Air Force veteran with 6 tours crisis at Tampa Airport

VIDEO: Unruly traveler arrested after making scene at TIA because of flight delay
ABC Action News
Mary Stringini, Michael Paluska
Sep 12, 2018

Carmen Rodriguez said her husband was deployed six times over the course of 15 years serving in the Air Force. Recently, she says her husband had threatened suicide.

TAMPA, Fla. — An unruly traveler was arrested after causing a ruckus at Tampa International Airport on Wednesday because he was upset about a delayed flight, officials say.

The incident took place around 2 p.m. in Terminal A outside gate A-12. According to Tampa International Airport officials, the male traveler, identified as Ralph Rodriguez-Hernandez, 36, was waiting to board a Jet Blue flight to San Juan when he became upset because his plane was delayed. Officials say the traveler threatened to kill the ticket agent at the gate.

Video captured of the incident shows the man remove his pants as he yells, "No f****** bomb. I have no f****** bomb."
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Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman's name is unveiled on the Air Force Memorial Honor Wall

Medal of Honor Air Force Memorial Unveiling Ceremony
Air Force TV
AirForceTV
Streamed live 23 hours ago

Medal of Honor recipient and Air Force Special Tactics Combat Controller Tech. Sgt. John A. Chapman's name is unveiled on the Air Force Memorial Honor Wall, August 24, 2018 at 10:00am.

Chapman's widow, Valerie Nessel, was presented the medal by President Donald J. Trump during a White House ceremony, August 22, 2018, in recognition of Chapman's "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."

Chapman was the 19th Airman to be awarded the Medal of Honor since the Department of the Air Force was established in 1947, and the first Airman recognized with the medal for heroic actions occurring after the Vietnam War. He was also the first Special Tactics Airman to receive the medal. The Medal of Honor is the highest award for heroism in military action that the Nation can bestow on a member of its Armed Forces.

Stolen Valor--giving fakes the attention they did not want!

They called the police on these guys and that is the best way to stop them!

Best Stolen Valor Fights 2018! Instant Karma - Instant Justice

1st Cavalry Division veterans last hurrah for Vietnam veteran brother

Vietnam veterans reunite with ailing 'brother'
Tribune-Star
By Alex Modesitt
9 hrs ago

“When I got back from Vietnam I was tired of sleeping on the ground. So I joined the Air Force,” Dierdorf joked. Dierdorf served out the rest of his 27-year armed services career with the U.S. Air Force.

Ken Dierdorf wanted so badly to sit alongside his Army brothers and feel the rush of air blow through an open-sided UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” one last time at Saturday’s Terre Haute Air Show.

But fate, weather and his advanced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis — ALS — wouldn’t allow it.

Meant as one last hurrah for a group of Vietnam veterans who call themselves the “Dirty Half Dozen,” the Visiting Nursing Association and Hospice of the Wabash Valley arranged for Dierdorf and his U.S. Army brethren from around the country to take one last ride in a Huey.

But the flight, scheduled to take off around 9 a.m., was grounded due to fog blanketing the airfield. True to form, as the soldiers’ wives tell it, the group didn’t pay the weather much attention as they waited, instead they took the opportunity to catch up on each others’ goings on and tell stories.

And boy were the stories from veterans that served together in second platoon of the 1st Cavalry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, Bravo Company worth hearing.
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Accused of abusing his children, judge gave him custody and child support?

Young Boys Allegedly Abused By Air Force Colonel Now In His Sole Custody
FORBES
Tara Haelle
August 17, 2018

 “Eric has admitted he cannot control his anger and sexual impulses. It’s sad he is like this because of the IED explosion, but that won't help the boys if he physically or sexually abuses them.” Air Force Master Sgt. Robert Arrant

Tomorrow morning, two six-year old brothers will leave the sole custody of the mother they have lived with for the past five years to live in the sole custody of their father, an Air Force colonel alleged to have physically and sexually abused the boys for years.

