A Soldier's Christmas

The holidays are upon us once again, and though I will be in a warm house enjoying the days with family and friends, I take a moment to step back in time. I recall the days serving in the military when I couldn't make it home for the holidays and I couldn't be with the family and friends I began my life with for the first 18 years. Though my friends I served with became my new family, my second family who I would celebrate the holidays with when I couldn't come back home to New York.

Every holiday season I seem to have a flash back at sometime, a flash back of celebrating the holiday's with my friends who I served with and with my Friends who became my second family to me. I could remember having to work and perform my entry control duties on gate 4 on Arctic Warrior dr. (just up the road from our favorite Ski and Benny pizza) on Elmendorf AFB, and how other military members coming onto base would constantly drop off trays of food for us while we worked. I remember how us younger Airman would volunteer to work Christmas eve and day, so the older NCO's could spend the holidays with their kids and so we could have New Year's Eve off to party.

Though today and the the years past since I have been home, I come to realize that so many families will be without a loved one, because he or she is serving far away oversees. A spouse may be home alone, children may wonder when dad or mom that is deployed will be back to help put up the tree or to unwrap gifts with them Christmas morning and a soldier will be going on through the day like a normal work day missing his family back home. I can't complain what I have, it would be completely selfish for me to whine about something this holidays season, so I want to put the word out there to everyone who may read this. Just for a moment, forget about yourself and just think about what others may be going through this holiday season who not only are serving in the military, but all those people out there who make good in this world, yet who continue to struggle to get by.

Merry Christmas to all out there, to the men and women of the Armed Forces, to the soldier's who are oversees, to their families back home waiting for their return and to all the good people out there through out the world who are struggling to get by.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

-Steve

I leave you now with "A Soldier's Christmas Poem"

Take a Veteran to School Day - My Experience

When approached by a good friend of mine who is a teacher, and ask to take part in coming into her class to speak to her 1st grade students about what it is to be a Veteran of the military, I couldn’t turn it down. While on my usual search throughout the internet searching for resources and information for us Veterans of past, present and future, I stumbled upon The History Channel’s website. Their website had a special page dedicated to honoring the men and women of the Armed Forces and also dedicated to a new program called “Take a Veteran to School Day“, which would bring military Veterans into the classroom to speak to students about what it is to be a Veteran.

So I began the planning process of how I can really make this a great experience for the students and for myself. Speaking to 1st graders is a first for me, especially when it came to speaking to them about what I went through serving in the military. I filled my N.Y. National Guard back pack with pictures, my old uniforms (including my father’s Vietnam uniform) and my medals to bring to life my time in the service. The kids loved it, asking me questions, answering questions I had for them, looking through all the pictures, and some even shared with me and their classmates stories about how their grandparents and parents served or are serving in the military.

The 1st grade class at St. Patrick’s Parochial school gave me a better perspective of what we’re really fighting for. We fight so our future generations can continue to grow up in a safe world, a world where they don’t have to be in fear of attacks by the most evil individuals who blow themselves up killing women and children as well. Though it saddens me to think that the children overseas in places especially like the Middle East, see war everyday and even are raised to hate other people in the world at such a young age. It is the children that suffer the most through all the fighting; it is the children that seek adults to raise them in a safe and well being environment.

Veterans day will be tomorrow; a day I will always look forward too and a day I will always celebrate by thinking about my friends and everyone else who continue to serve. Today going into the classroom and speaking to these students was such a great experience and already I have been requested to come back next Veterans Day, which I have already agreed too.

A Special Thank You to the 1st grade class of St. Patrick’s Parochial School.

- Your Veteran Friend, Steve

September 11, 2001

There I was in uniform, guarding a high level priority aircraft on Elmendorf AFB in Alaska. I was down to my last couple of hours on shift performing my duties as a Security Forces member, when I received several phone calls from my buddies who were also on shift with me. They told me to quickly put on the radio, there is talk about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center buildings. Thinking It wouldn't be much of anything, I slowly got up off my seat and stopped what I was doing to turn on the radio. Within seconds I realized this was something serious.

After listening a few minutes to understand what was all going on back in New York City, the new crew from the facility I was guarding began filtering in for the beginning of their shift. Though most of the crew members looked like they were ready to prepare the jets and deploy in a moments notice, some members had no idea about what was going on. After listening to the radio for some time to make sure what I was hearing was true, one family member came to mind, my Godmother.

My Godmother works right around the vicinity of the World Trade Center, so I quickly grabbed the phone ignoring any calls on my hand held radio to call back home and find out if she was OK. I got in reach with my parents back on Long Island and they told me they got word from my Godmother that she was OK, though she along with thousands of other New Yorkers were walking over the Brooklyn bridge, because everything was shut down. I could hear in my mother's voice that she didn't know what to think right now, the news was awful and on the other hand here I am serving in the Air Force far from home believing we have just been attacked.

I reassured my mother that I was fine and not to worry about me, but do what you can for my Godmother if she needs anything. Though I knew in my mind, the possibility of seeing war was the closest it's ever been in my military career, and that moment I knew the people I worked with and myself were ready to be called upon to do what we must, since by this time the news was claiming this was looking more like a terrorist attack.

I was already working a 12 hour shift that night, but as soon as my flight got relieved from duty, that 12 hour shift turned into close to a 16 hour shift. We were briefed on any intelligence about the situation and we were told directly from our flight chief that when we get back to our living quarters, to be ready to work longer shifts, and understand deployment is very possible at this time. I had just gotten back from a 4 month deployment in Saudi Arabia that ended in June 2001 and though it was great to be back in the states, I knew if I was called upon, I was more than willing and ready to go back to the Middle East. Though that day never came and it wasn't till some time after I separated from the service that my Squadron began to deploy to Iraq.

As the months went by after 9/11, I was given a chance to return home for a week and a half. It was something I was looking forward too, seeing my family and friends again and checking on my Godmother who had been working in the city that day. When I returned home and was on the ride back from the airport, I remember seeing just about every single home displaying an American Flag. I thought to myself "I never saw this before", yet it was a great site to see. Flags lined the streets all through out Long Island N.Y. and though today the flag my father put out still waves in the wind, other Americans have put their flags away.

When speaking to people on my vacation, you quickly see just how many innocent people died in the World Trade Center attack. Everyone just about knew someone who had lost their life in those buildings, and during the time I was home I went with my parents down to the World Trade Center. I had an empty feeling standing there in front of a wall that was blocking the entrance to the WTC work site. Thousands of letters and flowers covered the wall from thousands of people, from letters to a father a child lost, to letters from strangers from other countries giving their condolences, it was another reminder of just how many innocent people lost their lives that day.

Though September 11, 2001 is a day that came and went for many Americans, it's a day that has never really ended for those who have lost loved ones. New Yorker's will never forget the sacrifices our men and women of FDNY, NYPD and all other emergency responders who have lost their lives, trying to save others.

Today the war on terror also continues; 8 years later and our men and women of the Armed Forces continue to need our support.

