Predatory lenders to pay $1 million to soldiers
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 16:09:07 EDT
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper says North Carolina-based financial companies accused of predatory lending practices against Fort Campbell soldiers will have to pay them more than $1 million.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/05/ap_lending_suit_052010/
Friday, May 21, 2010
Vet riding across state to raise PTSD awareness
Vet riding across state to raise awareness
To honor a friend and raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, a Fargo man will ride from Beach to Fargo beginning Sunday.
By: Beth Wischmeyer, The Dickinson Press
To honor a friend and raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, a Fargo man will ride from Beach to Fargo beginning Sunday.
National Guard Spc. Dan Olson, 26, of Bismarck, now of Fargo, served with Staff Sgt. Joe Biel, a native of Peever, S.D., and they became friends while in Iraq.
On their second deployment, the two were assigned to trip route clearance, or driving routes used by U.S. forces in search of military weapons. They located over 470 weapons, but reported they felt themselves always on edge, worried about their safety and the safety of others in their unit.
Biel and Olson returned from duty in November 2006.
On May 1, 2007, Biel’s family buried him in Wilmot, S.D., after he committed suicide just a few days earlier, a result of PTSD.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents or military combat, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems and can be easily startled, according to NIMH.
Backed by the North Dakota American Legion’s “Courage Carries On” program, Olson hopes that his ride will help other soldiers affected by PTSD.
“We started ‘Courage Carries On’ a few years ago just because of this whole suicide issue, to bring awareness of the issue of the post-traumatic stress disorder and how severe that can get to the point where somebody wants to commit suicide,” said Jim Deremo, chairman of the American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee.
read more here
Vet riding across state to raise awareness
To honor a friend and raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, a Fargo man will ride from Beach to Fargo beginning Sunday.
By: Beth Wischmeyer, The Dickinson Press
To honor a friend and raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder and suicide, a Fargo man will ride from Beach to Fargo beginning Sunday.
National Guard Spc. Dan Olson, 26, of Bismarck, now of Fargo, served with Staff Sgt. Joe Biel, a native of Peever, S.D., and they became friends while in Iraq.
On their second deployment, the two were assigned to trip route clearance, or driving routes used by U.S. forces in search of military weapons. They located over 470 weapons, but reported they felt themselves always on edge, worried about their safety and the safety of others in their unit.
Biel and Olson returned from duty in November 2006.
On May 1, 2007, Biel’s family buried him in Wilmot, S.D., after he committed suicide just a few days earlier, a result of PTSD.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Traumatic events that may trigger PTSD include violent personal assaults, natural or human-caused disasters, accidents or military combat, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.
People with PTSD have persistent frightening thoughts and memories of their ordeal and feel emotionally numb, especially with people they were once close to. They may experience sleep problems and can be easily startled, according to NIMH.
Backed by the North Dakota American Legion’s “Courage Carries On” program, Olson hopes that his ride will help other soldiers affected by PTSD.
“We started ‘Courage Carries On’ a few years ago just because of this whole suicide issue, to bring awareness of the issue of the post-traumatic stress disorder and how severe that can get to the point where somebody wants to commit suicide,” said Jim Deremo, chairman of the American Legion Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation committee.
read more here
Vet riding across state to raise awareness
Army and Marines should learn from Air Force programs
Marines and Soldiers face more than the Air Force, but it is the Air Force with the best programs. How is this possible? They deal with trauma the way the rest of the country does. They take action and understand the men and women serving are still humans. They take fast action understanding that the sooner they start to heal, the better the results. The Army and Marines face more traumatic events more often and on the ground but the Air Force is way ahead of them. Just doesn't seem right at all.
Air Force Prevention Program reduces suicide rates significantly
The U.S. Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) has reduced suicide rates significantly since it was launched in 1996, according to a new study that examined almost three decades of data.
"The enduring public health message from 12 years of this program is that suicide rates can be reduced, and that program success requires interventions to be consistently supported, maintained, and monitored for compliance," the researchers conclude in the study published by the American Journal of Public Health.
Kerry L. Knox, Ph.D., associate professor of Psychiatry at the University of Rochester Medical Center, led the study. She also directed a landmark assessment of the AFSPP almost seven years ago.
