YMCA housing for men in need is called deplorable
By David Abel
Globe Staff / March 6, 2008
There have been rat droppings on the old, musty carpet and frequent mouse sightings near holes in the pocked, plaster walls. For months, exterminators have fought an infestation of bedbugs, which left at least one client with bite marks so bad he was treated at a hospital. Watermarks stain the aging ceiling, and some window frames are so old and ill-fitting that duct tape was used to stop drafts. In bathrooms, many of the urinals, toilets, and sinks are out of order.
Officials at the Cardinal Medeiros Transitional Program say they have complained about the conditions for years, but they contend that the YMCA Greater Boston, their landlord in the century-old building on Huntington Avenue, has ignored them while investing in top-of-the-line equipment for its gym. They accuse the Y of neglecting the 63 formerly homeless men who live there after an effort to terminate the program's lease failed four years ago.
Now, program officials are threatening to withhold state lease payments to cover the cost of renovations, which they estimate could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.
"It's deplorable, an unacceptable situation, the conditions these folks are living in," said Joe McPherson, director of homeless and housing services at Kit Clark Senior Services, which supervises the Medeiros program. "This is not a way people should live. It's so disrespectful. These folks are working, saving money, and they're living in a setting that neither you nor I would accept."
click post title for the rest
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Veterans Voices Casualty of war
Casualty of war
By Kevin Cullen
Globe Columnist / March 6, 2008
There was a time, back in the 1950s, when they were in the Navy together, that Tony Flaherty and Wacko Hurley were the best of friends.
When they got back to South Boston, the place where they were born and where they remain, they drank together at the old Chiefs club, a sailors' hangout on Summer Street.
When Flaherty got married at St. Augustine's, Hurley stood at the altar with him, his best man. When Flaherty's first child was born, Hurley was godfather.
But something happened. Wacko Hurley went back to civilian life. Tony Flaherty, a career Navy man, went off to war, this time in Vietnam, and he came back a changed man. One day, he was walking down a dirt road, as a gaggle of Vietnamese kids straggled by, fleeing a village destroyed by American fire.
"One of the kids, a boy, had lost a leg," Tony Flaherty was saying, sitting in his apartment on East Broadway. "I had an epiphany that day."
Flaherty, a military man his entire adult life, had become suddenly, implacably opposed to war. Not long after, they airlifted him out of Nam. He left the Navy with the rank of lieutenant and something called post traumatic stress disorder. "I went cuckoo," he said.
He came back to Southie and tried to pick up the pieces. But he kept picking up a bottle. Eventually he got sober and with a clear head became even more opposed to war, more convinced of its folly, furious over the fact that the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful mostly stayed home while others fight the wars started by the rich and powerful. He worked for a program that got veterans housing and help for substance-abuse problems.
He joined a national organization called Veterans for Peace and, closer to home, a group called South Boston Residents for Peace. Five years ago, as US forces prepared to invade Iraq, Flaherty and his friends asked to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie. He found himself seeking the permission of his old pal Wacko Hurley, the longtime parade organizer.
Wacko told them to get lost.
"He called us commies," Flaherty said.
go here for the rest
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/06/casualty_of_war/
By Kevin Cullen
Globe Columnist / March 6, 2008
There was a time, back in the 1950s, when they were in the Navy together, that Tony Flaherty and Wacko Hurley were the best of friends.
When they got back to South Boston, the place where they were born and where they remain, they drank together at the old Chiefs club, a sailors' hangout on Summer Street.
When Flaherty got married at St. Augustine's, Hurley stood at the altar with him, his best man. When Flaherty's first child was born, Hurley was godfather.
But something happened. Wacko Hurley went back to civilian life. Tony Flaherty, a career Navy man, went off to war, this time in Vietnam, and he came back a changed man. One day, he was walking down a dirt road, as a gaggle of Vietnamese kids straggled by, fleeing a village destroyed by American fire.
"One of the kids, a boy, had lost a leg," Tony Flaherty was saying, sitting in his apartment on East Broadway. "I had an epiphany that day."
Flaherty, a military man his entire adult life, had become suddenly, implacably opposed to war. Not long after, they airlifted him out of Nam. He left the Navy with the rank of lieutenant and something called post traumatic stress disorder. "I went cuckoo," he said.
He came back to Southie and tried to pick up the pieces. But he kept picking up a bottle. Eventually he got sober and with a clear head became even more opposed to war, more convinced of its folly, furious over the fact that the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful mostly stayed home while others fight the wars started by the rich and powerful. He worked for a program that got veterans housing and help for substance-abuse problems.
He joined a national organization called Veterans for Peace and, closer to home, a group called South Boston Residents for Peace. Five years ago, as US forces prepared to invade Iraq, Flaherty and his friends asked to march in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie. He found himself seeking the permission of his old pal Wacko Hurley, the longtime parade organizer.
Wacko told them to get lost.
"He called us commies," Flaherty said.
go here for the rest
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/03/06/casualty_of_war/
Orlando hires VA Bill Vagianos for homeless prevention
City taps VA official to fight homelessness
March 6, 2008
ORLANDO - Orlando has hired a new administrator whose job is to reduce the number of homeless people in the city.
The City Council this week approved a two-year, $77,000-a-year employment contract with Bill Vagianos, who spent seven years coordinating homeless programs at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Orlando.
Vagianos, 58, will be the city's homeless-prevention coordinator, responsible for coordinating services from government agencies, nonprofit groups and community organizations, as well as developing programs and seeking grant funds.
click post title for the rest
March 6, 2008
ORLANDO - Orlando has hired a new administrator whose job is to reduce the number of homeless people in the city.
The City Council this week approved a two-year, $77,000-a-year employment contract with Bill Vagianos, who spent seven years coordinating homeless programs at the Veterans Affairs medical center in Orlando.
Vagianos, 58, will be the city's homeless-prevention coordinator, responsible for coordinating services from government agencies, nonprofit groups and community organizations, as well as developing programs and seeking grant funds.
click post title for the rest
61 Year Old Dr. Willilam Krissoff enlisted after son's death
Orthopedic Surgeons Treat ‘Signature’ War Wounds In IraqBy MedHeadlines • Mar 6th, 2008 • Category: Lifestyle, Odd MedNews, Orthopedics, Surgery
After learning that his 25-year-old son had been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq, Dr. William Krissoff left his orthopedic practice in Nevada and signed up with the Navy Medical Corp Reserves. The 61 year old surgeon is part of a growing number of orthopedic surgeons who are committed to going to Iraq to help treat the devastating musculoskeletal injuries that have become the “signature” wounds in the war.
