Veteran Issues Digest Number 1766

[admin]

1. Veterans Radio on the air every Saturday

Posted by: "Colonel Dan" colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net coloneldan1

Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:13 am (PDT)

It is on the air and on the web

Live at 9AM Saturdays, great shows , and topics , please let the folks out
there know www.Veteransradio. net

<http://www.avemaria radio.net/ catholic- online-radio. php> Click here to
listen live
Saturday mornings
0900 Eastern
Coming to you from the studios of
<http://www.avemaria radio.net/ catholic- online-radio. php> Ave Maria Radio
<http://www.veterans radio.net/ Archives. cfm#Top> Archived Programs
This week on Veterans Radio

Veterans Radio is pleased to welcome KAGY, 1510 AM
Port Sulpher/New Orleans, LA to the Veterans Radio Network

Saturday, 22 March 2008

True Stories from Iraq and Afghanistan

As told by recently returned military personnel

On the 5th anniversary of the war in Iraq, we find the news media is pushing
the Iraq and Afghanistan stories further and further off the front pages of
our newspapers. In fact, according to a recent study by the Pew Research
Center only 3% of the news media in February 2008 was devoted to covering
the war.

This week's Veterans Radio is going to change that. Join us as we talk to a
number of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and find out what is
really going on over there. What are the living conditions like there? How's
the morale? Are you getting the support you need? Are you getting the
medical treatment you need? Tune in to hear the answers to these and any
questions you may have for our guests.

We want your stories as well. If you are an Iraq or Afghanistan veteran or
you know a veteran send their story to me, dale@veteransradio. net or give us
a call on Saturday and we'll get your story on the air. Veterans Radio is
Radio Free America for all veteran's stories and issues.

Don't miss this opportunity to talk with the latest generation of America's
finest this week on Veterans Radio.

Call us if you have any questions or comments Saturdays at

877-573-7825

Veterans Radio is dedicated to all the men and women who have served or are
currently serving in the armed forces of the United States of America. Our
mission is to provide all veterans with a voice, to give them a forum where
they are able to discuss their issues.and tell their stories.

Listen live on WMAX (1440 AM, Saginaw, MI), WDEO (990 am, Ann Arbor/Detroit,
MI), WDEO-FM (99.5 FM, Naples, FL) and KAGY-AM (1510 Port Sulpher/New
Orleans, LA.)




2. CBS News, Suicides, veterans who get help from the VA are also at ri

Posted by: "Colonel Dan" colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net coloneldan1

Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:28 am (PDT)

http://www.cbsnews. com/stories/ 2008/03/20/ cbsnews_investig ates/main3956210 .s
html
Suicides Seen Among Vets Treated By VA

WASHINGTON, March 20, 2008
_____

(CBS) There's new information about the risk of suicide for those who have
served in the military. Last November, CBS News broke the story of the
overwhelming number of veteran suicides nationwide. Now, Chief Investigative
Correspondent Armen Keteyian has discovered veterans who get help from the
VA are also at risk.

"When you go through war, you're going to change permanently and totally for
the rest of your life," said veteran Harold Pendergrass.

Pendergrass knows firsthand the hidden wounds of war. He served two tours in
Vietnam.

"I carried a suicide note in my pocket for years," he said.

At 57, the former Army soldier has tried to take his own life three times,
constantly wrestling with thoughts of killing himself.

"I sat around numerous times with a .44 in my mouth," he said. "But for some
reason, I just couldn't pull the trigger. I don't know why."

Now, CBS News has obtained never-before seen patient data from the
Department of Veterans Affairs, detailing the growing number of suicide
attempts among vets recently treated by the VA.

The data reveals a marked overall increase - from 462 attempts in 2000 to
790 in 2007.

"This is highly statistically significant, " said Dr. Bruce Levin, head of
the biostatistics department at Columbia University. Levin is one of three
experts who analyzed the data for CBS News.

"I'd characterize it as something that deserves further attention," Levin
said. "Overall the data suggests about a 44 percent increase and that is not
due to chance."

According to the experts, two age groups stood out between 2000 and 2007.
First, ages 20-24 - those likely to have served during the Iraq-Afghan wars.
Suicide attempts rose from 11 to 47.

