Solider's Dog Zeus Took Cross Country Trip Courtesy of Banfield Employee

Lost, now found: Zeus the dog reunited with soldier and family
The Olympian
BY SEAN ROBINSON Staff writer
August 14, 2015

Perhaps it was coincidence that Zeus the dog came home on a morning marked by peals of thunder. Or perhaps the dog gods were laughing.

Either way, Melody Harworth was crying.

“Hi, puppy,” she kept saying and sobbing Friday, as Zeus emerged from a car and greeted his long-lost family. “Hi, puppy, hi, puppy.”

Her husband Ben Harworth’s eyes were red-rimmed; until last month he believed his dog was long dead. Friday, he accepted slobbery kisses and woofed at the old friend he hadn’t seen in three years.

Zeus, unable to fly because of a medical condition, had been ferried crosscountry from Fort Bragg in North Carolina, his old home. The ride came courtesy of Rachel Overby, who works with Banfield Pet Hospital, a partner with PetSmart stores.

Harworth, a chief warrant officer, had been stationed at Fort Bragg until 2011, when he transferred to South Korea.

CW2 Benjamin Harworth, stationed at JBLM, gets loving kisses from his long lost dog, Zeus, with his wife, Melody looking happy at Petsmart in Lacey on Friday. Harworth was deployed to Afghanistan, let his friend watch his dog Zeus. Harworth receives a call in Afghanistan from his friend saying that his dog has died. Harworth receives a call recently from Banfield Clinic near Fort Bragg saying that they have his dog. He tells them this is impossible because his dog died four years ago. Last month, Banfield explains that they scanned the dog's microchip and it is Zues. Banfield arranged to have Zeus transported across the country to be reunited with Harworth at the Lacey Petsmart. Lui Kit Wong read more here

PTSD Veteran's Life Ended on 3rd Suicide Attempt

Rutherford family hopes story of loss will help to break mental illness stigma
North Jersey News
BY JAIMIE JULIA WINTERS
AUGUST 13, 2015

When Fred didn't show up for work at the prison in Jamesburg where he was the inmates' dentist, a state search began almost immediately for him. Fifty hours later Fred was found dead from an overdose of prescription meds in his car outside a home undergoing construction in Monroe Township.

PHOTO COURTESY/FIUME FAMILY

The Fiumes: Anthony, Fred, Joanne, Alyssa, Andrew and Alex. His wife hopes that Fred's story will help others who battle with a mental illness and the family members who support them. Fred took his own life on July 29.

Rutherford resident Dr. Fred Fiume made people smile and laugh whether it was through his gregarious nature or his work as a dentist. He served his country in the Army just 18 months shy of 20 years, was a Rutherford Board of Education trustee for two terms, an Exalted Ruler at the Rutherford Elks Lodge, a well-loved dentist at Gentle Dental in Lyndhurst and the New Jersey Prison System and a loving husband and father of four. But Fred didn't always smile. Many didn't know that Fred would go to a dark place in his mind when his bouts of anxiety and depression would hit him.

So hard, he was hospitalized 10 times and attempted suicide two times before succeeding on July 29.

His wife Joanne Fiume said for 30 years he fought hard to not let his illness define him and successfully did so, but in the end it did because of what she describes of the "hurt going on in his head."

Fred was first misdiagnosed with bi-polar in 1989 at the age of 27 while he was serving at Fort Bragg, NC. It wasn't until 2010 after his second suicide attempt, that doctors said bi-polar was the wrong diagnosis and began treating him for acute depression and anxiety. After that suicide attempt, which was also an overdose after going off his meds, Joanne took control of his medication.
read more here

Gen. Robert Abrams Takes Command at Fort Bragg

Reminder, the size of the Army in 2011 was 565,463 and the Army National Guard had 467,587 in 2009 but was reduced to 350,200 (authorized end strength for Fiscal Year 2015) and the Army was reduced to 490,000 with expected reductions of 40,000 more.

