Another war wound: Financial trauma
December 17, 2010
By Darryl E. Owens,
COMMENTARY
U.S. Army Spc. Dennis Akkurt was used to going toe-to-toe with ruthless enemies in Kosovo and Iraq.
Yet, when the Orlando man returned on special leave from Iraq in October, he quickly realized he was overmatched against his most relentless adversary yet.
Mounting bills.
His step-daughter desperately needed surgery. She had long struggled with an upper-jaw defect that hampered her ability to breathe, or enjoy a meal. She couldn't even close her lips.
His Army benefits whittled the $11,000 surgery to about $6,000.
Not that Akkurt really had that kind of money to spare — particularly after his reservist pay from Uncle Sam ended with his leave. Not that the father of three really had a choice.
"You can tell your landlord, 'No, I'm not paying the mortgage this month,'" says Akkurt, 39, "but you won't tell your daughter, 'You're not going to the doctor because I don't have any money.' "
The surgery brought her a step closer to a million-dollar smile. But it brought the family a giant step closer to ruin.
"Once you start getting behind," Akkurt says, "it's hard to catch up."
Ain't that the truth.
The real shame of it all is, it's a truth encountered by a growing number of Central Florida's returning reservists and National Guardsmen. That war exacts its bitter mental and physical toll on troops comes as no surprise. But too often their wallets become collateral damage.
read more here
Another war wound Financial trauma
Showing posts with label Army Reservists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Army Reservists. Show all posts
Monday, December 20, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
For Susan Luz, being a nurse has meant a life during wartime
WOMAN OF WAR: For Susan Luz, being a nurse has meant a life during wartime
By Linda Murphy
Special to The Herald News
Posted Dec 18, 2010 @ 03:09 PM
TIVERTON —
The guiding force that drove Susan (Corry) Luz through the University of Rhode Island’s rigorous five-year nursing program was her desire to become an Army nurse in Vietnam. Inspired by her father, a decorated World War II combat veteran, Luz avoided the college party scene, and the anti-war sentiment on campus, and focused intently on her plan to serve in the war.
But her father, Patrick Corry, who saw a military nurse killed in World War II, and silently lived with the resonating images of the horrors of war, wouldn’t hear of his young daughter joining up. Instead, she joined the Peace Corps, but her chance to serve came decades later: At age 56, Army Reservist Luz left behind her husband and family in Rhode Island to serve as a nurse in war-ravaged Mosul, Iraq.
Colonel Susan Luz, who was the highest-ranking female soldier in the Army Reserve’s 399th Combat Support Hospital when she was called to active duty, will be discussing her experiences and signing copies of her book, “The Nightingale of Mosul, a Nurse’s Journey of Service, Struggle and War,” at an upcoming event sponsored by the Friends of Tiverton Library.
Luz, who was awarded the Bronze Star in 2007, followed in the footsteps of a storied family history of military service. Her father fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, and her husband George’s father, George Luz senior, was a Fall River native whose experiences in World War II were featured in the book and HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”
It didn’t take very long for Luz to experience the danger of being a nurse serving “behind the front line” in war zone firsthand. On her forth day at the hospital in Mosul, a nurse who was scheduled to leave within a couple days of Luz’s unit taking over was hit by mortar fire and seriously injured.
It was the first MASCAL (code for mass casualty) of 14 MASCALS that her unit would handle during their year in the Middle East. In all, they treated more than 30,000 wounded soldiers and endured 300 mortar attacks in Mosul and Al Asad, where they relocated to open a Level I hospital when the United States Military ramped up forces in 2007.
read more here
For Susan Luz, being a nurse has meant a life during wartime
By Linda Murphy
Special to The Herald News
Posted Dec 18, 2010 @ 03:09 PM
TIVERTON —
The guiding force that drove Susan (Corry) Luz through the University of Rhode Island’s rigorous five-year nursing program was her desire to become an Army nurse in Vietnam. Inspired by her father, a decorated World War II combat veteran, Luz avoided the college party scene, and the anti-war sentiment on campus, and focused intently on her plan to serve in the war.
But her father, Patrick Corry, who saw a military nurse killed in World War II, and silently lived with the resonating images of the horrors of war, wouldn’t hear of his young daughter joining up. Instead, she joined the Peace Corps, but her chance to serve came decades later: At age 56, Army Reservist Luz left behind her husband and family in Rhode Island to serve as a nurse in war-ravaged Mosul, Iraq.
Colonel Susan Luz, who was the highest-ranking female soldier in the Army Reserve’s 399th Combat Support Hospital when she was called to active duty, will be discussing her experiences and signing copies of her book, “The Nightingale of Mosul, a Nurse’s Journey of Service, Struggle and War,” at an upcoming event sponsored by the Friends of Tiverton Library.
