Mainer accepts award in Washington for victims advocacy
Ruth Moore Act of 2013 would make it easier for veterans and service members to qualify for disability benefits due to sexual assault
Morning Sentinel
By Kevin Miller
Washington Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON -- It took Ruth Moore a quarter-century before she was able to speak openly about how she was sexually assaulted as an 18-year-old Navy enlistee.
And even now -- after talking to members of Congress, military officials and countless veterans with similar stories -- the experience is still painful for a woman who occasionally still wants to "run away and hide with my goats" on her farm in Down East Maine.
So on Wednesday, as she accepted a Voice for Change Award on Capitol Hill, Moore said she did so on behalf of all of the others like her out there.
"We carried the battle cry across this nation," Moore, of Milbridge, told several hundred people attending a Service Women's Action Network Truth and Justice Summit. "I will accept this award with the knowledge that we all accept this award together. Because when I look at the people here I see the bravery, courage, pain, anger and conviction that I carry and live with every day."
read more here
Showing posts with label Maine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maine. Show all posts
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Transgendered ex-Marine given discharge after 1980s desertion
Transgendered ex-Marine given discharge after 1980s desertion
Los Angeles Times
January 14, 2013
A Marine from Maine who deserted three decades ago and later underwent sex change treatment will receive a general discharge under honorable conditions, according to the Marine's hometown newspaper.
The Marine, then known as Donald Tremblay, deserted in 1981 after graduating from boot camp in San Diego and being assigned to the base at Twentynine Palms, according to the Sun Journal newspaper.
Later, Tremblay underwent sex change treatment and changed his name to Elizabeth Tremblay, the newspaper reported. Now 57, Tremblay was arrested at home in the community of Poland in September on a fugitive warrant.
Tremblay was kept for several days in Androscoggin County jail, the newspaper reported.
On Monday, Tremblay was notified that the Marine Corps will issue a general discharge under honorable conditions, a common decision in decades-old desertion cases that do not involve violence or other criminality.
read more here
Los Angeles Times
January 14, 2013
A Marine from Maine who deserted three decades ago and later underwent sex change treatment will receive a general discharge under honorable conditions, according to the Marine's hometown newspaper.
The Marine, then known as Donald Tremblay, deserted in 1981 after graduating from boot camp in San Diego and being assigned to the base at Twentynine Palms, according to the Sun Journal newspaper.
Later, Tremblay underwent sex change treatment and changed his name to Elizabeth Tremblay, the newspaper reported. Now 57, Tremblay was arrested at home in the community of Poland in September on a fugitive warrant.
Tremblay was kept for several days in Androscoggin County jail, the newspaper reported.
On Monday, Tremblay was notified that the Marine Corps will issue a general discharge under honorable conditions, a common decision in decades-old desertion cases that do not involve violence or other criminality.
read more here
Monday, January 14, 2013
More than 500 attend funeral for Lt. Col. Michael J. Backus
Maine Army National Guard Leader Lt.Col. Michael J. Backus Dies At Camp Keyes
B98.5
By Andy Capwell
Shock and sadness overspread Camp Keyes in Augusta this week with the unexpected passing of longtime Maine Army National Guard leader, Lt. Col. Michael J. Backus of Wilton. Backus died unexpectedly on Monday while performing duties at Camp Keyes. According to the Lewiston Sun-Journal, Major Michael Steinbuchel, spokesman for the Maine Army National Guard, said “the cause of the death is still under investigation.”
read more here
Backus remembered as dedicated soldier, husband, father
Jan 13, 2013
Written by
Sarah Delage
Written by
Kristin DiCara
FILED UNDER
WCSH 6 News
WLBZ 2 News
FARMINGTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- More than five hundred people gathered Sunday to say goodbye to Lt. Col. Michael Backus.
Backus died last Monday while performing regular duties at Camp Keyes in Augusta. He dedicated twenty-two years to military service. He flew helicopters during a deployment to Iraq in 2003, and also held high-ranking command positions in the National Guard.
read more here
B98.5
By Andy Capwell
Shock and sadness overspread Camp Keyes in Augusta this week with the unexpected passing of longtime Maine Army National Guard leader, Lt. Col. Michael J. Backus of Wilton. Backus died unexpectedly on Monday while performing duties at Camp Keyes. According to the Lewiston Sun-Journal, Major Michael Steinbuchel, spokesman for the Maine Army National Guard, said “the cause of the death is still under investigation.”
read more here
Backus remembered as dedicated soldier, husband, father
Jan 13, 2013
Written by
Sarah Delage
Written by
Kristin DiCara
FILED UNDER
WCSH 6 News
WLBZ 2 News
FARMINGTON, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- More than five hundred people gathered Sunday to say goodbye to Lt. Col. Michael Backus.
