Finding Jesus at a Georgia truck stop
Story Highlights
Pastor's personal need inspires him to create ministry for truckers
Chaplain hears stories of loneliness and desperation
Truck stop owner: Truckers are "the last American cowboys"
Chaplain's downward was spiral halted by a late-night sermon
By John Blake
CNN
JACKSON, Georgia (CNN) -- "I gave up smoking, women and drinkin' last night," the singer shouts, "and it was the worst 15 minutes of mah life!"
The music blaring from the radio tonight is country. The dessert special is peach cobbler. And the customers are wide-bodied truck drivers, lumbering into a Georgia truck stop at suppertime.
But another group of truckers nearby is singing a new song. They amble into a truck stop trailer adorned with pictures of Jesus and sing the hymn "O Happy Day" in wobbly bass voices.
"I've been back and forth between God and Satan over the years," trucker Harold "Jumper" McBride says as he stands to share his story. "It was a rough life, but I finally found that saving grace to make life a whole lot better."
It's the Wednesday night service at "Chaplain Joe's" truck stop chapel service. The chaplain himself, a lanky, bearded man with tan cowboy boots, sits in the back of his narrow chapel, saying the loudest amens.
For 28 years, the Rev. Joe Hunter has been a chaplain to the truckers. Though most ministers preach to people in the pews, he takes God to people on the go. He reaches out to truckers at fuel stops, in parking lots, on the CB and through a radio show called "Heaven's Road."
He hears all sorts of stories: tales of loneliness, thoughts of suicide, struggles with guilt. A Vietnam veteran, he's even lived a little of what he's heard.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/09/23/truck.chaplain/index.html
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
“I’m not going to shoot, I just want some help.”
September 23, 2009
Man sought for questioning in parents' death fires shot in VA hospital
BY ROSE SOBOL AND MICHAEL LANSU Staff Reporters
Emergency crews remain on the scene of a Near West Side hospital Wednesday morning, more than five hours after a person of interest in a double-murder allegedly fired shots and holed himself the facility, authorities said.
At 5:40 a.m., police remain on the scene of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, where a man has holed himself inside the facility with a gun, police said. No injuries have been reported.
Bobby Freeman, an admission clerk at medical center, said a man walked into the facility about 1:20 a.m. and stood behind a patient he was admitting into the hospital.
The man -- described as a 40- to 50-year old bald black man with no facial hair in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white gym shoes -- asked for the location of the washroom and told Freeman he wanted to see a doctor, the clerk said.
The man went into the washroom, came out and walked into the emergency room, where he fired a shot into the ceiling and pointed a gun to his head, Freeman said.
read more here
Man sought for questioning in parents death
linked from RawStory
Man sought for questioning in parents' death fires shot in VA hospital
BY ROSE SOBOL AND MICHAEL LANSU Staff Reporters
Emergency crews remain on the scene of a Near West Side hospital Wednesday morning, more than five hours after a person of interest in a double-murder allegedly fired shots and holed himself the facility, authorities said.
At 5:40 a.m., police remain on the scene of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, where a man has holed himself inside the facility with a gun, police said. No injuries have been reported.
Bobby Freeman, an admission clerk at medical center, said a man walked into the facility about 1:20 a.m. and stood behind a patient he was admitting into the hospital.
The man -- described as a 40- to 50-year old bald black man with no facial hair in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white gym shoes -- asked for the location of the washroom and told Freeman he wanted to see a doctor, the clerk said.
The man went into the washroom, came out and walked into the emergency room, where he fired a shot into the ceiling and pointed a gun to his head, Freeman said.
read more here
Man sought for questioning in parents death
linked from RawStory
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
2 Officers Dead In Murder-Suicide
2 Officers Dead In Murder-Suicide
Couple Had History Of Domestic Abuse
POSTED: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
UPDATED: 6:13 pm EDT September 22, 2009
CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Two Detroit police officers died Tuesday in what is being called a murder-suicide.
Canton police said witnesses reported seeing a man shoot a woman, and then himself, just after 9 a.m. in the parking lot that is shared by the Canton Public Library and the Canton Police Department.
Detroit police homicide detective of 15 years, Edward Williams II, 36, and his wife, Patricia, a 33-year-old Detroit police officer, have been identified as the victims.
read more here
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21059408/detail.html
linked from CNN
Couple Had History Of Domestic Abuse
POSTED: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
UPDATED: 6:13 pm EDT September 22, 2009
CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Two Detroit police officers died Tuesday in what is being called a murder-suicide.
Canton police said witnesses reported seeing a man shoot a woman, and then himself, just after 9 a.m. in the parking lot that is shared by the Canton Public Library and the Canton Police Department.
Detroit police homicide detective of 15 years, Edward Williams II, 36, and his wife, Patricia, a 33-year-old Detroit police officer, have been identified as the victims.
read more here
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21059408/detail.html
linked from CNN
Child narrowly escapes being crushed by car caught on video tape
Child narrowly escapes being crushed by car
By KOMO Staff SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- Whether it was a quick reaction or just good timing, a child in Sunnyside is lucky to be alive after nearly being crushed by an out-of-control car.
And the whole incident was captured by a security camera:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/60316542.html
By KOMO Staff SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- Whether it was a quick reaction or just good timing, a child in Sunnyside is lucky to be alive after nearly being crushed by an out-of-control car.
And the whole incident was captured by a security camera:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/60316542.html
Vietnam vet, Iraq vet, hero and chaplain killed himself, police say
Cpl. Eric C. Schwartz / Marine Corps Naval Cmdr. Dennis Rocheford, a Catholic chaplain with II Marine Expeditionary Force, serves communion to 1st Lt. Steven Rubeo, a supply officer with Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, in 2007 at St. Michael's Chapel, Camp Al Qa'im, Iraq. The Navy Reserve chaplain and former enlisted Marine died Sept. 10 of an apparent suicide in Newport, R.I.
Reserve chaplain killed himself, police say
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 15:35:18 EDT
A decorated reserve Navy chaplain who served with Marines and soldiers in Iraq in 2007 died of an apparent suicide Sept. 10, according to police.
Cmdr. Dennis J. Rocheford, 60, a Catholic priest and former enlisted Marine, jumped to his death from the Newport Bridge in Rhode Island, according to Capt. James Swanberg, with the Rhode Island State Police.
Swanberg said the police were called at 8 a.m. with the report of a parked car in the bridge’s center lane.
“When the officer arrived on the scene, he went to the side of the bridge, looked over and saw a body face down in the water,” Swanberg said.
Coast Guard and fire units pulled the body from the water and unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him. Rocheford was later pronounced dead at Newport Hospital, Swanberg said, adding that he had not received results of the autopsy as of Tuesday.
He said a witness saw Rocheford walk from his car to the edge of the bridge and look over, but did not see him jump.
At the time of his death, Rocheford was on medical leave from St. Anne’s parish in North Oxford, Mass. He was also serving as a Catholic chaplain at Naval Station Newport, said Ray Deslile, spokesman for the Diocese of Worchester where Rocheford was assigned.
Rocheford served as an enlisted Marine from 1966 until 1969, when he got out as a lance corporal. A Vietnam veteran, he deployed to Quang Tri Province.
Personnel records show he earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was also twice awarded the Combat Action Ribbon along with the Navy and Marine Corps and Army Commendation Medals.
Female veterans road home dotted with difficulty
The Girls Come Marching Home
In The Girls Come Marching Home, Author Kirsten Holmstedt tackles controversial issues head-on, from racism, sexual harassment, and drugs to the difficulties of getting treatment from the Veterans Administration. Capturing these women's unique voices, Holmsted lets them speak for themselves about their trials and tribulations, their hopes and dreams, their frustrations and achievements. Even as the Iraq War dies down, these stories will resonate for years to come.
http://girlscomemarchinghome.com/
Female veterans' road home dotted with difficultyBy Jeanette Steele
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. September 22, 2009
Since 2001, U.S. women went marching into war in ways never seen before. Serving in foreign lands, they frisked people at checkpoints, searched for bombs, drove trucks while under fire and emptied their weapons against their enemies.
More than 225,350 female service members have been deployed for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, representing 11 percent of the total number of U.S. troops.
At least 765 of them have been killed or wounded since 2001, mostly in Iraq. Some are household names, such as Jessica Lynch, who was a 19-year-old Army supply clerk when she was captured in Iraq in March 2003. Lynch's subsequent rescue received widespread media coverage.
Most of the women marched home quietly and are trying to remake their lives, battle scars and all. The wounds are physical, mental and emotional.
Marine Sgt. Shannon Evans, a military policewoman, still deals with traumatic memories after being injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Navy Cmdr. Lenora Langlais, a surgical nurse wounded when bombs hit her base in Iraq, has tried to remain stoic despite grappling with her own wartime horrors.
These women are among four San Diego County residents profiled in a new book about the battlefield and homecoming experiences of female warriors.
read more here
Female veterans road home dotted with difficulty
You may also be interested in my videos too.....
Women at War
The Voice, Women at War
Hardest Times You Could Imagine
Sisters After War
Husband charged with killing wife at Isleworth Country Club
Isleworth shooting: Isleworth Country Club resident accused of shooting his wife
James Robert Ward is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife at their multimillion-dollar Isleworth estate.
Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writer
1:19 p.m. EDT, September 22, 2009
Investigators today charged Isleworth Country Club resident James Robert Ward with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Diane Elizabeth Ward, at their multimillion-dollar estate.
"I just shot my wife ... she's dead ... she's on the floor of the master bedroom," Ward told 911 dispatch operators at 8 p.m. Monday, according to the arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said it was a case of domestic violence, though they didn't provide many details. He is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail.
When deputies arrived at Ward's house at 5277 Isleworth Country Club Drive, the 61-year-old developer told them her body was in the second-floor bedroom.
Sheriff's deputies found Diane Ward, 55, on the floor and in a pool of blood.
read more here
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-isleworth-shooting-update-092209,0,1203939.story
James Robert Ward is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife at their multimillion-dollar Isleworth estate.
Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writer
1:19 p.m. EDT, September 22, 2009
Investigators today charged Isleworth Country Club resident James Robert Ward with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Diane Elizabeth Ward, at their multimillion-dollar estate.
"I just shot my wife ... she's dead ... she's on the floor of the master bedroom," Ward told 911 dispatch operators at 8 p.m. Monday, according to the arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said it was a case of domestic violence, though they didn't provide many details. He is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail.
When deputies arrived at Ward's house at 5277 Isleworth Country Club Drive, the 61-year-old developer told them her body was in the second-floor bedroom.
Sheriff's deputies found Diane Ward, 55, on the floor and in a pool of blood.
read more here
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-isleworth-shooting-update-092209,0,1203939.story
VA Suicide prevention programs in place
The question is, if the numbers keep going up, do they know if any of the "programs" are really working?
VA IG: Suicide prevention programs in place
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 11:36:52 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Veterans Affairs Department says it has stepped up its suicide prevention efforts.
The agency’s inspector took a look at 24 facilities and found they generally met new requirements such as appointing suicide prevention coordinators to track high-risk veterans. It did say the coordinators and medical providers could do a better job of communicating with each other.
The VA estimates there are as many as 6,400 suicides annually among all veterans.
New policies were implemented after growing concern about the number of suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Suicide prevention programs in place
Chuck Norris wants flag stained and doesn't know what year 9-11 attack was?
First the attack was in 2001 not 2002. The troops were sent to Afghanistan in 2001 as a response, but Norris seems to forget that too. He seems to forget about a lot of things. Stain the flag? He's late on that one considering most of the people that rushed out to buy flags for the first time after 9-11, slapped the magnets to the ass ends of their cars, were the first to let them just fade away. People like Norris used to be about respecting the flag as the flag of the nation, not some kind of political weapon to use to prove a point. Now I guess it just doesn't matter anymore. There is a lot that doesn't matter people like Norris could really be getting upset about, but that would have required them to pay attention all along, especially when his "party" was in control.