Joint Chiefs promotion prompts command change at Fort Bragg
WRAL News
August 10, 2015

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — There's a new commander with a notable pedigree at the U.S. Army command that makes sure the right number of soldiers are trained and deployed to the world's hotspots.

Gen. Robert Abrams on Monday succeeded Gen. Mark Milley, who was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last week as the Army's representative on the military's Joint Chiefs of Staff. Abrams' father, for whom the military named the M1 Abrams battle tank, served as Army chief of staff in the 1970s.

Army Forces Command has more than 800,000 active-duty and reserve soldiers, including Fort Bragg's 18th Airborne Corps and 82nd Airborne Division. The command also oversees training centers at Fort Irwin, California, and Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Abrams comes to Fort Bragg from his most recent assignment as a senior military assistant to the Secretary of Defense in Washington.
read more here

PTSD On Trial: Colonel Apologizes For Not Doing Enough For Soldier

Fort Bragg soldier sentenced to more than year of jail time 
WRAL News

(Orendorff) apologized to Fayetteville police officers and fire fighters who were in the courtroom. He said that the Army failed Sgt. Eisenhauer by not providing him the proper treatment to battle his PTSD.

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — More than three years after a Fort Bragg solider fired at police and firefighters, the convicted Fayetteville man was sentenced to more than a year of jail time Thursday afternoon.

Staff Sgt. Joshua Eisenhauer was sentenced to 10 to 18 years of active jail time, and 36 months of probation following the active sentencing by Superior Court Judge, Jim Ammons.

Prior to the sentencing, retired Colonel John Orendorff suggested that Eisenhauer be given probation and parole, including time at either the Warrior Transition Unit at Fort Bragg, or Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, D.C.

Orendorff is responsible for writing policies and procedures for all soldiers that return from Iraq and Afghanistan, making sure they get proper treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Found Dead At Campground

Fort Bragg soldier found dead at beach campground 
WRAL.com
July 21, 2015

CAROLINA BEACH, N.C. — Police say a Fort Bragg soldier has been found dead in a Carolina Beach campground.

Local media outlets report that 40-year-old warrant officer Tania Dunbar was found dead by neighboring campers at Freeman Park on Sunday night. read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Faces Charges Older Than Constitution

Fort Bragg soldier's gun-related charge predates U.S. Constitution
FayObserver.com
By Amanda Dolasinski Staff writer
July 19, 2015

The Fort Bragg soldier who forced a lockdown at Cross Creek Mall earlier this month was charged with a centuries-old misdemeanor known as going armed to the terror of the public.

The charge dates to at least 1781, says Ronnie Mitchell, the lawyer for the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.

"It's a very ancient charge," he said. "It started even before the U.S. Constitution was adopted in 1787."

Bryan Scott Wolfinger, 25, of the 2200 block of Ridge Manor Drive, was charged July 2 after he walked out of the mall with an AR-15 assault-type rifle.

The misdemeanor is part of the state's constitution, Mitchell said.

"There are many people that have attempted to attack that misdemeanor over the years," he said.

"They believe it infringes on their Second Amendment rights. Our courts have long held that going armed to the terror of the people does not violate either the Second Amendment or Article 1, Section 30 of the North Carolina Constitution."
read more here

Bragg soldier charged with going armed to the terror of the public

Soldier from Colorado Committed Suicide After Fatal Fort Bragg Accident

Troopers: Man commits suicide after fatal Sanford accident 
Greensboro News
Jul 9, 2015

SANFORD — A Colorado man training in Fort Bragg shot himself Thursday in his Sanford residence after authorities took out warrants for his arrest in connection with a fatal one-vehicle crash in Harnett County this week, according to the Highway Patrol.

SHP Lt. Jeff Gordon said Anthony James Pantano, 29, of the 100 block of Wood Run, Sanford, died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the Carolina Lakes community around 12:30 p.m.

