Monday, July 16, 2012

Military Suicide: Help for Families Worried About Their Service Member

By Alexandra Sifferlin

In this week’s TIME cover story, “One a Day” (available to subscribers here), journalists Mark Thompson and Nancy Gibbs explore why suicides among the U.S. military have reached crisis levels. Every day, one active-duty service member dies by his own hand, the authors note: “The U.S. military seldom meets an enemy it cannot target, cannot crush, cannot put a fence around or drive a tank across. But it has not been ale to defeat or contain the epidemic of suicides among its troops.”

The specific triggers for suicide are unique to each soldier. Each person deals differently with the stresses of war, frequent deployments, separation from family, death of comrades. Many contend with depression and post-traumatic stress upon returning home. There are several programs and support lines for these soldiers, but it also helps for their immediate families to remain vigilant and to monitor their behavior. Even still, many service members fall through the cracks.

Below is what we hope is helpful advice for military spouses, who want to know what warning signs to look for in their service member and how best to handle severe situations. One immediate sign, say experts, is a pervasive sense of uselessness, a feeling that they no longer belong. “What we learn from our families [who lost service family members to suicide] and what they saw in their loved ones, is behavior [in which they] pulled back and felt they were not able to be a useful part of unit that relied on them,” says Bonnie Carroll, founder and chairman of the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, or TAPS, a non-profit that supports those who have lost a loved one in the military. “These men and women need to know they are still a part of a unit at home and overseas.”

Here, experts offer more answers to common questions that military families face when a loved one shows signs of trouble:

What are the signs of suicide risk to look out for?
There are many signs of suicide, says Kim Ruocco, director of the suicide prevention programs at TAPS. Some key warning signs to look out for:

  • Hopelessness and saying things like “This will never get better”
  • Helplessness and saying things like “I can’t do anything about this”
  • No longer finding joy in things they once enjoyed
  • Angry outbursts and increased agitation
  • Sleeplessness or oversleeping
  • Lack of appetite or increased appetite
  • Withdrawal from friends and family, or suggestions that family would be better off without them
  • History of suicide attempt and history of depression
  • Post-traumatic injury

Warning signs of suicide that call for immediate attention:

  • Talking about or making plans to take his or her own life
  • Putting personal affairs in order
  • Giving away personal possessions
  • Obsessing about death
  • Abusing drugs or alcohol
  • Acquiring or obtaining access to lethal means (prescription drugs, weapons, etc.)
  • Engaging in out-of-the-ordinary or risky behaviors

“You should always ask someone if they are thinking of killing themselves and if they are, do not leave them alone, escort them to help, take them to a doctor at primary care, behavioral health or the emergency room,” says Ruocco. “Sometimes a person will deny thinking of suicide despite warning signs. These people should also be considered high risk and be taken for immediate evaluation.”

Whom should I contact if I’m concerned about my loved one?
The first person to speak with is your loved one. Ask your he or she is feeling, says Eileen M. Lainez, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Department of Defense. For example: Do you feel as if you could harm yourself? How often are you having those kinds of thoughts? Do you have a plan to harm yourself?

“Keep track of all conversations with a service member who expresses any indication that he or she could harm him or herself, or is experiencing unique or intense stressors,” says Lainez.

There are several 24/7 service lines open to family members who have immediate concerns:

  • Military Crisis Line: Dial 800-273-8255 (press 1 for military) or visit the crisis line online, which provides a chat and text service for veterans (see below) and active duty members
  • Veterans Crisis Line: Visit Veterans Live Chat or call 800-273-TALK to talk with a crisis counselor
  • DCoE Outreach Center: Visit Real Warriors Live Chat or call 866-966-1020 to talk with a health resource consultant
  • Military OneSource: Call 800-342-9647 for one-on-one counseling or visit online
  • Do not hesitate to call 911 in an emergency

Should I alert the military if my loved one is showing signs of suicide at home?
Anyone concerned about a service member for any reason should not hesitate to contact that service member’s supervisor, commander, any health-care provider or a chaplain. “If the family member is looking for behavioral health support, information or resources, they should contact [these individuals]. The earlier an adjustment or behavioral health issue is identified and addressed, the more likely a positive outcome will result,” says Lainez.

Is there anything I shouldn’t do?
Don’t be afraid to be proactive: Ask your loved one questions about suicidal thoughts or plans, and do not hesitate to get help. “Suicidal thoughts can be a medical emergency. Someone who has been thinking about suicide over time can lose the ability to control the impulse. Put aside fears of betraying your loved one or ruining his [or her] career and chose to save his [or her] life,” says Ruocco.

Should I be more concerned if my loved one has been overseas for several tours, or less concerned if he or she hasn’t?
There are many factors associated with suicide, which make it difficult to point to any one factor as a root cause. Currently, there is no evidence directly linking the number of deployments to an increased risk of suicide. Any warning signs of suicide should be taken seriously, regardless of the number of times the service member has been deployed overseas.

“Combat exposure can increase risk for suicide, especially if the service member was exposed to trauma or suffered a concussive injury,” says Ruocco. “However, about half of our service members who die by suicide have never deployed, so the fact that they have not deployed should not be a reason to not seek treatment.” The 2010 Department of Defense Suicide Event Report found that indeed half of all service members who died by suicide during 2010 had never been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan.

