Viet Vet Don Wilmot: Time doesn’t heal it all
By Tammy Compton
Wayne Independent
Wed Jun 24, 2009, 05:27 PM EDT
Sterling, Pa. -
His helo was shot down four times in Vietnam. Twice behind enemy lines.
“Did you ever get a feeling that you’re falling out of bed? It’s like your stomach’s kind of up in your chest? Well, just imagine being in a helicopter, 500 or 600 feet, and all of a sudden you’ve lost power and the bottom drops out. Well, you’re on your gun, you’re trying to shoot the enemy. And you know the crash is coming. There’s nothing you can do to prevent it from happening. The three or four seconds it takes for you to crash just seems like a lifetime. It’s a helpless feeling ...there’s nothing that can be done until you hit the ground. You just wait,” says Don Wilmot of Sterling Township.
His unit was known as “Tweed’s Tigers” serving under Commanding Officer Col. Mac Tweed. Don was a crew chief/ door gunner with the Marines HMM-361 helicopter squadron, aboard Yankee November (YN)21. He flew 440 missions, 360 of those combat missions, including 200 successful medivacs.
go here for more
Viet Vet Don Wilmot: Time does not heal it all
Thursday, June 25, 2009
US Vietnam veterans send home fallen comrades
US Vietnam veterans send home fallen comrades
By Ian Timberlake – 16 hours ago
DANANG, Vietnam (AFP) — Standing to attention in the hot sun, a Marines baseball cap over his heart, US veteran Alan Segal watched as an honour guard carried the flag-draped coffins of his fellow servicemen onto an Air Force plane, taking them home 34 years after the Vietnam War ended.
Beside him another US veteran of the Vietnam conflict, Rick Janovick, 58, saluted fellow servicemen whose names he did not even know.
Segal and Janovick, who have chosen to live where they once fought, were among dozens who witnessed Wednesday's repatriation ceremony which came as the US and Vietnam step up cooperation in the hunt for missing servicemen.
Among the guests were crew from the USNS Bruce C. Heezen, the first US Navy ship to join the search effort. The ship has just completed a 12-day survey for missing American aircraft in waters off central and south-central Vietnam.
The two sets of remains sent home on Wednesday came from the land but US officials hoped the Heezen's involvement would speed up the search for underwater sites, meaning the remains of airmen still missing at sea could, in the future, also be repatriated with dignity.
Since Vietnam and the US began cooperating more than 20 years ago in the search for the remains of missing US servicemen, more than 600 have been repatriated but about 1,300 are still unaccounted for in Vietnam, the US says.
go here for more
US Vietnam veterans send home fallen comrades
By Ian Timberlake – 16 hours ago
DANANG, Vietnam (AFP) — Standing to attention in the hot sun, a Marines baseball cap over his heart, US veteran Alan Segal watched as an honour guard carried the flag-draped coffins of his fellow servicemen onto an Air Force plane, taking them home 34 years after the Vietnam War ended.
Beside him another US veteran of the Vietnam conflict, Rick Janovick, 58, saluted fellow servicemen whose names he did not even know.
Segal and Janovick, who have chosen to live where they once fought, were among dozens who witnessed Wednesday's repatriation ceremony which came as the US and Vietnam step up cooperation in the hunt for missing servicemen.
Among the guests were crew from the USNS Bruce C. Heezen, the first US Navy ship to join the search effort. The ship has just completed a 12-day survey for missing American aircraft in waters off central and south-central Vietnam.
The two sets of remains sent home on Wednesday came from the land but US officials hoped the Heezen's involvement would speed up the search for underwater sites, meaning the remains of airmen still missing at sea could, in the future, also be repatriated with dignity.
Since Vietnam and the US began cooperating more than 20 years ago in the search for the remains of missing US servicemen, more than 600 have been repatriated but about 1,300 are still unaccounted for in Vietnam, the US says.
go here for more
US Vietnam veterans send home fallen comrades
They buried Steve Staggs this week
If you go to this link on mental health care, you'll understand how we arrived where we are when it comes to the mentally ill and homeless. It will also help you to understand how timing is everything, considering when these events happened, it was at the same time Vietnam veterans were in dire need of the mental health community.
http://www.sociology.org/content/vol003.004/thomas.html
I found this on VAWatchdog, one of the best sites out there on veterans. It's about what we don't often enough read about when we talk about homeless veterans. Steve Staggs was a homeless veteran and he died as a homeless veteran, buried in a popper's grave. One more discard from a family that didn't care? Hardly. He had a family caring about him, trying to help him and searched for him after he walked away. They were still searching for him two years after he had been buried in a grave with just some numbers as a marker for the day his body was found.
Please read this and then come back for what I have to say. It won't matter as much unless you see a homeless veteran thru the eyes of someone who loved him.
Mental hospitals were never very good but at least the mentally ill were not left to live or die on their own. Today there are some half-way houses addressing recovery from drugs and alcohol, some shelters for the homeless, but considering reports about neighbors complaining about their property values and "not wanting those people living in my neighborhood" the likelihood of an adequate number of them to take care of all of our citizens needing help, is not about to happen anytime soon.
During WWII, one of my husband's uncles was a Merchant Marine. He was on a ship hit by a Kamikaze pilot and never really recovered. He was not left to wander the streets. He was sent to live on a farm so that he and others were cared for, to live out their lives provided with everything they needed. Even back then, there were not enough places for all of them to go and many ended up in Mental Hospitals. Instead of investing in fixing what was wrong with these facilities, they were shut down. It seems that President Reagan had better uses for tax payer funds resulting in the mentally ill walking the streets, left to suffer without care and die there.
In the long run, not fixing the hospitals for the mentally ill, cost more money than anyone was prepared for. What resulted was not only the increase in homeless, it increased crimes and incarcerations. This resulted in the need to build more prisons. When we provided nothing for the mentally ill, we put suffering people into dangerous positions and then they became more dangerous to the rest of society.
Veterans, with their unique circumstances, joined the ranks of the mentally ill and homeless. The same outcome for these veterans was guaranteed. One of them was almost my husband. Almost, simply because the homeless shelter had a waiting list and there was no way I could face our daughter knowing I put her father out to live on the streets. Looking back on the full shelter, I now consider it a blessing because I became more determined to make sure it never reached that point again.
All the years I had been researching PTSD and helping veterans, left me feeling totally lost and helpless because no matter what I said, what I did, how I acted, I couldn't get my own husband to listen and get the proper help. I stood by him as he entered into private rehabs, joined AA and then watched him sink right back down into the abyss. It was easier for him to accept being called an alcoholic than it was to accept the term associated with mental illness. The fear was greater for him to have PTSD, partly because he still couldn't understand it enough to get his preconceived concepts out of his head, and partly because he didn't think he knew anyone with the same illness. He did however know a lot of "alcoholics" or so he thought. It turned out most of the people he knew that were "just drunks like him" were also PTSD veterans.
Because of this, I ended up visiting the shelter and my heart was tugged by the full capacity of sheltered veterans. This was in the 90's, long before Afghanistan and Iraq veterans were coming back needing help for the same wound. The first tour I took, I was hopeful when I saw how there were doctors and nurses, dentists, all volunteering their time along with mental health providers, trainers and teachers. These veterans were not just being provided with shelter and food, but hope. I had a good feeling until I reached the floor for female veterans. It was there I was told there would be a lot more of them on that floor, but they couldn't take in children. Female homeless veterans with children were sent away.
Over the years, a lot of people have complained to me that I care more about homeless veterans than I do regular citizens. In a way, that's true. It is not that my heart is cold to the plight of all homeless people, it is simply tugged more by our veterans. It is also because they are a minority among the homeless as well as a minority in this nation.
While we are a nation of over 300 million, there are less than 30 million veterans, even less are combat veterans. These are the men and women we counted on, depended on them to risk their lives fighting the battles we decided needed to be fought. It was also us deciding that when they came home, they would just have to go back to being a civilian and left to fend for themselves, unless they happened to have body parts blown off. Those were the only wounds we were willing to accept as any excuse to have our tax dollars used to take care of them. TBI? PTSD? Agent Orange? Gulf War Syndrome? What more did these people want from us? After all, we already have mental health care, cancer treatments and research being done for the rest of us. Why do they expect to be treated any differently than the rest of us? Isn't that what financial junkies use for excuses to do nothing for them?
I can't use "Republican" for this because some of them actually do understand the obligation we have to our veterans, but too many under the "conservative" or "libertarian" banner are more like greedy junkies wanting to hold onto every dime they have, using the social system instead of acknowledging how much they need it all. Safe food and water, roads, bridges, fire departments, police departments, the list goes on but they fail to see where their money goes. They were also the same people standing on the floor of congress saying that taking care of the veterans was something they couldn't afford because there were two wars to pay for. Amazing isn't it? At the same time they took no issue with anything President Bush wanted to spend for Iraq and Afghanistan, they complained about having to take care of the men and women that were participating in it. I often wonder what their attitude would be if they had someone in their own family needing the help of the VA or wounded by PTSD if they would feel the same way?
This is why homeless veterans are very different to me. While they are just like us in many ways, they are also very different in other ways. While we don't risk our lives for anyone, they do. When they end up with life altering events as veterans for the rest of their lives, it's up to us to fulfill our end of the deal for them. The problem is, it's just not personal to the rest of us.
My eye opener on PTSD came when I met a Vietnam veteran I fell in love. My eye opener on homeless veterans came when a shelter was full. It was all personal to me and still is. If it hasn't been personal to you up to this point, then I hope the story you read about Steve Staggs managed to change your heart a little bit anyway.
A lot of people in this country were not really paying attention to what was happening in Iran until the image of Neda dying on the street made the national news. Then, it was personal to us because we thought about how an innocent person could be killed like that. Maybe Steve Staggs can make homeless veterans personal to you as well and move you to care about strangers.
http://www.sociology.org/content/vol003.004/thomas.html
I found this on VAWatchdog, one of the best sites out there on veterans. It's about what we don't often enough read about when we talk about homeless veterans. Steve Staggs was a homeless veteran and he died as a homeless veteran, buried in a popper's grave. One more discard from a family that didn't care? Hardly. He had a family caring about him, trying to help him and searched for him after he walked away. They were still searching for him two years after he had been buried in a grave with just some numbers as a marker for the day his body was found.
Please read this and then come back for what I have to say. It won't matter as much unless you see a homeless veteran thru the eyes of someone who loved him.
Laurie Roberts' Columns & Blog
A mother's son finally laid to rest
They buried Steve Staggs this week.
Old soldiers were there and an honor guard detail which offered a three-volley salute and sounded Taps. The Patriot Guard Riders came and the Old Guard Riders, too, standing in formation for more than an hour there in the mid-morning sun as Steve's family laid him, finally, to rest.
Steve didn't die in a war. At least, not the conventional kind. During his last days, most of us probably would have crossed the street to avoid him. We would have seen the homeless man battling mental illness from the empty end of a vodka bottle. We would have seen the disheveled man who shunned help. We would have seen and we would have walked on, never catching a glimpse of the real Steve Staggs.
The man who served his country. The one who was somebody's son, somebody's brother. Somebody's father.
“He was a very religious person in his heart,” his mother, Barbara Larson, told me after Monday's service. “This would have meant so much to him.”
Steve battled depression for most of his 44 years, but he was much more than a man with a mental illness. He served for a decade in the Coast Guard and later worked in the private sector until an accident left him with a head injury.
By 2004, he was no longer able to work and tried several times to commit suicide. He was in and out of hospitals as his family tried to get him help but you have to want help and even then, in this state, that's no guarantee that you'll get it.
Steve, sadly, didn't want help. In the fall of 2006, he threw his belongings in the trash, picked up his backpack and walked away from everything and everyone he knew. For 2½ years, his family searched for him, fueled by that spark of hope that maybe someday he would be found. In March, that spark was extinguished. Steve's body had been found two years earlier in a field in Surprise, lying under a salt-cedar tree, surrounded by empty vodka bottles.
It took two years before anyone realized that the body was the long sought Steve, well loved by some despite how he might have looked to the rest of us. By the time his family found him, he'd long ago been buried by jail inmates in the county pauper's cemetery.
go here for more
http://www.vawatchdog.org/09/nf09/nfjun09/nf062509-2.htm
Mental hospitals were never very good but at least the mentally ill were not left to live or die on their own. Today there are some half-way houses addressing recovery from drugs and alcohol, some shelters for the homeless, but considering reports about neighbors complaining about their property values and "not wanting those people living in my neighborhood" the likelihood of an adequate number of them to take care of all of our citizens needing help, is not about to happen anytime soon.
