Banned firms got new U.S. contracts in Iraq
By Matt Kelley - USA TODAY
Posted : Tuesday Nov 18, 2008 8:52:08 EST
WASHINGTON — A firm suspended from U.S. government contracts for allegedly bribing Army officers was awarded a new contract in Iraq two days after the suspension was imposed, government investigators found. The Pentagon paid the suspended company more than $1 million under the new contract.
Contracting officers gave Lee Dynamics International a new contract in July 2007 despite warnings from military lawyers, according to a report issued by Stuart Bowen, special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction (SIGIR). The Joint Contracting Command-Iraq did not return calls on why Lee Dynamics was awarded the new contract.
The new, one-year contract allowed Lee Dynamics to continue operating warehouses for the Iraqi security forces. Army Maj. Gloria Davis, who was involved in awarding the company’s initial contract in 2005, killed herself in December 2006 after telling investigators that she took $225,000 in bribes from company founder George Lee, federal court records show. Another Army officer, Lt. Col. Levonda Selph, pleaded guilty last year to taking $9,000 in bribes.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_contracts_111808/
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Fort Bragg:Army investigates video of fighting toddlers
I just looked on YouTube because most of the time, they say a video was pulled only to find it some place else. I was shocked to see how many toddlers are taped fighting.
Army investigates video of fighting toddlers
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 18, 2008 8:46:08 EST
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A soldier in the Army Special Operations Command is being investigated after a video made at Fort Bragg showed up on the Internet depicting his toddler son fighting with another youngster.
The Fayetteville Observer reported Tuesday that the video was on the YouTube Web site, but later removed.
The video shows two youngsters pushing and hitting each other while an unidentified man urged one to stay in the fight.
Special Operations Command spokeswoman Carol Darby said the video is at the center of a child custody dispute. The newspaper said the soldier wasn’t identified, but the video was brought to the attention of the Army by the man’s ex-wife.
The Army said in a prepared statement that it was cooperating with other authorities and didn’t condone the behavior.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_toddlervideo_111808/
Army investigates video of fighting toddlers
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Nov 18, 2008 8:46:08 EST
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A soldier in the Army Special Operations Command is being investigated after a video made at Fort Bragg showed up on the Internet depicting his toddler son fighting with another youngster.
The Fayetteville Observer reported Tuesday that the video was on the YouTube Web site, but later removed.
The video shows two youngsters pushing and hitting each other while an unidentified man urged one to stay in the fight.
Special Operations Command spokeswoman Carol Darby said the video is at the center of a child custody dispute. The newspaper said the soldier wasn’t identified, but the video was brought to the attention of the Army by the man’s ex-wife.
The Army said in a prepared statement that it was cooperating with other authorities and didn’t condone the behavior.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_toddlervideo_111808/
Fighting for soldier's lives
Fighting for soldier's lives
BJ Allen
Issue date: 11/17/08
Addressing the affects of war on all involved, Avila University hosted, "The War Within: An Exhibit Revealing the Veteran Suicide Epidemic and the Hidden Wounds of War" last Tuesday.
Key speakers at the forum included Army Infantry Sergeant Michael Pruitt, Army combat medic from 1992-2000 Amanda Cherry-Haus and Marine veteran Valarie Fletcher, but the floor was open for all to engage in the conversation.
The conversation centered around the affects of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on veterans, the suicide epidemic that has ensued and how to provide medical care to veterans.
"The suicides and psychiatric mortality of this war (Iraq and Afghanistan) could trump the combat deaths," Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), said.
As of Nov. 13, 2008, the total number of soldiers lost to the war in Iraq was 4,196 and in Afghanistan, 555.
These numbers do not include the suicides of soldiers after returning home.
In 2007, there were a total of 2,100 attempts of suicide by active duty soldiers compared to 350 suicide attempts by the enlisted in 2002.
"The scope of the problem (the increasing suicide rate) is scary when you think about it," Vietnam veteran and retired police officer Nikk Thompson said.