What can I do to support my soldier and help prevent suicide risk?
Real Warriors, a campaign started by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) to promote recovery and resilience among returning service members, suggests that you encourage and help your loved one do the following:

  • Cut back on obligations when possible and set reasonable schedules for goals
  • Consider keeping a journal to express pain, anger, fear or other emotions
  • Avoid isolation — get together with buddies, commanding officers, family, friends or other members of the community regularly
  • Stay physically fit by eating healthy foods and getting enough sleep
  • Stay motivated by keeping personal and career goals in mind
  • Use relaxation techniques to help manage stress
  • Stay organized by keeping a daily schedule of tasks and activities

There are plenty of mental-health resources out there, but here are a few we highly recommended for service members and their families:


Read the full TIME cover story, available to subscribers here.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Battling BARE

Found this on Facebook from a group called Battling BARE . I think it is great that people are becoming more attentive towards our soldiers and the invisible wounds they suffer from.
 
Broken by battle,
Wounded by war,
My love is FOREVER.....
To this I Swore,
I will quiet your silent screams,
... Help heal shattered souls, Until once again MY LOVE,
You are Whole.......
 
 
On another note I have been receiving some great e-mails from friends throughout the community on my educational and professional endeavors and I just want to thank you all for all the support and encouragement each of you give me. Trust is something that veterans do not give very lightly because it is something that is earned through sharing hardships and building a bond that is forever. Somehow I think that the VA has forgotten this. Trust is what I am going to bring to my community of Veterans here in Boise. Trust that someone cares and someone really wants to see them get better.
 
I was talking with a real good friend of mine this weekend and he brought up a great point about the need to communicate and I began to think about how Veterans who may have never met before can meet for the first time and just start talking. I think it is great and I enjoy every person that I meet and try and encourage and support wellness.
 
Although times are trying for some do not forget that you have a friend here in the Gem state that is willing to listen to you.
 
 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

WRAP for Veterans and People in the Military

The process of recovery begins with you, but you don't have to do it alone!!!

I am currently attending a program that will certify me to conduct the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) for veterans I serve.

If you are on active duty, in the reserves, or have been in the military, you may be having a hard time coping with the hardship, trauma, and loss related to military service and being involved in war-related activities. You may have feelings and experiences that are extremely upsetting, feelings that keep you from being the way you want to be and doing the things you want to do. In addition, things may be happening in your life that are difficult to deal with. Family members and friends, who don’t understand what you are experiencing and why you are behaving the way you are, may not know how to respond or how to help. Some may try to help and others may turn away. You may feel like the situation is hopeless - that you will never feel well and enjoy life again.
The Wellness Recovery Action Plan can help you in the process of recovery, of getting well and staying well, and of assisting you in becoming who you want to be and making your life the way you want it. It will also be helpful to you in adapting to any challenges you have in your life like chronic illness, serious disability, being on active duty, or dealing with extreme loss or grief.

This online version of the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) is specifically oriented for people who are in the military or have been in the military. There are video clips with Mary Ellen Copeland talking to veterans as they are developing their WRAPs. This WRAP is private and can be accessed at any time. You can make changes to it whenever you want and e-mail it to anyone you choose. WRAP can help with coordinating daily living as well as larger issued like depression and PTSD. This version of WRAP is very convenient for military personnel and is friendly, easy, and empowering. https://wrap.essentiallearning.com/Default.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2f

After my certification I hope to begin providing classes specifically for veterans in Idaho that will help them develop a personal WRAP as well help them start down the road of recovery.

Call me at Riverside Rehab, Inc. (208) 853-8536 and I will help you with your WRAP in my veteran services department.

Did you know that:
  • More than 42 million American men and women have served in a time of war
  • Current Projected U.S. Veterans Population: 23,442,000
  • There are between 529,000 and 840,000 veterans who are homeless at some time during the year, that’s 23% of the homeless population
  • 89% of homeless veterans received Honorable Discharges
  • 33% of homeless veterans served in a war zone
  • Each year between 375,000 – 600,000 homeless veterans receive no assistance
  • 6 million veterans are living with a disability
  • 45% of veterans need help finding a job
  • 37% of veterans need help finding housing
  • Number of Veterans with for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (as of 09/30/08): 342,624

Thursday, June 28, 2012

IF you dream it WILL they come?

In an effort to continue to serve my fellow veterans I have been afforded an opportunity that I do not think many veterans or people in general get.
I have been offered the opportunity to open a department at the company I work for Riverside Rehab., http://www.riversiderehab.net/ that deals directly with veterans and links them to community resources such as housing, health care, employment assistance, financial resources and advocacy. The primary purpose is to prevent homelessness, hospitilization, or incarceration.
Most importantly it will bridge the gap between the VA and the veterans home since I can see the veteran every week for regular sessions. I can contuing to supplement the care that the VA is able to provide. With such things as Reduced Rate Counseling, Medications Managment, Finanacial / Payee Services and Targeted Service Coordination.

I am excited about taking on this endevor and I am also hestitent because I have never attempted something like this before. But if I have learned one thing from the military it is to "never quit" and to "never leave a fallen commrade". I hope that I can help my fellow warriors, as well, as make this a success venture.

Monday, June 25, 2012

Military instructor suspended over Islam course


WASHINGTON | Wed Jun 20, 2012 10:58am EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The instructor of a college course that taught top military officers the United States was at war with Islam has been relieved of teaching duties and the course ordered redesigned to reflect U.S. policy, a military spokesman said on Wednesday.

The elective course at the National Defense University's Joint Forces Staff College included a slide that asserted "the United States is at war with Islam and we ought to just recognize that we are war with Islam," Pentagon officials said in April as they launched a review of the course.

Colonel David Lapan, a spokesman for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Wednesday a review of the course found that "institutional failures and in oversight and judgment" led to the course being modified over time in a way "that portrayed Islam almost entirely in a negative way."

"The inquiry recommends the course be redesigned to include aspects of U.S. policy and reduce its reliance on external instruction," Lapan said in a statement. It also recommended improving oversight of course curricula.

"The elective course's military instructor has been relieved of his instructor duties until his permanent change of station, which was previously planned for 2012," Lapan said.