During WWII, one of my husband's uncles was a Merchant Marine. He was on a ship hit by a Kamikaze pilot and never really recovered. He was not left to wander the streets. He was sent to live on a farm so that he and others were cared for, to live out their lives provided with everything they needed. Even back then, there were not enough places for all of them to go and many ended up in Mental Hospitals. Instead of investing in fixing what was wrong with these facilities, they were shut down. It seems that President Reagan had better uses for tax payer funds resulting in the mentally ill walking the streets, left to suffer without care and die there.
In the long run, not fixing the hospitals for the mentally ill, cost more money than anyone was prepared for. What resulted was not only the increase in homeless, it increased crimes and incarcerations. This resulted in the need to build more prisons. When we provided nothing for the mentally ill, we put suffering people into dangerous positions and then they became more dangerous to the rest of society.
Veterans, with their unique circumstances, joined the ranks of the mentally ill and homeless. The same outcome for these veterans was guaranteed. One of them was almost my husband. Almost, simply because the homeless shelter had a waiting list and there was no way I could face our daughter knowing I put her father out to live on the streets. Looking back on the full shelter, I now consider it a blessing because I became more determined to make sure it never reached that point again.
All the years I had been researching PTSD and helping veterans, left me feeling totally lost and helpless because no matter what I said, what I did, how I acted, I couldn't get my own husband to listen and get the proper help. I stood by him as he entered into private rehabs, joined AA and then watched him sink right back down into the abyss. It was easier for him to accept being called an alcoholic than it was to accept the term associated with mental illness. The fear was greater for him to have PTSD, partly because he still couldn't understand it enough to get his preconceived concepts out of his head, and partly because he didn't think he knew anyone with the same illness. He did however know a lot of "alcoholics" or so he thought. It turned out most of the people he knew that were "just drunks like him" were also PTSD veterans.
Because of this, I ended up visiting the shelter and my heart was tugged by the full capacity of sheltered veterans. This was in the 90's, long before Afghanistan and Iraq veterans were coming back needing help for the same wound. The first tour I took, I was hopeful when I saw how there were doctors and nurses, dentists, all volunteering their time along with mental health providers, trainers and teachers. These veterans were not just being provided with shelter and food, but hope. I had a good feeling until I reached the floor for female veterans. It was there I was told there would be a lot more of them on that floor, but they couldn't take in children. Female homeless veterans with children were sent away.
Over the years, a lot of people have complained to me that I care more about homeless veterans than I do regular citizens. In a way, that's true. It is not that my heart is cold to the plight of all homeless people, it is simply tugged more by our veterans. It is also because they are a minority among the homeless as well as a minority in this nation.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans - Background & ...
Conservatively, one out of every three homeless men who is sleeping in a ... NCHV strongly believes that all programs to assist homeless veterans
While we are a nation of over 300 million, there are less than 30 million veterans, even less are combat veterans. These are the men and women we counted on, depended on them to risk their lives fighting the battles we decided needed to be fought. It was also us deciding that when they came home, they would just have to go back to being a civilian and left to fend for themselves, unless they happened to have body parts blown off. Those were the only wounds we were willing to accept as any excuse to have our tax dollars used to take care of them. TBI? PTSD? Agent Orange? Gulf War Syndrome? What more did these people want from us? After all, we already have mental health care, cancer treatments and research being done for the rest of us. Why do they expect to be treated any differently than the rest of us? Isn't that what financial junkies use for excuses to do nothing for them?
I can't use "Republican" for this because some of them actually do understand the obligation we have to our veterans, but too many under the "conservative" or "libertarian" banner are more like greedy junkies wanting to hold onto every dime they have, using the social system instead of acknowledging how much they need it all. Safe food and water, roads, bridges, fire departments, police departments, the list goes on but they fail to see where their money goes. They were also the same people standing on the floor of congress saying that taking care of the veterans was something they couldn't afford because there were two wars to pay for. Amazing isn't it? At the same time they took no issue with anything President Bush wanted to spend for Iraq and Afghanistan, they complained about having to take care of the men and women that were participating in it. I often wonder what their attitude would be if they had someone in their own family needing the help of the VA or wounded by PTSD if they would feel the same way?
This is why homeless veterans are very different to me. While they are just like us in many ways, they are also very different in other ways. While we don't risk our lives for anyone, they do. When they end up with life altering events as veterans for the rest of their lives, it's up to us to fulfill our end of the deal for them. The problem is, it's just not personal to the rest of us.
My eye opener on PTSD came when I met a Vietnam veteran I fell in love. My eye opener on homeless veterans came when a shelter was full. It was all personal to me and still is. If it hasn't been personal to you up to this point, then I hope the story you read about Steve Staggs managed to change your heart a little bit anyway.
A lot of people in this country were not really paying attention to what was happening in Iran until the image of Neda dying on the street made the national news. Then, it was personal to us because we thought about how an innocent person could be killed like that. Maybe Steve Staggs can make homeless veterans personal to you as well and move you to care about strangers.
Bank turns down checks for Operation Open Arms?
How does a bank refuse to cash checks at all? I can understand them waiting the usual time for checks to clear before they release funds, but how do they refuse to do it? How do they refuse for a veterans charity of all places when there is such a dire need out there to take care of our troops and veterans?
Capt. John "Giddy Up" Bunch had an idea, perhaps a God sent idea, and has apparently been blessed with success. He managed to touch enough hearts that donations came in to support his work and blessed that he's getting the national media attention. So how is it that this program may be forced to close because of the bank's refusal to handle the transactions now that Operation Open Arms is tax exempt? I really wish that Capt. Bunch mentioned the bank's name because I'm sure all the military families and veterans families out there would be more than happy to pull their money out of whatever bank it is. It would also be very interesting to know if this bank was among the recipients of the bailout the tax payers provided.
Capt. John "Giddy Up" Bunch had an idea, perhaps a God sent idea, and has apparently been blessed with success. He managed to touch enough hearts that donations came in to support his work and blessed that he's getting the national media attention. So how is it that this program may be forced to close because of the bank's refusal to handle the transactions now that Operation Open Arms is tax exempt? I really wish that Capt. Bunch mentioned the bank's name because I'm sure all the military families and veterans families out there would be more than happy to pull their money out of whatever bank it is. It would also be very interesting to know if this bank was among the recipients of the bailout the tax payers provided.
Founder may shut down Operation Open Arms in 2010
Nonprofit offers soldiers on leave goods, services
By DREW WINCHESTER, dwinchester@breezenewspapers.com
Operation Open Arms has been so successful over the last four years that its success threatens its future existence.
OOA founder and Pine Island fishing guide Capt. John "Giddy Up" Bunch said he plans on shutting down the nonprofit organization by April 19, 2010, if the financial outlook does not improve.
"I have come to one astounding conclusion: If I can't get enough donations that will allow me to at least compensate our fishing guides and key benefactors by April 19, 2010 ... financially, I am going to have to shut it down," he said.
Bunch recently had to return nearly $24,000 in donations because his bank would not cash the checks. He said the bank refused to cash the checks after he received his nonprofit 5013c status.
With only $1,900 left in the bank account, Bunch had to turn down a prestigious invitation from Maj. Gen. Mark A. Graham to attend a conference in Colorado focusing on soldier mental and physical health.
Bunch said, as honored as he was to be invited, he did not feel right about draining the OOA bank account in order attend. He ranks it as his "biggest disappointment" thus far with OOA.
"I spend this money like I've got a leash around the eagle's neck," Bunch said. "Nothing is spent unless it's necessary."
Started as an organization that focused on Pine Island soldiers returning from active duty, OOA quickly grew to focus on soldiers from all over Southwest Florida. Now troops from 49 of the 50 states make their way to the area to take part in services offered by OOA.
go here for more
http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/507640.html
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Indiana, Oregon and West Virginia National Guards, cancer and KBR
Did KBR know Iraq locale was polluted, putting soldiers at risk?
By SHARON COHEN AP National Writer
UNDATED - Larry Roberta's every breath is a painful reminder of his time in Iraq. He can't walk a block without gasping for air. His chest hurts, his migraines sometimes persist for days and he needs pills to help him sleep.
James Gentry came home with rashes, ear troubles and a shortness of breath. Later, things got much worse: He developed lung cancer, which spread to his spine, ribs and one of his thighs; he must often use a cane, and no longer rides his beloved Harley.
David Moore's postwar life turned into a harrowing medical mystery: nosebleeds and labored breathing that made it impossible to work, much less speak. His desperate search for answers ended last year when he died of lung disease at age 42.
What these three men - one sick, one dying, one dead - had in common is they were National Guard soldiers on the same stretch of wind-swept desert in Iraq during the early months of the war in 2003.
These soldiers and hundreds of other Guard members from Indiana, Oregon and West Virginia were protecting workers hired by a subsidiary of the giant contractor, KBR Inc., to rebuild an Iraqi water treatment plant. The area, as it turned out, was contaminated with hexavalent chromium, a potent, sometimes deadly chemical linked to cancer and other devastating diseases.
go here for more
http://www.katu.com/news/national/49006416.html
By SHARON COHEN AP National Writer
UNDATED - Larry Roberta's every breath is a painful reminder of his time in Iraq. He can't walk a block without gasping for air. His chest hurts, his migraines sometimes persist for days and he needs pills to help him sleep.
James Gentry came home with rashes, ear troubles and a shortness of breath. Later, things got much worse: He developed lung cancer, which spread to his spine, ribs and one of his thighs; he must often use a cane, and no longer rides his beloved Harley.
David Moore's postwar life turned into a harrowing medical mystery: nosebleeds and labored breathing that made it impossible to work, much less speak. His desperate search for answers ended last year when he died of lung disease at age 42.
What these three men - one sick, one dying, one dead - had in common is they were National Guard soldiers on the same stretch of wind-swept desert in Iraq during the early months of the war in 2003.
These soldiers and hundreds of other Guard members from Indiana, Oregon and West Virginia were protecting workers hired by a subsidiary of the giant contractor, KBR Inc., to rebuild an Iraqi water treatment plant. The area, as it turned out, was contaminated with hexavalent chromium, a potent, sometimes deadly chemical linked to cancer and other devastating diseases.
go here for more
http://www.katu.com/news/national/49006416.html
Girl burned by white phosphorus leaves Bagram
Girl burned by white phosphorus leaves Bagram
By Rahim Faiez - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 24, 2009 17:44:29 EDT
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — A nurse fixed a black wig on Razia’s scarred and disfigured scalp before the 8-year-old took off around the emergency room to bid farewell to the staff who cared for her after white phosphorous scorched her head, face, neck and hands.
When Razia came to the U.S. military hospital four months ago, Capt. Christine Collins didn’t think she would make it out alive. On Wednesday, the little Afghan girl left this military hospital for an arduous journey to her village, a 50-mile drive from Bagram Air Base.
“I am fine, I want to go home,” Razia quietly told Collins and a group of other hospital staff who had come to see her off.
Wearing a pair of blue jeans and a pink-striped shirt, Razia was eager to see her mother — who awaited her at a cousin’s house deep in the countryside still rife with insurgents. The two have not seen each other since shells ripped through their home on March 14 just after breakfast, killing two of Razia’s sisters.
It’s unclear where the white phosphorus came from that disfigured Razia for life — burning her face, now marked with permanent scars. Razia’s father, Abdul Aziz, blames international forces since U.S., French and Afghan troops gathered outside his home just before the shells were fired. U.S and NATO troops use white phosphorus to illuminate targets, create smoke screens and destroy old bunkers, but say they don’t use it as a weapon.
A U.S. military spokeswoman with NATO’s security force said military officials can’t be certain whether it was their own round or an enemy round that hit Razia’s house.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/ap_burned_afghan_girl_062409/
By Rahim Faiez - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jun 24, 2009 17:44:29 EDT
BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — A nurse fixed a black wig on Razia’s scarred and disfigured scalp before the 8-year-old took off around the emergency room to bid farewell to the staff who cared for her after white phosphorous scorched her head, face, neck and hands.
When Razia came to the U.S. military hospital four months ago, Capt. Christine Collins didn’t think she would make it out alive. On Wednesday, the little Afghan girl left this military hospital for an arduous journey to her village, a 50-mile drive from Bagram Air Base.
“I am fine, I want to go home,” Razia quietly told Collins and a group of other hospital staff who had come to see her off.
Wearing a pair of blue jeans and a pink-striped shirt, Razia was eager to see her mother — who awaited her at a cousin’s house deep in the countryside still rife with insurgents. The two have not seen each other since shells ripped through their home on March 14 just after breakfast, killing two of Razia’s sisters.
