2 Arrested In Vietnam Vet's Murder At Carryout
Apr 23, 2010 10:35 am US/Eastern
Many Shocked By Carryout Murder Of 72-Year-Old Man(4/9/2010)
Man Killed In Carryout Shooting(4/9/2010)
Reporting
Kelly McPherson BALTIMORE (WJZ)
Police make two arrests in the shocking murder of an elderly Vietnam veteran gunned down in a robbery at a carryout.
CBS
Two teenagers are behind bars, accused of gunning down a Vietnam veteran in a robbery at a local carryout.
Kelly McPherson reports police announced two arrests in the crime Thursday evening and credit community outrage in helping to lead to the arrests.
Charles Bowman, 72, was not only a Vietnam veteran but also a security guard at a local paper.
His murder rocked the community more than any other murder, so much so that the police say his reputation is what motivated the public to come forward to help identify witnesses and ultimately two suspects.
"There's a lot of very upset people that this 72-year-old man, who everyone liked, on his way to work was senselessly murdered. So I think in this case, the victim's reputation helped," said Maj. Terrence McLarney, Homicide Division.
read more here
http://wjz.com/local/carryout.shooting.man.2.1650998.html
Friday, April 23, 2010
Fort Campbell tries to stop soldier suicides
Fort Campbell tries to stop soldier suicides
BY: KRISTIN M. HALL, The Associated Press Writer Thursday, April 22, 2010
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Thousands of soldiers, their bald eagle shoulder patches lined up row upon row across the grassy field, stood at rigid attention to hear a stern message from their commander.
Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend addressed the 101st Airborne Division with military brusqueness: Suicides at the post had spiked after soldiers started returning home from war, and this was unacceptable.
"It's bad for soldiers, it's bad for families, bad for your units, bad for this division and our Army and our country and it's got to stop now," he insisted. "Suicides on Fort Campbell have to stop now."
It sounded like a typical, military response to a complicated and tragic situation. Authorities believe that 21 soldiers from Fort Campbell killed themselves in 2009, the same year that the Army reported 160 potential suicides, the most since 1980, when it started recording those deaths.
But Townsend's martial response is not the only one. Behind the scenes, there has been a concerted effort at Fort Campbell over the past year to change the hard-charging military mindset to show no weakness, complete the mission.
go here for more
Fort Campbell tries to stop soldier suicides
BY: KRISTIN M. HALL, The Associated Press Writer Thursday, April 22, 2010
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. (AP) — Thousands of soldiers, their bald eagle shoulder patches lined up row upon row across the grassy field, stood at rigid attention to hear a stern message from their commander.
Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend addressed the 101st Airborne Division with military brusqueness: Suicides at the post had spiked after soldiers started returning home from war, and this was unacceptable.
"It's bad for soldiers, it's bad for families, bad for your units, bad for this division and our Army and our country and it's got to stop now," he insisted. "Suicides on Fort Campbell have to stop now."
It sounded like a typical, military response to a complicated and tragic situation. Authorities believe that 21 soldiers from Fort Campbell killed themselves in 2009, the same year that the Army reported 160 potential suicides, the most since 1980, when it started recording those deaths.
But Townsend's martial response is not the only one. Behind the scenes, there has been a concerted effort at Fort Campbell over the past year to change the hard-charging military mindset to show no weakness, complete the mission.
Adam wrote a note telling his dad, "Sorry to be a disappointment." Then he shot himself inside a bathroom stall with his rifle.
Spc. Adam Kuligowski's problems began because he couldn't sleep.
Last year, the 21-year-old soldier was working six days a week, analyzing intelligence that the military gathered while he was serving in Afghanistan. He was gifted at his job and loved being a part of the 101st Airborne Division, just like his father and his great uncle.
But Adam was tired and often late for work. His eyes were glassy and he was falling asleep while on duty. His room was messy and his uniform was dirty.
His father, Mike Kuligowski, attributes his son's sleeplessness and depression to an anti-malarial medication called mefloquine that was found in his system. In rare cases, it can cause psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, paranoia, depression, hallucination and psychotic behavior.
go here for more
Fort Campbell tries to stop soldier suicides
Fort Carson soldier died of gunshot wound, brother says
Fort Carson soldier died of gunshot wound, brother says
LANCE BENZEL
THE GAZETTE
A 28-year-old Fort Carson soldier who became his unit's first casualty after its recent deployment to Iraq died of a gunshot wound, the Army told family members without providing specifics.