In a report presented Wednesday at the 75th Annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Dr. Kissoff and his colleagues described the unique challenges posed by the injuries in this war. “Modern war produces devastating high energy wounds,” explained Dr. D.C. Covey, chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Naval Medical Center in San Diego. “Whether due to rocket propelled grenades, bombs or improvised explosive devices, the wounds are extremely challenging to treat.”
Due to improvements in body armor which safeguard the head and torso, military orthopedic surgeons are seeing a group of extremity wounds that were not frequently seen in soldiers from previous conflicts. Seven out of ten people who sustain battlefield injuries suffer from musculoskeletal trauma.
“The field of regenerative medicine offers great potential to improve the treatment of patients with severe war injuries,” said Dr. Covey. Military orthopedic surgeons agree that additional research and resources are needed to further advance orthopedic care for the severely injured to improve their chances of living a full life.
Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
http://medheadlines.com/2008/03/06/orthopedic-surgeons-
treat-signature-war-wounds-in-iraq/
Truckee physician commits to combat after eldest son is killed in Iraq
Guidance from his sons
By Andrew Cristancho, Sierra Sun Staff Writer
» More from Andrew Cristancho, Sierra Sun Staff Writer
12:01 a.m. PT Dec 8, 2007
There's a determination in Bill Krissoff's voice. It is conveyed with a calm cadence that cracks once with emotion as he speaks of his son, a Marine lieutenant whose injuries from an Iraqi roadside bomb couldn't be repaired in time.
Now Krissoff's Truckee office is shuttered. His wife has come to terms with his nearing departure. All that is left for Krissoff, a 61-year-old orthopedic surgeon, is to head to Iraq where young Marines, broken from battle, will be tended by his experienced hands.
Marine 1st Lt. Nathan Krissoff's death, only a year past, galvanized his father's determination to go to war as a healer.
At a time when most successful doctors his age are settling into retirement, the fit surgeon is making one of the most monumental decisions of his life and heading to war.
In his sixth decade, Krissoff, who could pass for 41, squares his chin and with large eyes looking at a point in the distance, proudly speaks of his son.
Fathers usually inspire sons into action, to achieve life goals. But in this family that relationship was turned upside down when Dr. Krissoff received news of his older son's death.
Nathan Krissoff died on Dec. 9, 2006, in Al Anbar province. He was 25.
Now the fallen Marine's father is committed to a mission, one that carries even more than the memory of Nathan. Krissoff's youngest son, Austin, is also an officer in the Corps.
go here for the rest
http://www.theunion.com/article/20071208/NEWS/112080178
Why does the Pentagon keep two sets of books on wounded?
Care for Injured Vets Raises Questions
By BRADLEY BROOKS – 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (AP) — The number of wounded soldiers has become a hallmark of the nearly 5-year-old Iraq war, pointing to both the use of roadside bombs as the extremists' weapon of choice and advances in battlefield medicine to save lives.
About 15 soldiers are wounded for every fatality, compared with 2.6 per death in Vietnam and 2.8 in Korea.
But with those saved soldiers comes a financial price — one veterans groups and others claim the government is unwilling to pay.
Those critics also say that the tens of thousands of soldiers wounded in Iraq are part of a political numbers game, one they say undermines the medical system meant to care for them.
The most frequently cited figure is the 29,320 soldiers wounded in action in Iraq as of Thursday. But there have been 31,325 others treated for non-combat injuries and illness as of March 1.
"The Pentagon keeps two sets of books," said Linda Bilmes, a professor at Harvard and an expert on budgeting and public finance whose newly published book, "The Three Trillion Dollar War," was co-authored with Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.
"It is important to understand the full number of casualties because the U.S. government is responsible for paying disability compensation and medical care for all our troops, regardless of how they were injured," Bilmes said.
Veterans Affairs predicts it will treat 330,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009 — a 14 percent increase over the 2008 estimate of 263,000 — at a cost of nearly $1.3 billion.
go here for the rest
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j2oUYYnB7xtpN6eyOV0lmnjkTScwD8V83JFG1
They need to expect over half a million and even more than that if this keeps up. It would also be very interesting to find out why the Pentagon thinks they should keep two sets of books. This didn't explain it.
By BRADLEY BROOKS – 1 hour ago
BAGHDAD (AP) — The number of wounded soldiers has become a hallmark of the nearly 5-year-old Iraq war, pointing to both the use of roadside bombs as the extremists' weapon of choice and advances in battlefield medicine to save lives.
About 15 soldiers are wounded for every fatality, compared with 2.6 per death in Vietnam and 2.8 in Korea.
But with those saved soldiers comes a financial price — one veterans groups and others claim the government is unwilling to pay.
Those critics also say that the tens of thousands of soldiers wounded in Iraq are part of a political numbers game, one they say undermines the medical system meant to care for them.
The most frequently cited figure is the 29,320 soldiers wounded in action in Iraq as of Thursday. But there have been 31,325 others treated for non-combat injuries and illness as of March 1.
"The Pentagon keeps two sets of books," said Linda Bilmes, a professor at Harvard and an expert on budgeting and public finance whose newly published book, "The Three Trillion Dollar War," was co-authored with Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz.
"It is important to understand the full number of casualties because the U.S. government is responsible for paying disability compensation and medical care for all our troops, regardless of how they were injured," Bilmes said.
Veterans Affairs predicts it will treat 330,000 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan in 2009 — a 14 percent increase over the 2008 estimate of 263,000 — at a cost of nearly $1.3 billion.
go here for the rest
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5j2oUYYnB7xtpN6eyOV0lmnjkTScwD8V83JFG1
They need to expect over half a million and even more than that if this keeps up. It would also be very interesting to find out why the Pentagon thinks they should keep two sets of books. This didn't explain it.
Bad news on Army Mental Health. Is McCain Listening?
Latest Army Mental Health Survey Brings More Bad News -- Is McCain Listening?
Posted March 6, 2008 12:46 PM (EST)
Today's release of the Army's latest mental health survey provides very little to be happy about. In the past, I've talked repeatedly about mental injuries in war, so I won't rehash all of that again. But here are the highlights from today's report:
Despite all the talk about how wonderful things are in Iraq, the overwhelming majority of troops in Iraq continue to say that morale in their units and their own morale is low. Just 11 percent reported that their unit's morale was "high or very high." Only 20 percent said their own morale was "high or very high."
Afghanistan, which is quickly becoming the 'forgotten war' for Bush/McCain, is finding a worsening of the mental health among our troops there. Preliminary reports are that there has been a rise in the amount of troops in Afghanistan reporting depression. In Iraq, troops report the same level of depression as last year.
