One in three young vets now unemployed
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 2, 2010 15:12:51 EDT
Disturbing new statistics from the Labor Department show that one in three veterans under age 24 is unemployed — and that the unemployment rate for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans has jumped to 14.7 percent, half again as high as the national employment rate of 9.7 percent.
The March unemployment rate of 30.2 percent for veterans aged 18 to 24 is a big jump from February’s figure of 21.7 percent, although it may be partly the result of a small sample used by the Labor Department in determining unemployment, said Justin Brown, a labor expert for Veterans of Foreign Wars.
read more here
One in three young vets now unemployed
Friday, April 2, 2010
One in three young vets now unemployed
Smart enough to learn new skills? Yep. Dedicated to the mission? Yep, can't beat willing to lay down your life to do it. Physically able? Yep, boot camp alone proved that one. Works great on team efforts? Ever see a soldier fighting alone and doing his own thing? That one's covered too. What more can an employer ask for? Considering they spent at least a year in combat, unable to call in sick, or take the easy way out of anything, the list of reasons to higher a veteran is a lot longer than the reason to pass them over. What kind of "grateful nation" is this when they come home after serving in the military and find out they don't have a job?
Grass-roots effort tries to fill needs while veterans wait
Help returning war vets
Grass-roots effort tries to fill financial and counseling gaps
Updated: April 01, 2010, 11:23 pm
Published: April 02, 2010, 6:51 am
For many veterans returning from both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and for their families, there are continuing issues that governmental entities may not be fully equipped to handle. Western New York veterans want to bridge that gap, and they deserve community support.
WNY Heroes, a grass-roots effort by the veterans and their supporters, is designed to help fill the financial and emotional gaps facing returning service members and their families, who face delays in getting medical treatment and financial hurdles worsened by deployments overseas. Through "A Salute to Service: Our Community Cares," a fundraising effort under the auspices of the Mental Health Association of Erie County, the group hopes to raise more than $535,000 over 60 days.
read more here
Help returning war vets
Grass-roots effort tries to fill financial and counseling gaps
Updated: April 01, 2010, 11:23 pm
Published: April 02, 2010, 6:51 am
For many veterans returning from both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, and for their families, there are continuing issues that governmental entities may not be fully equipped to handle. Western New York veterans want to bridge that gap, and they deserve community support.
WNY Heroes, a grass-roots effort by the veterans and their supporters, is designed to help fill the financial and emotional gaps facing returning service members and their families, who face delays in getting medical treatment and financial hurdles worsened by deployments overseas. Through "A Salute to Service: Our Community Cares," a fundraising effort under the auspices of the Mental Health Association of Erie County, the group hopes to raise more than $535,000 over 60 days.
read more here
Help returning war vets
KBR sued by Uncle Sam after new contract
Why does this sound like something out of a bad movie?
US Sues Contractor KBR Over Iraq Bills
April 02, 2010
Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- The federal government sued KBR Inc., the largest contractor in Iraq, on Thursday over what prosecutors say were improper charges to the Army for private security services.
Houston-based KBR Inc. is a former subsidiary of Halliburton Co. It recently won a new contract potentially worth more than $2 billion for support work in the country.
The lawsuit filed in federal court in Washington charged that KBR and 33 of its subcontractors used private armed security at various times from 2003 to 2006. The suit claimed KBR knew under the terms of its contract the company could not bill the U.S. government for such services but did so anyway.
read more here
US Sues Contractor KBR Over Iraq Bills
New Agent Orange Rule to Allow Retro Claims by 86,000
Agent Orange Retro Claims Allowed
Tom Philpott April 01, 2010
New Agent Orange Rule to Allow Retro Claims by 86,000
About 86,000 Vietnam War veterans, their surviving spouses or estates will be eligible for retroactive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs -- an average of 11.4 years for veterans and 9.6 years for survivors -- under a draft VA rule to expand by three the number of diseases presumed caused by herbicide exposure in the war.
The 86,000 are beneficiaries who can reopen previously denied claims for these conditions: ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease and chronic B-cell blood cancers including hairy cell leukemia. But another 29,000 claims are expected to be approved this year for Vietnam veterans suffering from these diseases but applying for benefits for the first time.
The projected cost of this dramatic expansion of claims linked to Agent Orange and other defoliants deployed four decades ago is $13.6 billion this fiscal year and $42.2 billion over 10 years. VA plans to hire 1772 new claims processors, starting this October, to be able to handle these claims "without significantly degrading the processing of the non-presumptive workload."
read more here
Agent Orange Retro Claims Allowed
Tom Philpott April 01, 2010
New Agent Orange Rule to Allow Retro Claims by 86,000
About 86,000 Vietnam War veterans, their surviving spouses or estates will be eligible for retroactive disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs -- an average of 11.4 years for veterans and 9.6 years for survivors -- under a draft VA rule to expand by three the number of diseases presumed caused by herbicide exposure in the war.
The 86,000 are beneficiaries who can reopen previously denied claims for these conditions: ischemic heart disease, Parkinson's disease and chronic B-cell blood cancers including hairy cell leukemia. But another 29,000 claims are expected to be approved this year for Vietnam veterans suffering from these diseases but applying for benefits for the first time.
The projected cost of this dramatic expansion of claims linked to Agent Orange and other defoliants deployed four decades ago is $13.6 billion this fiscal year and $42.2 billion over 10 years. VA plans to hire 1772 new claims processors, starting this October, to be able to handle these claims "without significantly degrading the processing of the non-presumptive workload."
read more here
Agent Orange Retro Claims Allowed
Senator Sherrod Brown learns more about homeless veterans
Senator learns more about homelessness, mental health of veterans
By Loren Genson • Gazette Staff Writer • April 1, 2010
Homelessness and mental-health issues were hot topics when Sen. Sherrod Brown visited the Chillicothe VA hospital Thursday to speak with veterans and center hospital directors.
Director Jeff Gering said he was pleased Brown, a member of the Veterans Affairs committee and a northeast Ohioan, took the time to visit and learn more about the veteran population in southern Ohio.
“Addressing homelessness among veterans in Cleveland is very different than in Appalachia,” Gering said.
While the center has always worked to find homeless veterans a place to stay, the troubled economy has increased the number of veterans it must serve.
Foreclosures and more recent veterans returning home with mental-health problems have added local veterans in need of housing and mental-health assistance.
read more here
Senator learns more about homelessness
By Loren Genson • Gazette Staff Writer • April 1, 2010
Homelessness and mental-health issues were hot topics when Sen. Sherrod Brown visited the Chillicothe VA hospital Thursday to speak with veterans and center hospital directors.
Director Jeff Gering said he was pleased Brown, a member of the Veterans Affairs committee and a northeast Ohioan, took the time to visit and learn more about the veteran population in southern Ohio.
“Addressing homelessness among veterans in Cleveland is very different than in Appalachia,” Gering said.
While the center has always worked to find homeless veterans a place to stay, the troubled economy has increased the number of veterans it must serve.
Foreclosures and more recent veterans returning home with mental-health problems have added local veterans in need of housing and mental-health assistance.
read more here
Senator learns more about homelessness
Apparent murder-suicide reported in Lawson
Apparent murder-suicide reported in Lawson
By St. Joseph News-Press
Friday, April 2, 2010
LAWSON, Mo. — Law enforcement officers continue to investigate what appears to be a murder-suicide involving a recently returned veteran from Iraq.
“At this time, we suspect that Alex C. Caton, 23, shot and killed his wife, Michelle, 22, wounded his father-in-law and then committed suicide,” said Brian LaFavor, Lawson chief of police. “We won’t know for certain until the autopsy results are in.”
By St. Joseph News-Press
Friday, April 2, 2010
LAWSON, Mo. — Law enforcement officers continue to investigate what appears to be a murder-suicide involving a recently returned veteran from Iraq.
“At this time, we suspect that Alex C. Caton, 23, shot and killed his wife, Michelle, 22, wounded his father-in-law and then committed suicide,” said Brian LaFavor, Lawson chief of police. “We won’t know for certain until the autopsy results are in.”
The Ray County sheriff’s department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol are assisting in the investigation. Mr. LaFavor said Mr. Caton was in the military and had recently returned from service in Iraq.
read more here
Vietnam vet who lost son in USS Cole bombing wins in court
Judge: Lejeune officials violated veteran's rights by demanding removal of anti-Islam decals
By: MIKE BAKER
Associated Press
04/01/10 4:30 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. — Camp Lejeune officials violated the rights of a military veteran who came to his job on base in a vehicle emblazoned with anti-Islamic decals after his son died in a terrorist bombing, a federal judge ruled.
Jesse Nieto's stickers included one that said "ISLAM (equals) TERRORISM" and another with a threat to defecate on the Quran. He also had a decal to commemorate the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, in which 17 shipmates died including Nieto's youngest son.
"His vehicle is a way to express his mourning and anger," said Nieto's attorney, Robert Muise. Nieto has been driving a different vehicle to his on-base job since the summer of 2008, but Muise said he plans to return with his decals next week. He has worked at Lejeune since 1994 and previously served 25 years in the Marine Corps, including two combat tours as an infantryman in Vietnam.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: Lejeune officials violated veteran rights
By: MIKE BAKER
Associated Press
04/01/10 4:30 PM EDT
RALEIGH, N.C. — Camp Lejeune officials violated the rights of a military veteran who came to his job on base in a vehicle emblazoned with anti-Islamic decals after his son died in a terrorist bombing, a federal judge ruled.
Jesse Nieto's stickers included one that said "ISLAM (equals) TERRORISM" and another with a threat to defecate on the Quran. He also had a decal to commemorate the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, in which 17 shipmates died including Nieto's youngest son.
"His vehicle is a way to express his mourning and anger," said Nieto's attorney, Robert Muise. Nieto has been driving a different vehicle to his on-base job since the summer of 2008, but Muise said he plans to return with his decals next week. He has worked at Lejeune since 1994 and previously served 25 years in the Marine Corps, including two combat tours as an infantryman in Vietnam.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: Lejeune officials violated veteran rights
Dad walking across country for Fisher House
Dad walking cross-country to help wounded troops' families
By Patty Lane, CNN
April 1, 2010 10:59 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Soldier's father will walk from California to Georgia
Going solo with five pairs of running shoes, two pairs of hiking boots
"Comfort homes" house injured troops' families near military hospitals
(CNN) -- Inspired by his West Point cadet son, a California man sets out Thursday on a cross-country trek to raise money for an organization that supports wounded troops and their families.
John Conte of San Diego will begin his walk at Camp Pendleton on the West Coast and expects to wrap up at Fort Benning, Georgia, sometime in July.
His goal is to raise $50,000 for Fisher House to help it build more "comfort homes." Such homes provide housing for injured soldiers' families near a hospital where their loved one is recovering. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/01/cross.country.walk/
By Patty Lane, CNN
April 1, 2010 10:59 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Soldier's father will walk from California to Georgia
Going solo with five pairs of running shoes, two pairs of hiking boots
"Comfort homes" house injured troops' families near military hospitals
(CNN) -- Inspired by his West Point cadet son, a California man sets out Thursday on a cross-country trek to raise money for an organization that supports wounded troops and their families.
John Conte of San Diego will begin his walk at Camp Pendleton on the West Coast and expects to wrap up at Fort Benning, Georgia, sometime in July.
His goal is to raise $50,000 for Fisher House to help it build more "comfort homes." Such homes provide housing for injured soldiers' families near a hospital where their loved one is recovering. There is at least one Fisher House at every major military medical center.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/04/01/cross.country.walk/
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Grieving Mom doesn't want others sons or daughters to die because of PTSD
A Grieving Mother Calls on Congressman to Help Veterans With Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
SAUK CENTRE, Minn - Dorothy Sills lost her son Johnny last year and she believes his death was a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"When someone who values life is in a situation where life isn't valued and they have to kill people it sticks with them," Sills said.
Sills said when her son came home from the Iraq War horrific memories haunted him.
She believes those memories led to his death last summer.
"He crashed his motorcycle and I was told his death was unexplained. I think he had a flashback and thought he saw something," she said.
According to Sills, if her son had more help he might still be alive.
read more here
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S1495107.shtml?cat=10230
SAUK CENTRE, Minn - Dorothy Sills lost her son Johnny last year and she believes his death was a result of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
"When someone who values life is in a situation where life isn't valued and they have to kill people it sticks with them," Sills said.
