Congress Wants Answers on Petraeus Affair
Nov 12, 2012
Associated Press
by Anne Flaherty, Kimberly Dozier and Adam Goldman
WASHINGTON -- Members of Congress said Sunday they want to know more details about the FBI investigation that revealed an extramarital affair between ex-CIA Director David Petraeus and his biographer, questioning when the retired general popped up in the FBI inquiry, whether national security was compromised and why they weren't told sooner.
"We received no advance notice. It was like a lightning bolt," said Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee.
The FBI was investigating harassing emails sent by Petraeus biographer and girlfriend Paula Broadwell to a second woman. That probe of Broadwell's emails revealed the affair between Broadwell and Petraeus. The FBI contacted Petraeus and other intelligence officials, and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper asked Petraeus to resign.
A senior U.S. military official identified the second woman as Jill Kelley, 37, who lives in Tampa, Florida, and serves as an unpaid social liaison to MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, where the military's Central Command and Special Operations Command are located.
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Showing posts with label MacDill Air Force Base. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MacDill Air Force Base. Show all posts
Monday, November 12, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Operation Homefront Launches Annual Holiday Meals for Military
Operation Homefront Launches Annual Holiday Meals for Military Program
By Operation Homefront
Published: Monday, Oct. 29, 2012
SAN ANTONIO
PRNewswire-USNewswire
Operation Homefront, the national non-profit dedicated to providing emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our nation's military, has announced today that it is launching its annual Holiday Meals for Military program.
The Holiday Meals for Military Program began Thanksgiving 2009 as a result of a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Ft. Drum. A soldier, his wife, and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Beam Inc. employee picked up the $12 cost for the groceries. Since that time, the program has grown from initially providing 500 meals kits to military families in 2009 to providing 5,200 this holiday season.
The 5,200 meal kits, which include all the grocery items necessary for a full holiday meal, will be distributed to lower and mid-grade ranking military families, E-1 thru E-6, at seventeen bases nationwide in December 2012, including Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Knox, Ky.; Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill.; and MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
read more here
By Operation Homefront
Published: Monday, Oct. 29, 2012
SAN ANTONIO
PRNewswire-USNewswire
Operation Homefront, the national non-profit dedicated to providing emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our nation's military, has announced today that it is launching its annual Holiday Meals for Military program.
The Holiday Meals for Military Program began Thanksgiving 2009 as a result of a chance encounter in a supermarket in Utica, N.Y., near Ft. Drum. A soldier, his wife, and infant had a handful of grocery items they could not afford, so a Beam Inc. employee picked up the $12 cost for the groceries. Since that time, the program has grown from initially providing 500 meals kits to military families in 2009 to providing 5,200 this holiday season.
The 5,200 meal kits, which include all the grocery items necessary for a full holiday meal, will be distributed to lower and mid-grade ranking military families, E-1 thru E-6, at seventeen bases nationwide in December 2012, including Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Fort Benning, Ga.; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Carson, Colo.; Fort Drum, N.Y.; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Knox, Ky.; Great Lakes Naval Base, Ill.; and MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
read more here
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
CentCom Lt. Colonel accused of sexually enticing teen
CentCom officer accused of sexually enticing teen
Tampa Bay Times
Times staff
In Print: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
TAMPA — A protocol officer for a general at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base has been arrested by federal officials and accused of trying to entice a 17-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity.
Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Michael Governale, 49, of Tampa was being held Tuesday in Seminole County without bail pending an Oct. 1 hearing in Orlando federal court.
Court documents do not name the general to whom he reported, or say where the teen lived.
On his Facebook page, Governale posted a photo in 2010 showing him with the man he said was his boss at the time, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former chief of CentCom.
read more here linked from This ain't hell
Tampa Bay Times
Times staff
In Print: Wednesday, September 26, 2012
TAMPA — A protocol officer for a general at U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base has been arrested by federal officials and accused of trying to entice a 17-year-old boy to engage in sexual activity.