The inquiry also recommended a review of actions by two civilian employees of the staff college to see if disciplinary action was warranted. A second military officer will receive administrative counseling, Lapan said.

General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, ordered the review of the course on Islam and military education in general after a soldier complained about the content of the course entitled "Perspectives on Islam and Islamite Radicalism" at the Joint Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia.

Navy Captain John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, said in April that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was deeply concerned about some of the materials being taught in the course, such as the slide suggesting the United States was at war with Islam.

"That's not at all what we believe to be the case. We're at war against terrorism, specifically al Qaeda, who has a warped view of the Islamic faith," Kirby said.

Discovery of the course material embarrassed the military at a time when U.S. officials were trying to mend U.S. ties with the Muslim world following a spate of incidents in Afghanistan, including the burning of copies of the Koran and pictures showing U.S. soldiers posing with corpses of Afghans. (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Sunday, June 17, 2012

“Walk a mile in my shoes” Part III

The primary reason voiced by many of the veterans for not using the services provided was because they felt like a number. There are many barriers that prevent veterans from seeking services; I break this down to one thing “trust”. If the VA is dragging its feet to help a veteran than a level of trust has been compromised. In many circumstances a veteran finds it had to talk to advocates, doctors, or therapists because there is a level of trust that is hard to give up. The trust that they will not be judged or ridiculed for their actions or inactions and when a veteran finally opens up to talk about the problem the VA statistically does not immediately follow through with mental health services. This is seen as a breach of trust to the veteran because he is entrusting the system he defended to defend and help him. Many homeless veterans I spoke too suffered from depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders and some of the younger ones from Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) suffered from explosions in Iraq or Afghanistan.


The homeless veterans in Boise have been the focus of many organizations around the treasure valley. Deseret Industry a local company in Boise offer employment opportunities as well furniture and home essentials for those that find housing. Ed Cowley the resident manager at River of Life is full of success stories one of veteran whose love of fishing and intimate knowledge of the local fishing spots landed him a job as a consultant to the Fish and Game department.

Although the homeless veteran population is smaller than the larger homeless population I firmly believe that it is a part of our society that we should be focused on. Veterans have served our country by fighting its wars on foreign soils, spending many months away from loved one, many including myself sacrificing our families and marriages because of being deployed so long our family forgets who we are and the separation becomes unbearable. This immersion allowed me to be around veterans who made me feel proud because they are proud of their service. Their only shame was the situation they had found themselves in.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

“Walk a mile in my shoes” Part II

The second part to my last article....

Part II

            I met up with a man at the shelter named Nick (not his real name) on the morning of May 17, 2012 and he washed his face and we left. We would cover roughly a four block area near the shelter but far enough away that we could find prime real estate for our signs.

We started with a sign at the corner of South 13th Street and I-84. This busy street bring commuters into work every morning and since it is a one way street directly into downtown it was his best shot at getting noticed and making a few dollars. I must tell you that I did not have a sign nor did I accept any money from people throughout this immersion project and as I explained to Nick I simply wanted a firsthand look into his life.

            The first thing I noticed during our two hours on the street corner was that people do not like to make eye contact. They will briefly look at you and them they will quickly look away, the people that did give Nick money would usually be older people. I sat with Nick and asked him how much he makes on a daily basis and he told me around $25.00 but that was enough for him to get a pack of cigarettes and a couple beers. I asked about food, I have always heard that if you want to give a homeless person something buy them food but never give them cash because they will only buy drugs or alcohol with it. While this is true for many homeless people it is not always the case. Nick told me if he made enough money he would get a hotel room and stay the night there. As he put “I will live like a normal person for a night with a hot shower and TV.”

While standing there with Nick I noticed a man pushing a cart with a dog attached to it and he was headed to us. The man stopped and Nick looked at me and said it was time to go, I thought we were in trouble so I asked why and he explained that his time on the corner was up and it was this other guy’s turn. I could not believe it they had a system in place that afforded others a chance to use these prime areas to panhandle. As we walked away Nick turned and gave the old man $10 and told me that “he needs it more than me, he is old and people don’t give him too much”. Even when people are down there is still compassion and those who are trudging through these hard times seem to understand this more than those of us who are better off financially.
              We left and headed towards the Boise Green Belt located south of the Mission because it was lunch time and Nick and I were hungry. I learned from him that you can usually get food the Food Pantry at the Salvation Army; they will usually give you a bag of chips and a sandwich for lunch. So we ate and then headed back into town by this time it was after 12:00 and I had spent the better part of the morning really hoping that my friends would not see me or a police officer would not stop to see what we were up too, even though I knew this was a possibility. I was still really embarrassed and kept telling myself that I was retired after a long successful career in the military and I was going to school to help those who could not help themselves. I felt bad for feeling this way and I began to understand why people are embarrassed when they suffer financially. It is hard to look into complete strangers eyes and ask them to give up a few dollars that they have worked hard to earn.

As I spent the rest of the day with Nick I learned that there is a code of ethics among many of the homeless and they will try and take care of each other whether that be in the form of protection from the many kids who like to harass them, passing money to the next guy for a meal passing on information about establishments that are providing food or other necessities. When I went home I was thankful for the experience and I knew that I would never want to be in that situation but I was also happy to know that even in extreme circumstances people are able to band together and form a society within a society to survive.
            “For the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, the President has a budget of $112.8 billion for FY 2010, increasing 15% from 2009.  The Department of Veterans Affairs also boasts that its homeless assistance programs constitute the largest integrated network of services in the United States.  Veterans’ Affairs budget allocates $3.222 billion to combating homelessness (Department of Veterans Affairs). The National Coalition for Homeless Veterans says that of the 400,000 homeless veterans on the street any given night, the Department of Veterans Affairs reaches only about 25% of them.” (National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009) This is a realistic figure of the 20 veterans I spoke to only about a quarter of them used the services the Veterans Affairs Hospital (VA) in Boise.

