If you are a veteran needing help to heal from where this country sent you, there are things you can excuse yourself for, but there are things there is no excuse for.
It is the way you treat people.
If you ask someone for help then treat them like an enemy, it is unacceptable.
A veteran called me asking for help and I tried to do what I could for him explaining that I can help him spiritually. He had a need to find shelter after being kicked out of a relatives house. I told him where to turn to. I guess that isn't where he wanted to go because he called back from another relative's house.
He still didn't want to go where he needed to be any more than he wanted to stop drinking.
He called back saying he was ready to start healing and was willing to work at it.
Low and behold he got kicked out of that house too.
He called me again taking out his anger on me and wanted me to send people I knew to take care of him. I could tell he was drunk and understood why he was getting kicked out of other places. He wanted everyone to help him under his terms.
He is getting 100% disability but 5 days into the month, he was broke so he couldn't get a motel room or even buy gas for his car to get to where he needed to be.
He told me that he had been in several programs for PTSD but none of them worked. He is part of the reason they didn't.
While you may feel frustration trying to get the help you need, don't take it out on people trying to help you as much as they can. One more thing to notice is that while you may feel as if everyone owes you something, the people trying to help do it for free because they want to help but they don't owe you anything. They can't take away all of your problems with a magic wand. They can't do it all for you. You have to work at it.
If a long list of people you know have turned their back on you, take a look at what you did and then maybe, just maybe you'll understand why and then stop treating everyone like crap!
Friday, July 6, 2012
Marine suicides at 24 and 100 attempts so far for 2012
Need any more evidence Resiliency Training does not work? Is anyone listening?
MILITARY: Six Marine suicides recorded in June
By MARK WALKER
Six active-duty Marines took their own lives in June, raising the number of self-inflicted deaths among leathernecks this year to 24.
The number provides fresh evidence that the Marine Corps' efforts, like that of all the service branches, continues to struggle in reducing suicides. The 24 deaths so far this year compare with 32 for all of last year and 37 recorded in 2010.
An additional 14 Marines attempted suicide in June, raising the number of suicide attempts for the year to 100. That compares with 163 attempts recorded last year and 172 in 2010.
The report from the Marine Corps' suicide prevention program comes as the military overall is averaging a suicide a day, the highest seen since the outbreak of war in Afghanistan and Iraq.
read more here
Don’t tell me I don’t understand struggles with PTSD
Op-Ed: Don’t tell me I don’t understand struggles with PTSD
By Samantha A. Torrence
Jul 2, 2012
Caretakers of veterans understand more than they are given credit for by their veterans and the citizens of their countries. The collective voice of many wives tells just how much they do understand.
“You just don’t understand.” Those four words seem to be the most recited mantra for many veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And, for many caretakers, that mantra is one of the most frustrating to hear. It means that our day is about to become a war zone, filled with suspicion and paper bullets of the brain. Many times in support groups we are told that we will never understand and, though we may be able to sympathize, we will never be able to empathize. I disagree.
I do understand. I understand more than I am given credit for, and I think people need to become aware that caretakers and military spouses are not exempt from the hardships of war. Our cross is just as heavy; it is simply shaped differently.
I may not have enlisted, but I did voluntarily marry a man who went into the military.
He was willing to give up his life for his country, and I have given up my life, my best friend, and my partner for my country. He came home in body, but he is no longer the man I married. I stay to care for a stranger. My life no longer belongs to me; it belongs to my husband, the VA, the State, and the Republic. Just like people say that Veterans do not deserve to be pitied because they volunteered for their hardships, I am also told that I chose to stay in this marriage and deserve no more than bumper-sticker salutes.
I may not have gone into a war zone where I could be shot at or blown up, but my world is a war zone. I wake up every day ready to be a human shield for my husband. I take the brunt of the criticisms and accusations from others so that he will not be triggered. My enemy is just as invisible as the insurgents, for I never know when someone will hate me for simply being married to a military man and therefore deny me the opportunities I need to keep my family afloat. I take "friendly fire" every time my veteran is triggered. I live with a constant awareness that, if I do not keep my veteran calm, I will have to endure a battlefield of anger waged in my heart and soul with the casualties being my emotions and self-worth.
Read more
By Samantha A. Torrence
Jul 2, 2012
Caretakers of veterans understand more than they are given credit for by their veterans and the citizens of their countries. The collective voice of many wives tells just how much they do understand.
“You just don’t understand.” Those four words seem to be the most recited mantra for many veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. And, for many caretakers, that mantra is one of the most frustrating to hear. It means that our day is about to become a war zone, filled with suspicion and paper bullets of the brain. Many times in support groups we are told that we will never understand and, though we may be able to sympathize, we will never be able to empathize. I disagree.