Begin with the fact we had two military campaigns so important to our security, this bunch of fiscal conservatives didn't seem to let it bother them neither campaign was included in the budget. The contractors ran amuck with no restrictions and no oversight on their contracts. The troops went without equipment they needed to stay as safe as possible and no one had any plans for after the invasion itself. Yet with all of this, people like Norris were silent, never once mentioning how all of this was hurting the troops and our financial security. People like Norris never even bothered to wonder how it was that 9-11 happened and all of our defenses failed at the same time on the same morning we needed them all to work the most. But he can't even see he got the year wrong.
He doesn't seem to understand that most of what is being addressed now, was causing most of us to get angry and scream for accountability, but people like Norris were not listening, swinging instead against people he thought were just "Bush bashers" instead of patriots concerned with where they county was heading.
It didn't seem to bother Norris that when the troops came back from Afghanistan, which most of the people like Norris forgot all about, was producing more wounded, no one here was getting ready to take care of any of them. You know, the same type of people too busy to notice the same thing was happening when the wounded were coming back from Iraq even though the evidence proved there was no need to attack Iraq, but plenty of reason to finish what was going on in Afghanistan, since that did have to do with 9-11 in 2001, not 2002 like Norris said.
So Norris now calls for people to stain the flag when he can't seem to care about the fact people like him never really respected it in the first place, or they would have been paying attention all along. Being a patriot requires people wanting this nation to be her best, no matter who is in charge. It requires them to want security and when there isn't, to find out why and make corrections. It requires respect through actions, not just words. We cannot say we support the troops with words but not when it comes to giving them everything they need to do what we ask of them. We cannot say we are a grateful nation when combat veterans are left without care, incomes and the support they really need from this nation. The list goes on but I bet you get the point. If we do not do what it really takes, then we are just a bunch of bad actors taking the stage and reading a script in a pretend world.
The rest of the American Patriots would never think of disgracing the flag for the sake of a political zealot who doesn't even know what year we were attacked. We also noticed that our men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan waited for their wounds to be taken care of, but people like him, never said let's protest the lack of care and force that President to take care of their healthcare needs. You know, the ones they wouldn't need taken care of if people like Norris cared after they were sent to risk their lives.
Begin with the fact we had two military campaigns so important to our security, this bunch of fiscal conservatives didn't seem to let it bother them neither campaign was included in the budget. The contractors ran amuck with no restrictions and no oversight on their contracts. The troops went without equipment they needed to stay as safe as possible and no one had any plans for after the invasion itself. Yet with all of this, people like Norris were silent, never once mentioning how all of this was hurting the troops and our financial security. People like Norris never even bothered to wonder how it was that 9-11 happened and all of our defenses failed at the same time on the same morning we needed them all to work the most. But he can't even see he got the year wrong.
Chuck Norris to American "patriots": stop flying U.S. flag or fly one that is 'tea-stained'
September 21, 9:49 AM Grassroots Politics Examiner Ron Moore
In today’s column he states that,
“On Sept. 12, 2002, we sought to protect our nation against terrorists from without. Beginning on Sept. 12, 2009, we are seeking to protect our nation against enemies of our republic from within. Many of us are protesting the present political direction of Washington. Outrageous borrowing, excessive bailouts, massive spending, speedball stimulus plans, universal hell-care and swings toward socialism are just a few of things that were protested that day. Of course, economics is far from America's only problem, as large as it appears to loom.“
read more here
Chuck Norris to American patriots
He doesn't seem to understand that most of what is being addressed now, was causing most of us to get angry and scream for accountability, but people like Norris were not listening, swinging instead against people he thought were just "Bush bashers" instead of patriots concerned with where they county was heading.
It didn't seem to bother Norris that when the troops came back from Afghanistan, which most of the people like Norris forgot all about, was producing more wounded, no one here was getting ready to take care of any of them. You know, the same type of people too busy to notice the same thing was happening when the wounded were coming back from Iraq even though the evidence proved there was no need to attack Iraq, but plenty of reason to finish what was going on in Afghanistan, since that did have to do with 9-11 in 2001, not 2002 like Norris said.
So Norris now calls for people to stain the flag when he can't seem to care about the fact people like him never really respected it in the first place, or they would have been paying attention all along. Being a patriot requires people wanting this nation to be her best, no matter who is in charge. It requires them to want security and when there isn't, to find out why and make corrections. It requires respect through actions, not just words. We cannot say we support the troops with words but not when it comes to giving them everything they need to do what we ask of them. We cannot say we are a grateful nation when combat veterans are left without care, incomes and the support they really need from this nation. The list goes on but I bet you get the point. If we do not do what it really takes, then we are just a bunch of bad actors taking the stage and reading a script in a pretend world.
The rest of the American Patriots would never think of disgracing the flag for the sake of a political zealot who doesn't even know what year we were attacked. We also noticed that our men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan waited for their wounds to be taken care of, but people like him, never said let's protest the lack of care and force that President to take care of their healthcare needs. You know, the ones they wouldn't need taken care of if people like Norris cared after they were sent to risk their lives.
Monday, September 21, 2009
What is Texas Outrage All About Really?
There has been something really bugging me for a while and this is behind it. There are so many people in Texas talking about how much they hate the government and want succession but they never seem to feel the same way when they are looking to the government for money. The following is just regarding Fort Hood. There is also a help wanted for the National Guard to point out that even with their National Guard, they also get involved with federal funds for that too.
With all these millions of dollars going back to Texas, just for Fort Hood alone, what is all of this really all about? I doubt they hate the troops or our veterans. I doubt they hate the National Guard and I doubt they hate the federal funds going into Texas for what the people of Texas need, like when hurricanes hit or they need food stamps or federal funds to cover banks that closed, or bailouts for Texas companies. Any ideas? I'm really lost on how they can hate with words what they embrace with open hands.
Washington, May 12, 2005 -
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Representative John Carter (TX-31) is proud to announce today the first step in the appropriations process has been taken. The Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee approved $57,338,000 for military construction projects at Ft. Hood and $68,112,300,000 for veterans.
Carter, who sits on the subcommittee, said, "This is the first and most crucial step in the appropriations process and I am thrilled about the funding that is going toward projects at Ft. Hood."
At the request of Carter, an allocation of $4.1 million was made for a fire station at North Fort Hood. The funding will be used to construct a fire station with air rescue capability to replace the existing fire station. The existing fire station is antiquated, deteriorating, and is too small to accommodate modern fire fighting equipment. The existing fire station is located on the East side of Highway 36, while all future North Fort Hood construction, which includes barracks, head quarters, and motor pools, is planned on the West side. The separation will cause unacceptable delays in reaction times. This structure is included in the Future Years Defense Plan for FY09.
http://carter.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=40&parentid=6§iontree=6,40&itemid=570
Stimulus Funds Will Pay For New Fort Hood Hospital
Funds from the massive federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood, Central Texas Congressman Chet Edwards said Tuesday evening.
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2009)—Funds from the $787 billion federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood to replace the Vietnam War-era Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Tuesday evening.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/41399507.html
With all these millions of dollars going back to Texas, just for Fort Hood alone, what is all of this really all about? I doubt they hate the troops or our veterans. I doubt they hate the National Guard and I doubt they hate the federal funds going into Texas for what the people of Texas need, like when hurricanes hit or they need food stamps or federal funds to cover banks that closed, or bailouts for Texas companies. Any ideas? I'm really lost on how they can hate with words what they embrace with open hands.
Congressman John Carter : Press Releases : CARTER ANNOUNCES ...09/12/07
Washington, Sep 12, 2007 -
U.S. Congressman John R. Carter (TX-31) today announced that the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport has been awarded a $285,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The funds are used to boost civilian aviation capacity by upgrading former and joint use military airports.
Washington, May 12, 2005 -
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Representative John Carter (TX-31) is proud to announce today the first step in the appropriations process has been taken. The Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee approved $57,338,000 for military construction projects at Ft. Hood and $68,112,300,000 for veterans.
Carter, who sits on the subcommittee, said, "This is the first and most crucial step in the appropriations process and I am thrilled about the funding that is going toward projects at Ft. Hood."
At the request of Carter, an allocation of $4.1 million was made for a fire station at North Fort Hood. The funding will be used to construct a fire station with air rescue capability to replace the existing fire station. The existing fire station is antiquated, deteriorating, and is too small to accommodate modern fire fighting equipment. The existing fire station is located on the East side of Highway 36, while all future North Fort Hood construction, which includes barracks, head quarters, and motor pools, is planned on the West side. The separation will cause unacceptable delays in reaction times. This structure is included in the Future Years Defense Plan for FY09.
http://carter.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=40&parentid=6§iontree=6,40&itemid=570
Stimulus Funds Will Pay For New Fort Hood Hospital
Funds from the massive federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood, Central Texas Congressman Chet Edwards said Tuesday evening.
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2009)—Funds from the $787 billion federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood to replace the Vietnam War-era Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Tuesday evening.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/41399507.html
HQ TXANG ANNOUNCEMENT #09-081
OFFICER VACANCY ANNOUNCEMNT
TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD
POSITION: Legislative Liaison Officer (LLO)
LOCATION: Headquarters, Texas Air National Guard, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX
OPENING DATE: 19 AUG 09
GRADE: O-3 NTE O-5 CLOSING DATE: 19 Nov 09
AFSC: 1XXX, 2XXX, 3XXX, 6XXX
HOW TO APPLY: USAF, AF Reserves or ANG commissioned officers will submit a completed AF Form 1288(Application for Reserve Assignment), copies of the last three OPRs, records review rip, resume, letter of introduction and fitness results. Letters of recommendation may also be included. The AF FORM 1288 and RECORDS REVIEW RIP may be obtained from your unit orderly room or your servicing Military Personnel Flight.
All other applicants will submit a completed AF Form 24, Application for Appointment, certified college transcripts and a personal resume. AF Form 24 and resume will be detailed chronologically of civilian and military experience with special emphasis on areas of experience and education related to the position applying for.
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS: Applicants must be available for an interview. Applications will be reviewed and qualified applicants will be notified via phone or email in regards to the board details. Payment for travel IS NOT AUTHORIZED
All questions regarding this announcement should be directed to TSgt Andrea Marqueses at commercial (512) 782-5488 or DSN 954-5488.
SUBMIT EMAIL APPLICATIONS TO: andrea.m.marqueses@hqtx.ang.af.mil
SUMIT PAPER APPLICATIONS TO: HQ TXANG/A1
2200 W 35th Street, Bldg 9
Camp Mabry, TX 78703
NOTE: All applications must be postmarked by the close of business on 19 Nov 09. Applications that do not make the deadline will not be considered and returned without action.
All applicants will receive consideration for this position without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, and other non-merit factors.
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
1. Specialty Summary. Performs the duties of the Legislative Liaison Officer for Headquarters Texas Air National Guard (HQTXANG). Working with Wing Commanders, Civil Engineers and Wing Facility Utilization Board’s identifies high priority military construction projects for inclusion in the Future Year's Defense Plan (FYDP) and works directly with NGB staff members in coordinating project funding. Serves as the Headquarters TXANG functional expert on the federal and state authorizations, appropriations and budget processes and Congressional Staff relations. Manages the development and communication of state facility and equipment priorities to congressional members and their staff, including management of data submission at critical stages in the legislative process.
2. Duties and Responsibilities:
Responsible for identifying State and Federal Funding sources to include facilities and equipment
Briefs State and Federal Congressional issues and submission progress to the TXANG Commander and other staff as appropriate or required
Responsible for the development and maintenance of congressional staff relations
Develops and maintains biographical database on congressional members to include district and Washington contact data
Develop and maintain information on the membership of congressional committees such as appropriations, armed services, etc.