Air Force Lt. Col. Stephen Michael Governale, 49, of Tampa was being held Tuesday in Seminole County without bail pending an Oct. 1 hearing in Orlando federal court.
Court documents do not name the general to whom he reported, or say where the teen lived.
On his Facebook page, Governale posted a photo in 2010 showing him with the man he said was his boss at the time, Gen. David H. Petraeus, the former chief of CentCom.
read more here linked from This ain't hell
Saturday, May 19, 2012
2 arrested in attack on MacDill-based soldier
2 arrested in attack on MacDill-based soldier
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday May 19, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. — Two people have been arrested in connection with the attack of a soldier at MacDill Air Force Base, according to authorities.
Jail records show 18-year-olds Geroshe Lewis and Lerome Howard were charged Friday with aggravated battery and robbery. Police are still searching for two other suspects.
read more here
Soldier beaten, robbed, left for dead
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday May 19, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. — Two people have been arrested in connection with the attack of a soldier at MacDill Air Force Base, according to authorities.
Jail records show 18-year-olds Geroshe Lewis and Lerome Howard were charged Friday with aggravated battery and robbery. Police are still searching for two other suspects.
read more here
Soldier beaten, robbed, left for dead
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Soldier Beaten, Robbed, Left For Dead in Florida
Soldier Beaten, Robbed, Left For Dead in Florida
May 15, 2012
Written by WFMY News 2
Tampa, FL-- The attack is almost too painful to watch.
The beating is brutal and swift. It happens in a matter of seconds, and the young man struggling on the ground is an American soldier, beaten at the hands of four unidentified men.
The 24-year-old is beaten so severely that he can't even stand up when the agonizing attack is finished and the men run away.
The victim has only been in Tampa less than a month.
The beating was caught on a nearby surveillance video in a South Tampa neighborhood around 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning as Johnny Aparico was walking home.
read more here
May 15, 2012
Written by WFMY News 2
Tampa, FL-- The attack is almost too painful to watch.
The beating is brutal and swift. It happens in a matter of seconds, and the young man struggling on the ground is an American soldier, beaten at the hands of four unidentified men.
The 24-year-old is beaten so severely that he can't even stand up when the agonizing attack is finished and the men run away.
The victim has only been in Tampa less than a month.
The beating was caught on a nearby surveillance video in a South Tampa neighborhood around 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning as Johnny Aparico was walking home.
read more here
Friday, December 9, 2011
Tampa Marine's arm sawed off to be "dressed" for funeral?
Remains of Thonotosassa soldier at center of military mortuary probe
By Jessica Vander Velde
Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, December 9, 2011
TAMPA — As the family of fallen Marine Sgt. Daniel Angus mourned, strangers honored him. They held flags and saluted his casket when it passed through Tampa in a January 2010 motorcade.
Nearly two years later, the Armwood High graduate's funeral preparations are at the center of a federal investigation that concluded the U.S. Air Force has mishandled troops remains.
The Air Force dumped the cremated partial remains of at least 274 American troops in a Virginia landfill and sawed off part of Sgt. Angus' left arm without his family's permission, according to reports from the Air Force and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog agency.
The Air Force, while declaring an end to such practices, concluded the military did nothing wrong by removing part of the sergeant's arm so he could be dressed in uniform.
Angus' parents and sister disagree, a family attorney said. They're horrified about his "mutilation," and learning of it has led to a fresh wave of grief, attorney Mark O'Brien said.
read more here
By Jessica Vander Velde
Times Staff Writer
In Print: Friday, December 9, 2011
[STEPHEN J. CODDINGTON Times (2010)]
The casket of Marine Sgt. Daniel Angus, 28, arrived at MacDill Air Force Base on Feb. 4, 2010. His widow, Bonnie, second from the left, looks down at it as family members comfort each other.
