Horror and stresses of Iraq duty led US sergeant to kill comrades
Soldier's killing spree left five dead – adding to the grim total of murders by US veterans as the military is accused of failing its battle-scarred personnel
Chris McGreal in Washington The Guardian, Saturday 16 May 2009
Everyone – the father, the son, the army – agrees that three tours of Iraq drove Sergeant John Russell to the edge.
But what pushed him over, into shooting dead five of his comrades in an army that was his life for 16 years, is a matter of bitter dispute.
The military has suggested that Russell's work cannibalising and rebuilding robots used to set off roadside bombs brought him into regular contact with gruesome casualties, and that took a toll that exploded at Camp Liberty in Baghdad this week.
The army says it recognised signs of trauma in the 44-year-old sergeant, who was just a few weeks from leaving Iraq, and dispatched him for psychological assessment at a military stress centre in Baghdad. Russell got into a fight there, grabbed a gun and shot two doctors and three other soldiers dead.
That version of events has some of the familiar ring of accounts of traumatised soldiers driven to violence by violence. Ever since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, soldiers have been returning to the US and killing.
Veterans from the two wars have committed at least 120 murders beginning with a spate of killings of wives at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2002 and continuing with five murders at a military base in Colorado last year.
Alongside the killings has come a surge in domestic violence, drug and alcohol addiction. Meanwhile suicides run at twice the rate of people outside the military. But back at his home in Sherman, Texas, Russell's family say it was not the combat but the army that drove the sergeant in an engineering unit over the edge. His father, Wilburn, 73, said the military was Russell's life and that amid the stresses of combat he had fallen out with his officers.
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Horror and stresses of Iraq duty led US sergeant to kill comrades
Showing posts with label Camp Liberty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Camp Liberty. Show all posts
Friday, May 15, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Bodies of servicemen killed by comrade come home from Camp Liberty
Bodies of servicemen killed by comrade come home
Story Highlights
Bodies of five fatally shot by fellow soldier at a stress clinic in Iraq returned
Bodies, in flag-draped cases, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware
Family of three permitted photographers to document the return of loved ones
(CNN) -- The bodies of five U.S. servicemen fatally shot by a comrade at a stress clinic in Iraq were returned to the United States late Wednesday
Army Sgt. John M. Russell of Texas charged with five counts of murder
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met the bodies -- contained in flag-draped cases -- when they arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Family members of three of those killed permitted photographers to document the return of their loved ones.
They were Army Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas; Army Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, New Jersey; and Army Private First Class Michael E. Yates, 19, of Federalsburg, Maryland.
The two victims not photographed were Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Army Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Missouri.
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Bodies of servicemen killed by comrade come home
Family mourns slain soldier 5:04
The family of one of the U.S. soldiers who died when a fellow soldier opened fire at a Baghdad Army stress clinic speaks out.
Story Highlights
Bodies of five fatally shot by fellow soldier at a stress clinic in Iraq returned
Bodies, in flag-draped cases, arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware
Family of three permitted photographers to document the return of loved ones
(CNN) -- The bodies of five U.S. servicemen fatally shot by a comrade at a stress clinic in Iraq were returned to the United States late Wednesday
Army Sgt. John M. Russell of Texas charged with five counts of murder
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met the bodies -- contained in flag-draped cases -- when they arrived at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Family members of three of those killed permitted photographers to document the return of their loved ones.
They were Army Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas; Army Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, New Jersey; and Army Private First Class Michael E. Yates, 19, of Federalsburg, Maryland.
The two victims not photographed were Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, North Carolina, and Army Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Missouri.
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Bodies of servicemen killed by comrade come home
Family mourns slain soldier 5:04
The family of one of the U.S. soldiers who died when a fellow soldier opened fire at a Baghdad Army stress clinic speaks out.
Is Camp Liberty the tragedy that will end the excuses?
by
Chaplain Kathie
Is this the tragedy that will end the excuses? Is this the moment in time when the military invests the same kind of training and time they put into sending soldiers into combat to make sure they are sending them home with the help they need to heal from it?
The military has finally come a long way from the days of chain of command not only ignoring this wound but taking it out on the wounded. Sadly, there are still too many either dismissing it or still taking it out on the men and women serving. You'd think they would all open their minds to learn about this wound they cannot see as they do when it comes to learning how to use weapons but too many still don't.
Some of the programs the military has are not working and in some cases making things worse, but they still use them. Battlemind training tells the troops they can train their brain to be "toughened" and in the process telling them anyone wounded by PTSD is wounded because they are just not tough enough, didn't prepare for battle and it's their fault. This is the beginning of the program and then they address what PTSD is but it's too late. The message has already been delivered. The only message that will sink in has been implanted. This adds to the stigma and brings a sense of shame onto their shoulders. They actually believe they can train their brains.
Instead of seeking help to heal as soon as they begin to experience the symptoms of PTSD, they try to fight it off. They have the ammunition to support this because of Battlemind and they go into denial. Anger comes out while pain sets in. They are wounded and feeling guilty because they are. Then they feel as if they are just not good enough, strong enough, tough enough to be able to stand next to the others not touched by what they also witnessed. They look at the men and women they serve with and wonder why the others are better than them. After all, the military can't be wrong about PTSD and they just must have not done a good enough job to prevent this. The problem is, the military has been totally wrong about PTSD for all these years. They have a lot to make up for.
What about today? What about the soldiers still thinking it's their fault? What about the families without a clue what PTSD is and what they can come home with? Military spouses will be the first to tell you they don't want to even think about this as they have so many other things to worry about. Yet this "worry" is something they can do something about if only they would learn what it is. Some units have begun to set up programs so that the soldiers and the spouses become fully aware of it but time will tell if these programs are any better than Battlemind training or not. How much time do we have? How many more will commit suicide because they were not trained to heal properly? How many more families will be left to grieve over needless deaths? This happened at a crisis center and there are more things coming out about this offering some clue as to why. Sgt. Russell will be able to speak on what was going on and what was behind this but there seems to be he had a sense of denial about what was going on with him. If this career solider had the wrong idea about PTSD, could that have been so embedded within him that he was willing to do anything to prove the doctors wrong and stop them from "insulting him" because of this denial? We'll have to wait to hear what he has to say as the investigation goes on but the five dead were either seeking help or trying to help, so clearly, they understood the need to seek help, but Russell still didn't.
Chaplain Kathie
Is this the tragedy that will end the excuses? Is this the moment in time when the military invests the same kind of training and time they put into sending soldiers into combat to make sure they are sending them home with the help they need to heal from it?
