{This blog is not affiliated with the VA. Though a Veteran, four yrs. all shore in Navy last year In-Country Vietnam, I don't work for the VA}
**USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71 - Independent**


In 2003 some 72% of Americans fully supported the Abandoning of the Missions and those Sent to Accomplish so extremely Quickly after 9/11!!
At least some 95%, if not more as less then 1% serve them, not only still support the, just below, total lack of Sacrifice, they ran from any and all Accountability and left everything still on the table to be continually used if the political/military want was still in play in future executive/legislative wants!!
DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!
Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!!


Thousands of people across America don’t just talk about honoring Veterans; they walk the walk. Dedicated Volunteers Serve Veterans for Decades

On this Executive Administration, it's Cabinet and those directly around same, "Best - Ever": "We haven't had this kind of visibility from the White House—ever." Joyce Raezer National Military Family Association - Dec. 30, 2011, and plenty more of similar since Joyce, others, spoke and continues!

Ask yourself: If the Veterans Administration is so corrupt and mismanaged, as the conservative ideology, under which the seeds of are planted when they control, wants everyone to buy into as they obstruct the budgets and do extremely little after they charge same, then why does the Private sector, many problems within rarely heard about, adopt so many practices and advanced technologies developed within the VA, for free?! The VA, DoD, and in partnership with Universities and Colleges, not just Health Care are constantly in R&D and that developed that works is quickly moved into the private, for profit, sector, even as the VA is long under funded, decades, and especially during and after our wars that the few are sent into!

* * * * *
President Obama 26 August 2014

Fact: "This is not just a job of government. It’s not just a job of the veterans’ organizations. Every American needs to join us in taking care of those who've taken care of us. Because only 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans benefit from that 1 percent. A hundred percent need to be supporting our troops. A hundred percent need to be supporting our veterans. A hundred percent need to be supporting our military families."

Fact:
"We’ve been able to accomplish historic increases to veterans funding. We’ve protected veterans health care from Washington politics with advanced appropriations. We’ve been able to make VA benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who didn't have them before, including more Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. We’ve dedicated major new resources for mental health care. We’ve helped more than 1 million veterans and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill."

August 26, 2014 - Secretary Robert A. McDonald's Remarks for the American Legion's 96th Annual Convention, Charlotte, NC
Fact: "Unlike, P&G, VA may not be concerned about quarterly profit and loss statements or shareholder value, but it does have a bottom line—Veterans. "
{which is why No Government agency should be turned into a private corporate entity feeding for profit off the Countries duty and responsibility, especially the VA}
* * * * *

Fact: “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

Facts: Matthew Hoh {former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan}: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars."
26 September 2014

Fact: "If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

Fact: "12 years also is a long time. We now have a lifetime responsibility to a generation of service members, veterans and their families." Dr. Jonathan Woodson 11 Sep. 2013: With 9/11 Came Lifetime Responsibility
{two tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, came with these two recent unpaid for wars, nor the results of, DeJa-Vu all over again from the previous decades and wars from! Ignore the many issues, by those served, no need to fund!}

Fact: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Republicans: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

Fact: 25 June 2014 U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller: Veterans' Affairs issue an 'all too similar' scene

Fact: How We Could Do More For Our Vets: "We need to go into debt to pay our debt to U.S. veterans to make sure they get the care and services we owe them."

Fact: “Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

WHY? GOOD QUESTION THOSE SERVED SHOULD ANSWER!


Bob Herbert Losing Our Way : "And then the staggering costs of these wars, which are borne by the taxpayers. I mean, one of the things that was insane was that, as we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration cut taxes. This has never been done in American history. The idea of cutting taxes while you're going to war is just crazy. I mean, it's madness." Bill 'Moyers and Company': Restoring an America That Has Lost its Way 10 Oct. 2014

Presidential Proclamation -- Veterans Day, 2013: "As we pay tribute to our veterans, we are mindful that no ceremony or parade can fully repay that debt." read more>>>


Under two previous Executive administrations and wars from, father and son. With son and conservative congresses leading the extremely quick abandoning of the missions and those sent to accomplish after 9/11:

ProPublica and The Seattle Times Nov. 9, 2012 - Lost to History: Missing War Records Complicate Benefit Claims by Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans
"DeLara's case is part of a much larger problem that has plagued the U.S. military since the 1990 Gulf War: a failure to create and maintain the types of field records that have documented American conflicts since the Revolutionary War."

