Bass Pro Shop, Santa and Elves Bring Soldier Dad Home For Christmas

Soldier surprises 3-year-old daughter for Christmas
KSDK
Elizabeth Matthews
December 8, 2014

Madyson and her dad.(Photo: KSDK)

ST. CHARLES, Mo. - There was not a dry eye in the house as a 3-year-old little girl sat on Santa's lap and asked to see her daddy, her wish was granted.

Year after year, one by one, children climb into Santa's lap and ask for gifts and sometimes miracles.

The scene was no different Sunday afternoon at the Bass Pro Shop in St. Charles.

Three-year-old Madyson's wish? For her soldier daddy to come home. On cue as if it were magic, he appears!

"Daddy!" she exclaimed.

"Hi baby!" he said.

Army Staff Sergeant Josh Pohlman has been in Afghanistan for the past nine months. He says it's overwhelming to hear his daughter ask for him for Christmas.

"It hits me straight in the heart it's exciting to know that she's really excited for me to come home," Pohlman said.

Helping Santa with this Christmas miracle were the elves at Bass Pro Shop.

"This is our way of giving back and we just couldn't be happier to have something like this so close to Christmas," manager Tom O'Donnell said.
read more here

Marine talks of survivor guilt in a powerful animated film

Marine describes losing comrades in Iraq in moving animated film
Marine Times
By Hope Hodge Seck
Staff writer
December 10, 2014

Marine veteran Travis Williams doesn't try to hide the way his voice cracks when he describes the day he lost 11 teammates to a single roadside bomb in Iraq.

Williams, a former lance corporal with the Reserve unit 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, out of Columbus, Ohio, told his story this fall for StoryCorps, an organization that records and archives interviews with participants across the country. StoryCorps recently turned Williams' interview into a short animated feature, one of three made in honor of Veterans Day this year.

In the three-minute, 45-second account titled "1st Squad, 3rd Platoon," Williams describes the events of Aug. 3, 2005, and their aftermath. The 12-man team set out on a rescue mission to find a missing Marine in Barwanah. After loading together into their tracked armored vehicle, Williams was told he needed to ride in the next vehicle in the convoy.

"I said, 'Catch you guys on the flipside," Williams said in the StoryCorps account. "And that was the last thing I ever said to them."
read more here

Nov 11, 2014
In August 2005, Marine Lance Cpl. Travis Williams and his squad were sent on a rescue mission in Barwanah, Iraq. En route, their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb. Of Travis' entire 12-person team, he alone survived. Here, Travis reflects on the hours and days after the explosion, as well as his life now, and pays tribute to the men he left behind.

Navy Gets Frickin Laser For Ships Not Sharks

Remember when Dr. Evil wanted sharks with laser beams......
Navy just got lasers but no sharks.

Video: Navy Brand New Laser Protects Ponce in Persian Gulf
Defense Tech
by MIKE HOFFMAN
DECEMBER 10, 2014
US Navy Laser Weapon System (LaWS) Live Firing Onboard USS Ponce AFSB(I)-15 Office Of Naval Research

Navy admirals showed off the laser mounted to the USS Ponce Wednesday to the Pentagon press corps as the Navy announced it was confident the laser could protect the sailors aboard the Ponce, which is deployed to the Persian Gulf. As part of the media blitz, the Navy released this video showing the litany of testing the 30-kilowatt laser executed before Navy leaders felt comfortable make the declaration. The video shows sailors shooting down small drones and hitting targets on fast attack boats — two of the major threats Navy surface ships face. read more here

IAVA and VFW Call for Action After Warrior Transition Unit Reports

Veterans organizations call for action on wounded soldiers’ complaints
Dallas Morning News
By DAVID TARRANT, SCOTT FRIEDMAN and EVA PARKS
Published: 10 December 2014

Two of the nation’s largest veterans organizations are calling for Congress and the Pentagon to address the mistreatment of wounded soldiers in the Army’s Warrior Transition Units — a problem that came to light in a joint investigation by The Dallas Morning News and KXAS-TV (NBC5).

Congress and the Pentagon need to do more to protect those assigned to special units to treat injured service members, said spokesmen for both the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America.

“These are guys and gals who put their lives on the line to defend their country, so they need to be treated with respect, and they need to be treated with a certain amount of compassion,” said Brendon Gehrke, senior legislative associate with the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Washington, D.C.

