Military sexual trauma:76 percent were diagnosed with a mental condition

Among women who reported experiencing sexual trauma, 76 percent were diagnosed with a mental condition, compared to 47 percent of other female veterans. The rates were similar in men.

Sexual Trauma Haunts Many Female Vets
Study found 1 in 7 from Iraq, Afghanistan who sought medical care were victims
Posted October 28, 2008
By Randy Dotinga
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Oct. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Shedding light on the challenges facing women in the military, a new study shows that more than one in seven female Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking VA medical care reported experiencing sexual trauma during their service.

Veterans who reported sexual trauma, such as rape and threatening sexual harassment, were three times more likely to be diagnosed with a mental illness such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.

"These mental health conditions are getting recognized, diagnosed and treated," said study co-author Joanne Pavao, a researcher with the VA Palo Alto Health Care System's National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, in California.

Pavao and her colleagues analyzed the records of 89,960 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans who sought medical care in the VA health-care system between Oct. 1, 2001, and Oct. 1, 2006. They were expected to present their findings Tuesday in San Diego at the American Public Health Association's annual meeting.
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Why did WFTV have health reporter do political interview?

The real question here is, why is a health reporter doing a political interview?

Barbara West - WFTV News Story - WFTV Orlando
Barbara West. For the past 16 years, I have served as health reporter and anchor for WFTV's news at noon and 5:30.

So why didn't they use any of these, who, according to their web site, are political reporters?

Laura Dorey
major: Political Science and Communications Studies
Anchor, Reporter, Executive Producer

Michael Rafi
major: Political Science and Communications Studies
Reporter, Political Correspondent.

Joanna Childers
major: Political Science and Communication Studies
Anchor and Reporter
http://www.furman.edu/orgs/fu2tv/wftv/staff.htm

So why would WFTV have their health reporter interview Biden? Have they allowed her to do other political interviews besides the one she did with McCain? Is there a history of them having their health reporter cover politics? She sure is getting a lot of fame out of this.

Journalism or partisanship: Did Barbara West interview with Joe Biden cross the line?
Hal Boedeker Sentinel Staff Writer
6:54 PM EDT, October 27, 2008
Nothing Barbara West has done in her 22 years at WFTV-Channel 9 has generated the attention of her interview last week with Sen. Joe Biden, Barack Obama's running mate. The contentious chat has become an Internet sensation -- 1.2 million hits on YouTube over the weekend and more than 500,000 on WFTV.com -- and generated controversy about how journalists question their subjects.

"The thing that stuns me is that this has become about me," said anchor West, 60. She appeared Monday night on The O'Reilly Factor on Fox News Channel and Larry King Live on CNN and plans to be on three more national shows today.

"It's not a good thing. I am not trying to seek the limelight in any way," she said. "I did not do the interview to make headlines, but to get answers that people in the street want to know. When I'm doing fund-raisers, I see vast numbers of people. My questions were reflective of what they're asking about."
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Iraqi sentenced to death for soldier killings

Iraqi sentenced to death for soldier killings

By Sameer N. Yacoub - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 28, 2008 7:50:24 EDT

BAGHDAD — An Iraqi court on Tuesday sentenced a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq militant to death by hanging for the grisly 2006 killing of three U.S. soldiers south of Baghdad.

Ibrahim al-Qaraghuli was one of three suspected militants who have gone to trial for the killings.

David J. Babineau, 25, of Springfield, Mass., was found dead at the site of the checkpoint. Two other 101st soldiers were kidnapped, sparking a massive search effort by the military.

The mutilated bodies of Pfc. Kristian Menchaca, 23, of Houston and Pfc. Thomas Tucker, 25, of Madras, Ore., were found three days later near a power station, not far from the checkpoint.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/10/ap_iraqisentence_102808/

One Iraq War Veteran Shares Her Thoughts On ‘Concert For The BRAVE’

One Iraq War Veteran Shares Her Thoughts On ‘Concert For The BRAVE’
MTV.com - USA

Published by MTV News on Monday, October 27, 2008 at 11:57 am.
Shameeka Gray, one of the Iraq war vets featured in “Choose or Lose & Kanye West Present: Homecoming” this summer, also had a chance to attend “A Night for Vets: An MTV Concert for the BRAVE” last week. Here’s what she thought about the event.

I would first like to say on behalf of myself and all veterans, thank you to MTV and all the participants for making this event very touching and memorable. The performances and messages from the artists and entertainers were great. I would also like to thank the individuals and organizations out there that have implemented and developed ways to help our veterans.

There were many issues that were brought to the world’s attention, such as homelessness, veteran benefits, unemployment and health care, which are all rising challenges among veterans in America. The veterans that shared their stories brought awareness to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injuries (TBI), disabilities many veterans encounter that take a toll on their daily lives.
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Sexual trauma afflicts 15 percent of U.S. veterans seeking mental health care

Sexual trauma afflicts 15 percent of U.S. veterans: study
Tue Oct 28, 2008

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly 15 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking medical care from the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department have suffered sexual trauma, from harassment to rape, researchers reported on Tuesday.

And these veterans were 1.5 times as likely as other veterans to need mental health services, the report from the VA found.

