My Son and I - A Wounded Warrior's Story

Excerpts from "Have a Nice Day" Documentary

2011-10-20T15:25:00.002-05:00

CCI and Tempered Steel

2011-09-26T09:50:00.002-05:00

Trial by Fire: Film takes inspiration from burn survivors

2011-09-26T06:25:00.000-05:00

Trial by Fire: Film takes inspiration from burn survivors

VOW Interview with Luana Schneider

2011-09-06T06:59:00.001-05:00

Listen to internet radio with voiceofwarriors on Blog Talk Radio

Radio Interview with Luana Schneider from Tempered Steel

2011-08-29T08:09:00.001-05:00

Luana Schneider, Exec Director of Tempered Steel will be giving a radio interview on Sept 5th at 6:30pm CST.
Radio Show
A blog article with more information about the show is scheduled to post on VOW's website VOW on Tuesday morning at 10:00 am. It is also scheduled to post on the Military Missions website Military Missions on Thursday 9/1 at 10:00 am. They should post of the home pages of each site.

Scott Stephenson Pictorial of Injury and Recovery

2011-08-28T12:04:00.000-05:00

WARNING: Some images are graphic

Veteran Discount Application for Utility Discount in San Antonio, TX

2011-08-26T08:32:00.001-05:00

Veterans discount application

View more documents from Luana Schneider

Veteran Discount Fact Sheet for Utilities in San Antonio, TX

2011-08-26T08:31:00.001-05:00

Veterans discount fact_sheet

View more documents from Luana Schneider

Seeking Funding for Tempered Steel Book "Honoring the Wounds of War"

2011-08-25T10:20:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel "Honoring the Wounds of War"

View more documents from Luana Schneider

Scott Stephenson

2011-08-16T16:48:00.003-05:00

"The Hero"

2011-07-13T11:45:00.001-05:00

Tempered Steel's Luana Schneider and Scott Stephenson

2011-07-13T11:44:00.002-05:00

Tempered Steel's Luana Schneider and Scott Stephenson speaking to a college psychology class regarding PTSD and the military.

Tempered Steel's Bobby Henline

2011-07-13T11:41:00.003-05:00

Tempered Steel's Bobby Henline speaking in Las Vegas NV to a school.

Another Way to Donate

2011-07-07T06:32:00.002-05:00

Here is another way to donate to Tempered Steel.
FundRazr

Fox News Piece on Tempered Steel

2011-05-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

Fox News Piece on Tempered Steel

The piece on Tempered Steel is scheduled to air on Sunday on the Fox News Channel at 1, 4 and 7pm Eastern time. There will also be a write-up on Foxnews.com FOX

RAFFLE FOR KENNY CHESNEY FRONT ROW CONCERT TICKETS

2011-05-22T11:29:00.001-05:00

For every $5.00 donation you receive an entry to our raffle for 4 front row seats (handicap accessible) to the Kenny Chesney concert at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City on July 30th. This is our first place prize, we are adding 4 more prizes for 2-4th place as we speak. You may either go to our website DONATE or call Luana Schneider at (800) 294-5039 for local cash donations. We will draw for the raffle on June 11th at S.C.A.R.-FEST. The winner will be contacted by phone on Monday June 13th if they are not present at the Event.

Run for the Fallen

2011-05-09T09:29:00.000-05:00

PLEASE help support Heidi and Jeff as the run for a few of the fallen from Scott's unit.

http://www.active.com/donate/fallensoldiers/heidishoe

THANK YOU!!!
ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL!!!

SCAR-FEST Fundraiser

2011-05-06T06:08:00.000-05:00

Here is the flyer for S.C.A.R.-Fest a fundraiser being held on behalf of Tempered Steel. Please feel free to repost and share with everyone.
Luana

Suicide Among Military Families

2011-04-27T07:29:00.001-05:00

Suicide Among Military Families

When I read the story of Jessica Harp it brought tears to my eyes and resonated within me. Military families are suffering on a daily basis with their spouses, fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters and the damages they are returning from war with. Let us be clear, WE all suffer along with our fighting military men and women. The wives state, they are the ones left to pick up the pieces and yet can be completely ignored by the military communities, BUT the parents and siblings of military members are left in an even more precarious state. We have no support; we are not invited into the FRG’s (Family Readiness Groups), the Wives Clubs, the blogs of spouses. We are definitely on the outside looking in.

We are not considered by the military at all. The struggles I have endured, trying to be heard, to get the things that my son has needed, to leave MY home and my family for 3 years to take care of a seriously injured soldier full-time. I gave up my career, my art and my life. The PTSD that I suffer from can be overwhelming some days, I have at times been so worn down by his problems, his issues, his injuries that I have wondered about suicide, not considered it, just thought about it. Especially now with his PTSD at the forefront and the lack of consideration and respect he has shown us. By how much of my life I gave to help him recover and the people who do not understand how hard it is to then watch them make horrible decisions about their futures with a diseased (and that is all I can think to call PTSD) brain and we are supposed to sit back and keep quiet.

At 40, I did not expect to be re-raising my son; I was looking forward to traveling with my husband and enjoying kid-free time. My children were all out of school, had good jobs, and were on their own. My life was starting, my career as an artist was taking off, my business was doing pretty good, and with one phone call I lost everything. And the lack of support from the military, the lack of care (I went 2 years without seeing a doctor or a dentist), and as parents we do not have id cards to get onto posts, have no ability to purchase things without our soldiers with us, are incapable of doing most of the things that dependents are able to do. The military at one point told me that I could become his dependent, as if that would not completely make a mess of my life. I have a husband, who luckily has stuck by me after I left him to take care of my son, who has a wonderful job that allowed him to be with us for 8 weeks with full pay and return constantly, who has insurance and benefits, can you imagine how becoming my child’s dependent would have completely screwed my life up even more? I just wanted to be able to do the same things for my son that military dependents could do for their loved ones.

All we wanted to do was to take care of him, and you have groups that try to help, but they are “Wives” Clubs and as a mother you feel an outsider, you do not share the same backgrounds or understand some of the things they have went through, and you hear a lot of resentment towards the parents of wounded military members by the spouses. And with the rise of divorces among severely wounded military members who does the military think is going to take up the slack? It will be the parents and siblings of the injured military member.

With the suicide rates among our military as high as they have been, we are all left in a state of high alert for our soldiers. We as family members are being diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), Secondary PTSD and anxiety disorders. The family is suffering side by side with our military, and it needs to be addressed by the government and all healthcare providers NOW. Alcohol and substance abuse is on the rise for our military members as well as the families who are trying to deal with the repercussions of war. And the “US” against “THEM” attitude by both the spouses and the military needs to cease now! We are all in this together and our country will never be the same. We have a new generation of seriously injured both military and non-military (families) that are suffering.

Jessica Harp’s story is only one of thousands that are out there, may someone hear them all and be ready to step forward to stop the free fall that will affect this country for years to come.
Jessica Harp's Blog

eBay Giving Works Program for Tempered Steel

2011-04-23T08:08:00.002-05:00

You can support Tempered Steel when you buy or sell on eBay, with the eBay Giving Works program. Here’s how:

Tempered Steel is part of the eBay Giving Works program. So, you can support our mission when you buy and sell on eBay. Here’s how:

Buy

You can find whatever you're looking for on eBay – from baseball cards to new cars and more. When you do, shop for items that benefit us. You can get a great deal and supportTempered Steel's mission at the same time!

Shop now to support Tempered Steel

http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=46279

Sell

You can also support Tempered Steel when you sell on eBay. Just designate our organization to receive 10-100% of your final sale price the next time you list something great.

Did you know that charity listings often get more bids and higher prices than regular eBay listings? Boost your sales and support our critical work while you’re at it! Plus eBay gives back to you too, with a fee credit on your basic selling fees.

