Helping heroes: Brain scan for PTSD
Jan. 23, 2012
BACKGROUND: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that's triggered by a terrifying event. Symptoms typically start within three months of a traumatic event. In a small number of cases, though, PTSD symptoms may not appear until years after the event. Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event. Many people who go through traumatic events have difficulty adjusting and coping for a while. But with time and taking care of yourself, such traumatic reactions usually get better. In some cases, though, the symptoms can get worse or last for months or even years. Sometimes they may completely shake up your life. In a case such as this, you may have post-traumatic stress disorder. Getting treatment as soon as possible after post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms develop may prevent long-term post-traumatic stress disorder. (www.mayoclinic.com)
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Tuesday, January 24, 2012
China-based Cyber Attack Targets Department of Defense Access Cards
China-based Cyber Attack Targets DoD Access Cards
January 24, 2012
Military.com|by Mike Hoffman
Cyber security firms have discovered a computer virus that uses servicemembers’ network security cards to hack into government networks.
How does it work? servicemembers receive an email with an official-looking PDF file connected to the virus that allows it to record keystrokes, said Jaime Blasco, lab manager for Alien Vault, a California-based cyber security firm. The virus then collects a service member’s personal identification number associated with a Common Access Card when he logs into a government computer.
read more here
January 24, 2012
Military.com|by Mike Hoffman
Cyber security firms have discovered a computer virus that uses servicemembers’ network security cards to hack into government networks.
How does it work? servicemembers receive an email with an official-looking PDF file connected to the virus that allows it to record keystrokes, said Jaime Blasco, lab manager for Alien Vault, a California-based cyber security firm. The virus then collects a service member’s personal identification number associated with a Common Access Card when he logs into a government computer.
read more here
4 Ft. Carson Soldiers Hurt In Rollover Accident After Driver Falls Asleep
4 Ft. Carson Soldiers Hurt In Rollover Accident
Four Fort Carson soldiers were injured early Sunday morning when their car hit a guardrail on I-25 south of Garden of the Gods road.
Posted: 5:26 AM Jan 22, 2012
Reporter: KKTV
Four Fort Carson soldiers were injured early Sunday morning when their car hit a guardrail on I-25 south of Garden of the Gods Road.
The soldiers were heading back to the Mountain Post when the driver dozed off at the wheel just after 3 a.m. Their car drifted off the road, hit a guardrail and flipped.
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Four Fort Carson soldiers were injured early Sunday morning when their car hit a guardrail on I-25 south of Garden of the Gods road.
Posted: 5:26 AM Jan 22, 2012
Reporter: KKTV
Four Fort Carson soldiers were injured early Sunday morning when their car hit a guardrail on I-25 south of Garden of the Gods Road.
The soldiers were heading back to the Mountain Post when the driver dozed off at the wheel just after 3 a.m. Their car drifted off the road, hit a guardrail and flipped.
read more here
Gay service members in Afghanistan post ‘It Gets Better’ for youths being bullied
LGBT service members in Afghanistan post ‘It Gets Better’ video to encourage youth bullied because of sexuality
Organized by OutServe, the military's association of active LGBT members
BY RHEANA MURRAY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, January 23 2012,
A group of military service members are the latest to use the Internet to send a viral message to LGBT youth - "It gets better."
Four LGBT service members in Bagram, Afghanistan posted the video as part of a campaign to combat suicide against teens bullied because of their sexuality, Military Times reported.
In the two-and-a-half minute clip, the four Air Force service members urge kids to stay strong and true to who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation.
"Whether you're gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer - whatever, no one should be put down because of who they are," one female service member says.
read more here
Organized by OutServe, the military's association of active LGBT members
BY RHEANA MURRAY / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, January 23 2012,
OUTSERVE
Three of the military's OutServe members who posted an "It Gets Better" video from Bagram, Afghanistan.
A group of military service members are the latest to use the Internet to send a viral message to LGBT youth - "It gets better."
Four LGBT service members in Bagram, Afghanistan posted the video as part of a campaign to combat suicide against teens bullied because of their sexuality, Military Times reported.
In the two-and-a-half minute clip, the four Air Force service members urge kids to stay strong and true to who they are, regardless of their sexual orientation.
