What happens when you deploy troops who have seen high intensity combat time and time again with inadequate dwell time between tours? You see skyrocketing mental health issues.  

After months of investigative work, talking to our troops and veterans, we released a report on the situation at Fort Drum in Watertown, New York. Since 9/11, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team has been deployed for more than forty months, more than any other brigade in the Army, and we are seeing what is nothing short of a cry for help from the men and women on the base; a cry we will answer, and one we will answer here in California which has seen thousands of its young men and women deployed.

A cry for help that is also coming from the leadership on the base. In a New York Times article today about our report, Major General Michael Oates, commander of the 10th Mountain Division, says: “We recognize that there is stress on our force and their families from this conflict, but until recently, we have not fully appreciated the extent of some of the mental stresses and injuries or how to best identify them.” Please read the rest of the article here.

What is happening at Fort Drum — with Soldiers still on active duty suffering from PTSD, with Soldiers and their families in need of counseling, with Soldiers literally dying while still on duty — is going to happen all around America unless we begin to address some of the basic issues of this war.  As our report explains, DoD itself has stated that the likelihood of troops having mental health problems increases by 60% with every tour of duty. So, in short, through ourdeployment policies, we are consciously compounding the wounds of war.

This is unacceptable to us. Veterans for America’s Wounded Warrior Outreach Program will continue to address these problems from the bottom up.  

We are going to go to as many bases as we can afford to go to, see what is happening on those bases and see how we can help. If you can help us, we would greatly appreciate it.

We are going to continue our Wounded Warrior Registry Outreach — if you or someone you know needs help getting help with PTSD or TBI, please click here.

And above all, we are going to continue to serve and help those that serve and have served us with the same level of dedication and courage they have shown. Click here to learn more about what we are doing.

Around the United States, including here in California, we see that the military is overwhelmed as it tries to assist servicemembers.

Here at Veterans For America, where I am proud to be Director of Policy, we are determined to do something to help the men and women who have served us. Part of our efforts include our easy-to-use registry that will help us get you the help you need (or help for someone you know).

Please click here to register with Veterans for America’s Wounded Warrior Registry.

If you or someone you know needs help, we will work to make sure that you get it — it’s as simple as that. We will answer every single request we get. Sometimes it can be just knowing how to fight through the bureaucracy and get the mental health appointment you need or it might be how to get your family counseling.

Please let us help you or someone you know get the help you need and deserve.

Veterans For America was founded over thirty years ago by Bobby Muller, who was paralyzed by a bullet in Vietnam while leading a Marine patrol.  Originally named the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, VFA now works all across the country, focusing on the high rates of mental health problems and mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) as a result of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This Wounded Warrior Registry will help us determine how many military men and women need help and what is the best way to get them that help.

We also have recently published online “The American Veterans And Servicemembers Survival Guide.”Available free to all as a download, it is a great resource for veterans and servicemembers alike.

To learn more about what we do, and how we help servicemembers and veterans alike, please click here. Thank you for your help and support.

(I wish we’d hear from all of our challenger candidates more regularly. – promoted by David Dayen)

I am Steve Young, the Democrat challenging John Campbell [R, CA-48] the sixth richest member of congress. My challenge is truly a David vs. Goliath battle — and we know how that one turned out.

I am writing to ask for your help. Two reasons make the House race in California’s 48th district important:

1. We need a representative with the spine to vote his heart; and
2. As we have learned from sad experience, we don’t have the votes in Washington to pass necessary legislation.

We need a voice – reflective of our values – in the U.S. House in Washington.

Democrats need to "hold the line" in the House.

If you agree with these two statements, then please take a moment to make a secure online contribution of $25 to my campaign right now.

Let me explain.

I am Steve Young. I am not a career politician. I have never been on the public payroll. I do not answer to special interests, or PACS. I am definitely different from the traditional member of the House of Representatives who has “moved up” to avoid unemployment under term limits. I have run my own business, and have had to do without to make payroll. I understand the struggles Americans face today.

I will bring a different perspective to the U.S. House. To do that I need your help.

Please make a secure online contribution of $25 or more to my campaign today.

Your help is absolutely critical. I plan to launch ads in the media in February after super Tuesday. That is slightly over a month away. I can purchase 1 ad slot in my district for $25.

I have made advertisements to remind my district of the many examples of John Campbell’s hypocrisy including:

1. His attack on SCHIP “because it is a publicly funded health care system,” while he took publicly funded health care as a Congressman.
2. His justification for voting to cut veterans’ benefits because, “Veterans commit fraud.”
3. His support of waterboarding because it is, “a psychological interrogation technique that does not inflict physical pain or permanent damage.”
4. His vote to sustain Bush’s veto of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 belying his many media pronouncements concerning his "dedication to the environment."

If he is reelected to the House, John Campbell will continue under the banner of “unburdening business” to rail against laws that give us clean drinking water, safe work places, and a retirement safety net.

