Veterans groups want cap on tuition aid under new G.I. bill

Veterans groups want cap on tuition aid under new G.I. bill
By Dale Eisman
The Virginian-Pilot
© February 23, 2009
WASHINGTON

Just a few months after securing a historic, multibillion-dollar increase in veterans educational benefits, some veterans groups may ask Congress to wipe out part of what they gained.

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the American Legion are among groups considering asking lawmakers to place a cap - $13,000 per year has been suggested by the IAVA - on tuition aid for veterans. That's far less than would be available in many states under a new GI bill for post-9/11 troops but is enough to cover virtually all public college costs, advocates of the limit say.

The cap would make the new benefit program easier for veterans to understand and simpler for the Department of Veterans Affairs to run, said Patrick Campbell, the IAVA's legislative counsel. The law passed last fall creates more than 315,000 possible combinations of benefits, Campbell argues in a message posted on the group's Web site.
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http://hamptonroads.com/2009/02/veterans-group-raises-questions-about-gi-bill

Why would a Marine start a fire?

Marine Charged in Fire That Forced Thousands Out
By R. Stickney
NBCSanDiego.com
updated 4:21 a.m. ET, Thurs., Feb. 26, 2009


Two brush fires merged to create a nearly 4,000-acre fire that threatened Oceanside unlike any other in recent history on October 13, 2008. Now, an investigation connects one of the fires to military training exercises.

The Juliett fire erupted that October afternoon in hot, dry conditions. Aircraft attacked the flames and firefighters set backfires, working through the night to slow the fire’s advance. Part of the base and the base's golf course were evacuated as a precaution. Smoke could be seen in neighboring counties. Some people in Los Angeles even called 911 to report the smell of smoke.

The Juliett Fire did not cause any injuries or damage to buildings on the base. It was fully surrounded about 16 hours after it began.

In a memo released Wednesday outlining the results of an investigation by the Navy Criminal Investigative Serivce, the Marines announced Lance Corporal Nason G. Lamb will face charges of damage to military property, reckless endangerment and setting fire to U.S. property for his role in starting one of the fires that fueled the Juliett Fire.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29388891/

There is an update on LA Times

Updated at 11:50 a.m.: Officials said the charges against Lamb could bring a sentence of more than eight years in prison. Lamb, from Palmetto, La., has been in the Marine Corps less than two years and has not gone on a forward deployment.

-- Tony Perry
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/02/base-fire.html

He was not deployed according to the update. This leaves the rest of us scratching our heads wondering why he would have set a fire. Marines, along with everyone else in the military, are not drafted. They enlist willingly. This requires them to be willing to risk their lives for the country. So why would a Marine, willing to risk his life for the country end up setting a fire that destroyed part of it? Does this have anything to do with the requirements being dropped to enlist? What was the reason this Marine enlisted in the first place? None of this makes sense.

Army Corps of Engineers will examine Chickasaw Elementary for WWII debris, toxins

Army Corps of Engineers will examine Chickasaw Elementary for WWII debris, toxins
Rich McKay | Sentinel Staff Writer
February 25, 2009
ORANGE COUNTY - Sometime in the next two months, teams from the Army Corps of Engineers will check the grounds at Chickasaw Elementary School for any sign of debris or contamination left from a former World War II-era bombing range. Project manager Randy Curtis told Orange County commissioners Tuesday that there is no cause for alarm because the school at 6900 Autumnvale Drive appears to have been built in a buffer zone for the former Orlando Army Airfield, Toxic Gas and Decontamination Yard -- and not on an active area. The 2,100-acre site came to light during an investigation of another bombing range. In the 1940s, when the land was swamp and scrub, the Army used the land as a toxic-gas yard.

Traumatised military doctor died from overdose

Traumatised military doctor died from overdose: inquiry
WA today - Perth,WA,Australia
February 25, 2009 - 3:25PM
A decorated military doctor who once served in Iraq was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder before his death from an overdose of medication, an inquiry has been told.

A defence force commission of inquiry, ordered by Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, is underway in Brisbane to determine if the force was directly linked to the death of RAAF Squadron Leader Adam Hughes.

Mr Hughes was found dead by his mother at his Newstead home in Brisbane on January 21, 2008, the inquiry was told on Wednesday.

She tried to resuscitate her son, whose home was littered with empty packets of various medication in his own name, and that of his cousin, the inquiry was told.

The cousin, Christian Hughes, who has been summoned to attend the inquiry but is yet to confirm he will appear, was the last person to see Mr Hughes alive.

Police found a typed note at the scene of the death but it did not appear to be a "suicide note," the inquiry was told.

The hearing was told Mr Hughes was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in July 2007.
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Chaplains are every day, people

I've had a lot of odd conversations over the years but lately most of them turn into questions about the way I act. This picture is what I use on my Facebook page. I don't go in there very often because, well, I'm just too busy, but friends talked me into doing a page. Just to shock them a bit, I picked the photo from Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum. Most people think I'm too serious because of what I cover on this blog and write, so they were not prepared to discover I do have a sense of humor. The impression people get when they hear the title of Chaplain, is a stuffy, "holier" person instead of just a regular person wanting to help others.

We come from all walks of life, all faiths and enter into all kinds of service. The key word is "service" as we have been called to do. Some work in the prisons, police departments, fire departments, other civilian arenas, with motorcycle groups, the military and veterans. Some are missionaries and some are ministers. I'm a veteran's chaplain, but I help anyone with PTSD. While I focus on PTSD, I also help anyone in need. This happens all the time. If I happen to be in uniform, I get stopped in grocery stores and end up talking for a long time. My husband has gotten used to this happening whenever he sees the uniform.

