Troops give new meaning to distance learning
Darryl E. Owens Sentinel Staff Writer
March 31, 2009
The day starts before 8a.m. for Jonathan Richman, a religious-program specialist 2nd class with the U.S. Navy, based at Joint Task Force-Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
After a day spent boosting troop morale and interacting with detainees, the petty officer 2nd class typically clocks out at 5p.m. He plays some racquetball, tends to his room and laundry, then pulls up a seat and dives into deep discussions with his legal-studies classmates at the University of Central Florida.
The Orlando campus might be miles from the military base, but online-degree programs are growing in appeal for veterans who've suffered grievous injuries and service members such as Richman whose worldwide deployments underscore the term "distance" learning.
"The biggest advantage of online education is the ability to 'attend' class when it is convenient for me," said the 25-year-old from Orlando. "If I feel like it, I can sign on in the middle of the night and do some homework, take a quiz or ask a question via e-mail or the bulletin board."
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Troops give new meaning to distance learning
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Three Fort Benning Soldiers awarded medals of valor
3 Benning soldiers awarded medals for actions
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 11:16:20 EDT
FORT BENNING, Ga. — Three Fort Benning soldiers have been awarded medals of valor for their action in Afghanistan.
The honors Monday were for action in the Battle of Wanat on July 13, 2008. Silver stars went to Capt. Matthew E. Myer and Sgt. Michael T. Denton. A bronze star with a V device was awarded to Sgt. 1st Class David L. Dzwik.
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3 Benning soldiers awarded medals for actions
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 11:16:20 EDT
FORT BENNING, Ga. — Three Fort Benning soldiers have been awarded medals of valor for their action in Afghanistan.
The honors Monday were for action in the Battle of Wanat on July 13, 2008. Silver stars went to Capt. Matthew E. Myer and Sgt. Michael T. Denton. A bronze star with a V device was awarded to Sgt. 1st Class David L. Dzwik.
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3 Benning soldiers awarded medals for actions
Fort Hood Soldier home on leave killed near Fort Bragg
Soldier shot on leave is identified
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 12:20:23 EDT
A soldier from Fort Hood, Texas, who was home on leave from Afghanistan died Sunday after he was shot at a club in Spring Lake, N.C., just outside Fort Bragg, officials said Tuesday.
Spc. Charles Corrothers Clements, 27, of Baltimore was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
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Soldier shot on leave is identified
Staff report
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 12:20:23 EDT
A soldier from Fort Hood, Texas, who was home on leave from Afghanistan died Sunday after he was shot at a club in Spring Lake, N.C., just outside Fort Bragg, officials said Tuesday.
Spc. Charles Corrothers Clements, 27, of Baltimore was assigned to 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.
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Soldier shot on leave is identified
Mental Health America awarded grant for Native Americans
Mental Health America Awarded Grant To Deliver Culturally Appropriate Support For Native Americans With Serious Mental Illness
Regional Approach to Eliminating
Behavioral Health Disparities
Contact: Steve Vetzner, (703) 797-2588 or svetzner@mentalhealthamerica.net
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 31, 2009)-Mental Health America today announced it has been awarded a $750,000 grant by Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to develop culturally appropriate support for Native Americans with serious mental illness and in rural and frontier communities.
The program takes a regional approach toward eliminating behavioral health disparities among Native American and frontier populations.
The funding will be used to develop a peer-to-peer program for use in the Navajo and Ute Nations region in tribal lands in the Four Corners area (the borders of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona).
Mental Health America will also create education programs to help reduce the stigma and discrimination around mental health disabilities in the frontier and tribal lands of North Dakota.
Among the approaches to be used will be creation of leadership groups within tribal communities focusing on behavioral health, and peer-led mental health programs in tribal and frontier communities. Each year, 30 peer specialists are expected to graduate from peer-to-peer training to staff these programs.
Mental health America will work with MHA affiliates in Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and North Dakota to implement the program.
Many obstacles exist that prevent adequate and culturally competent behavioral health care in rural areas and for Native American populations. These include scarcity of professional staff, a lack of cultural and linguistically competent providers, discrimination and social stigma, a real fear that confidentiality won't be protected, financing and reimbursement issues, insufficient integration of behavioral (mental and substance use) with physical health, little prevention efforts, transportation difficulties and low numbers of providers.
