4 Utah Guardsmen disciplined for bikini film shoot
The Associated Press
By MARTIN GRIFFITH
Published: November 1, 2014
A screenshot image from a promotional video for the Hot Shots calendar.(Hot Shots Calendar/YouTube)
Four Utah National Guard soldiers are being disciplined for their unauthorized involvement and use of military vehicles in a risque video featuring bikini-clad women firing high-powered weapons and riding in tanks.
Guard Lt. Col. Steven Fairbourn said Saturday that a 19th Special Forces non-commissioned officer who inappropriately allowed the video to be partially shot at Camp Williams in May has been relieved of his leadership position and faces a reprimand and mandatory early retirement.
The three other soldiers will receive lesser measures ranging from counseling to a reprimand, he said. The $200 cost for military fuel used during the shoot also will be recouped from the soldiers involved.
Fairbourn earlier said the three members took part in the video after getting permission from a senior official who shouldn't have given them the green light.
read more here
Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Utah. Show all posts
Sunday, November 2, 2014
Utah National Guard Officer Taking Early Retirement After Hot Shots Video
Disgraceful and disgusting!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Murder suicide investigation grips Utah
Guardsman kills 2 people, self in northern Utah
Associated Press
Annie Knox
Jul. 14, 2014
A Utah Army National Guardsman killed a Utah State University student and one other person early Monday at an apartment near the college before fleeing and fatally shooting himself at another home, police said.
Jared Tolman, 23, sent a series of unanswered text messages to Mackenzie Madden before he kicked down the door of her apartment two blocks from the university shortly after midnight.
He then fired an assault rifle multiple times at Madden and a 25-year-old man, both people he knew, police said.
Madden, 19, was a sociology major at the university in Logan, a city of about 48,000 people 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Officers responding to 911 calls found her and Johnathon Jacob Sadler dead inside the unit.
The gunman then went to another apartment a few miles away to look for a man he believed was involved with Madden, Lt. Rod Peterson said. However, the man was not home because he was staying with family.
At that point, “Tolman turned the gun on himself,” Peterson said.
read more here
Associated Press
Annie Knox
Jul. 14, 2014
A Utah Army National Guardsman killed a Utah State University student and one other person early Monday at an apartment near the college before fleeing and fatally shooting himself at another home, police said.
Jared Tolman, 23, sent a series of unanswered text messages to Mackenzie Madden before he kicked down the door of her apartment two blocks from the university shortly after midnight.
He then fired an assault rifle multiple times at Madden and a 25-year-old man, both people he knew, police said.
Madden, 19, was a sociology major at the university in Logan, a city of about 48,000 people 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Officers responding to 911 calls found her and Johnathon Jacob Sadler dead inside the unit.
The gunman then went to another apartment a few miles away to look for a man he believed was involved with Madden, Lt. Rod Peterson said. However, the man was not home because he was staying with family.
At that point, “Tolman turned the gun on himself,” Peterson said.
read more here
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
At least 13 out of 18 Utah soldier death were suicides in 2013
National study shows military suicide rates climbing; Utah no exception
Deseret News
By Madeleine Brown
Published: Sunday, March 30 2014
SALT LAKE CITY — A large study of nearly 1 million soldiers shows the Army suicide rate surpassed the civilian suicide rate in 2008 and continues to rise.
And Utah is no stranger to military suicide.
Of the 18 Utah soldiers who died in 2013 and were recognized by the state Legislature earlier this year, at least 13 are confirmed suicides, according to Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden.
"Would I say that (suicide) attempts have gone up? Absolutely," said Dr. Scott Hill, chief of mental health for the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.
Better tracking could contribute to the rising numbers, Hill said, but the rates are climbing regardless. Ten veterans have committed suicide since Oct. 1, 2013, in Utah, southeastern Idaho and eastern Nevada, he said. The hotline for veterans in crisis received 283 calls from the same area during the same time frame.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 22 veterans commit suicide each day. That number is one per day for active-duty soldiers, according to the nonprofit Stop Soldier Suicide.
read more here
Deseret News
By Madeleine Brown
Published: Sunday, March 30 2014
SALT LAKE CITY — A large study of nearly 1 million soldiers shows the Army suicide rate surpassed the civilian suicide rate in 2008 and continues to rise.
And Utah is no stranger to military suicide.
Of the 18 Utah soldiers who died in 2013 and were recognized by the state Legislature earlier this year, at least 13 are confirmed suicides, according to Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden.
"Would I say that (suicide) attempts have gone up? Absolutely," said Dr. Scott Hill, chief of mental health for the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System.
