Battling the Storm Within

Monday, July 24, 2017

Register Now - Sealing LImited 2017 MIWVE Conference - Sat Nov 18 2017 9 to 2pm

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REGISTER NOW SEATING LIMITED! Women veterans attendees receive special Gift!



www.empowermiwomenvets.com

The Impact of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on CPAP Adherence in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Man experiencing sleep apnea. Close-up of the man using a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device.

Introduction:

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common comorbid condition in patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); insufficiently treated OSA may adversely impact outcomes. Sleep fragmentation and insomnia are common in PTSD and may impair CPAP adherence. We sought to determine the impact of combat-related PTSD on CPAP adherence in soldiers.


Read more...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3501663/

Air Force Academy has a distorted view of sexual assault says former employee



Teresa Beasley, who worked with victims of sexual assault at the Academy, says false reports are very rare. - GRIFFIN SWARTZELL


Beasley says simply that when she and others started speaking up about punitive tactics the Academy used against alleged victims, the Academy lowered the boom.




Read more...
https://m.csindy.com/coloradosprings/air-force-academy-has-a-distorted-view-of-sexual-assault-says-former-employee/Content?oid=6402155#CommentsMobile

It's not just service men and women traumatized by Military Sexual Assault. Their families, too, pay the price


Arlene Parker recalls the exact moment her military career went south.
It was the late 1970s, and Parker was an Air Force senior airman stationed at Scott Air Force Base, just outside Belleville, Illinois. Parker was a passenger service specialist, helping military and civilian passengers on and off the jetliners that touched down at Scott. It was a job she loved.


Read more...
https://m.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/coming-home/Content?oid=4551013

Michigan Women Veterans Empwerment Love Peace and Healing Garden


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Image may contain: plant, tree, outdoor and nature


Image may contain: plant, tree, outdoor and nature


Image may contain: plant, tree, flower, outdoor and nature




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It's been since weeks since we planted the 1st MIWVE love peace and healing garden its thriving in Genesee County, MI


www.empowermiwomenvets.com

PTSD Might Have A Physical Effect On The Brain, As Well As Psychological








A new study has suggested that in some cases, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might not just have a psychological effect on the brain, but could also have a physical one.




Brain analysis of 89 military servicemen, all of whom had survived traumatic brain injuries and 29 who were diagnosed with significant PTSD, showed that the part of the brain that helps control emotion may be larger in people who develop PTSD






Read more...
http://www.iflscience.com/brain/ptsd-might-have-a-physical-effect-on-the-brain-as-well-as-psychological/

Marines Share Photo of Nude Unconscious Woman in New Revenge Porn Leak






Five months after the Marines United nude-photo scandal broke, there is a new group of victims, including an unconscious woman who was photographed naked.


Explicit videos and photos of female servicemembers were posted last week in a Dropbox drive called “Girls of MU” and were shared in a closed Facebook group called Mike Uniform. (“Mike Uniform” is the U.S. military’s phonetic alphabet for M.U., the abbreviation for “Marines United.”)




Read more...
http://www.thedailybeast.com/marines-share-photo-of-nude-unconscious-woman-in-new-revenge-porn-leak

Fort Drum Soldier Accused Of Double Murder Had A Dark Past The Army Didn’t Catch

Staff Sgt. Justin Walters has been charged with two counts of murder.




On July 9, Army Staff Sgt. Justin Walters allegedly shot his wife, Nichole, and a state trooper named Joel Davis after a domestic dispute at their double-wide trailer in Theresa, New York.


While the killing has brought shock and grief to the military community, Walters, an infantryman who was stationed at Fort Drum, had a troubled childhood and a juvenile record despite serving in the Army for 10 years — something the Army either excused or missed, according to local New York news site Syracuse.com.