Development of easy to understand congressional member and staff communication literature outlining funding request
Maintain database of past projects and funding by funding year and unit
Coordinate and participate in Washington D.C. congressional visits for the TXANG Commander
Process follow up contacts with congressional staff and committee member and obtain TAG letters
Develop and maintain a working relationship with Air National Guard Readiness Center (ANGRC) Civil Engineer Programs Manager as well as State Programmer
Provides funding and process guidance to Commanders on (possible) Congressional Add-on Opportunities
Responsible for coordinating and participating with the Plans, Operations, and Military Support Officer (POMSO) in identifying resources in support of state emergencies
Responsible, in conjunction with Plans officer, for coordination, planning and training exercises in military support to state and local civilian authorities
Responsible for participating as a member of the Texas State Joint Services Facility Board
Responsible for assisting in the development of the Force Management Planning
Performs reviews when requested by Commanders
http://www.agd.state.tx.us/jobs/air/traditional/gsu/HQ-09-081%20Legislative%20Liaison.pdf
Proper Exit, trips offer Iraq vets closure
Brian A. Barbour / Courtesy of the U.S. Army
From left: Sgt. Robert Brown, retired Staff Sgt. Bradley Gruetzner and Sgt. Christopher A. Burrell walk through “Hero’s Highway” on June 25 at the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Brown, Gruetzner, Burrell and four other soldiers wounded in Iraq had the opportunity to return to the places they once served in a program called Operation Proper Exit.
For the wounded, one last mission
‘Proper Exit’ trips offer Iraq vets closure
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Monday, September 21, 2009
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Some soldiers are returning to the places where they were wounded in Iraq under a program that aims to speed their recovery and close a painful chapter in their lives.
"They left without closure. … They left behind their belongings, their friends and battle buddies," said Rick Kell, director of the Troops First Foundation, who devised Operation Proper Exit after hearing wounded soldiers talk of their desire to return to Iraq. "We have heard for so long that Vietnam veterans wanted to go back and in their words, ‘have some closure.’ I thought why not try to get some of these guys to go back in real time so they don’t have to wait 30 years? "
Six soldiers took part in the initial trip in June, and another is planned for November.
One participant in the June trip was Staff Sgt. Kenneth Butler, 29, of Braintree, Mass., who lost his right arm above the elbow in a bomb attack while serving in Baghdad in 2007.
"I blacked out a few times," said Butler, who recently retired from active duty. "The last time was at FOB Rustamiyah and I woke up at Walter Reed."
Almost all wounded soldiers want to go back to where they served, Butler said.
"They want to rejoin their team and to be part of the fight and leave that place on their own terms and not on a gurney almost dead," he said.
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64913
Also older story on Operation Proper ExitWounded Warriors Return to Iraq
Five reported dead in Georgia flooding
Five reported dead in Georgia flooding
Story Highlights
NEW: Girl who was swept from father's arms is among those killed
At least four other people missing in Georgia; one presumed dead in Tennessee
300 people in Trion, Georgia, evacuate homes amid fears levee might fail
Hundreds of roads closed, official says; more rain expected before finally ending
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia creeks and rivers, swollen by days of rain, burst their banks Monday, and at least five people were killed in flooding in the state, officials said.
At least four others were thought to be missing, said Wes Tallon, spokesman for fire and emergency management services in Douglas County, west of Atlanta.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/21/southeast.floods/index.html#cnnSTCText
Story Highlights
NEW: Girl who was swept from father's arms is among those killed
At least four other people missing in Georgia; one presumed dead in Tennessee
300 people in Trion, Georgia, evacuate homes amid fears levee might fail
Hundreds of roads closed, official says; more rain expected before finally ending
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia creeks and rivers, swollen by days of rain, burst their banks Monday, and at least five people were killed in flooding in the state, officials said.
At least four others were thought to be missing, said Wes Tallon, spokesman for fire and emergency management services in Douglas County, west of Atlanta.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/21/southeast.floods/index.html#cnnSTCText
2 dozen motorcycles crash on I-5 in Oregon
2 dozen motorcycles crash on I-5 in Oregon
By Meghan Kalkstein KATU News and KATU.com
WILSONVILLE, Ore. – An accident involving almost 30 motorcycles just south of Wilsonville on Interstate 5 Friday afternoon injured several people, two critically.
The crash happened at about 3 p.m. near milepost 282. LifeFlight airlifted Herbert Sinclair of Heyburn, Idaho and David Bowyer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Oregon Health Sciences University and Legacy Emanuel Hospital, respectively. Both were motorcyclists.
Representatives of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said that it treated eight patients for shoulder and hip injuries and broken bones. They were also taken to area hospitals.
The accident closed northbound lanes of Interstate 5 for over two hours.
The motorcyclists were part of a local motorcycle club called Brothers Speed which was established in May 1969, according to its Web site. It has chapters in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, specifically in Portland, Ore. Camas, Wash., and Boise, Idaho.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/59860797.html
By Meghan Kalkstein KATU News and KATU.com
WILSONVILLE, Ore. – An accident involving almost 30 motorcycles just south of Wilsonville on Interstate 5 Friday afternoon injured several people, two critically.
The crash happened at about 3 p.m. near milepost 282. LifeFlight airlifted Herbert Sinclair of Heyburn, Idaho and David Bowyer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Oregon Health Sciences University and Legacy Emanuel Hospital, respectively. Both were motorcyclists.
Representatives of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said that it treated eight patients for shoulder and hip injuries and broken bones. They were also taken to area hospitals.
The accident closed northbound lanes of Interstate 5 for over two hours.
The motorcyclists were part of a local motorcycle club called Brothers Speed which was established in May 1969, according to its Web site. It has chapters in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, specifically in Portland, Ore. Camas, Wash., and Boise, Idaho.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/59860797.html
Father, daughter deploy jointly with ND Guard
Father, daughter deploy jointly with ND Guard
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Sep 21, 2009 18:13:08 EDT
WEST FARGO, N.D. — National Guard Spc. Heather Zimmerman followed in her father’s footsteps in joining the military. Now the two are being deployed together.
Zimmerman and her father, Sgt. Major Alvin Zimmerman of West Fargo, are among 650 North Dakota National Guard members assigned to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Officials say the North Dakotans will lead a multinational group of about 1,400.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_guard_nd_family_deployment_092109/
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Sep 21, 2009 18:13:08 EDT
WEST FARGO, N.D. — National Guard Spc. Heather Zimmerman followed in her father’s footsteps in joining the military. Now the two are being deployed together.
Zimmerman and her father, Sgt. Major Alvin Zimmerman of West Fargo, are among 650 North Dakota National Guard members assigned to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Officials say the North Dakotans will lead a multinational group of about 1,400.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_guard_nd_family_deployment_092109/
AZ police investigate apparent murder-suicide
AZ police investigate apparent murder-suicide
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 1:55 PM EDT
Arizona police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that left a mother and her two teenage sons dead.
Mesa police spokesman Detective Steve Berry said the woman's husband came home from work late Saturday and found her dead. As he continued checking the home, the man found his two sons dead, too.
The dead were identified as 50-year-old Susan Mullaly, 15-year-old Ryan Mullaly and 12-year-old Nicholas Mullaly
read more here
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11168858
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 1:55 PM EDT
Arizona police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that left a mother and her two teenage sons dead.
Mesa police spokesman Detective Steve Berry said the woman's husband came home from work late Saturday and found her dead. As he continued checking the home, the man found his two sons dead, too.
The dead were identified as 50-year-old Susan Mullaly, 15-year-old Ryan Mullaly and 12-year-old Nicholas Mullaly
read more here
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11168858
Deputies To Learn About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Deputies To Learn About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Law Enforcement Often First Professionals To Come In Contact With Ailing Soldiers
Last updated Sunday, September 20, 2009 11:55 PM CDT in News
By Anna Fry
THE MORNING NEWS
Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies will learn about veterans and post-traumatic stress disorder during special training scheduled for October.
"We're not going to turn them into mental health experts," said Vaughn DeCoster, team leader with the Fayetteville Veterans Center. "It's kind of sensitivity training, if you will."
DeCoster and two Veterans Affairs-affiliated nurses are providing the training. The training is mandatory for all deputies in the field, who are the sheriff's office employees most likely to deal with people with the disorder, said Capt. Mike Jones.
Deputies recently responded to a disturbance involving a recently-returned soldier with the disorder, Jones said. The man's family was complimentary of the deputies' handling of the situation but recommended training, he said.
The Sheriff's Office approached the center about the training and it's the first time it's been done, DeCoster said. The purpose is to educate deputies about soldiers returning from war and the community resources to which deputies can refer them.
The area doesn't have any big active-duty bases near, so soldiers returning from war can go unnoticed in public, he said.
"There are people out there that are suffering silently," DeCoster said.
All soldiers returning from war must decompress and adjust, he said. Just because soldiers are returning from combat and show symptoms doesn't mean they have post-traumatic stress disorder
read more here
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/09/21/news/092109bzptsd.txt
Law Enforcement Often First Professionals To Come In Contact With Ailing Soldiers
Last updated Sunday, September 20, 2009 11:55 PM CDT in News
By Anna Fry
THE MORNING NEWS
Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies will learn about veterans and post-traumatic stress disorder during special training scheduled for October.
"We're not going to turn them into mental health experts," said Vaughn DeCoster, team leader with the Fayetteville Veterans Center. "It's kind of sensitivity training, if you will."
DeCoster and two Veterans Affairs-affiliated nurses are providing the training. The training is mandatory for all deputies in the field, who are the sheriff's office employees most likely to deal with people with the disorder, said Capt. Mike Jones.
Deputies recently responded to a disturbance involving a recently-returned soldier with the disorder, Jones said. The man's family was complimentary of the deputies' handling of the situation but recommended training, he said.
The Sheriff's Office approached the center about the training and it's the first time it's been done, DeCoster said. The purpose is to educate deputies about soldiers returning from war and the community resources to which deputies can refer them.
The area doesn't have any big active-duty bases near, so soldiers returning from war can go unnoticed in public, he said.
"There are people out there that are suffering silently," DeCoster said.
All soldiers returning from war must decompress and adjust, he said. Just because soldiers are returning from combat and show symptoms doesn't mean they have post-traumatic stress disorder
read more here
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/09/21/news/092109bzptsd.txt
Longwood FL school under lock down over black bear
Bear At School; Campus Locked Down
Bear In Tree Near Classrooms
POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2009
UPDATED: 1:01 pm EDT September 21, 2009
LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A Seminole County school is on lock down after a black bear was found on its campus.
According to Fish and Wildlife, the bear was found on Pace-Brantley Hall school property Monday morning.
read more here
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21039378/detail.html
linked from CNN
Bear In Tree Near Classrooms
POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2009
UPDATED: 1:01 pm EDT September 21, 2009
LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A Seminole County school is on lock down after a black bear was found on its campus.
According to Fish and Wildlife, the bear was found on Pace-Brantley Hall school property Monday morning.
read more here
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21039378/detail.html
linked from CNN
Sgt. Rafael Peralta should have honor earned
The excuse of a friendly fire bullet limiting his capacity to act when a grenade came, is blown away by the military procedures they already have. PTSD medicated troops sent back into combat, but no one questions their mental capacity if they act heroically. TBI troops still kept on duty, but no one questions their mental capacity either. Here they have someone with a bullet wound but still put others first and pulled the grenade to himself. This act, was worthy of one medal but not the Medal of Honor because he was already wounded? Dah! How stupid does this get?
Marine could still get medal
By William Cole
President Obama on Thursday posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military recognition, to a Massachusetts soldier who died in Afghanistan trying to save a wounded comrade.
Staff Sgt. Jared C. Monti, a team leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, died in Nuristan province on June 21, 2006.
