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Be a US Veteran and be ignored (pg. 2)
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| ogvh5150 |
WASHINGTON - A survey of troops returning from the Iraq war found 30 percent had developed mental health problems three to four months after coming home, the Army's surgeon general said Thursday.
The problems include anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger and an inability to concentrate, according to Lt. Gen. Kevin Kiley and other military medical officials. A smaller group, usually with more severe cases of these symptoms, is diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
The 30 percent figure is in contrast to the 3 percent to 5 percent diagnosed with a significant mental health issue immediately after they leave the theater, according to Col. Elspeth Ritchie, a military psychiatrist on Kiley's staff. A study of troops who were still in the combat zone in 2004 found 13 percent experienced significant mental health problems.
Iraq Affecting Mental Health of Troops
Two years into the occupation of Iraq the menace of drug abuse appears to be afflicting American troops.
Aware of the debilitating effect drugs had on the morale and effectiveness of GIs in the Vietnam War, the authorities are attempting to stifle a repeat in Iraq.
Aside from random urine tests and barrack room searches, commanders have asked their troops to inform on colleagues.
In the past month a soldier has been arrested for selling cocaine and two per cent of the troops from one brigade have been charged with drug and alcohol abuse.
According to US army figures, out of the 4,000 men of the 256th Brigade Combat Team, 53 faced alcohol-related charges and 48 were charged with drug offences.
Stressed US troops in Iraq 'turning to drugs' |
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| ogvh5150 |
Writing in Preventive Psychiatry E-Newsletter No. 169, Arthur N. Bernklau, executive director of Veterans for Constitutional Law in New York, stated, “The real reason for Mr. Principi’s departure was really never given, however a special report published by eminent scientist Leuren Moret naming depleted uranium as the definitive cause of the ‘Gulf War Syndrome’ has fed a growing scandal about the continued use of uranium munitions by the US Military.”
Bernklau continued, “This malady (from uranium munitions), that thousands of our military have suffered and died from, has finally been identified as the cause of this sickness, eliminating the guessing. The terrible truth is now being revealed.”
He added, “Out of the 580,400 soldiers who served in GW1 (the first Gulf War), of them, 11,000 are now dead! By the year 2000, there were 325,000 on Permanent Medical Disability. This astounding number of ‘Disabled Vets’ means that a decade later, 56% of those soldiers who served have some form of permanent medical problems!” The disability rate for the wars of the last century was 5 percent; it was higher, 10 percent, in Viet Nam.
“The VA Secretary (Principi) was aware of this fact as far back as 2000,” wrote Bernklau. “He, and the Bush administration have been hiding these facts, but now, thanks to Moret’s report, (it) ... is far too big to hide or to cover up!”
Mushrooming depleted uranium (DU) scandal |
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| LazFX |
| quote: | Originally posted by shaolin_Z
"well, that's the way things are" argument doesnt justify anything. this makes it pretty clear how much the govt & military "support the troops."
first they're going lie to them and make them give up their lives for a false cause and then they're not even going to compensate for their disabilities. |
So true, as a vet I find the present state of this administration a ing shame.
I was lucky, I finished out my tour with out issues, but these poor men & women that were hurt and have legit medical issues are getting ass screwed with out the KY.
I wish them all the best.. |
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| ogvh5150 |
During a recent U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs hearing it was announced that 20 to 24 year old veterans now have an unemployment rate of over 15 percent - nearly twice the rate of their non-veteran peers. The numbers of young unemployed veterans has grown dramatically since the start of military operations in Afghanistan.
High Unemployment Among Young Vets |
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| ogvh5150 |
A Gulf War veteran undergoing medical treatment said he was given placebos -- or sugar pills -- instead of real medicine.
Like thousands of other soldiers, Army veteran Mike Woods said he developed bizarre symptoms after serving in the first Gulf War -- blackouts, chest pain and numbness in the extremities.
Woods looked to the Veterans Administration for help. He said his VA doctor prescribed him a drug called Obecalp.
