"Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote."
- Benjamin Franklin
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are 75% more likely to die in car accidents than the general population.
They're trained to drive aggressively when in Iraq and Afghanistan, but put themselves at risk when they get home
Historically, veterans have had increased fatalities following their service. Vietnam vets were twice as likely to die in crashes than non-veterans, and Gulf War veterans had a 30% to 50% greater risk of dying in crashes.
“It troubles me to tell you that once you get them home safely, they are coming home to risk of death and injury on our roadways,” said Ronald Medford, deputy administration for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a speech last summer.
read the rest of the story here:
and here:
The problem with these stories is that they hide the link between traffic fatalities and suicide. Can they not imagine that Veterans choose to end the pain with a car rather than a gun? And they imply that the Veteran is choosing rishy driving as an adreniline fix; just for fun. They say the answer is "treatment" with drugs and therapy. I say we need to help each other the principles of Recovery first. See how here: a
I recently subscribed to the Google News page, hoping that Google would help aggregate the important news from a variety of sources. On June 15, 2011 four out of six "spotlight videos" on Google News were taken from "Russia Today". Does it matter that Google is giving so much prominence to Russia Today? Here is one of them:
It's a story about 6.6 billion dollars, in cash, slated for Iraqi reconstruction. That money is unaccounted for. It just got lost... Somehow.
Bummer. aw
“Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.” Douglass Wilder, first black governor of Virginia.
A tip of the hat to a Veteran who continues to serve Veterans, our friend Bart Davis at Utah Vet Help dot Com. This is a great site: check it out.
"Some people regard private enterprise as a predatory tiger to be shot. Others look on it as a cow they can milk. Not enough people see it as a healthy horse, pulling a sturdy wagon."
"This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense." Winston Churchill
Andrew's Two Cents Worth:
But don't hesitate to give in when honor and good sense call for it. We err. No harm in accepting that and moving forward.
Fellow Citizens, fellow Veterans;
I tell you with total conviction that the same tubulent state of affairs exists today, just as it back in 1940. Wicked men, lusting for money and power are trying to destroy us by setting us at one anothers throats. It's not the Tea Party vs the Liberals. It's the super rich versus the poor.
Churchill's words were never truer. The only difference is that today, we must call on our Veterans to defend the Constitution from it's worst enemy; apathy.
What sets us apart from the civilian crowd is that we took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. The biggest enemy of freedom and justice is apathy! You don't get released from that oath just because you are discharged from the service.
Did You Know: Continuing VetXPRS's long-standing effort to bring Veterans thought provoking, entertaining info, we have posted "Did You Know". This is one of the most challenging videos ever. Some call it 'shift happens.'Definitely worth the five minutes to watch it here.
One such event is what I call "Brain Flash". As you may know the atomic bomb that hit Nagasaki was so bright it left shadows on brick walls.
The same thing happens in the human brain. You flash enough stimulus in all at once, and you are going to get mind shadows that can stay with a Vet for decades, like shrapnel that has not worked its way out.
Our Veterans proudly served the Nation with honor, yet sadly, some soldiers are killed. That is war. People die, many are injured, then hospitalized for weeks and months, or more. That's just the way it is.
War is hell, but if you want to keep the next Hitler in check, someone has to do it for America.
Don't watch this video of instant BrainFlash if you mind hearing the 'F' bomb
Don't watch this video if you mind hearing the 'F' word
So America has a boatload of Veterans with Brain Flash. It is not a character defect. It is a brain injury. These hurt guys have a suicide rate two or more times the national rate. Throwing money at the problem in the VA and DoD is not helping. The suicide rate keeps climbing.
This brain injury can cause the Veteran to have a flash temper, have a hard time keeping jobs, to avoid crowds, and to be hyperalert. Vets with BrainFlash (PTSD) often have sleepless nights, they isolate themselves from others, they often use alcohol and dangerous drugs, they might threaten and hurt their family members, (without wanting to) to be highly agitated, and dangerously depressed, often at the same time. shapes how Veterans cope with daily stress. The more stressed out the Veteran is, the less brain power they have to make choices based on what the Vet actually wants.
When the brain gets instantly and totally stressed out, the brain flashed memories burn their way into our conciousness like an atomic bomb burning shadows into brick walls. They are never truly forgotten in spite of all we can do to bury them. A friend might mention a place or time and the memory vividly leaps out like it happened yesterday. Sometime those memories, including surpressed memories, can trigger intense physical reactions in the body that can seem extreme for the situations. Bad memories can leap out in a way that is frightening for everyone around. Usually nobody is more scared than the Vet.
The VA says "Once the event is implanted in the memory, it can continue to torment the individual, even after treatment or counseling." But I insist that it does not have to. You can do much more than learn a bunch of stress reduction techniques. You can actually reprogram your own brain, just like Pavlov trained his beagles to drool.
TIGER WOODS SPEECH AT THE 2009
INAUGURATION: Thanks to Dennis Stevens, hmfic, in Vernal for this article: Below is the speech Tiger Woods gave on Sunday, Jan. 18, at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the festivities for the presidential inauguration. It was originally printed on www.tigerwoods.com.
"I grew up in a military family -- and my role models in life were my Mom and Dad, Lt. Colonel Earl Woods.
