...obstacles to overcome both physical and mental. Most soldiers are not aware of a certain condition that they might have developed while deployed in a war zone. This condition is called Traumatic Brain Injury, also known as TBI. It is an injury that is not found on the outside of the body but rather internal, therefore it is called the Unseen Wound. Even though it’s unseen, TBI is real and affects a large percentage of veterans returning from war and test results show that an average of 46 percent of soldiers have TBI. Traumatic brain injury, the signature wound of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, is doubly cruel: it leaves many victims emotionally shattered and cognitively crippled. But because mild and moderate brain injuries do not show up on CT or other imaging devices, doctors and even family members are often skeptical that any real damage exists. TBI is real and affects a large percentage of veterans returning from war. “Consistent with the designation of TBI as one of the signature injuries of the war theaters in Iraq and Afghanistan, 46% of the returning veterans recruited for this project screened positive for a deployment-related TBI” (Morissette, Woodward, & Kimbrel, Meyer, Kruse, 2011, p. 346). I have deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan and have sustained injuries in result of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED’s) and mortar attacks. Shortly after returning home, my family and close friends noticed that I was no longer the same person. Even though my family...
Words: 3162 - Pages: 13
...Research Paper Invisible Scars Putt, Putt, Boom! The car in front of me backfires and I instinctively swerve to the right to avoid it while jumping 2 feet in my seat. This is my reality and is also the reality of so many of my brothers in arms. We served our great nation in Operation Iraqi Freedom; some of us came home, while others didn’t. For those of us who returned, our inner being had been destroyed by the sights and experiences that we were exposed to during our deployments. We are victims, suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, but by internal wounds that we struggle with on a daily basis. We will never be the same. Many veterans return from war and are unable to adapt to the life they once knew. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the most widely recognized lasting effects of war in service members. PTSD is a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened (Department of Veterans Affairs). Every day while patrolling roads in Iraq we had to be aware of our surroundings and not become complacent. Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were one of the most common threats we were exposed to. These bombs were hidden in the ground like landmines, unable to be seen with a naked eye, and could only be detected by using metal detectors, the eye in the sky, or being ran over. On several occasions my men and I were directly hit by an IED causing shrapnel to penetrate through...
Words: 1190 - Pages: 5
...module's SLP paper, or choose a different one. The article must be no more than 5 years old. The article must include one or more of the inferential statistical procedures that you learned about in this module (that is, a t-test or ANOVA). Begin by providing the reference for the article, in proper format. Write an introductory paragraph that includes a reminder of what your topic is. Introduce and briefly describe the study in one paragraph. Then identify the following: 1. Null and alternative hypothesis 2. Sampling procedures 3. Independent and Dependent Variable/s 4. Alpha level 5. Outcome (significant results, or fail to reject null hypothesis) What 2 questions would you like to ask the researcher about the results? If you were designing your own study about this topic, what would your independent variable be? What would your dependent variable be? What would you expect to find? Reference: Todd, S. (2010). Traumatic Stress as a Predictor of Suicidality. Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Topic: Since the start of the war on terror in 2001, prolonged exposure to combat related stress has been one of the main concerns in our military. Concerns have been most recently centered on two combat-related injuries in particular: post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Many recent reports have referred to these as the signature wounds of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. With the increasing incidence of suicide and suicide attempts...
Words: 587 - Pages: 3
...American civilians, whites have historically and significantly led the way in the rates of suicides. Although leveling off after the 1990’s, the rate of white suicides has still been almost twice as much as minority groups. It has also been shown that males commit suicide significantly more than females. Figure 1 Figure 2 As the rate of suicides increases in our nation, it has risen consistently with white males leading the way, as shown in figures 1 and 2. There are many theories behind what is driving this, however there are no hard facts behind any of these theories and there is still no concrete reason why white males are more prone to commit suicide. A very important group within the American population has been increasing rapidly as well in suicides. The rate of suicides in the U.S. military is so high now, that in 2012, more service members died from suicide than combat exposure. Determining the driving factors behind this increase is not only important in mission readiness and the safety of our nation but can provide information on whether or not key individuals (whites, males) should not be used in combat situations if already prone to suicide. Because it is already proven in the civilian world that these individuals are more prone to commit suicide, one must wonder if this is true in the military. What characteristics predict whether or not an American soldier will commit suicide? Is it the same as in the civilian world? And if there is any difference, it may be important...
