Fort Drum soldier delivers his own son
By GORDON BLOCK
TIMES STAFF WRITER
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2012
FORT DRUM — He may not be running in and out of phone booths or reporting for the Daily Planet anytime soon, but newborn Kal-El Williams has an origin befitting someone named after the comic book hero Superman: He was delivered by his father, Sgt. 1st Class Antwan M. Williams, on the side of the road in Carthage the night of Feb. 2.
Sgt. Williams had been driving his wife, Andrea A. Williams, to Carthage Area Hospital from their home on Fort Drum.
While Mrs. Williams had felt some contractions previously, she called it a normal day to that point, and even had gone to work at the post’s Education Center, where she is a counselor. However, her contractions began to speed up rapidly around 9:30 p.m., at which point she knew the baby was coming.
As the Williamses hurried down Route 26 toward the hospital in their Ford Expedition, the contractions came even faster. About 3½ miles from the hospital, Mrs. Williams told her husband that her water had broken, and the baby’s head had emerged. At that point, he pulled over, turned on the SUV’s hazard lights and rushed around the vehicle to his wife’s seat on the passenger side.
read more here
Monday, February 13, 2012
Love Fort Bliss style for deployed soldiers on Valentine's Day
At Fort Bliss, video valentines recorded for soldiers
By Rene Leon
EL PASO, Texas
Sun Feb 12, 2012
(Reuters) - Aamber Alderson's sweetheart - her husband, Staff Sergeant James Alderson - will be thousands of miles away from her on Valentine's Day. So on Friday at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, she recorded a virtual valentine that will be sent to troops in places including Kuwait and Afghanistan, where he is stationed.
"We love you, we miss you, you're our hero, come home safely," Alderson said she told her husband.
Alderson recorded her video message as part of the "It's a Great Day to Love a Soldier" event at a Fort Bliss mall. Some, like her, came to send a message to a loved one.
Others recorded messages to all deployed soldiers, thanking them for their service. The 10- to 30-second messages will be seen by as many as 10,000 troops, according to officials at Fort Bliss, which organized the public event along with the Association of the U.S. Army and AT&T.
read more here
By Rene Leon
EL PASO, Texas
Sun Feb 12, 2012
(Reuters) - Aamber Alderson's sweetheart - her husband, Staff Sergeant James Alderson - will be thousands of miles away from her on Valentine's Day. So on Friday at Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas, she recorded a virtual valentine that will be sent to troops in places including Kuwait and Afghanistan, where he is stationed.
"We love you, we miss you, you're our hero, come home safely," Alderson said she told her husband.
Alderson recorded her video message as part of the "It's a Great Day to Love a Soldier" event at a Fort Bliss mall. Some, like her, came to send a message to a loved one.
Others recorded messages to all deployed soldiers, thanking them for their service. The 10- to 30-second messages will be seen by as many as 10,000 troops, according to officials at Fort Bliss, which organized the public event along with the Association of the U.S. Army and AT&T.
read more here
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Fort Eustis soldiers welcomed home from Afghanistan
Fort Eustis troops celebrate homecoming
200 soldiers home after a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan
February 11, 2012|
Allison T. Williams
NEWPORT NEWS – Approximately 200 soldiers from Fort Eustis are greeting family and friends in Newport News this morning, after spending the past year deployed in Afghanistan.
The 7th Sustainment Brigade eturn ceremony got underway at 10 a.m. at Fort Eustis' Anderson Field House, according to a U.S. Army press release.
read more here
200 soldiers home after a 12-month deployment in Afghanistan
February 11, 2012|
Allison T. Williams
NEWPORT NEWS – Approximately 200 soldiers from Fort Eustis are greeting family and friends in Newport News this morning, after spending the past year deployed in Afghanistan.