Sell now to support Tempered Steel

http://donations.ebay.com/charity/charity.jsp?NP_ID=46279

http://www.TemperedSteelInc.org/

From the abyss of the Iraq War :Veterans Deeply Damaged

2011-01-15T18:04:00.000-06:00

The Asahi Shimbun
From the abyss of the Iraq War :Veterans Deeply Damaged
BY KAZUYA MATSUMOTO STAFF WRITER
Printed in Japanese in Japan October 24, 2010
Veterans, Deeply Damaged
Over 200 large motorcycles race under the American flag hanging from a crane a few dozen meters high in a park in Kansas City, Missouri at the end of September. The bikers, sporting leather jackets and sunglasses, are greeted by people holding the Star Spangled Banner.
When the veterans and their families assemble on their motorcycles, a large trailer, with the words “The Wall That Heals” written on the body, appears. The doors to the truck bed open and pictures from the Vietnam War and letters from soldiers are on display. The content of the exhibit sings praise to soldiers who fought in Vietnam.
“Vietnam veterans didn’t’ really have a ‘welcome home’ when they came back from the war. We would like to welcome returning troops from Afghanistan and Iraq,” says Amanda Cherry-Haus, 43, who rode in on her motorcycle.
Amanda’s husband, Jim Haus, 41, serves in the United States Army and was deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. Fearing guerilla attacks he couldn’t see coming and witnessing local children covered in blood, he experienced great despair.
After returning home, he experienced intense mood swings and attempted to commit suicide. People who did not have a connection to war were apathetic to issues such as Jim’s and they did not offer a helping hand to the couple.
Amanda also rides her motorcycle with her friends and tries to prevent protests at military funerals. “We need to provide a ‘human shield’ against protesters,” she says. This is necessary because there are a lot of protests at funerals.
**
Young soldiers who were wounded in combat are trying to get society to turn its attention to war. I visited Iraq veteran, Scott Stephenson, 26, in Atchison, Kansas.
In a house surrounded by barley fields, Scott enters the living room hopping on one leg. His left leg is bare, cut off below the knee. His left wrist is bent at a right angle. I wince at his raw wounds and unintentionally look away.
I would only look at his eyes when we started talking. As if he were reading my mind, Scott says “I would like everyone to look at people as they are and ask them what made them look like that. I want people talk to them and become more involved.”
Four years ago in Iraq, an armored truck that he was riding in was hit by a roadside bomb and went up in flames. He remained conscious while his entire body burned. His own screams echoed in his head. He realized how badly he had been hurt when he saw the expression of his fellow soldier who had come to help rescue him.
66% of Scott’s body was burnt and in one portion it even reaches his bones. He lost his left leg from the knee down and he lost all of his nerves in his left hand which is now bent at a right angle at the wrist.
Having recovered from only a 5% chance of survival, he is proud of what he was able to do for his country. Behind the sofa that Scott is sitting on, there is a picture of him with President Bush taken while he was hospitalized. The picture has the words “To Scott, with respect and appreciation,” and it is displayed carefully with an American flag.
When the conversation shifts to President Obama and his management of the two wars, Scott loses a bit of his calmness and his words become harsh. “Obama does not understand anything about war. He does not understand how we sacrificed for this country,” he says.
**
This year Scott and his mother, Luana Schneider, 45, started a group to help badly burned veterans. The name of the group is “Tempered Steel”. The name conveys the sentiment that these soldiers are tempered by war. Fifteen wounded veterans from all across the nation gathered to make a photo collection for this organization’s project. They are hoping to organize speaking engagements on the subject as well.
“We have a hell a lot of wounded soldiers in this country but people are just forgetting. They have become complacent,” Scott says emphatically.
“As the midterm elections are coming up, there are few politicians speaking out for us,” Luana says with a grim expression on her face.
**
Even with midterm elections approaching, the two wars that took the lives of approximately 5,000 soldiers are not a topic of discussion. Approximately 60% of Americans oppose the war in Afghanistan. Over $100 billion are spent on the war each year, yet it is written off as “not worth fighting.” Therein lies the invisible gap between soldiers who risk their lives overseas and civilians in the United States.
**
Unemployed and on a drinking binge “Insert quote”
21% Unemployment Among Retired and Non-Active Duty Veterans Aged 18-24
It isn’t just Scott and the other members of Tempered Steel that feel an escalating sense of alienation. A prolonged recession has left America with a serious unemployment problem.
I met 28-year-old Brandon Fadley in Atlanta, Georgia at the end of September inside a building housing an organization that supports returning servicemen. Brandon was deployed three times to both Iraq and Afghanistan, and is currently unemployed. In addition to an office, the building has a bar and a pool table. With people to confide in, this is the one place he feels comfortable.
After returning to the United States in March, Fadley responded to nearly 100 job vacancies. While he suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), it is not so severe that he can’t work. He wants to get out of his current situation of relying solely on his wife’s income. She earns a living working as a dental assistant. “I would go back tomorrow if they asked me to,” he mutters.
Another 39-year-old man, who belongs to the same organization as Brandon but asked to remain anonymous, joined the military at the age of 17 and has been deployed 14 times. However, he was badly wounded in Iraq and is currently unemployed.
When he returned home from the war he would go on drinking binges, get in fights, and even have sudden urges to commit suicide. He showed me a number of bullet holes left in the walls and says “I shot here last year. I tried to kill myself but chickened out. I emptied my gun in this wall.”
9.6% of all veterans in the United States and 21% of veterans ages 18 to 24 are unemployed; a number that greatly exceeds the unemployment rate of civilians of the same age. With the prolongation of the wars, soldiers were repeatedly deployed overseas. A large number of veterans are faced with difficulties, both mentally and physically. There is also the possibility of being sent to war again. “A lot of business owners are afraid of veterans called up again or going crazy while working with their companies,” he says.
Ted Daywalt, a representative from a firm in Atlanta that helps veterans find jobs, points out the increasingly widening gap between the private sector and the military. “A lot of business owners have no idea what goes on in the military and do not understand the value that veterans bring, because they just do not know much about it having few around them who have military experience.” Soldiers are useful in that they have technical skills and they have been trained to work as a team. The organization is currently focusing on educating the private sector about the value of hiring veterans.
The defense industry, which provides many veterans with employment, is at risk of decline. Due to the budget deficit, the Department of Defense will cut $100 billion worth of programs and personnel costs over the next five years.
**
I visited Marietta, Georgia, a town famous for its armament industry, at the beginning of this month. In a museum showcasing the city’s history, there was a display about Lockheed Martin, a company that has been operating since before World War II. B-29 bombers were previously manufactured at this factory and they currently produce state-of-the-art F-22 stealth fighters.
Under President Obama’s policy, these F-22 stealth fighters will eventually be discontinued. I spoke with Denise Rakestraw, the chairman of Lockheed Martin’s labor union, who said “A lot of folks are hugely disappointed.”
The number of employees has drastically decreased from approximately 30,000 in the early 1980s to roughly 3,000 today, which has made it difficult to provide veterans with jobs. In early October, Denise took her union members to Washington, D.C. to participate in a political rally and insisted that more jobs be created.
Decommissioned fighters jets and cargo planes sit in the land adjacent to the factory. Jim Locke, 62, who is preparing the exhibition, cannot hide his anger toward President Obama’s policy on the discontinuation of F-22 manufacturing. “Obama doesn’t understand the US has been leading military technologies of the world. How could he be a Commander in Chief?” He hopes that Tea Party candidates make a breakthrough during the midterm elections and are able to lead the country away from the path that Obama has put the United States on.
**
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates expressed his concern for the gap between the public and the military during an address he delivered at a university in North Carolina in late September. “For most American citizens, the war is a distant and unpleasant series of news items that do not affect them personally…Even after 9/11, in the absence of a draft, for a growing number of Americans, service in the military, no matter how laudable, has become something for other people to do,” he said.
There has been a continuous decrease in the percentage of U.S. citizens who have military experience ever since the end of the draft system in 1973. Compared to the 3,400,000 soldiers that experienced war in Vietnam, only 2,220,000 soldiers have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Soldiers who volunteer for service are often sent overseas repeatedly.
Joseph Sharp of The American Legion, an organization for veterans, said “the number of American people who don’t have their family members, relative or friends in the military is increasing. That’s one of the reasons why people feel so detached from US forces,” expressing a sense of anxiety.
George H.W. Bush, who served in World War II, is the most recent president to have significant military experience. The number of members of Congress who have military experience has also seen a drastic drop. In 1970, during the Vietnam War, there were a total of 398 members in both houses who had military experience. That number has since dropped to 120.
**
In early October, a symposium titled “Service and Society: Engaging the Military and the University” took place at President Obama’s alma mater, Columbia University. It was hosted by Columbia’s student body. There aren’t many students from Columbia, Harvard, Yale (President Bush’s alma mater), or other Ivy League universities who join the military upon graduating. The symposium focused on the lack of personal connection between United States government, which is disproportionately made up of Ivy League graduates, and the United States military.
Cheryl Miller, who works for a think tank in Washington, D.C., pointed out the lack of soldiers coming from middle class families in big cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Boston and says soldiers are predominantly from the South. Cheryl also notes that half of all soldiers come from military families. “This is a threat to our country’s civic ethic of equal sacrifice,” she said.
The reinstatement of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC), which was abolished at Ivy League schools because of antiwar campaigns during the Vietnam War, was also a topic of the symposium. The symposium, which brought soldiers, college professors, and researchers from all over the nation, lasted approximately eight hours. However, students did not show much interest and over 70% of the seats remained empty. Students who walked by the entrance of the venue didn’t even seem to notice the posters for the symposium.

Tempered Steel Speakers Make a Difference

2011-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

Here is a short video clip from a student interview after Tempered Steel's Bret McCauley spoke to her class in CA......our speakers are making a difference.

A Harder Army, A more Distant America

2011-01-04T11:29:00.000-06:00

A Harder Army, A more Distant America

I have found this to be true among our wounded warriors as well.........Luana Schneider

In The 10th Year Of War, A Harder Army, A More Distant America By David Wood, Chief military correspondent

The U.S. Army now begins its 10th continuous year in combat, the first time in its history the United States has excused the vast majority of its citizens from service and engaged in a major, decade-long conflict instead with an Army manned entirely by professional warriors.

This is an Army that, under the pressure of combat, has turned inward, leaving civilian America behind, reduced to the role of a well-wishing but impatient spectator. A decade of fighting has hardened soldiers in ways that civilians can't share. America respects its warriors, but from a distance.

"They don't know what we do,' said Col. Dan Williams, who commands an Army aviation brigade in Afghanistan.

The consequences of this unique milestone in American history are many -- the rise of a new warrior class, the declining number of Americans in public life with the sobering experience of war, the fading ideal of public service as a civic responsibility.

But above all, I think, is a perilous shrinking of common ground, the shared values and knowledge and beliefs that have shaped the way Americans think about war. Without it, how will soldiers and civilians ever see this war and its outcome in the same way? Are those faded "Support the Troops' magnets enough to guide us through what is likely to be the murky and unsatisfactory conclusions and aftermaths of this era's conflicts?

I saw the problem clearly when I got home from my most recent reporting trip in Afghanistan, where I was embedded with soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division's 1st Brigade. Many of them were on their second or third combat deployment, a few on their fourth or fifth. Almost without exception they were excited about what they were doing, proud of the progress they could see, confident in their piece of the mission.

'I Don't Have Anything Else to Talk About'

At home, I found few people could understand the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many say it's just too complicated, and are convinced that America is losing. In polls, two-thirds now say they oppose the war. As these polls were being taken in July, I was in Kabul, where Army Lt. Col. Michael J. Loos, on his fourth deployment, told me: "I know we are making effective progress. I see it every day. This may be the most important thing I've ever done in the military.'

It's even becoming more difficult for soldier and civilian to converse. Army Capt. Stefan Hutnik, a company commander in Afghanistan, recalls being home from a combat tour and being told by his wife, as they were headed out to a family dinner, please don't talk about the Army or the war.

"But,' he said sadly, "I don't have anything else to talk about.'

My experience, gathered in 30 years of covering the Army as an embedded correspondent in peace and war, suggests that it's already late to fill the gap between today's soldiers and civilians. It might have been easier a decade ago, when the Army was a sleepy garrison force sent abroad on occasional forays as peace keepers. What most soldiers knew of combat was learned at the Army's grueling (but safe) training centers at Fort Irwin, near Death Valley, Calif., and at Fort Polk's sweltering pine woods and swamps in Louisiana.

'We Know War Now'

All that changed on Sept. 11, 2001. "They came and said, 'Get in uniform. Grab your weapons and your ruck[sacks]. No showers. Move!' We went straight from the gym to the airfield.' That's how Derek Sheffer of the 10th Mountain Division went to war 10 years ago. When I met the lanky staff sergeant in Afghanistan weeks later, his uniform was filthy, and he'd still had no shower.

Now, more than half a million (665,663, in the Army's latest count) active-duty soldiers have deployed for a year of combat at least once; 292,800 active-duty soldiers have deployed twice or more. "Before 2001 we were largely a garrison-based army,' said Gen. George Casey, Army chief of staff. "We lived to train. I grew up training to fight a war I never fought.' Since 9/11, Casey has spent 32 months in Iraq, as have many others. "We know war, now,' he said.

The change has been startling -- and unique in American history. Unlike the draftees of the Civil War or even the Greatest Generation of World War II, these soldiers do not become farmers or businessmen or schoolteachers when their tour is over. They reenlist. They are proud, lean and hard. If they have families, their wives and children are battered but tough. The soldiers of this generation are arguably the best fighters in the world.

Few civilians can grasp the searing experiences of multiple combat tours. How could civilians comprehend the skill, the stress and the pride of a platoon sergeant who keeps his men alive under fire for a year and brings them home safe?

For their part, soldiers whose daily lives depend on self-discipline and sacrifice disdain what they perceive as the loose values, sloppy discipline and quick-buck self-centeredness of civilian society. And each combat deployment drives the two further apart.

The rhythms of soldiers' lives are not the familiar ones marked by five-day workweeks, children's birthdays and school vacations, but by repeated 12-month combat tours separated by short months at home, sequestered on sprawling military bases fenced off to outsiders. For many troops, the concept of a "normal' civilian-like life has faded away.

By 2007,Sgt. 1st Class Michael Pore of Findlay, Ohio, had been deployed three times, and was finding he was more comfortable in combat than at home. "As soon as you get back it's a countdown until you go again,' he said, explaining why he had no civilian friends, no steady girl and no home of his own. "It's just too hard to let down.' Fewer soldiers are married than a decade ago, as a consequence both of a high divorce rate and soldiers like Pore deciding he couldn't put a wife and child through the wrenching experience of multiple deployments. "I'm scared to even think about a family now,' he said. Until he got married recently, Capt. Dan Gregory, who commands an infantry company in Afghanistan, found it easiest to "hot bunk' between year-long deployments, using whatever bed was empty in an apartment he shared with other deploying officers. His real home, he said, is the company operations center, whether at Fort Drum or deployed in combat. "I live my life in 12-month increments,' he told me.

'Nobody Knows Our Pain More Than Each Other'

What binds soldiers to this austere life, and separates them from civilians, is the intensity of combat and the love that glows among soldiers dependent on each other for life. Army Pfc. Robert Bartlett, an Army scout-sniper, was riding in a Humvee near Baghdad when an IED exploded, ripping away his left eye along with bone and tissue from his cheek, nose, lip and jaw. The blast collapsed a lung, perforated internal organs, fractured facial bone and burned away flesh from his face and hands. The soldier beside him was killed instantly. The turret gunner above Bartlett collapsed on his own shredded and charred legs.