Sills said when her son came home from the Iraq War horrific memories haunted him.
She believes those memories led to his death last summer.
"He crashed his motorcycle and I was told his death was unexplained. I think he had a flashback and thought he saw something," she said.
According to Sills, if her son had more help he might still be alive.
read more here
http://ksax.com/article/stories/S1495107.shtml?cat=10230
Events to honor 3-star killed on 9/11
Jacqueline Roggenbrodt / The Associated Press Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Regiment soldiers carry the casket of Army Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude during his funeral at Arlington National Cemetery on Oct. 6, 2001. Maude, 53, a three-star general and the Army's deputy chief of staff of personnel, was the highest-ranking casualty of the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.
Events to honor 3-star killed on 9/11
Staff report
Posted : Thursday Apr 1, 2010 16:10:28 EDT
Two coming events will honor the memory and legacy of Lt. Gen. Timothy J. Maude, the former Army personnel chief who was the highest-ranking service member killed in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon.
On April 30, the Potomac Chapter of the Adjutant General Corps Regimental Association will host the ninth annual Maude Foundation Golf Tournament at The Courses, Andrews Air Force Base, Md.
The popular tournament raises funds for cadets enrolled in the Green to Gold Reserve Officer Training Corps program, and the Maude Leadership Lecture Series at the Soldier Support Center, Fort Jackson, S.C.
read more here
Those who served and fell on hard times honored with dignity
Those who served and fell on hard times honored with dignity
by Brian New / KENS 5
Posted on March 31, 2010 at 6:20 PM
Updated today at 6:24 AM
They are military veterans who have fallen on hard time. Yet, on Wednesday, they were given the dignity they deserve.
Roy McNeair served to protect all we have and died with nothing of his own. The 52-year-old Brooklyn native joined the Air Force in 1980 and was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base.
In the years after his service, McNeair lost his wife, lost touch of his son, and lost his way. McNeair's struggles with alcohol kept him on the streets of San Antonio.
His pride kept him away from his siblings. McNeair hadn’t talked with his brother or sister in more than five years.
Only when he died did his family find out he was homeless.
read more here
Those who served and fell on hard times honored with dignity
by Brian New / KENS 5
Posted on March 31, 2010 at 6:20 PM
Updated today at 6:24 AM
They are military veterans who have fallen on hard time. Yet, on Wednesday, they were given the dignity they deserve.
Roy McNeair served to protect all we have and died with nothing of his own. The 52-year-old Brooklyn native joined the Air Force in 1980 and was stationed at Randolph Air Force Base.
In the years after his service, McNeair lost his wife, lost touch of his son, and lost his way. McNeair's struggles with alcohol kept him on the streets of San Antonio.
His pride kept him away from his siblings. McNeair hadn’t talked with his brother or sister in more than five years.
Only when he died did his family find out he was homeless.
read more here
Those who served and fell on hard times honored with dignity
Officials Take Over A Year To Lay WWII Veteran To Rest
Officials Take Over A Year To Lay Veteran To Rest
SANTA FE, N.M. -- County and State governments took more than a year to bury an indigent veteran.
When Vietnam veteran Jesse Anzures got a call that a fellow veteran died and no one claimed his remains, he stepped up.
Anzures got the call in the summer of 2009. The state medical examiner told him that they had the remains of a man with the same last name as his and that the man was a World War II veteran.
read more here
http://www.koat.com/news/23020644/detail.html
SANTA FE, N.M. -- County and State governments took more than a year to bury an indigent veteran.
When Vietnam veteran Jesse Anzures got a call that a fellow veteran died and no one claimed his remains, he stepped up.
Anzures got the call in the summer of 2009. The state medical examiner told him that they had the remains of a man with the same last name as his and that the man was a World War II veteran.
read more here
http://www.koat.com/news/23020644/detail.html
Sean Hannity and Ollie North accused of scamming Veterans
Let me make this clear for new readers. I am no fan of Hannity or North. The reason is simple. While both have made it their common claim of "supporting the troops" neither of them spoke up when it could have helped the troops and our veterans about the wait time for a claim to be approved, for their wounds to be taken care of or anything else, up to and including when the reports came out about Walter Reed, they seemed more angry over the reporters instead of what the reporters exposed. That's the biggest problem of all. When anyone claims to support the troops and our veterans, they need to speak out when they are not being taken care of properly no matter who is in charge. It should never, ever, matter if they voted for them or not. People expected so much more out of the people over at FOX cable news.
That said, Hannity is not a stupid man. He's a man with an agenda, that's for sure but he isn't stupid and I do believe he cares about the troops. Is he hyping the amount of money given to the families of the fallen? Perhaps, but let's wait and see what happens as evidence comes out instead of jumping to conclusions.
That said, Hannity is not a stupid man. He's a man with an agenda, that's for sure but he isn't stupid and I do believe he cares about the troops. Is he hyping the amount of money given to the families of the fallen? Perhaps, but let's wait and see what happens as evidence comes out instead of jumping to conclusions.
Sean Hannity and Ollie North accused of scamming Veterans
March 31, 2010 by Robert L. Hanafin
In line with our article on those non-profit organizations that do provide a service to our Veterans and ‘Support Our Troops’ as was covered in my previous article Do All Non-Profits really Support Veterans, Troops, and Military Families?
We will be exposing reports of fraudulent efforts and causes that scam our Veterans and Troops. We are also working on getting the latest ratings of organizations that provide services or support to our Veterans and Troops from the American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) that has reportedly just released its latest ratings for April-May 2010.
Joe Conason at Salon reports that Sean Hannity and Ollie North say they collect millions of dollars for veterans’ kids. But where did the money go?
Robert L. Hanafin, Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired, Veterans Today News
read more here
Sean Hannity and Ollie North accused of scamming Veterans
Maine Troop Greeters welcomed one million servicemen and women home
Maine airport holds ceremony for troop greeters
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 18:46:24 EDT
BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor International Airport unveiled a new sign for the Maine Troop Greeters as the organization was honored for meeting its 1 millionth service member.
read more here
Maine airport holds ceremony for troop greeters
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 18:46:24 EDT
BANGOR, Maine — The Bangor International Airport unveiled a new sign for the Maine Troop Greeters as the organization was honored for meeting its 1 millionth service member.
read more here
Maine airport holds ceremony for troop greeters
Female veterans still lack privacy at VA
Female veterans still lack privacy at VA
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 15:04:55 EDT
Veterans Affairs Department officials are promising to improve privacy for female veterans who use its medical facilities after a new report discovered that some old problems have not been fixed.
A March 31 report from the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found women using VA hospitals and clinics continue to face:
• Examination rooms set up so that passersby can see patients disrobed when the door is opened.
• Restrooms that lack sanitary napkin or tampon dispensers.
• A lack of privacy at appointment and reception desks, so that others can overhear discussion of medical problems.
Investigators reviewed nine medical centers and 10 outpatient clinics; none fully complied with VA policy on privacy, the report says.
read more here
Female veterans still lack privacy at VA
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 15:04:55 EDT
Veterans Affairs Department officials are promising to improve privacy for female veterans who use its medical facilities after a new report discovered that some old problems have not been fixed.
A March 31 report from the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, found women using VA hospitals and clinics continue to face:
• Examination rooms set up so that passersby can see patients disrobed when the door is opened.
• Restrooms that lack sanitary napkin or tampon dispensers.
• A lack of privacy at appointment and reception desks, so that others can overhear discussion of medical problems.
Investigators reviewed nine medical centers and 10 outpatient clinics; none fully complied with VA policy on privacy, the report says.
read more here
Female veterans still lack privacy at VA
Three Marine recruits dead after 7-car pile-up
3 Trumbull County Marine recruits dead after 7-car pile-up in Warren
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
alcorn@vindy.com
LEAVITTSBURG
Three Trumbull County Marine Corps recruits on their way to Cleveland to take a military entrance exam were killed in a seven-car pile-up Wednesday afternoon on state Routes 5 and 82 at Burnett Road in Warren Township.
Killed were Zachery A. Nolen of Newton Falls, 19; Joshua A. Sherbourne of Southington, 21, and Michael T. Theodore Jr. of Warren, 19.
The Warren Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred when a 2008 Pontiac G6, driven by Marine Sgt. Charles Keene, was hit from behind by a 2005 International tractor-trailer rig just as the car, carrying the Marine recruits, was about to proceed through the intersection.
read more here
Marine recruits dead after 7 car pile-up
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
alcorn@vindy.com
LEAVITTSBURG
Three Trumbull County Marine Corps recruits on their way to Cleveland to take a military entrance exam were killed in a seven-car pile-up Wednesday afternoon on state Routes 5 and 82 at Burnett Road in Warren Township.
Killed were Zachery A. Nolen of Newton Falls, 19; Joshua A. Sherbourne of Southington, 21, and Michael T. Theodore Jr. of Warren, 19.
The Warren Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said the crash occurred when a 2008 Pontiac G6, driven by Marine Sgt. Charles Keene, was hit from behind by a 2005 International tractor-trailer rig just as the car, carrying the Marine recruits, was about to proceed through the intersection.
read more here
Marine recruits dead after 7 car pile-up
Palm City Marine killed in Afghanistan laid to rest
Sarah Grile/The Palm Beach Post
Justin Wilson's parents, Fran and Lance Wilson (left), and widow Hannah grieve after they were presented with flags during the burial service Wednesday.
Memorial service held this morning for Palm City Marine killed in Afghanistan
By Andrew Marra and Daphne Duret
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Updated: 9:09 p.m. Wednesday, March 31, 2010
PALM CITY — A horse and buggy carried the body of 24-year-old Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson to his funeral this morning as hundreds of family members, friends and other supporters gathered to pay their final respects.
Wilson, of Palm City, died March 22 when a roadside bomb exploded during one of his foot patrols in the Helmand region of Afghanistan.
Wilson's body arrived back in the Treasure Coast on Sunday, and this morning's funeral came after a two-day wake in his honor.
read more here
Palm City Marine killed in Afghanistan
Victim of fatal Dallas crash was decorated Marine preparing for fourth deployment
Victim of fatal Dallas crash was decorated Marine preparing for fourth deployment
12:00 AM CDT on Thursday, April 1, 2010
By STEVE STOLER WFAA-TV (Channel 8) sstoler@dallasnews.com
A Dallas man who died Tuesday when he drove his pickup into the back of an 18-wheeler was a highly decorated Marine Corps veteran who was preparing for deployment to his fourth tour of overseas duty.
Joseph Rodriguez, 38, was killed when his Ford F-150 ended up underneath the tractor-trailer.
His parents recalled their son as a man who loved to serve his country. Rodriguez joined the Marines right after graduating from W.T. White High School. He fought in Operation Desert Storm.
After serving with the Marines four years, he came back home and joined the Texas National Guard, with which he completed two tours in Iraq.
Rodriguez was getting ready to deploy to Afghanistan when he was killed in Tuesday's crash.
read more here
Victim of fatal Dallas crash was decorated Marine
Veterans for Common Sense wants to hear from Gulf War Vets
Feeling as if your war was forgotten about? Feeling as if your suffering because of what you were exposed to just doesn't matter to anyone? Take heart and know you have someone fighting very hard for you. Veterans for Common Sense has been fighting for all veterans to make sure all of you receive the "gratefulness" of this nation when you have been wounded or made ill because of your willingness to risk your life. You served this nation, doing what was expected of you and this nation has an obligation to you. This is not a "handout" but a debt the government accepted the responsibility of the day they sent you to war.
April 1, 2010 - Veterans for Common Sense asks you for your opinion about VA's new proposed policies for Gulf War veterans.
Yesterday, VA formally announced a huge, new effort VA hopes will address the needs of our 210,000 Gulf War veterans who suffer from illnesses nearly 20 years after widespread exposures to many poisons and toxins in Southwest Asia.
Here is background information about this important issue.In August 2009, VCS wrote new VA Secretary Eric Shinseki and asked him to reform how VA had mishandled healthcare, research, and benefits for Gulf War veterans.
In response, VA set up a Gulf War Task Force chaired by VA Chief of Staff John Gingrich, a Gulf War veteran.
Last week, VA announced the agency would begin providing benefits for 9 diseases suffered by Gulf War veterans, a positive move supported by VCS.
