summit McKinley
Soldier wounded in Iraq won’t let injury end his career or limit his goals
By Joe Gould - Staff writers
Posted : Sunday May 9, 2010 15:07:15 EDT
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The roadside bomb that destroyed Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister’s Humvee in al-Hillah, Iraq, in 2007, blasted a jet of molten metal through the rear driver’s side door to the front passenger seat. It ripped through a sergeant and a gunner’s legs, sprayed shrapnel into the driver’s back and into an interpreter’s face.
When Hoffmeister lifted his left arm to radio for help, he saw a hole had been cut through it. The wound could have ended his career, if not his life, but Hoffmeister would not let it.
The officer from Eagle River, Alaska, fought his way to recovery, and in June is due to assume command of the 6th Engineer Battalion, which may deploy to Iraq in the fall.
“I haven’t stopped since I was wounded, I haven’t had the opportunity to,” said Hoffmeister, who was in the pre-command course here last month.
More impressively, he climbed treacherous Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, with three other wounded warriors.
read more here
Wounded warriors summit McKinley
Soldier wounded in Iraq won’t let injury end his career or limit his goals
By Joe Gould - Staff writers
Posted : Sunday May 9, 2010 15:07:15 EDT
FORT LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — The roadside bomb that destroyed Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister’s Humvee in al-Hillah, Iraq, in 2007, blasted a jet of molten metal through the rear driver’s side door to the front passenger seat. It ripped through a sergeant and a gunner’s legs, sprayed shrapnel into the driver’s back and into an interpreter’s face.
When Hoffmeister lifted his left arm to radio for help, he saw a hole had been cut through it. The wound could have ended his career, if not his life, but Hoffmeister would not let it.
The officer from Eagle River, Alaska, fought his way to recovery, and in June is due to assume command of the 6th Engineer Battalion, which may deploy to Iraq in the fall.
“I haven’t stopped since I was wounded, I haven’t had the opportunity to,” said Hoffmeister, who was in the pre-command course here last month.
More impressively, he climbed treacherous Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, with three other wounded warriors.
read more here
Wounded warriors summit McKinley
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Halvorson helps 'silent heroes' of current wars
Halvorson helps 'silent heroes' of current wars
05/05/2010, 11:37 pm
Charles Stanley, charless@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4063
U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, calls them the "silent heroes" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars: The family members-turned-caregivers for the veterans wounded and injured while serving their country.
Wednesday afternoon President Obama signed The Wounded Warrior Caregiver Assistance Act authored by Halvorson to provide support services for the family caregivers that dedicate themselves to providing home care for their wounded veteran.
"People don't realize that when the wounded warrior returns home, they are are not through with battle, they are on to their next battle — the battle of rehabilitation," Halvorson told The Times.
"It's a battle that they fight with the help of their family members, the silent heroes, who are taking care of them."
Key features of the new law are that it offers family members training to help care for their veteran and support such as temporary nursing assistance to provide the family members with a break. It also provides health care and a stipend for caregivers living with severely wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
read more here
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=403552
05/05/2010, 11:37 pm
Charles Stanley, charless@mywebtimes.com, 815-431-4063
U.S. Rep. Debbie Halvorson, D-Crete, calls them the "silent heroes" of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars: The family members-turned-caregivers for the veterans wounded and injured while serving their country.
Wednesday afternoon President Obama signed The Wounded Warrior Caregiver Assistance Act authored by Halvorson to provide support services for the family caregivers that dedicate themselves to providing home care for their wounded veteran.
"People don't realize that when the wounded warrior returns home, they are are not through with battle, they are on to their next battle — the battle of rehabilitation," Halvorson told The Times.
"It's a battle that they fight with the help of their family members, the silent heroes, who are taking care of them."
Key features of the new law are that it offers family members training to help care for their veteran and support such as temporary nursing assistance to provide the family members with a break. It also provides health care and a stipend for caregivers living with severely wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.
read more here
http://mywebtimes.com/archives/ottawa/display.php?id=403552
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Troops' care facility listed critical
Troops' care facility listed critical
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon effort to consolidate two premier hospitals for treating wounded troops has more than doubled in price and is so rudderless that an independent review and a bipartisan group of legislators say the care could suffer.