The 7th Sustainment Brigade eturn ceremony got underway at 10 a.m. at Fort Eustis' Anderson Field House, according to a U.S. Army press release.
read more here
Congressman presents posthumous medal to Vietnam Veteran John Shaw's family
Congressman presents posthumous medal to New Hartford Vietnam veteran
Story Created: Feb 11, 2012
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (WKTV) - A Vietnam veteran from New Hartford who passed away unexpectedly last year, has now been awarded the medals he earned serving our country.
read more here and see video
Story Created: Feb 11, 2012
NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (WKTV) - A Vietnam veteran from New Hartford who passed away unexpectedly last year, has now been awarded the medals he earned serving our country.
read more here and see video
WWII Montford Point Marine Charles O. Foreman
Last night I was at the Orlando Nam Knights. A car pulled up and an elderly man got out. He was introduced to everyone there as Charles O. Foreman, a WWII veteran and part of the Montford Point Marines to be honored with the Congressional Gold Medal.
At 87 he is just amazing. No matter what he had to go through because of the color of his skin, he'd do it all over again. He credits the Marines with making him the man he is today.
Here is the interview from last night.
They Made History
February 9, 2012
As the first African Americans to serve in the Marine Corps, Montford Point Marines changed the face of the United States Marine Corps forever.
Aspiring to the same title as any other recruits, they were tested with more stringent standards than any Marine who came before. Through it all, they demonstrated uncommon courage and immense pride.
This month we share personal stories in honor of three men who served at Montford Point--Robert D. Reid, Gene Doughty and Charles O. Foreman.
read more here
At 87 he is just amazing. No matter what he had to go through because of the color of his skin, he'd do it all over again. He credits the Marines with making him the man he is today.
Here is the interview from last night.
Brave Marine joked after being blown up "I told you guys I was gonna get to go home first"
MILITARY: Escondido Marine stays upbeat despite toll from roadside bomb
By MARK WALKER
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012
Five months after a bombing in Afghanistan tore off his legs, Marine Cpl. Michael Fox plans to stand on the parade deck at Camp Pendleton in early April and greet his buddies when they come home from war.
And he'll be smiling.
No one doubts the Escondido-raised Fox will be there, least of all his rehabilitation specialists at Naval Medical Center San Diego.
They also don't doubt he'll have a big grin on his face ---- that's just his way.
Fox even cracked a joke just after the hidden bomb detonated Nov. 15, shearing off his right leg above the knee and his left leg below the knee.
When his fellow Marines and a Navy medical corpsman rushed to his side, the resilient Fox greeted them with typical aplomb: "See, I told you guys I was gonna get to go home first."
The blast came as he and the rifle squad he led in the Helmand province area of Shir Ghazi searched a compound.
read more here
By MARK WALKER
Posted: Saturday, February 11, 2012
Five months after a bombing in Afghanistan tore off his legs, Marine Cpl. Michael Fox plans to stand on the parade deck at Camp Pendleton in early April and greet his buddies when they come home from war.
And he'll be smiling.
No one doubts the Escondido-raised Fox will be there, least of all his rehabilitation specialists at Naval Medical Center San Diego.
They also don't doubt he'll have a big grin on his face ---- that's just his way.
Fox even cracked a joke just after the hidden bomb detonated Nov. 15, shearing off his right leg above the knee and his left leg below the knee.
When his fellow Marines and a Navy medical corpsman rushed to his side, the resilient Fox greeted them with typical aplomb: "See, I told you guys I was gonna get to go home first."
The blast came as he and the rifle squad he led in the Helmand province area of Shir Ghazi searched a compound.
read more here
More contractors killed in Afghanistan in 2011 than military
Risks of Afghan war shift from soldiers to contractors
Published: February 12, 2012
More civilian contractors working for American companies died in Afghanistan last year than U.S. soldiers died, The New York Times reported.
The rising number of civilian and contractor deaths could remain an invisible toll of the war since private companies are not required -- and often don't -- publicly announce the names of their war dead.
Last year, at least 430 employees of American contractors were reported killed in Afghanistan, the Times reported, citing compiled data from the American Embassy in Kabul and data publicly available, in part, from the United States Department of Labor.
read more here
Published: February 12, 2012
More civilian contractors working for American companies died in Afghanistan last year than U.S. soldiers died, The New York Times reported.
The rising number of civilian and contractor deaths could remain an invisible toll of the war since private companies are not required -- and often don't -- publicly announce the names of their war dead.
