Nebraska County Jail Starts Veterans Unit

Douglas County jail in Omaha opens new military vet unit
The Columbus Telegram
Updated Feb 27, 2016

Justine Wall, the department's in-house program coordinator, said he's never seen a prison unit operate the way the veterans unit does, "where everybody looks out for each other, everybody takes care of each other."

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Douglas County jail in Omaha has a new prisoner unit to house military veterans, the first of its kind in Nebraska and one of several in jails nationwide.

The Douglas County Department of Corrections unit, which houses 25 to 30 men, opened about three months ago, The Omaha World-Herald reported (http://bit.ly/1KSG8d0 ) Saturday.

The special unit is based on the idea that many crimes committed by veterans are related to things that happened to them in the military.

"People who went down-range, they saw things, they have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), they are back, they self-medicate, and they get in trouble," said Mick Wagoner, a lawyer with the Veterans Support Legal Network.

The unit is open to all male military veterans except for the most dangerous, predatory or disruptive people. People facing murder charges aren't eligible, nor are those with chronic behavior problems in jail.
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Space Coast Attorneys Step up for Veterans

Local attorneys unite for veterans' causes 
FLORIDA TODAY
R. Norman Moody
January 29, 2016

"It makes people more aware of where a veteran can get help," said Dennis Vannorsdall, Brevare County Veterans Services manager.

VIERA As an Army veteran, Viera-based attorney Sara Goodin knows of some of the issues former service members face both in and out of the judicial system.

But many of the veterans, and the attorneys who serve them, don't know of the benefits available to veterans on the Space Coast.

So in conversation with other members of the Brevard County Bar Association, it was decided that sharing information while at the same honoring military men and women was a good way to better serve veterans.

"She mentioned that people did not know about their benefits," said Kim Torres, an attorney with Torres Mediation in Melbourne. "Our attorneys don't even know what available for their clients."

The Bar Association presented Salute to Our Military, a dinner and gathering Thursday night for attorneys, judges, leaders of military units in Brevard County, and veterans groups and organizations that provide services to veterans.
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Veterans Court Gives Coast Guard Veteran Second Chance

Veterans Court holds first session 
Parker Pioneer
By John Gutekunst
Jan 16, 2016

Veterans are put in contact with services available to them through the Veterans Administration and other entities. They are expected to complete rigorous treatment programs in an effort to turn their lives around and become productive citizens.

The La Paz County Veterans Court held its first session Jan. 14 in the Parker Justice Court.

The first case heard was that of (XXXXXX), a Coast Guard veteran placed on probation from a domestic violence charge. La Paz County Attorney Tony Rogers said there are other cases “in the works,” but this was the first where a plea agreement was reached and Munden was sent to Veterans Court as a condition of his probation.

At the start of the session, Judge Jim Putz-Artrup emphasized this is a “treatment” court where the goal is to make veterans who have run afoul of the law whole and productive citizens again.

At the start of the session, (XXXXXX) and his mentor, Robert “Gunny” St. Germain of Quartzite, stood at attention before Putz-Artrup. After he told them to stand “at ease,” Putz-Artrup shook Munden’s hand and thanked him for his service to the nation. He told him to continue his treatment program and to remain in touch with St. Germain.

Putz-Artrup acknowledged and thanked several persons who were involved in creating the court: La Paz County Attorney Tony Rogers, Deputy County Attorney Dan Terrell, Legal Assistant Kim Alvarez, Veterans Administration Coordinator Joan McCarthy, Mentor Trainer and Advisor Bill Risen, Arizona DES Veterans Advocate Milton Hawkins, Mike Thomas of VFW Post 7061, and Court Clerk Tiffany Dyer.
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USF President Got Call From VA Over Treatment of Florida Veteran

VA Secretary requests meeting with USF President over former student with PTSD 
WFLA News
By Mary McGuire
Published: December 29, 2015

“Veterans involved in a VTC program experience significant improvement in PTSD, depression, substance abuse, emotional well-being, relationships with others, recovery status, social connectedness, family functioning, and sleep.” Robert A. McDonald

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA)– U.S. Army Green Beret Clay Allred’s fight to be reinstated as a student at the University of South Florida is now gaining the attention of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C.