In the current study, which examined suicide rates in the Air Force from 1981 to 2008, Knox and her colleagues found a reduction in the mean suicide rate after the implementation of the prevention program of about 21 percent that was consistent except for one year, 2004.
Still, the researchers called the AFSPP "the first long-term sustained effort of its kind to serve as an example of what communities can accomplish in reducing morbidity and mortality attributable to suicidal behaviors if there is ongoing commitment to do so."
The AFSPP encourages members of the Air Force to seek help, promotes the development of coping skills and fights the stigma associated with receiving mental health care. The program stresses the absence of negative career consequences for seeking and receiving treatment.
Through the AFSPP, suicide prevention is included in all military training. Commanders receive training on how and when to use mental health services, and their role in encouraging early help-seeking behavior. Trauma stress response teams were established worldwide to respond to traumatic incidents such as terrorist attacks, serious accidents, or suicide. These teams help personnel deal with the emotions they experience in reaction to traumatic incidents.
read more here
Air Force Prevention Program reduces suicide rates
Two officers killed, two more wounded after traffic stop
Suspects in police shooting killed in West Memphis shootout
Posted: May 20, 2010 1:17 PM EDT
WEST MEMPHIS, AR (WMC-TV) - Two West Memphis police officers were shot and killed Thursday during a traffic stop along a busy cross-country interstate highway. The local sheriff and his chief deputy were wounded in a later shootout that left a pair of suspects dead.
Officers pulled over a white minivan with Ohio license plates while "running drug interdiction" on Interstate 40 in east Arkansas, said West Memphis Police Inspector Bert Shelton. Two men got out of the van with the assault rifles and opened fire on the officers, he said.
Sgt. Brandon Paudert, 39, the son of West Memphis' police chief, died at the scene and Officer Bill Evans, 38, died at a hospital, authorities said. Evans made the initial stop, and Paudert arrived moments later as backup, Assistant Police Chief Mike Allen said late Thursday.
"In what was probably only a few minutes, Officer Evans was shoved to the ground and the men in the minivan started shooting at both officers," Allen said.
Posted: May 20, 2010 1:17 PM EDT
WEST MEMPHIS, AR (WMC-TV) - Two West Memphis police officers were shot and killed Thursday during a traffic stop along a busy cross-country interstate highway. The local sheriff and his chief deputy were wounded in a later shootout that left a pair of suspects dead.
Officers pulled over a white minivan with Ohio license plates while "running drug interdiction" on Interstate 40 in east Arkansas, said West Memphis Police Inspector Bert Shelton. Two men got out of the van with the assault rifles and opened fire on the officers, he said.
Sgt. Brandon Paudert, 39, the son of West Memphis' police chief, died at the scene and Officer Bill Evans, 38, died at a hospital, authorities said. Evans made the initial stop, and Paudert arrived moments later as backup, Assistant Police Chief Mike Allen said late Thursday.
"In what was probably only a few minutes, Officer Evans was shoved to the ground and the men in the minivan started shooting at both officers," Allen said.
Additionally, Crittenden County Sheriff Dick Busby and a deputy, W. A. Wren, were shot and wounded. Both men were taken by helicopter to The MED.
go here for more
Military intelligence in Afghanistan didn't include weapons?
We sent troops into Afghanistan in 2001! It took the military this long to figure out the Afghan's had longer range firing power? Older guns were killing off our troops because they could reach them when the US guns couldn't reach back? And no one noticed this until now?
Also reported was the fact the deadly attack the other day was carried out because they had uniforms.
US rifles not suited to warfare in Afghan hills
By SLOBODAN LEKIC
The Associated Press
Friday, May 21, 2010; 4:41 AM
KABUL, Afghanistan -- The U.S. military's workhorse rifle - used in battle for the last 40 years - is proving less effective in Afghanistan against the Taliban's more primitive but longer range weapons.
As a result, the U.S. is reevaluating the performance of its standard M-4 rifle and considering a switch to weapons that fire a larger round largely discarded in the 1960s.
The M-4 is an updated version of the M-16, which was designed for close quarters combat in Vietnam. It worked well in Iraq, where much of the fighting was in cities such as Baghdad, Ramadi and Fallujah.
read more here
US rifles not suited to warfare in Afghan hills
Also reported was the fact the deadly attack the other day was carried out because they had uniforms.
