Suicide prevention and a Chaplain's call

There are some dismissing the connection between the spirit-faith and emotional pain, but considering every culture throughout history acknowledged the connection between God and man, it is hard to ignore it.

For a Christian it seems even harder to make peace with what happens in war but it is necessary to really heal since PTSD is not something that was inside of them as much as it was something that invaded them.

Can you honestly say when something bad happens you don't wonder what you did wrong? Even for a fraction of a second? Ever have regrets? This is part of what they are going through and for the most part, they feel as if they did something wrong. They need to know they are forgiven and be able to forgive themselves in order to heal. It is a personal issue, cutting in at different levels, no matter what faith they practice. While I do not agree with what has been happening in terms of religious proselytizing, the need of spiritual healing cannot be dismissed. It needs to be combined with mental health therapy and often medication. The whole veteran needs to be treated and helped to heal based on what their needs are.

“Nothing can ever separate us from the love of God,” said Lindsay who then cited, Romans 8:38-39

38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Serving soldiers

Story by 1st Lt. Casey Staheli

PRISTINA, Kosovo - All who join the military serve our great nation, but not all get to serve their fellow soldiers.

Maj. Michael Lindsay, senior chaplain, for soldiers of Multinational Battle Group East, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, is one of those soldiers who does. Lindsay provides Roman Catholic religious services and support here. In fact, Lindsay was serving soldiers before he ever joined the military, and as chance would have it, that is how the idea to join the military came about.

“I helped provide support for a veteran’s assistance workshop at the local armory, as a civilian pastor. After that I was asked to help counsel several soldiers on personal issues and one of the soldiers suggested I become a chaplain,” Lindsay said.

Up to that point Lindsay had never considered being a National Guard chaplain.

“After that was suggested, I thought wow, but I also thought I might be too old. I pondered it and became interested and it felt great that someone thought I could help,” said Lindsay. “I then thought more about it and decided to do it.”

Lindsay was raised in a family that promoted respect toward members of the military.

“My father served in WWII, my grandfather in WWI and I had an uncle who served during the Vietnam War,” said Lindsay.

It’s now been 10 years since Lindsay joined the military as a chaplain and has since provided chaplain support in White Sands, N.M., Fort Bliss, Texas, Fort Knox, Ky., and the Santa Fe Regional Reserve Training Institute in Santa Fe, N.M.

Here in Kosovo Lindsay leads the Catholic Mass, celebrates confessions and teaches Bible studies. In addition he counsels with soldiers who are dealing with personal or family issues. Lindsay also teaches classes on suicide prevention, relationship enhancement and interpersonal skills.
read more here
Serving soldiers

One more note on forgiveness. Here's a story about a Colorado State Trooper and what happened after his partner was killed and he was wounded.


State Trooper Escapes Death, Shows Forgiveness

By Mark Martin
CBN News Reporter

For Colorado state trooper Scott Hinshaw, getting dressed everyday is a blessing after almost losing his life.

Amazingly, Hinshaw is ready for the popular Bicycle Tour of Colorado -- 463 miles of mountains and valleys.

Nearly four years ago, an interstate car accident left him with broken legs, post traumatic stress disorder and anger.

The teen driver killed his fellow trooper, Zach Templeton. He said he became filled with hate.

"I needed to get better. And part of getting better was forgiving," Hinshaw recalled.

Forgiveness launched him on the road to recovery.

Hinshaw has since thrown the first pitch at game four of the World Series, and even become the godfather of the young driver that hit him in the crash, Cody Loose.
read more of this here

State Trooper Escapes Death, Shows Forgiveness

Las Vegas Veteran Shares Struggles with Suicide

Las Vegas Veteran Shares Struggles with Suicide

POSTED: JUN 18, 2011 12:12 AM
UPDATED: JUN 18, 2011 2:00 AM
By Aaron Drawhorn, Reporter - email
By Kash Cashell, Photojournalist - email
By Guy DeMarco, Content Editor - email

LAS VEGAS - Jason Shaw finished a seven-year stint in the U.S. Army. He was deployed for three and a half years in Iraq.

"In 2003, we did the initial invasion all the way up to Baghdad," he said.

Members of the military serve bravely. Many survive the battlefield, but an increasing number are dying on American soil at their own hands. May was the worst month in a year for suicides and potential suicides in the active-duty Army. For many, the cause is post-traumatic stress disorder.

"After 2005, really, my whole world just kinda' crumbled in on my own," Shaw said.

Shaw's story is featured in "Who Will Stand" - a documentary raising awareness about PTSD.
read more here and watch video
Las Vegas Veteran Shares Struggles with Suicide

Florida dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps — and counting

Hillsborough dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps — and counting
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: June 18, 2011
At Camp Leatherneck, a rugged 1,550-acre Marine Corps base in Afghanistan's Helmand Province, Cpl. Aisling Feaser helps crunch intelligence information for her fellow Marines patrolling outside the wire.

Elsewhere in the camp, her sister, Cpl. Aine Feaser, helps orchestrate the complex task of making sure Marines headed back to the States get where they are going, along with their trucks, guns and other equipment.

And 7,400 miles away, on the bug-infested marshlands of Parris Island, S.C., a third Feaser sister, Niahm Cinn-Oir, is in boot camp, training to become a Marine.

Sitting on the couch of his Town 'N Country home, Tom Feaser laughs at the thought of having three daughters in the Marine Corps.

"It's funny," says Feaser, a former K-9 officer who is now a hospice nurse. "When Aine left, they picked her up at the door, and I did the typical parent thing: boo-hooed like an idiot for a little bit of time.

"When Aisling left, I boo-hooed and when Niahm left I said, 'Oh, thank God, she's gone.' "

Tom Feaser is the raw material for a sitcom. A 57-year-old Army veteran who did two years at the end of the Vietnam War, he is the single parent of five daughters.
read more here
Hillsborough dad has 3 daughters in Marine Corps

Deployed sister of Chelsea Loula of the "Mojo in the Morning" tunes in to e-wedding

Sister in Iraq can tune in to e-wedding

Rob (the Web Guy) Graham and Chelsea Loula of the "Mojo in the Morning" show on WKQI-FM (95.5) are getting married today at Lyon Oaks in Wixom. Fans of the morning personality who won't be attending the big event can watch the nuptials live beginning at 5:30 p.m. on the "Mojo" show's Ustream channel, which is accessible through the station's Web site.

Graham told Names & Faces he's extremely grateful for the opportunity to put the ceremony on the Internet. He said Loula's heart was broken when she learned that her sister, Amy Natalini, currently serving with the U.S. Air Force in Iraq, wouldn't be able to serve as her maid of honor as originally planned.
read more here
Sister in Iraq can tune in to e-wedding

Marine Corps Reserve Corporal Arrested in Pentagon Bomb Scare

Marine Corps Reserve Corporal Arrested in Pentagon Bomb Scare

By RICHARD ESPOSITO, PIERRE THOMAS (@PierreTABC) , SUNLEN MILLER (@sunlenmiller) and HUMA KHAN
June 17, 2011
A Marine Corps Reserve lance corporal who was carrying suspected bomb making materials and pro-al Qaeda literature was arrested in Arlington National Cemetery early this morning, triggering a bomb scare that snarled Washington's morning rush hour. The FBI, however, determined that the material in the man's backpack was harmless.

"There was not a device and the products found are determined right now to be inert," said Brenda Heck, special agent in charge of counterterrorism for the FBI.

The material in the suspect's backpack tested negative as a potential explosive, sources said.

Sources told ABC News earlier that the backpack contained what was believed to be ammonium nitrate and spent ammunition for an automatic weapon. The material was reportedly contained in four large ziplock type bags.

