Annual Base Camp Gatering of Arizona Veterans

Band of Brothers
Band of Brothers

BASE CAMP 2010

Veterans and friends are cordially invited to attend Base Camp 2010 to be held April 2, 3, 4 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) 2010.  The purpose of Base Camp is to provide a location for veterans and friends to assemble and share camaraderie.  Live music and entertainment is provided on Saturday night.   ADMISSION IS FREE.

Base Camp is an area lined with bunker/fighting positions simulating a firebase or a line unit’s perimeter defense camp.  Military apparel and military vehicles are welcomed to add to the ambiance.  All veterans are encouraged to attend.  There is a 90-foot high flagpole with a large American flag and the Republic of South Viet Nam flag.  There is also a 35-foot high observation tower and other military type structures, water and two flush toilets, a stage for live entertainment on Saturday, and a shooting range dug into the ground at the base of a mountain as a backstop for target shooting.  Camp out Friday and Saturday nights.  Bring your own food, beverages, drinking water, and firewood.

DIRECTIONS TO BASE CAMP

Traveling south on I-10 from Phoenix, exit I-10 at Wild Horse Pass.  Take the first left turn (Maricopa) to go past Firebird Lakes on your left.  Proceed past the fire station on your right to the T intersection with the stop sign.  Turn right.  Now you are on the road (Highway 347) to Maricopa.  Go through Maricopa, cross the Railroad tracks by the big RR water tower and continue 2 miles to Ak Chin Casino.  Highway 347 is also called John Wayne Highway. Go 2 miles past the casino to Papago (you will see a large Santa Rosa Cooling sign) where you turn right (west).  Go west 4.5 miles on Papago until you curve left (south) on to Warren.  Go about .9 miles south on Warren until you reach Val Vista where you turn right (west).  Go west .5 miles on Val Vista through the wash and past the canal to the first street on your left—Deer Trail.  Turn left (south) onto Deer Trail, and go .5 miles to where it Ts into Quail Run.  Go right (west) on Quail Run for 1/10 of a mile to the entrance of 9014 North Wealth Road and Base Camp.  The house phone number is 520-868-6777 and my cell phone number is 602-509-8763.

SCHEDULE:

April 21200Set up camp

April 3—1000—US and RVN flag-raising, Betsey Bayless and other dignataries                                      1200—1800–Open Time

1800–Entertainment

April 4–Break camp—go home

THERE ARE A FEW SIMPLE, FAIR RULES TO FOLLOW WHILE AT BASE CAMP.

  1. You WILL have fun.
  2. Shooting range use—SAFETY FIRST—and police all brass and ammo.
  3. NO ILLEGAL DRUGS.

4.   HOLD HANDLE DOWN until toilet flushes completely as a courtesy to others.

5.  POLICE your areas of ALL TRASH and respect other people’s rights and property.

We’ll see you at Base Camp 2010.  For further information, call Joe at 602-509-8762 or 602-253-2378 or 520-868-6777.

The Mindful Veterans Project/ Welcome Home

“The quality of bringing our attention into the present moment and keeping it and sustaining it in the present moment and not judging anything or trying to force anything or reject anything, that is what mindfulness is about.”  Jon Kabat – Zinn

Doug Bremmer, MD, director of mental health research at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center recently completed a study using MBSR for veterans with PTSD. He had favorable results and says, ” we may have the ability to teach our returning soldiers and Marines the skill to control their reaction to painful stimuli and embedded memories, without the use of medication, and before the stress from the memories becomes a chronic condition with patterns of behavior that are not beneficial to relationships or vocation.

Developed in 1979, MBSR is a manualized evidence based learning experience with an emphasis on increased concentration, clarity, insight, flexibility and patience.

The program is free to veterans , families of veterans, and those that work with vets. Registration is $250 for others, although no one will be turned away for a lack of funds.

The next session begins Wednesday from 6-8:30pm and runs for 8 weeks. February 17th through April 14th with no class on March 17th. Registration is required.

The classes are held at the Ada Peirce McCormack Building on the U of A campus. It is located at 1401 E. First Street at the Highland underpass.  The class is in the Library of the Little Chapel of All Nations.

