Homelessness is a problem for an estimated 4,000 veterans in Suffolk

Veteran groups concerned about health care crisis among Iraq vets
BY MARTIN C. EVANS mailto:%20martin.evans@newsday.com
10:02 PM EST, November 4, 2007

Long Island faces a looming health care crisis among Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans returning with serious injuries, post traumatic stress disorder and depleted bank accounts, members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars said yesterday.

Already, homelessness is a problem for an estimated 4,000 veterans in Suffolk, said Richard Woltman, Suffolk VFW commander.

"When you were serving, when you were carrying a rifle, you were king of the hill," Woltman said. "But when you come home, no one knows you. It can be very discouraging."

Woltman and others spoke at a legislative breakfast at the VFW Post 4927 in Centereach, which drew about 175 veterans, plus several candidates running for various county offices in tomorrow's elections.

Woltman said homelessness is a growing problem among returning troops because of financial pressures and mental illness.

Personnel serving in the Reserve or the National Guard often see their income slashed while on active duty, and often come home to find they have lost their jobs. Many soldiers return with anxiety and depression disorders or serious injuries, further hampering their ability to maintain a household.

At the same time, a war-weary public is less enthusiastic in its support for returning troops, further isolating struggling veterans, Woltman said.
go here for the rest
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/ny-livets1105,0,4440178.story

PTSD and the enemy to defeat

Too Few Clinicians Complicate Care in VA, Military Systems

The stigma of mental illness remains a strong deterrent to treatment in the military.
New efforts are under way, however, to eliminate this barrier.
by Rich Daly
A continuing critical shortage of psychiatrists and psychologists in the armed forces and access to quality mental health care for veterans in rural areas are issues that must be addressed now, mental health leaders told members of Congress and their staffs last month.
Military and veterans officials and others identified key concerns in the treatment of mental illness during the 2007 Mental Illness Awareness Week Congressional Symposium, jointly sponsored by APA and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The Capitol Hill briefing described the progress made in identifying and treating mental illness among active-duty and veterans groups, as well as thesignificant work that remains (see also VA Told to Establish Multiple Prevention Programs).

"We have to be realistic that when we send men and women to war zones, we are placing them at great risk for developing psychiatric disorders," said Daniel Blazer, M.D., Ph.D., a psychiatrist and member of the Department of Defense Mental Health Task Force, which recently concluded its work with the release of a report on the need to improve mental health services for members of the military and their families (Psychiatric News, August 3). "If we don't pay attention to their mental health, then we are closing our eyes to the real-life cost of sending them to war." (continued...)

When Vietnam veterans came home, they did not end their battles. They faced them everyday. They battled the ghosts of Vietnam. Then they battled the government to have the wounds they carried taken care of. They are still in need today, still seeking help and are still waiting.

There was a report a month or so ago, about 148,000 Vietnam veterans seeking help in 18 months. Vietnam combat ended for these veterans over 30 years ago yet today they are still seeking help and the VA was not planning for any of them. What will it be like 30 years from now for these veterans, or Gulf War veterans, or Iraq and Afghanistan veterans? 20 years or 10 years from now? The VA can't take care of them now.

Until the occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan end, they will be producing more combat wounded. As bad as it is now it is not even close to what it will end up being years from now. Between the stigma attached to PTSD, the lack of public awareness, many of the wounded today will not seek treatment early. Some will repeat the same mistakes the Vietnam veterans made when they thought they'd "just get over it" as the years tick away.

This nation can mobilize men and women swiftly to send them into combat. This nation can suddenly find emergency funds to toss at crisis after crisis around the world. The elected can come up with hundreds of billions of dollars over and over again to keep campaigns ongoing. What it has been unable to do is use the same urgent attitude to mobilize against an enemy that will not go away, will not be defeated and will continue to kill without mercy. It will kill more than the attacks of 9-11. It will claim more lives than the published death counts. It kills more after peace has been declared and weapons have been put away than it does during the carnage. It claims more lives than bullets or bombs. PTSD is the terrorist we need to fear the most.

This does not just attack the soldier. It returns to claim the futures of the families they return to. Unless there is intervention, families fall apart, spouses blame themselves as divorce papers are filed and children wonder what they did wrong.

Yet this terrorist can be stopped with intervention provided the seriousness of the threat is not taken lightly. Lip service opens the door to more suffering. It is vital to our national security and our future as a nation to defeat this enemy. We cannot prevent it from attacking any more than we can stop the tornado from striking in the dark of night. We cannot prevent PTSD from happening from traumatic events, but we can stop if from claiming lives, families and futures.