The military has finally come a long way from the days of chain of command not only ignoring this wound but taking it out on the wounded. Sadly, there are still too many either dismissing it or still taking it out on the men and women serving. You'd think they would all open their minds to learn about this wound they cannot see as they do when it comes to learning how to use weapons but too many still don't.
Some of the programs the military has are not working and in some cases making things worse, but they still use them. Battlemind training tells the troops they can train their brain to be "toughened" and in the process telling them anyone wounded by PTSD is wounded because they are just not tough enough, didn't prepare for battle and it's their fault. This is the beginning of the program and then they address what PTSD is but it's too late. The message has already been delivered. The only message that will sink in has been implanted. This adds to the stigma and brings a sense of shame onto their shoulders. They actually believe they can train their brains.
Instead of seeking help to heal as soon as they begin to experience the symptoms of PTSD, they try to fight it off. They have the ammunition to support this because of Battlemind and they go into denial. Anger comes out while pain sets in. They are wounded and feeling guilty because they are. Then they feel as if they are just not good enough, strong enough, tough enough to be able to stand next to the others not touched by what they also witnessed. They look at the men and women they serve with and wonder why the others are better than them. After all, the military can't be wrong about PTSD and they just must have not done a good enough job to prevent this. The problem is, the military has been totally wrong about PTSD for all these years. They have a lot to make up for.
What about today? What about the soldiers still thinking it's their fault? What about the families without a clue what PTSD is and what they can come home with? Military spouses will be the first to tell you they don't want to even think about this as they have so many other things to worry about. Yet this "worry" is something they can do something about if only they would learn what it is. Some units have begun to set up programs so that the soldiers and the spouses become fully aware of it but time will tell if these programs are any better than Battlemind training or not. How much time do we have? How many more will commit suicide because they were not trained to heal properly? How many more families will be left to grieve over needless deaths? This happened at a crisis center and there are more things coming out about this offering some clue as to why. Sgt. Russell will be able to speak on what was going on and what was behind this but there seems to be he had a sense of denial about what was going on with him. If this career solider had the wrong idea about PTSD, could that have been so embedded within him that he was willing to do anything to prove the doctors wrong and stop them from "insulting him" because of this denial? We'll have to wait to hear what he has to say as the investigation goes on but the five dead were either seeking help or trying to help, so clearly, they understood the need to seek help, but Russell still didn't.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE BUENO-GALDOS FAMILY
Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany. He was a Paterson resident and one of the victims of the deadly Monday soldier-on-soldier shooting.
Paterson soldier slain at Camp Liberty shooting wanted to study medicine
by Tomas Dinges/For The Star-Ledger
Wednesday May 13, 2009, 1:44 PM
The Department of Defense today identified Paterson resident Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos as one of the five victims of the deadly shooting Monday at Camp Liberty in Iraq.
Bueno-Galdos is survived by his wife, Greisyn Bueno, his mother, Eugenia Galdos, his father, Carlos Bueno, two brothers and a sister.
"We will never forget him," said his mother. "He was always a very good kid, and we love him a lot."
Bueno-Galdos, 25, the second youngest of four children, emigrated from Mollendo, Peru when he was about 7 years old.
"He was a great kid, very studious," said Carlos Bueno, his father. "Almost everything that he wanted, he achieved."
Bueno-Galdos was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany; this was his second tour in Iraq.
"SSG Bueno-Galdos was an excellent leader," said Bruce Anderson, a spokesman for the U.S. Army, in an e-mail. "His dedication to duty, to his family and to his faith was an inspiration to us all. His love for country and friends were a model for all of us to follow. His presence will be missed by all the soldiers of the Task Force Black Knights."
Bueno-Galdos's awards include: Army Commendation Medal (Two Oak Leave Cluster), Army Good Conduct medal, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, and Overseas Service Ribbon.
Camp Liberty, where the deadly shooting took place in Baghdad, is operated by the 55th Medical Company, a Reserve unit headquartered in Indianapolis.
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Paterson soldier slain at Camp Liberty shooting wanted to study ...
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Slain GI's mom has anger, sympathy for suspect
Slain GI's mom has anger, sympathy for suspect
The mother of one of the American service members killed in a military stress clinic shooting in Baghdad said Wednesday she harbors "mixed emotions" toward the attacker who killed her son.
"I feel for him, but at the same time I am very angry at him," said Shawna Machlinski, mother of slain Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr. Sgt. John M. Russell has been charged with five counts of murder in the killings. full story
Winding paths led victims to Iraq stress clinic
What is the answer here? What didn't work? We always end up asking the same questions no matter if these things happen in the military or in civilian life. While the military has to make sure they are doing the right thing and the best thing for the troops, the rest of us are asking what we could have done. It always happens that way. The people in the lives of all six men, the five killed and Russell's family are left to keep asking questions until all the investigations are done and then, well, they will probably be asking themselves questions for a very long time. All these lives changed forever in an instant. How much harder will it be if they learn this all could have been prevented if people had learned from the last 30 years what needs to be done and did it? That's the biggest problem we have now because there will be more cases when the men and women have been let down by the military they served.
"Dr. Matthew Houseal,,,,was there because he felt he needed to be."
Commander Springle wanted to "be proactive" and take care of the troops.
They all wanted to do their part. So who didn't do their's?
Russell's father said the military "broke him" and pushed him over the edge with some kind of tests. He said Russell was berated and belittled, made to feel worthless but from this report, Houseal and Springle were doing the right thing. Russell's commander sent him for help and knew he needed it enough that he took Russell's weapon away from him.
Could it have all been in Russell's mind? Paranoia is part of PTSD. They sometimes think all kinds of things are true when they just took things the wrong way. Did Russell have the stigma so deeply in his thoughts that no matter what anyone said he would have reacted badly? It's happened before. Denial mixed with paranoia can push people over the edge but it usually takes a very long time for the cycle to cut that deeply. Were there clues long ago and ignored until Russell was at the breaking point? Had past commanders ignored problems Russell was having? How often do the PTSD/stressed out troops attempt to hide and deny they are having problems until those problems get so bad and terrifying they snap as well?
The biggest issue is getting rid of this stupid stigma, making them think it's their fault or they are defective in someway instead of human in all ways. After all, considering where they're coming from, their normal. They come into this world as humans just like the rest of us but they have something inside of them that causes them to care, to give a damn about strangers and be willing to lay down their lives for them. When they survive traumatic events, they walk away with their own pain as well as the pain of others and depending on how deeply they are able to feel, they can get cut so deeply becoming so wounded they don't want to feel anything anymore. It all just causes too much pain.
