Investigators: Iowa Soldier Shot At His Home By Teen
POSTED: 5:43 pm CDT May 18, 2010
BROOKS, Iowa -- Investigators continued to gather evidence at the scene of a shooting in the Iowa town of Brooks on Tuesday.
Authorities said Daniel Beardsley, 16, escaped from the Clarinda Academy and drove to Matthew Herring's home.
Investigators said Beardsley shot Herring when Herring returned home from work. Beardsley also fired on Deputy Jason Swanson when Swanson came to the house to investigate the reported shooting.
Swanson suffered only minor injures.
After a three-hour standoff, Beardsley surrendered to authorities.
read more here
http://www.kcci.com/news/23599550/detail.html
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Soldier dies in I-380 accident
Soldier dies in I-380 accident
Staff Sergeant Howard Joseph Braxton, 28, of Hampton, Virginia
A soldier stationed at Tobyhanna Army Depot died early Saturday morning in a one-vehicle crash on Route 380 in Clifton Twp., according to State Police-Dunmore.
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Soldier dies in I 380 accident
People in pain told how to kill themselves by nurse
Added On May 20, 2010
CNN's Randi Kaye reports on a former Minnesota nurse accused of instructing people how to kill themselves.
3,800 vets affected by latest VA data breaches
3,800 vets affected by latest VA data breaches
By Tom Spoth - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 17:42:42 EDT
More than 3,800 veterans had their personal information compromised last month in two data breaches that have led to renewed criticism of the Veterans Affairs Department’s data security.
On April 22, an unencrypted laptop belonging to VA contractor Heritage Health Solutions was stolen from a vehicle, compromising the records of more than 600 veterans, Rep. Harry Mitchell, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee on oversight, said at a hearing Wednesday.
And on April 24, a log book vanished from a medical lab that contained the records of 3,265 veterans.
Both incidents were related to VA facilities in Texas.
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3800 vets affected by latest VA data breaches
By Tom Spoth - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 17:42:42 EDT
More than 3,800 veterans had their personal information compromised last month in two data breaches that have led to renewed criticism of the Veterans Affairs Department’s data security.
On April 22, an unencrypted laptop belonging to VA contractor Heritage Health Solutions was stolen from a vehicle, compromising the records of more than 600 veterans, Rep. Harry Mitchell, chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs subcommittee on oversight, said at a hearing Wednesday.
And on April 24, a log book vanished from a medical lab that contained the records of 3,265 veterans.
Both incidents were related to VA facilities in Texas.
go here for more
3800 vets affected by latest VA data breaches
Red Sox program helps vets get care
Red Sox program helps vets get care
By Ashley Studley/Daily News staff
Milford Daily News
Posted May 19, 2010 @ 01:17 AM
FRANKLIN — Asking for help is never easy, and for the new generation of proud veterans, it can seem almost impossible.
That's why outreach coordinators for the Home Base Program told Franklin Veterans Agent Bob Fahey yesterday that they want to spread the word about new services for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering from combat-related stress and traumatic brain injury.
"It's our mission to help veterans," veteran outreach coordinator Kenneth Isaksen said.
The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital teamed up last fall to form the Home Base Program, a group of clinicians and specialists that provide individual counseling and rehabilitation to veterans, Isaksen said.
Sean Kennedy, the program's leader for veterans outreach, said it offers a variety services not found elsewhere.
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Red Sox program helps vets get care
By Ashley Studley/Daily News staff
Milford Daily News
Posted May 19, 2010 @ 01:17 AM
FRANKLIN — Asking for help is never easy, and for the new generation of proud veterans, it can seem almost impossible.
That's why outreach coordinators for the Home Base Program told Franklin Veterans Agent Bob Fahey yesterday that they want to spread the word about new services for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans suffering from combat-related stress and traumatic brain injury.
"It's our mission to help veterans," veteran outreach coordinator Kenneth Isaksen said.
The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital teamed up last fall to form the Home Base Program, a group of clinicians and specialists that provide individual counseling and rehabilitation to veterans, Isaksen said.
Sean Kennedy, the program's leader for veterans outreach, said it offers a variety services not found elsewhere.
go here for more
Red Sox program helps vets get care
CBT and EMDR A revolution in war-stress UK solutions
A revolution in war-stress solutions
By KATE WIGHTON
Published: Today
TWO shocking stories this week highlighted the struggle many of our brave Forces' personnel face AFTER they leave the battlefield - but revolutionary help is at hand.
