News 3
Mark Christian Rock, 42, of Las Vegas killed himself with a gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said today.
read more here
Police investigating death in VA Medical Center parking lot
Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nevada. Show all posts
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Man committed suicide at VA hospital in Las Vegas
Coroner identifies man who killed himself at VA hospital
News 3
LAS VEGAS (KSNV MyNews3.com) -- The Clark County coroner's office has identified the man who killed himself in the Veterans Administration hospital parking lot Thursday in North Las Vegas.
Mark Christian Rock, 42, of Las Vegas killed himself with a gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said today.
read more here
Police investigating death in VA Medical Center parking lot
News 3
Mark Christian Rock, 42, of Las Vegas killed himself with a gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said today.
read more here
Police investigating death in VA Medical Center parking lot
Friday, March 21, 2014
Concerned Veterans for America call for VA Reform
Advocates call for Veterans Affairs reform
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
By KEITH ROGERS
March 20, 2014
With their sights set on reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, leaders of a nonprofit veterans advocacy group came to Las Vegas on Thursday night to launch the first of more than a dozen policy forums for their state chapters.
The intent is to heighten awareness about issues such as the slow processing of disability compensation claims.
“The problem is not only the backlog but the long waits, the coverups and the preventable deaths. And nobody is being fired for this, nobody’s actions are being held accountable and fired on the spot,” said Pete Hegseth, CEO for Concerned Veterans for America, which with the organization’s Nevada chapter held the forum, billed as Preserving Promises to Nevada’s Veterans.
Hegseth, an Army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was joined onstage by the national group’s veterans affairs adviser Darin Selnick in addressing a crowd of 200 at the South Point.
Hegseth noted that there are “good employees in the VA, mountains of good employees, but they are stifled by bureaucracy.”
That is why he said Concerned Veterans for America is working with House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., to promote legislation called the VA Management Accountability Act.
“We’re going to call on the VA to report more and disclose more,” Hegseth said. “The problem is no accountability, no transparency and no flexibility. That’s what needs to change.”
Selnick said based on his experience, when VA managers have been reprimanded for actions related to poor job performance the reprimands are only temporary.
“They fire people, then go ahead and rehire them,” Selnick said.
Selnick is a retired Air Force officer who worked as a special assistant to the secretary of veterans affairs from 2001 to 2009. He joined the group’s organizing committee because there are “a lot of good employees” who try hard to accommodate veterans. But, he said, their efforts are often compromised by a lack of accountability among VA managers and career employees.
read more here
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
By KEITH ROGERS
March 20, 2014
With their sights set on reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs, leaders of a nonprofit veterans advocacy group came to Las Vegas on Thursday night to launch the first of more than a dozen policy forums for their state chapters.
The intent is to heighten awareness about issues such as the slow processing of disability compensation claims.
“The problem is not only the backlog but the long waits, the coverups and the preventable deaths. And nobody is being fired for this, nobody’s actions are being held accountable and fired on the spot,” said Pete Hegseth, CEO for Concerned Veterans for America, which with the organization’s Nevada chapter held the forum, billed as Preserving Promises to Nevada’s Veterans.
Hegseth, an Army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, was joined onstage by the national group’s veterans affairs adviser Darin Selnick in addressing a crowd of 200 at the South Point.
Hegseth noted that there are “good employees in the VA, mountains of good employees, but they are stifled by bureaucracy.”
That is why he said Concerned Veterans for America is working with House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., to promote legislation called the VA Management Accountability Act.
“We’re going to call on the VA to report more and disclose more,” Hegseth said. “The problem is no accountability, no transparency and no flexibility. That’s what needs to change.”
Selnick said based on his experience, when VA managers have been reprimanded for actions related to poor job performance the reprimands are only temporary.
“They fire people, then go ahead and rehire them,” Selnick said.
Selnick is a retired Air Force officer who worked as a special assistant to the secretary of veterans affairs from 2001 to 2009. He joined the group’s organizing committee because there are “a lot of good employees” who try hard to accommodate veterans. But, he said, their efforts are often compromised by a lack of accountability among VA managers and career employees.
read more here
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Nevada health dept. allows treating PTSD with marijuana
Nevada health dept. allows treating PTSD with marijuana
Reported by: Sergio Avila
March 12, 2014
LAS VEGAS (KSNV and MyNews3) -- Medical marijuana can be prescribed to treat a variety of symptoms, but it's still widely unknown if it can help veterans.
Earlier this year, the state health department added post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana.
One veteran made it his mission to get PTSD added to that list.
Dr. David Udy petitioned state health officials to add PTSD to the list.
He said his persistence paid off after just a couple of months.
Udy is confined to a wheel chair after suffering devastating effects from agent orange, a herbicide our troops were exposed to during the Vietnam war.