TAMPA — As the family of fallen Marine Sgt. Daniel Angus mourned, strangers honored him. They held flags and saluted his casket when it passed through Tampa in a January 2010 motorcade.
Nearly two years later, the Armwood High graduate's funeral preparations are at the center of a federal investigation that concluded the U.S. Air Force has mishandled troops remains.
The Air Force dumped the cremated partial remains of at least 274 American troops in a Virginia landfill and sawed off part of Sgt. Angus' left arm without his family's permission, according to reports from the Air Force and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel, a federal watchdog agency.
The Air Force, while declaring an end to such practices, concluded the military did nothing wrong by removing part of the sergeant's arm so he could be dressed in uniform.
Angus' parents and sister disagree, a family attorney said. They're horrified about his "mutilation," and learning of it has led to a fresh wave of grief, attorney Mark O'Brien said.
read more here
Sunday, October 30, 2011
U.S. Planning Troop Buildup in Gulf After Exit From Iraq
U.S. Planning Troop Buildup in Gulf After Exit From Iraq
By THOM SHANKER and STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: October 29, 2011
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The Obama administration plans to bolster the American military presence in the Persian Gulf after it withdraws the remaining troops from Iraq this year, according to officials and diplomats. That repositioning could include new combat forces in Kuwait able to respond to a collapse of security in Iraq or a military confrontation with Iran.
The plans, under discussion for months, gained new urgency after President Obama’s announcement this month that the last American soldiers would be brought home from Iraq by the end of December. Ending the eight-year war was a central pledge of his presidential campaign, but American military officers and diplomats, as well as officials of several countries in the region, worry that the withdrawal could leave instability or worse in its wake.
After unsuccessfully pressing both the Obama administration and the Iraqi government to permit as many as 20,000 American troops to remain in Iraq beyond 2011, the Pentagon is now drawing up an alternative.
read more here
By THOM SHANKER and STEVEN LEE MYERS
Published: October 29, 2011
MacDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. — The Obama administration plans to bolster the American military presence in the Persian Gulf after it withdraws the remaining troops from Iraq this year, according to officials and diplomats. That repositioning could include new combat forces in Kuwait able to respond to a collapse of security in Iraq or a military confrontation with Iran.
The plans, under discussion for months, gained new urgency after President Obama’s announcement this month that the last American soldiers would be brought home from Iraq by the end of December. Ending the eight-year war was a central pledge of his presidential campaign, but American military officers and diplomats, as well as officials of several countries in the region, worry that the withdrawal could leave instability or worse in its wake.
After unsuccessfully pressing both the Obama administration and the Iraqi government to permit as many as 20,000 American troops to remain in Iraq beyond 2011, the Pentagon is now drawing up an alternative.
read more here
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
By Mitch Stacy - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 15, 2010 14:46:19 EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — A man arrested as he tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base with weapons and ammunition in his car is a serviceman listed as being absent without leave, base officials said Tuesday.
Air Force Col. Dave Cohen released few new details about Monday night's arrest at the base that houses the U.S. command center for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But Cohen said it doesn't appear to have been a terrorism attempt. He did not release the serviceman's name, his military branch or the name of the woman who was with him. Both are in their mid-20s, Cohen said. The woman is not connected to the military.
read more here
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
By Mitch Stacy - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 15, 2010 14:46:19 EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — A man arrested as he tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base with weapons and ammunition in his car is a serviceman listed as being absent without leave, base officials said Tuesday.
Air Force Col. Dave Cohen released few new details about Monday night's arrest at the base that houses the U.S. command center for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But Cohen said it doesn't appear to have been a terrorism attempt. He did not release the serviceman's name, his military branch or the name of the woman who was with him. Both are in their mid-20s, Cohen said. The woman is not connected to the military.
read more here
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
Friday, May 21, 2010
Vietnam veteran killed outside gate at Florida Air Force base
Why was an FBI agent at the gate in the first place? Why wouldn't he shoot the hand with the knife instead of killing him? So many questions we may never know the answers to. Stress can send a PTSD veteran into flashbacks. Was he having one?