Better tracking could contribute to the rising numbers, Hill said, but the rates are climbing regardless. Ten veterans have committed suicide since Oct. 1, 2013, in Utah, southeastern Idaho and eastern Nevada, he said. The hotline for veterans in crisis received 283 calls from the same area during the same time frame.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 22 veterans commit suicide each day. That number is one per day for active-duty soldiers, according to the nonprofit Stop Soldier Suicide.
read more here
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Soldiers to compete in Olympics Luge
Soldier Trio Nominated to U.S. Olympic Luge Team
U.S. Army Installation Management Command
By Tim Hipps
PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 23, 2014 – Three soldiers from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program earned nominations for the U.S. Olympic Luge Team for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program members Sgt. Matt Mortensen and Sgt. Preston Griffall earn a berth in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games by virtue of their World Cup performances, including this run to a ninth-place finish in luge doubles at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, Dec. 13, 2013. Team USA luge coach Staff Sgt. Bill Tavares will join Mortensen and Griffall at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Team USA luge coach Staff Sgt. Bill Tavares will lead Sgt. Matt Mortensen and Sgt. Preston Griffall, who secured their spot with a ninth-place finish in doubles at the Luge World Cup stop, Dec. 13, 2013, at Utah Olympic Park.
The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, or WCAP, duo completed its first run down the 1,335-meter track that features 15 curves in 43.948 seconds, followed by a shakier slide down the mountain in 44.132 seconds -- for a cumulative time of 1:28.080. Germany's Tobias Wendl and Bvias Arlt won the race with a 1:27.326 clocking.
"There's always a little bit of pressure when you're sliding, but for Preston and I, the main thing was just get down to the finish without walls -- do something that you've done hundreds of times, and just do it OK," said Mortensen, 28, of Huntington Station, N.Y. "Second run, I tried not to do it OK, but we still managed to get down without any walls."
Griffall, a 2006 Olympian who just missed making the team in 2010, had even more reason to be concerned. As the bottom guy on a doubles team, it's often difficult to see what is happening.
"Our second run, like Matt said, we had some problems on the run," said Griffall, 29, of Salt Lake City, Utah. "There's a big scoreboard, actually, behind curve 14 -- because I can't see directly in front of me because Matt's sitting there -- so I was turned around and trying to look at the scoreboard to see what place we were in. And we're still traveling at 60 or 70 miles per hour, and I couldn't see where the place was on the board."
read more here
U.S. Army Installation Management Command
By Tim Hipps
PARK CITY, Utah, Jan. 23, 2014 – Three soldiers from the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program earned nominations for the U.S. Olympic Luge Team for the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program members Sgt. Matt Mortensen and Sgt. Preston Griffall earn a berth in the 2014 Olympic Winter Games by virtue of their World Cup performances, including this run to a ninth-place finish in luge doubles at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah, Dec. 13, 2013. Team USA luge coach Staff Sgt. Bill Tavares will join Mortensen and Griffall at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Team USA luge coach Staff Sgt. Bill Tavares will lead Sgt. Matt Mortensen and Sgt. Preston Griffall, who secured their spot with a ninth-place finish in doubles at the Luge World Cup stop, Dec. 13, 2013, at Utah Olympic Park.
The U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, or WCAP, duo completed its first run down the 1,335-meter track that features 15 curves in 43.948 seconds, followed by a shakier slide down the mountain in 44.132 seconds -- for a cumulative time of 1:28.080. Germany's Tobias Wendl and Bvias Arlt won the race with a 1:27.326 clocking.
"There's always a little bit of pressure when you're sliding, but for Preston and I, the main thing was just get down to the finish without walls -- do something that you've done hundreds of times, and just do it OK," said Mortensen, 28, of Huntington Station, N.Y. "Second run, I tried not to do it OK, but we still managed to get down without any walls."
Griffall, a 2006 Olympian who just missed making the team in 2010, had even more reason to be concerned. As the bottom guy on a doubles team, it's often difficult to see what is happening.
"Our second run, like Matt said, we had some problems on the run," said Griffall, 29, of Salt Lake City, Utah. "There's a big scoreboard, actually, behind curve 14 -- because I can't see directly in front of me because Matt's sitting there -- so I was turned around and trying to look at the scoreboard to see what place we were in. And we're still traveling at 60 or 70 miles per hour, and I couldn't see where the place was on the board."
read more here
Monday, January 13, 2014
Soldier's future held hostage over $1,000 bill on home
Short sale puts Iraq veteran in credit bind
With a buyer found, a company is demanding $1,000 to release the title to his house.
Tulsa World News
Cary Aspinwall
Staff Writer
January 13, 2014
Sgt. Eduardo Marquez wants to complete the short sale of his former home in Kiefer and move on with his life, preserving what he can of his finances and credit score.
Marquez, an Iraq war veteran who's currently working as a recruiter for the U.S. Army in Utah, fell behind on his mortgage in Oklahoma after an attempt at a loan modification did not work out.
He was dealing with a divorce and a job transfer, so he decided a short sale was his best option. A short sale means the property is sold for less than the total debt owed on it.
A company called Rescue Team Realty, with several offices in the Tulsa area, mailed him an advertisement once his mortgage servicer began foreclosure proceedings in Creek County court. They offered to help negotiate the short sale of Marquez's home in the summer of 2012, and had him sign documents transferring his title to their trustees as part of the agreement, records show.
