VA chief to visit troubled Orlando hospital, lawmaker says
posted by Mark Matthews on February, 3 2012 3:12 PM
WASHINGTON — VA Secretary Eric Shinseki told U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown today that he soon would visit Orlando’s incoming VA Medical Center, which is expected to miss its planned October opening because of design and construction problems.
Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat, said Shinseki made that promise during a breakfast meeting in Washington and that they were working to resolve what she called a dispute between the VA and its contractors. No date was given for Shinseki’s visit; officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs did not immediately respond to questions seeking comment or confirmation.
“We need to get it done and get it open,” Brown said.
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Saturday, February 4, 2012
VA chief to visit troubled Orlando hospital, lawmaker says
10-24-08 is engraved on the shovel I received at the ground breaking ceremony for this VA hospital. Yep. That long ago. I remember all the speeches given by politicians on both sides. Well it was to be expected since it was a big election year. Here we are in 2012 and as hundreds of thousands of veterans still wait there is more waiting to do. If you need to see a doctor, good luck getting into the VA clinic in Orlando. That parking lot fills up fast!
Coast Guard Veteran honored for saving lives of the men on the USS Dorchester
Veteran who pulled soliders from sea honored 69 years later
By Richard Robbins, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 4, 2012
It was a tale that unfolded in the dark, frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. On Feb. 3, 1943, at one of the lowest points of World War II, Vitale, a 21-year-old seaman with the Coast Guard, helped rescue 92 soldiers from certain death after a German submarine attack on the troop ship USS Dorchester.
On Friday, Vitale received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal during a ceremony at the American Legion post in North Belle Vernon -- the same medal for bravery awarded to John F. Kennedy for his role in rescuing the PT-109 crew in August 1943.
"I never spoke about the war to anyone," said Vitale, a retired school teacher and steelworker.
"I never thought it was important."
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By Richard Robbins, TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Tom Vitale received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal during a ceremony on Friday in the American Legion post in North Belle Vernon.For 69 years, Tom Vitale never told his family the story.
Brian F. Henry | Tribune-Review
It was a tale that unfolded in the dark, frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. On Feb. 3, 1943, at one of the lowest points of World War II, Vitale, a 21-year-old seaman with the Coast Guard, helped rescue 92 soldiers from certain death after a German submarine attack on the troop ship USS Dorchester.
Nearly 700 men were lost, and the Dorchester's sinking became the stuff of legend when four military chaplains gave up their life jackets so that others could live.For the next seven decades, Vitale, a hearty 90-year-old who lives in Fellsburg, Rostraver Township, said not a word about his actions during those rescue operations by the Coast Guard cutter Comanche -- not to Lois, his wife of 62 years, to his sons or daughter, to grandchildren or great-grandchildren.
On Friday, Vitale received the Navy and Marine Corps Medal during a ceremony at the American Legion post in North Belle Vernon -- the same medal for bravery awarded to John F. Kennedy for his role in rescuing the PT-109 crew in August 1943.
"I never spoke about the war to anyone," said Vitale, a retired school teacher and steelworker.
"I never thought it was important."
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Army doctors at Madigan suspended over PTSD screenings
Army doctor at Madigan suspended over PTSD comments
Two physicians on a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team have been removed from clinical duties, as the Army opens an investigation into whether PTSD screenings for soldiers were mishandled.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
A Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatrist who screens soldiers for PTSD has been removed from clinical duties while investigators look into controversial remarks he made about patients and the financial costs of disability benefits, according to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
Dr. William Keppler is a retired Army officer who leads a forensic psychiatric team responsible for assessing the PTSD diagnoses of soldiers under consideration for medical retirement at Madigan, an Army hospital located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma.
Army Medical Command officials confirmed two doctors had been temporarily removed from clinical duties and assigned to administrative work, but they did not name them.
In a prepared statement to The Seattle Times, they said the command has "initiated a top-to-bottom review of the process associated with the forensic psychiatric reviews conducted at Madigan Army Medical Center."
Two physicians on a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team have been removed from clinical duties, as the Army opens an investigation into whether PTSD screenings for soldiers were mishandled.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
A Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatrist who screens soldiers for PTSD has been removed from clinical duties while investigators look into controversial remarks he made about patients and the financial costs of disability benefits, according to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.
Dr. William Keppler is a retired Army officer who leads a forensic psychiatric team responsible for assessing the PTSD diagnoses of soldiers under consideration for medical retirement at Madigan, an Army hospital located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord south of Tacoma.
Army Medical Command officials confirmed two doctors had been temporarily removed from clinical duties and assigned to administrative work, but they did not name them.
