Sunday, February 28, 2016

After Five Tours Veteran Writes About Hardest Battle--Being Home

St. Cloud Vet’s Book Explores Struggles After War 
WJON News AM1240 
By Isaac Schweer 
February 27, 2016
ST. CLOUD — A St. Cloud veteran of the U.S. Air Force has taken the struggles he’s experienced firsthand and channeled them into what he calls a reintegration tool for soldiers returning home from overseas.

Todd Kuikka served five tours in Iraq, Afghanistan and other conflict areas performing explosive ordinance disposal duties. Since his return home, he has suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — something he says is somewhat of a taboo subject.

“I think it’s pretty typical, but not spoken about very often,” Kuikka says. “The hardest battle that I fought was not actually on the battlefield — it was trying to re-enter civilian life.”
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Community Gives Final Tribute to Sgt. Turner's Life

Memorial held in Florala for fallen Alabama Marine 
WTVM News
By Allen Henry
Saturday, February 27th 2016
The two marine helicopters flew over Lake Jackson at the end of the service as a final tribute to Sgt. Turner's life.


Sgt. William Joshua Turner was 25 years old.
FLORALA, AL (WSFA) - Hundreds of friends, family and community members gathered in Florala on Saturday to honor the life of Sgt. Joshua Turner.

Two United States Marine Corps helicopters greeted Turner's family at the Florala Airport early Saturday morning.

Community members lined the side of Route 331 to pay their respects, some knowing the pain the family is feeling all too well.
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One Story Repeated Different Ways

The headline all over the press is that Bill Clinton told a Marine to shut up and sit down, but when you watch the video you can see and hear that he was trying to answer the charges while the Marine wouldn't stop talking. As for the rest, Clinton asked officers to allow him to stay.
The above link on FOX shows editing to prove a point and not tell the truth.

Learn History Before You Need Help That Isn't There

Care Before It Happens To You
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 28, 2016

Why is it that some people only pay attention to things when it is about them? When they need something, they expect it to be there yet never once consider how many people fought for it, worked for it and paid attention all along so that no one would have to experience needing something that wasn't there ever again.

There is no problem in this country our veterans go through that is new. And that is the part that pisses me off everyday.



There was a Town Hall in Cincinnati about troubles with the Department of Veterans Affairs hosted by Concerned Veterans For America.

This is the headline they picked "Veteran Town Hall: "The VA Sucks... Period!!"
Jody Merrill is a mother of a veteran and shared her story.

“I'm a mother of a 29-year-old marine who took his life four years ago because the VA can't get it right,” said Merrill.

Stories like these filled this room at the Millennium Hotel, but no one was more emotional and angry than Merrill.

"I walked in there and said my son is in trouble."

Her son Sergeant Curtis Fike suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Merrill says her son could have been saved, and she did everything she could to help.

"As a family member you can get any information, You can't give them any information,” said Merrill. “I knew he was suffering. I saw what he was going through."
My heart breaks for her but it has been broken for over 30 years for all the other Moms having to bury their adult children after suicide because they watched the suffering instead of rejoicing with the healing.

The truth is, an adult child still has rights of privacy.  Unless they have given explicit permission for the VA doctors to talk to their parent, they can't. They cannot talk to a spouse either.

We went through all that in the 90's.  I went with my husband to his appointments most of the time and he gave permission to his doctors to talk to me. 

It took six years for his claim to be approved, so all the talk about backlogs of claims is not new either.  As a matter of fact, none of this is.  We had private health insurance but as soon as the VA doctor diagnosed PTSD connected to Vietnam, our insurance company would no longer cover his mental health needs. They said it was the government's responsibility.  

With the VA denying his claim over and over again, they billed us for his care because until a claim is approved, it is considered "non-service connected."

They took our tax refund every year until it was finally approved and paid back most of the money but in all those years, it was torture for us.  Imagine knowing suffering is connected to service and then having to pay for it with money you just don't have.