And for vets ages 55 to 59, suicide attempts jumped from 19 to 117.

In both age groups, the attempted suicides grew at a rate much faster than
the VA patient population as a whole.

In addition, this VA study, also obtained exclusively by CBS News, reveals
the increasing number of veterans who recently received VA services ... and
still succeeded in committing suicide: rising from 1,403 suicides in 2001 to
1,784 in 2005 - figures the VA has never made public.

Rep. Bob Filner is chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. He's
been critical of the VA's unwillingness to provide a full accounting of
veteran suicides.

"These are incredible figures," he said.

"Does it surprise you that a study like that even exists?" Keteyian asked.

"Well, given the fact that we keep asking for data and they say, 'we don't
have any,' yes, it surprises me," Filner said.

It angers Filner. "If we can't get the correct information, we can't do our
job. We can't prevent every suicide but you can prevent a whole lot of them
and it's our duty as a nation to do that."

The VA declined to speak on-camera about this story, but in an e-mail, said
it "takes the issue of veteran suicide very seriously" and "has been doing a
thorough data investigation to document the number of patient suicide
attempts."

It insists the patient suicides are "...consistent with national trends,"
despite recent studies that show veteran suicide rates are substantially
higher than those of non-veterans.

But Harold Pendergrass worries the VA remains ill-prepared to handle the
next generation of veterans who will be fighting the horrors of war . for
decades to come.

"If what the VA is doing is not working then they need to change tactics,"
Pendergrass said. "They need to listen to these guys and listen not only
with their ears but also with their hearts."




3. Suicide Signs Unique to Vets, How to Spot Warning Signs

Posted by: "Colonel Dan" colonel-dan@sbcglobal.net coloneldan1

Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:32 am (PDT)

http://www.cbsnews. com/stories/ 2008/03/20/ fyi/main3955723. shtml

The Full Story: Veterans And Suicide

NEW YORK, March 20, 2007
_____

(CBS) Back in November, CBS News broke the story of the staggering number of
veterans who commit suicide. The report was the result of
<http://www.cbsnews. com/stories/ 2007/11/13/ cbsnews_investig ates/main3496471 .
shtml> a five-month investigation into veteran suicides.

The results were startling: according to data from 45 states, 6,256 men and
women who had served in the armed forces took their own lives in 2005 -
that's 120 suicides every week. Chief Investigative Correspondent Armen
Keteyian and his investigative team found that veterans were more than twice
as likely to commit suicide that year than non-veterans.

During the course of the investigation, the investigative team compiled a
list of resources for how to find help and recognize the warning signs of
mental health issues that could also be warning signs for suicide.

How to Spot Warning Signs

The <http://www.va. gov/> Department of Veterans Affairs provides the
following warning signs.

* Talking about wanting to hurt or kill oneself

* Trying to get pills, guns, or other ways to harm oneself

* Talking or writing about death, dying, or suicide

* Hopelessness

* Rage, uncontrolled anger, seeking revenge

* Acting in a reckless or risky way

* Feeling trapped, like there's no way out

* Saying or feeling there's no reason for living

For more on mental health services at the Dept of Veterans Affairs,
<http://www.mentalhe alth.va.gov/> click here or call the VA's suicide
hotline at 800.273.TALK (8255).

Suicide Signs Unique to Vets

Experts on suicide prevention say for veterans there are some particular
signs to watch for.

* Calling old friends, particularly military friends, to say goodbye

* Cleaning a weapon that they may have as a souvenir

* Visits to graveyards

* Obsessed with news coverage of the war, the military channel

* Wearing their uniform or part of their uniform, boots, etc

* Talking about how honorable it is to be a soldier

* Sleeping more (sometimes the decision to commit suicide brings a
sense of peace of mind, and they sleep more to withdraw)

* Becoming overprotective of children

* Standing guard of the house, perhaps while everyone is asleep
staying up to "watch over" the house, obsessively locking doors, windows

* If they are on medication, stopping medication and/or hording
medication

* Hording alcohol -- not necessarily hard alcohol, could be wine

* Spending spree, buying gifts for family members and friends "to
remember by"

* Defensive speech "you wouldn't understand," etc.