It’s unclear where the white phosphorus came from that disfigured Razia for life — burning her face, now marked with permanent scars. Razia’s father, Abdul Aziz, blames international forces since U.S., French and Afghan troops gathered outside his home just before the shells were fired. U.S and NATO troops use white phosphorus to illuminate targets, create smoke screens and destroy old bunkers, but say they don’t use it as a weapon.
A U.S. military spokeswoman with NATO’s security force said military officials can’t be certain whether it was their own round or an enemy round that hit Razia’s house.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/ap_burned_afghan_girl_062409/
Is this what we've been waiting for? Nope!
UPDATE.........then again, maybe not.
I took a look at the site and was not impressed by what I read.
This was there,
Folder 8 - THE Burris Life Coach for Warriors
THE Burris Life Coach for Warriors is considered the only legitimate fix for PTSD. The reason for this is the Program Process of THE Burris Life Coach is the only proven process for depression which is the primary symptom for PTSD.
I could not find where or who declared "THE Burris Life Coach is the only proven process for depression which is the primary symptom for PTSD" especially when considering according to the website, they have been doing this for 25 years. I never heard of them before this. Who considers it the only "fix" for PTSD? Any ideas? Do police departments use it? Do fire departments use it? Has any veteran's program used it?
Along with this piece of information I'm really scratching my head now.
July 6, 2009 and Jul 7 2009
by Kelly Burris PhD
Registration Deadline: June 29, 2009
Seat price: $3,997.00
The Definitive Standard for Every Life Coach and All Who Work in the Field of Mental Health
With 25 years of research, development and refinement the framework of the SR™ process will allow you to effectively help your clients with there Emotional - Spiritual - Relationship - Business and Personal objectives with an integral data collection process that will hold up under the most stringent scrutiny. THE Burris Life Coach is "The Only Proven Process for Subconscious Restructuring™." The SR™ process has set a clear standard in the mental health and life coaching disciplines by virtue of its data collection process and its ability to address human behavior at the very beginning of the process at the deepest level of the subconscious. This has allowed the SR™ process to be extraordinarily effective with all people and all behavioral issues. After becoming Certified your question is simply ..."Which demographic do I want to have the greatest impact on?"
22% Success rate?
From their site
The recent studies, conducted by a growing team of "Master SR Coaches," show the process having widespread and consistently dramatic results on depression symptoms. One such study, conducted by Master SR Coach Dr. Ron Clark, has delivered an average 22% reduction in depression symptoms in just 4 hours. While another study, conducted by Master SR Coach Dr. Janis Smith accomplished an average 68% reduction in depression symptoms over a five week period. Dr Burris's company, THE Burris Life Coach is challenging these numbers against results shown by medications and traditional therapy.
Looks like I have to take back my optimism on this now. This PR release plus almost $4,000 for a two day mail course and no outside studies published on the effectiveness of what they claim,,,,,,looks like more of the same claims we've read for a very long time and now, I'm completely depressed all over again.
It very well may be what we've been waiting for, simply because of this part,,...
all human behavior is emotionally driven and you cannot change an emotional state unless you fully understand how an emotional state comes about
I don't know but it sounds a lot better than some of the other things they've been talking about doing.
Rand Study Supports Evidence-Based Subconscious Restructuring Process for PTSD
The only evidence-based program process in mental health uniformly complies with an extensive Rand Study on PTSD in the Military
Henderson, NV (PRWEB) June 24, 2009 -- A Rand study from the Center for Military Health Policy Research titled "Invisible Wounds of War" supports an evidence-based plan for intervention and prevention of PTSD and Suicide in the military. Subconscious Restructuring or SR has 25 years of research, development and documented results with the primary symptom of PTSD and suicide. The Rand study just confirmed what we have been attempting to convey to the mental health system for almost 20 years states Kelly Burris, PhD, developer of the SR process.
The SR process is based on the reality that all human behavior is emotionally driven and you cannot change an emotional state unless you fully understand how an emotional state comes about.
The "Implementation of Evidence-Based SR Process into the Military" proposal covered every issue and beyond brought up by this extensive Rand study. Following are the four recommendations made by Rand after the study and how they would each be addressed by the implementation of the SR Process.
1. Increase the cadre of providers who are trained and certified to deliver proven (evidence-based) care, so that capacity is adequate for current and future needs.
Implementation and integration of the Burris SR process will begin with Burris SR certification of selected Military leadership, psychiatrists, psychologists, chaplains, and Family Support Center staff, then proceed to workshops involving PTSD and/or suicidology-identified warriors and their families, then the general unit population, and their families. Burris Master-level SR Certifiers would initially certify the leadership and intervention staff, then assist in the warrior/family workshops. Over time, each unit and base will reach a point of self-sustaining competence, and the Burris staff would then both monitor incoming data from completed units and their families, and begin to implement the Burris SR program for other units and commands world-wide.
2. Change policies to encourage active duty personnel and veterans to seek needed care.
The evidence-based SR process is not psychotherapy and therefore would remove the stigma of seeking help. Everyone from new recruits to returning Warriors would go through the SR Process as part of their entry and exit from the military. A simple Follow-up with the emotional checklist could be done all throughout the term of military service which would eliminate guessing who might need help.
3. Deliver proven, evidence-based care to service members and veterans whenever and wherever services are provided.
As an already proven evidence-based intervention program with most mental health problems over some 25 years, the infrastructure put in place by Master SR Coaches would allow all service members to become a self-perpetuating healing and wellness intervention unit over time. This would ensure everyone within the Military that needed help would get it.
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Rand Study Supports Evidence-Based Subconscious Restructuring Process for PTSD
Coos Bay NAMI Project aims to help troubled veterans
Project aims to help troubled veterans
By Jolene Guzman, Staff Writer
COOS BAY — They are warriors. They see themselves as strong. They don’t realize — or don’t want to believe — they need help.
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder discover months or years later it takes more than time and a few drinks to chase their problems away. A group of local organizations and volunteers wants to be there for those vets and their families when they ask for a helping hand.
Veteran and retired physician John Mesquita said many vets are brought back home and dropped into society without much of a transition. They go through a period when they feel they just need to “man up” and handle service-related problems on their own. Family and friends are more likely to notice the signs of PTSD before the vet.
“The common denominator is do they ask for help,” he said.
Mesquita helped built a partnership between the Coos County National Alliance on Mental Illness, local Department of Veterans’ Affairs mental health professionals and the Nancy Devereux Center to start weekly PTSD group counseling sessions in Coos Bay. The sessions are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The goal of the sessions is to offer a comfortable place for vets and their families to find helping and understanding.
“We want to give more than lip service,” Mesquita said. “We want this to be a step up, stand up and do the right thing kind of service.”
Monday sessions are for all veterans seeking counseling. Wednesday sessions are directed at vets who have served and returned in the last 10 years, and each Friday special support groups are scheduled for families of vets suffering from PTSD.
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Project aims to help troubled veterans
By Jolene Guzman, Staff Writer
COOS BAY — They are warriors. They see themselves as strong. They don’t realize — or don’t want to believe — they need help.
Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder discover months or years later it takes more than time and a few drinks to chase their problems away. A group of local organizations and volunteers wants to be there for those vets and their families when they ask for a helping hand.
Veteran and retired physician John Mesquita said many vets are brought back home and dropped into society without much of a transition. They go through a period when they feel they just need to “man up” and handle service-related problems on their own. Family and friends are more likely to notice the signs of PTSD before the vet.
“The common denominator is do they ask for help,” he said.
Mesquita helped built a partnership between the Coos County National Alliance on Mental Illness, local Department of Veterans’ Affairs mental health professionals and the Nancy Devereux Center to start weekly PTSD group counseling sessions in Coos Bay. The sessions are on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The goal of the sessions is to offer a comfortable place for vets and their families to find helping and understanding.
“We want to give more than lip service,” Mesquita said. “We want this to be a step up, stand up and do the right thing kind of service.”
Monday sessions are for all veterans seeking counseling. Wednesday sessions are directed at vets who have served and returned in the last 10 years, and each Friday special support groups are scheduled for families of vets suffering from PTSD.
go here for more
Project aims to help troubled veterans
Why Vietnam Veterans Are Finally Getting Help
There have been a lot of questions about why Vietnam veterans are filing claims for PTSD now, after all these years. This pretty much answers those questions. It's not that they are just now understanding they need help. They are finally finding out there is help for them!
It still irks me that they are the last ones to know when they were the first generation to fight for PTSD to be treated. They came home just like the older veterans did carrying this wound within them but they were the first ones to fight to have it treated and compensated. As bad as it is for the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, think of how much worse it would be if they did not push for treatment, research and programs to be in place.
I do more videos focused on Vietnam veterans for this reason alone. I started doing outreach work in 1982 because of them and now it's lead to helping the newer veterans, but also police officers, firefighters and victims. The problem is, there are just not enough programs like the VFW is doing for them. It would be wonderful if the rest of the service organizations would do the same. The good thing is, more of them are.
It still irks me that they are the last ones to know when they were the first generation to fight for PTSD to be treated. They came home just like the older veterans did carrying this wound within them but they were the first ones to fight to have it treated and compensated. As bad as it is for the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, think of how much worse it would be if they did not push for treatment, research and programs to be in place.
I do more videos focused on Vietnam veterans for this reason alone. I started doing outreach work in 1982 because of them and now it's lead to helping the newer veterans, but also police officers, firefighters and victims. The problem is, there are just not enough programs like the VFW is doing for them. It would be wonderful if the rest of the service organizations would do the same. The good thing is, more of them are.
VFW holds event to get info to those who need it
By SEAN PATRICK NORRIS, Staff Writer
Published 06/24/09
Bill Brady served as a Marine in Vietnam for two years.
Bob Prater was as an Army sniper there in 1969 and 1970.
Both men came out of the war needing help and have been struggling to find it.
On Saturday, the two men and 50 other Vietnam-era vets received help from the state Department of Veterans Affairs, benefiting from outreach efforts even as the agency works to help a new generation of soldiers coming home.
"There is a lot more out there than there was when some of these veterans separated 20 or more years ago," said Cate Conroy, deputy director of outreach for the department. "There is a lot of new information."
Soldiers leaving the services now are given an overview of benefits available from the military and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Older vets are often on their own to find out what help they can get.
"Especially now with an aging veteran population and tough economic times it can really make a difference in someone's life," Conroy said.
Vets at Saturday's event said the outreach hasn't always been there for them. Brady, a Glen Burnie resident, said his experiences with the state and federal agencies have been frustrating.
"Whenever I went to them you were always put on hold or put on a list and you never heard from them again," he said. "It was like, hurry up and wait."
The Veterans Muster held at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 160 in Glen Burnie, however, provided about 15 tables stocked with information on finding help for health problems, education aid and other issues. He and other vets strolled, browsed and asked questions.
Conroy acknowledged she's heard of people having problems with benefits, but most focus on the federal agency. She said her organization has a better track record.
"I know when I separated (from the military) 17 years ago there was a lot of misinformation," she said. "I know they are working to improve and they have come a long way. I use the VA for health care and it's great."
Prater, the former Army sniper, said Saturday was the first time he received information about getting help for post-traumatic stress disorder, a mental health complication many combat veterans face.
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VFW holds event to get info to those who need it
Vietnam Vet swims Sea of Cortez for Wounded Warrior Project
Night Train Swimmers attempt to break world record with relay swim
June 24, 2009
157-mile Swim Across Sea of Cortez to Benefit Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)
Night Train Swimmers will attempt to break the world record for the longest continuous relay swim. Departing from La Paz, on the Baja California Sur, the six member team will cross the Sea of Cortez to hit mainland Mexico approximately 157 miles away. The team is using this event as a fundraiser to benefit Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.
The record-breaking relay swim will commence on June 27th at 8:00am from a beach near La Paz, Mexico, and is expected to take approximately 3-4 days and nights of continuous swimming. Live GPS tracking will be available at www.nighttrainswimmers.com where the team will also keep an updated blog and photo gallery.
Vito Bialla, himself a Wounded Vietnam Veteran, says, “I’m taking it upon myself to try to make the world just a little bit better. By completing this swim and raising money for Wounded Warrior Project, we can make a huge difference for our injured heroes when they return home. It’s a privilege to help our returning Veterans.”
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Night Train Swimmers attempt to break world record with relay swim
June 24, 2009
157-mile Swim Across Sea of Cortez to Benefit Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)
Night Train Swimmers will attempt to break the world record for the longest continuous relay swim. Departing from La Paz, on the Baja California Sur, the six member team will cross the Sea of Cortez to hit mainland Mexico approximately 157 miles away. The team is using this event as a fundraiser to benefit Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization whose mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors.
The record-breaking relay swim will commence on June 27th at 8:00am from a beach near La Paz, Mexico, and is expected to take approximately 3-4 days and nights of continuous swimming. Live GPS tracking will be available at www.nighttrainswimmers.com where the team will also keep an updated blog and photo gallery.
