Veterans and Hearing Loss

updated 1:20 p.m. MT, Fri., March. 7, 2008

SAN DIEGO - Large numbers of soldiers and Marines caught in roadside bombings and firefights in Iraq and Afghanistan are coming home with permanent hearing loss and ringing in their ears, prompting the military to redouble its efforts to protect the troops from noise.

Hearing damage is the No. 1 disability in the war on terror, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and some experts say the true toll could take decades to become clear. Nearly 70,000 of the more than 1.3 million troops who have served in the two war zones are collecting disability for tinnitus, a potentially debilitating ringing in the ears, and more than 58,000 are on disability for hearing loss, the VA said.

"The numbers are staggering," said Theresa Schulz, a former audiologist with the Air Force, past president of the National Hearing Conservation Association and author of a 2004 report titled "Troops Return With Alarming Rates of Hearing Loss."

One major explanation given is the insurgency's use of a fearsome weapon the Pentagon did not fully anticipate: powerful roadside bombs. Their blasts cause violent changes in air pressure that can rupture the eardrum and break bones inside the ear.

Also, much of the fighting consists of ambushes, bombings and firefights, which come suddenly and unexpectedly, giving soldiers no time to use their military-issued hearing protection.

"They can't say, `Wait a minute, let me put my earplugs in,'" said Dr. Michael E. Hoffer, a Navy captain and one of the country's leading inner-ear specialists. "They are in the fight of their lives."

In addition, some servicemen on patrol refuse to wear earplugs for fear of dulling their senses and missing sounds that can make the difference between life and death, Hoffer and others said. Others were not given earplugs or did not take them along when they were sent into the war zone. And some Marines weren't told how to use their specialized earplugs and inserted them incorrectly.

Hearing damage has been a battlefield risk ever since the introduction of explosives and artillery, and the U.S. military recognized it in Iraq and Afghanistan and issued earplugs early on. But the sheer number of injuries and their nature — particularly the high incidence of tinnitus — came as a surprise to military medical specialists and outside experts.

The military has responded over the past three years with better and easier-to-use earplugs, greater efforts to educate troops about protecting their hearing, and more testing in the war zone to detect ear injuries.

The results aren't in yet on the new measures, but Army officials believe they will significantly slow the rate of new cases of hearing damage, said Col. Kathy Gates, the Army surgeon general's audiology adviser.

Considerable damage has already been done.

For former Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly, 27, of Austin, Texas, the noise of war is still with him more than four years after the simultaneous explosion of three roadside bombs near Baghdad.

"It's funny, you know. When it happened, I didn't feel my leg gone. What I remember was my ears ringing," said Kelly, whose leg was blown off below the knee in 2003. Today, his leg has been replaced with a prosthetic, but his ears are still ringing.

"It is constantly there," he said. "It constantly reminds me of getting hit. I don't want to sit here and think about getting blown up all the time. But that's what it does."

Sixty percent of U.S. personnel exposed to blasts suffer from permanent hearing loss, and 49 percent also suffer from tinnitus, according to military audiology reports. The hearing damage ranges from mild, such as an inability to hear whispers or low pitches, to severe, including total deafness or a constant loud ringing that destroys the ability to concentrate. There is no known cure for tinnitus or hearing loss.

The number of servicemen and servicewomen on disability because of hearing damage is expected to grow 18 percent a year, with payments totaling $1.1 billion annually by 2011, according to an analysis of VA data by the American Tinnitus Association. Anyone with at least a 10 percent loss in hearing qualifies for disability.

From World War II and well through Vietnam, hearing damage has been a leading disability.

Despite everything that has been learned over the years, U.S. troops are suffering hearing damage at about the same rate as World War II vets, according to VA figures. But World War II and Iraq cannot easily be compared. World War II was a different kind of war, waged to a far greater extent by way of vast artillery barrages, bombing raids and epic tank battles.

Given today's fearsome weaponry, even the best hearing protection is only partly effective — and only if it's properly used.

Some Marines were issued a $7.40 pair of double-sided earplugs, with one side designed to protect from weapons fire and explosions, the other from aircraft and tank noise. But the Marines were not given instructions in how to use the earplugs, and some cut them in half, while others used the wrong sides, making the devices virtually useless, Hoffer said. Today, instructions are handed out with the earplugs.