They kept telling us that once his claim was approved, we'd be ok financially but that extra stress caused my husband to give up but I worked with his doctors to help him get through all of it and thank God, he's still here and we've been married for over 30 years.

His generation fought for everything on PTSD and TBI when no one cared.  His generation suffered the same wounds when no one but their families cared. 

Generations before his came home with the same wounds but they suffered in silence too ashamed of what combat did to them to ask the government to do for them.

It is up to us to learn what is available to help us as family members to help our veterans and stop taking the easy way out.  We should never settle for suffering because something is the way it is nor should we get what we need and then forget about all the others coming afterwards anymore than we should forget those who came before us.

We should never settle for what is going on in this country right now with all the charities screaming on social media for attention and money when we never bother to ask what they are doing with the money or why they even deserve a dime. Especially when you factor in that the outcomes have not improved and no one is accountable for anything including Congress.

Congress? Yes, congress with the jurisdiction over the VA while they never manage to fix anything that has gone wrong anymore than they publicize what has been done right. They control the budget and write all the rules. For Heaven's sake it is almost as if they never heard of C-SPAN covering all the hearings they've had over the last 4 decades on PTSD and TBI and suicides.

This is the link to our politicians holding hearings on all of this happening to our veterans in the House and this one is for the Senate hearings on the VA.

Oh, by the way, they also have jurisdiction over the DOD, yet they washed their hands on all the suicides in the military going up after they spent billions of dollars on over 900 suicide prevention programs at the same time the number of enlisted personnel went down.

They didn't plan on any of the OIF or OEF veterans coming home wounded so they didn't properly get the VA ready.  If you think any of this is new then Google VA Secretary Jim Nicholson to discover all the problems reported before he resigned in 2007. Like this one,


"Secretary Nicholson's resignation should be welcome news for all veterans," Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said in a statement, adding that VA "has been woefully unprepared for the influx of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans."


The trouble is there are resources available and have been in place for decades. It isn't just about OEF and OIF veterans coming home and needing help but about all generations with the same battle borne wounds waiting for the help other generations fought to not just establish but have fought to fix.

In one way or another, the VA has been part of my life all my life. My Dad was 100% and so is my husband.

None of this is new but too many just didn't bother paying attention until it became "their problem" and then they expected everything to just be magically ready for them. When it wasn't, then they paid attention to what all the other veterans and families were already going through, yet they never noticed them waiting even longer.

Why should they care before they needed the VA? Simple. We're supposed to be a grateful nation yet we never pay attention to those we're supposed to be grateful for.

We're constantly reminded of the number of veterans committing suicide with the number "22" but no one is reminding anyone that number is not the truth. It is a big lie perpetuated to fund over 400,000 charities claiming to be raising awareness about something they couldn't even be bothered with to read the whole VA Suicide Data Report which urged caution since it was limited date from 21 states. 

What is even more flabbergasting is the number of veterans committing suicide has gone up because raising awareness on an easy number to remember, forgot to also mention how these veterans could heal instead of commit suicide.

But hey, why should any of this matter to all the people getting the attention of the press when reporters seem to have lost their ability to actually report facts?

Nothing will change until everyone cares about what is happening to others and step up before it happens to them.

VA Caregivers Support Group

There is also Peer Support with this piece of information.
Are there resources specific to Veterans and their families?

If you are a Veteran, or are a caregiver or family member of a Veteran, there are resources to help you deal with specific concerns:
If you feel that you or your Veteran is in crisis, contact the Veterans Crisis Line: 1-800-273-8255 and press "1." You can also use the online chat, email, or texting service of the Veterans Crisis Line for immediate needs.

Call the 24/7 Veteran Combat Call Center 1-877-WAR-VETS (1-877-927-8387) to talk to another combat Veteran, or visit the Vet Center homepage to ask about local support groups.

