Group Says Missing Marine 'Has Post-Traumatic Stress'
KRDO - Colorado Springs,CO,USA
BOULDER - An anti-war group says a Boulder Iraq veteran accused of deserting from the Marines two years ago is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Lance Hering was arrested Nov. 16 in Port Angeles, Wash., on charges of desertion and contempt of court.
He disappeared in August 2006 after a staged climbing accident.
Military Families Speak Out, an organization of military families against the Iraq war, said Tuesday Hering is "dealing with the consequences of choices he made in the grips of PTSD."
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Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Fighting a Parallel War in Iraq, Private Contractors Are Officially Invisible
While we think we know what's going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, we really don't know very much. We know even less when it comes to the contractors and other civilians there. They come home wounded, often having to fight for their wounds to be taken care of through Workman's Comp, expecting the company they were employed by to do the right thing, but all too often, that doesn't happen. They die there and we don't know how many have been killed or died there. This may help to understand when it comes to the two occupations, we know hardly nothing. It would be great if the media would report on some of the contractors coming back and being abandoned by their employers but since very few reporters have bothered to report on the military, that is not very likely to happen.
Soldier of Misfortune
Fighting a Parallel War in Iraq, Private Contractors Are Officially Invisible -- Even in Death
By Steve Fainaru
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, December 1, 2008; Page C01
Adapted from "Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq" (Da Capo Press, 2008)
As US Airways Flight 1860 eased into Gate 4 at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the pilot's voice came over the intercom: "Can I please have your attention? We are carrying with us tonight the remains of a fallen American in Iraq. Please remain seated for the movement of the remains and for the American escorts to deplane."
The cabin fell silent. No one moved as the two men seated in the first row rose to gather their belongings. They were the white-gloved master sergeant who had accompanied Jonathon Coté's body from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware and the American drug enforcement agent who, after a 16-month search, had recovered the headless corpse in southern Iraq.
The two men were led down to the tarmac, and the master sergeant climbed up into the belly of the plane. He draped an American flag over the silver casket and made sure that Coté's body was placed feet-first on the conveyor belt.
There was a light drizzle, the temperature at 40 degrees. A bitter wind blew off Lake Erie, snapping a half-dozen flags held by members of the Patriot Guard Riders of New York, a biker group that supports the families of fallen Americans. Police flashers and a Buffalo TV crew's equipment threw light and shadows over the plane. From the ground you could see the passengers, still frozen in their seats in the lighted cabin, and the baggage handlers, waiting off to the side in fluorescent orange vests and knitted caps.
I stood with Jon's family beneath the wing, buffeted by the freezing wind. Five men and one woman from New York's 107th Air National Guard lifted the casket from the belt and slowly marched it across the tarmac to an idling hearse.
Anyone watching might have thought they were witnessing the somber homecoming of an American hero killed in Iraq. That was technically true: Jonathon Coté had fought in the U.S. Army. He was killed in Iraq.
But it was far more complicated than that.
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linked from
http://icasualties.org/oif/
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Brenden Foster's selfless act empowers cancer patient
When Brenden Foster lived long enough to see the start of his last wish coming true, he had no idea how far this would have gone so fast. Now, he's making a difference for children and a cancer patient who has been earning his own angel wings. Then add in this big hearted man's tumor is now shrinking. Talk about a Christmas miracle~!
Brenden Foster empowers cancer patient
Watch the story
Every year Karr holds a holiday bash for the kids at his farm appropriately named the Farm Ministries. But this year, he considered calling off his annual holiday party for the first time and for good reason. "Nobody knew if I'd still be alive," he said
SNOHOMISH, Wash. -- A beloved angel has come to the aid of hundreds of homeless children who nearly had to skip Christmas this year.
For countless holiday seasons the homeless kids have warmed the heart of youth minister Bruce Karr.
"For the first time in their lives they came to a place that accepted them just the way they were," he said.
Every year Karr holds a holiday bash for the kids at his farm appropriately named the Farm Ministries. But this year, he considered calling off his annual holiday party for the first time and for good reason.
"Nobody knew if I'd still be alive," he said.
A tumor had eaten away at Karr's spine. Chemo wiped out his energy and bank account. Sick and worn by cancer, Karr gave up on the annual celebration, the street kids and his passion.
That is until he heard about Brenden Foster's dying wish to help the homeless.
"I'll never forget that how I thought I was tough compassionate and he made me look so wimpy," he said.
So the Christmas party is back on, but with very little money and time left.
"We've got the stockings covered, dinner covered. I don't think we have enough presents," said Vicki Karr of Farm Ministries.
But the party will go on however it can. Come Sunday hundreds of homeless kids bussed in from three counties will gather for a party.They'll be greeted by hundreds of people in Santa hats, applauding their entry.
"This whole place will be full of children," said Vicki.
The Karrs are hoping for a miracle on 92nd Street.
And things are already looking up. Test results Bruce received on Monday showed his tumor is shrinking.
They're now hoping the party, in turn, will grow before Sunday. To help buy toys for the Farm Ministry, call 425-238-0200.
To help, click on above link and watch the video on KOMO.
Giants put Burress on non-football injury list, ending his season
He had a really bad night. First he shoots himself and no one notices, then he ends up arrested for an illegal gun and now, he's suspended.
SI: Giants end season of player who shot self
Giants put Burress on non-football injury list, ending his season
Story Highlights
Plaxico Burress reported to Giants Stadium today as mandated
Burress shot himself in the thigh at a Manhattan nightclub
Police have charged Burress with illegal gun possession
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress is done for the year.
The New York Giants fined and suspended Burress on Tuesday for four games -- the rest of the regular season -- after he accidentally shot himself in the right thigh over the weekend at a Manhattan nightclub. The team also placed him on the reserve non-football injury list, which means the wide receiver couldn't come back for playoffs, either.
The team punished Burress a day after he was charged with illegal weapons possession, which carries a penalty of 31/2 to 15 years in prison if he's convicted. Burress is due back in court again on March 31, unless he reaches a plea agreement.
Burress arrived Tuesday morning at Giants Stadium, and met individually with Giants president John Mara, general manager Jerry Reese and coach Tom Coughlin. He left for a medical test and returned in the afternoon for another brief session with team officials.
