PTSD ~ Where there is HOPE, There is HELP

PTSD... Four little letters which can dramatically change a person’s life. PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Its definition tells us it is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.

While much of that definition seems true to what those who suffer through PTSD endure, the word disorder doesn’t quite seem to be appropriate. A disorder is defined as an irregularity, while a wound is defined as an injury. United States Army General, Peter Chiarelli recently said in an interview that he would like to see it changed from PTSD to PTSI, Post Traumatic Stress Injury.  

 

Some may ask and even argue, why does it matter what it’s called? The answer is simple. It helps remove a stigma that sadly many associate with PTSD. We have some of the bravest people in the world volunteering so much of themselves and answering the call to duty. Even the most courageous of warriors are still human though. They can hurt and feel pain just like you and I do. 

       “Few sights are quite as heartbreaking as an ordinarily powerful man, broken, devastated, and reduced to wordless grief.” - Retired U.S. Navy SEAL, J. Robert DuBois - from the forthcoming book, Powerful Peace.

One of the hardest decisions someone suffering through PTSD can make is to take that first step and ask for help. Many may feel they can handle it on their own, or simply believe it will just go away in time. This is not the case. Just as one cannot perform surgery on oneself and take the place of a medical professional to cure all that ails them, the same holds true for PTSD. Even the strongest, bravest, selfless and most valiant warriors need help. 

That need for help is where we all come in. There are numbers that they can call if they are in crisis or just need someone to talk with, but it is up to every one of us to make sure that all of our men and women who suffer know what their options are. Data released last year tells us that a staggering 18 veterans commit suicide every day and that over 950 suicide attempts are made every month. The information obtained also revealed that they were able to rescue approximately 7,000 veterans from the act of suicide after they called the Veterans Crisis line at (800) 273-8255 (TALK), Option 1.

The most important thing to remember is that all those who suffer must know that we are here for them. We do not judge, we do not question, we do not ever falter in our dedication to help them cope with all they’re suffering through. If that means they need us to sit and hold their hand, then we sit and hold their hand. If it means they need us to listen to them, then we will listen to them. If that means they need us to hold them tight while they cry, then we hold them so very tight so they know that we won’t let go. We must be there for them. There is simply no excuse not to be. We must be there to help them find their way back.   

Do not let their grip loosen, place your hands over theirs and give them the strength to hold on. 

We know you will make it through! We owe so much to you!

This post was a collaboration between the Honor Them

and SEAL of Honor pages.

Please share and  spread this blog in hopes that our veterans and active duty

know that as long as we are here, there is hope and there is help.

U.S. Army memorial knife for Wardak, Afghanistan, Extortion 17

In honor of the 5 crewmen lost from the 158th Aviation Regiment and the 135th Aviation Regiment, U.S. Army National Guard aboard Extortion 17, Wardak, Afghanistan, 8/6/11, DS&S Tactical is offering for auction a very special knife.... This CQBT-B Advanced Combat Knife - a M390 Super Steel blade has now been coated with Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) - the toughest, most advanced coating available for knife blades. The knife is being auctioned off with 100% of the proceeds to benefit the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.

DIRECT LINK TO THE AUCTION:
CLICK HERE

 

The production of this blade was made possible by Donny Bassett and the Society for the Preservation of Military History as well as the work of Re-New Sharpening and the assistance of Waterjet Cutting Inc. of Albuquerque. The next-generation coating was applied by Ion Bond and the engraving was done by KaMo Engravers of Albuquerque. The concept for this blade came from a discussion with Ssgt Manny Alvarez, U.S. Army.

Navy SEAL Academy

Part of my mission to Honor Them is to not only support our troops and veterans, but we must also look to the future soldiers who will be defending our freedoms and liberties in the years to come. It is because of this that I asked the gentlemen of Navy SEAL Academy to tell us a little bit about what they do. Here's what they had to say:

A Day in the Life Of a Navy SEAL

Navy SEAL Academy is a military adventure company dedicated to provide its clients the most authentic “day in the life” of a Navy SEAL. We currently have operations in California, Washington DC, North Carolina and Hawaii.

From a few hours at the beach performing exercises mimicking the notorious BUD/s training made famous on the Discovery Channel’s BUD/S Class 234, to spending 4 days rappelling down structures, breaching doors, learning tactical marksmanship, to even fast-roping out of a helicopter, the Navy SEAL Academy has pulled out all of the stops and can give its client full access to an authentic Navy SEAL experience.

Our SEAL instructors bring a wealth of experience to our course. We currently have an Active Duty BUD/s Instructor on staff, as well as an Active Duty Sniper Instructor. We also have a Former SEAL Officer who runs our operations with his SEAL Cadre in Hawaii. All of our SEAL cadre’s military qualifications are many
and diverse. They are all currently working on obtaining all civilian and law enforcement licenses, and qualifications. We have a Quality Management program in place and will be soon certified ISO 9001-2008 to ensure the safety and management of our courses. We are fortunate to have a highly motivated and educated group of Frogmen!

