HAGATNA, Guam (AP) ? C.J. Urquico has lived on Guam for 19 years so he's used to a military backdrop to everyday life. Navy ships visit, Air Force jets fly overhead and war games are played off the Pacific island's shores.
There soon will be another military element in this U.S. territory ? a defense system will be installed to shoot down incoming missiles and warheads. Its deployment comes amid intensifying threats from North Korea, which recently listed Guam among its targets for a nuclear attack on the United States.
That laid-back Guam is a named player in a nuclear showdown is the talk of the island. But at least for now, the population of about 180,000 is taking it in stride and not running for cover.
"The worst thing that can happen is we allow it to terrorize us," said Urquico, a 36-year-old creative director for a telecommunications company. And while "there's no real sinister feeling in the air," he added: "People are definitely paying attention. I mean, how many times do we ever trend on Twitter?"
The remote, 209-square-mile island in the South Pacific is no stranger to international conflict. The island's waters are a graveyard for rusting equipment from World War II and the oldest residents remember living under Japanese occupation.
Many residents aren't taking the North Korean threat too seriously. The annual typhoon season may be a bigger concern.
"Fortunately everybody has concrete homes here so we're sort of a bunker already," joked Leonard Calvo, vice president of Calvo Enterprises, a firm that invests in insurance, real estate, media and retail and other businesses in Guam and other islands.
"I think this guy from North Korea is just puffing out his chest. A lot of people are numb to it."
The island's social media is abuzz with memes mimicking North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, with one joking that he is worried about "Guam bombs," a popular term for beat-up, used cars on the island.
Not everyone is taking the issue lightly. Headlines about the threats have flashed across the island's main news website for the past week, and some residents are brainstorming plans in case the worst-case scenario comes true.
Thomas Perez, an 18-year-old student at Guam High School, said he already has picked out a place to barricade himself in case the attack occurs.
"I could probably get there in 15 minutes," he said.
Guam Gov. Eddie Baza Calvo said the government is providing information to help residents prepare, including guidance for where to hide if radiation is in the air.
"As a governor and a father and a husband and a grandfather, I do have some concerns because of the proximity of Guam to North Korea," he said. "We are about a three hour flight away. That's about half the distance from Guam to Hawaii."
But he also stressed that an attack is a remote possibility and residents should go on with their daily lives.
The Pentagon system on its way to the island is part of a "layered" defense giving the military multiple opportunities to shoot down incoming missiles and warheads before they reach their targets. It's specifically designed to shoot down missiles during their final stage of flight, and is expected to arrive on Guam within the next few weeks.
Even if nothing more happens, for some residents, the international attention is significant in itself. University of Guam President Robert Underwood said the threat is an opportunity for students and educators to discuss Guam's role in global military strategy.
Urquico said the situation lets Guam's residents know they're not completely invisible to the rest of the world.
"I've never heard anyone make a direct threat to Guam," he said. "My response was: 'Wow, they can find Guam on the map? Most Americans can't.'"
___
AP writers Anita Hofschneider, Oskar Garcia and Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report from Honolulu.
ARIES (March 21-April 19): ARIES (March 21-April 19): ?Art cannot be modern,? said Austrian painter Egon Schiele. ?Art is primordially eternal.? I love that idea. Not all of the artifacts called ?art? fit that scrupulous definition, of course. Katy Perry?s music and the film Wreck It Ralph may have some entertainment value, but they?re not primordially eternal. I bring this up, Aries, because I think you have entered a particularly wild and timeless phase of your own development. Whether or not you are literally an artist, you have a mandate to create your life story as a primordially eternal work of art.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20): ?All my best ideas come from having no answer,? said pioneer filmmaker John Cassavetes, ?from not knowing.? I hope that testimony cheers you up, Taurus. As hard as it may be for you to imagine, you are on the verge of a breakthrough. As you surf the chaotic flow and monitor the confusing hubbub, you are brewing the perfect conditions for an outburst of creativity. Rejoice in the blessing of not knowing!
GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Sant is a Hindi word that comes from a Sanskrit verb meaning ?to be good? and ?to be real.? Personally, I know a lot of people who are either real or good. But few are both. The good ones tend to be overly polite, and the real ones don?t put a high priority on being nice. So here?s your assignment, Gemini: to be good and real; to have compassionate intentions even as you conduct yourself with a high degree of authenticity; to bestow blessings everywhere you go while at the same time being honest and clear and deep. According to my reading of the astrological omens, you have the power to pull off this strenuous feat.
CANCER (June 21-July 22): Let?s take a look back at the first three months of 2013. How have you been doing? If I?m reading the astrological markers accurately, you have jettisoned a portion of the psychic gunk that had accumulated in you during the past six years. You have partially redeemed the shadowy side of your nature and you have to some degree ripened the most immature part. There?s also the matter of your heart. You have managed some healing of a wound that had festered there for a long time. So here?s my question for you: Is it possible for you to do more of this good work? The target date for completion is your birthday.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Naturalist Charles Darwin formulated the theory of evolution, which has been one of history?s most influential hypotheses. A crucial event in his early development as a scientist was a five-year boat trip he took around the world when he was in his twenties. The research he conducted along the way seeded many of his unique ideas. The writing he did established his reputation as a noteworthy author. And yet before his journey, his father tried to talk him out of embarking, calling it a ?wild scheme? and ?a useless undertaking.? Did your parents or other authorities ever have a similar response to one of your brilliant projects? If so, now would be a good time to heal the wound caused by their opposition.
LONDON (Reuters) - The Bank of England decided not to pump fresh money into its stagnant economy on Thursday, despite a new remit that gives it more leeway to disregard above-target inflation.
Further stimulus may still be on its way, however, after Chancellor George Osborne tweaked the central bank's mandate two weeks ago.
He gave the bank stronger backing to ignore the series of one-off factors that have kept inflation above target for most of the time since the financial crisis.
The remit also paves the way for a broader review of the Bank of England's monetary policy when Mark Carney, who currently heads Canada's central bank, succeeds Bank Governor Mervyn King in July.
But for now there is no majority on the nine-member Monetary Policy Committee to add to the 375 billion pounds of government bonds it bought between March 2009 and October 2012, in line with economists' expectations.
Interest rates remained at a record-low 0.5 percent.
The British central bank's decision contrasts with that of the Bank of Japan, which has been under more overt political pressure to stimulate its economy. It shocked markets earlier on Thursday when it pledged to double its government bond holdings within two years.
Although King and two other policymakers backed restarting the BoE's asset-buying quantitative easing programme in February and March, there has been no sign of a softening in the opposition of the other six members, who are more concerned about inflation and sterling weakness.
Sterling strengthened slightly against the dollar and June gilt futures fell to a session low after the bank's decision, as economists had seen a slim chance of action this month.
But economists think more stimulus is likely later in 2013, either when the central bank publishes a quarterly update to its economic forecasts next month or after the Carney's arrival.
"Although the MPC left policy on hold again today, we suspect that the decision was still a close one. And while the chances of more asset purchases in May have perhaps declined, we still think Mark Carney's arrival in July could jump-start the committee into action," said Samuel Tombs of Capital Economics.
Britain's economy has stagnated over the past two years as it struggles to move away from government spending and financial services and towards exports after the financial crisis.
After a 0.3 percent contraction in the last three months of 2012, it risks tipping into its third recession in less than five years - though a March services survey released on Thursday suggested it may eke out modest 0.1 percent economic growth.
The Bank will not publish details of the policy discussion at the two-day MPC meeting until April 17.
(Additional reporting by Olesya Dmitracova and William Schomberg; editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Study finds sexual health services for rural Latino men could be improvedPublic release date: 6-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marie Harvey marie.harvey@oregonstate.edu 541-737-3824 Oregon State University
A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted interviews with young Latino men from rural backgrounds and asked them questions related to sexual health and use of sexual health services. The results are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Men's Health.
Marie Harvey, the study's lead author, and associate dean of research in OSU's College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has studied women's reproductive health issues for more than 25 years. Recently, she has focused on the role of partners in sexual and reproductive health, or what she likes to call the "it takes two to tango" angle.