Backus died last Monday while performing regular duties at Camp Keyes in Augusta. He dedicated twenty-two years to military service. He flew helicopters during a deployment to Iraq in 2003, and also held high-ranking command positions in the National Guard.
read more here
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Wounded Sgt. Helaina Lake returned to home to Maine
Wounded Livermore Falls Soldier Gets Hero's Welcome Home
11/20/2012
Reported By: Patty B. Wight
Today, 24-year-old U.S. Army Sgt. Helaina Lake returned to home to Maine. She's spent the past five months recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland from injuries sustained in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan. Lake suffered burns and severe injuries to the right side of her body, including a shattered leg. Her recovery isn't over, but her return marks the first time she's been home in more than a year. Patty Wight was at the Portland Jetport when Lake arrived.
At the Portland Jetport mid-morning, it was clear that something important was happening, as dozens of firefighters in casual blue uniforms gathered in the arrivals section. One of them was South Portland firefighter Jeff Lake, Sgt. Helaina Lake's uncle. He says he never expected such an outpouring of support, not only from his fellow firefighters, but from around the state.
"It's really unbelievable, the amount of support and the amount of people that are just behind this little girl that went over there and served her country," he says. "And it's just unbelievable."
Helaina Lake was a volunteer firefighter herself before she was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. She had signed up for a second deployment when the suicide attack happened in June. Since then, her hometown of Livermore Falls has raised thousands of dollars to support her.
read more here
11/20/2012
Reported By: Patty B. Wight
Today, 24-year-old U.S. Army Sgt. Helaina Lake returned to home to Maine. She's spent the past five months recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland from injuries sustained in a suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan. Lake suffered burns and severe injuries to the right side of her body, including a shattered leg. Her recovery isn't over, but her return marks the first time she's been home in more than a year. Patty Wight was at the Portland Jetport when Lake arrived.
Sgt. Heliana Lake is surrounded by her father (left, holding Lake's son) and her sister (right, in white shirt) as she arrives at the Portland Jetport.
At the Portland Jetport mid-morning, it was clear that something important was happening, as dozens of firefighters in casual blue uniforms gathered in the arrivals section. One of them was South Portland firefighter Jeff Lake, Sgt. Helaina Lake's uncle. He says he never expected such an outpouring of support, not only from his fellow firefighters, but from around the state.
"It's really unbelievable, the amount of support and the amount of people that are just behind this little girl that went over there and served her country," he says. "And it's just unbelievable."
Helaina Lake was a volunteer firefighter herself before she was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. She had signed up for a second deployment when the suicide attack happened in June. Since then, her hometown of Livermore Falls has raised thousands of dollars to support her.
read more here
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Florida couple begins 3,000-mile ‘Hike for Heroes’ in Maine
Couple begins 3,000-mile ‘Hike for Heroes’ in Calais
Bangor Daily News
By Aislinn Sarnacki
BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 07, 2012
William Mosebach, as a frontline medic of the 2-503rd 173rd Infantry Battalion, entered northern Iraq in 2003 by means of combat jump — a jump from an aircraft with the intent to engage in combat, according to military references — the first and only during the war. He spent the next year fighting with and tending to the wounds of brothers.
“I’ll never forget the day they caught Saddam Hussein hiding in the hole,” Mosebach said in a recent phone interview from his home in West Palm Beach. “I was [in Iraq], and that night, all you could see was tracer rounds in the sky. To celebrate, the locals shot their AKs into the air. It was like the Fourth of July. It was incredible.”
Now back in the United States, Mosebach, 31, plans to tend the wounds of his brothers in a different way. He and his girlfriend, Kristen Creech, will walk nearly 3,000 miles to raise awareness and funds for veterans and military families. They’re starting their long trek on Saturday, Sept. 8, in Calais.
Partnered with the nonprofit Active Heroes, the couple will walk from Maine to Florida on the East Coast Greenway, a route made up of low-traffic roads and off-road multiuse trails. The supporting nonprofit calls the walk a “Hike for Heroes.”
“It’s not about us,” said Mosebach. “We want to make that perfectly clear. The main reason for this hike is to raise awareness for military families.”
read more here
Bangor Daily News
By Aislinn Sarnacki
BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 07, 2012
Courtesy of Active Heroes
Hike for Heroes team William Mosebach and Kristen Creech pose for a photo at their home in Florida just days before flying to Maine to begin a 3,000-mile trek on the East Coast Greenway beginning in Calais on Sept. 8, 2012. Through their hike, they aim to inspire people to step up and help veterans and military families in need.