It was a reminder of a Medal of Honor not received in the case of a Hawai'i Marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta. It is a cause that fellow Marines refuse to give up on.
At least four Marines with Peralta on Nov. 15, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, have stated in written reports that they saw the short and stocky Marine nicknamed "Rafa" pull a grenade to his body after it had bounced into a room, saving the lives of others in the process.
The 25-year-old was with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment out of Kane'ohe Bay.
A Medal of Honor recommendation for Peralta made it through examinations by the Marine Corps, U.S. Central Command and the Department of the Navy before being rejected by five individuals appointed in an unusual move by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to review the nomination.
read more here
Marine could still get medal
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Toys for Tots campaign kicks off
Updated: Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 7:53 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 11:46 AM EDT
Anthony DiLorenzo
FEEDING HILLS, Mass. (WWLP) - Local bikers wound their way through the Pioneer Valley, Sunday morning with the Marine Corps League of Westfield, raising money for an important cause.
Their efforts will help needy children this holiday season as well as wounded warriors.
Hundreds of bikers are all revved up for the holiday season. Even Santa Claus himself, and bikers from throughout New England spread Christmas cheer with the kickoff of the Toys for Tots campaign with a benefit ride through the Pioneer Valley.
Around 200 bikers are not only helping the needy children but also the wounded warriors that have come back from battle with deep scars.
"Toys are coming in one at a time as a donation, and then a donation will go toward the 'Marine Helping Marine' program," explained Commandant Fran Curnow, of the Westfield River Valley Marine Corps League.
It's a program Lou Johnson champions in his fallen son's name, "participating in something like this makes me feel we're extending his example of doing for others."
Nineteen-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Phil Johnson of Enfield, CT, was killed three years ago in Iraq.
The Johnson family now makes it their mission, to help other military families with similar struggles.
go here for more
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Toys for Tots campaign kicks off
Updated: Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 7:53 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 11:46 AM EDT
Anthony DiLorenzo
FEEDING HILLS, Mass. (WWLP) - Local bikers wound their way through the Pioneer Valley, Sunday morning with the Marine Corps League of Westfield, raising money for an important cause.
Their efforts will help needy children this holiday season as well as wounded warriors.
Hundreds of bikers are all revved up for the holiday season. Even Santa Claus himself, and bikers from throughout New England spread Christmas cheer with the kickoff of the Toys for Tots campaign with a benefit ride through the Pioneer Valley.
Around 200 bikers are not only helping the needy children but also the wounded warriors that have come back from battle with deep scars.
"Toys are coming in one at a time as a donation, and then a donation will go toward the 'Marine Helping Marine' program," explained Commandant Fran Curnow, of the Westfield River Valley Marine Corps League.
It's a program Lou Johnson champions in his fallen son's name, "participating in something like this makes me feel we're extending his example of doing for others."
Nineteen-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Phil Johnson of Enfield, CT, was killed three years ago in Iraq.
The Johnson family now makes it their mission, to help other military families with similar struggles.
go here for more
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Marine reservist killed after stopping to help accident victims
Marine reservist dies after being hit by car in Arlington
11:54 PM CDT on Sunday, September 20, 2009
By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com
Arlington's 27th traffic fatality of 2009 was a Marine reservist who stopped to help victims of a traffic accident on Interstate 20 between Collins Street and Matlock Road shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday.
According to police, the original accident involved three vehicles in the westbound lanes of I-20. Two people were sent to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
The reservist and another man stopped to divert traffic and help the victims of the accident get out of their cars.
read more here
Marine reservist dies after being hit by car in Arlington
11:54 PM CDT on Sunday, September 20, 2009
By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com
Arlington's 27th traffic fatality of 2009 was a Marine reservist who stopped to help victims of a traffic accident on Interstate 20 between Collins Street and Matlock Road shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday.
According to police, the original accident involved three vehicles in the westbound lanes of I-20. Two people were sent to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
The reservist and another man stopped to divert traffic and help the victims of the accident get out of their cars.
read more here
Marine reservist dies after being hit by car in Arlington
North Wales man tells of post traumatic stress from warzone
North Wales man tells of post traumatic stress from warzone
Sep 21 2009 by Eryl Crump, Daily Post
THE horrors of war are a recurring nightmare for Thomas Rowlands
The 37-year-old from Anglesey saw active service in Northern Ireland and Bosnia during his seven-year spell with the First battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers.
Medically discharged from the Army he says he is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and has had no help at all to cope with the condition. But now he is one of the first to receive support he needs from a new Gwynedd-based organisation called Pathways.
He told the Daily Post: “It was Bosnia which ended my Army days. I saw children blown up while I looked on helpless to do anything.
“Youngsters of three and four years old begging me and my mates for food from our ration packs.
“Then we return from the war zone and the Army says there is nothing wrong with me.”
He says since returning to Wales he has had difficulty coping with normal, everyday life.
“I can’t sleep and can’t hold a job down. I’ve had more than 25 jobs in all.
read more here
North Wales man tells of post traumatic stress from warzone
Sep 21 2009 by Eryl Crump, Daily Post
THE horrors of war are a recurring nightmare for Thomas Rowlands
The 37-year-old from Anglesey saw active service in Northern Ireland and Bosnia during his seven-year spell with the First battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers.
Medically discharged from the Army he says he is suffering from post traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD) and has had no help at all to cope with the condition. But now he is one of the first to receive support he needs from a new Gwynedd-based organisation called Pathways.
He told the Daily Post: “It was Bosnia which ended my Army days. I saw children blown up while I looked on helpless to do anything.
“Youngsters of three and four years old begging me and my mates for food from our ration packs.
“Then we return from the war zone and the Army says there is nothing wrong with me.”
He says since returning to Wales he has had difficulty coping with normal, everyday life.
“I can’t sleep and can’t hold a job down. I’ve had more than 25 jobs in all.
read more here
North Wales man tells of post traumatic stress from warzone
Marine charged with faking war wounds and combat medals
Sgt. David W. Budwah is not just a jerk deciding to play dress-up hero, telling tall tales to impress strangers. He isn't your average veteran faking wounds to collect funds he didn't earn. He is worse because he is still in the Marines! This is a betrayal against every real wounded veteran, every real combat medal wearing hero and every man serving today in the military.
Marine charged with faking war wounds for gain
By DAVID DISHNEAU (AP) – 3 hours ago
SABILLASVILLE, Md. — On a sultry day in July 2008, Marine Sgt. David W. Budwah strode in his battle fatigues to the front of a picnic pavilion to tell three dozen young boys what he did during the war.
With his clear gaze, rigid posture and muscled, tattooed arms, Budwah looked every inch the hero he claimed to be. He said he was on his second tour of duty in Afghanistan when a homemade grenade exploded, wounding his face and arm when he dove to shield a buddy from the blast.
He urged the boys, ages 9-12, to take pride in themselves, their country and its warriors.
"We're here to make sure of the freedom you have every day," Budwah told his audience at Camp West Mar, a wooded American Legion compound about 60 miles northwest of Washington.
Spencer Shoemaker, then 10, was so impressed he had his picture taken with Budwah and kept a treasured newspaper clipping about the visit.
"What he said made me feel like I wanted to join the Marines," Spencer said.
But the Marines say Budwah is a liar, a fraud and a thief. They are court-martialing the 34-year-old Springhill, La., native, alleging he was never in Afghanistan, wasn't wounded and didn't earn the combat medals he wore — or the many privileges he enjoyed.
Budwah joined the Marines in October 1999 and spent nearly all of the next six years with a radio communications unit in Okinawa, Japan, according to the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Va., where Budwah has been stationed since February 2006.
read more here
Marine charged with faking war wounds for gain
500 Mile March for PTSD Will Happen in Spring
500 Mile March for PTSD Will Happen in Spring
Tim King Salem-News.com
The March from Oregon to California will take place after winter thaws.
U.S. soldiers on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan
Salem-News.com photo by Tim King
(SALEM, Ore.) - The date for our planned 500-Mile March for PTSD has been moved to Spring. We had originally intended to conduct the march in September, but the extension will allow us to be fully prepared and not operating in haste.
The march will raise funds for our hour-ling television documentary on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD. We completed a production trip just weeks ago in Oregon, California and Arizona, gaining significant material for the program.
Our next immediate plan is to travel to Washington state to record interviews and footage of an art display dedicated to helping sufferers of PTSD, and then back to Sacramento to interview several key people who we were not able to connect with on the last trip.
The documentary will feature interviews with soldiers and Marines with their boots on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, who talk about PTSD and what they are doing to avoid having it as an aspect of their lives.
The point of it is to educate people who have PTSD and family members of combat veterans afflicted with this disorder, to give them ideas that they can put to use. There are many approaches and many degrees of PTSD, and there is no single answer to offer as a remedy. Instead we are showing the programs and therapies that can actually make a difference.
We also are aware of the fact that combat is only one reason why people suffer from PTSD. This documentary will be a useful tool for all Americans who have Post Traumatic Stress.
read more here
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/september202009/ptsd_march_9-20-09.php
Tim King Salem-News.com
The March from Oregon to California will take place after winter thaws.
U.S. soldiers on patrol in Kabul, Afghanistan
Salem-News.com photo by Tim King
(SALEM, Ore.) - The date for our planned 500-Mile March for PTSD has been moved to Spring. We had originally intended to conduct the march in September, but the extension will allow us to be fully prepared and not operating in haste.
The march will raise funds for our hour-ling television documentary on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, commonly known as PTSD. We completed a production trip just weeks ago in Oregon, California and Arizona, gaining significant material for the program.
Our next immediate plan is to travel to Washington state to record interviews and footage of an art display dedicated to helping sufferers of PTSD, and then back to Sacramento to interview several key people who we were not able to connect with on the last trip.
The documentary will feature interviews with soldiers and Marines with their boots on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, who talk about PTSD and what they are doing to avoid having it as an aspect of their lives.
The point of it is to educate people who have PTSD and family members of combat veterans afflicted with this disorder, to give them ideas that they can put to use. There are many approaches and many degrees of PTSD, and there is no single answer to offer as a remedy. Instead we are showing the programs and therapies that can actually make a difference.
We also are aware of the fact that combat is only one reason why people suffer from PTSD. This documentary will be a useful tool for all Americans who have Post Traumatic Stress.
read more here
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/september202009/ptsd_march_9-20-09.php
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Woman dies after catching fire during surgery
Woman dies after catching fire during surgery
By JIM SUHR Associated Press Writer ST. LOUIS (AP) - A southern Illinois woman died after being severely burned in a flash fire while undergoing surgery, a rare but vexing dilemma in operating rooms.
Janice McCall, 65, of Energy, Ill., died Sept. 8 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., six days after being burned on the operating table at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill., her family's attorney said.
Attorney Robert Howerton said he had requested medical records from the Marion hospital and that he had few details about what happened. He declined to say why McCall was having surgery.
The Tennessee state medical examiner's office said McCall died from complications of thermal burns and classified her death as accidental.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/national/59731387.html
By JIM SUHR Associated Press Writer ST. LOUIS (AP) - A southern Illinois woman died after being severely burned in a flash fire while undergoing surgery, a rare but vexing dilemma in operating rooms.
Janice McCall, 65, of Energy, Ill., died Sept. 8 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tenn., six days after being burned on the operating table at Heartland Regional Medical Center in Marion, Ill., her family's attorney said.
Attorney Robert Howerton said he had requested medical records from the Marion hospital and that he had few details about what happened. He declined to say why McCall was having surgery.
The Tennessee state medical examiner's office said McCall died from complications of thermal burns and classified her death as accidental.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/national/59731387.html
Phillip Paul captured came three days after he escaped
Washington state killer captured after field-trip escape
Story Highlights
Legally insane killer escaped Thursday during hospital field trip to fair
Escape in Spokane County, Washington, prompted manhunt
Phillip Paul killed community activist in 1987, believing she was a witch
(CNN) -- A legally insane killer who escaped in Washington state during a field trip was recaptured Sunday, the Yakima County Sheriff's Department told CNN.
