Barrington father hopes his ‘mistakes’ will teach others
01:00 AM EDT on Thursday, April 23, 2009
By Linda Borg
Journal Staff Writer
BARRINGTON — A contrite John Place said his son was wrong to allow teenagers in his house while he and his wife were away recently and added that he hopes that parents and teenagers will learn from his mistakes.
“I am not going to make excuses for my son,” Place said in an interview Tuesday night. “He was wrong, and I regret leaving him home alone. He has screwed up before. He should have known better.”
On Friday, April 10, more than 20 youths, many of them minors, turned up at Place’s house on Sowams Avenue and allegedly threw a party in his basement.
When the police arrived that night, they could hear music and laughter coming from the basement, and, when they opened the exterior bulkhead door, they said that the smell of beer and alcohol was overwhelming.
But when the police contacted Place by cell phone and asked for permission to enter his house, he refused. Police Chief John M. LaCross said that his officers could not enter the house without permission unless they believed that someone’s life was in danger.
Place came under heavy criticism on the Internet and on talk radio this week because he left his 19-year-old son, Corey, home alone while he and his wife, Susan, spent the beginning of the Easter weekend in Maryland.
Place wasn’t on vacation. Rather, he said he had been called to active duty at the Walter Reed Army Hospital, where he is a psychiatric nurse who helps wounded soldiers recover.
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Barrington father hopes his ‘mistakes’ will teach others
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops
Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops
By: Jeff Dufour and Kiki Ryan
Examiner Columnist
04/21/09 4:22 PM
Country superstar Toby Keith will leave D.C. for Afghanistan on Tuesday night to add to the 100-plus USO shows he’s played throughout the past seven years. But at the National Press Club earlier in the day, Keith lamented that more celebrities don’t make similar trips to back the troops.
He said when they’re being paid to make movies, few stars want to leave “Disneyland” and “go to a war zone.”
Not that the danger isn’t real. “I’ve raced Marines to a bunker when the sirens go off,” he said. “It took me 100 shows to learn to trust how good our guys really are.”
But “you don’t have to go to a war zone,” he implored any celebs who were listening. “Go to Walter Reed Hospital.”
go here for more
Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops
By: Jeff Dufour and Kiki Ryan
Examiner Columnist
04/21/09 4:22 PM
Country superstar Toby Keith will leave D.C. for Afghanistan on Tuesday night to add to the 100-plus USO shows he’s played throughout the past seven years. But at the National Press Club earlier in the day, Keith lamented that more celebrities don’t make similar trips to back the troops.
He said when they’re being paid to make movies, few stars want to leave “Disneyland” and “go to a war zone.”
Not that the danger isn’t real. “I’ve raced Marines to a bunker when the sirens go off,” he said. “It took me 100 shows to learn to trust how good our guys really are.”
But “you don’t have to go to a war zone,” he implored any celebs who were listening. “Go to Walter Reed Hospital.”
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Toby Keith: More celebs should visit troops
Frederick police officer recovering from injuries in Iraq
Frederick police officer recovering from injuries in Iraq
by Erica L. Green Staff Writer
While her husband may be growing restless, Heather Preece is just settling down enough to finally rest.
Reed Preece, a Frederick Police officer serving in Iraq, is recovering nicely from injuries he suffered when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on April 12, his wife said.
"He's really bored," Heather said. "He's pushing to be cleared to get back out there. I'm just settling and trying to get back to normal."
Heather received a phone call on Easter Sunday informing her that her husband was "injured, but alive," then another call less than 24 hours that said he was "bloody, but OK."
Preece, 24, a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard, had suffered second-degree-burns to left side of body, shrapnel wounds to neck, left shoulder, and left leg. He also suffered a fractured knee and had to be treated for smoke inhalation from helping pull soldiers out of a burning vehicle.
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http://www.gazette.net/stories/04232009/frednew153958_32535.shtml
by Erica L. Green Staff Writer
While her husband may be growing restless, Heather Preece is just settling down enough to finally rest.
Reed Preece, a Frederick Police officer serving in Iraq, is recovering nicely from injuries he suffered when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device on April 12, his wife said.
"He's really bored," Heather said. "He's pushing to be cleared to get back out there. I'm just settling and trying to get back to normal."
Heather received a phone call on Easter Sunday informing her that her husband was "injured, but alive," then another call less than 24 hours that said he was "bloody, but OK."
Preece, 24, a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard, had suffered second-degree-burns to left side of body, shrapnel wounds to neck, left shoulder, and left leg. He also suffered a fractured knee and had to be treated for smoke inhalation from helping pull soldiers out of a burning vehicle.
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http://www.gazette.net/stories/04232009/frednew153958_32535.shtml
Col. Janis Karpinski 'vindicated' by Senate report
April 22, 2009
Army officer 'vindicated' by Senate report
WASHINGTON (AP) - An Army Reserve colonel demoted from brigadier general because of prisoner abuses at the Abu Ghraib facility in Iraq said Wednesday a new Senate report supports her contention that uniformed military people were made scapegoats for Bush administration policies.
Col. Janis Karpinski said that "from the beginning, I've been saying these soldiers did not design these techniques on their own."
Karpinski said she felt vindicated and said she thought it had taken "far too long" for the information about the history of the interrogation policy to surface publicly.
Eleven U.S. soldiers have been convicted and five officers, including Karpinski, have been disciplined in the Abu Ghraib scandal. Karpinski was demoted to colonel for alleged dereliction of duty - a charge she has vehemently denied. The only soldier still imprisoned for Abu Ghraib is former Cpl. Charles Graner Jr., who received a 10-year sentence for assault, battery, conspiracy, maltreatment, indecent acts and dereliction of duty.
