Seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder

Seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder
El Paso Times - El Paso,TX,USA


Seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder
Dr. Robert L. Anders / Special to the Times
Article Launched: 11/10/2008 12:00:00 AM MST


EL PASO -- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has received a significant amount of attention as a result of recent reports outlining the increasing number of men and women returning from war zones with PTSD.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder associated with a dramatic event in which the person experiences the threat of death or serious injury.

In spring 2007, the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research reported that of the 1.64 million military service members deployed to war zones, 14 percent have screened positive for PTSD and another 14 percent for major depression.

However, the disorder is not limited to soldiers in war zones. In the United States, the most common cause for PTSD exposure is automobile accidents. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 2.5 million people are injured in automobile accidents annually. It is estimated that about 20 percent of those in automobile accidents suffer from the disorder.

PTSD is a biological disorder which can be manifested from exposure to excessive levels of stress. Basically, the body's stress response system is overloaded.

Symptoms of PTSD include insomnia, nightmares, flashbacks of the traumatic event, startling easily, avoiding a situation that reminds the individual of the traumatic episode, difficulty in concentrating, emotional withdrawal, aggression and irritability.

According to a recent study by the Geisinger Health Systems, Vietnam veterans with a history of PTSD had a 50 percent chance of dying from heart disease in their 50s compared to those veterans without the disorder. Many individuals with PTSD delay treatment and thus may manage their symptoms with drugs and/or alcohol.
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Pfc. Steve Egoavil awarded Soldier's Medal for heroic actions

101st CAB members awarded Soldier's Medal, other honors
November 9, 2008


Highlights of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade's deployment to Afghanistan, compiled from 101st Airborne Division Public Affairs reports.

Army Soldier's Medal
Sept. 20, 2008, BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Smoke rose in thick, dark wisps as bricks, wood and stones lay scattered around a darkened crevice.

A charred shell that was once a small vehicle lay nearby and an enormous hole exposed the bare insides of the targeted building.

Inside, a humvee turret was lying beside the cabinets of what was once a kitchen, evidence of the deadly force of the explosion.

When a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated 15 meters from the Sabari District Center just before 4 p.m., on March 3, 2008, the blast leveled the building's entire southern wall and destroyed a nearby humvee.

"We received the emergency call during a fast-roping exercise," said Pfc. Steve Egoavil, F Company, 5th Battalion, 101st Aviation Regiment, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade as he recalled the emergency mission his unit responded to Khost province, in early March.

For his heroic actions recovering, treating and evacuating trapped and wounded soldiers during an emergency personnel recovery mission, Egoavil was awarded the Army Soldier's Medal during a ceremony, Sept. 19, 2008, at Forward Operating Base Salerno. He was presented the award by Brig. Gen. James McConville, deputy commanding general-support for Combined Joint Task Force-101.
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Army of angels give Staff Sergeant Robert Toland home makeover

Home Makeover For Ailing Soldier
WGRZ-TV - Buffalo,NY,USA
By: Ron Plants
Friends, volunteers, contractors, and businesses donated their money, materials, and labor to help produce a miracle makeover for the home of a soldier and father of three who was recently diagnosed with a terminal form of cancer.

The organization known as Christian Youth Corps teamed up with Josh Borycki to assist the family of his childhood friend, Army Staff Sergeant Robert Toland. They realized Toland and his wife and three children would need help in fixing up his parents home in Strykersville, Wyoming County which he recently purchased.

So they came up with the idea of sending Toland and his family on a dream vacation to Disneyworld in Florida. The family agreed to go with the knowledge that the group would help repair the home's septic system. What they did not know is that a small army of contractors, volunteers, and businesses would descend upon the home and renovate it during the week while they were gone.
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Bandits kidnap Catholic nuns in Kenya

Bandits kidnap Catholic nuns in Kenya
Story Highlights
Suspected Somalian bandits kidnap two Catholic nuns in northern Kenya

Abduction happened at Catholic mission in Kenyan town of El Wak

Area wracked by clashes among various clans
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Italy's foreign minister is working with Kenyan authorities to secure the release of two Italian nuns, who were kidnapped Monday by suspected Somalian bandits, according to the foreign ministry in Rome.

A Kenya Red Cross spokesman said the two Catholic nuns were abducted from the Catholic mission in the northern Kenyan town of El Wak, just over two kilometers (one mile) from the border with Somalia.
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Overseas absentee votes double 2004 totals

Overseas absentee votes double 2004 totals

By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 10, 2008 9:27:15 EST

The Military Postal Service Agency returned 519,032 overseas absentee ballots to local election offices as of Nov. 4, more than 2½ times the total of 203,233 returned in the 2004 election, officials said.

MPSA reported that 415,428 absentee ballots went by mail to APO and FPO addresses between Sept. 8 and Nov. 4 of this year, said Shari Lawrence, Army Human Resources Command spokeswoman, more than twice the total of 205,418 sent out in the same time period in 2004.

Some people were able to get ballots electronically, depending on the state. That’s why nearly 105,000 more ballots were received by local election officials this year than were mailed through the military postal system to APO/FPO addresses.