In a prepared statement to The Seattle Times, they said the command has "initiated a top-to-bottom review of the process associated with the forensic psychiatric reviews conducted at Madigan Army Medical Center."
In rejecting those diagnoses, the Madigan team cited psychometric tests that indicated some of those soldiers were malingerers.
Some of the soldiers had been deployed repeatedly to combat zones and been diagnosed with PTSD by other medical professionals, according to a review of their medical records.
"Gen. Horoho has taken this seriously," Murray said. "I think it is important to send a message that this will not be tolerated."
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Fort Hood Brig. Gen. Terence Hildner died in Afghanistan
13th Sustainment commander dies in Afghanistan
Posted On: Friday, Feb. 3 2012 05:41 PM
FORT HOOD FORT HOOD — Officials have confirmed that Brig. Gen. Terence Hildner, commander of the 13th Sustainment Command, died Friday in Kabul, Afghanistan, of apparent natural causes.
Hildner, 49, listed his home of record as Fairfax, Va. He was born in New Haven, Conn.
Commander of the 13th Sustainment since August 2010, he deployed in December to lead the unit's ground-breaking mission to train Afghan troops in logistics.
"We are truly saddened by the loss of Brig. Gen. Hildner," Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, said in statement. "This is a tragic loss for the Army, III Corps and for our Central Texas community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
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Posted On: Friday, Feb. 3 2012 05:41 PM
FORT HOOD FORT HOOD — Officials have confirmed that Brig. Gen. Terence Hildner, commander of the 13th Sustainment Command, died Friday in Kabul, Afghanistan, of apparent natural causes.
Hildner, 49, listed his home of record as Fairfax, Va. He was born in New Haven, Conn.
Commander of the 13th Sustainment since August 2010, he deployed in December to lead the unit's ground-breaking mission to train Afghan troops in logistics.
"We are truly saddened by the loss of Brig. Gen. Hildner," Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr., III Corps and Fort Hood commanding general, said in statement. "This is a tragic loss for the Army, III Corps and for our Central Texas community. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends."
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Marines to Return from Longest at Sea Deployment in 40 Years
Marines to Return from Longest at Sea Deployment in 40 Years
Creatas/Thinkstock
(CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.) — A Marine unit is returning Saturday to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina after the longest at sea Marine deployment in 40 years.
“Approximately 270 Marines and Sailors with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, and 30 Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 22 are scheduled to return and see their family and friends,” a military statement said.
Another 960 Marines and Sailors from the same Marine Air Ground Task Force will return to Camp Lejeune on Sunday.
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Creatas/Thinkstock
(CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.) — A Marine unit is returning Saturday to Camp Lejeune in North Carolina after the longest at sea Marine deployment in 40 years.
“Approximately 270 Marines and Sailors with Battalion Landing Team, 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marine Regiment, and 30 Marines and Sailors with Combat Logistics Battalion 22 are scheduled to return and see their family and friends,” a military statement said.
Another 960 Marines and Sailors from the same Marine Air Ground Task Force will return to Camp Lejeune on Sunday.
read more here
Man planted a 17-foot white cross on property he owns for fallen memorial
MILITARY: Man seeks network of crosses to honor veterans
By RICK ROGERS For the North County Times
Posted: Friday, February 3, 2012
Don Vierstra is an affable guy.
But the smile slides from his face when talking about the Camp Pendleton cross and efforts to remove it for arguably not squaring with the Constitutional separation of church and state.
"I just couldn't believe what they want to do," said Vierstra, 76, a Murrieta resident whose nephew survived a bomb attack while serving in Iraq. "Why would somebody not like it?"
The Pendleton cross rose on Veterans Day in tribute to those wounded or killed in combat. The site has since become a shrine and reports are that another cross might have been added.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, along with the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, wants it removed.
This troubled Vierstra and roused him to action.
"When I see something wrong, I think, 'What can I do?'"
Last week, Vierstra planted a 17-foot white cross on property he owns along the west side of Interstate 15 in Murrieta, near the I-215 split.
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By RICK ROGERS For the North County Times
Posted: Friday, February 3, 2012
Don Vierstra of Murrieta stands next to a cross he erected on his own land near Interstate 15. Photo by Rick Rogers
Don Vierstra is an affable guy.
But the smile slides from his face when talking about the Camp Pendleton cross and efforts to remove it for arguably not squaring with the Constitutional separation of church and state.
"I just couldn't believe what they want to do," said Vierstra, 76, a Murrieta resident whose nephew survived a bomb attack while serving in Iraq. "Why would somebody not like it?"
The Pendleton cross rose on Veterans Day in tribute to those wounded or killed in combat. The site has since become a shrine and reports are that another cross might have been added.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, along with the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, wants it removed.
This troubled Vierstra and roused him to action.
