Several years ago I covered the initial basing of the Air Force’s F-22 Raptor. At the time I reported for The Daily Press, which is the Newport News, Va., paper of record. Langley Air Force, where the plane would be first operationally based, was on my beat. As I recall the major concern about... more
Military & Vet Stories from Around the Web
US, Cuba says they would like to see a changed relationship. Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta Jacobson said Friday that she hoped Cuba was sincere about wanting to improve relations with the United States. Helping vets: ‘The system is broken’. Richmond... more
Keeping Tabs
HEALTHCARE Army to Study Use of ‘Off Label’ Drugs to Treat PTSD (Military.com) — The Army will conduct a multi-year study to evaluate a “range of pharmaceuticals” often prescribed to treat post-traumatic stress disorder but not approved specifically for that purpose, according... more
Front & Center: Military Talk Radio
Front & Center: Military Talk Radio Show No. 61, May 13, 2012 * Guests this week: Listen here. * Rep. Bob Filner, ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He’ll talk about Department of Veterans Affairs funding and the future of our veterans. He’ll also discuss... more
Keeping Tabs
1. USC to award degrees to Japanese interned during WWII. Friday morning, the University of Southern California campus will be filled with smiling students posing for pictures next to the most important people in their lives. For Hitoshi Sameshima, however, graduation comes a little too late. 2. Let’s serve those who defended us. Our nation is finally emerging from one of the worst recessions in U.S. history, yet for our military veterans there is no recovery in sight. The nation’s unemployment... more
Keeping Tabs — A Particularly Interesting Slate of Stories
HEALTHCARE Civilians, Into the Breach (Battleland Blog) — I am encouraged recently to see that community-based, civilian clinicians want to be prepared to meet the mental health needs of returning veterans and their families. One great example is the extraordinary response to a free on-line educational series From the War Zone to the Home Front: Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Veterans and Families. The series is a timely example of clinicians’ hunger for education on identifying... more
Free On-line Educational Series From Massachusetts General Hospital
A free 14-part series of live, interactive, online trainings for community primary care and mental health providers. One in three U.S. service members returning from Iraq or Afghanistan will experience signs of combat stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or symptoms of a traumatic brain injury. Only 50% receive their health care through the VA. Other vets and their families will seek care in community settings by primary care and community mental health clinicians. The Home... more
Vet Stories
1. House panel opposes base closings, Tricare hikes. The Obama administration’s requests for two rounds of base closings and higher health fees for some military retirees are running into strong resistance from leaders of the House Armed Services Committee. 2. ‘Evaders’ tell their stories of being behind enemy lines. For a week in December 1944, 20-year-old Jesse Casaus and his nine fellow crewmen sneaked across the Yugoslavian countryside, knowing that capture — or rescue —... more
Keeping Tabs — 9 May 2012
HEALTHCARE PTSD: Weakness or Wound? (Battleland Blog) — This week, the American Psychiatric Association is meeting in Philadelphia. Among the presentations in the “military track”—a spate of meetings directed towards practitioners focused on military or war related psychology and psychiatry—the top listed presentation is titled “Combat Related PTSD: Injury or Disorder?” Based on conversations I’ve had in the past couple weeks with psychiatrists and psychologists who ply their... more
Keeping Tabs
HEALTHCARE Psychiatrists Pondering PTSD in Philadelphia (Battleland Blog) — It’s exciting because of the prominence military matters are going to get. Last year there were perhaps 15 military-related sessions at the meeting in Hawaii. This year, there’s going to be twice as many dedicated to military mental health issues. As you might expect, there will be a lot of focus on diagnosing and treating PTSD. But there are also sessions on what it is like to work as a civilian at a military... more