The thing people need to remember is that Chaplains are "every day" just people, trying to help when we are needed so that they know they are not alone, or forgotten and have someone to talk to. It's very hard to talk to someone that has no clue what you're talking about especially when the weight of the world is on your shoulders. How can a veteran talk to someone that has no understanding what they went through comfortably? How can a soldier talk to someone when they have to stop and explain what an acronym means? How can a firefighter talk about what they went through when people cannot get past a term they use "crispy cridder" as if they are evil?

We live like anyone else, feel the same heartaches and disappointments, family problems, financial problems and pressures of the world like anyone else. We laugh and cry just like anyone else and we even struggle with our faith from time to time. There are times when we cannot find the right words to use or find too many finding it difficult to stop. There are times when no words are needed at all.

Never be afraid to talk to a Chaplain thinking they are "above you" or better than you. Never think they cannot understand what you're talking about because either they were called to work with your group because of their own experience or they have talked with a great number of people to become very aware of what you need to say. For me, well I think I've run out of shocking moments a long time ago. That came with a lot of years and a whole lot of tears.

If you need help and someone recommends a Chaplain, please talk to them without hesitation. They are just people like you. If you get the thought they could never understand, remember this picture and then that notion won't last long.

Police: Miami music teacher kills himself, wife, 2 daughters

Again, reporters release the names of people before family members have been notified. So sad.

Police: Miami music teacher kills himself, wife, 2 daughters
The Associated Press
2:23 PM EST, February 25, 2009

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY - A 53-year-old music teacher fatally shot his wife and two daughters this morning before turning the gun on himself, while his 16-year-old son who survived the attack managed to call 911 as he escaped uninjured from the Miami home, authorities said.

Police haven't released names, but neighbors identified the family members as Pablo Josue Amador; his 45-year-old wife, Maria; their youngest daughters, Priscila and Rosa; and the escaped son, Javier. They said the couple also had a 19-year-old daughter who attends college.

Sarit Betancourt, a 44-year-old school bus driver who lives near the family, said Amador is a Cuban immigrant who gave piano lessons at a guitar shop and at his home. Betancourt's two sons, ages 9 and 10, had been taking piano lessons from him once a week since 2006.

"He was a marvelous person and a tremendous professor," she said. "People would enter the house, and you just breathed peace."
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Obama: Nation 'will emerge stronger'

Obama: Nation 'will emerge stronger'
In his first speech to a joint session of Congress, President Obama said his first budget "will invest in the three areas that are absolutely critical to our economic future: energy, health care, and education." full story

Aside from a wonderful speech that lays out where President Obama thinks this nation can be, the longest applauds came from talking about the troops and then he talked about what we owe our veterans. The wonderful thing is, with Obama, these are not just words, these are his thoughts. Most of the readers of this blog are fully aware of how he has felt about veterans since he entered into the Senate. At a time when he was able to serve on any committee he wanted, he wanted to serve the veterans on the Veterans Affairs Committee because he felt this nation owed them so much more than we have provided. They won his heart and I think it's because of this, I began to support him when he was running for the Presidency. I've seen too much suffering of our veterans and troops to not appreciate the dedication he has.

9 soldiers injured in LMTV rollover at Bragg

9 soldiers injured in LMTV rollover at Bragg

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 24, 2009 14:34:22 EST

FORT BRAGG, N.C. — The Army is investigating a wreck that injured nine soldiers when the truck taking them to a training area rolled over on a Fort Bragg road.

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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_bragg_wreck_022409/

For All the Ways You Care, CVS wants to know

CVS pharmacy Announces National Contest
Week of February 23, 2009

CVS/pharmacy, announces its second annual "For All the Ways You Care" contest created to celebrate and honor caregivers across America. CVS/pharmacy invites you to submit stories of caring online at www.ForAllTheWaysYouCare.com . The site provides a forum for people to share a story about someone who has touched their life or how they personally have touched another's.
Entries can be submitted through March 1, 2009. CVS/pharmacy and an esteemed panel of judges will select a group of finalists and ultimately a grand prize winner whose stories best represent a nurturing spirit and dedication to others. The finalists will be honored for their inspirational stories at a luncheon and luxury weekend in New York City in May. In appreciation for their commitment to caring, nine finalists will each receive $10,000 and the grand prize winner will receive $25,000 from CVS/pharmacy.
Visit http://www.forallthewaysyoucare.com/ now.

From combat to college: A tough transition that few understand

From combat to college: A tough transition that few understand

By Rick Steigmeyer
World staff writer

WENATCHEE — The small white house at 1337 Fifth St., across from Wenatchee Valley College, is their retreat. And retreat they must from the frequent irritations that can arise when a soldier becomes a student.

The house is owned by the college and used as a study lounge by students who are also military veterans. Many of them have only recently returned from combat in Iraq or Afghanistan. Others are still trying their best to fit into normal social and educational situations years after their military experience. Trading a life-threatening environment and a rifle for a classroom and a computer is no easy thing, the students will tell you in no uncertain terms.

A car backfire, a slammed door or even a dropped book can cause them to relive a frightening combat experience and send them scrambling for cover. Mostly, it's just a feeling of not fitting in.
"It's hard to get back in the swing of civilian life," said Kevin Bovee, 24, of Wenatchee. He did two tours in Iraq with the Marine Corps over the past four years. Bovee completed his service in April and enrolled at WVC to pursue a degree in business. "I feel at home with other veterans, but the young kids just getting their driver's license, I don't have anything in common with them."

Combat veterans often have to deal with a lot of anger. It's something that was nurtured in the military, but is out of place in civilian life. It's frustrating that few understand, Bovee said.
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http://wenatcheeworld.com/article/20090221/NEWS04/702219970/1005/SPORTS