The honorees of this year’s run are U.S. Marine Sgt. Steve Tovet and U.S. Navy Corpsman HM1 Kelly Smith.
Saturday, January 20, 2018
Hundreds of bikers took over roads in Florida...on charity ride!
Today, hundreds of bikers got together to ride from Seminole Harley Davidson in Sanford Florida, to Ace Cafe in downtown Orlando.
SUICIDE AWARENESS STARTS WHEN THEY STOP THE STUNTS
If you could hear me screaming right now, your windows would break, much like hope is being shattered all over the country!
Out of Nebraska, The Grand Island Independent gave the headline to another stunt. Oh, no, not pushups, not running in shorts or jumping into freezing water. It isn't yet another run to nowhere with everyone smiling, pretending to be doing something meaningful other than contributing to the problem...along with groups who never seem to have to explain the lack of results, anymore than they have to explain what the money is for. Oh, no, this time it is getting a tattoo!
The worst part of all is that the "effort" started with a Vietnam veteran's adult child. I thought great, finally someone was making into a news report and actually addressing the largest group of veterans committing suicide. After all, 65% of the suicides the VA knows about are over the age of 50, and among that demographic, the largest group of them are Vietnam veterans. All that should really be important when this is supposed to be about saving lives. Right? Evidently not.
As for the quoted "22" there was this.
"It’s a number that is out there that is needing to come down," said Will Wilson, owner of Babalu’s.
The problem with that is, that number came from the VA report with just 21 states contributing limited data. Combat PTSD Wounded Times, however, managed to actually prove that number is not even close. Not only do they have a lot of work to do to get that number below "22" but to even play catchup to the number the rest of us know. Much closer to over 70 a day, but even as much as we know, we will never know the true number. Too many variables all of these quoters of numbers should have known, if it really meant that much to them.
I had a conversation with a 33 year old Marine veteran yesterday. He said it has more to do with laziness. They spend so much time promoting what they want to do, they never seem to bother discovering what it needed, necessary, or even done before.
If you have a real desire to change the outcome, DO YOUR RESEARCH and STOP THE STUNTS!
The only number families care about is the 1 in their family.
But hey, get a tattoo carved into your body while more of those family members are getting a name carved into a headstone. That's ok, you can always show them the tattoo you got because you cared so much!
Out of Nebraska, The Grand Island Independent gave the headline to another stunt. Oh, no, not pushups, not running in shorts or jumping into freezing water. It isn't yet another run to nowhere with everyone smiling, pretending to be doing something meaningful other than contributing to the problem...along with groups who never seem to have to explain the lack of results, anymore than they have to explain what the money is for. Oh, no, this time it is getting a tattoo!
The worst part of all is that the "effort" started with a Vietnam veteran's adult child. I thought great, finally someone was making into a news report and actually addressing the largest group of veterans committing suicide. After all, 65% of the suicides the VA knows about are over the age of 50, and among that demographic, the largest group of them are Vietnam veterans. All that should really be important when this is supposed to be about saving lives. Right? Evidently not.
The event is personal for both Will and Jeri as Jeri’s father is a Vietnam War veteran and Will’s parents both served in the U.S. Air Force.It also must have not been important to mention who, or what, would be there when the veterans in crisis would walk through those doors.
"Just knowing kind of the struggles my dad went through with his mental health and also being a member of the VFW here in town, I’ve seen kind of a disconnect with our community and that population," Jeri said. "So (we’re) just trying to bring more awareness to the population of veterans and active service men and women. ... If we can provide a safe place for them to come when they’re not feeling so well, that’s what our doors are open for."
As for the quoted "22" there was this.
"It’s a number that is out there that is needing to come down," said Will Wilson, owner of Babalu’s.
The problem with that is, that number came from the VA report with just 21 states contributing limited data. Combat PTSD Wounded Times, however, managed to actually prove that number is not even close. Not only do they have a lot of work to do to get that number below "22" but to even play catchup to the number the rest of us know. Much closer to over 70 a day, but even as much as we know, we will never know the true number. Too many variables all of these quoters of numbers should have known, if it really meant that much to them.
I had a conversation with a 33 year old Marine veteran yesterday. He said it has more to do with laziness. They spend so much time promoting what they want to do, they never seem to bother discovering what it needed, necessary, or even done before.
If you have a real desire to change the outcome, DO YOUR RESEARCH and STOP THE STUNTS!