The course instructor is Dr. Terri Davis ND and Executive Director of the Purple Mountain Institute, a non-profit organization established in 1999 to develop and deliver experiential programs to special needs groups.   520-975-8389 or 404-6685.    “terri@welcomehomefreeclinic.org”

Second Veterans Forum For Families And Friends Of Returning Vets.

The second of the Community Veteran Forums, sponsored by Himmel Park Library, with the assistance of librarian Suzanne Parker, wife of a Vietnam Veteran, is scheduled for Sunday, February 28th from 1pm to 4pm. Himmel Park Library is located at 1035 N. Treat Ave. 520-594-5305, Ext. 3.

“One cannot meet catastrophic events and survive when deprived of the feeling that somebody cares” Bettleheim.

Survivors of traumatic events have long been known to suffer psychological sequalae. Combat is one of the most devastating. Combat exposes its adherent to stimuli that are far beyond the grasp of understanding of civilized life. The impact that lingers can affect generations of family, friends, neighbors and employers.

Until recently there has not been much research on the long term effects of battle. There is less data on the impact on family and the capacity to regain intimacy and relationship skills. And the data that does exist seldom leads to any implementation of programs or simple gatherings for spouses and close associates. We have overcome the tendency to minimize the psychic impact of war, and have simultaneously learned to not stigmatize the veteran when she/he reach out for help.

We have finally separated the War from the Warrior and in doing so have found a path for the community to be involved with lessening the toll of psychic scars. In fact it is the belief of the presenters of this forum, that there can be no healing without the community having a working fund of knowledge of exactly what the returning soldier, and Marine are coping with on a daily basis.

Re-entry to civilian life does not happen naturally. The very foundation of the way the world is objectively seen is altered on a minute to minute trail of thought.

Expectations run high and the reality of the retuning vet is often met with very painful reunions.

There is a known therapeutic value in deep listening. While there are a ton of outreach programs tailored just for the transitioning veteran, like the one at the Merritt Center in Payson, AZ, there is a paucity of listening to the families, and it is they who these forums are designed to help.

So please spread the word through your workplace and your neighborhood to come spend some time with us as we discover new ways to love and accept our warriors. Our dream is that every Public Library in our nation will have something similar on an ongoing basis. Welcome Home gatherings are tremendous, but more is needed.

For more information or details about the forum leave a message at 520-540-7000.

This Forum is sponsored by TucsonCitizen.com. Photocopy expenses are covered by Steve Sisson of Century 21 Heritage Real Estate.

DD 214 Copies Now Available Online

The National Personnel Records Center has announced that Veterans may now gain access to their DD-214’s online. The NPRC is working to make it easier for Veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Both Military Veterans and the next of kin of a deceased veteran vet can use this online system to request documents.

The Veterans Administration has become very attuned to the need to provide better and swifter service to the veteran community. Virtually all needs, from the commencement of a claim, eligibility, medals, heath records can be accomplished online. All forms can be found at “va.gov,” and the DD-214’s can be obtained by visiting the website; www.vetrecs.archives.gov.

I am a volunteer service officer with the Marana Marine Corps League. Feel free to ask me about any questions about the process or about any snags you have encountered. Mike 520-540-7000.

Sand Jam Now A Reality

This past Friday, the owners of Hotel Congress met with a collection of veterans to launch Tucson’s first, “Sand Jam” concert in recognition and support of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of War.

The Concert will be held at Club Congress on Sunday, May 30th, 2010 the day prior to Memorial Day. David Slutes of Hotel Congress is the lead promoter of the event and will be selecting a variety of bands to perform that day. All parties involved are open to suggestions for performing acts. The event is scheduled from noon to 8pm.

The newly remodeled patio of the Hotel can accommodate approximately 1500 attendees with room for outdoor performance stages. Maynards and the Cup Cafe will be serving food.

Suppliers and vendors are welcome for this inaugural event.

Tucson has a tremendous history of support for our veterans. I am certain this will be a smash hit and a catalyst for a gathering place for vets to share stories and find community support.

