Category Archives: Veterans Benefits

Veterans Benefits

Professional Soccer Comes To Tucson: Future Plans To Help Local Veterans Outreach

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Viva la soccer! The day has come for Semi-Pro and Professional Soccer to debut in Tucson. And your local veterans are here to land on the beach and help. Celebrations begin on the evenings of Friday March 4th and Saturday March 5th at Hi Corbett Field.

For nigh on 25 years the soccer community has been in search of a stable venue to host a local semi-pro franchise team, with the capability of inviting professional teams for exhibition matches and International Friendlies. The last one being in 1996 when Mexico was matched with a team from Austria that was training in Tucson. The game was at the University of Arizona and played to a crowd of about 16,ooo, with very little lead time for marketing.

Tucson is now on the verge of a historic sporting event with the prospect a huge economic development future, coupled with an opportunity to showcase the newly formed FC Tucson Soccer Team.

The 2011 Major League Soccer Desert Cup featuring the New York Red Bulls and the Sporting Kansas City is assured to be the most important soccer event in Tucson’s history.

This two day extravaganza  showcasing world class players marks the first time Major League Soccer teams have ever played in the Old Pueblo.

MLS  games have been offered in the past, yet no individuals or groups have had the organizing skills, as do the current promoters, Greg Foster and Dimitri Downing.

Neither was the City of Tucson ever able to provide an adequate venue that could accommodate a soccer pitch that meets FIFA standards. With the vacation of all Spring Training Baseball,the field at Hi-Corbett can be retrofitted to the needs of professional soccer, with the importing of some additional sod and approximating the necessary field dimensions of 75 yards by 115 yards.

This accommodation is not all that unique as many other baseball stadiums across the nation have been sharing their facilities with the local soccer teams for decades. Tucson is just now following suit. The Rochester Rhinos,( New York), are a prime example of that brand of sharing. The baseball team, the hockey team and the soccer team were all owned by the same investment group and both the City and the teams benefited from the synergy and cross marketing opportunities. Tucson would be wise to copy such a model.

The Rochester Rhinos now have their own 25,ooo seat stadium that was built near the downtown. Approximately 12 million dollars in collateral investment followed. As Yogi Bera so aptly put it, “cash is kinda like money.”  I do believe both the City of Tucson and Hi-Corbett concessions would enjoy a bucket of that cash.

On Friday March 4th and Saturday March 5th at Hi Corbett Field, two of the nations premier professional soccer teams will square off against each other as well as challenging the talents of our two Arizona squads; the Arizona Sahuaros from Phoenix, who have been consistently playing professionally for 19 years, and  currently based at Grand Canyon University, along with the new FC Tucson taking the mantle after a ten year hiatus of  a semi-pro developmental team in Tucson.

The genesis of this first of many MLS Exhibition games in Tucson is with the Arizona Sahuaros owner, Ali Alexander and his incredibly skilled networking coach Petar Draskin.  Coupled with the foresight of City Parks Administrator, Alex Guzman, the event first got its feet a year ago when all parties met to explore the possibility of bringing these games to the Tucson community. There is no question, Hi Corbett Field is the right place and the right time.

The old rivalry of Tucson/Phoenix  Soccer will be palpable. Add to that the Red Bulls and Kansas City and we got us some rock and roll soccer.

The MLS rosters are replete with  international stars including Thierry Henry,star of the French National team, and the striker for Arsenal in the English Primier League. Omar Bravo, hero of the Chivas in the Mexican League, and defender Rafael Marquez, beloved captain of the Mexican National squad and Barcelona FC in Spain’s Premier Soccer League.

Offering Tucsonans the highest level of professional soccer competition the Desert Cup promises to provide thrills for both the casual and the devoted soccer fans.

The Desert Cup, will be hosted by FC Tucson Events, working in collaboration with the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to highlight leading local companies and the Tucson Community. The Event managers have made great effort to be inclusive of the as many local businesses as possible with variety of sponsorship packages to meet all budgets  and tailored marketing goals. Thousands of fans are expected to attend this event over a two day period. These fans whom are both youth and adult represent a demographic community that is one of the broadest of all sporting enterprises. With approximately 16,ooo soccer players in the district, and a basic sports attendance multiplier, you are looking at touching about 57,ooo families in Pima County.

