For your unconquerable soul

Invictus
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.
William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)

You are captain of your soul and can heal that soul you are in charge of, if you work as hard to heal as you do to hide the pain, you will heal.

It all depends on how you see yourself, thru whose eyes you see what is invisible to the rest of the world but they are witness of through all you do. What is it you show them? What is it you want them to see when they look into your eyes? Is it all that God blessed you with, love, mercy, joy, compassion and courage to act for the sake of someone else, or is it everything you thought you were gone from your days? It's all still there beneath the pain you carry.

When you look at the people you loved, do you want them to see a stranger standing there so they don't see the pain you carry or do you want them to see you just need help finding "you" again?

Do you really want to push your wife away because you are afraid she will look too closely and see what you don't want her to see or do you want her to see someone she loved, someone she wanted to spend the rest of her life with is now being held prisoner of his circumstances?

If you choose to hide instead of heal, you will lose yourself in the sadness, but if you choose to heal, you will come out on the other side better and stronger for it. The people you love, the ones who loved you, will not walk away from your life if they understand the changes in you need help to come out of you. You are captain of your soul and you choose the direction.

It is not strength to let your soul grow weaker. It is not courage to be afraid to face the pain so that you can overcome it. It is not honoring the life you had before trying to run away from where that life placed you. Heal your yesterday so you can be whole tomorrow.

PTSD is a part of your life in this moment, in this hour, because of events that happened in your life but you choose to let them take over the rest of your life or you choose to allow the person you always were to be stronger than the pain. Forgetting about it, pushing it into the back of your mind, "getting over it" is not overcoming it or defeating it. It is allowed to defeat you. Fight it with everything that is available to you and lean on people who care about you. Drinking and trying to drug it away will make it stronger and you weaker.

Lean on love around you since pain is what caused it to enter into your soul. Reach out just as you would expect others to reach out to you without fear of judgment. Be captain of your own soul and set the course for healing so that you can once again know your "unconquerable soul."

VA warns against cuts to vet housing program

VA warns against cuts to vet housing program

Medill News Service - Medill News Service
Posted : Friday May 21, 2010 10:49:18 EDT

Budget cuts to a crucial housing program for homeless veterans could demolish the Veterans Affairs Department’s five-year plan to end veteran homelessness, Secretary Eric Shinseki said Thursday at a joint hearing of two Senate appropriations subcommittees.

Since 2008, Congress has allotted $75 million a year to the Housing and Urban Development Department and VA for the Supportive House program. But HUD has eliminated the program from its proposed 2011 budget, shifting the burden of funding entirely to VA.

At a time when the number of unemployed and mentally ill veterans is on the rise, the lack of resources creates what Shinseki called a “perfect storm” for homelessness among vets.
read more here
VA warns against cuts to vet housing program

Real Warriors Campaign shows no shame in asking for help

Panel Discusses Post-traumatic Stress
By Christen N. McCluney
Emerging Media, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, May 21, 2010 – As the frequency and length of military deployments increase, servicemembers and their families are faced with challenges associated with deployment and combat.

Building resilience, facilitating recovery and supporting reintegration of returning servicemembers and veterans are important steps in helping to prevent and treat combat stress reactions such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

“The biggest challenge is often related to the mental health stigma that exists out there,” Air Force Lt. Col. Christopher Robinson, senior executive for psychological health at the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, said in a “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable yesterday.

The Defense Centers of Excellence partners with the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments and a network of military and civilian agencies and mental health experts to encourage servicemembers to increase their awareness of psychological health and traumatic brain injury concerns and use resources available to them.

Army Staff Sgt. Meg Krause, a reservist and Real Warriors Campaign volunteer, as well as retired Navy Cmdr. René A. Campos, director of health care issues and government relations for the Military Officers Association of America, joined Robinson on the conference call.

The Real Warriors Campaign, sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence, combats the stigma associated with seeking psychological health care and treatment. At the heart of the campaign are servicemembers like Krause, who are proving through example that reaching out for care does not mean the end of a military career.

Krause, who experienced PTSD after a tour in Iraq, discussed how she thought she would be able to cope after returning home. Her biggest fear was that she would lose her job if she admitted that there was something wrong.

“I figured a few nightmares or flashbacks here or there were normal, and did my best to cope and avoid triggers … as it turned out I faced a larger struggle than expected,” Krause said.

Krause said she began having issues with substance abuse and neglected her military commitments. It wasn’t until she was contacted by her unit, she added, that she realized she would not lose her job or be disciplined for having PTSD. Her commander told her he had received treatment for PTSD, she said, and that helped her to discover that there was no shame in admitting she needed help.
read more here
Real Warriors Campaign

Doing the Right Thing for homeless veterans

Doing the Right Thing . . .