For further details and sponsorship opportunities call Scotty Scotton/ Iraq Veteran. 520-272-7031. email; “carsforvets.webs.com”

The Daughters Of The American Revolution, El Presidio Chapter, Host Carden of Tucson Essay Contest Winners

The Carden of Tucson is to be lauded for its educational focus on pivotal life changing events in American History, as was the development and construction of the first Transcontinental Railroad.

Railroads have been embedded in the American imagination since the early 1800’s. The proverbial iron horse traversed lands that horses and riverboats could not venture.

Our government knew well how vital the railroads were to the settlement of the West and the growth of a young economy. It was our government that made huge land grants and loans to entrepreneurs that were ultimately the force behind Manifest Destiny. You might say that these grants were one of the first “Stimulus Programs.”

No one beefed about government money in those days, at least not the rich.

This years Essay Contest, sponsored by the El Presidio Chapter of the Daughters Of The American Revolution, first organized in 1890, with a Tucson presence for 95 years, posed the following scenario to a group of middle school children.

Imagine you were living at the time of the building of the Transcontinental Railroad. Describe how you felt on May, 10th, 1869, when the golden spike was driven at the Promontory Summit, Utah, to celebrate the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. Pretend you are either settler planning to use the train to travel to your new home in the West, an Irish or Chinese worker who helped build the line, or a Native American whose way of life was greatly affected by the railroad.

The DAR ceremony began with great decorum including the posting of colors by the Flowing Wells Jr. ROTC.

As the children read their essays covering the time, travails and geography of the movement west, I could feel the romance that engaged a nation in the first long distance travel chock full of adventure and new starts for many Americans. These kids did a wonderful job capturing not just the romance and unpredictable tales of daily life, but also at what expense the railroad worker had to subject himself for a paycheck. Their lives were bleak and the conditions were harsh. The Central Pacific Railroad hired many thousands of Chinese would could otherwise not be employed, while the Union Pacific employed Irish immigrants, famished and starved from the Potato Famine, and desperate out-of-work Civil War Veterans to lay track across some incredibly dangerous terrain that was populated by hostile Indian warriors. Illness and injuries took the lives of nearly 20.000.

Our student essayists chronicled these history making laborers with their award winning narratives. I plan to attach the essays to this blog sometime this weekend.

The 2010 Carden Academy of Tucson winners of the DAR American History Essay Contest are:

Tatianna Sierra 5th grade

Kristiana Weaver 6th grade

Nathaniel Unruh 7th grade

Blake Tanner 8th grade

Congratulations young Americans! And, thank you to the teachers of the Carden of Tucson.

A special thank you to the Daughters of the American Revolution for keeping our history alive and meaningful to our youth.

PTSD Vets Win Retirement Deal: Tom Philpott/ Military Times

PTSD Vets Win Retirement Deal
Tom Philpott | January 28, 2010PTSD Vets Discharged Since 2002 Win Retirement Deal

More than 4300 Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans who were diagnosed in service as suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, but got low military disability ratings, have won an agreement with the Department of Defense to upgrade those ratings retroactively to 50 percent.

The higher rating will represent an important win for this group of veterans mentally scarred by war. It will mean, from date of discharge, eligibility for disability retirement and access to TRICARE, the military’s triple health insurance option, for the veterans, spouses and dependent children.

Any out-of-pocket medical costs since discharge also could be paid retroactively, and these soon-to-be-designated disabled “retirees” will gain access to discounted shopping and recreational services on base.

Sparking the agreement is a class action lawsuit brought by the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) which contends that the services illegally denied retiree status and medical benefits for years to these veterans who were diagnosed with PTSD then separated as unfit for service.

Service Physical Evaluation Boards (PEBs) would ignore the disability rating schedule used by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which requires a minimum 50-percent rating for PTSD victims, and routinely separate their members with ratings as low as 10 percent.

A board decision that keeps ratings below 30 percent lowers personnel costs. Instead of immediate annuity and lifetime TRICARE coverage, veterans rated below 30 percent get only a lump sum severance pay.