Sources also said there were pro-al Qaeda statements found in a notebook that contained mostly notes for a financial class. There was also was a page containing words "al qaeda," "Taliban rules," "mujahidin" and "defeated coalition forces."
read more here
Marine Corps Reserve Corporal Arrested in Pentagon Bomb Scare

also

Pentagon on alert after Marine arrested at Arlington National Cemetery
By Justin Jouvenal and Dan Morse, Published: June 17
A Marine reservist taken into custody under suspicious circumstances at Arlington National Cemetery early Friday sparked an aggressive police response that led to road closures near the Pentagon and massive traffic tie-ups throughout morning rush hour.

Although authorities eventually determined there was no immediate threat to the public, they said they could not afford to take any chances. They noted that the suspect, Yonathan Melaku, 22, initially fled from police, had suspicious items in his backpack and even told officers that the bag contained bombmaking materials.
read more here
Marine arrested at Arlington National Cemetery

Remains of missing Vietnam War serviceman identified

Remains of missing Vietnam War serviceman identified
By the CNN Wire Staff
June 17, 2011 7:57 p.m. EDT

Air Force 1st Lt. David A Thorpe will be buried with full honors at Arlington National Cemetery.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
DNA samples helped identify the remains of Air Force 1st Lt. David A. Thorpe
Thorpe will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors
Thorpe's plane crashed in South Vietnam in 1966
Remains recovered at a crash site were later identified as Thorpe's

Washington (CNN) -- It has been more than 40 years since Air Force 1st Lt. David A Thorpe was declared missing in action from the Vietnam War. Now his family will finally receive some closure.

Thorpe's remains have been identified by forensic anthropologists and are being returned to his family, officials with the Department of Defense said Friday.

He will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery on June 23 with full military honors.
On October 3, 1966, Thorpe and four other airmen failed to arrive at Nha Trang Air Base after their departure from the Tan Son Nhut Air Base in South Vietnam. Eight days later, their remains were recovered by rescue personnel at a crash site some 40 miles west of Nha Trang.
read more here
Remains of missing Vietnam War serviceman identified

Deployed Marine sisters lean on one another

Deployed sisters lean on one another

By JIM NIEDELMAN
Published: June 17, 2011

GREENVILLE, N.C. - We've heard time and again the emotional toll deployments can have on the troops and their families.

There are two Marines based in Eastern Carolina serving in Afghanistan right now who can make it easier for each other. That's because they're sisters.

Nine On Your Side’s Jim Niedelman spoke with them about the experience.

They are 24-year-old Aine Feaser and her 20-year-old sister Aisley.

How did they get there at the same time?

"That was completely luck of the draw,” Aine said. Luck these Marines from Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune are happy to have.

They are both stationed at Camp Leatherneck, but only get a chance to see each other a couple of times a week for meals.

"It's just incredible to have my sister out here at the same time. I'm really fortunate to have family outside the Marine Corps with me at the same time," said Aine Feaser, Marine.
read more here
Deployed sisters lean on one another

Historic Marine base gets 1st-ever female general

Historic Marine base gets 1st-ever female general

US MARINE CORPS / AP PHOTO
This image provided by the U.S. Marine Corps shows then Col. Loretta Reynolds, taken March 10, 2011. For the first time in its 96-year history, a female general is taking charge at the famed Marine Corps training depot at South Carolina's Parris Island. Brig. Gen. Loretta Reynolds, who is also known as the first female Marine to ever hold a command position in a battle zone, takes charge Friday at the installation south of Beaufort. She was promoted to Brig. General in January 2011.

By SUSANNE M. SCHAFER
Associated Press
Published: Friday, Jun. 17, 2011 - 1:36 am
Last Modified: Friday, Jun. 17, 2011 - 4:27 am
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- For the first time in its 96-year history, a female general is taking charge at the famed Marine Corps training depot at South Carolina's Parris Island.
Brig. Gen. Loretta Reynolds, who is also known as the first female Marine to ever hold a command position in a battle zone, takes charge Friday at the installation south of Beaufort.

Parris Island graduates about 20,000 Marines annually and is the only site where female enlisted Marines are trained to enter the service.

Reynolds is a native of Baltimore and a 1986 graduate of the Naval Academy. She has worn the Marine Corps uniform for 25 years.



Read more: Historic Marine base gets 1st-ever female general

How he used to be before PTSD

by
Chaplain Kathie

Here's a great video talking about "not crazy" that sums up what PTSD looks like from the inside. While this video does not mention combat or PTSD, it fits.
Matchbox Twenty Unwell

Their families know them, know what they are like, what they love, what they cannot tolerate, just as much as they know the sound of their voice, their laugh and the sound of their tears. Parents see the changes in them when they come home, but most of the time they don't understand what they are seeing. They just want their son or daughter to go back to the way they were before they went away to risk their lives in combat.

No one comes home unchanged. Some come home stronger, appreciating simple things in their lives. Others come home deeply changed by the traumas encountered during combat operations. The old "them" is not gone. They are still there but dealing with a lot of pain they cannot control on their own any more than they could control the bullets and bombs they faced. They didn't fight in combat alone but too many want to believe this they can take on all by themselves.

"But soon enough you're gonna think of me

And how I used to be"

The difference is, just as they changed with every major step in their lives growing up, they are adapting with the changes in their lives. When they get their drivers license, they don't go back to walking or taking the back seat while their parents drive them everywhere. They find independence as soon as they have the keys in their hands. Each change in their lives, brings changes in them.

With combat, they return from bullets and bombs trying to kill them, endless nights with little sleep and the constant threat of their life on the line handing over their heads along with the loss of their friends. On edge 24-7 for a year changes people. Going back changes them even more. With IED's blowing up their buddies, they know if they live one day the next time it could be them. They bring back those memories driving down their city street just as much as driving down a country road. Even when someone else is driving the car, those memories pop back to life.

"I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell

I know, right now you can't tell

But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see

A different side of me"

When they think they are "crazy" it shows they don't understand PTSD. It did not start inside of them. It hit them. PTSD is caused by traumatic events and that is the only way it happens. Hearing voices, is because a PTSD flashback is more like a time trip where it all comes back. What they saw, what they felt, the way their body reacted and what they heard is all alive again. It is the same with nightmares.

The stigma of PTSD has a lot to do with how much they understand PTSD and how much they have a negative view of it. Knowing why they have it, why it picked on them, goes a long way to not only healing but making peace with what they cannot heal.

All day
Staring at the ceiling
Making friends with shadows on my wall
All night
Hearing voices telling me
That I should get some sleep
Because tomorrow might be good for something
Hold on
I'm feeling like I'm headed for a
Breakdown
I don't know why
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know, right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
Me
Talking to myself in public
Dodging glances on the train
I know
I know they've all been talking 'bout me
I can hear them whisper
And it makes me think there must be something wrong
With me
Out of all the hours thinking
Somehow
I've lost my mind
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired
I know right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
I been talking in my sleep
Pretty soon they'll come to get me
Yeah, they're taking me away
I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell
I know, right now you can't tell
But stay awhile and maybe then you'll see
A different side of me
I'm not crazy I'm just a little impaired
I know, right now you don't care
But soon enough you're gonna think of me
And how I used to be
Hey, how I used to be
How I used to be, yeah
Well I'm just a little unwell
How I used to be
How I used to be

They are suffering because they cared and were still able to feel no matter what they were living through. He/she, is still there under the pain. If you help them to find themselves again, then the changes within them will not be all negative ones but positive steps in growing stronger.

My Brother’s War, Wartime memories make international impact

Wartime memories make international impact
Written by Quaniqua Epps
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 21:51
Resurrecting a painful past was a way for Georgia Southern University Art Professor Jessica Hines to use her photography to tell the intimate story of her brother and to educate GSU students and people all over the world.

The name of Hines’s exhibit and novel is appropriately titled “My Brother’s War.” The inspiration for “My Brother’s War” stems from Hines’s brother, Gary, being drafted into the U.S. military in the late 1960s to fight in the Vietnam War.