Thompson, an MS Crisis Team Coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, talked about a comrade he had spoken with on the phone upon his return from Vietnam. The comrade was distraught after returning from war and committed suicide shortly after their conversation.
click post title for more
BJ Allen
Issue date: 11/17/08
Addressing the affects of war on all involved, Avila University hosted, "The War Within: An Exhibit Revealing the Veteran Suicide Epidemic and the Hidden Wounds of War" last Tuesday.
Key speakers at the forum included Army Infantry Sergeant Michael Pruitt, Army combat medic from 1992-2000 Amanda Cherry-Haus and Marine veteran Valarie Fletcher, but the floor was open for all to engage in the conversation.
The conversation centered around the affects of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars on veterans, the suicide epidemic that has ensued and how to provide medical care to veterans.
"The suicides and psychiatric mortality of this war (Iraq and Afghanistan) could trump the combat deaths," Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), said.
As of Nov. 13, 2008, the total number of soldiers lost to the war in Iraq was 4,196 and in Afghanistan, 555.
These numbers do not include the suicides of soldiers after returning home.
In 2007, there were a total of 2,100 attempts of suicide by active duty soldiers compared to 350 suicide attempts by the enlisted in 2002.
"The scope of the problem (the increasing suicide rate) is scary when you think about it," Vietnam veteran and retired police officer Nikk Thompson said.
Thompson, an MS Crisis Team Coordinator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, talked about a comrade he had spoken with on the phone upon his return from Vietnam. The comrade was distraught after returning from war and committed suicide shortly after their conversation.
click post title for more
9-11 New York:Seven Years and Still Struggling to Breathe Easier
Seven Years and Still Struggling to Breathe Easier
Nurse.com - Falls Church,VA,USA
By Vikki Newton
Monday November 17, 2008
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the greatest burden borne by 9/11 rescue and recovery workers and the residents of lower Manhattan who lived through the attacks on the World Trade Center, according to the recently released 2008 Annual Report on 9/11 Health from the World Trade Center Medical Working Group of New York City.
Among directly exposed populations, 12% of rescue and recovery workers and 13% of lower Manhattan residents reported symptoms of PTSD, which is three times higher than would be expected if the WTC attacks had never occurred, says Jeffrey Hon, New York City Department of Health 9/11 health coordinator. People from these groups also often present with a constellation of symptoms, he says, including respiratory problems, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
"Healthcare providers who treat people in these groups need to be aware of and sensitive to the fact that these health issues persist," Hon says. "Many of the people with respiratory illnesses report that they worked at the WTC site shortly after the attacks or were caught in the dust cloud that rolled through lower Manhattan after the buildings collapsed."
Nurse.com - Falls Church,VA,USA
By Vikki Newton
Monday November 17, 2008
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the greatest burden borne by 9/11 rescue and recovery workers and the residents of lower Manhattan who lived through the attacks on the World Trade Center, according to the recently released 2008 Annual Report on 9/11 Health from the World Trade Center Medical Working Group of New York City.
Among directly exposed populations, 12% of rescue and recovery workers and 13% of lower Manhattan residents reported symptoms of PTSD, which is three times higher than would be expected if the WTC attacks had never occurred, says Jeffrey Hon, New York City Department of Health 9/11 health coordinator. People from these groups also often present with a constellation of symptoms, he says, including respiratory problems, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
"Healthcare providers who treat people in these groups need to be aware of and sensitive to the fact that these health issues persist," Hon says. "Many of the people with respiratory illnesses report that they worked at the WTC site shortly after the attacks or were caught in the dust cloud that rolled through lower Manhattan after the buildings collapsed."
Health Registry Tracks 71,000+
The WTC Health Registry, launched in 2003, periodically collects information about the physical and mental health effects of the collapse from more than 71,000 adults and children who were exposed. Funded by the federal government, the registry is the largest effort in U.S. history to study the health effects of a disaster. Half of the registrants reported being in the dust cloud that rose from the collapsing towers; 70% witnessed a traumatic event that day, such as a plane hitting the tower; and 13% were injured.
The 411 on 9/11 HealthThe 9/11 Health website advises healthcare professionals to do the following –• Ask your patients about their exposure to the WTC disaster during routine exams, even if they live outside the city. People from other areas rushed to the scene to assist with rescue and recovery.