Army documents released in May 2005 substantiated Karpinski's assertions that she was innocent of two principal allegations lodged against her by officer who initially investigated abuses at Abu Ghraib.
The 232-page Senate report released late Tuesday found that the brutal treatment of terror detainees and prisoners by members of the U.S. military, both at Abu Ghraib and the Guantanamo prison facility, wasn't simply the work of "a few bad apples"
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Army officer 'vindicated' by Senate report
Army officer 'vindicated' by Senate report
WASHINGTON (AP) - An Army Reserve colonel demoted from brigadier general because of prisoner abuses at the Abu Ghraib facility in Iraq said Wednesday a new Senate report supports her contention that uniformed military people were made scapegoats for Bush administration policies.
Col. Janis Karpinski said that "from the beginning, I've been saying these soldiers did not design these techniques on their own."
Karpinski said she felt vindicated and said she thought it had taken "far too long" for the information about the history of the interrogation policy to surface publicly.
Eleven U.S. soldiers have been convicted and five officers, including Karpinski, have been disciplined in the Abu Ghraib scandal. Karpinski was demoted to colonel for alleged dereliction of duty - a charge she has vehemently denied. The only soldier still imprisoned for Abu Ghraib is former Cpl. Charles Graner Jr., who received a 10-year sentence for assault, battery, conspiracy, maltreatment, indecent acts and dereliction of duty.
Army documents released in May 2005 substantiated Karpinski's assertions that she was innocent of two principal allegations lodged against her by officer who initially investigated abuses at Abu Ghraib.
The 232-page Senate report released late Tuesday found that the brutal treatment of terror detainees and prisoners by members of the U.S. military, both at Abu Ghraib and the Guantanamo prison facility, wasn't simply the work of "a few bad apples"
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Army officer 'vindicated' by Senate report
Veterans hope to rebuild their lives through Conservation Corps
Veterans hope to rebuild their lives through Conservation Corps
The Veterans Conservation Corps, a state-financed program, is helping veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan tackle two big challenges of civilian life — finding new employment and coping with psychic battle scars. The focus is on outdoor jobs in forestry, wildlife management and other natural-resource fields.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
COVINGTON — At a subdivision in Southeast King County, nine people wield shovels, picks and machetes to hack down blackberry thickets that have overgrown a tiny wetland.
Hour by hour, they clear more of the brambles, revealing cedar and other native plants that had been enveloped by the thorny bushes.
Every person on this crew is a military veteran, most of whom served in Iraq or Afghanistan. All are hoping to forge new careers through the Veterans Conservation Corps, a state-financed program that helps them tackle two big challenges of civilian life — finding new employment and coping with the psychic battle scars of war.
The focus is on outdoor jobs in forestry, wildlife management and other natural-resource fields that can put the veterans outside, where it's hoped they can tap some of the healing powers of nature. The veterans combine classroom work at community colleges with weekly forays to restore waterways, monitor pollution and tackle other tasks.
On this day, they are laboring at one of many small wetlands created by developers to compensate for marshland filled in for housing. Most of these spots are overgrown with blackberries and other invasive species, and the restoration work is tough labor that often leaves scratched-up arms.
"It's been like a breath of fresh air," said Jeremy Grisham, the leader of the crew. "When I first got back, I couldn't find work and gained so much weight. When I started getting outside, it was the first time I felt good about things."
Grisham was a Navy medic who took part in the initial U.S. invasion of Iraq. One of his most harrowing tasks was helping civilians suffering from burns and wounds. As Grisham was medically retired in 2005, he was diagnosed with a disabling case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
go here for more and for video
Veterans hope to rebuild their lives through Conservation Corps
The Veterans Conservation Corps, a state-financed program, is helping veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan tackle two big challenges of civilian life — finding new employment and coping with psychic battle scars. The focus is on outdoor jobs in forestry, wildlife management and other natural-resource fields.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
COVINGTON — At a subdivision in Southeast King County, nine people wield shovels, picks and machetes to hack down blackberry thickets that have overgrown a tiny wetland.
Hour by hour, they clear more of the brambles, revealing cedar and other native plants that had been enveloped by the thorny bushes.
Every person on this crew is a military veteran, most of whom served in Iraq or Afghanistan. All are hoping to forge new careers through the Veterans Conservation Corps, a state-financed program that helps them tackle two big challenges of civilian life — finding new employment and coping with the psychic battle scars of war.
The focus is on outdoor jobs in forestry, wildlife management and other natural-resource fields that can put the veterans outside, where it's hoped they can tap some of the healing powers of nature. The veterans combine classroom work at community colleges with weekly forays to restore waterways, monitor pollution and tackle other tasks.
On this day, they are laboring at one of many small wetlands created by developers to compensate for marshland filled in for housing. Most of these spots are overgrown with blackberries and other invasive species, and the restoration work is tough labor that often leaves scratched-up arms.
"It's been like a breath of fresh air," said Jeremy Grisham, the leader of the crew. "When I first got back, I couldn't find work and gained so much weight. When I started getting outside, it was the first time I felt good about things."
Grisham was a Navy medic who took part in the initial U.S. invasion of Iraq. One of his most harrowing tasks was helping civilians suffering from burns and wounds. As Grisham was medically retired in 2005, he was diagnosed with a disabling case of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
go here for more and for video
Veterans hope to rebuild their lives through Conservation Corps
Tammy Duckworth confirmed for veterans post finally!
