Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

I just became a new member of an organization called Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, or IAVA. Their organization is dedicated to helping OEF/OIF veterans network in a variety of ways. They provide links for employment, social networking exclusive to veterans, as well as providing general information on veteran benefits.

IAVA members pose with Miller High Life sponsors

They also help take action to help veterans. Recently I received an email from the IAVA community that held a link to a letter to congress. It was a petition to persuade congress to allow National Guard soldiers cleaning up after BP in the Gulf to count their time towards their GI Bill benefits. Due to a bureaucratic loophole, the Guardsmen and women currently do not receive active duty time for what they are doing in the Gulf, despite the fact that they are working around the clock to clean up the oil spill. Thanks in part to IAVA, congress is becoming aware that this is unacceptable. I was happy to join their efforts to change this policy by signing their petition, and I hope that the change is made quickly.

OEF/OIF veterans can go to IAVA's website and find all kinds of useful information. They update information on veteran employment rates, veteran suicide rates, changes in federal legislation (most recently the Obama administration changes in the PTSD rating system and caregiver benefits), legal benefits, financial assistance, and much more.

IAVA volunteer embraces an amputee at Dodger Stadium

They also have a fun side. Through the IAVA "rucksack"http://rucksack.iava.org, veterans can take advantage of many other benefits. IAVA has taken groups of veterans to sporting events free of charge. In California, veterans took the field at Dodgers Stadium, and had the opportunity to take pictures with legends such as Tommy Lasorda, all free of charge. Veterans have attended games at Dodger Stadium, PETCO park in San Diego (Home of the San Diego Padres), and also attended a Washington Nationals game, free of charge. Currently, veterans can sign up to attend a Packers Game in Green Bay, Wisconsin, an MLB game in Phoenix, an Alaskan fishing trip, and several other sporting events through the rucksack. Feel free to check the IAVA rucksack for events in your area.

America's Birthday and the "Bombs Bursting in Air"

As everyone knows, our Nation's birthday is right around the corner. It is a day for celebration, especially for veterans who have risked everything for our country. For us it is not just a day to remember the birth of our country, but it is also a day to remember what we fight for, and to be thankful that we are still here to celebrate with our friends and family. And while I am happy to celebrate with the people I love, it can also be a little difficult.

This Sunday, the air will be alive with the smells of barbeque, watermelon, and gunpowder. The fireworks display on the 4th of July is the most identifiable part of the celebration. The colors, the sounds, the smells: these are all magnificent and dramatic reminders of the "bombs bursting in air" from our National Anthem. As much as I enjoy celebrating the 4th of July, I still have trouble with the fireworks.

The funny thing about fireworks being used to represent bombs is that they actually do sound like bombs. Hearing that loud boom and smelling the gunpowder has a different association for me now. I have struggled for years to get past my discomfort with fireworks. Two months ago, I actually stood through a fireworks display at a local event. I found out that if I stood behind something, I felt a little bit better. I took my place behind a tree, and watched the display. On the very last boom, there was an incredibly loud bang accompanied with nothing but a white explosion. I fell to the ground and tucked myself in, ready to absorb the shock. It was instinct, nothing more than muscle memory. The crowd cheered and clapped, and were very entertained. And while I was proud of myself for standing as long as I did, I still felt that I wasn't quite over the fear completely. This Sunday will be another test, and I will see where I am at from there. I have no problem when I am in control, lighting them myself. When I am out at a display the sound still bothers me, especially when there is a shockwave from the larger explosions.

Even with these issues on my mind, I am prepared to celebrate this Sunday. I love this country, and I am proud to call it home. I will be outside, lighting sparklers in my backyard, grilling out, and thinking about how great it is to be here (or back here as the case may be). As uncomfortable as I may be with fireworks, I will not let it stop me from remembering what Independence Day is all about. I want to wish all of my fellow veterans out there the best of luck this 4th of July, and I hope that all of you and your families have a wonderful, fun, and safe holiday weekend.

~J.R.

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 6/30/10

Our 1st Anniversary

June 13, 2009

Tomorrow is June 13th and our 1st anniversary as a married couple. A year ago, we committed to the vows to love each other, for better or for worse. We are definitely in the "better" phase right now, more in love today than yesterday.

On our honeymoon

Thanks to receiving JR's backpay for his PTSD disability right before our wedding last year, we spent our honeymoon in the Dominican Republic, enjoying an all-inclusive resort and truly enjoying our surroundings and each other. We needed that vacation after all we had been through earlier that year and it was a nice break from reality. We hope to return to the DR one day, it is such a magical place!