Vito Bialla, himself a Wounded Vietnam Veteran, says, “I’m taking it upon myself to try to make the world just a little bit better. By completing this swim and raising money for Wounded Warrior Project, we can make a huge difference for our injured heroes when they return home. It’s a privilege to help our returning Veterans.”
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Night Train Swimmers attempt to break world record with relay swim
Football coach fatally shot at Iowa high school
UPDATE June 25th
Family of Iowa suspect urges prayers after coach's killing
Story Highlights
Mark Becker accused of murder in death of longtime football coach Ed Thomas
Becker's family "wishes to express our deepest sympathy to the Thomas family"
Becker is a former football player, former student at coach's high school
"It's just too early to speculate" on motive for shooting, law enforcement official says
(CNN) -- The family of a man suspected of fatally shooting an Iowa football coach urged the community Thursday to pray for the victim's family.
Mark Becker, 24, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Ed Thomas, 58, a longtime football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School.
Investigators believe Becker walked into the school's weight room, where Thomas was overseeing athletes' training Wednesday morning, and shot him several times as about 20 horrified students looked on. Thomas was flown to a hospital, where he later died.
"Our family wishes to express our deepest sympathy to the Thomas family," the Becker family said in a statement to CNN television affiliate KWWL.
The community has lost an icon, a leader and a teacher, the statement said.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/25/coach.shooting/index.html
Family of Iowa suspect urges prayers after coach's killing
Story Highlights
Mark Becker accused of murder in death of longtime football coach Ed Thomas
Becker's family "wishes to express our deepest sympathy to the Thomas family"
Becker is a former football player, former student at coach's high school
"It's just too early to speculate" on motive for shooting, law enforcement official says
(CNN) -- The family of a man suspected of fatally shooting an Iowa football coach urged the community Thursday to pray for the victim's family.
Mark Becker, 24, faces first-degree murder charges in the death of Ed Thomas, 58, a longtime football coach at Aplington-Parkersburg High School.
Investigators believe Becker walked into the school's weight room, where Thomas was overseeing athletes' training Wednesday morning, and shot him several times as about 20 horrified students looked on. Thomas was flown to a hospital, where he later died.
"Our family wishes to express our deepest sympathy to the Thomas family," the Becker family said in a statement to CNN television affiliate KWWL.
The community has lost an icon, a leader and a teacher, the statement said.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/25/coach.shooting/index.html
Football coach fatally shot at Iowa high school
Story Highlights
NEW: Coach Ed Thomas has died after being shot inside a school
He was flown to a hospital after the incident
An adult has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting
About 50 high school students present during the shooting; none were injured
(CNN) -- An Iowa high school football coach died Wednesday after he was shot inside the school as athletes were lifting weights, the district superintendent told CNN.
Ed Thomas had been with the school district for more than 30 years and was well-known in the region.
Ed Thomas died shortly after he arrived at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, Iowa, according to a hospital statement.
He was flown to a hospital after he was shot about 8:30 a.m.at Aplington-Parkersburg High School, said Holly Fokkena, Butler County auditor.
No students were injured, although about 50 students were present at the time of the shooting, she said.
One person, an adult, was taken into custody, Fokkena said.
Superintendent Jon Thompson of the Aplington-Parkersburg Community Schools said crisis counselors were on scene to assist students who witnessed the shooting.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/06/24/football.coach.shot/index.html
Air Force Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr. and wife among dead in DC train crash
UPDATE,,,,They were together since high school.
Service set for Guard commander killed in crash
Staff report
Posted : Friday Jun 26, 2009 13:26:51 EDT
The former commanding general of the D.C. National Guard and his wife, both killed in a deadly train collision in Washington, D.C., will be remembered at a service Monday.
The ceremony in memory of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr. and his wife, Ann, begins at 6 p.m. Monday at the D.C. Armory.
The couple will be interred together at Arlington National Cemetery. That ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. Tuesday.
Wherley and his wife, both 62, died June 22 when the Washington Metro train in which they were riding slammed into the back of a stopped train. Seven other people were killed in the crash, the deadliest in Metro’s 33-year history.
The Wherleys, who were high school sweethearts, are survived by a son, Staff Sgt. David Wherley, 36, a member of the Golden Knights, the Army’s parachute team, and a daughter, Betsy Regan, 35, and her family.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/army_wherley_funeral_062609w/
Retired Guard commander killed in D.C. crash
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 22:04:30 EDT
The former commanding general of the D.C. National Guard was one of the nine people killed in the deadly train collision Monday in Washington, D.C., according to the National Guard Bureau.
Air Force Maj. Gen. David F. Wherley Jr. and his wife, Ann, were killed when a train on Metrorail’s red line ran into the back of a train that had stopped on the same track.
From July 2003 until his retirement in 2008, Wherley was commanding general of Joint Force Headquarters, D.C. National Guard, where he was responsible for operational readiness and command and control of the 2,500 soldiers and airmen in the D.C. Army and Air National Guard.
“We are all deeply saddened by this sudden and tragic loss of General Wherley and his wife, Ann,” said Maj. Gen. Errol R. Schwartz, Commanding General of Joint Force Headquarters, District of Columbia National Guard. “I am personally grieved by this unbelievable tragedy. David Wherley and Ann were two of the best people you could ever want to know. This community will grieve, as will the entire National Guard throughout the country who knew and loved them both.”
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/army_train_victim_062309w/
Congress to CIA: Review Gulf War illness info
Congress to CIA: Review Gulf War illness info
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 18:44:44 EDT
After a former CIA employee told a team created to investigate Gulf War illness that 1.5 million documents exist detailing poisonous gas exposures during Operation Desert Storm, Congress is asking the CIA to review the secret classifications of those documents.
“Ill Desert Storm veterans have been waiting for years for our government to make public any information in its possession about the kinds of toxic agents they may have been exposed to during and immediately after the 1991 war,” Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., said in a prepared statement. “This is a long-overdue stop toward meeting that goal.”
The intelligence authorization bill now includes language that would require the CIA to review the classification of those documents, with the intent of declassifying them.
Studies have shown that veterans exposed to sarin — which the military accidentally doused troops with when the 82nd Airborne Division destroyed an Iraqi chemical weapons dump in Khamisiyah in 1991 — are more likely to suffer from symptoms of Gulf War illness.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/military_gulfwar_cia_062309w/
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 18:44:44 EDT
After a former CIA employee told a team created to investigate Gulf War illness that 1.5 million documents exist detailing poisonous gas exposures during Operation Desert Storm, Congress is asking the CIA to review the secret classifications of those documents.
“Ill Desert Storm veterans have been waiting for years for our government to make public any information in its possession about the kinds of toxic agents they may have been exposed to during and immediately after the 1991 war,” Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., said in a prepared statement. “This is a long-overdue stop toward meeting that goal.”
The intelligence authorization bill now includes language that would require the CIA to review the classification of those documents, with the intent of declassifying them.
Studies have shown that veterans exposed to sarin — which the military accidentally doused troops with when the 82nd Airborne Division destroyed an Iraqi chemical weapons dump in Khamisiyah in 1991 — are more likely to suffer from symptoms of Gulf War illness.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/military_gulfwar_cia_062309w/
Troops pause to remember Capt. Kafele Sims at memorial
Troops pause to remember Captain at memorial
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, June 24, 2009
On Tuesday, Quinonez said farewell to Sims, the physician assistant who diagnosed him with appendicitis last August. Quinonez had persistent gas pains and went to see Sims.
"Within five minutes, [Sims] said, ‘You have acute appendicitis,’" Quinonez said. "I can’t tell you what happened 20 minutes later because I was knocked out and in surgery. I do know that I am here today because of [Sims’] actions and decisions. That day he saved my life."
Sims, 32, of Los Angeles, died June 16 in Mosul, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. The cause of Sims’ death is still under investigation, said Bruce Anderson, U.S. Army Europe spokesman. Sims was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade in Schwetzingen.
By Steve Mraz, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, June 24, 2009
On Tuesday, Quinonez said farewell to Sims, the physician assistant who diagnosed him with appendicitis last August. Quinonez had persistent gas pains and went to see Sims.
"Within five minutes, [Sims] said, ‘You have acute appendicitis,’" Quinonez said. "I can’t tell you what happened 20 minutes later because I was knocked out and in surgery. I do know that I am here today because of [Sims’] actions and decisions. That day he saved my life."
Sims, 32, of Los Angeles, died June 16 in Mosul, Iraq, in a noncombat-related incident. The cause of Sims’ death is still under investigation, said Bruce Anderson, U.S. Army Europe spokesman. Sims was assigned to the 18th Engineer Brigade in Schwetzingen.
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Federal bill would allow GIs to sue for medical negligence
Federal bill would allow GIs to sue for medical negligence
Malpractice claim » A Utah colonel says the military botched her operation.
By Dawn House
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/23/2009 10:10:11 PM MDT
A colonel who underwent surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to remove a cancerous breast says her physician operated on the wrong side of her body, mistakenly removing several healthy lymph nodes and disfiguring her.
But the government rejected all claims brought by Col. Adele Connell of Stansbury Park under a law that makes it nearly impossible for GIs and their families to sue the military for medical malpractice.
Connell hopes a bill the House Judiciary Committee expects to consider today will allow military families like hers to hold the government accountable for noncombat-related injuries. The Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act would overturn the so-called Feres Doctrine, named for a 1950 Supreme Court case that effectively bars service members from collecting damages for death or injuries caused by negligence.
"These last eight months have been unbelievably difficult," said Connell, 57, who has served in the military for more than 30 years. "The reason I am going public is that I want to try to improve the military for soldiers serving all over the world."
Connell's attorney, Dean Swartz of Washington, D.C., said it's outrageous that imprisoned felons can sue for damages from medical malpractice, but that same right is denied members of the U.S. military.
"This is a no-brainer," he said. "When doctors operate on the wrong side of a patient and cause harm, there should be some compensation."
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http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_12675099
Malpractice claim » A Utah colonel says the military botched her operation.
By Dawn House
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/23/2009 10:10:11 PM MDT
A colonel who underwent surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to remove a cancerous breast says her physician operated on the wrong side of her body, mistakenly removing several healthy lymph nodes and disfiguring her.
But the government rejected all claims brought by Col. Adele Connell of Stansbury Park under a law that makes it nearly impossible for GIs and their families to sue the military for medical malpractice.
Connell hopes a bill the House Judiciary Committee expects to consider today will allow military families like hers to hold the government accountable for noncombat-related injuries. The Carmelo Rodriguez Military Medical Accountability Act would overturn the so-called Feres Doctrine, named for a 1950 Supreme Court case that effectively bars service members from collecting damages for death or injuries caused by negligence.
"These last eight months have been unbelievably difficult," said Connell, 57, who has served in the military for more than 30 years. "The reason I am going public is that I want to try to improve the military for soldiers serving all over the world."
Connell's attorney, Dean Swartz of Washington, D.C., said it's outrageous that imprisoned felons can sue for damages from medical malpractice, but that same right is denied members of the U.S. military.
"This is a no-brainer," he said. "When doctors operate on the wrong side of a patient and cause harm, there should be some compensation."
go here for more
http://www.sltrib.com/News/ci_12675099
Bill O'Reilly - Blowhard
Bill O'Reilly - Blowhard
Harmon Biehl
Miami Veterans Affairs Examiner
June 23, 1:46 PM
Greetings Vets, I am a relatively articulate person both in the spoken word as well as the written word. I am an amateur in the field of political coercion in the written word or the spoken word. I am like a fifth grader debating the college freshman in a debate about the dating habits of post adolescent teens. Occasionally I am way more knowledgeable about a topic than the experts, because the experts depend on hearsay and other people to do their footwork and real research homework before shooting off their mouths. Like Take Bill O'Reilly for example.
He has been shooting his mouth off about homeless veterans. He says they are few and far between. I, on the other hand know that to be bullhocky. In Orlando alone, of the homeless vets that are countable we have by my nose count 250 living on the streets and in overnight homeless shelters with the rest of the street people. Above that there are homeless veterans living at the V.A. facility on property in Orlando. I would guess there are at least 150 of them there. I know of homeless veterans that make the rounds of the Christian service centers as well as the Salvation Army's over night lodgings. Just the other day I was bringing a homeless Veteran to the Christian Union Rescue Mission, only to find out in intake that I was sitting next to another homeless veteran.
