Saturday, August 1, 2009

Police: 13 year old boy carjacked woman, grandchildren at gunpoint

Police: Boy carjacked woman, grandchildren at gunpoint

Susan Jacobson

Sentinel Staff Writer

10:27 PM EDT, July 31, 2009


A 13-year-old boy carjacked a woman and her three grandchildren today in broad daylight, authorities said.

The boy pointed a handgun at the woman as she walked to her car in the Circuit City plaza at 1140 E. Altamonte Drive about 3:20 p.m., Altamonte police Officer Timothy Hyer said.

"Give me your keys," he said, according to investigators.

The woman complied, and the boy fumbled for a couple of minutes before he got the car started and took off, Hyer said.
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Boy carjacked woman, grandchildren at gunpoint

Skeletal remains believed to be missing homeless veteran

Skeletal remains believed to be missing homeless veteran in Riviera Beach

By ADAM PLAYFORD

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Thursday, July 30, 2009

RIVIERA BEACH — The police made two announcements about Gary Dale Wilson this week, back to back: Person lost, remains found.

Person lost: Homeless, veteran, 61, 5-foot-10, 140 pounds, missing two months, very ill, needs medicine.

Remains found: In woods, south of Martin Luther King Boulevard. Near a dozen bottles of medicine and cans of liquid food and a little wooden shelter just big enough for someone to sleep comfortably. Still seeking his family.

The medical examiner has not yet given the skeleton a name. But the bottles' labels said Gary Dale Wilson, and Gary Dale Wilson's Veterans Affairs Hospital medication card was there.

OK, then. So who was Gary Dale Wilson?
read more here and find out who he was
Skeletal remains believed to be missing homeless veteran

VA claims process needs radical changes

Filner: VA claims process needs radical changes

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 1, 2009 10:33:21 EDT

Improving the veterans’ claims process will require more than just hiring more staff, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman said Friday.

Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., said in an interview that radical change is needed to eliminate the backlog of claims and make the whole process easier for veterans by automatically accepting claims for disabilities rated at 30 percent or less, with only spot-checking for accuracy.

Filner called this the “IRS model,” a reference to the Internal Revenue Service process of auditing a small percentage of federal income tax returns, not every one.

He said automatic claims approval, with some auditing, is a way of clear what he estimates are 100,000 claims from Vietnam veterans related to exposure to Agent Orange. And the practice also could put a big dent in the overall backlog of all claims pending before VA, which Filner estimates to be almost 1 million.

“When you are getting to a 1 million backlog, the insult is so great you really have to do something,” he said.
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VA claims process needs radical changes

Illinois Soldier Dies in Afghanistan


Illinois Soldier Dies in Afghanistan

WSIL-TV- An Illinois soldier based in Marion has died in Afghanistan. The National Guard says 19-year- old Specialist Gerrick Smith of Sullivan died Wednesday. His injuries were NON-Combat related.
read more here
Illinois Soldier Dies in Afghanistan

First lady offers a White House welcome for Hampton Roads sailors

First lady offers a White House welcome for Hampton Roads sailors

By Hugh Lessig

247-7821

10:30 PM EDT, July 31, 2009


NORFOLK - First lady Michelle Obama on Friday pledged the administration's continued support for military families in addressing homecoming sailors, their spouses and children at Naval Station Norfolk.

"I will use every ounce of my power in this position to highlight the sacrifices that you make, and to rally the country around you," she said. "It won't stop today."

Mrs. Obama addressed military families in the 2008 presidential campaign and has maintained that theme during her husband's first months in office.

Hampton Roads offered her a built-in audience.

Some 6,000 sailors arrived home this week with the return of the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower from supporting coalition forces in Afghanistan.