The sooner treatment begins this enemy stops infecting every aspect of life. It can only be defeated by intervention. End the silence of PTSD and begin the healing from it. Declare a state of emergency on this killer now when it can make the most difference to the lives spared by grace. Mobilize the experts. Get the generals to lay out plans of attack. Get the elected to fund this war effort waged for the warriors. We can do it but it has to be taken as seriously as sending the men and women into combat.



"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation."

- George Washington


Kathie Costos

Namguardianangel@aol.com

http://www.namguardianangel.org/

http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/

http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/

New York abandons Vietnam Veteran who served this nation

This message was left on my blog.

"Patty Murray becomes voice of veterans care"


Show Original Post



RoseCovered Glasses said...
We have a military veteran friend who was honorably discharged during the Vietnam era. He served in the US Navy while having dual citizenship (Canadian/US). He was born in Canada and his family moved to New York when he was a child and became dual Canadian and US Citizens.After discharge my friend worked in the US for over 3 decades, paying US taxes and Social Security. When it came time to retire and apply for his pension he was informed that the US Department of Homeland Security had revoked his US citizenship and did not recognize his Canadian citizenship.The Social Security Administration will not begin his pension payments until his citizenship issue is resolved. He has been trying to work this matter through the VA, his local representatives in government (congressional level) and directly through the Social Security Office. No one seems to know what to do, who should take action and who has responsibility. The DHS will not reply to his inquiries. Any ideas?
November 4, 2007 9:46 PM

You would think that with all the talk about how important our veterans are they would never allow something like this to happen, but it happens too often.

This veteran served this nation, paid taxes and is not able to collect Social Security. The excuse in this case is Homeland Security. Why? Why would Homeland Security get involved in paying what this veteran earned?

I hope the veteran contacts this site so that we can get to the bottom of what happened or that RoseCovered Glasses will contact me with a name. Until then, maybe it would be a good idea for RoseCovered Glasses to contact the following. There isn't much that can be done without a name or a story to go with it.

New York in the 110th Congress (1st Session)
To retrieve much more detailed biographical and contact information about a given Congressmember, click on the member's name.
Residents of New York are represented in Congress by 2 Senators and 29 Representatives.
Member Name
DC Phone
DC FAX
Senator Charles Schumer (D- NY)
202-224-6542
202-228-3027
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D- NY)
202-224-4451
202-228-0282
Representative Timothy H. Bishop (D - 01)
202-225-3826
202-225-3143
Representative Steve J. Israel (D - 02)
202-225-3335
202-225-4669
Representative Peter T. King (R - 03)
202-225-7896
202-226-2279
Representative Carolyn McCarthy (D - 04)
202-225-5516
202-225-5758
Representative Gary L. Ackerman (D - 05)
202-225-2601
202-225-1589
Representative Gregory W. Meeks (D - 06)
202-225-3461
202-226-4169
Representative Joseph Crowley (D - 07)
202-225-3965
202-225-1909
Representative Jerrold Nadler (D - 08)
202-225-5635
202-225-6923
Representative Anthony Weiner (D - 09)
202-225-6616
202-226-7253
Representative Edolphus Towns (D - 10)
202-225-5936
202-225-1018
Representative Yvette Clarke (D - 11)
202-225-6231
202-226-0112
Representative Nydia M. Velazquez (D - 12)
202-225-2361
202-226-0327
Representative Vito Fossella (R - 13)
202-225-3371
202-226-1272
Representative Carolyn B. Maloney (D - 14)
202-225-7944
202-225-4709
Representative Charles B. Rangel (D - 15)
202-225-4365
202-225-0816
Representative Jose E. Serrano (D - 16)
202-225-4361
202-225-6001
Representative Eliot L. Engel (D - 17)
202-225-2464
202-225-5513
Representative Nita M. Lowey (D - 18)
202-225-6506
202-225-0546
Representative John Hall (D - 19)
202-225-5441
202-225-3289
Representative Kirsten Gillibrand (D - 20)
202-225-5614
202-225-1168
Representative Michael R. McNulty (D - 21)
202-225-5076
202-225-5077
Representative Maurice D. Hinchey (D - 22)
202-225-6335
202-226-0774
Representative John M. McHugh (R - 23)
202-225-4611
202-226-0621
Representative Michael Arcuri (D - 24)
202-225-3665
202-225-1891
Representative James T. Walsh (R - 25)
202-225-3701
202-225-4042
Representative Thomas M. Reynolds (R - 26)
202-225-5265
202-225-5910
Representative Brian M. Higgins (D - 27)
202-225-3306
202-226-0347
Representative Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D - 28)
202-225-3615
202-225-7822
Representative John R. (Randy) Kuhl, Jr. (R - 29)
202-225-3161
202-226-6599



