Soldiers angry, say social media post mocks suicide
KENS 5 News
Priya Sridhar
March 06, 2017
SAN ANTONIO - Soldiers at Brooke Army Medical Center's Warrior Transition Battalion are angry after they claim a senior enlisted leader posted a picture to social media that they believe mocks suicide.
The Warrior Transition Battalion helps injured and wounded soldiers transition back to their units or to civilian life.
A former soldier who used to work there told KENS 5 he believes the issue was swept under the rug. Many of the soldiers who are upset over these pictures don't want to be identified because they said they don't want to jeopardize their careers.
The picture that was allegedly posted by a senior enlisted leader at BAMC's Warrior Transition Battalion shows a snowman hanging from a ceiling.
"It's very disturbing, insensitive and childish. Somebody needs help. Anybody contemplating suicide, they don't need to see this. It's going to push them over the edge," said John Ornelaz, commander of VFW Post 76 and Army veteran.
Army veterans from VFW Post 76 said they are disturbed by the picture and want to speak out for their fellow active duty soldiers who are afraid to talk about it publicly.
"It hurts me, and it upsets me because there are services out there to help soldiers," said Richard Valenzuela III, an Army veteran.
One former soldier shared his concerns on JBSA's Facebook page. He said JBSA responded to his post last week saying that they take this seriously and will work to ensure that the information is passed to the correct leadership.
Since then, he said that post and the picture have been taken off JBSA's Facebook page.
read more here
Showing posts with label Warrior Transition Battalion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Warrior Transition Battalion. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Warrior Transition Leader Mocked Soldier Suicides!
Just add this to the fact that they have been decreasing enlisted numbers at the same time suicide numbers went up. Then add this to the simple facts that the Army has been "addressing" the seriousness of suicide, or at least telling us that, and yet, here we are with another example of soldiers being mocked! Oh, sure this will get them to seek help especially when it comes after the reports from the Dallas Morning News about this type of crap happing to others in Texas Warrior Transition units
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Wounded Warrior Games in Germany
This is Warrior Transition Battalion,not to be confused with Wounded Warrior Project. The military also has their own programs for the wounded.
Wounded Warriors compete in time trials
DVIDS
86th Airlift Wing
Airman 1st Class Michael Stuart
February 17, 2015
Participants compete in the air rifle portion of the European Regional Warrior Games time trials on Vogelweh Military Complex, Germany, Feb. 12, 2015. The time trials is a competition to see how warriors stack up against their fellow brothers-in-arms on the track and field.
(U.S. Air Force Photo/Airman 1st Class Michael Stuart)
VOGELWEH AIR BASE, Germany - The Warrior Transition Battalion-Europe hosted the European Regional Warrior games time trials for wounded warriors across Europe on Vogelweh Air Base, Feb. 12.
The time trials is a competition to see how warriors stack up against their fellow brothers-in-arms on the track and field.
“A big part of the Warrior Transition Battalion is adaptive sports, which is a part of our recovery process,” said Army Staff Sgt. Ollie Knowland, Warrior Transition Unit wounded warrior. “Every day, the unit does different things to help us recover and this event is one of those efforts.”
Wounded warriors from Baumholder, Kaiserslautern, Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Vilseck and Grafenwoehr came out to compete in the events.
read more here
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Court Helps Veterans Take Leap of Faith
Veterans Trauma Court: From broken and battered to a leap of faith
The Gazette
Stephen Hobbs
November 23, 2014
About 100 military veterans, community advocates and elected officials gathered for a milestone graduation ceremony recently for the Veterans Trauma Court program at the 4th Judicial District courthouse in Colorado Springs.
The program, which started at the courthouse in December 2009, works to give veterans a chance to receive rehabilitation and get treatment after entering the criminal justice system.
At the 45-minute ceremony this month, five of the eighteen graduates of the Veterans Trauma Court were given diplomas and a special coin and were congratulated by peer mentors, probation officers and attorneys connected with the program.
"You did what 99 percent of our fellow Americans chose not to do or couldn't do," said Lt. Col. Aaron M. Termain, battalion command of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson, who gave the keynote address at the ceremony. "We're very lucky to have a community out there to support us."
The Nov. 13 event was the 10th graduation since the program began. As part of the ceremonies, three of the graduates read letters to those in attendance.
read more here
The Gazette
Stephen Hobbs
November 23, 2014
"I was a battered, broken soldier that felt like I had no hope," said Kenneth Authier, an Army veteran. At the end of his speech, Authier's voice cracked with emotion as he advised program participants to "take that leap of faith" with the staff of the Veterans Trauma Court.
About 100 military veterans, community advocates and elected officials gathered for a milestone graduation ceremony recently for the Veterans Trauma Court program at the 4th Judicial District courthouse in Colorado Springs.
The program, which started at the courthouse in December 2009, works to give veterans a chance to receive rehabilitation and get treatment after entering the criminal justice system.
At the 45-minute ceremony this month, five of the eighteen graduates of the Veterans Trauma Court were given diplomas and a special coin and were congratulated by peer mentors, probation officers and attorneys connected with the program.
