War Vet Arrested in Ala., Tenn. Officer Shootings

War Vet Arrested in Ala., Tenn. Officer Shootings
November 30, 2011
Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Tenn. -- An Iraq war veteran shot an Alabama deputy sheriff in the face during a police stop minutes after a convenience store robbery late Monday, and then led police on a chase into Tennessee, where an officer was wounded during a shootout with the suspect, authorities said Tuesday.

Joseph Scott Shriver, 23, who gave a Lincoln County, Tenn., address but also had a Texas driver's license, was charged in Tennessee with two counts of attempted murder, evading arrest and possession of a firearm. He has a total bond of $1.6 million.

Madison County, Ala., District Attorney Rob Broussard said Shriver is likely to face attempted murder and assault charges there, according to The Huntsville Times.

Shriver served in the Army from 2008 until last April and was stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, according to the U.S. Army. The former infantryman deployed to Iraq from November 2009 to August 2010. An Army human resources spokesman declined to disclose details of his separation from the service.
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Removal of Cross From Army Chapel in Afghanistan Stirs Controversy

When I wrote about another cross, Keep the Cross at Camp Pendleton it was obvious I had a strong opinion. On this one, I am torn.

Removal of Cross From Army Chapel in Afghanistan Stirs Controversy
By Michael Gryboski
Christian Post Reporter
The U.S. Army has removed a cross that was prominently placed on the front of a chapel located at the remote base of Camp Marmal in Northern Afghanistan.

Although soldiers at the Central Asian base considered the cross to be an inspiring symbol, officials said that having a permanent sectarian image on the chapel violated army regulations.

As Army Regulation 165-1, 12-3k reads in part, “The chapel environment will be religiously neutral when the facility is not being used for scheduled worship. Portable religious symbols, icons, or statues may be used within a chapel during times of religious worship.”
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Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improves TBI and PTSD in Veterans

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment Improves TBI and PTSD in Veterans
by Sheela Philomena on November 30, 2011
Treatment with hyperbaric oxygen benefits veterans with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), say researchers. The findings are available online now in the Journal of Neurotrauma.

Sixteen US veterans injured in Iraq who had been diagnosed with mild-moderate traumatic brain injury/post-concussion syndrome (TBI/PCS) or traumatic brain injury/post-concussion syndrome/post-traumatic distress disorder (TBI/PCS/PTSD) were enrolled in the pilot study. They completed a history and physical exam as well as a clinical interview by a neuropsychologist, psychometric testing, symptom and quality of life questionnaires, and baseline SPECT (Single-photon emission computed tomography) brain blood flow imaging prior to treatment. The veterans then underwent 40 treatments of low-dose hyperbaric oxygen therapy during 60-minute sessions over a 30-day period. They were retested within a week after treatment.
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From 2010

Hyperbaric chamber may treat TBI
By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 30, 2010 17:17:40 EDT
The Defense Department hopes to find a better treatment for the 100,000 troops who have been diagnosed with mild Traumatic Brain Injury since 2003, and it’s looking at hyperbaric chambers — often used in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning — for the answer.

Although there have been studies looking at the impact these pressurized oxygen chambers have on TBI patients, none have been able to definitively answer whether hyperbaric oxygen can reduce or eliminate chronic symptoms of TBI such as headaches, memory loss and mood swings. A new clinical trial, which is expected to begin in January 2011, is designed to do just that.

The study, conducted by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, in Virginia, and the Army Research and Materiel Command, in Maryland, is expected to run for at least 18 months. It will include about 300 participants, mostly soldiers and Marines, and will build upon other ongoing studies on TBI treatment, said Col. Richard Ricciardi, director of the research evaluation and quality assurance and surveillance directorate at DCoE.

Five sites will participate in the study: Fort Carson, Colo.; Camp Pendleton, Calif.; Camp Lejeune, N.C.; Brooks City-Base, Texas; and possibly Fort Hood, Texas, although negotiations are still ongoing there, Ricciardi said.
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from 2009


How serious is this? This is a video from 2009.

