Carl's Military Library

DHCC Deployment Health News

2008-04-17T05:23:00.000-07:00

For more deployment health information visit DHCC Web site www.pdhealth.mil

April 15, 2008Military Releases High Casualty FiguresDepartment Of Defense's Latest Numbers: 31,590 Troops Wounded On Battle FieldThe Department of Defense has released its latest American military causality numbers for those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the figures reveal non-fatal casualties that go well beyond the more than 4,000 U.S. troops who have died so far. As of April 5, a total of 36,082 members of the U.S. military have been wounded in action and killed in Iraq, since the beginning of the war in March 2003, and in Afghanistan, where the war there began in October 2001. The 36,082 number breaks down to 4,492 deaths and 31,590 wounded. According to the same DoD "casualty" counts, an additional 38,631 U.S. military personnel have also been removed from the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan for "non-hostile-related medical air transports."Source : CBS Evening News Caring for veterans' mental healthConference's focus: Going 'beyond the yellow ribbon' There are 160,000 American troops in Iraq. "If everybody comes home tomorrow," said Frederick Bush of the Upstate Veterans Affairs Health Care Network, "and comes to the VA on Monday, we're probably going to have some longer than normal wait times." Bush was kidding the standing-room-only crowd at an annual conference of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at SUNY New Paltz. But his point was a serious one: America's veterans are going to need a lot of therapy for a very long time. Not all, Bush said, will battle post traumatic stress disorder, but nearly every one will struggle to readjust in the civilian world.Source : Times Herald-Record 3.3% rate of divorce holds, Pentagon saysResults surprising considering stress wars are putting on couplesThe divorce rate in the armed forces held steady last year at 3.3 percent, a surprising finding given the stress that marriages are under during persistent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.Source : Honolulu Advertiser Army fights STDs with free condomsTwo thousand free condoms are being placed in Army gyms and clubs around Kaiserslautern in an effort to combat sexually transmitted diseases. Clear plastic bins began showing up late Friday afternoon with stickers that read: "Readiness doesn't end when the uniform comes off." Source : Stars and Stripes New Smallpox Vaccine Proves Effective in MiceThe Danish pharmaceutical firm Bavarian Nordic announced last week that a single dose of its next-generation Imvamune smallpox vaccine can protect mice against a virus similar to smallpox.Source : Global Security Newswire

Suicides Shut VA Psychiatric Ward

2008-04-17T05:21:00.000-07:00

Officials Act After Fourth Suicide Of Year Hits Dallas VA Hospital
The VA North Texas Health Care System ordered the shutdown of the Dallas VA Medical Center after a man hanged himself April 4. (Dept. of Veterans Affairs)
(CBS/AP) A fourth suicide among mentally ill patients treated at the Dallas VA Medical Center this year has led the hospital to close its psychiatric ward, and investigators from the national Veterans Affairs office are expected to arrive next week to assess safety. Joseph Dalpiaz, director of the VA North Texas Health Care System, ordered the shutdown after a man hanged himself April 4. The hospital stopped admitting patients to its 51-bed psychiatric unit the next day. Dalpiaz "decided he wanted to ... give us some time to assess the environment of care and make sure things were as safe as possible in our patient unit," said Dr. Catherine Orsak, head of mental health for the VA's North Texas health system. In January, two men who met in the hospital's psychiatric ward committed suicide days after being released. The third to commit suicide was a veteran who hanged himself on a frame attached to his wheelchair. Last November, CBS News broke the story of the staggering number of veterans who commit suicide. The report was the result of a five-month investigation into veteran suicides. The results were startling: according to data from 45 states, 6,256 men and women who had served in the armed forces took their own lives in 2005 - that's 120 suicides every week. Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen Keteyian and his investigative team found that veterans were more than twice as likely to commit suicide that year than non-veterans.
Read the original investigation: Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans Follow up: VA Struggles With Vets' Mental Health. How we got the numbers behind the story. VA Doctor on Veteran Suicides. Congress Looks at Veteran Suicides. Read our viewers' feedback after the investigation. The safety of the Dallas psychiatric ward is to be assessed by investigators visiting from the national VA offices, The Dallas Morning News reported in its Tuesday editions. Doctors sent patient records and other documents to Washington last week for review. Orsak said the hospital has spent more than $250,000 the past six months to eliminate suicide risks. Door knobs were replaced, showers curtains and plumbing were retrofitted, and light fixtures were modified to remove rigid outcroppings veterans might use in hanging themselves. While new patients are not being admitted to the hospital's psychiatric unit, 10 veterans are still being treated there. Orsak said the hospital has increased staffing and checks to ensure their safety. Shirley Bemps, who said her husband committed suicide in the psychiatric ward in February, said she blames doctors for her husband's death. "If he was a high-risk patient like they said, he should have been watched and monitored," Bemps said. "They haven't called me to offer condolences. They won't even respond to me. I just feel cheated." Orsak said she did not know when the psychiatric unit would reopen to new patients. In the meantime, she said mentally ill veterans would be treated at VA hospitals in Waco and Temple and nearby private treatment centers.

El Paso Veterans Affairs system nation's worst

2008-04-15T06:46:00.002-07:00

El Paso health care needs 'radical changes'By Chris Roberts / El Paso TimesArticle Launched: 04/06/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
Copyright 2008 The El Paso Veterans Affairs Health Care System is the worst in the nation, according to an internal performance survey, the El Paso Times has learned. Reported problems at the El Paso VA involve patient care, outreach, technology, medical equipment and supplies, and staff morale that apparently resulted in threats of "mass resignations." The situation prompted a visit Friday from U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Asked whether he thought the El Paso VA was failing local veterans, Filner answered, "No question." The El Paso VA is not providing the level of customer service it should, system Director Bruce E. Stewart said late Friday, but it has made recent improvements. And, in some cases, the way the El Paso VA answered survey items gave a wrong impression, he added. Although Filner said he saw reason for optimism after meeting with top El Paso VA staff, including Stewart, he said he told them he would conduct a congressional hearing if things did not improve in the near future. "It seemed clear to me that the culture of the place needed some radical changes," Filner said in an exclusive interview with the El Paso Times. "There wasn't a service orientation." Filner said the problems in El Paso also are symptoms of a systemwide culture that doesn't put veteran care first, but all too often focuses on cost-cutting. He said the present funding mechanism -- which doesn't provide enough money to get through a year without supplemental budgets -- is a major stumbling block for the department. The Department of Veterans Affairs Web site lists more than 70 health-care systems, which can include other types of treatment centers. "He (Filner) has been leading the effort around the country to make sure we're doing a better job taking care of veterans," said U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas, who asked Filner to make the trip and also attended the meeting Friday. Congress has put together the largest budget in the department's history, Reyes said. The additional money, Stewart said, is allowing him to hire more than 100 people, which will significantly improve the overall quality of care provided by the agency. The survey -- which measured clinical quality, access and patient satisfaction -- scored the El Paso VA at 71.4, while the national average was 81.3, according to a letter to Reyes from Susan P. Bowers, VA Southwest Healthcare Network VISN 18 director. The letter, dated Feb. 29, was provided by Reyes' office in response to an El Paso Times request for information on the survey, which was concluded last fall. "This is the lowest aggregate score in the country, and is (an) area of significant concern," wrote Bowers, who was at the meeting Friday. A 1.9 percent decline in visits from 2006 to 2007, reported by Bowers, is an indication some veterans are giving up on the El Paso VA, Reyes said. However, Bowers praised Stewart for consistently approving "the immediate recruitment of any physician position as soon as there is an indication that the position will be vacated," and added that "many of the problems noted existed when Stewart assumed responsibility as the director." El Paso veterans advocate Ron Holmes, who attended the meeting, said he has worked with three El Paso VA directors. He said he and another veterans advocate were promised a more-direct way of passing along problems veterans are experiencing. "Let's wait and see," Holmes said Saturday. "I would like to say we've got new people, and we're carrying baggage from the last group." A long-standing problem for the El Paso VA has been it's "front door" -- the telephone system. During the past two years, Bowers wrote, hold times on the system have dropped from an average of more than two hours to fewer than 15 minutes. A new phone system, which is installed and being debugged, Stewart said, will provide VA officials with the data they need to identify bottlenecks. That will include finding out why veterans are calling so that staffers can be allocated in a way that allows more calls to be answered by humans instead of recordings, he said. Regarding a complaint that a "large" backlog of patients are waiting for outside consultant visits because of slow payments or nonpayments by VA, Bowers said no "significant issues" have been brought to the attention of the financial department, although she added, "there have been isolated instances of problems in individual cases" that were quickly resolved. Although Bowers acknowledged that there have been delays making appointments in specialty areas such as eye care and urology that "are short staffed internally as well as in the community," she wrote that nearly all primary-care appointments for new and established patients are completed within 30 days of the desired date. An extended-hours program requested by Reyes to allow for walk-in patients who can't leave their jobs during the day was "designed to fail," in part due to inadequate publicity, according to a summary of complaints provided by Reyes' office. Veterans also were required to get appointments rather than simply walk in. Bowers wrote that the after-hours clinic was not set up for walk-ins "because of the level of staffing that would be required to make that a safe and effective model. Essentially, all areas of the clinic would have to be open during that time if (the El Paso VA) were to adopt that model." But both congressmen said Bowers' response illustrated the problem. Rather than detailed explanations of why the programs won't work, they said they wanted to see proposals -- including requests for more money or other resources, if necessary -- that would make them work. "Maybe two days a week they could open at 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. and stay open late at night," Filner said. Filner said he asked Bowers to rewrite her response with a focus on what can be done to improve things, and both congressmen said they planned a follow-up meeting in the near future. "Being rated lowest in the nation was a huge embarrassment, and I think they're committed to changing," Filner said, but he added, "It doesn't change with one meeting." Chris Roberts may be reached at chrisr@elpasotimes.com; 546-6136. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Reference: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml

Combat Related Special Compensation

2008-04-15T06:46:00.001-07:00

Simply put Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) allows certain military retirees to receive both their military retirement pay and VA Disability Compensation. This means that qualified military retirees with 20 or more years of service that have a "combat related" VA-rated disability no longer have their military retirement pay reduced by the amount of their VA disability compensation. The following is a summary of Combat-Related Special Compensation:2008 CRSC Update Combat-Related Special Compensation Eligibility The Value of the CRSC Benefit The Application Process2008 Update: The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, signed into law on January 29, 2008, includes changes to Chapter 61 retiree eligibility, a new component for (CRSC). This legislation expands eligibility to medical retirees with less than 20 years of service, effective January 1, 2008. Medically retired veterans must still provide documentation that shows a causal link between a current VA disability and a combat related event. CRSC EligibilityCombat Related Special Compensation eligibility includes disabilities incurred as a direct result of: Armed Conflict (gunshot wounds, purple heart, etc) Training that Simulates War (Exercises, field training, etc) Hazardous Duty (flight, diving, parachute duty) An Instrumentality of War (combat vehicles, weapons, agent orange, etc)The following are the current CRSC eligibility requirements: Retirees must apply to their respective branch of service to be approved for CRSC. Retirees must be in receipt of VA compensation. Retirees must be in receipt of military retired pay. Retirees must have an approved combat-related VA disability rating of 10% or greater. Retirees from active-duty must have 20 years of active service. Chapter 61 Medical Retirees with less than 20 years. Retired reservists must have 20 years of qualifying service (supported by documentation from the applicable branch of service such as a 20-year letter, retirement orders or a statement of service) in order to be eligible.Please note that qualified reservists will not receive CRSC until they begin to receive retired pay at age 60.Temporary Early Retirement Authorization (TERA) retirees are not eligible to receive CRSC unless they have returned to active duty and accumulated enough service time to meet the 20-year requirement before retiring for the second time.Back to TopThe Value of the CRSC Benefit:The following table shows a sampling of how much extra you may get each month based on your VA disability rating.Combat related VA Disability RatingMonthly CRSC100%$2,52790%$1,51780%$1,34970%$1,16160%$92150%$72840%$51230%$35620%$23010%$117Back to TopThe CRSC Application Process:To receive Combat Related Special Compensation you must submit your application (DD form 2860), through your parent military service branch. Each service branch has the authority to determine your eligibility.For more information on how to apply contact your parent military service branch: ARMY: Department of the ArmyU.S. Army Physical Disability AgencyCombat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC)200 Stovall StreetAlexandria, Virginia 22332-0470Toll-free: 1-866-281-3254Hours: 8am - 8pm ESTE-mail your questions to: CRSC.info@us.army.milOr visit: http://www.crsc.army.milNAVY AND MARINE CORPS:Department of Navy Naval Council of Personnel BoardsCombat-Related Special Compensation Branch720 Kennon Street S.E., Suite 309 Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5023Toll free 1-877-366-2772 Or visit the Navy CRSC Review Board website.AIR FORCE:United States Air Force Personnel CenterDisability Division (CRSC)550 C Street West, Suite 6Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4708(Toll Free 1-800-616-3775) Fax: 1-210-565-1101E-Mail: afpc.dppdc.afcrsc@randolph.af.milOr visit the Air Force CRSC websiteCOAST GUARD:Commander (adm-1-CRSC)U.S. Coast Guard Personnel Command 4200 Wilson BlvdArlington VA 22203Click here for Frequently Asked Questions about the new Concurrent Receipt and Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) laws.Back to TopGot questions or concerns? If you have any questions or find any information that you believe is incorrect please e-mail us at benefits@military-inc.com.Print this page Email to friends Newsletter signup Pay LinksActive Duty Pay2008 Proposed Pay Charts Special Pays 2008 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) 2008 Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) Military Pay Basics See All
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Misdirected Email Doomed Convoy

2008-04-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

April 09, 2008Military.comby Joseph R. Chenelly Four year ago today, an unarmored, undermanned convoy of fuel trucks was erroneously sent directly into some of the fiercest fighting Iraq had seen. When the smoke cleared, nine Americans lay dead, 17 were seriously wounded and two missing in action. One still is.An Army after-action report obtained exclusively by Military.com shows it all could have been avoided but for grievous errors made when accuracy mattered most - from pre-mission assessments of how dangerous the route was to a misdirected email that would have stopped the convoy before it ever left the base.The 280-page report calls for a deeper investigation into the botched e-mail and other errors running up to the tragic events of April 9, 2004. But despite numerous queries, the Army won't say whether such an investigation has or will take place -- and the military hasn't announced any disciplinary action for the mistakes leading up to the ambush.It took nearly four full years to account for the whereabouts of every Soldier killed that day, and a contractor who was working for Kellogg, Brown and Root remains MIA but is presumed dead. Staff Sgt. Keith "Matt" Maupin was a private first-class when he was captured during the ambush. He was promoted several times while he was missing for nearly four years. His remains were located northwest of Baghdad in late March of this year.One other civilian contractor, Timothy Bell, is still unaccounted for.Driving into fireWhen the 24 Soldiers and 19 contractors pulled out of the gate at Logistical Support Area Anaconda near Balad, Iraq, on that April morning, they had no idea that more than half of them would be killed, captured or wounded that day.The after-action report, which was part of a command-requested inquiry, shows that communication breakdowns had terrible consequences.A battalion tasked with tracking dangerous conditions on supply routes was so mixed up that its Soldiers were reporting three different threat levels for the route the convoy took.Originally prepared to head north, the convoy had its destination changed to Baghdad International Airport - south - just a few hours before it was set to hit the road that day. Next, and only minutes before it was set to depart, the convoy's route to the airport was changed; code named Alternate Supply Route "Sword," it was to take them to the airport's north gate. Then, just before the doomed line of vehicles pulled through the gate to leave, an e-mail intended to halt the convoy was sent to the wrong address.The Army report, written by a major working for Col. Gary Bunch, the commander of 172nd Corps Support Group, states: "The information that was not forwarded had a direct influence into the outcome of this convoy. If the information was properly sent to subordinate units, action could have been taken to potentially minimize impact of hostile engagement with the 724th [Transportation Company] convoy."These costly mistakes sent 19 unarmored fuel tankers driven by civilian contractors and guarded by a single platoon from the 724th, a Reserve company out of Illinois, down "IED alley" and into a battle between the 1st Cavalry Division and hundreds of insurgents.By the end of the attack on the convoy, every vehicle was damaged and more than half were destroyed.According to interviews with Soldiers and the Army report, the fuel convoy was hit just outside the airport by one of the largest coordinated ambushes any coalition force had faced in Iraq to date - with the fighting covering a five-mile stretch."There is no way to exaggerate what was happening and what it looked like," recalled Spc. Jarob Walsh, who was riding shotgun in a Kellogg, Brown and Root fuel tanker. "The most horrible thing you could imagine is what it looked like. Bodies everywhere, trucks on fire and exploding."The seven vehicles that escorted the fuel convoy included armored Humvees and 5-ton gun trucks with heavy machine guns. Some of the 5-tons' "armor" consisted of three-quarter-inch plywood, according to one Soldier. None had ballistic windshields.The color of dangerAccording to the report, the route that the convoy traveled was on that day classified as black - the most dangerous of all conditions. But that information may never have gotten to those who planned the route that morning. After the attack, Soldiers of the 49th Movement Control Battalion's Highway Section told investigators Alternate Supply Route Sword was rated black, the report states, but on the morning of April 9 the section's secure Web site indicated the route was red, less dangerous. Meanwhile, the officer in charge of the 152nd Movement Control Team at Anaconda recalled in the report that he thought the status of ASR Sword was amber.However you want to color it, the route had a reputation as dangerous.An unidentified Soldier with the 49th said in the report that the route to the north gate was rarely used and had always been a hot spot, adding: "The route had been tagged IED alley."The route the convoy originally was supposed to take was Major Supply Route Tampa, and the Army's report shows that a fuel convoy that left Anaconda just 30 minutes earlier and took that route arrived at the airport unscathed.Didn't get the emailThe investigation shows that the 13th Corps Support Command's G-3 section mishandled a critical e-mail that should have stopped or redirected the convoy. The G-3 first sent an e-mail to the 172nd's operations section at 9:54 a.m., saying the 724th convoy was to be redirected through ASR Sword to the airport's north gate. It is unclear where this order originated.Three minutes later, the same G-3 Soldier sent another e-mail to cancel the redirection down ASR Sword."Sorry, it looks like Sword is closed until further notice. I am trying to deconflict," the e-mail read.But the only person to receive that second e-mail was the Soldier who sent it. He accidentally addressed the e-mail to himself only. The sender's name was blacked out in the edited version of the report.Less than 10 minutes later the convoy was rolling toward the ambush.The Soldiers killed in the ambush were Sgt. Elmer Krause, 40; Spc. Greg Goodrich, 37; and Maupin who was 20 when captured. The contractors killed were Steven Fisher, 43; William Bradley, 50; Steven Hulett, 48; Jack Montegue, 52; Jeffrey Parker, 45; Tony Johnson, 47; and presumably Bell, who was 61 at the time.The Army called the recovery effort of Maupin "Operation Trojan Honor" after the mascot of his Cincinnati high school, Glen Este. A tip from an Iraqi citizen led to the recovery of Maupin's remains March 20 in the Abu Ghraib area- about 12 miles from where he was captured.Although the Army finally found its last Soldier from the disastrous mission, many questions remain for families and those who were on the convoy."Really, the public hasn't been told what we did that day," said Sgt. Matthew Bohm, a gunner in the 724th who was in the rear of the convoy. "The full story needs to come out."