My dad was a Special Forces operator and many nights friends would visit our home. They represented every branch of service, and every rank. In my Dad, and in those guests, I saw first hand the dedication and commitment of those who serve. They come from every walk of life. From every part of our country. Time and again, across generations, they have defended our safety in the dark of night and far from home.
Each day -- and particularly on this historic day -- we honor the men and women in uniform who serve our country and protect our freedom. They travel to the dangerous corners of the world, and we must remember that for every person who is in uniform, there are families who wait for them to come home safely.
I am honored that the military is such an important part, not just of my personal life, but of my professional life as well. The golf tournament we do each year here in Washington is a testament to those unsung heroes. I am the son of a man who dedicated his life to his country, family and the military, and I am a better person for it.
In the summer of 1864, Abraham Lincoln, the man whose memorial we stand, spoke to the 164th Ohio Regiment and said:
"I am greatly obliged to you, and to all who have come forward at the call of their country."
Just as they have stood tall for our country -- we must always stand by and support the men and women in uniform and their families.
Thank you.
Thank You Tiger! aw
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. He is "not yet dry behind the ears." He's not old enough to buy a beer. But he IS old enough to die for his country.
He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax his own car than wash his father's; but he has never collected unemployment either. More:
Looking For Work?
If you are looking for work, tell the man "Hiring military veterans as they re-enter the workforce can reduce payroll expenses through the work opportunity credit, which reduces tax liabilities by as much as $2,400 of the first-year salary paid to a veteran. The amount rises to $4,800 if the new employee is a disabled veteran. There is no limit to the number of veterans an employer can hire. Use Form 5884 to claim these credits." Every little bit helps.
Introducing Scott Lee,
the latest contributor to UtVet. Check out his blog here and his essay here.
"I am a Army veteran of the first Gulf War, I was a driver of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle. My unit fought the Iraqi Republican Guard in three campaigns and my vehicle was point for the brigade. I drove for 172 hours straight, engaged in 100 hours of sustained combat and witnessed literally thousands of enemy combatants die in that short span of time.
Since being honorably discharged from the service of my country I have struggled with PTSD, depression, substance use disorder, homelessness, social and health issues. It took me 7 tries and 15 years to go through the VA bureaucracy to get the help that I needed. Nothing has been given to me that I have not fought for with my life, either in the Gulf War or with the VA. I gave freely of my time and service, the same was not done for me."
PERMANENT AND TOTAL? NOTHING IN THE VA IS PERMANENT AND TOTAL!
Veterans' Advocate Jim Strickland explains.
Nothing in VA is Permanent and Total. Two plus two does not equal four. To be awarded a disability compensation rating by VBA is the beginning, not the end. Once you have that award letter, it's up to you to be in a state of constant readiness to defend it. As the man said long ago; "It ain't over until the fat lady sings". When we are speaking of our dealings with VBA, we'll never hear that song. It ain't over until long after they issue that final brass marker noting the end of our journey...
How would VBA determine that your rating may be lowered? By ordering you to undergo a reexamination; §3.327 Reexaminations. (a) General. "Reexaminations, including periods of hospital observation, will be requested whenever VA determines there is a need to verify either the continued existence or the current severity of a disability. Generally, reexaminations will be required if it is likely that a disability has improved, or if evidence indicates there has been a material change in a disability or that the current rating may be incorrect."
QUANTICO, Virginia (CNN) -- Motorcycle accidents have killed more Marines in the past 12 months than enemy fire in Iraq, a rate that's so alarming, it has prompted top brass to call a meeting to address the issue, officials say.
When this was written twenty-five Marines had died in motorcycle crashes in four months-- all but one of them involving sport bikes that can reach speeds of well over 100 mph, according to Marine officials. In that same period, 20 Marines have been killed in action in Iraq.Read the rest of the article here.
From the Dept of Labor's new site: Employers and workforce development professionals can play a powerful role in the recovery and rehabilitation of returning service members with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Often, the on-the-job challenges of TBI and PTSD can be addressed with simple supports such as alarm clocks, scheduled rest breaks, memory/time management aids, adaptive technology and lighting adjustments. Other promising practices include job sharing, coaching and mentoring programs.
Employers can learn more, select from the downloadable fact sheets, training tools and real-life success stories, or begin with a general overview by reviewing the frequently asked questions at the site.
Employment can be difficult for combat veterans
The Associated Press reports an estimated 300,000 from the two wars have returned home with mental health problems, so-called invisible wounds, and about the same number suffered head injuries, according to a private study from the RAND Corp. think tank. Associated problems can include depression, flashbacks, irritability, headaches and short-term memory loss.
For those in the National Guard and Reserves, returning to a civilian job at a workplace such as a bank or firehouse can be difficult as they make the transition back while trying to cope with new issues. Also, some veterans have complained they can't find work after they leave the military because employers are hesitant to hire them because they are afraid of hiring someone with PTSD.
The Philadelphi Connection
Professor Gerry sent us a clear, brief, analysis of what's Really going on in Iran. From the Brookings Institute... Dense content. Not for sissies.
Excerpt:
"Iran is an incredibly complicated country. There are a whole range of
different forces at play, and it is challenging to try to explain the
complexity of the different issues involved briefly. In the more than
20
years that I have been following Iran, I have learned that the right
answer
to virtually every question one is asked on Iran is one of two phrases:
it's either "I don't know" or "It depends."