"She told me there was this new drug out that would really help me with all of my physical conditions, and my pain. She really wanted me to try it," said Woods.
But when the pill provided no relief, Woods did some research and learned that Obecalp isn't a medicine at all, but a sugar pill. He was shocked to learn the word "obecalp" is placebo spelled backward.
The American Medical Association said placebos should only be used as part of a clinical trial and doctors must be extremely thorough in obtaining informed consent from patients that they may not be getting a real drug.
Gulf War Veteran Gets Placebos Instead Of Real Medicine |
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| Shamen DJ's |
For the U.S. Military, thank you for serving this country.
I can't wait for the November elections. There are alot of Iraq War Veterans running for Congress & Senate as democrats, I hope they win.
Then again, I think the U.S. got the president they deserve. They let a sleaseball who evaded Vietnam slander the outstanding military career of John Kerry and he won. Personally, I thought that was a disgusting stunt & was another reason I voted for Kerry rather than Bush. Kerry may have been boring, but at least he had military experience, looked thoroughly at issues before making decisions, was honest & has integrity.
As for the troops, if Iraq degrades into Civil War and continues to be a quagmire like Vietnam, then we need to consider what is more important: the well being of our military personel & the future of our military or that of winning Bush's war. It IS the responsibility of this country to take care of our military veterans. If the U.S. government can't or wont take care of the veterans that we have, then we shouldn't be fighting wars.
While I agree Afghanistan was a necessity ( and I think our dumbass president should have to explain why Osama Bin Ladin has been free for 4 1/2 years ), but Iraq was a political war where George Bush didn't consider the best interest of the U.S. |
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| ogvh5150 |
Wounded Soldiers Fight Off Bill Collectors at Home
Congressman Calls It 'Financial Friendly Fire'; Military Blames Payroll Errors
April 26, 2006 — - Hundreds of soldiers wounded in battle in Iraq have found themselves fighting off bill collectors on the home front, according to a report to be released tomorrow. The draft report by the Government Accountability Office, which ABC News obtained, said that hundreds of wounded soldiers had military debts incurred through no fault of their own turned over to collection agencies.
"Financial friendly fire," said Rep. Tom Davis, R-Va., chairman of the House Committee on Government Reform. "Because their financial records are so bad, this is a friendly fire where we are hurting and wounding our own."
Army specialist Tyson Johnson of Mobile, Ala., had just been promoted in a field ceremony in Iraq when a mortar round exploded outside his tent, almost killing him.
"It took my kidney, my left kidney, shrapnel came in through my head, back of my head," he recounted.
His injuries forced him out of the military, and the Army demanded he repay an enlistment bonus of $2,700 because he'd only served two-thirds of his three-year tour.
When he couldn't pay, Johnson's account was turned over to bill collectors. He ended up living out of his car when the Army reported him to credit agencies as having bad debts, making it impossible for him to rent an apartment.
"Oh, man, I felt betrayed," Johnson said. "I felt like, oh, my heart dropped."
Payroll Errors, Says Military
And there are many more like Johnson. Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly lost his leg in a roadside bomb attack in Iraq.
He didn't realize it, but the Army continued to mistakenly pay him combat bonus pay, about $2,000, while he was in the hospital rehabilitating, and then demanded that he pay it back.
He, too, was threatened by the Army with debt collectors and a negative credit report.
"By law, he's not entitled to the money, so he must pay it back," said Col. Richard Shrank, the commander of the United States Army Finance Command.
The Army said it moved wounded soldiers out of the battlefield so quickly its accounting office could not keep up, resulting in numerous payroll errors.
"This is no way to win a war, I can tell you that," said Davis. "You'd think after four years after fighting a war in Iraq, the government would have its act together."
But the Army said it is now trying to correct the problem. Since ABC News first reported on the plight of soldiers, featuring Johnson and Kelly in a "Primetime" investigation in October 2004, the Army has forgiven most of their debts.