"When I see something wrong, I think, 'What can I do?'"
Last week, Vierstra planted a 17-foot white cross on property he owns along the west side of Interstate 15 in Murrieta, near the I-215 split.
read more here
War Torn: An Iraq War Veteran's Story Lance Cpl. Ian Welch
War Torn: An Iraq War Veteran's Story
Wall Street Journal
WSJDigitalNetwork on Feb 3, 2012
Ian Welch was on his first combat tour in Iraq, waiting to storm across the Diyala Bridge and seize Baghdad, when an artillery round exploded behind him--changing his life forever. Now he and his girlfriend Katie are hoping love can change it back.
U.S. NEWS
FEBRUARY 4, 2012
For Wounded Vet, Love Pierces the Fog of War
By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS
That made it all the more jarring when he asked a favor as they said goodbye in the parking lot: "When you see me again, just say, 'Hi, Ian, you remember me,' so I'll know that we've met before."
So began the wartime love triangle of Ms. Brickman, Mr. Welch and his post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr. Welch's amnesia, induced by the combination of PTSD and traumatic brain injury, leaves him struggling to remember events, words and friends, even Ms. Brickman. Most days, Mr. Welch doesn't change out of his pajamas. Small surprises—a traffic jam, a crowded waiting room, a loud noise, a change in plans—trigger anxiety and anger, echoes of the violence he dealt and endured.
The Iraq war is over for America and the end of the Afghan conflict is just over the horizon. But a generation of military families will face its physical and psychological consequences for years after most other Americans have put the wars behind them.
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Wall Street Journal
WSJDigitalNetwork on Feb 3, 2012
Ian Welch was on his first combat tour in Iraq, waiting to storm across the Diyala Bridge and seize Baghdad, when an artillery round exploded behind him--changing his life forever. Now he and his girlfriend Katie are hoping love can change it back.
U.S. NEWS
FEBRUARY 4, 2012
For Wounded Vet, Love Pierces the Fog of War
By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS
Gilles Bassignac/Gamma via Getty ImagesDALLAS—The night Katie Brickman met Ian Welch at the bar, she knew right away the Iraq war veteran was the man she wanted to marry.
Ian Welch reported to boot camp on Sept. 10, 2001. After three tours of duty in Iraq, he retired on Feb. 27, 2010, for medical reasons, including post-traumatic stress disorder.
That made it all the more jarring when he asked a favor as they said goodbye in the parking lot: "When you see me again, just say, 'Hi, Ian, you remember me,' so I'll know that we've met before."
So began the wartime love triangle of Ms. Brickman, Mr. Welch and his post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mr. Welch's amnesia, induced by the combination of PTSD and traumatic brain injury, leaves him struggling to remember events, words and friends, even Ms. Brickman. Most days, Mr. Welch doesn't change out of his pajamas. Small surprises—a traffic jam, a crowded waiting room, a loud noise, a change in plans—trigger anxiety and anger, echoes of the violence he dealt and endured.
The Iraq war is over for America and the end of the Afghan conflict is just over the horizon. But a generation of military families will face its physical and psychological consequences for years after most other Americans have put the wars behind them.
read more here
DADT repeal crusader Dave Guy-Gainer dies
DADT repeal crusader Dave Guy-Gainer dies
Posted on 03 Feb 2012
Dave Guy-Gainer, who was a leading local advocate for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” died unexpectedly at his home in Forest Hill on Thursday.
Guy-Gainer was 63. A public memorial will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Legacy of Love monument on Cedar Springs Road at Oak Lawn Avenue.
Guy-Gainer, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who came out after leaving the service, was a member of the board of Equality Texas and a founding board member of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. He worked tirelessly for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” He also ran unsuccessfully in 2010 for the City Council in Forest Hill, a small town in Tarrant County south of Fort Worth.
Guy-Gainer was invited to the White House for the DADT repeal legislation signing ceremony.
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Posted on 03 Feb 2012
Dave Guy-Gainer, who was a leading local advocate for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” died unexpectedly at his home in Forest Hill on Thursday.
Guy-Gainer was 63. A public memorial will be held at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Legacy of Love monument on Cedar Springs Road at Oak Lawn Avenue.
Guy-Gainer, a retired Air Force chief master sergeant who came out after leaving the service, was a member of the board of Equality Texas and a founding board member of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. He worked tirelessly for the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell.” He also ran unsuccessfully in 2010 for the City Council in Forest Hill, a small town in Tarrant County south of Fort Worth.