Last year, at least 430 employees of American contractors were reported killed in Afghanistan, the Times reported, citing compiled data from the American Embassy in Kabul and data publicly available, in part, from the United States Department of Labor.
read more here
Another veteran arrested after calling crisis line
Suicidal veteran's case pits promise, federal law
After calling a crisis line for troubled veterans, Sean Duvall found himself charged with a weapons violation.
By Laurence Hammack
February 12, 2012
Homeless and depressed, Sean Duvall wandered the streets of Blacksburg, each step taking him closer to suicide.
In his backpack he carried a final note to his family and a crude, homemade gun fashioned from a piece of steel pipe, a shotgun shell and a nail rigged as a firing pin. For seven days, he contemplated killing himself.
Then, on the night of June 8, 2011, Duvall turned to the country he had served.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Duvall called a toll-free crisis line the Department of Veterans Affairs offers as a confidential resource for troubled veterans.
Duvall was looking for help. Instead, he found himself in federal court, charged with possessing a destructive device and three related felonies that could send him to prison for 40 years.
For the government to promise a veteran help through a confidential crisis line, then betray that trust by using his own words to convict him, is more than just unfair, Duvall's attorney argues.
"This is dishonorable," federal public defender Randy Cargill wrote in court papers. "It is wrong; it is unfair; it shocks the conscience."
red more here
After calling a crisis line for troubled veterans, Sean Duvall found himself charged with a weapons violation.
By Laurence Hammack
February 12, 2012
Homeless and depressed, Sean Duvall wandered the streets of Blacksburg, each step taking him closer to suicide.
In his backpack he carried a final note to his family and a crude, homemade gun fashioned from a piece of steel pipe, a shotgun shell and a nail rigged as a firing pin. For seven days, he contemplated killing himself.
Then, on the night of June 8, 2011, Duvall turned to the country he had served.
A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Duvall called a toll-free crisis line the Department of Veterans Affairs offers as a confidential resource for troubled veterans.
Duvall was looking for help. Instead, he found himself in federal court, charged with possessing a destructive device and three related felonies that could send him to prison for 40 years.
For the government to promise a veteran help through a confidential crisis line, then betray that trust by using his own words to convict him, is more than just unfair, Duvall's attorney argues.
"This is dishonorable," federal public defender Randy Cargill wrote in court papers. "It is wrong; it is unfair; it shocks the conscience."
red more here
Expanded review looking into why Madigan closed PTSD program
The program started in 2003 and stopped in 2010 according to this article. It seems as if a program like this would work since they were about treating the whole soldier and their families.
The program offered classes on stress management, group and individual counseling, yoga and other relaxation techniques. At the end of the day, patients would return to their barracks or homes. Later in the program's development, evening sessions were added for patients and spouses.
Expanded review looking into why Madigan closed PTSD program
The Army surgeon general will look into the closure of an intensive treatment program for soldiers with PTSD at Madigan Army Medical Center as part of an investigation into psychiatric care and diagnosis at the military hospital.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Army surgeon general is looking into why Madigan Army Medical Center closed an intensive treatment program to help soldiers cope with post-traumatic-stress disorder (PTSD).
At a congressional hearing last Wednesday, the Army surgeon general, Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, said the review was included in an ongoing investigation of PTSD diagnoses at Madigan.
A PTSD rating can qualify a soldier leaving the Army for medical retirement, which brings considerable financial benefits. At the Wednesday hearing of a U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee, Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Bremerton, expressed concerns the intensive treatment program at Madigan ran into trouble because its staff diagnosed too many patients with PTSD.
Horoho, responding to Dicks, said the program has not gone away but was merged with other behavioral-health programs at Madigan, according to a transcript of the hearing.
"Having said that ... we are going to investigate to make sure that's actually true, and that we're providing the best possible care to our service members," Horoho testified.
read more here
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Maj. Jeff Hackett was a standout Marine then he committed suicide
I struggled to find the right words to give this story the attention it really deserves. It tells a lot about what the men and women serving this country go through during their service and afterwards. It also talks about the failures that are still being repeated. Major Hackett wanted out before his second tour. He lost more men. The rest of the story has to be read to be fully understood that this happened to a Major and happens all too often to lower ranked troops.