From a business entertaining their clients in a luxury suite to families bringing their children to see the best soccer America has to offer, The Desert Cup will be the place to be and be seen.

General Admission is $12 -One Night

$45 VIP- One Night- Includes; Meal,Soft Drinks, Water, 2 Cocktails

Group Ticket Sales: (25 or more)  $10 General Admission.

For ticket packages contact,  Yuri 520-440 7121   “yuri@fctucson.com”

Ticket Outlets:

Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce/ 4420 E. Speedway 620-0005

The Soccer Shop/ 2952 N. Campbell 326-7467

Maracana Indoor Sports Arena/ 555 15th St. 647-9059

Join the fans of FC Tucson at Facebook.   “facebook.com/pages/FC-Tucson”

There were approximately 9000 readers of this blog last month. That is a fair number of pals of the veteran community. Let us see if we can have the the most of any one group at the games. Get a squad together and come as a Veteran Group. Our chances are real good of helping with some donations to one of the many entities that are helping veterans transition home from war.  See you at the pitch!

Veterans Benefits

Spirituality And PTSD

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As a trained Chaplain, I can testify to the efficacy of a spiritual dimension in addressing the demons of war. I am mostly concerned about the evangelizing aspect taking a priority over the deep understanding of the ravages of war. A chaplain fresh out of theological studies can do much unintended harm. Particularly if they believe they are going to “heal” PTSD in a permanent way. I do not believe that is possible. You can dance with it, but it is not going to extinguish itself.

Military

Chaplains try a new path to deal with PTSD

Published January 29, 2011

| Associated Press

DENVER –  A Colorado theology school is teaching Air Force chaplains to consider the religious beliefs of servicemen and women to better help them cope with post-traumatic stress.

The goal is to build trust so a chaplain can encourage service members to draw on their individual concepts of God and spirituality, said Carrie Doehring, an associate professor of pastoral care at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

Doehring helped develop the one-year program for the Air Force, which wanted another way for its chaplains to respond to the stress of deployments amid two protracted wars.

Doehring said she believes it’s the only program of its kind in the country.

One student graduated last year and four are enrolled this year.

“This is incredibly helpful when dealing with trauma survivors,” the graduate, Air Force Chaplain Dallas Little, said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. Little, a captain, is deployed in southwest Asia but said he couldn’t disclose where for security reasons.

Little said he starts by trying to understand a service member’s religious views. Trust and acceptance come more quickly, he said, and that person is more likely to relate the traumatic experience to Little so he can help.

Little said he’s used the approach in a veterans hospital, an Air Force hospital, a base chapel and on deployment, and it has worked well in each setting.

He also said it also discourages him from “premature judgment, hasty moralizing or proselytizing.”

Chaplain Matt Boarts, one of the students currently in the program, said he’s learning to help others find the right words to express their traumatic experiences or to phrase the questions they may have.

“They come back having seen things they don’t know how to share,” said Boarts, an Air Force major. “They become isolated. They don’t know how to ask it or they think the words in ther head might be offensive.”

If people want to ask for his spiritual advice about their experience, he will give it, said Boarts, a Lutheran, but refraining from proselytizing isn’t a dilemma for him, he said.

The issue of proselytizing is a delicate one, Doehring said.

“If they were leading worship where people have come to a Christian service of worship, of course they would lead out of their own tradition,” she said of the chaplains. “Or if they’re leading a prayer before troops go on a mission and the troops have volunteered to come to that prayer, they would use their own traditions.”

But when people go to a chaplain for help with post-traumatic stress or other issues, they want someone who respects their views and won’t try to impose other beliefs on them, she said.

Some military organizations, including the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., have been accused of tolerating unwanted proselytizing by conservative Christians. That wasn’t a factor in the Air Force’s decision to support Iliff’s program, said Abner Valenzuela, a chaplain and a major in the Air Force Office of the Chief of Chaplains.

“We’re just responding to the emerging needs,” he said, referring to the stresses of deployment.