Switching Careers

When I walked into Sgt .Coyles recruiting office back in 1999 for the 5th time, I finally decided on the career I wanted to begin in the Air Force. It was a tough decision, because there were so many jobs I would have liked to have done, though in the end after being told my first choice (Fire Fighter) had no openings, I decided to gowith Security Forces (MP). The Security Forces career field was a great first step for me, to see if it was a job I would want to do for the rest of my life, even after the military. Though when I returned home and had the choice to attend school, that's when I saw an opportunity to do something new, something I felt maybe I was cut out to do in this life time in the first place.

By September 2004 after returning home from serving in the Air Force, I began to put the GI BILL to great use, focused on achieving something I truly never thought of. When I joined the military in 1999 I didn't even think about asking or looking for information about attending college, because for once in my younger years I was set on doing something, entering the military and following in my father's footsteps.

It's funny when people ask me what do I want to do as a career, because honestly there are so many jobs I would love to learn about and do. After completing my Associates degree in general studies, I decided I wanted to work towards a Bachelors degree that had something to do with psychology and sociology. I'm very outgoing and enjoy speaking to people, a little something I picked up from my mother who is a social butterfly and who has also inspired me watching her work as a teacher. I enjoyed many aspects of being a military police officer, but the greatest aspect besides shooting the heavy weapons, was being able to take a situation and work towards finding a way to resolve it. I found that I enjoyed my job the most when I had to work with someone in trouble, but someone who was more than willing to get help and make a change for the better in life so they wouldn't be back in the situation that got usMP's involved in the first place.

So when I separated from the service and completed my Associates degree I had taken up a bachelors degree in Human Relations, a degree that would allow me to go further into the psychology and sociology fields. I began to see that this is was more interesting, and that would put me in a better position to work with others who are looking for help. Learning about how brains works, what makes up our brains, how we think and behave as humans, caught my attention and I realized this is what I want to do as a career.

Four years later and I have completed my bachelors in Human Relations, a degree that brought me to a new world, a world that even taught me what I'm all about. I learned so much about myself completing psychological tests the teachers would have us conduct, on top of learning so much about how we think as humans and why we make the choices we make in life. The whole time I was attending classes I was still working for the government in the security field, though it was for another agency It was what motivated me to work hard in school, because I knew this was my ticket out of the security career field.

Having accomplished an Associates and Bachelors degree was such a great feeling, the long hours of studying, writing papers and working hard on a thirty page thesis finally came to an end in December of 2008. Though what I didn't know and wasn't prepared for was an economic crisis that would cause hundreds of thousands of Americans to find themselves without a job. After graduating I thought I was set, I had my military experience, my bachelors degree and thought for sure I will be able to continue onward working for the government in the new career field I had chosen to go to school for. Though I soon realized this would not be the case, and finding a job now would be harder than ever.

After eight months of being out of school and having exhausted all of my GI BILL, I heard about the new Post 9/11 GI BILL. Hearing how much it could help veterans who have served after 9/11 I began to look into it and once the Veterans Affairs spoke about a time frame to apply I knew I had to act. I didn't waste time and I realized once again my country is looking to help me and other veterans out in a huge way and I wasn't about to pass up this incredible opportunity. I knew this was my opportunity to head back to school, only this time to begin my Master's degree in Counseling and continue on the path to a new career.

Today I'm preparing myself to once again be back in the classroom, though I have mixed thoughts, I am looking forward to being back in a great environment where I will be along side others who are also looking to specialize in the new career field I have chosen. Though I would have liked to have been working in my new career field by now, I know it'll take a bit more time to find that job as now so many Americans are also looking to find a job as well. Completing all the paper work for the new Post 9/11 GI BILL and now just waiting to begin receiving payments, I know this will be another great decision in my life and when the economy starts coming around for the better, jobs will open up and I will be in a better position than before.

One thing that will be different than the other degree programs I have taken, is that this time around I will have to do an internship, something I could have done with with my bachelors, but something I did not do. Not the best move on my part, but now I know if you plan on changing career fields, either an internship or volunteer work that pertains to the field your looking to change into will make your resume look more appealing to companies and you will even get college credit for this. Where as back then when a Bachelors was good enough, today a Bachelors with Experience is what many companies and agencies want to see on a resume.

So in about a week I will be back in the classroom, only this time working towards my Master's degree. Take it from me, when looking to come out of the military and make a career change, school is the only option. Also be sure to look into an internship or volunteer work as soon as possible; It'll help when building your new resume and help you stand out from others who might just have school, but no experience. In a time like this with a bad economy, it makes even more sense to get back in school and use the Post 9/11 GI BILL, it will only benefit you and give you more options if you should ever decide to switch career fields.

A special Thank You to all who have worked and are working so hard to give us this Post 9/11 GI BILL, I cannot Thank You enough for what you have given me.

- STEVE

Americans Looking to Help the Military Community

People have asked me, what can they do to help men and women of the Armed Forces? This is a question I have been getting more and more often ever since I started my website Transitioning Veteran. Like I have said before, people are reaching out more than ever for those who have served and those currently serving in the U.S. Military. Even in a bad economy where you would expect people to worry about their own lives, people are looking to volunteer to help America's military.

With all the information I found using the Internet, I decided to create a website to make a simple site to go to where links and information were organized in a way that can easily be accessible. In no time I realized, this isn't just beneficial for me, but this can help out a lot of other veterans. So that's when I decided to begin a group page on Facebook and today with the incredible support of over 500 Fans my website is gaining attention in a way I never thought it would. Focusing on how can I make this a better website for myself has now turned into how can I make this a better website for all veterans.

With the increase of interest from people all over in what I have set out to do with transitioning Veteran, in the past month, I have added to MY WIKI page links to help military spouses, children, retired military, homeless veterans, disabled veterans and veterans looking to become an entrepreneur. By connecting with so many organizations through Facebook who are also looking to help transitioning veterans, I plan on setting up a section to help them promote their cause.

With all the emails and messages I receive from supporters asking how they can help veterans, I came up with some ideas and now I will share them with you all.

Business Owners

It's a huge help when business owners can give discounts to Military members, past and present. Whatever the discount is, make it reasonable, many of these men and women are finding themselves without a job when they return home after being deployed. Unfortunately some companies are finding ways to layoff these soldiers, when they are suppose to hold onto a military member's job while they serve their country. Though there's rules in place to protect a soldier from losing his job, companies know there are ways to get around it. So giving a soldier a nice discount who may be unemployed could help them in a big way.

However, some people try to abuse a military discount who aren't even military, so for companies looking to give a military discount, ask the person for proof. Either ask for a military id, form DD-214 or ask to see their dog tags, since they will have the persons name engraved.

- Reach out to Veterans who are in school to help them with doing an Internship and for volunteer work. An Internship will help them build their resume with experience many agencies seek, but if the company can make it a paid Internship this will be even better, cause us Veterans are known for our discipline and hard work ethic under stressful conditions. This can really benefit your company as us veterans who served learn one of the most important aspects in accomplishing a goal, which is Team Work.

- Take a certain percent of your companies profits and donate it to one of hundreds of Legit non-profit organizations setup to support Veterans. Use the money to even make care packages and send it to an organization that can either send it out to the troops in the battlefield or even donate to local veterans in your area. Anything donated is so appreciated among the military community and what many don't know is how much it affects our morale, knowing people are thinking of us and supporting us.

