In Transit - HART's Tampa Bay Transit Blog: Honoring our Heroes

In Transit - HART's Tampa Bay Transit Blog: Honoring our Heroes: "HART salutes our military, past and present At the eleventh hour, on the eleventh day, of the eleventh month in 1918, armistice was declar..."

The VA Promise

The President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health report issues mandates that the VA has promised to act upon. Some of them are: Involve consumers and families fully in orienting the mental health system toward recovery. Align relevant federal programs to improve access and accountability for mental health services; and develop peer support programs as an adjunct to mental health services. Develop paid positions for veteran(s) within the facility. Network to work with mental health leadership in developing peer-to-peer programs. In response to the recommendations of the commission report, the VA developed its own agenda for transforming mental health care delivery in the VA system. Some excerpts from that agenda include the following initiatives:

• Commit to recovery-based, veteran- and family-centered mental health programs.
• Recognize mental health programs as uniquely important to veterans' overall health care.
• Promote research programs based on recovery, and find means to prevent and cure mental illness.
• Require cultural competence and diversity in VA programs and staff.
• Require cultural competence as well as knowledge of military culture, veterans' experiences in combat arenas and its impact on veterans' health.

Veteran peer advocates can embrace these mandates and work with the VA to help transform the system.

Women Veterans

Under served and under recognized does not begin to justifiably describe the conditions surrounding our military women. I offer this link as a valuable insight to the importance of Veteran advocacy.

http://media.iava.org/IAVA_WomensReport_2009.pdf

Current Affairs

Defense Department News Through Facebook On American Forces Press Service's Facebook page, you can post comments and share news, photos and videos. Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Forces-Press-Service/65137437532 or search for American Forces Press Service at Facebook.com.

Update your subscriptions, modify your password or e-mail address, or stop subscriptions at any time by clicking on your 'User Profile' page at https://service.govdelivery.com/service/user.html?code=USDOD. You will need to use your e-mail address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please e-mail support@govdelivery.com.

Have another inquiry? Visit the online FAQ at http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx for up-to-date information.

Get the help you, your family, and fellow servicemembers need, when you need it. Visit www.WarriorCare.mil to learn more.

Check out the National Resource Directory at www.nationalresourcedirectory.org, a new web-based resource for wounded, ill and injured service members, veterans, their families, families of the fallen and those who support them from the Departments of Defense, Labor, and Veterans Affairs.

This service is provided to you at no charge by U.S. Department of Defense. Visit us on the web at http://www.defense.gov/.

The War Is Won and The Battle Is Not Over

In May of 2009 we found Fort Campbell reacting to this tragedy.

The trauma of combat combined with the effect of repeated tours has led to a record rise in suicides across the armed services and particularly the US Army -- which has carried the heaviest burden in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Last year 128 soldiers took their lives, up from 115 in 2007, as tours of duty since 2001 have come ever more frequently and last longer.

With 64 confirmed or suspected suicides so far this year, the army looks likely to surpass last year's record numbers.

The 20.2 per 100,000 suicide rate among US soldiers is above the national record of 19.5 per 100,000 in 2005 in the United States.

Earlier this month a US soldier, Sergeant John Russell, allegedly sprayed his comrades with lethal gunfire at a mental health clinic at a US base in Baghdad, and he has been charged with five counts of murder.

The case has underlined concerns about the psychological well-being of those serving in the military.

Due to worries over the state of Russell's mental health, his commanding officer about a week earlier had ordered that the soldier's weapon be confiscated and that he should go for counselling, officials said.

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said he believes the suicides are tied to the repeated deployments that have put a strain on soldiers and their families.

In his visits to US military posts, Mullen regularly appeals to troops to look out for comrades that seem troubled and has acknowledged soldiers are reluctant to seek counselling because they worry it might hold back their career.

In a 2008 poll by the American Psychological Association (APA), 61 percent of servicemen and women said that asking for help to treat psychological problems would have a negative impact on their career, and 53 percent said it would decrease their status among their peers.

"Our stress levels are up, and we have to realize that stress is driving a lot of this, and we?ve got to look at ways to relieve that stress," Mullen said last month during a visit to a Texas military base.

"The first big step in taking care of our problem is acknowledging that you have one -- and we do," Mullen said. "Suicide is never easy, (and) solving it won?t be easy. But everyone in leadership is focused on it."

In March, military leaders ordered a stand-down at every US Army installation to focus on preventing suicides.

The Fort Campbell event was designed to free up soldiers and their officers from daily routines to ensure the problem received their undivided attention, spokeswoman Kelly Tyler said.

The stand-down was meant to remind soldiers "that they have an accountability to themselves and to their peers" and "to remind leaders they are also accountable for the well-being of their soldiers," she told AFP.

In Sep of 2010 we found Fort Hood reacting to this tragedy.

FORT HOOD, Texas -- Thousands of soldiers stationed at Fort Hood are receiving extra visits from their superiors this week following a recent spate of suspected suicides, according to the Texas Army post's senior commander.

Fourteen suicides among soldiers stationed at Fort Hood have been confirmed so far this year. Six more are suspected, including four in the past week, according to figures released by the Army Suicide Prevention Task Force. The Army reported 11 suicides of Fort Hood soldiers in 2009, down from the previous record high of 14 in 2008.

The task force did not return calls Wednesday seeking the number of suicides reported at other Army bases so far this year.

Maj. Gen. William Grimsley said Fort Hood soldiers from the rank of sergeant and below - more than 32,000 soldiers - would be visited in their barracks or off-post homes this week to get "a better sense" of how they are doing. Their superiors also will make sure weapons privately owned by soldiers are properly registered, Grimsley said.

He said he does not know what may have caused the rash of apparent suicides, but that soldiers who take their own lives often are struggling with financial or relationship problems and multiple deployments. Grimsley said Fort Hood leaders also plan to offer more training on how to recognize and help at-risk troops.

Read more: http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/09/30/2098815/fort-hood-assessing-soldiers-in.html#ixzz11vIA67vu

I could continue to provide examples of what we are dealing with on the home front and you could find more information all over the internet. Let us advocate for more action instead of reaction regarding the lives of our military heroes.

Everything You Want To Know About Saving Your Life But Are Afraid To Ask

Imagine that dreadful day when you realize that what you've been doing to get your life together IS NOT WORKING. No matter how hard you try to be independent,self supporting and responsible establishing a decent way of life just won't happen. One week, one month or one year of progress always turns into stark naked failure. The setbacks are so painful that you avoid friends and family. Some of us even consider ending the misery by ridding ourselves of life altogether. I spent over twenty years in that vicious cycle and today I live a lifestyle of recovery and wellness. Today I know that whatever happens in my life can be dealt with successfully. Good and bad, happy or sad, failure or success.

Well this is the day that you can find help from people like me who what your pain feels like and who utilized the resources available to end the dreadful cycle of failure. Integrated services and support are just a phone call away. Help is available 24/7 no matter where you are. The National Resource Directory connects you to whatever you may need in order to regain your life and create a healthy and productive lifestyle. 

American Homefront Alliance

Like all new beginning coalitions this organization of veterans for veterans and their families will struggle for recognition in our society. However, unlike most new beginning coalitions the American Homefront Alliance will stand out as the benchmark for community based, seamless, integrated, social services, support networks.