Civil War-era Soldier Graves Robbed

2008-04-15T06:44:00.000-07:00

April 09, 2008Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Working in secret, federal archaeologists have dug up the remains of dozens of Soldiers and children near a Civil War-era fort after an informant tipped them off about widespread grave-looting. The exhumations, conducted from August to October, removed 67 skeletons from the parched desert soil around Fort Craig - 39 men, two women and 26 infants and children, according to two federal archaeologists who helped with the dig. They also found scores of empty graves and determined 20 had been looted. The government kept its exhumation of the unmarked cemetery near the historic New Mexico fort out of the public's eye for months to prevent more thefts. The investigation began with a tip about an amateur historian who had displayed the mummified remains of a black Soldier, draped in a Civil War-era uniform, in his house. Investigators say the historian, Dee Brecheisen, may have been a prolific looter who spotted historical sites from his plane. Brecheisen died in 2004 and although it was not clear whether the looting continued after his death, authorities exhumed the unprotected site to prevent future thefts. "As an archaeologist, you want to leave a site in place for preservation ... but we couldn't do that because it could be looted again," Jeffery Hanson, of the Bureau of Reclamation, told The Associated Press. The remains are being studied by Bureau of Reclamation scientists, who are piecing together information on their identities. They will eventually be reburied at other national cemeteries. Most of the men are believed to have been Soldiers - Fort Craig protected settlers in the West from American Indian raids and played a role in the Civil War. Union troops stationed there fought the Confederacy as it moved into New Mexico from Texas in 1862. The children buried there may have been local residents treated by doctors at the former frontier outpost, officials said. Federal officials learned of the looting in November 2004, when Don Alberts, a retired historian for Kirtland Air Force Base, tipped them off about a macabre possession he'd seen at Brecheisen's home about 30 years earlier. Alberts described seeing the mummified remains of a black Soldier with patches of brown flesh clinging to facial bones and curly hair on top of its skull. Alberts said the body had come from Fort Craig. "The first thing we did was laughed because who would believe such a story," Hanson said. "But then we quickly decided we better go down and check it out." Weeks later, Hanson and fellow archaeologist Mark Hungerford surveyed the cemetery site and found numerous holes - evidence of unauthorized digging. While records show the cemetery had been disinterred twice by the Army in the late 1800s, it wasn't known how many bodies remained. Hanson said ground-penetrating radar revealed the Army left behind about one-third of the bodies. A lack of funding and various federal procedures delayed the excavation until last summer. Brecheisen's son told authorities where the mummified remains from his father's home were, and a person who hasn't been publicly identified handed them over - including a more-than-century-old skull packaged in a brown paper bag. Alberts said that skull, which still had hair attached, was the one he'd seen years earlier. Authorities also found some Civil War and American Indian artifacts in Brecheisen's home, but the display rooms that showcased Brecheisen's collections had already been emptied out and auctioned off by his family after his death, Hanson said. Investigators believe Brecheisen did most of his looting alone, but they also know he dug with close friends and family at the Fort Craig site. Some who accompanied him led authorities to the grave sites, Hanson said. Brecheisen was a decorated Vietnam veteran and flew for the Air National Guard during a 26-year military career. His family described him as "one of the state's foremost preservationists of historical facts and sites" in his obituary. Those close to Brecheisen said his looting may have been motivated by anger toward the Bureau of Land Management, but no further details were available. Alberts described him as a collector; it wasn't clear whether Brecheisen sold any of the items. Investigators believe he also dug up grave sites in Fort Thorn and Fort Conrad in southern New Mexico as well as prehistoric American Indian burial sites in the Four Corners region. Hungerford said they also believe he may have taken the Fort Craig burial plot map, which is missing from the National Archives. The criminal case against Brecheisen was closed upon his death and there are no plans to investigate his family members, assistant U.S. Attorney Mary McCulloch said. Alberts said he asked Brecheisen to come clean. "I had urged him to simply return the remains, about 10, 15 years before he got ill. I offered to act as an honest broker to the deal and see that they were returned, but I didn't get a response," Alberts said. "I didn't want to get a friend in trouble." He added: "But you look back and think you would have done everything differently if you would have known everything was going to disappear."

Deployment Guide

2008-04-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

FUND FOR VETERANS' EDUCATION ANNOUNCES NEW ROUND OF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR VETERANS RETURNING FROM IRAQ AND AFGHANISTANFVE will award up to $3.5 million in 2008-09 in undergraduate scholarships for veterans returning From Iraq and Afghanistan. Applications are available beginning April 1st for the fall 2008 term. The next application deadline is June 15, 2008. The awards, which may be renewed for the following academic year, are intended to cover financial need not met with need-based grants and military education benefits. For more information and application, visit http://www.veteransfund.org.

Veterans Eligible for Pension Money they are not Asking for no told about

2008-04-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone These are Veterans or their survivors, at least sixty five years old, making up to one thousand dollars a month. In some cases they many be allowed to make more if they can deduct medical expenses that are not reimbursed. Homes and a certain amount of land as talked about in this email are not counted as assets. One of the reasons they are not getting their money is because the application is in my opinion extremely ignorant in length. If many companies in this country were not so selfish our veterans could be better. I guess it would really kill the media to do a public service announcement for our veteans to have a better life. To put a thirty second announcement on once a day every day of the year every year. Imagine how much our veterans and their survivors could learn. And by the way if one of these people were to say to me, oh sure we just give them the information free with no payment for the commeercial. Well folks the day that any of these veterans, our veterans, Iam not talking about myself, stepped foot onto any hostile land where a war was going on anytime in the history of this nation, that was their payment. This includes any veteran no matter how he or she was at wars end. I absolutely detest it when someone, inculding the VA, says to a veteran, well since you were not wounded or had something else happen to you we are placing you in category seven or eight and therefore we are not even going to allow you to have even one pill or any prescription. This is not alleged. I personally know veterans who this has happened to and even I could not get them help. They make their thirty three thousand dollars a year for the veteran and his wife or the veteran and her husband and: I am paraphrasing her everyone and these are my words and not the words said: Go home and take care of yourself even if you did fight in World War II especially because those are the ones I hear from most oftern. Well soon the ones that do this will not have to worry because they will be like the World War I veterans and then they will all have died and they can save their prescription money and anything else that veterans in category seven and eight do not get. And you can thank your corgressmen and women for this some years ago. Of course what do you expect when I personally know of a Disabled American Veterans Commander that went to Washington D.C. and a congress fool, not man or woman but fool, told this commander that neither congrress or this nation owed him or any other veterans anything. Now I realize there are may congressmen and women who are good to the veterans and some Heroes in government also. I was just goiing to send the article and say Good Morning but it just does not work like that for me sometimes when I feel that our veterans and Heroes are not taken care of as they deserve. Of course it is not as bad as I have told some of you when our World War I veterans wanted some Bonus Money becasue they were starving. They went to Washington D.C. set up a tent city. President Hoover order the Heroes to be run out of town. That is when Patton, MacArthur, and Eisenhower, burned down their ten city, and killed two of the veterans. Our own military fixed bayonets. There were two of our Veterans killed and two babies were murdered. The veterans than went to Florida and worked on one of the highways being built at that time because their families were starving. A Hurricane came along and killed some of the veteans. The country becamed outraged finally and congress gave them their bonuse. The money however did not help the two veterans killed or the two babies murdered. Many people know the story of how Patton slapped the soldier in World War II but not many know what he did in Washington D.C. to our war Heroes and their families. Now recently there have been threatened impeachments of presidents, hatred or presidents, no matter what the political parties. What do you think would happen if either of the three running for president or the one that is president ordered our Army to attack our current veterans and killed two veterans and murdered two babies?

Study Faults Charities for Veterans

2008-04-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Some Nonprofits Shortchange Troops, Watchdog Group SaysBy Philip RuckerWashington Post Staff WriterThursday, December 13, 2007; A01Americans gave millions of dollars in the past year to veterans charities designed to help troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, but several of the groups spent relatively little money on the wounded, according to a leading watchdog organization and federal tax filings.Eight veterans charities, including some of the nation's largest, gave less than a third of the money raised to the causes they champion, far below the recommended standard, the American Institute of Philanthropy says in a report. One group passed along 1 cent for every dollar raised, the report says. Another paid its founder and his wife a combined $540,000 in compensation and benefits last year, a Washington Post analysis of tax filings showed.There are no laws regulating the amount of money charities spend on overhead, fundraising or giving. But the institute's report suggests that 20 of the 29 military charities studied were managing their resources poorly, paying high overhead costs and direct-mail fundraising fees and, in some cases, providing their leaders with six-figure salaries.The 12 charities rated as failing by the institute -- including the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, the AMVETS National Service Foundation and the Freedom Alliance -- collected at least $266 million in the past fiscal year."They know how to work the system, and they seem pretty good at not going over the line, although it is pretty outrageous that so little money is actually winding up benefiting charities," said Daniel Borochoff, president and founder of the Chicago-based institute.The charities' practices have sparked outrage among some members of Congress.The House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform was scheduled to hold its first hearing on veterans charities this morning."People want to help the veterans," said Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), a member of the oversight committee. "They don't want to enrich organizations that are cynically exploiting veterans for their own personal gain."We need to make sure that the generous contributions of Americans to veterans will help veterans and not line the pockets of fundraisers and these organizations."Richard H. Esau Jr., executive director of the Military Order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, based in Annandale, said the cost of fundraising limits how much his group can spend on charitable causes. "Do you have any idea how much money it costs to advertise? It's unbelievable the amount of money it takes to advertise in the print and electronic media," he said. "I'm very proud of what we do, and we certainly do look after everybody. F or no F, the point is we do the right thing by veterans."Borochoff said many veterans charities are "woefully inefficient," spending large sums on costly direct-mail advertising."They oversolicit. They love to send out a lot of trinkets and stickers and greeting cards and flags and things that waste a lot of money that they get little return on," said Borochoff, who plans to testify before Congress today.The philanthropy institute gave F's to 12 of the 29 military charities reviewed and D's to eight. Five were awarded A-pluses, including the Fisher House Foundation in Rockville, which the institute says directs more than 90 percent of its income to charitable causes.One group received an A, and one received an A-minus.Jim Weiskopf, spokesman for Fisher House, said the charity does not use direct-mail advertising. "As soon as you do direct mail, your fundraising expenses go up astronomically," he said.One egregious example, Borochoff said, is Help Hospitalized Veterans, which was founded in 1971 by Roger Chapin, a veteran of the Army Finance Corps and a San Diego real estate developer. The charity, which provides therapeutic arts and crafts kits to hospitalized veterans, reported income of $71.3 million last year and spent about one-third of that money on charitable work, the philanthropy institute said.In its tax filings, Help Hospitalized Veterans reported paying more than $4 million to direct-mail fundraising consultants. The group also has run television advertisements featuring actor Sam Waterston, game show host Pat Sajak and other celebrities.Chapin, 75, the charity's president, received $426,434 in salary and benefits in the past fiscal year, according to a filing with the Internal Revenue Service. His wife, Elizabeth, 73, received $113,623 in salary and benefits as "newsletter editor," the Post's review of the tax filing showed.Chapin and other leaders of Help Hospitalized Veterans did not return calls for comment. But the charity e-mailed a statement stating that it is among "the finest veterans' charities this nation has to offer." The statement also said its "fundraising expenses, accounting methods, and executive salaries are comparable to other nonprofits in this field."Bennett Weiner, chief operating officer of the Better Business Bureau, said the agency has 20 standards for reviewing charities, including that a charity's fundraising and overhead costs not exceed 35 percent of total contributions.Weiner, who is scheduled to testify before the House committee today, said he could not comment specifically on veterans charities until after his testimony.Advocates for veterans said they worry that scrutiny could damage military charities in general."In the rush to help, there's a lot of innovative work and good work happening, but there's also a lot of fraud and waste," said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "There's never been a greater need for veterans charities in a generation, and I hope issues like this don't deter people from giving."Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), one of Congress's leading critics of charities, said some of the groups are abusing their tax-exempt status."Taxpayers are subsidizing that tax exemption," Grassley said through a spokeswoman. "Sitting on donors' money or spending too much on contracts and salaries doesn't benefit the public."Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), a member of the oversight committee, wants veterans charities to be held accountable."I hope there is an explanation, but it seems that most of the funds they raise never reach the veteran community," Sarbanes said through a spokeswoman. "Some of the practices being described are simply outrageous."Rick Cohen, an expert on nonprofit groups and former executive director of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, called the spending decisions of some charities "grotesque.""I think in light of the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war, these veterans are the people who we should really be protecting and not using as excuses or avenues for ripping off charity philanthropy," Cohen said.Staff researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.