Duckworth confirmed for veterans post
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 23, 2009 8:38:33 EDT
CHICAGO — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Iraq war helicopter pilot Tammy Duckworth's nomination as an assistant secretary at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Duckworth will direct the Office of Public Affairs and Intergovernmental Communications. Among other things, the Illinois National Guard major will oversee VA's public affairs operations, as well as programs for homeless veterans.
"President Obama and America's veterans now have Tammy Duckworth as their advocate and champion," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a statement. "I know Tammy will bring the same level of commitment to the VA that she has shown in fighting for her country and representing Illinois veterans."
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Duckworth confirmed for veterans post
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Apr 23, 2009 8:38:33 EDT
CHICAGO — The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Iraq war helicopter pilot Tammy Duckworth's nomination as an assistant secretary at the Veterans Affairs Department.
Duckworth will direct the Office of Public Affairs and Intergovernmental Communications. Among other things, the Illinois National Guard major will oversee VA's public affairs operations, as well as programs for homeless veterans.
"President Obama and America's veterans now have Tammy Duckworth as their advocate and champion," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois said in a statement. "I know Tammy will bring the same level of commitment to the VA that she has shown in fighting for her country and representing Illinois veterans."
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Duckworth confirmed for veterans post
Deluded need to wake up fast!
This person (below) wrote an opinion piece and it was printed. The problem is, she is so wrong it's beyond belief but too many people will agree with her simply because they have not paid attention in all these years. That's right! Years! She is blaming Obama for the deplorable conditions veterans have been subjected to for years but President Obama has not even been in office for a hundred days yet.
Where was she and others when the veterans and the wounded troops were being subjected to this appalling treatment since 2001 and the first troops were sent to Afghanistan?
Where was she when Bush cut the VA so there were less doctors and nurses working for the VA than there were following the Gulf War but we had two military campaigns producing more and more wounded joining the veterans already in line for the care they were promised?
Where was she as the backlog of claims jumped from 400,000 to almost 900,000?
Where was she when PTSD wounded were being dishonorably discharged under "personality disorders" instead of being treated for this war born wound?
Where was she when Nicholson returned funds out of the VA budget as wounded soldiers returned to this soil, turned away from the VA when they sought help for PTSD and committed suicide? Did she weep at their graves?
The list of offenses Bush committed on our veterans is so long it would take hours to list, yet people like the writers of this opinion piece fail to acknowledge any of this. While she said " Over the last year" it was before Obama took office but she did not mention all of this happened while Bush was President. She also did not notice the fact that it was not "over the last year" but over all the years Bush was in office. Never once did she mention what the Democrats have accomplished since they managed to finally get in charge of the Veterans Affairs committee or the fact that Obama was on that committee.
She raised the point of the "private insurance" that Obama was considering but when he listened to the voices of the veterans he abandoned any thoughts of doing this. Again the key word is "thought" and not plan. While something like this would help veterans needing treatment but having their VA claims denied, since if they happen to have jobs they are charged for their care without an approved claim and a recognized "service connected disability" they pay out of their pocket because insurance companies can deny paying because as they put it "it's the responsibility of the government to cover this care." just as they did in the 90's when congress changed the rules under Bill Clinton. Again, she failed to pay attention.
When it came to what Napolitano had to defend herself and the administration over, again she failed to acknowledge the fact that under Bush the recruitment problems escalated to the point where they lowered the requirements so far down criminals were allowed to enter into the military. These criminals are heavily armed and serving right next to the rest of the troops who wanted to join because they wanted to serve the country instead of wanting to avoid time in jail. Gang members were allowed to join as well. Ever think about how violent gang members are when it comes to them getting their hands on the training the military offers?
The "tea party" was something else she avoided when it came to veterans around the country being part of the taxes they don't want to pay since the VA is paid by tax dollars and the budgets have been increased since the GOP has been out of control over it or the fact that they were responsible for the VA budget falling short every year. I wonder if she ever watched CSPAN when the budget was being debated and the GOP kept saying they couldn't afford to increase the VA because of all the money being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan? When it came to what Bush wanted, everything was vital, but when it came to what our veterans needed, well, there just wasn't enough money for it and then they managed to fight for tax cuts for the wealthy. Wonder if she noticed how this made veterans feel as they were sitting in their living rooms holding yet another denial from the VA telling them they could file an appeal?
She also avoided mentioning the fact that when our troops are wounded by PTSD and untreated, left abandoned by the nation they were willing to risk their life for, left to suffer financially and emotionally, it can lead to a lot of problems for the rest of society as it has already when they are suffering from PTSD driven flashbacks and nightmares that put them back into battle mode. If she cannot even consider the fact they have been treated so poorly by Bush and his leadership they could turn into disgruntled veterans, then she has a real problem.
There are so many needing help right now that have been unjustly treated, denied the care they were promised and left to suffer for serving it should make any American sickened but too many in this country would rather avoid knowledge of how it got this bad and who was responsible for all of this. It's easier to just jump on whatever the Obama Administration gets tripped up over instead of what they have been really trying to fix. We avoid the facts at our peril because this nation depends on the men and women serving it. They should never be used as part of some kind of twisted political game. If this woman had paid attention to facts instead of claims made by some talking heads on a certain cable channel, she would not be so deluded.
If you want to know who wrote the rant above, click on link.
Where was she and others when the veterans and the wounded troops were being subjected to this appalling treatment since 2001 and the first troops were sent to Afghanistan?
Where was she when Bush cut the VA so there were less doctors and nurses working for the VA than there were following the Gulf War but we had two military campaigns producing more and more wounded joining the veterans already in line for the care they were promised?