Tonight, Veterans for Common Sense shares a special video featuring Eric Shinseki, our current Secretary of Veterans Affairs and an retired Army General, discussing our homeless veterans.

In our February 7, 2008, VCS Congressional testimony about VA's 2009 budget, VCS asked for a new VA policy of "zero tolerance for homeless veterans."

Watching Secretary Shinseki's video, we believe he gets it, and we want him to win this battle for our veterans by ending homelessness.

We are in this together. Yes, we can do this.

Sincerely, Veterans for Common Sense

Vietnam veteran killed outside gate at Florida Air Force base

Why was an FBI agent at the gate in the first place? Why wouldn't he shoot the hand with the knife instead of killing him? So many questions we may never know the answers to. Stress can send a PTSD veteran into flashbacks. Was he having one?

Randolph native and Vietnam veteran killed outside gate at Florida Air Force base
By Lane Lambert
The Patriot Ledger
Posted May 21, 2010 @ 07:05 AM
A Vietnam War veteran who grew up in Randolph was shot and killed at the gate of a Tampa Air Force base after he apparently threatened an off-duty FBI agent with a knife.

Ronald J. Bullock, 61, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was taking medications, according to published reports in Tampa that quoted Bullock’s uncle and one of his brothers.

The confrontation and shooting occurred about 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Dale Mabry gate at MacDill Air Force Base. Bullock was pronounced dead an hour later.

On Thursday, Bullock’s family remained in the dark about what happened.

‘‘Something happened at the gate. He pulled a knife and an FBI agent shot him. It’s all very sketchy,’’ Bullock's brother, John, told Channel 5.

Authorities said the incident began with an altercation at an on-base camping area that is open to anyone with a military identification card.

The off-duty FBI agent who shot Bullock was with base security officers responding to the disturbance. According to authorities, Bullock got on his motorcycle and headed for the gate, refusing to stop for security.
read more here
Vietnam veteran killed outside gate at Florida Air Force base

Predatory lenders to pay $1 million to Fort Campbellsoldiers

Predatory lenders to pay $1 million to soldiers

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 16:09:07 EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper says North Carolina-based financial companies accused of predatory lending practices against Fort Campbell soldiers will have to pay them more than $1 million.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/ap_lending_suit_052010/

Vet riding across state to raise PTSD awareness

Vet riding across state to raise awareness
To honor a friend and raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, a Fargo man will ride from Beach to Fargo beginning Sunday.
By: Beth Wischmeyer, The Dickinson Press


To honor a friend and raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, a Fargo man will ride from Beach to Fargo beginning Sunday.

National Guard Spc. Dan Olson, 26, of Bismarck, now of Fargo, served with Staff Sgt. Joe Biel, a native of Peever, S.D., and they became friends while in Iraq.

On their second deployment, the two were assigned to trip route clearance, or driving routes used by U.S. forces in search of military weapons. They located over 470 weapons, but reported they felt themselves always on edge, worried about their safety and the safety of others in their unit.

Biel and Olson returned from duty in November 2006.

On May 1, 2007, Biel’s family buried him in Wilmot, S.D., after he committed suicide just a few days earlier, a result of PTSD.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents or military combat, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems and can be easily startled, according to NIMH.

Backed by the North Dakota American Legion’s “Courage Carries On” program, Olson hopes that his ride will help other soldiers affected by PTSD.

“We started ‘Courage Carries On’ a few years ago just because of this whole suicide issue, to bring awareness of the issue of the post-traumatic stress disorder and how severe that can get to the point where somebody wants to commit suicide,” said Jim Deremo, chairman of the American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee.
read more here
Vet riding across state to raise awareness

Army and Marines should learn from Air Force programs

Marines and Soldiers face more than the Air Force, but it is the Air Force with the best programs. How is this possible? They deal with trauma the way the rest of the country does. They take action and understand the men and women serving are still humans. They take fast action understanding that the sooner they start to heal, the better the results. The Army and Marines face more traumatic events more often and on the ground but the Air Force is way ahead of them. Just doesn't seem right at all.

