Since the Trojan Wars soldiers have been getting clocked in combat. I suspect that thousands of the men who fought in the trenches in World War l and ll were knocked silly with blast injuries from which they never recovered nor were ever known for the permanent damage done to the neurological system.

If Grampa sat in his rocking chair a bit long, sipping whiskey and staring into space, he was very likely the victim of a serious concussion.

Now, both the Army and Marine Corps have adopted criteria to give consideration for the awarding of a  Purple Heart if a soldier/Marine experience a concussion on the battlefield.

Mild traumatic brain injuries caused by a blast or blow to the head can now qualify for a Purple Heart if the Medical Officer in charge determines that the combatant is not fit for duty for more than 48 hours as a result of lingering symptoms. The decision must be made withing seven days of the battlefield occurrence.

The Marine Corps announced the criteria in Marine Administrative Message 245/11 on April 15th. The revised memorandum states that no longer is a loss of consciousness the sole criteria.

This change is retroactive to the beginning of the Global War on Terrorism that began on September 11.2001

Marines, including veterans, whose medical records show that a prior mild traumatic brain injury was caused by enemy action since September 11, 2001 may submit a claim via the administrative chain of command.

The award criteria can be found at “http://www.marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN245-11.aspx/. “

Submit your request to “Commandant of the Marine Corps (MMMA) Headquarters Marine Corps, 3280 Russel Road, Quantico, Va. 22134-5103

Members of the U.S. Army  can call 888-276-9472

The advances that have been made by way of military medicine are stunning. This decision to award a Purple Heart for TBI is the right thing to do, as the complications from head injuries are for life and often much more intrusive than a scar from a bullet or shrapnel.

I know, I had two of them, and always felt sad and a bit isolated by the fact that my injuries never seemed to count, even though I have been compromised by them for 42 years.

Post-traumatic stress disorder, (PTSD) more than doubles a veterans risk of death from any cause and is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2010.

The study states that doctors should offer as much preventive treatment for heart disease for clients with PTSD. The researchers, are Naser Ahmadi, MD, and Ramin Ebrahimi, MD.

The research studied the electronic medicals records of 286, 194 veterans, with an average age of 63, who are being treated at hospitals in Southern California and Nevada. The cohort group includes veterans of the Korean War.

The conclusion of the study indicated that veterans diagnosed with PTSD had 2.41 times the rate of death from all causes compared to veterans who have not experienced PTSD. Or at least not diagnosed with the symptoms. They then surmise that PTSD alone is an independent predictor of death from all causes.

Now, let Veteran Veritas  enter the picture. I cannot use the the adjective that first comes to mind for this study. So let your veteran imaginations take you there.

What I will say is that I first distrust this study because it smells of the subterranean influence of the Insurance industry that does not want to provide life insurance for the young soldiers returning from war, as a result of their pre-existing conditions —which is War!   A soldier who is diagnosed with PTSD cannot currently get life insurance. Truth.

Man is this a hard pill to swallow.

So, the citizen soldier who just defended the United States of America and our system of capitalism, the insurance industry being the very DNA of that system, can in turn not be defended by the very system they just defended.  There will  be an outcry beyond belief when this becomes known nationwide. Johnny can come marching home with ribbons of valor galore, but he cannot get life insurance if he seeks a little help for his nightmares of horific events, because he  is normal. All of the literature on PTSD indicates that, “it is a normal reaction to aberrant events.”  So, where am I going here? I believe studies like this should be scrutinized way beyond their practical value, for the core intent. I suspect that some of that intent is to have on record, medical data, to support the decline for life insurance.  Not unlike the bogus studies of a Psychiatrist named Sally Satel, who was on the payroll of the American Enterprise institute to conduct their dirty work in attempting to alter the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Psychiatry, DSM, so as to not have to award do many disability claims for PTSD, this study is akin to that effort that was suspended as a result of the incredible feedback from veterans, like this writer, who are up at night combing the net.  I will have more to say about this in future postings.

I would like to see what our readers have to say about this study and why from its initial reading it is laced with errors of science.  I will be revisiting this subject frequently over the next several months.

Next week I will be visiting with some high command at Camp Pendleton, and this topic is on the agenda.

As a footnote, many seasoned journalists have a bit of disdain for medical journalism as so much of it has hidden agendas of promotion of self and product, or is bent toward the pharmaceutical industry, meaning stockholders.

There is one simple reason, this legislation is vitally necessary. Veterans of War with a diagnosis of PTSD, cannot get Life Insurance.  What a rap eh? You defend your nation, including one of the largest bastions of capitalism; the Insurance industry, and you cannot get insured by the folks whose freedom to conduct business was warrantied by your bodily and spiritual sacrifice.

Doc Holiday said it best, “my hypocrisy has no bounds.”

By Rick Maze – Staff writer,  Posted : Wednesday Sep 29, 2010 17:46:43 EDT

With just days before Congress takes a six-week break for the November elections, the House and Senate veterans’ affairs committees have reached agreement on an omnibus bill making improvements in employment, job protection, housing, insurance and other benefits.

The Senate passed the bill, HR 3219, by voice vote late Tuesday. The House is expected to approve it in the next few days.

The compromise bill surfaces just as national polls are showing wide spread discontent among voters about the glacial pace of legislative act. Getting the bill done is proof that when their backs are to the wall, lawmakers can reach agreement on veterans issues, which are largely bipartisan.

Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, and Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., are largely responsible for the agreement but there are dozens of bills wrapped into a package. Final passage by the House is expected by weeks’ end, just before lawmakers leave town. Akaka is chairman of the Senate veterans’ committee while Filner heads the House veterans’ panel.

Akaka said there are some important provisions, such as an increase in Veterans’ Mortage Life Insurance that fills a need “obvious in today’s housing market.” Currently, maximum insurance in case of the death of a service-connected disabled veteran was $90,000, far short of paying the mortgage balance on most homes. The bill hikes the maximum to $200,000.

Additionally, it increases supplemental life insurance for totally disabled veterans to $30,000, a $10,000 jump.

“Many totally disabled veterans find it difficult to obtain commercial life insurance,” Akaka said. “This legislation would provide these veterans with a reasonable amount of life insurance coverage.”

Called the Veterans’ Benefits Act of 2010, the package also expands federal work-study programs to try to help veterans find jobs and it also tried to crack down small businesses trying to take advantage of veteran-owned business set asides by making the Veterans Affairs Department responsible for keeping a database of companies where the VA can show it is owned and controlled by a veteran. This addresses a hot-button issue for many veterans’ service organizations, who have complained to Congress that business are getting contracts without having veterans involved.

Here are some of the key provisions of the compromise:

• The Office of Special Counsel would be used on a test basis to enforce employment and re-employment rights for veterans when a federal agency is the employer.

• Homeless veterans grants from the Labor Department would be expanded specifically to help women veterans and homeless veterans with children by including child care services along with training, counseling and placement services.

• A pilot program would provide grants in three states to try to help veterans find jobs in energy-related fields. The states are not named.

• In an expansion of the ability of service members to cancel leases and contracts when deployed or reassigned to new duty stations, the bill would prohibit early termination fees for residential leases and also allows service members to terminate cellular telephone contracts, including family plans, at any time when they have military orders to relocate for 90 days or longer or move to an area not served by the cell phone company.

• Veterans’ burial benefits would increase to $700, effective Oct. 1, 2010, when a veteran dies in a VA facility or is eligible for burial in a national cemetery.

• Parents of deceased service members could be buried alongside their child in a national cemetery if the service member was not married and did not have a child and when the service member was killed by hostile fire or in a training accident.

__._,_.___
God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
Past National Commander
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

At the rate that Vietnam Veterans are dying from Agent Orange related illnesses, the cynicism in the ranks of us who have those illnesses, is such, that one might say, the contract disputes will assist in reducing the cost of delivery as many more will simply be dead before their claims are completed.

If a veteran dies with a disability rating and a service connected illness, the spouse will then be eligible for benefits.  Add those costs to the treatment costs of the returning combatants, and you have an actuarial nightmare.

There have already been grave concerns about the delays in Agent Orange claims for the past 30 years. One of those speculative concerns is that the bean counters realize, the longer the delay the less the outlay. They never quite planned for the overwhelming number of veterans with AO issues to still be in the system this long.

Now in our 60′s, we are a tenacious lot, evidenced by the 1980′s movie with the late John Ritter, titled, “Unnatural Causes.” A must see for anyone familiar with the subject. It is a docu-drama based on the true story of a Veterans Benefits Counselor named, Maude DeVictor, who refused to quit.

