Police: Man shoots wife, self in west Killeen
Jan 1, 2013
Brandon Janes
Herald staff writer
A Killeen man is dead and his wife seriously wounded after what police are calling an attempted murder-suicide.
Just before noon Monday, Killeen police received a 911 call from a woman who had been shot multiple times by her husband during a domestic dispute, police said.
Police believe that, after shooting his wife, a 65-year-old man turned the gun on himself in the bedroom of their southwest Killeen home in the 2800 block of Lavender Drive, Killeen Police Department spokeswoman Carroll Smith said.
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Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Def Leppard's Rick Allen helping veterans with PTSD
Rick Allen Launches Organisation To Help Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress
Contractmusic.com
28 December 2012
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has launched a new organisation to help wounded veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (Ptsd).
The rocker, who lost his left arm in a horrific car accident in England on New Year's Eve in 1984, has launched the Raven Drum Foundation, which helps other amputees and wounded soldiers recover from major injuries through free music therapy.
read more here
Contractmusic.com
28 December 2012
Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen has launched a new organisation to help wounded veterans suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder (Ptsd).
The rocker, who lost his left arm in a horrific car accident in England on New Year's Eve in 1984, has launched the Raven Drum Foundation, which helps other amputees and wounded soldiers recover from major injuries through free music therapy.
read more here
Afghanistan veteran serving at Ground Zero because of it
Afghanistan vet finds a new way to serve
By Jeremy Bradley
CNN
January 1, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ricardo Benejam was born and raised in New York City and saw the twin towers fall
Benejam enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2009
He now works at the 9/11 Memorial as a visitor services host
Benejam: It's like you're continuing to serve because you're telling the story
(CNN) -- Ricardo Benejam is a born-and-bred New Yorker. He grew up with a view of the World Trade Center from the window of his childhood apartment in lower Manhattan.
On September 11, 2001, he was a freshman in high school when the twin towers fell.
"I had actually blurted out, 'We'll be going to war,'" he recalls. "You knew it wasn't an accident. That was my first thought at 14 [years old]."
He witnessed the devastation firsthand as he walked home that day.
"I saw cars that were littered with dust," he said. "I saw people in business suits that were littered in dust."
By Jeremy Bradley
CNN
January 1, 2013
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ricardo Benejam was born and raised in New York City and saw the twin towers fall
Benejam enlisted in the Army and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and 2009
He now works at the 9/11 Memorial as a visitor services host
Benejam: It's like you're continuing to serve because you're telling the story
(CNN) -- Ricardo Benejam is a born-and-bred New Yorker. He grew up with a view of the World Trade Center from the window of his childhood apartment in lower Manhattan.
On September 11, 2001, he was a freshman in high school when the twin towers fell.
"I had actually blurted out, 'We'll be going to war,'" he recalls. "You knew it wasn't an accident. That was my first thought at 14 [years old]."
He witnessed the devastation firsthand as he walked home that day.
"I saw cars that were littered with dust," he said. "I saw people in business suits that were littered in dust."
Benejam visits ground zero several times a week now, not just to pay respect to his fellow veterans or to reflect on the events that inspired him to serve his country. He works at the 9/11 Memorial.
"Working down there, it's like you're continuing to serve because you're telling the story of what happened and what was there before," he said.
Part of what makes his job so special is the bond he shares with other veterans visiting the site.
"You meet a veteran, and it's almost like seeing a brother or sister," Benejam said. "A lot of us have deployed (as a result of) what happened on 9/11."
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Vietnam veteran discovers he isn’t eligible for veteran’s benefits
Vietnam veteran discovers he isn’t eligible for veteran’s benefits
“Either keep us home or take care of us.” —Bruce Gray, veteran
By Rachel Johnson
Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Bruce Gray received a Vietnam Service Medal from the U.S. Department of Defense. He has his DD-214. He served his country proudly.
But this year Gray learned he doesn’t qualify for veteran’s benefits.
“I thought I would go ahead and sign up for it for the time when I decide to retire,” Gray said.
Gray, like many Vietnam veterans, thought his service automatically qualified him for benefits.
“If you were in Vietnam you were supposed to be guaranteed,” he said. “We came back to the U.S. and if you wore your uniform in the airport you had tomatoes and sandwiches thrown at you. We were spit on. But whenever the government starts spitting on you…”
That is how Gray feels after being denied benefits. He received his rejection letter the Saturday before Veterans Day.
