Updated PTSD program means better care for vets
For Johnnie Larmore, a veteran of three combat tours in Vietnam, living with post-traumatic stress means bursts of anger followed by wells of depression.
ADAM ASHTON
STAFF WRITER
The News Tribune
Published: July 15, 2012
For Johnnie Larmore, a veteran of three combat tours in Vietnam, living with post-traumatic stress means bursts of anger followed by wells of depression.
Last week, the Port Angeles man left a recently expanded treatment program at VA Puget Sound American Lake Division in Lakewood. He calls it “the best staff and the best facility” he’s seen in his 41 years seeking help coping with Army combat-related PTSD.
Larmore, 62, spent five weeks in the Mental Health Residential Rehabilitation Program, which now has 64 beds for veterans who need close care but not enough that they’re committed to a round-the-clock in-patient hospital.
It’s a well-established program at American Lake, but it has a new polish with a recently completed $7.3 million renovation.
It also added four beds for veterans diagnosed with PTSD, bringing the total to 20. Twenty-four beds are reserved for veterans with substance-abuse problems; 20 others are for homeless veterans who want to rejoin the workforce.
There’s a several-week waiting list for all the beds.
read more here
Monday, July 16, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Lives of Fort Bragg battalion commander Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale, soldier Ricky Elder
Lives of Fort Bragg battalion commander Lt. Col. Roy Tisdale, soldier Ricky Elder followed vastly different paths before ending together in tragedy
By Greg Barnes and Drew Brooks
Staff writers
Fayobserver.com
Jul 15, 2012
By age 12, Roy Tisdale was helping tend livestock on his family's ranch, demonstrating the character that would one day propel him to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army.
At that same age, Ricky Elder was being charged with felony burglary, the first in a series of juvenile crimes before Elder graduated from high school in 2004 and joined the Army almost immediately afterward.
Six years later, Elder and Tisdale deployed together to Afghanistan with the 525th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
Little is publicly known about the relationship Elder and his commander shared in Afghanistan, other than that they knew each other. What is known is that after the brigade's return from Afghanistan in July of last year, Elder was charged with stealing a $1,700 tool kit from a motor pool. He was facing court-martial and dishonorable discharge from the Army if convicted.
But that doesn't explain his actions on the blistering hot afternoon of June 28. On that day, on a field in a historic district of Fort Bragg, Elder repeatedly shot the 42-year-old Tisdale during a safety briefing before the July 4 holiday weekend. Elder, who was 27, then took his own life, leaving the families and friends of both soldiers asking the same question:
Why?
By Greg Barnes and Drew Brooks
Staff writers
Fayobserver.com
Jul 15, 2012
Photo by Dave McDermandof The Bryan-College Station Eagle
Jana Bowman is among hundreds who turned out for a ceremony honoring Lt. Col. Roy Lin Tisdale in Bryan, Texas.
By age 12, Roy Tisdale was helping tend livestock on his family's ranch, demonstrating the character that would one day propel him to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the Army.
At that same age, Ricky Elder was being charged with felony burglary, the first in a series of juvenile crimes before Elder graduated from high school in 2004 and joined the Army almost immediately afterward.
Six years later, Elder and Tisdale deployed together to Afghanistan with the 525th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade.
Little is publicly known about the relationship Elder and his commander shared in Afghanistan, other than that they knew each other. What is known is that after the brigade's return from Afghanistan in July of last year, Elder was charged with stealing a $1,700 tool kit from a motor pool. He was facing court-martial and dishonorable discharge from the Army if convicted.
But that doesn't explain his actions on the blistering hot afternoon of June 28. On that day, on a field in a historic district of Fort Bragg, Elder repeatedly shot the 42-year-old Tisdale during a safety briefing before the July 4 holiday weekend. Elder, who was 27, then took his own life, leaving the families and friends of both soldiers asking the same question:
Why?
A week after his death, the funeral procession carrying Tisdale's body wound its way from Central Baptist Church in Bryan, Texas, to the Aggie Field of Honor on the far side of College Station, the home of Texas A and M.
Along the way, dozens of college students lined the grassy shoulders, waving flags. A group of construction workers stopped working on a new post office to line up and pay their respects, their helmets covering their hearts.
The funeral for Ricky Elder stands in stark contrast to the one for Tisdale. No large crowd, no mourners lining the streets; only a few members of the Patriot Guard Riders standing at the ready in case of trouble.red more here
But judging from social network sites, Elder had a lot of friends who loved him.
One, a former soldier who asked not to be named because his brother is in the Army, said Elder was great with his children.
The friend said he and Elder once volunteered together at an elementary school on Fort Benning, Ga., tutoring children in math and reading. They also earned their expert infantryman badges together.
Friends said Elder was proud of his Army commendations, especially the Ranger tab. Last year, only 42 percent of soldiers who enrolled in Ranger School successfully completed the course.
