Think PTSD, TBI, MST aren't real problems for our vets? Think again....consider the story of one vet who lost in his struggle with PTSD and then check out the call to action by IVAW....Veterans advocate kills self after war tours  AP – This handout photo, taken in November 2010, provided by Ride 2 Recovery, shows Clay Hunt in the 2010 … By KIMBERLY HEFLING, Associated Press – Fri Apr 15, 2011 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_ WASHINGTON – Handsome and friendly, Clay Hunt so epitomized a vibrant Iraq veteran that he was chosen for a public service announcement reminding veterans that they aren't alone. The 28-year-old former Marine corporal earned a Purple Heart after taking a sniper's bullet in his left wrist. He returned to combat in Afghanistan. Upon his return home, he lobbied for veterans on Capitol Hill, road-biked with wounded veterans and performed humanitarian work in Haiti and Chile. Then, on March 31, Hunt bolted himself in his Houston apartment and shot himself. Friends and family say he was wracked with survivor's guilt, depression and other emotional struggles after combat. Hunt's death has shaken many veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Those who knew him wonder why someone who seemed to be doing all the right things to deal with combat-related issues is now dead. "We know we have a problem with vets' suicide, but this was really a slap in the face," said Matthew Pelak, 32, an Iraq veteran who worked with Hunt in Haiti as part of the nonprofit group Team Rubicon. After news of Hunt's death spread, workers from the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors met with veterans visiting Washington for the annual lobbying effort by the nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, or IAVA. A year earlier, Hunt had been with other veterans in dark suits calling on Congress to improve the disability claims process. He had appeared in the group's ads encouraging veterans to seek support from an online network of fellow veterans. Snapshots posted on Facebook reflect a mostly grinning Hunt. In one, he has a beard and is surrounded by Haitian kids. A second shows him on the Capitol steps with fellow veterans. There's a shot of him from the back on a bike using his right arm to help push another bicyclist who is helping to guide an amputee in a specially modified bike. Friends and family say Hunt suffered from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. But with his boundless energy and countless friends, he came across as an example of how to live life after combat. "I think everybody saw him as the guy that was battling it, but winning the battle every day," said Jacob Wood, 27, a friend who served with Hunt in the Marines and in Haiti with Team Rubicon. But some knew he was grieving over several close friends in the Marines who were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. "He was very despondent about why he was alive and so many people he served with directly were not alive," said John Wordin, 48, the founder of Ride 2 Recovery, a program that uses bicycling to help veterans heal physically and mentally. In 2007, while in Iraq with the Marine's 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, Hunt heard over the radio that his 20-year-old bunkmate had died in a roadside bombing. Hunt later wrote online about sleeping in his bunkmate's bed. "I just wanted to be closer to him, I guess. But I couldn't — he was gone." A month later, Hunt was pinned by enemy fire in his truck as a fellow Marine, shot in the throat by a sniper, lay nearby. Hunt wrote that seeing his friend placed in a helicopter, where he died, is "a scene that plays on repeat in my head nearly every day, and most nights as well." Three days later, a sniper's bullet missed Hunt's head by inches and hit his wrist. He didn't immediately leave Iraq. His parents say Hunt asked to fly to a military hospital in Germany a day later so he could accompany a fellow Marine who was shot in both legs. "I know he's seen some traumatic stuff in his time and I guess he holds that to himself," said Marine Sgt. Oscar Garza, 26, who served with Hunt in Iraq. "He was a very compassionate Marine, a very passionate person, one of the few people that I know that has a big heart and feels a lot of people's pain and makes it his own." Hunt's mother, Susan Selke, said after Hunt was wounded, she'd hoped her son would get out of the military. Instead, he went to school to be a scout-sniper and went to Afghanistan. He seemed to do well. He was honorably discharged in 2009, married and enrolled at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He was frustrated by the Veterans Affairs Department's handling of his disability claim. He also piled up thousands of dollars in credit card debt as he waited for his GI Bill payments. Hunt found an outlet to help improve the system by doing work with IAVA. He helped build bikes for Ride 2 Recovery and participated in long rides. Using his military training, he went to Haiti several times and Chile once to help with the countries' earthquake relief efforts. He proudly told his parents of splinting an infant's leg, and after meeting a young orphaned boy in Haiti named D'James, tried to persuade his family to adopt him. "If I had one thing to say to my fellow veterans, it would be this: Continue to serve, even though we have taken off our uniforms," Hunt wrote in an online testimonial for Team Rubicon. "No matter how