"We put women in the awkward position of trying to convince their partners to be active participants in pregnancy prevention and contraceptive planning," Harvey said. "Increasingly, I think it's crucial to talk to men and engage them on these issues."
Latinos in the United State experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These sexual health disparities have the potential to grow as Latinos continue to be the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
Harvey's research team interviewed 49 Latino men who have immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. The average age was 24. The majority of the men came from rural areas of Mexico. More than half had never seen a health care provider, and 88 percent had never seen a provider specifically for sexual and reproductive health services.
Harvey said this research is important because the men not only gave reasons why they did, or did not, utilize sexual health services, but they gave context linked to their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences. Almost half of the men reported they never discussed sexual and reproductive health topics with their parents. As one man explained, "Unfortunately, we come from a country that, I don't know, they never want to talk about that. They keep it quiet and one grows up ignorant about that subject."
"Almost every man we talked with stated they didn't have enough information or knowledge about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs," Harvey said. "But they very clearly stated that they wanted this information and would like to be better informed."
Many of the men suggested making informational pamphlets about sexual health services and clinics available in places they frequent, such as local laundromats or Latino grocery stores, as well as airing public service announcements on Latino radio or television stations. Men also emphasized the importance of providing information in Spanish.
In addition, terminology sometimes was confusing. In the United States, the term "family planning" is often used, but many of these single men said they had no need for such a service since they weren't planning to have a family right now.
"It's important to define terminology because we have cultural assumptions around 'family planning' that not everyone shares," Harvey said. "When we used terms like birth control, or HIV testing, it became much clearer."
Harvey said that "confianza," a Spanish word that means trust, confidence and respect, came up frequently as a need for all the men in the study.
"Privacy was very important to them, but it goes beyond that," she said. "This ability to trust their provider, and know that their information won't be shared and they would not be judged when they talk openly about their sexual behavior, all of this was crucial."
In addition, the men expressed a preference for male providers and a need for bilingual providers. Language can be a barrier. At many community clinics, the study participants said the providers did not speak Spanish and translators were sometimes offered.
"Having a third party in the room can be a barrier to trust and honesty," Harvey said. "In addition, the translators were often women, making it even more difficult to discuss sexual topics. And because these are smaller communities, the translators could even be someone they knew. "
Clinic-related factors also affected access to services. Men reported that having convenient clinic hours, reduced waiting time and living or working in close proximity to a clinic would make it easier to receive services.
Harvey said as the Latino population grows in places like Oregon, understanding factors that affect their use of the health care system will become even more critical. It is essential to begin overcoming these cultural and structural barriers, Harvey said. Communities need to come together to help prevent STIs and HIV, as well as have a better informed public.
###
OSU research assistants Meredith Branch and Deanne Hudson, and OSU alumnus Antonio Torres, assisted on this study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Population Affairs.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Study finds sexual health services for rural Latino men could be improvedPublic release date: 6-Mar-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Marie Harvey marie.harvey@oregonstate.edu 541-737-3824 Oregon State University
A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.
Researchers at Oregon State University conducted interviews with young Latino men from rural backgrounds and asked them questions related to sexual health and use of sexual health services. The results are published in the March issue of the American Journal of Men's Health.
Marie Harvey, the study's lead author, and associate dean of research in OSU's College of Public Health and Human Sciences, has studied women's reproductive health issues for more than 25 years. Recently, she has focused on the role of partners in sexual and reproductive health, or what she likes to call the "it takes two to tango" angle.
"We put women in the awkward position of trying to convince their partners to be active participants in pregnancy prevention and contraceptive planning," Harvey said. "Increasingly, I think it's crucial to talk to men and engage them on these issues."
Latinos in the United State experience disproportionately high rates of unintended pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS. These sexual health disparities have the potential to grow as Latinos continue to be the largest and fastest growing minority in the United States.
Harvey's research team interviewed 49 Latino men who have immigrated to the United States within the last 10 years. The average age was 24. The majority of the men came from rural areas of Mexico. More than half had never seen a health care provider, and 88 percent had never seen a provider specifically for sexual and reproductive health services.
