Battling the Storm Within Blog

As the Author of the #1 Amazon National-International Best Seller War Memoir “Battling the Storm Within” about living 20 years undiagnosed with PTSD, MST and the GWI. My mission is to empower others to address their own personal traumas, be healed, restored and live again. I believe in telling the truth, living the truth and being the truth. I will share the truth for it sets you free. I have battled my storm that was within me and won, so can you! Peace and blessings Sgt. Stephanie J. Shannon

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

House Backs Bill to Help Vets Who've Suffered Sexual Assault

WASHINGTON — Veterans who suffered sexual assault or other sexual abuse while in uniform would get help more easily from the Department of Veterans Affairs under a bill approved Monday by the House.

The bill would allow a statement by a survivor of military sexual trauma to be considered sufficient proof that an assault occurred. The House approved the bill by voice vote Monday night.

Spencer: Cyberbullying of sexual assault victims must end

The Air Force is planning to take on cyberbullying of sexual assault victims, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Larry Spencer said in a Wednesday interview.
Spencer said that Air Force lawyers are working on guidance to send to commanders outlining actions that can be taken against airmen who take to social media to attack sexual assault victims.

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http://www.airforcetimes.com/story/military/2015/07/24/spencer-cyberbullying--sexual-assault-victims-must-end/30582539/

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For years, former POW Jessica Lynch kept the hurt inside

They chase her through the woods. The crunching of the earth beneath their boots drowns out her pounding breath. She turns but can't see their faces. Before they grab her, she wakes up.
The nightmare has never changed over 12 years. The woman made famous for being a prisoner of war would give anything for it to stop."I try to dream about peaceful things, beaches," Lynch said. "That is what I cannot understand. Why are they chasing me?"

Monday, July 27, 2015

House passes bill urging VA to change military sexual assault regulations

The House passed legislation on Monday that calls on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs to define military sexual assault as a service-connected cause of mental health disorders.

Passed by voice vote, the bill directs the VA to report to Congress every year on the number of claims for disability compensation based on a mental health condition allegedly caused by military sexual trauma

Monday, July 20, 2015

VA doctors freely handed out pain medications to veterans for years.

Zach Williams came home to Minnesota with two Purple Hearts for his military service in Iraq. He also carried other lasting war wounds. Back pain made it hard for him to stand. A brain injury from the explosions he endured made his moods erratic.

Williams eased the chronic pain with the help of narcotics prescribed for years by the Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center. Then the VA made a stark and sudden shift: Instead of doling out pills to thousands of veterans like him — a policy facing mounting criticism — they began cutting dosages or canceling prescriptions, and, instead, began referring many vets to alternative therapies such as acupuncture and yoga.

Leaked Document: Nearly One-Third Of 847,000 Vets With Pending Applications For VA Health Care Already Died

Scott Davis, a program specialist at the VA's Health Eligibility Center in Atlanta and a past whistleblower on the VA's failings, provided HuffPost with an April 2015 report titled "Analysis of Death Services," which reviews the accuracy of the VA's veteran death records. The report was conducted by staffers in the VA Health Eligibility Center and the VA Office of Analytics.

Thursday, July 9, 2015

5 Top Issues Women Veterans Face When Returning Home

Women veterans who have completed their military service face various issues in returning to civilian life — some identical to the challenges confronted by military men, and some unique to the rapidly growing population of women veterans in the era since 9/11.

Here are five of the most pressing issues for women reintegrating after military service.
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http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/women-veterans-issues-returning-home/2015/07/07/id/653933/

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Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Protect Our Defenders working to eliminate bias in military justice

The Department of Defense reports 20,000 service members experienced at least one sexual assault in 2014. That's virtually unchanged since 2010, despite the Department of Defense's insistence that it has tackled the problem and that "most active-duty members received effective training on sexual assault."

Accusing a fellow service member of sexual assault in the military can hurt the victim career-wise, socially and administratively.

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http://michiganradio.org/post/protect-our-defenders-working-eliminate-bias-military-justice#stream/0

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com

US military morale is reportedly at ‘rock bottom’ again

Morale in the U.S. military is low again, reports Business Insider. Despite Millions of dollars spent to improve morale in the U.S. military, 52% of soldiers in all branches are still “pessimistic about their future in the military.”

According to Brookings, decreasing morale among Iraq and Afghanistan soldiers and veterans may be due to soldiers feeling that their efforts have been unsuccessful, as ISIS has recently made significant gains in Iraq.

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http://popularmilitary.com/us-military-morale-is-reportedly-at-rock-bottom-again/

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Suicide rates among female veterans climbing

It has been reported that 22 military veterans commit suicide every day. That is alarming news, but a report on female veterans’ suicides may be even more shocking.

In a study of 173,969 adult suicides in 23 states during an 11-year period, it was found that women in the military are nearly six times likely to kill themselves than non-servicewomen. Female veterans between the ages of 18-29 kill themselves 12 times as often as those who have not served. According to the Veterans Affairs research department, women veterans have reached a suicide rate of 29 per 100,000, rapidly approaching the rate of male veterans suicide rate, which is 32 per 100,000.

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http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/opinion/2015/07/02/suicide-rates-among-female-veterans-climbing/29578321/

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Monday, July 6, 2015

Everyone knows about the federal benefits available to veterans, but did you know many states also offer great benefits to their veterans? State benefits range from free college and employment resources to free hunting and fishing licenses. Most states also offer tax breaks for their veterans and specialized license plates, some states even provide their veterans with cash bonuses just for serving in the military.

We have compiled a handy summary of the benefits each state and territory offers, each summary page also has a link directly to the specific State Department of Veterans Affairs. Be sure to check it out, there may be a benefit available to you or your family that you didn't know about!

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http://www.military.com/benefits/veteran-state-benefits/state-veterans-benefits-directory.html

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Couples’ Relationships After Traumatic Brain Injury

After traumatic brain injury (TBI), many couples find that their relationship with each other changes dramatically. These changes are very personal and can be very emotional for both people in the relationship. This factsheet will help couples understand some of the common changes they may notice in their relationship after TBI. Also, suggestions are given for ways that couples can address some of the more difficult changes they are experiencing. Although some of the relationship changes after TBI are difficult and can be painful, there are many things that couples can do in order to enjoy each other and their relationship in new, positive, and meaningful ways.

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http://www.msktc.org/tbi/factsheets/Relationships-After-Traumatic-Brain-Injury

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com