Monday, April 2, 2012
Camp Lejeune Marines hurt after motorcycle crash
Camp Lejeune marine hospitalized after motorcycle crash with fellow marine
By: ANDREA BLANFORD
Eyewitness News 9
Published: April 01, 2012
JONES COUNTY,N.C. (WNCT) - A Camp Lejeune marine is recovering in the hospital this afternoon after his motorcycle collided with another marine's bike.
Highway Patrol troopers tell us it happened just before 2-o'clock Sunday afternoon on Pole Pocosin Road in Jones County.
read more here
Former Airman Sues US After Losing Legs to Botched Surgery
Former Airman Sues US After Losing Legs to Botched Surgery
April 02, 2012
Fort Worth Star-Telegram|by Chris Vaughn
FORT WORTH -- Retired Airman Colton Read and his wife sued the U.S. government for millions of dollars in federal court Friday, asserting that military surgeons botched a routine gallbladder procedure so badly that civilian doctors had to amputate his legs to save his life.
The 25-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth by attorney Darrell Keith, paints a graphic picture of what went terribly awry in the operating room and intensive-care unit at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on July 9, 2009.
Read was supposed to have his gallbladder removed before deploying overseas. Read, 23, an Arlington native, barely survived the laparoscopic surgery because one of the doctors lacerated his aorta at the beginning of the procedure. That set off a series of decisions that the lawsuit alleges were grossly negligent and delayed remedial action until Keith was transferred to a civilian hospital nine hours later. By then, his legs had been without blood flow for hours and had to be amputated. Read, medically retired by the Air Force just days ago, now lives in New Braunfels with his wife, Jessica, and their baby. read more here
April 02, 2012
Fort Worth Star-Telegram|by Chris Vaughn
FORT WORTH -- Retired Airman Colton Read and his wife sued the U.S. government for millions of dollars in federal court Friday, asserting that military surgeons botched a routine gallbladder procedure so badly that civilian doctors had to amputate his legs to save his life.
The 25-page lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Fort Worth by attorney Darrell Keith, paints a graphic picture of what went terribly awry in the operating room and intensive-care unit at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., on July 9, 2009.
Read was supposed to have his gallbladder removed before deploying overseas. Read, 23, an Arlington native, barely survived the laparoscopic surgery because one of the doctors lacerated his aorta at the beginning of the procedure. That set off a series of decisions that the lawsuit alleges were grossly negligent and delayed remedial action until Keith was transferred to a civilian hospital nine hours later. By then, his legs had been without blood flow for hours and had to be amputated. Read, medically retired by the Air Force just days ago, now lives in New Braunfels with his wife, Jessica, and their baby. read more here
Air Force Reserve Staff Sgt. Actress Veronica Simpson, turns personal PTSD story into film
Actress turns personal PTSD story into film
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 02, 2012
When she is not wearing her uniform, Air Force Reserve staff Sgt. Veronica Simpson can often be found during her off hours acting in front of a camera.
Most of the time, Simpson, currently a chaplain's assistant at MacDill Air Force Base, is playing a made-up character.
She was a waitress in "Burn Notice,'' a medical technician on "The Glades'' and, in "Charlie's Angels,'' she played an assassin.
