Message Center

In the newest special in Military Channel’s Coming Home initiative, original “horse whisperer” and American renaissance cowboy Monty Roberts works with three veterans of the Iraq war, each of whom suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The result is nothing short of magic.

Through an innovative yet experimental approach to coping with PTSD, Roberts shares his lifetime of experience and insight in non-violent training as he gently coaches each veteran to read the silent language of horses and reach the point of breakthrough, or “Join Up,” the moment at which a wild horse will trust and accept human contact. It is an emotional and striking metaphor for how these soldiers can work through and cope with their debilitating depression and anger. HORSE SENSE AND SOLDIERS premieres Sunday, September 19 at 10 PM on Military Channel.

“The impressive, unique work that Monty Roberts has pioneered, using untrained horses as a therapeutic tool for veterans who are trying to work through anger and depression is absolutely inspiring. We are honored that Monty and the veterans allowed us to document their deeply personal stories,” said Henry Schleiff, president and general manager of Military Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater. “All too often we forget about the after effects of combat and, accordingly, since Military Channel is the only destination dedicated to honoring the U.S. armed forces, we are proud to showcase this special as part of our ongoing salute to our returning troops.”

Each of the three remarkable veterans profiled has struggled as a result of the trauma of war and each is experiencing difficulties interacting with their loved ones and going about their daily lives. In HORSE SENSE AND SOLDIERS, Roberts, who holds one PhD in Human Psychology and another in Behavioral Sciences for both humans and animals, only has these United States Army and Marine veterans for four short days at his Flag Is Up Farms in Solvang, Calif., where he demonstrates the deeply emotional healing power of establishing a trusting relationship with wild horses without the use of whips, restraints or physical violence.

Roberts uses his soft-spoken, nurturing style to show how to send signals through body language while interpreting silent messages from the horse establishing a trusting relationship that culminates in an affirming moment of partnership and trust between man and beast. After four transformational days, the soldiers ultimately better understand how to control their anger, confront painful memories, cope with real-life situations and move on with their lives and relationships.

Combat veterans face many issues when they are deployed overseas to combat duty and then return to either new or previously held positions as federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement officers. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and law enforcement leaders across the United States recognize the need for innovative reorientation policies, procedures, and training strategies to address the highly complex transitional process these veterans face upon return.

In response to this need, the IACP has released two guides:

• Law Enforcement Leader’s Guide on Combat Veterans: A Transition Guide for Veterans Beginning or Continuing Careers in Law Enforcement and,
• Combat Veterans and Law Enforcement: A Transition Guide for Veterans Beginning or Continuing Careers in Law Enforcement.

These guides were developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and Applied Research Associates, Inc., Klein Associates Division. To develop these guides, IACP examined the challenges veteran officers face to learn first-hand about their transition from military service to their law enforcement duties in state, local or tribal police or sheriff’s departments.

“In today’s all-volunteer military, these citizens have become the finest examples of selfless service and courage that our country has to offer,” stated IACP President Michael Carroll, Chief of the West Goshen Township, PA Police Department. “As a veteran of the US Air Force, I know that the information contained in both guides will greatly improve our veterans’ transition experience from military to law enforcement. I ask that all police chiefs ensure that these patriots are provided with the utmost support so they can serve their community as law enforcement officers.”

The Leader’s Guide is designed to provide tools and strategies to define or refine a transition/reintegration strategy that optimizes a successful transition and enhanced support for veteran officers. The Veteran’s Guide contains tips, checklists, and resources to assist law enforcement officers returning from combat deployments, while offering some useful suggestions for those veterans seeking a productive and sustainable career in law enforcement.

The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs, the Honorable Dennis M. McCarthy adds, “I thank the International Association of Chiefs of Police for their efforts to address the growing employment concerns of Veterans, both those still serving in the Guard and Reserve as well as those who have completed their military service. It’s exciting to see an organization like IACP working alongside the Department of Defense Yellow Ribbon Program and Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve to advance programs for the hardworking men and women who serve our country.”

To obtain the two guides, please visit the IACP’s website.

We received this video via @VetsPrevail on Twitter. They are a group dedicated to reducing the effects of TBI and PTSD, and cutting down on the number of veterans who commit suicide.

A very worthy cause, to be sure. But in case you weren’t aware of the desperate need for organizations like theirs, watch the video. The numbers are truly heartbreaking.

If you are a military nurse, The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, wants to know how you would complete this sentence:

“You’ll know you’re a military nurse when…”

STTI will publish a book filled with responses from nurses in all branches of the military service this fall. Simply visit www.militarynursebook.org and submit an answer in 500 words or less.