• Refer patients with symptoms described in the Clinical Guidelines to one of the three Centers of Excellence. Treatment is free. Contact information is on the website.
• Share your clinical knowledge and experience evaluating and treating patients with WTC-related illnesses with the NYC DOH and Mental Hygiene. Call or e-mail Jim Cone at 212-442-2402 or jcone@health.nyc.gov/.
• Report the death of any patient with WTC exposure to the NY State Department of Health at 518-402-7900. For more information, visit the 9/11 Health website at http://www.nyc.gov/9-11HealthInfo/.
click link above for more
When it comes to PTSD, it's time to reach outside of the box
I'm beginning to wonder if there is any possible way to get the elected officials to start working out of the box? Is it that hard to look beyond the usual places when it is clear the usual places have yet to come up with any answers?
If you go to YouTube video, type in PTSD in the search field, several of mine are on the first two pages. If you go to Google, again with PTSD in the search field, you find mind yet again. While Google video has had numerous problems with hit counts in the past, a few months ago, they seem to have corrected their problem.
There are more, but you get the idea.
With that in mind consider that if the veterans were getting what they need from the military and the VA, would they ever need to watch videos like mine or any of the others? I'm not a professional video creator. I taught myself how to do them two years ago. There is another version of Wounded Minds, the first one I made and last time I had a look at the counts on that one it was well over 10,000. That video was not very good because of the colors I used and the slides moved too fast to read them.
What I'm getting to is this simple fact. There are people like me all over the country the DOD and the VA will not use to help. To them, living with it everyday in our own homes, is not good enough. I've been doing outreach work for 26 years and 15 years of that has been online. My husband is a Vietnam vet with PTSD so I take all of this very seriously. I track it across the country and around the globe. Do any of the people acceptable to the VA and the DOD do that? I'm not saying they are not committed to what they do and they are trained to do what I cannot do, which is to diagnose and treat the veteran, but I am experienced and trained in getting them to understand what PTSD is. They also spend most of their time working with the veterans. They don't have time to do what I do. Most of them have no idea what the Montana National Guard is doing because of the suicide of Chris Dana or the fact they came up with a program so wonderful that President Elect Obama wants to replicate it across the nation. When he was campaigning, he went there without much media attention and found out exactly what they were doing. Yet if you ask a National Guard unit in another part of the country, they have no idea what is being done there.
I am a licensed, insured, certified and ordained Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains. We are good enough to work in any crisis with victims, emergency responders, but apparently we are not good enough to work in the crisis the VA and the DOD has on their hands with these veterans trying to keep their heads above water without drowning in misery. The VA won't use me as a Chaplain because I don't have a degree. The DOD ignores me even though I passed a test on Military Cultural Competence. I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to self-promoting, I'm not very good at it. I spend too much time researching and posting, plus making the videos to ever really understand how to do it right. While I have made a lot of phone calls, I get thanks but no thanks. So when do they work outside the box and start looking at what the veterans need that they are not doing?
The National Guards and Reservists have a bigger problem because they go back to their communities, isolated from the people who understand what they are going thru. Why aren't the armories having every single educator come in and do presentations so these civilian warriors can find what they need? Why not do it for the families as well? We've all heard how there are not enough acceptable people to go around the country, so why not use people who are trained to do what the others cannot? If the goal is to get as many as possible into treatment, then educating them should be one of the top priorities and mobilize every resource available but they don't.
The commanders can only do what they are allowed to do. The elected officials and the brass make the rules. It's time for them to either change the rules or work around them especially when the lives of these veterans are on the line.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
If you go to YouTube video, type in PTSD in the search field, several of mine are on the first two pages. If you go to Google, again with PTSD in the search field, you find mind yet again. While Google video has had numerous problems with hit counts in the past, a few months ago, they seem to have corrected their problem.
