[Vision2020] Budget cuts could slash $1B from vets health care

Moscow Cares moscowcares at moscow.com
Mon Jan 2 11:13:21 PST 2012


A friend of mine, a Marine Vietnam veteran, that attended NIC with me, was diagnosed with a "treatable" case of PTSD.  

Later, as I transferred to UI, he was going to transfer to Boise State. The NIC veteran rep suggested that he be evaluated at American Falls before enrolling at BSU.  Due to budget restraints back then (summer '92), it was determined that, although his case does require "occasional monitoring", he would not be admitted and that the "occasional monitoring" would be conducted on an out-patient status.

His appointments were irregular (averaging once a month).  I would get a call from him once in a while.  Those calls ceased after about a year later, about the same time his appointments ceased.  I called his girlfriend at about that time, only to learn that she had no idea where he was.

He never did enroll in BSU, either.

By all means, let's cut veterans' health care . . . now that the troops have returned from Iraq.

Seeya later, Moscow.

Tom Hansen
Spokane, Washington

"If not us, who?
If not now, when?"

- Unknown

On Jan 2, 2012, at 10:50 AM, 1000Acres <1000acres at gmail.com> wrote:

> …and we ALL pay.  Please note the comments after the article.
> 
>  
> 
> B. J. Swanson
> 
>  
> 
> ----------------------
> 
>  
> 
> Ranger shot, killed at Mount Rainier National Park
> 
>  
> 
> A 34-year-old park ranger and mother of two was shot and killed this morning at Mount Rainier National Park. The suspect remains on the loose, and authorities have identified a 24-year-old man as a "strong person of interest."
> 
>  
> 
> Suspect in Mount Rainier shooting allegedly had ‘small arsenal’
> 
>  
> 
> The man wanted in connection with Sunday’s killing of a Mount Rainier National Park ranger kept a “small arsenal” of weapons at his King County residence that intimidated the mother of his daughter, according to child custody records in Pierce County Superior Court. Benjamin Colton Barnes Adam Ashton, the man wanted in connection with Sunday’s killing of a Mount Rainier National Park ranger kept a “small arsenal” of weapons at his King County residence that intimidated the mother of his daughter, according to child custody records in Pierce County Superior Court. Benjamin Colton Barnes was unstable and possibly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Nicole Santos of Puyallup alleged in court. She told the court that Barnes, 24, threatened to kill himself on Jan. 1, 2011, and a second time on July 10, 2011.“Benjamin has many guns and knives in his home,” she wrote in a May petition for a restraining order. “The threats I have received from him and his vindictive personality makes me feel unsafe. ”Santos sought to limit Barnes’ access to their daughter because she alleged Barnes was inattentive, combustible and possibly abusive with the child. She cited a July incident in which the baby fell and hurt her face. Days later, the baby reportedly had bruises in conspicuous places, such as her legs. The mother claimed Barnes would not tell her how the baby fell. A court-appointed mediator limited his visitation rights in a November decision. The dispute is on track for a January trial, according to court records. Santos further described Barnes as emotionally abusive in a May filing in which she sought a restraining order. She highlighted arguments that she feared would leave psychological scars on their daughter. “I am fearful of what Benjamin is capable of with the small arsenal he has in his home and his recent threat of suicide,” Santos wrote in a July court filing. Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer on Sunday told reporters that Barnes appeared to have military training. Court records are not clear on when or how Barnes served. Santos wrote in a court filing that Barnes deployed to Iraq in 2007-08 and appeared troubled by what he experienced. Barnes was arrested in March 2009 on suspicion of driving while under the influence of alcohol in King County. At times he was confined to a military base, and a sergeant from Fort Lewis called the court at least once to check on whether Barnes was attending his hearings, according to King County District Court records. The DUI records also suggest Barnes was passed over for a late 2009 deployment because of the criminal charges. While that case was unfolding, Barnes was in Lakewood Municipal Court for hearings related to January 2009 charges that he hit an unattended vehicle while he was driving under the influence of alcohol. A 2010 collection notice in Pierce County Superior Court revealed that Barnes was not on active-duty military service in June 2010.
> 
> 
> 
> JOIN THE DISCUSSION
> 
>  
> 
> harleyrider1 Her death is very sad and was needless.  This person should have been evaluated upon his wife's complaint and if found true, committed to Western State or the VA Hospital. Being a Marine, I believe when one of the Army's turns psychotic, Army recon should be brought in to hunt one of their own down.  I know the law prevents it.  I just wish there were exceptions.  This is one of those times. There are not many police officers today that have years of military experience and placing a police officer, a deputy sheriff in a mountain environment is an extreme risk to them.
> 
>  
> 
> fmrplt  PTSD is something that has been affecting our military personnel since the beginning of war.  The human mind is a very complicated item.  Psychologist cannot deal with this problem on a large scale because each and every individual is different and must be treated separately.  I'm wondering why he wasn't receiving help?  Or if he was, why was he allowed to keep the guns?  With the threat of suicide, (threatening harming oneself or others) is justification to have them removed. It's not a game where you can just hit the reset button and all is well again
> 
> 
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20120102/7d282d89/attachment-0001.html>


More information about the Vision2020 mailing list