Native Americans suffer from higher rates of suicide, alcohol abuse and/or dependence, post-traumatic stress disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, poverty, homelessness and unemployment than any other cultural group.
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Mental Health America Awarded Grant
Regional Approach to Eliminating
Behavioral Health Disparities
Contact: Steve Vetzner, (703) 797-2588 or svetzner@mentalhealthamerica.net
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (March 31, 2009)-Mental Health America today announced it has been awarded a $750,000 grant by Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to develop culturally appropriate support for Native Americans with serious mental illness and in rural and frontier communities.
The program takes a regional approach toward eliminating behavioral health disparities among Native American and frontier populations.
The funding will be used to develop a peer-to-peer program for use in the Navajo and Ute Nations region in tribal lands in the Four Corners area (the borders of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona).
Mental Health America will also create education programs to help reduce the stigma and discrimination around mental health disabilities in the frontier and tribal lands of North Dakota.
Among the approaches to be used will be creation of leadership groups within tribal communities focusing on behavioral health, and peer-led mental health programs in tribal and frontier communities. Each year, 30 peer specialists are expected to graduate from peer-to-peer training to staff these programs.
Mental health America will work with MHA affiliates in Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and North Dakota to implement the program.
Many obstacles exist that prevent adequate and culturally competent behavioral health care in rural areas and for Native American populations. These include scarcity of professional staff, a lack of cultural and linguistically competent providers, discrimination and social stigma, a real fear that confidentiality won't be protected, financing and reimbursement issues, insufficient integration of behavioral (mental and substance use) with physical health, little prevention efforts, transportation difficulties and low numbers of providers.
Native Americans suffer from higher rates of suicide, alcohol abuse and/or dependence, post-traumatic stress disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, poverty, homelessness and unemployment than any other cultural group.
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Mental Health America Awarded Grant
Congress passes bill to make Vets’ Corps
Congress passes bill to make Vets’ Corps
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 16:28:19 EDT
Legislation that would create a Veterans’ Corps as a new element of the AmeriCorps national service plan has passed Congress and is on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.
Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., one of the chief sponsors of the Veterans’ Corps portion of the national service expansion, said he has high hopes for the new program that will give veterans a way to help other veterans make the transition to civilian life.
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 16:28:19 EDT
Legislation that would create a Veterans’ Corps as a new element of the AmeriCorps national service plan has passed Congress and is on its way to the White House for President Barack Obama’s signature.
Rep. Phil Hare, D-Ill., one of the chief sponsors of the Veterans’ Corps portion of the national service expansion, said he has high hopes for the new program that will give veterans a way to help other veterans make the transition to civilian life.
The bill, HR 1388, does not specify how many people will be able to sign up for the Veterans’ Corps, but it greatly expands the size of the U.S. national service program.
Under the bill, which lawmakers decided to name the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act, the number of national service positions would be about 88,000 in 2010 but would grow to 250,000 by 2017.go here for more
Medically unfit still being deployed?
Medically unfit being deployed?
By Tony Lombardo - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 16:33:47 EDT
Conflicting policies, inaccurate records, and uninformed commanders and medical providers all could play a role in the Army’s deployment of soldiers medically unfit to serve, according to an Army inspector general’s report.
It was obtained Monday by Army Times through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The report is a response to “numerous Congressional inquiries, media releases and complaints from soldiers and veteran organizations regarding the growing perception that the Army is deploying soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan who are medically unfit,” the executive summary states.
Army Secretary Pete Geren called for an inspection of the Army’s medical deployment process June 18. Seven inspectors general and a team including representatives from Army G-1, Army Medical Command, the National Guard and the Army Reserve conducted the inspection.
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Medically unfit being deployed?
By Tony Lombardo - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 31, 2009 16:33:47 EDT
Conflicting policies, inaccurate records, and uninformed commanders and medical providers all could play a role in the Army’s deployment of soldiers medically unfit to serve, according to an Army inspector general’s report.
It was obtained Monday by Army Times through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The report is a response to “numerous Congressional inquiries, media releases and complaints from soldiers and veteran organizations regarding the growing perception that the Army is deploying soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan who are medically unfit,” the executive summary states.
