Triple amputee Marine walks out, throws first pitch
Participant in Zito's Strikeouts for Troops Foundation, Kimmel honored before Game 2
By Alyson Footer
MLB.com
10/25/12
SAN FRANCISCO -- Nick Kimmel has been a baseball fan his entire life, but he never could have imagined four years ago that the game he loves would play such an important role in helping him get through recent events that were both tragic and challenging.
In 2008, Kimmel decided to forego a partial scholarship offer to play baseball at Arizona State University, and instead enlisted in the Marines. Today, he's piecing his life back together after losing both legs and an arm in an explosion while on his second tour of duty last year in Afghanistan.
read more here
Showing posts with label Afghanistan casualties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Afghanistan casualties. Show all posts
Friday, October 26, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Vet Walks On New Legs, With A Little Help From Mom
Vet Walks On New Legs, With A Little Help From Mom
by QUIL LAWRENCE
NPR
October 24, 2012
On furlough from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this summer, 21-year-old Nick Staback lounges on his parents' back porch in Scranton, Pa., taking potshots at sparrows with a replica sniper rifle. The long plastic gun fires pellets that mostly just scare the birds away.
It's been a tough year for Staback since his last foot patrol in Afghanistan.
"We [were] just channeling down a beaten trail, of course, you just don't know what's on it," he says. "We had the mine sweepers out front and everything like that."
The area was littered with homemade bombs and everyone knew it.
"I was kind of looking where I was going to step, make sure I was going to step in my buddy's footprint kind of thing," he says. "But I guess it was just the wrong time, the wrong place."
The bomb threw Staback high in the air; he landed on his back in a state of shock.
read more here
by QUIL LAWRENCE
NPR
David Gilkey/NPR
Nick Staback, who lost both of his legs to a bomb in Afghanistan, talks with his mother, Maria Staback, in Scranton, Pa. Maria Staback took a leave of absence from her job to move in with her son while he was recuperating at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington, D.C.
October 24, 2012
On furlough from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center this summer, 21-year-old Nick Staback lounges on his parents' back porch in Scranton, Pa., taking potshots at sparrows with a replica sniper rifle. The long plastic gun fires pellets that mostly just scare the birds away.
It's been a tough year for Staback since his last foot patrol in Afghanistan.
"We [were] just channeling down a beaten trail, of course, you just don't know what's on it," he says. "We had the mine sweepers out front and everything like that."
The area was littered with homemade bombs and everyone knew it.
"I was kind of looking where I was going to step, make sure I was going to step in my buddy's footprint kind of thing," he says. "But I guess it was just the wrong time, the wrong place."
The bomb threw Staback high in the air; he landed on his back in a state of shock.
read more here
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Boots on the Ground - America Remembers
7000 Boots
Saturday, October 27th 2012
Two years ago the Patriot Guard Riders stood for Fallen Hero (KIA) SPC Kelly Mixon.
Today, Kelly's Gold Star Mother Julie has requested the Patriot Guard Riders participation in the celebration of "Boots on the Ground." This is a 1.5 mile presentation of Fallen Heroes Boots symbolizing the sacrifice of America's Fallen Warriors. In conjunction with the "Boots on the Ground" presentation in Downtown Fernandina Beach, there will be the First Annual 5K, 10K Heroes Run where the PGR has been asked to stand a Flag Line honoring those runningand walking for those who have fallen.
The Heroes Run motto is - "They fought to keep us safe, we run for all they gave!"
Walk or drive along 1.5 miles of "Boots on the Ground" stretching from the corner of Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach to the Atlantic Ocean. A memorial of over 7,000 Boots, Pictures, and Flags honoring the brave Firefighters, Police Officers of 9-11 and Fallen OIF-OEF U.S. Service Members.
"Boots on the Ground - America Remembers"
Fernandina Beach, FloridaSaturday, October 27th 2012
Two years ago the Patriot Guard Riders stood for Fallen Hero (KIA) SPC Kelly Mixon.
Today, Kelly's Gold Star Mother Julie has requested the Patriot Guard Riders participation in the celebration of "Boots on the Ground." This is a 1.5 mile presentation of Fallen Heroes Boots symbolizing the sacrifice of America's Fallen Warriors. In conjunction with the "Boots on the Ground" presentation in Downtown Fernandina Beach, there will be the First Annual 5K, 10K Heroes Run where the PGR has been asked to stand a Flag Line honoring those runningand walking for those who have fallen.
The Heroes Run motto is - "They fought to keep us safe, we run for all they gave!"
Walk or drive along 1.5 miles of "Boots on the Ground" stretching from the corner of Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach to the Atlantic Ocean. A memorial of over 7,000 Boots, Pictures, and Flags honoring the brave Firefighters, Police Officers of 9-11 and Fallen OIF-OEF U.S. Service Members.
