VA advance funding one step closer to reality
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:41:35 EDT
There is good news for military and veterans’ organizations in the 2010 budget agreement reached Monday night by House and Senate negotiators.
The budget, which includes $606 billion for the Defense Department and $106.5 billion for the Veterans Affairs Department next year, also creates a window of opportunity for passage of some high-priority issues this year.
For example, the agreement opens the door for the top priority of veterans’ organizations, providing money for veterans’ health care one year in advance. The key language, in this case, is a provision preventing a point of order being raised against legislation to provide a 2011 VA health funding bill this year.
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka, D-Hawaii, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee chairman and a sponsor of advanced appropriations legislation, said the provision “brings us closer to our goal of providing on-time funding for veterans’ health care, allowing VA to plan ahead and make better use of taxpayer money.”
Raymond Dempsey, national commander of Disabled American Veterans, called the budget “good news for our nation’s veterans.”
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VA advance funding one step closer to reality
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR
Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:25:00 EDT
Lawyers filed seven class-action lawsuits in seven states on behalf of service members and civilians who say they were sickened by the open-air burn pits on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit, were filed against contractor KBR Inc., as well as its parent company, Halliburton, after a Military Times story that ran last October showed that the burn pit at Joint Base Balad, the biggest U.S. base in Iraq, burned everything from petroleum products to dioxin-releasing plastic water bottles to amputated limbs.
Two more lawsuits are expected to be filed Wednesday
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Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR/
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 28, 2009 17:25:00 EDT
Lawyers filed seven class-action lawsuits in seven states on behalf of service members and civilians who say they were sickened by the open-air burn pits on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit, were filed against contractor KBR Inc., as well as its parent company, Halliburton, after a Military Times story that ran last October showed that the burn pit at Joint Base Balad, the biggest U.S. base in Iraq, burned everything from petroleum products to dioxin-releasing plastic water bottles to amputated limbs.
Two more lawsuits are expected to be filed Wednesday
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Nine burn-pit lawsuits filed against KBR/
The Soloist, a lesson in fixing ourselves
There were times tonight as I watched this movie, I had tears. The plight of Fox's character and the need of Downey's character to "fix" Fox, was what got to me the most. The scenes of homeless people in LA made me think that among many of the homeless, there are veterans, much like my husband. While he only came close to becoming homeless during his darkest days, we managed somehow to stay together. Most of that came from understanding what PTSD was and the Grace of God changing my mind every time I wanted to walk away.
I kept remembering when I thought I could "fix" my husband. If I were loving enough, calm enough, strong enough, smart enough, if I were enough at all for him, he would be the way I wanted him to be instead of the way he was. When I faced the truth that I could only "fix" myself, then I was happier and so was he.
I learned to live my life by myself, doing what made me happy and what I enjoyed to do, with him or without him, without holding any resentment toward him for not being able to go with me. I learned to stop wanting what I could not have but to tell the truth, it still hurt to have to walk away from conversations when other people were complaining about such trivial matters in their own lives when I was living with PTSD. Over time, knowing my marriage would be the way it is was a choice I made to stay and I stopped blaming others unable to stay in their own marriages.
That was the lesson of this movie. I highly recommend anyone living with someone with a mental illness or PTSD to go and see this movie. It's heartwarming and transforming. It shows a side of life few others really see with their hearts. While this is a movie about schizophrenia, there are many parts of it that can apply to living with PTSD as well. What we want to give to others is sometimes not what they need from us. Sometimes it comes down to just caring about them that matters the most of all.
I kept remembering when I thought I could "fix" my husband. If I were loving enough, calm enough, strong enough, smart enough, if I were enough at all for him, he would be the way I wanted him to be instead of the way he was. When I faced the truth that I could only "fix" myself, then I was happier and so was he.
I learned to live my life by myself, doing what made me happy and what I enjoyed to do, with him or without him, without holding any resentment toward him for not being able to go with me. I learned to stop wanting what I could not have but to tell the truth, it still hurt to have to walk away from conversations when other people were complaining about such trivial matters in their own lives when I was living with PTSD. Over time, knowing my marriage would be the way it is was a choice I made to stay and I stopped blaming others unable to stay in their own marriages.
That was the lesson of this movie. I highly recommend anyone living with someone with a mental illness or PTSD to go and see this movie. It's heartwarming and transforming. It shows a side of life few others really see with their hearts. While this is a movie about schizophrenia, there are many parts of it that can apply to living with PTSD as well. What we want to give to others is sometimes not what they need from us. Sometimes it comes down to just caring about them that matters the most of all.