Terry, a nurse in Iraq, started her answer this way: “…when you show up for work one night at the collection of tents that make up the hospital, and the notion of nurse-to-patient ratios in the ICU seems like a vague memory.”

Joseph, also in Iraq, knew when he realized military nurses give wounded service members “the best care possible … not just because they are most deserving by fighting for their country, but also because they are absolutely the best patients to have: extremely grateful, respectful, and genuinely concerned about their buddies’ welfare and getting back to them.”

Share your story at www.militarynursebook.org, and share the link with other military nurses you know.

National Public Radio and ProPublica have partnered to do an interesting two-part series on diagnosis and treatment of TBI and other brain injuries in active duty servicemembers. This is one of those stories you don’t want to miss! On NPR they call them “driveway moments”- you get home from work and sit in your car in the driveway just to hear the rest of the story.

Whatever you call those amazing stories that get you hooked, you definitely NEED to check this series out!

ProPublica is a nonprofit investigative news organization.

Based on dozens of interviews and access to previously unreleased military studies, documents and e-mails, NPR and ProPublica have found that from the battlefield to the homefront the military’s doctors and screening systems routinely miss brain trauma in soldiers. As a result, soldiers haven’t been getting treatment.

Part 1: The military medical system is failing to diagnose brain injuries in troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Part 2: Even when traumatic brain injury is diagnosed, many soldiers have to fight for adequate treatment.

The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund announced it will officially open the National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), a 72,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art research, diagnosis and treatment center for servicemembers and veterans with diagnosed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and psychological health conditions, in a ceremony held at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD on June 24, 2010.

“We are tremendously excited to open the doors to this incredible facility that will help to treat our men and women in uniform who have suffered these invisible injuries of the brain and memory,” said Arnold Fisher, Honorary Chairman of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. “Traumatic Brain Injury and psychological health conditions – largely caused by IED explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan – are the signature wounds of our current overseas conflicts in the war on terror. As Americans, it is our obligation to care for these men and women who have fought and sacrificed for our freedom.”

NICoE was funded by the generosity of the American people through a fundraising effort mounted by the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, which provides assistance to our nation’s military heroes who have been critically injured in the performance of their duty, and their families.

The funding for NICoE was topped off with a $3 million donation from legendary TV personality Bob Barker,  longtime host of “The Price Is Right.” Barker, a World War II veteran himself, was motivated to action last year when he read about the economy having slowed the fundraising efforts for the center.

NICoE will feature the most advanced equipment and facilities for diagnosis and treatment. Improvements in screening, diagnosis, and treatment will be fed back out to the military and VA hospitals and medical facilities across the country. Long-term follow-up care will also be incorporated into the system plan to ensure that, once soldiers separate from the military, they do not separate from whatever continued treatment they need.

On Tuesday, May 11, the American Heart Association (AHA) in partnership with CGI, as a Healing Heart Society Champion, honored six members of the United Stated Military at the 7th annual Physician’s Reception.

This annual event is the premier appreciation reception for Greater Washington Region physicians in recognition of their significant life-saving contributions to and impact on the community and for their support of the American Heart Association.

Through the leadership of Physician Reception host CGI, the six doctors honored this year are all active duty Military who are fighting cardiovascular diseases and saving lives in the battlefield and on the home front. The six honorees included:

• Saira Aslam, MD, United States Navy
• Craig Dobson, MD, United States Army
• Brian Hemann, MD, United States Army
• Mark Kolasa, MD, United States Air Force
• John Stephen Thurber, MD, United States Navy
• Todd C. Villines, M.D., F.A.C.C, United States Army

Photo courtesy of the American Heart Association. From left to right. – George Schindler, President CGI Federal, Dr. Saira Aslam, Dr. Todd Villines, Dr. Brian Hemann, Dr. John Stephen Thurber and Cheryl Campbell, Vice President of CGI Federa

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary
for Health for Policy and Planning Announces its:

The VHA’s Office of the Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health (ADUSH) for Policy and Planning is conducting the 2010 update of our national VHA telephone Survey of Enrollees. The purpose of the survey is to provide information that is incorporated into annual VHA projections of enrollment, utilization, and expenditures, as well as into a variety of high level VHA budget and policy related analyses.

The survey provides critical and essential information on Veteran utilization of health services, projecting the resources and services needed in VHA, and in developing our budget. The survey collects information on a random sample of 42,000 Veterans enrolled in the VA system, who participate in an approximately 15-30 minute telephone survey.

Each Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) will have approximately 2,000 enrollees surveyed. The survey will be fully initiated the week of May 24, 2010. Interviewing will continue for 12 weeks.

Veteran enrollees selected for the survey will receive a letter that provides information about the survey and the contractor conducting the survey on behalf of the VA.

Your support in this survey will help ensure that we provide the best care possible, where it is needed, when it is needed, and by whom it is needed.