Pfc. Charlie Antonio, of Kahului, Hawaii, was reportedly found dead Sunday on his post in southern Iraq. The Defense Department said Antonio died in a “non-combat related incident.”
“They’re still in the process of investigating,” said Marlon Antonio of Kahului, who spoke with Army casualty officers Monday.
Antonio served in the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, which deployed to southern Iraq in March. Its mission is to help train Iraqi security forces in preparation for the eventual U.S. withdrawal.
Marlon Antonio described his brother as a “good and kind” man who worked two hotel jobs in Maui before joining the Army a year ago.
read more here
http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldier-97577-fort-carson.html
LANCE BENZEL
THE GAZETTE
A 28-year-old Fort Carson soldier who became his unit's first casualty after its recent deployment to Iraq died of a gunshot wound, the Army told family members without providing specifics.
Pfc. Charlie Antonio, of Kahului, Hawaii, was reportedly found dead Sunday on his post in southern Iraq. The Defense Department said Antonio died in a “non-combat related incident.”
“They’re still in the process of investigating,” said Marlon Antonio of Kahului, who spoke with Army casualty officers Monday.
Antonio served in the 4th Infantry Division’s 3rd Brigade Combat Team, which deployed to southern Iraq in March. Its mission is to help train Iraqi security forces in preparation for the eventual U.S. withdrawal.
Marlon Antonio described his brother as a “good and kind” man who worked two hotel jobs in Maui before joining the Army a year ago.
read more here
http://www.gazette.com/articles/soldier-97577-fort-carson.html
PTSD On Trial:Judge to rule on whether psychiatrist can testify
Judge to rule on whether psychiatrist can testify about capital murder defendant's PTSD
By MARTHA DELLER
mdeller@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH -- State District Judge Scott Wisch is expected to decide today whether a defense psychologist can testify that Marine Corps veteran Eric Acevedo had post-traumatic stress disorder when he fatally stabbed his former girlfriend two years ago.
Tarrant County prosecutors say that on March 22, 2008, Acevedo, 23, broke into a Saginaw town house he had once shared with Mollieann Worden and fatally stabbed her. Because he broke in, what would have been a murder charge was elevated to capital murder.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, so if convicted, Acevedo will automatically be sentenced to life without parole.
Acevedo's attorneys, Jim Lane -- a former Army captain and military lawyer -- and David Richards, do not dispute that Acevedo killed Worden but say that because he was diagnosed with PTSD after returning from his third tour of Iraq in four years, he should not be convicted of capital murder.
Read more: Judge to rule on whether psychiatrist can testify
By MARTHA DELLER
mdeller@star-telegram.com
FORT WORTH -- State District Judge Scott Wisch is expected to decide today whether a defense psychologist can testify that Marine Corps veteran Eric Acevedo had post-traumatic stress disorder when he fatally stabbed his former girlfriend two years ago.
Tarrant County prosecutors say that on March 22, 2008, Acevedo, 23, broke into a Saginaw town house he had once shared with Mollieann Worden and fatally stabbed her. Because he broke in, what would have been a murder charge was elevated to capital murder.
Prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, so if convicted, Acevedo will automatically be sentenced to life without parole.
Acevedo's attorneys, Jim Lane -- a former Army captain and military lawyer -- and David Richards, do not dispute that Acevedo killed Worden but say that because he was diagnosed with PTSD after returning from his third tour of Iraq in four years, he should not be convicted of capital murder.
Read more: Judge to rule on whether psychiatrist can testify
National Guard renews suicide prevention campaign
National Guard renews suicide prevention campaign
In response to a rising number of Soldier suicides last year within the Army, the Missouri National Guard is reemphasizing its suicide prevention program.
Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, Missouri Adjutant General, said no topic is more important.
“Every Guard and family member is equally important and an extremely valuable asset to our organization,” Danner said. “As such, we must take the necessary steps to care for the greatest resource this nation has to offer: our people.”