The only number families care about is the 1 in their family.
But hey, get a tattoo carved into your body while more of those family members are getting a name carved into a headstone. That's ok, you can always show them the tattoo you got because you cared so much!
Vietnam veteran Charles Payne is a true child of the Sixties
Tracking the life of a free spirit
Sauk Valley
Andrea Mills
January 19, 2018
STERLING – Charles Payne is a true child of the Sixties: He’s a Vietnam veteran still struggling with the after-effects of the war, a multimedia artist, and a witch (of the white, or good, variety).
“I wasn’t wounded by bullets, but by Agent Orange,” the impish 73-year-old said. “And then here I am. Still plugging away. My eyes are deteriorating, but my spirit isn’t.”
The former California resident, who also battles PTSD, has been a free spirit all of his life, even before volunteering for the Army in October 1967.
read more here
Sauk Valley
Andrea Mills
January 19, 2018
STERLING – Charles Payne is a true child of the Sixties: He’s a Vietnam veteran still struggling with the after-effects of the war, a multimedia artist, and a witch (of the white, or good, variety).
“A Vietnam veteran straightened me out. Survival guilt: If my buddies could come out of the grave, they’d kick my butt up between my shoulder blades for letting their deaths screw my head up. They didn’t die for that.”It’s the latter two aspects of his life – the artistry and the spirituality – that have helped Payne cope the past 50 years with the former.
“I wasn’t wounded by bullets, but by Agent Orange,” the impish 73-year-old said. “And then here I am. Still plugging away. My eyes are deteriorating, but my spirit isn’t.”
The former California resident, who also battles PTSD, has been a free spirit all of his life, even before volunteering for the Army in October 1967.
read more here
North Ogden Utah without Mayor...he got deployed
Hundreds say goodbye to North Ogden mayor ahead of Afghanistan deployment
Good4Utah
Rosie Nguyen
January 19, 2018
NORTH OGDEN (News4Utah) - Hundreds of residents lined the streets of North Ogden to show their appreciation and wave goodbye to Mayor Brent Taylor Friday morning.
North Ogden Police escorted Mayor Taylor and his family around town before he headed to the airport. The schools he stopped by included Bates Elementary, North Ogden Elementary, Green Acres Elementary, North Ogden Junior High, and Majestic Elementary.
Madilyn Erekson, a 5th grader at Bates Elementary got the chance to meet the mayor for a school project. She calls him a hero.
"I was happy for him, but I was kind of upset because we won't be able to see him for a year," said Madilyn.
One week after he was sworn into office for a second term, Mayor Taylor announced on Facebook Live that he would be training the Afghan Commando Battalion. City officials said this is the first known time in Utah history that a mayor deploys for wartime service.
read more here
Good4Utah
Rosie Nguyen
January 19, 2018
NORTH OGDEN (News4Utah) - Hundreds of residents lined the streets of North Ogden to show their appreciation and wave goodbye to Mayor Brent Taylor Friday morning.
North Ogden Police escorted Mayor Taylor and his family around town before he headed to the airport. The schools he stopped by included Bates Elementary, North Ogden Elementary, Green Acres Elementary, North Ogden Junior High, and Majestic Elementary.
"I was happy for him, but I was kind of upset because we won't be able to see him for a year," said Madilyn.
One week after he was sworn into office for a second term, Mayor Taylor announced on Facebook Live that he would be training the Afghan Commando Battalion. City officials said this is the first known time in Utah history that a mayor deploys for wartime service.
read more here
Florida National Guard soldier killed, 5 injured in crash
UPDATE
Florida National Guard soldier killed in chain reaction crash, 5 others injured in Sebring
WFLA 8 NBC News
By Corey Davis and WFLA Web Staff
Published: January 19, 2018
SEBRING, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida National Guard solider is dead and five others were injured after a chain reaction crash involving military vehicles in Sebring, according to officials.
The Sebring Police Department was called to the intersection of US 27 and Hammock Road shortly before 1 p.m.
A preliminary investigation revealed three Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicles, which are assigned to a National Guard unit out of Miami, collided in a chain reaction crash, according to officials.
Officials said the convoy was traveling north on the highway when the third vehicle failed to stop for a red light in time and hit the second vehicle, officials said.
The driver of the third vehicle sustained fatal injuries, according to investigators.
Officials said the passenger had to be extricated from the damaged vehicle.
