On being a veteran who’s reporting on veterans

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Chad Garland, News21

A veteran salutes during the posting of the colors National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. (Photo by Chad Garland, News21)

If you’ve met one veteran, you’ve met one veteran.

This seemingly simple message was an Army veteran’s refrain to a room full of reporters in Arlington Heights, Ill., May 10.

Erica Borggren, who served in Iraq as an Army officer in 2008, is director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. Reporters had gathered for a seminar about covering post-9/11 veterans, but several acknowledged they didn’t know a single veteran or where to find one.

I was there as a News21 Fellow, but I am also a veteran. Until August 2012, I was one of roughly 76,000 post-9/11 veterans living in Illinois. I never served in Iraq or Afghanistan, but I faced many of the obstacles that war vets face — finding my place in a community, pursuing a career, completing higher education, and navigating the labyrinthine U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

At the University of Illinois, I was often the one veteran whom student reporters knew how to find, probably because of my duties as president of the Student Veterans of America chapter. I fielded calls or emails, but I was disappointed often by the repetitive, “I’d like to talk to a veteran who’s having problems.”

Yes, veterans have problems. I know a guy who got blackout drunk at least once a week to shut out recurring memories of his experiences at war. Another sometimes awakes in the night and forgets whether he’s home or still in Iraq.

I know a Marine who suffers acute bouts of anxiety and smashed his laptop against a wall out of frustration with schoolwork. But he also intervened when several drunks harassed a bus driver. He defused that situation without violence.

Certainly veterans across the spectrum of service experience can use a hand. In my reporting role at News21, I’ll delve into the work done by veteran support organizations and nonprofits to aid these men and women.

Veterans like my fellow Marine defy the stereotypes of damaged individuals. All, though, face varying forms of judgment.

A Navy veteran, married with two young children, earned a degree in engineering physics at one of the top schools in the country. When he was interviewing with potential employers, a recruiter told him not to mention military experience; it was a liability.

Another Marine veteran, orphaned at 6, was raised by his oldest sister on Chicago’s Southside. He went to Illinois to study electrical engineering so he can develop the technology he wished he’d had as an infantryman in Iraq.

I know a dozen more veterans who are responding to the needs in their communities by getting involved in education, politics, social work, medicine, research, law enforcement and several other fields.

I got into journalism in part because I saw the need to tell the overlooked stories of these veterans and others. I didn’t expect I’d become part of the News21 national investigation into problems that veterans face and telling their unique stories, but I can’t imagine a more timely and important topic.

I’m looking to turn my experience into an asset, not a liability. But I’m just one veteran — there are millions of us across the country.

Veteran unemployment rate improves

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Riley Johnson, News21

The unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans fell for the fourth straight month as the May job market showed continued strength, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At 7.3 percent, the unemployment rate for veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 2001 now sits lower than the overall rate, 7.6 percent.

Unemployment among the newest group of veterans dropped slightly from April to May and now stands more than five percentage points lower than the 12.5 percent reported for May 2012. This is the lowest rate for this group of veterans since post-9/11 veteran unemployment stood at 5.6 percent in November 2008, according to BLS data.

Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said the report shows national efforts to reduce post-9/11 veteran unemployment are working.

“Companies throughout the United States are investing in veterans and realizing the incredible returns from that investment,” Rieckhoff said.

Despite some gains, unemployment remains high among 20- to 24-year-old veterans, 17.7 percent. This rate is still more than 4 percentage points higher than exists among the same, non-veteran population, BLS data shows.

Overall, more than 175,000 Americans found jobs last month, and more than 420,000 people started looking for work again.

Walking for their brothers and sisters

Posted on June 7, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Chase Cook, News21

Top from left to right: Ruck Up members and veterans AJ Paige, Nicholas Leone, Don Spencer, Eddie Brown and John Pajak pose for a photo with team member (bottom) Sue Barton, and Miles for Military team member and veteran Angie Guss. They participated in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk in Washington, D.C. to raise money for suicide prevention efforts, which attracted about 1700 walkers and 300 volunteers. (Photo by Chase Cook, News21)

With the flag of the Green Mountain Boys — the Vermont National Guard — tucked into the straps of his backpack, Eddie Brown stands among fellow veterans awaiting their 16-mile walk.