One thing is for sure, the true cost of war,  in prolonged real time,including the Un-Declared ones is now a matter of increasing transparency.

Must we really trouble ourselves with  wondering why there is no money left over for jobs?  How sophomoric to even worry about the answer.

While we build and prop up nations across the globe, without the substantial financial  support of our Allies, we cannot build or prop up our own.

Tax cuts, schmax cuts! Red State, Blue State.  Second Amendment

Mortality Clock

rights and Mosque mania, are all distractions from the cost of war. And they are working!

Humpty Dumpty  never did join a political party. He is awaiting his claim to be completed from his fall.

In my view, we are in an Alice and Wonderland, upside down world, America is the disabled veteran and we are the leaders, even with our Agent Orange, Senator Simpson.

The following is for your information and distribution to your members.

John A Miterko

Veterans Advocate

VA abruptly issues second contract for Agent Orange claims system

BY BOB BREWIN 09/08/2010

The Veterans Affairs Department awarded IBM a contract in July to develop within three months a system to process claims for veterans suffering from diseases related to the Vietnam-era chemical Agent Orange. But last week officials inexplicably issued another contract searching for a second contractor to do the job in one-third the time, while the IBM contract remains in place.

VA needs the new system to process up to 240,000 claims for 15 illnesses determined to be the result of military personnel being exposed to Agent Orange, a defoliant sprayed on the jungles during the Vietnam War. VA presumes all personnel who served in Vietnam were exposed to Agent Orange, and the 15 illnesses they might have are a result of coming into contact with the chemical.

According to VA, its policy of presuming the diseases are a result of exposure to the chemical will simplify the process for veterans receiving compensation because the department will forgo the normal process of requiring veterans to prove their illnesses began, or worsened, during their military service in Vietnam. Paying Agent Orange claims will cost the United States $13.4 billion.

Department officials decided this year to process the claims separate from the other systems the Veterans Benefits Administration uses. In March, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said he wanted to tap private sector skills to fast-track the development of the system. “This will be a new way of doing business and a major step forward in how we process the presumptive claims we expect to receive over the next two years,” he said at the time.

VA initially planned to award the contract in April, but delays pushed that move up to July. IBM eventually won the $9.1 million pact. The procurement calls for delivery of a production-ready prototype by October and full production by December.

VA asked IBM to develop a fully automated system and a machine-readable claims form that veterans can electronically download and, at their option, electronically submit.

Officials want the forms to be shorter than the current document, well-suited to an automated processing method, and they expect IBM to use commercial systems to the fullest extent possible. They also want employees and veterans to be able to access the system via the Web, with a separate data repository linked to existing departmental systems.

But on Sept. 3, officials quietly posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website a second procurement for the same processing system. The document was not accompanied by any public announcement. The new procurement includes roughly the samerequirements as the original contract, but a shortened delivery deadline.

VA wants the selected contractor to demonstrate the capability to electronically process claims within 15 days of the award and to provide a production-ready system 15 days later, a daunting task, according to one contractor who declined to be identified.

The system must be operational next month, and bidders must submit their proposals by Friday, only a week after the solicitation was issued, which are due Friday.

Harold Gracey, a consultant with Topside Consulting who served as chief of staff at VA from 1994 to 1998, said he assumed the department put out the second procurement as a backup plan in case IBM cannot deliver its system on time.

Gracey added VA could find a second contractor to meet its requirements, but bidders also have to recognize the negative publicity that would result if they fail to deliver. A source familiar with VA said he viewed the second source procurement as a poke at IBM to fulfill its requirements on time.

Veterans groups said whatever the reasons behind the second procurement they were worried the department might not be able to meet its deadlines. “VA’s unusual announcement for a second contract, without any details released to the public, raises significant concerns among veterans about VA’s transparency and VA’s ability to process Agent Orange claims in a timely and accurate manner,” said Paul Sullivan, executive director of Veterans for Common Sense. “We hope VA issues an explanation about this and puts to rest veterans’ concerns.”

VA officials did not reply to numerous requests from Nextgov to comment on the status of the IBM contract and did not respond to a query on why they issued a second procurement. IBM executives also did not reply to calls and e-mails about the status of the company’s contract.

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
Past National Commander
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
Deputy National Service Officer
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

Suicides in the Armed Forces and the National Guard  and Reserves are still alarmingly on the rise. With all the due diligence and immense outreach that is ongoing in all 50 States, we cannot seem to abate the savage spirit that invades and intrudes the soul of our young veterans of war.

Sixty-five members of the Guard and Reserve have taken their lives in the first six months of 2010. This figure does not include veterans or the Navy and Marines. Even more alarming.

We have an epidemic of mental health issues in the military that all best efforts are not touching. Or, they are, and the numbers could be larger were it not for the ubiquitous prevention programs both in and out of the Armed Forces.  Everyone in the veteran advocacy business is on the look out for the signs of depression and deep despair.

I am trained in crisis and suicide prevention work and remain constantly vigilant through my contacts and network of associates. We man 24  hour hot-lines and spend endless hours on the phone assuring our comrades, who have weathered the horrors of war, that there is light on the other side of those nightmares.  Yet so much is related to place and timing. So few ever seem to be around when that dreaded moment and savage god enters the picture.

Just this week a Wisconsin National Guard Soldier, Matthew Magdzas, a 23 year old married man took the life of his pregnant wife and his dogs and then ended his own mortal life.  Impulse or plan? Flashbacks or internal rage? Who in God’s name knows.  It is when the antecedent conditions are not apparent that we remain impotent in the realm of prevention.  And of course the victim and victims are generally unaware moments before the act. How is that to be prevented?

I have the experience of  7 suicides in my life. Four of them Vietnam Veterans. One of them was my roommate Joe Herman, who had the world on his side, talent, looks, money. And the demons of war intruded one night and put a bullet in his head.  Could I have prevented it? I say yes. But again, we are never there, right there, when needed. How can you be there before those one car accidents when the vet elects to just run off the road, as was the case in the years from 1975-90.

58,000 died in Vietnam. It has been reported by Pointman Ministries and other Veteran Outreach programs, that another 110,000 committed suicide during those years; twice the fatalities in the war.

32 soldiers including 11 in the Guard and Reserves took their own lives in the month of June. That is a rate of  one a day and at level only matched by the period after the Vietnam War.   How do we address this as a citizenry not a military? And mind you, those are figures for active duty, not veterans who have been discharged.

Are we, are we, our brothers keeper?  Are we able to even address in polite company such a taboo subject? Are the figures simply so daunting that we are just left in a numbness of mind that has no direction of home.  When it was reported back in 2008 that a full 50% of the suicides amongst veterans were in the ranks of the Reserve and the Guard, did they slow down the deployment of these young men and women until we got a grip on the nuances of the Guard traninng? No, we needed numbers, big numbers for the General’s, “Surges”, all of them.  And now they are surging home, and the ghosts of war are at our doorstep. In the last two articles I asked our readers if we are ready for a reception that may not be as rosy as we wish.

Is it possible to have every neighborhood trained and armed with a compassionate platoon of listeners and go-to people for times of distress? We cannot just live behind the bumper stickers of support. we have to have some feet…or cliche as it sounds, some boots on the ground. We need a “surge” of  families and friends who will be at the vets side in a heartbeat. The now running national TV advertisement with all the Medal of Honor recipients, beseeching the young soldiers to get help, as many of them acknowledge they wish they had done, is a laudable move in the right direction.

The trail into the woods of suicide is dark and booby trapped. No single hypothesis has ever touched the ambiguous and complex motives that lead to suicide. Literature is strewn with attempts to grapple with the under-belly of this human particular. From Judas Iscariot, to the writings of,  T.S. Elliot’s Wasteland, the Myth of Sisphus,  Sartre’s  “No Exit,” Soren  Kierkegaard’s concept of despair that surpasses all clinical definitions of depression, to the endless tomes of poetry from the Greek tragedies to the modern Sylvia Plath, no one has captured the monster in a cage for lengthy study. It is time to come out of the closet and dance with the demons of war. so as to escort them off the floor.

“The passion for destruction is also a creative passion.”  Michael Bakunin

The massive amount of material from sociologists and clinical psychiatrists only adds  to a pile of  documentation for professional journals and epidemiologists and not one iota of helpfulness for the layman. And most all of the research is ipso post facto. Prevention is vacant.