"You did what 99 percent of our fellow Americans chose not to do or couldn't do," said Lt. Col. Aaron M. Termain, battalion command of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Carson, who gave the keynote address at the ceremony. "We're very lucky to have a community out there to support us."
The Nov. 13 event was the 10th graduation since the program began. As part of the ceremonies, three of the graduates read letters to those in attendance.
read more here
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Wounded Fort Carson Soldier's Wife Sent Away By Community
They are sending her away to save her life.
Terminally ill Army wife headed to London, thanks to readers' generosity
The Gazette
By Erin Prater
Published: December 9, 2013
A Colorado Springs Army wife dying of a rare genetic disorder can travel to London to receive an experimental life-extending treatment, thanks to the generosity of Gazette readers.
In October, Melissa Klein, a 21-year-old suffering from an incurable genetic disorder called mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalopathy, started an online campaign to raise $10,000 for the treatment: erythrocyte encapsulated thymidine phosphorylase, designed to repair the molecular defect that causes her condition.
The treatment is being offered in London to those who can pay $6,100 a month for it. Because it hasn't been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, it isn't covered by the Kleins' insurance.
Melissa Klein tacked on an additional $3,900 to her fundraising goal for travel expenses.
Melissa Klein is the wife of Spc. John Klein, a soldier assigned to Fort Carson's Warrior Transition Battalion due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan in 2011 when his vehicle struck a roadside bomb.
read more here
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Wounded, injured and ill Soldiers pedal 164 miles
Wounded, injured and ill Soldiers pedal 164 miles
DVIDS
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital
Stacy Rzepka
November 13, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – More than 40 wounded, injured and ill soldiers and their supporters from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, Ky. Warrior Transition Battalions (WTBs) and their supporters participated in the first Bluegrass Rendezvous Bike Ride Sept. 24 and 25.
The therapeutic and challenging ride between the two installations was designed to help strengthen the bonds between the soldiers while giving them a challenge they could meet and overcome with the help of their fellow riders.
As riders completed the last leg of the 164-mile trip, members of Fort Campbell and the surrounding communities came out to cheer them along. Groups of people stood along Trenton Road, Tiny Town Road, Fort Campbell Boulevard and throughout the installation to wave and cheer. Staff members from the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters building also stood along Indiana Avenue, saluting and encouraging the riders.
Staff Sgt. John Quarles, who has deployed multiple times, said that he felt emotional when he saw people who don’t even know him cheering along the route. Quarles said that it reminded him of coming home from a deployment. “It felt really good to see everyone out to support us,” he said.
WTB staff and soldiers, as well as the 101st Airborne Division Band, welcomed the returning riders with a finish-line celebration. Every rider received a medal, a goodie bag from Morale, Welfare and Recreation, pizza provided by the USO and the knowledge that they overcame a major challenge.
Sgt. Bryan Flanery, who was recognized as Fort Campbell’s most valuable rider, said that successfully completing the ride felt awesome. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment that has been missing for a long time,” Flanery said.
Healing power of biking
read more here
DVIDS
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital
Stacy Rzepka
November 13, 2013
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – More than 40 wounded, injured and ill soldiers and their supporters from Fort Campbell and Fort Knox, Ky. Warrior Transition Battalions (WTBs) and their supporters participated in the first Bluegrass Rendezvous Bike Ride Sept. 24 and 25.
The therapeutic and challenging ride between the two installations was designed to help strengthen the bonds between the soldiers while giving them a challenge they could meet and overcome with the help of their fellow riders.
As riders completed the last leg of the 164-mile trip, members of Fort Campbell and the surrounding communities came out to cheer them along. Groups of people stood along Trenton Road, Tiny Town Road, Fort Campbell Boulevard and throughout the installation to wave and cheer. Staff members from the 101st Airborne Division Headquarters building also stood along Indiana Avenue, saluting and encouraging the riders.
Staff Sgt. John Quarles, who has deployed multiple times, said that he felt emotional when he saw people who don’t even know him cheering along the route. Quarles said that it reminded him of coming home from a deployment. “It felt really good to see everyone out to support us,” he said.
WTB staff and soldiers, as well as the 101st Airborne Division Band, welcomed the returning riders with a finish-line celebration. Every rider received a medal, a goodie bag from Morale, Welfare and Recreation, pizza provided by the USO and the knowledge that they overcame a major challenge.
Sgt. Bryan Flanery, who was recognized as Fort Campbell’s most valuable rider, said that successfully completing the ride felt awesome. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment that has been missing for a long time,” Flanery said.
Healing power of biking
read more here
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Troops trapped 540 days in Fort Riley Warrior Transition Battalion
Wounded Soldiers languished 540 days in Fort Riley Transition System
Nextgov
Bob Brewin
August 8, 2013
Soldiers in the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Riley, Kan., spent an average of a year and half -- 540 days -- working their way through a system that is supposed to determine their fitness for duty within a year, the Defense Department Inspector General reported yesterday.