Hundreds of current or former soldiers have complained of harassment and intimidation by leadership at three Texas-based Warrior Transition Units, or WTUs, according to hundreds of documents and interviews with soldiers and medical experts.

The complaints were reported in “Injured Heroes, Broken Promises,” a two-part series published and broadcast last month by NBC5 and The News.
read more here

Related
Part 1: Wounded soldiers allege mistreatment in the units
Part 2: Transition leaders disrespectful, say soldiers; unit defends selection, training
Complaints about wounded warriors’ treatment pile up
He sought to help, but PTSD hindered him

From NBC

PTSD Afghanistan Veteran Walked From New Jersey to Vegas

Veteran’s cross-country walk brings him to Las Vegas
FOX 5 Vegas
Written by Craig Huber
Posted: Dec 11, 2014

Veteran Eric Peters is walking from New Jersey to California
to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder. (FOX5)

LAS VEGAS (FOX5)
Veteran Eric Peters has walked from his home in Clark, NJ, to Las Vegas to raise awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder, and his journey's not over yet.

Peters, 23, won't stop until he's reached Santa Monica, CA.

A veteran of the War in Afghanistan, Peters was injured on the battlefield.

"There are a lot of demons that I'm fighting, but I continue to put a smile on my face and help out other people. It's actually more therapy to me helping other people," Peters said.

In March of 2011, Peters and his unit, the 101st Airborne Division, were hit by enemy mortar fire while patrolling in a Humvee in the Kunar province.

Peters was knocked unconscious by the blast and shrapnel. He was later diagnosed with PTSD.

"It takes a piece of your soul, you know, and it just flushes it away," he said.

Peters said the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently sent him a letter stating his request for further treatment had been denied.
read more here

"Deficiencies" Prevent Veteran in Cardiac Arrest From Emergency Care

Veterans Affairs Weighs In On Patient Death
Central PA.com
Ashley Doerzbacher
12/08/2014

HOLLIDAYSBURG, BLAIR COUNTY - A report out indicates that man stopped breathing after going into cardiac arrest at the Hollidaysburg Veterans Home.

That report states the home did not send that patient to the emergency room after he complained of severe pains.

Both the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Health conducted investigations.

They found two deficiencies at the facility, but they don't feel they played any role in that man's death.

According to a report from the department of health, about 8:30 PM on August 29, a man complained of excruciating abdominal pain to a nurse at the home, and requested to go to the emergency room.

At that time, a physician increased his pain medication. About five hours later, just before one o'clock in the morning on August 30, that man went into cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.
read more here

Wife fills political shoes for senator serving in Afghanistan boots

Wife fills in for Indiana state senator serving in Afghanistan
Fox News.com
Published December 10, 2014

Talk about a power couple.

Indiana state Sen. Jim Banks has found the perfect match to fill in for him in the state legislature while he serves in Afghanistan as part of his Navy Reserves unit – his wife.

In what is reportedly an Indiana first, Banks’ wife Amanda will serve as an interim senator in his place while he completes his Afghanistan tour.

Banks, speaking with Fox News in a joint interview with his wife on Wednesday, said he’s “very proud.”

“I know she will represent the district well,” Banks said, speaking from Afghanistan.

The Republican senator found out he wouldn’t be around for election day during the campaign. But he won reelection, unopposed, and was sworn in via Skype, from Afghanistan.
read more here

"Holy Crap" Christian Chaplain Told He Can't Share Faith?

In 2012, The Chicago Tribune did a study on "non-believers" in the military.

Christianity also dominates the religious makeup of the military. Only about 8,000 out of 1.4 million active duty members in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force identify themselves as atheists, and another 1,800 say they are agnostic, according to the Defense Department.

The article focused on a concert "Rock Beyond Belief" at Fort Bragg for non-believers.

Fort Bragg's garrison commander said allowing the atheist event to be held on base was just the latest manifestation of the Army's efforts to make sure nonbelievers in its ranks were treated like everyone else.

"We don't treat soldiers who are atheists as atheists," said Col. Stephen Sicinski. "We treat them as soldiers."

After rain gave way to sunshine on Saturday, a smaller-than-expected crowd streamed onto the same large field where Christians gathered in 2010. There was again face painting and jumping inflatables for children, but a performer on stage rapped that "creationism is dead wrong" and a T-shirt for sale featured a Bible along with the slogan "Holy Crap."