Army Secretary Pete Geren called for an inspection of the Army’s medical deployment process June 18. Seven inspectors general and a team including representatives from Army G-1, Army Medical Command, the National Guard and the Army Reserve conducted the inspection.
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Medically unfit being deployed?
Two heroes catch falling baby in Lawrence MA
Two men praised after catching falling baby in Lawrence
March 31, 2009
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff
LAWRENCE - It might have ended so differently, if Robert Lemire had not decided on pizza for dinner or if Alex Day had not come to the apartment on Haverhill Street for Bible study.
Neither might have seen the heart-stopping sight of a girl in a diaper and T-shirt dangling from an apartment window three stories above the ground, and they might not have been waiting to catch her when she finally fell.
Eighteen-month-old Caliah Clark survived a 30-foot plummet Sunday night and probably owes her life to the two men who ran to the spot below the window and caught her, one by the legs, another above the waist, and brought her, unhurt, back to her father in the apartment upstairs.
"When they saved my daughter's life, they saved my own life because if she would have been hurt, I don't know what I'd do," said the father, 28-year-old Randall Clark. "For them to be there to catch my daughter, it's unbelievable. Accidents do happen in a split second."
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Two men praised after catching falling baby in Lawrence
March 31, 2009
By Brian R. Ballou, Globe Staff
LAWRENCE - It might have ended so differently, if Robert Lemire had not decided on pizza for dinner or if Alex Day had not come to the apartment on Haverhill Street for Bible study.
Neither might have seen the heart-stopping sight of a girl in a diaper and T-shirt dangling from an apartment window three stories above the ground, and they might not have been waiting to catch her when she finally fell.
Eighteen-month-old Caliah Clark survived a 30-foot plummet Sunday night and probably owes her life to the two men who ran to the spot below the window and caught her, one by the legs, another above the waist, and brought her, unhurt, back to her father in the apartment upstairs.
"When they saved my daughter's life, they saved my own life because if she would have been hurt, I don't know what I'd do," said the father, 28-year-old Randall Clark. "For them to be there to catch my daughter, it's unbelievable. Accidents do happen in a split second."
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Two men praised after catching falling baby in Lawrence
Monday, March 30, 2009
Baltimore Sun Investigation reveals Army's risky medical practices
This was sent from Shelia over at Quilt of Tears. Agent Orange Quilt of Tears
Our troops guinea pigs? Does this surprise anyone?
Our troops guinea pigs? Does this surprise anyone?
Innovations were rushed to the battlefield without thorough testing
Investigation reveals Army's risky medical practices
By Robert Little mailto:%20robert.little@baltsun.com
March 28, 2009
The U.S. Army in recent years has rushed a number of medical innovations onto the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan with little testing or data to support them, and then altered or abandoned them when they didn't live up to expectations.Things like advanced battle dressings, a blood-clotting drug and alternative procedures for emergency blood transfusions were introduced into military hospitals without the rigorous review common in civilian hospitals, and Army officials sometimes changed or disregarded data from their own scientists that questioned their effectiveness, The Baltimore Sun found in an investigation.In some instances, wounded service members were among the first humans on whom the treatments were used. And while virtually all of the Army's published research supports the treatments, some Army studies concluding that they are ineffective or potentially dangerous haven't been published.The aggressive push is a point of pride to some Army doctors and officials, but others deride it as reckless and say they felt pressured to defy their own judgments in favor of the military's favored, but unproven, treatments.
Related links
Interview with Army surgeon general Audio
Factor VII timeline
Sun coverage: Factor VII
And controversy over the experimental nature of the Army's combat medicine continues in Iraq today. A new formula for blood transfusions, hailed by the Army as its greatest medical breakthrough of the war, has been adopted by civilian hospitals around the world, based largely on the military's experience. Some civilian studies also support it, yet others, including a two-year study at Baltimore's Shock Trauma center, raise doubts that the procedure works.
Among The Sun's findings:• Roughly 17,000 packages of a blood-clotting substance were shipped to Iraq last year for distribution to Army medics, despite warnings from the service's own scientists against using it on humans. It was quickly recalled when animal tests revealed potentially deadly complications.