I do understand. I understand more than I am given credit for, and I think people need to become aware that caretakers and military spouses are not exempt from the hardships of war. Our cross is just as heavy; it is simply shaped differently.
I may not have enlisted, but I did voluntarily marry a man who went into the military.
He was willing to give up his life for his country, and I have given up my life, my best friend, and my partner for my country. He came home in body, but he is no longer the man I married. I stay to care for a stranger. My life no longer belongs to me; it belongs to my husband, the VA, the State, and the Republic. Just like people say that Veterans do not deserve to be pitied because they volunteered for their hardships, I am also told that I chose to stay in this marriage and deserve no more than bumper-sticker salutes.
I may not have gone into a war zone where I could be shot at or blown up, but my world is a war zone. I wake up every day ready to be a human shield for my husband. I take the brunt of the criticisms and accusations from others so that he will not be triggered. My enemy is just as invisible as the insurgents, for I never know when someone will hate me for simply being married to a military man and therefore deny me the opportunities I need to keep my family afloat. I take "friendly fire" every time my veteran is triggered. I live with a constant awareness that, if I do not keep my veteran calm, I will have to endure a battlefield of anger waged in my heart and soul with the casualties being my emotions and self-worth.
Read more
The military is a lousy healer, congress is a lousy watchdog
The military is a lousy healer, congress is a lousy watchdog
by Chaplain Kathie
Senator Murray is right but when she said "We need to be much further along." it didn't answer why it is we are not.
It is not that the DOD has any excuses left. After all we're talking about 40 years of government funded research on Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder they had the in their hands. So far they haven't even acknowledged the fact that PTSD caused by combat is a different type of it any more than they have been able to tell the servicemen and women why they have it while others don't. They just keep pushing programs that don't work.
Congress has not held a single person accountable after all the "experts" testified during the endless parade heading into Washington to advise congress. The DOD has held no one accountable for failures. As for groups congress turns to, they end up giving awards to people doing the failing.
As in the case of Dr. Ira Katz was given an award from NAMI after Veterans for Common Sense exposed what he had done.
Congress has been hearing the same stories of suffering veterans and their families, the same stories about what the backlog of claims has been doing to them as the suicides went up along with attempted suicides.
Soldiers are waiting for congress to do their jobs and find solutions. They want to see someone held accountable just as much as they want help!
by Chaplain Kathie
Senator Murray is right but when she said "We need to be much further along." it didn't answer why it is we are not.
It is not that the DOD has any excuses left. After all we're talking about 40 years of government funded research on Combat Post Traumatic Stress Disorder they had the in their hands. So far they haven't even acknowledged the fact that PTSD caused by combat is a different type of it any more than they have been able to tell the servicemen and women why they have it while others don't. They just keep pushing programs that don't work.
Congress has not held a single person accountable after all the "experts" testified during the endless parade heading into Washington to advise congress. The DOD has held no one accountable for failures. As for groups congress turns to, they end up giving awards to people doing the failing.
As in the case of Dr. Ira Katz was given an award from NAMI after Veterans for Common Sense exposed what he had done.
Congress has been hearing the same stories of suffering veterans and their families, the same stories about what the backlog of claims has been doing to them as the suicides went up along with attempted suicides.
Soldiers are waiting for congress to do their jobs and find solutions. They want to see someone held accountable just as much as they want help!
Invisible wounds of war: The military is a lousy healer
Seattle Post Intelligencer (blog)
Two service members who went into harm’s way to fight America’s 21st Century wars met a different challenge on Monday, facing a battery of TV cameras to talk of what Sen. Patty Murray called “the invisible wounds of war.”
Sgt. Stephen Davis, having been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, had the diagnosis withdrawn and was accused by a doctor of “exaggerating my symptoms.” Sgt. David Leavitt, another victim of PTSD, told his superiors in Afghanistan, “I’m not O.K. I need help.”
He received very little help there, with no followup back home. Leavitt looked down at his service dog and said: She’s save my life and given me purpose.”
The treatment of those who have served and served well — Sgt. Davis earned a purple heart and bronze star, Sgt. Leavitt has done tours in Iraq and Afghanistan — has raised the ire of Sen. Murray. She has brought activist leadership to what used to be a Senate backwater as chair of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
“‘Toughen up!’ they hear that all the time,” Murray said. “I believe that in this day and age, we should be much further along in dealing with military mental health issues. We need to be much further along.”
She has captured the ear of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, but Murray feels Congress should set some parameters. She is introducing legislation called the Mental Health Access Act of 2012, and hopes to make it bipartisan.
read more here
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Missouri National Guard member dies while training in Guatemala
Missouri Guard member dies in Guatemala
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 5, 2012
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri National Guard soldier has been killed while participating in a training exercise in Guatemala.