Brown is part of the Ruck Up team, Veterans who have served in Panama, Macedonia, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. They all are in the Out of the Darkness Overnight Walk to remember service members who died by suicide and to support veterans struggling with mental illnesses.

An estimated 22 veterans commit suicide a day, according to a February report by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Three of Brown’s comrades-in-arms have committed suicide since his last deployment three years ago.

Brown and other veterans say that one of the main reasons for suicide is a disconnect between those who fight and those who don’t.

“I hate to put this stereotype out there, but civilians don’t understand us,” Brown said. “We are our own little community, brotherhood.”

The Ruck Up team of five veterans came together for the overnight walk to not only remember the fallen, but to remind non-veterans that a community fought for their country and some now feel abandoned or lost among those they swore to protect. Ruck Up teamed with Miles for Military, which featured family members of servicemen, women and veterans who have committed suicide.

The walk took the two groups throughout downtown Washington, D.C., passing the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument and other historical sites as they completed the 16-mile journey. They began at 7:30 p.m., and crossed the finish line around 4 a.m.

AJ Paige, a Panama and Gulf War veteran, walked for his fellow rangers who committed suicide. Paige thinks the estimated number — 22 veterans committing suicide a day — is higher. Veterans back from deployment are cast into the world without their battalion, their unit, their platoon, Paige said.

“The day you discharge, you are the most lonely person in the world,” he said. “It is like being cut off. It takes a long time for folks to realize they are not alone.”

One of the ways non-veterans and others can help veterans struggling with suicidal thoughts is to listen, those in the group said.

“We are not strange. We are not mutants. We are your brothers, your sons, your sisters, your moms, your dads and we aren’t any different than when we left, but we’re scarred,” Paige said. “If people aren’t willing to deal with that, we are going to continue getting lost.”

If you or a loved one know a military service member or veteran in emotional distress, please call the Veterans Crisis Line at 800-273-8255 (Press 1).

What We’re Reading: Week of June 3

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Chad Garland, News21

This has been an eventful week for the Pentagon, with Senate hearings on increased sexual assaults in the military between 2010 and 2012, the House Armed Services Committee debate over the defense authorization bill, and authorizing spending for certain Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs activities.

What We’re Reading:

Lawmakers include sex assault reforms in 2014 funding bill (Leo Shane III, 6/5, Stars & Stripes) Sexual assault and sequester were among the Pentagon’s biggest headaches on the Hill this week. The House Armed Services Committee debate on the 2014 funding bill ties them together.

Five Ways Congress is Trying to Curb Rape in the Military (Christie Thompson, 6/5, ProPublica) Thompson provides a rundown of key congressional proposals to crackdown on sex crimes in the military.

With graduation, Iraq student veteran transitions to her new life (Kristen Moulton, 5/6, The Salt Lake Tribune) The latest in a series of articles following Jen Carver Comer, a student and Iraq war veteran, as she completes her undergraduate degree at Weber State University in northern Utah.

New anti-party rules for soldiers at Defense Language Institute in Monterey (Amy Larson, 6/4, KSBW Action News 8) Lt. Col. Frank Smith, commander of the U.S. Army’s 229th Military Intelligence Battalion at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, Calif., issued new restrictions on entry-level soldiers in an effort to “mitigate risks historically associated with sexual misconduct.”

The Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (H.R. 2216) The bill, which passed the House Tuesday, authorizes appropriations for certain Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs spending.

“War Zone/Comfort Zone” follows female veterans

Posted on June 6, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Caitlin Cruz, News21

“Who else would preserve their land more than someone who is willing to die for it?”

Filmmaker Lizzie Warren with Connecticut Public Television follows two women who are attempting to begin a transitional housing shelter for female veterans, but it also tells the story of four women adjusting to life after the military.

