Top 10 Veterans Stories in Today’s News – October 15, 2013

Veterans! Here’s your Top 10 News stories of the day compiled from the latest sources

We encourage you to browse our list so that you can take what you want and keep what you need

1.   Long wait ends this week as Swenson receives Medal of Honor.  It’s sadly fitting that William Swenson’s Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House on Tuesday has been overshadowed by the government shutdown and the looming debt ceiling crisis.
 
2.   Veterans, worried about benefits, to protest shutdown.  Hyperlink to Article USA Today:  The Military Coalition, a group of 33 veterans and military organizations, is planning a rally at the National World War II Memorial on Tuesday morning. The groups want to publicize the impact the shutdown is having on many vets and their families amid concerns of delayed disability pay, GI Bill education stipends and other benefits.
3.   Military Coalition plans shutdown rally Tuesday.  Hyperlink to Article Military Times:  The Military Coalition, a group of 33 military and veterans’ organizations sharing a common agenda, plans to hold a rally and news conference calling on Congress and the White House to reach a compromise on the government shutdown and national debt limit.
4.   Veterans group condemns political nature of Washington rally.  Hyperlink to Article CNN Political Ticker:  A veterans group behind a rally in Washington that protested the closure of national monuments and memorials issued a statement Monday distancing itself from the political undertones that took center stage at the demonstration.
5.   Disabled veteran from N.J. fears loss of benefits amid shutdown.  Hyperlink to Article Stars and Stripes (The Press of Atlantic City):  On Wednesday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki told the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee that the department’s funds would be exhausted by the end of October… The failure to send out those checks would affect an estimated 5 million veterans and their families.
6.   Coordinated transitional care set to start this spring at Tomah VA.  Hyperlink to Article La Crosse Tribune:  A new program that helps patients transition from hospital to home care will come to the Tomah Veterans Affairs Medical Center next spring… The coordinated transitional care, or C-TraC, program was developed by Dr. Amy Kind of the William S. Middleton Veterans Affairs Hospital in Madison.
7.   A Young Veteran’s First Encounter With VA Health Care.  Hyperlink to Article The Huffington Post: …the people I encountered in VA health care could not have been nicer and genuinely interested in my care. But, they try to make the best of a flawed system… My hope is that reading this will remind and motivate you to use VA health care, but also prepare you for the bureaucracy and the long times it may take to receive it.
8.   Hyperbaric oxygen treatment may relieve PTSD and TBI symptoms.  Hyperlink to Article KENS-TV (Video):  Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury may soon have relief from their symptoms… Dr. Paul Harch, a leader in hyperbaric medicine, claims hyperbaric oxygen therapy may permanently curtail TBI and PTSD symptoms.
9.   Community rallies to help Dixon homeless veterans camp.  Hyperlink to Article KXTV-TV (Video):  An army of volunteers spent most of the day Monday turning the Dixon May Fairgrounds into a camp for those who served their country and need some assistance now.
10.  Keelan: Who’s Looking Out For Vermont’s Homeless Veterans? Hyperlink to Article VTDigger.org:  However, what impressed me during my tour of the center’s facility was the room… that contained insulated boots, field jackets, backpacks (no racks) and military style sleeping bags… to provide outdoor survival gear for homeless veterans who choose to live in the forests of Vermont.

Have You Heard?

Depression is Treatable: Take This Online Screening:  If you’re concerned about yourself or a loved one, visit Military Pathways to take a free, anonymous, online self-assessment for common mental health conditions such as depression, posttraumatic stress disorder or generalized anxiety disorder. These conditions are treatable, and a self-assessment is not only easy but can be the first step you take toward getting the help you need. Learn more about depression and its symptoms from the below blog post we’re revisiting by Dr. James Bender.
Depression has been referred to as “both the common cold and cancer of health care.” It’s like the common cold in that it can affect anyone at any time (depression affects approximately 14.8 million American adults annually). It’s like cancer because it can be deadly. Take, for example, someone who is clinically depressed and commits suicide. Depression also increases the chances of someone experiencing a heart attack.