Why would a soldier walk into a Chaplain's office with a gun?

Why would a soldier walk into a Chaplain's office with a gun?

These are the questions the reporter wanted to know.

"The unanswered queries include: Was the soldier going to the chaplain’s office as a cry for help? He had recently returned from deployment, so was he provided any mental health assistance on the day of his arrest? Was he considered a danger to himself?"

He was in the military for 12 years! He must have had some run in with the Chaplain before this but so far, no one knows what happened. He walked in with a gun but was not arrested for threatening the Chaplain according to the reports. What happened here and why is he dead?

Soldier found dead after arrest for gun

Wed, 08/03/2011

BY BILL HESS
Herald/Review
FORT HUACHUCA — A 12-year Army veteran died “of an apparent gunshot wound,” a few hours after being arrested Monday for carrying a gun into a fort building, post spokeswoman Tanja Linton stated in a press release Wednesday.

The death of Sgt. 1st Class Jose J. Algarin-Colon occurred Monday afternoon, but the release was delayed until 24 hours after his family was notified.

Monday morning, the soldier was arrested by military police for “bringing a loaded weapon to Greely Hall,” Linton’s press release stated. That incident was reported as a brief, without the soldier’s name, in Tuesday’s edition of the Herald/Review, with no other details coming from the post public affairs office.

Sources said the 38-year-old soldier had gone into the building carrying the gun and had gone to the chaplain’s office, which reported him to post law enforcement for carrying a weapon into the building.

Such actions generally violate military law, which only allows law enforcement officials or soldiers during exercises to enter military structures with weapons, although generally during exercises the non-law enforcement soldiers do not have ammunition.

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Soldier found dead after arrest for gun

Original story
Army releases name of soldier found dead

Iraq and Afghanistan veterans want to know where the jobs are

When people ran for office last year, there was a lot of talk about what the American people wanted but most of us were stunned. We were not sure what "people" they were talking about since we were out of work. We heard a lot about the tax discounts for the wealthy when they claimed this special minority group were the "job creators" but they didn't seem to make any jobs for us as the unemployment rate went up. As bad as it was for families of veterans along with everyone else in the country, young men and women were coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan, after doing their jobs for the country, without a job back in the country. Not good news but what was worse is the fact that no one in congress has done a damn thing all year to change this situation. There has not been one jobs bill out of this congress. It's been all about defending the tax discounts for the rich and cutting everything else the rest of us need.

Now, we've all heard from the Tea Party whining about taxes but since when does a minority of voters become so powerful they can take away everything from the rest of us while supporting the wealthy? Any clue? Do you know why the media gave them that power? Has anyone in the media asked them where all of this attention to the deficit was during the time when the GOP run congress was writing blank checks to fund what they wanted and drove the deficit up? What about the money missing in Iraq? What about the fact there were two wars going on back then and not in the budget?

That's part of the problem with all of this insanity going on. This congress has not been serious about anything other than bending to the Tea Party's will even if it meant cutting what we owe the troops and our veterans. They just don't care. Congress is on vacation getting paid but Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are coming home on extended vacations with no jobs because congress didn't do theirs.

Jobless vet: It was easier in Iraq than at home
By Bill Whitaker

(CBS News) The unemployment rate has been around nine percent for almost two years, but it is surprising to see that unemployment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is nearly triple that.

Twenty-six percent of vets between the ages of 18-24 are out of work. CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker takes a look at two veterans struggling to find a job.

In Iraq, the Oregon National Guard's 41st Infantry Brigade combat team provided security for convoys day and night -- a dangerous job.

From July 2009 to March 2010, convoys were routine for gunners Lawrence Burnham and Stephanie Anderson. Both good soldiers, they risked their lives and did their jobs. They dreamed of returning home to routine civilian jobs, as Stephanie said in this video resume posted from Iraq:

"I just love to work and I love to get the job done."

Lawrence Burnham made a video too: "I'm motivated and I'll be ready to work."

They returned home to Oregon as heroes. But more than a year later, they're feeling nearly defeated. Lawrence can't find a job, is running out of savings, almost running out of hope.

"It's very frustrating," said Burnham. "It's almost like you get to the point of 'What's the point?' 'What's the point in even looking for a job?' I'm not going to find one."
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It was easier in Iraq than at home

At least President Obama is trying to do something but I'm sure the Tea Party folks will complain about all of this too.