Also, an estimated 10,000 overseas voters sent ballots by FedEx under a partnership with the Overseas Vote Foundation and the express shipper, which offered free or discounted delivery of ballots from 89 countries.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/military_absenteevotes_111008w/

Ex-servicemen hope president-elect focuses on military issues

This young boy, turned into the man I married. He came home in 1971 from Vietnam. I've been doing outreach work with veterans who have PTSD ever since the day we met 26 years ago.

While all veterans have my heart, the Vietnam Veterans have tugged at my soul. Understand that this is coming from someone who has dedicated her life to our veterans. I take all of this very seriously, spend countless hours researching history as well as what the politicians do and fail to do. The following defense of President Elect Obama does not come without facts that can be found by anyone willing to look for them. Most of the links are on this blog.

There is a comment in this article claiming that Obama has not done anything for veterans since he entered into the senate. This is a false claim and spun by the GOP. I've heard it all too often. The fact is when Obama had many options of choosing which committees to serve on, he wanted to serve on the Veterans Affairs Committee. Aside from his grandfather and uncle being veterans, his heart was with our veterans. Obama was advised that the Veteran's Affairs Committee was not a high profile committee but it was where he felt he was called to.

Up until the Democrats took control, albeit limited in the Senate, mountains have been moved for the sake of our veterans. From the largest budget increase in history for the VA, to programs gearing up to help veterans with PTSD and TBI, to all the advances in research, Veteran's Centers opening up and the GI Bill, Obama has been a big part of all of that. He did not do anything with the glare of the media focused on him but did so quietly believing it is the obligation of this nation to take care of our veterans. I have watched this man since the day he was elected to the senate and have read his speeches as well as interviews he's given. He is the real deal when it comes to our veterans and our nation as a whole. He has not paid lip service to our veterans in the past and will not in the future.

Most of the claims against him have come from people who also believed that McCain, as a veteran, had the interests of veterans in his own heart, yet he has only provided lip service to them. From the POW's returning from Iraq after the Gulf War, going to court to sue the Iraqi government, McCain was not fighting for them when Bush killed the law suit. McCain's voting record against veterans and what they need has been deplorable no matter what he or anyone in the GOP claim. The facts speak for themselves. There is a grand delusion that has been harming our veterans for too many years. Don't believe me. Instead look up their voting records for yourself and find out who has been providing lip service and nothing more from those who have done the work on behalf of veterans. If you have not been keeping informed of what the reality is, you will be astonished at how wrong you've been.

Vets hope Obama fulfills promises
Ex-servicemen hope president-elect focuses on military issues
By CAITLIN CROWLEY
Staff writer

Like many in the region, local veterans are hoping last week's election of Barack Obama as president will bring change for the country -- specifically, for the country's veterans and military men and women.

In the days between the presidential election and the Veterans Day holiday, area vets expressed their hopes for the new administration.

Bernard Williamson, of the Veterans of Foreign Wars McEvoy-Dempsey Post 10585 in Derby, said he hopes Obama will work on a few issues that Bush's administration hurt instead of helped.

"Bush's administration closed Veterans' Affairs hospitals, decreased veterans' benefits, and didn't help veterans wage-wise," said Williamson.

Williamson is also concerned about troops overseas, saying he hopes Obama will "do something for men and women in service right now."

Tim Kelly, 61, of the Connecticut branch of Disabled American Veterans, also is interested in seeing how the Obama administration handles decisions about veterans and the military. Like Williamson, Kelly hopes Obama doesn't cut funding for veterans.

And, as a Vietnam veteran, he is worried about how Obama will handle the war in Iraq. "I hope they don't just go in there and withdraw troops and waste 4,000 lives," said Kelly, referring to the men and women who have already died in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

World War II combat veteran Joseph Minto, 87, has one simple hope for the Obama administration. "I hope he fulfills his promises,"


Minto said. "He promised everyone something, so I don't know if he will come through."

Some, like Kelly, said they can't predict what Obama will actually do for veterans. He said he doesn't know what to expect from Obama because he hasn't done anything to be judged on.

"We really don't know because he didn't do anything for us while in the Senate," Kelly said, adding, "there's a lot of lip service with the Democrats but they never do anything."

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http://www.connpost.com/ci_10942428

GoDaddy.com has birthday message for the US Marines

Dear Kathie Costos,

November 10, 2008 marks the 233rd birthday of the United States Marine Corps.

To celebrate this occasion Go Daddy is proud once again to release a special birthday tribute to the Corps.

For those of you who served or are serving in other branches of our military, please accept this salute to the Marines also as a salute to the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. The reason I prepared this salute to the Marine Corps was simply because I served in the Corps and it was in the Corps that I grew up and became a man. Please know, I have the utmost respect and admiration for everyone in our military - past and present.

Finally, a special message to my brothers and sisters who served our country in Viet Nam; thanks for all you did, WELCOME HOME!

To see this year's tribute, please click the button below.
Happy 233nd
Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!


