Maj. Gen. Elizabeth Austin Retired After 39 Years

Trailblazing general closes chapter on her career

DVIDS

Lisa Simunaci

Army Material Command

December 5, 2017

In 2011, Austin became the first North Carolina Guardsman to achieve the rank of brigadier general and remains the state’s highest ranking female officer.

Photo By Staff Sgt. Mary Junell | Maj. Gen. Elizabeth Austin welcomes distinguished guests to her retirement ceremony at he North Carolina National Guard Joint Force Headquarters in Raleigh, NC December 1, 2017

RALEIGH, N.C. – Surrounded by family members, military leaders, lifelong friends and hundreds of colleagues from across the nation, Maj. Gen. Elizabeth Austin closed the chapter on a 39-year Army National Guard career.

Austin, who served as Army Materiel Command’s assistant deputy commanding general-National Guard, took to the stage of the North Carolina National Guard’s Joint Force Headquarters Dec. 1, flanked by her husband and state Adjutant General Maj. Gen. Gregory Lusk.

To her husband of 35 years, who is also a retired Army colonel, Austin said it was only fitting that he join her on stage.

“You encouraged me to do more, you sacrificed for me and made the transition from Soldier to Army spouse,” she said.

When Austin took on her leadership role at Army Materiel Command, the state’s adjutant general noted North Carolina National Guard, where she began her military career, was never far from her mind.

“On behalf of the North Carolina National Guard and a grateful state, we genuinely thank you for your service,” Lusk told Austin. “We know you will still continue to serve, but on your timeline.”

Maj. Gen. Janson Boyles, adjutant general of the Mississippi National Guard, recognized Austin’s influence went well beyond the state of North Carolina.

“Her fingerprints spread throughout all the states,” he said. “She has been a mentor to officers in the state of Mississippi and they think the world of her.”
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Still time to change the road you’re on, and heal

Not too late for Vietnam veterans to heal
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
December 6, 2017 

“Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there’s still time to change the road you’re on.”Led Zeppelin

World War I to the first Gulf War -- "second-class veterans"
El Paso Times by Chris Roberts
October 2007

In the past 18 months, 148,000 Vietnam veterans have gone to VA centers reporting symptoms of PTSD "30 years after the war," said Brig. Gen. Michael S. Tucker, deputy commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He recently visited El Paso.

Two-tiered system of healthcare puts veterans of the war on terror at the top and makes everyone else -- from An internal directive from a high-ranking Veterans Affairs official creates a two-tiered system of veterans health care, putting veterans of the global war on terror at the top and making every one else -- from World War I to the first Gulf War -- "second-class veterans," according to some veterans advocates.

"I think they're ever pushing us to the side," said former Marine Ron Holmes, an El Paso resident who founded Veterans Advocates. "We are still in need. We still have our problems, and our cases are being handled more slowly."

Vice Adm. Daniel L. Cooper, undersecretary for benefits in the Department of Veterans Affairs -- in a memo obtained by the El Paso Times -- instructs the department's employees to put Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans at the head of the line when processing claims for medical treatment, vocational rehabilitation, employment and education benefits...

Veterans Affairs officials say prioritizing war-on-terror veterans is necessary because many of them face serious health challenges. But they don't agree that other veterans will suffer, saying that they are hiring thousands of new employees, finding ways to train them more quickly and streamlining the process of moving troops from active duty to veteran status.

"We are concerned about it, and it's something we are watching carefully," said Jerry Manar, deputy director national veterans service for Veterans of Foreign Wars in Washington, D.C. "We'll learn quickly enough from talking with our veterans service officers whether they're seeing a dramatic slowdown in the processing of claims."

Manar and Holmes said Afghanistan and Iraq veterans deserve the best care possible, but so do all other veterans.

Shocking? Not really. I posted it back in 2007 soon after El Paso Times reported it. The thing is, none of what has been happening to our "senior" veterans is new, even though it seems the rest of the country never noticed.

Our generation is pretty much on our own but the truly remarkable thing is, nothing the new generation has for them would have been possible if you did not come home and fight for all of it. 

