Galloway: Returning veterans are changing college campuses
By JOSEPH GALLOWAY
last updated: February 09, 2008 07:31:23 AM
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — There's a fast-growing new community on the campuses of our universities and colleges — young men and women combat veterans fresh out of military service. Those here at the University of Florida and Santa Fe Community College have change on their agenda.
With the help of a local congressman, supporters in the community and a soft-spoken campus veterans' adviser, they just might succeed in fixing some problems and meeting a need that no one imagined we'd face.
The biggest and most expensive dream of these new GI Bill scholars is to build a special 90-apartment complex to accommodate the physical and educational needs of young military veterans who've come home severely wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan. SFCC President Dr.
Jackson Sasser was an early and enthusiastic supporter of the assisted living facility for wounded veterans, and Dr. James Bernard Machen, the president of the University of Florida, supports the effort, too.
These veterans — some missing limbs, others paralyzed — require levels of assistance and care that virtually lock them out of higher education. Some are even sent to live in nursing homes filled with those whose lives are ending, not just beginning.
John Gebhardt works with the 900 to 1,000 new GI Bill veterans who're attending the university and the college each semester. He and they are passionate about wanting to provide a better opportunity for severely wounded young veterans to gain an education.
"The facility we hope to see built here would be totally handicap-accessible," Gebhardt told me this week. "With both hired staff and volunteers, the wounded veterans would be provided transportation to classes on the two campuses, as well as rides to the regional Veterans Administration center for ongoing medical care." The complex also would have facilities for physical therapy and rehabilitation and, when these veterans have to return to a VA hospital for treatment of old or new complications from their wounds, other volunteer veterans would help them keep up with their studies so they don't lose entire semesters. "We are talking about young people who have sacrificed so much in service to our country," Gebhardt said.
"They need an education; they need to be with people their own age; they need to begin easing back into society and finding a future for themselves." Such a facility would cost an estimated $30 million for the purchase of the land and construction. U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, a local Republican, is an enthusiastic supporter of the idea and is going to bat for the money in Washington.
go here for the rest
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/national/story/205990.html
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Congress wants answers on Fort Drum order to stop helping with claims
Lawmakers want answers on VA claims news report
Clinton demands explanation from Army on NPR allegation
Posted : Saturday Feb 9, 2008 7:54:26 EST
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — New York congressional leaders have asked Army Secretary Pete Geren to investigate a report that the Army is blocking Department of Veterans Affairs officials from helping injured Fort Drum soldiers prepare their disability claims, potentially leading to reduced benefits.
Meanwhile, a national soldiers’ advocacy group said it planned to seek a military Court of Inquiry probe into Fort Drum situation.
In a letter to Geren, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., expressed concern and said the allegations “should be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.”
“If these allegations are true they run counter to our nation’s pledge made to our men and women in uniform,” Clinton wrote Geren. “It is our duty to eliminate obstacles standing in the way of our disabled service members and veterans.”
On Feb. 8, National Public Radio reported that the Army surgeon general said he was mistaken when he denied the Army had told VA not to help injured soldiers at Fort Drum to challenge their disability ratings. Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker said it was a “misunderstanding,” NPR reported, and VA may help soldiers.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/army_drum_disabilityclaims_080208w/
Clinton demands explanation from Army on NPR allegation
Posted : Saturday Feb 9, 2008 7:54:26 EST
FORT DRUM, N.Y. — New York congressional leaders have asked Army Secretary Pete Geren to investigate a report that the Army is blocking Department of Veterans Affairs officials from helping injured Fort Drum soldiers prepare their disability claims, potentially leading to reduced benefits.
Meanwhile, a national soldiers’ advocacy group said it planned to seek a military Court of Inquiry probe into Fort Drum situation.
In a letter to Geren, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., expressed concern and said the allegations “should be taken seriously and investigated thoroughly.”
“If these allegations are true they run counter to our nation’s pledge made to our men and women in uniform,” Clinton wrote Geren. “It is our duty to eliminate obstacles standing in the way of our disabled service members and veterans.”
On Feb. 8, National Public Radio reported that the Army surgeon general said he was mistaken when he denied the Army had told VA not to help injured soldiers at Fort Drum to challenge their disability ratings. Lt. Gen. Eric B. Schoomaker said it was a “misunderstanding,” NPR reported, and VA may help soldiers.
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/army_drum_disabilityclaims_080208w/
Schoomaker responds to Fort Drum Order on helping veterans
Top Army Doctor Responds to Fort Drum Flap
Ari Shapiro
National Public Radio
Feb 08, 2008
February 7, 2008 - The Army Surgeon General says he was mistaken when he denied that the Army had told the Veterans Affairs Department not to help injured soldiers challenge their disability ratings.
VA spokesmen told NPR last week that an Army team sent to Fort Drum in New York to review disability issues had told the VA office there to stop helping the soldiers, to leave that to others. Soldiers said the VA had helped them get better disability ratings, and they felt that the Army was damaging their cases by cutting off that assistance.
Army Surgeon General Eric B. Schoomaker says the whole thing was a misunderstanding, and it is fine for the VA to help the soldiers.
go here for the rest
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/9313
Ari Shapiro
National Public Radio
Feb 08, 2008
February 7, 2008 - The Army Surgeon General says he was mistaken when he denied that the Army had told the Veterans Affairs Department not to help injured soldiers challenge their disability ratings.
VA spokesmen told NPR last week that an Army team sent to Fort Drum in New York to review disability issues had told the VA office there to stop helping the soldiers, to leave that to others. Soldiers said the VA had helped them get better disability ratings, and they felt that the Army was damaging their cases by cutting off that assistance.
Army Surgeon General Eric B. Schoomaker says the whole thing was a misunderstanding, and it is fine for the VA to help the soldiers.
go here for the rest
http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/9313
More To Eric Hall, Missing Marine Iraq Veteran
Iraq echoes real for lost Marine
By KIM HACKETT
kim.hackett@heraldtribune.com
Family members believe that wounded Iraq war veteran Eric W. Hall, missing since Sunday, may be wandering in the woods, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and under the impression that he is still fighting in Iraq.
Believing that Hall, a former Marine, will only respond to military authority, 10 former Marines joined Hall's brother, Justin Hall, who is in the Navy, and the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office in searching for him on Friday, five days after he disappeared.
The search focused on the Harbour Heights area, a community between the Peace River and Interstate 75.
"My biggest fear is that something has happened and we're not going to pull him out with a heartbeat," said Adam Birge, 24, Hall's cousin. "He is a Marine and he is trained to survive.
"The only thing that may bring him out is hearing 'Marine, stand down,' from a voice he recognizes."
Hall disappeared from another cousin's Deep Creek home on Sunday. He had been staying there since moving from Jeffersonville, Ind., a few weeks ago.
He recently stopped taking pain medication. Relatives said he started acting strangely a few days before he disappeared, using his hand as a gun and shooting at imaginary people.
"It was almost like he had a speaker in his ear," like the ones Marines have in their helmets in Iraq, Birge said. "He would talk to the microphone on his shoulder and he started saying there were people were out there. It was short little bursts, almost a phone call discussion. Sometimes he remembered doing it and sometimes he didn't."
On Sunday, Hall was at the house with his grandmother when he had a flashback and thought someone was shooting at him, Birge said. He left the house, got on his motorcycle and has not been seen since.
The Charlotte County Sheriff's Office found Hall's motorcycle on Sunday at Sulstone Drive and Pasadena Terrace, and have since been searching the area. On Friday, they used K-9 units and a Sarasota County Sheriff's Office helicopter.
As word got around, a group of former Marines volunteered to help, along with Hall's brother, who is in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk, Va. Their cousin hopes a Blackhawk helicopter can be found to search the area, because the helicopter's sound is one that Hall is trained to respond to.
The former Marines found footprints in the woods consistent with Hall's gait but have not found any other sign of him. Hall has a noticeable limp, Birge said, because his left leg was nearly blown off by an explosive device in Fallujah, Iraq, three years ago.
"He has a lot of pins, plates and screws," Birge said. "They removed a stomach muscle and put it into his leg to give him a chance to walk."
Equally traumatic for Hall was seeing his best friend killed by enemy fire in the same battle, Birge said. Hall was nearby when his friend was decapitated.
According to The Evening News & The Tribune in southern Indiana, Hall underwent 18 surgeries following the blast and was hospitalized for 13 weeks.
The Marine Corps gave him a medical retirement in 2006, the newspaper reported.
While trying to recover, Hall was also struggling with the military, seeking $4,700 in vacation pay. The Department of Veterans Affairs had rated him as only partially disabled, limiting him to $700 in monthly disability payments. Full disability would give him $2,500 monthly, the article said.
"If I did not have a family, I would be homeless," he told the newspaper.
After Hall left the Marine Corps, he moved to Indiana and lived with his parents for a few months before moving into his own apartment.
He received counseling and medical care, and he began training to be an EMT. Hall found it difficult to adjust to life in his hometown with friends who had never left and had not seen the things he had seen, Birge said.
Hall moved to Port Charlotte about three weeks ago to be near Birge and other family members and "to get a fresh start," Birge said.
"He was back to who he was," Birge said. "He's a gung-ho Marine, but the quiet type. He was always trying to make you smile and happy about life, or it seemed that way."
Hall stopped taking his medication because he believed it made him feel out of control, his cousin said.
According to The New England Journal of Medicine, one in six veterans returning from Iraq suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Last modified: February 09. 2008 1:57AM
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20080209/NEWS/802090457/-1/newssitemap
Please click on above link so that the hit goes to Kim Hackett. Hackett provided a lot of information the other report did not and did such a great job, reading it, there was no way to cut it. There are too many important parts of the reporting that need to be told and preserved.
Hall was experiencing flashbacks. That's why he acted as if he was still in combat. To him, he was. In a flashback they are right back where they were, in that very moment with all their physical senses experiencing every aspect of it.
The other part was the deplorable disability he was receiving. No one can live on that small amount of money when they have to support themselves. This is one more way disabled veterans end up homeless, living in shelters or on the street. Hall had family standing by his side but how many others have no one? How many others go missing and no one looks for them?
Then we cannot dismiss the Marines acting as if they are on a mission searching for their "brother" as if he had been taken by enemy forces. Actually he was taken by the enemy he brought home with him in the form of PTSD. These Marines are magnificent. I'm sure they will not give up until they find him.
What are we as a nation doing to help them when they come back wounded? Do we make sure they all have enough medical and mental health care to heal? Do we make sure they all have enough income to keep a roof over their heads, food in their stomachs and their bills are paid? Think of what they do for us. Think about what they are willing to do for us. Do we return the favor if they suffer for their willingness? No. We allow them to come home after they served us and then expect them to just get on with their lives. It's almost as if they hadn't earned the right to survive in this country when they were wounded in service to this country and cannot provide themselves with a livable wage. Why is it we expect their families to support them for the rest of their lives?
When they are lucky to have a supportive family, that's wonderful but we also ignore the added burden on them. None of this is right. None of this is gratitude. It is leaving the bravest people we have to suffer for being such a rarity to the rest of us.
Eric Hall's story is being told but who would have known about it if he wasn't missing? How many other stories do we not know about? How many others have their story told when they are buried in the veterans section of the cemetery? When you think about all the reporters in this country, all the news stations and cable stations, you would think they would all find the time at some point in the day to bring the suffering of our veterans into the spotlight. How is it that we settle for stories on Britney instead? How do we settle for sports stories and elevate them to hero status acting so concerned that they maybe using steroids while we don't seem bothered by what our veterans are going through?
This nation had better start to actually support the troops when they need us because this is going to get a lot worse than we have ever seen it.
O'Reilly uses homeless veterans in humor attempt and failed
I assure you there are no homeless vets
By Bill O'Reilly
2/8/08 9:26 AM EST New York
Every time I say absolutely anything, as innocuous as it might be, the liberal media craps their pants, sticks their fingers in it, then smells their fingers and then tells me that my shit stinks. Well, I’ve had enough. This whole homeless veterans thing has been a HUGE misunderstanding.
When John Edwards said there were 200,000 homeless vets, what I thought he meant was that there were 200,000 homeless veterinarians, not veterans. If I had known he had meant veterans, I wouldn’t have disagreed at all.
