New York Times
By LIZETTE ALVAREZ | November 17, 2008

Photo by Chip Litherland for The New York Times

After a mortar sent Andrew Spurlock hurtling off a roof in Iraq, ending his Army career in 2006, the seasoned infantryman set aside bitterness over his back injury and began to chart his life in storybook fashion: a new house, a job as a police officer and more children.

“We had a budget and a plan,” said Mr. Spurlock, 29, a father of three, who with his wife, Michelle, hoped to avoid the pitfalls of his transition from Ramadi, Iraq, to Apopka, Fla.

But the move proved treacherous, as it often does for veterans. The job with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office fell through after officials there told Mr. Spurlock that he needed to “decompress” after two combat tours, a judgment that took him by surprise. Scrambling, he settled for a job delivering pizzas.

Mr. Spurlock’s disability claim for his back injury took 18 months to process, a year longer than expected. With little choice, the couple began putting mortgage payments on credit cards. The family debt climbed to $60,000, a chunk of it for medical bills, including for his wife and child. Foreclosure seemed certain.

While few Americans are sheltered from the jolt of the recent economic crisis, the nation’s newest veterans, particularly the wounded, are being hit especially hard. The triple-whammy of injury, unemployment and waiting for disability claims to be processed has forced many veterans into foreclosure, or sent them teetering on its edge, according to veterans’ organizations.

The problem is hard to quantify because there are no foreclosure statistics singling out veterans and service members. Congress recently asked the Veterans Affairs Department to find out how badly veterans were being affected, particularly by foreclosures. The Army, too, began tracking requests for help on foreclosure issues for the first time. Service organizations report that requests for help from military personnel and new veterans, especially those who were wounded, mentally or physically, and are struggling to keep their houses and pay their bills, has jumped sharply.

“The demand curve has gone almost straight up this year,” said Bill Nelson, executive director for USA Cares, a nonprofit group that provides financial help to members of the military and to veterans. Housing, Mr. Nelson said, “is the biggest driver in the last 12 months.”

Congress has recently taken small steps to help, banning lenders from foreclosing on military personnel for nine months after their return from overseas, up from three months, and ensuring that interest rates on their loans remain stable for a year. Another relief bill to prevent certain injured veterans from losing their homes while they wait for their disability money was signed into law in October. The protection is good for one year.

“We owe these men and women more than a pat on the back,” said Senator John Kerry, Democrat of Massachusetts, who introduced one of the bills.

But the short-term measures do little to address the underlying economic difficulties that new veterans face, beginning with the job hunt. Veterans, particularly those in their 20s, have faced higher unemployment rates in recent years than those who never served in the military, though the gap has shrunk as the economy has worsened. (Veterans traditionally have lower unemployment rates than nonveterans.)

Recently discharged veterans, though, fared worst of all. A 2007 survey for the Veterans Affairs Department of 1,941 combat veterans who left the military mostly in 2005 showed nearly 18 percent were unemployed as of last year. The average national jobless rate in October was 6.5 percent.

A quarter of those who found jobs failed to make a living wage, earning less than $21,840 a year.

“You fill out a job application and you can’t write ‘long-range reconnaissance and sniper skills,’ ” said Mr. Spurlock, who searched a year for a better-paying job than delivering pizza, finally finding one as a construction supervisor.

The situation is especially troubling for the injured, whose financial problems begin almost immediately.

“The wife drops everything to be by his bedside,” said Meredith Leyva, founder of Operation Homefront, a nonprofit group that provides emergency money and aid to 33,000 military families a year, including the Spurlocks. “She stays at the nearest hotel to make sure he is alive. They live that way for months. She either has to quit her job or she is fired. This bankrupts people.”

Some injured veterans cannot work at all and must rely on disability checks and other government payouts. The wait for a disability check from the Veterans Affairs Department averaged six months in August, enough to financially crush some families.

Those who can work struggle to find employers willing to accommodate their injuries, including mental health problems. The Labor Department recently started a Web site, America’s Heroes at Work, that prods employers into hiring more wounded veterans and explains that post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury are manageable conditions and not necessarily long-term.

Some believe that the government has to do more.