Allred was disqualified for enrollment at the University after a violent episode in 2014, triggered by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Earlier this month, his house arrest order was terminated, but he still has not been granted entry to the University to complete the 17 credits he needs to get his degree.

Now, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald is urging the University to reconsider, requesting a sit-down meeting with University President Dr. Judy Genshaft to discuss the ways the VA and the University can work together to educate veterans who have completed veteran’s treatment court programs.
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Madison County Building Bridges in Veterans Court

Veterans Treatment Court gives second chances to soldiers who have served 
Madison Record
Hoang Tran
Dec. 14, 2015

Madison County Circuit Judge Richard Tognarelli believes in second chances. In particular, he believes that veterans who have suffered the horrors of war should not be abandoned in their time of need.

Tognarelli currently presides over a specialty court created in 2009 to help veterans who have have been charged with non-violent crimes and who are dealing with a drug or alcohol problem and/or a mental health issue, such as post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.

Madison County's Veterans Court was the first of its kind in Illinois, and the third such court in the country, said Tognarelli The court combine rigorous treatment for veterans facing incarceration due to charges stemming from mental health and/or substance abuse issues So far, a total of 197 veterans have been served.

It has not only helped veterans who have served in Iraq but from previous conflicts, as well.

Tognarelli said that one in six veterans who served in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom suffer from a substance abuse issue; one in five show symptoms of a mental health disorder or cognitive impairment. He said that research continues to draw a link between substance abuse and combat–related mental illness.

“We have served veterans from the Korean War, Vietnam War, Bosnia, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Afghanistan," he said. "We have had veterans with significant alcohol and drug abuse problems that have benefited from the treatment provided through Veteran’s Court and the VA. The success rate is quite high, because most are highly motivated to return to a normal life and to re-establish familial ties and relationships.”
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San Diego Veterans Court Chance for Support System

VA Seeks To Aid Veterans Behind Bars
Program helps San Diego veteran turn life around
KPBS News
By Steve Walsh
December 9, 2015

“They found there is a gap between those who are in custody and those who are getting out,” Angela Simoneau, Veterans Justice Outreach specialist with the VA in San Diego. “Usually, when you’re released, it’s 'here’s a bus token figure out where you going to go.'”

Above: Marine veteran Shaun Tullar talks about his future after

jail from his room at Veterans Village San Diego, Nov. 16, 2015.

(Nov. 16, 2015, Steve Walsh/KPBS)

As part of the effort to end homelessness among veterans, the Veterans Administration has been going into the courts and the prison system, looking for vets who may have been left untreated, once they get out.

In August, Shaun Tullar was spending 90 days locked in the Vista Detention Facility in San Diego County. He joined the Marine Corp, hoping to turn around a cycle of drugs and alcohol that started when his mother died in 2003 — while he was in high school. For a while, the Marines Corp worked.

He was sober through a seven-month tour in Helmond province in Afghanistan, but he began drinking after he came back to Camp Pendleton. He went into a substance abuse treatment program on Point Loma, just prior to leaving the Marines.

“I felt very optimistic about the future. I had a lot of good things in place, however my support network wasn’t out here,” he said.

Then, on Jan. 20, 2012, one week after he left the Marines, he got a call from his sister.

“I got a phone call from my sister, found out my brother had died in Afghanistan,” he said.
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Fort Hood Federal Veterans Treatment Court Pilot Program

Veterans Court pilot program to start at Fort Hood
Killeen Daily Herald
December 9, 2015

This new program at Fort Hood is thought to be the first of its kind on a U.S. Army installation, the release stated.

FORT HOOD, TEXAS - Beginning next month, qualified veterans charged with committing misdemeanors while on Fort Hood will be eligible to participate in a pilot program designed to provide an alternative to a federal conviction, according to a news release from the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office.