It may well be that no one wants to enter the shabby, chaotic, tortured and agonizing world of suicide.  With all of our revered Research Foundations and think tanks- the Heritages the Cato’s the Enterprise Institutes the Rand’s, et al, is there not a one of them that could  side-step long enough to research what is killing the souls of  our  young warriors?

Is this the arena for the Jeff Bazos and Bill Gates clan to direct their foundation monies?

Is the business of life and death to subconsciously abhorrent for study?

Life and death is the reason for war. One side must win. Suicide apparently elects to not take sides.

Only the dead know the end of war.

As if the Veteran Affairs Department does not already have their plates filled with a backlog of claims, they are soon to get hit with a cresting wave of lingering Agent Orange claims.

VA officials estimate that approximate 186,000 claims will be filed before the end of the year that address the new rules of presumed service connected disabilities for illnesses that are related to exposure to Agent Orange. Is this not just beyond comprehension? 40 years have passed and we still have soldiers dying of Agent Orange illnesses!

Yet, I have to stand in praise of the Obama Administration’s attention to the needs of the VA. Not only did they pass the first ever year end funding budget, October 22nd, 2009, which had not been done in 22 years prior to the end of the calendar year, but they are prognosticating well the needs of the current war veterans and the standing population of vets that are still in need of intensive care from service connected disabilities. To prepare for this onslaught they are hiring about 1800 people to process these claims. The average age would be 60 and assigned a disability rating of 60% or higher. The probability of using third party contractors is quite high since the research for the symptoms and nature of the illnesses has been complete. Not like the days of yore when we had to get the 4th Infantry to fight for us!  Many of these claims can by cookie cuttered as a result of knowing the pattern of the illnesses.

It is the stated declaration of the VA Secretary Eric Shinseki that he will add a total of 4400 new employees to remedy the backlog of claims, inclusive the new Agent Orange claimants.  The secretary affectionately calls this a “brute force” solution to the problem. We are currently experiencing about 160 days to work a file. The goal is not allow that to rise.

The estimate is that about 160,000 vets will file claim, at a cost of about 13,500 per veteran, inclusive of mileage.

It is ischemic heart disease that is determined to be service connected to Agent Orange exposure. Issues with brands of leukemia are still being researched.

Last year the VA processed just under 1 million claims. The projection for 2011 is about 1.3 million.  The total cost of the Agent Orange claims will be about 13.4 billion in 2010. Should the Parkinsons and leukemia claims be approved, inclusive of widows benefits, they are estimating a cost of 42.2 billion over the next 10 years.

War is damn expensive ain’t it? Even when it is over. Lets hope that the indiscriminate use of chemicals does not occur again. But then the jury is still out on the effects of depleted uranium, and we still have vets making claims from exposure to atomic warfare materials.  God save us.

This is good stuff. The Purple Mountain Institute is a non-profit organization established in 1999 to develop and bring programs, like this Mindfulness class, to special needs groups.

The curriculum and offering is from the heart of the Executive Director, Teri Davis, ND.

The Mindful Veterans Project, (MVP) is a PMI program to provide funding for vets and  their families to participate in the classes.  I was privileged to be able to participate in the last series. Not being one who believes in born again zappings or a make-over metamorphosis of the psyche, this course came close. It is often said, that everything is in the timing, so I may have just been ready for this brand of instruction. Never mind the analysis, it works, and it works like magic.

I suppose the validation and camaraderie that combat veterans experience when they gather contributed to the magical aspect, as we all have our very nuanced war induced stress issues to remove from our saddle.  At the end of eight weeks I felt like I could ride with the wind, without a saddle. Moreover, it has remained with me to date.

The course moves one to more concentration, focus, clarity, insight, patience and peace of mind, while reducing anxiety,depression, anger, fear, stress, chronic pain, and those bugger intrusive thoughts and feelings.

“The quality of bringing our attention into the present moment and keeping it and sustaining it in the present moment and not judging anything or fix anything, or force anything, or reject anything, that is what mindfulness is about.” Jon Kabat-Zinn

Doug Bremer, MD, director of mental health research for the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, recently completed a study using MBSR for veterans with PTSD. He had favorable results and says, ” we may have the ability to teach our returning soldiers the skill to control their reaction to those painful memories, without the use of medication, and before the stress from the memories causes further damage.”

My only observation here about Dr. Bremer’s statement is this; is not control and letting things flow, antithetical?  But then, that is why I took the course, to calm my over active analytical mind! The one that does not trust authority! Oh well, got some stuff to work on this summer.

MBSR Introduction and Information sessions start with a series of orientation classes on Thursdays 6-7:30pm at the Ada Pierce McCormick Building on the U of A campus at 1401 E. First Street (at Highland underpass.) Library of  the Little Chapel of All Nations. Orientations are May 13, 20 & 27. June 3rd.

The MBSR 8-week Program begins on Wednesdays 6-8:30pm. June 9,16,23 & 30. July 7,14, 21 &28. Registration is required.

Their is no charge for veterans, families of veterans, (the last class had two mothers of combat vets), and those who work with veterans. Registration fee for others is $250. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For more information contact Teri Davis, ND^ Executive Director. “teri@welcomehomefreeclinic.org”  520-624-7183

Purple Mountain Institute is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit serving Pima County since 1999. EID, 31-1733820

God Bless
Jose M. Garcia
National Executive Director
Catholic War Veterans,USA
josegarcia4@sbcglobal.net
Better to understand a little than to misunderstand a lot.
In God We Trust

I have experienced this technique. While it seems like you are in a road show with Mandrake the Magician, the stuff works.  Something about all those meridians getting cleaned out that leaves you with a feeling of contentment that is palpable.

I was taught the technique by a retired Air Force  F-16 Pilot about two years ago at the Merritt Retreat Center in Payson, Arizona.  The remarkable aspect to this training session was that 9 hard core combat veterans all reported a positive result. You just can’t do it while your texting! And it  really works well after answering some fellow bloggers!