According to officials, the passenger and four others were taken to area hospitals. Police said they suffered non-life threatening injuries.
read more here
Florida National Guard identifies soldier killed in military vehicle crash
In a Facebook post Saturday afternoon, the Florida National Guard said Spc. Luis E. Garcia, from the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team's Company G Forward Support Company was killed in the crash.
WFLA 8 NBC News
By Corey Davis and WFLA Web Staff
Published: January 19, 2018
SEBRING, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida National Guard solider is dead and five others were injured after a chain reaction crash involving military vehicles in Sebring, according to officials.
A preliminary investigation revealed three Palletized Load System (PLS) vehicles, which are assigned to a National Guard unit out of Miami, collided in a chain reaction crash, according to officials.
Officials said the convoy was traveling north on the highway when the third vehicle failed to stop for a red light in time and hit the second vehicle, officials said.
The driver of the third vehicle sustained fatal injuries, according to investigators.
Officials said the passenger had to be extricated from the damaged vehicle.
According to officials, the passenger and four others were taken to area hospitals. Police said they suffered non-life threatening injuries.
read more here
VA Hiring...In other news, Government shut down?
VA Begins Using Expedited Hiring Authority to Fill Array of Critical Positions
Government Executive
By Eric Katz
January 18, 2018
The Veterans Affairs Department is opening up an array of job vacancies to a more expedited hiring process, using a new authority to fill longstanding openings.
VA has received approval to move forward with direct hiring for 15 occupations deemed critical, the department’s secretary told senators at a hearing on Wednesday. He received authority to do so when President Trump signed the 2017 VA Choice and Quality Employment Act in August, which tasked VA with using the quicker hiring process for positions with a “severe shortage of candidates.” The department has since worked with the Office of Personnel Management to approve the 15 positions.
Those are: accountants, biomedical equipment support specialists, boiler plant operators, general engineers, specialists for the veterans crisis line, health technicians, histopathology technicians, human resources assistants and specialists, information technology specialists, personnel security specialists, police officers, realty specialists, utility systems operators and repair specialists. The direct hire authority applies to those positions throughout the country.
read more here
Government Executive
By Eric Katz
January 18, 2018
VA hired a total of 40,000 people in 2017, but due to attrition and turnover the department saw a net gain of just 8,300 employees. While Secretary David Shulkin praised VA for that onboarding total, it is actually slightly below the number of net employees it gained annually over the last five years and the department maintains 35,000 vacancies.
The Veterans Affairs Department is opening up an array of job vacancies to a more expedited hiring process, using a new authority to fill longstanding openings.
VA has received approval to move forward with direct hiring for 15 occupations deemed critical, the department’s secretary told senators at a hearing on Wednesday. He received authority to do so when President Trump signed the 2017 VA Choice and Quality Employment Act in August, which tasked VA with using the quicker hiring process for positions with a “severe shortage of candidates.” The department has since worked with the Office of Personnel Management to approve the 15 positions.
Those are: accountants, biomedical equipment support specialists, boiler plant operators, general engineers, specialists for the veterans crisis line, health technicians, histopathology technicians, human resources assistants and specialists, information technology specialists, personnel security specialists, police officers, realty specialists, utility systems operators and repair specialists. The direct hire authority applies to those positions throughout the country.
read more here
Friday, January 19, 2018
Canada:Firefighter treated for PTSD and seizures
Fort McMurray firefighter battling little-known condition brought on by extreme trauma
Doctors accused Nathan Koops of faking his seizures before it was finally diagnosed as PNES
CBC News
By David Thurton
Posted: Jan 19, 2018
Nathan Koops would convulse violently in front of his wife, their five-year-old son and newborn daughter.
One seizure struck while Koops was walking home with son Owen from the grocery store. It left him paralyzed on the sidewalk as Owen ran home to get help.
"Everything in my body wanted to move inwards," Koops said. "My arm would move in. My arm would curl in and the muscles would contract. My leg would do the same thing. My body would arch. And it felt like it would be pushed past its bounds."
Along with these sudden seizures, Koops had begun to be tormented by panic attacks, night terrors and head jerks.
The 32-year-old was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but a therapist suspected he also suffered from a condition not known to many professionals — PNES, or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.
read more here
Doctors accused Nathan Koops of faking his seizures before it was finally diagnosed as PNES
CBC News
By David Thurton
Posted: Jan 19, 2018
Nathan Koops would convulse violently in front of his wife, their five-year-old son and newborn daughter.