Guard officials say 34-year-old Staff Sgt. Robert J. Traxel of Union died Monday after being struck in the head by a tree limb knocked down by wind generated by helicopter rotor blades.
read more here
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 5, 2012
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — A Missouri National Guard soldier has been killed while participating in a training exercise in Guatemala.
Guard officials say 34-year-old Staff Sgt. Robert J. Traxel of Union died Monday after being struck in the head by a tree limb knocked down by wind generated by helicopter rotor blades.
read more here
63,000 soldiers found to have Combat PTSD during screening
This is what Point Man Ministries has been trying to warn people about. As bad as the numbers are today they are only going to get higher later on. Dana Morgan, President of Point Man International Ministries holds conference calls every Monday night on Skype with Out Post Leaders across the country. Combat PTSD is our number on topic. We handle the spiritual needs of combat veterans and their families with Home Fronts lead by the spouse of a veteran.
This is not "rocket science" but it is experience knowing what works because Point Man has been around since 1984, almost as long as I've been doing the same type of work.
You probably haven't heard of Point Man because we're all volunteers and none of us have enough money to get the publicity other groups have but on top of that, none of us have the time to go out and scream "look at me" and dig into your pockets.
I am so lousy at it that when I help a veteran, I never mention the fact that I am supported by donations and can't pay my own bills to cover the costs of doing what I do. While I'm no good at finding funding, I've been doing this for 30 years and can tell you the same thing I tell the veterans I work with. None of this is hopeless. None of them are helpless. While contrary to a recent articles saying some are "cured" by the VA in 5 years" along with a footlocker filled with other nonsense claims, there is a lot of healing going on the media doesn't even know about.
Read this article and take in the numbers were heading for then watch the two videos at the bottom of this to hear from an Iraq veteran and then you'll know how much is really possible.
This is not "rocket science" but it is experience knowing what works because Point Man has been around since 1984, almost as long as I've been doing the same type of work.
You probably haven't heard of Point Man because we're all volunteers and none of us have enough money to get the publicity other groups have but on top of that, none of us have the time to go out and scream "look at me" and dig into your pockets.
I am so lousy at it that when I help a veteran, I never mention the fact that I am supported by donations and can't pay my own bills to cover the costs of doing what I do. While I'm no good at finding funding, I've been doing this for 30 years and can tell you the same thing I tell the veterans I work with. None of this is hopeless. None of them are helpless. While contrary to a recent articles saying some are "cured" by the VA in 5 years" along with a footlocker filled with other nonsense claims, there is a lot of healing going on the media doesn't even know about.
Read this article and take in the numbers were heading for then watch the two videos at the bottom of this to hear from an Iraq veteran and then you'll know how much is really possible.
Soldiers seeking routine medical care now get PTSD screening as well
By SETH ROBSON
Stars and Stripes
Published: July 5, 2012
The Army is asking soldiers who go to the doctor for ailments such as back pain or colds to answer questions about depression and post-traumatic stress disorder in a bid to identify those who may need help.
About 63,000 soldiers out of 2 million screened during routine doctor appointments since 2007 have tested positive for previously unrecognized and untreated mental health problems, according to Col. Charles Engel, a Walter Reed National Military Medical Center doctor.
“The patients may be there for anything from a broken arm to an upper respiratory problem,” Engel told experts gathered at a recent meeting of the American Psychiatric Association. “Very seldom do people go to their primary care doctor just for stress or depression problems.”
Studies show that the average person with PTSD waits 12 years before being treated. As recently as 2004, only about a quarter of soldiers who were suffering from PTSD were getting specialized care, he said.
“We have a lot of people out there getting no care,” he said.
read more here
Marine Corps to launch anonymous holistic fitness program
Marine Corps to launch new holistic fitness program
July 05, 2012
AMANDA WILCOX
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The Marine Corps is implementing a new holistic fitness program designed to help warriors focus on whole body fitness.
The program, called the Marine Corps Fitness Improvement Tool (MCFIT) was spearheaded by Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford. It is designed to help Marines recover from the stresses of combat in a healthy, holistic fashion.
“From the command side this program will be extremely helpful in assessing overall unit fitness,” said Navy Lt. Lindsey Stoil, a medical planner with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. “Things might look good on the outside, but there might be an underlying problem across the unit.”
The program includes two phases, the first of which is a paper-based survey designed to assess a Marine’s health, and the second is a web-based assessment. Phase 2 is still under development and is scheduled to launch at the end of this year. Participation in the program is completely anonymous.
read more here
July 05, 2012
AMANDA WILCOX
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The Marine Corps is implementing a new holistic fitness program designed to help warriors focus on whole body fitness.