There are tons of homeless veterans. There’s one that lives outside my favorite coffee shop. Sometimes I kick him. Other times I listen to his stories about the wars he’s been. He says he fought in Vietnam, World War II, the Civil War, and several other wars against aliens that I didn’t even know about. The man is a freakin hero, and I support him and his homelessness. I’m all about homeless veterans. I wish there were more homeless veterans so we could see them even more often and celebrate the beauty of their existence. I wish there was a homeless veterans parade. It would stink of filthy patriotism for miles, and it would be glorious.
Veterinarians on the other hand are soulless, avaricious, sadistic creatures spawned directly from Satan’s taint.
I recently purchased a beautiful female pitbull, whom I named Hillary. (Each presidential election season, I buy a new pet and name it after a candidate. Unfortunately, recently they haven’t been doing too well. Gill Clinton got flushed down the toilet, Alpaca Gore froze to death in the arctic during a global warming test I was conducting, and as for Ronald Bacon, well, I consumed him in a fit of nostalgia for the glory days).
go here for the rest if you really want to but you don't need to.
http://www.newsgroper.com/bill-oreilly/2008/02/08/assure-homeless-vets/
The man is insane! Can he be so desperate for attention that he doesn't care who has to suffer so that he gets it? Think about it. He's hated from coast to coast and keeps digging his career into the ground insulting the veterans, insulting the troops, insulting the wounded troops on top of it, then comes off as if he's doing something about "helping" them. The schmuck has one hell of a nerve trying to jump onto the Senates bandwagon who are trying to really help these veterans. The same ones O'Reilly has only shown disdain for.
Bill O'Reilly's "Big Announcement" to Homeless Vets
foxattacks.com
For weeks, Bill O'Reilly had been teasing that he would make a "big announcement" on Feb. 8 for homeless veterans. But all he announced is that he would monitor the creation of a new GI bill that hasn't even been drafted yet and would harass congressmen who vote against it. BOR acts like updating the GI bill is his own original idea.http://bravenewfilms.org/blog/28546-bill-o-reilly-s-big-announcement-to-homeless-vets
The above post he did shows exactly what he thinks about veterans and homeless veterans. He can shoot off his mouth all he wants but I blame his viewers for tolerating his indefensible behavior. If they are watching him, they are supporting him and allowing him to attack our veterans. How can anyone watch him without being seen as contemptible as he is? I've heard several people who used to watch him call into radio stations saying they can't stand him now. For the viewers he has left, you really have to wonder how their stomach doesn't turn up their dinner. How can anyone with any kind of connection to reality put up with him? How far into the depravity abyss are they willing to follow him?
UK:Combat Stress Charity Gets Help From Louise Williams
Louise's help for the troops
Louise Williams is collecting at her
market stall to help a
little-known services charity
080653
By Paul Derrick
A SCARBOROUGH market worker is raising funds and awareness for a charity, which helps former servicepeople suffering from psychological injury.
Louise Williams, 34, says she wants to help Combat Stress, The Ex-Services Mental Welfare Society, because not enough is being done to raise awareness for the charity.
She is running a collection box for the charity at her children’s clothes stall, Lucky Imps, in the Market Hall and has nine other boxes available for people if they want to do their own fundraising.
Miss Williams, of Herdborough Road, said: “Combat Stress is very important for a lot of troops at the moment. There needs to be more help for them so they can get the right treatment and support.
“I just want people to learn a bit more about the charity and see what’s going on with the Forces and what they have to deal with.”
Her partner John Chidlow, 37, was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder after serving as a Royal Engineer in Iraq, Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Sierra Leone and went to Combat Stress for help.
click post title for the rest
Eric Hall Marine with PTSD Missing in Clark County Florida
(02/08/2008) (Courtesy Photo) -- Eric Hall's family released this new photo of Eric Hall. Authorities are conducting a search for 24-year-old Eric Hall in Harbour Heights, Fla. Friday, February 8, 2008. The Sheriff's Office has set up a mobile command center and is utilizing mounted patrols and K-9 units in the search. According to the Sheriff's Office: Relatives last saw Hall on Sunday at their Deep Creek home. They said he was hallucinating and acting as if he were shooting an invisible gun. His Yamaha motorcycle was found near Sulstone Drive and Pasadena Terrace.
Jason McKibben /
Eric Hall's mother Becky comforts his brother Justin as they wait for news in the search, nearby is Eric's good friend Chaz Kane. Authorities are conducting a search for 24-year-old Eric Hall in Harbour Heights, Fla. Friday, February 8, 2008. The Sheriff's Office has set up a mobile command center and is utilizing mounted patrols and K-9 units in the search. According to the Sheriff's Office: Relatives last saw Hall on Sunday at their Deep Creek home. They said he was hallucinating and acting as if he were shooting an invisible gun. His Yamaha motorcycle was found near Sulstone Drive and Pasadena Terrace. (Photo by Jason McKibben/courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
Jason McKibben /
Search is on for missing local marine
By DAVID MANN
David.Mann@newsandtribune.com
Authorities in Florida are searching for an ex-Marine from Clark County, who is believed to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Eric Hall, 24, had been staying at a relative’s home in Deep Creek, Fla., for about two weeks when he began hallucinating and having flashbacks, a press release from The Charlotte County (Fla.) Sheriff’s office says. He was last seen when he left the home on his motorcycle Sunday. The motorcycle was later found along a nearby roadside still running.
The search effort renewed Friday morning in the Harbour Heights, Fla., area, where he may have been after he was reported missing.
Deputies, K-9 teams, a helicopter and mounted patrols participated in the search. By Friday afternoon, officials said, he still had not been located.
Hall has been back from Iraq for about three years and had since been granted medical retirement by the Marine Corps.
He was injured in June 2005 when a bomb exploded while he was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. A fellow Marine was killed in the blast.
go here for the rest
http://www.newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/local_story_040015351.html
This should go to Rolling Thunder, Patriot Guard and Nam Knights to help find Eric Hall. He's a Marine with PTSD and has been suffering since he came home.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Acinetobacter baumannii brought back from Iraq and Afghanistan
New Bacterial Infection Linked to Military
Report: Troops Transmitted Mysterious Bacteria That Has Killed 7 And Affected Military And Civilians Alike
By JOHN HENDREN
Feb. 8, 2008
Troops arriving home from Iraq and Afghanistan have been carrying a mysterious, deadly bacteria, according to a new magazine report.
Doctors have linked the bacterium acinetobacter baumannii to at least seven deaths, as well as to loss of limbs and other severe ailments, according to the report, which found the bacterium has spread quickly since the war in Afghanistan began in the fall of 2001
Acinetobacter baumannii has been found in military hospitals in Germany, the Washington, D.C., area and Texas -- the primary destinations of wounded service members from the two war zones. And it has now spread to civilians, according to the report.
"The outbreak began traveling with patients or nonpatients from Iraq all the way back to Walter Reed," said Dr. Rox Anderson at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Timothy Endy, a retired Army colonel now teaching infectious disease medicine at the Upstate Medical University of the State University of New York, said the outbreak might be the largest of its kind to spread through hospitals in history.
Doctors quoted in the magazine article agreed. "Of the infectious disease problems that come out of the conflict, it is the most important complication we've seen," Dr. Glenn Wortmann, acting chief of infectious disease at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said in the February issue of Proceedings, published by the U.S. Naval Institute, a professional organization focused on naval issues.
The report was released to subscribers of the magazine this week.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Germs/story?id=4233448&page=1
Linked from ICasualties.org
Actually not so new. Go here and read several reports going back to 2005. How they can say it's new, is very odd since the media has been reporting on this for a very long time.
http://namguardianangel.blogspot.com/search?q=Acinetobacter+baumannii
Report: Troops Transmitted Mysterious Bacteria That Has Killed 7 And Affected Military And Civilians Alike
By JOHN HENDREN
Feb. 8, 2008
Troops arriving home from Iraq and Afghanistan have been carrying a mysterious, deadly bacteria, according to a new magazine report.
Doctors have linked the bacterium acinetobacter baumannii to at least seven deaths, as well as to loss of limbs and other severe ailments, according to the report, which found the bacterium has spread quickly since the war in Afghanistan began in the fall of 2001
Acinetobacter baumannii has been found in military hospitals in Germany, the Washington, D.C., area and Texas -- the primary destinations of wounded service members from the two war zones. And it has now spread to civilians, according to the report.
"The outbreak began traveling with patients or nonpatients from Iraq all the way back to Walter Reed," said Dr. Rox Anderson at Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Timothy Endy, a retired Army colonel now teaching infectious disease medicine at the Upstate Medical University of the State University of New York, said the outbreak might be the largest of its kind to spread through hospitals in history.
Doctors quoted in the magazine article agreed. "Of the infectious disease problems that come out of the conflict, it is the most important complication we've seen," Dr. Glenn Wortmann, acting chief of infectious disease at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, said in the February issue of Proceedings, published by the U.S. Naval Institute, a professional organization focused on naval issues.
The report was released to subscribers of the magazine this week.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Germs/story?id=4233448&page=1
Linked from ICasualties.org
Actually not so new. Go here and read several reports going back to 2005. How they can say it's new, is very odd since the media has been reporting on this for a very long time.
http://namguardianangel.blogspot.com/search?q=Acinetobacter+baumannii
Home is Where the Heart Is raises more than $40,000 for veterans
Ms. Madaras greets 1st Lt. Zach Alessi-Friedlander, an Iraq War veteran.
Feb 7, 2008
Home is Where the Heart Is raises more than $40,000 for veterans
By Colleen Flaherty —Hersam Acorn Newspapers
The dangers of active military duty should end once a soldier returns home. For too many, however, a new battle — that of reintegration into civilian life — begins once he or she touches American soil.
“People are sending care packages and things to the soldiers over there,” said Wilton resident Shalini Madaras, who’s son, Pfc. Nicholas Madaras was killed in Iraq in September 2006. “That’s fine and that’s great, but there’s a lot that they come back with that you don’t realize.”
More difficult to diagnose than their physical counterparts, psychological and emotional war wounds can make maintaining a job or personal relationships impossible for some veterans. Additionally, many find their skill sets do not easily translate into the working world.
Both factors have financial ramifications and make for a grave statistic, said John Wiltse, deputy commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Veterans Affairs.
“On any given night, somewhere between 25 and 30 percent of the homeless citizens in Connecticut may have served honorably in the United States military.”
go here for the rest
http://www.acorn-online.com/news/publish/wilton/28633.shtml
Six killed in gunfire at City Council meeting
This is what shock looks like after trauma hits
Six killed in gunfire at City Council meeting
Police officers, mayor, council members shot in suburb of St. Louis
NBC, MSNBC and news services
updated 2:10 a.m. ET, Fri., Feb. 8, 2008
KIRKWOOD, Mo. - A man known for confrontations with city officials killed five people at a city council meeting in suburban St. Louis Thursday night before he was shot to death by police.
Two Kirkwood police officers and three people attending the meeting were killed by the gunman, who rushed the council chambers and began firing as he yelled "Shoot the mayor!" according to St. Louis County Police spokesman Tracy Panus.
Two others were wounded, including Mayor Mike Swoboda. Two council members reportedly were shot, but it was not clear if they had been killed.
go here for the rest
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23059784
A man is helped to an ambulance outside City Hall in Kirkwood, Mo., on Thursday following a shooting rampage.
Six killed in gunfire at City Council meeting
Police officers, mayor, council members shot in suburb of St. Louis
NBC, MSNBC and news services
updated 2:10 a.m. ET, Fri., Feb. 8, 2008
KIRKWOOD, Mo. - A man known for confrontations with city officials killed five people at a city council meeting in suburban St. Louis Thursday night before he was shot to death by police.
Two Kirkwood police officers and three people attending the meeting were killed by the gunman, who rushed the council chambers and began firing as he yelled "Shoot the mayor!" according to St. Louis County Police spokesman Tracy Panus.
Two others were wounded, including Mayor Mike Swoboda. Two council members reportedly were shot, but it was not clear if they had been killed.
go here for the rest
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23059784
Obama, Hagel, and Harkin Address GI Suicides
Obama, Hagel, and Harkin Address GI Suicides
by Piuma, Thu Feb 07, 2008 at 11:36:08 PM EST
The following is excerpted from a diary on the Think On These Things blog:
As news reports reveal growing numbers of suicide among soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, U.S. Senators Tom Harkin, Chuck Hagel, and Barack Obama on January 31, introduced major legislation aimed at preventing suicide among active duty members of the military. The Senators' bill, the Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act, would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a comprehensive suicide prevention program including annual training for soldiers, improved instruction for field medics and post deployment assistance. The legislation authorizes six million dollars for implementation of the programs. A companion measure will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA).