PBS NOW - Fighting the Army Part 3
Uploaded by LawyersServing on Apr 8, 2009
PBS Now investigates the thousands of soldiers who are scarred by war, and then thrown out of the military under personality disorders or for mis-conduct, and not getting treated for their service-connected injuries. Iraq veteran Jonathan Norell was among the 40,000 troops thrown out of the military for mis-conduct since 2001, even though a military doctor recommended the battle-scarred medic be medically retired due to his severe PTSD. NVLSP investigator and OIF veteran Andrew Pogany is interviewed and discusses the more than 200 wrongful discharge cases he has worked on with the advocacy organization. Military spouse and advocate Carissa Picard, with Military Spouses for Change, talks about Norell's case and the need to care for our military. Discusses a military policy changes requiring service members discharged for a personality disorder to be screened for PTSD and TBI. US Army Sgt. Chuck Luther and his family are interviewed about the impact of his struggle with the military and PTSD. US Army Col. Elspeth Ritchie is interviewed. The story aired June 13, 2008.

Two tour Iraq Veteran, in coma after road rage attack in Oregon

Iraq War vet in coma after apparent road rage assault at Pendleton, Ore., rail crossing
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
November 29, 2011

PENDLETON, Ore. — A 24-year-old Iraq War veteran is reportedly in a coma following an assault at a Pendleton, Ore., railroad crossing that so traumatized a witness he has trouble recalling it.

A Kadlec Regional Medical Center spokesman in Richland, Wash., said Monday that Kenneth Pittman was in serious condition in intensive care.

Pittman's ex-wife, Rhiannon Smith of Pendleton, tells the East Oregonian that Pittman escaped injury during two Iraq tours with the Oregon National Guard.
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Rise in PTSD cases from two wars strains military resources

They were warned. They were warned when 9-11 came and experts sounded the alarm bells across the country that Vietnam veterans would be flooding the VA with emergency calls for help. They knew the secondary stressor of this country being hit would send even mild cases of PTSD into overdrive. They were warned when the troops were sent to Afghanistan that there were not enough mental health and claims processors standing by to take care of all the wounded, by body and mind. They were warned again when they decided to send troops into Iraq. Nothing was done until it was too late. What made all of this worse was the fact that the Internet was starting to reach more and more veterans so they understood if they needed help, it was there for them. People like me were getting them to go for help after years of trying. What we didn't tell them was that they would have to get into a very, very long line to get the help they needed.

Now, behind on the flow already waiting, more and more will seek the help they need to heal from the wars we sent them to fight. Pretty appalling all the way around.

Rise in PTSD cases from two wars strains military resources
By Gregg Zoroya, USA TODAY Updated 2h 48m ago

Ten thousand combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder flooded into VA hospitals every three months this year, pushing the number of patients ill from the disorder above 200,000 and straining resources, Department of Veterans Affairs data to be released today show.

The increase is more than 5% per quarter, according to data obtained by USA TODAY, and it occurs as the VA struggles to move veterans quickly into therapy. New mental health patients at about a third of VA hospitals wait longer than the department's goal of 14 days or less, according to a USA TODAY analysis published this month.

"Demand for mental health care is only going to continue to grow as thousands more troops return home," says Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., head of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee. "The VA still has work to do to decrease wait times … reduce the stigma around seeking care and to provide access to care in rural areas."
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Veteran of San Jose Police Department Kills Wife, Self

Veteran of SJPD Kills Wife, Self: Police
Motive for murder-suicide remained a mystery Monday.
By Lori Preuitt
Monday, Nov 28, 2011

It's a double tragedy for the San Jose police department. A veteran officer of the force took his own life over the holiday weekend and according to the Gilroy police, he took his wife's life as well.

Gilroy police are handling the murder-suicide case that touches the community of Gilroy and the San Jose Police Department.

The couple was found dead inside their Gilroy home Sunday night. Police said family members called police when they could not get a hold of them.

Inside, officers found the bodies of Christopher and Lynn Shimek. They said Christopher Shimek, first killed his wife and then killed himself with a gun. Police did not disclose how Lynn Shimek, 43, was killed.

