John Turner, Chicago Man, Wins New Jersey Lottery While Cleaning Up After Hurricane Sandy (VIDEO)
Huffington Post
Posted: 11/10/2012
For one man who travelled from Chicago to New Jersey to help clean up after Hurricane Sandy, the good karma from the effort cashed itself in early.
According to ABC Chicago, John Turner, 38, runs National Catastrophe Solutions of Chicago, a local water removal business.
Last week, Turner and his staff travelled to the Northeast to help the distressed owners of flooded homes, including some for free.
On Sunday, Turner had finished a long day of cleaning up in New Jersey when he bought a Championship Poker scratch ticket that turned out to be a winner. The ticket was worth $100,000, My Fox Philly reported.
read more here
Showing posts with label humanitarian missions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humanitarian missions. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Team Rubicon spends Veterans Day Weekend helping after Hurricane Sandy
Hundreds of vets lend a hand in Sandy relief
By LEO SHANE III
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 10, 2012
The official New York City Veterans Day festivities take place Sunday in Manhattan, but members of Team Rubicon have been holding their own parade in Queens for the last week.
These volunteers — all skilled U.S. veterans — have been walking the main routes of the Rockaways, having traded their camouflage for uniforms of dirty jeans and group-issued T-shirts. The streets are clogged for their procession — but with storm surge sand and downed tree limbs, the remnants of SuperStorm Sandy and the nor’easter that arrived a week later.
Almost 400 veterans have joined the disaster relief organization’s efforts in the region, helping with search and rescue, shelter setup, aid logistics and basic cleanup.
“It’s our biggest effort to date,” said William McNulty, co-founder of Team Rubicon.
“The size and the scale of the damage down there is so huge. There are still blocks down there that haven’t seen much help. So we’re doing all we can to get to them.”
The group formed in 2010, with the goal of creating a rapid-response disaster relief team of U.S. veterans. They’ve sent volunteers to Haiti to work alongside Marines in earthquake recovery efforts; cleanup crews to Missouri and Texas after tornadoes; and evacuation teams to Louisiana after several hurricane landings.
read more here
Clay Hunt
By LEO SHANE III
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 10, 2012
The official New York City Veterans Day festivities take place Sunday in Manhattan, but members of Team Rubicon have been holding their own parade in Queens for the last week.
These volunteers — all skilled U.S. veterans — have been walking the main routes of the Rockaways, having traded their camouflage for uniforms of dirty jeans and group-issued T-shirts. The streets are clogged for their procession — but with storm surge sand and downed tree limbs, the remnants of SuperStorm Sandy and the nor’easter that arrived a week later.
Almost 400 veterans have joined the disaster relief organization’s efforts in the region, helping with search and rescue, shelter setup, aid logistics and basic cleanup.
“It’s our biggest effort to date,” said William McNulty, co-founder of Team Rubicon.
“The size and the scale of the damage down there is so huge. There are still blocks down there that haven’t seen much help. So we’re doing all we can to get to them.”
The group formed in 2010, with the goal of creating a rapid-response disaster relief team of U.S. veterans. They’ve sent volunteers to Haiti to work alongside Marines in earthquake recovery efforts; cleanup crews to Missouri and Texas after tornadoes; and evacuation teams to Louisiana after several hurricane landings.
read more here
Clay Hunt
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Marine from Jersey City happily deployed to storm relief
Marine from Jersey City happily deployed to storm relief unit in Staten Island
The Jersey Journal
By Anthony J. Machcinski
on November 08, 2012
When he left his Jersey City Heights home for the Marines in 2011, 2nd Lt. Gerard Farao never thought he’d be deployed near his home. Due to Hurricane Sandy, that’s exactly what happened.
When Sandy slammed New Jersey and New York last week, Farao, along with the rest of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was deployed to Staten Island to help in humanitarian relief efforts.
“I was hoping to be deployed to Afghanistan (when I first joined the Marines),” said Farao, 23, who is stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. “We have to be ready to go anywhere in the world within an hour. I just never thought it’d be here.”
When the storm hit, Farao, a Hudson Catholic graduate, immediately became concerned about family that remained in Jersey City.
“Once (Sandy) got north, I was calling, asking if everyone was all right and if there was electricity,” Farao recalled. “In a weird way, I kind of wished I was home to experience it, just because it’s where I’ve been all my life.”