great or small your service is, it is desired and needed by the world we live in today." Hunt's friends say he was an idealist and voiced frustration that he couldn't make changes overnight. He also questioned why troops were still dying. "He really was looking for someone to tell him what it was he went over to do and why those sacrifices were made," Wood said. Last year, Hunt's life took a downward spiral. His marriage ended, he dropped out of school and he began to have suicidal thoughts, his mother said. She said Hunt sought counseling from the VA and moved in temporarily with Wordin in California. Things seemed to improve for Hunt in recent months after he returned to his hometown of Houston to be near family. He got a construction job, leased an apartment, bought a truck and began dating. He called friends to discuss the possibility of re-enlisting. In the days before he died, he hung out with friends, and he had plans the following weekend to do a Ride 2 Recovery bike ride. He even told Garza he couldn't wait to see him at a Fourth of July reunion with other Marines. Then he was dead. "Clay was always a fighter," Wordin said. "He was always a guy to stick things out and he basically quit life, and I was mad that he felt he had to do that at that particular time." Hunt's friends and family count him a casualty of war — just like his buddies who died in the battlefield. Online: IAVA's public service announcement: http://iava.org/weve-got-your- Team Rubicon: http://teamrubiconusa.org/ Ride 2 Recovery: http://www.ride2recovery.com/ Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors: http://www.taps.org Veterans Crisis Line: http://www. ___ Veterans Crisis Line: 800-273-TALK (8255) UPDATE on IVAW's Operation Recovery and their attempts to meet with Lt Gen Donald Campbell Jr, the new base commander of Ft Hood to address the problems of military suicide, PTSD, MST and TBI, the lack of treatment for the troops suffering from these problems and the redeployment of these troops without treatment. Here's an opportunity to do more than pass on sappy e mails about supporting or troops but don't really require you to do anything for them, you can click the link and e mail Gen Campbell yourself and ask him to meet with the IVAW at Ft Hood and take action to address these issues and guarantee proper treatment of soldiers suffering from these very real wounds and to stop the redeployment of troops still suffering from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), MST (Military Sexual Trauma) and TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).
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BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
Showing posts with label Operation Recovery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Operation Recovery. Show all posts
14 May 2011
Help Operation Recovery Grill Gen. Campbell 13MAI11
28 April 2011
IVAW requests meeting with new Fort Hood commander 28APR11
SOLDIERS at Ft Hood will finally have an advocate for them, too bad the commander of the base doesn't realize that is his job! From IVAW....
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Take Action  Change of Command ceremony at Fort Hood on 4/21/11. Operation Recovery Campaign heads to Fort Hood; Requests meeting with General CampbellIn May, Operation Recovery is deploying a team of organizers to gritty, sun-baked Fort Hood, Texas - the largest military installation in the United States. There we will lay the groundwork for a fight to win service members' rights to heal. But we can't do this without your help. Make a donation today to cover the costs of food, local transportation, small stipends, and outreach materials for our organizing team at Fort Hood this summer. Why is Operation Recovery deploying to the military's belly of the beast? Because we know that winning soldiers' rights to heal at Fort Hood - the most deployed military base in the U.S. - is the first step in winning our rights across the country. If we succeed, we can seriously challenge the military's ability to continue the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. Challenging Fort Hood leadership to take traumatized troops seriouslyLast weekend Lt. General Don Campbell, Jr. took command of the Army's III Corps and Fort Hood, the largest and most deployed military installation in the United States. On General Campbell's first week at work, IVAW's Operation Recovery campaign wants to put the issue of traumatized troops at the top of his agenda. We've sent him a letter about the epidemic of soldiers suffering from un-treated military trauma at Fort Hood and have requested a meeting to discuss the issue and our ideas for solutions. Read our letter to General Campbell here.  As the new Commander of Fort Hood and III Corps, General Campbell has the power to stop deploying traumatized troops and get service members the health screenings and treatment they so desperately need, but first he needs to know the scope of the problem. Our attempt to meet with General Campbell is just the beginning. Whether he agrees to meet with us or not, Operation Recovery will no go ignored. Make a donation today to support our efforts at Fort Hood this summer. Operation Recovery Deployed - building for a fight a Fort HoodIVAW's Fort Hood chapter leader, Kyle Wesolowski, has been laying the groundwork for our deployment to Fort Hood. Kyle was an active duty soldier there until recently, when he won Conscientious Objector status. He has been outreaching to service members, learning how common the struggles of un-treated trauma are, and the high level of interest soldiers have in doing something about it. In May, our Operation Recovery organizing team will join Kyle. Together they will work for several months to outreach to soldiers, build our case against the military's egregious practices, conduct town hall meetings with troops and their family members, and pressure General Campbell to do the right thing. Thank you! In Solidarity, IVAW Staff, Field Organizing Team, and Operation Recovery Campaign Team |