Friday, June 8, 2012

“Walk a mile in my shoes” Part 1


This is an excerpt from a Community Immersion Project I participated in for school. I already volunteer at the River of Life helping Veterans find resources and get back on their feet. But in this instant I had the opportunity to really immerse myself by spending the day with a homeless veteran to see what it feels like to “walk in his shoes”. Although this was only a day it was an eye opening experience and only re-enforced my desire to serve those who served.

What is a “community”? Webster’s defines a community as “an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location.” (Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2012). Social Workers see a community as an interaction between the people in the community and the community itself. The interaction between the two is a reciprocal bond. The people define their community and in some sense the community defines the people who live in. So how important are communities? In today’s society a community can tell much about those who live in it. Affluent communities usually suggest that its residents are higher on the Socio-economic scale, where as a community with pawn shops, payday loan stores or discount grocery stores may suggest that the residents of its community are the lower end of the same scale.
The community I had the privilege to immerse myself in was the community of homeless veterans. This community is centered on the River of Life Men’s Shelter located in downtown Boise, Idaho. The Boise Rescue Mission ministry or the “Mission” as it known here in Idaho is the parent organization that oversees the day to day operations of this facility. The Mission has been providing services to the communities of Ada and Canyon counties since 1958.
The initial idea of my immersion project was going to be working in the River of Life and interact with the homeless veterans there. I soon learned that the River of Life is a short term residential area so many of the homeless veterans stop by in the morning to get basic hygiene items, razors and toothpaste mostly, clean up and then leave. So I decided that if I was really going to understand them I needed to immerse myself even more into their world. On May 15, 2012 I worked at the mission doing manual labor tasks with some of the veterans who were staying at the shelter. This gave me the opportunity to “get my hands dirty” and I soon began to build a bond with the residents. We talked about our experiences in the military and many of them were eager to tell me about their lives and the circumstances that had brought them to situation in which the currently were in. Many of the residents seemed just happy to have someone listen to them and treat them kindly.

I began to hear stories of brutality towards them on the streets and how people would look down on them when they “flipped their signs”, a process of holding a sign that usually briefly describes the situation the person is in and also asks for money. I decided that I wanted to see it for myself and see how people would treat me if they thought I was a homeless veteran and not a graduate student at the University of Southern California. I began to prepare by not shaving and allowing my facial hair to grow out, I also did not shower for two days and at my fiancé’s request could only sleep on the couch. I am not assuming that all homeless people smell but I wanted to get into the part as much as I could. I have been in many situations during Field Training Exercises (FTX) and in combat where I did not have the opportunity to shower, so I know how a shower can make you feel revitalized and uplift your spirit.

This is only the first part of a 3 part series that will cover my time researching what it is like to be homeless from the perspective of the veteran.  I hope it will bring to light this real and sadly problamatic situation homeless vetreans find themselves in.



Monday, May 21, 2012

Follow me to a new page!!!

To all you friends and followers who have been so supportive of me and my blog I have some great news. 
I have been asked to continue my blog on a site called Life After the Army http://www.lifeafterthearmy.com/

While I will not compromise the idea's behind this blog I do know that Life After the Army offers a wider audience of Soldiers and Veterans and they offer a lot more resources as well as several other writers.
So I ask for your continued support by following me to Life After the Army and to continue to support my efforts to provide a voise for Soldiers and Veterns. As always you can contact me by email.

Eugene Hicks 1SG (Ret.)

Friday, May 18, 2012

Taking the stigma out of mental health issues

Mental health professionals talk to Congress about taking the stigma out of mental health issues for soldiers

May 16, 2012 | By Kitty Felde

One in three U.S. military personnel with post-traumatic stress never seeks treatment, according to a recent survey of 4,000 military family members.
Mental health professionals from various branches of the military told Congress on Wednesday that the biggest challenge to getting service members to seek help is the stigma of mental illness.
The U.S. military is trying to make it easier for active duty and former personnel to use mental health services. Democratic Congresswoman Grace Napolitano of Norwalk and members of the Mental Health Caucus heard about increased support from military leaders who say mental health professionals improve the “operational readiness” of their units.
Navy psychologist Dr. John Ralph told members that every branch of the military has started "embedding" mental health professionals within units.
"A traditional model for mental health care," he said, "is that a service member may have to take off work, drive to the hospital, see a mental health provider, explain to his or her boss why he or she is gone for that many hours. And it’s difficult to do that for many reasons."
Embedding also increases the trust of soldiers and sailors for psychologists and psychiatrists.
But Colonel John Forbes, director of psychological health for the U.S. Air Force, said the best way to get airmen to seek help is assure them they’ll keep their jobs after they do so.
Forbes said the Air Force retains 75 percent of personnel diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.
"So when you’re thinking about what reduces stigma, it’s what happens to that individual," said Forbes. "If they’re going to be separated, or if some bad thing’s going to happen to their career, that’s obviously going to raise stigma on an organizational level."
The Veterans Administration reports that it’s addressing mental health issues with about one in four veterans who seek health care services. That’s more than a million vets reporting traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety disorders.
The VA is now trying to reach military people where they are. So far, they’ve downloaded the VA’s new “PTSD Coach” mobile phone app more than 55,000 times. The app contains a self-assessment and connections to mental health professionals.
The VA is also promoting an interactive website with hundreds of short videos where service members tell their own story about mental health issues. The Make the Connection website is being advertised on billboards, via text messaging, and there's even a QR code that will take mobile phone users directly to the site.
Last year, the Defense Department reported 282 military suicides.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