Lt. Col. Christopher Raible KIA up for Silver Star
Fallen Marine commander up for Silver Star
Marine Corps Times
By Dan Lamothe
Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 19, 2012
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan — Cpl. Cecil Burkes was on the flight line here tinkering with an MV-22 Osprey when he heard a fellow Marine screaming over the radio. He pulled his head out of the aircraft — just in time to see tracer rounds streaking at him through the night sky.
Burkes, 23, didn’t know it at the time, but 15 insurgents had penetrated the wire at Bastion. Working in three teams of five, they used assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons in a coordinated attack that killed two Marines, wounded at least nine other coalition personnel and destroyed six U.S. AV-8B Harrier jets, military officials said.
Lt. Col. Christopher Raible, 40, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211, the Harrier squadron deployed at Bastion, led a heroic counterattack against the insurgents that ultimately cost him his life — bravery that has led to a nomination for the Silver Star, Marine officials say. It’s the nation’s third-highest award for combat valor.
Also killed in the attack was Sgt. Bradley Atwell, 27, who was assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 and working for MALS-16 while deployed. Both men were based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., while stateside.
read more here
Marine Corps Times
By Dan Lamothe
Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 19, 2012
Burkes, 23, didn’t know it at the time, but 15 insurgents had penetrated the wire at Bastion. Working in three teams of five, they used assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons in a coordinated attack that killed two Marines, wounded at least nine other coalition personnel and destroyed six U.S. AV-8B Harrier jets, military officials said.
Lt. Col. Christopher Raible, 40, commanding officer of Marine Attack Squadron 211, the Harrier squadron deployed at Bastion, led a heroic counterattack against the insurgents that ultimately cost him his life — bravery that has led to a nomination for the Silver Star, Marine officials say. It’s the nation’s third-highest award for combat valor.
Also killed in the attack was Sgt. Bradley Atwell, 27, who was assigned to Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 13 and working for MALS-16 while deployed. Both men were based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz., while stateside.
read more here
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Marine redeploys after being shot and grenade blast
Marine bounces back from Bagram attack, deploys again
OCTOBER 17TH, 2012
AFGHANISTAN AVIATION
CAMP BASTION EMBEDDED JOURNALISM
POSTED BY DAN LAMOTHE
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Milledge Wilson’s list of past injuries reads like a one-way trip to medical retirement.
Gunshot wound to the left arm. Shrapnel wounds to the face. Grenade blast wounds to the stomach, face and left leg.
He sustained all of those during a bold attack on Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, while deployed with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2, out of Cherry Point, N.C.
As this story shows, the May 19, 2010, ambush made international headlines after more than a dozen insurgents breached the base’s wire and engaged in a five-hour firefight with U.S. forces. Nine U.S. service members were wounded, including Wilson and a fellow Marine, then-Pfc. Michael Craddock.
After the attack, Wilson, then a gunnery sergeant, discussed his injuries with Marine Corps Times. Then he faded into relatively anonymity, going through multiple surgeries and rehabilitation with the goal of staying in the Corps.
A few months later, Wilson put in an application to become a warrant officer while still undergoing physical therapy. He was accepted, and went to officer training at The Basic School at Quantico, Va., in January 2011.
read more here
OCTOBER 17TH, 2012
AFGHANISTAN AVIATION
CAMP BASTION EMBEDDED JOURNALISM
POSTED BY DAN LAMOTHE
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Milledge Wilson’s list of past injuries reads like a one-way trip to medical retirement.
Gunshot wound to the left arm. Shrapnel wounds to the face. Grenade blast wounds to the stomach, face and left leg.
He sustained all of those during a bold attack on Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, while deployed with Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron 2, out of Cherry Point, N.C.
As this story shows, the May 19, 2010, ambush made international headlines after more than a dozen insurgents breached the base’s wire and engaged in a five-hour firefight with U.S. forces. Nine U.S. service members were wounded, including Wilson and a fellow Marine, then-Pfc. Michael Craddock.
After the attack, Wilson, then a gunnery sergeant, discussed his injuries with Marine Corps Times. Then he faded into relatively anonymity, going through multiple surgeries and rehabilitation with the goal of staying in the Corps.
A few months later, Wilson put in an application to become a warrant officer while still undergoing physical therapy. He was accepted, and went to officer training at The Basic School at Quantico, Va., in January 2011.
read more here
CIA officer killed in Afghanistan
Official: CIA officer killed in Afghanistan
Insider attack Saturday also killed JBLM soldier
Marine Corps Times
By Pauline Jelinek
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Oct 17, 201
WASHINGTON — An officer for the Central Intelligence Agency was among those killed in a suicide bombing at an Afghan intelligence office — the latest so-called “insider attack” in the war, according to one current and one former U.S. official.
