Staten Island Ferry crash injures 10
Story Highlights
Ferry loses power and hits a pier at full speed, Coast Guard says
1 person injured seriously, 9 others hurt
Accident happens at St. George Terminal on north shore of Staten Island
Impact did not send any passengers overboard, spokesman says
NEW YORK (CNN) -- A Staten Island Ferry lost power and hit a pier Wednesday at full speed, resulting in one serious injury and nine minor injuries, a Coast Guard spokesman said.
The New York Fire Department estimates that 750 to 800 passengers were aboard the Staten Island Ferry.
Coast Guard boats were on the scene, the St. George Terminal on the north shore of Staten Island.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/01/ferry.crash/index.html
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
DOD warns shakes in MRE may have salmonella
Salmonella concerns prompt dairy shakes warning
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 1, 2009 20:26:34 EDT
Don’t drink the dairy shakes. They might give you diarrhea.
Defense Department officials are warning all military personnel to temporarily avoid drinking dairy shakes found in Meals, Ready to Eat and Unitized Group Rations-Express because they might contain Salmonella.
“There is a remote chance that we might have some dairy shakes that could have some Salmonella,” Gerry Darsch, director of the DoD Combat Feeding Program, told Army Times on Wednesday.
That means that potentially there are about 12 million dairy shakes in MREs that could be affected, Darsch said.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/army_dairyshakes_070109w/
By Matthew Cox - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jul 1, 2009 20:26:34 EDT
Don’t drink the dairy shakes. They might give you diarrhea.
Defense Department officials are warning all military personnel to temporarily avoid drinking dairy shakes found in Meals, Ready to Eat and Unitized Group Rations-Express because they might contain Salmonella.
“There is a remote chance that we might have some dairy shakes that could have some Salmonella,” Gerry Darsch, director of the DoD Combat Feeding Program, told Army Times on Wednesday.
That means that potentially there are about 12 million dairy shakes in MREs that could be affected, Darsch said.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/army_dairyshakes_070109w/
Silver Rose medals awarded
Silver Rose medals awarded
Sierra Vista Herald - Sierra Vista,AZ,USA
Local Vietnam War vets were exposed to Agent Orange
By Dana Cole
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
SIERRA VISTA — During a special ceremony on Sunday, nine Vietnam War veterans were recognized for their contributions and service to this country.
The Order of the Silver Rose is a medal awarded to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange while serving in the Vietnam War.
In Sierra Vista’s first Silver Rose ceremony, presentations were made by Rose and Aaron Possien at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, where the victims of Agent Orange, in the presence of family members and friends, were honored. Three of the honorees were deceased; their medals were presented to a family member or close friend.
Aaron Possien is the Arizona state director for The Order of the Silver Rose, a nonprofit organization that not only honors the veterans who have been sickened or killed by Agent Orange, but strives to raise awareness about a wide range of cancers and other illnesses caused by exposure to the defoliant.
click link for more
Sierra Vista Herald - Sierra Vista,AZ,USA
Local Vietnam War vets were exposed to Agent Orange
By Dana Cole
Herald/Review
Published/Last Modified on Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
SIERRA VISTA — During a special ceremony on Sunday, nine Vietnam War veterans were recognized for their contributions and service to this country.
The Order of the Silver Rose is a medal awarded to veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange while serving in the Vietnam War.
In Sierra Vista’s first Silver Rose ceremony, presentations were made by Rose and Aaron Possien at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Hall, where the victims of Agent Orange, in the presence of family members and friends, were honored. Three of the honorees were deceased; their medals were presented to a family member or close friend.
Aaron Possien is the Arizona state director for The Order of the Silver Rose, a nonprofit organization that not only honors the veterans who have been sickened or killed by Agent Orange, but strives to raise awareness about a wide range of cancers and other illnesses caused by exposure to the defoliant.
click link for more
Suicide Warning Issued for Chantix and Zyban
These drugs work fine for some people. I've written before how they helped an elderly aunt and uncle quit successfully. The warning should be taken seriously for anyone with a mental health issue. Especially troubling right now is that the military has said they want to crack down on smoking. If they want to use these products, fine, but they better be prepared to make sure they are paying close attention to the troops that take them.
Suicide Warning Issued for 2 Anti-Smoking Drugs
By GARDINER HARRIS
Published: July 1, 2009
WASHINGTON — Federal drug regulators warned Wednesday that patients taking two popular stop-smoking drugs should be watched closely for signs of serious mental illness, as reported suicides among the drugs’ users mount.
But officials emphasized that patients should not be scared away from taking the smoking-cessation medicines, Chantix, made by Pfizer, and Zyban, made by GlaxoSmithKline.
“Stopping smoking is a goal we should all be working towards,” said Dr. Curt Rosebraugh, director of a drug evaluation office at the F.D.A. “We don’t want to scare people off from trying a medication that could help them achieve this goal. You should just be careful.”
