Murder Defendant: Navy Husband 'Didn't Deserve To Die'
Jennifer Trayers Charged In Death Of Lt. Cmdr. Frederick Trayers
January 31, 2012
UPDATED: 9:16 pm PST January 31, 2012
SAN DIEGO -- A woman accused of fatally stabbing her unfaithful Navy physician-husband in bed after he took sleep medication testified on Tuesday she doesn't remember plunging a military knife into his chest, saying "he didn't deserve to die."
Prosecutors are seeking a first-degree murder conviction against Jennifer Trayers in the Dec. 4, 2010, death of 41-year-old Lt. Cmdr. Fred Trayers.
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Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Chiarelli, who championed welfare of soldiers, retires as Army vice chief
Chiarelli, who championed welfare of soldiers, retires as Army vice chief
By CHRIS CARROLL
Published: January 31, 2012
WASHINGTON – Gen. Peter Chiarelli retired Tuesday, stepping aside as Army vice chief of staff but insisting that in civilian life he’d continue working to improve care for what he called “the signature wounds of this war” – post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
Chiarelli, 61, who was honored in a ceremony at Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall, Va., led a task force to cut down the rising rate of soldier suicides and pushed to improve diagnosis and treatment for troops with invisible injuries.
“When former [Defense] Secretary [Robert] Gates promoted Pete to that post, he said that he knew that as long as there was a single soldier in harm’s way, as long as there was a single Army family in need, Pete would not rest,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. “And for more than three years as vice chief of staff, Pete has not rested.”
Chiarelli said that while progress has been made – including a slight reduction in the overall Army suicide rate – work healing the strains of 10 years of war is far from over.
“We must, must, must continue” the efforts now in place, he said Tuesday.
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By CHRIS CARROLL
Published: January 31, 2012
WASHINGTON – Gen. Peter Chiarelli retired Tuesday, stepping aside as Army vice chief of staff but insisting that in civilian life he’d continue working to improve care for what he called “the signature wounds of this war” – post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
Chiarelli, 61, who was honored in a ceremony at Joint Base Meyer-Henderson Hall, Va., led a task force to cut down the rising rate of soldier suicides and pushed to improve diagnosis and treatment for troops with invisible injuries.
“When former [Defense] Secretary [Robert] Gates promoted Pete to that post, he said that he knew that as long as there was a single soldier in harm’s way, as long as there was a single Army family in need, Pete would not rest,” Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. “And for more than three years as vice chief of staff, Pete has not rested.”
Chiarelli said that while progress has been made – including a slight reduction in the overall Army suicide rate – work healing the strains of 10 years of war is far from over.
“We must, must, must continue” the efforts now in place, he said Tuesday.
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Two Pendleton Marines chosen for trip to Super Bowl
MILITARY: Two Pendleton Marines chosen for trip to Super Bowl
By MARK WALKER
Posted: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Two Camp Pendleton Marines and their spouses are attending Sunday's Super Bowl in Indianapolis as guests of News America Marketing.
Master Sgt. David Jarvis and Sgt. Sheena Adams were selected by the Marine Corps' top enlisted man for the trip to Super Bowl XLVI.
Adams and Jarvis are being flown to Indianapolis as guests of New America Marketing, which publishes the Sunday coupon insert SmartSource Magazine.
Adams earned a second Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon during a deployment to Afghanistan as a member of a female engagement team working with Afghan women in the Helmand province.
She is a now a lead instructor and adviser for female engagement teams in training at Camp Pendleton.
Her husband, Chad, is joining her on the trip to the big game and a variety of other events, including a tailgate party and kickoff party on Friday evening.
Doing the same is Jarvis, whose wife and fellow Marine, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Tina Jarvis is also making the trip.
Jarvis was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with a Combat Action Ribbon for his actions in Afghanistan, which included more than 70 combat patrols and 40 direct engagements with insurgent forces.
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By MARK WALKER
Posted: Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Two Camp Pendleton Marines and their spouses are attending Sunday's Super Bowl in Indianapolis as guests of News America Marketing.
Master Sgt. David Jarvis and Sgt. Sheena Adams were selected by the Marine Corps' top enlisted man for the trip to Super Bowl XLVI.
Adams and Jarvis are being flown to Indianapolis as guests of New America Marketing, which publishes the Sunday coupon insert SmartSource Magazine.
Adams earned a second Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and Combat Action Ribbon during a deployment to Afghanistan as a member of a female engagement team working with Afghan women in the Helmand province.
She is a now a lead instructor and adviser for female engagement teams in training at Camp Pendleton.
Her husband, Chad, is joining her on the trip to the big game and a variety of other events, including a tailgate party and kickoff party on Friday evening.
Doing the same is Jarvis, whose wife and fellow Marine, Chief Warrant Officer 3 Tina Jarvis is also making the trip.
Jarvis was awarded the Silver Star and the Bronze Star with a Combat Action Ribbon for his actions in Afghanistan, which included more than 70 combat patrols and 40 direct engagements with insurgent forces.
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Afghan Soldier Kills U.S. Marine in Helmand Province Shooting
Afghan Soldier Kills U.S. Marine in Helmand Province Shooting
By Eltaf Najafizada - Feb 1, 2012
An Afghan soldier shot dead a U.S. Marine in the southern province of Helmand, the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions between local and foreign troops.
The Afghan army soldier opened fire at close range as he and the Marine guarded a joint operating base at about 12:30 a.m. today, General Sayed Malook, a corps commander based in Helmand, said by phone. The U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, confirmed one of its soldiers was shot dead by an individual wearing an Afghan uniform.
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By Eltaf Najafizada - Feb 1, 2012
An Afghan soldier shot dead a U.S. Marine in the southern province of Helmand, the latest in a series of incidents that have raised tensions between local and foreign troops.
The Afghan army soldier opened fire at close range as he and the Marine guarded a joint operating base at about 12:30 a.m. today, General Sayed Malook, a corps commander based in Helmand, said by phone. The U.S.-led International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, confirmed one of its soldiers was shot dead by an individual wearing an Afghan uniform.
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Congress members want answers on Lejeune toxic water report
Congress members want answers on Lejeune report
January 31, 2012 4:47 PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAMP LEJEUNE — Three members of Congress from North Carolina, along with lawmakers from other states, are worried that information left out of a new report on water contamination at Camp Lejeune could set a troubling precedent for future research on the subject.
The three sent a letter to Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asking why an affiliated agency blacked out information in its Jan. 19 report on the location of water systems used on the base that houses Marines.
The Marine Corps said that was sensitive national security information. The lawmakers are concerned that the agency was too willing to leave out the information, and that future data about contaminated water could be kept from the public without a valid reason.
"An open and transparent process is essential to this scientific endeavor and it is particularly important for the ongoing and future studies on Camp Lejeune's water contamination," Sen. Kay Hagan, Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Rep. Brad Miller said in the letter that was also signed by lawmakers in Florida and Michigan.
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January 31, 2012 4:47 PM
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAMP LEJEUNE — Three members of Congress from North Carolina, along with lawmakers from other states, are worried that information left out of a new report on water contamination at Camp Lejeune could set a troubling precedent for future research on the subject.
The three sent a letter to Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, asking why an affiliated agency blacked out information in its Jan. 19 report on the location of water systems used on the base that houses Marines.
The Marine Corps said that was sensitive national security information. The lawmakers are concerned that the agency was too willing to leave out the information, and that future data about contaminated water could be kept from the public without a valid reason.
"An open and transparent process is essential to this scientific endeavor and it is particularly important for the ongoing and future studies on Camp Lejeune's water contamination," Sen. Kay Hagan, Sen. Richard Burr and U.S. Rep. Brad Miller said in the letter that was also signed by lawmakers in Florida and Michigan.
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Marines in wreck remain hospitalized
Marines in wreck remain hospitalized
January 31, 2012 5:28 PM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Two Camp Lejeune Marines remained hospitalized in Greenville Tuesday following a weekend wreck in Jones County.
Lance Cpl. Igor Teterin was listed in fair condition and Lance Cpl. David VanDyne was listed in critical condition at Vidant Medical Center, formerly Pitt Memorial Hospital, as of Tuesday afternoon.
Both Marines are with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to information provided by 22nd MEU spokesman Capt. Binford Strickland.
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January 31, 2012 5:28 PM
DAILY NEWS STAFF
Two Camp Lejeune Marines remained hospitalized in Greenville Tuesday following a weekend wreck in Jones County.
Lance Cpl. Igor Teterin was listed in fair condition and Lance Cpl. David VanDyne was listed in critical condition at Vidant Medical Center, formerly Pitt Memorial Hospital, as of Tuesday afternoon.
Both Marines are with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, according to information provided by 22nd MEU spokesman Capt. Binford Strickland.
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Disgraceful pot group uses POW-MIA flag for their own!
UPDATE
Pro-pot vets group changes name but keeps logo
By Rick Maze - Times staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 1, 2012
Veterans For Weed is becoming Veterans For Weed United in a retreat after the nation’s largest organization for combat veterans raised objections to the use of the acronym VFW.
“We have chosen to remove all current artwork using the VFW sign,” said a statement on the group’s website. “We respect the Veterans of Foreign Wars and apologize for any inconvenience this caused them with the similar abbreviation.”
However, the VFWU group — which it now wants to be known as — isn’t backing down from appropriating a modified version of a POW/MIA logo as a symbol of its campaign.
Veterans of Foreign Wars, which owns the copyright to the acronym VFW, sent a cease-and-desist order to the Milwaukee-based pro-pot organization demanding it stop using the name.
Joe Davis, a spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the marijuana group has taken a small step.
“We would prefer their new acronym be something different, like VWU (Veterans for Weed United) but at least it helps eliminate some confusion,” Davis said.
Davis added that continuing to use the POW/MIA logo is wrong.
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Pro-pot vets group changes name but keeps logo
By Rick Maze - Times staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 1, 2012
Veterans For Weed is becoming Veterans For Weed United in a retreat after the nation’s largest organization for combat veterans raised objections to the use of the acronym VFW.
“We have chosen to remove all current artwork using the VFW sign,” said a statement on the group’s website. “We respect the Veterans of Foreign Wars and apologize for any inconvenience this caused them with the similar abbreviation.”
However, the VFWU group — which it now wants to be known as — isn’t backing down from appropriating a modified version of a POW/MIA logo as a symbol of its campaign.
Veterans of Foreign Wars, which owns the copyright to the acronym VFW, sent a cease-and-desist order to the Milwaukee-based pro-pot organization demanding it stop using the name.
Joe Davis, a spokesman for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the marijuana group has taken a small step.
“We would prefer their new acronym be something different, like VWU (Veterans for Weed United) but at least it helps eliminate some confusion,” Davis said.
Davis added that continuing to use the POW/MIA logo is wrong.
read more here
I cannot put into words the depth of what I am feeling right now. There are just no words for this disgraceful act!
Pro-Pot Group Criticized Over Use of VFW Name, POW Flag
February 01, 2012
Stars and Stripes
by Leo Shane III
Pro-Pot Group Appropriates VFW Name, POW Flag
WASHINGTON -- The Veterans of Foreign Wars does not support and is in no way connected with Veterans For Weed, even though both are using the VFW acronym. Now, officials from the traditional VFW are warning leaders of the stoner VFW they’ll sue if they don’t stop riding their coattails.
On Monday, the real VFW (they’ve held the copyright on the acronym for more than six decades) sent the Milwaukee-based pro-marijuana group a cease-and-desist letter, calling their use of the acronym misleading and illegal. Officials said they’ll move ahead with more serious legal action if the other guys don’t drop the three-letter name on all communications, websites and other products.
Veterans for Weed has also drawn criticism in recent days for posting a doctored version of the POW/MIA logo, this time with the words “POT POW” and “Semper High” and a silhouette of a servicemember smoking. The logo, created for the National League of POW/MIA Families, is not copyrighted, but is revered by many in the veterans and military community.
Officials from that group have also requested the picture be taken down, calling on the pro-pot group to do “what is right and responsible.”read more here
Murder for hire "once great soldier" faces death penalty
What happened to turn a man from "great soldier" into what Sher is accused of becoming? Did combat change him that much or was this part of his character all along?
There are criminals who never once cared about someone else. We are never shocked when they murder someone. Read any newspaper and you'll find a lot more stories about civilians committing murder than you do about veterans. These men and yes, even some female veterans, were willing to die for the sake of someone else so when one of them takes a life back home, it leaves us all wondering what happened to change them that much.
There have been a lot of reports tying PTSD to crimes, which could have had something to do with the way this man thinks but the fact is, with hundreds of thousands of veterans with PTSD, you don't read about them simply because they never cause any trouble at all.
