Colonel Pete Petronzio worries Afghanistan will become a 'forgotten war'

U.S. marine leader worries Afghanistan will become a 'forgotten war'
KATHERINE O'NEILL

Globe and Mail Update

June 1, 2008 at 5:28 PM EDT

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN — The highest-ranking U.S. Marine in Afghanistan is worried he's losing the battle when it comes to getting Americans interested in the war.

“I get concerned some days that, as Americans, we are a military at war, not a nation at war,” Colonel Pete Petronzio told Canadian reporters Sunday during a frank and wide-ranging interview at Kandahar Air Field.

“Afghanistan is not a story that's being told as much as it should be,” added the 47-year-old marine colonel, who leads the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. Already dubbed the “forgotten war” by many Americans, the conflict has long been overshadowed by the U.S. military's on-going and much bloodier battle in Iraq.

The commanding officer said that it doesn't help that U.S. residents are currently more captivated by stories about the presidential campaign and rising gas prices.


Col. Petronzio said that over the weekend, marines were engaged in the heaviest fighting since they arrived in Afghanistan in March. About 2,400 troops are currently in Afghanistan, with the majority stationed in Helmand province, an area along the Pakistani border that remains held by Taliban militants. The province, located in southern Afghanistan, neighbours Kandahar province, where Canadian soldiers are deployed.

Col. Petronzio hopes the marines' efforts have reduced insurgent activity in Kandahar this spring.
click post title for more

Col. Petronzio is right, but it's already happened. No one is talking about Afghanistan on the TV or cable news. It's very hard to even find reports on Afghanistan. Other than ICasualties.org, there are not many reports to be found at all. While we were all talking about the death count in Iraq being at an all time high for 2007, it was also at an all time high in Afghanistan.

In Afghanistan, they are doing some fantastic things but hardly none of it gets reported on the nightly news if they report on any part of either occupation. I think the lack of reports are by design. The vast majority of the American people still agreed with the need to address Afghanistan so there is no story there as far as the media goes. We fight over Iraq and all the talking heads only seem to want to discuss and debate Iraq while ignoring Afghanistan.


These reports are just from this weekend alone

06/01/08 Reuters: Scores of Taliban killed in operation
Scores of Taliban militants were killed last week in an operation involving Afghan and foreign troops in Afghanistan, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

06/01/08 AP: 1 killed in Kabul blast against Afghan army bus
Afghanistan's Defense Ministry says a remote-controlled bomb detonated as a bus carrying Afghan soldiers passed by, killing one civilian and wounding five people.

06/01/08 AP: Roadside bomb wounds 2 ISAF soldiers in Paktia province
Two other ISAF soldiers were wounded in a roadside bombing on Saturday in Paktia province, a troubled region in the country's east bordering Pakistan, ISAF spokesman Carlos Branco said.

06/01/08 AP: U.S. authorities release citizen held in Afghanistan
U.S. authorities in Afghanistan have released a German citizen who had been held since January accused of being on a U.S. base without authorization, the German Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

06/01/08 AFP: Japan may send troops to Afghanistan
Japan is considering whether to send its first troops to Afghanistan on a reconstruction mission, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said Sunday. Tokyo has been a major donor to Afghanistan, pledging 1.3 billion dollars since the fall...

06/01/08 AP: Suicide bomb kills 2 soldiers in Afghanistan
A suicide car bomb attack against a NATO convoy Saturday killed two soldiers and wounded four others...The bomb attack in the eastern city of Jalalabad hit a contingent of NATO's International Security Assistance Force

05/31/08 : DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Sgt. 1st Class David Nunez, 27, of Los Angeles, Calif., died May 29 in Shewan, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when he encountered small arms fire while conducting combat operations. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion...

05/31/08 AP: NATO soldier killed in Afghan bombing
A suicide car bomber killed one NATO soldier and wounded at least seven other people, an Afghan official said on Saturday. The attack targeted a convoy of international troops in the eastern city of Jalalabad.