For a more thorough description of the film:

Though women account for roughly 14 percent of active-duty U.S. military and more than 24 percent of the National Guard, they often receive less than a hero’s welcome upon return to civilian life. Many of these women veterans must deal with poverty, homelessness, joblessness, and psychological and physiological effects of PTSD from military sexual assault and/or combat all within a system that is ill-equipped and, in some cases, unwilling to help. War Zone/Comfort Zone is the personal story of their plight for normalcy and peace without the benefit of a comprehensive support system.

The documentary follows the journey of Shalini Madaras and Joy Kiss in the fight to open the first transitional house for women veterans in the state of Connecticut despite virulent neighborhood opposition. It also tells the story of four women who are coping with life after the military using interviews and footage that provide a surprising look into the lives of these invisible veterans.

The film was nominated for a New England Emmy for Outstanding Documentary.

American Psychiatric Association rejects PTSD name change

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Trahern Jones, News21

The American Psychiatric Association will not change the name of post-traumatic stress disorder in the latest edition of the physicians’ desk reference on mental disorders.

The organization explained its reasoning in a fact sheet released along with the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) in May.

“Certain military leaders, both active and retired, believe the word ‘disorder’ makes many soldiers who are experiencing PTSD symptoms reluctant to ask for help,” according to the fact sheet. “They have urged a change to rename the disorder post-traumatic stress injury, a description that they say is more in line with the language of troops and would reduce stigma.”

An APA task force ultimately ruled against such a change saying that “injury” is too vague for a medical diagnosis.

Moreover, the APA believes that the stigma surrounding PTSD may have little to do with naming conventions.

“Others believe it is the military environment that needs to change, not the name of the disorder, so that mental health care is more accessible and soldiers are encouraged to seek it in a timely fashion,” according to the fact sheet.

The new edition of the DSM also will rearrange the symptoms individuals must experience to be diagnosed as having the disorder. The previous DSM only required three symptom clusters to be identified. The latest edition requires four.

APA removed wording regarding the individual’s experience of “intense fear, helplessness or horror,” because it did not have “utility in predicting the onset of PTSD.”

The condition was moved from “anxiety disorders” to a new chapter on “Trauma- and Stress-or-Related Disorders,” according to the fact sheet.

PTSD continues to be defined by an individual’s exposure to trauma, such as by experiencing a traumatic event, witnessing it, or learning that it has occurred to a close family member or friend.

Military Sexual Trauma in more than just the news

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Asha Anchan, News21

At the beginning of May the Department of Defense released figures estimating 26,000 cases of unwanted sexual contact that occurred in 2012, a 35 percent jump from 2010. These cases range from inappropriate contact to rape.

But military sexual trauma is showing up in more than multi-page reports. It’s been the content of documentaries, books and even a TV show mini-series that exposes the humans behind the numbers appearing in the reports.

Men and women who experienced sexual trauma are stepping forward, sharing their stories and getting in front of the camera for the first time. These stories are not new, explain many of the victims, they just haven’t been brought to light in this fashion.

The documentaries “Uniform Betrayal,” “Service: When Women Come Marching Home” and “The Invisible War” were released in 2011 and 2012 and depict men and women who have experienced sexual assault. “The Invisible War” was a 2013 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature and garnered a lot attention about military sexual trauma.

Last August, WIGS, a YouTube channel, created a TV show depicting a woman’s battle with military sexual assault. The show, “Lauren,” introduces characters to a fictional character that navigates through her rape in the military. It comes across as a dramatization of real stories and breathes life into the numbers in the headlines.

These forms of media attention are connecting faces to facts as an alternative to official reports. What will be the result of this story telling method? That’s yet to be determined.

Post-9/11 veteran writes names of more than 2,000 fallen soldiers from memory

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Anthony Cave, News21

Ron White writes out a name of a fallen soldier from the Afghanistan war on a 50-foot memorial wall at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on May 27, 2013. (Photo by Anthony Cave, News21)

Navy veteran Ron White can remember 7,000 consecutive words. But he still forgets everyday items, like the blender to make his morning protein shake.

