American Heroes Network

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Moral Injury and the Path to Recovery for U.S. Combat Vets Nov 05, 2013

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Finding the Kachadoorians Lu Lobello My unit was ambushed in Baghdad and was engaged in one of the fiercest firefights of the invasion according to the New York Times and our 13 wounded. After our radio operator was shot through the head he was later saved by Sanjay Gupta. Our unit has affectionately been called the Sinners and The Saints because half of us were from Las Vegas and the other half were from Salt Lake City, Utah. Unfortunately, during our firefight there was multiple families and innocent civilians caught in the crossfire, some were killed and some were wounded. One of the families caught in the crossfire were the Kachadoorians. Their father and two sons were killed and the rest of the family was stuck in the middle of an open field when our unit conducted a rescue. Dr. Craig J. Bryan, PsyD, ABPP, is a board-certified clinical psychologist in cognitive behavioral psychology, and is currently the Associate Director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah. He was Chief of the Primary Care Psychology Service and the Suicide Prevention Program Manager for Lackland AFB. Dr. Bryan deployed to Iraq in 2009, where he served as the Director of the Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic at the Air Force Theater Hospital. He currently researches suicidal behaviors, suicide prevention, and psychological resiliency. He chaired the American Association of Suicidology’s Primary Care Task Force to develop training curriculum for primary care medical providers in the assessment and management of suicidal patients, and is a consultant to the Department of Defense for psychological health promotion and suicide prevention.

Help a Vet Leave the War Behind Oct 29, 2013

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DryHootch of America, A place for Veterans to Reconnect Bob Curry, Vietnam combat veteran founded Dryhootch of America in 2008 as an accessible, collaborative network of people and nonprofit organizations to provide support and services for veterans and their families. The innovative organization operates out of coffee houses that serve as gathering places for veterans and families as well as the surrounding community. An acknowledged expert on war trauma and PTSD, Bob Curry is a renowned speaker who has spoken at conferences for military & VA, mental health, medical colleges, social workers, criminal justice workers, addiction, and many others about the importance of attention, guidance, and unconditional support in helping a veteran return home, all the way. Mark Flower, Director of Community Programs and Peer Coordinator ,At DryHootch of America. Mark is involved with the day-to-day functioning of the organization at the executive level and also works with his guy's as a peer mentor and works with his mentors. A veteran from the Cold War era, Mark joined the Army in 1976, and served on active duty with the 25th Infantry Division through 1980. Later, he joined the 84th Training Division and served as a Tank Commander and later as a instructor/evaluator, and later as a field sanitation NCO and a Medic with the 452nd Combat Support Hospital.

Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities Oct 22, 2013

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Designed to open the door to business ownership for our veterans Caleb Perkins: Completed 8 years in special operations. Deployed 6 times knelt on a pressure plate IED in Afghanistan and was medically retired from the US army. Currently, the CEO/president of Shadow Trade Tactical we provide tactical and defense training as well as creating custom sniper weapon systems. EBV Texas A&M Brandon Bunch: I was an infantry man in the US marine corps from 2000-2004. I served two tours in Iraq, the first in the invasion in 2003 with kilo company 3rd battalion 5th marines. The second I served as a combat replacement with weapons company 2nd battalion 2nd marines in 2004. I didn't struggle with effects of combat in my opinion until the summer of 2010, one year after my wife delivered our still born daughter. I had been diagnosed with PTSD at the time of discharge from the marines in 2004 but I hadn't allowed it to affect me until then. Little did I know that summer of 2010 my struggle with PTSD would turn my world upside down. I noticed since that time when I focus on something bigger then myself, serving others, great things happen. The last few years i have been focusing on being an entrepreneur and serving our American Heroes. EBV Texas A&M

I can never be forgiven Oct 15, 2013

Show notes

PTSD, moral injury, and suicide among U.S. combat veterans Guests Dr. Craig J. Bryan: Associate Director of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah Jim Holbrook: Clinical professor of law at the University of Utah

Reducing Risk and Promoting Healing After a Suicide Death Guest Ken Norton Executive Director of NAMI NH Oct 08, 2013

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The impact mental illness and suicide have had on Ken's family deepened his personal and professional efforts to reduce stigma and promote help seeking and early recognition and treatment of mental illness and substance use disorders.

