Read the full statement from senior commanders and commissars of the former military wing of the ANC, Umkhonto we Sizwe, calling for President Jacob Zuma to step down.
Reported by News24 6 hours ago.
News24.com | FULL TEXT: MK generals, veterans call for Zuma to step down
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↧
Correction notice of press release
The press release issued by BIMobject on 21 March, 2016, concerning the company's cooperation with Onuma, Inc., regarding SEPS2BIM, was not fully complete.
This will serve as a more detailed outline to the release on 21 March, 2016. The new press release does not imply any changes of material significance, but is merely intended to clarify some of the information about the collaboration.
*BIMobject AB, in collaboration with Onuma, Inc., to make SEPS2BIM objects used by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency available on bimobject.com with enhanced capabilities*
BIMobject AB announces the support of a new building information model (BIM) technology initiative, referred to as SEPS2BIM, that significantly upgrades and improves facilities' planning and design process for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DHA). The Space and Equipment Planning System to BIM (SEPS2BIM) process takes an owner's well-organized, structured data and builds automatically 3D objects of spaces and equipment.
BIMobject, has in collaboration with Onuma, Inc., a Pasadena, CA based architectural and technology firm, and pioneer of BIM - announced that the BIM objects initially created for VA and DHA will be made available on the BIMobject® Cloud with extended capabilities.
For the past few years, Onuma, Inc. has worked closely with VA and DHA, on a series of National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) projects that resulted in SEPS2BIM that created brand agnostic BIM objects, templates and real time open data used in the design and construction of VA and DHA healthcare facilities, globally.
With the VA and DHA making their facility requirements data accessible - SEPS2BIM reached an unprecedented milestone for facility planning that impacts the bottom line of planning, design, construction and facility operations. SEPS2BIM provides new services to owners and enables consultants and software applications to link facility requirement data directly to apps.
"BIMobject and Onuma, Inc. are pleased to utilize the VA and DHA provided SEPS2BIM open data services and extend this functionality on bimobject.com to BIM users that support VA and DHA projects, as they work on the design, construction and management of healthcare and other related facilities," said Doug Bevill, president BIMobject Inc.
March 22, 2016, The Federal Real Property Association presented in Washington, DC how the SEPS2BIM initiative was awarded an Asset Leadership Impact Award to VA, DHA and NIBS for Federal Agency Collaboration and opening up the SEPS objects, templates and data to the industry.
A brand new product category is now available on the BIMobject Cloud, called requirement objects. It is a new development in our business model where we will be able to handle BIM objects in this part of the BIM process as well. Our customers will be building owners, developers or an organization; for example, development organizations of hospitals for regions in one country.
*There are now more than 900 requirement objects published on the BIMobject Cloud available to download.* http://bimobject.com/en-us/product/?manufacturer=seps2bim
Details about the Federal Agency Collaboration using BIM and data in the Cloud may be found at: http://seps2bim.org and the use of BIM objects here: http://seps2bim.org/bimobject.html
*For more information, please contact:*
*BIMobject AB*
Stefan Larsson, CEO
Phone: +46 40- 685 29 00
E-mail: info@bimobject.com
*BIMobject Inc.*
Doug Bevill, President
Phone: +1- 314-797-5085
Email: doug.bevill@bimobject.com
*Onuma, Inc.*
Kimon Onuma, President
Email: KG@Onuma.com
*About Onuma, Inc.:*
Established in 1972 as an architectural firm, ONUMA Inc. is a leader in the use of BIM for the digital and physical world for over 20 years. The unique domain expertise of building and software architecture enabled the development of the ONUMA System, a cloud based BIM tool that connects to other applications and supports the lifecycle of facility data from early planning to operations. The ONUMA System has been the core of over 35 BIMStorms with thousands of participants from around the world. The SEPS2BIM.org and FEDiFM.org projects through The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) for The Department of Defense Military Health System and Department of Veterans Affairs, tackled complex facility challenges as a strategic road map and implementation of tools and processes for their 210 million square foot portfolio with a large team of stakeholders and consultants. Other projects include the 72 million square foot portfolio of the California Community Colleges, Department of Homeland Security, Singapore Ministry of Health Holdings, and numerous other owner groups, architects and planners. ONUMA's projects have been recognized in industry journals and received numerous awards.
*BIMobject®:*
BIMobject® is a game changer for the construction industry worldwide with its cloud based Portal offering development, maintenance and syndication of digital replicas - BIM objects - of manufactured building and interior products.
The marketing and pre-sales services associated with the Portal are channelled and integrated, through specialised software, into CAD/BIM applications to create a business-to-business communication across the globe.
Manufacturers use BIMobject® to promote and deliver their products directly into BIM processes enabling their products to be selected and generate a real improvement in sales.
BIMobject® - Winner of the 2013 Red Herring 100 Global Award and Winner of the IAIR EUROPEAN AWARDS 2013!
BIMobject AB - a public company listed on NASDAQ First North: Share Ticker: BIM
Certified Advisor: Sedermera Fondkommission
This is an English version of a press release communicated by BIMobject®. In any case of doubt or possible differences regarding the different versions it is the Swedish version that shall apply.
Correction notice of press release
--------------------This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: BIMobject AB via GlobeNewswire
HUG#1997197 Reported by GlobeNewswire 6 hours ago.
This will serve as a more detailed outline to the release on 21 March, 2016. The new press release does not imply any changes of material significance, but is merely intended to clarify some of the information about the collaboration.
*BIMobject AB, in collaboration with Onuma, Inc., to make SEPS2BIM objects used by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency available on bimobject.com with enhanced capabilities*
BIMobject AB announces the support of a new building information model (BIM) technology initiative, referred to as SEPS2BIM, that significantly upgrades and improves facilities' planning and design process for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency (DHA). The Space and Equipment Planning System to BIM (SEPS2BIM) process takes an owner's well-organized, structured data and builds automatically 3D objects of spaces and equipment.
BIMobject, has in collaboration with Onuma, Inc., a Pasadena, CA based architectural and technology firm, and pioneer of BIM - announced that the BIM objects initially created for VA and DHA will be made available on the BIMobject® Cloud with extended capabilities.
For the past few years, Onuma, Inc. has worked closely with VA and DHA, on a series of National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) projects that resulted in SEPS2BIM that created brand agnostic BIM objects, templates and real time open data used in the design and construction of VA and DHA healthcare facilities, globally.
With the VA and DHA making their facility requirements data accessible - SEPS2BIM reached an unprecedented milestone for facility planning that impacts the bottom line of planning, design, construction and facility operations. SEPS2BIM provides new services to owners and enables consultants and software applications to link facility requirement data directly to apps.
"BIMobject and Onuma, Inc. are pleased to utilize the VA and DHA provided SEPS2BIM open data services and extend this functionality on bimobject.com to BIM users that support VA and DHA projects, as they work on the design, construction and management of healthcare and other related facilities," said Doug Bevill, president BIMobject Inc.
March 22, 2016, The Federal Real Property Association presented in Washington, DC how the SEPS2BIM initiative was awarded an Asset Leadership Impact Award to VA, DHA and NIBS for Federal Agency Collaboration and opening up the SEPS objects, templates and data to the industry.
A brand new product category is now available on the BIMobject Cloud, called requirement objects. It is a new development in our business model where we will be able to handle BIM objects in this part of the BIM process as well. Our customers will be building owners, developers or an organization; for example, development organizations of hospitals for regions in one country.
*There are now more than 900 requirement objects published on the BIMobject Cloud available to download.* http://bimobject.com/en-us/product/?manufacturer=seps2bim
Details about the Federal Agency Collaboration using BIM and data in the Cloud may be found at: http://seps2bim.org and the use of BIM objects here: http://seps2bim.org/bimobject.html
*For more information, please contact:*
*BIMobject AB*
Stefan Larsson, CEO
Phone: +46 40- 685 29 00
E-mail: info@bimobject.com
*BIMobject Inc.*
Doug Bevill, President
Phone: +1- 314-797-5085
Email: doug.bevill@bimobject.com
*Onuma, Inc.*
Kimon Onuma, President
Email: KG@Onuma.com
*About Onuma, Inc.:*
Established in 1972 as an architectural firm, ONUMA Inc. is a leader in the use of BIM for the digital and physical world for over 20 years. The unique domain expertise of building and software architecture enabled the development of the ONUMA System, a cloud based BIM tool that connects to other applications and supports the lifecycle of facility data from early planning to operations. The ONUMA System has been the core of over 35 BIMStorms with thousands of participants from around the world. The SEPS2BIM.org and FEDiFM.org projects through The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) for The Department of Defense Military Health System and Department of Veterans Affairs, tackled complex facility challenges as a strategic road map and implementation of tools and processes for their 210 million square foot portfolio with a large team of stakeholders and consultants. Other projects include the 72 million square foot portfolio of the California Community Colleges, Department of Homeland Security, Singapore Ministry of Health Holdings, and numerous other owner groups, architects and planners. ONUMA's projects have been recognized in industry journals and received numerous awards.
*BIMobject®:*
BIMobject® is a game changer for the construction industry worldwide with its cloud based Portal offering development, maintenance and syndication of digital replicas - BIM objects - of manufactured building and interior products.
The marketing and pre-sales services associated with the Portal are channelled and integrated, through specialised software, into CAD/BIM applications to create a business-to-business communication across the globe.
Manufacturers use BIMobject® to promote and deliver their products directly into BIM processes enabling their products to be selected and generate a real improvement in sales.
BIMobject® - Winner of the 2013 Red Herring 100 Global Award and Winner of the IAIR EUROPEAN AWARDS 2013!