PTSD I Grieve08:40
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 1,262
PTSD After Trauma
04:44
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 2,457
The Voice Women At War
09:49
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 1,040
Women At War
08:02
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 10,744
Coming Out Of The Dark Of PTSD
04:25
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 1,277
Hero After War
08:27
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 5,227
Nam Nights Of PTSD Still 08:33
From:NamGuardianAngel
Views: 2,499
Wounded Minds is a fairly long video, 28 minutes, and is only on Google because of the length.
Wounded Minds PTSD and Veterans
Mar 15, 2006
2819 views (The hits before the problem with Google was fixed were over 8,000)
83 downloads
There are more, but you get the idea.
With that in mind consider that if the veterans were getting what they need from the military and the VA, would they ever need to watch videos like mine or any of the others? I'm not a professional video creator. I taught myself how to do them two years ago. There is another version of Wounded Minds, the first one I made and last time I had a look at the counts on that one it was well over 10,000. That video was not very good because of the colors I used and the slides moved too fast to read them.
What I'm getting to is this simple fact. There are people like me all over the country the DOD and the VA will not use to help. To them, living with it everyday in our own homes, is not good enough. I've been doing outreach work for 26 years and 15 years of that has been online. My husband is a Vietnam vet with PTSD so I take all of this very seriously. I track it across the country and around the globe. Do any of the people acceptable to the VA and the DOD do that? I'm not saying they are not committed to what they do and they are trained to do what I cannot do, which is to diagnose and treat the veteran, but I am experienced and trained in getting them to understand what PTSD is. They also spend most of their time working with the veterans. They don't have time to do what I do. Most of them have no idea what the Montana National Guard is doing because of the suicide of Chris Dana or the fact they came up with a program so wonderful that President Elect Obama wants to replicate it across the nation. When he was campaigning, he went there without much media attention and found out exactly what they were doing. Yet if you ask a National Guard unit in another part of the country, they have no idea what is being done there.
I am a licensed, insured, certified and ordained Chaplain with the International Fellowship of Chaplains. We are good enough to work in any crisis with victims, emergency responders, but apparently we are not good enough to work in the crisis the VA and the DOD has on their hands with these veterans trying to keep their heads above water without drowning in misery. The VA won't use me as a Chaplain because I don't have a degree. The DOD ignores me even though I passed a test on Military Cultural Competence. I'll be the first to admit that when it comes to self-promoting, I'm not very good at it. I spend too much time researching and posting, plus making the videos to ever really understand how to do it right. While I have made a lot of phone calls, I get thanks but no thanks. So when do they work outside the box and start looking at what the veterans need that they are not doing?
The National Guards and Reservists have a bigger problem because they go back to their communities, isolated from the people who understand what they are going thru. Why aren't the armories having every single educator come in and do presentations so these civilian warriors can find what they need? Why not do it for the families as well? We've all heard how there are not enough acceptable people to go around the country, so why not use people who are trained to do what the others cannot? If the goal is to get as many as possible into treatment, then educating them should be one of the top priorities and mobilize every resource available but they don't.
The commanders can only do what they are allowed to do. The elected officials and the brass make the rules. It's time for them to either change the rules or work around them especially when the lives of these veterans are on the line.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
W.Va. National Guard social worker seeks assistance for returning vets
By Mannix Porterfield
Register-Herald reporter
CHARLESTON — Unaware help is available, or reluctant to seek it in deference to the stigma society attaches to mental disorders, many war-weary veterans are self-medicating and abusing alcohol, or getting flawed diagnoses, lawmakers learned Monday.
In some instances, says Lt. Suzanne Jenkins, a social worker for the West Virginia National Guard, soldiers are using a relative’s medicine and mixing in alcohol in search of immediate relief.
“When they get to me, I have not only to deal with the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), but also their substance abuses.”
Jenkins provided the Legislature’s Select Committee B on Veterans Issues with a list of recommendations that would potentially put more returning troops under medical care.
One need is to get services advertised, which, by federal law, she explained, the Veterans Administration is barred from doing.
“What I have found when I’m talking to National Guard soldiers is they are not aware of exactly what the five-year window means,” Jenkins said, emphasizing it’s a five-year limit to seek help.
Failure to take advantage of the time limit means the soldier afterward cannot even get an appointment at the VA.