The attack Saturday in Kandahar province killed four Afghan intelligence officials and two U.S. intelligence officers. One of the Americans has been identified as a female solider — 24-year-old Spc. Brittany B. Gordon, assigned to a military intelligence company from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
read more here
Insider attack Saturday also killed JBLM soldier
Marine Corps Times
By Pauline Jelinek
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Oct 17, 201
WASHINGTON — An officer for the Central Intelligence Agency was among those killed in a suicide bombing at an Afghan intelligence office — the latest so-called “insider attack” in the war, according to one current and one former U.S. official.
The attack Saturday in Kandahar province killed four Afghan intelligence officials and two U.S. intelligence officers. One of the Americans has been identified as a female solider — 24-year-old Spc. Brittany B. Gordon, assigned to a military intelligence company from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.
read more here
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Military refused to acknowledge spouse of fallen soldier
When This Woman Was Killed In Combat It Exposed How The Government Really Treats Same-Sex Spouses
Business Insider
Robert Johnson
Oct. 15, 2012
When the first of October rolled in a couple of weeks ago it reminded many of us that summer was really over. Forget Labor Day and September 21, the first day of fall; October is changing leaves, pumpkins, and Halloween.
Unfortunately that routine awareness was lost to three members of the North Carolina National Guard who were killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, at about 9 a.m. that morning, as they made their way through an open air market.
The deaths passed largely unnoticed by Americans outside the military, but what caught global attention is Sgt. Donna R. Johnson's wife and the fact that the Army refuses to acknowledge her very much at all.
Gannett-owned Army Times is taking the brunt of the protest, but the Times only followed the AP's lead, when it mentioned the other two male soldiers killed were survived by wives, while failing to mention Johnson's wife Tracy Dice.
back to story here
Westboro hate group held off by huge crowd
Business Insider
Robert Johnson
Oct. 15, 2012
When the first of October rolled in a couple of weeks ago it reminded many of us that summer was really over. Forget Labor Day and September 21, the first day of fall; October is changing leaves, pumpkins, and Halloween.
Unfortunately that routine awareness was lost to three members of the North Carolina National Guard who were killed by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, at about 9 a.m. that morning, as they made their way through an open air market.
The deaths passed largely unnoticed by Americans outside the military, but what caught global attention is Sgt. Donna R. Johnson's wife and the fact that the Army refuses to acknowledge her very much at all.
Gannett-owned Army Times is taking the brunt of the protest, but the Times only followed the AP's lead, when it mentioned the other two male soldiers killed were survived by wives, while failing to mention Johnson's wife Tracy Dice.
back to story here
Westboro hate group held off by huge crowd
Spc. Brittany B. Gordon "Her Dream was to serve"
Daughter of St. Petersburg assistant police chief dies in Afghanistan
Tampa Bay Times
By Keyonna Summers and Kameel Stanley
Times Staff Writers
In Print: Monday, October 15, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG — Days after her 24th birthday and just months before she was to return home this year, an Army soldier from St. Petersburg has died in Afghanistan.
Spc. Brittany B. Gordon, a 2006 St. Petersburg High School graduate, was the daughter of St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Cedric Gordon and his former wife, Brenda Gordon. On Saturday, the Army informed the family of her death.
"She made a major impact on everyone in her short life," said her aunt, the Rev. Debbie Thompson. "We just thank God for the memories of her we have in our hearts."
Gordon appears to be the first military woman from this area — Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties — to die in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's devastating," said St. Petersburg police Chief Chuck Harmon, who spoke briefly Sunday to Cedric Gordon. "I don't think there can be anything more painful to go through. ... Our thoughts and prayers are with him."
Spc Brittany Gordon
Suicide attack killed female soldier from St. Pete, says C.W. Bill Young
Tampa Bay Times
By Kameel Stanley
Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG
A local soldier killed in Afghanistan on Saturday died in a suicide bomb attack, U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday night.
Earlier Monday evening, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a news release saying that Army Spc. Brittany B. Gordon died from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The military provided no other details.
Contacted by phone later that night, Young, R-Indian Shores, told the Times that military officials had advised him that the IED came from a suicide bomber.
"It is not one that was planted as a mine. The person was wearing a suicide vest. This is also considered an IED," said Young, who chairs the House defense appropriations subcommittee.
