Capt. Alex Houston Shows Warrior Ethos

Commander Shows Warrior Ethos

Army.com - Huntsville,Al,USA

“He walks the walk, and talks the talk,” she said. “He and his family are committed to the unit and soldiers. His injury has not been an impediment at all. He’s a true testament to the Warrior Ethos — a testament to what the folks at Walter Reed and he have done.”

Oct. 30, 2008
By Sarah Maxwell

FORT DETRICK, Md. ( American Forces Press Service) – In most ways, Army Capt. Alex Houston is like any other Army commander.

He comes to work here every day ready to lead and set the standard for the soldiers who work for him. He diligently performs all of his administrative duties as the 21st Signal Brigade Headquarters and Headquarters Company commander, and he gets down and dirty with the unit during company physical training. He jokes with his staff, and even has been known to sing off-key for them.

And he does this all as a wounded warrior. As a platoon leader in Iraq, Houston lost his left hand when his convoy was attacked during a night mission.

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Halloween pardon sought for executed British witches

When we talk about trauma it's easy to understand what it must have been like to be accused of being a witch just because someone decided to say you were one. That is what all of this was about. Someone saying something against you without having to prove one bit of it. How would you defend yourself when no one was asking for the claim to be proven and people you thought you knew were condemning you?

That is what is happening right here and now in this country. People are making all kinds of claims against others without offering any evidence. People are begin held by this country in other nations, like Iraq and Afghanistan without trials, without evidence, but some in this country see nothing wrong with that. People are making all kinds of false claims against Senator Obama without any evidence to prove it is true. How many times do you have to hear a McCain supporter repeating what they heard without any proof? This is the selection of the next president of the United States of America and some people have taken it so lightly they will believe rumors without evidence?

When the claims are proven false by some in the media, McCain and Palin just go on repeating the lie no matter what the truth is and they break the Commandment about bearing false witness, yet their supporters find nothing wrong with any of this? It would be one thing if they said something they thought was true then stopped saying it when it was proven false, but they just keep repeating the lie. Didn't they understand what happened in our own history with the Salem Witchcraft Trials? I often wonder how traumatic it will be for the people who have believed McCain and Palin when they find out they were lied to. Fear is a powerful thing but a lie is only powerful when no one is asking for evidence.

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Halloween pardon sought for executed British witches
Story Highlights
Petition seeks pardon for UK witches hundreds of years after their deaths

Around 400 people were executed in England for alleged witchcraft

The Witchcraft Act of 1735 put an end to trials of accused witches


LONDON, England (CNN) -- Campaigners in London planned to petition the British government Friday for a posthumous pardon for the hundreds of people executed for witchcraft between the 16th and 18th centuries.



They said Halloween is a good time to highlight the "grave miscarriage of justice" suffered by the men and women falsely accused of being witches.

Their petition asks Justice Minister Jack Straw to recommend that Queen Elizabeth issue a pardon.

"We felt that it was time that the sinister associations held by a minority of people regarding witches and Halloween were tackled head-on," said Emma Angel, head of Angels, a large costume supplier in London.

"We were gobsmacked to discover that though the law was changed hundreds of years ago and society had moved on, the victims were never officially pardoned."
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http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/10/31/britain.witches/index.html

Military interest in memory manipulation as means of treating PTSD

Great the mice can forget but one thing I doubt the researchers are thinking about is the soul and emotions. Do mice have souls? Do they love and regret? Do they have a conscience? Do they pray to God? If the memory is erased after the trauma, after the trauma touches the soul, what happens then? Do they no longer remember the event and thus find no reason for feeling the way they do? What do they do when this happens? How do you heal something when you can't remember it? For all the talk about the troops and faith, it really is strange they wouldn't think of any of this and understand that this could be a very bad thing to do.

Military investigates amnesia beams

Military interest in memory manipulation as means of treating PTSD.

By David Hambling
A team of scientists from the United States and China announced last week that, for the first time, they had found a means of selectively and safely erasing memories in mice, using the signaling molecule αCaMKII. It's a big step forward, and one that will be of considerable interest to the military, which has devoted efforts to memory manipulation as a means of treating post-traumatic stress disorder. But some military research has moved in another direction entirely.

In the 1980s, researchers found that even low-level exposure to a beam of electrons caused rats to forget what had just happened to them (an effect known as retrograde amnesia — the other version, anteretrograde amnesia, is when you can't form new memories). The same effect was also achieved with X-rays. The time factor was not large — it only caused memory loss about the previous four seconds — but the effect was intriguing.
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Deployed soldiers are paying attention to election, but wish someone paid attention to them

Is the economy important in this election? Absolutely! But imagine being in Iraq or Afghanistan right now and noticing how little coverage there is in either place. Would you feel as if anyone cared anymore? It keeps getting forgotten that everything that happens here affects them just as much as it does us because they have family here dealing with it and know they will have to return to it as well. They just have the extra burden on their shoulders trying to do their duty and stay alive. Why have the politicians forgotten them?

