Pentagon to Send Missiles, 400 Troops to Turkey
Dec 14, 2012
Associated Press
by Robert Burns
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- The U.S. will send two batteries of Patriot missiles and 400 troops to Turkey as part of a NATO force meant to protect Turkish territory from potential Syrian missile attack, the Pentagon said Friday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed a deployment order en route to Turkey from Afghanistan calling for 400 U.S. soldiers to operate two batteries of Patriots at undisclosed locations in Turkey, Pentagon press secretary George Little told reporters flying with Panetta.
Germany and the Netherlands have already agreed to provide two batteries of the U.S.-built defense systems and send up to 400 German and 360 Dutch troops to man them, bringing the total number of Patriot batteries slated for Turkey to six. The German Parliament is expected to formally agree to the deployment on Friday. NATO foreign ministers endorsed Turkey's request for the Patriots on Nov. 30.
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Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Germany. Show all posts
Friday, December 14, 2012
Pentagon to Send Missiles, 400 Troops to Turkey
Members of NATO cannot take care of the wounded they already have and now they are sending more into Turkey?
Sunday, December 2, 2012
New Jersey suicide victim was an Army veteran, outdoorsman
Franklin suicide victim was an Army veteran, outdoorsman
New Jersey Herald
By ROB JENNINGS
December 1, 2012
FRANKLIN — With much public attention on Michael John Elekes' final tragic hours, his survivors sought to portray a fuller picture of his life in an obituary released to the media Nov. 30.
Elekes, 53, fatally shot himself Nov. 19 inside the Auche Drive home he shared with his parents, hours after shooting his mother, who survived, and holding his father hostage.
Following a private memorial service — the date was not disclosed — his family offered some insights into the lifelong Franklin resident, grandfather, U.S. Army veteran, heavy equipment operator and accomplished outdoorsman.
Michael Elekes, in 1991, donated a kidney to his elder brother, James, who has diabetes.
Several years later, he organized a blood drive when James required open-heart surgery, "offering to donate vascular material should it be required for James to complete successful surgery," according to the obituary prepared by his family and released Friday by F. John Ramsey Funeral Home in Franklin.
The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has not disclosed a motive in connection with the standoff at 30 Auche Drive, which lasted for more than seven hours and drew approximately 70 law enforcement officers.
Anna Elekes, 77, was wounded in the abdomen and leg — possibly with birdshot, according to Franklin Police Detective Nevin Mattessich — upon fleeing the house when three Franklin police officers pulled up outside her home around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.
She had called 9-1-1 to report her son was threatening her with a shotgun.
Elekes, at some point during a seven-hour standoff, released his 79-year-old father, James.
read more here
New Jersey Herald
By ROB JENNINGS
December 1, 2012
FRANKLIN — With much public attention on Michael John Elekes' final tragic hours, his survivors sought to portray a fuller picture of his life in an obituary released to the media Nov. 30.
Elekes, 53, fatally shot himself Nov. 19 inside the Auche Drive home he shared with his parents, hours after shooting his mother, who survived, and holding his father hostage.
Following a private memorial service — the date was not disclosed — his family offered some insights into the lifelong Franklin resident, grandfather, U.S. Army veteran, heavy equipment operator and accomplished outdoorsman.
Michael Elekes, in 1991, donated a kidney to his elder brother, James, who has diabetes.
Several years later, he organized a blood drive when James required open-heart surgery, "offering to donate vascular material should it be required for James to complete successful surgery," according to the obituary prepared by his family and released Friday by F. John Ramsey Funeral Home in Franklin.
The Sussex County Prosecutor's Office has not disclosed a motive in connection with the standoff at 30 Auche Drive, which lasted for more than seven hours and drew approximately 70 law enforcement officers.
Anna Elekes, 77, was wounded in the abdomen and leg — possibly with birdshot, according to Franklin Police Detective Nevin Mattessich — upon fleeing the house when three Franklin police officers pulled up outside her home around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18.
She had called 9-1-1 to report her son was threatening her with a shotgun.
Elekes, at some point during a seven-hour standoff, released his 79-year-old father, James.
read more here
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Col. Johnson found guilty of last two counts
Johnson found guilty of last two counts; awaits sentencing
By NANCY MONTGOMERY
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 13, 2012
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The former commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team was found guilty Wednesday of two charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.
A jury of five colonels found Col. James H. Johnson III guilty of the two specifications at his court-martial in Kaiserslautern after more than three hours of deliberation.
His two teenage children sitting in the gallery, who are estranged from their father, smiled at the verdicts. His parents, Edna and retired Lt. Gen. James H. Johnson Jr., looked stricken. Col. Johnson showed no emotion.