- Sponsor the many events that take place to raise money for Veteran, such as The Soldiers Ride conducted by the Wounded Warrior Project or the USO that puts on shows for the troops in the war zones. There are many events that take place and your sponsorship can contribute to helping Veteran's in so many ways, from raising money to help the individual soldier to helping the soldiers' family.

Professionals in certain fields (Teachers)

Teachers for example, be aware that you may have a student or students in your class that might have a family member in the military who is deployed. Be a little more understanding, understand that having someone deployed in a war zone can be very difficult for a child of any age. If problems arise with a child that you know has someone deployed, take the time to first speak to them to find out the difficulties they may be going through while their family member is deployed. Educate yourself about how you may be able to help a student of yours going through difficult times. Here is just one of the many great links out there, here is a PDF file Working With Military Children for educators.

- Use your professional skills to talk with veterans; when we separate from the service we many times need some guidance. For example, when I separated from the service I realized I wanted to get into another career field, something different from the law enforcement I had done while in. I was very fortunate to meet so many great people when I returned that took the time to talk to me, telling me what they do with their job, what a normal day was like and how they got to where they were with their career. It gave me such a great start to figure out what to study in school and how to work towards achieving the career I decided to choose to go for.

America

To all Americans who ask what can they do to help Veterans

- WRITE LETTERS to the soldiers deployed, about anything positive. Talk about sports, talk about a vacation you took and would recommend, write about a show you saw on tv, talk about anything. Children through out the U.S. write letters to troops all the time, its incredible and we take those letters seriously and take every minute we need to to read everything the kids have to say to us. this gives us a chance to get our mind off where we're deployed too.

- Welcome soldiers back - When you see them in an air port, say "Hey welcome back". When people said that to me or gave me a smile while I was in uniform, it was a great feeling.

- Support the Soldiers Family - Lend a hand to a Soldiers family who may have a loved one deployed. Many spouses are left alone with or without kids while thier husband or wife is deployed. Findout if there is anything you can do for them, maybe pickup some groceries for them while they are busy raising a newborn who hasn't been introduced to their parent because he or she was deployed before the baby was born. Maybe help take care of their landscaping so the parent left behind can focus more on the kids. There is so much you can do to help a military family out while a parent is deployed, and just by offering help is all you need to do to give that person a little bit of comfort knowing their community cares about them and is thinking about them while their spouse is deployed.

- Just support us - You may not believe in the wars we get involved in, but support the soldier who fights those who wish to take our freedom away and hurt our people and who also fight for the freedom of citizens of other nations who are being ruled by the most ruthless groups who take every bit of freedom away from not only men and women, but from innocent children of that nation.

Many people feel they have to go above and beyond when trying to help a veteran, but really you don't. Us who served and currently serve appreciate even the slightest bit of support. Recieving a letter from anyone while I was deployed to Saudi Arabia put me in such a great mood, knowing someone took the time to write this letter to share a part of thier life with me . Getting a magazine through a package that was donated from people back home I never met gave me a chance to get my mind off of being in the 120 degree desert far away from home.

What you believe could put a smile on a veteran's face, probably will and you should just go and do it.

There are so many great organizations out there along with the government agencies, where you can get information on how you can help the military community.

I'm sure I can speak for the military community when I say "THANK YOU".

Jobs Posted on USAJOBS

Since I have been applying for positions to work for the government, especially for the Veterans Affairs and Dept. of the Air Force, it has come to my attention that when a job is posted on USAJOBS, it doesn't necessarily mean there is an opening at that location. This is something I had no clue about for quite sometime, but after a few contacts I made while waiting to hear back on my application, I learned that some job openings are posted to continuously accept applications.

Just recently I had applied for a position to work at McChord AFB in Washington in the Airman/Family Readiness Center. This job opening states that there are few vacancies at numerous locations on Air Force bases, however if you missed the section that states

************IMPORTANT INFORMATION CONCERNING STANDING REGISTERS************

THIS IS A STANDING REGISTER AND WILL BE USED TO FILL ANTICIPATED VACANCIES (PERMANENT, TERM AND TEMPORARY) AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS AS OPENINGS OCCUR.

Your application will only be reviewed and a notice sent when an actual fill request is received. Salary may vary depending on your experience, education, etc. Your resume will remain on file 90 days after the closing date for consideration.

You would have sent your resume out with high hopes just like myself, not realizing that there's actually no jobs at the moment and none planned in the near future. I found this out when I emailed someone at the Airman/Family Readiness center. I never knew these types of postings existed; I would hit the main points of the job posting such as the location, salary, duties, qualifications and how to apply. Many times I wouldn't even scroll down on the first page where you will see this paragraph in bold lettering.

However when you see any job posting advertising a position saying there are numerous vacancies open, you are led to believe that possibly you will find out within a few months about whether you will get an interview or not, because it sounds like you have a great shot with all the openings they mention. Usually the jobs you apply for will get back to you within a few months at the most, though many have gotten back to me within a couple of weeks after the last day to apply.

Another recent email I received by a person in the Human Resource department, at my local Veterans Affairs, sent me an email explaining about an Internship that was posted through the Veterans Affairs Internship program. Once again I wrote to the person in the email to find out how I could go about applying for the internship. That's when I found out there are no positions open. Here's the email I received from the person about the internship.

Steve, all recruitment for Intern programs at Northport is done through Human Resources and we are not currently recruiting for any Interns in any field. The programs we have here are HR, Budget and Biomedical Engineering. Unfortunately, while preceptor names are listed on that we site, that means an office may participate in the Intern program but it is not necessarily recruiting at this point in time because there are no current vacancies. A bachelor's degree qualifies an individual at the GS-5 or 7 grade levels and Intern vacancies being filled at those grades must be announced in USAJOBS. Intern positions can also be filled at the GS-9 level, which requires a masters degree in a related field or specialized experience in the field. If you are looking nationwide at USAJOBS and see no Intern vacancies, then no one is actively recruiting at this point. Most Intern slots are filled starting in June and so it is possible that all recruitment has closed for any remaining vacancies. Unfortunately, listing the fact that a program exists at a particular medical center does not mean there is a current vacancy. It sounds like that listing gave the impression that all those sites are hiring an Intern, and that is not necessarily the case at this point.

Yes, the listing I was looking at did give me the impression that there were openings, and in the end there was none. Though I learned from her email that if there are openings for an internship position they will be posted on USAJOBS.

In the end I figured the best thing to do, is constantly check USAJOBS, apply for all kinds of positions you believe you are eligible for even for the continuous recruitment ones, because you never know when there is an opening and something may open up down the road, but don't sit and wait. Also I now learned to email someone in the human Resources dept. of the facility you plan on applying for, to make sure there is an actual opening and whether or not your taking the right steps to applying for the position. These people are very helpful and have no problems writing you back for the most part as you saw what the person at my local VA sent me within a day.

Checkout my WIKI page below, which has some great links to information pertaining to employment and internships.

MY WIKI - Jobs / Internships

Severe Clear

Severe Clear is a movie made by a LT of the Marine Core, showing real footage of the beginning of the Iraq war in 2001. First Lieutenant Mike Scotti records the trials the members of the 1st. Battalion, 4th Marines and himself go through as they push forward for Baghdad in the beginning of the Iraq war. I was fortunate to hear about this film which was produced by SIRK Production and can now be viewed throughout many venues across the U.S.