"Whether you're gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, genderqueer - whatever, no one should be put down because of who they are," one female service member says.
read more here
A Returning Marine’s Struggle with PTSD
A Returning Marine’s Struggle with PTSD
COW Blogs : Bob Gillen's Blog :
Writer/director Nick Brennan’s latest film, A Marine’s Guide to Fishing, focuses on a Marine veteran struggling with both physical wounds and PTSD when he returns to his former life. “I was drawn to the story first and foremost by the realization that I couldn’t count a single close friend of mine that had served in Iraq or Afghanistan. It was a pretty sad realization given how long the wars had been going on.”
Brennan also thought this wasn’t unusual for many civilians today. His insight led him to use his senior thesis film (he attended NYU’s Tisch program) to explore the stories of young veterans.
“I was also interning with the investigative unit at ABC News at the time,” Brennan says, “and ended up covering a few big stories on Afghanistan, which gave me another insight into the war.” After a lot of time spent talking with vets, and with considerable research, Brennan zeroed in on the issues of PTSD and the process of reintegration into society.
read more here
COW Blogs : Bob Gillen's Blog :
Writer/director Nick Brennan’s latest film, A Marine’s Guide to Fishing, focuses on a Marine veteran struggling with both physical wounds and PTSD when he returns to his former life. “I was drawn to the story first and foremost by the realization that I couldn’t count a single close friend of mine that had served in Iraq or Afghanistan. It was a pretty sad realization given how long the wars had been going on.”
Brennan also thought this wasn’t unusual for many civilians today. His insight led him to use his senior thesis film (he attended NYU’s Tisch program) to explore the stories of young veterans.
“I was also interning with the investigative unit at ABC News at the time,” Brennan says, “and ended up covering a few big stories on Afghanistan, which gave me another insight into the war.” After a lot of time spent talking with vets, and with considerable research, Brennan zeroed in on the issues of PTSD and the process of reintegration into society.
read more here
New USO Public Service Announcement About Combat and PTSD
Military Heroes Talk Candidly About Their Battle with Invisible Wounds in New USO Public Service Announcement
In “Portraits,” the USO’s first PSA on invisible wounds of war, Americans learn how post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury impacts lives and are called on to take action
Arlington, VA (PRWEB) January 23, 2012
Right now, across the United States, an estimated 300,000 American service men and women live with invisible wounds of war – known familiarly as post traumatic stress (PTS), depression and traumatic brain injury (TBI). As more troops return home, many more are expected to be diagnosed.
At home, these service members and their families now fight an intensely private war against despair, depression, and anxiety. In an effort to bring awareness to psychological and cognitive injuries, the USO has launched its first-ever Public Service Announcement (PSA) on the invisible wounds of war.
“Portraits” is a documentary style PSA that features service members who proudly answered the call to duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now live with invisible wounds. Service members speak candidly, and sometimes emotionally, about how these invisible wounds have changed their lives forever and ask Americans to take action.
“I never thought I would have PTSD. I thought I had enough coping skills.”- SGT Philip Romero's, Iraq 2005/2007
“It’s like a pressure cooker and you know, you want someone desperately to trip that valve- you know, lose all of that anger and angst.”- Capt Eric Thomas, Iraq 2003/2004
“Now I have such bad issues with it that I’m being released from the Army. I’m being medically retired from the Army because I can’t sleep, because I can’t function on a daily basis in the Army anymore.”- SSGT Jessica Paul, Iraq 2006
“Get educated. Don’t brush this aside and don’t count us out.”- MSGT Mike Martinez, Iraq 1990/2004
read more here
In “Portraits,” the USO’s first PSA on invisible wounds of war, Americans learn how post traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury impacts lives and are called on to take action
Arlington, VA (PRWEB) January 23, 2012
Right now, across the United States, an estimated 300,000 American service men and women live with invisible wounds of war – known familiarly as post traumatic stress (PTS), depression and traumatic brain injury (TBI). As more troops return home, many more are expected to be diagnosed.
At home, these service members and their families now fight an intensely private war against despair, depression, and anxiety. In an effort to bring awareness to psychological and cognitive injuries, the USO has launched its first-ever Public Service Announcement (PSA) on the invisible wounds of war.
“Portraits” is a documentary style PSA that features service members who proudly answered the call to duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and now live with invisible wounds. Service members speak candidly, and sometimes emotionally, about how these invisible wounds have changed their lives forever and ask Americans to take action.