William Mosebach, as a frontline medic of the 2-503rd 173rd Infantry Battalion, entered northern Iraq in 2003 by means of combat jump — a jump from an aircraft with the intent to engage in combat, according to military references — the first and only during the war. He spent the next year fighting with and tending to the wounds of brothers.
“I’ll never forget the day they caught Saddam Hussein hiding in the hole,” Mosebach said in a recent phone interview from his home in West Palm Beach. “I was [in Iraq], and that night, all you could see was tracer rounds in the sky. To celebrate, the locals shot their AKs into the air. It was like the Fourth of July. It was incredible.”
Now back in the United States, Mosebach, 31, plans to tend the wounds of his brothers in a different way. He and his girlfriend, Kristen Creech, will walk nearly 3,000 miles to raise awareness and funds for veterans and military families. They’re starting their long trek on Saturday, Sept. 8, in Calais.
Partnered with the nonprofit Active Heroes, the couple will walk from Maine to Florida on the East Coast Greenway, a route made up of low-traffic roads and off-road multiuse trails. The supporting nonprofit calls the walk a “Hike for Heroes.”
“It’s not about us,” said Mosebach. “We want to make that perfectly clear. The main reason for this hike is to raise awareness for military families.”
read more here
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Maine guardsman dies in Kuwait
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Aug 29, 2012
PORTLAND, Maine — A soldier from Maine who served in the National Guard has died in Kuwait, military officials said Wednesday.
Staff Sgt. Jessica Wing, 42, of Glenburn, died Monday, the Department of Defense said. Officials said her death wasn’t related to combat, but they didn’t provide details on the circumstances.
Wing was a helicopter crew chief assigned to the 1st Battalion, 126th Aviation Regiment out of Bangor. The unit provides medical evacuation to patients and military personnel using medically equipped UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters.
read more here
Monday, August 27, 2012
Officials trying to reinstate veterans' counselor
Officials trying to reinstate veterans' counselor
By Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Morning Sentinel
PORTLAND — Officials are ramping up efforts to convince the Maine Veterans Affairs Medical Center to reinstate a full-time counselor position at the city's Oxford Street Shelter.
The full-time VA representative has been credited with connecting homeless veterans with services more quickly and reducing the number of nights they must stay at the shelter. The position, created in 2011, was cut in June.
City officials have been lobbying the VA Maine Healthcare System, and are getting support from the state's two congressional representatives. They argue that not filling the position is contrary to a federal initiative to end homelessness among veterans.
Both Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree sent letters to the VA, pointing out that U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and President Obama have made eliminating homelessness among veterans a top priority.
"Given the large amount of homeless veterans in the Portland area, I request you reconsider (the) VA's decision and employ a full-time service representative at this location immediately," Pingree wrote on Aug. 22. "I believe this type of collaboration among VA and other providers is the best way to achieve Secretary Shinseki's goal of ending homelessness among veterans."
read more here
By Randy Billings
Staff Writer
Morning Sentinel
PORTLAND — Officials are ramping up efforts to convince the Maine Veterans Affairs Medical Center to reinstate a full-time counselor position at the city's Oxford Street Shelter.
The full-time VA representative has been credited with connecting homeless veterans with services more quickly and reducing the number of nights they must stay at the shelter. The position, created in 2011, was cut in June.
City officials have been lobbying the VA Maine Healthcare System, and are getting support from the state's two congressional representatives. They argue that not filling the position is contrary to a federal initiative to end homelessness among veterans.
Both Reps. Michael Michaud and Chellie Pingree sent letters to the VA, pointing out that U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki and President Obama have made eliminating homelessness among veterans a top priority.
"Given the large amount of homeless veterans in the Portland area, I request you reconsider (the) VA's decision and employ a full-time service representative at this location immediately," Pingree wrote on Aug. 22. "I believe this type of collaboration among VA and other providers is the best way to achieve Secretary Shinseki's goal of ending homelessness among veterans."
read more here
Monday, July 30, 2012
Maine VA employee suspected in murder-suicide
Former Jacksonville resident killed girlfriend, then himself, Maine State Police say
Posted: July 29, 2012
By Associated Press
HAMPDEN, Maine — Maine State Police identified the man who shot his girlfriend and then killed himself at a Hampden house where a state police SWAT team had assembled.
The shooter was identified Saturday as 53-year-old Lawrence Beaute, who had lived in Jacksonville.
Posted: July 29, 2012
By Associated Press
HAMPDEN, Maine — Maine State Police identified the man who shot his girlfriend and then killed himself at a Hampden house where a state police SWAT team had assembled.
The shooter was identified Saturday as 53-year-old Lawrence Beaute, who had lived in Jacksonville.