Today's Washington Post reported that Army statistics show that 121 soldiers committee suicide last year - a 20 percent increase from 2006. This is the highest rate of Army suicides recorded since the Army started collecting this data in 1980. The Post also reported that last year about 2,100 soldiers "injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002."
"These startling statistics should serve as a wakeup call that suicide among soldiers and veterans is more than a problem, it is an epidemic," said Senator Harkin. "Thankfully, our push to provide America's veterans with a suicide prevention program was heard last year, when the President signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act into law. But there is more work ahead - especially in serving our active duty military personnel. We can and must act quickly to save our soldiers who are so bravely fighting for our country."
go here for the rest
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/2/7/23368/63265
by Piuma, Thu Feb 07, 2008 at 11:36:08 PM EST
The following is excerpted from a diary on the Think On These Things blog:
As news reports reveal growing numbers of suicide among soldiers serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, U.S. Senators Tom Harkin, Chuck Hagel, and Barack Obama on January 31, introduced major legislation aimed at preventing suicide among active duty members of the military. The Senators' bill, the Armed Forces Suicide Prevention Act, would direct the Department of Defense (DoD) to create a comprehensive suicide prevention program including annual training for soldiers, improved instruction for field medics and post deployment assistance. The legislation authorizes six million dollars for implementation of the programs. A companion measure will be introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Leonard Boswell (D-IA).
Today's Washington Post reported that Army statistics show that 121 soldiers committee suicide last year - a 20 percent increase from 2006. This is the highest rate of Army suicides recorded since the Army started collecting this data in 1980. The Post also reported that last year about 2,100 soldiers "injured themselves or attempted suicide, compared with about 350 in 2002."
"These startling statistics should serve as a wakeup call that suicide among soldiers and veterans is more than a problem, it is an epidemic," said Senator Harkin. "Thankfully, our push to provide America's veterans with a suicide prevention program was heard last year, when the President signed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act into law. But there is more work ahead - especially in serving our active duty military personnel. We can and must act quickly to save our soldiers who are so bravely fighting for our country."
go here for the rest
http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/2/7/23368/63265
Peter Neesley's family comforted by dogs he adopted in Iraq
Journey of 2 dogs helps family of fallen soldier
2/7/2008, 8:11 p.m. EST
By KEN THOMAS
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Growing up, Peter Neesley was an animal lover who always took in strays around his Michigan home. So when his family heard that the Army sergeant was taking care of two dogs outside his Baghdad military base, no one was surprised.
In e-mails and phone calls from Iraq, Neesley talked about how he came across Mama, a black Labrador mix, and Boris, her white-and-brown spotted puppy, while on patrol in a Baghdad neighborhood.
One of Mama's puppies was later killed by a car, so Neesley and his friends built a doghouse to shelter the animals. Photographs show Neesley feeding the dogs, kneeling next to the red-and-white doghouse and Boris walking along the cracked sidewalks of Baghdad.
"He was determined. He had already been sending us e-mails about how when he came home in July, he was going to find a way to bring them with him," said his sister, Carey Neesley.
Neesley's family was devastated when they learned Christmas morning that the 28-year-old had died suddenly in his sleep. The Army said his death is still under investigation pending an autopsy.
Still grieving, the family decided that they would honor Neesley's wishes and try to bring the dogs home to Michigan.
"To have something that they can hold and touch and care for that Peter cared about, that's the whole thing," said Julie Dean, his aunt.
Mama and Boris were scheduled to arrive Friday at the Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., home of Neesley's mother, capping a four-week transfer facilitated by family members, animal rights groups, media outlets and elected leaders.
The dogs were picked up in Baghdad this week by Rick Crook, a rapid response manager for the Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, which helped arrange the animals' transport after learning about it from media reports. Gryphon Holdings LLC, an American-owned airline with service to Iraq, agreed to fly the dogs from Baghdad to Kuwait City.
go here for the rest
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-50/120243207167780.xml&storylist=newsmichigan
2/7/2008, 8:11 p.m. EST
By KEN THOMAS
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — Growing up, Peter Neesley was an animal lover who always took in strays around his Michigan home. So when his family heard that the Army sergeant was taking care of two dogs outside his Baghdad military base, no one was surprised.
In e-mails and phone calls from Iraq, Neesley talked about how he came across Mama, a black Labrador mix, and Boris, her white-and-brown spotted puppy, while on patrol in a Baghdad neighborhood.
One of Mama's puppies was later killed by a car, so Neesley and his friends built a doghouse to shelter the animals. Photographs show Neesley feeding the dogs, kneeling next to the red-and-white doghouse and Boris walking along the cracked sidewalks of Baghdad.
"He was determined. He had already been sending us e-mails about how when he came home in July, he was going to find a way to bring them with him," said his sister, Carey Neesley.
Neesley's family was devastated when they learned Christmas morning that the 28-year-old had died suddenly in his sleep. The Army said his death is still under investigation pending an autopsy.
Still grieving, the family decided that they would honor Neesley's wishes and try to bring the dogs home to Michigan.
"To have something that they can hold and touch and care for that Peter cared about, that's the whole thing," said Julie Dean, his aunt.
Mama and Boris were scheduled to arrive Friday at the Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., home of Neesley's mother, capping a four-week transfer facilitated by family members, animal rights groups, media outlets and elected leaders.
The dogs were picked up in Baghdad this week by Rick Crook, a rapid response manager for the Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society, which helped arrange the animals' transport after learning about it from media reports. Gryphon Holdings LLC, an American-owned airline with service to Iraq, agreed to fly the dogs from Baghdad to Kuwait City.
go here for the rest
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-50/120243207167780.xml&storylist=newsmichigan
Bill O'Reilly calls Florida's Homeless veterans "sex offenders"
First O'Reilly claims there are no homeless veterans and they are not sleeping under any bridges. That wasn't bad enough for his bosses to slap him upside the head with the report from the government.
Then he says, "they are all drug addicts and alcoholics" never wondering why homeless veterans would drink or do drugs after the nation abandoned them, leaving them without medical care, incomes from wounds connected to their service, or even managing to come up with some kind of plan to get them back on their feet. This does not even approach the fact that veterans with PTSD turn to self medication to kill off flashbacks, nightmares and twitches because their nerves are jumping out of their skin.
This was not enough for his bosses to make him admit he was wrong. Lord knows he doesn't have a conscience telling him to do it. It wasn't enough for his bosses to get him to either drop the subject altogether or report the truth. It wasn't even enough to get him fired.
Well then comes the homeless veterans to his studio. He couldn't be bothered to go out and meet these veterans. He sent someone to try to trap them up by asking them if they had heard what O'Reilly said or saw him on cable. Considering the dope couldn't figure out homeless people don't have radios or TV sets to get to watch, they proved once again, the homeless veterans are fair game and they would stoop to new levels that would make Scrooge proud. This wasn't enough either. The tape they shot that day was used on his program to attack them once again.
Who would have thought this maniac would sink even lower? Who would have thought his sponsors, viewers and bosses would have tolerated any of this? He did because he just went even lower by linking the homeless veterans to sex offenders in Florida.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "Current population estimates suggest that about 195,000 veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year." The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported on October 15, 2007, that according to information reported by applicants to the department's Continuums of Care (CoCs) Homeless Assistance Programs, the local CoCs reported a "point-in-time count" of 29,785 "unsheltered" homeless veterans. The "point-in-time count" occurred in January 2006. HUD currently defines "an unsheltered homeless person" as a person who "resides in: A place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the street."
The Miami/Dade County CoC reported 117 unsheltered homeless veterans in its January 24, 2006, point-in-time count.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200802070009?lid=44841&rid=3168460
It's not bad enough he is waging war against war veterans. The creep is actually trying to make them look like drug addicts and criminals hell bent on committing rape. Naturally O'Reilly cannot understand common human decency. He has proven this time and time again when he has had more than ample time to reconsider his stance and tell the truth. He had all this time to admit he was wrong. He had more than enough time to actually prove his rants about caring about anyone but himself. He allowed his huge ego to kill off every sense of human kindness he had left in his soul. How twisted his mind must work for him to turn around and try to link homeless veterans to everything he can come up with instead of being a human. Shame on him. Shame on his viewers. Shame on his sponsors and a bigger shame on his bosses. All of them will forever be linked to the suffering of homeless veterans when they all had the opportunity to help them.
I think the sponsors of his radio show and cable show should value their advertising dollars more wisely considering whenever their products are purchased they will not leave a very bad taste and people will regret supporting them when they support someone who slanders veterans who were abandoned by the government. Nice work for a piece of shit that cannot understand we have two occupations already producing homeless veterans to add to the veterans who came before them.
No I know how they become homeless. I've met a few and researched this for 25 years. Most of these veterans are the most wonderful people on the planet. This quote will give you a hint of how vial and contemptible O'Reilly has become.
Right here in Florida we have 20,000 homeless veterans. O'Reilly is saying they are sex offenders. 20,000 veterans who served the nation. Did he call them that when they were risking their lives for the sake of people like him to be able to shoot off their mouths? 20,000 this nation had no problem paying for them to risk their lives with all that entailed from providing them with bullets, weapons, shelter, clothing and food while they were risking their lives, but found it too difficult to do the same because they were wounded, couldn't support themselves, became so wounded emotionally they found no comfort or human kindness and were then too expensive to support in the same way they were when they were risking those lives. O'Reilly is the worst kind of citizen. One who cares nothing about the men and women so noble and brave they are willing to lay down their lives even for the likes of him. Pathetic!
Then he says, "they are all drug addicts and alcoholics" never wondering why homeless veterans would drink or do drugs after the nation abandoned them, leaving them without medical care, incomes from wounds connected to their service, or even managing to come up with some kind of plan to get them back on their feet. This does not even approach the fact that veterans with PTSD turn to self medication to kill off flashbacks, nightmares and twitches because their nerves are jumping out of their skin.
This was not enough for his bosses to make him admit he was wrong. Lord knows he doesn't have a conscience telling him to do it. It wasn't enough for his bosses to get him to either drop the subject altogether or report the truth. It wasn't even enough to get him fired.
Well then comes the homeless veterans to his studio. He couldn't be bothered to go out and meet these veterans. He sent someone to try to trap them up by asking them if they had heard what O'Reilly said or saw him on cable. Considering the dope couldn't figure out homeless people don't have radios or TV sets to get to watch, they proved once again, the homeless veterans are fair game and they would stoop to new levels that would make Scrooge proud. This wasn't enough either. The tape they shot that day was used on his program to attack them once again.
Who would have thought this maniac would sink even lower? Who would have thought his sponsors, viewers and bosses would have tolerated any of this? He did because he just went even lower by linking the homeless veterans to sex offenders in Florida.
BillOReilly.com link to story of "sex offenders living under a bridge": "Those weren't veterans John Edwards, they were sex offenders"
Summary: A link on BillOReilly.com, the website of Fox News and conservative radio talk-show host Bill O'Reilly, was titled "Those weren't veterans John Edwards, they were sex offenders," and linked to an Associated Press article about Florida's efforts "to dissolve a community of sex offenders living under a bridge." Media Matters for America has documented the back-and-forth between O'Reilly and former Sen. John Edwards over homelessness and homeless veterans.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, "Current population estimates suggest that about 195,000 veterans (male and female) are homeless on any given night and perhaps twice as many experience homelessness at some point during the course of a year." The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reported on October 15, 2007, that according to information reported by applicants to the department's Continuums of Care (CoCs) Homeless Assistance Programs, the local CoCs reported a "point-in-time count" of 29,785 "unsheltered" homeless veterans. The "point-in-time count" occurred in January 2006. HUD currently defines "an unsheltered homeless person" as a person who "resides in: A place not meant for human habitation, such as cars, parks, sidewalks, abandoned buildings, or on the street."
The Miami/Dade County CoC reported 117 unsheltered homeless veterans in its January 24, 2006, point-in-time count.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200802070009?lid=44841&rid=3168460
It's not bad enough he is waging war against war veterans. The creep is actually trying to make them look like drug addicts and criminals hell bent on committing rape. Naturally O'Reilly cannot understand common human decency. He has proven this time and time again when he has had more than ample time to reconsider his stance and tell the truth. He had all this time to admit he was wrong. He had more than enough time to actually prove his rants about caring about anyone but himself. He allowed his huge ego to kill off every sense of human kindness he had left in his soul. How twisted his mind must work for him to turn around and try to link homeless veterans to everything he can come up with instead of being a human. Shame on him. Shame on his viewers. Shame on his sponsors and a bigger shame on his bosses. All of them will forever be linked to the suffering of homeless veterans when they all had the opportunity to help them.