Energy Psychology’s Magical Mystery Tour of the U.S. Congress
David Feinstein, Ph.D.
After some 30 phone calls to members of Congress trying to set up meetings to plead the case
that Energy Psychology is superior to conventional treatments for soldiers and veterans suffering
with PTSD, Dawson Church and I had managed to arrange only one appointment, and a tentative
one at that since members of Congress may be called to the floor at any time for a vote. Worse,
when we arrived (Wednesday, March 24, 2010, three days after passage of the Health Care bill)
at Congressman Bob Filner’s door on the fourth floor of the House Office Building, we were told
by a prim female aide who was clearly accustomed to shooing away people wanting to see the
Congressman, the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, that we were not on
the appointment calendar, it was a busy day, and there was zero chance we could have even a
five-minute meeting, no matter how long we were willing to wait.
On to Plan B. Dawson knew Congresswomen Lynn Woolsey from his own district in Santa
Rosa, California. We went to her office on the second floor, hoping that even though we hadn’t
been successful in attempting to arrange a meeting in advance, we might be able to drop in based
on Dawson’s being in her district and having had previous collaborations with her. The
Congresswoman had been a strong supporter of “The Family Connection,” a nonprofit which had
consistently been voted by the community’s other organizations as the county’s “most admired
nonprofit.” Dawson had served as its president. But again staffers were to tell us: “busy day”
and “no chance” of even a brief meeting. Just the night before Dawson had been talking to me
about how, when your vision goes against the odds, part of the journey is to accept defeats and
disappointments with grace. And, indeed, today, despite being 0 for 2 on our scorecard of two, he
still seemed undaunted, ready to enthusiastically knock on every door of the Congressional
Offices if necessary. The Army Second Lieutenant we had brought with us, however, was
incredulous that he was spending his day off trying to help us fulfill such a bumbling mission.
“What is your plan of action, now?” he asked with icy courtesy after Dawson had hand-written
the Congresswomen a long note saying he had been by. As we stepped out the door, not sure
whether to turn left or right, we turned left and found ourselves in the path of the
Congresswoman returning to her office. She recognized and hugged Dawson warmly. Within
minutes the three of us were in the inner sanctums of her office with her and two male aides
taking notes.
Our presentation was brief but effective, centering around 29-year-old Second Lieutenant Olli
Toukolehto’s telling of his story. While serving as a guard and medic in Iraq, he was able to
psychologically mobilize himself to perform his duties like a model soldier. He had enlisted in
the Army and was deployed to the “Triangle of Death” in Baghdad, where he served in 2006 and
2007. He attended to mass casualties and encountered many bloodied, burned, and dead bodies.
The first casualty he witnessed was a member of his unit who had half his head blown off. It was
a time when fellow soldiers were being kidnapped and beheaded. At night, lying in his tent, in
an area being heavily bombed, he explained what goes on in the mind: “When the sound of a
whizzing rocket fills the air, if you hear an explosion three seconds later, you are alive. If you
don’t, you are dead.” Upon returning to the U.S., safety did not provide comfort. In a classroom
or other public setting, he would be calculating his response should there be an attack. Sirens
were now the screams of approaching rockets. An ebullient personality before the war, his inner
life had become dry and restricted. He no longer found himself laughing. He realized in
retrospect that he had become dissociated from his body. He gradually came to accept that his
undiagnosed PTSD was his new way of life. Having become an officer, and in training now to
become a physician, he knew that reporting a psychological difficulty of this magnitude could
have a devastating impact on his career.
About a year after returning from Iraq, a friend commented on how he had changed. She offered
to try a technique that she thought might be helpful. This led to a three-hour session of EFT (a
form of Energy Psychology) where he made a list of every trauma he experienced during the war.
Giving a 0-to-10 “subjective units of distress” rating to the first item on his list, he reported that
it was a 0. He felt no distress in his (dissociated) body. His friend had him tap on the memory
anyway. Within minutes he was sobbing, feeling the full impact of the memory, as high a 10 as
could be imagined. For three hours they went through and, by tapping on acupuncture points,
emotionally neutralized every memory on his list. He described how one of the first things he
noticed as the session progressed was a return of sensation in his hands. He said it was like he
was back in his body. By the end of that single session (followed by a brief follow-up session
the next day), he was cured of all his symptoms of PTSD. Now nearly two years later, although
his friend would be happy to provide follow-up at any point, he has been his joyful self again, no
longer hypervigilant, and in no need of further help.
Dawson followed with a brief description of the research he has conducted demonstrating that
the poignant story just told was not an isolated incident but rather an example of a reliable and
unusually effective treatment for PTSD. He described the Iraq Vets Stress Project, which has
offered free Energy Psychology treatment to hundreds of veterans through an international
network of more than 100 providers, with many VA therapists referring veterans for treatment
(www.StressProject.org). I put the meaning of that research into the context of conventional
clinical practices. Congressman Woolsey was obviously impressed, but she also made it clear
that she was not the one we needed to impress. She is on the House Labor and Employment
Committee. We needed to engage members of committees that could make an impact on the care
provided soldiers and veterans. She and her aides started naming the people they thought we
should visit. She could only sympathize with us regarding how difficult it is to get an
appointment, but she did offer to personally hand some of these Congressmen the research
documentation we had brought. By the end of the day she had, on the floor of the House,
initiated personal talks with three key committee leaders and handed them our research summary.
But these are dry documents, and we still had no means for personally visiting with them.
Following this fortuitous but inconclusive meeting, we found ourselves again in the proverbial
halls of Congress with no plan of action. But timing, coincidence, and who knows what else
were to shape the rest of our day. Last January, a staffer to Congressman Dan Lungren, a
Republican on the House Homeland Security and Judiciary Committees, had attended a small,
intimate conference in Costa Rica where my wife, Donna Eden, and I were presenters. I had
shown a video of veterans who were treated with PTSD and it had caught her attention and her
passion. Congressman Lungren cares very deeply about the plight of returning veterans and
Sandra wanted to bring our work to his attention. Two months later, however, their office had
been fully immersed in the pending health care legislation and many other projects, and there had
not been time to give much focus to the strange new treatment she had witnessed in Costa Rica.
As we were leaving Congresswoman Woolsey’s office, the office next door, by coincidence, was
Congressman Lungren’s office. I said, “Let me stop by and say ‘Hello’ to a friend who works
there.” We were told that Sandra was away. So off we went to the elevator, where we would
once more need to regroup. About 30 seconds later, Sandra walked out of the elevator, gave a
little shriek of surprise on seeing me, and hugged me enthusiastically. She explained that part of
the strength of her response is that she was just a few minutes earlier thinking about walking to
the Veterans’ Affairs Office to try to present to them what she had seen in Costa Rica. And
suddenly, there I was.
We were soon in her office giving the presentation that had just impressed Congresswomen
Woolsey. We would be giving variations of that presentation five more times that day. Sandra
said, “I want Congressman Lungren to hear this.” She checked with the person who keeps his
schedule, and there was no way to fit us in. She initiated an alternative plan, whisking us away
to a security clearance area and then to the Rayburn Room, a large, busy area which is just off
the House Congressional Chamber. Congress members can easily duck out of the Chamber
between votes for small impromptu meetings. The place bustles with a strange mix of
informality and importance.
Sandra’s office had gotten a message to Congressman Lungren to meet us there. We arrived via
the underground trolley for Congress members and staff that runs between the House Offices and
the Capitol Building. We waited a few minutes, and suddenly, there was the Congressman, who
had a way of being that, despite my strong antipathy toward his political party, soon had me
thinking, “I could see voting for this man!” He listened with obvious interest and empathy as the
lieutenant told his story. The Congressman responded by relating stories from his own family
that were highly pertinent to the discussion, but he then posed one of the key dilemmas for
Energy Psychology’s acceptance. “It sounds too simple! Too good to be true!” He let us know
he would like to believe there is a simple cure for PTSD, but he would need a lot more
convincing. The ensuing discussion was brief, frank, and to the point, starting with our
agreement that the field does indeed face this odd credibility problem that its methods are so fast
and effective that people don’t find the personal accounts or even the existing research to be
plausible. We also addressed a second very astute concern that the Congressman raised. Would
this treatment impair a soldier’s performance on the battlefield? We argued that it would not.
PTSD does not increase a soldier’s effectiveness. He conceded that point. At the end, we knew
he felt warmly toward Olli Toukolehto and he appeared to be expressing respect for me and
Dawson, but we had no idea if we had convinced him.
Back to Sandra’s office. We were all three impressed as we watched the wheels in her mind
strategizing ways of making the best use of our visit. She told us to go get some lunch while she
took the next steps (meanwhile, shuffling her appointments for the day so she could maximize
the amount of time she could give to us). When we returned, Sandra had good news. The
Congressman wanted to introduce us to some of his House colleagues. Back to the Rayburn
Room. One at a time, between votes on the House Floor, Congressman Lungren brought us to
meet, in succession, a member of the House Armed Services Committee (who had previously
served with the Marines in Iraq), a former chair and now the second ranking member of the
House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, another member of that Committee, and a member of the
House Budget and Appropriations Committee. We told each one our story and fielded their
questions. Sandra is a seasoned Congressional staffer who later told us how improbable it was
that things could have come together for our visit as they did – it was almost as if the timing of
the House votes had been orchestrated to make all this possible.
Dawson Church, Ph.D., Congressman Dan Lungren (R-CA), Second Lieutenant Olli Toukolehto,
David Feinstein, Ph.D
According to a recent article in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, only one in ten veterans who
enters treatment for PTSD in the V.A. actually completes it. Each of the Congressmen we met
was clearly interested in a better treatment approach to PTSD, and each seemed to leave with a
sense that evidence for one may be sitting there in the Rayburn Room. Congressman Lungren
brought us both Republican and Democratic colleagues, and Sandra explained that it is a
welcome opportunity to have an issue that cuts across party lines. Two of the Congressmen gave
Olli their personal e-mail address, asking for follow-up, and one of them said he would be calling
the EFT practitioner who had given Olli the session that had cured his PTSD almost two years
earlier.
We don’t know what will emerge from this Magical Mystery Tour of Congress by a couple of
Energy Psych therapists/researchers who don’t know poly sci from polymers, but Sandra assured
us that she now had what she needed to set some things into motion. The very next day we
received a call from Olli. He and Dawson had been stonewalled by bureaucratic obstacles for a
year in their efforts to institute a research study at Walter Reed, and their proposal had finally
been rejected. Olli relayed that the morning following our visit to Congress, the doors had been
opened wide for the study’s consideration. The commanding officer had appointed a colonel to
coordinate a study of Energy Psychology within Walter Reed and requested that the initial
paperwork be submitted by the following week. Dawson will be the Principal Investigator and
Olli the On-Site Investigator. Olli didn’t indicate exactly what caused the military wheels to
suddenly bounce into action so quickly after the year of intense effort that had gone nowhere, but
we could only imagine that in his charming way, he had successfully conveyed to his superiors
that when Congress asks if they are aware of this new tapping therapy, that they might want to be
sure they have the right answer.
Representatives Chet Edwards (D-TX), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Cliff Stearns, (R-FL), Second
Lieutenant Olli Toukolehto, David Feinstein, Ph.D.
Dawson Church, Ph.D., tapping on Lyndon Johnson’s stomach meridian.