VA lies about having compensation records and only releases after threatened with law suit

2008-04-15T06:40:00.002-07:00

VA Takes Nine Months to Locate Data on Disability Claims by Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan WarsReport Indicates that 1 in 4 Veterans of theGlobal War on Terrorism Claim DisabilitiesFor more information contact:Meredith Fuchs/Catherine Nielsen - 202/994-7000
Washington DC, October 10, 2006 - One in four veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars are filing disability claims, according to records released by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) under the Freedom of Information Act after nine months of denying their existence and posted today on the National Security Archive Web site.The VA responded to the Archive's original January 2006 FOIA request for documents about the number of disability benefits claims filed by veterans from the current war in Iraq by claiming that no documents existed, apparently because the reports concern the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) rather than being limited to the Iraq War. Notably, one of the reports indicates that GWOT is the "military name for the current wars in and around Afghanistan and Iraq." A similar report was released in December 2005 detailing Gulf War veterans' benefit activity. An updated copy of this report was released in March 2006.Only after the Archive administratively appealed the VA's "no documents" claims and advised the VA that it was prepared to file a lawsuit did the agency manage to locate the records. One is a January 30, 2006, document: "Compensation and Pension Benefit Activity Among 464,144 Veterans Deployed to the Global War on Terror." It reports that more than 150,000 deployed Operation Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (Iraq) veterans, out of more than 560,000 veterans of the Global War on Terrorism (GWOT), filed disability compensation and pension benefits claims with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). The other is a July 20, 2006, document: "Compensation and Pension Benefit Activity Among Veterans of the Global War on Terrorism."Veterans' groups have criticized the VA for using emergency appropriations to fund veterans' benefits rather than realistically planning and budgeting for the veterans' needs. According to Veterans for America, the newly released data suggests official estimates dramatically understate the future cost of the current Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. If the current trend continues, then VA could receive as many as 400,000 disability claims from the 1.6 million deployed active duty and reserve service members in the Global War on Terrorism. Jonathan Powers, Associate Director of Veterans for America and an Iraq War veteran, warned, "VA already has a backlog, and the claims process is only going to get worse unless VA takes action now. VA has no plan or funding to process and pay existing and future claims to ensure our veterans promptly receive the disability benefits and healthcare care they earned."In its most recent FOIA Annual Report, the VA purported to process 1.9 million FOIA requests during FY 2005, with a median processing time of 11 days. Meredith Fuchs, the Archive's General Counsel, expressed dismay at how the FOIA request was handled: "For the agency to take nine months to 'find' information that is of clear current public interest in the context of the ongoing Global War on Terrorism is astounding. It is one thing for VA to be reluctant to deliver bad news, but another thing entirely to deny the existence of the information."

Lines of Duty and Personnel Being injured with non combat injuries

2008-04-15T06:40:00.001-07:00

Hello everyoneIn the past few months I have had three soldiers that have come back and tried to get help for an injury and after being discharged they went to the VA for help and had no Line of Duty.Any leader in the military worth anything knows that if a soldier is hurt in an accident that a Line of Duty paper is completed with all appropirate signatures an then it is forwarded up the chain for approval or disapproval.No proof of a line of duty means no help from the VA. One involves surgery that is need and the soldier is not going to get it until documentation can prove she was injured.And tell the soldiers to keep copies of everything. Do not depend on the military to keep your records for any future medical help needed.

Links of Interest

2008-04-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

ALPHABETICAL SITE INDEX
http://www.dod.mil/ra/documents/mobil/topics_a-z.htm

Horrible amount of our young Women who have died in the war

2008-03-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

As of 6 March, 2008 we have had ninety two women die in Iraq Fifty Six through hostil fire and thirty six through non hostil which also include any suicides. We have had thirteen die in Afghanistan and only three of these were by hostil means..

Battlemind

2008-03-06T17:32:00.001-08:00

'Battlemind' is the Soldier's inner strength to face fear and adversity with courage. Key components include: Self confidence: taking calculated risks and handling challenges. Mental toughness: overcoming obstacles or setbacks and maintaining positive thoughts during times of adversity and challenge. Battlemind skills helped you survive in combat, but may cause you problems if not adapted when you get home. Battlemind Training I, Transitioning from Combat Home: Trifold introduces Battlemind Training, Developed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. (Adobe PDF, Opens in New Window, 256 KB) Battlemind Training II, Continuing the Transition Home: Trifold continues Battlemind Training, Developed by the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research Land Combat Study Team.

Wartime Raises Stress, Blood Pressure Rates In Military Offspring

2008-03-05T21:32:00.000-08:00

ScienceDaily (Feb. 12, 2007) — Children with parents in the military have higher blood pressure, heart rates and general stress levels than their peers during wartime, researchers say.
See also: Health & MedicineHeart Disease Hypertension Workplace Health Mind & BrainStress Mental Health Depression ReferenceGulf War syndrome Blood pressure Baby colic Coronary heart disease Researchers looked at 121adolescents – including 48 with civilian parents, 20 with a parent deployed to Iraq and 53 with a parent in the military but not deployed – days after Operation Iraqi Freedom was launched in March 2003 and nearly three months later when President Bush announced major hostilities had ceased.At both points, adolescent offspring of military personnel self-reported higher levels of stress and measures of blood pressure and heart rates supported that. “We expected stress levels would push up blood pressure and heart rates,” says Dr. Vernon Barnes, physiologist at the Medical College of Georgia and principal author of a paper published in the January issue of Military Medicine.Dr. Barnes and his colleagues used a posttraumatic stress disorder questionnaire developed by the military for personnel and modified for adolescents, a survey to assess psychosocial concerns such as sense of well-being and faith in government as well as more objective heart rate and blood pressure measures.Not surprisingly, they found that particularly adolescents with deployed parents had higher rates than their classmates. Studies were done at the Academy of Richmond County, a high school in Augusta, Ga., attended by many children whose parents are stationed at Fort Gordon.Acknowledging that the study size was small and did not assess non-war related stressors, the researchers note that the physical impact of the war on military offspring merits attention. “We are not aware of any studies examining the impact of the onset of the war on both stress levels and blood pressure of military offspring,” Dr. Barnes says.
There is evidence of the impact of environmental stress on blood pressure and heart rate, important indicators of cardiovascular health, he says. “Certainly the stress response is increased in soldiers, but this research indicates that it’s also increased in the families they leave behind.”“Given the continued presence of U.S. soldiers deployed to (Operation Iraqi Freedom) and mounting casualties, these findings suggest that youth with family members in the military, particularly those deployed overseas, may warrant increased attention of parents, educators and counselors during this period of active conflict,” researchers write. “Further research is warranted to determine whether stress reduction interventions may be effective in reducing stress levels and associated indices of sympathetic nervous system arousal in children of military personnel.”The work was funded in part by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; a research abstract was presented at the American Psychosomatic Society’s 2004 annual meeting.Adapted from materials provided by Medical College of Georgia.Need to cite this story in your essay, paper, or report? Use one of the following formats: APA
MLA Medical College of Georgia (2007, February 12). Wartime Raises Stress, Blood Pressure Rates In Military Offspring. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 24, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2007/02/070210170516.htm

