Camp Lejeune Marine killed in motorcycle accident WITN NBC News September 30, 2018
SNEADS FERRY, N.C. (WITN) - A Camp Lejeune Marine was killed in a motorcycle accident Saturday evening, Highway Patrol Troopers said.
The accident happened along Old Folkstone Road near Scuba Drive in Sneads Ferry around 5:55 p.m., Trooper Adam Hostinsky said.
The motorcyclist, Trevor Richardet, 19, had been traveling east on Old Folkstone Road at a high rate of speed when a pick-up truck pulled out of a driveway in front of him, Hostinsky said. read more here
‘I knew something was not right’: Mass cancellations of diagnostic test orders at VA hospitals draw scrutiny USA TODAY Donovan Slack Oct. 1, 2018
IOWA CITY, Iowa – Radiology technologist Jeff Dettbarn said he knew something was wrong at the Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Iowa City, Iowa, when a patient arrived in February 2017 for a CT scan, but the doctor’s order for it had been cancelled.
“To have a patient show up for a scan and not have an order – you’re like, ‘What the heck is going on?’” he told USA TODAY in an interview.
Dettbarn started collecting cancellation notices for diagnostic procedures such as CT scans, MRIs and ultrasounds.
“I knew something was not right,” he said. “Because none of them were cancelled by a physician.”
Cancellations of more than 250,000 radiology orders at VA hospitals across the country since 2016 have raised questions about whether – in a rush to clear out outdated and duplicative diagnostic orders – some facilities failed to follow correct procedures. At issue is a concern over whether some medically necessary orders for CT scans and other imaging tests were cancelled improperly.
The VA inspector general is now auditing mass cancellations at eight VA medical centers “to determine whether VA processed radiology requests in a timely manner and appropriately managed canceled requests,” VA Inspector General Michael Missal said.
Those hospitals are in Tampa and Bay Pines, Florida; Salisbury, North Carolina; Cleveland; Dallas; Denver; Las Vegas; and Los Angeles.
read more here
According to the news reports, the number of veterans committing suicide has gone down...so why are we seeing this in the report itself? The following came from National Suicide Data Report Appendix.
Why are we seeing higher number of suicides and lower numbers in the veteran population? Why are we seeing higher rates than we did in 2005, and year afterwards? It is millions less veterans and hundreds more suicides.
This requires action from all of us!
Find out what you can do to save their lives and actually prevent suicides because frankly, we had better results before everyone was reminding them that far too many took their own lives instead of helping them to #TakeBackYourLife and heal. Look at the years, and all the numbers to better understand that when the say "down slightly" it depends on what else went down with it. Go to this publication from the VA and find out how to help them help veterans. The VA is not the enemy and we need to stop treating it like it was. If they are failing at something, help them fix it. If they are succeeding at something, help them expand it! Remember, veterans are not civilians and the VA being there for them was part of the deal...so why didn't we commit to them too?
Reaching all Veterans to prevent suicide will take the entire community. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is on a mission to end suicide among Veterans in
communities across America. Approximately 14 of the 20 Veterans who die by suicide each day are
not receiving care from the Veterans Health Administration. We need your help to reach them. We
invite you to share your insights, experiences, and resources to shape public health initiatives that
support Veterans at risk. One Veteran suicide is one too many. It’s time to act — Are you with us?
VA works with hundreds of organizations and corporations at the national and local levels, including
Veterans Service Organizations, to raise awareness about its suicide prevention programs. These
partners have regular contact with Veterans as well as active duty Servicemembers, Reservists,
National Guard members, and their families. By reaching out to help, communities can send the
message that they value these individuals and their service. Organized events are a great way for our partners to advance this critical national goal of ending
Veteran suicide. By promoting Veteran-focused resources in your community at events such as job
fairs and wellness expos, you can help us reach all Veterans. Connecting with fellow Veterans to
spread the word about valuable mental health and suicide prevention resources makes Veteran
wellness a community priority. Veterans, family members, and care providers can initiate a free and confidential conversation with an experienced and caring VA responder by calling the Veterans Crisis Line.
If you are concerned about the safety and well-being of a Veteran, call 1-800-273-8255 and Press 1.
Chat online at
VeteransCrisisLine.net/Chat to get support anonymously.
A text message can also be sent to 838255 to connect to a VA responder.
These resources can be used even if a Veteran is not registered with VA or enrolled in VA health care. Veteran suicide is preventable, and suicide prevention is everyone’s business. Thank you for helping
to prevent and end Veteran suicide. Visit www.va.gov/nace/myVA/ for more information.
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the suicide rate for veterans in Oregon in 2015, the most recent year data is available, was 37.2 percent, which was more than double the national average among non-veterans.