There are criminals who never once cared about someone else. We are never shocked when they murder someone. Read any newspaper and you'll find a lot more stories about civilians committing murder than you do about veterans. These men and yes, even some female veterans, were willing to die for the sake of someone else so when one of them takes a life back home, it leaves us all wondering what happened to change them that much.
There have been a lot of reports tying PTSD to crimes, which could have had something to do with the way this man thinks but the fact is, with hundreds of thousands of veterans with PTSD, you don't read about them simply because they never cause any trouble at all.
Murder-For-Hire Suspect Faces Death Penalty
Josiah Sher Accused Of Killing Robert Rafferty, Amara Wells
Written By Kim Ngan Nguyen, Web Editor
January 31, 2012
DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. -- Prosecutors will be pursuing the death penalty against an Army veteran accused of killing two people in a Douglas County home last February, the district attorney announced Tuesday.
The case against Josiah Sher will be among the state's few death penalty cases.
Sher, 26, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. However, in videotaped testimony played in a Douglas County District courtroom in August, Sher admitted he killed Robert Rafferty and Amara Wells for $15,000.
Christopher Wells, Amara Wells' estranged husband, is accused of hiring three of his former coworkers -- Sher, Matthew Plake and Micah Woody -- to kill the pair.
Sher Once Called 'Great Soldier' In Army Reserves
Sher said on the videotape that he was high on cocaine at the time of the killings and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder from his time in the military.
Sher was called a "great soldier" who served in Iraq and Afghanistan during eight years with the U.S. Army Reserve, a military official told 7NEWS last March.
Sher earned high marks as an "aircraft structural repairer" working on military helicopters, said Capt. Malisa Hamper, spokeswoman for the Army Reserve's 11th Aviation Command, a helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft unit based at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
"He's been a great soldier," Hamper said of Sher last spring. "He's done great things for the Reserves."
"He was just really great in his performance (reviews)," she said, referring to Sher's extensive skill on repairing and maintaining aircraft. "He's constantly strived to learn more about his job and learn other duties."
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More than 500 people wait on tarmac for fallen Marine to come home
Hundreds salute fallen Pendleton Marine
Jan. 31, 2012
LAKE FOREST - Hundreds of firefighters and law enforcement officers on Tuesday waved flags from freeway bridges from Los Alamitos to Laguna Hills saluting a procession carrying the remains of Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, a Marine killed in Afghanistan on Jan. 21.
The procession of more than 200 vehicles followed a Hero Mission – a ceremony that marks the return of an American service member killed in action – at the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos.
Singer's family – including his wife, Brooke, 21, his father, Greg Singer, and his mother, Marlene Shaw – was escorted to the plane as the coffin was lowered.
More than 500 people stood on the tarmac and paid their respects. Honoring Our Fallen, a nonprofit group, will give Singer's 2-year-old daughter, Briyana, birthday and Christmas gifts until she is 18, said founder Laura Herzog.
Singer, 23, was killed while conducting operations in the Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms-based 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, an element of Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Division. Singer was born in San Diego and grew up in Lake Forest and Temecula.
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A member of the Patriot Guard dabs his eyes as the body of Marine Cpl. Christopher G. Singer returns to Southern California in what is called a Hero Mission ceremony at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos.
REED SAXON, AP
Jan. 31, 2012
Family members weep over the casket as the body of Marine Cpl. Christopher G. Singer returns to Southern California in what is called a Hero Mission ceremony at the Joint Forces Training Base in Los Alamitos, Calif., Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012. Singer, 23, died in combat in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on Jan. 21.By ERIKA I. RITCHIE / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
REED SAXON, AP
LAKE FOREST - Hundreds of firefighters and law enforcement officers on Tuesday waved flags from freeway bridges from Los Alamitos to Laguna Hills saluting a procession carrying the remains of Cpl. Christopher G. Singer, a Marine killed in Afghanistan on Jan. 21.
The procession of more than 200 vehicles followed a Hero Mission – a ceremony that marks the return of an American service member killed in action – at the Joint Forces Training Base at Los Alamitos.
Singer's family – including his wife, Brooke, 21, his father, Greg Singer, and his mother, Marlene Shaw – was escorted to the plane as the coffin was lowered.
More than 500 people stood on the tarmac and paid their respects. Honoring Our Fallen, a nonprofit group, will give Singer's 2-year-old daughter, Briyana, birthday and Christmas gifts until she is 18, said founder Laura Herzog.
Singer, 23, was killed while conducting operations in the Helmand province, Afghanistan. He was assigned to Twentynine Palms-based 3rd Combat Engineer Battalion, an element of Camp Pendleton's 1st Marine Division. Singer was born in San Diego and grew up in Lake Forest and Temecula.
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Maine Bill would create alternative sentencing court specifically for veterans
Bill would create alternative sentencing court specifically for veterans
By Eric Russell, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 31, 2012, at 5:03 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Last November, a day before Justin Crowley-Smilek was shot and killed by police, the 28-year-old Farmington native and U.S. Army Ranger who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder appeared before a judge.
Earlier that year, Crowley-Smilek was charged with assault and cultivation of marijuana. The judge, likely sensing that the young man’s diagnoses contributed to those crimes, ordered him to undergo a full psychological evaluation. His family said it was welcome news because they had been trying to get Crowley-Smilek help for months since his return from Afghanistan.
Crowley-Smilek never made it to that evaluation.
In a bizarre incident outside the Farmington police station, Crowley-Smilek approached an officer in a threatening manner while wielding a knife. The officer fired several shots, one of which killed Crowley-Smilek.
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He wanted to die Thursday, November 24, 2011
By Eric Russell, BDN Staff
Posted Jan. 31, 2012, at 5:03 p.m.
AUGUSTA, Maine — Last November, a day before Justin Crowley-Smilek was shot and killed by police, the 28-year-old Farmington native and U.S. Army Ranger who suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder appeared before a judge.
Earlier that year, Crowley-Smilek was charged with assault and cultivation of marijuana. The judge, likely sensing that the young man’s diagnoses contributed to those crimes, ordered him to undergo a full psychological evaluation. His family said it was welcome news because they had been trying to get Crowley-Smilek help for months since his return from Afghanistan.
Crowley-Smilek never made it to that evaluation.
In a bizarre incident outside the Farmington police station, Crowley-Smilek approached an officer in a threatening manner while wielding a knife. The officer fired several shots, one of which killed Crowley-Smilek.
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He wanted to die Thursday, November 24, 2011
Fort Drum wounded soldier admits killing infant he wanted to adopt
NY soldier from RI who was wounded on Afghan tour admits killing infant he was trying to adopt
By Associated Press, Published: January 31
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — A Fort Drum soldier wounded in Afghanistan in 2009 admitted Tuesday that he killed a 4-month-old girl he and his wife were trying to adopt by banging her head against a hard surface and throwing her into a crib.
Jeffrey Sliker, a native of Middletown, R.I., could get 15 years to life in prison at sentencing on March 14 — almost a year after his arrest at the couple’s home near the military post in northern New York.
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By Associated Press, Published: January 31
WATERTOWN, N.Y. — A Fort Drum soldier wounded in Afghanistan in 2009 admitted Tuesday that he killed a 4-month-old girl he and his wife were trying to adopt by banging her head against a hard surface and throwing her into a crib.
Jeffrey Sliker, a native of Middletown, R.I., could get 15 years to life in prison at sentencing on March 14 — almost a year after his arrest at the couple’s home near the military post in northern New York.
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East Long Island Police Pipe and Drums going to Walter Reed
East End Police Pipe Band Performs for Veterans
Members of the Eastern Long Island Police Pipes and Drums were in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
By Erica Jackson
January 31, 2012
"We wanted to show them that we appreciate their sacrifices," said Kevin Gwinn, the founder and drum major of the band.
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Members of the Eastern Long Island Police Pipes and Drums were in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
By Erica Jackson
January 31, 2012
Credit Mike Tessitore
To show their appreciation, 35 members of the Eastern Long Island Police Pipe and Drums band headed to Washington, D.C., on Friday to perform at the Walter Reed Hospital for wounded veterans."We wanted to show them that we appreciate their sacrifices," said Kevin Gwinn, the founder and drum major of the band.
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Wounded combat medic's love story ended too soon
Wounded Warrior, Married in Mesquite, Dies
Posting Date: 01/31/2012
By John Taylor
Hardin spent two years in the hospital and was forced to undergo 32 surgeries and a lengthy, painful rehabilitation. During his recovery, Hardin met Lillian May who cared for him through the painful times. Over the course of two years Hardin was receiving medical treatments, the couple fell in love.
In August, 2009, Hardin proposed to May but the reality was he was severely injured including injuries to both arms, a fused wrist and loss of fingers. He also had several pieces of shrapnel in his brain which were inoperable. After being medically retired from the military, he was without a job.
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Posting Date: 01/31/2012
By John Taylor
Slightly more than a year has passed since the storybook wedding in Mesquite of former Army medic Kevin Hardin to the woman who cared for him at Walter Reed Army Hospital after he was severely injured when a rocket propelled grenade slammed into his Humvee during combat operations in Samarra, Iraq in 2007.Army medic Kevin Hardin died Jan. 22 ofinjuries sustained in Iraq. He and his wifeLillian received a storybook wedding a year agothanks to the Eureka and the Mesquitecommunity. Photo provided.
Hardin spent two years in the hospital and was forced to undergo 32 surgeries and a lengthy, painful rehabilitation. During his recovery, Hardin met Lillian May who cared for him through the painful times. Over the course of two years Hardin was receiving medical treatments, the couple fell in love.
In August, 2009, Hardin proposed to May but the reality was he was severely injured including injuries to both arms, a fused wrist and loss of fingers. He also had several pieces of shrapnel in his brain which were inoperable. After being medically retired from the military, he was without a job.
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Sgt. Adam Page Surprises Daughter At School On Birthday
Sergeant Adam Page, Military Dad, Surprises Daughter At School On Birthday (VIDEO)
When Bailey Page, a 6-year-old girl from Salt Lake City, Utah, told her classmates that all she wanted for her birthday was her dad to come home from Afghanistan, she could never have guessed her wish would come true so quickly.
As she continued her show-and-tell, Bailey's father, Sgt. Adam Page, walked into the classroom and swooped his very surprised daughter into his arms, Utah's Fox 13 news reports.
As she tried to clear the tears from her eyes, Bailey exclaimed, "that's my only birthday present I wanted is you," KSL reports.
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When Bailey Page, a 6-year-old girl from Salt Lake City, Utah, told her classmates that all she wanted for her birthday was her dad to come home from Afghanistan, she could never have guessed her wish would come true so quickly.
As she continued her show-and-tell, Bailey's father, Sgt. Adam Page, walked into the classroom and swooped his very surprised daughter into his arms, Utah's Fox 13 news reports.
As she tried to clear the tears from her eyes, Bailey exclaimed, "that's my only birthday present I wanted is you," KSL reports.
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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
'I'm very alive': Army veteran declared dead 4 times
'I'm very alive': Army veteran declared dead 4 times
By WESH.com
PALM BAY, Fla. — Despite rumors to the contrary, Army veteran Jerry Miller is still very much alive.
"I'm alive. I’m very alive," Miller told WESH 2 News.
The U.S. Veterans Administration has declared him dead four times, but Miller, a Brevard County resident, has refuted the claims.
Miller, a former drill sergeant, served 10 years in the Army. He said he lives on a government pension and Social Security.
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By WESH.com
PALM BAY, Fla. — Despite rumors to the contrary, Army veteran Jerry Miller is still very much alive.
"I'm alive. I’m very alive," Miller told WESH 2 News.
The U.S. Veterans Administration has declared him dead four times, but Miller, a Brevard County resident, has refuted the claims.
"To me, it’s stupid. I can’t die but one time. They have killed me four times," he said.
Miller, a former drill sergeant, served 10 years in the Army. He said he lives on a government pension and Social Security.
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Air Force punished Dover whistle-blowers
Probe: Air Force punished Dover whistle-blowers
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012
By ROBERT BURNS
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have concluded that Air Force officials at the military mortuary in Dover, Del., illegally punished four civilian workers for blowing the whistle on the mishandling of body parts of dead troops.
The Office of Special Counsel said in a report released Tuesday that they have recommended to the Air Force that it discipline the three officials who allegedly retaliated against the whistle-blowers. The three were not identified by name. It said one is an active-duty military member and the other two are civilians.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said in a statement that he has appointed a two-star general to review the findings and take "appropriate action." Donley said reprisals against whistle-blowers are unacceptable.
Donley said he and the Air Force's top officer, Gen. Norton Schwartz, "believe strongly there is no place for reprisal in the Air Force. Reprisals against employees are unethical and illegal and counter to Air Force core values."