Measuring the training’s success is difficult, Valenzuela said, as it is with most things chaplains do.

“You can kind of find out that what you are doing is effective based on the feedback from the person you are helping,” he said.

The Air Force pays for the training. Iliff officials declined to release how much the Air Force is paying but said tuition for a one-year, full-time masters progrm is about $16,000 a year.

Students are required to have a Master of Divinity degree to enter and are awarded a Master of Arts in pastoral and spiritual care when they graduate. Required courses include “Impact of War on Pastoral Care of Families,” ”Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Pastoral Psychological and Theological Responses,” and a comparative religion course.

Veterans Benefits

Southern Arizona Health Village For The Homeless

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The news of  this innovative approach to addressing homelessness is from the Carondelet Heath Network.

Nationwide, there is a very conscious and concerted effort to end homelessness in America. From Long Beach to Fort Lauderdale there are volunteers dispatched to get an accurate census of the homeless population.

It is a bit sad to witness the population of young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars joining in the ranks of homeless at such young ages.

Health Village for
KEY PARTNERS the Homeless
Southern Arizona Health
Village for the Homeless
brings the following groups
together for the first time to
work collaboratively toward
a common goal to end
homelessness:
HOPE FOR THOSE IN NEED
The challenge of providing health care services to homeless individuals is an issue every community
faces. The need for housing, food, job training and other basic necessities crosses medical,

behavioral and social services lines. Tucson’s homeless population includes about 4,000 people single

men and women, teenagers and families with small children. This population has grown as the economy has declined.

Carondolet Heath Network is the facilitator bringing these key partners together.
The Southern Arizona Health Village for the
Homeless collaborative was formed to develop
an integrated system of care. The program’s
flagship effort is a 38-foot air-conditioned
RV,known as the “Van of Hope,” which is
equipped to provide mobile medical services
at sites including soup kitchens, churches and
shelters. Carondelet Health Network and two
other primary partners, EI Rio Community
Health Center and Primavera Foundation,
work together to staff the van and connect
clients to community services.
Gwen Gallegos (Carondelet Health Network
and EI Rio) and Pam Gleason (EI Rio), family
nurse practitioners with extensive experience
in community outreach and care, are sharing
the role of nurse practitioner for the Van
of Hope. Medical Assistant Megan Griffie (EI
Rio) and Care Coordinator Lety Huerta (EI Rio)
work with the nurse practitioner to provide
care and community referrals. The van is
also equipped with telehealth technology for
providing services such as teledermatology,
telewound care, behavioral
health and other consultations
remotely.
• establish designated community-wide acute and
extended-care beds for homeless patients
who are discharged from the hospital.
• provide case management and social service
outreach to homeless children through school
systems.
• offer behavioral health screenings and
referral to Carondelet Health Network’s behavioral
health program with 24-hour crisis
assessment.
• conduct specialized health ministry training
for churches and faith-based communities
that already help the homeless with social
services.
The program was made possible by a grant
from an anonymous donor. In coordination with
local organizations, Carondelet Health Network
worked with Carondelet Foundation to secure
a financial commitment of $2 million from this
generous soul. The funds are payable at $400,000
a year over the next five years. This provides the
start-up funding for the staff and services offered
by the Van of Hope with the eventual goal of
creating a sustainable model of care.
• EI Rio Community Health
Center
• Interfaith Coalition for the
Homeless
• Pima Community Access
Program
• Pima County Health
Department
• Primavera Foundation
• Salvation Army
• St. Elizabeth’s Health
Center
• Veterans Administration
Telemedicine technology
on the van enables remote
access to physicians and
specialists.
Providing services to the
homeless
The goals of the Health
Village are to:
• reduce inappropriate
emergency visits and
inpatient admissions for
preventable conditions
that become acute due to
a lack of primary care.

Veterans Benefits

After Tucson Tragedy: Veterans Grief and Healing Session

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Please share this opportunity to all you know.

