Veteran NewsThe latest news and information related to veterans issuesCongressional Military Mental Health Caucus MeetingSynopsis of special caucus that held the second of its three planned public briefings on May 13. Congressional caucuses allow Members and Senators to join forces in collecting information, garnering support, and crafting and passing legislation on areas of special interest to them. This particular caucus was only formally created this year, and has a high level of bipartisan support. Mental Care Stays are Up in Military Mental health disorders caused more hospitalizations among U.S. troops in 2009 than any other reason according to medical data released recently by the Pentagon. This historic high reflects the growing toll of nearly nine years of war. Returning Soldiers Require Integrated Care for Overlapping Symptoms Military service members are increasingly experiencing a triad of overlapping pain, posttraumatic stress, and mild traumatic brain injury that experts say is best treated concurrently. Two Important Days In May May 15 is Armed Forces day. May 31 is Memorial Day. Landmark Bill Bolsters Care for Female Veterans President Obama signed a bill bolstering care for female veterans, which was part of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010. Military Sexual Trauma: A Little-Known Veteran Issue It's hard enough for any soldier to ask for help, but without these services, female veterans find it even harder. Mullen Appeals to Philanthropists to Assist Veterans The military's top officer yesterday turned to America's philanthropic community to help military veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan avoid the devastation of substance abuse, mental illness and homelessness. Changing Veteran Poses Challenges For The VA "Veterans are a disproportionate share of the nation's homeless, jobless, mental health depressed patients, substance abusers, suicides," said Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. War Zone Traumas Restaged at Home "In Country: Soldiers Stories From Iraq and Afghanistan" is an exhibition opening on Thursday at SF Camerawork, a downtown gallery in San Francisco. VA Officials Strive to Prevent Veteran Suicides With more than 6,000 veterans committing suicide every year, and 98 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan taking their own lives during fiscal 2009 alone, Department of Veterans Affairs officials are redoubling their outreach to veterans and promoting the toll-free suicide-prevention hotline. Afghanistan Vets at Greater Risk for Homelessness As Canada prepares to withdraw from Afghanistan next year, veterans' advocates say they worry shell-shocked soldiers may end up without a home, like many of those who served before them. Defense Department and VA Expand Work on Traumatic Brain Injuries The departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs have greatly expanded care for servicemembers and veterans with traumatic brain injuries from the battlefield after they're discharged from rehabilitation centers. Combat Stress and Alcohol Alcohol misuse is more common than post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among UK troops. Disabled Veterans Face A Faceless Bureaucracy The Department of Veterans Affairs is struggling to cope with tens of thousands of veterans filing for disability benefits. Because there are applicants from two current wars - plus a new wave from the first Gulf War and Vietnam - thousands are now stuck in the clogged pipeline. Costs Soar for Compensating Veterans with Mental DisordersCompensating veterans with psychological scars has helped fuel a 76 percent surge in service related disability costs since 2003. Uniformly Grateful: Let's Thank Those Who Serve We have lost more veterans to suicide since 2000 than we have lost in combat in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan combined. Adm. Mullen Sees 'Huge' Needs as Numbers of U.S. War Veterans Climb President Barack Obama's top military adviser said U.S. veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are missing out on cutting-edge treatment, education and family services, even as 50,000 more head home this year. Combat Veterans Find Military Service Can Hurt Job Prospects Traditionally, Americans have gone out of their way to hire combat veterans, but the mood has shifted when it comes to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. California's Operation Welcome Home Initiative Launched January 6 by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, in cooperation with the Employment Development Department, Labor and Workforce Development Department, and California Volunteers to provide veterans with one-stop shopping efficiency as they search for and apply for the benefits they are entitled to receive. Army Suicide Rate Rising In and out of uniform, those who have served the nation in the military are killing themselves at rates never seen before. Vets, Homeless Dogs Paired - Both Benefit Veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the D.C. Veterans Affairs Medical Center are adopting pets from the Washington Animal Rescue League, where staff help make the right match. The Washington Times |