But Davis said there may be thousands more whose thanks for putting their lives on the line has been a knock on the door from a Pentagon debt collector.
Wounded Soldiers Fight Off Bill Collectors at Home |
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| ogvh5150 |
http://www.whenicamehome.com/
directed by Dan Lohaus
Iraq War veteran Herold Noel suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and lives out of his car in Brooklyn. Using Noel's story as a fulcrum, this doc examines the wider issue of homeless U.S. military veterans-from Vietnam to Iraq-who have to fight tooth-and-nail to receive the benefits promised to them by their government. |
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| ogvh5150 |
| quote: | Wounded soldiers 'get appalling health care'
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent, Nick Britten and Catriona Davies
(Filed: 03/10/2006)
Senior Army officers and Service charities united last night in condemning the treatment of wounded troops as "an absolute disgrace".
Field Marshal Lord Bramall, a former chief of the defence staff, said the outpatient service for soldiers was "appalling". Charity chiefs believe there is a "lost battalion" of 500 troops who have been ignored or forgotten after leaving hospital.
The row follows The Daily Telegraph's report of security worries at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, where a paratrooper was threatened by a man who accused him of "killing my Muslim brothers in Afghanistan".
Field Marshal Bramall, who commanded the Army during the Falklands conflict, said that military medical care had been "cobbled together" and was clearly not working.
He said: "The Ministry of Defence always said it would put things right with a centre of excellence for military care in Birmingham which was going to be a tremendous place. But it never took off because no funds were put into it. The situation is now very serious and needs to be addressed immediately."
Col Tim Collins, who commanded an infantry battalion during the Iraq invasion, said the public did not care about troops who had been wounded in an unpopular war and that they were not vote winners for the Government.
"The public perception is that these men are volunteers and if you get wounded then bad luck; you should have joined the fire service instead," he said. "We should start caring about our forces and demanding better standards."
There are also growing calls for the Government to build a dedicated military hospital. Seven of the eight military hospitals have been closed since the early 1990s.
While soldiers receive excellent treatment from military medical staff on operations, it is when they are returned to health service care that their difficulties begin.
The wounded are first treated at Selly Oak, where they are meant to be cared for in a military wing, but recently they have been placed in mixed wards with civilians, open to the public and with little security. By contrast, American military hospitals have armed guards and a strict entry system.
The hospital trust that runs Selly Oak has also recorded the highest rate of the superbug MRSA in Britain, figures showed this year.
Sometimes the wounded are not given priority care and receive treatment from doctors ignorant of military life.
Peter Lally, the chairman of the Wolverhampton branch of the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, which offers financial help to service personnel, said the MoD refused to disclose information about the wounded and about 500 soldiers had been discharged without adequate support.
"Nobody tells them about us or other service charities," he said. "We cannot help them out if we do not know who or where they are."
The standard of mental health care — a growing area, given the horrors troops face in Iraq and Afghanistan – has also been criticised.
Combat Stress, a charity for ex-servicemen mainly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, said the Defence Medical Services were under considerable strain coping with patients. Most troops with mental health problems are now sent to the civilian Priory psychiatric hospital.
The ministry admitted that it needed to improve its outpatient treatment and had agreed to allow veterans to give written consent for their contact details to be passed to a key ex-service organisations. "We are committed to ensuring that our personnel receive the best possible health care," it said. |
TEXT USED WITHOUT PERMISSION FOR NON-COMMERCIAL USE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. |
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| ogvh5150 |
| quote: |
Medical Hold & Walter Reed
American Soldier says,
It saddens me to think of the on going issue of soldiers being treated like while recovering back in the US. I have been reading about JR Salzman and his stay at Walter Reed. I am stunned and somewhat embarrassed to know that the Army isn’t taking care of these guys. Cut to through the political and red tape bull and tell me why the hotel that houses soldiers got to the point of mold all over a wall. Tell me why the ing elevator is broke? Who is looking after these guys? I know if I was the NCOIC of that building, I’d be having other soldiers from other units going there once a week and policing that up! So as a result of all of this my fellow wounded brothers are subjected to long over due work orders and the kind of bull the Army can make exist with lazy people in certain positions. I think the commander of the Medical Holder Company needs to get this head out of his ass to be quite honest. This deferring it to others is not an excuse. Why doesn’t he perform weekly inspections of these areas, hold sensing sessions? the tact ; this is bull and his responsibility. I saw this video and again I am sickened by it. The Army says they increased the number of staff, Platoon Sergeants, etc. But why did it have to come to this? Why should it?
