Patrick Murphy is sworn in as Army under secretary

Iraq veteran Patrick Murphy is sworn in as Army under secretary 
Stars and Stripes 
By Corey Dickstein 
Published: February 24, 2016 

WASHINGTON – Iraq war veteran Patrick Murphy was officially sworn in as the Army’s under secretary on Wednesday, about two months after the senate confirmed him for the position.

Patrick Murphy, the under secretary of the Army and the acting Army secretary, speaks Wednesday at the Pentagon after being officially sworn in as the Army's 32nd under secretary. COREY DICKSTEIN/STARS AND STRIPES

Though the Pentagon ceremony officially installed him as the Army’s No. 2 civilian, he has been serving as the acting secretary of the Army since mid-January, when President Barack Obama’s choice for that role, Eric Fanning, stepped aside amid a political dispute.

“This is such an awesome, awesome honor to be back in the Army family,” said Murphy, who served as a judge advocate officer in the 82nd Airborne Division in Baghdad in 2002 and 2003. He later taught law at The U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

In 2006, Murphy became the first Iraq War veteran to be elected to U.S. House of Representatives, serving the eighth congressional district in his native Pennsylvania from 2007 to 2011.
read more here

VA: Action on Wrongdoing in Cincinnati

PRESS RELEASE

VA Takes Action on Allegations of Wrongdoing in Cincinnati

Network Director Proposed for Removal, and Acting Chief of Staff Reassigned Pending Further Action

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today actions against two senior leaders in Cincinnati, Ohio. 

Based on preliminary results of a joint VA Office of Medical Inspector (OMI) and Office of Accountability (OAR) review conducted February 9-11, 2016 at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Sloan D. Gibson, has proposed the removal of Jack Hetrick, the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN 10) director, from Federal Service. oday, Mr. Hetrick submitted his retirement.

Additionally, VA’s Undersecretary for Health, Dr. David J. Shulkin, has detailed the Cincinnati VA Medical Center Acting Chief of Staff, Dr. Barbara Temeck, out of her current duties pending appropriate administrative action.

Hetrick received a notice of pending removal today. As of today, Shulkin has summarily suspended Temeck’s privileges and detailed her to non-patient-care duties while he considers appropriate additional actions.

“We are committed to sustainable accountability,” said Gibson.  “We will continue to use VA’s statutory authority to hold employees accountable where warranted by the evidence. That is simply the right thing to do for Veterans and taxpayers.”

The VA joint team conducted the site visit to investigate allegations of professional misconduct on the part of Temeck along with allegations that she directed the referral of Veterans for care in the community as a cost-shifting mechanism, resulting in poor quality of care.

The team did not substantiate any impropriety with respect to community care referrals or quality of care for Veterans. However, the team did substantiate misconduct by both Hetrick and Temeck related to Temeck’s provision of prescriptions and other medical care to members of Hetrick’s family. VA OIG has accepted VA’s referral of the substantiated allegations for potential criminal investigation.

Florida Mug Shot Not So Funny When He's a War Hero With PTSD

Fred Grimm: Story of disabled combat vet muddled by strange “only in Florida” mug shot 
Miami Herald 
Fred Grimm 
February 24, 2016

Bizarre booking photo of grease paint-smeared man was irresistible fodder for local media.  Familiar “only in Florida” story line missed the part about three combat tours in Iraq.  Veteran came back from Iraq with 100 percent disability for PTSD.

We played Case No. 16001719MM10A for laughs, of course.

A strange jailhouse mug shot of a man whose face was smeared with black grease paint — that was irresistible stuff for a local media ever vigilant for bizarro material. We’re always looking for proof that we’re living in a caldron of crazy.

NBC 6 added the story to its “Only in Florida” feature: “A Virginia man was arrested in South Florida after several 911 callers claimed he was acting suspiciously.” There was a link to another story in the same category: “Naked woman kicks out police car window.”

Both ABC Channel 10 and the Sun-Sentinel ran with reports of the incident early Monday morning in Oakland Park, describing an arrest following 911 calls about a young man’s strange and threatening behavior.

Because, really, that crazy mug shot told us all we needed to know about Craig Bolin.

Except for a few missing details. Like Bolin’s three combat tours. With actual combat, including a stint with Charlie 1-26, the storied infantry outfit that lost more men in Iraq combat than any Army battalion since Vietnam. Sgt. Bolin posted a YouTube video in 2006 of a harrowing night fight as his unit fended off a siege of an Iraqi police station.

In 2009, Stars and Stripes featured a photograph of young Sgt. Bolin patrolling the Jamilla market on the outskirts of Sadr City, “a volatile Shiite slum in east Baghdad.” In 2009, volatile Shiite slum had become just another euphemism for hell.
read more here

Ex-Marine Getting Jail Time After Lying About Service

Former Marine who lied about service to get donations is sentenced to jail time
The Virginian-Pilot
By Jane Harper
12 hrs ago

When the charity obtained a copy of his record, it showed that Henry received a bad conduct discharge from the Marine Corps in 1998, the stipulation said. He was never in combat, received no commendations or medals, was not a K-9 handler and was not involved in a helicopter crash, which were all claims that he had made, the stipulation said.

A former Marine who lied about his military service to get assistance from a local charity was sentenced Wednesday to eight months in jail, according to a spokeswoman for the commonwealth’s attorney.
read more here

Vietnam Veteran Died Trying to Save Stranger in Australia

Norman Olsen dies after bid to stop alleged domestic dispute in Toowoomba
ABC Australia
Updated February 24, 2016

A 65-year-old good Samaritan has died in hospital after he was allegedly assaulted trying to help a woman in Toowoomba.

Norman Olsen was driving with his partner in the suburb of Wilsonton on Monday when police say he saw a woman being attacked by a young man in an alleged domestic dispute.

The Vietnam veteran tried to intervene but was allegedly pushed to the ground by 22-year-old James Callow, who has since been charged with manslaughter.

Mr Olsen hit his head on the road.

He was taken to Toowoomba Hospital with a serious head injury before being taken to Brisbane's Princess Alexandra Hospital, where he died late on Tuesday.

Detective Inspector Paul McCusker said Mr Olsen should be commended for his actions.
read more here