Also this week, the USNS Comfort arrived in Norfolk, bringing home 42 staff members of Naval Medical Center Portsmouth from a four-month humanitarian mission in the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Speaking directly to an audience of about 250 on a wind-whipped pier, the first lady praised the crews of the Ike and the Comfort and highlighted areas of President Barack Obama's budget that benefit service members. That includes a pay raise and more permanent forces to reduce the stress of long deployments.
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First lady offers a White House welcome for Hampton Roads sailors

The Pirate Hunters Marines return to Camp Pendleton

Pirate-chasing Marines return to Camp Pendleton
2:40 PM July 31, 2009


The official nickname of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 267 is "The Stingers."

But for the seven-month deployment with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit that ended in a joyous homecoming Friday at Camp Pendleton, the squadron had a new name: "The Pirate Hunters."

Flying off the amphibious assault ship Boxer, the squadron's Hueys and Cobras chased pirates in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Aden, and the waters off Somali. The presence of the loud and heavily armed helos gave warning to the pirates to leave the merchant ships alone.


Capt. John Geisler told his wife via e-mail to watch for the Jolly Roger flag in the cockpit window of his Cobra. And so when Tristan Geisler, 28, spotted the needle-nosed chopper as it landed and taxied into position, she let out a shout.
read more at link above

Iraq wounded vet's clash with Boise police still a mystery

Reasons for Iraq vet's clash with Boise police still a mystery
By Patrick Orr - porr@idahostatesman.com
Published: 07/30/09
George Nickel Jr. couldn't explain to police why he used a rifle to shoot into a Vista neighborhood apartment complex and pointed a handgun at officers, according to court testimony Thursday.

Nickel is being held in the Ada County Jail on a $500,000 bond -- which is half as much as Ada County prosecutors said is necessary to keep the 38-year-old former Iraq vet incarcerated after an armed confrontation with Boise police late Tuesday night.

Boise police say Nickel told them he was looking for his dog in his apartment building when he used an AR-15 rifle to try to shoot the locks off two different doors. Minutes later, Boise police say, officers confronted him in a stairway and fired an estimated 12 rounds at Nickel, who was seen holding a handgun with a flashlight attached and didn't shoot back. No one was struck by any of the gunfire, police say.

A few new details emerged during Nickel's court arraignment Thursday, but they did not include a possible motive.

After he was arrested, Nickel could not explain to Boise police why he shot at the doors and confronted officers. All he said was that on a scale of one to 10, he was angry to the level of nine, Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Whitney Faulkner said.
read more here
http://www.idahostatesman.com/mobile/story/851137.html

Too few Medals of Honor for Iraq, Afghan valor


Too few Medals of Honor for Iraq, Afghan valor?
By KEVIN FREKING (AP) – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON — Eight years of war in Afghanistan and Iraq. About 4,000 U.S. soldiers killed in action. More than 34,000 wounded. Just six considered worthy of America's highest military award for battlefield valor.

For some veterans and members of Congress, that last number doesn't add up.

They question how so few Medals of Honor — all awarded posthumously — could be bestowed for wars of such magnitude and duration.

Pentagon officials say the nature of war has changed. Laser-guided missiles destroy enemy positions without putting soldiers in harm's way. Insurgents deploy roadside bombs rather than engage in firefights they're certain to lose.

Those explanations don't tell the whole story, said Rep. Duncan Hunter, a first-term lawmaker who served combat tours as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has sponsored legislation that directs the defense secretary to review current trends in awarding the Medal of Honor to determine what's behind the low count.

The bill passed the House. If Senate negotiators go along, Secretary Robert Gates would have to report back by March 31.

"It seems like our collective standard for who gets the Medal of Honor has been raised," said Hunter, R-Calif.

"The basis of warfare is you've got to take ground and then you've got to hold it. That takes people walking into houses, running up hills, killing bad guys and then staying there and rebuffing counterattacks," he said. "That's how warfare has always been no matter how many bombs you drop and how many predators you have flying around."