Judge George W. Miller of the U.S. Court of Federal Claims agreed to stay a final ruling in the case of Sabo, et al v. United States after DoD agreed to cut a deal. Seven veterans were named as original plaintiffs in Sabo but the claims court expanded the scope of the lawsuit to a class action. Defense officials gave NVLSP the names of 4300 veterans who should be invited to apply to have their ratings reviewed and upgraded, but there could be more.

Misty Sabo, wife of former Army Sgt. Michael Sabo, an original plaintiffs, said she was “totally excited” to learn of the agreement this week. Five of their six children are disabled with bilateral cleft lip and palate, which creates hearing, dental and speech problems and requires multiple surgeries. Family medical bills, said Misty, are enormous.

Michael Sabo, 31, had served in the Army more than a decade when he was diagnosed with PTSD after two tours in Iraq where he routinely went on patrols that exposed him to multiple explosions and live enemy fire.

After Sabo’s first 13-month tour in 2003-2004 he suffered recurring nightmares, severe headaches and mood swings. In the middle of his second tour, which again exposed him to explosions, mortar attacks and small arms fire, he returned home on emergency leave to care for his children while Misty underwent surgery. While home, in Fountain, Colo., near Fort Carson, Sabo nightmares, severe headaches and violent mood swings intensified and, the lawsuit contends, “severely impacted him and his family.”

He sought medical help and was diagnosed with PTSD and Post-Concussive Syndrome. In February 2008, the Army separated him as unfit with a 10-percent disability rating and a modest lump-sum severance.

Misty said she was stunned that the Army rating was only 10 percent for a condition that ended his career and changed his life so dramatically.

“He was just thrown to the wind,” she said.

“I didn’t care at the time,” said Michael, in a brief phone interview.

“I kept telling him, ‘This doesn’t sound right that somebody would get hurt like you and not get a retirement,’ ” Misty said. “He said, ‘Well, what do you want me to do, fight against the Army?’ And I said, ‘Yep.’ ”

At the urging of a local advocate for veterans in Fort Carson area, Sabo agreed to have his name added to the NVLSP lawsuit being prepared.

By October 2008, under pressure from Congress, DoD did revise its guidance to the services on rating PTSD to adhere to the VA rating schedule. Meanwhile, Congress ordered DoD to create a special board to review any service-generated disability ratings of 20 percent or less brought forth by veterans who were separated as medically unfit since Sept. 11, 2001.

Thousands have applied to this panel, called the Physical Disability Board of Review. So why bring a class action lawsuit specifically on behalf service members separated for PTSD?

Bart Stichman, co-executive director of NVLSP, said the deal with DoD forced by the court will expedite the rating review process for these PTSD cases upon application, and will guarantee those 4300-plus veterans a rating upgrade to 50-percent for at least six months. After that, the case will be reviewed again and the disability rating confirmed, increased or reduced.

A Class Action Opt-In Notice Form is being mailed to these veterans and must be returned either by fax or postmarked before July 24, 2010. Veterans who don’t get a notice by mail but believe they might be eligible can get more information online at: www.ptsdlawsuit.com .

The deal will not benefit tens of thousands of veterans diagnosed with PTSD over the last 30 years, only those discharged with a rating for PTSD of less than 50 percent after Dec. 17, 2002, and before Oct. 14, 2008.

As the dates indicate, the deal doesn’t include even all PTSD veterans discharged since Sept. 11, 2001. That’s because the lawsuit was brought under the Tucker Act, which has a six-year statute of limitation from the date a complaint is filed against the government, which was in December 2008.

Misty said a doctor at Fort Carson finally prescribed proper medication for Michael after some terrible times. Though he is able to work, every day remains a struggle due to memory loss, headaches and nightmares.

“It’s very hard for him, and us, because he has no memory,” said Misty. “Yesterday was our daughter’s birthday. He totally forgot. He doesn’t like to be around people, which makes it really hard with a big family…And he does not sleep because of the nightmares.”