BIMobject AB - a public company listed on NASDAQ First North: Share Ticker: BIM
Certified Advisor: Sedermera Fondkommission
This is an English version of a press release communicated by BIMobject®. In any case of doubt or possible differences regarding the different versions it is the Swedish version that shall apply.
Correction notice of press release
--------------------This announcement is distributed by NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions on behalf of NASDAQ OMX Corporate Solutions clients.
The issuer of this announcement warrants that they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the information contained therein.
Source: BIMobject AB via GlobeNewswire
HUG#1997197 Reported by GlobeNewswire 6 hours ago.
↧
Who'll retire first among Dale Jr., Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick?
Who will retire first among NASCAR Sprint Cup Series veterans Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick?
Reported by FOX Sports 6 hours ago.
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Comcast details plan to hire 10,000 vets before 2018
Comcast is determined to meet a goal of hiring 10,000 veterans by the end of next year and has welcomed more than 2,400, says -More-
*The Preeminent Education & Talent Technology Event*
The 7th Annual ASU GSV Summit will feature presentations by the CEOs of 350+ leading education and talent technology companies and bring together the world's most visionary, passionate, and energetic players to create partnerships, explore solutions and shape the future of learning. *Learn More* Reported by SmartBrief 1 hour ago.
*The Preeminent Education & Talent Technology Event*
The 7th Annual ASU GSV Summit will feature presentations by the CEOs of 350+ leading education and talent technology companies and bring together the world's most visionary, passionate, and energetic players to create partnerships, explore solutions and shape the future of learning. *Learn More* Reported by SmartBrief 1 hour ago.
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"Epic Row" around the Cornish coastline for veterans...
AN "EPIC Row" for wounded veterans around the Cornish coastline will finish in Portmellon in April.The trip will go from Falmouth, round to Sennen and on to the Scillies after it was announced by the National Maritime Museum of Cornwall.Scheduled to set off from Falmouth on April 2, it will arrive in Portmellon on April 29.The trip is part of the Great Bif Cornish Gig Project which had a successful first phase as crowds watched a veterans gig boat, named H4H valiant, launch for the...
Reported by Cornish Guardian 4 hours ago.
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Inspector General: VA Schedulers ‘Zeroed Out’ Wait Times for TX Veterans Seeking Health Care
An investigation by the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) “substantiated” reports that schedulers at the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Houston, Texas “zeroed out” patient wait times between 2010 and 2014 in order to make it appear that veterans were being seen by healthcare professionals during the standard 14-day time period.
Reported by CNSNews.com 4 hours ago.
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Vets showered in federal cash, but critics wonder will it make life better
*By The Canadian Press*
OTTAWA — The new federal budget showers the country's veterans with cash, but there are questions about the details and how far the money will go in making the lives of ex-soldiers better.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau's fiscal plan delivers $5.6 billion — $3.7 billion booked in the current fiscal year — for better programs and services for the most critically injured former military members.
It raises the lump-sum disability award next year for wounds suffered in the line of... // Read Full Article Reported by CJME 4 hours ago.
OTTAWA — The new federal budget showers the country's veterans with cash, but there are questions about the details and how far the money will go in making the lives of ex-soldiers better.
Finance Minister Bill Morneau's fiscal plan delivers $5.6 billion — $3.7 billion booked in the current fiscal year — for better programs and services for the most critically injured former military members.
It raises the lump-sum disability award next year for wounds suffered in the line of... // Read Full Article Reported by CJME 4 hours ago.
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Alaska Forget Me Not Coalition to Host Wills Clinic for Service Members and Veterans
Coalition establishes first free wills clinic as Alaska National Guard experiences uptick in small-scale deployments.
Anchorage, Alaska (PRWEB) March 23, 2016
The legal partners of the Alaska Forget Me Not Coalition are hosting the first free wills clinic for all Service members and eligible Veterans on Seward’s Day, March 28 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m at the local Veteran Affairs Clinic located at 1201 North Muldoon Road. Through volunteers of the Alaska Legal Services Corporation, eligible Veterans have a unique opportunity to prepare a will for free by these legal experts. Interested Service members will have the same opportunity provided by the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson (JBER) Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) office.
The Military Wills Clinic is the first clinic to offer free will preparation for Service members and Veterans in Alaska. The event is timely as the Alaska National Guard is experiencing an uptick in small-scale deployments. According to Maggie Humm, supervising attorney for Alaska Legal Services Corporation, “Today’s Veterans and Service members have a number of legal needs, many of which go unmet due to the inability to afford an attorney. Wills and estate planning are no exception. Without a will, state law governs how property will be allocated after an individual’s death. When these laws do not coincide with the Veteran’s wishes or intentions – which happens all too frequently – survivors and heirs may be forced to endure uncertainty as to their property rights and even drawn out legal battles.”
All those interested in attending the free wills clinic must register in advance by emailing Anchorage(at)alsc-law.org or calling 907-222-4501. Participants must meet income eligibility requirements or hold a Department of Defense ID card. For those who meet the criteria, all branches of Service and retirement statuses are welcome to attend.
The Military Wills Clinic is made possible by the Alaska Forget Me Not Coalition, including Army OneSource, Alaska Legal Services Corporation, VA Justice Outreach and the JBER JAG.
For more information or to register, call 907-222-4501 or email Anchorage(at)alsc-law.org.
### Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
Anchorage, Alaska (PRWEB) March 23, 2016
The legal partners of the Alaska Forget Me Not Coalition are hosting the first free wills clinic for all Service members and eligible Veterans on Seward’s Day, March 28 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m at the local Veteran Affairs Clinic located at 1201 North Muldoon Road. Through volunteers of the Alaska Legal Services Corporation, eligible Veterans have a unique opportunity to prepare a will for free by these legal experts. Interested Service members will have the same opportunity provided by the Joint Base Elmendorf Richardson (JBER) Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) office.
The Military Wills Clinic is the first clinic to offer free will preparation for Service members and Veterans in Alaska. The event is timely as the Alaska National Guard is experiencing an uptick in small-scale deployments. According to Maggie Humm, supervising attorney for Alaska Legal Services Corporation, “Today’s Veterans and Service members have a number of legal needs, many of which go unmet due to the inability to afford an attorney. Wills and estate planning are no exception. Without a will, state law governs how property will be allocated after an individual’s death. When these laws do not coincide with the Veteran’s wishes or intentions – which happens all too frequently – survivors and heirs may be forced to endure uncertainty as to their property rights and even drawn out legal battles.”
All those interested in attending the free wills clinic must register in advance by emailing Anchorage(at)alsc-law.org or calling 907-222-4501. Participants must meet income eligibility requirements or hold a Department of Defense ID card. For those who meet the criteria, all branches of Service and retirement statuses are welcome to attend.
The Military Wills Clinic is made possible by the Alaska Forget Me Not Coalition, including Army OneSource, Alaska Legal Services Corporation, VA Justice Outreach and the JBER JAG.
For more information or to register, call 907-222-4501 or email Anchorage(at)alsc-law.org.
### Reported by PRWeb 4 hours ago.
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Recent vets' jobless rate plunges to 5.8%, best ever
Last year's annual unemployment rate for the latest generation of veterans was the lowest ever recorded by far, government statistics indicate.
Reported by USATODAY.com 4 hours ago.
Reported by USATODAY.com 4 hours ago.
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The Dilemma of a Soldier's Choices
In September of 2011, Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland was serving in Afghanistan as part of a Joint Base Lewis-McChord unit. He was almost at the end of a year-long deployment working to help sway local Afghani leaders into supporting Western forces as opposed to insurgents. The soldier, who by all accounts was a stellar Green Beret and garnered much praise before the incident, was reprimanded on the basis of unprofessionalism and a "departure from integrity" by some of his higher ups. His charge? Assaulting an Afghan police commander in order to stop the brutal sexual assault of a local child. The boy was allegedly kidnapped by the police commander, chained to a bed for more than a week, and regularly endured rape at the hands of the commander.
Col. Steve Johnson, an individual who commanded Martland before his deployment, asserts that Martland should have ignored the situation at hand in favor of improving ties with the local leaders. Martland and Capt. Daniel Quinn, his detachment commander, were appealed to directly from the child's mother, who was also assaulted at the hands of the local police commander. Both Martland and Quinn state that this was not the first time such brutality had taken place, but that the police commander's actions in this particular incident were especially heinous. They felt they were morally unable to allow the situation to continue, and instead stepped in to stop the routine rape of the child.
While certain higher ups in the military are lambasting both Martland and Quinn for their actions, there is evidence to support the idea that they simply couldn't stand by and allow something so utterly repugnant to their morality continue -- not when they had the ability to stop it. In fact, doing so could have put both of them in danger of experiencing stronger mental afflictions and disorder when they returned home than if they intervened. It's not too much of a stretch to say that, in standing by and allowing the brutal rape of a child when he had the power to stop it, Martland would have been putting his own life at stake. There's really no winner in a reality where Martland ignored this manner of horrific child abuse and assault: The child loses, and so does Martland. If you're wondering on what I'm basing these assertions, I'm referring to the scientifically documented effects of "moral injuries."
*Moral Injuries*
Emerging research has found something known as "moral injury." Moral injuries are the emotional and mental trauma that soldiers who witness or perpetrate acts that are against their moral beliefs. To be considered a moral injury, there are generally three criteria of which a certain situation must consist. These components include "(1) betrayal of what the soldier knows is right, (2) by someone who holds authority, and (3) occurs in a high-stakes situation."[1] A number of researchers[2]^,[3],[4] have found that morally injurious experiences (MIEs) "were correlated with greater general combat exposure, impairments in work/social functioning, posttraumatic stress and depression in the community sample"[5]. Veterans who have sustained significant moral injuries, in other words, experience a higher degree of number and severity of issues when they return home. This includes things like adjusting to society and moving on from their combat experiences.