"That's where most of my physical problems come from," Udy said.
read more here
Reported by: Sergio Avila
March 12, 2014
LAS VEGAS (KSNV and MyNews3) -- Medical marijuana can be prescribed to treat a variety of symptoms, but it's still widely unknown if it can help veterans.
Earlier this year, the state health department added post-traumatic stress disorder to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana.
One veteran made it his mission to get PTSD added to that list.
Dr. David Udy petitioned state health officials to add PTSD to the list.
He said his persistence paid off after just a couple of months.
Udy is confined to a wheel chair after suffering devastating effects from agent orange, a herbicide our troops were exposed to during the Vietnam war.
"That's where most of my physical problems come from," Udy said.
read more here
Monday, March 3, 2014
Reno Veterans Administration office ranks worst in the nation for claims
RGJ Investigates: Reno VA office ranks worst in nation for processing veterans' claims
Reno's Veterans Administration office ranks worst in the nation for processing veterans' benefit claims
Ray Hagar
March 2, 2014
Since Sgt. Michael Alarcon was discharged from active duty with the Nevada Army National Guard last summer, his life has turned into a purgatory of paperwork and despair.
Severely injured by a bomb in Iraq in 2009, the veteran’s spine is held together with rods and pins. Although he recovered enough to return to active duty, complications from the injury now leave him in daily pain. He recently underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injured in his final weeks of active duty, and he needs additional surgeries because of complications from his spinal injury.
After his discharge in June after 23 years of military service, Alarcon began applying to receive disability benefits from the Veterans Administration, a process that is still unresolved eight months later.
read more here
Reno's Veterans Administration office ranks worst in the nation for processing veterans' benefit claims
Ray Hagar
March 2, 2014
Since Sgt. Michael Alarcon was discharged from active duty with the Nevada Army National Guard last summer, his life has turned into a purgatory of paperwork and despair.
Severely injured by a bomb in Iraq in 2009, the veteran’s spine is held together with rods and pins. Although he recovered enough to return to active duty, complications from the injury now leave him in daily pain. He recently underwent surgery to repair a shoulder injured in his final weeks of active duty, and he needs additional surgeries because of complications from his spinal injury.
After his discharge in June after 23 years of military service, Alarcon began applying to receive disability benefits from the Veterans Administration, a process that is still unresolved eight months later.
read more here
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Nevada veterans wait over a year for VA claims
Nevada veterans endure longest wait times in America to get VA claims completed, Heller tells U.S. Senate committee
RJG.com
Written by Ray Hagar
Dec 11, 2013
Sen. Dean Heller, R-NV, has a soft spot in his heart for our veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
I think it has something to do with his dad. Heller’s father is a vet and Heller has said that without the care received at the VA hospital in Reno, he might already be among the departed.
I've heard that story more than once, after hearing Heller talk to vets at the Reno VA Hospital, at the Homeless Veterans “Stand Down” in September and various other outings.
Vets can only hope lawmakers were listening when Heller spoke about the plight of Nevada veterans who suffer because of the lengthy backlog for getting claims completed.
Nevada vets wait on average of 433 days to have their claims completed, Heller told the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
That’s the longest wait time in the nation – No. 1 in the USA.
There’s a stat that Nevada should be outraged about, like being last in the nation in per-pupil education funding.
Heller noted the VA targeted deadline is 125 days. So on average, Nevada vets wait another 308 days, making it well over a year for a claim to be completed.
read more here
RJG.com
Written by Ray Hagar
Dec 11, 2013
Sen. Dean Heller, R-NV, has a soft spot in his heart for our veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
I think it has something to do with his dad. Heller’s father is a vet and Heller has said that without the care received at the VA hospital in Reno, he might already be among the departed.
I've heard that story more than once, after hearing Heller talk to vets at the Reno VA Hospital, at the Homeless Veterans “Stand Down” in September and various other outings.
Vets can only hope lawmakers were listening when Heller spoke about the plight of Nevada veterans who suffer because of the lengthy backlog for getting claims completed.
Nevada vets wait on average of 433 days to have their claims completed, Heller told the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
That’s the longest wait time in the nation – No. 1 in the USA.
There’s a stat that Nevada should be outraged about, like being last in the nation in per-pupil education funding.
Heller noted the VA targeted deadline is 125 days. So on average, Nevada vets wait another 308 days, making it well over a year for a claim to be completed.
read more here
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Sparks Middle School hero teacher to receive full military funeral
Former Marine killed in Nevada school shooting to receive full military honors at memorial
Stars and Stripes
14 minutes ago
By MARTIN GRIFFITH and SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press
Published: October 27, 2013
SPARKS, Nev. — A public celebration of life for the teacher killed in the Monday shooting at Sparks Middle School has been set for Nov. 3.
