The American Legion Department of Colorado Blog

By: Christine M. Freeman

Five years ago, I began researching a disease that I’d never even heard of before: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), also known as emphysema or chronic bronchitis. Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, following on the heels of heart disease, cancer, and stroke. In the few short years since then, COPD has bypassed stroke to become the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and fifth most prevalent disease in the Veteran population, affecting approximately 15 percent of VA health care users.

For a disease of such considerable impact, relatively little is known about COPD. Our hope, as VA researchers, is that by increasing awareness of this devastating disease, greater resources may be made available to help scientists develop new therapies to treat it.

Why is COPD so devastating? It is a progressive lung disease that can cause shortness of breath, coughing, mucus production, wheezing, and other symptoms. Cigarette smoking is the primary risk factor for COPD, but long-term exposure to other irritants may also contribute. In addition to shortness of breath, COPD patients commonly suffer from anxiety and depression, making this disease a serious medical, financial, and emotional burden on both patients and their families. Currently, there are no treatments available to halt the progression of COPD.

Here at the VA Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we’re looking at the immune system’s role in the COPD process and working to better understand the mechanisms that lead to COPD. In particular, we are interested in why some smokers develop COPD and others do not. In order to directly study the cells involved in the disease process, we collect excess human lung tissue that has been removed for medical reasons. All tissues come from consented patients.

One of the most gratifying aspects of being a VA researcher is working with such a highly altruistic group of patient participants. I am always heartened by the willingness of Veterans to participate in studies such as ours. In order to learn as much as possible from each tissue sample, we have developed techniques to study the function of many different types of cells. For example, we can isolate individual cell populations from the lung tissue and determine what molecules they produce and how these molecules might alter the normal functions of the lung. In this way, we hope to identify differences in cell behavior between patients without and with COPD. We believe our work has the potential to identify potential targets for new therapies to treat COPD disease progression.

I consider myself highly fortunate to be working at the VA, where COPD prevention and treatment are integral to VA’s mission of providing high quality care. And I feel honored to have recently received a presidential award for conducting research that will be used every day to help our nation’s Veterans.

Christine M. Freeman, Ph.D., is a Research Biologist at the VA Medical Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan and a Research Investigator in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Health System. She is one of four VA researchers who this fall received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), the government’s highest honor for researchers in the early stages of their career.

New Public Relations initiative will promote Legion clearinghouse of ways to help servicemembers and veterans.

It is well-known that U.S. servicemembers and veterans receive a great deal of satisfaction from simply being thanked for their service. But much more can be done for them than this. For decades, The American Legion has been at the forefront of helping all those who have served – including women veterans, wounded warriors, unemployed veterans and military families. And a new PR campaign will both promote to the American public at large what the Legion does, and draw that public in to help the Legion do even more.

The “Honor Veterans” initiative, which debuted to the National Executive Committee during Fall Meetings in Indianapolis earlier this month, was put together by the Public Relations staff at National Headquarters. Public service announcements (PSAs), talking about the special circumstances and needs of the four subgroups, call on viewers to visit a dedicated hub on the Legion’s national website. The hub – www.legion.org/honorveterans – features information and Web links on how the Legion helps the subgroups; how members of the subgroups can help themselves, or get outside help; how the viewers can directly help the subgroups, such as by volunteering or writing to troops; and how viewers can help the Legion by donating to programs that help the subgroups, such as Operation Comfort Warriors and Temporary Financial Assistance.

Key to the success of this initiative is its wide distribution. The PSAs can be viewed on LegionTV and YouTube, and have been bundled onto the fall/winter edition of CABLEPAK, a collection of nonprofit PSAs that is distributed to many of the country’s largest cable systems for airing. Legionnaires can do their part, as well. The Honor Veterans hub features embed codes for the four PSAs, enabling Legionnaires and posts to make them viewable on their own websites, those of other organizations that have given permission, and Facebook, as well as radio. The separate, complementary radio spots are directly accessible. Each of the nine PSAs has two versions: one directing listeners to the hub, and the other with space at the end for an announcer to add a local tag line directing listeners to a local post.