I think the sponsors of his radio show and cable show should value their advertising dollars more wisely considering whenever their products are purchased they will not leave a very bad taste and people will regret supporting them when they support someone who slanders veterans who were abandoned by the government. Nice work for a piece of shit that cannot understand we have two occupations already producing homeless veterans to add to the veterans who came before them.
20,000 War Vets Living On Florida Streets; 1,400 In Central Florida
POSTED: 5:42 pm EST January 23, 2008
UPDATED: 10:58 pm EST January 23, 2008
ORLANDO, Fla. -- More than 20,000 military veterans in Florida are homeless, living in a kind of war zone they had never imaged -- on the streets and in the woods.
A former U.S. Marine named Pete who once lived in Cocoa Beach with a great view of the ocean is now one of Central Florida's 1,400 homeless.
Pete lives in the woods.
"I got a tent in the woods. I'm not going to a shelter," Pete said. "I'm a carpenter by trade and I just need to get back to work."
Pete said the housing market crisis put him out of work.
Another homeless veteran, Curtis, worked heavy machinery repairing dams and sinkholes after leaving the U.S. Air Force.
His company stopped operations in the United States, leaving him homeless.
"Right now, I would like to find out some information about getting a home," Curtis said. "I need a permanent shelter."
Curtis has been staying at the Rescue Mission in downtown Orlando.
"I have no support system as far as family is concerned," Curtis said. "I am the only one here."
Statewide there are fewer than 470 beds in the Veterans Administration for shelter and treatment, Cooper reported.
According to Brent Trotter, Chief Executive Officer of the Coalition for the Homeless, beds are in short supply.
"We try to take everyone in who comes into our doors, we're at capacity," Trotter said.
"These people got there because of a series of life circumstances and the fact they did not have kind of safety net that you and I might have," Executive Director of Homeless Services Network Cathy Jackson said. "They didn't have caring family or sufficient income or perhaps education."
Local 6 is planning a phone bank on Friday, Jan 23, at WKMG studios.
No I know how they become homeless. I've met a few and researched this for 25 years. Most of these veterans are the most wonderful people on the planet. This quote will give you a hint of how vial and contemptible O'Reilly has become.
"These people got there because of a series of life circumstances and the fact they did not have kind of safety net that you and I might have," Executive Director of Homeless Services Network Cathy Jackson said. "They didn't have caring family or sufficient income or perhaps education."
Right here in Florida we have 20,000 homeless veterans. O'Reilly is saying they are sex offenders. 20,000 veterans who served the nation. Did he call them that when they were risking their lives for the sake of people like him to be able to shoot off their mouths? 20,000 this nation had no problem paying for them to risk their lives with all that entailed from providing them with bullets, weapons, shelter, clothing and food while they were risking their lives, but found it too difficult to do the same because they were wounded, couldn't support themselves, became so wounded emotionally they found no comfort or human kindness and were then too expensive to support in the same way they were when they were risking those lives. O'Reilly is the worst kind of citizen. One who cares nothing about the men and women so noble and brave they are willing to lay down their lives even for the likes of him. Pathetic!
"At this festive season of the year, Mr. Scrooge," said the gentleman, taking up a pen, "it is more than usually desirable that we should make some slight provision for the poor and destitute, who suffer greatly at the present time. Many thousands are in want of common necessaries; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts, sir."
"Are there no prisons?" asked Scrooge.
"Plenty of prisons," said the gentleman, laying down the pen again.
"And the Union workhouses?" demanded Scrooge. "Are they still in operation?"
"They are. Still," returned the gentleman, "I wish I could say they were not."
"The Treadmill and the Poor Law are in full vigour, then?" said Scrooge.
"Both very busy, sir."
"Oh! I was afraid, from what you said at first, that something had occurred to stop them in their useful course," said Scrooge. "I'm very glad to hear it."
"Under the impression that they scarcely furnish Christian cheer of mind or body to the multitude," returned the gentleman, "a few of us are endeavouring to raise a fund to buy the Poor some meat and drink, and means of warmth. We choose this time, because it is a time, of all others, when Want is keenly felt, and Abundance rejoices. What shall I put you down for?"
"Nothing!" replied Scrooge.
"You wish to be anonymous?"
"I wish to be left alone," said Scrooge. "Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don't make merry myself at Christmas, and I can't afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there."
"Many can't go there; and many would rather die."
"If they would rather die," said Scrooge, "they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population. ... It's enough for a man to understand his own business, and not to interfere with other people's. Mine occupies me constantly. Good afternoon, gentlemen!"
— Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol.http://libertariannation.org/a/f12l1.html
AKA Bill O'Reilly He is anti-warrior, anti-veteran and anti-Christian!
Thursday, February 7, 2008
When will government work for the veterans with PTSD?
Bad economy and bad PR hurting veterans
They need a great PR firm. Educating the veterans and their families on what PTSD is and getting them into treatment cannot take a back seat. It's that simple. The problem is, while the government is finally, slowly being responsible enough to start to take care of them, the media is hugely responsible for this happening and they should be applauded, not blamed.
The problem is that the government has done very little to educate the general population on PTSD as well. How else can they view the returning forces after all these years of stress and trauma after trauma? What people do not understand is that there are many who come back fine. Others with PTSD are not suddenly so damaged they cannot work for a living. There are many of them with mild PTSD causing them sleep problems and edginess but their symptoms can be controlled with medication and therapy. While there are many who will never be able to work again, even they can lead productive lives.
We have a nation of people with PTSD and not all of them are veterans. What is the next excuse they use to not hire people? Are they going to give out a questionnaire asking them about every traumatic event in their lives and then say "sorry but your too unstable to hire?"
I really think aside from the lack of education on PTSD, there is something more serious under all of this. My gut is telling me that it's the redeployments issue is the biggest factor. If they hire someone, especially a National Guardsman or Reservists, what are the chances they will get redeployed? Pretty high right? If they get redeployed, their job has to be held open. In a weak job market you have lines of people waiting to apply to Wal-Mart, so it's very unlikely they will hire a veteran who may have to go back. With stop loss, that is another problem. You have so many who think they are done serving only to get orders to go back in. This is not helpful to an employer.
Two ways to get around this: Educate the public on what PTSD is and what it is not. Let the veterans collect unemployment until they can find a job. After all, they were doing their jobs when they went to Iraq and Afghanistan and now they can't find work. Bush can make sure he always finds the money for both occupations and to pay the contractors but has a huge problem when it comes to taking care of the men and women he sends. It's time Congress took this all seriously.
“The issue of mental health has turned into a double-edged sword for returning veterans. More publicity has generated more public awareness and federal funding for those who return home different from when they left. However, more publicity — especially stories that perpetuate the ‘Wacko Vet’ myth — has also made some employers more cautious to hire a veteran,” said Joe Davis, spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Study: Job market hard on recently discharged
By Hope Yen - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 19:42:42 EST
Strained by war, recently discharged veterans are having a harder time finding civilian jobs and are more likely to earn lower wages for years due partly to employer concerns about their mental health and overall skills, a government study says.
The Department of Veterans Affairs report, obtained Thursday by The Associated Press, points to continuing problems with the Bush administration’s efforts to help 4.4 million troops who have been discharged from active duty since 1990.
The 2007 study by the consulting firm Abt Associates Inc. found that 18 percent of the veterans who sought jobs within one to three years of discharge were unemployed, while one out of four who did find jobs earned less than $21,840 a year. Many had taken advantage of government programs such as the GI Bill to boost job prospects, but there was little evidence that education benefits yielded higher pay or better advancement.
The report blamed the poor prospects partly on inadequate job networks and lack of mentors after extended periods in war, and said employers often had misplaced stereotypes about veterans’ fitness for employment, such as concerns they did not possess adequate technological skills, or were too rigid, lacked education or were at risk for post-traumatic stress disorder.
go here for the resthttp://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_veteransjobs_080207/
They need a great PR firm. Educating the veterans and their families on what PTSD is and getting them into treatment cannot take a back seat. It's that simple. The problem is, while the government is finally, slowly being responsible enough to start to take care of them, the media is hugely responsible for this happening and they should be applauded, not blamed.
The problem is that the government has done very little to educate the general population on PTSD as well. How else can they view the returning forces after all these years of stress and trauma after trauma? What people do not understand is that there are many who come back fine. Others with PTSD are not suddenly so damaged they cannot work for a living. There are many of them with mild PTSD causing them sleep problems and edginess but their symptoms can be controlled with medication and therapy. While there are many who will never be able to work again, even they can lead productive lives.
We have a nation of people with PTSD and not all of them are veterans. What is the next excuse they use to not hire people? Are they going to give out a questionnaire asking them about every traumatic event in their lives and then say "sorry but your too unstable to hire?"
I really think aside from the lack of education on PTSD, there is something more serious under all of this. My gut is telling me that it's the redeployments issue is the biggest factor. If they hire someone, especially a National Guardsman or Reservists, what are the chances they will get redeployed? Pretty high right? If they get redeployed, their job has to be held open. In a weak job market you have lines of people waiting to apply to Wal-Mart, so it's very unlikely they will hire a veteran who may have to go back. With stop loss, that is another problem. You have so many who think they are done serving only to get orders to go back in. This is not helpful to an employer.
Two ways to get around this: Educate the public on what PTSD is and what it is not. Let the veterans collect unemployment until they can find a job. After all, they were doing their jobs when they went to Iraq and Afghanistan and now they can't find work. Bush can make sure he always finds the money for both occupations and to pay the contractors but has a huge problem when it comes to taking care of the men and women he sends. It's time Congress took this all seriously.
Non-combat deaths of USS Fort McHenry Sailors
Officials won’t release details into sailors’ deaths
Navy officials still decline to release the cause of death of two USS Fort McHenry sailors whose bodies were found in a Ghanaian hotel more than a month ago.
Officials have yet to complete the investigation, said Lt. Cmdr. Herb Josey, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Va. Autopsies were done Jan. 5 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Officials also are awaiting toxicology results.
The bodies of Seaman Lonnie Davis Jr., 35, of Riverdale, Ga., and Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Mack, 22, of Warren, Mich., were found New Year’s Day by a fellow sailor at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, the capital of Ghana. A third sailor with them was ill and taken to a local hospital, a Navy official said. The sailor has since returned to duty.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59689&archive=true
Navy officials still decline to release the cause of death of two USS Fort McHenry sailors whose bodies were found in a Ghanaian hotel more than a month ago.
Officials have yet to complete the investigation, said Lt. Cmdr. Herb Josey, a spokesman for Naval Surface Force Atlantic in Norfolk, Va. Autopsies were done Jan. 5 at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Officials also are awaiting toxicology results.
The bodies of Seaman Lonnie Davis Jr., 35, of Riverdale, Ga., and Petty Officer 1st Class Patrick Mack, 22, of Warren, Mich., were found New Year’s Day by a fellow sailor at La Palm Royal Beach Hotel in Accra, the capital of Ghana. A third sailor with them was ill and taken to a local hospital, a Navy official said. The sailor has since returned to duty.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59689&archive=true
University Of Kansas Wounded Warrior Education Initiative
Geren visits Fort Leavenworth: Announces start of education program for wounded warriors
by Melissa Bower, staff writer
Published: Thursday, February 7, 2008 12:22 PM CST
Eight Soldiers have been chosen to enter a "Wounded Warrior Education Initiative" graduate degree program shared between the Combined Arms Center and the University of Kansas.
Army Secretary Pete Geren and University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway announced the program Feb. 6. Upon earning their degrees, Soldiers will remain on active duty for six years.
"This is a new journey that we in the Army and the University of Kansas have taken together," Geren said. "A partnership for these outstanding Americans that have given so much in service to their country."
Geren said the intent of the program was to retain knowledgable Soldiers in the service and to assist them with better job placement. David Lambertson, director of the KU/Fort Leavenworth program, and Ron James, assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, were also credited in the creation of the program. Geren said Hemenway and KU officials came to him with an idea for the program in September 2007.
