Two more non-combat deaths in Iraq

04/08/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Sgt. Daniel J. Beard, 24, of Buffalo, N.Y., died April 3 in Al Diwaniyah, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 147th Postal Company, 21st Theater Sustainment Command, Wiesbaden, Germany.

04/08/09 DoD Identifies Marine Casualty
Lance Cpl. Stephen F. Dearmon, 21, of Crossville, Tenn., died April 3 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.

http://icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx

DOD: Non combat death in Iraq

DoD Identifies Army Casualty


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

Sgt. Jose R. Escobedo Jr., 32, of Albuquerque, N.M., died March 20 in Baghdad, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident the night before at Forward Operating Base Kalsu in Iskandariyah, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment in Schweinfurt, Germany.

The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
linked from ICasualties.org

German Army PTSD cases on rise

German Army PTSD cases on rise
By Marcus Klöckner, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, March 20, 2009

The number of German army soldiers being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder has tripled in the past two years, echoing a rise in such cases among the ranks of U.S. soldiers.

While their numbers still pale in comparison to reported cases of PTSD in the U.S. military, 245 German soldiers were treated for the disorder last year, up from 83 soldiers in 2006, according to statistics recently released by the German Defense Ministry. Nearly 14,000 U.S. soldiers were treated for PTSD in 2007, the most recent figures available.

There are about 3,400 German army troops in Afghanistan, where most German PTSD cases originate, the Deutsche Welle news service reported on its Web site. About 62,000 Germans have been stationed in war zones in the past three years, but the German army, in general, has not gone through as many combat situations as the U.S. military. That is one of the reasons why there is such an increase of PTSD cases in the German army.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=61461

Soldier found dead in German barracks named

Soldier found dead in German barracks named

Staff report
Posted : Monday Feb 23, 2009 11:48:03 EST

Army officials on Monday identified the soldier who was found dead Feb. 19 in his barracks room in Mannheim, Germany.

Spc. Levi R. Foley, 24, of Cheyenne, Wyo., was a food service specialist assigned to E Company, 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment. He was found dead about 9:30 a.m. Feb. 19 in his room at Coleman Barracks after he did not report for duty. A memorial service for Foley is scheduled for March 2 at the Coleman Barracks Chapel.

His death is under investigation by German and U.S. Army authorities.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/army_deathid_022309w/

Two non-combat deaths in Iraq identified

02/10/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Spc. Christopher P. Sweet, 28, of Kahului, Hawaii, died Feb. 6 in Kirkush, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 172d Separate Infantry Brigade, Grafenwoehr, Germany

02/09/09 DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Spc. James M. Dorsey, 23, of Beardstown, Ill., died Feb. 8 in Kamaliyah, Iraq, in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Fort Hood, Texas.

http://icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx

PTSD linked to increased heart death risk

PTSD linked to increased heart death risk
Published: Nov. 10, 2008 at 9:29 PM

MUNICH, Germany, Nov. 10 (UPI) -- Patients with cardiac defibrillators may have a higher death risk if they have post-traumatic stress disorder, German researchers said.

Dr. Karl-Heinz Ladwig of Technische Universitaet Muenchen in Germany and Helmholtz Zentrum National Research Center for Environmental Health in Neuherberg, Germany, and colleagues studied 211 patients who had received implantable cardiac defibrillators -- devices that administer shocks to help restore normal heartbeat -- following a heart event in 1998. Participants were surveyed an average of 27 months after implantation and 38 reported severe PTSD symptoms.

During the average follow-up period of five years, 45 of the patients, or 30.6 percent, died.
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Pregnant soldier was strangled to death in barracks 7 years ago

Slain teen’s mom still seeks justice
Pregnant soldier was strangled to death in barracks 7 years ago
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, November 9, 2008


It’s been seven long years.

But Gloria Bates, the mother of a murdered daughter, still believes there will be justice.

"It hasn’t gone to cold case. It’s still open and they’re still investigating," Bates said from her home in Dallas. "We haven’t let up hope."

Nov. 5 marked the seven-year anniversary of the murder of Pfc. Amanda Gonzales, whose body was found on the floor of her third-floor barracks room on Fliegerhorst Casern in Hanau, Germany. Gonzales, 19, was five-months pregnant when she was strangled to death.

In the time since her death, much has changed. The base where she worked as an Army cook has closed. The soldiers assigned there have scattered. Yet DNA evidence continues to be analyzed, Bates said.

According to Bates, the DNA analysis has been slow going. And with two wars going on, agents with the Army’s Criminal Investigation Command also are stretched thin, she said.

"[They] are so short-handed right now as far as CID agents," she said. "That does slow down our case more."
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58717

Airman among dead in Pakistan Marriott hotel blast

Airman among dead in Pakistan hotel blast

By Bryan Mitchell - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Sep 22, 2008 18:48:34 EDT

At least two U.S. troops died in Sunday’s suicide bombing at a luxury Pakistani hotel popular with foreigners. One of the dead is an Air Force officer; the other has yet to be identified.

The deaths caused confusion as scores of news agencies reported Monday that the two dead were Marines. Some publications reported the bombing was targeting Marines.