05/31/08 AFP: Suicide car bomb targets foreign troops - 4 wounded
A suicide car bomb exploded Saturday near an international military convoy in eastern Afghanistan, injuring four coalition troops, officials said.

05/31/08 Reuters: Two insurgents in killed in Farah province
The Afghan National Army, with air support from international forces, killed and wounded a number of insurgents in two separate districts in the western province of Farah on Friday, during an operation to clear the area of insurgents...

05/31/08 Reuters: Afghan soldier killed, 2 wounded in Sangin District
One Afghan soldier was killed and two others wounded when they came under fire from insurgents at a military checkpoint on Friday in Sangin District in the southern province of Helmand, the defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

05/30/08 M&C: Frenchman kidnapped in Afghanistan
A French national, two Afghan associates and their chauffeur have been kidnapped by a group linked to the Taliban, the web site of the daily Le Figaro reported on Friday.

05/30/08 AFP: US-led soldier killed in Afghanistan, district falls
A soldier in the US-led coalition and several militants have been killed in separate clashes in Afghanistan...The soldier was killed "in action" Thursday near the western town of Farah, the coalition said in a statement.

05/30/08 Reuters: Taliban insurgents capture remote Afghan town
Taliban insurgents seized a remote Afghan town overnight, patrolling the streets for some hours before withdrawing ahead of a government operation to retake it on Friday, residents and officials said.

05/30/08 AP: Afghanistan seeks to revive farming sector
Afghanistan will ask international donors next month for $4 billion to revive its agricultural sector, but it could be a hard sell with another massive crop of opium expected this year.

05/30/08 NYTimes: NATO Chief - Pakistan’s Tack on Militants Is Not as Expected
The departing American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Dan K. McNeill, raised concerns on Thursday that Pakistan had not followed through on promises to tackle militancy on its side of the border...

05/30/08 paktribune: Taliban claim US chopper shot down in Afghanistan
Taliban in Afghanistan on Thursday claimed to have shot down a chopper of a United States private security company, Kellogg Brown and Root (KBR), in the restive province of Khost.

05/30/08 Reuters: Several militants killed near Sangin
Afghan security forces and U.S.-led coalition troops killed several militants near Sangin in the southern province of Helmand on Thursday after coming under fire, the U.S. military said on Friday.

05/30/08 Reuters: Several militants killed, 16 detained in Ghazni province
U.S.-led coalition forces killed several militants and detained 16 during search operations in Ghazni province, south of Kabul on Thursday, the U.S. military said on Friday.

05/30/08 Reuters: Several militants killed in Farah province
U.S.-led coalition forces killed several militants with small arms fire and air strikes after coming under fire from a house in the western province of Farah on Wednesday, the U.S. military said on Friday.

05/30/08 Reuters: Suicide car bomber attacks convoy - no military casualties
A suicide car bomber blew himself up alongside a convoy of military engineers in the eastern province of Khost on Friday, the U.S. military said. No soldiers were wounded and no equipment was damaged in the incident, it said.
38 US were killed this year and 40 Coalition
http://icasualties.org/oef/

"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few"

From Bible Gateway

Matthew 9

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.

13 But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.'[a] For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

The Workers Are Few
35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37 Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Luke 10
Jesus Sends Out the Seventytwo
1 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go.
2 He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
3 Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.
4 Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
5 "When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.'
6 If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
8 "When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.
9 Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'
10 But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say,
11 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'
12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom than for that town.

As with the time of Jesus walking upon the earth, too many get it wrong. They think the mission of "workers" for Christ is to force faith upon them, but it isn't. You can see clearly what the thoughts of Jesus was when he gave instructions to his disciples. Their mission was to heal them to show the love of God and the mercy of Christ who sent them. The harvest was plenty because there were some many people hurting and in need of comfort, compassion, love, hope and healing. The workers were those who made the choice to follow Christ, but there were too few of them at the time to reach everyone in need.