Danner’s remarks come in the wake of the highest number of suicides within the active duty Army in 28 years. According to the Department of Defense, there were 12 potential suicides among active duty soldiers in January and 14 in February. And there have been two potential suicides among Missouri National Guardsmen in the last six weeks.
With large numbers of National Guard troops being deployed for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Danner’s message to the troops is simple. Help is available.
To that end, soldiers of the Missouri National Guard are participating in suicide prevention and awareness classes. Sgt. 1st Class Robert Meyers recently presented the course to Soldiers of the 1038th Medium Truck Company at Jefferson Barracks.
“The message I want these soldiers to get is that we must help each other,” Meyers said. “Soldier suicide hits pretty close to home and we’ve got be able to look for identifying factors and get these Soldiers some help.”
read more here
National Guard renews suicide prevention campaign
In response to a rising number of Soldier suicides last year within the Army, the Missouri National Guard is reemphasizing its suicide prevention program.
Brig. Gen. Stephen Danner, Missouri Adjutant General, said no topic is more important.
“Every Guard and family member is equally important and an extremely valuable asset to our organization,” Danner said. “As such, we must take the necessary steps to care for the greatest resource this nation has to offer: our people.”
Danner’s remarks come in the wake of the highest number of suicides within the active duty Army in 28 years. According to the Department of Defense, there were 12 potential suicides among active duty soldiers in January and 14 in February. And there have been two potential suicides among Missouri National Guardsmen in the last six weeks.
With large numbers of National Guard troops being deployed for duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Danner’s message to the troops is simple. Help is available.
To that end, soldiers of the Missouri National Guard are participating in suicide prevention and awareness classes. Sgt. 1st Class Robert Meyers recently presented the course to Soldiers of the 1038th Medium Truck Company at Jefferson Barracks.
“The message I want these soldiers to get is that we must help each other,” Meyers said. “Soldier suicide hits pretty close to home and we’ve got be able to look for identifying factors and get these Soldiers some help.”
read more here
National Guard renews suicide prevention campaign
War will change your soul
Eventually no matter who you are, war will affect you. War will change your soul.
A US medic's tale of traumatic war stress treatment
BBC News
Specialist William B Allen is a US Army combat medic who served two tours in Iraq, spending 27 months there. He recently completed a three-week treatment programme for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at the Warrior Combat Stress Reset Center at Fort Hood, the largest US military base in the world.
Being a combat medic, we're on 24 hours a day. We had mass casualty events, female suicide bombers blowing up hospitals three times in a row. We'd be the ones to respond to that. I was always responding to these IED (improvised explosive device) blasts. I was blown up several times.
When you're back in America you never stop being hyper-vigilant. Insomnia set in for about four months. I was going bananas, I was going crazy.
I started drinking, substance abuse, I had suicidal ideas, even acted on those. I was tired of having the nightmares, I wanted to go see my dead friends.
read more here
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Coast Guard says Search continues for 11 workers missing since explosion
Oil slick spreads from sunken rig
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 22, 2010 6:11 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Officials don't know whether slick is leaking from rig or well, or is residue from fire
Oil slick measuring 1-by-5 miles spreads from site of sunken rig, Coast Guard says
Search continues for 11 workers missing since explosion Tuesday night on rig
Federal lawsuit alleges companies connected to oil rig explosion were negligent
(CNN) -- A 1-by-5-mile sheen of crude oil mix has spread across the Gulf of Mexico's surface around the area where an oil rig exploded and sank, a Coast Guard lieutenant said Thursday.
"This is a rainbow sheen with a dark center," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry told reporters Thursday afternoon.
Officials do not know whether oil or fuel are leaking form the sunken Deepwater Horizon rig and the well below, but BP Vice President David Rainey said "it certainly has the potential to be a major spill." BP PLC operates the license on which the rig was drilling.