Official: Bagram attackers wore U.S.-style uniforms
Insurgents who attacked Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan on Wednesday were wearing U.S. Army-style battle fatigue uniforms, according to a U.S. military official who has seen initial eyewitness accounts of the attack.
A second U.S. military official confirmed the initial accounts but said he did not know if all of the attackers were wearing U.S.-style uniforms.
The officials did not want to be identified because of the ongoing investigation.
Neither official could say whether the uniforms were stolen, or how the insurgents came into possession of them. U.S. military-style items are available on the internet for purchase.
Attackers had AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and "typical Middle Eastern load-carrying equipment" such as ammunition belts and other military accessories, according to the first official.
read more of this here
Bagram attackers wore US style uniforms
Stolen Valor, Fake Marine Fakes way into Army as NCO
AP INVESTIGATION: Texas man faked way into Army
By DANNY ROBBINS (AP) – 5 hours ago
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.
The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the AP, raises more questions about the Army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, some say the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the U.S. military.
Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the Army Reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station. But he wasn't qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.
Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said.
The matter, currently under investigation by the Army, means a soldier received a security clearance and was in position to lead troops in combat even though he hadn't gone through basic training or spent any time in the service. The Corps Support Airplane Company has been deployed in Iraq, providing pilots as well as intelligence and support personnel for an aviation battalion set up to destroy improvised explosive devices.
If it's proven that Johnston gained his Army rank based on a phony Marine record, it would be the first documented case of so-called "stolen valor" in which the military was duped during the enlistment process, according to watchdogs of such fraud. Most cases involve attempts to get veterans' benefits or other forms of financial gain. Congress attempted to crack down on military impostors in 2005 by passing a law that makes it a crime to claim false decorations or medals.
read more here
Texas man faked way into Army
By DANNY ROBBINS (AP) – 5 hours ago
FORT WORTH, Texas — A Texas man with no military experience managed to trick the Army into letting him enter a reserve unit as a noncommissioned officer earlier this year, putting an untrained soldier in a leadership position in a time of war, an Associated Press investigation has found.
The revelation comes just months after the Army drew criticism for failing to flag the suspicious activities of the Army psychiatrist now charged with killing 13 and wounding dozens of others at Fort Hood.
The case, detailed in court records and other documents examined by the AP, raises more questions about the Army's ability to vet soldiers' backgrounds as it faces continued pressure from Congress over its screening and records system. While the soldier never deployed overseas, some say the case demonstrates how easily someone could pose as a member of the U.S. military.
Jesse Bernard Johnston III, 26, joined the Army Reserve in February as a sergeant and was assigned to the Corps Support Airplane Company based at the Fort Worth Naval Air Station. But he wasn't qualified to hold that rank, according to military records obtained by the AP. The records show that Johnston's only military experience was attending part of a 12-week Marine officer candidate course for college students in 2004.
Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for Marine Manpower and Reserve Affairs, said Johnston didn't complete the course's final six weeks. "He was never considered a Marine," she said.
The matter, currently under investigation by the Army, means a soldier received a security clearance and was in position to lead troops in combat even though he hadn't gone through basic training or spent any time in the service. The Corps Support Airplane Company has been deployed in Iraq, providing pilots as well as intelligence and support personnel for an aviation battalion set up to destroy improvised explosive devices.
If it's proven that Johnston gained his Army rank based on a phony Marine record, it would be the first documented case of so-called "stolen valor" in which the military was duped during the enlistment process, according to watchdogs of such fraud. Most cases involve attempts to get veterans' benefits or other forms of financial gain. Congress attempted to crack down on military impostors in 2005 by passing a law that makes it a crime to claim false decorations or medals.
read more here
Texas man faked way into Army
The Dry Land movie based on real PTSD veterans
'The Dry Land' sheds light on stress disorder
Filmmakers will premiere the movie in Boise.
By Dana Oland - doland@idahostatesman.com
Published: 05/21/10
Filmmaker Ryan Piers Williams wants his movies to be about more than just entertainment. They have to be about real life.
"One of the most powerful things about movies is that they can raise questions, start conversations and inspire action," he says by phone from his New York apartment.
That was the goal from the beginning for Williams' feature debut "The Dry Land," a hard-hitting look at the growing problem of post-traumatic stress disorder among American service people returning from Iraq.