Tuesday, Jan. 31, 2012
By ROBERT BURNS
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators have concluded that Air Force officials at the military mortuary in Dover, Del., illegally punished four civilian workers for blowing the whistle on the mishandling of body parts of dead troops.
The Office of Special Counsel said in a report released Tuesday that they have recommended to the Air Force that it discipline the three officials who allegedly retaliated against the whistle-blowers. The three were not identified by name. It said one is an active-duty military member and the other two are civilians.
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said in a statement that he has appointed a two-star general to review the findings and take "appropriate action." Donley said reprisals against whistle-blowers are unacceptable.
Donley said he and the Air Force's top officer, Gen. Norton Schwartz, "believe strongly there is no place for reprisal in the Air Force. Reprisals against employees are unethical and illegal and counter to Air Force core values."
Disability Claims Overwhelming VA
Disability Claims Overwhelming VA
Backlog fueled by veterans returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and Agent Orange cases
By Steve Vogel The Washington Post
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a growing backlog of disability claims, fueled by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and a policy change making it easier for Vietnam War veterans to file Agent Orange-related claims.
The number of pending claims before VA stood at 853,831 on Friday, an increase of nearly 100,000 from last year and nearly 500,000 from three years ago.
“Nearly 1 million veterans today are stuck in the backlog, and more than half wait at least half a year to find out if their claim has been processed,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Although VA has processed nearly a million claims over the past year, another 1.3 million new claims were filed during the same period.
Backlog fueled by veterans returning from Iraq, Afghanistan and Agent Orange cases
By Steve Vogel The Washington Post
WASHINGTON
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is facing a growing backlog of disability claims, fueled by veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and a policy change making it easier for Vietnam War veterans to file Agent Orange-related claims.
The number of pending claims before VA stood at 853,831 on Friday, an increase of nearly 100,000 from last year and nearly 500,000 from three years ago.
“Nearly 1 million veterans today are stuck in the backlog, and more than half wait at least half a year to find out if their claim has been processed,” said Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
Although VA has processed nearly a million claims over the past year, another 1.3 million new claims were filed during the same period.
Of the approximately 2.2 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, 624,000 have filed disability claims and many more are expected. In addition, more than 200,000 Vietnam War veterans have filed claims based on new regulations adopted in 2010 making it easier to get compensation for health problems caused by exposure to defoliants such as Agent Orange.
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Two tour Marine Iraq Veteran shot by police officers in Scottsdale
Scottsdale police identify man shot to death by officers
by Ofelia Madrid - Jan. 30, 2012 09:54 PM
The Republic
azcentral.com
The man Scottsdale police shot and killed after he threatened officers with pool cues was a former Marine with two tours of duties in Iraq, according to family members.
Jason Edward Prostrollo, 25, was shot dead early Saturday after officers were called to the north Scottsdale home of Prostrollo's acquaintances, police said.
Around 4 a.m., police received a call from a 35-year-old woman saying Prostrollo, a guest in her home, was drunk and fighting with her 50-year-old boyfriend, and had a knife.
Prostrollo worked in reconnaissance as a sergeant in the Marines and was discharged two years ago, said Prostrollo's father, Warren Prostrollo of Paradise Valley.
Warren didn't have any additional information about what happened the morning of the shooting, but he said the account of Prostrollo's actions in a police report "sounds so unlike him."
read more here
by Ofelia Madrid - Jan. 30, 2012 09:54 PM
The Republic
azcentral.com
The man Scottsdale police shot and killed after he threatened officers with pool cues was a former Marine with two tours of duties in Iraq, according to family members.
Jason Edward Prostrollo, 25, was shot dead early Saturday after officers were called to the north Scottsdale home of Prostrollo's acquaintances, police said.
Around 4 a.m., police received a call from a 35-year-old woman saying Prostrollo, a guest in her home, was drunk and fighting with her 50-year-old boyfriend, and had a knife.
Prostrollo worked in reconnaissance as a sergeant in the Marines and was discharged two years ago, said Prostrollo's father, Warren Prostrollo of Paradise Valley.
Warren didn't have any additional information about what happened the morning of the shooting, but he said the account of Prostrollo's actions in a police report "sounds so unlike him."
read more here
Train loaded with military vehicles on YouTube stuns viewers
Uploaded by walstib373 on Jan 19, 2012
Military equipment train loaded with tanks and other vehicles of war rolls through Morgan Hill, Calif. on Jan. 19, 2012. The train originated in Oxnard and is headed to the Sierra Army Depot in Herlong. This train ran as the UP 7623 SOXHR-17 via the Coast Line.
Uploaded by 911Infowarrior on Jan 20, 2012
This video was uploaded to facebook via mobile by a Mr Andrew Tuckman yesterday, January 19th 2012, with the following caption.
I began filming this after a dozen or so train cars went by on a stretch of track south of Santa Cruz California. Where are the military vehicles going? Why are they being shipped? What could this possibly be for? Barack Obama, what are you up to?
Air Force Rise in suicides leads to 1-day standdown
Rise in suicides leads to 1-day standdown
By Brian Everstine - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012 7:03:36 EST
The Air Force has begun 2012 with a spike in suicides, prompting leadership to direct bases to stand down for resiliency training even as additional airmen have taken their lives.
As of late January, the Air Force has recorded 15 suicides — including active duty, National Guard, Reserve and civilians — up five from the same period last year. The increase in the beginning of the year led Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy to issue a memorandum to major commands requiring that all units schedule a one-day standdown to “refocus on resiliency.”
“Our Airmen are too important to lose in this manner, and the costs to individuals, families, friends, co-workers, and our mission are beyond measure,” the Jan. 12 memorandum states.
Suicides through Jan. 26 total almost half of the 29 active-duty suicides in 2011. No January in the past eight years has had more than 10 airmen commit suicide.
In 2011, the Air Force confirmed 29 active-duty suicides, along with 27 in the National Guard and Reserve. An additional 13 active-duty cases were still pending confirmation.
The problem is, this is actually part of the problem. They have been doing "resiliency training" for far too long and the result has not been good.
By Brian Everstine - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012 7:03:36 EST
The Air Force has begun 2012 with a spike in suicides, prompting leadership to direct bases to stand down for resiliency training even as additional airmen have taken their lives.
As of late January, the Air Force has recorded 15 suicides — including active duty, National Guard, Reserve and civilians — up five from the same period last year. The increase in the beginning of the year led Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force James Roy to issue a memorandum to major commands requiring that all units schedule a one-day standdown to “refocus on resiliency.”
“Our Airmen are too important to lose in this manner, and the costs to individuals, families, friends, co-workers, and our mission are beyond measure,” the Jan. 12 memorandum states.
Suicides through Jan. 26 total almost half of the 29 active-duty suicides in 2011. No January in the past eight years has had more than 10 airmen commit suicide.
In 2011, the Air Force confirmed 29 active-duty suicides, along with 27 in the National Guard and Reserve. An additional 13 active-duty cases were still pending confirmation.
Even while bases around the world were holding their resiliency days, two more airmen were suspected of committing suicide, including a 21-year-old airman first class at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo., on Jan. 18 and a 43-year-old chief master sergeant on Jan. 21 at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D.read more here
The problem is, this is actually part of the problem. They have been doing "resiliency training" for far too long and the result has not been good.
Resiliency takes a village
Posted 1/30/2012
Commentary by Col. Rory Welch
Vice Commander, 45th Space Wing
1/30/2012 - PATRICK AFB, Fla. --
It happens to everyone. Life gets complicated, works gets busy and the end result is stress; lots of stress.
The problem is that too often people don't know where to turn when stressed, and there is a stigma that asking for help makes you less promotable, less reliable or marks you as "that guy."
"None of us are absolutely and perfectly equipped to handle the unique, ever-evolving rigors of military service; and, occasionally, each of us may require, to varying degrees, some form of assistance," said Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, in his speech at the Caring for People Forum.
The fact of the matter is we all cope with circumstances that affect us in different ways, and we all might have to ask for help in dealing with personal issues from time to time. We must be open to the idea of getting help when we feel that we need it, and encourage fellow Airmen or family members to do the same when they experience difficulties.
There have been many Air Force lives lost to suicide with no explanation other than they didn't get the help they needed. And while suicide prevention is a complex process, one Airman going without assistance is one too many.
read more here
Ind. Guardsman injured in blast recovering after surgery
Ind. Guardsman injured in blast recovering after surgery
Maps
Hammond, IN, USA
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Romney's 5 Falsehoods
Mitt Will Say Anything. 5 Recent Falsehoods & Counting Exposed Here.
Newt.org/Please_Support
Associated Press
12:03 p.m. CST, January 30, 2012
The only survivor of a roadside bombing in Afghanistan that killed four members of an Indiana National Guard unit is recovering from surgery during which six titanium plates were implanted in his shattered face.
Relatives of Pvt. Doug Rachowicz said the 30-year-old Hammond soldier underwent the five-hour facial surgery Friday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Kathy Rachowicz said her son has undergone multiple surgeries since the Jan. 6 roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan, but she said Friday's surgery was expected to be the final surgical procedure he'll need.
"Now he will start to heal," Rachowicz told The Times of Munster.
Maps
Hammond, IN, USA
Ads by Google
Romney's 5 Falsehoods
Mitt Will Say Anything. 5 Recent Falsehoods & Counting Exposed Here.
Newt.org/Please_Support
Associated Press
12:03 p.m. CST, January 30, 2012
The only survivor of a roadside bombing in Afghanistan that killed four members of an Indiana National Guard unit is recovering from surgery during which six titanium plates were implanted in his shattered face.
Relatives of Pvt. Doug Rachowicz said the 30-year-old Hammond soldier underwent the five-hour facial surgery Friday at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Kathy Rachowicz said her son has undergone multiple surgeries since the Jan. 6 roadside bombing in southern Afghanistan, but she said Friday's surgery was expected to be the final surgical procedure he'll need.
"Now he will start to heal," Rachowicz told The Times of Munster.
She said officials may inform her son sometime Monday of the deaths.
Spc. Brian J. Leonhardt, 21, of Merrillville; Spc. Robert J. Tauteris Jr., 44, of Hamlet; Staff Sgt. Jonathan M. Metzger, 32, of Indianapolis; and Spc. Christopher A. Patterson, 20, of Aurora, Ill., were killed in the explosion.
All four, along with Rachowicz, were members of the Valparaiso-based 713th Engineering Company.
read more here
Veterans Court: 'I Was Afforded Mercy and was Given Grace by People I Never Expected it From
Veterans Court: 'I Was Afforded Mercy and was Given Grace by People I Never Expected it From'
Hector Matascastillo, a former Army Ranger, spoke about the importance Veterans' Court programs like the one Washington County launched Monday in Stillwater are for vets who find themselves embattled in the criminal justice system.
By Shawn Hogendorf
Eight years ago, former Army Ranger, Hector Matascastillo, found himself standing in front of his home, armed with two unloaded pistols, and surrounded by eight Lakeville police officers.
“January 24, 2004, that was my intersection with the criminal justice system,” Matascastillo, who served on 13 military deployments said Monday morning at the unveiling of the Washington County Veterans Court diversion program.
That night, Matascastillo, 39, of St. Paul said he went into a disassociative state of mind due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that hadn’t been treated—other than self medicating—and wound up in his front yard in an armed standoff in the midst of a flashback.
“In my mind I was engaging one individual after clearing a room,” he said. “The whole incident was about four-minutes long. About 30 seconds into it I realized I wasn’t where I thought I was and that I was surrounded by police officers who all had their guns out at me.”
At that moment, Matascastillo said, he was faced with the question: “Do I want to survive this thing?”
As he began to realize what was happening, the situation “quickly evolved” into feelings of shame, Matascastillo said.
“I couldn’t believe it. My kid was watching while this was happening. I was out of control,” he said. “I thought I failed and let everyone down. I didn’t live up to the creed. I wanted to die at that point.”
Eventually, Matascastillo gave up his weapons and went to the ground.
That’s when the healing started.
read more here
Hector Matascastillo, a former Army Ranger, spoke about the importance Veterans' Court programs like the one Washington County launched Monday in Stillwater are for vets who find themselves embattled in the criminal justice system.
By Shawn Hogendorf
Former Army Ranger, Hector Matascastillo, talks about the importance of Veterans Court programs like the one Washington County unveiled Monday in Stillwater. Credit Shawn Hogendorf
Eight years ago, former Army Ranger, Hector Matascastillo, found himself standing in front of his home, armed with two unloaded pistols, and surrounded by eight Lakeville police officers.
“January 24, 2004, that was my intersection with the criminal justice system,” Matascastillo, who served on 13 military deployments said Monday morning at the unveiling of the Washington County Veterans Court diversion program.