Luz, who was awarded the Bronze Star in 2007, followed in the footsteps of a storied family history of military service. Her father fought in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart, and her husband George’s father, George Luz senior, was a Fall River native whose experiences in World War II were featured in the book and HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”
It didn’t take very long for Luz to experience the danger of being a nurse serving “behind the front line” in war zone firsthand. On her forth day at the hospital in Mosul, a nurse who was scheduled to leave within a couple days of Luz’s unit taking over was hit by mortar fire and seriously injured.
It was the first MASCAL (code for mass casualty) of 14 MASCALS that her unit would handle during their year in the Middle East. In all, they treated more than 30,000 wounded soldiers and endured 300 mortar attacks in Mosul and Al Asad, where they relocated to open a Level I hospital when the United States Military ramped up forces in 2007.
read more here
For Susan Luz, being a nurse has meant a life during wartime
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
California company needs to be forced to honor service of Army Reservist?
Calif. sued firm for firing Army reservist
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 24, 2010 9:34:04 EST
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The federal government is suing a Northern California firm for firing a deployed Army reservist.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez says those serving their country should be honored for their sacrifices rather than face discrimination because of their military obligations.
The Justice Department filed the suit Monday against Mountain View-based Titan Laboratories, saying the firm violated a federal law that says those who leave civilian jobs to serve in the military must get their jobs back when they return.
The San Jose Mercury News says the suit alleges Titan improperly fired warehouse manager Miguel Orozco Garduno last year. Garduno, who had worked at the industrial cleaning products firm since 2001, was told his deployment forced his termination.
Calif. sued firm for firing Army reservist
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 24, 2010 9:34:04 EST
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The federal government is suing a Northern California firm for firing a deployed Army reservist.
U.S. Assistant Attorney General Thomas Perez says those serving their country should be honored for their sacrifices rather than face discrimination because of their military obligations.
The Justice Department filed the suit Monday against Mountain View-based Titan Laboratories, saying the firm violated a federal law that says those who leave civilian jobs to serve in the military must get their jobs back when they return.
The San Jose Mercury News says the suit alleges Titan improperly fired warehouse manager Miguel Orozco Garduno last year. Garduno, who had worked at the industrial cleaning products firm since 2001, was told his deployment forced his termination.
Calif. sued firm for firing Army reservist
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Guard and Reserve, took their own lives in June, a rate of one a day
National Guard and Reserve suicide rates climbing
By DAVID GOLDSTEIN
McClatchy Newspapers
WASHINGTON -- Suicides among Army and Air National Guard and Reserve troops have spiked this year, and the military is at a loss to explain why.
Sixty-five members of the Guard and Reserve took their own lives during the first six months of 2010, compared with 42 for the same period in 2009. The grim tally is further evidence that suicides continue to plague the military even though it's stepped up prevention efforts through counseling and mental health awareness programs.
"Suicides among military personnel and veterans are at an epidemic rate, and it's getting worse," said Tim Embree, a former Marine who served two tours in Iraq and is now a legislative associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, an advocacy group.
The Army recently announced that 32 soldiers, including 11 in the Guard and Reserve, took their own lives in June, a rate of one a day and a level not seen since the Vietnam War, according to the military.
Seven of the suicides occurred in Iraq or Afghanistan.
The worrisome trend is reflected in Missouri, where the state Army and Air National Guards have suffered six suicides so far this year, their highest total in a decade.
They account for nearly a quarter of the 27 suicides experienced since the Missouri Guard started keeping records in 2001.
"We're all devastated," said Col. Gary Gilmore, joint force chaplain for the Missouri Guard. "From their battle buddy right next to them all the way up the chain, each one has a tremendous personal impact and sense of loss."
Read more: National Guard and Reserve suicide rates climbing
This is why I need your help. They are dying, families are falling apart and none of it has to happen.