Produced by Boise's Heather Rae, it has won critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival and the grand prize at the Dallas Film Festival. Rae, Williams and star America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") will be in Boise next week for a premiere screening to benefit the Veterans Resource Network Group and to kick off a series of screenings on military bases across the country.
Half the tickets will be sold to the public, half will be given to members of the military and their significant others.
Read more: The Dry Land sheds light on stress disorder
Filmmakers will premiere the movie in Boise.
By Dana Oland - doland@idahostatesman.com
Published: 05/21/10
Filmmaker Ryan Piers Williams wants his movies to be about more than just entertainment. They have to be about real life.
"One of the most powerful things about movies is that they can raise questions, start conversations and inspire action," he says by phone from his New York apartment.
That was the goal from the beginning for Williams' feature debut "The Dry Land," a hard-hitting look at the growing problem of post-traumatic stress disorder among American service people returning from Iraq.
Produced by Boise's Heather Rae, it has won critical acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival and the grand prize at the Dallas Film Festival. Rae, Williams and star America Ferrera ("Ugly Betty") will be in Boise next week for a premiere screening to benefit the Veterans Resource Network Group and to kick off a series of screenings on military bases across the country.
Half the tickets will be sold to the public, half will be given to members of the military and their significant others.
Read more: The Dry Land sheds light on stress disorder
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Veterans Village of San Diego
For years readers of this blog have heard me say how the Vietnam Veterans lived up to the promise of never leaving one generations of veterans behind. This is one group that proves just how serious Vietnam Veterans were about this expression of dedication.
Courage to Call
24/7 Information & Support HelplineCourage to Call, (877) MyUsVet, (877) 698-7838, is a new Prevention and Early Intervention program in San Diego County, entirely staffed by military veterans who have recently served their country. Services are provided to those who have served in any Military or Guard (both active & former), their families and loved ones.
VVSD History
Over the years, VVSD has developed a continuum of care for veterans which stretches from the three days of outreach to homeless veterans at Stand Down to providing affordable, sober living houses for those who have successfully passed through VVSD's Veterans Rehabilitation Center.
1981: Veterans Village of San Diego was founded as the Vietnam Veterans of San Diego by five Vietnam Veterans, dealing with their own issues and addictions stemming from the Vietnam War. From the onset to the present day, VVSD has been dedicated to assisting needy veterans. 1984: Established "Landing Zone" on 11th Avenue near Market Street opened providing 44 licensed alcohol and drug treatment facility beds for Vietnam Veterans funded by County Alcohol and Drug Services.
1988: Established "Dust Off", an 18 bed transitional housing facility on 5th Avenue. During that same year VVSD founded Stand Down and served over 650 homeless veterans. VVSD is the model for the over 200 Stand Downs that now exist nationwide.
go here for more of VVSD's history
http://www.vvsd.net/history.htm
House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties
House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Thursday, May 20, 2010
WASHINGTON — Victims of the Fort Hood shooting in Texas last November could be recognized as combat casualties under a measure approved by a House panel Wednesday.
The move would make survivors and relatives of those killed eligible for certain specialty pays and benefits, although it would not make the injured eligible for Purple Hearts. The House Armed Services Committee included the provision in their draft of the fiscal 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, along with a host of other military spending items.
Under current Defense Department rules, families of servicemembers killed in combat zones receive another $100,000 death benefit on top of the $400,000 maximum life insurance payout, and those wounded overseas are guaranteed additional money for catastrophic injuries. Those specialty pays are not taxed when awarded in a combat theater.
read more here
House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties
By Leo Shane III, Stars and Stripes
Online Edition, Thursday, May 20, 2010
WASHINGTON — Victims of the Fort Hood shooting in Texas last November could be recognized as combat casualties under a measure approved by a House panel Wednesday.
The move would make survivors and relatives of those killed eligible for certain specialty pays and benefits, although it would not make the injured eligible for Purple Hearts. The House Armed Services Committee included the provision in their draft of the fiscal 2011 Defense Authorization Bill, along with a host of other military spending items.
Under current Defense Department rules, families of servicemembers killed in combat zones receive another $100,000 death benefit on top of the $400,000 maximum life insurance payout, and those wounded overseas are guaranteed additional money for catastrophic injuries. Those specialty pays are not taxed when awarded in a combat theater.
read more here
House panel labels Fort Hood victims as combat casualties
Army identifies five killed in Kabul blast
Army identifies five killed in Kabul blast
Three officers among fallen, including colonel
By Dan Blottenberger, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, May 21, 2010
An Army colonel based in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was among five U.S. soldiers killed by the powerful blast in Kabul on Tuesday, Pentagon officials have confirmed.
