CALLING ALL ARMY MEDIC’s!! 68W’s, Air Force Medics, Coast Guard Corpsman & Interntaional Doc’s

Come on in and join the Corpsman.com Fold.

Myth:  We are a site only for Navy Corpsman.

Fact:   We are a site for “ALL” Enlisted Doc’s from all U.S. Services.

Myth: We don’t like Medic’s from other Nations, I.e Brit’s, Aussies, Frenchies, etc..

FACT:  We do indeed want Medic’s from all Nations to join our site, we are even thinking of starting a forum for Medic’s of all Nations.

We serve more and more togethor, heck we are even moving down to your neck of the woods in San Antonio.  You had better be able to show us Navy Swabbies a good time!  Don’t worry we can put the Air Force Weenies in the closet and lock it.. (I Kiiiid.. I kiiiid, The Air Force has the $$ they can buy the drinks!)
Look like in real life all of us are falling under “1″ Umbrella soon,  Help us make Corpsman.com a place called home for you as well.

I am looking for folks who are in both the Army as well a as the Air Force and Coast Guard who know your systems well enough to join our team and help us help our fellow Soldiers, Airmen, and Coast Gaurdsmen and Guardswomen.

We have also served with other NATO and UN forces.  Our medic’s have cared for Aussies, Brit’s, etc.. And they have taken care of our mates as well.

A Doc is a DOC.

Please Join our free Scuttlebutt forums, then intro yourself in the quarterdeck.

If you want more info, please email 8404 @ 8404@corpsman.com, or myself @ admin1@corpsman.com.

As Uncle Sam used to say..
WE WANT YOU!

Army Field Manual 3.0

I apologize the link was broken on this post. It has now been fixed.  You can download the field manual at your hearts content. :-)  –D/C

Well folks what has the world come to?

A squid writing articles for the Army!?!?!?

My brothers and sister medics out there are worth it though. I hope more of you come to our site, Corpsman.com, which started as a Navy Corpsman site but now is a site to take care of “DOC’S” from all services.

Help me out here, if you are a Army Medic and you want to help out on our site, email me as I am playing golf in 80 M.P.H. winds… (I actually did this in Hurricane Andrew.. great drives btw, but my putting game sucked..)

Enclosed in this article is the Army Field Manual version 3.0. Now knowing the Marine Corps as I have served with them, I would bet this is the “BIBLE” for you Army folks. I would also bet Advancements are hinged on you knowing this thing.

With that, I want all Doc’s to advance if they do the work, I give you the Army Field Manual.

This link will also be housed over in our Ships Library once it is set up. Yeah the Navy still hauls the army around.

Good Luck and Good Reading.

You can comment on this manual or ask questions of the staff in our Scuttlebutt Forums.

Come introduce yourself.

Important Military Service Links

Army
Official Web Site for United States Army
Army Medical Department — AMEDD
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Financial Management
U.S. Army Forces Command
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
U.S. Army Research Institute
U.S. Army Materiel Command
U.S. Army Military History Institute
U.S. Army Reserve
U.S. Army Space & Missile Defense/Strategic Command
U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command
Walter Reed Army Medical Center

Air Force
Official Web Site for United States Air Force
Air Force Surgeon General
U.S. Air Force Crossroads
U.S. Air Force One Source
U.S. Air Force Personnel Center
U.S. Air Force Portal
U.S. Air Force Reserve

Coast Guard
Official Web Site for United States Coast Guard
Health & Safety Directorate (CG-11), Office of Health Services (CG-112)
Coast Guard Academy
Coast Guard Auxiliary Association
Coast Guard Foundation
Coast Guard Sea Veterans of America

Department of Defense
Defense Finance and Accounting Service
Defenselink - DoD News
Pentagon Channel

Navy
Official Web Site for United States Navy
Navy Medicine
Lifelines - Answers for Sailors, Marines and their Families
Naval Personnel Command
Navy Knowledge Online (NKO)
Navy League of the United States
Navy Region Southwest Bases
Navy Web Site Links
U.S. Naval Academy
U.S. Naval Institute
U.S. Navy Blue Angels
U.S. Navy Reserve
U.S. Navy Sports

Marine Corps
Official Web Site for United States Marine Corps
Headquarters Marine Corps
Marine Online
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Associations & Organizations
Marine Corps Aviation Association
Marine Corps Family Network
Marine Corps Free-For-All Links
Marine Corps Institute
Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego
Marine Corps Systems Command
Marine Forces Reserve

Veterans
American Legion
American Veterans
Disabled American Veterans
Fleet Reserve Association
Military Officers Association of America
National Association for the Uniformed Services
Non-Commissioned Officers Association
Reserve Officers Association
Retired Enlisted Association
U.S. Dept of Veterans Affairs
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Vietnam Veterans of America

Master Sergeant Brendon O’Connor receives Distinguished Service Cross

Medic gets Distinguished Service Cross

Master Sgt. Brendan O’Connor on Wednesday received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second-highest valor award, for his actions during a 17-hour battle in Afghanistan.

