August 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the beginning of the Gulf War, launched with Operation Desert Shield and followed by Operation Desert Storm. VA honors this milestone with a renewed commitment to improving our responsiveness to the challenges facing Gulf War Veterans.
First and foremost, VA is an advocate for Veterans – we are committed to finding innovative solutions to long standing issues and to empowering Veterans and other stakeholders to be a part of the solution.
VA recognizes and values the selfless service and sacrifice of Gulf War Veterans and their families, and continues our efforts to address the unique health needs of Gulf War Veterans.
Today, more than 250,000 Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield Veterans receive disability benefits from VA. VA has treated nearly 150,000 Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield Veterans for illnesses associated with their military service. We vow to reach more of these Veterans and have taken steps to do so. Earlier this year, VA proposed a new rule to make it easier for Gulf War-era Veterans to obtain disability compensation and related health care. This rule, once it takes effect, will grant presumptive service-connection for nine
infectious diseases associated with military service in Southwest Asia and Afghanistan.
In addition, VA’s ongoing Gulf War research and Task Force efforts continue to examine multisymptom illnesses, and other conditions associated with service in this conflict. VA continues to participate in Federal research efforts on Gulf War illnesses, contributing more than $158 million of the $406 million in total Federal commitment.
VA is taking bold steps forward in how we consider and address the challenges facing Gulf War Veterans as well as the challenges facing all Veterans. Our commitment to the Nation’s Veterans is unwavering.
As your Secretary and fellow Veteran, I pay tribute to all of you who so bravely served and thank all Gulf War Veterans for their heroic efforts. Our Nation owes you a debt of gratitude. We acknowledge and honor the contributions of your service. Thank you.
--Eric K. Shinseki
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Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Veterans and loved ones shouldnt have to work so hard for simple things..
I just happened to catch some of 60 Minutes and Dateline NBC tonight. The first featured a wife seeking answers about the crash of a Blackwater plane in Afghanistan. You see her husband, another officer, was killed in that crash. It happened in 2004 after the aircraft took off from Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The terminal had no aircraft tracking equipment and destination, a landing strip in Farah,western
Afghanistan had, well, nothing. It was just a landing strip. The only way they found out the plane crashed was that the soldier waiting for the plane on the landing strip notified his CEO that the plane never showed.
60 Minutes aired a clip of the conversation between the pilot and the mechanic. The pilot said he "hoped" they would make it over the mountains, the tallest mountains in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the pilot took off in the wrong direction. The officer,a passenger in the back, mentioned that the route didn't look familiar. When the pilot realized the plane didn't have the lift to get over the mountains, he tried to do a 180 to turn around and then they crashed. Everyone died. All those people killed by yet again, Blackwater, the infamous company that did questionable things in Iraq. Now they are ferrying our soldiers around Afghanistan with no tracking devices, no communication at the destination sites. I mean , seriously, i have about had enough of this stuff. It is a downright shame that they put our soldiers at risk.
On Dateline,a father was seeking answers about the death of his son in Afghanistan in the Battle of Wanat. The government has been slow to provide answers about his son's death. This is the inspiration for today's blog. I haven't written in awhile due to medical appointments at least 4 days a week. I am dealing with so many chronic illnesses on my own. These two stories moved me to write again.
It ought to be a crime for government officials who are slow to provide answers when loved ones die in service to their country. These men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice and their loved ones have the right to ask questions and get answers so they can have some type of closure, if that is even really possible in these cases.
Government officials, like VA employees, really don't want to do any real work to help veterans and soldiers that need alot back from their government. Two weeks ago at the VA, i needed my phone number changed. It's a simple thing to change a phone number. However, the ordeal i went through just to get a phone number changed was ridiculous.
I was told to go to elibility desk number 3. Well, i went there and the sign said they were out to lunch. I went over to the counter where the woman admits you to the emergency room and she was busy. I waited and waited. Another woman at the desk was just passing the time,actually wasting time. So the woman on the right passed me over to the woman killing time. She told me to go to transportation. I went to transportation and the clerk said she was too busy to change the number right then. I went to my primary care team and waited and waited until someone asked me if i need help. I said i had just gotten a big run around and that my cell phone number was wrong in the computer. That took at least an hour going around and around for a phone number change. Can you imagine what happens when someone is asking for information or details about the way their son, husband, daughter, father, mother, sister, brother, husband, wife died in Iraq or Afghanistan or Djbouti or Pakistan?
I mean, seriously, do you see my point? This is all, in one word, shameful.
Shame on you , DOD,VA,Blackwater. I don't even know why Blackwater is still working for the US Government. Like i said, all of it, is downright shameful.
Afghanistan had, well, nothing. It was just a landing strip. The only way they found out the plane crashed was that the soldier waiting for the plane on the landing strip notified his CEO that the plane never showed.
60 Minutes aired a clip of the conversation between the pilot and the mechanic. The pilot said he "hoped" they would make it over the mountains, the tallest mountains in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, the pilot took off in the wrong direction. The officer,a passenger in the back, mentioned that the route didn't look familiar. When the pilot realized the plane didn't have the lift to get over the mountains, he tried to do a 180 to turn around and then they crashed. Everyone died. All those people killed by yet again, Blackwater, the infamous company that did questionable things in Iraq. Now they are ferrying our soldiers around Afghanistan with no tracking devices, no communication at the destination sites. I mean , seriously, i have about had enough of this stuff. It is a downright shame that they put our soldiers at risk.
On Dateline,a father was seeking answers about the death of his son in Afghanistan in the Battle of Wanat. The government has been slow to provide answers about his son's death. This is the inspiration for today's blog. I haven't written in awhile due to medical appointments at least 4 days a week. I am dealing with so many chronic illnesses on my own. These two stories moved me to write again.
