Memorial Day, 2008

Another year on. Five+ years into yet another foray into failed diplomacy, among other, more sinister things.

Still, this gives us another chance to reflect on something of imminently greater importance than just how many hot dog buns should be picked up at Costco for this year’s “Kickoff to Summer!” barbecue.

What I will reflect upon, instead, is my profound gratitude to the servicepeople who have, during this past year, given everything that was in their power to give.

And their families. Let us never forget those whose lives have been forever changed by that ultimate of sacrifices.

I will observe the 3 PM “Moment of Silence,” and Remembrance, for all those who have lost their lives in service to this country.

Wherever you may be, please do take a moment to remember. We may all espouse the rights, and demands, and particular preclusions of liberty. In the end, they have died for them.

Consider the following to be an addendum to my Memorial Day, 2007 posting; God willing, there will be fewer of these in the future.

The Memorial Day postings will continue, however. It should be our collective privilege to remember.

*******

U.S. Forces Wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, to 23 May 2008: 32,076

Coalition Forces Killed in Action in Iraq, Memorial Day 2007 – 23 May 2008: 647

Coalition Forces Killed in Action in Afghanistan, Memorial Day 2007 – 23 May 2008: 220

*******

 

The Invisible Wounds of War

Okay. It’s time for a veterans’ care update. It’ll be short, so don’t freak.

I’ve been meaning to put this up for the past month, since the day it came out, but have been short of time for posting anything, of late (I suppose one post about every 10 days kinda illustrates that, huh).

In any case, the RAND Corporation – the nation’s largest policy-analyzing, reporting-to-the-Office-of-the-Secretary-of-Defense, (rather clannish) group – recently released a report on estimates for the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other conditions among OIF/OEF veterans. This is the most extensive report of its kind to date; the entire thing runs 500 pages.

I’ve downloaded that, and have even begun to read through it, believe it or not (makes for some real light reading), but will instead post the 19-page summary, here.

The estimates are not pretty. In fact, they’re rather horrifying. It is being predicted, conservatively, that 18-22% of veterans from this war will suffer from PTSD, major depression and/or traumatic brain injury (TBI) or mTBI (the “mild” version). Further, there is a high incidence of co-morbidity among these conditions.

Either way, “one-in-five” is a staggering ratio.

I just wanted to put something up that really means something. If you have even 20 minutes to browse through this, to see what these hundreds of thousands of young men and women will be grappling with and going through in the years to come, then please – take that amount of time to familiarize yourself with this. Just over half the personnel who have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan over the past five years – that’s more than 800,00 people, folks – are between the ages of 20 and 29, and this war will be affecting them for, presumably, the greater portion of their lives.

The upshot is that we, as a nation, will need to begin to deal with this war, whether some of us want to or not.

I’m off to bed. Time to try and get refreshed for another day of reading, writing, researching (about things such as this, and more) and feeling grateful that I have a wonderful and special son whom I adore (and who WOWS me every day with his special brand of sweetness) as well as supportive and loving people in my life.

G’night.

 

Cool days, cool dudes

Some days are just pretty cool.

There was last Saturday spent with — well, “with” — the Dalai Lama. As I’d mentioned in my last post, I was going to be fortunate enough to get to go see him, and I did. And was that ever a cool day. Not temperature-wise, as it was unseasonably warm, a gorgeous Seattle spring day (Paris and I both kept chasing shade in Qwest Field – her even more than me, I swear!). But the multitudes did indeed come out to hear what His Holiness had to say, and they were well behaved and peaceful, appreciative and energetic. One of the things I loved about his speaking style was that it was broken up often with laughter, and when he was done it was a rather abrupt, “Nice-to-have-been-here-and…GOODNIGHT!” sorta deal. Like he had wandered in, said what happened to be on his mind – the theme of this five-day trip was ‘Seeds of Compassion’ – and then simply stopped talking when he thought the audience had endured enough. Very humble. Very peaceful.

Not a difficult way for me to go to my Zen place.