While some might wave the assertion that this kind of experience could cause lasting harm to individuals, the research says otherwise. In fact, some researchers go as far as claiming that the root cause of many cases of PTSD experienced by soldiers who return from active duty is actually moral injury -- the PTSD is simply the way in which the wound manifests[6]. Even more research shows that sustaining moral injuries by allowing morally repugnant acts to continue, or by taking part in them either passively or actively, could actually raise the risk of veteran suicide.[7]^,[8] The increasing body of evidence surrounding the question of moral injury as it relates to suicide risk overwhelmingly supports the idea that veterans who experience MIEs -- particularly those experiences they hold to be especially repugnant -- are at a higher risk for suicide and mental disturbance when they return home.
Did Martland do the right thing? I guess that's a question that we all have to answer independently. He made the decision that aligned with his morals, and most likely saved more than one life on the day he acted -- his own as well as the child's. Not acting may have placed Martland at a higher risk for suicide later on, and we already know that the risk of veteran suicide is far higher than that for civilians. Martland is, by all accounts aside from this instance, a model soldier who has earned the praise of his commanders both before and after this incident. I'd say that not only is it morally questionable to suggest that he should have ignored the situation and allowed the rape to continue, but it's also irresponsible considering the amount of damage doing so would have done to his psyche. I don't believe we should be doing anything to increase the risk of veteran suicide, and forcing others in Martland's situation to simply "ignore" the situation is doing exactly that.
References:
Bartzak, PJ. (2015). Moral Injury is the Wound: PTSD is the Manifestation. Medsurg Nurs, 24(3).
Blumenthal, D. (2015). Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War by Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini, Beacon Press, 2012 (ISBN 978-0-8070-2907-7), xxvii + 144 pp., hb $24.95.Reviews In Religion & Theology, 22(1), 13-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rirt.12436
Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 22(1), 54-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cpp.1866
Dombo, E., Gray, C., & Early, B. (2013). The Trauma of Moral Injury: Beyond the Battlefield. Journal Of Religion & Spirituality In Social Work: Social Thought, 32(3), 197-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2013.801732
Gaudet, C., Sowers, K., Nugent, W., & Boriskin, J. (2015). A review of PTSD and shame in military veterans. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 26(1), 56-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2015.1059168
Guntzel, J.S. (2013). Beyond PTSD to "moral injury." Retrieved from http://www.onbeing.org/blog/beyond-ptsd-to-moral-injury/5069.
Kopacz, M. (2014). Moral injury - A war trauma affecting current and former military personnel.International Journal Of Social Psychiatry, 60(7), 722-723. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020764014547063
Kopacz, M., Simons, K., & Chitaphong, K. (2015). Moral Injury: An Emerging Clinical Construct with Implications for Social Work Education. Journal Of Religion & Spirituality In Social Work: Social Thought, 34(3), 252-264. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2015.1045681
Litz, B., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695-706. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003
Nash, W., & Litz, B. (2013). Moral Injury: A Mechanism for War-Related Psychological Trauma in Military Family Members. Clinical Child And Family Psychology Review, 16(4), 365-375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10567-013-0146-y[1] Guntzel, J.S. (2013). Beyond PTSD to "moral injury."
[2] Litz, B., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy.
[3] Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version.
[4] Kopacz, M., Simons, K., & Chitaphong, K. (2015). Moral Injury: An Emerging Clinical Construct with Implications for Social Work Education.
[5] Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version.
[6] Bartzak, PJ. (2015). Moral Injury is the Wound: PTSD is the Manifestation
[7] Gaudet, C., Sowers, K., Nugent, W., & Boriskin, J. (2015). A review of PTSD and shame in military veterans.
[8] Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version
---
___________________If you -- or someone you know -- need help, please call *1-800-273-8255* for the *National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.* If you are outside of the U.S., please visit the *International Association for Suicide Prevention* for a database of international resources.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline or 1-800-656-HOPE for the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.
Col. Steve Johnson, an individual who commanded Martland before his deployment, asserts that Martland should have ignored the situation at hand in favor of improving ties with the local leaders. Martland and Capt. Daniel Quinn, his detachment commander, were appealed to directly from the child's mother, who was also assaulted at the hands of the local police commander. Both Martland and Quinn state that this was not the first time such brutality had taken place, but that the police commander's actions in this particular incident were especially heinous. They felt they were morally unable to allow the situation to continue, and instead stepped in to stop the routine rape of the child.
While certain higher ups in the military are lambasting both Martland and Quinn for their actions, there is evidence to support the idea that they simply couldn't stand by and allow something so utterly repugnant to their morality continue -- not when they had the ability to stop it. In fact, doing so could have put both of them in danger of experiencing stronger mental afflictions and disorder when they returned home than if they intervened. It's not too much of a stretch to say that, in standing by and allowing the brutal rape of a child when he had the power to stop it, Martland would have been putting his own life at stake. There's really no winner in a reality where Martland ignored this manner of horrific child abuse and assault: The child loses, and so does Martland. If you're wondering on what I'm basing these assertions, I'm referring to the scientifically documented effects of "moral injuries."
*Moral Injuries*
Emerging research has found something known as "moral injury." Moral injuries are the emotional and mental trauma that soldiers who witness or perpetrate acts that are against their moral beliefs. To be considered a moral injury, there are generally three criteria of which a certain situation must consist. These components include "(1) betrayal of what the soldier knows is right, (2) by someone who holds authority, and (3) occurs in a high-stakes situation."[1] A number of researchers[2]^,[3],[4] have found that morally injurious experiences (MIEs) "were correlated with greater general combat exposure, impairments in work/social functioning, posttraumatic stress and depression in the community sample"[5]. Veterans who have sustained significant moral injuries, in other words, experience a higher degree of number and severity of issues when they return home. This includes things like adjusting to society and moving on from their combat experiences.
While some might wave the assertion that this kind of experience could cause lasting harm to individuals, the research says otherwise. In fact, some researchers go as far as claiming that the root cause of many cases of PTSD experienced by soldiers who return from active duty is actually moral injury -- the PTSD is simply the way in which the wound manifests[6]. Even more research shows that sustaining moral injuries by allowing morally repugnant acts to continue, or by taking part in them either passively or actively, could actually raise the risk of veteran suicide.[7]^,[8] The increasing body of evidence surrounding the question of moral injury as it relates to suicide risk overwhelmingly supports the idea that veterans who experience MIEs -- particularly those experiences they hold to be especially repugnant -- are at a higher risk for suicide and mental disturbance when they return home.
Did Martland do the right thing? I guess that's a question that we all have to answer independently. He made the decision that aligned with his morals, and most likely saved more than one life on the day he acted -- his own as well as the child's. Not acting may have placed Martland at a higher risk for suicide later on, and we already know that the risk of veteran suicide is far higher than that for civilians. Martland is, by all accounts aside from this instance, a model soldier who has earned the praise of his commanders both before and after this incident. I'd say that not only is it morally questionable to suggest that he should have ignored the situation and allowed the rape to continue, but it's also irresponsible considering the amount of damage doing so would have done to his psyche. I don't believe we should be doing anything to increase the risk of veteran suicide, and forcing others in Martland's situation to simply "ignore" the situation is doing exactly that.
References:
Bartzak, PJ. (2015). Moral Injury is the Wound: PTSD is the Manifestation. Medsurg Nurs, 24(3).
Blumenthal, D. (2015). Soul Repair: Recovering from Moral Injury after War by Rita Nakashima Brock and Gabriella Lettini, Beacon Press, 2012 (ISBN 978-0-8070-2907-7), xxvii + 144 pp., hb $24.95.Reviews In Religion & Theology, 22(1), 13-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/rirt.12436
Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 22(1), 54-63. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cpp.1866
Dombo, E., Gray, C., & Early, B. (2013). The Trauma of Moral Injury: Beyond the Battlefield. Journal Of Religion & Spirituality In Social Work: Social Thought, 32(3), 197-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2013.801732
Gaudet, C., Sowers, K., Nugent, W., & Boriskin, J. (2015). A review of PTSD and shame in military veterans. Journal Of Human Behavior In The Social Environment, 26(1), 56-68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2015.1059168
Guntzel, J.S. (2013). Beyond PTSD to "moral injury." Retrieved from http://www.onbeing.org/blog/beyond-ptsd-to-moral-injury/5069.
Kopacz, M. (2014). Moral injury - A war trauma affecting current and former military personnel.International Journal Of Social Psychiatry, 60(7), 722-723. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020764014547063
Kopacz, M., Simons, K., & Chitaphong, K. (2015). Moral Injury: An Emerging Clinical Construct with Implications for Social Work Education. Journal Of Religion & Spirituality In Social Work: Social Thought, 34(3), 252-264. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2015.1045681
Litz, B., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(8), 695-706. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.07.003
Nash, W., & Litz, B. (2013). Moral Injury: A Mechanism for War-Related Psychological Trauma in Military Family Members. Clinical Child And Family Psychology Review, 16(4), 365-375. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10567-013-0146-y[1] Guntzel, J.S. (2013). Beyond PTSD to "moral injury."
[2] Litz, B., Stein, N., Delaney, E., Lebowitz, L., Nash, W., Silva, C., & Maguen, S. (2009). Moral injury and moral repair in war veterans: A preliminary model and intervention strategy.
[3] Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version.
[4] Kopacz, M., Simons, K., & Chitaphong, K. (2015). Moral Injury: An Emerging Clinical Construct with Implications for Social Work Education.
[5] Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version.