Police say Beaute was a medical technician at a Veterans Affairs facility in Bangor. read more here
Friday, June 15, 2012
Vietnam Veterans Get Heroes Welcome in Maine
Vietnam Veterans Get Heroes Welcome
by Rob Poindexter
June 15th 2012
Waterville - It's a moment that Maine's Vietnam veterans have waited a half century for, but Thursday night in Waterville it finally happened.
A few hundred Vietnam Veterans got a proper homecoming that should have come when they returned from the Vietnam War. Many of the veterans here remember all too well how they were treated when they returned home from war. "We were treated as almost like a non-citizen," said Vietnam Veteran George Ward.
Another veteran, Robert Locklin, vividly remembers his first homecoming from the war.
"We got spit on and swore at. We were not liked too much. But that was the times back then," he said Thursday prior to the march. "In some cases we were ridiculed and called names and they were throwing trash at us rather than welcome home," Ward added.
Thanks to the folks at the Bureau of Veterans Services, and some of their fellow servicemen and women, on this day they march like heroes. "I didn't think we'd see this day. This is unbelievable," a tearful Locklin said of the Welcome Home event.
read more here
by Rob Poindexter
June 15th 2012
Waterville - It's a moment that Maine's Vietnam veterans have waited a half century for, but Thursday night in Waterville it finally happened.
A few hundred Vietnam Veterans got a proper homecoming that should have come when they returned from the Vietnam War. Many of the veterans here remember all too well how they were treated when they returned home from war. "We were treated as almost like a non-citizen," said Vietnam Veteran George Ward.
Another veteran, Robert Locklin, vividly remembers his first homecoming from the war.
"We got spit on and swore at. We were not liked too much. But that was the times back then," he said Thursday prior to the march. "In some cases we were ridiculed and called names and they were throwing trash at us rather than welcome home," Ward added.
Thanks to the folks at the Bureau of Veterans Services, and some of their fellow servicemen and women, on this day they march like heroes. "I didn't think we'd see this day. This is unbelievable," a tearful Locklin said of the Welcome Home event.
read more here
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
A discussion of initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD
Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks Vets and PTSD / Songs for Hospice
A discussion of initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, plus songs for hospice.
Program: Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks
Episode: Vets and PTSD / Songs for Hospice
A discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and innovative initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, such as a new Veterans Court in Augusta and the expansion of mental health services at the VA in Togus.
Also, Mariah Williams of Heartsong in Belfast, will speak about a cappella singing groups that provide joy and comfort for hospice patients through song.
Click link for the video
A discussion of initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, plus songs for hospice.
Program: Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks
Episode: Vets and PTSD / Songs for Hospice
A discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and innovative initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, such as a new Veterans Court in Augusta and the expansion of mental health services at the VA in Togus.
Also, Mariah Williams of Heartsong in Belfast, will speak about a cappella singing groups that provide joy and comfort for hospice patients through song.
Click link for the video
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Missing Florida Fireman: Suspect Charged With Murder of Jerry Perdomo
Missing Florida Fireman: Suspect Charged With Murder
By LINSEY DAVIS and KEVIN DOLAK
Feb. 28, 2012
The man identified as a person interest in the disappearance of Florida firefighter Jerry Perdomo was arrested and charged with murder today, police in Maine said.
Daniel Porter, 24, and his girlfriend, Cheyanne Nowak, are believed to be the last people who saw Perdomo, a husband and father of two who went missing 12 days ago shortly after he traveled in a rental car up the East Coast to visit a friend.
Maine State Police, assisted by Bangor Police, arrested Porter Tuesday at a home in Jackson, Maine, that was rented by Porter's father, according to a news release by the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Police had been testing evidence removed Saturday from the house in Jackson, believed to be the last place Perdomo was seen, according to the Department of Public Safety.
"The work being done at the lab will hopefully give us some of the answers to our questions," Christopher Coleman of the Maine State Police said. "At this point, we remain hopeful, but as days go on, we have to be realistic. We do suspect foul play was involved."
A friend of Perdomo's told Orlando, Fla., ABC affiliate WFTV that Perdomo went to Bangor, Maine, to sell prescription pills, and that he'd mentioned someone named "Daniel" previously.
read more here
Body of missing firefighter Jerry Perdomo found in Maine woods
Feb. 29, 2012
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The body of Seminole County firefighter Jerry Perdomo, 31, has been found, according to WFTV reporter Jeff Deal who was at the scene. Maine officials positively identified the body as Perdomo's late Wednesday afternoon.
Perdomo's body was discovered in the woods in Monroe, Maine.
read more here
By LINSEY DAVIS and KEVIN DOLAK
Feb. 28, 2012
The man identified as a person interest in the disappearance of Florida firefighter Jerry Perdomo was arrested and charged with murder today, police in Maine said.