The Army set up 35 transition units in 2007 to manage the care and evaluation of combat wounded, disabled or sick soldiers. Between June 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2012, 1,735 soldiers transitioned through the Fort Riley unit.
The service is required to process soldiers through the joint Defense-Veterans Affairs Integrated Disability Evaluation system, but there weren’t enough behavioral health specialists on staff at the installation or in the local community to meet the Army’s needs.
read more here
Nextgov
Bob Brewin
August 8, 2013
Soldiers in the Warrior Transition Battalion at Fort Riley, Kan., spent an average of a year and half -- 540 days -- working their way through a system that is supposed to determine their fitness for duty within a year, the Defense Department Inspector General reported yesterday.
The Army set up 35 transition units in 2007 to manage the care and evaluation of combat wounded, disabled or sick soldiers. Between June 1, 2007, and Dec. 31, 2012, 1,735 soldiers transitioned through the Fort Riley unit.
The service is required to process soldiers through the joint Defense-Veterans Affairs Integrated Disability Evaluation system, but there weren’t enough behavioral health specialists on staff at the installation or in the local community to meet the Army’s needs.
read more here
Friday, July 5, 2013
Warrior Transition Battalion “steals your soul and puts you in a deeper depression"
Joint Base Lewis-McChord's warrior transition unit lacks training
Some of the soldiers managing care for ill and wounded troops at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Warrior Transition Battalion lacked proper training before they began their assignments, according to a recently released Defense Department audit.
News Tribune
ADAM ASHTON
STAFF WRITER
Published: July 4, 2013
Some of the soldiers managing care for ill and wounded troops at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Warrior Transition Battalion lacked proper training before they began their assignments, according to a recently released Defense Department audit.
That inconsistent training coupled with lengthy delays in the Army’s medical retirement process exasperated soldiers at a vulnerable point in military careers, soldiers told the Defense Department Inspector General when a team visited the Lewis-McChord site in summer 2011.
The Warrior Transition Battalion “steals your soul and puts you in a deeper depression,” one National Guard soldier told the auditors. “They tell me to plan for the future, but they cannot tell me when I can leave.”
Comments in the Inspector General report echo some of the criticism that has been leveled at the Army’s 38 so-called warrior transition units since they were created in 2007. A 2010 New York Times story famously labeled them “warehouses of despair” that kept soldiers in limbo between the civilian and military worlds.
read more here
Some of the soldiers managing care for ill and wounded troops at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Warrior Transition Battalion lacked proper training before they began their assignments, according to a recently released Defense Department audit.
News Tribune
ADAM ASHTON
STAFF WRITER
Published: July 4, 2013
Some of the soldiers managing care for ill and wounded troops at Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s Warrior Transition Battalion lacked proper training before they began their assignments, according to a recently released Defense Department audit.
That inconsistent training coupled with lengthy delays in the Army’s medical retirement process exasperated soldiers at a vulnerable point in military careers, soldiers told the Defense Department Inspector General when a team visited the Lewis-McChord site in summer 2011.
The Warrior Transition Battalion “steals your soul and puts you in a deeper depression,” one National Guard soldier told the auditors. “They tell me to plan for the future, but they cannot tell me when I can leave.”
Comments in the Inspector General report echo some of the criticism that has been leveled at the Army’s 38 so-called warrior transition units since they were created in 2007. A 2010 New York Times story famously labeled them “warehouses of despair” that kept soldiers in limbo between the civilian and military worlds.
read more here
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Fort Drum "dumping ground for unwanted soldiers" replaced by new complex
Fort Drum Opens New Complex for Wounded Warriors
Story Published: May 14, 2012
The new Warrior Transition Battalion Complex at Fort Drum officially opened Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The facility's job is to make it easier for wounded soldiers to get the care they need.
"One of the things that will improve will be the care of the soldiers and their access, ease of access to a variety of systems that will be available in essentially one spot," said Fort Drum Commander Major General Mark Milley.
The new complex arrives not a moment too soon.
Earlier this year, a report from military's Inspector General's Office showed major problems for the Fort Drum Warrior Transition Battalion, including problems with leadership and soldiers said to be stoned on medication.
The unit was called a "dumping ground" for unwanted soldiers.
read more here
Story Published: May 14, 2012
The new Warrior Transition Battalion Complex at Fort Drum officially opened Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The facility's job is to make it easier for wounded soldiers to get the care they need.
"One of the things that will improve will be the care of the soldiers and their access, ease of access to a variety of systems that will be available in essentially one spot," said Fort Drum Commander Major General Mark Milley.
The new complex arrives not a moment too soon.
Earlier this year, a report from military's Inspector General's Office showed major problems for the Fort Drum Warrior Transition Battalion, including problems with leadership and soldiers said to be stoned on medication.
The unit was called a "dumping ground" for unwanted soldiers.
read more here
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Soldiers voice concerns about Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion
Soldiers voice concerns about Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion at meeting
Apr 10, 2012
By Greg Barnes
Staff writer
Leaders of Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion are wrongly accusing soldiers of faking illness or injury in an effort to keep them from getting full military benefits, some soldiers in the battalion said during a meeting Monday night.
