WGBH Radio; The Callie Crossley Show

I'm soo OConnell This is the Kelly Crossley Show. Today we're talking about our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans from unemployment to the unique burdens that these veterans face while members of the military make up only a tiny fraction of the population. The unemployment rate for veterans exceeds the national average. And the numbers will only go up as more veterans come home. The economy is in a slump and the skills that they mastered in the military don't exactly transfer to today's blue and white collar jobs. We'll look at what the latest initiatives coming from Washington and Beacon Hill are doing to help our veterans find work and transition back to the lives they left to go to war. From there we talk to the author and subject of fire he speaks a book about Afghanistan native who becomes a volunteer translator for the U.S. Marines. Up next our 21st century war. First the news. From NPR News in Washington I'm Lakshmi saying a former Rutgers

University student is being sentenced to 30 days in jail and probation for using a webcam to spy on his roommate's intimate encounter with another man. Tyler Clemente committed suicide in 2010 a few days after he'd found out with Darren Ravi had done. Today Judge Glenn Berman explained his decision. This individual was not convicted of a hate crime. He's convicted of a bias crime and there's a difference. I say that because I do not believe he hated Tyler Clemente. He had no reason to. But I do believe he acted. At a colossal insensitivity of the judges placing Ravi sentence on hold for 10 days as both sides appeal. President Obama says Afghanistan is on track to taking full responsibility for its own security next year the year before the last. NATO's combat troops are scheduled to leave. But he said there would continue to be a NATO's lead presence in

Afghanistan after 2014 as Afghans stand up they will not stand alone. Today we can agree on NATO's long term relationship with Afghanistan beyond 2014 including our support of Afghan security forces. President Obama speaking at the NATO's summit in Chicago there. Authorities are bracing for more demonstrations on this last day of the NATO's gathering where leaders have been discussing the war in Afghanistan and other security issues. Protesters advocating various causes though are threatening to rally. At various sites the donors behind nearly half of the money presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney raised last month will remain undisclosed until this summer. The joint fund raising committee Romney created was set up to file quarterly instead of monthly. NPR's s 5.8 reports the identities of Romney's biggest donors will not be revealed as promptly as those given to President Obama.

Governor Romney's campaign announced last week that it had raised 40 million dollars in April nearly as much as Mr. Obama's forty three point six million. The names of all Obama donors who gave more than $200 became public on the filing deadline Sunday including those who had given the maximum seventy five thousand eight hundred dollars to the various committees supporting the president's re-election. But of that 40 million in donations to Romney. The names behind just over half the money was disclosed Sunday. The rest including the writers of the largest checks will remain under wraps until July. And NPR News. U.S. stocks were graining gaining ground today. You're listening to NPR News. Good afternoon from the WGBH radio newsroom in Boston I'm Christina Quinn with some of the local stories we're following. Five activists in wheelchairs were blocking traffic in front of the Massachusetts State House to protest MBT service cuts and planned fare hikes for the five activists chained their wheelchairs together in the cross walk on Beacon Street by the main entrance to the statehouse and were demanding to

speak with Governor Deval Patrick. Police asked the protesters if they would agree to move to the sidewalk but they refused. Police then began to cut the chains. Traffic was backed up on Beacon and park streets. The MTA has approved increases in the cost for the ride. The service for disabled passengers in the metropolitan Boston area. The state's largest doctors organization is taking a stand against a proposed ballot question that would allow marijuana use for medical reasons. The Massachusetts Medical Society approved a resolution at its annual meeting over the weekend opposing legalization of medicinal marijuana without scientific studies proving it is safe and effective. Gasoline prices across the state are down for the fifth consecutive week. Southern New England reports the price of self-serve regular dropped six cents in the past week to an average of 365 per gallon. The price is 23 cents lower than at this time last year. The board of Rhode Island's economic development agency will meet to discuss the finances of former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's troubled video gaming company shilling last week brief the Economic Development Corp. board on 38 Studios finances and asked for help to stay afloat. The board didn't act on that request. 38

Studios moved to Rhode Island for Massachusetts in 2010 after the state offered a 75 million dollar loan guarantee that officials said would mean new jobs and tax revenue. Tonight is Game five of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the Celtics and the Sixers and the Red Sox are in Baltimore with Clay Buchholz on the mound tonight and Tom Hunter starting for the Orioles. Cloudy skies with some showers throughout the afternoon with temperatures hovering in the mid 60s tonight more showers with overnight lows in the upper 50s Tuesday Cloudy With A Chance of showers highs around 70. Right now it's 59 degrees in Boston. Support for NPR comes from Century Link linking Americans and Fortune 500 companies with broadband entertainment and voice technologies. Learn more at CenturyLink dot com. Good afternoon I'm Sue O'Connell in for Kelly Krause Lee this week ending combat operations in Afghanistan is the focus of the NATO's summit last week. The Massachusetts House of Representatives Representatives passed the Valor Act. It's legislation that will strengthen services for veterans active duty military

personnel and their families. Today we're looking at the unique challenges that are Iraq and Afghanistan veterans face as they transition into the lives that they left to go to war. I'm joined today by Paul Reich off a veteran of the Iraq war and the founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. And Coleman mne is also with us. He's the secretary of veterans services for Massachusetts. We welcome your phone calls 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0. If you are in Iraq or Afghanistan veteran a family member of someone who has recently returned or is in service at one of those wars we would love to hear from you. 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0 Paul right off and Secretary Coleman the thank you so much for joining us. Thank you. Thank you. Coleman Nia I want to start with you just to kind of shape the numbers for us here in the state of Massachusetts.