After the Tucson Tragedy:

Veterans’ Grief and Healing

Wednesday February 2, 2011 at 9:00-11:30

SAVA Building 90, Mental Health Clinic

Room 1200

As a service to veterans, the MHC is offering an opportunity to come together in the aftermath of the January 8 shootings. Mental Health staff will assist veterans to cope with the trauma:

1. Response to Community Tragedy

2. Describe Grief and Loss

3. Healing: Community and Individual

No appointment is needed to attend this offering.

For questions, call:

Jane Gersmeyer, CNS

792-1450-ext 5203

Mary Sabey, CNS

792-1450 ext 4252

Veterans Benefits

VA Public Forum for Disability Criteria

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media advisory

January 24, 2010                                                        Local Contact:  Monica Cabrera

(602) 627-2740

VA Holds Public Forum to Improve Veterans’ Disability Compensation Criteria for Certain Diseases and Injuries

VA Seeks Opinion of Veterans, Public/Private Experts

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is holding a public forum on January 25, 27, 31, and February 2 in Scottsdale, Arizona, to help improve the level and fairness of payments to Veterans who are service-connected for genitourinary, digestive, dental, infectious, immune disorder and nutritional deficiency diseases and injuries.

The focus of the forum is to assist VA in gathering information to update the rating schedule that the agency uses to assign levels of disability compensation for Veterans who are service-connected for these disabilities.  The agenda includes presentations by VA, DoD and private subject matter experts.

“We welcome to this public forum key stakeholders, including Veterans, Veterans service organizations, public and private health experts, health economists, and Department of Defense professionals, who will provide us with the information we need to bring the disability rating system for these particular diseases and injuries into the 21st century,” said Acting Under Secretary for Benefits Michael Walcoff.

When: Tuesday, Jan. 25, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Jan. 27, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Monday, Jan. 31, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 2, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Where: DoubleTree Paradise Valley Resort, 5401 N. Scottsdale Rd Scottsdale.

Details: For agenda information, visit: www.va.gov, click on Mental Health Forum, then Agenda.

NOTE: Journalists interested in attending these events should arrive 45 minutes prior to the event and provide proof of affiliation.

Veterans Benefits

Military Immersion Training For Civilians

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
——————————

———————————————-

Arizona National Guard to host Military Immersion Training for civilians

PHOENIX, Jan. 25, 2011 – The Arizona National Guard is hosting a
first-of-its-kind Military Immersion Training at Papago Park Military
Reservation, Feb. 9-10. The focus of this event is to increase knowledge and
understanding of the military culture, and to equip civilian providers and
media members with a sense of the needs of military and veteran families
throughout Arizona.

Developed and conducted in partnership by the Arizona National Guard,
Arizona Coalition for Military Families, COPE Community Services, Governor’s
Office for Children, Youth & Families, and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, this
event will allow civilians to experience military life and to interact with
service members, veterans and family members.

“This is a unique opportunity to strengthen Arizona’s capacity to
serve and support its military and veteran populations by offering civilian
providers first-hand experience in the military/veteran culture,” said Capt.
Holly Brauer, one of the event’s organizers.

Civilian healthcare, behavioral health, social service, community
partners, and media representatives are welcome to participate in this
program. Doing so will broaden and deepen their understanding of the
military
experience by living a slice of it, said Brauer.

Planned activities include: drill practice; military occupational
specialty briefings; firsthand perspectives of service members, veterans and
family members; team building activities; physical training (modifications
will be offered for all fitness levels); military meals; briefings on key
resources; hands-on sessions with military equipment and vehicles; overnight
stay in military barracks.

Registration fees include all meals, a night of lodging and all
materials. Interested persons should contact: Capt. Holly C. Brauer at
602-267-2115, holly.c.brauer@us.army.mil.

What:  Military Immersion Training

When:       Wednesday, Feb. 9 beginning at 12:00 p.m. through Thursday,
Feb. 10 at 4:00 p.m.