As I began to collect testimonies for the efficacy of this treatment modality, it struck me that the breadth and license of a blog allows us to simply solicit the testimonies first hand and encourage those who have been clients of  Dr. Austin, who is a real treat by the way, to just post their own experience of his treatment sessions.

I am one of those beneficiaries and the potency of the Bowen method was felt throughout my body within in hours after the first treatment.  I fell out of a helicopter in Vietnam during  Operation Meade River in 1968. My back has been compromised ever since. There are times I am nearly paralyzed and cannot walk.  On this particular visit, lasting 2 hours, I could feel some of the pain leaving my lower back.  I was able to walk without my cane after the visit. I am always hesitant to use the word cure, but I can testify to the fact that any abatement of pain is at least a temporary cure. That is always heaven sent.

During the last session of Retreats for Combat Veterans that we conduct at the Merritt Center in Payson, Arizona, Dr. Michael was kind enough to come and spend the weekend with us and provide free treatments to all the veterans in the program.  As one of the Mentors at the Center, I can testify to their experience being unanimously positive with all of  them asking if he was returning for the next retreat.

Dr. Austin is an approved fee for service provider  for the Veterans Administration.

by

Dr. Michael Austin

Chiropractor and Advanced Bowen Professional

What is Bowen Therapy

Bowen therapy is a soft tissue technique where the practitioner accomplishes small, gentle moves across a target tissue, be it muscle, ligament, or nerve. These moves, called “Bowen moves,” are done in sequences of three or four at a time. Sequences of moves are interspersed with crucial breaks where the patient is left on the table for two to five minutes. During these breaks, the nervous system initiates a healing response, or cascade, from the body, unlike any other technique. Subsequent moves done in sequence are further interspersed with these important breaks, with sessions lasting from one half-hour to one hour. Bowen sessions typically begin at the core (pelvis) of the body and work outward. Sequences of Bowen moves are utilized to treat a wide variety of conditions. Bowen therapy is a distinct technique. It is not massage, shiatsu, acupressure, or chiropractic.

Conditions that are improved with Bowen Therapy

Bowen Therapists have observed numerous effects of the therapy including detoxification of the body by increased lymphatic flow; normalization of muscular function through increased flexibility, decreased spasm, and pain; normalization of blood pressure; better sleep patterns; elimination of joint pain and inflammation; and normalization of bowel movements to name just a few. The healing responses experienced by patients include both a deep sense of relaxation and very often a drastic and sometimes total relief of pain following just one session. While the majority of Bowen practitioners treat musculoskeletal conditions, the Bowen procedures are named for the area treated, such as, neck, shoulder, TMJ (tempromandibular joint), pelvis, low back, hamstring, etc.  Tom Bowen developed protocols for treating numerous internal disorders such as asthma, headache, and gallbladder. It has also been noted by practitioners that mild to moderate emotional conditions can also be positively effected with Bowen Therapy. There is even a protocol for infertility. Besides the treatment of pain there are many visserosomatic conditions that respond to Bowen Therapy including fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, TMJ (jaw) pain, indigestion, reflux, PMS, carpal tunnel, bunions, and tennis elbow.

History

Tom Bowen (1916-1982), from Geelong Australia, developed Bowen Therapy.  Tom Bowen had no specific medical training but had gifted diagnostic abilities. Tom referred to the technique as a “gift from God.” Being a man of few words, he gave little explanation for how Bowen worked or why he had chosen the moves he used to treat his patients. He would often comment to his apprentices “do it like this; it works.”  Tom Bowen had a love for sports, particularly soccer. He would watch massage therapists and trainers, and it is believed this is how he began his informal studies.  Tom referred to himself as an osteopath but was never recognized through licensure.  In the late 1950s after helping Irene Horwood recover from a stroke, the Horwoods invited Tom to work from the front room of their home as an informal office. From these meager beginnings, Tom’s abilities as a healer spread through the region. As demand grew for Tom’s abilities, he outgrew the front room of the Horwood’s home and eventually practiced from three clinics, seeing upwards of 100 people per day.

During Tom’s lifetime, he trained six apprentices. Two of these apprentices, Ossie and Elaine Rentsch, began training with Tom in 1974. They further documented his work, and in 1976 opened their own clinic. Tom urged Ossie to teach this technique upon Tom’s passing. As promised, the Rentsch’s taught their first class in 1986 and have held a full-time teaching schedule since then. Through Ossie and Elaine’s efforts, approximately 75 instructors in 28 countries have been trained, who in turn have trained about 15,000 practitioners to date.

Effects of Bowen Technique

Common effects noted by Bowen practitioners include:  1. Improved muscle tone. As muscles relax and become less spasmodic, posture is improved. 2. The release of fascial restrictions.  As the fascia becomes rehydrated, range of motion is increased reducing pain locally.  3. Stimulation of the central nervous system and balancing of the autonomic nervous system. Typically the sympathetic nervous system overrides the parasympathetic nervous system. When the body is in sympathetic overload it cannot heal its self. This is commonly seen in Western society’s type “A” personality with adrenal burnout. With the balancing of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, the patient experiences a profound sense of relaxation. This increased state of relaxation translates into increased energy, improved sleep patterns, and accelerated healing for the patient. Bowen practitioners have also observed an improvement or a normalizing of the lymphatic system and visceral function. This has been seen as a response of the body to rid itself of toxins through increased bowel function.

Cleansing Reactions

Cleansing reactions are not uncommon after Bowen Therapy. Cleansing reactions can occur on the structural level as the body seeks a new place of balance, on a biochemical level as toxins are released from the cells of the body, or on the emotional level, where patients experience a profound sense of relaxation or increased irritability as the emotions are being brought into balance. The symptoms most commonly experienced by patients are muscle aching, headache, and nausea. These are the reactions that can be seen more typically in patients with fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue. So for these types of patients less is more in terms of the Bowen sequences performed during a session.

While cleansing reactions do occur, they are typically in the minority of patients receiving Bowen. The majority of patients just feel better. By feeling better I mean that either they have no pain or they have significantly decreased pain in as few as three to four sessions. The speed in which Bowen achieves these results is one of the things that make it stand out from other alternative therapies.

Suggestions after Bowen therapy

Patients are directed to walk directly after a session for 20 to 30 minutes. This aids in pumping the lymphatic system and assists in detoxification of the body. Patients are also directed to drink eight to ten glasses of water daily. This also aids in flushing toxins from the body. While receiving Bowen therapy, it is recommended that the patient refrain from any other type of bodywork or energy work. Tom Bowen was of the opinion that these therapies interfered with the response of the body to Bowen therapy. Patients are also instructed not to take very hot baths or cold showers, as this will also interfere with the Bowen results.  Subsequent Bowen sessions are spaced out anywhere from five to seven days, since Bowen therapy continues to work through the body’s nervous system subtly throughout that time period.

Possible mechanisms of action

While the exact mechanisms of action (meaning how does Bowen work) for Bowen therapy have yet to be determined, some theories have been postulated. One of these mechanisms already discussed is the balancing of the autonomic nervous system. It is theorized that this phenomenon occurs through stimulus of muscle cells called spindle cells and golgi tendon organs. These specialized cells tell the brain about muscle tension and tone. It is believed that these cells help to reset the resting length of the treated musculature through ganglion chains that communicate with the autonomic nervous system. It is further hypothesized that stimulation of proprioceptor cells inhibits pain. Proprioceptor cells tell the brain where your limbs are in space. A proprioceptor cell is a sensory receptor, found chiefly in muscles, tendons, joints, and the inner ear, that detects the motion or position of the body or a limb. Neurologically, proprioceptors override the pain nerves (nociceptors, which are sensory receptors that respond to pain) thereby inhibiting the sensation of pain.

A second mechanism of action thought to occur happens through stimulation of the fascia. Fascia is the most abundant tissue type in the body and its microscopic structure is crystalline. When a crystal is deformed it releases an electrical charge, this phenomena is called piezoelectric effect. This electrical charge has the ability to stimulate the acupuncture meridians. In addition, Bowen practitioners have observed in their patients the elimination of recruitment patterns. Recruitment patterns happen in the body as a result of an injury or trauma. For example, if an individual injures her knee or ankle and develops a limp, the nervous system learns how to limp. The longer this injury is maintained in the physical body, the more it is reinforced in the nervous system. Over time, more and more neurons will learn how to limp. Months down the road after the injury has long since been forgotten, the nervous system still remembers the limp. This results in an altered gait pattern. Altered gait patterns can create imbalance in the body as well as pain. It would take many months, sometimes years, of physical therapy to restore normal gait patterns and relearn walking, if at all possible. But even physical therapy will not eliminate the neurologic pathways that remember the limp. Bowen therapy appears to somehow eliminate or reduce the influence of the neurons that remember the limp. This is a remarkable process that is not seen in any other therapy.

