I got an email a few days ago from the White House with the announcement that the DoD and VA are funding another PTS and TBI study. The research will cost over $100 million dollars. While this is good news, what have we been wasting money on for the past decade?!
”At VA, ensuring that our Veterans receive quality care is our highest priority,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki. ”Investing in innovative research that will lead to treatments for PTSD and TBI is critical to providing the care our Veterans have earned and deserve.”
What I really don’t understand is how the DoD and the VA still are trying to understand the aftereffects of an mTBI, or mild Traumatic Brain Injury. A simple search of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) website yields a treasure trove of information and studies underway on this very topic. The NFL has been spending millions on this very thing.
The VA’s PTSD website also contains a wealth of information about PTS research. Here in Texas, we have The South Texas Research Organizational Network Guiding Studies on Trauma and Resilience (Strong STAR) program that I’ve personally gone through. Why isn’t this organization being tapped instead of spending money on studies and information already out there?
Look, I understand that caring for our troops after more than a decade of war is a top priority. I don’t deny that we aren’t exactly doing as much as we can to help troops suffering from these often-debilitating issues. Heck, we can’t even get most commanders to send their troops through a FREE resiliency program without pulling teeth in spite of the fact that statistics show a 35% decrease in administrative actions against troops what went through the W
More than 15 percent of service members and Veterans suffer impaired functioning as a result of PTSD. The proposed research will study potential indicators of the trauma, as well as prevention strategies, possible interventions, and improved treatments. Biomarker-based researched will be a key factor for the studies.
Our military is about to take a major hit to the jaw with regard to our budget and we need to ensure that are able to leverage every single dollar. To spend $100 million on studies that are probably already out doesn’t seem like good stewardship of our taxpaying dollars. I don’t think it would take that much money to look into research that is already available.
I may be wrong and that has already taken place, but I highly doubt it. The Strong STAR program here in Texas is highly successful. I like to think I’m one of those success stories. My survivor’s guilt is almost completely mitigated as a result of going through the program. It helped me to finally cope with many of the most traumatic experiences from my combat action in Iraq in 2003.
Specific information on the research the DoD and VA is going to conduct, including the full description of each award, eligibility, and submission deadlines, and General Application Instructions, are posted on the Grants.gov and CDMRP websites (http://www.grants.gov and http://cdmrp.army.mil, respectively).
The following is my opinion. Far too many soldiers have committed suicide and the Army is beside itself. There is training for the soldiers and the people that work with the soldiers; families are given training and still there is suicide. Everything the Army is doing, isn’t working very well. Yes it has stopped many suicides, but even one is too many. Where I work, seven (7) young soldiers have killed themselves this year, one happened in August. For a small post, this is a huge number. No for any post it is a huge number.
CJ and Disenchanted: I know I am way to cynical, but this smells of blatant vote buying and more crony researching via the taxpayer’s threadbare pocket. Yes we have many programs just like education with $s dribbling out of the Federal coffers through 20+ different agencies in addition to the stultifying Dept. of Ed. The VA and all services have programs upon programs and frankly do not need more over-educated, weasel psychological idiots out to rake in the $100M repeating the same studies undertaken over and over again from Vietnam forward (hell – Vietnam was the home of the IED). The only people benefiting are the “connected” researchers/administrators/politicians augmenting their already padded retirements and with the obligatory dollars bundled for the dumbocrat campaigns. This just needs to be called what it is: Fraud against the taxpayer.
Our only hope is to use whatever leverage we have to hold the VA accountable to do its job as it is amply compensated to do. Maybe the VA’s share of the 500,000+ Federal administrators and bureaucrats earning $100K+ need to do their job or we the people must move them out or reduce their ridiculous salaries and use those funds to provide the treatments already documented and proven to work.
Desert Storm ((1990~1991) & OIF (2005~2006)
There are those that “study”… and those that “do”. Unfortunately, too many pols like to portray that a “study” is the same thing as “doing”.