Over at Fort Benning a Chaplain dared to share his story of struggles and his faith. Chaplain Lawhorn wanted to talk about what he did to help with his depression.

FORT BENNING, Ga., Dec. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, Liberty Institute, on behalf of U.S. Army Chaplain (Captain) Joe Lawhorn, responded to the Army's punishment against him on December 8, 2014.

On November 20, 2014, Chaplain Lawhorn conducted suicide prevention training as required by Army regulations. During the training, he discussed his own personal struggles and how he used the Bible to successfully combat his depression. One of the soldiers in attendance complained to an atheist group about Chaplain Lawhorn's presentation. In response, Army Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Commander, Colonel David G. Fivecoat, issued Chaplain Lawhorn a Letter of Concern alleging that Chaplain Lawhorn "advocated for . . . Christianity and used Christian scripture and solutions" and therefore violated Army regulations.

One soldier complained.

I don't have access to read all the words he used. I didn't have a front row seat to see the soldier getting upset having to listen to someone share his heartbreak as well as what helped him. I don't need to. What I do have is a loss of hope that the best way to help soldiers heal PTSD has to address the spiritual aspect as well as their body and the rest of their mind.

On Mother Jones there is still an article up from 2011 about atheist chaplains. Jason Torpy, an Iraq vet and president of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, participated in an interview.

"We've got a considered opinion that chaplains are appropriate, given the modern chaplaincy. The military has heaped upon the chaplains responsibilities for ethical advisement, for well-rounding the person, to provide support to a military that is less than 70 percent Christian and less than 50 percent Protestant, to provide support to a unit and still be relevant. Chaplains are given responsibility for deployment counseling, for family counseling, financial counseling, and now this new resiliency training."

What exactly is free thinking when it seems as if a Chaplain isn't free to share his thoughts? If atheists are so convinced people of faith are so full of nonsense, then what are they afraid of? After all, I am a Christian and a Chaplain, albeit not a member of the military, but my faith is so strong that I don't have to get the approval of atheists. Why do they want the approval of people they disregard as being so stupid they believe in something there is no proof of?

I get the fact they don't seem to be able to grasp the concept of belief not requiring proof above and beyond what it took to get them to decided to believe as much as what it lacked for atheists to choose not to. What I don't get is, how does all of this work in their own minds?

Again, why are they free to think and believe what they want yet others are not? Why do they think they are entitled to shut up a Chaplain, a Christian Chaplain from sharing his faith with those willing to listen?

It is a Chaplains job to share his/her faith and that is why they are in the positions they are in. So what are atheists afraid of? That it will rub off on them? Give me a break! I am not afraid an atheist will take away my belief but I talk to them. I'll listen to what they are going through and talk to them like a person. Whenever I do need to share what I believe in, I tell them that they can think of it the same way they always do. That when I mention God or Christ, it is just a nice story. Sooner or later they get the point that we're not all trying to get them to convert half as much as we're trying to help them with their spiritual warfare.

Atheists struggle with good and evil just as much as anyone else but they are harder to reach when they don't really believe they have a soul but have some type of disconnected emotional part of their brain searching for reason. They can still feel better when they walk away once they are able to at least think of things differently.

I had an argument a long time ago with a veteran hell bent on pointing out how evil I was to support God. He kept telling me that it was impossible to believe in God because of all that is wrong with the world and the hell of suffering going on. This lasted quite a while until I asked him where he thought good came from.

He didn't understand at first. So I asked him if he ever saw anything good in Vietnam. Once he got over being angry, he paused for a bit, then said he never saw anything good. I could tell there was something he was hiding. I asked him what made him cry there. He told me about a young child. Then went off on a rant about kids suffering all over the world.

I asked him, "Where do you think the good inside of you came from that lasted all these years?"

He walked away. I wasn't about to argue with him considering he had a lot to drink. Later at the event he kept looking at me and the expression on his face softened. I talked to more people and kept catching him looking over at me. As I was leaving, he came over, gave me a hug and walked away. I guess I struck a nerve and got him to remember that things are not as bad as we think they are most of the time, because most of the time, we don't notice what is good.