Two lieutenant colonels from Fort Drum, N.Y., and two Germany-based enlisted soldiers also died when a vehicle loaded with explosives hit a NATO convoy near government buildings.
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=70112
Three officers among fallen, including colonel
By Dan Blottenberger, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Friday, May 21, 2010
An Army colonel based in Fort Leavenworth, Kan., was among five U.S. soldiers killed by the powerful blast in Kabul on Tuesday, Pentagon officials have confirmed.
Two lieutenant colonels from Fort Drum, N.Y., and two Germany-based enlisted soldiers also died when a vehicle loaded with explosives hit a NATO convoy near government buildings.
read more hereLt. Col. Paul R. Bartz
Staff Sgt. Richard J. Tieman
Spc. Joshua A. Tomlinson
Col. John M. McHugh
Lt. Col. Thomas P. Belkofer
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=70112
Gates concedes fight against 1.9% pay raise for the troops
Gates concedes fight against 1.9% pay raise
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 16:16:56 EDT
Defense Secretary Robert Gates waved the white flag Thursday over the House Armed Services Committee’s decision to boost the Pentagon’s basic pay raise request for fiscal 2011 by half a percentage point, saying he would not recommend a presidential veto if the proposal is included in the final defense spending bill.
“I want change,” Gates told reporters at the Pentagon. “But I’m not crazy.”
The bill that came out of committee this week included a 1.9 percent raise in base pay effective Jan. 1. Congress has added one-half point to every Pentagon basic pay raise request since 2000 in an effort to narrow a perceived pay gap between average military and civilian wages.
If the Pentagon’s 1.4 percent proposal somehow survived, it would be the lowest raise in the history of the all-volunteer era that began in 1973.
read more hereGates concedes fight against pay raise
By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 16:16:56 EDT
Defense Secretary Robert Gates waved the white flag Thursday over the House Armed Services Committee’s decision to boost the Pentagon’s basic pay raise request for fiscal 2011 by half a percentage point, saying he would not recommend a presidential veto if the proposal is included in the final defense spending bill.
“I want change,” Gates told reporters at the Pentagon. “But I’m not crazy.”
The bill that came out of committee this week included a 1.9 percent raise in base pay effective Jan. 1. Congress has added one-half point to every Pentagon basic pay raise request since 2000 in an effort to narrow a perceived pay gap between average military and civilian wages.
If the Pentagon’s 1.4 percent proposal somehow survived, it would be the lowest raise in the history of the all-volunteer era that began in 1973.
read more hereGates concedes fight against pay raise
Senators aim to help troubled, jobless vets
Senators aim to help troubled, jobless vets
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 15:35:24 EDT
As the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee reviewd various legislative proposals to help veterans Wednesday, they focused on two issues:
• Why can’t veterans get jobs?
• Why can’t they access the benefits they need to make them healthy, educate them for the future, and, ultimately, keep them off the streets?
Lawmakers and veterans service organization representatives laid the blame on bureaucracy.
At the White House Office of Management and Budget, veterans make up only 1 percent of the work force, said Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs for the Vietnam Veterans of America, and he said none of those veterans has disabilities.
read more here
Senators aim to help troubled, jobless vets
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 15:35:24 EDT
As the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee reviewd various legislative proposals to help veterans Wednesday, they focused on two issues:
• Why can’t veterans get jobs?
• Why can’t they access the benefits they need to make them healthy, educate them for the future, and, ultimately, keep them off the streets?
Lawmakers and veterans service organization representatives laid the blame on bureaucracy.
At the White House Office of Management and Budget, veterans make up only 1 percent of the work force, said Rick Weidman, executive director for policy and government affairs for the Vietnam Veterans of America, and he said none of those veterans has disabilities.
read more here
Senators aim to help troubled, jobless vets
Amazing Grace students reach out to war vets
Amazing Grace students reach out to war vets
Students at Amazing Grace Christian School in Seattle cleaned out their piggy banks and raised more than $2,500 to benefit veterans groups and one disabled veteran.