Part Two: A Son Lost in Iraq, but Where Is the Casualty Report?

Army Says War Records Gap Is Real, Launches Recovery Effort

3/27/15 - U.S. Nerve Gas Hit Our Own Troops in Iraq
"During and immediately after the first Gulf War, more than 200,000 of 700,000 U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Kuwait in January 1991 were exposed to nerve gas and other chemical agents. Though aware of this, the Department of Defense and CIA launched a campaign of lies and concocted a cover-up that continues today."
"When Brown and others tried to obtain their medical records to prove their illnesses were service-related, they learned that the records had disappeared."


Add in the issues of finally recognizing in War Theater and more Veterans, by the Shinseki Veterans Administration and the Executive Administrations Cabinet, what the Country choose to ignore from our previous decades and wars of: The devastating effects on Test Vets and from PTS, Agent Orange, Homelessness, more recent the Desert Storm troops Gulf War Illnesses, Gulf War Exposures with the very recent affects from In-Theater Burn Pits and oh so so much more! Tens of Thousands of Veterans' that have been long ignored and maligned by previous VA's and the whole Country and through their representatives!

How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!


"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan" - President Lincoln

She wrote that she's proud of her service but added this: "That doesn't change the fact that I contributed - however indirectly - to human beings vanishing from the earth in a moment of sheer agony."







For our sisters: National Women Veterans Hotline, call 1-855-VA-WOMEN1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-66361-855-829-6636) New Hotline now up and running







They are a coalition of leading Veterans, mostly of OEF and OIF, and national security organizations who recognize that climate change is a major threat, and support fast, bold action. It is time for Americans to rise to the challenge, and we’re taking on the fight.





Their Mission: Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Learn More




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Sunday, November 6, 2011

HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan - October 2011

President Obama on Ending War in Iraq - 21 Oct. 2011

The War/Occupation of Choice in Iraq to Come To The End

Supposedly with only the normal Marine Embassy contingent and troops stationed at bases in the region.


97 percent {now more} of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
May 1, 2003 - "Mission Accomplished!" After leaving the Main Mission in Afghanistan, as to 9/11, to invade and occupy Iraq, which created the rise in the regional insurgents fighting in Afghanistan since!

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is," - George W. Bush, Texas Gov., 1999

What will the U.S. leave behind in Iraq?

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Memorial at the New JPED facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del.. Iraq, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn Sept 1, 2010 There have been 4,801 coalition deaths -- 4,483 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of November 6, 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. At least 32,224 {32,195 up to last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan

Chief Warrant Officer James Brian Wilke 38 Ione, California, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Battery, 2nd Battalion, 43rd Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade Died of non-hostile related causes at Al Udeid Air Force Base in Doha, Qatar, on October 10, 2011

Staff Sgt.James R. Leep Jr. 44 Richmond, Virginia, USA A Troop, 2nd Squadron, 183rd Cavalry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team, Virginia Army National Guard Died of non-combat related injuries in Babil province, Iraq, on October 17, 2011

Pfc.Steven Francis Shapiro 29 Hidden Valley Lake, California, USA Company D, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Advise and Assist Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division Died of a non-combat related incident in Tallil, Iraq, on October 21, 2011

Capt.Shawn Patrick Thomas Charles 40 Hickory, North Carolina, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Died from a non-combat related illness at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, on October 23, 2011

Sergeant David G. Robinson 28 Winthrop Harbor, Illinois, U.S. Army Support Activity, Died of non-hostile related incident Riyadh, Saudi Arabia October 25 2011

* * *

POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq

Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009. The information below reflects the name, an unknown, officially listed as Prisoners of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.

Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41 Army reservist assigned Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad Ann Arbor, Michigan On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to missing-captured on December 11.

Sgt Bowe R. Bergdahl 23 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Ketchum, Idaho Captured in Paktika province in Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1 and his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3.