Late Monday night, the New York Times published a story describing a suicide attack that occurred Saturday morning in Afghanistan in which a U.S. soldier was killed. The article does not name the soldier, but the circumstances are what Young described.
read more here
To all the women serving
Tampa Bay Times
By Keyonna Summers and Kameel Stanley
Times Staff Writers
In Print: Monday, October 15, 2012
"Her dream was to serve," said Brittany Gordon's cousin, the Rev. Evelyn Thompson. "If I would describe her, she had no fear. She wanted to make a difference. Because that's what military people do: make a difference in the lives of others."
[Courtesy of Gordon family]
Army Spc. Brittany B. Gordon was the daughter of St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Cedric Gordon and his former wife, Brenda Gordon.
ST. PETERSBURG — Days after her 24th birthday and just months before she was to return home this year, an Army soldier from St. Petersburg has died in Afghanistan.
Spc. Brittany B. Gordon, a 2006 St. Petersburg High School graduate, was the daughter of St. Petersburg Assistant Police Chief Cedric Gordon and his former wife, Brenda Gordon. On Saturday, the Army informed the family of her death.
"She made a major impact on everyone in her short life," said her aunt, the Rev. Debbie Thompson. "We just thank God for the memories of her we have in our hearts."
Gordon appears to be the first military woman from this area — Pinellas, Hillsborough, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties — to die in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"It's devastating," said St. Petersburg police Chief Chuck Harmon, who spoke briefly Sunday to Cedric Gordon. "I don't think there can be anything more painful to go through. ... Our thoughts and prayers are with him."
Spc Brittany Gordon
Suicide attack killed female soldier from St. Pete, says C.W. Bill Young
Tampa Bay Times
By Kameel Stanley
Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, October 16, 2012
ST. PETERSBURG
Associated Press
Senior Airman Devon Garner-Klingbeil stands near transfer cases containing the remains of Army Spc. Brittany B. Gordon, left case, and Army Sgt. Robert J. Billings, right case, early Monday at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
A local soldier killed in Afghanistan on Saturday died in a suicide bomb attack, U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young told the Tampa Bay Times on Monday night.
Earlier Monday evening, the U.S. Department of Defense issued a news release saying that Army Spc. Brittany B. Gordon died from injuries caused by an improvised explosive device in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The military provided no other details.
Contacted by phone later that night, Young, R-Indian Shores, told the Times that military officials had advised him that the IED came from a suicide bomber.
"It is not one that was planted as a mine. The person was wearing a suicide vest. This is also considered an IED," said Young, who chairs the House defense appropriations subcommittee.
Late Monday night, the New York Times published a story describing a suicide attack that occurred Saturday morning in Afghanistan in which a U.S. soldier was killed. The article does not name the soldier, but the circumstances are what Young described.
read more here
To all the women serving
Monday, October 15, 2012
Westboro hate groups held off by huge crowd at funeral
Westboro Baptist Church Protester Bull-Rushed At Military Funeral Protest
(VIDEO)
The Huffington Post
By Nick Wing
Posted: 10/15/2012
The Westboro Baptist Church's attempt to picket a military funeral in North Carolina over the weekend drew a lively counter protest that crested when a service member in the crowd bull-rushed a congregant attempting to stomp on the American flag.
The service was meant to honor 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Donna Johnson, who was among 14 people killed earlier this month in a suicide bomber attack in Afghanistan. Johnson was reportedly gay, and is survived by her wife Tracy Dice, also a member of the armed forces. Westboro, which frequently links the death of American soldiers to the nation's growing acceptance of gays, made no mention of Johnson's sexuality in a release announcing their intent to demonstrate.
read more here
(VIDEO)
The Huffington Post
By Nick Wing
Posted: 10/15/2012
The Westboro Baptist Church's attempt to picket a military funeral in North Carolina over the weekend drew a lively counter protest that crested when a service member in the crowd bull-rushed a congregant attempting to stomp on the American flag.
The service was meant to honor 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Donna Johnson, who was among 14 people killed earlier this month in a suicide bomber attack in Afghanistan. Johnson was reportedly gay, and is survived by her wife Tracy Dice, also a member of the armed forces. Westboro, which frequently links the death of American soldiers to the nation's growing acceptance of gays, made no mention of Johnson's sexuality in a release announcing their intent to demonstrate.
read more here
Army colonel's memo foreshadowed doomed soldier's email
Army colonel's memo foreshadowed doomed soldier's email
By HOWARD ALTMAN
Tampa Tribune, Fla.
Published: October 15, 2012
Letter from doomed soldier helped change congressman's mind on Afghan withdrawal date
To Sarah Sitton, the scathing, eight-page memo written by Army Col. Harry Tunnell IV to the Secretary of the Army about problems in the area where her husband was deployed seemed eerily familiar.
The memo contained many of the same concerns her husband, Staff Sgt. Matt Sitton, 26, of Largo, raised in an email to Congressman C.W. Bill Young, as well as in emails home and in conversations via Skype.
