Helping Our Active Duty Military Personnel and Veterans; PTSD Straining Resources; Reaching Out To Women Vets; RIP Officer Scotty Richardson; The National Fallen Firefighter Association; Wishing All A Happy,Healthy And Safe New Year!

"What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in a fight; it's the size of the fight in the dog." Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower


How Can We Give Back To Our Active Duty Military and Veterans?

You might have been asking yourself that question over this holiday season. Returning from battle overseas is not always an easy thing to do. Many have scars not easily seen by others, even by their own families. All too often those psychological scars are not as conspicuous as their physical injuries and disabilities. Thankfully, unlike after the Vietnam War, there are many ways we all can take part in helping our returning troops. Consider either volunteering, supporting or donating to the following organizations:

• The Wounded Warrior Project. The WWP is dedicated to assisting veterans who suffer from service-connected disabilities and injuries on or after 9/11. http://WoundedWarriorProject.org/
• The Warrior Wish Foundation.  The mission of th WWF is to enhance the lives of U.S. military veterans and their families who are battling life-limiting illnesses. Their goal is to grant wishes for veterans throughout the country. http://www.awarriorwish.org/
• Fisher House: Provides housing for the families of recovering wounded vets who are receiving treatment and/or therapy. The Fisher House serves over 12,000 veterans and their families each year. http://www.fisherhouse.org/
• Vets4Warriors: Provides toll free support for military personnel by veterans. The support is confidential and is not affiliated with the VA or military organizations. Their toll free numbers is: 1-855-838-8255. http://www.vets4warriors.com/
• National Center for PTSD. The National Center for PTSD provides research, education and treatment for PTSD. Contact your local VA Medical Center for additional information. The VA also provides a PTSD program locator on their web site http://www.ptsd.va.gov/
• Veteran Combat Call Center when one combat veterans needs to speak to another combat veteran: 1-877-927-8387.
• National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. NCHV provides information for homeless veterans including where to get help. http://www.nchv.org/  For immediate assistance, call 1-877-4AID VET.
• Hire A Hero. A website that provides free employment services to returning service members and their families. http://www.hireahero.org/
• Helmets to Hardhats: Helmets to Hardhats helps military personnel, reservisits and Guardsmen transition from active duty to a career in the construction industry. http://info.helemetstohardhats.org/
• Military Hire: Military Hire connects veterans with employers who value their skills. http://www.militaryhire.com/

In addition to the information above, I want to remind each of our readers we have many other resources on this blog. Scroll down and take a few minutes to naviagate the page. You never know what gem or gems you might find.



PTSD Cases Straining Resources

Did you know that ten thousand combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) visit our VA medical centers every three months? Those huge numbers are already straining an over-strained medical VA system. Since the Iraq and Afghanistan wars started, almost 212,000 veterans have been treated for PTSD or 16% of the 1.3 million who served. But even those numbers do not reflect the real numbers because many veterans seek assistance elsewhere or not at all. USA Today





VFW's She Serves

Yes, The VFW wants women veterans to know they would like you to join. Benefits include, but are not limited to, advocacy, connecting with other female veterans and support. Interested? Contact http://joinsheserves.org/



RIP Officer Scotty Richardson

Master Public Safety Officer, Scotty Richardson, Aiken Department of Public Safety in South Carolina, was shot and killed on Dec. 21, 2011. Officer Richardson and another officer were searching a vehicle in relation to an earlier incident that evening. After the stop, one of the occupants of the vehicle opened fire fatally wounding Officer Richardson and striking the other officer in the chest.  The second officer's vest stopped the round. Officer Richardson was a 12 year veteran of the department. He is survived by his wife and three young children. Officer Down Memorial Page


The National Fallen Firefighters Association Can Use Your Donations

The mission of the National Fallen Firefighers Association is to honor and remember the nation's fallen firefighters and to assist their survivors in rebuilding their lives. Like any non-profit foundation, they can use your help in the form of donations. Visit their web site and you will see a multiple ways you can donate to NFFA. http://www.firehero.org/


One more important item before we leave you for 2011. Welcome Home!!!

I want to take a few moments to wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy New Year. I also want to thank all of our military personnel, our veterans, law enforcement, firefighters and first responders for all they do to serve us each and every day.

Happy New Year and God Bless America!