Marquez was told he would not be charged anything by Rescue Team, and they would earn commission from the short sale of his home, he said. But Rescue Team's first attempt at a short sale was unsuccessful, Marquez said.
read more here
With a buyer found, a company is demanding $1,000 to release the title to his house.
Tulsa World News
Cary Aspinwall
Staff Writer
January 13, 2014
Sgt. Eduardo Marquez wants to complete the short sale of his former home in Kiefer and move on with his life, preserving what he can of his finances and credit score.
Marquez, an Iraq war veteran who's currently working as a recruiter for the U.S. Army in Utah, fell behind on his mortgage in Oklahoma after an attempt at a loan modification did not work out.
He was dealing with a divorce and a job transfer, so he decided a short sale was his best option. A short sale means the property is sold for less than the total debt owed on it.
A company called Rescue Team Realty, with several offices in the Tulsa area, mailed him an advertisement once his mortgage servicer began foreclosure proceedings in Creek County court. They offered to help negotiate the short sale of Marquez's home in the summer of 2012, and had him sign documents transferring his title to their trustees as part of the agreement, records show.
Marquez was told he would not be charged anything by Rescue Team, and they would earn commission from the short sale of his home, he said. But Rescue Team's first attempt at a short sale was unsuccessful, Marquez said.
read more here
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Veterans waiting years for appeals nothing new
There is so much being reported now but those reporting the stories failed to review some basic facts. For a start, this isn't anything new. It keeps happening simply because we end up looking the other way.
The ugly truth is, unless the press reminds us, we forget how bad it was and thus guarantee it happening all over again.
UDPATE
Here's something that will remind you about what has been going on.
OCTOBER 19, 2007
VA Service Reps less now than in 2003?
Between 600,000 and 800,000 claims (depending on who you believe) are trapped in a huge backlog of cases and there are less Service Reps now than before the invasion of Iraq?
Four years after the invasion of Iraq and they have less to deal with the wounded they claim are so important to them?
Six years after the invasion of Afghanistan and that occupation now producing more wounded along with more dead, and they didn't increase service reps?
Suicide rates on the rise every year and they have less service reps?
Families falling apart and they have less service reps?
Veterans come back from combat wounded, unable to work, ending up homeless and they have less service reps?
WTF are they out of their minds?
Veterans groups maintain that the backlog amounts to official negligence. Since the launch of the Iraq war more than four years ago, the number of people charged with reviewing and approving veterans' disability claims has actually dropped. According to the American Federation of Government Employees, the VA employed 1,392 Veterans Service Representatives in June 2007 compared to 1,516 in January 2003.
Read this story and then remind yourself of what is really going on. Why are they being allowed to torture our wounded veterans?
Utahn waits for veteran disability claim for yearsThe fact is this was worse in 2009 with so many claims tied up that even a lawsuit filed by Veterans for Common Sense couldn't get justice for our veterans. It was bad in the early part of two wars being fought producing more disabled veterans. Bad in the early 90's when Gulf War veterans came home and had to wait and it was bad as the veterans of Vietnam came home and waited.
KSL Utah
By Peter Rosen
November 1st, 2013
SALT LAKE CITY — The Department of Veterans Affairs set a goal of getting rid of a backlog of disability claims older than four months. At the moment, that backlog represented more than 400,000 veterans, but Iraq War vet, Curtis Thayer, is not one of them and he's been waiting for a decision on claims for years.
In 2010, Thayer of St. George, filed claims for injuries for PTSD, hearing, back, hand and other injuries and received a relatively quick ruling. He appealed a low rating for his back. The claim for his hand injuries was denied and he appealed that as well.
Thayer said he has been waiting on the appeals for three years and expects to wait another year and a half.
There are a 250,000 appeals similar to Thayer's, and they are not considered part of the backlog of claims the VA is currently battling. Veterans who go through the entire appeals process currently wait an average of four and a half years.
Thayer admitted part of his problem is that he didn't seek help when he was first hurt. He said he has repetitive strain injuries left over from his job as a Harrier jet mechanic. At the time he noticed the pain and numbness, but he said he didn't get medical treatment.
"Because I didn't think I needed it," Thayer said. "I've always been a strong-willed person. I'll fix everything myself. I can manage my life on my own."
read more here
The ugly truth is, unless the press reminds us, we forget how bad it was and thus guarantee it happening all over again.
UDPATE
Here's something that will remind you about what has been going on.
OCTOBER 19, 2007
VA Service Reps less now than in 2003?
Between 600,000 and 800,000 claims (depending on who you believe) are trapped in a huge backlog of cases and there are less Service Reps now than before the invasion of Iraq?
Four years after the invasion of Iraq and they have less to deal with the wounded they claim are so important to them?
Six years after the invasion of Afghanistan and that occupation now producing more wounded along with more dead, and they didn't increase service reps?
Suicide rates on the rise every year and they have less service reps?
Families falling apart and they have less service reps?
Veterans come back from combat wounded, unable to work, ending up homeless and they have less service reps?
WTF are they out of their minds?