That year alone, 118 Oregon veterans committed suicide.
“It really kind of haunts you,” Julie Terry said, whose brother, Will Naugle, committed suicide in 2017. “There’s a lot of ‘what could I have done?’ or ‘Is there something that could have changed it?’”
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) – The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released a data sheet from 2016 that details the suicide rate of veterans in Tennessee, compared to the veteran suicide rates in the southern region and the nation; as well as the general suicide rates in Tennessee, the southern region, and the nation.
Eighth-graders win second place for documentary about Vietnam veteran Capital Journal Online By Max Wirestone, Special to The Capital-Journal Posted Sep 29, 2018
“There’s a lot people out there who do amazing things,” Christensen said. “But they don’t get credit or recognition for it. And I think they should.”
If there is a wave of student documentaries next year at Washburn Rural Middle School, gifted facilitators Lindsay McDowell and Alice Bertels will know why.
That is because two of their students — eighth-graders Megan Christensen and Meredith Kucera — won second place in the national Lowell Milken Center for Unsung Heroes’ 2018 Discovery Award competition. The contest encourages middle and high school students to research and uncover the stories of positive role models whose contributions to history aren’t well-known.
Their winning documentary, “The Incredibly Stupid One,” is a profile of U.S. Navy veteran Douglas Hegdahl, who gathered critical intelligence from the North Vietnamese camp where he was held captive by pretending to be illiterate and mentally disabled.
The students were drawn to the project not because of the documentary aspect but because of their interest in the subject matter.
read more here
Hegdahl, who was considered by the Vietnamese to be worthless in terms of intelligence information, was one of the first prisoners offered an early release. He didn't want to go and tried to behave so that he would be detained — at one point, when Tom Hayden was touring the prison camp, Hegdahl gave him the finger. But his roommate pulled rank and ordered him to go, knowing that Hegdahl's remarkable memory would provide the government invaluable information and the families of prisoners immeasurable comfort. Hegdahl memorized the names of more than 300 fellow POWs, along with their Social Security numbers and an identifying trait such as a pet's name for confirmation.
At U.S. Marine base, families plead for housing help after Florence Reuters Andrea Januta September 29, 2018
Most of Camp Lejeune’s housing is run by Atlantic Marine Corps Communities, or AMCC, a partnership between Australia-based Lendlease Group, Boston-based WinnCompanies and the U.S. Navy. All the homes profiled in this article are managed by AMCC.
Jennifer Maher, pregnant in her third trimester, prepares cleaning supplies in an attempt to clean up mold after suffering severe damage to her home post-Hurricane Florence at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, U.S., September 27, 2018. REUTERS/Andrea Januta
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. Two weeks after Hurricane Florence deluged the U.S. East Coast’s largest Marine Corps base with raging waters and dangerous winds, some military families say they are still residing in unlivable conditions and awaiting help from the base’s private housing manager.
Some, like Jennifer Maher, said they feel unsafe in their Camp Lejeune homes but were told they will not be moved because assessment crews determined their houses are habitable.
That did not work for Maher, pregnant in her third trimester and living with her husband and 2-year-old son. When she returned home last Friday, she opened the door to the stench of mold, she said while showing the wreckage to a visiting reporter. Then she saw the ceiling had collapsed in their bedroom and garage.
“I’m pregnant and I can smell the mold,” said Maher, whose husband is a Navy corpsman stationed at Lejeune. “There’s no way I could bring a newborn home and let her breathe this in.” read more here
UPDATE A ride for life PTSD Patrol Kathie Costos September 30, 2018 Today my husband and I are celebrating our 34th anniversary. No matter how hard some years were, we had love and fed each other hope. He is the reason I have done this work for the last 36 years. I have seen the darkness but have also seen what brighter days bring. Yesterday I went out to East Orlando Harley Davidson for Ride to Fight Suicide
All of our lives have been changed in someway by the lose of hope, but none of us are ready to give up this fight for life. While our lives may be different, the purpose of our lives has become one of restoring hope.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
Suicide is a painful thing for the families left behind. They never find the answers they are looking for. It is always with them, when the person they loved gave up on themselves. Beyond that, they gave up on the people who loved them as well.
The never ending questions of "why didn't they come to me" or "talk to me" or "let me know how much they were hurting" or "why didn't they trust me to listen to them?"
I know those feelings all too well, because it happened in my family. My husband's nephew was also a Vietnam veteran and he committed suicide 18 years ago. I have all those questions still in my head that will never be answered. read more here
Local firefighter opens up about dark side of the job By: MADELYN JANSSEN Posted: Sep 27, 2018
Robinson wants other first responders to know it's not only ok, but good to talk about how the calls affect them. And he wants to be an example of how you can come out the other side, and find a path back to happiness. Society, friends and family can all play a part in breaking the stigma around asking for help. "Ask the tough questions if you think someone is struggling. You will never regret asking, you will regret not asking."