McCain, well he still wants to use them to sell his "I know how to win wars" but never addresses the simple fact the surge of troops had little to do with it and it was the rest that went on to reduce the violence and our troops dying as well as the Iraqis. Obama is focused on the economy and says that he wants to bring the troops home from Iraq and build up forces in Afghanistan. Aside from that, they are hardly mentioned.

One other missing subject in this election is the veterans, especially the wounded veterans needing care. McCain says he cares about them but his votes have proven he really doesn't. Obama serves on the Veterans Affairs Committee and has been part of the changes for the better in the VA, but we are left to wonder why it is Obama never really brings any of this up. Why wouldn't he be proud of his record on veterans issues compared to McCain? While they will say there are only so many hours in the day, it would be a wonderful thing if some reporter interviewing them would at least bring the subject of the troops deployed and the veterans who have been wounded at least once in a while. They noticed.

Soldiers see wars, economy as key election concerns
European edition, Friday, October 31, 2008



For Staff Sgt. Derek Detherow, based in Baghdad’s Sadr City district, the Iraq war is by far the biggest issue in the upcoming U.S. elections.

After all, the decisions that the future president will make on the war will directly affect him.

"The biggest thing in my life is here in Iraq," Detherow, who is with 1st Battalion, 35th Armor Regiment, said recently. "I can’t see too much beyond that."

Detherow said he doesn’t like how little attention is paid to his soldiers who are out working every single day. Yet he also acknowledged that there was some good in not being such a hot topic this year.

"The way I look at it, there are pros and cons of both the Republicans and the Democrats, and I don’t really favor either side," said Pvt. Gabriel Esquero, 25, of Alamogordo, N.M. "I’m just for whatever presidential candidate is ready to build the economy back up."

Esquero added that he believed both candidates had failed to talk enough to voters about what is at stake in Afghanistan.

"I think a lot of people fail to know what the issues are here," he said. "A lot of people think this is a wasted effort here."
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Military covenant to those who serve

This is from the UK but it should apply here as well.

Military covenant

The annual Remembrance Sunday, organised by the Royal British Legion, honours British troops

Britain has a 'duty of care' to its armed forces. This began as an unspoken pact between society and the military, possibly originating as far back as Henry VIII's reign. The pact was formally codified as a 'covenant' in 2000. It is not a law but is reinforced by custom and convention.

The covenant only officially applies to the army, but its core principles are taken to extend to the air force and navy too.

Soldiers will be called upon to make personal sacrifices - including the ultimate sacrifice - in the service of the Nation. In putting the needs of the Nation and the Army before their own, they forego some of the rights enjoyed by those outside the Armed Forces.

In return, British soldiers must always be able to expect fair treatment, to be valued and respected as individuals, and that they (and their families) will be sustained and rewarded by commensurate terms and conditions of service.

In the same way the unique nature of military land operations means that the Army differs from all other institutions, and must be sustained and provided for accordingly by the Nation.

This mutual obligation forms the Military Covenant between the Nation, the Army and each individual soldier; an unbreakable common bond of identity, loyalty and responsibility which has sustained the Army throughout its history. It has perhaps its greatest manifestation in the annual commemoration of Armistice Day, when the Nation keeps covenant with those who have made the ultimate sacrifice, giving their lives in action.

Army Doctrine Publication Volume 5
The 'duty of c are' to troops includes paying towards healthcare, which can be physical care for injuries or mental support for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and other problems. The Ministry of Defence also provides support for bereaved families.

The law gives the government 'combat immunity', which prevents soldiers from claiming compensation for injuries they received in combat except under official compensation schemes. Because soldiers cannot take the Crown to a civil court, the covenant is viewed as important in protecting soldiers' rights to compensation.

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/overview/covenant.shtml

Using poetry to tackle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Using poetry to tackle Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
When Peter Southern from Corby returned from duty in The Falklands, he buried all he'd seen and experienced, deep inside himself.

For years he carried those feelings and didn't even tell his wife what he'd witnessed during the conflict.

It was only a chance incident at work that brought out the tide of emotions that Peter had kept hidden away for years.

Peter was diagnosed as having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He'd served in the army during the Northern Ireland conflicts and The Falklands War.

During his army career Peter said he was taught to blot out all the bad and horrific experiences and keep the British 'stiff upper lip'.

This often resulted in nightmares, bouts of depression and Peter even considered taking his own life.

But Peter is fighting back and helping others in the process. He's started writing poetry and pouring his feelings and emotions onto paper.