Honor Veterans kits, which include instructions and the PSAs in physical form that can be given in person, are available from Public Relations. With Veterans Day coming up, post PR chairmen and all Legionnaires have a perfect opportunity to try to get the initiative introduced into every media market in the United States. Call (317) 630-1253 or email pr@legion.org for more information.

Cost of living adjustment for veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities sent to White House for president’s signature.

The House of Representatives has passed the 2012 Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) for veterans receiving compensation for service-connected disabilities. The COLA also affects the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation of veterans who died as a result of service.

Although Congress has passed a COLA every year for veterans since 1976, there has not been an increase since 2009. The COLA is tied to the Consumer Price Index, which also adjusts benefits for Social Security recipients.

In May, the House passed H.R. 1407, the companion bill to S. 894, which was voted on today. The 3.6 percent COLA increase will go into effect on Dec. 1 once the legislation is signed into by law by the president.

By: James V. Carroll

Army Staff Sgt. Allen Hill, who received injuried when an IED destroyed his Humvee in Iraq, has a new home home built by volunteers on the ABC television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Army Staff Sgt. Allen Hill is a lucky man, regardless of traumatic and injurious events crossing his path.

Hill, 43, is a National Guard and U.S. Army veteran who served nearly 20 years, including two tours in Iraq. He earned a Purple Heart for injuries sustained when an Improvised Explosive Device demolished a Humvee he was riding in. He has been in treatment for post-traumatic stress since the Nov. 1, 2007, incident and away from his wife and two children for much of that time. It was a dismal existence.

But earlier this year, on a hot August night, Hill and his family stood on a street in rural Franklin County, Kan., awaiting a life-changing event. Friends, neighbors, well-wishers, military members and American Legion Riders also waited. The Hill family was about to see their new home built by volunteers on the ABC television series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

“I have a loving wife, Gina, two great children – Makale and Dreyson – a great support network, and now a beautiful new home,” Hill said days later. ” I am a lucky man, yes I am.”

It was a long and arduous path – nearly four years – leading to the moment that Hill and his family uttered the words, “driver, move that bus!” More than 3,000 of volunteers played a part in the seven-day build, including Kansas American Legion Riders who escorted volunteers to the building site during filming of the opening scene of the television show. And the Riders later escorted the Hill family to the reveal ceremony.

“The producers of the show asked us if we could assist, and of course, we agreed,” said Don Behrens, department chairman of the Kansas American Legion Riders. “That’s what we do. We support any effort we can to assist fellow veterans.”

It turned out that Legion Riders played an unexpected role beyond that of escort. Hill was reluctant to participate in the reveal ceremony unless he was assured fellow veterans and military members would be there to support him. The producers agreed.

But let’s rewind to the start.

While on patrol in Iraq four years ago this month, Hill was in a Humvee that was upended by an IED. As a result, he suffers continued post-traumatic stress, one of the signature wounds of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. It was a challenge, but after extensive treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the Warrior Transition Unit, Hill was far enough along in his recovery to be reunited with his family.

But upon return to his Ottawa, Kan.,home, Hill’s gains toward recovery began to unravel. It was his home – located near a rock quarry and its frequent dynamite explosions – that posed the greatest danger. A nearby train rail yard with its unrelenting loud noise and vibrations exacerbated Hill’s PTS reactions.

Sharp noises, vibrations and dimly-lit areas trigger a “fight or flight’ condition that psychologically sends Hill back to that explosion in Iraq. It was not uncommon for Hill to bolt at any loud, sudden or unexpected sound, or for his family to find him wandering aimlessly in the street following such an incident. They feared he might be killed on the road by traffic.

To assist in his recovery, Hill was sent to a non-profit facility in Napa Valley called The Pathway Home. After extensive treatment, Hill told anyone who would listen that he had “got some of his mojo back” and wanted to return home. But returning to the environment surrounding his home was not an alternative.

Actress Glenn Close learned of Hill’s predicament and nominated the Hill family for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Tom Weigand, president of the Ottawa Area Chamber of Commerce, through the Weigand family trust donated land in the Wheatland Hills housing development near Ottawa to build a new home for the Hill family. M.A.C Corporation and Canyon Creek Construction were selected for the project. The 4,000-square-foot home was completed in seven days.