“There have to be incentives for employers,” said Thomas L. Wilkerson, a retired Marine Corps general who is chief executive of the Naval Institute, an independent nonprofit group.

Active duty troops who switch installations also find themselves struggling. Many of those forced to sell their homes this year are finding a scarcity of buyers, or even renters, particularly in states hit hard by the mortgage crisis. Military spouses must choose between taking a loss on their homes or riding out the housing slowdown and facing another separation from their loved one.

Although the government offers safeguards for some federal employees in similar circumstances, it will not help service members make up the difference if they are forced to sell a home at a loss.

What is worse, foreclosure or excessive debt can damage a service member’s career by leading to discharge, the loss of security clearances or, in extreme cases, jail.

A 2007 California task force reported that in the Navy, the number of security clearances revoked because of debt increased to 1,999 in 2005, from 124 in 2000.

“It’s the crash in the market,” said Joe Gladden, managing partner of Veteran Realty Service America’s Military, who sees families in extremis out of Northern Virginia. “It’s not that they have made stupid decisions.”

Mr. Gladden said e-mail messages and phone calls to his office had become so routine that he encouraged military families to share their stories anonymously on his company Web site, vrsam.com.

“I am about sick over this situation,” one woman wrote. “Our two young boys have to go without seeing Daddy until we can sell our house. Not only that, but we face the possibility of Daddy deploying to Iraq again. Shouldn’t we be able to spend as much time together until that happens?”

For the Hatchers, the financial decline began after Roger, a Navy reservist and father of four, returned from his first tour of duty in Iraq. When he got back to Ventura, Calif., in 2004, his job as a groundskeeper for a school district was gone. He was offered a custodial job for less pay. Mr. Hatcher decided to find another job. He looked for several months, then was redeployed to Iraq. By then, the family had moved to Bakersfield, to a cheaper house near relatives.

His second tour was tougher. Iraq had grown more violent, and in late 2006, Mr. Hatcher was blown out of a Humvee after it hit a roadside bomb. The blast injured his shoulder, arm and neck. Back home, Mr. Hatcher, 49, fell prey to nightmares and rages. He drank heavily, said Tami, his wife of two decades. The pain in his shoulder never let up.

It took Mr. Hatcher eight months to find a job, and the family fell behind on their house payments. A disability claim filed in 2007 was still pending in August, Mrs. Hatcher said.

Mr. Hatcher wound up hospitalized for post-traumatic stress disorder three times. “We noticed there was a change after the first tour, but not as drastic as this time,” Mrs. Hatcher said. “The person comes back a different person, and then you have financial issues on top of it.”

His new employer, a construction company, welcomed him back after each medical absence. Still, weeks off the job meant weeks without pay.

Meanwhile, the mortgage company ratcheted up the pressure. Feeling cornered, the Hatchers signed a forbearance agreement, which significantly increased their monthly payment. “They knew about my husband’s situation,” Mrs. Hatcher said of the mortgage company. “They wouldn’t work with us.”

The Hatchers borrowed from friends and relatives but still came up short. Then two nonprofit groups stepped in to help. One of them, Operation Homefront, negotiated with the lender to keep them in their house.

Mrs. Hatcher, a purchasing agent, tried her best to shield her husband from their financial troubles. “It’s putting a big strain on me,” she admitted. “But only one of us can lose it at a time right now, and it’s his turn.”

The Spurlocks, back in Florida, were not so lucky. Operation Homefront managed to stop foreclosure proceedings, but the couple had to agree to a deed in lieu, turning over their house to the bank. Their debt was forgiven.

The family moved into a rental house and whittled down its credit card debt to $26,000.

“It feels impossible right now to pay off our bills,” said Michelle Spurlock, 28, her voice breaking. “I had to get my mom to bring diapers over. We couldn’t go grocery shopping. As soon as we turn a corner, it’s something else.”

LIMITED SPACE - MAKE YOUR RESERVATION TODAY!!

Please join American Pain Foundation on Friday, November 21st at 8:00 pm ET in APF’s PainAid Chat Room for this Live Chat with Derek McGinnis, the American Pain Foundation’s Amputee Advocate. They will be discussing the importance of exercise as part of a pain care plan.

