Funeral service set for soldier of Oklahoma National Guard

Funeral service set for soldier

By Michael Pineda, Staff Writer
The Ardmoreite
Posted Aug 23, 2011

Kingston —
Family and friends of 2nd Lt. Joe Cunningham are still trying to come to grips with his death, which occurred on Aug. 13 at the Laghman province of Afghanistan.

A Department of Defense press release said Cunningham died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident while assigned to the 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard.
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Psychiatrist wins medal for fighting stress

Psychiatrist wins medal for fighting stress
Army lieutenant colonel earned Bronze Star for work in Iraq

By Madeline Will

When Rebecca Tomsyck was 53, she joined the Army. Now, six years later, she has been awarded a Bronze Star.

A Charlotte psychiatrist who is board certified in pediatrics, psychiatry and child psychiatry, Tomsyck had a successful practice in the Arboretum area, where her home is, but wanted something more.

When Army recruiters started expressing an interest in her son, Jay, she saw an opportunity. Her son didn't join the Army, but Tomsyck did.

"I wanted to serve and I wanted a change, and I wanted an adventure before I died," said Tomsyck, now 59.

When Tomsyck was in medical school, she had thought about serving in the military after she finished her residency; but her parents had strong objections. She married before her residency was over, and the idea was laid to rest.

Her goal was realized decades later when she was commissioned a lieutenant colonel in the Army in July 2005. She went on active duty that September, stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, as Chief of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Services, where she served soldiers' children.

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Navy Can't Be Sued Over Young Officer's Suicide?

Navy Can't Be Sued Over Young Officer's Suicide
By JOE CELENTINO

CHICAGO (CN) - Family members of a hospital corpsman who committed suicide cannot seek damages from the Navy, the 7th Circuit ruled.

Christopher Lee Purcell enlisted in the Navy at age 18. Three years later, on Jan. 27, 2008, Purcell committed suicide.

Shortly before his death, the 21-year-old contacted his sister and several other people on MySpace. He wrote: "I don't want to die, I don't know what else to do, I have a loaded gun in my lap right now, I'm so scared."

A friend who was also stationed at the Brunswick Naval Air Station, called base security and reported that Purcell was contemplating suicide and had a gun.

Arriving on the scene, officers found an empty gun case and bullets on top of a television stand but no weapon. When the officers tried to restrain Purcell, a struggle ensued. He was eventually subdued by five officers.

Back in his room, Purcell was permitted to use the bathroom and one of his handcuffs was removed. He was accompanied by his friend, Nathan Mutschler.

"After entering the bathroom, Purcell pulled his gun from his waistband and committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest," court documents state.

Two responding officers, Petty Officer First Class Mitchell Tafel and Petty Officer First Class David Rodriguez, faced courts-martial for negligent conduct and were punished via extrajudicial proceeding.

Purcell's family filed an administrative tort claim with the Navy seeking $45 million in damages.

The claim was denied on the Feres doctrine, a tenant of the Federal Tort Claims Act that bars lawsuits brought by soldiers against the United States and its employees for military service-related injuries.
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Why does feeding faith matter in combat?

Why does faith matter in combat?
by
Chaplain Kathie

Holding onto faith is never easy. With all the stress people have in their daily lives it often becomes hard to believe anyone cares. Fractured families drift apart and some may feel it was no great loss considering their family was never close in the first place. Marriages started off good but then reality set in, stress increased and the glowing faces in the frame on the wall seem more like strangers. There is an empty place inside of them. They wonder, "is this it?" as they begin to think their lives at the moment will never be any better.

When you think about everything civilians go through it becomes a tiny bit easier to understand what the men and women serving in the military are. Just humans like the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, they have to worry about combat.

Living in Central Florida there seems to be a church on every major street. Some of them have thousands of members packing the pews every week. There is a reason people give up a couple of hours a week to show up as just one more face in the crowd. They believe they will be seen by the eyes that count the most. God's eyes. Their souls are fed enough to face the rest of their week with all the stresses that may come their way. Can the troops be expected to be any different than the rest of us when it comes to their own need to feed their faith?

There are some about to read the following and they will not be able to understand the need for Chaplains as they scream "separation of church and state" simply because they don't understand anyone needing to go to church. What they fail to accept is that being in the military "state" should never be allowed to separate them from their "church" just because they are not on this soil.