15 April 2011
Maggie Martin on being a vet in a nation that seems oblivious to war 15APR11
SO many Americans think they are supporting the troops by forwarding sappy and too often disgustingly nationalistic e mails about our military and the dangers wherever they are, especially in war zones. A majority of these e mail, bumper sticker patriots cant be bothered to e mail or call the White House or their members of Congress to demand the troops be properly supplied in war zones, that they receive prompt, adequate medical treatment for their physical and mental wounds, that wounded soldiers not be redeployed until they are healed, that sexual abuse in military not be tolerated and ex-military benefit programs be fully funded and available fairly and equally to all who have earned them. Most important, these people can't be bothered to challenge the government on the justification of war that places our troops in harms way. YEAH, THESE E MAIL, BUMPER STICKER, MILITARY WANNA-BE'S ARE REAL PATRIOTS! This from IVAW, Iraq Veterans Against the War.....
IVAW Organizer Maggie Martin shares the contradictions inherent in being a veteran in a nation quick to call you a hero, but mostly oblivious to your sacrifice. Her blog post was featured on Huffington Post as part of their Military Families Week focus. Maggie in DC for Operation Recovery Campaign launch There's No Quick Fix for VeteransMAGGIE MARTINIt has been nearly five years since I left the Army and still my time in the service is fresh in my mind. I think about my deployments every single day without fail. I have friends and family, responsibilities and passions that keep me moving, but the time I spent in the Army and in Iraq are what continue to define me. Many current and former service members feel the same way. The act of participating in war casts a shadow over everything else in life. Facing high stress and danger for so long makes it tremendously difficult to leave the military and rejoin civilian society. Day-to-day concerns seem trivial compared to the life or death urgency of military situations. When I first came home, I would become furious at how easily everyone in this country can carry on virtually ignoring the fact that we are at war. I worked as a server as I used my GI Bill benefits to earn a bachelor's degree in English Communication, but after graduating with honors, I could not find a job in my field. After a year of looking for meaningful employment, I enrolled in graduate school largely out of fear that my degree would become obsolete before I could even get a shot at any real work experience. The fact that women veterans are among the highest unemployed populations leaves me with questions about whether my service is continuing to hurt me in ways I cannot even see. I've struggled with processing my experiences as a woman in the military. Five years later, I am just beginning to seek help for Military Sexual Trauma (MST), a rape that I could not admit to myself let alone report to authorities. My acquiescence and perpetuation of victim blaming, so rampant in the military, kept me in denial about what I had suffered. I think often of women I knew in similar situations who I would not reach out to for fear of casting myself in the lot of weak women -- for that, I am full of regret. Being a woman in the military is complicated and it is arduous. Everything you do is related back to your womanhood. To be accepted you must excel at all physical and work related tasks, ignore boatloads of harassment, and walk that fine line to avoid being cast into one of the two major categories: bitch and whore. The best that a woman in the military can hope for is to be considered one of the boys. Women face the same dangers and hardships as men; the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts have seen more and more female soldiers exposed to combat. On top of that, women are raped and sexually assaulted by their fellow service members at appalling rates, all the while being told that our sacrifices are not as great as our male counterparts. The hardest part about leaving the military is trying to fit into a society that doesn't understand or seem to care much for veterans. It is hard to come to grips with the clash between the ideal of "support the troops" and the reality of isolation from society. I find myself wondering what it is that the U.S. and its citizens owe service members; what is a fair price for the majority to remain virtually unaffected while a small minority bares the brunt of these wars? The answer is confounded by the fact that these days most Americans oppose the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The water gets even muddier when we consider the shame of Abu Ghraib and the Afghanistan "kill teams" which have shown us all some of the most shocking and truly saddening images of violence and dehumanization