PHOENIX — The population of female veterans in the U.S. is small, but the challenges the women face to stave off homelessness are significant.
Sandra Keeme, 35, served in the Navy for seven years. She was deployed three times — twice to Iraq, once to Japan.
During her deployment to Japan, she was sexually assaulted by a fellow service member. She developed trust and anger issues and quickly spiraled into alcoholism after she left the Navy. She eventually became homeless.
Keeme is one of six women living at a transitional housing facility for veterans in downtown Phoenix that is run by the Madison Street Veterans Association, a local nonprofit that helps homeless vets. She has post-traumatic stress disorder as a secondary effect of military sexual trauma. PTSD and military sexual assault are common among women in the military and are increasingly gaining national attention as more women step forward.
“We’ve all been through kind of the same situation. Being a part of the veteran community is like you have automatically an extended family,” Keeme said, sitting on her bunk bed in the veteran women’s center at MANA House, which stands for Marines, Army, Navy and Air Force.
“We don’t know how many women veterans are homeless in the Valley. I think one of the biggest reasons we don’t know is because of the domestic violence that is prevalent in the veteran world.”
...At the Dayton [OH] VA, spending has risen to a projected $285.3 million this year compared to $131.2 million in 2001.
Two factors more than any others have driven health care costs higher at the Dayton VA Medical Center, officials said. Aging Vietnam veterans who have more health needs as they grow older, and the return home of thousands of veterans from the battlegrounds of Iraq and Afghanistan.
“It’s the number of veterans returning from the war, but it’s also the conditions they are returning with,” said Dr. William J. Germann, Dayton VA chief of primary care service and a retired Air Force brigadier general. “There are a number of veterans coming back dysfunctional and as a result may not be able to hold a job.”
Straining under the national debt, budget cutters have slashed billions in federal spending and ordered unpaid furloughs of hundreds of thousands of Department of Defense civilian employees, but the VA’s spending has more than doubled in little more than a decade and keeps climbing.
“It’s a tricky issue because you want to make sure we are keeping our compact with men and women who have served and been in harm’s way … but you also recognize we’re not doing those men and women a service if we’re not spending that money wisely,” said Stephen C. Ellis, vice president of the non-partisan Taxpayers for Common Sense in Washington, D.C., and a former Coast Guard officer.
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will not put a price tag on how much a punitive U.S. strike against Syria might cost, but says it will come up with the money.
“I wouldn’t be able to offer details on costs at this time,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said at a Thursday briefing. “We don’t know precisely what the military operation would look like, so I can’t give a precise cost estimate.”
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Sept. 4 that the cost of a military strike against Syria would depend on the type of operation chosen by President Obama.
“We have given some ranges of this,” Hagel said. “It would be in the tens of millions of dollars, that kind of range.”
The United States and its allies say the Syrian government recently used chemical weapons that responsible for killing about 1,500 civilians. Obama wants to launch a punitive strike against Syria, however he is seeking congressional approval beforehand.
While we wait for this watershed transition, a bigger focus needs to be placed on our women vets with not just equality but with a recognition that women have a different set of needs. It can be done, it has to be done. We cannot continue to honor our female veterans while ignoring the fact that so many have been broken by a male-dominated system. We need to stop the system that breaks them.
more than 60 percent of transitional housing programs receiving grants from the Department of Veterans Affairs did not accept children, or restricted their age and number, according to a 2011 report by the Government Accountability Office.
Quote by Raine:
Alexis was the worst Buddhist ever.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
Alexis was the worst Buddhist ever.
Sorry I didn't mean to make light of the tragedy, but damn Raine, that was funny as hell!.
Alexis also told police he was present during “the tragic events of September 11, 2001″ and described “how those events had disturbed him.â€
Detectives later spoke with Alexis’ father, who lived in New York at the time, who told police Alexis had anger management problems associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and that Alexis had been an active participant in rescue attempts on September 11th, 2001.
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Still waiting for blood test results on Lucky.
He had a fairly decent breakfast before I left.
Mondo, took your suggestion and Mrs. Rabbit picked up some turkey baby food. He's devouring it. (at least that's what she says)
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Still waiting for blood test results on Lucky.
He had a fairly decent breakfast before I left.
Mondo, took your suggestion and Mrs. Rabbit picked up some turkey baby food. He's devouring it. (at least that's what she says)
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by trojanrabbit:
Still waiting for blood test results on Lucky.
He had a fairly decent breakfast before I left.
Mondo, took your suggestion and Mrs. Rabbit picked up some turkey baby food. He's devouring it. (at least that's what she says)
It smells nasty and looks worse, but if he's eating who cares. Go Lucky, go! :vibes:
Quote by Raine:
I missed this yesterday with all the other things going on.
Rush is being replaced by RUSH
Quote by trojanrabbit:Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by trojanrabbit:
Still waiting for blood test results on Lucky.
He had a fairly decent breakfast before I left.
Mondo, took your suggestion and Mrs. Rabbit picked up some turkey baby food. He's devouring it. (at least that's what she says)
It smells nasty and looks worse, but if he's eating who cares. Go Lucky, go! :vibes:
Apparently, he doesn't care how it smells.
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by Raine:
I missed this yesterday with all the other things going on.
Rush is being replaced by RUSH
The best rush of all would be neither. Can't stand the bloviating gas bag or Limbaugh.
Quote by Mondobubba:
Scoop! Mike Ehrmantraut fairy tails.