Who:        Healthcare, behavioral health, social service and community
partners (to include media)

Where:      Papago Park Military Reservation, 5636 E. McDowell Rd.,
Phoenix, Ariz. 85008-3495

Visual Opportunities:

. interviews with representatives of the National Guard and planning
partners prior to event

. training activities (drill practice, early morning physical
training, equipment interaction)

. interviews with volunteers and attendees

-30-

NOTE TO MEDIA:
Directions to 5636 E. McDowell Rd, Phoenix: Take I-10 to SR 143 North. Exit
on SR 143 North. SR 143 ends on McDowell Road. Take a right onto McDowell
Rd.
Go to Bushmaster Blvd. Take a left at the light onto Papago Park Military
Reservation.
MEDIA WILL BE GUIDED TO RESERVE PARKING.
Media point of contact:
1LT Valentine C. Castillo at 602-267-2550 or 602-206-7659 /
valentine.c.castillo@us.army.mil.

Valentine C. Castillo
1LT, Judge Advocate
Public Affairs Officer
Arizona National Guard
PH:  602-267-2550
CELL:602-206-7659
FAX: 602-267-2495
http://www.facebook.com/AZNationalGuard
http://twitter.com/AZNationalGuard
http://www.azguard.gov/PublicAffairs/PublicAffairs.htm

Veterans Benefits

Marine Aaron Joshua Lawless Lied About Medals

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Man Lied About Medals, Won Trip

January 18, 2011

Baltimore Sun

“After being struck in the face and head by shrapnel while on patrol in Iraq in 2005, Aaron Joshua Lawless performed first aid on a fellow injured Soldier and returned fire to the enemy from a damaged gun before being struck by an improvised explosive device, later winning a Purple Heart and Silver Star for his bravery.”

At least, that’s how Lawless recounted his time in Iraq to his employer, a Maryland gun store, and the Glock gun company, which decided to honor Lawless as their 2008 “Glock Hero,” awarding the 25-year-old and his wife a paid trip to Las Vegas, two Glock guns and a crystal glass trophy, a package worth $3,505.91.

But almost none of Lawless’ claims of valor on the battlefield are true, according to agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who filed a criminal complaint on Thursday in federal court in Maryland.

Lawless did serve in the Marine Corps, according to his military records — but for 35 days, discharged in June 2003 for not disclosing an injury to his right knee before joining the force, the affidavit said.

And Lawless then joined the Army and served in Iraq in 2006 as a Soldier, but he was sent home in July of that year for severe headaches, the affidavit said. His military record indicates that at no time did Lawless suffer from battle injuries or receive the high-level military honors he claimed, according to an ATF agent’s interview with Lt. Col. Pat L. Kerbuski, at the time the deputy chief of staff for the 101st Airborne Division.

Agents from the ATF claim in court documents that Lawless spun a far more dramatic tale for his employer, Atlantic Guns in Silver Spring, and the Glock company. Among the injuries Lawless said he suffered: being shot in the buttocks and leg in Fallujah, getting hit by a roadside bomb in Bayji, and suffering from shrapnel in his brain from another roadside bomb, all in Iraq.

In all, Lawless said he earned four Purple Hearts, one Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for battle injuries in 2005 and 2006 while serving with the Marines and Army throughout Iraq, the documents state.

Lawless has received a summons to appear in federal court in Greenbelt on Feb. 23, said Marcy Murphy, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office.

The ATF agent who wrote the affidavit, John P. Cooney, declined to comment on the case, citing an open investigation.

Falsely claiming to have earned a medal from the U.S. military is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in prison, under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005.

Steve Schneider, the owner of Atlantic Guns, said Lawless worked in his store part time throughout 2008, eventually moving back to Nebraska when his wife became pregnant. Lawless, who Schneider described as personable and a good fit with his other employees, was referred to him by the Veterans of Foreign Wars as an injured veteran stationed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center who enjoyed guns and hunting, Schneider said.

While working at Atlantic Guns, Lawless would describe how he sustained his injuries in great detail for Schneider and the store’s employees, Schneider said.

“You’re a trusting person and you just don’t question something like that,” Schneider said. “I knew he was connected with Walter Reed, I knew he was in the military.”

As an employee, Lawless worked sporadically, often unable to work because of extreme pain, Schneider said. At the time, Schneider believed the pain was due to a shrapnel injury to Lawless’ brain. In reality, the affidavit said, Lawless suffered from a pre-existing brain lesion that was removed in 2008.