A Vietnam Veteran tells his story of PTSD, holding nothing back
Steve Champeau has sad, tired eyes. He speaks cautiously, rarely laughs and rations smiles. His demeanor is not unkind — just worn-out. He is tired of fighting. Click for more
New Army program hints of great strides in early onset ptsd recovery.
Soldiers who want to Soldier On have an alternative to Medical Discharge.
Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey: Replicate Fort Bliss PTSD Program
Army News Service|by Virginia Reza
FORT BLISS, Texas - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey visited Fort Bliss July 13 and said that an innovative program there to treat post-traumatic stress disorders ought to be replicated at other locations across the Army.
The "Restoration and Resilience Center" at Fort Bliss is a specialized treatment facility for Soldiers with PTSD who want to remain in the Army. The center is run by Dr. John Fortunato, a Benedictine monk, Vietnam veteran and clinical psychologist.
....
Fortunato's first instinct was to design a place where Soldiers could go and feel comfortable. He did not want them isolated in their rooms because soldiers diagnosed with PTSD are easily over-stimulated and don't want to be around anybody.
"Only - we can't leave them there," he said. "So I had to sort of seduce them out of their rooms."
So Fortunato decided the center would have to look like a lodge at a ski resort. The entrance to the facility is equipped with oversized leather, mission-style chairs, wood floors and the sound of trickling water from a cascading fountain that sits in the lobby has a calming effect. At the end of a hallway, is an Asian-looking room with background therapeutic sounds, called the meditation room.
"This room has a purpose," Fortunato said. "You can sense the music playing, which is based on breathing, and if you spend three minutes in this room with the door shut, without anyone talking you, you will find that your mental state has changed."
This article has been up for some time. It stays because it is so important to vets. Have you read it? aw
What is Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a disease that affects the liver.It is caused by a virus called the hepatitis C virus, or HCV for short.
According to published studies, almost 4 million people in the United States have hepatitis C. Veterans using VA facilities have higher rates of hepatitis C than the general population. Way.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
Most people with hepatitis C don't have any symptoms. You feel fine, then you die.
Some people have mild symptoms soon after being infected.
Hep C is a serious illness. It may never go away. Over time it can cause cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver and liver cancer.
Symptoms of Hep C can include the following:
jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin)
fatigue (being tired)
muscle aches
dark urine
abdominal (stomach) pain
loss of appetite
nausea
Usually, these symptoms go away without any treatment.
Who should get tested?
Talk with your VA doctor about being tested if any of the following are true for you.
If you:
are a Vietnam Veteran!!!
Wish to be tested.
Have ever used a needle to inject drugs, even if just once and it was a long time ago
Had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1991
Are a health care worker who had contact with blood on the job
Are or have been on long-term kidney dialysis
If your mother had hepatitis C when you were born
Had exposure to blood on the skin
Have tattoos or body piercings
Have ever snorted cocaine
Have liver disease
Have a history of drinking a lot of alcohol
Have had an abnormal liver function test
Have had multiple sex partners
It's OK to get tested if you just want to know your status.
If you feel uncomfortable telling your VA health care provider about your sexual or drug-use history, just tell someone in the VA that you are concerned and want to get tested.
How can I protect myself?
Right now, there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C. But there are things you can do to protect yourself from infection. The most important thing is to avoid other people's blood or things that might have other people's blood on them.
Here are some suggestions:
Do not shoot drugs. If you shoot drugs, stop and ask your doctor about a treatment program. While you wait for enrollment in a treatment program, do not share or reuse needles or other equipment, and get vaccinated against hepatitis A and B.
Don't share personal items that might have blood on them. These items include razors, toothbrushes, and personal health supplies.
Consider the risks if you are thinking about getting a tattoo or body piercing. You might get infected if the tools have someone else's blood on them, or if the artist or piercer does not follow good health practices, such as washing hands and using disposable gloves.
Use a latex condom every time you have sex. Hepatitis C can occasionally be spread by sex. Talk with your sex partner about hepatitis C and other sexually transmitted diseases.
Get vaccinated against hep B.
If you are a health care worker, follow standard precautions. Handle needles and other sharps safely.
These suggestions also may help protect you from other diseases, such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) and HBV (hepatitis B virus).
Godspeed.
This radical declaration should be required reading for veterans who have taken an oath to preserve and protect the Constitution. Unfortunately, many of us Americans don't have a clue... Too bad.
[aw ed.]
When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
What do you think would happen if some radical wrote this and published it in 2011? Do you think the Homeland Security folks ... Man, I don't want to get into that!
We have located a source for the 73 Basics of Democracy documents formerly published by the United States Information Agency and will soon have them available to read or download at UtVet.com. Check back.
Become more patriotic. Invest your time to understand the ideals of our Founding Fathers and understand your responsibility to the Republic. You will be glad you did.
DUBLIN, Ireland - Diplomats from 111 nations formally adopted a landmark treaty banning cluster bombs on Friday after futile calls for participation by the weapons’ biggest makers and users, particularly the United States. [The US refused to sign the treaty. ed.]
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged every nation in the world to sign the painstakingly negotiated pact “without delay.”
