U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs CWV - News Update

Recently, the VA hosted two Arts and Humanities Conferences creating forums for VA staff, Veterans, and community partners to come together to expand opportunities for Veterans and their family members to participate in Arts and Humanities Programs across the country.  The VA Arts and Humanities Conferences were designed to demonstrate the linkage between creative arts and one of the VA’s top priorities and the Whole Health transformation which supports Veterans in achieving their best health and well-being.

In most European countries, women in the armed forces are volunteers.  Not so in Norway.  It extended compulsory military service to women in summer 2016.  Now more and more women are found on bases in the country. [From Deutsche Welle]

Post traumatic stress made life very difficult for U.S. Army Veteran Ginger MacCutcheon.  Life became a bit less difficult when a small, paralyzed Chihuahua named Sadie and the Department of Veterans Affairs came into her life.  Before finding the wheelchair-using, tiny Sadie in a shelter, the 59-year-old Veteran said she traveled a long and lonely road. [From NorthJersey.com]

The Atlanta Red Cross Tiffany Circle partnered with the Atlanta VA Medical Center’s Women Veterans Health Committee to host a baby shower for more than 60 expecting women veterans from the metro Atlanta area.  According to the Women’s Wellness Program Manager Tasha Felton Williams, “Atlanta has one of the largest military populations in the United States, ranking 5th, and is also home to the largest number of pregnant Veterans.” [From WGCL-TV Atlanta]

Lt. Col. Megan A. Brogden was handed a flag today that was full of symbolism.  It marked her new position as a battalion commander and all the responsibilities associated with that job.  It marked the pinnacle of her U.S. Army career so far.  And it marked a milestone in the continued diversification of Army special operations.  Brogden, who assumed command of the Group Support Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, is the first woman to assume command of a battalion within any of the Army’s seven Special Forces groups. [From The Fayetteville Observer]

The Frontline Generation: How we Served Post 9/11 – Policy makers have already begun to refer to post 9/11 service members as the generation who fights the Global War on Terror, or GWOT. More recently, those outside of the military are getting to know post 9/11 service members on HBO as Generation Kill, a microburst perspective seen through the eyes of a journalist.  Going on sixteen years into this war, there hasn’t been a distinct name given for those who said, ‘count me in.’ Not until now.  Veteran and author Marjorie K. Eastman presents a compelling argument that how her generation served should define them—not who or what we they fought against. [From The Huffington Post]

The Amarillo VA is working actively to make sure all Veterans are getting the care they need.  Today, they hosted a pride event and resource fair for those in the LGBT community.  LGBT Veteran’s Care Coordinator, Rosalinda Heider says they want to connect with all Veterans.  “We are just trying to reach out to our LGBT Veterans in the community to let them know that the VA is recognizing them, we are proud to serve them and that they are welcome,” said Heider. [From My High Plains]

The federal government estimates that on any given night, 3,000 to 4,000 female Veterans are homeless.  But that estimate is probably on the low side, according to Sara Scoco, who directs the Women’s Program of the nonprofit group Soldier On.  “When people are doing homeless counts, they’re going to shelters, they’re seeing people on the street,” Scoco said.  “A female Veteran is not the person you see on the street holding a sign.” [From WUSF News]

The Center for Women Veterans recognizes Pride Month.  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Veterans face increased health risks and unique challenges in accessing quality healthcare.  The VA strives to be a national leader in the provision of health care to LGBT Veterans and assure that care is provided in a sensitive, safe environment at VA health facilities nationwide.  Learn more about the patient care services for LGBT Veterans at VA.

Colon cancer is one of the most common diagnoses among both men and women in the United States.  Approximately 4,000 Veterans are diagnosed with colon cancer each year.  The American Cancer Society estimates in 2017 there will be 135,430 new cases of colon and rectal cancer in men and women, resulting in 50,260 deaths.  This number exceeds the total number of American combat deaths during the Vietnam War.  But it doesn't have to be.  When colon cancer is found, and removed early, the chances of a full recovery are very good. [From VAntage Point]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Navy World War II Veteran Helen Theresa Anderson Glass.  During World War II, Helen served with the women’s branch of the Naval Reserve, known as the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, or WAVES. [From VAntage Point]