Victoria Cross hero, L/Cpl Johnson Beharry revealed how he tried to commit suicide in 2008 by crashing his car at 100mph after battling depression triggered by the horrors of Iraq four years earlier.
Meanwhile, ex-soldier Michael Fong admitted trying to take his own life last month after suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from his time in Ulster and Iraq.
PTSD is thought to affect one in 20 UK troops and can cause horrendous flashbacks and traumatic nightmares.
But there are now incredible treatments offered to soldiers to help them overcome the ordeals of war, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming (EMDR).
In a session of EMDR, a patient is asked to talk about a traumatic incident while a therapist sends their mind into a similar state to dreaming. The patient is completely awake and aware.
While talking about the incident, their eyes follow a dot moving left to right on a computer screen.
They do this for around three minutes and repeat ten times in a session.
This helps to reprogramme the memory, so a patient can think about an incident without getting upset.
Read more: A revolution in war stress solutions
By KATE WIGHTON
Published: Today
TWO shocking stories this week highlighted the struggle many of our brave Forces' personnel face AFTER they leave the battlefield - but revolutionary help is at hand.
Victoria Cross hero, L/Cpl Johnson Beharry revealed how he tried to commit suicide in 2008 by crashing his car at 100mph after battling depression triggered by the horrors of Iraq four years earlier.
Meanwhile, ex-soldier Michael Fong admitted trying to take his own life last month after suffering Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) from his time in Ulster and Iraq.
PTSD is thought to affect one in 20 UK troops and can cause horrendous flashbacks and traumatic nightmares.
But there are now incredible treatments offered to soldiers to help them overcome the ordeals of war, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprogramming (EMDR).
In a session of EMDR, a patient is asked to talk about a traumatic incident while a therapist sends their mind into a similar state to dreaming. The patient is completely awake and aware.
While talking about the incident, their eyes follow a dot moving left to right on a computer screen.
They do this for around three minutes and repeat ten times in a session.
This helps to reprogramme the memory, so a patient can think about an incident without getting upset.
Read more: A revolution in war stress solutions
Vietnam Veteran shares thoughts on LZ Lambeau Event
Onalaska Vietnam Veteran shares thoughts on LZ Lambeau Event
Posted: May 20, 2010 12:21 AM EDT
35 years after the end of the Vietnam War, Wisconsin veterans are finally getting a formal welcome home.
A big event this weekend at Lambeau Field in Green Bay will honor the state's Vietnam vets for their service and sacrifice for our country.
The event is called LZ Lambeau, named for the landing zones the veterans were often deployed to. Of the more than 165,000 Wisconsin veterans who served in Vietnam, nearly 1300 never made it home and for those who did, it wasn't always the warmest of welcome backs. Now, all these years later, the public is getting a chance to recognize and thank a group of veterans that sacrificed so much and got so little in return.
Every day, 63 year old Tom Baertsch of Onalaska lives with the horrors of the past. "There isn't a day go by that I don't think about something that went on and there's still the nightmares and there still are the flashbacks and there's still all that kind of stuff," says Baertsch.
Although Tom's learned to live with the emotional scars from more than four decades ago, he considers himself lucky to even be here today. "There was many times when I made peace with the lord, like they say there's no atheists in a fox hole. That's probably one of the scariest things for a 21 year old to be able to do is to be at peace with himself that if he's going to die, he's going to die."
go here for more
http://www.wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12512211
Posted: May 20, 2010 12:21 AM EDT
35 years after the end of the Vietnam War, Wisconsin veterans are finally getting a formal welcome home.
A big event this weekend at Lambeau Field in Green Bay will honor the state's Vietnam vets for their service and sacrifice for our country.
The event is called LZ Lambeau, named for the landing zones the veterans were often deployed to. Of the more than 165,000 Wisconsin veterans who served in Vietnam, nearly 1300 never made it home and for those who did, it wasn't always the warmest of welcome backs. Now, all these years later, the public is getting a chance to recognize and thank a group of veterans that sacrificed so much and got so little in return.
Every day, 63 year old Tom Baertsch of Onalaska lives with the horrors of the past. "There isn't a day go by that I don't think about something that went on and there's still the nightmares and there still are the flashbacks and there's still all that kind of stuff," says Baertsch.
