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DeSantis Introduces PAWS Act to Help Veterans with PTSD Get Service Dogs

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paws act

By Debbie Gregory.

Inspired by the story of former Corporal Cole Thomas Lyle, USMC, and his service dog Kaya, Rep. Ron DeSantis (FL) has introduced the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) Act to expand access to service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress.

The PAWS Act would establish a pilot program within the Veterans Administration that would provide a trained service dog to veterans who have severe PTSD. Under the bill the VA would pay third-party dog training organizations to provide the dogs to the veterans in the program.

“Thousands of our post-9/11 veterans carry the invisible burden of post-traumatic stress, and there is an overwhelming need to expand the available treatment options,” said DeSantis, a Naval Reserve Officer.

The bill would authorize $27,000 for the VA to spend on each dog from an organization accredited by Assistance Dog International. In total the PAWS Act allocates $10 million to fund the pilot program.

“The VA should use every tool at their disposal to support and treat our veterans, including the specialized care offered by service dogs,” said DeSantis.“The PAWS Act is a simple bill that could have a dramatic – and potentially life-saving – effect on the lives of many. As we face an epidemic of veteran suicides, we must make sure that all of our returning servicemembers are honored and taken care of, no matter the wounds they bear.”

To maintain eligibility, including VA-provided veterinary health insurance for the service dog, the veteran must see a VA primary care doctor or mental health care provider at least quarterly.

Corporal Cole Lyle, a major proponent of the bill who served six years in the Marine Corps, said Kaya helps him overcome the struggles of PTSD on a daily basis.

“The difficulties I had transitioning back into civilian life stemmed out of roughly the last two months of the deployment, when I was volunteering at an understaffed trauma hospital in my spare time on base. When I got home, I would have recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks.”

Kaya is specially trained to wake Lyle up when he is having a nightmare, or lick him to calm him down when he is in the early stages of an anxiety attack. Lyle has a Change.org petition you can sign here.

The Government Accountability Office will be charged with conducting a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Veteran Unemployment Down, but CA Still Facing Veteran Employment Challenges

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By Debbie Gregory.

The once-high unemployment rate among America’s military veterans has reversed course and is now lower than in the general population. The concerted national effort to address veteran employment, coupled with their sought-after essential skills training has likely had an effect on February’s national unemployment rate for veterans, down to 4.4 percent.

California, with the largest population of veterans, is still facing veteran employment challenges, and battling an unemployment rate for veterans that remains higher than the rate for the civilian population.

Chris Lu, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor, said that helping veterans transition into civilian jobs remains “one of our highest commitments.”

Hiring veterans isn’t just the right thing to do, it is also good for the bottom line. The government is assisting in that arena by offering tax credits for employers who are hiring veterans.

Additionally, veterans can take advantage of both on-the-job (OJT) and apprenticeship training programs, available to veterans using their VA education benefits, including the Post-9/11 GI Bill. These programs allow Veterans to learn a trade or skill through training on the job participation rather than attending formal classroom instruction. And this isn’t just for the jobs often known for apprenticeship opportunities, such as plumbing and welding, but for healthcare jobs for veterans and high tech jobs for veterans as well.

Susan S. Kelly, who leads DoD’s Transition to Veterans Program Office, said employers are seeking the professional “essential skills” ingrained in every veteran.

“Employers have been telling us the last 18 months, ‘We can train them in technical skills, but the [other skills] take years to develop,” Kelly said.

Those essential skills include leadership, ability to handle work stress, persistence, attention to detail, interpersonal skills, teamwork and team-building, oral and written communication, decision making, training people, supervising, critical thinking and project planning.

“The heads of corporations say they spend millions of dollars every year teaching their managers leadership skills,” she said, and employers have learned that veterans arrive at the workplace already equipped with these skills.

So why is California lagging? Lu said, “As we rightfully celebrate the success we’ve had, we need to understand that not all veterans have gained equal amounts. Younger veterans are an issue. That’s partly because the unemployment rate for young people generally is higher than it is for more experienced workers. Women veterans continue to face a variety of issues, not unlike women entering the workforce in general. There still remain challenges with veterans in terms of substance-abuse issues and mental-health issues.”

Stennis Carrier Strike Group Carries Out Exercises

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By Debbie Gregory.