That night, Matascastillo, 39, of St. Paul said he went into a disassociative state of mind due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder that hadn’t been treated—other than self medicating—and wound up in his front yard in an armed standoff in the midst of a flashback.
“In my mind I was engaging one individual after clearing a room,” he said. “The whole incident was about four-minutes long. About 30 seconds into it I realized I wasn’t where I thought I was and that I was surrounded by police officers who all had their guns out at me.”
At that moment, Matascastillo said, he was faced with the question: “Do I want to survive this thing?”
As he began to realize what was happening, the situation “quickly evolved” into feelings of shame, Matascastillo said.
“I couldn’t believe it. My kid was watching while this was happening. I was out of control,” he said. “I thought I failed and let everyone down. I didn’t live up to the creed. I wanted to die at that point.”
Eventually, Matascastillo gave up his weapons and went to the ground.
That’s when the healing started.
read more here
Boy With Cerebral Palsy Walks Into The Arms Of Dad Returning From Afghanistan
UPDATE May 12, 2012
It looks like the "big boys" finally picked up on this fantastic story. What took them so long?Old news new again
It looks like the "big boys" finally picked up on this fantastic story. What took them so long?Old news new again
Get ready to cry again!
Boy With Cerebral Palsy Walks Into The Arms Of Dad Returning From Afghanistan
A little boy determined to defy doctors is inspiring people around him.
Posted: 7:45 PM Jan 30, 2012
Six-Year-Old Michael Cooney of Onslow County was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy near his first birthday. His mother Melissa says doctors said he'd never walk again.
But this past December, Michael's dad returned home to Camp Lejeune after a six month deployment-- and for the first time Michael walked to his father.
read more here
Are Vietnam veterans too old to heal?
Are Vietnam veterans too old to heal?
by
Chaplain Kathie
I get this question a lot. There was a time when I thought it may be true but life told a totally different story.
After watching my husband get worse on a daily basis it was hard to hope for better days. He refused to go to the VA. When my Dad, a Korean War veteran, met him, he said "He's a nice guy but he's got shell shock," I figured I could handle the symptoms that went with him. I had no clue it would get worse. So many years after Vietnam, I thought "what you see is what you get" and I was fine with that. Then I began to wonder what my Dad was talking about. Why was this man I loved so different from all the veterans I grew up with? My Dad, my uncles were WWII veterans and I had a cousin that was a Vietnam vet. What was all of this about?
That's when I started to study the Vietnam War and discovered the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was 1982.
The longer PTSD goes untreated the more damage is done but it is never, ever, hopeless to heal. When PTSD is considered mild, most of the issues going along with combat trauma is reversible. Nightmares can be killed off so they can sleep at night without medications and most of the cross effects on the families are avoided so the families stay together, leaning on each other for support. The problem is, most of the time what they need to heal early on is something they don't receive. Families are usually left out. They don't know what they can do to help the veteran heal and end up harming them even more. Disfunction in the family, pointing fingers and blaming them for the trouble in the home ends up reinforcing how they already feel about themselves and this makes PTSD worse.
As the years go on PTSD gets worse left untreated much like an infection gets worse without treatment, more and more "tissue" is destroyed and the infection claims more territory. We all know what happens when an infection is finally treated. It leaves a scar. The depth of the scar depends on how long the infection was allowed to spread out.
With Vietnam veterans there is a lot more work to do to help them heal but it is never too late to start. I've seen them restore relationships with their adult children and often their estranged spouse. That is how amazing these veterans are. Most of the time they will end up working with newer veterans in some organization like Point Man International Ministries because they understand what it is like to be a member of this unique class of combat veteran. One out of three will end up with PTSD. Right now the rates are a bit higher because of the number of redeployments. We are seeing National Guards and Reservists coming in at 50%, Soldiers at 40% and Marines at about 30%. When Vietnam veterans tackle a problem, they do it 100%! The newer generation thinks it is all about them but when you ask a Vietnam veteran what they get out of helping this generation of veterans, they say it is healing themselves as well.
My advice after almost 30 years is, learn all you can what PTSD is and get help as soon as possible. If you end up with medication that is not helping, talk to your doctor and get on something else. Don't stop there. Make sure your treatment includes all of you. Your overall health needs to be addressed with diet and exercise to retrain your body to work better. Your spiritual health needs to be addressed since PTSD is more of a spiritual wound than a simple psychological one. As time goes on, relationships pay a price, so the people in your life need to be included in on the healing too. They may not know what you went through, but they do know what it was doing to you and them as well. What you cannot cure, you can find peace enough to live with it and learn how to overcome it. PTSD does not have to win. The longer you wait, the stronger it gets.
This is a good article on this topic.
by
Chaplain Kathie
I get this question a lot. There was a time when I thought it may be true but life told a totally different story.
After watching my husband get worse on a daily basis it was hard to hope for better days. He refused to go to the VA. When my Dad, a Korean War veteran, met him, he said "He's a nice guy but he's got shell shock," I figured I could handle the symptoms that went with him. I had no clue it would get worse. So many years after Vietnam, I thought "what you see is what you get" and I was fine with that. Then I began to wonder what my Dad was talking about. Why was this man I loved so different from all the veterans I grew up with? My Dad, my uncles were WWII veterans and I had a cousin that was a Vietnam vet. What was all of this about?
That's when I started to study the Vietnam War and discovered the term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was 1982.
The longer PTSD goes untreated the more damage is done but it is never, ever, hopeless to heal. When PTSD is considered mild, most of the issues going along with combat trauma is reversible. Nightmares can be killed off so they can sleep at night without medications and most of the cross effects on the families are avoided so the families stay together, leaning on each other for support. The problem is, most of the time what they need to heal early on is something they don't receive. Families are usually left out. They don't know what they can do to help the veteran heal and end up harming them even more. Disfunction in the family, pointing fingers and blaming them for the trouble in the home ends up reinforcing how they already feel about themselves and this makes PTSD worse.
As the years go on PTSD gets worse left untreated much like an infection gets worse without treatment, more and more "tissue" is destroyed and the infection claims more territory. We all know what happens when an infection is finally treated. It leaves a scar. The depth of the scar depends on how long the infection was allowed to spread out.
With Vietnam veterans there is a lot more work to do to help them heal but it is never too late to start. I've seen them restore relationships with their adult children and often their estranged spouse. That is how amazing these veterans are. Most of the time they will end up working with newer veterans in some organization like Point Man International Ministries because they understand what it is like to be a member of this unique class of combat veteran. One out of three will end up with PTSD. Right now the rates are a bit higher because of the number of redeployments. We are seeing National Guards and Reservists coming in at 50%, Soldiers at 40% and Marines at about 30%. When Vietnam veterans tackle a problem, they do it 100%! The newer generation thinks it is all about them but when you ask a Vietnam veteran what they get out of helping this generation of veterans, they say it is healing themselves as well.
My advice after almost 30 years is, learn all you can what PTSD is and get help as soon as possible. If you end up with medication that is not helping, talk to your doctor and get on something else. Don't stop there. Make sure your treatment includes all of you. Your overall health needs to be addressed with diet and exercise to retrain your body to work better. Your spiritual health needs to be addressed since PTSD is more of a spiritual wound than a simple psychological one. As time goes on, relationships pay a price, so the people in your life need to be included in on the healing too. They may not know what you went through, but they do know what it was doing to you and them as well. What you cannot cure, you can find peace enough to live with it and learn how to overcome it. PTSD does not have to win. The longer you wait, the stronger it gets.
This is a good article on this topic.
Are you too old to heal?
by Heidi Schussman Gilbert, published on January 30, 2012
Most of us have at least one person in our family who has served in the military during wartime. These men and women live amongst us, some suffering more than others, some not suffering at all. As they age their sense of self worth comes into focus, and they struggle to explain themselves to younger family members. Talking about traumatic events experienced during war is stressful and exhausting. So the question is “Should we dredge up old painful memories? Are our grandfathers and fathers too old to heal?”
Apparently Frazier Sheppard and Laverne Shimanek feel you are never too old to heal. Sheppard (US Army, Vietnam) and Shimanek (US Marine, Korea) are both veterans of war and now they reside at Carmichael Care and Rehabilitation Center where Sheppard is President and Shimanek is Vice President of the Resident Council.
Shimanek and Sheppard frequently meet together to decide what would be best for their fellow residents. They then present the idea as a vote, or just try an activity and see how it goes. For some time they have noted a tendency for veterans to huddle together in the facility lobby, family room, or courtyard and talk quietly amongst themselves. Semper Fi, Hoorah, and a sharp salute are shared up and down the hospital corridors. Sheppard and Shimanek brought the idea of creating a social time for vets to Tracy Haroldson, the Activities Director.
read more here
For Soldier Disfigured in War, a Way to Return to the World
This is truly an amazing story of one of the many wounded in our name. Watch the video, hear his voice and then think of all he went through. It will bring a tear to your eyes so grab some tissues first. WOW.
By JAMES DAO
Published: January 30, 2012
Specialist Joey Paulk awoke from a coma in a Texas hospital three weeks after he was burned nearly to death in Afghanistan. Wrapped in bandages from head almost to toe, he immediately saw his girlfriend and mother, and felt comforted. Then he glanced at his hands, two balls of white gauze, and realized that he had no fingers.
So it began: the shock of recognition. Next came what burn doctors call “the mirror test.” As he was shuffling through a hallway at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, he passed a large mirror that he had turned away from before. This time he steeled himself and looked.
His swollen lower lip hung below his gums. His left lower eyelid drooped hound dog-like, revealing a scarlet crescent of raw tissue. His nostrils were squeezed shut, his chin had virtually disappeared and the top half of one ear was gone. Skin grafts crisscrossed his face like lines on a map, and silver medicine coated his scars, making him look like something out of a Terminator film.
“This is who I am now,” he told himself.
read more here
THE HARD ROAD BACK | SCARS OF BATTLE
For Soldier Disfigured in War, a Way to Return to the World
By Sarah Kramer and Meaghan Looram
The Shock of Recognition: After nearly 30 operations, Joey Paulk began to resign himself to his appearance. But with help from a program that aids badly burned veterans, he received surgery that revived his self-confidence.
By JAMES DAO
Published: January 30, 2012
Specialist Joey Paulk awoke from a coma in a Texas hospital three weeks after he was burned nearly to death in Afghanistan. Wrapped in bandages from head almost to toe, he immediately saw his girlfriend and mother, and felt comforted. Then he glanced at his hands, two balls of white gauze, and realized that he had no fingers.
So it began: the shock of recognition. Next came what burn doctors call “the mirror test.” As he was shuffling through a hallway at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, he passed a large mirror that he had turned away from before. This time he steeled himself and looked.
His swollen lower lip hung below his gums. His left lower eyelid drooped hound dog-like, revealing a scarlet crescent of raw tissue. His nostrils were squeezed shut, his chin had virtually disappeared and the top half of one ear was gone. Skin grafts crisscrossed his face like lines on a map, and silver medicine coated his scars, making him look like something out of a Terminator film.
“This is who I am now,” he told himself.
read more here
Monday, January 30, 2012
New treatment facility helps soldier make rapid progress against TBI
New treatment facility helps soldier make rapid progress against TBI
By JOAQUIN SAPIEN AND DANIEL ZWERDLING
ProPublica and NPR
Published: January 30, 2012
When Army Sgt. Victor Medina returned home from Iraq in the summer of 2009, his life was a shambles. His tour had been cut short after he suffered a concussion during a roadside blast. Though his injury wasn't visible, he struggled with balance and noticed that his ability to read, think and even talk had changed for the worse.
But in the spring of 2011, Medina became one of the first patients at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, the military's $65 million, state-of-the-art treatment center for brain-injured soldiers.
During his three weeks at the Bethesda, Md., center, the staff developed a rehabilitation program designed specifically for Medina. His recovery has progressed rapidly ever since, he and his wife, Roxana Delgado, told ProPublica and NPR.
Medina has continued to work from El Paso, Texas, by videoconference with a speech therapist based at the center, and he said his stutter is improving. After his injury, he had struggled to read more than a paragraph; now he says he can read and absorb two pages in one sitting. Medina also was ordered to stop driving after his injury, but he told ProPublica and NPR that he has regained his ability to do that, too.
"It's like night and day," Delgado said of his improvement.
read more here
July 2011
By JOAQUIN SAPIEN AND DANIEL ZWERDLING
ProPublica and NPR
Published: January 30, 2012
When Army Sgt. Victor Medina returned home from Iraq in the summer of 2009, his life was a shambles. His tour had been cut short after he suffered a concussion during a roadside blast. Though his injury wasn't visible, he struggled with balance and noticed that his ability to read, think and even talk had changed for the worse.