The Soloist, starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr.
Synopsis
Academy Award-nominated Atonement director Joe Wright teams with screenwriter Susannah Grant to tell the true life story of Nathaniel Ayers, a former violin prodigy whose bouts with schizophrenia landed him on the streets after two years of schooling at Juilliard. Steve Lopez (Robert Downey, Jr.) is a disenchanted journalist stuck in a dead-end job. His marriage to a fellow journalist having recently come to an end, Steve is wandering through Los Angeles' Skid Row when he notices a bedraggled figure playing a two-stringed violin. The figure in question is Ayers (Jamie Foxx), a man whose promising career in music was cut short due to a debilitating bout with mental illness. The more Lopez learns about Ayers, the greater his respect grows for the troubled soul. How could a man with such remarkable talent wind up living on the streets, and not be performing on stage with a symphony orchestra? Later, as Lopez embarks on a quixotic quest to help Ayers pull his life together and launch a career in music, he gradually comes to realize that it is not Ayers whose life is being transformed, but his own. - Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-soloist/30936/synopsis?flv=1
Minnesota House should be ashamed cutting veterans funds
Is this why so many Republicans think the Democratic party does not support veterans? While the vast majority of Democrats really support veterans, the Minnesota House Democrats have decided that it's a good idea to cut back on funding for veterans in a time when there are reports across the nation screaming how much help they need to heal from the wounds they received in service to this nation. Are they out of their minds?
I said a long time ago that when it comes to the troops and our veterans, political party should be secondary. This is why when a Republican does something right, I fully support them no matter what party they belong to and when Democratic Party members get it wrong, I fully slam them. This is one of the worst times to cut back on veterans because their needs have been growing and will keep growing with two active military campaigns going on and finally an awareness reaching older veterans about what has been wrong with them when it comes to PTSD. What good does it do to make them aware of what can be done for them and what caused their agony when their own state does not think they are worthy of funding?
I said a long time ago that when it comes to the troops and our veterans, political party should be secondary. This is why when a Republican does something right, I fully support them no matter what party they belong to and when Democratic Party members get it wrong, I fully slam them. This is one of the worst times to cut back on veterans because their needs have been growing and will keep growing with two active military campaigns going on and finally an awareness reaching older veterans about what has been wrong with them when it comes to PTSD. What good does it do to make them aware of what can be done for them and what caused their agony when their own state does not think they are worthy of funding?
Letter: Hamilton disappointed in House Democrats
On a party-line vote, the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved a finance proposal that reduces funding for agriculture, veterans, and military needs across the state. All House Republicans opposed the measure because it does not fairly fund veterans, military affairs and farm programs.
By: Dist. 22B Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, Worthington Daily Globe
On a party-line vote, the Minnesota House of Representatives has approved a finance proposal that reduces funding for agriculture, veterans, and military needs across the state. All House Republicans opposed the measure because it does not fairly fund veterans, military affairs and farm programs.
As Vice-Chair of the committee that approved the bill, I am outraged by the priorities set by House Democrats in this budget-setting process.
The House majority gave this committee a funding target that was ridiculously low, and our veterans and our farmers will suffer because of it. Instead of refusing to take a stand against funding dog parks and practice hockey arenas, the majority forced farm programs to be gutted in order to increase funding for our veterans.
Special needs requests from suffering veterans across the state are increasing at an alarming rate. So far in 2009, the Department of Veterans Affairs has already spent 15 percent more on medical requests than at this point in 2008. Special needs applications for veterans have also increased by 25 percent, which is why additional funding is needed in this area.
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http://www.dglobe.com/event/article/id/21729/
Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
Autism research: Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
By Trine Tsouderos Tribune staff reporter
12:00 PM CDT, April 28, 2009
Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder.
Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people to those of thousands of people without the disorder--a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
The review showed that most autistic people have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported a link between autism and small "mistakes" in another DNA segment involved with cell communication.
Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.
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Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
By Trine Tsouderos Tribune staff reporter
12:00 PM CDT, April 28, 2009
Researchers have found that many people with autism share common genetic variations, a discovery that may improve diagnosis and offers the promise of developing treatments for the frustratingly mysterious disorder.
Their findings, published in the journal Nature, compared the genomes of thousands of autistic people to those of thousands of people without the disorder--a massive task that new technology has only recently made possible. The genome is the complex system of DNA coding that builds and runs the human body.
The review showed that most autistic people have a genetic variation in a portion of their DNA that affects the way brain cells connect with one another. Scientists also reported a link between autism and small "mistakes" in another DNA segment involved with cell communication.