Then today was another cool day, but for a completely different reason. This afternoon – back to the misty, cool grey of a typical Seattle spring day – I attended a presentation on OIF/OEF veterans issues at Edmonds Community College, given by the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Paul Rieckhoff, founder and OIF veteran. It’s part of IAVA’s “College Tour” program, as they’re trying to reach out to communities across the country on behalf of this generation of veterans, to speak about their unique needs, such as a completely overhauled GI Bill of Rights (gaining momentum in both Houses, with an actual chance of passing this session), further funding of TBI research and — hello! — mental health professionals of all stripes to handle what is anticipated to be the largest influx of veterans into the VA system since WWII. I’ve been enormously impressed with IAVA’s approach and their effectiveness in just the four short years of their existence, so it was indeed wonderful for me to be able to meet Paul after the presentation and speak with him some about these issues and about my passion for them.

All things being equal, IAVA is the type of organization I would give my eye teeth to work for, as they do have an office now in D.C. as well (headquartered in NY) and hire advocates and policy people to push their agenda on Capitol Hill. I would love, love, love to do that for even just a few years. But they’re on the wrong coast, damn them. Ah, well… we’ll see what I can do from here.

If you haven’t yet checked out their organization, please spare just a couple of minutes of your day and go to IAVA’s site now (I also have one of their banners on my right-hand rail). Take just a few moments out to read up on some of the issues that at least 1.5 million professional, devoted and courageous men and women in this country are and will be facing in the years to come.

There are moments when I just gotta do my spiel. I get very passionate about this stuff, as most of y’all know by now.

And that’s about it from here, for now. A few very cool days, with a couple of very different, yet very cool dudes.

 

Homelessness among United States veterans

As part of the course requirements for my Community Psychology class this Fall (BIS343, for all you academics), we were required to do a term research project on a social problem in the United States. Going against the tide but with my personal research interests, I asked my professor if it would be alright if I did mine on the problem of homelessness among U.S. veterans. She was intrigued – no one had ever asked to research that particular problem before – so she said “yes.” I am thankful she did, as it has served as the catalyst for engaging me to take further action, to look more deeply into this problem than I previously had. Considering my professed passion for veterans advocacy work, it was about time I opened my eyes more fully to this.

I am posting some of my research materials here. Believe me – this is just a tiny sampling of what I have, and of what is out there. Homelessness among veterans is a huge problem, so quite a lot has been researched and written about it. Tragically, that’s not translated well into effective action being taken on behalf of homeless veterans themselves. But this has become something that I want to be more involved with, to try to help. At best, the Dept of Veterans Affairs (VA) answer to veteran homelessness is ineffective; at worst, it’s criminal.

The system is broken. If we don’t come to grips with that fact, the OIF and OEF veterans who are soon to be returning en masse – suffering from PTSD, TBI, the strain of multiple deployments and the toll that that takes, not just on soldiers (sailors, Marines, airmen…) but on their families as well (and hence, the soldier’s support system) – are going to make care for the Vietnam era vets look like a cakewalk, and we are not ready.

The latest estimates are that up to 40% of the homeless male population in the U.S. are veterans. How can this be?! And there are homeless women veterans as well. Where do they go? Who is watching their backs? Many have suffered sexual abuse, both inside and outside of their military service. Is forcing them into dangerous shelters, where they are routinely exposed to yet more trauma, the answer? It goes without saying that that applies to male veterans as well, and approximately 96% of the veteran homeless population are men.

These men and women, whether they be combat veterans or guardians during peacetime, have served us all. Forcing them out onto the street – or to shelters, benches, farms, parks, underpasses, hilltops, mountainsides, dumpsters – is a disgraceful way to say, “Thank you for putting your ass on the line for me; thumbs up, dude.” At the very least, they are due the benefits they have been promised, and have rightfully earned. They are not getting them.

I’m just the tiniest of blips on the Net. But part of my blog can serve as a source for information. Perhaps that’s all I can do for now, but at least I can do that much. When I began this blog last March, I posted that I didn’t want it to be yet another avenue for self-absorption; we have enough of that already in the world, especially in this culture.

