Friday, January 26, 2018

Veteran Shot At Oregon VA Clinic by Security Guards

UPDATE
Army veteran shot by police at VA clinic faces charges

UPDATE
Man shot at VA clinic arrested days before
The Associated Press
By Andrew Selsky
JAN. 27, 2018

SALEM — A man made paranoid and incoherent statements at a Veterans Affairs clinic and confronted an employee with a knife before he was shot by a security officer, law enforcement officials said Friday.

Gilbert Matthew Negrete, 34, of Medford remained in a hospital in Medford on Friday after being shot once in the chest by a Veterans Affairs police officer Thursday in nearby White City, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said.

The sheriff’s office said in a statement that Negrete had a run-in with the law earlier in the week.

Police had arrested Negrete on Tuesday on charges of driving under the influence of a controlled substance and attempting to elude police. He was released from jail Wednesday due to jail overcrowding. The sheriff’s office said a man believed to be Negrete then tried to get his car from an impound lot and allegedly threatened an employee with a knife.

Negrete had an appointment at the VA clinic on Thursday, the sheriff’s office statement said.
read more here 

Man shot at Oregon veterans clinic during altercation
Associated Press
Andrew Selsky
January 25, 2018
Veterans at the clinic receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues expressed shock about the shooting.

SALEM, Ore. – A man said to be a military veteran seeking mental health care was shot by a security officer at a Veterans Affairs clinic in southern Oregon on Thursday after an admissions area altercation in which authorities said the man became combative.

The man was flown to a hospital after the shooting in the southwestern community of White City with injuries that did not appear to be life-threatening, the Jackson County sheriff's office said in a statement.

Shawn Quall, an Army veteran of the first Gulf War who is from Bend, Oregon, said he heard the man shouting before the situation escalated.

"I was walking down the main hallway when I overheard a veteran yelling at intake people that he was here for the fifth time trying to get health care, and was upset at what he thought was a runaround," Quall told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Quall kept walking down the hall, but when the yelling got louder, he started running back and heard someone yell: "He's got a knife!"
read more here


Thursday, January 25, 2018

Reporters Still Don't Take Veteran Suicides Seriously

Reporters Continue Hiding Facts on Veteran Suicides
Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 25, 2018

The first Suicide Report from the Department of Veterans Affairs was released in 2013. It was the report that started all the "awareness" groups running around the country. The question is, why didn't they read the report itself? That is something that has been a burning question no one has been able to answer. Read below for some of the reporters who are still using that number!

The fact is, that report was from just 21 states with limited data. The other fact is, for the number of veterans they knew committed suicide to take the average from, they reported the majority of those veterans were over the age of 50. The question is, why didn't reporters know those facts?


Why didn't they bother to read the reports to inform the public that the number had remained basically the same since 1999?
Why didn't they report that the number of veterans alive in the country had gone down during those same years by over 5 million with the aging population?

When the VA released the second report with the number of "20" a day, it turns out they didn't bother to read that report either. That report came out August 3, 2016.


Reporters did not cover the facts that were missing from the data, such as lack of military service on death certificates when veterans were not "honorably" discharged, or military service was not even on the death certificates like California and Illinois. They passed legislation last year to add it to them. Or other states where the veteran had to also be connected to a war to be checked off.


This left out anyone not serving in a "named war" in those cases. Then there are the unknowns. Drug overdoses are not always clearly accidental or suicide. Accidents are not always known for sure. Then there are the veterans facing off with law enforcement at least once a week in this country.

With all that has been missed, it is worse when families miss the veteran they lost. In 2000, long before the War on Terror began, a Vietnam veteran checked himself into a motel room on a Massachusetts highway. He committed suicide. That death caused me to take these lives we lose very seriously. That veteran survived Vietnam, survived being on US soil since 1971. That veteran was my husband's nephew. They were in Vietnam the same year and very close in age.

So, for all the folks running around the country, claiming that they take all of this seriously enough they want you to give them money and pay attention to them and their stunts, you should be asking them questions too. Like for starters, why they are still saying "22 a day" or "20 a day" as if they are doing anything about any of it other than congratulating themselves for the number of followers they have.

One thing for sure, they are part of the problem, but reporters are the other part.

As time permits, more of the got it wrong and got it right will be added. Just wanted to give you an idea of what we're up against. If reporters do not do their jobs on a subject this serious, nothing will ever change.


GOT IT WRONG 


Added on 1/27/2018
Reporter Hannah Schlomann 1/26/2018
In recent years, this rate was about 22 deaths per day, according to estimates by the US Department of Veteran Affairs. It’s a number that many – including Bobby Colliton, an Army and Air Force veteran from Spokane, Wash. – find unacceptable.