Construction of the house and filming the Extreme Makeover episode was not without its challenges – ¬most notably heat. Triple-digit temperatures as high as 114 degrees at the building site greeted the cast, crew, volunteers and Legion Riders during the week.

“Almost 300 Legion Riders arrived at the building site the first day – expecting filming of the opening segment to take place as scheduled,” Behrens said. “But delays left us waiting far too long on hot asphalt. We were getting overheated. A number of Riders became ill from the heat.

At least one was taken to the hospital.”

Fortunately, nearby neighbors invited Riders into their air-conditioned homes to cool down and offered them iced beverages to drink. Behrens later presented Department of Kansas plaques to the neighbors in appreciation.

“I don’t know what might have happened had the neighbors not come to our rescue,” Behrens later said. “They were welcome Samaritans.”

Activities leading up to the reveal seven days later were unlike any other. Gone were the festive hoops and hollers. Ty Pennington, the host of the Extreme Makeover show, lowered his voice to a whisper. Hill, while recovering, remained very sensitive to loud or sudden noise.

Pennington, cast members and the Hill family stood between soldiers in their camouflage fatigues and the iconic Extreme Makeover bus. A hush enveloped the scene as a contingent of American Legion Riders approached on foot to present Hill with a welcome home flag signed by Riders participating in the event.

Tears welled in Hills eyes as the bus slowly pulled away revealing his new home – a home far from the rock quarry and rail yard, a home designed to promote a quiet environment for the family and Hill’s service dog, Frankie. Actress Glenn Close and Hill hugged as the silent crowd across the road waved American flags and held up signs of support.

“This is more than I could ever imagine,” Hill whispered, wiping away the tears rolling down his face. ” I know that saying thank you is not enough, but thank you, thank you, thank you.”

And then Hill, Gina, Makale and Dreyson opened the door to their new home and crossed the threshold to a new life – a life filled with promise.

By: Alex Horton

War, despite its vicious and ugly nature, has a way of advancing both technology and medicine. The battles of World War II spurred the creation of antibiotics still used today, and out of the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, nuclear energy is used all over the planet.

The Veterans Administration, the predecessor to the Department of Veterans Affairs we know today, was unprepared for the demand of mental health services after the Vietnam War, and the only solution to the ineffective model of care was innovation. Vet Centers were created four years after the war ended to provide counseling to Vietnam Vets who struggled with reintegration. Eligibility for Vet Centers have expanded since then, serving Veterans from World War II to Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom and New Dawn.

Today, war Veterans can access individual, group and family counseling, military sexual trauma (MST) counseling, substance abuse and employment assessment, and benefits referrals. The centers are notable for their discreet locations away from big and bustling hospitals, and their staffs usually consist of war Vets themselves.

The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan may have helped to refocus attention on these critical resources. The Arizona Republic reported on the increase of Vet Centers in the state along with a noticeable difference in quality for Reed Webber, an Afghanistan Veteran. Just five years ago, he didn’t get the care he needed from his Vet Center or the closest VA medical center. Since then, mental health care budgets have expanded and new Vet Centers were built.

The need for adjustment counseling for war Vets will only increase over time. Once again, wars have both provided both demand and focus on services to improve care not just for the newest Vets, but the oldest we have.

If you need their services, find one near you at http://www2.va.gov/directory/guide/vetcenter_flsh.aspand get started.

Legionnaires from across America will descend upon Washington this week to meet with supercommittee members, urging them to avoid further cuts to defense spending.

On Nov. 2, 42 members of The American Legion will meet with members of the Joint Special Committee on Deficit Reduction – labeled the “supercommittee” – to discuss the Legion’s concerns over proposals to the committee that would negatively impact the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs budgets.

The supercommittee is charged with identifying at least $1.2 trillion of savings in the federal budget before Nov. 23. The American Legion has been closely involved in this issue since the committee was created in early August.

“We’ve undertaken a two-part effort in helping to advocate for our nation’s veterans and military,” American Legion National Legislative Director Tim Tetz said. “Our national staff has been meeting with committee staff and members for the past two months.”