Army officials want wounded Soldiers to know their country still needs them in active service.
go here for the rest
http://www.ftleavenworthlamp.com/articles/2008/02/07/news/news1.txt
by Melissa Bower, staff writer
Published: Thursday, February 7, 2008 12:22 PM CST
Eight Soldiers have been chosen to enter a "Wounded Warrior Education Initiative" graduate degree program shared between the Combined Arms Center and the University of Kansas.
Army Secretary Pete Geren and University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway announced the program Feb. 6. Upon earning their degrees, Soldiers will remain on active duty for six years.
"This is a new journey that we in the Army and the University of Kansas have taken together," Geren said. "A partnership for these outstanding Americans that have given so much in service to their country."
Geren said the intent of the program was to retain knowledgable Soldiers in the service and to assist them with better job placement. David Lambertson, director of the KU/Fort Leavenworth program, and Ron James, assistant secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, were also credited in the creation of the program. Geren said Hemenway and KU officials came to him with an idea for the program in September 2007.
Army officials want wounded Soldiers to know their country still needs them in active service.
go here for the rest
http://www.ftleavenworthlamp.com/articles/2008/02/07/news/news1.txt
3 Purple Hearts, two Silver Stars, no legs, one arm and an I.O.U for an artificial limb.
Thursday February 7, 2008
The War at Home Back to Full Blog
Now my new base was Walter Reed Hospital. I spent the last year of my military service as an inpatient in a hospital that typified the military belief in the class system. Higher ranking officers who had a hangnail were given luxury rooms and ate nothing but the finest foods.
For the rest of us, we lived in over crowded wards, we ate food that a dog would refuse and received virtually no medical treatment. If you saw a doctor once a week then that was a great week for you. The nurses at the hospital still have my utmost respect. There was not a thing that they wouldn't do for you but their biggest problem was the shortage of staff. There were not enough hands to go around. This was now the time that the war got personal. The nonsense that you had to endure and the outright lies that you encounter with the VA made me wonder why the hell I even went to war. During my induction into the military, they fill your head with garbage supposedly to make you feel better going into combat.
The way they describe life in the military makes you think that this is the best gig in the world. Free medical treatment for life, educational benefits under the G.I bill, disability checks coming in to make your life easier, or simply as my sergeant told me during basic training, "If you get hit then don't worry, we take care of our own. Put your mind at ease and go with the knowledge that should something happen to you then the military and the people of the U.S. will step up to the plate and take care of you, it is the least that we can do to thank you for what you did." Well, keep your thanks, I don't want them. Just as I was getting ready to return to the island, I was declared 50% disabled and was told to have a nice life.
I lost two legs, one arm, my face was horribly disfigured and scarred and they declared me 50% disabled and the disability check was not enough to even cover my medications never mind rent, food, and other specialized equipment. I was told that I would get one physical therapy session a month and one artificial limb.
I could take my choice of a right leg, a left leg or an arm. The choice was mine. I kept quiet because I was still in the military and as anyone who has spent time in the service will tell you that the military has ways of getting payback on you if you cause them problems. I was discharged, given my medals and a pat on the back and after serving all those years in Vietnam, all I had now were 3 purple hearts, two silver stars, no legs, one arm and an I.O.U for an artificial limb.
go here for the rest
http://yougotthepoint.blogstream.com/v1/pid/287318.html
NPR:documents show VA did give orders to stop helping wounded
Morning Edition, February 7, 2008 · A document from the Department of Veterans Affairs contradicts an assertion made by the Army surgeon general that his office did not tell VA officials to stop helping injured soldiers with their military disability paperwork at a New York Army post.
The paperwork can help determine health care and disability benefits for wounded soldiers.
Last week, NPR first described a meeting last March between an Army team from Washington and VA officials at Fort Drum Army base in upstate New York. NPR reported that Army representatives told the VA not to review the narrative summaries of soldiers' injuries, and that the VA complied with the Army's request.
The day the NPR story aired, Army Surgeon General Eric B. Schoomaker denied parts of the report. Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), who represents the Fort Drum area, told North Country Public Radio, that "The Surgeon General of the Army told me very flatly that it was not the Army that told the VA to stop this help."
Now, NPR has obtained a four-page VA document that contradicts the surgeon general's statement to McHugh. It was written by one of the VA officials at Fort Drum on March 31, the day after the meeting. The document says Col. Becky Baker of the Army Surgeon General's office told the VA to discontinue counseling soldiers on the appropriateness of Defense Department ratings because "there exists a conflict of interest."
go here for the rest
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18742202
The paperwork can help determine health care and disability benefits for wounded soldiers.
Last week, NPR first described a meeting last March between an Army team from Washington and VA officials at Fort Drum Army base in upstate New York. NPR reported that Army representatives told the VA not to review the narrative summaries of soldiers' injuries, and that the VA complied with the Army's request.
The day the NPR story aired, Army Surgeon General Eric B. Schoomaker denied parts of the report. Rep. John McHugh (R-NY), who represents the Fort Drum area, told North Country Public Radio, that "The Surgeon General of the Army told me very flatly that it was not the Army that told the VA to stop this help."
Now, NPR has obtained a four-page VA document that contradicts the surgeon general's statement to McHugh. It was written by one of the VA officials at Fort Drum on March 31, the day after the meeting. The document says Col. Becky Baker of the Army Surgeon General's office told the VA to discontinue counseling soldiers on the appropriateness of Defense Department ratings because "there exists a conflict of interest."
go here for the rest
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18742202
Point Man Ministry collecting for Walter Reed's wounded
Leetonia group collecting supplies for wounded soldiers
By KEVIN HOWELL
Salem News staff writer
LEETONIA — In an effort to provide support for the wounded veterans and their visiting families at Walter Reed Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Washington D.C., the Leetonia Point Man Outpost will be collecting and delivering donated items to the hospital Feb. 25 and 26.
Point Man is a national ministry organization, with outposts throughout the United States and seven foreign countries, which administers to veterans from all wars and their families, according to Leetonia Outpost representative Phil Kinsey.
“The majority of our members are veterans,” he said. “We know what these men and their families are going through and it’s important to show them that we appreciate their sacrifices.”
Besides the visit at the end of this month, Kinsey said that the outpost is planning visits around Memorial Day and Veterans Day, with others dispersed throughout the year.
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http://www.salemnews.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=9909
By KEVIN HOWELL
Salem News staff writer
LEETONIA — In an effort to provide support for the wounded veterans and their visiting families at Walter Reed Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Washington D.C., the Leetonia Point Man Outpost will be collecting and delivering donated items to the hospital Feb. 25 and 26.
Point Man is a national ministry organization, with outposts throughout the United States and seven foreign countries, which administers to veterans from all wars and their families, according to Leetonia Outpost representative Phil Kinsey.
“The majority of our members are veterans,” he said. “We know what these men and their families are going through and it’s important to show them that we appreciate their sacrifices.”
Besides the visit at the end of this month, Kinsey said that the outpost is planning visits around Memorial Day and Veterans Day, with others dispersed throughout the year.
go here for the rest
http://www.salemnews.net/news/articles.asp?articleID=9909
The Healing Power Of Wii
Wii games used for rehab after strokes, surgery, combat injuries
by Lindsey Tanner
Some call it "Wiihabilitation." Nintendo's Wii video game system, already a hit among teen gamers, is fast becoming a craze in rehab therapy for patients recovering from strokes, broken bones, surgery and even combat injuries. The usual stretching and lifting exercises that help the sick or injured regain strength can be painful, repetitive and downright boring.
In fact, many patients say PT - physical therapy's nickname - really stands for "pain and torture," said James Osborn, who oversees rehabilitation services at Herrin Hospital in southern Illinois. While Wii games require body movements similar to traditional therapy exercises, patients become so engrossed mentally they're almost oblivious to the rigor, he said.
"In the Wii system, because it's kind of a game format, it does create this kind of inner competitiveness. Even though you may be boxing or playing tennis against some figure on the screen, it's amazing how many of our patients want to beat their opponent," said Osborn of Southern Illinois Healthcare, which includes the hospital in Herrin.
The hospital, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, bought a Wii system for rehab patients late last year. "When people can refocus their attention from the tediousness of the physical task, oftentimes they do much better," Osborn said. The most popular Wii games in rehab involve sports - baseball, bowling, boxing, golf and tennis.
go here for the rest
http://www.chicagodefender.com/view.php?I=417
by Lindsey Tanner
Some call it "Wiihabilitation." Nintendo's Wii video game system, already a hit among teen gamers, is fast becoming a craze in rehab therapy for patients recovering from strokes, broken bones, surgery and even combat injuries. The usual stretching and lifting exercises that help the sick or injured regain strength can be painful, repetitive and downright boring.
In fact, many patients say PT - physical therapy's nickname - really stands for "pain and torture," said James Osborn, who oversees rehabilitation services at Herrin Hospital in southern Illinois. While Wii games require body movements similar to traditional therapy exercises, patients become so engrossed mentally they're almost oblivious to the rigor, he said.
"In the Wii system, because it's kind of a game format, it does create this kind of inner competitiveness. Even though you may be boxing or playing tennis against some figure on the screen, it's amazing how many of our patients want to beat their opponent," said Osborn of Southern Illinois Healthcare, which includes the hospital in Herrin.
The hospital, about 100 miles southeast of St. Louis, bought a Wii system for rehab patients late last year. "When people can refocus their attention from the tediousness of the physical task, oftentimes they do much better," Osborn said. The most popular Wii games in rehab involve sports - baseball, bowling, boxing, golf and tennis.
go here for the rest
http://www.chicagodefender.com/view.php?I=417
Heath Ledger Death Spawns Warrior Transition Unit OD Investigation
Army: Accidental ODs under investigation
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 17:12:44 EST
WASHINGTON — The Army’s top doctor, noting the drug overdose death of actor Heath Ledger, said Thursday the military is investigating a series of suspected similar deaths among wounded and injured soldiers.
Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army’s surgeon general, said there has been “a series, a sequence of deaths” in the new so-called “warrior transition units.” Those are special units set up last year to give sick, injured and war-wounded troops coordinated medical care, financial advice, legal help and other services as they transition toward either a return to uniform or back into civilian life.
Without giving a number, Schoomaker said the deaths among the convalescing troops were “accidental deaths, we believe, often as a consequence of the use of multiple prescription and nonprescription medicines and alcohol.”
“This isn’t restricted to the military, alone, as we all saw the unfortunate death of one of our leading actors recently,” he said.
The New York medical examiner announced Wednesday that Ledger, the 28-year-old “Brokeback Mountain” star, died Jan. 22 from the effects of taking six types of painkillers and sedatives.
Schoomaker said he didn’t know whether the number of overdoses among soldiers was on the rise. But the series of deaths was noticed and is getting attention partly because the new units concentrate the Army’s temporarily disabled and ill into special groups, thus making it possible for leaders to track and tabulate their health issues more closely and carefully than ever before.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_armyoverdoses_080207/
By Pauline Jelinek - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 17:12:44 EST
WASHINGTON — The Army’s top doctor, noting the drug overdose death of actor Heath Ledger, said Thursday the military is investigating a series of suspected similar deaths among wounded and injured soldiers.
Lt. Gen. Eric Schoomaker, the Army’s surgeon general, said there has been “a series, a sequence of deaths” in the new so-called “warrior transition units.” Those are special units set up last year to give sick, injured and war-wounded troops coordinated medical care, financial advice, legal help and other services as they transition toward either a return to uniform or back into civilian life.
Without giving a number, Schoomaker said the deaths among the convalescing troops were “accidental deaths, we believe, often as a consequence of the use of multiple prescription and nonprescription medicines and alcohol.”
“This isn’t restricted to the military, alone, as we all saw the unfortunate death of one of our leading actors recently,” he said.
The New York medical examiner announced Wednesday that Ledger, the 28-year-old “Brokeback Mountain” star, died Jan. 22 from the effects of taking six types of painkillers and sedatives.
Schoomaker said he didn’t know whether the number of overdoses among soldiers was on the rise. But the series of deaths was noticed and is getting attention partly because the new units concentrate the Army’s temporarily disabled and ill into special groups, thus making it possible for leaders to track and tabulate their health issues more closely and carefully than ever before.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_armyoverdoses_080207/
Veteran's son pilots idea for visit to WWII Memorial in D.C.
