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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD as it is commonly called, is a mental health problem you may develop after experiencing traumatic events. The condition was first recognized in war veterans. It has had different names in the past, such as “shell shock”, but it is not only diagnosed in solders. A wide range of traumatic experience...
Debra Lewis vividly recalls the extra dessert placed at her table in the cavernous mess hall during her first week at West Point in 1976. She was among the first group of women allowed to enter the military academy that year but quickly realized that not all were so welcoming. In that medieval-like dining hall, hazing was all too common, said Lewis...
Stacy Whitmore, 54, served in the Air Force for four years and the Army National Guard for 18. Her reasons for enlisting were many. “I joined because my dad was in the Army. I was a military brat. Because of that, after high school, I wanted to make a difference,” she said. “As an adult, I wanted to travel and show my husband and ...
Living in his mother’s home in 2001, Fernando Smith Jr. was ready to make a change. “All my friends were growing up, while I was living a sheltered lifestyle,” he explained. “I wanted to learn to be an adult, too.” Smith realized the military could help him achieve his goals. For four years, he was stationed at Mountai...
Veteran Jonathan Rice, 26, was born in Kolkata, India. As a dual citizen and the son of missionary parents, he grew up in both the United States and India. When he came of age, Rice decided to enlist in the Marine Corps, following a family tradition of service. For just over a year, Rice served at Cherry Point, North Carolina, where he sustained a ...
Statement of Tammy Barlet, Associate Director National Legislative Service Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States For the Record United States House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health With Respect To “Pending Legislation” Washington, D.C. Chairwoman Brownley, Ranking Member Berg...
Each workday, Joe Riener, 55, commutes 54 miles roundtrip from his home in Cottonwood, Idaho, with his wife Angie, to the North Central Idaho Office of Veterans Advocacy in nearby Lewiston. “The drive isn’t bad,” he said. “It gives my mind the time to spin up for the day and wind down at the end of it.” As a VFW-accred...
Statement of Emily Devito, Associate Director National Legislative Service Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States For The Record United States House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity With Respect To “Pending Legislation” Washington, D.C. Chairman Levin, Ranking M...
Fallbrook, California, nicknamed “the Friendly Village,” is home to VFW Post 1924. Its members seem to take this reputation to heart. From hosting holiday celebrations to delivering meals and providing transitional housing, the Post spreads good near and far. During the week, veterans and non-veterans alike are invited to share a warm m...
Nicole Bisacchi’s father was drafted in 1966. After Vietnam, he went on to serve until 2008, including in Iraq. Her sister enlisted and served 13 years in the Air Force. Years before, her grandparents were in the military too. Although there was a family precedent to serve, Bisacchi did not think the same path was open to her. “I always...
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