Daniel Porter, 24, and his girlfriend, Cheyanne Nowak, are believed to be the last people who saw Perdomo, a husband and father of two who went missing 12 days ago shortly after he traveled in a rental car up the East Coast to visit a friend.
Maine State Police, assisted by Bangor Police, arrested Porter Tuesday at a home in Jackson, Maine, that was rented by Porter's father, according to a news release by the Maine Department of Public Safety.
Police had been testing evidence removed Saturday from the house in Jackson, believed to be the last place Perdomo was seen, according to the Department of Public Safety.
"The work being done at the lab will hopefully give us some of the answers to our questions," Christopher Coleman of the Maine State Police said. "At this point, we remain hopeful, but as days go on, we have to be realistic. We do suspect foul play was involved."
A friend of Perdomo's told Orlando, Fla., ABC affiliate WFTV that Perdomo went to Bangor, Maine, to sell prescription pills, and that he'd mentioned someone named "Daniel" previously.
read more here
Body of missing firefighter Jerry Perdomo found in Maine woods
Feb. 29, 2012
SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The body of Seminole County firefighter Jerry Perdomo, 31, has been found, according to WFTV reporter Jeff Deal who was at the scene. Maine officials positively identified the body as Perdomo's late Wednesday afternoon.
Perdomo's body was discovered in the woods in Monroe, Maine.
read more here
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Community rallies for Iraq veteran who lost legs helping someone else
Community rallies for Palermo veteran who lost legs in crash
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Feb. 10, 2012
PALERMO, Maine — Two years ago, Jeremy Gilley was rappelling out of helicopters in Iraq, where he served as a U.S. Army specialist with airborne special forces.
The 27-year-old Gilley, a Palermo native who graduated from Erskine Academy in South China, made it home to Maine safely. But just before Christmas, disaster struck for the combat veteran when he stopped to help at an accident scene on Route 3 in Augusta.
Gilley parked just in front of a crashed pickup truck early in the morning of Dec. 18 and went to help the injured driver. But a 16-year-old driving a minivan didn’t see the accident and struck the truck, pinning Gilley between two vehicles.
Gilley lost both his legs after that night.
“He’s trained in emergency situations. He did everything he’s supposed to do,” said his aunt Dottie Gilley. “He’s a hero.”
She is working to raise money to help her nephew and his family and to try to bring more national attention to his plight.
read more here
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Feb. 10, 2012
PALERMO, Maine — Two years ago, Jeremy Gilley was rappelling out of helicopters in Iraq, where he served as a U.S. Army specialist with airborne special forces.
The 27-year-old Gilley, a Palermo native who graduated from Erskine Academy in South China, made it home to Maine safely. But just before Christmas, disaster struck for the combat veteran when he stopped to help at an accident scene on Route 3 in Augusta.
Gilley parked just in front of a crashed pickup truck early in the morning of Dec. 18 and went to help the injured driver. But a 16-year-old driving a minivan didn’t see the accident and struck the truck, pinning Gilley between two vehicles.
Gilley lost both his legs after that night.
“He’s trained in emergency situations. He did everything he’s supposed to do,” said his aunt Dottie Gilley. “He’s a hero.”
She is working to raise money to help her nephew and his family and to try to bring more national attention to his plight.
read more here
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Maine Bill would create alternative sentencing court specifically for veterans
Bill would create alternative sentencing court specifically for veterans
By Eric Russell, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 31, 2012, at 5:03 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Last November, a day before Justin Crowley-Smilek was shot and killed by police, the 28-year-old Farmington native and U.S. Army Ranger who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder appeared before a judge.
Earlier that year, Crowley-Smilek was charged with assault and cultivation of marijuana. The judge, likely sensing that the young man’s diagnoses contributed to those crimes, ordered him to undergo a full psychological evaluation. His family said it was welcome news because they had been trying to get Crowley-Smilek help for months since his return from Afghanistan.
Crowley-Smilek never made it to that evaluation.
In a bizarre incident outside the Farmington police station, Crowley-Smilek approached an officer in a threatening manner while wielding a knife. The officer fired several shots, one of which killed Crowley-Smilek.
read more here
He wanted to die Thursday, November 24, 2011
By Eric Russell, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 31, 2012, at 5:03 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Last November, a day before Justin Crowley-Smilek was shot and killed by police, the 28-year-old Farmington native and U.S. Army Ranger who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder appeared before a judge.
Earlier that year, Crowley-Smilek was charged with assault and cultivation of marijuana. The judge, likely sensing that the young man’s diagnoses contributed to those crimes, ordered him to undergo a full psychological evaluation. His family said it was welcome news because they had been trying to get Crowley-Smilek help for months since his return from Afghanistan.