Nevada law enforcement officials have hailed the actions of Michael Landsberry, a 45-year-old former Marine who tried to get a student to put down the gun. Twelve-year-old Jose Reyes also shot and injured two classmates before turning the gun on himself.
Air Guard Major Dennis Fournier says Landsberry had been with the Guard since 2001 and will receive full military honors, including an honor guard 21-gun salute.
He says the memorial at Sparks Christian Fellowship in Sparks will include remarks from family members and Gov. Brian Sandoval.
A public viewing is scheduled to be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Walton's Funeral Home in Sparks.
Meanwhile, students returning to classes at Sparks on Monday for the first time since the shooting will be greeted by extra police officers but few other changes, with one big exception: their beloved math teacher and athletic coach they say combined the toughness of a former Marine with the compassion of a caring educator, won't be there.
read more here
Sparks Middle School Heroic Teacher
Stars and Stripes
14 minutes ago
By MARTIN GRIFFITH and SCOTT SONNER
Associated Press
Published: October 27, 2013
SPARKS, Nev. — A public celebration of life for the teacher killed in the Monday shooting at Sparks Middle School has been set for Nov. 3.
Nevada law enforcement officials have hailed the actions of Michael Landsberry, a 45-year-old former Marine who tried to get a student to put down the gun. Twelve-year-old Jose Reyes also shot and injured two classmates before turning the gun on himself.
Air Guard Major Dennis Fournier says Landsberry had been with the Guard since 2001 and will receive full military honors, including an honor guard 21-gun salute.
He says the memorial at Sparks Christian Fellowship in Sparks will include remarks from family members and Gov. Brian Sandoval.
A public viewing is scheduled to be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at Walton's Funeral Home in Sparks.
Meanwhile, students returning to classes at Sparks on Monday for the first time since the shooting will be greeted by extra police officers but few other changes, with one big exception: their beloved math teacher and athletic coach they say combined the toughness of a former Marine with the compassion of a caring educator, won't be there.
read more here
Sparks Middle School Heroic Teacher
Monday, October 21, 2013
Sparks Middle School heroic teacher killed was veteran and Dad
UPDATE From NBC
Teacher killed in Nevada middle school shooting ID'd; shooter dead
NBC News
By Erin McClam, Staff Writer
A student apparently opened fire at a Nevada middle school Monday, killing a teacher and wounding two boys, authorities said. The shooter was left dead.
A hospital said that the two boys arrived in critical condition. One was later upgraded to fair. The slain teacher was identified as Michael Landsberry, a former Marine and a member of the Nevada Air National Guard.
Landsberry’s brother, Reggie, told NBC News that the 8th-grade math teacher is survived by his wife, Sharon, and two of her children from a previous relationship.
Authorities suggested that Landsberry tried to shield students from the gunman, but stressed they were still investigating.
read more here
Teacher killed in Nevada middle school shooting ID'd; shooter dead
NBC News
By Erin McClam, Staff Writer
A student apparently opened fire at a Nevada middle school Monday, killing a teacher and wounding two boys, authorities said. The shooter was left dead.
A hospital said that the two boys arrived in critical condition. One was later upgraded to fair. The slain teacher was identified as Michael Landsberry, a former Marine and a member of the Nevada Air National Guard.
Landsberry’s brother, Reggie, told NBC News that the 8th-grade math teacher is survived by his wife, Sharon, and two of her children from a previous relationship.
Authorities suggested that Landsberry tried to shield students from the gunman, but stressed they were still investigating.
read more here
2 dead, 2 boys hurt in Nevada school shooting
By Scott Sonner of Associated Press
Michael Landsberry, a military veteran, has been identified as the staff member who was killed while trying to stop a shooter at Sparks Middle School.
SPARKS, Nev. — A student at a Nevada middle school opened fire on campus just before the starting bell Monday, wounding two boys and killing a teacher who was trying to protect other children, Sparks police and the victim's family said.
Twenty to thirty students witnessed the tragedy at Sparks Middle School that also left the lone suspected gunman dead, police said.
It's unclear whether the student committed suicide, but authorities say no shots were fired by law enforcement. Police said between 150 and 200 officers, including some from as far as 60 miles away, responded to the shooting.
"In my estimation, he is a hero. ... We do know he was trying to intervene," Reno Deputy Police Chief Tom Robinson said of the teacher who was killed.
read more here
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Female veterans suicides six times higher than other Americans
Suicide And Nevada's Women Veterans
KNPR
October 17, 2013
It's a sobering statistic -- Nevada's women veterans commit suicide at a rate six times higher than the average for all Americans. That's according to a 2012 report by the Nevada State Health Division. Between 2008 and 2010 alone, 14 female veterans committed suicide in Nevada, the division reported.