Words: 3637 - Pages: 15
...deployment.48 Approximately 50 percent of returning service members who need treatment for mental health conditions seek it, but only slightly more than half who receive treatment receive adequate care.49 The Army suicide rate reached an all-time high in June 2010.50 In the 5 years from 2005 to 2009, more than 1,100 members of the Armed Forces took their own lives, an average of 1 suicide every 36 hours.51 In 2010, the Army’s suicide rate among active-duty soldiers dropped slightly (162 in 2009; 156 in 2010), but the number of suicides in the National Guard and Reserve increased by 55 percent (80 in 2009; 145 in 2010).52 More than half of the Army National Guard members who killed themselves in 2010 had never deployed.53 In 2007, 8 percent of soldiers in Afghanistan reported using alcohol during deployment, and 1.4 percent reported using illegal drugs/substances.54 Between 2004 and 2006, 7.1 percent of U.S. veterans met the criteria for a substance use disorder.55 Mental and substance use disorders caused more hospitalizations among U.S. troops in 2009 than any other cause.56 According to an assessment by the Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Veterans Affairs (VA), nearly 76,000 veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009. Some 136,000 veterans spent at least one night in a shelter during that year.57 Cumulative lengths of deployments are associated with more emotional difficulties among military children and more mental health diagnoses among U.S. Army...
Words: 3477 - Pages: 14
...Preparing to Conduct Business Research Team B RES/351 December 4, 2013 Eric Hogan Preparing to Conduct Business Research In the following paper we will analyze, discuss, and research the reasons behind the U.S. military’s rising suicide rate. Before we get into more details, we will have to ask ourselves some questions as part of our research to get the right answers to support our hypotheses in this complex subject. The first question would be: Who are more likely to commit suicide in the U.S. Army, National Guards, or active duty Soldiers? The suicide rate is higher among the National Guard members because active duty members are accustomed to a more structured way of living, established by standard procedures, steady income, and access to support groups at any given time, which translates into a lower suicide rate among active duty members. National Guard and Reserve Soldiers, predominantly serve part-time, which usually consist of one weekend a month and two weeks during the summer, except when activated for deployment missions. Thus, acquiring to adapt to the active duty way of living, which was introduced to them in basic training, in addition, Reservist have to combine his or her personal lives, financial, and work related issues with his or her transition to active duty status. “In addition, most of the suicides occurred outside the military context—not during a weekend drill, or during annual training, and not while performing other active duty military service...
Words: 1191 - Pages: 5
...Post Traumatic Stress Disorder in soldier Abstract This paper will be discussing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in soldiers. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD), classified as an anxiety disorder, has become increasingly important because of wars overseas, natural disasters, and domestic violence. Typically the individual with PTSD persistently avoids all thoughts, emotions and discussion of the stressor event and may experience amnesia for it. However, the event is commonly relived by the individual through intrusive, recurrent recollections, flashbacks and nightmares. The characteristic symptoms are considered acute if lasting less than three months, chronic if persisting three months or more, and with delayed onset if the symptoms first occur after six months or some years later. PTSD is distinct from the briefer acute stress disorder, and can cause clinical impairment in significant areas of functioning. We will be discussing how PTSD affects the soldiers coming from war, their behaviors, and interaction with society and suicide incidence. Keywords: PTSD, anxiety disorder, soldiers. Post Traumatic Stress disorder in soldier As of today a great number of soldiers that have returned from the Iraq war are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The most current military combats in Iraq, which have involved the ground combats as well as air battle embarked by the United States since the war in Vietnam almost 50 years ago, bring up very essential...
Words: 2976 - Pages: 12
...EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This paper analyzes the cost/benefit of long-term care of Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and the constraints the Department of Veterans Affairs faces in trying to meet the needs of these Soldiers. This paper uses data collected from government sources like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Veterans Benefit Administration. The conclusions of the analysis are that: (a) The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is already overwhelmed by the number of patients it currently sees and the addition of these new Veteran’s seeking care will put a severe strain on the resources that are currently available; (b) The Veterans Benefit Association (VBA) is in need of restructuring to be able to handle the influx on claims it is currently experiencing. As it stands now the current wait time is up to 90 days before a Veteran will receive their disability rating and that time can increase with these additional claims; and (c) Providing medical care and disability compensation benefits to the Soldiers returning from the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan can cost anywhere from $400 - $900 billion depending on the type of care required, how quickly they file their claims, and the growth rate of those benefits. The recommendations that need to be considered include: increasing the staff as well as the budget for Veterans Medical Centers especially those that specialize in mental health treatment; restructure the claims process and increase...