Crowley-Smilek never made it to that evaluation.
In a bizarre incident outside the Farmington police station, Crowley-Smilek approached an officer in a threatening manner while wielding a knife. The officer fired several shots, one of which killed Crowley-Smilek.
read more here
He wanted to die Thursday, November 24, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Commander of Maine National Guard was helped to heal his PTSD
Maine top soldier says help is available for PTSD
Dec 8, 2011
Written by
Krister Rollins
AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan may suffer a variety of problems adjusting to civilian life--- and some of those may be serious problems.
Major general John "Bill" Libby, commander of the Maine National Guard, says he wants to help all returning service members, regardless of their branch of the military, to make sure they get the help they need.
Libby says he knows the problem first hand. He is a combat veteran of Vietnam and says he came home in 1969 suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Libby says it hasn't prevented him from being successful in life, but he says he has needed to seek help from time to time.
read more here
Dec 8, 2011
Written by
Krister Rollins
AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) - Soldiers returning from the war in Iraq and Afghanistan may suffer a variety of problems adjusting to civilian life--- and some of those may be serious problems.
Major general John "Bill" Libby, commander of the Maine National Guard, says he wants to help all returning service members, regardless of their branch of the military, to make sure they get the help they need.
Libby says he knows the problem first hand. He is a combat veteran of Vietnam and says he came home in 1969 suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Libby says it hasn't prevented him from being successful in life, but he says he has needed to seek help from time to time.
read more here
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Experts say more can be done to prevent PTSD-triggered violence
After Farmington shooting, experts say more can be done to prevent PTSD-triggered violence
By Scott Thistle, Sun Journal
Posted Dec. 04, 2011, at 10:15 a.m.
Last modified Dec. 04, 2011
LEWISTON, Maine — Bruce Morris, an Iraq War combat veteran with 21 years in the Maine National Guard, is a little on edge these days.
So are dozens of his brothers and sisters in arms as they ponder the circumstances that led to the death of Justin Crowley-Smilek, who was shot by a police officer last month in Farmington.
Crowley-Smilek, a U.S. Army Ranger who was disabled in Afghanistan in a 30-foot fall from a helicopter was bipolar and — according to his friends and family — suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
He was shot and killed by Farmington police officer Ryan Rosie on Nov. 19 after Crowley-Smilek confronted Rosie with a knife outside the Farmington police station, police have said.
Morris said he attended group counseling with Crowley-Smilek at the Lewiston Veterans’ Center. Morris considered Crowley-Smilek a friend.
Lingering questions
Those working to manage their own war-related issues have been left questioning how things went so tragically wrong and what can be done going forward to keep other combat veterans from facing similar fates and circumstances, Morris said.
“How is this allowed to happen?” said Morris, 40, a Poland resident and Edward Little High School graduate.
read more here
By Scott Thistle, Sun Journal
Posted Dec. 04, 2011, at 10:15 a.m.
Last modified Dec. 04, 2011
LEWISTON, Maine — Bruce Morris, an Iraq War combat veteran with 21 years in the Maine National Guard, is a little on edge these days.
So are dozens of his brothers and sisters in arms as they ponder the circumstances that led to the death of Justin Crowley-Smilek, who was shot by a police officer last month in Farmington.
Crowley-Smilek, a U.S. Army Ranger who was disabled in Afghanistan in a 30-foot fall from a helicopter was bipolar and — according to his friends and family — suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
He was shot and killed by Farmington police officer Ryan Rosie on Nov. 19 after Crowley-Smilek confronted Rosie with a knife outside the Farmington police station, police have said.
Morris said he attended group counseling with Crowley-Smilek at the Lewiston Veterans’ Center. Morris considered Crowley-Smilek a friend.
Lingering questions
Those working to manage their own war-related issues have been left questioning how things went so tragically wrong and what can be done going forward to keep other combat veterans from facing similar fates and circumstances, Morris said.
“How is this allowed to happen?” said Morris, 40, a Poland resident and Edward Little High School graduate.
read more here
Veterans court proposed for Maine
Veterans court proposed for Maine
By Scott Thistle, Regional Editor
Published on Sunday, Dec 4, 2011
AUGUSTA — In response to Justin Crowley-Smilek's death and at the prompting of U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, state Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, is proposing legislation aimed at helping veterans.
Maloney, a lawyer and former prosecutor for the state, said the court is meant to recognize veterans as uniquely different citizens, but it isn't intended to provide them with any special privilege under the law.
A docket for the day would be set up to hear all veteran cases, she said.
read more here
By Scott Thistle, Regional Editor
Published on Sunday, Dec 4, 2011
AUGUSTA — In response to Justin Crowley-Smilek's death and at the prompting of U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, D-Maine, state Rep. Maeghan Maloney, D-Augusta, is proposing legislation aimed at helping veterans.