A recent survey commissioned by the panel, co-chaired by Delegate Barbara Fleischauer and Sen. Jon Blair Hunter, both D-Monongalia, found that one-third of returnees are not applying for services.
“If you get seen by that one provider, you can keep that benefit going,” Jenkins said of the five-year window.
go here for more
http://www.register-herald.com/local/local_story_322212503.html
Monday, November 17, 2008
Military chaplains in Clearwater FL learning about PTSD
Clearwater FL.
Rev. Chrys Parker gave a talk on PTSD to military Chaplains
A conference of Army chaplains learning about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from trauma experts to help fellow soldiers. Produced by ... 1st Lt. Michael Meyer.
Rev. Chrys Parker gave a talk on PTSD to military Chaplains
A conference of Army chaplains learning about Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from trauma experts to help fellow soldiers. Produced by ... 1st Lt. Michael Meyer.
Obama acts presidential even as he lays low
Obama acts presidential even as he lays low
Posted: 03:15 PM ET
From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
President-elect Obama called California's governor and the mayor of Los Angeles to express concern about the wildfires raging in Southern California.
(CNN) – The man once referred to by a rival campaign as “the biggest celebrity in the world” has intentionally been keeping a very low profile in the awkward limbo period between Election Day and his inauguration on January 20.
But on Monday President-Elect Barack Obama stepped out a little and acted decidedly presidential in the middle of a disaster in California.
Obama called Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villraigosa “to express his concern over the wildfires and to receive an update on the situation,” according to a statement released by the Obama transition team Monday.
In the nearly two weeks since Election Day, Obama has taken great pains to make it clear that President Bush remains in charge of the country and its affairs until Obama’s swearing in two months. At his first press conference as president-elect, Obama stressed that the country only has one president at a time and, Obama did not participate in the recent economic summit of world leaders convened to discuss a coordinated response to the financial crisis that has roiled global securities and credit markets.
Update 3:15 p.m.: The Web site of President-elect Obama's presidential campaign, barackobama.com, was altered after Obama's calls to Gov. Schwarzenegger and Mayor Villaraigosa in order to encourage visitors to the site to donate to relief efforts for the victims of the Southern California wildfires. Click here to read a blog post on the Web site.
Posted: 03:15 PM ET
From CNN Associate Producer Martina Stewart
President-elect Obama called California's governor and the mayor of Los Angeles to express concern about the wildfires raging in Southern California.
(CNN) – The man once referred to by a rival campaign as “the biggest celebrity in the world” has intentionally been keeping a very low profile in the awkward limbo period between Election Day and his inauguration on January 20.
But on Monday President-Elect Barack Obama stepped out a little and acted decidedly presidential in the middle of a disaster in California.
Obama called Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villraigosa “to express his concern over the wildfires and to receive an update on the situation,” according to a statement released by the Obama transition team Monday.
In the nearly two weeks since Election Day, Obama has taken great pains to make it clear that President Bush remains in charge of the country and its affairs until Obama’s swearing in two months. At his first press conference as president-elect, Obama stressed that the country only has one president at a time and, Obama did not participate in the recent economic summit of world leaders convened to discuss a coordinated response to the financial crisis that has roiled global securities and credit markets.
Update 3:15 p.m.: The Web site of President-elect Obama's presidential campaign, barackobama.com, was altered after Obama's calls to Gov. Schwarzenegger and Mayor Villaraigosa in order to encourage visitors to the site to donate to relief efforts for the victims of the Southern California wildfires. Click here to read a blog post on the Web site.
Mullen: Exit dates in Iraq deal not a problem
Mullen: Exit dates in Iraq deal not a problem
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 17, 2008 20:26:35 EST
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs confirmed Monday that the new U.S. agreement with Iraq calls for all U.S. troops to be completely out of Iraq by the end of 2011 and that he is “comfortable” with the deal.
“It is my understanding that the 2011 date [means] all American forces [must be] out,” said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen.
The specifics of the agreement have not been publicly released, although the Associated Press reports that the SOFA includes a Dec. 31, 2011 pullout date for all the roughly 151,000 U.S. troops in the country and that it is scheduled for a Nov. 24 vote.