He had already pleaded guilty to 15 other charges, including fraud, bigamy, adultery, wrongful cohabitation and violating regulations or orders.
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Col. charged with fraud, adultery, forgery, but not charged for blown up ego
Col. pleads guilty to bigamy; some charges dropped
By NANCY MONTGOMERY
Stars and Stripes
Published: June 13, 2012
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The former commander of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team was found guilty Wednesday of two charges of conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman.
A jury of five colonels found Col. James H. Johnson III guilty of the two specifications at his court-martial in Kaiserslautern after more than three hours of deliberation.
His two teenage children sitting in the gallery, who are estranged from their father, smiled at the verdicts. His parents, Edna and retired Lt. Gen. James H. Johnson Jr., looked stricken. Col. Johnson showed no emotion.
He had already pleaded guilty to 15 other charges, including fraud, bigamy, adultery, wrongful cohabitation and violating regulations or orders.
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Col. charged with fraud, adultery, forgery, but not charged for blown up ego
Col. pleads guilty to bigamy; some charges dropped
Monday, June 11, 2012
Pentagon and Congress Argue Over Landstuhl Regional Medical Center
Pentagon and Congress Argue Over Hospital for Troops
By THOM SHANKER
Published: June 10, 2012
WASHINGTON — As the Pentagon and Congress argue over how to shrink the military to fit smaller federal budgets, no debate over matching money to mission is more heartfelt than the order to shut down the premier overseas hospital for grievously wounded troops and replace it with a new one.
With scant public notice, the Defense Department is closing, and relocating, the aging hospital, the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the only top-level military trauma center outside the United States.
The hospital has earned its vaunted reputation over the past decade as it has evacuated, treated and stabilized all American military personnel wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. It treats 500,000 patients a year.
There is no dispute that replacing the hospital, which opened 59 years ago, is a good idea. And building its replacement next to Ramstein Air Base in Germany would reduce transit time for patients. Additional savings would be found by closing Ramstein’s existing clinic and combining it with the Landstuhl replacement.
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By THOM SHANKER
Published: June 10, 2012
WASHINGTON — As the Pentagon and Congress argue over how to shrink the military to fit smaller federal budgets, no debate over matching money to mission is more heartfelt than the order to shut down the premier overseas hospital for grievously wounded troops and replace it with a new one.
With scant public notice, the Defense Department is closing, and relocating, the aging hospital, the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, the only top-level military trauma center outside the United States.
The hospital has earned its vaunted reputation over the past decade as it has evacuated, treated and stabilized all American military personnel wounded in Afghanistan and Iraq. It treats 500,000 patients a year.
There is no dispute that replacing the hospital, which opened 59 years ago, is a good idea. And building its replacement next to Ramstein Air Base in Germany would reduce transit time for patients. Additional savings would be found by closing Ramstein’s existing clinic and combining it with the Landstuhl replacement.
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Thursday, May 3, 2012
Col. Barbara Holcomb became the first registered nurse to command Landstuhl
First nurse takes command at Landstuhl
By NANCY MONTGOMERY
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 3, 2012
LANDSTUHL, Germany — Throughout Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s long, storied past, medical doctors have almost always been in charge.
But on Thursday, Col. Barbara Holcomb became the first registered nurse – and second woman – to take command of the hospital, considered a jewel in the crown of military medicine.
“ ‘Landstuhl is such an awesome place,’ ” Holcomb, in her change-of command ceremonial speech, recalled a friend telling her when she got the news of her assignment. “ ‘They saved several of my soldiers.’ ”
Such admiration for the hospital staff’s expertise at saving the lives of wounded troops “runs deeply through many military leaders,” Holcomb said. “This is indeed an honor.”
Holcomb relieves Col. Jeffrey Clark, who served less than a year before being nominated for promotion to brigadier general and, next month, to take over as commander of the Europe Regional Medical Command. Clark will replace Brig. Gen. Nadja West, who is to become an assistant Army surgeon general.
read more here
By NANCY MONTGOMERY
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 3, 2012
LANDSTUHL, Germany — Throughout Landstuhl Regional Medical Center’s long, storied past, medical doctors have almost always been in charge.
But on Thursday, Col. Barbara Holcomb became the first registered nurse – and second woman – to take command of the hospital, considered a jewel in the crown of military medicine.
“ ‘Landstuhl is such an awesome place,’ ” Holcomb, in her change-of command ceremonial speech, recalled a friend telling her when she got the news of her assignment. “ ‘They saved several of my soldiers.’ ”
Such admiration for the hospital staff’s expertise at saving the lives of wounded troops “runs deeply through many military leaders,” Holcomb said. “This is indeed an honor.”
