Why have Iraq and Afghanistan produced only 5 Medal of Honor recipients

Death before this honor

Why have Iraq and Afghanistan produced only 5 Medal of Honor recipients, none living?
By Brendan McGarry - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Mar 30, 2009 5:51:05 EDT

The number of Medal of Honor recipients from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can be counted on one hand.

Each of the five acted spontaneously and heroically to save the lives of comrades. Each exemplified the medal’s criteria of “gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of one’s own life above and beyond the call of duty.”

And each was killed in action or died from wounds received in action.

From World War I through Vietnam, the rate of Medal of Honor recipients per 100,000 service members stayed between 2.3 (Korea) and 2.9 (World War II). But since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, only five Medals of Honor have been awarded, a rate of 0.1 per 100,000 — one in a million.

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Death before this honor

A General's Personal Battle

I don't know what to make out of this story. Is it that Maj. Gen. Graham has awakened to the fact what they've been doing at Carson has been all wrong or is this more of a selling job as if the military finally gets it? Suicides and attempted suicides go up every year and we keep hearing how the military is taking all of this very seriously. If they were doing the right research and making the right decisions, the numbers would have gone down instead of up. Personality Disorder discharges would have stopped and they would have been treated instead of kicked out of the military. Warrior Transition Units would not be punishing the wounded for not showing up for formation. PTSD wounded would not be redeployed with medications but no therapy right back to where they were wounded in the first place.

Experimenting? How many more years will it take to "experiment" with the wounded before they have a clue what it is? Ten? Twenty? Over thirty? That is what we're talking about here. It's been over 30 years since the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder was used in a study commissioned by the DAV. It has not changed because humans have not changed. We've been reading the same reports and the same studies since the 70's.

The best program out there was done by the Montana National Guard and if any general were really serious about getting this right, they would take a look at how they are doing it and then use it. It would save time, save money, but above all, save the lives of the men and women that made it back home but could not survive the wound.

A General's Personal Battle
The military is facing a sharp spike in suicides, and Maj. Gen. Mark Graham is leading the fight to reduce them. His mission is close to the heart: His own son, a young ROTC cadet, killed himself six years ago.

By YOCHI J. DREAZEN
Fort Carson, Colo.

Maj. Gen. Mark Graham is on the frontlines of the Army's struggle to stop its soldiers from killing themselves. Through a series of novel experiments, the 32-year military veteran has turned his sprawling base here into a suicide-prevention laboratory.


One reason: Fort Carson has seen nine suicides in the past 15 months. Another: Six years ago, a 21-year-old ROTC cadet at the University of Kentucky killed himself in the apartment he shared with his brother and sister. He was Kevin Graham, Gen. Graham's youngest son.

After Kevin's suicide in 2003, Gen. Graham says he showed few outward signs of mourning and refused all invitations to speak about the death. It was a familiar response within a military still uncomfortable discussing suicide and its repercussions. It wasn't until another tragedy struck the family that Gen. Graham decided to tackle the issue head on.

"I will blame myself for the rest of my life for not doing more to help my son," Gen. Graham says quietly, sitting in his living room at Fort Carson, an array of family photographs on a table in front of him. "It never goes away."

Suicide is emerging as the military's newest conflict. For 2008, the Pentagon has confirmed that 140 soldiers killed themselves, the highest number in decades.

At a Senate hearing last week, Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff, told lawmakers that 48 soldiers have already committed suicide in 2009. The figure puts the Army on pace for nearly double last year's figure. "I, and the other senior leaders of our Army, readily acknowledge that these current figures are unacceptable," Gen. Chiarelli said at the hearing.