Authorities combed Washington state for Phillip Paul, a killer who escaped Thursday during a field trip.
Phillip Paul's capture came three days after he escaped in Spokane County, Washington. After escaping, he was the subject of a massive manhunt.
Details of the capture weren't immediately available.
Though Paul had been confined in a mental institution because of a murder confession, he was allowed to be part of Thursday's trip to a county fair.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/20/washington.escaped.killer/index.html
Story Highlights
Legally insane killer escaped Thursday during hospital field trip to fair
Escape in Spokane County, Washington, prompted manhunt
Phillip Paul killed community activist in 1987, believing she was a witch
(CNN) -- A legally insane killer who escaped in Washington state during a field trip was recaptured Sunday, the Yakima County Sheriff's Department told CNN.
Authorities combed Washington state for Phillip Paul, a killer who escaped Thursday during a field trip.
Phillip Paul's capture came three days after he escaped in Spokane County, Washington. After escaping, he was the subject of a massive manhunt.
Details of the capture weren't immediately available.
Though Paul had been confined in a mental institution because of a murder confession, he was allowed to be part of Thursday's trip to a county fair.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/20/washington.escaped.killer/index.html
Flag flies in memory of POWs, MIAs
Raising awareness
Flag flies in memory of POWs, MIAs
By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
The black and white flag for America’s missing in action joined the red, white and blue on one of Auburn’s most prominent flagpoles Friday.
And as the flag snapped in a stiff breeze above Veterans Memorial Park and below Old Glory, heads turned proudly upward, a school choir sang the National Anthem and veterans’ thoughts drifted to those left behind in the fields of Normandy or in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Vietnam veteran R.C. Bynog had made it a goal to have the flag fly this year on national POW-MIA Remembrance Day. The Auburn ironworker sold commemorative hats to raise funds for the flag and helped convince county authorities that the flag deserved a place on a pole it had never graced before.
Friday’s ceremony took Bynog back to a time when he was barely 20 and driving convoy vehicles east of Saigon. He turns 60 later this year.
“It’s important,” Bynog said. “So we don’t forget the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
read more here
Raising awareness
Flag flies in memory of POWs, MIAs
By Gus Thomson, Journal Staff Writer
The black and white flag for America’s missing in action joined the red, white and blue on one of Auburn’s most prominent flagpoles Friday.
And as the flag snapped in a stiff breeze above Veterans Memorial Park and below Old Glory, heads turned proudly upward, a school choir sang the National Anthem and veterans’ thoughts drifted to those left behind in the fields of Normandy or in the jungles of Southeast Asia.
Vietnam veteran R.C. Bynog had made it a goal to have the flag fly this year on national POW-MIA Remembrance Day. The Auburn ironworker sold commemorative hats to raise funds for the flag and helped convince county authorities that the flag deserved a place on a pole it had never graced before.
Friday’s ceremony took Bynog back to a time when he was barely 20 and driving convoy vehicles east of Saigon. He turns 60 later this year.
“It’s important,” Bynog said. “So we don’t forget the people who paid the ultimate sacrifice.”
read more here
Raising awareness
Vietnam Veteran Appreciation Gathering
Vietnam veterans gather to talk about their experiences
Vietnam veterans gathered Saturday to talk about their experiences and to help one another heal. The fourth annual Vietnam Veteran Appreciation Gathering in Altoona and brings us the story.Posted: 10:40 PM Sep 19, 2009
Reporter: Chris Baylor Email Address: mailto:chris.baylor@weau.com%20?subject=Vietnam
Vietnam veterans gather to talk about their experiences
Vietnam veterans gathered Saturday to talk about their experiences and to help one another heal. The fourth annual Vietnam Veteran Appreciation Gathering in Altoona and brings us the story.
"My responsibilities as a young 19 year old was to be a patch man,” says David Backstrom.
"I was a teenage medic in what they call navel support activity," says Backstrom.
David Backstrom says up until recently Vietnam Veterans didn't get a lot of credit for serving during a dangerous time.
"I think what happened is they understand with another war going on they're thinking wow what the heck, well stronger language, but what an awful thing to have happen to solders," says Backstrom.
Backstrom was one of the vets who took to the open mic Saturday to talk about his experiences in Vietnam.
Thuy Smith and her group, The Thuy Smith International Outreach, put on the fourth annual gathering.
The group helps children in Vietnam and works with veterans here in the states.
"These guys are now seeing that it's a positive thing to come together like this. Vietnam was a long time ago but it will always be a part of them but we can come together and make it a positive thing today," says Thuy Smith.
read more here
http://www.weau.com/news/headlines/59904657.html
Vietnam veterans gathered Saturday to talk about their experiences and to help one another heal. The fourth annual Vietnam Veteran Appreciation Gathering in Altoona and brings us the story.Posted: 10:40 PM Sep 19, 2009
Reporter: Chris Baylor Email Address: mailto:chris.baylor@weau.com%20?subject=Vietnam
Vietnam veterans gather to talk about their experiences
Vietnam veterans gathered Saturday to talk about their experiences and to help one another heal. The fourth annual Vietnam Veteran Appreciation Gathering in Altoona and brings us the story.
"My responsibilities as a young 19 year old was to be a patch man,” says David Backstrom.
"I was a teenage medic in what they call navel support activity," says Backstrom.
David Backstrom says up until recently Vietnam Veterans didn't get a lot of credit for serving during a dangerous time.
"I think what happened is they understand with another war going on they're thinking wow what the heck, well stronger language, but what an awful thing to have happen to solders," says Backstrom.
Backstrom was one of the vets who took to the open mic Saturday to talk about his experiences in Vietnam.
Thuy Smith and her group, The Thuy Smith International Outreach, put on the fourth annual gathering.
The group helps children in Vietnam and works with veterans here in the states.
"These guys are now seeing that it's a positive thing to come together like this. Vietnam was a long time ago but it will always be a part of them but we can come together and make it a positive thing today," says Thuy Smith.
read more here
http://www.weau.com/news/headlines/59904657.html
Great Dane escapes death to help heal Vietnam Vet
Great Dane escapes death, rescuer, runs to an open heart
By SUE NOWICKI
The Modesto Bee
MODESTO -- Henry was on death row, days from getting the needle, when he was saved and taken to a safe house. But three days later, he jumped the 6-foot-high fence in the back yard and went on the lam.
That's when Ron Dorville of Modesto happened along and took the Great Dane home with him. The sight of his 4-foot-10-inch wife, Sue, walking the big dog made a neighbor grin and call The Modesto Bee. The call brought the caper to light.
The Dorvilles took Henry -- Ron named him after King Henry VIII of England because the dog "has a regal air" -- to a veterinarian.
By SUE NOWICKI
The Modesto Bee
MODESTO -- Henry was on death row, days from getting the needle, when he was saved and taken to a safe house. But three days later, he jumped the 6-foot-high fence in the back yard and went on the lam.
That's when Ron Dorville of Modesto happened along and took the Great Dane home with him. The sight of his 4-foot-10-inch wife, Sue, walking the big dog made a neighbor grin and call The Modesto Bee. The call brought the caper to light.
The Dorvilles took Henry -- Ron named him after King Henry VIII of England because the dog "has a regal air" -- to a veterinarian.
Henry has been good medicine for Ron, a retired Army colonel who served in Vietnam, has post-traumatic stress disorder and is recovering from prostate cancer surgery earlier this summer.
read more here
Naples family of six found dead
Update
Man sought whose wife, 5 children killed
Florida authorities were searching Sunday for a 33-year-old man after his wife and five children were found dead in their Naples, Florida, home. "I can tell you that in no uncertain terms this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced," Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. full story
Man sought whose wife, 5 children killed
Florida authorities were searching Sunday for a 33-year-old man after his wife and five children were found dead in their Naples, Florida, home. "I can tell you that in no uncertain terms this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced," Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said. full story
Naples family of six found dead
Posted: Sep 20, 2009 12:55 AM EDT
Updated: Sep 20, 2009 9:25 AM EDT
Mesac Damas
A neighbor provided this photo of one of Damas' children, which was posted on his Facebook page.
The crime happened in the Stratford Place community
A man wanted for questioning in the slaying of his wife and five children in North Naples has fled to Haiti, according to his father.
In an interview with the Naples Daily News, the man's father said Mesac Damas called his brother from Haiti, though he did not say when.
Detectives found the bodies of Mesac Damas' family at 864 Hampton Circle around 6:30 p.m. while conducting a welfare check.
Jim Williams, chief investigator with the Collier County Sheriff's Office, talked to the Naples Daily News at the scene.
He told them Damas' sister-in-law contacted authorities after she hadn't heard from her sister.
"When the officer walked in the house to do a check, he found a deceased person," Williams told the Naples Daily News. "As he walked through the house to see if anyone else was inside, he found other persons deceased."
The bodies were still in the home as of early Sunday morning.
Williams also told the Naples Daily News that reports that the family members were shot were erroneous, but he wouldn't elaborate on a cause of death.
Investigators continue to walk in and out of the home in white scrubs or "clean suits." They removed several brown bags of evidence around 4:15 a.m.
read more here
http://www.abc-7.com/global/story.asp?s=11163098
linked from CNN
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans live good life?
Sally Satel has never been a friend of the troops, veterans or the truth. The problem is, she's not the only one. While the following is true, and few paid attention to the reports coming out over the last 8 years, even fewer are thinking about the veterans it was done to. That's the problem with false claims being allowed to just be out there. They don't go away and people actually believe the lies. When it came to our veterans, it cost them their lives.
But people like Satel were believed for far too long. This was also in the email pile this morning.
Notice how this article said "rocket attack" and "mortar shell" but did not mention IED or roadside bomb or sniper? Mortar shells were used by military in Vietnam and so were rockets but hardly ever used in Iraq or Afghanistan. For those two campaigns, the hidden bombs, do a lot more damage to life and mind, including traumatic brain injury and PTSD. This article also seems to dismiss the suicide bombers blowing themselves up in crowds. Air conditioning? Are they serious with this? The problem is, articles like this are believed instead of slammed.
These are from ICasualties.org
Afghanistan
Iraq
But with most of the troops now pulled back, the bombs still blow up in cars, on roads and on bodies. The difference is, most people didn't pay attention when the lives of the 4,345 US troops were put into their coffins.
Considering how many lives were lost during Vietnam, it requires a fool to just assume Iraq and Afghanistan are nothing much. The difference is, the amount of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan vs Vietnam. We also don't seem to consider that there were not many contractors in Vietnam but in Iraq and Afghanistan, they actually outnumbered the troops. Keeping track of their lives and their wounds is not being done, so it is easy to hide the true cost of war.
The problem with articles like the above is that they get enough exposure to do a lot of harm, when they could have been doing some good all along. The agenda is not to help or honor the men and women serving this country. The agenda is to attack them because they just cost too much money. They dared to come home wounded instead of dying where they were sent. That is the real attitude here. This attitude comes from the minority but is dangerous because it is allowed to go unchallenged.
Ignoring these reports allows them to continue. It's how we ended up with the image of the "crazy Nam vet" instead of wounded combat veteran into our brains. We know a lot better now but some people just don't care.
Army Gives Bad Discharges to Thousands of PTSD Vets
Gordon Duff Salem-News.com
Benefit denial scams raise suicide rates.
(CINNCINATTI, Ohio) - It all began as a Bush era program, promoted by Dr. Sally Satel, the famed "PTSD denialist" putting thousands of soldiers at risk and pushing hundreds to suicide.
Thousands of veterans lost all benefits, GI Bill, medical care and more through Army discharge scam, part of Neo-con "cost saving program"
How did it work? Simple. A very large percentage of combat vets with PTSD are problem drinkers, self medicating in the only way they can and, in the process, getting worse and worse. Redeployments of soldiers needing treatment only adds to the problem.
