April 29th, 2009
Queen Latifah reveals experience with PTSD
Queen Latifah’s special appearance on Seasame Street.
"My father actually suffered from PTSD. He was a veteran of Vietnam and I know he’s helped a lot of his friends from Vietnam and from other wars to try to get treatment and get help… it was very challenging for us as a family, so I can kind of relate to what the kids have gone through because it can challenge your relationships… [My father] just really explained that he saw a lot very difficult things that were hard to deal with and it was hard for him to deal with them emotionally and psychologically. I started to understand it. Luckily he sought treatment…and it really made a big difference because it helped him to recognize what was going on."
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http://www.hvpress.net/news/122/ARTICLE/6801/2009-04-29.html
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
'Furious' Obama orders review of NY plane flyover
I didn't jump on this story when it happened simply because I, like everyone else, did not know exactly what happened or where to direct my anger. Now we know. Louis Caldera made a terrible mistake and I'm sure he feels bad about it, but I think he should resign over this. Make no mistake about this. He caused more trauma than he ever could have imagined if he bothered to think at all. The horrors of 9-11 will never go away and it wasn't just the people in New York that day suffering from the trauma caused by the attacks. It was people across the entire nation, especially combat veterans having PTSD escalate. Wasn't he advised to not do this? Didn't anyone in the military tell him how harmful this would be? Anyone in the position Caldera has needs to be fully aware of what they are doing and the ramifications of his actions. We just had 8 years of no one being held accountable for anything and keeping Caldera on the job after this is not a good way to change the way this country behaves. Caldera said he "approved the mission" but we also need to know who started it in the first place and hold them accountable as well.
'Furious' Obama orders review of NY plane flyover
Story Highlights
NEW: 911 call: "There's a plane falling, there is a big aircraft falling like 9-11"
Sen. John McCain "profoundly disturbed," requests investigation
Air Force source: Planned photo shoot over D.C. monuments cancelled
YouTube video shows New Yorkers scrambling as plane screams overhead
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A "furious" President Obama has ordered a review of the decision to fly a Boeing 747 frighteningly close to the lower Manhattan skyline, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Tuesday.Louis Caldera, director of the White House Military Office, quickly apologized for Monday's incident after the planes prompted workers and residents to evacuate buildings in New York and New Jersey. Watch Townsend slam Caldera »
"Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision," Caldera said. "While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it's clear that the mission created confusion and disruption."
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/04/28/low.flying.plane/index.html
Konami Corp pulls Fallujah video game!
Score one for respect! War is not a game and turning Fallujah into one is the biggest insult to the service of the troops and lives lost.
Company pulls plug on 'Fallujah' war video game
By BARBARA ORTUTAY
AP Technology Writer
The publisher behind a video game based on one of the Iraq war's fiercest battles has pulled the plug on the title, called "Six Days in Fallujah."
A spokeswoman for Japanese game company Konami Corp. confirmed Tuesday the company is no longer publishing the game, which was set to go on sale early next year.
The game, which was still in development, sought to re-create the November 2004 Fallujah battle from the perspective of a U.S. Marine fighting against insurgents. Fallujah had been an insurgent holdout until U.S. forces stormed it in one of the war's most intense ground battles.
"Six Days" was developed by another company, Atomic Games, with input from more than three dozen Marines. Before deciding not to publish the game, Konami had advertised it as a realistic shooting game "unlike any other," combining "authentic weaponry, missions and combat set against the gripping story of the U.S. Marines on the ground."
But the game was criticized by some veterans, victims' families and others who called it inappropriate.
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http://www.kansascity.com/811/story/1167553.html
Marine found dead in barracks ID'd as Miramar mechanic
Marine found dead in barracks ID'd as Miramar mechanic
UNION-TRIBUNE
6:49 p.m. April 28, 2009
MIRAMAR – A Marine who was found dead Thursday in his barracks at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station has been identified as Pvt. Jeffrey D. Ghen.
Ghen was a native of Fairfax Station, Va., and enlisted in the Marine Corps in August 2006, a Marine Corps spokesman said. He had been working as a mechanic with the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing on the base.
His decorations include a National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon.
The Marine Corps said the cause of death was still being investigated.
Mark Arner: (619) 542-4556; mailto:mark.arner@uniontrib.com
Veterans study legacy of Iowa in Vietnam War
Veterans study legacy of Iowa in Vietnam War
By DANIEL P. FINNEY • dafinney@dmreg.com • April 29, 2009
The topic was the Vietnam War, but there were few war stories.