Combined, the findings are highly troubling. What it tells me, and any person with an elementary school education, is that for all the talk of success in Iraq, the troops aren't feeling that, at all. At the same time, we're crushing our troops in Afghanistan, who have done heroic work there with little help, but now are feeling increasingly overwhelmed.
click above for the rest
VA claims there are less homeless veterans now?
There are fewer homeless vets, VA estimates
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 6, 2008 12:04:57 EST
WASHINGTON — The number of homeless veterans has declined to just over 150,000, the government says.
The Veterans Affairs Department estimates that on any given night last year, 154,000 veterans were homeless, about a 20 percent decrease from 195,827 in the agency’s 2006 estimate.
The decrease comes even as Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are trickling into shelters. VA has seen about 500 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in homeless-specific programs, and the number is increasing as the pool of troops who fought in the wars grows, said Pete Dougherty, VA’s director of homeless programs.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_homelessvets_030608/
They can say what they want to say, but they'll have to actually prove it this time. We suddenly dropped from over 300,000 to less than 200,000. Now they are saying the numbers dropped again. If they have the data to prove this then there has to be data on where all the homeless veterans went. Show us the data! Then we may believe it.
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 6, 2008 12:04:57 EST
WASHINGTON — The number of homeless veterans has declined to just over 150,000, the government says.
The Veterans Affairs Department estimates that on any given night last year, 154,000 veterans were homeless, about a 20 percent decrease from 195,827 in the agency’s 2006 estimate.
The decrease comes even as Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are trickling into shelters. VA has seen about 500 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in homeless-specific programs, and the number is increasing as the pool of troops who fought in the wars grows, said Pete Dougherty, VA’s director of homeless programs.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_homelessvets_030608/
They can say what they want to say, but they'll have to actually prove it this time. We suddenly dropped from over 300,000 to less than 200,000. Now they are saying the numbers dropped again. If they have the data to prove this then there has to be data on where all the homeless veterans went. Show us the data! Then we may believe it.
Heartlessness feeds the homeless problem
Heartlessness feeds the homeless problem
by Lewis W. Diuguid
Some teenage girls popped through the sunroof of a limousine and yelled something unprintable at me from Cleaver Boulevard near Main Street.
A yellow school bus followed with teenage boys screaming, “Have you killed anyone yet?”
Hurtful and compassionless comments have always occurred in the more than 10 years I’ve worn old clothes — including an old army coat — on my annual sojourns into homelessness.
In the Main Street median were two persons I wanted to talk to. Danielle’s backpack rested near her on the snow-covered ground.
Bundled in an oversized coat, she faced northbound traffic near the turn lane “flying a sign.” It said “Homeless. Hungry. Need Help.”
In the other median appealing to southbound Main Street traffic was Bill, a homeless veteran. He had a salt-and-pepper beard, large coat, a huge duffel bag and a hand-made sign saying, “Homeless vet. Need Help. God Bless.”
A woman in a passing car handed Bill a dollar. A man gave Danielle some change. Each recipient was grateful.
In the last year, I have noticed more homeless people in midtown, Westport, the Plaza and south Kansas City. It’s as if the new Sprint Arena, the Power and Light District and upscale downtown housing have caused people living on the street to migrate south.
Some agencies offering services to the homeless weren’t so sure. Others have noticed a definite trend.
go here for the rest
http://www.kansascity.com/278/story/517256.html
by Lewis W. Diuguid
Some teenage girls popped through the sunroof of a limousine and yelled something unprintable at me from Cleaver Boulevard near Main Street.
A yellow school bus followed with teenage boys screaming, “Have you killed anyone yet?”
Hurtful and compassionless comments have always occurred in the more than 10 years I’ve worn old clothes — including an old army coat — on my annual sojourns into homelessness.
In the Main Street median were two persons I wanted to talk to. Danielle’s backpack rested near her on the snow-covered ground.
Bundled in an oversized coat, she faced northbound traffic near the turn lane “flying a sign.” It said “Homeless. Hungry. Need Help.”
In the other median appealing to southbound Main Street traffic was Bill, a homeless veteran. He had a salt-and-pepper beard, large coat, a huge duffel bag and a hand-made sign saying, “Homeless vet. Need Help. God Bless.”
A woman in a passing car handed Bill a dollar. A man gave Danielle some change. Each recipient was grateful.
In the last year, I have noticed more homeless people in midtown, Westport, the Plaza and south Kansas City. It’s as if the new Sprint Arena, the Power and Light District and upscale downtown housing have caused people living on the street to migrate south.
Some agencies offering services to the homeless weren’t so sure. Others have noticed a definite trend.
go here for the rest
http://www.kansascity.com/278/story/517256.html
Fox Attacks wants to know where O'Reilly's GI Bill is
Hey Bill O’Reilly: Where’s “Your” GI Bill?
By DJK
You may remember that Bill O’Reilly — in response to the heaps of criticism he received for denying the existence of homeless veterans, then claiming that America’s roughly 500,000 homeless vets deserve to be homeless because they’re substance-addicted and mentally ill and that the government doesn't owe homeless vets anything — magnanimously announced that he had discovered that America needs a new and improved G.I. Bill and that veterans are not getting the assistance they need. Acting as if it were his idea, BOR announced:
“WE [that’s the BOR royal ‘we’] are proposing a new G.I. bill with the help of Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) that will provide important new benefits for G.I.’s after they leave the service.”
This bill had not even been drafted, but BOR promised to “monitor” its creation and harass any politician who opposed it. When it eventually existed.
That BOR would actually pretend that a new G.I. Bill was somehow his idea is an ego trip of Kanye West-type proportions, as well as an outright lie and a ridiculously inefficient way to help homeless vets who are suffering RIGHT NOW. So what will BOR claim (if he decides to report it) that Sen. James Webb, on his first day in office in January 2007, proposed a new G.I. bill that is “a mirror of the World War II G.I. Bill” and that just five days after BOR’s “big announcement”, Webb, Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) held a press conference calling for its implementation?
Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today joined representatives of the nation’s leading veterans’ organizations to advocate comprehensive educational benefits for post-9/11 veterans in the fiscal year 2009 budget. The groups unveiled their Independent Budget to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs earlier in the day, advocating a “21st Century GI Bill,” similar to the Webb-Hagel bill (S.22) that enjoys widespread support in Congress.
This is the first time in twenty-two years of presenting an Independent Budget to Congress that the participating veterans’ organizations have advocated a new, comprehensive GI Bill, as opposed to a mere enhancement. –snip-
“This independent budget represents the voices of our nation’s veterans’ service organizations who truly understand the costs of war,” said Senator Webb. “These advocates have called for a ‘21st Century GI Bill’ that provides returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with benefits that respect their service and reward their sacrifice like the WWII veterans that came before them.”
go here for the rest
http://foxattacks.com/blog/31512-hey-bill-o-reilly-where-s-your-g-i-bill
We all want to know what he's doing about anything besides talking about it.