"A gross lack of concern for subordinates," Tunnell wrote, "manifests itself in guidance that 'zero' civilian casualties are acceptable and coalition soldiers may have to be killed rather than defend themselves against a potential threat and risk being wrong and possibly resulting in injury or death of a civilian."
Reading Tunnell's memo was "kind of like hearing my husband speak all over again," said Sarah Sitton.
But for Sarah Sitton, as well as some of Sitton's friends in the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, perhaps the most aggravating thing about Tunnell's memo was that it was written in August 2010. That was nearly two years before Sitton and 1st Sgt. Russell R. Bell, 37, of Tyler, Texas, were killed by an improvised explosive device in the same IED-laden field Sitton complained about being forced to walk through day after day for no reason.
read more here
By HOWARD ALTMAN
Tampa Tribune, Fla.
Published: October 15, 2012
Letter from doomed soldier helped change congressman's mind on Afghan withdrawal date
To Sarah Sitton, the scathing, eight-page memo written by Army Col. Harry Tunnell IV to the Secretary of the Army about problems in the area where her husband was deployed seemed eerily familiar.
The memo contained many of the same concerns her husband, Staff Sgt. Matt Sitton, 26, of Largo, raised in an email to Congressman C.W. Bill Young, as well as in emails home and in conversations via Skype.
"A gross lack of concern for subordinates," Tunnell wrote, "manifests itself in guidance that 'zero' civilian casualties are acceptable and coalition soldiers may have to be killed rather than defend themselves against a potential threat and risk being wrong and possibly resulting in injury or death of a civilian."
Reading Tunnell's memo was "kind of like hearing my husband speak all over again," said Sarah Sitton.
But for Sarah Sitton, as well as some of Sitton's friends in the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, perhaps the most aggravating thing about Tunnell's memo was that it was written in August 2010. That was nearly two years before Sitton and 1st Sgt. Russell R. Bell, 37, of Tyler, Texas, were killed by an improvised explosive device in the same IED-laden field Sitton complained about being forced to walk through day after day for no reason.
read more here
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Coral Springs Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Flown To Florida
Body Of Coral Springs Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Flown To Florida
October 14, 2012
MIAMI
CBSMiami/AP
The body of a soldier from Coral Springs, who was killed in Afghanistan, has been brought home.
Joseph Schiro, 27, a graduate of Taravella High School, was killed in the Wardak Province. The army said he died of wounds received from small arms fire. His body arrived Sunday afternoon at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach.
He leaves behind his wife, three children, his parents, grandparents and many more relatives.
Schiro was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
read more here
October 14, 2012
MIAMI
CBSMiami/AP
The body of a soldier from Coral Springs, who was killed in Afghanistan, has been brought home.
Joseph Schiro, 27, a graduate of Taravella High School, was killed in the Wardak Province. The army said he died of wounds received from small arms fire. His body arrived Sunday afternoon at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach.
He leaves behind his wife, three children, his parents, grandparents and many more relatives.
Schiro was assigned to Company B, 1st Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group out of Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
read more here
Friday, October 12, 2012
Westboro hate group ready to target another family of fallen soldier
Westboro Baptist Church Set to Protest at Fort Bragg Soldier's Funeral
Anti-protestors can take part in "A Human Wall for Fallen Soldiers", an organized group whose goal is to assemble enough people to shield the family from protesters.
By Kelly Twedell
Westboro Baptist Church members say they'll be protesting at a Fort Bragg soldier's funeral Saturday.
The church will supposedly protest Sgt. Donna Johnson's funeral at 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the Raeford Presbyterian Church, 128 Edinborough Avenue, in Raeford, N.C.
The group was reported to be picketing the three military funerals in North Carolina according to a WCNC news report. The group connects the deaths of soldiers to America's acceptance of gays.
read more here
Anti-protestors can take part in "A Human Wall for Fallen Soldiers", an organized group whose goal is to assemble enough people to shield the family from protesters.
By Kelly Twedell
Westboro Baptist Church members say they'll be protesting at a Fort Bragg soldier's funeral Saturday.
The church will supposedly protest Sgt. Donna Johnson's funeral at 10:15 a.m. Saturday at the Raeford Presbyterian Church, 128 Edinborough Avenue, in Raeford, N.C.
The group was reported to be picketing the three military funerals in North Carolina according to a WCNC news report. The group connects the deaths of soldiers to America's acceptance of gays.
read more here
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Soldier from Zephyrhills wounded by IED in Afghanistan
Bomb blast injures Zephyrhills High grad
By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 11, 2012
Dotty Campbell was driving to work Saturday morning when she answered her cell phone.
It was her father. He had news about her nephew Tyler Jeffries.