Beyond Fort Carson, the Army has launched a broad push to reduce the incidence of suicide. Over the next four months, all soldiers in the Army will receive additional training on suicide prevention and broader mental health issues. The Marine Corps, which is also being hit hard by suicide, will give all Marines similar training this month. In February and March, the Army for the first time ever excused units from their normal duties so, one by one, they could learn new ways of trying to identify soldiers in need of help.
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A General's Personal Battle

RAF veteran tells of post-traumatic stress disorder ordeal

RAF veteran tells of post-traumatic stress disorder ordeal
Mar 30 2009 By Craig McQueen

DURING his military career, Andy Lorimer saw action in warzones and troublespots including Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland.

In his wedding photos, an impressive collection of medals are proudly pinned to his chest.

But the 46-year-old's bravery came at a cost and it's one he's still coming to terms with.

Andy, who joined the RAF when he was 21, has spent years trying to piece his life together after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

At his worst, there were bouts of heavy drinking and irrational behaviour, including having to flee from a supermarket in panic because he realised he was not carrying a gun.

Only now is Andy, from Kirkcaldy, Fife, getting somewhere, thanks to the help of his new wife Nikki and the founders of a charity who are aiming to help more people just like him.

Andy said: "My PTSD probably started before the first Gulf War when we had to recover a couple of bodies.

"I wasn't conscious of it at the time.

"You just got on with your job and moved on to the next thing. You didn't build up the memories of it.

"And I started to work in higher and higher pressure environments. I would get where I wanted to be and then I would change and do something else as I liked the challenge.

"It meant I got involved in a lot of situations and saw a lot of things, which, when taken individually, you might be able to cope with. But mine was an accumulation of all those things."

Andy worked on Hercules aircraft during the first Gulf War before working with helicopter crews.

His varied career also saw him working with the Parachute Regiment and special forces and undercover in Northern Ireland.

He survived but saw many others lose their lives.

Andy said: "I lost a total of 13 friends - 12 in military action and one in a parachute accident.
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I Knew That I Had Post Traumatic Stress When I Fled Shops Because ...
Glasgow Daily Record - Glasgow,Scotland,UK

PTSD On Trail:Family says horrors of fighting caused unconscious act with guns

When they come home with PTSD nightmares and flashbacks, they are not here. They are not home safe, away from the enemy. They are right there back in a battle for their lives. They are not with their families or friends. They are surrounded by people trying to kill them. This is what people need to understand. There will be more domestic violence and more deaths until they are all treated and helped to be healed. This will keep happening as long as families do not understand their "normal" reactions to a PTSD veteran often escalates conflicts. A veteran is wounded, families are wounded, police officers are wounded and communities are wounded when we fail them.

George and Karen Odom of Cocoa hold back tears as they talk about their son. (Craig Rubadoux, FLORIDA TODAY)

Man's 'enemy' follows him home from war
Family says horrors of fighting caused unconscious act with guns
BY R. NORMAN MOODY • FLORIDA TODAY • March 29, 2009


COCOA -- Joseph Brian Odom's mother said her son went to bed one night and woke up the next morning in jail.

Karen Odom said that during sleep, the Army 82nd Airborne Division veteran's mind raced through combat missions in Afghanistan.

Family members said post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by the 31-year-old's service in Operation Enduring Freedom was the enemy. He has fought frequent nightmares, daily headaches and brief flashbacks.

Odom's battle in the early morning of Thanksgiving Day 2007, however, took place in real life at his home near Cocoa. Since then, he has spent 16 months in the Brevard County Detention Center awaiting a trial expected to begin Monday.

Sheriff's deputies said Odom shot at his wife, who called 9-1-1. He was wearing a military-style bulletproof vest and carrying a shotgun and an AK-47 rifle when he confronted officers who arrived at the couple's home just before 2 a.m.

Odom -- who had no criminal record -- walked toward a deputy and refused orders to stop and drop his weapons, deputies said.

Rita Odom said her husband did not mean to cause her harm. She argued that he shouldn't be incarcerated but should be in residential treatment for PTSD brought by his military service.