But in November, while shooting a movie called "All Wars End,'' Simpson played a role that was all too real – the wife of a Marine with post traumatic stress disorder. It was a role, she said, that changed her life. That's because, in real life, Simpson, 32, is the wife of a former Marine with PTSD. One scene in particular, she said, led to an epiphany. Shot in an apartment in Miami, the scene involved Simpson's character arguing with her husband. "From that one little scene I got a glimpse of my own life," Simpson said. read more here
By HOWARD ALTMAN
The Tampa Tribune
Published: April 02, 2012
But in November, while shooting a movie called "All Wars End,'' Simpson played a role that was all too real – the wife of a Marine with post traumatic stress disorder. It was a role, she said, that changed her life. That's because, in real life, Simpson, 32, is the wife of a former Marine with PTSD. One scene in particular, she said, led to an epiphany. Shot in an apartment in Miami, the scene involved Simpson's character arguing with her husband. "From that one little scene I got a glimpse of my own life," Simpson said. read more here
Marine shot, killed by friend
Marine shot, killed by friend
Posted on 04/02/2012
by Robert Kolarik
A 24-year-old U.S. Marine was shot and killed by a man San Antonio police identified as his friend, KSAT-TV is reporting. Two men and a woman were in an apartment in the 3300 block of Timber View on Sunday evening when one of the men apparently was playing with a 12-gauge shotgun and it was fired, the station reports. read more here
Posted on 04/02/2012
by Robert Kolarik
A 24-year-old U.S. Marine was shot and killed by a man San Antonio police identified as his friend, KSAT-TV is reporting. Two men and a woman were in an apartment in the 3300 block of Timber View on Sunday evening when one of the men apparently was playing with a 12-gauge shotgun and it was fired, the station reports. read more here
Veterans: Westover planes fouled with Agent Orange
Veterans: Westover planes fouled with Agent Orange
Published: Sunday, April 01, 2012
By Jeanette DeForge, The Republican
Through word-of-mouth the group has compiled a list of 48 people who have diseases possibly linked to Agent Orange. red more here
Published: Sunday, April 01, 2012
By Jeanette DeForge, The Republican
The Republican | John Suchocki CHICOPEE – Vietnam veteran Robert P. Patenaude with the Agent Orange spray plane he and others crewed during the war. The C 123 transport named "Patches" because of all the bullet holes it received is now in a container that can only be accessed with hazmat suits, according to Patenaude, who receives disability payments because of Agent Orange.CHICOPEE — For nine years they flew in them, they fixed them and they treated patients in them. Now, three decades later, veterans of the 439th Tactical Airlift Wing at Westover Air Reserve Base believe those airplanes are responsible for making them sick. Unknown to the veterans, the C-123 Providers, which had previously flown in Vietnam, were contaminated with Agent Orange. “We have crew members who are sick. We have crew members who have died ... We have people who aren’t even sick yet,” said retired Air Force Major Wesley T. Carter, who served as an air medical technician and flight instructor and examiner with Westover’s 74th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron for 20 years and flew in the C-123s from 1974 to 1980. While recovering from a heart attack last April, Carter was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Then he started hearing fellow crew members were also suffering from cancer, diabetes and heart disease.
Through word-of-mouth the group has compiled a list of 48 people who have diseases possibly linked to Agent Orange. red more here
Hero soldier's story not fully acknowledged
Hero soldier's story not fully acknowledged
Bravery, sacrifice by U.S. troops in Afghanistan called shining examples
New York Times Published
Saturday, March 31, 2012
KABUL, Afghanistan — The story of Specialist Dennis Weichel could easily be a counterpoint to the gruesome account of the U.S. soldier charged with 17 counts of murder in Kandahar on March 11. Weichel, who was 29, was killed while rescuing an Afghan child, but more than a week after that event the military here has yet to officially confirm what happened. Indeed, the initial details of the episode in northeastern Laghman province came not from military officials but from Afghan civilians and then fellow soldiers and friends in the United States.
Bravery, sacrifice by U.S. troops in Afghanistan called shining examples
New York Times Published
Saturday, March 31, 2012
KABUL, Afghanistan — The story of Specialist Dennis Weichel could easily be a counterpoint to the gruesome account of the U.S. soldier charged with 17 counts of murder in Kandahar on March 11. Weichel, who was 29, was killed while rescuing an Afghan child, but more than a week after that event the military here has yet to officially confirm what happened. Indeed, the initial details of the episode in northeastern Laghman province came not from military officials but from Afghan civilians and then fellow soldiers and friends in the United States.
Matiullah Khan, a vegetable seller and Zaiullah's uncle, said, "As you know, all five fingers on one hand are not equal, and it's the same with American soldiers." "What that soldier did in Kandahar was such a brutal act, no human could do what he did," he said, referring to the accusations against Staff Sgt. Robert Bales in the Kandahar killings. "This soldier, he looked at my nephew as a human being and endangered his life to save my nephew's life."
In a different mission of mercy, three days after the killings of which Bales is accused, medics at a combat outpost in southeastern Paktika province raced to save the life of Mateen, an 8-year-old boy wounded when his Taliban father's homemade bomb exploded. The emergency mission involved two medevac helicopter flights and medical treatment at three military aid stations and hospitals. The boy survived despite losing his eyes and suffering other injuries. With skin grafts and prosthetic eyes, doctors repaired as much of his face as they could. The military finally announced what had happened last week, once the boy had been returned to his family. read more here
Suffolk program supports vets with PTSD
Suffolk program supports vets with PTSD
April 1, 2012
By PAUL LAROCCO
Still, there were few people the Long Island natives could actually talk to -- few fellow war-scarred service members able to break through. Both died from accidental drug overdoses, and Sunday, their loved ones gathered at a Sayville American Legion post to back a new program creating support groups for veterans with PTSD.
