http://www.veteransforamerica.org Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:00:56 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en "The wounded expressed concern that, at Fort Hood, they were stigmatized and treated as lesser soldiers for being wounded, ill or injured," wrote Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a confidential memo in April. We owe our wounded troops our complete dedication in healing their ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/07/02/news-analysis-july-2-2009/ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is rampant. Our troops are in desperate need of psychological care. "It's a disgrace...they need our help." PTSD is a difficult issue for policy-makers and leaders to always sort out -- and sometimes there aren't easy answers. How many veterans have to die on the homefront from ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/07/01/news-analysis-july-1-2009/ More than six years after the start of the war in Iraq, US troops marked the withdrawal from Iraqi cities by the June 30 deadline -- by mourning the deaths of four fellow soldiers in Baghdad. Even so, our troops continue to deploy to Iraq. While trying to help soldiers ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/30/news-analysis-june-30-2009/ With two wars still ongoing, one for more than seven years and counting, the stress and strain on our troops is deadly and well-known to anyone paying attention. So dire is the situation that Army leaders are struggling just to understand the record-level of suicides in their ranks. The toll ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/25/news-analysis-june-25-2009/ A bill to end delays in veterans' care. Many of our veterans' claims remain unprocessed, their pains untreated. Our combat veterans need help, now. How many of our troops must return from war and struggle with life back home before the nation starts helping? How many more hearts and minds, ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/24/news-analysis-june-24-2009/ Stopping suicides among our troops and veterans requires publicizing the problems in the ranks: stress, too little rest, too little psychological care, too few resources to help our troops and their families. Lightening the load of deployments could help too; in the meantime, helping military children better cope is a ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/23/news-analysis-june-23-2009/ As more older recruits join the military, a new concern arises: a greater likelihood of post-traumatic combat stress. All of our troops need more help. PTSD is ripping through the ranks, grabbing public attention in suicides, substance-abuse problems and failed marriages. We must save our troops. It's not easy on the ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/22/news-analysis-june-22-2009/ Alcohol abuse in the military has ballooned into a massive problem since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, with the rate of soldiers enrolling in treatment programs nearly doubling in that last six years. Military officials acknowledge the stress of repeated deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan has only grown since ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/19/news-analysis-june-19-2009/ The stigma associated with seeking treatment for wartime stress is not limited by rank or service, or even country. We owe our troops nothing less than healing their "invisible wounds." One Guard member is running to draw attention to the problem, which is too often erupting in suicides in the ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/18/news-analysis-june-18-2009/ The suicide rate in our ranks is a national tragedy and there's no relief in sight. There are those still wondering why so many of our Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans are taking their own lives. But for those paying attention, which should be every one of us, the toxic ... http://www.veteransforamerica.org/2009/06/17/news-analysis-june-17-2009/