Former Surgeon General: Mainstream Medicine Has Endorsed Medical Marijuana
Dr. Jocelyn Elders, AlterNet
DrugReporter: A historic document from the 124,000-member American College of Physicians certifies the medical value of marijuana.
Studies have shown good rates with veterans. Ask any Vietnam Vet if it worked for them. Nixon made it against the law. It should be looked at again and I'm glad it is.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Why the troops are dying there and here
Latest Coalition Fatality: Mar 28, 2008
03/28/08 MNF: MND-C Soldier attacked by IED
BAGHDAD - A Multi-National Division - Center Soldier was killed as a result of wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device attack south of Baghdad March 28.
03/28/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Spc. Gregory B. Rundell, 21, of Ramsey, Minn., died March 26 in Taji Iraq, of wounds suffered from small arms fire. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.
03/28/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Staff Sgt. Joseph D. Gamboa, 34, of Yigo, Guam, died Mar. 25 of wounds suffered when he came under indirect fire in Baghdad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Squadron, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment, Vilseck, Germany.
03/27/08 MNF: MND-B Soldier attacked by IED
A Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldier was killed at approximately 4:30 p.m. March 27 after being struck by an improvised explosive device in eastern Baghdad while conducting a combat patrol.
03/27/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (4 of 4)
Pvt. George Delgado, 21, of Palmdale, Calif...assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division...died March 24 in Baghdad...from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an IDE on March 23.
03/27/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (3 of 4)
Staff Sgt. Christopher M. Hake, 26, of Enid, Okla...assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division...died March 24 in Baghdad...from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an IDE on March 23.
03/27/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (2 of 4)
Pfc. Andrew J. Habsieger, 22, of Festus, Mo...assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division...died March 24 in Baghdad...from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an IDE on March 23.
03/27/08 DoD Identifies Army Casualties (1 of 4)
Spc. Jose A. Rubio Hernandez, 24, of Mission, Texas...assigned to the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division...died March 24 in Baghdad...from wounds suffered when their vehicle encountered an IDE on March 23
.
Slate
What are they fighting about in Basra?
The wars in Iraq (the plural is no typo) are about to expand and possibly explode, so it might be useful to have some notion of what we're in for.
TimesOnline
Areas of Baghdad fall to militias as Iraqi Army falters in Basra
Iraq’s Prime Minister was staring into the abyss today after his operation to crush militia strongholds in Basra stalled, members of his own security forces defected and district after district of his own capital fell to Shia militia gunmen.
Washington Post
U.S. Armor Forces Join Offensive In Baghdad Against Sadr Militia
U.S. forces in armored vehicles battled Mahdi Army fighters Thursday in Sadr City, the vast Shiite stronghold in eastern Baghdad, as an offensive to quell party-backed militias entered its third day. Iraqi army and police units appeared to be largely holding to the outskirts of the area as American troops took the lead in the fighting.
News Current Time in Baghdad: 3:10:27 AM
03/28/08 BBC: Militia battles threaten fragile Iraq
Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has extended by 10 days a deadline for Shia militiamen fighting troops in the southern city of Basra to hand over their weapons. Militiamen...show no signs of giving up and fighting continues.
03/28/08 NPR: Can the Basra Situation Be Solved?
Iraq's government continued its crackdown on Shiite militias Friday. U.S. air strikes helped Iraqi security forces fight against militants in Basra. Alex Chadwick talks to Anne Garrels about how American action there could be a step backward...
03/28/08 AP: Case dropped against Haditha defendant
The Marine Corps dropped charges and gave full immunity Friday to a serviceman who was accused of involuntary manslaughter in a squad's killing of 24 Iraqis in Haditha in 2005.
03/28/08 kuwaittimes: Iran cleric calls on Iraqis to end fighting
A hardline Iranian cleric called on Friday for the Iraqi government and a Muslim Shi'ite militia to stop fighting and strike a deal. Ayatollah Ahmad Janati made his appeal in a sermon broadcast on state radio on the fourth day of a crackdown...
03/28/08 BBC: Iraq extends Shia arms deadline
Iraq's government has extended by 10 days a deadline for Shia militiamen fighting troops in the southern city of Basra to hand over their weapons. More than 130 people have been killed and 350 injured since a clampdown on militias began...
03/28/08 Reuters: 13 insurgents killed across Baghdad
U.S. forces killed 13 insurgents during engagements across Baghdad, the U.S. military said.
03/28/08 Reuters: U.S. helicopter fire kills 4 gunmen in Sadr City
A U.S. helicopter fired a hellfire missile at gunmen firing from the roof of a building, killing four of them, in Sadr City, a U.S. military spokesman said. Police said 12 people were killed and 60 wounded in several U.S. air strikes on Sadr City.
03/28/08 Reuters: 7 bodies found in Baghdad
Seven bodies were found in Baghdad on Friday, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: 7 people killed, 15 wounded in Mahmudiya
Seven people were killed and 15 others wounded in clashes between Mehdi Army fighters and Iraqi security forces in Mahmudiya, 30 km (20 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: Iraqi Army Colonel killed in Numaniya
An Army Colonel, Jabar Rashid, was killed in clashes with Mehdi Army fighters in Numaniya, 120 km (72 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: 15 people killed, 50 wounded in clashes in Nassiriya
Fifteen people including three policemen were killed and 50 people wounded in clashes between Mehdi Army fighters and Iraqi security forces in Nassiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southwest of Baghdad, a hospital source said.
03/28/08 Reuters: Six policemen killed, 9 wounded in Hamza
Six policeman were killed and nine others wounded in clashes with Mehdi Army fighters in Hamza, 35 km (22 miles) south of Hilla, police said. Sixty-two gunmen were captured in these clashes.
03/28/08 Reuters: 6 policemen killed, 42 peoeple wounded in Hilla
Six policemen have been killed and 42 people including 30 policemen wounded in clashes between Iraqi security forces and Mehdi Army fighters since Tuesday across Hilla...Eighty- five gunmen have been captured during these clashes, they said.
03/28/08 channel4: British jets fire on Basra militia
British jets have unleashed a hail of cannon fire around Basra, forcing militia to take cover as fighting in the city continued for a fourth day. The show of force came after US pilots strafed suspected insurgent positions...
03/28/08 telegraph: Rift between UK diplomats and Army in Basra
Signs of a rift were growing among British officials as diplomats said that UK forces "stand ready to support" Iraqi soldiers as and when requested, contradicting military statements that UK forces would be confined to "niche" roles.
03/28/08 wtkr: Local Soldier Credited With Saving Little Iraqi Girl's Arm
A local National Guard Soldier is being credited with saving a little Iraqi girl's arm. Captain Jon Brillhart is a soldier with a Portsmouth National Guard unit now in Iraq. He helped a little girl who suffered severe burns on her arm...
03/28/08 BBC: Iraq extends militiamen deadline
Iraq's government has extended by 10 days a deadline for Shia militiamen fighting troops in the southern city of Basra to hand over their weapons. More than 130 people have been killed and 350 injured since a clampdown on militias began in Basra...
03/28/08 timesonline: Basra police shed uniforms, kept rifles and switched sides
Abu Iman barely flinched when the Iraqi Government ordered his unit of special police to move against al-Mahdi Army fighters....He and 15 of his comrades took off their uniforms, kept their government-issued rifles and went over to the other side...