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PTSD:Resilience, recovery, reintegration and Shakespeare
"Lamentable neglect" is a great choice of words to use. It's not as if they didn't know what would come. Reminds me of a movie I watched,
William Halloway and Jim Nightshade tried to warn the people of Green Town about this but no one would listen. As the townspeople began to change, they tried even harder to get the adults to pay attention.
The "Cooger" in this case is the administration and they were oblivious with deadly results. The "Dark" in this case is the darkness the men and women of the armed forces were forced to be vanquished to in an unending nightmare game of "catch me if you can" while they fell thru the cracks instead of being helped.
When lip service and programs slapped together like using the cartoon of The Epic Of Gilgamesh to address PTSD was followed by BattleMind, another program that clearly didn't work because the rate of attempted suicides went up along with successful suicides, time was wasted, veterans were betrayed by insulting them with half-baked amateur productions passed off as brilliant. Just for an example, this was posted on my other blog before I started this one.
While I was one of the first bloggers to pick up on it after Larry Scott posted it, if you go looking for it now, my post is buried under the list of "experts" I never heard of. Anyway, it gives you some idea of what they were doing instead of investing in the time, finding the right talent and getting it right. But then again you'd also have to forget people like Sally Satel were advising Bush on mental health care and she was one of the "foremost experts" on how PTSD was a false illness used by frauds out for a free ride and trying to suck off the system.
At least now they appear to be serious. What it took to get this far were people finally thinking outside of the box they were given. All this time lost though while people like me were treated like Jim and William by the people of Green Town. It's really too bad no one listened to them or us when a lot of suffering could have been avoided.
At least this time they're using quotes from Shakespeare. By the information in this article, Brig. General Loree K. Sutton has her act together and just may be able to prevent something even more wicked from happening. We've lost too much time and lives already. I have to rank this one as hopeful.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel) - Wikipedia, the fre...Later I read the book. There were warnings about PTSD, or to put it properly, the tsunami alarm was screeching coast to coast but the Bush administration had their fingers stuck in their ears afraid to look at what they had created with taking on two military campaigns. As the experts began to speak out the claim of the quick conclusions was dripping thru the media channels and it became clear no matter what facts had been known from the history of both nations, no one thought to acknowledge any of it.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1962 novel by Ray Bradbury. It is about two thirteen-year-old boys, Jim Nightshade and William Halloway
William Halloway and Jim Nightshade tried to warn the people of Green Town about this but no one would listen. As the townspeople began to change, they tried even harder to get the adults to pay attention.
"Cooger and Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show," a traveling carnival with many wonders and delights
The "Cooger" in this case is the administration and they were oblivious with deadly results. The "Dark" in this case is the darkness the men and women of the armed forces were forced to be vanquished to in an unending nightmare game of "catch me if you can" while they fell thru the cracks instead of being helped.
When lip service and programs slapped together like using the cartoon of The Epic Of Gilgamesh to address PTSD was followed by BattleMind, another program that clearly didn't work because the rate of attempted suicides went up along with successful suicides, time was wasted, veterans were betrayed by insulting them with half-baked amateur productions passed off as brilliant. Just for an example, this was posted on my other blog before I started this one.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
VA AND DoD USING CARTOON VIDEOS
http://www.vawatchdog.org/
VA AND DoD USING CARTOON VIDEOS AS TEACHING TOOLS FOR EMPLOYEES
(12-30-06)The "Epic of Gilgamesh" cartoons used to teach Clinical Practice Guidelines for Post-Deployment Health Evaluation and Management.
Larry Scott of VAWatchdog.org just did it again. He never fails to shock me. This is just one more of the incredible reports he finds. The VA are up to their old ticks of offering cartoons instead of help.
I really wonder how much they paid to have this three part cartoon made.
One of the biggest things I noticed was when the "Doctor" suggested what to do while he was still trying to find a reason was for the "veteran" to get exercise and change their lifestyle. What is done to the veteran in the process is without a diagnosis by the VA along with a disability rating, the veteran is "non-service connected" for the disability and as such they are not treated for free for the wound they received from combat. Congress passed the rule change which allows the VA to bill for treatment for any veteran without their rating and a recognized service connected disability. In other words, until the VA puts a label on a veteran, it doesn't matter to them where the wound came from. They could be sitting in a wheel chair without the legs that got blown off in Iraq and all the VA will see is the service connected disability rating in the system. No rating, they pay. Nice isn't it?
Then when you take a veteran discharged a year or so before showing up complaining of the symptoms of PTSD and they will make them pay for the treatment unless the VA finally gives the determination of a service connected condition.Go watch the videos and then email your congressmen the link. Let them see what the VA is doing with the money they don't have to spend on our veterans. After all it is a new congress coming in now. The one who funded this kind of crap were voted out!
While I was one of the first bloggers to pick up on it after Larry Scott posted it, if you go looking for it now, my post is buried under the list of "experts" I never heard of. Anyway, it gives you some idea of what they were doing instead of investing in the time, finding the right talent and getting it right. But then again you'd also have to forget people like Sally Satel were advising Bush on mental health care and she was one of the "foremost experts" on how PTSD was a false illness used by frauds out for a free ride and trying to suck off the system.
At least now they appear to be serious. What it took to get this far were people finally thinking outside of the box they were given. All this time lost though while people like me were treated like Jim and William by the people of Green Town. It's really too bad no one listened to them or us when a lot of suffering could have been avoided.
At least this time they're using quotes from Shakespeare. By the information in this article, Brig. General Loree K. Sutton has her act together and just may be able to prevent something even more wicked from happening. We've lost too much time and lives already. I have to rank this one as hopeful.
Marching toward wellness
Ann Geracimos THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The military finally is getting ahead in the head business - tackling the psychological health and traumatic brain injuries of soldiers and their families in a comprehensive way.
It's happening at the moment under the leadership of an energetic, Shakespeare-quoting Army psychiatrist, Brigadier Gen. Loree K. Sutton.
Gen. Sutton holds a medical degree from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, Calif. She completed her internship and residency in psychiatry at Letterman Army Medical Center in San Francisco.
Gen. Sutton, 49, is director of the year-old Defense Centers of Excellence (DCoE), an arm of the Department of Defense dealing with health matters. The concept is to find the means of caring for troops and their leaders before, as well as after, service members and their relations suffer the debilitating effects of trauma.
The game plan focuses on building up what is being called "resilience" among the military's many warrior volunteers as well as providing more and better treatment options for visible and invisible injuries of this type in a totally integrated program for recovery and reintegration. Gen. Sutton describes it as a network "like the Internet - a collaborative global network" functioning in a partnership, which is expected to take four years to put fully in place.