“I was told the law changed in 2009 and the income cut-off is $42,000. It was passed because there were so many veterans coming back,” he said.
Gray is upset he didn’t qualify and didn’t know, but he is more upset for other veterans.
“This isn’t about me,” he said. “Imagine a family making $48,000 with three kids where a veteran has just come home and can’t qualify because they make $6,000 too much.”
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“Either keep us home or take care of us.” —Bruce Gray, veteran
By Rachel Johnson
Staff Writer
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Bruce Gray received a Vietnam Service Medal from the U.S. Department of Defense. He has his DD-214. He served his country proudly.
But this year Gray learned he doesn’t qualify for veteran’s benefits.
“I thought I would go ahead and sign up for it for the time when I decide to retire,” Gray said.
Gray, like many Vietnam veterans, thought his service automatically qualified him for benefits.
“If you were in Vietnam you were supposed to be guaranteed,” he said. “We came back to the U.S. and if you wore your uniform in the airport you had tomatoes and sandwiches thrown at you. We were spit on. But whenever the government starts spitting on you…”
That is how Gray feels after being denied benefits. He received his rejection letter the Saturday before Veterans Day.
“I was told the law changed in 2009 and the income cut-off is $42,000. It was passed because there were so many veterans coming back,” he said.
Gray is upset he didn’t qualify and didn’t know, but he is more upset for other veterans.
“This isn’t about me,” he said. “Imagine a family making $48,000 with three kids where a veteran has just come home and can’t qualify because they make $6,000 too much.”
read more here
800K civilian furloughs at stake if spending cuts happen
Congress continues to embarras this country by not being able to even pass budgets. One crisis after another while the American people end up paying for all of it. So why are we paying their salaries? They haven't done enough in years! Now more Americans will be out of work but they still get paid for not working. Does this fall under "entitlement" they love to cut from the budget?
Pentagon: 800K civilian furloughs at stake if spending cuts happen
By ERNESTO LONDOÑO
The Washington Post
Published: January 1, 2013
With lawmakers unable to approve a deal that would have averted steep spending cuts, Pentagon officials said Monday that 800,000 civilian employees could be ordered to go on unpaid leave for periods of time.
The military’s service chiefs, who have already been making cuts as part of a separate, long-term effort to whittle down the defense budget, are working to assess the impact of the congressionally mandated cuts. The broad fiscal retrenchment would begin Wednesday, although it is possible that lawmakers will find ways in coming weeks to allocate separate funding for the Pentagon and avoid the furloughs.
“Senior leaders in the department are working hard on how to communicate to the workforce what the consequences might be,” a senior defense official said Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the Pentagon’s contingency planning.
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Murder witness sues Calif. Army National Guard
Murder witness sues Calif. Army National Guard
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Dec 31, 2012
LOS ANGELES — A sergeant is suing his employer, the California Army National Guard, for alleged retaliation after he testified in the murder trial of a colleague who was later convicted of killing a pregnant recruit.
City News Service reports Sgt. Erik Hein also claims infliction of emotional distress in the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
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The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Dec 31, 2012
LOS ANGELES — A sergeant is suing his employer, the California Army National Guard, for alleged retaliation after he testified in the murder trial of a colleague who was later convicted of killing a pregnant recruit.
City News Service reports Sgt. Erik Hein also claims infliction of emotional distress in the lawsuit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court.
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Marine Vietnam Veteran on mission to mend others
Marine inspires wave of help
Healing the wounds of war, one quarter at a time
By Dana M. Nichols
Record Staff Writer
January 01, 2013
MURPHYS - Ric Ryan is healing war wounds.
It happens every time someone in a passing car waves at Ryan as he takes his regular walk along Highway 4 between Murphys and Angels Camp.
Ryan always waves back. He keeps a count. For every time he waves, he donates 25 cents to Operation Mend, a University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center charity that surgically rebuilds the disfigured faces of soldiers wounded in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"He is one of the most amazing human beings I have ever met," said Becky Mancuso-Winding, the UCLA Medical Center staffer who processes Ryan's donations.
"His donations now total $16,000, and he sends checks regularly," Mancuso-Winding wrote in an email.
The wounds Ryan is helping to heal aren't just those of the soldiers whose faces were melted by roadside bombs.
Ryan, 67, served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam. He has a few invisible wounds of his own.