Obama to unveil jobs push for veterans
By Alexander Mooney, CNN White House Producer
August 5, 2011 4:43 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The initiative aims to help former members of the military find private sector jobs,
It is part of a renewed job creation effort that focuses on unemployed veterans
The president is expected to lay out a series of reforms that his administration is pledging
It includes a "Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credit"

(CNN) -- President Barack Obama will outline a new initiative Friday that aims to help former members of the military find private sector jobs, part of a renewed job creation effort focusing on unemployed veterans.

In a speech at the Washington Navy Yard, the president is expected to lay out a series of reforms that his administration is pledging will better prepare service members for the civilian work force and encourage employers to hire recent veterans.

Among the president's proposals will be a "Returning Heroes and Wounded Warrior Tax Credit," which would provide businesses that hire veterans a tax break, varying in size depending on how long the newly-hired veteran has been unemployed and whether he or she has a disability.

At minimum in the president's proposal includes a $2,400 credit for hiring a short-term unemployed veteran while a $9,600 credit would be available for hiring a long-term unemployed and disabled veteran.

Obama will unveil a new Department of Defense task force that, with help from the administration's economic and policy teams, is charged with implementing new programs that ensure service members have the skills and training needed to transition to private sector jobs.

The administration is dubbing this transition period a "reverse bootcamp," during which more access to career guidance and counseling will be made available.

Meanwhile, the labor department will unroll an "enhanced career development and job search service package" while The Office of Personnel Management will publish a manual for business managers outlining how they can locate veterans with skills and training that match open positions.
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Obama to unveil jobs push for veterans

Missing credentials harm jobless veterans
By Alexandra Alper
NEW YORK | Fri Aug 5, 2011 12:02am EDT
(Reuters) - Army officer Donna Bachler has not had a regular paycheck since she left active duty four years ago, even though she boasts the kind of skills employers vie for.

Bachler, 30, helped run the Army's postal service in Kuwait, tackling challenges such as how to crack down on mailed contraband and speeding the flow of mail to troops.

Now back in the United States, she gets by on her husband's salary, which will be cut by more than half when he retires from the military as soon as next year.

"One of the ways I sold (military service) to myself and my parents is 'it looks good on a resume,'" said Bachler, who estimates she has applied for at least 1,000 jobs since 2007. "Sadly, it doesn't."

As U.S. military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, tens of thousands of veterans are flooding the job market at a time when millions of civilians cannot find jobs.

In June, unemployment among recent veterans grew to 13.3 percent, more than 4 percentage points higher than the national average.

From 2008 to 2010, that rate rose from 7.3 percent to 11.5 percent and it is expected to climb as more troops come home this year -- 10,000 from Afghanistan and, unless Iraq requests some to stay, the remaining 46,000 from that country.
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Missing credentials harm jobless veterans

U.S. government pays $7.5 million to medical malpractice victim

U.S. government pays $7.5 million to medical malpractice victim
By TRAVIS J. TRITTEN
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 4, 2011

Court upholds $7.5 million verdict for Air Force spouse who sued U.S. over treatment
District Court of Guam Civil Case No. 06-00008
United States Court of Appeals Document

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — The U.S. government has paid $7.5 million to an Air Force spouse, five months after a federal appeals court upheld the multi-million dollar award, citing negligence on the part of Air Force medical staff that left the woman disabled, the couple’s lawyer confirmed Thursday.

In March, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in California upheld a 2008 verdict by the Guam district court awarding Deborah Rutledge $7.5 million, saying the amount was not excessive considering the extent of injuries she suffered when medical staff at an Andersen Air Force Base clinic on Guam failed for several weeks to diagnose a herniated spinal disk in 2004.
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U.S. government pays $7.5 million to medical malpractice victim

Judge allows veteran to sue Rumsfeld over his torture

Judge allows American to sue Rumsfeld over torture
By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press – 1 day ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has ruled that former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld can be sued personally for damages by a former U.S. military contractor who says he was tortured during a nine-month imprisonment in Iraq.

The lawsuit lays out a dramatic tale of the disappearance of the then-civilian contractor, an Army veteran in his 50s whose identity is being withheld from court filings for fear of retaliation.