Women who have been military service members face special challenges when they return to civilian life, no matter which state they live in. In addition to the physical injuries and emotional harm from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- which all soldiers risk while serving -- about one in three women suffers sexual trauma during her military service, according to 2009 data from the U.S. Dept. of Defense.
read more here
KNPR
October 17, 2013
Women who have been military service members face special challenges when they return to civilian life, no matter which state they live in. In addition to the physical injuries and emotional harm from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder -- which all soldiers risk while serving -- about one in three women suffers sexual trauma during her military service, according to 2009 data from the U.S. Dept. of Defense.
read more here
Monday, October 7, 2013
WWII Veteran Celebrates 70 Years of Marriage
WWII Veteran Celebrates 70 Years of Marriage
KOLO News
By: Catherine Van
October 5, 2013
RENO, Nev. -- It's a special day for one local WWII veteran. William Parsons is celebrating a milestone with his wife, Marcedes of 70 years.
William Parson's life was changed after facing bombs at Pearl Harbor.
"The Japanese got irritated as us for sinking their ships," he said. "We were trying to get away from them and they were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us."
It paled it comparison when he met Mercedes. Just three days after their first conversation, they tied the knot in 1943.
"Submarine people don't wait around," he added.
His eldest daughter, Kathy Shafter, says they are still madly in love with each other.
"He calls her his bride all the time til this day," she said.
It's a marriage that has withstood WWII. Three days after the wedding, Parsons was shipped back to war.
read more here
KOLO News
By: Catherine Van
October 5, 2013
RENO, Nev. -- It's a special day for one local WWII veteran. William Parsons is celebrating a milestone with his wife, Marcedes of 70 years.
William Parson's life was changed after facing bombs at Pearl Harbor.
"The Japanese got irritated as us for sinking their ships," he said. "We were trying to get away from them and they were throwing everything but the kitchen sink at us."
It paled it comparison when he met Mercedes. Just three days after their first conversation, they tied the knot in 1943.
"Submarine people don't wait around," he added.
His eldest daughter, Kathy Shafter, says they are still madly in love with each other.
"He calls her his bride all the time til this day," she said.
It's a marriage that has withstood WWII. Three days after the wedding, Parsons was shipped back to war.
read more here
Sunday, July 14, 2013
PTSD soldier's wife begged for help before police shot him
Victim's family speaks out about officer-involved shooting
KRNV News
Reported by: Madison Corney
July 13, 2013
Reno, NV
The family of Kenny Stafford is speaking out after he was shot and killed by police after walking through a neighborhood with a gun on July 11, 2013.
Officials with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office have not yet released the name of the armed man who was shot and killed by officers on Thursday, however the victim's family reached out to News 4 to tell their story.
Kenny Stafford, 27, was an active military member who grew up in the Reno area. Stafford was stationed in Washington State, but he was in town to visit family and friends and attend a memorial for a young man he considered a brother. That young man was Ryan Connelly. Connelly, 17, was shot and killed on July 7, 2012 while walking home from the store, his murder is still unsolved.
A year and four days later, July 11, 2013 Stafford left the apartment he had been staying at in Reno, with a gun.
His wife Aimee called 911, she says, "I was just trying to get him some help, I pleaded with them not to hurt him, because he was sick and then they took him."
Stafford's wife described her 911 call, "He's sick, He needs help. Please don't hurt him. Please don't kill him. Please take him somewhere where he can get some help."
read more here
KRNV News
Reported by: Madison Corney
July 13, 2013
Reno, NV
The family of Kenny Stafford is speaking out after he was shot and killed by police after walking through a neighborhood with a gun on July 11, 2013.
Officials with the Washoe County Sheriff's Office have not yet released the name of the armed man who was shot and killed by officers on Thursday, however the victim's family reached out to News 4 to tell their story.
Kenny Stafford, 27, was an active military member who grew up in the Reno area. Stafford was stationed in Washington State, but he was in town to visit family and friends and attend a memorial for a young man he considered a brother. That young man was Ryan Connelly. Connelly, 17, was shot and killed on July 7, 2012 while walking home from the store, his murder is still unsolved.
A year and four days later, July 11, 2013 Stafford left the apartment he had been staying at in Reno, with a gun.
His wife Aimee called 911, she says, "I was just trying to get him some help, I pleaded with them not to hurt him, because he was sick and then they took him."
Stafford's wife described her 911 call, "He's sick, He needs help. Please don't hurt him. Please don't kill him. Please take him somewhere where he can get some help."
read more here
Thursday, May 9, 2013
3 Marine officers dismissed in wake of deadly mortar accident
3 Marine officers dismissed in wake of deadly mortar accident in Hawthorne, Nev.
May. 8, 2013
By Andrew deGrandpre and Hope Hodge
Staff writers
Three Marine officers, including a battalion commander, were removed from their jobs Wednesday in the wake of a disastrous training accident in Nevada that killed seven Marines and wounded eight other troops, Marine Corps Times has learned.