Help me stop him by helping me get my message out next month.

Make a secure online contribution of $25 or more to my campaign right now so I can buy much-needed media in February.

John Campbell is the sixth richest member of Congress. He made millions as a car dealer. I will need to match him and the corporate interests that raised almost $2 million for his election. And that’s why I need your help.

The money battle will be like David and Goliath. We know who won that one.

Earlier I told you there were two reasons I needed to win this race. One was so that Californians will have an unfettered representative.

But the other reason is as important.

You see, House Democrats are struggling to pass necessary legislation. We need additional House votes to make a difference in Washington.

Help me launch my media ads by making a secure online contribution of $25 or more to my campaign right now.

Thank you for your help.

Your friend,

Steve Young

U.S. House Candidate

“I am not one of them!”

Paid for by Steve Young for Congress

www.SteveYoungforCongress.com

Federal law requires us to use our best efforts to collect and report the following information for each individual whose contributions exceed $200 in an election cycle.

Contributions to Steve Young for Congress are not tax deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. The maximum allowable contribution is $2,300 per person to each of the primary and general elections. Couples may give up to $9,200 from common funds for the primary and general elections, but both names must be on the account. Contributions from corporations, foreign nationals, labor unions and federal government contractors are prohibited.

101 Pacifica #100 Irvine, California 92618

Email: [email protected] | Phone: 949.640.4400 | Fax: 949.788.3993

Charlie Brown is just an all around decent human being.  It is a big reason why I and so many others have been trying so hard to get him into Congress.  This email from one of his future constituents, Cody Conway, Sgt. USMC, is the perfect example of why people are so dedicated to Charlie.

The basic ask is to support getting his new awesome radio ad on the air.  You can give on the Calitics ActBlue page.

Thanks to you, this past week, production was completed on Charlie Brown’s first radio spot of the 2008 campaign.   Entitled “The War at Home,” the ad speaks for itself.  And as an Iraq War veteran who is fighting each day to heal my scars and rebuild my life, it speaks for me.

Listen to the ad, “The War at Home,” here!

Who Charlie Brown is, and the kind of leadership he represents for veterans like me isn’t about partisan politics.  That’s why I want to tell you my story, and why I’m asking you to help keep this ad on the air by pledging your support today.

Click Here to Contribute and Keep the Ad Running!

Growing up in Roseville, I had two dreams—to serve my country in the Marine Corps, and to become a mechanic-a lifelong passion that began from the moment I was old enough to hold a wrench.  When I graduated High School in 2000, I got to live both, as a Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicle Repairman.

My unit was part of the initial ground invasion into Iraq in March of 2003.   I injured my right shoulder, leg and abdomen while removing an engine during a sandstorm outside Baghdad in April.   Still able to hold a rifle with my left arm, I finished my tour of duty. But by the time I came home in July, the severity of my injuries left me unable to continue my career as a Marine or a mechanic.  I was devastated.

More below the fold…

Several unsuccessful surgeries later, I was home with my fiancé and two foster children.  I couldn’t work, and simply wasn’t the same person who deployed.  My once happy and energetic demeanor had been replaced by what counselors call the “thousand yard stare.”  And left to fight alone in a VA system that was unprepared for war, I was met not by solutions, but by resistance.  

Two years later I was financially broke, physically and emotionally broken, and feeling increasingly abandoned by politicians that spend more money promising “support for our troops” than delivering on that promise.  I found myself caught in a downward spiral–and eventually I hit rock bottom.  

Ultimately, it was my friends, community based veterans groups, and fellow veterans like Charlie Brown who were willing to listen and really understand that helped get me back on track.  In fact, the first few times I met with Charlie, I didn’t even know he was running for Congress.  He was much more interested in my health and success than my vote.

Today, I am a college student, working towards a degree in Social Work and a career of helping veterans–because I know from experience that the war will not end when our troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan.

That’s why I believe we need battle tested leaders like Charlie Brown in Congress—not just because he’s a fellow combat vet, or because he stands for the new direction America needs, but because he understands that patriotism—like support for our troops— is measured in action, not words.

I want to thank you again for giving me the chance to tell my story, and for standing for something much bigger than partisan politics in this campaign.

Please have a safe, happy holiday season.

Semper Fidelis,

Cody Conway, Sgt. USMC

Iraq War Veteran

P.S.  Please help keep this ad on the air by contributing what you can to Charlie Brown for Congress today.  5% of your donation will support organizations helping veterans and families in need.

(I was going to post my own Thanksgiving diary, but you know what? I’ll just thank Charlie and let him do the honors. – promoted by Brian Leubitz)

(Cross Posted at Daily Kos)

As Jan and I reflect on the past year, we are humbled and profoundly grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we’ve received from people across the 4th CD and the entire country.  To all our friends (both new and old), volunteers, netroots activists, and contributors, we can never say thank you enough for believing in this campaign, and for fighting so hard to get our country back on track. 

And together, we will.  Onward to victory!