In any case, hearing protection has its limits. While damage can occur at 80 to 85 decibels — the noise level of a moving tank — the best protection cuts that by only 20 to 25 decibels. That is not enough to protect the ears against an explosion or a firefight, which can range upwards of 183 decibels, said Dr. Ben Balough, a Navy captain and chairman of otolaryngology at the Balboa Navy Medical Center in San Diego.

The Navy and Marines have begun buying and distributing state-of-the-art earplugs, known as QuietPro, that contain digital processors that block out damaging sound waves from gunshots and explosions and still allow users to hear everyday noises. They cost about $600 a pair.

The Army also has equipped every soldier being sent to Iraq and Afghanistan with newly developed one-sided earplugs that cost about $8.50, and it has begun testing QuietPro with some troops.

In addition, the Navy is working with San Diego-based American BioHealth Group to develop a "hearing pill" that could protect troops' ears. An early study in 2003 on 566 recruits showed a 25 to 27 percent reduction in permanent hearing loss. But further testing is planned.

And for the first time in American warfare, for the past three years, hearing specialists or hearing-trained medics have been put on the front lines instead of just at field hospitals, Hoffer said.

Marines and soldiers are getting hearing tests before going on patrol and when they return to base if they were exposed to bombs or gunfire.

"You have guys that don't want to admit they have a problem," Hoffer said. "But if they can't hear what they need to on patrol, they could jeopardize their lives, their buddies' lives and, ultimately, their mission.

Legislature approves Veterans Nursing Home

Legislature approves veterans nursing home
February 29th, 2008 @ 11:20am
KSL.com

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- The Legislature has approved nearly $20 million for a new veterans nursing home in Ogden.

The Senate gave its final approval to the funding Friday. Nobody voted against the measure.

More than 100 veterans were on hand to watch the vote.

Utah only has one veterans' nursing home, and it is in Salt Lake City. The new veterans home is expected to ease crowding at that home and allow people to get treatment closer to their families.

Gov. Jon Huntsman is expected to approve the funding.

Utah Army Reservists Receive High Honors

Army Reservists receive high honors
February 24th, 2008 @ 10:01pm
(KSL News)

We hear of suicide bombers, al Qaida, and insurgents in Iraq, but oftentimes we don't get a chance to hear first-hand what U.S. military men and women endure during their tours in Iraq. Today we got that chance.

With little fanfare, no parade, no pomp and circumstance, six men from an Ogden, Utah-based Army Reserve Unit today got the welcome home they deserved, with bronze stars and purple hearts. It was a recognition of extraordinary effort under unusual circumstances.

The members of C Company, as they were known, cleared explosives in one of the most dangerous parts of Iraq, the Al Anbar province. Six of its soldiers were killed. The company was attacked more than 50 times. Through it all, these men and women stuck together.

Sergeant Jordan Taylor, of the 744th Modular Augmentation Company, said, "In my mind, we're just lowly soldiers just doing our job." And in doing just his job, Sergeant Taylor was awarded three purple hearts.

Sergeant First Class Cory Chartier got the Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. On the outside of his uniform are the medals. But inside is the trauma of one year of war. "My left side is numb most of the time. I have a few issues with sleeping," he said.

Chartier's wife, Carie, says seeing her husband receive the ninth highest military honor, the Bronze Star, just reinforced what she already knew. "That's the kind of man he is. He just gives everything he can to his job and the soldiers. He makes sure they're taken care of," she said.

Those we spoke to echoed those words: military is family, and you take care of your family

Liberty Tax Helps Disabled Veterans

Liberty Tax helps Disabled Veterans

From VA Watchdog.org

Liberty Tax Service Files Free Returns For Taxpayers Who Don't Meet Regular Filing RequirementS

If you are eligible for a payment, all you have to do is file a 2007 tax return. Liberty Tax Service is offering to prepare tax returns at no charge for select taxpayers who have no tax liability. Low income workers, or those who receive Social Security benefits or veterans' disability compensation, pension or survivors benefits received from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007 will be eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return) if they had at least $3,000 of qualifying income.

Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain Railroad Retirement benefits, certain veterans' benefits, and earned income, such as income from wages, salaries, tips and self-employment. While these people might not normally be required to file a tax return because they do not meet the filing requirement, they must file a 2007 return in order to receive a rebate."Liberty Tax Service wants to help people who do not normally have to file a return get the rebate they are entitled to receive. Many people who receive Social Security and veterans benefits are likely to overlook this opportunity to get the stimulus payment. Last year, over 30 million taxpayers missed the telephone excise tax credit that was due to them. We don't want that to occur with the tax stimulus package," states John Hewitt, CEO of Liberty Tax Service. "Liberty is known for our commitment to give back to the communities that support our company. This is just another way we can help out."Liberty Tax Service will be mounting a public awareness campaign to ensure that everyone entitled to a stimulus payment is alerted.

Anyone who has questions can e-mail taxrebates@libertytax.com for more information. Representatives from Liberty Tax Service are available to comment on this program as well.
About Liberty Tax ServiceLiberty Tax Service is the fastest growing retail tax preparation company in the industry's history. Founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, a pioneer in the tax industry, Liberty Tax Service ( www.libertytax.com ) has prepared over 5,000,000 individual income tax returns and currently operates over 2,700 offices throughout the United States and Canada.Liberty Tax Service provides computerized income tax preparation, electronic filing, and refund loans. With an emphasis on customer service including audit assistance, a money back guarantee and free tax return checking, Liberty Tax Service is well known for its strong commitment to its client base.With 39 years of tax industry experience, Hewitt stands as the most experienced CEO in the tax preparation business, having also founded Jackson Hewitt Tax Service

(NYSE: JTX).
------------------------- posted by Larry ScottFounder and EditorVA Watchdog dot Org

Senate says Discriminating against Veterans should be Illegal

Senate says discriminating against veterans should be illegal

February 20th, 2008 @ 11:03am
KSL.com

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) -- Employers would no longer be allowed to discriminate against military veterans under a bill the Senate has approved.

Veterans would be added to a list of protected groups in the state's nondiscrimination act under Senate Bill 166.

Discrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin and religion is already illegal.

The bill is sponsored by Sen. Scott McCoy, a Democrat from Salt Lake City.

It passed in the Senate 27-0 and will now be heard in the House.

National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week

It's National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week

February 11th, 2008 @ 4:06pm


(KSL News) The public will have a chance to honor hospitalized veterans this week.

Salt Lake's VA Medical Center is inviting people to visit the hospital this week to pay tribute its patients who have given so much to protect the country.

"The National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans gives everyone a chance to let those who have given the nation so much know that they are not forgotten," said VA Medical Center Director James R. Floyd. "We want people of all ages to bring Valentine's Day cheer to our patients."

Today, Utah Rep. Jim Matheson paid a visit. He said, "I'll tell you what I think. It's important for all of us to remember our veterans, what they did for us before and kind of what they're dealing with now. Some of these folks still are dealing with medical problems from their service, and I don't think we can ever thank them enough."

Hospital officials encourage anyone to visit this week. Anyone interested can contact the medical center's voluntary service office at (801) 584-1241, extension 1.

Man to spend night homeless after charity theft

Man to spend night homeless after charity theft

AP from MSNBC.com
updated 9:31 a.m. MT, Fri., Jan. 25, 2008
PAINESVILLE, Ohio - A judge on Thursday ordered a Salvation Army worker who stole a holiday kettle containing about $250 to spend the night homeless.

Nathen Smith, 28, was to spend the night anywhere but a house, said Municipal Judge Michael Cicconetti. Smith was fitted with a GPS device to track his moves.

"My initial reaction was, 'Wow.' But I don't think the sentence is too harsh," said Smith, who expected to spend Thursday night in a homeless shelter. "I can see the judge's point because what I did, I shouldn't have done. Now I've got to pay the consequences."

The Salvation Army uses kettle donations to help pay for food, clothing and shelter for the homeless.

Smith, who also received a three-day jail sentence, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of theft.

Smith worked as a bell ringer for the Salvation Army outside a Kmart store in nearby Eastlake on Dec. 17. Police arrested him at his mother's house after a co-worker reported that one of eight kettles was missing.

Smith was scheduled to return to court Friday to determine how much community service he must do to avoid paying a fine and costs for the tracking system.

Painesville is about 30 miles northeast of Cleveland.