The cost of closing Walter Reed Army Medical Center, replacing it with a larger complex at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and building a hospital at Fort Belvoir, Va., has risen from $1 billion to $2.6 billion, Pentagon records show.
Correcting the problems raised by Congress will cost another $781 million, according to a Pentagon report released Monday. And improvements must wait until after the new Bethesda facility — named the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — is finished in September 2011, the report says.
go here for more
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-04-26-hospitals_N.htm
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon effort to consolidate two premier hospitals for treating wounded troops has more than doubled in price and is so rudderless that an independent review and a bipartisan group of legislators say the care could suffer.
The cost of closing Walter Reed Army Medical Center, replacing it with a larger complex at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and building a hospital at Fort Belvoir, Va., has risen from $1 billion to $2.6 billion, Pentagon records show.
Correcting the problems raised by Congress will cost another $781 million, according to a Pentagon report released Monday. And improvements must wait until after the new Bethesda facility — named the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center — is finished in September 2011, the report says.
go here for more
http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-04-26-hospitals_N.htm
Friday, April 23, 2010
American Legion Post 293 gives a night out to wounded warriors
Thanking those who serve
Post 293 gives a night out to wounded warriors
Friday, April 23, 2010
By SARA K. TAYLOR
Staff writer
For members of American Legion Edwin Adams Post 293 in Waldorf, giving back is a way of life.
So when the National American Legion Headquarters, the largest veterans organization in the country, introduced a wounded warrior program designed to support injured servicemen and women returning stateside, Legion members were all for it.
Every few months the post calls on Joey Stretch, a White Plains limousine service, to head to Washington, D.C., to pick up recuperating soldiers and their spouses for a dinner at the Legion.
The ride to Waldorf is escorted by the Legion Riders, motorcyclists who are Legion members, who are devoted to various charity ventures.
For Ken Lake, 30-year Legion member and its vice commander, organizing the night out is just a way of saying "thanks" to those who serve in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"We're just trying to do our part," said Lake, a Vietnam veteran. "When I got back from Vietnam, nobody treated me like this."
read more here
Post 293 gives a night out to wounded warriors
Post 293 gives a night out to wounded warriors
Friday, April 23, 2010
By SARA K. TAYLOR
Staff writer
For members of American Legion Edwin Adams Post 293 in Waldorf, giving back is a way of life.
So when the National American Legion Headquarters, the largest veterans organization in the country, introduced a wounded warrior program designed to support injured servicemen and women returning stateside, Legion members were all for it.
Every few months the post calls on Joey Stretch, a White Plains limousine service, to head to Washington, D.C., to pick up recuperating soldiers and their spouses for a dinner at the Legion.
The ride to Waldorf is escorted by the Legion Riders, motorcyclists who are Legion members, who are devoted to various charity ventures.
For Ken Lake, 30-year Legion member and its vice commander, organizing the night out is just a way of saying "thanks" to those who serve in Afghanistan and Iraq.
"We're just trying to do our part," said Lake, a Vietnam veteran. "When I got back from Vietnam, nobody treated me like this."
read more here
Post 293 gives a night out to wounded warriors
Monday, April 19, 2010
Operation Safety 91 brings wounded warrior to students
Saturday, April 17, 2010
OS91 brings US hero, William Castillo to New Hope Christian Academy in Minneola, FL
Friday, April 16, 2010, Operation Safety 91 (OS91) www.OS91.com founded to honor and protect America's 1st Responders, brought wounded Iraq/Afghan war hero, William Castillo to New Hope Christian Academy (NHCA) in Minneola, FL, to speak with the students. OS91 surprised William with a grand welcome from Mayor Pat Kelley, and Ladder 86 with Fire Chief Derryl O’Neal, Lt. Jim Simon, Vance Flummer, George (Sam) Smith and Josh Smith. Assistant Chief David Kilbury of Clermont Fire Department also attended. Representing Lake County Sheriff's Department were Captain Stevin Moss (Tavares) and Lt. Gregory Link (Minneola).
