Reflection: A Look in the Broken Mirror

As I write this, I realize I am still struggling.  I am struggling with some of the everyday issues that affect those with PTSD.  I still have mood swings.  I still have difficulty with loud noises and sudden gestures. However, I am making progress and I cannot complain.

        This blog project has brought up some feelings I have not dealt with in a few years, but it has also enlightened me.  I have personal experience with the way the VA treats our veterans but I can only imagine how bad the injured are being treated.  I do hope one thing, however.  I hope that I have enlightened at least one person who reads this blog.  I am not asking for pity or sympathy, I am asking people to take an objective view at the treatment received by our modern heroes.  My service in the military was a great time and an excellent experience.  I would not change the fact that I served in the military.  What I would change, if I could, is the awareness of everyday Americans to these travesties. 

        It has been an interesting course and I thoroughly enjoyed the class. I have never created a blog and this was an enlightening experience. In summation, everyone needs to appreciate their service members a little more.  Take the time off on Veteran’s Day to appreciate what the day truly means.  Also, remember that veterans served year round for your protection, so do not just relegate appreciation to one day.  Thank you for reading my blog and good luck in the future to all students.

Homeless Veterans: A Modern Epidemic

I am broke.  I have no job.  The outlook does not look well.  Luckily, I have a support group to lean on when times get rough.  I separated from the military and started working a sales job in Orlando, Florida.  After a month, the job was no longer mine and I was living off credit cards and my savings account.  An account that was typically above $10,000 soon was depleted to $21 and I had no idea where my life was going.  I scraped up enough money to pay one last month of rent in my apartment but was forced to move in with family in Richmond.  If it was not for that family, I would be homeless. 

                Even with my unemployment compensation, it is not enough to live off.  $275 a week does not go very far in today’s society, especially in regards to housing.  Mine is not an uncommon problem being dealt with by discharged and separated service members.  Estimates of the homeless population vary, but veterans make up 10-25% of the total homeless populations (Katel, 2004).    Nine percent of the U.S. population are veterans, yet 275,000 veterans are homeless on any given night with about twice as much experiencing homelessness at some point this year (Katel, 2004).

                The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a homeless coordinator in each of the 57 regional offices to help veterans and transitioning members in hopes of preventing their homelessness.  Some VA offices have even been known to patrol the streets looking for veterans to help and find a shelter for, an encouraging sign.  However, most believe that the VA just is not doing enough to support our veterans and prevent them from losing their housing.  In Dover, Delaware, the state unanimously approved funding for the state’s first home for aging and disabled veterans.  States do vary widely on the kinds of services and benefits they offer to veterans, though.

                Veterans have served our country in its time of need and upon returning, thousands are going homeless.  This trend needs to be fixed and this issue needs to be corrected.  I am a 26-year-old man living with family after being on my own for eight years.  It is demoralizing and embarrassing, but it is better than sleeping on the streets.  It is allowing me to get my life back together.  The next time you see a homeless person on the street, do not get annoyed or disgusted.  Think about this:  25% of the homeless population has served so you can have your freedoms and live in whatever home you want.  If it were not for family, I would be one of those people.

               

Katel, P. (2004, November 19).  Treatment of veterans.  Retrieved October 21, 2011 from the CQ Researcher database.

A cartoon depicting the plight of homeless veterans.

A sign created for a national sleep-out designed to raise awareness of homeless veterans.

Visual Rhetoric 2





     The picture above is Deborah Barr visiting the grave of her brother, Daniel Dula, who served in the U.S. Navy.  This picture was taken at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, Michigan.  Deborah is visibly upset while honoring her late brother.  She is hunched over the grave, crying into her hands while a lone grave in the background has flowers placed in front.  The targeted audience in this picture would be everyone.  Anyone who has ever lost something or someone of great importance to them, knows the feelings that are associated in this picture.  There is great sadness involved.  The purpose of this picture is to let veterans know that they are not forgotten.  Their deaths affect hundreds or thousands of people throughout their communities and while it may take the family a great deal of time to come to terms with the passing, that veterans and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

     This image is also free of logos to make the message crystal clear.  This picture displays pathos in the most basic of intents.  The picture itself is so heart wrenching that is stirs emotions inside the viewer to times when they have dealt with the same circumstances. The woman appears to be hysterical with sadness as she crumbled to her knees to cry.  This hero gave the ultimate sacrifice, and the picture reiterates just how painful that can be.