The 47-year-old Special Forces medical sergeant spoke with humor and humility after the medal was pinned on his uniform in a ceremony at Bank Hall on Fort Bragg.

“My word!” O’Connor said, reacting to praise by a three-star Army general and a four-star Navy admiral. “My name is Brendan O’Connor, and I didn’t fully approve that message.”

In his self-effacing remarks, O’Connor apologized to his children for missing birthdays and thanked his wife, Margaret, for what she has done in raising their family in his absence.

Margaret O’Connor writes a Home Front column for The Fayetteville Observer.

Master Sgt. O’Connor, who resigned his commission as an officer and then took the rigorous training to become a Special Forces medical sergeant, said his “momentary courage” pales in comparison to people who cope courageously with difficult situations daily, such as Capt. Ivan Castro, who is blind, and Harry Hubbard, a friend who suffered a stroke in his mid-30s.

The audience included former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy, a friend of the O’Connor family, and former 7th Group commanders.

The heroism of O’Connor and his team in the face of an attack by 300 Taliban fighters received national attention April 20 in a segment on the CBS news show “60 Minutes.”

Adm. Eric Olson, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command at Tampa, Fla., pinned the award on O’Connor’s uniform.

Olson hailed the contributions of the Green Berets and said the demand for Special Forces may grow as conventional forces are reduced overseas.

“Master Sgt. Brendan O’Connor exemplifies the spirit of these warriors,” Olson said.

The admiral wore his white Navy dress uniform. O’Connor was in his green Army dress uniform.

O’Connor led a quick reaction force June 24, 2006, in Kandahar province’s Panjwai District, described by Special Forces as one of the most hotly contested areas of southern Afghanistan.

He maneuvered his force through Taliban positions and crawled alone through enemy machine-gun fire to reach two wounded soldiers, the citation said. He tied a signal cloth to his back to identify himself to aircraft overhead. While under fire, he provided medical care and carried a wounded soldier more than 150 yards across open ground. He climbed over a wall three times under enemy fire to help wounded soldiers seek cover. Then he took over as the operations sergeant and rallied, motivated and led his team.

“Thank God for men like Master Sgt. O’Connor,” said Lt. Gen. Robert Wagner, commander of U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg.

Maj. Sheffield Ford said after the ceremony that O’Connor picked up Sgt. Joseph Fuerst and carried him over his shoulder and ran while under fire.

“Knowing that bullets were coming in all around him, he didn’t hesitate,” Ford said. “He continued to get up and move because he knew he had to get Joe back if he was going to have a chance to try to save him.” Fuerst died, and Staff Sgt. Matthew Binney survived, Ford said.

Former Sgt. 1st Class Abram Hernandez received the Silver Star, the Army’s third-highest award for valor, on April 17 on Fort Bragg for his actions in the same battle. Master Sgt. Thomas Maholic was killed in the fighting and received the Silver Star posthumously Nov. 15.

During training, Special Forces medics, who have extensive training and upon whom the entire team depends, are told to wait for others to bring the wounded to them, but O’Connor realized the soldiers needed immediate help and the battle was not going to stop, Ford said.

Staff Sgt. Charles Lyles said O’Connor paused before going out on the mission to make sure he was taking everything he would need.

“The seconds he took to make sure he had everything ready, I believe, made the difference,” Lyles said.

Staff Sgt. Brandon Pechette remembers O’Connor being “calm and cool and very intelligently funny while we were there, keeping the morale high, which is very important because we were such a small force against overwhelming odds.”

The award came 40 years after O’Connor’s father was killed in Vietnam.

The last time soldiers of the 7th Special Forces Group received Distinguished Service Crosses was in July 1964, Wagner said. Capt. Roger Donlon received the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest valor award, for his actions in the same battle, he said. He was the first Medal of Honor recipient of the Vietnam War.

Well the Army Gets it.. Navy Medicine “Nahhh”..