Marine’s suicide is only start of family’s struggle
By Greg Jaffe, Saturday, February 11, 7:11 PM
If Hackett had been killed in battle or committed suicide before he retired in 2008, his wife would have received the $400,000 from the policy. But Hackett left the military and, amid mounting personal crises, let the policy lapse.
The VA, which failed to diagnose Hackett’s mental illness when he was alive, concedes that the Marine died of “severe and chronic” post-traumatic stress disorder connected to his service in Iraq. The agency, however, rejected the insurance claim.
For most of his 26 years in the military, Maj. Jeff Hackett was a standout Marine. Two tours in Iraq destroyed him.
Home from combat, he drank too much, suffered public breakdowns and was hospitalized for panic attacks. In June 2010, he killed himself.
Hackett’s suicide deeply troubled Gen. James Amos, the commandant of the Marine Corps. Hackett had been plucked from the enlisted ranks to lead Marines as an officer. He left behind a widow, four sons and more than $460,000 in debts. To Amos, Hackett was a casualty of war — surely the family deserved some compensation from the federal government.
Amos asked John Dowd, a prominent Washington lawyer who had represented Sen. John McCain, for help. “There is absolutely no doubt that he was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress,” Amos wrote to Dowd. “NONE WHAT SO EVER!”
“We will raise as much hell as we can,” Dowd, a former Marine, wrote back to Amos.
read more here
Community rallies for Iraq veteran who lost legs helping someone else
Community rallies for Palermo veteran who lost legs in crash
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Feb. 10, 2012
PALERMO, Maine — Two years ago, Jeremy Gilley was rappelling out of helicopters in Iraq, where he served as a U.S. Army specialist with airborne special forces.
The 27-year-old Gilley, a Palermo native who graduated from Erskine Academy in South China, made it home to Maine safely. But just before Christmas, disaster struck for the combat veteran when he stopped to help at an accident scene on Route 3 in Augusta.
Gilley parked just in front of a crashed pickup truck early in the morning of Dec. 18 and went to help the injured driver. But a 16-year-old driving a minivan didn’t see the accident and struck the truck, pinning Gilley between two vehicles.
Gilley lost both his legs after that night.
“He’s trained in emergency situations. He did everything he’s supposed to do,” said his aunt Dottie Gilley. “He’s a hero.”
She is working to raise money to help her nephew and his family and to try to bring more national attention to his plight.
read more here
By Abigail Curtis, BDN Staff
Posted Feb. 10, 2012
PALERMO, Maine — Two years ago, Jeremy Gilley was rappelling out of helicopters in Iraq, where he served as a U.S. Army specialist with airborne special forces.
The 27-year-old Gilley, a Palermo native who graduated from Erskine Academy in South China, made it home to Maine safely. But just before Christmas, disaster struck for the combat veteran when he stopped to help at an accident scene on Route 3 in Augusta.
Gilley parked just in front of a crashed pickup truck early in the morning of Dec. 18 and went to help the injured driver. But a 16-year-old driving a minivan didn’t see the accident and struck the truck, pinning Gilley between two vehicles.
Gilley lost both his legs after that night.
“He’s trained in emergency situations. He did everything he’s supposed to do,” said his aunt Dottie Gilley. “He’s a hero.”
She is working to raise money to help her nephew and his family and to try to bring more national attention to his plight.
read more here
First Black Female U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot Has Inspiring Story
Meet The First Black Female U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Pilot
Written by Jeff Mays on February 10, 2012
La’Shanda Holmes
Age: 26
Place of Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Why she is a local hero: Holmes overcame early adversity in her life to become the first Black female helicopter pilot in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Holmes’ early life was difficult to say the least: Her mother committed suicide when she was 2, and after abuse occurred in the foster home where she lived, Holmes was separated from her sibling. Afterward, Holmes bounced through the foster care system until she found stability at 17 with the people she still calls her “parents.”
read more here
Written by Jeff Mays on February 10, 2012
La’Shanda Holmes
Age: 26
Place of Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.