Today we see that being repeated yet again. The workers in this case are the people who work for the VA. The vast majority of them are fine people who were willing to work for a lot less money in order to help the veterans as a way of paying them back in their own way. Yet today, even still, there are less workers in the VA than there were following the Gulf War. There are less psychiatrist and psychologist, less mental health nurses and not enough Chaplains. 20% of the facilities use Chaplains. This fact I found devastating when I posted it the other day on this blog. The needs of them many cannot be filled by the few.

While there is a problem with the fact there are people more interested in getting more members into their own branch of Christianity and evangelizing more than they are serving the needs of people as Christ commanded, I do not have a problem with Chaplains serving. Big difference. As a Chaplain I am required to take care of the spiritual needs of all people no matter which branch they belong to and no matter what faith they have. This means that if they have no faith at all, I am still required to serve them equally as one of God's children. I am not there to condemn them, embarrass them or walk away from them if they lack faith. Just as Christ sent out the 72, if they want my help, I have to give it. If they do not, then that's up to them.

Working with veterans, the first thing is to get them to understand that PTSD is a wound, has nothing to do with their bravery or courage, their patriotism or anything other than the fact they are normal people exposed to abnormal events and having a normal reaction to what most people never see. It's my job to get them to understand what comes with PTSD and it is also my duty to get them to stop feeling as if God abandoned them or condemned them. I am there to support them no matter if they agree with what they did serving or not, no matter if they are practicing Christians, or any other faith or of no faith at all. They are wounded people who need help and if they see the compassion of Christ within me and the love of God, then I am doing my job. Where they go and what they do after is up to them but they will walk away knowing a side of God they may not have known before. Too many remember the parts of the Old Testament and know very little from the New Testament. It's very hard for them to understand all the love there is within the pages of the Bible.

When Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan, the wounded man did not say what he believed, did not say he was a member of any faith at all. The Samaritan was helping someone in need and took care of a stranger everyone else just avoided. In this is love. In this is mercy. In this is compassion. When Christ said that we were to treat others as we would want to be treated, he added nothing to that. It was not commanded we first ascertain their faith base before we help them. This again is the mission and the duty of a Chaplain. Yet some will condemn the "heathens" with no faith, will condemn the homeless and the poor and the needy as if they have no right to live at all.

Jesus told the doubters that if they did not believe in who he was then they should believe in the work he did. It's about time we got to work the way he intended us to do the jobs he called us to do. It's about time we returned to the original mission and let God lead them where He wants to take them after.

I am Greek Orthodox, yet was administrator of Christian Ed for a Presbyterian Church, my best friend is Methodist and I have a lot of Catholic friends as well as some family members. Do you think I would say to any of these people I care about their faith is not as worthy as mine? Do you think I would tell them they are wrong? Who am I to judge any of them? Jesus started one church and one Christian faith, not many. After all there was only one of him who died on the cross and the faith is named after him.

We need to get back to the original mission and that is to serve those in need. The VA needs to utilize these people to serve the far too many in need today, not months and years from now.

Senior Chaplain Kathie Costos

Universal Studios should give firefighters free passes

Blaze Erupts on Universal Studios Lot
By GREG RISLING,AP
Posted: 2008-06-01 15:03:03
Filed Under: Nation News
UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. (June 1) - A large fire tore through a back lot at Universal Studios early Sunday, destroying a set from "Back to the Future," the King Kong exhibit and a video vault containing more than 40,000 videos and reels.
http://news.aol.com/story/_a/blaze-erupts-on-universal-studios-lot/20080601095209990001?icid=1615988631x1203356749x1200308531

Go to the above site and take a look at some of the photographs of the firefighters risking their lives like they always do. Several pictures have them on top of roofs as the smoke rises showing how brave these people are. They do their jobs everyday but this day they were there to save Universal Studios and did a great job of keeping the fire for spreading. The least Universal Studios can do is provide these brave men and women free passes for a year for them and their families. That would be the least they could do to say thank you for saving most of Universal Studios and allowing it to reopen already.