[6] Bartzak, PJ. (2015). Moral Injury is the Wound: PTSD is the Manifestation
[7] Gaudet, C., Sowers, K., Nugent, W., & Boriskin, J. (2015). A review of PTSD and shame in military veterans.
[8] Currier, J., Holland, J., Drescher, K., & Foy, D. (2013). Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Moral Injury Questionnaire-Military Version
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___________________If you -- or someone you know -- need help, please call *1-800-273-8255* for the *National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.* If you are outside of the U.S., please visit the *International Association for Suicide Prevention* for a database of international resources.
Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline or 1-800-656-HOPE for the National Sexual Assault Hotline.
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.
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Boost for veterans as Plymouth prepares to host 'Civvy Street'...
VETERANS will be helped to find work and adjust to life on 'Civvy Street' at a specialist job fair in Plymouth this summer.Aimed at veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces and their families, the fair will bring local employers together at Plymouth Guildhall on July 19.The event is being organised by the Plymouth Corporate Covenant Group and Councillor Pauline Murphy, who is the council's Armed Forces Champion, said "it's a step forward" in caring for the city's servicemen and...
Reported by Plymouth Herald 2 hours ago.
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HRH The Princess Royal to visit Falmouth sailing charity helping...
HRH The Princess Royal will be visiting Falmouth next month.She will enjoy a brief motorboat ride and a tour of a replica Tall Ship when she visits a sailing charity in April.Her Royal Highness will spend time meeting staff, volunteers and beneficiaries from Turn to Starboard, a Falmouth-based charity who help injured veterans by teaching them to sail. The visit will take place on Monday April 4 aboard the 'Spirit of Falmouth', a 92-foot replica schooner moored at Pendennis Marina in Falmouth...
Reported by West Briton 1 hour ago.
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North Carolina Lawmakers Vote To Ban Cities From Protecting LGBT People
North Carolina's House of Representatives voted Wednesday to block cities and counties from passing protections against LGBT discrimination in a wide-ranging bill that could have enormous implications for the state.
HB 2, which passed 83-25 in a special session, would set a statewide anti-discrimination policy, banning employers and businesses from discriminating against employees or customers based on their race, color, country of origin, religion, age or "biological sex." The bill offers no protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and prevents local governments from passing any nondiscrimination policy that goes beyond the statewide standard.
The bill also pre-empts local employment ordinances governing wages, benefits, employee protections and leave policies. It would prevent schools from allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.
The state Senate is set to consider the bill later Wednesday.
"This bill essentially repeals 50 years of non-discrimination efforts and gives lawmakers in Raleigh unprecedented control over our city and local governments," Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue said in a statement. "North Carolina Republicans want to pass what would potentially be the single most discriminatory act in the country. This is a direct affront to equality, civil rights, and local autonomy."
Republican lawmakers called the state's General Assembly into a special session with the goal of blocking Charlotte's anti-discrimination measure from going into effect. That measure, which passed last month in a 7-4 vote, bans businesses from discriminating against customers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Critics of the Charlotte ordinance particularly took issue with a provision that allows transgender people to use bathrooms designated for their preferred gender. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) vowed to overturn it, claiming it creates "major public safety issues."
McCrory and other Republicans argue the policy would allow male predators to enter women's bathrooms free of consequence -- an argument that has shut down similar "bathroom bills" across the country.
The governor, however, opposed the idea of calling a special session due to the $42,000-a-day cost, instead calling on lawmakers to address the Charlotte ordinance during the regular session. But Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and House Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans, moved forward anyway and secured support for the legislative session earlier this week.Arkansas and Tennessee have laws preventing cities from enacting protections for LGBT people. However, North Carolina's bill is unprecedented in its scope.
In addition to blocking anti-discrimination protections across the state and imposing standards for single-sex bathrooms, the bill also prevents cities and counties from raising the minimum wage.
The bill would also end anti-discrimination protections for veterans. At least two North Carolina jurisdictions -- Greensboro and Orange County -- have anti-discrimination ordinances in place banning bias based on military or veteran status. Under the new measure, cities and counties would be prohibited from passing protections for veterans or service members.
Stephen Peters, the Human Rights Campaign's national press secretary and a Marine Corps veteran, criticized this consequence of the bill.
"Thousands of LGBT veterans have fought to secure our freedom, only to have the rug pulled out from under them by the North Carolina legislature's willingness to wipe protections for local veterans off the books," he said in a statement. "Gov. McCrory must take a stand for fairness and equality for all and veto any bill that would increase the risk of discrimination.”
During debate, state Rep. Grier Martin (D) introduced an amendment that would add protections for veteran status, sexual orientation and gender identity to the bill. Rep. Paul Stam (R), a veteran, argued he doesn't think it's necessary to protect veterans from discrimination -- despite reports to the contrary. The assembly voted to table the amendment.
HB 2 drew immediate rebuke from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D), who is challenging McCrory in the fall.
"North Carolina is better than this," Cooper said in a video statement. "Discrimination is wrong, period. That North Carolina is putting discrimination into the law is shameful."
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.
HB 2, which passed 83-25 in a special session, would set a statewide anti-discrimination policy, banning employers and businesses from discriminating against employees or customers based on their race, color, country of origin, religion, age or "biological sex." The bill offers no protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, and prevents local governments from passing any nondiscrimination policy that goes beyond the statewide standard.
The bill also pre-empts local employment ordinances governing wages, benefits, employee protections and leave policies. It would prevent schools from allowing transgender people to use the bathroom of the gender with which they identify.
The state Senate is set to consider the bill later Wednesday.
"This bill essentially repeals 50 years of non-discrimination efforts and gives lawmakers in Raleigh unprecedented control over our city and local governments," Senate Democratic Leader Dan Blue said in a statement. "North Carolina Republicans want to pass what would potentially be the single most discriminatory act in the country. This is a direct affront to equality, civil rights, and local autonomy."
Republican lawmakers called the state's General Assembly into a special session with the goal of blocking Charlotte's anti-discrimination measure from going into effect. That measure, which passed last month in a 7-4 vote, bans businesses from discriminating against customers based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Critics of the Charlotte ordinance particularly took issue with a provision that allows transgender people to use bathrooms designated for their preferred gender. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) vowed to overturn it, claiming it creates "major public safety issues."
McCrory and other Republicans argue the policy would allow male predators to enter women's bathrooms free of consequence -- an argument that has shut down similar "bathroom bills" across the country.
The governor, however, opposed the idea of calling a special session due to the $42,000-a-day cost, instead calling on lawmakers to address the Charlotte ordinance during the regular session. But Lt. Gov. Dan Forest and House Speaker Tim Moore, both Republicans, moved forward anyway and secured support for the legislative session earlier this week.Arkansas and Tennessee have laws preventing cities from enacting protections for LGBT people. However, North Carolina's bill is unprecedented in its scope.
In addition to blocking anti-discrimination protections across the state and imposing standards for single-sex bathrooms, the bill also prevents cities and counties from raising the minimum wage.
The bill would also end anti-discrimination protections for veterans. At least two North Carolina jurisdictions -- Greensboro and Orange County -- have anti-discrimination ordinances in place banning bias based on military or veteran status. Under the new measure, cities and counties would be prohibited from passing protections for veterans or service members.
Stephen Peters, the Human Rights Campaign's national press secretary and a Marine Corps veteran, criticized this consequence of the bill.
"Thousands of LGBT veterans have fought to secure our freedom, only to have the rug pulled out from under them by the North Carolina legislature's willingness to wipe protections for local veterans off the books," he said in a statement. "Gov. McCrory must take a stand for fairness and equality for all and veto any bill that would increase the risk of discrimination.”
During debate, state Rep. Grier Martin (D) introduced an amendment that would add protections for veteran status, sexual orientation and gender identity to the bill. Rep. Paul Stam (R), a veteran, argued he doesn't think it's necessary to protect veterans from discrimination -- despite reports to the contrary. The assembly voted to table the amendment.
HB 2 drew immediate rebuke from North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper (D), who is challenging McCrory in the fall.
"North Carolina is better than this," Cooper said in a video statement. "Discrimination is wrong, period. That North Carolina is putting discrimination into the law is shameful."
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.
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Top VA officials reprimanded for relocation scheme. But is it enough?
Three top officials with the Veterans Benefits Administration were issued punishments for abusing the agency's relocation process Tuesday.
Reported by Christian Science Monitor 51 minutes ago.
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A New Act Could Provide Veterans Who Have PTSD With Service Dogs
Some soldiers find themselves fighting a completely different battle when they return to civilian life — dealing with post-traumatic stress.
That's why Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has introduced the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act. The bill, cleverly called PAWS, would be a $10 million pilot program that would pair post-9/11 veterans with severe PTSD with service dogs, according to a press release.
“The threat to our service members does not end when they return home, as evidenced by the tragic rates of veteran suicides,” DeSantis wrote in a guest column for The Florida Times-Union. “We must make sure that all veterans are honored and taken care of.”
Cole Lyle, a Marine who served overseas for six years, and his service dog, Kaya, inspired the bill. According to DeSantis’ column in The Florida Times Union, when Lyle returned home from Afghanistan in 2011, he had a post-deployment health assessment. It indicated that Lyle was suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress and anxiety. He was prescribed medication, but he didn’t feel like it was helping.
“In fact, I thought they were exacerbating my symptoms,” Lyle told Fox and Friends.
After two of his friends who also has PTSD killed themselves, he decided to quit his medication cold turkey after a year and a half of treatment.
He asked the VA about a service dog, but was told the agency only provides dogs when a vet has a physical disability, such as blindness, and not for PTSD.
Fortunately for Lyle, through the financial support of his family, he was able to acquire a German shepherd named Kaya and have her certified through an Assistance Dogs International-accredited trainer.