Military Sexual Trauma: Issues in Caring for Veterans

2008-03-05T21:31:00.001-08:00

Amy Street, Ph.D. and Jane Stafford, Ph.D. What is Military Sexual Trauma? Military sexual trauma refers to both sexual harassment and sexual assault that occurs in military settings. Both men and women can experience military sexual trauma and the perpetrator can be of the same or of the opposite gender. A general definition of sexual harassment is unwelcome verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that occurs in the workplace or an academic or training setting. Sexual harassment includes gender harassment (e.g., put you down because of your gender), unwanted sexual attention (e.g., made offensive remarks about your sexual activities or your body) and sexual coercion (e.g., implied special treatment if you were sexually cooperative). Sexual assault is any sort of sexual activity between at least two people in which one of the people is involved against his or her will. Physical force may or may not be used. The sexual activity involved can include many different experiences including unwanted touching, grabbing, oral sex, anal sex, sexual penetration with an object, and/or sexual intercourse. People tend to think that only women experience sexual trauma, however, this is not the case. In 1995 the Department of Defense conducted a large study of sexual victimization among active duty populations and found rates of sexual harassment to be 78% among women and 38% among men over a one-year period. Rates of attempted or completed sexual assault were 6% for women and 1% for men. Rates of military sexual trauma among veteran users of VA healthcare appear to be even higher than in general military populations. In one study, 23% of female users of VA healthcare reported experiencing at least one sexual assault while in the military.Does Military Sexual Trauma Occur during Wartime?Sexual trauma in the military does not occur only during training or peacetime and in fact, the stress of war may be associated with increases in rates of sexual harassment and assault.Research with Persian Gulf War military personnel conducted by Jessica Wolfe and her colleagues found that rates of sexual assault (7%), physical sexual harassment (33%) and verbal sexual harassment (66%) were higher than those typically found in peacetime military samples.Are There Unique Aspects of Sexual Trauma Associated with Military Service?While there is almost no empirical data comparing experiences of military sexual trauma with experiences of sexual harassment and assault that occur outside of military service, there is some anecdotal evidence that these experiences are unique and may be associated with qualitatively or quantitatively different psychological outcomes.Sexual trauma that is associated with military service most often occurs in a setting where the victim lives and works.In most cases, this means that victims must continue to live and work closely with their perpetrators, often leading to an increased sense of feeling helpless, powerless, and at risk for additional victimization. In addition, sexual victimization that occurs in this setting often means that victims are relying on their perpetrators (or associates of the perpetrator) to provide for basic needs including medical and psychological care. Similarly, because military sexual trauma occurs within the workplace, this form of victimization disrupts the career goals of many of its victims. Perpetrators are frequently peers or supervisors responsible for making decisions about work-related evaluations and promotions. In addition, victims are often forced to choose between continuing military careers during which they are forced to have frequent contact with their perpetrators or sacrificing their career goals in order to protect themselves from future victimization.Most military groups are characterized by high unit cohesion, particularly during combat. While this level of solidarity typically reflects a positive aspect of military service, the dynamics of cohesion may play a role in the negative psychological effects associated with sexual harassment and assault that occurs. Because organizational cohesion is so highly valued within the military environment, divulging any negative information about a fellow soldier is considered taboo. Accordingly, many victims are reluctant to report sexual trauma and many victims say that there were no available methods for reporting their experiences to those in authority. Many indicate that if they did report the harassment they were not believed or encouraged to keep silent about the experience. They may have had their reports ignored, or even worse, have been themselves blamed for the experience. Having this type of invalidating experience following a sexual trauma is likely to have a significant negative impact on the victim’s post-trauma adjustment.What Type of Psychological Responses are Associated with Military Sexual Trauma Victimization? Given the range of sexual victimization experiences that veterans report (ranging from inappropriate sexual jokes or flirtation, to pressure for sexual favors, to completed forcible rape) there are a wide range of emotional reactions reported by veterans in response to these events. Even in the aftermath of severe forms of victimization, there is no one way that victims will respond. Instead, the intensity, duration, and trajectory of psychological responses will all vary based on factors like the veterans’ previous trauma history, their appraisal of the traumatic event, and the quality of their support systems following the trauma. In addition, the victim’s gender may play a role in the intensity of the post-trauma reactions. While the types of psychological reactions experienced by men and women are often similar, the experience of sexual victimization may be even more stigmatizing for men than it is for women because these victimization experiences fall so far outside of the proscribed male gender role. Accordingly, men may experience more severe symptomatology than women, may be more likely to feel shame about their victimization, and may be less likely to seek professional help.Among both men and women in the active duty military, sexual harassment is associated with poorer psychological well-being, more physical problems and lower satisfaction with health and work. Female veterans who use VA healthcare and report a history of sexual trauma while in the military also report a range of negative outcomes, including poorer psychological and physical health, more readjustment problems following discharge (i.e., difficulties finding work, alcohol and drug problems), and a greater incidence of not working due to mental health problems. Studies of sexual assault among civilian populations identify posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a frequent outcome. Sexual assault victimization is associated with high lifetime rates of PTSD in both men (65%) and women (45.9%). Interestingly, these rates are higher than the rate reported by men following combat exposure (38.8%). Major depressive disorder (MDD) is another common reaction following sexual assault, with research suggesting that almost a third of sexual assault victims have at least one period of MDD during their lives. Victims of sexual assault may also report increased substance use, perhaps as a means of managing other psychological symptoms. One large-scale study found that compared to non-victims, rape survivors were 3.4 times more likely to use marijuana, 6 times more likely to use cocaine, and 10 times more likely to use other major drugs. In addition to these psychological conditions, victims of sexual trauma may continue to struggle with a range of other symptoms that interfere with their quality of life. Common emotional reactions include anger and shame, guilt or self-blame. Victims of sexual trauma may report problems in their interpersonal relationships, including difficulties with trust, difficulties engaging in social activities or sexual dysfunction. Male victims of sexual trauma may also express concern about their sexuality or their masculinity.How Has the VA Responded to the Problem of Military Sexual Trauma? Given the alarming prevalence rates of sexual harassment and sexual assault among military veterans, it has been necessary for the VA to respond actively to the healthcare needs of veterans impacted by these experiences. In July 1992, a series of hearings on women veterans’ issues by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee first brought the problem of military sexual trauma to policy makers’ attention. Congress responded to these hearings by passing Public Law 102-585, which was signed into law in November of 1992. Among other things, Public Law 102-805 authorized health care and counseling to women veterans to overcome psychological trauma resulting from experiences of sexual assault or sexual harassment during their military service. Later laws expanded this benefit to male veterans as well as female veterans, repealed limitations on the required duration of service, and extended the provision of these benefits until the year 2005. Following the passage of these public laws, a series of VA directives mandated universal screening of all veterans for a history of military sexual trauma and mandated that each facility identify a Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator to oversee the screening and treatment referral process.Are There Screening, Assessment or Treatment Issues That Are Unique to Sexual Assault and Harassment? ScreeningIt is important to screen all veterans for a history of sexual harassment and assault. Not only is universal screening mandated by VA, it also represents good clinical practice given the high prevalence rates of military sexual trauma among male and female veterans and the reluctance of many sexual trauma survivors to volunteer information about their trauma histories. Screening for all forms of trauma exposure should be approached with compassion and sensitivity, but screening for a histo

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Emotional Health and Well-Being

2008-03-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

"I didn't know why I needed to drink or wanted to drink. But Vietnam was never very far away when I did." - Vietnam veteran Ron Shepard Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) doesn't always occur alone. Other medical conditions, such as depression and alcohol abuse, often occur with it.15Alcohol and drug abuse occur with PTSD in both men and women. More than half of men with PTSD have a problem with alcohol. Alcohol also is a problem in women with PTSD.4 Depression occurs more often than any other medical problem in women with PTSD, and it occurs often in men with PTSD.4 Suicide may be a concern in people with PTSD. Anger and fear often occur in people with PTSD. Close to half of men with PTSD have problems with their behavior, such as uncontrolled anger.4 Grief may affect post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). People who have been through a traumatic event and also have lost a loved one may have symptoms of PTSD for a longer time than those who have not lost a loved one.16 Panic attacks and feeling anxious often occur with PTSD.4 Physical health problems also may be linked to PTSD.17 WebMD Medical Reference from HealthwiseLast Updated: February 23, 2007This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.@ 1995-2007, Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Next Article: OverviewFAQsIn Their Own WordsSymptomsMilitary ConcernsTreatmentRecoveryEmotional Health and Well-BeingFamily and CommunityOther Places To Get HelpRelated InformationReferencesCredits

When War Is in the News

2008-03-05T21:29:00.000-08:00

By Judith A. Myers-WallsHuman Development SpecialistPurdue Extension
The United States is in a very long period of conflict as it attempts to fight the war on terrorism. Many troops have been deployed, and new men and women are sent overseas as others return. Government officials have spoken frequently about the need for military actions. The president has described some of the evil actions of the countries with which we have concerns.Children probably do not understand the politics of this situation. For many, especially the youngest children, war is a distant event, and they do not pay attention to it. But many others are likely to be confused. They see parents being deployed and leaving their children behind. Seeing children in the news attracts other children’s attention. They may wonder if their own parents will be called to go away. As they hear about deaths of soldiers they may become especially worried. Older children may be confused when they hear differing opinions and recommendations. Many words are being used that are not familiar to children.
Some parents are being deployed
For children whose parents are being deployed, there are special pressures. They need to deal with secrecy, uncertainty, separation, and major changes in their lifestyle. They will not know where the family member is going or when or even if he or she will return. The remaining parent needs to take on different roles. If both parents are in the military, the children may need to adjust to living with other relatives or substitute parents. They need to adjust again when the deployed family member returns home.When reservists are deployed, it is likely that they will not find themselves in the midst of a community that understands and provides supports for them. They may need to work harder to find help than personnel on bases or in military communities. It may be especially difficult for children who do not have any friends facing the same pressures.
Children may be confused
Most children are likely to be confused by the current events. Their confusion may vary depending on their age. Younger children will hear a number of unfamiliar words and may not understand what they mean. Many children may confuse Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran. They may confuse Osama bin Laden with Sadaam Hussein and other leaders. They also may have a hard time understanding why people are still dying if the war was said to be over. There are good reasons for children’s confusion; many adults are confused as well. Children, especially younger ones, also confuse fantasy with reality and historic events and figures with current ones. They may connect unrelated current events, such as assuming that the Columbia shuttle disaster or the Northeast blackout was related to the conflict with Iraq. They may be more sensitized to war and violence in general after the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
War may be a new topic for parents
Most parents do not include war in their daily conversations with children. Some never talk about it. Researchers at Purdue University conducted interviews with children and parents beginning several months after the Sept. 11 attacks. Almost 25 percent of parents reported that they never talked to their children about war. Over 40 percent of children reported that they hadn’t had such conversations with their parents. This means that some parents thought they talked about it, but the children either didn’t remember or didn’t recognize the topic. So some parents may need to discuss this topic with their children for the first time, and others may need to repeat some things they have said before.Full Story ->

Sources of information for military families facing deployment:
http://fcs.tamu.edu/military/military.htm
http://www.read2kids.org/uniting.htm
http://www.redcross.org/services/afes/0,1082,0_482_,00.html