Twelve days of negotiations ended after diplomats from scores of nations delivered speeches embracing the accord. It requires signatories not to use cluster bombs, to destroy existing stockpiles within eight years, and to fund programs that clear old battlefields of dud bombs.
However, the talks did not involve the biggest makers and users of cluster bombs: the United States, Russia, China, Israel, India and Pakistan. And the pact leaves the door open for new types that could pick targets more precisely and contain self-destruct technology.
Participants plan to sign the treaty in the Norwegian capital Oslo in December. It would go into effect in mid-2009.
Norwegian Deputy Defense Minister Espen Barth Eide, whose nation launched the negotiations in February 2007, said he was confident that the treaty would discourage the United States, Russia, China, Israel and other proponents of cluster bombs to use the weapons again.
“The reality is that states do care about not only the legality of their actions, but also the perceived legitimacy and appropriateness of their actions,” he said.
But Washington this week dismissed the prospect that the treaty would alter U.S. policy. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said the United States remained committed to United Nations-sponsored talks that seek voluntary codes of “best practice” among leading makers of cluster bombs. These talks, also involving Russia and China, are not considering a ban.
Several concessions
Nonetheless, the treaty adopted Friday contains several concessions sought by the United States and its NATO allies, many of whom plan to sign the deal.
The pact would allow countries that sign the treaty to keep cooperating militarily with those that do not. Earlier drafts of the treaty sought to prohibit such cooperation, an idea fought by the United States and its NATO allies on the grounds this would make joint peacekeeping work difficult if not impossible.
Cluster bombs have been used in conflicts worldwide, from Vietnam to Iraq, to crush enemy forces by laying a carpet of dozens to hundreds of explosions with a single bomb, shell or rocket.
Their devastating impact on the battlefield often comes at a terrible cost to civilians afterward, including farmers who strike unexploded “bomblets” in their fields or children who mistake the objects for playthings.
A great radio show featuring featured Don Bendell.
"A 70% disabled vet, Don served as an officer in four Special Forces (Green Beret) Groups, including a 1968-1969 tour on an A-team at Dak Pek, in the northwest corner of II Corps, Vietnam. He was also a District Coordinator for the top-secret Phoenix Program"... Veterans Radio.
This program taught me things I never knew about the Phoenix program, and I was there! I suggest you check out Veterans Radio, especially the archives of past shows.
Reduced state and federal budgets for health care services and support mean individuals are losing access to services.
2012 will continue to be a difficult time for many returning military service members who are coming home to economic uncertainty and the challenges of depression, PTS and other mental illnesses. They need your support now more than ever.
Each state manages its own benefit programs. The following is a list of links to the websites for each of the individual states that offer veterans benefits. Be sure to take advantage of the benefits you have earned by clicking on the link to your State Department of Veterans Affairs.Veterans benefits by state pdf file
Courage becomes a worthwhile and meaningful virtue when it is regarded not so much as a willingness to die manfully but as a determination to live decently.
As we begin this new year I feel to share this essay with you. Tommy Monson, the man who wrote the essay, is a wise old man. We try not to hold what he does for a living against him, (That's a joke, son.) but to learn something that can make a positive difference. aw
_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Living the Abundant Life
At the advent of a new year, I challenge [Veterans] everywhere to undertake a personal, diligent, significant quest for what I call the abundant life—a life filled with an abundance of success, goodness, and blessings. Just as we learned the ABCs in school, I offer my own ABCs to help us all gain the abundant life.
Southern Utah Veterans Aid has launched a new website for Vetereans
I spoke to Pat Lisi on the phone for quite a while. He seems a treasure for Southern Utah Veterans. He knows a LOT of resources. Give him a call or visit the new website.
Here's from an email just received from our Veterans friend, Paul Sweeney in Moab...
Veterans in the Moab area no longer have to drive to Salt Lake City
in order to meet face-to-face with a Veterans Benefits Administration representative when they need assistance with a service connected disability claim.
“Using our existing TeleHealth System in the Moab clinic, the VA was able to connect to a teleconferencing unit in the Salt Lake City Regional Veterans Benefits Office,” said Paul Sweeney, public affairs officer for the Grand Junction VA Medical Center.
“Now a Veteran who needs to file a claim or has a benefits question that can’t be resolved over the VBA’s toll free phone line can schedule a TeleBenefits meeting through the Moab TeleHealth Clinic’s staff.
“The meeting is held over a high-definition, encrypted line, so the Veteran is assured of their privacy, and the images are sharp enough that the Veteran can hold his paperwork up to the camera for the benefits representative to review before the Veteran submits it.”
Veterans do not have to be enrolled with the VA for health care or even live in the Moab clinic’s area of responsibility to use the TeleBenefits program.
If a Veteran needs help talking to the Salt Lake City VBA office, the clinic’s staff will schedule an appointment for them regardless of where they live, he added.
“When you consider it’s an 800 mile round trip from Bluff, Utah to Salt Lake City, the 200 mile round trip from Bluff to Moab is more than reasonable.” Sweeney said.
Veterans, or their survivors who would like to schedule a TeleBenefits appointment can call the clinic located at 267 North Main Street, Suite C, Moab UT, Tuesday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. The clinic is closed on Mondays and Fridays.