Holcomb relieves Col. Jeffrey Clark, who served less than a year before being nominated for promotion to brigadier general and, next month, to take over as commander of the Europe Regional Medical Command. Clark will replace Brig. Gen. Nadja West, who is to become an assistant Army surgeon general.
read more here
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Ramstein Air Base students "hoodie up" for Trayvon Martin
Ramstein students put on their hoodies for Trayvon Martin
By JENNIFER H. SVAN
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 3, 2012
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — In a show of solidarity for slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, more than 230 students at Ramstein High School wore hooded sweatshirts or jackets to class Tuesday as part of a peaceful demonstration they called “Hoodies Up.”
The intent was to show that wearing a hoodie should not make a person appear threatening, said 17-year-old senior Caleb Guerrido, one of five students who came up with the idea of wearing hoodies to school.
Martin, 17, was shot Feb. 26 by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman as he walked back to the townhouse of his father’s girlfriend in the gated community of Sanford. Zimmerman, 28, told police that Martin, who was unarmed, was wearing a dark hoodie and looked “suspicious.” He claimed that when he questioned Martin, the teen jumped him and that he shot him in self defense.
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By JENNIFER H. SVAN
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 3, 2012
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — In a show of solidarity for slain Florida teenager Trayvon Martin, more than 230 students at Ramstein High School wore hooded sweatshirts or jackets to class Tuesday as part of a peaceful demonstration they called “Hoodies Up.”
The intent was to show that wearing a hoodie should not make a person appear threatening, said 17-year-old senior Caleb Guerrido, one of five students who came up with the idea of wearing hoodies to school.
Martin, 17, was shot Feb. 26 by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman as he walked back to the townhouse of his father’s girlfriend in the gated community of Sanford. Zimmerman, 28, told police that Martin, who was unarmed, was wearing a dark hoodie and looked “suspicious.” He claimed that when he questioned Martin, the teen jumped him and that he shot him in self defense.
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Friday, March 2, 2012
German Pay Phones Anger Troops, $51 for 2 minute call!
$51 for 2 Minutes: German Pay Phones Anger Troops
By JAMES DAO
Published: March 1, 2012
When Specialist Reynald Matias was heading to Afghanistan with his Army unit late last year, their chartered flight stopped to refuel at Leipzig-Halle Airport in Germany. During a brief layover, he called his wife in Tacoma, Wash., using his debit card on a pay phone in the terminal’s troops-only transit lounge.
“What are they charging you?” his wife, Crystal, asked when he reached her. He did not know, so she told him to hang up. A few days later she got the answer: $51 for what she estimated was a two-minute call.
“Military pay isn’t up there,” she said. “It really hurt us.”
For many American troops passing through Leipzig to the war zones, the steep cost of a quick call home from pay phones has been a source of growing indignation. The Pentagon estimates that about two dozen commercial charters carrying American forces stop at the Leipzig airport each week.
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By JAMES DAO
Published: March 1, 2012
When Specialist Reynald Matias was heading to Afghanistan with his Army unit late last year, their chartered flight stopped to refuel at Leipzig-Halle Airport in Germany. During a brief layover, he called his wife in Tacoma, Wash., using his debit card on a pay phone in the terminal’s troops-only transit lounge.
“What are they charging you?” his wife, Crystal, asked when he reached her. He did not know, so she told him to hang up. A few days later she got the answer: $51 for what she estimated was a two-minute call.
“Military pay isn’t up there,” she said. “It really hurt us.”
For many American troops passing through Leipzig to the war zones, the steep cost of a quick call home from pay phones has been a source of growing indignation. The Pentagon estimates that about two dozen commercial charters carrying American forces stop at the Leipzig airport each week.
read more here
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Fort Carson soldier dies in crash near Stuttgart
Fort Carson soldier dies in crash near Stuttgart
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 7, 2012
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A soldier assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., serving in the Stuttgart area on a temporary assignment, was killed Sunday in a car accident, the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group reported.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew A. Harvey, 29, of Houston, was a passenger in the vehicle, according to a local newspaper account of the accident.
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Stars and Stripes
Published: February 7, 2012
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A soldier assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., serving in the Stuttgart area on a temporary assignment, was killed Sunday in a car accident, the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group reported.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew A. Harvey, 29, of Houston, was a passenger in the vehicle, according to a local newspaper account of the accident.