Where was she as the backlog of claims jumped from 400,000 to almost 900,000?
Where was she when PTSD wounded were being dishonorably discharged under "personality disorders" instead of being treated for this war born wound?
Where was she when Nicholson returned funds out of the VA budget as wounded soldiers returned to this soil, turned away from the VA when they sought help for PTSD and committed suicide? Did she weep at their graves?
The list of offenses Bush committed on our veterans is so long it would take hours to list, yet people like the writers of this opinion piece fail to acknowledge any of this. While she said " Over the last year" it was before Obama took office but she did not mention all of this happened while Bush was President. She also did not notice the fact that it was not "over the last year" but over all the years Bush was in office. Never once did she mention what the Democrats have accomplished since they managed to finally get in charge of the Veterans Affairs committee or the fact that Obama was on that committee.
She raised the point of the "private insurance" that Obama was considering but when he listened to the voices of the veterans he abandoned any thoughts of doing this. Again the key word is "thought" and not plan. While something like this would help veterans needing treatment but having their VA claims denied, since if they happen to have jobs they are charged for their care without an approved claim and a recognized "service connected disability" they pay out of their pocket because insurance companies can deny paying because as they put it "it's the responsibility of the government to cover this care." just as they did in the 90's when congress changed the rules under Bill Clinton. Again, she failed to pay attention.
When it came to what Napolitano had to defend herself and the administration over, again she failed to acknowledge the fact that under Bush the recruitment problems escalated to the point where they lowered the requirements so far down criminals were allowed to enter into the military. These criminals are heavily armed and serving right next to the rest of the troops who wanted to join because they wanted to serve the country instead of wanting to avoid time in jail. Gang members were allowed to join as well. Ever think about how violent gang members are when it comes to them getting their hands on the training the military offers?
The "tea party" was something else she avoided when it came to veterans around the country being part of the taxes they don't want to pay since the VA is paid by tax dollars and the budgets have been increased since the GOP has been out of control over it or the fact that they were responsible for the VA budget falling short every year. I wonder if she ever watched CSPAN when the budget was being debated and the GOP kept saying they couldn't afford to increase the VA because of all the money being spent in Iraq and Afghanistan? When it came to what Bush wanted, everything was vital, but when it came to what our veterans needed, well, there just wasn't enough money for it and then they managed to fight for tax cuts for the wealthy. Wonder if she noticed how this made veterans feel as they were sitting in their living rooms holding yet another denial from the VA telling them they could file an appeal?
She also avoided mentioning the fact that when our troops are wounded by PTSD and untreated, left abandoned by the nation they were willing to risk their life for, left to suffer financially and emotionally, it can lead to a lot of problems for the rest of society as it has already when they are suffering from PTSD driven flashbacks and nightmares that put them back into battle mode. If she cannot even consider the fact they have been treated so poorly by Bush and his leadership they could turn into disgruntled veterans, then she has a real problem.
There are so many needing help right now that have been unjustly treated, denied the care they were promised and left to suffer for serving it should make any American sickened but too many in this country would rather avoid knowledge of how it got this bad and who was responsible for all of this. It's easier to just jump on whatever the Obama Administration gets tripped up over instead of what they have been really trying to fix. We avoid the facts at our peril because this nation depends on the men and women serving it. They should never be used as part of some kind of twisted political game. If this woman had paid attention to facts instead of claims made by some talking heads on a certain cable channel, she would not be so deluded.
Letter: Obama isn't proving to be veteran-friendly
Thursday, April 23, 2009
President Barack Obama’s mantra to our veterans is: “I will take care of you.”
Upon taking office, Obama immediately set out to attempt to force veterans to pay for their own health coverage. Outcry and outrage surfaced in Washington, forcing Obama to relent.
Over the last year, the Veterans Administration has been trying to get all its psychiatrists and psychologists to deny veterans a diagnosis of post-traumatic stress syndrome in hopes of preventing permanent disability payments for them and their family members.
When this surfaced, Obama’s secretary of veterans affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, refused to comment.
Now we have Secretary of Homeland Security Janet A. Napolitano categorizing veterans as potential violent extremists who may be future threats who may join terrorist cells. Officials base this claim on Timothy McVeigh’s attack on the Oklahoma City federal building.
When veterans’ groups expressed outrage at this news, Napolitano tried to save face by stating that the Obama administration “honors” veterans.
During the Tea Party demonstration in Vero Beach, two-thirds of 3,500 members of the crowds were veterans. Not a single violent act disrupted this demonstration.
Every veteran brings honor, dignity, commitment and sacrifice on behalf of our great nation. As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, I am sickened and devastated by the Obama administration’s attitude and stance.
If this is President Obama’s example of how he will “take care” of our veterans, he definitely has a long way to go.
Letter: Obama isn't proving to be veteran-friendly
If you want to know who wrote the rant above, click on link.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) visited four Arizona counties
With so many in congress getting an ear full of suffering veterans and PTSD, you'd think they would have found out what has to be done by now. At least Kirkpatrick is listening.
Kirkpatrick makes several stops in Rim Country
Wednesday, 22 April 2009 13:13
By Carolyn Wall
Gazette Correspondent
And Pat Rollins
Gazette Columnist
U.S. Representative Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ) visited four Arizona counties on her nine-day “Get Arizona Back on Track” tour earlier this month and included several venues in Payson Thursday, April 16.
Kirkpatrick arrived late at The Rim Club because of a traffic accident on the Beeline. In the interim, Payson Mayor Kenny Evans praised the first term Representative, especially for her accessibility.