A bear of a man, Bartlett was dragged out of the kill zone, dead. Frantic medics slit his throat to insert a breathing tube, massaged his chest, punched in an IV. His heart fluttered and began pumping weakly. He and the gunner were medevacked away to years of surgery and rehabilitation.

Looking back on that horror four years later, Bartlett told me his Army experience was so rewarding, so important, that he'd do it all over again. "It was, hands down, the best thing I have ever done in my life,' he said. Today he is devoted to helping other veterans live full lives. "It's important that we look after one another,' he said. "Nobody knows our pain more than each other.'

"War does change you, I believe in a better way, a noble way,' said Col. Williams, the helicopter brigade commander whose daughter is an Army second lieutenant and whose wife is a retired officer. "A decade of combat has made us very hard. It has made us an incredibly strong Army. I believe we do have a warrior class in this country.' "We look at life differently," he said. "For a lot of soldiers, there are two kinds of people: those who serve, and those who expect to be served, and those who serve are pretty noble.'

In his cramped plywood office at the edge of an airstrip near Mazar-e-Sharif, he paused while reflecting on his experiences in combat and back home at Fort Hood, Tex. "I believe there is a tremendous amount of guilt in civilian society for not having participated in this war,' he said. "This is not a criticism. People thank us for our service, but it rings hollow. There's an awkwardness there that has increased over time.'

The rate of desertions, even in the thick of two hot wars, has been essentially unchanged. In fiscal year 2000, the Army recorded 3,687 deserters from its active-duty strength of 482,000 soldiers. In fiscal year 2008, it recorded 3,600 deserters from a force of 543,000 troops. The Army is more than meeting its recruiting goals.

Many soldiers, of course, enlist in the Army for economic reasons. "I couldn't find a job in two years of looking,' Pvt. Michael Freeman, a 19-year-old from Sacramento, Calif., told me during a break from basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C. "There are no jobs at home. I had to make my own path in life and this' -- he nodded toward the manicured parade grounds and formations of drilling recruits - "this is it.' That's not new. But the war has accelerated a significant change in the Army, annealing it into a profession rather than just a peacetime job. "I am proud to be in the profession of arms,' Sgt. Robert Wright told me as he waited for an airlift to Afghanistan. "When I came in I looked at it like a job, but now? I love saying the NCO Creed. It speaks for us, it's the standard we live by, what binds us as brothers and sisters in arms that you just can't get anywhere else.'

'In a Combat Zone . . . Every Decision Has Consequences'

The Army, like the other services, has always demanded that its youngest take on heavier and heavier responsibilities. In his or her second year, a new soldier is likely to be in charge of a small fire team; inside of four years a soldier may be leading a dozen men in combat. Soldiers thrive on that kind of responsibility. Lt. Col. Kevin Petit, who has served multiple combat tours, spoke of watching a scene in the film "The Hurt Locker,' where the soldier comes home from dismantling IEDs in Iraq and at the supermarket with his wife is stunned by a gigantic display of cereal. To me, this spoke of America's consumer appetite. To Petit, though, it carried a different meaning: "See, it didn't matter what cereal he chose -- Froot Loops or Rice Krispies -- no difference! No consequences to what he decided. But in a combat zone, everything, every decision, has consequences, some enormous. That's thrilling! That's why we keep going back!'

None of this was foreseen in 1968 when presidential candidate Richard Nixon, desperate for a foothold against the rising tide of anti-war anger sweeping the country, proposed doing away with the draft. The Pentagon was horrified; so was much of Congress. Their fear: Who would volunteer in wartime?

When Nixon finally made good on his idea in 1974, the Pentagon was certain the all-volunteer Army was a good idea -- for peacetime. But a draft would be needed in case of "mobilization for war,' insisted Gen. David C. Jones, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a memo cited by Beth Bailey in her history of the volunteer Army, "America's Army.'

But the all-volunteer Army has performed so well that civilian manpower has become superfluous. Today, demands for a return to the draft are taken seriously only by a few. Among them is the New York Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel, who is making his fifth attempt to restore the military draft. The reason, he said this summer, is America's "total indifference to the suffering and loss of life' of soldiers. "So few families have a stake in the war,' he said, "which is being fought by other people's children.' Previous attempts failed in 2003, 2004, 2006 and 2007.

At a remote outpost in Afghanistan, I listened one evening to a 37-year-old enlisted soldier on guard duty. He talked softly about a misspent youth, about finding his true "family' in the Army. He said he was proud to have learned to survive and excel in this environment. He said he would without hesitation take a bullet to save a buddy and that any of them would do the same for him. He said "love' was not too strong a word to use to describe the responsibility and gratitude he felt in this relationship to his squad and platoon.

But he said he also felt as if, having found a home in the Army, he had given up a place in the civilian world, that the distance of the civilian world from his precarious existence out in the dangerous Afghan wasteland was simply too far to ever travel.

"A lot of us are here because society has no further use for us,' he said. "The Army has become home for a lot of restless souls who can never really go back.'

New Burn Center for Army

2011-01-04T06:39:00.002-06:00

New burn center will add much-needed capacity

New burn center will add much-needed capacity
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 3, 2011 21:23:10 EST
SAN ANTONIO — The military’s only burn center is getting a new, bigger home that should be ready by this summer.

The Army’s Institute of Surgical Research Burn Center will move from the main building of Brooke Army Medical Center here to the fourth floor of a seven-story, 760,000-square-foot tower being added to the medical center, according to Army Col. (Dr.) Evan Renz, the burn center’s director. The moving date is scheduled for July.

The center will get a second operating room, an inpatient rehabilitation center and an outpatient clinic. The progressive care ward will not move, according to Renz.

Since 2003, Renz said, the burn center has treated 830 troops injured in combat — 715 in Iraq and 115 in Afghanistan — and 115 hurt outside the war zones, in training accidents, for example.

“Our peak, and it pushed the limits of our operation, was in mid-2005,” Renz said. “We would see dozens of patients come in at a time. We stayed at that surge pace for a very, very long time,” into 2007, he said.

The constraints that the burn center doctors and nurses worked under during those two years led to the upcoming changes and improvements.

“Because of the clearly identified need for a [Department of Defense] burn center … DoD leadership came in to ask us, ‘Where are you short?’ ” Renz said.

The first need identified: a bigger inpatient rehabilitation unit. More space for recovering patients is crucial, Renz said, because burn patients today have a 95 percent survival rate and require long-term care.

The new unit will be 20,000 square feet, more than three times the size of the current one. The nearby Center for the Intrepid will continue to be the site for outpatient rehabilitation.

A second operating room will double the burn center’s capacity, according to Renz.

“We only have one dedicated operating room for burn care,” he said. “It accomplished the mission, but it was tight. The new burn center will have double the OR capability and additional space for care that doesn’t need a full OR but requires anesthesia support.”

Finally, the burn center will consolidate its outpatient clinic when it moves.

“As long as we’ve been at this, we’ve had to borrow space from other departments,” Renz said.

All the improvements will help the medical staff take better care of wounded warriors, according Army Maj. Linda Johnson, head nurse in the intensive care unit.

“It’s so important that we work as a team to do what’s best for our patients,” Johnson said. “We can save their lives, but if they’re not functional, they won’t be productive.”

Iraq Star Interview with Maggie Lockridge and JR Martinez

2010-12-20T20:44:00.000-06:00

JR Martinez: Actor, Soldier, Inspiration: MyFoxLA.com

WOUNDED WARRIOR INFORMATION FORM

2010-12-06T12:11:00.002-06:00

Tempered Steel Wounded Warrior Information
I need everyone’s help in getting these forms out to wounded warriors who may wish to speak or participate in Tempered Steel. So please pass them on or help a warrior you know to fill one out. No information will be shared. It will be kept private. Thank you.
Luana

Tempered Steel Wounded Warrior Information:

Last Name First Name MI

____________________________________________________________

Current Address:

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

DOB: Rank: Branch:

_________________________
Phone #
__________________________

E-mail: ____________________________________________________________

Contact Method:_____________________________________________________

Medals and Other:
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Hobbies/Likes and Dislikes:
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Groups and/or Events You Would Speak At:
Elementary School Y N
Junior High School Y N
High School Y N
College Y N
Corporations Y N
Community Events Y N
Community Groups Y N
Diverse Groups (Hunting Clubs, Boy Scouts, Women’s Groups, VFW, American Legion, etc.) Please circle or add to this list Y N

Types of Injuries (Circle)

PTSD/TBI Physical Injury/Trauma Both

Description of Injuries
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Brief Description of How, Where and When Injuries/Trauma Occurred
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Brief Bio
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Spouse/Caregiver/Friend/Sig Other—Description of you
____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

RETURN TO:

Tempered Steel, Inc.
http://www.TemperedSteelInc.org
Luana Schneider
16039 274th Rd
Atchison, KS 66002
(913) 370-0238
Fax (866) 377-3343
Email: luana@temperedsteelinc.org

Guidelines Increase Troop Organ Donations

2010-12-06T10:24:00.000-06:00

December 06, 2010

Stars and Stripes|by Seth Robbins

LANDSTUHL, Germany -- Michele Barnett gripped her son’s hand and placed her head against his chest. Keeping him alive were a series of machines that pushed air into his lungs, fed him fluids and kept his heart beating.

A critical care nurse, Barnett knew her son’s prognosis when she first saw the machines: His brain was dead. Jeremy Barnett, a 27-year-old Army sergeant, had been on patrol in Ad Dujayl, Iraq, when a land mine detonated.

Michele Barnett had not left Jeremy’s bedside since arriving at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, even taking it upon herself to bathe him. But after 15 hours, doctors were preparing in a nearby operating room to harvest her son’s organs, including his heart.

Placing her head against his breast, she listened —- one last time -— to its thump.

“I didn’t know if I could ever find that person who received his heart,” she said. “And there was a thought that maybe I could hear it beat again.”

Jeremy Barnett died on Feb. 24, 2007, but his heart saved the life of a 51-year-old woman living in Europe. Michele Barnett would never know the woman’s name or the country she lived in.

“It’s a very hard thing to lose your child like this. I still think about him every day,” she said. “But it’s a comfort to know that part of him is still alive, and what better part than his heart?”

Critical in saving the lives of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, quick battlefield care and air evacuation have also allowed servicemembers whose brains have irreversibly stopped functioning but whose hearts and lungs are sustained artificially to be flown to Landstuhl, where their relatives can say goodbye and organs can be donated to those in need.

Guidelines issued in March by the military’s Joint Theater Trauma System, which provides medical research and guidance for battlefield care, require that all brain-dead patients, when possible, be flown to Landstuhl or stateside hospitals. The military had been flying brain-dead patients from combat zones before the guidelines, but the decision to declare brain death and remove life support downrange was done on a case-by-case basis.

Now, the guidelines keep downrange doctors from having to make the difficult decision of whether to remove life support, and that means more potential organ donors.

The recent wars have made Landstuhl one of the more active donor hospitals in Germany, said Dr. Thomas Breidenbach, the former director of Deutsche Stiftung Organtransplantation’s central region, which oversees transplants in the Landstuhl area. In the past five years, 36 U.S. servicemembers have donated 141 organs to gravely ill patients. Because organs deteriorate quickly and cannot last a transatlantic flight, troops’ organs harvested at Landstuhl are always transplanted in Europe, most often to German patients.