More than 50 people gathered in a Drake University classroom for the first of a five-part course on Iowa's legacy in the divisive Southeast Asian conflict during which nearly 59,000 U.S. soldiers died.
Yet the mood was less lecture and more reunion bonding - a long-awaited, sometimes emotional coming-together of old soldiers from all wars, each with a yearning to understand their collective service experiences.
By DANIEL P. FINNEY • dafinney@dmreg.com • April 29, 2009
The topic was the Vietnam War, but there were few war stories.
More than 50 people gathered in a Drake University classroom for the first of a five-part course on Iowa's legacy in the divisive Southeast Asian conflict during which nearly 59,000 U.S. soldiers died.
Yet the mood was less lecture and more reunion bonding - a long-awaited, sometimes emotional coming-together of old soldiers from all wars, each with a yearning to understand their collective service experiences.
"You know what veterans love most about war?" Moon said. "Other veterans." go here for more Veterans study legacy of Iowa in Vietnam War
Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Moore Jr. known for wisdom
Schofield soldier known for wisdom
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Moore Jr. was the senior enlisted man in his battalion in Iraq, and he was the "lifeline" of his large family back in Georgia, his sister said.
Moore, 43, an Army veteran of 26 years with service in South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, died Friday at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in northern Iraq of non combat related injuries, the Army said.
With Moore's death, three Schofield Barracks soldiers with the 3rd Brigade have died from non combat causes since the 3,500-soldier unit deployed in October and November. Three other soldiers with the brigade have died in combat.
Moore was the "baby" of the family of 10 sisters and five brothers, said one of those sisters, Teresa Brakes.
"He's the glue that held the family together when we used to go through crises and stuff," said Brakes, who lives in Waycross, Ga. "He was the one that we went to and he would sit down and put it to us in a way we could understand, and just give us good advice. And the advice that he gave us, it was usually the right thing to do."
By William Cole
Advertiser Military Writer
Command Sgt. Maj. Benjamin Moore Jr. was the senior enlisted man in his battalion in Iraq, and he was the "lifeline" of his large family back in Georgia, his sister said.
Moore, 43, an Army veteran of 26 years with service in South Korea, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Iraq, died Friday at Contingency Operating Base Speicher in northern Iraq of non combat related injuries, the Army said.
With Moore's death, three Schofield Barracks soldiers with the 3rd Brigade have died from non combat causes since the 3,500-soldier unit deployed in October and November. Three other soldiers with the brigade have died in combat.
Moore was the "baby" of the family of 10 sisters and five brothers, said one of those sisters, Teresa Brakes.
"He's the glue that held the family together when we used to go through crises and stuff," said Brakes, who lives in Waycross, Ga. "He was the one that we went to and he would sit down and put it to us in a way we could understand, and just give us good advice. And the advice that he gave us, it was usually the right thing to do."
He had served in Operations Desert Storm in 1991, she said. Moore earned 55 medals over his 26-year career, including a Bronze Star with Valor, the Army said.
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Schofield soldier known for wisdom
100 Days On Veterans: A Reason To Hope
In 1982 I met a Vietnam Veteran and my life changed. Totally unaware of what the Vietnam War was all about, without a clue what PTSD was, I managed somehow to fully research it so that I could help veterans like my husband and their families. Keep in my at the time Jack was in Vietnam, I was only 11. This has been my mission and my ministry ever since. I've researched it and tracked it as if my life depended on. So now you know where what I am about to write comes from, aside from my heart.
When President Obama was running for the office, as a US Senator, he was on the Veteran's Affairs Committee. He was on that committee when most of the monumental changes and improvements were made to make lives better for our veterans. That gave me some hope. I was still on the fence about how serious he was until he made a stunning judgment.
There are hundreds of programs across the country to address PTSD and suicides. One of the best ones has been what the Montana National Guard came out with. They developed this program after the suicide of Spc. Chris Dana. With all the programs Obama could have picked to support, he picked this program. To me, that was the most telling moment in what he would do as President. Keep in mind that I've researched all of this since 1982, so for me to come across this program was nothing odd, but for a man with so many other things on his mind and issues to face to zone in on this showed he was fully invested in our veterans. It showed he did not just care with words, but serious attention and action. President Obama did this quietly and that sense of seriousness along with compassion touched my heart to the point where I had hope again. I still do.
Were there mistakes made by his advisers? Sure but they all make mistakes but the important thing is what the intent is. The intent is to once and for all prove the slogan "grateful nation" is true in this country and with him leading the way, we may just catch up to what other nations are doing for their veterans and then lead the way once more.