Veterans groups maintain that the backlog amounts to official negligence. Since the launch of the Iraq war more than four years ago, the number of people charged with reviewing and approving veterans' disability claims has actually dropped. According to the American Federation of Government Employees, the VA employed 1,392 Veterans Service Representatives in June 2007 compared to 1,516 in January 2003.
Read this story and then remind yourself of what is really going on. Why are they being allowed to torture our wounded veterans?
POLITICS-US: Homeless Vets Play the Waiting Game
By Aaron Glantz
SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 19 (IPS)
U.S. Army Specialist James Eggemeyer injured himself before he even set foot in Iraq, jumping out of a C-130 gunship during training at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
"I jumped out and the jumpmaster who was holding that line that was wrapped around my arm had to cut the line because I was pretty much being dragged behind the airplane," the 25-year-old Florida native told IPS as he drove a donated truck through the streets of his hometown of Port Saint Lucie, a two-hour drive north of Miami, Florida.
"I hit the side of the plane with my Kevlar," he added. "My parachute was twisted up like a cigarette roll and I hit real hard and my ankle and my knee and my back and my shoulder (got hurt). I tore my rotator cuff. I feel like a 50-year-old man."
After the incident, military doctors prescribed Eggemeyer painkillers: the opiate Vocodin, the anti-depressant Percoset, and the steroid hydrocortisone.
Then, in April 2003, they sent him to Iraq. For the next year, he drove a Humvee, running supply convoys to U.S. soldiers stationed all around the country.
His experience in Iraq was rough. His convoys were attacked twice. His worst day occurred early on, when the military truck in front of his Humvee hit a civilian vehicle. Eggemeyer says he slammed on the brakes to avoid adding his vehicle to the pile-up. Then he got out and loaded an entire family of dead Iraqis onto a U.S. helicopter, including a little girl.
After that, Eggemeyer says his condition worsened. The longer he stayed in Iraq, the worse his body felt. He also started to take more of the opiates and the steroids the military had given him. The more he took them, the more he needed to dull the pain.
But violence wasn't the only thing Eggemeyer had to deal with while deployed overseas. While Eggemeyer was in Iraq, he filed for divorce. His mother had called to tell him his wife was cheating on him with a man in a local hotel. Then Eggemeyer checked his bank account and found 7,000 dollars was missing.
So for the duration of Eggemeyer's time in Iraq, James's parents took custody of his son, Justin, who had been born just two months before his deployment.
Returning to Fort Bragg in April 2004, James was quickly discharged from the military. His experience in Iraq had changed his disposition. He started fighting with his captain, and was given "dishonourable discharge under honourable conditions", which allowed him to use services from Veterans Administration but denied him access to college tuition assistance or vocational training.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Utah Wounded Iraq Veteran Harassed By Co-Workers
WAR VETERAN ALLEGES HARASSMENT AT CIVILIAN JOB
ABC
Marcos Ortiz
October 4 3013
ROY Utah (ABC 4 Utah) – A former war veteran found the going rough when he returned to his civilian job. He was fired for allegedly fighting with a co-worker.
But former Sgt. First Class Kyle Gibson says there’s more to the story and it’s found in a civil rights lawsuit filed against Admiral Beverage Corporation in Pleasant View.
“This is the bronze star, the meritorious service ribbon medal,” says Gibson as he points out the ribbons on his uniform he once wore.
Gibson fought in Iraq's Operation Enduring Freedom. There he sustained injuries to his arm, shoulder and an IED- bomb blast left him with hearing problems.
“I've always, always ever since growing up when I was a little kid, I wanted to serve my country," he says.
He served six years in the Marines. And when he returned to Utah he became a reservist with the Utah Army National Guard. He served four tours of duty.
read more here
ABC
Marcos Ortiz
October 4 3013
ROY Utah (ABC 4 Utah) – A former war veteran found the going rough when he returned to his civilian job. He was fired for allegedly fighting with a co-worker.
But former Sgt. First Class Kyle Gibson says there’s more to the story and it’s found in a civil rights lawsuit filed against Admiral Beverage Corporation in Pleasant View.
“This is the bronze star, the meritorious service ribbon medal,” says Gibson as he points out the ribbons on his uniform he once wore.
Gibson fought in Iraq's Operation Enduring Freedom. There he sustained injuries to his arm, shoulder and an IED- bomb blast left him with hearing problems.
“I've always, always ever since growing up when I was a little kid, I wanted to serve my country," he says.
He served six years in the Marines. And when he returned to Utah he became a reservist with the Utah Army National Guard. He served four tours of duty.
read more here
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Up to 7 day wait in Utah for outpatient PTSD help?
It is hard enough for them to admit they need help but when this veteran traveled into another state to be able to get help, he discovered this,
PTSD outpatient treatment (there is no residential treatment for PTSD in Utah) the wait is up to seven days.He did not survive long enough to get the help he went for.
After Veteran's Death, Family Says He Didn't Get The Help He Needed
KUTV
September 25, 2013
27 year-old James Steven Carlson was found dead in a Murray motel room nearly two weeks ago.