During the time her brother was serving in the military, Hines was sent to live with relatives, because her parents had become ill and could not care for her.

Two years after he began serving, her brother Gary was discharged from the military and diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. Ten years after his release from the military, Gary committed suicide.

“When my older brother, Gary died, I could not cope with the loss. It took years of putting his unexpected death out of my mind before I could finally come to grips with what happened,” said Hines.

In 2005, a friend, Vincent Kohler, who teaches political science at GSU, asked Hines if she would allow his students to read and study Gary’s letters as an educational way to learn about the war.

“I agreed and visited his class to speak about my experiences surrounding the loss,” said Hines, “It was at this time that I was inspired to revisit the past and uncover some of the mystery that surrounded my brother’s life and death. My curiosity grew as I began to make discoveries and thus, this project was born.”

The images found in her gallery contain objects, such as figurines, letters and photographs of Gary and they were taken in the U.S., as well as in Chu Lai, Vietnam where Gary was stationed during his tenure in the military.

Through the photographs, Hines is able to not only convey her emotion about the subject, but also able to get her audience to understand Gary’s story.

Although telling her brother’s story was somewhat therapeutic for Hines, there were moments during her journey when she became immersed in anguish.
read more here
Wartime memories make international impact

National Guard, 4 tour combat vet in murder-suicide report

The report mentions that the question about PTSD came up but "had nothing to do" what happened. How they can explain a four tour veteran, coming home and killing his girlfriend, child and then himself, will be very interesting to read if he did not have PTSD.

Military service played a large role in Robert Liddick's life

Reported by: Chris Papst Email: ChrisPapst@cbs21.com
Contributor: Nate Wardle
Continuing coverage of a double murder and suicide in Cumberland County. We now know more about the man who police say killed two people early yesterday morning before killing himself.

Robert Liddick is believed to have shot his live-in girlfriend, Wendy Royer and Paul Johnson while Johnson's 18 month old son was in the house.

Wednesday we reported that Robert Liddick had years of military service and now we know much more about that service.

Liddick started his military career back in 1987 with the Army Reserves and later switched to the Air Force. He was involved in numerous military operations from Noble Eagle, which involved Homeland Security after 9/11, to Iraqi Freedom to Enduring Freedom.
read more here
Robert Liddick life

Some may read this report along with a too many others and believe combat veterans are all "dangerous" but when you consider there have been more than 2 million deployed into Iraq and Afghanistan, the percentages are very low. We cannot ignore these reports any more than we can ignore the numbers of suicides, attempted suicides and veterans charged with crimes. We have a responsibility to all of them and their families. We cannot ignore the veterans coming home, relatively emotionally unwounded, or with mild PTSD, needing support and help readjusting. The fact is, we cannot ignore any of them. That's how we got into this situation in the first place.

WWII we did a fantastic job getting jobs, education and housing. After all it was hard to ignore them when it seemed as if everyone knew a veteran personally. When they came home from Vietnam, we did a great job staying away from them, insulting them and blaming them for what was happening to them. No jobs, turned away from all the service organizations, parents of WWII generation telling them to "just get over it" and we made them ashamed they went where we sent them. It has taken almost 40 years to restore their dignity, yet many are still homeless, jobless, trapped in a backlog pile of claims topped off with the veterans getting help from the VA seeing their appointments cut back so that the newer veterans can be seen and their quota of getting them in the door is met. The fact remains for all the advances in taking care of them, stories like what happened to Robert Liddick, Wendy Royer and Paul Johnson. Two people dead because someone else served? How do they explain someone dedicated to risking his life for others turning around and taking the lives of others?

Army reported 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers for May

With all the money spent and all the "programs" that turned out to be nothing more than unproven research, do you think they will finally figure out WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING HAS NOT BEEN WORKING?

Army suicides at highest level in a year
By Larry Shaughnessy, CNN Pentagon Producer
June 16, 2011 6:23 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Army reports 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in May
June 2010 had same number but more potential suicides
"A spike in cases does not necessarily mean a trend," spokesman says

Washington (CNN) -- May was the worst month in a year for suicides and potential suicides in the active-duty Army, the Pentagon announced Thursday.

The Army reported 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in May. One of them has been confirmed; the other 20 are under investigation. In the past, most of the cases investigated were confirmed to be suicides.

May's number was the highest for one month since June 2010, which at the time was the worst month in recent memory for Army suicides.

There were also 21 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers in June 2010, but that month also saw 11 potential suicides among the Guard and Reserves. Last month, there were six potential suicides in the National Guard and Reserves, so June 2010 remains worse.

read more here
Army suicides at highest level in a year

Let's stand up for our heroes

Op-ed: Bob Woodruff - Let's stand up for our heroes

By Christie Garton, USA TODAY
By Bob Woodruff, Special to USA TODAY - Kindness
I know that most of us during this time of economic difficulties don't think everyday about the men and women serving in our military. But we have to remember that we are approaching a decade of being at war. It is almost 10 years since the attacks of September 11th thrust us into conflict.

In this decade roughly 2.2 million Americans have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Less than 1% of our population has served there, compared to 12 percent in WWII. I remember during the days of the Vietnam war, our neighborhood was filled with teenagers who were heading to the battlefields of southeast Asia. The families with loved ones overseas were on almost every street.
read more here
Let's stand up for our heroes

Reaching Today's Veterans Where They Are?

How when there are so many they can't find? The veterans with their claims tied up in an overloaded system are not really being taken care of where they are since they are really nowhere.

I went to the DAV Conference today and with the backlog of claims there came the news that they cannot hire new people to replace workers as they retire or leave. Why? No clue. We were also reminded that it takes two years to train a processor right. All of the news out of the White House is good, a lot better than it was, but when will we ever hear a politician ever say we've done it all and it's all good? Will we ever hear any of them say they've finally managed to take care of all our veterans?

Reaching Today's Veterans Where They Are
Posted by Sonja Batten on June 16, 2011 at 11:22 AM EDT
Under the leadership of Secretary Eric Shinseki, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is undergoing a remarkable transformation that has dramatically improved Veteran access to the services they have earned. Because so many of today’s Veterans are familiar and comfortable with web-enabled applications and smartphones, our opportunities to “reach Veterans where they are” have never been greater, or more effective. From eBenefits to Blue Button, VA is serious about automated electronic outreach.

Engaging Veterans on their own terms is especially crucial in the area of mental health. Each year VA sees a steadily rising number of Veterans with mental health concerns, and extending our services to them – safely, reliably, and privately – is one of the Administration’s top priorities. Over the last four years, Veterans seeking and receiving specialized mental health treatment at VA increased from 900,000 to 1.2 million; last year alone over 400,000 Veterans who received mental health treatment had a diagnosis of PTSD. Providing excellent care at VA facilities around the country to those who are ready to seek treatment has never been more important, but is only one way we can address the problem.

In order to broaden VA’s reach to today’s Veterans and prevent long-term readjustment problems, VA is making self-assessment and management tools readily accessible to Veterans with a smartphone. In April of this year, and as part of the First Lady’s and Dr. Biden’s Joining Forces initiative, we launched the PTSD Coach, a smartphone app jointly designed by VA and DoD for Veterans and Service members who are experiencing PTSD symptoms. This modern app was built in response to Veterans who said they needed tools to get them through difficult moments, and was created by VA’s National Center for PTSD and DoD’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology, thanks to a team spearheaded by Dr. Julia Hoffman.

Today’s Veterans also want to be able to track their own symptoms and have an independent way of seeing whether things are getting better or worse over time. The real-time power of a smartphone app to provide reliable information, assessment tools, and self-management skills has made a huge difference to thousands of Veterans. In fact, in just two months, over 10,000 people in 37 countries have already downloaded this free app. And there are more mobile health apps on the way.

