wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

brooklyn vet center 718-624-2765
we help vets and most of our staff is composed of vets. don't just blame the system, use the system to empower veterans.

For Veterans in New York. Stay in touch and on top of news that relates to veterans from a local perspective:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NYMetroVets/

There are also links, photos and much more information.

recognize many politicians have a veteran representative working to manage specific vet issues in the represented communities. be aware of this reality and pursue assistance. be persistent. use the same fervor you used in war to advocate for just collective and personal causes. this is one way to heal from the unseen wounds of war. essayons!

I am a Vietnam era Vet that was given a "other than honorable discharge" from the military, for speaking out against the mistreatment of Black Soldiers, during my tour of duty in Vietnam. I have been trying to get this discharge restored for nearly 40 years.

Same ol' song, but it will come to past.

SOFAR USA and its affiliate, SOFAR NY have been set up as voluntary organizations to provide confidential, free, mental health support service to the families of members of the Reserves and National Guard. All our mental health professionals are licensed and insured. We can be reached at SOFARNY@gmail.com.

Thank you for this program. How can our country be so dismissive of these returning heroes? it's embarrassing and must be changed. To those looking for more info and ways to help, I've found: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Please go to IAVA.org - it's a great organization and doing important work.
Josie Harris

RCS vet centers can be located via www.va.gov
i am appreciate leonard's questions and aaron's advocacy for vets. vet center staff members work non-traditional hours to help vets. in certain situations, i know that home visits can be arranged. each vet center has a designated homeless vet rep. RCS is effective because many of the diverse staff are vets with clinical backgrounds. rcs is community-based and makes contact with vets in rural settings and in urban settings. trudeau did a comic strip about rcs back in 2005. the character in the comic is b.d. b.d. is a combat vet that experiences rcs/vet center counseling. please support RCS! inform your politicians the importance of rcs.

It is sad. I returned from Iraq, recently. One path that could be helpful is the Vet Center RCS system. I find that this asset should be expanded. The media should do more to promote Readjustment Counseling Service RCS. RCS is an unconventional immediate care community-based veteran counseling site. there are over 200 of them in the USA. I am proud to be a part of this federal program. I am one of the counselors. I worked with the first wave of Iraq/ Afghanistan veterans. And, then I volunteered to serve my country after being out of the service for 16 years. I did not serve as an officer. I did not serve as a clinician. Please consider looking at the Vet Center if you need help or if you know of a vet that needs help. The Vet Center system will do their very best to help.

Hello,

Please send information about volunteering to help Veterans who are in the Bronx and/or Manhattan.

Thank you.

Diane

As an attorney I would be interested in helping veterans obtain benefits they deserve. Are there any organizations that work to assist veterans?

and i never hear much about the families who live with these men. how many children have been abused by vets of foreign wars?

My first husband was in the first Gulf War and although people tend to think that was a nice clean war, he came back pretty damaged. Appeals to the army chaplain (the only option available) by both of us fell on deaf ears and were summarily dismissed. Absolutely no one within the army would acknowledge his pain and he eventually killed himself. To me, this is the equivalent of tossing your employee out with the trash if they get injured on the job. There needs to be some acknowledgement that war can mess some people up and the resources need to be there to help them. The military treats people as disposable objects and it's disgusting.

Such a disgrace. Does anyone know of some volunteer work in the New York City area to help our veterans?

If Manny's head was blown open by shrapnel, he may have had brain damage as well as PTSD. I think we should clearly differentiate these two traumas.