Cafe to NASCAR What innovation can mean for Veterans With Guests Tori Duncan and Paul Rodriguez Oct 01, 2013

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We have quite a unique organization with us today.. America's Veterans Industries is soon to be a Corporation that is made up of six separate business tied together and working toward the common goal of employing US Military Veterans in all walks of life. Did I say 6 businesses? Not according to our guests. They have other businesses in mind that are going to be added on as they grow. Seems to me there is no stopping this organization...

Victim of Military Sexual Trauma and Suicide Survivor / Lorrie and Dr. Croft Sep 24, 2013

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As told by the victim's caregiver this story is intended to reach out to active duty, National Guard, reservists and veterans that suffer from MST as well as their families and caregiver’s. You are not alone. Not by far. While serving I was raped by a fellow soldier, a “brother in arms”, and nobody cared. The soldier who raped me confessed and was convicted for two rapes. He was sent to Fort Leavenworth for three years, and to my knowledge was never made to register as a sex offender after his release I was on suicide watch in March and then my out-processing of the military began in July of same year for substandard performance, but a cleared mental health status - go figure. My last standing order was: “Don’t speak of it”, “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell is a Federal law”, “If you speak, you dishonor your country and your oath”, and “You can still be court martialed as a civilian if you break military laws.” They added: “We still own you” and “You can re-apply for service after two years”.

A Survivor's Story: Col Jack Mosher and Dr. Mary Bartlett Sep 17, 2013

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Colonel Mosher deployed to Afghanistan in 2003-04, earned two bronze stars for Valor, then redeployed to find myself immediately divorced, a single father of a 5 and 7 year old, broke, homeless and left with very few choices…desperate really…I was broken and wanted only to return to combat where things made sense to me. I chose instead to remain home to care for my sons, get healthy again and re-build my life. My story is the road back to my new normal as a dad, son, soldier and person by balancing my spiritual, emotional, psychological and physical health. I have since gone on to found the annual Resiliency Run (Facebook) and OneLifeWarrior.org as a ten year Health Awareness and Risk Reduction Campaign. Since 2008, I have run marathons and ultra runs to demonstrate living metaphor of completing the daily marathon through personal resiliency and the necessity in living one's life with purpose to overcome the adversity that we all face in life.

PTSD and the Courage to Seek Help / Justin Constantine Sep 10, 2013

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Justin is a Lieutenant Colonel in the Marine Corps with 16 years of active and reserve service. He volunteered for his deployment to Iraq in 2006, excited to lead other Marines and help rebuild that war-torn part of the world. While on a routine combat patrol, an enemy sniper shot Justin in the head, causing catastrophic damage, destroying his jaws and much of his face. Thanks to the heroic efforts of a young Navy Corpsman, and his own warrior spirit, Justin is still alive today. Since his injury,Justin has continued to lead from the front and serve as a role model to other Wounded Warriors. Justin's personal awards include the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.

Peer protocol for Suicide Prevention with Randi Jensen and George Patrin MD Sep 03, 2013

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Randi Jensen is the Director of The Soldiers Project Northwest. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Chemical Dependency Counselor in the State of Washington for many years. She maintains a private counseling practice in Shoreline, Washington, near Seattle, where she specializes in providing an encouraging, motivational, and hopeful atmosphere for those dealing with the devastation created by substance abuse and military trauma. We also have with us, Dr. George Patrin MD, an Army Pediatrician, talks on deployment separation anxiety and suicide prevention/postvention after the recent loss of their youngest son to suicide. George Patrin, MD and his wife Pamela, speak of their son and how they cope in this article from the August Legion magazine

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