“I never thought I would have PTSD. I thought I had enough coping skills.”- SGT Philip Romero's, Iraq 2005/2007
“It’s like a pressure cooker and you know, you want someone desperately to trip that valve- you know, lose all of that anger and angst.”- Capt Eric Thomas, Iraq 2003/2004
“Now I have such bad issues with it that I’m being released from the Army. I’m being medically retired from the Army because I can’t sleep, because I can’t function on a daily basis in the Army anymore.”- SSGT Jessica Paul, Iraq 2006
“Get educated. Don’t brush this aside and don’t count us out.”- MSGT Mike Martinez, Iraq 1990/2004
read more here
Lack of compassion from other college students fuels troubles for some with PTSD
I am in my last semester at Valencia College for Digital Media Live Event Certification. I meet a lot of veterans, especially veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. PTSD is one of the things they talk about the most. I am old enough to be their Mom and married to a Vietnam Veteran so when they ask what I do, I tell them I work with veterans and then they open up.
During a Veterans Day event at East Campus, I interviewed four veterans and each one talked about their military service and PTSD.
These students are having hard time going from combat to college but that makes them even more remarkable. With all they are carrying around with them, they didn't give up on the next part of their lives and their dreams are worth working harder for. While most other students have the usual problems these men and women are returning from years out of their lives when their lives were in danger on a daily basis. While most college students have no idea what is going on in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are remembering it everyday.
During a Veterans Day event at East Campus, I interviewed four veterans and each one talked about their military service and PTSD.
These students are having hard time going from combat to college but that makes them even more remarkable. With all they are carrying around with them, they didn't give up on the next part of their lives and their dreams are worth working harder for. While most other students have the usual problems these men and women are returning from years out of their lives when their lives were in danger on a daily basis. While most college students have no idea what is going on in Iraq or Afghanistan, they are remembering it everyday.
Lack of compassion fuels troubles for some with PTSD
By Jaime Ortega-Simo
Published: Monday, January 23, 2012
Some students who come from military backgrounds and then decide to pursue a college education can suffer from the somewhat common disorder known as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
PTSD is an anxiety disorder that can occur after someone has experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death.
Roger Buck, the interim director of the Counseling Center at Hocking College, spoke at the event "Understanding Post Traumatic Stress Disorder" held at the Ohio Union on Jan. 19. Buck said one of the biggest problems for students with PTSD is that when coming back from the military culture, they didn't fit well with the college crowd.
"These veterans are older individuals, have more life experience and leadership," Buck said.
"Veterans with PTSD feel disrespected by the childish behavior of traditional teenage students."
Buck said for many veterans with PTSD, there is a lack of respect by faculty and staff on campus for the sacrifices of veteran friends killed and injured. Buck said the "non-compassionate" attitude of staff members toward veterans suffering from PTSD does not help solve the problem.
"These guys have seen horrible events, smelled horrible stuff and experienced extreme human emotions," Buck said. "People need to be more understanding."
In addition to a change in attitude from professors and faculty, one professor suggested that the best solution to PTSD-related complications is to seek medical treatment.
"There are thousands of soldiers that suffer from PTSD," said Joseph DeCola, director of clinical services at OSU's Anxiety and Stress Disorders Clinic.
DeCola suggested students who suffer from PTSD seek psychiatric therapy.
"No one wants to go to treatment, but it works well," DeCola said. "They are not going to get better by themselves. It's just like going to the gym: If you don't work out, you're not going to get stronger."
DeCola said people with PTSD can suffer a snowball-effect if they don't get treatment, which causes nightmares, depressions and flashbacks until it becomes uncontrollable.
read more here
Burial problems found at VA cemeteries
Burial problems found at VA cemeteries
By Christian Davenport, Published: January 23
The Department of Veterans Affairs has found scores of misplaced headstones and at least eight cases of people buried in the wrong places at several military cemeteries across the country.
The review by the VA’s National Cemetery Administration follows the revelation of widespread burial problems at Arlington National Cemetery, which touched off congressional inquiries and a criminal investigation.
By Christian Davenport, Published: January 23
The Department of Veterans Affairs has found scores of misplaced headstones and at least eight cases of people buried in the wrong places at several military cemeteries across the country.