The F.D.A. required Pfizer and Glaxo to place so-called black box warnings — the agency’s most serious caution — on the prescribing information for both drugs. Both companies will be required to conduct clinical trials to assess the mental health risks associated with the drugs’ uses.
go here for more
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/health/02drug.html?_r=1&hp
Iraq Veteran reaches plea agreement with OIA over bomb parts
Man accused of trying to smuggle bomb parts on OIA flight reaches plea agreement
Willoughby Mariano and Amy L. Edwards Sentinel Staff Writers
July 1, 2009
A man accused of trying to carry bomb parts onto a plane at Orlando International Airport last year will enter a plea to a misdemeanor after experts concluded he did not pose as serious a security threat as first thought.
Kevin Brown, 33, faces up to 12 months in prison on a charge of entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements but has already spent 14 months in jail awaiting trial. Originally, he was charged with attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, which carries a sentence of 20 years.
Brown, a troubled U.S. Army veteran from Jamaica who served in the Iraq war, was not a terrorist, his attorney Wayne Golding said.
go here for more
Man accused of trying to smuggle bomb parts on OIA flight reaches plea agreement
Willoughby Mariano and Amy L. Edwards Sentinel Staff Writers
July 1, 2009
A man accused of trying to carry bomb parts onto a plane at Orlando International Airport last year will enter a plea to a misdemeanor after experts concluded he did not pose as serious a security threat as first thought.
Kevin Brown, 33, faces up to 12 months in prison on a charge of entering an aircraft or airport area in violation of security requirements but has already spent 14 months in jail awaiting trial. Originally, he was charged with attempting to place an explosive or incendiary device on an aircraft, which carries a sentence of 20 years.
Brown, a troubled U.S. Army veteran from Jamaica who served in the Iraq war, was not a terrorist, his attorney Wayne Golding said.
go here for more
Man accused of trying to smuggle bomb parts on OIA flight reaches plea agreement
PTSD program answers need for comprehensive treatment
A couple of points that should be paid attention to here;
The first one that struck me is that they are paying attention to the fact nothing works for all of them the same way, so they have a variety of programs going on.
They are keeping the groups small, and this also helps them to feel connected instead of being lumped into such a large group, they would feel lost.
They are using EMDR and yoga, two of the latest programs being used.
To me, this is all good even though it's early on in this program. It seems they are doing everything right and should be seriously considered.
The first one that struck me is that they are paying attention to the fact nothing works for all of them the same way, so they have a variety of programs going on.
They are keeping the groups small, and this also helps them to feel connected instead of being lumped into such a large group, they would feel lost.
They are using EMDR and yoga, two of the latest programs being used.
To me, this is all good even though it's early on in this program. It seems they are doing everything right and should be seriously considered.
New PTSD program answers need for comprehensive treatment
by Capt. Bryan Lewis
Landstuhl Regional Medical Center Public Affairs
7/1/2009 - LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany (AFNS) -- Symptoms of combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder for wounded warriors include continual nightmares, avoidance behaviors, denial, grief, anger and fear.
Some servicemembers battling these and other symptoms, can be treated successfully as an outpatient while assuming their normal duties, but for others; however, returning to work and becoming their old selves again were challenges recognized by several mental health professionals across the European theater.
"We were looking at how we can best meet the needs of our clientele, and we were identifying that a lot of the Soldiers needed more than once a week outpatient, individual therapy and probably needed more than once or twice a week group therapy," said Joseph Pehm, the chief of Medical Social Work at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The solution came in the creation of an intensive eight-week therapeutic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Day Treatment Program called "evolution" that began in March 2009 at LRMC. During the eight-hour days, patients enrolled in the program participate in multiple disciplines and interests, including art therapy, yoga and meditation classes, substance abuse groups, anger and grief management, tobacco cessation, pain management and multiple PTSD evidence-based practice protocols.
"I am a great believer in the kitchen sink, meaning I throw everything, including the kitchen sink, and something will stick," said Dr. Daphne Brown, chief of the Division of Behavioral Health at LRMC. "And so we've come with all the evidence-based treatment for PTSD that we know about. We've taken everything that we can think of that will be of use in redirecting symptoms for these folks and put it into an eight-week program."
Doctor Brown, Mr. Pehm and Sharon Stewart, a Red Cross volunteer who holds a Ph.D. in psychology, said the program is designed from research into the effects of traumatic experience and mirrors successful PTSD programs at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Department of Veterans Affairs, as well as programs run by psychologists in the U.S.
"We are building on the groundbreaking work that some of our peers and colleagues have done and just expanding it out," Doctor Brown said.
go here for more
http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123156957
Wounded Warriors Return to Iraq
Wounded Warriors Return to Iraq
June 29, 2009
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (American Forces Press Service) – Six wounded soldiers, all amputees, returned here last week hoping to close the door on the combat that changed them forever.
The last time Sgt. Christopher A. Burrell was in Iraq, he was pulled from a burning vehicle in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood. A tourniquet applied by another soldier saved his life, but a nurse here at the Air Force Theater Hospital had to break the tragic news—his left leg was gone, taken by an explosively formed projectile.
Now, almost a year and a half later, and after months of rehabilitation and physical therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Burrell returned to Iraq with five other amputee combat veterans as part of Operation Proper Exit.
”I don’t remember much, but I remember my nurse,” Burrell said. ”Shelly. She was an angel, there to comfort me when I was in a difficult spot.“
Operation Proper Exit, a United Service Organizations pilot program sponsored by the Army and the Troops First Foundation, allows soldiers wounded in combat to return to Iraq. The goal of the program is to give the soldiers an opportunity for closure, and to see the progress made in securing and stabilizing the country, Burrell said.