The program, called the Marine Corps Fitness Improvement Tool (MCFIT) was spearheaded by Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford. It is designed to help Marines recover from the stresses of combat in a healthy, holistic fashion.
“From the command side this program will be extremely helpful in assessing overall unit fitness,” said Navy Lt. Lindsey Stoil, a medical planner with Combat Logistics Regiment 27, 2nd Marine Logistics Group. “Things might look good on the outside, but there might be an underlying problem across the unit.”
The program includes two phases, the first of which is a paper-based survey designed to assess a Marine’s health, and the second is a web-based assessment. Phase 2 is still under development and is scheduled to launch at the end of this year. Participation in the program is completely anonymous.
read more here
The Hill makes big deal out of good song
It is a good song and just because Romney uses it, doesn't mean he owns it. What is the big deal about the Marines playing this song?
Marine Corps band plays Romney song on White House lawn
By Ian Swanson
07/04/12
A subset of the Marine Corps band struck up one of Mitt Romney's walkout songs while President Obama was greeting visitors at the White House Independence Day celebration.
A White House pool report said the band struck up Rodney Atkins's "It's America," and described it as an "awkward moment."
The president and first lady Michelle Obama were hosting service members and their families on the South Lawn of the White House Wednesday evening to mark the Fourth of July.
Military families were treated to an evening of barbecue, fireworks and a music concert featuring the Marine Band and country music star Brad Paisley.
read more here
Wounded Afghanistan Vet spends July 4th at White House
Wounded Iowan at White House today
O.Kay Henderson
04 Jul 2012
(Washington) -- An Iowa sailor is one of about 1200 service members invited to spend Independence Day at the White House.
Taylor Morris of Cedar Falls lost all four of his limbs after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in May. He was just discharged from Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Morris says the White House visit will make for a special 4th of July.
“There’s a dinner. I think Brad Paisley is going to be playing and a fireworks show we’ll be watching out on the lawn, hopefully the weather stays good. I definitely will be putting my nicest shirt on,” Morris says. “A Brad Paisley concert — you can’t beat that.”
Morris is just the fifth person to survive a quadruple amputation at Walter Reed. The explosion happened two months ago and he talked about the incident with KCNZ, his hometown radio station.
“I was conscious through the whole thing,” Morris said, “and so when I stepped on it I could hear it and feel the blast, feel the heat and I remember looking at my arm when I was trying to stabilize myself in the air as I was back flipping through the air and noticing that my arm was gone and then I hit the ground and noticed by legs were gone, too.”
Morris had a face-to-face meeting with the president last week when Obama toured the “Wounded Warrior Wing” at Walter Reed.
read more here
O.Kay Henderson
04 Jul 2012
(Washington) -- An Iowa sailor is one of about 1200 service members invited to spend Independence Day at the White House.
Taylor Morris of Cedar Falls lost all four of his limbs after stepping on an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan in May. He was just discharged from Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. Morris says the White House visit will make for a special 4th of July.
“There’s a dinner. I think Brad Paisley is going to be playing and a fireworks show we’ll be watching out on the lawn, hopefully the weather stays good. I definitely will be putting my nicest shirt on,” Morris says. “A Brad Paisley concert — you can’t beat that.”
Morris is just the fifth person to survive a quadruple amputation at Walter Reed. The explosion happened two months ago and he talked about the incident with KCNZ, his hometown radio station.
“I was conscious through the whole thing,” Morris said, “and so when I stepped on it I could hear it and feel the blast, feel the heat and I remember looking at my arm when I was trying to stabilize myself in the air as I was back flipping through the air and noticing that my arm was gone and then I hit the ground and noticed by legs were gone, too.”
Morris had a face-to-face meeting with the president last week when Obama toured the “Wounded Warrior Wing” at Walter Reed.
read more here
VA opens clinic for homeless vets
VA opens clinic for homeless vets
July 4, 2012
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (VAMC) recently opened the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (H-PACT) primary and urgent care clinic.
“This is a walk-in clinic where homeless veterans can see a doctor or nurse practitioner, without an appointment, to get the medical care they need and begin the process of seeking permanent housing and other resources,” said Luz Hein, chief of social work service at Jesse Brown VAMC. “This is a comprehensive patient-centered approach to caring for and rehabilitating homeless veterans.”
The H-PACT is on the eighth floor of the VAMC’s 820 S. Damen Ave. building and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The clinic offers medical care and other services, such as case management, substance abuse treatment, community referrals, housing placement, triage, and mental health services to all homeless veterans.
The goal of the H-PACT is to see that homeless veterans receive the comprehensive care and services they need and to reduce barriers to health care delivery, Hein said.
