MAKE THE CONNECTION

Many of our Veterans saw, heard, and experienced horrors of war beyond our (and their) imaginations … and they pay for it daily. The happy part is that many organizations have arisen to help our Heroes successfully close that chapter of their lives. Sometimes, it requires medication. Sometimes, years of therapy. Sometimes, though, it is as simple as a good friend who has been there.

“The success of Make the Connection depends on support from everyone who interacts with Veterans: friends, family members, and people in communities nationwide as well as Veterans Service Organizations, community-based groups, and local health care providers that have direct contact with Veterans every day. We need your help to build greater awareness of MakeTheConnection.net and the numerous other resources that are available and improving the lives of our Nation’s Veterans.”

From an early age, Trista knew she wanted to be in the military, and she proudly served in three branches. For a long time, she didn’t acknowledge the effects that military sexual trauma was having on her life. After years of not recognizing the emotional effects of her experience, she told a VA counselor about it and changed her life for the better.

Aaron returned from Iraq and went straight into a civilian job, riding on a “get the job done” mentality. Then his wife began noticing how things didn’t seem quite right. He was angry and resentful. Aaron remembers having survivor’s guilt and vivid nightmares of being back in Iraq.

They called it a hard, hard landing…
A helicopter crash left John with chronic back pain and a traumatic brain injury. Swamped with painful memories, at first he turned to drinking to manage his depression. His commitment to taking care of his children gave him a reason to stop drinking and to reach out for help from VA.

Besides dealing with stressful combat situations, Tracey felt betrayed by people she thought were her friends and experienced military sexual trauma. With the help of VA, unique Veterans’ programs, and supportive family and friends, Tracey continues to move toward a more fulfilling life, every day.

Jack was wounded in Vietnam after landing in a hot LZ. He lost some of his Marines that day and after returning home, grieved their loss by turning to drugs and alcohol. After a friend helped him discover the help available at VA, Jack turned his life around, went on to become a successful entrepreneur, and today helps other Veterans as a mentor and advocate.

MAKE THE CONNECTION

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‘Occupy Wall Street’ Participation To Earn Class Credit At Columbia U.

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Columbia University will offer a new course for upperclassmen and grad students next semester. An Occupy Wall Street class will send students into the field and will be taught by Dr. Hannah Appel, a veteran of the Occupy movement.

The course begins next semester and will be divided between class work at Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus and fieldwork that will require students to become involved with the Occupy movement outside of the classroom.

The course will be called “Occupy the Field: Global Finance, Inequality, Social Movement” it will be run by the anthropology department.

Appel is a staunch defender of the Occupy movement, in her blog she said that, ““it is important to push back against the rhetoric of ‘disorganization’ or ‘a movement without a message’ coming from left, right and center.”

Appel told the New York Post that while her involvement with the movement will color the way she teaches it will not prevent her from being an objective teacher.

The movement which began in September has been met with large amounts of support and resistance.

Dozens of occupiers were arrested shortly before midnight on New Years Eve when police say that they were tearing down barricades surrounding Zuccotti Park…READ MORE

Please, Don’t Give Up on Me!

Teea Goans Letter from God

The Unspoken Cost

“If I was going to find a purpose in what men like Adam and Steven died for, maybe I could sleep at night, but even sleepless, I reap this blessing; The fear that once ruled over me subsided and although the memories etch at my heart, it means I get to keep these men alive.” Iraq: What I remember

Fear is an excellent motivator, but love is even stronger. They are opposites, really. Love drives fear away, and, if permitted, fills in the empty places left behind. But it takes time, and in our instant society, time is rushed. If it takes longer than 5 minutes, it’s too long.

Most of us have known fear in some way … fear of failure, fear of success (and the responsibility that comes with it!) Fear of dogs or spiders or snakes (the unknown), or fear of dying. To my mind, these all boil down to fear of the unknown. What we do not know or understand frightens us because our imagination goes to work and augments it to the ultimate extreme, the worst case scenario. Seldom is reality quite so extreme … except maybe in combat.

Korea, Vietnam, Kosovo, Iraq, Afghanistan … American lives have been spent in these “conflicts” without obvious purpose or gain. These men and women fought as directed, and yet years later, or in some cases, just weeks later, nothing has changed. The tribal conflicts continue. The religious war continues between Islam and Christianity that stretches in history back beyond the Crusades. The cost, not just in American lives, but in LIFE, with no added security to show for it is repugnant. While there were stated reasons for our participation in these conflicts, they were/are obscure and immeasurable enough as to make “Victory” equally immeasurable. Yet the cost to the ones physically and emotionally engaged in combat, pay a price beyond measure. Few return as they left. This is the unspoken cost of undeclared war!

Does that mean ignore these conflicts, ignore the need? NO, it simply means that the US weigh carefully the involvement of troops on foreign soil, have a clear, concise objective that centers on securing American interests and victory, gain Congressional approval, and execute. Politicians decide policy – military chiefs execute the mission. Politicians cannot wage war any more than warriors can … Oh wait! Warriors CAN make policy, and maybe more should run for elected office!

It breaks my heart to see what is now happening in Iraq. Just sayin …