I’m 1hour into the film and it really is what the producers say it is, a film depicting the chaos and emotions of war. It’s a film that isn’t edited to portray a political meaning, nor is it a film to portray just the bad side of war. It’s a film that is as real as it can get for a viewer who has never seen war, a film that hides nothing from the viewer as I see images of death, destruction, happiness, loneliness, fear, courage among others. Chaos can be seen and heard, when filming is done during the night, tracers can be seen and screams can be heard as LT. Scotti and his comrades run face to face with the enemy.

This is a film for those who don’t care to support the Veterans, those who volunteered and those who were drafted to go fight not only for the United States, but for the well being of other citizens of other countries that they owed nothing too. This is a film for the politicians who dare to vote to decrease spending on benefits for these soldiers, this is a film for the protesters who dare to interfere with a soldiers funeral and this is a film for those who aren’t thankful for the freedoms we have, because if it’s not directly affecting them, then why should they care.

As I watch this film, I flashback to that day when 9/11 took place, that day when I was doing my duties as an entry controller at Elmendorf AFB. I remember after working extra hours that morning and returning back to my squadron, my squad and myself were briefed about being prepared to possibly being sent to war. However that day never came for me and in 2003 I separated from the Air Force while the Marines and Army were on stop loss, a word I never heard of until that day.

Till this day I still get the feelings of leaving my friends behind, friends that became family to me who still serve and deploy to the war zone. I sometimes think that I should be there alongside these guys and when the news came that two of our men from my squadron were K.I.A during a deployment in Iraq, that’s when it hit me. I started thinking to myself I had made a mistake by leaving the military during the time of war. Though it was a great feeling to have completed my enlistment with the Air Force and ready to start college, there was nothing tougher then getting on that plane to back home knowing I was leaving my friends behind who may find themselves in the war zone in the coming months.

When I arrived back home everyone welcomed me with open arms and smiles, even from people who I had never met before. The questions though began immediately, wondering if there was a possibility I could be called back in and what would I do. Well there was no thought to the answer for that question, as I watched the news on the war alongside my father (who has been to war). I knew if that day came to go back in to fight, I would be more than ready to fight alongside my friends.

Severe Clear shows its viewers the real images and sounds of war, from graphic images to sounds of gunfire and explosions. The film may not be for everyone and I can understand, though I feel it’s my duty to watch films like Severe Clear, because how could I not, I was in when the war began and yet I wasn’t chosen to deploy with my friends.

WARNING: This film does have graphic images and profanity (cause it’s real footage of the war in Iraq)

SEVERE CLEAR trailer

A Call to All

I was recently given a website to checkout called Not Alone, which was created to help military personnel who battle the after math of being in a war zone a chance to share their experiences with one another. We are all affected in different ways when we experience a tragic event in our lives, war can contribute many of these events that can manipulate a persons mind that could change them forever.

As I searched through the pages of the website, I stumbled upon an article speaking about Fort Campbell Suicides (by BULLDOG), a subject we are hearing all to often inside and outside the military community. Comments by others had been posted in response of the article and when I came upon a comment by Yvonne and took the time to read it, I realized I was reading a comment left by a soon to be married woman who was excited about marrying her military man, but never saw that day.

Yvonne lost her husband while he was deployed, and yet in the end Yvonne spoke about her fiance's best friend who after returning home from the war, struggled to fit into civilian life once again do to the lack of support and proper treatment he needed. Yvonne ends her comment calling out to all civilians to be more supportive and understanding of what these brave heroes go through.

Yvonne is 100% correct, our military men and women need more support and war can change a person too a point where they cannot reconnect to civilian life. Many soldiers are affected differently with the trauma they experience while serving in a combat zone and where the Government lacks, organizations such as this one are making a difference.

Communication and support is key to helping these guys who serve our country. The Soldiers Project is another great organization with medical personnel taking a little of their time to help OIF/OEF veterans battling with symptoms of PTSD, though it is slowly expanding throughout the U.S. and needs more volunteers. The same goes for so many other Non-profit organizations, who are looking to do everything they can to help the men and women of the military.

Though we are making a difference in helping veterans when they return from the war zone compared to other past wars, support is still needed in anyway so these great organizations can fully reach out to these soldiers. Just as the many organizations are here to help these returning veterans, so should their families and American citizens. Family needs to support and understand what their soldier may be going through when they return and family too should take time to educate themselves to prepare for the return of their soldier. Instead of thinking their military family member is just having a bad day which then drags on throughout time, take the time to talk and try to connect with them.

Like I said before, talking to a person shows you care, and communication is the main focal point to understanding what a person may be going through. When you show someone your supportive, that's when you may find the person opening up, revealing to you what troubles them. Though I'm not a professional or a licensed medical personnel, this is something I have experienced with someone and it's also what I have learned while attending college.

So to all organizations, families and American citizens looking to make a difference in the lives of returning veterans, support and work with one another and maybe we can help even more men and women of the military and the number of suicides from rising.

To Yvonne,

Whoever you are, My sympathy goes out to you and I will make sure your call to all is heard.

-STEVE

TRANSITIONING VETERAN WIKI - PTSD LINKS

http://www.notalone.com/

The Soldiers Project - a non-profit organization in the Mental health sector looking to make a difference in the lives of OIF/OEF Veterans

SHORT FILMS

WALKING WOUNDED - produced by Darin Farr (Veteran and Film producer for Veterans Affairs)

NOW, AFTER - produced by Kyle Hausmann-stokes (Veteran of OIF and Film producer)

Job Cuts Seen Throughout the Air Force

It is obvious that the economy is still not where it was before it took a nose dive back in October of 2008. Companies are still laying off workers, thousands of newly unemployed Americans are filing unemployment benefits at this moment, and the talk of falling into a deeper recession still lingers. However, not only does the civilian sector feel the impact of an economic downfall, so does the military community.

In the June 2009 issue of the Air Force Times, an article written by Sam LaGrone titled "Fewer Fighters", speaks about the downsizing of the Air Force. The government hopes that by downsizing the military we can be a more lethal Air Force focusing on adding the more futuristic and modern aircraft such as the F-22 and F-35. Though this makes more sense as we wish to continue to be the most dominate military in the world, what many don't know is that by wanting these next generation aircraft, the Air Force is about to start cutting jobs.

The Air Force has plans to start eliminating 5 to 10 squadrons, and a total of 249 aircraft as stated in the article. Four thousand Airman will see themselves without a squadron, though they will be given choices, depending on where their duty location is. The Airman and Officers affected by this cut may be given the option to retrain into another career field, be reassigned to another squadron on their duty station or move to another base doing the same job, though it all depends on what command they are with.

As the economy continues to struggle, Washington will continue to make budget cuts needed in order to move money around to other departments. When we speak about the pros about serving in the military, many if not all will agree that its a pretty safe way to make a living performing a job you enjoy. Though what people don't know is that even in the military, the jobs that people choose to do while serving, may not be the job they will have by the time they retire or complete their enlistment. While a serviceman may lose his job of choice, he will find himself with a new job possibly with a new squadron; where as his civilian counter part will lose his job and collect unemployment benefits for a limited time while he searches and struggles to find work.