read more here
http://operationsafety91.blogspot.com/
OS91 brings US hero, William Castillo to New Hope Christian Academy in Minneola, FL
Friday, April 16, 2010, Operation Safety 91 (OS91) www.OS91.com founded to honor and protect America's 1st Responders, brought wounded Iraq/Afghan war hero, William Castillo to New Hope Christian Academy (NHCA) in Minneola, FL, to speak with the students. OS91 surprised William with a grand welcome from Mayor Pat Kelley, and Ladder 86 with Fire Chief Derryl O’Neal, Lt. Jim Simon, Vance Flummer, George (Sam) Smith and Josh Smith. Assistant Chief David Kilbury of Clermont Fire Department also attended. Representing Lake County Sheriff's Department were Captain Stevin Moss (Tavares) and Lt. Gregory Link (Minneola).
read more here
http://operationsafety91.blogspot.com/
Iceland volcano delays evac for U.S. wounded in Afghanistan
Iceland volcano delays evac for U.S. wounded in Afghanistan
By Nancy A. Youssef McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The volcanic ash cloud hanging over Europe is slowing down U.S. military transport of soldiers injured in Afghanistan back to U.S. hospitals by eight hours, Pentagon officials said Monday.
Rather than flying from Germany’s Ramstein Air Force base, which has been grounded by the ash cloud, soldiers are now being transported to the naval base in Rota, Spain. The resulting re-routing to get troops to Rota means an additional eight hours of flight back to the United States, the Pentagon said.
When a soldier is seriously injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, doctors stabilize them there, and then get them to Ramstein where medical teams conduct emergency surgeries and stabilize them for the trip home. Troops then come home to the United States for long-term treatment.
Ramstein is a large mega-base that has been the home for such efforts to save soldiers since 2001; Rota is much smaller and not nearly as engaged in the wars. That said, there are far fewer injuries in Iraq and so far this month in Afghanistan troop deaths at 10, far fewer than the peak of scores of dead that came through Ramstein at the height of violence in Iraq.
Read more: Iceland volcano delays evac for U.S. wounded in Afghanistan
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/19/92451/iceland-volcano-delays-evac-for.html#ixzz0lah3QVlL
By Nancy A. Youssef McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON — The volcanic ash cloud hanging over Europe is slowing down U.S. military transport of soldiers injured in Afghanistan back to U.S. hospitals by eight hours, Pentagon officials said Monday.
Rather than flying from Germany’s Ramstein Air Force base, which has been grounded by the ash cloud, soldiers are now being transported to the naval base in Rota, Spain. The resulting re-routing to get troops to Rota means an additional eight hours of flight back to the United States, the Pentagon said.
When a soldier is seriously injured in Iraq and Afghanistan, doctors stabilize them there, and then get them to Ramstein where medical teams conduct emergency surgeries and stabilize them for the trip home. Troops then come home to the United States for long-term treatment.
Ramstein is a large mega-base that has been the home for such efforts to save soldiers since 2001; Rota is much smaller and not nearly as engaged in the wars. That said, there are far fewer injuries in Iraq and so far this month in Afghanistan troop deaths at 10, far fewer than the peak of scores of dead that came through Ramstein at the height of violence in Iraq.
Read more: Iceland volcano delays evac for U.S. wounded in Afghanistan
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/04/19/92451/iceland-volcano-delays-evac-for.html#ixzz0lah3QVlL
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Fisher House recipient of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize money
Obama Funds A Place For Vets To Heal
April 10, 2010 Alan Greenblatt NPR
Fisher House one of the charities to which President Obama donated his Nobel Prize money offers housing to wounded soldiers, veterans and their families. The families find in each other support during a traumatic period in their lives.
Fisher House helped Tammy Duckworth heal. As an Army Reserve helicopter pilot in Iraq, she was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade that cost her both her legs and severely injured her right arm. Eventually, she ended up at Fisher House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The Fisher House Foundation has built 45 facilities on campus at military medical centers around the country, providing housing to veterans, wounded soldiers and their families free of charge. When he was a senator from Illinois, Barack Obama regularly visited Fisher House at Walter Reed.
First lady Michelle Obama, through her work with military families, is also "very aware" of Fisher House, says Duckworth, now an assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs. Last month, when President Obama announced that he would give his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize money to 10 charities, Fisher House was the single largest recipient.
Fisher House saves families money during long hospital stays. More importantly, it offers them a ready-made support group. People who have already been in residence at Fisher House for months help newcomers navigate the military and hospital bureaucracies — and offer them someone to talk to who understands what they're going through.
read more here
Obama Funds A Place For Vets To Heal
April 10, 2010 Alan Greenblatt NPR
Fisher House one of the charities to which President Obama donated his Nobel Prize money offers housing to wounded soldiers, veterans and their families. The families find in each other support during a traumatic period in their lives.