Army Hospitals

2008-02-23T14:15:00.001-08:00

Army HospitalsFacilityWebsite PhoneUS Army Medical Department Website Redstone ArsenalFox Army Health Center 4100 Goss Rd. Alabama 35809-7000 Website 800-223-9531 Fort RuckerLyster Army Hospital Andrews Avenue Bldg. 301 Alabama 36362-5000 Website 334-255-7000 Ft. WainwrightBassett Army Community Hospital MEDDAC-Alaska 1060 Gaffney Rd #7440 Alaska 99703-7440 Website 800-478-5172 Fort HuachucaRaymond W. Bliss Army Health Clinic 45001 Winrow Avenue, Bldg. 45001 Arizona 85613-7040 Website 520-533-9200 US Army Health Clinic, Yuma Proving Ground 301 C Street Bldg 990 Yuma Arizona Website 928-328-2666 Southern CA Army Hospital California Website U.S. Army Health Clinic, Presidio - Monterey 422 Kit Carson Rd. Presidio - Monterey California 93944-5006 Website 831-242-5234 Ft. IrwinWeed Army Community Hospital Mary E. Walker Center Bldg. 170 Rm. 400 California 92310-5109 Website 760-380-3124 Fort CarsonEvans Army Hospital 7500 Cochrane Circle Colorado 80913-4604 Website 719-526-7000 DiLorenzo TRICARE Health Clinic PENTAGON 5801 Army Pentagon Corridor 8 Washington District of Columbia 20310-5801 Website Walter Reed Medical Center 6900 Georgia Ave. NW Washington District of Columbia 20307-5001 Website 202-782-3501 US Southern Command Health Clinic US Southern Command 3511 NW Doral Florida Website Fort GordonDwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center Bldg 300, Hospital Road Georgia 30905-5950 Website 706-787-5811 Fort McPhersonLawrence Joel Army Health Clinic 1701 Hardee Avenue, SW Georgia 30330-1062 Website 404-464-0408 Fort BenningMartin Army Community Hospital 7950 Martin Loop Georgia 31905-5637 Website (706) 544-2273 Fort StewartWinn Army Community Hospital 1061 Harmon Ave Georgia 31314-5111 Website (912) 370-6965 Tripler Army Medical Center 1 Jarrett White Road Honolulu Hawaii 96859-5000 Website (808) 433-2778 Fort RileyIrwin Army Community Hospital 600 Caisson Hill Road Kansas 66442-5037 Website 785-239-7720 Fort LeavenworthMunson Army Health Center, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 550 Pope Avenue Kansas 66027-2332 Website 913-684-6250
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Marine Corps News

2008-02-23T14:13:00.002-08:00

Nowhere to hide: AS missions keep Marine presence knownFeb. 20, 2008; Submitted on: 02/20/2008 06:46:56 AM ; Story ID#: 200822064656
By Lance Cpl. Jessica N. Aranda, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing

AL ASAD, Iraq (February 13, 2008) – A CH-53E Super Stallion belonging to Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361 participates in an Aero Scout mission across the Al Anbar Province Feb. 17. The Aero Scout mission merges the aviation and ground combat elements by employing the ground units to assess any sighted suspicious activities.
AL ASAD, Iraq (February 13, 2008) – Marines attached to Regimental Combat Team 5 hustle to re-board a CH-53E Super Stallion after assessing activities at a fishing camp in the Al Anbar Province Feb. 17. As the ground-combat element for an Aero Scout mission, Marines inspect any suspicious areas sighted by the pilots and mission commander.
AL ASAD, Iraq (February 13, 2008) – Marines attached to Regimental Combat Team 5 inspect nomadic tents and vehicles as part of an Aero Scout mission Feb. 17. Aero Scout missions have accounted for the collection of 8,000 pounds of ordnance and the destruction of improvised explosive device factories .
AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 20, 2008) -- Aerial reconnaissance dates back to the usage of hot-air balloons and advances to the newest unmanned aerial vehicles, which assist in obtaining imagery across the Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
In 2007, the Marine Corps began launching a unique mission, merging the air and ground combat elements. These Aero Scout missions deploy troops to immediately search and assess any sighted suspicious activities across the Multi National Forces West area of operations.
“We’re keeping our eyes on vast areas and maintaining an awareness of what’s out there,” said Capt. William Boulware, a pilot with Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 361. “We’re multiplying the capabilities of the ground combat element by stretching their legs to places they normally don’t patrol.”

These missions also provide a presence of security to locals who are supporting the efforts of the coalition forces, explained Boulware.
Aero Scout missions typically consist of the combined efforts of rotary-wing and fixed-wing aircraft. The F/A-18D Hornets fly above the helicopters, scouting out the areas and obtaining situational awareness.
A UH-1N Huey and an AH-1W Super Cobra provide armed reconnaissance and communicate with the CH-53E Super Stallions, taking the rear of the flight formation.
“We look for anything out-of-the-ordinary,” said Maj. Keith Pierce, a UH-1N pilot with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 773. “The beauty of the mission is the aviation and ground elements develop a collective intuition. Once we spot a suspicious area, we relay the information to the ground commander, who forms an opinion on whether to land or not.”
The ground commander, his platoon of infantrymen, Iraqi Security Forces and translators travel aboard the Super Stallions, prepared to investigate an area upon landing. When the ground commander makes a decision to land, the troops deplane, set up security and begin their assessments.
At this time, the Huey and Cobra provide close air support to the Marines on the ground or seize the opportunity to refuel.
Other than surveying a location for enemy activity and weapons caches, the Marines also provide humanitarian relief to the locals.
Aero Scout missions have led to the confiscation of approximately 8,000 pounds of homemade explosives, the detainment of insurgents and oil-smugglers and the destruction of improvised explosive device factories and insurgent training camps.
Aero Scouts have proven their effectiveness and continue to become more successful with each subsequent mission, explained Maj. Brett Giordano, the operations officer and pilot with HMH-361.

CamPen remembers Iwo Jima during 65th anniversary ceremony

2008-02-23T14:13:00.001-08:00

Feb. 21, 2008; Submitted on: 02/21/2008 05:24:01 PM ; Story ID#: 200822117241
By Lance Cpl. Spencer M. Hardwick, MCB Camp Pendleton

Actors re-enact the historic flag raising at the South Mesa Club here Sunday. More than 400 service members, veterans and family attended the ceremony.
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2008) -- It’s been 63 years since Marines from the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Marine Division stormed the beach of Iwo Jima, but their memory is far from forgotten. Fallen brothers and veterans who fought on the sands of Iwo Jima were remembered during the Iwo Jima Commemorative Banquet held at the South Mesa Staff Noncommissioned Officers’ Club here Sunday.
“This is the only way that we know how to remember our fallen brothers,” said retired Gunnery Sgt. Damaso H. Situs, an Iwo Jima veteran who served with the 3rd Service Battalion, Service and Support Company, 3rd Marine Division. “The base really just opens its doors and provides all the assets we need. It just really means a lot to us to have the opportunity to do this every year.”
The banquet began with a sunset memorial facing the Pacific Ocean. Iwo Jima survivors, fired a three-round volley, played Taps and placed a wreath on a memorial. Just before dinner was served, a living statue of the flag-raising on Iwo Jima was unveiled.
Many prominant Marines were in attendance, including Lt. Gen. Samuel Helland, the Commanding General of I Marine Expeditionary Force, and Gen. James N. Mattis, the United States Joint Forces commander and the Supreme Allied Commander for Transformation for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Col. James B. Seaton III also atended the event.
“Nothing is tougher than what they went through on the sands of Iwo,” Mattis said, the guest of honor for the ceremony. “Their bravery just shows us that if we can take Iwo Jima, we can take anything.” For some, the ceremony brought back many memories and had a deeper meaning.

“I lost my father and my uncle on Iwo,” said retired Sgt. Maj. Bill E. Paxton, who served as the Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton sergeant major. “That’s when I made up my mind that I wanted to become a Marine. I wanted to be like them and honor their memory.”

Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS)

2008-02-23T14:12:00.001-08:00

The FCS (BCT) Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) program is divided into two major subgroups of sensing systems: Tactical-UGS (T-UGS), which includes Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR)-UGS and Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN)- UGS; and Urban-UGS (U-UGS), also known as Urban Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Advanced Sensor System (UMASS).
The ISR-UGS will be modular and composed of tailorable sensor groups using multiple ground-sensing technologies. An Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) field will include multimode sensors for target detection, location and classification; and an imaging capability for target identification. A sensor field will also include a gateway node to provide sensor fusion and a long-haul interoperable communications capability for transmitting target or SA information to a remote operator, or the common operating picture through the FCS (BCT) JTRS Network. The UGS can be used to perform mission tasks such as perimeter defense, surveillance, target acquisition and situational awareness (SA), including Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-yield Explosive (CBRN) early warning.
The Urban-UGS will provide a low cost, network-enabled reporting system for SA and force protection in an urban setting, as well as residual protection for cleared areas of Urban Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) environments. They can be hand-employed by Soldiers or robotic vehicles either inside or outside of structures. U-UGS can support BCT operations by monitoring urban choke points such as corridors and stairwells as well as sewers and tunnels.

DisabilityInfo.gov, Parent Resources Update

2008-02-21T16:44:00.001-08:00

Special Needs Parent Toolkit
Guide from the Department of Defense (DoD) to help military families and others with special needs children navigate the maze of medical and special education services, community support and benefits and entitlements. The Toolkit is broken down into six colorful modules that can be easily downloaded and printed. This information has recently been updated, and can be accessed by visiting this link: http://www.disabilityinfo.gov/digov-public/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=102.

