American Veterans MC
YOU ARE NOT FORGOTTEN
VETERANS RESOURCE DIRECTORY
https://www.nationalresourcedirectory.org/nrd/public/DisplayPage.do?parentFolderId=6006
VA to Increase Benefits for Mild Head Trauma
| VA to increase benefits for mild brain trauma |
"We're saying it's real," said Tom Pamperin, a deputy director for the Department of Veteran Affairs, about the significance of the change to benefits in the regulation the VA plans to publish today.
Up to 320,000 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan suffered traumatic brain injury, a RAND Corp. study estimated this year. The vast majority of the cases are mild and came from exposure to an explosion, often from a roadside bomb. Most veterans with mild cases recover, Pamperin said, but some are left with permanent problems.
Compensation could reach $600 a month, the VA said. Currently, veterans with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light, ringing in the ears and irritability and insomnia collect $117.
After it takes effect in 30 days, the new regulation will benefit between 3,500 and 5,000 veterans a year, the department said. It estimated the changes would cost an extra $120 million through 2017.
More than 1.6 million U.S. troops have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. About half of those are now veterans, and slightly less than half of those veterans have sought health care from the VA, records show. In the past year, the department has screened 190,000 of these veterans for brain injury. About 20% showed signs of a brain injury, but only about 5% were confirmed as suffering the wound.
The regulation modifies a 1961 rating schedule for mild brain trauma and brings compensation for this ailment into the 21st Century, said Lonnie Bristow, chairman of an Institute of Medicine committee that studied veterans' benefits.
The old regulation failed to recognize that wounds such as brain injuries from blasts — which do not show up on scans — are only understood by what patients say they are suffering, Bristow said.
"VA has been assessing their injuries based on outdated science," said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee.
Veterans groups, such as the Disabled American Veterans, applauded the change. However, they said the estimated numbers of traumatic brain injury cases may prove low, because the science around blast damage to the brain is still new.
Veterans who have suffered the most severe brain injuries will not receive much, if any, extra money because existing regulations provided adequate compensation in serious cases, Pamperin said. Consolidating all brain injury standards into one regulation, he said, will make it easier for veterans to get extra benefits to pay for special circumstances such as being housebound by the injury.
AFTER DEPLOYMENT
| AFTERDEPLOYMENT.ORG Offers Behavioral Health Self-Help for Veterans |
| August 05, 2008 |
| No. 08-77 |
|
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – The U.S. Army, with oversight by TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), has created an interactive Web site that allows service members and their families to explore behavioral health information. The site launched Aug. 5, 2008 at http://www.afterdeployment.org. About TRICARE Management Activity and the Military Health System |
CAMP HOPE FOR DISABLED VETS
MISSION STATEMENT
Our mission is to construct a first class lodge able to accommodate 6-8 veterans per week. While they are at Camp Hope they can enjoy hiking, hunting and relaxing in the scenic countryside. A few of our off site activities include canoeing, fishing and visiting our areas of many tourist attractions. This will all be at no cost to the veterans. The number of disabled veterans grows each day as the war on terror continues. Please help us in saying "thank you for your service and your sacrifice" by mailing in your tax deductible contributions to :
"Camp Hope"
P.O. Box 52
Farmington, MO. 63640
or log on to our website at : www.chrisnealfarm.com
With the construction of a handicapped acessible lodge 80 miles south of St Louis we will be able to welcome home and humbly thank our veterans. How can we ever repay an American Veteran who has endured so much personal loss while defending our great nation. Sadly, the answer may simply be that we will never completely be able to repay these veterans. However, we can say, "thank you for your service!"
CAMP HOPE WELCOMES OUR VETERANS
Camp Hope is a 501-3 corporation formed to help disabled veterans enjoy outdoor adventures again. Delegates of Camp Hope asked the MO. Conservaton Department to change the rules so that disabled vets from all states could hunt in Missouri for resident fees. Missouri became the first state to make such a rule.
Today there are over 2.3 million disable veterans in the U.S. . These brave men and women have sacrificed much to ensure our safety and freedom. All of these veterans had dreams about the future, but many of those dreams were lost due to injuries suffered in the line of duty. Plans for outdoor adventures that they were looking forward to have vanished due to their disabilities. We want to thank these veterans by showing them that with the right help they can again enjoy the great outdoors.
