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Veteran Suicide

Veterans Suicide

It is estimated that twenty-two veteran a day commit suicide. That means that 154 veterans a week commit suicide, 660 veterans a month commit suicide, and a staggering 7,920 veterans a year commit suicide. That is a lot of veterans taking their own lives. This is an alarming number.

What is the cause of all of these veterans committing suicide? Many veterans are exposed to multiple combat deployments while enlisted in the military. These deployments are many times under harsh conditions and under heavy duress. Soldiers see things and do things in war that stick with them mentally for the rest of their lives. I am a two time combat veteran myself and I have struggled with PTSD.  

A veteran is very prideful and it’s sometimes really hard to ask for help with PTSD. I self-medicated for years with alcohol to cope with the effects of my PTSD. There are also many other veterans that try and handle PTSD by drugs and alcohol. This pattern of behavior always worsens PTSD.

I came to a point several times where I had contemplated suicide. I joined a peer support group and started talking about my PTSD. This helped me out tremendously. I felt comfortable for once in my life and was able to open up to other veterans that had been where I had been. I encourage every veteran suffering from PTSD to seek help. Let’s raise awareness and help stop veterans suicide.

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Homeless Veterans

    I am very passionate about helping homeless veterans, because I used to be a homeless veteran myself. I was homeless and sleeping on the streets of Jacksonville, FL. I suffer from severe PTSD and a traumatic brain injury. I struggled for a long time trying to handle my alcoholism. I moved into a homeless veterans’ shelter and was in and out of there on three different occasions before I got my life headed in the right direction. To understand what happened to me and how I became a homeless veteran I will start from the beginning.

I joined the Army in the summer of 2001 and was deployed with the 2nd Ranger Battalion to Afghanistan in 2002 and then to Iraq in 2003 with the 82nd Airborne Division. I saw heavy combat during my two tours. I was injured and was medically discharged in 2004 with a metal plate and six screws in my right leg. Looking back on the years following my discharge from the Army they seem like a big blur. These were years filled with heavy drinking. This was the only way I felt like I could cope with my PTSD.

    I would get my life straightened out for a while and then I would screw things up all over again. Why was it I couldn’t seem to get my life on the right track? Why was I now a homeless veteran? PTSD is a scary beast if you don’t seek help for it. When I finally came to my senses and seek help. I was able to break the vicious cycle of being an alcoholic and homeless veteran.

The two words HOMELESS VETERAN should never be uttered in the same sentence in America. The fact that they are says to me that we have a big problem in this country that needs to be addressed. We have a duty as Americans to fight for the men and women of the military that fought for our freedoms. We need to ban together and help in any way we can and make sure there are no more homeless veterans.  

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Rally Point Apparel: Military Shirts

Rally Point Apparel is a Veteran Owned Business. At Rally Point Apparel we sell custom designed military shirts. My name is Chad Childers and I am a veteran and the proud owner here at Rally Point Apparel. Rally Point Apparel is a proud supporter of today’s military and the veterans of times past. We seek to raise awareness to the issues that combat veterans face through our innovative designed military shirts.

  Rally Point Apparel military shirts come with a built in sense of pride. When you wear one of our military shirts you show your support, as a proud American, for the men and women in the military and for veterans as well. Rally Point Apparel is a veteran owned business that donates a portion of every sale to help homeless veterans, military families in need, and combat veterans suffering with PTSD.

  Helping homeless veterans is an issue that is personal for me. Four years ago I ended up being a homeless veteran myself sleeping on the streets of Jacksonville, FL. I started designing military shirts as a therapeutic outlet for PTSD. I took that graphics design experience and started Rally Point Apparel. We have now become an industry leader in custom designed military shirts.

  Rally Point Apparel is way more than just a cool military shirt company. We are all veterans. We love America and we care about our fellow veterans.

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The Department of Veterans Affairs Disability Claims Process

The Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims process is a long as and nerve racking ordeal. Many veterans have disabilities and injuries they received while in the military. Many of these same veterans struggle to recieve medical care from the VA. 

I was an Army Ranger and now am a veteran experiencing these same issues with The Department of Veterans Affairs. I currently have a VA Appeal that is close to three years and no resolution.  I have a metal plate and six screws in my right leg from being hurt in the Army and this has caused other orthopedic issues.

My VA Appeal has bounced between the VA regional office and the Board of Veterans Appeals so many times it's easy to lose track of what the status is. Most veterans could handle a denial of their VA claim if the denial was legit.

My disabilities are well documented in my medical records. There is a track record of treatment for these conditions. All of this evidence is not even considered by The Department of Veterans Affairs. Does the VA even review the information right in front of them?

I almost feel like the VA flips a coin in deciding who's VA disability claim is approved and who's VA claim is denied. I still hold onto the hope that the VA will approve my claim someday. The Department of Veterans Affairs wants us veterans to give up all hope of receiving an approval on our disability claims. Don't give up. Stay the course. Don't give up and keep fighting the VA for what you deserve. 

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Rally Point Apparel Military Shirts

Are you looking for an awesome military shirt which conveys your dedication and commitment to the military? Military shirts are popular not only for service members but also for civilians, offering a bold way of allowing everyone to know what you stand for. At Rally Point Apparel, you will find a complete selection of military shirts available in various designs and styles to select from.