Since arriving in Staten Island last week, Farao and his unit have helped provide generators, fuel and clean water to aid in disaster relief efforts all over the area.
read more here
The Jersey Journal
By Anthony J. Machcinski
on November 08, 2012
When he left his Jersey City Heights home for the Marines in 2011, 2nd Lt. Gerard Farao never thought he’d be deployed near his home. Due to Hurricane Sandy, that’s exactly what happened.
When Sandy slammed New Jersey and New York last week, Farao, along with the rest of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, was deployed to Staten Island to help in humanitarian relief efforts.
“I was hoping to be deployed to Afghanistan (when I first joined the Marines),” said Farao, 23, who is stationed at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. “We have to be ready to go anywhere in the world within an hour. I just never thought it’d be here.”
When the storm hit, Farao, a Hudson Catholic graduate, immediately became concerned about family that remained in Jersey City.
“Once (Sandy) got north, I was calling, asking if everyone was all right and if there was electricity,” Farao recalled. “In a weird way, I kind of wished I was home to experience it, just because it’s where I’ve been all my life.”
Since arriving in Staten Island last week, Farao and his unit have helped provide generators, fuel and clean water to aid in disaster relief efforts all over the area.
read more here
Friday, March 23, 2012
Creed singer visits Yokosuka to thank troops for earthquake relief efforts
Creed singer visits Yokosuka to thank troops for earthquake relief efforts
By TREVOR ANDERSEN
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 18, 2012
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Scott Stapp, the lead singer of the rock band Creed, toured Sendai on Saturday to see the destruction left from last year’s massive tsunami. Then, he stopped by Yokosuka Naval Base to thank some of the troops for their efforts in the days and weeks following the March 11, 2011, disaster.
“It’s amazing what Operation Tomodachi did,” said Stapp who performed an acoustic concert Sunday aboard the USS George Washington. He was traveling in Japan with his wife, Jaclyn, a former Miss New York.
“We visited Sendai yesterday; we saw the destruction and we saw what you did, so we hoped to give everyone here a time to escape from their responsibilities and have fun,” Scott Stapp said. “We want to remind everyone how much we appreciate and support them.”
The rock singer also visited Haiti in 2010 to help the earthquake victims and was impressed by the humanitarian aid provided by the US military.
read more here
By TREVOR ANDERSEN
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 18, 2012
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Scott Stapp, the lead singer of the rock band Creed, toured Sendai on Saturday to see the destruction left from last year’s massive tsunami. Then, he stopped by Yokosuka Naval Base to thank some of the troops for their efforts in the days and weeks following the March 11, 2011, disaster.
“It’s amazing what Operation Tomodachi did,” said Stapp who performed an acoustic concert Sunday aboard the USS George Washington. He was traveling in Japan with his wife, Jaclyn, a former Miss New York.
“We visited Sendai yesterday; we saw the destruction and we saw what you did, so we hoped to give everyone here a time to escape from their responsibilities and have fun,” Scott Stapp said. “We want to remind everyone how much we appreciate and support them.”
The rock singer also visited Haiti in 2010 to help the earthquake victims and was impressed by the humanitarian aid provided by the US military.
read more here
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Marine's mission to help children
Marine's mission to help children
By Tyana Willams
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Winston Fiore, 26, of Indianapolis is on a money making mission.
"I've raised a little past 25% of my goal of raising $25,000," said Fiore.
Curious why? The young marine says while deployed in Senegal earlier this year, he decided he wanted to see the world. But he wanted to have a reason to travel. He says after seeing all the poverty he decided to make a trek for charity.
"I decided I was going to spend a year, dedicate a year, to traveling part of the world I hadn't been to on foot. So I could connect with locals and decided if I was going to spend a year walking, I should tie in a good cause."
His cause is raising money for the International Children's Surgical Foundation.
read more here
Marine mission to help children
By Tyana Willams
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -
Winston Fiore, 26, of Indianapolis is on a money making mission.
"I've raised a little past 25% of my goal of raising $25,000," said Fiore.
Curious why? The young marine says while deployed in Senegal earlier this year, he decided he wanted to see the world. But he wanted to have a reason to travel. He says after seeing all the poverty he decided to make a trek for charity.
"I decided I was going to spend a year, dedicate a year, to traveling part of the world I hadn't been to on foot. So I could connect with locals and decided if I was going to spend a year walking, I should tie in a good cause."
His cause is raising money for the International Children's Surgical Foundation.
read more here
Marine mission to help children
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
US Marine putting shoes on kids in Afghanistan
U.S. Church and U.S. Marine Give Shoes to Thousands of Shoeless Afghan Kids
MADERA, Calif., July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the coming months, Afghan children will be provided with shoes and flip flops by a United States Marine on active duty.