“Each life we can save is important. It doesn’t matter which country they are from,” Breidenbach said. “And we are very grateful that the Americans see it this way.”

What is brain death?

Brain death presents one of the most challenging clinical and ethical dilemmas.

Unlike when a patient is in a persistent vegetative state or a coma, brain death means the brain has completely shut down; all signals from it to the body have stopped, and a person can only live with the aid of a ventilator.

Doctors diagnose brain death through a checklist of about a dozen factors. They assess reflexes, such as blinking, pupil dilation, coughing and breathing, all of which are controlled by the brain stem. Physicians also examine brain wave activity. Or they inject radioactive dye into the patient’s bloodstream and determine whether blood has stopped flowing to the brain — incontrovertible evidence of brain death.

Air Force Dr. (Col.) Warren Dorlac, who helped to develop the new guidelines, said these are “very complex patients.”

“All of them are trying to die on you,” he said, “and keeping them alive can be a very difficult thing to do.”

The guidelines make clear that except in rare circumstances, such as a mass-casualty situation, brain death should not be declared downrange, where doctors don’t always have access to the most advanced imaging technologies.

It is hard to discern who will survive a catastrophic head injury, Dorlac said.

“So we go with a full-court press, do everything we can, and then let it get sorted out down the road,” he said. “We don’t treat anybody as if they are going to die. We assume everybody has the potential to live.”

The guidelines also give family members the opportunity to see their son, daughter, wife or husband one last time before doctors remove life support, an opportunity many say they found difficult but cathartic.

David Barnett, Jeremy’s father, said he knew before arriving at Landstuhl that his son was “gone” and that there was no longer any brain activity. But as he watched his son breathe with the help of a ventilator, the father had to remind himself that his son was dead.

“I had to keep telling myself he is not there,” he said.

An organ shortage

The new guidelines are a potential boon to people waiting for transplants in Germany. Germans donate organs at one of the lowest rates of any nation in the Eurotransplant International Foundation, which includes Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia.

The neighboring Belgians and Austrians donate at rates nearly twice that of the Germans. Only about 17 percent of Germans are registered as organ donors, while nearly 12,000 Germans await organs, according to the foundation. About 37 percent of Americans were registered as organ donors in 2009, primarily through driver’s licenses, and more than 109,000 need transplants.

“We are very short (of organs),” said Breidenbach, “much shorter than in the U.S.”

Dr. Roland Hetzer, director of the German Heart Institute in Berlin, said one of the reasons Germany has a much lower donor rate than its neighbors is that many European countries, including Spain and Austria, have passed laws that make everyone an organ donor unless they opt out. In Germany, like the U.S., people must declare themselves to be organ donors. Yet to do so requires actively registering — the option to donate is not extended when someone applies for a driver’s license, for example, something Hetzer would like to see adopted in Germany.

“We do a lot to convince people, but it’s not so easy,” he said, “because people say it’s against the constitution to even ask.”

Despite national advertising campaigns about the importance of organ donation, false information still persists in Germany, Hetzer said, including myths that doctors will let donors die in order to harvest their organs or that organs will be sold on the black market.

“The attitude toward organ donation is not very mature,” Hetzer said.

One of the hospitals where organ donations have increased is Landstuhl. From January to November, 44 organs were harvested from U.S. servicemembers — the most of any year according to records going back to 2005. In 2009, 17 organs were harvested at the hospital. One of the donors that year was 31-year-old Staff Sgt. Dennis J. Hansen of the 10th Mountain Division.

On his ninth tour, his second to Afghanistan, Hansen was clearing the upper floor of a building in Logar province when a bomb exploded. Buried beneath the rubble, Hansen could not breathe and eventually his brain, deprived of oxygen, died.

His tour would have ended in 14 days. Killed two months shy of his 32nd birthday, Hansen had planned on becoming a drill instructor, most likely ending his combat career.

Bonnie and Dwight Hansen never wavered when it came to the decision to donate their son’s organs, a decision he had expressed to his wife and on his driver’s license. It made no difference to them that his organs would stay in Europe, Bonnie Hansen said.

“Because my background is German-Irish,” she said, “I feel part of him went home.”

Just before noon Dec. 5, 2009, Hansen was wheeled into an operating room at Landstuhl. Even the hospital staff wept, Hansen’s mother said.

“It was a very emotional experience,” she said. “But never once did I regret the decision.”

Guiding the decision

To help families through the hard but lifesaving decision, several staff members at Landstuhl attended a seminar on how to discuss donation with them.

“They react to you,” said Chris Wolf, the psychologist who led the seminar. “They may want to say yes, and one should not prevent it by being ambivalent about the question or treating it as a formality.”

At Landstuhl, more than 85 percent of family members presented with the option of donating a relative’s organs chose to do so, said Kathleen Martin, trauma nurse director. Part of the reason for the high rate, she said, is that all servicemembers are asked to make a choice about organ donation in living wills.

Though refusals are rare, Martin said, they happen for various reasons, including religious beliefs and fears of having a loved one undergo the surgery required to remove organs. But most often, she said, it’s because family members have trouble understanding brain death.

“They feel a warm hand, because the blood is still flowing,” she said. “The face may not be deformed. The heartbeat is still going and the ventilator is huffing and puffing. The fact that they are dead can be hard for them to grasp.”

A Marine’s heart still beats

German law mandates that transplant recipients never discover the names of their donors, nor do family members learn who received the organs, though families do receive a letter listing the age and sex of recipients and some information about their health.

Kristen Forse, whose brother, Marine reservist Sgt. David Smith, was mortally wounded in a suicide attack in Afghanistan’s Helmand province on Jan. 23, stifled tears as she read her letter.

“David’s lungs saved the life of a 58-year-old man,” she said. “He can now breathe easily and is very grateful for it.”

Smith’s right and left kidneys went to two people in their 50s, a woman on dialysis and a man suffering from diabetes. Smith’s liver was divided: a 66-year-old woman received part; the other was given to a 4-year-old boy.

For Forse, the most meaningful gift was her brother’s heart. Smith was 25 when he died; his heart was given to a man only a year older than he was. The young man had been waiting since May 2008, almost a year, for a transplant.

Forse, who named her youngest daughter Sempre in honor of her brother, is content to know that his heart still beats.

“I just hope that the person who received David’s heart knows how special of a heart he got,” she said. “There is not a better heart, or a stronger heart or a bigger heart.”

This article is provided courtesy of Stars and Stripes, which got its start as a newspaper for Union troops during the Civil War, and has been published continuously since 1942 in Europe and 1945 in the Pacific. Stripes reporters have been in the field with American soldiers, sailors and airmen in World War II, Korea, the Cold War, Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia and Kosovo, and are now on assignment in the Middle East.

Stars and Stripes has one of the widest distribution ranges of any newspaper in the world. Between the Pacific and European editions, Stars and Stripes services over 50 countries where there are bases, posts, service members, ships, or embassies.

Stars and Stripes Website

Expanded Long Term Mental Health Care for Veterans

2010-12-06T09:04:00.000-06:00

Tempered Steel Inc Blog -

Expanded Long Term Mental Health Care for Veterans

Veterans Day Interview in LA

2010-12-05T19:49:00.000-06:00

Tempered Steel Inc Blog

2010-12-02T07:24:00.000-06:00

Tempered Steel Inc Blog -

MILITARY: Marine Corps to reassess how it prepares troops for life after war

Tempered Steel Inc Blog

2010-12-02T07:07:00.001-06:00

Suicide rate among women veterans is more than twice that of civilians

Tempered Steel Inc Blog

Holiday Cards for Wounded Warriors

2010-11-29T16:06:00.000-06:00

Don't forget, Christmas cards to our recovering soldiers need to go out by Dec 10th (no

glitter, it falls into wounds)

Holiday Mail for Heroes
PO Box 5456
Capitol Heights, MD 20791-5456 or you can mail them to
BAMC or San Antonio Military Medical Center (as it is now known)
3851 Roger Brooke Drive
Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234
or you may go to this link to find any military hospital in the system.....

WARNING TO VETERANS

2010-11-26T08:45:00.002-06:00

WARNING TO VETERANS

Forwarded by Kevin Secor, VSO Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the
Department of Veterans Affairs.

An organization called Veterans Affairs Services (VAS) is providing
benefit and general information on VA and gathering personal information
on veterans.
This organization is not affiliated with VA in any way.
http://www.vaservices.org/us/index.html

VAS may be gaining access to military personnel through their close
resemblance to the VA name and seal. Our Legal Counsel has requested
that we coordinate with DoD to inform military installations,
particularly mobilization sites, of this group and their lack of
affiliation or endorsement by VA to provide any services.

In addition, GC requests that if you have any examples of VAS acts that
violate chapter 59 of Title 38 United States Code, such as VAS employees
assisting veterans in the preparation and presentation of claims for
benefits, please pass any additional information to Mr.Daugherty at the
address below.

Michael G. Daugherty
Staff Attorney
Department of Veterans Affairs
Office of General Counsel (022G2)

Tempered Steel Inc Blog

2010-11-24T07:40:00.000-06:00

Tempered Steel Inc Blog -

Army creates website to help Wounded Warriors sort through programs

Tempered Steel Inc Blog

2010-11-24T07:35:00.000-06:00

Tempered Steel Inc Blog - DOD Officials Establish Wounded Warrior Task Force

Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T07:08:00.003-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all our Wounded Warriors, family and friends! And this Thanksgiving is the 4 year Anniversary of my son Scott's meeting with an IED.
I hope everyone remembers to thank a military member, or a least think of those far from family and friends this holiday season.
And never forget those families who will always miss a certain smile during this time of celebration and thanksgiving.......
Love to all.
Luana

Veterans Forum at the Reagan Library on November 10, 2010

2010-11-17T06:14:00.002-06:00

News Interview on Fox 11 LA

2010-11-14T10:23:00.003-06:00

News Article on the Veterans Day Events at Ronald Reagan Library

2010-11-14T09:02:00.000-06:00

Veterans honored at events in Simi Valley and Moorpark

By Michele Willer-Allred
PHOTO BY KAREN QUINCY LOBERG

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley was the place to be on Veterans Day for a group of more than 35 veterans, many of whom served in World War II.

They were part of a veterans’ group called Wings Over Wendy’s, which meets regularly at a Wendy’s restaurant in Woodland Hills.

But the group’s leader, Art Sherman, 89, said they make the trek to Simi Valley every year for the Veterans Day celebration at the Reagan Library — the perfect place because they say President Reagan did so much to honor and recognize veterans.

Luana Schneider and her son Ret. Army Sgt. Scott Stephenson, disabled in November 2006 from an improvised explosive device while on patrol in Iraq, stand for the pledge of allegiance at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. The duo started Tempered Steel, a photographic exhibit of severely wounded military members displayed at the facility in Simi Valley for Veteran's Day.

“We feel honored to be here,” said Sherman, who joined fellow Air Force veterans Al Olivari, 92, and Clyde East, 89, at the library.

The annual Reagan Library Veterans Day event was one of a number of such events held Thursday in east Ventura County, including those at Simi Valley’s Rancho Tapo Community Park, Moorpark College, and Moorpark’s Veteran Memorial.

Brother and sister Levi and Livia Gotsman, both 15, joined 18-year-old Katie Luke along with 71 other children from The Los Robles Children’s Choir and 50 children from The Conejo Youth Orchestra in performing patriotic songs at the Reagan Library event.

The event opened Thursday morning with a C-17 fly-over.

Charlotte Miller, the first female brigadier general of the California National Guard, spoke during the ceremony and thanked all veterans.

“The enduring thing between veterans of old and veterans of new and those serving today is their selfless service, being the guardians of the American way of life. As a community we must resolve to thank and support all of our veterans for their outstanding and selfless service to our nation,” said Miller.