"Hopefully people won't have to go through what Joe did," said Brian Dwyer, whose brother, originally of Mount Sinai, died in North Carolina in 2008. "The whole system has just been overwhelmed." As part of the state budget approved last week, Suffolk is one of four counties getting $200,000 to set up the Pfc. Joseph Dwyer Program, in which eight to 10 veterans diagnosed with PTSD or traumatic brain injury -- under a professional's supervision -- will help each other cope.
The idea for the program grew out of a series of meetings of the John P. Jennings Veterans' Advisory Panel, convened last year by Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), an Iraq War veteran. Jennings, 34, an Army National Guard lieutenant, returned from Iraq in 2005 and died at his Calverton home in January 2011. read more here
April 1, 2012
By PAUL LAROCCO
Photo credit: John Roca State Senator Lee M. Zeldin announcing the creation of the PFC Joseph Dwyer Program. (April 1, 2012)As they battled post-traumatic stress disorder, Army veterans Joseph Dwyer and John Jennings had plenty of concerned family and friends.
Still, there were few people the Long Island natives could actually talk to -- few fellow war-scarred service members able to break through. Both died from accidental drug overdoses, and Sunday, their loved ones gathered at a Sayville American Legion post to back a new program creating support groups for veterans with PTSD.
"Hopefully people won't have to go through what Joe did," said Brian Dwyer, whose brother, originally of Mount Sinai, died in North Carolina in 2008. "The whole system has just been overwhelmed." As part of the state budget approved last week, Suffolk is one of four counties getting $200,000 to set up the Pfc. Joseph Dwyer Program, in which eight to 10 veterans diagnosed with PTSD or traumatic brain injury -- under a professional's supervision -- will help each other cope.
The idea for the program grew out of a series of meetings of the John P. Jennings Veterans' Advisory Panel, convened last year by Sen. Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley), an Iraq War veteran. Jennings, 34, an Army National Guard lieutenant, returned from Iraq in 2005 and died at his Calverton home in January 2011. read more here
Vets say declaring national monument could help vets with PTSD
Vets say declaring national monument could help vets with PTSD
April 1, 2012
By Samantha Manning
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Veterans said declaring the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks region a national monument could help vets coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the Unites States Department of Veterans Affairs, between seven and eight percent of people are estimated to have experienced PTSD in their lives, and the chances are among the greatest in veterans.
Some veterans said that a key method of dealing with the condition once they're back home is to spend time in the great outdoors. "It's very important to me to be able to decompress a little bit," Vietnam veteran Peter Ossorio said. Ossorio's daughter is an Iraq war veteran. read more here
April 1, 2012
By Samantha Manning
LAS CRUCES, N.M. — Veterans said declaring the Organ Mountain-Desert Peaks region a national monument could help vets coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). According to the Unites States Department of Veterans Affairs, between seven and eight percent of people are estimated to have experienced PTSD in their lives, and the chances are among the greatest in veterans.
Some veterans said that a key method of dealing with the condition once they're back home is to spend time in the great outdoors. "It's very important to me to be able to decompress a little bit," Vietnam veteran Peter Ossorio said. Ossorio's daughter is an Iraq war veteran. read more here
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Tricare web base mental health program shutting down
Tricare to close online mental health program
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 31, 2012
The Tricare Assistance Program for behavioral health counseling is being shut down due to lack of use, Tricare officials said Friday. The $3 million demonstration program, launched in August 2009, was designed to test use of Web-based video conferencing for mental health counseling.
The instant messaging and Web-based chat program facilitated communications with patients and counselors on non-medical concerns ranging from deployment anxiety and work stress to family and relationship issues. The program logged 5,109 calls during a two-year period, with 89 percent coming from the Tricare West region, according to Tricare spokesman Austin Camacho. Only 1,188 were initial calls, while the rest were follow-ups, he added. read more here
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 31, 2012
The Tricare Assistance Program for behavioral health counseling is being shut down due to lack of use, Tricare officials said Friday. The $3 million demonstration program, launched in August 2009, was designed to test use of Web-based video conferencing for mental health counseling.