Jon Ginn is a Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt). He is serving with 3rd Battalion 4th Marines in their weapons company. He is stationed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Before his departure, he and his wife Renee believed that there was a specific purpose for his deployment in addition to what was mission specific. Upon his platoon's arrival, he met many children who were without footwear of any kind in the 100+ degree heat.
All of the children in this region are living in a harsh climate and are forced to walk on rough terrain on a daily basis. In his interactions with the children and locals, Jon saw the need and had compassion on the children.
He took it upon himself to tell his wife, who spoke to Karl Roth, Pastor of Flipside Church. Roth said the church "supports our men and women of our armed forces and is proud to have a Marine meeting needs of children in the battle zone." Their church (Flipside Christian Church in Madera, CA) has been collecting and packaging over 4,000 flip flops to send to his battalion so Jon can hand them out to the Afghan children. Flipside's children's summer Vacation Bible School shared the idea with the children attending the summer program. The children were challenged to bring flip flops to send to other children half way around the world. The kids of Flipside brought in 2,000 flip flops in one weeks time to be sent to the kids in Afghanistan!
Because of shipping charges, a large parcel of the sandals will be sent to Jon later this month. Anyone from the public is allowed to donate flip flops or contribute monetarily to the delivery.
For information about sending flip flops to Afghanistan, contact Flipside Church at 559-790-0061 or karl@acts176.com Website www.acts176.com
MADERA, Calif., July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- In the coming months, Afghan children will be provided with shoes and flip flops by a United States Marine on active duty.
Jon Ginn is a Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt). He is serving with 3rd Battalion 4th Marines in their weapons company. He is stationed in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan. Before his departure, he and his wife Renee believed that there was a specific purpose for his deployment in addition to what was mission specific. Upon his platoon's arrival, he met many children who were without footwear of any kind in the 100+ degree heat.
All of the children in this region are living in a harsh climate and are forced to walk on rough terrain on a daily basis. In his interactions with the children and locals, Jon saw the need and had compassion on the children.
He took it upon himself to tell his wife, who spoke to Karl Roth, Pastor of Flipside Church. Roth said the church "supports our men and women of our armed forces and is proud to have a Marine meeting needs of children in the battle zone." Their church (Flipside Christian Church in Madera, CA) has been collecting and packaging over 4,000 flip flops to send to his battalion so Jon can hand them out to the Afghan children. Flipside's children's summer Vacation Bible School shared the idea with the children attending the summer program. The children were challenged to bring flip flops to send to other children half way around the world. The kids of Flipside brought in 2,000 flip flops in one weeks time to be sent to the kids in Afghanistan!
Because of shipping charges, a large parcel of the sandals will be sent to Jon later this month. Anyone from the public is allowed to donate flip flops or contribute monetarily to the delivery.
For information about sending flip flops to Afghanistan, contact Flipside Church at 559-790-0061 or karl@acts176.com Website www.acts176.com
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Team Rubicon Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves
Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY
When Kasey Sands and her family returned home last month a few days after a tornado flattened much of Joplin, Mo., a dozen strangers were removing trees toppled in their yard.
"I asked them who they were, and they said they were veterans," says Sands, 27. "They said they like to help with peace and not just with war."
They were Team Rubicon, a non-profit group of veterans formed after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to help in the immediate aftermaths of disasters. They also raced in after tornadoes struck Alabama in April and following earlier crises in Chile, Burma, Pakistan and Sudan. More than 500 people have volunteered; 25 were in Joplin for a week.
The name refers to the Rubicon, a river separating ancient Gaul and the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar's crossing of it led to its modern meaning: passing a point of no return.
read more here
Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves
By Judy Keen, USA TODAY
When Kasey Sands and her family returned home last month a few days after a tornado flattened much of Joplin, Mo., a dozen strangers were removing trees toppled in their yard.
"I asked them who they were, and they said they were veterans," says Sands, 27. "They said they like to help with peace and not just with war."
They were Team Rubicon, a non-profit group of veterans formed after the 2010 Haiti earthquake to help in the immediate aftermaths of disasters. They also raced in after tornadoes struck Alabama in April and following earlier crises in Chile, Burma, Pakistan and Sudan. More than 500 people have volunteered; 25 were in Joplin for a week.
The name refers to the Rubicon, a river separating ancient Gaul and the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar's crossing of it led to its modern meaning: passing a point of no return.
read more here
Veterans help disaster survivors, themselves
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Army, charity save ailing Afghan boy
Army, charity save ailing Afghan boy
Child recovers from bladder surgery
6:57 AM, May. 7, 2011
Written by
Matt Manochio | Staff Writer
Born in poverty in Afghanistan with his bladder literally hanging over his groin outside of his body, he was unable to properly function, and could only walk bow-legged.