Both reports add weight to the idea that autism is related to problems with the way brain cells connect.
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Scientists find genetic variations linked to autism
Young adults are most likely to switch churches or stop going
Churches need to figure out what is Christ's message to the world and start living up to it and maybe, just maybe, people will return to a time when they wanted to go to church. Too many people standing up in front of the congregations have no clue what Christ taught and it doesn't matter if they are called Father, Reverend, or Pastor. They say one thing, preach from the same Bible but then what Christ said is all but forgotten as soon as they start their sermon.
For many of us, faith is in flux
Young adults are most likely to switch churches -- or stop going, study finds
Jeff Kunerth Sentinel Staff Writer
April 28, 2009
A member of the Holy Family Catholic Church congregation sits by a stained-glass window. ( GARY W. GREEN, ORLANDO SENTINEL / February 25, 2009)
About half of all American adults have changed religious affiliation, most often because they felt spiritually unfulfilled or found a church they liked better, according to a study released Monday.
Young adults are most likely to switch churches or stop going to church altogether. Those who leave the religion of their childhood are most likely to do so before they reach age 24, according to the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life survey.
The religious "churn" suggests that many Americans, even those who don't attend church, are constantly looking for religious fulfillment, said John Green, a researcher on "Faith in Flux: Changes in Religious Affiliation in the U.S."
"There is a real demand side of the religious marketplace that complements the supply side. There are people who are ready, willing and able to change faiths if they find one that appeals to them," Green said.
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For many of us, faith is in flux
Suicide death of friend leads journalist to understand PTSD
We must help our returning warriors
By Scott Krahling
For the Sun-News
Posted: 04/28/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
My friend Kyle was a colleague at work and a neighbor, as well. For over a year, I considered him one of my closest friends, and the time I spent with him helped me realize many things. His death — by suicide — helped me realize many more.
Unlike Kyle, I am not a veteran of military service. Even so, I always assumed I understood veterans' issues and that I could empathize with their experiences by extrapolating from my own. I was wrong.
Nothing I have done in my life could have helped me understand how being in battle changed Kyle emotionally and psychologically. After his death, I delved further into the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I wanted to know what killed a man who survived service in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.
Part of my research led me to the Las Cruces Vet Center, where Guy McCommon and his staff work daily with warriors who have served our country and have come back changed by the experience. Changed by the reality of killing. Changed by the reality of being hunted. Changed by the memories of blood, bone and bodies — men, women and children. Changed by ghosts. Changed by nightmares that we who have not been to war cannot imagine.
Kyle tried his best to come back home and fit in, but his personal universe was so manifestly altered by his experiences that what we call "society" was chimera to him. He knew how thin the veil of civilization is, and he knew the savagery of which humans are capable toward one another. There was no going back. There was only slogging forward, trying to adapt alone to a new reality that even his closest friends could not grasp. Empathy is an empty word for a warrior amid civilians.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It sounds clinical and clean to those of us who are uninitiated. This is not the stress of a job lost or even the funeral for a friend.
It is a messy, complicated, jagged and relentless reality for those who experience traumatic events in war or in life. It is shards of glass on the nerves. It is live electricity against bare flesh. It is savage enough to drive a good man to a silent, peaceful grave.
go here for more
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12239846
By Scott Krahling
For the Sun-News
Posted: 04/28/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
My friend Kyle was a colleague at work and a neighbor, as well. For over a year, I considered him one of my closest friends, and the time I spent with him helped me realize many things. His death — by suicide — helped me realize many more.
Unlike Kyle, I am not a veteran of military service. Even so, I always assumed I understood veterans' issues and that I could empathize with their experiences by extrapolating from my own. I was wrong.
Nothing I have done in my life could have helped me understand how being in battle changed Kyle emotionally and psychologically. After his death, I delved further into the topic of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I wanted to know what killed a man who survived service in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division.
Part of my research led me to the Las Cruces Vet Center, where Guy McCommon and his staff work daily with warriors who have served our country and have come back changed by the experience. Changed by the reality of killing. Changed by the reality of being hunted. Changed by the memories of blood, bone and bodies — men, women and children. Changed by ghosts. Changed by nightmares that we who have not been to war cannot imagine.