Call (312) 569-6402.
July 4, 2012
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (VAMC) recently opened the Homeless Patient Aligned Care Team (H-PACT) primary and urgent care clinic.
“This is a walk-in clinic where homeless veterans can see a doctor or nurse practitioner, without an appointment, to get the medical care they need and begin the process of seeking permanent housing and other resources,” said Luz Hein, chief of social work service at Jesse Brown VAMC. “This is a comprehensive patient-centered approach to caring for and rehabilitating homeless veterans.”
The H-PACT is on the eighth floor of the VAMC’s 820 S. Damen Ave. building and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. The clinic offers medical care and other services, such as case management, substance abuse treatment, community referrals, housing placement, triage, and mental health services to all homeless veterans.
The goal of the H-PACT is to see that homeless veterans receive the comprehensive care and services they need and to reduce barriers to health care delivery, Hein said.
Call (312) 569-6402.
'Stories of Courage' with Robin Meade focus on our wounded troops
Robin Meade has done some fantastic work sharing stories of our veterans for a long time. She is one of the few motivated by caring about them first and getting their stories second. Last night I watched this show. If you want a feel good story of just how wonderful our troops are, make sure you watch the next time it is on or go to the links below and watch online.
Wounded vets share inspiring stories with HLN By Dianna Hill
June 28, 2012
Robin Meade sat down with the injured troops at the Warrior Games
Army Corporal Brian Miller, Air Force Tech Sergeant Israel Del Toro (DT), Marine Corporal Kionte Storey, Marine Sergeant Than Naing and Navy Mineman 2nd Class Linda Simpson.
read their stories here
Saturday on HLN: 'Stories of Courage'
By HLNtv.com Staff
July 04, 2012
Robin Meade hosts hour-long special
Encore presentations Saturday & Sunday, July 7 & 8 at 2pm
This weekend on HLN, a special that's been over a year in the making: "Stories of Courage," hosted by Morning Express' Robin Meade. They're incredible, powerful stories that show a real side of military life.
Here is a preview of just some of the stories you'll see:
Burned Vet Inspired by his Son's Love After getting burned in an IED attack, Air Force Tech Sgt. Israel Del Toro was terrified his son wouldn't recognize him. But when the little boy saw his dad, it was nothing but smiles.
The Walk Back Home: A solider's toughest mission When he lost his legs to a roadside bomb, U.S. Army Sg. First Class Aaron Causey promised he would make it home. Even more, he promised he would walk through his parent's door, no matter what. It is an unforgettable reunion.
Former Marine wins an archery medal with one arm An RPG took out Marine Cpl. Mark O'Brien's Humvee in 2004, he thought he was going to die. Today, he has learned to reclaim his life, including his childhood passion of archery.
read more here
Wounded vets share inspiring stories with HLN By Dianna Hill
June 28, 2012
Robin Meade sat down with the injured troops at the Warrior Games
Editor's Note: More than 200 wounded servicemen and women descended on Colorado Springs in May to participate in the third annual Warrior Games. Each branch of the military sent a team of inspiring athletes to vie for gold and bragging rights. But every athlete also has an incredible story of perseverance. HLN's Robin Meade sat down with five of them.
Army Corporal Brian Miller, Air Force Tech Sergeant Israel Del Toro (DT), Marine Corporal Kionte Storey, Marine Sergeant Than Naing and Navy Mineman 2nd Class Linda Simpson.
read their stories here
Florida lifeguard fired for saving life, coworkers fired for defending him
When I was much younger, I was a lifeguard at a YMCA and taught swimming. I can tell you that the first thing on Lopez's mind was someone needed his help. This is all wrong beyond belief! He got fired and his friends got fired for defending him. What kind of a message does this send? What's next? Will Florida cops get fired if they save a life because the person is an inch outside of their area?
Fired Florida Lifeguard's Coworkers Out After Admitting They'd Save Man Outside Zone
By ALEXIS SHAW, MATT GUTMAN CANDACE SMITH and KATIE MOISSE
HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla.
ABC News
July 4, 2012
Six Florida lifeguards have lost their jobs for backing a coworker's decision to save a man struggling in the surf but outside their jurisdiction.
Tomas Lopez , 21, was fired Monday for vacating his lifeguarding zone to save a man drowning in unprotected waters 1,500 feet south of his post on Hallandale Beach, Fla.
"I knew I broke the rules," said Lopez, who ran past the buoy marking the boundary of his patrol zone to help the man. "I told the manager, I'm fired aren't I?"
Lopez said he jumped into the water and "I double underhooked him…I was worried about the guy and his health. He was blue."
