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Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Center for Rural Health Update
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wreaths Across America- North Dakota December 13, 2008
Wreaths Across America- North Dakota December 13, 2008 Here's photos from the ceremony at the North Dakota Veteran's Cemetery;
http://webhost.btinet.net/~pro/wreathsacrossamerica/waa121308.html
The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays.
Over that period of time, Worcester Wreath has donated 90,000 wreaths which were placed by volunteers in a wreath-laying ceremony each December. But as word spread, the mission to Remember; Honor; and Teach about the sacrifices made by our veterans has captured the hearts and minds of many communities across the Country.
In December 2007, 286 participating locations hosted Wreaths Across America ceremonies overseeing the placement of 32,553 wreaths on the headstones of those who served and sacrificed for our freedoms. In 2008 that number will exceed 350 locations and 100,000 wreaths placed in honor!
http://webhost.btinet.net/~pro/wreathsacrossamerica/waa121308.html
The Wreaths Across America story began over 15 years ago when Worcester Wreath Company (a for-profit commercial business from Harrington, Maine) began a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our Nation's fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery during the holidays.
Over that period of time, Worcester Wreath has donated 90,000 wreaths which were placed by volunteers in a wreath-laying ceremony each December. But as word spread, the mission to Remember; Honor; and Teach about the sacrifices made by our veterans has captured the hearts and minds of many communities across the Country.
In December 2007, 286 participating locations hosted Wreaths Across America ceremonies overseeing the placement of 32,553 wreaths on the headstones of those who served and sacrificed for our freedoms. In 2008 that number will exceed 350 locations and 100,000 wreaths placed in honor!
The Mr/Ms Military Fundraiser Pagent
The Mr/Ms Military Fundraiser Pageant®
Attention! Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. Do you think you have what it takes to be Mister or Ms Military? If so, email us pageant@milcivex.org a link to your Youtube video explaining why you think you should be and let America vote for the winners.
http://www.youtube.com/milcivex
Tell us what your doing for your neighborhood, your community, your unit, your command. What humanitarian and or meritorious achievements do you have? Basically, what makes you head and shoulders above the rest, deserving of the title of Mr or Ms Military.
2009 Mr. and Ms. Military Fundraiser Pageant®
A Creative Way to Donate Thanks for your interest in the first annual MilCivEx Mr. and Ms. Military Fundraiser Pageant®. Military Civilian Experience, Inc. was established as a nonprofit 501 c 19 corporation. As such, we depend entirely upon donations, therefore the Military Fundraiser Pageant® was developed with hopes of being a fun, exciting and continuous event to get people interested and involved in the charity. At the same time enabling MilCivEx to not have to spend hours chasing or depending upon conditional grants or other seasonal contributions. All proceeds will go to benefit the programs of Military Civilian Experience, Inc.® The Mr./Ms Military Pageant is open to all U.S. active duty military members eighteen to forty-five. This pageant is for fund raising purposes only and is not intended to, nor will interfere with any individuals military obligations. The greatest part of our pageant is: America you choose the winners, by casting your votes and at the same time, helping our men and women in uniform.
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Nominations Nominees must be: Male or Female, in the United States military, at least 18 years old at time the title is given, of a good character, mature, responsible and having no felony convictions. Please, no more nominations after September 1, 2009. The price to enter someone is a $20.00 donation. http://www.milcivex.org/nomin.htm Active duty may sign themselves up for free. Winners Towards the end of each fiscal year the top five men and women from each branch of service with the most votes will be screened by the board members of MilCivEx to ensure all eligibility requirements have been met. Afterwards, the board will forward all information to television producers working on the Mr. Military Reality TV Pageant. However at this time we can not promise that producers will put any of the fundraiser winners in the television show. |
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Carrying the stress of war
Dec 13, 2008 - 08:57:51 CST
The rocket attack happened when he was working out.The gear soldiers usually wear to protect themselves in combat was stowed in his living quarters. Maj. Steve Herda and another North Dakota National Guard soldier received shrapnel wounds.
"My stuff was far enough away, there was no immediate way to get to it," he said. "The nearest first aid kit was 300 yards away."
He received shrapnel wounds to his lower left leg, left thigh and chin.
When he talks about the injury, it dredges up feelings that are hard to shake.
"I won't say I enjoy talking about it, but I feel free to relate my experience," Herda said. "I find after I'm done, I feel nervous."
The nervousness, anxiety and jitters are possibly because of post-traumatic stress disorder. The North Dakota National Guard and Medcenter One hosted a workshop on the disorder for clinical psychologists in the region this week.