The AP has also reported that according to the agreement, U.S. troops must be out of all Iraqi villages and towns by June 30, 2009. Asked at a Pentagon press conference whether that was his understanding, Mullen did not correct the date and, noting that a number of Iraqi provinces have already been turned over to ISF control, said such a shift is “consistent with how we have moved.”
Mullen said he is “delighted” that the Status of Forces Agreement, approved by the Iraq cabinet Sunday and now awaiting ratification by the national legislature, is “moving forward.” The U.N. mandate and legal authority under which U.S. troops now operate expires Dec. 31, making passage crucial to a continued U.S. effort there.
click link for more
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Nov 17, 2008 20:26:35 EST
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs confirmed Monday that the new U.S. agreement with Iraq calls for all U.S. troops to be completely out of Iraq by the end of 2011 and that he is “comfortable” with the deal.
“It is my understanding that the 2011 date [means] all American forces [must be] out,” said Navy Adm. Mike Mullen.
The specifics of the agreement have not been publicly released, although the Associated Press reports that the SOFA includes a Dec. 31, 2011 pullout date for all the roughly 151,000 U.S. troops in the country and that it is scheduled for a Nov. 24 vote.
The AP has also reported that according to the agreement, U.S. troops must be out of all Iraqi villages and towns by June 30, 2009. Asked at a Pentagon press conference whether that was his understanding, Mullen did not correct the date and, noting that a number of Iraqi provinces have already been turned over to ISF control, said such a shift is “consistent with how we have moved.”
Mullen said he is “delighted” that the Status of Forces Agreement, approved by the Iraq cabinet Sunday and now awaiting ratification by the national legislature, is “moving forward.” The U.N. mandate and legal authority under which U.S. troops now operate expires Dec. 31, making passage crucial to a continued U.S. effort there.
click link for more
PTSD:Widow says Army's screenings don't work
This is why I do what I do. This is why thousands of others do what they do. I'm not saying the people in charge care less or are careless but I am saying they will not open their eyes and know what they are doing is not working. I cover this all over the country and from other nations. While it's getting a little better, they are not replicating what is being done in the civilian world. Time for the DOD and the VA to get up to speed and fast.
Grassroots have sprung up all over the country because the government does not seem to hear very well about what these veterans need. They need support but first they have to understand what PTSD is. If you're thinking Battle Mind Training, forget about it. If it worked the suicide and attempted suicide rates would have gone down instead of up. They need to know what is normal with PTSD and what others are dealing with, not just in the military but in the civilian population as well. PTSD only knows trauma and doesn't really care what the cause of it was. The families need to know even more than the troops do, especially when it comes to the National Guars and Reservist families. They need to know what to look for, what the changes mean and when the warrior needs more help. Without them, you can prepare to bury a lot more after war. We already lose more after war than we do during it yet while we invest hundreds of billions of dollars on ways to kill the enemy, we don't even invest a fraction on defeating the enemy that comes home with them.
Every single military instillation should be holding information gatherings with the same kind of seriousness as they do when they are about to deploy the troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single National Guards armory should do the same only call in the local officials to inform them as well. Every VFW, American Legion, DAV post needs to invest a lot of time in providing the information to their members but also open the doors to all veterans and their families to help them understand what this is and what can be done about it. The time has run out for excuses. It's been done! There are many places already doing something about this, but too many others are not even bothering and yes, I've run into too many of them myself. Ignorance is deadly for the veterans. Part of the mission of these posts was supposed to be about helping veterans and it's high time they got to work. Any need to wonder why with two military campaigns going on their memberships are down instead of up? Right here is the answer.
The DOD and VA need to also push religious groups into getting their leaders up to speed so the spiritual needs of the veterans and their families are being taken care of instead of being ignored. Ever try to talk to a pastor who spent his life living in a bubble instead of the real world? Try to get them to understand any of this as their eyes glaze over. It's not that they don't care but because they are unaware.