These are the New York State Senators

Senators Individual Web Pages
(Senate Leadership List)
Adams, Eric
Alesi, James S.
Bonacic, John J.
Breslin, Neil D.
Bruno, Joseph L.
Connor, Martin
DeFrancisco, John A.
Diaz, Ruben , Sr.
Dilan, Martin Malave
Duane, Thomas K.
Farley, Hugh T.
Flanagan, John J.
Fuschillo, Charles J., Jr.
Golden, Martin J.
Gonzalez, Efrain , Jr.
Griffo, Joseph A.
Hannon, Kemp
Hassell-Thompson, Ruth
Huntley, Shirley L.
Johnson, Craig M.
Johnson, Owen H.
Klein, Jeffrey D.
Krueger, Liz
Kruger, Carl
Lanza, Andrew J.
Larkin, William J., Jr.
LaValle, Kenneth P.
Leibell, Vincent L., III
Libous, Thomas W.
Little, Elizabeth O'C.
Maltese, Serphin R.
Marcellino, Carl L.
Maziarz, George D.
Montgomery, Velmanette
Morahan, Thomas P.
Nozzolio, Michael F.
Onorato, George
Oppenheimer, Suzi
Padavan, Frank
Parker, Kevin S.
Perkins, Bill
Rath, Mary Lou
Robach, Joseph E.
Sabini, John D.
Saland, Stephen M.
Sampson, John L.
Savino, Diane J.
Schneiderman, Eric T.
Serrano, José M.
Seward, James L.
Skelos, Dean G.
Smith, Malcolm A.
Stachowski, William T.
Stavisky, Toby Ann
Stewart-Cousins, Andrea
Thompson, Antoine M.
Trunzo, Caesar
Valesky, David J.
Volker, Dale M.
Winner, George H., Jr.
Wright, James W.
Young, Catharine M.
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UPDATE:

I received more information on this veteran.

Tony Rose and he is a feature writer at "Rose Covered Glasses".
http://www.rosecoveredglasses.blogspot.com/

TONY GREW UP IN DETROIT FOR MANY YEARS AND MOVED AROUND THE COUNTRY. HE SPENT HIS LAST FEW YEARS IN MINNESOTA AND IS PRESENTLY A RESIDENT AT THE MINNESOTA VETERAN'S HOME IN HASTINGS MINNESOTA, REPRESENTED BY AMY KLOBUCHAR, WHO HAS BEEN CONTACTED BUT HAS NOT TAKEN ACTION.

TONY WAS IN NAVAL AVIATION AND SERVED IN SEVERAL UNITS STATESIDE AND IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. HE WAS AN AMPHIBOUS AIR CRAFT TENDE.

HE ONCE LIVED IN TORONTO AND HAS RELATIVES THERE.

PTSD and TBI awareness programs launched

PTSD and TBI awareness programs launched
By Charlie Reed, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Monday, November 5, 2007


Do you know a soldier who just isn’t acting like himself these days?

If so, he could be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury as a result of serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Recognizing the symptoms associated with PTSD and TBI should now be easier for soldiers and civilian employees thanks to a new mandatory awareness program the Army launched this summer. The one- to two-hour “chain-teaching” program should have been delivered to all units by their command in mid-October.

“I think the biggest thing with the chain teaching is that it kind of identifies symptoms that aren’t very apparent otherwise,” said Jeri Chappelle, spokeswoman for Europe Regional Medical Command. “Soldiers may be experiencing these symptoms and don’t know why they have them.”

Coupled with other efforts — such as Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s new proposal to establish a TBI center — the awareness program shows military officials are devoting more resources to the two conditions, which affect up to 30 percent of downrange troops.
click post title for the rest

Ilona Meagher takes to radio to talk about PTSD

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Discussing Combat PTSD on Midmorning w/Kerri Miller, Mary Jane PoppOff Shows
Passing along news of my two upcoming radio interviews discussing combat PTSD this week. Minnesota Public Radio's Midmorning with Kerri Miller show has invited me on tomorrow morning.