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Monday, December 19, 2011
Witness says Frankfurt Airport shooter responsible for killing airmen
Uka criminally responsible in shooting of airmen, key witness says
By MICHAEL ABRAMS
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 19, 2011
FRANKFURT, Germany — One of Germany’s most prominent psychiatrists testified Monday that the man charged with the murder of two U.S. airmen at Frankfurt Airport last March went to the airport with the intent to kill Americans and is criminally responsible.
Dr. Norbert Leygraf, director of forensic psychiatry at the University of Duisberg-Essen, told the court that Arid Uka, 21, who has confessed to shooting the airmen, had no personality disorder and suffered no mental illness.
Motive is key in German murder trials, and Leygraf’s testimony was considered central to the case.
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By MICHAEL ABRAMS
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 19, 2011
FRANKFURT, Germany — One of Germany’s most prominent psychiatrists testified Monday that the man charged with the murder of two U.S. airmen at Frankfurt Airport last March went to the airport with the intent to kill Americans and is criminally responsible.
Dr. Norbert Leygraf, director of forensic psychiatry at the University of Duisberg-Essen, told the court that Arid Uka, 21, who has confessed to shooting the airmen, had no personality disorder and suffered no mental illness.
Motive is key in German murder trials, and Leygraf’s testimony was considered central to the case.
read more here
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Shooting suspect blames Hollywood anti-war film for death of two Airmen
Shooting Suspect Admits Killing 2 US Airmen
August 31, 2011
Associated Press
FRANKFURT, Germany --- A 21-year-old Kosovo Albanian says he killed two U.S. airmen at the Frankfurt airport on March 2 and wounded two others, but insists he doesn't understand why he committed the crime.
In an emotional confession to the court as his murder trial began Wednesday, Arid Uka said he had become increasingly radicalized by jihad videos online before the shooting.
He told the court that "what I did was wrong, but I cannot undo what I did."
He says that a video purporting to show American servicemen raping a Muslim girl had prompted him to try and stop other American soldiers from getting to Afghanistan.
The video turned out to be from a Hollywood anti-war film.
read more here
August 31, 2011
Associated Press
FRANKFURT, Germany --- A 21-year-old Kosovo Albanian says he killed two U.S. airmen at the Frankfurt airport on March 2 and wounded two others, but insists he doesn't understand why he committed the crime.
In an emotional confession to the court as his murder trial began Wednesday, Arid Uka said he had become increasingly radicalized by jihad videos online before the shooting.
He told the court that "what I did was wrong, but I cannot undo what I did."
He says that a video purporting to show American servicemen raping a Muslim girl had prompted him to try and stop other American soldiers from getting to Afghanistan.
The video turned out to be from a Hollywood anti-war film.
read more here
Monday, March 21, 2011
Friends of slain airman conducting online auction to benefit his family
Friends of slain airman conducting online auction to benefit his family
By DAVID HODGE
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 18, 2011
RAF MILDENHALL, England — Two friends close to the family of slain Senior Airman Nicholas Alden created an online auction shortly after his March 2 shooting death at Germany’s Frankfurt international airport to raise money for his widow and two young children.
After receiving word of the shootings, Kelsey Jezierski and Jennifer Miller formed the “Auction to Raise Funds for the Alden Family” group on the social media site Facebook, and the effort now has more than 260 items and services available for auction.
The site attracted more than 2,000 supporters in the first four days and the number has increased by more than 900 people since. The bidding closes March 30 and direct donations will cease March 27, according to the site.
All proceeds from the auction and donations will be given to the family’s two children — ages 3 and 1, according to Jezierski.
read more here
Friends of slain airman conducting online auction to benefit his family
By DAVID HODGE
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 18, 2011
RAF MILDENHALL, England — Two friends close to the family of slain Senior Airman Nicholas Alden created an online auction shortly after his March 2 shooting death at Germany’s Frankfurt international airport to raise money for his widow and two young children.
After receiving word of the shootings, Kelsey Jezierski and Jennifer Miller formed the “Auction to Raise Funds for the Alden Family” group on the social media site Facebook, and the effort now has more than 260 items and services available for auction.
The site attracted more than 2,000 supporters in the first four days and the number has increased by more than 900 people since. The bidding closes March 30 and direct donations will cease March 27, according to the site.
All proceeds from the auction and donations will be given to the family’s two children — ages 3 and 1, according to Jezierski.
read more here
Friends of slain airman conducting online auction to benefit his family
Friday, August 13, 2010
Germany awakens to treating wounded minds of Afghan vets
PTSD does not know what country the men and women it strikes live in or serve under. This shows that Germany, even with its long history of warfare, they are coming to terms with it.