The plan, and its three R's - resilience, recovery, reintegration - had a big workout at a recent three-day DCoE symposium, titled Warrior Resilience Conference: Partnering With the Line and attended mainly by service members involved in health matters. Billed as the first of its kind, the event at the Fairfax Marriott at Fair Oaks typified what the organization sees as its mandate: promoting a shift of emphasis in the military away from what is known, in jargon terms, as an "illness-based medical model" toward a "wellness-centric resilience continuum."
The latter phrase is a mouthful, with good reason, covering as it does a range of approaches that almost directly counter traditional military culture and practices.
"It's ironic how the military trains us to overcome discomfort but not how to deal with invisible injuries," Gen. Sutton notes. "As soldiers, we keep a lid on our feelings while we do our job. But nobody tells us when to take the lid off or how to deal with it when we do."
At some point, too, she feels compelled to quote Hamlet on his deathbed, addressing his friend Horatio: "If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, absent thee from felicity awhile and enter my harsh world and draw my breath in pain to tell my story." This is Gen. Sutton's way of emphasizing the necessity of bringing soldier-warriors' stories to light.
Such a shift acknowledges what has been lamentable neglect and often superficial understanding of the wounds of war that have proved to be different in different eras. Some degree of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is known to affect hundreds of thousands of today's military serving overseas, along with the mental and physical impacts felt by the prevalence of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
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New homeless: families in bind
New homeless: families in bind
By Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG — Ethan Hite sits on the twin bed he shares with his 2-year-old brother and cuts coupons for PlayStation games.
"Can I have these two games for Christmas?" the 7-year-old calls to his mother. "This one is $10 and this one is $7."
Mary Hite, her husband and their three children live in an efficiency apartment in a homeless shelter. Neither parent has a full-time job.
But Mary Hite doesn't tell her oldest any of that. She tucks the coupons into her pocket and embraces him.
The Hites are among the Tampa Bay area's fastest-growing homeless population: parents and children.
Area shelter directors, homeless advocates, government officials and child welfare agencies say the rising unemployment rate, the sluggish housing market and the spiraling economy have forced an unprecedented number of families out of their homes.
And these officials aren't sure what to do about it. Limited social service funding, a dearth of affordable housing and a homeless assistance system designed for single men — the largest homeless demographic — make catering to families difficult.
"It has emerged as the next crisis in terms of housing," Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch said.
Numbers are hard to come by, but the overwhelming anecdotal evidence has pushed advocates for the homeless into action.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article922647.ece
By Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG — Ethan Hite sits on the twin bed he shares with his 2-year-old brother and cuts coupons for PlayStation games.
"Can I have these two games for Christmas?" the 7-year-old calls to his mother. "This one is $10 and this one is $7."
Mary Hite, her husband and their three children live in an efficiency apartment in a homeless shelter. Neither parent has a full-time job.
But Mary Hite doesn't tell her oldest any of that. She tucks the coupons into her pocket and embraces him.
The Hites are among the Tampa Bay area's fastest-growing homeless population: parents and children.
Area shelter directors, homeless advocates, government officials and child welfare agencies say the rising unemployment rate, the sluggish housing market and the spiraling economy have forced an unprecedented number of families out of their homes.
And these officials aren't sure what to do about it. Limited social service funding, a dearth of affordable housing and a homeless assistance system designed for single men — the largest homeless demographic — make catering to families difficult.
"It has emerged as the next crisis in terms of housing," Pinellas County Commissioner Ken Welch said.
Numbers are hard to come by, but the overwhelming anecdotal evidence has pushed advocates for the homeless into action.
go here for more
http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article922647.ece
Military Spouse, do you want to save your marriage?
by Chaplain Kathie
Well do you? When my generation was welcoming home the veterans of Vietnam, we had an excuse. No one knew what PTSD was. No one had the opportunity to find the information you now have available. We didn't know what caused the roller-coaster ride of emotions, angry outbursts, sudden silence, flashbacks, nightmares, paranoia, "patrolling the perimeter" checking all the doors and windows in a nightly ritual, jumping out of their skin with the sound of something dropping or freak out with fireworks. Never mind what the sound of a helicopter did. We had an excuse to walk away from our marriages because of all that and the self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. After all, we're just as human as everyone else and we want a happy life with the person we fell in love with. When they come home with PTSD it's like looking into the eyes of a stranger.
The problem is, with this generation it's not lack of resources, it's lack of will. Let me tell you something. I've been doing this for 26 years and I would have given anything to have the kind of information all of you have now. I had to hunt for it before there were computers in every home and my butt still hurts from the library seats. I didn't have people from all over the country reaching back to me and offering support. You all have it and much more than I ever dreamt of but do you use it? Do you attend any of the presentations about PTSD, join the groups or research it? No. I can't count how many times I've heard "I have enough to worry about" because you don't want to think about what they can come home with. That leaves you totally unprepared to save your marriage, help your spouse and your kids adapt to what could have become what I have. I have a marriage that has lasted 24 years for several reasons. First, I adored my husband when PTSD was mild. He was my best friend. The bond was there when he got worse. I knew what PTSD was and that gave me what I needed to get up one day after another ready to make it from one second to the other. I also had a tremendous amount of faith and was able to hang onto hope and be able to keep forgiving instead of hanging onto the pain.
If you still don't want to know what PTSD is and what you can do to keep your marriage together, then you don't deserve them. If you can walk away without doing everything you can to understand them and help them, then you shouldn't have gotten married in the first place. Then you can face your kids and tell them that their other parent changed because they got sick and you turned your back on them "because they were too hard to live with" and explain to them why it was that you raised your kids when they were hard to live with but didn't walk away from them.
Now, I'm not saying that every marriage can be saved and frankly there are some that are beyond help. There have been some very dangerous situations when they come home and they are a danger to others. In those cases, there is the need to be safe first. I still want those families to know what PTSD is so they can explain it to their children and help them understand it had nothing to do with them. Help them find compassion and forgiveness for their sake. It will also help you to forgive yourself because you will know it wasn't your fault either.
If you love them then invest the time in understanding them. Avoiding the knowledge leads to very unhappy endings.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
International Fellowship of Chaplains
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
www.youtube.com/NamGuardianAngel
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Divorces rise among military couples
USA Today - USA
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY
WASHINGTON — Enlisted soldiers and Marines divorced their spouses at a higher rate in fiscal 2008 than at any time in at least 16 years, according to Pentagon data released Tuesday.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has warned that stress among military families remains intense after years of multiple combat deployments and lengthy separations.