Where do we fall in the range of percentage of enlisted people returning in terms of in comparison to other states or other regions. It's actually a thank you for having me so it's actually a very good question. We look at a lot of data in terms of veterans population here in Massachusetts. There is approximately three hundred eighty five thousand veterans residing here in the Commonwealth. The vast majority of those veterans are Vietnam era veterans or above. The numbers of Iraq and Afghanistan vets tend to be a lot smaller just by virtue of the fact that we don't have compulsory service and we do and you know basically an over utilization of our guard reserve forces so to put it in comparison between one thousand forty one thousand nine hundred forty six about 900000 new veterans came back here to the Commonwealth's from World War 2 since 9/11 2001. We. Just might have about 37000 new veterans here in the Commonwealth over a span of 11 years.

Paul right off. I always find that veterans and mothers tend to fall into the same category in America where we do a lot of lip service. We talk a lot about how we care about mothers how we care about veterans but in the end when it comes down to legislation actual support there isn't very little available and you know as much as it's great to see yellow ribbons on cars and supporting veterans and our scout troops collecting granola bars to send overseas when veterans return it's a very different world isn't it. It really is and I think it's important to note that many of the veterans are mothers. About 15 percent of our troops coming home are female and tens of thousands of them are mothers but I think you're right in that we're 10 years into war now and there has been a lot of lip service. There have been a lot of yellow ribbons. But what we see is still a staggering rate of unemployment skyrocketing suicide huge mental health challenges and really across the nation the inability of our systems to respond. Whether it's been the

V.A. at the federal level or local nonprofits that are maxed out we're seeing a new surge we've talked in the last few years about the surge of troops into Iraq and Afghanistan. Well in the next few years we're going to see a surge of veterans coming home. About 2.4 million have served in Iraq and Afghanistan since 9/11. It is a small percentage less than one half of one percent so where the less than 1 percent if you think about the country but it is a huge need coming home. And we're really trying to play catch up here. You know in the state of Massachusetts the official numbers are 7 percent unemployment for Iraq and Afghanistan vets and I think that's probably on the conservative side we see about a 17 percent rate nationally for our members. And that's not just a social concern but I think it's a wasted opportunity these folks aren't just charity they're an investment and they will go on to be great leaders in business in our communities. We've got to step up and do more now. Why can't we get this right. I mean this is not this is not a new thing happening that the soldiers come home and regardless of their state whether they're

you know perfectly fine everything's great or. Or worse. America tends to have this challenge on what do we do with the returning veterans I mean my great my grandfather served in World War One and came home with mustard gas poisoning and the services that were available to him then seemed like there are less now available to veterans returning and in some ways I mean obviously the problems are different but in some ways exactly the same. They are I mean you had the Bonus March after World War One after World War Two I think it was really a model for an adequate response by the federal government you had massive housing in a robust G.I. Bill and really a connected country after Vietnam. We confuse the people with the policy. There were a lot of confusions around blaming the Warriors for the war and I think that got in the way of our ability to support our veterans now. I think Secretary and you touched on it were really a very small percentage of the overall population of World War 2. We made about 12 percent of the overall population now is less than one half. Most folks don't have a personal connection. They don't have someone at their dinner table or at their job or in their classroom who's actually served. So it kind of feels like the

wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are reality TV shows and somebody else's problem and somebody else's kids. And I think that's really gotten in the way of our ability to respond and the federal government has really been caught flat footed here it's great to see the president and first lady stepping up their efforts with Joining Forces but if you look at the V.A. for example there was a blockbuster report that came out just a few weeks ago that said that veterans are waiting on average a whopping 50 days for a mental health appointment. In places like Spokane Washington it was over 80 days. That's unacceptable and I think we've really seen our bureaucracy caught flat footed and in able to respond to not just mental health claims but traumatic brain injury post-traumatic stress disorder women's issues. It kind of runs the gamut and I think folks need to understand that this is not ok the situation is not under control and we've really got to mobilize quickly to catch up. Secretary Coleman obviously folks are returning from battle returning from war returning from service where we enter the workforce want to. Many left their jobs left their families. Many come back with great skills are or just

looking to reconnect and clearly is a very difficult economic environment for all of us but especially for returning soldiers. What tell me about this Valor Act and what it means here in the state of Massachusetts. Well thank you. So the Valor Act essentially was was driven actually by Senator Mike rush State Senator Mike rusher of him self as just returned last January from service overseas in Iraq after a year. And it looks at a lot of the different facets that Paul was talking about in terms of you know how do we maximize and and really you know utilize the talent coming back to us here from football with prior military service. It has provisions in it for transfer easily transferring military licenses over to civilian licenses commercial driver's licenses professional licenses of that nature. It looks at transition in military education credits into civilian education credits. It looks at protection of civil service jobs with veterans preference which which is very