Tomorrow, on our anniversary, we're going to a Dodger game with our best man and a bridesmaid. We won the tickets at a church raffle; the church we got married at, for tickets on our wedding anniversary, for our favorite team... we are lucky!

We have had a wonderful year, one that had brought us closer together and reminded us how lucky we are to have found each other. Here's to many more years of happiness and continuing our united fight against PTSD/TBI. We're going to win over this condition, and we're going to win it together.

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 6/12/10

Once a Warrior Always a Warrior: Chapter One Review

It has taken me a little over three weeks, but I have finally finished the first chapter of the book Once a Warrior Always a Warrior by U.S. Army Colonel Charles W. Hoge, MD (retired). Sorry it has taken so long, the chapter itself was not incredibly long, but we've been busy lately.

So, what did I learn? This chapter is an introduction to PTSD, the effects on our lives, and a pretty detailed breakdown of the symptoms. There is a description of the DSM criteria for PTSD, and a sample of the checklist used to screen for post combat emotional problems. There is description of the PTSD criterion A, B, C, and D. All of these add up to a very informative chapter. I cannot honestly say that it opened my eyes to a world I never knew, but I can definitely say that it helped me realize that I do fit into a certain group after all. I felt that the book was speaking to me specifically at times. There were also quotes from actual servicemen and women beautifully woven into the chapter. They are not named, which makes the quoted much more relevant and interesting, because you know that it is not someone trying to tell a war story to get their name out there. While reading these quotes, I found myself wondering how these people knew that, or I found myself asking "You too? I feel the same way!"

One of my favorite parts of chapter one was a description from the author of PTSD as a "paradox". He explains that medical professionals look at PTSD as "the specific set of symptoms and impairment" (pg. 9). He then goes on to explain that PTSD "can also reflect normal responses to life threatening events or the normal way the body responds to extreme stress" (pg. 9). In this way, according to the book,"Reactions that mental health professionals label 'PTSD' may be entirely expected for warriors who have trained and prepared themselves to deal with serious traumatic events"(pg. 9). In short, what is considered to be abnormal by mental health professionals is actually quite normal under the circumstances for most of us combat veterans.

I put the book down better informed, and relieved that other veterans are having similar experiences to my own. It was refreshing to see that the book was written for those of us who do not know medical language, anyone can pick up this book and actually be able to understand it. When you mix all of this with the symptom explanations, and the fantastic quotes from anonymous warriors, it is a great read. I am excited to read further into this book, and will continue to review the book as I get further along.

~J.R.

Once a Warrior--Always a Warrior: Navigating the Transition from Combat to Home--Including Combat Stress, PTSD, and mTBI

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 6/11/10

Exciting New Direction

This weekend I had the opportunity to train with NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness), and I became a certified support group facilitator. I am extremely excited to take on the challenge, and help out with the veterans support groups. As we have said before, Nicole and I got involved with NAMI Front Line, a non-VA support group for veterans with PTSD. It is unique to our area, and is the only NAMI support group that invites veterans and their family members. Front Line has taken us miles in our journey, and I am now preparing to take it to the next step by running a group of my own.

Also, I recently made an important decision. I have decided to pursue a degree in social work, and hopefully go to work for the VA. I have felt a need for a while now that the VA needs to change. I agree that they try, but far too many times I've seen them come up short, and our vets get frustrated. I have decided that the best way for me to help these changes along is to join the VA team myself. I am not pretentious enough to think that I can fix it, but I can certainly help. As the saying goes "if you want something done, you gotta do it yourself".

I am happy to be taking all of these important steps toward my own recovery. I feel empowered, like I can really do some good now, and hopefully I can help someone in need, and keep them from getting to the point where things are just too much, a feeling that I sadly know all too well.

~J.R.

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 6/6/10

Honoring Veterans on Memorial Day

JR placing flags at the cemetery

This past Saturday, we had the honor of placing flags on the graves of veterans at a local cemetery. I've never been a fan of cemeteries, but swallowed my inhibitions and we arrived at 7am on Saturday ready to volunteer. We were joined by 36 other volunteers, including our family and friends. The cemetery has over 6,500 veterans and our mission was to find each and everyone and honor them by placing a flag at their grave site to honor their service. Some veterans had the government issued headstones, like the one above. For the other veterans, we had to follow the cemetery employees who had lists designating the veterans with family headstones. With at least 20 employees and the 36 volunteers, it took four hours to put out 6500 flags. Looking back at the cemetery as we left, we were overwhelmed with how many people at this single location served our country. Most were veterans were from WWII, Vietnam, and Korea, with a few Veterans from WWI and even Iraq. Iraq veterans really hit home because they died at such a young age, in their twenties and younger than us.