Kaya helped Lyle tremendously, and he's now attending college and advocating for solider rights.
In fact, Lyle was in Washington with Kaya when a senator approached and asked him about his pup. He told the senator the VA doesn’t provide service dogs to vets with PTSD.
“[The senator] said, ‘Well, what do you think we should do about it?’” Lyle told Fox and Friends. “And I said, 'Well, you’re the policymaker, you tell me.'”
The two continued talking and that’s when Lyle realized providing service dogs to vets with PTSD could be a viable solution someone would eventually support. The senator who Lyle initially spoke to didn’t support his idea, but he continued meeting with members until DeSantis stepped up to the plate and drafted the bill.
As part of the bill, vets would receive service dogs from an Assistance Dog International-accredited organization or private provider, and the VA would cover veterinary insurance for the animals.
“Thousands of our post-9/11 veterans carry the invisible burden of post-traumatic stress, and there is an overwhelming need to expand the available treatment options,” DeSantis said in a press release “The VA should use every tool at their disposal to support and treat our veterans, including the specialized care offered by service dogs.”
If you would like to support this bill, call your local member of Congress and tell them you support HR4764, or Rep. DeSantis’ bill for PAWS Act.Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 18 minutes ago.
That's why Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) has introduced the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers Act. The bill, cleverly called PAWS, would be a $10 million pilot program that would pair post-9/11 veterans with severe PTSD with service dogs, according to a press release.
“The threat to our service members does not end when they return home, as evidenced by the tragic rates of veteran suicides,” DeSantis wrote in a guest column for The Florida Times-Union. “We must make sure that all veterans are honored and taken care of.”
Cole Lyle, a Marine who served overseas for six years, and his service dog, Kaya, inspired the bill. According to DeSantis’ column in The Florida Times Union, when Lyle returned home from Afghanistan in 2011, he had a post-deployment health assessment. It indicated that Lyle was suffering from depression, post-traumatic stress and anxiety. He was prescribed medication, but he didn’t feel like it was helping.
“In fact, I thought they were exacerbating my symptoms,” Lyle told Fox and Friends.
After two of his friends who also has PTSD killed themselves, he decided to quit his medication cold turkey after a year and a half of treatment.
He asked the VA about a service dog, but was told the agency only provides dogs when a vet has a physical disability, such as blindness, and not for PTSD.
Fortunately for Lyle, through the financial support of his family, he was able to acquire a German shepherd named Kaya and have her certified through an Assistance Dogs International-accredited trainer.
Kaya helped Lyle tremendously, and he's now attending college and advocating for solider rights.
In fact, Lyle was in Washington with Kaya when a senator approached and asked him about his pup. He told the senator the VA doesn’t provide service dogs to vets with PTSD.
“[The senator] said, ‘Well, what do you think we should do about it?’” Lyle told Fox and Friends. “And I said, 'Well, you’re the policymaker, you tell me.'”
The two continued talking and that’s when Lyle realized providing service dogs to vets with PTSD could be a viable solution someone would eventually support. The senator who Lyle initially spoke to didn’t support his idea, but he continued meeting with members until DeSantis stepped up to the plate and drafted the bill.
As part of the bill, vets would receive service dogs from an Assistance Dog International-accredited organization or private provider, and the VA would cover veterinary insurance for the animals.
“Thousands of our post-9/11 veterans carry the invisible burden of post-traumatic stress, and there is an overwhelming need to expand the available treatment options,” DeSantis said in a press release “The VA should use every tool at their disposal to support and treat our veterans, including the specialized care offered by service dogs.”
If you would like to support this bill, call your local member of Congress and tell them you support HR4764, or Rep. DeSantis’ bill for PAWS Act.Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com
-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 18 minutes ago.
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Vets with PTSD may also face greater risk of heart attacks and strokes
Reuters Health - Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may also have damaged blood vessels that increase their risk for heart attacks and strokes, a U.S. study suggests.
Reported by Reuters India 17 minutes ago.
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Warriors Heart starts Operation Warriors Heart Foundation to heal more US protectors
To heal more US protectors, Warriors Heart starts Operation Warriors Heart Foundation that is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization based just outside San Antonio, Texas.
San Antonio, Texas (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
Warriors Heart announces a new Operation Warriors Heart Foundation has been set up to supplement healing costs for their “Warriors Only” (veterans, military, police officers and first responders) private addiction treatment programs for those that don’t have private funding or if insurance does not cover their costs. While insurance will cover the Warriors Heart program costs in many cases, this foundation will ensure more protectors can heal with dignity and respect.
Currently the Veterans Administration (VA) only covers a small portion of private treatment and this care is primarily done in psychiatric hospitals. In comparison, Warriors Heart treats the “whole body”, including chemical dependencies, PTSD and other mild co-occurring disorders.
Warriors Heart Co-Founder and Former Special Forces Operator, Tom Spooner (who served for 20 years, including in Iraq and Afghanistan) knows first-hand the pain of war. Tom is also a founder for Mission 22 that raises awareness of the unacceptable veteran suicide rate of 22 veterans per day in the US – and Warriors Heart is the solution-side to Mission 22 for chemical dependency.
Operation Warriors Heart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide the men and women who protect us with a unique peer-to-peer healing program for “Warriors Only” just outside San Antonio, Texas. No warrior, whether military, law enforcement, fire fighter, or first responder should ever have to walk through the struggles of addiction and mental health alone.
Chris DeMeo, LE (Ret) and Warriors Heart Admissions Advocate shared the profound impact of being part of this team, “To wake up everyday with a sense of self-being has completely changed my life.”
Operation Warriors Heart Foundations mission includes:
1. Subsidize the cost of healing programs for the 13.3 million veterans suffering from addiction and PTSD so they can heal with dignity and respect.
2. Assist in reducing the 22 veteran suicides per day in the US and the 1 law enforcement officer suicide per day with a “War Against Suicide” by providing a chemical dependency and mental health solutions.
3. Provide warriors with new tools to be stronger when they go home to build solid relationships and contribute to their communities.
4. Give warriors the option of taking a Service Dog home with them as an “extra battle buddy.”
5. Provide educational and community events
Anyone can support Operations Warriors Heart Foundation and get involved in these ways:
1. Make a tax-deductible donation to Operation Warriors Heart Foundation with a one-time or recurring donation.
2. Purchase Warriors Heart products (hats, jackets, t-shirts) online in their online store https://warriors-heart.myshopify.com/
3. Contact Warriors Heart to suggest/provide another way to support their mission.
4. Join the National Awareness Campaign, Mission 22, to unite against veteran suicide.
Tom Spooner believes the VA is overwhelmed with the backlog of 15 years of war, and is proud to be part of the Warriors Heart team. According to The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 25 percent of military personnel returning from these wars have been diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety or chemical dependency. Over half had of these service men and women had more than one mental health or substance use disorder, and the rate of PTSD among these veterans was 3.5 percent higher than the civilian population.
Many have voiced a desire to assist veterans, and Operations Warriors Heart Foundation is a great way to support our Warriors by assisting them with financial support. So much goes into training our Warriors for battle, and there’s not enough resources to assist them after.
Media Contact
Liz Kelly, Goody PR, 310-987-7207
About Operation Warriors Heart Foundation
Operation Warriors Heart Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide insurance supplements for “Warriors” seeking healing for chemical dependency and PTSD at Warriors Heart unique peer-to-peer program for “Warriors Only” (veterans, military, police officers and first responders) just outside San Antonio, Texas. http://www.operationwarriorsheart.org/
About the Warriors Heart:
Warriors Heart provides a peer-to peer based solution to help the over 13.3 million American Military, Veterans, Law Enforcement and First Responders faced with the self-medicating struggles of alcohol addiction, prescription and drug addiction, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and mild TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) in a private, 40-bed facility. Along with a 28-day peer-to-peer residential treatment program, Warriors Heart will give “Warriors” the option of Day Treatment, Outpatient, and Sober Living (60 Day Minimum). With decades of experience in addiction healing, military service and law enforcement, the 3 Warriors Heart Founders are dedicated to serving warriors. Successful Private Treatment Facility Providers, Josh and Lisa Lannon and former Special Forces Tom Spooner (Former Special Forces and Mission 22 Co-Founder) are leading the team on this special mission of warriors healing warriors. Warriors Heart has also partnered with Mission 22. Warriors Heart Founders’ work has been featured in Forbes, KENS5 CBS News San Antonio, FOX 10 News Phoenix and Addiction Pro magazine. There is a 24-hour Warriors Heart hotline open now being answer by warriors, and the center will open by the end of March 2016 just outside San Antonio, Texas. http://warriorsheart.com
Anyone can call Warriors Heart Hotline 24x7 to get help or to assist a loved one: 844-448-2567 Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
San Antonio, Texas (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
Warriors Heart announces a new Operation Warriors Heart Foundation has been set up to supplement healing costs for their “Warriors Only” (veterans, military, police officers and first responders) private addiction treatment programs for those that don’t have private funding or if insurance does not cover their costs. While insurance will cover the Warriors Heart program costs in many cases, this foundation will ensure more protectors can heal with dignity and respect.
Currently the Veterans Administration (VA) only covers a small portion of private treatment and this care is primarily done in psychiatric hospitals. In comparison, Warriors Heart treats the “whole body”, including chemical dependencies, PTSD and other mild co-occurring disorders.
Warriors Heart Co-Founder and Former Special Forces Operator, Tom Spooner (who served for 20 years, including in Iraq and Afghanistan) knows first-hand the pain of war. Tom is also a founder for Mission 22 that raises awareness of the unacceptable veteran suicide rate of 22 veterans per day in the US – and Warriors Heart is the solution-side to Mission 22 for chemical dependency.