If you hear a veteran slam Obama for anything over the first 100 days, ask them where they were all these years when the veterans were betrayed and used. Ask them where their anger was when the VA was cut under President Bush or when there were less doctors and nurses working for the VA with two active military campaigns than there were after the Gulf War. Ask them where they were when Secretary Nicholson was returning funds at the same time veterans were coming back from Iraq and committing suicide because they could not get the care they needed from the VA. The list of things they ignored for political reasons caused so much damage to the veterans suffering and fighting for care, they cannot be forgiven for remaining silent. When it comes to our veterans, politics should never, ever come first. They should since they put the nation first everyday. They are Democrats, Republicans, Independents, all serving side by side. They come from red states and blue states. They come from cities and towns across the nation and they do not serve just one party with their lives, but the entire nation including the people they do not agree with. As a nation we need to all come together and support the veterans with whatever they need because they earned it!
100 Days On Veterans: A Reason To Hope
Jon Soltz
Co-Founder of VoteVets.org, served as a Captain in Operation Iraqi Freedom
Posted April 29, 2009 09:01 AM (EST)
There's only so much a President can do in 100 days, and we don't know what a President will do in the remaining 4-years-minus-100 days, so it is hard to say a whether a President has been a success or failure. However, when looking at the needs of veterans at the end of the Bush administration, and whether those needs have been fulfilled, it's tough to say that President Obama's first 100 days haven't been incredibly encouraging.
When it comes to veterans care, most issues fell under three categories as the President took office - funding, confusion, and lack of access. In all three areas, while there's a ton to still do, there's been dramatic improvement in the first 100 days.
FUNDING OF VETERANS CARE
This area, above all, is the shame of the Bush administration. The Department of Veterans Affairs was consistently underfunded by the Bush Administration. The low-point came when then-Secretary Jim Nicholson had to come groveling to Congress for more than a billion dollars in emergency funding, admitting that the administration had not prepared for the boom in returning veterans in need of care, as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The underfunding had dramatic consequences across the board - from research and treatment into Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to the shameful commonplace practice of veterans having to duct tape their prosthetic limbs, because the VA couldn't get them decent ones.
President Obama's budget for the VA errs on the side of caution - funding the department over the amount determined adequate by the Independent Budget (the budget offered by the nation's Veterans Service Organizations), and increases funding by $25 billion over the next five years.
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Tuesday, April 28, 2009
VA advance funding one step closer to reality
VA advance funding one step closer to reality
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:41:35 EDT
There is good news for military and veterans’ organizations in the 2010 budget agreement reached Monday night by House and Senate negotiators.
The budget, which includes $606 billion for the Defense Department and $106.5 billion for the Veterans Affairs Department next year, also creates a window of opportunity for passage of some high-priority issues this year.
For example, the agreement opens the door for the top priority of veterans’ organizations, providing money for veterans’ health care one year in advance. The key language, in this case, is a provision preventing a point of order being raised against legislation to provide a 2011 VA health funding bill this year.
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman and a sponsor of advanced appropriations legislation, said the provision “brings us closer to our goal of providing on-time funding for veterans’ health care, allowing VA to plan ahead and make better use of taxpayer money.”
Raymond Dempsey, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, called the budget “good news for our nation’s veterans.”
go here for more
VA advance funding one step closer to reality
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:41:35 EDT
There is good news for military and veterans’ organizations in the 2010 budget agreement reached Monday night by House and Senate negotiators.
The budget, which includes $606 billion for the Defense Department and $106.5 billion for the Veterans Affairs Department next year, also creates a window of opportunity for passage of some high-priority issues this year.
For example, the agreement opens the door for the top priority of veterans’ organizations, providing money for veterans’ health care one year in advance. The key language, in this case, is a provision preventing a point of order being raised against legislation to provide a 2011 VA health funding bill this year.
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman and a sponsor of advanced appropriations legislation, said the provision “brings us closer to our goal of providing on-time funding for veterans’ health care, allowing VA to plan ahead and make better use of taxpayer money.”
Raymond Dempsey, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, called the budget “good news for our nation’s veterans.”
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VA advance funding one step closer to reality
Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR
Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:25:00 EDT
Lawyers filed seven class-action lawsuits in seven states on behalf of service members and civilians who say they were sickened by the open-air burn pits on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit, were filed against contractor KBR Inc., as well as its parent company, Halliburton, after a Military Times story that ran last October showed that the burn pit at Joint Base Balad, the biggest U.S. base in Iraq, burned everything from petroleum products to dioxin-releasing plastic water bottles to amputated limbs.