Guy-Gainer was invited to the White House for the DADT repeal legislation signing ceremony.
read more here
Medal of Honor nominee among 26 vets at Maine "No Boundaries"
Medal of Honor nominee among 26 vets at Maine Adaptive's Veterans/No Boundaries program
By Terry Karkos, Staff Writer
Published on Saturday, Feb 4, 2012
NEWRY — From all outward appearances, Tyler Kurth looked and acted like a Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation volunteer on Friday at Sunday River Ski Resort.
Dressed head to toe in black, Kurth, 28, even wore a bright orange “Guide” vest while helping volunteer Kathy Kroll with her blind skier brother, Carl Kroll.
However, Kurth is one of 26 disabled veterans and active-duty military persons participating with their families in Maine Adaptive's seventh annual Veterans/No Boundaries program this weekend.
A retired captain with the 10th Mountain Division, he now works with the Wounded Warrior Unit at Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y.
By Terry Karkos, Staff Writer
Published on Saturday, Feb 4, 2012
NEWRY — From all outward appearances, Tyler Kurth looked and acted like a Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation volunteer on Friday at Sunday River Ski Resort.
Dressed head to toe in black, Kurth, 28, even wore a bright orange “Guide” vest while helping volunteer Kathy Kroll with her blind skier brother, Carl Kroll.
However, Kurth is one of 26 disabled veterans and active-duty military persons participating with their families in Maine Adaptive's seventh annual Veterans/No Boundaries program this weekend.
A retired captain with the 10th Mountain Division, he now works with the Wounded Warrior Unit at Fort Drum in Watertown, N.Y.
Like many of the participating veterans, Kurth is dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and physical limitations.
During a patrol on Oct. 2, 2009, with Afghan police in Afghanistan, Kurth was shot three times — in the right leg, right chest and right shoulder — from 4 feet away by an Afghan officer armed with an AK-47 assault rifle.
Kurth used his body to shield a soldier behind him, then saved the lives of two other soldiers and called for help.
Two soldiers were killed, while Kurth and two other soldiers were severely wounded. It was the first such attack of its kind by previously trusted Afghan nationals they'd trained, he said.
For his actions that day, Kurth has been nominated for the Medal of Honor. But on Friday, he just wanted to enjoy Maine Adaptive's program.
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Florida Navy Officer Shares Personal Experience with PTSD
While Lt. Firth says "When you return home in that mindset, you are considered abnormal.” he is following along with something many others do. The issue here isn't a matter of coming home "normal" because there is nothing "normal" in a human's life connected to combat. They are "not normal" in the first place when you consider they are less than 1% of the population of this nation. They are already unusual.
Look up the definition of "abnormal" and this is what you'll find.
Look up the definition of "abnormal" and this is what you'll find.
Definition of ABNORMALWe have less than 10% of the population living as veterans. When you understand this, then understand that while they may be "abnormal" to the rest of us, the changes they go through after combat is not. There are different levels of change, but every single one of them are changed by what they went through. The rest of us expect them to be "trained" to just go and come back as many times as they are sent without needing anything from us. It is all "normal" to them just as it is normal for a police officer to leave his family, get into a police car and be prepared to not be able to go back home again.
deviating from the normal or average : unusual, exceptional
Navy Officer Shares Personal Experience with PTSD
Posted February 3rd, 2012 by USNavySeals
A member of the Navy Safe Harbor community shared his journey with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Lt. Chet Firth was diagnosed with PTSD in 2011 after being deployed to Iraq for a year as an Individual Augmentee (IA). At present, he serves as a non-medical care manager for Navy Safe Harbor, the wounded warrior support program of the Navy and Coast Guard at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, in Florida.
Firth admitted that he was among those who did not consider PTSD as a real condition, but eventually had a change of heart. He shared: “After spending a year in a combat zone, you can’t return the same person… your brain is wired differently. You experience so many close calls that you become emotionally numb. In combat, that numbness, as well as demonstrating constant vigilance, makes you brave and strong. When you return home in that mindset, you are considered abnormal.”
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Friday, February 3, 2012
War not over: Ga. vets of Iraq now going to Afghanistan
War not over: Ga. vets of Iraq now going to Afghan
By Russ Bynum
Associated Press / February 3, 2012
FORT STEWART, Ga.—About 700 soldiers from Georgia are among the latest U.S. troops headed to Afghanistan for a war that continues even after the Iraq conflict's end, leaving anxious spouses and parents who wonder why their loved ones are still fighting.
A battalion from Fort Stewart, near Savannah, is deploying in the coming days, the first engagement in Afghanistan for ground forces from the Georgia-based 3rd Infantry Division that fought four times in Iraq, including in the invasion of Baghdad in 2003. Two more battalions are scheduled to follow this spring and summer.
"Do I really want him to go to war? No," said Christy Van Nest of her husband, Sgt. Jeffrey Van Nest, one of the deploying soldiers. "...It was sudden for a lot of the families and there was that conflict where we don't want to see our soldiers leave."