Harvey said this research is important because the men not only gave reasons why they did, or did not, utilize sexual health services, but they gave context linked to their cultural background, beliefs, and experiences. Almost half of the men reported they never discussed sexual and reproductive health topics with their parents. As one man explained, "Unfortunately, we come from a country that, I don't know, they never want to talk about that. They keep it quiet and one grows up ignorant about that subject."
"Almost every man we talked with stated they didn't have enough information or knowledge about how to prevent unintended pregnancies and STIs," Harvey said. "But they very clearly stated that they wanted this information and would like to be better informed."
Many of the men suggested making informational pamphlets about sexual health services and clinics available in places they frequent, such as local laundromats or Latino grocery stores, as well as airing public service announcements on Latino radio or television stations. Men also emphasized the importance of providing information in Spanish.
In addition, terminology sometimes was confusing. In the United States, the term "family planning" is often used, but many of these single men said they had no need for such a service since they weren't planning to have a family right now.
"It's important to define terminology because we have cultural assumptions around 'family planning' that not everyone shares," Harvey said. "When we used terms like birth control, or HIV testing, it became much clearer."
Harvey said that "confianza," a Spanish word that means trust, confidence and respect, came up frequently as a need for all the men in the study.
"Privacy was very important to them, but it goes beyond that," she said. "This ability to trust their provider, and know that their information won't be shared and they would not be judged when they talk openly about their sexual behavior, all of this was crucial."
In addition, the men expressed a preference for male providers and a need for bilingual providers. Language can be a barrier. At many community clinics, the study participants said the providers did not speak Spanish and translators were sometimes offered.
"Having a third party in the room can be a barrier to trust and honesty," Harvey said. "In addition, the translators were often women, making it even more difficult to discuss sexual topics. And because these are smaller communities, the translators could even be someone they knew. "
Clinic-related factors also affected access to services. Men reported that having convenient clinic hours, reduced waiting time and living or working in close proximity to a clinic would make it easier to receive services.
Harvey said as the Latino population grows in places like Oregon, understanding factors that affect their use of the health care system will become even more critical. It is essential to begin overcoming these cultural and structural barriers, Harvey said. Communities need to come together to help prevent STIs and HIV, as well as have a better informed public.
###
OSU research assistants Meredith Branch and Deanne Hudson, and OSU alumnus Antonio Torres, assisted on this study, which was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Population Affairs.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
CARACAS (Reuters) - Shattered supporters of Hugo Chavez mourned his death in a flood of emotion that allies of the socialist leader hope will help ensure the survival of his self-styled revolution when voters elect a successor.
Ending one of Latin America's most remarkable populist rules, Chavez died on Tuesday at 58 after a two-year battle with cancer that was first detected in his pelvis.
Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets to honor the flamboyant and outspoken leader, whose body will be taken to a military academy on Wednesday to lie in state for three days.
State TV ran constant images of past speeches and appearances, under the banner "Chavez lives."
The future of Chavez's leftist policies, which won him the adoration of poor Venezuelans but infuriated opponents who denounced him as a dictator, now rests on the shoulders of Vice President Nicolas Maduro, the man he tapped to succeed him.
"In the immense pain of this historic tragedy that has affected our fatherland, we call on all the compatriots to be vigilant for peace, love, respect and tranquility," Maduro said. "We ask our people to channel this pain into peace."
Maduro, a 50-year-old former bus driver and union leader, will probably face opposition from Henrique Capriles, governor of Miranda state, in the next election in the OPEC nation with the world's largest oil reserves.
The stakes are huge for the region, given the Chavez government's crucial economic aid and cheap fuel supplies to allies across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Authorities said the vote would be called within 30 days, but it was not clear if that meant it would be held, or simply that the date would be announced.
One recent opinion poll gave Maduro a strong lead over Capriles, in part because he has received Chavez's blessing as his heir apparent, and he is likely to benefit from the surge of emotion following the president's death.
The tall, mustachioed Maduro has long been a close ally of Chavez. He immediately pledged to continue his legacy, and would be unlikely to make major policy changes soon.
Maduro will now focus on marshalling support from Chavez's diverse coalition, which includes leftist ideologues, business leaders, and radical armed groups called "colectivos."