By DJK
You may remember that Bill O’Reilly — in response to the heaps of criticism he received for denying the existence of homeless veterans, then claiming that America’s roughly 500,000 homeless vets deserve to be homeless because they’re substance-addicted and mentally ill and that the government doesn't owe homeless vets anything — magnanimously announced that he had discovered that America needs a new and improved G.I. Bill and that veterans are not getting the assistance they need. Acting as if it were his idea, BOR announced:
“WE [that’s the BOR royal ‘we’] are proposing a new G.I. bill with the help of Rep. Peter King (R-NY) and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) that will provide important new benefits for G.I.’s after they leave the service.”
This bill had not even been drafted, but BOR promised to “monitor” its creation and harass any politician who opposed it. When it eventually existed.
That BOR would actually pretend that a new G.I. Bill was somehow his idea is an ego trip of Kanye West-type proportions, as well as an outright lie and a ridiculously inefficient way to help homeless vets who are suffering RIGHT NOW. So what will BOR claim (if he decides to report it) that Sen. James Webb, on his first day in office in January 2007, proposed a new G.I. bill that is “a mirror of the World War II G.I. Bill” and that just five days after BOR’s “big announcement”, Webb, Chuck Hagel (R-NE), and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) held a press conference calling for its implementation?
Senators Jim Webb (D-VA), Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) today joined representatives of the nation’s leading veterans’ organizations to advocate comprehensive educational benefits for post-9/11 veterans in the fiscal year 2009 budget. The groups unveiled their Independent Budget to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs earlier in the day, advocating a “21st Century GI Bill,” similar to the Webb-Hagel bill (S.22) that enjoys widespread support in Congress.
This is the first time in twenty-two years of presenting an Independent Budget to Congress that the participating veterans’ organizations have advocated a new, comprehensive GI Bill, as opposed to a mere enhancement. –snip-
“This independent budget represents the voices of our nation’s veterans’ service organizations who truly understand the costs of war,” said Senator Webb. “These advocates have called for a ‘21st Century GI Bill’ that provides returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with benefits that respect their service and reward their sacrifice like the WWII veterans that came before them.”
go here for the rest
http://foxattacks.com/blog/31512-hey-bill-o-reilly-where-s-your-g-i-bill
We all want to know what he's doing about anything besides talking about it.
PTSD Netherlands Rewind Technique
On January 31st Human Givens Nederland launched its program of activities in the Netherlands with a 2-day Introduction workshop in Amersfoort, a city not far from Utrecht and Amsterdam, in the Netherlands. This introductory workshop was followed by a third day on Post-Traumatic Stress disorder and the ‘rewind technique’.
The 10 participants who took part in these workshops were from many different walks of life – counselling, coaching and therapy, social work and teaching, from business and studies at university.
With a natural balance between learning about the theoretical principles behind the Human Givens ‘organising idea’ and actual ‘hands-on’ experience in some of the Human Given techniques, the participants felt they had a much better sense about these strange new ‘Human Givens’ that seem to be being imported from the U.K.!
The HG Netherlands team stated: “We are looking forward to many more of those delighted exclamations that came to us during these first workshops. It was a real pleasure for us to watch as each person started realising, for him or herself, just how universal and immediately applicable the Human Givens ideas are in all our different walks of life and living.
We know, without a doubt, that the Human Givens organising idea translates perfectly well into Dutch and the Dutch culture – and into any language for that matter!”
Many thanks and congratulations to all the HG Nederlands team: Jenny Wakelin, Marieke Uiterwijk, Renee van der Vloodt, Robin Temple and Sander van der Velde for making this new enterprise such a success, and good luck for the future of HG Nederlands!
http://www.mindfields.org.uk/blog/?p=187
When I started to do the videos on PTSD, on of the first request to use them came from the Netherlands.
This was two years ago. They have been ahead of us on PTSD and open to new ways to treat it as well as how to reach people needing help.
The 10 participants who took part in these workshops were from many different walks of life – counselling, coaching and therapy, social work and teaching, from business and studies at university.
With a natural balance between learning about the theoretical principles behind the Human Givens ‘organising idea’ and actual ‘hands-on’ experience in some of the Human Given techniques, the participants felt they had a much better sense about these strange new ‘Human Givens’ that seem to be being imported from the U.K.!
The HG Netherlands team stated: “We are looking forward to many more of those delighted exclamations that came to us during these first workshops. It was a real pleasure for us to watch as each person started realising, for him or herself, just how universal and immediately applicable the Human Givens ideas are in all our different walks of life and living.
We know, without a doubt, that the Human Givens organising idea translates perfectly well into Dutch and the Dutch culture – and into any language for that matter!”
Many thanks and congratulations to all the HG Nederlands team: Jenny Wakelin, Marieke Uiterwijk, Renee van der Vloodt, Robin Temple and Sander van der Velde for making this new enterprise such a success, and good luck for the future of HG Nederlands!
http://www.mindfields.org.uk/blog/?p=187
When I started to do the videos on PTSD, on of the first request to use them came from the Netherlands.
I work as a psychologist at the faculty of psychology of the Erasmus University Rotterdam (The Netherlands).On the internet I stumbeled upon your video about PTSD. I would like to ask your permission to use this video on our website for stricty educational purposes.
Kind regards,Drs Arjen Karel
This was two years ago. They have been ahead of us on PTSD and open to new ways to treat it as well as how to reach people needing help.
Explosive Device At Military Recruit Station Is Sick Act
Blast damages Times Square recruit station
By Derek Rose - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 6, 2008 7:26:51 EST
NEW YORK — An explosive device caused minor damage to an empty military recruiting station in Times Square early Thursday, shaking guests in hotel rooms high above.
Police blocked off the area to investigate the explosion, which occurred at about 3:45 a.m., shattering the station’s glass entryway. No one was injured.
“If it is something that’s directed toward American troops, then it’s something that’s taken very seriously and is pretty unfortunate,” said Army Capt. Charlie Jaquillard, who is the commander of Army recruiting in Manhattan.
He said no one was inside the station, where the Marines, Air Force and Navy also recruit.
Witnesses staying at a Marriott hotel four blocks away said they could feel the building shake with the blast.
“I was up on the 44th floor and I could feel it. It was a big bang,” said Darla Peck, 25, of Portland, Ore.