The Medal of Honor has been awarded 3,467 times since the Civil War. Almost half — 1,522 — were awarded in that conflict alone. The next highest tally came from World War II — 464. In the Vietnam War, 244 were awarded.

read more here
Too few Medals of Honor for Iraq, Afghan valor

Veterans Groups using horse sense


NWS Vail Veterans Program 1 DT 7-31-09 Dominique Taylor/dtaylor@vaildaily.com Army specialist Keith Maul, center, gets a hand getting off his horse from volunteer Cricket McLaren, during the Vail Veterans' summer program Friday at Yarmony Creek Lodge along the Colorado River Road. Miller, who lost his leg and his arm while serving in Iraq in Feburary, was enjoying getting back on a horse after his own horse bucked him off a few weeks ago.

Vail vets: ‘Best treatment out there'
Vail program take 14 injured vets fishing, horseback riding, rafting and camping
Lauren Glendenning
lglendenning@vaildaily.com
Vail, CO Colorado
VAIL, Colorado — Less than six months ago Keith Maul had two arms and two legs — now he's learning to get around with a prosthetic right arm and right leg after a grenade exploded on top of his vehicle near Baghdad.

You'd never know it happened so recently — Maul is moving around almost effortlessly and his attitude is positive.

“I just try to be happy and cheerful around everybody,” he said.

Maul is one of 14 of veterans in town for the Vail Veteran's Program. Different groups of injured soldiers come to Vail in both the winters and the summers to get active and realize their injuries can't stop them from doing whatever they want to accomplish, said Cheryl Jensen, the program's founder.
read more here
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/20090731/NEWS/907319946/1078&ParentProfile=1062



These programs are wonderful and Florida has our own program taking care of wounded veterans


Welcome and Thank you for Visiting SouthFloridaVets.org
The South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center (VMPC), is unique. It was started by Veterans in 1989 out of a single desire to help and benefit all Veterans and their families in South Florida.

Since the granting of its IRS 501(c)(3) Tax Exempt status in 1991, the Center has been involved in a broad base of Veteran services. The Center works closely with the VA and other government agencies as well as the public and private sectors to provide quality services and benefits to Veterans throughout Florida.

We are proud that we are the only Veterans organization in South Florida with an IRS 501(c)(3) status that:


Provides professional referral and outreach services to Veterans utilizing public, private, and government organizations.


Owns and operates a Mobile Veterans Center that travels throughout the state and participates in community based Veterans' events.


Funds food programs for Indigent Veterans and their families.


Partnerships with other non-profits for the sole purpose of providing transitional housing for homeless veterans.


Provides a substance abuse and recovery program for Veterans.


Doesn't have special eligibility requirements for veterans to receive services.


Our position is to work towards making a change in the life of veterans who have suffered from the trauma of war or any other duty-related issue. Our goal is to provide veterans of all ranks, backgrounds, and socioeconomic statuses with the services they need and deserve.

We recognize that substance abuse and alcoholism is alarmingly prevalent among veterans. For this reason we dedicate a good portion of our programs and projects to those suffering from the trauma of war (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD) and those who may need ongoing counseling and special assistance.




They need donations to keep providing help to our wounded!

On a personal note, last year, when I was about as depressed as I could get, I received an email from Bob offering to help with the work I do. He found my videos on YouTube and thought they would be very helpful. He is a dear, caring man focused on making life better for our wounded veterans. Bob also made a donation to the work I do. This was at a time when the IRS had me so confused I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I know a lot about PTSD but not the rest of this cluster of bureaucratic mess. I asked for a tax exempt number. It took almost a year to figure out what I was told on the phone by the IRS rep was wrong. Working alone, it has been extremely difficult to figure out exactly what I had to do but I'm learning. The IFOC and I set up a Charter for me. While I have the certificate of Charter from the IFOC, I found out there is more needed to be done before I am registered with the IRS. Donations made to me after July 1 will be tax exempt but I'm asking you not to donate to me right now. Please donate to the South Florida Vets instead. (Believe me, I'll be asking for all the help I can get once everything is done with the IRS because I'm flat broke and really tired of going to H and R Block to be told I can't keep taking a loss and still be considered a business.)