03/28/08 Reuters: 3 policemen and 2 civilians killed, 25 wounded in Nassiriya
Three policemen and two civilians were killed and 25 people wounded in clashes between Mehdi Army fighters and Iraqi security forces in Nassiriya, 375 km (235 miles) southwest of Baghdad, a hospital source said.
03/28/08 Reuters: 26 gunmen captured in Hilla
Iraqi security forces captured 26 gunmen across Hilla, 100 km (62 miles) south of Baghdad, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: 3 gunmen killed, 7 captured north of Kerbala
Three gunmen were killed and seven others captured when they attacked an Iraqi army checkpoint in the Husseiniya district north of Kerbala, 110 km (68 miles) southeast of Baghdad, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: Clashes kill 3 police officers, wounded two militants in Kut
Clashes between Mehdi Army fighters and Iraqi security forces killed three police officers and wounded two militants in Kut, 170 km (105 miles) southeast of Baghdad, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: Gunmen killed the mayor of Ghmash neighbourhood
Gunmen killed the mayor of the Ghmash neighbourhood in Diwaniya...sparking "very severe" clashes between Iraqi security forces and Mehdi Army fighters, police said. An office of Moqtada al-Sadr's followers was burned in retaliation.
03/28/08 Reuters: Air strike kills 3 people in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood
A U.S. air strike in Baghdad's Kadhimiya neighbourhood killed three people and wounded six, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: 4 people killed in Sadr City air strike
Police said four people were killed and three wounded in a second Sadr City air strike later in the day.
03/28/08 Reuters: U.S. helicopter fire kills 4 gunmen, 5 civilians in Baghdad
A U.S. helicopter fired a hellfire missile at gunmen firing from the roof of a building, killing four of them, a U.S. military spokesman said. Police said five civilians were killed in the strike.
03/28/08 Reuters: At least 120 "enemy" fighters killed in Basra
At least 120 "enemy" fighters have been killed in a four-day-old Iraqi military operation against Shi'ite militias in the southern oil hub of Basra, said Major-General Ali Zaidan, commander of Iraqi ground forces in the operation.
03/28/08 Reuters: Missile hits Iraqi Vice President's office
THE office of Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi was hit in a mortar or rocket strike on Baghdad's Green Zone government and diplomatic compound on Friday, and a security guard was killed, an official in his office said.
03/28/08 NPR: Iraq's Prime Minister Extends Basra Arms Deadline
Iraq's prime minister on Friday extended a deadline for Shiite militants in southern Basra to hand over their weapons. Nouri al-Maliki also said the militants would receive a financial reward if they complied. Renee Montagne talks...
03/28/08 local6: Fla. Husband, Wife Deployed To Iraq Leaving 1-Year-Old For Year
A U.S. Army married couple in Florida being deployed together will serve their country will have to be away from their 1-year-old son for a year. Yvette and William Sims will soon be heading to Iraq as members of the Army Reserve's 345th...
03/28/08 AP: Relatives of 2 contractors hear the worst
After 16 months of hoping and praying, family members of two U.S. contractors kidnapped in Iraq received the news they feared: Their loved ones were not coming home alive
03/28/08 signonsandiego: Amputee going back to battle
The bomb exploded as Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Pofahl turned around to talk with Cpl. Garrett Jones during a foot patrol in Karmah, Iraq. Despite being thrown forward, Pofahl quickly pushed himself off the ground and rushed toward the site...
03/28/08 Reuters: Nine people killed, 95 wounded in clashes in Baghdad
Nine people were killed and 95 others wounded in clashes between Iraqi security forces and Mehdi Army members in different parts of Baghdad, said Major-General Qassim Moussawi, spokesman for Iraqi security forces in Baghdad.
03/28/08 Reuters: Three policen killed in Hamza
Three policemen were killed and three others, including two soldiers, were wounded in clashes with Mehdi Army fighters in Hamza, 35 km (22 miles) south of Hilla, police said.
03/28/08 Reuters: One gunman killed, eight others captured in Diwaniya
One gunman was killed and eight others captured after they attacked a police patrol in central Diwaniya, 180 km (112 miles) south of Baghdad, army Colonel Ghasan Mohammed said. One policeman was wounded in the attack.
go here for the links
http://icasualties.org/oif/
491 killed in Afghanistan which has been forgotten about. All of this adds to the reasons they are dying there and killing themselves back home. If you still don't understand how PTSD strikes them, go there yourself.
Afghanistan And Regional Instability: A Risk Assessment
By Human Security Report Project EXCERPT: "The report offers a stocktaking of Afghanistan’s regional challenges. It finds that domestic instability in Pakistan, strains in Pakistan–Afghanistan relations and insecurities associated with the US–Iran stand-off on Iran’s
Pakistan says US and Afghanistan Behind Al-Qaeda and Taliban
By Yid With Lid(Yid With Lid) The right wing Pakistani Newspaper Roznama Ausaf and its acting interior minister Hamid Nawaz, say the US in conjunction with Afghanistan and India are working with Al-Qaeda and the Taliban to create terrorism and destabilize Pakistan.
Quietly, the UAE deployed their Army in Afghanistan to help the ...
By revolution To sum it up, nobody really knew that the UAE had sent their own army to Afghanistan to give support to the Kuffaar. Clearly, they are Murtadeen and we ask Allah to dishonor these Arabs that have no Islaam.
British Casualties in Afghanistan - Updates for February 2008
By Casualty Monitor(Casualty Monitor) Updates of casualty data for February 2008 have now been published for the casualty monitor projects for British forces in Afghanistan. The trend in combat casualties has remained steady for the last 3 months, with levels at about ...
By Silent Hunter BBC NEWS World South Asia Muslim troops help win Afghan minds Suspect Al-Qaeda's not going to be too happy with the UAE
O'Malley, Mikulski seek more funds to help returning troops
More post-deployment aid urged
O'Malley, Mikulski seek more funds to help returning troops
By John Fritze Sun reporter
8:30 PM EDT, March 27, 2008
Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski told a group of soldiers Thursday that the government must do more to help returning troops by increasing mental health funding and cutting bureaucracy in existing programs.
During a meeting at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore, both officials heard accounts from about a dozen members of the Maryland National Guard who had emotional and financial problems after returning from deployment overseas.
About 1,500 members of the Guard are expected to return to Maryland in the next six months, a wave that is likely to strain state-funded integration programs. Last year, 1,300 members of the Army National Guard and 350 Air National Guard members from Maryland were deployed, according to the governor's office.
"When they come back home, just like they stood by America, America has to stand by them," said Mikulski, who vowed to seek an additional $45 million for integration programs nationwide. "We've got to help these guardsmen."
go here for the rest
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-guard0327,0,4371180.story
O'Malley, Mikulski seek more funds to help returning troops
By John Fritze Sun reporter
8:30 PM EDT, March 27, 2008
Gov. Martin O'Malley and Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski told a group of soldiers Thursday that the government must do more to help returning troops by increasing mental health funding and cutting bureaucracy in existing programs.
During a meeting at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore, both officials heard accounts from about a dozen members of the Maryland National Guard who had emotional and financial problems after returning from deployment overseas.
About 1,500 members of the Guard are expected to return to Maryland in the next six months, a wave that is likely to strain state-funded integration programs. Last year, 1,300 members of the Army National Guard and 350 Air National Guard members from Maryland were deployed, according to the governor's office.