30 June 2006 our son, PFC Christopher N. White, was killed by an IED in Al Anbar Province. In his honor and in honor of all of the soldiers that have served their country, our family purchased this land and has dedicated it to those that have paid a very high price for our freedom and our way of life..*****
***** The above information was taken verbatium from a printed brochure entitled "Our thank you for serving is ...Camp Hope at Chris Neal Farm". The information is used strictly for informational purposes only. For futher information see the website: www.chrisnealfarm.com .
Virtual 'Wall' Honoring Vietnam Vets Now Online
The Names Of The Service Personnel Who Died
Or Were Missing In Action In The Vietnam War
Can Be Viewed Online As They Are Seen
On The Memorial In
By Linda Rosencrance
March 27, 2008 (Computerworld) People who are unable to travel to
Yesterday, Footnote.com, a company that archives historical documents, and The National Archives and Records Administration launched a searchable, virtual replica of the Wall, said Russ Wilding, CEO of Footnote.
Wilding noted that the day of the launch was also the 26th anniversary of the groundbreaking for construction of the memorial, more commonly known as "the Wall." The actual memorial, a pair of 246-foot black granite walls, was completed in November 1982 and officially became a National Monument two years later.
The project came about quite by accident, Wilding said.
"On one of our trips to the National Archives, our vice president of social media actually ran by the Vietnam Wall and was so amazed with the people there and so impressed with what a sacred place it was," Wilding said. "And as he stood looking at the wall, he said 'You know that's a document,' and that's what we do -- we digitize documents."
Wilding said he contacted Peter Krogh, a National Geographic photographer, who took more than 1,500 photographs of the Wall and stitched them together to create one digital replica of the memorial. The National Archives then provided Footnote with the personal records and casualty reports, which were linked to every name on the virtual Wall, Wilding said.
"People can come on the site, search the site, find the name on the Wall, and it's the actual image of the Wall," Wilding said. "The beautiful thing is, you go to the name and find the name, and it will bring up the complete service record and the casualty report for that individual. And it's very easy to click a button and upload a photo or add a comment about that individual, so you can create a memorial for the individuals there who have served and whose names appear."
Wilding said users can also create memorial pages for the other 2.5 million veterans who served in
According to Footnote, the process for creating the virtual Wall took five months to complete.
After getting permission from the National Park Service to photograph the memorial, Krogh and his team faced two major challenges: First, they had to figure out how to photograph the Wall's highly polished and reflective black granite surface. To do that, team members held black boards to remove the reflections as Krogh photographed each of the Wall's 140 panels.
Second, the team had to find a way to make each name as big on a computer screen as it was on the Wall. Krogh then had to photograph the Wall by hand without special equipment or tripods because he was not allowed to temporarily remove the short chain fence in front of the Wall to get a better shot.
Although the company felt that it was important to stay true to the experience of the actual memorial and let users browse the Wall as a single image, but the image Krogh delivered was 400,000 pixels wide (460 feet if you were to view it on a computer screen that was big enough). And it would require a computer with 40GB of RAM to view the image.
So the Footnote development team devised a way to quickly decode the compressed image into small enough "tiles" that could be handled by any computer with a browser.
Finally, the team had to identify each name and its position on the memorial image with the military data supplied by the national archives. To do that, the imaging team developed a batch of algorithms to simplify the image and decipher each of the 58,320 names found on the Wall. After all the names were identified and located on the virtual Wall, the team linked those names to nearly 40MB of public military databases.
"The only problem is that there's been so much traffic since yesterday, some of the pages and images are taking a long time to load, but we're working hard to fix that," Wilding said.
Civilain Friends vs.Veteran Friends
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Get upset if you're too busy to talk to them for a
week.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are glad to see you after years, and will happily
carry on the same conversation you were having the last time you met.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have cried with you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Know a few things about you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is
doing.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will kick the ass of the crowd that left you behind.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are for a while.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are for life.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Have shared a few experiences...
VETERAN FRIENDS: Have shared a lifetime of experiences no civilian
could ever dream of...
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will take your drink away when they think you've had
enough.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will look at you stumbling all over the place and
say, 'You better drink the rest of that before you spill it!!' Then
carry you home safely and put you to bed...