The review by the VA’s National Cemetery Administration follows the revelation of widespread burial problems at Arlington National Cemetery, which touched off congressional inquiries and a criminal investigation.
In addition to the cemeteries in Texas, he said, problems have been discovered at national burial grounds in Ohio, New Mexico, New Jersey, Maryland and Pennsylvania. The cemetery administration is waiting on reports from Golden Gate and San Francisco National Cemeteries.
read more here
Monday, January 23, 2012
Seminole sheriff to reunite wounded son with puppy he found in Afghanistan
Seminole sheriff to reunite wounded son with puppy he found in Afghanistan
Donny Eslinger scheduled for more surgery this week
By Gary Taylor, Orlando Sentinel
6:44 p.m. EST, January 23, 2012
Donny Eslinger was on a mission in Afghanistan last August when he encountered perhaps the friendliest face of his tour of duty there.
It was a small puppy, and it was love at first sight.
Eslinger — son of Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger Sr. — rescued the puppy, stashing him in his backpack for the hike back to a checkpoint where he was stationed.
The puppy he named Smoke became an instant sensation when a photo of Eslinger with the puppy in his backpack made the cover of Army Life magazine.
read more here
Donny Eslinger scheduled for more surgery this week
By Gary Taylor, Orlando Sentinel
6:44 p.m. EST, January 23, 2012
Donny Eslinger was on a mission in Afghanistan last August when he encountered perhaps the friendliest face of his tour of duty there.
It was a small puppy, and it was love at first sight.
Eslinger — son of Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger Sr. — rescued the puppy, stashing him in his backpack for the hike back to a checkpoint where he was stationed.
The puppy he named Smoke became an instant sensation when a photo of Eslinger with the puppy in his backpack made the cover of Army Life magazine.
read more here
All-women team of Seabees makes history in Afghanistan
All-women team of Seabees makes history in Afghanistan
By KAY SAILLANT
Los Angeles Times
Published: January 23, 2012
It was an unusual job even for the Seabees, the U.S. Navy's construction forces trained to hold a hammer in one hand and a Beretta M9 in the other.
First, the team selected to build barracks high in the mountains of Afghanistan consisted of eight women, who are all stationed at Naval Base Ventura County. And second, the women completed the job far ahead of schedule.
Beating deadline made up for long days and freezing nights in tents without plumbing, building four 20-by-30-foot structures, said Gafayat Moradeyo, the mission commander. But when the women returned to Bagram air field, their Afghanistan base, they learned that they had nailed another achievement: a place in naval history.
Military officials say they are the first all-female construction team to take on a construction job from start to finish in the Seabees' 70-year history. And they did it in record time in the barren rocky mountains of Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold and the focus of recent combat efforts.
read more here
By KAY SAILLANT
Los Angeles Times
Published: January 23, 2012
It was an unusual job even for the Seabees, the U.S. Navy's construction forces trained to hold a hammer in one hand and a Beretta M9 in the other.
First, the team selected to build barracks high in the mountains of Afghanistan consisted of eight women, who are all stationed at Naval Base Ventura County. And second, the women completed the job far ahead of schedule.
Beating deadline made up for long days and freezing nights in tents without plumbing, building four 20-by-30-foot structures, said Gafayat Moradeyo, the mission commander. But when the women returned to Bagram air field, their Afghanistan base, they learned that they had nailed another achievement: a place in naval history.
Military officials say they are the first all-female construction team to take on a construction job from start to finish in the Seabees' 70-year history. And they did it in record time in the barren rocky mountains of Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold and the focus of recent combat efforts.
read more here
Homelessness rising among female vets
GAO: Homelessness rising among female vets
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 23, 2012 17:18:33 EST
The number of homeless veteran females more than doubled between 2006 and 2010, according to estimates in a recent government report.
Citing “limited” data from the Veterans Affairs Department, the Government Accountability Office issued a report Monday suggesting that the number of homeless female veterans rose to more than 3,300 in 2010, up from less than 1,400 in 2006.
The data is flawed because no government agencies consistently track homelessness among female veterans, which raises questions about the VA’s ability to help those women.
read more here
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 23, 2012 17:18:33 EST
The number of homeless veteran females more than doubled between 2006 and 2010, according to estimates in a recent government report.