The clinic’s phone number is (435) 719-4144
“The Chance for Peace”
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.
The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people.
This is, I repeat, the best way of life to be found on the road the world has been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.… Is there no other way the world may live?
Dwight David Eisenhower, “The Chance for Peace,” speech given to the American Society of Newspaper Editors, Apr. 16, 1953.
To All Veterans Caught Up in the Dance of Addiction, Words of Courage
The Dances We Do With Other People
…by Julia A. Wilson
How old were you when you learned to dance? I was forty. Why so old you might ask? I spent twenty years dancing by myself on a bar stool, I thought I was cool and sexy. Actually I was afraid of you, them, and any others who challenged my way of life. It wasn’t until I began to feel God’s love in my heart that I became unafraid of you, them, and all of the others who had challenged my old way of life.
Today I dance joyfully with my hands in the air feeling God’s hands touching mine. I’ve never felt more serenity or joy in my life, ever! I attribute it all to God’s loving touch.
Some people are afraid to talk about how God has touched their life. I used to be one of those people and because I didn’t acknowledge God to others my blessings were short lived. I thought I could keep God to myself, but I understand now that he wants me to testify of His power in my life.
He saved me from a life of destitution. I was an active alcoholic and drug addict for over thirty years. After years of listening to non-believers I was convinced I would die in the gutter and absolutely believed that’s exactly where I deserved to be.
Yet here I stand before you, healed and transformed into the person God always wanted me to be. I did little to make this happen, or so it seems. The hardest thing I did was step out on Faith and believed that God would save me if I served Him well. He did that for me and has thus allowed me to share my life with others who were once just as lost as I was. This is how it works for me; and because it has worked, I now dance with other people sharing God’s work in my life.
Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Is entitlement reform the way to fix the growing national debt? One new analysis says "nope."
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says, if we don't change current economic policy at all, the Bush tax cuts and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will account for more than half of the national debt by 2019.
For Everyone Who Feels The Rich Deserve More Tax Breaks:
Please notice that these figures come from the Congressional Budget Office. We are not making this stuff up.
The Veteran suicide rate is at the same epidemic proportions it has been for the last five years. Eighteen Veterans a day commit suicide.
There's a serious lack of national awareness or concern.
With veterans now accounting for one of every five suicides in the nation, the Department of Veterans Affairs is under pressure from the courts and Congress to fix its mental health services in an attempt to curb the death toll.
By ROB HOTAKAINEN
McClatchy Newspapers
While the government keeps no official tally of veteran suicides, the VA said last year that veterans account for roughly 20 percent of the estimated 30,000 suicides annually in the United States.
The latest attack on the VA came two weeks ago from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, which ordered a major overhaul of the agency. The court said that with an average of 18 veterans killing themselves each day, "the VA's unchecked incompetence has gone on long enough; no more veterans should be compelled to agonize or perish while the government fails to perform its obligations."
Suicides among active-duty troops are also a cause of concern: In April, 25 soldiers killed themselves, equal to about half the deaths in Afghanistan during the month. Read the rest of the story at the Miami Herald. You can read a New York Times editorial "Victory for Veterans" reprinted by the Deseret News here.
Vietnam Veterans: Still a lot of Healing to Do After all these decades, Nam Vets still grieve. There is still time to honor these men. Bring them home.
Provo Veterans: Did you know that Denny's Restaurant on Freedom Blvd in Provo offers a 20% Discount to Military and Veterans? No Joke!
Just ask the manager for the discount. Tell them you read it on
UtVet.com Follow this link for a coupon for $20 in food for only $10
This is Glen Barris, one of the program facilitators. Glen, who is a Vietnam Veteran, has a great way with horses and a deep understanding of the way of the Great Spirit. Get to know him.
Interested in how much Federal Stimulus Money your county received?
Check out The ProPublica Journalism page that shows distribution by state. Utah received over $3,000,000,000. That's three thousand million. . . . Over 11 hundred dollars per capita. . .
Direct from the Resilient Social Network Have you been paying attention? A pop quiz. I only wish I had written this anonymous email. aw
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and
actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are
no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the
applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and
certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and
special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
The lesson:
The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the
most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones
that care.
The point is that that we can choose to be be that hero in an another persons life. We can choose to be the person who cares. We can choose to make a difference. We can choose to have the courage to be a catalyst. aw
Did you see The Utah Mobile Vet Center at Utah Workforce Services offices in Saint George, Cedar City and Beaver Utah last month?
"The Mobile Vet Center reaches out to rural veterans in need of readjustment counseling after service to their country. Anyone wishing to schedule an appointment with the Mobile Vet Center readjustment counselor should call Brandon Gwilliam (located at the Provo Vet Center) at 801 – 377 – 1117"
The Mobile Vet Center is designed to reach rural veterans. If you are interested in learning more about "evidence based wellness recovery training", which is what the Mobile Vet Van is really selling, you can call Brandon Gwilliam at 801 – 377 – 1117. aw
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Recovery: Family to Family
The whole family is often wounded after a family member is exposed to something really horrible; beyond imagining. Often the result is broken families and disposable relationships. This is a tragedy; multiplied by the fact that relationships can become repairable. All the family members can get well!