Local artist and U.S. Navy Veteran Laura Taylor joined the show to talk about a piece that was selected for the traveling Veterans Art Exhibit.  She also shared insight to her career in the service as a F-14 and F-18 Jet Mechanic and Plane Captain. [From News Talk 1150 WHBY and 103.5 FM]

Carolyn Furdek is a former Army officer who recently published a book that describes her decade long journey as she fights a lingering battle with mental illness over the course of a decade that leaves the medical community and her family struggling for answers.  In this raw and powerful podcast we discuss her battle, and also the ways in which she’s trying to change the system from the inside to help America better handle treatment of mental health. [From Team RWB]

Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Army Veteran Josephine Taylor.  Josephine served during the Persian Gulf War.  Josephine joined the Army through ROTC and was commissioned as a second lieutenant.  During an interview with the Veteran’s History Project, she said she liked the confidence basic training instilled in her and the way it challenged her in new ways.  She served in Ohio, and was later sent to Saudi Arabia with the 762nd Transportation Company. [From VAntage Point]

When I was a Marine, I remember being told I should never walk around our base in Iraq alone.  Would you believe that it didn’t even seem strange at the time?  Today, I’m a public health researcher.  I try to figure out how to make the process of transitioning from solider to civilian easier for military women.  It is a job I care about deeply because I personally recognize the health issues that come along with transition struggles.  I believe that the biggest barrier to making it less of a struggle is that women veterans are invisible.

Kirstie Ennis is tired of fame.  Her story has been written about in popular titles like Cosmo and People, and in countless newspapers and magazines around the world.  That can happen when you are a female Marine amputee who told Prince Harry to “suck it up.”  Read the full story » [From PTSD Journal]

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is seeking nominees to be considered for membership on the Advisory Committee on Women Veterans (Committee) for the 2017 membership cycle.  The Committee is authorized by 38 U.S.C. 542 (Statute), to provide advice to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (Secretary) on: The administration of VA’s benefits and services (health care, rehabilitation benefits, compensation, outreach, and other relevant programs) for women Veterans; reports and studies pertaining to women Veterans; and the needs of women Veterans.  In accordance with the Statute and the Committee’s current charter, the majority of the membership shall consist of non-Federal employees appointed by the Secretary from the general public, serving as special government employees.  Nominations for membership on the Committee must be received by June 30, 2017, no later than 4:00 p.m., eastern standard time. [From The Federal Register]

The Veterans Legacy Program is offering a new way for Americans connect with their history.  Through the program, VA’s National Cemetery Administration is forging partnerships with academic institutions to engage students and professors alike in discovering the stories of service and sacrifice found in VA’s national cemeteries.  Dr. Amelia Lyons is leading the University of Central Florida’s team researching these stories.  her students are researching Florida Veterans who fought in World War I and are interred at Florida National Cemetery.  Along with Lyosn, Dr. Barbara Gannon and four colleagues are teaching research skills that will help UCF students learn more about Florida history through its Veterans. [From VAntage Point]

The newest episode of VA’s The American Veteran features stories about:  a disabled Navy Veteran who learned to ski at the age of 63; how one Veteran used the GI Bill and other VA’s services to turn his life around; an Army Veteran’s reflection on the Battle of Khe Sanh – a battle for which he received the Medal of Honor; and the Veterans Legacy Program, a project by VA’s National Cemetery Administration to remember and honor those buried in our national cemeteries. [From VAntage Point]

A new study of Veterans reveals how gender may influence the link between military exposure and post-deployment well-being.  The findings suggest that men and women may experience and react differently to deployment stress.  While previous research has shown an association between the development of mental health issues, particularly PTSD, and decreased functioning and satisfaction with family and work for Veterans, most studies have not considered gender as a variable nor the role of particular deployment stressors. [From PsychCentral]

Theresa Piasta ’06 spent four years in the U.S. Army, then headed to Wall Street, trading one high-stress job for another.  After years of struggling with the severe physical and psychological signs of what was eventually diagnosed as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), she turned her attention to her health.  Her healing process included time spent with her dog, Waffles, whom she calls “a 13-pound ball of furry puppy happiness,” and their relationship inspired a passion project that has grown into a tech start-up and lifestyle brand. [From Wellesley College]