A few days ago, Gulf War veterans Anthony Hardie and Paul Sullivan wrote an op-ed published by TruthOut praising VA's new policy as steps in the right direction. The veterans are still advocating for additional pragmatic solutions for veterans who urgently need healthcare -- vital healthcare denied for nearly 20 years because VA often blocked research, treatment, and benefits.
Yesterday, VA announced the release of the highly-anticipated Gulf War Task Force report. You have an excellent opportunity to tell VA how to fix the problems facing Gulf War veterans.
Today, VCS wants your response -- especially from Gulf War veterans and families -- about VA's Task Force report. All of our VCS comments are due by April 30, 2010, so send your response soon.
Your voice is important and urgently needed. Please send your thoughts to contact@veteransforcommonsense.org.
Your comments will allow VCS to present a robust response to VA from the perspective of veterans, family members, and supporters of veterans.
Our goal is to work with VA to get it right for our Gulf War veterans who have waited too long for answers, healthcare, and benefits.
While VA has made several positive first steps for veterans in the past 14 months, our advocacy will make sure VA keeps going in the right direction.
Please send your comments to contact@veteransforcommonsense.org
Thank you, Veterans for Common Sense
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Abrupt end of college tuition help angers military spouses
Abrupt end of college tuition help angers military spouses
By Les Blumenthal, McClatchy Newspapers
Stars and Stripes online edition, Sunday, March 28, 2010
WASHINGTON — With her husband deployed in Iraq with a Stryker brigade from Washington state's Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 20-year-old Lauren Silva isn't your typical college student. But when it comes to finding money for tuition, books and other expenses, she's not so different.
Silva has scrambled to apply for scholarships and loans to pay for classes at the University of Washington-Tacoma, where she's a junior studying social work. She thought part of her financial problems were solved when she learned of a Defense Department program that pays military spouses $6,000 to help them with their education. Yet just as Silva prepared to apply earlier this year, the military abruptly shut the program down.
The Pentagon was overwhelmed by the number of applicants, which had grown from an average of about 10,000 a month to 70,000 in January alone as the nation's economy continued to sputter. Money for the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, known as MyCAA, was rapidly running out. Rather than ask Congress for more cash, Pentagon officials decided to close the program to new applicants and stop payments to those who were already enrolled.
read more here
Abrupt end of college tuition help angers military spouses
By Les Blumenthal, McClatchy Newspapers
Stars and Stripes online edition, Sunday, March 28, 2010
WASHINGTON — With her husband deployed in Iraq with a Stryker brigade from Washington state's Joint Base Lewis-McChord, 20-year-old Lauren Silva isn't your typical college student. But when it comes to finding money for tuition, books and other expenses, she's not so different.
Silva has scrambled to apply for scholarships and loans to pay for classes at the University of Washington-Tacoma, where she's a junior studying social work. She thought part of her financial problems were solved when she learned of a Defense Department program that pays military spouses $6,000 to help them with their education. Yet just as Silva prepared to apply earlier this year, the military abruptly shut the program down.
The Pentagon was overwhelmed by the number of applicants, which had grown from an average of about 10,000 a month to 70,000 in January alone as the nation's economy continued to sputter. Money for the Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts program, known as MyCAA, was rapidly running out. Rather than ask Congress for more cash, Pentagon officials decided to close the program to new applicants and stop payments to those who were already enrolled.
read more here
Abrupt end of college tuition help angers military spouses
Foreclosure help in Orlando: Millions in federal money unspent
Foreclosure help in Orlando: Millions in federal money unspent
Federal funds aim to help neighborhoods hit by foreclosures in the Orlando area.
By Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel
7:47 a.m. EDT, March 31, 2010
Florida and several local governments within Central Florida are way behind in spending $91 million statewide in federal funds aimed at stabilizing neighborhoods shaken by foreclosures.
Florida trails all but three other states in putting the foreclosure-relief dollars to work and could lose any funds not committed to projects by the end of September, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report this month on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
"It's obvious that the state … was unprepared to handle processing of those kind of grant resources and has dropped the ball," said U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican who represents parts of Polk, Osceola and Hillsborough counties.
read more here
Millions in federal money unspent
Federal funds aim to help neighborhoods hit by foreclosures in the Orlando area.
By Mary Shanklin, Orlando Sentinel
7:47 a.m. EDT, March 31, 2010
Florida and several local governments within Central Florida are way behind in spending $91 million statewide in federal funds aimed at stabilizing neighborhoods shaken by foreclosures.
Florida trails all but three other states in putting the foreclosure-relief dollars to work and could lose any funds not committed to projects by the end of September, according to a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development report this month on the Neighborhood Stabilization Program.
"It's obvious that the state … was unprepared to handle processing of those kind of grant resources and has dropped the ball," said U.S. Rep. Adam Putnam, a Republican who represents parts of Polk, Osceola and Hillsborough counties.
read more here
Millions in federal money unspent
Veterans say goodbye to Dignity Wall
Veterans touch the wall in the Call to the Wall during the closing ceremony for the Dignity Vietnam Memorial Wall at Rose Hills Memorial Park in Whittier on Tuesday March 30, 2010. The last day of the traveling wall is also Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. (SGVN/Staff Photo by Keith Durflinger/SWCITY)
Veterans say goodbye to Dignity Wall
By Sandra T. Molina Staff Writer
WHITTIER - The closing ceremony Tuesday for the Dignity Memorial Vietnam Wall was a time of reflection, healing and remembrance.
About 1,000 people - mostly veterans and their families - attended the final event of the 10-day program held at Rose Hills Memorial Park & Mortuary.
Pico Rivera Councilman Bob Archuleta opened the program with "Welcome home," a phrase he said is used by combat veterans greeting one another.
Read more:
Veterans say goodbye to Dignity Wall
Hyperbaric chamber clinical trial offers hope for TBI wounded
Hyperbaric chamber may treat TBI
By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 7:47:00 EDT
The Defense Department hopes to find a better treatment for the 100,000 troops who have been diagnosed with mild Traumatic Brain Injury since 2003, and it’s looking at hyperbaric chambers — often used in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning — for the answer.
Although there have been studies looking at the impact these pressurized oxygen chambers have on TBI patients, none have been able to definitively answer whether hyperbaric oxygen can reduce or eliminate chronic symptoms of TBI such as headaches, memory loss and mood swings. A new clinical trial, which is expected to begin in January 2011, is designed to do just that.
The study, conducted by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, in Virginia, and the Army Research and Materiel Command, in Maryland, is expected to run for at least 18 months. It will include about 300 participants, mostly soldiers and Marines, and will build upon other ongoing studies on TBI treatment, said Col. Richard Ricciardi, director of the research evaluation and quality assurance and surveillance directorate at DCoE.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/army_TBI_033010w/
By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 7:47:00 EDT
The Defense Department hopes to find a better treatment for the 100,000 troops who have been diagnosed with mild Traumatic Brain Injury since 2003, and it’s looking at hyperbaric chambers — often used in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning — for the answer.
Although there have been studies looking at the impact these pressurized oxygen chambers have on TBI patients, none have been able to definitively answer whether hyperbaric oxygen can reduce or eliminate chronic symptoms of TBI such as headaches, memory loss and mood swings. A new clinical trial, which is expected to begin in January 2011, is designed to do just that.
The study, conducted by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, in Virginia, and the Army Research and Materiel Command, in Maryland, is expected to run for at least 18 months. It will include about 300 participants, mostly soldiers and Marines, and will build upon other ongoing studies on TBI treatment, said Col. Richard Ricciardi, director of the research evaluation and quality assurance and surveillance directorate at DCoE.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/army_TBI_033010w/
Anger rises over bill to father of slain Marine
"As soon as we heard this, we just knew that it was going to go through the roof, and people were going to be upset. We seized on it," Seavey said. "On an issue like this that cuts across political lines, it's relatively easy, and it's the kind of fight we want to wade into because it's not right or left, it's right or wrong. We're going to do the best we can to make sure that Mr. Snyder doesn't have to deal with this. We're going to make sure he doesn't have to pay a red cent." Mark C. Seavey, new-media director for the American Legion
Seavey is right and this issue has captured the attention (and outrage) of the American people. This is not about anything other than doing the right thing.
Albert Snyder, right, and lawyer Sean Summers are waiting for the Supreme Court to rule in their suit against Westboro Baptist Church. A lower appeals court ruled that the York, Pa., man must pay $16,510 in some court costs incurred under the church members' appeal. (Baltimore Sun photo by Barbara Haddock Taylor / March 22, 2010)
Anger rises over bill to father of slain Marine
Support, money sent to help pay court costs in Westboro suit
By Robbie Whelan
March 31, 2010
Outraged that the father of a dead Marine was ordered to pay some court costs incurred by a group he had sued for picketing his son's funeral, people from across the country have launched a grass-roots fundraising effort to help the grieving family.
"I was appalled," said Sally Giannini, a 72-year-old retired bookkeeper from Spokane, Wash., who had called The Baltimore Sun after seeing an article about the court decision against Albert Snyder. "I believe in free speech, but this goes too far."
Living on a fixed income, Giannini said she could send only $10 toward the $16,510.80 that the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered Snyder to pay to Fred Phelps, leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kan., an anti-gay group that travels the country picketing military funerals. The group says military deaths are God's punishment for America's tolerance of homosexuality.
Snyder sued Westboro because its members waved signs saying "God hates fags" and "God hates the USA" at the 2006 funeral in Westminster of his son, Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder, who had been killed in Iraq. A federal jury in Baltimore awarded Snyder $11 million in damages in 2007, saying Phelps' group intentionally inflicted emotional distress on the family. The award was later reduced to $5 million, and eventually overturned on appeal.
read more here
Anger rises over bill to father of slain Marine
Bill O’Reilly Pays Legal Bill for Fallen Marine’s Father
But it turns out, the money may not be needed to pay the protesters.
Updated March 30, 2010
Marine's Father Will Not Pay Court-Ordered Funeral Protesters' Fees
FOXNews.com
The father of a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters told Fox News he will defy a court order and not pay the protesters' appeal costs.
The father of a Marine killed in Iraq whose funeral was picketed by anti-gay protesters told Fox News he will defy a court order and not pay the protesters' appeal costs.
Albert Snyder, of York, Pa., told Fox News he does not intend to pay $16,510 to Fred Phelps, the leader of Kansas' Westboro Baptist Church, which held protests at Marine Lance Cpl. Matthew Snyder's funeral in 2006.
"I don't think I'm going to be writing a check until I hear from the Supreme Court," Snyder told Fox News on Tuesday. "I'm not about to pay them anything."
The Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ordered Snyder on Friday to pay Phelps. A two-page decision supplied by his attorneys offered no details on how the court came to its decision.
The decision adds "insult to injury," said Sean Summers, one of Snyder's attorneys.
Snyder is also struggling to come up with fees associated with filing a brief with the U.S. Supreme Court, his attorneys said.
read more hereMarine Father Will Not Pay Court-Ordered Funeral Protesters'
Does this mean that O'Reilly will pay the money Mr. Snyder owes his lawyers for taking on this case?
Somehow I have a feeling O'Reilly will do the right thing and help this father with his own legal bills because he cares and this is not some kind of a stunt. This is not about politics at all and people on both sides agree this is wrong, wrong, wrong beyond belief!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Dallas County judge creating court for troubled veterans
Dallas County judge creating court for troubled veterans
03:11 PM CDT on Tuesday, March 30, 2010
By CHRISTY HOPPE / The Dallas Morning News
choppe@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – Soldiers who survive combat only to fall into addiction, depression, rage - and, sometimes, criminal behavior - will have their own court in Dallas County, starting next month.
State District Judge Mike Snipes of Dallas attended training in Austin today to handle a new docket devoted to veterans.
If he can, he’s going to get them into a Veterans Administration bed instead of a prison bed.
“The veterans have unique problems that come from their service - not only in Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s still some from Vietnam,” Snipes said.
“We’re seeing more and more examples of people coming out of there with post-traumatic stress disorder, unique mental difficulties that have to do with combat-related issues.”
read more here
Dallas County judge creating court for troubled veterans
03:11 PM CDT on Tuesday, March 30, 2010
By CHRISTY HOPPE / The Dallas Morning News
choppe@dallasnews.com
AUSTIN – Soldiers who survive combat only to fall into addiction, depression, rage - and, sometimes, criminal behavior - will have their own court in Dallas County, starting next month.