our military has cultivated. I can't blame those who have no love for the military or veterans. Had I not served beside so many reputable men and women who honestly believed that they were doing their country a service, I might not either. But you will not hear me argue that all veterans are heroes, that is a lie that has stolen too many lives. Some may hear that as blasphemy, but I say the very least this country owes its men and women of the armed forces is the truth. It is far easier to say our troops are heroes than it is to have an honest dialog about what service means. It is easier to call troops heroes than to ask what commitment we as a nation have to those who fight in our name or to question whether service members are fighting in our name if we as citizens have no say in the matter. Hero is a word that takes away responsibility from all parties and wraps it up in a lofty idea that rarely exists. The label of hero is a bogus consolation prize and a nasty cover-up. Even though I'm grateful for the thought, when a stranger thanks me for my service I feel my stomach turning. Although I treated those who I encountered with respect and dignity, I am still riddled with guilt for my participation in the unjust war in Iraq. On the other hand, cheesy patriotic songs bring me to tears in a heartbeat and I still feel a sense of pride for sacrificing what most will not in order to serve my country. What I'm saying is it's complicated. There is no quick fix or "one size fits all" solution to the problems that veterans are facing. After 10 years of war, service members need relief and they deserve the right to heal. Veterans need honesty, patience, physical and mental health care, and access to everything that was promised them when they enlisted. They need jobs, friends and outlets for creative expression. They need love, support and families to come home to. I need these things, we all do. We do not need to be patronized or blamed for our government's mistakes. Five years have come and gone, yet every day I think of the Army. I think of Iraq. These wars rage on and I am just one of the millions who have been affected first-hand by these wars, please don't be one of the millions who doesn't give them a second thought. Maggie Martin served as a Sergeant in the US Army Signal Corps, and she served two tours in Iraq. She is an organizer with Iraq Veterans Against the War's Operation Recovery Campaign and the Warrior Writers project. Maggie is presently a graduate student at Marygrove College in Detroit, Michigan, and her poetry has been published in Fellowship Magazine. |
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11 March 2011
Iraq Anniversary 2011......8 WASTED YEARS
THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF THE ILLEGAL AND IMMORAL WAR IN IRAQ IS 19 MAR. Here is a list of activities being organized with the Washington Peace Center starting Friday.....
March 19 marks the 8th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Join peace activists from all over the country to mark this occasion during an inspiring weekend of actions, training, and lobbying in DC. Find a comprehensive calender of events below and please check back for updates:
Friday, March 18
5-8 pm: Veterans for Peace pre-event at Busboys and Poets (5th and K Streets, NW)
Saturday, March 19
8am - 1pm: Pax Christi Metro DC Annual Assembly at Gonzaga College High School, Lower Commons, 19 Eye Street NW
6-8 pm: Move the War Money, Save Our Communities at Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Avenue Northwest
Sunday, March 20
2 pm: Bradley Manning Action at Quantico Marine Base (VA)
Monday, March 21
All day: Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Lobby Training
Tuesday, March 22
Friday, March 18
5-8 pm: Veterans for Peace pre-event at Busboys and Poets (5th and K Streets, NW)
Featuring notable speakers, including Pulitizer Prize Winning war correspondent Chris Hedges, CODEPINK’s Medea Benjamin and author of War Is a Lie, David Swanson. Music will be provided by Deadwood, featuring Margaret Flowers, and by Watermelon Slim. $10 requested donation.
7-9pm: Walter Reed Vigil at Walter Reed Hospital, 7150 Georgia Avenue, NW (at Horseshoe, between Dahlia and Elder)A weekly vigil to raise awareness within our community and the media that our injured soldiers are brought to Walter Reed Hospital and we must not forget them. Fund the wounded, not the war! (The right wingers will be out in force so let's support!)
The Vigil began in March 2005 following the second anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and has continued every Friday evening regardless of rain, sun, snow, ice, or right-wing hooligans.
9 pm: Iraq Veterans Against the War/ Civilian Soldier Alliance Fundraiser at RAS in Petworth, 4809 Georgia Avenue NWJoin Iraq Veterans Against the War and Civilian Soldier Alliance for an evening of live music, delicious (Ethiopian) food, and social empowerment at the Ras Hall. Come support Operation Recovery: Stop the Deployment of Traumatized Troops, a veteran-led campaign to win the right to heal. This is an ALL AGES event.
Saturday, March 19
8am - 1pm: Pax Christi Metro DC Annual Assembly at Gonzaga College High School, Lower Commons, 19 Eye Street NW
Building a Catholic Movement to end war and build peace. This event includes featured speakers Andrew Bacevich and Michael Baxter, panel presentations, and small groups dicussions. Find the full schedule and registration info here.