I have no problem with atheists having their own groups but I do have a problem with them wanting to stop believers having the same rights they want for themselves. I have no problem with them not wanting to go to Christian events but I do have a problem with them wanting to take away the rights of others do go to them.

I also have a huge problem with them being so bent out of shape over a symbol of a cross they don't believe in. If they don't believe in it then how can it be so offensive to them they can't stand the thought of it giving comfort to someone else?

There are limits to everything and they shouldn't have to put up with being forced to do anything regarding faith or the lack of it so they should be able to have their own groups but they can't get what they want by taking away the same ability from others.

Atheists believe in nothing but on this point, what they seem to believe in is non-sense. Telling a Chaplain he can't share what he believes in defeats the reason he is there in the first place.

Four Tour Iraq Veteran Killed By "Allegedly" Drunk Driver

Sister-in-law of veteran killed in wreck: 'He was a hero and his loss is deep'
KLTV New
By Francesca Washington
Posted: Dec 09, 2014
TYLER, TX

On Sunday night, 30-year old Jerry Howell was killed when his car was struck by a pickup truck on Highway 31, near Kilgore. His wife, Wendy was his passenger, and is still in a Tyler ICU.

"They were just dropping the kids off and heading home when it happened," said Mindy Benson, Jerry's sister-in-law.

Mindy Benson says her sister and brother-in-law, Wendy and Jerry Howell, spent Sunday afternoon among family, taking new family photos.

Later that night, their car was struck by Adam Hotaling, who was allegedly drunk behind the wheel. Hotaling, a Shreveport resident, is in the Smith County Jail, charged with intoxication manslaughter.

"If you're going to drink, stay where you are at, call a friend, call somebody. Don't get on the road. Because he walked away and they didn't, "Benson said. "I know that he never intended to have an accident when he set out. But that choice has impacted this family. It has taken away a father, a husband, a brother, an uncle, a son and a friend."

Benson says Jerry was in the U.S. Army for 17 years. He served four tours in Iraq and was awarded a Purple Heart in 2004.
read more here

'Real Forrest Gump' Sammy Davis brings his song to Fort Wayne

'Real Forrest Gump' brings his song, Vietnam tale here
The Journal Gazette
Jeff Wiehe
December 10, 2014

He carries the harmonica whenever he’s in uniform.

It’s been nearly 50 years since he first learned to play it, teaching himself the notes to “Shenandoah” solely to please a sergeant who would make the rounds of his artillery unit in Vietnam.

“It’s getting better,” the sergeant would tell him, noting that he needed to hold that note longer or another note shorter.

Sammy L. Davis brought out his harmonica Tuesday for the people gathered in an auditorium at Indiana Tech, and he told them this:

“I hope this finds a place in your heart and renews your soul.”

Those people, they were there to hear his story.

It’s a story about a 42-man artillery unit just west of Cai Lay, Vietnam, trying to hold off 1,500 swarming members of the North Vietnamese Army early one November morning in 1967.

It’s about how one of those young men manned a lone howitzer and fended off hundreds of enemies, and how, despite suffering horrendous injuries, he used an air mattress to cross a deep river to rescue three of his comrades.

If this sounds like a movie, well, there’s a reason people call Davis, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient and a man who put a harmonica to his mouth to play “Shenandoah” before the rapt audience, the “real Forrest Gump.”

‘“Forrest Gump” based on me’
read more here

Sammy was at the Homes from Our Troops Fundraiser a couple of years ago and we had some time to sit down for a chat with his wife Dixie. In the first video, Sammy talks about playing Shenandoah.

May 15, 2012
During the Orlando Nam Knights Homes For Our Troops fundraiser, MOH Sammy Davis tells the story of how he became known for playing Shenandoah. This fundraiser will be called the Dannis Wolf Bish Memorial fundraiser from now on. Dannis was killed right after the bike week party and Homes For Our Troops was his passion.

May 7, 2012
At the Orlando Nam Knights fundraiser for Homes For Our Troops, Vietnam Veteran and Medal of Honor hero Sammy Davis talked to me about what it was like coming home after all he'd been through. It is a story few have heard before. As Sammy put it, it is one of the reasons no other veteran will ever come home treated like that again.

May 8, 2012
Vietnam Medal of Honor Sammy Davis has a message to all the troops coming home. Talk about it! Don't try to forget it but you can make peace with it. Dixie Davis has a message for the spouses too. Help them to talk about it with you or with someone else.