Why she is a local hero: Holmes overcame early adversity in her life to become the first Black female helicopter pilot in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Holmes’ early life was difficult to say the least: Her mother committed suicide when she was 2, and after abuse occurred in the foster home where she lived, Holmes was separated from her sibling. Afterward, Holmes bounced through the foster care system until she found stability at 17 with the people she still calls her “parents.”
read more here
Harsh Homecoming: The Challenges Facing Returning Vets
Harsh Homecoming: The Challenges Facing Returning Vets
By KSEE News
February 10, 2012
The past two months have been a time to reconnect for 23-year-old John Tucker of Fresno. Reconnect with his wife and two kids. He missed out on a huge chunk of their lives when he was deployed to Iraq. He served for a year with the Army Guard's 40Th Combat Aviation Brigade. Tucker says he was relieved to come back home and see his family and just try and get his life on track.
The homecomings are sweet. We've seen the reunions of the past 12 months. The end of the U.S. role in Iraq has families together again. But for some, civilian life can take a sour turn. According to Tucker, "It's a little difficult due to the cut in my paycheck. Just trying to support my family. Living paycheck to paycheck."
Fresno County is home of 50,000 veterans.
read more here
By KSEE News
February 10, 2012
The past two months have been a time to reconnect for 23-year-old John Tucker of Fresno. Reconnect with his wife and two kids. He missed out on a huge chunk of their lives when he was deployed to Iraq. He served for a year with the Army Guard's 40Th Combat Aviation Brigade. Tucker says he was relieved to come back home and see his family and just try and get his life on track.
The homecomings are sweet. We've seen the reunions of the past 12 months. The end of the U.S. role in Iraq has families together again. But for some, civilian life can take a sour turn. According to Tucker, "It's a little difficult due to the cut in my paycheck. Just trying to support my family. Living paycheck to paycheck."
Fresno County is home of 50,000 veterans.
read more here
Entertainment and the mental well-being of UK troops
Entertainment and the mental well-being of troops
A new report examining the impact of entertainment on the well-being of UK Armed Forces, finds that it plays an important role in sustaining morale, and hence may help protect service personnel against psychological disorders.
The report, released today, was written by Edgar Jones, Professor of the History of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London for the British Forces Foundation (BFF), and takes a historical look at the impact of entertainment on troop morale from World War I to the conflict in Afghanistan today.
Professor Jones says: 'No single factor can be guaranteed to raise morale, but those that do, will undoubtedly have some effect on mental well-being. Whilst entertainment cannot, and does not, provide absolute protection against the psychological problems associated with war, it does have a role to play in protecting service personnel against mental health problems.'
Studies conducted of US armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate a clear association between falling morale and rising mental health problems. Research found that over a 12 month tour by US service personnel, morale fell to a low at 10 months, the time at which mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rose to a peak.
read more here
A new report examining the impact of entertainment on the well-being of UK Armed Forces, finds that it plays an important role in sustaining morale, and hence may help protect service personnel against psychological disorders.
The report, released today, was written by Edgar Jones, Professor of the History of Medicine and Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London for the British Forces Foundation (BFF), and takes a historical look at the impact of entertainment on troop morale from World War I to the conflict in Afghanistan today.
Professor Jones says: 'No single factor can be guaranteed to raise morale, but those that do, will undoubtedly have some effect on mental well-being. Whilst entertainment cannot, and does not, provide absolute protection against the psychological problems associated with war, it does have a role to play in protecting service personnel against mental health problems.'
Studies conducted of US armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan demonstrate a clear association between falling morale and rising mental health problems. Research found that over a 12 month tour by US service personnel, morale fell to a low at 10 months, the time at which mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) rose to a peak.
read more here
PTSD Foundation terminates relationship with fake hero
PRESS RELEASE
Feb. 10, 2012, 5:55 p.m. EST
PTSD Foundation of America Announces Termination of Relationship With Paul Schroeder
HOUSTON, TX, Feb 10, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The PTSD Foundation of America announces that we have ended our relationship with Paul Schroeder. We in no way condone Paul's false account of his own military experience. Everyone involved in the work of the Foundation was shocked with the recent revelation of Paul's misleading background. What we saw in Paul was a person of great passion to help others, and a unique ability to help many, many struggling souls.