One of those soldiers, Sgt. Daryl Shaw, said he will become homeless April 19 - when he is separated from the Army - because he is being accused of feigning his illnesses. That, he said, means he will receive only 60 percent of his medical retirement benefits - or between $900 and $1,200 a month to feed his family of six.
As it stands now, Shaw said, two of his children will have to live with friends from his church; the other two will stay with him and his wife in an old RV that has no electricity.
Shaw was among about two dozen soldiers or their family members who spoke during the meeting, which was called in an effort to strengthen the voice of battalion soldiers who feel wronged and betrayed.
read more here
Apr 10, 2012
By Greg Barnes
Staff writer
Staff photo by Amanda Berg Sgt. Daryl Shaw listens during a meeting Monday in an effort to strengthen the voice of soldiers in the Warrior Transition Battalion.
Leaders of Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion are wrongly accusing soldiers of faking illness or injury in an effort to keep them from getting full military benefits, some soldiers in the battalion said during a meeting Monday night.
One of those soldiers, Sgt. Daryl Shaw, said he will become homeless April 19 - when he is separated from the Army - because he is being accused of feigning his illnesses. That, he said, means he will receive only 60 percent of his medical retirement benefits - or between $900 and $1,200 a month to feed his family of six.
As it stands now, Shaw said, two of his children will have to live with friends from his church; the other two will stay with him and his wife in an old RV that has no electricity.
Shaw was among about two dozen soldiers or their family members who spoke during the meeting, which was called in an effort to strengthen the voice of battalion soldiers who feel wronged and betrayed.
read more here
Friday, April 6, 2012
Warrior Transition Battalion Soldier receives Bronze Star
Warrior Transition Battalion Soldier receives Bronze Star
Award recognizes meritorious service as a medic in Afghanistan
Apr. 5, 2012
Written by
Stacy Rzepka
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Public Affairs
Staff Sgt. Danny Beard of the Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on Wednesday, receiving the award from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt, the 101st Airborne Division Deputy Commanding General for Support.
Beard earned the medal for his outstanding service as a senior medic while deployed to Afghanistan with the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division from Aug. 2010 to Aug. 2011.
Colt said that it was a profound privilege to present a Bronze Star to a member of the non commissioned officer corps. Colt explained that non commissioned officers make up a "pillar of leadership in our Army which sets us apart from all others."
read more here
Apr. 5, 2012
Staff Sgt. Danny Beard of Fort Campbell's Warrior Transition Battalion received the Bronze Star on Wednesday from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt for actions as a senior medic with 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan. / U.S. ARMY PHOTO
Written by
Stacy Rzepka
Blanchfield Army Community Hospital Public Affairs
Staff Sgt. Danny Beard of the Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Battalion was awarded the Bronze Star Medal on Wednesday, receiving the award from Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Colt, the 101st Airborne Division Deputy Commanding General for Support.
Beard earned the medal for his outstanding service as a senior medic while deployed to Afghanistan with the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division from Aug. 2010 to Aug. 2011.
Colt said that it was a profound privilege to present a Bronze Star to a member of the non commissioned officer corps. Colt explained that non commissioned officers make up a "pillar of leadership in our Army which sets us apart from all others."
read more here
Monday, March 5, 2012
Army’s Warrior Transition Command says get families involved too
1-star urges WTUs to involve families more
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 4, 2012
The chief of the Army’s Warrior Transition Command says warrior transition units must do better to keep family members involved in soldiers’ care.
“We suggest that family be involved, but the implementation piece on the ground … that’s problematic,” said Brig. Gen. Darryl Williams, the commander of Warrior Transition Command and assistant Army surgeon general for warrior care and transition.
Sometimes that’s a challenge because soldiers opt to exclude their families.
“There are families where the service member, the [recovering warrior] says, ‘I don’t want you contacting my family,’ and that is a huge challenge when there is an active nonparticipation,” said Lt. Col. Danny Dudek, the former commander of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
read more here
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 4, 2012
The chief of the Army’s Warrior Transition Command says warrior transition units must do better to keep family members involved in soldiers’ care.
“We suggest that family be involved, but the implementation piece on the ground … that’s problematic,” said Brig. Gen. Darryl Williams, the commander of Warrior Transition Command and assistant Army surgeon general for warrior care and transition.
Sometimes that’s a challenge because soldiers opt to exclude their families.
“There are families where the service member, the [recovering warrior] says, ‘I don’t want you contacting my family,’ and that is a huge challenge when there is an active nonparticipation,” said Lt. Col. Danny Dudek, the former commander of the Warrior Transition Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
read more here
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Suicides, disputes spur probe of Fort Bragg Warrior Transition Battalion
Suicides, disputes spur probe of Bragg WTU
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 4, 2012 9:27:37 EST
In the wake of six suicides and 25 domestic disputes reported among soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C., over a five-week span, 18th Airborne Corps commander Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick has called for a “thorough investigation” of the post’s Warrior Transition Battalion.