Added on 1/26/2018

Miss USA says ‘Salute to the Armed Forces’ is more than just a slogan

Reporter Jeremy Beale 1/25/2018
Got the number right from latest report but "Armed Forces" suicides were not mentioned even though the average is about the same with between 400-500 per year from all branches. Read the DOD reports here.

Oakcrest plants flags to honor 'Forgotten Soldiers' who died by suicide
Reporter Clair Lowe January 25, 2018

"According to federal statistics, 22 veterans die every day by their own hand, said Lynn Brown, of Absecon, totaling about 8,000 veteran suicides a year."

What made that worse was omitting that the number is supposed to be from the VA, which would mean they were from all branches, not just soldiers. It also left out the number of service members who committing suicide while still in the military.


OVER 50 PEOPLE PLUNGE INTO COLD WATERS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT VETERAN SUICIDE

Reporter Breken Terry

Date of report 1/1/2018
"The VA reports that about 22 veterans a day, from Vietnam veterans to today's war veterans, take their life and that's unacceptable," said Miles.
USED "22 a day"

A unique way to raise awareness for veteran suicide

ReporterKaitlyn Connolly date of report 1/12/2018

Mission for Babalu's Tattoo event is to stem tide of military suicide

Reporter Amanda Push 1/19/2018

Reporter KMOV 1/18/2018


Reporter Mary C. Serreze 1/12/2018
Got the reported number right from the latest VA number but this article was about "Twenty Two Until None" and then did not mention that these were police officers paying to grow beards. There was no mention of Police Officers and Firefighters also committing suicide.


GOT IT ALMOST RIGHT


Veterans’ suicide prevention discussed at Carson City meeting

Reporter Steve Ranson 1/23/2018

Reporter Rob Hughes 1/18/2018


The numbers are heartbreaking. Veteran suicide continues to be a growing epidemic and tragic problem nationwide, and in Kansas City. The VA reports the number of American Veterans taking their lives increased over 32% from 2001-2014. This includes all ages, all wars. The Veteran suicide rate in Kansas and Missouri is significantly higher than the overall national suicide rate.

Medal Of Honor - Donald "Doc" Ballard has a new mission

Someone 2 Know: Donald "Doc" Ballard
KTVN 2 News
Andi Guevara
January 25, 2018

“I’m here to visit the VA Hospital to ensure the veterans get the care that they're entitled to and they get some resolve with their problems. I'm also here to educate the veteran - on he has to step up and be part of the solution, not part of the problem.”
After decades serving in the military and more than half a dozen awards - including the Medal Of Honor - Donald "Doc" Ballard has a new mission - to protect his brothers and sisters in arms after they come home.

It was a hero's welcome for Ballard when he arrived at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport this month.

Fellow vets were among the group waiting to shake hands with the Medal Of Honor winner, who was in town to raise awareness about our service men and women who come back from war zones.

“I was wounded eight times, I killed six people. I can't be expected to come home and be normal, I’m not the same kid that left,” says Ballard.

Now in his 70's Ballard says he still battles with his demons. He earned the nickname “Doc” for his work as an enlisted medical specialist. Stories like his are told in a new booked called “Doc: Heroic Stories of Medics, Corpsman and Surgeons in Combat.”
read more here 

KTVN Channel 2 - Reno Tahoe Sparks News, Weather, Video

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Stronger Together...not in all cases

Yet again, let down by something I thought would be wonderful.  Couple of things bug me about this news of a movie with a great title, "We Are Stronger" because hey, been using that myself for over 3 decades. 

Anyway, then I read it was about faith, and I thought, great someone decided to address how important faith was when trying to heal PTSD. 

Problems popped up right away after that. 

The "writer/director" had no experience with veterans or PTSD. Then, what made that news worse was where she got her "knowledge" from.


C: What kind of research did you do for this project?

RM: I read Lt. Col. [Dave] Grossman’s book On Combat. He teaches resiliency courses with the military. It was a very good resource for me. Also, I read Rev. Chris Adsit’s book The Combat Trauma Healing Manual, which walks people through a group study. I worked through the manual myself. It has a lot of firsthand accounts and actual journal entries from people dealing with [PTSD]. Working through that manual, I got a good picture of what it looked like. Also, I watched a documentary on PTSD, [The War Comes Home], which was [hosted] by Soledad O’Brien on CNN. That gave me some great ideas of what to write in the script.
Hep! That guy who is part of the reason the troops have been hearing the PTSD is because they were mentally weak and didn't train right because of "resilience training" and "Battlemind" which also did more harm than good.

When the DOD decided to say that the troops could train their brains to be mentally tough and prevent suicides, they heard they were weak and didn't train right. Not much inspiration to go and talk to a buddy about needing help after they heard that.