We are, and will continue to be, a transparent organization. Any past, present or future donors that are concerned with where their contributions are going are more than welcome to view our financial statements.
The purpose and mission of the PTSD Foundation of America has been reconfirmed through this unfortunate event and we are committed to our continued support and ceaseless efforts in ministering to all of our military community, law enforcement officials, first responders, and their families. Our veterans need help and assistance on many levels, and we encourage our community to get involved by expressing their unsurpassed compassion.
The PTSD Foundation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 as a dba under Impact XXI Houston and is dedicated to mentoring to combat veterans and their families experiencing post traumatic stress. We feel it is our duty as Americans to help these mighty warriors and their families adjust and find their new normal. PTSD is faith-based in its approach and has a great history of providing hope and healing to combat veterans. Our teams consist of Veterans, Active and Reserve Service Members as well as civilians that have a heart for the military and their families. Please visit our website at www.ptsdUSA.org to learn more.
Feb. 10, 2012, 5:55 p.m. EST
PTSD Foundation of America Announces Termination of Relationship With Paul Schroeder
HOUSTON, TX, Feb 10, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The PTSD Foundation of America announces that we have ended our relationship with Paul Schroeder. We in no way condone Paul's false account of his own military experience. Everyone involved in the work of the Foundation was shocked with the recent revelation of Paul's misleading background. What we saw in Paul was a person of great passion to help others, and a unique ability to help many, many struggling souls.
We are, and will continue to be, a transparent organization. Any past, present or future donors that are concerned with where their contributions are going are more than welcome to view our financial statements.
The purpose and mission of the PTSD Foundation of America has been reconfirmed through this unfortunate event and we are committed to our continued support and ceaseless efforts in ministering to all of our military community, law enforcement officials, first responders, and their families. Our veterans need help and assistance on many levels, and we encourage our community to get involved by expressing their unsurpassed compassion.
The PTSD Foundation of America is a non-profit organization founded in 2008 as a dba under Impact XXI Houston and is dedicated to mentoring to combat veterans and their families experiencing post traumatic stress. We feel it is our duty as Americans to help these mighty warriors and their families adjust and find their new normal. PTSD is faith-based in its approach and has a great history of providing hope and healing to combat veterans. Our teams consist of Veterans, Active and Reserve Service Members as well as civilians that have a heart for the military and their families. Please visit our website at www.ptsdUSA.org to learn more.
Camp Pendleton Marine Honored for Afghanistan Counterattack With Silver Star
Marine Honored for Afghanistan Counterattack
SAN DIEGO February 11, 2012 (AP)
A Marine based out of Camp Pendleton was awarded the Silver Star on Friday for courageous service during a bloody, six-hour firefight in the war in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Philip McCulloch Jr. was honored for his actions in a battle in the Sangin district on Jan. 8, 2011, according to U-T San Diego ( http://bit.ly/w0PvOZ ). The firefight began while McCulloch's unit was on patrol and began taking fire from all directions.
McCulloch, who was 22 at the time, said the soldiers found themselves surrounded by Taliban forces. "There was no way out. So we just went toward the enemy," McCulloch told the newspaper.
McCulloch was honored for leading his squad in a counterattack that left the fields of Sangin littered with bodies of Taliban fighters. In the military's citation, McCulloch was praised for "his bold leadership, wise judgment and complete dedication to duty."
read more here
SAN DIEGO February 11, 2012 (AP)
A Marine based out of Camp Pendleton was awarded the Silver Star on Friday for courageous service during a bloody, six-hour firefight in the war in Afghanistan.
Sgt. Philip McCulloch Jr. was honored for his actions in a battle in the Sangin district on Jan. 8, 2011, according to U-T San Diego ( http://bit.ly/w0PvOZ ). The firefight began while McCulloch's unit was on patrol and began taking fire from all directions.
McCulloch, who was 22 at the time, said the soldiers found themselves surrounded by Taliban forces. "There was no way out. So we just went toward the enemy," McCulloch told the newspaper.