Toll Free Lifeline for Veterans and Families

2008-02-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

THE NATIONAL TOLL-FREE CRISIS MANAGEMENT, INFORMATION & REFERRAL LIFELINE FOR VETERANS AND FAMILIES1-888-777-44437 days/week, 9a.m.-9p.m. Pacific TimePROBLEM ADDRESSED: VETERANS "COMING HOME" AND "FALLING THROUGH THE CRACKS:" A sampling from the last three years of support callsFor veterans and their families, "Coming Home" is a process that can take months, years, or even a lifetime. It means accessing promised benefits, like medical or psychological treatment, housing, education, or employment---and reconnecting with friends, families, neighbors, and co-workers. History has shown that frequently, just finding someone who can listen and really understand is the biggest challenge of all. Confusion about who to call for help and when, frustrating automated messages, cumbersome bureaucracy, long wait times at an already resource-strapped Veterans Administration (VA), perceived stigmas surrounding soldiers who seek assistance, conflicting information about benefits, and a dizzying maze of veterans related resources are significant barriers to care that often have the consequence of further isolating those most in need of help. SOLUTION: THE LIVE VOICE OF A FELLOW VETERAN, AVAILABLE FROM ANYWHERE Our service model is simple, and it saves lives. It's based on a time-tested understanding that best way to prevent a veteran or family member in need from falling through the cracks, or worse, is to provide a confidential, easily accessible way to find assistance---to get the veteran or family who needs help on the phone, keep them talking, counsel them through crisis, conference in appropriate local providers who can help, and follow up to ensure their needs are met. An initial call or e-mail to the NVF Lifeline is met with a live, immediate response--no automated messages. Our call center team, currently comprised of 8 fellow veterans and 3 civilians, listens, immediately assesses the emotional state of the caller, identifies additional service needs, and where appropriate, conferences in 3rd parties that can help.
Depending on the situation, serving each Lifeline caller can take anywhere from a few minutes, to several hours, days, or up to several weeks and months of ongoing case management.Since 1987, the "Lifeline" has taken more than 275,000 calls, and remains the only service of its type in the country. From July of 2005 through March 2007, NVF's Lifeline fielded more than 15,000 calls from more than 4100 veterans and families in need around the country. While the helpline takes calls from veterans of all eras, roughly 1/3 of recent callers were veterans of Iraq and/or Afghanistan, and another 37% were Vietnam era Veterans. The NVF's proven outreach strategies, which are regularly evaluated to ensure our efforts are focused on tactics that generate results, include listings in the Yellow Pages, TV Public Service Announcements, earned electronic and print media (news programs, interviews and film documentaries), online support groups, internet related marketing developed in partnership with other providers, street outreach, and special events.You can help us Spread the Word!Refer a veteran or family who needs help to our call center—1-888-777-4443 Post our Helpline Number on your website, or in your newsletter. Share our PSA and other materials with your friends and associates. Read some example support calls from the last three years.

The Israel Project is Hiring!

2008-02-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

The Israel Project (TIP), an international not-for-profit organization with offices in Washington, DC and Israel, is seeking candidates for the following regular full-time positions, all of which will work out of TIP’s Washington, DC office.
If you are interested in being considered for any of these positions, please email a cover letter and resume to cathyb@theisraelproject.org. No phone calls please. Sorry, relocation assistance is not available.

Executive Assistant to PresidentTIP’s Executive Assistant provides day-to-day direct support to TIP’s president, handles all of her correspondence, emails, appointments, travel and special projects. Is responsible for answering TIP’s main telephone line, welcomes guests, maintains master office calendar; assists with logistics for major conferences, events and training sessions. Prefer a mature individual with a good sense of humor and professional work ethic. Advanced level of proficiency in using Microsoft programs as well as Adobe required. Experience working with integrated database systems preferred. Must be able to effectively plan and manage work flow with limited supervision; ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment required. BA/BS degree and minimum of 3 years office experience preferred

Assistant Webmaster Under direct supervision of TIP’s Director of Web Advocacy and Outreach, the Assistant Webmaster is responsible for general IT support for TIP-DC and TIP-Israel; provides help desk support, audio-visual support and works with the Director on overall website production and maintenance. Must have demonstrated skills in web design (HTML, CSS), CMS-based website management, excellent writing and copy-editing skills; training and search engine optimization skills preferred. Must be knowledgeable in setting up, maintaining and resolving computer hardware/software issues, printers/copiers, telephone systems, mobile phones, Treos, etc. Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. Willingness to work off-hours when necessary. Must have an understanding of the Middle East and a commitment to Israel. BA/BS degree required; minimum of 2 years directly-related experience in using web and email technology.

Operations Support AssistantUnder direct supervision of TIP’S Vice President for Operations and Finance and indirect supervision of TIP’s Executive Assistant to VPOF, the Operations Support Assistant is responsible for all activities related to maintaining and updating donor records in TIP’s in-house and on-line database systems. Must be extremely detailed oriented; capable of effectively planning/managing work flow on multiple projects simultaneously and managing project details with limited supervision; ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment required; high level of proficiency in Microsoft Office with an advanced understanding of Word, Excel and Outlook and Adobe PDF. BA/BS degree preferred; minimum of 3 years experience working with databases is required

The Israel Project is an international non-profit organization devoted to educating the press and the public about Israel while promoting security, freedom and peace. The Israel Project provides journalists, leaders and opinion-makers accurate information about Israel. Board of Advisors: Senator Evan Bayh (IN), Sen. Ben Cardin (MD), Senator Saxby Chambliss (GA), Senator Norm Coleman (MN), Sen. Susan Collins (ME), Sen. Judd Gregg (NH), Sen. Joe Lieberman (CT), Senator Ben Nelson (NE), Sen. Gordon Smith (OR), Senator Arlen Specter (PA), Senator Ron Wyden (OR), Congressman Rob Andrews (NJ), Rep. John Sarbanes (MD), Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (NV), Congressman Tom Davis (VA), Congressman Eliot Engel (NY), Congressman Frank Pallone (NJ), Congressman Jon Porter (NV), Congressman Jim Saxton (NJ), Congressman Brad Sherman (CA), Congressman Joe Wilson (SC), Actor and Director Ron Silver.

Missing WWII Airmen Are Identified

2008-02-17T07:05:00.000-08:00

Missing WWII Airmen Are Identified
The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three U.S. servicemen, missing from World War II, have been identified and will be returned to their families for burial with full military honors. They are 2nd Lt. John F. Lubben, of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.; Sgt. Albert A. Forgue, of North Providence, R.I.; and Sgt. Charles L. Spiegel, of Chicago, Ill.; all U.S. Army Air Forces. They will be buried on April 18 in Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, D.C. Representatives from the Army met with the next-of-kin of these men in their hometowns to explain the recovery and identification process and to coordinate interment with military honors on behalf of the Secretary of the Army. On Dec. 12, 1944, these men crewed an A-20J Havoc aircraft departing from Coullomiers, France, to bomb enemy targets near Wollseifen, Germany. The aircraft was last seen entering a steep dive near Cologne, Germany. Several searches and investigations of this area and reviews of wartime documents failed to provide information concerning the incident. In 1975, a German company clearing wartime mines and unexploded ordnance near Simmerath, Germany, reported the discovery of a gravesite northeast of Simmerath where American servicemembers were buried. U.S. officials evaluated the remains and determined they represented three individuals, but they could not make identifications at that time. The remains were subsequently buried as unknowns in the Ardennes American Military Cemetery in Neupre, Belgium. In 2003, the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) was notified that a group of German citizens had information correlating the three servicemembers who were buried as unknowns with the crew from the 1944 A-20J crash. Based on that information, JPAC exhumed the three unknown graves from the Ardennes American Military Cemetery in 2005.
Among dental records, other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from JPAC and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used mitochondrial DNA in the identification of the remains. For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/ or call (703) 699-1169.

FREE TUITION FOR VETERANS IN ILLLINOIS

2008-02-12T21:37:00.001-08:00

Good evening I will do some more research on this for you but if you know any veterans in Illlinois please tell them that free state tuition programs are available in Illinois for veterans. They are saying that they can get as much as six per family. Have them contact the Veteans Affairs in illinois. Ms. Tammy Duckworth one of the Heroes of the current war and I do not mind saying one of my Heroes is in charge of the Veterans Affairs in Illinois. DEADLINE FOR FILING IS ONE MARCH 08 I will see if I can find out any further details and get it to you but I just now heard this on the news and I wanted to get it out to you so the process can be started. We do not have much time. Thank You All Carl

Wounded

2008-02-08T14:47:00.000-08:00

just wanted to let all of you know that I am chairing the national effort to build new homes for our severely wounded heroes injured in theater in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This Sunday's ABC Home Makeover will feature one of our home recipients: Ssgt Daniel Gilyeat from Kansas City, Kansas. Helping a Hero's Wounded Hero Home Program is planning to build homes in the following states this year and are in need of applicants..so please spread the word and encourage these special servicemembers to apply as soon as possible:Houston (12 homes to be awarded April 13, 2008)Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Arizona, Tennessee, Texas (Dallas, Austin, San Antonio), Oklahoma, Florida, Minnesota, Colorado and California
We hope to expand our effort into even more states in the next 12-24 months.
Thanks for all your efforts on behalf of our wounded heroes!! Our website will be updated and the application available after Saturday, Feb 9th...so please spread the word and send us any referrals or applicants..particularly prioritizing those who need special adaptation: double amputees, paraplegic, quadriplegic, etc...those with families, but also blind, TBI, single amputee, etc...
www.helpingahero.org

America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds

2008-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds Wed, 6 Feb 2008 08:41:00 -0600
America Supports You: Beanies Help Win Hearts, Minds By Samantha L. Quigley American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2008 - An organization led by a U.S. Army officer is helping children in Iraq and Afghanistan know the joy that Beanie Baby toys bring to so many American kids. Army Lt. Col. James Barker and Sara show off Courage, the stuffed bear he gave the Iraqi girl. Courage was the first toy given to a child as part of Beanies for Baghdad, a program Barker started after meeting Sara in 2003. Courtesy photo (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
"Beanies for Baghdad" began in 2003 while its president, Lt. Col. James Barker, was serving in Iraq.
"During our 'walkabouts' in the community, there were children (with) no toys of their own," Barker said.
On one of these missions, Barker encountered Sara, a young Iraqi girl with whom he tried to talk. She remained hesitant until Barker remembered the small stuffed bear named Courage that his sister had sent him. He pulled it from his pocket and presented it to the little girl, whose reaction to the gift inspired Barker to do more.
"When we got back from the mission that afternoon, I sent an e-mail to a Web site for Beanie Baby enthusiasts (asking) them to send Beanie Babies to me so that we could hand them out to Iraqi children," Barker said. "Within the first four or five days, there were about 2,000 Beanie Babies on their way to me for distribution."
Barker headed home in June 2003 but left the distribution portion of the program in good hands with Army Staff Sgt. Kirk Wallace.
"It's a great privilege to be able to give these children and families gifts, to see the joy on their faces and to know we have made a true impression that Americans care," he said. "We explain to the Iraqis that the gifts are from individual Americans for individual Iraqis and we, as soldiers, are just being the deliverymen."
Barker and his team understand that there's more at stake than just a few smiles over some cute toys, however.
"You never know the future of these children," he said. "Twenty or 30 years from now, one of these kids may be a prime minister or a regional leader, and that child will remember the kindness and generosity of a soldier ... who stopped and went out of their way and gave them a toy."
Since Beanies for Baghdad started, more than 1 million huggable comrades have reinforced Courage in his mission to brighten the lives of children in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The program doesn't stop at stuffed animals, however. Over the years, warm clothing, shoes, school supplies, and snacks for the children have been added to the shipments, which also include care packages for servicemembers.
"Many of these little ones live in extreme poverty," said Donna Ward, who has served as program manager since January 2005. "A Beanie Baby or a small (toy) car means the world to them. Many have never seen a toy, and the small gesture of kindness between the soldiers and children bring long-lasting friendships and the hopes of a better tomorrow."
Starting with just one small stuffed animal and two soldiers, Beanies for Baghdad is now part of a larger network of troop-support groups affiliated with "America Supports You," a Defense Department program. America Supports You connects citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
"We are proud to be (affiliated) with America Supports You," Ward said. "We hope that this (relationship) will enable us to reach more individuals about ... how they can help our soldiers make a difference."