“It shook the building. I thought it could have been thunder, but I looked down and there was a massive plume of smoke, so I knew it was an explosion,” said Terry Leighton, 48, of London, who was staying on the 21st floor of the Marriott.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_timessquare_030608/
While it is really too soon to know who did this and why they did this, it raises a good question. How can people say they want to seek peaceful means to withdraw the troops from Iraq yet act in violence? It's one thing to have an opinion and speak out but to do this was unacceptable no matter what is behind it. It could have been someone with a grudge against the recruiting center itself. It could have been someone who lost someone they loved and blames the recruiting center. It could also have been someone who is not involved in any group at all. We don't know yet what was behind it. I don't care how people feel about having troops in Iraq when someone decides to do something like this. I'm on their side when it comes to what has happened involving Iraq but when it comes to taking it out through violence, it is just plain wrong. I know people on both sides of the Iraq debate and they have the troops in the center of what they do. I hope people on both sides denounce this act of violence.
By Derek Rose - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Mar 6, 2008 7:26:51 EST
NEW YORK — An explosive device caused minor damage to an empty military recruiting station in Times Square early Thursday, shaking guests in hotel rooms high above.
Police blocked off the area to investigate the explosion, which occurred at about 3:45 a.m., shattering the station’s glass entryway. No one was injured.
“If it is something that’s directed toward American troops, then it’s something that’s taken very seriously and is pretty unfortunate,” said Army Capt. Charlie Jaquillard, who is the commander of Army recruiting in Manhattan.
He said no one was inside the station, where the Marines, Air Force and Navy also recruit.
Witnesses staying at a Marriott hotel four blocks away said they could feel the building shake with the blast.
“I was up on the 44th floor and I could feel it. It was a big bang,” said Darla Peck, 25, of Portland, Ore.
“It shook the building. I thought it could have been thunder, but I looked down and there was a massive plume of smoke, so I knew it was an explosion,” said Terry Leighton, 48, of London, who was staying on the 21st floor of the Marriott.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_timessquare_030608/
While it is really too soon to know who did this and why they did this, it raises a good question. How can people say they want to seek peaceful means to withdraw the troops from Iraq yet act in violence? It's one thing to have an opinion and speak out but to do this was unacceptable no matter what is behind it. It could have been someone with a grudge against the recruiting center itself. It could have been someone who lost someone they loved and blames the recruiting center. It could also have been someone who is not involved in any group at all. We don't know yet what was behind it. I don't care how people feel about having troops in Iraq when someone decides to do something like this. I'm on their side when it comes to what has happened involving Iraq but when it comes to taking it out through violence, it is just plain wrong. I know people on both sides of the Iraq debate and they have the troops in the center of what they do. I hope people on both sides denounce this act of violence.
The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007
Subject: Your help needed to support Mental Health and Substance Abuse Parity Legislation Federal and State
Thank you to those of who have already sent letters supporting the State Mental Health Parity & Substance Abuse legislation, over 200 individuals have already done so.Today the bill was passed through the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
If you haven’t already please take a moment today and send a letter by email or mail to Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio, Representative Aaron Bean of the House Healthcare Council, Senator Rhonda Storms of the Senate Children, Families, and Elders Committee and to your local legislative delegation. This letter should register your support for mental health and substance abuse parity legislation.
Ask these leaders to act on this critical issue during the upcoming legislative session.In addition, we are encouraging you to Please forward the below message about tomorrow’s vote on H.R. 1424 the Federal Parity Bill, “The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007” to your networks today.Thank you!
The full U.S. House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 1424, “The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007,” late tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5th.
Please call your U.S. Representatives in D.C. today and ask them to vote for passage of H.R. 1424 and to oppose any amendments that would weaken the legislation. Find your Members of Congress by visiting www.congress.org or by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.H.R. 1424, introduced by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN), seeks to eliminate discrimination in insurance coverage by requiring group health plans that currently offer coverage for drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness to provide those benefits in the same way as benefits provided to all other medical and surgical procedures covered by the plan.In addition, H.R.1424 contains the following four key provisions:
Protection of State laws: H.R. 1424 contains clear language stating that stronger State laws are protected and not preempted.
Out-of-network benefits: H.R. 1424 requires where there is out-of-network coverage for medical and surgical conditions, that there is also an out-of-network option for substance use disorders and mental illness.
Transparency:H.R. 1424 requires that plans make medical necessity criteria and reasons for any denials of reimbursement available to participants and beneficiaries upon request.
Requirement for covered conditions: H.R. 1424 would cover all the conditions and disorders in the DSM-IV.
Please call your U.S. House Members today and ask them to vote for H.R. 1424 tomorrow on the House floor.
Thank you to those of who have already sent letters supporting the State Mental Health Parity & Substance Abuse legislation, over 200 individuals have already done so.Today the bill was passed through the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee.
If you haven’t already please take a moment today and send a letter by email or mail to Governor Charlie Crist, Senate President Ken Pruitt, House Speaker Marco Rubio, Representative Aaron Bean of the House Healthcare Council, Senator Rhonda Storms of the Senate Children, Families, and Elders Committee and to your local legislative delegation. This letter should register your support for mental health and substance abuse parity legislation.
Ask these leaders to act on this critical issue during the upcoming legislative session.In addition, we are encouraging you to Please forward the below message about tomorrow’s vote on H.R. 1424 the Federal Parity Bill, “The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007” to your networks today.Thank you!
The full U.S. House is scheduled to vote on H.R. 1424, “The Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007,” late tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5th.
Please call your U.S. Representatives in D.C. today and ask them to vote for passage of H.R. 1424 and to oppose any amendments that would weaken the legislation. Find your Members of Congress by visiting www.congress.org or by calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.H.R. 1424, introduced by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN), seeks to eliminate discrimination in insurance coverage by requiring group health plans that currently offer coverage for drug and alcohol addiction and mental illness to provide those benefits in the same way as benefits provided to all other medical and surgical procedures covered by the plan.In addition, H.R.1424 contains the following four key provisions:
Protection of State laws: H.R. 1424 contains clear language stating that stronger State laws are protected and not preempted.
Out-of-network benefits: H.R. 1424 requires where there is out-of-network coverage for medical and surgical conditions, that there is also an out-of-network option for substance use disorders and mental illness.
Transparency:H.R. 1424 requires that plans make medical necessity criteria and reasons for any denials of reimbursement available to participants and beneficiaries upon request.
Requirement for covered conditions: H.R. 1424 would cover all the conditions and disorders in the DSM-IV.
Please call your U.S. House Members today and ask them to vote for H.R. 1424 tomorrow on the House floor.