     Ethos is displayed because not only is the woman honoring her brother by visiting him, but there are also flowers on a different grave signifying that other graves are visited as well.  This lends to the ideas that we, as a culture, will not forget the sacrifices made by these heroes.

     Mythos in this picture is the same principle as ethos.  There are multiple signs showing people have visited or continue to visit the fallen and honor their sacrifice.  This picture truly pulls at the heartstrings of a viewer.  For myself, I can only imagine what my family and friends would have been forced to endure had I been killed while deployed.  It is a great honor knowing that veterans will be remembered for their sacrifices.   I plan to visit more national graves to place flowers and thank those who sacrificed for me.

Jones, B. (n.d.) Picture about veteran’s family member.  Original source publication: We Remember.  Retrieved December 1, 2011, from http://02varvara.wordpress.com/2010/11/13/.

Visual Rhetoric 1

     The picture above is an image captured during the 2008 Veteran’s Day  celebration at the White House.  In the picture, we see President Barack Obama hugging wounded veteran, Tammy Duckworth, who had both legs amputated from injuries sustained during the Iraq War.  The targeted audience would be two-fold for this picture.  It appeals to both veterans, to let them know they are not forgotten, as well as targeting the mass public to influence them into thanking their veterans for all the sacrifices made.  The purpose of this message is both a celebration of Veterans Day and reminding the public that it is not just a day free of work or school, it is a day to remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our country.  President Obama is providing the ultimate message through this image.  If one of the most powerful and busiest men in the world has time to thank a veteran, what is stopping the rest of the country?

     The image is free of logos which prevents detracting the reader from the intent of the picture, thanking veterans.  Pathos is something that plays to the audience’s emotions.  This picture displays pathos because it is portraying gratitude.  President Obama is being gracious to a veteran who has sacrificed herself under his orders.  His face is somber and his body language displays sincerity.  This reiterates the idea of remembering what Veterans Day truly is. 

     Ethos shows a guiding belief or a set of ideals that characterize a community.  This is portrayed in the picture because of the people involved.  Nothing can characterize a community more than an image of their leader, whom they defend and serve, thanking a subordinate in such a fashion.  We, as Americans, should be thankful for all we have and acknowledge those who allow these freedoms.

     Finally, mythos is the basic pattern of beliefs of a people.  This is created the same way ethos is, for this picture.  President Obama thanking a service member for their heroic actions is how our community acts and the way in which most people believe.  I have been thanked numerous times for my service in the military by civilians in all lifestyles.  People support our troops, not because they support the war or believe in the cause, but because they understand service members are in a hostile land fighting because it is our orders.  Nowhere in my service contract did it state personal politics play a factor in deployments.  Every culture and religion is represented in the military and we fight as one. 

     The message from this picture is clear and reverberates in society:  thank your veterans for their service, and remember those who have sacrificed so much for your freedoms.

Moger, J. (11 November 2010) Picture about veterans.  Original source publication:  Not Forgotten.  Retrieved December 2, 2011 from http://jtmoger.wordpress.com/2010/11/11/not-forgotten-2/

The Wounded Veterans: America’s Forgotten Child

        I will admit that I am guilty of it.  I am sure that as you read this, you can think of a time when you were guilty of it as well.  The second glances, the staring, the whispers, and even the small children blatantly conversing about it due to their understandable ignorance.  The wheelchairs, the crutches, and even missing or prosthetic limbs are the noticeable scars that stereotype them into a group.  They are our true heroes:  the wounded warriors.

        While I cannot comment on the state of being physically injured myself, I have spoken to my share of wounded veterans from wars present and past.  This allows me to give my opinion on the subject with some experiences rather than just being a talking head.  Before I begin, I want you to think honestly about your opinions on the healthcare that veterans receive when returning with catastrophic injuries.  Do you think they receive the proper care in a timely manner?  Do you think they are pampered and deserve less than they are entitled to?  Are you one of the majority who never really consider the care that our heroes receive and just assume it is adequate?  I hope that by blogging about this topic, I will at least have changed one person’s views or made a group aware of the shortchange veterans often receive.

