Military Officer - October 2008 - (Page 16) yourviews pact on the community at large and it must be addressed as such, particularly in rural areas. Our various state and national organizations are trying their best to adjust to the mounting number of those seeking PTSD assistance, but they cannot replace the willingness of local communities to provide direct face-to-face support groups for returnees and families. If our returnees cannot fully move back to their past lives, jobs, and aspirations, their individual and collective loss will also be ours in terms of lost opportunities for the labor market and our educational and health care systems. Second, medical providers and counselors, regardless of special professional experience, must understand and fully appreciate the language and the diverse culture of the military. With some 25 million veterans now in the U.S. and more being added daily, this multicultural awareness must be recognized and planned for by our national counseling organizations certifying and our state agencies licensing counselors across the country. In both cases, our returnees (and our veterans of all past conflicts) deserve to be seen by those willing to work with them and those who truly attempt to understand their needs and the difficulties they face adjusting to life back home. —Lt. Col. S. Kubiszewski, USA-Ret. via e-mail Correction: In “Sounding Taps,” page 78 of the August 2008 issue, Col. William F. Moses Jr., USAF-Ret., and Col. Jimmie V. Spezia, USAF-Ret., incorrectly were listed as deceased members. We are pleased to note the colonels still live, though we deeply regret the error. For submission information, see page 18. 16 MILITARY OFFICER OCTOBER 2008 http://www.afvw.com
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