Tetz said the Legion has also been working the issue at the grassroots level with its membership, arranging the trips of 42 Legionnaires to visit their senators and representatives Nov. 2 on Capitol Hill. “This is one last face-to-face meeting to encourage careful deliberation before the committee votes,” said Tetz.

In early August, as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011, the defense budget was cut by about $450 billion over the next decade, according to Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. Among the 175,000-plus recommendations received by the supercommittee were further reductions to the defense and veterans budgets. Even more cuts would be enacted if the committee fails to develop a plan to meet the $1.2 trillion reduction need. The Legion argues that such cuts would place America’s national security at risk.

In response to this threat, The American Legion passed Resolution 1 during its October National Executive Committee meetings, urging Congress and the White House to avoid further cuts to the defense budget.

“We certainly comprehend and appreciate the enormous financial challenges our country is facing today,” American Legion National Commander Fang Wong said. “We also want Congress to understand that benefits for veterans and military families shouldn’t be first in line when it comes to budget cuts.

“Our veterans community is willing to do its share to get America’s economy rolling again. But other options exist to reduce our budget deficit, and we want Capitol Hill to take a closer look at them before cutting defense spending or veteran’s benefits.”

When Legionnaires meet with supercommittee members, Tetz said, “We won’t be asking them for a hands-off policy on the defense budget. We are outlining some efficiencies that won’t impact our veterans or national defense, and encouraging them to look elsewhere. Our nation’s veterans have already earned their benefits.”

Report states insufficient data makes it impossible to say whether emissions can cause long-term health effects.

Insufficient data on servicemembers’ exposures to emissions from open-air burn pits for trash on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan is one of the reasons why it is not possible to say whether these emissions could cause long-term health effects, according to a new Institute of Medicine report. High background levels of ambient pollution from other sources and lack of information on the quantities and composition of wastes burned in the pits also complicate interpretation of the data.

During deployment to a war zone, military personnel can be exposed to a variety of environmental hazards, many of which have been associated with long-term adverse health outcomes such as cancer and respiratory disease. Many veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have health problems that they worry are related to their exposure to burn pits on military bases. Special attention has been focused on the burn pit at Joint Base Balad (JBB), one of the largest U.S. military bases in Iraq and a central logistics hub.

Based on its analysis of raw data from air monitoring efforts at JBB conducted by the U.S. Department of Defense, the committee that wrote the report concluded that levels of most pollutants of concern at the base were not higher than levels measured at other polluted sites worldwide. Moreover, research on other populations exposed to complex mixtures of pollutants, primarily firefighters and workers at municipal waste incineration plants, has not indicated increased risk for long-term health consequences such as cancer, heart disease, and most respiratory illnesses among these groups.

Even so, the committee pointed out shortcomings in research and gaps in evidence that prevented them from drawing firm conclusions, and it recommended a path to overcome some of these limitations. Lack of information on the specific quantities and types of wastes burned and on other sources of background pollution when air samples were being collected meant it was difficult to correlate pit emissions, including smoke events, with potential health outcomes. Different types of wastes produce different combinations of chemical emissions with the possibility of different health outcomes in those exposed. Moreover, it is hard to determine whether surrogate populations such as firefighters experience exposures to pollutants and durations of exposures similar to those of servicemembers stationed at JBB.

The report recommends that a study be conducted to evaluate the health status of servicemembers from their time of deployment to JBB over many years to determine their incidence of chronic diseases, including cancers, that tend not to show up for decades. In addition, it recommends a tiered approach to gathering data to better characterize exposures to the complex mixture of burn pit emissions in light of the presence of other sources of pollutants in the ambient environment.

Given the variety of hazards and substances to which military personnel are exposed in the field, service in Iraq and Afghanistan in general – rather than exposure to burn pits only – might be associated with long-term health effects, the committee noted. A specific concern is the high ambient concentrations of particulate matter generated by both human activities and natural sources. Risks may be greater for those who are especially susceptible to health problems, including individuals with asthma or those who encountered high concentrations of substances or had prolonged exposures.