And on Wednesday afternoon, I'll appear on the Mary Jane PoppOff Show.

Both have online streams. Details:

http://ptsdcombat.blogspot.com/2007/11/discussing-combat-ptsd-on-midmorning.html

BRAVO LADY!

Ft. Carson takes wounds seriously with Graham in charge

I've been wondering why there has been such a huge change in reports coming out of Fort Carson. It has to be Maj. General Graham.

Ft. Carson general's top priority is care
Maj. Gen. Mark Graham is reaching out to experts to help provide services for soldiers experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder, brain injuries and other "soldiering issues."
By Erin Emery
The Denver Post
Article Last Updated: 11/04/2007 01:12:17 AM MST


FORT CARSON — In the six weeks that Maj. Gen. Mark Graham has been the top general at Fort Carson, his mantra has been clear: Provide the best care possible for soldiers returning from Iraq.

Graham announced Friday he is expanding the Warrior and Family Community Partnership program and is asking experts locally and nationally to offer recommendations to Fort Carson on how to provide comprehensive care for soldiers and families.

"We do a lot of work here with post-traumatic stress disorder, mild traumatic brain injury and also other soldiering issues and challenges that we're having because of the war on terror with our soldiers and families," Graham said. "We care about soldiers."

Graham, a father of three, lost two sons within a year. His son Kevin took his own life in 2003 and 2nd Lt. Jeff Graham died of injuries caused by a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2004.

Graham said Fort Carson will team up with civilians in the Pikes Peak Region and "also to Denver and beyond to bring in health-care professionals ... educators, chaplaincy, other folks around the nation to find the best and the brightest. Who's out there? Who is making great progress in this area because, as you know, this is a hard solution."
go here for the rest
http://origin.denverpost.com/news/ci_7364126

Graham, a veteran of the Persian Gulf War in 1991, rose through the ranks as an artillery officer. His ties to the National Guard and Reserve run deep and include his service as the first activeduty colonel to command a National Guard brigade.

Fort Carson getting new commander this spring from Texas
Gazette, The (Colorado Springs)

Fort Carson will get a new commanding general this spring, the Pentagon said Friday.
Brig. Gen. Mark A. Graham will command Division West and Fort Carson when he arrives in a few weeks. He takes over from Maj. Gen. Robert W. Mixon Jr., who has commanded Fort Carson for two years.
Graham is now the deputy commander of U.S. Army North at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, where he helps direct the Army's response to terrorist attacks and natural disasters. That mission falls under U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs.
His new command, Division West, is responsible for the training of National Guard and Army Reserve forces west of the Mississippi River. He'll also oversee Fort Carson's growth -- including the addition of 10,000 soldiers by 2010 and an estimated $1.7 billion in construction.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4191/is_20070407/ai_n18995604

It makes an enormous difference in the lives of the troops when they have a leader caring about the state of their lives. Graham must be able to see a wound for what it is and nothing to be ashamed of. The men and women in his command stand a greater chance of recovery and the ability to stay in the service because he is taking PTSD seriously. The families of the returning forces will be able to gain greater support and understanding because of this. Graham, and all the other leaders out there, are saving the lives and the futures of our wounded warriors because they opened their eyes. Wouldn't it be wonderful if every commander took action to heal this wound as soon as possible? Ignoring it, dismissing it, failing to get educated what it is, turns PTSD into one more enemy that kills. Treating it, helping them heal from it, defeats another enemy of the armed forces.

One of the benefits of the military taking action on PTSD, aside from helping the troops, is that it also helps the general population realize that PTSD is nothing to be ashamed of and they can be helped to heal.

I say bravo Maj. General Graham. I'm glad you're turning Fort Carson around.

Kathie Costos

Namguardianangel@aol.com

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington

31% Tucson veterans diagnosed with PTSD

More Arizona Vets Seeking Treatment for PTSD
November 4th, 2007 @ 11:26am
by Associated Press

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) _ Arizona Army National Guard Sgt. Lisa Hernandez rocks back and forth and tears begin to fall as she talks about her effort to return to civilian life after returning to Tucson from Iraq two months ago.

Hernandez, 38, is divorced with sole custody of the four children she left behind when she was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

She is one of 462 war veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder from among the 1,483 veterans who have sought medical care at the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs medical facility in Tucson between Oct. 1, 2006, and Sept. 30, 2007.