The instant messaging and Web-based chat program facilitated communications with patients and counselors on non-medical concerns ranging from deployment anxiety and work stress to family and relationship issues. The program logged 5,109 calls during a two-year period, with 89 percent coming from the Tricare West region, according to Tricare spokesman Austin Camacho. Only 1,188 were initial calls, while the rest were follow-ups, he added. read more here
Atheism-themed concert held at Fort Bragg
Atheism-themed concert held at Bragg
By Tom Breen -
The Associated Press Posted :
Sunday Apr 1, 2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — For the first time in history, the U.S. military hosted an event expressly for soldiers and others who don’t believe in God, with a county fair-like gathering Saturday on the main parade ground at one of the world’s largest Army posts. The Rock Beyond Belief event at Fort Bragg, organized by soldiers here two years after an evangelical Christian event at the eastern North Carolina post, is the most visible sign so far of a growing desire by military personnel with atheist or other secular beliefs to get the same recognition as their religious counterparts.
The purpose was not to make the Army look bad, organizers said, but to show that atheists and other secular believers have a place in institutions like the military. “I love the military,” said Sgt. Justin Griffith, main organizer of the event and the military director of American Atheists. He added, “This is not meant to be a black eye.” Griffith said he and other non-religious soldiers are not permitted to hold atheist meetings at the post and have so far been rebuffed in their efforts to change that. They feel their beliefs marginalize them.
Organizers were hoping for a crowd of about 5,000. At least several hundred people gathered on the parade ground by midday Saturday. Rainy weather for most of the morning may have affected the turnout. Fort Bragg officials said they would provide a crowd estimate later. read more here
By Tom Breen -
The Associated Press Posted :
Sunday Apr 1, 2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — For the first time in history, the U.S. military hosted an event expressly for soldiers and others who don’t believe in God, with a county fair-like gathering Saturday on the main parade ground at one of the world’s largest Army posts. The Rock Beyond Belief event at Fort Bragg, organized by soldiers here two years after an evangelical Christian event at the eastern North Carolina post, is the most visible sign so far of a growing desire by military personnel with atheist or other secular beliefs to get the same recognition as their religious counterparts.
The purpose was not to make the Army look bad, organizers said, but to show that atheists and other secular believers have a place in institutions like the military. “I love the military,” said Sgt. Justin Griffith, main organizer of the event and the military director of American Atheists. He added, “This is not meant to be a black eye.” Griffith said he and other non-religious soldiers are not permitted to hold atheist meetings at the post and have so far been rebuffed in their efforts to change that. They feel their beliefs marginalize them.
Organizers were hoping for a crowd of about 5,000. At least several hundred people gathered on the parade ground by midday Saturday. Rainy weather for most of the morning may have affected the turnout. Fort Bragg officials said they would provide a crowd estimate later. read more here
Military funeral held for homeless veteran in Westlake Village
By Rachel McGrath
Posted March 30, 2012
Valley Oaks operations manager Chester Perry said to the small group in the veterans area of the Memorial Park. "But you are here. You are his family this day," Perry said.
Keachie's funeral service and burial at Riverside National Cemetery were made possible through the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program, a collaboration among Dignity Memorial funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, Riverside National Cemetery, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and local veterans organizations and veterans advocates. read more here
By Rachel McGrath
Posted March 30, 2012
PHOTO BY CHUCK KIRMAN, VENTURA COUNTY STAR Air Force Staff Sgt. Daniel Stephens presents a U.S. flag to retired Army Lt. Col. Richard Kohlbrand at the military funeral for Richard Keachie of the Air Force at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks Mortuary and Cemetery in Westlake Village on Friday.Homeless veteran Richard Keachie, who died in Los Angeles on Jan. 29, received a military funeral Friday at Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks in Westlake Village. All that is known about Keachie, whose remains were unclaimed, is that he was born in New Orleans on Feb. 24, 1933, and enlisted in the Air Force in 1952, serving until 1954. "He left this Earth in a way that we would not want him to leave this Earth, with nobody to be there for him on his final day,"
Valley Oaks operations manager Chester Perry said to the small group in the veterans area of the Memorial Park. "But you are here. You are his family this day," Perry said.