How do you lead people unless you have been in their shoes? When did a “NAVAL NURSE” go out on a combat patrol? Now I know Doctors Sneak out every now and again.. At least some do to see what is going on.. but most.. NOPE.. Back behind..

Senior Enlisted Medical?

Once they become CMD Leadership.. Nope.. (Well I should not say that becuase I know quite a few senior Enlisted Master and Senior Chiefs who are out there touting the line for their juniors while a few folks @ BUMED don’t listen I watched it happen.. Several times..) Also how do you put a different “RATE” Senior Enlisted member in charge of a Hospital or a school or a clinic for Corpsmen? They don’t have a “CLUE” as to what FMF is all about or Surgical forward teams etc.. Gads… But hey..

The Army Learned.. I never ever, EVER thought I would say the ARMY is smarter then our leaders..

TODAY I SALUTE THEM!

Rant Machine off..

Recent combat experience marks Army leaders

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 4, 2008 11:01:08 EDT

After nearly seven years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Army’s top leadership is being shaped by deep combat experience at the strategic and operational levels.

The unexpected departure of Navy Adm. William Fallon as commander of U.S. Central Command means a quick return of Army influence over a strategically sensitive region of the world. And the two uniformed officers who head the Army at home will have a combined recent deployment history of more than four years.

Gen. David Petraeus, former commander of the 101st Airborne Division and head of Multi-National Force-Iraq, will be nominated as the next commander of CentCom to oversee U.S. and coalition military operations in Southwest Asia, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa, including managing the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno, who commanded the 4th Infantry Division at the beginning of operations in Iraq in 2003 and just finished 15 months commanding Multi-National Corps-Iraq, is nominated to succeed Petraeus as the top U.S. commander by the end of summer.

Adding to the experience level that reflects the deployment history of more than 60 percent of the active Army is the nomination of former 1st Cavalry Division and MNC-I commander Lt. Gen. Peter Chiarelli to become the next vice chief of staff, a position Odierno had been nominated for until he was selected to return to Baghdad.

one influential Army general called the Petraeus-Odierno team, “absolutely the right thing.”

“Petraeus could not have been as effective as he was had he not had this absolute master of his trade Odierno running the day-to-day war,” Barry McCaffrey said of Petraeus’ last 14 months as commander of MNF-I and Odierno’s role as his deputy at the head of MNC-I. “I think putting Odierno back in Iraq with the portfolio of contacts he has and the continuity will get us through the first two years or year of the next administration.”

McCaffrey, who commanded the 24th Infantry Division and later was commander of U.S. Southern Command, is an adjunct professor of international affairs at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

He has visited the war zones numerous times, generating reports on the status of the troops, their equipment and the direction of operations in the region for Senate testimony, West Point and his own consulting firm.

He predicts that within a year of the Nov. 4 presidential election, the new president will take troop levels in Iraq to 60,000, down from an expected level of about 140,000 this fall.

“What Odierno can do now is get us through a period of immense peril,” McCaffrey said.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who announced the nominations April 23, acknowledged the value of war-zone experience in the selections.

“There is no question that there are a handful of generals, like a lot of our captains and enlisted soldiers and the [noncommissioned officers], who have had repeated tours in Iraq. Partly it is their experience. Partly it is the fact that they know Iraq,” Gates said.

It was the unexpected resignation of Fallon, he said, that led to the new command moves.

Coming up behind those four-star generals, McCaffrey noted, are several commanders at the division and brigade levels who are capable of higher responsibility sooner than would be traditional.

“I believe that, almost without exception, you could pin two stars on these brigade commanders and ask them to command a division. They’re the most remarkable people we’ve had in command in a long time,” he said.

McCaffrey also singled out Lt. Gen. Lloyd Austin, a former 82nd Airborne Division commander who is at the head of XXVIII Airborne Corps and MNC-I, as “one of the best war fighters we’ve had in uniform in 20 years.”

Another commander with war-zone experience, albeit slightly less time on the ground than his fellow four-stars, is Gen. David McKiernan, who awaits final approval of his nomination for command of International Security Assistance Force at NATO headquarters in Kabul, Afghanistan. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved his nomination, which most likely will be approved on the Senate floor.

McKiernan commanded the 1st Cavalry Division until just after the Sept. 11 attacks and headed Third U.S. Army/Army Forces Central Command and Coalition Forces Land Component Command at the start of operations in Iraq.

The job in Afghanistan, McCaffrey said, is one for which McKiernan is well suited, as it is one in which the U.S. must take the lead in keeping allied forces in the fight, rather than a forward combat role.