Kyle tried his best to come back home and fit in, but his personal universe was so manifestly altered by his experiences that what we call "society" was chimera to him. He knew how thin the veil of civilization is, and he knew the savagery of which humans are capable toward one another. There was no going back. There was only slogging forward, trying to adapt alone to a new reality that even his closest friends could not grasp. Empathy is an empty word for a warrior amid civilians.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It sounds clinical and clean to those of us who are uninitiated. This is not the stress of a job lost or even the funeral for a friend.
It is a messy, complicated, jagged and relentless reality for those who experience traumatic events in war or in life. It is shards of glass on the nerves. It is live electricity against bare flesh. It is savage enough to drive a good man to a silent, peaceful grave.
go here for more
http://www.scsun-news.com/ci_12239846
CT: Fresh Strategies Recommended for PTSD
"That guy has shell shock!" Those were the words my father used when I asked him what he thought about Jack. My father was a disabled Korean veteran. Back then I was just learning about PTSD and while research had been going on since the 70's, in 1982 there was not that much known. I had no idea PTSD in my husband would get worse. I thought it was as bad as it could get and we tried to just deal with it. Back then we had plenty of excuses because addressing it was all knew. The wound itself was as ancient as mankind but all generations before never did anything about it. It was because of Vietnam veterans coming back and forcing the nation to treat it, acknowledge it as a service connected disability and take care of all generations wounded by it.
People like me have lived with it for over 30 years, researched it, learned about it and decided that with our expertise others could benefit by our own heartache. The problem is, no one would listen. Being "alone" with no one understanding what PTSD was lead to well meaning people offering one piece of advice, "Walk away and get on with your own life." when it came to my marriage. They couldn't understand anyone causing that much pain to someone else. My view was that had it been cancer instead of PTSD, I doubt they would have given the same advice. There was an awareness of what cancer was and most people understood the changes in a patient facing a deadly illness. What they didn't understand was that PTSD was a deadly wound leaving the veterans dying a very slow death.
Too many years have passed by and very little has been done on educating people about PTSD. This is what I've been trying to do since 1982 because I knew it had to be done. Not just for the veterans and their families to understand it, but to give them the tools they needed to live with it and find their own kind of "normal" living with it. This is not all bad as long as you know where it all comes from. As a matter of fact, there are parts of PTSD that can be quiet amusing instead of causing anger when there is awareness of where it is coming from.
My heartache comes from the fact all these years of experience I and other spouses have is all there for the newest generation to learn from, well within their reach so they can learn from us as easily as possible but they are not asking. They lack the basic knowledge to even know what to ask for. As communities around the nation face a tsunami of wounded veterans needing help and support, they are also reluctant to even begin to face it leaving veterans and their families to suffer needlessly in isolation while they scream for help.
The other issue is that mental health professionals able to treat the veterans will not listen either. While they have experience in addressing it from a professional standpoint, they do not know what it is like to live with it and we have great insight on what they can never see.
What Connecticut is doing with this is a good step in the right direction and is desperately needed.
People like me have lived with it for over 30 years, researched it, learned about it and decided that with our expertise others could benefit by our own heartache. The problem is, no one would listen. Being "alone" with no one understanding what PTSD was lead to well meaning people offering one piece of advice, "Walk away and get on with your own life." when it came to my marriage. They couldn't understand anyone causing that much pain to someone else. My view was that had it been cancer instead of PTSD, I doubt they would have given the same advice. There was an awareness of what cancer was and most people understood the changes in a patient facing a deadly illness. What they didn't understand was that PTSD was a deadly wound leaving the veterans dying a very slow death.
Too many years have passed by and very little has been done on educating people about PTSD. This is what I've been trying to do since 1982 because I knew it had to be done. Not just for the veterans and their families to understand it, but to give them the tools they needed to live with it and find their own kind of "normal" living with it. This is not all bad as long as you know where it all comes from. As a matter of fact, there are parts of PTSD that can be quiet amusing instead of causing anger when there is awareness of where it is coming from.
My heartache comes from the fact all these years of experience I and other spouses have is all there for the newest generation to learn from, well within their reach so they can learn from us as easily as possible but they are not asking. They lack the basic knowledge to even know what to ask for. As communities around the nation face a tsunami of wounded veterans needing help and support, they are also reluctant to even begin to face it leaving veterans and their families to suffer needlessly in isolation while they scream for help.
The other issue is that mental health professionals able to treat the veterans will not listen either. While they have experience in addressing it from a professional standpoint, they do not know what it is like to live with it and we have great insight on what they can never see.
What Connecticut is doing with this is a good step in the right direction and is desperately needed.