Registration is $35, $10 for students, and scholarships are available. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
12 noon: Veterans for Peace Rally and Action at Lafayette Park and the White HouseResist the War Machine! Put your body on the line for peace and help make this the largest veteran-led civil resistance to the war machine in recent history! For more information, email stopthesewars@gmail.com.
Rally at 12 pm at Lafayette Park, H and 16th Streets NW
Speakers: Elliott Adams, Chantelle Bateman, Brian Becker, Medea Benjamin, Zachary Choate, Ryan Endicott, Ayesha Fleary, Chris Hedges, Kathy Kelly, Mike Malloy, Michael McPhearson, Caneisha Mills, Ralph Nader, Debra Sweet, Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese
Civil Resistance at 1 pm, White House
5-6 pm: Dinner at Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Avenue Northwest (free, donation requested)Speakers: Elliott Adams, Chantelle Bateman, Brian Becker, Medea Benjamin, Zachary Choate, Ryan Endicott, Ayesha Fleary, Chris Hedges, Kathy Kelly, Mike Malloy, Michael McPhearson, Caneisha Mills, Ralph Nader, Debra Sweet, Ann Wright, Kevin Zeese
Civil Resistance at 1 pm, White House
6-8 pm: Move the War Money, Save Our Communities at Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Avenue Northwest
The Washington Peace Center and Military Families Speak Out, and United for Peace and Justice are collaborating on this forum exploring the effects of our over-inflated military budget on our local communities. Hear from local DC organizers on how the economic crisis is affecting DC and how we can work together across issues to change the situation.
Speakers include:
- John Feffer, (Co-Director of Foreign Policy In Focus (www.fpif.org), Institute for Policy Studies),
- Kathryn Perry, (homeless organizer, Member of Luther Place Memorial Church and N Street Village),
- Linda Leaks (Lead Housing Organizer of Empower DC),
- Chantelle Batmen (Field Organizer for Iraq Veterans Against the War), and
- A Representative from Save our Safety Net
This event is endorsed by the Civilian Soldier Alliance, CodePink , Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, DC Jobs with Justice, Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, Empower DC, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Peace Action, Luther Place Memorial Church, Save our Safety Net DC, SOAWatch, Stop These Wars and others.
8-10: Soundtrack for Refusal CD Release Show at Luther Place Memorial Church, 1226 Vermont Avenue Northwest Musicians Ryan Harvey, Spoonboy and Jubilee will celebrate the work of Iraq Veterans Against the War and Civilian Soldier Alliance. Join us for an evening of live music, delicious food, and social empowerment.
Sunday, March 20
2 pm: Bradley Manning Action at Quantico Marine Base (VA)
Exposing war crimes is not a crime! Support accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower Army Pfc.Bradley Manning who has been held in solitary-like conditions for six months.
Click here to buy bus tickets to the Rally. Only $10 rountrip.
This event is endorsed by the Bradley Manning Support Network, Veterans for Peace, Courage to Resist, CodePink, and many other groups.
All day: Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Lobby Training Come to Lobby Weekend! Join others to tour Washington, learn to lobby, understand political issues in greater depth, and make your voice heard in Congress! The primary issues we will be lobbying on will be the war in Afghanistan. This is a 3-4 day event, though paticipants are welcome for all or part of the event. You can find the preliminary schedule for the entire event here.
Day 1: Issue-based Training- learn the ins and outs of the legislative issues you'll be lobbying on. Find a summary of issues here.
Don't forget to register for only $20. Participants are responsible for their own lodging and transportation. A list of lodging options can be found here.
Participants must schedule meetings with their Congress members ASAP. Try for Tues, March 22, though you may have to be flexible. Find their contact info here.
This event is endorsed by Friends Committee on National Legislation, Peace Action, Iraq Veterans Against the War, and Military Families Speak Out. Contact Matt Southworth for more information.
6-8: Homecooked Iraqi Benefit Dinner at the home of Busboys and Poets owner, Andy Shallal Join Busboys and Poets owner Andy Shallal and special guests at his house for an authentic Iraqi meal cooked by his mother with love! This event is a fundraiser for the Washington Peace Center. For details, pricing, and location, please contact sonia@washingtonpeacecenter.org or 202-234-2000.
Monday, March 21
All day: Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Lobby Training
Day 2: Lobbying, Media, and Organizing Trainings: strengthen old skills and learn new ones in these in-depth trainings covering lobying Congress, working with the media, and organizing in your community.