important as well. There's a whole bunch of facets that have really drilled down on a lot of policy issues that we're hearing from veterans have ended up becoming obstacles or stumbling blocks and trying to get their services or are trying to get access to jobs or you know utilizing their military skills but. I think it's also important to recognize and Paul touched on a little bit about the service delivery system that we have here both in the Commonwealth and in the country. Massachusetts is a little unique in that we have a pretty extensive Veterans Service Network where the only state in the nation that has mandatory veterans service officer in every city or town. My department alone spend 70 million dollars a year and extra veterans benefits non reimbursable from the V.A. into people's pockets. Veterans and Gold Star families as well. So you know there's a lot of work being done individually the state level which is different than than what's been done nationally at the V.A. and I think as you move forward in veteran

services you'll see the V.A. realign a lot more on that on the ground expertise. You're listening to eighty nine point seven WGBH an online at WGBH dot org and we're talking about Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. I'm joined by Paul Reich often Coleman E.. Paul right off is a veteran of the Iraq war and founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Coleman the is the secretary of. That's when service is for Massachusetts. We invite you to join our conversation 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0. Paul talk a little bit about your experience how you came to join the military and your experience and what has led you to your activism since. Sure. Well I grew up here in New York and actually my first active duty assignment was being called to respond to Ground Zero after the attacks on 9/11. But I went to school in Massachusetts I went to College in Amherst and listed after I graduated in 1908 and

back then you know we didn't really know that Iraq or Afghanistan were going to be on the radar but the world changed dramatically after 9/11 and I spent about a year on the ground with the Army as a rifle platoon leader for the 3rd Infantry Division. So we were there during the first year of the war which was pretty interesting to say the least and when I came home what I saw is that the 38 guys under my command were really struggling to connect. They didn't have anywhere to go that could guide them through the process or even to find each other. The existing veteran service organizations weren't built for 27 year olds 20 year olds coming home after doing multiple tours. So we really started on the website. We had a website where veterans could connect and share resources and now that it's grown into a V.A. and we've got about 200000 members nationally and our programs help about 200000 folks go to school. We've helped hundreds get jobs and we provided mental health support to about 30000 so it comes from the spirit of what I had in the infantry which is adapt improvise and overcome. You know we can't just wait around for the federal government or someone else to help us out we want to help ourselves. And

I think that's that's the power and the ingenuity you see from this generation of veterans coming home they want an opportunity they want to continue to serve. And if folks are out there listening if you're in Iraq and Afghanistan better and you know go to our website or you can connect and I think it's especially important as we go into Memorial Day this weekend. It's a really striking illustration of how separate our military and civilian population is. Memorial Day is a time when most Americans go to the beach and we go to the cemetery. It's a really hard time for many veterans and we want them to know that there are other veterans out there will be organizing on the ground around the country and at the national ceremony in Arlington. And we encourage civilian supporters come on out and support us as well. We need everybody's help to continue to move this forward and to support our veterans. Secretary knew one of the challenges in this war are these wars is the impact on the families. You know many of the enlisted folk. Were not didn't enlist during war time and didn't expect to have multiple tours of duty and the impact that that has not only with them being

away which somehow the American psyche is able to deal with but upon their return I heard a news report a few days ago of a woman talking about how her normal is when her husband isn't there. You know when he's off serving and then he returns and you know everything is good except he's mucking up everything you know because they're just not used to having two parents or two decision makers in just the challenge of getting back into that that groove. What are some of the services in the state of Massachusetts that are available to families upon re-entry. You know it's a very good question actually and just just to give you off a lot on this we don't believe that that service members deploy we believe families deploy because we do know it's a sacrifice and it is a challenge to have someone overseas. One of the other. Drawbacks of people don't recognize all the time is in Massachusetts at least we don't have the large scale bases that they have in many other states. Many of our deployed members are out of the reserve and out of the guard. They're the only people in their neighborhood that have deployed

and so that can seem very isolating for a lot of those families as well. We do have a strong network of family support network military family support networks the National Guard here has a very strong robust military family readiness group. There's a number of non-profits that we work with military friends Easter Seals across the board that we use to connect and help people navigate a very complex system to get them those benefits whether they be you know everything from financial assistance to a little help with support for children. Up early education vouchers things that Major. So it's it's interesting in that you bring that up because what a lot of people don't always realize too is when people deploy they go on military pay. We've had a number of families who would be making a certain income level in their civilian job deploy on Title 10 status in the Guard and that pay drops significantly because now they're on a military pay scale. So

we're asking these people to go overseas for you know bras we're asking their families to take a financial hit at a time when when they probably need assistance even more so it's been a tremendous sacrifice on behalf of the last 10 years for those families and certainly we want to make sure that we're there to support them in any way we can. I'm Sue O'Connell in for Kelly Crossley and we're talking about Iraq. And if Afghanistan veterans in the challenges they're facing as they return home from war I'm joined by Coleman the secretary of veteran services for Massachusetts and Paul Ryecroft founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Please call us we'd love to hear your thoughts have you join the conversation 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0. The conversation continues on WGBH Boston Public Radio. The.

