How Have You Struggled?

what has work for me for my entire life is my strong faith. method and process can and will be very challenging. Pray and pray a lot to your self and church. read many info and know your body. you must take care of yourself because in all reality no one will but through your strong faith you will feel HIM, because He really loves you.

most veteran have disabilities that prevent them from gaining of meaningful employment, therefore we need to provide more on the job training for them, also if is veterans 100% disabled the VA should give them a place to live or pay for the mortgage . If we keep pretending like disabled veterans I'm not struggling for housing and employment we're gonna keep filling them.

From about April of 2010 until May of 2013 I was a homeless veteran in Las Vegas NV not really knowing what I would do next. For awhile, I pretended I was suicidal just so I would be admitted as an inpatient into the Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital (formerly Las Vegas Mental Health). At least there it was 3 square meals a day, pretty nurses, and a bed/pillow in a climate-controlled environment. That was good for about 5 months out of the 3+ years I was homeless. Las Vegas social workers helped me by paying for about 5 more months at halfway houses and also with obtaining SNAP benefits (food stamps). But the best thing one social worker did was tell me to apply for a VA pension. Given my Bad Conduct Discharge issued in a General Court Martial (for an incident involving cannabis), I thought it was a waste of time and a stupid requirement, but I had to jump through that hoop to get another 30 days at the halfway house I was at, so I applied for the VA pension, never dreaming it would actually be approved 2 years later in May of 2013. As it turned out, it was approved based on my 2 good enlistments of honorable service prior to my 3rd enlistment that my General Court Martial decreed my Bad Conduct discharge was for, and the fact that I had served during Desert Shield/Storm, but most importantly because there was no record of my earning any income during the entire 2 years the VA had to make a final decision on my case, which indicated I was incapable of supporting myself on a continuing basis. Had I known earlier about my being entitled to a VA pension under these circumstances that I found myself in, I would have applied at least a year earlier when I first became homeless. But every time I talked to any VA representative during my homeless days, and they saw the "Bad Conduct" discharge on my DD Form 214, they all told me "Sorry, but we can't help you with anything", nor would they provide me with any useful solutions for my homelessness, or any information or possible reasons for me to apply for a VA pension. It doesn't matter that my 12+ years of USAF active duty on my DD Form 214 clearly indicated that I had been awarded 2 Commendation Medals, 2 Achievement Medals, 3 Good Conduct Medals, plus ribbons for Outstanding Unit, Overseas Long and Short tours and National Defense (plus other ribbons), or that I was my squadron's Airman of the Month (5 times), Airman of the Quarter (3 times), the 1987 832 AD Accounting & Finance Squadron Airman of the Year, or a Distinguished Graduate of NCO Prep School, or Yokota AB Japan 374th AW Comptroller Squadron Outstanding Performer (2 times). Indeed, the VA had no intentions to do anything that would help me when i was homeless. Hell, I couldn't even get a free cup of damn coffee at a civilian-contracted care facility for Vets that the VA was connected with/paid for that was near downtown Las Vegas. Until my VA pension was approved, the VA did absolutely nothing for me in any way, shape or form. Luckily, I didn't actually kill myself during those 3 years of homelessness and/or while waiting for the VA's decision on my pension application, because I certainly wasn't getting any help from the VA during that time. Oh wait, I stand corrected, there were a couple of VA "standdown"(?) fairs held in the Las Vegas area where I was able to get a free haircut, some used clothes and a decent meal, plus basic medical services for any treatable conditions, but that was only 2 times in the 3 years I was homeless. Any VA social services at the fairs always informed me they couldn't help me due to my Bad Conduct Discharge. In truth, local churches and mosques helped the homeless out far more frequently than the VA ever did. So, I guess the bottom line on all of this is the VA may be causing some veterans to commit suicide simply due to their inability and/or refusal to help any veteran with a less than honorable discharge, and probably during that vet's greatest times of need. The VA only helps veterans after an entitlement to a VA disability and/or pension has been approved, which seems to be very flawed in the heart of its core, considering the Veteran Administration claims to want to help all veterans and prevent their suicides, but in truth, is guided by restrictions that impede or prevent them from helping the vets that need their help the most, and in turn, leaves the vet to fend for him/herself in the brutally hopeless world of homelessness. It takes a tremendous amount of will power to carry on, day after day, night after night in the cruel world of the homeless and may even be a tougher battle than anything the vet had ever faced in his times of service. Maybe if people walked a mile in a homeless vet's shoes, they could have a better understanding of wtf goes through that vet's mind, and why suicide can easily seem like the best option available. Everybody makes mistakes, but not everybody is caught and/or punished for those mistakes made. Sadly, any veteran that is punished for acts in violation of the UCMJ during their military service continues to be punished long after the court martial ended their career. I'm sure many veterans and civilians feel that a veteran has disgraced not only him/herself, but also his/her peers and branch of service, so the vet deserves everything he/she gets as a result of his/her actions that violated the UCMJ, but then in the same breath, ridiculously think and/or expect that the disgraced veteran will never commit suicide due to those harsh realities imposed, or in turn cause subsequent punishments that will, can and do occur long after the vet's military disgrace and unfavorable discharge occurred. The VA helps all authorized veterans that have earned its benefit, but definitely does not help all veterans. Or at least that was my experience and is still my current belief. Until policy is changed that will authorize, enable and allow the VA to help ALL VETERANS, regardless of their circumstances, then veteran suicides will continue to stain blood red the entire United States of America, and its possessions. Sad, but true!

What has worked for me is involvement with a community that knows how to support me. Hard to find and family is left to deal alone. I am indigenous and ceremony, talking circles, drumming, sweat lodges have all been helpful in healing the one thing VA doesnt talk about the spirit that was cracked during our service to make us machines and then left us to stand alone in that. Getting them back to school and or getting a jobe is not intigrating anything just puts them in a spot to feel normal. Spirit is not religoin it is part that has impacted the deepest part of us and medications only silence things doesnt heal the issues. The issues vets deal with just to participate in the system can be enough to go over the edge. Soo many rules and reasons to not get help. It takes 10 minuets to get through making a phone call. Child support and VA pensions or disability is a big problem because they dont talk to each other and I have seen vets owe thousands unjustly and no one can help. Its those kind of things that affect vets. Many dont hold a job because they exceed standards and are let go for actually having a mission attitude. Civillian really dont know how to deal with us especailly county jobs. the housing phone numbers dont work anywhere so its a facade as well. Many family members do not know englisgh and dont understand why their veteran has changed. VSO are not equiped to handle these things. All programs should allow pets regardless sometimes its only thing keeping a vet going. So much to say but enough for now. I hope youall share what works. Ive taken ceramony around the united states and it has helped veterans who have participated.

I think you need to find the group that's going around and using psycwar stuff to force the issue. How many deaths are they responsible for? I don't know who they are but they've targeted me and the police are not helpful.