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AFL - CIO Resolution on War in Iraq
Veterans Service Organizations
Veterans Service Organizations
American Gulf War Veterans Association
The American Legion
Amvets
Blinded Veterans Association
Disabled American Veterans
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Vietnam Veterans of America
Veterans' Benefits
Veterans Administration
Veterens Employment and Training Service
G.I. Bill Information
U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims
Veterans Benefits Administration
Veterans Preferance Employment Information
Congressional
Representation
House Committee on Veterans Affairs
Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs
Veterans Policy Organizations
Gulf War Veteran Resource Page
Veterans for America
Veterans for Common Sense
Veterans Institute for Security and Democracy
Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation
Rights for Reservists Called to Duty
Reservists Rights
Veterans Legislative Issues
AnySoldier.com
AnySoldier.com provides soldier contacts, and you read through the names and select the ones you wish to support based
on their lists of what they need and want. AnySoldier even has a search capability so you can easily identify specific needs and requests.
The soldiers are volunteers for this effort, they see the "ATTN: Any Soldier"
line and put your letters and packages into the hands of soldiers who don't get much or any mail.
AnySoldier also has guides for "What to Send and How to Send" to help you properly send letters and packages, and a
FAQ page. This effort is 110% voluntary. You send your support, and maybe some stuff, directly to whatever unit or units you
want.
Veterans Against the Iraq War
"Veterans Against Iraq War is a coalition of
American veterans who support our troops but oppose war with Iraq or any other nation that does not
pose a clear and present danger to our people and nation."
"Until and unless the current U.S. Administration
provides evidence which clearly demonstrates that Iraq or any other nation poses a clear, direct and immediate danger to our
country, we oppose all of this Administration's pre-emptive and unilateral military activities in Iraq. Furthermore, we cannot
support any war that is initiated without a formal Declaration of War by Congress, as our Constitution requires."
The Fisher House
The Fisher House program is a unique private-public
partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes
the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need
beyond that normally provided by the Department of Defense. These homes enable family members to be close to a loved one at
the most stressful time -- during the hospitalization for an unexpected illness, disease, or injury.
There are currently 31 houses located on the
grounds of every major military medical center and several VA medical centers. These houses play a key role and are a vital
asset to our military by allowing them to care for casualties, and their families, from Operation Enduring Freedom and will
play a critical role in caring for casualties from Operation Iraqi Freedom as well.
It is our goal to create "a home away from home"
that allows guest families the opportunity to address any challenge they must face during a time of crisis with dignity, and
to give them a sense that there really are those who care about them in their time of need.
You can donate to the Fisher House here. This money will go to the upkeep of existing Fisher House locations, to a fund for families who have lost
a son, daughter, husband, wife, father or mother, and also to building a new Fisher House at Walter
Reed Hospital where many of those injured
in Iraq are now being treated.
Operation Uplink
You can donate calling cards so military families can stay in touch during their extended separations.
Armed Forces Emergency Relief Fund
Each branch of the Armed Services has an emergency
relief fund. Their money goes to help the soldiers and families with paying for food and rent, medical and dental expenses,
personal needs when pay is delayed, and funeral expenses.
Army Emergency Relief supports the families in the United States Army, as well as the members of the US National Guard and the
Army Reserve.
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society accepts
donations at any of their locations across the country, which you can find here.
The Air Force Aid Society helps to relieve financial
distress of Air Force members and their families and to assist them in financing their higher education goals. They can be found here
Gold Star Families for Peace
We as families of soldiers who have died as a
result of war are organizing to be a positive force in our world to bring our country’s sons and daughters home from
Iraq, to minimize the “human cost” of this war, and to prevent other
families from the pain we are feeling as the result of our losses. We are also hoping to be lifetime support for each other
through our losses.
Veterans for Common Sense
Veterans for Common Sense was formed in 2002
by war veterans who believe that we, the people of the United States of America, are most secure
when our country is strong and responsibly engaged with the world. Two years later, our organization has over 12,000 members
throughout the United States.
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Suicide hot line got calls
from 22,000 veterans
July 28, 2008 5:21 AM EDT
WASHINGTON - More than 22,000 veterans have sought help
from a special suicide hot line in its first year, and 1,221 suicides have been averted, the government says.
According to a recent RAND Corp. study,
roughly one in five soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan displays symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, putting
them at a higher risk for suicide. Researchers at Portland State University found that male veterans are
twice as likely to commit suicide than men who are not veterans.
This month, a former Army medic, Joseph
Dwyer, who was shown in a Military Times photograph running through a battle zone carrying an Iraqi boy, died of an accidental
overdose after struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder for almost five years.
Janet Kemp, national suicide prevention
coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Department, said the hot line is in place to help prevent deaths such as Dwyer's. "We
just want them to know there's other options and people do care about them, and we can help them make a difference in their
lives," she said in an interview.
The VA teamed up with the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to launch the hot line last July after years of criticism that the VA wasn't
doing enough to help wounded soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. In April, two veterans groups sued the VA, citing
long delays for processing applications and other problems in treatment for veterans at risk for suicide. The department has
spent $2.9 million on the hot line thus far.
The hot line receives up to 250 calls
per day - double the average number calling when it began. Kemp said callers are divided evenly between veterans from the
Iraq, Afghanistan and
Vietnam wars. Richard McKeon, public health
adviser for SAMHSA, said 10 to 20 of the 1,575 calls received each week have to be rerouted to high-volume backup call centers
throughout the country.
The VA estimates that every year 6,500
veterans take their own lives. The mental health director for the VA, Ira Katz, said in an e-mail last December that of the
18 veterans who commit suicide each day, four to five of them are under VA care, and 12,000 veterans under VA care are attempting
suicide each year.
This month, the hot line began an advertising
campaign in Washington area subway stations and buses featuring
the slogan, "It takes the courage and strength of a warrior to ask for help."
The veterans hot line, which is linked
to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, received 55,000 callers in its first year, including both veterans and people
who are concerned about them, according to figures being released Monday. One-third of the 40 specially trained counselors
are veterans themselves.
"We try to get them (callers) to talk
about their situation and what they remember and see if they can identify exactly what their issues are. I think there's a
comfort in knowing that they can get some help from people who do understand what combat stress is like," Kemp said.
From the call center, counselors instantly
can check a veteran's medical records and then connect the caller to local VA suicide prevention coordinators for follow-up,
monitoring and care at local VA medical centers. Kemp said that since the hot line started, 106 veterans have been steered
to free medical care from the VA.
Kemp said the hot line was put in place
specifically for those veterans who don't get enough help until it's too late. "They have indicated to us that they are in
extreme danger, either they have guns in their hand or they're standing on a bridge, or they've already swallowed pills,"
she said. Kemp said 1,221 veterans who were in such situations were rescued during the hot line's first year.
The VA is preparing for the eventual
return of a large number of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. This could put added stress on the mental health screening program
for returning veterans, which could lead to a rise in undiagnosed mental health issues. The VA recently got enough money to
double its suicide prevention staff and is planning to hire 212 more people soon.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
is available 24 hours a day by calling 800-273-TALK (8255); veterans should press "1" after being connected.
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On the Net:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
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