The US Air Force's handling of a child abuse case appears to have influenced a civilian custody decision.U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO/TECH. SGT. RICHARD P. EBENSBERGER

The Air Force had deemed the abuse allegations against Colonel Eric Holt as lacking evidence, but as this reporter previously covered, an extraordinary amount of evidence from photographs, video, medical records and witnesses supports the allegations. This evidence includes five disclosures by the boys themselves to non-parental caregivers, medical authorities and child welfare authorities.

Yet in an August 15 Maryland Montgomery County family court decision, Judge Joan Ryon awarded sole custody of the boys to Col. Holt and ordered the boys’ mother, a Harvard-trained anesthesiologist, only to supervised visitation once every two weeks. Ryon did not require Col. Holt to pay any of the more than $100,000 he owed in back child support—despite a previous court order that he do so—but she ordered the boys’ mother, Dr. Holt*, to pay $5700 a month in child support to their father going forward.
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Add Wurtsmith Air Force Base to contaminated military bases?

Michigan Air Force base water may have caused cancer
By: The Associated Press
August 12, 2018

The chemical was first found in the base's water in 1977, but drinking water wells could've been contaminated for many years before the discovery, according to the report. The Air Force installed a groundwater treatment system to clean up the trichloroethylene in the 1980s after being sued by Michigan.

The Wurtsmith Air Force Base grounds in Oscoda Township, Mich., two years ago. (Garret Ellison/MLive.com via AP)

OSCODA, Mich. — A federal health agency says contaminated drinking water might have caused cancer and other chronic disease among veterans and families who lived at a former northern Michigan military base.

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry released last month a draft report about the Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan, MLive.com reported. The report concluded that people who consumed or had skin contact with Wurtsmith water may be at an increased risk for cancer.

Extremely high levels of benzene and trichloroethylene were documented in the former B-52 bomber base’s water before its 1993 closure.

The report is based on long-term exposure over a period of years. The findings also note that even short-term exposure to trichloroethylene for pregnant mothers during the first trimester could lead to heart birth defects in their children.
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3 Fabulous stories of women changing the rules

Service women national treasures!

MJ Hegar Sued the Pentagon and Won. Now She's Running for Congress

MJ Hegar served in the Air Force for 12 years, first as an aircraft maintenance mechanic and later as a pilot. She deployed three times to Afghanistan, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross on her final tour. Courtesy MJ Hegar’s campaign

Carla Provost Becomes the First Woman to Lead the Border Patrol

Ms. Provost, who was appointed acting chief of the Border Patrol last year, will become the first woman to lead the Border Patrol in its 94-year history.

Carla Provost, who has been serving as acting chief of the Border Patrol, is being promoted to lead the agency. Credit:Lexey Swall for The New York Times

This all-female flight crew just made history

"While we are very proud to have made history yesterday by being the first all-female flight crew, we are more proud of the mission we are doing and the safety we are providing for people," said Waddington, who has been a pilot with the NOAA Corps for eight years.

Pilots Rebecca Waddington and Kristie Twining made history on their flight to Hurricane Hector.

Add those women to these!

Lowe's K-9 Employee Charlotte passed away

Texas Vet's Service Dog Who Worked With Him at Lowe's Died
The Golden Retriever was a customer favorite at the store
By Holley Ford
August 3, 2018

Luthy recently posted on his Facebook page that his beloved companion had passed away.

A Texas veteran's service dog who gained fame when she was hired to work at Lowe's has died.

Greg Jaklewicz - Abilene Reporter-News

U.S. Air Force veteran Clay Luthy and his golden retriever, Charlotte, were hired by the home improvement store in Abilene in 2016.
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Original report from 2016

Unclaimed veterans moved from freezer to honor service

Strangers provide military sendoff to veterans unclaimed in death
Michigan Live
By Gus Burns
August 2, 2018

U.S. Airman Second Class Gerald Suttkus, 81, a Detroit native living in Harrison Township, died at home on May 1. He served in the Vietnam War from 1959 until 1965. He later worked as a shipping clerk for a manufacturing company.