One seizure struck while Koops was walking home with son Owen from the grocery store. It left him paralyzed on the sidewalk as Owen ran home to get help.
"Everything in my body wanted to move inwards," Koops said. "My arm would move in. My arm would curl in and the muscles would contract. My leg would do the same thing. My body would arch. And it felt like it would be pushed past its bounds."
Along with these sudden seizures, Koops had begun to be tormented by panic attacks, night terrors and head jerks.
The 32-year-old was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but a therapist suspected he also suffered from a condition not known to many professionals — PNES, or psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.
read more here
Salt Lake VA therapist got veteran to jump from perfectly good plane
VA therapist helps dying Veteran complete bucket list
VAntage Point US Department of Veterans Affairs
Jill Atwood
January 18, 2018
The sky is the limit
With help from VA Recreation Therapist Lili Sotolong, left, Veteran Kenneth Augustus was able to scratch skydiving from his bucket list.
Army Veteran Kenneth Augustus loved adventure. He loved to rock climb, and scuba dive, and always had a longing for falling hundreds of feet per second from an airplane.
VA Salt Lake City Recreation Therapist Lili Sotolong knew skydiving was a lofty goal considering his condition, but she was determined to make that dream come true.
“I got a call out of the blue to come work with this Veteran,” Lili said. “I was told he only had a few months to live but when I got there he was beyond positive, and so easy to work with. He had made peace with what was happening to him and was really preparing himself for the inevitable; he just had some things he wanted to experience first.”
Lili made several calls and finally arranged the jump through two very generous community partners: Skydive Utah and the Elks Lodge. It was go time!
“He got to jump with his brother and his son, and they wanted me to do it with them! We had a group hug and were all fist-pumping in the plane prior to the jump. It really was an extraordinary experience.”
read more here
VAntage Point US Department of Veterans Affairs
Jill Atwood
January 18, 2018
The sky is the limit
Army Veteran Kenneth Augustus loved adventure. He loved to rock climb, and scuba dive, and always had a longing for falling hundreds of feet per second from an airplane.
VA Salt Lake City Recreation Therapist Lili Sotolong knew skydiving was a lofty goal considering his condition, but she was determined to make that dream come true.
“I got a call out of the blue to come work with this Veteran,” Lili said. “I was told he only had a few months to live but when I got there he was beyond positive, and so easy to work with. He had made peace with what was happening to him and was really preparing himself for the inevitable; he just had some things he wanted to experience first.”
Lili made several calls and finally arranged the jump through two very generous community partners: Skydive Utah and the Elks Lodge. It was go time!
“He got to jump with his brother and his son, and they wanted me to do it with them! We had a group hug and were all fist-pumping in the plane prior to the jump. It really was an extraordinary experience.”
read more here
Trump Appointee Thinks PTSD Vets are Faking!
Trump appointee, former Navy SEAL, resigns after deriding military veterans with PTSD
The Washington Post
By ELI ROSENBERG
Published: January 18, 2018
An appointee of President Donald Trump has resigned from the federal agency that runs AmeriCorps and other service programs after remarks he made disparaging blacks, Muslims, gays, women, veterans with PTSD and undocumented immigrants surfaced in the news media.
Carl Higbie lasted less than six months as the chief of external affairs in the Corporation for National and Community Service.
In other audio unearthed by CNN, Higbie, a former Navy SEAL, derided military veterans with PTSD as having "a weak mind," and said he thought a large majority of people with PTSD were being dishonest.
"I'd say 75 percent of people with PTSD don't actually have it, and they're either milking something for a little extra money in disability or they're just, they honestly are just lying," he said on another talk radio show in 2014.
*******
Nonetheless, he was appointed to the position at the CNCS, which runs AmeriCorps and other volunteering initiatives, and has programs dedicated to rebuilding after natural disasters and supporting veterans and their families, including helping them transition once they return home. read more here and check back later on this
From CNN aside from the other sickening things he had to say, which are too many to list here, this is more of the above report from CNN, with audio, if you can stand to hear the words out of his mouth. Reading them were bad enough, but listening to him was even worse.