Funding for our programs comes from you and the Museum of Science now showing to the Arctic presented by Warner Brothers Pictures and IMAX a story of love family and survival in the harshest place on earth. Tickets and more info online at M.O.s dot org. And celebrity series of Boston in my primary concern is box office. Jack Wright director of marketing and communications when we make GBH a part of our overall marketing plan. It's the difference between a piece of advertising in print or 60 seconds somewhere versus an entity whose existence is backing you up. To learn more visit WGBH dot org slash sponsorship. Next time on the world an exam taken at age 11. The stakes were high. It was don't take you knew a lot of what was put on this to Britain once used a single test to decide which students would go on to elite schools. Looking

back now it was sent me the biggest single determinant of my future. Why some want to bring that test back next time on the world. Coming up at 3 o'clock here at eighty nine point seven WGBH. This summer we'll turn to public radio to keep up with the Summer Olympics the presidential election where our summer reading list of awesome Red Sox big summer movies with computer created aliens battles and creature help eighty nine point seven get to the stories you care about and give a little bit more in support of a lot more coverage. Go above and beyond with an additional gift just click the donate button at WGBH dot org. Morning essential. Help to get your brain go. You're listening to MORNING EDITION from NPR News on CNN MORNING EDITION. I hear on WGBH Boston Public Radio a good Wednesday here on to WGBH week. Welcome back to the Kelly Crossley Show. I'm Sue O'Connell sitting in for Kelly Crossley and we're

talking about the unique challenges that our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are facing as they transition into the lives that they left to go off to war. I'm joined by Paul Reich offen Coleman E.. Paul right off is a veteran of the Iraq war and founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Coleman the is the secretary of veteran services for Massachusetts. Please give us a call join the conversation 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0 if you are in Iraq or Afghanistan veteran What has it been like for you to re-enter civilian life. 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0. We have a call. Amy is calling us from Lakeville. Amy welcome to the callee cross we show what's on your mind. Hi I just wanted to say thank you for your program today I met the wife of a National Guard member and for a long time I you know it's very hard to connect with people and a lot of people just don't understand

what National Guard families are going through when they're soldiers deployed. What are some of the challenges that you in particular in your family are facing. Well my husband well right now he was deployed last year from September 2010 to that time in 2011. So when he first got home just getting into the routine. Like you had mentioned reintegration. There is another person there to make him make those decisions not just me anymore. And actually our daughter was born while he was in his home on mentor leave. But I had to leave a week after he was born so that was kind of a unique challenge. You know getting to know her and getting to to be a parent when he first got back out which he had never experienced. And how if you How did you reach out and how do you reach out to other families and other other peers.

Well the Family Readiness Group is a great program and we were part of that. And the online community military one source is the. Great Recession as well. Well Amy thanks for your call and thank you to your family for your service we appreciate it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Secretary Coleman the that that speaks to an issue of you brought up of not having a major base here in Massachusetts but also finding a way for families and service members to connect. Yeah it certainly does I mean it's a story we hear quite a bit. People feel isolated within these communities because they don't know anybody else is deployed other than you know other other families that are in the unit but again those can be spread out over some geographical distance. We do know though also that coming back and I'm assuming Amy's husband was if he was with the mast guard came back with 190 second those folks served a year in Afghanistan I mean and there they were back here. Short term transition in New Jersey and then and then you know when met them at Logan Airport and they were back in

their living rooms. That's a jarring transition for anyone we know in the past we've had you know people had the ability to decompress I mean my own father you know coming back from World War 2 was on a troop ship for three months or two months you know decompression before he ended up back here at home. The you know the fact that we have people and Paul may have been in this situation where you know you can be walking patrol in a combat zone and within a week and a half to two weeks later be standing in your living room. You know that's difficult and it's not always post-traumatic stress but we do know that a lot of a lot of folks have have some readjustment time and some readjustment issues that they had to work through and you want to make sure the support is there to help them and they should know people that are dealing with this that there is support both through my department and I V.A. and other organizations that can give you some advice and guidance on how to make that transition smoother. PAUL Right off we always seem to talk especially in the media of these these extremes you know like this post-traumatic stress issues when as secretary Neith points out

it would be jarring for anyone to go from one spot to another I mean some of us have a hard enough time coming back from vacation and going to work on Monday. You know I mean it's not right. It's not a stretch to think that that's a challenge. You write a great piece from last year at CNN.com the Iraq war is mine yours and ours. And you really try to tie together all of the issues to for Americans to understand that we we have ownership in the families and veterans coming home. Yeah I think that's right and you know Amy's story should should resonate with folks if you think about you know how much she and her family had to go through for that year and the secretary's right it can be very isolating I mean when we deploy as soldiers our families go along for the ride. And it's another example of how our entire national system really wasn't prepared when I was deployed to Baghdad my my girlfriend was in Brooklyn and she was the only one on our block there was nobody else that she could talk to about what was happening in Iraq or the stress of her job or just trying to deal with having a loved one deployed in a combat zone so