Keachie's funeral service and burial at Riverside National Cemetery were made possible through the Dignity Memorial Homeless Veterans Burial Program, a collaboration among Dignity Memorial funeral, cremation and cemetery service providers, Riverside National Cemetery, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and local veterans organizations and veterans advocates. read more here
Fort Carson Wife in ICU after hit and run driver took off
Family: Children Of Hit-And-Run Victim Witnessed Crash
Neighborhood children, including her own, witnessed the devastating hit-and-run crash that has left a soldier's wife in ICU.
Posted: 12:22 PM Mar 31, 2012 Reporter: KKTV
Neighborhood children, including her own, witnessed the devastating hit-and-run crash that has left Cassandrea Thorn in ICU. "Her pelvis was crushed," Cassandrea's father-in-law Paul Thorn told 11 News. "Most of her back muscles and skin have been separated from the tissues of her bone." The crash occurred on Remagen Road, which is on Fort Carson, Thursday evening. read more here
Neighborhood children, including her own, witnessed the devastating hit-and-run crash that has left a soldier's wife in ICU.
Posted: 12:22 PM Mar 31, 2012 Reporter: KKTV
Neighborhood children, including her own, witnessed the devastating hit-and-run crash that has left Cassandrea Thorn in ICU. "Her pelvis was crushed," Cassandrea's father-in-law Paul Thorn told 11 News. "Most of her back muscles and skin have been separated from the tissues of her bone." The crash occurred on Remagen Road, which is on Fort Carson, Thursday evening. read more here
Camp Pendleton Dogs poisoned with anti-freeze
More Dogs Poisoned on Camp Pendleton
By San Diego 6 News Reporters
Mar 31, 2012
OCEANSIDE - As she sits in a park near Camp Pendleton, two small wooden boxes are by Janessa Pierce's side. "This is sassy and this is Zoe." Besides pictures and memories, the ashes inside the box are all that's left of Pierce's two dogs. "My kids still cry and ask for our dogs almost daily," said Pierce as she held back the tears. "It's unimaginable to think someone could do this to other people." Janessa then pulls out two pictures, one is a yellow lab mix with her and her husband, a child sits close in tears. Another pictures how a black Lab mix, her eyes closed on a hospital bed. These are pictures of Sassy and Zoe, they passed away two weeks ago, someone poisoned them. "We have evidence of the food that was put in the backyard," said Pierce. Reports from the Veterinarian also confirm the dogs died from Anti-freeze Toxicity.
It shows Sassy was taken the hospital one night before Zoe and passed away the next morning. She had been vomiting for two days. Zoe was also suffering from similar symptoms, she died after the Pierce's made the decision not to give her dialysis. Even with the treatment, she would have only had a 20% chance of survival. What's most disturbing to Janessa is, the poisonings are happening again. "There were other dogs on our street that were poisoned in the last couple of days and those dogs died as well." said Janessa. read more here
By San Diego 6 News Reporters
Mar 31, 2012
OCEANSIDE - As she sits in a park near Camp Pendleton, two small wooden boxes are by Janessa Pierce's side. "This is sassy and this is Zoe." Besides pictures and memories, the ashes inside the box are all that's left of Pierce's two dogs. "My kids still cry and ask for our dogs almost daily," said Pierce as she held back the tears. "It's unimaginable to think someone could do this to other people." Janessa then pulls out two pictures, one is a yellow lab mix with her and her husband, a child sits close in tears. Another pictures how a black Lab mix, her eyes closed on a hospital bed. These are pictures of Sassy and Zoe, they passed away two weeks ago, someone poisoned them. "We have evidence of the food that was put in the backyard," said Pierce. Reports from the Veterinarian also confirm the dogs died from Anti-freeze Toxicity.