Lt. Col. Andrew McNulty, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was dismissed along with two subordinates, Capt. Kelby Breivogel, commander of the battalion’s Alpha Company, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Douglas Derring, the battalion’s infantry weapons officer. The decision was made by Brig. Gen. James Lukeman, commanding general of 2nd Marine Division, the battalion’s parent command, said 1st Lt. Peter Koerner, a spokesman.
read more here
May. 8, 2013
By Andrew deGrandpre and Hope Hodge
Staff writers
Three Marine officers, including a battalion commander, were removed from their jobs Wednesday in the wake of a disastrous training accident in Nevada that killed seven Marines and wounded eight other troops, Marine Corps Times has learned.
Lt. Col. Andrew McNulty, commanding officer of 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, at Camp Lejeune, N.C., was dismissed along with two subordinates, Capt. Kelby Breivogel, commander of the battalion’s Alpha Company, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Douglas Derring, the battalion’s infantry weapons officer. The decision was made by Brig. Gen. James Lukeman, commanding general of 2nd Marine Division, the battalion’s parent command, said 1st Lt. Peter Koerner, a spokesman.
read more here
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Polk Marine killed in Nevada laid to rest
Polk Marine killed in Nevada laid to rest
By Saundra Weathers, Reporter
April 06, 2013
The family of the Polk County marine killed in a training exercise last month, laid him to rest Saturday.
David Fenn was one of seven men killed when a mortar round exploded.
Seeing the American flag covered casket of 20-year-old Lance Corporal David Fenn being loaded into a hearst, was hard for everyone watching.
“I don’t feel like he’s gone. He can’t be gone,” said Fenn’s sister Melanie Fenn.
His childhood friend Brittany Roberts says she’s just happy to see the support. “This is really amazing how many people have come out to support David, his family,” Roberts said.
Even complete strangers came to give their condolences.
“It touches home this is home. And this is our sadness with their families,” said Marine Family of Central Florida member, Tera Williams.
read more here
By Saundra Weathers, Reporter
April 06, 2013
It’s tragedies like this that sadly brings together former military biker groups like the Lethernecks. They lead the precession for Fenn’s funeral Saturday.WINTER HAVEN
The family of the Polk County marine killed in a training exercise last month, laid him to rest Saturday.
David Fenn was one of seven men killed when a mortar round exploded.
Seeing the American flag covered casket of 20-year-old Lance Corporal David Fenn being loaded into a hearst, was hard for everyone watching.
“I don’t feel like he’s gone. He can’t be gone,” said Fenn’s sister Melanie Fenn.
His childhood friend Brittany Roberts says she’s just happy to see the support. “This is really amazing how many people have come out to support David, his family,” Roberts said.
Even complete strangers came to give their condolences.
“It touches home this is home. And this is our sadness with their families,” said Marine Family of Central Florida member, Tera Williams.
read more here
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Bill O'Reilly turns Nevada tragedy into political attack
Listen to the exchange between O'Reilly and Bob Beckel. When Beckel corrected O'Reilly, he changed the subject. The blog world is frantic this morning and putting up posts all over the place about what Harry Reid didn't say. Guess they can't believe their own ears.
Reid was pointing out that sequestration will hurt further training and that was just about it.
Marine Corps furious with Harry Reid
Did Senator exploit tragic Marine accident in Nevada?
FOX News
Reid was pointing out that sequestration will hurt further training and that was just about it.
Marine from Florida among 7 killed in explosion
Marine Corps identifies 7 killed in Nevada training accident
Los Angeles Times
By David Zucchino
March 20, 2013
The Marine Corps released the identities Wednesday night of the seven Marines who died this week when a mortar shell exploded during a live-fire training exercise at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada.
Those killed were
7 Marines Killed In Explosion
Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV
Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda was ready to leave military life this spring and come home to embark on a career in business, his family says.
Marine Warrant Officer Ryan West
Los Angeles Times
By David Zucchino
March 20, 2013
The Marine Corps released the identities Wednesday night of the seven Marines who died this week when a mortar shell exploded during a live-fire training exercise at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada.
Lance Cpl. David P. Fenn II, 20, of Polk City, Fla. in undated photo. (Marine Corps)
Those killed were
read more herePfc. Joshua M. Martino, 19, of Clearfield, Pa.Lance Cpl. David P. Fenn II, 20, of Polk City, Fla.Lance Cpl. Roger W. Muchnick Jr., 23, of Fairfield, Conn.Lance Cpl. Joshua C. Taylor, 21, of Marietta, OhioLance Cpl. Mason J. Vanderwork, 21, of Hickory, N.C.Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV, 21, of Anne Arundel, Md.Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda, 26, of Madison, Ill.