“He’ll bring with him extremely good contacts throughout NATO. I hate to say this, but Afghanistan is a 25-year mission. We’ve got to keep the international community engaged,” McCaffrey said, pointing out that the combat aspect of the Afghanistan mission is “the easiest piece, so we’ve got a two-star commander that runs the operations.”

The current ISAF commander is Gen. Daniel McNeil.

The nominations of Petraeus, Odierno and Chiarelli will be considered by the Senate Armed Services Committee “as soon as possible,” Gates said.

“We expect to move the paperwork on these nominations to the White House and to the Senate very quickly,” he added.

From ArmyTimes:

Army Strong….

ARMY STRONG…

Army & Marines enlisting more felons

Back in the day, the judge gave some knuckleheads 2 options..

1. Jail
2. Enlist in the service

This is not happening now (At least not yet. It sure would stop someone from having a record if the recruiter just sat in the Court house, Recruiting as each case goes by.)

You would never miss “GOAL”..

Snicker…

Well that’s not what is happening, this story from the Associated Press on MSNBC tells how both services are recruiting convicted felons more and more..

More felons allowed to enlist in Army, Marines

WASHINGTON - Under pressure to meet combat needs, the Army and Marine Corps brought in significantly more recruits with felony convictions last year than in 2006, including some with manslaughter and sex crime convictions.

Data released by a congressional committee shows the number of soldiers admitted to the Army with felony records jumped from 249 in 2006 to 511 in 2007. And the number of Marines with felonies rose from 208 to 350.

Those numbers represent a fraction of the more than 180,000 recruits brought in by the active duty Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines during fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007. But they highlight a trend that has raised concerns both within the military and on Capitol Hill.

The bulk of the crimes involved were burglaries, other thefts, and drug offenses, but nine involved sex crimes and six involved manslaughter or vehicular homicide convictions. Several dozen Army and Marine recruits had aggravated assault or robbery convictions, including incidents involving weapons.

Struggling to find recruits
Both the Army and Marine Corps have been struggling to increase their numbers as part of a broader effort to meet the combat needs of a military fighting wars on two fronts. As a result, the number of recruits needing waivers for crimes or other bad conduct has grown in recent years, as well as those needing medical or aptitude waivers.

House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Henry Waxman, who released the data, noted that there may be valid reasons for granting the waivers and giving individuals a second chance.

But he added, “Concerns have been raised that the significant increase in the recruitment of persons with criminal records is a result of the strain put on the military by the Iraq war and may be undermining military readiness.”

The services use a waiver process to let in recruits with felony convictions, and many of the crimes were committed when the service members were juveniles.

“Waivers are used judiciously and granted only after a thorough review,” Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Jonathan Withington said.

He added that “low unemployment, a protracted war on terror, a decline in propensity to serve,” and the growing reluctance of parents, teachers and other adults to recommend young people go into the military, has made recruiting a challenge.

According to the Army, 18 percent of the recruits needed conduct waivers in fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2007, compared to 15 percent in the 12-month period ending in Sept. 30, 2006.

“We are growing the Army fast and there are some waivers; we know that,” said Army Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman, deputy chief of staff for operations. “It hasn’t alarmed us yet.”

He added that “the better part of making soldiers is about leadership. Somebody invested in me, you know. That’s the beauty of the United States Army. It’s about leadership … You’ve got to give people an opportunity to serve.”

Easing waiver requirements
Late last fall, the Pentagon quietly began looking for ways to make it easier for people with minor criminal records to join the military. The goal of that review is to make cumbersome waiver requirements consistent across the services — the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force — and reduce the number of petty crimes that now trigger the process.

According to the data released Monday, a bit more than half of the Army’s 511 convictions in 2007 were for various types of thefts, ranging from burglaries to bad checks and stolen cars. Another 130 were for drug offenses.

The remainder, however, included two in 2007 for manslaughter, compared to one in 2006; five for sexual crimes (which can include rape, incest or sexual assaults) compared to two in 2006; and three for negligent or vehicular homicide, compared to two in 2006. Two received waivers for terrorist threats including bomb threats in 2007, compared to one in 2006.

At least 235 of the Marine Corps’ 350 waivers were for various types of thefts in 2007, and another 63 were for assaults or robberies that may also have included use of a weapon. The remainder included one for manslaughter in 2007, compared to none in 2006; four for sex crimes, compared to one in 2006; and five for terror threats, including bomb threats, compared to two in 2006.