Navy Seaman First Class Cyril Brown, 90, of Clinton Township, died Oct. 21, 2017 at Detroit Receiving Hospital. He served during World War II from June 1944 to June 1946.

Thomas Novak, 59, of Warren, died in an area hospital died on April 25. He served as a private first class in the U.S. Army from 1975 to 1976.

Tanya Moutzalias
The Macomb County Council Ritual Team stands in honor of three unclaimed veterans, PV1 Thomas M. Novak (Peacetime), S1 Cyril L. Brown (WWII), A2C Gerald W. Suttkus (Vietnam War), Thursday morning at a memorial service at Harold W. Vick Funeral Home in Mt. Clemens, Aug. 2, 2018. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)

One survived World War II. Another made it out of Vietnam. The third served his country during peace time.

Most servicemen are sent off with gallant funerals in death, firing line salutes, a trumpet playing "Taps" and U.S. flag pageantry, but it wasn't looking like that would be the case for three Macomb County veterans who died over the last year.

Their bodies instead lay in morgue freezers.
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Wild ride up in the air in a Viper

F-16 demonstration pilot uses cockpit camera during air show — and the result is stunning
Air Force Times
By: J.D. Simkins
July 30, 2018

The 2018 F-16 Viper Demonstration Team, commanded by Maj. John "Rain" Waters, center. (Air Force)

The Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team put forth their usual brilliant performance last week when they flew in the 2018 AirVenture air show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

The team from Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, specializes in demonstrating the capabilities of the F-16 Fighting Falcon, one of the service’s prized fighters.

While performing in Oshkosh, the team’s commander, Maj. John “Rain” Waters, put together one hell of a cockpit video specifically for your viewing pleasure.
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Using the words from Contact "Want to go for a ride?" So do a lot of other people. It just came onto YouTube 2 days ago and has had 83,563 views already!

Cockpit video using my virb360 cam in the F-16 Viper Demo Team performance at 2018 Airventure. Pilot: John Waters

Veteran thanked Officer who saved him from suicide

Veteran who considered taking his life thanks cop who saved him
By:KXAN
Posted: Jul 29, 2018

GRANITE SHOALS, TX (KXAN) - Granite Shoals Police Officer Tim Edwards received a challenge coin Friday for getting a veteran mental health treatment when he was about to end his life two weeks ago.

Air Force veteran Larry Guynes says he has struggled with depression and anxiety. The medication he was taking didn't sit well with him and he contemplated killing himself.

"I called the suicide hotline," he said. "I was on the phone with them and unknowingly they called Officer Edwards in."

Edwards was dispatched to Guynes' home.

"When I saw him, I instantly saw somebody who was looking for help," Edwards said.

Edwards says the lessons he learned from crisis intervention training kicked in.

"He was standing in his front yard on his phone when I walked up," Edwards said. "I just gave him the opportunity to speak, let him tell me what's on his mind."

Guynes didn't feel threatened by Edwards, saying he was quiet and calming.

"My focus immediately shifted," Guynes said. "I wasn't thinking about harming myself any longer. It was immediate. It was astounding."

"He had a plan," Edwards said. "I believe he would've went through with it if we would not have intervened that evening."

Guynes was the one who handed Officer Edwards his challenge coin. Etched on the back is the quote "Evil is powerless if the good are unafraid," by former President Ronald Reagan.
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Vietnam Veteran Adrian Cronauer Passed Away

'Good Morning, Vietnam' DJ and Air Force veteran Adrian Cronauer dies at 79
By STARS AND STRIPES
Published: July 19, 2018

“If I did half the things he did in that movie, I’d still be in Leavenworth and not England,” Cronauer told Stars and Stripes during a stop at RAF Mildenhall in 2004.