Our courses are extremely diverse, as we cater to many groups. Our clients range from 17 year old students who aspire to become Special Operation Forces candidates, to YPO Executives who run and operate multimillion-dollar companies. We have taught CEO’s, MMA legends, Professional Athletes, Moms, Dads, Grand dads, teens, and more.

We have most recently started a Scholarship Program in California and Hawaii to provide Free Training to any student who holds a contract to any Special Forces Program. We look forward to giving back and helping our new generation of warriors attain their full potential. Hooyah!!!!

For more info please go to:

 

navysealacademy.com

 

Other places you can find Navy SEAL Academy:

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

 

USTREAM

Veterans Day

History tells us tales of brave warriors and fierce soldiers who will fight to defend our freedoms and liberties without hesitance. As children, we sat in classrooms and read text books with images depicting battle scenes of men with weapons drawn. Do those books do justice to all our brave and selfless military has done for us, though? 

It takes a certain kind of man or woman to be willing to risk everything that they have for a cause which is bigger than they are. In fact that type of person is so rare that our current United States Armed Forces only accounts for 1% of our population. That number is staggering low and should be an awakening to all of us that there are not many who are willing to stand up and protect all that we hold dear.

Throughout the years our troops have fought in many wars. During that time we have lost a great deal of our sons and daughters. While we will forever honor the men and women who have fallen, we must also remember to pay our respects and gratitude to those who are still with us. 

Those who have served are instilled with a duty to protect and serve our country and it's people. It's more than an idea. It's a way of life for them. Their duty to serve is ingrained somewhere deep within them, never leaving, always prevalent, always true. Our veterans are part of a unique group of individuals who hold steadfast to a form of honor that goes deeper than the written word. 

I call on every American nationwide to find a way to honor our Veterans on this day. As the day passes and Saturday comes, honor them again. Then on Sunday, honor them again. As you begin a new your new work week and Monday comes, honor them again. Do you sense the pattern? HONOR THEM forever and always.

THANK YOU, VETERANS!

Veterans Day 2011

At what cost?

It seems in the news we're always hearing about military cuts. Whether they're taking it from our defense budget, pensions or health care benefits the one common denominator in the trend is that we're cutting from the very force which protects us. Most recently, the Army has announced it's cutting 50,000 soldiers. This doesn't take into account the recent cuts which have affected all aspects of the various branches. 

On November 1, 2011 Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert warned while testifying on Capitol Hill that the cuts reaching nearly $1 trillion over the next decade will “cause irreversible harm” to the Navy. He stated further that “It will hollow the military, and we will be out of balance in manpower, both military and civilian, procurement and modernization.”  His statements of warning were similar to those of Adm. Mark Ferguson, vice CNO, who made similar claims to a House subcommittee last week. Gen. Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff added to this by stating that a pullback in U.S. defense spending could cause potential enemies to question the the power of U.S. military power.  Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, the Air Force chief of staff, further stated that budget cuts beyond the $450 to $465 billion already in the works would cause severe, long-term damage to his service and in turn affect the Air Force's ability to prepare for future crises and wars.  It came as no surprise when Gen. James F. Amos, commandant of the Marine Corps concurred with them by adding that steeper defense cuts would undermine the military's ability to maintain a large presence in key parts of the world.  So here we have the leaders of our military forces, the ones whom we turn to when we need swift and immediate action against the war on terror telling us that these cuts are not good for the longevity and/or safety of our country. I find it troubling that we are even entertaining such cuts when Washington has been given valid and concrete reasons as to why they should not happen.

 

Now, I know to the average Joe these cuts may not seem like that big of a deal. As a matter of fact I feel that sadly most Americans have become desensitized to the constant news regarding military budgetary topics and for the most part tune it out. And therein lies part of our problem. These cuts are getting out of control and we're headed on a path that could be damaging to the United States as well as potentially irreversible.  I'm sure the first argument by many will be that spending by the Military is out of control as they provide a laundry list of the cost of planes and weapons. I would remind those individuals though, that we didn't become a super power by buying second rate defense weaponry. We spare no expense because nothing is as important to our Armed Forces as protecting this country and it's people. I'm sure many will further argue that we're using these weapons on foreign lands and fighting other people's wars, but are we really? There is a reason it's referred to as the 'global' war on terror and shouldn't we be grateful that the war is not being fought on our land? Our US Armed Forces serve as a global force to all enemies of the world showing them that terrorisst will not win, that as long as the United States of America is there, no human should have to suffer at the hand of terrorists. 

 

However, I must digress as there is another factor in this that I haven't touched on, the care of our men and women who serve. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is at an all time high in our current military as well as veterans. More and more of our troops are coming home with symptoms of this invisible but very real wound. There are also those warriors who come home wounded and whose needs exceed standard medical care. Some need prosthetics and therapy which can range anywhere from weeks to months. We are also seeing a rise in the number of troops who return from combat with Traumatic Brain Injury. We should never forget that these men and women were injured while serving their country. A country they fought valiantly for. Our VA Hospitals have a hard time meeting the health care needs of the troops and veterans we have on the home front now, this doesn't include the tens of thousand who will be returning.