Between the two blogs I have there are over 20,000 posts. In the almost three years this blog has been up, there are 9,928 posts. This one makes 9,929. Of these there are 185 post on Military Suicides, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 2472, plus these;
PTSD (874)
PTSD advocate (8)
PTSD After Trauma (7)
PTSD and crimes (2)
PTSD and domestic violence (4)
PTSD and families (11)
PTSD and heart disease (1)
PTSD and homeless (1)
PTSD and military (4)
PTSD and police officers (5)
PTSD and suicide (11)
PTSD awareness (17)
PTSD Bill (1)
PTSD books (15)
PTSD CD (1)
PTSD claims (6)
PTSD clinic (1)
PTSD comes from bad training (1)
PTSD denial (2)
PTSD documentary (3)
PTSD drug (2)
PTSD education (2)
PTSD Final Battle of War (2)
PTSD firefighter (1)
PTSD gun owners (1)
PTSD honor (1)
PTSD I Grieve (6)
PTSD in children (1)
PTSD in firefighters (1)
PTSD in theater (1)
PTSD It's All About Soul (1)
PTSD linked to heart attacks (1)
PTSD marriages (1)
PTSD medal (1)
PTSD medications (9)
PTSD mobile center (1)
PTSD new claim rules (1)
PTSD Not God's Judgment video (2)
ptsd on trial (80)
PTSD prevention (2)
PTSD programs (1)
PTSD redeployed (5)
PTSD research (52)
PTSD screening (1)
PTSD secondary stressor (2)
PTSD service dogs (16)
PTSD signs (1)
PTSD siminar (1)
PTSD study (7)
PTSD support (17)
PTSD symptoms (1)
PTSD treatments (2)
PTSD veteran (2)
PTSD veterans in jail (4)
PTSD video (54)
PTSD web site (1)
PTSD Women’s and Family Support Group (1)
PTSD-TBI Guaranteed Review for Heroes Act (1)
In 2002 I self-published a book on living with PTSD For The Love of Jack. In 2005 I started to make videos so that no one would ever have to feel alone, hopeless or neglected ever again. While you see posts from 2005 on Screaming in an Empty Room, there were a lot more blogs and websites. Keep in mind I began this work in 1982. None of this has to happen!
I track the reports from across the country for one simple reason. It connects people so they can read about things happening all across the nation. If people think there is only one story out there about a soldier committing suicide, a veteran going homeless, a family falling apart, then they tend to not pay that much attention to it, yet when they read thousands of stories, they finally understand this is a huge story.
While readers of this blog are fully aware of my financial problems, that is not what I'm asking for help with right now. I'm asking you to send the links of my videos and my blog to everyone you know! Don't wait for someone else to help. The "powers that be" won't listen to someone like me because I have no money, no power behind me. I know I can't save all of them, can't keep every family together but I've managed to save a lot of them including my own. I don't just study this. I don't just track it. It's my life and I'll be damned if I don't try to give someone the same outcome I have today.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Patriot Hills, a new vets' center, may offer help to hope
Encouraging words for Saranac Lake veterans' center
The Department of Defense is focusing more attention on post traumatic stress disorder, estimating that over 300,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. Thousands of them are "civilian soldiers" — members of the Army Reserves and National Guard.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says combat vets are more likely to commit crimes or suffer effects of psychological trauma. Military officials are actively looking for new ways to help them heal and rejoin civilian life.
A group in Saranac Lake hopes Patriot Hills, a new vets' center proposed for the village, will be a good fit. This week, they got some encouraging words from the Army national Guard's medical commander. Martha Foley has more.
read more here
Encouraging words for Saranac Lake veterans center
The Department of Defense is focusing more attention on post traumatic stress disorder, estimating that over 300,000 veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. Thousands of them are "civilian soldiers" — members of the Army Reserves and National Guard.
The Department of Veterans Affairs says combat vets are more likely to commit crimes or suffer effects of psychological trauma. Military officials are actively looking for new ways to help them heal and rejoin civilian life.
A group in Saranac Lake hopes Patriot Hills, a new vets' center proposed for the village, will be a good fit. This week, they got some encouraging words from the Army national Guard's medical commander. Martha Foley has more.
read more here
Encouraging words for Saranac Lake veterans center
Friday, May 21, 2010
Stolen Valor, Fake Marine Fakes way into Army as NCO
AP INVESTIGATION: Texas man faked way into Army
By DANNY ROBBINS (AP) – 5 hours ago
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.
The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the AP, raises more questions about the Army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, some say the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the U.S. military.
Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the Army Reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station. But he wasn't qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.
Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said.
The matter, currently under investigation by the Army, means a soldier received a security clearance and was in position to lead troops in combat even though he hadn't gone through basic training or spent any time in the service. The Corps Support Airplane Company has been deployed in Iraq, providing pilots as well as intelligence and support personnel for an aviation battalion set up to destroy improvised explosive devices.
If it's proven that Johnston gained his Army rank based on a phony Marine record, it would be the first documented case of so-called "stolen valor" in which the military was duped during the enlistment process, according to watchdogs of such fraud. Most cases involve attempts to get veterans' benefits or other forms of financial gain. Congress attempted to crack down on military impostors in 2005 by passing a law that makes it a crime to claim false decorations or medals.
read more here
Texas man faked way into Army
By DANNY ROBBINS (AP) – 5 hours ago
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.
The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the AP, raises more questions about the Army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, some say the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the U.S. military.
Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the Army Reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station. But he wasn't qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.
Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said.
The matter, currently under investigation by the Army, means a soldier received a security clearance and was in position to lead troops in combat even though he hadn't gone through basic training or spent any time in the service. The Corps Support Airplane Company has been deployed in Iraq, providing pilots as well as intelligence and support personnel for an aviation battalion set up to destroy improvised explosive devices.
If it's proven that Johnston gained his Army rank based on a phony Marine record, it would be the first documented case of so-called "stolen valor" in which the military was duped during the enlistment process, according to watchdogs of such fraud. Most cases involve attempts to get veterans' benefits or other forms of financial gain. Congress attempted to crack down on military impostors in 2005 by passing a law that makes it a crime to claim false decorations or medals.
read more here
Texas man faked way into Army
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Obama wants QRMC review of Guard, reserve pay
Obama wants QRMC review of Guard, reserve pay
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 11, 2009 20:46:15 EST
President Barack Obama has ordered the next year-long Pentagon pay study to concentrate on improvements aimed at troops in combat, Guard and reserve members and those wounded in war, their caregivers and survivors.
Additionally, Obama wants the 11th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, scheduled to begin work soon, to look at pay incentives for people whose skills are highly needed in current operations. That includes linguists and translators, special operations personnel, the pilots of unmanned vehicles and mental health professionals.
The review will be carried out by a joint service task force that includes the representatives of the military services, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and Public Health Service. The task force will have a year to complete the work but are expected to have a preliminary report for the White House in six months.
In a Dec. 11 memorandum to the Pentagon setting the agenda for the study, Obama said, “In these times of unprecedented expectations and demands, our attention must be on the well-being of our personnel in uniform. The defense of the homeland and ongoing overseas operations require us to examine and determine whether compensation levels are sufficient to sustain current and future efforts to recruit and retain the right skill set and experience level.”
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/military_qrmcpay_121109/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 11, 2009 20:46:15 EST
President Barack Obama has ordered the next year-long Pentagon pay study to concentrate on improvements aimed at troops in combat, Guard and reserve members and those wounded in war, their caregivers and survivors.
Additionally, Obama wants the 11th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, scheduled to begin work soon, to look at pay incentives for people whose skills are highly needed in current operations. That includes linguists and translators, special operations personnel, the pilots of unmanned vehicles and mental health professionals.
The review will be carried out by a joint service task force that includes the representatives of the military services, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association and Public Health Service. The task force will have a year to complete the work but are expected to have a preliminary report for the White House in six months.
In a Dec. 11 memorandum to the Pentagon setting the agenda for the study, Obama said, “In these times of unprecedented expectations and demands, our attention must be on the well-being of our personnel in uniform. The defense of the homeland and ongoing overseas operations require us to examine and determine whether compensation levels are sufficient to sustain current and future efforts to recruit and retain the right skill set and experience level.”
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/12/military_qrmcpay_121109/
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Even a mugger honored service of veteran
Reservist’s Army ID stops muggers in their tracks
By Carrie Antlfinger - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 11, 2009 7:48:26 EST
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee Army reservist's military identification earned him some street cred Tuesday, when he says four men who mugged him at gunpoint returned his belongings and thanked him for his service after finding the ID.
The 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student said he was walking home from work at about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday when he was pulled into an alley and told to lay face down and with a gun to his neck. Four men took his wallet, $16, keys, his cell phone and even a PowerBar wrapper from his pants pockets, he said.
But the hostile tone quickly changed when one of the robbers, whom the reservist presumed was the leader, saw an Army ID in the wallet. The robber told the others to return the items and they put most of his belongings on the ground next to him, including the wrapper, the reservist said.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_reservist_id_stops_muggers_111109/
By Carrie Antlfinger - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Nov 11, 2009 7:48:26 EST
MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee Army reservist's military identification earned him some street cred Tuesday, when he says four men who mugged him at gunpoint returned his belongings and thanked him for his service after finding the ID.
The 21-year-old University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student said he was walking home from work at about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday when he was pulled into an alley and told to lay face down and with a gun to his neck. Four men took his wallet, $16, keys, his cell phone and even a PowerBar wrapper from his pants pockets, he said.
But the hostile tone quickly changed when one of the robbers, whom the reservist presumed was the leader, saw an Army ID in the wallet. The robber told the others to return the items and they put most of his belongings on the ground next to him, including the wrapper, the reservist said.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/11/ap_reservist_id_stops_muggers_111109/
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Military planning for possible H1N1 outbreak
Military planning for possible H1N1 outbreak
Story Highlights
Military wants to establish regional teams to help civilian authorities respond
Proposal awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Military could provide support such as air transport, large-scale testing
From Barbara Starr
CNN Pentagon Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military wants to establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense Department officials.