"When they come back home, just like they stood by America, America has to stand by them," said Mikulski, who vowed to seek an additional $45 million for integration programs nationwide. "We've got to help these guardsmen."
go here for the rest
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-guard0327,0,4371180.story
Veterans Legislative Updates
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
All links from United Female Veterans Of America http://www.ufva.us/
More Info
March 28, 2008
Reps. Michaud and Miller Introduce Substance Abuse Legislation for Veterans Congressman Mike Michaud (D-Maine), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, joined with Congressman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), the subcommittee’s Ranking Member, to introduce the Veterans Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Act of 2008. The bill would require the VA to provide a range of solutions for treating substance abuse at every VA medical center. Rep. Michaud penned an op-ed in The Hill on this legislation.
DAV Testifies on Substance Abuse
DAV’s Assistant National Legislative Director, Joy Ilem, testified before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs earlier this month on substance abuse. She urged the Committee to provide veterans with access to a full continuum of care for substance use disorders, including drug screening in all care locations, intensive outpatient treatment and residential care for the most severely addicted. Her testimony can be viewed here.
Members of Congress Encouraged to Sign Pledge
DAV is asking members of Congress to sign a pledge that supports the principle of ensuring veterans receive the comprehensive medical care and support that they deserve The pledge was distributed earlier this month on Capitol Hill by hundreds of DAV members. A copy of the pledge can be viewed here.
Media Coverage
The Boston Globe wrote about the insufficient support for relatives of disabled veterans and others serving as caretakers.
USA Today ran a story on how the Pentagon admitted to delaying screening for mild brain injuries for two years.
About the Stand Up for Veterans Initiative
"Stand Up for Veterans" is a new initiative of the Disabled American Veterans, an organization of 1.3 million disabled veterans who are focused on building better lives for disabled veterans and their families. The initiative seeks to find public policy solutions for all veterans, particularly those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who have incurred devastating injuries and disabilities, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological wounds of war. Please visit http://capwiz.com/dav/utr/1/EIMWIGMALX/INKAIGMAPB/1856948681 to learn more about this effort. Stand up for veterans. They stood up for us.
Rep. Dave Loebsack:More has to be done for veterans
Veterans still need much more support
Loebsack holds discussion at Burlington VFW.
By CHRISTINIA CRIPPES
ccrippes@thehawkeye.com
Even with an additional $3.8 billion in federal funding in 2008, veterans need more money for services.
"I don't know anybody in Congress, and I certainly don't know anyone in the administration, the president included, who thinks we should not be treating veterans better than we have up to this point," District 2 U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack said.
Loebsack, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, came to Burlington's VFW post Wednesday to hold a roundtable discussion with veterans.
Aside from making them aware of the additional funding -- and the push for a $4.9 billion increase in 2009 -- Loebsack agreed with veterans that much more needs to be done.
"Everyone really supports the troops, everyone supports veterans when they come home," Loebsack said. "I think that we're beginning, in Washington, D.C., to understand and fully accept what veterans have done for us in past wars and the current war."
He said as evidenced by the Vietnam War, that has not always been the case.
Loebsack said one area in need of additional attention is caring for veterans of this war effort, as well as of Vietnam, who are experiencing post traumatic stress disorder because of the current conflict.
"We see now either a reoccurrence of PTSD among Vietnam veterans and other vets, or some veterans who've never had PTSD but have been watching the news and seeing what's going on...and now they're suffering from PTSD," Loebsack said. "So, we've seen a rise in a lot of incidents like this because of the most recent war."
Loebsack has traveled to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once in his 15 months in office.
"I think at least veterans are getting a better shake, a more positive shake, when they come back, but this is something that is going to take awhile for us to get right," Loebsack said.
More to be done
go here for the rest
http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/Loebsack-veterans-032708
There is no room for the new veterans. Because there is no room for the new veterans needing help, the older veterans, like Vietnam veterans, are being pushed back out of the way. Go into any VA hospital and ask for an appointment when you are not part of the new generation and see what you get for an answer. At the same time advocacy work is working for the Vietnam veterans gaining information on what is wrong with them when it comes to PTSD, the VA has decided that the older veterans need to wait longer than before. Appointments are being pushed back because they have deadlines on getting new veterans into treatment. As bad as it is for the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, think of what it's like for the older ones.
While the government plays catchup to the reality of the dire need all of our veterans are living with, they need to make sure no veteran has to suffer for the sake of another, either way you look at it. I work with the older veterans as well as the new ones because I totally understand that time is key to healing. The sooner they begin being treated, PTSD stops getting worse. Saving time from being lost, saves more of their lives from being eaten away from them.
We have a golden window in which to address the trauma they go through. Ideally they should be treated the same way police, firefighters and emergency responders are treated, on the spot, as soon as possible and they are debriefed as soon as the situation is under control and they can talk about it all. Otherwise they stuff it into the back walls of their brains thinking they "got over it" but then finding out it is eating them alive. This is not possible in combat unless the DOD manages to deploy one Chaplain for every ten soldiers. That isn't going to happen. The next best thing is to get them to open up as soon as they get home before the trauma begins to eat away at them.
It is the same with older veterans. We cannot undo the damage done before they seek help but we can stop it from getting even worse. They all need to get into treatment as soon as possible. Advocates are working on providing the information they need on what PTSD but it will do them no good to understand it if there isn't any help waiting for them when they finally want it. We cannot keep doing this to any of our veterans. Emergency alarms went off four years ago. It's time they paid attention to them!
Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.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
PTSD:Veterans Affairs offers aid in recognizing signs
I don't know if I want to be happy about this or very sad.
Why does it always seem the government is the last one to catch up to speed? We've been doing this for years. I've been doing this for 25 years and 10 of it has been online. Two years ago I started doing the videos. Now,,,,now the VA wants to help people understand what PTSD is!!!!!
Families learning to spot PTSD
Veterans Affairs offers aid in recognizing signs
By Suzanne Bohan, STAFF WRITER
Article Created: 03/27/2008 02:32:42 AM PDT
Roughly one in five soldiers or Marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition that has been plaguing humans through the ages.
"It's been around for thousands of years — as long as there's been war, as long as there's been trauma," said Dr. Byron J. Wittlin, director of mental health services at the Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in San Bruno.
In World War II, the condition was called "shell shock," he said. Now it has an official name: post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
Many of its victims remain untreated, so the VA is trying to educate family members.
"I think it's crucial for (military) family members to be aware of the potential mental health problems of their loved ones," Wittlin said.
As part of the emphasis on training family members to spot signs of the disorder, he recently spoke to a group from the Pacifica Military Moms, a chapter of the national organization, The Blue Star Mothers of America.
Debbie Smyser, co-founder of the Pacifica group and a trainer at Genentech in South San Francisco, has a 21-year-old son in Iraq.
A number of the members of the group also have offspring in Iraq or Afghanistan, and Smyser said they wanted to be prepared to help their children should they return in mental distress.
"We need to know what to recognize, in case we need to get them help," she said. "It's just to make us aware and what signs to look for."
