PTSD Veterans Change Again With Service Dogs

Veteran: 'Just because we made it home…this fight's not over.'
WUSA
Andrea McCarren
September 26, 2017

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) - A major development played out on Capitol Hill for proponents of a bill helping veterans with PTSD get free service dogs starting next year.

"When I got Axel in 2012, I was on 32 different medications," said Capt. Haag. "Twelve of them were narcotics. I was severely addicted. I was abusing them. I was also drinking heavily."

Today, he has only needed two medications and neither is a narcotic. 

Capt. Jason Haag, U.S. Marine Corps veteran said his service dog changed his life. Photo: Elizabeth Jia, WUSA9

The Subcommittee on Health of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs held its first legislative hearing to discuss the PAWS Act. PAWS stands for Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers. 

To date, the bill, H.R. 2327, has 199 bipartisan co-sponsors in the House. The Senate has also drafted a corresponding bill, S.1014.

If the bill becomes law, then a five-year, $10-million pilot program would begin in 2018. It would grant $25,000 to eligible organizations to raise and train service dogs for veterans in need.

“We’re doing it to save lives,” testified Rep. Ron DeSantis, an original co-sponsor of the PAWS Act. The Republican from Florida added, “If you end up having a veteran where that works well and they stop using some of the prescription drugs, that’s actually going to save a lot of money.”
read more here

REMINDER: Who you are is not changed by how you are. It is all still inside of you. These dogs can remind you of that by giving you love and hope once you see, your life can change again!

When Jocks Take a Knee to Anthem, Real Patriots Take a Stand

It was bad enough when the American public discovered that all the patriotism shown during games was actually paid by the Department of Defense...

Report: Defense Dept. paid NFL millions of taxpayer dollars to salute troops

And now it seems that these players do not respect the anthem and the owners don't respect it or their own rules.

The Kansas City Star has the rule from the NFL on the National Anthem...

“The NFL doesn’t follow their own rules. The specific rule pertaining to the national anthem is found on pages A62-63 of the NFL League Rulebook. It states: “The National Anthem must be played prior to every NFL game, and all players must be on the sideline for the National Anthem.

“During the National Anthem, players on the field and bench area should stand at attention, face the flag, hold helmets in their left hand, and refrain from talking. The home team should ensure that the American flag is in good condition...

“...It should be pointed out to players and coaches that we continue to be judged by the public in this area of respect for the flag and our country. Failure to be on the field by the start of the National Anthem may result in discipline, such as fines, suspensions, and/or the forfeiture of draft choice(s) for violations of the above, including first offenses.”

Do they understand that they are paid to play a game but others are paid so much less to risk their lives defending their rights to prove they cannot respect any of it?

My Dad fought in the Korean War and my Uncles fought during WWII. My husband fought in Vietnam and so did his Nephew. My Father-in-law and his brothers fought in WWII and one of them was killed in Saipan. Both of us are only second generation Americans! Our families came here because of what this country stood for and now these jocks cannot even stand for what families like ours fought for?

If the New England Patriots cannot stand for the anthem, then they should change their logo as well as their name because they do not deserve to have either of them associated with their stunts!

They are not acting like patriots but these football players are!

As His Team Planned to Protest the Anthem, Green Beret Veteran Player Hit Them With a Brutal Message

“That anthem means different things to us. America means different things to us. I love my country and I love what that flag and that anthem means to me and what it represents. I would love more than anything for everyone to feel that pride for the country that I feel.”

As almost one-third of the entire NFL planned on protesting during the national anthem in response to President Donald Trump calling out those who “disrespect the flag,” one green beret veteran, who became an NFL player after six years of service for the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan, isn't having any of it.

And he stood up!

So did he!

(Sickening update: "This national anthem ordeal has sort of been out of control, and there's a lot of blame on myself," Villanueva, Pittsburgh's starting left tackle, said Monday.

"I made coach (Mike) Tomlin look bad, and that is my fault and my fault only. I made my teammates look bad, and that is my fault.")

(And back to when I thought he deserved praise for standing up to pressure to bow down!)

Villanueva’s career in the NFL didn’t begin until 2014. Prior to that, he served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, where he served as a Captain in the army, as well as being an army ranger.

Villanueva was critical of Colin Kaepernick’s anthem protest in August of 2016, when he said:

"I don't know if the most effective way is to sit down during the national anthem with a country that's providing you freedom, providing you $16 million a year ... when there are black minorities that are dying in Iraq and Afghanistan for less than $20,000 a year."

 And so did some of them!

This isn't about what POTUS had to say to most of us. This is about what that Anthem means to us!

Iraq Veteran Scott Farnsworth Shot By Police in Arizona

Veteran shot by Mesa police sought treatment from Phoenix VA, wife says 
AZ Central 
Uriel Garcia 
September 25, 2017


"If we can't get the help our vets need, this (type of incident) is what it comes down to." Stephanie  Hamilton 
For Scott Farnsworth, serving a tour in Iraq as an Army infantry soldier was a point of pride.

But it was also the source of the 28-year-old's struggle with mental health, his wife, Stephanie Hamilton, told The Arizona Republic on Sunday.

That struggle led to a deadly encounter with police Friday night, she said, when officers fatally shot Farnsworth near Skyline High School in east Mesa as a football game was letting out.

Officers had responded to reports of Farnsworth waving a gun near Crismon Road and Southern Avenue, according to Mesa Det. Nik Rasheta.

"He was a good person," Hamilton said in a phone interview, describing Farnsworth as a family man and a veteran who loved his country. "But this is what a vet looks like when they don’t get help."

Hamilton declined to share additional details about Farnsworth's service or his mental-health. She said Farnsworth had sought help from the Phoenix VA Health Care System only to have his case fall "by the wayside."

Court records indicate Farnsworth faced assault and disorderly conduct charges in May and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor attempted car theft in August.

"If we can't get the help our vets need, this (type of incident) is what it comes down to," Hamilton said.

The veterans hospital did not immediately respond to requests for comment Sunday.
read more here

Was Dillan Tabares One of the Wrongly Discharged with PTSD

When reporters go to cover more of this story, finding out if Tabares was one of the thousands with "bad paper" discharges instead of being treated for PTSD. 

If he was, then being shot by police on Friday night should be part of the historical account about how we treat those who serve.

Man Killed By Huntington Beach Officer Was Navy Veteran, Says Mother Looking For Answers

CBS Los Angeles
September 24, 2017

HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA.com) — The mother of a 27-year-old man fatally shot by a Huntington Beach police officer Friday says her son was a Navy veteran who suffered from mental health issues.

Cell phone video shows the moments leading up to Dillan Tabares’ death, reported around 9:40 a.m. in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven at 6012 Edinger Avenue.

In one of two videos, Tabares appears to swing at the Huntington Beach police officer and the two wrestle and fall to the ground. Another angle shows Tabares appear to grab something from the officer’s waistband. Seconds later, the officer opens fire seven times, killing Tabares.

The victim’s mother, Tiffany Tabares, was at the scene grieving with loved ones Sunday evening. 

She said her son received a less-than-honorable discharge from the Navy and she’s looking for answers.read more here

Combat PTSD Wounded Times Made Top Ten PTSD Blog Award

WOW after 10 years my site has won an award and made it into the top ten!

Feedspot PTSD Blogs List

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These blogs are ranked based on following criteria

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Top 75 PTSD Blogs Winners

CONGRATULATIONS to every blogger that has made this Top PTSD Blogs list! This is the most comprehensive list of best PTSD blogs on the internet and I’m honoured to have you as part of this! I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world.

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