”It kind of helps you heal mentally and emotionally, to close that chapter in your life so you can move on,” he said. ”The progress that’s been made—it shows that we made a sacrifice but it was for a reason.”
go here for more
http://www.army.com/news/item/5539
June 29, 2009
JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq (American Forces Press Service) – Six wounded soldiers, all amputees, returned here last week hoping to close the door on the combat that changed them forever.
The last time Sgt. Christopher A. Burrell was in Iraq, he was pulled from a burning vehicle in Baghdad’s Sadr City neighborhood. A tourniquet applied by another soldier saved his life, but a nurse here at the Air Force Theater Hospital had to break the tragic news—his left leg was gone, taken by an explosively formed projectile.
Now, almost a year and a half later, and after months of rehabilitation and physical therapy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., Burrell returned to Iraq with five other amputee combat veterans as part of Operation Proper Exit.
”I don’t remember much, but I remember my nurse,” Burrell said. ”Shelly. She was an angel, there to comfort me when I was in a difficult spot.“
Operation Proper Exit, a United Service Organizations pilot program sponsored by the Army and the Troops First Foundation, allows soldiers wounded in combat to return to Iraq. The goal of the program is to give the soldiers an opportunity for closure, and to see the progress made in securing and stabilizing the country, Burrell said.
”It kind of helps you heal mentally and emotionally, to close that chapter in your life so you can move on,” he said. ”The progress that’s been made—it shows that we made a sacrifice but it was for a reason.”
go here for more
http://www.army.com/news/item/5539
Star Wars Society steps up for Wounded Warriors of Ward 57
Star Wars society raises funds for wounded warriors at Walter Reed
by J.H. Freeman
Jun 30, 2009
J.H. Freeman/Medill
The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi graces the front of the Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society's medallion to raise money for patients in Walter Reed's Ward 57
WASHINGTON - Injured soldiers recuperating in Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Ward 57 are getting special assistance from a galaxy far, far away.
The Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society is selling a one-time run of 1,000 souvenir medallions inspired by the films, with proceeds going to Operation Ward 57—a group dedicated to raising money for DVD players and electronic gaming consoles, like Xbox and Playstation, for the wounded.
The 24-bed Ward 57, known as the “amputee ward,” is home to some of the most severely wounded soldiers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We decided as a group that we wanted to do some sort of fundraiser for Operation [Ward] 57,” said Bill Cable, president and founder of the 350-member Star Wars society.
go here for more
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=135331
by J.H. Freeman
Jun 30, 2009
J.H. Freeman/Medill
The Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi graces the front of the Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society's medallion to raise money for patients in Walter Reed's Ward 57
WASHINGTON - Injured soldiers recuperating in Walter Reed Army Medical Center’s Ward 57 are getting special assistance from a galaxy far, far away.
The Pennsylvania Star Wars Collecting Society is selling a one-time run of 1,000 souvenir medallions inspired by the films, with proceeds going to Operation Ward 57—a group dedicated to raising money for DVD players and electronic gaming consoles, like Xbox and Playstation, for the wounded.
The 24-bed Ward 57, known as the “amputee ward,” is home to some of the most severely wounded soldiers in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“We decided as a group that we wanted to do some sort of fundraiser for Operation [Ward] 57,” said Bill Cable, president and founder of the 350-member Star Wars society.
go here for more
http://news.medill.northwestern.edu/washington/news.aspx?id=135331
Child strangled by python in Florida
Child Strangled By Python
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 11:37:48 AM
OXFORD -- News 13 has just confirmed that a young child is dead after being strangled by a python.
go here for more
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/7/1/child_strangled_by_python.html
UPDATE
Child Suffocated By Python
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 4:15:58 PM
OXFORD -- News 13 has confirmed that a 2-year-old girl is dead after being suffocated by a python.
Shaiunna Hare died in her home in Oxford, just off of County Road 466, east of The Villages.
The snake was a 12-foot long albino Burmese python and was a pet of the family.
According to Lt. Joy Hill with Florida Fish and Wildlife, Charles Darnell, the boyfriend of the child's mother, Jaren Hare, put the python away in an aquarium and when he woke up around 9 a.m., he found the aquarium was empty. He ran to Shaiunna's bedroom and found the snake on top of the her.
click link for more
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 11:37:48 AM
OXFORD -- News 13 has just confirmed that a young child is dead after being strangled by a python.
go here for more
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/7/1/child_strangled_by_python.html
UPDATE
Child Suffocated By Python
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 4:15:58 PM
OXFORD -- News 13 has confirmed that a 2-year-old girl is dead after being suffocated by a python.
Shaiunna Hare died in her home in Oxford, just off of County Road 466, east of The Villages.
The snake was a 12-foot long albino Burmese python and was a pet of the family.