Read more...
http://taskandpurpose.com/fort-drum-soldier-justin-walters-accused-double-murder-dark-past-army-didnt-catch/

Gulf War veterans face more, longer delays at VA, government report says




The VA is "aggressively" trying to get hundreds of vacant facilities off its inventory logs that cost the agency millions each year to maintain. It will try to re-use some of the facilities as housing for homeless veterans, and others will be sold or demolished. Jake Lowary/USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee


Read more..
http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2017/07/11/gulf-war-veterans-face-more-longer-delays-va-government-report-says/466153001/

Report: VA claims for Gulf War illness denied 80 percent of the time




WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs denies more than 80 percent of veterans’ claims for benefits for Gulf War-associated illnesses -- an approval rating three times lower than all other types of claims, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Monday.




Read more...
https://www.stripes.com/report-va-claims-for-gulf-war-illness-denied-80-percent-of-the-time-1.477436#.WWSxekEpDYU

VA denies claims for Gulf War illness more often, study finds



This June 21, 2013, file photo shows the seal affixed to the front of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)









































Veterans claiming “Gulf War illness” are about three times less likely than other veterans to have their disability claims approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a new watchdog report Monday that recommended the agency beef up its response to the illness.


The Government Accountability Office said the VA handled about 11,400 claims for Gulf War illness (GWI) in fiscal 2015, more than double the number of claims filed in 2010. But approval rates for GWI were about three times lower than all other veterans’ claimed disabilities, GAO said.






Read more...
http://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/10/va-denies-claims-gulf-war-illness-more-often-study/

140 Valley veterans lose home care services, put on wait list- VIDEO



Someone comes to Jim Bibik's home in Surprise three times a week for an hour to help him with bathing and general housekeeping. But Thursday, he got a call that that's going away. (Source: 3TV/CBS 5)


Read more...
http://www.azfamily.com/story/35830471/140-valley-veterans-lose-home-care-services-put-on-wait-list

Cuts to VA Programs

stripes-va-budget-900-ts600


WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump’s budget released Tuesday proposes cutting monthly stipends to some disabled, unemployed veterans and reducing veterans’ cost-of-living adjustments as offsets to continue a program that allows veterans to seek care outside the Department of Veterans Affairs.


Read more...
https://vvets.eu/cuts-va-programs/

Transgender Men in Women’s Showers Must Get ‘Dignity and Respect,’ Says U.S. Army


transgender


Female soldiers must give “dignity and respect” to transsexual men who join them in their shared shower rooms, according to training manuals leaked by soldiers in a mandatory class.





Read more...http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2017/07/07/transgender-men-womens-showers-must-get-dignity-respect-u-s-army/

Hundreds of VA officials fired since Trump's inauguration



The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that more than 500 officials have been fired for misconduct since President Trump took office earlier this year, according to data posted online.


In an effort for more transparency and accountability within the VA, Secretary of Veterans Affairs David J. Shulkin announced that a public list of employee "accountability actions" will be posted online and updated weekly.


Read more...
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/hundreds-of-va-officials-fired-since-trumps-inauguration/

VA Choice funding problem looms for Congress




WASHINGTON — When they return from legislative recess next week, lawmakers will have only a few days to address financial problems with the Veterans Affairs Choice program before users start to see significant problems.

Last month, in testimony before the Senate, VA Secretary David Shulkin warned lawmakers that money in the Choice program funds was being spent at a faster rate than officials expected, threatening to bankrupt the program before the end of the fiscal year. Available funds dropped from about $2 billion to less than $850 million in three months.





Read more...
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/va-choice-funding-shortfall-problems-congress-deadline?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB+7.6.17&utm_term=Editorial+-+Military+-+Early+Bird+Brief

10 Vagus Nerve Symptoms and How To Treat Them







The proper functioning of the vagus nerve is vital to both physical and mental well being.
That post-prandial fatigue you get after eating a large meal? You can chalk that up to the vagus nerve (in part).


The vagus nerve provides a bidirectional link between gut and brain and connects all major organs (excluding the thyroid and adrenal glands). Believe it or not, the vagus nerve even plays a role in neurogenesis or the birth of new neurons. Gebhardt N. et al.9 showed that vagus nerve stimulation promotes neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of animals after 48 hours of treatment


Read more...
http://www.brainprotips.com/vagus-nerve-symptoms/

5 Reasons Why I Identify As a Rape Victim, Not a Rape Survivor



A person with a stressed expression covers their ears with their hands.