“I have a very average memory, but when I use this system, it’s extraordinary,” he said.

White, a memory expert, took a seminar when he was 18 years old. For more than 22 years, he has used the loci technique, which associates names with everyday objects and locations — his stove or the inside of a bookstore — to remember large quantities of information. White teaches a memory class and even has a set of instructional CDs.

Beyond using it on school exams or to win memory competitions, he took on a far greater challenge in May 2012.

White, who served in Afghanistan in 2007, started memorizing every fallen soldier from the Afghanistan war, more than 2,200 names.

White traveled across the globe, from Africa to Boston, with a black folder that contained pages of the fallen soldiers to memorize.

“I kind of feel like I’m taking these guys with me,” he said.

At Chase Field in Phoenix on Memorial Day, White wrote the names, one-by-one, on a blank, 50-foot memorial wall. It took him 10 hours. White’s purpose is for people to remember the soldiers. His efforts help raise funds for the Wounded Warrior Project.

Still, emotions run high when writing the names. Sometimes, family members stand and watch him.

Post-9/11 veteran Ron White wrote out more than 2200 names of fallen soldiers from the Afghanistan war on Memorial Day at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona on May 27, 2013. (Photo by Anthony Cave, News21)

“When you’re getting ready to write their name and they’ve waited an hour to see you write their son or daughter’s name, the emotions well up,” White said. “I just got to remind myself ‘stay focused on this moment.’”

Grandfather, grandson bond in service to troops

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Asha Anchan, News21

Connor Love stands by the graveside of Army Cpl. Jeremiah W. Robinson in Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park in Mesa, Ariz. Love frequents the memorial garden to honor fallen soldiers and make sure Robinson’s gravesite is kept clean. (Photo by Asha Anchan, News21)

Howard Love calls his 9-year-old grandson the most patriotic youngster he knows. Connor Love, wearing his Army hat and camo Vans, just listens.

Five years ago, he and his grandpa were sipping their weekly coffee at Starbucks – Connor takes his with milk and a few drops of coffee – when the boy pointed across the street and asked his grandfather what the flags and flowers meant.

He took Connor to Mariposa Gardens Memorial Park in Mesa, Ariz., where the two happened upon the grave of Army Cpl. Jeremiah W. Robinson, a Mesa native who was killed by an improvised explosive device in late 2005.

Connor noticed that the gravesite wasn’t very well kept. He didn’t know Robinson, but he straightened the flag and cleaned the graveside bench.

Now Connor is a regular at Mariposa Gardens; nearly every Saturday he says, “Let’s go check his flag.”

Howard Love proudly talks about his 9-year-old grandson’s patriotism. The two of them send care packages to the troops every two weeks. (Photo by Asha Anchan, News21)

He and his grandfather do good deeds to honor the men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Howard Love supports 11 troops in Iraqi and Afghan combat zones by sending bi-weekly packages that include items such as socks and snacks.

Last year Love spent $13,000 collecting items and shipping them to the troops. It’s an investment, he said, and he’s proud of his grandson for being so invested as well.

Love calls Connor an “old soul” – quiet, collected and mature for his age.

Sometimes when they’re in the car and the words Iraq or Afghanistan make it into a newscast, Connor pipes in, “Did we lose anyone?”

“People don’t really think he understands what he’s doing, but I think he understands more than people give him credit for,” Love said. “He knows there’s a war, and he knows there’s guys that go and don’t come back.”

Native Americans honor Memorial Day

Posted on May 30, 2013 by Rachel Leingang

By Bonnie Campo, News21

The Memorial Day homage paid by Native Americans gave honor and appreciation a distinctly different sound.

Thunder Springs, the Hopi drum group comprising Lamar Barehand, Lamon Barehand, Budge Mahle and Nate Barehand offer their tribute to Native American veterans in a Memorial Day event at the Heard Museum in Phoenix.

Native American veterans honor Memorial Day from News21 on Vimeo.

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