New Research Identifies PTSD, Other Problems for Returning Veterans; Fresh Strategies Recommended
New research for veterans identifying significant rates of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other compelling problems for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan has been released by the Center for Public Policy & Social Research (CPPSR) at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU). Based on the data, CPPSR has made policy recommendations to help these veterans better readjust to civilian life and stands ready to assist other states in doing the same.
New Britain, CT (PRWEB) April 28, 2009 -- New research has identified significant rates of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other compelling needs of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. The Center for Public Policy & Social Research (CPPSR) at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) and the Connecticut Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) recently released their needs assessment of returning Connecticut veterans. Based on the data, CPPSR has recommended fresh strategies to help veterans readjust to civilian life, and hopes to share its new research model with other VA departments nationwide.
The report, authorized by Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell and DVA
Commissioner Linda Spoonster Schwartz, explored the significant medical, psychosocial and economic needs of these veterans, as well as the existing barriers veterans face in meeting those needs. It concluded with a series of recommendations, based on the research data, to optimize readjustment to civilian life for these veterans.
DVA Commissioner Schwartz said, "We relied on the expertise of the Center for design, data collection and analysis of the first ever Connecticut Veterans Needs Assessment… which serves as a guide for the development of legislation, programs and services." By doing this, she said, "CPPSR has improved our responsiveness to the needs of veterans…"
Conducted by Dr. Marc Goldstein and Dr. Jim Malley of CCSU, the assessment integrated data from meetings with veterans' service providers, focus groups with veterans, and a survey mailed to 2,050 veterans.
Some of the key findings include: almost 22% of veterans screening positive for PTSD; nearly 20% reporting difficulty in relating to their civilian friends; and over 10% reporting difficulty in connecting emotionally with family members. Additionally, veterans most in need of support are the least likely to seek it out. This reflected either distrust of the VA establishment or concerns about being stigmatized or de-normalized by seeking mental health treatment. These veterans are at particular risk of slipping into a downward spiral of marital and family problems, employment problems, substance abuse and problems with the law.
Among the primary recommendations are: to initiate a public awareness campaign to inform and educate on these issues, targeting the veterans and their families, the general public and non-military caregivers; to develop an early identification and outreach system for those returning veterans most at-risk for serious readjustment difficulties, who may need assistance; and to avoid stigma for veterans seeking help by creating an integrated network of mental health support services in non-clinical sites that veterans find comfortable, such as Vet Centers and veteran support programs.
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http://www.prweb.com/releases/PTSD/new_research/prweb2349904.htm
Vietnam MIA's family given medal for his heroism
Family given soldier's medal for heroism
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., April 27 (UPI) -- It took 42 years, but the family of a U.S. Army Green Beret major missing in action in Vietnam has been given the Distinguished Service Cross he earned.
At a ceremony in Fayetteville, N.C., last Wednesday, the story was told how on March 24, 1967, Maj. Jack T. Stewart was last seen providing cover fire for his comrades as they evacuated their position at Bu Dop in Phuoc Long province near the Cambodian border while under attack from an overwhelming North Vietnamese force, American Forces Press Services said Monday.
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Family given soldier's medal for heroism/
Approximately 4,000 Florida Army National Guard soldiers could be deploying
Army National Guard Prepares Soldiers and Families For Upcoming Deployment
Posted: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Last Updated: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Reporter: Vanessa Nguyen
Email Address: vanessa.nguyen
Approximately 4,000 Florida Army National Guard soldiers could be deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan during the next twelve months.
Military officials say it will be the largest mobilization in state history.
The deployment could include a majority of Panama City's 153rd Calvary Regiment.
For the last several months, commanders of the 153rd Calvary Regiment have been preparing their soldiers and their families for possible deployment.
Army National Guard Major Joseph Lyon says, "you don't mobilize any soldier. You mobilize their family. Now when I say that, you have to prepare the family to be able to stand alone on their own two feet."
go here for more
http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/43834087.html
Posted: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Last Updated: 8:41 PM Apr 27, 2009
Reporter: Vanessa Nguyen
Email Address: vanessa.nguyen
Approximately 4,000 Florida Army National Guard soldiers could be deploying to Iraq or Afghanistan during the next twelve months.
Military officials say it will be the largest mobilization in state history.
The deployment could include a majority of Panama City's 153rd Calvary Regiment.
For the last several months, commanders of the 153rd Calvary Regiment have been preparing their soldiers and their families for possible deployment.