Air Force Maj. Rodolfo I. Rodriquez, 34, of El Paso, Texas, died Sept. 20 in Islamabad from injuries sustained in an improvised explosive device attack, according to the Defense Department. Rodriguez served with the 86th Construction and Training Squadron based out of Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

“He was in the area assisting with the training of Pakistani forces,” said Ramstein spokesman Aaron Schoenfeld.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/airforce_americans_killed_pakistan_092208mil/

Soldier gets 7 months in blindfold death deal

Did anyone evaluate these soldier for PTSD? Did anyone even wonder why they did this? If the soldiers involved in this do have PTSD, what kind of justice would this be for them?

I am not defending what they did but I am wondering what the reason is behind what they did. When you think of the character of the men and women who serve this nation, something like this does not fit right. Is it possible they just snapped? Sure, but more than likely this is a case of wounds of war, PTSD. If you understand what PTSD is and what it can do to them, then you'll be wondering about all of this as well.

What happens if it is PTSD and Spc. Ramos goes to jail and never receives treatment for PTSD when time is the enemy? The longer PTSD goes on without treatment, the more damage is done. Would it be justice if that is the reason behind this? Would it be justice to toss someone into jail who would have been sent to a mental hospital for treatment if he had been a civilian?

If Spc. Ramos comes out of jail without treatment, again if it is PTSD behind all of this, then he won't be able to receive treatment by the VA after either. What will happen to him then or the others if they are found guilty as well? When it comes to war, we are not dealing with cut and dry facts at all. If it was not in their character before war, then why assume it is now?

Soldier gets 7 months in blindfold death deal

By George Frey - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Sep 18, 2008 9:14:41 EDT

VILSECK, Germany — An American soldier was sentenced to seven months in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to conspiracy to murder in the slaying of four Iraqi prisoners who were bound, blindfolded and shot.

The relatively lenient sentence for Spc. Belmor Ramos was part of a deal that will see him testify against the others alleged to have been involved in the killings last year.

Ramos, of Clearfield, Utah, told a judge at his court martial that he stood guard as the men were killed.

The 23-year-old, of the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, had faced a possible sentence of life in prison for conspiracy to commit murder.

Judge Lt. Col. Edward O’Brien said that, had it not been for the plea agreement, he would have sentenced Ramos to 40 years in prison. Ramos will also have his rank reduced to private and be dishonorably discharged from the Army.

His defense attorney, Capt. Patrick Bryan, who had asked for his client to be formally reprimanded and allowed to stay in the Army, had little to say about the sentence.

“It is what it is,” he said, noting that the case would be automatically reviewed, a process akin to an appeal.

The four Iraqi men were blindfolded, shot in the head and dumped in a Baghdad canal in April 2007 — allegedly in retribution for casualties in Ramos’ unit.

Three other soldiers in the unit — Sgt. John E. Hatley, Sgt. 1st Class Joseph P. Mayo, and Sgt. Michael P. Leahy Jr. — were charged Tuesday with premeditated murder, conspiracy to commit premeditated murder and obstruction of justice.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_soldiercharged_091808/

AWOL case against Capt. Przybylski closed, no Article 32

AWOL case closed; no Article 32
GI now stationed in Baumholder
By John Vandiver, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, September 11, 2008



BAUMHOLDER, Germany — The desertion case against Capt. Robert Przybylski, an infantryman who mysteriously went absent without leave several months before his unit deployed to Iraq, has been resolved, according to V Corps.

"The case was investigated. The commanding general adjudicated the case and took appropriate action," said V Corps spokeswoman Hilde Patton in a prepared statement.

Patton, however, would not elaborate on what constituted "appropriate action," saying the situation was a personnel matter.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57341

Family lauds soldier who died in Iraq

Family lauds soldier who died in Iraq
Cause of death for South Jordan man still unreported
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated: 09/10/2008 11:12:10 AM MDT


The family of Jordan Thibeault, who died of as-of-yet unreported causes in Iraq on Friday, issued a statement late Tuesday saying that the 22-year-old soldier died "to keep mankind safe and free."

"While we feel enormous grief and loss, we want to explain why our son's passing should be heralded by each and every one of us," read the statement from the South Jordan family.

"Mankind today is faced with terrible calamities. Only a select few are willing to forgo comforts of home, indeed the very promise of a bright future, to place themselves between the forces of hate and oppression and the human spirit yearning for peace and safety."

Thibeault, an Army specialist who drove and repaired Jordan Thibeault M-88 and Bradley tracked vehicles, had served four years in the U.S. Army and was on his second combat tour in Iraq. His unit, headquartered in Germany, was four months into a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq when he died.

Before joining the Army, Thibeault attended Benjamin Franklin Academy in Sandy. He had an interest in airplanes, mathematics, computers and military history, according to the family.

"Young and eager to answer the cause of Liberty, Jordan followed his inner core of beliefs, taught by loving parents and family members, to ensure the peoples of Iraq were assured a chance of achieving peace and prosperity," the family said in the statement.
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http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_10423896

Another non-combat death in Iraq under investigation

DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Pvt. Jordan P. P. Thibeault, 22, of South Jordan, Utah, died Sept. 5 at Forward Operating Base Hammer, Iraq, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.

