Salem-News.com Ptsd articles Page 36

GI Bill: Veterans Bailed Out or Thrown Anchor?

Veterans are waiting long periods for college funding that has been promised to them, too long in some cases.

(SANTA ROSA, Calif.) - Veterans from all over the country will be hitting the road on October 2, 2009, to collect "emergency payments" of up to $3,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), making up for delays in the new Chapter 33 Post 9/11 GI Bill. While the new GI BIll is a great improvement over previous educational benefits, many veterans have yet to see any benefit, or money, at all. Many are taking out loans and incurring additional debt due to the delay.

According to the VA website, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has authorized checks for up to $3,000 to be given to students who have applied for educational benefits and who have not yet received their government payment.

Gov. Schwarzenegger Signs `Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans` Day Bill

Schwarzenegger earlier had refused to sign the legislation.

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) - Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger joined Assemblymember Paul Cook (R-Yucca Valley) Friday at the Twentynine Palms Marine Base to sign AB 717 which establishes an annual "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day" on March 30th.

"Our Vietnam veterans fought for our freedoms, kept America safe and dedicated their lives to this nation," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "We are forever thankful for their unwavering strength and courage while fighting in the Vietnam War. By signing this legislation we join together to express our gratitude, remember their service and say ‘welcome home.'"

500 Mile March for PTSD Will Happen in Spring

The March from Oregon to California will take place after winter thaws.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The date for our planned 500-Mile March for PTSD has been moved to Spring. We had originally intended to conduct the march in September, but the extension will allow us to be fully prepared and not operating in haste.

The march will raise funds for our hour-ling television documentary on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD. We completed a production trip just weeks ago in Oregon, California and Arizona, gaining significant material for the program.

Army Gives Bad Discharges to Thousands of PTSD Vets

Benefit denial scams raise suicide rates.

(CINNCINATTI, Ohio) - It all began as a Bush era program, promoted by Dr. Sally Satel, the famed "PTSD denialist" putting thousands of soldiers at risk and pushing hundreds to suicide.

Thousands of veterans lost all benefits, GI Bill, medical care and more through Army discharge scam, part of Neo-con "cost saving program"

How did it work? Simple. A very large percentage of combat vets with PTSD are problem drinkers, self medicating in the only way they can and, in the process, getting worse and worse. Redeployments of soldiers needing treatment only adds to the problem.

A Future Worth Securing

The Oregon National Guard and the people of Scania, Iraq.

(SCANIA, Iraq) - Outside the wire, Soldiers wear full battle rattle. They scout the area for IEDs, mortars, rockets, insurgents or anything that may threaten the lives around them. Alpha Co., 2-162 Infantry's quick reaction force for Scania, is ready for anything.

"I am sworn to protect all citizens of Scania," 1st Sgt. Geoffrey Miotke said. "I do so with a posture that has my guys ready all the time."

The Soldiers are also ready to man the entry control points of Scania and provide security for a variety of missions in their area of operations.

Agent Orange: The Damage Lives On In Vietnam

The damages continue, relief is possibly in sight, but there is so much more to do and so little time

(DA NANG Vietnam) - It’s absolutely no surprise that even to this day, environmental tests confirm extremely high levels of dioxin, the toxic ingredient that made Agent Orange what it was – an insidious poison that was sprayed for years in Vietnam as well as other countries for a variety of reasons– but especially in Vietnam.

Casualties Increase as Average Age of American War Dead Falls

Fighting in Afghanistan & Iraq Claims More American Servicemen.

(SALEM, Ore.) - More American deaths in Afghanistan have an obvious correlation to the increased tempo of the fighting there. In this report, 17 U.S. servicemembers have died between September 5th and September 14th, 2009.

Veteran`s Resource Meeting in Salem on Friday

Currently ten percent of Oregon's population are military veterans, yet Oregon is one of only three states without a major military installation.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The Salem Area Veteran Resource monthly meeting will be held Friday, 18 September at 12:15 p.m. in the Winema building on Chemeketa Community College campus 4001 Winema Place, room 102.

Anyone who provides any kind of service to veterans is invited to attend. Special guest speaker will be SFC Phil Maas from the Oregon Army National Guard Yellow Ribbon Program.

An American Hero Reprises His Role for the Last Time

The people of Wiltz have never forgotten their beloved American St. Nick and celebrated the arrival of an American Saint Nicholas each year thereafter.

(WILTZ, Luxembourg) - In 1944, Cpl. Richard Brookins was in the right place at the right time to help a city heal after years of Nazi occupation.

2009 marks the 65th anniversary of that event, and Brookins will return one last time to reprise his role as the American St. Nick.

Never Deployed `Colonel` Wilson Missed Vietnam

Deferments Through 1972 then "Shepherded" into Reserve Billet to Avoid Vietnam.

(CINCINNATI, Ohio) - Wilson was prime material for the Vietnam War. After taking deferment after deferment for college and law school, in 1972, Wilson was glided into a coveted Army Reserve billet, protecting him from service in Vietnam.

He quit in 1975 with the fall of Saigon and transferred to the National Guard where he was a Judge Advocate, a "lawyer." Wilson has one of the worst records in Congress, having voted against Veteran funding 11 times. The only "veteran" Wilson has helped is himself.