Sgt. Robert Henline, who was the only survivor in a 2007 roadside bomb attack in Iraq, said that despite being severely burned and his arm amputated, he felt “truly blessed today” to tell his story to the audience.

He introduced his friend, retired Army Sgt. Scott Stephenson, who was also seriously wounded and disfigured in November 2006 in Iraq.

Stephenson co-founded with his mother, Luana Schneider, the nonprofit Tempered Steel, which exposes the human stories behind the wounds of war.

Army Staff Sgt. Robert Henline burned from a roadside bomb in his third tour of Iraq in March of 2007, speaks to the audience at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum about his war wounds and Tempered Steel, a photographic exhibit that he is in honoring our new generation of wounded warriors. The exhibit was on display at the facility for Veteran's Day in Simi Valley.

Tempered Steel unveiled its photo exhibit, “Honoring The Wounds of War,” during the event. The photos by Micaela Bensko will be on display at the library’s Air Force One Pavilion until Wednesday.

Carol MacDonald looks at the exhibit of Tempered Steel, a photographic exhibit of severely wounded military members exhibited at the at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley for Veteran's Day. Army Staff Sgt. Robert Henline, burned from a roadside bomb in his third tour of Iraq, photographed at right, spoke to the audience about his experiences surviving his war wounds and the effort to help people understand our country's injured soldiers.

At Moorpark’s Veteran Memorial, American Legion Post 502 Commander James Carpenter reminded the audience they were there to commemorate the service of American veterans of all wars.

“Those who have served and not only those who have died have sacrificed and done their duty,” he said. “It is imperative that all generations remember the legacy of their actions.”

The American Legion is spearheading a military banner program in Moorpark that would honor active duty personnel who live in or recently resided in the city. Banners would be placed throughout the city to recognize those serving in the military. Some of the banners were introduced Thursday as part of the commemoration.

Three families of military personnel spoke about their support for the program: Barbara Liley, whose son Andre Oleas, 24, is serving as an Army combat medic in Iraq; Michael Moore, whose 20-year-old son Robert is in the Air Force, and Teresa and Edward Godinez, whose son Ryan, 22, is in the Air Force.

“There are many times we have a tendency to forget how important our servicemen and women are to our country,” Edward Godinez told the gathering. “A military banner program will act as a reminder and show servicemen and women we care for them 100 percent.”

The American Legion post plans to purchase the banners and the equipment to hang them. Each banner is estimated to cost about $200, and the group is trying to raise more than $20,000 in the next year for the program.

Moorpark City Councilman David Pollock said the issue will be on the agenda for the next City Council meeting on Nov. 17.

— Correspondent Rachel McGrath contributed to this story.

Ronald Reagan Forum on November 10, 2010

2010-11-14T08:38:00.000-06:00

4 veterans' stories inspire students

Panelists speak at Reagan Library

By Michele Willer-Allred

When 89-year-old Clyde East was a young farm boy in 1941, he wanted to be a pilot so bad he traveled to Canada for a chance to fulfill the dream he had since he was in fourth grade.

East flew with the Canadian Air Force for three years before he came of age and joined the U.S. Air Force, where he flew more than 200 missions and amassed 350 hours of combat flying during World War II and the Korean War.

He shot down the first German plane on D-Day, and in 1955 the Guinness World Records book recognized him for the highest number of combat medals.

East shared his story with several hundred schoolchildren Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, and told them why he decided at their age to answer the call to service.

“I was selfish. I wanted to be a pilot, so I joined. It didn’t take me long to understand that there are many other great reasons for being a service person,” said East.

East was one of four veterans invited to speak at the library during a panel discussion honoring the nation’s veterans the day before Veterans Day. More than 1,000 children watched the event via the Internet from classrooms around the country.

East, who is a docent at the Reagan Library, said he was lucky to join the military.

“Not very many people have the luck to have a dream and have it totally fulfilled as was my case. I never regretted it for one moment — the fact that I decided to choose a military career,” he said.

U.S. Marine Corps Capt. Nicole Johansen served in Iraq and Kuwait, and is currently a reservist going to college for her MBA. She told the students being in the military makes one a better candidate for jobs and gives leadership experience that most civilians don’t get.

But being in the military isn’t the only way to give back to the country, she said. She encouraged students to give back in any way they can, including through community service.

Chris McIntyre, a Vietnam War veteran who is now a filmmaker, said the idea of giving back to your country has been lost.

“(Serving in the military) taught me the high regard in which America is justifiably held around the world, and we are, in fact, the last vessel of freedom. It’s up to your generation to continue that, and I think every one of you should consider military service,” McIntyre told the students. “There’s nothing like it.”

Robert Henline was 17 when he decided on a military career. He was a transportation specialist in Iraq on his third tour when the truck he was traveling in with four other soldiers was hit by a roadside bomb.

The San Antonio, Texas, resident was the only survivor of the April 2007 attack. He was severely burned over 38 percent of his body, primarily his face, head and left arm.

Asked by the students if he had any regrets for his sacrifice, Henline said he has none, and continues to do what he can to help others as a motivational speaker.

He wants to start a USO Tour to say thanks to those still serving.

“The best way to thank veterans, which I like to say I’m doing now, is living life to its fullest. Take advantage of the freedom that’s given you. Today is one of those days that is great to bring up that awareness,” Henline said.

East said that, during World War II, many in his squadron lost their lives. He said people should not forget the sacrifices that were made.

“We cannot ever forget how much they did and how much we owe to them,” said East.

Joshua Nourafshan, 12, from Sinai Akiba Academy in Los Angeles, told the panel he will always remember the messages the veterans told the students and the importance of sacrificing for the country.

Joshua Roe, 12, from Simi Valley who volunteers with the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, said he learned from the panel the importance of working hard, while Dakota Convertini, 11, of Santa Clarita Valley International charter school, said she plans on doing community service to honor the veterans’ service. “They gave most of what they had to help our generation. I’m really inspired by them,” said Convertini.

2010-11-08T07:18:00.000-06:00

Our Hometown Stories: Tempered Steel: Behind the Scars

Our Hometown Stories: Tempered Steel: Behind the Scars

Friday, 05 November 2010 10:00
by Rachel Singer
"Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world, but the Marines don't have that problem." --Ronald Reagan--

I admit it. I am a sap.
I tear up when the underdog wins; I tear up when I witness simple acts of human kindness and I weep when I see

television coverage of soldiers being reunited with their families.
I have a weak spot for our military.
There was an assembly last month at an elementary school in Waco, Texas. The speaker was a comedian. His name was Bobby Henline and when he walked into the room, all chatter ceased and he was greeted with dead silence.
It was not that his comedic material was a flop. Bobby’s appearance has the ability to stop you in your tracks.
SSgt Henline suffered debilitating and disfiguring injuries three years ago when on routine patrol in Iraq. The lead Humvee he was driving in was hit by an IED and exploded. The Humvee became an inferno with flames burning indiscriminately through skin and metal.
Fire devoured 38% of Bobby’s skin, leaving his skull visible.
His left hand was yet another casualty.
What the fire left intact was Bobby Henline’s dynamic personality and wicked sense of humor.
Like President Ronald Reagan, joking with the surgical staff that he hoped they were all Republicans after he was shot, Bobby was most concerned that he didn’t cry like a girl while he was on fire.
It is immediately apparent that enduring 42 surgeries in three years has not dampened his spirit or wit. “The comedy is not only healing for me, but at the same time it’s getting awareness out there,” he explained.
While Bobby was fighting overseas for our country, there was another soldier manning the front lines. The two did not know each other, nor would they meet until horrifying events would bring them together.

In 2006, Luana Schneider sent her boy Scott off to war. She worried like any mother would. She anticipated his return.
Luana received a telephone call informing her that Scott was on his way home.
It was not going to be the homecoming celebration she had imagined. The only rejoicing Luana would do was to celebrate the miracle that her son was still alive.
Sgt. Scott Stephenson was returning from Iraq with internal injuries, no left leg, and severe burns over 66% of his body. All of this added up to a small chance of survival.
It is impossible to gauge how any one person will react to life-altering situations. Some fall into a depression, some become angry, some get stronger. Coping mechanisms are innately personal.
Luana drew her line in the sand. She was going to become a soldier of one in Scott’s Army and now she would fight for her son.

This mother and son experienced a myriad of conflicting emotions ranging from elation when Scott would have a good day to anger when people would stare at him and look away in horror.

Luana Schneider had a simple wish, “We have a generation of severely wounded and disfigured warriors retuning to public life. We need to educate the public on how to treat and talk to these warriors to avoid the pain and humiliation some of them can feel from our communities.”
“Tempered Steel~The Stories Behind the Scars, Uniting Wounded Warriors With the Public Through Dialogue,” began as Luana’s wish. It is now the vehicle driving forward her message of compassion and understanding through storytelling and photography. (Temperedsteelinc.org)
Last year, I wrote a Hometown Story on Santa Clarita resident, Micaela Bensko, a first class photographer, wife and mom of four. Her mother, Maggie Lockridge, founded “Iraq Star,” a non-profit foundation that raises funds to provide desperately needed reconstructive surgery tosoldiers wounded in battle. Micaela joined as VP of Iraq Star “after she fell head over heels for the soldiers.”
Luana’s son, Scott Stephenson became a member of the Iraq Star family in December 2007. This past June, one of the esteemed Iraq Star doctors provided the necessary surgery needed to help repair his nose.
Micaela Bensko’s devotion to help mend broken soldiers and Luana Schneider’s passion to mend the public’s perception of them have merged into a heartbreaking yet beautiful photographic tribute that will make you proud to be an American.
Micaela has flown around the country, capturing the vivid beauty and reality of our wounded American heroes, while Luana and “Tempered Steel” have documented their stories with the poignant and moving words of journalist Amanda Cherry-Haus.
On Veterans Day, Thursday, November 11, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley will be unveiling the culmination of their efforts; “The Tempered Steel Photo Introspective, Honoring the Wounds of War.”

The Tempered Steel exhibit is open to the public and is appropriate for all ages. Admission to the library on Veterans Day is free and there will be events throughout the day to honor our country’s veterans.
This photo introspective is the first awareness project of Tempered Steel. Their primary goal is that each of the featured soldiers is not just a subject for the exhibit, but an actual Tempered Steel Ambassador. These proud men will visit schools, organizations and companies, sharing their stories of survival, recovery and acceptance.
The Veterans Day festivities at the Reagan Library start at 10:00 a.m. The official speakers and presentation begins at 11:00 a.m.
A featured speaker that day will be Tempered Steel’s own motivational speaker and comedian, SSgt. Robert (Bobby) Henline. A true patriot, he will at once make you laugh, make you look deeper and leave you quietly awed. The student body of Valencia High School will be privileged to hear Sgt. Henline speak at their campus on November 10.
Please spread the word through the Santa Clarita Valley to join us on Veterans Day at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library (40 Presidential Way, Simi Valley, 93065) and honor these great Americans.
I promise that when you leave the exhibit, the images you will have seen, the warriors you will have met and the stories you will hear, will remain with you.
November 11, 2010 is the time to pay homage to our Veterans and those serving in the military today that forfeit family and comfort to protect each of us.
“Steel becomes stronger after it is tempered. It is the only thing to be quenched in fire and come out stronger than before…just like our wounded warriors.” Luana Schneider
For more information on Tempered Steel, visit Tempered Steel
For information on the Iraq Star Foundation, go to IraqStar

Veterans Events at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

2010-11-03T07:26:00.002-05:00

Events at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Here are the links for November 10th and November 11th for the Veterans Day Events.
A Panel Discussion Honoring Our Nation’s Veterans
at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum
Wednesday, November 10, 2010 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Nov 10th

To honor the men and women who serve in the United States Armed Forces, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library will be hosting its annual Veterans Day Event on Thursday, November 11, 2010.
Nov 11th

You may follow them by email to APLC@reaganfoundation.org or on Twitter at #ReaganVets or submit questions through their Facebook page.