Randolph native and Vietnam veteran killed outside gate at Florida Air Force base
By Lane Lambert
The Patriot Ledger
Posted May 21, 2010 @ 07:05 AM
A Vietnam War veteran who grew up in Randolph was shot and killed at the gate of a Tampa Air Force base after he apparently threatened an off-duty FBI agent with a knife.
Ronald J. Bullock, 61, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and was taking medications, according to published reports in Tampa that quoted Bullock’s uncle and one of his brothers.
The confrontation and shooting occurred about 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Dale Mabry gate at MacDill Air Force Base. Bullock was pronounced dead an hour later.
On Thursday, Bullock’s family remained in the dark about what happened.
‘‘Something happened at the gate. He pulled a knife and an FBI agent shot him. It’s all very sketchy,’’ Bullock's brother, John, told Channel 5.
Authorities said the incident began with an altercation at an on-base camping area that is open to anyone with a military identification card.
The off-duty FBI agent who shot Bullock was with base security officers responding to the disturbance. According to authorities, Bullock got on his motorcycle and headed for the gate, refusing to stop for security.
read more here
Vietnam veteran killed outside gate at Florida Air Force base
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill base in Tampa; security chased him after fight
TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press Writer
9:27 p.m. EDT, May 19, 2010
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — An Army veteran who sped away from MacDill Air Force Base security on a motorcycle was fatally shot Wednesday by an FBI agent after the man threatened him with a knife, officials said.
At about 6 p.m., base security was called to an altercation, which wasn't described, at a camping area inside the base, said Col. Larry Martin, the base commander.
The veteran who was described as a guest at the camping area was arguing with another person, but officials wouldn't name either.
"We don't have a lot of details about what went on in that altercation," Martin said.
The veteran sped away on his motorcycle and security tried to stop him, Martin said.
go here for more
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press Writer
9:27 p.m. EDT, May 19, 2010
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — An Army veteran who sped away from MacDill Air Force Base security on a motorcycle was fatally shot Wednesday by an FBI agent after the man threatened him with a knife, officials said.
At about 6 p.m., base security was called to an altercation, which wasn't described, at a camping area inside the base, said Col. Larry Martin, the base commander.
The veteran who was described as a guest at the camping area was arguing with another person, but officials wouldn't name either.
"We don't have a lot of details about what went on in that altercation," Martin said.
The veteran sped away on his motorcycle and security tried to stop him, Martin said.
go here for more
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base
Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, home to U.S. Central Command
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
TAMPA, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- A person was shot dead outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday evening, authorities say. The base is also home to the U.S. Central Command.
Tampa Fire Rescue crews responded to the Dale Mabry gate of MacDill Air Force Base at 6.47 p.m. Eastern time. "Rescuers are on scene at this time as are Tampa Police and Base Security," a spokesman said.
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Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base
UPDATE
It was an Army veteran
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
TAMPA, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- A person was shot dead outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday evening, authorities say. The base is also home to the U.S. Central Command.
Tampa Fire Rescue crews responded to the Dale Mabry gate of MacDill Air Force Base at 6.47 p.m. Eastern time. "Rescuers are on scene at this time as are Tampa Police and Base Security," a spokesman said.
go here for more
Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base
UPDATE
It was an Army veteran
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Friday, December 11, 2009
Florida veteran will bike 300 miles to help others recover
Spring Hill veteran will bike 300 miles to help others recover
By Beth N. Gray, Times Correspondent
In Print: Friday, December 11, 2009
SPRING HILL — Living up to the military axiom that you never leave a comrade behind, Mike Runyan will take on an arduous trek this weekend to help wounded warriors.