that can be incredibly isolating and I think what we try to encourage folks to think about is don't just wait for the president or the V.A. or their federal government to get involved this is going to have to happen at a community level. If you look across Boston you know there are there are so many nonprofits stepping up and across the state you've got community colleges the Red Sox raised about two million dollars this weekend for their home based program. And if there is kind of a silver lining I think it's how many folks are graduating across the state this weekend under the G.I. Bill. Over 500000 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have used this incredible benefit that we passed in 2008 it still got some bumps. But now you've got graduates coming out of school and they can pass that benefit on to family members on to spouses. And if you haven't thought about it if you're struggling to get employed look at the new G.I. bill as an option. Go to new G.I. bill done or gae V.A. set up a resource center website that can help you understand and navigate that benefit but across the state this weekend we've got a new generation of leaders that are graduating that served in combat and want to continue to serve throughout the commonwealth and throughout the country and we think that that's a very

exciting and historic point 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0 is the number for you to dial to join the conversation 8 7 7 3 0 1 8 9 7 0. Secretary need to talk a little bit about the ways that the most effective ways to connect with veterans coming back. You have a peer to peer program which really helps returning veterans to navigate the maze that is always the peer ocracy of what are our folks before us did that they thought was a good idea that may not work now so you do have a great program now to help folks. We do. Save program is state wide advocacy for veterans empowerment. Any hints on what Paul was just talking about which is essentially there's lots of nonprofits and local and federal government programs and they're spread out across a spectrum. You know the problem I found looking at this system wasn't so much a lack of resources as a misconnection or inability to access all

resources from one door. So you'd find a lot of places where you'd get a one benefit but it wouldn't necessarily connect you to everything else you're eligible for. What we've done is train Iraq and Afghanistan vets because we know from our the evidence are showing us at least here in Massachusetts that peer to peer navigation and peer to peer outreach from fellow Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to their counterparts to their rock compatriots here in the state really has a level of credibility and trust that either non-veterans or even veterans of other generations. Can have a hard time over a comment and then training those folks those peers and all of those resources and then how having them go out and help those veterans and help those families navigate the system and get hooked up and be able to work through the bureaucracy and when they come up with stumbling blocks be able to get to give them the assistance to be able to get through the red tape and get everything that they need and through the maximization of that and really utilizing that system more fully. We think we've been able to

really help a lot more veterans here on the common law than is taking place in other areas of the country. Well my dad was a World War Two veteran and spent a fair amount of time at our local VFW post the Veterans of Foreign War and the American Legion post. And I'm wondering is is there that sort of camaraderie organized in available to veterans returning today. It is but it's evolved I think back in that time period you had veterans halls that were really the linkage to the veterans community there were places where you guys could get together and tell war stories and drink beer and share resources. And that worked for that generation. The reality is that that's kind of like if you use the bookselling analogy that was borders and were Amazon. We've got to use Facebook we've got to use social communities we've got a very robust program called community of veterans that brings veterans together in the same way online and it also provides employment support G.I. Bill information in mental health support because the biggest issue they do deal with right now is isolation and an issue we

haven't touched on is the skyrocketing suicide rate. We're losing more soldiers to suicide than to combat for the last month we had 27 suicides in the active duty Army alone that's just army just active duty. It's been said that as many as 18 veterans kill themselves each day here at home. That's veterans of all generations and we know what they need is hope and they need connection they need to know they're not alone. And there are other veterans who can take them down the path to a successful life. So we want vets to know there is help out there you don't have to be alone you don't have to be isolated. And often it's online where that connection is going to come whether it's through our Facebook page or Twitter. We want vets to know there are other vets out there and we've got your back. GOLDMAN The suicide rate was actually thank you for bringing it up Paul was with some. And that I wanted to spend a good amount of time on especially with the as I said the sort of extreme ideas of how terrible it can be to return but also some of just the basic challenges of needing

some mental health care and I I dare say that this generation of warriors might be a bit more open than prior generations to recognizing that they might need help or at least seeking some assistance. And how is Massachusetts structured to both connect with veterans and their families who may need some mental health services and then deliver them. Well I think that safety and I just mentioned Actually that was funded by the Department of Public Health suicide prevention and funding. These folks are at their core a suicide prevention team. The approach we take to suicide prevention is rather than waiting for veterans to really bottom out and have to you know have that late night phone call where you're you're you're in a crisis mode trying to reach them as early as we can. And credential the services and credential some of the good you know resources that we have here for helping them to readjust and helping them to get better. This program was created with a lot of a lot of influence but none more so than the Lucy family

