Crash kills Schofield Barracks soldier and injures 3 others
By Star-Advertiser staff
Nov 26, 2011
A crash at Schofield Barracks left one soldier dead and three others serious injured this morning, according to an Army statement.
Three injured soldiers, two men and one woman, all 19, went to the Queens Medical Center in serious condition, an Emergency Medical Services supervisor said. The fourth soldier died at the scene. All four soldiers were assigned to the 25th Infantry Division.
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Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Florida Gov. Scott doesn't want to pay to care for homeless veterans
Scott serves up Thanksgiving dinner, explains cuts to homeless veterans program
From the Naples Daily News:
As eight tables of eight filled up in the bustling dining room, where pumpkin, pecan, apple and lemon meringue pies lined several side tables, the Scotts rushed back and forth, grabbing plates heaped with fixings for their two tables from an assembly line of volunteers at the kitchen counter.
“I care completely about all these programs,” said Scott, whose budget cuts earlier this year slashed funding to some veteran and farm surplus programs that helped the homeless.
“All the programs are very important, but nobody wants their taxes to go up,” Scott explained, noting that businesses also can help spur the economy. “They’ve got to grow. We’ve got to make this a place people can do well.”
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From the Naples Daily News:
As eight tables of eight filled up in the bustling dining room, where pumpkin, pecan, apple and lemon meringue pies lined several side tables, the Scotts rushed back and forth, grabbing plates heaped with fixings for their two tables from an assembly line of volunteers at the kitchen counter.
“I care completely about all these programs,” said Scott, whose budget cuts earlier this year slashed funding to some veteran and farm surplus programs that helped the homeless.
“All the programs are very important, but nobody wants their taxes to go up,” Scott explained, noting that businesses also can help spur the economy. “They’ve got to grow. We’ve got to make this a place people can do well.”
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Deputy District Attorney didn't meet "criteria" before suicide
EXCLUSIVE: Deputy district attorney sent angry email before suicide
By MORGAN COOK mcook@nctimes.com
Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christine Trevino sent an email with "My Death" in the subject line to at least 50 people, including District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, two weeks before she shot herself to death Thursday evening in Oceanside, according to documents obtained by North County Times.
The email, which Trevino sent the evening of Oct. 26, prompted measures by the district attorney's office to "keep her safe," an official said.
Trevino's message appeared to accuse Dumanis' administration of taking the side of another employee with whom Trevino had been involved in a dispute, and warned the administration not to try to "cover up" Trevino's death as a mental health issue.
The email's final line said, "YOUR administration is to blame!"
Trevino, 51, killed herself with a handgun during a traffic stop about 6:35 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Vista Way and Jefferson Street, Oceanside police Lt. Leonard Mata said last week.
She shot herself as a Carlsbad police officer was speaking to her through her driver's side window.
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By MORGAN COOK mcook@nctimes.com
Posted: Tuesday, November 15, 2011
"Officers spoke to Trevino at her home and she seemed OK, he said. She didn't meet the criteria required to detain her for mental evaluation, and police did not confiscate any weapons."
San Diego County Deputy District Attorney Christine Trevino sent an email with "My Death" in the subject line to at least 50 people, including District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, two weeks before she shot herself to death Thursday evening in Oceanside, according to documents obtained by North County Times.
The email, which Trevino sent the evening of Oct. 26, prompted measures by the district attorney's office to "keep her safe," an official said.
Trevino's message appeared to accuse Dumanis' administration of taking the side of another employee with whom Trevino had been involved in a dispute, and warned the administration not to try to "cover up" Trevino's death as a mental health issue.
The email's final line said, "YOUR administration is to blame!"
Trevino, 51, killed herself with a handgun during a traffic stop about 6:35 p.m. Thursday near the intersection of Vista Way and Jefferson Street, Oceanside police Lt. Leonard Mata said last week.
She shot herself as a Carlsbad police officer was speaking to her through her driver's side window.
read more here
2 deputies shot responding to domestic-violence 911 call
2 deputies shot responding to domestic-violence 911 call
By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel
3:37 p.m. EST, November 26, 2011
Two Volusia County deputies are recovering after being shot this morning when they responded to a domestic-violence call.
The Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about 4:50 a.m. reporting that Corey Reynolds, 27, had tried to kill his ex-girlfriend at her home in DeBary, deputies said. Reynolds was arrested on charges of felony battery and two counts of attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer.
The 24-year-old woman told investigators Reynolds threw her down and began to strangle her because she told him to leave. They used to live together, and Reynolds wanted to get back together, she told deputies.
Deputy John Braman and Deputy John Brady arrived at Reynolds' house on Huntington Street in Deltona about 5:30 a.m. and tried to arrest him. The deputies and Reynolds struggled as they tried to handcuff him, and Reynolds pulled out a handgun and shot Braman and Brady, the Sheriff's Office said.
Braman was shot in the right shoulder and left arm, and another bullet grazed his neck. He was taken by helicopter to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
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By Susan Jacobson, Orlando Sentinel
3:37 p.m. EST, November 26, 2011
Two Volusia County deputies are recovering after being shot this morning when they responded to a domestic-violence call.
The Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about 4:50 a.m. reporting that Corey Reynolds, 27, had tried to kill his ex-girlfriend at her home in DeBary, deputies said. Reynolds was arrested on charges of felony battery and two counts of attempted murder of a law-enforcement officer.
The 24-year-old woman told investigators Reynolds threw her down and began to strangle her because she told him to leave. They used to live together, and Reynolds wanted to get back together, she told deputies.
Deputy John Braman and Deputy John Brady arrived at Reynolds' house on Huntington Street in Deltona about 5:30 a.m. and tried to arrest him. The deputies and Reynolds struggled as they tried to handcuff him, and Reynolds pulled out a handgun and shot Braman and Brady, the Sheriff's Office said.
Braman was shot in the right shoulder and left arm, and another bullet grazed his neck. He was taken by helicopter to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach with serious but not life-threatening injuries.
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Navy personnel heading home from war zones
Navy personnel assigned to other services in war zones are heading home, too
By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - They sometimes call themselves sand sailors.
They are the thousands of U.S. Navy personnel who have fought in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or who have worked in Kuwait supporting the two operations.
On Friday, more than 30 sailors who had been deployed as individuals and attached to other service branches took one step closer to home, turning in their body armor and other gear and preparing to fly to the United States.
In addition to the sailors who have fought and worked alongside soldiers, Marines and airmen for the past decade of war, others are playing a key role in the drawdown in Iraq.
"We've been here for quite a while," said Capt. Keith Jones, commander of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group Forward, a Navy unit that falls under the 1st Theater Sustainment Command. "And some of the last troops in Iraq will be my sailors."
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By Drew Brooks
Staff writer
CAMP ARIFJAN, Kuwait - They sometimes call themselves sand sailors.
They are the thousands of U.S. Navy personnel who have fought in the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan or who have worked in Kuwait supporting the two operations.
On Friday, more than 30 sailors who had been deployed as individuals and attached to other service branches took one step closer to home, turning in their body armor and other gear and preparing to fly to the United States.
In addition to the sailors who have fought and worked alongside soldiers, Marines and airmen for the past decade of war, others are playing a key role in the drawdown in Iraq.
"We've been here for quite a while," said Capt. Keith Jones, commander of the Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group Forward, a Navy unit that falls under the 1st Theater Sustainment Command. "And some of the last troops in Iraq will be my sailors."
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Lynne Griffey painting to help fund Wreaths Across America
'Wreaths Across America' to benefit from sale of Clarksville artist's painting
Nov. 25, 2011
Written by
Philip Grey
The Leaf-Chronicle
The subject is beautiful in its simplicity — rows of standard military tombstones rising above a blanket of fresh snow at Kentucky West Veterans Cemetery, with only the green and red of Christmas wreaths to mark the stones and keep them from fading into obscurity.
The subject of the painting is perfectly aligned with the artist’s cause — to keep America’s deceased veterans from being forgotten.
The painting has been donated by well-known local artist Lynne Griffey for the purpose of furthering the “Wreaths Across America” program, an effort that is backed in this area by the local Gold Star Wives Eagles chapter, together with the American Legion.