Although Tom's learned to live with the emotional scars from more than four decades ago, he considers himself lucky to even be here today. "There was many times when I made peace with the lord, like they say there's no atheists in a fox hole. That's probably one of the scariest things for a 21 year old to be able to do is to be at peace with himself that if he's going to die, he's going to die."
go here for more
http://www.wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=12512211
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill base in Tampa; security chased him after fight
TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press Writer
9:27 p.m. EDT, May 19, 2010
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — An Army veteran who sped away from MacDill Air Force Base security on a motorcycle was fatally shot Wednesday by an FBI agent after the man threatened him with a knife, officials said.
At about 6 p.m., base security was called to an altercation, which wasn't described, at a camping area inside the base, said Col. Larry Martin, the base commander.
The veteran who was described as a guest at the camping area was arguing with another person, but officials wouldn't name either.
"We don't have a lot of details about what went on in that altercation," Martin said.
The veteran sped away on his motorcycle and security tried to stop him, Martin said.
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Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
TAMARA LUSH
Associated Press Writer
9:27 p.m. EDT, May 19, 2010
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — An Army veteran who sped away from MacDill Air Force Base security on a motorcycle was fatally shot Wednesday by an FBI agent after the man threatened him with a knife, officials said.
At about 6 p.m., base security was called to an altercation, which wasn't described, at a camping area inside the base, said Col. Larry Martin, the base commander.
The veteran who was described as a guest at the camping area was arguing with another person, but officials wouldn't name either.
"We don't have a lot of details about what went on in that altercation," Martin said.
The veteran sped away on his motorcycle and security tried to stop him, Martin said.
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Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Heroes rescue trucker from burning tanker in Orlando
Rescuer: 'It just burst into flames'
Orlando man pulled driver from cab after tanker truck explodes on Interstate 4
By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel
5:38 a.m. EDT, May 20, 2010
David Neel of Orlando was driving home when he spotted the tanker truck barrel into a right-lane divider wall along Interstate 4 and burst into a fireball at John Young Parkway.
"It was like watching a movie. It just burst into flames," Neel said.
He then ran up to the truck, popped open the driver's side door and found the driver.
Another motorist helped with the rescue, too.
The flaming wreck snarled eastbound traffic along I-4 for hours, but it also provided a glimpse of hometown heroism, as two motorists stopped at and pulled the truck driver from the burning rig.
"He was still moving and we snatched him out of the truck," Neel said. "He was dazed. He couldn't tell me what happened.
"Everything was just smoke and flames."
The tanker fire was extinguished a short time after the accident, and the driver suffered minor injuries, police said.
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Rescuer It just burst into flames
Orlando man pulled driver from cab after tanker truck explodes on Interstate 4
By Anthony Colarossi, Orlando Sentinel
5:38 a.m. EDT, May 20, 2010
David Neel of Orlando was driving home when he spotted the tanker truck barrel into a right-lane divider wall along Interstate 4 and burst into a fireball at John Young Parkway.
"It was like watching a movie. It just burst into flames," Neel said.
He then ran up to the truck, popped open the driver's side door and found the driver.
Another motorist helped with the rescue, too.
The flaming wreck snarled eastbound traffic along I-4 for hours, but it also provided a glimpse of hometown heroism, as two motorists stopped at and pulled the truck driver from the burning rig.
"He was still moving and we snatched him out of the truck," Neel said. "He was dazed. He couldn't tell me what happened.
"Everything was just smoke and flames."
The tanker fire was extinguished a short time after the accident, and the driver suffered minor injuries, police said.
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Rescuer It just burst into flames
Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base
Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base in Florida, home to U.S. Central Command
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
TAMPA, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- A person was shot dead outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday evening, authorities say. The base is also home to the U.S. Central Command.
Tampa Fire Rescue crews responded to the Dale Mabry gate of MacDill Air Force Base at 6.47 p.m. Eastern time. "Rescuers are on scene at this time as are Tampa Police and Base Security," a spokesman said.
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Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base
UPDATE
It was an Army veteran
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
TAMPA, FLORIDA (BNO NEWS) -- A person was shot dead outside MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday evening, authorities say. The base is also home to the U.S. Central Command.
Tampa Fire Rescue crews responded to the Dale Mabry gate of MacDill Air Force Base at 6.47 p.m. Eastern time. "Rescuers are on scene at this time as are Tampa Police and Base Security," a spokesman said.
go here for more
Fatal shooting outside MacDill Air Force Base
UPDATE
It was an Army veteran
Army vet fatally shot by FBI agent at MacDill
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Bill adds protections for sex assault victims
Bill adds protections for sex assault victims
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 15:49:13 EDT
In a move that could lead more military women to report sexual assaults and seeking counseling, the House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to allow conversations between victims and victims’ advocates to be privileged communications.