Healing the wounds of war, one quarter at a time
By Dana M. Nichols
Record Staff Writer
January 01, 2013
MURPHYS - Ric Ryan is healing war wounds.
It happens every time someone in a passing car waves at Ryan as he takes his regular walk along Highway 4 between Murphys and Angels Camp.
Ryan always waves back. He keeps a count. For every time he waves, he donates 25 cents to Operation Mend, a University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center charity that surgically rebuilds the disfigured faces of soldiers wounded in the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"He is one of the most amazing human beings I have ever met," said Becky Mancuso-Winding, the UCLA Medical Center staffer who processes Ryan's donations.
"His donations now total $16,000, and he sends checks regularly," Mancuso-Winding wrote in an email.
The wounds Ryan is helping to heal aren't just those of the soldiers whose faces were melted by roadside bombs.
Ryan, 67, served in the Marine Corps in Vietnam. He has a few invisible wounds of his own.
Meanwhile, Ryan is also trying to heal himself. He attends Veterans Administration classes on post-traumatic stress disorder and anger management.
read more here
Oregon State safety's Mom serving in Afghanistan
With his mom in Afghanistan, Oregon State safety Tyrequek Zimmerman shoulders heavy load
By Lindsay Schnell
The Oregonian
December 28, 2012
SAN ANTONIO -- Tyrequek Zimmerman understands it's his job as a big brother to keep an eye on his younger siblings, but the 20-year-old Oregon State safety quietly shoulders more than most college football players.
When he sensed that Wykeyhe Walker was down on Christmas Day, Zimmerman insisted his little brother visit the Beavers' team hotel. When Walker arrived, Zimmerman pressed some money into the 18-year-old's hand, told him to go shopping to cheer up and then to return after team meetings so they could hang out.
Zimmerman, a starter for the No. 15 Beavers, and Walker, a junior college player in Texas, both struggled with being away from family during the holiday. But as the oldest child, Zimmerman buries the pain of missing his mom so he can put on a brave face for his siblings.
He's done it before, but when their mother, Army Sgt. Lovier Miller, deployed from El Paso to Afghanistan on Nov. 30, Zimmerman knew it was time to step up again. In addition to her two sons, Miller left behind a daughter, 10-year-old Yasmine.
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By Lindsay Schnell
The Oregonian
December 28, 2012
SAN ANTONIO -- Tyrequek Zimmerman understands it's his job as a big brother to keep an eye on his younger siblings, but the 20-year-old Oregon State safety quietly shoulders more than most college football players.
When he sensed that Wykeyhe Walker was down on Christmas Day, Zimmerman insisted his little brother visit the Beavers' team hotel. When Walker arrived, Zimmerman pressed some money into the 18-year-old's hand, told him to go shopping to cheer up and then to return after team meetings so they could hang out.
Zimmerman, a starter for the No. 15 Beavers, and Walker, a junior college player in Texas, both struggled with being away from family during the holiday. But as the oldest child, Zimmerman buries the pain of missing his mom so he can put on a brave face for his siblings.
He's done it before, but when their mother, Army Sgt. Lovier Miller, deployed from El Paso to Afghanistan on Nov. 30, Zimmerman knew it was time to step up again. In addition to her two sons, Miller left behind a daughter, 10-year-old Yasmine.
read more here
Connecticut National Guard soldier found dead at home
BY HILDA MUÑOZ
The Hartford Courant
December 31, 2012
The Connecticut National Guard is investigating the untimely death of a specialist at his home in New Milford on Christmas Day.
Authorities are not releasing the soldier's name. The death appears to have been a suicide, but an autopsy has not been conducted, said Col. John Whitford, a spokesman for the Guard.
read more here
Another stupid piece of news about another PTSD study
Another stupid piece of news about another PTSD study
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 1, 2013
Sickening how the first post of 2013 has to be about going after another stupid piece of news about another PTSD study.
This report has been passed around the web for a couple of weeks now and I cannot just ignore it any longer.
Click the link to read more if you want to but I am still sitting here wondering how much more money they will waste on rediscovering the same thing.
PTSD comes with a long list of mental health symptoms that can be misdiagnosed as something else unless the mental health professional has been specially trained in trauma. They know what to look for. That is what you really have to know. You can be healed, but not cured. PTSD can be prevented and professionals have been doing that for about 30 years now because of studies done on Vietnam Veterans that began 40 years ago. You should know all of that too.