The Fort Hood Federal Veterans Treatment Court, "Veterans Endeavor for Treatment and Support" or "VETS," will work to divert veterans with service-connected mental health or substance abuse disorders out of the court system and into enduring treatment solutions with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

This initiative will be supervised by United States District Court Judge Walter S. Smith Jr. and run by United States Magistrate Judge Jeffrey C. Manske with the support of United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr. for the Western District of Texas, the release stated.
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USF Got $71 Million for PTSD Research But Failed Own Student?

USF received millions in the last "five years" for PTSD research but has yet to learn how to help veteran students with PTSD?

"USF has also received about $71 million over the past five years to develop cutting-edge PTSD treatments and other programs for veteran rehabilitation and reintegration into society."

Troubled veteran must serve sentence before re-enrolling at USF
Tampa Tribune
By Anastasia Dawson
Tribune Staff
Published: December 3, 2015

TAMPA — Qadratullan “Shawn” Hassan sat quietly by himself Thursday, listening to reasons a man he feared would kill him should be given a second chance at graduating from the University of South Florida.

A number of mental health experts say Clay Allred is ready to be reintegrated into USF, a judge says, and the court might even provide him an escort on campus.TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Hassan, 29, was working at a gas station and convenience store just steps from USF’s Tampa campus when former Army Staff Sgt. Clay Allred, 30, told the Muslim clerk, “I don’t like you people,” urinated on the store’s floor and fired his handgun into the air repeatedly.

Hassan said he has sympathy toward the man, who has suffered with post-traumatic stress disorder after tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as a traumatic brain injury from a car crash.

Yet Hassan said the experience has given him nightmares of his own and was relieved USF’s Board of Trustees appeared to stand firm on its decision to keep Allred out of school until he finishes serving his sentence for the crime.

“It was a hate crime, and if it was a civilian I wouldn’t have taken it so bad, but it was a veteran and that hurt my heart,” Hassan said. “At that moment, I thought my life was over and I was just asking God for a miracle.”

Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Gregory Holder told USF’s thirteen trustees Thursday that Allred, a decorated veteran and former U.S. Army Green Beret, has made considerable progress with help from Holder’s Veterans Treatment Court.

Through veteran’s court, Allred has completed therapy for both PTSD and alcoholism. A number of mental health experts say Allred is ready to be reintegrated into USF, Hiolder said, and the court might even provide him an escort on campus.
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Judge Fights for Green Beret Veteran Kicked Out of USF

USF trustees pass on Holder's request to readmit expelled U.S. Army vet
Tampa Bay Times
Tony Marrero Times Staff Writer
Thursday, December 3, 2015

TAMPA — Despite a plea from Hillsborough County Circuit Judge Gregory Holder, the University of South Florida Board of Trustees on Thursday did not to act on a request to readmit a former U.S. Army Green Beret expelled after firing his gun at a Tampa gas station.

None of the 12 board members present brought up Holder's request for discussion after he spoke for three minutes on behalf of U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Clary Allred, who needs 17 credits to graduate.

Allred was convicted of last year of aggravated assault and other charges in the county's Veterans Treatment Court, which Holder oversees.

Saying he came "not with a frontal assault but on bended knee," Holder urged the board to intervene. Typically, board members don't get involved in admissions decisions.

Hassan, 29, followed Allred outside to get his tag number and Allred pulled an AR-15 rifle from his Jeep and held it at his side in a threatening manner, police said. After a few more exchanged words, Allred handed Hassan a $100 bill, got in his Jeep and fired another weapon, a Glock handgun, into the air three times as he drove away.
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Vietnam Veterans Life Turned Around After Court

Vietnam veteran recalls 'super drunk' arrest that turned his life around 
MLIVE Michigan
By John Counts
November 24, 2015

He was sentenced to 18 months of probation, but was put in touch with the Battle Creek VA for substance abuse treatment, as well as treatment for his post-traumatic stress disorder. "They were more interested in helping me than punishing me," he said. "It was hard work. But it was stuff I could do. They didn't require anything."