He said they have exchanged 54 emails and some phone calls in the short time she has been in office.
Evans was also asked about the stimulus money and how quickly it would be coming into our area. He indicated projects would probably be starting around late May.
Gila County Supervisor Tommie Cline Martin said the county will be looking at three stimulus projects, a green library in Pine, CBG grants for weatherization, and septic systems clean-up.
Evans said he is trying to keep it quiet and low key, but Arizona State University is seriously considering Payson for an outreach campus. The campus could be open on a limited basis by 2010.
When Kirkpatrick arrived, she explained the committees she serves on, including the Small Business Committee, which is pouring more money into the Small Business Administration for additional loans.
She also serves on the Homeland Security Committee and talked about the great need for intelligent immigration reform. She is also on the Veteran Affairs Committee.
Her next stop was at the American Legion Hall where she had an informal discussion with military veterans and their family members.
The subject then turned to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which many veterans coming out of the service don’t even know they have.
Kirkpatrick commended Misti Isley DeCaire of Veterans Helping Veterans, who has taken veterans into her home since 1993, providing shelter, transportation for medical appointments and other necessities without any official status or sanction from the Veterans’ Administration.
DeCaire, in her 80’s, a 22-year veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam, said, “When you’ve been there, done that …”. Her voice trailed off, but those sitting at the table knew that all the veterans in the area know to go to her.
“Thank you for your shelter,” Kirkpatrick said.
Jim Muhr, a Vietnam vet, said that he goes for counseling for PTSD every two weeks.
“We have Iraqui vets and they say Vietnam vets are helping them. We understand where they’re coming from.”
Linda Muhr, his wife, talked about other casualties of the war – the wives and families.
“We have secondary PTSD as wives,” she said. “We’re kind of forgotten. PTSD can never be cured, but it can be treated.”
Muhr and three other women in Payson started a support group for wives of veterans a year ago. There are now eight in the group.
“The wife doesn’t get any counseling for any of this,” Muhr said.
Wives and children of veterans are, however, entitled to be treated at a veterans’ hospital, according to DeCaire.
Kirkpatrick said there will be 65,000 returning veterans from Iraq in the next two years.
“We’ve got an opportunity to do something right,” she said.
The PTSD Women’s and Family Support Group of Payson meets Mondays at 6 p.m. at St. Paul Church on Easy Street. For information, contact Linda Muhr at (928) 474-4530.
Kirkpatrick makes several stops in Rim Country
Orlando VA hospital needs lawmakers' backing and no more yakking!
The groundbreaking was a big event around here last year. I went to it, listened to the speeches and walked away scratching my head. The groundbreaking came before the election, no big surprise there but what stunned me was how obvious it was. This is not about what veterans need in Florida or it wouldn't have taken this long to get this hospital built. We have over 400,000 veterans in this state and the veterans of central Florida have to rely on a clinic. While it is the size of a hospital, it is far from being large enough or staffed enough to take care of all of the veterans here, especially when the snow birds come swooping in and getting in line for care.
A few months ago I posted how I had taken my husband to one of his appointments because parking was a huge issue. It was so bad there were security guards directing traffic behind the building. There were over 3,000 cars! We needed a hospital years ago and the veterans deserved a lot more than lip service about getting one when it seems the rest of the country is still waiting as well. When do we get any of this right? When the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan all come home and need help? Why will it take until 2012 to get this hospital up and running?
A few months ago I posted how I had taken my husband to one of his appointments because parking was a huge issue. It was so bad there were security guards directing traffic behind the building. There were over 3,000 cars! We needed a hospital years ago and the veterans deserved a lot more than lip service about getting one when it seems the rest of the country is still waiting as well. When do we get any of this right? When the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan all come home and need help? Why will it take until 2012 to get this hospital up and running?
VA hospital needs lawmakers' backing
Mark Schlueb Sentinel Staff Writer
April 22, 2009
With construction of a veterans hospital under way in east Orlando, congressional lawmakers pledged Tuesday to secure the money needed to finish the job. U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, hosted a meeting in Orlando to talk about the Lake Nona hospital. Filner, of San Diego, brought the committee to Florida at the behest of fellow Democrat and committee member Corrine Brown of Jacksonville. It was a chance for members of Florida's delegation to sit in and talk about the hospital. The hospital is scheduled for completion in 2012. It needs another $371 million appropriation, and Filner has grown accustomed to hearing freshman Democrats Alan Grayson of Orlando and Suzanne Kosmas of New Smyrna Beach mouth the number "371" in the halls.
VA hospital needs lawmakers' backing
VA submits statements late, cannot testify
VA submits statements late, cannot testify
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 22, 2009 17:39:19 EDT
Department of Veterans Affairs officials were barred Wednesday from providing testimony before a Senate subcommittee because they didn’t deliver their prepared statements far enough ahead of time.
That may have stopped some fireworks; the testimony included strong objections to legislation pending before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, including a bipartisan bill to increase benefits to family members who become significant caregivers to disabled veterans by providing specialized training, some health care benefits and a monthly stipend.
VA officials also wanted to express concerns about a bill that would make Iraq and Afghanistan veterans eligible for readjustment counseling — officials say it would give those veterans access not available to other veterans — and sought to oppose a rural health care proposal for veterans because it would have the government pay for air transportation when that is the best way to get to a veterans hospital, which could be costly.