"Yeah I'm a gonna go out on limb here and say, a lot of people are going to disagree with this comment," Higbie said on Sound of Freedom in February 2013. "But severe PTSD, where guys are bugging out and doing violent acts, is a trait of a weak mind. Now things like (military member) Brandon, where he was legitimately blown up and a loud noise makes him on edge -- completely understandable, but when someone performs an act of violence that is a, it is a weak mind. That is a crazy person, and the fact that they're trying to hide it behind PTSD makes me want to vomit.""I'd say 75% of people with PTSD don't actually have it, and they're either milking something for a little extra money in disability or they're just, they honestly are just lying," Higbie said in August 2014, as a guest on an Internet radio show. "Twenty-five percent legitimately do have problems. They have bad dreams. They can't cope. They have problems with noises and things like that. And I really think there are people that cannot deal with the stress of combat and some people can."Associated Press
Published on Oct 3, 2016
Donald Trump is drawing criticism after he appeared to suggest that veterans who suffer from PTSD might not be as strong as those who don't. Trump made the reference while discussing his desire to improve mental health services for veterans. (Oct. 3)Guess he didn't know the number changed...the reported number anyway.
VA Conducts Nation’s Largest Analysis of Veteran Suicide July 7, 2016, 09:56:00 AM WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has undertaken the most comprehensive analysis of Veteran suicide rates in the U.S., examining over 55 million Veteran records from 1979 to 2014 from every state in the nation. The effort extends VA’s knowledge from the previous report issued from 2012, which examined three million Veteran records from 20 states were available. Based on the 2012 data, VA estimated the number of Veteran deaths by suicide averaged 22 per day. The current analysis indicates that in 2014, an average of 20 Veterans a day died from suicide.But then again, there were others, like Gen. Raymond Odierno
Considering there are Medal of Honor Heroes, other Generals, Navy SEAL, Green Berets, Special Forces from all generations, saying they have PTSD...doubtful any of these men would be willing to look one of them in the eye and tell them they were not tough enough to take it!
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Iowa Veterans Given Unproved PTSD Treatment?
It is stunning what comes out of some articles that you think may have absolutely nothing to do with veterans and then discover something like this!
The answer to that question is, it can help them heal but not cure them. If I did not believe that, I would't have been invested in it for over 35 years. Point Man International Ministries would not have been invested in it for almost as long. It does work but only if it is done right.
The question in my mind right now is why would so many groups pop up around the country, claiming to be doing what has been done, and honestly, done right, for all these years? Especially when Point Man has been doing it with all generations of veterans and not like this...
"At the time, some mental health professionals were questioning the ministry's efforts to recruit hundreds of Iowa military veterans to participate in an unproven treatment program for post-traumatic stress disorder. “Operation Zhero” used unlicensed, volunteer counselors to provide free-of-charge counseling to soldiers who returned home from the war with PTSD."You can read the rest of the article here
State agency head fired; audit shows $380,000 of misspending
The San Diego Union Tribune took a look at that group in 2016. The headline question was "Can faith help cure PTSD?The answer to that question is, it can help them heal but not cure them. If I did not believe that, I would't have been invested in it for over 35 years. Point Man International Ministries would not have been invested in it for almost as long. It does work but only if it is done right.
The question in my mind right now is why would so many groups pop up around the country, claiming to be doing what has been done, and honestly, done right, for all these years? Especially when Point Man has been doing it with all generations of veterans and not like this...
"What he (Chad Robichaux) credits with saving him is faith. Now, his Temecula-based nonprofit group is part of a nationwide circle of Christianity-based programs focused on post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, as a generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffer the aftermath of combat."Maybe if they knew the majority of the veterans the VA knows about, were not OEF or OIF veterans, but over the age of 50, they would have done things differently.
Congress wants to know why 4 top VA jobs still open
Senators call out Shulkin on VA’s unfilled top jobs
STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON — Why four top jobs within the Department of Veterans Affairs remain unfilled nearly one year after President Donald Trump took office drew the attention of members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday as they questioned VA Secretary David Shulkin about the state of the agency.
The VA, the second-largest federal department, is operating without permanent leaders for its benefits administration and large health care system. Also missing are its IT leader and the assistant secretary for the agency’s new accountability and whistleblower protection office. The leadership void came up at the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, where Shulkin gave testimony on the “State of the VA.”
“One thing that concerns me deeply is the four positions that remain unfilled in the department,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., the committee chairman. “I know you’re trying, but this is one of those things where an ‘A’ for effort isn’t enough.”
The job of undersecretary for benefits has been vacant since October 2015, when then-undersecretary Allison Hickey resigned after being implicated in a government watchdog report for helping two VA employees manipulate the department hiring system.
