By Debbie Gregory. Andrew O’Brien was heading out on an Iraqi road when an IED struck a team in another truck. O’Brien couldn’t turn away from the scene. He thought if he examined the scene to determine what happened, he could keep his men safe from an IED. Instead, he began suffering from nightmares, PTSD […]
By Debbie Gregory. For hundreds of thousands of veterans returning home from the battlefronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, making it home alive is just the first challenge. Although the VA has come a long way from the 1970s, when many Vietnam veterans failed to reintegrate into society, resulting in homelessness and drug addiction, the department […]
By Debbie Gregory. Thousands of veterans will be returning home, and the transition will be a challenge. Employment is of great concern to veterans. American businesses are making more room for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, helping to drive down the overall unemployment rate for veterans. Wal-Mart’s President and CEO, William S. Simon, […]
By Debbie Gregory. Courage is personified in a man named Sergeant First Class Micah Welintukonis. SFC Welintukonis, an Army medic, was severely injured on July 9, 2012 in Afghanistan. He sustained injuries to his abdomen and left arm from a suicide bomb while attempting to aid an injured American soldier. He vaguely remembers being carried […]
By Debbie Gregory. A cooling relationship between President Obama and Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai may lead to a complete withdrawal of U.S. troops in 2014. The New York Times reports that a one-time, worst-case scenario is becoming a serious alternative for U.S. officials who have become frustrated in their negotiations with the South Asian nation. […]
By Debbie Gregory. POS REP is a new app for cell and mobile devices, with proximity-based social networking made expressly for the military veteran community. POS REP connects veterans who served together, but more importantly, allows veterans to discover peers and resources within their communities. POS REP is short for “position report”. The app is […]
By Debbie Gregory. Last month, Iraq War veteran Daniel Somers took his own life. His family posted his powerfully written suicide note on the Internet. Now, the help that he desperately sought, but did not receive from the VA, may be offered to others because of his death. Somers’ note described what it was like […]
By Debbie Gregory. Parents of Airman 1st Class Kelsey Sue Anderson are looking for answers regarding her untimely death while serving in the Air Force on the island of Guam. There is nothing more painful than experiencing the heartbreak of losing a child. It is an unbearable grief that families go through when dealing with […]
By Debbie Gregory. The employment outlook for 9/11 veterans is looking brighter. For the fourth straight month, the unemployment rate for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan is lower than the overall unemployment rate of 7.6 percent. Unemployment is highly dependent on economic activity. In fact, growth and unemployment can be thought of as […]
By Debbie Gregory. Members of Congress are worried that the military is not doing enough to track and provide treatment for the mental health of American troops. A new bill aims to address the alarming rates of military suicides and the stigma associated with mental health among troops. Two pieces of legislation, the Military Suicide […]