At the urging of Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., the committee approved a new rule that would treat communications between sexual assault victims and their advocates in a way similar to information shared between patients and psychiatrists.
read more here
Bill adds protections for sex assault victims
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 15:49:13 EDT
In a move that could lead more military women to report sexual assaults and seeking counseling, the House Armed Services Committee voted Wednesday to allow conversations between victims and victims’ advocates to be privileged communications.
At the urging of Rep. Susan Davis, D-Calif., the committee approved a new rule that would treat communications between sexual assault victims and their advocates in a way similar to information shared between patients and psychiatrists.
read more here
Bill adds protections for sex assault victims
Veterans for Common Sense Power House for sake of all veterans
While there is an ever growing list of groups working for veterans, there is one that stands out above the rest. Veterans for Common Sense, under the leadership of champion advocate Paul Sullivan, has been behind most of the changes in how we treat our veterans. Admittedly, I am in awe of Paul's work as well as his humbleness.
The truth is we need Veterans for Common Sense because what politicians manage to do well is say one thing but do another. They are the watchers of what is done and when words do not translate into action, they let us know about it. These are just a few of the recent reports VCS has released.
So how about it folks? Ready to get to work and make the call for Vietnam Veterans?
The truth is we need Veterans for Common Sense because what politicians manage to do well is say one thing but do another. They are the watchers of what is done and when words do not translate into action, they let us know about it. These are just a few of the recent reports VCS has released.
VCS in the News
Speaking at the Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (CIAV) conference in Washington, DC, VCS revealed how recent VA audits of eight Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) offices found an overall error rate of 28 percent among selected claims. Our presentation was covered by Kelly Kennedy at Army Times.
Also last week, VCS was featured on National Public Radio (NPR) discussing problems veterans face dealing with VBA. VCS highlighted VBA's frustrating and burdensome 23-page claim form with NPR reporter John McChesney.
In a piece of good news,VCS plans to closely monitor VBA's plans to build a new system to handle the expected hundreds of thousands of new disability claims filed by Vietnam War veterans who remain ill due to Agent Orange poisoning.
In another piece of good news, VBA plans to overhaul how VBA employees are judged for their work - the infamous and misleading work credit system
. We'll be watching this development, too.
Unfortunately, in a piece of bad news, VCS remains outraged that VBA still fights against our Vietnam War veterans seeking healthcare and benefits due to Agent Orange exposure while aboard Navy ships off the coast of Vietnam. Please read this shocking and shameful Congressional testimony by VBA's Tom Pamperin before the Senate today. Pamperin told Senators that "VA does not support" S 1939.
This means President Barack Obama and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki oppose reasonable Agent Orange benefits for blue water Vietnam War veterans. VCS asks you to contact your Representative and Senator as well as VA and voice your support for all of our Vietnam War veterans.
So how about it folks? Ready to get to work and make the call for Vietnam Veterans?
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial to host Memorial Day ceremony
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial to host Memorial Day ceremony
HOLMDEL — The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation will hold its Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 31, at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel.
The guest speaker at this year’s ceremony will be Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth.
The ceremony will include the presentation of scholarships to two New Jersey high school seniors and the induction of two Vietnam veterans into the memorial’s “In Memory” program.
Rieth is the 30th adjutant general of New Jersey and commands more than 9,000 soldiers and airmen of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial to host Memorial Day ceremony
HOLMDEL — The New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial Foundation will hold its Memorial Day ceremony at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 31, at the New Jersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Holmdel.
The guest speaker at this year’s ceremony will be Maj. Gen. Glenn Rieth.
The ceremony will include the presentation of scholarships to two New Jersey high school seniors and the induction of two Vietnam veterans into the memorial’s “In Memory” program.
Rieth is the 30th adjutant general of New Jersey and commands more than 9,000 soldiers and airmen of the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial to host Memorial Day ceremony
Can Vietnam Veterans forgive a friend for not being a "brother"
Blumenthal worked for many years on behalf of veterans. No one disagrees with this. If anyone wanted to look up his military history it's on his website. Still when it comes to making claims about being a combat veteran, words matter. Can combat Vietnam Veterans forgive him?