Army National Guard Major Joseph Lyon says, "you don't mobilize any soldier. You mobilize their family. Now when I say that, you have to prepare the family to be able to stand alone on their own two feet."
go here for more
http://www.wjhg.com/home/headlines/43834087.html
Monday, April 27, 2009
Lightning Strike Kills Man on Motorcycle
Lightning Strike Kills Man on Motorcycle
Lawrence Journal-World
Troy Gentzler, 45, was volunteering for Bikers Against Child Abuse when he died.
(April 27) -- A Lawrence, Kan., man died Saturday after he was struck by a bolt of lightning as he and six companions rode their motorcycles through a rainstorm, the Lawrence Journal-World reported.
Troy Gentzler, 45, was killed shortly after visiting an abuse victim for the northeast Kansas chapter of Bikers Against Child Abuse.
The bolt struck as the group was traveling between the towns of Grantville and Perry.
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Lightning Strike Kills Man on Motorcycle
Command Sgt. Major Benjamin Moore Jr passes away in Iraq
Decorated Scofield soldier dies in Iraq
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 11:38:11 EDT
ALBANY, Ga. — A decorated Army soldier from south Georgia has died in Iraq.
The Department of Defense said Command Sgt. Major Benjamin Moore Jr. of Waycross died Friday of injuries that were not combat-related.
He was 43.
Moore was assigned to 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Combat Brigade Team, 25th Infantry Division, based at Scofield Barracks, Hawaii.
Moore earned 55 medals and had served in the Army since June 1983.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Decorated Scofield soldier dies in Iraq
Del. Guardsman charged with raping soldier
Del. Guardsman charged with raping soldier
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 12:47:12 EDT
GEORGETOWN, Del. — A member of the Delaware Army National Guard has been charged with raping a fellow soldier at the Georgetown Armory and sexual extortion.
Georgetown police say Staff Sgt. Theodoric Dixon, 36, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment, sexual extortion, coercion and official misconduct. He has since been released.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/ap_del_guard_rape_charge_042709/
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 12:47:12 EDT
GEORGETOWN, Del. — A member of the Delaware Army National Guard has been charged with raping a fellow soldier at the Georgetown Armory and sexual extortion.
Georgetown police say Staff Sgt. Theodoric Dixon, 36, was arrested Friday and charged with first-degree rape, unlawful imprisonment, sexual extortion, coercion and official misconduct. He has since been released.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/ap_del_guard_rape_charge_042709/
Second suicide at Shoot Straight in Casselberry FL
Report: Person shoots, kills self at Casselberry gun range
Apr 27, 2009 06:17 PM
A person has fatally shot him self at Shoot Straight, the same Casselberry gun range where a murder-suicide took place earlier this month, according to WFTV.com.
UPDATE April 28, 2009
Winter Springs man killed himself on second trip to gun range
Gary Taylor Sentinel Staff Writer
1:08 PM EDT, April 28, 2009
CASSELBERRY - Jason Kevin McCarthy, 26, was at Shoot Straight on U.S. Highway 17-92 about 11 a.m. Monday and asked about renting a gun, Casselberry police Officer Joseph Nas said in a report that has just been released. McCarthy was handed paperwork to fill out, "but he stated he had something to do first and left the store," Nas wrote.
He came back about 5:40 p.m. and that time he filled out the paperwork and rented a 9mm handgun.
No one saw McCarthy shoot himself, but the suicide was verified by a surveillance video, police said. Employee Adam Schulman told police he instructed McCarthy on how to safely use the gun and watched him shoot at his target on a monitor for about five minutes before turning to wait on a customer.
He said he realized something was wrong when another customer pounded on the glass and told him McCarthy had shot himself.
go here for more
Winter Springs man killed himself on second trip to gun range
Apr 27, 2009 06:17 PM
A person has fatally shot him self at Shoot Straight, the same Casselberry gun range where a murder-suicide took place earlier this month, according to WFTV.com.
UPDATE April 28, 2009
Winter Springs man killed himself on second trip to gun range
Gary Taylor Sentinel Staff Writer
1:08 PM EDT, April 28, 2009
CASSELBERRY - Jason Kevin McCarthy, 26, was at Shoot Straight on U.S. Highway 17-92 about 11 a.m. Monday and asked about renting a gun, Casselberry police Officer Joseph Nas said in a report that has just been released. McCarthy was handed paperwork to fill out, "but he stated he had something to do first and left the store," Nas wrote.
He came back about 5:40 p.m. and that time he filled out the paperwork and rented a 9mm handgun.
No one saw McCarthy shoot himself, but the suicide was verified by a surveillance video, police said. Employee Adam Schulman told police he instructed McCarthy on how to safely use the gun and watched him shoot at his target on a monitor for about five minutes before turning to wait on a customer.