Case Studies

55-year-old female with a greater than ten-year history of low back pain whose previous treatment included allopathic treatment (conventional western medical care such as pain medications), chiropractic care, acupuncture, and physical therapy. Her reported analog pain scale was eight out of ten. Initial Bowen treatment included the basic relaxation moves, hamstring, sacrum, and knee procedure. Follow-up visit one-week later patient reported no back pain. Patient related she went to a baseball game with her grandson the day after her initial treatment and didn’t realize that she had no back pain until she arrived home.

72-year-old female with history of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis, bilateral knee and hip replacements. Her reported analog pain scale was nine out of ten. Previous treatment included allopathic treatment, chiropractic care, acupuncture, and physical therapy. Initial Bowen treatment included the basic relaxation moves, hamstring, sacrum, knee procedure, hammertoe, bunion, lung procedure, upper respiratory procedure, pelvic procedure. Upon completion of the Bowen session, the patient reported that she had no pain.

50-year-old male with history of bilateral knee pain. MRI results indicated partially torn meniscus in both knees. His reported analog pain scale was eight out of ten. His orthopedic surgeon had recommended surgery. The patient was informed that Bowen would not repair torn tissue; however, he should receive some relief from his pain. Bowen treatment included the basic relaxation moves, hamstring, knee procedure, ankle procedure, hammertoe procedure, and pelvis procedure. At a follow-up office visit one week later, the patient indicated his pain level was two out of ten. An over the counter homeopathic remedy was recommended with a repeat of the previous week’s Bowen session. At the follow-up office visit one week later, patient reported his pain level was zero out of ten.

44-year-old female with a history of bilateral shoulder pain and tendonitis. Previous treatments included allopathic care and physical therapy. Reported analog pain scale was seven out of ten. Initial Bowen treatment included basic relaxation moves lung procedure, upper respiratory procedure, shoulder and elbow procedure, and carpal tunnel procedure. At a follow-up visit one-week later patient reported a reduction of pain symptoms. A repeat of the previous week’s Bowen procedures was performed with the addition of one-half of an organic lemon juice added to each glass of water to alkalize her body’s chemistry. At the follow-up visit one week later, the patient no longer experienced pain in her shoulders with full range of motion restored.

There are currently sixteen instructors and about 1,200 certified practitioners in the United States.

Michael Austin D.C., a licensed chiropractor since 1994, is a certified Advanced Bowen Professional through the Bowen Academy of Australia. Dr. Austin is also a certified Reiki Master, Healing Touch Practitioner, and Craniosacral Therapist, with 13 years as an integrative medical practitioner. Dr. Austin may be reached through (520) 887-2428 by email at draustin@bowendoctor.com.

Dr. Austin is an approved contract service provider for the Veterans Administration.

“Baby killer?”  I have not heard that since my days fresh out of  Vietnam, at least not with the same vitriolic force as these members of Congress are imbuing in their language.

“Por mi Dios,” my Mexican compadres say. How low can we set the bar for behavior before Mom calls the kids in for their daily chores?

Do these guys know there is a war going on, and the enemy is watching and listening to this family feud? Do they know that our soldiers have TV’s in Kabul? Do they know that the Al Qaeda record every little tristful aspect of American politics for their recruiting efforts?

For you conspiratorial thinkers, you might even suggest that the health care debate has been arranged by our enemy, first to divide us and then to distract us from the conduct of war. You know, war, the one  that sucks off all our health care money.  But of course  we are more concerned with the dumber than a door knob Texan who spouts, “fess up baby killer, so we can get your face tattooed on our back.”

Just an isolated incident they say. Well, it was just a few isolated incidents that sparked the Watts Riots. I was there in August of 1965. It was just an isolated incident that caused the shooting at Kent State.  I was not there, but the image is seared in my memory for life. I could not fashion a country that could be so angry. We have now made the Varsity Anger Squad.

You may ask, where are the similarities? Anger is an incremental affair. Collectively it is a function of symmetrical escalation. In this case an escalating chorus that is manufactured and paid for by thousands of lobbyists and millions of dollars. What is the end game of this mounting dysfunctional anger? Is it the National Guard? You smirk? Read the laws that govern the  inciting of a riot and you will note the that many of  our talk show pundits are teetering somewhere between the First Amendment, which states, “the right to peaceably assemble,”   and a blatant violation of State Statutes that govern mob behavior.

I presume the constitutional scholars in the Tea Party will take the word peaceably in its literal sense, and adhere to the State laws which they currently idolize.

Remember, they are watching.  As we import our government in a box to Afghanistan the Taliban are watching. The Hamas, who won in a democratic vote, are watching, while we lament that majority rule is not democratic. Huh? Their laptops are burning with anti-American rhetoric and we are giving them the sentence structure. This makes Jane Fonda look like Mother Theresa.

“We are 24 hours from Armageddon,” said Congressman Boehner.  “They look at this country as one big criminal act,” says Rush Limbaugh, the self imposed titular head of the GOP and National Security and all intractably angry men.

“We are turning back the clock to the ghost of communism,” Congressman Nunes said.  Does that mean that the ghost of Joe McCarthy will visit us? Or does it simply mean we will have to stop conducting business with the Communist countries who make our clothes, our refrigerators and the computers we are tethered to all day? Vietnam and China are pleased that we are so distracted with our ‘Hatfield and McCoy’ antics. Communism is just fine over here in this import/ export room.

The Bank of Singapore just helped bail out Wall Street. How totalitarian is that?  Why are the PR firms who manufacture this outrage and subliminal support of indecent behavior not incensed about the Global financial take over of our sovereignty?  Distraction has become the name of the game and 24/7 cable news is the de facto third party lending all of its support to tracking the mounting platform called permanent anger sans content.

“Totalitarian tactics,” they scream, as we buy our children’s school supplies, our underwear and the uniforms for our beloved college and professional sports teams from their factories.  This makes the fears of socialism look like Mr. Rogers neighborhood.  If you want to be pure in the elimination of socialism in America, then we must eliminate all College and High School Sports…now! They are all run by State governments. The Tea Party Pointman needs to go on the court at the Final Four Basketball Tournament and shut it down. it is Socialistic to the bone.  I will let my pals in Indianapolis know they are coming. I can arrange for some free rooms, like the ones that are prepaid for all of their gatherings.

While Paul Krugman lauds the courage inherent in the passing of the Health Care Bill declaring that reason prevailed over fear, and  George Will, who I admire, decries its passing, “this bill is a museum of hoary artifacts of liberalism’s antics,” erstwhile, my grandson cannot get health care because of a pre-existing condition, my Marine pal cannot get life insurance to insure the future of his highly disabled son, because  he  is diagnosed with PTSD.  How’s that?  So the citizen-soldier who defends his nation and is wounded in the line of duty, cannot get insurance from the nation he just defended!  Does that not level all rhetoric from the Ivory Towers of punditry?  What would that Texas bigot scream at him..”Baby Killer?”

So my point is that the mounting crescendo of anger, indecency and diatribes spewed with impunity must soon expire or we will be a snake eating our own tail.  This is what I mean by lousy choosers. It is the choice of behavior and decorum that has made this country great. Programs come afterward.

It was the late Ronald Reagan who said, “deficits don’t matter, people do”

If only these self appointed seers had a plan, maybe the anger would abate. That is what I mean by a permanent zeitgeist of anger without content. That, my friends, is called an illness and requires treatment.

Doctors call it Intermittent Explosive Disorder, and many of these episodes of  trumped up agitation, irritability, irrational outburst and retaliatory, explosive behavior our sweeping the nation. ” Symmetrical escalation,” is the term used by the anger management gurus, and we seem to be reveling in the mud puddle of anger. Is there a doctor in the house?

Most of the behavior we have witnessed in the past 48 hours would not only be sanctioned at your church, your school, your boss,  or by your commanding officer, but you would be tossed from the room.  Why so much impunity? Has the bar of decency and decorum really been lowered that far?