If PTSD is caught and treated early, it stops getting worse and much can be reversed. The problem comes when it has had time to fester and claim more of the wounded much like an infection digs deeper without treatment.
Because of Vietnam veterans we know that it is never too late for them to begin to heal and reclaim parts of their lives but some damage cannot be healed. They learn to cope with it when they get help and they learn to find their own kind of normal in all of this. It is not hopeless but it take a lot of work and a lot of time and armies of people around them to help them. You'd think with the "brotherhood" of the military there would be plenty of people helping the soldiers needing help, but there are not and too few are trained to know what the hell they are doing. We've read enough of those reports over the last (almost) two years on this blog alone. So when does it change? When is it enough so that everything the military can hit this with actually happens? The troops have been deployed going on 8 years. Iraq and Afghanistan are no where near being resolved and will produce more and more deaths along with wounded. We can't even take care of the wounded we have already and the Vietnam veterans, Korean veterans, WWII veterans along with the Gulf War veterans, Somalia and Bosnia veterans are all still standing in line for their turn. Where do we put the ones the coming years will create? What can be done to prevent the next wounded like Russell from "breaking" from what we ask of them?
"Dr. Matthew Houseal,,,,was there because he felt he needed to be."
Commander Springle wanted to "be proactive" and take care of the troops.
They all wanted to do their part. So who didn't do their's?
Russell's father said the military "broke him" and pushed him over the edge with some kind of tests. He said Russell was berated and belittled, made to feel worthless but from this report, Houseal and Springle were doing the right thing. Russell's commander sent him for help and knew he needed it enough that he took Russell's weapon away from him.
Could it have all been in Russell's mind? Paranoia is part of PTSD. They sometimes think all kinds of things are true when they just took things the wrong way. Did Russell have the stigma so deeply in his thoughts that no matter what anyone said he would have reacted badly? It's happened before. Denial mixed with paranoia can push people over the edge but it usually takes a very long time for the cycle to cut that deeply. Were there clues long ago and ignored until Russell was at the breaking point? Had past commanders ignored problems Russell was having? How often do the PTSD/stressed out troops attempt to hide and deny they are having problems until those problems get so bad and terrifying they snap as well?
The biggest issue is getting rid of this stupid stigma, making them think it's their fault or they are defective in someway instead of human in all ways. After all, considering where they're coming from, their normal. They come into this world as humans just like the rest of us but they have something inside of them that causes them to care, to give a damn about strangers and be willing to lay down their lives for them. When they survive traumatic events, they walk away with their own pain as well as the pain of others and depending on how deeply they are able to feel, they can get cut so deeply becoming so wounded they don't want to feel anything anymore. It all just causes too much pain.
If PTSD is caught and treated early, it stops getting worse and much can be reversed. The problem comes when it has had time to fester and claim more of the wounded much like an infection digs deeper without treatment.
Because of Vietnam veterans we know that it is never too late for them to begin to heal and reclaim parts of their lives but some damage cannot be healed. They learn to cope with it when they get help and they learn to find their own kind of normal in all of this. It is not hopeless but it take a lot of work and a lot of time and armies of people around them to help them. You'd think with the "brotherhood" of the military there would be plenty of people helping the soldiers needing help, but there are not and too few are trained to know what the hell they are doing. We've read enough of those reports over the last (almost) two years on this blog alone. So when does it change? When is it enough so that everything the military can hit this with actually happens? The troops have been deployed going on 8 years. Iraq and Afghanistan are no where near being resolved and will produce more and more deaths along with wounded. We can't even take care of the wounded we have already and the Vietnam veterans, Korean veterans, WWII veterans along with the Gulf War veterans, Somalia and Bosnia veterans are all still standing in line for their turn. Where do we put the ones the coming years will create? What can be done to prevent the next wounded like Russell from "breaking" from what we ask of them?
Winding paths led victims to Iraq stress clinic
By ALLEN G. BREED
Keith Springle, who grew up swimming and fishing off the North Carolina coast and seemed destined as a boy to join the Navy, was in Iraq because it was his duty as a military psychologist. Dr. Matthew Houseal, a 54-year-old Army reservist and psychiatrist, was there because he felt he needed to be.
Regardless of how they came to be there, both made it their mission to help their fellow service members cope with the stress of life in the combat zone. Soldiers like the Maryland rebel who liked tinkering with guns and despised "pencil pushers"; or the Peru native who, whether he was walking the streets of New Jersey or the dirt roads of Iraq, was a magnet for candy-seeking kids; or the shy video gamer from Missouri whose refusal to back down probably cost him his life.
Killed were Springle, 52, a Navy commander from Beaufort, N.C.; Houseal of Amarillo, Texas; Army Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, N.J.; Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Mo.; and Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Md., who had met Russell shortly before the shootings.
(Rose Coleman Barton's Grandmother) Coleman said the Army told the family that Barton died trying to shield another man from the shooting.
"And he tried to talk the guy with the gun to put his gun down," she said.
Springle knew mental health issues in the past weren't being addressed and wanted to be proactive in treating the issues faced by soldiers and their families, said Staff Sgt. Robert Mullis from the Boone-based 1451st Transportation Company of the N.C. National Guard, who was part of a civilian outreach program with Springle.
"He saw it as preventive maintenance," Mullis said of Springle. "They've just been through some tough experiences. He was reaching out trying to try and stop a big beast before it got started."
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Winding paths led victims to Iraq stress clinic
What kind of tests did the military do on Sgt. Russell?
Sgt. Russell had been in the military most of his life. Third tour plus two before this in other countries. It is not as if he is new to any of this. If he had problems we need to find out what kind of tests were done and if the tests sent an already stressed out career soldier over the edge or not. If they did, then how many others were sent over the edge as well?
Base Slayings Spur Probe of Mental Health Care
By Ernesto Londoño
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
BAGHDAD, May 12 -- The U.S. military said Tuesday that it is launching a probe to identify shortcomings in mental health treatment for troops deployed in war zones, after a soldier allegedly killed five fellow service members at a base clinic in Baghdad on Monday.Military police officers took Russell into custody outside the clinic shortly after the shooting.
Perkins said Army criminal investigators are putting together a timeline of the events leading up to the shootings. He said he was not aware of a motive and did not know whether Russell knew any of the slain troops.