Air Force Prevention Program reduces suicide rates significantly


The U.S. Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) has reduced suicide rates significantly since it was launched in 1996, according to a new study that examined almost three decades of data.
"The enduring public health message from 12 years of this program is that suicide rates can be reduced, and that program success requires interventions to be consistently supported, maintained, and monitored for compliance," the researchers conclude in the study published by the American Journal of Public Health.
Kerry L. Knox, Ph.D., associate professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, led the study. She also directed a landmark assessment of the AFSPP almost seven years ago.
In the current study, which examined suicide rates in the Air Force from 1981 to 2008, Knox and her colleagues found a reduction in the mean suicide rate after the implementation of the prevention program of about 21 percent that was consistent except for one year, 2004.
Still, the researchers called the AFSPP "the first long-term sustained effort of its kind to serve as an example of what communities can accomplish in reducing morbidity and mortality attributable to suicidal behaviors if there is ongoing commitment to do so."
The AFSPP encourages members of the Air Force to seek help, promotes the development of coping skills and fights the stigma associated with receiving mental health care. The program stresses the absence of negative career consequences for seeking and receiving treatment.
Through the AFSPP, suicide prevention is included in all military training. Commanders receive training on how and when to use mental health services, and their role in encouraging early help-seeking behavior. Trauma stress response teams were established worldwide to respond to traumatic incidents such as terrorist attacks, serious accidents, or suicide. These teams help personnel deal with the emotions they experience in reaction to traumatic incidents.
read more here
Air Force Prevention Program reduces suicide rates

Two officers killed, two more wounded after traffic stop

Suspects in police shooting killed in West Memphis shootout
Posted: May 20, 2010 1:17 PM EDT

WEST MEMPHIS, AR (WMC-TV) - Two West Memphis police officers were shot and killed Thursday during a traffic stop along a busy cross-country interstate highway. The local sheriff and his chief deputy were wounded in a later shootout that left a pair of suspects dead.

Officers pulled over a white minivan with Ohio license plates while "running drug interdiction" on Interstate 40 in east Arkansas, said West Memphis Police Inspector Bert Shelton. Two men got out of the van with the assault rifles and opened fire on the officers, he said.

Sgt. Brandon Paudert, 39, the son of West Memphis' police chief, died at the scene and Officer Bill Evans, 38, died at a hospital, authorities said. Evans made the initial stop, and Paudert arrived moments later as backup, Assistant Police Chief Mike Allen said late Thursday.

"In what was probably only a few minutes, Officer Evans was shoved to the ground and the men in the minivan started shooting at both officers," Allen said.

Additionally, Crittenden County Sheriff Dick Busby and a deputy, W. A. Wren, were shot and wounded. Both men were taken by helicopter to The MED.

go here for more

http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12515206

Military intelligence in Afghanistan didn't include weapons?

We sent troops into Afghanistan in 2001! It took the military this long to figure out the Afghan's had longer range firing power? Older guns were killing off our troops because they could reach them when the US guns couldn't reach back? And no one noticed this until now?

US rifles not suited to warfare in Afghan hills

By SLOBODAN LEKIC
The Associated Press
Friday, May 21, 2010; 4:41 AM

KABUL, Afghanistan -- The U.S. military's workhorse rifle - used in battle for the last 40 years - is proving less effective in Afghanistan against the Taliban's more primitive but longer range weapons.

As a result, the U.S. is reevaluating the performance of its standard M-4 rifle and considering a switch to weapons that fire a larger round largely discarded in the 1960s.

The M-4 is an updated version of the M-16, which was designed for close quarters combat in Vietnam. It worked well in Iraq, where much of the fighting was in cities such as Baghdad, Ramadi and Fallujah.
read more here
US rifles not suited to warfare in Afghan hills

Also reported was the fact the deadly attack the other day was carried out because they had uniforms.

Official: Bagram attackers wore U.S.-style uniforms
Insurgents who attacked Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Wednesday were wearing U.S. Army-style battle fatigue uniforms, according to a U.S. military official who has seen initial eyewitness accounts of the attack.

A second U.S. military official confirmed the initial accounts but said he did not know if all of the attackers were wearing U.S.-style uniforms.

The officials did not want to be identified because of the ongoing investigation.

Neither official could say whether the uniforms were stolen, or how the insurgents came into possession of them. U.S. military-style items are available on the internet for purchase.

Attackers had AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and "typical Middle Eastern load-carrying equipment" such as ammunition belts and other military accessories, according to the first official.
read more of this here
Bagram attackers wore US style uniforms

Stolen Valor, Fake Marine Fakes way into Army as NCO

AP INVESTIGATION: Texas man faked way into Army
By DANNY ROBBINS (AP) – 5 hours ago

FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war, an Associated Press investigation has found.

The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.

The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the AP, raises more questions about the Army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, some say the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the U.S. military.

Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the Army Reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station. But he wasn't qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.

Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said.