State District Judge Mike Snipes of Dallas attended training in Austin today to handle a new docket devoted to veterans.
If he can, he’s going to get them into a Veterans Administration bed instead of a prison bed.
“The veterans have unique problems that come from their service - not only in Iraq and Afghanistan. There’s still some from Vietnam,” Snipes said.
“We’re seeing more and more examples of people coming out of there with post-traumatic stress disorder, unique mental difficulties that have to do with combat-related issues.”
read more here
Dallas County judge creating court for troubled veterans
Town raps arms around family in need
America Now: A Circle of Hands
An entire town helps a family in need, and becomes a stronger community
A Circle of Hands: A Dateline special
March 28: Amid job losses and struggles of their own, the people of Grafton, Wisc. came together to help an extraordinary family: single-mother Karen Longoria and her children, two of whom have cerebral palsy. The volunteer efforts resulted in a renovated home — and a closely knit community.
An entire town helps a family in need, and becomes a stronger community
A Circle of Hands: A Dateline special
March 28: Amid job losses and struggles of their own, the people of Grafton, Wisc. came together to help an extraordinary family: single-mother Karen Longoria and her children, two of whom have cerebral palsy. The volunteer efforts resulted in a renovated home — and a closely knit community.
11 U.S. troops injured in helicopter crash
11 U.S. troops injured in helicopter crash
By Michael Hoffman - mhoffman@militarytimes.com
Posted : Tuesday Mar 30, 2010 15:21:51 EDT
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — An Army helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from a forward operating base in Zabul province, injuring 11 U.S. and two Afghan soldiers. No one died and all the troops reported their injuries as minor.
The UH-60 Blackhawk sustained heavy damage in the March 29 accident, not far from Forward Operating Base Atgar, said Sgt. Shannon Wright, an 82nd Combat Aviaition Brigade spokesman. Rescue forces flew the wounded to Forward Operating Base Lagman for treatment.
read more here
11 US troops injured in helicopter crash
By Michael Hoffman - mhoffman@militarytimes.com
Posted : Tuesday Mar 30, 2010 15:21:51 EDT
KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — An Army helicopter crashed shortly after takeoff from a forward operating base in Zabul province, injuring 11 U.S. and two Afghan soldiers. No one died and all the troops reported their injuries as minor.
The UH-60 Blackhawk sustained heavy damage in the March 29 accident, not far from Forward Operating Base Atgar, said Sgt. Shannon Wright, an 82nd Combat Aviaition Brigade spokesman. Rescue forces flew the wounded to Forward Operating Base Lagman for treatment.
read more here
11 US troops injured in helicopter crash
Marines lift social media ban
Marines lift social media ban
By Warren Peace, Stars and Stripes
European Edition, Wednesday, March 31, 2010
STUTTGART, Germany — The Marine Corps lifted its ban on social media sites Monday, allowing Marines from Japan to the States to sign on to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and other sites.
But it looks like European-based Marines — along with other troops in Europe — will have to wait a little longer: As of Tuesday, servicemembers in Europe were still unable to log onto the sites from their government computers.
The Defense Department had lifted the ban on social networking sites in late February, but Army and Air Force officials in Europe said earlier this month they were trying to determine the best way to proceed.
“Local commanders still have to weigh security risk and bandwidth issues in their area of operation,” Chris Joseph, a spokesman for U.S. Army Europe’s 5th Signal Command said at the time.
The day after the Marines reversed their position, one official spoke about maintaining a transparency with the American public.
read more here
Marines lift social media ban
By Warren Peace, Stars and Stripes
European Edition, Wednesday, March 31, 2010
STUTTGART, Germany — The Marine Corps lifted its ban on social media sites Monday, allowing Marines from Japan to the States to sign on to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and other sites.
But it looks like European-based Marines — along with other troops in Europe — will have to wait a little longer: As of Tuesday, servicemembers in Europe were still unable to log onto the sites from their government computers.
The Defense Department had lifted the ban on social networking sites in late February, but Army and Air Force officials in Europe said earlier this month they were trying to determine the best way to proceed.
“Local commanders still have to weigh security risk and bandwidth issues in their area of operation,” Chris Joseph, a spokesman for U.S. Army Europe’s 5th Signal Command said at the time.
The day after the Marines reversed their position, one official spoke about maintaining a transparency with the American public.
read more here
Marines lift social media ban
St. Petersburg undercover cop wounded on duty given medals
Undercover cop wounded on duty given medals
By Luis Perez, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
ST. PETERSBURG — When it was his turn on the podium, the detective told a story of what he asked God in a dark alley.
It was Jan. 26, 2009, just before 10 p.m. He lay on the ground, south of an Exxon station at 31st Street and First Avenue N. He was shot several times. His service weapon was empty of bullets, and the bad guys, who had just robbed the gas station, were running away. His partners from an elite anti-crime unit raced toward him.
"I said to God, 'If this is it, if this is my time, I'm okay with that,' " said the officer, whose name is being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times because he works undercover. "I asked God if he would please take care of my wife and boys.
"Apparently, he felt my wife and five boys were too much work," said the officer, who is 42 and a 20-year veteran of the force. "I thank him so much for that."
read more here
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/undercover-cop-wounded-on-duty-given-medals/1083748
By Luis Perez, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
ST. PETERSBURG — When it was his turn on the podium, the detective told a story of what he asked God in a dark alley.
It was Jan. 26, 2009, just before 10 p.m. He lay on the ground, south of an Exxon station at 31st Street and First Avenue N. He was shot several times. His service weapon was empty of bullets, and the bad guys, who had just robbed the gas station, were running away. His partners from an elite anti-crime unit raced toward him.
"I said to God, 'If this is it, if this is my time, I'm okay with that,' " said the officer, whose name is being withheld by the St. Petersburg Times because he works undercover. "I asked God if he would please take care of my wife and boys.
"Apparently, he felt my wife and five boys were too much work," said the officer, who is 42 and a 20-year veteran of the force. "I thank him so much for that."
read more here
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/undercover-cop-wounded-on-duty-given-medals/1083748
Man found dead in apartment was Camp Pendleton Marine
FALLBROOK: Man found dead in apartment was Camp Pendleton Marine
North County Times
By SARAH GORDON - sgordon@nctimes.com
Posted: March 29, 2010 6:32 pm
A man who died after a night of drinking and a skirmish with friends at a Fallbrook apartment was a Camp Pendleton Marine, base officials said Monday.
Lance Cpl. Jason Kameroff, 21, of Aniak, Ala., was a ground communications organizational repairman assigned to Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps officials said.
He enlisted in June 2006. His awards included the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
read more here
Man found dead in apartment was Camp Pendleton Marine
North County Times
By SARAH GORDON - sgordon@nctimes.com
Posted: March 29, 2010 6:32 pm
A man who died after a night of drinking and a skirmish with friends at a Fallbrook apartment was a Camp Pendleton Marine, base officials said Monday.
Lance Cpl. Jason Kameroff, 21, of Aniak, Ala., was a ground communications organizational repairman assigned to Headquarters Battery, 1st Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps officials said.
He enlisted in June 2006. His awards included the National Defense Service Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
read more here
Man found dead in apartment was Camp Pendleton Marine
Marine Dad Must Pay Westboro Court Fees
Albert Snyder's son lost his life serving this country. When his son's body returned to him, he was not allowed to grieve during the funeral procession escorting the casket covered by the flag of this nation. He had to see the signs held from people so filled with contempt, they held signs saying "Thank God for IED's" along with other protest signs.
What was Mr. Snyder supposed to do about this? Was he to simply take it? Now he has to pay the Westboro group legal fees? It is a very sad day in this country when a tiny group like this can cause so much pain and suffering for so many.
What was Mr. Snyder supposed to do about this? Was he to simply take it? Now he has to pay the Westboro group legal fees? It is a very sad day in this country when a tiny group like this can cause so much pain and suffering for so many.
Marine Dad Must Pay Westboro Court Fees
March 30, 2010
York Daily Record
Albert Snyder got a bill for $16,500 on Friday -- the latest result of his ongoing legal battle with the Westboro Baptist Church.
Church members are seeking to recoup costs from federal appeals court, which dismissed Snyder's lawsuit against them. Snyder's lawyer, Sean Summers, said the court declared last week that Snyder was responsible for the costs.
Efforts to reach an official from Westboro Baptist Church were unsuccessful Monday.
Such mandated reimbursements are common after appellate court cases, Summers said.
When the U.S. Supreme Court hears Snyder's case in the fall, its decision will ultimately make a big difference as to whether or not Snyder can eventually recoup that money, Summers said.
"It's rubbing salt in an open wound," Summers said.
The Topeka, Kan.-based Westboro Baptist Church, led by the Rev. Fred Phelps, preaches an anti-homosexual message. Members maintain that combat deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are God's retribution for America's tolerance of gay men and lesbian women.
read more here
Marine Dad Must Pay Westboro Court Fees
Monday, March 29, 2010
Women’s History Lives On
Women’s History Lives On; III Corps officer sets Army standard
By Joy Pariante, Sentinel Staff
March 25, 2010 Living
As a woman who started out her career in the Women’s Army Corps, Col. Carolyn A. Carroll knows how hard women have worked to be able to serve as commanders, first sergeants and general officers in today’s Army.
In fact, when Carroll, now the chief of the strategic initiatives group for III Corps, joined the Iowa Army National Guard as an administrative clerk, she wasn’t thinking about breaking gender barriers. She was trying to find a way to support her children after she and her husband divorced.
read more herehttp://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=3408
By Joy Pariante, Sentinel Staff
March 25, 2010 Living
As a woman who started out her career in the Women’s Army Corps, Col. Carolyn A. Carroll knows how hard women have worked to be able to serve as commanders, first sergeants and general officers in today’s Army.
In fact, when Carroll, now the chief of the strategic initiatives group for III Corps, joined the Iowa Army National Guard as an administrative clerk, she wasn’t thinking about breaking gender barriers. She was trying to find a way to support her children after she and her husband divorced.
read more herehttp://www.forthoodsentinel.com/story.php?id=3408
1st Cav Div ‘knights’ join Order of St George
1st Cav Div ‘knights’ join Order of St George
By Spc. Justin Naylor, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
March 25, 2010 News
Sixteen members of 4-9 Cav. Regt., 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., stand in line with their medallions and awards of the Order of St. George following their induction ceremony. Spc. Justin Naylor, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public AffairsFor mounted Soldiers, there is hardly a more prestigious honor than to receive the medallion of the Order of St. George.
Since 1986, when the order was established, 6,195 awardees have been inducted, and leaders from 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, added 16 of their own to this number during a recent award ceremony on Fort Hood.
The order was named in honor of St. George, the only saint commonly portrayed as fighting mounted. St. George is depicted in Italian legend as having defeated a dragon, saving a princess and preserving the livelihood of a city; and his memory is celebrated annually by the Italian Armor Force.
read more here
1st Cav Div knights join Order of St George
By Spc. Justin Naylor, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public Affairs
March 25, 2010 News
Sixteen members of 4-9 Cav. Regt., 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div., stand in line with their medallions and awards of the Order of St. George following their induction ceremony. Spc. Justin Naylor, 2nd BCT, 1st Cav. Div. Public AffairsFor mounted Soldiers, there is hardly a more prestigious honor than to receive the medallion of the Order of St. George.
Since 1986, when the order was established, 6,195 awardees have been inducted, and leaders from 4th Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, added 16 of their own to this number during a recent award ceremony on Fort Hood.
The order was named in honor of St. George, the only saint commonly portrayed as fighting mounted. St. George is depicted in Italian legend as having defeated a dragon, saving a princess and preserving the livelihood of a city; and his memory is celebrated annually by the Italian Armor Force.
read more here
1st Cav Div knights join Order of St George
Cancer taking woman's life but she's giving away her money to make life better for others
Cancer-stricken woman scrambles to donate money
By Marlee Ginter
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - A Mount Vernon woman is giving away her life savings - she's already donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and says she's not done.
In the process, she is leaving a memorable footprint on her community.
Her name is Sonya Beard, and for 15 years she has been battling oral cancer. Finally she told her doctors - no more.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/89367982.html
By Marlee Ginter
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. - A Mount Vernon woman is giving away her life savings - she's already donated hundreds of thousands of dollars and says she's not done.
In the process, she is leaving a memorable footprint on her community.