According to Lt. Joy Hill with Florida Fish and Wildlife, Charles Darnell, the boyfriend of the child's mother, Jaren Hare, put the python away in an aquarium and when he woke up around 9 a.m., he found the aquarium was empty. He ran to Shaiunna's bedroom and found the snake on top of the her.
click link for more
Another Medal of Honor Stolen Valor Case? Maybe not
Amster says he never knew what was on his discharge papers until he wanted to get a loan and needed it. This could be just a mistake, considering during the Vietnam War, there were many errors on records. Wrong social security numbers were typed all the time and while corrections were attempted to be made, most of them never ended up being fixed all the way through on every record in every file. The question here is, did Amster ever claim having the Medal of Honor to anyone for his own advantage? Seems really odd that it would take him until 2005 to come up with a story like this.
Man In Hot Water Over Medal Of Honor Dispute
Wednesday, July 01, 2009 8:13:07 AM
Reported By Greg Pallone
PALM BAY -- A veteran could get a year in jail and pay up to a $100,000 fine if convicted on charges of claiming to be a Congressional Medal of Honor winner.
Last week in Tampa federal court, Gary Amster, 62, was arraigned on charges he misrepresented himself as a recipient as early as September 2007 through April 2008.
The recipient of a Purple Heart, Amster served two years as an Army radio operator in Vietnam, and was hit by shrapnel and had a kidney removed after his unit was ambushed in December 1967 after pulling the four other wounded men to safety.
go here for more
Man In Hot Water Over Medal Of Honor Dispute
Additional Information
Florida Has A Share Of Medal Recipients
Medal Of Honor, A Badge Of Courage
Military Medals For Heroism
A family's sacrifice: Three brothers sent to war
A family's sacrifice: Three brothers sent to war
By Thom Patterson
CNN
Story Highlights
It's unusual: Three brothers serve in same Georgia National Guard company
Another three brothers from Washington state also serve in Afghan war
Two mothers open up about the stress of having three sons in harm's way
Nevada Army National Guard unit has nine sets of brothers serving in Afghanistan
Huddling in a parking lot outside a motel near Camp Shelby, Mississippi, the Callaway family members hold on to what they value most: their faith and each other. Mark and Karmen Callaway clutched their three soldier sons before sending them off to Afghanistan. "I know that people lose their children every day," said Karmen Callaway. "A fear that I have is that something will happen to all three of them." full story
By Thom Patterson
CNN
Story Highlights
It's unusual: Three brothers serve in same Georgia National Guard company
Another three brothers from Washington state also serve in Afghan war
Two mothers open up about the stress of having three sons in harm's way
Nevada Army National Guard unit has nine sets of brothers serving in Afghanistan
Huddling in a parking lot outside a motel near Camp Shelby, Mississippi, the Callaway family members hold on to what they value most: their faith and each other. Mark and Karmen Callaway clutched their three soldier sons before sending them off to Afghanistan. "I know that people lose their children every day," said Karmen Callaway. "A fear that I have is that something will happen to all three of them." full story
Chaplain Vakoc fell at care center before death
Chaplain fell at care center before death
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 1, 2009 9:17:30 EDT
MINNEAPOLIS — A medical examiner's report says the military chaplain gravely wounded in Iraq five years ago suffered head injuries in a fall at his nursing home just before his death.
The Hennepin County medical examiner's report lists the cause of Rev. Tim Vakoc's death as blunt-force head injuries related to a fall.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_chaplain_fall_070109/
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 1, 2009 9:17:30 EDT
MINNEAPOLIS — A medical examiner's report says the military chaplain gravely wounded in Iraq five years ago suffered head injuries in a fall at his nursing home just before his death.
The Hennepin County medical examiner's report lists the cause of Rev. Tim Vakoc's death as blunt-force head injuries related to a fall.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/07/ap_chaplain_fall_070109/
Soldiers return from the frontlines to face war with VA
Soldiers return from the frontlines to face war with VA
By Sheldon Traver
from WillametteLive, Section News
Posted on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 08:45:07 PM PDT
This year marks a milestone for the Oregon Army National Guard.
More than 3,000 soldiers have already left or are preparing for deployment to Iraq in 2009. It will be the largest deployment for the Oregon Army National Guard since World War II.
However, questions have recently been raised about the care veterans receive upon their return from war. Some Oregon weekend warriors are finding a Department of Veterans Affairs that is unwilling or unable to care for the long-term physical and mental disabilities they are now facing.
With little outside help, some have given up the fight and others continue to struggle for the benefits they say they deserve.
The Veterans Affairs office in Portland disputes these claims, saying it is doing more for veterans now than any time in the past, and points to increased services and a new processing facility in Hillsboro that has prepared the federal agency to aid all returning veterans.
Todd Marcus
In November 2006, then-23-year-old Army specialist Todd Marcus was on patrol in a small Afghan village outside of Kabul.
He carried his M-16 barrel down with his finger just inside the trigger housing. He sweltered under more than 50 pounds of combat gear, including body armor and a Kevlar helmet. Beads of perspiration trickled down to the palms of his gloved hands. Even with the fingertips cut off, the salty runoff made the cuts in his hands sting and itch.
Approximately 100 meters to his left, Marcus saw an Afghan police officer walking a few meters behind another police officer in patrol formation. The officer looked nervous as he scanned the rooftops, looking for those who might intend to kill him. Each little boy, each expectant mother could have been a suicide bomber, paid or extorted by insurgents to end their lives in a desperate bid to feed their families.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light filled Marcus’ peripheral vision, followed by a percussion of hot wind that knocked him aside. His sunglasses flew off and the smell of cordite wafted through the air with a cloud of concrete and dust. He looked toward the ground where the blast originated. The Afghan police officer that was walking just yards from him lay in a pool of blood along with two other officers. An improvised explosive device planted inside the corner of a bullet-riddled concrete home had taken their lives.