Many soldiers saw their combat tours extended to 15 months in 2008; many of them returned for only about a year at home before facing another deployment. The strain has also been reflected in a record number of suicides in the Army, which military doctors blame largely on relationships damaged by lengthy deployments.
Mental health problems, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, are also occurring in greater numbers, according to Pentagon data. Army and Marine forces have been involved in more combat in Iraq and Afghanistan than other services branches.
About 4% of married enlisted troops in both the Army and Marines, or 8,842 GIs and 2,842 Marines, obtained divorces during fiscal 2008, the numbers show.
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'Idealist' tried to halt Saddam's Kurdish slaughter
When President Bush sent the troops into Iraq, first it was because of our security. Then some of the people on the right pointed out how Saddam killed the Kurds, as if it had just happened. It was the talking point of the time when the WMD claim fell flat on the face of the all involved. The truth was, when it came to a choice between people and business, business won and people died.
After the Gulf War, President Bush (41) was blamed for telling the Kurds to rise up against Saddam and they would have the backing of the America. We didn't help them at all. The only thing that was done was the establishment of the no-fly zone under the UN sanctions. By then it was too late for hundreds of Kurds.
What really gets me in all of this is that when the Kurdish north was being bombed by Turkey and Iran because of the new freedom the Kurds had, the media never really covered any of it.
Well, now can know the rest of the story if you haven't read any of the history of what went on in Iraq.
After the Gulf War, President Bush (41) was blamed for telling the Kurds to rise up against Saddam and they would have the backing of the America. We didn't help them at all. The only thing that was done was the establishment of the no-fly zone under the UN sanctions. By then it was too late for hundreds of Kurds.
What really gets me in all of this is that when the Kurdish north was being bombed by Turkey and Iran because of the new freedom the Kurds had, the media never really covered any of it.
Well, now can know the rest of the story if you haven't read any of the history of what went on in Iraq.
'Idealist' tried to halt Saddam's Kurdish slaughter
Scream Bloody Murder
Christiane Amanpour introduces you to the courageous few who saw evil and tried to stop the killing.December 4, 9 p.m. ET
see full schedule »
Story Highlights
Years before the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was slaughtering Iraq's Kurds
Peter Galbraith was one of the first Westerners to see the effects of the killing
A Senate staffer at the time, he tried to invoke the U.N. Genocide Convention
The House killed his sanctions bill with backing from the Reagan White House
By Andy Segal
CNN Senior Producer
(CNN) -- Years before the first Gulf War, Saddam Hussein was slaughtering Iraq's Kurds with bombs, bullets and gas
The Reagan White House saw it as a ruthless attempt to put down a rebellion by a minority ethnic group fighting for independence and allied with Iraq's enemy, Iran.
But Peter Galbraith thought it was something worse.
"A light went off in my head, and I said, 'Saddam Hussein is committing genocide,'" said Galbraith, who was on the staff of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at the time.
An unabashed idealist, Galbraith was known for tackling unconventional issues.
"If you're going to be idealistic in life, you're going to be disappointed," he said. "But that's not a reason to abandon idealism."
Galbraith was one of the first Westerners to witness the effects of the slaughter. During a fact-finding trip for the Senate in 1987, he saw something troubling.
"When we crossed from the Arab part of Iraq into the Kurdish part of Iraq, the villages and towns that showed on our maps just weren't there," he said. Bulldozing Kurdish villages was just the first phase of Hussein's war against the Kurds. In 1988, it escalated with chemical weapons.
"Thousands, maybe tens of thousands of people were killed in those attacks, and then Iraqi troops moved into those villages and gunned down the survivors."
Galbraith wanted to invoke the U.N.'s Genocide Convention, which requires countries to prevent and punish such crimes.
"We could not stand aside and allow Saddam Hussein to commit genocide against the Kurds of Iraq."
With the support of his boss, Democratic Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, Galbraith drafted a bill -- the Prevention of Genocide Act -- that would cut off U.S. foreign aid to Iraq and impose a trade embargo.
"That would have been an appropriate response to a dictator who is gassing his own people," Galbraith said. "I thought with a name like that it would garner a lot of support."
But the compelling name was not enough. So Galbraith went back to the region to gather more evidence.
Tens of thousands of Kurds had fled to Turkey. Survivors described blinding, burning clouds of poison gas that dropped people in their tracks.
"These people don't make up these stories. These are real stories. And if you talk to them, if you simply talk to them ... you know that they're telling the truth," Galbraith said.
His report was still not enough to persuade the White House to punish Saddam.
The Reagan administration had invested several years cultivating Iraq as an ally against Iran, their mutual enemy, and as a market for U.S. products, including more than $1 billion a year in farm exports.
The Prevention of Genocide Act would end the diplomatic courtship and hurt U.S businesses.
Read once-secret documents from the Reagan administration
go here to read more
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/11/20/sbm.iraq.galbraith/index.html
Sgt. Evan Minnear, back from Iraq, killed here trying to stop gunman
When I talk about how heroes are not made, they are born, Sgt. Minnear is an example of that. The men and women serving, for the most part aside from rare few, were born to do what they do. Serve the nation. We see this when you read about how some of the fallen were when they were young. You read it in the stories of what they did when they came home as members of the National Guard and Reservists retuning to their civilian jobs, usually on police forces, as firefighters, doctors, nurses along with others never failing to show what is in their core.
Minnear died at the hands of the enemy but in this case the accused is another American. People who make a choice to commit evil acts are the enemy to those who want to help others. The huge difference is that the people who want to help, wish the others no harm but will do what it takes to stop them. Too often that comes with the price of their own lives.
Just-released felon arrested in death of MP
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Dec 2, 2008 15:56:26 EST
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An Army military police officer survived 15 months in Iraq, but it was the Anchorage streets that claimed his life.
Authorities say Army Sgt. Evan Minnear died at the hands of a convicted felon who had been out of jail 16 days and was not supposed to be carrying a firearm.
They believe 26-year-old Vongdeuane Vongthongdy killed Minnear outside the Woodshed Lounge in downtown Anchorage on Sunday.
Vongthongdy was already on probation for the felony assault with a weapon during the shooting.