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Nov. 25, 2011
Written by
Philip Grey
The Leaf-Chronicle
The subject is beautiful in its simplicity — rows of standard military tombstones rising above a blanket of fresh snow at Kentucky West Veterans Cemetery, with only the green and red of Christmas wreaths to mark the stones and keep them from fading into obscurity.
The subject of the painting is perfectly aligned with the artist’s cause — to keep America’s deceased veterans from being forgotten.
The painting has been donated by well-known local artist Lynne Griffey for the purpose of furthering the “Wreaths Across America” program, an effort that is backed in this area by the local Gold Star Wives Eagles chapter, together with the American Legion.
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Sgt. 1st Class Barry E. Jarvis posthumously awarded Silver Star
Soldier posthumously awarded for saving lt.
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 26, 2011 8:26:37 EST
Sgt. 1st Class Barry E. Jarvis and his soldiers had visited this observation post before.
Manned by the Afghan Border Police, the OP sat in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province in the east, in Pachir Wa Agam district.
On that day, Nov. 29, 2010, Jarvis and members of his platoon were at the OP to conduct an assessment of the unit’s 155mm rockets. But the routine mission took an ugly and tragic turn: A member of the border police opened fire on the troops, killing six American soldiers.
Jarvis, 36, and his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Will Janotka, turned toward the fire but quickly realized they were in the gunman’s line of sight.
Jarvis immediately pushed Janotka out of the way, saving his lieutenant’s life.
But Jarvis, a husband and father, was mortally wounded.
For his actions, Jarvis was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor, and was honored during a ceremony Nov. 10 at Fort Campbell, Ky.
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By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 26, 2011 8:26:37 EST
Sgt. 1st Class Barry E. Jarvis and his soldiers had visited this observation post before.
Manned by the Afghan Border Police, the OP sat in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province in the east, in Pachir Wa Agam district.
On that day, Nov. 29, 2010, Jarvis and members of his platoon were at the OP to conduct an assessment of the unit’s 155mm rockets. But the routine mission took an ugly and tragic turn: A member of the border police opened fire on the troops, killing six American soldiers.
REMEMBERING THE FALLEN
Six soldiers from 1st Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, were killed Nov. 29, 2010, when an Afghan border policeman opened fire on them. They were:
• Sgt. 1st Class Barry E. Jarvis, 36, of Tell City, Ind.
• Staff Sgt. Curtis A. Oakes, 29, of Athens, Ohio.
• Spc. Matthew W. Ramsey, 20, of Quartz Hill, Calif.
• Pfc. Jacob A. Gassen, 21, of Beaver Dam, Wis.
• Pfc. Austin G. Staggs, 19, of Senoia, Ga.
• Pvt. Buddy W. McLain, 24, of Mexico, Maine.
HEROISM REMEMBERED
Our database of valor awards
Jarvis, 36, and his platoon leader, 1st Lt. Will Janotka, turned toward the fire but quickly realized they were in the gunman’s line of sight.
Jarvis immediately pushed Janotka out of the way, saving his lieutenant’s life.
But Jarvis, a husband and father, was mortally wounded.
For his actions, Jarvis was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the nation’s third-highest award for valor, and was honored during a ceremony Nov. 10 at Fort Campbell, Ky.
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PTSD rates of sexual dysfunction were as high as 80%
If you are having a problem with sex, you need to know that you are not alone and it is tied to PTSD. One more thing to consider is the side effects of a lot of medications you may be on. Talk to your doctor about this and you'll be surprised what can be done about it. It is a part of PTSD but doesn't have to be.
Sexual Problems in Veterans with PTSD
By Matthew Tull, PhD, About.com Guide
Updated November 22, 2011
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Military veterans have been found to be at high risk for a number of mental and physical health problems, including pain, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, one problem that may not be discussed as commonly is sexual problems in veterans with PTSD.
Sexual problems or sexual dysfunction can refer to a wide range of issues, including decreased sexual desire, premature ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction. Additional information on the many forms sexual dysfunction may take can be found at the About.com website on Sexuality. Studies have found that people who have been exposed traumatic events may be more likely to experience sexual dysfunction.