* * *

Afghanistan - Pakistan!! There have been 2,794 coalition deaths -- 1,831 Americans, 32 Australians, 384 Britons, 1 Belgian, 158 Canadians, 4 Czech, 42 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 9 Estonians, 2 Finn, 75 French, 53 Germans, 7 Hungarian, 42 Italians, 2 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 30 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 19 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 33 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 2 Turks, 4 New Zealand, 10 Georgian and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of November 6, 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 14,733 {14,239 up to last month} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt.Ari R. Cullers 28 New London, Connecticut, USA 3rd Brigade Special Troops Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of injuries suffered when an insurgent rocket-propelled grenade exploded near him in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 30, 2011

Sgt.James Michael Darrough 38 Austin, Texas, USA Detachment C, 101st Finance Company, 101st Special Troops Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division One of five soldiers killed along with eight ISAF civilians when a suicide bomber detonated a Toyota Corolla filled with explosives next to a Rhino armored bus traveling as a part of a military convoy through Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011

Lt. Col.David E. Cabrera 41 Abilene, Texas, USA Licensed clinical social worker and assistant professor of family medicine, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences One of five soldiers killed along with eight ISAF civilians when a suicide bomber detonated a Toyota Corolla filled with explosives next to a Rhino armored bus traveling in a military convoy through Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011

Cpl.Ashley Birt 22 Nambour, Queensland, Australia 1st Topographical Survey Squadron, 6th Engineer Support Regiment, Royal Australian Engineers, assigned to Combined Team Uruzgan One of three Australian soldiers killed when an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire with an automatic weapon at the end of a weekly parade held by the Afghan soldiers and their Australian mentors at Forward Operating Base Pacemaker in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011. The soldier was shot and killed after he opened fire.

Lance Cpl.Luke Nathaniel Gavin 27 Manly, New South Wales, Australia 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, assigned to Mentoring Task Force Three One of three Australian soldiers killed when an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire with an automatic weapon at the end of a weekly parade held by the Afghan soldiers and their Australian mentors at Forward Operating Base Pacemaker in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011. The soldier was shot and killed after he opened fire.

Capt.Bryce Duffy 26 Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 4th Field Regiment, Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery, assigned to Mentoring Task Force Three One of three Australian soldiers killed when an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire with an automatic weapon at the end of a weekly parade held by the Afghan soldiers and their Australian mentors at Forward Operating Base Pacemaker in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011. The soldier was shot and killed after he opened fire.

Master Cpl.Byron Garth Greff 26 Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada 3rd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry One of 13 people killed when a suicide bomber detonated a Toyota Corolla filled with explosives next to a Rhino armored bus traveling as a part of a military convoy through Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011

Staff Sgt.Christopher R. Newman 26 Shelby, North Carolina, USA Medical Company A, Tripler Army Medical Center One of five soldiers killed along with eight ISAF civilians when a suicide bomber detonated a Toyota Corolla filled with explosives next to a Rhino armored bus traveling in a military convoy through Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011

Sgt.Carlo F. Eugenio 29 Rancho Cucamonga, California, USA 756th Transportation Company, 224th Sustainment Brigade, California Army National Guard One of five soldiers killed along with eight ISAF civilians when a suicide bomber detonated a Toyota Corolla filled with explosives next to a Rhino armored bus traveling as a part of a military convoy through Kabul, Afghanistan, on October 29, 2011

Staff Sgt.Stephen Joel Dunning 31 Milpitas, California, USA 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 3rd Marine Logistics Group, III Marine Expeditionary Force Died following roadside bomb attack while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 27, 2011

Sgt.John Alden Lyons 26 Seaside Park, New Jersey, USA 572nd Mobility Augmentation Company, 8th Engineer Battalion, 36th Engineer Brigade Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on October 26, 2011

Lance Cpl.Jason Nicholas Barfield 22 Ashford, Alabama, USA 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 24, 2011

Sgt.Mariusz Deptula 28 Poland 15 Brygady Zmechanizowanej (15 Mechanized Brigade) Killed when his Wolverine armored vehicle detonated a roadside bomb while on patrol in the Giro district of Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on October 23, 2011

Lance Cpl.Jordan Stephen Bastean 19 Pekin, Illinois, USA 3rd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 23, 2011

Sgt.Edward Savy Grace 39 South Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA Company C, 1st Battalion, 182nd Infantry Regiment, 26th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, Massachusetts Army National Guard Grace died from a non-combat illness in Silver Spring, Maryland, on October 23, 2011. He was deployed to Afghanistan before he was medically evacuated.