Sincerely,

Bob Parsons
CEO and Founder
GoDaddy.com
https://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/holiday/usmc2008/playmovie.asp?isc=gdp1116

Final Salute for Lance Cpl. Luis Palacios Vietnam MIA laid to rest

Mark Boster / Los Angeles Times
BACK HOME: Yolanda Montiel and her grandson Michael Montiel grieve during graveside services for her brother, Marine Lance Cpl. Luis Fernando Palacios, who was 19 when his helicopter crashed during the Vietnam War in 1968.

Marine killed in Vietnam 40 years ago gets a final salute as his remains are buried in Cypress
By Raja Abdulrahim Sat, 8 Nov 2008 10:10:16 PM
Lance Cpl. Luis Palacios, who died in a helicopter crash, is honored with a full military burial. A U.S. search team recently recovered his remains, which were identified through DNA.
By Raja Abdulrahim
November 9, 2008

Yolanda Montiel was only 10 years old when her older brother Luis Palacios was killed in Vietnam. Her memories of him are few but endearing, like the time he bought her a yellow hat or when he gave her piggyback rides.

Over the years, Yolanda's siblings and her late mother would tell her stories about Luis, which included the nickname he gave her.


"I didn't remember who used to call me rag doll," she said, "and it was him."

The day the family learned that Luis had been killed, a relative came to Yolanda's school to pick her up and on the way home tried to explain death.

The 19-year-old Marine was on a rescue mission on June 6, 1968, when his helicopter was hit by enemy fire and crashed. Lance Cpl. Luis Palacios was one of four passengers on the downed aircraft presumed dead but whose bodies were not found.


Then, in early September, Yolanda's family received the news they had been waiting for for 40 years: a U.S. search team had found some of Luis' remains. He was identified through a DNA sample that Yolanda had given to the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command more than a decade earlier.

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Lynn MA dedicates city squares to two who fell in Vietnam

Lynn dedicates city squares to two who fell in Vietnam
Lasting tribute
Years after two servicemen from Lynn died in Vietnam, the city dedicates veterans squares in their honor at the housing project where they grew up


By Kathy McCabe
Globe Staff / November 9, 2008

On his second tour of duty in Vietnam, Marine Lance Corporal John D. Evans took a boat about a mile down the Cua Viet River to see Dick Donahue, a boyhood pal from Lynn who had enlisted with him on the buddy plan. It was Jan. 31, 1968.

"He asked for a pass to go see his 'foster brother' - that's how close we were," said Donahue, now 61. "I was on my first tour. Since he had already been there, I think he came to assure me that things were going to be all right."

When it came time to leave, the two Marines, wearing helmets, rifles, and flak jackets, hugged. Evans walked up a dusty red-dirt road.

"We waved to each other until we were out of sight," Donahue recalled. "It was not a see you later wave, it was a goodbye wave."

Evans was killed two days later, on Feb. 2, in an early-morning attack on his unit in Quang Tri Province. He was 22.

"The enemy hit with heavy artillery while they slept," Donahue said. "John was one of the first to die."

Forty years later, Evans, along with another fallen Vietnam veteran from Lynn, Army Corporal James J. Hazard, received a salute from their hometown. Veterans squares were dedicated to each at Curwin Circle, the public housing complex in West Lynn where they grew up.

Hazard was killed in ground warfare in Cambodia on May 20, 1970, just two months after he arrived in the war zone. He was 20.
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For local Iraq vet and his mom, the healing never ends

For local Iraq vet and his mom, the healing never ends
Four years after Rory Dunn was blown up by a bomb in Iraq, the publicity that surrounded his miraculous survival has faded. Meanwhile, Dunn rebuilds his life and his mother copes with what it means to be the parent of a wounded veteran.

By Cara Solomon

Seattle Times staff reporter



There he stands, Renton's Hometown Hero, tall, broad, handsome.

It's taken four years for Rory Dunn to put on this uniform, a reminder of the ugly days in Iraq. He's different now — 26 years old, with four pieces of shrapnel in his head. A missing eye. A rebuilt forehead. Deaf in one ear.

He could have skipped the parade, but older veterans wanted him here — and what else does he have planned? It's a break from his routine, watching sitcoms, walking to the grocery store, waiting for a friend to pick him up.

So Rory lets another veteran pin the Purple Heart on his Army uniform. He poses for a picture with a toddler beside the military trucks, and when the music starts, and the parade moves down the street, it feels kind of good. He struts.

Behind retired Spc. Rory Dunn, just a few steps behind, is his mother. The woman who watched over him at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., for nearly a year. The one who saw his chin tremble at night, the tears stream down his face. She taught him to walk in the world again.

Cynthia Lefever, 57, hears the clapping, and yes, it sounds nice. But attention like this is fleeting. More than four years after a bomb blew Rory up in Iraq, the media flits in and out of their lives, covering the miraculous recovery of the man who was not supposed to live. Friends have fallen away.

And mother and son are still trying to find their footing. Some days are better than others.

So Cynthia is not looking for admiration from this crowd. She is looking for appreciation. Does anyone out there understand what has happened to her child?
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