Kevin and Joyce Lucey of Belcher town Massachusetts. Their son Jeffrey was a Marine deployed to Africa deployed to Iraq came back here and unfortunately took his own life after not being able to access resources or services through the V.A. and all the other areas. We ended up spending about an hour to two hours talking to Kevin and Joyce about what would help their son but would have connected with them and their their basic message to us was look we tried to help him in any way we could but we didn't have an understanding of where he had been. We hadn't served in the military. We hadn't even served even people we knew had served in the military hadn't been in his specific shoes and somebody who had somebody who had been down that road and could talk to them and could relate to them in a way that that Jeffrey would feel comfortable trusting in knowing you know would have made a better difference and that's really you know our primary driver right now is in reaching these people through these peer delivery systems. We're going to go to the phones now and speak with Maureen who's calling us from Norton Maureen

welcome to the Kelly Crossley Show what's on your mind. Maureen waiting for her. Oh there you are Maureen. Try again. I'm calling for two reasons One I would like to commend Secretary me and all the veteran service agents across this state. My dad was a veteran service agent community so anyone who can build on all of his children a great respect for all the veterans in this country. Secondly my question. It leads to the nurse who is serving in Afghanistan and Iraq. They are not really clear on that yet they are the ones that are working to ensure that many of these brave young men make it home through the serious injury and the position that is somewhat unique in a combat occurring. But I'm wondering what it's like to live there that isn't what recognition is being given for the health care personnel who are working over there. Great question Maureen thank you.

You know I think first of all thank you for the compliment. The. Yeah it is. It is a challenge right now in terms of infantry personnel that we see coming back here who have been exposed to combat situations you know. You know this is not been a traditional conflict. These have been you know more insurgencies and in areas where you know many of our supporting units transportation units medical units administration units have have you know been exposed to you know combat situations mortar attacks explosions things that nature and we do need to support these people. We the you know 4th Medical Brigade. Medical Battalion Rather is here in the commonwealth there. We've connected with them on a number of areas where we're sort of learning how we can better integrate them into that service organization into service resources into the vast network of community and major teaching hospitals here that we have in the Commonwealth as was mentioned earlier. The home based program out of Mass General is

an outstanding example of how the private sector and public hospital sector are stepping up. And we also know that as Paul mentioned before earlier women veterans although unlike previous generations not all of our nurses are or medical support people are female I'M IN FACT that number is very mixed right now. But we do know that women veterans are the fastest growing segment of our veterans population. We we know when the Masters is released we have right now 28000 women veterans and that number is growing and we need to be able to integrate those women veterans into a health care delivery system into a veterans resource delivery system that was set up primarily for males and large numbers of males returning from World War Two and the challenge right now for those of us in veteran services and those of us advocates like Paul and I and other organizations is how do we look at our system and see is this the best system to deliver care and resources and benefits for those veterans coming back is a set up for them. Is that the

best way to set this up. And if not how come we're just going to just fire here so to speak and and set up a system that's going to make sense for them. What can the average person do. You know I was I was raised to always seek out folks that I see in uniform and thank them for their service and to give a hand whenever whenever necessary you know any time that there's a fundraiser or a granola bar raiser as we've become famous for I've done that but what can the average person do especially if they they don't see someone who is in service or or know of a family how can they support returning veterans. I think that is a great question and one easy way is to go to our website if you go to a dot org. We've got things you can do online and things you can do in your community that can get you involved in get your family involved we want to communicate to folks that you don't have to be a veteran to support the veterans movement Memorial Day is coming up in just a

few days and that's a really important time to connect with our community to show your gratitude and remember the folks we've lost we're going to have a go silent campaign where we ask folks around the country just to take a minute to reflect no matter where you are at 12:01 on Monday when the wreath is laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier You also need to donate help all these community groups that you're hearing about these nonprofits have really been hit hard in the economy but their program demand is going up so if you see a good nonprofit in your area please donate and encourage your friends to do the same because a lot of people think the Government's got this covered. And only about 55 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans even use the V.A. So that means they're hitting these community based nonprofits and those are the folks that really need help and also finally going into November I'd say vote on veterans issues. Ask your elected leaders and your candidates what are they doing to lower the V.A. backlog What are they doing to reduce veterans unemployment how are they dealing with those challenges facing returning National Guardsmen reservists put them on the spot. And if they say they support the troops ask them how that could be one of the most important things we do going into

a very contested election season where we hope veterans issues might be the one thing we can all agree on that should be the one issue we can all unite on and finally move this ball forward. Secretary knew one of the things that employers may think of when they think of hiring returning that is folks who are out in the field you know when they're holding a gun shooting and doing that but as one caller. Beautifully said there is a variety of duties and tasks that go into fighting a war in a variety of skills that come back so one of your challenge is to spread the word that there are very qualified highly educated folks coming back who are ready to get hired. Yeah I mean it's really been it's eye opening for a lot of the business groups that we speak to because I'll say picture in your mind a veteran in the first come to their mind as a Kevlar helmet and a rifle in a foxhole flak jacket and you know you spend a lot of time talking about the fact that that's a one segment of the population of the

military that there are a vast support networks for those infantry men who that involve cutting edge transportation the Air Force is heavy into Cyber Command and cyber security medical. Administration finance communications logistics. I spoke to the mass retailers association and asked them you know if you're looking at hiring veterans it's not only about just bringing someone down or served in the military. You should be working with us to try to identify military occupational specialties or radians within the military of folks who work in logistics worked in transportation worked in finance and administration because not only can we provide you with people that you want to hire because it feels good. We can pay provide you with people who you want to hire because it's going to be good for the bottom line. We've been talking about our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans I've been joined by Coleman he and Paul right off Paul right off is a veteran of the Iraq war and founder and executive director of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Coleman is the secretary of veterans services for Massachusetts. Thanks to both of you. Up next thank