Her name is Sonya Beard, and for 15 years she has been battling oral cancer. Finally she told her doctors - no more.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/89367982.html
Firefighters had to call in snake handlers backup during blaze,
March 28, 2010
Cobras complicate firefight
Firefighters in Volusia County got an unpleasant surprise arriving at a Holly Hill blaze: cobras.
read more here
http://blogs.tampabay.com/bizarre/2010/03/cobras-complicate-firefight.html
Cobras complicate firefight
Firefighters in Volusia County got an unpleasant surprise arriving at a Holly Hill blaze: cobras.
read more here
http://blogs.tampabay.com/bizarre/2010/03/cobras-complicate-firefight.html
Murder-suicide shakes Glenwood neighbors, family
Murder-suicide shakes Glenwood neighbors, family
By MARK I. JOHNSON, STAFF WRITER
March 29, 2010 12:05 AM
Neighbors and family members remain perplexed Sunday about a murder/suicide in a quiet neighborhood west of DeLand.
Volusia County sheriff's investigators on Sunday released the names of the shooter and his 42-year-old victim -- the daughter of an ex-girlfriend -- in the shooting on Carr Street in the Glenwood community, but have not said why it occurred, according to sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught.
What they do know is Richard Danao, 57, of Grand Avenue went to the home of Sarah Hille, shot and killed her before turning the gun on himself shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday.
Hille's mother, Barbara Jane Price, 70, and the victim's 5-month-old daughter were in the residence at the time of the shooting, but neither was injured.
read more here
Murder suicide shakes Glenwood neighbors, family
By MARK I. JOHNSON, STAFF WRITER
March 29, 2010 12:05 AM
Neighbors and family members remain perplexed Sunday about a murder/suicide in a quiet neighborhood west of DeLand.
Volusia County sheriff's investigators on Sunday released the names of the shooter and his 42-year-old victim -- the daughter of an ex-girlfriend -- in the shooting on Carr Street in the Glenwood community, but have not said why it occurred, according to sheriff's spokesman Brandon Haught.
What they do know is Richard Danao, 57, of Grand Avenue went to the home of Sarah Hille, shot and killed her before turning the gun on himself shortly after 8 p.m. Saturday.
Hille's mother, Barbara Jane Price, 70, and the victim's 5-month-old daughter were in the residence at the time of the shooting, but neither was injured.
read more here
Murder suicide shakes Glenwood neighbors, family
CREW and Vote Vets files complaint against Sean Hannity over Freedom Concerts
Watchdog files complaint against ‘deceptive and illegal’ Hannity concerts
By David Edwards
Monday, March 29th, 2010 -- 1:28 pm
Allegations about a charity connected to a key Fox News personality have floated across the web for years, but less than two weeks after a conservative blogger took aim, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tends to focus on liberal issues has filed a complaint.
Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) and Votevets.org have filed a complaint charging the Sean Hannity's Freedom Concerts with deceptive and illegal marketing practices.
The concerts, hosted by Freedom Alliance, raise funds to provide scholarships and services to disabled veterans and their families. According to an email distributed by CREW, the complaints "allege Lt. Col. North's Freedom Alliance has violated its charitable tax status by engaging in prohibited political activities. In addition, CREW's complaints charge Mr. Hannity's Freedom Concerts has engaged in deceptive and illegal marketing practices by suggesting that all concert ticket sale revenue goes directly to scholarships for children of killed and wounded service members."
By David Edwards
Monday, March 29th, 2010 -- 1:28 pm
Allegations about a charity connected to a key Fox News personality have floated across the web for years, but less than two weeks after a conservative blogger took aim, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tends to focus on liberal issues has filed a complaint.
Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) and Votevets.org have filed a complaint charging the Sean Hannity's Freedom Concerts with deceptive and illegal marketing practices.
The concerts, hosted by Freedom Alliance, raise funds to provide scholarships and services to disabled veterans and their families. According to an email distributed by CREW, the complaints "allege Lt. Col. North's Freedom Alliance has violated its charitable tax status by engaging in prohibited political activities. In addition, CREW's complaints charge Mr. Hannity's Freedom Concerts has engaged in deceptive and illegal marketing practices by suggesting that all concert ticket sale revenue goes directly to scholarships for children of killed and wounded service members."
Earlier this month, columnist and blogger Debbie Schlussel claimed that Hannity is profiting from a charity that raises money for severely injured US soldiers and the children of troops killed in action, and she described the Freedom Alliance as "a huge scam."
"Less than 20% -- and in two recent years, less than 7% and 4%, respectively -- of the money raised by Freedom Alliance went to these causes, while millions of dollars went to expenses, including consultants and apparently to ferret [sic] the Hannity posse of family and friends in high style," Schlussel writes.
"And, despite Hannity's statements to the contrary on his nationally syndicated radio show," she continues, "few of the children of fallen soldiers got more than $1,000-$2,000, with apparently none getting more than $6,000, while Freedom Alliance appears to have spent tens of thousands of dollars for private planes."read more here
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0329/watchdog-group-ftc-complaint-against-hannity-concert/
Fix Broken VA Claims System Now
VCS: Fix Broken VA Claims System Now !
Written by VCS
Saturday, 20 March 2010 00:00
VCS Appears Before "Claims Summit 2010" in Washington
Veterans for Common Sense urges Congress to pass a law and to fund a complete overhaul that would fix VA's broken claims processing system. A key Congressional leader and a top VA official agreed VA was broken and need of an urgent overhaul. Yet some VA leaders remain resistant to improving VA, thereby slowing down urgently needed reforms.
March 20, 2010 - Late last night, I returned from Washington to my home in Austin after attending Thursday’s “Claims Summit 2010: A Call for Solutions,” organized by Chairman Bob Filner. After 18 years working on veteran-related issues, this was a very exciting advocacy effort. VCS hopes that Congress and new VA leaders will work closely together and fix VA's failed claims processing system. VCS offered our insights based on nearly two decades of fighting to reform VA.
To begin, VCS was pleased to meet several new VA leaders who brought urgently needed fresh air into an old issue. Also attending were more than 40 veteran group leaders, industry executives, plus VA employee union leaders. Six Democratic Members attended, yet no Republican Representatives ever appeared. Ranking Member Steve Buyer was most likely out because his wife is ill and he is not seeking re-election.
read more here
Fix Broken VA Claims System Now
Written by VCS
Saturday, 20 March 2010 00:00
VCS Appears Before "Claims Summit 2010" in Washington
Veterans for Common Sense urges Congress to pass a law and to fund a complete overhaul that would fix VA's broken claims processing system. A key Congressional leader and a top VA official agreed VA was broken and need of an urgent overhaul. Yet some VA leaders remain resistant to improving VA, thereby slowing down urgently needed reforms.
March 20, 2010 - Late last night, I returned from Washington to my home in Austin after attending Thursday’s “Claims Summit 2010: A Call for Solutions,” organized by Chairman Bob Filner. After 18 years working on veteran-related issues, this was a very exciting advocacy effort. VCS hopes that Congress and new VA leaders will work closely together and fix VA's failed claims processing system. VCS offered our insights based on nearly two decades of fighting to reform VA.
To begin, VCS was pleased to meet several new VA leaders who brought urgently needed fresh air into an old issue. Also attending were more than 40 veteran group leaders, industry executives, plus VA employee union leaders. Six Democratic Members attended, yet no Republican Representatives ever appeared. Ranking Member Steve Buyer was most likely out because his wife is ill and he is not seeking re-election.
read more here
Fix Broken VA Claims System Now
Scott Brown joins Taunton POW rally
Scott Brown joins Taunton POW rally
By Ira Kantor
Monday, March 29, 2010
Vowing to keep supporting efforts to retrieve soldiers missing in action since the Vietnam War, Sen. Scott Brown joined more than 100 veterans and town officials at the Vietnam Memorial on Church Green in Taunton yesterday in honor of the city’s annual POW/MIA Remembrance Day.
read more here
Scott Brown joins Taunton POW rally
By Ira Kantor
Monday, March 29, 2010
Vowing to keep supporting efforts to retrieve soldiers missing in action since the Vietnam War, Sen. Scott Brown joined more than 100 veterans and town officials at the Vietnam Memorial on Church Green in Taunton yesterday in honor of the city’s annual POW/MIA Remembrance Day.
read more here
Scott Brown joins Taunton POW rally
Traveling Vietnam Wall plus 1000 flags in Oregon
Traveling Vietnam Wall & 1000 Flag Memorials Will Visit Newport
Salem-News.com
These Memorials are actually sanctuaries.
A real tribute to those who have served in the military will visit the Oregon coast this May.
(SALEM, Ore.) - A place for Hope and Healing for many Veterans, Families and Friends. The 1000 Flags will be on display by 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 26th in Newport Oregon, at the Newport Facilities in South Beach.
Organizers say there will also be a special Flag Presentation at 5:30 p.m. and an Honorable Service Medal presentation at 6:00 p.m. Families with flags being dedicated to a loved one will be escorted by a military member from the USANG and a person from the USCG, Yaquina Bay Station.
Tuesday April 27th there will also be another special Flag presentation at 5:30pm and another scheduled Honorable Service medal Presentation. Families with flags dedicated to a loved one will be escorted by a person from the USANG and a person from the USCG, Yaquina Bay Station.
read more here
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/march292010/newport-veterans.php
Salem-News.com
These Memorials are actually sanctuaries.
A real tribute to those who have served in the military will visit the Oregon coast this May.
(SALEM, Ore.) - A place for Hope and Healing for many Veterans, Families and Friends. The 1000 Flags will be on display by 1:00 p.m. Monday, April 26th in Newport Oregon, at the Newport Facilities in South Beach.
Organizers say there will also be a special Flag Presentation at 5:30 p.m. and an Honorable Service Medal presentation at 6:00 p.m. Families with flags being dedicated to a loved one will be escorted by a military member from the USANG and a person from the USCG, Yaquina Bay Station.
Tuesday April 27th there will also be another special Flag presentation at 5:30pm and another scheduled Honorable Service medal Presentation. Families with flags dedicated to a loved one will be escorted by a person from the USANG and a person from the USCG, Yaquina Bay Station.
read more here
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/march292010/newport-veterans.php
FBI charges 9 in plot to kill police officers
FBI Charges 9 in Midwest Raids
Devlin Barrett
AP WASHINGTON (March 29) -- Nine suspects tied to a Christian militia in the Midwest are charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral in the hopes of killing more law enforcement personnel, federal prosecutors said Monday.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because the Hutaree members were planning a violent reconaissance mission sometime in April - just a few days away.
Members of the group called Hutaree are charged in the case, including their leader, David Brian Stone, also known as "Captain Hutaree."
Once other officers gathered for a slain officer's funeral, the group planned to detonate homemade bombs at the funeral, killing more, according to newly unsealed court papers.
According to the indictment, the idea of attacking a police funeral was one of numerous scenarios discussed as ways to go after law enforcement officers. Other scenarios included a fake 911 call to lure an officer to his or her death, or an attack on the family of a police officer.
read more here
FBI Charges 9 in Midwest Raids
Devlin Barrett
AP WASHINGTON (March 29) -- Nine suspects tied to a Christian militia in the Midwest are charged with conspiring to kill police officers, then attack a funeral in the hopes of killing more law enforcement personnel, federal prosecutors said Monday.
U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said agents moved on the group because the Hutaree members were planning a violent reconaissance mission sometime in April - just a few days away.
Members of the group called Hutaree are charged in the case, including their leader, David Brian Stone, also known as "Captain Hutaree."
Once other officers gathered for a slain officer's funeral, the group planned to detonate homemade bombs at the funeral, killing more, according to newly unsealed court papers.
According to the indictment, the idea of attacking a police funeral was one of numerous scenarios discussed as ways to go after law enforcement officers. Other scenarios included a fake 911 call to lure an officer to his or her death, or an attack on the family of a police officer.
read more here
FBI Charges 9 in Midwest Raids
Veterans proud of service but left to feel ashamed after they survived it
It gets to me every time I hear it. They are proud they served but when you think about what happens to too many of them when they survive it because of claims denied or delayed, it's hard to understand why they feel that way. Think of how you'd feel after risking your life for this country and then left with nothing after because your body or your mind paid the price. These veterans have bills to pay. They have families to support. They have all the same needs and demands on them the rest of us face but unlike the rest of us, they put their bodies and their minds and their dedication on the line for the sake of the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us loving this nation enough to lay down their lives for it, cost them their future. We need to get this right once and for all of them.