Some have suggested he might try to ease tensions with Western investors and the U.S. government. Yet hours before Chavez's death, Maduro alleged that "imperialist" enemies had infected the president with cancer and expelled two U.S. diplomats accused of conspiring with domestic opponents.
"DON'T BE ANXIOUS"
A victory by Capriles, 40, a centrist politician who calls Brazil his model for Venezuela, would bring big changes and be welcomed by business groups, although he would probably move cautiously to lower the risk of political instability.
"This is not the time to stress what separates us," Capriles said in a condolence message, calling for unity and respect for the loss that many felt after Chavez's demise.
"There are thousands, maybe millions, of Venezuelans asking themselves what will happen, who even feel fear ... Don't be scared. Don't be anxious. Between us all, we're going to guarantee the peace this beloved country deserves."
Military commanders pledged loyalty to Maduro, who will be Venezuela's caretaker leader until the election. Defense Minister Diego Morales said a 21-gun salute would be fired at 8 a.m. (1230 GMT) on Wednesday to honor Chavez.
It was not immediately clear where Chavez would be buried. He had ordered a striking new mausoleum built in downtown Caracas for the remains of independence hero Simon Bolivar, his inspiration, and it is due to be finished soon.
Influential "Chavista" legislator Freddy Bernal said Chavez should be laid to rest there too: "For his political brilliance and commitment to the country, Commander Chavez has earned his place beside the Liberator Simon Bolivar in the Pantheon."
Much of Caracas was quiet overnight, with streets deserted, especially in wealthier districts. Many shops locked their doors in fear of looting as news of Chavez's death spread.
Hundreds of emotional "Chavista" loyalists gathered overnight outside the military hospital where he spent his last two weeks. A female TV reporter from neighboring Colombia was beaten up, and gunshots were fired in the air.
Although they had weeks to come to terms with Chavez's likely demise, many of his supporters were overcome with grief.
"He was our father," said Nancy Jotiya, 56, sobbing in the city's central Plaza Bolivar. "He taught us to defend ourselves. Chavismo is not over! We are the people. We will fight!"
There was sadness in other Latin American countries too, especially those run by leftist friends of Chavez.
Bolivian President Evo Morales flew in stony-faced on Wednesday to join the mourning. The presidents of Argentina and Uruguay also arrived before dawn, state media said.
"NO SURRENDER"
"No one should surrender; nobody should abandon the fight," said Diosdado Cabello, the head of the National Assembly.
"May the difficulties strengthen our souls, and may our commander show the way."
Messages of condolence flooded in from around the world - ranging from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Chavez's ally Iran.
U.S. President Barack Obama was less effusive about a man who put his country at loggerheads with Washington, saying his administration was interested in "developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government."
Chavez led Venezuela for 14 years and had easily won a new six-year term at an election in October, defeating Capriles.
His folksy charisma, anti-U.S. diatribes and oil-financed projects to improve life for residents of long-neglected slums created an unusually powerful bond with many poor Venezuelans.
That intense emotional connection underpinned his rule, but critics saw his autocratic style, gleeful nationalizations and often harsh treatment of rivals as hallmarks of a dictator whose misguided policies squandered a historic bonanza of oil revenues.
Venezuela has the largest crude reserves in the world, but the nationalizations and strict currency controls under Chavez frightened off investors. Even some of his followers complained that he focused too much on ideological issues at the expense of day-to-day problems such as power cuts, high inflation, food shortages and violent crime.
The country's widely traded bonds were expected to rise on Wednesday, driven higher by investors' hopes that his passing could usher in a more business-friendly administration.
The government declared seven days of mourning.
"The funeral of Chavez is going to rival Eva Peron's," said U.S.-based Venezuela expert Daniel Hellinger, recalling the beloved first lady of Argentina, who died at age 33 in 1952 at the height of her popularity.
Chavez's health weakened severely just after his re-election on October 7, possibly due to his decision to campaign for a third term instead of stepping aside to focus on his recovery.
(Editing by Kieran Murray, Kevin Liffey and Lisa Von Ahn)
Traumatic brain injuries sustained by more than 200,000 U.S. troops during combat explosions may be fueling the military?s suicide crisis, according to a letter co-signed by 53 congressional members who are seeking additional data to investigate the new theory.