"What has blown me away," Maloney said, "is I have heard from so many veterans who want to volunteer to help other veterans.Maloney's bill would set up a new layer in Maine's court system aimed at veterans with mental health and/or substance-abuse issues. The court would be for vets facing criminal charges and would allow a judge via a social worker to have access to a veteran's health and military records. It would also provide the veteran facing charges with a volunteer advocate in another veteran who has similar life experiences and who may be maintaining a treatment regiment.
Maloney, a lawyer and former prosecutor for the state, said the court is meant to recognize veterans as uniquely different citizens, but it isn't intended to provide them with any special privilege under the law.
A docket for the day would be set up to hear all veteran cases, she said.
read more here
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Pentagon letter prompts Troop Greeters to change how they use their website
Pentagon letter prompts Troop Greeters to change how they use their website
By Nick McCrea, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 18, 2011
BANGOR, Maine — Bangor’s Troop Greeters have altered the way they use the Internet after the Pentagon expressed concerns in a letter that troop safety might be compromised.
The Department of Defense sent the letter after a deploying military member contacted the Pentagon because an image of the soldier was posted on the Greeters’ website, The Maine Troop Greeters. That caused the soldier to worry about troop security, according to David Nokes, the author of the letter and a community relations staffer for the Defense Department.
After receiving the complaint, Nokes visited the website, which displayed official seals of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
“I’m certain you have done this as an expression of your patriotism and to honor our troops,” Nokes wrote. “I also believe that you probably don’t realize that these service seals are restricted to official uses only. With that in mind, we would greatly appreciate it if you removed them from your website at your first opportunity.”
The Nov. 7 letter, addressed to three leaders of the Troop Greeters, opens by thanking the group for “the tremendous outpouring of support your organization has provided our deploying and returning military members and their families.”
read more here
By Nick McCrea, BDN Staff
Posted Nov. 18, 2011
BANGOR, Maine — Bangor’s Troop Greeters have altered the way they use the Internet after the Pentagon expressed concerns in a letter that troop safety might be compromised.
The Department of Defense sent the letter after a deploying military member contacted the Pentagon because an image of the soldier was posted on the Greeters’ website, The Maine Troop Greeters. That caused the soldier to worry about troop security, according to David Nokes, the author of the letter and a community relations staffer for the Defense Department.
After receiving the complaint, Nokes visited the website, which displayed official seals of the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
“I’m certain you have done this as an expression of your patriotism and to honor our troops,” Nokes wrote. “I also believe that you probably don’t realize that these service seals are restricted to official uses only. With that in mind, we would greatly appreciate it if you removed them from your website at your first opportunity.”
The Nov. 7 letter, addressed to three leaders of the Troop Greeters, opens by thanking the group for “the tremendous outpouring of support your organization has provided our deploying and returning military members and their families.”
read more here
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Disabled veteran goes from combat to homeless
From combat to a parking lot
Disabled veteran lives with canine companion in his pickup in Augusta
By Betty Adams badams@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer
His family anxiously awaited. He had been in rehabilitation for the past six months at Fort Dix, N.J., for injuries suffered during his year in Iraq.
He was looking forward to spending time with his wife, their children and fellow members of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment of the Maine Army National Guard.
Little more than four years later, he has lost his family and -- at least temporarily -- his home.
Rollins, of Madison, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and other symptoms of battlefield injuries. He lives in his black Chevrolet Silverado pickup, moving it every couple of nights between the Walmart and Sam's Club parking lots in Augusta.
He and his service dog, Mabel, a German shepherd/Lab mix, sleep in the back seat of the crew cab. His belongings are in plastic tubs in the truck bed.
read more here
Disabled veteran lives with canine companion in his pickup in Augusta
By Betty Adams badams@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer
Aaron Rollins, a disabled veteran, is living in his truck in Augusta to be with his dog.AUGUSTA -- In June 2007, Sgt. Aaron Rollins got a hero's welcome and a special ride home from New Jersey to join fellow Iraq veterans at a Freedom Salute ceremony in Bangor.
Staff photo by Andy Molloy
His family anxiously awaited. He had been in rehabilitation for the past six months at Fort Dix, N.J., for injuries suffered during his year in Iraq.
He was looking forward to spending time with his wife, their children and fellow members of Company B, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment of the Maine Army National Guard.
Little more than four years later, he has lost his family and -- at least temporarily -- his home.
Rollins, of Madison, suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and other symptoms of battlefield injuries. He lives in his black Chevrolet Silverado pickup, moving it every couple of nights between the Walmart and Sam's Club parking lots in Augusta.