With the Army's recent cuts of 50,000 soldiers and the Air Force's announcement to cut 9,000 civilian jobs we will be sending nearly 60,000 people into an already failing economy with a job market that isn't fit for some of the most qualified applicants. This will leave a majority of our troops out of work, assuming some of them are lucky enough to find employment, in a country where unemployment is already out of control. They can file for unemployment benefits, however we are already paying out so much money on a weekly basis for that it makes you wonder, where would this extra money be coming from?  Aren't the military cuts in question supposed to help our drained economy? Taking millions from one calling it a budget cut and in turn paying out millions of unemployment dollars doesn't seem like a well thought out strategy to me. The one place I never seem to see budgetary cuts lies within the very people that are deciding these cuts. I won't get into a political party debate, but I will state that I feel that many in Washington have been irresponsible with both their salaries (including increases) as well as their budgets. Taking vacations, expensive dinners and countless other extravagances do not seem to be relevant to national security. Truthfully, I don't believe one of them would ever stand up and fight the way our men and women of the armed forces have.  I don't intend to appear unsympathetic to the task at hand when it comes to finding places to cut millions of dollars in a faltering budget. Cutting from defense just does not seem to be a realistic or feasible option. It certainly isn't one that makes sense to me. Cutting millions from the entities that protect us at the potential risk of weakening our armed forces and subjecting our homeland to terrorist attacks doesn't seem like the end would justify the means. I'm afraid to think what being out of work may do to the mental health of some of our troops returning home who may be suffering from wounds already. There must be a reason health care providers have said for as long as I recall that a positive attitude is good for your health.

Think of all they've seen. Try to imagine if you can the horrors that they've been exposed to in war. The sad realization of it is, that you can't. Unless you've been there and experienced all they have you can only empathize but never truly understand. Our troops are not under draft. They fight so that their homeland is safe and free from harm. Their duty to serve is ingrained somewhere deep within them, putting others before themselves. Isn't it our job to take care of the very people who have fought to protect us? I tell everyone that they should Honor Them for their service, sacrifice and all they do. Is putting them out of work after all they've done for us honoring them? Ask yourself if you could look one of our brave and selfless troops in the eye and say, I know you've fought for me and protected me, but we have no job for you and we don't have the resources available to care for your needs. Sadly, that's what I feel Washington D.C. is saying to our brave men and women of our US Armed Forces.

DS&S Tactical's Charity Knife Auction in honor of those fallen on 8-6-11

On August 6, 2011 our nation was rocked by tragedy when a CH-47 Chinook carrying 38 Warriors was shot down by a rocket propelled grenade in the Wardack Province of Afghanistan killing all 38 people on board.  Of those who died, 17 were U.S. Navy SEALs, 5 were U.S. Naval Special Warfare (NSW) Command Support personnel, 5 were crew members from the U.S. Army's 7th Battallion, 158th Aviation Regiment and 2nd Batallion, 135th Aviation Regiment, 2 were special operations U.S. Air Force Pararescuemen (PJ's) and 1 Combat Controller from the Air Force Special Operation Command (AFSOC); also on board was a highly trained U.S. military dog.

Sadly, the event was reminiscent of a blow we felt a little over six years ago on June 28, 2005, when we lost 11 U.S. Navy SEALs and 8 of our U.S. Army's Night Stalkers in Operation Red Wings.  Until August 6th that had been the single worst loss of life in the Special Operations Command in Afghanistan. The similarities and immense number of casualties served as a chilling reminder of the grief felt six years ago.

DS&S Tactical, a company founded by a Veteran of Somalia, is making a total of four custom knives to honor our fallen Warriors. These knives will be auctioned and sold to the highest bidder with 100% of the proceeds made going to charities which will help military families. The first knife in the series, and the one you see below will benefit The Navy SEAL Foundation in honor of the fallen heroes of 8/6/11 Tangi River Valley "Extortion 17".

For those of you who have watched me on my mission to Honor Them in the past year you know that any organization willing to give back to military or veterans and their families is always going to have my full and unyielding support. So I ask you to please share this very worthy cause with as many people as you can so that we can help DS&S Tactical raise as much money as possible to give back to those who have given so much.  As always, I thank you for your support and all you do to Honor Them.

"All gave some ~ Some gave all"

LINK TO AUCTION

From the DS&S Tactical website:

Because we can:

DS&S will offer a separate knife for charity auction, in remembrance of each of the military services represented in the lives lost at the Tangi River Valley. Below, is the knife marking the lives and accomplishments of the Navy SEALs who died that day. In the coming weeks, we will produce three other blades: One for the Army, one for the Air Force - and we will also produce one to benefit Military Working Dogs. All four knives will be produced by us and 100-percent of the proceeds will go to charity to benefit military families...

The Tangi River Bullshark - now ready for handle and sheath construction - and the special nano-infusion process, which will make the steel as much as 100 times stronger than it is now.

 

 This is a close-up pic of the raw engraved blade which will be infused with single-walled carbon nano tubes - truly super steel .... and one of a kind.

A special thank you to DS&S Tactical for allowing me to post this information from their site. 

A few other pictures of the Tangi River Bullshark

Nano Tubes are applied.
They begin to fill in the cut channels and link together






  
The blade once it's coated

The blade once it's cured