The total number of sailors who received felony waivers dipped from 48 in 2006 to 42 in 2007. Most were for a variety of thefts or drug and drunk driving convictions. Two in 2007 were for terror or bomb threats compared to three in 2006.

There were no Air Force recruits with waivers for felony convictions in 2007.

Army spokesman Paul Boyce said that offering waivers for those who are otherwise qualified “is the right thing to do for those Americans who want to answer the call to duty.” He said the burden remains on them to prove they should be admitted to the service.

Waivers must be approved by an officer who is ranked as a brigadier general or above, and recruits must have written recommendations and endorsements from community leaders showing they would be a good bet for the military.

URL: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24243460/

Army Wants “STOP-LOSS” until 2009

AP report from the San Francisco Chronicle.

(04-21) 13:35 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) –

It will be more than a year before the Army can end the unpopular practice of forcing soldiers to stay in the service beyond their retirement or re-enlistment dates, a top official said Monday.

Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman, deputy chief of staff for operations, said he hoped that wartime demand for troops will decline enough by around the fall of next year to end “stop-loss.” He said there are more than 12,000 currently serving under the practice — an action that critics have called a “backdoor draft.”

Thurman also said that as officials continue to increase the size of the Army, it could be possible by the fall of 2011 for troops to be home two years for every year they are deployed.

The two issues of stop loss and long tours of duty have been among the Pentagon’s most disliked practices among troops. Thousands have been forced to stay in the service beyond their contracts since the start of the global war on terrorism. And tours of duty were increased to 15 months from 12 months a year ago so the Army could come up with the extra forces President Bush ordered for the troop buildup in Iraq.

Now that most of the extra troops are being drawn down by the end of July, Bush early this month ordered the tours cut back to 12 months, a move Thurman said would help the Army begin to restore its balance.

“We want to reduce the strain and stress on our soldiers and our families,” he told a Pentagon news conference.

There are currently 17 Army combat brigade teams deployed — 15 in Iraq and two in Afghanistan. Two are scheduled to come out of Iraq in the drawdown.

Though that allows officials to shorten tour lengths, it will be a while before they also can end stop-loss, he said.

“As the demand (for troops) comes down, we should be able to get us weaned off of stop-loss … it’s our intent to do that,” Thurman said.

“But the demand exceeds supply right now,” he told a Pentagon news conference.

He said he hoped, but couldn’t promise, that if demand stabilized at around 15 brigades, the use of stop-loss could be ended by the end of budget year 2009, or beginning of budget year 2010.

Those currently being held even though their service is supposed to be finished include more than 6,800 active-duty Army, about 3,800 in the Army National Guard and close to 1,500 in the Reserves, he said.

The high tempo of operations in recent years has not only strained troops and increased separations and stress on their families, but prevented troops from training for the full range of possible operations. They have focused training on counterinsurgency operations and neglected other skills because counterinsurgency is what’s needed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Though the Pentagon is expected to increase the number of troops in Afghanistan sometime next year, Thurman said he had not been asked for such troops.

“Could that happen? Yes,” he said.

The United States now has about 31,000 troops there — the most since the war began in October 2001 — and also has been pressing the allies to contribute more.

RAND CORP: PTSD STUDY–MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

editor–This was taken from Military.com

WASHINGTON - Some 300,000 U.S. troops are suffering from major depression or post traumatic stress from serving in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and 320,000 received brain injuries, a new study estimates.

Only about half have sought treatment, said the study released Thursday by the RAND Corporation.

“There is a major health crisis facing those men and women who have served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Terri Tanielian, the project’s co-leader and a researcher at the nonprofit RAND.

“Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and for the nation,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The 500-page study is the first large-scale, private assessment of its kind - including a survey of 1,965 service members across the country, from all branches of the armed forces and including those still in the military as well veterans who have left the services.

Its results appear consistent with a number of mental health reports from within the government, though the Defense Department has not released the number of people it has diagnosed or who are being treated for mental problems. The Department of Veterans Affairs said this month that its records show about 120,000 who served in the two wars and are no longer in the military have been diagnosed with mental health problems. Of the 120,000, approximately 60,000 are suffering from PTSD, the VA said.

Veterans Affairs is responsible for care of service members after they have left the service, while the Defense Department covers active duty and reservist needs. The lack of information from the Pentagon was one motivation for the RAND study, Tanielian said.