Shame on Fort Drum Maj. Gen. Michael Oates
Drum to publish names of substance offenders
By William Kates - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 5, 2008 20:20:10 EST
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Upset with an increase in the number of 10th Mountain Division soldiers using illegal drugs and being arrested for alcohol-related offenses, Fort Drum will begin publishing the names and photos of offenders in its post newspaper, says commander Maj. Gen. Michael Oates.
Starting with the front page of Thursday’s edition, the Fort Drum Blizzard will feature photographs of the 45 soldiers who have been charged with DWI since Jan. 1. The names and photographs of soldiers committing such offenses will become a regular feature in the paper, although not on the front page.
“I don’t take this step lightly and I realize that there will be people offended by this,” Oates said. “But apparently talking to them is not deterring this behavior, and financial penalties are not deterring this behavior.
“I understand soldier culture well enough ... I may not understand youngster culture well enough ... but I think they would probably not be happy with this public recognition of their misconduct,” said Oates.
Department of Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb said Fort Bliss officials publish the names of those convicted of drunk driving offenses but she knew of no other Army installations publicizing the names of those arrested and their photos.
“Soldiers must live the Army values on and off duty. This requires discipline. Commanders at all levels are charged with maintaining discipline in their units. Addressing an issue before it becomes a larger problem is the right thing to do,” Edgecomb said.
Oates said there has been an “unacceptable” increase of substance abuse on the northern New York Army post over the last three months, although he did not provide any specific numbers.
Army-wide there were 4,621 incidents of active duty soldiers driving under the influence in 2006, the last year for which the Army has complete statistics, or about 2.3 per 1,000 soldiers, according to records. About 95 percent of those involved alcohol, according to Army records.
Despite the division’s frequent combat deployments, Oates was reluctant to blame the recent increase in substance abuse on those deployments, or the mental stresses that accompany them. Oates said Fort Drum officials have noted increased use of marijuana and cocaine among initial entry soldiers who have yet to be deployed.
Does he understand that the men and women under his command are not normal people who decide to drink and drive just because they can? Doesn't he understand these men and women cared so much about other people they were willing to lay down their lives in service to them? How could he even begin to think they would so callous about drunk driving they would do it intentionally without any reason behind it?
Substance abuse, or should I say substance use, is a form of self-medicating. If he knows nothing about PTSD then he needs to get educated fast! The 10th have endured some of the worst conditions over and over again. If he thinks putting their picture in the Fort Drum Blizzard will solve the problem he lives in fantasy land.
Shame on him and anyone else in command positions thinking so little about the men and women they command that they assume it's the soldiers who are all wrong. Fort Drum has a big problem coming to terms with PTSD and until they get it into their brain this is a wound and start to treat it like one, there will be many more suffering and more using alcohol and drugs to kill off flashbacks and calm nerves. Trying to shame someone for doing what they feel forced to do to cope is only adding to the shame the military chain of command has already done to them. Shame on Maj. Gen. Michael Oates. It's not the "youngster culture" he does not understand. It's the wound he does not understand!
By William Kates - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 5, 2008 20:20:10 EST
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — Upset with an increase in the number of 10th Mountain Division soldiers using illegal drugs and being arrested for alcohol-related offenses, Fort Drum will begin publishing the names and photos of offenders in its post newspaper, says commander Maj. Gen. Michael Oates.
Starting with the front page of Thursday’s edition, the Fort Drum Blizzard will feature photographs of the 45 soldiers who have been charged with DWI since Jan. 1. The names and photographs of soldiers committing such offenses will become a regular feature in the paper, although not on the front page.
“I don’t take this step lightly and I realize that there will be people offended by this,” Oates said. “But apparently talking to them is not deterring this behavior, and financial penalties are not deterring this behavior.
“I understand soldier culture well enough ... I may not understand youngster culture well enough ... but I think they would probably not be happy with this public recognition of their misconduct,” said Oates.
Department of Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Anne Edgecomb said Fort Bliss officials publish the names of those convicted of drunk driving offenses but she knew of no other Army installations publicizing the names of those arrested and their photos.
“Soldiers must live the Army values on and off duty. This requires discipline. Commanders at all levels are charged with maintaining discipline in their units. Addressing an issue before it becomes a larger problem is the right thing to do,” Edgecomb said.
Oates said there has been an “unacceptable” increase of substance abuse on the northern New York Army post over the last three months, although he did not provide any specific numbers.
Army-wide there were 4,621 incidents of active duty soldiers driving under the influence in 2006, the last year for which the Army has complete statistics, or about 2.3 per 1,000 soldiers, according to records. About 95 percent of those involved alcohol, according to Army records.
Despite the division’s frequent combat deployments, Oates was reluctant to blame the recent increase in substance abuse on those deployments, or the mental stresses that accompany them. Oates said Fort Drum officials have noted increased use of marijuana and cocaine among initial entry soldiers who have yet to be deployed.
“I think it is more generational and cultural at this point,” Oates said. “And I really don’t care in a lot of ways. Because in our (Army) culture we believe in discipline and it is against the law to use these drugs and to drive intoxicated. So regardless of your circumstances we are not going to tolerate this kind of behavior.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/03/ap_drumoffenders_030508/
Does he understand that the men and women under his command are not normal people who decide to drink and drive just because they can? Doesn't he understand these men and women cared so much about other people they were willing to lay down their lives in service to them? How could he even begin to think they would so callous about drunk driving they would do it intentionally without any reason behind it?
Substance abuse, or should I say substance use, is a form of self-medicating. If he knows nothing about PTSD then he needs to get educated fast! The 10th have endured some of the worst conditions over and over again. If he thinks putting their picture in the Fort Drum Blizzard will solve the problem he lives in fantasy land.
Shame on him and anyone else in command positions thinking so little about the men and women they command that they assume it's the soldiers who are all wrong. Fort Drum has a big problem coming to terms with PTSD and until they get it into their brain this is a wound and start to treat it like one, there will be many more suffering and more using alcohol and drugs to kill off flashbacks and calm nerves. Trying to shame someone for doing what they feel forced to do to cope is only adding to the shame the military chain of command has already done to them. Shame on Maj. Gen. Michael Oates. It's not the "youngster culture" he does not understand. It's the wound he does not understand!
Walsh Middle School Students Have Warm Hearts For Homeless Vets
Olivia Agostinelli,, left and Ting Ting Ge, students at Walsh Middle School in Framingham sort socks during sock drive held by their school in Framingham to help homeless veterans in the Newton area.
Sock it to 'em: Students hold sock drive for homeless veterans
By John Hilliard/Daily News staff
GHS
Posted Mar 06, 2008 @ 12:32 AM
Last update Mar 06, 2008 @ 12:54 AM
Walsh Middle schoolers have collected more than 1,000 pairs of new socks for homeless veterans as part of a community service effort.