Donations for Tempered Steel

2010-10-14T08:39:00.003-05:00

I have added new tabs we had made in conjunction with another group to honor our Army boys and girls! Donations of $10.00 or more and pick your tab! Each is ready to attach to vest, jacket, purse, etc. Each is approximately 4 1/2" X 3/4".

Notecards in pkgs of 3 each are available for donations of $15.00 or more. There are 2 featured images painted by Luana Schneider, The General (Eagle) or Quiet Heroes. Each notecard comes with a matching envelope with avatar on seal. Each card is 5 1/2" X 4 1/4".

Bracelets for Donations of $10.00 or more.
Each is approximately 3/8" wide and 10” long, washable two-ply polyester tubular lace, silk screened with crimp and bulldog clip attachment.

Photo Introspective at Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

2010-10-11T08:11:00.002-05:00

Uniting Wounded Warriors with the public through dialogue.

THE TEMPERED STEEL WOUNDED WARRIOR PHOTO INTROSPECTIVE
UNVEILS AT
THE RONALD REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY
VETERANS DAY

November 11, 2010: 10am
The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
40 Presidential Way,
Simi Valley, CA 93065

We are honored to announce the unveiling of The Tempered Steel Photo Introspective at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, on Veteran's Day, with Keynote speaker Wounded Warrior and Comedian Robert Henline.

The Tempered Steel Photo Introspective, "Honoring the Wounds of War" is a cohesive effort by Micaela Bensko and journalist Amanda Cherry-Haus in culminating the stories behind the scars of war through imagery and interviews.

This project is one of several by The Tempered Steel Organization, founded by Iraq veteran and wounded soldier Sgt. Scott Stephenson and his mother Luana Schneider, who's goal it is to enlighten the public to the humanity within the warrior, the dignity within the scars, and the power of the human spirit. The wounded warriors of the Tempered Steel Photo Introspective are all Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who bravely unveil their private scars in an effort to unite injured veterans with the public by eradicating the enigma that is the disfigured soldier.

The exhibit is open to the public of all ages; admission to the Library on Veterans Day is free with additional events on-going throughout the day to honor our country's veterans.

Luana A Schneider

Tempered Steel Inc.

(The Stories Behind the Scars, uniting wounded warriors with the public through dialogue)

16039 274^th Rd

Atchison, KS 66002

(913) 370-0238

(800) 294-5039

http://www.TemperedSteelInc.org

http://www.TemperedSteelInc.net

http://www.My-Son-And-i.blogspot.com

2010-09-24T07:21:00.001-05:00

Official Unveiling of the Tempered Steel Photo Introspective November 11, at 10:00am at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, 40 Presidential Way, Simi Valley, CA 93065. Please join us and our wounded warriors at this prestigious event!

Flyer for Tempered Steel

2010-09-16T09:26:00.001-05:00

Please print and share with everyone!

Tempered Steel

2010-09-14T22:34:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel

2010-09-13T07:56:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel is uniting wounded warriors and the public through dialogue and imagery.

Tempered Steel

Hidden Brain Injuries 2

2010-09-11T06:24:00.000-05:00

You know as I have sat here the last few weeks I have finally understood that while I may hate this person in Scott's life right now, if it wasn't her, it would be someone just like her. It is a symptom of his PTSD/TBI. And possibly a symptom of seizures, if that is what is happening. They think the seizures are probably on the right side of the brain, which is where emotion is located.
But I finally got through to him, he was trying to tell me that he knew he had a problem but did not feel he had PTSD due to his physical condition. That he had accepted the way he looked now, and accepted the loss of his leg. He stated he had no need to grieve. So I calmly asked him....if I held up a picture of you before you were injured and a picture of you now side by side, you would be perfectly ok with it? Well, he just burst into tears. (And so did I!) I hugged him and told him that it was ok, he had not accepted it, but by getting treatment he would come to terms with his losses and he could move forward from there. And he is starting to have more dreams he is remembering. Most involve his inability to physically protect his brothers, again, showing his fear of not being physically whole, his feelings of lack of control (which I am coming to accept is another reason he is in this horrible relationship, something he can control).
I truly think that by trying to stay calm and not yell and scream (even though I desperately want to shake the living crap out of him) and letting him figure some of this out on his own, it is working. He wants treatment, he is agreeing to go and to really try to fix the issues. As I told him, you will always have a form of PTSD, but.....this treatment should give you the tools to be able to handle it or to know when things are getting bad again and to immediately seek better treatment. This is my hope!!!!
Now if we can get all of the testing done, know for sure about the seizures, or more organic brain trauma, or how severe is the TBI, we can then move forward with the PTSD!

Donated Art Piece

2010-09-10T07:54:00.001-05:00

Art Piece donated to Tempered Steel by Gary Brazina entitled

"Tree of Life #1"

New Items for Donation

2010-09-10T07:40:00.000-05:00

Here are images of our note cards, they will be packaged 3 same images per package and are available for a donation of $10.00 or more per pkg. 100% will go to Tempered Steel. These are two of my paintings "The General" and "Quiet Heroes".

The back of each card will have the name of the image and Tempered Steel's website. The envelopes will have a matching image on the flap.

Please go to our donate button and donate $10 or more per pkg of notecards and please let us know which images you want. Thank you.

AW2 Blog

2010-09-08T06:12:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to the blog I wrote for Army Wounded Warrior.......

Tempered Steel: A Way to Breakdown Burn Stigma

By Luana Schneider, AW2 Mother

For Luana Schneider (center) creating an opportunity for the public to interact with Tempered Steel wounded warriors will help break burn stigma

Editor’s Note: CaringBridge is a participant in the AW2 Community Support Network.

While at the AW2 Symposium, everyone was very interested in our brand new non-profit that we were starting: Tempered Steel, The Stories Behind the Scars.

We decided to co-found Tempered Steel after my son Scott was seriously wounded and disfigured in Iraq in November 2006. Our first hand experience in handling the responses to Scott’s injuries from civilians and military alike, compelled us to break down the barriers between wounded and disfigured Veterans and those who only see their scars. Tempered Steel’s goal is to exchange fear for enlightenment by exposing the very real human stories behind the wounds of war.

Rest of Story

Free Laser surgery

2010-09-07T07:39:00.000-05:00

I wanted to pass this story on, please check it out for all wounded soldiers, spouses or caregivers....
Free Laser Surgery

Bracelets

2010-09-03T18:38:00.000-05:00

Bracelets are still available for a donation of $10 or more at Tempered Steel website

KC veterans, familes feel conflicted as last U.S. combat troops leave Iraq - KansasCity.com

2010-09-03T09:59:00.000-05:00

Scott's comments

KC veterans, familes feel conflicted as last U.S. combat troops leave Iraq - KansasCity.com

New VA Housing Grants Benefit Injured Vets

2010-09-01T09:22:00.000-05:00

Important Information.......Check out the link please!

New VA Housing Grants Benefit Injured Vets

Scott

2010-09-01T06:17:00.003-05:00

So I take it this never ends......we are trying to deal with the PTSD and the organic brain syndrome......NOW they suspect that Scott is possibly having seizures while he sleeps, and that maybe his panic attacks are not actually panic attacks but possible seizures.......the really sad part is, after sitting next to him for the entire flight to FL I believe they are probably right. I am hoping not, but.......and if not what in the hell is going on. His entire left side acts like it is being electrocuted, that is the only way I know how to describe it. If any of you have ever seen them use the paddles to shock someone back to life, you know that slow motion type arcing of the body? That is very similar to what his left side is doing except it is contracting. Scott is also clenching up and shaking really hard. So..............onto a EEG and a Sleep Study, but they need to get on this stuff immediately so we can then get him into a poly-trauma unit.
We are looking at one in CA and one in NY. Where he goes is going to depend on all of these tests they are scheduling. And he has TBI testing in a couple weeks as well. Fun, fun, fun!!!
The trip to FL to the WWP Leadership Summit went really well. We got a lot of good contact information and some excellent support ideas. And maybe seeing how these guys have overcome their issues should push Scott to overcome his. HOPEFULLY! He saw that they CAN be better, maybe not cured but better!
I am soooooo tired of fighting him to get the treatment and now I somewhat have to wonder how much physical he is throwing up to avoid having to deal with it. Sounds very cynical doesn't it? Well that is how I am feeling. We all know the mind can throw up blocks that are actually physical problems to avoid dealing with the real problems and as his FRG told me, Scott has multi layer PTSD. He has PTSD from the explosion, separate PTSD from being a severe burn patient, and separate PTSD from traumatic amputation......
Really? How lovely is that......and now possible seizures. That could severely limit his independence!
Ok well onto testing and we will see...........

My Son and I: A Blog I wrote for AW2

2010-08-31T11:24:00.000-05:00

My Son and I: A Blog I wrote for AW2: "AW2 Blog"

A Blog I wrote for AW2

2010-08-31T11:23:00.000-05:00

AW2 Blog

Tempered steel bracelets

2010-08-25T15:21:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel bracelets are here and out the door!!! Thank you everyone!!! More are here if anyone wants one.......just go to our web site and under donations/wristlets and you too can be sporting a spiffy Tempered Steel bracelet for just $10!!!!

Hidden Brain Injuries

2010-08-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

Dealing with a hidden brain injury from a mother’s perspective.

How are we as parents supposed to deal with brain injuries when from our grown child’s perspective there is not a problem? Yet, I can identify several major problem areas.

When Scott was hit by the I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device), he bled out due to severe internal and external injuries. The medical personnel in Bagdad, Balad and Landstuhl brought him back twice with massive blood infusion and drugs. But sometime during those first hours and day he suffered 3 strokes to the left side of his brain. My understanding is the strokes were located in the frontal, temporal, and occipital lobes. When I arrived by his side in San Antonio, TX, they had inserted a pressure monitor into his frontal lobe to watch the pressures of the bleeds. I was pretty sure by his actions and memories that we were going to be ok. He seemed to have shrugged off the possible devastating effects of the strokes. Now………I am not so sure.

We are almost 4 years out from the initial injuries and yet I am seeing increasing cognitive defects in his behavior. I always have to ask myself, how much is from the brain injuries and how much is from PTSD or other possible causes. I have a hard time showing the behavioral patterns to his caregivers because he is very good at covering the issues up in a one hour session with a psychologist. But when you live with someone on a day to day basis, you can definitely see defects. Along with trying to explain the issues to his medical caregivers, I try to explain to him what I see. For him, I am just being over-protective or controlling, he refuses to address the issues, stating that is just the way he is. And yet, I see the path he is headed on, and it is one he would never have traveled before the damages to body and brain.