The VA created a commission last spring to choose a new undersecretary. Shulkin told senators Wednesday that the commission sent three names to the White House. Their first choice for the job withdrew, Shulkin said, and Trump’s administration is now vetting the second choice.
read more here
STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: January 17, 2018
WASHINGTON — Why four top jobs within the Department of Veterans Affairs remain unfilled nearly one year after President Donald Trump took office drew the attention of members of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee on Wednesday as they questioned VA Secretary David Shulkin about the state of the agency.
VA Secretary David Shulkin raises his hand to take an oath before the start of a Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs hearing on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.
CARLOS BONGIOANNI/STARS AND STRIPES
The VA, the second-largest federal department, is operating without permanent leaders for its benefits administration and large health care system. Also missing are its IT leader and the assistant secretary for the agency’s new accountability and whistleblower protection office. The leadership void came up at the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing, where Shulkin gave testimony on the “State of the VA.”
“One thing that concerns me deeply is the four positions that remain unfilled in the department,” said Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., the committee chairman. “I know you’re trying, but this is one of those things where an ‘A’ for effort isn’t enough.”
The job of undersecretary for benefits has been vacant since October 2015, when then-undersecretary Allison Hickey resigned after being implicated in a government watchdog report for helping two VA employees manipulate the department hiring system.
The VA created a commission last spring to choose a new undersecretary. Shulkin told senators Wednesday that the commission sent three names to the White House. Their first choice for the job withdrew, Shulkin said, and Trump’s administration is now vetting the second choice.
read more here
Senior Chief Brad stress reliever...retriever
Naval Base Uses Unique Strategy to Combat Suicides, Stress: A Dog
Fox News
By Terace Garnier
18 Jan 2018
But he's no medical professional. He's a golden retriever yellow lab mix initially trained as a seeing-eye dog, a post-traumatic stress disorder therapy dog and, now, a stress dog.
As suicides across the military have steadily increased since 2013, according to the Department of Defense (DOD), a naval clinic on Joint Base Andrews in Maryland has found a secret weapon to sniff out military members dealing with extreme stress -- a dog.
When Senior Chief Brad senses someone is down, he instantly alerts his handler, Chief Bobby Long. Long, a medical technician, counsels the patient to figure out if they need professional help.
"People that need a little extra attention or are maybe showing signs of irritability, stress, depression, whatever it could be; he will really focus in on that person and then he wants my attention," Long said. "Some of the science behind that shows that dogs can pick up on pheromones that people emit when they are highly stressed and some science points to body language, cues that people leave."
read more here
Fox News
By Terace Garnier
18 Jan 2018
There are only 29 dogs across the country with this ability, according to Kim Hyde, a manager with Southeastern Guide Dogs.
Sr. Chief Brad posing for the camera on Joint Base Andrews. (Fox News)
Every day, Senior Chief Brad greets sailors and Marines as they enter a military clinic for their regular doctor's appointments. Throughout the day, he makes his rounds and visits patients sitting in the waiting area, cuddling with them briefly. If he senses they are down, he takes action.
But he's no medical professional. He's a golden retriever yellow lab mix initially trained as a seeing-eye dog, a post-traumatic stress disorder therapy dog and, now, a stress dog.
As suicides across the military have steadily increased since 2013, according to the Department of Defense (DOD), a naval clinic on Joint Base Andrews in Maryland has found a secret weapon to sniff out military members dealing with extreme stress -- a dog.
When Senior Chief Brad senses someone is down, he instantly alerts his handler, Chief Bobby Long. Long, a medical technician, counsels the patient to figure out if they need professional help.
"People that need a little extra attention or are maybe showing signs of irritability, stress, depression, whatever it could be; he will really focus in on that person and then he wants my attention," Long said. "Some of the science behind that shows that dogs can pick up on pheromones that people emit when they are highly stressed and some science points to body language, cues that people leave."
read more here
How can you help a veteran with PTSD?
Not just a face in a crowd
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
January 16, 2018
How can you help a veteran with PTSD? The same way they were wounded in the first place. Whenever you see pictures of a wounded service member, you do not see massive crowds surrounding them. You see a few of the members of their own unit coming to help help. And that is how it needs to be done when the wound is cut deeply into their soul.
That is what Point Man International Ministries figured out over 3 decades ago. Treat them like a member of your family unit, know them like a brother or sister and then help them by standing by their side. Then they'll know they really matter.