As you read above, before most of the new groups paid any attention at all, you were fighting for a very long time, then had to get in line behind the newer veterans.

It is easy to wonder why none of these "awareness" raisers noticed any of it until the first VA Veteran Suicide report came out. Back then aside from the warning about the data being taken as "all there is to know" there was this being reported by the Washington Post

To account for uncertainties, researchers gave a range of 18 to 22 veteran suicides a day, which is consistent with previous VA estimates using CDC data. The report does not include some states with the largest veteran population (including California, Texas, Georgia, Arizona and North Carolina), so it is unclear how this would affect the rate.

But safe guess is that it was just an easy number for all of these groups to remember. Too bad they also forgot the other part of the report. 

Meaning that your generation was committing suicide at higher percentages. Why? Because back in 1999, there were over 5 million more veterans in the country. Yes, before the young veterans came back from Afghanistan and Iraq.

As they became the focus of the "project" of the famous group now playing a commercial about naming what PTSD used to be called, like during your generation, they omit the fact that you came home at a rate of 1 out of 3, instead of 1 out of 5. Oh, yes that same group that says how bad it is to be forgotten about. 

Guess they never heard of a study going back to the 70's called "The Forgotten Warrior Project" but none of you forgot about those who came before you any more than you forgot about those who came after you.

The question is, why do you fight so hard for everyone else but yourself?

Within all the reports from the VA, there is one part that stands out. 65% of the veterans committing suicide are over the age of 50.

Most of you are more involved with supporting the groups who want nothing to do with you. 

So when do you start fighting for each other again? 

It is not too late to change the road you're on, after all, that is the message you've been giving to younger veterans since you were younger!

Gerald Leo Smith, Homeless Korean War Veteran Needs Help Proving He's Alive

Daytona Beach homeless veteran says he can't get help because government thinks he's dead

WFTV 9 News

By: Lauren Seabrook

Updated: Dec 5, 2017 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - When Teri Ahmann found Gerald Leo Smith living in the bushes in Daytona Beach as Hurricane Irma loomed, she saw a bit of herself in him, having been homeless herself three decades ago.

She decided to reach out to the Navy veteran and offered to buy him a drink.

“For whatever reason, he just looked sad to me, so I walked up and I say, ‘Can I get you a beer?’” Ahmann said.

She then asked Smith where he was planning to shelter during the hurricane.

“He said he didn’t know,” Ahmann said. “He was going to go where God told him to go.”

Ahmann decided to take Smith in and soon learned that he served in the Navy during the Korean War and had been walking the streets for more than three decades.

She helped Smith clean up, bought him new clothes and even tried to open a bank account in his name.

That’s where they realized they had a problem.
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Vietnam Veteran Donated 37 Gallons of His Blood to Save Lives

Florida veteran saves hundreds of lives by donating 37 gallons of blood

WKRN News

December 5, 2017

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — OneBlood helps save thousands of lives every year but it isn’t possible without donors.

“In life, I like to help people,” said one donor, Richard Davis.

Davis has been donating blood for 25 years. He’s a Vietnam veteran who witnessed a blood shortage and wanted to help.

“A lot of people needed blood badly at that time. That was the first time I ever donated,” said Davis.

Since then, you can find him in the donor room – kicked back, donating blood and watching TV.

“Well the platelets you can actually donate every week but you can only do it 24 times a year which is a lot of times,” said Davis.

A lot of times, and a lot of blood. Davis is just grateful he can help.

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ACLU Fighting For Incarcerated PTSD Veteran

I was reading an article from The Stranger. Since I only track news and government reports, I did a search to see if this was real or not. It is. 

The following is from the ACLU

ACLU-WA Sues to Stop Pierce County from Abusing and Neglecting Incarcerated Individuals Experiencing Mental Illness
December 5, 2017

The ACLU of Washington today filed a class-action lawsuit against Pierce County for refusing to provide necessary treatment to people with mental illness in the Pierce County Jail and subjecting them to illegal restraint and isolation practices. As a result of these unlawful actions, people with mental illness suffer unnecessarily while in the jail, and can spend years cycling in and out of the criminal justice system.