IED, (Intermittent Explosive Disorder), was first accepted as an illness and defined as such in 1980. Curiously the same time that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was given its imprimatur. This definition is currently being updated, revised and combined with a new condition called Temper Dysregulation Disorder. Many clinical psychologists believe that anger is not a stand alone mind state, but is coupled with the emotions of  sadness, shame and grief. For years, professional therapists have coined anger as the chameleon emotion, because it masks so many other aspects of ones life.

As outlandish as it may sound, I am suggesting that the halls of the congress and the senate be populated not with Tea Party activists, but with a platoon of volunteer psychologists who can help our elected officials choose the right behavior without the shackles of their own uncontrolled emotions.

The nation is begging for a different kind of Poet Laureate, an individual who has the intellect and observational talents of a Robert Frost, and the compassionate clinical mind of a Carl Menninger. Without this type of leadership we will never again be the “United” States of  America.

A local billboard says it well,  “Don’t Make Me Come Down There– God.”    And yes, they are watching.

I apologize for shoving these press releases in front of  all of our readers, but I do believe that  the mission statement of this Blog, which is advocacy, must include the most current information I can find about the machinations of the Veterans Administration. That information frequently trumps my opinions. Rest assured there are many opinions in the wings.  “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” is waiting to come to center stage this weekend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 12, 2010

AKAKA AND MAJORITY OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS SUPPORT OBAMA BUDGET FOR VETERANS, URGE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI) was joined by a majority of Committee members in recommending a $380 million increase in discretionary funding above the President’s VA budget proposal.  This recommendation came in the Committee’s views and estimates letter on the Fiscal Year 2011 budget for veterans’ programs, submitted to the Senate Budget Committee Friday.

“We can never forget that caring for veterans is a cost of war, and must be treated as such,” said Chairman Akaka. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and the Administration to build on the President’s strong VA budget proposal.  Our recommendations are for stronger funding to help disabled veterans train for new careers, provide support to family caregivers, and invest in medical and prosthetic research.”

Chairman Akaka was joined in signing the letter by the following Committee members: Senators John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jon Tester (D-MT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Roland W. Burris (D-IL), and Arlen Specter (D-PA).

Akaka and co-signers recommended the following additional discretionary investments for veterans programs:

• Upgrading an Aging Hospital Infrastructure: $235 million for VA construction;
• Supporting Family Caregivers: $57 million for a new program to support family caregivers, tied to Akaka’s effort to establish a permanent caregivers support program;
• Helping Disabled Veterans Train for new Employment: $20.5 million for Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment;
• Improving Technology: $30 million for Information Technology;
• Investing for the Future: $25.5 million for VA Research; and
• Strengthening Oversight within VA: $12 million for the Office of Inspector General

Akaka and co-signers also recommended that the budget provide mandatory funding to avoid imposing a Cost-of-Living Adjustment round-down in the coming fiscal year and to support a reasonable increase in the Specially Adapted Housing Grant programs which make it possible for severely disabled veterans to live more independently in residential housing.

Views and estimates are a formal part of the federal budget process, in which Congressional committees recommend funding levels for programs and activities under their legislative jurisdiction.  (For the Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s jurisdiction, click here.)  The House and Senate Budget Committees review these recommendations when formulating the proposed Budget Resolution for the following fiscal year.
The President proposed to increase VA’s budget by nearly $11 billion for the next fiscal year.  Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric K. Shinseki testified before the Senate last week that this budget will improve the Department’s ability to transform VA into a 21^st Century organization and ensure veterans timely access to care and benefits.  (To view that hearing, click here.)

The full views and estimates document can be viewed here: LINK.

Listing Of Veteran Benefits

ALL VETS SHOULD COPY THIS
Someone has gone to a lot of trouble.. If this helps one person, then it was worthwhile.

Pass on to all veterans!

Below are web-sites that provide information on Veterans benefits and how to file/ask for them. Accordingly, there are many sites that explain how to obtain books, military/medical records, information and how to appeal a denied claim with the VA.  Please pass this information on to every Veteran you know.  Nearly 100% of this information is free and available for all veterans, the only catch is: you have to ask for it, because they won’t tell you about a specific benefit unless you ask for it.  You need to know what questions to ask so the right doors open for you — and then be ready to have an advocate who is willing to work with and for you, stay in the process, and press for your rights and your best interests.

Appeals http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part1/ch05.doc

Board of Veteran’s Appeals http://www.va.gov/vbs/bva/

CARES Commission http://www.va.gov/vbs/bva/

CARES Draft National Plan http://www1.va.gov/cares/page.cfm?pg=105

Center for Minority Veterans http://www1.va.gov/centerforminorityveterans/

Center for Veterans Enterprise http://www.vetbiz.gov/default2.htm

Center for Women Veterans http://www1.va.gov/womenvet/

Clarification on the changes in VA healthcare for Gulf War Veterans http://www.gulfwarvets.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000016.html

Classified Records – American Gulf War Veterans Assoc http://www.gulfwarvets.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000011.html

Compensation for Disabilities Associated with the Gulf War Service  http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/part6%20/ch07.doc

Compensation Rate Tables, 12-1-03 http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp01.htm

Department of Veterans Affairs Home Page http://www.va.gov/

Directory of Veterans Service Organizations http://www1.va.gov/vso/index.cfm?template=view

Disability Examination Worksheets Index, Comp  http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/index.htm

Due Process http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part1/ch02.doc

Duty to Assist http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part1/ch01.doc

Electronic Code of Federal Regulations http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/

Emergency, Non-emergency, and Fee Basis Care http://www1.va.gov/opa/vadocs/fedben.pdf

Environmental Agents http://www1.va.gov/environagents/

Environmental Agents M10 http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1002

Establishing Combat Veteran Eligibility http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=315

EVALUATION PROTOCOL FOR GULF WAR AND IRAQI FREEDOM VETERANS WITH POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED URANIUM (DU) http://www1.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/DUHandbook1303122304.DOC and http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1158

See also, Depleted Uranium Fact Sheet http://www1.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/DepletedUraniumFAQSheet.doc

EVALUATION PROTOCOL FOR NON-GULF WAR VETERANS WITH POTENTIAL EXPOSURE TO DEPLETED URANIUM (DU) http://www1.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/DUHANDBOOKNONGW130340304.DOC

Fee Basis, PRIORITY FOR OUTPATIENT MEDICAL SERVICES AND INPATIENT HOSPITAL CARE http://www1.va..gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=206 Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependants 2005 http://www1.va.gov/opa/vadocs/fedben.pdf OR, http://www1.va..gov/opa/vadocs/current_benefits.htm

Forms and Records Request http://www.va.gov/vaforms/

General Compensation Provisions http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title38/partii_chapter11_subchaptervi_.html

Geriatrics and Extended Care http://www1.va.gov/geriatricsshg/

Guideline for Chronic Pain and Fatigue MUS-CPG http://www.oqp.med.va.gov/cpg/cpgn/mus/mus_base.htm

Guide to Gulf War Veteran’s Health http://www1.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/VHIgulfwar.pdf

Gulf War Subject Index http://www1.va.gov/GulfWar/page.cfm?pg=7&template=main&letter=A

Gulf War Veteran’s Illnesses Q&As http://www1.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/GWIllnessesQandAsIB1041.pdf

Hearings
http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part1/ch04.doc

Homeless Veterans http://www1.va.gov/homeless/

HSR&D Home http://www.hsrd.research.va.gov/

Index to Disability Examination Worksheets C&P exams http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/benefits/exams/index.htm

Ionizing Radiation http://www1.va.gov/irad/

Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom Veterans VBA http://www.vba.va.gov/EFIF/

M 10 for spouses and children < http://www1..va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1007

M10 Part III Change 1 http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1008

M21-1 Table of Contents http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/M21_1.html

Mental Disorders, Schedule of Ratings http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKC/PART4/S4_130.DOC

Mental Health Program Guidelin es http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1094

Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers http://www.mirecc.med.va.gov/

MS (Multiple Sclerosis) Centers of Excellence http://www.va.gov/ms/about.asp

My Health e Vet http://www.myhealth.va.gov/
NASDVA.COM http://nasdva.com/

National Association of State Directors http://www.nasdva.com/

National Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention http://www.nchpdp.med.va.gov/postdeploymentlinks.asp

Neurological Conditions and Convulsive Disorders, Schedule of Ratings http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38cfr/bookc/part4/s4%5F124a.doc

OMI (Office of Medical Inspector) http://www.omi.cio.med.va.gov/

Online VA Form 10-10EZ https://www.1010ez..med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/