Baptism at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan
Riazat Butt visits the US camp in Afghanistan's Helmand Province – and notes the differences between the American and British military's approach to religion
Posted by
Riazat Butt
Tuesday 23 August 2011

Members of the US and UK forces attend a baptism service for three serving soldiers in Camp Leatherneck in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. Padre Mucha leads the congregation in prayer before moving to the baptism area outside the chapel. Photograph: Sergeant Alison Baskerville RLC

It is often said America and England are two nations separated by a common language. The same could be said about their religious practices.

On the corner of Echo and 5th Street in Camp Leatherneck - the US equivalent of Camp Bastion in Helmand - is a building identical to the others surrounding it - mass-produced and military. Its interior, however, is nothing short of a revelation. It houses the chapel for US Christians in the armed forces, laying on standing room only services on a Sunday morning, prayer squares, guitar solos from its resident praise team and a lavish beverage station featuring two types of cookie and flavoured syrups for your freshly brewed coffee. Satin, fringed banners hang from the walls bearing phrases such as "Lamb of God" and "Lion of Judah".

"We named the chapel the oasis, we are in the middle of a desert and it is a physical and spiritual wilderness," says Padre Mucha ("like run amok"), chaplain to the US Navy and US Marine Corps. "There is a perception that we are a Christian country because of the Founding Fathers. But it is a great challenge to stay focused on the Lord in this day and age when you are around so many people who aren't."

Four servicemen - three US and one Briton - are being baptised in the chapel's custom built tank. Before this occasion, there is the not so small matter of evening worship. Padre Mucha is on stage, while before him a congregation that is multi-racial, young and mostly but not exclusively male rocks out to songs such as All Those Who Are Thirsty and We Want to See Jesus Lifted High. Hands lift, eyes close and feet tap.
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Military Chaplains are vital in all of this. The only issue I have is when they are used to replace mental health workers and some manage to tell soldiers they will go to hell unless they convert to the "right" group.

Marine suicide tied to hazing in Afghanistan

UPDATE
3 Marines accused of hazing

Marine suicide tied to hazing in Afghanistan
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Aug 23, 2011 20:00:13 EDT
One Marine faces court-martial and another faces non-judicial punishment for allegedly hazing a lance corporal who killed himself in Afghanistan, according to a military investigation report obtained by Marine Corps Times.

Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, 21, killed himself with a two- or three-round burst from an M249 Squad Automatic Weapon early April 3, according to a Marine Corps investigation. He was hazed that night by two other lance corporals in 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marines, out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, who were angry he had fallen asleep several times while manning a guard post, the report said.

“May hate me now, but in the long run this was the right choice I’m sorry my mom deserves the truth,” a message found on Lew’s arm said.

The report outlines an incident at Patrol Base Gowragi, in Nawa district, that escalated over several hours. It began with Lew not responding to calls on his radio about 11:15 p.m. on April 2.

A sergeant found him sleeping in a fighting hole, and told other lance corporals that “peers should correct peers,” without providing specific instruction, the report said.
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Quake rocks Washington area, Pentagon, White House and Congress evacuated

Quake rocks Washington area, Pentagon evacuated
By Bob Lewis - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Aug 23, 2011 15:09:27 EDT
MINERAL, Va. — One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded on the East Coast shook buildings and rattled nerves from South Carolina to New England on Tuesday and forced the evacuations of parts of the Capitol, White House and Pentagon.

There were no immediate reports of deaths, but fire officials in Washington said there were at least some injuries. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake registered at magnitude 5.8 and was centered about 40 miles northwest of Richmond, Va.

Two nuclear reactors at the North Anna Power Station, in the same county as the epicenter, were automatically taken off line by safety systems, said Roger Hannah, a spokesman for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
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Friends remember homeless veteran

Friends remember homeless veteran

Written by
JESSE BASS
American Staff Writer

For years, friends of Marion Seward could find him parked in one of the northernmost benches of Hattiesburg's Town Square Park.

But the 65-year-old Vietnam veteran hasn't sat there for about a month.

The last time his friend Frank Bunnell saw him was July 24. Seward showed up for a Sunday outreach session at the Hope House, where Bunnell heads up the program.

"We open our doors to our homeless family, usually on Sunday," said Chris Wilkes, president of the soon-to-be nonprofit organization.