Once the carnage and chaos was over, all Marcus could do was cry.
go here for more
Soldiers return from the frontlines to face war with VA
By Sheldon Traver
from WillametteLive, Section News
Posted on Tue Jun 30, 2009 at 08:45:07 PM PDT
This year marks a milestone for the Oregon Army National Guard.
More than 3,000 soldiers have already left or are preparing for deployment to Iraq in 2009. It will be the largest deployment for the Oregon Army National Guard since World War II.
However, questions have recently been raised about the care veterans receive upon their return from war. Some Oregon weekend warriors are finding a Department of Veterans Affairs that is unwilling or unable to care for the long-term physical and mental disabilities they are now facing.
With little outside help, some have given up the fight and others continue to struggle for the benefits they say they deserve.
The Veterans Affairs office in Portland disputes these claims, saying it is doing more for veterans now than any time in the past, and points to increased services and a new processing facility in Hillsboro that has prepared the federal agency to aid all returning veterans.
Todd Marcus
In November 2006, then-23-year-old Army specialist Todd Marcus was on patrol in a small Afghan village outside of Kabul.
He carried his M-16 barrel down with his finger just inside the trigger housing. He sweltered under more than 50 pounds of combat gear, including body armor and a Kevlar helmet. Beads of perspiration trickled down to the palms of his gloved hands. Even with the fingertips cut off, the salty runoff made the cuts in his hands sting and itch.
Approximately 100 meters to his left, Marcus saw an Afghan police officer walking a few meters behind another police officer in patrol formation. The officer looked nervous as he scanned the rooftops, looking for those who might intend to kill him. Each little boy, each expectant mother could have been a suicide bomber, paid or extorted by insurgents to end their lives in a desperate bid to feed their families.
Suddenly, a bright flash of light filled Marcus’ peripheral vision, followed by a percussion of hot wind that knocked him aside. His sunglasses flew off and the smell of cordite wafted through the air with a cloud of concrete and dust. He looked toward the ground where the blast originated. The Afghan police officer that was walking just yards from him lay in a pool of blood along with two other officers. An improvised explosive device planted inside the corner of a bullet-riddled concrete home had taken their lives.
Once the carnage and chaos was over, all Marcus could do was cry.
go here for more
Soldiers return from the frontlines to face war with VA
American Legion taking Courage Carries On national
The good news is that the American Legion along with other service groups are stepping up. The bad news is that they have to. Most of what we are seeing today could have been prevented had anyone in charge been paying attention and planning for it. All of this was predicable. It didn't take some kind of clairvoyant to see it coming. All it would have taken was open eyes and caring hearts.
Now you can see what we knew and when we knew it. By 1978 the DAV had already set up Veterans Centers to focus on helping the veterans of Vietnam. In the process, they ended up helping all other generations because Vietnam veterans pushed for PTSD to be treated instead of ignored.
We knew the numbers. We knew what it did to the veterans with suicides, homelessness, incarcerations and families falling apart. We knew about self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. We knew about the long list of symptoms. Above all, we knew the men and women in the military were all still just humans facing the traumas of combat. The studies were all done in the 80's and 90's. We knew the earlier treatment began after trauma, the better the recovery because PTSD gets worse without intervention.
We also understood the need to respond to traumatic events right here at home. Read any traumatic event from natural disasters to crimes and then read how crews of mental health providers were being brought in. That came because of what we understood about humans after combat. Read about how police officers go to see someone after a shooting and again, know this came about because of the veterans of Vietnam. What you won't read is how the military has taken any of this seriously enough so that they do the same in times of war.
Could you imagine most of what we see today being just a fraction of what it is? It would have been if there were enough mental health workers and Chaplains deployed with the troops. It would have been if the military didn't come out with what could have been great programs but ended up doing more harm than good by telling the troops they could toughen their minds to prevent PTSD. The military has been really great at coming up with ways to kill but totally dysfunctional when it comes to saving lives. They wouldn't even listen to their own studies about redeployments and the increased risk of PTSD. They didn't listen to their own studies about improper dwell time between deployments either.
Well, the American Legion should be applauded with this effort because this is going to take as many people as possible to save the lives of the veterans. Using the figures from Vietnam with the studies on redeployments, it's easy to know we are looking at least a million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan needing to heal from PTSD. All of this coming at the same time the older veterans are finally figuring out what has been the root of their problems all along. Not a good scenario at all.
Now you can see what we knew and when we knew it. By 1978 the DAV had already set up Veterans Centers to focus on helping the veterans of Vietnam. In the process, they ended up helping all other generations because Vietnam veterans pushed for PTSD to be treated instead of ignored.
We knew the numbers. We knew what it did to the veterans with suicides, homelessness, incarcerations and families falling apart. We knew about self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. We knew about the long list of symptoms. Above all, we knew the men and women in the military were all still just humans facing the traumas of combat. The studies were all done in the 80's and 90's. We knew the earlier treatment began after trauma, the better the recovery because PTSD gets worse without intervention.