Beyond reflection, for most of us, Thanksgiving is a time to be with friends, family and neighbors—to catch up and even to reconnect with loved ones we don’t see that often.

For Jan and I, every moment together as a family is a cherished gift–never to be taken for granted. It’s an outlook that was shaped by the many holidays, anniversaries, birthdays, and even the birth of our daughter Stacey—spent apart while I was in the Air Force. 

Generations before have made similar sacrifices, and this week, so will hundreds of thousands more.

Many of the families of those serving in Iraq and Afghanistan will go about this week like any other–glued to their computers and television sets for news, hoping for a phone call, sending letters and care packages, thumbing through the pages of family photo albums, and anxiously awaiting the safe return of their loved ones.

Like many of you, Jan and I know from experience that there are really no words to describe what these families–like their relatives in harms way–are going through, nor a comfort that can be found in words alone.

This is a fact that far too many politicians tend to forget. And that’s one of many reasons why we’ve decided to make this campaign about taking action–not just words.

Over veteran’s day, I wrote a little more on why action is needed, our plans, and the human impact our efforts could have in the coming year.  I wanted to share it with all of you on another holiday where our thoughts turn to those who are serving and sacrificing in our name.  Here are a few links where you can find it.

Auburn Journal
Grass Valley Union
Sierra Sun

You can also read more about our Promises Kept: Brown For Congress Veterans Charity Challenge Here

Happy Thanksgiving to our troops, their families, and all of you. 

And thank you again for your continued support.

-Charlie

Turning free speech and the notion of a military defending American Constitutional rights completely on its head, a Veteran’s Day parade in Long Beach banned antiwar veteran’s groups from appearing on Saturday.

A participation application filed by Iraq Veterans Against the War, Veterans for Peace and Military Families Speak Out was turned down because organizers want Saturday’s parade free from politics.

“They do not fit the spirit of the parade, the spirit being one of gratitude for what the veterans have done,” said Martha Thuente, coordinator for the nonprofit Veterans Day Parade Committee.

“We do not want groups of a political nature, advocating the troops’ withdrawal from Iraq,” she added.

Now, you don’t have an inalienable right to march in a parade.  But Veterans For Peace WAS allowed to march in the same parade last year.  Not to mention the fact that plenty of the groups marching on Saturday have advocated an explicit political agenda in the past.  The VFW and the American Legion have made plenty of public pro-war statements over the years, that would seemingly conflict with this expressed belief that only “nonpartisan” groups be allowed to show their pride in wearing the uniform.

Contact information for the Long Beach Veteran’s Day Parade is here.  It is impossible and even dangerous to sanitize democracy of any political thought because some arbitrary official deems it “inappropriate.”

Today is November 12, one day after the real Veterans’ Day and the day of observation for government workers. So, today, how about we all find a veteran and thank them if you didn’t do so yesterday. Sure, you could choose the easy route, by thanking your family. I’ll be sure to send mad props to my father, a Vietnam vet, who rarely reads this blog (but if you happen to today, Dad, Thanks!).  But, consider this:

The National Alliance to End Homelessness reported Thursday that, although one in 10 Americans is a veteran, they account for 25 percent of the homeless population. Already veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan have been found living on the streets. (Home News Tribune 11.12.07) 

Homelessness and poverty are alone enough reason for us to reach out to those on the streets. But it is even more tragic to see veterans bearing the brunt of homelessness. Often they are victims of mental illness, and we have no capability to treat  them. Thank the glorious Ronald Reagan for that. So, next time you hear some politician spouting off about how they “support the troops”, ask them if they support the homeless veterans as well.

Find a California Dept. of Veterans Affairs Veterans Day event here (pdf). And, if you’re interested Jerry McNerney is attending an event in Stockton to honor veterans.

“Veterans commit fraud.”  (John Campbell’s [R, Ca-48]) Listen to the story, told by the veterans to whom he made the statement.

John Campbell [R Ca-48] says “Veterans Commit Fraud.”
Steve Young stands behind our veterans.

I want to reach every veteran in the country to let them know how Campbell feels about veterans. Three veterans heard Campbell’s macaca statement. I made a commercial to tell the truth, and to demand that Campbell apologize to veterans.

$25 pays for one airing of this commercial in my District. How many times would you like to see this commercial play?

Go to Actblue:  https://secure.actbl… (and contribute) to tell George Bush and John Campbell, “Stop posing in front of soldiers, and start standing behind our veterans.”

Look at my website at www.SteveYoungforCongress.com.

Do you want to know why I am so committed to the veterans and their benefits? I took the time to put it on tape so you can hear it from the horse’s mouth:

If I am the kind of man you want in Washington, then I need help: 1.  Please contribute to my campaign at ActBlue:  https://secure.actbl… 2.  Hit the “recommend” button to keep this message visible.  3.  Send a link to this post to everyone you know who cares about veterans and their issues, no matter where they live.
Thank you,
Steve