The 60-year-old from Spring Hill will mount his Trek 2.3 model bicycle at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Saturday and pedal more than 300 miles to Jacksonville over six days in the first Florida Challenge ride.
The event, which will take the riders on Saturday and Sunday through Pasco and Hernando counties, is part of a national effort, Ride 2 Recovery. The 2-year-old foundation launched in California raises money to aid rehabilitation for the military's wounded.
One of the rehabilitation efforts provides specially built bicycles for veterans who have lost a leg or the use of their legs, Runyan said.
read more here
Spring Hill veteran will bike 300 miles to help others recover
By Beth N. Gray, Times Correspondent
In Print: Friday, December 11, 2009
SPRING HILL — Living up to the military axiom that you never leave a comrade behind, Mike Runyan will take on an arduous trek this weekend to help wounded warriors.
The 60-year-old from Spring Hill will mount his Trek 2.3 model bicycle at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa on Saturday and pedal more than 300 miles to Jacksonville over six days in the first Florida Challenge ride.
The event, which will take the riders on Saturday and Sunday through Pasco and Hernando counties, is part of a national effort, Ride 2 Recovery. The 2-year-old foundation launched in California raises money to aid rehabilitation for the military's wounded.
One of the rehabilitation efforts provides specially built bicycles for veterans who have lost a leg or the use of their legs, Runyan said.
read more here
Spring Hill veteran will bike 300 miles to help others recover
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Mother of MacDill airman killed in Iraq says son was "very, very dedicated"
[Photo by ANTHONY LACHICA]
In Iraq, 1st Lt. Joe Helton’s job was to help train Iraqi police. In a blog post, he wrote that Iraqis were “just like us on a basic, human level.” He was killed by a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
Mother of MacDill airman killed in Iraq says son was "very, very dedicated"
By Michael Kruse, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Thursday, September 10, 2009
TAMPA — Back when he was a senior in high school in Monroe, Ga., Joe Helton told his mother he thought the Air Force Academy in Colorado was too far away. He had three sisters. His parents were divorced.
"He felt like he had to stay around home and take care of the girls and me," his mother, Jiffy Helton, said Wednesday night on the phone from Georgia. "He felt like he was the man of the house."
She said go.
"I told him," she said, "he had a life to lead."
Helton, 24, died Tuesday in Iraq while on patrol when a roadside bomb exploded in Baghdad, the Department of Defense announced Wednesday. He was in the 6th Security Forces Squadron out of MacDill Air Force Base. He had been stationed at MacDill since 2007, base spokeswoman Rebecca Heyse said.
This was his first tour in Iraq. He volunteered to go.
Col. Lawrence Martin of the 6th Air Mobility Wing called Helton "an amazing airman," saying in a statement: "We are deeply saddened by his loss and very proud of his service."
read more here
MacDill airman killed in Iraq
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Col. James L. Merchant III, died after parachute accident
Parachutist was a distinguished soldier
Tampabay.com - St. Petersburg,FL,USA
Curtis Krueger, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, January 31, 2009
TAMPA — The Army colonel who died in a parachute accident this week was a career soldier who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned the Bronze Star.
Beyond being a fighter, Col. James L. Merchant III also was an intellectual who puzzled out how to communicate advantageously with foreign enemies.
"It required much intellectual energy and rigor," said his friend and colleague at Special Operations Command, Col. John Leonard. Merchant succeeded with "his ability to think through some of the most difficult problems that we deal with in the command here."
Merchant, 46, was from South Carolina and joined the military in 1984 through a program at the Citadel, where he graduated. His career took him to Korea, Italy, Croatia, Qatar and the Air War College, which emphasizes use of air and space power in joint and multinational fighting.