Note: See FCNL lobby training on Sun, March 20 (above) for information on registration and logistics, or click here for the full weekend schedule.
Tuesday, March 22
All day: Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) Lobbying
Day 3: Lobby Day: spend the day lobbying your Senators and Representatives.
Note: See FCNL lobby training on Sun, March 20 (above) for information on registration and logistics, or click here for the full weekend schedule.
6:30-8:30: Discussion and book signing with Malalai Joya at Busboys and Poets, 14th and V NW
Joya takes us inside her book, "A Woman Among Warlords The Extraordinary Story of an Afghan Who Dared to Raise Her Voice" to depict this massively important and insufficiently understood country, shows us the desperate day-to-day situations its remarkable people face at every turn, and recounts some of the many acts of rebellion that are helping to change it. A controversial political figure in one of the most dangerous places on earth, Malalai Joya is a hero for our times.
Co-sponsored by Afghan Women's Mission. FREE & OPEN TO ALL!
12 February 2011
A Lesson from Egypt, Operation Recovery update, Jeff Hanks status 11FEB11
FROM IRAQ VETERANS AGAINST THE WAR, thoughts on the Egyptian revolution, Operation Recovery, Afghanistan, PTSD, TBI, Jeff Hanks, and organizing at Fort Hood.
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A Lesson from the Egyptian RevolutionWe at Iraq Veterans Against the War are energized by the revolution in Egypt brought about by the peaceful mass movement of Egyptians from all walks of life. While we know the struggle will continue in the coming weeks, months, and years, to transform an autocratic political culture into a uniquely Egyptian democratic project, we here at IVAW are drawing an important lesson that we hope Americans will take to heart -- democratic regime change does not have to come with foreign invasion and overwhelming violence.We will be watching the events in Egypt closely to draw the many other lessons surely to come. Operation Recovery Update23,000 soldiers will be deploying to Afghanistan to replace the 101st Airborne Division returning home this month. Many of these replacement soldiers have served in previous deployments and are suffering from un-treated trauma such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Military Sexual Trauma, and Traumatic Brain Injury.They will be deploying from several military bases across the country, including Fort Hood, Texas, one of the largest U.S. military installations in the world, home to approximately 50,000 troops and their families. IVAW has active duty members at Fort Hood. The base also is home to Under the Hood Cafe, a safe space and alternative information center for troops run by IVAW allies. IVAW's Operation Recovery Campaign is preparing to launch an extended outreach drive to Fort Hood troops this spring. Will you help sustain our outreach to soldiers heading to Afghanistan with a donation today? Any amount will help, but please consider becoming a sustaining donor with a monthly or quarterly donation. Your regular contribution will ensure that we can maintain our presence at Fort Hood through the summer. Click here to pledge your ongoing support. Choose the recurring donation option and type "Operation Recovery" in the designated project area (or make a one-time donation).  Aaron Hughes outreaches to a military family at Fort Hood IVAW's Organizing Team Leader, Aaron Hughes, just returned from a two and-a-half week visit to Fort Hood where he outreached to troops, organized a GI Rights training, and developed a comprehensive outreach and organizing plan with the IVAW Fort Hood chapter members.Read more about his Fort Hood trip. One thing Aaron learned during his trip is that GIs are very receptive to the message of Operation Recovery. They know that soldiers are suffering from trauma and feel they have few choices in seeking treatment. Beginning in April, our Operation Recovery campaign will deploy a team of several organizers to Fort Hood who will be there throughout the summer. This is the first time we will have a concentrated organizing presence at a military base for such a long period. During our time at Fort Hood, we will:
Jeff Hanks is doing well - thanks to you!We are glad to report that Jeff Hanks, the soldier who refused redeployment to Afghanistan in order to get treatment for Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD, has been receiving good mental health care. Thanks to your emails to his commander, Cpt. Ambrosino, the Army has stated they will not deploy Jeff to Afghanistan and will discharge him from service.But Jeff's struggles are not over. We now await the Army's decision on what type of discharge he will receive. A medical discharge will allow Jeff to obtain full benefits, including medical care. But the Army may give him an "Other Than Honorable" discharge, which would prevent him from getting the benefits he deserves after honorable service in Iraq and Afghanistan. We are working with Jeff's lawyer for the best outcome, but may call on you again to take action if pressure on Jeff's command is needed. Thank you for your continued support. In Solidarity, IVAW Field Organizing Team Aaron, Chantelle, Jason, and Joe |
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