Derek is an Iraq War Veteran who served in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman for 11 years. After being involved in an IED explosion in Fallujah, Iraq and losing his leg above the knee, Derek focused on physical exercise and triathlon training to help him cope with the mental and physical stress associated with pain during his recovery. Please join APF and be inspired by Derek’s story to involve exercise in your pain care plan.

There is limited space for this chat, so please go to Military/Veteran Section of PainAid ASAP for reservation instructions. If you do not already have a login name and password for PainAid, please click here first to register for access to PainAid. If you have previously registered with PainAid and have forgotten your password, click here. If you have difficulty accessing PainAid or have any questions, please email Chats@painfoundation.org for assistance.

For more information on American Pain Foundation, visit www.americanpainfoundation.org.

The impacts of war-related trauma don’t reside solely in the Soldier, Marine, Sailor, Airman or woman. Because humans are wired to connect, the ripples radiate out and affect many, in particular those close to the veteran: including his or her spouse, children, siblings, parents, marital relationship, extended family, and significant others. In this training, two experts on the dynamics of post traumatic stress in military families and their treatment will provide a clear review that will help us understand and treat the impacts on couples and families of PTSD. Join us live in person or online in real time for this highly relevant, interactive conference.

Email us your questions - contact@cominghomeproject.net - before the conference [during may also be possible].

Viewing options:
* In Person UCSF/Mount Zion [NO REGISTRATION NECESSARY]
* Watch live online www.uctv.tv/watch or on Dish Network channel 9412.

Part of “Treating the Invisible Wounds of War: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, Families and Care Providers” series, a collaboration among the Coming Home Project, UCSF, and UCTV.

Log on to www.InTheirBoots.com on Wednesday, November 19th at 7pm EST/4pm PST to watch the latest webcast of IN THEIR BOOTS. This 30-minute show profiles the challenges American service members and their families face before, during and after deployment. This show is not about war but the people experiencing it.

This week, we will show “Angie’s Story,” an episode about an Army Sergeant who was raped by a fellow soldier while deployed in South Korea, and then took that trauma with her to Iraq. While deployed, she led her unit courageously, but silently struggled until she couldn’t stay quiet any longer. Out of Iraq and back at home, Angie decides to take control of her PTSD— a result of both her military sexual trauma and combat stress— and enters a treatment program with Long Beach, California-based U.S. Vets specifically designed for female veterans dealing with these issues. Slowly, Angie begins to put her life back together.

You can watch the trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDnwJ-lb0oY
And the following clips:
“Art Therapy”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcyIHGJIztE
“The Laughing Yogi”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ957dGrb9s
“Prayers”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IU0MlzoPJs

After the “real story,” our host, Jan Bender, will speak with Angie along with an expert on the issue of military sexual trauma.

IN THEIR BOOTS would love to hear from you! Please send your questions before the show airs, and our host, Jan Bender, will incorporate your question into the webcast. Audience participation is critical to this show. We want to hear your thoughts and questions. Next week, we will show part two of, “When He Came Home”. Richard Massimino, the husband who is featured in the episode, will join the discussion. If you have a question related to this topic, please send it to questions@intheirboots.com.

Don’t miss this exciting series.

***********

To receive reminder emails about the series, log on to www.InTheirBoots.com and enter your email address in the upper right corner of the page.

More about In Their Boots…

Produced by Brave New Foundation, IN THEIR BOOTS is streamed exclusively online.

IN THEIR BOOTS is hosted by Jan Bender, a veteran of the war in Iraq who served as a rifleman/combat correspondent in Iraq with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines from 2004 to 2005.

Every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET a live episode is built around a dramatic and emotional IN THEIR BOOTS “Real Story,” a non-fiction narrative about how our servicepeople, their families, and their communities have been profoundly changed by the nation’s campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then, in a live forum, Jan Bender, our host, interviews the participants and leads a discussion that includes experts, service-providers and individual viewers in an interactive discussion of the issues raised.

Contact:
Dru Anne Neil
717-338-1243
dneil@gettysburgfoundation.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gettysburg, PA (November 12, 2008)—Visitors to Gettysburg National Military Park now have the opportunity to send messages to members of the United States Armed Forces, thanks to a partnership between the Gettysburg Foundation, Lockheed Martin and Operation Homefront.