He said he realized something was wrong when another customer pounded on the glass and told him McCarthy had shot himself.
go here for more
Winter Springs man killed himself on second trip to gun range
Bill aims to protect vets’ gun rights
They don't want to hear they have nothing to fear when it comes to having to turn in their guns for PTSD treatment. It's as simple as that. They know how screwed up the system can be and they don't want to trust it. This bill needs to be passed so that I don't have to hear more veterans asking more about losing their right to have a gun than they do about PTSD itself.
As I've stated many times before, I do not own a gun and have no plans of getting one but I do not judge others or question their rights as long as they are responsible gun owners. The only thing I care about is that there are many veterans who will not go to the VA out of fear of having to give up their guns.
As I've stated many times before, I do not own a gun and have no plans of getting one but I do not judge others or question their rights as long as they are responsible gun owners. The only thing I care about is that there are many veterans who will not go to the VA out of fear of having to give up their guns.
Bill aims to protect vets’ gun rights
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 14:06:49 EDT
A bill aimed at protecting the gun rights of some veterans is under Senate consideration.
The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, pending before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, would limit the circumstances in which a veteran’s name could be added to a federal database used to do instant background checks for gun purchases.
By law, anyone “adjudicated as a mental defective,” such as people found to be a danger to themselves or others or who lack the mental capacity to manage their affairs, must be registered in the database.
The bill, S 669, which has 15 co-sponsors, would prohibit VA from submitting names to the National Instant Criminal Background Check database unless a judicial authority finds the individuals to be a danger to themselves or others.
VA has been turning over the names of veterans who have had someone else appointed to handle their financial affairs. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., ranking Republican on the veterans committee and sponsor of the bill, said VA has sent names of more than 117,000 veterans to the Justice Department since 1998 under the policy.“Although there is still no danger a veteran will lose their right to carry a firearm for seeking treatment for [post-traumatic stress disorder], we offer our support for this legislation in the hopes it will quell any fears veterans might have about seeking treatment for mental health injuries,” said Patrick Campbell, IAVA’s chief legislative counsel.
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Media interest in covering return of fallen soldiers drops
Media interest has fallen off sharply since almost 40 reporters, photographers and camera operators turned out to document the arrival of Myers’ body. At a more recent casualty arrivals, the only media representative was a lone photographer from The Associated Press.
This is really sad! All the complaints from the media about being banned from Dover, stopped from taking pictures of the flag covered caskets coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan and now this is the result? How can they possibly lose interest? Isn't it bad enough that they no longer cover what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan? Good Lord, too many people in this country have no clue what is happening in either country and they don't bother to find out. The media buries the stories in local papers and the national media seems more interested in President Obama's picture on a magazine with different colored swimming shorts!
Most families OK coverage of fallen soldiers
By Randall Chase - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 11:28:13 EDT
DOVER, Del. — In the weeks since the Pentagon ended an 18-year ban on media coverage of fallen soldiers returning to the U.S., most families given the option have allowed reporters and photographers to witness the solemn ceremonies that mark the arrival of flag-draped transfer cases.
Critics had warned that military families needed privacy and peace activists might exploit the images, but so far the coverage has not caused problems.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip A. Myers of Hopewell, Va., who died April 4 in Afghanistan, was the first combat casualty whose return to American soil was witnessed by the media. He was to be buried with full military honors Monday afternoon at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Veterans are backing Jones' bill
U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones deserves a medal for this! Over 22,000 of our men and women in the military have received dishonorable, or less than honorable discharges that should have been honored when they clearly had PTSD. Too many reports came out on how the DOD and the VA were not being honest with diagnosing and treating PTSD. Too many commanders still have not come to terms with this war born wound and act as if the men and women they command suffering from this wound are not worthy of anything, including treatment and compensation, but above all, the respect of an honorable discharge. It has all been less than honorable treatment for them. Without an honorable discharge and the erroneous outrage diagnosis of a "pre-existing" mental health illness, they receive nothing. No treatment. No compensation. Most of the time, no jobs after they served. This betrayal should not be tolerated and they should be compensated if they are found to have PTSD or TBI but on top of it, compensated with retroactive payments and a public apology from the DOD for the suffering they had to go thru. They were betrayed and so were their families.
Veterans are backing Jones' bill
WILSON - Veterans groups are rallying behind U.S. Rep. Walter B. Jones' bill designed to help service members suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injuries.