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will ignore this.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will forward this.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: When you are depressed and living through tough
memories will say get over it and stop listening to you.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will understand your pain and will not only listen to
you but will come to you and never tell you to just get over it.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will have to be told you are in pain emotionally.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will sense your emotional pain for they are connected
to it through you.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Will wait for you to call them if they have not
heard from you in awhile.
VETERAN FRIENDS: Will call you to check on you if they have not heard
from you in a few days.
CIVILIAN FRIENDS: Are called "friends".
VETERAN FRIENDS: Are called "Brothers" even the ones you may have
never met in person.
Veteran's Crisis Intervention Hotline
A Crisis Intervention Hotline has been established by the VA Heartland Network to assist veterans who may be dealing with a mental health crisis or difficult issue in their lives. The hotline will also aid family members or friends of veterans who need help in assisting a veteran in crisis.
VA Heartland Network serves veterans in Missouri, Kansas, and southern Illinois, as well as portions of Indiana, Kentucky and Arkansas, and has operated a telephone care line for ten years. The new crisis intervention hotline expands the services previously available with a specific focus on the mental health needs of veterans returning from service in Iraq, Afghanistan and the Global War on Terrorism. Registered Nurses with training and experience in crisis intervention and telephone care are available around-the-clock to speak with callers and will also offer assistance in accessing health care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs or within their local communities.
The Veterans' Crisis Intervention Hotline, sponsored by the VA Heartland Network, is available 24/7 at 1-888-899-9377. Callers can remain anonymous if they desire.
KS COMMUNITY BASED OUTPATIENT CLINICS (CBOCS)
Abiliene, Kansas...Memorial Hospital...First Thurs & 2nd Tues...785-263-2100..x 161
Chanute, Kansas...Neosho Memorial Hosp....Tues & Fri...620-431-4000..x 1553
Emporia, Kansas...Newman Hospital... Wednesday...620-343-6800..x 1599
Fort Scott, Kansas...902 Horton St...Tues & Thurs...620 223-8400..x 8655
Garnett, Kansas...Anderson County Hospital...Wednesday...785-448-3131.. x 309
Holton, Kansas...Holton Community Hospital...3rd Monday...785-364-2116.. x 115/154
Kansas City, Kansas...Bethany Medical Bldg..Monday-Friday...1-800-952-8387.. x 56990
Lawrence, Ks...2200 Harvard Road...Mon-Fri (excpt 1st Fri, 3rd Mon & Tues)1- 800-574-8383..x 54650
Junction City, Ks...715 Southwind Dr...Mon-Fri (excpt 1st Thur, 2nd Tues, 4th Weds) 1-800-574-8383..x 54670
Salina, Kansas...1410 E. Iron...Suite 1...Monday-Friday...785-826-1580
Seneca, Kansas...Nemaha Valley Community Hospital...1st Fri & 3rd Tues...785-336-6181..x 162
St. Joseph, Missouri...1314 North 36th St.-Suite A....Mon-Fir..1-800-952-8387..x 56925
Casework Corner - VA Raises Veterans' Reimbursement Rate
03/24/08
by Tim Macy
District Office Intern
Last month, Congresswoman Boyda announced a successful step in her ongoing efforts to raise mileage reimbursements for veterans seeking health care. Congresswoman Boyda, her staff, the veterans who live in rural Kansas areas, and everyone who owns a car in America are all aware of the rising cost of gasoline. Men and women who served our country proudly during wartime and peacetime were being reimbursed for their mileage to and from the VA at 11 cents per mile -- which just doesn't do the trick anymore.
The new number is 28.5 cents per mile. This represents a 159% increase and is a major step toward the long-term goal of a reimbursement rate of 48.5 cents per mile, a benchmark set by the Internal Revenue Service. This increase in mileage reimbursement is the first of its kind in 30 years, and the Congresswoman notes that it could not have happened if rural lawmakers and had not made their voices heard.
This month has brought more good news for veterans from Washington. The U.S. House of Representatives approved a budget resolution on March 13th that will have a direct and positive impact on many Kansas residents, including veterans and their families. President Bush recently asked that the Department of Veterans Affairs and related agencies be given $44.9 billion for the 2009 fiscal year. Though this was an increase of $1.6 billion above the 2007 fiscal year, the increase was simply not enough to cover the rising costs of veterans’ health needs. The Committee on the Budget raised the previously mentioned figure to $48.2 billion, which is $3.2 billion more than the president’s request. This additional funding will be used to improve the care available to veterans.