I have a list of behaviors that I see him exhibiting and yet I do not know how to solve the problems that arise out of them. He expects me to pick up the pieces from his actions, yet when I try to curb the behaviors before hand, according to him I am in the wrong. I am beyond frustrated. I find myself becoming increasingly depressed and angry at him and the situation. While he is becoming more physically independent by the day, he is still refusing to deal with the “unseen” injuries. Yes, he sees two separate clinicians for his PTSD, but he does not tell them the entire truth of his situation. He tells me he is afraid of being “judged”, yet the very people who are supposed to help him are unaware of the “big picture” so are incapable of truly helping him. I have tried talking to one of his doctors, but their job is to listen to him, not me, so how much of my information is actually being taken into consideration? And when he tells them that “I” am the problem, not him, what does that say about my credibility? Scott is very good at passing the blame for his actions on to other people. And he refuses to acknowledge the known issues: inattention, difficulty concentrating, impaired memory, faulty judgment, depression, irritability, emotional outbursts, disturbed sleep, diminished/increased libido, difficulty switching between two tasks, slowed thinking, anger, co-dependency…..the list goes on. And yes I and his family have seen all of these issues in him. The problem is they are also PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) symptoms. So how do you separate which symptom goes with which problem? And how do you treat two different conditions with very similar symptoms? I am at a loss.

And as a caregiver of a 26 year old, I am tired. I am tired of fighting him to get the treatment he needs, I am tired of arguing that his actions are going to cause long-term serious problems, I am tired of being the one responsible if and when he gets into trouble, I am just tired. And yes, I do understand and acknowledge that as a 26 year old he is responsible for himself. But as a paid caregiver, financial power of attorney, medical power of attorney and about to become complete fiduciary, I am responsible. I am responsible to the military for caring for him, I am responsible to the Veterans Administration, I am responsible to our family, and I am responsible for him period!

The weight that I thought would lift once he was physically well has gotten heavier instead. The fact that we have had to concentrate so hard on the physical aspect allowed all of us to let the psychological problems fade into the background. Now we are all paying a heavy price. I am so tired of the arguments, the lying, the going behind him and cleaning up the messes he leaves. And yes, if I do not do that, then I too will be held responsible. But probably the worse is his complete and utter refusal to see how many of these issues he has. He addresses a couple of them in his sessions, but again without the entire problem laid out, complete honesty and openness with his counselors they are treating only portions of the problems not the whole person.

By reading and reading and trying desperately to understand both brain trauma and PTSD, I know he partially is not responsible for his behaviors, but understanding that, does not make it easier to come to terms with after he yells at me or after he lies to me or after the multitude of things that he does where I and this family is concerned. He states he wants his independence, yet refuses to answer the phone when the VA calls about appointments; instead he gives everyone my phone number. He refuses to fill out his own paperwork, he cannot seem to make or keep appointments without my prodding, he cannot control his finances, he wants to be independent but refuses to act in any independent way, except in the faulty judgment arenas……..

So I will continue to pick up the pieces, fight for greater honesty with his clinicians, fight him to open up and admit his deficiencies and continue being the best caregiver I can be with the information that I have.

Wounded Soldier and Military widow Benefits going unused.

2010-08-08T08:30:00.000-05:00

Benefits are going unused..........Tempered Steel Inc Blog

Tempered Steel Inc Blog

2010-08-06T10:21:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel added to AW2 Community Support Network

Tempered Steel has been added to the AW2 (Army Wounded Warrior) Community Support Network. This will mean wider information and more views of who we are and what we are trying to accomplish! Tempered Steel Inc Blog

Drug Testing on Wounded Soldiers

2010-08-06T09:18:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel Inc Blog - This is a must read!!!!

Hunters Helping Soldiers

2010-08-05T17:35:00.001-05:00

Scott is Warrior of the Month at Hunters Helping Soldiers Web Site
Check it out......

AW2 Blog - "Burn Guys Are Hot"

2010-08-04T08:24:00.003-05:00

By Emily Oehler, WTC StratComm

While I was on the road this week, I saw a bumper sticker that struck me—“Life is Tough, Play Hard.” It immediately brought to mind a wounded veteran that I recently had the joy to meet. And when I say joy, I mean it.

Being around Scott brought me joy. When I met him, he felt like a mischievous little brother. Someone I connect to. Someone I wanted to protect. Someone I could be silly with. Joy.

Scott Stephenson started non-profit
Tempered Steel to bring the Soldiers’ stories
behind the scars to life

For Scott, life is tough—at least from my perspective. He’s got third and fourth degree burns over 66% of his body, is missing his left leg below the knee, and has a barely functioning left arm. I cannot imagine how tough things have/can be. But, as tough has his challenges are, he plays even harder. He and his BAMC burn unit buddies are never at a loss for a quick joke, hilarious story, or one-liner. He had me laughing, nearly to tears, every time I saw him—shouting out things like:

Burn guys are hot!
Girls dig extra crispy!
When I’m hot, I’m on fire!
Don’t make me give you the third degree!

While many might not find these things funny or appropriate—it’s the playfulness about life’s hardships that often get us through, and at least make it more joyful along the way.

Scott’s playfulness about this severe injury relaxed me and allowed me to talk more openly with him and ask questions and learn. I learned about airborne pride. I learned about the risks of being a SAW gunner. I learned about shearing, blisters, heat/cold intolerance, and how hard it is to fit a prosthetic to burnt skin. I learned that he has a girlfriend. I learned he’s in college with the goal of opening up his own bar and grill.

I learned that his tattoos, that look like weathered and withered tree bark, follow the pattern on his skin that was disfigured from gasoline / IED. I learned that living with burns feels like having saran wrap tight around your body—that you can’t feel the breeze on your skin. I learned about the non-profit he started with his mom to help other burned service members.

But most importantly, I learned to look past the scars.

Scott—thanks for the joy, the laughter, and the learning. Keep playing hard!
AW2 Blog

Scott's Leg

2010-08-04T04:54:00.000-05:00

Well the good news is the prosthetic has been working great for Scott! He has done so well with it, we have not had the issues we were having before with tearing of the burned skin or blisters or break down. He has been able to wear it for 8-10 hours at a time, with mini breaks in between (due to the buildup of fluid he has to remove it and allow the leg and liner to dry). But he is now experiencing some cracking and popping in that knee. He has some pain and says it sometimes feels like it is going to give out, so he asked me to call the doctor and get a CT of the knee and hip. He CANNOT damage the joint anymore than it already is. He has traumatic arthritis in that left hip and knee from the explosion. DAMNIT! We get one major hurdle taken care of and here comes another!!!!

Side note, he will be starting new fall semester here soon. And he can breath through his nose again. Oh and he will be August "Soldier of the Month" for Hunters Helping Soldiers web site! Congrats Scotty!!!
And we want to thank the Project Healing Waters and the guys who showed Scott that he can still do amazing detail work even with his left hand. They taught him how to tie flies while we where in Texas and then sent him all of the equipment and supplies he will need to start tying flies. He is absolutely loving it! THANK YOU!

Other Organizations

2010-08-02T07:28:00.000-05:00

FISHERMEN IN SUPPORT OF HEROES, INC.
P.O. BOX 292 HUBERT, NC 28539
www.fishheroes.org

New Blog Design

2010-07-31T09:04:00.002-05:00

Let us know what you think of the new blog design........

Tempered Steel Blog

2010-07-28T04:58:00.000-05:00

Adding lots of new articles as fast as I can. Please follow the link to read more......
Tempered Steel Blog

New Treatment for Burn Victims?

2010-07-26T05:44:00.000-05:00

Researchers at Wake Forest University are developing a method of printing skin tissue onto burn victims for faster and more thorough healing.
Scientists have created a new use for outdated ink-jet printers. They are putting the finishing touches on techniques that will allow doctors to print skin onto burn victims. Sound like something out of the future? It’s not too far from becoming an everyday treatment.
Researchers at Wake Forest University have discovered a way to use ink-jet printers to print proteins directly onto a burn victim’s body. By using a gel base instead of paper and protein-based skin cells instead of ink, they can now print layers of skin that will be absorbed into a patient’s body and eventually regenerate on their own. For burn victims, this technology can be a life-saving one that speeds up the healing process.

Called "bioprinting," the new method of skin restoration has many more benefits than traditional skin grafts (source: Wake Forest University).
How does it work? For now, ordinary office supply store print heads are being fitted with test tubes full of the patient’s own skin cells in a solution instead of ink. The solution is then sprayed onto a gel sheet. The base will then absorb into the patient’s tissues and cause less infection and rejection than a skin graft. This process will also eliminate the uncomfortable tightness that skin grafts often create.
As of now, the process is only being tested on mice. When a burn situation was treated via printer technology, now being called “bioprinting,” the mice healed much faster than similarly injured mice allowed to heal the old ways.
The military is particularly interested in this technology, as many battlefield injuries that result in deaths involve severe burns. Researchers are also beginning to reproduce bone tissue and organs by this same bioprinting method. But in the case of organs, they’ll need blood vessels to connect to in order to function. More testing will be needed to make organ printing viable.
It still remains to be seen if scientists will be able to grow enough skin quickly enough to cover large burn areas. And more research is needed to determine if this process will work on all types of skin tissue.

Full Article

FREE PROSTHETIC CASE FROM PELICAN

2010-07-22T09:55:00.000-05:00

PELICAN

I wanted to share the email, Scott received yesterday from the WWP Alumni. All of you who have prosthetics please go check this out. Scott ordered his case yesterday, no more trying to stick it in a backpack, or dragging it around.

Dear Warriors,

Free Pelican case for OIF/OEF amputees!
Pelican is offering a Protector Case to the men and women who have sacrificed greatly while protecting the freedoms we hold dear. Perhaps you have seen our cases on the battlefield and are familiar with their durability and protective capabilities. The Protector Case is designed to protect and transport your valuable prosthetics, and to serve as a small gesture of our tremendous gratitude and deepest respect.

To receive your free case through the Pelican for Patriots program, please complete the form included and fax it to your nearest Pelican-Hardigg Case Center, or order online at ORDER FORM
LINK

PTSD

2010-07-22T08:22:00.001-05:00

Another military member took his own life.......we have to stop this. We are losing our heroes at an alarming rate. 62 in the month of June alone. This is the Army's highest losses. This is completely unacceptable!!!
The continuous deployments, the stop-losses, the high divorce rate, PTSD, economic issues, etc are all contributing factors. These are are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters and we are losing the war at home. There are so many programs out there to help with PTSD, we just need to change the stigma of PTSD. If you see a soldier in trouble, please please step in to help. And if you are a soldier in trouble, ASK for help. It is readily available to you.

The Washington Post Blog

June Army suicide rate up

The U.S. Army suffered 32 suicides in June, the highest number for a single month since the suicide rate in the Army began to spike in January 2009.

The boost in the suicide rate for June is likely being driven by the "continued stresses on the force" caused by the Iraq and Afghan wars, said Col. Chris Philbrick, the director of the Army's suicide prevention task force. The Army has poured extensive manpower and money into getting a handle on the suicide rate, and until last month had begun to see some tentative signs that the suicide rate was trending downward among active duty troops.

The June numbers, however, represent a disappointing setback, and suggest that after nine years of combat, the Army is showing some serious signs of strain. The initial results from the first two weeks of July suggest that the suicide rate for this month will not be as high.

So far this year 80 active duty soldiers have committed suicide or are suspected of having committed suicide, down from 88 through the first six months of last year. The Army National Guard, by contrast, has seen 65 suicides in 2010, up from 42 last year.

The total number of Army suicides in June was about the same as the number of Army troops who were killed in Afghanistan last month in what was the deadliest month for U.S. and NATO forces of the nine-year-old war.

U.S. Army officials are at a bit of a loss to explain the increase in National Guard suicides, which could be linked to the combined stress of the war and the growing strain on the U.S. economy. "There is no indication that the National Guard's operational tempo has increased," Philbrick said.