At a departure ceremony for the troops this week, she said she's proud of her husband and his fellow soldiers in spite of her concerns, then added: "There's a very real possibility that some of these people won't come home."
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By Russ Bynum
Associated Press / February 3, 2012
FORT STEWART, Ga.—About 700 soldiers from Georgia are among the latest U.S. troops headed to Afghanistan for a war that continues even after the Iraq conflict's end, leaving anxious spouses and parents who wonder why their loved ones are still fighting.
A battalion from Fort Stewart, near Savannah, is deploying in the coming days, the first engagement in Afghanistan for ground forces from the Georgia-based 3rd Infantry Division that fought four times in Iraq, including in the invasion of Baghdad in 2003. Two more battalions are scheduled to follow this spring and summer.
"Do I really want him to go to war? No," said Christy Van Nest of her husband, Sgt. Jeffrey Van Nest, one of the deploying soldiers. "...It was sudden for a lot of the families and there was that conflict where we don't want to see our soldiers leave."
At a departure ceremony for the troops this week, she said she's proud of her husband and his fellow soldiers in spite of her concerns, then added: "There's a very real possibility that some of these people won't come home."
read more here
St. Louis Iraq War parade may be the start of many more
St. Louis Iraq War parade prompts at least 10 other cities to consider doing the same
By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, February 3, 1:06 PM
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis parade welcoming home Iraq War and other post-Sept. 11 veterans was such a hit that at least 10 other cities around the country are considering similar celebrations.
Organizers of the parade that drew an estimated 100,000 observers and 20,000 participants in St. Louis on Jan. 28 said Friday that they have been approached by people from Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Tucson, Ariz., Nashville, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., and Clinton, Iowa.
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By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, February 3, 1:06 PM
ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis parade welcoming home Iraq War and other post-Sept. 11 veterans was such a hit that at least 10 other cities around the country are considering similar celebrations.
Organizers of the parade that drew an estimated 100,000 observers and 20,000 participants in St. Louis on Jan. 28 said Friday that they have been approached by people from Chicago, Denver, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Seattle, Tucson, Ariz., Nashville, Tenn., Greensboro, N.C., and Clinton, Iowa.
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The Living Diet is a great read
Once in a while a book for me to review comes in and I am pleasantly surprised. Usually by the fourth page, the book gets put away and I never mention it. I simply don't give bad reviews. This is one of the books that I am happy to share. It is short, so that says a lot for the author not wanting to "hear his own voice" more than the message he wants to share with the readers. He wants to share healing and that is very much needed right now. Great read.
The Living Diet
The world is full of people who are stressed out. Anyone who has lived through a catastrophic event – military veterans, disaster survivors, crime victims, firefighters and others – can have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Living Diet chronicles the life of a veteran who is overwhelmed by PTSD following his return from overseas combat tours. His only safety line is a former military chaplain who encourages him to seek help. It doesn’t matter who you are – veteran or non-veteran. It doesn’t matter whether you are male or female. PTSD can get a grip on you and control your life. Learn to adapt to the four key strategies of The Living Diet and begin your healing process today!
Marine slain by Afghan soldier during joint duty
Marine from Miss. killed
Slain by Afghan soldier during joint duty
10:57 PM, Feb. 2, 2012
Dycus
Written by
Therese Apel
FILED UNDER
News
Mississippi's first casualty this year from the war in Afghanistan died at the hands of an Afghan soldier who was guarding a joint operating base with him in the Helmand province, officials said.
Wednesday's death of Marine Lance Cpl. Edward Dycus, 22, of Greenville is under investigation, military officials say. Details were not released.
"He's not just another dead soldier," said childhood friend Kayla Bevill. "He wasn't killed by 'the enemy.' He was killed by someone that was supposed to be helping him guard, and that's what hurts the most."
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Slain by Afghan soldier during joint duty
10:57 PM, Feb. 2, 2012
Written by
Therese Apel
FILED UNDER
News
Mississippi's first casualty this year from the war in Afghanistan died at the hands of an Afghan soldier who was guarding a joint operating base with him in the Helmand province, officials said.
Wednesday's death of Marine Lance Cpl. Edward Dycus, 22, of Greenville is under investigation, military officials say. Details were not released.
"He's not just another dead soldier," said childhood friend Kayla Bevill. "He wasn't killed by 'the enemy.' He was killed by someone that was supposed to be helping him guard, and that's what hurts the most."
read more here
Judge Delays Fort Hood Shooting Rampage Trial
Judge Delays Fort Hood Shooting Rampage Trial
February 03, 2012
Associated Press
by Angela K. Brown
FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people during the Fort Hood shooting rampage will go on trial in June, a military judge ruled Thursday after agreeing to a three-month delay.