• An $89 bandage given to every combat soldier and honored by the Army as one of its "greatest inventions" was deployed despite two unpublished studies from the service's research lab showing that it was no more effective than gauze. After mixed reports from the battlefield, it is being recalled and replaced.
• Liberal use of a blood-clotting drug, injected copiously into wounded soldiers in 2005 and 2006, became the Army's "standard operating procedure" more than a year before any clinical studies evaluating the drug's use on trauma patients had been completed. The drug has since proven largely ineffective in three unpublished Army studies and potentially dangerous in at least one, and is now used only in extreme cases.
• Transfusions of fresh whole blood, considered dangerous and unnecessary in civilian medicine, became standard treatments early in the Iraq war, based on anecdotes and theoretical arguments. They unwittingly exposed 20 or more patients in Iraq and Afghanistan to hepatitis. Studies of the practice have since found mixed results, and it is now used only in emergency situations.
Read the story on the investigation this Sunday in The Baltimore Sun.
New spotlight on child suicide
New spotlight on child suicide
Childhood suicide is being talked about with increasing candor, a change that became relevant last month when three Illinois children took their own lives.
Childhood suicide is being talked about with increasing candor, a change that became relevant last month when three Illinois children took their own lives.
"I'd say suicide-prevention education is following the same path as drug prevention in the 1990s," said Christine Mitchell, state director of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. "There's more resources ... more sharing of information. We need to stop whispering and start talking so kids can get the help they need." click link for more
"Losing a Marine to suicide is like abandoning a Marine in combat"
Marine Corps takes a new approach to suicide prevention
A dramatic, multimedia presentation is intended to get troops' attention. Suicide rates have shown an alarming increase.
By Tony Perry
March 28, 2009
Reporting from Camp Pendleton -- Forty-one Marines marched on command to the front of the hall and stared at hundreds of their comrades assembled Friday for a presentation ordered by top generals to try to stem a rising rate of suicide.
The Marines represented the number who took their own lives last year, more than were killed in Iraq (34) or in Afghanistan (27).
Losing a Marine to suicide, Col. Lori Reynolds told the group, is like abandoning a Marine in combat.
Marines must be more diligent in looking for signs that one of them is thinking of suicide, she said.
"Last year, we left 41 Marines out there on the battlefield," Reynolds said. "There were signs."
The suicides equaled a rate of 19 per 100,000 troops, up from 33 suicides and a rate of 16.5 in 2007, and 25 suicides and a rate of 12.9 in 2006.
Of the 41, 36 were junior enlisted, three were non-commissioned officers and two were officers. Twenty-nine shot themselves; 12 hanged themselves.
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Marine Corps takes a new approach to suicide prevention
A dramatic, multimedia presentation is intended to get troops' attention. Suicide rates have shown an alarming increase.
By Tony Perry
March 28, 2009
Reporting from Camp Pendleton -- Forty-one Marines marched on command to the front of the hall and stared at hundreds of their comrades assembled Friday for a presentation ordered by top generals to try to stem a rising rate of suicide.
The Marines represented the number who took their own lives last year, more than were killed in Iraq (34) or in Afghanistan (27).
Losing a Marine to suicide, Col. Lori Reynolds told the group, is like abandoning a Marine in combat.
Marines must be more diligent in looking for signs that one of them is thinking of suicide, she said.
"Last year, we left 41 Marines out there on the battlefield," Reynolds said. "There were signs."
The suicides equaled a rate of 19 per 100,000 troops, up from 33 suicides and a rate of 16.5 in 2007, and 25 suicides and a rate of 12.9 in 2006.
Of the 41, 36 were junior enlisted, three were non-commissioned officers and two were officers. Twenty-nine shot themselves; 12 hanged themselves.
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Marine Corps takes a new approach to suicide prevention
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.
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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.
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
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.
go here for more
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.
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.
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
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.
go here for more of this
Afghanistan vet's shooting trial postponed
Florida Today - Melbourne,FL,USA
Sunday, March 29, 2009
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
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.
go here for more
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?
There were also three non-combat related deaths in Afghanistan as well.
These reports are on LA Times and linked from
iCasualties.org: Operation Enduring Freedom
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
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.
go here for more
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
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.
go here for more
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
Saturday, March 28, 2009
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
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.
go here for more
Man busted for robbery at cop convention
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