The proposal is awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
The officials would not be identified because the proposal from U.S. Northern Command's Gen. Victor Renuart has not been approved by the secretary.
The plan calls for military task forces to work in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is no final decision on how the military effort would be manned, but one source said it would likely include personnel from all branches of the military.
It has yet to be determined how many troops would be needed and whether they would come from the active duty or the National Guard and Reserve forces.
click link for more
Story Highlights
Military wants to establish regional teams to help civilian authorities respond
Proposal awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates
Military could provide support such as air transport, large-scale testing
From Barbara Starr
CNN Pentagon Correspondent
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. military wants to establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense Department officials.
The proposal is awaiting final approval from Defense Secretary Robert Gates.
The officials would not be identified because the proposal from U.S. Northern Command's Gen. Victor Renuart has not been approved by the secretary.
The plan calls for military task forces to work in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. There is no final decision on how the military effort would be manned, but one source said it would likely include personnel from all branches of the military.
It has yet to be determined how many troops would be needed and whether they would come from the active duty or the National Guard and Reserve forces.
click link for more
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
For female soldiers, last battle is within
For female soldiers, last battle is within
By Mark Curnutte - Cincinnati Enquirer
Posted : Monday May 25, 2009 11:20:29 EDT
They are just a fistful of the 200,000 female troops thrust into battle — intentionally or not — in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Spc. Angela Strittholt, Army Reserve Spc. Jennifer Wells, Lt. Col. Iva Griggs and Spc. Laura Seaman are among those female troops who have came home with problems once reserved for fighting men.
They arrive with physical injuries such as paralysis, lost limbs and bad backs. They develop mental health issues, as seemingly benign as sleeplessness and as potentially debilitating as post-traumatic stress disorder, which the Veterans Affairs Department reports that up to 40 percent of veterans — regardless of gender — have or develop during their lives.
go here for more
For female soldiers, last battle is within
By Mark Curnutte - Cincinnati Enquirer
Posted : Monday May 25, 2009 11:20:29 EDT
They are just a fistful of the 200,000 female troops thrust into battle — intentionally or not — in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Spc. Angela Strittholt, Army Reserve Spc. Jennifer Wells, Lt. Col. Iva Griggs and Spc. Laura Seaman are among those female troops who have came home with problems once reserved for fighting men.
They arrive with physical injuries such as paralysis, lost limbs and bad backs. They develop mental health issues, as seemingly benign as sleeplessness and as potentially debilitating as post-traumatic stress disorder, which the Veterans Affairs Department reports that up to 40 percent of veterans — regardless of gender — have or develop during their lives.
go here for more
For female soldiers, last battle is within
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Former Marine Fights Homelessness In Face Of Economy
Former Marine Fights Homelessness In Face Of Economy
Posted: May 18, 2009 07:26 PM EDT
MARINA, Calif.- For 37-year-old Raymond Lavorico, life nowadays is far different from the battlegrounds of Iraq, where he fought both as a Marine and worked as an Army Reservist.
"This is actually harder than that," said Lavorico, referring to the challenges he faces now as a father and husband looking for work during a time when the U.S. unemployment rate is at the highest since the Great Depression.
Lavorico said these are the toughest times he's facing now as he looks for a full time job and tries to keep his wife and three boys off the streets.
"I work very hard, constantly hitting the pavement, going and calling and seeing people who might have a job, I go to job fairs, show my resume."
Lavorico said he applied for everything and anything. During the last two interviews he's had, Lavorico said he's been turned away because of his time in the service.
go here for more
http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10383771
Posted: May 18, 2009 07:26 PM EDT
MARINA, Calif.- For 37-year-old Raymond Lavorico, life nowadays is far different from the battlegrounds of Iraq, where he fought both as a Marine and worked as an Army Reservist.
"This is actually harder than that," said Lavorico, referring to the challenges he faces now as a father and husband looking for work during a time when the U.S. unemployment rate is at the highest since the Great Depression.
Lavorico said these are the toughest times he's facing now as he looks for a full time job and tries to keep his wife and three boys off the streets.
"I work very hard, constantly hitting the pavement, going and calling and seeing people who might have a job, I go to job fairs, show my resume."
Lavorico said he applied for everything and anything. During the last two interviews he's had, Lavorico said he's been turned away because of his time in the service.
go here for more
http://www.kionrightnow.com/Global/story.asp?S=10383771
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Lt. Dan Driscoll mobilized to Walter Reed
Lt. Dan Driscoll mobilized to Walter Reed
By Nancy White / nwhite@cnc.com
Fri May 15, 2009, 10:10 AM EDT
There are few among us who can imagine leaving our home, our families and our jobs for a year.
