WTF then what the hell is all of this about? Combat PTSD Wounded Times Kathie Costos July 11, 2018 For all the time we have spent "raising awareness" that veterans and the troops are committing suicide, the result of all the "effort" and funding, speeches and stunts, prove it has been a miserable failure. I've been tracking these reports for so long now, that it is hard to forget these men and women were never just numbers for someone to use, but people with families, friends and dedicated their lives to serving others. One of them has been on my mind a lot lately. His name was Joshua Omvig. He was the catalyst for the first Suicide Prevention Act. What would Joshua Omvig think of us now? After all, the suicide prevention act in his name was signed by President Bush back in 2007. Rep. Braley on Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act
The House debates the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and implement a comprehensive program to reduce the incidence of suicide among veterans. The bill is named for an Iraq veteran who took his own life, and recognizes the special needs of veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and elderly veterans who are at high risk for depression and experience high rates of suicide.
The bill follows hearings in the Oversight and Veterans Affairs committees seeking to address the tragic mental anguish experienced by many veterans, and is part of ongoing, comprehensive efforts by the new Congress to make veterans a top priority. Rep. Bruce Braley speaks in favor.
The response I get from people when I try to get them to stop using the number of "22 a day" is that they cannot defend themselves, so they snap back with "it's just a number" and it is important to get people aware veterans are committing suicide. One other statement that makes me clinch my fists is "it doesn't matter how many because one is too much." Just a number? It doesn't matter how many? Seriously? Then what the hell is all the awareness for? If people are that clueless, that heartless, that ignorant, then losing veterans like Joshua Omvig meant nothing at all to them. While the VA puts out extensive reports on the known suicides, reporters got lazy and grabbed a headline. They continue to use the number when all across the country they cover their feel good stories of groups pulling stunts to have fun while making people aware of a number. While we lost about 5 million veterans since 1999 due to age and other factors, the VA puts the "number" as exactly what it was back then. You know, back before all the awareness, bills, speeches, money, funding and everything else.
While the VA reports stopped at 2015 in the latest one, the DOD reports every Quarter. Those numbers should have stunned everyone, but no one is talking about them. The first quarter of 2018, 121 Active and Reserve and National Guards members committed suicide. It has been repeated every year since 2012 averaging 500 per year. Care to guess how many died in combat this year? According to ICasualties it is 14. But yet again, no one is talking about any of that. The thing is, no one wants to cover the bad results when they can cover stunts and smiling people having fun. Too bad though that they have not figured out their lack of attention has had such deadly results. Oh well, considering they people read about them as if they are nothing more than "an easy number to remember" they didn't matter anyway! Guess it has all been a oversight that Congress never really found what they were seeking. Anyone's guess why they stopped looking! WTF then what the hell is all of this about?
Federal special agent accused of conspiring with brother to steal $100,000 from VA 7 News Miami Brian Entin Daniel Cohen July 10, 2018
Barros was in the Marines and is a former VA police officer … until two weeks ago, when U.S. Marshals arrested him, he was a Health and Human Services special agent.
(WSVN) - A federal agent is accused of stealing money from the department where he used to work, and investigators say that money was supposed to be helping injured veterans. 7’s Brian Entin investigates.
Brian Entin: “Mr. Barros, is there anything you want to say to the veterans who say they needed that money?”
Adolfo Barros: “No, I don’t. Talk to my attorney.”
Adolfo Barros didn’t say much as he walked out of court. He’s accused of stealing nearly $100,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Brian Entin: “The Feds say that you claimed you were injured, but that you weren’t, and that you scammed the system.” read more here Yes, older veterans and their caregivers cannot get help but this guy did!
'Miracle' baby found safe in Montana forest after being buried alive NBC News by Tim Stelloh Jul.09.2018
"For all of us at the sheriff’s office, this is what we call a miracle," the sheriff's office said. "For the officers who were present for this event, it’s especially hard knowing what this small baby endured in the last 24 hours."
A 5-month-old baby who was buried in a Montana forest for at least seven hours was found in the middle of the night Sunday, officials in Missoula said Monday.
The infant was in good condition at a hospital after being left alone for "several hours," the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.
A man who was supposed to be taking care of the infant, Francis Carlton Crowley, 32, was arrested for criminal endangerment, authorities said. Additional charges were expected. It wasn't clear what Crowley's relationship is to the child or who the boy's mother is. read more here
Chicago officer kills himself in police station parking lot, officials say Chicago Tribune Peter Nickeas Julu 10, 2018 A Chicago police officer killed himself in the parking lot of the Calumet District police station Sunday night, according to authorities.
A spokesman for the Chicago Police Department confirmed the death Monday.
The officer, a 36-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the police station about 7:30 p.m.
He shot himself in a patrol car with his service weapon, according to authorities. An autopsy Monday ruled his death a suicide. read more here
Air Force veteran kills himself after shooting wife, triplet daughters Air Force Times By: Charlsy Panzino 23 hours ago
An Air Force veteran killed himself after shooting his wife and three of their daughters in Alabama on Saturday, according to authorities.
An Air Force veteran in Alabama shot and killed his wife and one of their daughters. (File photo)
Robert Orsi was upset after his wife, Charlene — who also served in the Air Force — filed for divorce, the Alabama News Network reported.
The Elmore County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page that the divorce was over Robert Orsi’s alleged drug use.
Orsi allegedly shot and killed his wife under their carport, then went inside their home and lined up his 12-year-old triplet daughters on the floor to shoot them. One was killed, but two survived.
Orsi’s 13-year-old daughter escaped and called 911 from a neighbor’s house, according to WEAR-TV.
After the shootings, Orsi doused the home with gasoline and set it on fire, but he didn’t see that two of his 12-year-old daughters made it out of the house, even with multiple gunshot wounds. The third 12-year-old was found dead in the house, along with Orsi. read more here