Attorneys for Maj. Nidal Hasan argued during a hearing at the Army post in Texas that they still lacked key evidence needed to prepare for the March trial. Prosecutors insisted defense lawyers didn't need more time, saying one defense expert was hired nearly two years ago and that he alone has already racked up about $250,000 in fees billed to the government.
The defense had asked for a July trial, but the judge settled for June 12. The trial is expected to last about two months.
Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the November 2009 attack at the sprawling Army post, which is about 130 miles southwest of Dallas. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.
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February 03, 2012
Associated Press
by Angela K. Brown
FORT HOOD, Texas -- The Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people during the Fort Hood shooting rampage will go on trial in June, a military judge ruled Thursday after agreeing to a three-month delay.
Attorneys for Maj. Nidal Hasan argued during a hearing at the Army post in Texas that they still lacked key evidence needed to prepare for the March trial. Prosecutors insisted defense lawyers didn't need more time, saying one defense expert was hired nearly two years ago and that he alone has already racked up about $250,000 in fees billed to the government.
The defense had asked for a July trial, but the judge settled for June 12. The trial is expected to last about two months.
Hasan is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder for the November 2009 attack at the sprawling Army post, which is about 130 miles southwest of Dallas. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.
read more here
Corpsman up! So Marines may live
Corpsman up! So Marines may live
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Story by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
RAF MILDENHALL, England -- "Corpsman up!" rang out like a shotgun in his ears.
The 7-ton truck he was riding in just crashed back down after being thrown 5 feet into the air after hitting an improvised explosive device while on convoy in eastern Afghanistan.
The smoke and dirt hadn't yet settled, and former Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn 'Doc' Dickens strained all his senses - desperately trying to find the 11 Marines and Soldier who accompanied him on the convoy.
"Hearing Marines scream 'corpsman up,' is the last thing a corpsman wants to hear because that means a Marine is hurt," said Marine Sgt. Dickens, who left the Navy to pursue a career in the Marine Corps after that Afghan deployment. "As I went from Marine to Marine and assessed the damage, I blanked out.
"It's not like I didn't know what to do, but more like I treated everyone - but don't really remember doing it," continued the former corpsman. "I can remember before, and have memory once everyone was fixed, but the center is kind of fuzzy."
Of the 13 men on the convoy, Dickens was the only one not injured. Sitting next to the spare tire in the truck saved his life. He remembers seeing the tire later and it was literally riddled with shrapnel, he said.
After the attack, Dickens triaged, then treated each and every fellow serviceman on that Afghan roadside, and can still recall the most-severely wounded Marine:
"Cpl. Aaron Grossman had taken shrapnel through the backs of his legs," recalled the former corpsman. "A large piece literally tore out his calf muscle, while another hit near a major artery. Had I not removed it, it could have shifted and would have cut his artery. He'd have bled out in a matter of minutes."
After saving the team members' lives, four were medically evacuated out of Afghanistan, treated at a stateside hospital, and except one, all eventually returned to their deployed unit.
Dickens didn't see Grossman again until he returned home. But, what happened during post-deployment defines what Sergeant Dickens considers the most rewarding part of his job as a corpsman.
At their barracks on Camp Lejeune, N.C., while moving as fast as his crutches would allow, Grossman scurried up to Dickens' mom, gave her a big hug and said, "Thank you for having the son you have. If he had not been there for me when I got hit, I probably wouldn't be able to hug my own mom anymore."
read more here
100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
Story by Tech. Sgt. Kevin Wallace
RAF MILDENHALL, England -- "Corpsman up!" rang out like a shotgun in his ears.
The 7-ton truck he was riding in just crashed back down after being thrown 5 feet into the air after hitting an improvised explosive device while on convoy in eastern Afghanistan.
The smoke and dirt hadn't yet settled, and former Petty Officer 2nd Class Shawn 'Doc' Dickens strained all his senses - desperately trying to find the 11 Marines and Soldier who accompanied him on the convoy.
"Hearing Marines scream 'corpsman up,' is the last thing a corpsman wants to hear because that means a Marine is hurt," said Marine Sgt. Dickens, who left the Navy to pursue a career in the Marine Corps after that Afghan deployment. "As I went from Marine to Marine and assessed the damage, I blanked out.
"It's not like I didn't know what to do, but more like I treated everyone - but don't really remember doing it," continued the former corpsman. "I can remember before, and have memory once everyone was fixed, but the center is kind of fuzzy."
Of the 13 men on the convoy, Dickens was the only one not injured. Sitting next to the spare tire in the truck saved his life. He remembers seeing the tire later and it was literally riddled with shrapnel, he said.