Visitors to the Museum and Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Military Park are encouraged to write their messages to the troops on special Operation Homefront postcards. The Foundation will forward completed postcards to Operation Homefront, which will forward the postcards to service members.

Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization that provides emergency assistance and morale to American troops, to the families they leave behind and to wounded warriors when they return home.

“Gettysburg is a place where millions of people come to reflect on a turning point in American history,” said Robert C. Wilburn, president of the Gettysburg Foundation. “At the same time, we want visitors to reflect on what is going on in the world today. We think Gettysburg is the perfect place from which to send messages to the brave men and women serving in the armed forces.”

Lockheed Martin Corporation has a history of working with organizations that support the military men and women who serve this country. With a strong interest in Gettysburg and its legacy, the Gettysburg Foundation is proud to join Lockheed Martin in this partnership to support our troops.
“Lockheed Martin is proud to be partnered with the Gettysburg Foundation and Operation Homefront because it benefits our service members,” said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO. “Visitors to Gettysburg are able to gain an appreciation of the sacrifices that were made for the sake of freedom nearly 150 years ago. Those same types of sacrifices continue and providing Gettysburg visitors an opportunity to say ‘thanks’ to those who make those same sacrifices today for our freedom is a wonderful program. Lockheed Martin is proud to be a part of this endeavor,” said Stevens.

The Gettysburg Foundation is a private, nonprofit educational organization working in partnership with the National Park Service to enhance preservation and understanding of the heritage and lasting significance of Gettysburg. The Foundation operates the Museum and Visitor Center at Gettysburg National Military Park on behalf of the National Park Service. For more information about the Foundation, visit www.gettysburgfoundation.org or call 866-889-1243. For advance tickets, visit the web site or call 877-874-2478.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 12, 2008

WASHINGTON – Continuing education and training for professional caregivers working with bereaved families is important, and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) will launch its first online training series in December with a webinar on assessing the risk of suicide among those who have experienced the death of a loved one.

The one-hour seminar will be offered on Thursday, December 4 at 12pm Eastern Time, 11am Central Time, 10am Mountain Time, and 9am Pacific Time. Advance registration is required through www.taps.org/professionaleducation/.

Offered via a webinar interface with renowned expert Dr. David Jobes, the
goal of the training is to teach professionals how to identify risk factors,
protective factors and warning signs for suicide among the bereaved, as well
as risk assessment and intervention strategies. There will also be a special
focus on the loss of a military service member and unique aspects of
surviving families.

Any professional caregiver providing services to help grieving families is
invited to attend the webinar, which costs $25. Active duty, National Guard
and Reserve military chaplains and casualty assistance officers may attend
the training for free (email name, branch of service, duty station and
contact information to Jill Harrington LaMorie at jill@taps.org).

Certificates of attendance can be provided. The Association of Professional
Chaplains will accept certificates of attendance for reporting continuing
education hours. Application for formal continuing education approval has
been filed with the National Association of Social Workers. Application for
formal nursing continuing education approval has been filed with the
California Board of Registered Nursing. Check with your state licensing
board for professional discipline requirements for continuing education.

Dr. David Jobes, PhD, ABPP, is a professor of psychology and co-director for
clinical training at the Catholic University of America. He is a member of
the American Psychological Association, the American Association of
Suicidology, the International Association for Suicide Prevention, and the
International Academy of Suicide Research. He has published extensively in
suicide prevention and provides professional training in clinical
suicidology.

Jobes is currently a consultant to the Department of Defense, the Department
of Veterans Affairs, and the U.S. Air Force Suicide Prevention Program. He
serves on the Advisory Board for Give an Hour, which partners with TAPS and
provides free mental health services to U.S. military personnel and families
affected by the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 2.4 million people
die each year in the United States. They leave behind bereaved family and
friends to grieve. It’s common for the bereaved to feel grief, sadness,
depression, anger, and guilt. Sleep and appetite problems, difficulty
functioning at normal activities such as work or school, and feelings of
isolation are also common.

