PTSD From Sexual Assaults

Washington Post finally picked up on this one...today! (6/5)


More Vets Who Are Coping With PTSD From Sexual Assaults Get Honorable Discharges
NPR
Quil Lawrence
June 1, 2018

"I still have nightmares about it," he told NPR in 2016. "I am 45 years old, and I still have that vision in my head."

Heath Phillips says the trauma of being sexually assaulted drove him to alcoholism and to go AWOL. Three decades later, the military has agreed to upgrade his discharge to honorable. Courtesy of Heath Phillips

Sexual assault is still a major issue for the military. Reports rose by 10 percent last year, though there is some discussion about whether that is an increase in the number of assaults or an increased willingness of troops to come forward and report them. That would be an improvement because victims of rape in the military often face retaliation, sometimes even a less than honorable discharge from the military.

Among those veterans there is another number that is going up: the people getting their records corrected to show they served honorably.

Sexual assault and harassment affects female troops at a higher rate. But because the military is still mostly male, it's men who make up a much larger number of victims among the thousands of sexual assaults each year. Women report the crime more than twice as much as men.

This makes Heath Phillips, who speaks publicly about his experience, rare.

Phillips was sexually assaulted repeatedly by a group of sailors right after he joined the Navy.
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Truck driver Iraq veteran saved State Trooper

Iraq War vet, now a trucker, puts suspect in chokehold to save trooper from being shot
USA Today
Joel Shannon
June 2, 2018

“I did two tours in Iraq, and I never had to put a choke hold on anyone. That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done."

The Wyoming Highway Patrol is praising an Iraq War veteran for his role in apprehending a suspect and helping a trooper who was in danger of being shot.

Trucker Darren Phillips of Taylorsville, Utah, pulled over after seeing an altercation between a trooper and a suspect Thursday near Green River, Wyoming, about 140 miles northeast of Salt Lake City.

“I put my brakes on, and I jump out. And by this time, the trooper is on his back and the guy is on top of him," Phillips told KSL-TV, Salt Lake City. "The trooper saw me running over and as soon as I got up to him, he says, ‘He’s going for my gun.' "

Phillips put the suspect in a chokehold. A Facebook post from the TV station quotes Phillips: It was the "craziest thing" he's ever done despite serving two tours in Iraq.

Phillips said his training in the Marines and Army National Guard helped him subdue the man and pull him off the trooper.
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PTSD Patrol begs female veterans to train their power

Female Warriors: Train Your Power
PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
June 3, 2018

Earlier this week NPR had a heartbreaking report on female veterans and suicide.

"The suicide rate for female veterans has soared 85 percent in recent years, leading the military, VA and advocacy groups to try new ways to improve women's mental health care during and after service."

That caused me to write about how it was time to put "suicide awareness groups" out of business. Most of them do not know the facts, few focus on the majority of known veterans committing suicide and even less focus on female veterans.

I thought about all the female veterans I've met over the years. Some were suffering but even with that suffering came this survivor attitude that kept them moving forward, doing all they could for others. They trained the power within them so that giving up, settling for what their life was like, was not an option.

Think about what would have happened if these women had given up.  
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Shop Talk: Understanding the Powertrain

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Vietnam veteran shocked to discover he was dead for 30 days

Dayton veteran wrongly marked deceased by VA
Dayton Daily News
June 1, 2018

DAYTON
A Dayton man was recently shocked to learn he was deceased when he received a letter of condolence from the Department of Veteran’s Affairs addressed to his late wife.

Alfred Wilson joined the Marine Corp in 1967, sent to Vietnam in 1968, and was discharged with medical retirement in 1969 for being shot in the leg.

Wilson was married for 44 years to his wife who had a stroke back in October 2017 and later passed away in March.

He received the letter addressed to his wife from the VA in the mail stating he was dead and had been so for the past 30 days.
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8 veterans get final salute at Fort Sam

Unclaimed by families, 8 veterans get final salute at Fort Sam
Express News
By Sig Christenson
June 1, 2018

“Eight brothers, from the wars of far-off Asia to the shores of Tripoli. These men from all the ages stood tall for all to see. Today, we call them brothers, for with honor they did serve.” Michael Decker, a decorated Navy veteran of Vietnam

The homecoming was years in the making, in some cases decades, but on Friday, eight veterans were welcomed to their final resting place, the roar of three dozen motorcycles trumpeting their arrival at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery.

The cremated remains were out of storage at last, escorted into town by state troopers, San Antonio police and Bexar County sheriff’s deputies after a ride of more than 500 miles across West Texas, to be interred with full military honors.

Veterans usually get such treatment days after their deaths surrounded by family, but not these men. They died with no one to claim them and were placed in the basement of the Potter County Courthouse in Amarillo.

Aviation Electronic Tech 2nd Class Petty Officer Coy Washington Black

Tech Sgt. Dana Dean Milton Jr.

Navy Aviation Recruit George Machoul Aswad II, 58.

Army Pfc. Andrew Benson Bramlett, 61.

Army Pvt. Robert Pete Brunner, 71.

Navy Seaman Everett Earl Criss, 71.

Army Pfc. Don Stewart, 83.

Marine Pfc. Floyd Ray White, 65.

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Criminal Admits Using Veterans

Salesman admits falsely billing St. Louis VA $644,000
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Robert Patrick
June 1, 2018

ST. LOUIS • A former salesman pleaded guilty to a federal charge Friday and admitted submitting $644,380 in fraudulent invoices to the Jefferson Barracks VA medical center.