McCulloch was honored for leading his squad in a counterattack that left the fields of Sangin littered with bodies of Taliban fighters. In the military's citation, McCulloch was praised for "his bold leadership, wise judgment and complete dedication to duty."
read more here
Military Service dogs get help in PTSD battle
'Something snapped': Service dogs get help in PTSD battle
kens5 news
Buck is a chocolate Labrador who's trying to ease into retirement. The former military dog spends his days running around a fenced-in backyard and getting rubdowns from his "forever family." Even so, he is a dog on the edge because of his service.
kens5 news
Buck is a chocolate Labrador who's trying to ease into retirement. The former military dog spends his days running around a fenced-in backyard and getting rubdowns from his "forever family." Even so, he is a dog on the edge because of his service.
135 veterans’ families with housing crises sought help from the VA in Connecticut in 2011
VA sees spike in homeless veterans with families
Published: Tuesday, February 07, 2012
By Peggy McCarthy
Conn. Health I-Team Writer
Andy and Miriam Miranda don’t fit the historical profile of homeless veterans. Former teachers with master’s degrees who have a six-year-old son, they have lost a house to foreclosure and were evicted from an apartment for falling behind on rent.
Last year, the family spent six months living in a New Haven homeless shelter. They now reside in a West Haven rental, thanks to a federal subsidy program for homeless veterans.
“I need a parachute so I don’t crash,” said Andy, 51, who was in the Air Force from 1979 to 1983.
Homeless veterans have long been predominately single males, typically Vietnam War vets with mental health or substance abuse problems. Now, a growing number of veterans with spouses and young children, many returning from deployments in the Middle East, are changing the face of homeless veterans in Connecticut and across the country.
“Whether the communities of Connecticut are prepared for them is another question,” said Linda S. Schwartz, commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs.
In 2011, a record 135 veterans’ families with housing crises sought help from the VA in Connecticut, said Preston Maynard, director of homeless programs in Connecticut. Only 15 families appealed for help just three years ago, he said. “We’re seeing more and more. It’s sad,” Maynard said.
read more here
Published: Tuesday, February 07, 2012
By Peggy McCarthy
Conn. Health I-Team Writer
Andy and Miriam Miranda don’t fit the historical profile of homeless veterans. Former teachers with master’s degrees who have a six-year-old son, they have lost a house to foreclosure and were evicted from an apartment for falling behind on rent.
Last year, the family spent six months living in a New Haven homeless shelter. They now reside in a West Haven rental, thanks to a federal subsidy program for homeless veterans.
“I need a parachute so I don’t crash,” said Andy, 51, who was in the Air Force from 1979 to 1983.
Homeless veterans have long been predominately single males, typically Vietnam War vets with mental health or substance abuse problems. Now, a growing number of veterans with spouses and young children, many returning from deployments in the Middle East, are changing the face of homeless veterans in Connecticut and across the country.
“Whether the communities of Connecticut are prepared for them is another question,” said Linda S. Schwartz, commissioner of the state Department of Veterans Affairs.
In 2011, a record 135 veterans’ families with housing crises sought help from the VA in Connecticut, said Preston Maynard, director of homeless programs in Connecticut. Only 15 families appealed for help just three years ago, he said. “We’re seeing more and more. It’s sad,” Maynard said.
read more here
Man Uses Vet Tale to Bilk Bikers
You may cringe when you see a pack of bikers coming up in your rearview mirror as the distinctive sound of a Harley fills the air. You see the leather vests and patches. What you don't see is where they are going. Usually they are heading out for a fundraiser to help someone in need. They have huge hearts, tugged by kids in need but devoted to our veterans. Some bikers are not veterans but love them. Most are veterans and I've never met a more generous bunch of people in my life. There is always a ride for some charity right here in Central Florida.
Just to give you an idea about how generous they are, last year the Nam Knights had a fundraiser for Homes For Our Troops. Tickets were $100 for a couple and they sold out. What was amazing is, Homes For Our Troops ended up with a check from the Orlando Nam Knights for $15,000! Millions of dollars are donated by bikers every year but you never read about any of it in your local paper. Last month, Bikers for Child Abuse had a ride with over 800! It was so huge parts of I-4 were shut down.