7 Marines Killed In Explosion
Lance Cpl. William T. Wild IV
Cpl. Aaron J. Ripperda was ready to leave military life this spring and come home to embark on a career in business, his family says.
Marine Warrant Officer Ryan West
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Pentagon bans 60mm mortar round after Marine deaths
Pentagon bans 60mm mortar round after Marine deaths
CBS News
March 19, 2013
HAWTHORNE, NEV. A mortar shell explosion killed seven Marines and injured several more during mountain warfare training in Nevada's high desert, prompting the Pentagon to immediately halt the use of the weapons until an investigation can determine their safety, officials said Tuesday.
The explosion occurred Monday night at the Hawthorne Army Depot, a sprawling facility used by troops heading overseas, during an exercise involving the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Lejeune, N.C. Several Marines from the unit were injured in the blast, authorities said.
The Marines were practicing firing mortars, reports CBS affiliate KTVN-TV in Reno, when one of the rounds exploded while still inside the tube.
Brig. Gen. Jim Lukeman said investigators were trying to determine the cause of the malfunction.
The Pentagon expanded a temporary ban to prohibit the military from firing any 60 mm mortar rounds until the results of the investigation. The Marine Corps said Tuesday a "blanket suspension" of 60 mm mortars and associated firing tubes is in effect.
The Pentagon earlier had suspended use of all high-explosive and illumination mortar rounds that were in the same manufacturing lots as ones fired in Nevada.
It was not immediately clear whether more than a single round exploded, a Marine Corps official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation.
The Marine Corps said early Tuesday that seven Marines were killed. Eight men under the age of 30 were taken to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. One of them died, four were in serious condition, two were in fair condition and another was discharged, said spokesman Mark Earnest.
read more here
CBS News
March 19, 2013
HAWTHORNE, NEV. A mortar shell explosion killed seven Marines and injured several more during mountain warfare training in Nevada's high desert, prompting the Pentagon to immediately halt the use of the weapons until an investigation can determine their safety, officials said Tuesday.
The explosion occurred Monday night at the Hawthorne Army Depot, a sprawling facility used by troops heading overseas, during an exercise involving the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force from Camp Lejeune, N.C. Several Marines from the unit were injured in the blast, authorities said.
The Marines were practicing firing mortars, reports CBS affiliate KTVN-TV in Reno, when one of the rounds exploded while still inside the tube.
Brig. Gen. Jim Lukeman said investigators were trying to determine the cause of the malfunction.
The Pentagon expanded a temporary ban to prohibit the military from firing any 60 mm mortar rounds until the results of the investigation. The Marine Corps said Tuesday a "blanket suspension" of 60 mm mortars and associated firing tubes is in effect.
The Pentagon earlier had suspended use of all high-explosive and illumination mortar rounds that were in the same manufacturing lots as ones fired in Nevada.
It was not immediately clear whether more than a single round exploded, a Marine Corps official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak about an ongoing investigation.
The Marine Corps said early Tuesday that seven Marines were killed. Eight men under the age of 30 were taken to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. One of them died, four were in serious condition, two were in fair condition and another was discharged, said spokesman Mark Earnest.
read more here
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
7 Marines killed in explosion during training exercise at Army depot in Nevada
Corps suspends mortar use after blast kills 7
Dead, wounded from 1st Battalion, 9th Marines
Marine Corps Times
By Hope Hodge
Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 19, 2013 12:32:03 EDT
Seven North Carolina-based Marines were killed and several others were injured after a 60mm mortar exploded Monday night during live-fire training at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada.
They were assigned to 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Times has learned. On Tuesday, the service issued an indefinite moratorium on firing 60mm mortars until an investigation determines they’re safe, a Marine official told The Associated Press.
The accident occurred just before 10 p.m., said Capt. Binford Strickland, a spokesman for II Marine Expeditionary Force, the battalion’s parent command. Marine officials have not identified anyone involved in the incident, nor have they said how many were injured, but media in nearby Reno, Nev., reported Tuesday morning that eight patients were taken to local hospitals for treatment and that at least one was subsequently released.
Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, the area’s major trauma hospital, took eight patients, including one who died, according to spokeswoman Stacy Kendall. Three were listed in serious condition.
read more here
Dead, wounded from 1st Battalion, 9th Marines
Marine Corps Times
By Hope Hodge
Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 19, 2013 12:32:03 EDT
Seven North Carolina-based Marines were killed and several others were injured after a 60mm mortar exploded Monday night during live-fire training at Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada.
They were assigned to 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Times has learned. On Tuesday, the service issued an indefinite moratorium on firing 60mm mortars until an investigation determines they’re safe, a Marine official told The Associated Press.
The accident occurred just before 10 p.m., said Capt. Binford Strickland, a spokesman for II Marine Expeditionary Force, the battalion’s parent command. Marine officials have not identified anyone involved in the incident, nor have they said how many were injured, but media in nearby Reno, Nev., reported Tuesday morning that eight patients were taken to local hospitals for treatment and that at least one was subsequently released.
Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, the area’s major trauma hospital, took eight patients, including one who died, according to spokeswoman Stacy Kendall. Three were listed in serious condition.
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7 Marines killed in explosion during training exercise at Army depot in Nevadalinked from Huffington Post
By Jim Miklaszewski and Erin McClam
NBC News
Seven U.S. Marines were killed and at least seven wounded when a mortar exploded during a live-fire training exercise overnight at an Army munitions depot in the Nevada desert, military officials told NBC News.
There were conflicting reports about what happened. According to one account, a 60-millimeter mortar shell exploded in a tube as Marines were preparing to fire it. Another account said that the shell exploded as Marines were picking it up to load it.
The accident happened at Hawthorne Army Depot, a 147,000-acre ammunition storage and training facility just east of the California line.
Four Marines were killed instantly, military officials told NBC News. The two others died while waiting to be flown to the hospital.
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Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Whistleblower VA doctors lost jobs after news report
Fact Finder: Union Says V.A. Retaliated Against Whistleblowers
KRNV
Reported by: Joe Hart
Doctors Ralph Coppola and Vidur Mahadeva both worked at the Reno V.A. Hospital, unitl last month. Coppola as an E-N-T surgeon, Mahadeva in the emergency room.
Both doctors, who worked part time, recently received the exact same letter, telling them they'd been terminated.
The letter did not give a reason.
"The letter of termination was 2 days after your report was on TV," Coppola told News 4.
The letters to Doctors Coppola and Mahadeva were each dated September 13th: two days after News 4's Fact Finder report aired uncovering the results of an investigation conducted at the V.A. Hospital by the Office of the Medical Inspector. The O.M.I. report produced 53 recommendations to improve patient care at the V.A.
Both Coppola and Mahadeva met with O.M.I. representives during their investigation to voice their concerns about staffing, patient care timelines and other quality of care issues at the V.A. Hospital.
"Both of us tried to offer constructive cricitism and were under the impression we were helping our vets at the time. Both of us lost our jobs soon thereafter," said Dr. Mahadeva.
Jeanine Swygman is the vice president of the union which represents Doctors Coppola and Mahadeva. She says its clear the firings were retaliation by the V.A.
"Absolutely. The timing was two days after your story aired on the O.M.I. Report," said Swygman.
read more here
KRNV
Reported by: Joe Hart
Doctors Ralph Coppola and Vidur Mahadeva both worked at the Reno V.A. Hospital, unitl last month. Coppola as an E-N-T surgeon, Mahadeva in the emergency room.
Both doctors, who worked part time, recently received the exact same letter, telling them they'd been terminated.
The letter did not give a reason.
"The letter of termination was 2 days after your report was on TV," Coppola told News 4.
The letters to Doctors Coppola and Mahadeva were each dated September 13th: two days after News 4's Fact Finder report aired uncovering the results of an investigation conducted at the V.A. Hospital by the Office of the Medical Inspector. The O.M.I. report produced 53 recommendations to improve patient care at the V.A.
Both Coppola and Mahadeva met with O.M.I. representives during their investigation to voice their concerns about staffing, patient care timelines and other quality of care issues at the V.A. Hospital.
"Both of us tried to offer constructive cricitism and were under the impression we were helping our vets at the time. Both of us lost our jobs soon thereafter," said Dr. Mahadeva.
Jeanine Swygman is the vice president of the union which represents Doctors Coppola and Mahadeva. She says its clear the firings were retaliation by the V.A.
"Absolutely. The timing was two days after your story aired on the O.M.I. Report," said Swygman.
read more here
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Obama continues conversation with veterans
There was a comment on this article on CNN about how someone claimed veterans did not believe the President. I left a comment about what is real and what was available for others to find. Tracking reports around the country has this blog filled with over 15,000 posts and I can tell you that President Obama is better for veterans than President Bush was but while the president sets the agenda, congress funds the programs. Everything wrong in this country is because of congress. McConnell vowed to make Obama a one term president after he was elected and McConnell didn't care how much the people in this country had to suffer. He counted on our ignorance. Look up the facts and see what the budge was during both Presidents.
The long lines were about good changes that happened like PTSD claims and Agent Orange claims made easier at the same time more combat wounded survived what would have killed them during Vietnam, all while congress whined about the deficit. Top that off with each state laying off workers to take care of their veterans and you see them suffering. It isn't always easy to discover what is truth because it requires the time of an open mind and the will to learn.
The long lines were about good changes that happened like PTSD claims and Agent Orange claims made easier at the same time more combat wounded survived what would have killed them during Vietnam, all while congress whined about the deficit. Top that off with each state laying off workers to take care of their veterans and you see them suffering. It isn't always easy to discover what is truth because it requires the time of an open mind and the will to learn.