This goes way beyond learning to cope with the Veterans incurable mental illness! This is helping Veterans recover mental wellness and helping the whole family to do the same. I want families to know JOY. The VA has hard evicence that Veterans Can Recover Mental Wellness. We are teaching how to do it!
Buddhists have a saying: "Man wait long time for roast duck to fly into mouth."
You will wait a long time for the VA to deliver happiness to your home. You have to go out and seek it. You have to want it. But first you have to hope that life can actually be different. Without hope there can be no healing. But then Hope animates awareness. Awareness helps us accept that we can make some significant Changes. Not because we Have To. Simply because we want to. And we "want to" because we are focused on that which we desire.
In this instance I think about any Veteran would agree that, next to health, there is nothing as valuable as a truely happy family in a stable home situation. Unfortunately, many of us have never experienced such a thing, living in a perpetual war of blame and guilt and anger. Active Conditioning can literally 'magnitize' us to draw to ourselves that which we desire through the powers of our minds and spirits. Imagine getting into a tub filled with water. The mass of our bodies pushes out the water, overflowing the tub. When we magnitize ourselves to attract Recovery, it fills our lives and pushes out chaos, uncertainty and fear; replacing it with Peace.
What's the big deal about Recovery? Reprogramming ourselves to successfully live in harmonius relationships with others is the big deal. Relationships are the heart of anybody's Recovery. Love is a fundamental pillar of recovery. One can't really experience the joy of recovery alone. We need relationships to experience all life has to offer. Expanding someones potential to experience love is a huge deal. That's Recovery. We know we can never change the bad stuff that has happened. But what we can do is radically change how we think about it. That can change how we feel about it. And that can change how we act about it. When we can chose the changes we want to make: Show Time. That's when the benefits of Recovery emerge.
The yellow circle is as pure yellow as the internet will allow. Viewed on the black background that little circle of yellow looks hot and bright as the sun.
But place the mouse over the sun. The background switches to white. What does the yellow circle remind you of now? One wiseacre said; "A urine hole in the snow."
What happened to the bright yellow heat of the sun? Nothing changed in the yellow circle. It's all about the context.
Combat, and military training change the mind. The brain will never work that same old way again. It's not a character defect. It's a bio-chemical neuro-muscular evolutionary survival mechanism in full working order.
We don't want to train that battle mind away with "Coping Skills" that always let us down in the end. We want to form new neural pathways that can ease those PTSD symptoms to the degree that the Veterans PTSD symptoms can become practically "Undiagnosable." That doesn't mean the condition is 'cured'. That is not going to happen. But if you not experiencing any symptoms of illness, does it matter if you are not completely well?
If you, or a Veteran you love has this brain injury, it can cause a flash temper, hard time keeping jobs, powerful urge to avoid crowds, and to be hyperalert. Vets with BrainFlash (PTSD) often have sleepless nights, they isolate themselves from others, they often use alcohol and dangerous drugs, they might threaten and hurt their family members, (without wanting to) to be highly agitated, and dangerously depressed, often at the same time.
If all I was telling you that Veterans and their families often get wounded from military experiences, that would be bad. Terribly depressing. But I'm saying that Mental Health Recovery is possible. I'm also saying you don't have to have a PhD to recognize PTSD and do something about reducing the symptoms.
More info on Mental Health Recovery and Family to Family come back to this spot soon.
Post-traumatic stress disorder takes a 'village' Vets with PTSD need boosted grass-roots response
In a long overdue move, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials took shears to the red tape that tangled up veterans pursuing disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder.
Noncombat veterans who served in war zones no longer need produce backing documents or buddies to vouch for a specific event that triggered their PTSD. Now, it's presumed that a combat-zone veteran's claim of PTSD is service-connected.
Certainly, the VA would have made an even bigger splash had it also lightened the load of its understaffed ranks of mental-health professionals by blessing PTSD diagnoses from private-sector therapists.
While nearly 20 percent of troops in our two current wars struggle with PTSD, fewer than half ever seek treatment, according to a 2008 RAND Corp. study. The VA's struggle to trot out trained counselors fast enough to keep pace with the mounting need is partly to blame.
The point of the story is that the VA simply can not keep up with demand for mental health recovery resources. The rest of the story says that Florida community organizations like "Give an Hour" which recruits psychologists to help Veterans and various churches and collaborative groups are banding together to help veterans make the transition back to civillian life. We can and should do the same here in Utah. aw
The Pentagon is scrambling to help war-torn vets, but it's a mission that extends to all ranks of society.
It has been brought to management's attention that some individuals
throughout the VA have been using foul language during the course of normal conversation with their co-workers and veterans.
Due to complaints received from some employees who may be easily
offended, this type of language will no longer be tolerated.
We do, however, realize the critical importance of being able to
accurately express your feelings when communicating with co-workers.
Therefore, a list of 18 New and Innovative 'TRY SAYING' phrases
have been provided so that proper exchange of ideas and information can
continue in an effective manner.
Number 1
TRY SAYING: I think you could use more training.
INSTEAD OF: You don't know what the f___ you're doing.
Number 2
TRY SAYING: She's an aggressive go-getter.
INSTEAD OF: She's a f___ing bit__.