But police said that day, he stood outside the bar brandishing a semiautomatic weapon and fired the gun into the air. Police said witnesses told them how Minnear was simply trying to instill calm and implore Vongthongdy to stay in the area until police arrived.
Instead the 24-year-old Minnear was shot in the upper torso and died several hours after being rushed to a local hospital.
A surveillance camera posted in the captured some of what happened around 1 a.m. Sunday morning.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/ap_richardson_death_120208/
ABC reporter Peter Lloyd faces jail in Singapore with PTSD
Lloyd faces jail in Singapore
By Greg Jennett in Singapore
Posted Tue Dec 2, 2008 6:21am AEDT
Updated Tue Dec 2, 2008 6:53am AEDT
In court today: Peter Lloyd (AAP: Joseph Nair)
ABC reporter Peter Lloyd is today set to go to jail for breaking Singapore's tough anti-drug laws.
The 42-year-old will face the Subordinate Courts, where he will plead guilty to some of the four drugs charges against him.
Lloyd was arrested in Mount Elizabeth Hospital in July and charged with trafficking, possessing and consuming methamphetamine, or "ice".
He was also charged with having utensils for using the drug and Ketamine, better known among party drug users as "Special K".
Singapore's Attorney-General has since dropped the most serious trafficking charge, which would have carried jail terms of between five and 20 years and five to 15 strokes of the cane.
In return, Lloyd will plead guilty to some of the remaining charges.
Under Singaporean law, sentencing Judge James Leong could give Lloyd up to 10 years jail.
But lawyers will lodge submissions for the punishment to be reduced.
The guilty plea, contrition and a recent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be among the arguments.
The former Delhi-based foreign correspondent told Fairfax newspapers in November that his exposure to mass casualties in the Bali bombings and the 2004 tsunami in Thailand had left him in a "zombie" state of depression.
He said he had an "instant sense of wellbeing" when he smoked "ice" for the first time at a party in Singapore in February.
go here for more
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/02/2434958.htm
By Greg Jennett in Singapore
Posted Tue Dec 2, 2008 6:21am AEDT
Updated Tue Dec 2, 2008 6:53am AEDT
In court today: Peter Lloyd (AAP: Joseph Nair)
ABC reporter Peter Lloyd is today set to go to jail for breaking Singapore's tough anti-drug laws.
The 42-year-old will face the Subordinate Courts, where he will plead guilty to some of the four drugs charges against him.
Lloyd was arrested in Mount Elizabeth Hospital in July and charged with trafficking, possessing and consuming methamphetamine, or "ice".
He was also charged with having utensils for using the drug and Ketamine, better known among party drug users as "Special K".
Singapore's Attorney-General has since dropped the most serious trafficking charge, which would have carried jail terms of between five and 20 years and five to 15 strokes of the cane.
In return, Lloyd will plead guilty to some of the remaining charges.
Under Singaporean law, sentencing Judge James Leong could give Lloyd up to 10 years jail.
But lawyers will lodge submissions for the punishment to be reduced.
The guilty plea, contrition and a recent diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be among the arguments.
The former Delhi-based foreign correspondent told Fairfax newspapers in November that his exposure to mass casualties in the Bali bombings and the 2004 tsunami in Thailand had left him in a "zombie" state of depression.
He said he had an "instant sense of wellbeing" when he smoked "ice" for the first time at a party in Singapore in February.
go here for more
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/02/2434958.htm
The Legacy Of Joshua Omvig
from www.namguardianangel.org
by Chaplain Kathie
The story of Joshua Omvig turned out to be one of hope. While his family grieved for the tragic death of their son, they turned that grief into action. Joshua was like so many not taken care of by the country when they needed us. They wanted to make sure that no other family would have to feel their pain without fighting to change what was wrong. They did just that. The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill was signed into law. Senator Tom Coburn was the only holdout. He too issue with the gun rule that would stop PTSD veterans from getting gun permits.
Statistics show the suicide method of choice is firearms. The problem with this is that there are a lot of PTSD veterans on police forces and other jobs that require firearms. There is also the problem this rule would prevent many veterans from seeking help if they thought they would have to surrender their guns.
There was a time when I thought it made more sense to keep the rule in until a friend of mine pointed this out. He has a gun and he has PTSD. If this rule was in place when he was diagnosed, he wouldn't have taken the chance of giving up his gun. The paranoia factor played into this as well. When a veteran has PTSD, part of it is "patrolling the perimeter" in a nightly ritual. They are constantly on guard duty. Taking away their guns would have caused more harm than helped the suicidal veteran. If they don't have guns, they use other things to commit suicide. What it would reduce is using them in domestic violence. There have been many cases where guns have been used but there are other cases when the spouse was killed by other means. The answer is not to take guns away but to treat the veterans with the therapy and medications they need to cope with it.
Here is the story of Joshua Omvig and what his parent did to help others.
Joshua Omvig
12/22/2005 JOSHUA OMVIG 22 GRUNDY CENTER, IA GUNSHOT Rep. Boswell, a Vietnam veteran, last month proposed a new suicide-prevention program for veterans. The “Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act,” H.R. 5771, now has 77 sponsors in Congress. It would set up a VA program to screen and monitor veterans for suicide risk factors. Nearly one of every five returning Iraq veterans reported a mental-health problem, according to an Army study published in March. And nearly one in 10 was diagnosed with Post-tramatic Stress Disorder.
Vets Step Up To Prevent Suicide
Toll Free Hot Line, Clinics Go Online
POSTED: 9:25 am CDT July 7, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Veterans Administration said it is taking new steps to help men and women who can't leave the battles behind.
It's a direct response to the number of soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and the number of suicides among America's veterans.
Iowa native Joshua Omvig was a soldier who served many months in Iraq. The battle never ended when he came home, his family said, and the 22-year-old took his own life. Omvig's parents said that the transition from war zone to home was too much. He didn't have enough time to decompress, and they said he suffered in silence.
Omvig's parents later discovered he had post-traumatic stress disorder, which they believe triggered by what he saw and experienced daily while at war.
Doctors said that coming home doesn't automatically shut off the images for veterans.
"The sheer terror of dying in situations no one in their rational mind could begin to explain," said Col. Richard Harper (Ret.).
Harper said he understands the personal fight Omvig and other veterans go through. He said that he suffers from PTSD, and as a decorated career military man, it wasn't easy to ask for help. He said it was too hard to admit weakness until he was overcome by depression and could no longer function at work.