Sgt. 1st Class Kristoffer B. Domeij 29 San Diego, California, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment One of three soldiers killed when their assault force triggered a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 22, 2011

1st Lt.Ashley I. White 24 Alliance, Ohio, USA 230th Brigade Support Battalion, 30th Heavy Brigade Combat Team, North Carolina National Guard, attached to a joint special operations task force as a cultural support team member One of three soldiers killed when their assault force triggered a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 22, 2011

Pfc.Christopher A. Horns 20 Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment One of three soldiers killed when their assault force triggered a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 22, 2011

Staff Sgt.Jorge M. Oliveira 33 Newark, New Jersey, USA 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry Regiment, 50th Brigade Combat Team, New Jersey Army National Guard Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 19, 2011

Chief Petty OfficerRaymond J. Border 31 West Lafayette, Ohio, USA Navy Mobile Construction Battalion 74, assigned to a provincial reconstruction team in Paktika province, Afghanistan Died while assessing a route in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on October 19, 2011

Cpl.Agris Hutrof 25 Estonia Viru jalaväepataljonis, 1. jalaväebrigaad (Viru Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Brigade), assigned to Scoutspataljonis Estcoy-12 (Scout Battalion, Estonian Afghanistan Contingent 12) Died of wounds sustained when his unit was attacked while on foot patrol in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2011

Rifleman Vijay Rai 21 Bhojpur District, Deaural, Nepal Company A, 2nd Battalion, The Royal Gurkha Rifles Died of a gunshot wound he received when the checkpoint that his team was protecting came under insurgent small-arms fire in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 15, 2011

Spc.Michael D. Elm 25 Phoenix, Arizona, USA 1st Battalion, 26th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Khost, Afghanistan, on October 14, 2011

Lance Cpl.Scott Daniel Harper 21 Winston, Georgia, USA 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2011

Spc.Jeremiah Thor Sancho 23 Palm Bay, Florida, USA A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 71st Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Lam village, Khakrez district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2011

Staff Sgt.Houston Mark Taylor 25 Hurst, Texas, USA Company D, 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2011

Staff Sgt.Robert Brian Cowdrey 39 Atwater, Ohio, USA Company C, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division A flight medic, Cowdrey was killed while he was attempting to evacuate, under enemy fire, several coalition soldiers wounded during heavy fighting in mountainous terrain in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on October 13, 2011

Sgt.Nathan Lee Wyrick 34 Enumclaw, Washington, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died from combat-related injuries in Ahmad Khan, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 10, 2011

Spc.Ricardo Cerros Jr. 24 Salinas, California, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Killed by small-arms fire from enemy forces during a heavy firefight while conducting combat operations in the Muhammad Aghah district of Logar province, Afghanistan, on October 8, 2011

Capt.Joshua Sean Lawrence 29 Nashville, Tennessee, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on October 8, 2011

Capt.Drew Edward Russell 25 Scotts, Michigan, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on October 8, 2011

Lance Cpl.Benjamin Whetstone Schmidt 24 San Antonio, Texas, USA 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan on October 6, 2011

Pvt.Rafal Nowakoski 30 Poland 17 Wielkopolskiej Brygady Zmechanizowanej (17 Wielkopolska Mechanized Brigade) Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his Mine Resistant Ambush Protected armored vehicle during a patrol on Highway 1 in southern Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on October 4, 2011

Pvt. Enlisted Grade 2Danny Chen 19 New York, USA Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died as a result of a non-battle related injury in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on October 3, 2011

Petty Officer 1st Class Caleb Andrew Nelson 26 Omaha, Nebraska, USA SEAL Team 10 Died after his vehicle struck a roadside bomb while conducting a combat patrol in Zabul province, Afghanistan on October 1, 2011

* * *

Armistice Day was sacred

* * *

War monologues will be performed at the Capitol
"We want to help end the epidemic of disconnection between civilian and military families,"

September 29, 2011 - The largely silent voices of military families after 10 years of war will be heard loud and clear this fall in Washington, D.C., thanks to the efforts of a Medford woman.