Quote by Mondobubba:
Scoop! Mike Ehrmantraut fairy tails.
Quote by Scoopster:
That was good stuff man!
And yes, I watched BB last night as planned. Jeeeeebus this show is just so good.
I also watched the season finale of The Newsroom. I'm a little worried that they only had nine episodes this year - I hope it's not a portent that the show's been cancelled.
Quote by Raine:I hope not either. Newsroom is just starting to hit its stride.Quote by Scoopster:
That was good stuff man!
And yes, I watched BB last night as planned. Jeeeeebus this show is just so good.
I also watched the season finale of The Newsroom. I'm a little worried that they only had nine episodes this year - I hope it's not a portent that the show's been cancelled.
I'm still a little burned that HBO cancelled Carnivale --
(and K street -- although it never really made sense to me)
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Raine:I hope not either. Newsroom is just starting to hit its stride.Quote by Scoopster:
That was good stuff man!
And yes, I watched BB last night as planned. Jeeeeebus this show is just so good.
I also watched the season finale of The Newsroom. I'm a little worried that they only had nine episodes this year - I hope it's not a portent that the show's been cancelled.
I'm still a little burned that HBO cancelled Carnivale --
(and K street -- although it never really made sense to me)
They cancel all kinds of good shows! I was PISSED when they ditched Bored to Death that show was HILARIOUS!
Quote by Raine:Every time I watched it I loved it.Quote by Scoopster:Quote by Raine:I hope not either. Newsroom is just starting to hit its stride.Quote by Scoopster:
That was good stuff man!
And yes, I watched BB last night as planned. Jeeeeebus this show is just so good.
I also watched the season finale of The Newsroom. I'm a little worried that they only had nine episodes this year - I hope it's not a portent that the show's been cancelled.
I'm still a little burned that HBO cancelled Carnivale --
(and K street -- although it never really made sense to me)
They cancel all kinds of good shows! I was PISSED when they ditched Bored to Death that show was HILARIOUS!
Quote by BobR:
I finally got access to the servers where all the DB bridge code runs. My reactions:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Elisabeth Hasselbeck says something really stupid! Stop the presses!
Quote by Mondobubba:Quote by BobR:
I finally got access to the servers where all the DB bridge code runs. My reactions:
That bad, eh?
Quote by Raine:
Since 9/11 we have more dead from shootings In America than we have had from those terror attacks.
Just saying.
(edited to clarify)
Quote by BobR:Quote by Raine:
Since 9/11 we have more dead from shootings In America than we have had from those terror attacks.
Just saying.
(edited to clarify)
I seem to recall that I posted a stat in a blog a month or two back that more Americans have died from guns since 9/11 then were killed in all the wars in our history. Of course that includes accidental and self-inflicted, but it's still a stunning statistic.
Quote by Raine:
has anyone ever thought that the right to bear arms is outdated?
Quote by TriSec:Quote by Raine:
has anyone ever thought that the right to bear arms is outdated?
I can believe that. Look, all of us are city-dwellers, right?
I've been in the backcountry. I totally understand that folks in Maine, Alaska, or Montana might want to have some kind of firearm around.
But Metrowest Boston? No. Shouldn't we be past that point now?
(True story - I was getting a flat tire fixed yesterday, watching all the DC stuff going on in the tire shop waiting room. Another gentleman commented that his friend in NH has an AR-15. He had asked him "do you really need that to hunt deer?" And his friend replied "No, I need it to protect myself from an oppresive government." I really had to shake my head at that. Good luck against an M1-A1 or an A-10, dude.)
Quote by TriSec:
"Hi Joe. If you can print up the flyers with the kids knifing satan out of the family pet - I like that one" I wrote as a placeholder for my District Executive while I went to look up the correct flyer design to order today.
I'm really glad I re-read that email before I sent it.
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Well, blood tests confirmed Lucky is essentially in liver failure.
I can either hospitalize him (hahahah) where he gets lots of IV and poked and prodded, or the vet will show me how to inject him with fluids (if he'll let me) and I do that every other day then feed him as much as he'll take and then some.
It would be at least a couple of weeks before we know if that will help him (if he doesn't just shut down first). As long as he's eating he has a chance.
Unfortunately, the root cause is unknown. If it's a tumor or something that caused him to not eat so much, it's just going to happen again.
Quote by Scoopster:Quote by trojanrabbit:
Well, blood tests confirmed Lucky is essentially in liver failure.
I can either hospitalize him (hahahah) where he gets lots of IV and poked and prodded, or the vet will show me how to inject him with fluids (if he'll let me) and I do that every other day then feed him as much as he'll take and then some.
It would be at least a couple of weeks before we know if that will help him (if he doesn't just shut down first). As long as he's eating he has a chance.
Unfortunately, the root cause is unknown. If it's a tumor or something that caused him to not eat so much, it's just going to happen again.
~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~~ Healin Vibes for Lucky! ~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~
Quote by wickedpam:
Beer event over - what I miss?
Quote by Will in Chicago:
Hi, bloggers!!!
I hope that everyone is well. I am pretty busy this week, as I am taking my sister in law's Dad to a VA hospital for kidney dialysis.
We need to do more with social services for our troops and veterans. I have to wonder if yesterday's tragedy could have been prevented by a universal background check and better mental health services.
Quote by Raine:hope it was good beer...Quote by wickedpam:
Beer event over - what I miss?