However, the disorder is not unique to military personnel who have witnessed or experienced violence from combatants, or other extreme stresses of wartime service, Wittlin said.
go here for the rest
http://www.insidebayarea.com/argus/localnews/ci_8713495
Why does it always seem the government is the last one to catch up to speed? We've been doing this for years. I've been doing this for 25 years and 10 of it has been online. Two years ago I started doing the videos. Now,,,,now the VA wants to help people understand what PTSD is!!!!!
Boston University report on PTSD
PTSD Associated With More, Longer Hospitalizations, Study Shows
ScienceDaily (Mar. 28, 2008) — Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with more hospitalizations, longer hospitalizations and greater mental healthcare utilization in urban primary care patients. These findings appear in the current issue of Medical Care.
Prior studies suggest that trauma exposure and PTSD have considerable impact on health care use and costs. Most of this research, however, has focused on male veterans and female sexual assault victims but the impact on healthcare use in other populations is uncertain.
The researchers interviewed a sample of primary care patients to examine overall prevalence of traumatic exposure and select behavioral health outcomes in addition to PTSD, including major depression, substance dependence and chronic pain. The interview included demographic questions, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (version 2.1 PTSD module), the Chronic Pain Definitional Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (to measure depression) and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (for drug and alcohol dependence).
Among the participants, the researchers found that 80 percent had one or more trauma exposures. Compared to participants with no trauma exposure, subjects exposed to trauma were significantly more likely to be males, unmarried, have substance dependence and depression. They also had more mental health visits than those with no trauma exposure.
Among the participants, 22 percent had current PTSD. Compared to participants without PTSD, those with PTSD were significantly more likely to be female, to have an annual income of less than or equal to $20,000, have substance dependence and depression. PTSD participants also had more hospitalizations and mental health visits.
According to the researchers, among urban primary care patients PTSD is associated with greater health care use: both mental health visits and hospitalizations. "Unexpectedly, trauma exposure by itself was not associated with increased healthcare utilization apart from mental health visits, a finding which was attenuated after adjusting for PTSD," said lead author Anand Kartha, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at BUSM. "This may be due to the fact that the non-traumatized to whom we are comparing the traumatized patients, have complex social milieu leading to high utilization," added Kartha.
"PTSD has a cost beyond the specific mental health symptoms," said senior author Jane Liebschutz, MD, an associate professor of medicine and social and behavioral sciences at BUSM and a primary care physician at BMC. "PTSD may be on the causal pathway between trauma experiences and negative health consequences. These findings are relevant in light of the PTSD prevalence not only in our returning veterans, but in areas of urban poor," she added.
This study was supported in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Adapted from materials provided by Boston University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172124.htm
ScienceDaily (Mar. 28, 2008) — Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Center (BMC) have found post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with more hospitalizations, longer hospitalizations and greater mental healthcare utilization in urban primary care patients. These findings appear in the current issue of Medical Care.
Prior studies suggest that trauma exposure and PTSD have considerable impact on health care use and costs. Most of this research, however, has focused on male veterans and female sexual assault victims but the impact on healthcare use in other populations is uncertain.
The researchers interviewed a sample of primary care patients to examine overall prevalence of traumatic exposure and select behavioral health outcomes in addition to PTSD, including major depression, substance dependence and chronic pain. The interview included demographic questions, the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (version 2.1 PTSD module), the Chronic Pain Definitional Questionnaire, the Patient Health Questionnaire (to measure depression) and the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (for drug and alcohol dependence).
Among the participants, the researchers found that 80 percent had one or more trauma exposures. Compared to participants with no trauma exposure, subjects exposed to trauma were significantly more likely to be males, unmarried, have substance dependence and depression. They also had more mental health visits than those with no trauma exposure.
Among the participants, 22 percent had current PTSD. Compared to participants without PTSD, those with PTSD were significantly more likely to be female, to have an annual income of less than or equal to $20,000, have substance dependence and depression. PTSD participants also had more hospitalizations and mental health visits.
According to the researchers, among urban primary care patients PTSD is associated with greater health care use: both mental health visits and hospitalizations. "Unexpectedly, trauma exposure by itself was not associated with increased healthcare utilization apart from mental health visits, a finding which was attenuated after adjusting for PTSD," said lead author Anand Kartha, MD, an assistant professor of medicine at BUSM. "This may be due to the fact that the non-traumatized to whom we are comparing the traumatized patients, have complex social milieu leading to high utilization," added Kartha.
"PTSD has a cost beyond the specific mental health symptoms," said senior author Jane Liebschutz, MD, an associate professor of medicine and social and behavioral sciences at BUSM and a primary care physician at BMC. "PTSD may be on the causal pathway between trauma experiences and negative health consequences. These findings are relevant in light of the PTSD prevalence not only in our returning veterans, but in areas of urban poor," she added.
This study was supported in part by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Adapted from materials provided by Boston University, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327172124.htm
The Pastor's Ass
We all need to laugh every now and then. Just one of the emails I get from one of my Aunts.
The Pastor's Ass
The pastor entered his donkey in a race and it won.
The pastor was so pleased with the donkey that he entered it in the race again, and it won again.
The local paper read:PASTOR'S ASS OUT FRONT.
The Bishop was so upset with this kind of publicity that he ordered the pastor not to enter the donkey in another race.
The next day, the local paper headline read:
BISHOP SCRATCHES PASTOR'S ASS.
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the pastor to get rid of the donkey.
The pastor decided to give it to a nun in a nearby convent.
The local paper, hearing of the news, posted the following headline the next day:
NUN HAS BEST ASS IN TOWN.
The bishop fainted.
He informed the nun that she would have to get rid of the donkey, so she sold it to a farmer for $10.
The next day the paper read:
NUN SELLS ASS FOR $10.
This was too much for the bishop, so he ordered the nun to buy back the donkey and lead it to the plains where it could run wild.
The next day the headlines read:
NUN ANNOUNCES HER ASS IS WILD AND FREE.
The bishop was buried the next day.
The moral of the story is. . . being concerned about public opinion can bring you much grief and misery .. even shorten your life.
So be yourself and enjoy life.
Stop worrying about everyone else's ass and you'll be a lot happier and live longer!
War Comes Home "The man I married died in Iraq"
Last year while doing research for the video about suicides, Death Because They Served, (watch it on the right side of the blog with the rest of my videos) I had to search high and low for reports that had been confirmed as suicides. This was before the major new networks took this on in response to complaints the DOD and the VA were not providing reports that could be studied. Many families were left hanging, waiting for the "investigation" to be ended to be provided some closure. While searching I came upon many reports of young soldiers with deaths categorized as "natural causes" leaving the impression the DOD must have let in a lot of recruits that were either very unhealthy, or there was a lot more to these stories.
The link to Non-combat deaths
http://namguardianangel.blogspot.com/2007/04/
non-combat-deaths-non-caring-media.html
Twenty year olds do not die in such high numbers from "natural causes" and then we read reports that fear can cause heart attacks. We read reports of inoculations causing pneumonia. Depleted uranium causing cancer and birth defects, much like Agent Orange caused them after Vietnam. We read reports that the water is tainted and contaminated causing skin and internal illnesses. All of this and yet I only had a small portion of the deaths not connected to bullets and bombs.
Within the reports came suspected links to Larium and violent murder/suicides.
I received this email this morning with a request to post it. I do so gladly. We need to calculate all available evidence and information to ever understand the true price of war and what we ask of those who serve. I was a member of ATSS and because of this, I think I'll join again.