Parkinson’s Disease and Related Neurodegenerative Disorders http://www1.va.gov/resdev/funding/solicitations/docs/parkinsons.pdf
and, http://www1.va.gov/padrecc/

Peacetime Disability Compensation http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+38USC1131

Pension for Non-Service-Connected Disability or Death http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title38/partii_chapter15_subchapteri_.html and, http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title38/partii_chapter15_subchapterii_.html
and, http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title38/partii_chapter15_subchapteriii_.html

Persian Gulf Registry http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1003

This program is now referred to as Gulf War Registry Program (to include Operation Iraqi Freedom) as of March 7, 2005: http://www1..va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1232

Persian Gulf Registry Referral Centers http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1006

Persian Gulf Veterans’ Illnesses Research 1999, Annual Report To Congress http://www1.va.gov/resdev/1999_Gulf_War_Veterans’_Illnesses_Appendices.doc

Persian Gulf Veterans’ Illnesses Research 2002, Annual Report To Congress http://www1.va.gov/resdev/prt/gulf_war_2002/GulfWarRpt02.pdf

Phase I PGR http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1004

Phase II PGR http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=1005

Policy Manual Index http://www.va.gov/publ/direc/eds/edsmps.htm

Power of Attorney http://www.warms.vba..va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part1/ch03.doc Project 112 (Including Project SHAD) http://www1.va.gov/shad/

Prosthetics Eligibility http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/ViewPublication.asp?pub_ID=337

Public Health and Environmental Hazards Home Page http://www.vethealth.cio.med.va.gov/

Public Health/SARS http://www..publichealth.va.gov/SARS/

Publications Manuals http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/publications.cfm?Pub=4

Publications and Reports http://www1.va.gov/resdev/prt/pubs_individual.cfm?webpage=gulf_war.htm

Records Center and Vault Homepage http://www.aac.va.gov/vault/default.html

Records Center and Vault Site Map http://www.aac.va.gov/vault/sitemap.html

REQUEST FOR AND CONSENT TO RELEASE OF INFORMATION FROM CLAIMANT’S RECORDS http://www.forms.va.gov/va/Internet/VARF/getformharness.asp?formName=3288-form.xft

Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses April 11, 2002 http://www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/Minutes_April112002.doc

Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses
http://www1.va.gov/rac-gwvi/docs/ReportandRecommendations_2004.pdf

Research and Development http://www.appc1.va.gov/resdev/programs/all_programs.cfm

Survivor’s and Dependents’ Educational Assistance http://www.access.gpo.gov/uscode/title38/partiii_chapter35_.html

Title 38 Index Parts 0-17
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?sid=1b0c269b510d3157fbf8f8801bc9b3dc&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfrv1_02.tpl

Part 18
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?sid=1b0c269b510d3157fbf8f8801bc9b3dc&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfrv2_02.tpl

Title 38 Part 3 Adjudication Subpart Aââ,¬”Pension, Compensation, and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1b0c269b510d3157fbf8f8801bc9b3dc&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfr3_main_02.tpl

Title 38 Pensions, Bonuses & Veterans Relief (also Ã,§ 3.317 Compensation for certain disabilities due to undiagnosed illnesses found here) http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1b0c269b510d3157fbf8f8801bc9b3dc&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfr3_main_02.tpl Title 38

PART 4–SCHEDULE FOR RATING DISABILITIES Subpart B–DISABILITY RATINGS
http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=ab7641afd195c84a49a2067dbbcf95c0&rgn=div6&view=text&node=38:1.0.1.1.5.2&idno=38

Title 38 Ã,§ 4.16 Total disability ratings for compensation based on unemployability of the individual. PART 4ââ,¬”SCHEDULE FOR

RATING DISABILITIES Subpart Aââ,¬”General Policy in Rating http://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=1b0c269b510d3157fbf8f8801bc9b3dc&rgn=div8&view=text&node=38:1.0.1.1.5.1..96.11&idno=38

U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims http://www.vetapp.gov/

VA Best Practice Manual for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) http://www.avapl.org/pub/PTSD%20Manual%20final%206.pdf

VA Fact Sheet http://www1.va.gov/opa/fact/gwfs.html

VA Health Care Eligibility http://www.va.gov/healtheligibility/home/hecmain.asp

VA INSTITUTING GLOBAL ASSESSMENT OF FUNCTION (GAF) http://www.avapl.org/gaf/gaf.html

VA Life Insurance Handbook ââ,¬” Chapter 3 http://www.insurance.va.gov/inForceGliSite/GLIhandbook/glibookletch3.htm#310

VA Loan Lending Limits and Jumbo Loans http://valoans.com/va_facts_limits.cfm

VA MS Research http://www.va.gov/ms/about.asp

VA National Hepatitis C Program http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/

VA Office of Research and Development http://www1.va.gov/resdev/

VA Trainee Pocket Card on Gulf War http://www.va.gov/OAA/pocketcard/gulfwar.asp

VA WMD EMSHG http://www1.va.gov/emshg/

VA WRIISC-DC http://www.va.gov/WRIISC-DC/

VAOIG Hotline Telephone Number and Address http://www.va..gov/oig/hotline/hotline3.htm

Vet Center Eligibility – Readjustment Counseling Service http://www.va.gov/rcs/Eligibility.htm

Veterans Benefits Administration Main Web Page http://www.vba.va.gov/

Veterans Legal and Benefits Information http://valaw.org/

VHA Forms, Publications, Manuals http://www1.va.gov/vhapublications/

VHA Programs – Clinical Programs & Initiatives http://www1.va.gov/health_benefits/page.cfm?pg=13 http://webmaila.juno.com/webmail/new/UrlBlockedError.aspx>;

VHA Public Health Strategic Health Care Group Home Page http: // www.publichealth.va.gov/

VHI Guide to Gulf War Veteransââ,¬(tm) Health http://www1.va.gov/vhi_ind_study/gulfwar/istudy/index.asp

Vocational Rehabilitation http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/

Vocational Rehabilitation Subsistence http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/InterSubsistencefy04.doc

VONAPP online http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp

WARMS – 38 CFR Book C http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/bookc.html

Wartime Di sability Compensation http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=browse_usc&docid=Cite:+38USC1110

War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center – New Jersey http://www.wri.med.va.gov/

Welcome to the GI Bill Web Site http://www.gibill.va.gov/

What VA Social Workers Do http://www1.va.gov/socialwork/page.cfm?pg=3

WRIISC Patient Eligibility http://www.illegion.org/va1.html

Print this out and save it in your  VA files. There may be a time for use in the future .

“The quality of bringing our attention into the present moment and keeping it and sustaining it in the present moment and not judging anything or trying to force anything or reject anything, that is what mindfulness is about.”  Jon Kabat – Zinn

Doug Bremmer, MD, director of mental health research at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center recently completed a study using MBSR for veterans with PTSD. He had favorable results and says, ” we may have the ability to teach our returning soldiers and Marines the skill to control their reaction to painful stimuli and embedded memories, without the use of medication, and before the stress from the memories becomes a chronic condition with patterns of behavior that are not beneficial to relationships or vocation.

Developed in 1979, MBSR is a manualized evidence based learning experience with an emphasis on increased concentration, clarity, insight, flexibility and patience.

The program is free to veterans , families of veterans, and those that work with vets. Registration is $250 for others, although no one will be turned away for a lack of funds.

The next session begins Wednesday from 6-8:30pm and runs for 8 weeks. February 17th through April 14th with no class on March 17th. Registration is required.

The classes are held at the Ada Peirce McCormack Building on the U of A campus. It is located at 1401 E. First Street at the Highland underpass.  The class is in the Library of the Little Chapel of All Nations.

The course instructor is Dr. Terri Davis ND and Executive Director of the Purple Mountain Institute, a non-profit organization established in 1999 to develop and deliver experiential programs to special needs groups.   520-975-8389 or 404-6685.    “terri@welcomehomefreeclinic.org”

The National Personnel Records Center has announced that Veterans may now gain access to their DD-214′s online. The NPRC is working to make it easier for Veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Both Military Veterans and the next of kin of a deceased veteran vet can use this online system to request documents.

The Veterans Administration has become very attuned to the need to provide better and swifter service to the veteran community. Virtually all needs, from the commencement of a claim, eligibility, medals, heath records can be accomplished online. All forms can be found at “va.gov,” and the DD-214′s can be obtained by visiting the website; www.vetrecs.archives.gov.

I am a volunteer service officer with the Marana Marine Corps League. Feel free to ask me about any questions about the process or about any snags you have encountered. Mike 520-540-7000.