This cutting edge approach builds on technological innovations that VA began in July of 2009, when an anonymous chat feature was added to the Veterans Crisis Line. Sometimes Veterans and Service members need to talk to someone, but their circumstances make it difficult to have a telephone conversation. Reaching Veterans where they are means creating channels they can use; an anonymous chat feature is a terrific option for many Veterans who need immediate support, but can’t call on a telephone. This program is led by VA’s own Dr. Jan Kemp, who was recognized as the 2009 Federal Employee of the Year! And the staff of the Veterans Crisis Line (1-800-273-8255, press 1) have answered over 430,000 calls (since July 2007) and 18,000 chats in less than two years.

Thousands of lives have been saved through the hard work of the responders at the Veterans Crisis Line, and thousands more will be eased by innovative applications like the PTSD Coach that make our services increasingly effective and much easier to reach.

Homeless veterans numbers rise in Los Angeles

Homelessness In Los Angeles Drops -- But Rises 24 Percent Among Veterans

Matt Sledge
msledge@huffingtonpost.com

Homelessness in Los Angeles was on the decline over the last two years, even in the teeth of the recession -- but at the same time, homelessness among veterans has shot up 24 percent since 2009, according to a report the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority released Tuesday.

That statistic, based on a count conducted in January, could provide ammo for organizations suing the Department of Veterans Affairs over the lack of supportive housing in the county.

"This data really confirms the theory of our case," said ACLU staff attorney David Sapp. "What the VA is currently making available is not working."

The VA of Greater Los Angeles said it could not confirm the Homeless Services Authority's estimate. According to the VA Northeast Program Evaluation Center, the number of homeless veterans served in the L.A. area went up from 6,397 in Fiscal Year 2009 to 6,641 in Fiscal Year 2010.
read more here

Combat Dad turns Iron Man after PTSD and son born without eyes

Post Falls 'IronDad' Ready For Triathalon
Anusha Roy
KXLY4 Reporter
Posted: 5:22 pm PDT June 16, 2011

POST FALLS, Idaho -- The much anticipated Ironman Coeur d'Alene is just around the corner, when thousands of athletes will descend upon the Lake City to swim, bike and run their way to a chance at earning the Ironman title.

45-year-old Bill Owens of Post Falls has been training for Ironman for a year now. As he's endured the physical test of long-distance swimming, biking more than 100 miles and running a marathon, he's done it all while battling pouring rain and cold water swimming.

Through it all his number one inspiration has been his three kids and his wife, which is why he calls himself not an Ironman but an Irondad.

He's a combat veteran and his family helped him deal with post traumatic stress disorder. His three-year-old son was born with a very rare condition and doesn't have eyes.
read more here and watch video

IronDad Ready For Triathalon

Friends blame PTSD on Iraq veterans death

Friend blames Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for Alabama vet's death
Published: Thursday, June 16, 2011
By The Associated Press

DOTHAN, Alabama — Army veteran Fred Ganous hopes the death of a friend in a confrontation with police will bring more awareness to post traumatic stress disorder.

Ganous served in Iraq with Jason Arsenault as a crew chief on a Blackhawk helicopter. Arsenault, 30, of Newton, died late Monday night in a shooting at the end of a pursuit by police on Ross Clark Circle, a main road in Dothan.

Ganous said his friend was injured while serving in Iraq after an improvised explosive device struck the convoy of vehicles he traveled in. He said Arsenault injured his back, which led to surgery.

But he said Arsenault also was later diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and also struggled with PTSD.
read more here

also read more of this story here
Another Iraq Veteran killed by police

PTSD on Trail: Afghanistan veteran on trial for attempted murder

Testimony continues in assault case: Defendant, neighbor who rescued alleged victim take stand
By Tim Hudson thudson@examiner-enterprise.com
Thursday, June 16, 2011 3:00 PM CDT

The man accused of attempting to kill a local woman — as well as the man who reportedly saved her life — took the stand Wednesday in Washington County Court.

The defendant, 45-year-old Marty Allen Owens, contended that he does not remember incidents that led up to him allegedly driving his truck through the front of his estranged wife’s home and then trying to shoot and choke her.

Owens contended on the stand that he was the victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and described experiences in both Afghanistan and post-Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, La.

read more here
Testimony continues in assault case

Do you really care about top stories on TV today?

I live in Florida and can tell you that three years of Casey Anthony is too much. We often wonder if there were any other murders worthy reporting on in all this time. I don't live in New York, although I really do love it, I have nothing to do with Anthony Wiener, so I'm pretty much over his story too. I don't like sports even though I'm from Boston, so I don't really care about the Stanley Cup or a bunch of folks too wrapped up in sports they had to riot when their team didn't win. I don't care that Boehner (or however you spell it) decided to have a smoke on the White House lawn or any other place. None of these stories made my day and frankly have nothing to do with my life anymore than Sarah Palin's emails to God. I didn't even care more than the time it took to read the headlines.

On this blog you find Medal Of Honor Vietnam Veteran Jack Jacobs meeting the man in charge of trying to kill him and his men in Vietnam. A Silver Star hero name Jonathan Clouse so humble he said "Guys called for me so I went" when they were being shot at. A helicopter crew going to save lives even though they were being shot at.

There was a story about an Iraq veteran, how he lost his leg and has PTSD, still caring enough to help someone after an accident, topped off with him getting the wrong end of taser for his efforts and being charged, but found justice being acquitted. Plus another Iraq veteran so troubled he wanted police to kill him but they spared his life and the charges against him have been dropped but he is also healing because he got help.

Another hero lost his life, so the parents of Lance Cpl. Donald Hogan will receive the Navy Cross in his memory and another story of a Fort Hood soldier giving bone marrow to save the life of someone else.

Then there is the really sad part of this day when I had to post that 83 Marines tried to kill themselves so far this year. No matter how much money is spent, this is still going on but the national media news shows have their own agenda, like the above, and too busy to report on any of these stories.

Sorry, rant for the day, but one more reason why this blog is here. Here, you do matter.

Col. Jack Jacobs meets the Viet Cong commander who led a deadly ambush

Return to Vietnam: Meeting a formerly faceless foe
Col. Jack Jacobs meets the Viet Cong commander who led a deadly ambush of his battalion
By Col. Jack Jacobs
U.S. Army (Retired)
NBC News
updated 6/16/2011

Courtesy of Jack Jacobs
Jack Jacobs, left, and Pham Phi Huang, right, in Cao Lanh, Vietnam.

CAO LANH, Vietnam — Col. Jack Jacobs, a Medal of Honor recipient for "conspicuous gallantry" during the Vietnam War, returns to Vietnam for the first time in over 40 years and meets his former adversary.

All the good guys have families, backgrounds and personalities. The bad guys are faceless.

When you live in close proximity to people, when you are jammed together into small defensive positions, when your lives depend on each other, you know everything about them. They become discrete characters, and each is like no other in the world. They are your family. When they are wounded, you bleed, and when their young lives are extinguished in the violence of armed combat, a piece of you dies as well.

But the enemy is an amoebic mass, a single-minded monolithic inhuman force. Killed in action, they are only a logistical problem, and you get a feeling of them as individuals only when you capture them, scared, wounded and shivering. They are no longer part of the enemy organism, and it is only then they come to life as people.

I recently returned to Vietnam, for the first time in about 40 years, to see my old battlefield in the Mekong Delta. And on that day I also visited a man named Pham Phi Huang.
read more here
Meeting a formerly faceless foe

Silver Star Hero says "Guys called for me, so I went"

'Guys called for me, so I went'
By JEFF SCHOGOL
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 14, 2011

The terrain was ideal for an ambush.

“To our west and to our east was high cliff faces,” said Army Sgt. 1st Class Jonathan Clouse. “To the south was the entrance to the canyon that we had come in through, and to the north there was a box canyon.”

