PTSD Patrol Kathie Costos November 8, 2018 With the news today about a shooting involving a veteran, people started to talk about it, and veterans, started to withdraw. While it is rare for a veteran to be involved in something like this, the fact it was a veteran this time, has managed to be in almost every headline. I felt there was a sense of urgency to put this up today instead of waiting for Sunday.
Yesterday I went out to UCF and interviewed Deborah C. Beidel of UCF Restores. They are doing fantastic work on helping veterans and first responders heal. Heal? Yes! PTSD is not something to be afraid of and it is not worth gaining power over your life. If you understand what it is, why you have it, then you take away power from it. When you fight back, you take away more power from it and gain it for yourself. Listen do what Dr. Beidel has to say and then, start to #CombatPTSD so you can #TakeBackYourLife. "And one day, she discovered that she was fierce, ad strong, and full of fire. And that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears."
VA returns medical professionals currently serving unions to serving Veterans
Department of Veterans Affairs Press release Today the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced that it will be moving nearly 430 medical professionals from taxpayer-funded union work back to health care jobs serving Veterans.
The move, which will improve VA’s ability to deliver health care to Veteran patients, will take effect Nov. 15 when VA repudiates certain provisions of master collective bargaining agreements VA accepted during the Obama administration with the following unions: American Federation of Government Employees, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Association of Government Employees and National Nurses United.
VA has a separate employment system under title 38 of the U.S. Code for medical employees. The repudiation will apply to all of VA’s nearly 104,000 title 38 employees, eliminating all forms of taxpayer-funded union work for the following professions:
“It’s common sense,” VA Acting Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration Jacquelyn Hayes-Byrd said. “Allowing health care workers to do taxpayer-funded union work instead of serving Veterans impacts patient care negatively. President Trump has made it clear – VA employees should always put Veterans first. And when we hire medical professionals to take care of Veterans, that’s what they should do at all times. No excuses, no exceptions.”
As an example of the negative effect taxpayer-funded union time has on Veteran care, one VA registered nurse who was elected as a local union official receives 100 percent taxpayer funded union time. Although she no longer provides patient care, she continues to receive a nurse’s salary, which at VA averages more than $90,000 per year.
Department-wide in fiscal year 2016, VA employees spent more than a million hours doing taxpayer-funded union work at a total cost of more than $49 million.
VA is in the process of renegotiating several of VA’s national collective bargaining agreements to ensure official time allocations are putting Veterans first. The negotiations are guided by federal law that permits VA to set taxpayer-funded union work (also known as official time) amounts contractually that are reasonable, necessary and in the public interest.
There are currently over 200 people in line at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks, waiting to donate blood to victims of last night’s mass shooting, according to school officials.
Thousand Oaks Mayor Andy Fox had pleaded earlier Thursday for blood donors to step forward.
The school had previously scheduled a blood drive on campus - but pivoted to gathering donations specific to this incident.
Donors are encouraged to make appointments at 877-25-VITAL.
Recent college grad killed in shooting "heroically saved lives" From CNN's Amanda Watts and Hollie Silverman Justin Meek, 23, was among the people killed in the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting in Thousand Oaks, California, according to California Lutheran University President Chris Kimball. In a statement, Kimball said Meek was a recent graduate and "heroically saved lives in the incident."
Strangers were trying to save others and officers rushed with other first responders. All of them putting the lives of others ahead of their own. The thing is, headlines make everyone focus on the shooter being a veteran, without ever once considering the rest of his story, or the simple fact that a veteran committing mass murder is very rare. The thing is, he was a hero too, because he was willing to die to save others. The fact that he pulled out a gun and shot so many strangers should not be a reflection on other veterans. This kind of thing is very rare because they are more likely to harm themselves than anyone else. This kind of a thing, this should be a reflection on all of us. If this is the outcome after putting his life on the line, and the outcome of so many others who perish after service, then all of us should be wondering what we did not do about any of it.
Colorado veteran charged nearly $10,000 by dating service
FOX 31 News BY SHAUL TURNER NOVEMBER 5, 2018
DENVER -- Vietnam War Veteran Wesley James Nelson says he didn't want to be alone, so he turned to an agency called Mile High Singles to find love.
The company is run by Sheryl McDowell. Nelson says, “she called herself the Love Doctor and I'd have a personal concierge to take care of me as if I would be in a five-star resort. I’d be meeting really classy ladies.”
Nelson showed his bill, which featured a program fee of $8,995 plus other costs totally totaling $9,114, he says.
"I about fell over I told her I can't afford this then boy she really laid it on.” Then, Nelson charged the fee on his credit card. He says he never went on one date.
Others have come forward to lodge complaints. An investigation in 2017 revealed Mile High Singles changed its name from Great Expectations after being investigated by attorneys general in Washington and Arizona. read more here
Family Fun Festival The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall
Escort in Wednesday Nov 7th at 10am Opening Ceremony Wednesday evening at 6 pm - AHS Band Tribute Thursday and Friday - Opening a 9 am for school class visits The Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall will be open to the public from Wednesday 11/7 at 6 pm through Sunday 11/11 at 8 pm. It will be open 24 hours per day.