The other real place to look is in the county jail. The reason to look in the county jail is that Veterans living on the street are there for a reason. PTSD, ANGER, HOPELESSNESS, FEAR, MENTAL ILLNESS, and the list goes on and on. When a local cop asks them for ID or for some good reason why they are panhandling, these old warriors invariably tell the officer some obvious answer that is not flattering to the officers intelligence, which of course, their question was bait in the first place. Yes, Bill could find a bunch of homeless vets in jails all across the country. These were educated, uniformed, highly trained warriors in the employ of Uncle Sam at one time so mostly there is some underlying reason they are homeless. Of course this reason escapes the understanding of the V.A., but then so does a lot of stuff, both medical and psychological. That is an ongoing story though of gigantic proportions.
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Bill O'Reilly - Blowhard
I could think of another term to use for O'Reilly, but that would not make a difference to him or his viewers. They haven't cared all this time and it's doubtful they ever will. There are some people you just can't educate. They have no interest in learning or caring.
Much like the villains in our history, O'Reilly seems to think that if a woman is raped, it's more important to him what she was wearing at the time in order to discern if she was asking for it. Don't be so shocked over this because he has spent a long time shooting off his mouth blaming the victim of a crime. He instigates hatred and seems to enjoy it. Look back at some of the transcripts of his shows. The boy that was kidnapped, O'Reilly said he must have enjoyed it because he was away from the rules of his parents. The abortion doctor murdered in church, O'Reilly instigated hatred against him and when he was murdered, O'Reilly justified himself by pointing out how many "lives" were saved.
O'Reilly attacked homeless veterans, first by saying they were not real, then blamed them because they were "drug addicts and alcoholics" because he could not continue to ignore the fact. He had a chance to redeem himself once provided with some clue of their reality, but once again, he blamed them for their own suffering.
I used to think that O'Reilly had enough viewers to use his power for good, to inform them of what exactly was going on as any honest person would, but O'Reilly preferred to do more harm than good. His viewers apparently approve and agree. I read what they have to say all the time.
People like O'Reilly are all about themselves. They constantly attack anyone they see as a threat to their bubble. They have a view of President Obama, mostly because he's a Democrat, cling onto a bunch of nonsense and rumors ignoring the good he's done for veterans. They hold up people like McCain as heroes to veterans, even though he voted against them every time he had a chance to prove what they meant to him. It does not take a lot of insight to figure out they are not about the veterans needing this nation's loyalty in return for their service, it's about power.
I actually feel sorry for people like O'Reilly because fate has a way of teaching us lessons. Call it Karma if you wish, but it all boils down to what we do, what we send out, comes around to reward us accordingly to all of it. Each time he attacks veterans and victims, his reservations to the pit of hell are being upgraded and confirmed. People like him end up being in need of help one day and find there is no one there to help him up. They will stand and convict him as he has convicted others.
Disabled Vets:Salt Lake Utah makes it easier for tax exemptions
Disabled veterans given easier path to benefits
By Arthur Raymond
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:14 p.m. MDT
Disabled veterans facing bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining property tax exemptions in Salt Lake County should have an easier path following a policy shift approved by the County Council Tuesday.
Terry Schow, executive director of the Utah Department of Veteran Affairs, said Tuesday that his office has been besieged with complaints from vets running into trouble securing benefits from the county.
"We've received more complaints from veterans with disabilities in Salt Lake County than the whole rest of the state combined," Schow said.
Disabled veterans are eligible for a break on property taxes, collected by the county treasurer, based on the percentage of their disability — a number that is determined by the Veteran's Administration. Schow said the benefit is offered to vets who have been determined to have a 10 percent or higher level of disability. Each 10 percent increment represents about a $25,000 decrease on the taxable value of their property, up to about $230,000, a number set by the Utah Tax Commission.
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Disabled veterans given easier path to benefits
By Arthur Raymond
Deseret News
Published: Tuesday, June 23, 2009 11:14 p.m. MDT
Disabled veterans facing bureaucratic hurdles in obtaining property tax exemptions in Salt Lake County should have an easier path following a policy shift approved by the County Council Tuesday.
Terry Schow, executive director of the Utah Department of Veteran Affairs, said Tuesday that his office has been besieged with complaints from vets running into trouble securing benefits from the county.
"We've received more complaints from veterans with disabilities in Salt Lake County than the whole rest of the state combined," Schow said.
Disabled veterans are eligible for a break on property taxes, collected by the county treasurer, based on the percentage of their disability — a number that is determined by the Veteran's Administration. Schow said the benefit is offered to vets who have been determined to have a 10 percent or higher level of disability. Each 10 percent increment represents about a $25,000 decrease on the taxable value of their property, up to about $230,000, a number set by the Utah Tax Commission.
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Disabled veterans given easier path to benefits
Advanced VA funding approved by House
Bill Seeks to End Delays in Veterans’ Care
By JAMES DAO
Published: June 23, 2009
The House approved legislation on Tuesday that is intended to prevent delays in federal financing for veterans’ health care programs, a problem that has disrupted services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for decades, officials say.
The bill, which has been a major lobbying priority of veterans’ organizations in Washington, would allow Congress to appropriate funds for health care programs one year in advance.
Officials say that for 19 of the last 22 years, the department’s budget has been approved late, usually because of fiscal wrangling on Capitol Hill. As a result, veterans’ groups and officials say, the directors of veterans’ health care centers and clinics have often been unable to proceed on time with new services, staff expansions or renovations.
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Bill Seeks to End Delays in Veterans Care
By JAMES DAO
Published: June 23, 2009
The House approved legislation on Tuesday that is intended to prevent delays in federal financing for veterans’ health care programs, a problem that has disrupted services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for decades, officials say.
The bill, which has been a major lobbying priority of veterans’ organizations in Washington, would allow Congress to appropriate funds for health care programs one year in advance.
Officials say that for 19 of the last 22 years, the department’s budget has been approved late, usually because of fiscal wrangling on Capitol Hill. As a result, veterans’ groups and officials say, the directors of veterans’ health care centers and clinics have often been unable to proceed on time with new services, staff expansions or renovations.
A similar bill sponsored by Senator Daniel K. Akaka, Democrat of Hawaii and the chairman of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, has bipartisan support and is expected to pass the full Senate.
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Bill Seeks to End Delays in Veterans Care
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Search on for pilot in F-16 crash
Search on for pilot in F-16 crash
Story Highlights
Emergency responders from Hill Air Force Base in Utah searching for pilot
Crash site found in remote area of Utah Test and Training Range
No contact has been made with the pilot, who was on a routine training mission
(CNN) -- A search was under way Tuesday for the pilot of an F-16 that crashed over the Utah Test and Training Range west of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Air Force said.
An F-16 from Hill Air Force Base trains in Utah in 2001.
The F-16 crashed about 10:25 p.m. Monday, according to a posting on the Air Force's Web site.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/utah.f-16.crash/index.html
Story Highlights
Emergency responders from Hill Air Force Base in Utah searching for pilot
Crash site found in remote area of Utah Test and Training Range
No contact has been made with the pilot, who was on a routine training mission
(CNN) -- A search was under way Tuesday for the pilot of an F-16 that crashed over the Utah Test and Training Range west of Salt Lake City, Utah, the Air Force said.
An F-16 from Hill Air Force Base trains in Utah in 2001.
The F-16 crashed about 10:25 p.m. Monday, according to a posting on the Air Force's Web site.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/utah.f-16.crash/index.html
Iranian women stand up in defiance, flout rules
I've been reading what's been going on in Iran especially since the election. It's stunning. No matter what happens regarding the election many believe was fixed, I doubt Iran will ever be the same again. Regular people standing up and saying they've had enough and want to live differently. Threats against them, gunning them down in the streets, beating them, all their attempts to stop the protests and silence their voices will never work again. They have found the power of numbers.
Iranian women stand up in defiance, flout rules
Story Highlights
Recurring theme of Iranian protests: Women defiantly standing up against authority
19-year-old woman says, "When they want to hit me, I say hit."
A young woman named Neda has become the rallying cry of protesters
"This shows the new face of Iran -- the young women who are the vanguards of Iran"
(CNN) -- A young Iranian woman named Neda is gunned down in one of the most iconic images of the last week. Another walks down the street, defiantly showing off her hair and body in a revealing dress. And still another woman says she's not scared of paramilitary forces -- no matter how many times she gets beaten.
"When they want to hit me, I say hit. I have been hit so many times and this time it doesn't matter. I just want to help my brothers and sisters," says the 19-year-old woman whose identity is being withheld by CNN for her safety.
Amid the clashes and chaos, there has been a recurring scene on the streets of Tehran: Women, in their scarves and traditional clothing, at the heart of the struggle. Some are seen collecting rocks for ammunition against security forces, while video showed one woman trying to protect a fallen pro-government militiaman wounded in the government crackdown. At Shiraz University, riot police clubbed women dressed in black robes. "Don't beat them, you bastards," one man yells.
When security forces come to attack, the 19-year-old woman protester says she looks them in the eye and asks: "Why do you kill your brother? Why do you hit your mother, your sisters?"
"We all tell them, if you're Iranian, you shouldn't do that to your people, to your own country's people," she told CNN by phone.
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http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/meast/06/23/iran.women/index.html
Family and friends grieve at Wood family funeral
Family and friends grieve at Wood family funeral
The family of four was found dead in their Heathrow home.
Anthony Colarossi Sentinel Staff Writer
1:04 PM EDT, June 23, 2009
Family and friends of the Wood family gathered at First Baptist Church of Umatilla this morning to mourn the loss J.D., Cynthia, Dillon and Aubrey.
The four members of the Heathrow family died in a murder-suicide discovered early last week. Today's service at the Umatilla church was followed by a burial at Lakeside Memory Gardens in Eustis.
Rev. Brooks Braswell urged the dozens of people attending today's service to turn to God for strength at a time when many might lose faith following a tragedy that is hard to explain or understand.
Braswell said people often "turn to substance abuse to drown out the pain of a loss." But he told the visitors of another way.
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Family and friends grieve at Wood family funeral
Murder Investigators pay respects to slain veteran at Fla. funeral
Investigators pay respects to slain veteran at Fla. funeral
By Patricia Burkett
WBTW Anchor/ Reporter
Published: June 22, 2009
FLORENCE — Friends, family and even strangers spent Monday remembering one of America’s heroes.
World War II veteran Clair C. Chaffin was shot to death June 8 as he packed his car to leave the Thunderbird Inn in Florence.
Chaffin, of Archer, Fla., was 83. He fought at Iwo Jima and Saipan, and earned the Silver Star in his lifetime.
Although Chaffin’s life was taken during an attempted robbery, it was what happened to him before that day that made a lasting impression on those working on the case. He made an impact on the entire community as well as local law enforcement, all of whom recognized the great service he gave to the country.
Florence County Sheriff’s Office investigators were so moved by Chaffin’s family and the story of his life, they felt it fitting to fly hundreds of miles to pay their final respects Monday.
“A decorated veteran, who served his country and gave his life — a majority of his life — for this country, 83 years old and had been through what he had to go through and then had to come back to this country and die like he did, it’s unacceptable,” Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.
Powers Aviation officials made the flight possible for the investigators, providing the plane and pilot for the trip to Gainesville, Fla., for Chaffin’s funeral.
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Investigators pay respects to slain veteran at Fla. funeral
By Patricia Burkett
WBTW Anchor/ Reporter
Published: June 22, 2009
FLORENCE — Friends, family and even strangers spent Monday remembering one of America’s heroes.
World War II veteran Clair C. Chaffin was shot to death June 8 as he packed his car to leave the Thunderbird Inn in Florence.
Chaffin, of Archer, Fla., was 83. He fought at Iwo Jima and Saipan, and earned the Silver Star in his lifetime.
Although Chaffin’s life was taken during an attempted robbery, it was what happened to him before that day that made a lasting impression on those working on the case. He made an impact on the entire community as well as local law enforcement, all of whom recognized the great service he gave to the country.
Florence County Sheriff’s Office investigators were so moved by Chaffin’s family and the story of his life, they felt it fitting to fly hundreds of miles to pay their final respects Monday.
“A decorated veteran, who served his country and gave his life — a majority of his life — for this country, 83 years old and had been through what he had to go through and then had to come back to this country and die like he did, it’s unacceptable,” Florence County Sheriff Kenney Boone said.
Powers Aviation officials made the flight possible for the investigators, providing the plane and pilot for the trip to Gainesville, Fla., for Chaffin’s funeral.
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Investigators pay respects to slain veteran at Fla. funeral
Suffolk cop killed in crash was Marine veteran
Suffolk cop killed in crash was Marine veteran
BY MARTIN C. EVANS AND ZACHARY R. DOWDY martin.evans@newsday.com zachary.dowdy@newsday.com
10:43 PM EDT, June 22, 2009
Seven-year veteran Suffolk police Officer Robert Bowen was a battle-tested and decorated veteran of the Iraq war, bringing experience in one of the nation's most revered fighting forces -- the Marines -- to his patrols of Suffolk County, where his superiors said he also served with distinction.