Anyway, you can read the article here
We Are Stronger Makes Pitch for Faith to Play Role in Treating Veterans with PTSD

Virtual Reality for PTSD or VD?

Montana veterans testing groundbreaking virtual reality software
KULR 8 News
Katlin Miller
Posted: Jan 23, 2018

MISSOULA- A virtual reality software created in Western Montana is diagnosing veterans with a disorder that’s often mistaken for PTSD.

Brian Barnes spent three years in the US Army. He worked for a specialized group that trained for combat in extreme climates and terrain. After serving overseas in Afghanistan, he came back, as so many do, with unseen injuries.

“I was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD,” Barnes says.

Now, he’s testing a new product that was designed to help him better identify and treat his issues. Jason Zentgraf, a health and human performance specialist with the nonprofit group RIVER, says sometimes veterans suffer from another disorder related to PTSD.

Vestibular disorder is damage to the inner ear caused by loud noises. Left untreated, it can cause problems for everything from balance to mood.

“In December of 2016, there was a test conducted by the VA that out of this group of veterans with PTSD, 81 percent of them also had an undiagnosed and untreated vestibular disorder,” Zentgraf said.

The symptoms of vestibular disorder are so similar to PTSD that many veterans have it and don’t know, Zentgraf said.

Until now. A new virtual reality system called Virtual Mind is helping diagnose and treat vestibular disorder. The test uses multiple sensors and controllers to test visual and auditory reaction time, mobility and working memory, using eight tests that ask the viewer to move through a realistic virtual environment. It also includes tests for eye-tracking and balance.
read more here

Also

CONCUSSION
The Vestibular Concussion Connection
THINKING/REMEMBERING
Difficulty thinking clearly
Feeling slowed down
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty remembering new information

PHYSICAL
Headache
Fuzzy or blurry vision
Nausea or vomiting (early on)
Dizziness
Sensitivity to noise or light
Balance problems
Feeling tired, having no energy

Emotional/Mood
Irritability
Sadness
More emotional
Nervousness or anxiety

SLEEP
Sleeping more than usual
Sleeping less than usual
Trouble falling asleep

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Vietnam Veteran Arthur McAfee, Shot by Deputy After Welfare Check Call

Family speaks out after war veteran was shot, killed by deputy
KLTV ABC News
By Brenna Burger
Monday, January 22nd 2018

HARRISON COUNTY, TX (KLTV)
A Vietnam veteran was shot and killed by a Harrison County deputy Saturday and details are still unclear.
The Harrison County Sheriff's office says it happened at a residence in the 5400 block of Curtis Black Road in western Harrison County, just east of Longview.

"The next thing I knew, I heard two shots, right there in his chest," said the sister of Arthur McAfee.

Lorine McAfee says she was sitting at the bottom of her brother’s feet as a Harrison County deputy shot Arthur McAfee twice in the chest.

"His hands were over his head and I was down there at his feet trying to help control him," McAfee says.

McAfee admits that her brother, Arthur, the 61-year-old Vietnam veteran was being difficult, as the deputy did his best to restrain him.

"Was he violent in any way towards the cop? Physically violent?"

"Yes, he was resisting because he didn't know what was going on, because Arthur was not in his right mind, he didn't know what was going on," McAfee says.

Lorine describes her brother as an intelligent, recent graduate, who had developed post-traumatic stress disorder from his service in the army; the reason for the welfare check call.
read more here

UConn Messed Up PTSD Research

This started out to be a post about all the "awareness" being raised across the country. Stunning when you can see all of it just from the beginning of the year. What made this even more stunning was this "research" from University of Connecticut.
"In the survey, the average age of veterans was 35, and they had served in Iran, Afghanistan, and surrounding areas as part of Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and New Dawn. Most of them—62 percent—served in the Army. Seventy-five percent reported exposure to combat."
Yes, you read "Iran" instead of Iraq.  Yes, you read they were only talking about this generation of War on Terror veterans.
"Younger veterans in their 20s, both male and female, reported much less suicide ideation than older vets in their 40s and 50s who completed the survey. Park suspects the finding may be due to the fact that many older veterans of recent conflicts were members of the National Guard or military reserves who were called into service." 
Yes, you just read they think younger veterans are not thinking about suicide as much as older veterans.

This is the part that got me...