Six of Lopez's coworkers said they would have done the same thing. And now, they've been fired too.
read more here
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Vietnam Veterans want the record straight on Born on the Fourth of July
Vietnam War veteran's 'Born on the Fourth of July' account disputed by comrades' memories
By JEFF JARDINE
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: July 4, 2012
MODESTO, Calif. — Whenever someone gives an account of just about anything, you can bet someone else will contradict it — especially when the claim involves heroism.
Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic detailed his exploits as a Marine staff sergeant in his autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July." Tom Cruise portrayed Kovic on the big screen in the 1989 film directed by another Vietnam vet, Oliver Stone.
Rudy Molina Jr. says some of Kovic's story is just plain wrong and wants to set the record straight.
By JEFF JARDINE
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: July 4, 2012
MODESTO, Calif. — Whenever someone gives an account of just about anything, you can bet someone else will contradict it — especially when the claim involves heroism.
Vietnam War veteran Ron Kovic detailed his exploits as a Marine staff sergeant in his autobiography, "Born on the Fourth of July." Tom Cruise portrayed Kovic on the big screen in the 1989 film directed by another Vietnam vet, Oliver Stone.
Rudy Molina Jr. says some of Kovic's story is just plain wrong and wants to set the record straight.
Why trust Molina? His story matches that of Florida's Dennis Kleppen, another survivor of the firefight Jan. 20, 1968, at Cua Viet, south of the Demilitarized Zone. Kovic was shot twice, the second bullet hitting him in the shoulder, lodging in his spine and paralyzing him for life. read more here
VA Doctor says there's a treatment for Combat PTSD that works in 5 years?
Dr. Matthew Friedman of the VA said "But studies have shown that 80 percent of those, given proper treatment, are without symptoms after five years." Oh really? I have over 15,000 posts on this blog alone and have never seen any evidence of this topped off with never having heard it from a single veteran. No symptoms? Gee then the veterans I know must be suffering from something else or the "proper treatment" has been kept from hundreds of thousands of them.
Most of what else is in this is correct but we really should be wondering why he made such a claim. Is this an attempt to stop paying claims after 5 years? What studies is he talking about?
Most of what else is in this is correct but we really should be wondering why he made such a claim. Is this an attempt to stop paying claims after 5 years? What studies is he talking about?
VA's message: PTSD is 'very treatable'
By MARY MEEHAN
Lexington Herald-Leader, Ky.
Published: July 4, 2012
The most common misconception about post-traumatic stress disorder is that there is no effective treatment.
Dr. Matthew Friedman, executive director of the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD, is working to get the word out that it's "very treatable."
PTSD is more prevalent among service members today, with 17 percent to 20 percent of the troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from it, he said. But studies have shown that 80 percent of those, given proper treatment, are without symptoms after five years.
The disease itself is far from new.
"Homer was a vet," he said. "Achilles showed signs of PTSD."
For centuries, he said, it was "the turf of poets and novelists." Shakespeare wrote about it, as did Charles Dickens. It was during the Civil War that doctors coined the term, "soldier's heart." The idea was that a soldier's heart rate, blood pressure and pulse rate were altered by war, and that led to personality changes.
Over the years, the disorder has had several names — shell shock, combat fatigue, combat exhaustion — but it has evolved to be understood as having psychological and physiological roots.
The increase in PTSD patients is tied to the large number of military reservists serving in combat, Friedman said. Having social support — as full-time military personnel do — is one of the things that can prevent a traumatic event from escalating into PTSD, he explained.
For those on active duty, the military is their life and their job. "Citizen soldiers don't have that same kind of support," he said.
read more here
Here's a _ _ _ _ing clue for you. Stop Resiliency Training!
Here's a _ _ _ _ing clue for you. Stop Resiliency Training! Undo the damage this program did and then maybe, just maybe they'll save some lives! Not interested in playing nice on this at all anymore. I am sure Christ will forgive me for saying WTF since I've been thinking that for the last four years! To my readers, please excuse me but I just popped my cork and can't take it anymore.
Sunday I was on my way home from church when my cell phone rang. It was a "wrong number" from someone looking for a shelter. He hung up but called right back and asked me if I was a Chaplain. I told him I was and then he asked me if I could help him.
He told me that he had done three tours, in and out of different programs here in Florida and about to become homeless again. He's 100% PTSD and physically disabled but still has not gotten what he needs to heal from where he was sent! And we're not supposed to have an issue with this? We're supposed to just keep taking in the you know what and pretending they're doing everything possible? They aren't! The refusal to end this massive failure called "Battlemind" turned into yet again another label of "resiliency" KEEPS THEM FROM GETTING HELP AND ENDS UP MAKING THEM BLAME THEMSELVES! When will the DOD and VA understand this?