Words: 5865 - Pages: 24
...The Department of Veterans Affairs Information Management System: Serving those that Served Punefuolemotu E.L. Aiumu Everest University MBA Degree Program Information Management System Abstract I selected this title because I served in the United States Army from 2003 to 2010. I was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and several other operations. However, when I left the Service it became clear to me years later that Veterans Affairs weren’t ready to treat our Men and Women coming back from War. So I did some extensive research on how the system may have failed the people it was supposed to serve. And a good example of the system’s failure was the second Fort Hood incident in 2014. Keywords: Veterans Affairs, Fort Hood, Service The Department of Veterans Affairs Information Management System: Serving those that Served The reason why I chose this subject is because it is close to home and it also affects me. After two weeks of this class I wanted to dive deep into information management. I want to know why our system at the Department of Veterans Affairs do not stand ready to serve the Veteran population of our Nation properly. So many Veterans complain about loss or insufficient pensions because the VA hasn’t track them sufficiently. Sitting at Veterans Hospital in Orlando, FL I hear two Vietnam era Veterans talk about not having VA ID Cards. And they have been waiting for it since 2009. I asked them why it took this long, and they said, “The...
Words: 1987 - Pages: 8
...“The Unjustified Operation Sting’s Excesses, Its effects, consequences, possible aftereffects and Suggestions to cub future occurrences. – A case study of Army veteran Edwin Gennette in the Operation Blue Shepherd” Olusegun M. Salako ITT Technical Institute, Hanover Abstract With reference to an online publication on the story of a certain Army veteran and a series of other sources of materials (online, in prints and also by employing empirical interviews and findings), that describe the minds of criminals and the procedures of the police sting operations, especially in the Pensacola area of Escambia County in Florida, USA — dubbed Operation Blue Shepherd, this research work expatiates the effects, consequences and possible aftereffects of this operations when these operations’ tactics cross the line to publicly and unjustly tag unintended victims of their online traps, sex offenders. This paper is also aimed at highlighting the different effects of verdicts of punishment on a culprit and on an innocent victim of poor investigations. This work proffers a solution in the form of suggestions to the cases of genuinely debatable arrests of entrapped individuals with obviously legal intentions as in the case of Army veteran Edwin Gennette. Operation Sting should not pressure their temptation tactics on unintended innocent victims, with the use of legal baits, in order to get them to err. Keywords: pressured temptation tactics, minds of criminals Intercepting, apprehending...
Words: 1416 - Pages: 6
...high risk individuals and groups. High risk families can be defined as those families with a higher than expected risk for developing a particular disease or injury in association to their lifestyle, environment, habits, or socio-economic conditions. Post active-duty war veterans are a group that is at high risk for developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can lead to physical, psychological, and social problems. These problems not only affect the veteran but also strongly alter the health and lifestyle of the entire family. The objective of this paper is to present the health profile and behaviors of PTSD veterans, describe assessment models and theories that are applicable to the patient and family, and identify Healthy People 2020 objectives that relate to this high risk group. In addition, the paper will present nurse intervention strategies based on health promotion and prevention as well as the role of advanced practice nurses as case managers. Health Profile According to the Mayo Clinic (2012), PTSD “is a mental health condition that is triggered by a terrifying event” (p. 1). After experiencing severe trauma or a life-threatening event, many deployed war veterans develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress. Many feel as though their lives or the lives of others are in imminent danger in which they have no control. These feelings develop...