Russell's father, Wilburn Russell, 73, told the Associated Press on Tuesday that counselors at the clinic "broke" his son, by putting him through stressful mental tests but not clarifying that they were merely tests. The elder Russell said his son had e-mailed his wife sometime before the shooting and told her he had had two of the worst days in his life. He told her that "his life was over as far as he was concerned," the father said. Wilburn Russell said his son was not a violent man.
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Base Slayings Spur Probe of Mental Health Care
Army IDs soldiers shot by Sgt. at Camp Liberty
Army IDs soldiers shot by sgt. at Camp Liberty
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 13, 2009 10:50:21 EDT
The Defense Department has identified the four soldiers killed Monday when a fellow soldier fired into a combat stress clinic on Camp Liberty, Iraq.
Houseal was assigned to the 55th Medical Company of Indianapolis, Ind.
Bueno-Galdos and Yates were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of Grafenwoehr, Germany. Barton belonged to the 277th Engineer Company, 420th Engineer Brigade of Waco, Texas.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/army_shooting_update4_051309w/
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 13, 2009 10:50:21 EDT
The Defense Department has identified the four soldiers killed Monday when a fellow soldier fired into a combat stress clinic on Camp Liberty, Iraq.
They are
Maj. Matthew P. Houseal, 54, of Amarillo, Texas;
Sgt. Christian E. Bueno-Galdos, 25, of Paterson, N.J.;
Spc. Jacob D. Barton, 20, of Lenox, Mo.; and
Pfc. Michael E. Yates Jr., 19, of Federalsburg, Md.
Houseal was assigned to the 55th Medical Company of Indianapolis, Ind.
Bueno-Galdos and Yates were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team of Grafenwoehr, Germany. Barton belonged to the 277th Engineer Company, 420th Engineer Brigade of Waco, Texas.
The fifth service member killed Monday was identified Tuesday.
He was Navy Cmdr. Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C.
He also was assigned to the 55th Medical Company.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/05/army_shooting_update4_051309w/
Camp Liberty shootings leave a lot of questions
by
Chaplain Kathie
The killing of five soldiers at Camp Liberty in Iraq raises serious questions. Sgt. John Russell was reported to have gone to a Chaplain and sent to the stress clinic. It seems he was in denial of having a need for help. Obviously his commander thought differently and took his weapon away from him. Russell's father said the military "broke" his son. After a long career in the military, Russell was on his third deployment. With serving that long in the military, should it be found he was wounded by PTSD, then why didn't it sink in that he needed help to heal? It's not as if he was a new recruit. Has the military been doing a good enough job getting thru to the soldiers that there is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to PTSD? If they had, would this have happened?
There is also the issue of the report coming out of Afghanistan with 60 Chaplains busy trying to "hunt down" souls for God and proselytizing within the military as well as the people of Afghanistan. Are they so busy breaking military rules and evangelizing that they are not focusing on the spiritual needs of stressed out troops and is this still going on in Iraq as well?
We know there is a shortage of Chaplains in the military. The Navy has offered scholarships to recruit Chaplains. We also know that when it comes to mental health providers, there are not enough psychologist and psychiatrists to take care of the growing need of the troops. Chaplains play a vital role, or are supposed to, when the troops need help. This leaves us wondering if the Chaplains are all trained to do the work and doing it to the fullest of their duties or are they concentrating more on proselytizing instead?
While it breaks our hearts to have the men and women serving this nation die because of combat, it is part of what happens when they serve and we accept the death more easily than we do when they die needlessly. It should never, ever be acceptable for them to die because they lack help. Sgt. Russell shot five people at a Crisis Center, so we know there are soldiers seeking help and therefore the military is addressing the need, but we still have to wonder what was said or not said setting Russell off. As reports come out, this question needs to be answered. If he does have PTSD, then what was not explained to him about it leaving him in such denial he turned around and shot five of his "brothers" instead of getting the help that was available at the Crisis Center?
We know by the fact so many are taking their own lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as back home, that the military is still not doing enough, just as the VA is not doing enough. Who is checking on what they are doing and fully investigating if what they are doing is the right thing or not? The programs the military has been using are clearly not working. Had they been working, would units have to come up with their own programs like the Montana National Guard? If the programs in the VA were working, would there be a need for so many other groups to come up with their own programs to take on the issue? Is anyone finding out what these answers are?
So how much time are we going to tolerate being wasted when lives are on the line?
We don't know yet how Sgt. Russell was treated by the Chaplain, what the Chaplain told him or what Russell understood. We do know he was breaking and this was in an email to his father. If he talked to a Chaplain was he forced to do it or did he do it because he wanted to? Was he on any medication? If not then why not?
Chaplain Kathie
The killing of five soldiers at Camp Liberty in Iraq raises serious questions. Sgt. John Russell was reported to have gone to a Chaplain and sent to the stress clinic. It seems he was in denial of having a need for help. Obviously his commander thought differently and took his weapon away from him. Russell's father said the military "broke" his son. After a long career in the military, Russell was on his third deployment. With serving that long in the military, should it be found he was wounded by PTSD, then why didn't it sink in that he needed help to heal? It's not as if he was a new recruit. Has the military been doing a good enough job getting thru to the soldiers that there is nothing to be ashamed of when it comes to PTSD? If they had, would this have happened?
There is also the issue of the report coming out of Afghanistan with 60 Chaplains busy trying to "hunt down" souls for God and proselytizing within the military as well as the people of Afghanistan. Are they so busy breaking military rules and evangelizing that they are not focusing on the spiritual needs of stressed out troops and is this still going on in Iraq as well?
We know there is a shortage of Chaplains in the military. The Navy has offered scholarships to recruit Chaplains. We also know that when it comes to mental health providers, there are not enough psychologist and psychiatrists to take care of the growing need of the troops. Chaplains play a vital role, or are supposed to, when the troops need help. This leaves us wondering if the Chaplains are all trained to do the work and doing it to the fullest of their duties or are they concentrating more on proselytizing instead?
While it breaks our hearts to have the men and women serving this nation die because of combat, it is part of what happens when they serve and we accept the death more easily than we do when they die needlessly. It should never, ever be acceptable for them to die because they lack help. Sgt. Russell shot five people at a Crisis Center, so we know there are soldiers seeking help and therefore the military is addressing the need, but we still have to wonder what was said or not said setting Russell off. As reports come out, this question needs to be answered. If he does have PTSD, then what was not explained to him about it leaving him in such denial he turned around and shot five of his "brothers" instead of getting the help that was available at the Crisis Center?