It shows Sassy was taken the hospital one night before Zoe and passed away the next morning. She had been vomiting for two days. Zoe was also suffering from similar symptoms, she died after the Pierce's made the decision not to give her dialysis. Even with the treatment, she would have only had a 20% chance of survival. What's most disturbing to Janessa is, the poisonings are happening again. "There were other dogs on our street that were poisoned in the last couple of days and those dogs died as well." said Janessa. read more here
National Guards 182nd Soldiers Become Civilians Again
The Impact Of War
SAT MARCH 31, 2012
Home Front: Soldiers Become Civilians Again
We first met the soldiers of the 182nd Infantry Regiment of the Army National Guard about a week ago, on an airport tarmac. They had just landed in the United States after wrapping up a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. The plane touched down in Indiana in the middle of the night. It was raining, but the soldiers bounding down the stairs couldn't have cared less. They were almost running, pausing only when they realized a couple of one-star generals were standing at the bottom of the stairs ready to welcome them back to the U.S. The 600 or so soldiers filed into a noisy airport hangar, their backpacks and M-4 rifles in tow. Under the drone of fluorescent lights, an officer shouted instructions. read more here
SAT MARCH 31, 2012
Home Front: Soldiers Become Civilians Again
Members of the 182nd Infantry Regiment sit through a briefing at Camp Atterbury during the demobilization in Columbus, Ind. Tom Dreisbach / NPRBy EDITOR Over the next year, Weekend Edition will be spending time with the men of the National Guard's 182nd Infantry Regiment as they make the transition from soldiers to civilians in a series called "Home Front."
We first met the soldiers of the 182nd Infantry Regiment of the Army National Guard about a week ago, on an airport tarmac. They had just landed in the United States after wrapping up a year-long deployment to Afghanistan. The plane touched down in Indiana in the middle of the night. It was raining, but the soldiers bounding down the stairs couldn't have cared less. They were almost running, pausing only when they realized a couple of one-star generals were standing at the bottom of the stairs ready to welcome them back to the U.S. The 600 or so soldiers filed into a noisy airport hangar, their backpacks and M-4 rifles in tow. Under the drone of fluorescent lights, an officer shouted instructions. read more here
Documentary shows how program gives veterans an outlet for healing
Documentary shows how program gives veterans an outlet for healing
Mar. 31, 2012
Written by KRISTEN CATES
When 28-year-old Great Falls native Jesse Scollin signed up for the U.S. Army 10 years ago, he knew that he would go into combat at some point. "I was just ready to go," he said. "I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into."
What the 2002 C.M. Russell High School graduate got was work as a combat medic in Iraq in 2003, experiencing things he struggles to describe even seven years after being medically discharged from the military. He and other veterans are getting the chance to tell their stories through a new documentary being produced by a Great Falls-area native and Iraq war veteran about a relatively new program in Missoula that gives wounded and traumatized soldiers a sense of peace.
"A Brotherhood Reforged" was created by Sun River alumnus, recent University of Montana graduate and Army veteran Dan West. read more here
Mar. 31, 2012
Written by KRISTEN CATES
When 28-year-old Great Falls native Jesse Scollin signed up for the U.S. Army 10 years ago, he knew that he would go into combat at some point. "I was just ready to go," he said. "I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into."
What the 2002 C.M. Russell High School graduate got was work as a combat medic in Iraq in 2003, experiencing things he struggles to describe even seven years after being medically discharged from the military. He and other veterans are getting the chance to tell their stories through a new documentary being produced by a Great Falls-area native and Iraq war veteran about a relatively new program in Missoula that gives wounded and traumatized soldiers a sense of peace.
"A Brotherhood Reforged" was created by Sun River alumnus, recent University of Montana graduate and Army veteran Dan West. read more here
Lifetime Traumatic Stress Linked to Heightened Inflammation
Lifetime Traumatic Stress Linked to Heightened Inflammation
By TRACI PEDERSEN
Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 31, 2012
The more traumatic stress a person is exposed to over the course of a lifetime, the greater the chances the person has elevated levels of inflammatory markers in his or her bloodstream, say researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco.
The study is the first to examine the association between cumulative traumatic stress and inflammation. For the study, researchers looked at 979 patients (ages 45 to 90) with stable heart disease and analyzed their exposures to 18 different types of traumatic events, all of which involved either experiencing or watching a direct threat to life or physical integrity.
Next, researchers measured several clinical markers of inflammation that circulate in the bloodstream, and found a direct correlation between lifetime stress exposure and inflammation levels. “This may be significant for people with cardiovascular disease, because we know that heart disease patients with higher levels of inflammation tend to have worse outcomes,” said lead author Aoife O’Donovan, a fellow in psychiatry at UCSF. Five years later, researchers measured the surviving patients’ inflammation markers again, and discovered that the participants who had originally reported the highest levels of trauma still had the highest levels of inflammation. read more here
By TRACI PEDERSEN
Associate News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on March 31, 2012
The more traumatic stress a person is exposed to over the course of a lifetime, the greater the chances the person has elevated levels of inflammatory markers in his or her bloodstream, say researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco.