It ought to be a crime for government officials who are slow to provide answers when loved ones die in service to their country. These men and women have made the ultimate sacrifice and their loved ones have the right to ask questions and get answers so they can have some type of closure, if that is even really possible in these cases.
Government officials, like VA employees, really don't want to do any real work to help veterans and soldiers that need alot back from their government. Two weeks ago at the VA, i needed my phone number changed. It's a simple thing to change a phone number. However, the ordeal i went through just to get a phone number changed was ridiculous.
I was told to go to elibility desk number 3. Well, i went there and the sign said they were out to lunch. I went over to the counter where the woman admits you to the emergency room and she was busy. I waited and waited. Another woman at the desk was just passing the time,actually wasting time. So the woman on the right passed me over to the woman killing time. She told me to go to transportation. I went to transportation and the clerk said she was too busy to change the number right then. I went to my primary care team and waited and waited until someone asked me if i need help. I said i had just gotten a big run around and that my cell phone number was wrong in the computer. That took at least an hour going around and around for a phone number change. Can you imagine what happens when someone is asking for information or details about the way their son, husband, daughter, father, mother, sister, brother, husband, wife died in Iraq or Afghanistan or Djbouti or Pakistan?
I mean, seriously, do you see my point? This is all, in one word, shameful.
Shame on you , DOD,VA,Blackwater. I don't even know why Blackwater is still working for the US Government. Like i said, all of it, is downright shameful.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Lost posts
Just to let everyone know, 3 years of posts were lost when Google or Blogger did something to their site last month. I am so sorry about that. I will be blogging more soon. Thanks for your patience.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Hope for Desert Storm veterans this Christmas
As 2009 comes to a close and we celebrate the holidays with friends and loved ones, let' not forget the troops overseas and the veterans in nursing homes and those who have no homes. This message,tonight, is for sick Desert Storm veterans who have been suffering for 18 years, almost 19 years. This is to let you know that there is finally some hope for sick Desert Storm veterans.
Dr. Nancy Klimas, an expert on neuroendocrineimmune disorders has been studying Gulf war illnesses for quite some time. You can ask your primary care provider for a consult with her in Miami. Now that the XMRV virus has been identified, at least one part of the puzzle, chronic fatigue,can be verified. It wasn't all "in our heads."
Dr. Klimas is an angel of hope for veterans like myself. I have no doubt i will get some of the help i have been waiting for all these years, help and validation. For the first time in 18 years, i can say i feel hope for myself and all the other sick Desert Storm veterans, many who gave up hope for help years ago.
There's another angel providing hope for sick Desert Storm veterans and those ill with chronic fatigue and her name is Marly Silverman, the founder of PANDORA. She works tirelessly travelling the country to crusade for monies for research. She is a tireless advocate, a strong light at the end of the tunnel.
These two angels are a blessing to many and tonight on Christmas eve, i pray for them and all of the other sick veterans that 2010 will be a year that brings us healing,hope,and help.
God Bless all veterans and especially those sick for 18 years, waiting and waiting.
Merry Christmas!
Dr. Nancy Klimas, an expert on neuroendocrineimmune disorders has been studying Gulf war illnesses for quite some time. You can ask your primary care provider for a consult with her in Miami. Now that the XMRV virus has been identified, at least one part of the puzzle, chronic fatigue,can be verified. It wasn't all "in our heads."
Dr. Klimas is an angel of hope for veterans like myself. I have no doubt i will get some of the help i have been waiting for all these years, help and validation. For the first time in 18 years, i can say i feel hope for myself and all the other sick Desert Storm veterans, many who gave up hope for help years ago.
There's another angel providing hope for sick Desert Storm veterans and those ill with chronic fatigue and her name is Marly Silverman, the founder of PANDORA. She works tirelessly travelling the country to crusade for monies for research. She is a tireless advocate, a strong light at the end of the tunnel.
These two angels are a blessing to many and tonight on Christmas eve, i pray for them and all of the other sick veterans that 2010 will be a year that brings us healing,hope,and help.
God Bless all veterans and especially those sick for 18 years, waiting and waiting.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Good bye 2004, the worst year i ever had
i thought i would write this blog and if it encourages one person to keep going forward then i have succeeded. My mom went into the hospital March 5, 2004 and she had her right leg amputated. She was getting better until she was found in her room one morning in respiratory distress , she was near death but she fought back. She was a true fighter. Then she got gangrene in her left foot and they cut part of it off. She was always in good spirits. they said again she would die so they sent her to a nursing home to die at age 64 with gangrene. When she got there the doctor said it was inhumane for some one to be in that much pain and sent her to a different hospital and they strived to get her stronger so she could have her left leg cut off. She survived that and was in great spirits and on the rebound until one morning a nurse was giving her an Iv and gave her too much fluids and she drowned in her own fluids in her lungs and she was gone just like that, my best friend in the world, my rock , my supporter.
I am disabled myself from the 1st Gulf war. i went there healthy with no medical conditions , no preescriptions except for birth control-LOL. i got sick in Saudi Arabia and it was downhill ever since. You name it , i have it and its all from environmental contaminants, 20 vaccines, you name it. Its a challenge to keep going but whatever happens to set me back, i keep striving forward. and thats what you have to do if you are reading this looking for some reason to keep going.
More tomorrow,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,stay tuned.
I am disabled myself from the 1st Gulf war. i went there healthy with no medical conditions , no preescriptions except for birth control-LOL. i got sick in Saudi Arabia and it was downhill ever since. You name it , i have it and its all from environmental contaminants, 20 vaccines, you name it. Its a challenge to keep going but whatever happens to set me back, i keep striving forward. and thats what you have to do if you are reading this looking for some reason to keep going.
More tomorrow,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,stay tuned.
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