Attorneys for the man, who speaks five languages and worked as a translator for Marines collecting intelligence in Iraq, say he was preparing to come home to the United States on annual leave when he was abducted by the U.S. military and held without justification while his family knew nothing about his whereabouts or even whether he was still alive.

The government says he was suspected of helping pass classified information to the enemy and helping anti-coalition forces get into Iraq. But he was never charged with a crime, and he says he never broke the law and was risking his life to help his country.

Court papers filed on his behalf say he was repeatedly abused while being held at Camp Cropper, a U.S. military facility near the Baghdad airport dedicated to holding "high-value" detainees, then suddenly released without explanation in August 2006.
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Judge allows American to sue Rumsfeld over torture

Veterans in college six times more likely to attempt suicide than other students

Many Military Vets in College Plagued By Thoughts of Suicide
They're six times more likely than other students to attempt it, study shows
Posted: August 4, 2011

By Alan Mozes
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- American military veterans attending college are far more likely to entertain thoughts of suicide than fellow students who have never been in the military, a new national survey indicates.


Data from the poll paints a grave picture of these students' mental health: Nearly half of all vets currently in higher education say they have considered suicide at some point in their lives, while one in five say they have actually made plans to go through with it.

Such figures far exceed estimates of suicidal tendencies among college students who have never been in the military, the research team noted.

"The data suggest that the problems experienced by soldiers while on active duty don't end when they separate from the service," said study author David Rudd, of the National Center for Veterans Studies at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "Rather, a large number of student veterans continue to experience significant problems, including post-traumatic stress symptoms and suicide risk."

"The reported rate of suicide attempts among student veterans was six times that of the general student population," Rudd noted, "and those reporting 'serious' suicidal thoughts -- those thinking about suicide with a plan -- was more than three times that of the general student population."
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Many Military Vets in College Plagued By Thoughts of Suicide

Cops twice as likely to commit suicide than die in line of duty

Cops have a lot more in common with the troops than any other group. They not only witness traumatic events, they participate in them as well.

Tragic cases like Celina Cass a challenge for investigators
WCAX
Burlington, Vermont - August 3, 2011

"As a trooper, I can remember just about every mile marker where I had a fatal car crash," said Sonny Provetto, a licensed clinical social worker.

Provetto is a former Burlington Police officer and Vermont State Trooper. Now he helps other cops work through job-related trauma. He says the mental images of gruesome crime scenes stay with law enforcement officials long after the incident has passed.

For the hundreds of investigators working on the Celina Cass case in West Stewartstown, N.H., putting the little girl's tragic death out of their minds when the investigation is over could prove challenging. Provetto says incidents involving children rank fourth in job-related stress, behind killing in the line of duty, losing a partner or having a near death experience themselves.

"They will always remember exactly what it was like for them," Provetto said.

Stressors like these-- if left untreated-- can take their toll. Provetto says cops are twice as likely to commit suicide as die in the line of duty; 25 percent abuse alcohol to cope with their experiences and 6 to 14 percent suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. But unlike war, police officers don't get to leave the geographical area that sparks the trauma.
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Tragic cases like Celina Cass a challenge for investigators

Vet Center Crucial Void For Veterans In Clarksville

Crucial Void For Veterans In Clarksville

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - There are four Veteran Centers in Tennessee. But not one of them is in Montgomery County, the only county with a military post and the highest number of veterans.

A group of local lawmakers said it doesn't make any sense and that the vital counseling services should be available in Fort Campbell's backyard to help with the often difficult transition from combat to life back in Clarksville.

"It's not easy because you go from being in this foreign country getting blown up having bombs grown at you keep your eyes out you cone back here and you are still doing the same thing it's hard," said Sandra Sawin, a recent vet and mother of two.

Sawin is supporting the push to get a Vet Center built in Clarksville.

"With it being Fort Campbell right here with so many soldiers right here why can't we gave one closer," she said.
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Crucial Void For Veterans In Clarksville

Sen. Murray wants other states to also track veterans' suicides

What has been reported on this blog is the fact that if they are not in the DOD system or the VA system, no one is tracking them. When we read numbers like 18 a day commit suicide, there are many, many more no one is tracking. It will be a lot higher once every state is actually tracking all of them.