Then one day his mother brought the 6-year-old boy to an Army base in Jalalabad City, where she met Army Maj. Glenn Battschinger of Mays Landing.
Fast-forward one year to the John and Jacqueline McMullen Children’s Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center, where the Army major, the little boy, and his Egyptian-born pediatric urologist met Friday to celebrate the child’s recovery.
Many things had to happen in the 12 months that elapsed from when Muslam met Battschinger, whose mission in Afghanistan was government mentorship, acting as an outreach to the locals.
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Army, charity save ailing Afghan boy
Child recovers from bladder surgery
6:57 AM, May. 7, 2011
Written by
Matt Manochio | Staff Writer
Livingston, May 6, 2011---US Army Major Glenn Battschinger of Mays Landing, NJ meets with six-year-old Muslam Hagigshah , a boy from Afghanistan that Battschinger met while on combat patrol and helped to arrange for medical help for the child who was born with his bladder outside his body.LIVINGSTON — Muslam Hagigshah didn’t stand much of a chance.
BOB KARP/STAFF PHOTO / Staff Photo/staff photo
Born in poverty in Afghanistan with his bladder literally hanging over his groin outside of his body, he was unable to properly function, and could only walk bow-legged.
Then one day his mother brought the 6-year-old boy to an Army base in Jalalabad City, where she met Army Maj. Glenn Battschinger of Mays Landing.
Fast-forward one year to the John and Jacqueline McMullen Children’s Center at St. Barnabas Medical Center, where the Army major, the little boy, and his Egyptian-born pediatric urologist met Friday to celebrate the child’s recovery.
Many things had to happen in the 12 months that elapsed from when Muslam met Battschinger, whose mission in Afghanistan was government mentorship, acting as an outreach to the locals.
read more here
Army, charity save ailing Afghan boy
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Japanese PM thanks U.S. troops during visit to devastated region
Japanese PM thanks U.S. troops during visit to devastated region
By SETH ROBSON
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 10, 2011
ISHINOMAKI, Japan — Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan praised U.S. troops for their efforts to help people recover from last month’s devastating earthquake and tsunami during a visit here Sunday.
Kan arrived in a motorcade with a large group of other Japanese dignitaries to check on the work of 36 U.S. soldiers and four Marines working alongside Japan Self-Defense Force personnel at Ishinomaki Commercial High School. He found the U.S. and Japanese troops hard at work using shovels, Bobcat mini bulldozers and a bucket loader brought by the Americans to remove the mud dumped by the tsunami on the school’s sports fields.
“The U.S. military is working alongside the Japanese Self-Defense Force,” Kan told a group of Japanese reporters. “I’m happy to see that happen here at this high school.”
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Japanese PM thanks U.S. troops
By SETH ROBSON
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 10, 2011
ISHINOMAKI, Japan — Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan praised U.S. troops for their efforts to help people recover from last month’s devastating earthquake and tsunami during a visit here Sunday.
Kan arrived in a motorcade with a large group of other Japanese dignitaries to check on the work of 36 U.S. soldiers and four Marines working alongside Japan Self-Defense Force personnel at Ishinomaki Commercial High School. He found the U.S. and Japanese troops hard at work using shovels, Bobcat mini bulldozers and a bucket loader brought by the Americans to remove the mud dumped by the tsunami on the school’s sports fields.
“The U.S. military is working alongside the Japanese Self-Defense Force,” Kan told a group of Japanese reporters. “I’m happy to see that happen here at this high school.”
read more here
Japanese PM thanks U.S. troops
Friday, March 11, 2011
Navy sends 8 ships to provide tsunami relief
Navy sends 8 ships to provide tsunami relief
By Sam Fellman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 11, 2011 2:55:35 EST
Eight warships are headed to Japan to render disaster relief in the wake of a catastrophic magnitude 8.9 earthquake that left hundreds dead Friday. The quake unleashed a tsunami that is tearing across the Pacific. It unmoored two subs and is forcing other ships to get underway or ease their lines as the surge waters arrive, according to updates posted on official Navy Facebook pages across the region.
The earthquake, the most devastating to have struck Japan since the country began tracking seismic activity more than a century ago, leveled homes and buildings, and spawned a 23-foot high wave that carried away cars and people.