By Greg Jaffe | July 16, 2010; 1:54 PM ET

Projects by Tempered Steel

2010-07-22T08:12:00.000-05:00

Photo Introspective “Wounds of War; The Stories Behind the Scars”

Mother of disfigured Iraq veteran Scott Stephenson, Luana Schneider, military wife Amanda Cherry Haus, and Los Angeles photographer Micaela Bensko, join forces to profile wounded warriors in a Vanity Fair - style portrait series for the organization, "Tempered Steel". Tempered Steel was co-founded by Ms. Schneider and her son, Scott Stephenson, after he was severely disfigured in Iraq. Their goal is to break down the barriers between disfigured veterans and civilians. Amanda Cherry Haus will be recording interviews of the wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. The narratives will be added with the images for the gallery exhibit, and logged into the Library of Congress’s “Living History Project”. The portraits and accompanied stories will culminate in a traveling gallery exhibit for Spring of 2011. The objective: to open dialogue through imagery and personal stories between wounded warriors and the public, removing the gap between fear and enlightenment by exposing the human stories behind the wounds of war. With corporate sponsorship, Tempered Steel will turn the images and stories into a book educating communities on the “Stories Behind the Scars”.

Tempered Steel seeks corporate sponsorship for completion of our mission. Our military members willingness to be exposed through imagery and stories is a testament to their courage and adaptability. Not only about their injuries, but how society's uncomfortable stares and silence affects them on the deepest levels. What we, as a community, may do today to empower each wounded military member in their quest for complete psychological health will benefit our communities for a better tomorrow.

Tempered Steel Board of Directors

2010-07-14T10:46:00.004-05:00

First I have to post about Tempered Steel's board members. I cannot possibly list how special to me each on is.

MICAELA BENSKO

Micaela Bensko provided the photograpic images of our wounded warriors, working with each to disclose their inner beauty.

Bensko's work has been seen in national publications such as Brides Magazine and Martha Stewart Living. She has been featured in her field by Professional Photographers Magazine, and received national award recognition in album design. Based in Los Angeles, her work takes her around the globe, but remains firmly grounded with a husband and four children. Micaela is also VP of The Iraq StarFoundation, providing free reconstructive surgery to troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. She is currently writing a book on photography and commits herself to mentoring students by regularly visiting classrooms to share her passion for photography.

AMANDA S. CHERRY-HAUS

Amanda S. Cherry-Haus provided videography and writing services for the Tempered Steel Inc. Project.

She has been a long time volunteer using her experience as an Army medic, Army Public Affairs Specialist and volunteer counselor to help others. She has worked with organizations like H.O.R.S.E. - an equine therapy program for autistic children and military veterans, The American Red Cross suicide hotline and domestic violence education program, Veterans of Modern Warfare, Patriot Guard Riders, and Vietnam Veterans of America. Her deployment with the Iowa Army National Guard after college led her to follow a life-long goal of travel, writing and photography as well as service to others. She worked for several years as an Emergency Medical Technician and firefighter continuing her service to others. Amanda is an award winning photographer with her photos being published most recently in the Leavenworth Times and featured in several Kansas City art shows.

She has had articles published in Stars and Stripes as well as local newspapers featuring the unique issues facing veterans. Amanda and her husband MSG James Haus were recently featured in an interview with Bob Woodruff for World News with Diane Sawyer addressing the alarming rate of veteran suicides. As a military spouse of a soldier with severe PTSD, Amanda has educated herself on the issues gaining certification on PTSD treatment and causes. She is currently starting her own charity called W.O.M.A.N.-Women of the Military Advocacy Network, to focus on the unique needs of military women and families while working with Tempered Steel on the Library of Congress videography sessions.

Peggie Brown

Peggie Brown is the creator of Tempered Steel’s beautiful website. She is providing her creative talents to Tempered Steel as well as being a member of our board of directors.

Peggie Brown is owner and Web Services Director for KatsueyDesignWorks, a division of Brown Holdings, LLC Group. Her credentials include 15 years of financial management experience and 9 years experience as a Paralegal, working in litigation and probate and estate planning. During her "Paralegal years", Peggie also developed PowerPoint ® presentations and provided marketing for estate planning seminars that she created and assisted in presenting. Peggie provided Internet Research presentations to Law Firms and Corporations such as Hallmark Cards Legal Department in Kansas City and Rutgers University. Believe it or not, these apparent unrelated credentials do make a difference to web site design clients of KatsueyDesignWorks. Mrs. Brown understands business needs and, can help you research your business competitors and stand out from them. She understands presentation and marketing along with the need of a professional image in web site design.

Dr. Adam Buhman-wiggs, ph.d.

Dr. Buhman-Wiggs is a licensed psychologist in Kansas with 15 years of experience in mental health assessment, diagnosis and treatment. He earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2002 and worked previously as a Licensed Professional Counselor in Missouri, as well as pursuing predoctoral internships at the Kansas City VA Medical Center and the Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Counseling Center. Post-degree, Dr. Buhman-Wiggs has worked as a therapist, supervisor, and eventually as clinic administrator for the Atchison office of The Guidance Center until 2005, when he joined the faculty of his undergraduate alma mater, Benedictine College. He continues to provide therapy and psychological evaluation services through the Benedictine College counseling center, as well as providing consultation services with licensed providers at All-Faith Counseling Center in Atchison. Dr. Buhman-Wiggs has extensive training and experience in a variety of therapeutic models, including emotion-focused, family systems, Christian, cognitive, and exposure-based models that represent the gold standard in treatment of PTSD for combat veterans. He has experience evaluating and treating those with both combat and civilian PTSD.

As a researcher and academic, Dr. Buhman-Wiggs has always been interested in human emotion. He has conducted and presented research on various aspects of human emotional functioning at State, regional, and national psychology conferences. Dr. Buhman-Wiggs’ interest in emotion predated his studies in psychology as well, as he trained for four years to be a professional actor, including earning a Master of Fine Arts in Performance from the Purdue Professional Theatre Training Program in 1993.

Diana pitts

Diana Pitts is the president of the Northeast Kansas Chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers, an organization of mothers who have lost children in service to the country.
She also serves on the National Executive Board of the American Gold Star Mothers.
She received the Commander’s Award for Public Service that will be displayed at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 56 in Leavenworth.

madonna moranville

Donna Moranville is the Manager, Compliance and HIPAA Privacy Officer for the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System. Donna has been with SCLHS for 21 years in various positions within the Legal and Compliance arenas. Her background is as a corporate paralegal (with which she has 25+ years experience) and specializes in corporate, real estate and healthcare law. Donna is certified in Healthcare Compliance, is a Certified HIPAA Professional, and has a paralegal certificate.

Bensko Blitz Blog

2010-07-09T09:41:00.001-05:00

http://bensko.blogspot.com/2010/07/introducing-tempered-steel.html

New Tax on Veterans Medical Equipment

2010-07-07T20:57:00.000-05:00

I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!!!!!!
How can we as a nation allow this to go on? So after all that some of our veterans have lost, now they have to pay a tax on their prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs? What is this country coming too? STAND UP AND VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE IN NOVEMBER!!!!!
http://www.atr.org/wounded-warriors-face-new-tax-independence-a5175#%23ixzz0t0BzzhGO

Tempered Steel Website

2010-07-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

Tempered Steel's Website is up and running! Check it out!!!! We are very very proud of it.
http://www.temperedsteelinc.org

PERMANENT LEG!!!!!

2010-06-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

Here are the pictures of Scott's new permanent leg! YEAH!!!!

Press Release for Tempered Steel

2010-06-14T07:14:00.000-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 12, 2010

PHOTO INTROSPECTIVE AIMS TO UNITE

WOUNDED WARRIORS AND CIVILIANS

Wounded Warrior and his mother set out to bridge dialogue between civilians and disfigured vets.

Shooting to begin on the Photo Introspective “Wounds of War; The Stories Behind the Scars” June 22^nd in San Antonio, Texas at the private home of wounded warrior Robert Henline during the Wounded Warrior Symposium 2010.

The portraits will culminate in a traveling gallery exhibit for Spring of 2011. The objective: to open dialogue through imagery between wounded warriors and the public, closing the gap between fear and enlightenment by exposing the human stories behind the wounds of war.

Amanda Cherry Haus will be recording interviews of the wounded Iraq and Afghanistan veterans during the event, to be logged in the Library of Congress.

San Antonio, Texas

June 22, 2010

The home of Robert Henline

7302 Tranquilo Way

San Antonio, Texas

MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACT:

Luana Schneider

luana@temperedsteelinc.org

913-370-0238

Hunters Helping Soldiers

2010-06-14T07:09:00.001-05:00

Scott and I were on the HHS radio show Sunday June 13th to help promote Tempered Steel.
Go and listen and let us know what you think...
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/huntershelpingsoldiers

Final Logo and New Email

2010-06-07T05:04:00.001-05:00

Ok here is the final logo and our new email addresses.....the web site is being worked on as we speak. And we will have PayPal available for donations.

XXOO

Luana and Scott

Tempered Steel

2010-05-15T08:52:00.001-05:00

Here is information about a new non-profit organization that Scott and I have started along with some very beautiful, strong, compassionate women! Please read about us and then find out how you may help support us in our endeavor "To Tell the Story Behind the Scars"!!!

The story behind the scars

16039 274^TH Rd

Atchison, ks 66002

(913) 370-0238

luana@lvnworth.com

Mission Statement: Tempered Steel is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting community awareness, education and support for our severely injured military members. Tempered Steel focuses on providing support to those suffering the most debilitating traumas from Iraq and Afghanistan by encouraging peer to peer support, educating the public and providing direction and assistance to additional programs and services that will meet their needs. Tempered Steel will also encourage public introspection as to the stories behind the wounds of war.

I would like to introduce you to Tempered Steel’s first two projects that will be taking place June 21-23 in San Antonio, TX.

Tempered Steel’s first project is a book for our soldiers with disfiguring injuries.

With Micaela Bensko (http://www.benskophotography.com) as our photographer everyone can be assured of how classic and respectful these images are going to be. We are basing the idea on the coffee table book “Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty”. We will be in San Antonio, TX June 21 and 22 taking photographs.

The premise behind this idea is that each one of you has a truly wonderful story to tell about the person behind the scars. So to all of our wonderfully beautiful, courageous and amazing military members, contact us to be included. And if you are still in the military or are currently going through the medical board and are skittish about participating, still contact us, we have ideas on how to deal with that issue.

We only have a certain number of slots so the sooner you contact us the sooner we can start a time schedule. We have information packets to send out to you as well as a questionnaire.

Unfortunately we are still looking for corporate sponsorship so we cannot afford to fly anyone to SA for the shoot.

Tempered Steel’s second project is having each combat soldier tell their story in their own words to be preserved forever at the Library of Congress, with Amanda Cherry-Haus.

We have certain requirements to be met (i.e. minimum of ½ hour, preferably 1 hour) so we definitely need to know who would like their story told. We have an information packet to send to each person. We would also like to include your family members if they are available. Their portion of the interview will not be included in the portion being sent to the Library of Congress, but it will help us in understanding the complete story of your injuries and road to recovery.

You will get a copy of the interview to be shared with your family and friends. Anyone requesting a copy from the Library of Congress will be required to pay a fee (LOC rules, not ours).

We will be working concurrently with the photography project and will be in San Antonio, TX June 21-23.

We at Tempered Steel feel your story of combat needs to be told and preserved forever!

Besides these two current projects, Tempered Steel’s goal is to have at least one severely injured soldier in each state; willing and able, with Tempered Steel’s support, to speak to schools, community groups, assemblies, etc., about the stories behind the scars. By educating the public on the effects the scars have on our disfigured soldiers we are hoping to create a nation of compassion.

Luana A Schneider

Founding Member

Annual Walk to remember

2010-05-02T09:38:00.000-05:00

http://stjoechannel.com/fulltext?nxd_id=127175&watch=1