UPDATE
Litchfield County veterans react to Blumenthal's comments on Vietnam service
Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
By DAVID HUTTER
Register Citizen Staff
In response to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s misstatements on his service in Vietnam, some veterans criticized him yet also noted he has advocated for them.
“When you pretend to be something you are not, we call that stolen valor,” John Bonville, who served in Vietnam in 1971 to 1972, said. “I do not like that. Vietnam veterans took it on the chin for a long time. I could not even wear my uniform when I came home.”
Vietnam veteran carry their experience with them for the rest of their lives, Bonville said. As Americans soldiers fought in the Asian nation in the 1960s and early 1970s, many American civilians opposed the war. While today Americans generally do not lash out as these veterans, this was not the case for a long time.
Colleague Says Blumenthal Claims Grew in Time
By MICHAEL BARBARO and DAVID M. HALBFINGER
Published: May 18, 2010
Former Representative Christopher Shays of Connecticut found it puzzling: over time, his friend Attorney General Richard Blumenthal kept revising how he talked about his military service during the Vietnam War. At first, in the 1980s, he was humble. He played it down, Mr. Shays recalled, characterizing it as humdrum desk work.
Over the last few years, however, more sweeping claims crept into Mr. Blumenthal’s descriptions, he said: that Mr. Blumenthal had served in Vietnam and had felt the sting of an ungrateful nation as he returned.
“He just kept adding to the story, the more he told it,” Mr. Shays said.
Mr. Shays said he became alarmed enough by the discrepancies that he at times considered mentioning the issue to Mr. Blumenthal, who on Tuesday said he took “full responsibility” for the occasions when he “misspoke” about his military history.
read more here
Colleague Says Blumenthal Claims Grew in Time
UPDATE
Litchfield County veterans react to Blumenthal's comments on Vietnam service
Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2010
By DAVID HUTTER
Register Citizen Staff
In response to Attorney General Richard Blumenthal’s misstatements on his service in Vietnam, some veterans criticized him yet also noted he has advocated for them.
“When you pretend to be something you are not, we call that stolen valor,” John Bonville, who served in Vietnam in 1971 to 1972, said. “I do not like that. Vietnam veterans took it on the chin for a long time. I could not even wear my uniform when I came home.”
Vietnam veteran carry their experience with them for the rest of their lives, Bonville said. As Americans soldiers fought in the Asian nation in the 1960s and early 1970s, many American civilians opposed the war. While today Americans generally do not lash out as these veterans, this was not the case for a long time.
At the same time, Bonville called Blumenthal a strong supporter for veterans. In this vein, he hoped that Blumenthal’s misleading statements “not tarnish all the wonderful things he does for us,” he said.
Steve Ardussi served in Vietnam for one year. Today, he is the chairman of the Litchfield Veterans Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Litchfield Republican Town Committee.read more here
Sen. Webb now asking questions about scrutinized veterans group
U.S. Sen. Webb now asking questions about scrutinized veterans group
By Michael Sluss The Roanoke Times
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia has asked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to clarify the process it uses to screen veterans services organizations listed on its Web site, citing investigations into the activities of a Navy veterans group that soon could be allowed to solicit donations in Virginia.
In a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, Webb raised concerns about a group called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. The organization and its former director, Bobby Thompson, have been under scrutiny since March, when an exhaustive investigation by the St. Petersburg Times raised questions about the organization's fundraising, its expenditures and the very existence of its national and state directors.
read more here
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/247270
By Michael Sluss The Roanoke Times
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb of Virginia has asked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to clarify the process it uses to screen veterans services organizations listed on its Web site, citing investigations into the activities of a Navy veterans group that soon could be allowed to solicit donations in Virginia.
In a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki, Webb raised concerns about a group called the U.S. Navy Veterans Association. The organization and its former director, Bobby Thompson, have been under scrutiny since March, when an exhaustive investigation by the St. Petersburg Times raised questions about the organization's fundraising, its expenditures and the very existence of its national and state directors.
read more here
http://www.roanoke.com/news/breaking/wb/247270
Keesler Air Force Base Stand down May 21 seeks to reduce deaths
Stand down May 21 seeks to reduce deaths
AETC Public Affairs and 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
5/12/2010 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler observes a half-day Stand Down Day May 21 to call attention to the recent rise in Air Force suicides, the tragic loss of Airmen to private motor vehicle accidents and to reenergize the Wingman concept as the foundation approach to suicide prevention and unit safety.