Operation Warriors Heart Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide the men and women who protect us with a unique peer-to-peer healing program for “Warriors Only” just outside San Antonio, Texas. No warrior, whether military, law enforcement, fire fighter, or first responder should ever have to walk through the struggles of addiction and mental health alone.
Chris DeMeo, LE (Ret) and Warriors Heart Admissions Advocate shared the profound impact of being part of this team, “To wake up everyday with a sense of self-being has completely changed my life.”
Operation Warriors Heart Foundations mission includes:
1. Subsidize the cost of healing programs for the 13.3 million veterans suffering from addiction and PTSD so they can heal with dignity and respect.
2. Assist in reducing the 22 veteran suicides per day in the US and the 1 law enforcement officer suicide per day with a “War Against Suicide” by providing a chemical dependency and mental health solutions.
3. Provide warriors with new tools to be stronger when they go home to build solid relationships and contribute to their communities.
4. Give warriors the option of taking a Service Dog home with them as an “extra battle buddy.”
5. Provide educational and community events
Anyone can support Operations Warriors Heart Foundation and get involved in these ways:
1. Make a tax-deductible donation to Operation Warriors Heart Foundation with a one-time or recurring donation.
2. Purchase Warriors Heart products (hats, jackets, t-shirts) online in their online store https://warriors-heart.myshopify.com/
3. Contact Warriors Heart to suggest/provide another way to support their mission.
4. Join the National Awareness Campaign, Mission 22, to unite against veteran suicide.
Tom Spooner believes the VA is overwhelmed with the backlog of 15 years of war, and is proud to be part of the Warriors Heart team. According to The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 25 percent of military personnel returning from these wars have been diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety or chemical dependency. Over half had of these service men and women had more than one mental health or substance use disorder, and the rate of PTSD among these veterans was 3.5 percent higher than the civilian population.
Many have voiced a desire to assist veterans, and Operations Warriors Heart Foundation is a great way to support our Warriors by assisting them with financial support. So much goes into training our Warriors for battle, and there’s not enough resources to assist them after.
Media Contact
Liz Kelly, Goody PR, 310-987-7207
About Operation Warriors Heart Foundation
Operation Warriors Heart Foundation is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization established to provide insurance supplements for “Warriors” seeking healing for chemical dependency and PTSD at Warriors Heart unique peer-to-peer program for “Warriors Only” (veterans, military, police officers and first responders) just outside San Antonio, Texas. http://www.operationwarriorsheart.org/
About the Warriors Heart:
Warriors Heart provides a peer-to peer based solution to help the over 13.3 million American Military, Veterans, Law Enforcement and First Responders faced with the self-medicating struggles of alcohol addiction, prescription and drug addiction, PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) and mild TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) in a private, 40-bed facility. Along with a 28-day peer-to-peer residential treatment program, Warriors Heart will give “Warriors” the option of Day Treatment, Outpatient, and Sober Living (60 Day Minimum). With decades of experience in addiction healing, military service and law enforcement, the 3 Warriors Heart Founders are dedicated to serving warriors. Successful Private Treatment Facility Providers, Josh and Lisa Lannon and former Special Forces Tom Spooner (Former Special Forces and Mission 22 Co-Founder) are leading the team on this special mission of warriors healing warriors. Warriors Heart has also partnered with Mission 22. Warriors Heart Founders’ work has been featured in Forbes, KENS5 CBS News San Antonio, FOX 10 News Phoenix and Addiction Pro magazine. There is a 24-hour Warriors Heart hotline open now being answer by warriors, and the center will open by the end of March 2016 just outside San Antonio, Texas. http://warriorsheart.com
Anyone can call Warriors Heart Hotline 24x7 to get help or to assist a loved one: 844-448-2567 Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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CATMEDIA CEO Catherine Downey Named 2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year
CATMEDIA's founder and CEO, Catherine Downey was named the 2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA Georgia District Office
ATLANTA, GA. (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
Today, CATMEDIA’s founder and CEO, Catherine Downey was named the 2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA Georgia District Office. Downey will be heading to D.C. to be formally recognized and potentially named the National Small Business Person of the Year.
“This recognition emphasizes how CATMEDIA’s core values drive business innovation and we look forward to providing creative solutions to clients in communications strategy, media production, and training,” Downey said.
CATMEDIA was founded in Atlanta in 1997 as a one-person operation and has since grown to 33 employees generating $17 million in revenue. As a true innovator, Downey is named on several patent-pending training and communications technologies. Under her leadership, CATMEDIA was named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America in 2014 & 2015. Her commitment to excellent customer service is supported by a client list that includes some of the biggest names in federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Downey, a lifelong learner, was honored by the SBA’s Georgia District as the 2014 Class Valedictorian in the “Emerging Leaders Program” and successfully graduated from the Tuck Executive Program under a full Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Dorothy B. Brothers scholarship, while serving on the state level advisory board for Georgia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Downey is an active business member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, WBENC, US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Greater Women’s Business Council, and Vistage International.
Each year, the SBA selects the Small Business Person of the Year from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The award recognizes small business owners and entrepreneurs for their success and achievements in business. The Small Business Person of the Year Award is a part of National Small Business Week, May 2-6, 2016, which highlights the outstanding efforts of small business owners.
ABOUT CATMEDIA:
CATMEDIA is an award-winning Inc. 500 company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1997, the company specializes in advertising, creative services, media production, program management, training, and human resource management. As a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), CATMEDIA provides world-class customer service and innovative solutions to government and commercial clients. Current CATMEDIA clients include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Stay Connected with CATMEDIA:
For more information, please visit CATMEDIA.com
Like us on Facebook
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XXX Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
ATLANTA, GA. (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
Today, CATMEDIA’s founder and CEO, Catherine Downey was named the 2016 Georgia Small Business Person of the Year by the SBA Georgia District Office. Downey will be heading to D.C. to be formally recognized and potentially named the National Small Business Person of the Year.
“This recognition emphasizes how CATMEDIA’s core values drive business innovation and we look forward to providing creative solutions to clients in communications strategy, media production, and training,” Downey said.
CATMEDIA was founded in Atlanta in 1997 as a one-person operation and has since grown to 33 employees generating $17 million in revenue. As a true innovator, Downey is named on several patent-pending training and communications technologies. Under her leadership, CATMEDIA was named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in America in 2014 & 2015. Her commitment to excellent customer service is supported by a client list that includes some of the biggest names in federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Downey, a lifelong learner, was honored by the SBA’s Georgia District as the 2014 Class Valedictorian in the “Emerging Leaders Program” and successfully graduated from the Tuck Executive Program under a full Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) Dorothy B. Brothers scholarship, while serving on the state level advisory board for Georgia’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC). Downey is an active business member of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, WBENC, US Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Greater Women’s Business Council, and Vistage International.
Each year, the SBA selects the Small Business Person of the Year from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. The award recognizes small business owners and entrepreneurs for their success and achievements in business. The Small Business Person of the Year Award is a part of National Small Business Week, May 2-6, 2016, which highlights the outstanding efforts of small business owners.
ABOUT CATMEDIA:
CATMEDIA is an award-winning Inc. 500 company based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1997, the company specializes in advertising, creative services, media production, program management, training, and human resource management. As a Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), CATMEDIA provides world-class customer service and innovative solutions to government and commercial clients. Current CATMEDIA clients include Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Stay Connected with CATMEDIA:
For more information, please visit CATMEDIA.com
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XXX Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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Shepherd's Men Announce 2016 Run from Boston to Atlanta to Fund SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center
14 runners will run 22 kilometers per day through 10 cities to raise funds for the SHARE Military Initiative, a program that treats PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injuries in US Military Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
On March 26, 2016, Shepherd’s Men will begin a run from Boston to Atlanta through 10 cities to benefit the SHARE Military Initiative at Atlanta’s Shepherd Center and raise awareness of the suicide epidemic plaguing veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Shepherd’s Men is a fundraising group comprised of 14 men who will make the run together, with the Army, Marine Corps and civilian population represented in their numbers. Each member of the group will complete the journey wearing a flak vest with 22 pounds of added weight and running at least 22 kilometers per day. The number 22 is symbolic and represents the average number of suicides that occur among United States veterans each day.
The group raises funds for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, one of the nation’s top rehabilitation centers for spinal cord and brain injuries. Many soldiers who see combat suffer repeated neurotraumas that result in Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). These physiological injuries are often undiagnosed and contribute to or exacerbate the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Without treating these injuries first, psychological counseling and other treatments for PTSD are rendered ineffective. The SHARE Military Initiative is a 12-week program that treats both the physiological and psychological effects of TBI and PTSD. It is primarily donor-funded and, to date, no graduate of the program has been lost to suicide.
The Shepherd’s Men will begin their 2016 journey in Boston on March 26 and end at Shepherd Center in Atlanta on April 3. Along the way, they will make stops in Newport, RI; New York, NY; Gettysburg, PA; Lynchburg, VA; Knoxville, TN; Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; and Athens, GA. In each city, they will meet with veterans’ groups, VFWs, police, firemen and other local organizations to honor those who have fought for our freedom and bring attention to the combat veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who need treatment.
The public is invited to participate in the last leg, running alongside the Shepherd’s Men as they arrive at the Shepherd Center on April 3 at 1:00 p.m. Runners can meet the group at one of two locations: Woodruff Park at noon or Midtown Blue 12:45 p.m. (933 Peachtree Street, Atlanta).
“We plan to raise one million dollars to benefit the SHARE Military Initiative this year,” says Travis Ellis, the civilian founder of Shepherd’s Men. “The men and women returning from today’s conflicts volunteered for our country, for all of us, and they return with battle scars that need our help to heal. Too many are pushed to the margins and take their own lives while the rest of us enjoy the freedom for which these veterans fought. The physical challenge of our run is nothing compared to the challenges faced by our veterans.”