It isn't good enough to say you understand what they are going through if you do not have a story to tell of your own. You need to be able to share your own struggles with the veteran you are trying to help. In a large group, it seems that everyone is competing to tell their tales as if it is a contest to win as the most miserable.
In small groups, it is more about sharing and caring on a personal level. You can share what caused your heartache and then share with them how you ended up feeling better about your life.
You can be an example of not giving up on yourself as much as you prove you will not give up on them as long as they do everything possible to heal themselves.
You can make sure you stay in contact with them, encourage them to take the steps they need to get where they need to be.
read more here
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
January 16, 2018
How can you help a veteran with PTSD? The same way they were wounded in the first place. Whenever you see pictures of a wounded service member, you do not see massive crowds surrounding them. You see a few of the members of their own unit coming to help help. And that is how it needs to be done when the wound is cut deeply into their soul.
That is what Point Man International Ministries figured out over 3 decades ago. Treat them like a member of your family unit, know them like a brother or sister and then help them by standing by their side. Then they'll know they really matter.
It isn't good enough to say you understand what they are going through if you do not have a story to tell of your own. You need to be able to share your own struggles with the veteran you are trying to help. In a large group, it seems that everyone is competing to tell their tales as if it is a contest to win as the most miserable.
In small groups, it is more about sharing and caring on a personal level. You can share what caused your heartache and then share with them how you ended up feeling better about your life.
You can be an example of not giving up on yourself as much as you prove you will not give up on them as long as they do everything possible to heal themselves.
You can make sure you stay in contact with them, encourage them to take the steps they need to get where they need to be.
read more here
Sailor saved from attempted suicide by crewmates
If the sailor was wondering how much his life was worth, the crew just let him know how much he does matter!
Sailor’s suicide attempt prompts heroic response by sub crew
NAVY Times
By: Geoff Ziezulewicz
January 17, 2018
The crew of the submarine North Dakota raced through bad weather to save a shipmate’s life after an unidentified petty officer shot himself in the chest with his military-issued rifle while the vessel was underway, according to Navy officials and a post on the boat’s Facebook page.
Cmdr. Mark Robinson, the boat’s captain, praised his crew in the post for their feverish efforts on Friday to get the sailor back to land.
Corpsmen leapt into action to treat and stabilize the man’s injuries, while radiomen kept communications open in bad weather, allowing trauma doctors to remotely lend assistance, according to the post.
read more here
Sailor’s suicide attempt prompts heroic response by sub crew
NAVY Times
By: Geoff Ziezulewicz
January 17, 2018
“From gunshot to ambulance took about 7 hours,” Robinson said in the post. “We drove up the river in dense fog, in the dark of night, with intense rain and wind. It was the worst weather I’ve ever seen for something like this.”
The crew of the submarine North Dakota leapt into action after a petty officer attempted suicide by shooting himself in the chest. (Chief Mass Communication Specialist Peter D. Lawlor/Navy)
The crew of the submarine North Dakota raced through bad weather to save a shipmate’s life after an unidentified petty officer shot himself in the chest with his military-issued rifle while the vessel was underway, according to Navy officials and a post on the boat’s Facebook page.
Cmdr. Mark Robinson, the boat’s captain, praised his crew in the post for their feverish efforts on Friday to get the sailor back to land.
Corpsmen leapt into action to treat and stabilize the man’s injuries, while radiomen kept communications open in bad weather, allowing trauma doctors to remotely lend assistance, according to the post.
read more here
'Valhalla' PTSD relief in pro wrestling
'Valhalla' documentary shows vets finding PTSD relief in pro wrestling
WACo Tribune Herald
Carl Hoover
January 17, 2019
Professional wrestling means more than an evening’s entertainment for three Texas wrestlers, who say the sport and the physical training it demands keep them functioning despite post-traumatic stress disorder from their time in combat.
The three — Army veterans and wrestlers Jan Ohrstrom, John Brazier and Eddie Wittern — tell their story in the film “Valhalla Club” that makes its debut at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Waco Hippodrome.
The documentary, written and directed by Waco filmmaker R. Bradley Morris, evolved from a discussion between Ohrstrom and Wittern a few years ago, when both men shared their struggles with PTSD and how wrestling helped them cope with the stresses of dealing with their combat experiences in Iraq.