But in the spring of 2011, Medina became one of the first patients at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence, the military's $65 million, state-of-the-art treatment center for brain-injured soldiers.
During his three weeks at the Bethesda, Md., center, the staff developed a rehabilitation program designed specifically for Medina. His recovery has progressed rapidly ever since, he and his wife, Roxana Delgado, told ProPublica and NPR.
Medina has continued to work from El Paso, Texas, by videoconference with a speech therapist based at the center, and he said his stutter is improving. After his injury, he had struggled to read more than a paragraph; now he says he can read and absorb two pages in one sitting. Medina also was ordered to stop driving after his injury, but he told ProPublica and NPR that he has regained his ability to do that, too.
"It's like night and day," Delgado said of his improvement.
read more here
July 2011
Report: Pentagon Center For Brain Injuries, PTSD Is Dysfunctional
Man tries to sell Pat Tillman’s game-worn cleats on eBay
Man tries to sell Pat Tillman’s game-worn cleats on eBay … for $3.2 million
By Doug Farrar
Shutdown Corner – Sun, Jan 29, 2012
The Internet is a haven for weirdness at the best of times, but once in a while, you come across something that makes you wonder just what people are thinking when they get up in the morning. So it was when we discovered that a guy with the handle "az-jt" (actually 51-year-old Jerry Martin) put up an eBay listing for a pair of cleats supposedly worn by the late Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals defensive back who died in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.
read more here
By Doug Farrar
Shutdown Corner – Sun, Jan 29, 2012
The Internet is a haven for weirdness at the best of times, but once in a while, you come across something that makes you wonder just what people are thinking when they get up in the morning. So it was when we discovered that a guy with the handle "az-jt" (actually 51-year-old Jerry Martin) put up an eBay listing for a pair of cleats supposedly worn by the late Pat Tillman, the former Arizona Cardinals defensive back who died in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan in 2004.
read more here
St. Louis service records center, recovery from 1973 fire continues
At military records center, recovery from 1973 fire continues
By STEVE GIEGERICH
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Published: January 30, 2012
NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Debra Griffith didn't know where to turn when her father, a Korean War veteran with a failing heart, asked to be buried at a military cemetery near his boyhood home in Indiana.
With her parents long divorced and the family scattered across the country, Griffith had no clue where to find the records attesting to Lewis Lower's military service — or whether they even existed.
She turned the problem over to her husband, who learned of another hitch in granting Lower's final request upon contacting the National Personnel Records Center in north St. Louis County.
The file may have been among the millions destroyed 39 years ago in a fire that burned for two days through the sixth floor of the building in Overland the center once occupied.
The near-impossible task of restoring the charred documents that survived continues to this day — a labor of love and duty for archivists either too young to remember or, in some cases, not even born when a significant chunk of America's past went up in smoke.
read more here
By STEVE GIEGERICH
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Published: January 30, 2012
NORTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY — Debra Griffith didn't know where to turn when her father, a Korean War veteran with a failing heart, asked to be buried at a military cemetery near his boyhood home in Indiana.
With her parents long divorced and the family scattered across the country, Griffith had no clue where to find the records attesting to Lewis Lower's military service — or whether they even existed.
She turned the problem over to her husband, who learned of another hitch in granting Lower's final request upon contacting the National Personnel Records Center in north St. Louis County.
The file may have been among the millions destroyed 39 years ago in a fire that burned for two days through the sixth floor of the building in Overland the center once occupied.
The near-impossible task of restoring the charred documents that survived continues to this day — a labor of love and duty for archivists either too young to remember or, in some cases, not even born when a significant chunk of America's past went up in smoke.
read more here
Lawmakers to question VA pharmaceuticals purchasing practices
Lawmakers to question VA purchasing practices
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012 10:01:06 EST
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is looking into whether the Veterans Affairs Department spent $333 million on pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and other purchases without having contracts for the transactions.
The committee will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday to question VA officials on whether the department made purchases last year without contracting for them and whether the unauthorized buys have been going on for years — an issue reported in December by Bloomberg News.
read more here
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012 10:01:06 EST
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee is looking into whether the Veterans Affairs Department spent $333 million on pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and other purchases without having contracts for the transactions.
The committee will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday to question VA officials on whether the department made purchases last year without contracting for them and whether the unauthorized buys have been going on for years — an issue reported in December by Bloomberg News.
read more here
Fake "casket" airmen "conduct brought discredit both to the military and themselves"
No criminal wrongdoing in casket photo case
By Jeff Schogol - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012
However, the instructors in charge of the airmen in the picture have received administrative punishment because “their conduct brought discredit both to the military and themselves,” according to a news release from the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.Dated Aug. 23, the photo was taken by airmen with the 345th Training Squadron at Fort Lee, Va., where airmen learn to load and unload aircraft.
read more here
By Jeff Schogol - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jan 30, 2012
FACEBOOK Airmen attending Air Transportation technical school at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, posed for this photo dated Aug. 23. Air Force investigators have concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing by the airmen who posed for the photo.Investigators have concluded there was no criminal wrongdoing by the airmen who posed for a picture around an open casket case with another airman inside wearing a noose around his neck and chains across his body.
However, the instructors in charge of the airmen in the picture have received administrative punishment because “their conduct brought discredit both to the military and themselves,” according to a news release from the 37th Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.Dated Aug. 23, the photo was taken by airmen with the 345th Training Squadron at Fort Lee, Va., where airmen learn to load and unload aircraft.
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Medal of Honor Hero Sal Giunta helping veterans heal from PTSD
Iowa hero helps fellow servicemen
By Matthew Hansen
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Medal of Honor recipient Sal Giunta spoke in Omaha Monday, helping to raise money for a local non-profit that aids service members with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Giunta spoke to reporters and then delivered the keynote address during a fundraising luncheon for "At Ease," a Lutheran Family Services-affiliated group that offers anonymous counseling and other help to troops, veterans and their families struggling with PTSD.
At Ease "Is seeking out those who slip through the cracks," Giunta said. "That is awesome. That is important."
read more here
By Matthew Hansen
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
Medal of Honor recipient Sal Giunta spoke in Omaha Monday, helping to raise money for a local non-profit that aids service members with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Giunta spoke to reporters and then delivered the keynote address during a fundraising luncheon for "At Ease," a Lutheran Family Services-affiliated group that offers anonymous counseling and other help to troops, veterans and their families struggling with PTSD.
At Ease "Is seeking out those who slip through the cracks," Giunta said. "That is awesome. That is important."
read more here
Stolen 18-Wheeler Slams into ROTC Bus after Fort Hood visit
Stolen Vehicle Slams into ROTC Bus, 18-Wheeler
Posted: Jan 29, 2012
KILLEEN (KCEN) -- 44 ROTC students are shaken up after a man driving a stolen vehicle slammed into their charter bus and an 18-wheeler traveling through Killeen on West Highway 190 Saturday evening.
The accident occurred on the 1600 block of West Highway 190 around 7:00 p.m. Saturday when a white male driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring rear-ended the bus, causing the Chrysler to hit the guardrail and finally making contact with an oncoming 18-wheeler.
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Posted: Jan 29, 2012
KILLEEN (KCEN) -- 44 ROTC students are shaken up after a man driving a stolen vehicle slammed into their charter bus and an 18-wheeler traveling through Killeen on West Highway 190 Saturday evening.
The accident occurred on the 1600 block of West Highway 190 around 7:00 p.m. Saturday when a white male driving a 2007 Chrysler Sebring rear-ended the bus, causing the Chrysler to hit the guardrail and finally making contact with an oncoming 18-wheeler.
read more here
Major Jamie P. Murphy awarded Bronze Star V
WWR Marine Receives Bronze Star
January 30, 2012
Marine Corps News
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- Marines, sailors and family members gathered here to honor a Wounded Warrior Regiment staff member during an award ceremony at the regimental headquarters Jan. 27.
Major Jamie P. Murphy, the Wounded Warrior Regiment's future operations officer, was presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" device by his former commanding officer, Lieutenant Col. J.D. Harrill.
Murphy earned the Bronze Star for his heroic service in connection with combat operations against the enemy while serving in Marjah, Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Harrill, the former commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), traveled from Camp Lejeune, N.C. to present Murphy with his medal. With him, was Sgt. Maj. Richard Mathern, the former sergeant major of the unit.
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January 30, 2012
Marine Corps News
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. -- Marines, sailors and family members gathered here to honor a Wounded Warrior Regiment staff member during an award ceremony at the regimental headquarters Jan. 27.
Major Jamie P. Murphy, the Wounded Warrior Regiment's future operations officer, was presented the Bronze Star Medal with Combat "V" device by his former commanding officer, Lieutenant Col. J.D. Harrill.
Murphy earned the Bronze Star for his heroic service in connection with combat operations against the enemy while serving in Marjah, Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Harrill, the former commanding officer of 2nd Battalion, 8th Marines, Regimental Combat Team 1, 2nd Marine Division (Forward), traveled from Camp Lejeune, N.C. to present Murphy with his medal. With him, was Sgt. Maj. Richard Mathern, the former sergeant major of the unit.
read more here
Camp Lejeune Marine Arrested After High-Speed Chase
Police: Camp Lejeune Marine Arrested After High-Speed Chase
By Jon Erickson / Reporter
January 29, 2012
HOLLY RIDGE -- Authorities seized a Camp Lejeune Marine’s motorcycle after the Marine allegedly led police on a 20-mile, high-speed chase.
Steven Cruz, 21, was speeding on Highway 17 in Holly Ridge shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, Holly Ridge Police Chief John Maiorano said.
By Jon Erickson / Reporter
January 29, 2012
HOLLY RIDGE -- Authorities seized a Camp Lejeune Marine’s motorcycle after the Marine allegedly led police on a 20-mile, high-speed chase.
Steven Cruz, 21, was speeding on Highway 17 in Holly Ridge shortly after 3 p.m. Sunday, Holly Ridge Police Chief John Maiorano said.
Cruz throttled his Honda motorcycle to more than 100 m.p.h. in the chase that wound to North Topsail Beach, police said.
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The Invisible War: Sundance Film Review
Maybe this should be titled "It's not new just because it is news to you." but this has been going on for a very long time. Women have been complaining about attacks, rapes and a lot of other things the general public has not been made aware of, and it is high time everyone knew. The only problem I see with this is because of the changes in attitudes and more support women have been getting to come forward, it ends up looking as if the newer veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan are the only groups that have done this. Look back in history and you'll see that none of this is new.
The veterans subjected to sexual assaults should be fully supported and the criminals should not only be removed from service but put in jail. This is a crime no matter where it happens but when it happens at a time when these men and women are supposed to be able to trust each other with their lives, the last thing they should have to worry about is not being able to trust them with their bodies.
The veterans subjected to sexual assaults should be fully supported and the criminals should not only be removed from service but put in jail. This is a crime no matter where it happens but when it happens at a time when these men and women are supposed to be able to trust each other with their lives, the last thing they should have to worry about is not being able to trust them with their bodies.
The Invisible War: Sundance Film Review
12:15 AM PST 1/29/2012 by David Rooney
The Audience Award winner for best documentary at Sundance 2012, Kirby Dick's shocking investigation into widespread sexual assault in the U.S. military is an urgent call to action.
PARK CITY – A gut punch of moral outrage, Kirby Dick’s The Invisible War presents overwhelming evidence that the U.S. military’s purported zero-tolerance attitude to sexual assault is a charade. It illustrates the human cost of that sham with heart-wrenching displays of courage and dignity in the face of institutional indifference. Destined to draw major editorial attention, this hard-hitting advocacy film exposes the dirty secret not as an attack on the armed forces but as an indignant petition to protect the more vulnerable among their ranks.
Emotionally powerful interviews with rape victims, conducted by Dick’s producer Amy Ziering, form the core of the documentary. But even without putting faces to the issue, the statistics alone are staggering. Department of Defense data shows that 20% of servicewomen experience rape, sexual assault or sexual harassment, causing a higher rate of PTSD among them than among men in combat.
Given the repercussions – violence, ostracization, loss of rank or career – it’s estimated that 80% of sexual assault cases in the military go unreported. With 3,158 cases recorded in 2010, that puts the likely total for the year at more than 19,000. Of the more than 108,000 veterans who screened positive for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) in 2010, 45.7% were men.
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Iraq vets thankful for appreciation at parade
Iraq vets thankful for appreciation at parade, reflect on their service, role of faith
SUBMITTED ON JANUARY 29, 2012
Joseph Kenny | jkenny@archstl.org
Waving flags and holding signs, people three deep along the parade route yelled "Welcome home," "You rock" and "We salute you" to troops who have returned from Iraq. They were taking part in the nation's first Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day on Jan. 28 in Downtown St. Louis.