"I had to pull over because I was devastated," she said Wednesday.
Jeffries, a 2007 Zephyrhills High School graduate and an Army infantry member serving in Afghanistan, was injured Saturday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device, or IED.
The explosion took off a portion of the 23-year-old's left leg above the knee as well as a part of his right leg below the knee, Campbell said. Wednesday morning, surgeons at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., removed the remainder of his left leg at the hip.
Jeffries, who was deployed in April for his first tour of duty, will spend the next few days in the hospital's intensive care unit. read more here
By EDDIE DANIELS
The Tampa Tribune
Published: October 11, 2012
Former Zephyrhills High student Tyler Jeffries, right front, was injured when an IED he stepped on with his left foot exploded Oct. 6 in Afghanistan.WESLEY CHAPEL
Dotty Campbell was driving to work Saturday morning when she answered her cell phone.
It was her father. He had news about her nephew Tyler Jeffries.
"I had to pull over because I was devastated," she said Wednesday.
Jeffries, a 2007 Zephyrhills High School graduate and an Army infantry member serving in Afghanistan, was injured Saturday when he stepped on an improvised explosive device, or IED.
The explosion took off a portion of the 23-year-old's left leg above the knee as well as a part of his right leg below the knee, Campbell said. Wednesday morning, surgeons at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., removed the remainder of his left leg at the hip.
Jeffries, who was deployed in April for his first tour of duty, will spend the next few days in the hospital's intensive care unit. read more here
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
PTSD price drone pilots pay for remote kills
PTSD And Drones: Emotional Costs Far Away From The Battlefield
(VIDEO)
HuffPost Live
Posted: 10/10/2012
Post-traumatic stress disorder among soldiers returning from the battlefield is well-documented. But when drone pilots run missions from a world away, combat stress is just as serious.
HuffPost Lives Ahmed Shihab-Eldin spoke with several experts on the subject, discussing the likelihood of PTSD among drone pilots and how they are effected by the combat stress.
According to a recent survey of 900 drone crew members, 46 percent of active duty pilots reported high levels of stress.
Dr. Wayne Chappelle of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine described the symptoms of PTSD during the segment, noting that there are very clear markers -- including hyper-vigilance, avoidance and re-experiencing -- that must be met in order for the disorder to be considered PTSD.
read more here
Robotic warfare pilots had to watch troops die then go home The next time you have a tough day at the office, think about what they go through doing their jobs.
Military Drone Crews, psychologically, they're in the middle of combat
Reaper drone pilot talks about "kill shot a world away"
(VIDEO)
HuffPost Live
Posted: 10/10/2012
Post-traumatic stress disorder among soldiers returning from the battlefield is well-documented. But when drone pilots run missions from a world away, combat stress is just as serious.
HuffPost Lives Ahmed Shihab-Eldin spoke with several experts on the subject, discussing the likelihood of PTSD among drone pilots and how they are effected by the combat stress.
According to a recent survey of 900 drone crew members, 46 percent of active duty pilots reported high levels of stress.
Dr. Wayne Chappelle of the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine described the symptoms of PTSD during the segment, noting that there are very clear markers -- including hyper-vigilance, avoidance and re-experiencing -- that must be met in order for the disorder to be considered PTSD.
read more here
Robotic warfare pilots had to watch troops die then go home The next time you have a tough day at the office, think about what they go through doing their jobs.
Military Drone Crews, psychologically, they're in the middle of combat
Reaper drone pilot talks about "kill shot a world away"
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Double amputee Afghanistan veteran "marathon man"
Marine Who Lost Legs at War Finds Success at Marathons
ABC News
By Matthew Jaffe
Oct 8, 2012
When more than 38,000 competitors set off Sunday at the Chicago marathon, few of them likely had a more incredible journey to the start line than Ben Maenza.
Maenza, a Marine lance corporal, lost both his legs two years ago when they were blown off by a bomb in Afghanistan, weeks after his deployment there had begun.
To find out how you can “stand up for heroes,” visit our special section.
But instead of losing his competitive nature, Maenza was fueled by his injuries. Using a hand bike, he has now competed in multiple marathons and even ridden across the country from Florida to California.
“People think you can’t do stuff like that without your legs, so being out there and proving that you can and making it happen, it’s really gratifying,” Maenza, 24, said in a phone interview from his hometown of Nashville, Tenn.
That motivation to succeed on his bike came at a crucial time for Maenza.
After leaving Afghanistan, he spent a year and a half in rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Medical Center outside of Washington, D.C. It was there that he started talking to Achilles International, a group that helps athletes with disabilities.
read more here
ABC News
By Matthew Jaffe
Oct 8, 2012
When more than 38,000 competitors set off Sunday at the Chicago marathon, few of them likely had a more incredible journey to the start line than Ben Maenza.