The VA Caregiver Support Line provides services and support to family members who are taking care of a Veteran. Call 1-855-260-3274 or visit VA Caregiver Support.
If you are a Veteran who wants to share your knowledge and experience with other Veterans dealing with mental health conditions, learn about VA's Peer Specialist and Peer Support Apprentice positions.

Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE) Outreach Center provides 24/7 information on psychological health and traumatic brain injury. Consultants can help you locate community resources by phone (1-866-966-1020) or email.

For children with parents who have deployed, the Department of Defense created MilitaryKidsConnect (MKC)Link will take you outside the VA website. VA is not responsible for the content of the linked site., an online resource for kids to find information and support.

We also have a list of resources on our Help Your Veteran Get Needed Care (en Español).

Texas Police Officer Above and Beyond Kindness to Homeless Veteran

Viral snapshot captures Texas police officer’s kindness to homeless veteran
Officer: ‘It’s not just about putting people in jail’
Yahoo
By Jason Sickles
February 26, 2016
The unidentified man told Ferrante that he was a homeless combat veteran and was planning to walk to a town 25 miles away.
This photograph of Texas police officer Brandon Ferrante paying for a homeless veteran's hotel room has gone viral. (Photo: Frisco Police Department)
It’s a simple snapshot that has become a popular and poignant social media sensation.

Earlier this week, Texas police officer Brandon Ferrante was photographed paying to put a homeless veteran up in a hotel.

The good deed unfolded Tuesday night when Ferrante, a four-year veteran of the Frisco Police Department, and his partner got a call to investigate reports of a man sitting dangerously close to a busy freeway in a suburb north of Dallas. Upon arrival, the officers found the man clinging to a barbed-wire fence just off the road.
read more here

Saturday, February 27, 2016

Less Than Honorably Treated Oregon Veteran Wins VA Claim

Local veteran wins VA battle in Portland
Tillamook Headlight Herald
By Brad Mosher
Updated 18 hrs ago
Vietnam-era veteran Bill Minnix talks to Sen. Ron Wyden during the Oregon senator's recent town hall in Tillamook. Minnix credits Wyden's office for helping his case with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Headlight Herald photo / Brad Mosher

Bill Minnix got some good news Tuesday.

He was told that a Department of Veterans Affairs hearing in Portland recently had decided his service from February to July in 1973 in the U.S. Air Force is considered honorable for VA purposes.

The hearing was focused on the character of Minnix’ discharge from the military in 1973, when he was given a less than honorable discharge.

The decision doesn’t change the discharge, but it opens the door to Minnix receiving full veterans benefits.

It also is considered to be a ground-breaking decision which could impact other veterans who were victims of sexual assault while in the service.

“I am quite excited. I talked to Tiffany Kelley, the attorney for the National Veterans Legal Services Program, and she said this is huge because they have had these veterans just waiting. She said that this was a huge precedent,” Minnix said.

“Monetary-wise, that is not the thing. What I am getting out of this and I feel really good about is all the people this (decision) is going to help from here on out.

“They are many other ‘other than honorable’ discharges. Some are called undesirable. Some are called personality disorder discharges,” he added.
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Iraq Veteran Saved Life With Dedication Above and Beyond

Iraq War veteran loses 25 pounds to be liver donor for ailing coworker
WTOP News
By ABC Radio
February 26, 2016

(NEW YORK) — When Brian Burkett found out he needed a liver transplant, he thought it might take some time to find a donor. But after sending out an email to his coworkers, he found he received a response almost immediately from Mike Snyder.

“He called me within five minutes,” Burkett recalled. “You’re just like ‘What? Thank you!'”

Burkett had been diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver years earlier and suffered from chronic fatigue before the operation.

“It was awful,” Burkett told ABC News. “Sometimes you’re so tired you can’t sleep. I couldn’t even do simple activities.”

