Warrior Care

[Colorado700R]

DOD Portal Centralizes Health Info For Wounded Vets

By Colleen O'Hara

The Defense Department has launched a new Web portal designed to help service members and their families find health information and programs available to them.

The www.WarriorCare.mil portal has links to health-related programs and resources offered by the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, DOD and Veterans Affairs Department. The site also provides access to the Wounded Warrior Resource Center, which offers information and other resources, and the Compensation and Benefits Handbook for injured or seriously ill service members.

The new portal is part of an effort to improve the medical treatment of service members and "make it easier for troops and their families to benefit from all the assistance available to them," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Gates designated November as Warrior Care Month.

Later this month, DOD officials plan to launch an online directory that will offer information on education, health care, benefits, training, transportation and housing for injured service members and their families. Users will be able to search the site by state and type of service.

In addition, DOD and VA have established an interagency program office to improve the sharing of computerized health data between the departments.- It's about time, getting info out of DOD to the VA has been a PITA  

[LittleBuddha]

Maybe I'll finally go see them about my broken back.   

[Colorado700R]

You should, everyone who serves honorably deserves to be cared for by our country 

[LittleBuddha]

The problem is that it was never documented as I found out that it was broken six years after I got out.  All I have is I was 5'7" when I went in and 5'6" when I got out.  But I figure there's a lot more people that need care worse than I do and I just don't really want the hassle.   

[Colorado700R]

I hear you about more people that need care more than myself.   


If you ever go to a VA hospitol, there is usually a sign in front of them. 

It says "The price of freedom is visable here".  No truer words have ever been written.  I encourage all of you who support our troops past and present, to go visit a VA hospitol and talk to some of the Vets there. 

I visited the permenant ward of the VA hospitol every month when I was in Cheyenne, WY.  I met a gentleman that had fought in WWII on Gudalcanal.  He had 3 purple hearts and a silver star.    He also had been in the same bed and same room for 21 years.  His family hadn't visited him in 19 years. He had become addicted to morphine after recieving medical attention for his wounds, and he carried that addiction home to which, like all drug problems, caused issues with family.

The most powerful thing I have ever heard from him was "I was presented a silverstar for heroism on Guadacanal, but I am here in this bed dying becuase my scars didn't truly show till I got home"

The last time I saw him was May 2004, he asked for one of my old uniform shirts that I hadn't updated my Rank on.  Without hesitation, or understanding why I gave it to him.  In January 2005, I was here at work and recieved a phone call from my replacement in Cheyenne SSGT. Rodriquez told me that he had just performed the funeral honors for the hero with no other attendees but the chaplin.  He also told me that he was burried with his medals on his chest wearing the shirt that he had asked for. 

I will never forget that Marine. 

[LittleBuddha]

That's a powerful story.

My biggest complaint with the current situation is the number of "walking wounded" that have been created for the most ambiguous of causes.  I met a Iraq vet a couple weeks ago in a meeting that just got his 8 year chip but was hurting tremendously.  I hung out with him and listened to him and I saw him again this week when I picked up my ten year chip and he's doing better.  Granted, I'm not saying Iraq is a reason for addiction, but it's one of the causes, I'm sure.  I have a lot of scar tissue that I had to break up in therapy.  I'm good now, but it was work.  I'm heart broken that that guy died alone.   

[Colorado700R]

Yeah, it's becuase of him that I don't get disability rated from the VA. 

I got enough metal in me, that I distrupted Owen's Baby monitor everytime I sat next to it   

But I get around fine, and truly don't believe I have many more aches and pains than I would have if I never served.


IMO there many more guys I want taken care of the RIGHT WAY, before I'd even walk through the VA assessment door.

[Colorado700R]

http://music-videos.grouchymedia.com/2008/01/price-of-freedom.html

Thought you might enjoy this 

[LittleBuddha]

My hero Marine is named Malik Edwards.  I had the great fortune of meeting him at a Buddhist retreat in San Diego in 1999 in a veterans group.  He's in the book "Bloods" an oral history of the Vietnam War by black veterans.  We went to an AA meeting in La Jolla and I saw this rich white douche bag go out of his way to throw a shoulder at him.  I was in disbelief.  I was so mad I couldn't see straight.  I told Malik I wanted to take that motherfucker outside and put his teeth on the curb.  I don't think his blood pressure even went up.  He was all, settle down young buck it's cool, he don't know what he's doing.  It took him five minutes to calm me down.  The way this man carried himself was an inspiration to me.  I couldn't help but think if that dumb rich white motherfucker only knew this guy had actually killed people, he may have acted differently.  I was disgusted though.  I still talk to him.  He's my hero.   

[Colorado700R]

Yeah, my anger issues would of probably of been having me taking turns with you playing curb hockey the that rich bastards skull 


I need to check out that book     Sounds like a great read 

[socalrappy700]

Not to break up the story but that was a crack up when Aaron couldn't sit by the baby monitor, the thing just went nuts with him next to it.

[Colorado700R]

Not to break up the story but that was a crack up when Aaron couldn't sit by the baby monitor, the thing just went nuts with him next to it.

I think I was bringing in HBO 

[LittleBuddha]

Yeah, my anger issues would of probably of been having me taking turns with you playing curb hockey the that rich bastards skull 


I need to check out that book     Sounds like a great read 

Gen Colin Powell actually quoted him from the book in one of his speeches.  Malik's story is the first story in the book.   Here's what Gen Powell took from the book.  The part about getting them hooked on our lifestyle.  

[LittleBuddha]

Not to break up the story but that was a crack up when Aaron couldn't sit by the baby monitor, the thing just went nuts with him next to it.

So I should probably keep my left hip away from it?   

[Flynbyu]

Maybe I'll finally go see them about my broken back.   

I thought it was your hip.

Damn!

~Brian