Sources: Marine Kyle Carpenter will receive MoH for heroism in Afghanistan
Army Times
Hope Hodge Seck
Staff Writer
Mar. 5, 2014
William Kyle Carpenter, a Marine Corps veteran who was severely wounded during a November 2010 grenade attack in Afghanistan, will receive the nation’s highest combat valor award later this year, Marine Corps Times has learned.
Carpenter, a 24-year-old medically retired corporal, will become the service’s third Medal of Honor recipient from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which date back to October 2001. The Marine Corps is finalizing plans with the White House for a ceremony in Washington, officials said.
Marine Corps Times began making inquires about the status of Carpenter’s case because the statute of limitations for Department of Navy Medal of Honor awards requires that a formal recommendation be made within three years of the combat action in question. Carpenter, the subject of two cover stories published by Marine Corps Times in 2012, also recently appeared in the national media. He was the subject of a January feature story in Reader’s Digest and a related appearance Jan. 27 on Katie Couric’s syndicated talk show.
Carpenter declined to comment on reports that he would soon receive the Medal of Honor.
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Military Mental Health Exams Fail
Military Mental Health Exams Fail
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 5, 2014
When Military Brass talks about how most of the suicides in the military had nothing to do with deployments, that should have sent a huge red flare up regarding mental health screenings. After all, if they were suffering so much they wanted to die, mental health evaluations should have discovered it. Right? After all, they should care about the mental health state of those they hand weapons to as much as they care about the soldiers serving next to them. At least that is what is we assume.
Either the military is trying to cover up for the fact suicides went up after they spent billions on preventing them or they are still trying to blame the soldiers.
This may have seemed like a new story, "Nearly 1 in 5 had mental illness before enlisting in Army, study says The study raises questions about the military's screening of recruits. Another study looks at rising suicide rates among soldiers." As it is, it is a warning that the mental health screenings done by the military are inadequate. What makes it worse is the simple fact that none of this is new.
Matthew Kauffman of the Courant reported that in 2009 along with this,
How do they explain the simple fact that this is all happening after they started addressing mental health and suicides? How do they account for the fact that the Army had over 11,000 misconduct discharges last year but the drop in suicides did not reflect enough of a drop to account for them? Then they would have to explain the number of enlisted personnel also gong down with less deployed into Afghanistan.
So much they have to account for but no one is making sure they answer for what has happened.
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
March 5, 2014
When Military Brass talks about how most of the suicides in the military had nothing to do with deployments, that should have sent a huge red flare up regarding mental health screenings. After all, if they were suffering so much they wanted to die, mental health evaluations should have discovered it. Right? After all, they should care about the mental health state of those they hand weapons to as much as they care about the soldiers serving next to them. At least that is what is we assume.
Either the military is trying to cover up for the fact suicides went up after they spent billions on preventing them or they are still trying to blame the soldiers.
This may have seemed like a new story, "Nearly 1 in 5 had mental illness before enlisting in Army, study says The study raises questions about the military's screening of recruits. Another study looks at rising suicide rates among soldiers." As it is, it is a warning that the mental health screenings done by the military are inadequate. What makes it worse is the simple fact that none of this is new.
"The results of this study provide strong evidence that relying on self-report alone may be insufficient policy for screening for disqualifying or significant mental health conditions," wrote Army Maj. Remington L. Nevin, the study's author.
But the report found that military health officials relied heavily on those self-reported answers, with soldiers rarely referred for a professional evaluation if they failed to acknowledge seeking mental health care.
At least 230 service members have committed suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan since the U.S. launched the first offensive eight years ago this month. As the wars continue, the study said, valid information on mental health is particularly important as the military faces challenges maintaining troop strength.
Matthew Kauffman of the Courant reported that in 2009 along with this,
The Pentagon maintains detailed electronic health information on all service members. The study released last week marked the first time military officials matched the answers on the pre-deployment form to actual medical records.
The study looked at a sample of more than 11,000 troops deployed to Afghanistan in 2007 and found that 4.2 percent had been formally diagnosed in the previous year with a serious mental health disorder. But of those, only 48 percent answered "yes" to the question: "During the past year, have you sought care or counseling for your mental health?"
How do they explain the simple fact that this is all happening after they started addressing mental health and suicides? How do they account for the fact that the Army had over 11,000 misconduct discharges last year but the drop in suicides did not reflect enough of a drop to account for them? Then they would have to explain the number of enlisted personnel also gong down with less deployed into Afghanistan.
So much they have to account for but no one is making sure they answer for what has happened.
Virginia Mental Health Inspector resigned
Va. mental health inspector quits over Deeds report
The Virginian-Pilot
By Julian Walker
March 5, 2014
RICHMOND
State Sen. Creigh Deeds reacted with dismay Tuesday to news that the state investigator probing the circumstances preceding his son's death has resigned.
In his resignation letter, G. Douglas Bevelacqua said he was quitting because of officials meddling with his work.
"It would be a grave disappointment to me if the investigation were sanitized," Deeds told reporters during a brief interview, in which he complimented Bevelacqua.
Since 2010, Bevelacqua had served as inspector general for behavioral health and developmental services, a unit of state government now under the Office of the State Inspector General.