Two more lawsuits are expected to be filed Wednesday
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Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR/
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:25:00 EDT
Lawyers filed seven class-action lawsuits in seven states on behalf of service members and civilians who say they were sickened by the open-air burn pits on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit, were filed against contractor KBR Inc., as well as its parent company, Halliburton, after a Military Times story that ran last October showed that the burn pit at Joint Base Balad, the biggest U.S. base in Iraq, burned everything from petroleum products to dioxin-releasing plastic water bottles to amputated limbs.
Two more lawsuits are expected to be filed Wednesday
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Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR/
The Soloist, a lesson in fixing ourselves
There were times tonight as I watched this movie, I had tears. The plight of Fox's character and the need of Downey's character to "fix" Fox, was what got to me the most. The scenes of homeless people in LA made me think that among many of the homeless, there are veterans, much like my husband. While he only came close to becoming homeless during his darkest days, we managed somehow to stay together. Most of that came from understanding what PTSD was and the Grace of God changing my mind every time I wanted to walk away.
I kept remembering when I thought I could "fix" my husband. If I were loving enough, calm enough, strong enough, smart enough, if I were enough at all for him, he would be the way I wanted him to be instead of the way he was. When I faced the truth that I could only "fix" myself, then I was happier and so was he.
I learned to live my life by myself, doing what made me happy and what I enjoyed to do, with him or without him, without holding any resentment toward him for not being able to go with me. I learned to stop wanting what I could not have but to tell the truth, it still hurt to have to walk away from conversations when other people were complaining about such trivial matters in their own lives when I was living with PTSD. Over time, knowing my marriage would be the way it is was a choice I made to stay and I stopped blaming others unable to stay in their own marriages.
That was the lesson of this movie. I highly recommend anyone living with someone with a mental illness or PTSD to go and see this movie. It's heartwarming and transforming. It shows a side of life few others really see with their hearts. While this is a movie about schizophrenia, there are many parts of it that can apply to living with PTSD as well. What we want to give to others is sometimes not what they need from us. Sometimes it comes down to just caring about them that matters the most of all.
I kept remembering when I thought I could "fix" my husband. If I were loving enough, calm enough, strong enough, smart enough, if I were enough at all for him, he would be the way I wanted him to be instead of the way he was. When I faced the truth that I could only "fix" myself, then I was happier and so was he.
I learned to live my life by myself, doing what made me happy and what I enjoyed to do, with him or without him, without holding any resentment toward him for not being able to go with me. I learned to stop wanting what I could not have but to tell the truth, it still hurt to have to walk away from conversations when other people were complaining about such trivial matters in their own lives when I was living with PTSD. Over time, knowing my marriage would be the way it is was a choice I made to stay and I stopped blaming others unable to stay in their own marriages.
That was the lesson of this movie. I highly recommend anyone living with someone with a mental illness or PTSD to go and see this movie. It's heartwarming and transforming. It shows a side of life few others really see with their hearts. While this is a movie about schizophrenia, there are many parts of it that can apply to living with PTSD as well. What we want to give to others is sometimes not what they need from us. Sometimes it comes down to just caring about them that matters the most of all.
The Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.
Synopsis
Academy Award-nominated Atonement director Joe Wright teams with screenwriter Susannah Grant to tell the true life story of Nathaniel Ayers, a former violin prodigy whose bouts with schizophrenia landed him on the streets after two years of schooling at Juilliard. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a disenchanted journalist stuck in a dead-end job. His marriage to a fellow journalist having recently come to an end, Steve is wandering through Los Angeles' Skid Row when he notices a bedraggled figure playing a two-stringed violin. The figure in question is Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a man whose promising career in music was cut short due to a debilitating bout with mental illness. The more Lopez learns about Ayers, the greater his respect grows for the troubled soul. How could a man with such remarkable talent wind up living on the streets, and not be performing on stage with a symphony orchestra? Later, as Lopez embarks on a quixotic quest to help Ayers pull his life together and launch a career in music, he gradually comes to realize that it is not Ayers whose life is being transformed, but his own. - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-soloist/30936/synopsis?flv=1
Minnesota House should be ashamed cutting veterans funds
Is this why so many Republicans think the Democratic party does not support veterans? While the vast majority of Democrats really support veterans, the Minnesota House Democrats have decided that it's a good idea to cut back on funding for veterans in a time when there are reports across the nation screaming how much help they need to heal from the wounds they received in service to this nation. Are they out of their minds?