Japan has requested aid through the State Department, Armed Forces Press Service reported Friday.
read more here
Navy sends 8 ships to provide tsunami relief
By Sam Fellman - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 11, 2011 2:55:35 EST
Eight warships are headed to Japan to render disaster relief in the wake of a catastrophic magnitude 8.9 earthquake that left hundreds dead Friday. The quake unleashed a tsunami that is tearing across the Pacific. It unmoored two subs and is forcing other ships to get underway or ease their lines as the surge waters arrive, according to updates posted on official Navy Facebook pages across the region.
The earthquake, the most devastating to have struck Japan since the country began tracking seismic activity more than a century ago, leveled homes and buildings, and spawned a 23-foot high wave that carried away cars and people.
Japan has requested aid through the State Department, Armed Forces Press Service reported Friday.
read more here
Navy sends 8 ships to provide tsunami relief
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Soldier committed suicide outside Fayetteville PD
Soldier committed suicide outside Fayetteville PD
December 26, 2010 posted by Chaplain Kathie ·
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Soldier committed suicide outside Fayetteville PD
Sword of Damocles
December 26, 2010 posted by Chaplain Kathie ·
There is a hidden war going on in this country that few are talking about. While news reports finally spread the growing crisis of veterans returning home with PTSD, seeing their lives fall apart, these cases are usually attributed to combat operations. A few days ago Dana Morgan, President of Point Man Ministries, and I were talking about this other hidden crisis. The soldiers sent for humanitarian relief operations are more affected by what they witness."The value of the sword is not that it falls, but rather, that it hangs."
Soldier committed suicide outside Fayetteville PDThis happens. What they see is not something they can fight against. There is no battle plan to defeat a natural disaster. They also see death on a massive scale followed by suffering survivors waiting for help.
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A man who shot himself Thursday outside the Fayetteville Police Administrative Building was a Fort Bragg soldier, according to the post.
Spc. Freddy J. Hook, 20, of Maurice, La., was a healthcare specialist with Company C, 407th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team. He had been stationed at Fort Bragg since Sept. 2009. His most recent deployment was for earthquake relief in Haiti in January.
Hook shot himself on Hay Street shortly before 6 a.m. Thursday. He died at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center on Saturday, police said.
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Soldier committed suicide outside Fayetteville PD
Sword of Damocles
Thursday, August 12, 2010
US sends Marine ship, helicopters for flood aid
US sends Marine ship, helicopters for flood aid
By SAGAR MEGHANI (AP)
TAMPA, Fla. — The United States is more than tripling the number of helicopters it is providing to help in flood-ravaged Pakistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.
Gates said the USS Peleliu is now off the coast near Karachi, carrying 19 helicopters and a complement of about 1,000 Marines.
The six U.S. helicopters which were sent to Pakistan from Afghanistan earlier have been helping rescue people and deliver aid supplies. Gates said the Peleliu's complement will replace six combat helicopters on loan from the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan.
Gates said President Barack Obama has directed his administration to "lean forward" in offering help to the Pakistanis, which he stressed will be at a pace dictated by Pakistan's needs and its ability to handle aid.
"There's no point in having a lot of helicopters if we don't have the relief supplies to deliver," Gates told reporters traveling with him to Florida. He said the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other areas of the government will have to be involved in helping Pakistan recover.
go here for more
US sends Marine ship, helicopters for flood aid
By SAGAR MEGHANI (AP)
TAMPA, Fla. — The United States is more than tripling the number of helicopters it is providing to help in flood-ravaged Pakistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Wednesday.
Gates said the USS Peleliu is now off the coast near Karachi, carrying 19 helicopters and a complement of about 1,000 Marines.
The six U.S. helicopters which were sent to Pakistan from Afghanistan earlier have been helping rescue people and deliver aid supplies. Gates said the Peleliu's complement will replace six combat helicopters on loan from the U.S. war effort in Afghanistan.
Gates said President Barack Obama has directed his administration to "lean forward" in offering help to the Pakistanis, which he stressed will be at a pace dictated by Pakistan's needs and its ability to handle aid.
"There's no point in having a lot of helicopters if we don't have the relief supplies to deliver," Gates told reporters traveling with him to Florida. He said the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development and other areas of the government will have to be involved in helping Pakistan recover.
go here for more
US sends Marine ship, helicopters for flood aid
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Humanitarian Service Medal approved for Haiti
Humanitarian Service Medal approved for Haiti
The Humanitarian Service Medal has been approved for soldiers who participated in the initial phase of Operation Unified Response, the ongoing disaster relief effort in Haiti.