Chronic pain seen altering how brain works

2008-02-08T14:38:00.001-08:00

By Julie SteenhuysenTue Feb 5, 5:50 PM ET Brain scans of people in chronic pain show a state of constant activity in areas that should be at rest, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday, a finding that could help explain why pain patients have higher rates of depression, anxiety and other disorders.They said chronic pain seems to alter the way people process information that is unrelated to pain."It seems that enduring pain for a long time affects brain function in response to even minimally demanding attention tasks completely unrelated to pain," the researchers wrote in the Journal of Neuroscience.Dante Chialvo, a researcher at Northwestern University in Chicago who worked on the study, said: "People with chronic pain -- meaning pain that lasts more than six months after their injury -- have many other issues that affect their quality of life as much as pain. It is not known where they come from."Recent studies have shown that in healthy people, certain regions of the brain take over during a resting state, something known as a default mode network. "It takes care of your brain when your brain is at rest," Chialvo said in a telephone interview.When a person performs a task, this network quiets down, he said, but not in people with chronic pain.Instead, a front region of the cortex mostly associated with emotion is constantly active, disrupting the normal equilibrium.To study this activity, Chialvo did a type of brain scan known as functional magnetic resonance imaging on 15 people with chronic back pain and 15 healthy people.They gave their volunteers a simple attention task -- tracking a moving bar on a computer screen -- to observe the brain shifting out of default mode to handle the task.Both groups performed the task well but when they measured areas of the brain activated, differences emerged."Where we were surprised is the difference in how much brain they used to do the task compared with the healthy group. It was 50 times larger," Chialvo said.They said disruptions in this default network could explain why pain patients have problems with attention, sleep disturbances and even depression."These findings suggest that the brain of a chronic pain patient is not simply a healthy brain processing pain information but rather it is altered by the persistent pain in a manner reminiscent of other neurological conditions associated with cognitive impairments," they wrote.(Editing by Maggie Fox and Bill Trott)

Mary Ellen Salzano, Certified Professional Coach408 779 6916 or 408 489 0911 cellProud Parent of Cpl.. Salzano, USMC, OIF 2 and 3 and PhilippinesCalifornia Statewide Collaborative for our Military and FamiliesThe price of freedom is visible at any VA hospital

Legal Rights Concerning VA Hospital Malpractice

2008-02-08T14:36:00.002-08:00

Good afternoon everyone
I questioned a lawyer who helps veterans to file suit against the VA hospital in case of alleged malpractice. This is his response to me. I never send out this type of thing unless I know first what the policy is for taking care of my veterans at no cost up front.
For those that do not know what the Feres Doctrine is, it is the one that says you cannot file suit against the Federal Government. How nice of them to make such a law for themselves.
Carl

Military Veterans Representative Sending

2008-02-08T14:36:00.001-08:00

We have never challenged the Feres doctrine. The cases we handle have to do with medical negligence experienced by veterans after discharge or retirement, usually at VA facilities. If we agree to review the pertinent medical records we do so at no cost. From a review of the records we can generally decided whether or not to file a claim. We work on a contingency fee basis. If a recovery is obtained without the necessity of litigation our fee is 20% of the total amount recovered. If litigation is necessary the fee will be 25% of the total amount recovered. We practice in all states.

Our Military Pilots in Danger

2008-02-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone
Our pilots in Iraq are in danger in more ways than one. They are of curse in a war zone and that is dangerus enough. Remember the game show let's make a deal? What if you went to your local airport and as you were getting on the plane you saw some mechanics patching cracks in the airplane. You could behind door number one: get on the plane, door number two kneel down and pray, and door number three run away screaming. Well after our Heroes in Iraq go on thier missions they come back to the base and than the mechanics day after day patch the cracks in their planes. It may be new ones or it may be the one they patched the other day but the patch came apart or came off. We have nineteen, twenty, and twenty one year old pilots flying twenty five year old planes that are coming apart. Any volunteers out there or would you even do it for money?

DoD Begins Recruiting for National Language Service Corps Pilot

2008-02-03T09:26:00.000-08:00

The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that is has begun recruiting for the National Language Service Corps (NLSC) Pilot, a public civilian organization composed of volunteers engaged on-call to provide diverse language services across a broad range of local, state and federal government departments and agencies. The opportunities for service will vary from emergency relief to international crises to immediate national needwherever language skills are needed. "This is an excellent opportunity for Americans with unique language skills to serve their country, when and where they are needed the most," said Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness David S.C. Chu. During the pilot, a team of nationally recognized experts is developing, testing, and evaluating the prototype concept of operations, potentially leading to a plan for a fully operational NLSC in fiscal 2010. The pilot includes recruiting and enrolling 1,000 charter members with competency in ten languages important to national security and welfare of the nation. The following languages have been identified so far: Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Mandarin Chinese, Russian, Somali, Swahili and Vietnamese. The operational concept for employing these languages is being examined and refined during three activation exercises. The director, National Security Education Program (NSEP) is coordinating the participation of federal agencies as partners for the three activation exercises. The final two languages will be identified when the exercise plans have been completed. The National Language Service Corps Pilot, authorized by Congress in 2006, represents a vital new approach to address the nation's needs for individuals with highly developed language skills. It is an integral component of the Defense Department's comprehensive language roadmap and the President's National Security Language Initiative. The pilot corps will include two pools of certified language capable individuals. The "national pool" will consist of a broader array of talent that will be maintained to be drawn upon during times of need. The "dedicated pool" will be a smaller cadre of individuals who enter relationships with sponsoring organizations and who agree to be available to those organizations should the need arise. U.S. citizens interested in volunteering, or seeking more information, should call 1-800-Say-NLSC (729-6572) or go to http://www.nationallanguageservicecorps.org .

[Ga] Passage of Legislation on Personality Disorder Discharges

2008-02-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

I am forwarding information I received from someone I consider exremely knowledgeable and trustworthy:
Just received confirmation from Senator Feingold's office that H.R. 4986, The FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, did, indeed, include S. 1817 (H.R. 3167), Proper Administration of the Discharge of Members of the Armed Forces for Personality Disorder. S. 1817 was offered as an amendment to both H.R. 1585 and H.R. 4986 by Senator Obama, and it was accepted by unanimous consent. It appeared in both the vetoed H.R. 1585 and the signed H.R. 4986 as Section 597... I have attached Section 597 below. Note that in Parts (a) (2) (C) and (D), it mandates policies and measures prohibiting discharges for personality disorder and that those "who may have been so separated from the Armed Forces should be provided with expedited review by the applicable board for the correction of military records." SEC. 597. REPORTS ON ADMINISTRATIVE SEPARATIONS OF MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES FOR PERSONALITY DISORDER.(a) Secretary of Defense Report on Administrative Separations Based on Personality Disorder-(1) REPORT REQUIRED- Not later than April 1, 2008, the Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives a report on all cases of administrative separation from the Armed Forces of covered members of the Armed Forces on the basis of a personality disorder.(2) ELEMENTS- The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:(A) A statement of the total number of cases, by Armed Force, in which covered members of the Armed Forces have been separated from the Armed Forces on the basis of a personality disorder, and an identification of the various forms of personality disorder forming the basis for such separations.(B) A statement of the total number of cases, by Armed Force, in which covered members of the Armed Forces who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since October 2001 have been separated from the Armed Forces on the basis of a personality disorder, and the identification of the various forms of personality disorder forming the basis for such separations.
(C) A summary of the policies, by Armed Force, controlling administrative separations of members of the Armed Forces based on personality disorder, and an evaluation of the adequacy of such policies for ensuring that covered members of the Armed Forces who may be eligible for disability evaluation due to mental health conditions are not separated from the Armed Forces on the basis of a personality disorder.(D) A discussion of measures being implemented to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who should be evaluated for disability separation or retirement due to mental health conditions are not processed for separation from the Armed Forces on the basis of a personality disorder, and recommendations regarding how members of the Armed Forces who may have been so separated from the Armed Forces should be provided with expedited review by the applicable board for the correction of military records.(b) Comptroller General Report on Policies on Administrative Separation Based on Personality Disorder-(1) REPORT REQUIRED- Not later than June 1, 2008, the Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report evaluating the policies and procedures of the Department of Defense and of the military departments relating to the separation of members of the Armed Forces based on a personality disorder.(2) ELEMENTS- The report required by paragraph (1) shall--(A) include an audit of a sampling of cases to determine the validity and clinical efficacy of the policies and procedures referred to in paragraph (1) and the extent, if any, of the divergence between the terms of such policies and procedures and the implementation of such policies and procedures; and(B) include a determination by the Comptroller General of whether, and to what extent, the policies and procedures referred to in paragraph (1)--(i) deviate from standard clinical diagnostic practices and current clinical standards; and(ii) provide adequate safeguards aimed at ensuring that members of the Armed Forces who suffer from mental health conditions (including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, or traumatic brain injury) resulting from service in a combat zone are not separated from the Armed Forces on the basis of a personality disorder.
(3) ALTERNATIVE SUBMISSION METHOD- In lieu of submitting a separate report under this subsection, the Comptroller may include the evaluation, audit and determination required by this subsection as part of the study of mental health services required by section 723 of the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization Act of 2005 (Public Law 108-375; 118 Stat. 1989).(c) Covered Member of the Armed Forces Defined- In this section, the term `covered member of the Armed Forces' includes the following:(1) Any member of a regular component of the Armed Forces who has served in Iraq or Afghanistan since October 2001.(2) Any member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan since October 2001.