you. We continue our conversation with the author and subject of the book Fahim speaks a warrior actor's odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and back. You're listening to WGBH Boston Public Radio. WGBH programs exist because of you. And Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates

offering complete health care for you and your family with 21 locations across Greater Boston Harvard Vanguard welcomes new patients and accepts most insurance Care Made Easy dot org an affiliate of Atrios health. And New England Subaru featuring the 2012 all wheel drive Subaru Outback recipient of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Award. Dealer listing at New England Subaru dot com. And the growing number of WGBH sustainers who manage their contributions to public radio with the help of monthly installments and automatic renewals learn more about the ease of sustaining membership at WGBH dot org. On the next FRESH AIR Sasha Baron Cohen talks about his new comedy The Dictator in which he plays the corrupt tyrannical ruler of a fictional oil rich nation in Northern Africa. I am full. Federal elections and equal rights for women Sasha Baron Cohen on the next FRESH AIR. This afternoon.

To hear an eighty nine point seven deputies believe. It's time to spring into action for the forty seventh annual WGBH spring auction bid on fine jewelry gives certificates exciting vacations weekend getaways and even a brand new Toyota Prius donated by your New England Toyota dealer. Every winning bid supports WGBH radio and television. So not only will you get a great deal you'll feel great while you're doing it. But act fast. The spring auction ends on May 30 first place your bids now at auction at WGBH dot org. Local issues mokel talk outside Plymouth officials and citizens are concerned that pilgrim is the same make and model as three reactors that experienced fires and explosion 9.7 WGBH Boston Public Radio. Welcome back to the Kelly Crossley Show I'm Sue O'Connell sitting in for Kelly. I'm joined

by Michael Moffatt and Fahim fuzzily. Michael Moffatt is a retired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and co-author of fight heem speaks a warrior actor's odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and back is the subject of the heme speaks. Welcome to both of you. Thank you so yes. How are you. Good. This is Mike I'm actually in South Dakota from New Hampshire to California for a book watching in you having us on your show my pleasure I'm glad you pulled over to take time with us and thanks both of you for your service especially in light of this upcoming Memorial Day. I got to tell you any time you can work the words warrior act you're an odyssey into a title you know you probably got a bestseller coming right. How did you two work. How did you two work together an meet and get to know each other to bring this forward. Well for me they're out in California. Yes I'm listening.

I let him start. I met him in Afghanistan and it seems set that up. Church thank you ma'am. To invite us for your show and I want to thank you from bottom of my heart. You're supporting our military. How we met was in Afghanistan in 2009 and 2010 and I think we were in meeting Afghanistan Helmand Province the most dangerous place in Afghanistan. And I saw the kind of Colonel Michael Moffat we're sitting across the table and he asked me what I do for a living and how an actor in Hollywood and he asked me what are you doing here. I want to hear come into Afghanistan of 30 years to pay my dues. What do you know I think that might do for Afghanistan to support the beautiful country give me a shelter often after death of you. Take all of us out of three million Afghan. Thanks to Ronald Reagan to give us the shelter for this

beautiful country. And that's how it started to be you want to write a book and I told them I'm recording everything I'm about to write a book and that was the right time right moment in the story and for Maureen. I say I ask I want to help me out. Our conversation starts now Michael I'm I'm certain you've heard a lot of interesting stories. What was it about the heme story that that made you motivated to tell it to a broader audience. Well you've already picked up on some of this. You know for him as somebody who is an Immigrant refugee from a terrible place when the Soviets took over Afghanistan in 1979 1980 and this is in the book but as I met him in Afghanistan. I was so struck by his wonderful positive energy. After all he's been through. He's very charismatic. Everybody seemed to be his brother everybody seemed to love him as I got to know him. I

loved as the other Marines did how he loved America. And that really struck a chord with me as I know it has with many other people that here is somebody who is an Immigrant refugee from an Islamic culture who's not afraid to stand up for America and go back into harm's way and he will become a Hollywood actor and have Screen Actors Guild card and spend a lot of shows in the game let's talk a little bit about that too I mean you you know left and came to America and had a good career going for yourself in Hollywood and decided to take a break from that to walk back into Afghanistan to put yourself in harm's way. Talk a little bit about what your life was like in Hollywood. All he would do was give me a lot of opportunity to be a cultural technical advisor up in a lot of movies a bad guy. I've been typecast as a terrorist which just doesn't bother me I want to prove it to them and show them the culture of the final language is. Then I wasn't cause Charlie was some war

