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U.S. Army's 'Stop-Loss' Orders Up Dramatically Over Last Year

The jump coincides with the extension of combat tours from 12 to 15 months.
By Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — The number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army involuntarily under the military's controversial "stop-loss" program has risen sharply since the Pentagon extended combat tours last year, officials said Thursday.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was briefed about the program by Army officials who said that thousands of new stop-loss orders were issued to keep soldiers from leaving the service after Gates ordered combat tours extended from 12 to 15 months last spring.

The Army has resorted to involuntary extensions of soldiers' enlistment terms to prevent them from leaving immediately before a combat tour or in the middle of a deployment.

Army officials have argued that the policy is necessary to ensure that they are not forced to send inadequately trained soldiers and unprepared units into war...

VA Changes Agent Orange Claims, Benefits Veterans

Veteran Affair's Change to Agent Orange Claims May Aid Veterans
by Chris Roberts, El Paso Times

Veterans Affairs has started taking claims for hypertension related to Agent Orange exposure, but it will determine at a later date whether the claims will be honored as being military "service-related," according to service organizations that received notices from VA.

A letter from the Texas Veterans Commission to its county service officers indicates that the claims are expected to be approved. The claims won't be actively "worked" until the VA makes its decision.

Requests for comment made to area VA agencies were referred to Washington, D.C. However, after two days, the public affairs office in Washington still had no comment.

If the claims are approved, it could mean as much as $300 a month for Bob Snow, a retired soldier who worked as a forward observer directing artillery fire in the Vietnamese jungles. Snow -- who worked with special forces soldiers and Montagnards, a French name for the indigenous people of Vietnam's central highlands -- operated in areas sprayed with Agent Orange, a defoliant that knocked down vegetation used as cover by the enemy...

VA Retreats on Voter Registration Efforts for Wounded Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs says it will help war veterans to register and vote, yet it won't allow registration drives on VA facilities.
By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

The Department of Veterans Affairs has retreated on a recently announced policy to allow voter registration drives at its facilities where veterans' groups and others would assist wounded former soldiers to participate in the 2008 presidential election.

"It is VHA (Veterans Health Administration) policy to assist patients who seek to exercise their right to register and vote; however, due to Hatch Act (Title 5 United States Code (U.S.C.) 7321-7326) requirements and to avoid disruptions to facility operations, voter registration drives are not permitted," the new policy directive by Michael J. Kussman, Under Secretary for Health said.

The Hatch Act restricts political activities by federal employees.

The VA directive rolls back a new policy announced in late April where the agency agreed, after mounting public and political pressure, to assist wounded veterans with registering to vote and voting for federal elections. While the VA still says it will help former soldiers on an as-requested basis with registration and voting, curtailing voter registration drives brought swift condemnation from Capitol Hill and advocacy groups...

Benedictine University Offers Free Education to Military Veterans

Benedictine University to begin offering Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Free Education

Lisle, Illinois ~ They fight insurgents and build schools in Iraq and Afghanistan, but today’s veterans face an even greater battle at home – affording a decent college education.

The original G.I. Bill – the Serviceman’s Readjustment Act of 1944 – covered full tuition at public or private schools, books, fees and a living stipend. But while college costs skyrocketed, the G.I. Bill did not keep pace. Today, it provides only limited assistance for veterans seeking to pursue a college education.

Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who sign up for the G.I. Bill are eligible for $1,101 per month – or $39,636 over four years – in educational benefits. However, the College Board reports that the average four-year public college costs more than $65,000 while a private university costs more than $130,000.

Service Members on Emergency Leave Need TLC

What happens when a service member is called from a deployment to return to the United States due to a family or medical emergency? Often that service member does not have time to go back to the base camp to pack for the trip home; they are immediately put on a transport aircraft and sent to the next base in the process of returning to the States.

Blankets of Belief; Cover our Heroes with Blankets of Support

180,000 BLANKETS FOR THE TROOPS Soldiers’ Angels Announces Holiday Blanket Drive

Non-profit Soldiers’ Angels announces the Blankets of Belief project, designed to tell each American Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman deployed around the world during the 2008-2009 Holiday Season, “We Believe in You!”

This winter, an estimated 180,000 U.S. military personnel will be serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait, and other locations around the world in combat environments or in support of combat operations. Some will be on their 3rd or 4th deployments--spending yet another holiday away from the loving arms of family and friends.

ALCOHOL AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE WILL NOT TAKE AWAY YOUR FEARS

Your fears, anxieties, and other problems have the best of you and you don’t know where to turn for help. At some point you feel totally helpless as you struggle each day. No matter what you do, you cannot run away or hide from your fears. In these cases, some people will use alcohol or other substances to feel better.
Alcohol and substance abuse or any other addictions will not take away your problems and fears. In the short run, they might make you feel better, but in the long run these addictions will only make things worse.

NEVER LOSE HOPE IN DEALING WITH YOUR FEARS AND DEPRESSION

When your fears and depression have the best of you, it is easy to feel that things will not get any better. This is not true. There is much help available in today’s society and the best way to deal with your fears is to find effective ways to overcome them. As a result, here are some techniques a person can use to help manage their fears and anxieties.

WHEN SOMEONE YOU KNOW STRUGGLES WITH FEAR AND ANXIETY

What do you do when someone you know has to deal with persistent fears, anxieties, or even depression? Well the first thing you need to do is to get the person to seek the services of a professional who can lead them in the right direction and give them the help they need. In addition, here are some other techniques you can use to help the person cope.

FACING THE FEAR AND ANXIETY OF THE UNKNOWN

All most everybody worries about what will happen in the future. The prospect of not knowing if something good or bad will happen to you in the near future can produce a lot of fear and anxiety. As a result, here is a list of techniques and suggestions on how to manage this fear of dealing with the unknown.