He said some appear to honor service dating back to the Civil War.
There are no signs of corrosion, suggesting they were dumped recently.
Military benefits target in cost-cutting talks
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jul 4, 2010 10:11:52 EDT
From the left, right and center of the political spectrum, talk about drastically cutting military personnel costs is on the rise.
The $549 billion defense budget makes for a juicy target, and the $197 billion of that budget that goes to personnel costs is being attacked from all sides — even the Defense Department itself — as excessive in a time of economic malaise and belt-tightening.
The list of programs under attack includes pay raises, retired pay, health care benefits, commissaries and exchanges, and even the size of the force.
“We are very concerned about the outlook for the future,” said Joe Barnes of the Fleet Reserve Association, who is also a co-chairman the Military Coalition, a group of more than 30 military-related organizations. “We have had a lot of successes over the last 10 to 12 years, and we need to maintain them and to make further improvements.”
But, he added, “There is some pain coming.”
On the right, tea party activists and fiscal conservatives want the government to stop spending so much.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/07/army_benefits_070210w/
Case study: Former sergeant major John Dale's life began to unravel two years ago, when 20 years of military service brought nightmares and flashbacks
Then, on Easter Sunday 2009, a roadside bomb exploded under his vehicle, and he became the first veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to lose all four limbs in combat and survive.
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Morganne M. McBeth, 19, of Fredricksburg, Va., died July 2 in Al Asad, Iraq, of wounds sustained July 1 in a non-combat related incident in Khan Al Baghdadi, Iraq. She was assigned to the 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, N.C.http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13676
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Sgt. Johnny W. Lumpkin, 38, of Columbus, Ga., died July 2 in Balad, Iraq, of wounds sustained July 1 in a non-combat related equipment incident in Taji, Iraq. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 41st Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Ga.http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13677
DOD Identifies Army Casualty
The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. 1st Class Kristopher D. Chapleau, 33, of LaGrange, Ky., died June 30 at Forward Operating Base Blessing, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained from a non-combat related incident. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13675
all reports linked from ICasualties.org
Commander’s wife banned from the brigade
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jul 4, 2010 10:39:32 EDT
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — Lt. Col. Frank Jenio was hit by an ear-splitting hourlong tirade from his commander’s wife, Leslie Drinkwine, complaining about the roster of his battalion family readiness group.
“Go ahead, and get me fired,” Jenio was heard shouting into his phone. Afterward, he emerged from a conference room, red-faced and furious, a source who was present said.
The March 2009 incident was not the last run-in between the wife of Col. Brian Drinkwine, commander of 4th Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, and one of his battalion commanders.
In January, less than a year later, Jenio and his command sergeant major Herbert Puckett were relieved of command while deployed in Afghanistan by Maj. Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti, the 82nd Airborne’s commander. An investigation found they used “poor judgment which fostered a command climate that was not consistent with our Army values.”
Puckett said in a statement to investigators that Leslie Drinkwine later “bragged” to the rear detachment commander, “One team down, five to go.”
The confrontation between Leslie Drinkwine and Jenio was emblematic of an environment within the 4th Brigade, particularly its family readiness group, that was so toxic that it triggered an investigation by a three-star general.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/07/army_drinkwine_070410w/
PTSD, Grady Pratt said, wasn’t recognized as a disorder until the 1980s. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 830,000 Vietnam War veterans suffered symptoms of PTSD.
“For 43 years, he’s been dealing with this,” Waldean Pratt said. “He’s still fighting it.”
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Senator Gillibrand’s agenda asks to improve coordination between the Veterans Administration and the Defense Department. For example, she says, “the VA and DOD currently have no shared interoperable definition of what even constitutes TBI cases, making it difficult to ensure veterans are immediately receiving effective treatment when they transfer to the VA.”
She is also asking co-sponsoring legislation to “embed” a mental health professional with every National Guard and Reserve unit to build the trust of troops and their families and help identify the onset of mental injuries.read more here
Sen. Gillibrand Seeks Better Mental Healthcare for NYS Veterans
Treating Returning Heroes
Nearly 8,000 veterans in New York suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Binghamton, NY (WBNG Binghamton)
About 300 of them are right here in the Southern Tier.
That number keeps growing as the wars overseas continue.
But is there enough treatment available?
Here's Action News Reporter Leigh Dana.
As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, we honor our founding Fathers fight for independence.
Our country's soldiers are currently fighting wars oversees with the goal of freeing us from terrorism.
But as they return home many are still at battle -- with themselves.
"Not all veterans, but some veterans come back from war with various problems that can range from PTSD or difficulty with family or difficulty sleeping or feeling more anxious and uncomfortable in crowds," said Dr. Allison Miller.
Dr. Miller works with veterans at the Binghamton Vet Center to help them re-integrate back into society.
read more of this here
http://www.wbng.com/news/local/97621079.html
Boggs, who’s on 100 percent disability, volunteers at Haley and mentors disabled veterans.