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The Humanitarian Service Medal has been approved for soldiers who participated in the initial phase of Operation Unified Response, the ongoing disaster relief effort in Haiti.
Read More
Monday, April 5, 2010
Asbestos and toxic exposure risk low for troops in Haiti
Burn pits and contaminants in the water of Iraq were also not supposed to be a problem, just as Agent Orange use in Vietnam. Is this one more problem that will arise years later for the troops?
Toxic exposure risk low for troops in Haiti
Officials say samples show contaminants below hazard levels
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, April 4, 2010
Air, water and soil samples taken from places where U.S. troops have been operating in Haiti do not contain high levels of toxic substances, according to the U.S. Southern Command.
The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine tested the hundreds of samples for some 200 contaminants, including silica and asbestos.
“Everything we have been able to analyze so far has not presented a risk that is expected to be long-term, short-term or one we can’t mitigate,” said Lt. Col. Eric Milstrey, SOUTHCOM’s public health officer.
Teams from the Army, Air Force and Navy collected the samples from sites where U.S. military personnel have worked in Haiti since January’s deadly earthquake. Soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division, who provided security for earthquake rubble removal in Port-au-Prince, have reported sore throats and coughing that they blame on dust inhaled on the job.The Army’s preliminary results suggest that asbestos levels found in dust from the Haiti earthquake are low enough that it would have been safe for soldiers to work without masks. The only place where a significant quantity of asbestos was detected in Haiti was at an AIDS clinic used by the U.S. Public Health Service, where an asbestos ceiling tile was discovered, Milstrey said.
Furthermore, testing of 14 wells used to supply shower water to troops in Haiti turned up quite a few contaminants, including harmful bacteria, that could be a health risk if the water was untreated, Milstrey said.read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=69140
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Connecticut Guardsmen reflect on recovery mission at Hotel Montana
Connecticut Guardsmen reflect on recovery mission at Hotel Montana
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
National Guard Bureau
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (3/19/10) - The earthquake that rocked this city left many of its structures damaged or destroyed, including one landmark that many say represented a sense of stability within the city.
The Hotel Montana, a four-star hotel where diplomats, dignitaries and other world leaders often stayed, collapsed during the Jan. 12 earthquake trapping many of its guests in the rubble.
A few made it out alive, and the task of finding and identifying those who didn’t fell to a variety of organizations, including search and recovery teams from France, Mexico, Canada and members of the U.S. military.
As a member of the services flight for the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing, Tech. Sgt. Bambi Putinas said her job encompasses not only personnel issues, food services and lodging, but also mortuary affairs.
“We all volunteered to come here, but we had no idea what we would be doing,” she said. “In the back of our minds, we all thought possibly mortuary affairs.”
When a call for volunteers to assist at the Hotel Montana site was put out, Putinas was one of many from her unit to volunteer for the mission.
“We would help with the preliminary identification of remains and make sure they got back home safely and also any articles, luggage, personal effects,” she said. “We helped to document what we found, and those also would be shipped home.”
Putinas said it was an important job to do, but also a difficult one.
read more here
http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2010/03/032310-Connecticut.aspx
By Sgt. 1st Class Jon Soucy
National Guard Bureau
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (3/19/10) - The earthquake that rocked this city left many of its structures damaged or destroyed, including one landmark that many say represented a sense of stability within the city.
The Hotel Montana, a four-star hotel where diplomats, dignitaries and other world leaders often stayed, collapsed during the Jan. 12 earthquake trapping many of its guests in the rubble.
A few made it out alive, and the task of finding and identifying those who didn’t fell to a variety of organizations, including search and recovery teams from France, Mexico, Canada and members of the U.S. military.
As a member of the services flight for the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Airlift Wing, Tech. Sgt. Bambi Putinas said her job encompasses not only personnel issues, food services and lodging, but also mortuary affairs.
“We all volunteered to come here, but we had no idea what we would be doing,” she said. “In the back of our minds, we all thought possibly mortuary affairs.”
When a call for volunteers to assist at the Hotel Montana site was put out, Putinas was one of many from her unit to volunteer for the mission.
“We would help with the preliminary identification of remains and make sure they got back home safely and also any articles, luggage, personal effects,” she said. “We helped to document what we found, and those also would be shipped home.”
Putinas said it was an important job to do, but also a difficult one.
read more here
http://www.ng.mil/news/archives/2010/03/032310-Connecticut.aspx
Monday, March 22, 2010
Vietnam vet in Haiti eager to share war experiences
Vietnam vet in Haiti eager to share war experiences
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, March 21, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — When soldiers working in Haiti see Giles Pace coming, they often do a double take.