Witnesses said one parachutists seem to veer far from the group, and dropped into a lake outside of MacDill Air Force Base. He separated from his parachute and began swimming, but for unknown reasons he went under the water. The cause of the accident is under investigation.
click link for more
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Airman from MacDill Air Force Base dies in Iraq
DoD Identifies Air Force Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of an Airman who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Senior Airman Omar J. McKnight, 22, of Marrero, La., died Jan 17 as a result of a non-hostile incident in Balad, Iraq. He was assigned to the 6th Security Forces Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Operation Helping Hand at James A. Haley VA Hospital
Giving The Military A Helping Hand
Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,USA
By JOYCE McKENZIE
jmckenzie@tampatrib.com
Published: December 17, 2008
UNIVERSITY AREA - U.S. Marine Cpl. Miguel "Mike" Manuel Delgado could not think of a better way to spend an evening in the spinal cord injury unit at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.
"I've been looking forward to this all day," said Delgado, who has been at the hospital since February. He is recovering from a broken neck that happened in a surfboarding accident in California while on leave from Iraq.
Delgado, of Brooksville, was among several other injured and wounded active duty patients and their families honored on Thursday during an annual Christmas dinner hosted by Operation Helping Hand, an initiative of the Tampa Chapter of Military Officers Association of America.
Delgado and his comrades were showered with gifts and a turkey dinner, compliments of Columbia Restaurant, and served by many of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and MacDill Air Force Base's top brass.
"This is cool and it's great seeing and getting kissed by so many hot ladies," joked Delgado, who has aspirations of walking again. He credits his doctors and nursing staff for getting him on track to be discharged within a couple of months.
click link above for more
Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,USA
By JOYCE McKENZIE
jmckenzie@tampatrib.com
Published: December 17, 2008
UNIVERSITY AREA - U.S. Marine Cpl. Miguel "Mike" Manuel Delgado could not think of a better way to spend an evening in the spinal cord injury unit at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital.
"I've been looking forward to this all day," said Delgado, who has been at the hospital since February. He is recovering from a broken neck that happened in a surfboarding accident in California while on leave from Iraq.
Delgado, of Brooksville, was among several other injured and wounded active duty patients and their families honored on Thursday during an annual Christmas dinner hosted by Operation Helping Hand, an initiative of the Tampa Chapter of Military Officers Association of America.
Delgado and his comrades were showered with gifts and a turkey dinner, compliments of Columbia Restaurant, and served by many of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and MacDill Air Force Base's top brass.
"This is cool and it's great seeing and getting kissed by so many hot ladies," joked Delgado, who has aspirations of walking again. He credits his doctors and nursing staff for getting him on track to be discharged within a couple of months.
click link above for more
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Medal of Honor recipients honored at MacDill
Medal of Honor recipients honored at MacDill
Nov 17, 2008
November 17, 2008
Medal of Honor recipients honored at MacDill
TAMPA -- In two different war-torn countries a year apart, two members of the Navy SEALs did not hesitate to perform acts of heroism that define "above and beyond the call of duty."
Both paid the ultimate price to save their comrades: their lives.
In a ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base early today, U.S. Special Operations Command unveiled the names of Lt. Michael Murphy and Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor on a memorial designed for special ops members who have died in training or combat.
With their families watching, Murphy and Monsoor joined 38 other Americans on a wall of the monument reserved for Medal of Honor recipients, the military's highest distinction. (SEAL stands for sea-air-land.)
"These men excelled at everything they did," said Adm. Eric Olson, SOCOM commander. "In the end, each willingly and knowingly sacrificed their lives to save others."
click link for more
Nov 17, 2008
November 17, 2008
Medal of Honor recipients honored at MacDill
TAMPA -- In two different war-torn countries a year apart, two members of the Navy SEALs did not hesitate to perform acts of heroism that define "above and beyond the call of duty."
Both paid the ultimate price to save their comrades: their lives.
In a ceremony at MacDill Air Force Base early today, U.S. Special Operations Command unveiled the names of Lt. Michael Murphy and Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Monsoor on a memorial designed for special ops members who have died in training or combat.