After the attack, Dickens triaged, then treated each and every fellow serviceman on that Afghan roadside, and can still recall the most-severely wounded Marine:
"Cpl. Aaron Grossman had taken shrapnel through the backs of his legs," recalled the former corpsman. "A large piece literally tore out his calf muscle, while another hit near a major artery. Had I not removed it, it could have shifted and would have cut his artery. He'd have bled out in a matter of minutes."
After saving the team members' lives, four were medically evacuated out of Afghanistan, treated at a stateside hospital, and except one, all eventually returned to their deployed unit.
Dickens didn't see Grossman again until he returned home. But, what happened during post-deployment defines what Sergeant Dickens considers the most rewarding part of his job as a corpsman.
At their barracks on Camp Lejeune, N.C., while moving as fast as his crutches would allow, Grossman scurried up to Dickens' mom, gave her a big hug and said, "Thank you for having the son you have. If he had not been there for me when I got hit, I probably wouldn't be able to hug my own mom anymore."
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Cherry Point Marines return from 10-month deployment
Cherry Point Marines return from 10-month deployment
Harrier detachment part of 22nd MEU
Havelock News
Some call them heroes, the men who pilot jet fighters in far off lands, protecting the United States and its allies from harm.
They see it a little differently.
“I think the heroes out of the whole group were the families that had to keep on pushing for 10 months with their spouses being gone,” said Maj. Michael P. Murphy, an AV-8B Harrier pilot who returned to Cherry Point Thursday after a 10-month deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The return of the six Harriers attached to Marine Attack Squadron 231 Thursday was just the beginning of homecomings at Camp Lejeune, New River and Cherry Point as the 2,200 Marines and sailors completed the longest sea deployment for a MEU since 1973. The typical MEU deployment is about six months.
“It was four months longer than most people were ready for, but we did it,” Murphy said. “I think everyone’s proud that we were able to make it happen.”
The 22nd MEU deployed about three months early on March 29 as tensions increased in Libya and the Middle East.
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Harrier detachment part of 22nd MEU
Drew C. WilsonDrew C. Wilson
Capt. Michael Murphy, a Harrier pilot with VMA-231, bends down to talk to daughter Elliot, 5, while walking hand in hand with daughter Annabel, 4, and wife JoAnne Murphy, of New Bern Thursday after Murphy returned from 10-month deployment.
Havelock News
Some call them heroes, the men who pilot jet fighters in far off lands, protecting the United States and its allies from harm.
They see it a little differently.
“I think the heroes out of the whole group were the families that had to keep on pushing for 10 months with their spouses being gone,” said Maj. Michael P. Murphy, an AV-8B Harrier pilot who returned to Cherry Point Thursday after a 10-month deployment with the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit.
The return of the six Harriers attached to Marine Attack Squadron 231 Thursday was just the beginning of homecomings at Camp Lejeune, New River and Cherry Point as the 2,200 Marines and sailors completed the longest sea deployment for a MEU since 1973. The typical MEU deployment is about six months.
“It was four months longer than most people were ready for, but we did it,” Murphy said. “I think everyone’s proud that we were able to make it happen.”
The 22nd MEU deployed about three months early on March 29 as tensions increased in Libya and the Middle East.
read more here
Obama seeks $6B to hire thousands of vets for public service jobs
Obama seeks $6B to hire thousands of vets for public service jobs
By LEO SHANE III
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 2, 2012
WASHINGTON — The White House wants $6 billion next year for a new veterans job corps initiative to employ thousands of servicemembers as police officers, firefighters and park rangers as they return home from the wars overseas.
The program, highlighted in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address last month, will launch in the next few weeks but will require cooperation from Congress to move forward in coming years. That could be a tough sell for lawmakers already looking for ways to avoid a looming $500 billion cut in defense spending over the next decade.
The plan also comes as the Defense Department prepares to shed more than 100,000 troops over the next few years, part of cost-saving measures tied to the end of the war in Iraq and the drawdown of forces from Afghanistan.
The police and firefighter jobs will come through a pair of community hiring grant programs designed to boost public safety employee numbers. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said nearly $500 million will be made available this year for departments that give hiring preference to post-Sept. 11 veterans, recognizing the “debt of gratitude” all Americans owe to those servicemembers.
“We want to encourage departments around the country to take advantage of the training, skills, dedication, discipline and competence that our veterans have gained through their selfless military service,” Shinseki said.
read more here
By LEO SHANE III
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 2, 2012
WASHINGTON — The White House wants $6 billion next year for a new veterans job corps initiative to employ thousands of servicemembers as police officers, firefighters and park rangers as they return home from the wars overseas.