The matter, currently under investigation by the Army, means a soldier received a security clearance and was in position to lead troops in combat even though he hadn't gone through basic training or spent any time in the service. The Corps Support Airplane Company has been deployed in Iraq, providing pilots as well as intelligence and support personnel for an aviation battalion set up to destroy improvised explosive devices.

If it's proven that Johnston gained his Army rank based on a phony Marine record, it would be the first documented case of so-called "stolen valor" in which the military was duped during the enlistment process, according to watchdogs of such fraud. Most cases involve attempts to get veterans' benefits or other forms of financial gain. Congress attempted to crack down on military impostors in 2005 by passing a law that makes it a crime to claim false decorations or medals.
read more here
Texas man faked way into Army

The Dry Land movie based on real PTSD veterans

'The Dry Land' sheds light on stress disorder
Filmmakers will premiere the movie in Boise.
By Dana Oland - doland@idahostatesman.com
Published: 05/21/10

Filmmaker Ryan Piers Williams wants his movies to be about more than just entertainment. They have to be about real life.

"One of the most powerful things about movies is that they can raise questions, start conversations and inspire action," he says by phone from his New York apartment.

That was the goal from the beginning for Williams' feature debut "The Dry Land," a hard-hitting look at the growing problem of post-traumatic stress disorder among American service people returning from Iraq.

Produced by Boise's Heather Rae, it has won critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival and the grand prize at the Dallas Film Festival. Rae, Williams and star America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") will be in Boise next week for a premiere screening to benefit the Veterans Resource Network Group and to kick off a series of screenings on military bases across the country.

Half the tickets will be sold to the public, half will be given to members of the military and their significant others.



Read more: The Dry Land sheds light on stress disorder

Veterans Village of San Diego

For years readers of this blog have heard me say how the Vietnam Veterans lived up to the promise of never leaving one generations of veterans behind. This is one group that proves just how serious Vietnam Veterans were about this expression of dedication.

Courage to Call
24/7 Information & Support HelplineCourage to Call, (877) MyUsVet, (877) 698-7838, is a new Prevention and Early Intervention program in San Diego County, entirely staffed by military veterans who have recently served their country. Services are provided to those who have served in any Military or Guard (both active & former), their families and loved ones.

VVSD History
Over the years, VVSD has developed a continuum of care for veterans which stretches from the three days of outreach to homeless veterans at Stand Down to providing affordable, sober living houses for those who have successfully passed through VVSD's Veterans Rehabilitation Center.

1981: Veterans Village of San Diego was founded as the Vietnam Veterans of San Diego by five Vietnam Veterans, dealing with their own issues and addictions stemming from the Vietnam War. From the onset to the present day, VVSD has been dedicated to assisting needy veterans. 1984: Established "Landing Zone" on 11th Avenue near Market Street opened providing 44 licensed alcohol and drug treatment facility beds for Vietnam Veterans funded by County Alcohol and Drug Services.

1988: Established "Dust Off", an 18 bed transitional housing facility on 5th Avenue. During that same year VVSD founded Stand Down and served over 650 homeless veterans. VVSD is the model for the over 200 Stand Downs that now exist nationwide.
go here for more of VVSD's history

http://www.vvsd.net/history.htm

House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties

House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Thursday, May 20, 2010
WASHINGTON — Victims of the Fort Hood shooting in Texas last November could be recognized as combat casualties under a measure approved by a House panel Wednesday.

The move would make survivors and relatives of those killed eligible for certain specialty pays and benefits, although it would not make the injured eligible for Purple Hearts. The House Armed Services Committee included the provision in their draft of the fiscal 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, along with a host of other military spending items.

Under current Defense Department rules, families of servicemembers killed in combat zones receive another $100,000 death benefit on top of the $400,000 maximum life insurance payout, and those wounded overseas are guaranteed additional money for catastrophic injuries. Those specialty pays are not taxed when awarded in a combat theater.
read more here
House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties

Army identifies five killed in Kabul blast

Army identifies five killed in Kabul blast
Three officers among fallen, including colonel
By Dan Blottenberger, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, May 21, 2010
An Army colonel based in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was among five U.S. soldiers killed by the powerful blast in Kabul on Tuesday, Pentagon officials have confirmed.
Two lieutenant colonels from Fort Drum, N.Y., and two Germany-based enlisted soldiers also died when a vehicle loaded with explosives hit a NATO convoy near government buildings.

Lt. Col. Paul R. Bartz

Staff Sgt. Richard J. Tieman

Spc. Joshua A. Tomlinson

Col. John M. McHugh

Lt. Col. Thomas P. Belkofer

read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=70112