Bunnell said he loaned Seward a coffee mug in violation of Hope House rules the last Sunday he showed up. He trusted Seward to leave the mug where he said he would near his usual bench.

Bunnell came back the next day and picked up the mug - exactly where Seward said he would leave it. However, Seward was nowhere to be found.
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Missing Vietnam Vet Daniel Sullivan's scull found

Human skull found in Temple identified as missing Vietnam vet

Days after a human skull is found in the middle of a road, authorities have identified it. Temple Police are now saying it belongs to a Vietnam Veteran who's been missing for over 2 years. But they still have a lot of work to do in this case.

Temple police identified the skull as 55-year-old Daniel Patrick Sullivan, but they have no idea how it got to that road or how he died. Those who knew him say it'll give them some sort of closure.

On April 4, 2009 Sullivan was reported missing after he left his house in the block of S. 3rd Street on April 2, 2009.

Daniel Sullivan was a regular at Bill's Grill in Temple. Gail Sirny works there and had known him for years. She says his disappearance came as a shock to everyone, and even now it still hurts those who knew him. "We're all depressed, all the people who work here came in when they heard that he's been found," says Sirny.
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Iraq veteran, off duty police officer killed in motorcycle crash

Off-duty Hamilton police officer, 26, dies in crash on I-195 in Millstone
Retired corrections officer injured in crash

Written by
Charles Webster
Staff Writer

MILLSTONE — An off-duty police officer died and a retired corrections officer was hurt after their motorcycles collided on Interstate 195, west of Exit 16, Monday night, State Police said.

John J. Harvilla, 26, of Hamilton in Mercer County, died at CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township after the motorcycle he was driving collided with the motorcycle driven by Roberto Castro, 41, of Trenton, while the two men were entering the westbound lanes of the highway from eastbound Route 537, according to Capt. Frank Davis.

Harvilla is a police officer in his hometown. He graduated from the Mercer County Police Academy in 2009, said his stepfather Joseph Piscopo, reached by telephone at his Hamilton residence.

Harvilla joined the U.S. Marine Corps in December 2003, just months after graduating from Nottingham High school, Piscopo said.
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Vets with PTSD Require Family Education and Patience

Vets with PTSD Require Family Education and Patience

Posted Tue, Aug 23, 2011
By Bobbie O'Brien
TAMPA (2011-9-23) -

Forsythe said the hardest part of dealing with his PTSD is trying to get his family to understand his behavior.

Army mental health specialist Cheyenne Forsythe was trained to help combat troops in Iraq deal with the onset of Post Traumatic Stress. Yet, he didn't notice his own signs of PTSD after surviving an IED blast and returning home from Iraq.

His erratic behavior due to the PTSD helped to break up his first marriage something he's working hard to avoid with his fiancé Joy Finley.

“My lowest point was when I was sitting in a cell in Killeen, Texas after I had been arrested for domestic violence,” Forsythe said, “From there, I had to change, I had to do something, I had to address the issue.”

He was arrested for hitting his former wife with a flip-flop. “I had lost control,” Forsythe said. “It was like I was watching myself and I couldn’t stop myself and I wasn’t there, I was on autopilot.”

Forsythe did not tell police that he had just returned from Iraq, instead Forsythe chose to “admit my guilt and get on with it.”
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Senator John McCain blocking effort to bring fallen sailors home from Libya

American Legion Sees Chance To Bring Home Remains Of Sailors Buried In Libya 200 Years Ago


Amanda Terkel

WASHINGTON -- Thirteen U.S. sailors who died in 1804 during the First Barbary War and were buried in Tripoli, Libya, may finally be coming home, if the American Legion gets its way.

Since the uprising in Libya broke out six months ago, the veterans organization has been lobbying Congress to bring home the remains of the U.S. servicemen. The crew, led by Master Commandant Richard Somers and Lt. Henry Wadsworth (uncle of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), died when their explosives-packed ship blew up prematurely during a mission to Tripoli.

"It's the best chance we've had in a long time," said Tim Tetz, legislative director for the American Legion. "We've got a change of politics in Libya. We've got family members who have stood up and said, 'We want to have our family members brought home.' We've got the will and might of America to say, 'Let's respect those who fought our wars for us, and that includes all wars.'"

As Politico's Dave Levinthal reports, the American Legion is one of 11 groups that have "formally lobbied the federal government on pet causes that, in one fashion or another, concern Libya." Oil companies, the American Civil Liberties Union and United to End Genocide have all been taking their concerns to the federal government.