Getting rid of spin on Purple Heart Award

The Badge of Military Merit/the Purple Heart awarded for service

The Badge of Military Merit/the Purple Heart
At his headquarters in Newburgh, New York, on August 7, 1782, General George Washington devised two new badges of distinction for enlisted men and noncommissioned officers. To signify loyal military service, he ordered a chevron to be worn on the left sleeve of the uniform coat for the rank and file who had completed three years of duty "with bravery, fidelity, and good conduct"; two chevrons signified six years of service. The second badge, for "any singularly meritorious Action," was the "Figure of a Heart in Purple Cloth or Silk edged with narrow Lace or Binding."
This device, the Badge of Military Merit, was affixed to the uniform coat above the left breast and permitted its wearer to pass guards and sentinels without challenge and to have his name and regiment inscribed in a Book of Merit. The Badge specifically honored the lower ranks, where decorations were unknown in contemporary European Armies. As Washington intended, the road to glory in a patriot army is thus open to all."


The award fell into disuse following the Revolution and was not proposed again officially until after World War I. On October 10, 1927, Army Chief of Staff General Charles P. Summerall directed that a draft bill be sent to Congress "to revive the Badge of Military Merit."
For reasons unclear, the bill was withdrawn and action on the case ceased on January 3, 1928, but the Office of The Adjutant General was instructed to file all materials collected for possible future use.
The rough sketch accompanying this proposal showed a circular disc medal with a concave center in which a relief heart appeared. The reverse carried the legend: For Military Merit.
A number of private interests sought to have the medal reinstituted in the Army. One of these was the board of directors of the Fort Ticonderoga Museum in New York.
On January 7, 1931, Summerall’s successor, General Douglas MacArthur, confidentially reopened work on a new design, involved the Washington Commission of Fine Arts. His object was medal issued on the bicentennial of George Washington’s birth.
Miss Elizabeth Will, an Army heraldic specialist in the Office of the Quartermaster General, was named to redesign the newly revived medal, which became known as the Purple Heart. Using general specifications provided to her, Ms. Will created the design sketch for the present medal of the Purple Heart. Her obituary , in the February 8, 1975 edition of The Washington Post newspaper, reflects her many contributions to military heraldry.
The Commission of Fine Arts solicited plaster models from three leading sculptors for the medal, selecting that of John R. Sinnock of the Philadelphia Mint in May 1931.
As described in Army Regulations 600-35 of November 10, 1941, the design consisted of a purple enameled heart within a bronze quarter-inch border showing a relief profile of George Washington in Continental uniform. Surmounting the enameled shield is Washington’s family coat of arms, the same used by the heart shape and the coat of arms of the obverse is repeated without enamel; within the heart lies the inscription, For Military Merit, with space beneath for the engraved name of the recipient. The device is 1-11/16 inches in length and 1-3/8 inches in width, and is suspended by a rounded rectangular length displaying a vertical purple band with quarter-inch white borders.
The War Department announced the new award in General Order No. 3, February 22, 1932:
By order of the President of the United States, the Purple Heart established by General George Washington at Newburgh, August 7, 1782, during the War of the Revolution, is hereby revived out of respect to his memory and military achievements.
http://www.ct.gov/mil/cwp/view.asp?a=1351&q=258456

In 1932 the connection to that legacy was revived. President Herbert Hoover had decided to honor the bicentennial of Washington's birth, and instructed Gen. Douglas MacArthur to re-introduce the Badge of Military Merit.After turning the badge into a medal, MacArthur stuck with the original design and color. But he made one significant change.

Deciding that those wounded or killed in the line of duty were worthy of an award of merit, he altered the criteria to include the combat wounded and made the honor retroactive to World War I.

Having been injured in battle, MacArthur received the first Purple Heart medal.