We also understood the need to respond to traumatic events right here at home. Read any traumatic event from natural disasters to crimes and then read how crews of mental health providers were being brought in. That came because of what we understood about humans after combat. Read about how police officers go to see someone after a shooting and again, know this came about because of the veterans of Vietnam. What you won't read is how the military has taken any of this seriously enough so that they do the same in times of war.
Could you imagine most of what we see today being just a fraction of what it is? It would have been if there were enough mental health workers and Chaplains deployed with the troops. It would have been if the military didn't come out with what could have been great programs but ended up doing more harm than good by telling the troops they could toughen their minds to prevent PTSD. The military has been really great at coming up with ways to kill but totally dysfunctional when it comes to saving lives. They wouldn't even listen to their own studies about redeployments and the increased risk of PTSD. They didn't listen to their own studies about improper dwell time between deployments either.
Well, the American Legion should be applauded with this effort because this is going to take as many people as possible to save the lives of the veterans. Using the figures from Vietnam with the studies on redeployments, it's easy to know we are looking at least a million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan needing to heal from PTSD. All of this coming at the same time the older veterans are finally figuring out what has been the root of their problems all along. Not a good scenario at all.
North Dakota American Legion’s PTSD ad campaign to grow
Jim Deremo was tired of the calls. The department services officer for North Dakota American Legion heard too often from family of clients who attempted suicide.
By: Dave Roepke, INFORUM
Jim Deremo was tired of the calls.
The department services officer for North Dakota American Legion heard too often from family of clients who attempted suicide.
“It just really bothered me, tugged at my heart,” Deremo said.
So he started an American Legion campaign to encourage veterans to seek help for post-traumatic stress disorder. The media blitz featuring images of actual veterans, called “Courage Carries On,” kicked off this winter.
On Tuesday the Legion announced it will expand the campaign nationwide, offering it to every Legion organization in the U.S.
Carroll Quam, past state commander of the North Dakota American Legion, said heads of other state Legion groups have told him they’d like to pick up “Courage Carries On.”
click link for more
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
FDA advisers vote to take Vicodin, Percocet off market
FDA advisers vote to take Vicodin, Percocet off market
Story Highlights
NEW: Panel votes to kill prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen, narcotics
Panel advises lower maximum doses of nonprescription acetaminophen drugs
Those drugs include Tylenol, NyQuil, Pamprin and Allerest
CDC estimates acetaminophen was the likely cause of most acute liver failures
(CNN) -- A government advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend eliminating prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics -- such as Vicodin and Percocet -- because of their risk for overdose and for severe liver injury.
Acetaminophen, found in drugs such as Tylenol, is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States.
The panel, assembled by the Food and Drug Administration, voted 20 to 17 to advise the FDA to remove such prescription combination drugs from the market.
The group recommended that the FDA "send a clear message that there's a high likelihood of overdose from prescription narcotics and acetaminophen products," Dr. Sandra L. Kweder of the FDA's Office of New Drugs said at a news conference after Tuesday's meeting.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/30/acetaminophen.fda.hearing/index.html
Story Highlights
NEW: Panel votes to kill prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen, narcotics
Panel advises lower maximum doses of nonprescription acetaminophen drugs
Those drugs include Tylenol, NyQuil, Pamprin and Allerest
CDC estimates acetaminophen was the likely cause of most acute liver failures
(CNN) -- A government advisory panel voted Tuesday to recommend eliminating prescription drugs that combine acetaminophen with narcotics -- such as Vicodin and Percocet -- because of their risk for overdose and for severe liver injury.
Acetaminophen, found in drugs such as Tylenol, is one of the most commonly used drugs in the United States.
The panel, assembled by the Food and Drug Administration, voted 20 to 17 to advise the FDA to remove such prescription combination drugs from the market.
The group recommended that the FDA "send a clear message that there's a high likelihood of overdose from prescription narcotics and acetaminophen products," Dr. Sandra L. Kweder of the FDA's Office of New Drugs said at a news conference after Tuesday's meeting.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/06/30/acetaminophen.fda.hearing/index.html
VA obstacles get in the way of homeless veterans
VA objections slow help for homeless vets
By Sean Rose
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
06/30/2009
WASHINGTON — A wing on the fourth floor of the St. Louis Queen of Peace Center for addiction treatment had been renovated, and rooms were ready for five homeless female veterans.
But Connie Neumann, the center's CEO, ran into an unlikely obstacle earlier this year: the Department of Veterans Affairs, which demanded more renovations before funding the project. Neumann, unable to afford what the government wanted, backed out.
"I don't pull out of things, but this was over the top," Neumann said. "It was not in the best interest of my business here to do that. There's too many other homeless people who need housing."
Her complaints are not uncommon among nonprofit groups that see the oversight that comes with VA funding as a hindrance to helping homeless veterans. Veterans Affairs relies on nonprofit groups and faith-based organizations for much of its groundwork, but some are being driven away from seeking funding, organizers say.
