Health Care
Raped in the Military? You May Have to Pay for Your Own Forensic Exam Kit
Submitted by admin on Tue, 12/02/2008 - 2:10pm.Sarah Palin's decision not to pay for rape kits when she was mayor of Walsilla was an issue in the campaign for the White House. But allow me to introduce the large pink elephant that has been sitting quietly in the corner of the room:
At the Winter Soldier Investigation in March, Spec. Patricia McCann, who served in Iraq with the Illinois Army National Guard from 2003-4, read a memo issued to all MEDCOM commanders clarifying that "SAD kits"-- which are forensic rape kits--"are not included in TRICARE coverage." * read more »
3rd recruit dies in last month at Fort Jackson while training
Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/28/2008 - 7:06am.Raleigh woman, 21, collapses during physical fitness test
, The State
A third soldier in about a month has died during basic combat training at Fort Jackson.
Pvt. Andrea Rosser, 21, of Raleigh, N.C., collapsed and later died Saturday while taking the physical fitness test, the Army said Monday. read more »
Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns
Submitted by admin on Mon, 10/27/2008 - 5:27pm.Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk
By Kelly Kennedy - ArmyTimes
An open-air “burn pit” at the largest U.S. base in Iraq may have exposed tens of thousands of troops, contractors and Iraqis to cancer-causing dioxins, poisons such as arsenic and carbon monoxide, and hazardous medical waste, documentation gathered by Military Times shows. read more »
Mentally Unstable Soldiers Redeployed to Iraq
Submitted by admin on Fri, 10/24/2008 - 10:22am.(note: if you are a servicemember who is being deployed despite medical problems that will impair your ability to do your job, contact the G.I. Rights Hotline to talk to a trained civillian counselor about steps you can take to stop that deployment and get your medical problem treated. Call 877-447-4487 or email girights@girightshotline.org)
Stretched Thin, Army Puts Some Vulnerable Soldiers Back on the Frontlines
By BOB WOODRUFF, JAMES HILL and JAIME HENNESSEY, ABC News
Two weeks before his second deployment to Iraq last September, Army Specialist Michael DeVlieger broke down.
"At first, I thought it was something that everybody experienced," DeVlieger told ABC's Bob Woodruff, "and just through time and perseverance I guess it would pass." It didn't pass.
After an 11-day hospitalization, DeVlieger was given a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, three psychiatric prescriptions -- and deployment orders.
"Eighteen hours after he got out of the hospital, he deployed to Iraq," DeVlieger's wife, Christine DeVlieger, recalled. He left for Iraq despite Pentagon policy requiring that service members establish three months of "stability without significant symptoms" before deploying. read more »
Iraq and Afghanistan Wars Spark Suicide Epidemic
Submitted by admin on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 4:36pm.(editors note: learn about the warning signs for suicide at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's website, or click here to download a card you can print out. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's 24 hour toll free hotline number is 1-800-273-TALK)
Army: Number of suicides per 100,000 could pass that of civilian population
WASHINGTON - Soldier suicides this year could surpass the record rate of last year, Army officials said Thursday, urging military leaders at all levels to redouble prevention efforts for a force strained by two wars. read more »