The veterans committee, like most other congressional committees, wants to receive administration testimony several days before a scheduled hearing so the staff has time to review it and come up with questions.
go here for more
VA submits statements late, cannot testify
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 22, 2009 17:39:19 EDT
Department of Veterans Affairs officials were barred Wednesday from providing testimony before a Senate subcommittee because they didn’t deliver their prepared statements far enough ahead of time.
That may have stopped some fireworks; the testimony included strong objections to legislation pending before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, including a bipartisan bill to increase benefits to family members who become significant caregivers to disabled veterans by providing specialized training, some health care benefits and a monthly stipend.
VA officials also wanted to express concerns about a bill that would make Iraq and Afghanistan veterans eligible for readjustment counseling — officials say it would give those veterans access not available to other veterans — and sought to oppose a rural health care proposal for veterans because it would have the government pay for air transportation when that is the best way to get to a veterans hospital, which could be costly.
The veterans committee, like most other congressional committees, wants to receive administration testimony several days before a scheduled hearing so the staff has time to review it and come up with questions.
go here for more
VA submits statements late, cannot testify
UK:Female soldier succumbs to wound of PTSD
Will we ever learn the price of war does not end when they make it back home? Looks like the UK hasn't either.
Chanice Ward
29-year-old war hero dies
DAVID BALE
21 April 2009 11:03
A distraught family was today mourning the death of their war hero daughter.
Today, the father of Chanice Ward, 29, told how her daughter had suffered from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from her time in the army and he believes this may have led her to take her own life.
Ms Ward, of Barford, near Hethersett, was discharged from the army against her wishes and was pursuing a case for compensation with the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency when she died.
Earlier this year, she spoke to the Evening News about the horrific experiences she witnessed in Bosnia and Kosovo that left her suffering from PTSD.
Her father Ivor Ward, 57, who served 22 years in the army himself, plans to drape a Union Jack over her coffin at the funeral tomorrow . He said her case for compensation was still ongoing and that the family still could get the compensation.
Her death comes at a time when the issue of PTSD and the army's treatment of the condition has come under close scrutiny.
Last month an unprecedented 'suicide watch' was launched by commanders at Britain's main military base in Iraq following the deaths of three soldiers during a ten-week.
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29-year-old war hero dies
Female soldier death at Fort Sam Houston probed
Soldier's fatal shooting probed
By Sig Christenson - Express-News
Web Posted: 04/21/2009 11:02 CDT
A soldier was found dead in her barracks Tuesday night at Fort Sam Houston after a caller told post police that someone there had fired a weapon.
The victim suffered a single gunshot wound, but police were not saying where the GI had been shot or if her death was an apparent suicide.
“I haven't even seen a police report yet,” Fort Sam spokesman Phil Reidinger said late Tuesday, adding that police had provided few details to him in the case. “Without the police report and without confirmation of next-of-kin notification, I don't have any more details than I am able to provide you now.”
Fort Sam police arrived at the 32nd Medical Brigade training barracks around 6:30 p.m., moments after receiving the call. They found a body in the barracks, which has an open bay configuration and accommodates an average of about 60 GIs.
Virtually nothing was known about the victim. Reidinger said police had not given him her name, rank or age, and added that it wasn't known if her relatives had been notified. Though he did not know her job specialty, those in the barracks are at Fort Sam for training as combat medics.
“I don't know how long she had been assigned here,” he said.
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Soldier's fatal shooting probed
UPDATE
Sam Houston soldier apparently killed self
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Apr 22, 2009 19:28:40 EDT
SAN ANTONIO — The military says a soldier who flunked out of combat medic training has been found dead in an apparent suicide at the Fort Sam Houston barracks.
Spokesman Phil Reidinger at the base in Texas says Pfc. Jaynie May Askew was found Tuesday on her bed, next to a note and a .45-caliber handgun.
Reidinger says only two of the 60 training medics living at the barracks were there at the time of the shooting. He says the gun was not military issued, and he doesn't know how she got the gun into the barracks.
The 43-year-old Askew was being sent back to a military police unit of the Arizona National Guard after failing a required emergency medical technician test.
Sam Houston soldier apparently killed self
God delights to advance the humble
by
Chaplain Kathie
Another message from Papa Roy I needed to hear today. He always manages to do it. I'm sure many of you have gone thru times when you do what you believe you are lead to do by God's guidance, doing the right thing no matter what price you have to pay, and falling flat on your face. Most of the veterans I talk to end up feeling this way because they did what they believed in but ended up suffering for doing it with PTSD and then further assaulted by trying to have claims approved. The truth is, it's not just veterans but almost every one of us.
I've been feeling really, tremendously depressed with my financial state and the fact that after all these years, no one has a clue I'm here. Thousands of people have watched my videos. When they were up on YouTube and Google video, the numbers were over thousands of hits but also they were being used by organizations for audiences. I have no idea how many ended up seeing them. My book, provided for free online, is another creation of mine leaving me no idea how many people read it. This was all fine to me and didn't really matter up until the last couple of years.
While I've been helping veterans since 1982, the last 5 years has been devoted to them full time. We moved to Florida so that I could work part time for a pay check while being able to do this work more. I keep getting hopeful the day will come when I am able to have some kind of income for my work, but over and over again, my work is used and I'm forgotten. I end up thinking that no one cares about what I know, what I have to share and it's time to just give up. After all, why should my family suffer for what I do? Yet every time I want to give up, God sends someone to me needing help, or someone contacts me wanting my advice. Doesn't do me any good financially but supports the thought that this is what God wanted me to do.