Helmick’s announcement followed an emotional meeting between a dozen wounded soldiers, spouses and other advocates Feb. 15. The group voiced complaints about the alleged overmedication of soldiers in the warrior transition battalion and their inability to get the care they need.
Toni Woodman-Mc-Neill told officials at the meeting that her soldier husband was denied needed surgeries while his condition deteriorated and his dependence on pain medication increased. Her husband, Sgt. Lee McNeill, 43, suffers from cognitive problems, post-traumatic stress disorder and spinal injuries from an explosion while he deployed to Iraq, she said.
“The problem is when [injured soldiers are] going to be med-boarded out, they stop medical treatment and just give them pain medication,” Woodman-McNeill told Army Times. “I had to give up my career to take care of him because they weren’t taking care of him.”
read more here
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 4, 2012 9:27:37 EST
In the wake of six suicides and 25 domestic disputes reported among soldiers at Fort Bragg, N.C., over a five-week span, 18th Airborne Corps commander Lt. Gen. Frank Helmick has called for a “thorough investigation” of the post’s Warrior Transition Battalion.
Helmick’s announcement followed an emotional meeting between a dozen wounded soldiers, spouses and other advocates Feb. 15. The group voiced complaints about the alleged overmedication of soldiers in the warrior transition battalion and their inability to get the care they need.
Toni Woodman-Mc-Neill told officials at the meeting that her soldier husband was denied needed surgeries while his condition deteriorated and his dependence on pain medication increased. Her husband, Sgt. Lee McNeill, 43, suffers from cognitive problems, post-traumatic stress disorder and spinal injuries from an explosion while he deployed to Iraq, she said.
“The problem is when [injured soldiers are] going to be med-boarded out, they stop medical treatment and just give them pain medication,” Woodman-McNeill told Army Times. “I had to give up my career to take care of him because they weren’t taking care of him.”
read more here
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Complaints about Warrior Transition Battalion also found at Fort Drum
Complaints about Warrior Transition Battalion also found at Fort Drum
Feb 26, 2012
By Greg Barnes
Staff writer
A recent federal review of a program for wounded soldiers at Fort Drum, N.Y., uncovered serious shortcomings that echo allegations made by soldiers in Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion.
Among the many deficiencies cited in the Sept. 30 report, the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Defense found that soldiers and staff in Fort Drum's Warrior Transition Battalion perceived the unit as a "dumping ground" for problem soldiers.
According to the report, the battalion's staff indicated that less than 20 percent of Fort Drum units ever contacted wounded soldiers, and usually only when they tried to retrieve or account for equipment. That reinforced a "fire and forget" mentality among wounded soldiers that eroded morale and stunted desire to return to active service, the report said.
The report also uncovered concerns that the battalion's physically wounded and mentally impaired soldiers were being overmedicated, partly because of a lack of communication and controls. The report quotes one command team member as saying, "half of the warriors are 'stoned' on psychotropic drugs."
read more here
Feb 26, 2012
By Greg Barnes
Staff writer
A recent federal review of a program for wounded soldiers at Fort Drum, N.Y., uncovered serious shortcomings that echo allegations made by soldiers in Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion.
Among the many deficiencies cited in the Sept. 30 report, the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Defense found that soldiers and staff in Fort Drum's Warrior Transition Battalion perceived the unit as a "dumping ground" for problem soldiers.
According to the report, the battalion's staff indicated that less than 20 percent of Fort Drum units ever contacted wounded soldiers, and usually only when they tried to retrieve or account for equipment. That reinforced a "fire and forget" mentality among wounded soldiers that eroded morale and stunted desire to return to active service, the report said.
The report also uncovered concerns that the battalion's physically wounded and mentally impaired soldiers were being overmedicated, partly because of a lack of communication and controls. The report quotes one command team member as saying, "half of the warriors are 'stoned' on psychotropic drugs."
read more here
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Command Sergeant Major James Smith moves from police captain to top NCO at WTB
Trading his bars in for stripes
Smith moves from police captain to top NCO at WTB
Jan. 28, 2012
Philip Grey
Leaf-Chronicle
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The Command Sergeant Major of the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Campbell should be a familiar face to many Clarksvillians.
Just a few months ago, before he traded uniforms and insignia, he was Captain James C. Smith of the Clarksville Police Department.
Now, as the top non-commissioned officer of the WTB, Command Sgt. Major Smith has taken on a job that would seem to be as different from his role at CPD as could be imagined. However, the two jobs do intersect at a few points, which is partly why Smith was chosen by WTB commander Lt. Col. William G. Howard for the important role of overseeing the daily needs of Fort Campbell’s wounded, ill and injured soldiers.
read more here
Smith moves from police captain to top NCO at WTB
Jan. 28, 2012
Warrior Transition Battalion Command Sergeant Major James Smith has risen quickly to the top of two demanding professions at nearly the same time. / Leaf-Chronicle/Philip GreyWritten by
Philip Grey
Leaf-Chronicle
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The Command Sergeant Major of the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Campbell should be a familiar face to many Clarksvillians.
Just a few months ago, before he traded uniforms and insignia, he was Captain James C. Smith of the Clarksville Police Department.
