Staying Connected: In the News

16 Aug 2011 WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE/TREATMENT Clergy Play Key Role In Veterans' Care Boston Globe Though soldiers might refrain from seeing a military psychiatrist because of a stigma that seeking help suggests weakness, they may be comfortable approaching a clergy member, experts said. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/08/15/clergy_play_key_role_in_veterans_mental_health/ WARRIOR TRIBUTE Marine to receive Medal of Honor next month CNN President Barack Obama next month will present the Medal of Honor to the first living Marine to receive the recognition for actions in Afghanistan or Iraq, the White House announced Friday. http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/08/12/obama.medal.of.honor/ FOCUS ON ABILITY Wounded take to the sky Suffolk-News Herald Wounded Wear, a nonprofit clothing company founded by a Navy SEAL injured in Iraq, helped sponsor an event called "Jumping for a Purpose," giving more than 30 wounded warriors a chance to sky-dive. http://www.suffolknewsherald.com/2011/08/15/wounded-take-to-the-sky/ COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST-DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTS/TBI Military Steps Up Effort to Detect Brain Injuries FOX News By at least one measure, the military appears to be doing a better job of screening. From 2000 through 2006, the military diagnosed an average of 13,000 brain injuries each year. From 2007 through 2010, it was 28,000 a year, according to statistics from the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/08/15/military-steps-up-effort-to-detect-brain-injuries/ PTSD Patients Build Resiliency at Navy Medicines OASIS DOD Live The OASIS program is available to active duty service members with OIF/ OEF related combat PTSD who have not improved with other treatments. We are staffed by military and civilian providers. Our goal is to treat the whole person and not just the illness. http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/08/ptsd-patients-build-resiliency-at-navy-medicines-oasis/ Studying the positive side of trauma and grief Philadelphia Inquirer Bernstein is an example of what psychologists call posttraumatic growth (PTG), the lesser-known sibling of posttraumatic stress disorder. While the more dramatic PTSD has gotten far more publicity, a cadre of researchers has been studying the positive side of trauma and grief: that most people bounce back to baseline, and some emerge from disaster stronger and better, at least in some ways. http://www.philly.com/philly/health_and_science/127701443.html LEGAL AFFAIRS Veterans' Groups Are Frustrated By Scams That Prey On Patriotism New London Day, CT

"Veterans need and deserve this support. The good news is that Americans are ready to provide it, but those generous motives also bring out the worst in the con artists," U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. "And the better the cause, the more trusting people tend to be about the person soliciting. http://www.theday.com/article/20110814/NWS09/308149942/1018 LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS For disabled vets seeking tax relief, the wait is over Virginia Pilot, Norfolk For Mark Jacobs, a disabled Navy veteran living in Hampton, the wait is over. He and hundreds of disabled veterans throughout Hampton Roads who were left in the dark as to whether they qualified for a state-mandated real estate tax break are getting good news from their cities. Tax officials in Hampton, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, and Suffolk have sent acceptance letters based on Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli's opinion clarifying eligibility for the benefit under a new state law. http://hamptonroads.com/2011/08/disabled-vets-seeking-tax-relief-wait-over Udall pushes for veterans to reassess benefit pay Trinidad Times A federal program designed to help wounded veterans with their disability status is not being utilized by most veterans, but an initiative by a Colorado senator seeks to ensure that the former military members get all the benefits they are entitled to. http://trinidad-times.com/udall-pushes-for-veterans-to-reassess-benefit-pay-p2361-1.htm CHARITABLE GIVING New home being built for wounded marine WOKV Jacksonville, FL Tyler Southern, a Marine Corporal wounded in Afghanistan last year is getting a new home. The home a gift from the charity, Homes for Our Troops. http://www.wokv.com/news/news/local/new-home-being-built-wounded-marine/nDJDz/ Walk for the Wounded kicks off in Ocean City Shore News Today As wounded soldiers recover, sometimes in hospitals far from home, bills go unpaid and spouses are left to cope on their own. OFR steps in and pays bills while offering a helping hand to both the ailing soldiers and their families. http://www.shorenewstoday.com/snt/news/index.php/ocean-city-mainmenu/ocean-city-general-news/15101-walk-for-thewounded-kicks-off-in-ocean-city.html STAFF AWARENESS Broken Defense Family Deployment Help Links Need Help Next.gov The family and friends page contains 11 links, five of which are either broken or useless in a truly loopy way. Both the Family Readiness Groups and Virtual Family link and the Warrior Care and Transition link steer you to a page that contains the introduction to the 2011 Army Posture Statement, definitely not a handy item for any family member trying to cope with a combat deployment. http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2011/08/broken_defense_family_deployment_help_links_need_help.php Are Chapter 14s Kicking Veterans When They're Down? Huffington Post Bryan pleaded guilty to assaulting his wife and was sentenced to 16 months at the Naval Consolidated Brig in South Carolina. After this, he is scheduled to be discharged under a Chapter 14 misconduct charge -- losing all rights to military medical, mental health care and retirement benefits. A Chapter 14 covers a wide range of misconduct offenses, from minor to serious. Each branch of the military defines infractions somewhat differently. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cilla-mccain/are-chapter-14s-kicking-v_b_925587.html