The program, highlighted in President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address last month, will launch in the next few weeks but will require cooperation from Congress to move forward in coming years. That could be a tough sell for lawmakers already looking for ways to avoid a looming $500 billion cut in defense spending over the next decade.
The plan also comes as the Defense Department prepares to shed more than 100,000 troops over the next few years, part of cost-saving measures tied to the end of the war in Iraq and the drawdown of forces from Afghanistan.
The police and firefighter jobs will come through a pair of community hiring grant programs designed to boost public safety employee numbers. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said nearly $500 million will be made available this year for departments that give hiring preference to post-Sept. 11 veterans, recognizing the “debt of gratitude” all Americans owe to those servicemembers.
“We want to encourage departments around the country to take advantage of the training, skills, dedication, discipline and competence that our veterans have gained through their selfless military service,” Shinseki said.
read more here
Rep. John Garamendi's Bill would force rehiring of more reservists
Bill would force rehiring of more reservists
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 2, 2012
A California lawmaker wants to block most U.S. companies from using the excuse of poor economic times for not rehiring National Guard and reserve members who try to return to work following a mobilization.
The Veterans Reemployment Act of 2012, introduced Wednesday by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., would allow only small businesses to use a loophole in law that permits a company to not rehire a veteran because of economic hardship.
Garamendi said current law is failing service members.
Endorsed by the American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans’ organization, the bill “rights a terrible wrong,” said Garamendi, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “Because of a loophole in existing law, when National Guard and reserve members return from the front lines, too often they come home to see their job taken away from them.”
The bill, HR 3860, was referred for consideration to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the panel responsible for the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act that includes the rehiring rules. That committee also is taking a close look at the high unemployment rate facing returning National Guard and reserve members.
read more here
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 2, 2012
A California lawmaker wants to block most U.S. companies from using the excuse of poor economic times for not rehiring National Guard and reserve members who try to return to work following a mobilization.
The Veterans Reemployment Act of 2012, introduced Wednesday by Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., would allow only small businesses to use a loophole in law that permits a company to not rehire a veteran because of economic hardship.
Garamendi said current law is failing service members.
Endorsed by the American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans’ organization, the bill “rights a terrible wrong,” said Garamendi, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. “Because of a loophole in existing law, when National Guard and reserve members return from the front lines, too often they come home to see their job taken away from them.”
The bill, HR 3860, was referred for consideration to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, the panel responsible for the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act that includes the rehiring rules. That committee also is taking a close look at the high unemployment rate facing returning National Guard and reserve members.
read more here
Fallen Marine Sgt. William Stacey's last letter, "it was all worth it"
This is what makes them so different from the rest of us. This last letter to Sgt. Stacey's family tells them that for all the talk for and against what he was doing, he believed he was making a difference in this world. He didn't serve to do anything other than do some good for someone. We can talk about everything else but in the end, this is what it all comes down to. They are willing to die for each other, surrender whatever comforts they have at home to travel around the world but once they do, most of the country moves on, forgetting about them.
UPDATE
Fallen Marine’s letter: 'it was all worth it'
February 2, 2012
Tony Perry in San Diego
A flag-draped casket containing the remains of Sgt. William Stacey, a Marine from Camp Pendleton who was killed this week in Afghanistan, arrived Thursday at the military mortuary at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
Stacey, 23, a member of the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb while on a walking patrol in Now Zad, a onetime Taliban stronghold in Helmand province.
Like many military members deployed to a warzone, Stacey, whose parents are history professors at the University of Washington, left a letter to be read in the event of his death. The Seattle Times published the letter, with the family’s permission. It read, in part:
"My death did not change the world; it may be tough for you to justify its meaning at all. But there is a greater meaning to it. Perhaps I did not change the world. Perhaps there is still injustice in the world. But there will be a child who will live because men left the security they enjoyed in their home country to come to his.
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UPDATE
Fallen Seattle Marine's letter brings comfort, inspiration
By JOHN DONOVAN, KOMO-TV
Published 10:52 a.m., Saturday, February 4, 2012
In a letter left behind for his family, a Seattle Marine who was recently killed in the line of duty is providing inspiration to all of us.
Sgt. William Stacey was on foot patrol Tuesday in Afghanistan when an enemy bomb went off, killing the 23-year-old.
Though he is now gone, Stacey is still speaking through a letter he left his parents to open in case he didn't make it home from the war.
"My death did not change the world," he begins, but where he goes next is startling in its optimism.
This son of teachers who never loved school but in the Marines he thrived, was just weeks away from coming home after five deployments.
His letter was weighing what would make dying worth it.
"...there is a greater meaning to it," he writes. And obviously he has seen a lot of kids during his time in the Marines, because he then says: "there will be a child who will live."
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