Pantano had been wanted on charges of felony death by a motor vehicle, felony hit and run, driving while impaired and careless and reckless driving in connection with the Tuesday vehicle wreck that resulted in the death of Allison Elizabeth Bennet, 20, of Adams Street on Fort Bragg. read more here

After Soldier Brings Weapons Mall on Lockdown

UPDATE
Fort Bragg soldier's gun-related charge predates U.S. Constitution

Bragg soldier charged with going armed to the terror of the public
Fayetteville Observer
By Nichole Manna Staff writer
July 3, 2015

A Fort Bragg soldier with an AR-15 assault-type rifle wearing a military ballistic panel carrier and carrying multiple rifle ammunition magazines caused a busy Cross Creek Mall to lock down Thursday night.

Bryan Scott Wolfinger, 25, was charged early this morning with going armed to the terror of the public.

He told police he was preparing to have photographs taken with military equipment when 911 calls sent Fayetteville police to the mall.

Wolfinger was processed at the Cumberland County Detention Center and was released to his company commander and provost marshal at Fort Bragg.

The incident happened on the eve of a patriotic three-day holiday weekend for many in an area that is home to the nation's largest military installation, Fort Bragg. There was no estimate on the number of people in the mall when it was locked down, according to mall officials and the police.
read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier's Death Touched Many By How He LIved

Fallen Fort Bragg soldier remembered for selfless service, dedication to troops 
Fay Observer
By Drew Brooks, Military editor
May 27, 2015

A Fort Bragg soldier who died in Afghanistan the day before Memorial Day is being remembered for his selfless service to the families of fallen troops and his dedication to his soldiers.

Pablo A. Ruiz III died Sunday of non-combat-related injuries in Bagram.

The 37-year-old soldier from Melbourne, Florida, was deployed with elements of the 3rd Special Forces Group. The cause of his death remains under investigation, officials said.

Ruiz, who was posthumously promoted to master sergeant, was noncommissioned officer in charge of a dining facility for Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan, according to officials.

His battalion commander, Lt. Col. John Sannes, said in an email from Afghanistan that Ruiz led by example, "always diving in alongside his soldiers to complete any mission or task."

"We lost a great soldier, leader, husband and father," Sannes said.
read more here

Special Forces Soldier from Florida Died in Afghanistan

DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Release No: NR-197-15
May 25, 2015

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Freedom's Sentinel.

Sgt. 1st Class Pablo A. Ruiz, 37, of Melbourne, Florida, died May 24, in Bagram, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident.

He was assigned to Group Support Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Oviedo Florida Rock and Brews Memorial to Fallen Soldier

Tribute to Local Fallen Soldier
Unveiling of a memorial to Oviedo fallen warrior Army Spc. Brenden N. Salazar, KIA 2012 Afghanistan at the age of 20. Rock and Brews Restaurant, Dave Matthews, Never Forgotten Memorials.org presented a tribute to Brenden and all who gave their lives for this country.

Patriot Guard Riders

Next time you go to Rock and Brews, you'll know how this memorial got there.

Spc. Brenden Salazar Dedication January 26, 2013

On Friday, January 25, 2013, Hagerty High School of Oviedo FL dedicated a plaque and held a service to honor the life of Spc. Brenden Neal Salazar, killed in action in Afghanistan on July 22, 2012. Members of Patriot Guard Riders surrounded the area with flags in tribute to this young man. Both of his parents are Army Reservists and Brenden was born on Fort Bragg March 24, 1992. Brenden's sister Hannah has cystic fibrosis. woundedtimes.blogspot.com

Military Civilian World America's Great Divide

There is a great article on LA Times exploring the separation between those who serve and those who ignore them.

SPECIAL REPORT U.S. MILITARY AND CIVILIANS ARE INCREASINGLY DIVIDED 
LA Times
By DAVID ZUCCHINO AND DAVID S. CLOUD
Reporting from Fort Bragg
May 3, 2015

Soldiers including Spc. Aaron Schade, center left, wait at Pope Field in North Carolina to see their families after returning from deployment in July 2014. (James Robinson / For the Los Angeles Times)

Jovano Graves' parents begged him not to join the Army right out of high school in 2003, when U.S. troops were fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But their son refused his parents' pleas to try college. He followed them both into the Army instead.