A remotely-operated vehicle is surveying the area and cleanup efforts are already under way, Landry said. The sheen "probably is residual from the fire and the activity that was going on on this rig before it sank below the surface," she said.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard continued to search for 11 people missing after an explosion late Tuesday set the rig ablaze forcing workers to be evacuated from the vessel. Officials are still unsure what caused the blast.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/22/oil.rig.explosion/index.html?hpt=T2
By the CNN Wire Staff
April 22, 2010 6:11 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: Officials don't know whether slick is leaking from rig or well, or is residue from fire
Oil slick measuring 1-by-5 miles spreads from site of sunken rig, Coast Guard says
Search continues for 11 workers missing since explosion Tuesday night on rig
Federal lawsuit alleges companies connected to oil rig explosion were negligent
(CNN) -- A 1-by-5-mile sheen of crude oil mix has spread across the Gulf of Mexico's surface around the area where an oil rig exploded and sank, a Coast Guard lieutenant said Thursday.
"This is a rainbow sheen with a dark center," Coast Guard Rear Adm. Mary Landry told reporters Thursday afternoon.
Officials do not know whether oil or fuel are leaking form the sunken Deepwater Horizon rig and the well below, but BP Vice President David Rainey said "it certainly has the potential to be a major spill." BP PLC operates the license on which the rig was drilling.
A remotely-operated vehicle is surveying the area and cleanup efforts are already under way, Landry said. The sheen "probably is residual from the fire and the activity that was going on on this rig before it sank below the surface," she said.
Meanwhile, the Coast Guard continued to search for 11 people missing after an explosion late Tuesday set the rig ablaze forcing workers to be evacuated from the vessel. Officials are still unsure what caused the blast.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/22/oil.rig.explosion/index.html?hpt=T2
Fort Carson GI dies in noncombat incident in Iraq
Carson GI dies in noncombat incident in Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 22, 2010 12:12:28 EDT
FORT CARSON, Colo. — A 28-year-old Fort Carson soldier serving in Iraq has died.
The Defense Department said Pfc. Charlie Antonio of Kahului, Hawaii, died Sunday in Annassar, Iraq, of injuries from a noncombat incident.
Antonio was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson.
Carson GI dies in noncombat incident in Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 22, 2010 12:12:28 EDT
FORT CARSON, Colo. — A 28-year-old Fort Carson soldier serving in Iraq has died.
The Defense Department said Pfc. Charlie Antonio of Kahului, Hawaii, died Sunday in Annassar, Iraq, of injuries from a noncombat incident.
Antonio was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, out of Fort Carson.
Carson GI dies in noncombat incident in Iraq
VA admits 18 veterans commit suicide each day
Last year Veterans for Common Sense already found out how many we were having to bury after combat for them was over. The problem is, this battle they were fighting on their own, alone and forgotten by the rest of the American people. Too many want to believe that after we send them off our duty is done unless they come home in a coffin covered with an American flag. The truth is, our duty to them just begins and is our duty for the rest of their lives to take care of them.
18 veterans commit suicide each day
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Apr 22, 2010 15:40:18 EDT
Troubling new data show there are an average of 950 suicide attempts each month by veterans who are receiving some type of treatment from the Veterans Affairs Department.
Seven percent of the attempts are successful, and 11 percent of those who don’t succeed on the first attempt try again within nine months.
The numbers, which come at a time when VA is strengthening its suicide prevention programs, show about 18 veteran suicides a day, about five by veterans who are receiving VA care.
Access to care appears to be a key factor, officials said, noting that once a veteran is inside the VA care program, screening programs are in place to identify those with problems, and special efforts are made to track those considered at high risk, such as monitoring whether they are keeping appointments.
read more here
18 veterans commit suicide each day
Kentucky National Guardsman Found Dead in Afghanistan
Kentucky National Guardsman Found Dead in Afghanistan
A Kentucky Army National Guardsman has died in Afghanistan, and the military is investigating the cause.
Posted: 9:21 PM Apr 20, 2010
Reporter: Associated Press
The National Guard says 28-year-old Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley Jr. of Richmond, was found dead in his quarters Sunday at Bagram Airbase, where he was serving with the 2123rd Transportation Company.
The Guard says Sigley had been a member since 2006, and previously served a tour in Afghanistan when he was in the Marines, from 2000 to 2004.
go here for more
Kentucky National Guardsman Found Dead in Afghanistan
A Kentucky Army National Guardsman has died in Afghanistan, and the military is investigating the cause.