"He was just a down-to-earth nice guy who did a good job for us," said Suffolk Deputy Police Chief Patrick Cuff, who was Bowen's commanding officer at the Third Precinct in Bay Shore until last Friday when Cuff was promoted. "And he loved the Marines."
Suffolk County Sheriff's Department Chief of Staff Michael Sharkey said Bowen, 34, of Ronkonkoma, died early Monday when he lost control of his car, which clipped the rear of another vehicle, struck a guardrail and overturned.
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Suffolk cop killed in crash was Marine veteran
Staten Island veteran gets Purple Heart for injury received in Viet Nam
Staten Island veteran gets Purple Heart for injury received in Viet Nam: 'It's like a closure'
BY Stephanie Gaskell
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, June 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM
For the past 42 years, Anthony Carraturo buried painful memories of fighting in Vietnam.
He got married, had a daughter and a 25-year career with the city's Sanitation Department.
"I just didn't want to think about that place anymore," said the 63-year-old Staten Island man.
Those battlefield memories came alive again Monday when Carraturo was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat on April 2, 1967.
"It's something that was a long time overdue," said Carraturo after accepting his medal from Rep. Michael McMahon at a ceremony in New Dorp. "It's like a closure."
Carraturo was just 19 when he was injured by enemy fire while serving with the 11th Armored Cavalry's Blackhorse unit, a search-and-destroy reconnaissance team. Heavy gunfire knocked Carraturo unconscious. He was treated for head trauma at a field hospital and went back into battle after just 10 days, spending a total of 13 months in combat.
"Certain things about Vietnam are very private and I don't like to talk about it," he said.
Carraturo's unit was met with protests when they came home - something that hurt him deeply. "I didn't choose to go over there," he said. "I was drafted and I did what I had to do."
go here for moreStaten Island veteran gets Purple Heart
BY Stephanie Gaskell
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, June 23rd 2009, 4:00 AM
For the past 42 years, Anthony Carraturo buried painful memories of fighting in Vietnam.
He got married, had a daughter and a 25-year career with the city's Sanitation Department.
"I just didn't want to think about that place anymore," said the 63-year-old Staten Island man.
Those battlefield memories came alive again Monday when Carraturo was awarded a Purple Heart for wounds sustained in combat on April 2, 1967.
"It's something that was a long time overdue," said Carraturo after accepting his medal from Rep. Michael McMahon at a ceremony in New Dorp. "It's like a closure."
Carraturo was just 19 when he was injured by enemy fire while serving with the 11th Armored Cavalry's Blackhorse unit, a search-and-destroy reconnaissance team. Heavy gunfire knocked Carraturo unconscious. He was treated for head trauma at a field hospital and went back into battle after just 10 days, spending a total of 13 months in combat.
"Certain things about Vietnam are very private and I don't like to talk about it," he said.
Carraturo's unit was met with protests when they came home - something that hurt him deeply. "I didn't choose to go over there," he said. "I was drafted and I did what I had to do."
go here for moreStaten Island veteran gets Purple Heart
Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bekaert takes charge of Fort Stewart WTB
New CSM brings experience to WTU
Soldier has served 20 years in National Guard
By Frenchi Jones
Staff writer
Updated: June 22, 2009
After more than a month of being without a command sergeant major, soldiers at Fort Stewart’s Warrior Transition Battalion recently welcomed a new leader to its chain of command.
On Wednesday, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bekaert assumed responsibility as the battalion’s commanding non-commissioned officer.
First Sgt. Glenn Swanson, who served as the interim CSM while the battalion courted a new one, exchanged responsibility for the troops with Bekaert in front of three companies of soldiers currently assigned to the WTB.
“We are getting a great NCO to help lead this battalion in the direction it’s headed,” Lt. Col. James Kanicki, commander of the WTU, told the warriors. “Command Sgt. Maj. Bekaert brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s a combat veteran … and above all else, he is a leader that understands soldiers and understands taking care of soldiers.”
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Soldier has served 20 years in National Guard
By Frenchi Jones
Staff writer
Updated: June 22, 2009
After more than a month of being without a command sergeant major, soldiers at Fort Stewart’s Warrior Transition Battalion recently welcomed a new leader to its chain of command.
On Wednesday, Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Bekaert assumed responsibility as the battalion’s commanding non-commissioned officer.
First Sgt. Glenn Swanson, who served as the interim CSM while the battalion courted a new one, exchanged responsibility for the troops with Bekaert in front of three companies of soldiers currently assigned to the WTB.
“We are getting a great NCO to help lead this battalion in the direction it’s headed,” Lt. Col. James Kanicki, commander of the WTU, told the warriors. “Command Sgt. Maj. Bekaert brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience. He’s a combat veteran … and above all else, he is a leader that understands soldiers and understands taking care of soldiers.”
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Wichita VA Hospital New Home to Homeless Vets
Wichita VA Hospital New Home to Homeless Vets
Reporter: Deb Farris
Robert J Dole Veteran Affairs Medical Center will soon be home to a temporary housing facility to help homeless vets get back on their feet.
The announcement was made official in a public hearing Monday night.
About sixty people showed up showing their support and even some opposed to the new facility. Many citizens said they are honored Wichita can finally do some good to aid those who served our country. But other neighboring residents to the hospital expressed concern over property values and safety concerns.
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http://www.kake.com/news/headlines/48816382.html
I will never understand some people. During the hearing a man stood up and said, "If it's about soldiers coming back from Iraq that's one thing but if it's about them sleeping under the bridge for a long, long time, I really don't want them in my neighborhood." Does this man realize the men sleeping under the bridge for a long, long time, were willing to give up their lives for him and his neighborhood? Does he understand that most of them have un-addressed mental health conditions and they are suffering because the rest of the country forgot all about them? Even with the way they have been discharged from their own communities, they would still give up their life for the sake of someone else. It's just the way they are.
Ask any of your neighbors if they know what PTSD is, and you're bound to get a blank expression or a puzzled one. Most people do not understand that too many veterans come back with PTSD and seek alcohol or drugs to relieve what PTSD is doing to them. They know there is something "wrong" with them but they don't even know what it is or that they can be treated for it. As with most challenges the PTSD veterans face, there is also the abandonment from a family that does not understand and does not support them in getting the help they need to heal. Pushed away from their families, where else do these veterans go? Is sleeping under a bridge more acceptable to this man than helping them get back on their feet?
I don't think this man is evil, nor do I think he is so greedy about his property values it comes before these veterans. I think he is uninformed and judging people he has no clue about.
Philadelphia Veterans Administration Doctor Botched Cancer Treatments
Report: VA errors caused radiation burns
PHILADELPHIA, June 21 (UPI) -- A doctor at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration hospital was off target on most of more than 100 patients he treated for prostate cancer, records showed.
Dr. Gary Kao has left the hospital after botching 92 of the 112 procedures involving the implantation of radioactive metal "seeds" in the prostate glands of patients, The New York Times reported Sunday.
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VA errors caused radiation burns
PHILADELPHIA, June 21 (UPI) -- A doctor at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration hospital was off target on most of more than 100 patients he treated for prostate cancer, records showed.
Dr. Gary Kao has left the hospital after botching 92 of the 112 procedures involving the implantation of radioactive metal "seeds" in the prostate glands of patients, The New York Times reported Sunday.
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VA errors caused radiation burns
Camp Lejeune contamination leaves Marines behind
Camp Lejeune was supposed to take care of the Marines and their families. They were supposed to actually care about their well being. It looks like no matter what Marines and their families were exposed to at Lejeune, they military will not accept responsibility for any of it.
If you know someone stationed at Camp Lejeune, pass this onto them and encourage them to file a claim if they are ill, contact their congressman and their local media. This cannot be dropped.
If you know someone stationed at Camp Lejeune, pass this onto them and encourage them to file a claim if they are ill, contact their congressman and their local media. This cannot be dropped.
Ill veterans push for answers on Lejeune contamination
By Bruce Henderson - McClatchy Newspapers
Kidney cancer, Mike Edwards says, came so close to killing him five years ago that he saw a stairway to heaven and smelled the brimstone of hell.
Now, Edwards and thousands of other veterans are caught in a kind of purgatory. They believe decades of drinking-water contamination at North Carolina's Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base sickened them or their family members.
But they may never know the truth.
Federal officials acknowledge that, from the 1950s to 1985, up to 500,000 people at Lejeune might have been exposed to high doses of chemicals that probably cause cancer and other illnesses.
A new report offers little hope of answers. No amount of study, it said, is likely to conclusively prove the contamination made anybody sick.
So many people came and went from Lejeune over the years, said a June 13 report from the National Research Council, that it's unlikely many can be located. It's also hard to estimate the amount of chemicals they might have been exposed to so long ago, it said, and to separate that from toxic substances encountered elsewhere.
Those problems, the committee concluded, "cannot be overcome with additional study."
The Navy has received 1,583 claims for compensation, totaling $34 billion. None have been settled. The Veterans Administration says it offers no health benefits from the Lejeune contamination.
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http://www.thesunnews.com/news/local/story/948590.html
A Chance for Clues to Brain Injury in Combat Blasts
A Chance for Clues to Brain Injury in Combat Blasts
By ALAN SCHWARZ
Published: June 22, 2009
No direct impact caused Paul McQuigg’s brain injury in Iraq three years ago. And no wound from the incident visibly explains why Mr. McQuigg, now an office manager at a California Marine base, can get lost in his own neighborhood or arrive at the grocery store having forgotten why he left home.
But his blast injury — concussive brain trauma caused by an explosion’s invisible force waves — is no less real to him than a missing limb is to other veterans. Just how real could become clearer after he dies, when doctors slice up his brain to examine any damage.
Mr. McQuigg, 32, is one of 20 active and retired members of the military who recently agreed to donate their brain tissue upon death so that the effects of blast injuries — which, unlike most concussions, do not involve any direct contact with the head — can be better understood and treated.
The research will be conducted by the Sports Legacy Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Waltham, Mass., and by the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, whose recent examination of the brains of deceased football players has found damage linked to cognitive decline and depression.
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A Chance for Clues to Brain Injury in Combat Blasts
By ALAN SCHWARZ
Published: June 22, 2009
No direct impact caused Paul McQuigg’s brain injury in Iraq three years ago. And no wound from the incident visibly explains why Mr. McQuigg, now an office manager at a California Marine base, can get lost in his own neighborhood or arrive at the grocery store having forgotten why he left home.
But his blast injury — concussive brain trauma caused by an explosion’s invisible force waves — is no less real to him than a missing limb is to other veterans. Just how real could become clearer after he dies, when doctors slice up his brain to examine any damage.
Mr. McQuigg, 32, is one of 20 active and retired members of the military who recently agreed to donate their brain tissue upon death so that the effects of blast injuries — which, unlike most concussions, do not involve any direct contact with the head — can be better understood and treated.
The research will be conducted by the Sports Legacy Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Waltham, Mass., and by the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, whose recent examination of the brains of deceased football players has found damage linked to cognitive decline and depression.
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A Chance for Clues to Brain Injury in Combat Blasts
PTSD on Trial:Iraq war veteran in court on homicide charge
Iraq war veteran in court on homicide charge
Posted: Jun 22, 2009 7:40 PM EDT
MADISON (WKOW) -- The attorney for an Iraq war veteran accused of a Fitchburg murder said post traumatic stress syndrome was a factor in Perry Lucas' actions, but to what extent is still unclear.
Lucas, 28, appeared in Dane County court Monday, charged with first degree intentional homicide in connection with the June 16 fatal shooting of 23 year old Detarious Martin. Lucas is also charged with first degree reckless endangerment.
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http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10576296
Posted: Jun 22, 2009 7:40 PM EDT
MADISON (WKOW) -- The attorney for an Iraq war veteran accused of a Fitchburg murder said post traumatic stress syndrome was a factor in Perry Lucas' actions, but to what extent is still unclear.
Lucas, 28, appeared in Dane County court Monday, charged with first degree intentional homicide in connection with the June 16 fatal shooting of 23 year old Detarious Martin. Lucas is also charged with first degree reckless endangerment.
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http://www.wkowtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=10576296
Monday, June 22, 2009
Parents Say Soldier Likely Committed Suicide
Parents Say Soldier Likely Committed Suicide
Family Says 25-Year-Old Was Depressed
POSTED: 3:48 pm EDT June 22, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS -- The family of an Indianapolis soldier who died last week in Iraq said they knew he was depressed, but didn't know how to help.