When we talk about the high numbers in the US military and veteran population, we need to understand we have more suffering because we have more of them.
When we talk about the high numbers in the US military and veteran population, we need to understand we have more suffering because we have more of them.
Germany awakens to treating wounded minds of Afghan vets
Published 13 August, 2010
In Germany, one of the worlds most developed countries, the German army is trying to help hundreds of suspected, but unreported cases, of metal trauma among soldiers who served in combat.
Fighting in a war zone is never easy, but at least when a soldier returns home they can expect to be looked after by the country they fought for, but this is sometimes not the case.
These men were once soldiers.
Andreas Timmerman served Germany for twenty-four years, rising to a Lieutenant Colonel in Afghanistan.
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Germany awakens to treating wounded minds of Afghan vets
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Friday, April 30, 2010
Fourteen members of the Army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade Medals of Valor from Germany
Soldiers become first to receive German honor
By Sean O’Sullivan - The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
Posted : Friday Apr 30, 2010 18:12:23 EDT
Fourteen members of the Army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade on Thursday became the first non-Germans to receive Germany’s Gold Cross, one of that nation’s highest honors for valor.
The soldiers, based at U.S. Army Garrison-Ansbach, Germany, were honored for medevac flights they performed April 2 involving German troops who had been ambushed by some 200 Taliban fighters while on patrol north of the city of Kunduz, Afghanistan.
The firefight was still going on when the Black Hawk evacuation helicopters — two medical transport helicopters and one heavily armed “chase” helicopter — arrived, according to what Army Capt. Robert McDonough, who piloted one of the medical helicopters, told his father, Jack McDonough.
“The two Black Hawks did a combined seven landings into the middle of this battle. My son told me that he could see rounds hitting the blades of his helicopter and there were bullet holes in the Blackhawks,” Jack McDonough wrote in an e-mail message. “He said the incoming fire was so bad that at one point he banked the helicopter real hard to avoid the incoming rounds. He told me he saw the Taliban celebrating, thinking they had downed them.”
According to a letter sent to the McDonough family by Army Maj. Michael S. Hughes, the medevac team “performed heroically in the face of extreme adversity,” and their actions saved at least five German soldiers “and probably countless more.”
read more here
Soldiers become first to receive German honor
By Sean O’Sullivan - The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal
Posted : Friday Apr 30, 2010 18:12:23 EDT
Fourteen members of the Army’s 12th Combat Aviation Brigade on Thursday became the first non-Germans to receive Germany’s Gold Cross, one of that nation’s highest honors for valor.
The soldiers, based at U.S. Army Garrison-Ansbach, Germany, were honored for medevac flights they performed April 2 involving German troops who had been ambushed by some 200 Taliban fighters while on patrol north of the city of Kunduz, Afghanistan.
The firefight was still going on when the Black Hawk evacuation helicopters — two medical transport helicopters and one heavily armed “chase” helicopter — arrived, according to what Army Capt. Robert McDonough, who piloted one of the medical helicopters, told his father, Jack McDonough.
“The two Black Hawks did a combined seven landings into the middle of this battle. My son told me that he could see rounds hitting the blades of his helicopter and there were bullet holes in the Blackhawks,” Jack McDonough wrote in an e-mail message. “He said the incoming fire was so bad that at one point he banked the helicopter real hard to avoid the incoming rounds. He told me he saw the Taliban celebrating, thinking they had downed them.”
According to a letter sent to the McDonough family by Army Maj. Michael S. Hughes, the medevac team “performed heroically in the face of extreme adversity,” and their actions saved at least five German soldiers “and probably countless more.”
read more here
Soldiers become first to receive German honor
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Convicted GI poisoned himself before surrendering
Father: Convicted GI poisoned himself before surrendering
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Special Forces soldier who was on the run for nearly two days following a court-martial conviction poisoned himself before surrendering to police, his father told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
Kelly A. Stewart — a sergeant first class at the time of his conviction last week on charges of kidnapping, forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual assault of a German woman in August 2008 — is now in intensive care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to his father, John.
Stewart, 36, fled early Thursday morning after being convicted the night before at his court-martial in Vilseck, Germany. He surrendered late Friday to military police in Stuttgart and was taken to the Army confinement facility at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim. It was at the confinement facility where Stewart showed the first signs of illness, his father said in a telephone interview Tuesday morning.
Stewart, a medic by training, may have injected himself with poison or swallowed pills while he was fleeing authorities, his father said.
He was taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center on Sunday and then flown to Walter Reed in Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon, medical officials said. Patient privacy rules prevent medical officials from discussing patient treatment and conditions.