Posted: 9:21 PM Apr 20, 2010
Reporter: Associated Press
The National Guard says 28-year-old Sgt. Randolph A. Sigley Jr. of Richmond, was found dead in his quarters Sunday at Bagram Airbase, where he was serving with the 2123rd Transportation Company.
The Guard says Sigley had been a member since 2006, and previously served a tour in Afghanistan when he was in the Marines, from 2000 to 2004.
go here for more
Kentucky National Guardsman Found Dead in Afghanistan
VA Marks 85 Years
Normally something like this would present a hopeful moment but after tracking all that has gone wrong for our veterans all these years, I'm left to wonder what they are putting their money into. All these billions over all these years, especially in mental health and PTSD, all the studies, research, testing and we have ended up with a suicide rate going up every year along with everything else the veterans have had to deal with once they were supposed to stop worrying about their lives. I keep reading about this study and that study, remembering I read the same research being done thirty years ago. I keep reading they have done this, they have done that and end up finding out that their expensive this's and that's have done no good at all.
We read about the thousands of veterans calling into the Suicide Prevention Hotline but never manage to look at what the numbers are really telling us. How can it be a good thing that thousands of veterans have been so mistreated they would think of taking their own lives instead of being assured their lives mattered enough? That the VA was finally able to figure out why some came home with the war trapped inside of them and they were addressing it seriously? That research would not be funded over and over and over again after researchers have blown past research and it turned into a bunch of crap? When will they get this right? I get angry waiting because they keep dying when they should never have to face the choice to stay alive or die by their own hands.
When the VA releases a report that they know what I know then I'll be impressed. Considering I do not have anything more than a lot of years with them and a hell of a lot of common sense, but managed to figure it out, they should have a long, long time ago. The problem is what I know does not have a price tag, does not help any pharmaceutical corporation nor does it put more of them in their graves.
We read about the thousands of veterans calling into the Suicide Prevention Hotline but never manage to look at what the numbers are really telling us. How can it be a good thing that thousands of veterans have been so mistreated they would think of taking their own lives instead of being assured their lives mattered enough? That the VA was finally able to figure out why some came home with the war trapped inside of them and they were addressing it seriously? That research would not be funded over and over and over again after researchers have blown past research and it turned into a bunch of crap? When will they get this right? I get angry waiting because they keep dying when they should never have to face the choice to stay alive or die by their own hands.
When the VA releases a report that they know what I know then I'll be impressed. Considering I do not have anything more than a lot of years with them and a hell of a lot of common sense, but managed to figure it out, they should have a long, long time ago. The problem is what I know does not have a price tag, does not help any pharmaceutical corporation nor does it put more of them in their graves.
VA Marks 85 Years of "Discovery, Innovation and Advancement"
Researchers Have Brought Hope to Generations
WASHINGTON (April 22, 2010) - Eighty-five years of enriching the lives
of Veterans and all Americans through top-notch medical research will be
spotlighted April 26-30 when the Department of Veterans Affairs
celebrates National VA Research Week.
On April 22, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs W. Scott Gould was
joined by disability advocate Lee Woodruff and country music star - and
Iraq and Afghanistan vet - Stephen Cochran at VA's Central Office in
Washington to kick off the official 85th birthday party for the
Department's research program.
"The rich history of accomplishment by VA researchers has improved
Veterans' lives and advanced the practice of medicine throughout the
country," said Gould. "The innovative VA researchers who turn so many
hopes into realities are truly national treasures."
VA, which has the largest integrated health care system in the country,
also has one of the largest medical research programs. This year,
nearly 3,400 researchers will work on more than 2,300 projects, funded
by nearly $1.9 billion.
VA's research program was recently in the news when the prestigious New
England Journal of Medicine published the results April 16 of a study by
VA's Albert Lo of Providence, R.I., to use robotics to improve the
recovery of stroke victims with impaired use of their arms and hands.
Gould noted the most recent space shuttle flight on April 5 carried to
the international space station a VA research project to study the
impact of aging on the human immune system. The study is overseen by
Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford, a VA researcher in San Francisco and a former
scientist-astronaut who flew on the space shuttle in 1991.