Adrian Cronauer is a U.S. Air Force veteran and radio personality whose experiences as a disc jockey during the Vietnam War inspired the 1987 Robin Williams film "Good Morning, Vietnam." Cronauer passed away on July 18, 2018. He was 79.

Many things in Robin Williams' portrayal of DJ Adrian Cronauer in "Good Morning, Vietnam" weren't really based on Cronauer. But that drawn-out "goooooood morning, Vietnam" was all Cronauer.

Cronauer, the Air Force veteran played by Robin Williams in the 1987 movie, died Wednesday. He was 79.

The 1987 movie, which Cronauer co-wrote, was loosely based on his life as an Armed Forces Network disc jockey for a year in Vietnam. But, as he said, it is a movie and Williams’ frenzied performance was not him.
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Air Force veteran shot family and set fire to home

Air Force veteran kills himself after shooting wife, triplet daughters
Air Force Times
By: Charlsy Panzino
23 hours ago

An Air Force veteran killed himself after shooting his wife and three of their daughters in Alabama on Saturday, according to authorities.

An Air Force veteran in Alabama shot and killed his wife and one of their daughters.
(File photo)

Robert Orsi was upset after his wife, Charlene — who also served in the Air Force — filed for divorce, the Alabama News Network reported.

The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that the divorce was over Robert Orsi’s alleged drug use.

Orsi allegedly shot and killed his wife under their carport, then went inside their home and lined up his 12-year-old triplet daughters on the floor to shoot them. One was killed, but two survived.

Orsi’s 13-year-old daughter escaped and called 911 from a neighbor’s house, according to WEAR-TV.

After the shootings, Orsi doused the home with gasoline and set it on fire, but he didn’t see that two of his 12-year-old daughters made it out of the house, even with multiple gunshot wounds. The third 12-year-old was found dead in the house, along with Orsi.
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1st Quarter suicide report for 2018

Department of Defense Suicide Prevention Office just released the 1st Quarter suicide report for 2018.

QSR Data Attachment A provides a detailed breakdown of the number of deaths by suicide, within each Service and Component. 

For the 1st Quarter of 2018, the Military Services reported the following: 

 80 suicide deaths in the Active Component 

 18 suicide deaths in the Reserves 

 23 suicide deaths in the National Guard 

 The number of Active Component suicide deaths is greater, by 5, in the 1st Quarter of 2018, compared to the 1st Quarter of 2017 
(80 versus 75 deaths)

Read the report and look at the chart on the last page.

Then look at the numbers of those killed in action during those same years.  

I am sure I do not have to add another word to what you find.

The question is, what are you going to do with what you just learned?

Veteran with flag forced out of Tides Condominium?

Veteran forced to sell home over display of American flag 
By: NBC News 
Posted: Jul 04, 2018 

SWEETWATER, FL (NBC News) – A Florida Air Force veteran says he was forced to sell his home over a dispute about a small American flag he placed in a flower pot. 

"One day I was thinking about the country and I put a small American flag on my front porch in a flower pot," said Larry Murphree. 

"It's a small flag," said Murphree. "It stands for a big thank you." He says the HOA at the Tides Condominium didn’t agree. "I got a violation letter that stated the American flag was an unauthorized object and for me to take it down," said Murphree. 

"They started fining me up to $1,000 because I wouldn't take the flag down."
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Florida Airman retires after 44 years!

Longest Serving Air Force General Retires After 44 Years of Service
News 13
Penton LoCicero
July 2, 3018

Hurlburt Field, Fla. - Honor, duty and commitment are what it takes to lead an entire crew into harms way and still return victorious. It's been a successful career for an Air Force General, who is longest serving general and is now ready for retirement.

Trumpets sounded and flags flew as Lieutenant General Brad Heithold took his final salute after serving for 44 years in the Air force.

"My entire youthful years were dedicated to service to this country and to the United State Air Force. So, really today this day capsulated really all 44 years of my extremely proud service to the country," said Lt. Gen. Brad A. Heithold, United States Air Force, Retired.