I said a long time ago that when it comes to the troops and our veterans, political party should be secondary. This is why when a Republican does something right, I fully support them no matter what party they belong to and when Democratic Party members get it wrong, I fully slam them. This is one of the worst times to cut back on veterans because their needs have been growing and will keep growing with two active military campaigns going on and finally an awareness reaching older veterans about what has been wrong with them when it comes to PTSD. What good does it do to make them aware of what can be done for them and what caused their agony when their own state does not think they are worthy of funding?
I said a long time ago that when it comes to the troops and our veterans, political party should be secondary. This is why when a Republican does something right, I fully support them no matter what party they belong to and when Democratic Party members get it wrong, I fully slam them. This is one of the worst times to cut back on veterans because their needs have been growing and will keep growing with two active military campaigns going on and finally an awareness reaching older veterans about what has been wrong with them when it comes to PTSD. What good does it do to make them aware of what can be done for them and what caused their agony when their own state does not think they are worthy of funding?
Letter: Hamilton disappointed in House Democrats
On a party-line vote, the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved a finance proposal that reduces funding for agriculture, veterans, and military needs across the state. All House Republicans opposed the measure because it does not fairly fund veterans, military affairs and farm programs.
By: Dist. 22B Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, Worthington Daily Globe
On a party-line vote, the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved a finance proposal that reduces funding for agriculture, veterans, and military needs across the state. All House Republicans opposed the measure because it does not fairly fund veterans, military affairs and farm programs.
As Vice-Chair of the committee that approved the bill, I am outraged by the priorities set by House Democrats in this budget-setting process.
The House majority gave this committee a funding target that was ridiculously low, and our veterans and our farmers will suffer because of it. Instead of refusing to take a stand against funding dog parks and practice hockey arenas, the majority forced farm programs to be gutted in order to increase funding for our veterans.
Special needs requests from suffering veterans across the state are increasing at an alarming rate. So far in 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs has already spent 15 percent more on medical requests than at this point in 2008. Special needs applications for veterans have also increased by 25 percent, which is why additional funding is needed in this area.
go here for more
http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/21729/
Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
Autism research: Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
By Trine Tsouderos Tribune staff reporter
12:00 PM CDT, April 28, 2009
Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder.
Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people to those of thousands of people without the disorder--a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
The review showed that most autistic people have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported a link between autism and small "mistakes" in another DNA segment involved with cell communication.
Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.
go here for more
Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
By Trine Tsouderos Tribune staff reporter
12:00 PM CDT, April 28, 2009
Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder.
Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people to those of thousands of people without the disorder--a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
The review showed that most autistic people have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported a link between autism and small "mistakes" in another DNA segment involved with cell communication.
Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.
go here for more
Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
Young adults are most likely to switch churches or stop going
Churches need to figure out what is Christ's message to the world and start living up to it and maybe, just maybe, people will return to a time when they wanted to go to church. Too many people standing up in front of the congregations have no clue what Christ taught and it doesn't matter if they are called Father, Reverend, or Pastor. They say one thing, preach from the same Bible but then what Christ said is all but forgotten as soon as they start their sermon.
For many of us, faith is in flux
Young adults are most likely to switch churches -- or stop going, study finds
Jeff Kunerth Sentinel Staff Writer
April 28, 2009
A member of the Holy Family Catholic Church congregation sits by a stained-glass window. ( GARY W. GREEN, ORLANDO SENTINEL / February 25, 2009)
About half of all American adults have changed religious affiliation, most often because they felt spiritually unfulfilled or found a church they liked better, according to a study released Monday.
Young adults are most likely to switch churches or stop going to church altogether. Those who leave the religion of their childhood are most likely to do so before they reach age 24, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey.
The religious "churn" suggests that many Americans, even those who don't attend church, are constantly looking for religious fulfillment, said John Green, a researcher on "Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S."
"There is a real demand side of the religious marketplace that complements the supply side. There are people who are ready, willing and able to change faiths if they find one that appeals to them," Green said.
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For many of us, faith is in flux
Suicide death of friend leads journalist to understand PTSD
We must help our returning warriors
By Scott Krahling
For the Sun-News
Posted: 04/28/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
My friend Kyle was a colleague at work and a neighbor, as well. For over a year, I considered him one of my closest friends, and the time I spent with him helped me realize many things. His death — by suicide — helped me realize many more.