Stacy Bannerman is the producer and director of "Homefront 911: Military Family Monologues," which will be performed beginning at noon Nov. 17 in the United States Capitol Visitors Center Congressional Auditorium.

She is the author of many of the monologues that will be read by military family members. read more>>>

* * *

"You walk into one of our rooms where ... decisions are being made about disabilities for veterans (and) see individuals sitting at a desk with stacks of paper that go up halfway to the ceiling. And as they finish one pile, another pile comes in," - U.S.V.A. Secretary Gen. Eric Shinseki, Feb. 10, 2009

"And so what I've been trying to do and what Mrs. Biden and Mrs. Obama and the chairman and his wife - all these folks, are trying to do is to - is to try and get that other 99 percent to - they all say they support the troops, but it's not just enough to say it." - Defense Secretary Robert Gates - 23 June 2011 - PBS News Hour

He found one of his biggest battles was connecting with Americans on the home front. "I was struck at how little they really did understand about what we've been through," Adm. Mike Mullen (retired) October 2, 2011 CBS Sunday Morning

Country Must 'Sacrifice' not just Groups Within nor Just Non Profits Fighting for Donations!

No Revenues = Still No Sacrifice = That's Called 'Support' For The Troops = DeJa-Vu all over again, Shared Sacrifice My A**!!
As those war profiteers who ordered are still profiteering and not only on books, their wealthy class does as well, directly or indirectly, and none are taxed to boot!
No Sacrifice now a decade plus long added to the previous decades!!

“A nation that does not take care of its veterans has got no business whatsoever making new ones.” Stacy Bannerman, April, 2007

* * *

President and Mrs Obama on the American Jobs Act Bus Tour

October 19, 2011 | 25:14 | Public Domain
First Lady Michelle Obama announces commitments from 270 companies to hire 25,000 veterans and their spouses.

* * *

Panel pushes for medical research to help wounded troops
Public support for research has fallen since the Vietnam War era, from roughly 70 percent to 57 percent, according to a Zogby poll McKellips’ organization cited.

Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program - Homeless
New grant steers veteran families away from homelessness

* * *

Returning women vets face a harder road finding work than men
Oct. 22, 2011 - When a job interviewer tells Donna Bachler, “Wow, you must’ve seen some crazy things over there,” she figures she won’t be hired.

If most of the interview is about Bachler’s service in the global war against terrorism, “it’s not a good sign,” she says.

'Stand Downs' don't end homelessness
let the war profiteers house homeless vets
AUGUST 3, 2011 - In America, a veteran is considered a real hero and patriot. Newspapers and TV always talk of his or her amazing courage. Ask any American and he’ll tell you that vets went off to war to protect our precious “freedoms.” America is sure proud of its vets.

Until one of them ends up homeless and lying on some sidewalk. Then the average American is more likely to call the police to have him arrested or cited under some anti-panhandling or sit/lie law.

It’s not an unlikely scenario: one in four homeless persons in this nation is a veteran of one of our country’s many wars.

Just ask the folks at Veterans Village of San Diego, a group formed in the 80s by veterans fed up with inadequate services from the Veterans Administration. It offers an annual “Stand Down” (the latest occurred last month) to provide homeless vets an opportunity to hook up with services they need, such as showers, barbers, counseling, shelters, 12-step meetings, etc. About 200 of these Stand Downs take place every year throughout the country.

The event derives its name from the military term for down time that exhausted troops take to recuperate in a safe place. read more>>>

* * *

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

Background & Statistics

The latest factual information about homeless veterans – how many there are, where they are, and who they are. All information in this section is taken from official studies and reports, and references to the information should include attribution to those sources. for more

* * *

Honor our living brothers and sisters as they return from our wars, especially the wounded, physically and mentally, all the time! Fully Fund the Veterans Administration, no questions asked, as we fund the Department of Defense, no questions asked.