Maenza, a Marine lance corporal, lost both his legs two years ago when they were blown off by a bomb in Afghanistan, weeks after his deployment there had begun.
To find out how you can “stand up for heroes,” visit our special section.
But instead of losing his competitive nature, Maenza was fueled by his injuries. Using a hand bike, he has now competed in multiple marathons and even ridden across the country from Florida to California.
“People think you can’t do stuff like that without your legs, so being out there and proving that you can and making it happen, it’s really gratifying,” Maenza, 24, said in a phone interview from his hometown of Nashville, Tenn.
That motivation to succeed on his bike came at a crucial time for Maenza.
After leaving Afghanistan, he spent a year and a half in rehabilitation at the Walter Reed Medical Center outside of Washington, D.C. It was there that he started talking to Achilles International, a group that helps athletes with disabilities.
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Monday, October 8, 2012
Community ready to come out in force against Westboro hate group
Community reacts to controversial church protesting Wilmington soldier's funeral
Submitted by Marissa Jasek
10/07/2012
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- A controversial church group known for protesting military funerals says it will come to the Cape Fear to protest the funeral of a Wilmington soldier killed last week in Afghanistan.
"Our military fights for the freedom of ridiculous individuals to air their dirty laundry," says Tom Russell, the founder of Step Up For Soldiers.
A news release on the website of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS, lists Sgt. T.J. Butler, 25, of Wilmington, on its latest "Roster of the Damned." The release says "Thank God for 18 more dead troops." Two other North Carolina soldiers killed with Butler in a suicide attack in a market in the eastern Afghanistan city of Khost Monday are also listed among the 18 fallen service members.
For years, Westboro Baptist Church has claimed America's war dead are God's punishment for the country embracing homosexuality. According to the release, church members say,
"We will picket their funerals in their home towns (sic) in respectful and lawful proximity thereof."
The small community of Hampstead, where Butler is from has stepped up in support of him and his family. Several businesses along Highway 17 have put up signs in support.
"Everywhere," says Jeremy Sawyer, a close friend of Butler. "Putting up signs for the family and for him. Praying for him."
read more here
Submitted by Marissa Jasek
10/07/2012
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) -- A controversial church group known for protesting military funerals says it will come to the Cape Fear to protest the funeral of a Wilmington soldier killed last week in Afghanistan.
"Our military fights for the freedom of ridiculous individuals to air their dirty laundry," says Tom Russell, the founder of Step Up For Soldiers.
A news release on the website of the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, KS, lists Sgt. T.J. Butler, 25, of Wilmington, on its latest "Roster of the Damned." The release says "Thank God for 18 more dead troops." Two other North Carolina soldiers killed with Butler in a suicide attack in a market in the eastern Afghanistan city of Khost Monday are also listed among the 18 fallen service members.
For years, Westboro Baptist Church has claimed America's war dead are God's punishment for the country embracing homosexuality. According to the release, church members say,
"We will picket their funerals in their home towns (sic) in respectful and lawful proximity thereof."
The small community of Hampstead, where Butler is from has stepped up in support of him and his family. Several businesses along Highway 17 have put up signs in support.
"Everywhere," says Jeremy Sawyer, a close friend of Butler. "Putting up signs for the family and for him. Praying for him."
read more here
NC, Florida soldiers die in Afghanistan
NC, Florida soldiers die in Afghanistan
The Associated Press
Published: Monday, Oct. 8, 2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- The Pentagon says soldiers from North Carolina and Florida have been killed in combat in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense says 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Justin C. Marquez of Aberdeen and 27-year-old Warrant Officer Joseph L. Schiro of Coral Springs, Fla., were killed Saturday.
read more here
The Associated Press
Published: Monday, Oct. 8, 2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. -- The Pentagon says soldiers from North Carolina and Florida have been killed in combat in Afghanistan.
The Department of Defense says 25-year-old Staff Sgt. Justin C. Marquez of Aberdeen and 27-year-old Warrant Officer Joseph L. Schiro of Coral Springs, Fla., were killed Saturday.
read more here
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Injured Marine to receive new house from Homes for Our Troops
Injured Marine to receive new house from Homes for Our Troops
By JANNETTE PIPPIN
Daily News Staff
Published: Saturday, October 6, 2012
STELLA — Team Lang was out in force Saturday to help kick off of a home construction project that gives back to an area veteran part of what he has lost in service to his country.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the start of construction of a new specially adapted home for Marine Staff Sgt. Bradley Lang, who lost both of his legs above the knee and fractured his pelvis when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan in July 2011.