Hundreds of distinguished military guest and the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Air Force gathered to celebrate, as Heithold officially enters retirement. He enlisted in the air force in 1974 and was commissioned in 1981.

Forty-four years later, Heithold has an outstanding list of accomplishments.
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58 year old veteran set himself on fire at Georgia Capitol

UPDATE July 3, 2018 from Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — State investigators say a man who identified himself as an Air Force veteran has died after he lit himself on fire in front of the Georgia Capitol last week to protest the Veterans Affairs system.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tweeted Tuesday that 58-year-old John Michael Watts died Monday. Authorities say Watts strapped fireworks to his chest, doused himself with a flammable liquid and set himself on fire June 26. A state trooper who saw what was happening quickly put out the flames. 

UPDATE from Atlanta Journal

About 10:45 a.m., the 58-year-old Air Force veteran from Mableton parked a Nissan Sentra on Washington Street, stepped out of the car and walked toward the Capitol, GSP Capt. Mark Perry told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Veteran sets himself on fire in protest outside Georgia Capitol
Military Times
By: J.D. Simkins
3 hours ago

A veteran who was fed up with treatment by the Department of Veterans Affairs set himself on fire in protest outside of the Georgia state Capitol building in downtown Atlanta on Tuesday.

A veteran protesting treatment from the Department of Veterans affairs set himself on fire outside of the Georgia Capitol building on Tuesday. (Stephen Morton/Getty Images)

The 58-year-old from Mableton, Georgia, who has not yet been identified, parked his car alongside the Capitol before walking toward the building, where he commenced self-immolation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

“He was strapped with some homemade incendiary devices (and) firecrackers, and doused himself with some kind of flammable liquid,” Georgia State Patrol Capt. Mark Perry told the AJC.
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Eddison Hermond National Guardsman and Air Force Veteran found

National Guard member, Air Force veteran found dead in Patapsco River, police say
WJLA News
Stephen Pimpo Jr
May 29, 2018

Eddison Hermond. (Photo, Howard County Police)

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (ABC7) — The body of the Air Force veteran and National Guard member who went missing during Sunday's floods, was found in the Patapsco River Tuesday, according to authorities.

Howard County Police say searchers found the body of 39-year-old Eddison Hermond in the river just across the Baltimore County line.
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Social media slip cracked drug ring in Air Force...guarding nukes?

U.S. troops guarding nuclear missiles took LSD, Air Force records show
CBS News
May 24, 2018

A slipup on social media by one airman enabled investigators to crack the drug ring at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in March 2016, details of which are reported here for the first time. Fourteen airmen were disciplined. Six of them were convicted in courts martial of LSD use or distribution or both.

WASHINGTON -- One airman said he felt paranoia. Another marveled at the vibrant colors. A third Air Force member admitted, "I absolutely just loved altering my mind." Meet service members entrusted with guarding nuclear missiles that are among the most powerful in America's arsenal who used LSD both on and off base.

Air Force records obtained by The Associated Press show they bought, distributed and used the hallucinogen LSD and other mind-altering illegal drugs as part of a ring that operated undetected for months on a highly secure military base in Wyoming. After investigators closed in, one airman deserted to Mexico.

"Although this sounds like something from a movie, it isn't," said Capt. Charles Grimsley, the lead prosecutor of one of several courts martial.
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Shaw Air Force Base female Airman found dead

30-year-old airman from Shaw Air Force base found dead in hotel
by ABC News 4
May 21st 2018

Sumter, S.C. (WCIV) — An airman at Shaw Air Force base was found dead this weekend at an off-base hotel.

The incident remains under investigation by the Sumter County Sheriff's Office.

Monika Carillo, 30, Airman 1st Class, assigned to the 20th Component Maintenance Squadron (CMS) at Shaw Air Force Base, was found dead on Saturday at approximately 10 p.m., according to the public affairs department with the United States Air Force.

She was an electronic warfare section team member who served in the Air Force since Sep. 12, 2017.
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