Veterans For America

The strain of extended deployments is not only a burden for the soldiers and Marines fighting overseas, said U.S.A.F. Gen. John Corley. “We’re highly stressed,” Corley said of his Air Combat Command, according to Stars and Stripes. The command provides roughly one-third of the 26,100 airmen deployed in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the paper. While most Air Force rotations use a four-month plan, about 12,100 airmen are on six- or 12-month deployments — half of whom are with Air Combat Command. What’s more, dwell rates for some of the most-relied-upon airmen are “1-1, or worse,” according to Corley.

Stop-loss began today for members of the 4th Infantry Division’s Combat Aviation Brigade, according to Maj. Gen. Jeffery W. Hammond. Hammond, who commands U.S. troops in Baghdad, said the “last few days, we have seen an increase in violence in Baghdad. Extremists are attempting to disrupt the progress of government.” Stop-loss keeps troops on duty even when their term of service is completed and typically is announced 90 days ahead of a deployment. As well, the movie “Stop Loss” opens today nationwide.

With 37 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan combat vets seeking medical care from the VA upon their return home, a group of Virginia social service workers gathered to help the 63 percent who haven’t. A “silent majority” of recent combat vets may not know where to turn for effective mental health treatment, according to Harold Kudler, a doctor and VA manager who took part in the gathering this week, according to the Virginian-Pilot. About 800,000 of those who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan are eligible for VA services and more than 40 percent who have used those services, or 120,949, have reported mental health issues, according to the paper.