Jones, a Republican from Farmville, was joined this week at a press conference by representatives from the National Association for Uniformed Services, the National Military Family Association, Military Officers Association of America and Air Force Sergeants Association. All are supporting House Resolution 1701: PTSD/TBI Guaranteed Review for Heroes ActThe bill would create a special review board at the Department of Defense for service members who were less than honorably discharged. The board would be allowed to change the characterization of discharge to honorable if PTSD or TBI are found to have been contributing factors.
Also, it would mandate a physical examination board before an administrative separation proceeding for active duty service members if the service member has been diagnosed with PTSD or TBI by a medical authority.go here for more
Answers sought after Guardsman kills police officers
This is not a case of a combat veteran coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan. It's a case of domestic violence turning deadly for police officers responding. Is there anything that could have warned them of what they were facing when trying to arrest Cartwright? Is there anything that could warn them when they face anyone armed, trained and ready to kill?
Investigators said Cartwright was not a war veteran, but Spooner said the Florida National Guard soldier was interested in militia movements and weapons training.
Answers sought after Guardsman kills officers
By Melissa Nelson - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 8:54:57 EDT
NICEVILLE, Fla. — Two deputies from a troubled sheriff’s office in Florida had no warning a confrontation with a National Guard soldier accused of beating his wife would turn deadly, the sheriff said.
Deputies Burt Lopez and Warren “Skip” York used a stun gun to subdue Joshua Cartwright, but he was able to start shooting at them from the ground. Both Lopez and York died.
“Within seconds he sat up and began firing a weapon that came out of nowhere, it was somewhere on his body we assume,” Okaloosa County’s Interim Sheriff Ed Spooner told more than 300 sheriff’s office employees who gathered Sunday night to pray and hear an explanation of the shootings.
Cartwright was killed in a shootout at a roadblock after a car chase into a neighboring county. The deputies had gone to a shooting range to arrest him after his wife sought treatment for domestic abuse injures at an area hospital.
Spooner said the deputies had no information to make them think Cartwright would turn his weapons on them.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/04/ap_fla_guardsman_shooting_042709/
SpecOps soldier dies while running marathon
SpecOps soldier dies while running marathon
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 7:03:11 EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Army officials say a runner who collapsed and died after at the Country Music Marathon was a special operations aviation soldier based at Fort Campbell, Ky.
The army said in news release Sunday the runner was Staff Sgt. Benjamin “Levi” Pigman, a 25-year-old native of Hamilton, Mont.
Pigman collapsed Saturday after he completed the half-marathon at the event. He was treated at the scene and then transported to Nashville General Hospital, where he died, the release said.
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SpecOps soldier dies while running marathon
Fallujah was not a game. Video game is wrong
To say they want to show the realities of war in a video game is ridiculous! If they want to show the "reality" of war, then why turn it into a video game? They would have turned it into a documentary showing respect for the men and women serving, risking their lives, getting wounded and killed in the line of duty. A game? That is supposed to show the reality of what they went thru? There are too many video games where keyboard warriors do battle with the bad guys making all of it unreal. These real warriors deserve to have their stories told with care, respect and honor.
Support, criticism greet Fallujah video game
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 27, 2009 5:10:22 EDT
A video game based on a real battle in Iraq is drawing volleys of criticism — and it won’t even be released until next year.
But it was Marines from 3rd Battalion, 1st Marines, at Camp Pendleton, Calif., who came up with the idea for a historically accurate video game based on their experiences fighting in Fallujah in November 2004.
“They want to tell their story. Video games are their medium,” said Peter Tamte, president of Atomic Games, the developer of “Six Days in Fallujah.”But before anybody has fired a shot in the game’s battles, “Six Days in Fallujah” is facing controversy.
Gold Star Families Speak Out, an organization of families with loved ones who died in Iraq and Afghanistan, say they are outraged that a video game will graphically recreate the Fallujah battle. They are part of the larger Military Families Speak Out, which opposes the war in Iraq.
Gold Star mother Tracy Miller said she was “stunned” when she heard about the video game. Her son, sniper Cpl. Nicholas L. “Nick” Ziolkowski, was killed by a sniper Nov. 14, 2004, in Fallujah.
“This is not a game. His life wasn’t a game, and the fact that he died wasn’t a game.
“I think [the game] trivializes it. And so many of these games dull sensibilities to violence,” she said.
“For every Gold Star parent, no matter how we feel about the war, what we want is that our kids be remembered. I haven’t seen this game, but I suspect they’re not going to be remembering our kids or even what happened historically.”
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