The stand down is designed to encourage Wingmen to be vigilant of these and other dangers by devoting time for structured unit discussion of these important topics. Leading the stand down are commanders and their subordinate leaders who are best positioned to meet the needs of their units and to lead small group discussion among Airmen who work together.
A recent joint memo from Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, and Chief Master Sgt. James Roy, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, noted the alarming number of Air Force deaths due to non-combat causes. So far in 2010, 18 Airmen, eight Guardmen and Reservists and three civilians have taken their own lives. About 50 Air Force members are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents. More than 680 Airmen have died in the past 10 years in on- and off-duty ground fatalities.
AETC Public Affairs and 81st Training Wing Public Affairs
5/12/2010 - KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler observes a half-day Stand Down Day May 21 to call attention to the recent rise in Air Force suicides, the tragic loss of Airmen to private motor vehicle accidents and to reenergize the Wingman concept as the foundation approach to suicide prevention and unit safety.
The stand down is designed to encourage Wingmen to be vigilant of these and other dangers by devoting time for structured unit discussion of these important topics. Leading the stand down are commanders and their subordinate leaders who are best positioned to meet the needs of their units and to lead small group discussion among Airmen who work together.
A recent joint memo from Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force chief of staff, and Chief Master Sgt. James Roy, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, noted the alarming number of Air Force deaths due to non-combat causes. So far in 2010, 18 Airmen, eight Guardmen and Reservists and three civilians have taken their own lives. About 50 Air Force members are killed each year in motor vehicle accidents. More than 680 Airmen have died in the past 10 years in on- and off-duty ground fatalities.
Schofield work halted after human remains found
Schofield work halted after human remains found
By Audrey McAvoy - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 8:43:09 EDT
HONOLULU — The Army said Tuesday that archaeological and cultural monitors have discovered human remains at a Schofield Barracks construction site.
The Army hasn’t said whether the remains are Hawaiian.
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Schofield work halted after human remains found
By Audrey McAvoy - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 8:43:09 EDT
HONOLULU — The Army said Tuesday that archaeological and cultural monitors have discovered human remains at a Schofield Barracks construction site.
The Army hasn’t said whether the remains are Hawaiian.
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Schofield work halted after human remains found
Civil War soldier gets MoH 147 years later
Civil War soldier gets MoH 147 years later
By Dinesh Ramde - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 9:09:45 EDT
DELAFIELD, Wis. — Seven score and seven years ago, a wounded Wisconsin soldier stood his ground on the Gettysburg battlefield and made a valiant stand before he was felled by a Confederate bullet.
Now, thanks to the dogged efforts of modern-day supporters, 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing shall not have died in vain, nor shall his memory have perished from the earth.
Descendants and some Civil War history buffs have been pushing the U.S. Army to award the soldier the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. They'll soon get their wish.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh has approved their request, leaving a few formal steps before the award becomes official this summer. Cushing will become one of 3,447 recipients of the medal, and the second from the Civil War honored in the last 10 years.
read more here
Civil War soldier gets MoH 147 years later
By Dinesh Ramde - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday May 19, 2010 9:09:45 EDT
DELAFIELD, Wis. — Seven score and seven years ago, a wounded Wisconsin soldier stood his ground on the Gettysburg battlefield and made a valiant stand before he was felled by a Confederate bullet.
Now, thanks to the dogged efforts of modern-day supporters, 1st Lt. Alonzo Cushing shall not have died in vain, nor shall his memory have perished from the earth.
Descendants and some Civil War history buffs have been pushing the U.S. Army to award the soldier the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration. They'll soon get their wish.
Secretary of the Army John McHugh has approved their request, leaving a few formal steps before the award becomes official this summer. Cushing will become one of 3,447 recipients of the medal, and the second from the Civil War honored in the last 10 years.
read more here
Civil War soldier gets MoH 147 years later
Memorial for Florida soldier killed in Iraq
JBLM memorial for Florida soldier killed in Iraq
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Joint Base Lewis-McChord is holding a memorial ceremony Wednesday in the Main Chapel for a 3rd Stryker brigade soldier killed in Iraq.
Thirty-year-old Sgt. Keith A. Coe of Auburndale, Fla., died April 27 in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an explosive.
The brigade deployed to Iraq in August.
Memorial for Florida soldier killed in Iraq
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. -- Joint Base Lewis-McChord is holding a memorial ceremony Wednesday in the Main Chapel for a 3rd Stryker brigade soldier killed in Iraq.