* * *

Rate Of Homeless Female Vets Rises Near Fort Bragg
September 15, 2011 - More than 200,000 women have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While their numbers are small compared to their male counterparts, many face the same struggles finding employment and affordable housing.

* * *

NIMBY: Remember this from a few days back
“Everybody’s concern is we’ll have one-legged veterans like in that Tom Cruise movie wheeling their wheel chairs up and down the street swigging out of a bottle,” McCartney said. “Whether there is any truth to that or not, that’s their concern.”

* * *

Republican Debate Audience Boos Gay Soldier Stephen Hill After DADT Repeal Question
9/22/11 - During the Republican debate Thursday night, host Megyn Kelly dropped a YouTube clip on Rick Santorum: a question from Stephen Hill, a soldier in Iraq who, up until this week, had to "lie about who [he] was" in order to serve in the army.

* * *

Still Not Nearly Enough

Veterans Day is Coming......

And the american people will wave their flags, companies will give deals, the oh so patriotic meme's will flourish, that will all last oh a couple of hours, Maybe!!!!!!!!

Homeless veterans 'stand down' at VA event
A week ahead of Veterans Day, more than 500 homeless veterans were expected to attend the event, where they received free clothing, medical care, employment assistance and were able to see a judge to resolve legal issues, among other services. ...more photo's>>>

Homeless U.S. Navy veteran Wayne Hamilton looks for his size while collecting free clothing at a "Stand Down" event hosted by the Department of Veterans Affairs on November 3 in Denver, Colorado.
Senators concerned VA will be short of resources for veterans' healthcare
09/16/11 - Two senators are concerned that the Veterans Affairs Department might not have enough funding to handle the growing demand for veterans' healthcare.

GI Bill: A limit on tuition increases
Nov 1, 2011 - The promise of a GI Bill that fully pays for a four-year college education could be eroding.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, the 12-member bipartisan panel empowered to come up with $1.2 trillion in cuts in federal spending, has before it a plan to cut $7 billion from veterans education benefits over 10 years by capping the annual increase in tuition rates at 3 percent.

The Changing Face of Women Veterans
All Women Veterans
The current projected percentage of U.S. Veterans who are women is 8 percent. For the most recent projections, visit VetPOP. 1 In FY 2009, the average age of women Veterans was 48 years, compared to 63 years for their male counterparts. In FY 2009 and FY 2010 PTSD, hypertension, and depression were the top three diagnostic categories for women Veterans treated by VHA.2 read more

VA adds staff to better help female vets
Nov 3, 2011 - The Veterans Affairs Department is expanding the number of benefits coordinators specifically assigned to help female veterans file claims, and is assigning more women to handle claims related to sexual trauma for both men and women, as part of new outreach efforts.

The changes were announced Thursday by Allison Hickey, VA’s undersecretary for benefits and a retired Air Force brigadier general who remains in close contact with current and former military women.

Vietnam Veteran Gene Jones: Wars of Choice are a Cause of National Debt Problem
August 2, 2011 - Many politicians, including U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key), are pushing to solve our debt problem with radical proposals like a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. Is their goal to distract citizens' attention from their previous votes that caused the deficits in the first place?

Many of the same politicians calling for a balanced budget amendment are the same ones who routinely voted to fund expensive wars of choice. These expenditures constitute a primary cause of our national debt.

snip

The death and destruction were, and are, paid for with borrowed money. read more>>>

Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: {online document reader}

PTSD - TBI - Military and Veterans Suicides

Special Report: The Aftermath of War

The lead in site page to all the reports with Featured Content below report scroll

Introduction: Serving Those Who Serve

This Special Report aims to address those symptoms and syndromes most commonly seen by clinicians who treat service members. … July 13, 2011 - The terms we use to describe them are numerous and reflect the respect we have for their service: soldier, warrior, hero, American. The service these men and women provide to the country, regardless of one’s political leanings, is nothing short of selfless; our society reverently honors and appreciates their efforts with yellow ribbons and proudly displayed flags.