Since then, over 800,000 Purple Heart medals have been awarded, some in formal ceremonies, others as intimate as a medal pinned to a hospital gown. The qualifications have expanded during that time as well, to include injuries to servicemen and women from terrorist attacks, friendly fire and from being part of a peacekeeping force.
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/purpleheart/index.html

By order of the President of the United States , the Purple Heart established by General George Washington at Newburgh, August 7, 1782, during the War of the Revolution, is hereby revived out of respect to his memory and military achievements.
By Order of the Secretary WarDouglas MacArthurGeneralChief of Staff
Purple Heart (obverse)
Army regulations specified the design of the medal as an enamel heart, purple in color and showing a relief profile of George Washington in Continental Army uniform within a quarter-inch bronze border. Above the enameled heart is Washington 's family coat of arms between two sprays of leaves. On the reverse side, below the shield and leaves, is a raised bronze heart without enamel bearing the inscription “For Military Merit.” The 1 11/16 inch medal is suspended by a purple cloth, 1 3/8 inches in length by 1 3/8 inches in width with 1/8-inch white edges.
Army regulations' eligibility criteria for the award included:
Those in possession of a Meritorious Service Citation Certificate issued by the Commander-in Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I. (The Certificates had to be exchanged for the Purple Heart.)
Those authorized by Army regulations to wear wound chevrons. (These men also had to apply for the new award.)
The newly reintroduced Purple Heart was not intended primarily as an award for those wounded in action -- the “wound chevron” worn by a soldier on his sleeve already fulfilled that purpose. Establishing the Meritorious Service Citation as a qualification for receiving the Purple Heart was very much in keeping with General Washington's original intent for the award.
Purple Heart (reverse)
However, authorizing the award in exchange for “wound chevrons” established the now familiar association of the award with injuries sustained in battle. This was reinforced by Army regulations, which stated that the award required a "singularly meritorious act of fidelity service" and that "a wound which necessitates treatment by a medical officer and which is received in action with an enemy, may, in the judgment of the commander authorized to make the award, be construed as resulting from a singularly meritorious act of essential service."
Until Executive Order 9277 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in December 1942 authorized award of the Purple Heart to personnel from all of the military services (retroactive to December 7, 1941), the medal was exclusively an Army award. The Executive Order also stated that the Purple Heart was to be awarded to persons who “are wounded in action against an enemy of the United States, or as a result of an act of such enemy, provided such would necessitate treatment by a medical officer.”
In November 1952, President Harry S. Truman issued an Executive Order extending eligibility for the award to April 5, 1917, to coincide with the eligibility dates for Army personnel.
President John F. Kennedy issued Executive Order 11016 in April 1962 that further extended eligibility to "any civilian national of the United States, who while serving under competent authority in any capacity with an armed force…, has been, or may hereafter be, wounded" and authorized posthumous award of the medal.
Executive Order 12464 signed by President Ronald Reagan in February 1984, authorized award of the Purple Heart as a result of terrorist attacks or while serving as part of a peacekeeping force subsequent to March 28, 1973. The 1998 National Defense Authorization Act removed civilians from the list of personnel eligible for the medal.
The Purple Heart is ranked immediately behind the bronze star and ahead of the Defense Meritorious Service Medal in order of precedence.
Possession of the Purple Heart medal does not by itself qualify veterans for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability compensation. However, since November 1999, Purple Heart recipients have been placed in VA's enrollment priority group 3, unless eligible for the higher priority groups (1 or 2) based on service-connected disabilities. Recipients are also exempt from co-payments for VA hospital care and medical outpatient care, but not from pharmacy co-payments for medications prescribed for non-service connected conditions.

Sources: The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration; U.S. Army Center of Military History
http://www1.va.gov/opa/feature/celebrate/purple-heart.asp

Trauma is Greek for wound. If they did not go into combat, no trauma caused by combat with the enemy. No trauma, no wound. Should be end of story, but I doubt it. It was not designed to be about a wound but about service to the nation. It became an award to acknowledge a wound caused by serving the nation. As such, being wounded in your mind, body and spirit, because of service in a time of war, this should qualify. The VA does not separate those who have a physical wound that can be seen against one that cannot be seen when they pay disability compensation ratings. They only deal with the severity of the wound.