It was June 26, 2008, and Clouse, a medic, was a Special Forces liaison to Marine Special Operations Company H, Special Operations Task Force – 73. He and his team would be caught in a four-hour firefight after which he was awarded the Silver Star for braving a tsunami of fire to treat wounded.
read more here
Guys called for me, so I went

Air Force helicopter rescue crews battled enemy insurgents

Helicopter crew in Afghanistan braves persistent enemy fire to rescue wounded pilot, recover remains
By T.D. FLACK
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 14, 2011
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — For more than five hours during an April mission, Air Force helicopter rescue crews battled enemy insurgents in Afghanistan while attempting to recover two downed Army helicopter pilots.

Pilots and crewmembers deployed with the 83rd Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Bagram Air Field put themselves in harm’s way repeatedly throughout the day. And two of the squadron’s pararescue jumpers, known as PJs, hunkered down under a fusillade of incoming fire on the ground, calling in air support on enemy forces that got as close as 50 yards.

Several men involved in the mission — deployed from the 33rd Rescue Squadron on Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, and the 212th Rescue Squadron from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska — spoke to Stars and Stripes via phone to describe their efforts to recover the pilots: one alive and one killed in the crash. Officials say the helicopter “went down due to an undetermined cause,” and the accident remains under investigation.
read more here
Helicopter crew in Afghanistan braves persistent enemy fire

Obama hosts military dads, kids at White House

Obama hosts military dads, kids at White House
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 15, 2011 18:30:27 EDT
WASHINGTON — Ahead of Father’s Day, President Obama on Wednesday hosted military fathers and their children for a screening of the movie “Cars 2” at the White House.

The event was part of a yearlong “Strong Fathers, Strong Families” initiative that will highlight the role fathers play in creating strong families, the White House said.
read more here
Obama hosts military dads, kids at White House

Vietnam vet's flags to fly again

Vietnam vet's flags to fly again
4:29 AM, Jun 16, 2011

Written by
Dave Delozier

DENVER - Jim Carlson will remember Flag Day for the pain and anger he felt when his American and POW/MIA flags were stolen. He'll remember the next day for the overwhelming support he got from a community.

"It says veterans all stand together and when we see one of our brothers that is in a bad situation or hurting - everyone is coming," Patrick Valdez, president of Rolling Thunder Colorado, said.

Carlson is a Vietnam War veteran who flew the American and POW/MIA flag from a 20-foot flagpole in his front yard for the last 15 years. In the early morning hours of Flag Day, someone cut the rope on the flagpole and stole both flags.
read more here
Vietnam vet's flags to fly again

Jury Acquits Amputee-PTSD Iraq War Veteran Tasered by Police

Jury Acquits Iraq War Veteran Tasered by Police

By Michael Sewall

Brian Wilhelm, of New Lenox, who lost his leg in combat and suffers from PTSD, was charged with battery and obstructing police in December after trying to help people in a car accident on his block.

Brian Wilhelm, the 28-year-old Army veteran who was Tasered in December by New Lenox police, was found not guilty on battery and obstructing police charges.

Wilhelm said he came to help at the scene of a Dec. 11 car accident near his home at Woodlawn and Wisconsin roads. After trying to assist an injured passenger, Wilhelm got into a confrontation with New Lenox police officer Mark Klausner. The two had their hands on each other when another officer used his Taser on Wilhelm.
read more here
Jury Acquits Iraq War Veteran Tasered by Police

Search ends for missing soldier Spc. Joseph Bushling

Search ends for missing soldier

Story date: June 15, 2011

Parents seek closure in Joseph Bushling’s May 8 disappearance

By Whitney Snipes
government@couriernews.com
After an effort Sunday didn’t turn up any further clues, the search for a missing Russellville man has again been called off.

Army Spc. Joseph Bushling has been missing in Tooele County, Utah, since May 8. He was last heard from during an early-morning phone call to a fellow soldier, in which he said he had been walking around looking for cell service and had to tie his T-shirt around his feet as makeshift shoes when his sandals broke, according to Joseph’s father, Kevin Bushling.

A blurry photo showed a vehicle that looked like the one Joseph had borrowed from a friend leaving the U.S. Army’s Dugway Proving Ground, where Joseph was stationed, shortly after 3:30 a.m. May 8. He was scheduled to fly to Fort Carson, Colo., later that day.
read more here
Search ends for missing soldier

Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente

Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente
by Stacie N. Galang
Jun 15, 2011

San Clemente residents Jim and Carla Hogan show a photo of their son Lance Cpl. Donald J. Hogan who died August 26, 2009 while serving with the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines in Afghanistan. Photo by Stacie N. Galang

Somewhere in the cornfield the enemy hid beneath the stalks.

Lance Cpl. Donald J. Hogan spotted a kite string pulled taut and quickly realized it was attached to the improvised explosive device he and his fellow Marines had been sent to find. Hogan lunged at one of the members of his unit to shove him out of harm’s way.

The device didn’t trip and the enemy continued fumbling to set it off. Hogan went back to the road to warn the others in his patrol, yelling toward them to turn back.

The rifleman in the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, would die that day — August 26, 2009 in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Four other Marines and one interpreter suffered injuries in the blast but lived.

Hogan, who moved to San Clemente with his family while in high school, is now in line for the Navy Cross, an honor second only to the Medal of Honor.

The 20-year-old’s split-second decision “saved a Marine’s life and allowed the rest of the squad to avoid the full brunt of the fragmentation,” according to the citation prepared for Hogan’s nomination for the Navy Cross.

read more here
Navy Cross Expected for Marine from San Clemente

Fort Hood Soldier Donates Bone Marrow to Save a Life

Face of Defense: Soldier Gives Gift of Life

By Rachel Parks
III Corps and Fort Hood Public Affairs

Army Spc. Christopher Sutton donates bone marrow in Washington, D.C. Sutton discovered he was a bone marrow match just a few months ago and made a donation in May. He elected to enter the Defense Department’s bone marrow donor database more than four years ago. Courtesy photo

FORT HOOD, Texas, June 15, 2011 – Army Spc. Christopher Sutton enjoys helping people. It’s something that comes naturally to him whether it’s at his job, in his free time or while volunteering.

In that spirit of giving, Sutton took part in a bone marrow donor drive while stationed with the 89th Military Police Brigade about four years ago, and he was entered into the Defense Department bone marrow donor database.

“Two months ago, they called me out of the blue,” Sutton said. “I just happened to have the same number.”

Now working as a cadre member of the Warrior Transition Brigade Headquarters, Sutton was stunned when he was told he was a match to someone who would benefit from a bone marrow donation.

A donor coordinator from the C.W. Bill Young Department of Defense Marrow Donor Center contacted Sutton to ask if he would donate blood to verify a positive match.

“They said chances were slim that I could even be a match,” he said. But in a few short weeks, Sutton was contacted again with the official word. He was a match and his bone marrow donation could save a life.

Sutton said he wanted to help, but was concerned about the marrow-extraction process. “I was definitely thinking they were going to shove a huge needle in me and it was going to hurt,” he said. “I’ve heard that is one of the most-painful things ever.”

Ultimately, Sutton decided the pain would be worth the possibility of having a positive impact on someone’s life.
read more here
Soldier Gives Gift of Life

Iraq War veteran with PTSD wanted police to kill him

He lived. He lived to tell a story of what many come home with after combat. Lived to see police knowing the difference between facing a criminal and seeing a veteran in a lot of pain. Lived long enough to see what justice really is when he went before a judge in a Veteran's Court. Above all of this, lived long enough to know what it is like to get help to heal.