But, for Cohasset resident Dan Driscoll — Lieutenant Colonel Dan Driscoll of the US Army — that is exactly what will happen come June.
Driscoll, who has served in both the Navy and Army reserves since 1988, is heading to Washington, D.C. to be stationed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. There, as a member of the JAG Corps, he will provide legal assistance to wounded soldiers to help ensure they obtain the benefits they are entitled to receive.
This deployment is the latest installment in Driscoll’s commitment to the armed service and country.
“If you can believe it, I was commissioned during the Carter administration,” in 1980 to be exact, Driscoll said. For the next eight years he was a naval aviator – a backseat F-14 operator. After his eight years of active duty, he joined the Navy reserves and enrolled in law school.
In 2001, he was recruited to the JAG (judge advocate general) Corps, the legal arm of the US military.
“If you want to fly jets the place to do it is the Navy, if you want to be a lawyer the place to do it in the Army,” Driscoll said. In one fell swoop he went from being an aviator to JAG lawyer and from the Navy to the Army. He still proudly wears a set of wings indicating his naval service on his Army uniform.
go here for more
Lt. Dan Driscoll mobilized to Walter Reed
By Nancy White / nwhite@cnc.com
Fri May 15, 2009, 10:10 AM EDT
There are few among us who can imagine leaving our home, our families and our jobs for a year.
But, for Cohasset resident Dan Driscoll — Lieutenant Colonel Dan Driscoll of the US Army — that is exactly what will happen come June.
Driscoll, who has served in both the Navy and Army reserves since 1988, is heading to Washington, D.C. to be stationed at the Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital. There, as a member of the JAG Corps, he will provide legal assistance to wounded soldiers to help ensure they obtain the benefits they are entitled to receive.
This deployment is the latest installment in Driscoll’s commitment to the armed service and country.
“If you can believe it, I was commissioned during the Carter administration,” in 1980 to be exact, Driscoll said. For the next eight years he was a naval aviator – a backseat F-14 operator. After his eight years of active duty, he joined the Navy reserves and enrolled in law school.
In 2001, he was recruited to the JAG (judge advocate general) Corps, the legal arm of the US military.
“If you want to fly jets the place to do it is the Navy, if you want to be a lawyer the place to do it in the Army,” Driscoll said. In one fell swoop he went from being an aviator to JAG lawyer and from the Navy to the Army. He still proudly wears a set of wings indicating his naval service on his Army uniform.
go here for more
Lt. Dan Driscoll mobilized to Walter Reed
Monday, April 6, 2009
Federal reservists to receive pay supplements
Federal reservists to receive pay supplements
By Stephen Losey - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 6, 2009 17:42:53 EDT
Federal civilian employees in the National Guard and Reserve whose income drops when they are mobilized for active-duty service will receive salary supplements to make up the difference.
The supplemental payments begin with the pay period that began March 15, the Office of Personnel Management said in an April 3 memo.
OPM will count locality pay and special rate supplements when determining employees’ basic federal pay. OPM and Defense still must decide what allowances to include when determining basic military pay.
The requirement for the supplemental pay was ordered in the 2009 appropriations bill passed last month.
go here for more
Federal reservists to receive pay supplements/
By Stephen Losey - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 6, 2009 17:42:53 EDT
Federal civilian employees in the National Guard and Reserve whose income drops when they are mobilized for active-duty service will receive salary supplements to make up the difference.
The supplemental payments begin with the pay period that began March 15, the Office of Personnel Management said in an April 3 memo.
OPM will count locality pay and special rate supplements when determining employees’ basic federal pay. OPM and Defense still must decide what allowances to include when determining basic military pay.
The requirement for the supplemental pay was ordered in the 2009 appropriations bill passed last month.
go here for more
Federal reservists to receive pay supplements/
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
13,000 Stop-loss troops still wait for pay
Gates, Army working out stop-loss payments
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 3, 2009 14:46:26 EST
The snail’s-pace development of a plan to pay a monthly allowance of up to $500 for soldiers affected by stop-loss orders has not escaped Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has now taken a personal interest in getting the payments to 13,000 eligible soldiers.
Gates and Army leaders are negotiating final details for a proposal that could be announced within weeks to provide a congressionally approved payment that is expected to apply to 7,300 active-duty soldiers, 4,430 National Guardsmen and 1,452 Army Reserve members, according to testimony Tuesday before the House Armed Services military personnel panel.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/military_stoploss_payments_030309w/
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 3, 2009 14:46:26 EST
The snail’s-pace development of a plan to pay a monthly allowance of up to $500 for soldiers affected by stop-loss orders has not escaped Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who has now taken a personal interest in getting the payments to 13,000 eligible soldiers.