So is job security safe while serving in the military? Sure it is, however you too can find yourself losing the job you chose and love to do, because of military cutbacks pressured by the struggling economy. Though the military in the coming years will save billions of dollars because of these cuts, they already have plans on spending this money elsewhere. This will also affect government workers working on military facilities, private contracting companies and even surrounding areas of military installations.

Air Force Times article (Sam LaGrone

Decrease in Home Sales Attributed to Military Downsizing - old but still a good example

Battlefield Pups

A recent article posted on MSNBC.com caught my attention the other day as it spoke about a soldier and his four legged Iraqi companion. The article was about Major Steven Hutchinson and an Iraqi dog named Laia that he adopted while deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The article begins on a sad note, as I immediately read that Maj. Hutchinson passed away because of a roadside bomb just three months before he was to return home to the U.S. While Maj. Hutchinson was deployed, his unit found a stray 1 month old pup that was to be euthanized unless his unit adopted her. Maj. Hutchinson responded to the call. Almost being reprimanded for defying military orders, Hutchinson was doing everything he could to make sure Laia would be returning home with him when he was due back.

Major Hutchinson might have lost his life in Iraq, but his dreams of returning Laia back home are coming true. With the help of the SPCA and Operation Baghdad Pups, Laia is on her way to a new life with a new family (that family being the brother of Maj. Hutchinson).

The unit of Maj. Hutchinson spoke about how the dog brought great joy and happiness to him as the dog would travel around with him on his lap and even sleep along side of him. In the medical field, dogs are used for therapeutic services to help people of all ages who are dealing with physical and mental disabilities. Though in the battlefield dogs are being used to detect explosive material, land mines, perform guard duties, and even help with search and rescue missions. However, dogs and puppies such as Laia are bringing much therapeutic services to the American Soldiers as they are finding that caring for a dog (while serving in a war zone) is giving them feelings that they are missing with their family back home in the states.

An article by USA Today helps to bring life to what I'm speaking about as it talks about the psychological benefits to therapy dogs and the impact they can have on the soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. Major Hutchinson's story is just one of many that have surfaced in the news helping to show the psychological benefits dogs can have on soldiers in a war zone. With no family and children to care for, soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are finding that the stray pups and dogs they find off the streets are bringing them much happiness that they would be receiving by being around their loved ones who are waiting on their return back in the U.S.

People do not understand the importance of these animals in the fight against the war on terror. As I said before, they carry very unique skills that humans cannot emulate and because of this military dogs have saved thousands of lives doing what they do best. I was very fortunate to have worked side by side with K-9 units while I served in the Security Forces at Elmendorf AFB.

While being deployed to Prince Sultan Airbase in Saudi Arabia, I was given the opportunity to watch the training these incredible animals go through with the military. My job at PSAB was to work with the search team, which was made up of a number of military police members and a K-9 team. Together we would search all civilians and vehicles looking to come onto our installation usually to do contract work. The K-9 team was the first to conduct a search of all the vehicles in the search bay, using the dogs keen sense of smell to sniff out any explosive material. Although I will not go further into how we conducted our searches using the military dog, I will say that the military dog was so well trained that with the slightest amount of material used for making IED's, the dog would pick up on the scent and we would immediately respond.

The Dog is not only man's best friend, but it is also one of the greatest assets in the military, and has been for many years. Military dogs and stray dogs being adopted by American Soldiers are receiving more help than ever before as organizations such as Baghdad Pups, Space Coast War Dog Association and Guardian Angels for Soldier' Pets are doing all that they can to get the word out on how to donate and help these incredible animals and the people that care for them.

Today War Dogs who have been injured in war are being rewarded military honors for their service, receiving medals such as the Purple Heart. War dogs who have made the ultimate sacrifice protecting their partner and the lives of so many are being remembered with the creation of numerous monuments and websites.

I'd like to dedicate this to Tsgt. Jason Norton who was a K-9 handler for the 3rd Security Forces, Elmendorf AFB and who lost his life while deployed in Iraq. I was fortunate to work with Tsgt. Norton and received the news about his passing when I separated from the service. He will always be remembered.

Other Great sites

John Burnam Monument Foundation

Guardian Angels For Soldiers Pet Sanctuary

K9 Pride Blog

Military Dog Memorial Site Blog

Olive-Drab War Dogs

Operation Santa Paws

ASPCA for Kids (online book) - Dogs at work

The Military Child of The American Soldier

Image by Tsgt Cecilio M. Ricardo Jr. USAF

All too often we are seeing an image like the one above, a child hugging her father's leg as he prepares to deploy. When we think of deployments we think mostly about the soldier and what he will be faced with while being away from home. However, just as organizations are forming at a rapid pace to help support the soldiers deal with deploying, organizations to support the soldiers children are also increasing in numbers. America is realizing that not only do we have to help support the American Soldier, but the children of these soldiers who are waiting on their parents return are also in need of support.

The military child can endure an incredible amount of stress when a parent deploys to another location for a length of time. With deployments for soldiers being no less than a year these days, military children are having to adjust longer to having one parent in the household. The spouse left behind is finding themselves taking over the roll of both parents as they struggle everyday to make sure their child continues to strive and develop.

Luckily spouse's left behind can find support not only at military bases Family Centers, but also on the Internet. So many incredible organizations and individual people are using their experiences to help support military families with children while their spouse is deployed. From organizations such as the National Military Family Association and Our Military Kids to individual authors who have written books, that can be found on Amazon to help children deal with a parent being away from home, America is responding to the needs of military children.

The National Fatherhood Initiative has developed a military section on their website, hoping to reach out to fathers who are looking for support to help guide them with caring for their child while serving. With the creation of books, pamphlets, videos and numerous programs, father's too can feel a little less stressed knowing that resources to help them while their wife is deployed, is only a click away. Same goes for the wives, who struggle while their husbands are deployed overseas, they too can find much needed support from not only the Family Readiness centers on military installations, but also from other moms who are going through the same situation.

Loaded with lots of activities, Deployment Kids is another great website, created so children of a deployed parent can stay busy by making a special deployment journal, playing name games or even making post cards to then send to their father or mother overseas. A website as such, though only one in thousands on the Internet, can be used to teach a child what deployments are about, give a child an opportunity to get their mind off of the missing parent or better yet, help to strengthen the bond between child and parent.

Though all children are different and react differently to a parent being deployed, So many support groups are out there ready to help support children get through the struggle of missing their parent. Another great website I stumbled upon one day is the Voice For The Military Child, which is a blog that allows military children to write a little about themselves and what they go through growing up in the military. Many children on this site talk about dealing with having a loved one deployed, and what a better way for a child to be able to understand that they are not alone than to read first hand what others their age are going through.

The blog Voice For The Military Child allows military children to express themselves; it allows them to speak about their feelings and what they are going through while growing up in the military. I find it so interesting to read about what these children have to say as they spoke about everything from school, moving, new friends to dealing with their parent being deployed overseas. For someone like myself who served his country, yet grew up in a small town in New York far away from any major military base, I'm able to get glimpse of what it would be like to be raised as a military child reading what these children wrote about.

Any Veteran will tell you that the support that's out there for us is the greatest it's ever been, though Veterans who have families will tell you to please not forget about their spouse and especially their children. The military child needs America's support more than ever, as they too struggle to cope from being separated from their parent or parents who are deployed to an overseas location.