People doing this work not only face very stressful and heart tugging times, they also have to face a mountain of paperwork to provide the work they do. I have a greater appreciation of groups like the South Florida Veterans than ever before after understanding what kind of other things they have to go through to provide help to our veterans. Working with veterans is what we have been called to do and it one of the most gratifying pleasures to see their days a little easier. It is also expensive. The South Florida Veterans not only have to pay the usual expenses, they also have to care and feed their horses. Even is you only have little to spare to donate, please do it and support this organization that is helping so many of our veterans.



Thank you for your interest in donation to the South Florida MPC. Please make a donation using any of the following methods:

Mail us your donations:
South Florida Veterans Multi-Purpose Center
4311 SW 63rd Avenue
Davie, FL 33314
Phone: 954-791-8603


They also have a PayPal button on site.

Our Director: Mr. Robert Bambury
Veterans Affairs Field Services Representative

Mr. Bambury is the Executive Director of the Center and is accredited by the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is assigned responsibilities involving the coordination of benefits and other related services for eligible veterans and their dependents and as legal representative/Power of Attorney on their behalf before U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) federal boards. Serves as an advocate for veterans in order to maximize services and benefits for eligible veterans and their families in a designated geographical area. Serves as a liaison to other federal and state agencies in matters related to veterans services and benefits. Interviews veterans and families assessing their needs and eligibility as related to receipt of state and federal benefits in the areas of medical treatment, disability compensation, insurance, pension, debt management, education, training, rehabilitation and housing placement.

Performs case management duties throughout the processes of assessment, researching information, compiling reports, filing claims, formulating appeals, and obtaining benefits; interprets laws, rules, regulations and procedures and provides assistance in the completion of required forms; counsels and assists clients in utilization of appropriate resources, identifies deficiencies and develops a strategy to initiate actions necessary to obtain maximum benefits; advises clients of documentation required to support benefit claims; and makes referrals to other agencies and resources.


Reviews rating board decisions insuring compliance with Title 38 U.S. Code of Federal Regulations; determines if appeal is warranted; initiates the appeal process by preparing a written brief outlining the basis of disagreement; and obtain client's Power of Attorney to utilize as necessary.


Prepares financial statements and interprets the correlation of Social Security, military retirement, other income and net worth affecting USDVA pension and compensation; assists clients in dealing with USDVA Debt Management Agency; prepares financial reports to support client's request for waiver, postponement, compromise offers, or repayment plan for benefit overpayments.


Independently reviews client USDVA files, evaluates evidence including veterans' service and post-service medical records, as well as service histories; researches laws, regulations, policies and case law/precedent decisions from USDVA Board of Veterans Appeals and US Court of Veterans Appeals to prepare for hearings; and writes appellant briefs on issues that were previously adjudicated at a lower level.


Acts as claimant's legal representative during informal hearings before USDVA decision review officers, formal hearings before USDVA administrative hearing officers and Board of Veterans Appeals administrative law judges; presents oral arguments during hearings; obtains sworn testimony during formal hearings through a series of questions that are supportive of the issues on appeal.

By Direction of the Board 2008

Suspect in gay sailor's death commits suicide

Suspect in gay sailor's death commits suicide
Story Highlights
Sailor charged in death of gay sailor found dead in brig, officials say

Officials believe Jonathan Campos asphyxiated himself

Seaman August Provost was shot, killed during sentry duty in June


(CNN) -- A sailor accused of killing another sailor was found dead in his cell in a southern California military jail, officials said Friday.


Petty Officer Jonathan Campos was found dead in the brig at the Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego, a military statement said.

The cause of death was self-inflicted asphyxiation, according to the statement.
read more here
Suspect in gay sailor death commits suicide