Sen. Murray wants other states to also track veterans' suicides
Washington Sen. Patty Murray on Wednesday encouraged state governments to start tallying veteran suicides, as her state already does.

ADAM ASHTON; STAFF WRITER
Published: 08/04/11

Washington Sen. Patty Murray on Wednesday encouraged state governments to start tallying veteran suicides, as her state already does.

Her goal is to quantify an under-reported number that could help health agencies improve their outreach to service members who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has an incomplete picture of suicide among former service members because it doesn’t count the deaths of veterans not enrolled in VA care.

“One of the most significant obstacles to understanding veteran suicide is the lack of information available regarding these individuals,” Murray wrote with two of her Democratic colleagues in a letter to the National Governors Association.

“In many cases the Department of Veterans Affairs does not even know that a veteran has died if that individual was not enrolled in VA health care,” wrote Murray.

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Sen. Murray wants other states to also track veterans suicides

Army releases name of soldier found dead at Ariz's Fort Huachuca

Army releases name of soldier found dead at Ariz's Fort Huachuca hours after his weapon arrest
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: August 03, 2011
FORT HUACHUCA, Ariz. — Army officials have released the name of a soldier found dead in his residence at Fort Huachuca in southern Arizona.

Authorities say 38-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Jose J. Algarin-Colon died Monday afternoon of an apparent gunshot wound.
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Army releases name of soldier found dead at Ariz's Fort Huachuca

National Guards promised $34M in Bonuses Under Question

Guard: $34M in Bonuses Under Question
August 03, 2011
Associated Press|by Tim Fought

PORTLAND, Ore. - The National Guard will allow an Oregon recruit the $20,000 bonus it promised her in 2007, even though it believes the money was among $34 million worth of incentives improperly granted in recent years.

A month ago, the Guard had asked Pfc. Chelsea Wells to return the first half of the bonus, which she got in 2008, and refused to pay the second half - even though it didn't suggest she had done anything wrong. But facing congressional pressure to honor Wells' contract, the Guard confirmed Tuesday that it changed its position in the case, which has opened a window into recruitment practices that involve a variety of incentives.

Since Wells' case came to light in mid-July, the Guard has revealed that a new verification system has found that more than 4,000 bonuses nationwide were "improperly offered to the applicant" in 2007-2009. Those incentives had been offered by recruiters and enlistment officers.
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$34M in Bonuses Under Question

Troops abusing alcohol has roughly doubled in the last five years

The "cure" of choice when soldiers do not feel safe seeking help for PTSD is alcohol. They want to numb what they do not want to feel anymore. It should come as no shock the number of troops abusing alcohol has doubled.

Army Hiring More Counselors for Alcohol Abuse
August 04, 2011
Associated Press|by Pauline Jelinek
WASHINGTON -- The Army is increasing its staff of substance abuse counselors by about 30 percent to help the rising number of troops with alcohol problems.

Officials said Wednesday that they posted 130 new job openings this week in hopes of increasing staff to counsel Soldiers at bases around the world from the current level of around 400.

"One of the largest challenges in maintaining health is addressing issues of substance abuse by our Soldiers," Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Peter Chiarelli said. Getting more qualified counselors to areas where there are staff shortfalls "is an issue that needs to be rectified as soon as possible."

The number of troops abusing alcohol has roughly doubled in the last five years as Soldiers go through the stressful cycle of training, serving in the wars, readjusting to home life and then doing it all over again months later, Dr. Les McFarling, head of the army's substance program, said in an interview.
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Army Hiring More Counselors for Alcohol Abuse

Drug court disbanded for lack of funding

Drug court disbanded for lack of funding
2011-08-04 / Community

State-mandated program focuses on treatment over jail
By Darleen Principe
darleen@theacorn.com
Certain nonviolent drug offenders in Ventura County will still have the opportunity to seek treatment in lieu of incarceration despite the recent disbanding of the county’s collaborative drug court program.

Proposition 36 Court, an underone roof justice program made up of representatives from Ventura County’s probation agency, behavioral health department, district attorney’s office and public defender’s office, held its last session on July 22.