Citing “limited” data from the Veterans Affairs Department, the Government Accountability Office issued a report Monday suggesting that the number of homeless female veterans rose to more than 3,300 in 2010, up from less than 1,400 in 2006.
The data is flawed because no government agencies consistently track homelessness among female veterans, which raises questions about the VA’s ability to help those women.
read more here
Vietnam Vet wins 14 million lottery, plans to buy health insurance
Napolean Elvord, Wisconsin Lottery Winner, Plays Wrong Game, Hits $14.3 Million Megabucks Jackpot
The Huffington Post Tara Kelly
First Posted: 01/23/2012
A Wisconsin man is the lucky winner of a $14.3 million Megabucks jackpot after accidentally playing the wrong lottery game, reports the Wisconsin State Journal.
The Huffington Post Tara Kelly
First Posted: 01/23/2012
A Wisconsin man is the lucky winner of a $14.3 million Megabucks jackpot after accidentally playing the wrong lottery game, reports the Wisconsin State Journal.
But the lucky man won't be spending his cash on flashy cars or a huge new house.read more here
Instead, the ailing veteran, who's spent five years on dialysis, plans to buy health insurance to help him get a kidney transplant, according to LimeLife.com.
VA Releases more that 2,200 Vets' Personal Info on Ancestry.com
VA Accidentally Releases Vets' Personal Info
January 21, 2012
Stars and Stripes|by Leo Shane III
WASHINGTON -- More than 2,200 veterans had their personal information accidentally posted on the genealogy website Ancestry.com last year, a move that could potentially expose them to identify theft crimes.
Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs said all of the veterans affected by the mistake will receive free credit monitoring services to help mitigate any damage. The information posted online included veterans’ names and Social Security numbers, but not any health information.
The department said there is no evidence so far that any of the personal information has been misused, but the agency is contacting all of the individuals involved to ensure they are aware of the problem.
read more here
January 21, 2012
Stars and Stripes|by Leo Shane III
WASHINGTON -- More than 2,200 veterans had their personal information accidentally posted on the genealogy website Ancestry.com last year, a move that could potentially expose them to identify theft crimes.
Officials from the Department of Veterans Affairs said all of the veterans affected by the mistake will receive free credit monitoring services to help mitigate any damage. The information posted online included veterans’ names and Social Security numbers, but not any health information.
The department said there is no evidence so far that any of the personal information has been misused, but the agency is contacting all of the individuals involved to ensure they are aware of the problem.
read more here
Vietnam Medal of Honor Recipient John F. Baker Dead at 66
UPDATE
MoH recipient remembered at Jackson service
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jan 27, 2012 17:58:10 EST
FORT JACKSON, S.C. — Friends, family and fellow military members gathered Friday to remember retired Army Master Sgt. John F. Baker Jr., who received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of eight fellow soldiers in a 1966 firefight with the Viet Cong.
Baker died Jan. 20 at age 66 after collapsing at his home in Columbia. A caisson procession preceded the ceremony at the Fort Jackson Post Theater.
The Davenport, Iowa, native earned the nation’s highest award for valor in combat while serving as a private first class with 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment.
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MoH recipient remembered at Jackson service
The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jan 27, 2012 17:58:10 EST
FORT JACKSON, S.C. — Friends, family and fellow military members gathered Friday to remember retired Army Master Sgt. John F. Baker Jr., who received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of eight fellow soldiers in a 1966 firefight with the Viet Cong.
Baker died Jan. 20 at age 66 after collapsing at his home in Columbia. A caisson procession preceded the ceremony at the Fort Jackson Post Theater.
The Davenport, Iowa, native earned the nation’s highest award for valor in combat while serving as a private first class with 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment.
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Medal of Honor Recipient John F. Baker Dead at 66
January 23, 2012
The State, Columbia, S.C.
by Jeff Wilkinson
Army Master Sgt. John F. Baker Jr., who received the Medal of Honor for saving the lives of eight of his fellow Soldiers, killing 10 Viet Cong and knocking out six machine-gun bunkers after his unit was ambushed Nov. 5, 1966, in Vietnam, died Friday evening after collapsing in his Northeast Richland home. He was 66.