How many miles will you pledge this Memorial Day?

wear blue Runs for the Fallen
This Memorial Day, we are asking members of our worldwide community to hit the streets and run in honor of the fallen. A long run, or short walk, the distance doesn't matter. But we are asking members to go online and pledge miles in honor of the Fallen so that together we can create a community dedicated to honoring the ultimate sacrifice.
While Americans may pause to reflect, for many, Memorial Day represents a long weekend typically filled with backyard celebrations and sunshine. For members of wear blue: run to remember, it is a day to remember each life sacrificed in a positive, life-affirming way.
Photo by Zach Wingfield - Amica Seattle Marathon
It is not about pledging money, it's about pledging miles so that together we can create a living memorial. How many miles should you run? What number is meaningful to you?
 3 miles for the 3 years you have been deployed?
 5 miles for the 5 branches of the American Military?
 9 miles for the 9 times you moved while in the military?
 11 miles for the 11 years since September 11, 2001?

LT Kim XO, Me and CPT Hallett Commander A Co 1-17th, NTC 2009
Wear Blue was started by Lisa Hallett after the death of her husband CPT John Hallett (I was his First Sergeant in A Company 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry) John died during our deployment to Afghanistan in 2009. This is a phenomenal organization and something great to be a part of. My fiancée Cynthia (http://rundreamlaugh.blogspot.com/) is an avid supporter and has participated in several projects with them. She will be running the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon with them this year.
Me running the XTC Boise foothills 12k 2011

Cytnhia running the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon with
the wear blue: run to remember group.

"6,444 American Service Members have given their lives in the Global War on Terror. This Memorial Day, pledge to run or walk at least 1 mile in honor of our Soldiers. Please follow the link below to pledge your miles and share this on your Facebook status so others can pledge their miles too. " from wear blue website.
So pledge your miles and post on either my Facebook page or on my Blog as a comment. Cynthia has pledge 27 miles and here are the names we are running for;
Iraq (Mosul 2004-2005) 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment 
CPT William Jacobsen, JR. 21 Dec, 2004
SSG Robert Johnson 21 Dec 2004
SPC Lionel Ayro Dec 21, 2004
SPC Clint Gertson Feb 19,2005
1SG Michael Bordelon May 10, 2005
SGT Robert Ayres III Sept 29, 2007
Afghanistan (2009-2010) 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry 
SGT Tom Troy 18 Aug 2009
CPT John Hallett  25 Aug 2009
SPC Dennis Williams 25 Aug 2009
SPC Kevin Graham 26 Sep 2009
SPC Kyle Coumas 21 Oct 2009

So get off your butt and hit the street with your unit PT shirt on, you will feel beter when you open that beer later......

Monday, May 7, 2012

Veterans Facing Significantly Longer Mental Health Care Waits Than Publicized

I have had a one year wait for my claims, I have been waiting so long my advocate at the DAV (Disabled American Veterans) forgot who I was, and I am still waiting. I submitted a request to have surgery on my wrist and that took me 8 months to get done. This is really becoming a trying experience.

Posted by

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been greatly overestimating how quickly it provides care to veterans, according to a report released this week by the VA Inspector General.
First-time patients seeking mental health services are supposed to receive an initial examination within 24 hours and a full follow-up exam within 14 days. Last year, the VHA reported that 95% of its patients were being seen within this two week window.

But the Inspector General determined the 95 percent figure only measured how long it took to conduct the evaluation once it had been scheduled, not how long the patient waited to be seen. Using the same data, this new report found that nearly half of veterans seeking health care for the first time waited an average of 50 days before receiving a full evaluation.
The IG report also found that only two-thirds of patients received treatment within 14 days of being evaluated, another VHA requirement.
“This report confirms what we have long been hearing, that our veterans are waiting far too long to get the mental health care they so desperately need,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said in a statement. “It is deeply disturbing and demands action from the VA.”
The Veterans Affairs Committee commissioned the Inspector General’s report.

Staffing Shortages

Part of the problem is that there are not enough employees to keep up with the increasing demand for care. VHA staff has increased 45 percent since 2005, but the number of patients has increased by almost the same amount.
Last week, the VA announced that they plan to hire an additional 1,600 clinicians, including psychologists, psychiatrists, nurses, social workers and professional counselors, in addition to another 300 support staff. This marks an almost 10 percent increase to the more than 20,000 existing mental health workers at the VHA.
Still, there is concern that this may not fix the extended wait times for veterans. These discrepancies originated with the VHA’s inability to accurately collect and analyze data. A working group has been established to address the problem and develop a new system for tracking these benchmarks.

Changes Promised

“Getting our veterans timely mental health care can quite frankly often be the difference between life and death. It’s the critical period, not unlike the ‘golden hour’ immediately after a traumatic physical injury,” Murray said.
VA Under Secretary for Health, Robert Petzel, assures that the VHA is moving quickly to make changes.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Be careful of what your resume may not say about you

When I retired from the Army I was well prepared, so I thought. I had a resume' that I thought was my ticket to a new job and and I had learned from the Transition Assistance Program on Fort Lewis techniques for interviewing. After all I was

"Highly organized with an ability to manage multiple projects, tasks and priorities effectively and in a timely manner.  Strong work ethic with outstanding communication and follow-through skills."

I would soon learn that it was not what my resume' told employers about me but what my resume' did not tell employers about me that hindered my job hunt. While I was at Fort Lewis I submitted 45 resumes both in the civilian workplace and the federal workforce (Joint Base Lewis McChord) I started submitting resumes early. I retired on 31 March 2011 and my job search started in August 2010, I kept a Excel spread sheet that showed the company name, where I found the opening (USA Jobs, Craigslist, etc.) when the closing date was, when I applied, how I applied (email or "snail mail" or in person), what documents I provided (cover letter and DD214), and if or when I was contacted and by whom.