Because military deaths may be unexpected, occur away from home, and be
violent, the bereaved family members left behind can experience what is
known among caregiving professionals as “traumatic grief” or “complicated
grief.” It’s not uncommon for family members who’ve lost a loved one serving
in the military to experience intense emotion and longing for the deceased,
depression, extreme feelings of isolation and emptiness, short term memory
loss and difficulty concentrating, “survivor guilt” for not protecting the
loved one, and in some cases, symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and
even suicidal thoughts.

The United States military has lost 4,197 service members in Iraq, and 626
in Afghanistan. For each death, TAPS estimates at least ten people –
parents, spouses, siblings, children, and other relatives – are
significantly impacted. Consequently, more than 48,000 people in the United
States are grieving the loss of someone who served in Operations Iraqi
Freedom and Enduring Freedom.

Since its founding in 1994, TAPS has provided comfort and care to more than
25,000 surviving military family members. TAPS provides ongoing emotional
help, hope, and healing to all who are grieving the death of a loved one in
military service to America, regardless of relationship to the deceased,
geography, or circumstance of the death. TAPS meets its mission by providing
peer-based support, crisis care, casualty casework assistance, and grief and
trauma resources. Services are provided free of charge. For more information
go to www.taps.org or call the toll-free crisis line at 800.959.TAPS.

Media contact: Ami Neiberger-Miller, Public Affairs Officer, TAPS,
202.588.TAPS (8277), ami@taps.org.

###

US Army News | Nov 03, 2008
BY Carrie McLeroy

Mike Conklin is a man on a mission. After one of his three Army Ranger sons was wounded in Iraq in 2003, he committed to do something palpable to help severely wounded servicemen and women. “I thought to myself, I can do more than put a yellow ribbon magnet on my car, and I should.”When Spc. Jake Brown, a friend of Conklin’s middle son, was crushed by an Abrams tank while serving in Germany that same year, Conklin seized his opportunity to take action.

Brown was in a coma initially, and not expected to survive. He endured 26 operations, according to Conklin. “When he came back home, there was really nothing for him, and I kept asking myself, ‘What is our responsibility as a community?’”

Conklin decided to do all he could to help Brown get back on his feet and make a successful transition from military to civilian life. He gathered a group of about 10 community leaders to include a doctor, lawyer, developers, builders and other professionals. “I told them that I wanted to help this member of our community, and I asked them to join me. This went from a one-man operation to a community program in 15 minutes.” The Sentinels of Freedom Foundation was born.

Conklin, who was a developer, builder and real estate broker in Danville, Calif., at the time, said every member of the group was ready to do whatever they could to assist Brown. They combined efforts and assets to provide Brown with rent-free, furnished housing, a vehicle and a job, and helped him begin his post-military education. Brown is currently a successful member of the United Parcel Service team in the California Bay Area, and will soon graduate from the University of California, Hayward.

“We just gave him a chance,” Conklin said. “Ninety-nine percent of the water was carried by Jake Brown.” Although the non-profit organization assists with job placement, it is up to the individual to apply and interview for positions within companies, just as any other job candidate would. They also must have, within themselves, the drive to succeed.

About two months after their initial meeting, Conklin gathered the group again, this time to thank them for their help. During lunch the question was raised, “Why couldn’t we do this again, for someone outside this community?” They all agreed to establish The Sentinels of Freedom as a sustaining, enduring scholarship program.

The Sentinels of Freedom Foundation began as a grassroots effort, “to provide life-changing opportunities for men and women of the U.S. armed forces who have suffered severe service-related injuries and need the support of grateful communities to realize their dreams,” according to Conklin.

It provides four-year, “life scholarships,” to men and women of the armed services whose wounds led to amputation, paraplegia, severe burns, blindness and/or deafness. According to Conklin, applicants must have a 60 percent disability rating from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Participation in the program is a four-year commitment for both the service members and the communities involved.

The foundation maintains a well-defined mission, according to Conklin. “There is no mission creep, and the requirements for participation are very clear,” he said. The organization has set up a Web site, where those interested can learn more about the scholarship, supporting communities and partners, as well as the individual Sentinels. Eligible men and women can also apply for scholarships through the site.