Earl "Gunny" Christensen at his home in Holt Monday, November 9, 2015.
(Danielle Duval MLive.com)

Earl "Gunny" Christensen couldn't tell the Fourth of July firecrackers from incoming enemy fire.

So the Vietnam veteran drank. A lot.

On July 3, 2012, Christensen estimates he had about 20 whiskey drinks between noon and 10 p.m. while he was bar hopping in his hometown of Holt, near Lansing.

Christensen says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. "During the Fourth of July I got to get drunk to pass out. So I don't have to deal with all the fireworks and explosions."

Christensen went to four different bars. At the last bar, the bartenders wouldn't serve him. As he was leaving, he crashed into a parked car in the parking lot.

"I backed into somebody at a bar and I drove home," he said.

He recalls police showing up at his house and conducting the sobriety tests there, long after he was out of his vehicle. He blew a .218 percent and was arrested for "super drunk" driving.
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El Paso Veterans Court Gets Patriotism Award

El Paso Veterans Court receives state recognition for treatment services
KFOX 14 News
Crystal Price
Fri, Oct 02 2015

In addition to the veteran cases, they also work with other organizations to hold events such as the annual Stand Down. Through this event, they go out in the community and offer showers, meals, and clothes for homeless veterans.

EL PASO, Texas -- The El Paso Veterans Treatment Court program has received state recognition for the services they provide in the community.

The Texas Veterans Commission recently presented the El Paso specialty court with the Patriotism Award.

The court program offers treatment to veterans who get in trouble with the law, opposed to sending them straight to jail.

Through grants from the Office of the Governor, the program offers treatment to veterans who may suffer from substance abuse or mental health illnesses.

Angie Juarez Barill, judge for the 346th District Court, started the program three years ago. "We saw so many of our men and women veterans and so many active military coming through our court system," Barill said. "So we knew we had to do something about it."

Through this 18-month program, veterans are able to receive counseling and the court assists scheduling VA appointments.

Since the program started the El Paso Veteran's Court has had 50 veterans graduate from the program.

However, Barill said they have had more than 250 veterans who have applied. Barill said these individuals were turned away because they could not prove they had a combat-related illness.
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Veterans Day in Court Has Judge Fighting For Accused

Coping with court: Vietnam vets helping younger veterans in trouble 
Daily Herald
Kurt Hanson
September 18, 2015

“All of the members are veterans,” McVey said. “That’s not the case in most other veteran’s courts around the country. In fact it may not be the case in any other veteran’s court around the country, although they do have veterans involved.”

Veterans services coordinator Randy Edwards, second from right, poses for a portrait with veteran mentors Andrew Wilson, Rich Thayer, and Ken Baschke at the Historic County Courthouse in Provo on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015. GRANT HINDSLEY, Daily Herald

When an individual commits a crime and goes through the court process, they typically face two outcomes — freedom or imprisonment.

For veterans who commit crimes, another option is available that targets treatment instead of incarceration.

Veteran’s Court

The Veteran’s Court in Fourth District Court in Provo has existed since the beginning of the year and has helped in the treatment of many veterans who wound up on the wrong side of the law. But veteran’s court isn’t like most courtrooms. In veteran’s court, mentors who are past veterans become best friends with these men who many would turn away from once they hear of their criminal activity. They applaud them for their victories, an abnormality in the courtroom.

To become eligible for veterans court, defendants must first be determined qualified to be eligible for court by meeting certain conditions. Once they’re accepted, they must take a plea in abeyance for their crime. The veterans then attend court meetings, receive special treatments but more importantly, bond with their brothers in arms.