“I have heart disease,” she said, “and just before he was discharged I found out I have MS [multiple sclerosis]. So I’ve been without my thyroid pills or any medical care.” When the family qualifies again for TRICARE, she said, “I can start taking better care of myself to take care of my children.”

To comment, send e-mail to milupdate@aol.com or write to Military Update, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit www.militaryupdate.com/.

When Spirits Are Broken: By Bill Fort

Some of my fellow bloggers have suggested that I turn some light on some of our local veterans and some vets that we never hear about in the news. I want to share a poem written by a local Marine, Billy Fort. He gave it to me a few years back. Billy was instrumental in establishing the Vietnam Veterans of America Museum that has been at Nam Jam for many years and has touched the hearts of so many veterans and their families. Stories and poems heal. This one does.

WHEN SPIRITS ARE BROKEN

When spirits are broken and visions are numbing
Tear drops are running and the quiet is humming

When the jungle is sweating and leeches are crawling
spiders are running and rock apes are brawling

When monsoons are pouring and a body seems friendless
rivers are running and the battle seems winless

When leaves are popping and branches are falling
Everyone is running and voices are calling

When rockets are screaming and fuel dumps are burning
short timers are running and green boots are learning

When mortars are dropping and choppers are flying
corpsmen are running and grown men are crying

When spirits are broken and visions are numbing
Tear drops are running and the quiet is humming

William Fort

Bill Fort served with the 2nd Battalion 4th Marines in Vietnam at the Battle of Dai Do.

Just How Many Independent Voters Are There?

As a registered Independent, first in 1979 when John Andersen of Illinois proposed a flat tax on all personal income, I have become increasingly interested in exactly how many are joining the Independent ranks.

Unlike what many a propped up dilettante pundit may say, the Independent voter is not just a closet liberal. I think the Massachusetts turn out for Scott Brown proved that to be true. Although many of those same voters put Obama in office also. That may just testify to the pure nature of the Independent thinkers in America who are no longer buying into the duopoly and its pre-digested thought trains.

For decades, the registered Independent has accounted for those in the Clergy, the Pentagon, the State Department, CIA,FBI, NSA and other sensitive job descriptions. Now those registrants seem to be spawning like wild grass.

51% of the voters in Massachusetts have the big “I”. 51%!! Not one media operative, or blogger has spoke of this as a trend. 46% of New Hampshire voters are Independents. The bell weather State, does not even represent the 2 Party system.

The Independent voters here in Pima County are larger then the Republican Party.

So what this tells me is that the two parties nominate the candidates but the Independents decide who wins.

How do our veteran readers feel about this trend? How will this spill out for Veterans and our VA Health Care budget?

Veterans Emergency Care Fairness Act

The following is for your information and distribution to your members.

February 3, 2010

Chairman of the Senate VA Committee released this press announcement today regarding legislation that was just signed into law.

PRESIDENT SIGNS VETERANS’ EMERGENCY CARE FAIRNESS ACT

Chairman Akaka introduced Senate bill to cover gaps in emergency care for veterans with limited insurance

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) today praised President Barack Obama’s signing of the Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2009.

“For veterans with limited insurance, a trip to the emergency room should not result in financial ruin,” said Chairman Akaka, who introduced the bill in the Senate last year. “With this new law, VA will be positioned to help veterans who are enrolled in VA care whose insurance does not cover the full cost of emergency treatment.”

The Veterans’ Emergency Care Fairness Act, signed into law by President Obama last night, will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to reimburse veterans enrolled in VA health care for the remaining cost of emergency treatment if the veteran has outside insurance that only covers part of the cost. Previously, VA could reimburse veterans or pay outside hospitals directly only if a veteran has no outside health insurance.

In addition to reimbursing veterans for emergency care in the future, the bill allows the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide retroactive reimbursements for care received prior to the passage of this bill. Akaka has received correspondence from veterans who were unable to receive financial assistance under the previous rules, and plans to share their information with Secretary Shinseki.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that this legislation will cover approximately 700 future claims per year and as many as 2,000 veterans retroactively.

This will help veterans who need emergency care and previously would have been hit with the bills associated with that emergency care.

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Hang out for combat veterans and families.