The bracelet JR wears to honor his friend.

JR lost a friend during the OIF3 (Operation Iraqi Freedom 2005), Spc. Dennis Ferderer. JR wears a bracelet with his picture and information on it every day (To purchase one, visit InOurHearts.org). Everytime I look at it, I see Ferderer's birth year, 1985. It's the same year that my sister was born, so it tends to resonate with me. He was only 20 years old when he was killed on Nov. 2, 2005. We would like to honor him today.

Later today, we're hosting a Memorial Day BBQ with our family and friends joining us. One of the best way to celebrate Memorial Day is to enjoy the freedom that our soldiers have fought so hard to preserve. It is because of the men and women that have served our country, that we can enjoy a day-off and have BBQs.

If you served, or have family who have served, we would like to say, "THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE." We are thinking of you and your sacrifices on this holiday weekend.

~ Nicole

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/31/10

PTSD Diary Book Club

Our first book club selection

We are starting a new series for the PTSD Diary. We are going to review books related to PTSD/TBI and document our findings in post series. It is our hope that we will make "discoveries" that will help others or point them in the direction of valuable reading, depending on their circumstances. We also plan on incorporating our personal experiences with our findings.

Our first book is "Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior," by Charles W. Hodge.

If you have a already read this book, or end up reading it along with us, we would love to hear your feedback or questions.

If you would like us to review a book, please contact us via contact@ptsddiary.com for consideration.

If you would like to order the book, please the link below:

Once a Warrior--Always a Warrior: Navigating the Transition from Combat to Home--Including Combat Stress, PTSD, and mTBI

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/24/10

TBI and a Frozen Bag of Vegetables

JR numbs his headache pain with frozen veggies, he is particularly fond of cauliflower.

Tonight, I'm watching the finale of Lost and JR is sitting next to me in his recliner, asleep. Underneath his neck is a frozen bag of mixed vegetables. He has a major headache tonight. He always has a constant headache, usually a 3 on the 1-10 pain level used by the military and the VA. It fluctuates from a 3 to a 10. At a 3, he can tolerate the pain, go on with his daily business. When the level raises, his resistance goes down. Tonight it went up to a 10...

It is difficult of me to watch him suffer, as it is with any spouse who feels helpless when a loved one is in pain. It seems to me that there has to be a solution. We go to the VA at least once a week if not more, searching for answers and we often leave empty handed. In regards to his headaches and TBI, we often hear, "Don't worry, you'll get the claim," - a reference to the TBI disability claim that we filed last year. I wish they could understand, it's not about the money. We just want help. We just want to know that one day, JR will wake up with no headaches.

Often our posts on this blog are informative and/or light hearted. Life is not always like that. We try to focus on the positive, but sometimes this TBI/PTSD interferes. For example, today we won amazing tickets to the Dodgers at a local church bazaar. We were overjoyed because the tickets our on our 1st anniversary. And then the level 10 headache occurs and brings him down physically. We just thought we should be honest with our PTSD/TBI struggles. And don't get us wrong... it could be worse and we are thankful that JR has mild TBI, and is not a severe case. I just can't help but wonder if we sought solutions in the private medical sector, would we have better results? We can't really afford the private health care required for TBI, leaving the VA as our primary health care. We are doing Neurofeedback thanks to the generosity of our clinician Kimberly Smith (for more on that, please see our original post here) which is helping with the PTSD, but TBI may require more medical care.

We know we aren't the only ones dealing with these TBI symptoms including headaches, fatigue, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, depression, etc. We recognize these symptoms so it is a little baffling that the doctors don't seem as concerned as we feel they should be. They tell us JR has mild TBI, but have yet to offer a solution (we know there may not be one) or a recovery plan (physical, mental rehab?).

If anyone has any information on mild TBI or navigating the VA, we would love more information. I research every aspect that I can and will continue to research, ask questions, and find answers. Not only for JR, but for all the other veterans that are experiencing the same issues.

~ Nicole

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/24/10

Baseball + Wounded Warriors = Great Combination

At the Game

JR and I went to a Dodger game last night at Dodger Stadium in LA. They played the Astros and won the game 7-3. We had fantastic tickets behind home plate and enjoyed the games as we ate Dodger dogs, garlic fries, and good beer.