Last June, 11 years later, Staff Sgt. Jovano Graves returned home from Afghanistan, joining his mother, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sonia Graves-Rivers, for duty here at Ft. Bragg.

"My family, going way, way back, has always felt so proud to be Americans," said Graves-Rivers, who comes from a family in which military service spans six generations, starting with her great-great-grandfather, Pfc. Marion Peeples, who served in a segregated black unit during World War I.

Her father, Cpl. Harvey Lee Peeples, fought in the Vietnam War. Her uncle, Henry Jones, was career Air Force. Another uncle, Sgt. 1st Class Robert Graves, spent 22 years in the Army. Her sister, Janice, served 24 years.
read more here
Here are some highlights to think about

Despite civilians' widespread admiration for troops, there's little overlap between their worlds

Congress with lowest rate of military service authorized today's wars, led by 3 presidents with no active duty

One-half of 1% of U.S. population enlisted — lowest rate since between World War I and II

The highest-rate contributors were Georgia, Florida, Idaho, Virginia and South Carolina. The District of Columbia was last.

The previous school year was a grim one here in Fayetteville, where the Cumberland County school district serves the communities outside Ft. Bragg. Between the beginning of the term in September 2013 and the following spring, six students committed suicide.

Five of them — four boys and a girl — were from Army families, with a parent deployed overseas. Two shot themselves with military weapons.

And this is why so many just don't care about any of them,

Yet only a 65-mile drive north of Ft. Bragg, in the college town of Carrboro near Durham, the military is a universe away. Many there have no connection save for the brief moment of gratitude and embarrassment they feel when they see a man in uniform at the airport, missing a leg.

"We glorify the military in this country in a way that's really weird," said Eric Harmeling, 21, a Carrboro-area resident who often argues with his father, a politically conservative minister, about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "It's like the Roman legions.... It's like we're being told to kneel down and worship our heroes."

For me it was strange when I was growing up and my friends said their parents never served. Then the older I got, the more I realized it was odd that my Dad and uncles did. Much later after I met my husband, and he came from a military family as well, it no longer mattered what non-military families thought because we spoke a different language and live in different worlds. I didn't expect them to be willing to understand anything. While they were perfectly able to do it, they just didn't want to. We hang out with other veteran families.

Fort Bragg "Captain America" Soldier Rescued Crash Victims

Bragg soldier pulls three from fiery wreckage after Chatham crash 
WRAL News
May 19, 2015

"I took an oath to help serve the United States, foreign and domestic, so when I was there, I realized that I was the only one there at the time who could help.

CARY, N.C. — A Fort Bragg soldier is being hailed as a hero for rescuing three people after a weekend collision in eastern Chatham County.

A car and an SUV collided on O'Kelly Chapel Road near Cary on Sunday afternoon when, according to the State Highway Patrol, the SUV driver tried to pass another vehicle. "I heard the giant explosion. It sounded bad.

I got on 911 immediately without even seeing it," said John Spurrell, who was working in his backyard at the time. By the time Spurrell ran to the road, he saw the front of the car smashed in and flames erupting from the SUV, which was on its side.

He also saw a man in a Captain America T-shirt running into the fire to drag the SUV driver to safety. Army Capt. Steve Voglezon was off duty and on his way to a shopping mall when he came upon the crash. 

Even though he has only basic first aid training, the missile defense officer said his instincts kicked in as he pulled the driver out by his belt and, together with three other people, carried him away from the wreckage. read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Charged For Killing Dogs

Fort Bragg soldier charged in connection with dead dogs 
WRAL News
May 9, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A Fort Bragg soldier has been charged in connection with the abuse of dogs that were found with their throats slit.