Now, as the top non-commissioned officer of the WTB, Command Sgt. Major Smith has taken on a job that would seem to be as different from his role at CPD as could be imagined. However, the two jobs do intersect at a few points, which is partly why Smith was chosen by WTB commander Lt. Col. William G. Howard for the important role of overseeing the daily needs of Fort Campbell’s wounded, ill and injured soldiers.
read more here
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Fort Bragg Soldier in Fayetteville standoff facing 30 charges
UPDATE
Recordings offer more details of soldier's apartment complex standoff with Fayetteville police
By James Halpin
Staff writer
Petrified residents hid in their apartments as a gunman fired at emergency responders in a chaotic standoff between police and a Fort Bragg soldier Friday night, according to recordings of 911 calls and police radio traffic released Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters first called police to the home of Army Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Eisenhauer, at the Austin Creek apartments at 1127 Cape Harbor Court, about 10 p.m. Friday after responding to a report of a fire, according to the recordings.
One caller told dispatchers an apartment next door was on fire, with smoke and embers blowing out of the door, but after he knocked on the door, a resident said the fire had been put out with an extinguisher. Firefighters called police for a possible forced entry when there was no answer at the door.
Just minutes after police were dispatched to the apartment, Eisenhauer started shooting from his third-floor apartment, according to the recordings.
"Multiple shots fired! Multiple shots fired!" an officer reports. "He's on the top level. He's standing on the balcony right now."
Police reported that an officer was bleeding from the head, and supervisors ordered the officers to stay back and form a perimeter. Minutes later, Eisenhauer emerged from the apartment onto the balcony, according to police radio traffic.
read more here
Recordings offer more details of soldier's apartment complex standoff with Fayetteville police
By James Halpin
Staff writer
Petrified residents hid in their apartments as a gunman fired at emergency responders in a chaotic standoff between police and a Fort Bragg soldier Friday night, according to recordings of 911 calls and police radio traffic released Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters first called police to the home of Army Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Eisenhauer, at the Austin Creek apartments at 1127 Cape Harbor Court, about 10 p.m. Friday after responding to a report of a fire, according to the recordings.
One caller told dispatchers an apartment next door was on fire, with smoke and embers blowing out of the door, but after he knocked on the door, a resident said the fire had been put out with an extinguisher. Firefighters called police for a possible forced entry when there was no answer at the door.
Just minutes after police were dispatched to the apartment, Eisenhauer started shooting from his third-floor apartment, according to the recordings.
"Multiple shots fired! Multiple shots fired!" an officer reports. "He's on the top level. He's standing on the balcony right now."
Police reported that an officer was bleeding from the head, and supervisors ordered the officers to stay back and form a perimeter. Minutes later, Eisenhauer emerged from the apartment onto the balcony, according to police radio traffic.
read more here
Soldier in Fayetteville standoff facing 30 charges
By: JACKIE FAYE , JUSTIN QUESINBERRY , NBC17 STAFF | NBC17.com
Published: January 13, 2012
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. --
A Fort Bragg soldier is facing 30 charges after exchanging gunfire with police and barricading himself in his apartment for hours Friday night and Saturday morning.
Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Eisenhauer is charged with 15 counts of attempted first-degree murder, six counts of felony assault on a law enforcement official and nine counts of felony assault on a government official.
Eisenhauer was listed in critical condition after the gunfire exchange.
Two Fayetteville Police officers were also injured during the standoff with the soldier at an apartment complex, according to a police spokesman.
Ft. Bragg Saturday morning identified the soldier as Staff Sgt. Joshua P. Eisenhauer. He was assigned to Fort Bragg's Warrior Transition Battalion. That's a unit for wounded soldiers or soldiers transitioning out of the military, according to a Ft. Bragg spokesman.
read more here
Friday, November 25, 2011
Fort Riley Soldier found dead on post
Soldier found dead on post
Staff reports
Military police at Fort Riley said Wednesday they are investigating the discovery of a body found on post Sunday.
The soldier was identified as Spc. James Joseph Pizzo, 30, of the Warrior Transition Battalion.
No other details regarding the body's discovery were made available.
read more here
Staff reports
Military police at Fort Riley said Wednesday they are investigating the discovery of a body found on post Sunday.
The soldier was identified as Spc. James Joseph Pizzo, 30, of the Warrior Transition Battalion.
No other details regarding the body's discovery were made available.
read more here
Friday, August 29, 2008
Military veterans take horse farm tour
Military veterans take horse farm tour
By Jillian Ogawa
jogawa@herald-leader.com
PARIS — Willie T. Hunter had just returned home from Vietnam, where he had lost his hearing, permanently, in his left ear, and had narrowly escaped death after being hit by a rocket.
Wearing his U.S. Army uniform, he was pelted by a tomato and a lemon, Hunter recalled, while getting off a plane shortly after his arrival in the states.
"When we came back, we were called baby killers," Hunter said.
It's that experience that motivates Hunter, 64, of Louisville to help veterans who served in recent conflicts in the Middle East.