Unlike Kyle, I am not a veteran of military service. Even so, I always assumed I understood veterans' issues and that I could empathize with their experiences by extrapolating from my own. I was wrong.
Nothing I have done in my life could have helped me understand how being in battle changed Kyle emotionally and psychologically. After his death, I delved further into the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I wanted to know what killed a man who survived service in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.
Part of my research led me to the Las Cruces Vet Center, where Guy McCommon and his staff work daily with warriors who have served our country and have come back changed by the experience. Changed by the reality of killing. Changed by the reality of being hunted. Changed by the memories of blood, bone and bodies — men, women and children. Changed by ghosts. Changed by nightmares that we who have not been to war cannot imagine.
Kyle tried his best to come back home and fit in, but his personal universe was so manifestly altered by his experiences that what we call "society" was chimera to him. He knew how thin the veil of civilization is, and he knew the savagery of which humans are capable toward one another. There was no going back. There was only slogging forward, trying to adapt alone to a new reality that even his closest friends could not grasp. Empathy is an empty word for a warrior amid civilians.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It sounds clinical and clean to those of us who are uninitiated. This is not the stress of a job lost or even the funeral for a friend.
It is a messy, complicated, jagged and relentless reality for those who experience traumatic events in war or in life. It is shards of glass on the nerves. It is live electricity against bare flesh. It is savage enough to drive a good man to a silent, peaceful grave.
go here for more
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12239846
By Scott Krahling
For the Sun-News
Posted: 04/28/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
My friend Kyle was a colleague at work and a neighbor, as well. For over a year, I considered him one of my closest friends, and the time I spent with him helped me realize many things. His death — by suicide — helped me realize many more.
Unlike Kyle, I am not a veteran of military service. Even so, I always assumed I understood veterans' issues and that I could empathize with their experiences by extrapolating from my own. I was wrong.
Nothing I have done in my life could have helped me understand how being in battle changed Kyle emotionally and psychologically. After his death, I delved further into the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I wanted to know what killed a man who survived service in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.
Part of my research led me to the Las Cruces Vet Center, where Guy McCommon and his staff work daily with warriors who have served our country and have come back changed by the experience. Changed by the reality of killing. Changed by the reality of being hunted. Changed by the memories of blood, bone and bodies — men, women and children. Changed by ghosts. Changed by nightmares that we who have not been to war cannot imagine.
Kyle tried his best to come back home and fit in, but his personal universe was so manifestly altered by his experiences that what we call "society" was chimera to him. He knew how thin the veil of civilization is, and he knew the savagery of which humans are capable toward one another. There was no going back. There was only slogging forward, trying to adapt alone to a new reality that even his closest friends could not grasp. Empathy is an empty word for a warrior amid civilians.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It sounds clinical and clean to those of us who are uninitiated. This is not the stress of a job lost or even the funeral for a friend.
It is a messy, complicated, jagged and relentless reality for those who experience traumatic events in war or in life. It is shards of glass on the nerves. It is live electricity against bare flesh. It is savage enough to drive a good man to a silent, peaceful grave.
go here for more
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12239846
CT: Fresh Strategies Recommended for PTSD
"That guy has shell shock!" Those were the words my father used when I asked him what he thought about Jack. My father was a disabled Korean veteran. Back then I was just learning about PTSD and while research had been going on since the 70's, in 1982 there was not that much known. I had no idea PTSD in my husband would get worse. I thought it was as bad as it could get and we tried to just deal with it. Back then we had plenty of excuses because addressing it was all knew. The wound itself was as ancient as mankind but all generations before never did anything about it. It was because of Vietnam veterans coming back and forcing the nation to treat it, acknowledge it as a service connected disability and take care of all generations wounded by it.
People like me have lived with it for over 30 years, researched it, learned about it and decided that with our expertise others could benefit by our own heartache. The problem is, no one would listen. Being "alone" with no one understanding what PTSD was lead to well meaning people offering one piece of advice, "Walk away and get on with your own life." when it came to my marriage. They couldn't understand anyone causing that much pain to someone else. My view was that had it been cancer instead of PTSD, I doubt they would have given the same advice. There was an awareness of what cancer was and most people understood the changes in a patient facing a deadly illness. What they didn't understand was that PTSD was a deadly wound leaving the veterans dying a very slow death.
Too many years have passed by and very little has been done on educating people about PTSD. This is what I've been trying to do since 1982 because I knew it had to be done. Not just for the veterans and their families to understand it, but to give them the tools they needed to live with it and find their own kind of "normal" living with it. This is not all bad as long as you know where it all comes from. As a matter of fact, there are parts of PTSD that can be quiet amusing instead of causing anger when there is awareness of where it is coming from.