Sunday I was on my way home from church when my cell phone rang. It was a "wrong number" from someone looking for a shelter. He hung up but called right back and asked me if I was a Chaplain. I told him I was and then he asked me if I could help him.
He told me that he had done three tours, in and out of different programs here in Florida and about to become homeless again. He's 100% PTSD and physically disabled but still has not gotten what he needs to heal from where he was sent! And we're not supposed to have an issue with this? We're supposed to just keep taking in the you know what and pretending they're doing everything possible? They aren't! The refusal to end this massive failure called "Battlemind" turned into yet again another label of "resiliency" KEEPS THEM FROM GETTING HELP AND ENDS UP MAKING THEM BLAME THEMSELVES! When will the DOD and VA understand this?
US service members' suicide rates unacceptable, call for special approach
Dr. Dana Matthews
TCPalm
Posted July 3, 2012
PORT ST. LUCIE — American service members' suicides have increased to nearly one a day this year –- the fastest pace in the nation's decade of war.
The 154 suicides for troops in the first 155 days of the year far outdistance the U.S. forces killed in action in Afghanistan by 50 percent according to Pentagon statistics.
These numbers reflect a military burdened with wartime demands from Iraq and Afghanistan that have taken a much greater toll than foreseen a decade ago. The military also is struggling with increased sexual assaults, alcohol abuse, domestic violence and other misbehavior.
Suicides seemed to have leveled off the preceding two years; consequently, this year's upswing has caught many officials off guard.
The reasons for the increase are not fully understood. Studies suggested combat exposure, post-traumatic stress, misuse of prescription medications and personal financial problems. Army data suggest soldiers with multiple combat tours are at greater risk of committing suicide.
Suicide totals have exceeded U.S. combat deaths in Afghanistan in earlier periods, including for the full years 2008 and 2009.
The numbers are rising among the 1.4 million active-duty military personnel despite years of effort to encourage troops to seek help with mental health problems. Many in the military believe that going for help is seen as a sign of weakness and thus a potential threat to advancement.
read more here
Student's Documentary On PTSD
Student's Documentary On PTSD
Reported by: Greg Stotelmyer
Jason Edwards, 32, steps into an audio booth to lay down part of his voice track for a documentary he is doing this summer with his college instructor.
“This would be the largest deployment of National Guard soldiers overseas since World War 2,” he reads in his east Kentucky twang. “One of them was my brother. This is the story of Joe."
Joe Edwards is 26, the youngest of 3 boys in a family from Harlan, Ky. Jason is telling his brother’s story of struggles with PTSD in hopes of helping him while also enabling his brother to help others who have also struggled after returning home from a war zone.
Joe Edwards was deployed to Iraq for 18 months. Jason Edwards is using a 12 week summer internship as a broadcasting major at Eastern Kentucky University to face the family’s trauma head on.
“Honestly it's a therapy for both of us,” Jason said during a break with editing and post-production on the documentary.
“That's why we call the documentary Two Brothers,” Jason explained. “You know, because my brother that left is not the brother that came back."
In video clips of interviews with Joe Edwards he tells of the nightmares, anxiety, depression and drinking that came with PTSD.
read more here
Reported by: Greg Stotelmyer
Jason Edwards, 32, steps into an audio booth to lay down part of his voice track for a documentary he is doing this summer with his college instructor.
“This would be the largest deployment of National Guard soldiers overseas since World War 2,” he reads in his east Kentucky twang. “One of them was my brother. This is the story of Joe."
Joe Edwards is 26, the youngest of 3 boys in a family from Harlan, Ky. Jason is telling his brother’s story of struggles with PTSD in hopes of helping him while also enabling his brother to help others who have also struggled after returning home from a war zone.
Joe Edwards was deployed to Iraq for 18 months. Jason Edwards is using a 12 week summer internship as a broadcasting major at Eastern Kentucky University to face the family’s trauma head on.
“Honestly it's a therapy for both of us,” Jason said during a break with editing and post-production on the documentary.
“That's why we call the documentary Two Brothers,” Jason explained. “You know, because my brother that left is not the brother that came back."
In video clips of interviews with Joe Edwards he tells of the nightmares, anxiety, depression and drinking that came with PTSD.
read more here
Mike Mullen On Military Veteran Suicide
Mike Mullen On Military Veteran Suicide: 'We've Got 18 Vets A Day Who Are Killing Themselves'
The Huffington Post
By Nick Wing
Posted: 07/02/2012
Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival this weekend, giving a candid assessment of the growing problem of military suicide.