When vets with severe PTSD demonstrate severe symptoms, including alcohol abuse, they are put in short and unproven "quit" programs with an extremely high failure rate. This is all part of a game, one invented to trap soldiers and cut costs.
Step 2 in the game, the Army "orders" the soldier not to drink, knowing the order itself is absurd. Real treatment for PTSD is denied. When the soldier drinks, and they always do, the soldier is arrested, jailed and charged, now get this, with disobeying a direct order, Article 34 and disrespect to an officer or non-com.
Sometimes even more charges are piled on. In the end, the deal is the same. Leave the army with nothing but years of honorable service now labeled as "dishonorable" or "bad conduct" and face civilian life crushed and abandoned by the country you risked your life to serve.
The Army learned the game from the VA. The VA denied PTSD diagnoses to Vietnam veterans used alcohol, claiming they couldn't be diagnosed. Problem is, almost all PTSD vets use alcohol or drugs as self medication. End result, tens of thousands of Vietnam vets were denied diagnosis, treatment and compensation for decades with thousand dying as a result.
The basis of the Army policy is the Dr. Sally Satel "theory" that PTSD does not exist and all vets are fakers. Her beliefs, fringe "neo-con medicine" comes from a theory that soldiers and veterans are part of a non-productive social class that taxes a nations economic health as soon as they leave a combat zone. The end analysis supports the supposition that a disabled veteran and an illegal alien on welfare contribute exactly the same to the overall welfare of society.
read more hereBad Discharges to Thousands of PTSD Vets
But people like Satel were believed for far too long. This was also in the email pile this morning.
Seeking Stressed Soldiers
September 19, 2009: PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) is becoming a big issue. The problem is, in most cases it's unclear who has it. But as the war goes on, more troops are coming back who might have it. For example, since September 11, 2001, nearly 5,000 troops have been evacuated (as medical cases) from Iraq and Afghanistan for mental disorders. Only 16 percent of those were confirmed PTSD cases, the rest were for more familiar things like severe depression. Moreover, most of the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are not involved in combat. Yes, they are living in a combat zone, but aside from an occasional mortar shell or rocket (which usually causes no injuries), most troops tend to have air conditioned sleeping quarters, gyms, Internet access, video games, good food and excellent medical care. It's unclear how many troops actually have PTSD, although many who are in combat, definitely are stressed out and in need of help.read more of this here
http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htatrit/articles/20090919.aspx
Notice how this article said "rocket attack" and "mortar shell" but did not mention IED or roadside bomb or sniper? Mortar shells were used by military in Vietnam and so were rockets but hardly ever used in Iraq or Afghanistan. For those two campaigns, the hidden bombs, do a lot more damage to life and mind, including traumatic brain injury and PTSD. This article also seems to dismiss the suicide bombers blowing themselves up in crowds. Air conditioning? Are they serious with this? The problem is, articles like this are believed instead of slammed.
These are from ICasualties.org
Afghanistan
09/20/09 nydailynews: Soldiers'' brain injuries from blasts in Afghanistan take a toll
It''s estimated that 20% of soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by the impact of improvised explosive devices.
09/19/09 AP: Suicide car bomb kills 7, wounds nearly 100 in Kabu
A suicide car bomber struck near the front gate of NATO headquarters today in Kabul, killing seven people and wounding nearly 100 in a brazen daylight attack less than a week before Afghanistan''s landmark presidential election.
09/19/09 : DoD Identifies Army Casualty
Pfc. Jeremiah J. Monroe, 31, of Niskayuna, N.Y., died Sept. 17 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his vehicle with an improvised explosive device. He was assigned to the 7th Engineer Battalion, 10th Sustainment Brigade, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry), Fort Drum, N.Y.
Iraq
09/20/09 MNF: Service member killed in downed aircraft incident, 12 wounded
One U.S. service member was killed and 12 others were injured when a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter went down inside of Joint Base Balad at approximately 8 p.m. Saturday. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of next of kin and release by the Department of Defense.
But with most of the troops now pulled back, the bombs still blow up in cars, on roads and on bodies. The difference is, most people didn't pay attention when the lives of the 4,345 US troops were put into their coffins.
Considering how many lives were lost during Vietnam, it requires a fool to just assume Iraq and Afghanistan are nothing much. The difference is, the amount of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan vs Vietnam. We also don't seem to consider that there were not many contractors in Vietnam but in Iraq and Afghanistan, they actually outnumbered the troops. Keeping track of their lives and their wounds is not being done, so it is easy to hide the true cost of war.
The problem with articles like the above is that they get enough exposure to do a lot of harm, when they could have been doing some good all along. The agenda is not to help or honor the men and women serving this country. The agenda is to attack them because they just cost too much money. They dared to come home wounded instead of dying where they were sent. That is the real attitude here. This attitude comes from the minority but is dangerous because it is allowed to go unchallenged.
Ignoring these reports allows them to continue. It's how we ended up with the image of the "crazy Nam vet" instead of wounded combat veteran into our brains. We know a lot better now but some people just don't care.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Note to Adm. Mullen, tap into what we know to stop playing taps for suicides
Adm. Mullen, I really believe you care but it's time you started to talk to people who have been taking care of these veterans all along and stop making the same mistakes. Studies have been done to death. Mistakes repeated because the only people who learned from them are not being heard. If you really want to know what to do, talk to the people who have done it and got it right. Vietnam veterans and their families are ready and willing to help you save the lives of the troops but no one has been interested in what we have to say.
Military Update:
Community effort needed to heal war wounds
By Tom Philpott, Special to Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Saturday, September 19, 2009
The profound strain of eight years of war on the volunteer force permeated a day-long conference of military leaders, policymakers, health experts and family advocates as they shared ideas to address the "unseen injuries" of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury.
A theme struck by many participants, including Navy Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, was that government must seek greater involvement from communities across the country to support wounded warriors, traumatized veterans and damaged military families.
Mullen expressed concern over rising numbers of homeless veterans, slow expansion of a pilot program to streamline the disability evaluation system and a lack of solutions from medical research for timely diagnosis and treatment of PTSD and traumatic brain injury.
Just a week ago, she said, Kevin signaled that he wanted to take his own life by hanging. She called the VA hospital for help.
"Days went by and nobody called me." Finally, she confronted VA doctor at a social event "and said, ‘Look, you guys have to help us … I’m not trained. I’m not a nurse. I’m not a neurosurgeon. I’m not a psychologist. I’m not a therapist. I’m just a mom. And I don’t have any help with this.’"
Leslie told the forum, "It’s a very sad thing that this country — your Army or your VA or whatever — has let us down so incredibly. And I am asking you to step up to the plate and take care of somebody who went over there and did what you asked him to do."
Forum attendees gave her a standing ovation in support for what she and her son have sacrificed and endured. Asked later to list any part of the system that has worked well, Leslie praised the help she has received through her advocate in VA’s Federal Recovery Coordinator Program.
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64857
Iraq vet kills himself in Washington, D.C.
Iraq vet kills himself in Washington, D.C.
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, September 19, 2009
WASHINGTON — A 19-year-old man who committed suicide on the Washington, D.C., subway system on Sunday was an Iraq war veteran recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Army officials confirmed.
Pfc. Joshua Fueston, a native of Washington state, was killed when he threw himself in front of an oncoming train at a downtown station. Metro officials ruled his death a suicide based on witness reports and video of the incident.
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Saturday, September 19, 2009
WASHINGTON — A 19-year-old man who committed suicide on the Washington, D.C., subway system on Sunday was an Iraq war veteran recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Army officials confirmed.
Pfc. Joshua Fueston, a native of Washington state, was killed when he threw himself in front of an oncoming train at a downtown station. Metro officials ruled his death a suicide based on witness reports and video of the incident.
read more here
6 Year old son saves Dad's life
Son Helps Save Father's Life
Saturday, September 19, 2009 9:26:01 PM
Reported By Emily Lampa
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- With hugs and kisses, Dammion Williams thanks his son Brenden for making the call that saved his life.
"He did save my life and I'm thankful for it," Williams said.
The soft-spoken youngster had little to say to the camera, but he showed us how he called the emergency number after finding his father in bed, not moving.
"He was brave enough to get on the phone and explain what happened," his dad said.
read more here
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/9/19/son_helps_save_father39s_life.html
Saturday, September 19, 2009 9:26:01 PM
Reported By Emily Lampa
ALTAMONTE SPRINGS -- With hugs and kisses, Dammion Williams thanks his son Brenden for making the call that saved his life.
"He did save my life and I'm thankful for it," Williams said.
The soft-spoken youngster had little to say to the camera, but he showed us how he called the emergency number after finding his father in bed, not moving.
"He was brave enough to get on the phone and explain what happened," his dad said.
read more here
http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/9/19/son_helps_save_father39s_life.html
Report says Philly VA home endangered vets
Report says Philly VA home endangered vets
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Sep 19, 2009 16:32:25 EDT
PITTSBURGH — An inspection at a Veterans Affairs nursing home in Philadelphia last year found conditions endangering the welfare of residents, a Pittsburgh newspaper reported Saturday.
Inspectors found dried blood and feeding tubes on the floors, and one patient's leg had to be amputated after maggots were seen falling from his foot, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said, citing a report obtained through a federal Freedom of Information Act request.
The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Sep 19, 2009 16:32:25 EDT
PITTSBURGH — An inspection at a Veterans Affairs nursing home in Philadelphia last year found conditions endangering the welfare of residents, a Pittsburgh newspaper reported Saturday.
Inspectors found dried blood and feeding tubes on the floors, and one patient's leg had to be amputated after maggots were seen falling from his foot, the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review said, citing a report obtained through a federal Freedom of Information Act request.
The report said no action was taken on one unnamed veteran, even though his toes had turned black, until maggots were observed "falling out of the resident's foot," at which point an amputation was ordered. One inspector reported seeing a nurse use the wrong medication despite a week-old order from a physician changing the prescription, the report said.
An internal investigation was triggered three months before the report was issued when David Allen, 56, a mute and disabled Vietnam veteran, choked to death on solid food although he was supposed to be on a soft-food diet.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_philly_Va_home_091909/
Bracelet lost in World War II returns home
Bracelet lost in World War II returns home
U.S. pilot wore the silver token on his final mission over Germany
Sept . 19, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Jack Harold Glenn was a World War II fighter pilot who was killed during a firefight as he flew a mission over Germany in 1944, his body coming to rest in a field in a rural village.
The silver bracelet Glenn was wearing was given to a 16-year-old boy who helped retrieve his body. He held onto the bracelet ever since, a remembrance of the fallen American airman.
Sixty-five years later, the bracelet is returning to Glenn's sister in Alaska thanks to an enterprising World War II veteran who uncovered the relic on a recent trip to the German village.
read more here
Bracelet lost in World War II returns home
U.S. pilot wore the silver token on his final mission over Germany
Sept . 19, 2009
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Jack Harold Glenn was a World War II fighter pilot who was killed during a firefight as he flew a mission over Germany in 1944, his body coming to rest in a field in a rural village.
The silver bracelet Glenn was wearing was given to a 16-year-old boy who helped retrieve his body. He held onto the bracelet ever since, a remembrance of the fallen American airman.
Sixty-five years later, the bracelet is returning to Glenn's sister in Alaska thanks to an enterprising World War II veteran who uncovered the relic on a recent trip to the German village.
read more here
Bracelet lost in World War II returns home
Starved girl: Dad came 'to believe I was Satan'
Starved girl: Dad came 'to believe I was Satan'
The tiny, teenage girl stepped to the front of the courtroom Friday, holding a letter she wanted to read to the judge about her father, who was about to be sentenced for failing to stop the girl's stepmother from systematically starving her.