My heartache comes from the fact all these years of experience I and other spouses have is all there for the newest generation to learn from, well within their reach so they can learn from us as easily as possible but they are not asking. They lack the basic knowledge to even know what to ask for. As communities around the nation face a tsunami of wounded veterans needing help and support, they are also reluctant to even begin to face it leaving veterans and their families to suffer needlessly in isolation while they scream for help.
The other issue is that mental health professionals able to treat the veterans will not listen either. While they have experience in addressing it from a professional standpoint, they do not know what it is like to live with it and we have great insight on what they can never see.
What Connecticut is doing with this is a good step in the right direction and is desperately needed.
People like me have lived with it for over 30 years, researched it, learned about it and decided that with our expertise others could benefit by our own heartache. The problem is, no one would listen. Being "alone" with no one understanding what PTSD was lead to well meaning people offering one piece of advice, "Walk away and get on with your own life." when it came to my marriage. They couldn't understand anyone causing that much pain to someone else. My view was that had it been cancer instead of PTSD, I doubt they would have given the same advice. There was an awareness of what cancer was and most people understood the changes in a patient facing a deadly illness. What they didn't understand was that PTSD was a deadly wound leaving the veterans dying a very slow death.
Too many years have passed by and very little has been done on educating people about PTSD. This is what I've been trying to do since 1982 because I knew it had to be done. Not just for the veterans and their families to understand it, but to give them the tools they needed to live with it and find their own kind of "normal" living with it. This is not all bad as long as you know where it all comes from. As a matter of fact, there are parts of PTSD that can be quiet amusing instead of causing anger when there is awareness of where it is coming from.
My heartache comes from the fact all these years of experience I and other spouses have is all there for the newest generation to learn from, well within their reach so they can learn from us as easily as possible but they are not asking. They lack the basic knowledge to even know what to ask for. As communities around the nation face a tsunami of wounded veterans needing help and support, they are also reluctant to even begin to face it leaving veterans and their families to suffer needlessly in isolation while they scream for help.
The other issue is that mental health professionals able to treat the veterans will not listen either. While they have experience in addressing it from a professional standpoint, they do not know what it is like to live with it and we have great insight on what they can never see.
What Connecticut is doing with this is a good step in the right direction and is desperately needed.
New Research Identifies PTSD, Other Problems for Returning Veterans; Fresh Strategies Recommended
New research for veterans identifying significant rates of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other compelling problems for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has been released by the Center for Public Policy & Social Research (CPPSR) at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Based on the data, CPPSR has made policy recommendations to help these veterans better readjust to civilian life and stands ready to assist other states in doing the same.
New Britain, CT (PRWEB) April 28, 2009 -- New research has identified significant rates of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other compelling needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Center for Public Policy & Social Research (CPPSR) at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and the Connecticut Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) recently released their needs assessment of returning Connecticut veterans. Based on the data, CPPSR has recommended fresh strategies to help veterans readjust to civilian life, and hopes to share its new research model with other VA departments nationwide.
The report, authorized by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and DVA
Commissioner Linda Spoonster Schwartz, explored the significant medical, psychosocial and economic needs of these veterans, as well as the existing barriers veterans face in meeting those needs. It concluded with a series of recommendations, based on the research data, to optimize readjustment to civilian life for these veterans.
DVA Commissioner Schwartz said, "We relied on the expertise of the Center for design, data collection and analysis of the first ever Connecticut Veterans Needs Assessment… which serves as a guide for the development of legislation, programs and services." By doing this, she said, "CPPSR has improved our responsiveness to the needs of veterans…"
Conducted by Dr. Marc Goldstein and Dr. Jim Malley of CCSU, the assessment integrated data from meetings with veterans' service providers, focus groups with veterans, and a survey mailed to 2,050 veterans.
Some of the key findings include: almost 22% of veterans screening positive for PTSD; nearly 20% reporting difficulty in relating to their civilian friends; and over 10% reporting difficulty in connecting emotionally with family members. Additionally, veterans most in need of support are the least likely to seek it out. This reflected either distrust of the VA establishment or concerns about being stigmatized or de-normalized by seeking mental health treatment. These veterans are at particular risk of slipping into a downward spiral of marital and family problems, employment problems, substance abuse and problems with the law.