Discussing the status of the military's health in terms of both individuals, as well as the overall force, Mullen spoke openly of his concerns about personnel increasingly strained by both physical and "invisible" wounds. He also laid out an anecdote to underscore the emotional toll that the last decade of war has taken on members of the military and their families.
read more here
The Huffington Post
By Nick Wing
Posted: 07/02/2012
Mike Mullen, former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke at the Aspen Ideas Festival this weekend, giving a candid assessment of the growing problem of military suicide.
Discussing the status of the military's health in terms of both individuals, as well as the overall force, Mullen spoke openly of his concerns about personnel increasingly strained by both physical and "invisible" wounds. He also laid out an anecdote to underscore the emotional toll that the last decade of war has taken on members of the military and their families.
read more here
Gold Star Moms group helps local women cope
Gold Star Moms group helps local women cope with their military sons' deaths
Jul 4, 2012
Written by
Jennifer Bowman
The Enquirer
Six years ago, Vicki Dickinson’s phone rang. It was her daughter-in-law. “She said, ‘The chaplain is here.’ And I knew what that meant,” said Dickinson, a Battle Creek resident. “I hung up with her and I couldn’t breathe.” Dickinson’s son, Michael, was serving in the U.S. Army when he was killed in Iraq by a sniper in 2006. The 26-year-old was on his fifth tour and was supposed to return home just nine days later.
“You lose a piece of you,” Vicki Dickinson said. “It’s gone, and it doesn’t come back.”
Other Gold Star Moms are familiar with the feeling.
Emily Hansen, an Athens resident, said she was at work when she was escorted to the building’s human resources department in 2010. There, she was told that her 25-year-old son, Jimmy Hansen, had been killed on a base in Iraq while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“I wanted to walk out the door,” she said, “but they shut it on me.”
read more here
Jul 4, 2012
Written by
Jennifer Bowman
The Enquirer
Six years ago, Vicki Dickinson’s phone rang. It was her daughter-in-law. “She said, ‘The chaplain is here.’ And I knew what that meant,” said Dickinson, a Battle Creek resident. “I hung up with her and I couldn’t breathe.” Dickinson’s son, Michael, was serving in the U.S. Army when he was killed in Iraq by a sniper in 2006. The 26-year-old was on his fifth tour and was supposed to return home just nine days later.
“You lose a piece of you,” Vicki Dickinson said. “It’s gone, and it doesn’t come back.”
Other Gold Star Moms are familiar with the feeling.
Emily Hansen, an Athens resident, said she was at work when she was escorted to the building’s human resources department in 2010. There, she was told that her 25-year-old son, Jimmy Hansen, had been killed on a base in Iraq while serving in the U.S. Air Force.
“I wanted to walk out the door,” she said, “but they shut it on me.”
read more here
Marines Semper Fi fund charity bike ride
Local bikers raise funds for injured Marines
Kyrie O'Connor
July 3, 2012
COLLEGE STATION - If you let Texans Dennis McLaughlin or Troy McLehany tell the story, Ben Maenza of Tennessee is the hero. If you let Maenza tell it, the heroes are McLaughlin, McLehany and their crew.
Let's stipulate up front: They're all heroes.
All of them, plus McLaughlin's brother-in-law, John Gerlaugh of Virginia, are riding recumbent bicycles across the U.S. to raise money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, which provides aid to injured Marines well past their hospital stays.
read more here
Kyrie O'Connor
July 3, 2012
COLLEGE STATION - If you let Texans Dennis McLaughlin or Troy McLehany tell the story, Ben Maenza of Tennessee is the hero. If you let Maenza tell it, the heroes are McLaughlin, McLehany and their crew.
Let's stipulate up front: They're all heroes.
All of them, plus McLaughlin's brother-in-law, John Gerlaugh of Virginia, are riding recumbent bicycles across the U.S. to raise money for the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund, which provides aid to injured Marines well past their hospital stays.
read more here
Camp Pendleton Marine Electrocuted In Afghanistan
Camp Pendleton Marine Electrocuted In Afghanistan
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
KPBS News
By Beth Ford Roth
Cpl. Anthony R. Servin was electrocuted to death in Afghanistan on June 8th - the third Marine from Camp Pendleton to die from electrocution in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2012, according to the Marine Corps Times:
The latest electrocution occurred after the Marine’s radio antenna touched a low-hanging power line, the Naval Safety Center reported.
read more here
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
KPBS News
By Beth Ford Roth
Cpl. Anthony R. Servin was electrocuted to death in Afghanistan on June 8th - the third Marine from Camp Pendleton to die from electrocution in Afghanistan since the beginning of 2012, according to the Marine Corps Times:
The latest electrocution occurred after the Marine’s radio antenna touched a low-hanging power line, the Naval Safety Center reported.
read more here
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