Local military
Hundreds of Brevard County residents serve in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere, including:
167 soldiers from the Melbourne-based 715th Military Police Company serving in Afghanistan
175 from the 920th Rescue Wing deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere
133 from the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force base deployed to various locations, including Afghanistan
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Man's 'enemy' follows him home from war

UPDATE March 31, 2009
MELBOURNE — The trial of Joseph Brian Odom, accused of shooting at his wife then confronting sheriff’s deputies while carrying two guns, has been postponed.

The trial had been scheduled to begin today but was delayed.

A pretrial hearing in the case has been set for April 7 at 8:30 a.m. At that time a new trial date likely will be scheduled.
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Afghanistan vet's shooting trial postponed
Florida Today - Melbourne,FL,USA

Traumatised soldiers get sub-standard care in Australia too

Traumatised soldiers get sub-standard care
AM - Monday, 30 March , 2009 08:22:00
Reporter: Jennifer Macey
TONY EASTLEY: An investigation into the Defence Force's mental health services reveals that most returned soldiers aren't getting adequate care.

The report commissioned by the Federal Government has been leaked to the ABC's Four Corners program and The Age newspaper.

It shows that two-thirds of veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are receiving sub-standard treatment.

Jennifer Macey reports.
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Traumatised soldiers get sub-standard care
ABC Online - Australia

Reported deaths by Afghan Army soldier may have been insurgent instead

What would have been worse? An insurgent getting his hands on an Afghan Army uniform and killing Choe and Toner or a real Afghan Army soldier doing it?

Florence B. Choe, 35, of El Cajon, Calif.; lieutenant, Navy. Choe was one of two military personnel killed Friday when an insurgent posing as an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire on U.S. military personnel. Choe was assigned to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan at Camp Shaheen in Mazar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan.


Francis L. Toner IV, 26, of Narragansett, R.I.; lieutenant junior grade, Navy. Toner was one of two military personnel killed Friday when an insurgent posing as an Afghan National Army soldier opened fire on U.S. military personnel. Toner was assigned to Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan at Camp Shaheen in Mazar-E-Sharif, Afghanistan.

There were also three non-combat related deaths in Afghanistan as well.

Jose R. Escobedo Jr., 32, of Albuquerque; sergeant, Army. Escobedo died March 20 in Baghdad of noncombat-related injuries suffered a day earlier at Forward Operating Base Kalsu in Iskandariya, Iraq, southeast of the capital. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 77th Field Artillery Regiment in Schweinfurt, Germany.

Raphael A. Futrell, 26, of Anderson, S.C.; staff sergeant, Army. Futrell died of noncombat-related injuries Wednesday in Baghdad. He was assigned to the 13th Military Police Detachment, 728th Military Police Battalion, 8th Military Police Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command at Ft. Shafter, Hawaii.

Adam J. Hardt, 19, of Avondale, Ariz.; private first class, Army. Hardt died of noncombat-related injuries March 22 at Forward Operating Base Airborne in Afghanistan's Wardak province, southwest of Kabul. He was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Ft. Drum, N.Y.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-wardead29-2009mar29,0,2408847.story

These reports are on LA Times and linked from
iCasualties.org: Operation Enduring Freedom

Man Kills Sisters on 5-Year-Old's Birthday

Cannot imagine the pain in the family or the police officers responding to this. Please add them to your prayers.

Man Kills Sisters on 5-Year-Old's Birthday
By GLEN JOHNSON, AP
MILTON, Mass. (March 29) -- A man on a rampage fatally stabbed his 17-year-old sister, decapitated his 5-year-old sister in front of a police officer and then headed toward his 9-year-old sister before officers shot him amid what their chief described as "a killing field."
There is no clear motive yet for the events that unfolded about 5 p.m. Saturday in this tony Boston suburb that is also home to Gov. Deval Patrick. But there is no doubt at the carnage wrought by 23-year-old Kerby Revelus against his three sisters in the two-family home they shared with their parents and grandmother.
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Man Kills Sisters on 5-Year-Old's Birthday