Recent studies show that a third of Veterans are diagnosed with a combat stress-related behavioral health issue like Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or major depression. Of those diagnosed, nearly half won't seek any help and half of those that do seek help don't receive adequate care.
The consequences of untreated behavioral health problems like PTSD can be grave.
Compared to civilians, veterans living with PTSD are two times more likely to divorce, three times more likely to be unemployed and four times more likely to commit suicide. Deployment-related mental health issues are challenging to address from a warrior's perspective and from the standpoint of those currently trying to solve this problem. Stigma is always a concern, and common symptoms like avoidance can keep returning troops from asking for help, or in some cases even leaving the house. Read the whole story from Military.com here
For returning vets, a tragic toll on the roads
Devastating death rate from crashes sounds the alarm at Veterans Affairs
NORTHAMPTON - For Dominic Taverna, a two-tour Army scout who prowled Iraq for insurgents, the dream of peace and quiet lost some of its appeal when he returned in 2007.
“I was looking for that rush, and you just couldn’t find it,’’ said Taverna, 28, staring past his folded hands. “You’re driving 90 all the time. You’re hauling ass under overpasses. You just can’t flip a switch [when you come home].’’
Former Army sergeant Carlton Duncan, 26, nodded knowingly. He would drink too much, Duncan said, before grasping the wheel of his car and driving without any memory of where he went or how he got there.
Dominick Sondrini, 28, a former Marine officer, raced his car for the pure thrill of driving 90 miles per hour, “because I knew I wasn’t going to get in trouble.’’ Police nearly always allowed Sondrini, who would flash his military ID after a traffic stop, to drive away without a ticket, he said.
Dangerous driving is often a byproduct of military bravado, the three veterans said. But among survivors of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the practice is now seen as a deadly crisis, prompting the Department of Veterans Affairs to take unprecedented preventive action.
In the first years after returning from deployment, veterans of the two wars are 75 percent more likely to die in motor vehicle accidents than civilians of comparable age, race, and sex, according to a 2008 VA study.
The national rate for motorcycle deaths is 37 times more than the rate of deaths in cars. For Veterans it is an astounding 50 times more than the rate of deaths in cars.Get the rest of the story here.
Diabetes will sneak up on a vet. No heavy symptoms, maybe a little thirsty, then peeing every couple of hours, then BOOM. Amputations, Heart Attacks, Stroke, Premature Decrepitude, Death.
And if you have spent any time around Agent Orange, your odds of metabolic problems just skyrocket. Take care of yourself!
You think "That can't happen to me. I'm young and healthy." That's what my buddy, Annapolis grad Keith Haines, thought. Younger than me... then dead.
The U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says homeless veterans
are mostly males (2 % are females). The vast majority are single, most
come from poor, disadvantaged communities, 45% suffer from mental illness,
and half have substance abuse problems. America's homeless veterans
have served in World War II, Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam, Grenada,
Panama, Lebanon, the military’s anti-drug cultivation efforts
in South America, Desert Storm, Afghanistan and Iraq.. Forty-seven percent of homeless veterans served during
the Vietnam Era. More than 67% served our country for at least three
years and 33% were stationed in a war zone.
How many homeless veterans are there in Utah?
Although accurate numbers are impossible to come by ... no one keeps
up to date, accurate records on homeless veterans ... the federal government estimates that more
than 299,321 veterans are homeless on any given night. And, more than
500,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year. Conservatively,
one out of every four homeless males who is sleeping in a doorway, alley,
or box in our cities and rural communities has put on a uniform and
served our country ... now they need America to remember them.
It is even more difficult to estimate Utah's
homeless population. It appears that Utah veterans are more likely to
be able to draw on family or Church resources than veterans in other
states, and are quite reluctant to seek out State or local social services. Thus, their need is less likely to be reported in official statistics. We are confident
that Utah's homeless veterans population directly proportional to the national
homeless veterans population. Hence we calculate that 2,395 Utah veterans are homeless on any given night and nearly 5,000 experience homelessness over the course of a year .
Why are Utah veterans homeless?
In addition to the complex set of factors affecting all homelessness… extreme shortage of affordable housing, livable income, and access to
health care a large number of displaced and at-risk veterans
live with lingering effects of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and substance
abuse, compounded by a lack of coordinated social support networks.
A top priority is secure, safe, clean housing that is free of drugs
and alcohol, and has a supportive environment.
While "most homeless people are single, unaffiliated men…
most housing money in existing federal homelessness programs, in contrast,
is devoted to helping homeless families or homeless women with dependant
children," according to "Is Homelessness a Housing Problem?" in Understanding Homelessness: New Policy and Research Perspectives
published by Fannie Mae Foundation, 1997.
Doesn’t the Department of Veterans
Affairs take care of homeless veterans?
To a certain degree, yes. According to the VA's 1997 report, in
the years since it "began responding to the special needs of homeless
veterans, its homeless treatment and assistance network has developed
into the Nation's largest provider of homeless services. Serving
more than 100,000 veterans annually." Meanwhile, the "Valor House", Salt Lake City VA's only homeless care center serves only about 35 men. (The Valor House is located in Building 3 of the Salt Lake City VA Medical Center. Their number is 801-584-2542)
With an estimated 500,000 veterans homeless at some time during a year,
the VA reaches less than 20% of those in need ... leaving 400,000 veterans still without services, more than 3,000 in
Utah alone.