Thirty-year-old Sgt. Keith A. Coe of Auburndale, Fla., died April 27 in Khalis, Iraq, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with an explosive.
The brigade deployed to Iraq in August.
Memorial for Florida soldier killed in Iraq
Finding forgiveness after war
Over the years many veterans come to mind when I read something like this. One Marine stands out in my thoughts right now. I was at the Orlando VA with my husband waiting outside with the smokers for his appointment to be over. I sat with a couple of young Marines as they struggled to fill out paper work. One of the Marines broke down while we were talking. I took his hands in mine and asked him if he wanted to talk. Tears flowed more.
He kept repeating "I'm a Marine" as he apologized for crying and then told me he wasn't supposed to cry, that I didn't understand, he was a Marine and Marines don't cry. I asked him if he was ever told he was no longer human by the Marines. We talked some more and he told me that he just didn't train his brain as well as he was supposed to. He was supposed to be able to take it all. Then it came out he had BattleMind training and thought it was his fault he didn't train his brain enough to prevent it. I help him in my arms as I prayed for him and we talked some more.
He couldn't forgive himself for what he had to do anymore than he could forgive himself for not preventing PTSD. I told him that it took more courage for him to be carrying that kind of pain while he was in Iraq, still doing his duty, still watching over his brothers, still being there when he was needed and putting others first while his soul was so wounded. It was not until he was not needed to save their lives and back home that he allowed himself to feel the pain.
God sees it all. He knows what is in the heart of the warrior and what the intent was. He knows that the parts of the human mind go to war with each other as they struggle between what the think is right and what they believe in against what ends up causing in the process. They believe in fighting for their country and for their brothers, but they end up having to do horrible things just as they have to witness horrible things being done. They wonder where God was when man is capable of such acts and innocent people die, just as they wonder why they lived but their friends did not or why the enemy put innocent civilians into the violence instead of protecting them from it.
They may be reminded that Christ Himself forgave the people who nailed Him to the cross and there is nothing they cannot be forgiven for, but the hardest part is to get them to forgive themselves. They can no longer see what was in their hearts (soul) before the horrors of war invaded it. It was not their intent to kill as many people as possible as much as it was to be there for their friends and to do what the nation asked of them. Yet after they only remember the evil they participated in or witnessed. They take on that evil in their souls and it haunts them.
Even when they believe God has forgiven them, they still have to struggle to find forgiveness for themselves. This is nearly impossible for those who still do not know what PTSD is or what caused it to enter into them.
We will see so much more suicides and attempted suicides until they get the message that it is not their fault, they are not guilty beyond forgiveness and PTSD is not the judgement of God against them.
Psalm 4
This is what Combat PTSD is all about. They can try to wish it away, but the truth is, it has entered into the souls of those we send to fight. It comes into the souls of the courageously compassionate, willing to die to save someone else because they care so much. PTSD only comes from a traumatic event and is not born in the mind as much as it invades it. Once they understand it, they can begin to heal.
Reading the Bible, it is not about one religion over another, but is a historical account of what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We tend to push out of our memories exactly what war was like in ancient times and how many of the heroes of the Bible were in fact warriors and commanders as well as kings. They had great faith but even with that spiritual connection, they struggled with finding forgiveness for what they had to do. The Bible is full of these accounts and many of the Psalms show just how deeply that wound cut into their soul.
They stop seeing themselves as noble individuals willing to risk their lives for others and start to see themselves as evil abandoned by God and thus the haunting of their souls is judgment from God. They begin to believe they are guilty instead of being heroic. They forget the sounds of appreciation coming from crowds and begin to hear the sounds of battle as battle becomes them.
As soon as the military understands this, they will then begin to be able to help them heal and what they will have after are stronger, braver, soulfully fortified military men and women still willing to die for the sake of others.
He kept repeating "I'm a Marine" as he apologized for crying and then told me he wasn't supposed to cry, that I didn't understand, he was a Marine and Marines don't cry. I asked him if he was ever told he was no longer human by the Marines. We talked some more and he told me that he just didn't train his brain as well as he was supposed to. He was supposed to be able to take it all. Then it came out he had BattleMind training and thought it was his fault he didn't train his brain enough to prevent it. I help him in my arms as I prayed for him and we talked some more.
"Many of the troops kill themselves because they feel that those kinds of experiences have made them unforgivable," said Dr. William Nash, a top PTSD researcher. "It's a lot harder for most people to forgive themselves than to forgive others."