His family doesn't know the official cause of death yet (likely overdose, accidental or intentional) but they know it was emotional war wounds that led to his death. "If my brother had just come home with physical injuries it would have been much more manageable, but I think the emotional scars that he brought home (from war) were ultimately what caused his death," said his oldest sister Amy Tebbs.
James was deployed to Iraq and came home in 2006. He was awarded two purple hearts according to his family. Tebbs said he broke bones in his leg when he fell off a roof during battle. He also suffered a concussion when an IED exploded. He had nightmares, depression and then became dependent on the anti-depressants and anxiety pills he was given to deal with all the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. He had addiction issues. "The hardest thing for me was to see him get worse and worse every day," said his sister Christy Valladares who said her brother was "merely existing, not living this life whatsoever."
The family said Carlson left his wife and kids in Missouri to get help at the VA in Utah thinking it would be easier. In Missouri, he didn't have a car and the VA was two hours away. In Utah, he could take TRAX and have the support of his family.
The Carlsons said they didn't know details of the treatment he sought, but he told them he had a two-week wait for a spot at the residential substance abuse treatment program at the Salt Lake VA. They say he lived at the motel while he awaited his treatment he died in the meantime. "Ive never been to war. I don't know the demons he had in his head but I know that they were real," said Amy of her brothers struggle to be happy.
Dr. Steve Allen at the VA Salt Lake City said there is help for any veteran who goes to the agency for assistance. He said for PTSD outpatient treatment (there is no residential treatment for PTSD in Utah) the wait is up to seven days.
For substance abuse treatment there is both inpatient and outpatient treatment and the wait is about the same. In both cases, he said veterans who are suicidal or in a very bad way, can get crisis help immediately. If there is no room for substance abuse inpatient treatment, the vets are typically referred to an outside clinic who can take them sooner. He could not comment on Carlson's case for privacy reasons.
read more here
Troubled young Utah veteran dies alone, waiting for help
Friday, September 20, 2013
Troubled young Utah veteran dies alone, waiting for help
Troubled young Utah veteran dies alone, waiting for help
Veterans » “The system is overloaded,” his grieving father says.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Kristen Moulton
September 20, 2013
James Steven Carlson was just 27 years old when he died alone last week in a rented room in Murray.
His parents do not yet know why or how he died, but they know this: As fiercely as he fought in Iraq, his toughest battles were when he came home.
more on this story
Veterans » “The system is overloaded,” his grieving father says.
The Salt Lake Tribune
By Kristen Moulton
September 20, 2013
James Steven Carlson was just 27 years old when he died alone last week in a rented room in Murray.
His parents do not yet know why or how he died, but they know this: As fiercely as he fought in Iraq, his toughest battles were when he came home.
Young people "join the Army, they tear them down and build them up to kill. The problem is there is no reverse program to bring them back into society."
His father wouldn’t be surprised to learn his son took his own life.
read more here
How many more of these stories do you want to keep reading here? Then demand people in charge be held accountable!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Iraq veteran amputee refuses to give up helping people
Army veteran refuses to let loss of legs keep him from riding
FOX 13 News
by Mark Green
September 15, 2013
WEST POINT, Utah – A local Army veteran always dreamed of riding motorcycles, even after he had both of his legs amputated following an explosion in Iraq.
Darrell Isaac Jensen joined the Army in 2005 and became a medic.
“At a young age I was really introduced to it,” he said. “Helping people is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I really thought that’s what I want to do ultimately: I want to help people.”
And even when an explosion took his legs from him, Jensen remained focused on helping others.
“I got blown up on November 9, 2008,” he said. “Three of us walk into a building, and one of my buddies opened up a refrigerator and it went boom. And I assisted, I put tourniquets on people with one hand, and then I put two on one guy, I gave them all my morphine, and then took care of myself. It was definitely an interesting experience.”
read more here
FOX 13 News
by Mark Green
September 15, 2013
WEST POINT, Utah – A local Army veteran always dreamed of riding motorcycles, even after he had both of his legs amputated following an explosion in Iraq.
Darrell Isaac Jensen joined the Army in 2005 and became a medic.
“At a young age I was really introduced to it,” he said. “Helping people is something that I’ve always wanted to do. I really thought that’s what I want to do ultimately: I want to help people.”
And even when an explosion took his legs from him, Jensen remained focused on helping others.
“I got blown up on November 9, 2008,” he said. “Three of us walk into a building, and one of my buddies opened up a refrigerator and it went boom. And I assisted, I put tourniquets on people with one hand, and then I put two on one guy, I gave them all my morphine, and then took care of myself. It was definitely an interesting experience.”
read more here
Friday, July 5, 2013
Army investigating two non-combat deaths
Soldier from Augusta dies in Afghanistan
The Augusta Chronicle
By Jenna Martin
Staff Writer
Thursday, July 4, 2013
A 22-year-old soldier from Augusta died Tuesday in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan.
The U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday that Army Spc. Hilda I. Clayton died in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, after the incident occurred in Qaraghahi, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation and no details were released.