The study is the first to examine the association between cumulative traumatic stress and inflammation. For the study, researchers looked at 979 patients (ages 45 to 90) with stable heart disease and analyzed their exposures to 18 different types of traumatic events, all of which involved either experiencing or watching a direct threat to life or physical integrity.
Next, researchers measured several clinical markers of inflammation that circulate in the bloodstream, and found a direct correlation between lifetime stress exposure and inflammation levels. “This may be significant for people with cardiovascular disease, because we know that heart disease patients with higher levels of inflammation tend to have worse outcomes,” said lead author Aoife O’Donovan, a fellow in psychiatry at UCSF. Five years later, researchers measured the surviving patients’ inflammation markers again, and discovered that the participants who had originally reported the highest levels of trauma still had the highest levels of inflammation. read more here
Run Raises Awareness For Soldier Suicide
Run Raises Awareness For Soldier Suicide
Apr 01, 2012
By Molly Miles, Reporter
SLEEPY EYE, MN - Over the past five years, 24 soldiers with the Minnesota National Guard have committed suicide and the suicide rate among U.S. soldiers continues to rise. Suicide is sobering topic that people often run away from. But Saturday in Sleepy Eye people were running for it. Running for hope and a better future for the men and women that serve our country.
Jean Clark whose son is in the army says, "Show our support, and show our country that we support our troops." Running to raise awareness for the psychological wounds of war. New Ulm VFW Commander Wil Burdorf says, "We have to make people aware of the suicide rate of the veterans and this is one way we could make it more visible." Running because there are as many as 18 suicides per day among all U.S. veterans, and a veteran is 12 times more likely to die by his or her own hand after leaving the military than to be killed in action while on active duty. read more here
Apr 01, 2012
By Molly Miles, Reporter
SLEEPY EYE, MN - Over the past five years, 24 soldiers with the Minnesota National Guard have committed suicide and the suicide rate among U.S. soldiers continues to rise. Suicide is sobering topic that people often run away from. But Saturday in Sleepy Eye people were running for it. Running for hope and a better future for the men and women that serve our country.
Jean Clark whose son is in the army says, "Show our support, and show our country that we support our troops." Running to raise awareness for the psychological wounds of war. New Ulm VFW Commander Wil Burdorf says, "We have to make people aware of the suicide rate of the veterans and this is one way we could make it more visible." Running because there are as many as 18 suicides per day among all U.S. veterans, and a veteran is 12 times more likely to die by his or her own hand after leaving the military than to be killed in action while on active duty. read more here
Aid efforts continue for injured Marine
Chestatee security guard asks for support
By Jeff Gill
POSTED: April 1, 2012
While a security guard at Chestatee High School in northwest Hall, Rudy Guerrero took time out to encourage some students to join the Marines. Sean Adams, who wowed recruiters with his 100 pushups, followed through on his dream. And like Guerrero, an ex-Marine who served in Vietnam, Adams went straight to a war zone — for him, it was Afghanistan. While there, he met disaster.
While leading a patrol with other Marines on Feb. 10, the 2011 Chestatee graduate was injured by a roadside bomb blast and suffered life-altering injuries from the resulting blast. He is now a double amputee. “I feel bad because he’s a young guy, I knew him, I talked him into going into the Marine Corps,” Guerrero said. “He already had it planned out, but still I feel bad. And he’s a Marine, and we have to help him out.” Guerrero is trying to place donation cans in public locations, as a member of the Marine Corps League, Upper Chattahoochee Detachment.
Lending support Family members of Sean Adams have created a website and a Facebook page to provide updates on his condition. Email inquiries can be sent to pfcseanadams@yahoo.com.read more here
Helpers sought to mentor Marines
Military briefs: Helpers sought to mentor Marines
9:00 PM, Mar. 31, 2012
Written by Denise Goolsby
The Desert Sun
The Desert Cities Mitchell Paige Medal of Honor Chapter, 1st Marine Division Association is calling for volunteers to mentor Marines of the Wounded Warrior Detachment at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms who are leaving active duty. The mentors will work on a one-on-one basis with Marines to help them transition to civilian life.