“He may or may not live,” said John Stewart, who said he was heading to an airport to board a plane from Nebraska to be at his son’s bedside. “He is in the ICU (intensive care unit) and there appears to be some major organ damage, particularly to his kidneys.”
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64383
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Special Forces soldier who was on the run for nearly two days following a court-martial conviction poisoned himself before surrendering to police, his father told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
Kelly A. Stewart — a sergeant first class at the time of his conviction last week on charges of kidnapping, forcible sodomy and aggravated sexual assault of a German woman in August 2008 — is now in intensive care at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, according to his father, John.
Stewart, 36, fled early Thursday morning after being convicted the night before at his court-martial in Vilseck, Germany. He surrendered late Friday to military police in Stuttgart and was taken to the Army confinement facility at Coleman Barracks in Mannheim. It was at the confinement facility where Stewart showed the first signs of illness, his father said in a telephone interview Tuesday morning.
Stewart, a medic by training, may have injected himself with poison or swallowed pills while he was fleeing authorities, his father said.
He was taken to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center on Sunday and then flown to Walter Reed in Washington, D.C., on Monday afternoon, medical officials said. Patient privacy rules prevent medical officials from discussing patient treatment and conditions.
“He may or may not live,” said John Stewart, who said he was heading to an airport to board a plane from Nebraska to be at his son’s bedside. “He is in the ICU (intensive care unit) and there appears to be some major organ damage, particularly to his kidneys.”
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64383
Thursday, August 20, 2009
DOD Two Deaths in Iraq
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Matthew D. Hastings, 23, of Claremore, Okla., died Aug. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 582nd Medical Logistics Company, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Hood, Texas.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. William Z. Vanosdol, 23, of Pinson, Ala., died Aug. 19 at Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy rocket fire struck his quarters. He was assigned to the 172nd Support Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany.
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Matthew D. Hastings, 23, of Claremore, Okla., died Aug. 17 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 582nd Medical Logistics Company, 1st Medical Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command, Fort Hood, Texas.
The circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation.
DoD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Pfc. William Z. Vanosdol, 23, of Pinson, Ala., died Aug. 19 at Ad Diwaniyah, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy rocket fire struck his quarters. He was assigned to the 172nd Support Battalion, Schweinfurt, Germany.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Senior leaders fight rise in alcohol violations
Driving down DUIs: Senior leaders fight rise in alcohol violations
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, August 5, 2009
For the 52nd Fighter Wing commander at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, even one drunken driving violation by one of his airmen is one too many.
It’s a line repeated often by most commanders, to the point it can sound cliche.
But for Col. Lee Wight, the campaign against drunken driving is deeply personal.
In 1982, while working as a civilian police officer in Norman, Okla., a 16-year-old girl died in his arms after her car was T-boned at an intersection by a drunk driver.
"It sticks in your mind," Wight said. Ever since, "I’ve been kind of waging a war against DUIs."
A spike in drunken driving and other alcohol-related offenses this spring did not go unnoticed. After one DUI and one alcohol-related incident in January, the numbers for both began to creep up: 4 in February, 6 in March and 7 in April. And then in May there were several off-base incidents and serious accidents, some involving alcohol.
Wight and senior leaders across base cracked down, using a mixture of policy, punishment and programs to combat drunken driving and promote responsible choices.
Wight looked into raising the drinking age on base — in Germany it’s legal to consume beer and wine at 16, hard liquor at 18 — but was told he couldn’t legally do that.
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64033
By Jennifer H. Svan, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, August 5, 2009
For the 52nd Fighter Wing commander at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, even one drunken driving violation by one of his airmen is one too many.
It’s a line repeated often by most commanders, to the point it can sound cliche.
But for Col. Lee Wight, the campaign against drunken driving is deeply personal.
In 1982, while working as a civilian police officer in Norman, Okla., a 16-year-old girl died in his arms after her car was T-boned at an intersection by a drunk driver.
"It sticks in your mind," Wight said. Ever since, "I’ve been kind of waging a war against DUIs."
A spike in drunken driving and other alcohol-related offenses this spring did not go unnoticed. After one DUI and one alcohol-related incident in January, the numbers for both began to creep up: 4 in February, 6 in March and 7 in April. And then in May there were several off-base incidents and serious accidents, some involving alcohol.
Wight and senior leaders across base cracked down, using a mixture of policy, punishment and programs to combat drunken driving and promote responsible choices.
Wight looked into raising the drinking age on base — in Germany it’s legal to consume beer and wine at 16, hard liquor at 18 — but was told he couldn’t legally do that.