"Very difficult to accept, because it wasn't who I was. It wasn't what I'd achieved," Harper said.
Since October, the Nebraska-Western Iowa Veteran Health Care System has diagnosed close to 5,000 veterans with PTSD. About 450 of those served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Since January, there have been four veterans in the Nebraska VA system who committed suicide and eight have attempted to take their lives. Those are only the ones reported to the VA.
"It doesn't matter what the numbers are, even if we have one in a calendar year, that's one too many," said David Tuttle, a suicide prevention coordinator.
Now the local VA said it is doing a number of things to try and reach veterans who need help but may be afraid to ask. Last year, the VA established a suicide hot line. If a veteran calls in crisis, there's immediate help and follow-up care.
click link above for more
by Chaplain Kathie
The story of Joshua Omvig turned out to be one of hope. While his family grieved for the tragic death of their son, they turned that grief into action. Joshua was like so many not taken care of by the country when they needed us. They wanted to make sure that no other family would have to feel their pain without fighting to change what was wrong. They did just that. The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill was signed into law. Senator Tom Coburn was the only holdout. He too issue with the gun rule that would stop PTSD veterans from getting gun permits.
Statistics show the suicide method of choice is firearms. The problem with this is that there are a lot of PTSD veterans on police forces and other jobs that require firearms. There is also the problem this rule would prevent many veterans from seeking help if they thought they would have to surrender their guns.
There was a time when I thought it made more sense to keep the rule in until a friend of mine pointed this out. He has a gun and he has PTSD. If this rule was in place when he was diagnosed, he wouldn't have taken the chance of giving up his gun. The paranoia factor played into this as well. When a veteran has PTSD, part of it is "patrolling the perimeter" in a nightly ritual. They are constantly on guard duty. Taking away their guns would have caused more harm than helped the suicidal veteran. If they don't have guns, they use other things to commit suicide. What it would reduce is using them in domestic violence. There have been many cases where guns have been used but there are other cases when the spouse was killed by other means. The answer is not to take guns away but to treat the veterans with the therapy and medications they need to cope with it.
Here is the story of Joshua Omvig and what his parent did to help others.
Joshua Omvig
12/22/2005 JOSHUA OMVIG 22 GRUNDY CENTER, IA GUNSHOT Rep. Boswell, a Vietnam veteran, last month proposed a new suicide-prevention program for veterans. The “Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act,” H.R. 5771, now has 77 sponsors in Congress. It would set up a VA program to screen and monitor veterans for suicide risk factors. Nearly one of every five returning Iraq veterans reported a mental-health problem, according to an Army study published in March. And nearly one in 10 was diagnosed with Post-tramatic Stress Disorder.
Joshua Omvig (1983 - 2005)
Jan 7, 2006 ... THE WAR AGAINST PTSD STARTS NOWTHE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD
Josh was a Proud American, an American Hero and a member of the United States Army Reserve 339th MP Company based in Davenport, Iowa. At six foot three, the impressiveness of his jet black hair, dark brown, almost black, eyes and long black eye lashes were matched only by his devilish charm and wit. Josh was everyone's friend whether he knew you or not. There were no strangers when he was in the room. He made everyone feel apart of the whole, and being the "clown" of the class made sure entertainment was never lacking either.
To say Josh was the typical "Kid Next Door" sounds odd but he really was JUST A GOOD KID. His whole life he wanted to work in public service and stayed focused on that dream of being a Police Officer for as long as I can remember. He always kept his nose clean knowing it was going to someday be important to his career. He loved to participate in sports, hang out with his friends, play video games and spend time with his family.
As an adult, Josh was a PROUD member of the Grundy Center American Lutheran Church, the Grundy Center Volunteer Fire Department, and the Grundy Center Police Reserves.
He insisted on graduating early from high school after joining the reserves to get his career started. So excited about his future, he wanted to get into basic training as fast as he could....He had wanted to serve and protect his country, and it's citizens. His dream of becoming a Police Officer was nearly here. The Army Reserves was his ticket to achieving that dream.
......then came 911, The War Against Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Iraq.
In November of 2004, Josh returned from an 11 month tour of duty in Iraq, fighting for his country and it's people in "Operation Iraqi Freedom."
While serving in Iraq, the conditions where unimaginable, and worse yet were the UNSPEAKABLE "jobs" and "duties" they had to do.
One truly can't understand unless they've been there, what these men and women face every single day. From the moment they set foot on foreign soil, they are in a combat zone every single second of every single day ...until they return home. Any moment could be their last moment... they know it... they have to... in order to survive.
The stories that come out of these war zones covered in the news are unimaginable to those of us safe in our homes. It's inconceivable, the damage that could be done to one's mind after seeing the mutilation an IED does to a human body, or what it would be like to retrieve the body parts of a friend to send home to their family for burial.
What must it be like to have to watch your back 24 hours a day, even while you sleep...to know any garbage bag on the side of the road could be a bomb...any child could be a decoy for an ambush....any woman who approaches you crying could be strapped with explosives...that giving a candy bar to a child could cost that child his arms as retrobution for accepting it.
THE STORIES JUST GO ON..AND ON...AND ON!
Josh loved his country, and was HONORED to defend her and the freedoms of it's people. He knew why he had to do the things he and others did, he was just never able to recover from having seen and done them.
He came home to us from Iraq with PTSD (POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER) and was never the same Josh again.
Josh's "DEBRIEFING" consisted of ONLY 15 minutes of "Welcome Home, Got any Problems? No? Great.. well, Let us know...See Ya"
AND IT'S HAPPENING TO OTHERS: Read the article -
"Navy acts to improve mental health screening for sailors"
THIS IS COMMON AMONG OUR RETURNING NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE UNITS!
THIS IS NOT EVEN THEIR PROTOCOL (rules) FOR DEBRIEFING!
What they are doing (OR NOT DOING) is killing our troops!
We knew Josh was having a hard time, but not in ANY way to the extent it REALLY was. We surely didn't know it had a name, or that it was an epidemic with our American Heroes in and returning from Iraq.
We knew there was such a thing as PTSD, but it just never "clicked" that THIS was what was happening to our Josh!..Josh was the clown, the one with the smile, the one who made others feel better. He hid the magnitude this disorder had on him very well. He suffered in silence like MOST of our soldiers with PTSD are doing.
On Thurs. Dec. 22, 2005, our Josh took his life after leaving a note explaining his torment.
