Veterans Court gives PTSD veterans a fighting chance

Torres: Veteran mentors continue to serve in court with pride
Florida Today
John A Terres
February 12 2018

You hear the cliches in just about every war movie ever made about this special band of brothers or no man left behind.

Circuit Judge Judith Atkin honors the veteran mentors in Veterans Court.

(Photo: Courtesy 18th Judicial Circuit)

You may never hear "never stop serving" on the big screen but its sentiment is just as important to the health and well-being of those who have served our country as evidenced in Brevard County's Veterans Treatment Court.

Just ask someone like Melbourne native and former Marine Theodore Doukas, who returned from a couple of tours in Iraq with a back injury that led to a painkiller addiction. Paired up with veteran mentor Harry "Skip" Taylor, Doukas is getting the help he needs and will soon graduate from the program.

"He's shown me the path," Doukas said about Taylor. "He's really stayed on me about going to the V.A. Some things in this program have really changed my life."
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Veteran- Police Officer lost job because of PTSD

Ex-JPD lieutenant sues city for not accommodating his PTSD claim
Clarion Ledger
Jimmie E Gates
February 12, 2018

Post traumatic stress affects hundreds of thousands of veterans, 813,277 of whom have received disability compensation from the World War II era through 2015, according to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs. 

A former Jackson Police Department patrol lieutenant has filed a federal lawsuit against the city after he said the department wouldn't accommodate his post- traumatic stress disorder claim.

Lance Felton, a 21-year veteran of JPD, said he suffered from PTSD after he was part of an officer-involved shooting an April 2014 while attempting to arrest an armed robbery/aggravated assault suspect in Precinct 1. Felton was placed on administrative leave with pay until the outcome of an internal investigation, which is customary for an officer-involved shooting.

The internal investigation cleared him of any violations, Felton said.

The Clarion Ledger is awaiting a response from Jackson officials to the lawsuit. The lawsuit is filed against the city, former Chief Lee Vance, assistant Chief James Davis and Cmdr. Thaddeus Jones.

Vance couldn't be reached for comment.

Felton said JPD violated the Americans With Disabilities Act by not allowing him to return to work nor providing accommodations for him after discovering he suffered from PTSD.
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Community rebuilt Navy Vietnam veteran's home

Community rallies to help build Valley veteran's home
ABC 15 News
Aldo Vazquez
11:04 PM, Feb 10, 2018
16 mins ago

Nearly 300 volunteers, along with several other organizations including mostly veterans, came together to help build the house from the ground up.

NEW RIVER, AZ - A big ‘welcome home’ was held for a Valley Vietnam veteran whose home burned down in a fire four years ago.

“I’ve been waiting three-and-a-half years, going on four years, to get back in my house,” said Jack Cooper.

Jack Cooper built his house 26 years ago in New River. Four years ago, an electrical fire burned his house down to the ground. The only thing that survived were two pictures of his times in the Navy.
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Truth is with deeds, not slogans

Stop supporting a losing battle
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 11, 2018

By now, you must be tired of me going after "suicide awareness" people. Frankly, I'm tied of it too. It has all had me in a very bad mood most of the time. 

I'm done with that subject after this. I tried being nice and then got angry. Reporters did not care to get the story right and none of them wanted the proof that is available to everyone with simple search results. Yes, the VA and news reports you read here are there for anyone to find. 

I guess they just didn't want to admit for all these years, they have been spinning their story lines/lies of "22 a day" or for that matter "20 a day" when none of them have mention why those numbers are only part of the story. 

The truth is, it keeps getting worse out here for our veterans and families. They still end up homeless, face off with law enforcement officials and still, they end up taking their own lives.

If you really want to make a difference, start in your own home as soon as possible. Do what I did back in 82, when I researched the hell out of it reading clinical books with a dictionary. Well, you won't have to do that because all you need to do is Google it in your PJs. Look for the facts and not what you find on Facebook. Stay away from social media groups mentioning those two numbers. Time to learn the truth.

The truth is, we can help them heal. It has been our job all along but few decided they would not stop fighting until their veteran was healing. Maybe they just didn't know they could. After all, the most press coverage has been how many they think killed themselves. If these reporters really want to deliver feel good stories that will do some good, they need to focus on what has been working.

Look for groups taking care of all generations of veterans. If they do not value all of them, then you should ask for an explanation.

Look for groups with real information on what they claim to be doing. "Raising awareness" is not a real thing and not something that should cost you money. It just means they are doing a lot of talking and stunts. 

"Honor and empower" is not a real thing either. What exactly does that mean? The other part of the famous groups slogan talks about being forgotten, but they forgot about all the other generation of veterans with high rates of PTSD and suicides. 

Find out if the group is actually doing the work they want your money to pay for, or are they sending them to someone else?

Find groups and support efforts that put the veteran first. If they have nothing available for family members, find out why. If they do learn from them, find support with them and then you'll be ready to fight these battles at home. This is a war we can win!

Why did National Guard soldier and Iraq War veteran kill Father

Hospitalized veteran with PTSD tells of killing father at Fergus Falls home
Duluth News Tribune
By Robin Huebner
Feb 10, 2018

ST. PETER, Minn. — Inside the fortified quarters of Minnesota's highest-security psychiatric hospital, Dustin Michael Defiel has spent the past year and a half of his life.

Dustin Defiel, 30, is shown at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter, Minn., a secure psychiatric hospital, during a recent interview. Randy Cadwell / Forum News Service

The former National Guard soldier and Iraq War veteran shot and killed his father, Rick Defiel, on June 1, 2016, in the family's home in Fergus Falls, Minn.

He was found not guilty due to mental deficiency and was committed to the Minnesota Security Hospital as mentally ill and dangerous.

Defiel, now 30, maintains he is neither of those and doesn't belong at the facility.

He wrote to The Forum newspaper of Fargo-Moorhead stating a desire to tell "my side of the story," one in which he claims he acted in self-defense against a father who used to abuse him, verbally and physically.
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