Of all the positions I applied for I received one call back and that was for a security officer position at the VA hospital in Lakewood. I was needless to say, very dismayed because I thought that I had the qualities that employers were looking for: loyalty having served for over 21 years in the military; a track record of success at multiple levels of leadership; education I had a Bachelor Degree in Psychology from Saint Martin's University; but most of all I was a veteran who had deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to serve our nation. All of this would not even get me a minimum wage job.

Leadership and Supervision:  A superior leader with demonstrated performance in high-pressure environments.  Earned a solid reputation for improving organizational performance through hands-on training and a leadership approach that emphasized decision-making through active listening.

·         Superbly managed and motivated as many as 166 personnel; renowned for firm, yet compassionate mentorship. 

·         Key player in the planning and execution of four successful Company-sized operations in the Shah Wali Khot district and three operations in the Arghandab River Valley.

·         Taught third-year military science students for two years at Boise State University; developed class syllabi that was approved by the Department of Social Sciences Chair and is still in use.

Problem-Solving and Analysis:  Consistently implements keen analytical abilities and a proven team-based work dynamic with a systems-oriented approach to facilitate efficient and effective solutions.  A critical thinker open to alternative views to optimize decision-making.

·         Authored and implemented Standard Operating Procedures for a Stryker Company consisting of 166 personnel and $60M+ in equipment.

·         Excels at proactively identifying errors and recommending cost-effective solutions on site. 

Selected Military Training:  Basic Rifleman's Course; Military Skier Course; Basic Forward Observers Course; Squad Leaders Basic Course; Marine Corps Scout Sniper Course; Health and Safety Training for Hazardous Material Waste Operations and Emergency Response; Helicopter Rope Suspension Training / Safety Insertion Officer Course / Rappel Master; Basic Security Guard Course; Maritime Tactics / Close Quarter Battle Course; Introduction to Networks / Computer Hardware; Air Assault School; Warrior Leaders Course; Advanced Leaders Course; Army Safety Program Management; Senior Leaders Course; Instructor Training Course; Combat Lifesaver Course

SELECTED  AWARDS
Bronze Star with "Valor" Device; Bronze Star Medal; Meritorious Service Medal (x2); Army Commendation Medal with "Valor" Device; Army Commendation Medal (x4); Army Achievement Medal (x2); Navy Achievement Medals (x2); Combat Action Ribbon (Marine Corps)
These are actual bullets and areas of emphasis that are are my first resume' I ended up scrapping this resume after moving to Boise, Idaho and talking with a representative from the Boise Department of Labor. Ok, I am getting a little ahead of myself, I finally moved to Boise, Idaho and thought for sure that a very pro-military community here would be my best bet for getting a job. Well still no luck and I took a job making $4.25 an hour (VA work study position). I was very upset and felt something must be wrong or I was just not getting it. Where I was working (the Boise Vet Center) a representative from the Department of Labor came in to talk with veterans about employment opportunities and I showed him my resume. He looked over and advised me to down play my military service and especially my combat time. I felt like I was hit in the face, because I felt like my service did not matter and that it should be something I am ashamed of. I could not do that, so I re-wrote my resume and submitted it to several police agencies, Ada County and Canyon County no return call. I was not going to settle for a minimum wage job nor was I going to settle for a job I did not like doing. I was receiving a retirement stipend so I was not bad off.

What I learned was employers are not afraid of what you have done in the military but what they perceive you may suffer from. The biggest hindrance is what the media has put out there about us veterans. People think that we are "powder kegs" or that we suffer from PTSD and they don't want to hire us. Hire a Vet has started here in Idaho I have not looked into the statistics of how it is working but it really seems like a lot of talk.

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Southern California in Social Work and when I graduate I will help veterans here in Boise. I volunteer at the Boise Rescue Mission in the Veteran Mentor Program helping as a volunteer case manager. I will continue to look for jobs that take me out of this area even though it really depresses me because I bought a house here and decided four years ago that I wanted to retire here. Unfortunately I can't find jobs that will allow me to pursue my passion, helping our veterans. The company that I work for currently as a mental health specialist has been so supportive and I am glad that I found them. Riverside Rehab., in Garden City is by far the best organization I have had the pleasure to work with as a civilian, but more on that later.

I would love to hear about your job seeking endeavors, please contact me and I will post them on here. I would love to hear your story's good or bad and how you handled them.

Monday, April 30, 2012

1-17: A year in the life - and much death

CHRISTOPHER TORCHIA; The Associated Press • Published June 01, 2010   

FORWARD OPERATING BASE FRONTENAC, Afghanistan - It was Aug. 10, 2009, in the Arghandab River Valley, a hot and dusty day full of unknowns. 


Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2010/06/01/1256597/1-17-a-year-in-the-life-and-much.html#storylink=cpy
An American battalion was swapping in with a Canadian garrison. As the Stryker troop carrier rumbled toward the riverside orchards, a Canadian soldier warned 1st Lt. Vic Cortese, 24, of East Quogue, New York: “We don’t go in there.”

The American troops clambered out of the Stryker’s cramped confines into the raw sunlight. The soldiers spread out, started walking.

Less than 20 minutes later, snap, snap, snap in the air. A Taliban ambush. Cortese’s first firefight, and he went numb.

“For a split second, I was like: ‘Oh man!’” he recalled. Then training took command. He pushed against the earth, lifted his M-4 rifle and pulled the trigger.

• Twenty-two men in the U.S. Army’s 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment of 800 died in a yearlong Afghan tour ending this summer. Most were killed last year in the Arghandab, a gateway to the southern city of Kandahar. About 70 were injured, all but two in bomb blasts.

