COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST-DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTSD/TBI Sergeant major of the Army visits Fort Bragg, talks of own struggle with PTSD: (FAYETTEVILLE OBSERVER, NC) — The Army’s top noncommissioned officer on Tuesday told Fort Bragg soldiers he suffered from post-combat stress, sought help and benefited.http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2011/09/14/1122575?sac=Home Almost One Third of Iraq/Afghanistan Women Veterans with PTSD Report Military Sexual Trauma, Researchers Find: (UNIV OF CA, SFRO) — Thirty-one percent of women veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who were diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder reported military sexual trauma (MST), in contrast to one percent of men with PTSD, according to a study led by Shira Maguen, PhD, a psychologist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/09/10616/almost-one-third-iraq-afghanistan-women-veterans-ptsd-report-military-sexual SUICIDE Suicide Survival: (DOD LIVE) — [Video Only] — Master Sergeant Kevin Carter shares his story of surviving suicide.  A couple of years … Read entire article »

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COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST-DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTSD/TBI PTSD cases grow as combat continues for Fort Drum soldiers: (DAILY NEWS, WATERTOWN, NY) — A decade ago, Fort Drum had two providers and now it has seven, according to Dr. Todd L. Benham, the post’s behavioral health chief. But current wait times are about a month, he said, as visits to behavioral health specialists grew from 14,000 in 2001 to 75,000 in 2010. The numbers increased not only from PTSD visits, but from more outreach and an addition of a clinic for traumatic brain injuries, which have grown because of IED attacks.  http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20110908/NEWS03/709089871 Military Tries To Ease Stress Of Deployments: ( ANCHORAGE DAILY NEWS, AK) — But experts advised it should be watching for all forms of risky or destructive behavior, he said. The Army now … Read entire article »

COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST-DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTSD/TBI Military Moms: How Wars Affect Families: (TELL ME MORE-NPR) — Nearly half of the women who’ve been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan have been mothers. This week’s parenting conversation explores issues of preparing kids for parents’ deployments, how kids adjust to these changes, and how military mothers face different challenges than military fathers. http://www.npr.org/2011/09/06/140214598/military-moms-how-wars-affect-families The Silent Battle For Women In Military: Sexual Assault: (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER) — A 2010 study commissioned by the Department of Defense found that 4 percent of military women on active duty had been sexually abused or assaulted while on the job. But about 70 percent and 80 percent of victims do not report their attacks. The Department of Veterans Affairs has found that one in five female veterans seeking health care say they have … Read entire article »

COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST-DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTSD/TBI Rampage figure returned from Iraq disturbed: (PHILDELPHIA INQUIRER) — Leonard Egland came home from Iraq in 2009 a changed man, his slain wife’s attorney says.  And not for the better. http://articles.philly.com/2011-09-04/news/30112877_1_bucks-county-man-buckingham-township-doylestown Petition targets mental stigma in military: (THE OLYMPIAN, WA) — A Washington state social worker is circulating a petition urging federal lawmakers and the military to adopt a policy declaring that service members shouldn’t be punished if they seek help for behavioral health issues, such as post-traumatic stress. http://www.theolympian.com/2011/09/05/1786729/petition-targets-mental-stigma.html Genes may influence PTSD, study says: (BOSTON GLOBE) — The researchers found that symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress disorder were more common in Northern Illinois University students who had certain variations in a gene that regulates levels of serotonin, a brain chemical linked with mood that is the target of … Read entire article »

SUICIDE Military suicides linked to low Omega-3 levels: (LA TIMES) — The study, published this week in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, looked back at the medical records of 800 U.S. servicemen and women who took their own lives between 2002 and 2008, and compared them with the records of 800 service personnel — matched for age, gender and rank — who had no history of suicide attempts.  http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-suicide-military-omega3-20110824,0,2247762.story WOUNDED WARRIOR CARE/TREATMENT Cool-headed medic thrown into trial by fire: (STARS & STRIPS) — Though Cpl. Amanda Mosher was new to flying, she was no rookie at medicine, having served a previous tour as a medic in Afghanistan.  First she checked the tourniquets. The left was secure, but the right needed work. She pushed her knee into the groin of the soldier, putting … Read entire article »

Dear Friends of the Navy, I am pleased to let you know that RADM (sel) Dixon Smith has been selected to take command of Navy Region Southwest. We are still working out the details for the Change of Command, but I expect it to be in early December 2011. I can’t think of a better choice. Rear Admiral Smith is currently serving as the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii and was previously the Commanding Officer of Naval Base San Diego, so his ties to the San Diego community are as deep as his commitment to the Sailors here. Next week the second issue of the newly revised Navy Compass magazine will hit the streets. If you haven’t seen it I encourage you to find a copy. If you would like to have additional copies please let us know how we … Read entire article »

COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST-DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTSD/TBI Returning Philadelphia veterans face hardship in motherhood: (WHYY-TV, PHILADELPHIA) — Hawthorne is a disabled veteran from the first Gulf War, over a decade ago. She was a Chemical Operations Specialist, dealing regularly with radioactive material and biological weapons. She suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and a number of health complications she feels are related to her exposure.  “I’ve had several miscarriages,” said Hawthorne. “I’ve had a couple of strokes. I was also gang raped in the military four separate times. None of which have been prosecuted.” http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/item/25463 Coming back home from the battlefield: (METRO NEWS, CANADA) — More than 1,500 Canadian Forces soldiers have been wounded in Afghanistan since 2002, but the mental-health scars of combat don’t just heal once the mission was over. As Canada transitions … Read entire article »

** Press release from Gov. Brown’s office issued 23 Aug. 2011. SACRAMENTO – Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. today issued an Executive Order establishing the California Interagency Council on Veterans to improve how veterans’ services are coordinated across local, state and federal government. “The California Interagency Council on Veterans gives everyone a seat at the table and ensures we’re working collaboratively to address the needs of the 30,000 servicemen and women who return to California each year,” Brown said. “We owe our veterans the best and when they come home, we must serve them the same way they so bravely served us.” Governor Brown’s Executive Order directs the Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs to establish the Council, which will be tasked with identifying and prioritizing the needs of California’s veterans and coordinating the … Read entire article »

COMBAT, OPERATIONAL & POST DEPLOYMENT STRESS/PTSD/TBI Navy Medicine’s Combat & Operational Stress Center Enters 4th Year: (DOD LIVE) — Building, preserving and—as necessary—restoring the psychological health of our Sailors and Marines are some of the greatest challenges the Navy faces in the wake of more than a decade of war, multiple deployments and increasingly stressful workloads. http://www.dodlive.mil/index.php/2011/08/navy-medicines-combat-and-operational-stress-center-entering-fourth-year/ War’s aftermath: S.A. author’s new book examines PTSD : (KENS-TV, SAN ANTONIO) — San Antonio psychiatrist Dr. Harry Croft has written a book to help people suffering with PTSD. He said it’s a common and widely-misunderstood problem that can be isolating and crippling. http://www.kens5.com/news/San-Antonio-psychiatrist-128262673.html NATIONAL GUARD/RESERVES How Providers Can Improve Care for Reserve Component Members: (DCEO) — Have you ever tried to communicate with a person who speaks a different language? No matter how clearly, or slowly, you speak, … Read entire article »