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Sexual Dysfunction among Veterans
Most studies on sexual dysfunction among veterans with PTSD have looked at Vietnam veterans. In those studies, rates of sexual dysfunction were as high as 80%. The high rates led some mental health professionals to suggest that decreased sexual desire should be considered as a symptom of PTSD.
Sexual Problems in Veterans with PTSD
By Matthew Tull, PhD, About.com Guide
Updated November 22, 2011
About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board
Military veterans have been found to be at high risk for a number of mental and physical health problems, including pain, substance use, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, one problem that may not be discussed as commonly is sexual problems in veterans with PTSD.
Sexual problems or sexual dysfunction can refer to a wide range of issues, including decreased sexual desire, premature ejaculation, or erectile dysfunction. Additional information on the many forms sexual dysfunction may take can be found at the About.com website on Sexuality. Studies have found that people who have been exposed traumatic events may be more likely to experience sexual dysfunction.
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Deployments Taking a Toll on Military Kids Again
Before troops were sent into Iraq, before they were sent to Afghanistan, long before they were sent to Kuwait, we knew a lot about PTSD but the general public didn't. Once wars are declared over, in the public view, it should be over and done with. They never notice the combat casualties kept coming. They came in the health issues caused by chemicals like Agent Orange. They came with the suicides of veterans. They also came with health issues caused by war in their children as well as suicides of their children because Daddy went to war.
If you take Combat PTSD seriously, the following should be no surprise to you. After all, Australia did a study in 2000 on the relationship of families after war and the veterans sent to fight them. Now some want to bring this hidden price of war out in the open. One thing to keep in mind as you read this, while it has not made a "big" news story, it has been an huge issue for military families going back many generations.
When you think about the stress on adults, you need to think about the stress on kids when they have to adjust to another deployment and time to worry about their parent not coming back.
If you take Combat PTSD seriously, the following should be no surprise to you. After all, Australia did a study in 2000 on the relationship of families after war and the veterans sent to fight them. Now some want to bring this hidden price of war out in the open. One thing to keep in mind as you read this, while it has not made a "big" news story, it has been an huge issue for military families going back many generations.
When you think about the stress on adults, you need to think about the stress on kids when they have to adjust to another deployment and time to worry about their parent not coming back.
Deployments Taking a Toll on Military KidsThis is part of the research done in Australia in 2000.
Posted on 18 November 2011
By Richard Sisk
The War Report
The reality of what happened is nearly unbearable for the two Army wives to speak about, but they said that being silent would be worse.
In June 2009, Daniel, the 12-year-old son of Tricia Sparks Radenz and Lt. Col. Blaine Radenz, hanged himself at Fort Hood, Tex. Last January, Ashton, the 13-year-old son of Ambra Roberts and PFC Luke Roberts, attempted to hang himself at Fort Benning, Ga. He is still undergoing hospital treatment.
“We live this daily,” said Radenz, whose husband has served two tours in Iraq. “We have to get the word out. People have to realize how difficult it is” to keep a military family together through repeated deployments to combat zones, Radenz said.
Ambra Roberts, whose husband has served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, and two other advocates met privately today at the Pentagon with Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army’s vice chief of staff and the military’s point man on suicide prevention, to discuss the impact on children of coping with the constant fear that their parents won’t come home.
Numerous studies by the military and government agencies have documented the growing number of suicides among active duty servicemembers and veterans. The latest statistics show that a servicemember commits suicide every 36 hours, and a veteran kills himself or herself every 80 minutes. Military wives are also susceptible to suicide.
But until recently, there has been little research on the effects of the current wars on the children of military parents. Earlier this year, a study by the University of Washington School of Public Health showed that adolescents with a deployed parent were more likely to have suicidal thoughts than the children of civilians.
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Morbidity of Vietnam veterans: suicide in Vietnam Veterans' children, supplementary report 1: a study of the health of Australia's Vietnam veteran community
released: 7 Aug 2000 author: Commonwealth Department of Veterans' Affairs and AIHW
Analyses suicide patterns among Vietnam veterans' children highlighting time trends, age and sex distribution, location and method of suicide. It is a supplementary report to Morbidity of Vietnam Veterans: Volume 3 Validation Study which recommended that suicide in veterans' children be further investigated and the result drawn to the attention of the Vietnam Veterans Counselling Service. This report extend the knowledge about the health of Vietnam veterans and their families.