Schneider said he hasn’t spoken to Lawless since he moved back to Nebraska, and learned of the alleged deceit when law enforcement officials in Nebraska contacted him last spring.

“I’m trusting,” he said. “I would probably do the same thing over again.”

A Glock representative met Lawless during a marketing event at Schneider’s store and thought he would make a good candidate for the company’s Glock Hero Award in 2008.

“Aaron Lawless,” Glock said in a biography at the time of his award, “is one of an endless list of young men and women that have answered their nations [sic] call. We feel Aaron’s story needs to be told.”

The company did not respond to requests for comment.

Since the Stolen Valor Act was signed by President George W. Bush in 2006, prosecutors have pursued a number of cases against people thought to be falsely claiming military honors. A Colorado man, Rick Glen Strandlof, claimed he had received a Purple Heart and Silver Star after being wounded in Iraq while serving with the Marines. The Marine Corps had no record of Strandlof serving, and he was arrested in 2009, the Associated Press reported. His case is still going through the courts.

Tom Davis, the department adjutant for the Maryland branch of the American Legion, said lying about military honors is akin to “stealing from your buddy in the foxhole.”

Prospective employers can verify an individual’s military service by calling the U.S. Army’s personnel and human resources division, said Gary Tallman, an Army spokesman.

“These cases are extremely regrettable but they do happen,” Tallman said. “We do have a mechanism to be able to verify awards and decorations information” and periods of service, he said.

The American Legion frequently removes individuals from its rosters who are not actually qualified for membership but somehow signed up through a local branch — such as National Guard members who mistakenly thought they were eligible, Davis said.

But never in his experience, Davis said, has he knowingly encountered someone who embellished their service the way investigators say Lawless did.

“The individual should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Davis said. “It insults the vets who made the ultimate sacrifice and honestly earned their medals and awards.”

Air Force Veterans, Alternative Care, Am Vets, American Legion, Army Veterans, Arts, Department of Defense, Disabled American Veterans, Health, Life, Marine Corps League, Marine Veterans, Media, Military Chaplains, My Email & Phone, National Security Agency, Navy Veterans, Pentagon, Politics, Veteran Pals, Veteran Statistics, Veterans Benefits, Veterans Events, Veterans Global, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Veterans Worldwide, Vietnam Veterans of America

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Linked to Death,Atherosclerosis in Veterans/ Semper Fi Magazine

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Post-traumatic stress disorder, (PTSD) more than doubles a veterans risk of death from any cause and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010.

The study states that doctors should offer as much preventive treatment for heart disease for clients with PTSD. The researchers, are Naser Ahmadi, MD, and Ramin Ebrahimi, MD.

The research studied the electronic medicals records of 286, 194 veterans, with an average age of 63, who are being treated at hospitals in Southern California and Nevada. The cohort group includes veterans of the Korean War.

The conclusion of the study indicated that veterans diagnosed with PTSD had 2.41 times the rate of death from all causes compared to veterans who have not experienced PTSD. Or at least not diagnosed with the symptoms. They then surmise that PTSD alone is an independent predictor of death from all causes.

Now, let Veteran Veritas  enter the picture. I cannot use the the adjective that first comes to mind for this study. So let your veteran imaginations take you there.

What I will say is that I first distrust this study because it smells of the subterranean influence of the Insurance industry that does not want to provide life insurance for the young soldiers returning from war, as a result of their pre-existing conditions —which is War!   A soldier who is diagnosed with PTSD cannot currently get life insurance. Truth.

Man is this a hard pill to swallow.

So, the citizen soldier who just defended the United States of America and our system of capitalism, the insurance industry being the very DNA of that system, can in turn not be defended by the very system they just defended.  There will  be an outcry beyond belief when this becomes known nationwide. Johnny can come marching home with ribbons of valor galore, but he cannot get life insurance if he seeks a little help for his nightmares of horific events, because he  is normal. All of the literature on PTSD indicates that, “it is a normal reaction to aberrant events.”  So, where am I going here? I believe studies like this should be scrutinized way beyond their practical value, for the core intent. I suspect that some of that intent is to have on record, medical data, to support the decline for life insurance.  Not unlike the bogus studies of a Psychiatrist named Sally Satel, who was on the payroll of the American Enterprise institute to conduct their dirty work in attempting to alter the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Psychiatry, DSM, so as to not have to award do many disability claims for PTSD, this study is akin to that effort that was suspended as a result of the incredible feedback from veterans, like this writer, who are up at night combing the net.  I will have more to say about this in future postings.