Gates and Army leaders are negotiating final details for a proposal that could be announced within weeks to provide a congressionally approved payment that is expected to apply to 7,300 active-duty soldiers, 4,430 National Guardsmen and 1,452 Army Reserve members, according to testimony Tuesday before the House Armed Services military personnel panel.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/03/military_stoploss_payments_030309w/
Monday, January 12, 2009
St. Petersburg Florida Reservist dies after PT
Reservist dies after PT
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jan 12, 2009 13:04:35 EST
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. — Authorities say an Army reservist from St. Petersburg died after doing physical fitness training with his unit.
The soldier’s name was not released Monday, pending notification of his family. A statement from the Army Reserve Medical Command says the 50-year-old died Sunday morning, shortly after being transported to Bayfront Medical Center. The cause of death was also not immediately released.
He was assigned to Company B, 345th Combat Support Hospital in St. Petersburg.
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Army, National Institute of Mental Health Begin Suicide Study
Army, National Institute of Mental Health Begin Suicide Study
J.D. Leipold, Special to American Forces Press Service
2008-10-31
By
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2008 –
The Army and the National Institute of Mental Health have begun a five-year, $50 million research program into the factors behind soldier suicides and how to prevent them, Army Secretary Pete Geren told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday. Geren said the new partnership with NIMH, the Army Science Board and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs would build on work that already is under way to conduct the most far-reaching and comprehensive research project ever undertaken on suicide and its prevention.
"It's a five-year study to examine the mental and behavioral health of soldiers, with particular focus on the multiple determinants of suicidal behavior and resiliency across all phases of Army service," Geren said. "Family members and family relationships, including parents and siblings, will also be included in the study where it's appropriate."
The study also will include the National Guard and Army Reserve.
This effort will be followed by an Army Science Board study with the goal of identifying correlated risk factors and recommending mitigation strategies and practices to prevent suicide. At the same time, the secretary said, the Army would not wait for the end of the study to implement mitigation strategies, but would put those strategies into practice as they make themselves clear.
go here for more
http://www.emilitary.org/article.php?aid=13637
J.D. Leipold, Special to American Forces Press Service
2008-10-31
By
WASHINGTON, Oct. 30, 2008 –
The Army and the National Institute of Mental Health have begun a five-year, $50 million research program into the factors behind soldier suicides and how to prevent them, Army Secretary Pete Geren told reporters at the Pentagon yesterday. Geren said the new partnership with NIMH, the Army Science Board and the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs would build on work that already is under way to conduct the most far-reaching and comprehensive research project ever undertaken on suicide and its prevention.
"It's a five-year study to examine the mental and behavioral health of soldiers, with particular focus on the multiple determinants of suicidal behavior and resiliency across all phases of Army service," Geren said. "Family members and family relationships, including parents and siblings, will also be included in the study where it's appropriate."
The study also will include the National Guard and Army Reserve.
This effort will be followed by an Army Science Board study with the goal of identifying correlated risk factors and recommending mitigation strategies and practices to prevent suicide. At the same time, the secretary said, the Army would not wait for the end of the study to implement mitigation strategies, but would put those strategies into practice as they make themselves clear.
go here for more
http://www.emilitary.org/article.php?aid=13637
Monday, October 20, 2008
Deployed soldier threatened with lawsuit over lawn
Soldier threatened with lawsuit over lawn
06:53 PM PDT on Friday, October 17, 2008
KREM.com
KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Dozens of volunteers installed landscaping Friday at the home of an army reservist from the Tri-Cities who was threatened with a lawsuit by his homeowners' association.
Volunteers lay sod at the home of an army reservist in Kennewick.
Lt. Burke Jensen moved to Kennewick about a year ago and bought a brand new home. For much of that time, Jensen has been deployed overseas-- mostly in Kuwait.
Last month, the head of Jensens' homeowners association threatened to sue him for not installing landscaping, as required.
"I really don't give a [expletive] where he is or what his problem is," Chick Edwards, owner and developer of the 47-lot subdivision, told the Tri-City Herald.
"This is a contract. I don't like the way his property looks. This clown gets to do what he wants, and I'm as mad as hell," he said.
Edwards' comments drew ire from people across the country after the story was published.
click post title for more
linked from CNN
06:53 PM PDT on Friday, October 17, 2008
KREM.com
KENNEWICK, Wash. -- Dozens of volunteers installed landscaping Friday at the home of an army reservist from the Tri-Cities who was threatened with a lawsuit by his homeowners' association.
Volunteers lay sod at the home of an army reservist in Kennewick.
Lt. Burke Jensen moved to Kennewick about a year ago and bought a brand new home. For much of that time, Jensen has been deployed overseas-- mostly in Kuwait.