Am I deluding myself? I can't promote my work no matter how hard I try because frankly, I'm just not good at it and emails are private. I don't talk about them and they don't either. I have full confidence in what I know but then Satan's foot gets in the way and has me telling myself I'm no one from no where and no one will ever really listen to me. Senators and congressmen ignore the emails and snail mail I send. Phone calls are not returned. Groups I had hope in and supported fell apart. People I helped during all these years managed to rise far above me, leaving me behind and forgetting I was here first. It sucks being me at this point.
Yesterday, like many other days, I wondered why I torture myself working at least 70 hours a week without getting anything for it. Why do I have to wake up in the morning trying to snatch onto hope only to go to bed at night more depressed than I was in the morning? Then a reader of my blog left a comment that had me near tears. She thanked me for all the help I give. That helped more than she will ever know.
This morning I got back from having my car fixed with a $200.00 bill to pay. I struggled to figure out how to pay for it and again Satan's foot got in the way and made me regret the decision I made 5 years ago. As I opened up the emails, I had no will to read them. More and more heartache across the nation on top of the heartache I was feeling in my personal life was just too much to put myself thru. After all, it's probably one of the biggest reasons I have so few hits on this blog. Too many sad stories and too few good ones. Believe me, I search very hard for good stories in all of this. I'm just like everyone else. I need some hope too. I read about another Marine committing suicide, PTSD struggles and a few other political emails and then opened up this one from Papa Roy. It gave me back some hope in a very dark time for me so I wanted to share it with you hoping it would do the same for you. We all have times when we feel as if we are suffering unjustly but we never know what God has planned for us or what tomorrow will bring. With faith, we can get up tomorrow and find ourselves restored no matter what we face and know we are not alone.
Chaplain Kathie
Another message from Papa Roy I needed to hear today. He always manages to do it. I'm sure many of you have gone thru times when you do what you believe you are lead to do by God's guidance, doing the right thing no matter what price you have to pay, and falling flat on your face. Most of the veterans I talk to end up feeling this way because they did what they believed in but ended up suffering for doing it with PTSD and then further assaulted by trying to have claims approved. The truth is, it's not just veterans but almost every one of us.
I've been feeling really, tremendously depressed with my financial state and the fact that after all these years, no one has a clue I'm here. Thousands of people have watched my videos. When they were up on YouTube and Google video, the numbers were over thousands of hits but also they were being used by organizations for audiences. I have no idea how many ended up seeing them. My book, provided for free online, is another creation of mine leaving me no idea how many people read it. This was all fine to me and didn't really matter up until the last couple of years.
While I've been helping veterans since 1982, the last 5 years has been devoted to them full time. We moved to Florida so that I could work part time for a pay check while being able to do this work more. I keep getting hopeful the day will come when I am able to have some kind of income for my work, but over and over again, my work is used and I'm forgotten. I end up thinking that no one cares about what I know, what I have to share and it's time to just give up. After all, why should my family suffer for what I do? Yet every time I want to give up, God sends someone to me needing help, or someone contacts me wanting my advice. Doesn't do me any good financially but supports the thought that this is what God wanted me to do.
Am I deluding myself? I can't promote my work no matter how hard I try because frankly, I'm just not good at it and emails are private. I don't talk about them and they don't either. I have full confidence in what I know but then Satan's foot gets in the way and has me telling myself I'm no one from no where and no one will ever really listen to me. Senators and congressmen ignore the emails and snail mail I send. Phone calls are not returned. Groups I had hope in and supported fell apart. People I helped during all these years managed to rise far above me, leaving me behind and forgetting I was here first. It sucks being me at this point.
Yesterday, like many other days, I wondered why I torture myself working at least 70 hours a week without getting anything for it. Why do I have to wake up in the morning trying to snatch onto hope only to go to bed at night more depressed than I was in the morning? Then a reader of my blog left a comment that had me near tears. She thanked me for all the help I give. That helped more than she will ever know.
This morning I got back from having my car fixed with a $200.00 bill to pay. I struggled to figure out how to pay for it and again Satan's foot got in the way and made me regret the decision I made 5 years ago. As I opened up the emails, I had no will to read them. More and more heartache across the nation on top of the heartache I was feeling in my personal life was just too much to put myself thru. After all, it's probably one of the biggest reasons I have so few hits on this blog. Too many sad stories and too few good ones. Believe me, I search very hard for good stories in all of this. I'm just like everyone else. I need some hope too. I read about another Marine committing suicide, PTSD struggles and a few other political emails and then opened up this one from Papa Roy. It gave me back some hope in a very dark time for me so I wanted to share it with you hoping it would do the same for you. We all have times when we feel as if we are suffering unjustly but we never know what God has planned for us or what tomorrow will bring. With faith, we can get up tomorrow and find ourselves restored no matter what we face and know we are not alone.
God delights to advance the humble
by Papa Roy
When God brings us to grapple with the magnitude of his sacrificing love through his Son two thousand years ago, he doesn’t just leave us there. He doesn’t have us grapple with his past act of death on the cross alone. He tells us that he is here with us now! That is exactly what God did with Gideon. God was raising Gideon up for his purpose to rescue and deliver Israel from the oppression. Our God is not God of past, but God who is present now! And, it is his presence of God that made Gideon a mighty warrior. (Steve Kim)
Judges 6:12 And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valor!”
What we fail to realize many times is, there are lots of little ways God can and will use us if we just let Him. You can’t put a limit on God, you can’t put conditions on Him. He asks us to be faithful in the small things. Those supposed menial tasks aren’t menial at all when you are promoting God’s work and His word. The battle is waged and we each need to do our part to be prepared. We don’t know God’s plan or intention when He uses us, but He does. He can already see the outcome, He knows He picked just the right person to do the job.