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64033
Friday, July 24, 2009
Giving veterans a hand by a veteran
Giving veterans a hand
By KATHY CLEVELAND
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, Jul. 23, 2009
MILFORD – Three years ago Matthew Bernard was riding in an armed Humvee in Ramadi, Iraq, when a roadside bomb almost killed him.
It was the second time in a week he was injured, and this time he was left with burns, a fractured neck, injured shoulder, temporary hearing loss, and a severe concussion.
The Army awarded him numerous medals, including two Purple Hearts, and sent him home from Iraq.
After a visit to an Army hospital in Germany, he was shipped to the U.S. where he spent two weeks in a Georgia hospital, then discharged with a treatment plan.
Shayne, his wife, drove him home to Milford, and he waited for a follow-up phone call.
But there was no phone call; no one in the service seemed to know he was here.
“I couldn’t understand. I was still fresh from the battlefield. It was hard not to feel abandoned,” he said. “I guess they expected me to coordinate the treatment.
“It was a very devastating experience, but it turned into something positive,” said the 32-year-old Bernard, who lives in Milford with his wife and five children.
Later that year Bernard was on a plane headed to Florida to visit another injured soldiers from his unit when a National Guard officer, Command Sgt. Major Greg Crotto, overheard him talking to other soldiers about his homecoming experience and invited him to explain his situation to a top official in the state National Guard.
read more here
Giving veterans a hand
By KATHY CLEVELAND
Staff Writer
Published: Thursday, Jul. 23, 2009
MILFORD – Three years ago Matthew Bernard was riding in an armed Humvee in Ramadi, Iraq, when a roadside bomb almost killed him.
It was the second time in a week he was injured, and this time he was left with burns, a fractured neck, injured shoulder, temporary hearing loss, and a severe concussion.
The Army awarded him numerous medals, including two Purple Hearts, and sent him home from Iraq.
After a visit to an Army hospital in Germany, he was shipped to the U.S. where he spent two weeks in a Georgia hospital, then discharged with a treatment plan.
Shayne, his wife, drove him home to Milford, and he waited for a follow-up phone call.
But there was no phone call; no one in the service seemed to know he was here.
“I couldn’t understand. I was still fresh from the battlefield. It was hard not to feel abandoned,” he said. “I guess they expected me to coordinate the treatment.
“It was a very devastating experience, but it turned into something positive,” said the 32-year-old Bernard, who lives in Milford with his wife and five children.
Later that year Bernard was on a plane headed to Florida to visit another injured soldiers from his unit when a National Guard officer, Command Sgt. Major Greg Crotto, overheard him talking to other soldiers about his homecoming experience and invited him to explain his situation to a top official in the state National Guard.
read more here
Giving veterans a hand
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Soldier on leave for funeral dies
Soldier on leave for funeral dies
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, July 22, 2009
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 22-year-old soldier who died while on leave at his home in Litchfield, Maine.
Pvt. Lawrence "Larry" Gowell II died at home on Saturday from what his father suspects was a blood clot. Gowell had been at the warrior transition unit in Baumholder after being diagnosed last fall with post-traumatic stress disorder. He had just served his first tour in Iraq.
He had returned to Maine on July 15 to attend a relative’s funeral. His father, also named Larry, said Tuesday that an official cause of death has not been determined, but that he suspected it was a blood clot.
"He had a sore around his leg," the father said by phone from his home in Maine. "It was hurting him bad. I tried getting him to go to the hospital, but he didn’t want to because he had just gotten home."
Gowell leaves behind a wife, Crystal; a 2-year-old son and a 15-month-old daughter, as well as his parents, Larry and Lisa, both of Litchfield.
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, July 22, 2009
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 22-year-old soldier who died while on leave at his home in Litchfield, Maine.
Pvt. Lawrence "Larry" Gowell II died at home on Saturday from what his father suspects was a blood clot. Gowell had been at the warrior transition unit in Baumholder after being diagnosed last fall with post-traumatic stress disorder. He had just served his first tour in Iraq.
He had returned to Maine on July 15 to attend a relative’s funeral. His father, also named Larry, said Tuesday that an official cause of death has not been determined, but that he suspected it was a blood clot.
"He had a sore around his leg," the father said by phone from his home in Maine. "It was hurting him bad. I tried getting him to go to the hospital, but he didn’t want to because he had just gotten home."
Gowell leaves behind a wife, Crystal; a 2-year-old son and a 15-month-old daughter, as well as his parents, Larry and Lisa, both of Litchfield.
read more here
Friday, July 3, 2009
Army identifies soldier found dead at Bamberg
Army identifies soldier found dead at Bamberg
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, July 4, 2009
Army officials have identified the soldier from the 54th Engineer Battalion who was found dead Thursday outside Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany.