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VA objections slow help for homeless vets
By Sean Rose
POST-DISPATCH WASHINGTON BUREAU
06/30/2009
WASHINGTON — A wing on the fourth floor of the St. Louis Queen of Peace Center for addiction treatment had been renovated, and rooms were ready for five homeless female veterans.
But Connie Neumann, the center's CEO, ran into an unlikely obstacle earlier this year: the Department of Veterans Affairs, which demanded more renovations before funding the project. Neumann, unable to afford what the government wanted, backed out.
"I don't pull out of things, but this was over the top," Neumann said. "It was not in the best interest of my business here to do that. There's too many other homeless people who need housing."
Her complaints are not uncommon among nonprofit groups that see the oversight that comes with VA funding as a hindrance to helping homeless veterans. Veterans Affairs relies on nonprofit groups and faith-based organizations for much of its groundwork, but some are being driven away from seeking funding, organizers say.
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VA objections slow help for homeless vets
Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears
Anti-Anxiety Drugs Raise New Fears
By Katie Balestra
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Stan Starr, a 54-year-old financial consultant, sat in the back of the room filled with blue chairs, quietly tapping his Converse sneakers on the carpet. The 12 steps to recovery, enshrined by Alcoholics Anonymous, were printed in large black letters on a wall. But Starr was there because of a different drug -- a class of prescription medication called benzodiazepines.
Five years ago, he couldn't sleep at night, his heart raced, he had wrenching stomach pains and felt as if his skin were crawling off his bones. He was in the midst of a 2 1/2 -year battle to withdraw from the drug Klonopin, which his psychiatrist had prescribed to him for anxiety. "I went through sheer living hell," he said. "I didn't know if I was going to make it."
Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling withdrawal.
By Katie Balestra
Special to The Washington Post
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Stan Starr, a 54-year-old financial consultant, sat in the back of the room filled with blue chairs, quietly tapping his Converse sneakers on the carpet. The 12 steps to recovery, enshrined by Alcoholics Anonymous, were printed in large black letters on a wall. But Starr was there because of a different drug -- a class of prescription medication called benzodiazepines.
Five years ago, he couldn't sleep at night, his heart raced, he had wrenching stomach pains and felt as if his skin were crawling off his bones. He was in the midst of a 2 1/2 -year battle to withdraw from the drug Klonopin, which his psychiatrist had prescribed to him for anxiety. "I went through sheer living hell," he said. "I didn't know if I was going to make it."
Benzodiazepines, often prescribed to manage anxiety, panic and sleep disorders, include Xanax, Ativan, Valium and Klonopin. Originally pushed as an alternative to barbiturates, their use has grown rapidly in the past 30 years. But critics say their long-term effects have gone largely unaddressed. Health professionals and consumers are increasingly recognizing that taking the drugs for more than a few weeks can lead to physical dependence, often ending with a grueling withdrawal.
The ordeal of withdrawing from benzodiazepines can rival that of kicking a heroin habit, according to some who have had success. Abrupt withdrawal can result in hallucinations, seizures and even death, experts say.
Last year, after jail officials in Cleveland denied R and B singer Sean Levert's repeated requests for his Xanax, he hallucinated for hours and ultimately died from the effects of withdrawal, according to the coroner's report cited in court records. His widow sued the corrections center and medical staff. The suit is pending.
Some seeking to withdraw from the drugs have turned to online support groups. Debra Standiford, a nurse who leads a benzodiazepine support site on the Yahoo Web site, said membership has grown to 3,800 people from 200 in 2000, gaining two to three members each day.go here for more
Students shot at bus stop in Detroit
Seven people hurt in Detroit bus stop shooting
Story Highlights
At least five of the victims are students
Police say gunmen asked for specific person
Two victims are in critical condition
Gunmen covered their faces; no one in custody, police say
(CNN) -- Seven people, at least five of them high-school students, were shot Tuesday at a bus stop in Detroit, Michigan, officials said.
Tuesday's shooting occurred off school property, a Detroit Public Schools spokesman said.
Two of the victims were in critical condition; the others were in serious condition at area hospitals, Police Chief Roderick Grimes said.
"Two perpetrators, possibly three, pulled up in a vehicle, exited their vehicle with weapons, asked for a person by name and then opened fire onto the crowd," he said.
go here for more
Seven people hurt in Detroit bus stop shooting
Story Highlights
At least five of the victims are students
Police say gunmen asked for specific person
Two victims are in critical condition
Gunmen covered their faces; no one in custody, police say
(CNN) -- Seven people, at least five of them high-school students, were shot Tuesday at a bus stop in Detroit, Michigan, officials said.
Tuesday's shooting occurred off school property, a Detroit Public Schools spokesman said.
Two of the victims were in critical condition; the others were in serious condition at area hospitals, Police Chief Roderick Grimes said.
"Two perpetrators, possibly three, pulled up in a vehicle, exited their vehicle with weapons, asked for a person by name and then opened fire onto the crowd," he said.
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Seven people hurt in Detroit bus stop shooting
Lung disease of soldier linked to burn pits
Lung disease of soldier linked to burn pits
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 30, 2009 17:09:31 EDT
Even as military health officials continue to say there are “no known long-term health effects” caused by open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, a team of Army doctors says a soldier’s cystic lung disease is “related to the burn pits in Iraq.”