OTHER GREAT LINKS

www.milspouse.org

www.saluteourservices.org

Working With Military Children (download Adobe Acrobat to read this if it does not load)

www.militarychild.org

Great Resources collected by ArmyFamily and Morale Command (download Adobe Acrobat to read this if it does not load)

Military.com

My Initial Exam at The Northport VA Hospital

Well today I completed my initial exam at my local VA Hospital and everything was great. I'm not trying to be a spokes person for the VA Hospital, but I will say that the stigma of poor medical care that still looms over the VA Hospitals, is not what I have seen so far. The Department I'm assigned to is the OEF/OIF unit which works specifically with Veterans who have served in the Middle East region whether in peace time or war time.

I started my day by first going to the OEF/OIF to sign in and speak with Scott who is the Patient Program Assistant. After speaking to Scott about where I had to go for my appointments, I was seen by Terri who is my Primary Care Provider. She questioned me on past medical issues and any new issues, got me setup with an appointment with other departments and gave me some great resources and information pertaining to claiming disabilities; if I had any to claim which after 6yrs of being out of the service I had no idea I could still claim. She told me how having stuff documented while I was in the service will help me when and if I had to claim for a disability after I leave the military.

After my checkup with Terri I went to the X-ray, Lab (for blood work) and audiology departments which didn't take long at all. It took about an hour to finish getting all this work done and the process wasn't bad at all and while I sat waiting I admired all the other Veterans sitting and waiting too. Almost all of the Veterans I saw wore, Vietnam Veteran, Korean War Veteran or Iraq Veteran campaign hats. Even WWII Veterans were sporting their campaign hats, all were there for different reasons, yet all were there accepting the free care they were receiving that we deserve.

After I had completed all my appointments my final stop was to the vocational office where I spoke to James who is the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist. It was great sitting down and speaking to James, because once again I was given more resources and information to help me with trying to get a job working with the Veterans Affairs. He helped with giving me advice when applying for government jobs, and since I will be returning to college for my Masters degree, he helped me with advising me on how to go about trying to get an internship working at the VA. James also didn't hold back telling me some possible reasons why I wasn't referred for a recent VA position I had applied for, working in the Brooklyn VA Hospital. Our meeting lasted a good 40 minutes and he just gave me a little more advice that will help me to better position myself for a job working in the Veterans Affairs.

After speaking to James I went back to the OEF/OIF department where I had to sign out and then speak to two more people. I had to sit down with Joan who is one of the Social case manager. She went over information in the Welcome Home Returning Combat Service Members packet. She questioned me on any issues i may have pertaining to PTSD, any stress or depression and my overall thoguht just about life and how any other personnel issues that may be bothering me. Again I was given more resources to help me with any social problems I may be having, and clearly made it known that if there is ever a problem I can call her. She made it clear she is here to help and more than willing to help and she even said that speaking to her is also confidential and does not need to be filed in my personel records.

After speaking to Joan I was able to speak to Vanessa who is the Program Manager for the OEF/OIF department. Speaking to Vanessa was great as we spoke about everything from what I'm doing with my website Transitioning veteran, to how she plans and hopes to expand the department. She speak to me about the benefits of coming to the VA Hospital right after separating from the military as we are authorized to receive 6 continuation months under tricare which I did not know. She spoke to me about up and coming seminars, other organizations she's working with such as The Soldiers Project which I'm a volunteer of and how even just coming to the VA Hospital to initially get put into the system is a great thing. With the packets they give out and information about benefits we can receive as veterans, it makes no sense to not at least come in and put yourself into the system even if you have other medical insurance with another group. I completely agree with her in that they gave me information that I did not know existed and I wished I had done this right after I separated.

So my final thought is this, we have a free resource here given to us for serving in the military so why not use it. The stigma still remains about the VA Hospital, though those that believe in this stigma are usually the ones who have never went to their local VA Hospital. I'm very glad I have gone to the VA and even if I was to accept medical insurance from another organization, I still have gained so much more knowledge about medical benefits that I'm entitled to receive from our government.

Though back in the day around the Vietnam era, VA Hospitals weren't getting the funding they are getting now from the government. So today is probably the best time to go take a ride and speak to the people in your local VA Hospital to get into the system and find out what benefits you can recieve. It doesn't hurt even if you already have medical insurance and these people are here to help and are also Veterans like us so they have experience with what we have been through and can relate.

So final words, take a ride to your local VA Hospital and take advantage of the FREE benefits setup for us who served. And what a better time to go, while we sit here in an economic downturn, wondering whether or not we may lose our job and medical coverage.

This pertains to all Veterans of all Wars.

Here is a good article by MSN about the STIGMA I'm talking about

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30782778

here is a link of the new Budget for the VA

http://www.va.gov/budget/products.htm

Last Flight Out of Anchorage

I can remember being on that plane, the plane back to Long Island, New York. After serving four years in the Military, when 9/11 took place, hearing about the term stop loss and being briefed about the possibilities of seeing combat; it was something I probably will never experience in my life again.

I was tossing and turning in my seat as in my mind I realized, this was my last flight out of anchorage, Alaska. The day before my flight, I was saying my goodbyes to my friends; friends that have become family to me, friends that I have experienced so much with. Flash backs of great times we shared re-ran in my mind over and over, from the times of meeting up at The Kashim Club to the times of camping out in the great Alaskan outdoors. We had so many great moments hanging out with one another, I wondered if it would ever be the same without these guys near me.

We came from all over the U.S., from New York, California, Missouri, New jersey, Maine, Washington, Florida, Alaska, Iowa, Montana and among other states. I sat there in my uncomfortable South West seat, laughing, looking back at some of the guys and girls I had met from all over. Laughing, because I had learned so much about them and how life was like for them growing up in these different parts of the U.S. and yet I was just a naive teenager that thought life wasn't nearly as good as it is growing up here in New York. The stories we shared with each other about our hometowns differed in so many ways, that i had kinda wished I got a taste of what it would be like to grow up in a small town far away from the city atmosphere.

As time continued to trickle away ever so slowly I decided to forget about sleeping and just let my mind reflect back to my years in the military that I was leaving behind. I remember sitting at post performing entry duties to a high priority location early in the morning. It was around 5am when I received a call from my friend who was on the same shift as me. When I answered the phone he quickly cut me off while I was trying to say hello, to tell me to turn on the radio, because their is announcements everywhere talking about planes hitting The World Trade Center in N.Y.C. I didn't believe it at first and told him "whatever we're almost done with work, quit with the jokes", until the radio station came in clear and sure enough announcements were everywhere saying America is being attacked.

I hung up on my friend and quickly dialed out to my parents back home in New York, asking what was going on. I remember hearing it in my parents voices how scared they were about what was taking place in our city; the city where my godmother travels by bus and train everyday for work. Then my hand held radio went off with an announcement that those of us who were to be relieved for duty by the oncoming shift will have to stand by at the squadron and stay armed.

Suddenly my mind was redirected with an announcement on the planes speaker system, saying to buckle our belts to prepare for landing. As the plane touched down on the runway I remember having a great feeling to be back home, but also a feeling of being unsure. I knew things have changed back home on Long Island and I as a person changed as well. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the memories of Alaska became overtaken by the thoughts of "Am I ready to be a civilian again"?