“There’s a saying, ‘There’s nothing like talking to another veteran,’” said Judge Samuel McVey, who oversees the veteran’s court. Most of the veterans currently in his court are veterans of the more recent conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. McVey is a Marine Corps veteran.
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VETERANS JOURNEY HOME: FAITH, HOPE and WAR

CBS to Air Interfaith Special VETERANS JOURNEY HOME: FAITH, HOPE and WAR, 10/4
Broadway World
September 17, 2015

VETERANS JOURNEY HOME: FAITH, HOPE and WAR, a CBS Interfaith Special, looks at the issues veterans face as they transition to civilian life. This special broadcast will be on the CBS Television Network Sunday, Oct. 4, 2015 (check local listings).

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, there are 22 million veterans in the U.S. This program highlights the stories of some of these men and women who have volunteered to serve their country.

Traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress (PTS) are often referred to as the unseen wounds of war. It's estimated that 500,000 veterans have returned from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with symptoms of PTS.

Less than half seek help for their condition, and many self-medicate with drugs and alcohol.

Among the areas impacted is the criminal justice system in Denton County, Texas, where a Veterans Treatment Court Program is offered as an option to serving time in jail.

Interviews include Judge David D. Garcia, and Virginia "Ginger" Simonson, Veteran Court Mentor Coordinator. read more here

Making the Case Justice For Veterans

A jail that helps veterans heal their mental wounds
CBS News
Katti Gray
Crime Reporter
September 17, 2015

Jailed Vets, 10 percent of America's incarcerated population

A year to the day after his baby brother was shot dead in a Kansas prairie town, German Villegas' best buddy in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Michael J. Palacios, was killed by a bomb he'd been ordered to find and defuse.

"We were both on the list to search for explosives," Villegas recalled.

But it was Palacios who was ultimately dispatched that day in November 2012. "He got hit by a 200-pound IED," two months before both men were slated to go home, Villegas said.

Villegas returned stateside, a shattered man.

"My number-one goal was to get drunk and just try to forget everything," said the 23-year-old, who joined the Marines straight out of high school and spent five years in the service. Fired from the military police, he was shunted into what he calls "punitive duties" that had him cleaning up after battalion officers and picking up trash.

But the worst were the funeral details.

"(That) was the completely wrong thing for me to have to do," he continued. "Every time I did one of these funerals, I'm seeing these families crying. I became pretty good at compartmentalizing -- or so I thought."

Generally, the veterans volunteer to be diverted to such units through special veterans-only treatment courts -- about 220 exist around the country -- that form another arm of a broad and growing strategy to keep as many criminally accused former military personnel as possible out from behind bars. That strategy is being pursued as the nation grapples with how to balance citizen demands for public safety with efforts to pare incarceration costs, incarceration rates, and the risks that those released from prison will return to crime.

In that quest, veterans have emerged as a prime target.

For one thing, their service and sacrifice make it hard for would-be critics of "perks" for prisoners to scoff at programs aimed at incarcerated veterans' uplift, said Melissa Fitzgerald, senior director of Fairfax, Va.-based Justice for Vets.
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Illinois Army National Guard Lt. Colonel Now Judge

Attorney and soldier: Lt. Col. Smith reports for duty as associate judge 
News-Democrat
BY ELIZABETH DONALD
September 6, 2015

She also worked with the veterans court, helping veterans who end up in the court system: Often it is drug- or alcohol-related cases stemming from post-traumatic stress disorder, she said, with some domestic or anger and mood issues. The veterans court is designed to help veterans resolve legal issues stemming from their service with treatment and counseling rather than jail time.

It’s been a good year for Sarah D. Smith. Smith, 39, is an attorney and prosecutor in Madison County who serves in the Illinois Army National Guard.

Two weeks ago, she was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. She and her husband are expecting their third child. And she’s just been named one of the newest associate judges in the 3rd Judicial Circuit. “It’s been a very good year,” Smith said, laughing. “It’s a little overwhelming.”