He says its part of a healing process and his poems have also helped others suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

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CIA officers could face trial in Britain over torture allegations

CIA officers could face trial in Britain over torture allegations

Attorney General to investigate abuse claims

By Robert Verkaik, Law Editor
Friday, 31 October 2008
Senior CIA officers could be put on trial in Britain after it emerged last night that the Attorney General is to investigate allegations that a British resident held in Guantanamo Bay was brutally tortured, after being arrested and questioned by American forces following the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington in 2001.


The Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has asked Baroness Scotland to consider bringing criminal proceedings against Americans allegedly responsible for the rendition and abuse of Binyam Mohamed, when he was held in prisons in Morocco and Afghanistan.

The development follows criticism of US prosecutors by British judges who have seen secret evidence of torture committed against Mr Mohamed, including allegations his torturers used a razor blade to repeatedly cut his penis. The Attorney's investigation is expected to include allegations that MI5 colluded in Mr Mohamed's rendition. Mr Mohamed, 30, an Ethiopian national and British resident, was arrested in Pakistan in 2002, when he was questioned by an MI5 officer.
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70 percent of employers won't hire active Guards and Reservists

The burden on private companies is causing them to discriminate against reservists and guardsmen, says Ted Daywalt, president of Vet Jobs.com. Such discrimination would be illegal and it is hard to prove, but "You can prove it to a point," says Daywalt. "There are surveys done that show that upwards of 70 percent of the employers won't hire a person who's active in the Guard and Reserve," he tells Stahl.

Reservists Face Rocky Return In Job Market
60 Minutes Report Also Examines Costs Borne By Employers Of Deployed Citizen Soldiers

Oct. 30, 2008
(CBS) Lesley Stahl could only talk to some of the thousands of reservists and guardsmen who have returned from active duty to find problems with their employers over their jobs.

The rest can call the assistant secretary of defense directly to complain after he broadcasts his phone number during her 60 Minutes report this Sunday, Nov. 2, at 7 p.m. ET/PT.
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Man sets self on fire at University of Washington

Man sets self on fire at Univ. of Washington

Thursday, October 30, 2008
A 61-year-old man poured gasoline over himself and set himself on fire Thursday at the University of Washington in an apparent suicide attempt, police said.

The man was taken to a hospital with second- and third-degree burns, said Ralph H. Robinson, assistant campus police chief. There was no immediate word on his condition.
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John McCain, Where is the evidence?

Dear Senator McCain and Gov. Palin,
Both of you have made a lot of claims while you are trying to get people to support you. While both of you claim to be Christian, how is it neither of you have remembered this commandment?

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Yet this both of you have done against Senator Obama. You say he "pals around with terrorists" but if that was the truth, he would be in jail since it is illegal to be a "terrorists" and there are many held in prison who have been accused of being terrorists without anyone ever putting them on trial and proving the case against them. Where is the evidence that Senator Obama has ever had more than a casual relationship with someone who has turned his life around and is respected in Chicago? Redemption is also in the Bible in case you have forgotten that as well.


Both of you have allowed your supporters to make false claims against Senator Obama saying that he is a "Muslim" even though he is a Christian but in the next breath you attack the pastor from his church, which is a Christian Church. Not that a Muslim would not be able to be President of this nation because there is no "faith" clause in the Constitution nor is there any law in this nation preventing anyone of any faith from obtaining office.


Senator McCain, you claim you know how to fix the economy, yet provide no evidence while millions of Americans are suffering.

You claim you know how to capture Osama yet provide no evidence and have not shared your plan to capture him 7 years after he attacked and thousands of soldier have died trying. There are more who are still dying today.


Now you are trying to make something out of a dinner that Obama attended for the same man you thought was worth receiving money?

Khalidi is a professor of Middle East Studies at Columbia University and a longtime friend of Obama's. Khalidi has publicly criticized Israel, but he and Obama have both said they hold very different opinions on Israeli issues.
McCain also has ties to Khalidi through a group Khalidi helped found 15 years ago. The Center for Palestine Research and Studies received at least $448,000 from an organization McCain chairs.

http://news.aol.com/elections/article/los-angeles-
times-obama-khalidi-tape/230765?icid=200100397x1212447352x1200793185

This is something that not many Americans would have known about you, but while trying to say that Obama again has done something he has not done, you raised the issue against yourself.

You claim to support veterans but your votes have been against veterans. Again, where is the evidence? kc

Veterans do not owe McCain anything

I've read a lot of blog posts and letters to the editor from newspapers across this nation. The oddest thing crops up when veterans are saying why they support John McCain. It's because, as they put it, "he's one of us" but that is a false claim when you think about it. The veterans supporting McCain, I doubt they used the same logic when it came to John Kerry running against Bush. Back then, they said it was because of what he did after Vietnam, protesting the war, that made them feel betrayed. It didn't seem to enter into their minds that Kerry had been a big supporter of veterans issues all the time he was in the Senate. They would not forgive him. The problem is they are not thinking about what McCain did after Vietnam either.