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. - "Suck it up buttercup." That's the stigma Kern County Fire Department Captain Derek Robinson is fighting to change. He's been with the department for more than 17 years. It was only last year that he himself dropped the act, and decided it was time to ask for help. In August he detailed that fight to overcome his emotional injuries, in a Facebook post. He's sharing that to help reach anyone else struggling with the same demons.
A study last year said first responders are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty. PTSD and depression rates among first responders are as much as five times higher than among civilians. Robinson didn't realize for years that he was among those suffering. But the Friday after Thanksgiving 2017 he was called to a scene that changed that. A family was ripped apart by a drunk driver. A mother and child killed in a crash along Highway 99. "You can't respond and not feel something, especially when you see the impact on the family. Here's a family on Thanksgiving day traveling and their lives were not just interrupted, but completely destroyed and they lost a mother and a child, you can't absorb that. You just can't." Robinson suffered from sleepless nights. He turned to self-medication at times. He lost relationships and lost his passion for the job. Years of repeated exposure to trauma had taken their toll. It was a month after that Thanksgiving crash that Robinson decided to seek help. That changed everything. "Where I am now is drastically different from where I am today by getting help. This is more of an injury and same as a physical injury it can be dealt with." read more here
Marine veteran shares story of battling PTSD and how to get help News 4 San Antonio by Ariana Lubelli September 28th 2018
"The important thing is to know the services that are out and seek those services before you get to that crisis point," said Gordon.
There is a great need for mental health services for veterans. It's a demand seen across the country and just as prevalent in San Antonio.
Andrew Reidel is a Marine veteran and outreach coordinator for PTSD Foundation of America. He knows all too well about the demons that PTSD brings on.
"Just imagine coming home and being just dead, just a moving body, just existing not really living. That's how we come home," said Reidel.
He served eight years in the military with tours to Iraq and Afghanistan and operations in other overseas locations.
"For me, it was the nightmares and the night sweats, real quick to get angry. Probably the worst part of it was not being able to connect with the average person when I got home," said Reidel.
Since 2011, Reidel has attempted suicide at least three times. Sadly, his story is familiar to many veterans. read more here
Atlanta VA quality drops to one of the worst in the nation The Atlanta Journal-Constitution By Willoughby Mariano Sept 28, 2018
Troubles at the Atlanta VA persist despite years of reform attempts because department heads are slow to change, said Bob Teets, a U.S. Marine veteran who serves on the Atlanta VA director’s advisory council. These physicians are more concerned with preserving their reputations than alerting top administrators to problems, he said.
The Atlanta VA Medical Center’s quality rating fell to one out of five stars, ranking it among the bottom of VA facilities nationally, according to new data. Last year, it earned three stars. Photo: Phil Skinner
Atlanta’s VA Medical Center now ranks as one of the worst in the nation after the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs latest national assessment of hospital quality, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Channel 2 Action News have learned.
The Decatur-area hospital’s overall quality rating fell from three stars to one — the lowest in the VA’s five-star ranking system. This means that Atlanta’s VA is among the lowest-scoring 10 percent of the department’s 100-plus medical centers nationwide.
A June Inspector General audit found that the hospital has the highest staffing shortages of any VA hospital in the country. The hospital was short 89 positions, including neurologist, pathologist, psychologist and nurses slots. read more here
Dads back from war, struggling with PTSD, discover how to be good fathers in new Veterans Affairs program Orange County Register By DAVID WHITING PUBLISHED: September 27, 2018 Kevin Lynch looks at seven of his fellow veterans and wastes no time revealing how tough it is for men who have been splattered with the blood of war to be good fathers.
Tristan Foust, with his 3-month-old son, Tristan, and Mason Donnell, attend a group meeting for combat veterans who want to become better dads, at the North Orange County Vet Center in Garden Grove on Saturday, September 22, 2018. (Photo by Mindy Schauer, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“Let’s admit it, except for one of us, we’re all in a 12-step program,” Lynch exclaims, leaning back in his chair and throwing his hands up in the air. “Most of us here are rebuilding our lives.”
It is a recent Saturday and Lynch, along with his brothers in arms, is 10 weeks into a new model program called “Dads Matter.” If successful, the Veterans Administration could roll it out across the nation.
Sure, Lynch, a former Navy search and rescue corpsman, just blew up the dumbest tenet of many 12-step programs and that is to dump stigma on top of stigma by so-called experts who insist on anonymity. But on this day, not only have the men agreed to share personal battles — they have mustered the courage to go public. read more here
