What's New
| VA Secretary Pressed by Senator on High Percentage of Wrongly Denied Benefit Claims |
March 16, 2010, Washington, DC (CQ Politics) - A leading Republican senator on Tuesday asked Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki to explain why so many veterans’ benefit claims are wrongly denied, resulting in a high rate of reversal on appeal. |
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| Profile of New Veterans' Courts in New York Times |
Defendants Fresh From War Find Service Counts in Court - VCS Supports Veterans' Courts March 15, 2010, Charleston, West Virginia (New York Times) — When Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down Timothy Oldani’s federal sentence for selling stolen military equipment on eBay, he gave the former Marine a break. |
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| Presdent Obama Donated $250,000 of Nobel Prize Money to Fisher House |
March 11, 2010, Washington, DC (New York Times) - President Obama made good on his promise to give his $1.4 million Nobel Prize money to charity, releasing the names on Thursday of the organizations that will benefit. |
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| Philanthropist Bobby Willis to Build New $3.3 Billion Hospital for VA in Farmington, NM for Rural and Native American Veterans |
Proposed state-of-the-art Kirtland veterans clinic could provide as many as 8,000 jobs March 14, 2010, Farmington, New Mexico (Farmington Daily Times) — A proposed veterans complex in Kirtland centered around a new hospital, backed by a wealthy entrepreneur and costing an estimated $3.3 billion promises to bring state-of-the-art medicine and other benefits to veterans, as well as 8,000 jobs to the local economy. |
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| Dr. Haley at UTSW Presents Compelling Brain Images Showing Gulf War Illness |
VCS Asks VA: Since UTSW Research Remains Vital to Understanding Gulf War Illness, Then Why Did a Handful of VA Staff in Washington Impede UTSW Contract and Then End Funding for UTSW? March 9, 2010, Salt Lake City, Utah (Science News) - Nearly two decades after vets began returning from the Middle East complaining of Gulf War Syndrome, the federal government has yet to formally accept that their vague jumble of symptoms constitutes a legitimate illness. Here, at the Society of Toxicology annual meeting, yesterday, researchers rolled out a host of brain images – various types of magnetic-resonance scans and brain-wave measurements – that they say graphically and unambiguously depict Gulf War Syndrome. |
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Britain's Military Is In 'Stress' Meltdown
Written by Pete Norman
Tuesday, 25 August 2009 09:23
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August 25, 2009 - Britain's armed forces are at risk of massive mental health problems because of their stressful work and a lack of support, an ex-SAS soldier says. Ex-trooper Bob Paxman, 41, has broken the SAS vow of silence to reveal the risk soldiers face fighting post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
"The military have got a massive problem on their hands and they haven't faced up to it yet," Paxman said. Paxman explained to Sky News' Eamonn Holmes how PTSD symptoms can manifest themselves in troops. "It can be anything from flashbacks, nightmares, depression or self-medication with drugs or alcohol," said Paxman, who has set up a charity to help those suffering in silence. "It's a huge problem and we are getting a lot of telephone calls each week from the tri-services and the blue light services." The newly registered charity, Talking2Minds, which includes ex-SAS man Andy McNab and Falklands veteran Simon Weston among its patrons, uses cognitive, neuro-linguistic and time line therapies. Critics claim the Ministry of Defence has not provided the support troops need, especially with increasing work loads post-9/11 with action in Iraq and Afghanistan. "Over the years there have been systems developed to help guys cope with problems, so why should we let them suffer in peace when we can help them get back to a normal life?" "I'm afraid the stiff upper lip of the British has made us sit back and not talk about what is happening - now it is time for help." Paxman, who left the service after 11 years in 2000 before working in Middle Eastern private security, says he once downed a bottle of whisky while depressed then put a loaded 9mm pistol into his mouth.
"They have certain types of counselling but these processes are basically based in the 1960s," Paxman said. The Ministry of Defence denies their facilities are outmoded. An MoD spokesman told Sky News Online: "The MoD takes the mental welfare of all our personnel extremely seriously and extensive measures are in place to prevent and treat mental health concerns. "Mental health professionals provide expert assessment and treatment in the UK and on operations, and the new in-theatre mentoring scheme - Trauma Risk Management - encourages personnel to talk about their concerns." The Ministry says it is developing trial projects to expand care for returning troops. "The MoD has also worked with the NHS to develop six community mental health pilots across the UK specifically tailored for veterans," a spokesman told Sky News. Although officials have tried to reduce the stigma of mental health issues it still afflicts troops. "There is pressure on you not to admit to anything because you fear you'll lose the trust of your mates," Paxman revealed. For elite Special Forces soldiers revealing problems might mean being sidelined permanently. "The worst fear everyone in the SAS has is that they'd get binned form the unit if they said something - and they probably would."
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