Iraq War veteran with PTSD could have charges dropped in police standoff
Charges could be dismissed in police standoff
7:46 AM, Jun. 16, 2011
Written by
Kevin Grasha

EAST LANSING - Ten months ago, Brad Eifert, then an Army sergeant, faced charges that could have sent him to prison for the rest of his life.

The Iraq War veteran's struggles with severe post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse had caused him to spiral out of control.

He hit a low point on Aug. 9, 2010, shooting a handgun nine times into the ground, according to documents connected to his Army discharge, as police officers surrounded him in a wooded area near his Okemos home.

It was a suicide attempt - his third that year, according to the documents, which were filed last month. He wanted police that night to shoot and kill him.

In February, Eifert's case was transferred to Jordon's veterans' court program, which focuses on treatment in lieu of incarceration.

read more here
Iraq War veteran with PTSD could have charges dropped

83 Marines tried to kill themselves this year

With the reduced number of suicides this year, it shows efforts to prevent them have helped, but we need to understand that 83 attempts proves they have a long way to go.

MILITARY: Two Marine suicides in May

By MARK WALKER mlwalker@nctimes.com
Posted: Wednesday, June 15, 2011
The suicide rate among active-duty Marines continues to decline this year when contrasted against the four previous years.

The service's Suicide Prevention Program reported Wednesday that two Marines killed themselves in May, raising to 12 the number that have taken their own lives this year.

The number of attempted suicides reported in May was 14, raising that figure for the year to 83.

read more here
Two Marine suicides in May

First Lady and Hollywood joining forces for those who serve

News: First Lady and Hollywood joining forces

Office of the Chief of Public Affairs Los Angeles
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Duane Brown

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. – First Lady Michelle Obama, U.S. Armed Forces service members and the Writers Guild of America come together to participate in a panel discussion to inform the Hollywood community on ways it can support the military and its Families at the WGA Theater in Beverly Hill, Calif., June 14.

The event was initiated by the First Lady Michelle Obama highlighting the Joining Forces initiative, and a task force of top level producers, writers and directors in Hollywood with the goal to inspire the entertainment community to create more television, feature film and Internet projects about military Families and the military.

Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, created the Joining Forces initiative to help the nation understand "That when our country goes to war, we have families that are serving right along with them."

When Obama began on the campaign trail, she spent a lot time meeting with working women. As she toured the country and began to meet with working military spouses on service installations, she began to realize how little she knew about what they go through.

“I didn’t come from a military Family,” said Obama. “I began to realize how little I knew, so I began to ask the question, ‘why?’”

After researching the issues and working with Dr. Biden, they came to the conclusion that military service members represent only one percent of our population, but they shoulder the responsibility of protecting our entire Nation. Missing birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and so many of the daily moments we spend with the people we love, they make incredible sacrifices. But , they don’t make them alone.
read more here
First Lady and Hollywood joining forces

Army combats suicide surge in its ranks

Army combats suicide surge in its ranks
Article by: MARK BRUNSWICK Updated: June 15, 2011 - 7:05 AM
More service members now are taking their own lives than are dying in combat. As the toll mounts, family members are asking whether military leaders are responding properly to soldiers in crisis.

The text message from the young soldier to his mom ended with a short, shocking vow.

"I'm going to take my life. Sorry.''

Jeremy Campbell wrote it sitting alone inside a roadside room at the Comfort Suites hotel in Urbana, Ill., the day last September that he fled his Army base 300 miles away in Kentucky, despondent and ashamed.

Then he drank two bottles of cough syrup, put on his headphones, and lay down.

From her home in Cloquet, Minn., a frightened Corinne Campbell alerted military officials. With the help of cellphone tracking, they closed in on her son's location. A few hours later, police and medics burst into his hotel room and rushed him to a hospital.

Jeremy's life had been saved.

Or so it seemed.
read more here
Army combats suicide surge in its ranks




Death after face off with police

Thief steals American flag from Vietnam War vet

Thief steals American flag from Vietnam War vet

Written by
Jeffrey Wolf
Written by
Dave Delozier

DENVER - Everyday for the last 15 years, Jim Carlson has flown two flags on a 20-foot-pole in front of his home.

Carlson is a Vietnam War veteran and he says he flies the American flag in honor of veterans who made it back from war and a POW flag for those that didn't.

"There's great honor. I think when people go by they see the flags and at least they have to think for a minute, 'Hey, we live in a free country because of people who fight for our freedom.' Freedom is not free," Carlson said.

Sometime in the early morning hours of Flag Day (Tuesday), someone cut down the flagpole and stole the flags.

"It's our country, it's what they represent," Carlson said of the flags. "It's a part of me. It's a part of all sorts of veterans and it's very deep.
read more here

Thief steals American flag from Vietnam War vet

PTSD numbers closer to 800,000

Here is a challenge to radio talk show hosts on both sides. How about you stop just talking about the other side and start standing up for the side of the men and women risking their lives for the sake of this country? Aren't they worth it to you?

PTSD incorrectly calculated among soldiers: Veteran's Administration
WFRV News
Story Created: Jun 15, 2011 at 9:40 AM CDT
Story Updated: Jun 15, 2011 at 9:40 AM CDT
(WFRV)-- While the war rages on in Afghanistan the military continues to cope with a battle here at home, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

To date, the military has diagnosed 78,000 cases of PTSD, but the Veteran's Administration says that number is inaccurate.

The V.A. say the real number is closer to 800,000.
read more here
PTSD incorrectly calculated among soldiers

Rush's front page
A Good Night for Conservatism

Your host's notes on the Republican presidential debate.

Parody: Obama and Biden Watch the Debate

Gibbs Gives Us the 2012 Theme: It's All Still George W. Bush's Fault
As predicted, the regime cannot run on its own record.

Obama's Lie About Shovel-Ready Stimulus Jobs is Tragic, Not Funny
This is no laughing matter. Our economy is in tatters.

Luddite Bamster Blames ATM Machines for High Unemployment
Wait a minute. Did George W. Bush invent the ATM?


Why El Rushbo Doesn't Endorse
It's up to the candidates to go out there and win it.

The Roots of the Financial Crisis

Here's the reason we have this whole mess: Democrats.

• Buy It! Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armageddon - Gretchen Morgenson & Joshua Rosner

Obama: I'm Not a Partisan Guy
The One tries to recast himself, but it won't work.

Weiner Rehab Could Take "Years"

The Democrats try to push a sick man out of his job.

Glenn Beck

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Glenn’s new book on sale now!
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News, Information, Comedy, Entertainment, Education, Faith and MORE! See just a few of the pieces of GBTV here!
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Obamanomics: no jobs because of ATM’s?
This makes no sense at all. Seriously. Where did this come from?
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Hosting a Restoring Courage viewing party?
We want you to let us know!
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College students hypocrisy on affirmative action
Why not use affirmative action to promote diversity on the basketball team?
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Rick Perry makes surprise cameo as Glenn counts down to June 30th
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CNN’s ridiculous GOP Debate
Leno or Conan? Spicy or Mild? Pepsi or Coke?
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Glenn interviewed the candidate on radio this morning
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“There’s bridges we can build here!”
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Could this be the winning ticket in 2012?
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Shouldn’t we just hang all the rich people in the public square?
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MSNBC must want more loser Republicans than the ones they employ on their morning show!
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Did Rick Perry attend secret Bilderberg meetings?
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Progressive Christian organization goes after Ayn Rand
OF COURSE they have ties to Soros!
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NYPD scolds tourist for wearing distracting short skirt
Stu launches his own investigation
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Experts: Sarah Palin ‘best person in world history’
Expert – “I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if gravity reversed itself today”

Sean Hannity
GOP 2012 Hopefuls Take Stage, Target Obama
Tuesday, June 14, 2011

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Republican White House hopefuls condemned President Barack Obama's handling of the economy from the opening moments of their first major debate of the campaign season Monday night, and pledged emphatically to repeal his historic year-old health care overhaul.

