The truly tragic side of this terrible illness is that, with proper help, it could be manageable. But the government doesn’t always care for these soldiers, and often, sadly, the soldiers themselves refuse to seek treatment for fear of appearing “weak”.

Enter Pets2Vets.

Dave Sharpe served in the U.S. Air Force. Returning home, he had trouble adjusting to civilian life and felt that he had no one to turn to – no one to share his experiences in Iraq with. This took his toll on him. Before he knew it, he had started displaying violent tendencies. He would wake up in the middle of the night and punch holes in walls or kick down the refrigerator.

A friend took him to an animal shelter and Dave took home a pit bull puppy named Cheyenne. When he next lost his temper and began his violent rampage, he looked over at the young dog staring at him trustingly and broke down.

“I froze, I put down my drink, I picked her up and laid with her in my bed,” he [Sharpe] said. “I cried and I told her the whole story. I didn’t feel judged.” (source)

Given the extraordinary love and support that Cheyenne gave him, Sharpe was inspired to reach out to his fellow vets. He started the organization Pets2Vets. Pets2Vets has the goal to raise awareness of PTSD and to arrange dog adoptions for veterans suffering form the disorder. With these new pets, the veterans have something outside themselves to focus on – a dependent that won’t judge them and will listen to every word said to them.

While family certainly is an important part of the healing process, so often the responsibilities of family can put pressure on the PTSD sufferer – even if that pressure is only imagined. The dogs provide that comfort needed without any strings attached. Just total  love and admiration.

Pets2Vets is still a fledgling operation, but David Sharpe has already seen results. He has hopes to continue to expand across the DC area and soon across the whole country. He also hopes to expand to encompass, not only war veterans, but police, firemen, rescue personnel, and any others who may have emotional trauma.

If you know anyone who may benefit from this organization, or just want more information about it, head over to the Pets2Vets website.

I found this article giving a few points about how badly cared for are veterans are, and in some cases, the deadliness of that poor care. It was originally posted on Veterans’ Day, but I thought that some of it was worth repeating.

These figures aren’t exactly pretty. The United States government should be ashamed of itself in that it lets these men and women suffer, and in many cases die, without proper post-war treatment.

A research team at Harvard Medical School estimates 2,266 U.S. military veterans under the age of 65 died last year because they lacked health insurance and thus had reduced access to care. That figure is more than 14 times the number of deaths (155) suffered by U.S. troops in Afghanistan in 2008, and more than twice as many as have died (911 as of Oct. 31) since the war began in 2001.

The researchers, who released their analysis today [Tuesday], pointedly say the health reform legislation pending in the House and Senate will not significantly affect this grim picture.

The Harvard group analyzed data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s March 2009 Current Population Survey, which surveyed Americans about their insurance coverage and veteran status, and found that 1,461,615 veterans between the ages of 18 and 64 were uninsured in 2008. Veterans were only classified as uninsured if they neither had health insurance nor received ongoing care at Veterans Health Administration (VA) hospitals or clinics.

Using their recently published findings in the American Journal of Public Health that show being uninsured raises an individual’s odds of dying by 40 percent (causing 44,798 deaths in the United States annually among those aged 17 to 64), they arrived at their estimate of 2,266 preventable deaths of non-elderly veterans in 2008.

…While many Americans believe that all veterans can get care from the VA, even combat veterans may not be able to obtain VA care, Woolhandler said. As a rule, VA facilities provide care for any veteran who is disabled by a condition connected to his or her military service and care for specific medical conditions acquired during military service.

Woolhandler said veterans who pass a means test are eligible for care in VA facilities, but have lower priority status…Veterans with higher incomes are classified in the lowest priority group and are not eligible for VA enrollment. (Mother Jones)

This isn’t right. I believe the author, James Ridgeway, quoting these statistics said it all right here:

So after these men and women risk their lives in the military, we throw them on the mercy of the private system of medicine-for-profit, which is touted as a cherished part of the American way of life. It all gives a whole new meaning to dying for your country.

The picture says it all. Former soldier Shaun Clark made a promise to tattoo the name of every soldier lost in Afghanistan, and he’s holding true to that promise. He now has 232 names permanently inked onto his back.

Mr Clark, who served with the 8th Battalion Light Infantry Regiment from 1989 to 1996, was waiting in the tattooist’s chair at 11am this morning to carry out his painful pledge.

The first name was etched on his body just as the traditional Armistice Day two-minute silence began.

He said: ‘I don’t mind suffering for a few days if I can let the lads know that people really care about what they’re doing out there, and raise some money for the guys coming home wounded as well.

‘The family thought I was mad to begin with, but they’ve come round to the idea now, and my wife is backing me all the way.’

The married father-of-two from Doncaster hopes his challenge will raise £500 for the charity Help for Heroes.

He plans on updating the sombre list every year on Remembrance Day if required.

Before his ordeal began, Mr Clark said: ‘It’s going to be painful business but it’s nothing compared to what the troops are going through every single day on the front line.’

He added: ‘I know it’s a bit extreme covering the top half of your body front and back with 223 names, but it’s my way of honouring all those men and women and it’ll be there as a memorial for as long as I live.’
Mr Clark

Mr Clark hopes to raise £500 for Help4Heroes through his ordeal

Mr Clark said: ‘I wanted to do something to raise money for the heroes who still need help and to honour the memory of the fallen.

‘I’ve still lots of friends from my days in the Army over in Afghanistan and there’s lots of Donny lads out there as well.