"I think he was a good guy, overall. I think he just made a bad choice," the friend said.
White House silent on pulling Limbaugh from AFN
White House silent on pulling Limbaugh from AFN
By Rick Maze
Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 10, 2012
Three months after more than 28,000 people signed a White House petition to have conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh removed from the military’s overseas radio network, the White House has not provided a promised response.
“Each petition that crosses the threshold of 25,000 signatures will be reviewed by the appropriate policy staff and receive a response,” said a White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
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By Rick Maze
Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 10, 2012
Three months after more than 28,000 people signed a White House petition to have conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh removed from the military’s overseas radio network, the White House has not provided a promised response.
“Each petition that crosses the threshold of 25,000 signatures will be reviewed by the appropriate policy staff and receive a response,” said a White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
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VA on target to stay the same makes news?
It is very puzzling when I read something like this. It all sounds great in the beginning, especially when you read the headline used but when you read the part that is at the bottom of this post, it tells a different story.
So if they did a million claims over the past two years and is on target to do the same for 2012, doesn't that mean nothing has changed?
VA report: New training model yields faster, more accurate claims processing
SATURDAY, 14 JULY 2012
EDITOR
WASHINGTON, DC – A report released July 10 by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reveals that new training initiatives for VA employees who process and evaluate veterans’ disability claims are yielding faster, more accurate decisions for veterans.
“Our training and technology skills programs are now delivering the knowledge and expertise our employees need to succeed in a 21st Century workplace,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We have improved and are expanding training practices to better equip our staff to handle today’s difficult cases.”
In the face of dramatically increasing workloads, VA is vigorously pursuing new and better ways to train its employees in the complex regulations governing VA’s disability compensation program.
Designers of the revamped “Challenge” training model for new decision-makers overhauled the previous curriculum and more than doubled classroom instruction time to eight weeks. Extensive supervised and hands-on learning was added to enable employees to rapidly achieve critical skills and competencies.
Students of the new model completed 150 percent more claims per day, with a 30 percent increase in accuracy, when compared to student performance under the previous program.
To date, more than 1,300 employees have taken the training, which is now in place for all newly appointed or reassigned employees who handle disability claims.
VA has completed a record-breaking 1 million claims per year the last two fiscal years, and is on target to complete another 1 million claims in FY2012.
read more here
So if they did a million claims over the past two years and is on target to do the same for 2012, doesn't that mean nothing has changed?
Scranton's Public Workers Now Paid Minimum Wage
WARNING OFF TOPIC RANT
What is with the politicians in this country when something like this keeps happening? It isn't just the huge pay cut these people face after putting their lives on the line everyday. Do politicians take a pay cut? Do they have to face losing benefits? After all if you listen to the politicians on TV everyday whining about the "deficit" you'd think they'd want everyone to do their part. Wouldn't you? They complain about the unemployment rate but never seem to talk about all the firefighters and cops losing their jobs or facing pay cuts that place them in the poverty level. All politicians do to earn their pay is talk and show up part time for meetings. Enough is enough. If they want to fight for the rich to keep their tax welfare, then let them pay for it out of their own PAY CHECKS!
What is with the politicians in this country when something like this keeps happening? It isn't just the huge pay cut these people face after putting their lives on the line everyday. Do politicians take a pay cut? Do they have to face losing benefits? After all if you listen to the politicians on TV everyday whining about the "deficit" you'd think they'd want everyone to do their part. Wouldn't you? They complain about the unemployment rate but never seem to talk about all the firefighters and cops losing their jobs or facing pay cuts that place them in the poverty level. All politicians do to earn their pay is talk and show up part time for meetings. Enough is enough. If they want to fight for the rich to keep their tax welfare, then let them pay for it out of their own PAY CHECKS!
Scranton's Public Workers Now Paid Minimum Wage
by JEFF BRADY
July 7, 2012
The city of Scranton, Pa., sent out paychecks to its employees Friday, like it does every two weeks. But this time the checks were much smaller than usual. Mayor Chris Doherty has reduced everyone's pay — including his own — to the state's minimum wage: $7.25 an hour.
Doherty says his city has run out of money.
Scranton has had financial troubles for a couple of decades — the town has been losing population since the end of World War II. But the budget problems became more serious in recent months as the mayor and the city council fought over how to balance the budget.
Doherty wants to raise taxes to fill a $16.8-million gap. The city council wants to take a different approach and borrow money. City council members did not respond to NPR's requests to discuss the dispute.
"I'm trying to do the best I can with the limited amount of funds that I have," Doherty says, "I want the employees to get paid. Our people work hard — our police and fire — I just don't have enough money and I can't print it in the basement."
After paying workers Friday, the city had only about $5,000 left in the bank. More money flowed into city accounts that day, but it was still not enough to pay the $1 million the city still owes to its nearly 400 employees.
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