You can read the full report on this link.
Suicide in Vietnam Veterans' children
Methods
In the Validation Study the 111 ‘validated’ suicides were confirmed by matching information provided by the veteran about the child’s name, birth year, sex and State/Territory of residence to the National Death Index (NDI) to confirm that the cause of death was suicide. The NDI contains identifiable information for all deaths occurring in Australia from 1980, as contained on death certificates.
The 230 ‘estimated validated’ number of suicides was based on the assumption that the number of suicides ‘not able to be validated’ should be allocated to either ‘validated’ or ‘not validated’ according to the number in each of these categories. This assumption was based on the overwhelming confirmation of suicides of veterans’ children, where veterans had reported such events in the Morbidity Study. The ‘not able to be validated’ cases refer to reported cases from the Morbidity Study where the veterans did not respond to the Validation Study or were unable to be contacted.
In this report a number of key demographic variables were extracted from the NDI to enable an analysis of the demographic characteristics of those veterans’ children who suicided. The data items used are age at death, sex, birth date, Statistical Local Area of usual residence, and suicide method.
In the following section the suicide rates for veterans’ children are based on the 230 ‘estimated validated’ suicides from Table 1. In the other sections, characteristics are discussed for the 111 ‘validated’ suicides from the Validation Study. These cases represent those children who have been successfully matched to death records and therefore have information available from the NDI. An implicit assumption of this discussion is that the characteristics identified for the 111 ‘validated’ suicides reflect the characteristics of all 230 estimated veterans’ children suicides.
Community helps Silver Star Hero because the VA didn't
We read about the backlog of claims everyday and some just get on with their lives as if it isn't a big deal, but in the end the number represents a veteran coming home wounded with no money to live. In this case he is a Silver Star Hero wounded while saving lives.
Specialist Daniel Foster came home with teeth damaged in a blast but his claim was tied up so the teeth had to wait. No money coming in, bills had to wait and he almost lost his house. The VA had his life on hold after his service but his community wanted to help him get on with his life and they did something about it.
Specialist Daniel Foster came home with teeth damaged in a blast but his claim was tied up so the teeth had to wait. No money coming in, bills had to wait and he almost lost his house. The VA had his life on hold after his service but his community wanted to help him get on with his life and they did something about it.
Donations pour in for O.C. Army specialist
Silver Star and Purple Heart recipient Dan Foster was in danger of losing his house until strangers stepped up to help out.
Army Specialist Daniel Foster, right, salutes his commanding officer Lt. Col. Robert J. Harman after being awarded the Silver Star in a ceremony just before the start of the game at Angels Stadium. He was awarded the Silver Star for actions while protecting his unit from attack in Afghanistan.By ELYSSE JAMES / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
PAUL RODRIGUEZ, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
COSTA MESA – Army Spc. Dan Foster was frustrated.
He'd been home for months, living with his father in Costa Mesa, but he still hadn't received benefits from Veterans Affairs - benefits he needed to rebuild his teeth, among other things, and get his life back on track.
What's more, because of the delays in his benefits and inability to find work, his finances were drying up. His family home in Costa Mesa was facing foreclosure, and he was behind on payments.
Was this a hero's welcome?
In April, the Angels fan was awarded a Silver Star during a special ceremony at Angel Stadium in Anaheim for his actions while on guard duty in May 2010 in Afghanistan.
Foster had stopped a suspicious cargo truck from reaching his tower, which had been filled with 500 pounds of explosives. When the truck exploded, the force threw Foster to the ground as shrapnel from the blast shattered his jaw and cut his face. Over the next half-hour, Foster continued to fight, stopping at least one other suicide bomber, Register reports state.
Still, even a hero was caught up in red tape.
And when a friend learned introduced Foster to Deanne Tate, president and CEO of the nonprofit Veterans First.
"He filed for his benefits and he just waited," Tate said.
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