The most prominent and detailed military study on mental health that is released is the Army’s survey of soldiers at the warfront. Officials said last month that it’s most recent one, done last fall, found 18.2 percent of soldiers suffered a mental health problem such as depression, anxiety or acute stress in 2007 compared with 20.5 percent the previous year.

The Rand study, completed in January, put the percentage of PTSD and depression at 18.5 percent, calculating that approximately 300,000 current and former service members were suffering from those problems at the time of its survey, which was completed in January.

The figure is based on Pentagon data showing over 1.6 million military personnel have deployed to the conflicts since the war in Afghanistan began in late 2001.

RAND researchers also found:

-About 19 percent - or some 320,000 services members - reported that they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed. In wars where blasts from roadside bombs are prevalent, the injuries can range from mild concussions to severe head wounds.

-About 7 percent reported both a probable brain injury and current PTSD or major depression.

-Only 43 percent reported ever being evaluated by a physician for their head injuries.

-Only 53 percent of service members with PTSD or depression sought help over the past year.

-They gave various reasons for not getting help, including that they worried about the side effects of medication; believe family and friends could help them with the problem, or that they feared seeking care might damage their careers.

-Rates of PTSD and major depression were highest among women and reservists.

The report is titled “Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery.” It was sponsored by a grant from the California Community Foundation and done by 25 researchers from RAND Health and the RAND National Security Research Division, which also has done does work under contracts with the Pentagon and other defense agencies as well as allied foreign governments and foundations.

Overcoming Obstacles is Key to Veterans’ Success Stories

“The American Veteran” Highlights Helpful Programs

WASHINGTON - Military members are trained to overcome obstacles, as part of a team, to achieve their mission. Returning to civilian life, especially after a combat tour, poses new challenges for many service members, requiring new tools and new forms of support.

Programs to help these veterans, available from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and partnering organizations, are the focus of the April edition of “The American Veteran,” VA’s monthly half-hour news magazine.

“We are committed to outreaching to veterans and military personnel about the VA programs available to help these warriors recover from their physical and mental injuries,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. “These stories showcase the courage and determination of the veterans, as well as the commitment of those willing to help - many of whom are veterans themselves.”

The lead story looks at veteran suicide, examining the programs VA has put in place to ensure that everyone from front line clerks to mental health providers are prepared to recognize the early warning signs of suicide and know how to respond.

A second feature looks at a unique rehabilitation program in Florida, “Shake A Leg,” designed to help disabled veterans cope with physical and mental difficulties by teaching them how to sail.

In another story, VA partners with city leaders in Fargo, N.D., to support Project HART, a program created to help homeless veterans get off the street and stay off the street with a unique four-step program.

The series is designed to inform active duty members, veterans, their families and their communities about the services and benefits they have earned and to recognize and honor them. VA’s Office of Public Affairs and the VA Learning University/ Employee Education System (VALU/EES) produce the program and broadcast it to VA facilities around the world on The Pentagon Channel and to community cable outlets.

Aimed at veterans of all eras, VA also tells stories of heroism and sacrifice, and relives moments in history with those who were there, reminding veterans of the bond of service they all share.

The VA Office of Public Affairs offers the program to local broadcasters and cable outlets and makes it available for viewing on the VA Web site, www.va.gov. Just click on “Public Affairs” and then “Featured Items.”

“The American Veteran” schedule on The Pentagon Channel is available at * http://www.pentagonchannel.mil *. The Pentagon Channel has more than 1 million military viewers and is delivered domestically via DISH, EchoStar, T-Warner and Cox cable systems. (Check for service in your area.)

Additional stories on the April edition of “The American Veteran” include:

VA’s Newest Liver Transplant Center — A look at VA’s third and newest Liver Transplant Center at the Michael E. DeBakey Medical Center in Houston where Michael Abshire became the first patient to go through their liver transplant program.

* VA dedicates a new national cemetery in South Florida.

* A new Travel Nurse Corps is designed to address the nursing shortage.

* New GI Bill rules provide an increase in educational benefits.

* A VA research project searching for a vaccine against Salmonella bacterium is carried aboard a NASA space shuttle to the International space station.

* James H. Parke Youth Volunteer Award Winner — Meet Megan Smith a high school junior from Miami. Megan is this year’s winner of VA’s James H. Parke $20,000.00 Youth Volunteer Award Scholarship.

For information about “The American Veteran” program and how to obtain it for local programming, contact VA at 202-461-7502.

* Indicates a link to a non-VA Web site.

People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe to the VA Office of Public Affairs Distribution List.

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