News Crew Took On VA for Homeless Veteran and Won

Veteran gets home through VA program after WBTV investigation
WBTV 3 News
Nick Ochsner
December 28, 2017

ASHEVILLE, NC (WBTV) -

A once-homeless veteran has a home of his own, months after a WBTV investigation questioned why the US Department of Veterans Affairs refused to offer the veteran further assistance.

In September, WBTV first talked with Greg Armento. 

At the time, Armento was being made to leave a long-term living facility for homeless veterans operated by an Asheville charity. The facility was paid to provide Armento food and shelter through a VA-funded program known as grant Per Diem, which pays a facility daily to shelter homeless veterans.

Armento filed a federal lawsuit against the organization that runs the Asheville shelter earlier in 2017, claiming supervisors at the facility violated federal labor laws by forcing Armento to perform unpaid labor.

The facility has denied those claims.

In September, when Armento was being forced from the long-term shelter, social workers at the Asheville VA Medical Center had told Armento they would not be able to help him find additional housing and, instead, suggested he plan to say at an emergency shelter overnight.

But that changed after WBTV’s investigation.

Instead of being forced onto the streets, the VA paid for Armento to stay in a hotel while he searched for a new place to live.

Now, Armento is living in a one bedroom apartment paid for through a program known as HUD-VASH. The program is a partnership between the VA and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.
read more here

First Responders and Veterans with PTSD Share Healing Horse Power

Veterans, first responders with PTSD encouraged to find peace in Middleburg horse pasture

Florida Times Union Jacksonville

Joe Daraskevich

December 26 2017

“I want people to know that this is a place that nobody is going to be judging them.This is a peaceful place away from all distractions.” Rebecca Davenport

Rebecca Davenport envisions veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder enjoying yoga classes, group meetings, counseling or alone time in a peaceful spot where horses graze and city sounds are miles away.

For years she’s offered help to veterans suffering from physical and emotional issues through interaction with horses at Hope Therapy in Middleburg. Now she feels she has more to offer for anyone with PTSD who needs a place to get away.

“The back of our property is under some really pretty oaks,” Davenport said. “I decided there needed to be something out there.”

With construction assistance from sailors stationed at Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Davenport added a gazebo, a fire pit, benches and a pergola to create an atmosphere where veterans can escape the stresses of life.

read more here

Army Veteran Gets Dog Back!

Army Veteran Reunited With Stolen Dog In Time For Christmas
CBS New York
December 26, 2017

(CBS Local) — An Army veteran in Oklahoma was reunited with his missing dog just in time for Christmas. The dog, found on Christmas Eve, was missing for nearly a week after her owner’s house was burglarized on Dec. 20.

“It appeared that they were going to steal my valuables, however they ended up only taking my beautiful dog,” veteran Geoff Hoffman wrote on his Facebook page after the crime. A frantic search for Bridget, the three-year-old pit bull, began as local animal rescue groups and social media users spread the story of the apparent dog-napping. read more here

Time to Join the Fight for Survivors to Take Lives Back

With all the time we've been talking about healing PTSD the stigma is still too strong. It is time to change the conversation and Combat PTSD Wounded Times needs your help to do that.

We gave them the facts. We fought against rumors. Above all else, we showed them how to heal. 

The only thing they have to be ashamed of is the rest of us not fighting to make sure they knew they could take their lives back before it was too late for too many.

There is no cure for PTSD but it can be defeated!

Combat PTSD Wounded Times

And if you have PTSD, show that you have nothing to be ashamed of.

Help PTSD Survivors take back life! 

You never know who you may encourage to talk to you about it.

So much for "awareness"

There's something missing from research on veteran suicides

THE HILL

Jim Lorraine

December 26, 2017

There are countless studies that show the risk of suicide is higher among those who served in the military when compared to civilians.

The Department of Veteran Affairs recognizes this issue and is taking steps to better identify and support those who served who are at risk of taking their own life. While there is a large catalogue of research analyzing suicide rates of those who served in the military, many of these studies overlook key factors that could help policymakers understand the full scope of this issue and, in turn, develop more effective preventative programs.

Here are a few of the elements that researchers should be incorporating into their studies:

read them here

*******

And to the story that started this, add in all this, that was missed, but we know about!

The article rightly pointed out the "less than honorable discharges" being a problem. Here's some more facts on that one.

Death Certificates used by the CDC do not include all veterans. Some states have different rules. California and Illinois did not have "military service" on their death certificates, (bills passed this year to add it) so veterans committing suicide in those two states would not have been counted. California has over 2 million veterans and Illinois has over 700,000. Think about that how many more that would mean.

NON-WAR TITLE

Some states do not include "military service" on death certificates unless the box where it has "war" is filled in. Humanitarian missions, deployment into Africa or other nations for non-combat missions would not be admissible. 

Beirut Marine Barracks Bombing survivors would not be included, or any other event that is not connected to a "war" such as USS Cole attacked by terrorists. That was in 2000 and pre-9/11 War on Terror. Long list on that one.

Stop raising awareness without learning first

Military suicides have also increased, yet do not seem to be even thought about for "honorable mention" within the "numbers" they do talk about. Guess they do not even know that they are two separate groups, although were among people willing to die to save lives but did not save their own. 

Still the biggest thing that was missed in the above article is this from the VA. This chart shows how many deaths per day they knew about from the research.

Those numbers in 1999 were less than 2010. Keep in mind that since that time, we lost about 5 million veterans since WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam veterans passed away.

Also since that time we managed to spend billions on "prevention" plus invested billions more in "raising awareness."

Add into all that the VA Crisis Line, Veterans Courts, getting homeless veterans off the streets, over 400,000 veterans charities, stunts and press coverage for talking about numbers as if that was supposed to do anyone any good.

So much for "awareness."