Rick Scott Honored Fort Hood Soldiers from Florida

News Release: Governor's Press Office
December 8, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, Governor Rick Scott honored Private First Class Justin Johnson from Punta Gorda, Florida and Staff Sergeant Patrick Zeigler from Orange County, Florida, who are expected to be awarded Purple Heart Medals for their bravery during the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.

President Obama is expected to sign legislation authorizing Purple Heart Medals for acts of heroism during the 2009 Fort Hood Shooting after passage of the bill in the US House and US Senate.

Governor Scott said, “Florida stands proudly as two Floridians – Private First Class Justin Johnson and Staff Sergeant Patrick Zeigler – are expected to be awarded the Purple Heart for their bravery during the 2009 Fort Hood Shooting. Both men sustained injuries in the massacre. As a veteran myself, I join all Floridians to express sincere gratitude to Justin and Patrick and their families today for their sacrifice.

“We also remember Sergeant Danny Ferguson, from Mulberry, Florida, who lost his life during the 2014 Fort Hood Shooting. The horrific acts that happened at Ft. Hood will forever be remembered by all Americans and we will continue to honor those who were injured, or killed, and their families.”

Robbers get lesson from disabled Vietnam veteran

Disabled vet thwarts home break-in, warns suspects not to return
Gaston Gazette
By Michael Barrett
Published: Friday, December 5, 2014

(Michael Barrett/The Gazette)
“Joseph Sapienza stands with his walker Friday afternoon by the front door of his Davis Avenue home, where two men reportedly tried to break in Thursday night. The 68-year-old disabled Marine taped a note to the door, visible at bottom right, warning the suspects not to try it again.”

Sixty-eight-year-old Joseph Sapienza suspects the men who attempted to break into his Gastonia home Thursday night thought he would be an easy target because he’s disabled and uses a walker.

But after scaring away the would-be thieves, Sapienza taped a note to his door, in which he attempted to make it clear that his trigger finger works just fine.

“(If) you try to break in my house again, I will be waiting on you,” reads the note, which was still there Friday afternoon. “Enter at your own risk.”

Sapienza, a Marine Corps veteran who served four years in Vietnam, was watching television in his bed at 7:42 p.m. at his home on Davis Avenue. He heard someone prying off the lock and pulling the nails to the latch out of his front door.
read more here

Clay Hunt Deserved Better Than This Suicide Prevention Bill

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 9, 2014

Some people are cheering this news, but I'm not.

John Boehner Will Take Up Tim Walz's and Jeff Miller's Veteran Suicide Bill
Sunshine State News
By: KEVIN DERBY
December 9, 2014

As the end of the current congressional session nears, U.S. House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, signaled on Monday that he is going to push a bill from a Florida Republican and two Northern Democrats increasing access to mental health services for veterans.

With reports showing more than 20 veterans a day committing suicide, U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., the chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Democrats U.S. Rep. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and U.S. Rep. Tim Walz of Minnesota introduced the “Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act” over the summer. The bill increases mental health-care access for veterans through launching a peer support and community outreach pilot program, creating a one-stop website for veterans needing health care and mandating annual evaluations and assessments of VA suicide programs. The legislation has the support of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans for America (IAVA).

“The key to curbing the epidemic of veteran suicides is improving the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health-care available to our returning heroes,” Miller said back in July when the bill was introduced. “Over the past seven years, VA's mental health-care staff and budget have grown by nearly 40 percent, but the fact remains, veterans are still committing suicide at a frightening pace. This slow-motion national tragedy is likely to continue as long as the Department of Veterans Affairs sticks to its normal, business-as-usual approach of treating veterans where and how VA wants as opposed to where and how veterans want.
read more here

I can't cheer for yet one more copy and paste bill with another name attached to it of a too short lived life. Clay Hunt deserved better than this. They all did.

Talking to family members I used to be able to tell them that things are changing and people will act. Now I can't tell them they will take action the right way. There have been far too many years of things like H.R.5059 - Clay Hunt SAV Act

Official Title as Introduced:
To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide for the conduct of annual evaluations of mental health care and suicide prevention programs of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to review the terms or characterization of the discharge or separation of certain individuals from the Armed Forces, to require a pilot program on loan repayment for psychiatrists who agree to serve in the Veterans Health Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

It all sounds good but it all sounds so familiar.