The SHARE Military Initiative is a primarily donor-funded program at Shepherd Center and the clients receive these services at no charge to them or their families. SHARE’s current annual fundraising need is $1,150,000. Shepherd’s Men is generously funded by corporate sponsors HD Supply, Verizon Wireless, Samuel Adams Boston Brewery, SA White Oil Co., Superior Plumbing, Georgia Power, First Landmark Bank, Community and Southern Bank, Cumberland Diamond Exchange and CAL Lighting as well as various Marine Corps League Detachments, American Legion Posts, and other local and national businesses. To become a sponsor, please visit shepherdsmen.com to make your tax-deductible donation today.
The 2016 Shepherd’s Men will run the longest distance with their largest group since the group’s inception in 2013. Previous runs traveled from Atlanta, GA to Arlington, VA, in 2014 and New York City to Atlanta, GA in 2015. The organization includes graduates of the SHARE Military Initiative as well as active duty military personnel, veterans and one civilian, all of whom who take personal leave to participate in the journey. To learn more about the SHARE Military Initiative, Shepherd’s Men or Shepherd Center, see bios of the men making the run, or to make a donation, visit shepherdsmen.com. For media inquiries, please contact Glynda Thor, team PR, at glynda(at)shepherdsmen(dot)com.
ABOUT SHEPHERD’S MEN
Shepherd’s Men, founded by Travis Ellis, a civilian and local business leader, and USMC Gunnery Sergeant Troy Campbell, along with active duty Marines from USMC’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, CO B, raise funds and awareness for SHARE through an annual multi-day run. Their goal is to help their fellow service men and women in need, and to put an end to one tragic and appalling reality—on average, there are 22 veteran suicides each day. No graduate of the SHARE Military Initiative has committed suicide. Inspired by this fact, the Shepherd’s Men volunteer their time and effort to raise funds for SHARE to operate and hopefully expand the program to serve more veterans.
In 2014, their first year, Shepherd’s Men ran from Shepherd Center in Atlanta to the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. Their goal was $50,000 and they raised more than $100,000 for SHARE. In 2015, along with new member Jarrad Turner, a retired U.S. Army medic, and himself a graduate of the SHARE Military Initiative, they ran from the World Trade Center site in New York to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, all while wearing 22 lb. flak vests (representing the 22 veteran suicides each day). Their goal increased to $250,000, and they raised $280,000.
In 2016, Shepherd’s Men, joined by new member, U.S. Army veteran and SHARE Graduate James Peterson, will run from Boston to Shepherd Center. Each of them will run 22 kilometers per day wearing 22 lb. flak vests. Their goal is to raise $1 Million for SHARE. Contact Shepherd’s men by visiting shepherdsmen.com or calling 404-350-7306, or connect on social media on Twitter and Facebook.
A Soldier's Story
James Peterson served as a forward observer in the Army for four years, being deployed in Iraq from 2004-2005. His job was to call in mortar and artillery strikes to strategic enemy locations, though he spent most of his time as a gunner on a Humvee, defending convoys as they made their way through hostile territory.
He met and married his wife Kateri after his return in 2006, but she soon noticed a rapid deterioration in his physical and mental health over the next few years. “He didn’t remember life changing events, like our wedding day or the birth of our children. Over time, he became distant, extremely paranoid and suicidal. He actually left us on several occasions because he said we would be better off without him. I was helpless. I felt like I had lost my husband and my children had lost their father,” said Kateri.
James was diagnosed with PTSD by the VA and underwent treatment at multiple VA locations around the country, each time coming home worse than when he had left.
“Looking back, we now know he also had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that was undiagnosed, and if PTSD and TBI aren’t treated together in a holistic way, treatment for PTSD alone can exacerbate the symptoms,” said Kateri.
As things became unbearable, Kateri—who had formerly helped run a national non-profit to help combat veterans with PTSD and TBI adjust to life after combat—reached out to her network of 400-600 caregivers online, explained their plight and asked where James could get the help that he so desperately needed. A veteran’s wife referred them to the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center where her husband had received treatment with success.
“We filled out the paperwork, had a phone interview and he was in the SHARE program within 2 weeks. The VA programs that he had previously been enrolled in had a wait list of 8-12 weeks. Suicidal vets can’t wait 8-12 weeks for help,” said Kateri.
At SHARE, staff members explained the symptoms and treatments of James’ specific injuries to him and his family, and began to treat both his PTSD and TBI together through an individualized program designed just for him. Within three weeks, Kateri began noticing positive changes in James.
“There was life in his eyes again,” said Kateri. “The James that I married was starting to come through. I saw improvement every day. He looked physically healthier. SHARE gave him his life back—he had to work for it mind you—but they gave it to him.”
James admits, he was skeptical at first. “Because of all of the other unsuccessful treatments I had undergone, I wasn’t certain that SHARE could help me, but it changed my life. I was hopeless and it gave me hope again. The caregivers at SHARE helped me understand my new “normal” in life and that it was ok not to be perfect. They gave me tools to help me adjust to my new normal and taught me that full recovery is a work in progress. It’s something I am still working on, but with their help, I am on my path to recovery every day.”
Now James is largely recovered and ready to do what he can to promote awareness of injuries like his and how SHARE can help.
When asked what he would tell someone else who was suffering from the same type injuries, James replied, “If you’ve gone through other treatment programs like I have and they’ve failed, you are skeptical just like I was. But you have to try SHARE. From one combat vet to another, just do it. It will change your life.”
James is not only a SHARE program graduate, but he is also giving back by being a part of the Shepherd’s Men and running from Boston to Atlanta this year to help raise awareness. He began training in July of 2015 and the training itself has contributed to his recovery as it has helped him lose over 100 lbs.
ABOUT THE SHARE MILITARY INITIATIVE AT SHEPHERD CENTER
Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative is a comprehensive continuum of rehabilitative care for U.S. Service members injured in post 9/11 conflicts who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) complicated with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). SHARE provides the resources and tools to eliminate or reduce the symptoms of these injuries and successfully return our veterans to their homes, families, and communities. SHARE offers a broad continuum of care, specifically tailored to meet the needs of each veteran, including housing, physical, occupational, vocational and speech therapies, life coaching, therapeutic recreation and legal, financial and psychological counseling. The Initiative also provides medical care, pain management and other specialized services.
The SHARE program typically serves eight to 10 clients through a 12-week program. All activities are housed in one centralized location and conducted by the same medical and rehabilitation team, so that all aspects of a client’s care work collaboratively, as opposed to the fragmented systems clients have often experienced elsewhere. Finally, graduates are assigned case managers who work with them in their home communities and follow their progress post-discharge to ensure they are meeting their goals and have the resources they need to continue their work to recovery.
The SHARE Military Initiative is a primarily donor-funded program at Shepherd Center and clients receive these services at no charge to them or their families. SHARE’s current annual fundraising need is $1,150,000. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
On March 26, 2016, Shepherd’s Men will begin a run from Boston to Atlanta through 10 cities to benefit the SHARE Military Initiative at Atlanta’s Shepherd Center and raise awareness of the suicide epidemic plaguing veterans of the U.S. armed forces. Shepherd’s Men is a fundraising group comprised of 14 men who will make the run together, with the Army, Marine Corps and civilian population represented in their numbers. Each member of the group will complete the journey wearing a flak vest with 22 pounds of added weight and running at least 22 kilometers per day. The number 22 is symbolic and represents the average number of suicides that occur among United States veterans each day.
The group raises funds for the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, GA, one of the nation’s top rehabilitation centers for spinal cord and brain injuries. Many soldiers who see combat suffer repeated neurotraumas that result in Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI). These physiological injuries are often undiagnosed and contribute to or exacerbate the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Without treating these injuries first, psychological counseling and other treatments for PTSD are rendered ineffective. The SHARE Military Initiative is a 12-week program that treats both the physiological and psychological effects of TBI and PTSD. It is primarily donor-funded and, to date, no graduate of the program has been lost to suicide.
The Shepherd’s Men will begin their 2016 journey in Boston on March 26 and end at Shepherd Center in Atlanta on April 3. Along the way, they will make stops in Newport, RI; New York, NY; Gettysburg, PA; Lynchburg, VA; Knoxville, TN; Nashville, TN; Chattanooga, TN; and Athens, GA. In each city, they will meet with veterans’ groups, VFWs, police, firemen and other local organizations to honor those who have fought for our freedom and bring attention to the combat veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who need treatment.
The public is invited to participate in the last leg, running alongside the Shepherd’s Men as they arrive at the Shepherd Center on April 3 at 1:00 p.m. Runners can meet the group at one of two locations: Woodruff Park at noon or Midtown Blue 12:45 p.m. (933 Peachtree Street, Atlanta).
“We plan to raise one million dollars to benefit the SHARE Military Initiative this year,” says Travis Ellis, the civilian founder of Shepherd’s Men. “The men and women returning from today’s conflicts volunteered for our country, for all of us, and they return with battle scars that need our help to heal. Too many are pushed to the margins and take their own lives while the rest of us enjoy the freedom for which these veterans fought. The physical challenge of our run is nothing compared to the challenges faced by our veterans.”
The SHARE Military Initiative is a primarily donor-funded program at Shepherd Center and the clients receive these services at no charge to them or their families. SHARE’s current annual fundraising need is $1,150,000. Shepherd’s Men is generously funded by corporate sponsors HD Supply, Verizon Wireless, Samuel Adams Boston Brewery, SA White Oil Co., Superior Plumbing, Georgia Power, First Landmark Bank, Community and Southern Bank, Cumberland Diamond Exchange and CAL Lighting as well as various Marine Corps League Detachments, American Legion Posts, and other local and national businesses. To become a sponsor, please visit shepherdsmen.com to make your tax-deductible donation today.