A typical outfit for the 66-year-old father of six, who’s in Haiti working as a contractor in support of the U.S. State Department, is an Army combat uniform top, worn unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up, and a tattered green beret that marks him as a former member of the U.S. Army’s elite Special Forces.
Soldiers who get close enough might glimpse his tattoo, with the SF emblem and the numbers of the 1st, 5th and 7th SF Groups that Pace served with during the Vietnam War.
The Chicago native did two tours of duty in Vietnam after joining the Army straight out of high school in 1961 and being assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Sunday, March 21, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — When soldiers working in Haiti see Giles Pace coming, they often do a double take.
A typical outfit for the 66-year-old father of six, who’s in Haiti working as a contractor in support of the U.S. State Department, is an Army combat uniform top, worn unbuttoned with the sleeves rolled up, and a tattered green beret that marks him as a former member of the U.S. Army’s elite Special Forces.
Soldiers who get close enough might glimpse his tattoo, with the SF emblem and the numbers of the 1st, 5th and 7th SF Groups that Pace served with during the Vietnam War.
The Chicago native did two tours of duty in Vietnam after joining the Army straight out of high school in 1961 and being assigned to 1st Battalion, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division.
Some Vietnam War veterans are reluctant to talk about the war, but Pace isn’t one of them. He said he’s eager to share his experiences to inspire today’s soldiers and show them that Vietnam War veterans are still supporting them. He’s also eager to tell them how much easier they have it.
“These guys don’t know what war is,” Pace said of modern soldiers. “We didn’t look like robo-cops. All we had were soft caps and our weapons and we’d go chasing [the enemy] in the jungle.”read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=68803
Monday, March 8, 2010
Soldiers use delicate touch in Haiti patrols
'Whatever works, use it'
Staff Sgt. Christopher Bartholme dances in Haiti
Soldiers use delicate touch in Haiti patrols
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Pfc. Jean-Louis Smith knows how to change frowns into smiles, even in a place where that’s not easy.
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 8, 2010 5:49:00 EST
A seemingly endless line of edgy, scowling faces awaited him at a distribution point near a tent city in Port-au-Prince, where the people were waiting for shelter tarps.
Smith, a Haitian-American soldier, flicked on a portable loudspeaker and reggae star Sean Paul’s hit “Temperature” washed over the crowd, turning part of the queue into a virtual conga line of grins, tapping feet and nodding heads. A native of Port-au-Prince and a Creole speaker, Smith spoke to the crowd in Creole, making calming announcements and helping Haitians forget their misery with music — at least for a while.
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Saturday, March 6, 2010
Big Kenny plays for troops in Haiti
After suffering a personal loss, country star plays for troops in Haiti
By Seth Robson Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, March 7, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – When Big Kenny, half of the colorful country music duo Big & Rich, heard a friend was trapped beneath the rubble after last month’s earthquake in Haiti, he didn’t hesitate.
The man who co-wrote “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” flew to Port-au-Prince to search for his friend, renewable energy specialist Walt Rattman, in the ruins on the Hotel Montana. Sadly, Kenny’s friend didn’t make it, although his body was recovered from the rubble.
But rather than dwell on his loss Kenny, whose real name is William Alphin, set out to help the Haitian people and spent five days in the devastated capital distributing aid. When he traveled into a slum called Cité Soleil to buy food for hungry, elderly Haitians, he met soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division.
The country star was so moved by the U.S. military efforts to bring relief to the struggling nation that he decided to return to Haiti last Thursday and play a series of concerts for personnel that culminated in a performance for the 82nd on the waterfront at Port-au-Prince.
“I was blown away,” Kenny said of the soldiers’ relief work. “I’m so proud and my heart is just completely moved by the outpouring of hope and compassion. It’s been an amazing showing of the heart of the American armed forces.”
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=68505
By Seth Robson Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Sunday, March 7, 2010
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – When Big Kenny, half of the colorful country music duo Big & Rich, heard a friend was trapped beneath the rubble after last month’s earthquake in Haiti, he didn’t hesitate.
The man who co-wrote “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” flew to Port-au-Prince to search for his friend, renewable energy specialist Walt Rattman, in the ruins on the Hotel Montana. Sadly, Kenny’s friend didn’t make it, although his body was recovered from the rubble.
But rather than dwell on his loss Kenny, whose real name is William Alphin, set out to help the Haitian people and spent five days in the devastated capital distributing aid. When he traveled into a slum called Cité Soleil to buy food for hungry, elderly Haitians, he met soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division.