In the letter, sent Tuesday to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, the lawmakers urged both agencies to provide Congress with a raft of figures, including the number of Iraq and Afghanistan service members and veterans who committed suicide or tried to end their lives after being brain injured by the detonation of an improvised explosive device ? ?the weapon of choice? in both wars.
?Evidence has suggested that blast injuries, including but not limited to those causing damage to vision or hearing, can have a severe psychological impact ... that can play a major contributing role in suicides,? read the bi-partisan letter.
Between November 2011 and October 2012, there were more than 15,000 IED attacks against U.S. service members in Afghanistan, and 58 percent of all coalition casualties during that span were caused by the hidden bombs, the letter states.
At least three veterans groups, including the Blinded Veterans Association, are backing the congressional push to ? as the letter to DOD and VA states ? ?get a better understanding of the connection between blast injuries and suicide.?
?I?ve talked to a lot of neurologists, military neurosurgeons and trauma surgeons who have all started to ponder if the IEDs that have caused the TBIs are the real cause of the suicides, versus the traditional approach that suicides are all caused by the psychological stresses of combat,? said Thomas Zampieri, head of government relations for the Blinded Veterans Association.
?Let?s collect more information and maybe the epidemiologists will find a way to unlock some of this mystery: Are military suicides actually more related to the brain injuries? I think there may be a big connection,? added Zampieri, who served as a Vietnam-era Army medic. ?As the numbers of TBIs go up, the numbers of suicides continue to go up.?
The portion of U.S. service members who sustained TBIs increased each year from 2001 to 2011 ? with a total of 266,180 brain injuries diagnosed in American troops between 2000 and 2012, according to the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center, part of the DOD.
Army soldiers account for the vast majority of diagnosed TBI cases, and those injuries range from ?mild? (a concussion) to ?severe.? Within the Army, the suicide rate among active-duty members has risen from 9 per 100,000 in 2001 to nearly 23 per 100,000 in 2011, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
During that same span, according to the DOD?s brain injury center, the number of annual TBI diagnoses among American troops has ballooned from 11,580 in 2001 to 32,609 in 2011 ? an increase of 182 percent.
?What is significant is that we are looking at a potential paradigm shift of significant proportion if the link between low-level TBI from IEDs emerges,? said retired Army Col. Bob Morris, founder of the Global Campaign against IEDs.
?The current automatic approach is to connect everything to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and look at it all as psychological when it may be a physiological,? Morris added.?
The lawmakers additionally asked the DOD and VA to supply "specific autopsy findings (of service members or veterans) potentially indicative of prior TBI." The members said they want to know whether such post-mortems found "chronic traumatic encephalopathy", which has been detected in the brains of a number of NFL players who recently committed suicide.?
Numerous Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have been diagnosed with both TBIs and PTSD, as well as with hearing loss ? the most common disability among the men and women who served in those wars.?
"There is no higher priority for VA than the mental health and well-being of our courageous men and women who have served the nation," said a?VA spokesman, responding to the congressional letter. "Under the leadership of Secretary Shinseki, VA has made significant progress in providing increased access to mental health care services and strengthening our suicide prevention efforts, but there is more work to do. VA is committed to providing all Veterans the care and benefits they have earned and deserve.?
A Pentagon spokeswoman said Hagel "responds?directly to correspondence received" and that it would?inappropriate for her comment on the letter.?
Rep. Dan Benishek, R-Mich., a surgeon who worked at a VA medical center for 20 years, led the effort to collect congressional signatures for the letter to Hagel and Shinseki.
?Far too many of our veterans and military personnel have taken their own life after bravely serving our nation. Frankly, it?s tragic and unacceptable,? Benishek said in a statement Tuesday. ?I am hopeful that by working together we can make sure our guys and gals in the military and the VA have the support they need to recover from the damaging psychological effects of war.?
"There is particular evidence linking suicide to those wounded by IEDs," added Rep. Richard?Hanna, R-N.Y. "It is my?hope that through additional research we will be able to identify and reverse this painful trend.?One suicide is too many and we should do all we can to address this as quickly as possible."
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Public release date: 6-Mar-2013
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