Native American veterans claim racial discrimination by VA in South Dakota
By Tim Giago (Nanwica Kciji)
© 2010 Native Sun News
March 29 2010
There is a credo lamented daily in the waiting rooms of the Veterans Administration Hospitals scattered across America. It goes, "First you apply, then they deny and hope you will die." This has a special meaning to Native American veterans.
For too many Indian veterans it strikes close to the bone. They are so entangled in bureaucratic red tape they are all but suffocating. Many have been reduced to living lives well below the poverty level set by the very government they fought for and nearly died defending.
Several months ago I wrote about one such veteran named Andres Torres, an Oglala Lakota, living in Rapid City. What has happened to this veteran since then?
"I was told to open a new claim called Unemployability which means I have not been able to work since the second operation they performed on me at Fort Meade VA Hospital in 1989. I filed the claim in February and I have not heard from the VA since. As far as I know it is still sitting on somebody's desk in Sioux Falls or Washington, D. C.," Torres said.
Torres said that since I wrote about his plight in 2009 he got a call from Governor Mike Rounds (R-SD) and was told that his office was interested in helping him and other veterans in similar situations.
read more here
Native American veterans claim racial discrimination by VA
Vietnam Vets:We are dying at the rate of 349 a day
Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day
By KIM LEDOUX
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
March 29, 2010 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — Thanking Vietnam veterans for educating America about how veterans of all eras should be treated was the mission Sunday during a Vietnam Veterans' Recognition Day ceremony held at Fort Taber.
"Vietnam Veterans of America was founded 32 years ago with the vow that never again would one generation of veterans abandon anther generation of veterans," said Mayor Scott W. Lang, recognizing how Vietnam veterans created awareness of the need for quality medical and psychological care for all who have served.
"We took veterans for granted until the latter part of this century when the Vietnam vets stood up and indicated that the men and women serving and their families are owed a debt of gratitude. ... They completely educated the public on what it means to be a veteran."
I am not sure where LeBlanc got his suicide number from but studies over the years have place it between 150,000 and 200,000. Even one is too high just as with today's OEF and OIF veterans.
By KIM LEDOUX
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
March 29, 2010 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — Thanking Vietnam veterans for educating America about how veterans of all eras should be treated was the mission Sunday during a Vietnam Veterans' Recognition Day ceremony held at Fort Taber.
"Vietnam Veterans of America was founded 32 years ago with the vow that never again would one generation of veterans abandon anther generation of veterans," said Mayor Scott W. Lang, recognizing how Vietnam veterans created awareness of the need for quality medical and psychological care for all who have served.
"We took veterans for granted until the latter part of this century when the Vietnam vets stood up and indicated that the men and women serving and their families are owed a debt of gratitude. ... They completely educated the public on what it means to be a veteran."
New Bedford Veterans Agent Donat "Dan" LeBlanc presented statistics showing how Vietnam veterans are dying at a rate higher than other Americans because of physical and psychological trauma that can be traced back to their service.
"Of the 2.7 million veterans who served in country in Vietnam, 800,000 are still alive today. ... We are dying at the rate of 349 a day. Using those statistics, according to the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, we will all be gone in five years," LeBlanc said, adding, "I don't plan on leaving in five years."
According to LeBlanc, many of the Vietnam veterans, a total of 130,000, have died relatively young from suicide.
Others have suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder or cancers likely brought on by exposure to Agent Orange, a carcinogenic and teratogenic defoliant used by the military.read more here
I am not sure where LeBlanc got his suicide number from but studies over the years have place it between 150,000 and 200,000. Even one is too high just as with today's OEF and OIF veterans.
Sorrow, Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine's Funeral
Sorrow, Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine's Funeral
Autumn Ziemba Fox 8 Reporter
6:10 PM EST, March 28, 2010
In a stunning tribute Sunday morning, Gunnery Sergeant Robert Gilbert of Richfield was laid to rest.
Thousands of people touched by the 28-year-old fallen marine packed the Revere High School gymnasium to celebrate life and say good-bye.
"I will truly miss him," Sgt. Gilbert's father, Robert Gilbert Sr., told Fox 8 Sunday morning. "But he told me I had to live for the both of us. It's a heck of a task to take on, but it's what I have to do."
"The world has lost a hero," said Sgt. Gilbert's best friend, Amy Tripp. "A part of me died the day he died, and [this service is] the new beginning of learning how to move on and live my life without him in it."
Sunday proved to be a somber day for many, yet one filled with immense pride.
Thousands rose to their feet in applause as Sgt. Gilbert's father was presented the bronze star for his son's heroic action, that ultimately cost him his life.
read more here
Sorrow Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine Funeral
Autumn Ziemba Fox 8 Reporter
6:10 PM EST, March 28, 2010
In a stunning tribute Sunday morning, Gunnery Sergeant Robert Gilbert of Richfield was laid to rest.
Thousands of people touched by the 28-year-old fallen marine packed the Revere High School gymnasium to celebrate life and say good-bye.
"I will truly miss him," Sgt. Gilbert's father, Robert Gilbert Sr., told Fox 8 Sunday morning. "But he told me I had to live for the both of us. It's a heck of a task to take on, but it's what I have to do."
"The world has lost a hero," said Sgt. Gilbert's best friend, Amy Tripp. "A part of me died the day he died, and [this service is] the new beginning of learning how to move on and live my life without him in it."
Sunday proved to be a somber day for many, yet one filled with immense pride.
Thousands rose to their feet in applause as Sgt. Gilbert's father was presented the bronze star for his son's heroic action, that ultimately cost him his life.
read more here
Sorrow Pride Expressed by Hundreds at Marine Funeral
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow leaving 38 dead
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow subway attacks
March 29, 2010 8:54 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Female bombers detonated explosions in Moscow subway stations, officials say
38 people killed, 65 wounded, government ministry reports
First blast occurred near the Kremlin and the nation's intelligence service
Web site associated with Chechen separatists claims responsibility for attacks
Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Female suicide bombers detonated explosions that rocked two subway stations in central Moscow during rush hour on Monday morning, killing at least 38 people, officials said.
"It was a terrorist act carried out by the female suicide bombers," said Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, citing Russia's intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service. "They were specifically timed -- for ... the train was nearing the station -- to make the most damage.
"The blast was caused by 300 to 400 grams of explosives," he said.
Forensic teams were combing wreckage from the underground blasts for clues.
read more here
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow subway attacks
March 29, 2010 8:54 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Female bombers detonated explosions in Moscow subway stations, officials say
38 people killed, 65 wounded, government ministry reports
First blast occurred near the Kremlin and the nation's intelligence service
Web site associated with Chechen separatists claims responsibility for attacks
Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Female suicide bombers detonated explosions that rocked two subway stations in central Moscow during rush hour on Monday morning, killing at least 38 people, officials said.
"It was a terrorist act carried out by the female suicide bombers," said Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov, citing Russia's intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service. "They were specifically timed -- for ... the train was nearing the station -- to make the most damage.
"The blast was caused by 300 to 400 grams of explosives," he said.
Forensic teams were combing wreckage from the underground blasts for clues.
read more here
Female suicide bombers blamed in Moscow subway attacks
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Thousands swindled using soldier-in-need ruse
Thousands swindled using soldier-in-need ruse
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 28, 2010 12:41:28 EDT
Whoever said all’s fair in love and war never met these Internet hucksters.
Con men impersonating deployed U.S. servicemen are hooking civilian women on dating Web sites and swindling them into spending money on fictitious laptops, international telephones, “leave papers” and plane tickets, said Chris Grey, a spokesman for Army Criminal Investigation Command.
The scheme appears to be a sophisticated twist on the ubiquitous lottery letter scam, but it uniquely exploits the victims’ patriotism and emotions while misrepresenting the Army and soldier-support programs, Grey said.
“These are not soldiers, they are thieves,” he said.
Officials say the phony American soldiers are often in reality African con men who seduce women online by creating profiles on dating and social media sites that appropriate the names, ranks and photos of actual soldiers, typically those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/army_romance_scam_032810w/
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Mar 28, 2010 12:41:28 EDT
Whoever said all’s fair in love and war never met these Internet hucksters.
Con men impersonating deployed U.S. servicemen are hooking civilian women on dating Web sites and swindling them into spending money on fictitious laptops, international telephones, “leave papers” and plane tickets, said Chris Grey, a spokesman for Army Criminal Investigation Command.
The scheme appears to be a sophisticated twist on the ubiquitous lottery letter scam, but it uniquely exploits the victims’ patriotism and emotions while misrepresenting the Army and soldier-support programs, Grey said.
“These are not soldiers, they are thieves,” he said.
Officials say the phony American soldiers are often in reality African con men who seduce women online by creating profiles on dating and social media sites that appropriate the names, ranks and photos of actual soldiers, typically those serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/03/army_romance_scam_032810w/
Overdue thanks for 'Nam vets
JACOBS: Overdue thanks for 'Nam vets
By PAUL JACOBS
For The Californian
Posted: March 28, 2010
A proclamation was made at Tuesday's Temecula City Council meeting recognizing March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day." Murrieta Councilmen Rick Gibbs and Doug McAllister were also present to issue a proclamation on behalf of their city.
Although I was never in the military, my dad served two decades in the Air Force. I chose a career in civil service as a health care provider instead.
By PAUL JACOBS
For The Californian
Posted: March 28, 2010
A proclamation was made at Tuesday's Temecula City Council meeting recognizing March 30 as "Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day." Murrieta Councilmen Rick Gibbs and Doug McAllister were also present to issue a proclamation on behalf of their city.
Although I was never in the military, my dad served two decades in the Air Force. I chose a career in civil service as a health care provider instead.
The display of humbleness and dedication to duty always leaves me in awe of the men and women who serve the public in quiet dedication. Whether wearing a military, law enforcement or firefighter uniform, all serve to protect the American public.The Law and Order Awards Dinner recognized police officers from Temecula and Murrieta, as well as a Highway Patrol officer and a Border Patrol agent.
Various agencies are invited to participate, but not all answer the call. It seems every year without fail, a surprised recipient modestly and earnestly says, "I was only doing my job."
I have already marked my calendar to fly the flag on Tuesday and every March 30.
Blessed are the peacemakers, but also thank God for peace officers and members of the military who put country first, regardless of political ideologies, personal faith ---- or lack thereof.
read more here
Overdue thanks for Nam vets
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
By: Ruschell Boone
Some Vietnam veterans got a special welcome home Saturday in honor of Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.
George Raboni was 17 years old when he went to war in Vietnam. When he returned home three years later, Raboni like so many of the veterans who gathered Saturday for a celebration to mark their service, thought he would get a hero's welcome but that was not the case.
There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country," Raboni recalled.
The thank yous were slow to come because the war was unpopular, but on Saturday area veterans were recognized for their service at the Inaugural Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.
"We had pride in ourselves and what we did to serve this country but now it is greatly appreciated that the country has come to recognize the service," Raboni said.
"This is the first day that officially by the city government and state government that they are honoring the Vietnam veterans -- long overdue," Patrick Gualtieri of United War Veterans.
For many, the event at Veteran's Plaza in Downtown Manhattan was bittersweet.
go here for more and video
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
By: Ruschell Boone
Some Vietnam veterans got a special welcome home Saturday in honor of Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.
George Raboni was 17 years old when he went to war in Vietnam. When he returned home three years later, Raboni like so many of the veterans who gathered Saturday for a celebration to mark their service, thought he would get a hero's welcome but that was not the case.
There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country," Raboni recalled.
The thank yous were slow to come because the war was unpopular, but on Saturday area veterans were recognized for their service at the Inaugural Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.
"We had pride in ourselves and what we did to serve this country but now it is greatly appreciated that the country has come to recognize the service," Raboni said.
"This is the first day that officially by the city government and state government that they are honoring the Vietnam veterans -- long overdue," Patrick Gualtieri of United War Veterans.
For many, the event at Veteran's Plaza in Downtown Manhattan was bittersweet.
"I think we've changed the structure so that people today understand how to separate the war from the warriors and that the veterans coming home, the men and women we see coming out of the military today are hopefully going to get treatments and programs that they need," said Vietnam Veterans of America President John Rowan.
go here for more and video
Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
Veteran Learns to “Face her Demons” with VA PTSD Treatment
Veteran Learns to “Face her Demons” with VA PTSD Treatment
Fri at 5:07am
Michelle Covert had PTSD for 24 years but didn’t know it.