UPDATE March 31, 2009

5-year-old's beheading came 'out of the blue'
By the time the police officer kicked the door in, it was too late. Kerby Revelus was holding his 5-year-old sister, Bianca, and while the officer watched, decapitated her with a kitchen knife. Police had received a 911 call from another sibling, 17-year-old Samantha. Suffering from deep cuts in her upper body, she was losing strength and would soon be dead. full story

Grey’s Anatomy gets it right about PTSD

Grey’s Anatomy gets it right about PTSD
Kathy Quan RN BSN

LA Mental Health Examiner

The March 26, 2009 episode of ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy accurately depicts Dr. Owen Hunt’s PTSD as a a real war wound and mental illness which is treatable.

PTSD is a brain disorder characterized by symptoms such as recurring nightmares, insomnia, depression, mood swings, and high levels of anxiety. This disorder has been linked to traumatic events such as combat stress and childhood abuse. With appropriate diagnosis and treatment with a wide variety of therapies along with medication, recovery can be achieved.

Magnetic imaging (MRI) studies and PET scans have identified areas of the brain where significant changes have been seen in patients suffering from PTSD. The primary area of focus is the hippocampus which plays a big role in short-term memories and emotions. The amygdala which controls emotional memories was first thought to be the primary focus, but more recent studies have shown the hippocampus may be the real link.

Shrinkage in the hippocampus along with increased blood flow to the prefrontal cortex, the portion of the brain responsible for decision-making activities, has also been documented in the recent research. This hyperactivity in the prefrontal cortex is thought to cause an excessive reaction to fear.
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Grey’s Anatomy gets it right about PTSD Examiner.com - USA

Fallen soldier to receive Silver Star

U.S. Army
Cpl. Jonathan Ayers fought heroically until enemy fire cut him down as outnumbered U.S. soldiers repelled a wave of Taliban fighters in July.

Fallen soldier to receive Silver Star
By MONI BASU

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Cpl. Jonathan Ayers picked up an M-240 machine gun and unleashed a hail of bullets from the observation post of a small base American soldiers had set up only days before.

Taliban fighters had attacked before sunrise on July 13, 2008, recalled the GIs’ battalion commander, Col. William Ostlund, now stationed at Fort Benning.

They were firing from a nearby mosque, storefronts in the local bazaar and homes of elders in Wanat, a village tucked in the rugged foothills of the Hindu Kush along Afghanistan’s eastern border with Pakistan.

Grenades exploded. Bullets sliced through trees, severing branches. Everything was on fire, even the grass.

A bullet grazed Ayers’ helmet and knocked him back. But the 24-year-old soldier from Snellville did not recoil. His paratrooper instincts took over. He kept firing amid fierce enemy RPGs and small arms fire.

When one weapon seized up because so many rounds had been fired so rapidly, Ayers picked up another. He fought on until an enemy bullet got him. And he fell — one of nine soldiers who died that day, the largest loss of American life in a single battle in Afghanistan.

On Sunday, the military will posthumously award Ayers its third-highest medal for valor: the Silver Star. His brother Josh, 26, plans to accept the medal, a gold star with a laurel wreath and a silver star superimposed in the center. On the back, the inscription reads: “For gallantry in action.”

Only 146 soldiers who fought in Afghanistan have been honored with Silver Stars, including 13 others in Ayers’ battalion. In Iraq, the military has awarded 396 Silver Stars.
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Fallen soldier to receive Silver Star
Atlanta Journal Constitution - GA, USA

Man busted for robbery at cop convention

Man busted for robbery at cop convention
Published: March 28, 2009

HARRISBURG, Pa., March 28 (UPI) -- A 19-year-old man chose the wrong venue to try an armed robbery -- a Pennsylvania hotel hosting 300 police narcotics officers, officials allege.
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Man busted for robbery at cop convention