War Games Help Vets Cope With PTSD

And group has no intention of ceasing its use: rep

(NEWSER) - The VFW is stirring up quite a bit of controversy—no, not Veterans of Foreign Wars, but Veterans for Weed. In addition to co-opting the VFW acronym, the pro-marijuana-legalization group also uses a logo that looks like the POW/MIA icon, except with the soldier smoking a joint. The real VFW has sent a cease-and-desist letter to the group, and because "VFW" is copyrighted, the tokers may have to comply with the acronym part. But it has no intention of ditching its controversial logo, Military Times reports. More»

Plus, troubling details about suspected gunman Benjamin Colton Barnes

(NEWSER) - The Iraq war veteran suspected of killing a Mount Rainier ranger died from drowning, with hypothermia contributing to his death, his autopsy concludes. Benjamin Colton Barnes was found "face down, totally in the water" of a creek, wearing just jeans, a T-shirt, and one shoe, according to a sheriff's spokesperson. He had a handgun and weapon magazines with him, and a rifle was found nearby, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, a picture of the troubled 24-year-old is emerging. In a court filing earlier this year, the mother of his infant daughter said she feared Barnes might use his weapons against her or her family, CNN reports. She added that he may have been suffering from PTSD. More»

About 5% may have canine PTSD: New York Times

(NEWSER) - Post-traumatic stress disorder doesn't affect only humans: About 5% of the military's 650 combat dogs have canine PTSD, reports the New York Times . The diagnosis itself is only about 18 months old and a bit controversial, but military veterinarians are seeing more and more dogs who can no longer perform duties such as sniffing out IEDS after a harrowing experience. More»

Another 1 in 3 disagree: Pew Research Center poll

(NEWSER) - Friday marks the 10th anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan; with an eye on the decade-long effort, the Pew Research Center asks veterans: Were the Afghanistan and Iraq wars worth it? Just 34% of post-Sept. 11 veterans say yes, while another 33% say no (Afghanistan is considered slightly more worthwhile than Iraq, according to the poll). Even so, 96% say they are "proud" of their military service, and 82% say they would advise young people to enlist, Politico reports. More»

Video games, Botox, coffee could all help more than they hurt

(NEWSER) - Bad habits are admittedly, well ... bad for you, unless you have an ailment that a bad habit might cure. Cracked sums up five:

• Video Games That Cure PTSD. "No, this isn't taken from some press release from Activision"—it's the result of work by the Department of Defense. "It's called virtual reality exposure therapy, and it forces subjects to relive the traumatic experiences" by replaying them in a video game.