But our fun day watching the Dodgers is not the reason for this post... The day before the game, I wanted some Dodger gear to sport at the game. We went to Walmart and I found a great camo hat with 99 on it for star player Manny Rameriz. It also has his signature and the Wounded Warrior Project logo (see below). Reading the tag attached to the hat, I discovered that a percentage of the sale would be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. I thought, "What a perfect combination! Baseball and Wounded Warriors celebrated in one purchase!" So I bought the hat and proudly wore it at the game last night.

According to their website, "The mission of the Wounded Warrior Project is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its purpose is to raise awareness and to enlist the public’s aid for the needs of severely injured service members, to help severely injured men and women aid and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet their needs. WWP is a national, apolitical organization headquartered in Jacksonville, FL. To get involved and learn more, visitwww.woundedwarriorproject.org." They have teamed up with The Major League Baseball Players Association and Activa Global Sports & Entertainment LLC on this fundraising project.

Dodgers not your favorite team? That's okay! Lots of players are participating. The collection includes men's and women's hats and t-shirts in camo and army green. Find your favorite player and support both your team and the Wounded Warrior Project. Click here to find out participating Walmart Locations :

Lance Berkman – Houston

Mark Buehrle – Chicago

Johnny Damon – Detroit

Prince Fielder – Milwaukee

Adrian Gonzalez – San Diego

Zack Greinke – Kansas City

Roy Halladay – Philadelphia

Josh Hamilton – Dallas/Ft. Worth

Ryan Howard – Philadelphia

Torii Hunter – Anaheim (Los Angeles)

Derek Jeter – New York

Chipper Jones – Atlanta

Derrek Lee – Chicago

Tim Lincecum – San Francisco

Evan Longoria – Tampa Bay

Nick Markakis – Baltimore

Joe Mauer – Minnesota

Dustin Pedroia – Boston

Albert Pujols – St. Louis

Manny Ramirez – Los Angeles

Jose Reyes – New York

Grady Sizemore – Cleveland

Chase Utley – Philadelphia

David Wright – New York

Kevin Youkilis – Boston

Ryan Zimmerman – Washington, DC

For more information, please click here to go to the Wounded Warrior Project page.

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/19/10

HBO Series "The Pacific" Hits Home

HBO recently aired "The Pacific", a ten part mini-series that told the story of U.S. Marines in Japan. The show followed their stories from Guadalcanal, all the way to Iwo Jima, and finally back home. In the series finale, the Marines finally get back home after years away from their family and home life. When they do get home, they all keep asking the same question, "Now what?" After getting back, it seems like starting over. All of a sudden, it's time to find a job, learn a skill, and most importantly it's time to talk to people who have no clue what you've been through, what you've seen, or where you have been.

Eugene Sledge (Joseph Mazzello) returns to his family

The show deals with something that every combat veteran is familiar with. Home becomes a very strange place after coming back from combat. It can be difficult, even overwhelming to fit back in to old routines, and to talk to people who have not shared your experiences. "The Pacific" does a fantastic job of showing this, with characters having trouble finding jobs, going to social events, and refusing to wear their uniforms. It is an incredible paradox: when you're at war, all you want to do is come home and once you get home all you can think about is going back. Things that you use to enjoy, people that you used to relate to, it all changes.

Sledge breaksdown after realizing war has changed him

Watching this show today, I felt like I was looking in a mirror. Perhaps it was influenced by the current situation, but it really made the point well. It also showed me that the struggles of returning veterans has not changed since World War II, we have all experienced the same problems in some fashion. I've always said, and it remains true: The Army taught me how to shoot, how to assault and capture a trench system with incredible precision, but they never told me what to do afterwards. As hard as it is, I am comforted knowing that I am not alone, and that I am certainly not the first one to feel lost after getting home. Now, thanks in part to shows like "The Pacific", hopefully it will be easier to talk about. And, God willing, one day we can all finally come home and live in peace

-J.R.

Oringally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/16/10

JR Nominated for Recovery & Well Being Award

Yesterday after finishing his last final of the semester, JR and I, accompanied by my parents, attended "The Eleventh Annual Academy Awards Banquet," hosted by Kern County Mental Health and NAMI Kern County. Held in the conference room of Hodel's Restaurant, it was a lovely event, "Celebrating a New Decade of Hope and Recovery." Nominations and awards were presented in the following categories: The Above and Beyond Award (both individual and teamcategories), Mental Health Professional of the Year Award, Recovery and Well-Being Award, and The Incredible Youth Award. The stories of each nominee were shared and they received certificates. While JR did not win in his category, it was truly a pleasure to be nominated.

