It is easy to find fault with the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), particularly when it comes to Veterans with PTSD.
Secretary of Defense, Robert McNamara, tried to employ body count statistics to assess our progress in the war in Vietnam. Similarly, the VA has erected a statistical house-of-cards to deceive Veterans and their loved that the VA has the answers for Veterans coping with PTSD and TBI.
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Continue Reading →The Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”) recently released a report showing state-by-state disparities in suicide rates among Veterans. Sadly, the data tracks Veteran suicides rates through 2014 leaving a significant time gap in determining whether the trend in 20+ veteran suicides a day is improving.
The news media has been quick to seize on some of the notable anomalies in the data, some of which is highlighted below from PBS news:
According to a recent Dutch study involving military personnel deployed to Afghanistan, there is evidence to suggest that blood-based miRNAs (Micro RiboNucleic Acids) may serve as “candidate biomarkers for symptoms of PTSD.”
A research group from the Netherlands collected blood samples Dutch soldiers before, as well as 6 months after deployment.
Author of the study, Dr. Laurence de Nijs (Maastricht University), states the following:
“We discovered that these small molecules, called miRNAs, are present in different ...
Continue Reading →Can Secretary David Shulkin fix the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”)? The answer is an emphatic NO!
This is not a commentary on Dr. Shulkin’s inspired leadership or his vision for a vastly improved VA, but a consequence of competing ideologies and a dysfunctional institution.
As Stand for the Troops has stated several times over the past year: “THE VA IS SIMPLY TOO LARGE TO SUCCEED ...
Continue Reading →As a military veteran with PTSD and TBI, I encounter many brave warriors who have had difficulties getting proper treatment from the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”).
All of these conversations have been disturbing and caused me to relive the terrible ordeals I faced when dealing with the VA. Nothing quite compared to the disturbing letter I received from Debbie Lee, the founder of America’s Mighty Warriors (“AMW”).
In her open letter (summarized and slightly edited below), Debbie ...
Continue Reading →Found below are a few military news items that caught my attention this past week. I am hopeful that the titles and short commentary will encourage SFTT readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.
If you have subjects of topical interest, please do not hesitate to reach out. Contact SFTT.
Tensions High over North Korea
“Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should ...
Military suicides, particularly among Veterans, show no signs of abating. Despite recent efforts by Secretary of Shulkin of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”), the “silent wounds of war” follow our Veterans into civilian life.
In a most informative report published by CNN, Veteran suicides account for roughly 20% of all suicides in the United States.
SFTT has reported on this disturbing trend for several years, but little has been done to curb Veteran ...
Continue Reading →With 80 people dying each day from overdoses of opioids, it is not surprising that Federal, State and Local authorities are seeking emergency measures and money to treat opioid abuse.
Less surprising is the moral outrage and lynch-mob mentality of those who seek vengeance against those they deem responsible for the epidemic. Just today, I read in the New York Times that the McKesson Corporation, “the nation’s ...
Continue Reading →I had a delightful lunch yesterday with Maj. Ben Richards and Bronco, his service dog. Also joining us for lunch were Eilhys England, Chairperson of Stand for the Troops (“SFTT”) and Dr. Yuval Neria, Director of the PTSD Research Program at Columbia Presbyterian.
I hadn’t seen Bronco (a labradoodle) before and was interested in learning how ...
Continue Reading →Found below are a few military news items that caught my attention this past week. I am hopeful that the titles and short commentary will encourage SFTT readers to click on the embedded links to read more on subjects that may be of interest to them.
If you have subjects of topical interest, please do not hesitate to reach out. Contact SFTT.
Biometric Feedback to Alter Military Performance Effectiveness
Imagine a group of volunteers, their chests ...