"I had a bad taste in my mouth for a long time," said Hunter, who served in the Army for 20 years. "I didn't want them to go through what I went through."
On Thursday, Hunter was among the veterans from past conflicts who gathered at Runnymede Farm, a Thoroughbred farm, with veterans currently in the Warrior Transition Battalion in Fort Knox, which helps injured soldiers make the return home or to their unit.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart, a charitable organization, and the Clay family, which owns the farm, invited the veterans on a private tour of the farm as a way to show appreciation for the sacrifices the soldiers made.
go here for more
http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/506509.html
By Jillian Ogawa
jogawa@herald-leader.com
PARIS — Willie T. Hunter had just returned home from Vietnam, where he had lost his hearing, permanently, in his left ear, and had narrowly escaped death after being hit by a rocket.
Wearing his U.S. Army uniform, he was pelted by a tomato and a lemon, Hunter recalled, while getting off a plane shortly after his arrival in the states.
"When we came back, we were called baby killers," Hunter said.
It's that experience that motivates Hunter, 64, of Louisville to help veterans who served in recent conflicts in the Middle East.
"I had a bad taste in my mouth for a long time," said Hunter, who served in the Army for 20 years. "I didn't want them to go through what I went through."
On Thursday, Hunter was among the veterans from past conflicts who gathered at Runnymede Farm, a Thoroughbred farm, with veterans currently in the Warrior Transition Battalion in Fort Knox, which helps injured soldiers make the return home or to their unit.
The Military Order of the Purple Heart, a charitable organization, and the Clay family, which owns the farm, invited the veterans on a private tour of the farm as a way to show appreciation for the sacrifices the soldiers made.
go here for more
http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/506509.html
Army calls soldier's injuries accidental, denies Purple Heart
Army calls soldier's injuries accidental
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 08/29/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Douglas Messer's soldier son, Charles, told his father his wounds -- a concussion, a broken arm and numerous cuts and bruises -- were suffered when his Humvee was rocked by the explosion of a roadside bomb during a combat patrol in Iraq.
Spc. Messer served with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Bliss and had deployed with his unit to Mosul, Iraq, in late 2006. On that combat patrol in June 2007, he was manning the Humvee's .50-caliber machine gun.
The paperwork that accompanied him from Iraq through the hospital in Germany and on to Fort Bliss indicated that his wounds were combat-related, the elder Messer said.
Messer was killed Dec. 22 in a single-car accident on Loop 375 in Northeast El Paso as he headed home to see his parents in South Carolina. At his son's funeral, an Army official mentioned a Purple Heart, the father said.
Douglas Messer said he remembers that a Capt. Cleon Windham, with the Fort Bliss Warrior Transition Battalion where the younger Messer had been rehabilitating his arm, instructed him on where the medal should be pinned on the memorial flag that had covered his son's casket.
But then, in June, Douglas Messer received a phone call from the Army telling him there would be no Purple Heart.
go here for more
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_10328865?source=most_emailed
By Chris Roberts / El Paso Times
Article Launched: 08/29/2008 12:00:00 AM MDT
EL PASO -- Douglas Messer's soldier son, Charles, told his father his wounds -- a concussion, a broken arm and numerous cuts and bruises -- were suffered when his Humvee was rocked by the explosion of a roadside bomb during a combat patrol in Iraq.
Spc. Messer served with the 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, from Fort Bliss and had deployed with his unit to Mosul, Iraq, in late 2006. On that combat patrol in June 2007, he was manning the Humvee's .50-caliber machine gun.
The paperwork that accompanied him from Iraq through the hospital in Germany and on to Fort Bliss indicated that his wounds were combat-related, the elder Messer said.
Messer was killed Dec. 22 in a single-car accident on Loop 375 in Northeast El Paso as he headed home to see his parents in South Carolina. At his son's funeral, an Army official mentioned a Purple Heart, the father said.
Douglas Messer said he remembers that a Capt. Cleon Windham, with the Fort Bliss Warrior Transition Battalion where the younger Messer had been rehabilitating his arm, instructed him on where the medal should be pinned on the memorial flag that had covered his son's casket.
But then, in June, Douglas Messer received a phone call from the Army telling him there would be no Purple Heart.
go here for more
http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_10328865?source=most_emailed
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Sgt. Sean K. Webster found dead at Camp Pendleton
VA Marine Killed (10:31 pm)
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - Marine Corps authorities investigating the death of an Iraq combat veteran at Camp Pendleton say they have not ruled out the possibility of homicide. The Marine Corps said the body of 23-year-old Sergeant Sean K. Webster of Fairfax, Virginia, was discovered Saturday. Webster was twice awarded the Purple Heart.
The North County Times reports his first Purple Heart came after he was wounded in June 2005 bombing during a raid near the Syrian border. The second came after an anti-tank mine exploded under his vehicle in Anbar province in September 2005. The Marines say the death was not an accident, and spokesman Lieutenant Ken Kunze says the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has not ruled out homicide.