By Steve Miletich
The tiny, teenage girl stepped to the front of the courtroom Friday, holding a letter she wanted to read to the judge about her father, who was about to be sentenced for failing to stop the girl's stepmother from systematically starving her.
Wearing a black skirt, layered sweaters and dark-rimmed glasses, the 15-year-old hesitated as she stood a few feet from her father, then broke into tears and walked from the podium. The judge, William Downing of King County Superior Court, assured her he had read the letter, which had been submitted to him in advance.
read more here
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009897327_starvation19m.html
Related
Carnation father gets prison for standing by as child was starved
Carnation man pleads guilty of mistreating daughter, who was deprived of food, water
Statement by Jon Pomeroy (PDF)
Archive Carnation couple plead not guilty in 14-year-old girl's starving
Archive CPS reviewing case of starved 14-year-old in Carnation
Archive Carnation girl, 14, found starved to 48 pounds
The tiny, teenage girl stepped to the front of the courtroom Friday, holding a letter she wanted to read to the judge about her father, who was about to be sentenced for failing to stop the girl's stepmother from systematically starving her.
By Steve Miletich
The tiny, teenage girl stepped to the front of the courtroom Friday, holding a letter she wanted to read to the judge about her father, who was about to be sentenced for failing to stop the girl's stepmother from systematically starving her.
Wearing a black skirt, layered sweaters and dark-rimmed glasses, the 15-year-old hesitated as she stood a few feet from her father, then broke into tears and walked from the podium. The judge, William Downing of King County Superior Court, assured her he had read the letter, which had been submitted to him in advance.
read more here
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009897327_starvation19m.html
Related
Carnation father gets prison for standing by as child was starved
Carnation man pleads guilty of mistreating daughter, who was deprived of food, water
Statement by Jon Pomeroy (PDF)
Archive Carnation couple plead not guilty in 14-year-old girl's starving
Archive CPS reviewing case of starved 14-year-old in Carnation
Archive Carnation girl, 14, found starved to 48 pounds
Fort Lewis solider acquitted
Fort Lewis solider acquitted
A former Fort Lewis soldier charged with robbing University of Washington students at gunpoint in January has been acquitted by a jury in King County Superior Court.
Raymond Burrows, 22, of Central Falls, R.I., had been charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of rendering of criminal assistance.
Defense attorney Ramona Brandes said the case had difficulties from the start because witnesses described two of the robbers as being white and the third as black. Burrows is white, as were his two co-defendants Robert Lucas Jr. of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and Chad Braden, of Etna, Ohio.
read more here
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009897405_fortlewissolideracquitted.html
A former Fort Lewis soldier charged with robbing University of Washington students at gunpoint in January has been acquitted by a jury in King County Superior Court.
Raymond Burrows, 22, of Central Falls, R.I., had been charged with two counts of first-degree robbery and one count of rendering of criminal assistance.
Defense attorney Ramona Brandes said the case had difficulties from the start because witnesses described two of the robbers as being white and the third as black. Burrows is white, as were his two co-defendants Robert Lucas Jr. of Murfreesboro, Tenn.; and Chad Braden, of Etna, Ohio.
read more here
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009897405_fortlewissolideracquitted.html
Florida boys live to tell the tale of Mack's Fishing Camp
JEFF KLINKENBERG Times
Keith Jones is not afraid of a big alligator in the Everglades. Keith and his brother, Marshall, were raised by their grandparents and now run Mack’s Fishing Camp on the Miami Canal in the Everglades
In the Everglades, two Florida boys live to tell the tale of Mack's Fishing Camp
By Jeff Klinkenberg, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Sunday, September 20, 2009
Marshall Jones and his brother, Keith, who operate historic Mack's Fishing Camp in the Everglades, are barefoot boys in the tradition of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. The 30-year-old twins wear shoes only if necessary, perhaps because buying proper footwear is a challenge.
Marshall squeezes his ample paws into size 13s. Keith's feet measure a sawgrass-stomping 15EEE.
go here for more and for video
Macks fishing camp
Men cut man in wheelchair, stepson with machete in Daytona home invasion
Men cut man in wheelchair, stepson with machete in Daytona home invasion
Keith W. Kohn
Sentinel Staff Writer
1:35 p.m. EDT, September 19, 2009
DAYTONA BEACH - A man using a wheelchair and his teenage stepson were attacked and cut overnight by home invaders using a machete, Daytona Beach police said today.
The attack on Byron Street early Saturday morning sent the man to the hospital, a report from police spokesman Jimmie Flynt said.
According to the report, the victim had just arrived home and was in his wheelchair when four to six men ambushed him, asking, "Where's the stuff?" The victim told police he responded that he didn't have anything and he was told the men would go into his house and kill his wife.
Moments later, three of the men cut the homeowner with a machete as the other three used his keys to get into the house.
read more here
Men cut man in wheelchair stepson with machete
Keith W. Kohn
Sentinel Staff Writer
1:35 p.m. EDT, September 19, 2009
DAYTONA BEACH - A man using a wheelchair and his teenage stepson were attacked and cut overnight by home invaders using a machete, Daytona Beach police said today.
The attack on Byron Street early Saturday morning sent the man to the hospital, a report from police spokesman Jimmie Flynt said.
According to the report, the victim had just arrived home and was in his wheelchair when four to six men ambushed him, asking, "Where's the stuff?" The victim told police he responded that he didn't have anything and he was told the men would go into his house and kill his wife.
Moments later, three of the men cut the homeowner with a machete as the other three used his keys to get into the house.
read more here
Men cut man in wheelchair stepson with machete
Former Army chaplain helps homeless veterans
KAINAZ AMARIA Times
The Rev. Morson Livingston, center, founder of St. Jude’s Homeless Veterans Resource Center, stops Thursday at the Salvation Army Center of Hope in Port Richey. Livingston, a former U.S. Army chaplain, left the military in 2001.
Former Army chaplain helps homeless veterans in Pasco
By Mindy Rubenstein, Times Correspondent
In Print: Saturday, September 19, 2009
NEW PORT RICHEY — The Rev. Morson Livingston was stopped at a red light at State Road 54 and Little Road last year when he saw a couple of homeless men standing on the side of the road, wearing parts of their military uniforms. Livingston, who served as a U.S. Army chaplain in Bosnia before leaving the priesthood a few years ago, stopped and asked where they had served.
Vietnam, the men responded.
"I just imagined them in their uniforms, how strong and macho they were, and how desperate they are now in contrast," Livingston recalled.
He felt the need to help.
read more here
Two Iraq War Veterans receive pro bono HBO treatments for brain injuries
Two Iraq War Veterans receive pro bono HBO treatments for brain injuries
September 19, 2:05 AM
Veterans Affairs Examiner Valerie Halaby
September 17, 2009, Delray Beach, FL
So Why isn’t the military using this technology to help all of our medically challenged veterans? Perhaps that will be the question raised by many Americans in the days ahead as the story of two Iraqi war Veterans continues to make headline news. Purple Heart recipient Adam Burke, a 32 year-old U.S. Army Veteran with nine years of service was once a young man with a bright and shiny future. He excelled in school with a 3.9 grade average possessing the opportunity to become anything he wanted to be, though having chosen a life of service to his country he found himself deployed to Iraq in 2003 where fate would change the course of his dreams.
While traveling along patrol with fellow soldiers in the city of Balad, their humvee hit an IED – Adam was so severely wounded it left him 90% disabled and earned him a Purple Heart, an honor that marked the beginning of a new kind of battle - PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) among other conditions. Having lost all short-term memory threatening his intellectual capacity, he also has trouble speaking, is hard to understand, has black outs and vertigo, and wears a GPS device because he gets lost very easily.
read more here
Two Iraq War Veterans receive pro bono
linked from
http://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx
September 19, 2:05 AM
Veterans Affairs Examiner Valerie Halaby
September 17, 2009, Delray Beach, FL
So Why isn’t the military using this technology to help all of our medically challenged veterans? Perhaps that will be the question raised by many Americans in the days ahead as the story of two Iraqi war Veterans continues to make headline news. Purple Heart recipient Adam Burke, a 32 year-old U.S. Army Veteran with nine years of service was once a young man with a bright and shiny future. He excelled in school with a 3.9 grade average possessing the opportunity to become anything he wanted to be, though having chosen a life of service to his country he found himself deployed to Iraq in 2003 where fate would change the course of his dreams.
While traveling along patrol with fellow soldiers in the city of Balad, their humvee hit an IED – Adam was so severely wounded it left him 90% disabled and earned him a Purple Heart, an honor that marked the beginning of a new kind of battle - PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) among other conditions. Having lost all short-term memory threatening his intellectual capacity, he also has trouble speaking, is hard to understand, has black outs and vertigo, and wears a GPS device because he gets lost very easily.
read more here
Two Iraq War Veterans receive pro bono
linked from
http://www.icasualties.org/Iraq/index.aspx
Wildlife officials charge owner of Delilah, the 18-foot python
A python named Delilah was moved by Florida Wildlife officials to a temporary home when his cage near Lake Apopka, Fla., was deemed unsuitable on Friday, Sept., 11, 2009. Brother of the owner, Melvin Cheever, left, and snake man Sam Floyd, right, wrestle the snake out into a carrying cage. She had escaped in the past. The 16 year old snake was measured at 18' long and 30" around. She will be moved to a snake handler in Bushnell, Fla. (GEORGE SKENE, ORLANDO SENTINEL / September 11, 2009)
Anthony Colarossi
Sentinel Staff Writer
5:48 p.m. EDT, September 18, 2009
APOPKA - Officials with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have criminally charged the owner of Delilah, the 18-foot-python removed from an Apopka area backyard enclosure last week.
Robert David Cheever, 39, has been charged with unsafe housing of a reptile of concern, a second degree misdemeanor, according to Joy Hill, an FWC spokeswoman. Within 30 days Cheever can either pay a mail-in fine of $316 to the Orange County Clerk of Courts or request a day in court, Hill said in a statement.
He was also issued a warning for failing to have a reptile of concern permit and no PIT Tag, the identifying microchips inserted into such snakes.
read more here
Wildlife officials charge owner of Delilah, the 18-foot python
Rick Sanchez takes on FOX for sake of truth
CNN anchor calls out Fox News: ‘You lie’
By Muriel Kane
Published: September 18, 2009
When Fox News ran a full-page ad in the Washington Post — as well as in two newspapers owned by Fox’s parent company — claiming that it had been the only network to cover the 9.12 tea party rally in Washington, DC, it was more than one CNN anchor was willing to take.
“I usually don’t suffer fools gladly,” CNN’s Rick Sanchez began. “Especially when it comes to the fools who perpetuate falsehoods. Well, today thousands of you flipped through the pages of the Washington Post, only to come up a lie so bold and so upsetting that frankly I’m just not going to sit here in silence and allow my craft or my news operation to be unfairly maligned.”
Over a large photo of the rally, the ad asks, “How Did ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC and CNN Miss This Story?”
“Enough is enough,” Sanchez went on, sounding as though he had been taking lessons in righteous indignation from Keith Olbermann. “And yes, I’m talking to you, Fox News. You, who claim to be fair and balanced. At what, I wonder? … They are saying we did not cover this story. They are using a lie to try and divide people into camps. … That’s an offense to myself and my colleagues, who risked their lives in Iran and Afghanistan and around the world to bring the news.”
read more here
http://rawstory.com/08/news/2009/09/18/cnn-anchor-calls-out-fox-news-you-lie/
For anyone reading this blog thinking I've gotten soft when it comes to the truth, most of my holding back has been because I quit smoking and my anger level is a bit too easy to reach. Last Saturday I tossed out my cigarettes, as a notice to infrequent readers. It's been a monkey on my back for 32 years. I've been going thru hell with this, crying jags, sleeping binges and not wanting to get up out of bed. For the most part, I am pretty sure I met the devil face to face. Because of this, I've been trying really hard to not blow my top on a post. Hasn't worked out too well but I've tried.