"From the development of effective therapies for tuberculosis and
implantable cardiac pacemakers, to the first successful liver transplant
and the nicotine patch, VA's trail-blazing research accomplishments are
a source of great pride to our Department and the nation," Gould added.
In 1977, VA researcher Rosalind Yalow was awarded the Nobel Prize in
Medicine for developing techniques that measure substances in the blood
with great accuracy. Her work brought about "a revolution in biological
and medical research," according to the Nobel Committee.
Eighteen years before, in 1959, Dr. William Oldendorf, a VA researcher
in Los Angeles, built a unique device to measure blood flow in the brain
with only $3,000. He went on to create something even more remarkable
-- a prototype for the first computerized tomography (CT) scanner.
"Examples of this dedication and advancement are not limited to
history," said Gould. "Today's committed VA researchers are focusing on
traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, post-deployment
health, womens health and a host of other issues key to the well-being
of our Veterans."
Vermont National Guard soldiers' families called by evil hoaxer
Hoaxer calls Vermont National Guard soldiers' families telling them their son or daughter is injured
By Ethan Sacks
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, April 21st 2010, 10:54 AM
Family members of soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been targeted with late-night phone calls from a twisted hoaxer expressing sympathy for their son or daughter's injuries or death in the line of duty.
At least three prank calls were believed to have been made by a woman last week in Vermont, making the family worry until it could get in touch with the loved one, who was not injured, ABC News reported.
"All our families, it's a roller-coaster ride," National Guard Lt. Col Lloyd Goodrow told ABC. "Somebody does something like this, it just makes it worse."
About 1,500 Vermont guardsmen are serving in Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported.
Read more: Hoaxer calls Vermont National Guard soldiers families
By Ethan Sacks
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, April 21st 2010, 10:54 AM
Family members of soldiers serving in Afghanistan have been targeted with late-night phone calls from a twisted hoaxer expressing sympathy for their son or daughter's injuries or death in the line of duty.
At least three prank calls were believed to have been made by a woman last week in Vermont, making the family worry until it could get in touch with the loved one, who was not injured, ABC News reported.
"All our families, it's a roller-coaster ride," National Guard Lt. Col Lloyd Goodrow told ABC. "Somebody does something like this, it just makes it worse."
About 1,500 Vermont guardsmen are serving in Afghanistan, The Associated Press reported.
Read more: Hoaxer calls Vermont National Guard soldiers families
The National Guard Needs Your Help
The National Guard Needs Your Help
Sen. Ron Wyden
U.S. Senator from Oregon
Posted: April 21, 2010 07:45 PM
When the first members of Oregon's Army National Guard began returning from Iraq last weekend family, friends and neighbors literally lined up to welcome them home. 110 motorcyclists escorted the caravan of buses along a route lined with Oregonians holding signs to show their support. Parents, spouses and children rushed to embrace their loved ones, while elected officials -- such as myself -- offered words of thanks for the ten months these brave men and women spent serving their country in harm's way. I hope Oregon's Guard got the message that we are grateful for their service and glad to have them home safe.
Oregonians aren't the only ones who recognize the extraordinary service and sacrifice of their state's National Guard. For decades these scenes have repeatedly played out across the country as reservists and guardsmen and women have increasingly been called on for extended deployments. During the Vietnam War 3,000 reservists and guardsmen were called to duty. For Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 267,300 reserve component service men and women were called to service. Current Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq had already involved more than 760,000 guard and reservists.
However, unlike active duty service members -- who come home to military bases and the jobs and support systems that they provide -- once the fanfare of homecoming subsides, returning Guard members are in many instances left to face the increasingly stark reality of transitioning to civilian life on their own.
read more here
The National Guard Needs Your Help
Sen. Ron Wyden
U.S. Senator from Oregon
Posted: April 21, 2010 07:45 PM
When the first members of Oregon's Army National Guard began returning from Iraq last weekend family, friends and neighbors literally lined up to welcome them home. 110 motorcyclists escorted the caravan of buses along a route lined with Oregonians holding signs to show their support. Parents, spouses and children rushed to embrace their loved ones, while elected officials -- such as myself -- offered words of thanks for the ten months these brave men and women spent serving their country in harm's way. I hope Oregon's Guard got the message that we are grateful for their service and glad to have them home safe.