Catholics from Missouri and Illinois were among the thousands who gathered for the salute or took part in the parade. It started as an idea between two friends who quickly put together an official thank you to the men and women who served their country in Iraq. They began a Facebook group, Make January 28th Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day, that ignited thousands of passionate citizens to donate time, money and services for the cause.
David Behle, a Reservist who served in Iraq, said, "It's nice to be recognized. It means a lot." A member of St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville, he wants to see a similar event when troops return from Afghanistan.
"It's hard to believe that private citizens came up with this idea in three weeks time and made it this huge — a turnout like this on a January day," said Richard Cullen, quartermaster of a VFW post in Illinois. He is a member of Holy Ghost Parish in Jerseyville, Ill.
Cullen said his parish pastor, a veteran of the Korean War, and the parish have supported the troops as have many other churches. He noted that while he was in the Army serving in Iraq and Germany he was lucky to have a Catholic chaplain serving his battalion. "It's nice to be able to go to a service and practice your faith," he said, noting that it was a time to put aside worries. Whether it was in a tent or under a tree, it was really nice to have that."
read more here
Welcome Home the Heroes Vigil and Parade - Images by St. Louis Review
SUBMITTED ON JANUARY 29, 2012
Joseph Kenny | jkenny@archstl.org
Waving flags and holding signs, people three deep along the parade route yelled "Welcome home," "You rock" and "We salute you" to troops who have returned from Iraq. They were taking part in the nation's first Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day on Jan. 28 in Downtown St. Louis.
Catholics from Missouri and Illinois were among the thousands who gathered for the salute or took part in the parade. It started as an idea between two friends who quickly put together an official thank you to the men and women who served their country in Iraq. They began a Facebook group, Make January 28th Welcome Home the Heroes from Iraq Day, that ignited thousands of passionate citizens to donate time, money and services for the cause.
David Behle, a Reservist who served in Iraq, said, "It's nice to be recognized. It means a lot." A member of St. Joseph Parish in Cottleville, he wants to see a similar event when troops return from Afghanistan.
"It's hard to believe that private citizens came up with this idea in three weeks time and made it this huge — a turnout like this on a January day," said Richard Cullen, quartermaster of a VFW post in Illinois. He is a member of Holy Ghost Parish in Jerseyville, Ill.
Cullen said his parish pastor, a veteran of the Korean War, and the parish have supported the troops as have many other churches. He noted that while he was in the Army serving in Iraq and Germany he was lucky to have a Catholic chaplain serving his battalion. "It's nice to be able to go to a service and practice your faith," he said, noting that it was a time to put aside worries. Whether it was in a tent or under a tree, it was really nice to have that."
read more here
Welcome Home the Heroes Vigil and Parade - Images by St. Louis Review
National Guardsman searches for post-deployment work
National Guardsman searches for post-deployment work
By Kyle Martin
Staff Writer
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012
This is the statistical snapshot of Bret Tindall:
He’s young (28), a post-9/11 soldier (one month home from Afghanistan) and, like many other veterans from this decade’s wars, unemployed (13.1 percent).
Here’s what the numbers don’t show: Tindall has a 6-year-old daughter who just lost her two front teeth; he’s got a baby girl who’s a month or two from taking her first steps; his wife works long hours to put food on the table.
He has held a lot of jobs — welding together school buses, building furniture — but he was out of work before his deployment last year. He started his job search just before Christmas, but two interviews and a nervous habit of biting his fingernail is all he’s gained.
“It’s been a shock,” Tindall said. “There’s really not a whole lot out there.”
read more here
By Kyle Martin
Staff Writer
Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012
This is the statistical snapshot of Bret Tindall:
He’s young (28), a post-9/11 soldier (one month home from Afghanistan) and, like many other veterans from this decade’s wars, unemployed (13.1 percent).
Here’s what the numbers don’t show: Tindall has a 6-year-old daughter who just lost her two front teeth; he’s got a baby girl who’s a month or two from taking her first steps; his wife works long hours to put food on the table.
He has held a lot of jobs — welding together school buses, building furniture — but he was out of work before his deployment last year. He started his job search just before Christmas, but two interviews and a nervous habit of biting his fingernail is all he’s gained.
“It’s been a shock,” Tindall said. “There’s really not a whole lot out there.”
read more here
Battle Over Banner Supporting Our Troops in Little Falls
Battle Over Banner Supporting Our Troops in Little Falls
Created: 01/29/2012
By: Jay Kolls
It all started when a citizen was told to remove her signs of protest from her front yard. Robin Hensel's yard was a beacon of billboard material protesting the government and the War On Terror. But she tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the city told her the signs had to go because city code only allows one sign per yard. So, she turned her attention to a downtown banner that says "We Support Our Troops."
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Created: 01/29/2012
By: Jay Kolls
It all started when a citizen was told to remove her signs of protest from her front yard. Robin Hensel's yard was a beacon of billboard material protesting the government and the War On Terror. But she tells 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the city told her the signs had to go because city code only allows one sign per yard. So, she turned her attention to a downtown banner that says "We Support Our Troops."
read more here
Wounded Minn. Soldier Returns Home To Start New Career
Wounded Minn. Soldier Returns Home To Start New Career
By: Michelle Knoll
Created: 01/29/2012
A Minnesota soldier is back home looking for a new career. Matt Birr is returning from Fort Carson, Colorado where he was recovering for a bullet wound to the head. Birr who made sergeant the day before he retired, was shot in August 2009 while serving in Afghanistan.
His retirement comes just weeks before Rep. Gabby Giffords who suffered an similar injury. Birr and his mother have been following Giffords progress closely and say it mirrors much of his recovery.
read more here
By: Michelle Knoll
Created: 01/29/2012
A Minnesota soldier is back home looking for a new career. Matt Birr is returning from Fort Carson, Colorado where he was recovering for a bullet wound to the head. Birr who made sergeant the day before he retired, was shot in August 2009 while serving in Afghanistan.
His retirement comes just weeks before Rep. Gabby Giffords who suffered an similar injury. Birr and his mother have been following Giffords progress closely and say it mirrors much of his recovery.
read more here
Over 800 South Carolina National Guard soldiers set to deploy this weekend
Over 800 soldiers set to deploy this weekend
Jan 29, 2012
By Stefanie Bainum
sbainum@abcnews4.com
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) – Over 800 local soldiers from the 118th Infantry Army National Guard will be deployed this weekend. A ceremony for the soldiers and their families was held on Saturday at the National Guard armory in North Charleston.
One-by-one Lowcountry soldiers are preparing for what could be a year-long deployment to Kuwait.
"It's kind of bittersweet. This is the end of the training we've been doing everyday, including online training, several trips to other countries for training, but it's the beginning of what's in front of us," said Captain Plowden Dickson of the 118th Infantry.
For Dickson's family -- it's a sacrifice they've made before, but one that always takes some getting used to.
"We openly talk about missing him, our feelings, we just try to keep our routine the same and incorporate the deployment into our lives by writing letters and staying active," said Laurie Dickson, wife of Captain Dickson. "It is bittersweet, but we know that he's going to go out there and make a difference as well as all the soldiers and it's an honor being a military spouse."
It's a goodbye no family can prepare for-- but one military families across the country face everyday.
read more here
Jan 29, 2012
By Stefanie Bainum
sbainum@abcnews4.com
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) – Over 800 local soldiers from the 118th Infantry Army National Guard will be deployed this weekend. A ceremony for the soldiers and their families was held on Saturday at the National Guard armory in North Charleston.
One-by-one Lowcountry soldiers are preparing for what could be a year-long deployment to Kuwait.
"It's kind of bittersweet. This is the end of the training we've been doing everyday, including online training, several trips to other countries for training, but it's the beginning of what's in front of us," said Captain Plowden Dickson of the 118th Infantry.
For Dickson's family -- it's a sacrifice they've made before, but one that always takes some getting used to.
"We openly talk about missing him, our feelings, we just try to keep our routine the same and incorporate the deployment into our lives by writing letters and staying active," said Laurie Dickson, wife of Captain Dickson. "It is bittersweet, but we know that he's going to go out there and make a difference as well as all the soldiers and it's an honor being a military spouse."
It's a goodbye no family can prepare for-- but one military families across the country face everyday.
read more here
Wisconsin National Guard Major and wife to appear on The Amazing Race
Wis. Guard soldier, wife to appear on The Amazing Race
By The Associated Press
CREATED JAN. 29, 2012
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Wisconsin Army National Guard officer and his wife will compete in the latest installment of the CBS series "The Amazing Race."
Dave and Rachel Brown will be one of the 11 couples competing against each other in a trek around the world for $1 million. The show pits teams against physical and mental challenges.
Maj. Brown says 16 years of service in the Wisconsin guard and a recent deployment to Iraq should help him with the challenge.
read more here
By The Associated Press
CREATED JAN. 29, 2012
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A Wisconsin Army National Guard officer and his wife will compete in the latest installment of the CBS series "The Amazing Race."
Dave and Rachel Brown will be one of the 11 couples competing against each other in a trek around the world for $1 million. The show pits teams against physical and mental challenges.
Maj. Brown says 16 years of service in the Wisconsin guard and a recent deployment to Iraq should help him with the challenge.
read more here
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sen. Scott Brown released his military service record
Mass. senator releases Guard service records
By Steve LeBlanc - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 29, 2012 14:16:49 EST
BOSTON — Sen. Scott Brown released his military service record Saturday documenting the more than three decades he has served in the Army National Guard.
The records include his promotions, awards and officer evaluation reports, which offer high praise of Brown’s service during his years in the military.
An officer evaluation report from 1985 was typical, describing Brown as “a young and aggressive officer.”
“He is self-motivated and learns very fast. He has the potential to be promoted to a position with greater responsibilities,” the report said.
Brown, R-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee, is facing a tough re-election campaign.
His office said the documents show the reason he was passed up for a Guard promotion to lieutenant colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps in 2003 and 2004 was due to a missing document in his file.
Brown’s office described the failure to include the document — which showed that he had completed the necessary Command and General Staff Office Course — as an administrative oversight. They noted that after Brown appealed to show that he had completed the required military education, he received the promotion in 2006.
The same oversight caused the Army National Guard to place Brown into the Retired Reserve from July 2005 through December 2005, his office said.
Brown first enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard in 1979.
read more here
By Steve LeBlanc - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jan 29, 2012 14:16:49 EST
BOSTON — Sen. Scott Brown released his military service record Saturday documenting the more than three decades he has served in the Army National Guard.
The records include his promotions, awards and officer evaluation reports, which offer high praise of Brown’s service during his years in the military.
An officer evaluation report from 1985 was typical, describing Brown as “a young and aggressive officer.”
“He is self-motivated and learns very fast. He has the potential to be promoted to a position with greater responsibilities,” the report said.
Brown, R-Mass., a member of the Armed Services Committee, is facing a tough re-election campaign.
His office said the documents show the reason he was passed up for a Guard promotion to lieutenant colonel in the Judge Advocate General Corps in 2003 and 2004 was due to a missing document in his file.
Brown’s office described the failure to include the document — which showed that he had completed the necessary Command and General Staff Office Course — as an administrative oversight. They noted that after Brown appealed to show that he had completed the required military education, he received the promotion in 2006.
The same oversight caused the Army National Guard to place Brown into the Retired Reserve from July 2005 through December 2005, his office said.
Brown first enlisted in the Massachusetts Army National Guard in 1979.
read more here
Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter's actions deserve Medal of Honor
Marine hit by grenade rates MoH, buddies say
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jan 29, 2012
Lance Cpls. Kyle Carpenter and Nick Eufrazio were posting security together on a dusty rooftop in Afghanistan when an insurgent tossed a hand grenade at them. The world melted in a white-hot blast, and the two men were rocked by an explosion that could be heard nearly a mile away.
More than a year later, the Marine Corps continues to investigate what occurred, said Lt. Col. James Fullwood and Capt. Michael Manocchio, who served as two of the senior officers in their unit, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., during that deployment. Other personnel in the compound during the Nov. 21, 2010, attack insist there’s no doubt Carpenter shielded Eufrazio from most of the blast, and deserves the Medal of Honor.
“Kyle covered that grenade,” said Hospitalman 3rd Class Christopher Frend, the corpsman who first rendered medical care to Carpenter and Eufrazio. “Grenade blasts blow up; they don’t blow down. If he hadn’t done it, what we found would have looked completely different.”
The case’s profile was first elevated publicly after the state legislature in Carpenter’s native South Carolina credited him in a resolution last March with taking “the full blast from an enemy hand grenade in seeking to save a fellow Marine.”