Chaplain Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.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
Could you please post this on your website:
"In the Spring of 2002, members of the elite Special Operations units began returning home from duty in Afghanistan. Within six weeks, four Army wives, and one soldier, would be dead.
On June 11, 2002, Sergeant First Class Rigoberto Nieves, who had returned from Afghanistan just two days earlier fatally shot his wife, Teresa, and then killed himself.
Master Sergeant William Wright strangled his wife Jennifer on June 29, 2002, and then buried her body in a shallow grave.
On July 9, 2002, Sergeant Cedric Ramon Griffin stabbed his estranged wife, Marilyn, 50 times and then set her house on fire.
On July 19, 2002, the same day as Master Sergeant Wright was arrested for the murder of his wife, Sergeant First Class Brandon Floyd shot his wife Andrea to death and then and then took his own life. On July 30, 2002, Fort Bragg police arrested the wife of a major for shooting him in the head and chest while he slept. These homicides made national news, owing mainly to the number of deaths at Fort Bragg in a short period of time extreme prejudice with which the acts were committed. The incident also caused an increased awareness of post-deployment combat-related stress.
However, such incidents continue to occur following deployment throughout the US.
During a recent address to the House of Representatives, Stacy Bannerman, author of “When the War Came Home: The Inside Story of Reservists and the Families They Leave Behind” and wife of a Reservist reflected on an incident occurring in May 2007:
"This war cost me my family. When my husband returned from Iraq it quickly became apparent he was suffering from PTSD. He became increasingly verbally and mentally abusive to not only my daughter and I, but many of his subordinates at work who either quit or he had fired. He refused to admit he had a problem, and since the military does no mental status follow-up [for Reservists] he hasn't received any treatment for his condition. As a consequence, my family is destroyed. My son isn't being raised by his dad and my daughter lost the only father she knew. I know a divorce isn't as bad as losing my husband to death, but I can honestly say the man I married died in Iraq."
Unfortunately, the current system of screening for PTSD reflects data collected from past male-dominated warfare. However, Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) are unprecedented in the number of women exposed to combat-related stress and the percentage of Reserve and National Guard personnel, who never anticipated becoming full-time military members. Scientific research conducted since the end of the Vietnam Conflict finds PTSD is greatly influenced by personality factors and pre-existing ways of coping.
Unfortunately, a significant void exists in understanding how childhood social learning influences PTSD in the aftermath of deployment.
In April/May 2008, a PhD dissertation study of how gender, personality, traumatic experiences prior to deployment, and ways of coping affect post-deployment wellness will be conducted. Three groups of people are needed: (1) persons between the ages of 18-38 who have never served in the military; (2) persons (male and female) who have been deployed in support of OEF/OIF within the past 18 months; and (3) persons (military and non-military) who have been diagnosed by a medical or mental health authority with PTSD (combat related/or non-combat related). The researchers particularly need women (military and non-military) who served in Vietnam, Desert Storm or OEF/OIF, or experienced assault and sexual trauma.
Participants will need to complete a series of questionnaires requiring approximately 90 minutes to complete. No names or identifying information will be attached to the questionnaires; however, each volunteer will need to sign a Letter of Informed Consent of the benefits and risks prior to completing the questionnaires.
The completed study will be provided to the Department of Defense Surgeon Generals and Veterans Administration to develop more-targeted pre-deployment training, intra-deployment intervention, and post-deployment treatment. The findings of the study will also be used to train and treat professionals deployed in support of national disasters such as Hurricane Katrina.
If you are interested in participating in the study, please contact drhensley1@aol.com for more information."
Alan L. Hensley, PhD Candidate, BCETS, FAAETS
Board Certified Expert in Traumatic StressFellow,
American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress (AAETS)Member,
Association of Traumatic Stress SpecialistsMember,
American Counseling Association(712) 526-2401
Tampa Homeless Survey Hits Streets
Homeless Survey Hits Streets
By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 28, 2008
Updated: 12:14 am
TAMPA - Jayne Stelley, in the lime-green T-shirt of the survey team, chatted easily outside a day-labor office with Leslie Joseph, a 52-year-old homeless man, hoping to get a glimpse into what can be done to ease his misery.
Three teams made up of volunteers and homeless advocates spread out Thursday in Tampa and Brandon toting armloads of survey forms, each consisting of 19 pages of questions meant to help identify the real problems facing the nearly 10,000 homeless men, women and children in Hillsborough County.
Joseph was a willing interviewee, answering question after question - including some intensely personal - about his life, the help he gets and the help he doesn't get.
He said he gets work occasionally, but could work more. For some unknown reason, his teeth began falling out over the past few weeks. He spent last night in a halfway house nearby.
He's been homeless for about two months.
"I know I don't look homeless," he said. "But looks can be deceiving."
Nearby volunteers interviewed others.
Chap Cererin works with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and said he wants to help veterans who have found themselves without a home. He said he has an easy rapport with them.
"You have to treat them with respect," Cererin said.
go here for the rest
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/28/me-homeless-survey-hits-streets/
By KEITH MORELLI
The Tampa Tribune
Published: March 28, 2008
Updated: 12:14 am
TAMPA - Jayne Stelley, in the lime-green T-shirt of the survey team, chatted easily outside a day-labor office with Leslie Joseph, a 52-year-old homeless man, hoping to get a glimpse into what can be done to ease his misery.
Three teams made up of volunteers and homeless advocates spread out Thursday in Tampa and Brandon toting armloads of survey forms, each consisting of 19 pages of questions meant to help identify the real problems facing the nearly 10,000 homeless men, women and children in Hillsborough County.
Joseph was a willing interviewee, answering question after question - including some intensely personal - about his life, the help he gets and the help he doesn't get.
He said he gets work occasionally, but could work more. For some unknown reason, his teeth began falling out over the past few weeks. He spent last night in a halfway house nearby.
He's been homeless for about two months.
"I know I don't look homeless," he said. "But looks can be deceiving."
Nearby volunteers interviewed others.
Chap Cererin works with the Department of Veterans' Affairs and said he wants to help veterans who have found themselves without a home. He said he has an easy rapport with them.
"You have to treat them with respect," Cererin said.
go here for the rest
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/28/me-homeless-survey-hits-streets/
Homeless Veteran buried with dignity
Homeless Veteran Gets Military Burial
Miri Marshall-KFOX Morning News Traffic Anchor/Reporter
POSTED: 12:39 pm MDT March 27, 2008
EL PASO, Texas -- Family and friends wiped tears as they bid farewell to Navy Veteran Steven Lee Osborn Monday at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
“We’re all gonna (going to) miss him,” said Osborn’s friend Besi Nicholes.
Osborn, 48, died of pneumonia. He was known for loving the desert and polishing trucks.
“He was a really a neat guy.” Said Nicholes. “He really was very humble, kind, loving, very understanding."
Osborn was homeless and last living in Socorro’s Tent City. He was one of more than 270,000 homeless veterans living on the streets.
The Dignity Memorial Program paid for Osborn’s burial arrangements. The program is sponsored by Kaster-Maxon & Futrell Funeral Home. Dignity Memorial pays for the military burial of homeless veterans.