A second set of doctors, trying to determine why 56 soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division came back from Iraq short of breath, found each had bronchiolitis that could be diagnosed only with a biopsy.
That disease normally comes with organ transplantation, infection, rheumatoid arthritis or toxic fume inhalation. Because there was no scarring on the soldiers’ lungs, doctors decided it must have been toxic inhalation and added a fifth cause of bronchiolitis to their list: “Iraq.”
Since Military Times began reporting in October about burn pits in the war zones, 400 troops have contacted Disabled American Veterans to say they have breathing problems or cancers they believe came after exposure to the burn pits.
Many say they have been diagnosed with “asthma-like” or “allergy-like” symptoms when they’ve complained of shortness of breath, but their doctors can’t come up with an exact diagnosis.
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Lung disease of soldier linked to burn pits
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 30, 2009 17:09:31 EDT
Even as military health officials continue to say there are “no known long-term health effects” caused by open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan, a team of Army doctors says a soldier’s cystic lung disease is “related to the burn pits in Iraq.”
A second set of doctors, trying to determine why 56 soldiers in the 101st Airborne Division came back from Iraq short of breath, found each had bronchiolitis that could be diagnosed only with a biopsy.
That disease normally comes with organ transplantation, infection, rheumatoid arthritis or toxic fume inhalation. Because there was no scarring on the soldiers’ lungs, doctors decided it must have been toxic inhalation and added a fifth cause of bronchiolitis to their list: “Iraq.”
Since Military Times began reporting in October about burn pits in the war zones, 400 troops have contacted Disabled American Veterans to say they have breathing problems or cancers they believe came after exposure to the burn pits.
Many say they have been diagnosed with “asthma-like” or “allergy-like” symptoms when they’ve complained of shortness of breath, but their doctors can’t come up with an exact diagnosis.
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Lung disease of soldier linked to burn pits
Hallelujah! Someone in congress is finally listening!
While I seriously doubt Rep. G.K. Butterfield has any clue what I've been saying all this time, it appears that at least someone is finally listening to the veterans and what this backlog of claims is doing to them. They have been suffering because no one in the government got ready for any of them when they sent them into Afghanistan and Iraq.
There are over 32 posts on the backlog of claims. This is one of them and Linda Blimes should have been listened to all along.
Bill: Have VA pay old claims automatically
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 30, 2009 11:25:16 EDT
A North Carolina lawmaker proposes tackling the backlog of veterans’ disability claims by awarding benefits to veterans after 18 months if their claim hasn’t been processed.
Veterans Affairs Department officials have told Congress they are, on average, processing disability compensation claims within 162 days and have a goal of cutting the average to 120 days. But Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-N.C., is one of many lawmakers who think there is a limit to how patient veterans could be in waiting for money they are due.
“Backlogs are at the point where veterans must wait an average of six months for a decision on benefits claims and some veterans are waiting as long as four years,” Butterfield said in a statement. “Veterans deserve better than this.”
Butterfield introduced a bill on Friday, HR 3087, that would automatically approve a veteran’s claim if no decision is made by the VA within 18 months. The bill doesn’t say exactly how the VA would do this, but creates a task force to monitor VA to make sure the 18-month deadline isn’t met with an arbitrary denial just before the claim must be paid.
The bill comes as the number of unprocessed veterans claims exceeds 915,000 — a 100,000 jump since the beginning of the year. In testimony two weeks ago before a House committee, VA officials said the current 162 days is 17 days less than one year ago, a sign that they are beginning to make process.
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Bill: Have VA pay old claims automatically
There are over 32 posts on the backlog of claims. This is one of them and Linda Blimes should have been listened to all along.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas
No I don't have ESP and I did not go to Harvard. I just pay attention and read about people like Linda Blimes thinking it would be a great idea to take care of the veterans by pushing their claims thru. Ironic as it is this showed up today on Army Times, but hey, anyone paying attention feels the same way.
Potential VA benefits chief has new ideas/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Feb 2, 2009 17:36:26 EST
A Harvard University researcher with some radical ideas about how to reduce the backlog of veterans disability claims appears to be in line to head the Veterans Benefits Administration. Linda Blimes, a public policy lecturer and research at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, wants the Department of Veterans Affairs to operate like the Internal Revenue Service — on an honor system that trusts veterans claiming service-connected disabilities.
All veterans claims would be approved as soon as they are filed, with a random audit conducted to “weed out and deter fraudulent claims,” Blimes told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee in testimony in 2008.Ninety percent of veterans disability claims end up being paid after they make it through the system, she said — proof, she said, that most veterans are asking only for what they deserve.Immediate payment of at least a minimum benefit would help to reduce the average 180-day waiting time for initial benefits claims to be processed and allow VA to redeploy the employees processing those claims to work on more complicated appeals, she said.
Blimes also has talked of a vastly simplified disability rating system that would have just four ratings instead of the current 10 for service-connected disabilities and illnesses.Blimes has not been formally announced as a nominee, but her name is being circulated among lawmakers and congressional staff in what has become a standard procedure to determine whether there is any strong opposition to her taking the key post.Her idea of a streamlined claims process has some prominent supporters, among them Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., the House Veterans Affairs Committee chairman who has talked of automatic claims approval as a way to quickly eliminate the claims backlog.
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