        In 2007, The Washington Post wrote an article covering the care, or lack-there-of, that veterans were receiving at Walter Reed Army Medical Center near Washington D.C.  The paper detailed the “moldy, vermin-infested outpatient housing and overworked, sometimes incompetent, staff” (Katel, 2007).  This lead to the firings of many prominent officials including the Walter Reed Commander and the Army Surgeon General.  In March of 2007, President Bush assembled a blue-ribbon commission headed by Senator Bob Dole, himself a wounded WWII veteran, to start the wheels of change in the Department of Veterans Affairs.  That committee returned with six recommendations for improvement that include:  simplifying the disability rating system, assignment of a care counselor to every seriously wounded service member, improved care for PTSD and traumatic brain injury (TBI), and increase support for the relatives taking care of wounded service member (Katel, 2007).  While this was a welcome attempt at change, many feel the reports did not change enough. 

“Buyer says the Dole-Shalala commission did zero in on some of the top problems in veterans' `care — above all the call for a patient-centered philosophy. The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments tend to use budgetary justifications for limiting veterans' options he says. ‘We take that wounded warrior, and in sub-acute care, we send them back to their homes — and home may be two or three or four hours from a military medical facility. And when they're so distant, we ought to be able to contract for that care,’ Buyer says. ‘Sometimes the green-eyeshade guys start making decisions based on dollars, not on patients’” (Katel, 2007).

        That quote summarizes the care that veterans tend to receive.  The ideology of capitalism by completing the bare minimums or, as with the rest of the military, the lowest-bidder concept.  If these organizations have to short change a service member in their quest for care by providing inadequate coverage to save a few pennies, they will.

        America was founded on the fair treatment of all citizens and certain inalienable rights.  I ask you, do you think these service members’ rights are being met?  They fight, risk their lives, and some give the ultimate sacrifice so everyone else’s rights are protected.  So where is their justice?  Where is their fair treatment and timely treatment when dealing with wounds sustained so Americans can sleep soundly at night?  The VA needs a drastic change to provide for these heroes.  The only question left is, “When will it happen?”

Katel, P. (2007, August 31). Wounded veterans. Retrieved October 21, 2011, from the CQ Researcher database.

Just a few of our wounded heroes

The Wounded Warrior logo.  A charity I support and recommend.

The Most Dangerous Enemy of All: Suicide

It was Iraq, 2006.  Our mission on this sultry August night was to fly through the country to deliver much-needed supply.  As we flew around the outskirts of Baghdad, nothing seemed out of place or abnormal in any way.  Little did I know that my life was about to change.  A bright flash, a stream of smoke, and a scream so loud that I could understand it over the sound of the running engines from seventy feet away is burned into my memory.  The airplane flutters and dives to avoid the incoming rocket that had just been shot.  We manage to barely escape as the rocket flies just past our wing tip and explodes a thousand feet above us.  We had survived.  That was the first time I had ever been shot at while flying.  Sadly, it would not be my last.  I am still dealing with those events during my deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.  As with many veterans, the effects of those actions did not play a factor that night, or for the rest of my rotation.  Instead, similar memories reared their ugly heads after I had returned home even though I was safe with family.

        This situation is not uncommon at all with modern veterans.  Our brains compartmentalize the problems and traumatic events to enable us to survive some of the worst conditions imaginable.  Then when we can decompress from the stress and calm ourselves, the problems arise because they have not been properly dealt with.  The problems seem so great and insurmountable that it leads us to contemplate the ultimate solution:  suicide.

        It has been almost a decade since the United States engaged in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan.  During that decade, the suicide rates among service members and veterans has risen sharply (Katel, 2011).  This has lead to criticism of the military and leadership.  As a result, the military branches are increasing their suicide prevention programs.  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has increased their mental health support by more than 6,000 workers and offers toll free hotlines.  While it may lessen the number of suicides slightly, it is like putting a bandage over a gaping wound.  According to the most recent statistics, the suicide rates of Iraq/Afghanistan veterans under VA care stood at 38 per 100,000 members in 2008.  This translates to roughly two-and-a-half times the military’s suicide rate of 15.8 per 100,000 members. (Katel, 2011).

        The longstanding thought that most veterans agree upon is on the basis that the VA is a bureaucratic, slow system.  This is leading to veterans not getting their treatment in timely manners.  I, personally, have been waiting over six months to be seen for an initial disability claim that is only covering bodily harm.  I can only imagine how hard it is for members with life threatening mental issues to received treatment that could potentially save them from themselves.  These practices of waiting to help those brave Americans that risk everything for everyone else is utterly sickening.  The senate has even launched a special committee to oversee the Department of Veterans Affairs and try to fix the problem.  Sadly, there has been no improvements made, only excuses.   I hope that as the wars end and troops are returning home in the thousands, the VA will have the time and effort needed to fix these atrocities. 