Pray for our country
Gracious and loving God, today we praise You for the kind ways You reach to us, initiating and inviting our communication with You through prayer.
In God we trust: If God asks, you must be willing to be used of God and willing to say, “here I am Lord, use me”, and mean it.
Papa Roy
NAMI Conference for Returning Veterans
NAMI-OC to Hold FRONT LINE Conference for Returning Veterans, Their Families and Community
IRVINE, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. until noon, the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Orange County (NAMI-OC) will bring together speakers, agencies and service providers who serve returning veterans and their families.
Front Line conferences provide important information on PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression and suicide prevention. The conference is designed not only for those veterans and family members who are seeking assistance, but also includes information and resources for those who serve veterans, such as pastors, counselors, social workers and police officers.
The conference will be held on April 25 at Kaiser Permanente in Irvine (6650 Alton Pkwy). It will include presentations by Dr. Clayton Chau (of The OC Health Care Agency) on issues facing Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, representatives from Orange County Veterans' Court and a detailed discussion on accessing Veteran's Benefits.
Representatives from the newly developed Orange County Veterans Court will be presenting on how their collaboration with local agencies is working to establish viable options for a select group of offenders whose needs are better met through treatment interventions rather than incarceration.
Community Resource tables will be available and include: Project Return to Work, Long Beach VAMC, Veterans Service Organization, St. Jude's Brain Injury Network and NAMI-OC.
NAMI Conference for Returning Veterans
IRVINE, Calif., April 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday, April 25 from 9 a.m. until noon, the National Alliance on Mental Illness-Orange County (NAMI-OC) will bring together speakers, agencies and service providers who serve returning veterans and their families.
Front Line conferences provide important information on PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), traumatic brain injury (TBI), depression and suicide prevention. The conference is designed not only for those veterans and family members who are seeking assistance, but also includes information and resources for those who serve veterans, such as pastors, counselors, social workers and police officers.
The conference will be held on April 25 at Kaiser Permanente in Irvine (6650 Alton Pkwy). It will include presentations by Dr. Clayton Chau (of The OC Health Care Agency) on issues facing Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, representatives from Orange County Veterans' Court and a detailed discussion on accessing Veteran's Benefits.
Representatives from the newly developed Orange County Veterans Court will be presenting on how their collaboration with local agencies is working to establish viable options for a select group of offenders whose needs are better met through treatment interventions rather than incarceration.
Community Resource tables will be available and include: Project Return to Work, Long Beach VAMC, Veterans Service Organization, St. Jude's Brain Injury Network and NAMI-OC.
NAMI Conference for Returning Veterans
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Pinellas County Florida Boy finds forgotten gun, accidentally shoots self in head
Boy finds forgotten gun, accidentally shoots self in head
Story Highlights
Boy, 12, found .25-caliber gun in box in closet
Police have not charged anyone in relation to incident
Florida law prohibits leaving a loaded firearm where minor can access it
Prosecutor: "Sometimes, the injury of a child is more severe" punishment
By Rich Phillips
CNN Senior Producer
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida boy remains in stable condition just days after he found his parents' long-forgotten handgun in a closet and accidentally shot himself in the head.
Sheriff's detectives in Pinellas County, Florida, near St. Petersburg, say the boy found the .25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun in a box in a closet in their home.
"They are dealing with this very tragic situation, and at this point, no charges have been filed," said Cecilia Barreda of the Pinellas County sheriff's office.
His stepfather found Jacob Larson, 12, with a gunshot wound to the head Friday. The stepfather called 911.
Police say the shooting took place between 7:40 a.m., when his mother, Tracy Newman, leaves for work, and about 11 a.m., when his stepfather, Joseph Newton, returns home. The boy normally goes to school about 8:30 a.m.
"A few years ago, they moved, and [the gun] was stored in the closet. The mother never checked it, never fired it," Barreda said.
"They told detectives that they forgot they had stored it in a box inside a closet. Both her and her husband forgot about it," she said.
Newman told detectives that she received the gun six years ago from a former employer. Police say that both she and her husband are cooperating in the investigation into the incident.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/21/forgotten.gun/index.html
Story Highlights
Boy, 12, found .25-caliber gun in box in closet
Police have not charged anyone in relation to incident
Florida law prohibits leaving a loaded firearm where minor can access it
Prosecutor: "Sometimes, the injury of a child is more severe" punishment
By Rich Phillips
CNN Senior Producer
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A Florida boy remains in stable condition just days after he found his parents' long-forgotten handgun in a closet and accidentally shot himself in the head.
Sheriff's detectives in Pinellas County, Florida, near St. Petersburg, say the boy found the .25-caliber European semi-automatic handgun in a box in a closet in their home.
"They are dealing with this very tragic situation, and at this point, no charges have been filed," said Cecilia Barreda of the Pinellas County sheriff's office.
His stepfather found Jacob Larson, 12, with a gunshot wound to the head Friday. The stepfather called 911.
Police say the shooting took place between 7:40 a.m., when his mother, Tracy Newman, leaves for work, and about 11 a.m., when his stepfather, Joseph Newton, returns home. The boy normally goes to school about 8:30 a.m.
"A few years ago, they moved, and [the gun] was stored in the closet. The mother never checked it, never fired it," Barreda said.
"They told detectives that they forgot they had stored it in a box inside a closet. Both her and her husband forgot about it," she said.
Newman told detectives that she received the gun six years ago from a former employer. Police say that both she and her husband are cooperating in the investigation into the incident.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/04/21/forgotten.gun/index.html
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