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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2009
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NEWS ABOUT: Afghanistan veterans

Afghanistan veterans stories: 14 news summaries
ANALYSIS

 Civilian Contractors Are the 'Vietnam Vets' of Our Time

Workers injured in war zones are the hidden cost of Iraq, Afghanistan wars

Oct 7, 09 7:30 AM CDT
(Newser) - Thousands of Americans have come home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who are veterans in all but name, writes T. Christian Miller—and the benefits afforded veterans. The military's unprecedented reliance on civilian contractors has left thousands injured and disabled with no safety net or public gratitude. Whether... More »

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veterans • veterans' benefits • Iraq contractors • KBR • Afghanistan veterans • Iraq war • military contractors

 War Games 
 Help Vets 
 Cope With 
 PTSD 

Psychologists say virtual reality allows vets to confront and overcome trauma

Sep 29, 09 9:02 AM CDT
(Newser) - Using realistic war games to re-create the sights, sounds, and even smells of combat is helping veterans overcome post-traumatic stress disorder in several clinical trials. Games like Virtual Iraq—modeled on Full Spectrum Warrior—help psychologists bring patients back to traumatic events and break down mental barriers. Researchers say the... More »

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veterans • US military • virtual reality • PTSD • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • video games • post-traumatic stress disorder

(Newser) - The army has a new plan to fight rampant suicide, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder: a $117 million program to train soldiers in "emotional resiliency."  Beginning in October, all 1.1 million soldiers will receive intensive training aimed at helping them identify and change destructive thinking patterns,... More »

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mental health • US Army • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • Iraq war • Afghanistan war • post-traumatic stress disorder

(Newser) - A new program is putting some smiles on the many pained faces at Walter Reed Army Medical Center—and perhaps even helping wounded veterans recover, Slate reports. The seed for Musicorps came when musician/producer/tinkerer Arthur Bloom was asked to help an amputee there play drums again. Now, the program teaches... More »

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music • rehabilitation • brain damage • Walter Reed Army Medical Center • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • Jay-ZTV • Musicorps • Arthur Bloom

 360K US Troops 
 Suffer Brain Injuries 

As many as 20% of war vets have had concussions or worse

Mar 4, 09 5:53 PM CST
(AP) - The number of US troops who have suffered wartime brain injuries may be as high as 360,000, say Defense Department doctors. They estimate that between 10% and 20% of the roughly 1.8 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan had such injuries—the vast majority of... More »

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soldier • concussions • Bill Maher • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • traumatic brain injury • Iraq war • Afghanistan war • Bill Maher Grid

Vets' Families Seek Pay as Caregivers

Say disability money doesn't cover needs
for injured troops

Nov 12, 08 9:39 AM CST
(Newser) - Wounded soldiers receive disability pensions based on the extent of their injuries, but for many families that money doesn't come close to covering the costs of caregiving. After Matt Keil returned home a quadriplegic, his wife, Tracy, quit her job to care for him, losing a $58,000 per-year income... More »

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health care • veterans' benefits • veterans' health care • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • traumatic brain injury • caregivers

 Young Vets Burst 
 Onto Political Scene 

Military stays neutral, but returned troops stump for both sides

Oct 28, 08 7:42 AM CDT
(Newser) - Military rules bar troops from getting involved in politics while on duty, the New York Times reports, but as they return home more young vets are diving into an election that will determine the nation's course in Afghanistan and Iraq. Driven by a sense of political duty and kept up... More »

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veterans • US military • political activism • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • Election 2008

Troop Brain Injuries Often Overlooked

Wounded suffer blast affects that stump medical experts

Aug 26, 08 2:29 AM CDT
(Newser) - An alarming number of US veterans are returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffering long-term effects from concussions, the New York Times reports. Half of those who have suffered concussions quickly recover, but others have symptoms—including memory loss and mood swings—that can resurface months after the... More »

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veterans • US military • concussions • PTSD • brain injuries • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans

 Vets Slipping Into the Bottle 

Military blames troubled vets turning to booze for rise in misconduct

Jul 8, 08 5:36 AM CDT
(Newser) - A rise in alcohol abuse among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is worrying military officials, the New York Times reports. Counseling services for vets suffering post-traumatic stress disorder are stretched to the limit and many tormented former soldiers are turning instead to the bottle. The increase in binge drinking, and a... More »

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alcoholism • US military • substance abuse • PTSD • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans

 'Virtual Iraq'
 Helps Vets
 Face Stress 

Treatment drags soldiers back to moments of crisis

May 18, 08 5:14 AM CDT
(Newser) - Therapists are plunging US war veterans back into the horrors of battle—as therapy. A virtual reality treatment is helping them cope with post-traumatic stress disorder by returning them to scarring events until their shock value wanes. "When the ground starts vibrating and you smell smoke and hear the... More »

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veterans • Vietnam veteran • virtual reality • therapy • PTSD • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • cognitive behavioral therapy

VA Doctor Discouraged Post-Traumatic Diagnoses

Email urged staffers
to save disability costs

May 16, 08 9:55 AM CDT
(Newser) - A team leader at a veterans' medical center in Texas sent staffers an email urging them to avoid diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder, the Washington Post reports. "Given that we are having more and more compensation-seeking veterans, I'd like to suggest that you refrain from giving a diagnosis of PTSD... More »

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veterans • mental health • veterans' benefits • veterans' health care • Department of Veterans Affairs • PTSD • James B. Peake • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans

'Sorry' Gates: We Let Down Our Soldiers

He regrets poor treatment for Iraq, Afghanistan vets

May 2, 08 7:04 AM CDT
(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates admitted yesterday that the US military made mistakes in taking care of soldiers back from Afghanistan and Iraq, reports Reuters. He said he regretted that veterans had received inadequate care for physical and mental problems, particularly those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. Gates also acknowledged that... More »

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veterans • Robert Gates • veterans' health care • US military • PTSD • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans

Nonprofit Builds Free
Houses for Wounded Vets

Mass. group provides 'great ending to bad beginning'

Mar 20, 08 3:53 PM CDT
(Newser) - A nonprofit group is putting up customized homes for badly injured vets returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Christian Science Monitor reports. Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops is building in 20 states, fueled by donated supplies, land, and labor. “When a vet is in need, people come out of... More »

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military • soldier • volunteer • wounded • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • Iraq war • returning troops • Homes for Our Troops • troops' families • injured

Overseas Tours Cost Soldiers Child Custody

Deployment often means troops have rough time in court

Feb 15, 08 3:35 PM CST
(Newser) - In what the Pentagon and parent-advocacy groups agree is a growing trend, troops serving overseas are unable to maintain custody of their children upon their return, NPR reports. One National Guardswoman raised her son until her unit deployed to Iraq, when his father took temporary custody. AFter she returned home,... More »

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parenting • National Guard • US military • military families • Iraq veterans • Afghanistan veterans • Tanya Towne • soldiers' families • custody battle

14 Stories


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