Just days after arrival its arrival in the South China Sea, the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group had moved on. While the group’s appearance in the region came during a period of rising tensions, Navy officials have maintained that the ships were in the area for standard operations only.

After just five days, the strike group transited into the Philippine Sea on March 8th, via the Luzon Strait. By March 9th, the group was in the waters south of Japan, and by March 22nd they had reached the waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

Providing a ready force supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific, Stennis is operating as part of the Great Green Fleet on a regularly scheduled 7th Fleet deployment.

The Stennis Strike Group joined the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army and the Republic of Korea Air Force and Navy to participate in Maritime Counter Special Operations Force (MCSOF) exercise, which is part of the annual Foal Eagle (FE16) exercise that wrapped up March 24th.

Other ships, including the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Antietam and amphibious dock landing ship Ashland, also conducted routine operations within the South China Sea, according to official Navy releases.

I had the honor and the privilege to be a guest on the John C. Stennis as part of the distinguished visitor program.  The program places leaders from all sectors of society – (corporate, civic, government, education, non-profit and service) aboard a deployed carrier. While aboard with the other guests, we were given the opportunity to meet and interact with the talented young men and women who bring these ships to life. They are really the best of the best!

We experienced, first-hand, how the Navy is contributing to the security of the United States, and to the stability of the global community. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Soldier’s Conviction on Comments about Obama Upheld

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By Debbie Gregory.

Missouri resident Eric L. Rapert left the Army under a cloud, court-martialed on charges that including making what sounded like racist threats against President Barack Obama.

Now the nation’s highest military appeals court has upheld the ruling.

The case defined the boundaries governing free speech by members of the military, underscoring that soldiers are more restricted than civilians when it comes to the First Amendment.

“The right of free speech in the armed services is not unlimited and must be brought into balance with the paramount consideration of providing an effective fighting force for the defense of our country,” Judge Kevin A. Ohlson noted.

In its 3-2 decision, the military appeals court upheld Rapert’s court martial verdict in regards to his remarks against Obama on the night of the 2012 election. At the time, Rapert was an Army enlisted man with the rank of specialist who was serving in Hawaii.

Witnesses said Rapert had voiced anger that “that (n-word) won this election” and then made what sounded like threats. Although he later said that he was joking, Rapert said:

“I might have to go back home … and break out the KKK robe that was handed down to me by my grandfather and go put one order up and make it my last order to kill the president.”

There is no evidence that Rapert or his family had any connection to the Ku Klux Klan. That’s not to say that Rapert isn’t still a bad guy. In 2013, Rapert was convicted of committing a lewd act with a child, assault of a child consummated by battery, and sexual abuse of a child.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Can Social Media Be Used for Military/Veteran Suicide Prevention?

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By Debbie Gregory.

Suicide prevention often relies on the power of human connection. And since more and more, that connection is moving online, could social media play a role in reducing the alarming rate in which those who have served commit suicide?

In a study called “Indicators of Suicide Found on Social Networks” researchers discovered that those who died by suicide were most likely to show indications of hopelessness, social withdrawal and insomnia the year before, and in the month leading up to the suicide, they were more likely to discuss distress, relationship issues and religious affiliation.

“These clues on social media are very consistent with what we see are the warning signs in life — expressing their intent to die, hopelessness, a sense of being a burden and having no purpose in the world. It’s just another way for us to communicate,” said Dan Reidenberg, the executive director of Suicide Awareness Voices of Education.

Last October, our blog featured an article called “Plagued by Suicide,” which touched on the story of the Second Battalion, Seventh Marine Regiment who call themselves “the Forgotten Battalion.” Out of the 1,200 Marines who deployed together, at least 13 have committed suicide. Veterans of the unit, tightly connected through social media, would sometimes learn of the deaths nearly as soon as they happened.

The surviving veterans of the battalion depend on one another for survival. Using free software and social media, they have created a quick-response system that allows them to track, monitor and intervene with some of their most troubled comrades.

The Veterans Crisis Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-273-8255, press 1. Services also are available online at www.veteranscrisisline.net or by text, 838255.

Do you think there are enough resources available to military members and veterans to make a difference and stem this alarming

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

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Should US Resume Airstrikes Against Taliban Targets?

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By Debbie Gregory.