Today, thanks to her treatment at a VA hospital, she is working, happy and determined to be “a voice of hope.”
Michelle was in the Army from 1980 to 1984 and was raped by her drill instructor – the night before she graduated from Advanced Individual Training. Frightened, distraught and confused, she did not report the rape. She went on to a career as a data communications specialist.
Years later, while working at a VA hospital, she was approached, remarkably, by a Veteran receiving treatment for PTSD, who said, “I’ve been watching you. You’ve got what I’ve got.” What he had seen was Michelle breaking into tears and panic attacks when visitors or situations got out of hand.
That, and another severe “meltdown,” convinced her to seek treatment. Under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Chard of the VA, Michelle accepted the fact that her rape – in this case Military Sexual Trauma – was the cause of her life-long struggle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Once she started receiving treatment, known as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Michelle realized that it was time to “come face to face with my demon.” She was able to finally accept the fact that the sexual abuse she experienced was not her fault.
read more here
Veteran Learns to Face her Demons with VA PTSD Treatment
Fri at 5:07am
Michelle Covert had PTSD for 24 years but didn’t know it.
Today, thanks to her treatment at a VA hospital, she is working, happy and determined to be “a voice of hope.”
Michelle was in the Army from 1980 to 1984 and was raped by her drill instructor – the night before she graduated from Advanced Individual Training. Frightened, distraught and confused, she did not report the rape. She went on to a career as a data communications specialist.
Years later, while working at a VA hospital, she was approached, remarkably, by a Veteran receiving treatment for PTSD, who said, “I’ve been watching you. You’ve got what I’ve got.” What he had seen was Michelle breaking into tears and panic attacks when visitors or situations got out of hand.
That, and another severe “meltdown,” convinced her to seek treatment. Under the guidance of Dr. Kathleen Chard of the VA, Michelle accepted the fact that her rape – in this case Military Sexual Trauma – was the cause of her life-long struggle with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Once she started receiving treatment, known as Cognitive Processing Therapy, Michelle realized that it was time to “come face to face with my demon.” She was able to finally accept the fact that the sexual abuse she experienced was not her fault.
read more here
Veteran Learns to Face her Demons with VA PTSD Treatment
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Vietnam veterans honored this weekend
If there are any Vietnam veterans thinking their service didn't matter this proves it did. Late in coming, that's for sure, but aside from what Vietnam veterans did when they came home, what they achieved for the sake of all veterans, there is one more really important thing they did. They taught this nation a lesson about the debt we owe to those we send to risk their lives. All veterans who came after did receive the respect and appreciation the Vietnam veterans did not receive because they refused to give up on the rest of us.
These are just a few of the events going on this weekend around the country.
These are just a few of the events going on this weekend around the country.
Event to honor Vietnam veterans
Published: Saturday, March 27, 2010 2:38 AM CDT
YUCCA VALLEY — Morongo Basin residents will have the opportunity to thank and honor local Vietnam War veterans as the town hosts a “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans” reception 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Yucca Valley Community Center’s Yucca Room.
Similar tributes will be staged throughout the state Tuesday, following a state resolution signed into law last year designating March 30 for an annual recognition of Vietnam veterans in California.
The bill was authored by Assemblyman Paul Cook, R-Yucca Valley.
Another local Marine veteran, Carl Gorham, helped trigger the development of Cook’s Assembly bill. He met with Cook about the issue after observing a negative public reaction to Vietnam veterans in the Palm Springs Veterans Day parade a few years ago.
go here for more
Event to honor Vietnam veterans
Vietnam vets mark end of war with service in Lynn
By David Liscio / The Daily Item
LYNN - Tom Mailloux vividly recalls the day he got word that his teenage brother, John, had been killed in Vietnam.
"A priest and a police officer went to the West Lynn GE and told my mother. When they called you up to the front office in those days, you knew what it was about," he said Friday during a wreath-laying ceremony at City Hall to honor local residents who served during the Vietnam War.
It was Nov. 24, 1968.
"Kind of messed up Thanksgiving," said Mailloux, who attended the ceremony with his sister, Maureen Mailloux Hudson. "Over the years, my family never forgot because of us. They won't forget my brother and all the others who sacrificed."
read more here
Daughter led effort for state's Vietnam Veterans Day
By Meg Jones of the Journal Sentinel
Thuy Smith is proud of her father.
She understands that it wasn't easy for Bill Smith and hundreds of thousands of other veterans returning from Vietnam. Many did not receive warm welcomes home, not like veterans of World War II or Korea.
And Thuy Smith's father had an additional element to his homecoming: having found love in the war, he came home to rural Wisconsin with a wife and baby daughter from Vietnam.
Growing up, Thuy Smith felt isolated and found herself pushing away her Vietnamese heritage.
Then she began meeting Vietnam veterans who came to her mother's Vietnamese restaurant, Huong's Little Wok, in Hayward. They found a common thread stitching their pasts together. She shared with the veterans the same sense of lingering sadness, a feeling of not fitting in.
"The veterans told me that because I represented Vietnam for them, they could relate to me," said Smith, whose parents will celebrate their 39th wedding anniversary in May. "Coming together with others who understand and talking with them brought a lot of healing to me."
Now she's helping give back to Vietnam veterans such as her father, who served two extended tours in Vietnam, and the men she met at her mother's restaurant. Two years ago she learned of efforts to organize a Vietnam Veterans Day in Minnesota and Tennessee, and she thought Wisconsin also should recognize the day.
read more here
Vietnam Vets Day
Mar 26 2010 5:30PM
KXMBTV Bismarck
Honor Guard marches in
North Dakota becomes the 10th state to honor Vietnam Veteran's as Governor Hoeven proclaims March 29th Vietnam Veterans Day in North Dakota.
Close to 18-thousand North Dakotan's served in the Vietnam Warwith 198 making the ultimate sacrifice.
Soldiers today say they were never officially welcomed homeuntil now.
A touching moment came when Dan Stenvold of the Vietnam Veterans of America shared a story about his unit the 1-5-5.read more of this here
Posted to Great Americans by NamGuardianAngel on September 12, 2009
Mental wounds treatable, but most veterans don't complete care
Mental wounds treatable, but most veterans don't complete care
War » Study says main reason may be soldiers' own resistance to care.
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/24/2010 05:31:47 PM MDT
Ben Rollins was self-destructing. Every night, after work, he and a few fellow Marines would get together to polish off a 30-pack of beer and a fifth of hard liquor. On one night, heading home from a night of hard drinking at a California bar, he was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving.
On another night, when Rollins was awoken by a family member, he began screaming and scrambling for his gun.
All around him, Marines who had served alongside him in Iraq were taking their own lives. "One guy walked out into traffic on Interstate 5," Rollins, now living in Sandy, recalled. "Another guy hung himself in his room."
But Rollins still wasn't convinced that he needed help. "I'm fine," he told himself. "There's nothing wrong with me."
He wasn't fine. And he wasn't alone.
Veterans Affairs researchers say that many veterans who submit to weekly treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can reduce their symptoms to "sub-diagnostic" levels within a few short months. But fewer than one in 10 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder completes a recommended regimen of treatments within four months -- and only about 30 percent complete the treatment regimen within one year of their diagnosis, according to a recent study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress .
read more here
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14751038
War » Study says main reason may be soldiers' own resistance to care.
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 03/24/2010 05:31:47 PM MDT
Ben Rollins was self-destructing. Every night, after work, he and a few fellow Marines would get together to polish off a 30-pack of beer and a fifth of hard liquor. On one night, heading home from a night of hard drinking at a California bar, he was pulled over and arrested for drunken driving.
On another night, when Rollins was awoken by a family member, he began screaming and scrambling for his gun.
All around him, Marines who had served alongside him in Iraq were taking their own lives. "One guy walked out into traffic on Interstate 5," Rollins, now living in Sandy, recalled. "Another guy hung himself in his room."
But Rollins still wasn't convinced that he needed help. "I'm fine," he told himself. "There's nothing wrong with me."
He wasn't fine. And he wasn't alone.
Veterans Affairs researchers say that many veterans who submit to weekly treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can reduce their symptoms to "sub-diagnostic" levels within a few short months. But fewer than one in 10 veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder completes a recommended regimen of treatments within four months -- and only about 30 percent complete the treatment regimen within one year of their diagnosis, according to a recent study in the Journal of Traumatic Stress .
read more here
http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_14751038
Female Marine Leads Platoon, Inspires Others
Female Marine Leads Platoon, Inspires Others
2nd Marine Logistic Group Public Affairs
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Katesha Washington
Date: 03.26.2010
Posted: 03.26.2010 05:24
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Sgt. Tanell Nedd is one of the busiest non-commissioned officers working in the 2nd Marine Logistics Group these days. While she directs and mentors her platoon of young Marines, she is also preparing them for a grueling future deployment to Afghanistan.
Nedd, a tactical switch operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd MLG, is the platoon sergeant for the S-6 Communications shop. On the surface, she looks like the average hotshot platoon sergeant; slim physical appearance, confident and sharply clad in her camouflage uniform.
read more here
http://www.dvidshub.net/?script=news/news_show.php&id=47276
2nd Marine Logistic Group Public Affairs
Story by Gunnery Sgt. Katesha Washington
Date: 03.26.2010
Posted: 03.26.2010 05:24
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Sgt. Tanell Nedd is one of the busiest non-commissioned officers working in the 2nd Marine Logistics Group these days. While she directs and mentors her platoon of young Marines, she is also preparing them for a grueling future deployment to Afghanistan.
Nedd, a tactical switch operator with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 2nd MLG, is the platoon sergeant for the S-6 Communications shop. On the surface, she looks like the average hotshot platoon sergeant; slim physical appearance, confident and sharply clad in her camouflage uniform.
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Services planned for fallen Palm City Marine killed in Afghanistan
Photo by Jose Luis Magana
DOVER - A Marine carry team carries the transfer case containing the remains of Marine Lance Corporal Justin J. Wilson of Palm City, Fla. upon his arrival at Dover Air Force Base, Del. on Wednesday, March 24, 2010. The Department of Defense announced the death of Marine Justin J. Wilson who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Services planned for fallen Palm City Marine
By Will Greenlee
Posted March 26, 2010 at 3:09 p.m
PALM CITY — The body of Marine Lance Cpl. Justin Wilson, who was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, is expected to be flown into Witham Field on Sunday before services next week, a family member said Friday.
Wilson, 24, joined the Marine Corps in January 2009 and deployed to Afghanistan 10 months later. He died Monday, killed by an IED or improvised explosive device, his father has said.
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Services planned for fallen Palm City Marine
Marine shields team from harm, earns Bronze Star
John Gastaldo
Velzeboer, part of an explosive-ordnance-disposal team, drove a trailer full of grenades away from the fiery aftermath of a bombing.
Marine shields team from harm, earns Bronze Star
By Jeanette Steele, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Saturday, March 27, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.
After the blast, Staff Sgt. Dustin Velzeboer looked around and realized he was the only person still standing.
His gunnery sergeant lay in pieces, literally, on the ground. Two other members of the bomb unit were dead, and so was the sergeant assigned to them for security.
Velzeboer, a 27-year-old Marine with a baby on the way at home, saw no other choice: He couldn’t move his guys away from the danger. He had to move the danger away from them.
The tall, blond Marine jumped into the team’s truck, which was hooked to a trailer packed with 45 Iraqi rocket-propelled grenades. The grenades were sure to detonate in the fiery aftermath of the roadside bomb blast.
With one hand — his other was shredded by shrapnel — Velzeboer drove the truck away from his men. These thoughts ran through his mind: “Get the rig off the road; we need the road to leave.” “I hope there are no more bombs where I’m driving.” “I need to tell my wife I love her.”
There were no speeches. But afterward, Velzeboer — not much for grandstanding himself — talked about the life of an explosive-ordnance-disposal Marine, one of the most dangerous and in-demand jobs in the military.
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Wounded veterans take case for service dogs to Capitol Hill
For Iraqi war vet Luiz Montalvan, Tuesday can pick up a dropped cane, even sense when he needs his medications. Wounded veterans and their dogs were on Capitol Hill recently hoping to get more support for the service dog program.