Baker and his wife, Donnell, had just returned home from supper when he collapsed, said retired Maj. Gen. Gene Rogers of Columbia, a family friend. Baker had suffered heart problems and had been using oxygen for about a year and a half, Rogers said.
read more here
Veteran amputees best police and firefighters
Veteran amputees best police and firefighters
Jan. 22, 2012
An inaugural softball game in Mission Viejo helped raise funds for wounded veterans
By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
MISSION VIEJO – Their motto: "Life without limbs is limitless."
The words were on full display on Sunday as a team of wounded warriors took on police and firefighters in a softball game in Mission Viejo.
The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team faced off at Alcia mark against the Orange County Veterans & First Responders, made up of players from the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the Garden Grove Fire Department.
The players on the Wounded Warriors are all veterans of the Army or Marine Corps and all have lost a limb in active duty. The game was a fundraiser for the team, which was formed last March.
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Jan. 22, 2012
An inaugural softball game in Mission Viejo helped raise funds for wounded veterans
Army veteran and Wounded Warrior left fielder, Nick Clark, just comes up short of cathcing this fly ball in the fifth inning in Mission Viejo Sunday.
MICHAEL GOULDING, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
By JAIMEE LYNN FLETCHER / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
MISSION VIEJO – Their motto: "Life without limbs is limitless."
The words were on full display on Sunday as a team of wounded warriors took on police and firefighters in a softball game in Mission Viejo.
The Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team faced off at Alcia mark against the Orange County Veterans & First Responders, made up of players from the Orange County Sheriff's Department and the Garden Grove Fire Department.
The players on the Wounded Warriors are all veterans of the Army or Marine Corps and all have lost a limb in active duty. The game was a fundraiser for the team, which was formed last March.
read more here
Soldier in custody after Fort Campbell shooting
Soldier in custody after Campbell shooting
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 22, 2012 17:30:06 EST
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Military police at Fort Campbell on Sunday said they took a soldier into custody after shots were fired at the post.
Fort Campbell spokesman Rick Rzepka told The Associated Press that no one was injured in the shooting.
read more here
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 22, 2012 17:30:06 EST
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Military police at Fort Campbell on Sunday said they took a soldier into custody after shots were fired at the post.
Fort Campbell spokesman Rick Rzepka told The Associated Press that no one was injured in the shooting.
read more here
Afghan soldier 'killed French troops over US abuse video'
Afghan soldier 'killed French troops over US abuse video'
By Lawrence Bartlett (AFP)
KABUL — An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources told AFP.
The attack on the soldiers, who were unarmed, came on Friday at a base in eastern Afghanistan and left 15 other French troops wounded, eight of them seriously.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reacted angrily, threatening to pull his forces out of Afghanistan ahead of the 2014 deadline for all US-led coalition combat troops, and dispatched Defence Minister Gerard Longuet to Kabul.
That started a round of claim and counter claim over who was responsible for the attack, with Longuet saying he was told the killer was a Taliban infiltrator in the ranks of the Afghan army.
The Taliban, usually quick to claim coalition deaths, said they were still investigating and suggested some of the many attacks by Afghan soldiers on their foreign counterparts were prompted by anger towards the "invading enemy".
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a statement after a meeting with Longuet, failed to echo his accusation against the Taliban and also played down the idea of Afghan resentment of foreign troops.
"The attack against French forces by an Afghan army soldier does not represent the anger of Afghan people but it is just an isolated and individual action," he said.
The story emerging from the interrogation of the soldier arrested for the killings -- named as 21-year-old Abdul Mansour -- would support Karzai's interpretation.
read more here
By Lawrence Bartlett (AFP)
KABUL — An Afghan soldier who shot dead four French troops has said he did it because of a recent video showing US Marines urinating on the dead bodies of Taliban insurgents, security sources told AFP.
The attack on the soldiers, who were unarmed, came on Friday at a base in eastern Afghanistan and left 15 other French troops wounded, eight of them seriously.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy reacted angrily, threatening to pull his forces out of Afghanistan ahead of the 2014 deadline for all US-led coalition combat troops, and dispatched Defence Minister Gerard Longuet to Kabul.
That started a round of claim and counter claim over who was responsible for the attack, with Longuet saying he was told the killer was a Taliban infiltrator in the ranks of the Afghan army.