I can relate to this subject quite well. I was in a medical hold over unit when I got back to the states. I had a lazy ass case manager that was locked behind closed doors. You were literally turned away if you hadn’t made an appointment 24 hours prior. They stacked lower enlisted 4 to a room and NCO’s two to a room in most situations. I couldn’t walk straight or stand up for more than a few minutes but yet I was put on the 3rd floor with no elevator. I won’t go too deep with my problems or experience because there is bigger fish to fry. No one looked after the ones who were going through a lot of with PTSD. In fact, you miss appointments you got your pass privileges taken away or worse. No one was going out of their way to help anyone. The staff sucked because they didn’t really want to be in that job. Some of them were Drills just off the trail and some even had that same mentality. These ing legs who hadn’t been over to the war yet talking down on soldiers cause he was limping into a formation he was late to because his hearing was shot due to being blown the up and all his buddy’s either said it or left early for other appointments. To many times I witnessed things like this.
The Med Hold system is ed, ed, ed and ed! Know where they have it good….Landsthul, Germany! Now that place has a handle on things!
I don’t know what I can do to raise awareness with this subject but my fellow Milbloggers need to help with this. This is bull and I’m tired of seeing this time after time. We go and fight the good fight and some of us come back injured and all ed up and we get treated like s. I grew up on welfare and I tell you what, standing in line for that weekly block of cheese was a better experience than Med Hold status! |
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| ogvh5150 |
| quote: | More Veterans Calling The Streets Home
NEW YORK, March 25, 2007(CBS) Hassam Elgoarany knows the price of war.
He fought in Afghanistan and then in Iraq, where a sniper's bullet took his best friend.
"His head got blown off — I get nightmares about that," said Elgoarany.
The Muslim-American sailor drowned that pain in alcohol, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller, but drinking only led to an early discharge.
Back at home, he couldn't find work. His wife took their baby boy and left. Robbery led to prison.
When he got out, Hassam became one of many homeless veterans.
"We have no inkling of the full scope of the problem," said Roy Kearse, vice president of Samaritan Village, a state-funded homeless shelter for veterans with addictions.
At Samaritan Village, Hassam found men who understood his downward spiral.
"They're returning home, they're running into obstacles and problems and all of the mechanisms aren't in place to get to them," said Kearse.
One in three homeless Americans is a veteran.
On any given night in this country, an estimated 200,000 are living on the streets.
Many served in Vietnam, but experts expect the number of Iraq veterans to swell in coming years.
The Veterans Administration can provide beds to only 14,000 veterans, though it told CBS News its shelters aren't filled to capacity and that it offers what it called "very good" services to homeless veterans.
As President Bush orders more troops to Iraq, the Senate Committee on Veteran's Affairs wants more focus on those coming home.
"The president did not mention the word 'veteran' in his State of the Union address," said Senator Daniel Akaka, D-AK, chairman of the Committee on Veterans Affairs.
Akaka has asked Congress to more than double the president's request for funding next year — 4.8 billion dollars more to help not just the physically wounded but the emotionally scarred.
"They train you to transfer from a civilian to a killing machine," said Elgoarany. "When you get out they should have trained me to go back into being a civilian."
The Army says one in three Iraq veterans will return home with mental health issues. Sooner or later, caring for them will become another cost of war. |
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