The death toll was one of the highest in the Afghan war, and the tough fight in the Arghandab drew the attention of America’s leaders. President Barack Obama was photographed saluting the coffin of one of the soldiers on arrival in the United States. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates told soldiers at their base in March that their efforts had helped push back the Taliban.

However, the battalion failed to dislodge insurgent cells entirely. A similar outcome is emerging in the southern town of Marjah after a bigger operation led by U.S. Marines in February. An even larger campaign is unfolding in Kandahar, the Taliban’s spiritual capital.

The battalion’s story is an extreme example of the challenges American soldiers face in Afghanistan.

The battalion is part of the 5th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which originally trained for urban combat in Iraq. But the mission changed in the final months of training, and the brigade’s 130 Arabic students took a crash course in Pashto, the language of Afghanistan’s largest ethnic community.

The battalion’s Stryker vehicles, prized for their speed and mobility, were making their debut in the Afghan war. But they could not operate in rough terrain where soldiers had to get around on foot.

The timing was bad; August is the height of Afghanistan’s fighting season.

Perhaps most treacherous of all, the battalion had very little intelligence. The soldiers didn’t know it, but they faced an entrenched enemy willing to stand and fight for a sliver of territory vital to the Taliban’s goal of seizing Kandahar. They needed more manpower.

Before dawn Aug. 7, the battalion rolled out of Kandahar to Forward Operating Base Frontenac, just northwest of the Arghandab.

A “perfect storm” awaited, said Lt. Col. Jonathan Neumann, the battalion commander, from the tiny town of Baker, Mont.

• Spc. Troy O. Tom was the first. A 21-year-old Navajo from Shiprock, N.M., he smiled serenely through tough camp training and told friends he turned down scholarships to serve his country. On Aug. 18, an explosive on a footbridge killed him.

Within five minutes, Pfc. Jonathan C. Yanney, 20, of Litchfield, Minn., died the same way. Soldiers say he stopped, stooped to adjust his heavy backpack, and took his last step.

Fear of more attacks delayed the search for the bodies. The next day, a bomb struck a convoy. The shock wave thumped 1st Lt. Kyle Hovatter of Tallahassee, Fla., in the face – “like a ton of bricks,” he said. Soldiers spotted a dozen muzzle flashes in the undergrowth. Sixteen Strykers unloaded 50-caliber machine gunfire and other ordnance. Helicopters flew low, unleashing at least 100 rockets.

The barrage subsided, and the Americans found Tom and Yanney.

• In photographs, Capt. John L. Hallett III of Concord, Calif., resembles a diffident schoolboy, his ears poking out awkwardly.

Once he visited Afghan police and balked at his hosts’ yogurt drink in a communal bowl. They gave him a glass. Too polite to decline, he held it for the entire meeting and dumped it in the bowl when nobody was looking.

CPT John Hallett A Co Commander KIA 25 Aug
SPC Dennis WIlliams KIA 25 Aug

On Aug. 25, an IED in a culvert flipped a Stryker, killing 30-year-old Hallett and three others. Six days later, more deaths. A medic tried to resuscitate a soldier who lost limbs, then announced it was over. 1st Sgt. Charles Burrow ordered the medic to continue until the helicopter arrived for the flight that would carry the dead man away. He didn’t want to give up.

After the evacuation, a void settled inside Burrow. It was as though there was nothing left to do. He turned to the Protestant chaplain, Capt. Gary Lewis, who arrived to counsel the soldiers.

“Chaplain, be quick. I’m sending these guys right back out. I don’t want them dwelling on it right now,” Lewis remembers Burrow saying.

Again and again, the battalion tried to close out grief. Focus on the task. Look ahead, not back. Each time a soldier died, the base flag flew at half-staff, but only for a few hours. Death became normal, a jarring routine. It meant loss; it meant everyone else was still alive.

• There are versions of what Staff Sgt. Michael Brown, 27, said when a mine severed his right foot on Oct. 15. It’s part of Alpha Company lore. It was either “Man, this is really going to affect my jump shot” or “This is going to affect my golf swing” or “That was my accelerator foot.”

Always upbeat, Brown stayed in character. A medic tied a tourniquet. “Doc, is that tight enough?” inquired Brown of Staten Island, N.Y. The pain floated away with the morphine.

Life could end anytime. In the early days, soldiers exhaled in relief every time a boot sank harmlessly into the earth.

“Every step is, ‘When? When? When? When is it going to happen? When is it going to happen? When is it going to happen?’” said Alpha’s 1st Sgt. Gene Hicks, 39, of Tacoma, a former Marine who will retire and move to Boise.

CPT Bushatz XO, me 1SG, CPT Michael Kovalsky CO, and LT Chris Tran FSO
This photo was taken after a very long operation in the Arghandab Valley.

And then, he said, it would be: “Boom! It just happened.”

U.S. commanders were fighting an estimated 200 or more Taliban who always removed their dead.

One platoon adopted a dog, named Staff Sgt. Bear. One night, Bear barked at the darkness. A daytime search unearthed an IED.

• Oct. 27: The boom was muffled, possibly because the IED hit square underneath the Stryker.

But the radio call was clear and final. Eight KIA, killed in action. Seven Charlie Company soldiers and an Afghan interpreter. The blast had driven the armor plate under the Stryker through the roof, peeling it off like a can opener.

A firefight erupted. Afterward, troops found a man’s corpse and drag marks, probably an attempt by insurgents to remove the body. A young boy sobbed nearby. He told an interpreter that the man was his uncle and brought him along as a human shield.

“He thought you wouldn’t shoot us,” the boy said.