Joshua Omvig's parents thought the bill congress passed in their son's name would make a difference too.

Text of the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
This bill was introduced on June 27, 2007, in a previous session of Congress, but was not enacted. The text of the bill below is as of Jul 23, 2007 (Reported by Senate Committee).

Source: GPO
II
Calendar No. 279
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 479
Report No. 110–132
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 1, 2007
Mr. Harkin (for himself, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Rockefeller, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Smith, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Thune, Mr. Kerry, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Schumer, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Reid, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Voinovich, Mr. Coleman, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Chambliss, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Domenici, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Obama, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Dorgan, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Johnson, Mr. Stevens, Ms. Mikulski, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Enzi) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

July 23, 2007
Reported by Mr. Akaka, without amendment

A BILL
To reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.
1.Short title
This Act may be cited as the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act.
2.Sense of Congress
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1)suicide among veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious problem; and
(2)the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should take into consideration the special needs of veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in developing and implementing the comprehensive program required by section 3(a).
3.Comprehensive program for suicide prevention among veterans
(a)Program required
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop and implement a comprehensive program for reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.
(b)Program elements
(1)De-stigmatizing mental health
The program required by subsection (a) shall include a national mental health campaign to increase awareness in the veteran community that mental health is essential to overall health and that very effective modern treatments can promote recovery from mental illness. The campaign may include the following:
(A)Activities targeted at veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the families of such veterans.
(B)Monthly messages on the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs that express the theme that mental health is essential to overall health.
(C)Inclusion of the theme described in subparagraph (B) in public addresses, speeches, and veterans service organization convention addresses by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and other senior officials of the Department.
(2)Training of employees and other personnel
The program shall provide for mandatory training on suicide and suicide prevention for appropriate employees and contractor personnel (including all medical personnel) of the Department of Veterans Affairs who interact with veterans. Such training shall include information pertinent to the job of such employees and personnel, including information on the following:

(A)Recognition of risk factors for suicide.
(B)Protocols for responding to crisis situations involving veterans who may be at high risk for suicide.
(C)Best practices for suicide prevention.
(3)Family education and outreach
The program shall include programs of outreach to, and education for, veterans and families of veterans (including, in particular, veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom and the families of such veterans) in order to assist the family members of veterans in—
(A)eliminating or overcoming stigmas associated with mental illness;
(B)understanding issues that arise in the readjustment of veterans to civilian life;
(C)identifying signs and symptoms of mental health problems; and
(D)encouraging veterans to seek assistance for such problems.
(4)Peer support program
(A)In general
The program shall provide support for the development of a program to enable veterans to serve as peer counselors to—
(i)assist other veterans with mental health issues; and
(ii)conduct outreach to veterans and families of veterans on mental health matters.
(B)Training
The program supported by subparagraph (A) shall include appropriate training for peer counselors under the program, including training in the identification of risk factors for suicide.
(C)Peer support counseling as supplemental service
The program supported by subparagraph (A) shall be offered in addition to other mental health services already offered by the Department and services created pursuant to this Act.
(5)Health assessments of veterans
The program shall encourage all veterans, when they apply for benefits provided by the Department, to undergo a mental health assessment at a Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility (including a center established under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code).
(6)Counseling and treatment of veterans
The program shall provide for referrals to appropriate counseling and treatment programs for veterans who show signs or symptoms of mental health problems.
(7)Suicide prevention counselors
The program shall provide for the designation of a suicide prevention counselor at each Department of Veterans Affairs medical facility other than centers established under section 1712A of title 38, United States Code. Each counselor shall work with local emergency rooms, law enforcement agencies, local mental health organizations, and veterans service organizations to engage in outreach to veterans to inform them of mental health services that are available to them and to improve the coordination of mental health care to veterans at the local level.
(8)Research on best practices
(A)In general
The program shall provide for research on best practices for suicide prevention among veterans.
(B)Steering committee
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall develop a steering committee to advise the Secretary of Veterans Affairs on the research described in subparagraph (A). Such steering committee shall be comprised of representatives from the following:
(i)National Institute of Mental Health.
(ii)Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
(iii)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
(9)Substance abuse treatment
The program shall provide for referrals to appropriate counseling and treatment programs of veterans who show signs or symptoms of substance abuse.
(10)24-hour mental health care
The program shall include mechanisms to ensure the availability of services for mental health care for veterans on a 24-hour basis.
(11)Telephone hotline
The program may include a toll-free telephone number (commonly referred to as an 800 number) through which veterans may obtain information on and referrals to appropriate mental health services. The telephone number shall be serviced by personnel with appropriate mental health training, and shall be operational at all times.
(12)Other elements
The program may provide for such other activities and programs to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans as the Secretary of Veterans Affairs considers appropriate.
4.Report to Congress on suicide prevention programs and activities
(a)Report required
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the programs and activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans.
(b)Elements
The report shall include the following:
(1)A description of the status of the implementation of the program required by section 3(a). (2)A description of the scheduled implementation of the program during the two-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, including the costs of implementation of the program over that period.
(3)A plan for additional programs and activities to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. (4)Such recommendations for additional legislative or administrative action as the Secretary considers appropriate to improve and enhance the suicide prevention programs and activities of the Department. (c)Consultation
In developing the plan required by subsection (b)(3), the Secretary shall consult with the following:
(1)The National Institute of Mental Health.
(2)The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
(3)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 23, 2007
Reported without amendment