Fisher House helped Tammy Duckworth heal. As an Army Reserve helicopter pilot in Iraq, she was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade that cost her both her legs and severely injured her right arm. Eventually, she ended up at Fisher House at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.
The Fisher House Foundation has built 45 facilities on campus at military medical centers around the country, providing housing to veterans, wounded soldiers and their families free of charge. When he was a senator from Illinois, Barack Obama regularly visited Fisher House at Walter Reed.
First lady Michelle Obama, through her work with military families, is also "very aware" of Fisher House, says Duckworth, now an assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs. Last month, when President Obama announced that he would give his $1.4 million Nobel Peace Prize money to 10 charities, Fisher House was the single largest recipient.
Fisher House saves families money during long hospital stays. More importantly, it offers them a ready-made support group. People who have already been in residence at Fisher House for months help newcomers navigate the military and hospital bureaucracies — and offer them someone to talk to who understands what they're going through.
read more here
Obama Funds A Place For Vets To Heal
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Dr. Todd Hatch wants other doctors to step up for OEF and OIF veterans
Local doctor has a plan to help the VA treat America's vets -- for free
by Kevin Reece / 11 News
Posted on April 2, 2010
HOUSTON—The Veterans Administration more than has its hands full when it comes to caring for aging and injured veterans.
Even under the best of circumstances, they have millions of patients to care for each year.
But a Houston-area doctor has a plan – he wants the rest of the medical community to step in and do their part.
John Thompson is one of those veterans. He makes monthly visits to Dr. Todd Hatch for neck, back and foot pain.
That pain started on the other side of the world, when Thompson spent a year with the Army in Iraq.
Thompson’s supply convoys criss-crossed the country, and day-to-day life was mostly uneventful. But even though he was never injured in battle, the wear and tear of being on the road led to back problems.
When he came home, he initially sought help at the Houston VA.
"They, uh, you know, threw some medicine at me and said, ‘Here you go. This will take care of it.’ But over time, it progressively got worse, and I really didn’t know where to go," Thompson said.
That is, until he drove past the readerboard at Sunrise Chiropractic, where Dr. Hatch Works, and saw that Iraq and Afghan war vets could get help there – for free.
"They have a lot of pride, and they don’t want to ask for help. But they’ll take help if it’s offered," Hatch said.
Hatch began offering that help, because soldiers told him the VA often can’t.
"The government cannot take care of all these soldiers. There’s no way they can meet all their needs. So I think it’s time for the citizens to step up, say what we can do for our own people," Hatch said.
read more here
Local doctor has a plan to help the VA
also
Wounded Warriors Volunteer Association Web site
MISSION STATEMENT
by Kevin Reece / 11 News
Posted on April 2, 2010
HOUSTON—The Veterans Administration more than has its hands full when it comes to caring for aging and injured veterans.
Even under the best of circumstances, they have millions of patients to care for each year.
But a Houston-area doctor has a plan – he wants the rest of the medical community to step in and do their part.
John Thompson is one of those veterans. He makes monthly visits to Dr. Todd Hatch for neck, back and foot pain.
That pain started on the other side of the world, when Thompson spent a year with the Army in Iraq.
Thompson’s supply convoys criss-crossed the country, and day-to-day life was mostly uneventful. But even though he was never injured in battle, the wear and tear of being on the road led to back problems.
When he came home, he initially sought help at the Houston VA.
"They, uh, you know, threw some medicine at me and said, ‘Here you go. This will take care of it.’ But over time, it progressively got worse, and I really didn’t know where to go," Thompson said.
That is, until he drove past the readerboard at Sunrise Chiropractic, where Dr. Hatch Works, and saw that Iraq and Afghan war vets could get help there – for free.
"They have a lot of pride, and they don’t want to ask for help. But they’ll take help if it’s offered," Hatch said.
Hatch began offering that help, because soldiers told him the VA often can’t.