"Instead of being buried in a pauper's grave they will be buried here at the national cemetery,” said Dignity Memorial spokeswoman Mary Slawson. “They served their country and did what they did for our country, then we need to give back to them."
go here for the rest
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/15724291/detail.html
Miri Marshall-KFOX Morning News Traffic Anchor/Reporter
POSTED: 12:39 pm MDT March 27, 2008
EL PASO, Texas -- Family and friends wiped tears as they bid farewell to Navy Veteran Steven Lee Osborn Monday at Fort Bliss National Cemetery.
“We’re all gonna (going to) miss him,” said Osborn’s friend Besi Nicholes.
Osborn, 48, died of pneumonia. He was known for loving the desert and polishing trucks.
“He was a really a neat guy.” Said Nicholes. “He really was very humble, kind, loving, very understanding."
Osborn was homeless and last living in Socorro’s Tent City. He was one of more than 270,000 homeless veterans living on the streets.
The Dignity Memorial Program paid for Osborn’s burial arrangements. The program is sponsored by Kaster-Maxon & Futrell Funeral Home. Dignity Memorial pays for the military burial of homeless veterans.
"Instead of being buried in a pauper's grave they will be buried here at the national cemetery,” said Dignity Memorial spokeswoman Mary Slawson. “They served their country and did what they did for our country, then we need to give back to them."
go here for the rest
http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/15724291/detail.html
Public opinion on Iraq:Call in
Media Advisory for Friday, March 28, 2008 @ 1PM, EDT***
Call-in#: 888-325-3989, Passcode: 546571
Iraq Experts Hold Press Conference Call to Respond to Upsurge in Violence, Out of Touch Bush, McCain Assessments on Iraq
As U.S. Forces Are Pulled into Fighting in Baghdad, and as Green Zone Comes Under Attack, Iraq Veteran, National Security Expert, Expert on Public Attitudes Towards Iraq Asses the
WHO: Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman and Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Jim Gerstein, Democracy Corps
WHAT: Press Conference Call Regarding Upsurge in Violence in Iraq, Evolving Public Opinion on Iraq
WHEN: Friday, March 28, 2008, 1:00 P.M.
Call-in#: 888-325-3989
Passcode: 546571
Call-in#: 888-325-3989, Passcode: 546571
Iraq Experts Hold Press Conference Call to Respond to Upsurge in Violence, Out of Touch Bush, McCain Assessments on Iraq
As U.S. Forces Are Pulled into Fighting in Baghdad, and as Green Zone Comes Under Attack, Iraq Veteran, National Security Expert, Expert on Public Attitudes Towards Iraq Asses the
WHO: Jon Soltz, Iraq War Veteran and Chairman and Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress Action Fund, Jim Gerstein, Democracy Corps
WHAT: Press Conference Call Regarding Upsurge in Violence in Iraq, Evolving Public Opinion on Iraq
WHEN: Friday, March 28, 2008, 1:00 P.M.
Call-in#: 888-325-3989
Passcode: 546571
Free iPhone with Every Outrage!
Free iPhone with Every Outrage!
Bored with the 'war' on Iraq? 4,000 dead merely induce shrugging? Need an incentive to keep caring?
By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist
Friday, March 28, 2008
It is a time for a radical rethinking. It is a time to reconsider it all, to perhaps reassess how we are presenting and digesting America's most costly and lost and unwinnable and brutal and ignoble and inept and insidious and depressing war that's not really a war; it's time to revolutionize how it's all packaged and broadcast and pumped like hot sticky misery into the heavily narcotized American cultural bloodstream because, oh my God, we are sick sick sick of it all, and only getting sicker.
This is the problem: People are getting bored. Check that: People are already bored, insanely so, have been bored for a few years now, so utterly and thoroughly jaded and burned out on stories and pictures and woeful tales of Iraq and death and Baghdad and cluster bombs and burned-out trucks and limbless soldiers and flag-draped coffins and photos of a grinning George W. Bush posing with a horribly burned, mutilated U.S. soldier, it might as well be Lindsay Lohan snorting blow off the dashboard of an Escalade.
We have now accomplished 4,000 dead U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Did you see that headline? Did it cause anything but a stab of pain and a heavy sigh and a need to click a different headline, maybe the one about cute baby polar bears in Germany? Did you simply mash and mix that inglorious number with tales of wretched economic meltdown and torture and health care system collapse and roll it all into a little ball of sadness and hurl it at the wall of forgetfulness? You are not alone.
go here for the rest
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/03/28/notes032808.DTL
Bored with the 'war' on Iraq? 4,000 dead merely induce shrugging? Need an incentive to keep caring?
By Mark Morford, SF Gate Columnist
Friday, March 28, 2008
It is a time for a radical rethinking. It is a time to reconsider it all, to perhaps reassess how we are presenting and digesting America's most costly and lost and unwinnable and brutal and ignoble and inept and insidious and depressing war that's not really a war; it's time to revolutionize how it's all packaged and broadcast and pumped like hot sticky misery into the heavily narcotized American cultural bloodstream because, oh my God, we are sick sick sick of it all, and only getting sicker.
This is the problem: People are getting bored. Check that: People are already bored, insanely so, have been bored for a few years now, so utterly and thoroughly jaded and burned out on stories and pictures and woeful tales of Iraq and death and Baghdad and cluster bombs and burned-out trucks and limbless soldiers and flag-draped coffins and photos of a grinning George W. Bush posing with a horribly burned, mutilated U.S. soldier, it might as well be Lindsay Lohan snorting blow off the dashboard of an Escalade.
We have now accomplished 4,000 dead U.S. soldiers in Iraq. Did you see that headline? Did it cause anything but a stab of pain and a heavy sigh and a need to click a different headline, maybe the one about cute baby polar bears in Germany? Did you simply mash and mix that inglorious number with tales of wretched economic meltdown and torture and health care system collapse and roll it all into a little ball of sadness and hurl it at the wall of forgetfulness? You are not alone.
go here for the rest
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2008/03/28/notes032808.DTL
Bill Addresses Military Suicides
Bill Addresses Military Suicides
By Susan Jones
CNSNews.com Senior Editor
March 27, 2008
(CNSNews.com) - Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Joseph Lieberman (I-Conn.) recently introduced legislation requiring the Defense Department to establish a detailed database on suicides and attempted suicides among U.S. troops.
Last year, 121 soldiers committed suicide and another 2,100 attempted suicide, Boxer said on her Web site. She noted that the 2,100 attempted suicides represents a six-fold increase since 2002 (when the U.S. was not at war).
In addition to requiring a comprehensive database, the Boxer-Lieberman legislation (formally, The Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act of 2008) would require the individual investigation of all suicides across the Armed Forces, and it would require the Pentagon to provide Congress with regular updates on military suicides.
A second bill, The Armed Forces Mental Health Professionals Recruitment and Retention Enhancement Act of 2008, would increase the number of uniformed mental health providers serving service members and their families. (Lieberman noted that the troops have a strong preference for uniformed, rather than civilian, providers.)
"This legislation will help ensure that the Defense Department and Congress are getting an adequate picture of the state of mental health within our Armed Forces," Boxer said in a news release.
go here for the rest
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200803/NAT20080327d.html
Murder trail points to war trauma
Army Ranger Sgt. Gary Smith is accused of killing fellow Ranger Spc. Michael A. McQueen II.