Towards that end, this will be a recurring section of this site; updates will post as new information becomes available and seems reliable. This will include information on both homeless veterans’ issues and combat-related PTSD (my career field of interest). Links will open in a new window, with all information available for download (most in .pdf format). Unfortunately, I cannot post academic journal articles, as that would constitute copyright infringement. However, if anyone out there is searching for something and is interested, I can e-mail them for individual use. Just e-mail me if you are searching for specific info. Who knows – I just might have something you’re looking for, or could possibly point you in a useful direction.

NOTE: Take the governmental and VA reports for what you will.

*******

Veteran Homelessness in the U.S. ~ Facts, Statistics and General Information:

• Congressional Research Service (CRS) Report for Congress: Homelessness — Recent Statistics, Targeted Federal Programs, and Recent Legislation – 31 May 2005
• CRS Report for Congress: Veterans and Homelessness – May 2007
• Looking at our Homeless Veterans Programs: How Effective Are They? Hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs – 16 March 2006
• National Alliance to End Homelessness: Vital Mission – Ending Homelessness Among Veterans (report snapshot) – November 2007

Department of Veterans Affairs (VA):

• VA: Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents: 2007 Edition
• VA: Programs for Homeless Veterans – 2006 Fact Sheet
• VA and Nat’l Center for PTSD: Iraq War Clinician Guide, v2 – June 2004

WA State Dep’t of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) & WA state veterans support:

• Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) — Web site
• WDVA: Homeless Veterans Brochure; December 2006
• WDVA: Homeless Veterans Action Plan – Update, January 2007
• Washington County Veterans Coalition (CVC) — Web site. Washington Counties Serving Veterans

MISCELLANY (as well as the most interesting, and probably, most useful):

• Homeless Veteran’s Survival Guide — Web site, from the WanderingVet; currently, a homeless veteran offering advice and guidance for his fellow homeless veterans via his blog.
• CW Nevius ~ San Francisco Chronicle: A flood of stressed vets is expected – 9 December 2007
• “When I Came Home” — Web site. A 2007 documentary film about homeless veterans in America. The filmmakers have posted a page for How You Can Help homeless vets as well.
• Abraham Cho: BC, College of A&S Senior Thesis – Our Home is Gone: Homeless Veterans and the Road Back – April 2007 — Tons of material here, fully cited for further research.

 

Hope

I’m putting all politics – left, right and center – aside for now, and just want to guide you to an uplifting dispatch from Michael Yon. Perhaps, there truly is light at the end of this long tunnel. Many have kept the faith about that, and I’d like to include myself in that group, even though it’s a double-edged sword when you read about civilians being killed and eighteen-year-olds arriving home in flag-draped caskets. There has been enormous sacrifice in this war, as there is in every war.

But these images and their accompanying story from Yon tell a wonderful tale of hope.

Michael Yon Online Dispatch: Come Home — 16 November 2007

What ran through my mind as I read the above dispatch: “Come to the Water” — St. Louis Jesuits

 

Report Card Day – Supplemental *Plus*!

For those who like to peruse such things – and yes, I’m a part of that group – here is General Petraeus’ report to Congress, in .pdf format. There are also charts and graphs at the end of the report.

 

Report Card Day *Supplemental*

Here are a few other articles of interest and information today, despite the fact that a couple of them come from sites which force me to roll my eyes, for the most part.

It’s tough being neither exclusively one thing, nor the other, LOL. Ah, well… such is life.

• The Australian: Strategist behind war gains by Rebecca Weissner – 18 August 2007 (a highly recommended read)
• National Review: Don’t Ask Me What I Think about the Petraeus Report – Ask the battalion commanders by Michael Yon – 10 September 2007
  
• Radio Free Europe: Analyst Says Debate Too Focused On Troop Reductions – Interview with Anthony Cordesman – 10 September 2007
• Wall Street Journal Online ~ Listening to Petraeus: The president had the courage to change course on Iraq. Does Congress? Op-Ed by John McCain and Joe Lieberman – 10 September 2007
  

 

Report Card Day

General Petraeus is about to speak on Capitol Hill, in what will most likely be the most important hearing of the year.