It is the other words, however, that engender our professional attention: parent, spouse, wounded, patient. Thankfully, most of our service members return home safely and without incident. For those not as fortunate, the injuries experienced are both visible and invisible, and rarely occur as solitary entities. For these service members, comorbidity is rampant and Occam’s razor simply does not apply. Their narratives inspire, shock, worry, and challenge us all. read more>>>

The Long War Comes Home
July 13, 2011 - Mitigating Risk and Promoting Resilience in Military Children and Families
Traumatic Brain Injury Among Veterans Returning From Afghanistan and Iraq
July 13, 2011 - Strategies for Diagnosis and Treatment
Suicide Among Service Members
July 14, 2011 - Understanding the Reasons for Suicide Ideation and Treatment Strategies

A Veteran Dies By Suicide Every 80 Minutes, Center For A New American Security Study Reveals
2 November 2011 - A veteran commits suicide every 80 minutes, according to a study published Monday.

Military suicides have increased since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to a Center for a New American Security Suicide report and in the fiscal year 2009 alone, 1,868 veterans of these wars have made suicide attempts, the armytimes.com reports.

These staggering figures underscore the need for the VA to develop more mental-health programs and an accurate system for recording the number of veterans and service members who take their lives.

VETERANS SUICIDES: Senators Call on Nation's Governors to Begin Reporting Veterans Suicides to the VA in Order to Accurately Track National Crisis, Improve Prevention Efforts
Letter focuses on the need for 41 states that do not currently communicate information about veterans suicides to begin tracking and reporting read more>>>

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October 14, 2011 - Army Releases September Suicide Data

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline~~~Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) pdf~~~Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) pdf~~~Suicide Prevention Program~~~Suicide prevention training resources for Army families~~~Information about Military OneSource~~~Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program~~~Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center~~~American Foundation for Suicide Prevention~~~Suicide Prevention Resource Council~~~Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors

REACH Program Improves Quality of Life for Caregivers and Veterans

Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors: VA Benefits 2011 Edition

Thousands of disabled veterans eligible for better care

Aug 10, 2011 - Nearly 75,000 veterans across the U.S. - 1,500 in Colorado alone - are eligible to receive a thorough review of their disability ratings. The review could make the difference between a one-time severance check and a lifetime of benefits for the veterans involved. The only problem, as Michael LoGrande sees it, is that so far, only a small fraction of those eligible have bothered to look into it. read more>>>

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Another cost of Iraq war: billions for mental care
August 2, 2011 - In The Psychological Costs of War: Military Combat and Mental Health (NBER Working Paper No. 16927), authors Resul Cesur, Joseph Sabia, and Erdal Tekin report that the mere length of deployment or breaks between deployments are far less significant for veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the frequency of actual exposure to firefights.

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The authors estimate that just the combat-induced PTSD imposes two-year costs of $1.5 to $2.7 billion on the U.S. health care system. They determine that the psychological costs of combat are largest for soldiers who kill someone (or believe they have killed someone), are injured in combat, or witness the death or wounding of a civilian or a coalition member. read more>>>

Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses:
VA is seeking to extend the date to Dec. 31, 2018 for medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses and undiagnosed illness to have appeared in Gulf War Veterans. Medically unexplained chronic symptoms include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory disorders: Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses: Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illnesses.

Veterans back bill to create registry of illnesses blamed on burn pits
November 2, 2011 - Veterans exposed to burn pits during their war deployments are backing legislation to create an ongoing registry of patients and illnesses believed connected to the toxic smoke, suggesting it may be the last chance to discover what long-term health problems they’ll face.

On Thursday, Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo., and Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., will introduce companion bills requiring the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a burn pit registry, similar to past efforts tracking illnesses related to Agent Orange and Gulf War Illness.

Retroactive Traumatic Injury Benefits No Longer Just For OEF/OIF Injuries
TSGLI Payments Will Be Made for Qualifying Injuries
WASHINGTON – September 16, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is extending retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Service members who suffered qualifying injuries during the period Oct. 7, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2005, regardless of the geographic location where the injuries occurred.

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Total Costs of Wars since 2001, the rolling tabulation, over $1,274,389,246,635+++++ and continually counting!

