Military News: 15 July 2007 - 21 July 2007

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15 July 2007  --  Walter Reed Army Medical Center now has one regular visitor who's there to lend a hand rather than receive medical treatment.  Jack Farley, a former patient and Vietnam veteran, is also an amputee.  Now a retired federal judge, Farley returns to Walter Reed as a "peer visitor."  He's part of a growing program that offers training and certification to amputee volunteers who wish to give their time in visiting, listening to and helping new amputees as part of the treatment process.  Farley says that “In the beginning our job is just to listen. I don’t come in and say, ‘Hey, look at me.'  The peer visitor comes in and just tries to deal with the family and deal with the patient, explaining that life is going to be different, but whether it’s better or worse it’s still up to the patient.”  Farley also said that "his role changes during the progress of the amputee. Each goes through five stages: enduring, suffering, reckoning, reconciling and normalization."  Sometimes, he states, there are amputees who enter a "thriving" stage in which they go on to accomplish more after the trauma than they would have without it.  A newly-admitted amputee patient feels that "[Farley’s] experience sometimes helps him explain things to the doctors and technicians that are hard to put into words," and that the amputee-visitor program consistently receives the highest patient ratings at the center.

16 July 2007  --  In an interview with Pentagon reporters today, British Army Lt. Gen. Graeme Lamb, deputy commander of Multinational Force Iraq and senior British representative in Iraq, said that "Troops on the ground in Iraq are not as much tired of the war as they are of those who are not in the fight saying that no progress has been made."  He stated that "[the U.S.] should be enormously proud of what I see your Marines, your Air Force, your Navy, your Army and the civilians who are in the fight out here, as to what they do, and gladly."  The frustration of troops, said Lamb, stems from the fact that "They see the water going to people who didn't have it before. They see electricity coming on line. They see stability to the networks. They see all the stuff that no one really portrays...While it's so clear to them that we're making progress, it's not reflected by those who are not in the fight, but [who] are sitting back and making judgment."  Lamb commended the combined efforts of coalition forces and drew attention to the fact that Iraqi communities and security forces are becoming better equipped to handle a growing economy and stabilizing national climate. 

17 July 2007  --  Many people, both inside and outside the military profession, are familiar with the term "post-traumatic stress disorder."  There will now be a more concentrated effort made to educate and assist soldiers who may be affected by this disorder.  According to a report released by the AFPS, all soldiers will soon receive information to help them identify the symptoms of PTSD and mild traumatic brain injury and to urge them to seek treatment.  Materials have also been created with the purpose of educating soldiers' families to the possible warning signs and treatment options available.  Subject matter experts are saying that mild traumatic brain injury is becoming "a signature injury" of the war on terror, largely due to soldiers' exposure to roadside bombs, mortar and other explosions.  Symptoms range from slower reaction times to cognitive problems.  PTSD, on the other hand, "often occurs from a feeling of helplessness at the time of a severely traumatic event. It manifests itself in three clusters of symptoms: intrusive re-experiencing of the event, numbness or disassociation, and hypervigilance, or the feeling that one is constantly 'on edge'."  It can occur from the combined effects of combat or extended deployments.  The Army is in the process of recruiting more mental health care professionals to deal with the anticipated increase in demand for their services.  Army Lt. Gen. James Campbell, director of the Army staff, points out that one of the greater obstacles to soldiers' affected by PTSD or mild traumatic brain injury is the stigma often attached to soldiers who seek "help."  The earlier treatment begins, he says, the easier symptoms are to treat.

18 July 2007  --  NORTHCOM, the Defense Department’s lead agency for homeland defense, released a declassified version of their just-completed National Intelligence Estimate.  Eight intelligence organizations within the Defense Department contributed to the Estimate: the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, National Reconnaissance Office, and Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps intelligence.   The report noted that Islamic terrorist groups, like al Qaeda, are "likely to remain a persistent threat to the U.S. homeland over the next three years," and gives a stark portrayal of terrorists' “undiminished intent to attack the homeland."  The focus of al Qaeda's plotting, according to the report, will be conspicuous infrastructural, political and economic targets; their goal will be to cause mass casualties, economic hardship and widespread fear among the U.S. population.  A spokesman for NORTHCOM and NORAD stated that both defense networks are “focused on ensuring that we disrupt and defeat those who wish to kill innocent civilians by any means possible," and insisted that all creditable intelligence is being evaluated and an increased vigilance has been established.

19 July 2007  --   In an interesting article published in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Foreign Service writer James Palmer poses a popular question: Should U.S. troops leave Iraq?  This question is currently a topic of hot debate in the U.S.  In fact, just over the last few weeks, both Congress and the Senate addressed this very issue, the latest news being that the bill demanding early withdrawal of troops just failed in the Senate by 8 votes despite an "all-nighter" intended to draw more support for the bill.  Palmer, however, asks this question of a very different group of people; namely, the people in the shops and marketplaces of Baghdad.  Their answers may surprise you.  Iraqis seem as split over the issue as Americans.  Ranging in ages from 18 to 76 years old, and in professions as diverse as "street sweeper," "kitchen wares merchant," "widowed housewife," and "unemployed lawyer," the Iraqis interviewed were not in agreement over the proper role the U.S. should (or shouldn't) play in Iraqi affairs.  At this point, the only clear consensus among citizens of the U.S. and of Iraq, regarding the U.S.' role in Iraq, seems to be that there IS no consensus.  Wish to comment on this issue?  Check out the MyMilitaryYears Forum page and post your comments.  (click here to be taken to the Forum page)

20 July 2007  --   The Department of Defense is stepping up efforts to help military families better manage their personal finances.  David S.C. Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness speaking at a National Association of Federal Credit Unions' meeting, stressed the need young military families have for sound money management skills and noted that about 46 percent of military members are age 25 or younger; 38 percent of these are married and 21 percent of these couples have children.  "Most young people," he says, "leave high school without any financial management education...As a result, our people tend to possess little experience making the financial decisions that will impact their financial well-being and financial future."  Chu equated financial readiness with mission readiness, and he highlighted a 2005 study among servicemembers that rated finances to be more stress inducing than deployments, health concerns, life events and personal relationships.  The goal of the DoD's financial readiness program is "to establish a financial culture that instills and promotes good credit, regular savings, including savings for emergencies, retirement savings and participation in the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program,” Chu said.  To this effect, the DoD has partnered with over 25 federal agencies and non-profit organizations, maintained a flow of public service announcements through its American Forces Radio and Television Service and sponsors a seried of worldwide financial management seminars for servicemembers and their families as part of the "Moneywise in the Military" campaign. 

21 July 2007  --  At a recent meeting of the Reserve Components National Security Course, top officers emphasized the increasing importance of the U.S.' seven reserve components as well as the challenges facing today's reservists.  Army Lt. Gen. Clyde A. Vaughn, commander of the Army National Guard, underscored the changing priorities of Reserve and National Guard forces following 9/11.  No longer merely strategic, today's reservists are largely operational and play an integral role in fighting terrorism.  This shift has required a huge change in procedures, processes and policies; a larger demand has been created for resources and recruiting measures that meet the changing needs of Reserve and National Guard units.  Other top officers gave attention to the significance of giving greater predictability to reservists' deployment schedules to give greater stability and balance to reservists, their families and civilian employers.  Overall, the issues of greater agility and the development of leadership skills took top billing at this meeting and will continue to receive attention from the Washington panel of senior leaders from the Army Reserve, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Coast Guard Reserve and Air National Guard.