The Taliban’s growing military might is posing a strategic “rock and a hard place” question for President Barack Obama: should the United States resume airstrikes against the Taliban?

Gen. John F. Campbell, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan until last month, proposed resuming offensive strikes against the Taliban. The U.S. withdrew most of its troops in 2014, dramatically reducing the number of airstrikes against Taliban targets throughout Afghanistan.  And after spending tens of billions of dollars training Afghan security personnel, the Taliban continues to advance.

Afghan forces are struggling to hold back resurgent Taliban forces, which have reclaimed some areas won during the U.S. troop surge, albeit at a great cost. Many Taliban fighters think “they are operating from a position of strength,” according to Campbell.

That leaves the White House with the choice of either limiting the numbers of strikes (and risk the militants continuing to gain ground) or allowing American pilots to bomb a broader array of targets, restoring the U.S.’s combat role in Afghanistan.

The formal end of NATO’s combat mission in January 2015 meant that the U.S. was rarely directly targeting the militants from the air. Although U.S. commanders can call in airstrikes, there are only supposed to do so under certain circumstances: to protect NATO troops, target al Qaeda militants, or come to the aid of Afghan forces in danger of being overrun by the Taliban or suffering a clear defeat on the ground.

Senior Pentagon officials are pushing to revise the rules of engagement so they can be free to fire on Taliban forces massing to seize territory and directly target their leadership.

The Pentagon said no decision has been made to broaden the air campaign in Afghanistan. So what is the best use of America’s air power in Afghanistan?

In 2001, U.S. air raids were instrumental in taking down the Taliban regime, but also killed and injured civilians.  While Gen. Stanley McChrystal scaled back the bombing to avoid alienating the Afghan population, his successor, Gen. David Petraeus, ramped up the air raids.

And while the Afghans are slowly building their own air force, it won’t be battle ready until 2020. So, what do you think? Should the U.S. resume the airstrikes against the Taliban?

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Taking PTS and TBI Into Consideration for Military Discharge Rating

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By Debbie Gregory.

If a military service member received a good or excellent rating for their service time by exceeding standards for performance and personal conduct, they will receive a military discharge rating of honorable. But there are many servicemembers who receive military discharge ratings that are other than honorable due to behaviors related to post-traumatic stress (PTS) and/or traumatic brain injuries (TBI).

Many of these men and women had multiple deployments, witnessed friends maimed or killed in battle, and were physically and/or mentally wounded themselves. Yet, instead of getting the help they needed, they were booted.

A less-than-honorable discharge severely limits the care and support options available to those veterans, leaving them with decreased medical support and an increased risk of suicide. These veterans are also at risk of family instability, elevated rates of homelessness, and joblessness. But help may be on the way.

In 2014, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announced that boards for correction of military records or naval records should “fully and carefully consider every petition based on PTSD brought by each veteran.”

And now lawmakers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have introduced legislation that would require military discharge review boards to factor in troops’ mental health issues, and accept a PTSD or TBI diagnosis from a professional as an acceptable rebuttal to a dismissal.

As well as benefitting those currently leaving the military, the legislation could affect past discharges, many for minor offenses related to alcohol use or tardiness.

The bill’s sponsor, Iraq War veteran Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., called expanding treatment for troubled veterans a desperate need.

“In the case of veterans with severe mental health problems, access to these services may be life-saving,” he said. “It is my hope that veterans with questionable, less-than-honorable discharges receive quick access to the mental health care they earned and deserve.”

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

 

Do Trump’s Public Attacks Impact Bergdahl’s Right to a Fair Trial?

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By Debbie Gregory.

Not one to mince words, Presidential candidate Donald Trump has been vocal with his ideas for punishing Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl. Trump has said that Bergdahl’s fate should include execution, being thrown out of a plane without a parachute, or being dropped in terrorist territory “before we bomb the hell out of ISIS.”

Bergdahl, the soldier who was captured by the Taliban after abandoning his post in Afgahnistan and freed five years later in a prisoner swap, is facing a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Bergdahl was taken captive within hours of leaving his patrol base, Observation Post Mest, and held for the next five years in Pakistan by the Haqqani network, a group linked with the Taliban. He was tortured regularly, starved and tried to escape repeatedly, said Terrence Russell, an official with the Pentagon’s Joint Personnel Recovery Agency.