‘Lots of people do things to raise money but I wanted to do something different and something permanent.

‘It’s not just about raising money – it’s also about letting these lads know that people care about what they’re doing.’ (DailyMail.co.uk)

A young man by the name of Matthew Weston was serving in Afghanistan when he had the most unfortunate experience of stepping on an IED (improvised explosive device). Amazingly he survived the incident, but it cost him both of his legs, his right arm, and most of his hearing. He has been labeled “the most seriously injured soldier to survive the conflict in Afghanistan.” Disabled at the young age of 20 years. His initial prospect of surviving his injuries wasn’t good, and his family was encouraged to prepare for the worst. Matt pulled through, and his family is thrilled just to have him around – never mind his life-changing injuries.

But apparently there are others who don’t feel this joy. Ever since returning to his home in Britain, Matt has been the subject of taunts and jeers. Teenagers have been hurling insults at him regarding his loss of limbs from the IED. How can they be so heartless? The article has examples of the awful words that Matt has been hearing coming from these terrible teenage lips.
She [Matt's mother] said: ‘When we took him out people said things like “Haven’t you forgotten something? Oh yeah, your legs.”

‘One shouted at him “If you didn’t want to be blown up, don’t go to war.” It’s disgusting.’
Disgusting is right. These insults reveal a mindset of misinformation in these youth. Perhaps they (or more likely, their parents) don’t agree with the political reasons that young soldiers are being sent overseas. Or perhaps these kids are anti-military. But these aren’t reasons (or excuses) to verbally abuse those who have chosen to show their patriotism by signing on with military factions. These soldiers felt it was right to join, enough said. I commend them for that.

So when a soldier comes home wounded, physically or emotionally, we owe them every bit of support that we can give them.

WEATHERFORD — First, Army Spc. Brett Wolf was treated to the ride of his life.

Driver Tony Stewart took the avid NASCAR fan for a spin around the track Tuesday during Stewart’s “Smoke Show” at Texas Motor Speedway. For Wolf, who was severely wounded when his minesweeper struck a bomb in Iraq, it was a chance to meet a hero of his. For Stewart, it was a similar feeling.

“[Stewart] said, ‘I don’t understand why people think I’m a hero,’ ” TMS spokesman Mike Rizzo said. “He goes, ‘Brett’s the hero.’ ”

But Wednesday topped even that experience. More than 100 volunteers and workers began construction on a home for Wolf, 25, and his wife, Kelly, about 13 miles northwest of Weatherford as a part of the Homes for Our Troops program. Wolf suffered severe arm and face injuries and his legs were amputated above the knee after the Sept. 11, 2007, blast.

The Wolfs arrived at the site in a TMS pace car escorted by motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders. After an hour and a half, wall frames were already up.

Wolf found it hard to put his feelings into words.

“It’s a dream come true,” Wolf said. “It’s overwhelming, all these people helping, and they already had the walls up. It’s crazy.”

Since suffering his injuries, Wolf has been in military hospitals and rehabilitation centers from Washington, D.C., to San Antonio for almost two years.

“We didn’t know what we were going to do. We didn’t have the money to buy an accessible house,” said Kelly Wolf, who put school on hold to take care of her husband. “It’s amazing now, knowing that we have this.”

By the time he is released from physical therapy in about six months, his new home will be ready. Sandlin Custom Homes is building the house using largely donated materials — everything from the lumber to the lighting.

“We’ve been scrambling, trying to get everyone together, but it just seems like the whole community, from our suppliers to our employees, have come out in full force,” Scott Sandlin of Sandlin Homes said. “It’s wonderful to give something to someone who has given so much for our country.” Read on…

This is really wonderful that this brave veteran could have his community reach out to him like this. We all really should find ways to show our appreciation to our men and women in uniform. I know it means a lot to them.

Operation AC also has a project for Afgani children. They are collecting and sending clothing and money to an orphanage in Afghanistan. Check out this link for more details on these programs.

Aunt Mary Ann,

I just wanted to say thank you for the boxes that were sent by you and your co-workers. It was incredibly thoughtful of everyone at the Offices of Education to think of me and my guys here. We pretty much ran straight through all the food (thanks for considering my attempts at maintaining a fit and healthy weight with the food choice) and gave all the T-shirts away to the young Afghan guys who work around the FOB as interpreters, handymen and general maintenance workers. You can pretty much count on seeing at least one P.E.R.F.E.C.T STUDENT T-shirt somewhere on the FOB on any given day.

If you don’t mind forwarding this along, I would also like to say thanks especially to: Danielle, Rick, Jeri, Renee, Sandy, and Vicki! It really makes my day anytime I get anything from home, but your thoughtful and personal notes really do help to keep morale up and at least keep me, personally, focused on the task at hand — so that I can make it through another day, another week, another year away.

No matter what anyone thinks about the motives and events that led to my being here, it’s good to feel supported in what you’re doing. Very few of the people that I have fought alongside of in Iraq or Afghanistan chose to come here for personal reasons. Most came because it was what was asked of them by their country or their state and their president. All of us can’t wait to be home, to be with the people we love, sharing in those “mundane” day-to-day activities that make life worth living and cherishing. It’s an honor to be able to represent you and the society you are actively building through our younger citizens, both abroad and at home.

With Gratitude and Joy,

Kevin

I also found another organization dedicated to supporting our soldiers overseas. Check out Any Soldier Inc. to help brighten someone’s day.