In this case, Rick Sanchez deserves all the hell I can put into this post because he spoke out for the truth. What has been going on has nothing to do with being Republican or Democratic, right or left, straight or gay, poor or rich. This has everything to do with power and that's all that matters. The truth, in other words, be damned, because it was getting in the way of power.
Stop and listen to the talk show freaks screaming, crying, blowing their stack, changing color when their blood pressure rises out of control. What are they talking about? Are they talking about what happened in Iraq or Afghanistan today? Are they talking about what happened to the wounded troops coming back? How about the unemployed men and women who were serving this country last year but out of jobs and homes this year?
Do they ever talk about the millions of veterans going to the VA and having to pay for their healthcare because they don't have an approved claim? Yes, this has been going on for years, but you'll never hear it out of any of them. If you have an approved claim for a lost limb, they take of it and anything else that was part of your losing a limb. Otherwise they want you to have another kind of insurance, including Medicare or Medicaid so they can bill for treatment not connected to an approved claim. In the case when you have a claim denied or in process, that is a claim that is still considered "not service connected" and they bill you. Your insurance company does not have to pay if the diagnosis is attaching your required medical care to your military service. With an approved claim of 100%, for example, they will charge your insurance company for anything not attached to your claim, but if they turn down the charges, the VA will not bill you. Without an approved claim, they want their money.
But you won't hear any of this on FOX on talk radio. You won't hear any veteran being interviewed over what they've been through all along or how much they are suffering. If you hear anything at all, it will be tied to the Obama administration instead of anything that has been happening all along. They also won't bother to mention the fact that since the Democrats took control over the committees, things started to change for the better and you began to hear more testimonies on PTSD, as well as news coverage.
Wake up if you still think FOX cable is news because they've been lying to you all along. It's not about the nation, especially when they make statements about how they want the Obama administration to fail, because that means they don't care the American people suffer in the process as long as they retain control over you and manipulate you into believing the lies. It's time to stand up for the truth and demand it from the people you trusted to report real news.
I watch CNN and MSNBC. I don't watch FOX because I got tired of being treated like an idiot.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Stanford Study Finds Staggering Rates of PTSD
Just to give you an idea, here are some posts from the past.
As you can see, the researchers are getting closer but I said over a year ago we're looking at a million. They are getting closer but no one is prepared for any of this. At the same time we have Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking help, plus learning they need it, we have older veterans doing the same thing. No one is ready or even close to it yet.
Percentage of Veterans with Mental Health Problems
About 37% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have mental health problems, a nearly 50% increase from the last time the prevalence was calculated, according to a new study published today analyzing national Department of Veterans Affairs data. 7/16/09
148,000 Vietnam Veterans Sought Help in 18 Months
934,925 Veterans being treated by VA for PTSD
In the past 18 months, 148,000 Vietnam veterans have gone to VA centers reporting symptoms of PTSD "30 years after the war," said Brig. Gen. Michael S. Tucker, deputy commanding general of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command and Walter Reed Army Medical Center. He recently visited El Paso. 10/08/07
September 17, 2007
As you can see, the researchers are getting closer but I said over a year ago we're looking at a million. They are getting closer but no one is prepared for any of this. At the same time we have Iraq and Afghanistan veterans seeking help, plus learning they need it, we have older veterans doing the same thing. No one is ready or even close to it yet.
Stanford Study Finds Staggering Rates of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Among Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans
A recent study conducted by Stanford University found that rates of PTSD among service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan may be as high as 35%. With two million troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, we can expect that an astounding 700,000 veterans will suffer from PTSD.
San Fransisco, CA (Vocus/PRWEB ) September 18, 2009 -- A recent study conducted by Stanford University found that rates of PTSD among service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan may be as high as 35%. With two million troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, we can expect that an astounding 700,000 veterans will suffer from PTSD.
These numbers are double previously projected numbers because unlike other projections, this study factors in delayed onset of PTSD, which is common. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) must increase staff and resources to accommodate the mental health care needs of Iraq and Afghanistan active duty service members and veterans. The DoD claims that the transition to VA services is a seamless one for veterans, but evidence shows otherwise. Both DoD and VA lack a sufficient number of mental health professionals on staff to diagnose, treat and provide compensation to patients with PTSD. The staff shortage can be attributed to a lack of funding and a national shortage of mental health professionals, however the shortages continue to cause delays in treatment and compensation. In California alone there are 59,659 VA claims that are currently pending process and this number will continue to rise as more troops return home.
read more here
Stanford Study Finds Staggering Rates of PTSD
Funeral held for Clermont police officer killed in motorcycle crash
Funeral service
( GEORGE SKENE, ORLANDO SENTINEL / September 18, 2009 )
The family of Clermont police officer Rob Sayers attend his funeral service at Celebration of Praise Church in Clermont. He died in a motorcycle accident on Sept. 9, on his way home from work to Spring Hill. Officers from many agencies came to the funeral. Left to right are his mother Lesley Ann Taylor, son Luke, wife Sally (Sarah) holding son Toby and Clermont Police Chief Steve Graham.
Funeral held for Clermont police officer killed in motorcycle crash
By Martin E. Comas
Sentinel Staff Writer
10:28 a.m. EDT, September 18, 2009
CLERMONT - The funeral for Clermont police Officer Robert Sayers at Celebration Praise Church is over and a large contingent of law-enforcement officers will lead a procession to Oakhill Cemetery, where Sayers will be buried.
Sayers was killed Sept. 9 after crashing his motorcycle while returning to his home in Spring Hill.
A reception will be held later at Jenkins Auditorium, 691 W. Montrose St.
Sayers, 39, who lived with his wife, Sarah, and two young boys, was driving home from work, heading west on State Road 50 at about 4:30 pm Sept. 16 on his 2006 Triumph motorcycle when the crash occurred.
read more here
Funeral held for Clermont police officer killed in motorcycle crash
War's Silent Stress: Healing The Military Family
Somehow I'm beginning to think they really don't want to or they would be talking to the people who already did it. In 1982 when I met my husband there were plenty of excuses to use, but that was then when no help was available, and this is now, when it seems as if there are groups popping up all over the place. The best suggestion I can make to congress, if they ever wanted to listen to me, which they haven't, talk to the people in this all along to know what works and take it from there. It will save a lot of time, a lot of money, a lot of families and a lot of lives.
War's Silent Stress: Healing The Military Family
Posted by Rosemary Feitas on 09/18/2009
After eight years of war, the mental wellness of today's service member and to a lesser degree, his or her military family is garnering increased attention. Whether as a national security issue or moral imperative, it is quickly becoming evident that in order to maintain a strong, mission-ready military, America must deal with the excessive stress and burden today's military and their families have endured and continue to face.
The record-setting numbers of Army suicides in 2007 and 2008 were widely reported by news media, only to be overshadowed by another record set in January of this year, when more soldiers took their own lives than were killed in combat. Since January, Army suicides are on pace to set yet another record for this year. Typical causal theories for the high rate of suicides range from combat stress to trouble at home.
The response to the suicide rate from both the Army and Congress has been strong, yet not well-coordinated.
In addition to a number of congressional hearings, the Army has commissioned a $50million study with partners such as the National Institute of Mental Health and experts from academia to better understand what brought on this increase. The Army has also mandated all 1.1 million of its soldiers participate in emotional resiliency training that begins in October. Unfortunately, because of the lack of research available, the training will be modeled after the best available practices based on techniques proven effective in middle schools, certainly modified to be appropriate for soldiers -- both in terms of age and also related to the issues they are dealing with that are of course quite different from middle school children.
read more here
Healing The Military Family
Oral History Of Iraq and Afghanistan
Oral History Of Iraq & Afghanistan: Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rhodes
As Told To Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rhodes (retired)
48 Years Old
Army, 1980-2009
Served in Iraq
• Oral History Project
The son of a World War II veteran, Samuel Rhodes joined the Army in 1980 and rose to the rank of command sergeant major. He first deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004 and voluntarily returned to the warzone after just two months at home. After his third tour, when he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, his marriage of 26 years ended and he contemplated suicide. Now retired from the Army, he works with horses and helps other troubled veterans.
I used to be afraid of flying because I was afraid I was going to crash and die. The thing about life is over here you don't see any bad stuff, for the most part. People think, "They closed Wal-Mart today," and they get all stressed out. But that's not important at all. [Over there] you're seeing people killed, you're seeing Iraqis dead by the side of the roads.
You can't just stop working, you have to continue the work. You go through some traumatic events and you can't just shut it down. Continue the mission. I understand we lost [a soldier] and here's our mission and keep doing it, we love you. And when they get back to the FOB [Forwarded Operating Base], make sure they have counselors available and anything else.
There's a lot of counseling: combat stress doctors, chaplains, and a lot of guys like myself that have been around the block a couple of times can sometimes get more out of them with a doctor. The soldier appreciates that -- "Sergeant Major's taking time to talk to me." If you really care they can see it in your eyes; and if you don't care, you're wasting your time. So it ain't really about you, it's about what the soldiers need and deserve.
read more here
Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rhodes
As Told To Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rhodes (retired)
48 Years Old
Army, 1980-2009
Served in Iraq
• Oral History Project
The son of a World War II veteran, Samuel Rhodes joined the Army in 1980 and rose to the rank of command sergeant major. He first deployed to Iraq in 2003-2004 and voluntarily returned to the warzone after just two months at home. After his third tour, when he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, his marriage of 26 years ended and he contemplated suicide. Now retired from the Army, he works with horses and helps other troubled veterans.
I used to be afraid of flying because I was afraid I was going to crash and die. The thing about life is over here you don't see any bad stuff, for the most part. People think, "They closed Wal-Mart today," and they get all stressed out. But that's not important at all. [Over there] you're seeing people killed, you're seeing Iraqis dead by the side of the roads.
You can't just stop working, you have to continue the work. You go through some traumatic events and you can't just shut it down. Continue the mission. I understand we lost [a soldier] and here's our mission and keep doing it, we love you. And when they get back to the FOB [Forwarded Operating Base], make sure they have counselors available and anything else.
There's a lot of counseling: combat stress doctors, chaplains, and a lot of guys like myself that have been around the block a couple of times can sometimes get more out of them with a doctor. The soldier appreciates that -- "Sergeant Major's taking time to talk to me." If you really care they can see it in your eyes; and if you don't care, you're wasting your time. So it ain't really about you, it's about what the soldiers need and deserve.
read more here
Command Sgt. Maj. Samuel Rhodes
GF VA clinic response 'overwhelming'
GF VA clinic response 'overwhelming'
A Veterans Administration official says more than 1,000 military veterans already have filed paperwork to switch their care to Grand Forks from other VA facilities, including the VA Medical Center in Fargo and the VA Clinic in Grafton.
By: Kevin Bonham, Grand Forks Herald
The new Veterans Administration Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Grand Forks is a hit.
Open only a week, more than 1,000 military veterans already have filed paperwork to switch their care to Grand Forks from other VA facilities, including the VA Medical Center in Fargo and the VA Clinic in Grafton, according to Peggy Wheelden, Fargo VA Medical Center public affairs officer.
read more here
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/133798/
A Veterans Administration official says more than 1,000 military veterans already have filed paperwork to switch their care to Grand Forks from other VA facilities, including the VA Medical Center in Fargo and the VA Clinic in Grafton.
By: Kevin Bonham, Grand Forks Herald
The new Veterans Administration Community-Based Outpatient Clinic in Grand Forks is a hit.
Open only a week, more than 1,000 military veterans already have filed paperwork to switch their care to Grand Forks from other VA facilities, including the VA Medical Center in Fargo and the VA Clinic in Grafton, according to Peggy Wheelden, Fargo VA Medical Center public affairs officer.
read more here
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/133798/
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