Words: 2137 - Pages: 9
...2013 d)Author(s) name Blosnich, John R.; Gordon, Adam J.; Bossarte, Robert M. e)Page number(s) (i.e., 45-46) pS595-S602 f)Database where the article was found Ebscohost 2. What was the purpose of the article (what was the author attempting to convey, research, etc.)? The authors were comparing the association of military service history with past-year suicidal ideation and past-30-days mental distress in a probability-based sample of adults. 3. What were the results of the study? The authors discovered that the military history status among those aged 40 to 64 years was associated with both past-year suicidal ideation and past-30-days mental distress. The authors found no significant associations among the younger or older age groups. 4. What are the recommendations given by the author for change, implementation, future research, etc.? It is possible that increases in suicidal behavior after separation from active-duty military service are related to disruptions in social networks and availability of other supportive resources. Research is needed to confirm the increased risk after separation from active-duty military service and investigate the relationship between transition and nonfatal suicide behaviors. 5. What information or literature did the author(s) use to build a case for the study? Data are from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 BRFSS. Computer-assisted telephone interviews with...
Words: 352 - Pages: 2
...INSTRUCTIONS FOR WRITING THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL 1. Use the template below in drafting your capstone proposal. Remove the italicized instructions contained in each section box and replace them with your written proposal text. Do not alter the formatting (boxes and fonts) of the template. 2. Important: Have someone read/proofread/edit your work. 3. Please make sure you address the points listed in the instruction boxes. 4. Once completed, upload the file to the appropriate link in Moodle. 5. Your proposal is a living document. We will be using and refining this document once we as the term progresses. 6. Remember – this is a DRAFT proposal at this point. As such, its contents will still need significant improvement and revisions as you use its contents in writing your capstone in MM598. 7. Submit the complete proposal via Moodle. CAPSTONE PROPOSAL MM 514 – Practical Research Name(s): | Danny Shipman | Proposed Research Topic/Title: | Do Southern Oregon Veterans Face the Same Challenges as Veterans Across the Rest of the Nation When Transitioning from Military to Civilian Life | Executive Summary: | This section essentially provides the reader of your proposal an informative abstract, giving the reader the chance to see the essentials of the proposal without having to read the details as written in the following sections. The executive summary should include a brief statement...
Words: 2573 - Pages: 11
...that wants to hurt me. Sometimes the smell of burning plastic or a certain smell which I can't quite put my finger on makes my heart race and puts me back in combat mode. These are just some of the problems soldiers face when they return from war. It is something called PTSD ( Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). In this paper I will discuss the definition of PTSD, soldiers committing crimes, and suicides after deployment. Also, what kinds of treatments that are out there for soldiers. Finally, we will discuss the struggles of a soldier returning home. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a condition resulting from exposure to direct or indirect threat of death, serious injury, or a physical threat. Events that can cause PTSD are called "stressors” and may include natural disasters, accidents or deliberate man-made events/disasters, including war. Symptoms of PTSD can include recurrent thoughts of a traumatic event, reduced involvement in work or outside interests, emotional numbing, hyper-alertness, anxiety and irritability. The disorder can be more severe and longer lasting when the stress is human initiated action (example: war, rape, terrorism) (Veterans Affairs.gov 2010). Crime is always high next to a active duty post. It is plain math. You have your normal amount of civilians, and you add the total amount of soldiers to that. The volume of military-related crime off-post is beginning to tax civilian law enforcement authorities. Felony El Paso County jail bookings...
Words: 1599 - Pages: 7
...the numbers are as follows: • Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF): About 11-20 out of every 100 Veterans (or between 11-20%) who served in OIF or OEF have PTSD in a given year. Gulf War (Desert Storm): About 12 out of every 100 Gulf War Veterans (or 12%) have PTSD in a given year. • Vietnam War: About 15 out of every 100 Vietnam Veterans (or 15%) were currently diagnosed with PTSD at the time of the most recent study in the late 1980s, the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (NVVRS). It is estimated that about 30 out of every 100 (or 30%) of Vietnam Veterans have had PTSD in their lifetime. (How Common is PTSD? (n.d.) Many have tried to come up with an effective treatment to help our service members suffering through PTSD. Although there are many types of treatment therapy and medication, this article will focus on using forms of meditation like Transcendental Meditation (TM) or yoga to help veterans suffering through PTSD. Veterans with PTSD There are many forms of treatment, the most common being a combination of therapy and medication. However as in all treatments in psychology, not all people respond well and others don’t find it effective. This causes many veterans to stop seeking treatment altogether. Some don’t even choose to report that they suffer from PTSD. PTSD which affects about one in five veterans, is typically triggered by the experience of a terrifying or life-threatening event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares...
Words: 1685 - Pages: 7