Clayton, stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Md., was a combat documentation specialist and assigned to the 55th Signal Co., a combat camera unit, 21st Signal Brigade, said Fort Meade spokesman Chad Jones.
read more here
Utah soldier dies in non-combat incident in Qatar
FOX 13
by Brittany Green-Miller
July 4, 2013
CLEARFIELD, Utah – A Utah soldier died in a non-combat incident in Qatar this week.
44-year-old First Sgt. Tracy L. Stapley died July 3 at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, the Department of Defense said in a statement released Thursday.
read more here
The Augusta Chronicle
By Jenna Martin
Staff Writer
Thursday, July 4, 2013
 |
| U.S. Army Spc.Hilda I. Clayton, 22, of Augusta, died Tuesday in a non-combat incident in Afghanistan. She was stationed at Fort Meade in Maryland |
The U.S. Department of Defense announced Wednesday that Army Spc. Hilda I. Clayton died in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, after the incident occurred in Qaraghahi, Afghanistan. The incident is under investigation and no details were released.
Clayton, stationed at Fort George G. Meade, Md., was a combat documentation specialist and assigned to the 55th Signal Co., a combat camera unit, 21st Signal Brigade, said Fort Meade spokesman Chad Jones.
read more here
Utah soldier dies in non-combat incident in Qatar
FOX 13
by Brittany Green-Miller
July 4, 2013
CLEARFIELD, Utah – A Utah soldier died in a non-combat incident in Qatar this week.
44-year-old First Sgt. Tracy L. Stapley died July 3 at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar, the Department of Defense said in a statement released Thursday.
read more here
Monday, July 1, 2013
Fundraiser to help combat veterans reintegrate into families
Fundraiser to help combat veterans reintegrate into families, communities
The Spectrum.com
Written by
Brian Passey
June 30, 2013
Dr. Sid Young knows a thing or two about the psychology of war.
Not only is he a licensed psychologist and president of the Utah Psychological Association, he also spent 22 years as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. As a lieutenant colonel, he deployed in various campaigns from Desert Storm and Desert Shield in the 1990s to the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He’s also the clinical director for The Core Veteran Integration Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping war veterans with the often difficult process of returning home.
“We want the individuals to be able to come back to their core being after being involved in war,” he says.
The program is designed to help combat veterans reintegrate with themselves, their families and their communities as they make the transition back to civilian lifestyle. Young says this is especially important for those in the National Guard or in a reserve unit because they often don’t have the same resources found on a military post or base.
Young says this reintegration can be difficult because soldiers are often only focused on one mission at a time when deployed, but when they return home, they have to balance family, employment and other things like church responsibilities.
read more here
PTSD I Grieve from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
The Spectrum.com
Written by
Brian Passey
June 30, 2013
Dr. Sid Young knows a thing or two about the psychology of war.
Not only is he a licensed psychologist and president of the Utah Psychological Association, he also spent 22 years as a chaplain in the U.S. Army. As a lieutenant colonel, he deployed in various campaigns from Desert Storm and Desert Shield in the 1990s to the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
He’s also the clinical director for The Core Veteran Integration Program, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping war veterans with the often difficult process of returning home.
“We want the individuals to be able to come back to their core being after being involved in war,” he says.
The program is designed to help combat veterans reintegrate with themselves, their families and their communities as they make the transition back to civilian lifestyle. Young says this is especially important for those in the National Guard or in a reserve unit because they often don’t have the same resources found on a military post or base.
Young says this reintegration can be difficult because soldiers are often only focused on one mission at a time when deployed, but when they return home, they have to balance family, employment and other things like church responsibilities.
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PTSD I Grieve from Kathleen "Costos" DiCesare on Vimeo.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Utah soldier receives Bronze Star after two tours and 9 IEDs
Soldier is awarded the Bronze Star in tearful ceremony after being hit NINE times by IEDs
Joshua Hansen, 42, was left with brain damage by the last IED explosion he experienced Hansen, a father of two, served two tours in Iraq
During his second deployment, he was the team leader for a platoon that cleared roads of bombs
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
19 June 2013
A Utah soldier has been awarded the fifth-highest combat medal six years after he was hit by a bomb in Iraq that left him with permanent brain damage and unable to return to war.
Joshua Hansen, a 42-year-old father of two, was hit a total of nine times by improvised explosive devices during his two deployments to Iraq, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
It was the ninth hit, which happened on March 15, 2007, that knocked him out of the service.
read more here
Joshua Hansen, 42, was left with brain damage by the last IED explosion he experienced Hansen, a father of two, served two tours in Iraq
During his second deployment, he was the team leader for a platoon that cleared roads of bombs
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
19 June 2013
A Utah soldier has been awarded the fifth-highest combat medal six years after he was hit by a bomb in Iraq that left him with permanent brain damage and unable to return to war.