Nationwide, the number of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans diagnosed with PTSD at VA medical facilities jumped by nearly 70 percent in the 12 months ending June 30, 2007.

In Tucson, 31 percent of the combat veterans who have come to the VA for medical care since last October have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
go here for the rest
http://ktar.com/?nid=6&sid=637573

PTSD when the shell breaks and healing begins

Anthony S. Bush / The Capital-Journal
Timothy Sanders, left, talks with Scott Ferguson, assistant service officer for Kansas Veterans of Foreign Wars, during Saturday's information fair at the Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center.


Vet tells story of recovery
VA information fair in Topeka shines light on available services
By Julie K. Buzbee
Special To The Capital-Journal
Published Sunday, November 04, 2007
Timothy Sanders grew up in the aftermath of the Vietnam era, playing GI Joe in his Chicago neighborhood.

But nine years in the Army, including tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, shattered his childhood illusions and much of his adult life to date. Sanders, 32, said he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and endures nightmares, flashbacks and anxiety attacks.

He was one of about 25 veterans who attended a welcome home information fair Saturday for Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom troops, veterans and their families at the Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center in Topeka.

When Sanders got out of the military in 2005, he didn't seek help with problems adjusting to civilian life in Missouri, where he was living. He tried to cope on his own.

"I really wasn't too well informed when I left the military about what to do," he said.

Richard Selig understands the dilemma that Sanders and other veterans go through upon their return from war. Selig is the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom program manager for the Eastern Kansas Health Care System, which sponsored the information fair.

"You're hyper-aroused, you're hyper-vigilant," Selig says of troops. "Even if you wanted to pay attention, you really couldn't. When they come back from a combat zone, a lot of them are going to want to isolate."

Sanders, who was part of the ground force invasion in Iraq, said he isolated until his PTSD became so unmanageable that he ended up as a patient in Colmery-O'Neil's stress disorder treatment program.

"One thing about PTSD is you isolate," Sanders said. "In this program, I broke out of my shell."
go here for the rest
http://www.cjonline.com/stories/110407/loc_214817980.shtml

Patty Murray becomes voice of veterans care

Patty Murray becomes voice of veterans care
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is personally acquaintanted with veterans-care issues. Her father was a disabled World War II vet and, in college, she served an internship in physical rehabilitation at the Seattle veterans hospital. Now she's a senior member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.


Patty Murray becomes voice of veterans care
By Alicia Mundy

Seattle Times Washington bureau

In the summer of 1972, a 22-year-old Washington State University student named Patty Murray reported to the Seattle veterans hospital for an internship in physical rehabilitation.

She was assigned to the psychiatric ward on the seventh floor of the orange brick monolith on Beacon Hill.

"Every morning when I arrived, they locked me in with the patients," Murray recalled recently. "I heard the big doors close behind me."

Her charges were young men who had returned from Vietnam. As Murray exercised their arms and legs, they described buddies blown apart and children, mistaken for guerrillas, shot and killed. Some stared vacantly; others shouted in anger.

Murray saw some of these same patients slip through cracks in the veterans-care network, left jobless, homeless and unable to find help.

"We didn't have a name for what they were suffering," Murray said of what is now called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Thirty-six years later, Murray is still working in rehab, trying to fix what's broken in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, she's become the leading voice for veteran care in Congress.

Veterans Affairs officials declined to comment about Murray's work on veterans issues, as did Republican leaders.

But other politicians and veterans say she has made quantifiable changes in the quality of life for veterans, both in Washington state and nationally.
click post title for the rest

If you read this blog, or my other one, you know all about Patty Murray. It is no wonder why the Republicans don't want to talk about her. She has put all of them to shame.

Scotland takes action on treating combat PTSD

NHS enlists expert war trauma doctors
EDDIE BARNES
POLITICAL EDITOR (ebarnes@scotlandonsunday.com)
MILITARY doctors will work within the NHS to stop the scandal of war heroes being left to cope on their own with crushing mental health illnesses.

The groundbreaking move by the Ministry of Defence is a major victory for campaigners after doctors slammed the treatment being meted out to ex-soldiers, claiming they were being were being dealt with in the same way as "a postman or a painter".

A treatment scheme will be piloted in Edinburgh under which military psychiatrists will be brought into hospital to ensure the trauma suffered by ex-servicemen is dealt with properly.

Veterans minister Derek Twigg told Scotland on Sunday that he had reached a deal with the Scottish Government to fund the new unit which will be open to all veterans needing help.
go here for the rest
http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1755252007