Through the course of Josh's viewing and funeral ( attended by an overflow crowd of over 500 ), his family was made aware there were others suffering from the same disorder, in silence, like Josh had...LOTS OF THEM
While sitting in the Emergency Room for ONE HOUR with their dead son's body, being asked and explained about ORGAN DONATION, the nurse got off the phone with University Hospital in Iowa City and told Josh's parents that despite Josh's request to have his organs donated, "OH, I'M SORRY... WE FORGOT THAT HE CAN'T DONATE ORGANS BECAUSE HE WAS IN THE MID EAST... HE HAS A VIRUS."
When asked "WHAT Virus?", they were 'put off' and never responded to.
When BEGGED by Josh's parents to TEST him to SEE if he had a VIRUS "just in case he COULD DONATE".. They just said, "WE WON'T CHECK THE BODIES, EVERYBODY FROM THE MID EAST HAS GOT IT" "..it's a blanket policy!"
Vets Step Up To Prevent Suicide
Toll Free Hot Line, Clinics Go Online
POSTED: 9:25 am CDT July 7, 2008
OMAHA, Neb. -- The Veterans Administration said it is taking new steps to help men and women who can't leave the battles behind.
It's a direct response to the number of soldiers suffering post-traumatic stress disorder and the number of suicides among America's veterans.
Iowa native Joshua Omvig was a soldier who served many months in Iraq. The battle never ended when he came home, his family said, and the 22-year-old took his own life. Omvig's parents said that the transition from war zone to home was too much. He didn't have enough time to decompress, and they said he suffered in silence.
Omvig's parents later discovered he had post-traumatic stress disorder, which they believe triggered by what he saw and experienced daily while at war.
Doctors said that coming home doesn't automatically shut off the images for veterans.
"The sheer terror of dying in situations no one in their rational mind could begin to explain," said Col. Richard Harper (Ret.).
Harper said he understands the personal fight Omvig and other veterans go through. He said that he suffers from PTSD, and as a decorated career military man, it wasn't easy to ask for help. He said it was too hard to admit weakness until he was overcome by depression and could no longer function at work.
"Very difficult to accept, because it wasn't who I was. It wasn't what I'd achieved," Harper said.
Since October, the Nebraska-Western Iowa Veteran Health Care System has diagnosed close to 5,000 veterans with PTSD. About 450 of those served in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Since January, there have been four veterans in the Nebraska VA system who committed suicide and eight have attempted to take their lives. Those are only the ones reported to the VA.
"It doesn't matter what the numbers are, even if we have one in a calendar year, that's one too many," said David Tuttle, a suicide prevention coordinator.
Now the local VA said it is doing a number of things to try and reach veterans who need help but may be afraid to ask. Last year, the VA established a suicide hot line. If a veteran calls in crisis, there's immediate help and follow-up care.
click link above for more
US official urges mental health changesRandall Omvig testifies about his son Joshua's suicide during an appearance before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in April 2007. Veterans' groups and families who have lost loved ones say not enough help is being provided by the Pentagon for troops struggling with mental health issues.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon's top health official said Thursday he wants to see better mental health assessments, stronger privacy protections and a "buddy system" to change the military's stigma against seeking help for anxiety and depression.
Speaking to Congress as the military rushes to improve its much-criticized mental health system, S. Ward Casscells, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, also acknowledged that the Army's touted plans to hire 25% additional mental health specialists may prove hard to fulfill for awhile because of problems in recruiting and retaining active-duty professionals.
"It's not easy to get people into the military," said Casscells, referring to plans by Army Surgeon Gen. Gail Pollock. "We cannot hire 200 Army psychiatrists, which Gen. Pollock wants to do, we can't do that overnight. So we need everyone to reach out and look out for service members."
"It might mean if your buddy in combat is staring off into space and not laughing anymore at the dumb jokes, maybe it's a sign they might need to go back to base, get three hot meals and to talk to someone confidentially," he added. "I don't expect we will have a perfect solution."
Casscells' comments came as the Pentagon and Congress are reviewing 95 recommendations made last month by a task force chaired by Navy Surgeon General Donald Arthur. Issuing an urgent warning, the panel found that more than one-third of troops and veterans currently suffer from problems such as traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder and urged stronger leadership, more money and a fundamental shift in treatment to focus on prevention and screening.
More than Two Thirds of Americans Unaware of PTSD
This does not surprise me at all. The problem is no one wants to talk about it or listen. It's almost as if they hear about it, they will be aware of the fact it could happen to them as well. PTSD hits humans exposed to traumatic events. Everyone knows they cannot prevent traumatic events. It's out of their control. What really gets me is that the families of the men and women serving and of our veterans don't want to hear it. Military wives tell me they have enough to worry about and they don't want to think about it. It takes a lot of convincing for them to understand they are on the front lines when their husbands come home. They'll be the first to notice the signs of PTSD but if they don't know what the signs are, they will ignore what the changes mean. They will delude themselves in thinking the warrior will just get over it with time. In the process time that could have been spent on the warrior healing ends up being lost time as PTSD eats away at them and the family.
As hard as it is to convince the families they need to pay attention, it's harder to get the clergy involved. This is imperative especially with the National Guards and Reservists coming home to communities around the nation. When the mind-body-spirit are all treated the healing rate is greatly increased. There are not enough psychologist and mental health professionals to go around and then when you add in claims being tied up, the clergy could play a vital role in filling in the gaps. The problem is when you try to talk to most of them, their eyes glaze over as if you're speaking in a foreign language.
It's been over a 26 year battle for me to get the information out there and with that I also have to add that I have never had so much hope for our veterans. They are coming forward and talking about it to the media finally willing to cover it and give PTSD the attention it deserves, even if it is sparse.
I left this comment on Veteran's For Common Sense after reading this.
As hard as it is to convince the families they need to pay attention, it's harder to get the clergy involved. This is imperative especially with the National Guards and Reservists coming home to communities around the nation. When the mind-body-spirit are all treated the healing rate is greatly increased. There are not enough psychologist and mental health professionals to go around and then when you add in claims being tied up, the clergy could play a vital role in filling in the gaps. The problem is when you try to talk to most of them, their eyes glaze over as if you're speaking in a foreign language.
It's been over a 26 year battle for me to get the information out there and with that I also have to add that I have never had so much hope for our veterans. They are coming forward and talking about it to the media finally willing to cover it and give PTSD the attention it deserves, even if it is sparse.