Dorothy Halevy, shown in this 1942 photo, served in the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps during World War II. (BARBARA V. PEREZ, ORLANDO SENTINEL / February 4, 2008)
Darryl E. Owens Sentinel Staff Writer
February 7, 2008
Bill Mancinik's father, Frank, never talked much about his time as a gunner in the Pacific Theater during World War II.
"They went to war. They served. They came back and gave us the world we have today, and I didn't think much about it," said Mancinik, 57.
But his interest grew years after his father's death as he learned more about what's been called "the greatest generation." And it skyrocketed when he discovered Honor Flight, which provides free trips for veterans to see the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Mancinik, of DeLand, leads Volusia Honor Air, a collaboration of three Volusia County Rotary Clubs seeking to raise $65,000 to fly 100 World War II veterans to see the memorial in May. Though the campaign has sprung up in several Florida communities, Volusia Honor Air is the first of its kind to take flight in Central Florida.
"It not only intrigued me," Mancinik said of Honor Flight, "but moved me to such an extent that I thought, 'We have to do this.' "
So far, 49 veterans are booked, with 16 applications pending. The group has $14,535 in its coffers and hopes to raise more through a publicity campaign and word of mouth.
"It's our chance to thank the remaining men and women for what they did," said John Cheney, 55, president-elect of the Rotary Club of Downtown DeLand.
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Senate agrees to add rebates to disabled veterans and elderly
Senate Breaks Stimulus Stalemate
By ANDREW TAYLOR and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS | Associated Press Writers
3:48 PM EST, February 7, 2008
WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed Thursday to add rebates for 20 million seniors and 250,000 disabled veterans to a House-passed economic aid package, ending a partisan stalemate over the plan.
The key breakthrough came when Democrats, under pressure from party colleagues in the House, agreed to drop their insistence on adding jobless benefits, heating aid for the poor and business subsidies, and said they would allow a vote on a plan that merely extends the tax rebates to Social Security retirees and disabled veterans.
The package would rush tax rebates of $600 for individuals and $1,200 for couples to most taxpayers and grant businesses tax cuts in hopes of reviving the economy. Individuals earning up to $75,000 a year and couples earning up to $150,000 would get rebates. People who paid no income taxes but earned at least $3,000 a year would get a $300 rebate.
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By ANDREW TAYLOR and JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS | Associated Press Writers
3:48 PM EST, February 7, 2008
WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans and Democrats agreed Thursday to add rebates for 20 million seniors and 250,000 disabled veterans to a House-passed economic aid package, ending a partisan stalemate over the plan.
The key breakthrough came when Democrats, under pressure from party colleagues in the House, agreed to drop their insistence on adding jobless benefits, heating aid for the poor and business subsidies, and said they would allow a vote on a plan that merely extends the tax rebates to Social Security retirees and disabled veterans.
The package would rush tax rebates of $600 for individuals and $1,200 for couples to most taxpayers and grant businesses tax cuts in hopes of reviving the economy. Individuals earning up to $75,000 a year and couples earning up to $150,000 would get rebates. People who paid no income taxes but earned at least $3,000 a year would get a $300 rebate.
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Tester says will take work to fix president’s budget
Tester says will take work to fix president’s budget
(Created: Thursday, February 7, 2008 11:49 AM MST)
Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
U. S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. Said Wednesday that Congress will have a lot of work adding needed items to the budget proposal presented by President Bush this week. “It’s out of touch with Montana values, I can tell you that,” he said. Tester said the president has ignored issues like rural health care, Veterans Administration programs and water projects in his budget while adding to the national debt.
Bush failed in his responsibility to prioritize many important issues, Tester added. “Hopefully in the Senate we can get those back into the budget,” he said. One of the specific issues Tester said was left out of the president’s budget was funding water projects in Montana. One of those projects is repairing the St. Mary’s Diversion which supplies most of the water to the Milk River each year, authorized by Congress last year at $153 million, and another is the Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana Regional Water System, which requested $20 million to $30 million last year and received just more than $5 million. Tester said he and senior Montana Sen. Max Baucus have fought to include money for Montana water projects in the last budget and will continue to do so, but “it will be an uphill fight.” “… We will continue to because it’s very important,” Tester said. “It’s the kind of long-term economic stimulus we need to be working on. There’s not one penny in the president’s budget for any of those projects and we are going to fight for those projects.”
http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2008/02/07/local_headlines/world.txt
(Created: Thursday, February 7, 2008 11:49 AM MST)
Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
U. S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont. Said Wednesday that Congress will have a lot of work adding needed items to the budget proposal presented by President Bush this week. “It’s out of touch with Montana values, I can tell you that,” he said. Tester said the president has ignored issues like rural health care, Veterans Administration programs and water projects in his budget while adding to the national debt.
Bush failed in his responsibility to prioritize many important issues, Tester added. “Hopefully in the Senate we can get those back into the budget,” he said. One of the specific issues Tester said was left out of the president’s budget was funding water projects in Montana. One of those projects is repairing the St. Mary’s Diversion which supplies most of the water to the Milk River each year, authorized by Congress last year at $153 million, and another is the Rocky Boy’s/North Central Montana Regional Water System, which requested $20 million to $30 million last year and received just more than $5 million. Tester said he and senior Montana Sen. Max Baucus have fought to include money for Montana water projects in the last budget and will continue to do so, but “it will be an uphill fight.” “… We will continue to because it’s very important,” Tester said. “It’s the kind of long-term economic stimulus we need to be working on. There’s not one penny in the president’s budget for any of those projects and we are going to fight for those projects.”
http://www.havredailynews.com/articles/2008/02/07/local_headlines/world.txt
Adm. Michael Mullen honest about deployments
Mullen: Army must return to 12-month tours
By Anne Flaherty - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 5:44:07 EST
WASHINGTON — The top uniformed military officer on Wednesday described a tired U.S. military force, worn thin by operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and unlikely to come home in large numbers anytime soon.
The assessment comes as President Bush decides whether to continue troop reductions in Iraq — possibly endangering fragile security gains made in recent months — or not, and risk straining ground forces further.
“The well is deep, but it is not infinite,” Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We must get Army deployments down to 12 months as soon as possible. People are tired.”
Mullen’s stern warning swiftly became political fodder for anti-war Democrats, who want legislation requiring that troops start coming home from Iraq immediately. Democrats also want legislation that would require soldiers and Marines spend more time at home between combat tours. The Pentagon objects to both proposals, contending it would tie the hands of military commanders.
The leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said Mullen’s testimony “confirms our warning that the war in Iraq has seriously undermined our nation’s military strength and readiness, and therefore our national security.”
go here for the rest
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_mullen_080206a/
By Anne Flaherty - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 5:44:07 EST
WASHINGTON — The top uniformed military officer on Wednesday described a tired U.S. military force, worn thin by operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and unlikely to come home in large numbers anytime soon.
The assessment comes as President Bush decides whether to continue troop reductions in Iraq — possibly endangering fragile security gains made in recent months — or not, and risk straining ground forces further.
“The well is deep, but it is not infinite,” Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We must get Army deployments down to 12 months as soon as possible. People are tired.”
Mullen’s stern warning swiftly became political fodder for anti-war Democrats, who want legislation requiring that troops start coming home from Iraq immediately. Democrats also want legislation that would require soldiers and Marines spend more time at home between combat tours. The Pentagon objects to both proposals, contending it would tie the hands of military commanders.
The leader of the House of Representatives, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said Mullen’s testimony “confirms our warning that the war in Iraq has seriously undermined our nation’s military strength and readiness, and therefore our national security.”
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_mullen_080206a/
VA, more promises, more waiting for fix to come
VA secretary pledges to cut 5 weeks off wait
By Hope Yen - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 13:04:06 EST
Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake pledged Thursday to trim more than five weeks off the time it now takes to get the first check to a war veteran who files a disability claim.
In his first appearance before Congress since becoming secretary, Peake also sought to assure lawmakers that President Bush’s proposed 2009 VA budget of $91 billion would be sufficient to meet the growing demands of veterans of a protracted Iraq war. The proposal is a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year, but several lawmakers have criticized it as inadequate after factoring in inflation.
Peake wants to reduce wait times from roughly 180 days to 145 days by the start of next year. He cited aggressive efforts to hire staff, noting the VA will have 3,100 new staff by 2009. VA also is working to get greater online access to Pentagon medical information that he said will allow staff to process claims faster and move toward a system of electronic filing of claims.
Peake promised to “virtually eliminate” the current list of 69,000 veterans who have waited more than 30 days for an appointment to get VA medical care. Such long waits runs counter to department policy, and a group of Iraq war veterans have filed a lawsuit alleging undue delays. He said VA plans to open 64 new community-based outpatient clinics this year and 51 next year to improve access to health care in rural areas.
“We will take all measures necessary to provide them with timely benefits and services, to give them complete information about the benefits they have earned through their courageous service, and to implement streamlined processes free of bureaucratic red tape,” Peake said in testimony prepared for a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Thursday.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_vawaits_080207/
At least next year will be better but what about now, today?
By Hope Yen - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Feb 7, 2008 13:04:06 EST
Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake pledged Thursday to trim more than five weeks off the time it now takes to get the first check to a war veteran who files a disability claim.
In his first appearance before Congress since becoming secretary, Peake also sought to assure lawmakers that President Bush’s proposed 2009 VA budget of $91 billion would be sufficient to meet the growing demands of veterans of a protracted Iraq war. The proposal is a 3.7 percent increase from the previous year, but several lawmakers have criticized it as inadequate after factoring in inflation.
Peake wants to reduce wait times from roughly 180 days to 145 days by the start of next year. He cited aggressive efforts to hire staff, noting the VA will have 3,100 new staff by 2009. VA also is working to get greater online access to Pentagon medical information that he said will allow staff to process claims faster and move toward a system of electronic filing of claims.
Peake promised to “virtually eliminate” the current list of 69,000 veterans who have waited more than 30 days for an appointment to get VA medical care. Such long waits runs counter to department policy, and a group of Iraq war veterans have filed a lawsuit alleging undue delays. He said VA plans to open 64 new community-based outpatient clinics this year and 51 next year to improve access to health care in rural areas.
“We will take all measures necessary to provide them with timely benefits and services, to give them complete information about the benefits they have earned through their courageous service, and to implement streamlined processes free of bureaucratic red tape,” Peake said in testimony prepared for a House Veterans Affairs Committee hearing Thursday.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_vawaits_080207/
At least next year will be better but what about now, today?
U.S. helmet maker settles suit over helmets' quality
U.S. helmet maker settles suit over helmets' quality
By Bruce Lambert Published: February 6, 2008
A North Dakota manufacturer has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a suit alleging that it had repeatedly shortchanged the armor in up to 2.2 million helmets for the military, including helmets for the first troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Twelve days before the settlement with the Justice Department was announced, the company, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, was given a new contract of up to $74 million to make more armor for helmets to replace the old ones, which were made from the late 1980s to last year.
Sioux upgraded its looms in 2006, company executives say, and the government says it has started inspections at the plant.
The U.S. attorney for North Dakota, Drew Wrigley, called the accord "an appropriate resolution" because the Defense Department had said that 200 sample helmets passed ballistic tests and that it "has no information of injuries or deaths due to inadequate PASGT helmet protection."
PASGT stands for the Personal Armor System for Ground Troops, which includes the helmet model being replaced.
At the core of the investigation was the contention by two former plant managers that Kevlar woven at Sioux failed to meet the government's "critical" minimum standard of 35 by 35 threads a square inch, or 6.5 square centimeters.
When properly woven, Kevlar, a polymer thread made by DuPont, is stronger than steel, able to deflect shrapnel and some bullets.
Government regulations call for rejecting Kevlar below the 35-by-35 standard.
The company "was underweaving," Wrigley said. "That is undebatable."
go here for the rest
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/06/america/armor.php
How many head wounds could have been prevented if they were made right?
By Bruce Lambert Published: February 6, 2008
A North Dakota manufacturer has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a suit alleging that it had repeatedly shortchanged the armor in up to 2.2 million helmets for the military, including helmets for the first troops sent to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Twelve days before the settlement with the Justice Department was announced, the company, Sioux Manufacturing of Fort Totten, was given a new contract of up to $74 million to make more armor for helmets to replace the old ones, which were made from the late 1980s to last year.
Sioux upgraded its looms in 2006, company executives say, and the government says it has started inspections at the plant.
The U.S. attorney for North Dakota, Drew Wrigley, called the accord "an appropriate resolution" because the Defense Department had said that 200 sample helmets passed ballistic tests and that it "has no information of injuries or deaths due to inadequate PASGT helmet protection."