The Taliban, usually quick to claim coalition deaths, said they were still investigating and suggested some of the many attacks by Afghan soldiers on their foreign counterparts were prompted by anger towards the "invading enemy".
Afghan President Hamid Karzai, in a statement after a meeting with Longuet, failed to echo his accusation against the Taliban and also played down the idea of Afghan resentment of foreign troops.
"The attack against French forces by an Afghan army soldier does not represent the anger of Afghan people but it is just an isolated and individual action," he said.
The story emerging from the interrogation of the soldier arrested for the killings -- named as 21-year-old Abdul Mansour -- would support Karzai's interpretation.
read more here
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Specialist Brandy Fonteneaux's family says they know who killed her
We know who killed our daughter, say parents of female soldier found naked and beaten to death in barracks
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
21st January 2012
The mother of a female soldier found stabbed to death in her barracks at a Colorado infantry post claims to know who killed her daughter but will not identify the suspect publicly until the Army investigates further.
The unclothed body of Specialist Brandy Fonteneaux, 28, was found on January 10 at Fort Carson, an Army base outside Colorado Springs.
Investigators said no arrests have been made and while they have declined to release any new details about the case, Ms Fonteneaux's relatives are speaking out.
read more here
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
21st January 2012
The mother of a female soldier found stabbed to death in her barracks at a Colorado infantry post claims to know who killed her daughter but will not identify the suspect publicly until the Army investigates further.
The unclothed body of Specialist Brandy Fonteneaux, 28, was found on January 10 at Fort Carson, an Army base outside Colorado Springs.
Investigators said no arrests have been made and while they have declined to release any new details about the case, Ms Fonteneaux's relatives are speaking out.
read more here
Bidens Visit Wounded Warriors, Families at Pendleton
Bidens Visit Wounded Warriors, Families at Pendleton
By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service
The 30,000-square-foot center, part of the Wounded Warrior Battalion West, opened in October to offer counseling and transition services to wounded and ill Marines, sailors and their families.
The Bidens mingled with about a dozen wounded warriors -- some in wheelchairs and others seated alongside family members -- in a small room at the center.
The vice president said he and his wife visit service members and their families as often as possible for one reason: “To say thank you.”
“We only have one sacred obligation in the government,” Biden told the troops. “We have a lot of obligations -- to the old, to the young, to educate -- but we have only one sacred obligation, and that is to equip those we send to war and care for those we bring home from war.
“It is the single most significant obligation the United States of America has,” he added.
Biden said he’s been in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq 23 times, but “not like you,” he said, addressing a wounded Marine in front of him.
read more here
By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service
Vice President Joe Biden speaks with wounded warrior Marine Corps Sgt. James Amos during a visit to the Warrior Hope and Care Center on Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 20, 2012. DOD photo by Elaine SanchezMARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif., Jan. 21, 2012 – Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, thanked wounded warriors and their families for their service and sacrifice during a visit to the Warrior Hope and Care Center here yesterday.
The 30,000-square-foot center, part of the Wounded Warrior Battalion West, opened in October to offer counseling and transition services to wounded and ill Marines, sailors and their families.
The Bidens mingled with about a dozen wounded warriors -- some in wheelchairs and others seated alongside family members -- in a small room at the center.
The vice president said he and his wife visit service members and their families as often as possible for one reason: “To say thank you.”
“We only have one sacred obligation in the government,” Biden told the troops. “We have a lot of obligations -- to the old, to the young, to educate -- but we have only one sacred obligation, and that is to equip those we send to war and care for those we bring home from war.
“It is the single most significant obligation the United States of America has,” he added.
Biden said he’s been in and out of Afghanistan and Iraq 23 times, but “not like you,” he said, addressing a wounded Marine in front of him.
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Motorcycle stunt show crash
Today Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA) in Orlando had a ride that left Downtown Disney. Over 800 motorcycles gathered and watched a stunt show performed by Orlando Harley Davidson Riders. During the show, one of them crashed. What was amazing came after. When the ambulance came, he was checked out, got up to a lot of cheers, then walked into the ambulance. After a while, he left the ambulance and walked away!
There will be more on this later with more video.
News 13 had the count at over 800
Biker group rides out for child abuse victims
13 News
There will be more on this later with more video.
News 13 had the count at over 800
Biker group rides out for child abuse victims
13 News
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