Last month, the head of Jensens' homeowners association threatened to sue him for not installing landscaping, as required.
"I really don't give a [expletive] where he is or what his problem is," Chick Edwards, owner and developer of the 47-lot subdivision, told the Tri-City Herald.
"This is a contract. I don't like the way his property looks. This clown gets to do what he wants, and I'm as mad as hell," he said.
Edwards' comments drew ire from people across the country after the story was published.
click post title for more
linked from CNN
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Lawsuit claims unsafe working conditions in Iraq
Lawsuit claims unsafe working conditions in Iraq
By Jared Leone, Times Staff Writer
In print: Monday, September 15, 2008
TAMPA—Patricia Howard wanted to earn good money and serve her country. An Army reservist, she took a job with a Tampa-based company that dismantles explosives. She followed that company to war-torn Iraq.
Now she's suing USA Environmental in U.S. District Court, alleging its managers broke with company policy and federal law by exposing her to a hazard:
Pigeon droppings.
The 2006 lawsuit, sealed until recently under the Whistleblower Act, asks for a portion of the $120-million USA Environmental earned through a contract with the government. Under the False Claims Act, the government also could recoup 70 to 80 percent of the money.
"You had to be aware of your surroundings to be safe,'' said Howard, 39, who now lives in New York. "Going overseas to a war area, you accept that risk as well. ... The risk I did not accept was the one they felt they could expose us to."
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/article811060.ece
By Jared Leone, Times Staff Writer
In print: Monday, September 15, 2008
TAMPA—Patricia Howard wanted to earn good money and serve her country. An Army reservist, she took a job with a Tampa-based company that dismantles explosives. She followed that company to war-torn Iraq.
Now she's suing USA Environmental in U.S. District Court, alleging its managers broke with company policy and federal law by exposing her to a hazard:
Pigeon droppings.
The 2006 lawsuit, sealed until recently under the Whistleblower Act, asks for a portion of the $120-million USA Environmental earned through a contract with the government. Under the False Claims Act, the government also could recoup 70 to 80 percent of the money.
"You had to be aware of your surroundings to be safe,'' said Howard, 39, who now lives in New York. "Going overseas to a war area, you accept that risk as well. ... The risk I did not accept was the one they felt they could expose us to."
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/article811060.ece
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Appeals court rules in favor Nashville police officer
Appeals court rules in favor of reservist
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 22, 2008 21:26:15 EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal appeals court panel has ruled in favor of a Nashville police officer who filed a lawsuit against the department contending his re-employment rights were violated after serving a year in Iraq.
Brian Petty, who served as an Army Reserve captain, requested reinstatement with the Metro Nashville Police Department in February 2005 but was not returned to work until the following month. He was assigned to a clerical position, not to his original job as patrol sergeant or a similar position.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_tnpolicereservist082208/
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Aug 22, 2008 21:26:15 EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A federal appeals court panel has ruled in favor of a Nashville police officer who filed a lawsuit against the department contending his re-employment rights were violated after serving a year in Iraq.
Brian Petty, who served as an Army Reserve captain, requested reinstatement with the Metro Nashville Police Department in February 2005 but was not returned to work until the following month. He was assigned to a clerical position, not to his original job as patrol sergeant or a similar position.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_tnpolicereservist082208/
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tracey Marshall, Army Reserve Sergeant, gets job back
Clerk’s office gives Reservist job back
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 21, 2008 13:37:33 EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County’s court clerk has agreed to reinstate an Army Reserve sergeant to her old job as part of a lawsuit settlement.
The Department of Justice reported Thursday that it had settled the suit on behalf of Tracey Marshall because the circuit court clerk’s office failed to re-employ her at her previous position. Marshall had been a supervisor in the criminal division and wanted that job back when she returned from active duty in October 2005.
The suit also said Marshall’s superiors retaliated against her when she made a complaint under a federal law protecting jobs for people who serve in the military.
Besides giving Marshall her old job back, the clerk’s office will pay her a $2,500 monetary award.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_reservistjob_082108/
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 21, 2008 13:37:33 EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County’s court clerk has agreed to reinstate an Army Reserve sergeant to her old job as part of a lawsuit settlement.
The Department of Justice reported Thursday that it had settled the suit on behalf of Tracey Marshall because the circuit court clerk’s office failed to re-employ her at her previous position. Marshall had been a supervisor in the criminal division and wanted that job back when she returned from active duty in October 2005.
The suit also said Marshall’s superiors retaliated against her when she made a complaint under a federal law protecting jobs for people who serve in the military.
Besides giving Marshall her old job back, the clerk’s office will pay her a $2,500 monetary award.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/08/ap_reservistjob_082108/
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