Spc. Levi Clark, 20, was found outside the barracks unresponsive at 6:30 a.m., a U.S. Army Europe release said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a German doctor. U.S. and German authorities are investigating the cause of his death.
Army officials did not have information about Clark’s hometown in the States. He was among 300 soldiers who had returned Wednesday from a deployment to Camp Striker, Iraq, a USAREUR spokeswoman said.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63583
Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, July 4, 2009
Army officials have identified the soldier from the 54th Engineer Battalion who was found dead Thursday outside Warner Barracks in Bamberg, Germany.
Spc. Levi Clark, 20, was found outside the barracks unresponsive at 6:30 a.m., a U.S. Army Europe release said. He was pronounced dead at the scene by a German doctor. U.S. and German authorities are investigating the cause of his death.
Army officials did not have information about Clark’s hometown in the States. He was among 300 soldiers who had returned Wednesday from a deployment to Camp Striker, Iraq, a USAREUR spokeswoman said.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=63583
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sgt. Maj. Kenneth O. Preston addresses Soldier issues during Wiesbaden visit
Army's senior NCO addresses Soldier issues during Wiesbaden visit
Jun 25, 2009
By Karl Weisel (USAG Wiesbaden)
WIESBADEN, Germany - Stress on the force, recruitment, retention and the Year of the NCO were among an array of topics addressed by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston during a day-long visit to Wiesbaden Army Airfield, June 24.
The Army's senior enlisted leader told a packed auditorium of Soldiers and families that he "wanted a good feeling for what's on their minds."
After touring several facilities on the airfield – including the Warrior Transition Unit, the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers' Warrior Zone, Wiesbaden Fitness Center and being briefed on ongoing transformation in U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden – Preston joined junior enlisted Soldiers for lunch. The one-on-one discussion time was followed by an open forum with Soldiers and their families in the Flyers Theater.
During the forum the sergeant major of the Army described the shape of the force, which currently includes 548,000 active-duty troops, of which 260,000 are deployed to 80 countries around the world. Those Soldiers and 95,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves also deployed are "doing an incredible job around the world," he said.
Preston described a meeting with President Barack Obama and other military leaders in which he raised concerns including stress on the force, recruiting and retention. "It's pretty stressful. There are a lot of dynamics out there because the Army is busy."
Describing how he told the president that stress occurs both during deployment and "when the units come back during dwell time," he said he "wanted the president to understand that it's not just operational stress but also institutional stress and stress on our families."
A tumbling economy was another stress factor, he noted.
Calling them "warning lights on the dashboard," the Army’s senior noncommissioned officer said a rise in suicides and post traumatic stress were visible effects of this stress on the force.
go here for more
NCO addresses Soldier issues during Wiesbaden visit
Jun 25, 2009
By Karl Weisel (USAG Wiesbaden)
WIESBADEN, Germany - Stress on the force, recruitment, retention and the Year of the NCO were among an array of topics addressed by Sgt. Maj. of the Army Kenneth O. Preston during a day-long visit to Wiesbaden Army Airfield, June 24.
The Army's senior enlisted leader told a packed auditorium of Soldiers and families that he "wanted a good feeling for what's on their minds."
After touring several facilities on the airfield – including the Warrior Transition Unit, the Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers' Warrior Zone, Wiesbaden Fitness Center and being briefed on ongoing transformation in U.S. Army Garrison Wiesbaden – Preston joined junior enlisted Soldiers for lunch. The one-on-one discussion time was followed by an open forum with Soldiers and their families in the Flyers Theater.
During the forum the sergeant major of the Army described the shape of the force, which currently includes 548,000 active-duty troops, of which 260,000 are deployed to 80 countries around the world. Those Soldiers and 95,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves also deployed are "doing an incredible job around the world," he said.
Preston described a meeting with President Barack Obama and other military leaders in which he raised concerns including stress on the force, recruiting and retention. "It's pretty stressful. There are a lot of dynamics out there because the Army is busy."
Describing how he told the president that stress occurs both during deployment and "when the units come back during dwell time," he said he "wanted the president to understand that it's not just operational stress but also institutional stress and stress on our families."
A tumbling economy was another stress factor, he noted.
Calling them "warning lights on the dashboard," the Army’s senior noncommissioned officer said a rise in suicides and post traumatic stress were visible effects of this stress on the force.
go here for more
NCO addresses Soldier issues during Wiesbaden visit
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