Catch all of the riveting action on C-Span.org via their feed from C-Span 3 (not available in the Seattle area, unfortunately). It’s a tiny screen, but at least it’s “LIVE!”. Testimony and questioning are expected to go on until 6:30 PM Eastern tonight, so essentially, all day.

Repeats of Gen. Petraeus’ testimony will begin airing on C-Span TV this evening.

So now we wait to hear what the man has to say.

 

Tony Cordesman’s The Man

I’ve been listening to what this guy has had to say since the Gulf War (remember that little expedition?), when he began his tenure as one of ABC News’ chief security analysts. He also holds, among other things, the Burke Chair in Strategy over at that little think tank known as the Center for Strategic and International Studies. That’s the kind of thing I’ll do in one of my next lives; you know, in between “NASA engineer” and “American History Writer Extraordinaire.”

Now, Dr. Cordesman will never be awarded the “Most Charismatic” award for anything. He’s methodical, even plodding. In other words, he makes you listen. And anyway, who cares? I always listen, and usually, I learn a great deal, and often, he expresses what it is I’m thinking, more or less.

While discussing the situation in Iraq on Charlie Rose tonight, Dr. Cordesman was spot on, as far as I’m concerned.

Go, Tony!

Watch for yourself, here: Tony on Charlie re: Iraq — 13 August 2007

Or… read Dr. Cordesman’s report for CSIS in full, here (in .pdf format). I encourage everyone to take the time to read this, as it is a more balanced assessment than some might presume: The Tenuous Case for Strategic Patience in Iraq: A Trip Report by Anthony H. Cordesman – 06 August 2007

 

Is there room for “cautious optimism”?

T’s “Thoughts For the Day”:

God knows we don’t want to be in Iraq forever. And no one wants to learn about yet more IEDs killing yet more U.S. troops, let alone innocent Iraqis, the vast majority of victims. The Bush administration has much to answer for, as well, and we should be engaging in massive amounts of diplomacy right now, but we’re not. So many mistakes have been made by arrogance and hubris that it’s almost sickening. Our civil rights have been under attack here at home and we’ve alienated most of the rest of the world. I do believe that in order to restore some of our former global standing that the neocons will just have to go, and good riddance.

However, I also believe that we need to find a more reasoned approach than to just start pulling troops out of Iraq en masse. Wanna see the VA system truly collapse? Start bringing entire divisions home just as rapidly as possible – that’ll do it.

This is not a particularly popular position (say THAT three times fast!) in my circle, I know. My more centrist positions in terms of defense and foreign policy are not always understood, nor, I daresay, necessarily respected, despite my progressive convictions on social issues. But I can’t help that. Every adult is entitled to her or his own opinion (if that opinion is borne out of informed reason, anyway), and mine is that now is not the right time to leave Iraq to the wolves of al Qaeda. Civil war would erupt into outright slaughter.

One way or another, we are going to have to come to grips with the mess that is the Middle East. And that includes finding a reasonable (and lasting) peace plan for Palestine, for calling Israel to task for its own abhorrent treatment of the Palestinians, while still supporting the one democracy in that region.

Not a job I’d want, thank you. But whoever figures all of that out will deserve a prize greater than the Nobel.

Hopefully, we’ll find a saner group of people to take over in ’08, which shouldn’t be too difficult, let’s face it. But I wouldn’t support a candidate who advocated immediate withdrawal from Iraq, either.

I’m waiting to hear General Petraeus’ remarks when he presents them to Congress in mid-September. Check your local listings for C-SPAN, as I’m sure they’ll be broadcast.

Until then, here is an Op-Ed that Michael Yon wrote for the NY Daily News regarding his opinion about some of these debates:

• I have seen the horror… — 05 August 2007
  

His latest dispatch from Iraq is also rife with links to past stories and at least anecdotal evidence of progress, from his viewpoint on the ground:

• Michael Yon Online: Three Marks on the Horizon — 13 August 2007

And that’s all from here. Happy Dog Days of Summer, everybody.