“It’s cruel, counterproductive, and illegal for jails to refuse people experiencing mental illness the treatment they need,” said ACLU-WA Equal Justice Works Fellow Jessica Wolfe.

“Pierce County punishes people for their mental illnesses while at the same time refusing to provide basic mental health services. These policies and practices cause significant psychological harm and contribute to a revolving door of incarceration that is both costly and ineffective,” Wolfe said.

Filed in U.S. District Court in Tacoma on behalf of people experiencing mental illnesses incarcerated in Pierce County Jail, the lawsuit—Bango et. al v. Pierce County—asserts that people are forced to wait months to see a mental health provider face-to-face, experience significant delays in receiving necessary medications, and are denied basic mental health services, despite repeated requests for treatment.

As a result, their mental illnesses progress unchecked, leading to hallucinations, delusions, and an increased risk of self-harm. Pierce County then punishes people experiencing mental health crises by placing them in solitary confinement, using eyebolts to chain their legs and arms to the concrete floor, and leaving them in restraint chairs for hours on end. Pierce County perpetuates this vicious cycle by releasing people directly into the community without a supply of their psychiatric medications. Due to their untreated illnesses, many will end up back at the Jail.

The suit was filed on behalf of two plaintiffs with mental illness who have suffered serious harm due to the Pierce County’s abusive practices and failure to provide treatment: Donald Bango served in the US military for 15 years and has received a Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal. Mr. Bango was medically retired from the military due to mental health issues stemming from the violence he witnessed during his service in Iraq. He has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder, and panic disorder. 

As a result of his mental illnesses, Mr. Bango experiences visual and auditory hallucinations, delusions, and flashbacks. Mr. Bango’s mental health has deteriorated significantly since his booking into the Pierce County Jail due to Defendants’ unwillingness to provide medically necessary psychiatric medications, access to mental health providers, and other basic mental health services. 

Defendants have also placed Mr. Bango in solitary confinement and left him naked and alone in a cell with his arms handcuffed behind his back. Despite Mr. Bango’s ongoing concerns about falling into further mental health crisis or psychosis, his requests for psychiatric medications have repeatedly been denied by Defendants, who have informed him that he did “not meet the requirements” for mental health care and told him to stop requesting services. 

Scott Bailey has been diagnosed with major depression, experiences anxiety, and has a history of suicide attempts. Mr. Bailey has been incarcerated at the Pierce County Jail approximately eight times, dating back to 1999. Defendants have routinely failed to adequately screen Mr. Bailey’s mental health conditions, mental health history, or use of psychiatric medications. Further, Defendants have failed to provide him with timely access to basic mental health services, despite his repeated requests. Defendants have responded to his pleas for help by informing him that the Jail was “not set up to do treatment” and denying him psychiatric medications and counseling. In lieu of treatment, Mr. Bailey received “mental health worksheets” instructing him to get enough sleep and exercise more.

Pierce County’s failure to appropriately supervise the Jail to prevent the abuse of the most vulnerable in their care is unlawful and inhumane. “The goal of the lawsuit is to compel Pierce County to do what they refuse to do: ensure incarcerated individuals with mental illness are treated humanely and receive necessary mental health treatment and services,” says ACLU-WA Senior Staff Attorney Antoinette Davis.

The suit asserts Pierce County Jail violates the constitutional right to due process and the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment, along with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.

Pierce County Jail’s policy and practices continue despite decades of notice about these problems, including prior litigation, Herrera v. County, brought by the ACLU-WA and others in 1995. In settlement of that suit, Pierce County was required to adopt constitutional medical care standards, policies, and procedures.

ACLU-WA Equal Justice Works Fellow Jessica Wolfe and Senior Staff Attorney Antoinette Davis and cooperating attorneys, Salvador Mungia and Janelle Chase-Fazio of Gordon Thomas Honeywell, are representing the Plaintiffs.