With their families watching, Murphy and Monsoor joined 38 other Americans on a wall of the monument reserved for Medal of Honor recipients, the military's highest distinction. (SEAL stands for sea-air-land.)
"These men excelled at everything they did," said Adm. Eric Olson, SOCOM commander. "In the end, each willingly and knowingly sacrificed their lives to save others."
click link for more
Monday, September 29, 2008
Man accused of strangling wife, holding kids at gunpoint
September 29, 2008
Man accused of strangling wife, holding kids at gunpoint
RIVERVIEW -- An argument in the kitchen escalated into a domestic nightmare for one woman and four children, according to Hillsborough County deputies.
Jeremy Andre Richie Barton, 32, left, was arguing with his wife over "family issues" Sunday night, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter, when he placed his wife in a headlock, pushed her to the floor and punched her repeatedly in the ribs.
Barton, who is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, according to his booking record, then picked his 32-year-old wife up and choked her, Carter said.
Somehow Barton's wife got free from him and locked him in the garage area, out of the house. Barton retrieved a loaded handgun and fired a single shot at the doorknob lock, Carter said, regaining entry.
Once inside, he lined up his wife and the four children who were in the home at the time against the wall, pointing the gun at them before he fled. The children were ages 2, 4, 8 and 9.
click post title for more
Man accused of strangling wife, holding kids at gunpoint
RIVERVIEW -- An argument in the kitchen escalated into a domestic nightmare for one woman and four children, according to Hillsborough County deputies.
Jeremy Andre Richie Barton, 32, left, was arguing with his wife over "family issues" Sunday night, according to sheriff's spokeswoman Debbie Carter, when he placed his wife in a headlock, pushed her to the floor and punched her repeatedly in the ribs.
Barton, who is 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, according to his booking record, then picked his 32-year-old wife up and choked her, Carter said.
Somehow Barton's wife got free from him and locked him in the garage area, out of the house. Barton retrieved a loaded handgun and fired a single shot at the doorknob lock, Carter said, regaining entry.
Once inside, he lined up his wife and the four children who were in the home at the time against the wall, pointing the gun at them before he fled. The children were ages 2, 4, 8 and 9.
click post title for more
Thursday, August 21, 2008
MacDill Military spouses offer community
Military spouses offer community
By Jan Wesner, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, August 22, 2008
BRANDON — A group of military spouses in eastern Hillsborough County is helping strangers become best friends.
The group, which meets weekly at the MacDill Family Resource Center in Brandon and also holds other frequent get-togethers, brings together moms who are married to servicemen and who live in the Brandon-Riverview-Valrico area.
"At any given time there's several women whose husbands are deployed," said L. D. Gale, the group's unofficial leader.
Gayle Cook, director of the Brandon family center, credits Gale with organizing the group and keeping it running.
Members help each other with child care, parenting advice and whatever else they need.
They hold baby showers, recommend doctors and welcome new military families to the area. Some of them are training together for a triathlon.
About 80 percent of the 12,000 people stationed at MacDill live off base, primarily in eastern and southern Hillsborough County.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/article778020.ece
By Jan Wesner, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, August 22, 2008
BRANDON — A group of military spouses in eastern Hillsborough County is helping strangers become best friends.
The group, which meets weekly at the MacDill Family Resource Center in Brandon and also holds other frequent get-togethers, brings together moms who are married to servicemen and who live in the Brandon-Riverview-Valrico area.
"At any given time there's several women whose husbands are deployed," said L. D. Gale, the group's unofficial leader.
Gayle Cook, director of the Brandon family center, credits Gale with organizing the group and keeping it running.
Members help each other with child care, parenting advice and whatever else they need.
They hold baby showers, recommend doctors and welcome new military families to the area. Some of them are training together for a triathlon.
About 80 percent of the 12,000 people stationed at MacDill live off base, primarily in eastern and southern Hillsborough County.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/article778020.ece
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