The Recognition They Deserve - The Vietnam Veteran

Times are changing and have been for us who serve or have served in the military, for the better. Times are especially changing for the Vietnam Veteran, who once returned home to their country that looked down upon their actions, actions they were not in control of.

The Vietnam War was one of the most ugliest war in American history, with poor decisions by the government, re-institution of the draft, the use of chemical weapons, the large number of deaths, and the lack of support for the troops on the home front. The Vietnam War is still viewed today as one of the worst battles, and America will never be involved in such a war ever again as claimed by recent presidents.

When the Vietnam Veterans returned home from Vietnam, they were not welcomed with open arms like soldiers are today, instead they were forgotten and treated like worthless individuals as they were called names, discriminated and even spit on by their fellow countrymen. Vietnam Veterans returned to their country with many physical and psychological disabilities that would be unnoticed for the coming years. The U.S. government lacked in preparation to help these returning veterans transition back into the civilian world, as many Vietnam Veterans found themselves on their own with little information to direct them on how to get help for the disabilities they had brought back from the battle field.

Many Vietnam Veterans turned to substance abuse and found themselves on the streets of America, the same America that sent them to war. Though many veterans did look for the help they needed, many would not receive help do to the lack of benefits our government had setup for these returning vets. The lack of funding given to the Veterans Affairs caused issues with the number of people a VA hospital could see on a daily basis. Supplies and readjustment counseling was limited along with other medical benefits for returning veterans from Vietnam, though that would soon change in time.

Thanks to advocates such as veterans of Vietnam and other good citizens of America, the U.S. began listening about the lack of benefits for Veterans of the U.S. Military. Increase in Funding to the Veterans Affairs led to the opening of Vet Centers all across the U.S. allowing to help take on more veterans seeking help for physical or psychological issues. The development of these Vet Centers also led to an increase in job openings for Vietnam Veterans as many had the experience on the battle field to be able to help their fellow soldiers.

As times progressed Vietnam Veterans began seeing increases to their benefits as more Vietnam Veteran rights groups such as Vietnam Veterans of America increased advocacy for their fellow comrades.

Today Vietnam Veteran groups can be found even on Facebook helping to reconnect Vietnam Veterans and most importantly to help give the recognition these Veterans deserve. Vietnam War Memorial is a groups page on Facebook allowing users to leave thank you comments to these veterans; Vietnam Veterans of America is a non-profit organization that can also be found on Facebook reaching out to other Vets.

Just the other day I was sent a message by Johnny, a Vietnam Veteran who told me about what he went through when he returned home. Johnny wrote to me ” After almost 40 yrs I hadn’t put a bumper sticker on my car saying I was a Vietnam Veteran, but since last year I have my pickup truck with a decal now letting the world know I’m a Vietnam Veteran”. Johnny told me about how they were looked down upon by Americans when they returned home. So badly looked upon that sometimes it was not in any soldiers favor to mention they were a Vietnam Veteran.

My father, I’m proud to say is also a Vietnam Veteran who also sees the change that has taken place among the treatment of Veterans. My father told me also about the times when he returned home, and how awful it was returning home and not seeing the support he thought he would. However my father today I feel is now getting that recognition he deserves along with all the other Vietnam Veterans.

Today soldiers are more than ever being given the recognition they deserve, funding for veterans have increased immensely because of the sacrifices Vietnam Veterans have made. Vietnam Veterans advocating has helped us today who serve or have served as funding for the Veterans Affairs has increased, non-profit organizations to help veterans are developing and gaining support all over, education, medical and other benefits information can be found very easily as groups are coming together to share information and get it out to veterans today who are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

When I was in the service I can’t tell you how many times I was thanked by people and if they didn’t walk up to me and say thanks, they would say it through a smile. It was a great feeling when this took place, but it is even a better feeling when my father was with me and this took place. My father told me how great of a feeling it is for him to see me being thanked by so many people for my service in the military, and it’s even a better feeling to see all the military members being supported by their country. I feel many Vietnam Veterans would agree and feel the same way my father does when he sees a service man being thanked.

A special thanks to Vietnam Veterans who have sacrificed so much to give us Veterans the benefits we have today and to make sure America will always support us.

And those who serve today will continue to make sure Veterans of previous wars are never forgotten.

Mix Martial Arts in the United States Military

In the past few years MMA, otherwise known as Mix Martial Arts, has seen a huge increase in popularity thanks to the re-creation of the UFC. MMA gyms are opening up everywhere across America, gaining attention from different age groups who are beginning to see this type of martial art as a great way to get in shape and even combat stress.

However Mix Martial Arts is nothing new to the United States Military, as martial arts of numerous forms have been used to train members in all branches of the service. From simple take down and control techniques I learned while in the Security Forces to Mix martial Arts such as Boxing , Mauy Tai, & Jujitsu used by MCMAP (Marine Core Martial Arts Program) as seen on the History channel show HUMAN WEAPON. Martial arts training can also be found being used among the Army and Navy special forces, learning everything from Boxing, Brazilian Jujitsu, Muay Tai to the use of small weapons when dealing with close combat.

But not only do the American Forces use martial arts in their training, so do Russian and Israeli military forces. Russia uses a type of martial art in their training regiment known as Sambo. Sambo is used by the number one ranked MMA heavyweight Fedor Emelianenko. The Israeli forces use a different type of martial arts technique known as Krav Maga, used by the Israeli Commandoes. Krav Maga combines numerous martial art techniques which is used to control or even kill their enemies on the battle field.

Mix Martial Arts has gotten so popular among the military community that the U.S. Army has created their own MMA tournament aired on the Military channel called T.o.p Army Fighter. Though rules and regulations are different from those of UFC, Strikeforce and other organizations, these guys still sustain cuts, bruises and knockouts. Hers is a You Tube clip of T.O.P Army Fighter, I found it funny when watching this series on tv and hearing the announcers say that a few of the fighters were deploying the very next day.

Mix Martial Arts cannot only be used by military forces on the battle field to take out their enemy in close combat, but with the popularity of MMA in gyms all over, MMA can be used to help battle stress and depression. Being in shape is well known for helping the body to fight off mental or physical illnesses . An article by Web MD, can help further explain just how staying in shape can help battle symptoms such as stress and depression, and what better way to help stay in shape than getting into Mix Martial Arts, when preparing or returning from the battle field.

I've been doing MMA for the past 4 months and started my martial arts training 1 year ago when I began learning Brazilian Jujitsu. Brazilian Jujitsu is a ground combat where the object is to gain position on your opponent or enemy to be able to submit or kill the person with different choke techniques. You can also use Brazilian Jujitsu to punish your opponent or enemy even more by breaking bones using different armbar or leg lock techniques while on the ground. I now train in MMA and use it to stay in shape, learn self defense and cause I absolutely love learning it. It has given me a sense of mental training as well as I try to figure out how to defeat my opponent by trying to figure how to gain position, control and then submit him.