Tom Hanks or to Robert Philip meant and Charlie Wilson himself it was a culture a visor we were in Morocco. If your data sets a great job wanted to go help the real American I mean you will then we're just fighting in Afghanistan. After President Obama took over 2009 their policy changed from Iraq to Afghanistan more focusing on Afghanistan then made a decision to want to go pay my dues for this beautiful country this beautiful country gave me a law that I think give me a lot of give me a citizenship. Safest from the common is and I want to go paid him he might do and I want to earn my American passport which if I become a citizen 20 years ago I look at my passport and I think what I've done for this country and I took a break and I want to join the Marines as a contractor but where there's a might do. Michael it's again you've seen a lot and the early

days of life in Afghanistan are are incredible and would be hard for most average Americans to really comprehend. Yes of course it's on the book which by the way has a blurb from Tom Hanks on the cover. Yeah it's an adventure story there's a dramatic escape from Afghanistan as a youngster and his family was split up and eventually reunited adventure story a love story. Talks about arranged marriages and finding true American love. It's a Hollywood story. Some interesting material on the people and personalities he worked with in Hollywood and then going back with the Marines. The last four chapters and this I think of course I think the some great stuff there with the wonderful work he did with the Marines the Taliban hated him put a price on his head because he was so effective as an interpreter bringing together Americans and Afghans. And for him you you left did you have a baby girl and her name is Sophie and I marry American woman which is thanks to her.

She helped me out a lot. Her name is Amy make Pico last name. She's the one pushing me to follow my dream. That was my dream to become an actor. My band she's the one who was pushing me to go to help help this country and she never stopped me and I dearly love her and I'm. The book is dedicated to my mother my mother just passed away four months ago and dedicated to all women all over the world as well. Now you had you had a nickname while you were in Afghanistan and the Tell Me of all these they called you Hollywood I mean really kept them since and they don't want to. Let's give my real name because that place we were there and the Province which is the place to untie it which is they came from the Pashtun tribe which is they all know as my great grandfather. That's why they give me a nickname because there was a price on my head. They want to kill me because I was an ear for the Marine and make sure that I was safe and kept them going and

wanted to give you a little nickname and probably even the Taliban called me Ali would shoot this Ollywood guy and we did that such a great job and I'm I'm so honored to call myself part of the Marine and the honor called myself an American American. America's the best country in the world. And I'm I'm very appreciate this country left this country to die for this country. When I went to Afghanistan. And I we almost got killed more than once but that's not happened. Michael what were some of the big cultural messages that for him taught you about the Afghanistan people. What were some you know I know in the book you touch a little bit about the importance of revenge within that or the significance of revenge within that country and issues in regard to how women are treated and what can be done to help women in Afghanistan where those two are the major ones or were there others.

Well I learnt from Phi Hames experiences there talking to him and other Marines. Yes he emphasized the need to understand past and Wiley which is the as you mention the code of revenge and and how we don't want to give people a reason to seek revenge. You also mention the dynamic of women. Ironically this book is dedicated to women and that really is the key culturally for Afghanistan to eventually get to a better place is to empower women. That's another big piece of it. And there's other things too like dealing with dogs interestingly you know a lot of dogs sometimes were shot because they were territorial and sometimes would attack. Need of forces moving into villages and for him emphasized the need to you know not shoot the dogs you know little things like that in teaching Marines language in appreciation of Islamic culture. It made a big difference plus he was funny in the people liked him and laughed and the Taliban hated somebody who made people laugh thinking what can you tell us about about Afghanistan about the culture of Afghanistan that that

you know is it is good news for us to know or something that's important for Americans to know especially as we work toward our separation from Afghanistan. Afghanistan is first of all my advice to American government. They should educate them parts were sold behind were sold behind take years years to get educated. Once we were educated then give up the Stop the crapshoot with the so many crapshoots going and we pay our tax money in this country and our money go with theirs. But you have to hand it to the wrong group or theirs and we need to focus on education force first and we shouldn't leave Afghanistan at all because Afghanistan is located between seven countries which is around it by all nuclear weapons. They have Afghanistan the more important place for America and I'm honored to call myself American and. We're just protect our country and this country as well and they should bring your education more because I

don't we don't have a water we don't have a well we don't know it so we don't have electricity which is the money go to the wrong. So Michael what's up for the book at the soon to be released how can folks get it. You have a website. Sure sure. I'm glad you asked so Susan for him speaks by the way for he misspelled. Yeah. Some folks are going to be it's a species for him speaks dot com is the website. I'm actually headed to California for later this month May 30th is the traditional memorial day it happens to be my birthday and it happens to be for his birthday so I may 30th you have your brother from another mother. Look I don't know. That's come out many times. Brother from an Afghan mother Amazon Barnes and Noble. I want to point out real quick. P.G. warrior Publishing Group Captain the elder and his wife Dr. Julian the publisher and editor of the

book and May 30th book launching in near San Clemente California my birthday his birthday wounded warriors is going to get a percentage of the sales from May and so that ties in very nicely. Great we will look for it. Thanks so much for joining with us. I've been speaking with Michael Moffatt. Thank you. Michael Moffatt is never tired Marine Corps lieutenant colonel and co-author of him speaks a warrior actor's odyssey from Afghanistan to Hollywood and back is the subject of speaks. He was a volunteer translator for the U.S. Marines in Afghanistan. To learn more about their book please visit our website WGBH dot org slash Kelly Crossley. I'm see we'll call I've been in for Kelly Crossley Kelly will be back tomorrow. She'll be talking local and national politics like Kelly Crossley Show is a production of WGBH Boston Public Radio.