"The government cannot take care of all these soldiers. There’s no way they can meet all their needs. So I think it’s time for the citizens to step up, say what we can do for our own people," Hatch said.
read more here
Local doctor has a plan to help the VA
also
Wounded Warriors Volunteer Association Web site
MISSION STATEMENT
The Wounded Warrior Volunteer Association (WWVA) recognizes and appreciates the willingness of our veterans, active duty and reservists to serve and protect. While the United States government attempts to meet the health care needs of those brave men and women there are times that some of those needs are not meet. Additionally we are concerned about those warriors that did not sustain injuries that “qualified” them for health care under such programs, warriors that have been “released” from such programs and those warriors that have given up on seeking care through such programs due to the extenuating bureaucracy involved. The primary mission of the Wounded Warriors Volunteer Association (WWVA) is to connect Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with healthcare providers and services who agree to provide quality care at no cost to the warrior. Some providers may also elect to offer the same benefit to the warrior’s spouse or primary care giver.
Hundreds honor wounded Marine
Hundreds honor wounded Marine
Sunday, April 04, 2010
By MICHAEL McAULIFFE
mmcauliffe@repub.com
HOLYOKE - In big letters, on a queen-sized bed sheet, was spray-painted the message Dennis S. Marini and his 12-year-old daughter, Kylie Kuhn, wanted Joshua J. Bouchard to see Saturday afternoon: "Welcome Home Josh! We Love You."
Hundreds of people who gathered along Beech Street and in the parking lot of the Anne H. McHugh Educational Center appeared to feel the same way.
The throng, which included Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, were there to honor the 27-year-old Bouchard, a Marine Corps sergeant who had lost his left leg, broken his right arm, and had part of his spine crushed in an explosion in Afghanistan in July.
read more here
Hundreds honor wounded Marine
Sunday, April 04, 2010
By MICHAEL McAULIFFE
mmcauliffe@repub.com
HOLYOKE - In big letters, on a queen-sized bed sheet, was spray-painted the message Dennis S. Marini and his 12-year-old daughter, Kylie Kuhn, wanted Joshua J. Bouchard to see Saturday afternoon: "Welcome Home Josh! We Love You."
Hundreds of people who gathered along Beech Street and in the parking lot of the Anne H. McHugh Educational Center appeared to feel the same way.
The throng, which included Lt. Gov. Timothy P. Murray, were there to honor the 27-year-old Bouchard, a Marine Corps sergeant who had lost his left leg, broken his right arm, and had part of his spine crushed in an explosion in Afghanistan in July.
read more here
Hundreds honor wounded Marine
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Only a fraction of wounded veterans apply for benefits
Report: Some vets miss out on better benefits
By Kevin Maurer - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Apr 2, 2010 16:53:13 EDT
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Only a fraction of wounded veterans who could get better benefits have applied in the two years since Congress, acting on concerns the military was cutting costs by downplaying injuries, ordered the Pentagon to review disputed claims.
As of mid-March, only 921 vets have applied out of the 77,000 the Pentagon estimates are eligible, according to numbers provided to The Associated Press by the Physical Disability Board of Review. The panel was created in 2008 but started taking cases in January 2009.
More than 230 cases have been decided, about 60 percent in favor of improving the veteran’s benefits, while 119 cases were dismissed as ineligible.
Advocates and even the board members themselves want the review panel to do a better job of getting the word out.
“Quite frankly, I would like to see more opportunities for us to reach out to these people,” said Michael LoGrande, president of the three-member board that has a staff of 10. “But we are doing the best we can with the limited people and resources we have.”
read more here
Some vets miss out on better benefits
By Kevin Maurer - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Apr 2, 2010 16:53:13 EDT
WILMINGTON, N.C. — Only a fraction of wounded veterans who could get better benefits have applied in the two years since Congress, acting on concerns the military was cutting costs by downplaying injuries, ordered the Pentagon to review disputed claims.
As of mid-March, only 921 vets have applied out of the 77,000 the Pentagon estimates are eligible, according to numbers provided to The Associated Press by the Physical Disability Board of Review. The panel was created in 2008 but started taking cases in January 2009.
More than 230 cases have been decided, about 60 percent in favor of improving the veteran’s benefits, while 119 cases were dismissed as ineligible.
Advocates and even the board members themselves want the review panel to do a better job of getting the word out.
“Quite frankly, I would like to see more opportunities for us to reach out to these people,” said Michael LoGrande, president of the three-member board that has a staff of 10. “But we are doing the best we can with the limited people and resources we have.”
read more here
Some vets miss out on better benefits
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