Montgomery County Police Department / AP
Murder Trial Points to War Trauma
Thursday, Mar. 27, 2008
By MARK THOMPSON/WASHINGTON
A Maryland murder trial is being turned into a debate on the lingering traumatic impact of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on the psyche of the Americans who served there. The prosecution is trying to prove that Gary Smith, a one-time Army Ranger, murdered his roommate of 20 days and fellow Ranger Michael McQueen, 22, by putting a .38-caliber revolver to his right temple and pulling the trigger. Smith's attorney, however, notes that the 25-year-old former sergeant has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following repeated combat tours, and insists that McQueen committed suicide, drunk, despondent and unemployed.
Whether McQueen's death was a murder or a suicide, the tale offers a rare window into the grim realities of post-war mental trauma. As the odometer of war clicks past 4,000 killed in Iraq, and approaches 500 in Afghanistan, it's stories like those about the Ranger roommates that often fall below the nation's radar screen. The Army introduced these two men to one another — McQueen was African-American; Smith is white — and dispatched them to Afghanistan together twice, in 2004 and 2005. There, it seems one or both became unhinged by the experience. But in a country that rescues Wall Street banks from ruin while down-on-their-luck homeowners find themselves suddenly homeless, the prosecution would prefer to keep the focus of the trial in the Rockville, Maryland, courthouse away from the war.
"This is a homicide — Gary Smith is the person that did it," prosecutor John Maloney said in his opening argument March 18 in what is expected to be a two-week trial. "The most important thing you'll bring to your deliberations is your common sense." But Smith's attorney, Andrew Jezic, said McQueen was unemployed, not in school and drinking heavily when he killed himself. Smith, upset at the death of a war buddy, tried to hide how he died to preserve McQueen's dignity — and to avoid being implicated — according to police files. "There is no motive in this case," Jezic said. "Zero."
go here for the rest
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1725860,00.html
Thursday, March 27, 2008
VA Reaches Out to Women Veterans
VA Reaches Out to Women Veterans
March 27, 2008
Women Vets Have Earned “Benefits, Respect, Thanks” – Peake
Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans Issues Begins June 20
WASHINGTON -- Recognizing the valor, service and sacrifice of America’s 1.7 million women veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has created a comprehensive array of benefits and programs.
“Women who served this country in uniform -- whether veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the current Global War on Terror or peacetime service -- have earned our respect and thanks,” said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “They have also earned the full range of VA programs offered by a grateful nation.”
Secretary Peake also announced the Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans Issues to be held from June 20 – 22 in Washington D.C. The Summit will offer attendees an opportunity to enhance future progress on women veterans issues, with sessions specifically for the Reserve and National Guard, information on military sexual trauma and readjustment issues, after the military veteran resources and many more programs and exhibits.
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfMAR08/nf032808-4.htm
March 27, 2008
Women Vets Have Earned “Benefits, Respect, Thanks” – Peake
Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans Issues Begins June 20
WASHINGTON -- Recognizing the valor, service and sacrifice of America’s 1.7 million women veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has created a comprehensive array of benefits and programs.
“Women who served this country in uniform -- whether veterans of World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the current Global War on Terror or peacetime service -- have earned our respect and thanks,” said Dr. James B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “They have also earned the full range of VA programs offered by a grateful nation.”
Secretary Peake also announced the Fourth National Summit on Women Veterans Issues to be held from June 20 – 22 in Washington D.C. The Summit will offer attendees an opportunity to enhance future progress on women veterans issues, with sessions specifically for the Reserve and National Guard, information on military sexual trauma and readjustment issues, after the military veteran resources and many more programs and exhibits.
http://www.vawatchdog.org/08/nf08/nfMAR08/nf032808-4.htm
Minnesota Female Veterans Face Unique Challenges
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Coming home
Minnesota female veterans face unique challenges
by Kendall Anderson
Chante Wolf was in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years, returning to civilian life in 1992 after the first Gulf war. But the soldier-turned-activist has traveled a long road to resolving the trauma of what she calls regular sexual harassment and near-rape while serving her country.
"It's only recently that I started dealing with-started talking about in therapy-the sexual stuff, knowing that the longer this goes on the deeper this wound will go," said Wolf, now 50. "You just bury it."
The stress first surfaced in verbal attacks against her parents. Added to the normal anxiety veterans often face-Wolf slept with a loaded .357 magnum under her pillow during her first few years back-the sexual trauma nearly put the veteran over the top. She drank herself to sleep for many years.
That extra anguish from sexual assault and sexual harassment is not something every female vet experiences. But it's one of several challenges female vets face when returning to civilian life. So is returning to societal norms of female behavior and resuming parenting and other family roles that may differ dramatically from being a soldier. That's something Gina Sanders can testify to.
Becoming mom again
Sanders (not her real name), 25, came home to her son and found he was not quite the same. A sergeant who had served in Iraq, she had to accept that her toddler had experienced milestones without her. Her son's father took over parenting-and continued even after she first returned from duty.
"Coming home to your family, you're very happy to be home. You're thinking that the family you come home to are the same as when you left, which is not true-they had their own struggles while you're away," said Sanders, 25.
Eager as she is to become her son's most important parent-Sanders is a single mom-she also misses aspects of the life she left behind, especially the female soldiers who shared her experiences. The pleasure of being with her son has been the best part of coming home.
"It is a difficult transition coming home from the deployment. We tend to come back as stronger, more independent women," said Brandi N. Wilson, women veterans coordinator, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Wilson sees among women vets challenged by parenting and interpersonal relating. She added that female vets often have a harder time finding the support they need.
click above for the rest
Coming home
Minnesota female veterans face unique challenges
Although the numbers of female veterans are increasing, the lack of studies and information about female veterans makes it difficult to gauge the needs of returning female soldiers. Mainstream media coverage of returning veterans often makes little or no mention of the women who served. Andrea Lindgren, a state researcher with the Minnesota Office on the Economic Status of Women (OESW) commented on the difficulty of identifying the specific needs of female veterans. "There's not a lot of information out there," said Lindgren. "I think it's cultural-there may be a hesitancy to acknowledge that there exist issues related to being female."
by Kendall Anderson
Chante Wolf was in the U.S. Air Force for 12 years, returning to civilian life in 1992 after the first Gulf war. But the soldier-turned-activist has traveled a long road to resolving the trauma of what she calls regular sexual harassment and near-rape while serving her country.
"It's only recently that I started dealing with-started talking about in therapy-the sexual stuff, knowing that the longer this goes on the deeper this wound will go," said Wolf, now 50. "You just bury it."
The stress first surfaced in verbal attacks against her parents. Added to the normal anxiety veterans often face-Wolf slept with a loaded .357 magnum under her pillow during her first few years back-the sexual trauma nearly put the veteran over the top. She drank herself to sleep for many years.
That extra anguish from sexual assault and sexual harassment is not something every female vet experiences. But it's one of several challenges female vets face when returning to civilian life. So is returning to societal norms of female behavior and resuming parenting and other family roles that may differ dramatically from being a soldier. That's something Gina Sanders can testify to.
Becoming mom again
Sanders (not her real name), 25, came home to her son and found he was not quite the same. A sergeant who had served in Iraq, she had to accept that her toddler had experienced milestones without her. Her son's father took over parenting-and continued even after she first returned from duty.
"Coming home to your family, you're very happy to be home. You're thinking that the family you come home to are the same as when you left, which is not true-they had their own struggles while you're away," said Sanders, 25.