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also
Marine Lance Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter, hero Marine honored
Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter discusses recovery
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jan 29, 2012
Lance Cpls. Kyle Carpenter and Nick Eufrazio were posting security together on a dusty rooftop in Afghanistan when an insurgent tossed a hand grenade at them. The world melted in a white-hot blast, and the two men were rocked by an explosion that could be heard nearly a mile away.
More than a year later, the Marine Corps continues to investigate what occurred, said Lt. Col. James Fullwood and Capt. Michael Manocchio, who served as two of the senior officers in their unit, 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines, out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., during that deployment. Other personnel in the compound during the Nov. 21, 2010, attack insist there’s no doubt Carpenter shielded Eufrazio from most of the blast, and deserves the Medal of Honor.
“Kyle covered that grenade,” said Hospitalman 3rd Class Christopher Frend, the corpsman who first rendered medical care to Carpenter and Eufrazio. “Grenade blasts blow up; they don’t blow down. If he hadn’t done it, what we found would have looked completely different.”
The case’s profile was first elevated publicly after the state legislature in Carpenter’s native South Carolina credited him in a resolution last March with taking “the full blast from an enemy hand grenade in seeking to save a fellow Marine.”
read more here
also
Marine Lance Cpl. William Kyle Carpenter, hero Marine honored
Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle Carpenter discusses recovery
Command Sergeant Major James Smith moves from police captain to top NCO at WTB
Trading his bars in for stripes
Smith moves from police captain to top NCO at WTB
Jan. 28, 2012
Philip Grey
Leaf-Chronicle
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The Command Sergeant Major of the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Campbell should be a familiar face to many Clarksvillians.
Just a few months ago, before he traded uniforms and insignia, he was Captain James C. Smith of the Clarksville Police Department.
Now, as the top non-commissioned officer of the WTB, Command Sgt. Major Smith has taken on a job that would seem to be as different from his role at CPD as could be imagined. However, the two jobs do intersect at a few points, which is partly why Smith was chosen by WTB commander Lt. Col. William G. Howard for the important role of overseeing the daily needs of Fort Campbell’s wounded, ill and injured soldiers.
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Smith moves from police captain to top NCO at WTB
Jan. 28, 2012
Warrior Transition Battalion Command Sergeant Major James Smith has risen quickly to the top of two demanding professions at nearly the same time. / Leaf-Chronicle/Philip GreyWritten by
Philip Grey
Leaf-Chronicle
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — The Command Sergeant Major of the Warrior Transition Battalion on Fort Campbell should be a familiar face to many Clarksvillians.
Just a few months ago, before he traded uniforms and insignia, he was Captain James C. Smith of the Clarksville Police Department.
Now, as the top non-commissioned officer of the WTB, Command Sgt. Major Smith has taken on a job that would seem to be as different from his role at CPD as could be imagined. However, the two jobs do intersect at a few points, which is partly why Smith was chosen by WTB commander Lt. Col. William G. Howard for the important role of overseeing the daily needs of Fort Campbell’s wounded, ill and injured soldiers.
read more here
Interstate 75 crashes kill at least 10 near Gainesville
Interstate 75 crashes kill at least 10 near Gainesville
By David Breen
5:04 p.m. EST, January 29, 2012
Interstate 75 is shut down this afternoon in Alachua County after a series of fatal crashes killed 10 people overnight.
Lt. Patrick Riordan of the Florida Highway Patrol said cars and trucks piled up amid poor visibility from fog and smoke from nearby wildfires. At least 18 people were taken to area hospitals as well.
At least 12 passenger cars and about seven semi-trucks were involved in the crashes, which happened at about 4 a.m. in both northbound and southbound lanes near Mile Marker 379, the FHP said.
FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said it could take days to piece together how many separate accidents took place.
read more here
By David Breen
5:04 p.m. EST, January 29, 2012
Interstate 75 is shut down this afternoon in Alachua County after a series of fatal crashes killed 10 people overnight.
Lt. Patrick Riordan of the Florida Highway Patrol said cars and trucks piled up amid poor visibility from fog and smoke from nearby wildfires. At least 18 people were taken to area hospitals as well.
At least 12 passenger cars and about seven semi-trucks were involved in the crashes, which happened at about 4 a.m. in both northbound and southbound lanes near Mile Marker 379, the FHP said.
FHP spokeswoman Sgt. Kim Montes said it could take days to piece together how many separate accidents took place.
read more here
U.S. Defense Department can't account for billions for Iraq
Where was all the talk about our deficit when all of this was happening? Will the men running for President have to answer that one?
U.S. Defense Department can't account for billions for Iraq, audit finds
By Josh Levs, CNN
January 29, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The U.S. is keeping Iraq out of the loop on some projects, report says
NEW: The U.S. Embassy in Iraq disagrees with that complaint
The Defense Department can't account for about $2 billion in past spending, report says
The department acknowledges a "records management issue"
(CNN) -- The U.S. Defense Department cannot account for about $2 billion it was given to cover Iraq-related expenses and is not providing Iraq with a complete list of U.S.-funded reconstruction projects, according to two new government audits.
The reports come from the office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction.
The Iraqi government in 2004 gave the Department of Defense access to about $3 billion to pay bills for certain contracts, and the department can only show what happened to about a third of that, the inspector general says in an audit published Friday.
Although the Department of Defense (DoD) had "internal processes and controls" to track payments, the "bulk of the records are missing," the report says, adding that the department is searching for them.
Other documents are missing as well, including monthly reports documenting expenses, the audit says.
"From July 2004 through December 2007, DoD should have provided 42 monthly reports. However, it can locate only the first four reports."read more here
Some veterans wary of GOP frontrunners’ tough talk on foreign policy
Some veterans wary of GOP frontrunners’ tough talk on foreign policy
By Zac Anderson
Tallahassee bureau
Published: Friday, January 27, 2012
JACKSONVILLE — After spending two tours in Iraq and losing two friends in combat, Army veteran John Fails listens with skepticism to the tough foreign policy talk coming from the GOP presidential frontrunners.
“Every deployment has a cost,” said the 27-year-old, who served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 and now studies public policy at the University of North Florida.
From covert operations against Cuba to confronting Iran over nuclear weapons, the Republican candidates — with the exception of Rep. Ron Paul — are largely pushing a hawkish approach to conflicts overseas.
In the past, such bellicose talk may have been guaranteed to win over support in this generally conservative region, with a heavy concentration of retired and active duty service members.
But Fails and other veterans interviewed on the campaign trail expressed the weariness of a segment of the population asked to bear the brunt of nearly 10 years of war in two countries, conflicts that killed more than 6,000 American soldiers and cost the country at least $1 trillion.
Florida has 19 military bases — including the Central Command for Iraq and Afghanistan — and more than 1.6 million veterans, so perceptions about who would make the best commander in chief can play a big role in presidential contests. Veterans’ support helped seal Sen. John McCain’s victory in the state’s 2008 Republican primary.
read more here
By Zac Anderson
Tallahassee bureau
Published: Friday, January 27, 2012
JACKSONVILLE — After spending two tours in Iraq and losing two friends in combat, Army veteran John Fails listens with skepticism to the tough foreign policy talk coming from the GOP presidential frontrunners.
“Every deployment has a cost,” said the 27-year-old, who served in Iraq from 2003 to 2004 and now studies public policy at the University of North Florida.
From covert operations against Cuba to confronting Iran over nuclear weapons, the Republican candidates — with the exception of Rep. Ron Paul — are largely pushing a hawkish approach to conflicts overseas.
In the past, such bellicose talk may have been guaranteed to win over support in this generally conservative region, with a heavy concentration of retired and active duty service members.
But Fails and other veterans interviewed on the campaign trail expressed the weariness of a segment of the population asked to bear the brunt of nearly 10 years of war in two countries, conflicts that killed more than 6,000 American soldiers and cost the country at least $1 trillion.
Florida has 19 military bases — including the Central Command for Iraq and Afghanistan — and more than 1.6 million veterans, so perceptions about who would make the best commander in chief can play a big role in presidential contests. Veterans’ support helped seal Sen. John McCain’s victory in the state’s 2008 Republican primary.
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Marine from Los Angeles is found dead in La Jolla
Marine from Los Angeles is found dead in La Jolla
January 28, 2012
A 20-year-old Marine from Los Angeles has been found dead in the La Jolla section of San Diego, the Marine Corps announced Saturday.
Cpl. Cody Adler was found dead Thursday. No information was released on where his body was found or the cause of death.
He was a small-arms technician assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
Adler's death is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
go here for updates
January 28, 2012
A 20-year-old Marine from Los Angeles has been found dead in the La Jolla section of San Diego, the Marine Corps announced Saturday.
Cpl. Cody Adler was found dead Thursday. No information was released on where his body was found or the cause of death.
He was a small-arms technician assigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing at the Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.
Adler's death is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service.
go here for updates
Marine robbed and shot in critical condition
Marine critically wounded in Church Hill shooting
By: TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF
Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: January 29, 2012
Richmond police are seeking the public's help in the search for a man who shot and critically wounded a Marine reserve sergeant after a robbery on Church Hill late Friday.
The victim was shot while walking with his girlfriend in the 600 block of North 33rd Street after being approached by a man who displayed a gun and demanded money, police said Saturday.
After the victims complied with the request, the man was shot.
The suspect was described by police as black, about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a skinny build and possibly in his late 20s. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored hoodie with a white-and-black or red bandana covering the lower portion of his face. The bandana possibly had a houndstooth print design, police said.
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By: TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF
Richmond Times Dispatch
Published: January 29, 2012
Richmond police are seeking the public's help in the search for a man who shot and critically wounded a Marine reserve sergeant after a robbery on Church Hill late Friday.
The victim was shot while walking with his girlfriend in the 600 block of North 33rd Street after being approached by a man who displayed a gun and demanded money, police said Saturday.
After the victims complied with the request, the man was shot.
The suspect was described by police as black, about 5 feet 10 inches tall with a skinny build and possibly in his late 20s. He was last seen wearing a dark-colored hoodie with a white-and-black or red bandana covering the lower portion of his face. The bandana possibly had a houndstooth print design, police said.
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N.J. leads the way in combating G.I. suicide
N.J. leads the way in combating G.I. suicide
Jan. 27, 2012
Written by
Gene Racz
Staff Writer
PISCATAWAY — Now that $40 million has been secured in the final 2012 federal budget to support military suicide prevention efforts, some involved in the legislative process are left wondering why it took so long to pass Congress.
Of the funds, $20 million will support suicide prevention efforts for active-duty soldiers and reservists at the Department of Defense, while the other $20 million will support veterans suicide prevention at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Activities funded may include outreach to vulnerable soldiers and veterans through TV, radio and social media, as well as direct suicide intervention efforts.
Part of the legislation, first introduced by Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., in 2010, was originally entitled the “Sergeant Coleman Bean Reserve Component Suicide Prevention Act.” It passed the House of Representatives unanimously twice but was blocked by members of the Senate minority.
The delay was attributed to criticisms regarding the necessity of special programs for part-time soldiers, in addition to a suicide hotline, Vets4Warriors, which is run out of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Piscataway.
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Jan. 27, 2012
Written by
Gene Racz
Staff Writer
PISCATAWAY — Now that $40 million has been secured in the final 2012 federal budget to support military suicide prevention efforts, some involved in the legislative process are left wondering why it took so long to pass Congress.
Of the funds, $20 million will support suicide prevention efforts for active-duty soldiers and reservists at the Department of Defense, while the other $20 million will support veterans suicide prevention at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Activities funded may include outreach to vulnerable soldiers and veterans through TV, radio and social media, as well as direct suicide intervention efforts.
Part of the legislation, first introduced by Rep. Rush Holt, D-N.J., in 2010, was originally entitled the “Sergeant Coleman Bean Reserve Component Suicide Prevention Act.” It passed the House of Representatives unanimously twice but was blocked by members of the Senate minority.
The delay was attributed to criticisms regarding the necessity of special programs for part-time soldiers, in addition to a suicide hotline, Vets4Warriors, which is run out of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Piscataway.
read more here
Colorado Springs homicide investigators look for answers after deadliest year ever
Colorado Springs homicide investigators look for answers after deadliest year ever
POSTED: 01/29/2012
By Sara Burnett
The Denver Post
COLORADO SPRINGS — The night was quickly going south.
Just after 8 p.m., a 60-year-old parolee had shot two people — killing one — in an AutoZone parking lot. Less than 20 minutes later, officers on a domestic-violence call shot a 21-year-old who threatened to kill his girlfriend and then pointed a gun at them.
Lt. Kirk Wilson, the man in charge of the Colorado Springs Police Department's homicide unit, was en route to that second shooting when the worst call of the night came in: Three teenagers, two of them brothers, had been shot, apparently victims of road rage.