We know by the fact so many are taking their own lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as back home, that the military is still not doing enough, just as the VA is not doing enough. Who is checking on what they are doing and fully investigating if what they are doing is the right thing or not? The programs the military has been using are clearly not working. Had they been working, would units have to come up with their own programs like the Montana National Guard? If the programs in the VA were working, would there be a need for so many other groups to come up with their own programs to take on the issue? Is anyone finding out what these answers are?
So how much time are we going to tolerate being wasted when lives are on the line?
We don't know yet how Sgt. Russell was treated by the Chaplain, what the Chaplain told him or what Russell understood. We do know he was breaking and this was in an email to his father. If he talked to a Chaplain was he forced to do it or did he do it because he wanted to? Was he on any medication? If not then why not?
Dr. Matthew Houseal one of the dead among Camp Liberty Shooting
Psychiatrist from Amarillo killed at Iraq clinic
AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A Texas clinic official says a psychiatrist from Amarillo is among the five people shot to death at a military counseling center in Baghdad.
The executive director of the Texas Panhandle Mental Health and Mental Retardation says the wife of Dr. Matthew Houseal (HOUSE'-eel) told him Tuesday that Houseal was among the dead.
Bud Schertler said Houseal had been at the Panhandle clinic for 12 years. He says Houseal had volunteered to go back to assist in Iraq and was called up for duty. He says Houseal was due to return to the clinic the first part of June.
He says Houseal was married and had six children.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — A Navy officer who spent his career helping service members deal with stress and a 19-year-old soldier from Maryland were among the five people shot to death at a military counseling clinic in Baghdad, family members and the Pentagon said Tuesday.
Cmdr. Charles Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C., was one of the victims of Monday's shooting, the Pentagon said. Shawna Machlinski, the mother of Pfc. Michael Edward Yates Jr., said two men from the Army came to her home on the Eastern Shore early Tuesday and said her son was also fatally wounded at the clinic by what they called "friendly fire."
One other officer and two enlisted soldiers also were among the dead, officials said, but their names have not been released.
Machlinski, who last spoke to her son on Mother's Day, said he had talked about the alleged shooter, 44-year-old Sgt. John M. Russell. She said he told her Russell was deeply angry at the military after three tours of duty in Iraq.
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Psychiatrist from Amarillo killed at Iraq clinic
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Updates on Camp Liberty shooting
U.S. soldier charged with murder in Iraq shooting deaths
Story Highlights
NEW: Suspect struggled with fellow soldier over weapon, defense official says
Army Sgt. John Russell charged in killings of five fellow soldiers
Russell, 44, of Texas serving third tour in Iraq
Military spokesman: Russell referred to counseling, had gun confiscated recently
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. soldier who authorities say killed five fellow troops -- including a Navy commander -- at a stress clinic in Iraq on Monday apparently used a weapon he wrested away from another soldier, a Defense official said.
After getting the weapon, the soldier stole a military vehicle and drove to the clinic, where earlier he had been in a fight, the official said.
The shooter was identified as Army Sgt. John M. Russell, according to Maj. Gen. David Perkins, the military spokesman who briefed reporters in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday. Russell has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault after the shooting at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad's international airport, Perkins added. Watch how the Army is handling the case »
A 44-year-old communications specialist from Sherman, Texas, Russell is serving his third tour in Iraq and has previously deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo, according to his service record.
His father, Wilburn Russell, also of Sherman, said Russell had e-mailed his wife saying he believed unidentified officers were trying to run him out of the military.
"As far as he was concerned, the military was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to him," Wilburn Russell said. "Evidently, he felt they turned against him and life was over. He didn't care any more, I guess.
"He broke. He just couldn't handle it."
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U.S. soldier charged with murder in Iraq shooting deaths
U.S. soldier: murder charges 3:50
CNN's Cal Perry reports on U.S. soldier charged with shooting and killing 5 fellow soldiers in Iraq.
U.S. soldier: murder charges
According to this report the stigma of PTSD lives on and keeps soldiers from getting the help they need.
Story Highlights
NEW: Suspect struggled with fellow soldier over weapon, defense official says
Army Sgt. John Russell charged in killings of five fellow soldiers
Russell, 44, of Texas serving third tour in Iraq
Military spokesman: Russell referred to counseling, had gun confiscated recently
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. soldier who authorities say killed five fellow troops -- including a Navy commander -- at a stress clinic in Iraq on Monday apparently used a weapon he wrested away from another soldier, a Defense official said.
After getting the weapon, the soldier stole a military vehicle and drove to the clinic, where earlier he had been in a fight, the official said.
The shooter was identified as Army Sgt. John M. Russell, according to Maj. Gen. David Perkins, the military spokesman who briefed reporters in Baghdad, Iraq, on Tuesday. Russell has been charged with five counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault after the shooting at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad's international airport, Perkins added. Watch how the Army is handling the case »
A 44-year-old communications specialist from Sherman, Texas, Russell is serving his third tour in Iraq and has previously deployed to Bosnia and Kosovo, according to his service record.
His father, Wilburn Russell, also of Sherman, said Russell had e-mailed his wife saying he believed unidentified officers were trying to run him out of the military.
"As far as he was concerned, the military was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to him," Wilburn Russell said. "Evidently, he felt they turned against him and life was over. He didn't care any more, I guess.
"He broke. He just couldn't handle it."
go here for more
U.S. soldier charged with murder in Iraq shooting deaths
U.S. soldier: murder charges 3:50
CNN's Cal Perry reports on U.S. soldier charged with shooting and killing 5 fellow soldiers in Iraq.
U.S. soldier: murder charges
According to this report the stigma of PTSD lives on and keeps soldiers from getting the help they need.
Commander Charles K. Springle Died in Iraq
DoD Identifies Navy Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Commander Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C., died May 11 from injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Camp Victory, Iraq.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a sailor who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Commander Charles K. Springle, 52, of Wilmington, N.C., died May 11 from injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident at Camp Victory, Iraq.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
Camp Lejeune Navy commander is 1 of 5 killed at a stress clinic in Iraq
Posted: May 12, 2009 04:54 PM EDT
Updated: May 12, 2009 06:56 PM EDT
Reported by Claire Simms - bioemail
Posted by Debra Worley - email
WILMINGTON, NC (WECT) - A national tragedy hits home as the United States Army is trying to understand what drove a solider serving in Iraq to kill five people at a stress clinic in Baghdad Monday.
WECT has learned that 52-year-old Commander and Dr. Charles Springle of Wilmington, who was based out of Camp Lejeune, was one of the vicitms killed in the shooting.