Vincent DeBlasi, 72, was "trusted at the medical facility to such an extent" that staff would sign off on scores of false invoices he submitted for various tools and other commercial and industrial products from 2012-2017, U.S. District Judge Audrey Fleissig said in court, reading from DeBlasi's plea agreement.

DeBlasi had his company send the falsely-ordered items to his Fenton home instead of the medical center, and kept them in his garage. DeBlasi would then sell the items at flea markets or give them away to friends and neighbors, Fleissig said.
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Cancer survivors celebrate life, hope and community support

These local veterans fought one of their hardest battles after their service, and today they celebrated
Dayton Daily News
By Bennett Leckrone, Staff Writer
June 1, 2018

“There’s much more to healing (than medical treatment) It takes family, it takes friends, it takes community.” Jennifer DeFrancesco

The Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center held its first Cancer Survivors’ Day on Friday. SCOTT KESSLER/STAFF.

When Ray Smeltzer, a Miamisburg resident and Vietnam veteran, was diagnosed with prostate cancer around a year ago, he wasn’t aware it could have been caused by his military service.

Smeltzer’s aggressive prostate cancer, he was told, was associated with a foliage-killing chemical he had encountered as an Air Force sergeant in Vietnam.

“I went through a number of years without any evidence of contamination, but in my later years I found that I had a very aggressive and rapidly growing form of prostate cancer that they’ve associated with that exposure,” Smeltzer said.

Seeking treatment, he went somewhere new: The Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

On Friday, he attended an event at the VA Medical Center to celebrate cancer survivors. Through all of his treatment and surgeries, Smeltzer said, the VA has supported and served him.
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Couple heads to jail...after charity helped them?

I am not posting this whole thing...but it goes with the unintended theme of the day. YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP!

Utah military couple who won $10K in free groceries sent to jail for theft

Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret NewsRetired U.S. Army Cpl. Nicholas Mannino and his wife, Stephanie, shop at the WinCo grocery store in South Salt Lake on Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. Mannino was given $10,000 for a year's worth of groceries at the store. They two were sentenced to 30 days in jail and three years' probation in connection with a theft at Kohl's.

 "Days before the couple was due in court in November for the charges, a group that helps military families who are struggling financially awarded the couple the grocery prize. The charity, Operation Homefront, said later it was saddened by the case and would consider the resolution in deciding whether to award the entire $10,000. Background checks weren't typically required when the parents of six were selected, the group has said."

Conclusion PTSD Awareness Delusion

Well, just like all other years, today began with everyone talking about PTSD Awareness, but as with all the other years, the results SUCK!

The National Center for PTSD promotes awareness of PTSD and effective treatments throughout the year. Starting in 2010, Congress named June 27th PTSD Awareness Day (S. Res. 541). In 2014, the Senate designated the full month of June for National PTSD Awareness (S. Res. 481). Efforts are underway to continue this designation for the fourth consecutive year in 2017.

Why are we still expecting different results from people  "raising awareness" after all these years and this result?

Yes, time to face the facts. 

“Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” 

― Aldous Huxley

It is time to put the awareness people out of business. Yes, they missed that after all these years, all this money being spent by the government and the public donating billions into "awareness" no one figured out it would be a good idea to help veterans be aware of why they should live.

“Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity.” 

― Martin Luther King Jr.

 Reporters missed the massive failure  of the DOD to change their "battle mind" plans to prevent suicide when it got worse just as the number of enlisted forces was reduced. The only thing that proved to be "resilient" was their own ignorance! Mind blowing when you consider they actually admitted their "resilience" training did not work. Seriously? Yes, reporters missed that one too.

When Generals came out and said that "non deployed" were the majority of the suicides, they admitted the training every member of the military had to take, was not even good enough to prevent non-deployed from committing suicide.

But, when we see veterans over the age of 50 being ignored by all of these "efforts" they still face a loaded gun instead of open arms to help them actually find being home more welcoming than being in combat,

but when we see families having to stand next to a coffin, admitting they did not know anything about what was attacking someone they loved,

but when we see friends left behind wondering what they could have done because no one taught them what they needed to know,

but when we see them being turned away when they find the courage to ask for help,

we turn around and wonder why it is all still happening!

VA fired worker trying to help a veteran...in Australia

Ya can't make this stuff up! This is out of Australia. The VA fired someone for trying to help a veteran?

Veterans Affairs worker fired for helping disabled soldier
The New Daily
John Power
June 1, 2018

A Department of Veterans Affairs contractor abruptly fired after trying to reinstate a disabled veteran’s payments has accused the department of sacrificing its mission to bureaucracy and ego.

Andrea Gynn was attempting to help a veteran in difficult financial circumstances. Photos: Supplied / Getty

Andrea Gynn was let go earlier in May after asking a supervisor if she could restore and backpay benefits to a veteran in dire financial straits who had demonstrated eligibility since February.

To her amazement, Ms Gynn says she was told she had breached the “chain of command” by not speaking with her team leader, despite the team leader telling her to contact the higher-ranking supervisor.

“I got the call that afternoon from the labour hire place saying you’re being let go based on this reason: failure to integrate and failure to follow the chain of command,” Ms Gynn, who was dismissed from her temporary position at the DVA office in Brisbane on May 16, told The New Daily.

“I accepted the fact that I’d be dealing with government bureaucracy, but there’s a big difference between dealing with government bureaucracy and dealing with people who allow a system to perpetuate an individual’s claim for longer than what is a reasonable period of time.”

It is understood that the veteran, who has severe mental health and mobility issues and is living on a boat in Cairns, was cut off from payments in July after failing to attend medical appointments. It is understood he has been meeting DVA requirements since February.
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