PASGT stands for the Personal Armor System for Ground Troops, which includes the helmet model being replaced.
At the core of the investigation was the contention by two former plant managers that Kevlar woven at Sioux failed to meet the government's "critical" minimum standard of 35 by 35 threads a square inch, or 6.5 square centimeters.
When properly woven, Kevlar, a polymer thread made by DuPont, is stronger than steel, able to deflect shrapnel and some bullets.
Government regulations call for rejecting Kevlar below the 35-by-35 standard.
The company "was underweaving," Wrigley said. "That is undebatable."
go here for the rest
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/06/america/armor.php
How many head wounds could have been prevented if they were made right?
WCAXTV Vermont 3 part series on PTSD and National Guard
SPECIAL REPORT
Private Battle, Part 1
WCAX TV
Private Battle Part 2
National Guard Sgt. Jim Greene
Part 3 will be aired tonight
Private Battle, Part 1
WCAX TV
Franklin, Vermont - February 5, 2008
A fellow Guard soldier captured a photo of Dennis Delisle and his wife, Mikell, on the day of his deployment to Iraq. He was all smiles-- unaware of the horror the next 18 months would bring.
"You're scared all of the time," he says.
At 38 years old, Delisle was called to duty; driving supply trucks in the war-torn country. He spent much of his tour in Ramadi, a hotbed for insurgents and one of the deadliest areas for U.S. troops. Delisle saw hundreds of bombs detonate. "While we battled insurgents, we could hear his screams. It was pretty horrifying."
He witnessed many deaths, including a colleague burned alive.
"I actually didn't think I'd make it back out of Iraq because of how scared I was."
He did get out and had hopes for the future, back home in Franklin.
"You come home and you get all of this honeymoon stage, back with family and reconnecting. You settle into a groove," he explains.
Life seemed normal for the first six months.
"It's like being newly married all over again," says wife, Mikell. "Everything is great. It's fantastic. Everyone is happy and excited. And then all of the sudden everything changes."
Delisle began to have bursts of anger, depression, thoughts of killing himself, and others.
"I still have nightmares," he says. "I still see stuff when I am driving. I pay attention to guardrails, bridges, and sometimes I drive too fast. Sometimes I drive on the opposite side of the road, just like I was in Iraq. So, I still have a lot of it."
He hasn't been able to hold a full-time job since his return.
go here for the rest of this
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=7826555&nav=4QcRXCqr
Private Battle Part 2
National Guard Sgt. Jim Greene
Franklin, Vermont - February 6, 2008
"I'd been in the Army 30 years ago. You just don't expect 30 years after getting out of the Army to suddenly be in a war situation."
But in 2005, that's where Vt. National Guard Sgt. Jim Greene found himself-- in Ramadi, Iraq, securing the area alongside other Vermonters as part of Task Force Saber.
"We started off with the hopes we weren't going to lose anybody," says Greene.
Six Vermonters from the unit died in combat. Greene photographed each memorial service in Iraq. One casualty was especially difficult. Greene carried a fallen soldier's remains after a roadside bomb took his life.
"We had an officer who brought what was left of these guys in an ammo can... and handed it to me. You don't know that feeling," Greene says, crying. "How do you let that go? You don't let it go. It stays with you the rest of your life."
The memories remain. But Greene managed to move on with his life. He returned to his family and his job back in Vermont. He's adjusted well.
Other Vermont Guard Soldiers are not so lucky.
"Filing bankruptcy and losing our home," says Dennis Delisle.
"We fought a long time to try to keep it but it's not looking good," says his wife, Mikell.
Dennis Delisle deployed to Iraq and lived through countless explosions. But what he saw there still haunts him. He suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"It's been real hard. I take medicine to keep me from suicide or being homicidal. It's a constant battle now," he says.
Delisle hasn't been able to hold down a job and his wife, Mikell, was laid off. She has to stay close to home to help her husband. They're nine months behind on their bills and house payments.
On this day, the couple heads to court forced to declare bankruptcy.
"Yeah, a lot of family history in the home, his family all grew up in it... and it's just rough," says Mikell.
go here for the rest of this
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=7832840&nav=menu183_2
Part 3 will be aired tonight
Burlington, Vermont - February 7, 2008
Nearly half of all Vermont's soldiers returning from Iraq suffer a private battle. Experts say Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injuries are at record levels. And there are a few reasons: the constant danger and explosions in Iraq, more awareness about PTSD, and because the National Guard has been called to duty like never before.
"This is a very different conflict. Certainly in Vermont, many of the people who are serving are National Guards. People who may not have planned to deploy overseas. So I think that also plays a role," explains Dr. Andrew Pomerantz of the VA Hospital.
Darren Perron has more on the Private Battle our soldiers face, treatment, and how Vermont is leading the nation in dealing with PTSD. Don't miss his special report. It continues tonight on the Channel 3 News at 6:00 p.m.
http://www.wcax.com/Global/story.asp?S=7837539
Orange City Florida VA Clinic To Open In April
New, larger VA clinic on track to open in April
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
ORANGE CITY -- While an Orlando Veterans Affairs hospital is still in the planning stage, a second Veterans Outpatient Clinic for Volusia County is on the fast track, set to open in April.
The existing Daytona Beach VA clinic will continue to assist veterans, but another 6,000-square-foot clinic is nearly completed at the rear of the Tiffany Centre on U.S. 17-92.
When the new facility opens, a clinic in Sanford will close.
Dr. Martin S. Schnier, chief medical officer of the Orlando VA Medical Center, told a dozen veterans about the new facility on Wednesday, the first public acknowledgement of the clinic.
"It will be wonderful to move out of our incredibly cramped clinic in Sanford," Schnier said. "We will be expanding from three to five doctors and have a full-time psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist and pharmacist.
"We will not have a pharmacy but a lab. We will do enrollment and patient orientation on site."
The new facility will double the capacity to serve veterans, he said, but it also can help those currently traveling far for care.
"My goal is not to raid Orlando and Daytona, but if you want to transfer, you can," Schnier said. "You don't have to wait for us to move to begin enrolling 2,500 more veterans in the (new) clinic."
Barry Stanley, spokesman for the Orlando VA, said in a phone interview the reason for the change is based on higher numbers of veterans in Volusia County -- nearly 70,000 -- than in the Sanford area -- 3,000.
Changes also tie Volusia County to the future VA hospital instead of to the Gainesville VA hospital.
go here for the rest
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newWEST05020708.htm
By AUDREY PARENTE
Staff Writer
ORANGE CITY -- While an Orlando Veterans Affairs hospital is still in the planning stage, a second Veterans Outpatient Clinic for Volusia County is on the fast track, set to open in April.
The existing Daytona Beach VA clinic will continue to assist veterans, but another 6,000-square-foot clinic is nearly completed at the rear of the Tiffany Centre on U.S. 17-92.
When the new facility opens, a clinic in Sanford will close.
Dr. Martin S. Schnier, chief medical officer of the Orlando VA Medical Center, told a dozen veterans about the new facility on Wednesday, the first public acknowledgement of the clinic.
"It will be wonderful to move out of our incredibly cramped clinic in Sanford," Schnier said. "We will be expanding from three to five doctors and have a full-time psychiatrist, social worker, psychologist and pharmacist.
"We will not have a pharmacy but a lab. We will do enrollment and patient orientation on site."
The new facility will double the capacity to serve veterans, he said, but it also can help those currently traveling far for care.
"My goal is not to raid Orlando and Daytona, but if you want to transfer, you can," Schnier said. "You don't have to wait for us to move to begin enrolling 2,500 more veterans in the (new) clinic."
Barry Stanley, spokesman for the Orlando VA, said in a phone interview the reason for the change is based on higher numbers of veterans in Volusia County -- nearly 70,000 -- than in the Sanford area -- 3,000.
Changes also tie Volusia County to the future VA hospital instead of to the Gainesville VA hospital.
go here for the rest
http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newWEST05020708.htm
6 Tours in Northern Ireland and 2 in Bosnia Vet and family suffer
Ex-soldier assaulted wife
Feb 7 2008 by Andrew Pugh, Neath Guardian
A FORMER soldier used as a human shield after being taken hostage by Bosnian troops has pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and police.
It is the second time that 41-year-old David Storey has pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife in the last five months.
He is also being investigated over allegations he assaulted his daughter last year.
His wife, Helen, of Moorland Road, has now started divorce proceedings.
In a statement read to the court she said: “The last few years have been hell for me and my daughter. I just want a quiet life.”
Storey, now residing at his brother’s home in Port Talbot, received two commendations for bravery during his 23 years of Army service.
He has served six tours in Northern Ireland and two in Bosnia.
The court heard that he began displaying classic symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and was diagnosed with the illness toward the end of last year.
In August, Storey pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife at their home, leaving her with cuts and bruises around one eye.
In the latest incident at 1.20pm on January 29, police were called to Moorland Road.
They arrived to find Ms Storey standing in the street outside her home.
The couple were arguing when she opened the door and demanded he leave – but he instead threw her out and locked the door.
After they arrived police could hear banging from inside the house and found Storey had barricaded himself in.
They eventually got inside the house and a struggle broke out.
Storey wrestled one of the officers to the ground and threw a punch which didn’t connect.
At this point neighbours had began gathering outside before he was eventually arrested.
Stephen Harrett, defending, said, : “If you look at the defendant’s record you can see has not committed an offence until 2007.
“Quite clearly there’s a difficulty causing him to offend”.
Mr Harrett went on to describe how Storey was diagnoed with post traumatic stress disorder towards the end of last year.
Magistrates adjourned the case until February to allow an all-options report to be prepared.
click post title for link
Feb 7 2008 by Andrew Pugh, Neath Guardian
A FORMER soldier used as a human shield after being taken hostage by Bosnian troops has pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and police.
It is the second time that 41-year-old David Storey has pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife in the last five months.
He is also being investigated over allegations he assaulted his daughter last year.
His wife, Helen, of Moorland Road, has now started divorce proceedings.
In a statement read to the court she said: “The last few years have been hell for me and my daughter. I just want a quiet life.”
Storey, now residing at his brother’s home in Port Talbot, received two commendations for bravery during his 23 years of Army service.
He has served six tours in Northern Ireland and two in Bosnia.
The court heard that he began displaying classic symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and was diagnosed with the illness toward the end of last year.
In August, Storey pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife at their home, leaving her with cuts and bruises around one eye.
In the latest incident at 1.20pm on January 29, police were called to Moorland Road.
They arrived to find Ms Storey standing in the street outside her home.
The couple were arguing when she opened the door and demanded he leave – but he instead threw her out and locked the door.
After they arrived police could hear banging from inside the house and found Storey had barricaded himself in.
They eventually got inside the house and a struggle broke out.
Storey wrestled one of the officers to the ground and threw a punch which didn’t connect.
At this point neighbours had began gathering outside before he was eventually arrested.
Stephen Harrett, defending, said, : “If you look at the defendant’s record you can see has not committed an offence until 2007.
“Quite clearly there’s a difficulty causing him to offend”.
Mr Harrett went on to describe how Storey was diagnoed with post traumatic stress disorder towards the end of last year.
Magistrates adjourned the case until February to allow an all-options report to be prepared.
click post title for link
Veterans Outreach helping homeless veterans in Lee County Florida
Homeless Veterans in Lee County
By WINK News
Story Updated: Feb 6, 2008 at 7:16 PM EST
LEE COUNTY, Fla. - You might remember the story of a military veteran about to lose his home because of a mix up with his disability check. WINK News and Congressman Connie Mack's office stepped in to keep him from being evicted.
There are other vets who are also in need of help. Lee County Veteran Affairs tells us there are about 250 veterans in Lee County who have no homes at all.
"There are a lot of us. They say it's goin' up all the time. (The) number of homeless veterans goin' up," says Veteran Jeff Martin.
Every Wednesday morning dozens of homeless and nearly homeless veterans like Jeff Martin, find their way to All Souls Episcopal Church. A place where they share stories and hardships.
"I volunteered to go to Operation Desert Storm, hurt my neck and my back when I was over there," says Martin.
Some are still fighting to find or keep a home.