Al Richard Charlie, 32, is accused of killing a female Labrador mixed breed and her puppy on May 4 at the home of their owner, then driving to a wooded lot on Camden Road the next day and dumping them, the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office said. 

“The mamma dog, her throat was cut so viciously that it completely transected,” said Dr. John Lauby, Cumberland County animal control director.

The dogs belonged to an acquaintance of the suspect, authorities said. The acquaintance is not a suspect in the case, investigators said.

Charlie, who recently returned from deployment overseas, is charged with two counts each of felony larceny of a canine, felony possession of stolen property, felony animal cruelty and improper disposal of a domestic animal. read more here

Soldier From Longwood Died in Training At Fort Bragg

Paratrooper dies during airborne training at Fort Bragg
Army Times
By Michelle Tan, Staff writer
April 30, 2015

A paratrooper from the 82nd Airborne Division died Tuesday during an airborne training operation at Sicily Drop Zone on Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Spc. Nicholas Roberts died Tuesday in an airborne training accident at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

(Photo: Army)

Spc. Nicholas Roberts, 27, of Longwood, Florida, was an infantryman assigned to C Company, 1st Battalion, 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, officials from the 82nd Airborne said Thursday in a statement.

"Spc. Roberts was a tremendous young man," said Col. Curtis Buzzard, 3rd BCT commander, in the statement. "He had only recently joined us, but he brought with him experience and leadership qualities we seek in our paratroopers. We were all saddened to hear of this tragedy, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."

The incident, which took place during a nighttime operation, is under investigation.
read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Killed in Training Exercise

Fort Bragg soldier killed in training exercise at Louisiana base 
WRAL.com
April 18, 2015

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — A 19-year-old soldier stationed at Fort Bragg died Thursday during a training exercise at a base in Louisiana, base officials announced Saturday.

Pv. Joshua D. Phillips, of Las Vegas, was participating in a training at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk when he was killed. 

The death is under investigation, Fort Bragg officials said.

Phillips, who was assigned to Alpha Company, 37th Engineer Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, joined the Army in August 2014. read more here

Fort Bragg Soldier Killed in North Carolina Shooting

FORT BRAGG SOLDIER KILLED IN EARLY-MORNING FAYETTEVILLE SHOOTING
ABC News 11
By Nicole Carr
April 10, 2015

FAYETTEVILLE, NC (WTVD) -- A Fort Bragg-based soldier was shot and killed in an early-morning shooting Friday.

Fayetteville Police identified the man as 24-year-old Duane Derek Davis. They initially stated Davis was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, but a military spokesman confirmed he was assigned to Fort Bragg.

Police said Davis was shot just before 5:30 a.m. in the 2800 block of Coronada Parkway. They said Davis was in the living room of the home when someone fired several shots into the house.

Davis was critically injured and pronounced dead at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center. Another unidentified male was in the home. That person was not injured.

Several hours after the shooting, about a dozen bullet markers lined the front yard of the home, from the bushes to the end of the driveway.
read more here

Warrior Transition Unit Soldiers Filed Over 1,000 Complaints

Can't help it. WTU Turned Into WTF!

New Records Show Injured Soldiers Describe Mistreatment Nationwide From Commanders at Army Warrior Transition Units 
(WTUs) North Carolina’s Fort Bragg records the most complaints, Texas not far behind
NBC
By Scott Friedman
Apr 7, 2015

New Army records uncovered by NBC 5 Investigates show injured soldiers have filed more than 1,100 complaints about mistreatment, abuse and lack of care from their commanders at more than two dozen Warrior Transition Units (WTUs) nationwide, many of those in Texas.

Those are just complaints made over five years to the U.S. Army ombudsman program, one of many places soldiers can complain.

Last fall, NBC 5 Investigates and The Dallas Morning News first revealed hundreds of complaints from ill and injured active duty soldiers in Texas.

Those Texas soldiers said WTU commanders harassed, belittled them and ordered them to do things that made their conditions worse at three Army posts in Texas: Fort Hood, Fort Bliss and Fort Sam Houston.