The circumstances have not been released.
http://www.wtvr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8582068
Linked from ICasualties.org
UPDATE
A reader left a comment on the first post I did on Sgt. Webster letting me know he passed away. In just a few days, I had forgotten why his name was tugging at me. This is why and I feel horrible I had forgotten this hopeful story was part of his life.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Camp Pendleton 80% PTSD at Wounded Warrior Battalion
"Eighty percent of our residents have some degree of PTSD," Lawhorne said, referring to the disorder that requires counseling and group therapy in mild cases and more intensive psychiatric treatment and medications in its more severe form. "At the same time, we're seeing a lot more TBI cases."
MILITARY: Treating the troops
Wounded Warrior Battalion focuses on injured Marines and sailors
By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer Friday, June 20, 2008 5:13 PM PDTCAMP PENDLETON ---- Nearly three years and 14 surgeries after the right side of his body was torn apart by shrapnel in a roadside bombing in Iraq, Marine Sgt. Sean Webster is working to save his military career.After he was injured, he had visions of becoming a drill instructor; now, he'd be grateful for a job training fellow Marines in some less-intensive discipline."My goal is to stay in the Marine Corps on limited duty," the 23-year-old Virginia native said during a Wednesday interview at the base. "What I'd really like to do is stay as a staff member here.
"The "here" for Webster is the Wounded Warrior Battalion West, a unit established in part because of criticisms regarding care for troops.The battalion's mission is simple: Do all it can to help coordinate treatment for injured Marines and sailors.Nearly 12 months after it was formally launched, the battalion's civilian and military members are working directly with or tracking more than 600 current and former troops, including 41 now living in the barracks.The battalion and a comparable one at Camp Lejeune on the East Coast were established to provide a central point of contact for troops injured on and off the battlefield. Troops assigned to it are mostly those needing outpatient services, not the more severely wounded who are treated at comprehensive medical facilities.
"We have two main goals," said Cheryl Lawhorne, a civilian liaison officer who works to make sure troops and families are receiving the services they need. "Get them back to full ability or get them through the medical board and get them every benefit they're entitled to. We track everybody who comes through here for as long as it takes."go here for more
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/20/military/
z2bc7c6e36fc93b698825746c0071037d.txt
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. (AP) - Marine Corps authorities investigating the death of an Iraq combat veteran at Camp Pendleton say they have not ruled out the possibility of homicide. The Marine Corps said the body of 23-year-old Sergeant Sean K. Webster of Fairfax, Virginia, was discovered Saturday. Webster was twice awarded the Purple Heart.
The North County Times reports his first Purple Heart came after he was wounded in June 2005 bombing during a raid near the Syrian border. The second came after an anti-tank mine exploded under his vehicle in Anbar province in September 2005. The Marines say the death was not an accident, and spokesman Lieutenant Ken Kunze says the Naval Criminal Investigative Service has not ruled out homicide.
The circumstances have not been released.
http://www.wtvr.com/Global/story.asp?S=8582068
Linked from ICasualties.org
UPDATE
A reader left a comment on the first post I did on Sgt. Webster letting me know he passed away. In just a few days, I had forgotten why his name was tugging at me. This is why and I feel horrible I had forgotten this hopeful story was part of his life.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Camp Pendleton 80% PTSD at Wounded Warrior Battalion
"Eighty percent of our residents have some degree of PTSD," Lawhorne said, referring to the disorder that requires counseling and group therapy in mild cases and more intensive psychiatric treatment and medications in its more severe form. "At the same time, we're seeing a lot more TBI cases."
MILITARY: Treating the troops
Wounded Warrior Battalion focuses on injured Marines and sailors
By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer Friday, June 20, 2008 5:13 PM PDTCAMP PENDLETON ---- Nearly three years and 14 surgeries after the right side of his body was torn apart by shrapnel in a roadside bombing in Iraq, Marine Sgt. Sean Webster is working to save his military career.After he was injured, he had visions of becoming a drill instructor; now, he'd be grateful for a job training fellow Marines in some less-intensive discipline."My goal is to stay in the Marine Corps on limited duty," the 23-year-old Virginia native said during a Wednesday interview at the base. "What I'd really like to do is stay as a staff member here.
"The "here" for Webster is the Wounded Warrior Battalion West, a unit established in part because of criticisms regarding care for troops.The battalion's mission is simple: Do all it can to help coordinate treatment for injured Marines and sailors.Nearly 12 months after it was formally launched, the battalion's civilian and military members are working directly with or tracking more than 600 current and former troops, including 41 now living in the barracks.The battalion and a comparable one at Camp Lejeune on the East Coast were established to provide a central point of contact for troops injured on and off the battlefield. Troops assigned to it are mostly those needing outpatient services, not the more severely wounded who are treated at comprehensive medical facilities.
"We have two main goals," said Cheryl Lawhorne, a civilian liaison officer who works to make sure troops and families are receiving the services they need. "Get them back to full ability or get them through the medical board and get them every benefit they're entitled to. We track everybody who comes through here for as long as it takes."go here for more
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/20/military/
z2bc7c6e36fc93b698825746c0071037d.txt
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