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CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties

In Remembrance - Moving Tributes

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Civilian Casulties

Recording Casualties: Victims of Armed Conflict Worldwide

This programme draws on the principles of human security to develop and enhance the technical and institutional capacity, identify and consolidate the legal requirements, and build the political will to record details of every single victim of armed conflict worldwide. The programme incorporates research into emerging good practice and existing legal frameworks, the development and promotion of clearer legal and more effective regulatory instruments, and the creation and support of advocacy networks. visit site for updated reports

Every Casualty.org: New Org Website Launched On Casualty Recording The one-stop source for information on conflict's casualties worldwide and the organisations that record them

Refugee's: 27.5 million From Violence 2010

CIVIC: Working for Civilian Victims, Annual Report 2010

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Exact Count of Civilian Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries,of which All would be counted if this country, the U.S., were ever invaded, who suffer the most, during and long after!

All the Deaths, Maimings and Destruction are the Blood on All Our Hands, No One can Escape that Guilt!

Strasbourg judge: “Those who export war ought to see to the parallel export of guarantees against the atrocities of war”

The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here

"What is the difference between an al Qaida terrorist and a misguided American terrorist?" "The planes they fly!"

"In fairness, we’ve been putting ground zeros next to mosques in Iraq since 2003" - Unknown Author Comment

"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans." How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq Matthew Alexander who is writing under a pseudonym for security reasons

"Torture is the tool of the lazy, the stupid, and the pseudo-tough. It's also perhaps the greatest recruiting tool that the terrorists have." Major General Paul Eaton

Done "In Our Names"!

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Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home

Aircrew Missing in Action from WWII Identified

October 21, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of 10 servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.

Army Air Forces 2nd Lt. Robert R. Bishop of Joliet, Ill.; 2nd Lt. Thomas Digman, Jr. of Pittsburgh; 2nd Lt. Donald W. Hess of Sioux City, Iowa; 2nd Lt. Arthur W. Luce, of Fort Bragg, Calif.; Staff Sgt. Joseph J. Karaso, of Philadelphia; Staff Sgt. Ralph L. McDonald of East Point, Ga.; Sgt. John P. Bonnassiolle of Oakland, Calif.; Sgt. James T. Blong of Port Washington, Wis.; Sgt. Michael A. Chiodo of Cleveland; and Sgt. John J. Harringer, Jr. of South Bend, Ind., will be buried as a group, in a single casket representing the entire crew, on Oct. 26, in Arlington National Cemetery. Hess and Karaso will be interred individually in Arlington National Cemetery. read more>>>

U.S. Soldier MIA from Korean War Identified

October 05, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Korean War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Army Cpl. Edward M. Pedregon of El Paso, Texas, will be buried on Oct. 6 in Arlington National Cemetery. A memorial service was held in San Elizario, Texas, on Oct. 1. In late November 1950 Pedregon and the Heavy Mortar Company, of the 31st Regimental Combat Team – known as Task Force Faith – were overrun by Chinese forces near the Chosin Reservoir in North Korea. After several days of heavy attacks, Task Force Faith was forced to withdraw, but was stopped by enemy blockades that overpowered them on Dec. 2, 1950. Pedregon was reported missing in action on Nov. 30, 1950.. read more>>>

Missing Vietnam War Soldiers Identified

October 03, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of three servicemen, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to their families for burial with full military honors. Master Sgt. Charles V. Newton of Canadian, Texas; Sgt. 1st Class Douglas E. Dahill of Lima, Ohio; and Sgt. 1st Class Charles F. Prevedel of St. Louis, Mo., all U.S. Army, will be buried as a group on Oct. 5 at Arlington National Cemetery. Newton was also individually identified and will be interred individually at Arlington on the same day as the group interment. On April 17, 1969, the men and three Vietnamese soldiers were on a long-range reconnaissance patrol operating in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, near the border of Laos. That afternoon the patrol was ambushed by enemy forces and radioed for air support but thunderstorms in the area prevented rescue attempts. Search and rescue teams reached the site the next day but over the next week found no signs of the men. read more>>>

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HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2001 to September 2011 - My Honor Rolls, and more, to Share


National World War II Memorial


National Korean War Memorial


National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - "The Wall"


The Vietnam Women’s Memorial


Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries


Arlington National Cemetery

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