Two of the young men already were dead. The third would be pronounced dead a short time later, making July 27, 2011, the deadliest night in what would turn out to be the deadliest year in Colorado Springs history.
There were 32 homicides here last year — a 33 percent increase over 2010 and four more than the previous record, set in 2007.
POSTED: 01/29/2012
By Sara Burnett
The Denver Post
COLORADO SPRINGS — The night was quickly going south.
Just after 8 p.m., a 60-year-old parolee had shot two people — killing one — in an AutoZone parking lot. Less than 20 minutes later, officers on a domestic-violence call shot a 21-year-old who threatened to kill his girlfriend and then pointed a gun at them.
Lt. Kirk Wilson, the man in charge of the Colorado Springs Police Department's homicide unit, was en route to that second shooting when the worst call of the night came in: Three teenagers, two of them brothers, had been shot, apparently victims of road rage.
Two of the young men already were dead. The third would be pronounced dead a short time later, making July 27, 2011, the deadliest night in what would turn out to be the deadliest year in Colorado Springs history.
There were 32 homicides here last year — a 33 percent increase over 2010 and four more than the previous record, set in 2007.
The other major cause for alarm were the deaths of seven children, all 2 years or younger. In each case, police arrested a parent or caregiver.
"We had way too many of those," said 4th Judicial District Attorney Dan May, whose district includes Colorado Springs.
Many of those cases involved families with ties to Fort Carson, May said. And most were not families that had prior contact with county human services.
"I think a lot of these are parents who couldn't believe they did this — who never would have seen themselves doing something like this, except for in that one moment," May said.
El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark, a military wife, said many military families face the added stress of deployment or the return of a service member. Because of the transient nature of the population, they may not have the support system they need.
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Biden visits Pendleton's wounded Marines
Biden visits Pendleton's wounded Marines
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Vice President Joe Biden visited with wounded Marines and their families at the Warrior Hope and Care Center at Camp Pendleton Friday, calling this generation of warriors the finest the world has ever seen.
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CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Vice President Joe Biden visited with wounded Marines and their families at the Warrior Hope and Care Center at Camp Pendleton Friday, calling this generation of warriors the finest the world has ever seen.
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JBLM: Crowded base posted highs for DUI, misdemeanor crimes in 2011
JBLM: Crowded base posted highs for DUI, misdemeanor crimes in 2011
By Associated Press
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD — With a full base for the first time in a decade and more soldiers stationed here than ever before, Joint Base Lewis-McChord last year recorded new highs for misdemeanor crimes and for offenses involving driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to statistics provided to The News Tribune.
Felonies and domestic violence crimes were up in 2011 compared with the previous year but were down significantly compared with 2008.
The statistics reflect crimes committed on and off base.
The local numbers are not dramatically different than Armywide trends, although the Army last year did see a small decline in total misdemeanor offenses after a six-year high.
Commanders are reluctant to draw conclusions from the local numbers because Lewis-McChord has more active-duty soldiers than it’s had in recent memory. Its 34,000 active-duty soldiers represent 15,000 more service members than were stationed here in 2003.
“We did not see any increase in crime that we do not normally attribute to the increase in population,” Col. Bob Taradash, Lewis-McChord’s top military police officer, said in an interview before his latest deployment to Afghanistan.
However, the consequences of those crimes appear to be increasing, as the military enters a time of reducing its forces and tightens its standards for staying in uniform.
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By Associated Press
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD — With a full base for the first time in a decade and more soldiers stationed here than ever before, Joint Base Lewis-McChord last year recorded new highs for misdemeanor crimes and for offenses involving driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, according to statistics provided to The News Tribune.
Felonies and domestic violence crimes were up in 2011 compared with the previous year but were down significantly compared with 2008.
The statistics reflect crimes committed on and off base.
The local numbers are not dramatically different than Armywide trends, although the Army last year did see a small decline in total misdemeanor offenses after a six-year high.
Commanders are reluctant to draw conclusions from the local numbers because Lewis-McChord has more active-duty soldiers than it’s had in recent memory. Its 34,000 active-duty soldiers represent 15,000 more service members than were stationed here in 2003.
“We did not see any increase in crime that we do not normally attribute to the increase in population,” Col. Bob Taradash, Lewis-McChord’s top military police officer, said in an interview before his latest deployment to Afghanistan.
However, the consequences of those crimes appear to be increasing, as the military enters a time of reducing its forces and tightens its standards for staying in uniform.
read more here
Recent suicides highlight chronic stress officers face on the job
As much as veterans have hold of my heart, cops come in a very close second. There is a huge difference between the level and type of PTSD military and law enforcement personnel end up with. They do not just respond after the event happens. Their jobs require them to often participate in the event itself. They use weapons. They have to use violence in response to violence. They see others wounded and at the end of the day they wonder if tomorrow will be their day. Considering both professions come with a lot of hatred from too many people, it makes everything harder on them.
Wednesday I was speaking with a Chaplain for the Orlando police. He is a minister, a veteran and ex-motorcycle cop. He said that when a firefighter shows up, everyone is happy to see them but when a cop shows up, no one is happy. It usually means they are in trouble or totally upset because a crime has been committed against them.
The number of exposures to traumatic events add to all the stress they already feel.
Wednesday I was speaking with a Chaplain for the Orlando police. He is a minister, a veteran and ex-motorcycle cop. He said that when a firefighter shows up, everyone is happy to see them but when a cop shows up, no one is happy. It usually means they are in trouble or totally upset because a crime has been committed against them.
The number of exposures to traumatic events add to all the stress they already feel.
Recent suicides highlight chronic stress officers face on the job
BY MAUREEN FEIGHAN THE DETROIT NEWS
JANUARY 29, 2012
Greg O'Dell was a respected law enforcement official and a married father of two when he drove his car to a residential street in Scio Township two days before Christmas last month, got out, and killed himself.
O'Dell, 54, the chief of the Eastern Michigan University Police Department, never told his colleagues he suffered from depression. Now, a month after his death, the department is trying to move forward while struggling to understand why a man who seemed to have it all would take his own life.
"He never let on that he had any issue," said Bob Heighes, Eastern's interim police chief.
In the past month, three men from public safety careers have died of suicide in southeast Michigan. Some public safety officials say it highlights the chronic stress law enforcement officers face and the challenges of persuading them to get help.
On Jan. 6, Daniel Armitage, an Ann Arbor firefighter whose wife had been hospitalized with domestic abuse injuries, lay down in traffic on Interstate 696 and was killed. Three days later, a border patrol agent stationed in Gibraltar killed himself in the parking lot of a Trenton hospital.
Studies show police officers have a higher suicide rate than the public. About 140 to 150 police officers kill themselves each year, or 17 per 100,000, according to Badge of Life, a group of active and retired police officers, medical professionals and surviving families of suicides from the U.S. and Canada. The rate for the general population is 11 per 100,000.
"Police officers are human," said John Violanti, a research associate professor at the University of Buffalo who has studied the suicide rates of police, military personnel and firefighters. "They not only have to put up with life's usual struggles, they also have to put up with this job that exposes them to death, human misery, abused kids. They can't get rid of this baggage and it eats at them."
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80 Wis. soldiers still wait for service benefits for Iraq deployments
80 Wis. soldiers still wait for service benefits
Associated Press
January 28, 2012
OSHKOSH, Wis.— Dozens of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are still waiting for thousands of dollars owed to them for their service in Iraq.
The delay is due to bureaucratic glitches and clerical errors, the Oshkosh Northwestern reported.
The soldiers, members of the Wisconsin National Guard 1157th Transportation Co., spent much of 2006 and 2007 in Iraq. When they came home they were due extra pay or days of leave for serving multiple deployments, but some never received what was owed to them because of errors in the way the Army computed and paid the benefits.
"It's frustrating," said Richard Vander Sande, one of the roughly 170 guardsmen and women in the unit. "
For some it's the issue of the money. For some it's the principle. If soldiers are owed something, they should be paid."
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Associated Press
January 28, 2012
OSHKOSH, Wis.— Dozens of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers are still waiting for thousands of dollars owed to them for their service in Iraq.
The delay is due to bureaucratic glitches and clerical errors, the Oshkosh Northwestern reported.
The soldiers, members of the Wisconsin National Guard 1157th Transportation Co., spent much of 2006 and 2007 in Iraq. When they came home they were due extra pay or days of leave for serving multiple deployments, but some never received what was owed to them because of errors in the way the Army computed and paid the benefits.
"It's frustrating," said Richard Vander Sande, one of the roughly 170 guardsmen and women in the unit. "
For some it's the issue of the money. For some it's the principle. If soldiers are owed something, they should be paid."
read more here
Fort Benning soldiers acquitted after facing court-martial
Fort Benning soldiers acquitted after facing court-martial in beatings of ex-soldier and woman
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: January 28, 2012
FORT BENNING, Ga. — Two Fort Benning soldiers have been acquitted of assault charges in the beatings of a former soldier and a woman in Columbus.
A military jury in the court-martial of Army Pvt. Nathan Smajda found him not guilty Friday of assault with intent to commit grievous bodily injury in the downtown attacks last April. A second soldier, Pvt. Dillon Fisher, was acquitted by a court-martial panel earlier this month.
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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: January 28, 2012
FORT BENNING, Ga. — Two Fort Benning soldiers have been acquitted of assault charges in the beatings of a former soldier and a woman in Columbus.
A military jury in the court-martial of Army Pvt. Nathan Smajda found him not guilty Friday of assault with intent to commit grievous bodily injury in the downtown attacks last April. A second soldier, Pvt. Dillon Fisher, was acquitted by a court-martial panel earlier this month.
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Wilder Marine killed in Afghanistan returned to Idaho
Wilder Marine killed in Afghanistan returned to Idaho
by Justin Corr
KTVB.COM
Posted on January 28, 2012 at 4:47 PM
Updated yesterday at 5:08 PM
BOISE -- After making the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan, the remains of a Marine from Wilder are back in Idaho.
Lance Corporal Kenneth Cochran was killed in combat on January 15 -- he was just 20 years old.
Cochran always wanted to be a Marine.
"We grew up hearing stories about my dad, and his time in the service," said Michael Cochran, Kenneth's sister. "So, it was kind of ingrained in us to be awesome and go for your dreams. And Kenny's dream was to become a Marine."
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by Justin Corr
KTVB.COM
Posted on January 28, 2012 at 4:47 PM
Updated yesterday at 5:08 PM
BOISE -- After making the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan, the remains of a Marine from Wilder are back in Idaho.
Lance Corporal Kenneth Cochran was killed in combat on January 15 -- he was just 20 years old.
Cochran always wanted to be a Marine.
"We grew up hearing stories about my dad, and his time in the service," said Michael Cochran, Kenneth's sister. "So, it was kind of ingrained in us to be awesome and go for your dreams. And Kenny's dream was to become a Marine."
read more here
Arkansas Iraq War vet gets life in prison for killing girlfriend
Arkansas Iraq War vet gets life in prison for killing girlfriend
Published January 28, 2012
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Iraq War veteran who sought acquittal on a capital murder charge in the death of his girlfriend has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
A Pulaski County jury of six men and six women deliberated about 90 minutes Thursday and eight hours on Friday before finding Steven Russell Jr. guilty.
Russell called police in November 2009 and told them had had shot Joy Owen, 24, a North Little Rock High School teacher, to death after an argument at the apartment the two shared, records show. He told officers where to find the gun he used, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported in a story for Saturday's editions.
At the time of Owens' death, Russell was on probation for a 2008 domestic battery conviction. Prosecutors alluded to the conviction in Russell's trial, but gave no details. The assault was included in Russell's mental health records and forensic reports submitted to the jury.
Russell's defense team admitted he killed Owens, but blamed the shooting on post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by his war service in the Middle East. Owen served in the Iraq War in 2003.
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Published January 28, 2012
Associated Press
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Iraq War veteran who sought acquittal on a capital murder charge in the death of his girlfriend has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
A Pulaski County jury of six men and six women deliberated about 90 minutes Thursday and eight hours on Friday before finding Steven Russell Jr. guilty.
Russell called police in November 2009 and told them had had shot Joy Owen, 24, a North Little Rock High School teacher, to death after an argument at the apartment the two shared, records show. He told officers where to find the gun he used, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported in a story for Saturday's editions.
At the time of Owens' death, Russell was on probation for a 2008 domestic battery conviction. Prosecutors alluded to the conviction in Russell's trial, but gave no details. The assault was included in Russell's mental health records and forensic reports submitted to the jury.
Russell's defense team admitted he killed Owens, but blamed the shooting on post-traumatic stress disorder brought on by his war service in the Middle East. Owen served in the Iraq War in 2003.
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