According to Robert Sherman, assistant executive officer for the Ventura County Superior Court, funding cuts have forced agencies to withdraw from the program, which means it is “no longer viable” as a functioning collaborative court.
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Drug court disbanded for lack of funding

Mental health court expands during first eight months

Mental health court expands during first eight months

Posted: Wednesday, Aug 3rd, 2011
BY: April Bamburg

When an individual with a mental illness is arrested, the experience they have with law enforcement may be different than that of someone who doesn't suffer from a mental illness. For the past eight months, a program in Lincoln County has aimed to assist individuals with mental illnesses who have found themselves in trouble with the law. That program is the Lincoln County Mental Health Court.
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Mental health court expands during first eight months

Fort Hood female soldier saves baby from burning house

More Than 100 Firefighters Battle Major Fire, Soldier Rescues Baby From Home
Killeen firefighters battled a fire that consumed two houses on the north side of the city.
Reporter: Josh Wucher and Megan Snipes
KILLEEN (August 3, 2011)—Firefighters battled a major structure fire in Killeen near Fort Hood that consumed two houses.

The fire started as a house fire around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday on the 700 block of Northside Dr., but spread to Fort Hood.


A home was fully engulfed, and the fire spread to another home.

Three garages, three sheds, two cars, two boats, and a trailer were also destroyed by the fire.

Firefighters from Killeen, Harker Heights and Fort Hood were at the scene.

Fire departments from Southwest Bell County, Central Bell County, Temple and Copperas Cove also helped.

Before some firefighters arrived on the scene, a Fort Hood soldier sprung into action.

Army Pvt. Denae Jensen kicked down the door of a home and saved two puppies. She then ran into another burning home and saved a baby that was in the crib. The mother of the child was gathering their belongings at the time of the rescue.
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Soldier Rescues Baby From Home

Non-combat Deaths of Three Camp Lejeune Marines Being Investigated

UPDATE

3 MARSOC Marines, dog die in Afghan blaze
By Andrew deGrandpre - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Aug 3, 2011 18:09:32 EDT
Three Marine Corps special operators died Sunday along with a military dog after their living quarters caught fire in western Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Patrick R. Dolphin, 29, Sgt. Dennis E. Kancler, 26, and Sgt. Christopher M. Wrinkle, 29, were killed in Herat province, according to a Defense Department news release issued late Wednesday. All three were assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command’s 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

MARSOC officials said only that the men died in a “non-combat” incident, and that the matter is being investigated by U.S. military personnel in Afghanistan.

But other sources with knowledge of the mishap told Marine Corps Times that the men died in a house fire.

A fourth MARSOC Marine and an Army special operator sustained unspecified injures as a result of the incident, said Maj. Jeffrey Landis, a MARSOC spokesman. It’s unclear whether they were evacuated from Afghanistan, he said.

A military dog also died in the incident, Landis said. He declined to comment on whether a fire caused the deaths.
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3 MARSOC Marines, dog die in Afghan blaze


Details released about area Marine's death

BY KATIE SULLIVAN (STAFF WRITER)Published: August 4, 2011

The death of an area Marine and former Elmhurst Township resident is still under investigation after he died while serving in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Patrick R. Dolphin, 29, died July 31 while supporting combat operations in Herat province of Afghanistan, according to a press release from the Department of Defense.

Further details surrounding the incident are still unclear, said Major Jeff Landis, a spokesman for the United States Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command.

Dolphin leaves behind a wife of more than two years, Lindsey, along with his parents Tom Dolphin and Jean Uffalussy, and a younger brother Tom Dolphin Jr., who all traveled to Dover, Del. to retrieve Sgt. Dolphin's remains Tuesday.

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Details released about area Marine death

Deaths of Three Camp Lejeune Marines Being Investigated
By WCTI Staff

ONSLOW COUNTY -- The Department of Defense announced Wednesday the deaths of three Marines who were based at Camp Lejeune.

Staff Sgt. Patrick R. Dolphin, 29, of Moscow, Pa., Sgt. Dennis E. Kancler, 26, of Brecksville, Ohio, and Sgt. Christopher M. Wrinkle, 29, of Dallastown, Pa., died July 31 as a result of a non-combat related incident in Herat province, Afghanistan.
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Deaths of Three Camp Lejeune Marines Being Investigated