A group of students from the Coastal Carolina Community College criminal justice program showed up in matching Team Lang shirts to show their support for the project for the Lang family. Alyssa Lang, Staff Sgt. Lang’s wife, is one of their instructors.
“We want to see them get into their new home as soon as possible and we’re going to get volunteers together and do whatever we can to help,” said student Kellie Shirek.
The support of Team Lang extended to friends, family and community members as hundreds gathered in the Forest Ridge subdivision of Stella for the start of the Homes for Our Troops project.
read more here
By JANNETTE PIPPIN
Daily News Staff
Published: Saturday, October 6, 2012
STELLA — Team Lang was out in force Saturday to help kick off of a home construction project that gives back to an area veteran part of what he has lost in service to his country.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held to mark the start of construction of a new specially adapted home for Marine Staff Sgt. Bradley Lang, who lost both of his legs above the knee and fractured his pelvis when he stepped on an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan in July 2011.
A group of students from the Coastal Carolina Community College criminal justice program showed up in matching Team Lang shirts to show their support for the project for the Lang family. Alyssa Lang, Staff Sgt. Lang’s wife, is one of their instructors.
“We want to see them get into their new home as soon as possible and we’re going to get volunteers together and do whatever we can to help,” said student Kellie Shirek.
The support of Team Lang extended to friends, family and community members as hundreds gathered in the Forest Ridge subdivision of Stella for the start of the Homes for Our Troops project.
read more here
Monday, October 1, 2012
Three US soldiers among at least 14 killed by Afghan suicide bomber
Three US soldiers among at least 14 killed by Afghan suicide bomber
By NBC's Courtney Kube and wire reports
A suicide bomber detonated a device in Afghanistan on Monday, killing three U.S. soldiers, one interpreter and four members of the Afghan National Police, a military official told NBC News.
The U.S. soldiers and Afghan police were on a dismounted partner patrol near the center of the Khost region in eastern Afghanistan. The attacker approached and detonated as they were preparing to get back in their vehicles.
Six civilians also died in the attack, Reuters reported.
Despite reports that the bomber was riding a motorcycle, the official said there was no evidence of that. The official added that the dead interpreter is thought to be Afghan.
A witness told Reuters a suicide bomber was wearing a police uniform.
read more here
By NBC's Courtney Kube and wire reports
A suicide bomber detonated a device in Afghanistan on Monday, killing three U.S. soldiers, one interpreter and four members of the Afghan National Police, a military official told NBC News.
The U.S. soldiers and Afghan police were on a dismounted partner patrol near the center of the Khost region in eastern Afghanistan. The attacker approached and detonated as they were preparing to get back in their vehicles.
Six civilians also died in the attack, Reuters reported.
Despite reports that the bomber was riding a motorcycle, the official said there was no evidence of that. The official added that the dead interpreter is thought to be Afghan.
A witness told Reuters a suicide bomber was wearing a police uniform.
read more here
Sunday, September 30, 2012
2,000th U.S. Soldier Killed In Afghanistan Insider Attack
Afghanistan War: 2,000th U.S. Soldier Killed In Insider Attack
By HEIDI VOGT and RAHIM FAIEZ
09/30/12
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan soldier turned his gun on American troops at a checkpoint in the country's east, killing two Americans and at least two fellow members of Afghanistan's army in a shooting that marked both the continuance of a disturbing trend of insider attacks and the 2,000th U.S. troop death in the long-running war, officials said Sunday.
The string of insider attacks is one of the greatest threats to NATO's mission in the country, endangering a partnership key to training up Afghan security forces and withdrawing international troops.
Saturday's shooting took place at an Afghan army checkpoint just outside a joint U.S.-Afghan base in Wardak province, said Shahidullah Shahid, a provincial government spokesman.
"Initial reports indicate that a misunderstanding happened between Afghan army soldiers and American soldiers," Shahid said. He said investigators had been sent to the site to try to figure out what happened.
read more here
By HEIDI VOGT and RAHIM FAIEZ
09/30/12
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan soldier turned his gun on American troops at a checkpoint in the country's east, killing two Americans and at least two fellow members of Afghanistan's army in a shooting that marked both the continuance of a disturbing trend of insider attacks and the 2,000th U.S. troop death in the long-running war, officials said Sunday.
The string of insider attacks is one of the greatest threats to NATO's mission in the country, endangering a partnership key to training up Afghan security forces and withdrawing international troops.
Saturday's shooting took place at an Afghan army checkpoint just outside a joint U.S.-Afghan base in Wardak province, said Shahidullah Shahid, a provincial government spokesman.
"Initial reports indicate that a misunderstanding happened between Afghan army soldiers and American soldiers," Shahid said. He said investigators had been sent to the site to try to figure out what happened.
read more here
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