The American Legion, with the backing of House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), was able to secure an amendment to a House bill directing the Defense Secretary to "exhume and transfer the remains of certain deceased members of the Armed Forces buried in Tripoli, Libya."

The Senate, however, has not followed suit. According to Tetz, one stumbling block may be Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who served in the U.S. Navy.

"He has expressed some concern that he doesn't want to see it pass, which is disconcerting to us, and we've tried to influence him where and when we can. So far, to no avail," said Tetz.
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Military Chaplain tells grieving troops inability to cry is a "blessing"

When I saw the headline, I knew it would be an emotional piece to read. I never expected to be totally pissed off!

Troops from the 10th Mountain Division gathered to honor and grieve for the loss of their friends. They were seeking comfort but instead heard the Chaplain tell them:

“So the numbness you experience, the callous attitude you may have, your inability to cry like normal people during times of grief is not a burden or a curse that you should be concerned about.


It is actually a blessing from God that allows you to continue in this fight.


“You are warriors with hearts of steel that have allowed you to fight a brutal war day in and day out. You are not normal people, you are soldiers, American soldiers who go outside the wire and accomplish your mission in spite of the reality that every step, every movement mounted or dismounted could possibly be your last.”

Yesterday I did a post about how there is more and more demand placed on Chaplains but not enough to go around. DOD manual did no good

The UMT can help Soldiers regain their emotional, psychological, and spiritual strength. The chaplain’s ability to relate religious and spiritual aspects of life to the Soldier’s situation is an essential element of the replenishment process. Chaplains contribute to replenishment by ensuring the following types of religious support:
Providing worship services, sacraments, rites, and ordinances.

Providing memorial services and/or ceremonies honoring the dead.

Assisting with the integration of personnel replacements.

Providing personal counseling to assist Soldiers dealing with the grief process.

Requesting religious resources as required for reinforcing the Soldier’s sense of hope.

Supporting TEM by providing opportunities for Soldiers to talk about their combat experiences and to facilitate integration of the combat experience into their lives.

Providing leadership training and supervision of TEM.

Reconnecting the Soldier to the foundational principles of his personal faith.

Assisting in resolving spiritual, moral, and ethical dilemmas presented by the circumstances of war.

This was issued March 2009. If this is what Chaplains are telling our troops when they are left with the loss of friends, then maybe it goes a long way to explaining why suicides have gone up and why so many still won't ask them for help.

Memorial in Afghanistan stirs soldiers’ emotions as they grapple with combat deaths
By LAURA RAUCH
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 20, 2011
FOB HOWZ-E-MADAD, Afghanistan - A muted laughter echoed under the canopy as a small band of Company C soldiers gathered on a wooden platform.

They talked of small things; unimportant things that made them smile.

But as a gentle music began to play, a somber realism took hold: The members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 32nd Regiment, part of the 10th Mountain Division out of Fort Drum, N.Y., were there to remember. They took their seats as the other guests settled in around them. Some bowed their heads in prayer. Others began to quietly weep.

A cruel emptiness filled the space as the battalion chaplain, Capt. Omari Thompson, read the names of the soldiers being remembered: Sgt. Edward J. Frank II, 26, of Yonkers, N.Y.; Spc. Jameel T. Freeman, 26, of Baltimore; Spc. Patrick L. Lay II, 21, of Fletcher, N.C.; Spc. Jordan M. Morris, 23, of Stillwater, Okla.; and Pfc. Rueben J. Lopez, 27, of Williams, Calif.
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Disabled veterans suffered needlessly for 14 years

Disabled veterans suffered needlessly for 14 years
by
Chaplain Kathie

The idea that medical records should be linked between the DOD and the VA seemed like a great one. After all, if they are wounded while in the service, it would only make sense to have it documented by the Department of Defense so that after they are discharged the VA would have their records a lot faster. That's what a lot of people think. The news reports have left the impression this is something new. Aside from the fact it has not been done, the backlog of claims rises and veterans wait months, even years, to have their claims approved, the systems are still not joined.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
DoD's Struggle to Streamline with VA
September 8, 2010

As you can see this video was uploaded September 2010. With Iraq and Afghanistan producing over 2 million more veterans, Vietnam veterans also sought claim approvals for Agent Orange and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as the rules to file these claims were changed.