The 2016 Shepherd’s Men will run the longest distance with their largest group since the group’s inception in 2013. Previous runs traveled from Atlanta, GA to Arlington, VA, in 2014 and New York City to Atlanta, GA in 2015. The organization includes graduates of the SHARE Military Initiative as well as active duty military personnel, veterans and one civilian, all of whom who take personal leave to participate in the journey. To learn more about the SHARE Military Initiative, Shepherd’s Men or Shepherd Center, see bios of the men making the run, or to make a donation, visit shepherdsmen.com. For media inquiries, please contact Glynda Thor, team PR, at glynda(at)shepherdsmen(dot)com.
ABOUT SHEPHERD’S MEN
Shepherd’s Men, founded by Travis Ellis, a civilian and local business leader, and USMC Gunnery Sergeant Troy Campbell, along with active duty Marines from USMC’s 4th Reconnaissance Battalion, CO B, raise funds and awareness for SHARE through an annual multi-day run. Their goal is to help their fellow service men and women in need, and to put an end to one tragic and appalling reality—on average, there are 22 veteran suicides each day. No graduate of the SHARE Military Initiative has committed suicide. Inspired by this fact, the Shepherd’s Men volunteer their time and effort to raise funds for SHARE to operate and hopefully expand the program to serve more veterans.
In 2014, their first year, Shepherd’s Men ran from Shepherd Center in Atlanta to the Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery. Their goal was $50,000 and they raised more than $100,000 for SHARE. In 2015, along with new member Jarrad Turner, a retired U.S. Army medic, and himself a graduate of the SHARE Military Initiative, they ran from the World Trade Center site in New York to Shepherd Center in Atlanta, all while wearing 22 lb. flak vests (representing the 22 veteran suicides each day). Their goal increased to $250,000, and they raised $280,000.
In 2016, Shepherd’s Men, joined by new member, U.S. Army veteran and SHARE Graduate James Peterson, will run from Boston to Shepherd Center. Each of them will run 22 kilometers per day wearing 22 lb. flak vests. Their goal is to raise $1 Million for SHARE. Contact Shepherd’s men by visiting shepherdsmen.com or calling 404-350-7306, or connect on social media on Twitter and Facebook.
A Soldier's Story
James Peterson served as a forward observer in the Army for four years, being deployed in Iraq from 2004-2005. His job was to call in mortar and artillery strikes to strategic enemy locations, though he spent most of his time as a gunner on a Humvee, defending convoys as they made their way through hostile territory.
He met and married his wife Kateri after his return in 2006, but she soon noticed a rapid deterioration in his physical and mental health over the next few years. “He didn’t remember life changing events, like our wedding day or the birth of our children. Over time, he became distant, extremely paranoid and suicidal. He actually left us on several occasions because he said we would be better off without him. I was helpless. I felt like I had lost my husband and my children had lost their father,” said Kateri.
James was diagnosed with PTSD by the VA and underwent treatment at multiple VA locations around the country, each time coming home worse than when he had left.
“Looking back, we now know he also had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that was undiagnosed, and if PTSD and TBI aren’t treated together in a holistic way, treatment for PTSD alone can exacerbate the symptoms,” said Kateri.
As things became unbearable, Kateri—who had formerly helped run a national non-profit to help combat veterans with PTSD and TBI adjust to life after combat—reached out to her network of 400-600 caregivers online, explained their plight and asked where James could get the help that he so desperately needed. A veteran’s wife referred them to the SHARE Military Initiative at Shepherd Center where her husband had received treatment with success.
“We filled out the paperwork, had a phone interview and he was in the SHARE program within 2 weeks. The VA programs that he had previously been enrolled in had a wait list of 8-12 weeks. Suicidal vets can’t wait 8-12 weeks for help,” said Kateri.
At SHARE, staff members explained the symptoms and treatments of James’ specific injuries to him and his family, and began to treat both his PTSD and TBI together through an individualized program designed just for him. Within three weeks, Kateri began noticing positive changes in James.
“There was life in his eyes again,” said Kateri. “The James that I married was starting to come through. I saw improvement every day. He looked physically healthier. SHARE gave him his life back—he had to work for it mind you—but they gave it to him.”
James admits, he was skeptical at first. “Because of all of the other unsuccessful treatments I had undergone, I wasn’t certain that SHARE could help me, but it changed my life. I was hopeless and it gave me hope again. The caregivers at SHARE helped me understand my new “normal” in life and that it was ok not to be perfect. They gave me tools to help me adjust to my new normal and taught me that full recovery is a work in progress. It’s something I am still working on, but with their help, I am on my path to recovery every day.”
Now James is largely recovered and ready to do what he can to promote awareness of injuries like his and how SHARE can help.
When asked what he would tell someone else who was suffering from the same type injuries, James replied, “If you’ve gone through other treatment programs like I have and they’ve failed, you are skeptical just like I was. But you have to try SHARE. From one combat vet to another, just do it. It will change your life.”
James is not only a SHARE program graduate, but he is also giving back by being a part of the Shepherd’s Men and running from Boston to Atlanta this year to help raise awareness. He began training in July of 2015 and the training itself has contributed to his recovery as it has helped him lose over 100 lbs.
ABOUT THE SHARE MILITARY INITIATIVE AT SHEPHERD CENTER
Shepherd Center’s SHARE Military Initiative is a comprehensive continuum of rehabilitative care for U.S. Service members injured in post 9/11 conflicts who suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) complicated with Post Traumatic Stress (PTS). SHARE provides the resources and tools to eliminate or reduce the symptoms of these injuries and successfully return our veterans to their homes, families, and communities. SHARE offers a broad continuum of care, specifically tailored to meet the needs of each veteran, including housing, physical, occupational, vocational and speech therapies, life coaching, therapeutic recreation and legal, financial and psychological counseling. The Initiative also provides medical care, pain management and other specialized services.
The SHARE program typically serves eight to 10 clients through a 12-week program. All activities are housed in one centralized location and conducted by the same medical and rehabilitation team, so that all aspects of a client’s care work collaboratively, as opposed to the fragmented systems clients have often experienced elsewhere. Finally, graduates are assigned case managers who work with them in their home communities and follow their progress post-discharge to ensure they are meeting their goals and have the resources they need to continue their work to recovery.
The SHARE Military Initiative is a primarily donor-funded program at Shepherd Center and clients receive these services at no charge to them or their families. SHARE’s current annual fundraising need is $1,150,000. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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Big Statues Creates a Veteran Memorial Statue in Utah
Big Statues is contacted by a small Utah town to create a special part of a veteran memorial.
Provo, Utah (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
Big Statues, a custom bronze statue and monument company, has been selected to create a veteran's memorial monument, honoring the veterans from the statue of Utah who have fought in the past, or those who are currently fighting for the freedom of American citizens. This particular monument, which is in the process of being created, will be displayed in Gunnison, Utah, and will stand as a staple in this particular small Utah town. It is a great location for the statue, because many individuals will be passing by the statue on a daily basis, paying their individual tributes of thanks to these individuals who have so valiantly risked their lives for our freedom.
"it is a great project, and I am always honored when I am asked to work on similar projects." Matt Glenn, president of Big Statues states, after reflecting on the many memorials for soldiers that he has had the privilege to be a part of. Big Statues has been working closely with Jed Bartholomew, head of the Veteran Memorial project, to make sure every detail is exactly what they were wanting and expecting. "I thought this statue fit well with the rest of the memorial. It artistically gives it that feel of respect, reverence, solitude, and remembrance. It felt like it would be a fitting piece, that would reflect the prayerful reflection of such a place."
Matt Glenn has felt very honored working on this particular piece. "I feel so much respect toward the armed forces of our wonderful country, especially those that are close to me. Those that give everything for the peace of our country. It leaves me speechless." This has been a great project to be a part of. Matt Glenn has been putting his heart and soul into the creation of a wonderful statue , to be placed in such a wonderful memorial location along with other wonderful parts of the monument. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
Provo, Utah (PRWEB) March 24, 2016
Big Statues, a custom bronze statue and monument company, has been selected to create a veteran's memorial monument, honoring the veterans from the statue of Utah who have fought in the past, or those who are currently fighting for the freedom of American citizens. This particular monument, which is in the process of being created, will be displayed in Gunnison, Utah, and will stand as a staple in this particular small Utah town. It is a great location for the statue, because many individuals will be passing by the statue on a daily basis, paying their individual tributes of thanks to these individuals who have so valiantly risked their lives for our freedom.
"it is a great project, and I am always honored when I am asked to work on similar projects." Matt Glenn, president of Big Statues states, after reflecting on the many memorials for soldiers that he has had the privilege to be a part of. Big Statues has been working closely with Jed Bartholomew, head of the Veteran Memorial project, to make sure every detail is exactly what they were wanting and expecting. "I thought this statue fit well with the rest of the memorial. It artistically gives it that feel of respect, reverence, solitude, and remembrance. It felt like it would be a fitting piece, that would reflect the prayerful reflection of such a place."
Matt Glenn has felt very honored working on this particular piece. "I feel so much respect toward the armed forces of our wonderful country, especially those that are close to me. Those that give everything for the peace of our country. It leaves me speechless." This has been a great project to be a part of. Matt Glenn has been putting his heart and soul into the creation of a wonderful statue , to be placed in such a wonderful memorial location along with other wonderful parts of the monument. Reported by PRWeb 14 hours ago.
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