What services do veterans need?
Veterans need more services like those offered at The Homeless Veterans Fellowship in Ogden. This is a coordinated effort that provides secure housing and
nutritional meals; essential physical health care, substance abuse aftercare
and mental health counseling; and, personal development and empowerment. The HVF program also includes job assessment, training and placement assistance.
We at UtVet.com agree with the philosophy of HVF; all programs to assist homeless veterans
must focus on helping veterans reach the point where they can obtain
and sustain employment and self respect.
What seems to work best?
The most effective programs for homeless and at-risk veterans are community-based,
nonprofit, vets helping vet groups like the Homeless Veterans Fellowship Homeless Veterans Fellowship located at 541 23rd Street, Ogden, UT 84402-1706
HVF Programs can stand as a model for all of what seems to work best in helping homeless vets. They offer transitional housing with the
camaraderie of living in structured, substance-free environments with
fellow veterans who are succeeding at bettering themselves. They also offer Counseling and Medical Care, Employment Counselling, and help for female vets.
Because
government money for homeless veterans is currently limited and serves
only one in 10 of those in need, it is critical that community groups
reach out to help provide the support, resources and opportunities most
Americans take for granted: housing, employment and health care.
There are about 200 community-based veteran organizations like the Homeless Veterans Fellowship
that have demonstrated impressive success reaching homeless veterans.
We will be most successful when we work in collaboration with Federal,
State, and local government agencies, other homeless providers, and
veteran service organizations. Veterans who participate in these programs
have a higher chance of becoming tax-paying, productive citizens again.
If you are a homeless vet, or if someone you know is, get in touch with the Provo Vet Center (377-1117), the Salt Lake Vet Center (584-1294) or the Food and Care Coalition, located in Provo(373-1825). In an emergency, call the Emergency Room at the VA Hospital in Salt Lake City, 800-613-4012. Veterans Service Organizations like The Disabled American Veterans, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Marine Corp League and Vietnam Veterans of America are also anxious to help. You can contact the Utah Department of Veterans Affairs at
Toll Free- 800 894-9497
(801) 326-2372
Fax (801) 326-2369550 Foothill Blvd. #202
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
Terry Schow, Director
Email: berni.davis@va.gov
* Involve others. If you are not already part of an organization, join
in. Then, when you are activated, pull together a few people more who are interested in attacking this issue.
* Participate in local homeless coalitions. The Food and Care Coalition in Provo is top notch. Their number is 373-1825. Contact your local mayor's
office for a list of providers that may be closer to your location.
* Contact your elected officials, and discuss what is being done in
your community for homeless veterans. A hand written, single page letter seems to work best at getting their attention!
Farewell and Godspeed Steve
Our good friend and frequent contributor, Steve Champeau, has passed away. His wife Suzanne says he left quickly and painlessly. Our love and condolences go out to his family. Steve worked tirelessly to overcome the heartbreaks of PTSD. He stands as an example for all vets who seek to improve their lives and relationships. We are sustained by our belief that life and love are eternal and that we will renew our friendship and continue our efforts to serve Vets on the other side of the veil.
For those who know Steve, you can send condolences to his family at this address:
Click for the Homepage
Click for the Latest & Greatest Page 2
Click for the Latest & Greatest Page 3
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Historically, veterans have had increased fatalities following their service. Vietnam vets were twice as likely to die in crashes than non-veterans, and Gulf War veterans had a 30% to 50% greater risk of dying in crashes.
“It troubles me to tell you that once you get them home safely, they are coming home to risk of death and injury on our roadways,” said Ronald Medford, deputy administration for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in a speech last summer.
“Anger doesn’t solve anything. It builds nothing, but it can destroy everything.”
A tip of the hat to a Veteran who continues to serve Veterans, our friend Bart Davis at 
Veterans may go through many life–changing events while serving our country. 
My unit fought the Iraqi Republican Guard in three campaigns and my vehicle was point for the brigade. I drove for 172 hours straight, engaged in 100 hours of sustained combat and witnessed literally thousands of enemy combatants die in that short span of time. 
A 70% disabled vet, Don served as an officer in four Special Forces (Green Beret) Groups, including a 1968-1969 tour on an A-team at Dak Pek, in the northwest corner of II Corps, Vietnam. He was also a District Coordinator for the top-secret Phoenix Program"... Veterans Radio.
Read the introdution to Andrew's new book: 
Living the Abundant Life
“The Chance for Peace”
The Veteran suicide rate is at the same epidemic proportions it has been for the last five years. Eighteen Veterans a day commit suicide. 
Provo Veterans: Did you know that Denny's Restaurant on Freedom Blvd in Provo offers a 20% Discount to Military and Veterans? No Joke!
Direct from the Resilient Social Network
"The Mobile Vet Center reaches out to rural veterans in need of readjustment counseling after service to their country. Anyone wishing to schedule an appointment with the Mobile Vet Center readjustment counselor should call Brandon Gwilliam (located at the Provo Vet Center) at 801 – 377 – 1117" 
Read this 
Former Army sergeant Carlton Duncan, 26, nodded knowingly. He would drink too much, Duncan said, before grasping the wheel of his car and driving without any memory of where he went or how he got there.