Actually this is wrong too. It should be after the event itself, before PTSD has a chance to take hold.
That is why there are Crisis Intervention Teams.
My family unknowingly was practicing this all my life. By the time I was in grade school, I almost died plus grew up with a violent alcoholic Dad, and oh by the way, my house had been broken into. By the time I was in Junior High School, all of that was topped off with a two cars burning and another hospital stay. By the time I was in High School, all that came with me but had not claimed me. Then there was my ex-husband tried to kill me, a bad car accident should have killed me but I walked away from it. Then there was being married to this husband, a Vietnam veteran with PTSD, another life threatening situation when I was suffering a miscarriage of twins and hemorrhaged. That was followed by another hospital stay after the birth of my daughter and an infection nearly killed me. So please understand that while I'm reading the load of bullshit about chronic worry, I am shaking my head wondering how much money will keep being wasted.
The difference is, my family talked about everything until there was nothing left to say about any of it. They did what crisis intervention teams have been doing well before there was any "scientific data" to prove it worked.
Chronic worry? Well I guess I had that all my life but didn't end up with PTSD. Just worrying about something before being exposed to a traumatic event does not create PTSD. Not doing the right thing afterwards does. That is part of PTSD when paranoia sets in.
I have plenty of reasons to have PTSD, but only one reason I don't have it. Talking about it to someone I knew cared about me and was willing to listen made all the difference in the world. The rest of these so called "research" projects are a waste of time and money.
by Kathie Costos
Wounded Times Blog
January 1, 2013
Sickening how the first post of 2013 has to be about going after another stupid piece of news about another PTSD study.
This report has been passed around the web for a couple of weeks now and I cannot just ignore it any longer.
Chronic worry linked PTSD
Created: Monday, December 31, 2012
Constant worriers are at increased risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study.
Many people experience traumatic events - such as witnessing violence, being assaulted or the death of a loved one - but only a few develop PTSD, noted study author Naomi Breslau, a professor of epidemiology at Michigan State University.
People with PTSD feel stressed and fearful after experiencing or seeing a dangerous event long after the danger is over.
"So the question is, 'What's the difference between those who develop PTSD and the majority who don't.' This paper says people who are habitually anxious are more vulnerable. It's an important risk factor," Breslau said in a university news release.
The study included about 1 000 people who answered questions meant to assess their level of neuroticism, which is marked by chronic anxiety, depression and a tendency to overreact to everyday challenges and disappointments.
Click the link to read more if you want to but I am still sitting here wondering how much more money they will waste on rediscovering the same thing.
PTSD comes with a long list of mental health symptoms that can be misdiagnosed as something else unless the mental health professional has been specially trained in trauma. They know what to look for. That is what you really have to know. You can be healed, but not cured. PTSD can be prevented and professionals have been doing that for about 30 years now because of studies done on Vietnam Veterans that began 40 years ago. You should know all of that too.
"Getting treatment as soon as possible after post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms develop may prevent long-term post-traumatic stress disorder."
Actually this is wrong too. It should be after the event itself, before PTSD has a chance to take hold.
That is why there are Crisis Intervention Teams.
My family unknowingly was practicing this all my life. By the time I was in grade school, I almost died plus grew up with a violent alcoholic Dad, and oh by the way, my house had been broken into. By the time I was in Junior High School, all of that was topped off with a two cars burning and another hospital stay. By the time I was in High School, all that came with me but had not claimed me. Then there was my ex-husband tried to kill me, a bad car accident should have killed me but I walked away from it. Then there was being married to this husband, a Vietnam veteran with PTSD, another life threatening situation when I was suffering a miscarriage of twins and hemorrhaged. That was followed by another hospital stay after the birth of my daughter and an infection nearly killed me. So please understand that while I'm reading the load of bullshit about chronic worry, I am shaking my head wondering how much money will keep being wasted.
The difference is, my family talked about everything until there was nothing left to say about any of it. They did what crisis intervention teams have been doing well before there was any "scientific data" to prove it worked.
Chronic worry? Well I guess I had that all my life but didn't end up with PTSD. Just worrying about something before being exposed to a traumatic event does not create PTSD. Not doing the right thing afterwards does. That is part of PTSD when paranoia sets in.
I have plenty of reasons to have PTSD, but only one reason I don't have it. Talking about it to someone I knew cared about me and was willing to listen made all the difference in the world. The rest of these so called "research" projects are a waste of time and money.
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