President Bush signed this bill because it was supposed to work. What it produced was more suicides among servicemembers and veterans. It didn't work yet it was followed by more and more bills the American public were told would work, followed by more and more money and more and more lives lost while everyone was patting themselves on the back for getting the bills passed and charities raking in millions a year while grieving families were wondering why their warrior had to die away from combat when they were supposed to be safe.

What the fuck are we doing? What kind of a game is being played? Is anyone paying attention?

Has anyone taken the time to find out why they are committing suicide? Anyone bother to take a serious look at what has been failing and who is responsible for all of it? Anyone interested in asking the right question so the next time they can actually get their heads out of their asses and do something that will actually help?

As of right now there are over 1,800 post on military suicide on Wounded Times. On August 14, 2007 the first post on military suicides was asking why the press wasn't on suicide watch. There are hundreds of their stories on the post. The next day the post about Army suicides being at a 26 year high went up.

The report, obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its scheduled release Thursday, found there were 99 confirmed suicides among active duty soldiers during 2006, up from 88 the previous year and the highest since the 102 suicides in 1991 at the time of the Persian Gulf War.

The suicide rate for the Army has fluctuated over the past 26 years, from last year's high of 17.3 per 100,000 to a low of 9.1 per 100,000 in 2001.

Last year, "Iraq was the most common deployment location for both (suicides) and attempts," the report said.

The 99 suicides included 28 soldiers deployed to the two wars and 71 who weren't. About twice as many women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan committed suicide as did women not sent to war, the report said

The support this bill got was about the same as the Clay Hunt Bill but as you can see, had this bill worked the way we were all told it would, then would we need another bill all these years later? Would we need so many graves filled? Oh, let's not forget to wonder why the real news about older veterans being the majority of the suicides and attempted suicides seems to keep escaping the press mentioning it because if they remind folks then it would only go to show how much the people in charge suck at what they do.

If this helps them sleep at night, I don't give a shit. I haven't had a good nights sleep in years.


Here are a few more

Schumer backs Hall's bill for PTSD Veterans
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 18, 2009
SCHUMER INTRODUCES GROUNDBREAKING VETERAN'S HEALTH BILL; WILL AFFECT OVER 150,000 IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN VETERANS WHO HAVE YET TO BE TREATED FOR POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER

Study Finds One In Five Of Our Nation's Veterans Suffer From PTSD And Over Half Of Current Iraq And Afghanistan Soldiers Afflicted Have Gone Without Treatment

Stringent VA Policies Require Vets to Tie Post Traumatic Stress Disorder To Specific Incident Before Receiving Treatment

Schumer Introduces Legislation That Will Free Vets From Onerous "Burden Of Proof" Regulations, Help Treat the 1.8 Million Service Members Deployed Since 2001

Congressman Paul Hodes Introduces Suicide Prevention Legislation for Reservists and National Guard
June 11, 2009
Washington, DC--- Congressman Paul Hodes introduced legislation that would implement the Connect/Frameworks Suicide Post-vention Program which trains key service providers and community members to provide an integrated community response to reduce risk and promote healing in the aftermath of a suicide.