I would like to see what our readers have to say about this study and why from its initial reading it is laced with errors of science.  I will be revisiting this subject frequently over the next several months.

Next week I will be visiting with some high command at Camp Pendleton, and this topic is on the agenda.

As a footnote, many seasoned journalists have a bit of disdain for medical journalism as so much of it has hidden agendas of promotion of self and product, or is bent toward the pharmaceutical industry, meaning stockholders.

Veterans Benefits

One Veterans View of Jon Justice or Whatever His Name Is

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So then why do  conservative morally grounded citizens not rebuke him?
Can you imagine this man’s aberrations,  laced with some obvious adolescent development issues of his own, being in the same room with Ronald Reagan, George Will, William Buckley, George Bush Sr. or Mayor Bob Walkup? They would send him to the principal’s office.
Were his rants to be in a ramada at Reid Park, or a platform at the 4th Ave. Street Fair, the probability is high that he would be violating laws regarding the inciting of riots.  Do you think he could speak the way he does in the Armed Forces where morality and decency still reigns?
Radio talk show formats originally were collateral to campaigning, not obsessive compulsive outlets  for identity politics that curiously attract the same OCD mindset and individuals who have no other core identity. Some folks can only feel themselves in opposition.
We now must govern, not campaign 24/7.  While I am not a fan of Woodrow Wilson,  I can certainly understand what inspired him to shut down radio shows during time of war.  What end do these shows serve?
Get a library card.
I say, ask the sponsors to show some mettle and pay all these narcissists enough to go on sabbatical for 90 days and give us some time to care for our brethren.  Just 90 days, that’s all. Give us a break for 90 days, and use that time to bring to light the work of all the unsung enlightened ones in Tucson.
Talk about the transition program for returning veterans at the U of A, talk about the free retreats at the Merritt Center. Interview a different veteran everyday. Talk about healthy living issues. Create free tutoring centers for students with on air answers to questions.
Toss out the nationally syndicated hosts and give the airways to local clergy and local psychologists. It would revive the local economy and put Tucson First, which has never happened since the idea was launched.
Give more air time to sanity. Allow the likes of John Scott, a man of manners and decency, to create a new Tucson with some of the most innovative radio in the nation.
Radio has the bully pulpit. Use it for the sunum bonum, not the swamp it has become. Tucson could well become known as the city that revived radio the old fashion way–with courtesy, class and culture.

Veterans Benefits

POW/MIA Issues Languish

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I know this man. Mil Thornton. Airborne all the way! I too have been affiliated with the Run For The Wall. My son went with me on the ten day ride to DC, back in 2003. He claims to this day that he had never known the true nature of soldiering and the value of veterans to our nation. Ryan Brewer filmed the entire excursion which will one day be quite a collectors item.
We must never ever allow this issue to be placed on a back burner.
Hello Everyone.
I am attaching an excerpt out of the book and the website of ‘An Enormous Crime’ by Bill Henden. It is an account of the known fact that POW’s were left behind in Vietnam after Operation Homecoming and how it is a continued effort to cover up the fact by every Presidential administration since Carter. If you would like more information and are not convinced after reading these links that I’ve attached then I don’t know what it would take to convince anyone that the United States deserted our brothers in arms in Vietnam. I have read the book when it came out and continue to enlightin myself with it. I have paruzed the website for the colaborating documents that the authors put out to colaborate the infomation. This is what makes me continue the efforts with RFTW and Rolling Thunder to make our government accountable for the hundreds that did not come home with Operation Homecoming when the POW’s were released. We should never give up our fight to bring them home.
“Bring them Home
Or send us Back”
Mil