Bevelacqua remained with that agency, keeping his focus on mental health issues. As such, he oversaw the inquiry into the Nov. 19 death of Deeds' son, 24-year-old Austin "Gus" Deeds, who stabbed his father at their Bath County home before taking his own life hours after undergoing a mental health evaluation.
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The Virginian-Pilot
By Julian Walker
March 5, 2014
RICHMOND
State Sen. Creigh Deeds reacted with dismay Tuesday to news that the state investigator probing the circumstances preceding his son's death has resigned.
In his resignation letter, G. Douglas Bevelacqua said he was quitting because of officials meddling with his work.
"It would be a grave disappointment to me if the investigation were sanitized," Deeds told reporters during a brief interview, in which he complimented Bevelacqua.
Since 2010, Bevelacqua had served as inspector general for behavioral health and developmental services, a unit of state government now under the Office of the State Inspector General.
Bevelacqua remained with that agency, keeping his focus on mental health issues. As such, he oversaw the inquiry into the Nov. 19 death of Deeds' son, 24-year-old Austin "Gus" Deeds, who stabbed his father at their Bath County home before taking his own life hours after undergoing a mental health evaluation.
read more here
Veterans due "care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve"
VA budget to get $10.1 billion increase under White House plan
Stars and Stripes
By Matthew M. Burke
Published: March 5, 2014
President Barack Obama’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2015, which was unveiled Tuesday, includes $163.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs — a $10.1 billion increase over current funding levels, officials said.
The budget features $59.1 billion for medical care, approximately $1.6 billion to prevent or reduce veterans’ homelessness and $312 million for burgeoning technologies that officials hope will address the claims backlog and help them meet 2015 elimination goals, according to a VA statement.
The budget also features $1 billion for veterans’ job programs.
“This budget will allow us to continue the progress we have made in helping Veterans secure their place in the middle class,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said in the statement. “It is a tangible demonstration of the President’s commitment to ensuring Veterans and their families have the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”
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Stars and Stripes
By Matthew M. Burke
Published: March 5, 2014
President Barack Obama’s budget proposal for fiscal year 2015, which was unveiled Tuesday, includes $163.9 billion for the Department of Veterans Affairs — a $10.1 billion increase over current funding levels, officials said.
The budget features $59.1 billion for medical care, approximately $1.6 billion to prevent or reduce veterans’ homelessness and $312 million for burgeoning technologies that officials hope will address the claims backlog and help them meet 2015 elimination goals, according to a VA statement.
The budget also features $1 billion for veterans’ job programs.
“This budget will allow us to continue the progress we have made in helping Veterans secure their place in the middle class,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki said in the statement. “It is a tangible demonstration of the President’s commitment to ensuring Veterans and their families have the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve.”
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Army "husbands" feel left out when wives wear the boots
Role of men married to female soldiers still evolving
Fort Hood Herald
Rose L Thayer
Herald staff writer
March 5, 2014
Kyle Tomaszewski married his high school sweetheart more than three years ago. His wife decided during nursing school to join the Army as a medic.
“She wanted something more out of life,” said Tomaszewski, 23. “She wanted to feel like she could help people and make a difference.”
After she attended basic training, he quit his job as a quality engineer in Wisconsin and joined his wife at Fort Hood. She’s now deployed to Korea with 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. With no career options in his field available locally, he now attends nursing school at Central Texas College.
As the Army continues to open job positions and units to women and studies the best way to bring women into a predominately male world, male spouses of female soldiers struggle to determine what it means to be an Army husband.
As a male military spouse, Tomaszewski is not alone. At Fort Hood, more than 3,500 of the post’s 6,836 female soldiers are married. In total, female soldiers make up about 16 percent of the Fort Hood population.
When it comes to events for Army spouses, many of them are geared toward women. It’s something Tomaszewski has seen time and time again, including a recent event where he said Army spouse participates received a free makeup kit.
Tomaszewski has not joined any military spouse groups or the unit’s family readiness group. He’s heard bad things about them, he said, and many of the events are geared toward Army wives or people with children.
read more here
Fort Hood Herald
Rose L Thayer
Herald staff writer
March 5, 2014
Kyle Tomaszewski married his high school sweetheart more than three years ago. His wife decided during nursing school to join the Army as a medic.
“She wanted something more out of life,” said Tomaszewski, 23. “She wanted to feel like she could help people and make a difference.”
After she attended basic training, he quit his job as a quality engineer in Wisconsin and joined his wife at Fort Hood. She’s now deployed to Korea with 1st Battalion, 12th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. With no career options in his field available locally, he now attends nursing school at Central Texas College.
As the Army continues to open job positions and units to women and studies the best way to bring women into a predominately male world, male spouses of female soldiers struggle to determine what it means to be an Army husband.
As a male military spouse, Tomaszewski is not alone. At Fort Hood, more than 3,500 of the post’s 6,836 female soldiers are married. In total, female soldiers make up about 16 percent of the Fort Hood population.
When it comes to events for Army spouses, many of them are geared toward women. It’s something Tomaszewski has seen time and time again, including a recent event where he said Army spouse participates received a free makeup kit.
Tomaszewski has not joined any military spouse groups or the unit’s family readiness group. He’s heard bad things about them, he said, and many of the events are geared toward Army wives or people with children.
read more here
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