In my Mix Martial Arts program, where I'm being trained by amateur fighter James Funaro at a local gym, I'm learning Wrestling, Boxing, Brazilian Jujitsu and Muay Tai. Today I find myself going to fight events such as Ring of Combat where I have already met UFC fighters, Dante Rivera, Matt Serra, Kurt Pellegrino, Gabriel Gonzaga and this past ROC event, met Rashad Evans (UFC Light Heavyweight Champion).

Today I find myself always looking up MMA news at The Garv.com which not only gives fight fans news about fights on the East Coast, but gives us updated news on all major organizations such as UFC, Strikforce and even overseas leagues. The site is ran by a great friend Dino Kostakio and Kevin Garvey (founder and known as THE GARV) who even give us interviews from the fighters I mentioned before. The Garv.com is gaining even more popularity on the East Coast as a premier resource for MMA news ever since these interview videos have been posted on You Tube. Here is a video of The GARV interviewing the Champ, Rashad Evans at the last Ring of Combat event.

Military Veterans can now be seen on tv fighting in MMA in numerous fight leagues around the world. Some well known Veterans of the U.S. Military are Steve Bruno (ex Air Support), Dale Hartt (ex Navy), Luigi Fioravanti (ex Marine OIF), Brandon Wolff (ex Navy Seal) and Tim Credeur (ex Navy) who all fought for the UFC event FIGHT FOR THE TROOPs.

Also checkout FORGED Clothing, made by Navy Seals looking to get into the MMA world and Felonious Fight Gear which soon will have a great selection of MMA gear.

My Visit to the Local VA Hospital

Six years after I separated from the Air Force I have finally stepped foot in my local VA hospital. I had a great experience at my VA hospital as soon as I arrived. When people talk about the VA hospitals you get a sense of a gloomy, dark, cold place where you do not want to go to unless you have ran out of choices.

My local VA hospital is located in Northport, N.Y. and when arriving there I quickly learned that people who work there are ready and more than willing to help anyone. My first time arriving there I realized just how large the hospital grounds were as it hosts a large golf course (which I will be hitting up), and a number of buildings for various support.

When I arrived it was a great feeling, as I looked around to figure where I should start my journey I saw Veterans of all type. From the modern Marine in his new fatigues to the retired Vietnam Veteran sporting his Vietnam War hat, it was a great feeling to once again be among members of the military. It's been quite sometime since I have been back on a military installation and though this not a military base, but a military hospital, I once again began to have those feelings of what it was like being back in.

When I got to the Welcome Center after being helped by a VA worker who I learned had been working for the VA for 37 yrs and was ready to retire, I was greeted by people at the door, ready to answer questions and guide me further into my travels to acquiring my VA benefits card.

As I got to the line where I had to fill out some information and get my picture done for my VA card I saw once again Veterans of many wars standing in line. It was pretty amazing to think that I was standing in line with Veterans from Vietnam, Korea, 1st Gulf war and Veterans of the present war.

When I completed what I had to do to acquire my VA medical card I was directed to go speak to a person in the Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom Program Dept. I had told the guy, that yes I was in during this campaign, but I was not deployed to a combat zone. My unit, the 3rd Security Forces squadron didn't deploy till I separated from the service. He still instructed me to go speak to them, which of course I did.

I had no clue that this existed in the VA Hospital, and when I arrived to this part of the hospital these people greeted me as if I was a hero. The people in this section of the hospital helped me out in an enormous way. They helped set me up with a free physical exam which I will be going to in the next month, gave me packets pertaining to the benefits I do qualify for, and even had me speak to a social worker who took my information and questioned me about any problems physically or mentally.

They had counselors there set to help me with any issues, in the waiting office they had numerous pamphlets, videos and books pertaining to veteran benefits such as information on PTSD, employment, education, transitioning from military to civilian and of course medical benefits.

So far the process for registering in the VA hospitals system has been flawless, I'am very pleased at how well so far I have been treated. It's t know that the VA hospitals aren't what many believe they are to be, a place where you do not want to go unless you desperately need to. Something many Vietnam Veterans believe such as my father, because during their time the VA hospitals weren't nearly as funded as what they are today.

I feel times have changed considerably for us who served, and to not go to your local VA hospital to at least register in their system such as I'm doing, will be a mistake.

For all these people who have lost their jobs due to the economy, I wonder how many are Veterans that now find themselves not able to afford their medical or even losing their medical insurance. Registering with your VA hospital doesn't have to be your primary source for medical treatment, though it can be used as your secondary backup source of treatment and can become very helpful if someday you were to lose your job and medical insurance.

So come May I will have my first appointment to go to, and I will then write a new blog talking about my experience.

The military has so much out there for us who served, take advantage of it because you never know when it will come in handy in life, especially during hard economic times.

Here is the VA's own BLOG to keep updated

Here is a list of VA Hospitals

Veterans Helping to Make a Difference

April 14th, 2009

Veterans more than ever are working together to help raise awareness on military issues. From the single veteran writing a blog about battling PTSD-A Soldiers Prospective to a group of veterans such as the members of Rolling Thunder who ride for POW-MIA, veterans are finding new ways to raise awareness.

Thanks to the Internet these veterans are able to connect to thousands of other veterans by making a website, joining social networks such as Facebook and Together We Served, and even by posting videos on You Tube.

An Army veteran by the name of Kyle Hausmann-Stokes who I found through Facebook, is another veteran helping to make a difference. Kyle is raising awareness about numerous issues pertaining to the military by using what he has learned in film school. Kyle has created films from the frontline while being deployed, to now his latest film helping to raise awareness about PTSD. His latest film Now, After reflects a combat veteran turned school student who struggles daily with PTSD and though the film begins with graphic images (which is to give viewers a real sense of what soldiers diagnosed with PTSD are facing), the film has a great meaning. A veteran battling with PTSD is never alone and in the end of the film you will see what I mean.

Kyle along with the other veterans I have mentioned are using the internet to their advantage to help raise awareness of so many issues pertaining to us who served in the military.

Though the Veterans Affairs was created to help us veterans who served or are serving, I have found that many times the best source of information comes from another veteran.

Homeless Veterans

April 12th, 2009

We don’t leave a soldier behind on the battle field, but why do we leave a soldier behind here in the U.S.?

The numbers of homeless veterans is staggering. In every state there is a problem with returning veterans who find themselves on the streets, with no benefits and no one to turn too. However with all the support that is out there provided by organizations such as The Soldier Project, Stand Down and other nonprofit organizations, we still see veterans stumbling to get back on their feet.

Some say these veterans themselves were the reason for their failure as many fell into substance abuse problems and some say it’s because of failures in the government system. Whatever the case may be, we still need to realize that for a veteran who served our country and who many fought in ugly wars, we owe it to these people to keep them off the streets and give them enough support to get them back on their feet.

Here is a link of the number of homeless veterans in each state for the year 2006.

http://www.nchv.org/page.cfm?id=81

Today with veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan we are seeing the numbers increase. Here is an article by the New York Times about the increase in homeless veterans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/08/us/08vets.html

Stand Down organization

http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=6

The Soldier Project

http://www.thesoldiersproject.org/

Below is a link to my Transitioning Veteran WIKI Homeless Veterans section which has numbers and information pertaining to helping homeless veterans.

http://transitioningveteran.com/mediawiki/index.php?title=Homeless_Veterans

Lets not leave these guys behind who have sacrificed so much for us.