Well, we had our protest

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Believe it or not

I wore a coat and tie. I felt like that was a bit of respect I could give to the fine folks there. It sort of freaked out some of the other vets. Some even called me "Sir". One of them asked me why I wore a coat and tie. I told him to piss some people off. "All right!" Nobody was the ragged stereotype so often shown in the media. Just a bundh of good guys and gals.

[Jerry D]

Great Poem and how true it has become, for our greatest generation and their sons, who fought in Vietnam and other wars. Let us hope some wise men come and bring their treasures and rebuild the VA system to what it was meant to be a place to heal and support our troops! For ourselves and our posterity. God Bless them all.

[DMZ-LT]

Good work Fred. My favorite poem , Andy.Got something in my eye to GRz - better find someone to wipe them. Way to go Fred

[xgrunt]

No need to apologize, I'm really fired up about the the VA cutbacks on PTSD groups too. Torch :cl:

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Well, they can't say they haven't heard how much we need the PTSD programs. Every guy in there speaking to the Director had tears in their eyes. These things really do need to be expanded. There's quite a few fellows here I wish could go to a program like that one. Bob Cox, Joe Duehl, Teresa, Dawn Tribble, TR, Dan and others I can't think of their names right now, are the best friends a vet could ever have. They are immensely aware of what makes us tick. If you could see just one psychodrama you would be amazed at the skill and compassion of these people. Imagine going back to THAT place and THAT time that is in the darkest part of your mind. These peole will go there with you, they will keep you safe and they will guide you so that you don't get lost. Then they will bring you back. They go through that intensity with every veteran that wants to do it. I calculate they have done over 1000 psychodramas. How they do it and not go crazy I don't know. Actually I do know, they are part of the group and they talk out what the psychodrama meant to them. Others on the staff are no less caring. There is a nurses aide whose nickname is Tinker Bell. She gives every veteran a hug every day she is there. I am sure this is not in her job description. She just knows a lot of guys never get any affection from anyone. And when it is over and it is time to go home, Bob tells you you can come back whenever you need to. Yeah, this IS the VA.

[SEATJERKER]

...earlier, but hold back until the end, and/or have time...

...usually it means time to reflect, and deceide weather to be serious, or hide, and be comical,(if possible, warped as it may be)...

...However,

...Having spoke to you on numerous occations, and wanting so much to see your fears, and the shouldering of weight well beyond expectations lifted,...

... I can only hope for positive results from this meeting for all of you involved with the program at Salem, I know how much it means to you...

... "trim your toenails, their sharp"...

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Thanks, Curtis

It is an oasis in a very large desert.

[1stbn27]

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy the Psyco Vet Coffee mugs I got.....I will be orderin the Tee Shirt and cover soon ......

[deltamedic]

Its a shame that ANY veteran has to constantly protest, fight, kick and scream to retain, maintain, and continue to be entitled to veteran programs, care, and treatment. Each year here we have to journey to Raleigh to fight to keep the state from cutting funds for our Veteran Service Officers as well as state level veteran medical programs and grants. The same rings true on the Federal level and the question is WHY!?
Why should beterans have to consisitantly push the politicians to leave our benefits alone and out of consideration in cut backs and budget balancing? Not long after we went into Iraq our illustrious "President" was on national tv saying "we will make sure that our military and their families needs are met." "We owe it to these brave men and women and their familes to see that they have the medical care that they need." That was part of his speech on one hand...on the other hand he had the Presidential pen ready to sign his name to a 2004 budget proposal that would cut 37 billion dollars from the Veterans Health Care plan.
Bombardment of the White House, Congress resulted in 11 billion be returned to the program but the balance of 26 billion is still out there in proposed cuts...not incidently the same amount that was proposed be given to Turkey to use its land to enter Iraq.

The ptsd program for troops of Iraq they feel may not be needed due to "de-briefing" of the troops as they return which is felt by some to be more benificial than going to a ptsd program. Here in Salisbury VA, NC the ptsd program has dropped from 12 wks to 8 wks to now 6 wks which is not getting good results from inter-
views with veterans whom have attended the program. They say its too rushed, to little time to fully digress the real issues a vet has. I've never been to the program but I do find that my local Vet Center has made a huge impact on my ptsd issues and even more than the VA doctors.
Great work at Salem guys and had I known I'd have driven up to lend support from NC to you as we have some guys at the Vet Center that go to Salem.

Doc

[1CAVCCO15MED]

Thanks for the kind words

One of the psychologists at Salem was called up by the Reserves to do debriefing for returning troops. It is beneficial but to be really effective it has to be done within 24 hours of the incident. As anyone who has been to war knows these "incidents" can occur repeatedly every day of combat. They can't pull troops out of combat every day to be debriefed. Because of that there will be new cases of PTSD. I agree about early treatment for PTSD. That is one of the things I told the director of the Salem VA hospital. At the very time the services would need to expand they are contracting them. I told them maybe it would be possible to prevent the hell most of us have gone through over the years if treatment was started immediately. This is a wonderful opportunity to create new treatments immediately instead of starting decades later after much pain and suffering.