According to Lt. Col. Ted Wong, commanding officer of the detachment, the average age of a Twentynine Palms wounded warrior is 22. “Most joined the Marine Corps after high school graduation and were looking at the Marines as their career in life,” said chapter member Jim Sullivan, one of the program organizers. “Due to wounds and injuries, they now have to enter civilian life and need some help in making decisions as to going on to college, trade schools, or finding a job.” For more information or to volunteer, call (760) 901-5494.
9:00 PM, Mar. 31, 2012
Written by Denise Goolsby
The Desert Sun
The Desert Cities Mitchell Paige Medal of Honor Chapter, 1st Marine Division Association is calling for volunteers to mentor Marines of the Wounded Warrior Detachment at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms who are leaving active duty. The mentors will work on a one-on-one basis with Marines to help them transition to civilian life.
According to Lt. Col. Ted Wong, commanding officer of the detachment, the average age of a Twentynine Palms wounded warrior is 22. “Most joined the Marine Corps after high school graduation and were looking at the Marines as their career in life,” said chapter member Jim Sullivan, one of the program organizers. “Due to wounds and injuries, they now have to enter civilian life and need some help in making decisions as to going on to college, trade schools, or finding a job.” For more information or to volunteer, call (760) 901-5494.
Veterans treating veterans; a growing niche
Veterans treating veterans; a growing niche
Now that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down, this country can expect a tremendous influx of returning veterans. With this surge comes a greater need to treat the invisible wounds of war, namely posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and a host of other psychological issues.
A mental health crisis is likely in the next five to 10 years if appropriate attention is not given to war veterans and their families, according to Nicholas Covino, Ph.D., president of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. “The general idea that those with military trauma will be served by the VA (Veteran’s Administration) is not completely accurate. Some will, but only about 25 percent of the time,” he says. “Most of the military don’t go to the VA, especially those in the National Guard. They’ll continue to get health care from traditional sources, like hospitals and HMOs.”
To adequately serve the needs of these men and women, practitioners need to step outside their comfort zones and gain some understanding of the sequelae of combat, military culture and adjustment issues families face before, during and after deployment, Covino says. “We have to create responsibility among mental health professionals to do the right thing by the veterans.
A review of the literature suggests straightforward, common sense approaches that can and should be done by any mental health professional to address the problems of separation and reintegration,” he says, noting that families potentially face years of adjustment difficulties after a military parent returns from overseas. “Our profession has a responsibility to revise and rework our practices to learn about military culture and equip ourselves with techniques to deal with veterans and families presenting with complaints. This matches what we’ve learned in graduate school,” Covino says. Unresponsiveness because of the perception of inadequate skill sets will create social problems such as homelessness, divorce and alcoholism, in the future, he says. read more here
Now that the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan are winding down, this country can expect a tremendous influx of returning veterans. With this surge comes a greater need to treat the invisible wounds of war, namely posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression and a host of other psychological issues.
A mental health crisis is likely in the next five to 10 years if appropriate attention is not given to war veterans and their families, according to Nicholas Covino, Ph.D., president of the Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology. “The general idea that those with military trauma will be served by the VA (Veteran’s Administration) is not completely accurate. Some will, but only about 25 percent of the time,” he says. “Most of the military don’t go to the VA, especially those in the National Guard. They’ll continue to get health care from traditional sources, like hospitals and HMOs.”
To adequately serve the needs of these men and women, practitioners need to step outside their comfort zones and gain some understanding of the sequelae of combat, military culture and adjustment issues families face before, during and after deployment, Covino says. “We have to create responsibility among mental health professionals to do the right thing by the veterans.
A review of the literature suggests straightforward, common sense approaches that can and should be done by any mental health professional to address the problems of separation and reintegration,” he says, noting that families potentially face years of adjustment difficulties after a military parent returns from overseas. “Our profession has a responsibility to revise and rework our practices to learn about military culture and equip ourselves with techniques to deal with veterans and families presenting with complaints. This matches what we’ve learned in graduate school,” Covino says. Unresponsiveness because of the perception of inadequate skill sets will create social problems such as homelessness, divorce and alcoholism, in the future, he says. read more here
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