In the Army National Guard, Smith was in the motor pool, working as a light-vehicle mechanic. She served in Afghanistan and Kosovo and has been decorated with the Bronze Star. Her military benefits helped pay for law school, Smith said, and after she graduated, she was commissioned as an officer into the JAG Corps — Judge Advocate General. read more here

Orange County Veteran Court Needs Mentor Veterans

Orange County programs give veterans a second chance

Programs designed to help vets who landed on wrong side of the law
WESH 2 News Orlando
By Michelle Meredith
UPDATED 6:21 PM EDT May 07, 2015 

"This is as beneficial to me as it is to them because we all left the military with issues,” said Orange County Judge Jerry Brewer, who is a former U.S. Marine.

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. —Florida has the second highest number of veterans in the United States, and when those service members return home, many find themselves fighting different battles, like homelessness, unemployment and post-traumatic stress disorder. 

Orange County has created two specialized programs that are designed to address the needs of veterans within the criminal justice system. 

Clyde Walker went from serving his country to serving time. He said he came home from Vietnam a changed man. 

“Vietnam was hell,” Walker said. “Sometimes you see your brothers with an arm gone or a leg gone. Life is totally different … for a long, long time I didn't have control of me." 

According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 20 percent of veterans who recently returned home have PTSD. 

The National Center for PTSD said 30 percent of Vietnam War veterans dealt with the disorder in their lifetime. 

Whether they’re dealing with addiction or anger management, many veterans with PTSD act out in ways that land them behind bars. 

“We all make mistakes. There is opportunity for recovery. I am a big believer in second chances, if you genuinely want a second chance,” Orange County Jail Chief Cornita A. Riley said. 

The Orange County jail not provides dorms reserved exclusively for veterans. 

The dorms house up to 30 inmates and run like the military.
click link to learn more


 For more information of Florida Veterans' Court go here

Sacramento Veterans Court Giving Veterans Another Chance

Sacramento Veterans Court Gives Those Who Served Another Chance And A Helping Hand
CBS Sacramento
August 21, 2015

The specialized court is their compass, and the man leading the charge is a veteran of the Vietnam era.

“It’s been very gratifying for me–particularly gratifying that we have veterans in our program from the Vietnam era,” he said. “Those are a group of vets I think who were largely overlooked for a long, long time.”

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — It’s been a year since CBS13 took viewers inside a specialized courtroom designed to give veterans who commit crimes a second chance.

It’s an unusual spot to hold a graduation ceremony, but that’s what’s happening inside Department 1 of the Sacramento County Superior Courthouse. It’s where Judge David Abbot is not handing down a sentence or giving jury instructions—he’s extending a lifeline to those who have risked their lives fighting for our country.

The Sacramento County Veterans Treatment Court allows certain defendants who have experienced combat to have their criminal records wiped clean. They need to complete a 120 to 18-month program where they have to stay sober, not re-offend, and meet with the judge, a mentor, and a probation officer on a regular basis.
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Decorate Vietnam Veteran Getting Help Instead of More Jail TIme

UPDATE: Decorated war veteran, jailed for 22 months in Madison County, now getting help
WHNT News 19
BY AL WHITAKER
JULY 11, 2015

“There was a unique situation here for somebody that needed help. Without you, it wouldn’t have happened and I appreciate you,” Taylor told WHNT News 19’s Al Whitaker following Friday’s hearing.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Important results on a story we’ve been pursuing for months. In February, WHNT News 19 covered the story of Ron Buis, a Vietnam veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has spent the last 22 months in jail with no treatment for his condition.

We promised then we would not rest until Buis got the help he needed. And now we can report we’ve made good on that promise.

Ron Buis may have survived the Vietnam War but there was never a ceasefire declared with the voices in his head. His PTSD and related symptoms only got worse over the years until 2013 and he began shooting at them, and at the faces that haunted him still. His mobile home depicts the war that Buis was still fighting, some of the bullets landing in his neighbor’s mobile home. As a result, in September of 2013, Buis was arrested on charges of shooting into an occupied dwelling. He has sat in jail, without treatment, for 22 months.