What do they live off of when they can't work due to a true "service connected disability" that has not been approved due to backlog of claims and lack of records? They have heard every excuse used over and over again along with hearing that the problem is being addressed. What good does it do to set rules if no one is enforcing them?

This outrageous situation has been allowed to continue because as members of congress change what has been done is all forgotten about.

The need to connect the DOD and the VA was addressed 14 years ago before troops were sent into Afghanistan and Iraq, long before the rule changes to file claims for Vietnam Veterans and still they wait while all of this could have been avoided.

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 658-97
December 04, 1997

VA, DOD AGREE ON PRE-DISCHARGE EXAMS FOR DISABILITY CLAIMS
Under an agreement between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD), active duty military personnel should have an easier process for and get faster decisions on their disability compensation claims as well as their eligibility for VA health care.

When fully implemented, the new national policy calls for separating or retiring servicemembers expecting to file a claim for VA disability compensation to undergo a single physical exam prior to discharge. The exam will meet VA requirements for claims determinations, as well as DoD needs for a separation medical examination. The new policy will be phased in as expeditiously as possible as details are worked out at the local level.

Previous procedures required two separate examinations several months apart. Until now, military personnel have first had to get a DoD physical exam prior to discharge from active duty. These personnel then usually have to undergo a second exam by VA after filing claims for disability compensation because of differences between VA and DoD protocols. The results of these examinations are a determining factor in eligibility for VA health care.

The new national policy was spearheaded by VA Under Secretary for Health Dr. Kenneth W. Kizer and DoD Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Edward D. Martin following months of work on this and other matters of joint interest.

Kizer said, "This change will help us avoid unnecessary or redundant physical exams, improve the quality of the examination process, and improve service for separating servicemembers by eliminating lengthy delays in claims decisions and health-care eligibility determinations. We are hopeful the new policy also will enhance ongoing efforts to reduce the time it takes to process compensation claims and, further, it should reduce costs."

Martin said, "By reengineering the system to require only one physical, we are making life easier for our beneficiaries. This is a good news story."

In pilot tests of the dual-purpose exam at VA and Army facilities, claims processing time was reduced to less than one-third of national levels under the existing system. The current national average for processing an original compensation claim is 133 days.

Under the new policy, VA physicians generally will conduct the pre-discharge exams. In areas where VA physicians are not available, DoD physicians will conduct the exams according to VA protocols.

Imagine if this was done 14 years ago there wouldn't be so many veterans waiting for what they were in fact owed for their disabilities caused by service to this country.

Paul Sullivan of Veterans For Common Sense sent an email to let me know that back when this started, he was part of getting it done.

In 1997, while I was executive director of the National Gulf War Resource Center in Washington, DC, I worked with Rep. Lane Evans to pass the Force Health Protection Act that mandated the records and exams.

After prompting by VCS, in 2009, one of President Obama's first actions for VA and DoD was to push forward with the single record.

In my VCS Congressional testimony since 2007, I repeatedly asked for the records and exams.

Then, surprise, in late 2010, DoD confirmed they are doing more of the exams. DoD did a test to see if exams and more doctors improved the health of the troops. And they did, according to a New York Times article published in October 2010.

Are VA and DoD going in the correct direction? Yes. Are they going fast enough? Hell no. Troops still need their pre- and post-deployment medical exams, and our troops and veterans need the electronic lifetime medical record so toxic exposures, exams, and prescriptions are all documented.

As you can see, while Paul has been a "go to guy" for reporters over the last few years, he's been working hard for veterans for a very, very long time.

Motorcycle Reportedly Stolen From Disabled Veteran in Phoenix

Motorcycle Reportedly Stolen From Disabled Veteran in Phoenix
Published August 22, 2011
FoxNews.com
A motorcycle belonging to a disabled veteran who recently returned to the United States after tours in the Middle East has reportedly been stolen.

Ben Davidson, a disabled veteran now living in Arizona, completed three combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. But Davidson's only mode of transportation was nowhere to be found when he returned to his north Phoenix apartment, MyFoxPhoenix.com reports.

“We both have to work and take his daughter to school, and somehow we’ve got to get everybody to where they need to be, and it's hard,” Davidson's wife, Wendy, told the website.

"I think it's cowardly, you know, that they would take a bike like that," Davidson said. "It hurts."
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