Springle was one of two doctors in the group who died. He was a Navy Commander who was based out of the community counseling center at Camp Lejeune before he was deployed to Iraq in 2008.
"[He was] a terrific individual, engaging, fun to be around," said Bob Goodale with the Citizen-Soldier Support Program. "I missed him when he left and now I'm sick at the prospect of not seeing him again."
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http://www.wect.com/Global/story.asp?S=10349412
Sgt. John Russell was treated badly at crisis center according to email to his father
Soldier held in killings 'snapped,' dad says
He feels counselors at stress clinic where 5 died had pushed too hard
SHERMAN, Texas - The father of the soldier charged with killing five fellow troops in Iraq said Tuesday that he believes his son snapped after counselors in a military stress center "broke" him.
Wilburn Russell spoke with reporters in front of the northern Texas home owned by his son, Army Sgt. John M. Russell.
The elder Russell said his son was six weeks away from completing his third tour in Iraq before Monday's shootings at Camp Liberty near Baghdad.
His son was treated poorly at the military stress center and had said over e-mail that two recent days were the worst in his life, Wilburn Russell said.
He felt like "his life was over" and that he had "lived for the military," the elder Russell added.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30678715/
He feels counselors at stress clinic where 5 died had pushed too hard
SHERMAN, Texas - The father of the soldier charged with killing five fellow troops in Iraq said Tuesday that he believes his son snapped after counselors in a military stress center "broke" him.
Wilburn Russell spoke with reporters in front of the northern Texas home owned by his son, Army Sgt. John M. Russell.
The elder Russell said his son was six weeks away from completing his third tour in Iraq before Monday's shootings at Camp Liberty near Baghdad.
His son was treated poorly at the military stress center and had said over e-mail that two recent days were the worst in his life, Wilburn Russell said.
He felt like "his life was over" and that he had "lived for the military," the elder Russell added.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30678715/
Update on soldiers killed at stress clinic at Camp Liberty
Baghdad Shooting Spotlights Combat Stress
Suspect In Murder Of 3 Soldiers, 2 Doctors Was On Third Tour In Iraq, Sources Tell CBS News
BAGHDAD, May 12, 2009
(CBS/AP) An American Army sergeant shot and killed five fellow soldiers following an altercation at a military counseling center in Iraq Monday, officials said. The attack drew attention to the issues of combat stress and morale among soldiers serving multiple combat tours over six years of war.
The suspect had been disarmed after an incident at the center but returned with another weapon, according to a senior military official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the shootings was ongoing.
The U.S. military charged the suspect with five counts of murder, and one count of aggravated assault in the killings. Maj. Gen. David Perkins told reporters Tuesday that the charges were filed against Sgt. John M. Russell of the 54th Engineering Battalion based in Bamberg, Germany.
Perkins said the dead included two doctors, one from the Navy and the other from the Army. The other three dead were enlisted personnel.
Sources tell CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier the suspect was on his third tour of Iraq.
A recent Army study found soldiers on their third or fourth deployment are twice as likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Caught early enough, the symptoms including nightmares, sleep disturbances and rollercoaster emotions and hypervigilance, can be treated. But often troops won't ask for help, reports Dozier.
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Baghdad Shooting Spotlights Combat Stress
UPDATE from CNN Sgt. Russell was on his third tour of Iraq.
Soldier charged in deaths of 5 U.S. troops
Story Highlights
NEW: Official identifies suspect as Army Sgt. John Russell
NEW: Soldier faces five counts of murder, one of aggravated assault
Soldier allegedly fired on, killed five comrades at counseling center near Baghdad
Defense official: Suspect had been a patient at stress treatment center
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. soldier who fired on fellow troops in Iraq has been identified as Army Sgt. John Russell, and he's been charged with five counts of murder, a military spokesman said Tuesday.
U.S. troops get a safety briefing before departing Camp Liberty, Iraq, in December 2008.
Russell killed five people when he fired on other troops at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad International Airport, U.S. officials said.
Along with five counts of murder, Russell also was charged with one count of aggravated assault, said Maj. Gen. David Perkins, who briefed reporters in Baghdad.
Russell is on his third tour in Iraq. He's with the 54th Engineering Battalion, based in Germany. He is in military police custody at Camp Victory.
There are no immediate insights on a motive, Perkins said.
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Soldier charged in deaths of 5 U.S. troops
Suspect In Murder Of 3 Soldiers, 2 Doctors Was On Third Tour In Iraq, Sources Tell CBS News
BAGHDAD, May 12, 2009
(CBS/AP) An American Army sergeant shot and killed five fellow soldiers following an altercation at a military counseling center in Iraq Monday, officials said. The attack drew attention to the issues of combat stress and morale among soldiers serving multiple combat tours over six years of war.
The suspect had been disarmed after an incident at the center but returned with another weapon, according to a senior military official in Washington, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation into the shootings was ongoing.
The U.S. military charged the suspect with five counts of murder, and one count of aggravated assault in the killings. Maj. Gen. David Perkins told reporters Tuesday that the charges were filed against Sgt. John M. Russell of the 54th Engineering Battalion based in Bamberg, Germany.
Perkins said the dead included two doctors, one from the Navy and the other from the Army. The other three dead were enlisted personnel.
Sources tell CBS News correspondent Kimberly Dozier the suspect was on his third tour of Iraq.
A recent Army study found soldiers on their third or fourth deployment are twice as likely to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Caught early enough, the symptoms including nightmares, sleep disturbances and rollercoaster emotions and hypervigilance, can be treated. But often troops won't ask for help, reports Dozier.
go here for more
Baghdad Shooting Spotlights Combat Stress
UPDATE from CNN Sgt. Russell was on his third tour of Iraq.
Soldier charged in deaths of 5 U.S. troops
Story Highlights
NEW: Official identifies suspect as Army Sgt. John Russell
NEW: Soldier faces five counts of murder, one of aggravated assault
Soldier allegedly fired on, killed five comrades at counseling center near Baghdad
Defense official: Suspect had been a patient at stress treatment center
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. soldier who fired on fellow troops in Iraq has been identified as Army Sgt. John Russell, and he's been charged with five counts of murder, a military spokesman said Tuesday.
U.S. troops get a safety briefing before departing Camp Liberty, Iraq, in December 2008.
Russell killed five people when he fired on other troops at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad International Airport, U.S. officials said.
Along with five counts of murder, Russell also was charged with one count of aggravated assault, said Maj. Gen. David Perkins, who briefed reporters in Baghdad.