Army Spc. Chancellor A. Keesling, 25, died Friday in Baghdad, according to a release from the Department of Defense.
His parents, Jannett and Gregg Keesling, said that after talking with military officials and the soldier who found their son, they believe he committed suicide.
Family Says 25-Year-Old Was Depressed
POSTED: 3:48 pm EDT June 22, 2009
INDIANAPOLIS -- The family of an Indianapolis soldier who died last week in Iraq said they knew he was depressed, but didn't know how to help.
Army Spc. Chancellor A. Keesling, 25, died Friday in Baghdad, according to a release from the Department of Defense.
His parents, Jannett and Gregg Keesling, said that after talking with military officials and the soldier who found their son, they believe he committed suicide.
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UPDATE to this
Soldier, 25, killed self in Iraq, family says
GI troubled by stress from an earlier tour and by quarrel with girlfriend, dad says
By Robert Annis - Indianapolis Star
Posted : Tuesday Jun 23, 2009 18:37:43 EDT
The family of an Indianapolis soldier who died in Baghdad last week confirmed Monday that he took his own life.
Army Spc. Chancellor Keesling, 25, Indianapolis, shot and killed himself Friday, just two weeks after he returned for his second tour of duty in Iraq and days after an argument with a girlfriend.
Keesling’s father, Gregg Keesling, said his son and his son’s wife had separated during his first tour, and he was despondent over the possibility that a second relationship was crumbling.
Chancellor Keesling suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder from his first tour, his father said, but neither his commanding officer nor fellow soldiers with the 961st Engineer Company out of Sharonville, Ohio, had any idea.
Keesling’s firearm, his father said, was taken away from him for one month during his initial deployment for fear he would harm himself.
Gregg Keesling applauded the military’s efforts to assist soldiers with mental health issues, but he said something as simple as the family having the e-mail address of the unit chaplain could have helped save his son’s life.
“We talked to him 15 hours earlier and told him to go see the chaplain, but he didn’t go,” he said. “There was enough time to get to someone to keep this from happening, but we didn’t know who (to talk to).”
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/06/gns_soldier_suicide_062309/
It seems that Gregg Keesling has one of the answers to this. The families. They know the soldiers and veterans better than anyone else does. They know their character, their moods, everything that is a part of their lives. They are also the first ones to see when something isn't right and when they need help. Maybe part of the solution is to give all families the contact information for unit chaplains just in case they are needed.
Ex-Husband charged with killing Sgt. Shaneka Jones
FORT HOOD
Soldier stabbed to death
A Fort Hood soldier was fatally stabbed, and her civilian ex-husband is being charged with murder, an FBI official said Monday.
Fort Hood police found the soldier wounded in her home on the post after receiving a 911 call about 3 a.m. Monday, Army officials said. Emergency responders could not revive her, and she was pronounced dead at a nearby Army hospital.
Sgt. Shaneka Jones, 26, apparently had been arguing with Donovan Lair, 36, before she was stabbed once in the chest, FBI spokesman Erik Vasys said. Lair was detained at the house by military police, Vasys said.
Because Lair is not a soldier, he was taken into custody by FBI agents and taken from Killeen to Waco, where he appeared before a federal magistrate Monday, Vasys said.
Lair was ordered to be detained until a preliminary hearing Thursday, when bail will be discussed, Vasys said.
Soldier stabbed to death
Soldier stabbed to death
A Fort Hood soldier was fatally stabbed, and her civilian ex-husband is being charged with murder, an FBI official said Monday.
Fort Hood police found the soldier wounded in her home on the post after receiving a 911 call about 3 a.m. Monday, Army officials said. Emergency responders could not revive her, and she was pronounced dead at a nearby Army hospital.
Sgt. Shaneka Jones, 26, apparently had been arguing with Donovan Lair, 36, before she was stabbed once in the chest, FBI spokesman Erik Vasys said. Lair was detained at the house by military police, Vasys said.
Because Lair is not a soldier, he was taken into custody by FBI agents and taken from Killeen to Waco, where he appeared before a federal magistrate Monday, Vasys said.
Lair was ordered to be detained until a preliminary hearing Thursday, when bail will be discussed, Vasys said.
Soldier stabbed to death
GOP WAR AGAINST VETERANS: NO ACT TOO LOW
To top all of this off, she has no clue what she is quoting to congress.,,,This is part of her testimony to congress and in on the AEI website.....Satel was talking about not granting full disability to a young veteran because it would discourage him from healing and going back to work.
Yet read this. Either she out and out lied to congress about this report or she had no clue what it meant.
This is from the National Center for PTSD
This piece is right to the point. Sally Satel has been an abomination. She has assaulted veterans from coast to coast with her insults and accusations, claiming PTSD is fake, even though police officers carry this wound as well. I would hate to be her if she gets pulled over for a DWI or speeding ticket and finds herself face to face with a cop on the beat she insulted when he was coming back from Iraq. Her refusal to acknowledge these remarkable men and women, our troops and our veterans, along with this wound they have carried within them, accusing them of looking for a free ride, after they were willing to die so that people like her could shoot their mouths off, is nothing less than treason to every man and woman that has laid down their lives for this nation.
What is worse is that she was held up as an expert on PTSD at the same time the troops and veterans were killing themselves instead of seeking help for PTSD. As an advisor and expert, she is responsible for what all of her advice lead to. People like her did more damage to our veterans than any enemy bullet ever could.
Is Satel suggesting that a Vietnam veteran returned, worked all these years and is so greedy they are willing to subject themselves to being called "crazy" by their friends? Does she understand the stigma still attached to this? It's because they are finally finding out what has been "wrong" with them all these years. I'm still contacted by Vietnam veterans just now hearing the term PTSD! It's not that they are finally deciding to show up at the VA to secure their old age. They already did that by working! There is no excuse for this from someone who worked for the VA.
Are there frauds? Yes. Some of their stories have been on this blog, but considering how low the percentage is, that is not the problem here. We have more veterans, as a matter of fact, half of the men and women with PTSD seek help, which means, half of them do not. Doesn't Satel get this?
Apparently not. While she is a psychiatrist, what was her training in? Is she among the ranking real experts on PTSD? The ones I trust, like Dr. Jonathan Shay? Or did the Bush Administration just need someone to slam the troops and the veterans? I've been asking that question for years wondering why it is that the experts I read never seemed to have been the people showing up to testify before Congress. Maybe this question has just been answered.
This is a good place to mention remission rates of PTSD. According to the National Vietnam Veterans' Readjustment Study (NVVRS, 1988) fifty percent of those who develop the diagnosis of PTSD will recover fully over time. A recent re-analysis of the NVVRS, (Science, vol. 313 18 August 2006) found the lifetime rate of PTSD to be 18.7 percent vs. point prevalence (current) of 9.1 percent. Notably, those with a lifetime history of PTSD but not current PTSD exhibited virtually no lingering functional impairment at the time of assessment. Thus, to grant total disability compensation in light of a fifty percent chance of total remission (and a much higher chance of achieving partial or near-total remission) makes little sense.
Yet read this. Either she out and out lied to congress about this report or she had no clue what it meant.
This is from the National Center for PTSD
Epidemiological Facts about PTSD
What causes Posttraumatic Stress Disorder? How common is it? Who gets it?
These questions are asked by epidemiologists, and two major epidemiological studies have produced some answers.
Several studies have been conducted in the history of the US to examine how prevalent PTSD is in the general population or in special populations. The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Survey (NVVRS), conducted between November 1986 and February 1988, comprised interviews of 3,016 American veterans selected to provide a representative sample of those who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam era. The National Comorbidity Survey (NCS), conducted between September 1990 and February 1992, comprised interviews of a representative national sample of 8,098 Americans aged 15 to 54 years. The most recent National Comorbidity Survey Report, published in 2005 on a newer sample, estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among adult Americans at 6.8%.
The earlier NCS data set estimated prevalence of lifetime PTSD to be 7.8% in the general adult population, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to have PTSD at some point in their lives. This represents a small portion of those who have experienced at least one traumatic event; 60.7% of men and 51.2% of women reported at least one traumatic event. The most frequently experienced traumas were:
Witnessing someone being badly injured or killed
Being involved in a fire, flood, or natural disaster
Being involved in a life-threatening accident
Combat exposure
The majority of the people in the NCS experienced two or more types of trauma. More than 10% of men and 6% of women reported four or more types of trauma during their lifetimes.
The traumatic events most often associated with PTSD in men were rape, combat exposure, childhood neglect, and childhood physical abuse. For women, the most common events were rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a weapon, and childhood physical abuse.
However, none of these events invariably produced PTSD in those exposed to it, and a particular type of traumatic event did not necessarily affect different sectors of the population in the same way.
The NCS report concluded that "PTSD is a highly prevalent lifetime disorder that often persists for years. The qualifying events for PTSD are also common, with many respondents reporting the occurrence of quite a few such events during their lifetimes."
The National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Survey (NVVRS)
The NVVRS report provided the following information about Vietnam War veterans:
PTSD
The estimated lifetime prevalence of PTSD among American Vietnam theater veterans is 30.9% for men and 26.9% for women. An additional 22.5% of men and 21.2% of women have had partial PTSD at some point in their lives. Thus, more than half of all male Vietnam veterans and almost half of all female Vietnam veterans -about 1,700,000 Vietnam veterans in all- have experienced "clinically serious stress reaction symptoms."
15.2% of all male Vietnam theater veterans (479,000 out of 3,140,000 men who served in Vietnam) and 8.1% of all female Vietnam theater veterans (610 out of 7,200 women who served in Vietnam) are currently diagnosed with PTSD ("Currently" means 1986-88 when the survey was conducted).
Other problems of Vietnam veterans
Forty percent of Vietnam theater veteran men have been divorced at least once (10% had two or more divorces), 14.1% report high levels of marital problems, and 23.1% have high levels of parenting problems.
Almost half of all male Vietnam theater veterans currently suffering from PTSD had been arrested or in jail at least once -34.2% more than once- and 11.5% had been convicted of a felony.
The estimated lifetime prevalence of alcohol abuse or dependence among male theater veterans is 39.2%, and the estimate for current alcohol abuse or dependence is 11.2%. The estimated lifetime prevalence of drug abuse or dependence among male theater veterans is 5.7%, and the estimate for current drug abuse or dependence is 1.8%.
Because the NVVRS sample size underrepresented members of certain ethnic minorities, the Matsunaga Vietnam Veterans Project undertook further epidemiological research among Native American, Asian American, and Pacific Islander veterans. These findings are summarized in two separate National Center for PTSD fact sheets.
This Fact Sheet Was Based On:
Richard A. Kulka et al., Trauma and the Vietnam War Generation: Report of Findings from the National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study (New York: Brunner/Mazel, 1990; ISBN 0-87630-573-7)
Ronald C. Kessler et al., Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey Archives of General Psychiatry, 52(12), 1048-1060 (December 1995)
http://www.ncptsd.va.gov/ncmain/ncdocs/fact_shts/fs_epidemiological.html
This piece is right to the point. Sally Satel has been an abomination. She has assaulted veterans from coast to coast with her insults and accusations, claiming PTSD is fake, even though police officers carry this wound as well. I would hate to be her if she gets pulled over for a DWI or speeding ticket and finds herself face to face with a cop on the beat she insulted when he was coming back from Iraq. Her refusal to acknowledge these remarkable men and women, our troops and our veterans, along with this wound they have carried within them, accusing them of looking for a free ride, after they were willing to die so that people like her could shoot their mouths off, is nothing less than treason to every man and woman that has laid down their lives for this nation.
What is worse is that she was held up as an expert on PTSD at the same time the troops and veterans were killing themselves instead of seeking help for PTSD. As an advisor and expert, she is responsible for what all of her advice lead to. People like her did more damage to our veterans than any enemy bullet ever could.
Op-Ed Contributor
For Some, the War Won't End
By Sally Satel
Published: March 1, 2006
Washington
ACCORDING to a report from its inspector general, the Department of Veterans Affairs is now paying compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder to nearly twice as many veterans as it did just six years ago, at an annual cost of $4.3 billion. What's more surprising is that the flood of recent applicants does not, for the most part, consist of young soldiers just returned from Iraq and Afghanistan. Rather they are Vietnam veterans in their 50's and 60's who claim to be psychologically crippled now by their service of decades ago.
This leads to an obvious question: Can it really take up to 40 years after a trauma before someone realizes he can no longer cope with the demands of civilian life? The answer: possibly, but it is often hard to know which applicants can be helped with short-term psychiatric care, which are seeking a free ride and which are truly deserving of the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and thus long-term care and payments of up to $2,300 a month for life. The task before the Veterans Affairs Department is to come up with criteria.