The country star was so moved by the U.S. military efforts to bring relief to the struggling nation that he decided to return to Haiti last Thursday and play a series of concerts for personnel that culminated in a performance for the 82nd on the waterfront at Port-au-Prince.
“I was blown away,” Kenny said of the soldiers’ relief work. “I’m so proud and my heart is just completely moved by the outpouring of hope and compassion. It’s been an amazing showing of the heart of the American armed forces.”
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=68505
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Leptospirosis and malaria beign treated for soldiers after Haiti aid
Soldier who helped in Haiti gets rare bacterial disease
By RAY REYES The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 24, 2010
TAMPA - It started with a headache and a painful sensitivity to light.
Next was a 105-degree fever.
Then it got worse for U.S. Army Warrant Officer Christopher Lust, who was in Haiti three weeks ago aiding relief efforts when he contracted a rare bacterial infection that also caused him to tremble violently and vomit blood.
"Imagine having a fever and cold shakes," Lust said from his room at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. "But it was 50 to 60 times worse. It was like shaking in minus 15-degree weather."
What happened to Lust highlights a concern shared by government, military and health officials: the spread of contagious diseases in the aftermath of natural disasters. Since the Jan. 12 quake, with thousands of survivors living in tent cities without proper sanitation, the risk of viral or bacterial infections is high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
By RAY REYES The Tampa Tribune
Published: February 24, 2010
TAMPA - It started with a headache and a painful sensitivity to light.
Next was a 105-degree fever.
Then it got worse for U.S. Army Warrant Officer Christopher Lust, who was in Haiti three weeks ago aiding relief efforts when he contracted a rare bacterial infection that also caused him to tremble violently and vomit blood.
"Imagine having a fever and cold shakes," Lust said from his room at the James A. Haley Veterans Hospital in Tampa. "But it was 50 to 60 times worse. It was like shaking in minus 15-degree weather."
What happened to Lust highlights a concern shared by government, military and health officials: the spread of contagious diseases in the aftermath of natural disasters. Since the Jan. 12 quake, with thousands of survivors living in tent cities without proper sanitation, the risk of viral or bacterial infections is high, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A handful of soldiers and military personnel who had deployed to Haiti are being treated for malaria, said Jose Ruiz, spokesman for U.S. Southern Command, a joint military operation based in Miami.
What struck Lust is known as leptospirosis, a bacterial disease caused by exposure to water contaminated with animal urine. It is rarely fatal, but if untreated, the infection can cause kidney damage, inflammation of the brain and liver failure.read more here
Monday, January 18, 2010
Haiti aid mission uses lessons of war
Haiti aid mission uses lessons of war
By Jim Michaels - USA TODAY
Posted : Monday Jan 18, 2010 6:53:51 EST
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — This is not war, this overwhelming humanitarian effort. But after eight years of dealing with counterinsurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, the lessons learned there — getting into the communities to understand the people’s needs — apply here to the job of distributing food and water and providing medical help.
“Those skills are transferable,” said Army Col. Chris Gibson, commander of the brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division that is getting established here.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers and Marines have learned to seek out local leaders and learn gritty details about sewage, electricity and water. They’re doing the same thing here, but no one is shooting at them.
Lt. Col. Mike Foster’s unit established a position at the Pétionville Club, adjacent to more than 10,000 refugees living on its golf course.
Families are lying on the ground, shielded from the sun by sheets or blankets held up by wooden poles. Some are injured and waiting for medical help. Most are waiting for adequate food and water.
read more here
Haiti aid mission uses lessons of war
By Jim Michaels - USA TODAY
Posted : Monday Jan 18, 2010 6:53:51 EST
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — This is not war, this overwhelming humanitarian effort. But after eight years of dealing with counterinsurgencies in Iraq and Afghanistan, the lessons learned there — getting into the communities to understand the people’s needs — apply here to the job of distributing food and water and providing medical help.
“Those skills are transferable,” said Army Col. Chris Gibson, commander of the brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division that is getting established here.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers and Marines have learned to seek out local leaders and learn gritty details about sewage, electricity and water. They’re doing the same thing here, but no one is shooting at them.
Lt. Col. Mike Foster’s unit established a position at the Pétionville Club, adjacent to more than 10,000 refugees living on its golf course.
Families are lying on the ground, shielded from the sun by sheets or blankets held up by wooden poles. Some are injured and waiting for medical help. Most are waiting for adequate food and water.
read more here
Haiti aid mission uses lessons of war
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