Previous survey reports are available at:
www4.va.gov/healthpolicyplanning/reports1.asp
VHA’s Office of the ADUSH for Policy and Planning internet Web site.

Thank you for your assistance in this project.

The Military Health Care Convention & Conference (MHCC) is June 23-24 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. IDGA Exhibitions’ Military Health Care Convention & Conference is the culmination of the latest tactics, strategies, technologies, systems, treatments, processes, and services for patient care. Military Health Care Convention & Conference provides in-depth, firsthand accounts from experts in each stage of the continuum.

Targeting best practices and new developments in military healthcare, MHCC will deliver a multidisciplinary approach to combating the health issues of all warriors and their families.

Register to attend today and use code “MOAA” to receive 25 percent off the Main Conference or a Free Expo Pass.

mtvU , MTV’s 24-hour college network, continues to support our newest generation of veterans by premiering two new short-form specials giving veterans a platform to make their voices heard by college students around the country.

With MTV research revealing that 74 percent of young people ages 18-29 personally know someone who has fought in Iraq or Afghanistan, this new programming focuses on a topic that hits home for many young people. Both features focus on the difficult transition these men and women face as they come home to civilian life:

“Voices of Vets”

Since the Post 9-11 GI bill was passed in 2008, more veterans than ever are furthering their education and enrolling in college. From feelings of isolation to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, the transition from the battlefield to the classroom can be very difficult. Developed as part of the “Half of Us” campaign, which takes its name from research showing that nearly half of all college students say they have been so depressed they couldn’t function at some point, “Voices of Vets ” seeks to shatter stereotypes and create a mutual understanding between veterans and civilians by giving viewers a look inside life as a Millennial veteran returning to life on campus. This short collection of self-shot video footage focuses in on eight young veterans as they share their accomplishments, struggles and experiences with the audience.

As part of “Half of Us,” mtvU has aired a number of public service announcements, short-form features and resources in an ongoing commitment to support Millennial generation veterans. In “Today’s Student Vets: From Combat to College ,” the college network followed young veterans as they made the challenging transition back into college life, delving into the emotional struggles they face, and demonstrating how civilians can play a role in helping them adjust back into life after active-duty. Additionally, mtvU and the Jed Foundation have developed multiple PSAs, in partnership with the Bob Woodruff Foundation, addressing the emotional struggles college veterans face when returning to campus and how students can help ease that transition.

“Beyond the Welcome Home”

100 young veterans from across the country recently gathered together in Los Angeles for the “Beyond the Welcome Home” summit, a 3-day event hosted by Mobilize.org, ServiceNation: Mission Serve, the Goldhirsh Foundation, the McCormick Foundation and MTV, with additional support provided by The Home Depot Foundation, The Home Depot Arena and Bank of America.

During the summit, veterans debated, discussed and collaborated on veteran-led, veteran benefited projects in America’s communities and had the chance to win thousands of dollars to turn their ideas into reality. Civilians were encouraged to participate in the conversation via social media and online live streaming provided by The Case Foundation. Five proposals were selected to receive grant money and a year of mentoring, with a broad range of innovative concepts ranging from a green small business incubator designed to combat unemployment and promote sustainable energy to a software tool aimed at sparking a national online dialogue on the most pressing issues facing veterans.

The short-form segment, made possible by the support of the McCormick Foundation, features excerpts from the summit, giving young veterans a platform to share their ideas with the college audience. From the special, viewers are directed to Brave.MTV.com to learn more about how to support the winning ideas and other veterans’ initiatives in their local communities.

For more information, veterans and civilians can head to Brave.MTV.com or access the “Half of Us” veterans’ resource center at www.halfofus.com/veterans.

About “Half of Us”

mtvU and The Jed Foundation launched the Peabody Award-winning and Emmy-nominated “Half of Us” campaign in November 2006 to fight the stigma around mental health and encourage help-seeking among college students across the country. The campaign includes on-air, online and on campus elements. The backbone of the campaign is www.HalfofUs.com where students can access a variety of programming and resources, including videos featuring a diverse group of students and artists like Mary J. Blige, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Brittany Snow, speaking candidly about their personal struggles with serious mental health issues. The centerpiece of the site is an anonymous self-evaluator screening tool – developed by the Duke University Medical Center – which helps users understand more about their state of mind and access campus-specific resources. The site also features an action center where students can become advocates on issues related to college mental health and suicide prevention.

The “Half of Us” campaign was built on original research that showed most students would not seek help for emotional issues due to embarrassment or a lack of information about available resources (visit www.HalfofUs.com/press.aspx to view the findings of the “mtvU College Mental Health Study: Stress, Depression, Stigma & Students“).