Absurd… just hand over the $100 mil to programs that are already working and expand them, fer heavens sake. I agree with @Marine72. Smells like “blatant vote buying” to me.
I don’t know how well you know the political process. All studies have to go through the proper chain of command so that the right people get their cut of the study money. Don’t expect anything from this study, especially since our Illegal-In-Chief is anti military. I believe that one main reason for PTSD and the low morale is that the soldiers have learned that their Commander-In-Chief isn’t on their side. Are you under the assumption that the present administration actually WANTS our service members to get better?
I don’t care how much it costs to take care of our physically and mentally wounded warriors. They paid the price for MY freedom. I’m willing to pay the price for their healing.
I hope a lot of them come back home and run for congress. I’d rather have members of congress with PTSD than what we have now.
@MataHarley:
perhaps it is. however since I am at the emotional side of this issue, I didn’t see it that way. – and it does depend upon where you stand as to what you see.
This looks interesting
http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/09/21/doctor-injection-can-cure-ptsd-in-veterans/
I’ve lived with war induced PTSD for almost 50 years. For the first three or four decades I thought it unmanly to complain—I supposed it was just my lot to accept. I adopted the military’s position—only pussies complain—and even chastised me comrades in arms who did so. The severity of my PTSD ebbed and flowed, but when the second Iraq war began to remind me of what I’d experience in Vietnam, the war dreams began again with a ferocity. Finally I had to inquire of the VA if they could help. They told me about a specific medication which has been shown in ‘studies’ to help in many cases. It was prescribed for me and worked.
The point here is that without scientific studies—some of which cost a lot of money—the wouldn’t find any cure for the symptoms of PTSD. In fact, it’s only because of expensive studies that they isolated the symptoms of PTSD, and made it a relatively acceptable illness, and allowed soldiers to seek treatment. There is still much we don’t know about the effects of war—suicide, homicide, domestic violence, etc.—but such are the reasons why more scientific inquiry is warranted.
I wonder how much the inquiry cost into finding out how Agent Orange affected America both at home and abroad. I wonder how people would feel about war if they learned how much we were compensating the Vietnamese people for their Agent Orange injuries sustained due to that worthless war. Of course there are those who feel that we don’t owe them anything; and there are those who still fight the war, and continue to feel the fight was right and winnable; iust as there are those who feel that there is no reason to continue argue about spending so much money on PTSD and TBI—such people are often anti-intellectual and anti-science as far as the cost of the efforts required to attain the appropriate developments.
@liberal1(objectivity): #7
We now know that politicians like Lindon Johnson used soldiers like you for their own political and financial gain. They didn’t want such a lucrative war to end. When you guys were spit on when you came home because of what John Kerry and the propaganda media said about you, I can see where you could have mental problems, especially if you had seen your buddies die in a war that your Commander-In-Chief wanted to keep going.
Once we get rid of the Apologizer-In-Chief, maybe we will have another president who wants to take care of those of you who made it possible for me to be born and live in a free USA. Thank you for doing your part.
In my experiences with the VA, I’ve concluded that they are there for their jobs and the government not for the Veteran. This is a smoke screen to show that they “care” for Vets before an election.
@another vet: #9
I am retired, and for many years I have heard about VA hospitals not taking care of the ones who fought for our freedom. The politicians can find hundreds of millions of dollars for their pet projects, but very little for vets. The military should be funded first. This would include the VA.
I have been through the Strong Starr program; It seems to me that when you are over there, it’s a part of life. When you come back the issues begin! Did the program work? Hell only time will tell! I am retired now, and from what I can see; Troops are brought back into this delision we live in too soon. There must be a longer cooling down time, and if we look back at ancient history, all the worriers who came home from battle, did so in a time management type setting. You can not be in battle one day and home the next! Those who are home living in their fantasy world will be the ones who become a part of our reality. History has proven it! There is no; on and off switch.