Christopher Shimek was a San Jose Police sergeant and had worked in the department since 1995. The Gilroy police chief called the San Jose police chief late Sunday night to give him the news. Department spokesman Jason Dwyer said Sgt. Shimek showed no red flags or signs that he was having any kind of trouble. Dwyer said many officers knew or worked for Shimek and were shocked to hear what he had done. He said staff was being offered counseling.
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Fellow veteran donates wheelchair

Fellow veteran donates wheelchair

By Mike Gunning
Correspondent
Published November 29, 2011
GALVESTON — Al Perdew didn’t have much to feel thankful for on Thanksgiving Day. Two days earlier, he’d discovered someone had broken into his truck and stolen his wheelchair. But Christmas already is here for the Marine Corps veteran.

“I just can’t thank him enough for this,” Perdew said after hearing that another veteran was donating a wheelchair that had belonged to a recently deceased friend. “It really helps restore my faith in people.”

Perdew left his home early Tuesday morning only to discover someone had broken into his Chevy truck and removed his wheelchair, along with other items.

Galveston police have no leads.
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Vietnam vet prays for thief who stole valuable wheelchair

by Tiffany Craig
Posted on November 28, 2011

GALVESTON—A Vietnam veteran was the victim of a car thief but they stole more than money and electronics.

“I think once they got in there, they realized they had a Cadillac in the back,” says Al Perdew. “So, they took it.”

Al Perdew’s modified wheelchair, which is worth more than $1,700, was snatched as well. He needs it to get around after having his leg partially amputated.

“Maybe they do have a family member that needs a wheelchair,” Perdew said. “They got a nice one.”
Perdew said he got home from rehab last Monday and left all the items in his truck because he was tired. He slowly walked inside using his new cane.
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Murder, suicide hits close to home

Murder, suicide hits close to home

Contributor: Alicia Coates

"Columbus police said Monday that both were in the military."

Fresno County is morning the lose of a Fowler high Alumni.

21 year old Ruby Grant was killed in a murder suicide this Sunday in Columbus, Georgia.

She moved there and joined the army after graduating high school.

Police say her husband shot her in the head and then himself.
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Maryland woman opens her home to returning military families

Maryland woman opens her home to returning military families
By Brian Shane, USA TODAY

BERLIN, Md. – Tina Pearson says she made a friend through her church who was a single mother and Iraq veteran. The woman's toddler son, she told Pearson, had forgotten his mom when she returned from deployment, and getting to know her again took months.

That heart-rending tale inspired Pearson to transform her three-bedroom home just outside Berlin, Md., into a haven she calls "Home of the Brave," where servicemembers and their families can visit to spend quality time together.

Using her own money, she had the first floor renovated for wheelchair accessibility and built herself separate living quarters on the side of her home, so visitors could have privacy. "What if she and her son could have gone somewhere like this?" said Pearson, 40. "It's quiet; it's peaceful. Just have a few days to talk and play trucks or draw. Would that have sped it up a little bit?"
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Medal of Honor Hero Dakota Meyer fights contractor over Pakistan contract

Dakota Meyer was a hero in combat and it looks like he is still fighting for his brothers. He is being retaliated against because he didn't want Pakistan to end up with scopes with all that is going on over there.

MoH Recipient Meyer Sues Contractor

November 29, 2011
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
A former Marine awarded the Medal of Honor for repeatedly racing into a firefight to try and rescue fellow Marines is suing defense giant BAE Systems, claiming the company ruined his chances for a job in the defense industry by claiming he was unstable and a problem drinker.

Former Sgt. Dakota Meyer filed the lawsuit Monday, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Meyer, who worked for BAE Systems earlier this year, claims in the court documents that BAE retaliated against him when he objected the company’s decision to sell high-powered sniper scopes to Pakistan. He also says his supervisor at BAE ended his chance at getting a job with another defense contractor by alleging Meyer had alcohol and psychological problems, the paper reports.

Meyer was hired by BAE in March. Not long after that he sent an email to his supervisor objecting to company plans to sell the scopes to the Pakistan military.

"We are taking the best gear, the best technology on the market to date and giving it to guys known to stab us in the back," Meyer told Bobby McCreight in the email, according to the Journal.

"These are the same people killing our guys."
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