Among the primary recommendations are: to initiate a public awareness campaign to inform and educate on these issues, targeting the veterans and their families, the general public and non-military caregivers; to develop an early identification and outreach system for those returning veterans most at-risk for serious readjustment difficulties, who may need assistance; and to avoid stigma for veterans seeking help by creating an integrated network of mental health support services in non-clinical sites that veterans find comfortable, such as Vet Centers and veteran support programs.
go here for more
http://www.prweb.com/releases/PTSD/new_research/prweb2349904.htm
Vietnam MIA's family given medal for his heroism
Family given soldier's medal for heroism
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., April 27 (UPI) -- It took 42 years, but the family of a U.S. Army Green Beret major missing in action in Vietnam has been given the Distinguished Service Cross he earned.
At a ceremony in Fayetteville, N.C., last Wednesday, the story was told how on March 24, 1967, Maj. Jack T. Stewart was last seen providing cover fire for his comrades as they evacuated their position at Bu Dop in Phuoc Long province near the Cambodian border while under attack from an overwhelming North Vietnamese force, American Forces Press Services said Monday.
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Family given soldier's medal for heroism/
Approximately 4,000 Florida Army National Guard soldiers could be deploying
Army National Guard Prepares Soldiers and Families For Upcoming Deployment
Posted: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Last Updated: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Reporter: Vanessa Nguyen
Email Address: vanessa.nguyen
Approximately 4,000 Florida Army National Guard soldiers could be deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan during the next twelve months.
Military officials say it will be the largest mobilization in state history.
The deployment could include a majority of Panama City's 153rd Calvary Regiment.
For the last several months, commanders of the 153rd Calvary Regiment have been preparing their soldiers and their families for possible deployment.
Army National Guard Major Joseph Lyon says, "you don't mobilize any soldier. You mobilize their family. Now when I say that, you have to prepare the family to be able to stand alone on their own two feet."
go here for more
http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/43834087.html
Posted: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Last Updated: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Reporter: Vanessa Nguyen
Email Address: vanessa.nguyen
Approximately 4,000 Florida Army National Guard soldiers could be deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan during the next twelve months.
Military officials say it will be the largest mobilization in state history.
The deployment could include a majority of Panama City's 153rd Calvary Regiment.
For the last several months, commanders of the 153rd Calvary Regiment have been preparing their soldiers and their families for possible deployment.
Army National Guard Major Joseph Lyon says, "you don't mobilize any soldier. You mobilize their family. Now when I say that, you have to prepare the family to be able to stand alone on their own two feet."
go here for more
http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/43834087.html
Monday, April 27, 2009
Lightning Strike Kills Man on Motorcycle
Lightning Strike Kills Man on Motorcycle
Lawrence Journal-World
Troy Gentzler, 45, was volunteering for Bikers Against Child Abuse when he died.
(April 27) -- A Lawrence, Kan., man died Saturday after he was struck by a bolt of lightning as he and six companions rode their motorcycles through a rainstorm, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Troy Gentzler, 45, was killed shortly after visiting an abuse victim for the northeast Kansas chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse.
The bolt struck as the group was traveling between the towns of Grantville and Perry.
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Lightning Strike Kills Man on Motorcycle
Command Sgt. Major Benjamin Moore Jr passes away in Iraq
Decorated Scofield soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 11:38:11 EDT
ALBANY, Ga. — A decorated Army soldier from south Georgia has died in Iraq.
The Department of Defense said Command Sgt. Major Benjamin Moore Jr. of Waycross died Friday of injuries that were not combat-related.
He was 43.
Moore was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Combat Brigade Team, 25th Infantry Division, based at Scofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Moore earned 55 medals and had served in the Army since June 1983.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Decorated Scofield soldier dies in Iraq
Del. Guardsman charged with raping soldier
Del. Guardsman charged with raping soldier
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 12:47:12 EDT
GEORGETOWN, Del. — A member of the Delaware Army National Guard has been charged with raping a fellow soldier at the Georgetown Armory and sexual extortion.
Georgetown police say Staff Sgt. Theodoric Dixon, 36, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment, sexual extortion, coercion and official misconduct. He has since been released.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/ap_del_guard_rape_charge_042709/
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 12:47:12 EDT
GEORGETOWN, Del. — A member of the Delaware Army National Guard has been charged with raping a fellow soldier at the Georgetown Armory and sexual extortion.
Georgetown police say Staff Sgt. Theodoric Dixon, 36, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment, sexual extortion, coercion and official misconduct. He has since been released.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/ap_del_guard_rape_charge_042709/
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