“It hit me: This is a story that needs to be told,” said Ohrstrom, 36.
read more here
WACo Tribune Herald
Carl Hoover
January 17, 2019
Professional wrestling means more than an evening’s entertainment for three Texas wrestlers, who say the sport and the physical training it demands keep them functioning despite post-traumatic stress disorder from their time in combat.
Three professional wrestlers and Army veterans share their story of how wrestling helps them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder in the film “Valhalla Club.” “Valhalla Club” photo
The three — Army veterans and wrestlers Jan Ohrstrom, John Brazier and Eddie Wittern — tell their story in the film “Valhalla Club” that makes its debut at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Waco Hippodrome.
The documentary, written and directed by Waco filmmaker R. Bradley Morris, evolved from a discussion between Ohrstrom and Wittern a few years ago, when both men shared their struggles with PTSD and how wrestling helped them cope with the stresses of dealing with their combat experiences in Iraq.
“It hit me: This is a story that needs to be told,” said Ohrstrom, 36.
read more here
PTSD facility in Aurora VA not happening now?
Veterans react to news of no PTSD facility when new Aurora VA opens
KDVR News FOX 31
Kristin Haubrich
January 17, 2018
DENVER -- Department of Veterans Affairs officials announced on Wednesday their new Aurora hospital will no longer have a post-traumatic stress disorder facility when they first open their doors.
FOX31 talked to veterans who are directly affected by the lack of a PTSD facility at the new campus and the delayed opening of the new VA.
“I was in the trail Humvee and an enemy insurgent threw a hand grenade through the top,” combat Army Veteran, Ian Newland said.
Newland’s body is full of shrapnel. He was nearly killed in Iraq in a grenade attack. Over the past decade, he’s overcome several physical wounds, but there’s one not so easy to heal.
“The hardest wound to overcome that I battle every day is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
At his lowest point, Newland attempted to take his own life. He said his treatment for PTSD at the Denver VA, only worsened his situation.
“It reminds me of a grade school program. This is what PTSD is, this is how you suffer with it and this is what our text books say how you can overcome it. It did nothing for me. It actually exacerbated my PTSD and made it worse,” Newland said.
Newland traveled more than 300 miles to South Dakota where he received six months of cognitive therapy. He was told that same program would be offered at the new Aurora VA, but it turns out that program won’t be available when they first open.
read more here
KDVR News FOX 31
Kristin Haubrich
January 17, 2018
"The hardest wound to overcome that I battle every day is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder." Ian Newland
DENVER -- Department of Veterans Affairs officials announced on Wednesday their new Aurora hospital will no longer have a post-traumatic stress disorder facility when they first open their doors.
FOX31 talked to veterans who are directly affected by the lack of a PTSD facility at the new campus and the delayed opening of the new VA.
“I was in the trail Humvee and an enemy insurgent threw a hand grenade through the top,” combat Army Veteran, Ian Newland said.
Newland’s body is full of shrapnel. He was nearly killed in Iraq in a grenade attack. Over the past decade, he’s overcome several physical wounds, but there’s one not so easy to heal.
“The hardest wound to overcome that I battle every day is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."
At his lowest point, Newland attempted to take his own life. He said his treatment for PTSD at the Denver VA, only worsened his situation.
“It reminds me of a grade school program. This is what PTSD is, this is how you suffer with it and this is what our text books say how you can overcome it. It did nothing for me. It actually exacerbated my PTSD and made it worse,” Newland said.
Newland traveled more than 300 miles to South Dakota where he received six months of cognitive therapy. He was told that same program would be offered at the new Aurora VA, but it turns out that program won’t be available when they first open.
read more here
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
Reporter did something good and out popped a miracle
Generous donation allows former service member to bury his wife in accordance to his faith
“One of our members saw the original news clip concerning Mr. Gordon and was very moved,” Goldman said.
Goldman started making some calls. Next thing you know the Dorsey Earl Smith Memory Gardens Funeral Home and Cemetery in Lake Worth made a generous donation.
and now go here for the rest of the article you really have to read for yourself. Great example of what happens when the press does something for the sake of helping...and out pops a miracle!
Death of Fort Riley Soldier Under Investigation
Military Times
Charlsy Panzino
January 17, 2018
A Fort Riley soldier was found dead in an off-post residence on Monday, according to the Army.
Spc. Hunter Schmidtke, an infantryman with Company B, 1st Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, was found unresponsive in the home in Junction City, Kansas.
read more here
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)