By Nancy Bartley
Seattle Times staff reporter
The war in Afghanistan may be across the globe, but the conflict is very much a part of the daily curriculum in Michelle Zimmerman's class at Amazing Grace Christian School in Seattle.
When the class saw a news story about Army 1st Lt. Dan Berschinski, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, who had lost his legs in battle, "We wanted to know more about Afghanistan," said Taelor Willhoite, 12, one of the students in the combined sixth- and seventh-grade class.
Writing to the soldiers there and learning about the war prompted the students to start a school-year-long campaign to support the troops and their families. The results: more than $2,500 raised for veterans groups and Berschinski.
read more here
Amazing Grace students reach out to war vets
Students at Amazing Grace Christian School in Seattle cleaned out their piggy banks and raised more than $2,500 to benefit veterans groups and one disabled veteran.
By Nancy Bartley
Seattle Times staff reporter
The war in Afghanistan may be across the globe, but the conflict is very much a part of the daily curriculum in Michelle Zimmerman's class at Amazing Grace Christian School in Seattle.
When the class saw a news story about Army 1st Lt. Dan Berschinski, of Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, who had lost his legs in battle, "We wanted to know more about Afghanistan," said Taelor Willhoite, 12, one of the students in the combined sixth- and seventh-grade class.
Writing to the soldiers there and learning about the war prompted the students to start a school-year-long campaign to support the troops and their families. The results: more than $2,500 raised for veterans groups and Berschinski.
read more here
Amazing Grace students reach out to war vets
Chicago Cop, Home From Iraq, Slain By Robbers
Chicago Cop, Home From Iraq, Slain By Robbers
(Chicago, IL) -- An off-duty Chicago cop survived his second tour of duty in Iraq only to be slain in front of his parent's home on the city's South Side.
Authorities say Thomas Wortham had finished dinner with his parents and was leaving their home shortly before 11:30 local time last night.
Three robbers tried to take his new motorcycle and one of them opened fire.
Wortham died at a local hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to his head.
go here for the rest
Chicago Cop, Home From Iraq, Slain By Robbers
Unclaimed vet remains in NM, NJ laid to rest
Unclaimed vet remains in NM, NJ laid to rest
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 9:55:39 EDT
Groups in both New Mexico and New Jersey have made efforts to honor the cremated remains of veterans that have gone unclaimed by friends and relatives.
The New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services has launched a program to bury, with full military honors, any unclaimed cremated remains of veterans.
The Forgotten Heroes Burial Program lets the agency become the de facto family for the veteran and to contact the National Cemetery in Santa Fe for a service after the Department of Veterans Affairs verifies the dead person is a veteran.
read more hereUnclaimed vet remains laid to rest
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 9:55:39 EDT
Groups in both New Mexico and New Jersey have made efforts to honor the cremated remains of veterans that have gone unclaimed by friends and relatives.
The New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services has launched a program to bury, with full military honors, any unclaimed cremated remains of veterans.
The Forgotten Heroes Burial Program lets the agency become the de facto family for the veteran and to contact the National Cemetery in Santa Fe for a service after the Department of Veterans Affairs verifies the dead person is a veteran.
read more hereUnclaimed vet remains laid to rest
Fisher family to open new TBI mental health center
New TBI, mental health center to open in June
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 10:17:57 EDT
A new 72,000-square-foot center for treatment of service members and veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions will open June 24 at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The National Intrepid Center of Excellence, to be funded by private donations, is a project of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit organization begun by the Fisher family for supporting service members and their families.
The family is well known in the military community for its Fisher Houses, which provide low- or no-cost lodging for families of wounded or injured service members undergoing medical treatment or rehabilitation.
read more here
New TBI, mental health center to open in June
By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 10:17:57 EDT
A new 72,000-square-foot center for treatment of service members and veterans diagnosed with traumatic brain injury and psychological health conditions will open June 24 at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
The National Intrepid Center of Excellence, to be funded by private donations, is a project of the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit organization begun by the Fisher family for supporting service members and their families.
The family is well known in the military community for its Fisher Houses, which provide low- or no-cost lodging for families of wounded or injured service members undergoing medical treatment or rehabilitation.
read more here
New TBI, mental health center to open in June
Armed Robbers Lock Diners In Restaurant Cooler
Armed Robbers Lock Diners In Restaurant Cooler
Thursday, May 20, 2010 10:35:16 AM
Reported by Dave D’Marko
WINTER SPRINGS -- Nearly a dozen employees and customers at a Seminole County Denny’s were forced into the restaurant’s walk-in cooler during a robbery.