He and his service dog, Mabel, a German shepherd/Lab mix, sleep in the back seat of the crew cab. His belongings are in plastic tubs in the truck bed.
read more here
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Maine's Veterans Fight Another Battle: Homelessness
Maine's Veterans Fight Another Battle: Homelessness
10/21/2011 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Of the growing numbers of homeless people in the U.S., veterans are likely to be found in the statistics. An annual survey by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2009 found veterans make up about 12 percent of the population. Put another way, one of every 168 veterans is homeless. In Maine the number stands at close to 1,000 on any given night. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, other mental health issues, substance abuse and unemployment are among the many risk factors. In the second of a two-part report, Susan Sharon visits a transitional shelter in Saco and looks at what the federal government and others are doing to help.
For nearly a year, 10 veterans have listed the Arthur Huot house in Saco as their permanent address.
"This floor is basically equipped for people with wheelchairs. This, we got a grant from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. They donated $20,000 for exercise equipment," says Glenn Michaels, the director of marketing and public relations for the Volunteers of America New England, the organization that oversees homeless veterans programs in both Biddeford and Saco.
read more here
10/21/2011 Reported By: Susan Sharon
Of the growing numbers of homeless people in the U.S., veterans are likely to be found in the statistics. An annual survey by the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2009 found veterans make up about 12 percent of the population. Put another way, one of every 168 veterans is homeless. In Maine the number stands at close to 1,000 on any given night. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, other mental health issues, substance abuse and unemployment are among the many risk factors. In the second of a two-part report, Susan Sharon visits a transitional shelter in Saco and looks at what the federal government and others are doing to help.
For nearly a year, 10 veterans have listed the Arthur Huot house in Saco as their permanent address.
"This floor is basically equipped for people with wheelchairs. This, we got a grant from the Major League Baseball Players Trust. They donated $20,000 for exercise equipment," says Glenn Michaels, the director of marketing and public relations for the Volunteers of America New England, the organization that oversees homeless veterans programs in both Biddeford and Saco.
read more here
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Veterans express anger, concern about closing Bingham VA clinic
Veterans express anger, concern about closing Bingham VA clinic
By Alex Barber, BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 07, 2011, at 11:05 p.m.
Last modified Sept. 08, 2011, at 12:02 a.m.
BINGHAM, Maine — Nearly 150 veterans and residents gathered at the American Legion Stanley Beane Post on Wednesday evening — many angry and others concerned — to voice their opposition to the closing of the Veterans Affairs medical trailer in town.
The mobile health trailer will be closing down within weeks, said VA medical director Brian Stiller. It’s at the end of its three-year pilot program.
“I’m not done [with helping the veterans of the area],” said Stiller. “This isn’t over, but I’m not sure the mobile medical unit is the approach to get where we need to be.”
Veterans expressed their displeasure in a question-and-answer session involving Stiller and representatives for Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Rep. Mike Michaud.
“We get the finest care in the world here in Bingham,” said Ross Fortier of Guilford. “We can’t give up this last vestige of what we have. I’m quite adamant about that.
“Damn it, we can’t keep taking away! We live here. And we’re in the woods, granted, and it’s a long ways to anywhere, but goddamn it we need something,” added Fortier, who left the two-hour meeting early in disgust.
Once Bingham’s medical trailer closes down, the only options for veterans in the area will be to travel Bangor or Togus in Augusta.
read more here
By Alex Barber, BDN Staff
Posted Sept. 07, 2011, at 11:05 p.m.
Last modified Sept. 08, 2011, at 12:02 a.m.
BINGHAM, Maine — Nearly 150 veterans and residents gathered at the American Legion Stanley Beane Post on Wednesday evening — many angry and others concerned — to voice their opposition to the closing of the Veterans Affairs medical trailer in town.
The mobile health trailer will be closing down within weeks, said VA medical director Brian Stiller. It’s at the end of its three-year pilot program.
“I’m not done [with helping the veterans of the area],” said Stiller. “This isn’t over, but I’m not sure the mobile medical unit is the approach to get where we need to be.”
Veterans expressed their displeasure in a question-and-answer session involving Stiller and representatives for Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins and Rep. Mike Michaud.
“We get the finest care in the world here in Bingham,” said Ross Fortier of Guilford. “We can’t give up this last vestige of what we have. I’m quite adamant about that.
“Damn it, we can’t keep taking away! We live here. And we’re in the woods, granted, and it’s a long ways to anywhere, but goddamn it we need something,” added Fortier, who left the two-hour meeting early in disgust.
Once Bingham’s medical trailer closes down, the only options for veterans in the area will be to travel Bangor or Togus in Augusta.
read more here
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