* Stop making eye contact or speaking with others

For a wallet-size card titled "What to do you if you think someone is having
suicidal thoughts,"
<http://www.suicidep reventionlifelin e.org/media/ pdf/NSPL_ WalletCard_ Assessin
gRisk_GREEN. pdf> click here.

Where to Get Help

Hotline for Veterans
Veterans who need help immediate counseling should call the hotline run by
Veterans Affairs professionals at 1-800-273-TALK and press 1 identifying
themselves as military veterans. Staff members are specially trained to take
calls from military veterans and its staffed 24 hours a day, everyday. While
all operators are trained to help veterans, some are also former military.

Clinical Care
To find the closest Dept of Veterans Affairs facility to you that has mental
health professionals, go to
<http://www1. va.gov/directory /guide/home. asp?isFlash= 1> this Web site and
type in your zip code.

Veterans Affairs Health Benefits

*
<http://www.vba. va.gov/benefit_ facts/General/ English/VAP21- 00-12%20January% 2
02006.pdf> Read more about what benefits are available to veterans.

* To find out more about what kind of services returning service
members qualify for, check out
<http://www1. va.gov/OPA/ fact/returning_ vets.asp> this summary at the
<http://www.va. gov/> Department of Veterans Affairs.

What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?

According to the
<http://www.ncptsd. va.gov/ncmain/ ncdocs/fact_ shts/fs_what_ is_ptsd.html>
National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, "PTSD is an anxiety
disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A
traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens
to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others' lives
are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over
what is happening."

Those who have experienced a life-threatening event can develop PTSD. These
can include:

* Combat or military exposure

* Child sexual or physical abuse

* Terrorist attacks

* Sexual or physical assault

* Serious accidents, such as a car wreck.

* Natural disasters, such as a fire, tornado, hurricane, flood, or
earthquake.

For those who have PTSD, there are generally four types of symptoms:

* Reliving the event

* Avoiding situations that remind you of the event

* Feeling numb

* Feeling keyed up -- on alert and on the lookout for danger

The National Center for PTSD offers this information in a tipsheet, and
notes: "after the event, you may feel scared, confused, and angry. If these
feelings don't go away or they get worse, you may have PTSD. These symptoms
may disrupt your life, making it hard to continue with your daily
activities."

Related Links

<http://afspp. afms.mil/> Air Force Suicide Prevention Program

<http://chppm- www.apgea. army.mil/ dhpw/Readiness/ suicide.aspx> Army Center
for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine
410.671.4656

<http://www-nehc. med.navy. mil/hp/suicide> Navy Environmental Health
Center's Suicide Prevention site
757.953.0959

<http://www.usmc- mccs.org/ LeadersGuide/ Emotional/ Suicide/generali nfo.cfm>
Marine Corps Suicide Prevention Program

<http://www.ncptsd. va.gov/ncmain/ index.jsp> National Center for PTSD
802.296.6300

<http://www.spanusa. org/> Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
Phone: 202.449.3600
Fax: 202.449.3601
E-mail: info@spanusa. org

<http://giveanhour. org/cms/index. php?option= com_frontpage& Itemid=1>
Nonprofit group Give An Hour

<http://www.suicidep reventionlifelin e.org/> SAMHSA's National Suicide
Prevention Lifeline
800.273.8255
TTY: 800.799.4889

Recent Legislation to Prevent Veteran Suicide

On November 6, 2007, President Bush signed into law the
<http://thomas. loc.gov/cgi- bin/bdquery/ z?d110:h. r.00327:> Joshua Omvig
Veterans Suicide Prevention Act. It's named after a soldier who committed
suicide in Grundy County, Iowa, in December 2005, after serving an 11-month
tour in Iraq. The bill requires the Department of Veteran's Affairs to meet
deadlines in providing the following services:

* Train VA staff on suicide prevention and mental health care

* Staff each VA medical facility with a suicide prevention counselor

* Screen soldiers who seek care through the VA for mental health needs

* Support outreach and education for veterans and their families

* Research the most effective strategies for suicide prevention

* Create a peer support counseling program so veterans can help other
veterans

However, while the bill requires the VA to provide these services, it
provides no new funding.

_____

By Laura Strickler with reporting from Sarah Fitzpatrick in Washington.
"Keep on, Keepin' on"
Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"
See my web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/