At Rally Point Apparel we provide a wide selection of sizes as well as graphic styles to suit your needs and preference. Shop at Rally Point Apparel for all of your military shirt needs . We are known for using some of the best and superior materials as well as fabric enhancement in order to create durable and long lasting military shirts which will last for many uses.

If you consider who may want to wear a military shirt from Rally Point Apparel you may be enticed to think of people which are in a number of ways attached to the military. One good example of this will be a Veteran which has previously served our country in the military and now wears one of our military shirts with honor and pride. Another person who will wear a Rally Point Apparel military shirt is the military wife or members of the family showing support for their loved ones.

A number of people just like the cutting edge designs of these Rally Point Apparel military shirts. Others just want something comfortable and tactically awesome to wear. No matter what the reason people have for wearing military shirts the fact is that they are turning out to be more and more popular with lots of diverse kinds of people from all walks of life that are wearing these t-shirts. Rally Point Apparel military shirts are not just limited for men, as a matter of fact there are diverse and fashionable designs on hand for ladies as well. This ranges from styles intended for men with unique designs and logo, all the way through stylish shirts which are simply perfect if you want to wear something a bit different.

Our military shirts aren’t just a remarkable way to show your passion for the military, but they also make a remarkable gift idea for service members and for your friends as well. At Rally Point Apparel, you will find a good selection of military shirts for men and women alike. Those of you who wish to create a statement; look no further, order your Rally Point Apparel military shirt now for assured style anywhere you go.     

Rally Point Apparel military shirts are indeed very popular today. You must include one of our military shirts in your wardrobe. This will not just show your support to the brave men and women of our military but also help you stand out from the rest.

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Guns don't kill people. People kill people.

You have probably heard the old saying, “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Does a gun load bullets into a clip or magazine by itself? No, a person does that. A gun doesn’t take site and aim at a person by itself does it? No, a person picks up a gun and points it at another person. A trigger on the gun doesn’t squeeze itself. A person pulls the trigger. We live in a time when politicians preach strict laws on gun control. At Rally Point Apparel we support American’s second amendment right to bear arms.

It’s very unfortunate that you can’t turn on the news anymore without hearing a tragic story about a mass shooting. How do we stop this gun violence? Do we impose harsh restrictions on gun control? Do we make it hard for criminals and mentally unstable people to purchase guns legally? I wish there was a statistic for the number guns purchased legally that were used in the omission of a crime. If there was such a statistic I think it would reveal that most guns used in the omission of crimes were purchase illegally.

Does that mean that tougher laws on gun control are going to stop gun related crimes from happening? Heck no! If a person wants to go somewhere and get a gun to commit a crime they are going to go get a gun. More than likely going to purchase this gun illegally. All of the gun control laws in the world aren’t going to be able to prevent that. So what do we do as a country? How do we stop all of this gun related crimes from happening?

The best defense against evil men are good men that are skilled at violence. Rally Point Apparel takes a common sense approach to gun control. Strict gun control laws are going to make it more difficult for the good people to purchase guns to protect themselves.

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Getting Care at the VA

I have conflicting opinions on  the level of care, as veteran, I have received from the department of veterans affairs. I am currently at 60% service connected disability from the VA. This means I have no co-pays for any medical expenses including perceptions.

No co-pays and free health care is a blessing. In my opinion the government should provide health care to all veterans. While receiving this health care is nice the department of veterans affairs definitely has left some room for improvements.

I will give you an example. Two years ago I tore my rotator cuff lifting weights. By the time I got  done jumping through the department of veterans affairs hoops three months had past by. The doctor at the VA told me that my shoulder muscle was totally separated from the bone.

The department of veterans affairs had let me sit around with a completely torn muscle for three months! It really worries me to think about what other veterans may be going through. What about the older veterans that have serious health issues?

I know the VA has made some moves in the right direction. They are trying to improve their process. Well, they need to try harder.

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VA Claims Process Sucks

VA claims and appeals can be an anxiety filled experience. Not to mention VA claims/appeals can take upwards of several years before a veteran receives a decision. I get the fact, somewhat, that the Department of Veterans Affairs has millions of veterans applying for disability compensation yearly. So I do understand that a VA claim should take a while to be completed.

I have a VA claim now turned into a VA appeal that is currently at the Board of Veterans Appeals for a second time. My original VA appeal was remanded. It has been almost three years I have been waiting for a favorable answer. This three years of waiting for the VA to make a decision is also with a congressional inquiry attached to it. So the Department of Veterans Affairs does take their time in processing these outstanding claims and appeals.

I would be cool with the wait that comes along with a VA claim, if the Department of Veterans Affairs did a thorough job in reviewing my claim. When I got the first statement of the case in reference to my VA claim I was disappointed and shocked. It was almost like the VA didn’t even look over their own medical records where they had been treating me for the issues that my claim was for. As I read through the statement of the case I realized that the decision review officer (DRO) reviewing my claim probably just flipped a coin to decide if I received service connected disability from the VA.

I actually probably would’ve been better off if the DRO had just flipped a coin. There are many veterans out there going through the same difficulty as I am with the VA claims process. There are also many veterans out there that are having an even more difficult time than me. Some of these veterans are under serious economic hardship. A prompt a fair decision from the VA would make all of the difference in the world to them.

So how do we fix this broken system we call The Department of Veterans Affairs? What can be done to improve the long wait times for VA claims and VA appeals to be completed?