Effective post-vention is an essential component of suicide prevention, and the legislation recognizes that post-vention training should be incorporated into any comprehensive suicide prevention effort.

"It is tragic that our service members who sacrifice for our country don’t have all the necessary resources to deal with post traumatic stress and confront suicide prevention," Congressman Paul Hodes. "This program has proven successful for the New Hampshire National Guard and I believe it can be successful to prevent suicides for National Guard members and Reservists across the country."

The focus of the training is to create an integrated, coordinated community response that
(1) enhances collaboration and coordination to provide the most effective intervention
(2) assures outreach and prevention through rapid and comprehensive communication, including best
practices, safe messaging, appropriate memorial services, and media guidelines; and,
(3) engages resources to help survivors and the community with grieving and healing.

Soldier Suicides, An Epidemic We Must Defeat
By CONGRESSMAN JIM MCDERMOTT
August 1, 2012
Every day an active-duty member of our Armed Forces commits suicide.
To emphasize the silent, tragic epidemic that is sweeping across the U.S. military, consider this one statistic, which was brought to light in a recent TIME magazine article: “More U.S. military personnel have died by suicide since the war in Afghanistan began than have died fighting there.”
Let me rephrase that, just to make sure you understood the above statistic: Since the start of the Afghanistan war in 2001, there have been more soldier suicides than soldier combat deaths.
It’s not as though the Pentagon has been doing nothing on this issue. They have been working to address the epidemic of soldier suicides through research, by setting up hotlines, expanding outreach programs, and increasing access to mental health services.
Yet, we are still seeing a suicide per day.
Clearly, these efforts aren’t hitting their mark. Suicide is an extremely complex problem and we do not have all the answers, but one thing we do know is that the Pentagon must do better.
On July 19, with bipartisan support, I helped to increase the Pentagon’s suicide prevention budget by $10 million in the defense annual budget that passed the U.S. House. It is my hope that in moving forward, the Pentagon will consider two important changes when spending this part of their budget to ensure that the most effective suicide prevention strategies are carried out.

15 years as a combat flight medic, lost life to PTSD

A Redmond veteran's biggest battle is over
Family grieves loss of husband, father to suicide
KTVZ News
Kandra Kent
December 8, 2014

REDMOND, Ore.
It's a tough time of the year for military families who can't be with their loved ones. But for some families, it's what happens after they do come home that can have devastating consequences.

"This was our last family portrait," Redmond resident Erryn Fulton said recently, holding up a photo of smiling faces dressed in old-time outfits. "(My husband) was really looking forward to those Christmas dinners, where everyone hugged around the tree and ate stuffing and ham."

It's a holiday wish that won't come true, at least not with the whole family.

This Christmas will be tough.

"I loved him and I miss him so much," Fulton said tearfully. "I'm just trying to figure out what normal is, and how my kids are going to go on, because we'd planned this whole life together."

Shawn Fulton, 39, was a husband, a father of six, a Redmond resident, and an Army veteran. He survived multiple tours overseas; his last deployment was to Iraq.

He spent a total of 15 years as a combat flight medic, but what he couldn't survive was coming home.

"The war on his body and the war in his mind never left Iraq," Fulton said.

Shawn Fulton committed suicide three months ago, the end of his longest battle yet.

Erryn Fulton said after her husband was medically discharged in 2009, each day for him was a struggle with physical pain, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
read more here

Naval Recruit Andrew Adams Died After Training

Naval recruit dies one day after completing training
"Recruit Andrew Adams, 20 years old, of Sarasota, Fla passed out and hit his head," said Lt. Matt Comer, spokesman for Naval Service Training Command at Great Lakes.
UPI
By Danielle Haynes
Dec. 3, 2014

Naval recruit Andrew Adams.
Photo courtesy the U.S. Navy.

GREAT LAKES, Ill., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy is investigating the death of a 20-year-old recruit who died Monday one day after completing his training.

Andrew Adams was undergoing training at Naval Service Training Command at Great Lakes at the time of his death.

"Recruit Andrew Adams, 20 years old, of Sarasota, Fla passed out and hit his head," said Lt. Matt Comer, spokesman for Naval Service Training Command at Great Lakes. "His recruit division commander responded with first aid until medical personnel could arrive, but neither could not revive the recruit."
read more here