Concerned Vet
I agree with you 100%
the coming back military need a debriefing which take time different times for each one,
and the book which should be written for their family to educate them before they get home,
it would prevent tears and separation and from there divorce is imminent,
that debriefing must be done by experts from different expertise, regarding all issues,
those military has been taught rules, they applied it in war zones, they come back still in a mode of alert
constant alert, and readyness which they must drop to a level of living in society,
which is a brutal spinning on the head, at once,it must be excrutiating for them while they hide
what they are going thru the memory is playing trick while they sleep and awaken to a new life demanding them to participate at once, expecting them to know what they are suppose to do at once.
and some spouse noticing the hesitations are thinking PTSD and get scare of their soldier spouse they use to exchange letters and emails with only,
just a debriefing would do,
but the 100million could be use for the good cause of expedite the money to veterans waiting so long, how dare?
you treat the bracves with such humiliating positions forcing them to demand what is due to them,
they ask for money and deserve to have it now today and do your search later,
they have been 2 years waiting and are being told of a back lash of 5 more years,
what the fuck are theVETERANS AFFAIRS are doing, leaving them waiting so long
and the money is there we learned,
get going in distribute the money now and, do the rest in your 5 years left, and get some to help get it faster,
that’s as easy as it,
you are not dealing with welfare, you are not dealing with criminals,
if there is later a found error just let them know, they are smarter than you there with no clue,
are you all under orders to slow the distribution of money by who, the WHITE HOUSE?
your timing is suspicious, get your act together ,
they come back and expected to be another person in many ways, and be put on hold for their money due to them.
you’re not doing them any favor, it’s their money,
@Concerned Vet: #11
Shouldn’t there be a system set up where any trooper returning from combat has to go through an evaluation faze? I have not been in combat, or out of the states while in uniform, so I’m going to let the combat vets answer my question.
Should a VOLUNTEER group of vets who have been in combat, and have lost friends, be set up to help council the returning vets? The returning vets would be talking to those who have lived through what the returning vets had gone through, instead of talking to trained psychologists who probably have never been in combat.
I would think that the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other organizations, would be glad to volunteer to help returning vets who need it. One of the men in my American Legion was telling of one battle he was in, that when it was over, he had 21 or 22 bullet holes in his backpack. He could relate to the returning vet and help him adjust.
Smorgasbord
you got a point, yes, who else than their brother in arms can better help,
they have been there done that and can read the ones who have a problem adjusting,
and frankly from what they hear about the VETS having to wait for their money,
no wander they must be apprehensive,
they have fought their WAR but they have been denied the victory which they gain,
they are called back to a change society, who forgot them, except for some who cared,
they deserve to be told they have won their war, and can relax and readjust with their loved one,
they need to know the people are grateful for what they gave while in hell.
more often and be thank by authority who sent them there.
they are so humble, they don’t look for the glory among the citizens, but it’s important to remind them they did a dam good job and don’t any one doubt it for a second,
that help tremendously, them to reconnect with the NATION
responsible for the WAR, and their WOUNDS,
bye
Smorgasbord
I have a better idea,
send them to us FLOPPING ACES, we can do the jobs,
and they won’t need to give their names to express what’s inside of them,
we can discerne more because there is no interference of having the person in front, no interference of being distracted by physical appearance, we can perceive and exchange pure messages
without disturbances, any time the soldier come to demand it ,
there will be someone here to answer and reassure, and give all the kudos to let them know we are owing it to them.
we have many VETERANS here to help,
they just have to come and get it,
we are here for them to judge our answers and decide, between us who to ask for any particular questions,
they will know they can depend on us, and that we love them.
@ilovebeeswarzone: #14
It seams that our politicians forget that without those who VOLUNTEER to go to the front lines, we won’t have a free America, and the politicians won’t be living the lavish life that they are now. The military should be funded FIRST!
@ilovebeeswarzone: #15
If a program like that is started, I’m guessing there will be plenty of front-line vets volunteering.