I left this comment on Veteran's For Common Sense after reading this.
Dec 1: More than Two Thirds of Americans Unaware of Post Traumatic ...
By contact@veteransforcommonsense.org
Ad Council and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Army Times
Dec 01, 2008
December 1, 2008 - In a survey conducted Oct. 24-27, most of the 1,008 respondents said they had never even heard of the acronym PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Of the respondents, 9% answered "Yes, I have heard of it but am not sure what it stands for."
24% said "yes, I have heard of it and know what it stands for," and a whopping 68% of respondents stated "no, I have never heard of it."
* Veterans for Common Sense note: We need your help to get the word out that PTSD is real, that one-in-five (or more) of our Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans may return home with PTSD, that it is OK for veterans to seek care for PTSD, and that DoD and VA need to hire more doctors to meet the tidal wave of demand for PTSD treatment and recovery.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Tim Padgett Way - firefighters dedicate street to fallen soldier
Tim Padgett Way - firefighters dedicate street to fallen soldier
November 30, 2008 - 9:02 PM
Kimberly White
Daily News
The Northwest Florida Daily News - Fort Walton Beach,FL,USA
GASKIN - When Army Sergeant and DeFuniak Springs native Tim "Timmy" Padgett was killed last year in Afghanistan, his friend and former co-worker Paul Trynoski began thinking how he and other Darlington/Gaskin firefighters could honor their fallen comrade.
After considering ideas, Trynoski remembered that the street that runs along Walton County Station 3 did not have a name.
Then he recalled a training session during which Padgett was teaching other firefighters a hose-lay technique.
"People were questioning what kind of hose lay this was and what it was called, and I think it came down to Tim saying, ‘We're going to do it the Tim Padgett way,' " Trynoski said. "And after that, I always thought of that when we were doing things with Tim - that we were doing it Tim's way."
At 11 a.m. Saturday, Darlington/Gaskin firefighters will gather at the Gaskin station to name that street "Tim Padgett Way."
Padgett's mother, Glenda Penton, and his 10-year-old daughter, Summer, will be invited to unveil the sign and stroll down the two-block street. Trynoski and former Fire Chief Ronald Prokop said all of Padgett's co-workers and friends are invited.
One firefighter affectionately nicknamed Padgett "Rubber Band" because he was always so wound up, Prokop remembered with a laugh. Prokop said Padgett was so full of energy that he often had to be restrained from acting on impulse.
"I'm sure that's the reason he was in the position where he was killed in Afghanistan. He didn't want to be second," Prokop said. "Some of his friends that I talked to at the funeral said, ‘Tim had to be the first one out there.' Knowing Tim, I betcha he took somebody else's spot ... You had to really hold him back because he would give 110 percent in everything he did."
click post title for more
November 30, 2008 - 9:02 PM
Kimberly White
Daily News
The Northwest Florida Daily News - Fort Walton Beach,FL,USA
GASKIN - When Army Sergeant and DeFuniak Springs native Tim "Timmy" Padgett was killed last year in Afghanistan, his friend and former co-worker Paul Trynoski began thinking how he and other Darlington/Gaskin firefighters could honor their fallen comrade.
After considering ideas, Trynoski remembered that the street that runs along Walton County Station 3 did not have a name.
Then he recalled a training session during which Padgett was teaching other firefighters a hose-lay technique.
"People were questioning what kind of hose lay this was and what it was called, and I think it came down to Tim saying, ‘We're going to do it the Tim Padgett way,' " Trynoski said. "And after that, I always thought of that when we were doing things with Tim - that we were doing it Tim's way."
At 11 a.m. Saturday, Darlington/Gaskin firefighters will gather at the Gaskin station to name that street "Tim Padgett Way."
Padgett's mother, Glenda Penton, and his 10-year-old daughter, Summer, will be invited to unveil the sign and stroll down the two-block street. Trynoski and former Fire Chief Ronald Prokop said all of Padgett's co-workers and friends are invited.
One firefighter affectionately nicknamed Padgett "Rubber Band" because he was always so wound up, Prokop remembered with a laugh. Prokop said Padgett was so full of energy that he often had to be restrained from acting on impulse.
"I'm sure that's the reason he was in the position where he was killed in Afghanistan. He didn't want to be second," Prokop said. "Some of his friends that I talked to at the funeral said, ‘Tim had to be the first one out there.' Knowing Tim, I betcha he took somebody else's spot ... You had to really hold him back because he would give 110 percent in everything he did."
click post title for more
Trio of Marines receive Bronze Star
Trio of Marines receive Bronze Star
By Cindy Fisher, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, December 1, 2008
CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa — Although Iraq is much quieter these days for U.S. troops, danger still lurks.
Just ask some of the Marines of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. The Okinawa-based troops returned here last month after a seven-month deployment in Anbar province, where they patrolled booby-trapped areas and engaged in firefights.
Last week, their battalion commander pinned combat decorations on the chests of three of those Marines.
The commanding officer of 3rd Recon — Lt. Col. Oliver B. Spencer — presented the Bronze Star Medal with V device for valor to Sgt. Scott D. Redmund, Capt. Luke Lazzo and Sgt. George J. Callum for their actions in combat.
"You just have to say, ‘My God, I am standing amongst heroes,’ " said Spencer, who did not deploy with the recon Marines and just took command of the battalion Nov. 19.
Spencer’s heroes told the stories behind the medals.
go here to read their stories
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59150
By Cindy Fisher, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Monday, December 1, 2008
CAMP SCHWAB, Okinawa — Although Iraq is much quieter these days for U.S. troops, danger still lurks.
Just ask some of the Marines of 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion. The Okinawa-based troops returned here last month after a seven-month deployment in Anbar province, where they patrolled booby-trapped areas and engaged in firefights.
Last week, their battalion commander pinned combat decorations on the chests of three of those Marines.
The commanding officer of 3rd Recon — Lt. Col. Oliver B. Spencer — presented the Bronze Star Medal with V device for valor to Sgt. Scott D. Redmund, Capt. Luke Lazzo and Sgt. George J. Callum for their actions in combat.
"You just have to say, ‘My God, I am standing amongst heroes,’ " said Spencer, who did not deploy with the recon Marines and just took command of the battalion Nov. 19.
Spencer’s heroes told the stories behind the medals.
go here to read their stories
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=59150
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