Marine from Waterbury dies in Iraq

Marine from Waterbury dies in Iraq
May 31, 2008

Connecticut military deaths. May be updated.

WATERBURY, Conn. (AP) _ A 21-year-old Marine from Waterbury has died during his first tour in Iraq, according to his family's pastor.

The military notified Christian Cotner's family on Friday about his death. Details about how and when he died had not been released Saturday, and the military had not publicly announced his death.

He is the 40th military member with ties to Connecticut who has died in Iraq and Afghanistan since U.S. operations began in those countries in 2003 and 2002, respectively. Two civilians from the state have also died.

The Cotner family's pastor, the Rev. Kenneth Frazier Jr. of the First Congregational Church of Waterbury, said Saturday that the family was too grief-stricken to make public statements, but planned to do so soon.

"They would like for the public to respect their grieving process and they will make themselves available at some point when they are ready and able," Frazier said.
go here for more
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/connecticut/ny-bc-ct--marinedeath0531may31,0,7401126.story

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty


The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Cpl. Christian S. Cotner, 20, of Waterbury, Conn., died May 30 from a non-hostile incident in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, Okinawa, Japan.

The incident is currently under investigation.

'Improper denials, poor service to vets'

VA claims pace lagging: 'Improper denials, poor service to vets'
Spokesman says radiation claims slowed all claims, but that the numbers are improving
Sid Salter • ssalter@clarionledger.com • June 1, 2008


Complaints that claims for Mississippi's 233,888 military veterans - including Iraq and Afghanistan combat veterans - aren't being processed in a timely manner have led to calls for a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs investigation

Documents obtained by The Clarion-Ledger show that in April of this year, claims at the U.S. Veterans Affairs' Jackson Regional Office were being processed 53 percent slower than the national and regional average. That includes claims from combat veterans seeking help for combat-related post traumatic stress disorder.

The records show that on April 30, the national average "days pending" on veterans' claims ratings were 127.4 days while the Southern Area average was 127.5 days. But the average "days pending" for claims ratings in the VA's Jackson Regional Office was 194.8 days - a difference of 67 days.

In a May 1 letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, interim U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Tupelo, called for the VA's Office of Inspector General to investigate the findings of a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee counsel who uncovered "lapses in procedure" and "complaints from senior staff regarding the work environment" at the Jackson office.
go here for more
http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080601/OPINION/806010327/1046

PTSD 22 years of service John Staubach fell through cracks

John Shaubach hangs out with his step-daughters, Obra and Jess, in his Alaska home. Shaubach served 22 years in the Army before receiving a medical discharge because of a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder, a result of his service in Iraq and Afghanistan. (Submitted)

Who will help with post-traumatic stress disorder?
'I fell through the cracks,' said an Iraq war vet crippled by the syndrome.
By JEFF FRANTZ
Daily Record/Sunday News

Article Last Updated: 06/01/2008 03:13:00 AM EDT

Could that man be my brother?
Melissa Gieniec had been warned he didn't look good, but this?
She remembered her brother as a man who plucked his eyebrows.

The man sitting on the bench in the baggage claim of the Anchorage airport looked like he hadn't showered or shaved in weeks. He smelled homeless.

John Shaubach served 22 years in the Army. He jumped out of planes with the 82nd Airborne Division. He led men into combat in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a pair of Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.

The man in front of her looked lumpy, she later recalled. His shoulders slumped forward.
Twice, she said, she had walked past the man before she realized this was her brother.
go here for more
http://ydr.inyork.com/ci_9441818

Gov. Joe Manchin, taking the lead taking care of veterans

Helping Afghanistan, Iraq veterans cope theme of conference

By Bill Byrd
Times West Virginian

FAIRMONT — Helping the state’s Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans — and their families — cope with readjustment issues, including care for those with traumatic brain injuries, is the theme of a conference this week in Charleston.