Medically speaking, there is some evidence to support what psychiatrists call "reactivated" post-traumatic stress disorder. The literature is dotted with cases of veterans of World War I, World War II and the Korean War who, after briefly showing signs of stress disorders in the immediate aftermath of their ordeals, led productive lives for decades before breaking down in their 60's and 70's. Little is known about the treatment of reactivated symptoms, but there is reason to be optimistic that patients will recover nicely in view of their having functioned well for so long.
But it's also very likely that some of the veteran baby boomers who have filed claims in recent years did so not out of medical need but out of a desire for financial security in their retirement years. Indeed, 40 percent of last year's claimants had been out of the military for 35 to 49 years.
Is Satel suggesting that a Vietnam veteran returned, worked all these years and is so greedy they are willing to subject themselves to being called "crazy" by their friends? Does she understand the stigma still attached to this? It's because they are finally finding out what has been "wrong" with them all these years. I'm still contacted by Vietnam veterans just now hearing the term PTSD! It's not that they are finally deciding to show up at the VA to secure their old age. They already did that by working! There is no excuse for this from someone who worked for the VA.
Are there frauds? Yes. Some of their stories have been on this blog, but considering how low the percentage is, that is not the problem here. We have more veterans, as a matter of fact, half of the men and women with PTSD seek help, which means, half of them do not. Doesn't Satel get this?
Apparently not. While she is a psychiatrist, what was her training in? Is she among the ranking real experts on PTSD? The ones I trust, like Dr. Jonathan Shay? Or did the Bush Administration just need someone to slam the troops and the veterans? I've been asking that question for years wondering why it is that the experts I read never seemed to have been the people showing up to testify before Congress. Maybe this question has just been answered.
Special Report: THE GOP WAR AGAINST VETERANS: NO ACT TOO LOW
Posted on June 21, 2009 by gordonduff
THE AMERICAN ENTERPRISE INSTITUTE AND DR. SALLY SATEL
EVERY VET A MALINGERER AND PHONY
By Gordon Duff STAFF WRITER
With the Keith Roberts hearing coming up, perhaps we should look at the mechanism that gave the government the ability to destroy veterans files, even imprison veterans who filed appeals, such as Keith Roberts.
Giving full aid and comfort to the enemies of America's veterans is the American Legion and VFW, two groups that stand, side by side with the Republican politicans and the conservative think tanks that work to eliminate veterans benefits and GI Bill enhancement.
THE AEI: NOMINEE FOR THE COVETED AIRPORT SPITTER AWARD
"Conservative" means "saving money" and "keeping soldiers as slaves onto death." Whether we are talking John McCain or Burr or Graham or two dozen others, these patriotic heroes have done nothing over the years but receive continual support from our favorite veterans groups for gutting military and veterans benefits.
With a series of "think tanks" selling pseudo science, most of them got their feet wet with decades of "smoking and lung cancer denial," or similar idiocy, the American Enterprise Institute stands out as the lead in the war against American heroes.
Even more maniacal and radical than the Heritiage Foundation, private "rubber stamp" for the schemes of Amway/Blackwater, Coors extremism and Richard Mellon Scaife, private funder for the failed Clinton impeachment, the AEI focuses on destroying veterans.
Their primary tool is a Doctor Sally Satel. Satel is an "odd duck" who believes that secret groups of extremist veterans, when not busy trying to overthrow the government or tap her telephone, plot to destroy the American economy by faking symptoms of PTSD after experiencing combat.
The Bush 2005 attempt to stop all payments to veterans receiving disability for PTSD was based on her politically inspired writing.
Standing against Satel, Bush and then VA director Nicholson was Senator Barak Obama, now president and under continual attack from, not only conservative groups, but clandestinely by mainstream veterans organizations.
Satel claims that the price for treating PTSD will go over $4 billion dollars and this will bankrupt the United States
go here for more
http://www.veteranstoday.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=7413
Armed Man Holed Up In Home in South Daytona
Armed Man Holed Up In Home
Monday, June 22, 2009 6:37:23 PM
Reported By Saul Saenz
SOUTH DAYTONA -- A man armed with a gun is inside a home, and police told News 13 the man shot at them.
Police said it started at the Palm Garden Apartments on Segrave Street.
They told News 13 the man was shooting up into the air when an officer on a motorcycle approached him. The suspect then fired at the officer.
A pursuit ensued and ended at Boulder Drive and Magnolia Avenue.
The suspect apparently hit a truck when he turned onto Boulder Drive.
A man working on a vehicle outside a duplex in the 900 block on Boulder ran inside the home and warned family members as the suspect made his way inside the duplex.
The family barricaded themselves in the master bedroom.
go here for more
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/6/22/armed_man_holed_up_in_home.html
Monday, June 22, 2009 6:37:23 PM
Reported By Saul Saenz
SOUTH DAYTONA -- A man armed with a gun is inside a home, and police told News 13 the man shot at them.
Police said it started at the Palm Garden Apartments on Segrave Street.
They told News 13 the man was shooting up into the air when an officer on a motorcycle approached him. The suspect then fired at the officer.
A pursuit ensued and ended at Boulder Drive and Magnolia Avenue.
The suspect apparently hit a truck when he turned onto Boulder Drive.
A man working on a vehicle outside a duplex in the 900 block on Boulder ran inside the home and warned family members as the suspect made his way inside the duplex.
The family barricaded themselves in the master bedroom.
go here for more
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/6/22/armed_man_holed_up_in_home.html
Two Metro Trains Crash, 7 dead
Two Dead, Many Injured in Red Line Collision
Two Metro trains were involved in a collision between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations at about 5 p.m., leaving two people dead and many seriously injured, according to preliminary reports. Here's a link to a Twitter picture, a screen shot from Channel 9. It shows one train car resting on top of another.
D.C. Fire/EMS spokesman Alan Etter said: "We have a number of injuries. We have at least one fatality. And we have dozens of injuries. The fire depatment is still in the proecess of extricating people from the cars. We're using heavy rescue equipment to cut open the cars to get whoever's trapped in there out."
"There will obviously be a very thorough investigation into what caused this derailment," said Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein. She said there were "many serious injuries" and that passengers were being taken to hospitals."Our hearts are with the families of those who have passed," she said............
Posted at 5:43 PM ET, 06/22/2009
At Least 1 Dead, 9 Hurt in Metro Crash: Report
A Metro representative has just told ABC-7 television that one person died and at least one was injured in the collision near Fort Totten. CNN has also reported the death.
go here for updates and the rest
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/?hpid=topnews
Two D.C. Metro trains collide, 4 confirmed dead
Two Metro trains collided between stations north of downtown Washington, D.C., during afternoon rush hour Monday, killing at least four people, CNN has confirmed. The crash occurred just before 5 p.m. on an above-ground track on the Red Line near Takoma Park, Maryland. At least nine people have been hurt, a Metro representative said, according to CNN affiliate WJLA. full story
UPDATE June 23
Death toll 7 in D.C. Metro crash
Story Highlights
NEW: Next-of-kin notifications to begin Tuesday morning, D.C. mayor says
Official death toll in accident is 7, mayor says; as many as 9 reported earlier
Traffic on the Red Line will be "severely" affected Tuesday, officials say
One train was stationary when crash happened, Metro official says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Seven people were killed in a rush-hour collision between two Metro trains in Washington on Monday, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said Tuesday.
There had been conflicting figures on the number of deaths.
Fenty said 76 people were taken to hospitals, including two who were in critical condition. Their conditions remained stable overnight, he said at a news conference. The condition of another critical patient was upgraded.
Two of the injured were emergency responders, said Washington Fire Chief Dennis Ruben.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/washington.metro.crash/index.html
Two Metro trains were involved in a collision between the Takoma and Fort Totten stations at about 5 p.m., leaving two people dead and many seriously injured, according to preliminary reports. Here's a link to a Twitter picture, a screen shot from Channel 9. It shows one train car resting on top of another.
D.C. Fire/EMS spokesman Alan Etter said: "We have a number of injuries. We have at least one fatality. And we have dozens of injuries. The fire depatment is still in the proecess of extricating people from the cars. We're using heavy rescue equipment to cut open the cars to get whoever's trapped in there out."
"There will obviously be a very thorough investigation into what caused this derailment," said Metro spokeswoman Lisa Farbstein. She said there were "many serious injuries" and that passengers were being taken to hospitals."Our hearts are with the families of those who have passed," she said............
Posted at 5:43 PM ET, 06/22/2009
At Least 1 Dead, 9 Hurt in Metro Crash: Report
A Metro representative has just told ABC-7 television that one person died and at least one was injured in the collision near Fort Totten. CNN has also reported the death.
go here for updates and the rest
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/getthere/?hpid=topnews
Two D.C. Metro trains collide, 4 confirmed dead
Two Metro trains collided between stations north of downtown Washington, D.C., during afternoon rush hour Monday, killing at least four people, CNN has confirmed. The crash occurred just before 5 p.m. on an above-ground track on the Red Line near Takoma Park, Maryland. At least nine people have been hurt, a Metro representative said, according to CNN affiliate WJLA. full story
UPDATE June 23
Death toll 7 in D.C. Metro crash
Story Highlights
NEW: Next-of-kin notifications to begin Tuesday morning, D.C. mayor says
Official death toll in accident is 7, mayor says; as many as 9 reported earlier
Traffic on the Red Line will be "severely" affected Tuesday, officials say
One train was stationary when crash happened, Metro official says
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Seven people were killed in a rush-hour collision between two Metro trains in Washington on Monday, D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty said Tuesday.
There had been conflicting figures on the number of deaths.
Fenty said 76 people were taken to hospitals, including two who were in critical condition. Their conditions remained stable overnight, he said at a news conference. The condition of another critical patient was upgraded.
Two of the injured were emergency responders, said Washington Fire Chief Dennis Ruben.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/06/23/washington.metro.crash/index.html
American Legion shines light on how claims are pushed away
“Body-count” Processing Must End at VA, Says The American Legion
National Commander Calls for Urgent Changes in Claims System
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An immediate overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs disability claims processing system is the only way out of a fast-growing nationwide backlog of unresolved cases, American Legion National Commander David K. Rehbein said after a congressional hearing last Thursday evening.
“As the backlog of claims approaches 1 million, and the needs of deserving veterans go unmet, VA can wait no longer to institute new and workable policies and procedures,” the leader of the nation’s largest veterans service organization said following a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee session on the problem.
Lawmakers heard compelling testimony from American Legion member David Bohan, a Gulf War Army combat veteran from Oregon who suffered service-connected permanent damage to his left foot as well as post-traumatic stress disorder. His disability claim is one of hundreds of thousands caught up in the VA backlog. Bohan’s story is among those highlighted in an extensive, three-part series of articles that debuted in the June issue of The American Legion Magazine.
The scope of the VA claims backlog problem and some potential solutions were detailed to subcommittee members by Ian dePlanque, assistant director of The American Legion’s Veterans Affairs and Rehabilitation Commission.The VA’s so-called work-credit system, which awards a claims processor credit in “body-count” fashion for completion of a job even if errors occur, was criticized by The American Legion representative.“To count work credit the same whether it is performed properly, or whether details are overlooked encourages corners to be cut,” dePlanque said. “In the past, it has been proposed that VA count work credit when a claim reaches a final decision. In that manner, the encouragement will be to perform every aspect of the claim correctly, as appeals over missed technical details will only hamper the process and create lengthy delays in the claims process.”
go here for more
Processing Must End at VA, Says The American Legion
Pilot buries helicopter crash survivor in sand
Pilot buries helicopter crash survivor in sand
Story Highlights
Helicopter pilot buries injured passenger in sand to save him from hypothermia
Pilot dragged him from crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia's Northern Territory
Helicopter crashed as they flew in low over mudflats to look for the giant reptiles
Passenger remains hospitalized Monday in serious but stable condition
By Saeed Ahmed
CNN
(CNN) -- A pilot dragged his passenger to safety and buried him neck-deep in sand to protect him from hypothermia Sunday night after their helicopter crashed in crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia's Northern Territory.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/22/australia.chopper.crash/index.html
Story Highlights
Helicopter pilot buries injured passenger in sand to save him from hypothermia
Pilot dragged him from crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia's Northern Territory
Helicopter crashed as they flew in low over mudflats to look for the giant reptiles
Passenger remains hospitalized Monday in serious but stable condition
By Saeed Ahmed
CNN
(CNN) -- A pilot dragged his passenger to safety and buried him neck-deep in sand to protect him from hypothermia Sunday night after their helicopter crashed in crocodile-infested mudflats in Australia's Northern Territory.
go here for more
http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/06/22/australia.chopper.crash/index.html
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