There will be many, many more dying when they come home unless all of us work together instead of against each other. Stop using what does not work as if it's better than nothing because if you were not doing it, you'd have plenty of time, energy and urgency to find something that will work.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Grassroots have sprung up all over the country because the government does not seem to hear very well about what these veterans need. They need support but first they have to understand what PTSD is. If you're thinking Battle Mind Training, forget about it. If it worked the suicide and attempted suicide rates would have gone down instead of up. They need to know what is normal with PTSD and what others are dealing with, not just in the military but in the civilian population as well. PTSD only knows trauma and doesn't really care what the cause of it was. The families need to know even more than the troops do, especially when it comes to the National Guars and Reservist families. They need to know what to look for, what the changes mean and when the warrior needs more help. Without them, you can prepare to bury a lot more after war. We already lose more after war than we do during it yet while we invest hundreds of billions of dollars on ways to kill the enemy, we don't even invest a fraction on defeating the enemy that comes home with them.
Every single military instillation should be holding information gatherings with the same kind of seriousness as they do when they are about to deploy the troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. Every single National Guards armory should do the same only call in the local officials to inform them as well. Every VFW, American Legion, DAV post needs to invest a lot of time in providing the information to their members but also open the doors to all veterans and their families to help them understand what this is and what can be done about it. The time has run out for excuses. It's been done! There are many places already doing something about this, but too many others are not even bothering and yes, I've run into too many of them myself. Ignorance is deadly for the veterans. Part of the mission of these posts was supposed to be about helping veterans and it's high time they got to work. Any need to wonder why with two military campaigns going on their memberships are down instead of up? Right here is the answer.
The DOD and VA need to also push religious groups into getting their leaders up to speed so the spiritual needs of the veterans and their families are being taken care of instead of being ignored. Ever try to talk to a pastor who spent his life living in a bubble instead of the real world? Try to get them to understand any of this as their eyes glaze over. It's not that they don't care but because they are unaware.
There will be many, many more dying when they come home unless all of us work together instead of against each other. Stop using what does not work as if it's better than nothing because if you were not doing it, you'd have plenty of time, energy and urgency to find something that will work.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
Namguardianangel@aol.com
www.Namguardianangel.org
www.Woundedtimes.blogspot.com
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Widow says Army's screenings don't work
Kristin M. Hall
Monday, November 17, 2008
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - On the outside, Spc. Carl McCoy seemed to be the perfect soldier, his personnel file highlighted with praise from his officers like "great man" and "could not have asked for a better mechanic."
But McCoy's personal life was unraveling after he returned from his second tour in Iraq in December. He was drinking so much that he often passed out. He was losing a custody battle with his ex-wife and was in marriage counseling with his new wife, who worried he was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
McCoy, 23, took a hard step for a battle-tested soldier and made an appointment with a mental health counselor at Fort Campbell, Ky. At the last minute, his appointment was canceled because the counselor was sick. That night, McCoy put a gun in his mouth, pulled the trigger and died instantly at his home in Clarksville, Tenn.
An Army investigation into his July 11 suicide says McCoy's superiors didn't realize how much emotional pain he was in until it was too late. McCoy's family wonders why, when he did reach out, he didn't get better care from the Army, including the canceled appointment.
"I feel now that this was Carl's last cry for help, and his voice went unheard," Sgt. Maggie McCoy, his widow, said in a letter she sent to the Army inspector general and members of Congress asking for better mental health treatment for soldiers.
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Admirals, generals: Let gays serve openly
Admirals, generals: Let gays serve openly
More than 100 call for repeal of military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy
updated 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday for repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays so they can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The move by the military veterans confronts the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama with a thorny political and cultural issue that dogged former President Bill Clinton early in his administration.
"As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality," the officers wrote.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774058/
More than 100 call for repeal of military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy
updated 1 hour, 21 minutes ago
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - More than 100 retired generals and admirals called Monday for repeal of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays so they can serve openly, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press.
The move by the military veterans confronts the incoming administration of President-elect Barack Obama with a thorny political and cultural issue that dogged former President Bill Clinton early in his administration.
"As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion, and sexuality," the officers wrote.
go here for more
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27774058/
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