He said when he learned his coworker needed help, he had no doubts about signing up to be a living donor, meaning a portion of his liver would be used to replace Burkett’s liver.
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Danish Soldiers Focus on Oscar Nominated "A War"

‘A War’: Oscar nominee turns on battle in Afghanistan Danish film captures moral dilemma, human drama
Washington Times
By Emery A. Popoloski
February 26, 2016
Author’s note: This review of the Oscar-nominated movie “A War” includes spoilers.
Recently, I had the chance to watch and review an Oscar nominated film titled “A War” written and directed by Tobias Lindholm. What really intrigued me about this film is that it is about Danish soldiers fighting in the current war in Afghanistan. Although the soldiers were not American, many of the issues faced by the Danish soldiers were similar to those faced by American soldiers. Lindholm also included veterans and Afghan refugees in the film as extended cast members.

The film centers on the company commander Claus M. Pedersen (Pilou Asbæk) and his men who are in Afghanistan. At home Pedersen’s wife, Maria (Tuva Novotny) is managing three young children, who are also affected by their father’s deployment and acting out. Pedersen and his men are ambushed, which leads Pedersen to make a split second decision, who gets to live and who dies. A moral dilemma faced by many combat veterans regardless of their nationality.

Throughout the film Lindholm successfully weaves the story of not only what Pedersen is going through, but also the stories of his family back home, the soldiers, and innocent Afghanistan civilians. Lindholm thankfully does not make any charged political statements in the film. Instead, he explores the lines between what is morally acceptable and what needs to be done to survive when in war, including the unintended consequences.
read more here

New Implant Helps Amputees at Salt Lake VA Hospital

Two veterans take their first steps on revolutionary prosthetic legs
Deseret News
By Jed Boal
Published: Friday, Feb. 26 2016
Updated: 12 hours ago
If the trial proves successful, both veterans hope the new artificial legs will improve the lives of other veteran and civilian amputees.
Bryant Jacobs of Herriman, who is learning to walk for the third time: first, as an infant; second, with his socket prosthetic; and now, with his percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses, or POP implant. He is part of a 10-year study to see if this prosthetic will improve the lives of other veteran and civilian amputees. In Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016. Mark Wetzel, Deseret News
SALT LAKE CITY — Two Iraq War veterans are taking their first steps on revolutionary prosthetic legs at the Salt Lake VA Hospital.

This is literally the next step for the veterans since undergoing surgeries for their percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses, or POP implant, in December.

The veterans can now walk on their residual limbs.

"It's all about baby steps right now," said Bryant Jacobs of Herriman, who is learning to walk for the third time: first, as an infant; second, with his socket prosthetic; and now, with his POP implant.

A roadside bomb explosion damaged his leg in Iraq 11 years ago. After nearly a decade of trying to rehabilitate the limb, he decided to have it amputated two years ago.

"We are not setting expectations, we're not doing any of that," Jacobs said. "We're just progressing."
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Iraq Veteran, Victim of Home Invasion Seeks Justice

Veteran shot in a home invasion speaks out about his ordeal
ABC Action News
Clifton French
8:20 PM, Feb 26, 2016

Today, the veteran is out of work while trying to find a way to pay his extensive medical bills. But, his priority is to help sheriff's deputies find the men who almost killed him before they attack someone else.
TOWN N' COUNTRY, Fla. - He survived a war, twice, only to be shot in the chest in his own home by strangers.

The masked men who attacked Grant Langenburg of Hillsborough County are still on the run, while the 34-year-old Iraq War veteran recovers and tries to find a way to pay a $170,000 medical bill.

"I've done two combat tours in Iraq, it's not what you expect." Langenburg said of his recently shooting. "You don't expect to get shot in your own house."

Langenburg spent eight days in the hospital. He has three broken ribs, a hole in his lung, and a bullet still lodged in his chest.

The bullet "went through my rib, hit my lung and ended up stopping on my ribcage right behind my heart," Langenburg said.
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