Speakers will discuss issues such as financial counseling, addictive behaviors, suicide prevention, treatment for those with traumatic brain injuries, women in the military, and post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, said the Rev. Ricardo Flippin, a conference organizer.

Flippin is the coordinator of the “Care-Net: Beyond the Yellow Ribbon” program, sponsored by the West Virginia Council of Churches.

Gov. Joe Manchin, one of the leaders in the effort to help the state’s veterans, including those on active duty, will open the conference Wednesday morning. The June 4-5 event at the Charleston Civic Center will consist of workshops and panel discussions. The conference is free and open to the public.

“We want to assure all veterans and their families have the same resources available to them no matter where they live in the state,” Manchin said.

“The Care-Net conference is an opportunity to network and learn about programs, agencies and systems that offer assistance to military members and their families,” he said in a statement.

“We hope to highlight our strong assistance programs and outline our weaknesses so we can learn how to provide the best services and assistance through a combined effort,” the governor said.

Manchin and state lawmakers have been working since early last year and the disclosure of neglect in the care of seriously wounded soldiers to make sure active duty members and veterans of all wars get the services and help they need.
go here for more
http://www.timeswv.com/intodayspaper/local_story_153003504.html

Iraq Vet Michael Lufors, two years later, no help for PTSD

County struggles to fill veterans' needs
By Sarah Frier
MEDIANEWS STAFF
Article Created: 05/31/2008 06:32:13 PM PDT


Two years after returning from duty in Iraq, San Mateo County resident Michael Lufors says he has yet to see a county veteran service officer for help in dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

It's not for lack of trying, Lufors said, noting he has called the county office four times and visited once but nobody was ever available.

Some say that's because there is only one veteran service officer in a county with 40,000 veterans, a much lower ratio than in most California counties.

"We need more guys to talk to," Lufors said. "It's fairly necessary stuff." When the issue was raised last year, the Board of Supervisors added a veteran service representative position to the budget in October to work with the lone veteran service officer. But eight months later, that position still hasn't been filled because the veteran service officer retired in December, and county officials wanted to replace him first. "We wanted to first hire for the veteran services officer position and get that person started," County Human Services Manager Lorena Gonzalez said.

The county now is recruiting for the second position and hopes to have someone hired by the end of June, said Beverly Johnson, director of human services.

But the quality of service won't change immediately because training a new representative could take a couple of years, said Allan Moltzen, the current veteran service officer, who was hired in January.
go here for more
http://origin.insidebayarea.com/sanmateocountytimes/ci_9440829

Tsunami trauma still haunts victims

Sunday, June 1, 2008
NIMHANS: Tsunami trauma still haunts victims


June 1, 2008
By Syed Akbar
Hyderabad: The Tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean in December 2004 is now history. But
four years after the devastation, people affected by Tsunami are still in trauma. Their psychiatric morbidity is quite high and children are the worst-hit. The Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences conducted a study on people affected by Tsunami and compared the data with those of normal population. About 12,000 victims were interviewed as part of the study to establish psychiatric morbidity and the extent of mental trauma they had undergone.

"People are still traumatised. The effect will continue for some more time. In case of children, it may continue for life," NIMHANS assistant professor of psychiatry Dr

Suresh Bada Math, told this correspondent. A meta-analysis of 160 studies of disaster victims found that post-traumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, generalised anxiety disorders, and panic disorders were identified.

The team found that 475 survivors had at least one psychiatric diagnosis. Of these, 244 were displaced survivors residing in the Port Blair relief camps, and 231 were in the Non-Displaced Survivors Group from Car-Nicobar Island. The most common psychiatric problems observed in the survivors’ group were adjustment disorder in 178 (37.5 per cent), depression in 102 (21.5 per cent), panic disorder in 57 (12 per cent), PTSD in 53 (11.2 per cent), anxiety disorder not otherwise specified (NOS) in 26 (5.5 per cent), and other disorders in 16 (3.4 per cent). The "other" disorders were noted in children and adolescents by their parents, and included dizziness, vertigo, startle response, sleep-wake cycle disturbance.

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