JR was nominated by Russ Sempell, President of NAMI Kern County. He wrote the following nomination for JR:

J.R. Browning is being nominated for the Recovery & Well Being Award for his outstanding commitment and perseverance to his recovery and his newly married bride. Nicole introduced him to NAMI Kern County's FRONT LINE Support Groups just over 1 year ago!

J.R. served our Country in Iraq for the United States Army for two tours of duty. He survived more than 20 explosions from explosive devices, rocket propelled grenades and roadside bombs. Since he has returned home, he now is recovering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) like 30% of his peers who found themselves in combat.

J.R. still has chronic headaches, sleep issues, anxiety & depression but with the support of his wife and FRONT LINE, J.R. has returned to Bakersfield College where he has founded a new Vet Club on campus. He also has become a mentor Peer to Peer Class Instructor and plans on taking NAMI Connection Support Group Facilitator Training. J.R. has done his advocasy work for Vets with PTSD & TBI by making public presentations for NAMI's FRONT LINE Conferences and has been interviewed recently on KGET's Chanel 17 morning new show.

NAMI Kern County is pleased to have this opportunity to say, "Thank You J.R. Browning for putting your life on line for ours and now back here on our NAMI Kern County's FRONT LINE to support others."

Certificate presented to J.R. for his nomination

Hope Simplified

I received this comic strip when I took NAMI's Family-to-Family course earlier this year. I just love it and it remains on my fridge today to remind me to always have hope. And it doesn't just apply to PTSD and TBI, it applies to everything. Enjoy!

~ Nicole

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/14/10

Appointments Never Stop...And Neither Do We

A few weeks ago, we had 5 different PTSD/TB-related appointments within a 4 hour period. Today we had three PTSD/TBI related appointments, next week it will be more...the appointments never seem to stop and neither do we.

It was PTSD/TBI Friday for us today... our schedule went as follows:

10am: Therapy appointment at our local VA clinic.

• We discussed that with JR finishing up the current semester, he was finally able to relax a little over the summer. Nothing major to discuss with the therapist, but did find coping skill insights that we're going to try and use.

12:00pm: Neurofeedback

• Nothing really enlightening happened today. We attend Neurofeedback about 2-3 times a week, sometimes it's we have a breakthrough, other times we don't. But we stick with it because it does seem to be doing something positive. Since we've been going, JR has stopped smoking and is able to stay awake and alert (very different from a year ago when he was falling asleep for 10+ hours). For more information on our Neurofeedback adventure, please see our previous post here.

2:30pm: TBI Evaluation for Disability Rating

• We put in for a disability claim last year for JR's TBI diagnosis. We have been told JR's headaches (they're constant, everyday) could be TBI. Then we've heard, no he doesn't have it. Then again, yes he does have TBI but mild (although how any Traumatic Brain Injury can be considered mild is beyond me with the use of the word Traumatic). It has always been a back and forth issue for us. They say he has it, but they haven't done anything else. We basically put in the TBI claim for disability just to find out if he has it or not, because in order to give him a rating, they would have to test him first. We were advised to do this by our local VSO (Veterans Service Organization).
• The doctor today determined that yes, JR does have TBI. However, his TBI will not show up on a MRI or CATscan because unlike a stroke, the damage isn't immediately obvious. The Dr. will report his findings to the VA and we'll go from there... not really sure what the next step will be.

We're free for the weekend... but on Monday, we are heading two hours south to visit the West LA VA Pain Clinic so they can look into JR's headaches and hopefully find a solution. We've been there twice before, and nothing happened. They suggested last time that we inject steroids into his head, but it would only last for a week and then he would get worse rebound headaches. We said no, we didn't want rollar coaster headaches. But we're going back again... just to see if they can come up with something else this time.

Long story short... we're just sticking with it. It's our hope that with the variety of Veteran things we participate with (NAMI, Neurofeedback, Wounded Heroes, the VA - Mental health therapy, OIF Gold Team, Pain Clinic, Physical Therapy, etc) that something will work and JR will no longer have constant headaches. There's a lot of complaining about the VA, sometimes by us too, but what is our alternative? We just have to persist and work with it.

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/14/10

It's official, Bakersfield College has a Veterans Club!