Sixth-grade teacher Judy McEntegert said the school has been collecting socks for about five years through the Warm Feet, Warm Hearts program. Students took three weeks to gather the socks, which will go to the Jewish War Veterans Post 211 in Newton.
"It makes me very happy," said Philip Geller, a member of the veterans group who fought in World War II. "I see how pleased (veterans) are, that they'll have (a new) pair of socks on their feet."
The socks will be included with special toiletry bags to hand out through homeless veterans organizations.
"We depend quite a lot on these small children," said Geller.
Walsh holds a veterans appreciation day during the fall, said McEntegert, where students can learn more from the local heroes. Today's middle schoolers - kids who grew up during a time of war in Afghanistan and Iraq - may not have realized some veterans don't have a home after serving their country, she said.
go here for the rest
http://www.metrowestdailynews.com/news/x1370087753
PTSD question follows McCain as "Senator Hothead"
It doesn't come easy for battle-scarred McCain
Reuters Wednesday, 05 March 2008
Stuff.co.nz - New Zealand
John McCain secured the Republican presidential nomination as the ultimate survivor – winning it eight years after his first failed attempt and decades after cheating death in the Vietnam War.
Easy to laugh and easy to anger, McCain carries with him the scars of battle in both armed conflict as a naval pilot and in the political wars of Washington as a US senator from Arizona.
The 71-year-old McCain would be the oldest American ever elected to a first presidential term if he is able to defeat the Democrats' choice in the November election. He is also a cancer survivor, having undergone surgery for two malignant melanomas in 2000.
Polls initially put him in a strong position to compete against either Democrat Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
That would seem at least in part a credit to a strategy aimed at attracting independent and moderate voters rather than exclusively courting the Republican Party's right wing.
On the campaign trail, he often travels with his wife, Cindy, and has a repertoire of old jokes that he tells repeatedly, such as, it is so dry in Arizona that the trees chase the dogs.
Or there was one about the man who came up to him and said, "'Did anybody ever tell you, you look like Senator John McCain?' I said yes. He said, 'Doesn't that make you mad as heck?"'
A hawk on military matters, McCain served as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee when Republicans held control of the Senate in recent years and is now a ranking member for the minority party.
Sometimes known by his colleagues as "Senator Hothead," McCain can be quick to lose his temper, which is what happened last May when he and Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn quarrelled over the details of proposals to deal with illegal immigration.
"(Expletive) you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," McCain was said to have told Cornyn.
Reuters Wednesday, 05 March 2008
Stuff.co.nz - New Zealand
John McCain secured the Republican presidential nomination as the ultimate survivor – winning it eight years after his first failed attempt and decades after cheating death in the Vietnam War.
Easy to laugh and easy to anger, McCain carries with him the scars of battle in both armed conflict as a naval pilot and in the political wars of Washington as a US senator from Arizona.
The 71-year-old McCain would be the oldest American ever elected to a first presidential term if he is able to defeat the Democrats' choice in the November election. He is also a cancer survivor, having undergone surgery for two malignant melanomas in 2000.
Polls initially put him in a strong position to compete against either Democrat Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton.
That would seem at least in part a credit to a strategy aimed at attracting independent and moderate voters rather than exclusively courting the Republican Party's right wing.
On the campaign trail, he often travels with his wife, Cindy, and has a repertoire of old jokes that he tells repeatedly, such as, it is so dry in Arizona that the trees chase the dogs.
Or there was one about the man who came up to him and said, "'Did anybody ever tell you, you look like Senator John McCain?' I said yes. He said, 'Doesn't that make you mad as heck?"'
A hawk on military matters, McCain served as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee when Republicans held control of the Senate in recent years and is now a ranking member for the minority party.
Sometimes known by his colleagues as "Senator Hothead," McCain can be quick to lose his temper, which is what happened last May when he and Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn quarrelled over the details of proposals to deal with illegal immigration.
"(Expletive) you! I know more about this than anyone else in the room," McCain was said to have told Cornyn.
go here for the rest
It's almost as if he thinks he deserves to be President because he is a veteran. We all know what he did since he got into the Senate and he has not been a good veteran. Voting against veterans should remove any doubt that when it comes to veterans, his record speaks too loudly.
Troop mental health suffering in Afghanistan
Troop Depression on Rise in Afghanistan
By PAULINE JELINEK – 6 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. troop morale improved in Iraq last year, but soldiers fighting in Afghanistan suffered more depression as violence there worsened, an Army mental health report says.
And in a recurring theme for a force strained by its seventh year at war, the annual battlefield study found once again that soldiers on their third and fourth tours of duty had sharply greater rates of mental health problems than those on their first or second deployments, according to several officials familiar with the report.
All spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the findings ahead of the study's release Thursday.
The report was drawn from the work of a team of mental health experts who traveled to the wars last fall and surveyed more than 2,200 soldiers in Iraq and nearly 900 in Afghanistan. In the fifth such effort, the team also gathered information from more than 400 medical professionals, chaplains, psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health workers serving with the troops.
Officials said they found rates of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-combat stress were similar to those found the previous year in Iraq, when nearly 30 percent of troops on repeat tours said they suffered a problem.
click post title for the rest
By PAULINE JELINEK – 6 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. troop morale improved in Iraq last year, but soldiers fighting in Afghanistan suffered more depression as violence there worsened, an Army mental health report says.
And in a recurring theme for a force strained by its seventh year at war, the annual battlefield study found once again that soldiers on their third and fourth tours of duty had sharply greater rates of mental health problems than those on their first or second deployments, according to several officials familiar with the report.
All spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the findings ahead of the study's release Thursday.
The report was drawn from the work of a team of mental health experts who traveled to the wars last fall and surveyed more than 2,200 soldiers in Iraq and nearly 900 in Afghanistan. In the fifth such effort, the team also gathered information from more than 400 medical professionals, chaplains, psychiatrists, psychologists and other mental health workers serving with the troops.
Officials said they found rates of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and post-combat stress were similar to those found the previous year in Iraq, when nearly 30 percent of troops on repeat tours said they suffered a problem.
click post title for the rest
PTSD:War vets say stress debilitating
War vets say stress debilitating
By Jennifer Reeger
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Jamie Anderson and Mike Zimmerman both brought the Iraq war home with them.
A song brings sadness over a lost friend. A simple visit to a hospital brings with it the imagined smell of burned flesh.
Loud noises bring on rages for no reason. Images too awful to describe fill dreams.
And for Zimmerman a trip home to the Allegheny County community of Churchill from the airport becomes a vivid ride through the desert in a Humvee.
"I think that was scarier than anything I experienced in Iraq," Zimmerman, 25, of Churchill, Allegheny County, said of his first flashback upon arriving home from war.