"When 14 million Americans are out of work we need a new president to end the Obama Depression," declared former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, the first among seven contenders on stage to criticize the president's economic policies.

Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, invited as an unannounced contender for the 2012 nomination, upstaged her rivals for a moment, using a nationwide te...

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Ed Shultz

Wednesday, June 15, 2011


Ed Schultz broadcasts the radio show from 30 Rock in New York City.

Mary Bell, President of the Wisconsin Education Association Council joins the 1st hour of Wednesday's show to discuss the next step for Wisconsin teachers.

Con. Jan Schakowsky, D-IL, joins the 2nd hour of Wednesday's show to discuss Michelle Bachmann's performance in Monday night's debate.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, joins the 2nd hour of Wednesday's show to discuss Oil Speculation.

Utility Workers Union President Mike Langford joins the 3rd hour of Wednesday's show to discuss anti-union legislation.

John Nichols, Washington correspondent for The Nation, joins the 3rd hour of Wednesday's show to discuss the situation in Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled on a 4-3 decision that a controversial measure that curbs the collective bargaining rights of public workers in the state can go into effect. We'll talk about it.

The Obama administration is asking the business community to persuade lawmakers that if Congress does not act in time to raise the country's borrowing cap, a default will have dire consequences. We'll give you the details.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-OH, urged President Barack Obama to explain the legal grounds for the continued U.S. military involvement in Libya. We'll bring you the latest.

We'll have your calls and the latest news, Wednesday on The Ed Schultz Show.

Stephanie Miller
LiveBlog for Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Written on June 15, 2011
• Hal Sparks joins us in the Los Angeles Bureau at 9am ET / 6am PT for another edition of Humpdays With Hal

• Julie Bolcer, NY correspondent for The Advocate, calls in at 9:30am ET / 6:30am PT to talk about the imminent vote in NY on marriage equality

• Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) calls in at 10:05am ET / 7:05am PT to talk about the economy and jobs

• Raven Brooks, Executive Director of Netroots Nation, calls in at 10:30am ET / 7:30am PT to talk about this weekend’s Netroots Nation Convention in Minneapolis

• Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-LA) calls in at 11:05am ET / 8:05am PT to talk about the economy and jobs

• Mo Gaffney, comedian, writer, and activist, calls in at 11:30am ET / 8:30am PT to talk about her role in Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays

• A federal judge’s refusal Tuesday to invalidate last year’s ruling against California’s Proposition 8 established for the first time that gay judges may decide gay rights cases without having to defend their impartiality.

• A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court handed Republican Gov. Scott Walker a major victory Tuesday, ruling that a polarizing union law that strips most public employees of their collective bargaining rights could take effect.

Another Iraq Veteran with PTSD killed by police

Man shot after police pursuit identified
Army veteran from Newton killed

Shots were fired Monday night after a vehicle chase which ended outside the Hooters in Dothan.

By MATT ELOFSON
Published: June 14, 2011

Erin Hughes remembers Jason Arsenault as a sweet mannered young man who served his country onboard a Blackhawk helicopter with her husband.

Arsenault, 30, of Newton, died late Monday night after he was shot multiple times by police at the end of a vehicle pursuit on Ross Clark Circle. Deputy Houston County Coroner Ben Earnest said Arsenault died around 10:30 p.m. at Southeast Alabama Medical after he suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the torso area of his body.

Earnest said Arsenault wore his Army dress uniform, which included several ribbons on it, at the time of his death. According to his obituary, Arsenault served two tours in Iraq until he medically retired in 2008.

Erin Hughes said Arsenault served as a crew chief on a Blackhawk helicopter while in Iraq with her husband, Henry Hughes. She said he earned three medals for his service in the Army in the Middle East, but that he also showed symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
read more here

Man shot after police pursuit identified

Canadian military redeploying soldiers with PTSD

Canadian military redeploying soldiers with PTSD
CBC News Posted: Jun 14, 2011

A former elite soldier with the Canadian Forces says post-traumatic stress disorder caused him to descend into what he describes as his "train wreck years."

Steve Lively says he ballooned to 240 pounds, grew his hair down to his lower back and suffered from severe alcohol and drug addiction.

"It was self-medication to deal with what I was going through," said Lively, 46, who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after serving on a number of tours, including to Congo, Uganda and Rwanda.

He keeps a picture of himself from that time on the wall of his office: it's a reminder of a low he never wants to descend back into.

His PTSD became worse with each deployment and eventually Lively left the military. He now works for National Defence and speaks to soldiers about PTSD.
read more here
Canadian military redeploying soldiers with PTSD

House to boost veterans' programs, cut food aid

House to boost veterans' programs, cut food aid
BY ANDREW TAYLOR
Associated Press


WASHINGTON (AP) -- In an otherwise lean budget year, the House on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to boost funding to take care of the medical needs of the nation's veterans.

After a 411-5 vote for a $72.5 billion measure funding veterans' programs and military construction projects, the GOP-dominated chamber immediately resumed its budget-slashing ways and began a politically charged debate on a food and farm bill. The measure cuts aid for low-income pregnant women and their children and slashes a key overseas food aid program by about one-third below this year's funding.

At the same time, the Appropriations Committee is set to approve a $649 billion measure that slightly increases the Pentagon's operating budget while cutting costs for overseas military operations by $39 billion, reflecting a drawing down of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
read more here
House to boost veterans' programs, cut food aid

I guess I got my answer, but did they have to take away food for the poor to do it?
Will GOP honor VA funding

New England Biker Community Rides to Support Veterans and Families

Ride for Our Heroes: New England Biker Community Rides to Support Veterans and Families

BOSTON, June 14, 2011
PRNewswire
New England-area motorcycle enthusiasts are kick starting their bikes and riding in the first Ride for Our Heroes on Saturday September 24. Ride for Our Heroes supports the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program's services for veterans and families affected by combat stress and traumatic brain injury. The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program provides clinical care and support services to service members and veterans of the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, throughout New England, who are affected by combat stress and traumatic brain injury (TBI) – the "invisible wounds of war." Home Base also provides counseling for families; education for clinicians and community members; and research in the understanding and treatment of PTSD and TBI.

The Ride for Our Heroes will kick-off at six locations – one in each New England state – with special guest speakers, military leaders, celebrities and an opening ceremony. Riders will finish the trip with a celebratory "Rider Appreciation" party at the Manchester Harley-Davidson dealership in Manchester, New Hampshire which offers a 16-acre site for a complimentary BBQ, family entertainment, live music, and raffle.

"The biker community has a long history of riding to support veterans through its annual Rolling Thunder event which raises awareness of POWs and MIAs and supports veterans' services. We hope the Ride for Our Heroes can become another great tradition to honor those who suffer from the 'invisible wounds of war'--post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. We are honored to work with the biker community on this event," said John Parrish, MD, Director of the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program.
read more here
New England Biker Community Rides to Support Veterans and Families

Iraqi War vet Troy Yocum arrives in Times Square

Iraqi War vet Troy Yocum arrives in Times Square
Having walked nearly 34 million steps

Retired World Series champion Kevin Millar is rarely speechless, but on a segment of his MLB Network "Intentional Talk" show last week Millar said he was overwhelmed by the heroism shown by Iraq War veteran Troy Yocum.

For the last 12 months Yocum has been banging his own personal drum and quietly drawing attention to America's military families in need. He has walked over 6,000 miles and nearly 34 million steps across the United States in that time.

He is walking with his wife Mareike and two dogs Harley the laughing Chihuahua and Emmie the energetic Shiba Inu. Their "Hike for Our Heroes," has raised nearly $500,000 for military families in trouble because of job losses, health problems and financial need.