Joshua Hansen, a 42-year-old father of two, was hit a total of nine times by improvised explosive devices during his two deployments to Iraq, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
It was the ninth hit, which happened on March 15, 2007, that knocked him out of the service.
 |
Deidre Hanse wipes away a tear after pinning the Bronze Star on the chest of her son Sgt. Joshua Hansen
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read more here
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Father speaks out after son, Utah Army Veteran's jail suicide
Father of man found dead in jail cell speaks out
Associated Press
June 20, 2013
OGDEN, UTAH — The father of a Utah Army veteran recently found hanging dead in his jail cell says the jail failed to protect his son.
Michael Stewart told Weber County commissioners Tuesday that jail officials ignored his son and his complaints about conditions, The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reported.
Matthew David Stewart, 39, was found hanging from a bed sheet May 24 during a routine cell check.
Matthew Stewart was accused of killing an officer and wounding five others when a narcotics strike team descended on his Ogden home during a January 2012 raid that netted 13 marijuana plants. He could have faced the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder.
“They failed to treat my son like he was innocent until proven guilty,” Michael Stewart said, according to the Standard-Examiner. “The way that they treat people is not humane, psychologically and emotionally.”
read more here
Associated Press
June 20, 2013
OGDEN, UTAH — The father of a Utah Army veteran recently found hanging dead in his jail cell says the jail failed to protect his son.
Michael Stewart told Weber County commissioners Tuesday that jail officials ignored his son and his complaints about conditions, The Standard-Examiner of Ogden reported.
Matthew David Stewart, 39, was found hanging from a bed sheet May 24 during a routine cell check.
Matthew Stewart was accused of killing an officer and wounding five others when a narcotics strike team descended on his Ogden home during a January 2012 raid that netted 13 marijuana plants. He could have faced the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder.
“They failed to treat my son like he was innocent until proven guilty,” Michael Stewart said, according to the Standard-Examiner. “The way that they treat people is not humane, psychologically and emotionally.”
read more here
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Utah soldier helps rescue 3-year-old boy from well in Afghanistan
Utah soldier helps rescue 3-year-old boy from well in Afghanistan
By McKenzie Romero
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, April 9 2013
Spc. Thomas Wirthlin, of Murray, and soldiers from Courage Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, were called to help their Afghan allies rescue the boy Sunday, and nothing was going to deter them.
It was like trying to dig through cement, but the soldiers were prepared to work for days, Wirthlin said in a military release.
"It was our pleasure to go out and help the locals face to face," he said. "It is great getting face time this way instead of just asking questions about the Taliban. We are all the same. We all have young nieces or nephews at home the same age as this kid, so it was great to help.”
Wirthlin told family members that nearly 30 U.S. soldiers and Afghan military members worked into the night Sunday, digging for more than six hours before lowering a rope to the frightened toddler, trapped about 30 feet down. The well is located in a dangerous province, requiring some soldiers to provide security while others performed the rescue, a relative reported.
read more here
By McKenzie Romero
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, April 9 2013
Soldiers from both 3rd Tolai, 6th Kandak and 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment came to the aid and rescue of a 3-year-old boy who had fallen 30 feet down a well in Maiwand province April 7, 2013. Murray soldier Thomas Wirthlin was part of the rescue. (Capt. Jennifer Dyrcz, U.S. Army)MURRAY — Families on two sides of the world have something to celebrate after a team of U.S. and Afghan soldiers, including a Utah man, came together to rescue a 3-year-old boy from a well in Maiwand province, Afghanistan.
Spc. Thomas Wirthlin, of Murray, and soldiers from Courage Company, 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, were called to help their Afghan allies rescue the boy Sunday, and nothing was going to deter them.
It was like trying to dig through cement, but the soldiers were prepared to work for days, Wirthlin said in a military release.
"It was our pleasure to go out and help the locals face to face," he said. "It is great getting face time this way instead of just asking questions about the Taliban. We are all the same. We all have young nieces or nephews at home the same age as this kid, so it was great to help.”
Wirthlin told family members that nearly 30 U.S. soldiers and Afghan military members worked into the night Sunday, digging for more than six hours before lowering a rope to the frightened toddler, trapped about 30 feet down. The well is located in a dangerous province, requiring some soldiers to provide security while others performed the rescue, a relative reported.
read more here
Friday, March 15, 2013
Veterans Affairs reorganized against some Utah veterans’ wishes
Veterans Affairs reorganized against some Utah veterans’ wishes
First Published Mar 15 2013
Utah’s Veterans Affairs department will be reorganized as the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs — and will get a much bigger job — under HB 395.
The agency will now work to keep and increase jobs on military bases as well as continue to work with veterans.
Prominent veterans fought the change, sought by Gov. Gary Herbert, but the House and Senate unanimously endorsed the plan.
read more here
First Published Mar 15 2013
Utah’s Veterans Affairs department will be reorganized as the Department of Veterans and Military Affairs — and will get a much bigger job — under HB 395.
The agency will now work to keep and increase jobs on military bases as well as continue to work with veterans.
Prominent veterans fought the change, sought by Gov. Gary Herbert, but the House and Senate unanimously endorsed the plan.
read more here
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Parents in Utah send 11 year old to school with gun for "protection"
Student Brings Gun To School In Utah For 'Protection' After Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting
Posted: 12/18/2012
An 11-year-old student may face charges after he said his parents encouraged him to bring a gun to school for protection.