Obama continues conversation with veterans
Posted by
CNN White House Producer
Becky Brittain
July 24th, 2012
PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) – One day after delivering remarks to thousands of veterans at the VFW convention in Reno, Nevada, President Obama sat down with a smaller group of veterans for breakfast.
Three veterans from the Portland area sat down at the Gateway Breakfast House to discuss issues such as care for disabled veterans, services in rural areas, and PTSD.
Most of the meeting was out of the view of cameras but pool reporters heard several references to his remarks yesterday in Reno.
read more here
Saturday, March 17, 2012
75-100 new veterans seek services from the Southern Nevada V.A. a month
More new veterans seek services from the Southern Nevada V.A.
By Jessica Janner
CREATED MAR. 16, 2012
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- As troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Veterans Affairs Southern Nevada Healthcare System is seeing more veterans come through their doors.
"Now we're probably seeing 75 to 100 new veterans a month, enrolling, that are just coming back from the new conflicts," says Dr. Ramu Kamanduri, the V.A.'s Chief of Staff.
However, the V.A. says there is no patient backlog here like in other parts of the nation.
"It means certainly a workload increase. But, it's a workload we can handle and we're expecting this...We know these individuals are coming back with more serious problems," says Dr. Kamanduri.
"I came back at 30 and started dealing with some of this stuff, but being a little bit younger and dealing with that & not having had any other problems before... it's got to be very difficult for them," comments Retired Staff Sergeant Jason Brooks (USMC), who is dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
read more here
By Jessica Janner
CREATED MAR. 16, 2012
Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- As troops return home from Iraq and Afghanistan, the Veterans Affairs Southern Nevada Healthcare System is seeing more veterans come through their doors.
"Now we're probably seeing 75 to 100 new veterans a month, enrolling, that are just coming back from the new conflicts," says Dr. Ramu Kamanduri, the V.A.'s Chief of Staff.
However, the V.A. says there is no patient backlog here like in other parts of the nation.
"It means certainly a workload increase. But, it's a workload we can handle and we're expecting this...We know these individuals are coming back with more serious problems," says Dr. Kamanduri.
"I came back at 30 and started dealing with some of this stuff, but being a little bit younger and dealing with that & not having had any other problems before... it's got to be very difficult for them," comments Retired Staff Sergeant Jason Brooks (USMC), who is dealing with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
read more here
Friday, February 24, 2012
Veterans accounted for a stunning 373 of Nevada's suicides in 2010
Veterans suicide rate: The war at home
By J. Patrick Coolican
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
We know that suicide is a terrible problem in Nevada, with a rate 50 percent higher than the national average. Among military veterans and especially young veterans, however, it’s a crisis, according to new data from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
From 2008 to 2010, the Nevada veteran suicide rate was 2.5 times higher than the rate for all Nevadans and nearly quadruple the national nonveteran suicide rate.
In 2010, suicide accounted for more than a quarter of deaths among veterans 24 and younger.
All told, of the 1,545 Nevada suicides between 2008-2010, veterans accounted for a stunning 373 of them, or nearly a quarter.
The explanation: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a brutal toll on our young men and women. And they have come home to a bad economy and communities that are often clueless about what veterans have experienced or how to help them.
“Those high numbers are reflective of a decade of war and the impact that has on those who have been asked to serve in that war,” said Luana Ritch, a veteran and public health expert who compiled the data for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
There’s no great repository of data that tracks veterans’ health, other than the Department of Veterans Affairs. But many veterans aren’t in the VA system. And veterans’ death certificates sometimes neglect to mention military service.
read more here
By J. Patrick Coolican
Friday, Feb. 24, 2012
We know that suicide is a terrible problem in Nevada, with a rate 50 percent higher than the national average. Among military veterans and especially young veterans, however, it’s a crisis, according to new data from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
From 2008 to 2010, the Nevada veteran suicide rate was 2.5 times higher than the rate for all Nevadans and nearly quadruple the national nonveteran suicide rate.
In 2010, suicide accounted for more than a quarter of deaths among veterans 24 and younger.
All told, of the 1,545 Nevada suicides between 2008-2010, veterans accounted for a stunning 373 of them, or nearly a quarter.
The explanation: The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken a brutal toll on our young men and women. And they have come home to a bad economy and communities that are often clueless about what veterans have experienced or how to help them.
“Those high numbers are reflective of a decade of war and the impact that has on those who have been asked to serve in that war,” said Luana Ritch, a veteran and public health expert who compiled the data for the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services.
There’s no great repository of data that tracks veterans’ health, other than the Department of Veterans Affairs. But many veterans aren’t in the VA system. And veterans’ death certificates sometimes neglect to mention military service.
read more here
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