Conklin and his peers began reaching out to other communities and their leaders, and eventually established working relationships with the VA and the Defense Department. “We have asked for professional courtesies to help us place people,” he said. “They have been golden with us and helped us take a proactive stance with each individual.”

Scholarship recipients are called, “Sentinels,” in honor of their sacrifice and commitment to guarding the nation’s freedoms, according to Conklin. “Regardless of political affiliation or their feelings on the wars, communities are realizing the value of these individuals’ service. We have a responsibility to them, and we’re committed to accept that responsibility and provide assistance.”

The foundation’s scope has widened in recent months. There are currently two Sentinels in Arizona, three in Colorado, nine in California, and three others headed to Chicago, Wisconsin and Alabama.

Several corporations have joined Conklin in his endeavor, providing donations, jobs and other assistance, which have enabled the foundation to broaden its reach. Quest, Verizon, Cisco, AT&T, Chevron, Wells Fargo and UPS have all gotten involved.

Jones International University, the first fully online university in the U.S. to be granted regional accreditation, was named the Sentinels of Freedom’s preferred provider of online education in August 2007. According to university representatives, JIU will be, “instrumental in assisting Sentinels in achieving not only their educational goals, but also their life goals.”

In March 2007, REMAX International became one of the first national corporate sponsors, helping to grow the foundation at all levels, to include funding its entire overhead costs and housing its headquarters for more than a year.

According to Ronda Scholting, a REMAX public relations manager, the relationship between the foundation and REMAX is a natural one. “Mike Conklin was a REMAX broker at the time. He asked for a meeting with Dave Liniger, chairman and cofounder of REMAX, to see if there was any interest.”

Scholting said that Liniger, a Vietnam veteran, remembered how veterans during that time were not welcomed home with open arms, and were often forgotten by their communities. “He saw a real need and wanted to help.”

She went on to say that real estate and other professionals who make up support/mentor teams for Sentinels often have an extensive network of contacts within communities. “Most of these individuals aren’t from the communities they are placed in, but they are looking for a fresh start. Instead of going into a community not knowing anyone, they now know a team of people who know everyone.”

Amanda Okker, who works in the communications department at REMAX, said the company is honored to play such a major role, but credits the Sentinels themselves, communities, small businesses and other larger companies with the foundation’s success so far. “REMAX is just one company helping. There are others working just as hard to contribute and make this work.”

Although Conklin said the foundation has been effective due to its grassroots approach, he admitted it would need additional corporate and community investments to continue to thrive.

“We are looking even more into corporate involvement,” Conklin said. “If we can get companies to invest in one man or woman, we will find the right person (to be a Sentinel), and they will succeed.”

The majority of Sentinels of Freedom communities are located in the western part of the country, according to Conklin, who said he hopes that communities in the east will be inspired to help as well.

“If a community wants to get involved, it has to prove it has the assets and resources available and the people in place to sustain scholarships for four years.”

Conklin added it is not only vital that communities have a passion to get involved, but also a team of dedicated professionals in place with a plan to guide a Sentinel placed with them. “We won’t create false hope or make false promises to these men and women.”

There are training opportunities available for teams willing to devote the necessary time and effort, Conklin said. “We can send them training materials, provide advice and in some cases even match (portions of) funds donated by communities. We will work with communities ready to host a Sentinel.”

The foundation hopes communities will welcome another 25 Sentinels in 2008. With continued support, Conklin said he believes the goal is attainable. “We are moving ahead with realistic, measured steps,” he said. “We have succeeded so far, because entire communities have come forward to support our Sentinels.”

Conklin and his compatriots continue to rally support for the Sentinels, and have set their sites not only on corporate America, but the U.S. government as well. “We are beginning to excite interest in Congress, and the governor of California has taken a personal interest in this, and rightfully so.”

The Sentinels in the program are thriving, according to Conklin, because teams of volunteers helped carve niches in their communities for these wounded warriors, allowing them to regain their independence. “We are committed, long term, to helping communities across America support as many of these men and women as possible. One Sentinel, one victory at a time.”

Conference Report.pdf

Nancy Berglass Presentation.pdf