Oregonians aren't the only ones who recognize the extraordinary service and sacrifice of their state's National Guard. For decades these scenes have repeatedly played out across the country as reservists and guardsmen and women have increasingly been called on for extended deployments. During the Vietnam War 3,000 reservists and guardsmen were called to duty. For Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, 267,300 reserve component service men and women were called to service. Current Operations in Afghanistan and Iraq had already involved more than 760,000 guard and reservists.
However, unlike active duty service members -- who come home to military bases and the jobs and support systems that they provide -- once the fanfare of homecoming subsides, returning Guard members are in many instances left to face the increasingly stark reality of transitioning to civilian life on their own.
read more here
The National Guard Needs Your Help
Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 11, 2009
Vietnam Veterans finally finding their way back home
Guns, grunts, guts and grief is the best way to explain how Vietnam veterans came home. Some of them were so humiliated after risking their lives by people attacking them back home they wondered if their lives mattered at all. Imagine risking your life after being drafted or enlisting and then finding out your own countrymen treat you like a target. For others, they came home to avoidance and ambivalence with family and friends wanting to forget all about where they had been. No one wanted to hear anything.
They didn't give up. They fought to have PTSD treated and compensated by the VA. Most of what we see today in psychologists treating trauma survivors came out of their courage to make it happen for combat veterans. For far too many the message was late in being delivered.
Now we have Iraq and Afghanistan veterans reaping the rewards of their battles at the same time the Vietnam veterans are slowly arriving at the VA seeking help after all these years. Sons and daughters returning from combat are finally understanding what was wrong with their Dads all these years and they are talking them into going for help. They suffered all these years thinking there was no hope for them but evidence has shown it is never too late to get help to heal.
There are parts of lives that can be restored and for what can't be there are coping skills to ease the pain. When you find a gathering of Vietnam veterans they will tell you that almost everyone of them have PTSD in some degree. There are many different levels of PTSD and while most will experience every symptom of it, some will only have a few of them, or at least, they admit to having a few symptoms. They may talk about nightmares but deny flashbacks. Family members have witnessed the moments of returning to combat as they try to deny their time travel back. Some have given up on healing because no one seems to have been able to help them.
Attitudes have changed toward PTSD just as they have changed toward the veterans coming home. Now they find support. They find comfort when they see more and more of their brothers admitting they have PTSD and going for help to heal. They also find hope that it is not too late for them to return back home all the way.
Instead of fighting battles with guns, they do it with the same guts they had in Vietnam courageously facing their fears so they can heal. These grunts have walked miles knowing each step could be their last and each day back home a little more of them became trapped by the ghosts of Vietnam. They grieved for the loss of friends, the loss of their innocence, the loss of faith in their own countrymen and the loss of themselves. Now they find strength in numbers and support to know it is never too late for them.
Current wars prompt Vietnam vets to seek help for post-traumatic stress
Thursday, April 22, 2010
By Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller"When you leave the war zone, there's grief and guilt and traumatic bereavement over things you did that, in the heat of the moment, seemed correct. When you go back with your own family, the guilt rises and grief hits."
A handful of veterans meets on Fridays at the Veterans Affairs clinic in Hempfield to talk about the Vietnam War.
Anne Merical, a licensed clinical social worker, listens.
"When they came home, they had nothing to identify what was going on with them, as far as nightmares, anger, hyper-vigilance, addictions, triggers for flashbacks and relationship problems," she said. "Now they are talking for the first time about what they went through."
The ones who did talk to civilian and VA psychiatrists years ago helped lead to the identification of the condition known as post-traumatic stress disorder and its inclusion in the American Psychiatric Association's 1980 edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illness.
After facing constant news coverage of the current wars and learning that today's soldiers are returning with similar issues, many Vietnam veterans are finally seeking treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, Ms. Merical said.
About 70 percent of her clients are Vietnam War vets, and half suffer from the disorder. Two other Greensburg area therapists, David Johns and psychologist Andrea VanEstenberg, have treated veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Read more: Current wars prompt Vietnam vets to seek help for PTSD
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