Battling the Storm Within Blog : October 2016

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Abuse Is Abuse — Even If He Doesn’t Hit You

Senior Reporter, The Huffington Post

Getty Creative

Physical violence is only one type of abuse that can exist in abusive relationships.

Maybe your partner doesn’t hit you, but he calls you fat and ugly each time he gets upset. Maybe he doesn’t hit you, but he confiscates your paycheck and only doles out enough money for the bare essentials. Maybe he doesn’t hit you, but he forces you to have sex whether or not you want to.

Program puts veterans in wilderness to help with PTSD- VIDEO

BOISE - A local veteran is trying to help other veterans struggling with post-traumatic stress by using nature. Trevor Hill created Zero Hour Expeditions after his own struggle with post-traumatic stress and being able to adjust to life after war.

Monday, October 10, 2016

President Obama Signs Historic Sexual Assault Survivors' Bill of Rights Into Law

Image result for president obama picture in oval office

On Friday, President Obama signed into law a groundbreaking piece of legislation that grants basic rights to survivors of sexual assault—one that protects those who come forward to report and bring their cases to court and amends how rape kits are handled in sexual assault cases.

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http://www.glamour.com/story/president-obama-signs-historic-sexual-assault-survivors-bill-of-rights-into-law

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com

15 Years Later, We’re Still Fighting In Afghanistan And No One Cares

Marines kneel down beside the battlefield cross to pay their final respects to Sgt. Bradley Atwell during a memorial ceremony, Sept. 20, 2012.

Oct. 7 marks 15 years since the war began in Afghanistan. It’s still going, but no one is paying attention anymore. I remember reading George C. Herring’s book “America’s Longest War” when I was studying history as an undergrad and couldn’t wrap my head around how the conflict in Vietnam could have gone on as long as it did. I naively assured myself that despite how horrific the toll of that war was, at least we had learned from our mistakes and would never let that happen again. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

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http://taskandpurpose.com/15-years-later-still-fighting-afghanistan-no-one-cares/?utm_content=buffer2b031&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=tp-buffer

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com

Vets are still dying from burn-pit illnesses, advocates say

Veterans exposed to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan are begging government leaders and the public to keep paying attention to their crippling health problems.

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http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/burn-pits-obama-letter

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com

Stop Soldier Suicide

Hi, My name is Jeph Jones! I`m a combat veteran, I did two tours in Iraq with 101^st Airborne Division. In 2011 I had suicidal thoughts. I was at the point where I was like, “F— this life, I don’t want to live anymore.”

My Lowest Point

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http://stopsoldiersuicide.org/hi-name-jeph-jones/

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com

The VA’s Faltering Battle Against Veteran Suicide

Clay Hunt, a Marine who received a Purple Heart in Iraq and committed suicide in 2011, after whom was named the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act.

The popular imagination has often pictured the war veteran as a gregarious hero, eager to repeat a trove of cherished war stories. As a veteran of combat in World War II, I can only say that has not been my experience.

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http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-vas-faltering-battle-against-veteran-suicide-1475447485

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com

Ex-Marine Describes Violent Hazing and the Lies That Covered It Up

Thomas Weaver, a top-notch recruit who was expelled from the Marines, said drill instructors singled out minority recruits they disliked for extra hazing. Charlotte Kesl for The New York Times

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — In Marine Corps boot camp, Thomas Weaver learned to endure punches, kicks and choking by drill instructors in the Third Recruit Training Battalion at Parris Island, S.C. When one instructor repeatedly bashed his head against a doorway, he kept quiet and acted as if it were no big deal. But what he eventually could not take was the lying that covered up the abuse.

Service, Sexuality, and Stereotypes Of A Female Veteran

Image result for Tenley Lozano, a disabled female Veteran picture

Tenley Lozano, a disabled female Veteran, describes the stereotypes and daily traumas of her service - sexual harassment, chronic migraines and PTS

If you look at closely at the woman standing by herself, you may catch a glimpse of ink etched into her skin, evidence of her years in the military—adventures and travels shown in colorful detail. Mountains rise from her left arm in watercolor patterns just below her shirtsleeve, symbolizing her first unit as a Coast Guard officer where she spent two and a half years on a ship stationed in the Pacific Northwest. At just over five feet tall with light brown hair and green eyes, she is petite with a muscular build.

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http://www.thewarhorse.org/our-stories/service-sexuality-stereotypes-of-a-female-veteran/

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www.battlingthestormwithin.com