Fox Salt Lake City reports that the boy said his parents' suggestion came after the devastating Sandy Hook Elementary shooting on Friday.
The student allegedly pulled the .22-caliber pistol out of his backpack during recess Monday morning and pointed it at one of his classmates.
read more here
Posted: 12/18/2012
An 11-year-old student may face charges after he said his parents encouraged him to bring a gun to school for protection.
Fox Salt Lake City reports that the boy said his parents' suggestion came after the devastating Sandy Hook Elementary shooting on Friday.
The student allegedly pulled the .22-caliber pistol out of his backpack during recess Monday morning and pointed it at one of his classmates.
read more here
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Homeless Veteran Reunites With Dog
Homeless Veteran Reunites With Dog Missing Two Months
(Video)
Friday, November 30, 2012
By Beth Ford Roth
Homeless U.S. Army veteran Rusty Reed lost his best friend in the world this summer, when his dog Timber ran away during a camping trip in Utah. Through the power of the internet, and the devotion of friends, Rusty and Timber were recently united.
read more here
(Video)
Friday, November 30, 2012
By Beth Ford Roth
Homeless U.S. Army veteran Rusty Reed lost his best friend in the world this summer, when his dog Timber ran away during a camping trip in Utah. Through the power of the internet, and the devotion of friends, Rusty and Timber were recently united.
read more here
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Deployed military need tailored mental health care
Utah professor: Deployed military need tailored mental health care
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 2 hours ago
Washington
A University of Utah academic implored members of Congress to rethink a defense policy that relies on deploying the same men and women into war zones over and over again.
It’s "a near guarantee" that a soldier who experiences repeat combat will suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and many will at least attempt to kill themselves.
David Rudd, the scientific director for the U.’s National Center for Veterans Studies, presented the results of his recent study on Tuesday to a trio of lawmakers and about 15 congressional staffers at a meeting of two House caucuses that support veterans.
He attributed at least part of the troubling spike in military suicides to the repeat deployments that have become the hallmark of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I think we have the best, most superior, professional military in the world," said Rudd, a former Army psychologist, "but the question is how much can one individual take over the course of 10 years? How many times can you be expected to go back into combat and be expected to deal with that?"
He surveyed 244 veterans who experienced heavy combat and found that 93 percent qualified for a PTSD diagnosis and 70 percent had attempted suicide.
read more here
By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune
First Published 2 hours ago
Washington
A University of Utah academic implored members of Congress to rethink a defense policy that relies on deploying the same men and women into war zones over and over again.
It’s "a near guarantee" that a soldier who experiences repeat combat will suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and many will at least attempt to kill themselves.
David Rudd, the scientific director for the U.’s National Center for Veterans Studies, presented the results of his recent study on Tuesday to a trio of lawmakers and about 15 congressional staffers at a meeting of two House caucuses that support veterans.
He attributed at least part of the troubling spike in military suicides to the repeat deployments that have become the hallmark of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I think we have the best, most superior, professional military in the world," said Rudd, a former Army psychologist, "but the question is how much can one individual take over the course of 10 years? How many times can you be expected to go back into combat and be expected to deal with that?"
He surveyed 244 veterans who experienced heavy combat and found that 93 percent qualified for a PTSD diagnosis and 70 percent had attempted suicide.
read more here
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Springs murder suspect commits suicide in Utah
Springs murder suspect commits suicide in Utah
July 17, 2012
MATT STEINER
THE GAZETTE
Law enforcement officers in Colorado and Utah are trying to figure out how a local man suspected of killing a 39-year-old Colorado Springs woman ended up dead Tuesday in an airplane at the St. George airport in Utah.
Capt. James Van Fleet of the St. George police department confirmed that Brian Joseph Hedglin was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an empty SkyWest plane. Hedglin was a pilot with the airline but was on leave, SkyWest officials confirmed Tuesday.
The aircraft was not in service and no one else was aboard when Hedglin gained unauthorized access to it, officials said.
Hedglin was being sought by Colorado Springs police in connection with the death of Cristina Cornejo, whose body was found Friday in the 1000 block of Cheyenne Villas Point in southwest Colorado Springs.
read more here
July 17, 2012
MATT STEINER
THE GAZETTE
Law enforcement officers in Colorado and Utah are trying to figure out how a local man suspected of killing a 39-year-old Colorado Springs woman ended up dead Tuesday in an airplane at the St. George airport in Utah.
Capt. James Van Fleet of the St. George police department confirmed that Brian Joseph Hedglin was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound in an empty SkyWest plane. Hedglin was a pilot with the airline but was on leave, SkyWest officials confirmed Tuesday.
The aircraft was not in service and no one else was aboard when Hedglin gained unauthorized access to it, officials said.
Hedglin was being sought by Colorado Springs police in connection with the death of Cristina Cornejo, whose body was found Friday in the 1000 block of Cheyenne Villas Point in southwest Colorado Springs.
read more here
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