US Marine Dog Receives High UK Award After 400 Missions

Bomb sniffer dog earns animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross
UK Evening Standard
Lizzie Edmonds
April 5, 2016

PDSA Dicken Medal: Since the introduction of the medal in 1943 it has been awarded to 31 dogs, 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat.

A military dog who lost a leg when sniffing out a roadside bomb has been awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross after serving in more than 400 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lucca receiving her award (Jeremy Selwyn)

Lucca, a 12-year-old German Shepherd, served in the US Marine Corps for six years, protecting the lives of troops by sniffing out munitions.

Her efforts were awarded with the PDSA Dickin Medal, the highest award for animals serving in military conflict.

Lucca is the 67th animal to be honoured in this way and the first US Marine Corps dog to receive the medal.

There were no human casualties during any of her patrols but, in 2012, she lost her leg and suffered chest burns after discovering a home-made bomb in Afghanistan and retired.
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Air Force Surgeon General Explains Why Suicide During Deployment is Lower

Lt. Gen. Mark Ediger was interviewed by Air Force Times reporter Phillip Swarts. He actually nailed it when he was talking about why the rate of suicide is lower while service members are deployed. 

He was talking about Airmen but it is what most have to say about falling apart after deployment when everyone else is home safe, if not sound.

Lt. Gen. Mark Ediger, the Air Force surgeon general, says the service has several ways to support airmen experiencing stress. (Photo: Daniel Woolfolk/Air Force Times)

Q: Is the way that you go about suicide prevention different for deployed airmen versus home stationed missions?

A: It’s really the same approach. And we know that actually suicide among deployed airmen is very rare. Suicide is an uncommon event across the Air Force. But among our deployed airmen, it’s particularly uncommon. And that’s been the case for years. We think that’s because when airmen deploy there’s such a strong sense of mission and such a strong sense of their role and responsibility. They know that if they’re not there tomorrow, their wingmen, the airmen around them, are going to have to keep that mission going somehow. That sense of belonging, that sense of importance to the mission in a deployed site, is probably why, one big reason why, we rarely see suicide in a deployed mission..

That is the biggest reason why it is so heartbreaking to think about them not just surviving combat but taking their own lives after being willing to die for the sake of others.

Marine calls Detroit girl fighting disease his "little sis"

Unbreakable friendship: Marine calls Detroit girl fighting disease his "little sis" 
WXYZ ABC Detroit 
Amanda Allie 
Apr 3, 2016

(WXYZ) - A picture showing a marine weightlifter and a Detroit girl fighting a rare disease is capturing hearts all over the world.

David "The Beast" Douglas calls 12-year-old Lindsay Ratcliffe his "little sis."

Lindsay suffers from a genetic disorder called Progeria.

The photo shows David wearing a shirt that says "strong" across his shoulders and "stronger" with an arrow pointing to Lindsay as he holds her hand.

David says people call him strong, but everything about Lindsay is stronger.
grab some tissues then click here for the video

OEF OIF Army Medic Veteran Can't Believe He's Finally Home

'It is unbelievable': Wounded vets get housing help from Operation Finally Home
NBC TODAY
Eun Kyung Kim
April 4, 2016

Staff Sgt. Patrick Rogers used to come to the rescue of others when he worked as an Army medic in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Now, a non-profit organization helping wounded veterans is helping Rogers to help pay him back for his service.

Rogers returned home with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder after being injured by an explosion set off by a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. The injuries made it difficult for him to work and support his wife and their three kids.

That's when he got some help from Operation Finally Home, a non-profit that works with corporate sponsors, builders and developers to provide mortgage-free houses for wounded veterans, keeping their specific physical limitations and needs in mind.

"These houses are built around what the vet's going to need," Rogers said. "In the future months, I will probably be in a wheelchair. I have to have some major surgeries. They build the houses to accommodate everything they could think of for the vets."
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Iraq Veteran Died After Burn Pit Exposure Before Justice Was Granted

Soldier who fought VA, blamed cancer on Iraq 'burn pits,' dies
FOX News
By Perry Chiaramonte
Published April 04, 2016

Ashely and John Marshall met while serving in the Army. John died last week, leaving behind his wife and two young children.

A decorated Army veteran who battled the VA over treatment for cancer he claimed to have gotten from working over burn pits in Iraq has died, his family said Monday.

Former Army Sgt. John Marshall, who went to his grave believing his cancer was caused by standing over burn pits where the military disposed of everything from disabled IEDs to lithium batteries, died at his home in Surprise, Ariz., March 29. He was 31, and left behind a wife and two young children.

"John was the type of guy who touched people even if he didn't know them that long," said Marshall's wife and fellow veteran, Ashley. "The amount of people that have come from all over to offer condolences has been amazing and overwhelming. I knew John was a great person, but it shouldn't have amazed me as it did that so many other people thought so, too."
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Here's the link to rules for a case like this. His claim does not have to die and they can fight to finally have his service honored.

Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors
Chapter 13 Dependents and Survivors Benefits

And this as well
Compensation for Dependents

Evidence Required
Listed below are the evidence requirements for this benefit:
The Servicemember died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, OR
The Veteran died from an injury or disease deemed to be related to military service, OR
The Veteran died from a non service-related injury or disease, but was receiving, OR was entitled to receive, VA Compensation for service-connected disability that was rated as totally disabling
For at least 10 years immediately before death, OR
Since the Veteran's release from active duty and for at least five years immediately preceding death, OR For at least one year before death if the Veteran was a former prisoner of war who died after September 30, 1999