November 29, 2011 – NG.mil

On the day he formally assumed the duties of the director of the Army National Guard, Army Maj. Gen. William E. Ingram, Jr. was simultaneously promoted to lieutenant general during a Pentagon ceremony here Monday afternoon.

The ceremony was standing-room-only as friends, family and colleagues from Ingram’s almost 40-years of service as an Army National Guard officer came out to support the Army Guard’s 20th director.

Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley, the chief of the National Guard Bureau, said, “The last time we had an official director of the Army National Guard was back in April of 2009.”

Since then, Army Maj. Gen. Raymond Carpenter – who was also in attendance for the ceremony – has served as acting director for more than 29 months.

Read the full article.

November 30, 2011 - Mcclatchydc.com

Senators gave a public scolding Wednesday to the director of mental health operations for the nation’s veterans, saying the federal government must speed up services for those with post-traumatic stress disorder and other afflictions.

Faced with a 34 percent increase in the number of veterans who have sought mental health services since 2006, the Department of Veterans Affairs has not kept pace, said Democratic Sen. Patty Murray.

As a result, too many veterans are waiting far too long to get help, which is leading to a rash of suicides, increased drug abuse and other problems, said Murray, who heads the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

Offering an example from her home state of Washington, Murray said veterans seeking psychiatric help in Spokane have had to wait an average of 21 days for an appointment, with a maximum wait time of up to 87 days.

“We need to fix this now,” Murray said at a committee hearing that she called to examine the topic.

Read the full article.

December 1, 2011 – Camp Lejeune Globe

As a young man, retired Sergeant Major E.L.B. Mayfield wanted to be a great warfighter. After one year of college, he left his books behind to join the Marine Corps in the hopes of fulfilling his wish.

Inspired by an All-Air Force judo champion, Mayfield began to study the art of judo and immerse himself in the martial arts lifestyle.

The Marine Corps gave Mayfield the chance to further his study of judo and he became a hand-to-hand combat instructor before spending time in Vietnam, where he fulfilled his wish to become a warfighter.

Read the full article.

USA Today

Accounts of chronic staff shortages among Department of Veterans Affairs mental health staff and veterans discouraged over delays in therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder were brought before a Senate Veterans’ Affairs committee hearing today.

“Too often, I am told that the patient will have to wait as long as six weeks for the first appointment. But after waiting that long, many patients lose the motivation for treatment, or their PTSD worsens while they are waiting,” testified Michelle Washington, a coordinator of PTSD care at a VA hospital in Wilmington, Del.

Forty percent of about 600 Iraq- and Afghanistan-era veterans surveyed by the non-profit Wounded Warrior Project in recent weeks, and who were seeking VA mental health treatment, reportedly struggled in getting help. And among those, 40% received no therapy at all, said John Roberts, executive vice president of the organization.

Read the full article.

December 2, 2011 – Fortbragg.patch.com

Comprehensive soldier fitness is key to overcoming adversities faced, both in and out of the war zone.

After nearly nine years at war, the effects on troops have been apparent and in some cases tragic. The leadership has seen firsthand the importance of resiliency in order for soldiers to accomplish their mission and maintain the expected level of readiness.

“One proven tool is ensuring all servicemembers are ready to transition – mentally, spiritually, and embrace the host of programs that Fort Bragg has to offer them and their families,” said Gen. Helmick to Patch in Tuesday’s media roundtable.

Fort Bragg offers over 500 available programs to the military and their families. Just as warfare has changed over the years, so have the programs that have transformed to meet the needs and weather the rigors of war.

“One day our soldiers can be in Baghdad on a counter indirect fire patrol, and five days later they can be back at Fort Bragg walking in a mall,” said Helmick. “The mental adjustment our soldiers have to make is pretty extreme and we’ve been good at that.”

Read the full article.