Slain Marine from Yorba Linda remembered
Santa Ana Police Sgt. John Centanni, 51, at his home in Yorba Linda, reflects on the death of his son, Rick, a 19-year-old Marine lance corporal killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)
Slain Marine from Yorba Linda remembered
The death of Lance Cpl. Rick Centanni, 19, killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan, stirs reflection at Esperanza High. He is the third from the Anaheim school to die in post-9/11 combat.
By Mike Anton
March 27, 2010
The death of Rick Centanni of Yorba Linda was announced Friday over the intercom at Esperanza High School in Anaheim.
Class of 2008. Member of the football team. Marine lance corporal killed earlier this week by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. Just 19.
A secretary put Centanni's yearbook, the one in which his photo shows off his broad shoulders and wide smile, out at the front desk. Students, she knew, were sure to ask to see it.
This isn't the first time this has happened at Esperanza. Or the second. Centanni is the third Esperanza graduate killed in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2004.
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Slain Marine from Yorba Linda remembered
The Funniest 'Help Wanted' Signs
Most of these are hilarious! If you need to laugh a bit today, click the below link.
The Funniest 'Help Wanted' Signs
Michael Jordan
Oh man, guys, there have been some funny help wanted signs floating around the internet lately. Perhaps you've come across them?
Well, let me remind you of the Urlesque guarantee: we will provide you with the funniest, most comprehensive lists of signs available anywhere on the internet. We have been all over that, what with the hacked stop signs, the "God Hates" signs, the intentionally funny political signs, and even the unintentionally funny political signs.
Now we're bringing you the funniest "Help Wanted" signs on the web. Other sites have lists, but none of them are this comprehensive or completely awesome. After the break, check out all the chuckle-worthy signage.
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The Funniest Help Wanted Signs
The Funniest 'Help Wanted' Signs
Michael Jordan
Oh man, guys, there have been some funny help wanted signs floating around the internet lately. Perhaps you've come across them?
Well, let me remind you of the Urlesque guarantee: we will provide you with the funniest, most comprehensive lists of signs available anywhere on the internet. We have been all over that, what with the hacked stop signs, the "God Hates" signs, the intentionally funny political signs, and even the unintentionally funny political signs.
Now we're bringing you the funniest "Help Wanted" signs on the web. Other sites have lists, but none of them are this comprehensive or completely awesome. After the break, check out all the chuckle-worthy signage.
go here for more
The Funniest Help Wanted Signs
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
More and more claims will be made from veterans seeking treatment and compensation just as more and more claims wait to be honored. While they wait, there is not just the financial suffering they are subjected to as bills cannot be paid due to their wounds, there is the emotional harm inflicted that should matter to all of us.
Think of it this way. They risked their lives serving this country. Then because of that service, they were wounded yet when they come home, they are left to fend for themselves. They file claims to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the income they can no longer work for. Delays in honoring those claims are dishonoring their service.
Just as advocates are reaching the Vietnam veterans so they seek help for PTSD because they are finally understanding what it is, now we have a flood expected from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Does it end there? No because we also have two active military campaigns producing more wounded veterans every day. We also have Gulf War veterans still trying to be compensated for what the Gulf War did to them the VA still doesn't quite understand.
These men and women are suffering for having served. They should not have to see their lives as veterans subjected to delays in honoring their service wounds.
Considering the service organizations like the DAV verify claims made before they even begin to start the process with the VA, most of the evidence is already gathered together. Very few claims presented are fraudulent. Doing this is the right thing to do for the sake of the veterans. After getting them through the process and honoring their claims, there would be more time for them to review claims for fraud. Then, they would be treated as any other criminal charged with VA fraud and would have to pay the money back, plus see some jail time. We need to stop treating them all as if they are already guilty.
Think of it this way. They risked their lives serving this country. Then because of that service, they were wounded yet when they come home, they are left to fend for themselves. They file claims to have their wounds taken care of and compensated for the income they can no longer work for. Delays in honoring those claims are dishonoring their service.
Just as advocates are reaching the Vietnam veterans so they seek help for PTSD because they are finally understanding what it is, now we have a flood expected from Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Does it end there? No because we also have two active military campaigns producing more wounded veterans every day. We also have Gulf War veterans still trying to be compensated for what the Gulf War did to them the VA still doesn't quite understand.
These men and women are suffering for having served. They should not have to see their lives as veterans subjected to delays in honoring their service wounds.
“If there is a 1 percent error, and there could be, so what? You would be helping the 99 percent of veterans who are honest,” Filner said.
Considering the service organizations like the DAV verify claims made before they even begin to start the process with the VA, most of the evidence is already gathered together. Very few claims presented are fraudulent. Doing this is the right thing to do for the sake of the veterans. After getting them through the process and honoring their claims, there would be more time for them to review claims for fraud. Then, they would be treated as any other criminal charged with VA fraud and would have to pay the money back, plus see some jail time. We need to stop treating them all as if they are already guilty.
Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 16:59:14 EDT
The Veterans Affairs Department’s large and stubborn backlog of benefits claims could be reduced almost overnight if VA automatically approved any claims prepared with the help of a certified veterans service officer from a veterans organization or a state or local government veterans office, says the chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.
The idea, floated March 26 by Rep. Bob Filner, D-Calif., chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, is not new — and is not endorsed by all veterans groups.
Filner has been talking for several years about the idea of VA accepting some claims without a long review process and then doing spot-checks to look for cheaters, which he has described as similar to the way tax return audits are handled by the International Revenue Service.
His current initiative is somewhat different in that he is now talking only about automatic payment of claims that are prepared by people who have undergone VA training so they have some expertise in the requirements for a valid claim.
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Filner urges quick approval of some VA claims
Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 17:37:43 EDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The families of three private security contractors who were kidnapped, held for ransom and beheaded in Iraq are suing the State Department over their deaths.
Joshua Munns, John Cote and John Young were working for Crescent Security Group in November 2006 when they and two other co-workers were ambushed and abducted while guarding a military convoy near the southern Iraq city of Safwan.
The complaint, which filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, seeks punitive damages and challenges the constitutionality of the U.S. government’s practice of using private military contractors in war but not supporting them when they are injured, killed or kidnapped.
“The primary goal is to peel back the lid on this black box .... to ask the hard question about what this ‘War on Terror’ is about,” Bill Palmer, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press.
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Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 17:37:43 EDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The families of three private security contractors who were kidnapped, held for ransom and beheaded in Iraq are suing the State Department over their deaths.
Joshua Munns, John Cote and John Young were working for Crescent Security Group in November 2006 when they and two other co-workers were ambushed and abducted while guarding a military convoy near the southern Iraq city of Safwan.
The complaint, which filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Sacramento, seeks punitive damages and challenges the constitutionality of the U.S. government’s practice of using private military contractors in war but not supporting them when they are injured, killed or kidnapped.
“The primary goal is to peel back the lid on this black box .... to ask the hard question about what this ‘War on Terror’ is about,” Bill Palmer, an attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Associated Press.
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Families of contractors killed in Iraq sue feds
VFW apologizes for barb on health care reform
VFW apologizes for barb on health care reform
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 15:12:28 EDT
The commander of the nation’s largest organization for combat veterans has issued an unusual apology for stating that President Obama’s national health care reform initiative is “betraying” veterans.
Thomas Tradewell Sr., national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, issued a written apology for his earlier criticism of Obama and Democratic leaders for failing to include language in the final health care reform bill that specifically exempts the veterans health care system from its effects.
Just as the House of Representatives was about to vote on the final national health care reform package March 21, Tradewell issued a statement that read: “The president and the Democratic leadership are betraying America’s veterans, and and what makes matters worse is the leadership and the president knows the bill is flawed, yet they are pushing for passage today like it’s a do-or-die situation.”
In a March 25 statement, Tradewell, a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, said he “apologized for using too harsh of a word. But I did not apologize for our strong advocacy on the issue.”
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VFW apologizes for barb on health care reform
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 26, 2010 15:12:28 EDT
The commander of the nation’s largest organization for combat veterans has issued an unusual apology for stating that President Obama’s national health care reform initiative is “betraying” veterans.
Thomas Tradewell Sr., national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, issued a written apology for his earlier criticism of Obama and Democratic leaders for failing to include language in the final health care reform bill that specifically exempts the veterans health care system from its effects.
Just as the House of Representatives was about to vote on the final national health care reform package March 21, Tradewell issued a statement that read: “The president and the Democratic leadership are betraying America’s veterans, and and what makes matters worse is the leadership and the president knows the bill is flawed, yet they are pushing for passage today like it’s a do-or-die situation.”
In a March 25 statement, Tradewell, a combat-wounded Vietnam veteran, said he “apologized for using too harsh of a word. But I did not apologize for our strong advocacy on the issue.”
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VFW apologizes for barb on health care reform
Seven years after teen taken to Walter Reed, she's still there
Kyrgyz woman longs for a home of her own, outside the walls of Walter Reed
By Annys Shin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 26, 2010; 7:42 PM
Lyudmila Sukhanov has spent the past seven years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a patient and a prisoner of sorts
By Annys Shin
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 26, 2010; 7:42 PM
Lyudmila Sukhanov has spent the past seven years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a patient and a prisoner of sorts
But with Kyrgyz cooperation vital to the United States, saving Lyuda, as she came to be known, was not only humane but also strategic, a goodwill gesture directed at a vital but skittish ally. The request to medevac her received the blessing of the commander of U.S. forces in the region, Gen. Tommy Franks, and then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. In early 2003, a C-17 military transport plane braved dangerous conditions to airlift Sukhanov first to Germany and then to Washington.
Seven years of Walter Reed
Lyudmila Sukhanov, 26, has spent the past seven years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as a patient. She has had 18 major surgeries and nearly died several times after a series of botched intestinal operations in her country. In early 2003, U.S military officials arranged for Sukhanov to be treated by doctors in Germany and then at Walter Reed.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Plans unveiled for Eisenhower memorial in Washington
Plans unveiled for Eisenhower memorial in Washington
He was a two-term president and World War II commander who has buildings, schools, an aircraft carrier, a highway tunnel and even a mountain named after him. Now, President Dwight David Eisenhower, or Ike, will have what only six other occupants of the Oval Office seem to share: A national memorial in the nation's capital.
Unlike the well-known presidential memorials for Washington and Lincoln set amid green, open spaces, the Eisenhower design would be nestled among federal agencies that all came into being during his presidency: the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services — which originally were combined as Health, Education and Welfare — the federal Aviation Administration, and the Voice of America.
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Is state denying benefits to jobless who qualify
Is state denying benefits to jobless who qualify?
By Jim Stratton ORLANDO SENTINEL
11:53 p.m. EST, March 25, 2010
At first, Bonnie Lewis thought her boss was joking.
He had told her that the Longwood call center where she worked was closing. But he was offering Lewis a sales job, one that meant driving around Central Florida.
"I have cataracts so bad I can't see," thought Lewis, 59. "I have no depth perception. I don't have a car."
So she declined the offer and applied for unemployment. After one check, the money stopped because her employer told the state that she had quit, making her ineligible for benefits.
"She didn't quit," says Sally McArthur, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Orlando who got Lewis' benefits restored. "They eliminated her job and offered her something she couldn't possibly do. … They were looking for reasons to turn her down."
The state said it cannot readily determine whether the rate of initial denials is rising, but several lawyers who handle such cases say they have seen similar instances in which the state or employers appear to be stepping up efforts to disqualify out-of-work Floridians.
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Is state denying benefits to jobless who qualify
By Jim Stratton ORLANDO SENTINEL
11:53 p.m. EST, March 25, 2010
At first, Bonnie Lewis thought her boss was joking.
He had told her that the Longwood call center where she worked was closing. But he was offering Lewis a sales job, one that meant driving around Central Florida.
"I have cataracts so bad I can't see," thought Lewis, 59. "I have no depth perception. I don't have a car."
So she declined the offer and applied for unemployment. After one check, the money stopped because her employer told the state that she had quit, making her ineligible for benefits.
"She didn't quit," says Sally McArthur, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Orlando who got Lewis' benefits restored. "They eliminated her job and offered her something she couldn't possibly do. … They were looking for reasons to turn her down."
The state said it cannot readily determine whether the rate of initial denials is rising, but several lawyers who handle such cases say they have seen similar instances in which the state or employers appear to be stepping up efforts to disqualify out-of-work Floridians.
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Is state denying benefits to jobless who qualify
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