The goal is $5 million.
read more here
Iraqi War vet Troy Yocum arrives in Times Square

US Army hero escorted home in biker style

US Army hero escorted home; harleys & flags, Glen Mills, PA

June 14, 2011
Bonnie Searing
Delaware County Political Buzz Examiner

Rumblings of 25+ American flag laden Harley Davidson motorbikes, with state police at the helm, sailed through traffic down Rt. 476 from Philadelphia International Airport on Monday morning. Warriorswatch.org volunteers provided the escort backdrop for the welcome of Army Captain Dangelantonio as he arrived in flight from Kuwait.

It was the ground-shaking unmistakable patriotic thunder of American made motorbikes, sirens and car honks that caught the attention of ongoing traffic... causing pause. Many waving and honking louder as they saw Army Captain Dangelantonio's car displaying placards,"Military Hero On Board."

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US Army hero escorted home

Team Rubicon Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves

Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY

When Kasey Sands and her family returned home last month a few days after a tornado flattened much of Joplin, Mo., a dozen strangers were removing trees toppled in their yard.

"I asked them who they were, and they said they were veterans," says Sands, 27. "They said they like to help with peace and not just with war."

They were Team Rubicon, a non-profit group of veterans formed after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to help in the immediate aftermaths of disasters. They also raced in after tornadoes struck Alabama in April and following earlier crises in Chile, Burma, Pakistan and Sudan. More than 500 people have volunteered; 25 were in Joplin for a week.

The name refers to the Rubicon, a river separating ancient Gaul and the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar's crossing of it led to its modern meaning: passing a point of no return.
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Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves

Sailor Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting Marine

Sailor Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting Marine

CHULA VISTA, Calif. -- A Navy sailor accused in a shooting outside a Chula Vista restaurant last month that left a Marine wounded pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to assault with a semiautomatic firearm and other charges.

A fight between patrons at the Denny's restaurant in the 600 block of E Street on May 15 led to the shooting, which left Anthony Harrall with a gunshot wound to the leg, authorities said.

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Sailor Pleads Not Guilty To Shooting Marine

Congressman Allen West underwater stunt violated Flag Code on Flag Day

This may have seemed like a good idea,,,,

The Greater Ft. Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau celebrates Learn to Dive Month with a commemorative dive with Congressman Allen West and Diveheart veterans dive group aboard Aqua View at the South Florida Diving HQ in Pompano Beach. An American flag planting on the Ancient Mariner Wreck took place on June 12, 2011 and the flag will go on the internet for auction.

but it was not to people aware of the rules on how the flag should be treated especially on Flag Day! This is one thing veterans will not tolerate since they risked their lives serving what the flag stands for.

Allen West flagged for scuba diving with Old Glory

By JENNIFER EPSTEIN
6/14/11 12:22 PM EDT

Rep. Allen West is in hot water with a local blogger after he led a group of veterans on a scubadiving trip off the coast of his Florida district over the weekend and planted an American flag underwater on an artificial reef.

The blogger on the Broward-Palm Beach New Times’s website is accusing him of violating the United States Code by putting the flag in water and flying it below ground level.

“Rep. Allen West going diving off the coast of Deerfield Beach with a bunch of military veterans — except for the fact that he violated U.S. federal law in the process and provided a pictorial of himself doing so,” a blogger on the Broward-Palm Beach New Times’s website wrote early Tuesday morning.

The accusation which, incidentally, comes on Flag Day, is that West, a first-term tea-party-backed Republican, violated the Flag Code, which stipulates that “[t]he flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.”



Read more: Allen West flagged for scuba diving with Old Glory

Arizona SWAT Team Cleared after killing Marine Vet Jose Guerena

Arizona SWAT Team Cleared in Former Marine's Killing

By DEAN SCHABNER
June 14, 2011
The SWAT team that gunned down a former Marine in his Tucson, Ariz., home was cleared today of any wrongdoing in the incident.

Jose Guerena, 26, was killed in a hail of bullets from the SWAT team, which broke down the door to his home on May 5 while trying to serve a search warrant as part of a home invasion probe.

Guerena did not fire a single shot in the incident, but Pima County Chief Criminal Deputy Attorney David Berkman said in the report issued today that the five SWAT team members were justified in using deadly force because the former Marine pointed his weapon at them.

"A close examination of the rifle revealed it appeared to have been damaged by being fired upon from such an angle that it must have been pointed toward officers," Berkman wrote. "The officers were mistaken in believing Mr. Guerena fired at them. However, when Mr. Guerena raised the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle in their direction, they needed to take immediate action to stop the deadly threat against them."
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Arizona SWAT Team Cleared in Former Marine Killing

Dark Ages: When veterans beg someone to end their suffering

Dark Ages

There was a time in history when men were sent by their king to battle in foreign lands. Back then, the king had to go too, leading the way. The king had someone trained to tend to his wounds, so he was well taken care of. The warriors were not so lucky. On the battlefield, some begged to for someone else to end their suffering. Few survived to make it back home but if they were wounded, back home, they were on their own.

Society has changed a lot since those dark days. We have doctors deployed near units with helicopters rushing the wounded to aid. The survival rate is at an all time high but the amputation rate is also at an all time high. We want to think that the wounded are cared for physically and psychologically but too often we forget about the financial part of their lives. Who is supposed to pay their bills when they are too disabled to work? These men and women were paid by the government during their service. The same service that caused them to be wounded. They no longer have those paychecks to pay their bills and feed their families or even put gas in the car to get to their appointments at the VA. They are told they have to wait for their claim to be processed before they can be compensated. 756,000 of them are waiting for their claims to be approved right now.

Do we leave them in the Dark Ages when they beg someone to end their suffering or do we step up and make sure they do not regret for a second they survived after their service?

Our views: Not good enough (June 15)
Pentagon, VA must speed up sharing health care records

“It’s a bureaucratic quagmire,” says Bill Vagianos, president of the Brevard Veterans Council and district director for the Florida Veterans Foundation, which encompasses seven Central Florida counties that includes Brevard. “I’ve seen some improvement, but not a marked improvement.”

It’s a situation many veterans in Brevard County know well:

Long delays in getting health care and disability benefits because the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs are not sharing their medical records, the right hand not knowing what the left hand is doing.

Multiply that across the USA, and you’ve a got a red-tape nightmare as hundreds of thousands of veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are returning home seeking help many are not promptly receiving.

The problem received scandalous attention in 2007, when the Washington Post reported that hundreds of severely wounded soldiers and Marines were struggling to recuperate in slum-like conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center outside Washington.

Many had been released from hospital beds but still needed treatment — treatment that was not forthcoming because military and VA record sharing was a disaster, keeping them in limbo.

As a result, the total number of pending claims has skyrocketed from 448,000 last year to 756,000 today.

Some veterans find the stalling so infuriating they give up, falling through the cracks and not getting the help they need.

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Not good enough

Tie psych treatment to disability pay

This sounds like a great idea but don't you think they should have a program in place that actually works first? All of these programs and the rate of suicides has gone up kind of shows they still don't have their ammo against PTSD locked or loaded.

Marine: Tie psych treatment to disability pay
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 14, 2011 12:01:19 EDT
A Marine combat veteran who suffered a mental breakdown as a result of war-related trauma said he might have received earlier help if his disability pay had been contingent upon his getting treatment.

Daniel J. Hanson, 27, who said he spent his disability checks on “booze and strip clubs,” said he needed a push from the Veterans Affairs Department to get help that never came until he attempted suicide and ended up in a faith-based program called Minnesota Teen Challenge.

Testifying on Tuesday before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Hanson said he never asked for help in the Marine Corps, and VA’s help wasn’t enough. In the Marines, Hanson said the fact he was an administrative specialist surrounded by infantrymen made him reluctant to speak up. “In a battalion of 1,000 Marines, I didn’t think anyone wanted to hear my complaining,” he said.

At VA, he did receive some help but said the program “lacked any sort of discipline.”
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Tie psych treatment to disability pay