• Grousing is common in any army, but a deeper resentment brewed in the 1-17. In November, brigade chief Col. Harry Tunnell replaced Capt. Joel Kassulke of Charlie Company, which had suffered the most deaths – 12 men – of the four companies.

The soldiers fumed. They thought the captain was made a scapegoat.

In December, the battalion took a new mission to secure area highways. Fighting had ebbed, and a unit from the 82nd Airborne Division took over most of the Arghandab. Some 1-17 soldiers were emotional – they thought they were winning, and felt defeat at leaving.

A month later, an Army Times newspaper article included assertions by Charlie Company junior leaders that they had not trained adequately for the Afghan mission, and that the battalion had not focused enough on civilian concerns.

Neumann said civil development was hardly the first option in a heavy combat zone, but acknowledged he could have done more to convey command thinking down the chain. As for Kassulke’s transfer, he said, the brigade command believed the man and the company were close to a “breaking point” and needed change.

• With the deployment nearly over, Sgt. Richard Thibeault of Bravo Company remembered Aug. 10, 2009, when he and Cortese first tasted combat. A bullet struck Thibeault’s ceramic chest plate but did not penetrate. He went somewhere else: a dream, a bubble.

“It knocked me back a couple of steps and I hit the ground,” he said. “It was like hearing everything through a can, being way off. It was like being five miles away and hearing gunfire. Everything was real faint, but I was right there in the middle of it.”

Thibeault crawled, and a soldier grabbed him by the collar. “I got up there behind the wall … and said, ‘Hey man, I got shot,’” Thibeault recalled. “He looked and he said, ‘No, you didn’t.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I was.’ He was, ‘No, you didn’t. Start firing.’”

The soldier shoved his hand under Thibeault’s vest and yanked it out. No blood.

Thibeault, 22, of Cornelia, Ga., got a tattoo of a crosshairs with a wisp of smoke where the bullet would have entered.

At Frontenac today, photographs of the dead line the corridor in the headquarters. A concrete memorial bears their names.


Our Battalion Memorial on FOB Frontenac


Read more here: http://www.theolympian.com/2010/06/01/1256597/1-17-a-year-in-the-life-and-much.html#storylink=cpy

Thursday, April 26, 2012

SVA Names For-Profit Schools with Revoked Charters

Do your homework before applying to any school!!!!

WASHINGTON, DC –Today, Student Veterans of America (SVA) published a list of 26 for-profit institutions whose SVA charters had been revoked. The removal of SVA chapters resulted from a routine, annual review of all chapters.
"SVA chapters must be established and led by student veterans. Student veteran organizations in development, or created by university administrators, defeats the fundamental spirit of the SVA chapter,” said Michael Dakduk, Executive Director of Student Veterans of America. "In addition to being a peer support group, SVA chapters exist as campus and community based advocacy organizations. It appears that some for-profit schools do not understand our model, or worse –they understand our model and they choose to exploit it for personal gain.” This is important because:
1) it defrauds veterans seeking advice from SVA’s student leaders;
2) it deters veterans who would otherwise form chapters at these campuses;
3) it misrepresents these chapters as being a point of contact for veterans seeking out their peers who can help them with transition issues and introduce them to a community of individuals that share similar experiences;
4) it undermines the legitimacy and reputation of SVA.
Many military and veteran-friendly school lists cite having a SVA chapter as a criterion for becoming ‘veteran-friendly’. The term ‘military-friendly’, or ‘veteran-friendly’,as it relates to academic institutions is ill-defined.
"I am concerned that certain for-profit schools may be taking advantage of the SVA brand to legitimize their programs. This may be an example of certain schools establishing fake SVA chapters to appear on a military-friendly list. By being featured on these lists, those schools can then advertise their programs as accommodating to veterans –although the term military and veteran friendly lacks any real definition. This is an extreme example of misrepresentation. There is a pattern of impropriety among certain for-profit institutions of higher learning.”
Facts:
35 chapters at for-profit schools are currently under review with SVA, representing 8% of SVA’s chapter base.
All chapters submit a statement of understanding – in part, it states the following:
I attest that my organization is officially recognized as a student organization at an institution of higher education.
I attest that my organization’s primary mission is aimed at the general welfare of student veterans who are enrolled or intend on enrolling at an institution of higher education.
I give authority to SVA to verify my organization’s eligibility for chapter affiliation.
I understand that SVA reserves the right to revoke chapter membership at any time. I also understand that my organization may remove our affiliation with SVA at any time.

SCHOOL LIST OF REVOKED CHAPTERS
ALLIED AMERICAN UNIVERSITY
ANTHEM COLLEGE-ONLINE
ARGOSY UNIVERSITY-ONLINE
ARGOSY UNIVERSITY-SAN BERNARDINO
ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA-ORANGE COUNTY
ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA-SACRAMENTO
ART INSTITUTE OF MICHIGAN
ART INSTITUTE OF NEW YORK CITY
ART INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH
ART INSTITUTE OF PITTSBURGH-ONLINE
ART INSTITUTE OF WASHINGTON
ART INSTITUTES INTERNATIONAL-KANSAS CITY
ASHWORTH COLLEGE
BROWN MACKIE COLLEGE-AKRON
DEVRY UNIVERSITY-ORLANDO SOUTH
ECPI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-INNSBROOK
ECPI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-RALEIGH
ECPI COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY-RICHMOND
EX'PRESSION COLLEGE FOR DIGITAL ARTS
FASHION INSTITUTE OF DESIGN & MERCHANDISING
ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE-SOUTH BEND
ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE-SPRINGFIELD
ITT TECHNICAL INSTITUTE-STRONGSVILLE
MEDICAL CAREERS INSTITUTE
SOUTH UNIVERSITY-ALABAMA
SOUTH UNIVERSITY-GEORGIA