Researchers found that veterans who had negative attitudes about religion and spirituality—meaning they felt God was punishing them or that God had abandoned them—were at significantly higher risk for suicide, even after accounting for depression and other variables.  
Interestingly, the researchers found that positive feelings about religion and spirituality—feelings that God is a partner in your life and someone you can turn to for guidance, support and strength—did not significantly reduce veterans’ suicide risk.  
"Most importantly, Park says, the study clearly showed that spiritual struggle among veterans is a separate and independent risk factor for suicide and not just a reflection of people’s depression."  
“This suggests that people are experiencing some profound spiritual struggle over and above any depression they might have,” says Park. “What people experience, what they do, and what they witness can have profound negative effects on them when they come back.” 
So which is it? 

Top that off with their other finding that,

"Among recently returned veterans, a new study says those who are married or living with a partner are at higher suicide risk than soldiers who are single, and older married female veterans are at the greatest risk."
read more here when you're done shaking your head...I need a drink! 

Grieving Parents "End stigma around PTSD"

Parents of Lincoln solider found dead at home want his death to ‘end stigma around PTSD’
The Lincolnite
Court Reporter
January 22, 2018

An inquest in to the death of a decorated soldier from Lincoln who served alongside Prince Harry in Afghanistan has today been formally opened.

Warrant Officer Nathan Hunt, 39, was found dead at his home in the city on January 2.

His parents, Derek and Maria Hunt, from Lincoln, want their son’s death to help end the stigma of post-traumatic stress disorder suffered by returning soldiers.

An inquest heard police forced entry to the property in Westbrooke Road, Lincoln, on the morning of January 2 after concerns were raised for his safety.

WO Hunt served with Prince Harry in Helmand Province in 2008 after being attached to the Household Calvary.

The father-of-one was part of a desert reconnaissance unit which was involved in identifying roadside bombs planted by the Taliban.

Mr Hunt, a member of the Royal Engineers, was awarded a Mention in Dispatches for his courage in locating improvised explosive devices while on secret missions to ambush the enemy.

But he was later diagnosed with mental health issues linked to combat stress.
read more here

Iraq Veteran From Florida Killed in Michigan

Man killed in Parma Township shooting was Iraq war vet, father of 2
MLive
Nathan Clark
January 23, 2018
Campbell, originally from Crystal River Fla., was a resident of Fort Wayne, Ind. prior to moving to the Parma Township home about a year ago.

PARMA TWP., MI - Dan Wendling heard the shot. He thought someone was lighting fireworks.

His dog seemed to know something was amiss and soon emergency lights filled the street around Athena Drive.

He soon learned his neighbor, John D. Campbell, 31, was found dead of an apparent gunshot wound about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17.

"I can't believe it. Totally shocked by it," Wendling said. "He seemed like a decent enough guy to me."

Campbell was a U.S. Army veteran who served two tours of duty in Iraq, loved skiing, fishing and was a loyal friend to many, according to his obituary.
read more here

Monday, January 22, 2018

Megyn Kelly schooled Jane Fonda!

'Our Souls at Night' Team: Jane Fonda-Robert Redford Film Is an Older "Coming-of-Age Story"

"While the story follows characters of an older generation, the cast and crew argue that the film will appeal to all audiences. "I think it's a film that has no particular limits," said Fonda."

The film ended up limited because of who they picked to be in it!

When I was watching Fonda's face freeze with the question about plastic surgery, all I could think of what the witch in the Wizard of Oz melting...

Megyn Kelly, on behalf of the Vietnam veterans I know, thank you very much for reminding people what she put them through!

Megyn Kelly slams Jane Fonda’s ‘poor-me routine’
NBC News
by CLAIRE ATKINSON
JAN 22 2018

The war of words between Megyn Kelly and Jane Fonda escalated Monday after Kelly delivered a stern rebuke to the actress and attacked Fonda's anti-Vietnam War activism.


In September, during an interview with Fonda during her hour of "Today," Kelly brought up Fonda's plastic surgery, and Fonda seemed to take offense. Fonda has subsequently criticized how Kelly handled the interview, joking about it on another hour of "Today" earlier this month. Then, over the weekend, Fonda described Kelly as a poor interviewer in a conversation with Variety magazine, suggesting she would come on the show again when Kelly had “learned her stuff.”

That led to Kelly's blast at the end of her show on Monday.
"This is a woman whose name is synonymous with outrage. Look at her treatment of our military," Kelly told the audience, which clapped as the remarks continued.

Kelly mentioned that Fonda — an activist against the Vietnam War in the 1970s — had posed on an anti-aircraft gun that was used to shoot American pilots.

"She called our prisoners of war 'hypocrites and liars,'" Kelly said. "She referred to their torture as 'understandable.' She still says she is not proud of America. So the moral indignation is a bit much." read more here

UPDATE 1/25/2018
From Daily Mail
Insiders say Megyn Kelly 'got approval' from NBC bosses for Jane Fonda attack but execs are 'shocked at how far she went'