The Committee on the Budget received many pledges of support from organizations such as AARP, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans and Veterans of Foreign Wars for its efforts to increase funding for 2009, specifically for veterans’ health care. The funding increases within the budget should help to remove some of the financial burden faced by the men and women veterans who rely on this service. Their years of service, their bravery and their many sacrifices have earned them the respect of an entire nation, and their access to proper health care is important to all of us.
REPLACE YOUR LOST DD-214
New Bacterial Infection Linked to Military
New Bacterial Infection Linked to Military
Report: Troops Transmitted Mysterious Bacteria That Has Killed 7 And Affected Military And Civilians Alike
By JOHN HENDREN
Feb. 8, 2008—
Troops arriving home from
Doctors have linked the bacterium acinetobacter baumannii to at least seven deaths, as well as to loss of limbs and other severe ailments, according to the report, which found the bacterium has spread quickly since the war in
Acinetobacter baumannii has been found in military hospitals in
"The outbreak began traveling with patients or nonpatients from
Dr. Timothy Endy, a retired Army colonel now teaching infectious disease medicine at the
Doctors quoted in the magazine article agreed. "Of the infectious disease problems that come out of the conflict, it is the most important complication we've seen," Dr. Glenn Wortmann, acting chief of infectious disease at
COLD WAR RECOGINITION CERTIFICATE
I never heard of this before, but it is sure good to know. Maybe you can pass it on to our Cold War
Veterans. It is call Cold War Certification...Check out this link.... http://www.foxfall.com/cwm.htm if it doesnt work...copy and paste it...
Medals and ribbons are available without the DD-214 but must have for the Gov Certificate.
Cold War era is defined as Sept. 2, 1945 to Dec. 26, 1991. The US Army provides applications for the certificate by writing to:
Cold War Recognition
ATTN: TAPC-CWRS-3N45
200 Stovall Street
Alexandria, Virginia 22332-0473
A copy of DD Form 214 has to be provided. Here is a link for info about obtaining DD Form 214:
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/
ATOMIC VETERANS
As a former Marine, Senator Roberts teamed up with Senator Brownback to introduce the Atomic Veterans Medal Act of 2007, which would honor members of the Armed Forces who were exposed to atomic testing between 1945 and 1963. Atomic veterans were exposed to ionizing radiation as a result of participating in a test of atomic weapons conducted by the United States between 1945 and 1963. The legislation calls on the Secretary of Defense to design and produce a military service metal to honor atomic veterans. Similar legislation was introduced in September in the House by Rep. Todd Tiarht (R-KS).
Nicholson: "Help a Phone Call Away"
WASHINGTON
– To ensure veterans with emotional crises have round-the-clock access to trained professionals, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun operation of a national suicide prevention hot line for veterans."Veterans need to know these VA professionals are literally a phone call away," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. "All service members who experience the stresses of combat can have wounds on their minds as well as their bodies. Veterans should see mental health services as another benefit they have earned, which the men and women of VA are honored to provide."
The toll-free hot line number is 1-800-273-TALK (8255). VA’s hot line will be staffed by mental health professionals in Canandaigua, N.Y. They will take toll-free calls from across the country and work closely with local VA mental health providers to help callers.
To operate the national hot line, VA is partnering with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
"The hot line will put veterans in touch
– any time of the day or night, any day of the week, from anywhere in the country – with trained, caring professionals who can help," added Nicholson. "This is another example of the VA’s commitment to provide world-class health care for our nation’s veterans, especially combat veterans newly returned from Iraq and Afghanistan."The suicide hot line is among several enhancements to mental health care that Nicholson has announced this year. In mid July, the Department’s top mental health professionals convened in the Washington, D.C., area to review the services provided to veterans of the Global War on Terror.
VA is the largest provider of mental health care in the nation. This year, the Department will spent about $3 billion for mental health. More than 9,000 mental health professionals, backed up by primary care physicians and other health professionals in every VA medical center and outpatient clinic, provide mental health care to about 1 million veterans each year.