After returning from my first rotation in Iraq, things just did not seem to click.  I felt awkward around my friends and family, I had a terrible time sleeping, and I fought constantly with my ex-wife.  My mood swings were so bad that I did not even want to be around myself.  I was depressed and on the verge of harming myself.  Luckily, I had the support around to help me get through this rough patch.   That cannot be said for all service members, and the results are catastrophic.  I am still dealing in many ways with the events of my deployments, but I have reason for hope and am getting better.  I wish the same for all veterans.

       

Katel, P. (2011, September 23). Military suicides. Retrieved on October 21, 2011 from the  CQ Researcher database.

(a)

(b)

(c)

Above:  (a) a chart depicting the suicide rates of veterans vs. active military, (b) the demographics of military suicides, and (c) a military suicide prevention poster

Estrogen and the Battlefield

It is quite fitting that I write this on Veteran’s Day. It is a day to honor those who have served our country and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice so we can continue our lives in freedom without fear.  I have served with members of every race, religion, and sex possible, each with their own amazing strengths and stories.  On this day, I want to explain some of the most amazing veterans I have worked with, and they all share a common theme.  They are women.  The challenges these heroes face and the adversity caused by their sex, is a tribute to the American drive.

To understand the challenges that veterans are facing today, first we must understand the ever-changing landscape of modern veterans.  The ages vary from 17 to mid and late 40’s with the average age of veterans coming back from tours in Iraq and Afghanistan at 27.  While this may not be as young as the typical service member in World War II, the number of troops returning and those with illness or disability are the highest of any war.

 Another drastic change between the wars of yester years and current events is the progression and involvement of women in combat (Clemmitt, 2009).  The involvement of women in military operations is similar to the plight of African Americans during segregation.  Both minorities withstood trials and tribulations and eventually were more widely accepted in military roles.  The current military force is 14% women, which roughly translates to 200,000 women currently serving their country; up from just 2% about 40 years ago.

I have seen firsthand the hurdles still facing women in combat.  The sexual assaults reported in war zones have increased over the past decade and women still are not accepted into certain operational positions.  The logic of this decision was made present at my time in survival school.  Men are psychologically “wired” to protect women, even at battle.  By placing women in these positions, it is feared that missions would be compromised by men protecting women.

As these women return from battle, they fall into the same ruts as any veterans. I have close female friends who have dealt with the mental trauma of war operations and remain receiving treatment for the psychological stresses associated with war.  I have also had the opportunity to spend time with a few returning females who have suffered combat related injuries.  They are a tale of inspiration to me personally.  The few that I have met have never felt wronged or complained for their loss; rather they are still proud to have served.  I was speaking to one veteran who had lost her arm in an explosion and as we traded war stories and talked I remember asking if she would go back and change the events if she could.  Her answer was a resounding “No.”  This veteran, who had lost so much, would still sacrifice her body for a country that allows citizens to protest outside of soldier’s funerals.  She has been a model of perseverance for myself and I am sure many others around her.  She, as well as many other female veterans, continue to face challenges in their service.

        With the demographics of veterans changing every year, the conditions affecting these veterans are as varying as the service members themselves.  A common accepted logic is that veterans face more challenges while in Iraq/Afghanistan serving in combat.  However, in my case as well as many others, it seems the majority of hardships occur after returning home. These challenges can be the most detrimental and hardest to overcome.

Clemmitt, M. (2009, November 13). Women in the military. Retrieved on October 21, 2011 from the CQ Researcher database.

The woman on the left is a close friend, Josie Harshe.  She was a member of the first all-female combat aircrew in Iraq.

The Nameless and Faceless

Never judge a book by its cover.  The age old adage rings true in many cases, including my own.    You would never be able to know from looking at me and watching my actions, but I have struggled with depression, uncontrollable anger, sleeplessness, and many other symptoms that an increasing number of Americans are facing every year.  These are some of the typical symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and this disorder has become a hot topic issue as of late with the likes of the Surgeon General, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and other high caliber medical institution.  As our sailors, soldiers, and airmen are returning from the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan, many are not receiving the attention they require.  As the demographics of veterans fighting today’s wars change with time, so too does the care needed and provided.  While some return home with visible battle scars such as missing limbs or abrasions, the majority are returning with deeper scars than an enemy could possibly imagine.  They are the nameless and faceless who need the attention of civilians to try and understand a hint of what they are dealing with.  This is their story and mine…