The incident is under investigation.

http://icasualties.org/oif/

Landstuhl Regional Medial Center has treated over 50,000 wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan

Constructing a tower at the hospital has been talked about for at least 20 years. U.S. troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan receive treatment at Landstuhl before flying back to military hospitals in the States. Since 2001, Landstuhl has treated more than 50,000 patients from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Landstuhl to add 5-story inpatient tower
Upgrade will allow hospital to treat troops’ families
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, August 30, 2008


LANDSTUHL, Germany — The largest American hospital outside the United States is set for a $405 million upgrade.

Set for completion in 2014, a five-story tower would house inpatients at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.

Landstuhl commander Army Col. Brian Lein received official word Thursday the project had been approved. Construction is slated to begin in fiscal 2011.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=57092

Sgt. Bryan McNeely's wife sent back to Germany and needs help

"They detained me at the airport and interrogated me for seven hours. They were so nasty, saying things like ‘Damn Nazis.’ I’ve never lived in Germany. The next day I had to fly back with Lufthansa. They had denied me entry to the U.S.," she said.

Army wife in legal limbo, stranded in Germany
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, August 24, 2008

GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — U.S. Army Sgt. Bryan McNeely was in Iraq last year when he found out that his wife, Eva, was stranded in Germany.

She still is, caught in a legal bind.

McNeely, who handles military dogs, has been fighting since March to get his wife home to the States and reunite her with the couple’s 4-year-old daughter, Yasmine.

Eva, 33, lived in Saudi Arabia with her German father and Saudi mother until she was 16.

Then she was sent to live with her aunt and uncle, U.S. Army Col. David Miklik, at Fort McClellan, Ala.

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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56954
Don't even get me started on this one! Know anyone who can help this soldier and his wife?

PTSD on Trial: Sgt. Sean M. Beveridge

Using PTSD as a defense
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, August 21, 2008



When Sgt. Sean M. Beveridge faced a court-martial last year for attacking German civilians with a retractable club in Amberg, defense attorneys and witnesses pointed to Beveridge’s service in Iraq, which they said left him with post-traumatic stress disorder. Beveridge was severely wounded and had seen his buddy blown up when a suicide bomber attacked a chow hall in Mosul, killing 22 people on Dec. 21, 2004.

His father testified that Beveridge returned from Iraq in 2005 a changed man.

"He had a lot of trouble sleeping ... drank more than he had before. He had some, you know, not fights because he wasn’t in a condition to fight but, you know ... he had some incidents," Iain Beveridge said, according to transcripts of the trial.

"There was one incident where he stuck up for somebody and, you know, he got punched in the eye and couldn’t do anything about it because he called me late at night and he was getting taken to the hospital for stitches ... we tried to encourage him to get help."

More and more, post-traumatic stress disorder is being introduced as a factor in the defense and sentencing of military members during courts-martial, military attorneys and civilian legal experts say.

David Court, a civilian lawyer who’s defended U.S. troops for 30 years, said a defense counsel would be derelict not to ask a client about PTSD these days due to the number of U.S. personnel worldwide who have deployed to war zones.
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Germany: Program helps wounded at Landstuhl get away

Program helps wounded warriors get away
Instead of being stuck in their rooms on a Saturday in the summer, about 40 wounded troops recovering at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center were able to visit a massive castle, see Gen. George Patton’s grave and step inside a World War II German bunker.

Georgian orphans get help from US soldier

Georgian orphans get a little help from American soldier
At the Tbilisi orphanage, Sgt. 1st Class Jarrod Gozy wasn’t on official Army business during the Sunday night visit. Instead, the Hohenfels, Germany-based soldier was there as a volunteer to check up on how the children were doing since he last saw them a few days before the trouble started.

Sgt. Errol M. James, Non-combat death in Afghanistan

DoD Identifies Army Casualty


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

Sgt. Errol M. James, 29, of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, died Aug. 4 at Forward Operating Base Torkham, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 527th Military Police Company, 709th Military Police Battalion, Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The incident is under investigation.

http://icasualties.org/oef/

Army releases name of soldier who died during physical training

Army names GI who died during PT
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, August 5, 2008



KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Army officials have released the name of the Mannheim soldier who died last Friday after collapsing during physical training.

Spc. Steven Vega, 23, of Compton, Calif., was pronounced dead shortly before noon Friday in Mannheim.

Vega was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 28th Transportation Battalion as a small-arms/artillery repairer.
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56562

Springfield MA soldier dies in Germany

Soldier dies in car accident in Grafenwöhr; police search for cause
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, July 15, 2008


Police are seeking information on a gold Ford that might have been involved in a fatal auto accident early Friday morning in downtown Grafenwöhr.

Private 1st Class Jose M. Castro, 21, of Springfield, Mass., and the Grafenwöhr-based 12th Chemical Company died when his red Honda crashed into a stone wall at 4:25 a.m. as he was driving away from the downtown bar district. Castro was the only person in the car.

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