Author Archives: Team VCS

May 5: Another Outrage as VA Official Says Suicides Occur ‘Just Like Cancer Occurs’

May 5, 2008 – Suicides among veterans of wars overseas occur “just like cancer occurs,” and are not an indication of negligence by Veterans Affairs Department mental health care providers, a top VA official has argued in a lawsuit filed … Continue reading

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Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, US Says

May 5, 2008 – The number of suicides among veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may exceed the combat death toll because of inadequate mental health care, the U.S. government’s top psychiatric researcher said. Community mental health centers, hobbled … Continue reading

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Editorial Column: Abu Ghraib Whistleblower Blows Whistle on New Torture Film

Editor’s Note: Former Army Sgt. Sam Provance was the only uniformed military intelligence officer at Abu Ghraib who broke the code of silence surrounding the infamous prisoner abuses. He spoke out during the Army’s internal investigation, at a congressional hearing … Continue reading

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Sen. Webb’s GI Bill to be Added to Iraq War Spending Bill

May 6, 2008, Washington, DC – Defying President Bush, House Democrats are preparing to forge ahead with a war spending measure that would include extended unemployment assistance and new educational benefits for returning veterans. After a meeting Monday evening of … Continue reading

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May 6: Opening Statement by Chairman Bob Filner for Hearing on Veterans’ Suicides

Opening Statement By Hon. Bob Filner Chairman, and a Representative in Congress from the State of California Good morning and welcome to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs’ hearing on “The Truth about Veterans’ Suicides.”  On December 12, 2007, this Committee … Continue reading

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Ex-Iraq Commander Accuses Bush Administration of ‘Gross Incompetence’

May 2, 2008 – In a new memoir set to be published May 6, the former commander of US forces in Iraq provides new intimate details of the goings-on at high levels of the Bush Administration in the first year … Continue reading

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Momentum Grows in Congress to Fire VA’s Dr. Ira Katz for Concealing Veteran Suicide Epidemic

May 1, 2008, Albuquerque, NM – Rep. Tom Udall has joined other Democrats calling for the resignation of the Department of Veterans Affairs mental health director in a letter to President Bush on Thursday. The New Mexico Democrat also said … Continue reading

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Eitorial Column: Military Winks at Religious Intolerance

May 2, 2008 – Maybe the reason the misperception persists that there are no atheists in foxholes is that nonbelievers must either shut up about their views or be hounded out of the military. Just ask Army Spc. Jeremy Hall, … Continue reading

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Mikey Weinstein: Fighting the Good Fight for Religious Freedom in Our Military

May 5, 2008 – I spent the day last month with Michael “Mikey” Weinstein, a living Jewish hero. He is the Air Force Academy honors graduate, boxer, Air Force officer, lawyer, Nixon staff person and bundle of energy who is … Continue reading

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Free Brain Injury Screenings Offered to Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans in Connecticut

May 4, 2008 – Concerned that the most talked-about injury of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is being overlooked, the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain has started offering free screenings to veterans for symptoms of mild traumatic brain … Continue reading

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