SOLDIER SUPPORT

THANK YOU FOR OUR FREEDOM!

Recovery Connections would like to take a moment and give a heart felt thank you to our veterans that are home and on their way home. It's men and women like you who have made this nation great and we realize that recovery connections needs to do everything it can to make your transition into home a little easier. This page will feature support groups, grief groups, PTSD, meeting times and places, up and coming events and whatever else we can find that will be beneficial to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Thanks again,

Joseph



 
 REMEMBER LIMA

The Lima Company Memorial:
The Eyes of Freedom,

is a remembrance for all who have answered the call of service. The Memorial now travels to tell the story of love and sacrifice, as a reminder of the great price men & women are willing to pay for their country.


THE MEMORIAL






It all started with a dream...

The Lima Company Memorial, The Eyes of Freedom was created as a result of a vision of an Ohio artist, in which she saw the finished memorial and felt she was being asked to create it. With the help of the families of the fallen and the returned Marines of L3/25, the work was created and unveiled in the Ohio State House Rotunda in 2008, as the vision foretold.


Although the paintings in this Memorial specifically depict the 23 fallen Marines from Lima 3/25, it has become much more: a Remembrance of Spirit & Choice for all who have answered the call of service. Behind each portrait we feel the hearts and spirits of the thousands of men and women who have served, fought and died for their country, in every branch of the armed forces.


It has been said, "There is no greater love than this: than one lay down his life for his friends." These Marines and thousands more have given their lives for us. The Memorial now travels to tell the story of love and sacrifice, as a reminder of the great price men & women are willing to pay for their country. This work is offered in gratitude for their gift.


THE FALLEN



Private First Class Christopher R. Dixon
Lance Corporal Christopher P. Lyons
Staff Sergeant Anthony L. Goodwin
Petty Officer 3rd Class Travis Youngblood (Navy Corpsman)
Sergeant Justin F. Hoffman
Staff Sergeant Kendall H. Ivy II
Lance Corporal Nicholas William B. Bloem
Corporal Andre L. Williams
Lance Corporal Grant B. Fraser
Lance Corporal Aaron H. Reed
Lance Corporal Edward A. Schroeder II
Sergeant David Kenneth J. Kreuter
Lance Corporal Jourdan L. Grez

Lance Corporal William B. Wightman
Lance Corporal Timothy M. Bell, Jr.
Lance Corporal Eric J. Bernholtz
Corporal Dustin A. Derga
Lance Corporal Nicholas B. Erdy
Lance Corporal Wesley G. Davids
Sergeant David N. Wimberg
Lance Corporal Michael J. Cifuentes
Lance Corporal Christopher J. Dyer
Lance Corporal Jonathan W. Grant
Cpl. David Stephen "Bear" Stewart
LCpl. Kevin Waruinge
Sgt. Bradley Harper





WORDS



Ken Kreuter, father of David Kreuter

What a strange feeling, standing face-to-face with my son. I see him looking at me, listening to me as I greet him, ready to speak to me, "Hey, Dad. . ."

It's very quiet. I'm sure he is listening to me talk, but I can't hear an answer. I remember the smile, the casual tone of voice, the easy-going manner. I think of the child grown into a boy grown into a man making his choices and accepting his responsibilities
... Read More










Navy and Marines Will Introduce Random Alcohol Breath TestsBy Join Together Staff | March 6, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol,Drugs, Military & Prevention

The Navy and Marines announced they will start conducting random alcohol breath tests as part of a larger initiative to improve health and safety.

While all branches of the U.S. military already conduct random tests for illegal drug use, this is the first time military personnel will have to undergo random breath tests for alcohol, The Wall Street Journalreports.

The new program is designed to identify soldiers or Marines who may need treatment or counseling, the article notes. Service members who test positive for alcohol will not be allowed to go on duty, but the incident will not be placed on their permanent record.

The new initiative will also discourage smoking by ending discountson cigarettes at base stores.

In a speech televised and web-streamed live to sailors around the world on Monday, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the Navy will also begin random testing of urine samples this month for synthetic chemical compounds like “Spice.”

Navy submarine commanders were authorized to use Breathalyzersas part of a crackdown on alcohol abuse in 2009. Since then, surface commanders have started using the alcohol detection devices to conduct random tests, and drunk-driving rates have decreased.







Explore these resources for more information about PTSD in Veterans.