Now the new records, obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, show the WTU at Fort Hood had the second highest number of complaints about WTU commanders with more than 140 over five years. The WTU at Fort Bragg in North Carolina had the most complaints in the nation, more than 160.

In all, seven WTU’s had at least 71 complaints about leadership over five years, including Fort Bliss. That’s the post where the Army Col. Chris Toner, commander of the U.S. Army’s Warrior Transition Command has previously said there were serious problems, “beyond a shadow of a doubt.”
read more here

Man Meets Vietnam Veteran POW Bracelet Worn 50 Years Ago

'Bond between strangers': Vietnam POW bracelet to unite pair after decades
FOX News
By Cristina Corbin
Published April 04, 2015

Raymond Schrump is seen here as a POW in Vietnam.

The former U.S. Army major was held captive from 1968 to 1971.

(WRAL.com)

Harold Flowers was 13 when his parents gave him a POW bracelet during the Vietnam War in 1968 – a metal band bearing the name of a U.S. soldier captured by the North Vietnamese.

Nearly 50 years later, Flowers, of Angier, N.C., tracked down the man whose name he wore around his wrist: 83-year-old former U.S. Army Major Raymond Schrump, a Purple Heart recipient who spent nearly five years in an enemy prison camp.

On Saturday, the two will meet for the first time, and Flowers will give Schrump the bracelet he has kept all these years – a bracelet Schrump said represents a "bond between strangers."

"I feel like I've known this man all my life and I haven't met him yet," Schrump told FoxNews.com Thursday.

Schrump, severely malnourished, weighed just 86 pounds at the time of his rescue on Feb. 12, 1971, when he and 27 other American prisoners were flown by U.S. helicopters to Saigon. He was then taken to a U.S. base in the Philippines and, after recovering from a bout with malaria, flown to California and then eventually Fort Bragg, where he was reunited with his family at a nearby hospital.
read more here

Congressional Leadership Failure Has A Price Paid By Military

I am not a Democrat and this is one reason why I will never be a Republican. Under their "leadership" we had sequestration. That cut fund to the military as well as what they and their families need. They had years to fix it but didn't. They spent billions a year on programs that don't work as we've seen with the rise of military suicides.

Well folks, here we go again. The USO had to step up at Fort Bragg to fill in for what got cut.

"When deep budget cuts hit Fort Bragg, one of the casualties was an Army program meant to promote resiliency and reduce suicides."

USO of N.C. helps fill gaps for Army programs affected by budget cuts
FayObserver.com
By Drew Brooks
Military editor
Posted: Friday, March 27, 2015

Fort Bragg's commander, Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson, has praised the partnership. He said the USO stepped forward to continue important training that otherwise would have been cut. Speaking to community leaders earlier this year, he cited the partnership as an example of ways the community can help Fort Bragg.

USO of N.C. helps fill gaps for Army programs affected by budget cuts Staff photo by Andrew Craft Along with yoga, the program included a juggling lesson and classes on stress management, suicide, substance abuse, leadership and financial literacy.

When deep budget cuts hit Fort Bragg, one of the casualties was an Army program meant to promote resiliency and reduce suicides. But Fort Bragg leaders didn't give up.

Instead, they turned to community partners to fill the gaps created by tighter purse strings. The result is Warrior Reset, a three-day gathering at Cape Fear Botanical Garden that is serving Fort Bragg soldiers as well as members of the North Carolina National Guard, Marines from Camp Lejeune and soldiers from Fort Jackson, South Carolina.

The program, which ends today, has brought together about 70 people - including servicemembers and their wives - for hands-on activities designed to help troops cope with stress and open up about their problems.

Kelli Davis, troop and family programs director for the USO of North Carolina, said the troops are leaders who are expected to take the lessons learned back to those who serve with and under them. Davis said the USO will host similar programs on a quarterly basis, rotating across the state to other military communities, Raleigh and Charlotte.

It is the latest step in a partnership that has continually evolved. read more here