For more information on the Veterans Outreach program, call 945-6084.
go here for the rest
http://www.winknews.com/news/local/15372861.html
By WINK News
Story Updated: Feb 6, 2008 at 7:16 PM EST
LEE COUNTY, Fla. - You might remember the story of a military veteran about to lose his home because of a mix up with his disability check. WINK News and Congressman Connie Mack's office stepped in to keep him from being evicted.
There are other vets who are also in need of help. Lee County Veteran Affairs tells us there are about 250 veterans in Lee County who have no homes at all.
"There are a lot of us. They say it's goin' up all the time. (The) number of homeless veterans goin' up," says Veteran Jeff Martin.
Every Wednesday morning dozens of homeless and nearly homeless veterans like Jeff Martin, find their way to All Souls Episcopal Church. A place where they share stories and hardships.
"I volunteered to go to Operation Desert Storm, hurt my neck and my back when I was over there," says Martin.
Some are still fighting to find or keep a home.
For more information on the Veterans Outreach program, call 945-6084.
go here for the rest
http://www.winknews.com/news/local/15372861.html
PTSD: When will people ever get it and understand it?
When will people ever get it? There was a thread started in Bill Maher's message board about McCain having, or not having, PTSD. While some of the posters thought the thread was more of a Swift Boat style attack, jumping to his defense, others reverted to how he is stable and successful. It's almost as if they think if someone has PTSD, he/she, becomes eligible for a mental institution for the rest of their lives. This is just one of the kinds of stereotypes they have to fight against.
Take a look at this thread and know how wrong people still get PTSD.
There have been many successful people with PTSD contributing to the greater good. These are just two of them. Lewis B. Puller Jr. won a Pulitzer Prize after a lengthy, successful career, he ended his own life. Max Cleland, again very successful, had been treated for depression, misdiagnosed and treated while it turned out to be PTSD. He came to the realization it was much deeper than depression following the Iraq invasion.
Again these are just to examples of people living with PTSD. They don't all become homeless, nor do they suddenly become people who should be hiding in a cave somewhere.
Lewis B. Puller Jr.
Max Cleland
As with all other illnesses, there are different levels of PTSD. They do not all have the same fate even though they all suffer. If you look at a group of people with diabetes, you will find some who have had to have amputations, some on heavy duty medicine and others keeping it under control with diet and exercise. There are different levels of it just as there are different levels of PTSD. It is not a one size fits all wound.
If McCain has PTSD, which is very possible given his reported tendency to have mood swings and anger problems, it does in no way suddenly reduce him to someone who is not able to function. I would be the last person on the planet to suggest that a veteran with a high score of PTSD would be a good person to have in charge of the nukes, especially if he has a flashback, but we don't know if McCain has PTSD or what level it is.
Some will have a string of jobs and serial marriages. Some will have marriages that last, like our's, which is 23 years and still going. Some will be successful and some will end up homeless. Some will serve society and some will serve prison time. We can't lump them all into one category or another. It depends on their lives, the people in those lives and the depth of the wound. My husband's level is high. While some families break apart with this severity, others stay together. We need to understand all of this to understand them and stop judging them.
Veterans with PTSD are no different than the general population with PTSD as far as their levels of ability and quality of life. Some just need more help than others depending on the depth of the wound. While a lot of veterans with PTSD cannot function and their quality of life suffers, some can live a fairly good life with it. Of course this also depends on their treatment, how soon it begins after trauma hits them and the support they receive from their family and friends.
There have been many reports of successful careers, as well as reports of how therapeutic it is when they work, but this all depends on the people they work with. For some they will be supported when co-workers and associates understand what PTSD is and watch out for them. Others however become targets by obnoxious idiots without a clue what PTSD is. The above thread is just one more reminder of how far we have to do on educating the general public what PTSD is and what it is not.
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"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
Take a look at this thread and know how wrong people still get PTSD.
McCain- Is he sane? PTSD
Years of torture and prison? Can you say PTSD? Last thing I want is a guy with post tramatic stress disorder running the country with the most.
There have been many successful people with PTSD contributing to the greater good. These are just two of them. Lewis B. Puller Jr. won a Pulitzer Prize after a lengthy, successful career, he ended his own life. Max Cleland, again very successful, had been treated for depression, misdiagnosed and treated while it turned out to be PTSD. He came to the realization it was much deeper than depression following the Iraq invasion.
Again these are just to examples of people living with PTSD. They don't all become homeless, nor do they suddenly become people who should be hiding in a cave somewhere.
Lewis B. Puller Jr.
Lewis Burwell Puller Jr. was the son of General Lewis "Chesty" Puller, the most decorated Marine in the history of the Marine Corps. His son followed in his father's footsteps and became a Marine officer. Upon graduation from the College of William and Mary in 1967, Puller was shipped to Vietnam, where he was badly wounded by a landmine on October 11, 1968, losing both legs and most of his hands in the explosion.
The mine riddled his body with shrapnel, and he lingered near death for days with his weight dropping to 55 pounds, but Puller survived. Those who knew him say that it was primarily because of his iron will and his stubborn refusal to die. Because of his wounds, Puller was medically discharged from the Marine Corps. During his short active-duty military career, Puller earned the Silver Star, two Purple Hearts, the Navy Commendation Medal and the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry.
For years after he returned to a reasonably sound physical condition, the emotional ground underneath him remained shaky, though he got a law degree, married, and raised a family. He even mounted an unsuccessful campaign for Congress in 1978, representing eastern Virginia. Throughout the years, he battled black periods of despondency and drank heavily until 1981, when he underwent treatment for alcoholism. Despite a return to normality, Puller continued to suffer from severe depression and occasional bouts of alcoholism.
In 1991, Puller told the story of his horrible ordeal and its agonizing aftermath in an inspiring book titled Fortunate Son, an account that ended with Puller triumphing over his physical disabilities, and becoming emotionally at peace with himself. It won the Pulitzer Prize.
According to friends and associates, Puller spent the last months of his life in turmoil. In the days leading up to his death, Puller fought a losing battle with the alcoholism that he had kept at bay for 13 years, and struggled with a more recent addiction, to painkillers initially prescribed to dull continuing pain from his wounds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Burwell_Puller%2C_Jr.
Fortunate Son
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Son of the famous World War II Marine commander "Chesty" Puller, Lewis Puller proudly followed in his father's footsteps. It was his misfortune, though, to serve in Vietnam in a war that brought not honor but contempt, and exacted a brutal personal price: Puller lost both legs, one hand, and most of his buttocks and stomach. Years later he was functional enough to run for Congress, bitterly denouncing the war. He lost, became an alcoholic, and almost died again. Then he climbed out of that circle of Hell to write this searingly graphic autobiography, which won a Pulitzer Prize in 1992. One last poignant postscript: three years after the enormous success of this book, the author killed himself. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
The author is the son of WW II hero "Chesty" Puller, arguably the most colorful and admired Marine of them all. Seeking to emulate his father, the author joined the Corps after college and entered officers' training with the intention of becoming a combat leader. In 1968, while commanding an infantry platoon in Vietnam, Lieutenant Puller tripped a booby trap and lost both legs and one hand in the explosion. He describes his protracted hospitalization, which included a series of operations and an unsuccessful attempt to learn how to walk with the use of artificial limbs. Puller eventually became a lawyer, served on President Ford's Clemency Board, ran unsuccessfully for Congress in Virginia and joined the Pentagon's legal department. His well-written autobiography is an inspiring account by a man who fought hard to win major battles over physical helplessness, severe depressions and alcoholism. Readers will treasure the author's recollections of "Chesty" (clearly a wonderful father) but may find the description of the old general's decline and death as painful as the account of the son's ordeal. 50,000 ad/promo; author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Max Cleland
Early life and military service
Cleland was born in Atlanta, Georgia on August 24, 1942. He grew up in Lithonia and later attended Stetson University. He went on to receive a Master's degree from Emory University.
Cleland then served in the United States Army during the Vietnam War, attaining the rank of Captain. He was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star for valorous action in combat, including during the Battle of Khe Sanh on April 4th, 1968.
On April 8, 1968, Captain Cleland was the Battalion Signal Officer for the 2nd Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division during the Battle of Khe Sanh.[3]
On April 8, with a month left in his tour, Cleland was ordered to set up a radio relay station on a nearby hill. A helicopter flew him and two soldiers to the treeless top of Hill 471, east of Khe Sanh. Cleland knew some of the soldiers camped there from Operation Pegasus. He told the pilot he was going to stay a while. Maybe have a few beers with friends.
When the helicopter landed, Cleland jumped out, followed by the two soldiers. They ducked beneath the rotors and turned to watch the liftoff. Cleland reached down to pick up the grenade he believed had popped off his flak jacket. The blast slammed him backward, shredding both his legs and one arm. He was 25 years old...
David Lloyd was a gung-ho, 19-year-old enlisted Marine, son of a Baltimore ship worker, who went to Vietnam because he "wanted to kill Communists."
On April 8, 1968, he was in a mortar pit on a hill near Khe Sanh when he heard an explosion. Shrapnel bounced off his flak jacket. He ran to the injured officer, a man named Max Cleland. 'Hold on there, captain,' Lloyd told Cleland. 'The chopper will be here in a minute.'
Lloyd took off his web belt and tied it around one of Cleland's shredded legs. When the medics arrived, he left to help another injured soldier — one of the two who had gotten off a helicopter with Cleland.
That soldier was crying. 'It was mine,' he said, 'it was my grenade.'
According to Lloyd, the private had failed to take the extra precaution that experienced soldiers did when they grabbed M-26 grenades from the ammo box: bend the pins, or tape them in place, so they couldn't accidentally dislodge. This soldier had a flak jacket full of grenades with treacherously straight pins, Lloyd says. "He was a walking death trap."[4]
Due to the severity of his injuries, doctors amputated both his legs above the knee and his right forearm.[5]
Georgia State Government
Cleland served from 1971 to 1975 in the Georgia Senate, and became an advocate for affairs relating to veterans. He was the administrator of the United States Veterans Administration under President Jimmy Carter, a fellow Georgian, from 1977 to 1981. He then served 14 years as Secretary of State of Georgia from 1982 to 1996, working closely with his future Senate colleague, Zell Miller.
According to an interview featurette with Jon Voight on the DVD of Coming Home (1978), Cleland also served during this time as a consultant on the Academy Award-winning drama set in a VA hospital in 1968.
U.S. Senate
Cleland ran for and was elected to the United States Senate in 1996. The Democratic nomination became available because of the retirement of Sam Nunn.
In 2002, Cleland was defeated in his bid for a second Senate term by Representative Saxby Chambliss. Voters were perhaps influenced by Chambliss ads that featured Cleland's likeness on the same screen as Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, ads that Cleland's supporters claim questioned his commitment to homeland security.[6] (The ads were removed after protest from some prominent politicians including John McCain.)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Cleland
As with all other illnesses, there are different levels of PTSD. They do not all have the same fate even though they all suffer. If you look at a group of people with diabetes, you will find some who have had to have amputations, some on heavy duty medicine and others keeping it under control with diet and exercise. There are different levels of it just as there are different levels of PTSD. It is not a one size fits all wound.
If McCain has PTSD, which is very possible given his reported tendency to have mood swings and anger problems, it does in no way suddenly reduce him to someone who is not able to function. I would be the last person on the planet to suggest that a veteran with a high score of PTSD would be a good person to have in charge of the nukes, especially if he has a flashback, but we don't know if McCain has PTSD or what level it is.
Some will have a string of jobs and serial marriages. Some will have marriages that last, like our's, which is 23 years and still going. Some will be successful and some will end up homeless. Some will serve society and some will serve prison time. We can't lump them all into one category or another. It depends on their lives, the people in those lives and the depth of the wound. My husband's level is high. While some families break apart with this severity, others stay together. We need to understand all of this to understand them and stop judging them.
Veterans with PTSD are no different than the general population with PTSD as far as their levels of ability and quality of life. Some just need more help than others depending on the depth of the wound. While a lot of veterans with PTSD cannot function and their quality of life suffers, some can live a fairly good life with it. Of course this also depends on their treatment, how soon it begins after trauma hits them and the support they receive from their family and friends.
There have been many reports of successful careers, as well as reports of how therapeutic it is when they work, but this all depends on the people they work with. For some they will be supported when co-workers and associates understand what PTSD is and watch out for them. Others however become targets by obnoxious idiots without a clue what PTSD is. The above thread is just one more reminder of how far we have to do on educating the general public what PTSD is and what it is not.
Kathie Costos
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.namguardianangel.blogspot.com/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"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
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