JR has worked so hard to make the Veterans Club at Bakersfield College become a reality. He feels that there is a need for Bakersfield College veterans who are returning to school after their service to receive support with a variety of issues including navigating the GI Bill, dealing with transitioning back into the civilian arena, and perhaps even with combat issues like PTSD. After writing up the club constitution and creating a club executive board, JR was finally ready for the club to be approved. Last Friday, the Student Government Association voted on making the club official and it was passed unanimously. Their first official meeting will take place this Friday, May 7th at 9am.

In the Bakersfield College newspaper, The Renegade Rip, the Veterans Club was announced to all students. To read the article online, click here.

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/5/10

"In Their Boots" - Mini Documentaries Provide PTSD Perspective

Via our Twitter account (PTSDdiary), we came across an interesting find called In Their Boots. According to their website,

In Their Boots is a documentary series about the impact the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are having on people here at home. Every episode features a documentary about how America’s servicemen and women, their families, and our communities have been profoundly changed by our nation's campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Shot on location throughout the country, these stories stress the courage of our participants, and the valor of the people and organizations that help our heroes on their journey.

I have to tell you, I cannot watch an episode without getting emotional. I think what this crew is doing (Meet the Crew) is simply amazing. These episodes are a valuable resource for both those suffering from PTSD/TBI, and for those loved ones who support them. As a loved one, I felt a connection to both the veterans and the family members in each episode, and recognized aspects of our own struggles.

I would highly recommend checking their website and the episodes out. Two episodes in particular stuck me as extremely personal: "The War Within" and "When He Came Home.", although to just pick a few would do an injustice to the site. You really have to watch each and every episode to get the full spectrum of what these men and women are experiencing when they return home. What I love about their episodes, is that they have covered such an array of subjects. Too many times, there is a focus on statistics and studies. These documentaries show the heart of why PTSD is such an issue of epidemic proportions. Their website also has an excellent list of resources that we are continuing to go through for more information. Check it out and let us know what you you think.

~ Nicole

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 5/1/10

JR speaks at PTSD/TBI conference and receives a Quilt of Valor

JR speaking at the conference

Last weekend, JR was one of the speakers at the FRONT LINE Educational Conference on PTSD/TBI. It was a great event with amazing speakers with both personal experience and educational information. JR, with clinician Kimberly Smith, updated the audience on his continuing treatment with Neurofeedback and how it is impacting his PTSD. It's so wonderful to see how far he has come to be able to share his war experience with a wide audience of people. My mom and I were beeming in the audience as he spoke. We also enjoyed seeing the other speakers, especially the presentation by Chris Allen and Denita Hartfield. Both had personal experiences to share and had a large impact on the audience. It's amazing how similar veterans stories can be, even when they have different experiences.

JR is presented with the quilt at the conference

JR was also presented with a beautiful quilt from the local Quilts of Valor chapter, run by the Cotton Patch Quilters of Kern County andThe Woman's Club of Bakersfield. Thanks to FRONT LINE co-founder Patrice Maniaci, the local chapter became aware of JR's veteran status and made him a beautiful red, white, and blue quilt with his name imprinted on it. To date, the Quilts of Valor Foundation has given away 26,125 quilts and we our honored to be included.

According to their website:

A Quilt of Valor is a wartime quilt made to honor our War Wounded. It is a tangible way to say: 'Thank you for your service, sacrifce and valor" for our country.'

JR's quilt

For more information about the Quilts of Valor Foundation, please visit QOVF.org.

JR also appeared on the local NBC affiliate KGET on the 11pm news regarding the conference. We are working on getting the video and will post it here.

~ Nicole

Originally posted on PTSDdiary.com, 4/19/10

College Veterans Club First Meeting Was a Success

For about three months, I have been working to establish a veterans club at Bakersfield College where I am going to school. Today, it all paid off! After setting the date for this meeting three weeks ago, we had a good number of people show up to form this club. I was able to get volunteers to serve as founding officers, as well as get support for the efforts I have put in to get support groups on campus. I am extremely excited to have this worked out, it has been a major goal of mine to bring support for veterans up to the campus, more than just help with the GI Bill, but a community of veterans working to help each other. All of the work I put in really paid off, and I am excited to see what happens next! We will be meeting again next Friday, April 16th at 9am. If you're a BC student or know someone who is, please let them know. They do not have to be a veterans, just care about veterans' issues!

~ JR

Originally published on PTSDdiary.com, 4/9/10