The disorder occurs in some people after a traumatic event or a series of events that cause a high level of stress.
"Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are normal after experiencing something traumatic," Dr. Ann Rasmusson said. "Symptoms usually last six weeks to three months."
Rasmusson works for the Veterans Affairs as the medical director of the VA Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Center for the VAof Boston. She also is an associate professor at Boston University and a member of the National Center for PTSD. She led the training seminar at the Bohn Armory on Friday. She promoted a treatment plan that looks at changing the cognitive functions of the disorder.
For a smaller, but still large, segment of the population, the PTSD symptoms persist, she said. It can affect people who have been in combat, raped or assaulted, along with other traumatic or stressful events.
It took time and hindsight for Herda to realize he might be experiencing the disorder. His injury happened 14 months ago, but only in the last eight months has he started to realize he might be experiencing PTSD.
The symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people relive a traumatic event, while for others something triggers anxiety or anger.
Herda was at a British installation when it came under rocket attack. The personnel there followed British protocol to treat his injury. That meant assessment at a nearby hospital instead of evacuation to Germany.
It was difficult for him to be at the hospital in Iraq. He wanted to be with his fellow soldiers, and felt he let them down. After a week, he was transferred to Germany.
"At that time, there were more feelings of anxiety, because I was forced to leave my buddies," Herda said.
The injury sent him back to the United States. He went through recovery at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colo. He didn't seek treatment for PTSD.
"In all fairness, I have to say no," he said. "My mindset was to get over it and go back."
There's been more of a need for psychologists to know how to treat someone with the disorder as more soldiers, like Herda, come back from Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The military tried to deny it for a long time," Rasmusson said. "Now, with the experience of Vietnam veterans, they're well aware of the problem."
Military culture also changed so that it was not punitive to the soldier to admit experiencing the disorder. Instead, soldiers are encouraged to seek out help so that they can resume their duties. The military has hired more psychologists to deal with the influx of people seeking treatment for PTSD. They also focused more on programs to help soldiers adjust to life outside the combat zone.
"... This workshop is the latest method we have employed," said Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, North Dakota National Guard adjutant general.
The North Dakota National Guard in Bismarck has three licensed social workers, a chaplain, a transition and re-entry coordinator and six outreach specialists to help returning soldiers and their families.
Herda was at Fort Carson for five months for rehabilitation. The first couple months he was back in the United States, he went through a re-entry program. While he spoke about his experience, he didn't seek out professional help in dealing with the emotional fallout. He has found other outlets.
"My brother is a psychiatrist," he said. "We talked many, many times."
He also spoke at a leadership symposium at the U.S. Air Force Academy about his experience, and when he returned to North Dakota, he visited the elementary class from South Dakota that adopted him while he was deployed.
"They had a lot of questions," Herda said about the class that sent him e-mails and letters.
He also receives help for coping with the post-traumatic stress through colleagues at work. He's the environmental officer for the joint force of the North Dakota National Guard. He has a work meeting every other week in which the chaplain attends. The chaplain always inquires how he's doing, Herda said.
The mindset of the Guard has changed to help its members with the disorder, Herda said. This shift in thought also is needed among the psychologists who treat the soldiers.
"Historically, it's been a debate if it's a chronic illness, but it's showing it's not," said Dr. Matt Doppler, a psychologist at Medcenter One. "So, that is encouraging."
It was once thought to be an untreatable disease. That's changed, with different treatment options.
"We're trying to get psychologists trained in the latest science-based treatment for PTSD," Doppler said.
It means there's hope that people with PTSD can be cured, so to speak., and no longer experience the symptoms. The approach is one that can be readily adapted to a psychologist's practice, he said.
Doppler and his colleagues who attended the workshop said they've seen more people with the disorder.
The approach Rasmusson taught at the seminar is one of two newer treatment methods for PTSD. Her's looks at changing though processes, while the other is prolonged exposure.
Rasmusson's approach is relatively quick. In 12 to 16 sessions, a person can be free of the symptoms, she said. More conventional treatment methods focus on coping skills, and in some cases medication to counteract symptoms, such as anxiety, insomnia or depression. Most of the sessions are an hour, but a few last longer.
Psychologists have the patient consider a series of questions, which gauges their perception compared to reality. For example, a person with the disorder may talk in absolutes, or start to feel the trauma-causing situation is more apt to happen that in reality.
Herda hopes he gets to a point he can talk about his experience without the anxiety, but he knows he might not.
"I have an uncle in Minot who is a World War II veteran," Herda said. "He doesn't talk about it. That's 60 years ago."
http://www.bismarcktribune.com/articles/2008/12/13/news/local/171679.txt
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