Zimmerman, a former Marine and current Army National Guardsman, and Anderson, 47, of Washington, an Army master sergeant, both spoke of their experiences dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, during the second part of a two-part discussion on the disorder and the Iraq War Wednesday night at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
Anderson, Pitt-Greensburg's ROTC instructor, and Zimmerman, a psychology major at the Hempfield campus, said they are receiving counseling for the disorder that began while both were serving in Iraq in 2004.
go here for the rest
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/teenscene/s_555789.html
By Jennifer Reeger
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Jamie Anderson and Mike Zimmerman both brought the Iraq war home with them.
A song brings sadness over a lost friend. A simple visit to a hospital brings with it the imagined smell of burned flesh.
Loud noises bring on rages for no reason. Images too awful to describe fill dreams.
And for Zimmerman a trip home to the Allegheny County community of Churchill from the airport becomes a vivid ride through the desert in a Humvee.
"I think that was scarier than anything I experienced in Iraq," Zimmerman, 25, of Churchill, Allegheny County, said of his first flashback upon arriving home from war.
Zimmerman, a former Marine and current Army National Guardsman, and Anderson, 47, of Washington, an Army master sergeant, both spoke of their experiences dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, during the second part of a two-part discussion on the disorder and the Iraq War Wednesday night at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.
Anderson, Pitt-Greensburg's ROTC instructor, and Zimmerman, a psychology major at the Hempfield campus, said they are receiving counseling for the disorder that began while both were serving in Iraq in 2004.
go here for the rest
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/teenscene/s_555789.html
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Marine puppy toss number one draw on PTSD blog? WTF
My feed burner traffic report from today.
Traffic Source visits Trend
Search for "marine puppy" 153 +147%
Search for "marine puppy fake" 44 +529%
Search for "marine puppy toss" 37 +270%
Search for "puppy toss" 28 +600%
What is wrong with people in this country? A few minutes on YouTube with a jerk tossing a puppy over a cliff and I get these kinds of hits, but when I cover PTSD and what it's doing to our troops and veterans, the counts are a lot lower. I labor over videos to provide support and information on PTSD yet the top hit I get is 100 a day on Hero After War but most of them are only about 20 a day. Yet a video like this, pulled in millions in a day?
What does this say about how we feel about our troops and our veterans when they are so easy to ignore unless they do something drastically different, stupid, evil or disgusting? What does it say about us that if the media reports on some of our veterans committing crimes makes the headlines but when they commit suicide because they are not being taken care of, gets buried? Most of these reports are so scattered and buried beneath the sports section that they get very little attention. You would think their life would be worth so much more. Yet reporters have to contact advocates for reports on suicides and attempted suicides so they can try to make a name for themselves.
I get alerts on several subjects. One of them is veterans. What I find is that we use the term "veteran" far too often to describe a person who has experience and usually it's a sports figure. PR firms hire "veterans" away from other firms. They don't hire real veterans. I just don't get it. Why should it take someone pulling a stunt like this puppy toss to draw attention to a PTSD blog? I have to tell you that if you came here to read the story about this, then I really feel sorry for you. Your ignorance is blinding you to the real story here!
Fort Lewis murdered soldiers had acid poured on them
This is the couple who had acid poured on them.
Spc. Ivette Gonzalez Davila, shown in court March 3, allegedly confessed to another soldier that she killed Fort Lewis-based medics Timothy Miller, 27, and his wife, Randi Miller, 25, then took their child to a home improvement store, bought acid and poured it on the bodies. Gonzalez Davila is expected back in court March 5.
GI allegedly killed 2, poured acid on bodies
Army takes custody of suspect
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 5, 2008 13:01:53 EST
TACOMA, Wash. — The Pierce County prosecutor’s office says the Army is taking over prosecution of a Fort Lewis soldier accused of killing two married soldiers in Parkland.
Deputy Pierce County Prosecutor Ed Murphy told The News Tribune on Wednesday that the Army took custody of Spc. Ivette Gonzalez Davila, 22, of Bakersfield, Calif., and transferred her out of the jail in Tacoma. She had been scheduled to appear in court Wednesday afternoon after prosecutors filed state charges.
Davila is accused of shooting 27-year-old Timothy Miller and his wife, 25-year-old Randi Miller on Saturday night at their home. Investigators also say Davila, an Army chemical specialist, poured muriatic acid on the bodies. Davila also is accused of taking the dead couple’s baby girl. She was turned over to Child Protective Services on Sunday after Davila was arrested.
Timothy and Randi Miller were medics who had served in Iraq. Investigators have said a possible love triangle may have been the motive for the killings.
go here for the rest
McCain Bush's pal and no friend of veterans
John Sidney McCain
Current Office: U.S. Senate
Party: Republican
Status: Announced
Veterans Issues
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.
2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.
2006 Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.
2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.
2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2004.
2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.
2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 100 percent in 2003-2004.
2003 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The American Legion 50 percent in 2003.
2001 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 46 percent in 2001.
1999 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 66 percent in 1999.
1997-1998 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-1998.
1989-1990 On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator McCain voted their preferred position 50 percent of the time.
Veterans Issues
Date Bill Title Vote
10/01/2007 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 NV
02/02/2006 Tax Rate Extension Amendment N
11/17/2005 Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment N
10/05/2005 Health Care for Veterans Amendment N
go here to see how the others rank.
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJAN08/nf012108-1.htm
Current Office: U.S. Senate
Party: Republican
Status: Announced
Veterans Issues
2006 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 20 percent in 2006.
2006 In 2006 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a grade of D.
2006 Senator McCain sponsored or co-sponsored 18 percent of the legislation favored by the The Retired Enlisted Association in 2006.
2005 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 25 percent in 2005.
2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 50 percent in 2004.
2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The Retired Enlisted Association 0 percent in 2004.
2003-2004 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 100 percent in 2003-2004.
2003 Senator McCain supported the interests of the The American Legion 50 percent in 2003.
2001 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 46 percent in 2001.
1999 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans 66 percent in 1999.
1997-1998 Senator McCain supported the interests of the Vietnam Veterans of America 0 percent in 1997-1998.
1989-1990 On the votes that the Vietnam Veterans of America considered to be the most important in 1989-1990 , Senator McCain voted their preferred position 50 percent of the time.
Veterans Issues
Date Bill Title Vote
10/01/2007 National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 NV
02/02/2006 Tax Rate Extension Amendment N
11/17/2005 Additional Funding For Veterans Amendment N
10/05/2005 Health Care for Veterans Amendment N
go here to see how the others rank.
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfJAN08/nf012108-1.htm
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