You’re not a victim. You’re a survivor.”
This is a common refrain in activist and feminist communities. Activists often use the term survivor as a blanket term for everyone who’s been sexually assaulted.
Up until recently, I did, too.
But here’s the thing: Not everyone who’s been sexually assaulted identifies as a survivor. Why is this? And how can we ensure those people are included in our activism?






Read more...
http://everydayfeminism.com/2016/07/rape-victim-not-a-rape-survivor/

Tuesday, July 4, 2017

Veterans Innovation Partnership allows eligible Veterans to serve as foreign affairs officers


Image: Christine “CJ” Johnson with others


The U.S. Department of State launched the Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP) in October 2013, a public-private alliance that serves America’s returned service members by preparing them for meaningful diplomacy and development careers. VIP enhances America’s global leadership and provides education, employment resources, and expertise to returned Veterans. The program is highly competitive and open only to Veterans who have received a master’s degree within the last two years (except for Veterans precluded from doing so due to their military service obligation, who have up to six years after master’s degree completion to apply).




Read more....
http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/39188/veterans-innovation-partnership-allows-eligible-veterans-to-serve-as-foreign-affairs-officers/

Pentagon Says Gulf War Data Seem to Be Lost


Military logs for an eight-day period in which thousands of American troops might have been exposed to nerve gas and other Iraqi chemical weapons shortly after the Persian Gulf war in 1991 appear to have been removed or lost and cannot be located despite an exhaustive search, Pentagon officials said today.

The logs were maintained for Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf and his senior staff at their wartime headquarters in Riyadh, the Saudi Arabian capital, and were supposed to record any incident in which chemical or biological agents had been detected.


Read more...
https://mobile.nytimes.com/1996/12/05/us/pentagon-says-gulf-war-data-seem-to-be-lost.html?mcubz=2&referer=http%3A%2F%2Fm.facebook.com

How the Koch-Backed Effort to Privatize the Veterans Health Administration Jeopardizes Everyone's Health Care Future

Trump's plan to privatize veterans' health care could jeopardize the larger fight for universal health care.




As Senate Republicans' Affordable Care Act repeal bill threatens more than 441,300 veterans' Medicaid coverage by 2026, new proposals by the Trump administration and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary David Shulkin also threaten the nation's largest, integrated, government-run health care system: the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).


Read more...
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/41089-how-the-koch-backed-effort-to-privatize-the-veterans-health-administration-jeopardizes-everyone-s-health-care-future

Michigan among least patriotic states in America, study says


An American flag flies atop a car on display at the Metro Cruise in Wyoming.




The Fourth of July is fast approaching, which means the freedom-loving people of America will be barbequing, flying old glory and shooting fireworks from Los Angeles to New York, and everywhere in between.


It doesn't get more patriotic than Independence Day, the day we celebrate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.


Read more...
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2017/06/michigan_among_least_patriotic.html

Deployment Stress May Impact Male, Female Veterans Differently




Deployment Stress May Impact Male, Female Veterans Differently


A new study of veterans reveals how gender may influence the link between military exposure and post-deployment well-being. The findings suggest that men and women may experience and react differently to deployment stress.




Read more....
https://psychcentral.com/news/2017/06/05/deployment-stress-may-impact-male-female-veterans-differently/121526.html

The Anthrax Vaccine and Gulf War Illness


Gulf War soldiers marching




In the early nineties, the United States speculated that Iraq’s Saddam Hussein had the capability of using biological weapons against military coalition forces in the Gulf War.1 In response to this potential threat, military personnel from the U.S. and other countries were given several  non-traditional vaccines, including anthrax vaccine, in addition to yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis B, pertussis and other vaccinations routinely given to soldiers.2




Read more...
http://www.thevaccinereaction.org/2017/04/the-anthrax-vaccine-and-gulf-war-illness/

VA to open emergency rooms to 'bad paper' vets on July 5









WASHINGTON — Veterans with other-than-honorable discharges will be able to access Veterans Affairs emergency rooms for urgent mental health care starting July 5, under new rules outlined by department leaders on Tuesday.

