Memories and stories are connected to our land as described by B.Toastie in the article, “How place names impact the way we see landscape.” I agree with B.Toastie that memories and stories are connected to our land because every place has a story to tell. These stories that take place have meanings and values. Each place has a name, could be a colonial name, or peoples name. With the lands with meanings we cherish and value them. Each story that represents a land is important. Each Pueblo has their own ways of beliefs and meanings for certain things. 

 In the story “And I went to school” by Joe Suina, there were many obstacles he faced throughout his childhood and how far he came along from. Mr.Suina loved participating in his culture and traditions. He loved spending time with his grandmother who he lived with growing up. She took care of him and would always tell him stories. Growing up Mr.Suina was a happy, kind, respectful, mannered kid. What changed the most about him growing up was going to a school away from home at the age of 6. He went to a school where they were taking away his background knowledge and from where he came from. It ruined who he was and changed him. He missed home but coming back, he started to see the changes in his community and the differences that were happening. 

 With what I have read that relates to my topic “ Fields of Combat: Understanding PTSD among veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan” by Erin P. Finley. Mr. Finley talks about the causes of PTSD and the struggles among current veterans/families. How the PTSD begins is the result of a variety of traumas that happen at war. With the different types of jobs and roles in the military, there’s different understandings of PTSD for men and women. Finley is a physician so she deals with the recognised classified combat stress casualties into such categories as “insanity”, “nostalgia” and what is called “soldier's heart” or  “irritable heart.” Civil War veterans appear to have struggled with many of the functional and behavioral problems we continue to see among PTSD diagnosed veterans today. Many of the veterans who may need the help are provided to go to a local VA hospital and physical health service to veterans of all ages. 

 In another story” Once a Warrior, always a Warrior” by Charles W Hodge, he is a veteran. In the story he talks about his experiences while serving in the military and describes PTSD, combat stress and mTBI. PTSD has become part of the vocabulary of modern warriors, but is sometimes misused as a catchball term for postwar behavior problems, such as getting into fights, driving under the influence of alcohol and failed relationships. With the PTSD, there’s combat stress reaction-acute stress reaction and operational stress reaction. With how he would describe PTSD, the increased attention on it in the military has had a positive effect on the way that society views mental illness. Increased awareness of the mental health impact of war have helped to bring about a shift in the way it’s viewed. The bad news about this is mental health problems, PTSD are beginning to be viewed like other physical health problems. Many warriors experience high level symptoms that they would rather get rid of, but learn to cope with them and continue to function relatively well in their work and or at home lives. With his experience being in the military it affected him by these kinds of traumatic events and also being away from his family members. “ There’s combat. Then, there’s the rest of your life… This is the guide to surviving the war back here. We all need it. A hell of a book.” 

         From the history of the first code talkers communication is through the language of the Dine. The United States entered World War 1 in 1917, 12,000 Native Americans volunteered for military service. In military operations, secure communications are as important as weapons and troops. To coordinate actions in combat, there must be constant communications between units. Military forces soon understood that the side could send faster, more secure messages held an enormous advantage, one that could make the difference between winning and losing a battle of war. The code talkers used word association to assign Navajo words to military  tactics and key phases. The first War, the Germans monitored Radio Communications of the Russian Forces, who at that time had few radio operations and limited encryption systems. The best known Native Americans code talking group of World War 1 is the Choctaw of Southeast Oklahoma who served in the 36th Infantry Division. The 36th contained nearly six hundred Native Americans speaking twenty six languages and dialects, only four or five of which ever been written. 

“ Knowing the Risk: PTSD and women in the military” by vanderwerff, many women who serve in the Navy experience combat and operational stress. If all begins being on active duty and being deployed such as being away from home. Seeing stuff they don’t see, they have a chance of getting PTSD which also increases the chances. One of the biggest issues females face is sexual assault and family separation. This can lead to being home sick, depressed and suicidal. In the units, if a female is being sexually assaulted by a member, isolation may ensure, further removing her from any unit-level support.  “ Each unique individual” is so important and it’s the reason we have to acknowledge everyone, and I’m talking about females who are dealing with their mental health. 

The outcome among U.S Marines in Combat support among women, I have learned women have a higher risk for mental health problems. The conduct of a retrospective matched a cohort study of women serving members who were injured during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many women struggle with PTSD, anxiety, separation, suicide and depression. Study shows that there will likely be a change in the epidemiology of women's health among service members and veterans as combat exposures and injury become more prevalent. So hopefully “there will be a change” especially to those who are in the military and new those that are enlisting. 

In the video about “Pete Hegseth asked about comments on women in the military,” he adds that women shouldn't serve in the military anymore. From what I have heard about him, he seems racist and profiles people since he works under Donald Trump. He got selected for Secretary of Defense. He has a disgusting background and allegations but yet his statements about women not meeting the criteria as men in the military. He claims a statement that women bring nothing to the table and he expects really high standards for women. He would only allow women in the military if their standards were the same as men. “ It hasn’t made us more effective, hasn’t made us more lethal, made fighting more complicated” - Pete Hegseth

I always wondered for myself what it would be like joining and serving in the military. How much growth and changes happen while being away from home and struggles facing the outside life.  I have family members who have been and joined branches. I always thought to myself about the main concerns veterans go through and problems they face when coming back home to their families. I have an uncle who’s been in the Marines. My uncle who served in the Marines served from 2004-2008. My grandparents would talk about how it was hard when he left home. He served in Iraq and got injured, receiving 2 purple hearts. So it always gets emotional when they mention it and I want to focus my topic on mental health in the military, how everything changes, struggles veterans go through.