“He’s also been emotionally traumatized and mentally traumatized by the ravages of war, the bombings, the friends and companions that’s he’s lost as a result of being in the war,” Says Buis’ attorney, John Taylor.
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Battle With PTSD Toughest Fight To Win

The toughest fight: A Soquel soldier’s battle with post-traumatic stress disorder 
Santa Cruz Sentinel
By Stephen Baxter
POSTED: 06/20/15

Therapy and medications can treat PTSD, but there is no easy cure.

Former Soquel resident Steven Husong sits on the steps outside of the Santa Cruz County Courthouse on June 13. Husong is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, which came from military service in Afghanistan. (Kevin Johnson -- Santa Cruz Sentinel)

SANTA CRUZ
Steven Husong has some vivid, violent dreams from his past.

The former Soquel resident and Army National Guard sergeant said one recurring dream dredges up memories from Camp Doha in Qatar, when a young colleague of Husong’s became depressed after more than three months at the base. The man’s wife at home was pregnant, and Husong sent him to a firing range to try to clear his head.

Later that day, the man was back at the base carrying a loaded M4 Carbine rifle when he entered a trailer with a bank of phones to call home. In the phone room, he shot himself in the head.

Husong rushed to him, and in his dream he relives the smell the gunpowder and the copper scent of the man’s blood.

“I slipped on his blood when I tried to give him CPR. It was very messy and very horrible,” Husong said. “I felt like it was my fault. It really (expletive) me up.”

Husong, now 50, lives in Napa. He suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, which often includes flashbacks and nightmares, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Sufferers often feel tense, can’t sleep and dive into depression and guilt. Therapy and medications can treat PTSD, but there is no easy cure.

Since then, he has thrown himself into volunteer work. He facilitates a weekly group of PTSD sufferers at Travis Air Force Base in the Solano County city of Fairfield and runs an Alcoholics Anonymous group at the Mare Island Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic near Vallejo. He also participates in a care-package service called Operation: With Love From Home and works as a veterans’ liaison Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St. Helena.
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New York Veterans Groups Team Up For Justice

New York State Council of Veterans Organizations
NEWS ADVISORY

Veteran Leaders Urge Passage of Justice for Our Veterans Act:
Treatment for Justice-Involved Veterans Suffering from Mental Health Ailments Such as PTSD

CONTACT:John Pemrick Lewis, VFW, 619-602-9000, vfwpost8692@yahoo.com

WHEN and WHERE: 12:30 PM, Monday, June 22, 2015, LCA Press Room 130, Concourse, LOB, Albany, NY

WHAT: Veterans in the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Marine Corps League, and NYS Council of Veterans Organizations are holding a news conference to call on legislators to assist justice-involved veterans suffering from untreated mental health ailments.

The Justice for Our Veterans Act, A.2421B (Brindisi) and S.3914B (Griffo) ensures veterans receive treatment and consideration if they suffer from a service-related mental health illness. This bill provides a process for criminal justice-involved veterans to be examined and, as needed, diverted into treatment for mental health conditions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

In attendance will be many veterans suffering from PTSD and/or TBI who served in Operation Iraq Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Vietnam. Speakers will discuss the mental health calamity for many New York State veterans and the risks of untreated PTSD vets involved in the criminal justice system.

Speakers will explain how the bill's criminal court treatment-oriented process for justice-involved veterans will lead veterans to rehabilitation, family restoration, and again being productive members of society. Veterans will highlight how untreated men and women with invisible but real injuries-the most vulnerable of our returning warriors who put their lives on the line for America's freedom-need a diversion treatment process in the criminal justice system. Photo Opportunity.

WHO: Speakers include:

John Pemrick Lewis, NYS Legislative Committee Member, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW); Senior Vice Commander, VFW Albany County Council; NY Area Chair, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve; U.S. Navy.

Marlene Roll, State Commander, VFW Department of NYS, U.S. Army.*

Art Cody, Legal Director, NYSDA Veterans Defense Program; Retired, Navy Captain, Afghanistan veteran (2011-2012); Member of American Legion, VFW, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

Charles Burkes, Former Director, Albany County Veteran's Bureau; Member, NYS Council of Veterans Organizations; Marine Corps League.*