McCain was not a hero any more than any other Vietnam veteran. If you doubt that then read the acts of heroism that earned many the Bronze Star for Valor, the Silver Star and the Medal of Honor. When he came home he was afforded the distinction earned as a POW, but there were hundreds more who returned from being a POW as well. McCain's record on voting on veterans issues has been a disgrace but the veterans supporting him never bother to notice that he is not supporting them. His record is not something that has been discussed while he's been interviewed enough and when it is, he says, he has without being challenged. The record is what it is. His votes speak from his heart and his heart is not with the veterans.

How can it be that the veterans say today they feel they owe McCain their support as a veteran but didn't use the same logic with Kerry? Most of the people writing the posts I read were the first to come out against Kerry. Doesn't it matter to them if a veteran supports them or not? Doesn't it matter to them that when McCain actually had the chances to prove if he supports them or not, he failed the test? If these veteran did not automatically support Kerry as one of them then their excuse for supporting McCain now does not hold up to common sense. I really believe that they don't care if McCain is a veteran or not as much as they support him because he's a Republican and Kerry is a Democrat. It's a very sad statement to make because it is not the Republican Party supporting the veterans.

History has shown it's been the Democrats. All the changes to make the lives better for veterans serving in Iraq and Afghanistan have happened after 2007 when the Democrats took back control over the House and a tiny bit of control over the Senate. If you don't believe me, look it up for yourself. Know who voted with veterans and who turned their backs on veterans. kc

Children beg for aid as Pakistan's quake survivors shiver in mountain cold

Children beg for aid as Pakistan's quake survivors shiver in mountain cold
By ASHRAF KHAN | Associated Press Writer
12:47 PM EDT, October 30, 2008

WAM, Pakistan (AP) _ Children begged for food from trucks passing through Pakistan's quake zone Thursday as the death toll rose to 215 and survivors prepared for another frigid night camped out amid wrecked mountain villages.

Provincial government minister Zamrak Khan said 215 people died and hospitals were still treating dozens of people who were seriously injured in the 6.4-magnitude quake that struck before dawn Wednesday.

Soldiers and foreign aid groups distributed blankets, warm clothes and tents, in Baluchistan province, near the Afghan border, but many among the estimated 15,000 homeless complained of receiving little help.

"The earthquake destroyed our houses, but now the government's slow response is killing us," said Moosa Kaleem, sitting with his wife and four children in the town of Ziarat. "We cannot spend another night in this chilling weather, especially the kids."
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3 More Charged In Homeless Milwaukee Man's Killing

3 More Charged In Homeless Milwaukee Man's Killing
Man Found On Trail

UPDATED: 10:25 pm CDT October 29, 2008
MILWAUKEE -- Three more people, two from Milwaukee and one from Okauchee, are facing murder charges in the killing of a homeless man on a trail near the Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Milwaukee.

According to criminal complaints, the killing happened early last Thursday after a group of people went to the tent where Kelly Graf, 29, was sleeping to confront him about naked pictures of a girl that he had been showing on his cell phone.

The complaint quotes witnesses as saying they took Graf from the tent, beat him and took him to the trail where Matthew McAfee, 26, shot him in the head and cut his throat.

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http://www.channel3000.com/news/17840085/detail.html

Veterans and Military Families for Progress Endorses Barack Obama

Veterans and Military Families for Progress Endorses Barack Obama ...
MarketWatch - USA
WASHINGTON, Oct 29, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire via COMTEX/ -- By vote of the Board of Directors, Veterans and Military Families for Progress ( http://www.vmfp.org/) proudly endorses Senator Barack Obama in the upcoming United States presidential election. Founded in 2005, VMFP is dedicated to ensuring that the rights and needs of veterans, those currently serving (including national guard and reservists), and their families are understood by the American public, endorsed by our elected officials, and protected by legislation, regulation, and public policy initiatives.

As the grandson of a veteran of World War II, his appreciation of veterans' issues is underscored not by words but by actions. He serves on the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, has shown leadership by introducing several non-partisan bills, some of which have been enacted into law, for the benefit of veterans. He shares the values of our military forces, and fights to ensure our forces are well-rested and properly equipped. Of particular interest to VMFP, Senator Obama shows superior support for veterans' "coming home" issues such as accessible physical and mental health care, expanded educational benefits and job opportunities, and reduction of homelessness and suicide within the ranks of America's veterans.

From his days as head of Harvard's Law Review to the moment he entered the Senate, Obama's leadership to our country has been recognized. His superior commitment to the issues that are critical to veterans, those serving, and their families is unsurpassed by other candidates in this election. His public support for full funding of the Veterans Administration and his declared determination to provide for the establishment of a national veterans and military family policy give veterans and their families hope -- hope that at long last a president will support veterans in such a way as to honor the sacred trust of those who have served and sacrificed.
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