"Not proud of lack of care our vets are receiving now"

There is only one "one size fits all" therapy for veterans and that is we do all we can to give them what they need. If a tiny program works for these veterans, do it. Don't find excuses to cut something that is helping them heal. Doing all we can is therapy for them because we prove they do matter. Cutting programs tells them they are not worth the price.

End of VA program spurs protests
Posted: April 22, 2011

By Ann Marie Bush
THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL
The elimination of a program at the Colmery-O'Neil VA Medical Center has some people concerned about the possibility of cuts to other veterans’ programs.

"The bottom line is the VA has closed some very important clinics," said Marvella Kreipe, of Tecumseh.

At issue in this case is the lapidary program, where rock cutting and polishing took place.

Kreipe and her husband, Bill, a Vietnam veteran, were two of six people protesting cuts outside of the VA hospital Thursday afternoon.

Georgia and James Bent, of Quenemo, also held signs protesting the closure of the lapidary program and the possible closure of other programs.

James Bent, who served in the Kansas National Guard, has had a lot of improvement during his time in the lapidary program, Georgia Bent said. James returned from Iraq a few years ago.

"My husband was in the military for over 20 years," Georgia wrote in an email. "He and I are both proud of that. What we are not proud of is the lack of care our vets are receiving now. My husband is not the same man he was prior to spending a year in Iraq. It has taken many, many months of counseling and treatment programs to get him where he is able to function normally."
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End of VA program spurs protests

Suicide in the Armed Forces

Suicide in the Armed Forces
Deterrents should be encouraged to address a challenge that isn't going to go away.

Thursday, July 23, 2009

LAST YEAR, 143 soldiers, 41 sailors, 41 Marines and 31 airmen took their own lives. For the first time, suicides in the Army have outpaced the rate for the same demographic group in the nation at large, with the highest number since the Pentagon began keeping track in 1980.

The Defense Department has taken notice. Both independently and in concert, the branches of the armed forces have affirmed their commitment to suicide prevention and begun trying to identify contributing factors and offer solutions. This has produced an almost bewildering array of options: A PowerPoint presentation given to Army commanders listed nearly 20 independent sources of help. Almost every branch of the armed services has launched one or more independent initiatives to promote overall mental wellness and to combat suicide -- not to mention broader-ranging programs such as the Defense Centers of Excellence's "Real Warriors" campaign to lessen the stigma against seeking mental health assistance. The Army Suicide Prevention Task Force observed that commanders are "overwhelmed by the number of programs the Army already has."
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Suicide in the Armed Forces