Military Spouse says resiliency program "too little too late"

This article is about some military spouses protesting during Paul Ryan's visit but when I was reading it, what one of them said about "resiliency" supports what I've been saying since 2008. It is not too late but it is too wrong. Most of the program is fine but when it tells the troops they can "train their brains to be mentally tough" it ends up telling them they are mentally weak if they end up with PTSD. This program needs to either end or get a major readjustment.

A Few Military Spouses Protest Outside During Ryan's Fayetteville Visit
Some spouses feel that the Romney/Ryan ticket offers nothing for the military and their wounded warriors.
Fort Bragg Patch
By Kelly Twedell

The resiliency program in her opinion has not been a huge help to them after ten years at war. "Too little, too late," McCarthy said.

During Thursday's campaign visit to Fayetteville, around 12 protesters gathered at the end of the driveway leading into the PDI lab where Rep. Paul Ryan was greeted for a private gathering. Some protesters were military families from Fort Bragg.

Jillian McCarthy, a military spouse at Fort Bragg for the past four years, says while she does not have to worry about health care, since her family is covered through the military, she has other concerns.

"What's important to me is my children and their education. Romney/Ryan want to cut infrastructure and spending in all areas and I don't agree with that," said McCarthy.

This military spouse feels strongly that the Romney ticket is not offering help that the military needs, particularly more funding for PTSD. McCarthy also mentioned the overstocking of the Veterans Administration hospital is an issue, and the strain the constant deployments have taken on both the families and soldiers.

The McCarthy family has 18.5 years of active duty service, but they might have to stay in in order to send their kids to college, the way the economy looks right now.
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DoD to Employers: Hire Spouses or Go Away

DoD to Employers: Hire Spouses or Go Away
June 30, 2011
Military.com|by Amy Bushatz

The Pentagon launched a program on June 29 that provides incentives for top-tier companies to add servicemember spouses to their payrolls.

The DoD initiative -- dubbed the “Military Spouse Employment Partnership” -- includes 79 Fortune 500 plus companies and is intended to make hiring military spouses attractive to employers by offering them good public exposure while highlighting spouses as a potential workforce solution.

“We’re really holding their feet to the fire with this,” said Robert Gordon, the Pentagon’s chief of military community and family policy. “We want documentation -- who they’re hiring, how many they’re hiring, in terms of what kind of jobs our spouses are getting.
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Hire Spouses or Go Away

Bill would give tax credit to some spouses

Bill would give tax credit to some spouses

By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jul 15, 2010 10:59:34 EDT

A new Senate bill would give military spouses a federal tax credit of up to $500 when they have to pay to renew or transfer a professional license when moving with their military members on official reassignment orders.

“The Military Spouses Job Continuity Act will help ease the transition of relocation for families and allow military spouses to more easily re-enter the workforce,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., in a statement announcing he had introduced the legislation July 14.
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Bill would give tax credit to some spouses

Fort Hood Soldiers' spouses help single soldiers

Soldiers' spouses help single soldiers
6/3/2009 5:45 PM
By: Brandi Powell

As more members of the military return to Fort Hood, volunteers work to make sure soldiers without family nearby are provided with the comforts of home.

A group of community members and wives of other soldiers set up 500 rooms on Fort Hood on the first day of Operation Restful Night. The group plans to set up 2,000 more rooms in the next few weeks with care packages, including sheets from JC Penny and toiletries provided by the USO.

"It's a special feeling because you're giving so much to them, and they've given so much to us," Karessa Lang, an employee at Killeen's JCPenny, and volunteer for the day, said.
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