Mental Stress Training Is Planned for Soldiers

I served under COL Williams and he is the perfect person to be charged with implementing this program. COL Williams is one of the few field grade officers that "got it." He cared about the development of his junior officers and genuinely cared about Soldiers' problems and the welfare of their families. He encouraged single junior officers to coach high school football, be involved with the community, and to have fun. He tried to show Soldiers that the Army can be fun when you are in garrison and not being shot at... the Army truly is a family. The former West Point football player moonlighted as a dance instructor and taught Justin Timberlake and hundreds of Army Officers how to dance. In sum, he built a spectacular team and it was an honor to serve under his command. Hopefully, he will be promoted after implementing this program. Soldiers will open up to him because of his personality and he will listen to their suggestions. There is hope for the Army afterall...

Homeless Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

Perhaps DoD will attempt to fix the problem in classifying veterans' disabilities when they leave the service. Instead of giving them a lower rating so they don't qualify for a retirement check and Tricare, perhaps they should... instead of just pushing them off onto the VA. "Oh the VA will take care of them," they think to themselves. Isn't the VA the same department that employs program coordinators that request staff refrain from diagnosing PTSD as much as they have been?

So if many veterans are receiving inadequate care and inaccurate mental health diagnoses perhaps this is a contributing factor towards a large homeless veterans population?! Just think of when in 30 years all of the veterans that have undiagnosed Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) start feeling the effects of all of the concussions that went unreported from IED attacks they experienced... we will have a crop of "punch drunk" homeless veterans on our hands.

This situation is occurring because the military industrial complex collectively said, "Hey, these vets chose to join and are looking for a handout... they should have just stayed in the military and done their 20 years. I did it, they should have too. None of those vets even go to college anyway, why should we support a new G.I. Bill? These vets going to the VA don't really have anything wrong with them. Screw them, their future career prospects, their mental health, and general well-being. Oh yeah, and no I don't have any money for a homeless vet. On another note, did I tell you that Northrop Grumman is making a new KC-45 Fuel Tanker for the Air Force? We NEED that fuel tanker NOW!!! Also, the ballistic missile defense shield just needs a trillion or so more dollars to be functional!!! Oh, did I tell you that right now I'm on (INSERT RETIRED GENERAL'S NAME HERE)'s team working on a new weapon system for (INSERT DEFENSE CONTRACTING COMPANY HERE) that should be ready by 2100 that can cripple the enemy using mind bullets - all without any collateral damage! By the way, do you want to go to the Army-Navy Club and get a round of golf in this weekend?"

Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery

This was just released and I have not had a chance to read it (498 pages). This report is available for free download from RAND here.