Showing posts with label Camp Foster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camp Foster. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Black Hawk "Hard Landing" on USNS Red Cloud in Japan

U.S. Military Helicopter Crashes Off Japan's Okinawa; 7 Injured
NBC News
by ARATA YAMAMOTO and CASSANDRA VINOGRAD
AUG 12 2015, 5:47 AM ET

TOKYO — A U.S. military helicopter crash landed off the Japanese island of Okinawa on Wednesday, leaving seven people injured.

The UH-60 Black Hawk performed a "hard-deck landing" on the USNS Red Cloud, the U.S. Pacific Command said. Aerial footage broadcast by NHK showed the chopper with part of its tail broken off.

Of the 17 people on board, seven were injured and transported to a U.S. naval hospital on Okinawa, according to the U.S. Pacific Command. It previously said six people were injured but then revised the figure.
read more here

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Marine's conviction for attempted suicide overturned!

Marine’s Attempted Suicide Conviction Overturned
Apr 30, 2013
Stars and Stripes
by Travis J. Tritten

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa – The U.S. military’s highest appeals court on Monday rejected the conviction of an Okinawa Marine for attempting suicide, but the decision may fall short of setting a precedent for all such prosecutions.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces ruled that Pvt. Lazzaric Caldwell was improperly charged and convicted of disrupting order and discrediting the Marine Corps after he slashed his wrists in his Camp Schwab barracks in 2010. Caldwell, who had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder unrelated to combat, was confined to the brig for six months and received a bad-conduct discharge.

The Marine’s prosecution raised concerns at a time when the military is emerging from over a decade of wars and struggling with high rates of PTSD and suicide in the ranks. However, Caldwell defense attorney Lt. Mike Hanzel said the appeals court decision was specific to the case and does not prevent prosecution of other suicides by the military.
The court also found no justification for charges that Caldwell’s suicide brought discredit to the service by making it appear the unit’s leaders had failed to keep the Marines in check.
read more here

Marine's attempted suicide prompted punishment instead of help

Marine Major says criminalizing attempted suicides "helps retain discipline"

Marine Maj. David Roberts, representing the government, countered that the statute is clearly written and that it helps retain discipline within the ranks.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Behavior training ordered for servicemembers on Okinawa

Behavior training ordered for servicemembers on Okinawa
Mandate comes after string of off-base incidents
By David Allen, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, March 25, 2010
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A recent rash of off-base incidents involving servicemembers on Okinawa has prompted commanders to call for mandatory behavioral training.

Marine Lt. Gen. Terry G. Robling, the senior commander on Okinawa, has ordered all servicemembers and civilian employees to take part in unit training “to review what is expected of them (in order) to ensure good order and discipline,” according to a news release issued Tuesday afternoon.

On Okinawa, even minor incidents involving U.S. troops are used as ammunition for opponents of the U.S. bases on the island. The latest incidents come at a time when the prefectural government and anti-base factions are stepping up their campaign to scrap a plan to build a new Marine air facility on Okinawa.

Robling met with senior commanders from all services Saturday to discuss measures “to reduce incidents and accidents to the greatest extent possible,” according to the release.
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=68864

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

FOCUS goes to Camp Foster Okinawa

Military FOCUSes on family emotional aid
By Natasha Lee, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Friday, September 5, 2008



CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — A new support program is helping Marine and Navy families deal with the emotional effects of long-term deployments and the strains of war.

FOCUS, or Families OverComing Under Stress, provides coping and problem-solving skills to help servicemembers and their families during and after deployments.

For military families, confronting and expressing emotion can be difficult, said Lisa LaPorte, a FOCUS trainer.

Children can feel uncomfortable sharing feelings of sadness or anger out of fear they may upset or offend a parent, she said, and servicemembers may be apprehensive about seeking help because they don’t want to be seen as weak in a system that promotes strength and force.

"Everybody’s protecting each other," LaPorte said. "You don’t want to say anything because you might make Mom cry or you have a teen who is against the war but has a parent who is a servicemember and has been deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan."

LaPorte said FOCUS teaches effective communications.

"We give everyone a voice to express themselves and to be able to hear everyone’s opinions," she said.

During a series of sessions, families receive "resiliency training," in which they identify challenges and develop ways to address them.

Participation in the program is voluntary and confidential, LaPorte said.

Unlike therapy or counseling that provide ongoing treatment, FOCUS aims to equip families with resources to handle stresses before they become overwhelming.

"It’s prevention. We want to reach families before they need counseling and advocacy, or mental health [services]," said Fallon Sims, resiliency training coordinator.

Families will typically meet with a FOCUS team for eight sessions, which include separate meetings for children and parents, Sims said. Sessions can be expanded if needed.
go here for more
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57192

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Cpl. Christian S. Cotner non-combat death under investigation

Nonhostile death of Okinawa-based Marine in Iraq being investigated
Corporal with III MEF died in Anbar province By David Allen, Stars and StripesPacific edition, Thursday, June 5, 2008
CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — An investigation was continuing Tuesday into the death of an Okinawa-based Marine in Iraq on Friday.
Cpl. Christian S. Cotner, 20, assigned to Marine Wing Support Squadron 172, Marine Wing Support Group 17, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, III Marine Expeditionary Force, was killed in what Department of Defense officials are calling a "nonhostile incident" in the Anbar province of Iraq, where his unit is deployed.
No details regarding the incident have been released.
His death pushed the number of Americans killed in Iraq in May to 19, the lowest number since 20 troops died in February 2004, according to an Associated Press tally based on military reports.
Cotner, a field radio operator, entered the Marine Corps on Aug. 7, 2006, according to a Marine Corps news release from Okinawa. He arrived on Okinawa April 12, 2007, and was promoted to the rank of corporal on April 1.
His personal awards and decorations included the National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Medal, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon and Meritorious Mast.
go here for more
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=55309