Vet Centers

If you are a combat Veteran or experienced any sexual trauma during your military service, bring your DD214 to your local Vet Center and speak with a counselor or therapist—many of whom are Veterans themselves—for free, without an appointment, and regardless of your enrollment status with VA.

http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/vetcenter_flsh.asp


Understanding PTSD Booklet

This eight-page booklet explains what PTSD is, provides information and resources on support, and shares real stories from people who have dealt effectively with PTSD.

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/understanding_ptsd/booklet.pdf


Understanding PTSD Treatment

This eight-page booklet explains in detail the various proven ways to treat PTSD and debunks some myths about treatment.

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/understanding_TX/booklet.pdf


National Center for PTSD

Explore this comprehensive website for detailed information about PTSD, its effects and treatment, and resources for support.

www.ptsd.va.gov/public/index.asp


VA’s PTSD Program Locator

This site will allow you to search for PTSD programs located near you. If you are eligible to receive care through the Veterans Health Administration, you can enroll in one of VA’s PTSD treatment programs.

http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/ptsd_flsh.asp



Freedom & Recovery 2012: Conference Introduction





Military personnel, law enforcement officers and first responders can be exposed to more stress and trauma in one day than most people will experience in a lifetime. Continuous exposure to acute stress makes them especially vulnerable to developing trauma-related mental illness, addiction and substance abuse disorders, often leaving them with memories and experiences that are difficult to handle in continued service and civilian life.

A clear example of the need for treatment is with members of the military and their families. More than two million service members have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan in the last ten years. With longer deployments and more frequent overseas tours of duty, our nation's service men and women are experiencing unprecedented rates of mental, emotional and substance use disorders, including historically high suicide rates.

Among police officers, suicide rates were three times higher than in other municipal workers according to a 2008 study. In another 2008 national study, up to 37 percent of firefighters meet assessment criteria for PTSD. And because demand is so high, family outreach has created a growing need for services in the private sector.

These facts and a growing number of studies support the need for treatment of trauma and addiction, while also providing suicide prevention strategies for service members, here and abroad, and for their families. In January 2011, the Department of Defense committed to a multi-year strategic initiative to increase behavioral health care services through prevention-based alternatives and integration of community-based services. Treatment providers must respond to this urgent need by developing effective interventions to meet the increasing demand for services among our military personnel and their families.

This unique conference will gather the nation's foremost treatment experts to examine these demands, with a focus on education and training for professionals who provide care to this special population and their families. Participants will learn evidence-based practices for treating trauma and addiction, methods for integrating families into treatment, and suicide prevention strategies.







U.S. Soldiers Find Ways to Get Hands on Alcohol in Afghanistan Despite Ban

By Join Together Staff | March 20, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol& Military

American soldiers can find ways to get their hands on alcohol in Afghanistan, despite a ban by the U.S. military, according to theAssociated Press. This issue is in the spotlight now that investigators are looking into whether alcohol played a role when a U.S. soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghans earlier this month.

AP reports that U.S. investigators have determined the suspect was drinking before leaving the base the night of the attack.

The article notes that in stress-filled war zones, U.S. officers sometimes turn a blind eye to drinking, or even drink themselves, despite the ban on alcohol in military zones in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Soldiers from many other NATO countries are allowed to drink alcohol in Afghanistan, leading to some “alcohol spillover” to American troops on bases that house soldiers from various countries. In both Iraq and Afghanistan, most foreign contractors that deal with the U.S. military are not covered by the ban, and bring in their own alcohol. Some American soldiers receive alcohol hidden in other types of bottles that are sent by family and friends.

Soldiers who violate the U.S. military’s General Order No. 1 banning “possessing, consuming, introducing, purchasing, selling, transferring, or manufacturing any alcoholic beverage” in Iraq and Afghanistan can face discharge or criminal charges.

The U.S. Army recently announced it has decided to postpone expansion of its confidential alcohol treatment program for almost three years, citing a high dropout rate in its pilot phase. The Confidential Alcohol Treatment and Education Project is aimed at helping soldiers who abuse alcohol, before more serious substance abuse problems develop that could harmfully impact their finances, health, relationships and military career. The Army introduced the program in 2009 at three Army installations, and expanded it to six posts.






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WWP IN THE NEWS


WWP IN THE NEWS


'A Chance To Start Over': Wounded Vets Ride Again



A group of military veterans has been riding bikes this week in and around Washington, D.C. Many of the bikes have been reconfigured so that soldiers who lost limbs and suffered wounds in war could feel the power in their grace and the wind in their faces.They joined the annual, four-day Soldier Ride, held in cities across the country and organized by the Wounded Warrior Project.


Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride



President Obama speaks before the start of the Wounded Warrior Project Soldier Ride, a cycling event that raises awareness for our nation's wounded warriors who battle the physical and psychological damages of war.


Wounded Warriors got sneak peek of 'Avengers' film last night



The makers of Red Baron® Baron’s Best Pizza rolled out the red carpet at “Marvel’s The Avengers” premiere for two brave servicemen who have overcome wartime injuries and given back to their veteran community. Last night at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles, Army Specialist Jason Braase (Ret.) and Marine Corporal Adam Harris (Ret.) were honored as part of the “Red Baron™ Heroes Beyond the Battlefield” program. These two servicemen were identified through a relationship with Wounded Warrior Project™ (WWP), a national organization that works to honor and empower injured service members andhelpthese servicemen and women assist each other.


Hand-cycling clinic a new start for wounded Soldiers, veterans



“It’s a freedom adventure,” said the Everett, Wash., native, loading his three-wheeled, hand-pedaled bike into his truck, April 4, in the parking lot of JBLM’s Warrior Transition Battalion barracks. “I may not be able to run, but it’s another tool to get out.” And the story is the same for the other wounded soldiers who were there with him, most of whom are still serving on active duty at the WTB awaiting rehabilitation, surgeries and final decisions as to whether their injuries will end their military service. For all of them, a cycling clinic hosted by the Wounded Warrior Project here, April 4 and 5, served as an opportunity to be active again – to move with purpose and feel free.


Wounded Warrior » celticlifeintl.com



Dawn Halfaker is the President of the Board of Directors of The Wounded Warrior Project, a Jacksonville, Florida-based organization that raises funds and awareness for severely injured service men and women, and helps them to recover and readjust to post-combat life. Born and raised San Diego, CA, Halfaker graduated from the United States Military Academy. This past Monday, she and others from the WWP took to the runway in NYC as part of the world’s largest Celtic fashion show, From Scotland With Love.


50 Best Nonprofits To Work For In 2012



For the second year in a row, Wounded Warrior Project was selected the best nonprofit for which towork, as well as being at the top of the Medium Organization list.


Hitting the Slopes to Recover From the Wounds of War



From a distance, Billy, a Green Beret, looked like any other snowboarder, traversing the slopes with apparent ease. Only up close could other winter revelers see that he had a prosthetic leg.


Soldiering on in the kitchen



Julio Gerena is in a wheelchair, his long career in the U.S. Navy and Army forever behind him. But the 52-year-old recaptured some of the old military camaraderie while peeling potatoes and chopping cilantro in a crowded kitchen. Gerena was among the first 16 wounded veterans who served during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to take part in a healthy cooking “boot camp” sponsored by the advocacy group Wounded Warrior Project. Former service members once consumed with patrols and sentry posts learned how to poach and saute at theCulinary Institute of America, the renowned cooking school on the Hudson River.


Vet groups, VA split over mental health expansion



Two years after Congress passed a high-profile law toimprovehealth care for military veterans, lawmakers and advocates are again raising alarms that the sprawling Department of Veterans Affairs is not expanding help for the nation's former fighters and their families as quickly or widely as intended. This time the dispute is over two mental health measures: one to establish a network of peer counselors so that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have someone to consult with who shares their war experience, the other to give the families of National Guard and reserve members temporary access to mental health services at VA facilities.


Empowering wounded warriors to establish a ‘new normal’ | Soldiers Magazine



Halfway along a 24-mile bike route through the German countryside of Rheinland Pfalz, Staff Sgt. Barry Homberg took a break from pedaling to refuel and reflect on a journey that had been longer than the 11 miles he’d already pedaled that crisp autumn day. Homberg’s journey began almost five years ago with a mission in Ramadi, Iraq, that ended when two 7.62 mm rounds struck him in his right calf and hip. After spending 22 months recovering at the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington and an assignment to the Warrior Transition Battalion in Europe, Homberg was on his way to Trier, Germany, on a custom Catrike 700 recumbent trike as a participant in a rehabilitative cycling event.




Contact Information
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
333 ½ Pennsylvania Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20003-1148
Email: Email info@nchv.org

Phone: 202-546-1969
Toll-free phone: 800-VET-HELP

Fax: 202-546-2063
Toll-free fax: 888-233-8582