Eager as she is to become her son's most important parent-Sanders is a single mom-she also misses aspects of the life she left behind, especially the female soldiers who shared her experiences. The pleasure of being with her son has been the best part of coming home.
"It is a difficult transition coming home from the deployment. We tend to come back as stronger, more independent women," said Brandi N. Wilson, women veterans coordinator, Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Wilson sees among women vets challenged by parenting and interpersonal relating. She added that female vets often have a harder time finding the support they need.
Female vets and rape:
Nearly one-third of a nationwide sample of female veterans seeking V.A. health care said they experienced rape or attempted rape during their service. Among them:
• 37 percent said they were raped multiple times
• 14 percent reported they were gang-raped.
Family matters
43% of female vets have at least one child, compared to 22% of male vets.
56% of female vets are married, compared to 72% of male vets.
click above for the rest
IRAQ: Fever Named After Blackwater
IRAQ: Fever Named After Blackwater
By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail*
FALLUJAH, Mar 26 (IPS) - Iraqi doctors in al-Anbar province warn of a new disease they call "Blackwater" that threatens the lives of thousands. The disease is named after Blackwater Worldwide, the U.S. mercenary company operating in Iraq.
"This disease is a severe form of malarial infection caused by the parasite plasmodium falciparum, which is considered the worst type of malarial infection," Dr. Ali Hakki from Fallujah told IPS. "It is one of the complications of that infection, and not the ordinary picture of the disease. Because of its frequent and severe complications, such as Blackwater fever, and its resistance to treatment, P. falciparum can cause death within 24 hours."
What Iraqis now call Blackwater fever is really a well-known medical condition, and while it has nothing to do with Blackwater Worldwide, Iraqis in al-Anbar province have decided to make the connection between the disease and the lethal U.S.-based company which has been responsible for the death of countless Iraqis.
The disease is most prevalent in Africa and Asia. The patient suffers severe intravascular haemolysis -- the destruction of red blood cells leading to kidney and liver failure. It also leads to black or red urination, and hence perhaps the new name 'Blackwater'.
The deadly disease, never before seen in Iraq on at least this scale, seems to be spreading across the country. And Iraq lacks medicines, hospitals, and doctors to lead a campaign to fight the disease.
"We informed the ministry of the disease, but it seems that they are not in a mood to listen," a doctor from the al-Anbar Health Office in Ramadi told IPS, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are making personal contacts with NGOs in an attempt to get the necessary medicines."
go here for the rest
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41743
linked from RawStory
By Ali al-Fadhily and Dahr Jamail*
FALLUJAH, Mar 26 (IPS) - Iraqi doctors in al-Anbar province warn of a new disease they call "Blackwater" that threatens the lives of thousands. The disease is named after Blackwater Worldwide, the U.S. mercenary company operating in Iraq.
"This disease is a severe form of malarial infection caused by the parasite plasmodium falciparum, which is considered the worst type of malarial infection," Dr. Ali Hakki from Fallujah told IPS. "It is one of the complications of that infection, and not the ordinary picture of the disease. Because of its frequent and severe complications, such as Blackwater fever, and its resistance to treatment, P. falciparum can cause death within 24 hours."
What Iraqis now call Blackwater fever is really a well-known medical condition, and while it has nothing to do with Blackwater Worldwide, Iraqis in al-Anbar province have decided to make the connection between the disease and the lethal U.S.-based company which has been responsible for the death of countless Iraqis.
The disease is most prevalent in Africa and Asia. The patient suffers severe intravascular haemolysis -- the destruction of red blood cells leading to kidney and liver failure. It also leads to black or red urination, and hence perhaps the new name 'Blackwater'.
The deadly disease, never before seen in Iraq on at least this scale, seems to be spreading across the country. And Iraq lacks medicines, hospitals, and doctors to lead a campaign to fight the disease.
"We informed the ministry of the disease, but it seems that they are not in a mood to listen," a doctor from the al-Anbar Health Office in Ramadi told IPS, speaking on condition of anonymity. "We are making personal contacts with NGOs in an attempt to get the necessary medicines."
go here for the rest
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41743
linked from RawStory
FDA Investigates Suicide With Merck Drug Singulair
FDA Investigates Suicide With Merck Drug
By MATTHEW PERRONE | AP Business Writer
4:29 PM EDT, March 27, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is investigating a possible link between Merck's best-selling Singulair and suicide. FDA said it is reviewing a handful of reports involving mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken the popular allergy and asthma drug.
Merck has updated the drug's labeling four times in the past year to include information on a range of reported side effects: tremors, anxiousness, depression and suicidal behavior.
FDA said it asked the Whitehouse, N.J.-based company to dig deeper into its data on Singulair for evidence of possible links to suicide. The agency said it has not established a "causal relationship" between Merck's drug and suicidal behavior. An agency spokeswoman said the review was prompted by three to four suicide reports it received since last October.
It could take up to nine months before agency scientists can draw any conclusions, FDA said in a posting to its Web site.
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By MATTHEW PERRONE | AP Business Writer
4:29 PM EDT, March 27, 2008
WASHINGTON - The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is investigating a possible link between Merck's best-selling Singulair and suicide. FDA said it is reviewing a handful of reports involving mood changes, suicidal behavior and suicide in patients who have taken the popular allergy and asthma drug.
Merck has updated the drug's labeling four times in the past year to include information on a range of reported side effects: tremors, anxiousness, depression and suicidal behavior.
FDA said it asked the Whitehouse, N.J.-based company to dig deeper into its data on Singulair for evidence of possible links to suicide. The agency said it has not established a "causal relationship" between Merck's drug and suicidal behavior. An agency spokeswoman said the review was prompted by three to four suicide reports it received since last October.
It could take up to nine months before agency scientists can draw any conclusions, FDA said in a posting to its Web site.
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Military Tells Bush of Troop Strains
U.S. Army soldiers from Third Squadron, Third Armored Cavalry Regiment rest between missions at Combat Outpost Rabiy in Mosul, 360 kilometers (225 miles) northwest of Baghdad, Iraq on Wednesday, March 26, 2008. The northern city is considered by the U.S. military as the last urban stronghold for al-Qaida in Iraq. (Maya Alleruzzo/AP Photo)
Military Tells Bush of Troop Strains
At Pentagon, Bush Hears Military's Worries on War Strains From Long, Frequent Iraq Deployments
The Associated Press By ROBERT BURNS AP Military Writer
WASHINGTON Mar 27, 2008 (AP)
Behind the Pentagon's closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President Bush they are worried about the Iraq war's mounting strain on troops and their families. But they indicated they'd go along with a brief halt in pulling out troops this summer.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff did say senior commanders in Iraq should make more frequent assessments of security conditions, an idea that appeared aimed at increasing pressure for more rapid troop reductions.
The chiefs' concern is that U.S. forces are being worn thin, compromising the Pentagon's ability to handle crises elsewhere in the world.
In the war zone itself, two more American soldiers were killed Wednesday in separate attacks in Baghdad, raising the U.S. death toll to at least 4,003, according to an Associated Press count. Volleys of rockets also slammed into Baghdad's Green Zone for the third day this week, and the U.S. Embassy said three Americans were seriously wounded. At least eight Iraqis were killed elsewhere in the capital by rounds that apparently fell short.
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http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/WireStory?id=4533124&page=1
And they wonder why there are so many veterans with PTSD?
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