Bergdahl’s defense attorneys argue Trump’s attacks are damaging Bergdahl’s chances for a fair trial. The attorneys reference comments that the Republican presidential front-runner keeps repeating, including that five soldiers died trying to save Bergdahl, which the Pentagon has confirmed as being untrue.

Trump and Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.)  have been the most vocal critics, trying to pressure the military to punish Bergdahl.

“When they get that kind of media attention, it gets information in front of a jury,” said Philip Cave, a retired Navy attorney who’s not involved in the case. “There is concern that all of this information … prejudices Bergdahl in getting a fair trial.”

What do you think?

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Non-Profit United Through Reading Receives Award

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utrBy Debbie Gregory

United Through Reading (UTR), a San Diego-based non-profit organization that helps connect military families around the world through reading, was honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor Society’s “Community Service Hero Award.”  The honor was in recognition of the support UTR provides to U.S. military families.

UTR’s unique model provides more than 200 locations worldwide where service members can be recorded reading books aloud for their children to view on a DVD at home, regardless of time zone differences and internet connectivity.

UTR was founded in 1989 by the wife of a Naval flight surgeon who was deployed when their daughter was a baby.   When her husband returned, their daughter didn’t recognize him and it took time to rebuild their bond. This program creates emotional connections between parents and their children, encourages literacy, and makes homecomings easier.

Last year, the organization distributed more than 10,000 books to military children around the globe. These books accompanied many of the DVD recordings sent home by military parents.

UTR’s CEO Sally Ann Zoll said she’s extremely grateful for the honors received at Friday’s ceremony.

“To be in the presence of our nation’s most decorated and honored veterans, and to have those veterans believe in the mission of United Through Reading, like we believe in our mission, it’s incredible,” said Zoll.

UTR beneficiary survey data indicates that:

  • 81% of participants report a decrease in their children’s anxiety about the deployment
  • 88% of participants report an increase in connectedness with deployed service members
  • 90% of participants report that participation reduced their own stress during deployment
  • 78% of participants report increases in their child’s interest in reading and books
  • 83% of recordings are watched nearly every day or more often.

To date, almost two million military moms, dads, and children have participated in this program. For more information on how to participate or support, visit www.unitedthroughreading.org.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.

Army National Guard Wooing Potential Warrant Officer Candidates

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By Debbie Gregory.

Warrant officers are technical and tactical experts. They are considered to be the best of the best in their field.  As it struggles to fill its warrant officer ranks, the Army National Guard is offering up to $20,000 to qualified candidates. The Guard is focused on recruiting for 39 career fields in particular and has opportunities across the 54 states and territories.

The Army Guard is losing to retirement almost as many warrants as it is bringing in every year. It currently has approximately 8,570 warrant officers in its ranks today, but as of January, more than 3,800 of the Guard’s warrant officers, or about 44 percent, were eligible for retirement.

Part of the issue is the need for experienced, technical experts. The other issue is attrition, as the vast majority of warrant officer candidates serve as enlisted soldiers before making the switch.

So far this fiscal year, which began October 1st , the Guard has gained 242 warrant officers and lost 232. The previous year, the Guard gained 573 new warrants, but lost 622.

So while the Guard is seeking applicants from within, it is also accepting soldiers transitioning from the active Army. And the Guard is offering a $20,00 bonus to:

  • Transitioning warrant officers in exchange for a three-year commitment. The service commitment doubles to six years if the warrant officer chooses to switch career fields and needs further training.
  • Enlisted soldiers from the regular Army who leave active duty to join the Guard and go warrant in exchange for a six-year commitment.
  • Current Guard who go from enlisted to warrant, after completing MOS-specific training and sign on for six more years.

While becoming a warrant officer provides soldiers with highly specialized training in their chosen field, the training could translate into enhanced civilian career opportunities after the Army.

Active Army enlisted soldiers and warrant officers interested in learning more should contact the Reserve Component Career Counselor at their installation for more information. All other interested candidates also should talk to their state, territory or District of Columbia warrant officer strength manager. To find a warrant officer strength managers, go to http://www.nationalguard.com/contacts/wosm.

For the full list of requirements, go to http://www.usarec.army.mil/hq/warrant/.

 

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve,  and their families.


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