Russell is on his third tour in Iraq. He's with the 54th Engineering Battalion, based in Germany. He is in military police custody at Camp Victory.
There are no immediate insights on a motive, Perkins said.
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Soldier charged in deaths of 5 U.S. troops
Monday, May 11, 2009
5 US soldiers shot at Camp Liberty in Iraq
Five US soldiers shot dead at Iraq base
51 minutes ago
BAGHDAD (AFP) — Five US soldiers were killed in a shooting at American base Camp Liberty in Baghdad on Monday, the military said in a statement.
"Five coalition forces members were killed in a shooting at Camp Liberty in Baghdad today at approximately 2 pm (1100 GMT)," the statement said.
It added that the incident was under investigation, without providing further details on who may have been behind the attack.
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Five US soldiers shot dead at Iraq base
UPDATE
Officials: U.S. soldier in Baghdad kills 5 troops
updated 3 minutes ago
Story Highlights
NEW: Official now says it's unclear if gunman is among dead
Source says U.S. soldier opens fire on fellow troops
Five killed and three others wounded in incident
Shootings took place at Camp Liberty in Baghdad
U.S. soldier in Baghdad kills 5 troops
UPDATE 5-11-09 2:25pm
Official: U.S. soldier kills 5 at Camp Liberty
By Robert H. Reid - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 11, 2009 13:17:53 EDT
BAGHDAD — A U.S. soldier opened fire at a counseling center on a U.S. base Monday, killing five fellow soldiers before being taken into custody, the U.S. command and Pentagon officials said.
The shooting occurred at Camp Liberty, a sprawling U.S. base on the western edge of Baghdad near the city’s international airport and adjacent to another facility where President Barack Obama visited last month.
A brief U.S. statement said the soldier “suspected of being involved with the shooting” was in custody but gave no further details. Nobody else was hurt, the military said. It was unclear what provoked the shooting.
In Washington, Pentagon officials said the shooting happened at a stress clinic, where troops can go for help with the stresses of combat or personal issues. It was unclear whether those killed were workers at the clinic or were there for counseling. No details were released about the gunman.
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U.S. soldier kills 5 at Camp Liberty
UPDATE
9:48 p.m.
Soldier kills at least 4 in clinic shooting
By Michelle Tan - Staff writerPosted : Monday May 11, 2009 19:53:35 EDT
An American soldier got into a verbal altercation with staff at a combat stress clinic on Camp Liberty, Iraq, returned to the clinic and shot five people Monday, killing at least four soldiers, said an Army official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The soldier, whose identity had not been released Monday evening, was in custody, officials said.
The shooting occurred at Camp Liberty, a large U.S. base on the western edge of Baghdad near the city’s international airport.
According to the Army official, details of the incident continue to emerge as investigators continue their work, but preliminary reports show the soldier was was being escorted to the clinic, for reasons not yet explained. Once inside, he got into a verbal altercation with the staff and was asked to leave. The soldier and his escort got back into their vehicle and began to drive away, according to the Army official.
At some point during the drive, the soldier got control of his escort’s weapon and ordered the escort out of the vehicle, the Army official said. The soldier then drove back to the clinic, walked in and began shooting, the official said.
Army reports show five people were shot; four of them, all soldiers, were killed. Their identities have yet to be released, pending notification of their families.
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Soldier kills at least 4 in clinic shooting
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Troops in Iraq cry, cheer for inauguration
Maya Alleruzzo / The Associated Press Command Sgt. Maj. Julia Kelley, left, of the 229th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, weeps as she watches the inauguration of President Barack Obama at Camp Liberty in Baghdad on Jan. 20.
Troops in Iraq cry, cheer for inauguration
By Maya Alleruzzo - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jan 20, 2009 18:51:00 EST
CAMP LIBERTY, Iraq — Army Sgt. James Bishop wiped away tears while he watched Barack Obama take the presidential oath Tuesday and wished his mother had lived to see a fellow black assume their nation’s highest office.
“My mother always wanted to be here,” said Bishop, 39, from Washington, D.C., who watched the ceremony on TV at Camp Liberty on the western edge of Baghdad.
“She always wanted this to happen, and she said it was going to happen one day,” he added. “Unfortunately, she passed before this time came.”
Across Iraq, many of the 140,000 U.S. military personnel watched the inaugural ceremony on television sets in dining halls and break rooms or over the Web at large installations with Internet service.
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Monday, May 19, 2008
Soldiers going bald in Iraq
What a wonderful act of love from these men and women risking their lives yet caring about others!
Soldiers shave heads to support cancer kids
Story Highlights
Foundation sponsors head-shaving events for cancer awareness, fundraising
Army pediatric oncologist deployed to Iraq set up event at Baghdad camp
Foundation says it has raised more than $34 million since 2000
By Jill Dougherty
CNN
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Under a huge tent just outside the medical unit at Camp Liberty, shielded from the blazing sun, soldiers watch and cheer as two men at a time get their heads shaved. Clumps of hair fall to the hot sand below.
But they're not just fighting the Iraqi heat. They're showing solidarity with sick kids they don't even know.
It started with a dare on St. Patrick's Day 2000, when two guys shaved their heads to support children with cancer. Thus was born the St. Baldrick's Foundation. In eight years, the awareness and fundraising organization says, events have taken place in 18 countries and the United States, "raising over $34 million and shaving more than 46,000 heads."
Maj. Stephen Roberts knows a lot about bald heads. He's a pediatric oncologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. And he's seen a lot of his young patients lose their hair to chemotherapy.
The kids he guides through treatment don't seem fazed by it. "They're just amazing, inspiring kids," Roberts said. "They're going through something more difficult than most of us can imagine and they do it with a level of grace and strength that I don't think I could match."
This year, Roberts planned to participate back home in Washington, but he deployed to Iraq. So he organized the shearing on the base. Watch the soldiers getting shaved to help kids with cancer »
Many of the the soldiers who stepped up on this hot spring day have been touched by cancer in their families. Sgt. Sean Bonney, who's sporting a thick growth of gray hair soon to be shaved off, has a cousin who had childhood cancer and survived. He says he'll be thinking of her. "They're in the fight of their lives," he said. "I just want to encourage them to hang in there and fight on."
Spc. Krystyne Wilson, a medic, says her uncle died of leukemia before she was born. "I'll never get to know my uncle," she says, "and maybe if there were things like this going on back in those times then he could be able to be here today."
Back in the Washington suburbs, the other half of Roberts' fundraiser is taking place in an Irish bar. Doctors, parents, friends, supporters -- and several little patients -- gather as more volunteers go under the razor.