Deputies said three armed men wearing masks walked into the Denny’s on Springs Villas Point late Wednesday night.
read more here
Armed Robbers Lock Diners In Restaurant Cooler
Thursday, May 20, 2010 10:35:16 AM
Reported by Dave D’Marko
WINTER SPRINGS -- Nearly a dozen employees and customers at a Seminole County Denny’s were forced into the restaurant’s walk-in cooler during a robbery.
Deputies said three armed men wearing masks walked into the Denny’s on Springs Villas Point late Wednesday night.
read more here
Armed Robbers Lock Diners In Restaurant Cooler
Can caring make you sick
Can caring make you sick?
By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
May 20, 2010 8:58 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Caregiving can lead to psychological and physical health problems
Researchers believe depression and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol take toll
Author and mother gives five tips on stress and caregiving
(CNN) -- Soon after Paul Coskie's bicycle collided with a car, it became clear to his mother that her son would be sick for a very long time, and indeed he was. The 13-year-old boy went into a coma for a month and spent six months total in the hospital.
What his mother didn't know at the time was that Paul's collision would eventually claim another victim -- one who was nowhere near the accident scene.
After taking care of her son for a year, Dixie Fremont-Smith Coskie started to lose her balance, stumbling at times when she walked. Then she became so weak she couldn't get out of bed.
read more here
Can caring make you sick
By Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
May 20, 2010 8:58 a.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Caregiving can lead to psychological and physical health problems
Researchers believe depression and high levels of the stress hormone cortisol take toll
Author and mother gives five tips on stress and caregiving
(CNN) -- Soon after Paul Coskie's bicycle collided with a car, it became clear to his mother that her son would be sick for a very long time, and indeed he was. The 13-year-old boy went into a coma for a month and spent six months total in the hospital.
What his mother didn't know at the time was that Paul's collision would eventually claim another victim -- one who was nowhere near the accident scene.
After taking care of her son for a year, Dixie Fremont-Smith Coskie started to lose her balance, stumbling at times when she walked. Then she became so weak she couldn't get out of bed.
read more here
Can caring make you sick
Soldiers still fight combat back home
I was going through some old emails and I ran across this. It was from a post I did two years ago. A post that has haunted me and angered me ever since. This is one of the biggest reasons why I think programs like Battle Mind, while well intended, have done more harm than good. The other factor is that suicides have gone up instead of down.
The BBC did interviews in 2008 with US troops in Afghanistan. As reported, Battle Mind training was reduced to 11 1/2 minutes during two days of briefings after troops arrived. This is what we knew in 2008 and this is what has still been part of the problem in helping them heal.
The BBC did interviews in 2008 with US troops in Afghanistan. As reported, Battle Mind training was reduced to 11 1/2 minutes during two days of briefings after troops arrived. This is what we knew in 2008 and this is what has still been part of the problem in helping them heal.
Soldiers' fight persists post-war
Tuesday, 27 May 2008 00:28 UK
Nearly half the US soldiers who serve in Iraq and Afghanistan will suffer some form of post-traumatic stress, according to the US military.
Now there are efforts to find new ways to deal with the 60,000 cases of combat-related stress diagnosed since the conflicts began.
Dominic Di-Natale reports from Afghanistan.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/7422853.stm
Sons Say Vietnam Vet Shot In Police Standoff Had PTSD
Sons Say Dad Shot In Police Standoff Had PTSD
GREELEY, Colo. (AP) ―
Two sons of a man who was shot outside a diner in Evans in a standoff with police say he was a Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Police say 60-year-old Kenneth Yeager pointed a gun at officers before they fired on him Sunday outside a diner where he had been thrown out earlier.
go here for more
http://cbs4denver.com/news/Angry.Colorado.diner.2.1704027.html
GREELEY, Colo. (AP) ―
Two sons of a man who was shot outside a diner in Evans in a standoff with police say he was a Vietnam veteran who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Police say 60-year-old Kenneth Yeager pointed a gun at officers before they fired on him Sunday outside a diner where he had been thrown out earlier.
go here for more
http://cbs4denver.com/news/Angry.Colorado.diner.2.1704027.html
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