"We are, in fact, detecting men and women who seem to have a significant need for mental health services," said Rachel Kimerling of the National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System in California.

The study, presented at a meeting of the American Public Health Association in San Diego, raises many questions.

Kimerling said in a telephone interview the term "military sexual trauma" covers a range of events from coerced sex to outright rape or threatening and unwelcome sexual advances.

A spokeswoman for the VA said about 40 percent of all discharged veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have sought medical care of some sort from the VA, which has a universal screening program for military sexual trauma.

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http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49R0O020081028

Marine dead, wife critically hurt in apparent domestic dispute

Marine dead, wife critically hurt in apparent murder-suicide
San Diego Union Tribune - United States
By Angela Lau
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

7:46 p.m. October 27, 2008

FALLBROOK – A young Marine sergeant is dead and his wife critically hurt in what may be the outgrowth of a marital argument, sheriff's deputies said.

According to sheriff's homicide Lt. Dennis Brugos, two sergeants from nearby Camp Pendleton had gone to the sergeant's house on Elbrook Drive near Fallbrook Street after he had failed to report to work Monday morning.

They saw cars parked at the house, but got no response when they knocked on the door. At that point, they called the Sheriff's Department, Brugos said.

A deputy forced his way inside and found the sergeant's body in the garage. He then found the sergeant's wife in a bedroom with serious head injuries, Brugos said.

The couple's two small boys were found about an hour later at the home of the couple's child care provider.
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Briton David Giles, killed in Afghanistan was about to be married

Murdered DHL dad about to re-marry
Gulf Daily News - Manama,Bahrain

By GEOFFREY BEW

MANAMA

A BAHRAIN resident, gunned down with his best friend in the Afghan capital, Kabul, was planning to get married for the second time, it emerged yesterday.

Briton David Giles, 42, who had worked for logistics giant DHL for three years, had just returned from a holiday in the US, where he visited his girlfriend Beverly and decided to tie the knot.

The divorced Afghanistan operations manager and South African DHL Express station manager Jason Bresler were shot dead in a car outside the company's Kabul office on Saturday.

Two other people, including an Afghan policeman, were injured in the attack.

International news agencies said the men were killed by a DHL security guard, who opened fire on them and then killed himself.
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Maj. J. Scott Sanford falls to cancer at age 37

Former Misawa Security Forces chief falls to cancer at age 37
Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Wednesday, October 29, 2008



Former 35th Security Forces Squadron commander Maj. J. Scott Sanford died Friday at Tripler Army Medical Center in Hawaii while battling cancer.

He was 37.

Misawa Air Base will hold a memorial service at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Mokuteki Community Center ballroom, base officials said Monday.

Sanford led Misawa security forces from June 2007 until August.

"The men and women of the 35th Security Forces Squadron wish to extend their deepest sympathy to Major Sanford’s friends and family," stated Capt. Jeffery Day, 35th Security Forces commander, who worked for Sanford at Misawa. "We were fortunate to have him as our commander for a year and value everything he has done for our defenders, Misawa, the Air Force and our great country."
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http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58449

Columbus OH VA Clinic handles 310,000 veterans

New VA clinic saluted
Facility has more room, more staff, more services
Monday, October 27, 2008 3:22 AM
By Jeb Phillips

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Almost from the time Columbus' Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Clinic opened in 1995, it was too small. And space has only become tighter.

The outpatient clinic was designed to handle about 135,000 patient visits per year; it now handles 310,000. Some veterans have to park in the overflow lot at the church across the street, then dodge traffic while crossing Taylor Avenue on the Near East Side.

The clinic staff was sending patients who needed even minor surgeries to VA medical centers in Cincinnati and Dayton. The Columbus clinic didn't have room or the facilities for them.

So it is with relief, and a little giddiness, that the clinic's chief of staff talks about the new $95 million Chalmers P. Wylie Veterans Affairs Ambulatory Care Center. The clinic, at 420 N. James Rd., will be dedicated Thursday and will accept its first patient Nov. 12, the day after Veterans Day.

"It is well-designed as a healing environment," Dr. Miguel LaPuz said.
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FBI frees dozens of children "sex slaves"

In all, the initiative has freed 576 child victims from forced prostitution, the FBI said.

Operation frees dozens of child prostitutesStory Highlights
"Operation Cross Country II" involved 29 cities, resulted in the arrest of 73 pimps

More than 500 adult prostitutes were also arrested

FBI: Sex trafficking of children remains one of the most violent crimes in this country

Child advocate likens teen prostitution to "21st century slavery"

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Dozens of juveniles have been freed from forced prostitution by a nationwide operation that resulted in the arrests of hundreds of other people, the FBI announced Monday.

In the three-day operation, which began Thursday night, the FBI, along with local and state law enforcement agencies, took the 46 girls and one boy -- all of them U.S. citizens ages 13 to 17 -- into protective custody.

"Operation Cross Country II" involved efforts in 29 cities and resulted in the arrest of 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes, the FBI said.

Those arrested could face federal or state charges, depending on their alleged activities.

FBI Deputy Director John Pistole said some of the alleged sex traffickers were working in networks of six to 10 pimps.

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http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/10/27/child.prostitutes.freed/index.html