He couldn't forgive himself for what he had to do anymore than he could forgive himself for not preventing PTSD. I told him that it took more courage for him to be carrying that kind of pain while he was in Iraq, still doing his duty, still watching over his brothers, still being there when he was needed and putting others first while his soul was so wounded. It was not until he was not needed to save their lives and back home that he allowed himself to feel the pain.
God sees it all. He knows what is in the heart of the warrior and what the intent was. He knows that the parts of the human mind go to war with each other as they struggle between what the think is right and what they believe in against what ends up causing in the process. They believe in fighting for their country and for their brothers, but they end up having to do horrible things just as they have to witness horrible things being done. They wonder where God was when man is capable of such acts and innocent people die, just as they wonder why they lived but their friends did not or why the enemy put innocent civilians into the violence instead of protecting them from it.
They may be reminded that Christ Himself forgave the people who nailed Him to the cross and there is nothing they cannot be forgiven for, but the hardest part is to get them to forgive themselves. They can no longer see what was in their hearts (soul) before the horrors of war invaded it. It was not their intent to kill as many people as possible as much as it was to be there for their friends and to do what the nation asked of them. Yet after they only remember the evil they participated in or witnessed. They take on that evil in their souls and it haunts them.
Even when they believe God has forgiven them, they still have to struggle to find forgiveness for themselves. This is nearly impossible for those who still do not know what PTSD is or what caused it to enter into them.
We will see so much more suicides and attempted suicides until they get the message that it is not their fault, they are not guilty beyond forgiveness and PTSD is not the judgement of God against them.
Psalm 4
1 Answer me when I call to you,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress;
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
2 How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame
4 In your anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.8 I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for you alone, O LORD,
make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 6
3 My soul is in anguish.
How long, O LORD, how long?
6 I am worn out from groaning;
all night long I flood my bed with weeping
and drench my couch with tears.
8 Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the LORD has heard my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my cry for mercy;
the LORD accepts my prayer.
Psalm 7
8 let the LORD judge the peoples.
Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness,
according to my integrity, O Most High.
10 My shield is God Most High,
who saves the upright in heart.
This is what Combat PTSD is all about. They can try to wish it away, but the truth is, it has entered into the souls of those we send to fight. It comes into the souls of the courageously compassionate, willing to die to save someone else because they care so much. PTSD only comes from a traumatic event and is not born in the mind as much as it invades it. Once they understand it, they can begin to heal.
Reading the Bible, it is not about one religion over another, but is a historical account of what we now call Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. We tend to push out of our memories exactly what war was like in ancient times and how many of the heroes of the Bible were in fact warriors and commanders as well as kings. They had great faith but even with that spiritual connection, they struggled with finding forgiveness for what they had to do. The Bible is full of these accounts and many of the Psalms show just how deeply that wound cut into their soul.
Last year, 52 Marines took their lives. Thirty-six of those troops had seen combat, and 11 of the self-inflicted deaths took place in Iraq and Afghanistan, Driver said.
MILITARY:
Suicide rate confounding Marine Corps
'We have to get to the solution,' a top general says
Story Discussion By MARK WALKER
A steady rise in suicides is confounding Marine Corps commanders, despite years of efforts to assure troops their careers won't suffer for seeking mental health counseling, a top general said Tuesday.
"We have to get to the solution," said Lt. Gen. Richard Zilmer, deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs, during a three-day conference on combat stress at the Town & County Resort and Convention Center in San Diego.
"We are at the point where we need to take action. It won't get any better with the status quo."
The Marine Corps' suicide rate has reached 24 per 100,000, a rate that surpasses all the other services. The rate was 13 per 100,000 in 2006. The latest available figures put the civilian suicide rate at 20 per 100,000.
So far this year, 14 Marines have killed themselves, including seven with combat experience. An additional 72 attempted suicides were recorded in the first four months of the year, according to Bryan Driver, a spokesman in the Personal and Family Readiness Division.
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They stop seeing themselves as noble individuals willing to risk their lives for others and start to see themselves as evil abandoned by God and thus the haunting of their souls is judgment from God. They begin to believe they are guilty instead of being heroic. They forget the sounds of appreciation coming from crowds and begin to hear the sounds of battle as battle becomes them.
As soon as the military understands this, they will then begin to be able to help them heal and what they will have after are stronger, braver, soulfully fortified military men and women still willing to die for the sake of others.
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