Justyn Exman, 5, is one of those doing the honors -- guided by a professional barber. He looks like he's having fun, as he plows through the man's hair like a suburban father mowing the grass.
Nearby at a table, 6-year-old Briarra Manis is drawing a picture with crayons. Last year she went through treatment and her hair is growing back in an adorable pixie style. As she watches the adults on stage she says, "They act funny." But, she adds, "I think they want to help me."
One young girl with a long ponytail sits in the chair, ready to face the scissors. She's donating it to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients.
Back in Iraq, the female soldiers can't participate; Army regulations don't allow shaved heads for women. But that doesn't stop them from cheering the guys on -- or making donations.
Roberts says research into childhood cancer has made an astounding difference. "Most of the diseases we treat used to be a death sentence," he said. "In the 1950s, 80 percent of kids with cancer died. Today, 80 percent will be cured forever. In the early 1970s leukemia was 100 percent fatal; now 90 percent of kids are cured."
Roberts is in the chair. The barber starts from the bottom and moves up. Big swaths of white scalp gleam in the desert sun. "I'll save on the shampoo," he says. But he'd better load up on the sunscreen.
click post title for link
linked from RawStory
Soldiers shave heads to support cancer kids
Story Highlights
Foundation sponsors head-shaving events for cancer awareness, fundraising
Army pediatric oncologist deployed to Iraq set up event at Baghdad camp
Foundation says it has raised more than $34 million since 2000
By Jill Dougherty
CNN
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Under a huge tent just outside the medical unit at Camp Liberty, shielded from the blazing sun, soldiers watch and cheer as two men at a time get their heads shaved. Clumps of hair fall to the hot sand below.
But they're not just fighting the Iraqi heat. They're showing solidarity with sick kids they don't even know.
It started with a dare on St. Patrick's Day 2000, when two guys shaved their heads to support children with cancer. Thus was born the St. Baldrick's Foundation. In eight years, the awareness and fundraising organization says, events have taken place in 18 countries and the United States, "raising over $34 million and shaving more than 46,000 heads."
Maj. Stephen Roberts knows a lot about bald heads. He's a pediatric oncologist at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. And he's seen a lot of his young patients lose their hair to chemotherapy.
The kids he guides through treatment don't seem fazed by it. "They're just amazing, inspiring kids," Roberts said. "They're going through something more difficult than most of us can imagine and they do it with a level of grace and strength that I don't think I could match."
This year, Roberts planned to participate back home in Washington, but he deployed to Iraq. So he organized the shearing on the base. Watch the soldiers getting shaved to help kids with cancer »
Many of the the soldiers who stepped up on this hot spring day have been touched by cancer in their families. Sgt. Sean Bonney, who's sporting a thick growth of gray hair soon to be shaved off, has a cousin who had childhood cancer and survived. He says he'll be thinking of her. "They're in the fight of their lives," he said. "I just want to encourage them to hang in there and fight on."
Spc. Krystyne Wilson, a medic, says her uncle died of leukemia before she was born. "I'll never get to know my uncle," she says, "and maybe if there were things like this going on back in those times then he could be able to be here today."
Back in the Washington suburbs, the other half of Roberts' fundraiser is taking place in an Irish bar. Doctors, parents, friends, supporters -- and several little patients -- gather as more volunteers go under the razor.
Justyn Exman, 5, is one of those doing the honors -- guided by a professional barber. He looks like he's having fun, as he plows through the man's hair like a suburban father mowing the grass.
Nearby at a table, 6-year-old Briarra Manis is drawing a picture with crayons. Last year she went through treatment and her hair is growing back in an adorable pixie style. As she watches the adults on stage she says, "They act funny." But, she adds, "I think they want to help me."
One young girl with a long ponytail sits in the chair, ready to face the scissors. She's donating it to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients.
Back in Iraq, the female soldiers can't participate; Army regulations don't allow shaved heads for women. But that doesn't stop them from cheering the guys on -- or making donations.
Roberts says research into childhood cancer has made an astounding difference. "Most of the diseases we treat used to be a death sentence," he said. "In the 1950s, 80 percent of kids with cancer died. Today, 80 percent will be cured forever. In the early 1970s leukemia was 100 percent fatal; now 90 percent of kids are cured."
Roberts is in the chair. The barber starts from the bottom and moves up. Big swaths of white scalp gleam in the desert sun. "I'll save on the shampoo," he says. But he'd better load up on the sunscreen.
click post title for link
linked from RawStory
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Sergeant Major Of The Army Spends Day With Soldiers In Baghdad
Sergeant Major Of The Army Spends Day With Soldiers In Baghdad
By Alan Quartemont - Jambalaya & Midday News Anchor
March 17 2008
BAGHDAD – In what must have seemed like a sense of déjà vu, Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston returned once again to pay his regards March 16 to the Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
It was merely 20 months ago when Preston last visited the 4th Inf. Div. when it also served as the headquarters element for MND-B during Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07. He also paid a brief visit with MND-B troops during the USO tour in December.
As was the case July 11, 2006, he began his visit at the MND-B headquarters building on Camp Liberty, which culminated his two-day trek of visiting Soldiers in the greater Baghdad area.
“I get over here about four to five times a year,” said Preston. “The trip provides a great opportunity to speak with the Soldiers and the leaders on the ground. It provides us tremendous first-hand feedback on how things are going. My goal is to sit down, talk with Soldiers and to hear what concerns they have on their minds. We are proud of the missions that you have done, and the missions that you do every day.”
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By Alan Quartemont - Jambalaya & Midday News Anchor
March 17 2008
BAGHDAD – In what must have seemed like a sense of déjà vu, Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth Preston returned once again to pay his regards March 16 to the Soldiers of the 4th Infantry Division and Multi-National Division – Baghdad.
It was merely 20 months ago when Preston last visited the 4th Inf. Div. when it also served as the headquarters element for MND-B during Operation Iraqi Freedom 05-07. He also paid a brief visit with MND-B troops during the USO tour in December.
As was the case July 11, 2006, he began his visit at the MND-B headquarters building on Camp Liberty, which culminated his two-day trek of visiting Soldiers in the greater Baghdad area.
“I get over here about four to five times a year,” said Preston. “The trip provides a great opportunity to speak with the Soldiers and the leaders on the ground. It provides us tremendous first-hand feedback on how things are going. My goal is to sit down, talk with Soldiers and to hear what concerns they have on their minds. We are proud of the missions that you have done, and the missions that you do every day.”
click post title for the rest
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