The move is the culmination of months of review into how to handle the cases of vets who may have been improperly separated from the military due to undiagnosed or untreated problems like post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury or other mental health issues.



Read more...
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/va-other-than-honorable-emergency-rooms-july-5?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB+06.28.2017&utm_term=Editorial+-+Military+-+Early+Bird+Brief

DoD launches online learning program to help military survivors of sexual assault


Department of Defense launched an online and mobile educational program to help individuals begin to recover, heal, and build resiliency after a sexual assault.

The self-guided program, called “Building Hope & Resiliency: Addressing the Effects of Sexual Assault,” can be completed at the user’s pace and features information about coping mechanisms, practical relaxation exercises, definitions, links to resources and referrals for on-going support.


Read more...
https://globaldefensenews.com/dod-launches-online-learning-program-help-military-survivors-sexual-assault/

Mattis: Veterans are not victims


James Mattis, who retired from the Marine Corps last year as a four-star general, is among the most articulate thinkers on a subject that gets very little attention: what it means to be a warrior.


Even in retirement Mattis has an enthusiastic following among Marines, an infantry-oriented service that values espirit de corps, or fighting spirit, above almost all else.


Read more...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/nation/2014/05/05/mattis-iraq-afghanistan-marines-usmc/8632093/

Veterans Affairs facing $1 billion shortfall because of unexpected Choice program costs






VETERANS ON THEIR VA HEALTH-CARE EXPERIENCES'I was bleeding on the brain, didn't even know about it' | 1:37


U.S. Army veteran Emanuel Herrera talks in 2014 and 2016 about his experiences in the Phoenix-area VA health-care system. Tom Tingle/azcentral.com




Read more...
http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/nation/2017/06/22/veterans-affairs-facing-1-billion-shortfall-because-unexpected-choice-program-costs/418787001/

New Report Finds Lack Of Privacy In Female Veteran Health Care




Soldiers in their third trimester, the last three months of pregnancy, perform the designated stretches outlined by the Pregnancy Postpartum Physical Training program Feb. 19, at Fort Hood, Texas.
In 2014, a study by the VA Inspector General found that 20.4% of community-based outpatient clinics run by the Veterans Health Administration failed to provide adequate privacy for female veterans.


That number dropped to 14.3% in 2015, but still has a ways to go, according to a new report released June 19.


The findings come amid rising concerns from veterans service organizations that more needs to be done to ensure adequate services are available for women who rely on the VA for health care.


Read more...
http://taskandpurpose.com/new-report-finds-lack-privacy-female-veteran-health-care/?utm_content=tp-facebook&utm_campaign=news&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social

Vision for VA: Fewer maternity services and cancer docs, more private care options


WASHINGTON — Future Veterans Affairs clinics could feature fewer maternity services, fewer cancer specialists and more reliance on private-sector clinics for routine or non-military care, under Secretary David Shulkin’s vision for the department.  

But he insists that doesn’t amount to privatization of VA’s responsibilities.

“I am interested in building world-class services in things I know the veterans of this country must rely upon us for,” he told reporters at a roundtable event Tuesday morning. “I’m not interested in building world-class services that already exist.”





Read more...
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/shulkin-maternity-cancer-private-care-va-future

VA still planning to round down benefit payouts









WASHINGTON — White House officials this week backed away from one controversial veterans benefits cut but are sticking with a similar plan to trim other payouts to help balance the budget.

On Wednesday, Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin told senators that the administration is looking to drop plans to radically overhaul his department’s Individual Unemployability benefit, a move that would save more than $3 billion but strip up to $20,000 from 210,000 elderly disabled veterans.





Read more....
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/va-shulkin-round-down-cola-benefits

Agent Orange affecting children and grandchildren of Vietnam Vets- VIDEO







MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- WREG uncovered how decades after the Vietnam war, veterans exposed to Agent Orange are still fighting for disability pension payments.



On Thursday WREG told you about one vet  who appealed for help from his dying bed.
During the course of our investigation we learned about another group of Agent Orange victims looking for help, the children and grandchildren of these vets.


Read more...
http://wreg.com/2015/05/01/agent-orange-affecting-children-and-grandchildren-of-vietnam-vets/