Veterans for America Servicemembers Survival Guide a Must-Have for Every Military Family

Veterans for America delivers an early holiday present to our nation's military families: "The American Veterans’ and Servicemembers’ Survival Guide," a 599-page guidebook every veteran should own. And there's no need to worry about being naughty or nice, because the VFA Santa has made the ebook available to everyone as a free download.

Download the whole thing at once, or choose only those of its 28 chapters you most wish to read first. (Specific recommendations for PTSD issues are found as a subchapter in Chapter 3: Service-Connected Compensation [pdf]. I've excerpted a portion in extended to give you an idea of what you can expect to find in this vital survival guide.)

NPR's Impact of War, Linking Higher Post-Trauma Heart/Respiration Rates to PTSD, AWOL Marine Discharged, Report on Rochester Military Families

Recent stories of interest...

• Earlier this month, NPR introduced listeners to John Blaufus, an Iraq veteran who's been hospitalized twice for acute PTSD since returning home. The segment was the latest installment in their important "Impact of War" series.
  
  
• Australian researchers have found that "elevation of the heart and respiration rates, which occur immediately after a traumatic event, are predictive of future PTSD."
  
  
• At Camp Pendleton this past Friday, a summary court-martial was held for a Marine who had gone AWOL for two years and faked his own death, all to keep from deploying to Iraq for a third time. His attorney had argued that he had a nervous breakdown after his experiences in Iraq, which included the death of a close friend who had been killed while taking his place on duty one day. In the unique case, the Marine, who grew up in Saudi Arabia as the son of oil company school teachers, has been discharged.
  
  
• Another court-martial case, this one of a Silver Star Afghanistan veteran and Air Force Captain whose actions in 2002's Operation Anaconda saved three men's lives, has ended with the officer's retirement. "Who rescues the rescuer?" asked the helicopter rescue pilot's attorney, whose PTSD was not recognized officially by the Air Force until the end of his tour when he'd already sunk deeply into illegal and erratic behavior.
  
  
• A recent study of 140 returning Rochester/Finger Lakes [NY]-area veterans, family members and service providers has found that military families "struggle needlessly because they aren't aware of benefits and services available or don't think they need them. ...The report says soldiers and families need honest information about the pitfalls of reintegration, signs to look for, strategies for coping and the fact that it's common to struggle."

UPI 'Invisible Wounds' Documentary a Thoughtful Veterans' Reflection on the Experience of War

UPI delivers a thoughtful dose of reality and reflection in "Invisible Wounds," a documentary now available online in full.

Hosted by Nick Clooney, Part 1 explores the rigors of combat through the reflections of those who have been sent to wage it through the years. Part 2 takes a look at the aftermath, including PTSD. And Part 3 discusses the road to recovery, and calls on society to help with the homecoming of its veterans.

Details from UPI press release:

Interviews with returning soldiers and their families bring to light the rarely discussed challenges they face back home. Further interviews with Vietnam and World War II vets add perspective to the problem, showing that it is not something new.

The film was created by American Life TV.

These issues impact many American families whose loved ones have dedicated their lives to the service of this nation When you take those who have served and are serving and add all their relatives and dependents you have a huge number of people whose livelihoods and happiness is directly affected by military service. The country owes them a tremendous debt and it is more than fitting that a major news outlet devotes time and space to informing them and the general public on the issues that matter most to them.

UPI is proud to present "Invisible Wounds" on its new U.S. Military Matters feature page... The page will serve the interests and address the concerns of current and past members of all branches of the military and their families.

Fort Campbell Braces For 101st Airborne Return, Prepares to Study Multiple Deployment Effecfs on Soldiers and Caregiver Staff

Fort Campbell is considered one of the main "crossroads" of our military campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, with troops ever revolving through its doors to and from service in the Middle East. The rapid tempo of its operations has applied special stress and strain on its community. By October 2007, the base had reported nine suicides in its ranks that year.

The home of the 101st Airborne Division, its commanding general squarely turned his attention on the crisis when three of those suicides took place in the span of just two weeks. At the time, Maj. Gen. Jeffrey J. Schloesser wrote in a letter to the post community: "This is unacceptable and it must stop. I want everyone associated with Fort Campbell to take pause, and to focus on what we can do as a community to reverse this trend."

Schloesser, now being deployed to Afghanistan, find his work must be picked up by acting senior commander for the 101st Airborne Division, Brig. Gen. Stephen Townsend.

On his promotion this past weekend, Townsend applauded the reintegration program, calling it "superb." That program will be tested as some 15,000 of Ft. Campbell's soldiers once more return home after serving for more than a year in Iraq and Afghanistan. Leaders are aggressively attempting to meet the challenge of caring for them.