Vets Shielded From Health Care Reform
Tom Philpott .. milupdate@aol.com, | November 25, 2009 Vets Shielded From Health Care ReformMilitary Beneficiaries, Vets Shielded From Health ReformThe national health reform bill passed by the House last month and the Senate version to be debated in early December pose no threat to current health care benefits provided to military families, retirees or veterans, say advocates for these beneficiaries as well as congressional committee staffs.The House-passed Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR 3962) states in Section 311 that "nothing" in the bill "shal

Vets get aid with legal problems
Vets get aid with legal problems Special courts work with VA, bar association By Donna LeinwandUSA TODAY Marshall Callahan had $300 in his pocket and a powerful craving for booze when he got stranded in Lee's Summit, Mo., on a cross-country drive two years ago.The former Marine Corps aviation mechanic says he drank until he was broke, blacked out and woke up in jail. It wasn't the first time. Callahan, 47, has been homeless on and off for 15 years."I've been in all the jails here. I've been in all the detoxes. Any life I had that I could ruin, I ruined," says Callahan, who served in the Marines from 1981 to 1985 in Cherry Point, N.C.

Outside View: Army throws money at mental health
Outside View: Army throws money at mental health Published: Nov. 20, 2009 at 11:00 AMBy LAWRENCE SELLIN, UPI Outside View Commentator HELSINKI, Finland, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army recently funded a five-year, $50 million study by the National Institute of Mental Health to examine the factors possibly associated with suicide, including combat-related trauma, personal and economic stress, family history, childhood abuse, a military unit's cohesion and general mental health.With all due respect to the eminent scientis

Study sheds light on post-combat mental problems
Study sheds light on post-combat mental problems Tuesday, September 8, 2009 By Anne HardingNEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are typical after deployment to a war zone, and may even represent a healthy reaction to stress, but can lead to problems with mental functioning if they persist, new research in Iraq vets suggests.Past research has demonstrated that people exposed to life-threatening situations will show changes in their nervous and hormonal systems, Dr. Jennifer J. Vasterling of the VA Boston Healthcare System a

"Veterans' Children" Validates Trans-Generational Trauma Of War
"Veterans' Children" Validates Trans-Generational Trauma Of War Since the Vietnam Era, the American psychiatric community has recognized the returning war veterans' affliction of what is now commonly known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While there has been much research and advancements in the treatment of PTSD, the focus has always been on the veterans themselves. What has never been addressed or understood, until now, is how the stress from distant battlefields has affected the families of veterans. Today - Veterans' Day - the first organization to support warfare's often in