All of this makes what I read in the following cause a great deal of heartache. I know they are generous but what matters more is that when they give, they don't just pull out a wad of cash. Their hearts are connected to every dollar they give.
Damned Lies - Man Uses Vet Tale to Bilk Bikers
Friday, February 10, 2012
Bryan Harley
Cruiser Editor
How many of us out there have either met this guy or seen him at rallies? Turns out, the man who has been passing himself as Robert Harris is really an international criminal called Eugene Paull, according to a story by the Tampa Bay Times. Worse yet, he's been passing himself off as a vet on a mission to raise money for homeless vets but apparently has been pocketing the money himself.
I’ve been bilked. Bamboozled. Hoodwinked. Had the proverbial wool pulled over my eyes. Worst part is, a lot of you out there did too. This joker fooled a lot of us. My eyes almost popped out of my head when I read this story on the Tampa Bay Times website. It’s a tale of deceit, SWAT raids, shotguns and machine guns and underground tunnels. But let’s rewind a bit before we press forward.
A few years back, met this crazy character in Daytona Beach at the Harley-Davidson Ride-In Bike Show. Dude claimed to be a vet, rode the wildest 1985 FXST decked out with rockets, machine guns, bandoliers of bullets, gas masks, and tons of other military-themed paraphernalia. He called it the “Vietnam Vets Tribute Bike” and called himself Sky Soldier. He then spun a convincing tale of how he was embarking on a cross-country trip, “Operation: Dust Off” to raise money for homeless and disabled veterans. He went on to say how he was going to carry American flags with him on the journey to be signed by dignitaries along the way which were ultimately going to be placed at the Vietnam Memorial Wall in D.C. on Memorial Day. Great story, huh? Easy to buy into, a vet and fellow biker helping out vets. Wanting to help the guy out, I wrote a little story about it. (Veteran Tribute Bike Embarks on Vet Fundraiser)
Turns out, if the allegations in the Tampa Bay Times story are true, it was all a lie. This guy is a complete con artist. Apparently, the guy who rode around rallies on his rocket-launching motorcycle shouting “Look at me, look at me” who we knew as Robert Harris, aka “Sky Soldier,” is really an international criminal named Eugene Paull who's been living under a false identity for the last 33 years. Stole a dead person’s name. According to the story, he’s suspected of racking up a small fortune back in the day trafficking drugs in Jamaica. Yeh, mon! He’s even had him a little long-time, live-in Jamaican girlfriend he snuck into the country illegally.
read more here
Sequestration and VA - Our veterans deserve an answer
It has already been happening. I attend a lot of meetings and there has been a lot of complaints about this.
Sequestration and VA - Our veterans deserve an answer
By Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.)
02/10/12 10:34 AM ET
All the talk around Washington these days revolves around the federal budget and the coming effects of sequestration. While the focus has been mainly on the Department of Defense, what is less known to the public is that due to what I have called a “conflict” in the law, VA too may be subject to sequestration come next January. This conflict can, and should, be resolved right now by the president. Instead, he has allowed the risk of sequester to loom over the heads of veterans served by VA. If allowed to go forward, the sequestration VA faces in 2013 would be up to a 2% cut to VA healthcare, severely impacting VA’s ability to provide healthcare America’s veterans have earned.
The “conflict” in the law was not intentional. I believe it was an oversight in which laws were enacted over time to update the sequester process without a clear understanding of how one section of law may interact with another. Now that sequester is a possibility, we are all acutely aware of the conflict.
In 1985, during a previous budget crisis, the Gramm-Rudman law set out to hold accountable Congress and the administration to the ramifications of not keeping our budget in check. The original language exempted some, but not all, VA programs and allowed up to a 2% cut in VA medical care. In 2010, the law was updated to exempt from sequester “[a]ll programs administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.” However, in a separate section, language permitting a 2% cut to VA medical care was retained. Therein lies the conflict.
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Warning of dishonorably discharged soldier scamming churches
Victim calls fake Iraq War vet scam 'Disgusting'
7:57 PM, Feb 10, 2012
Written by
Paul Crawley
DULUTH, Ga. (WXIA) -- 11Alive News has brought you many heart warming stories about the generosity shown to wounded war veterans. Unfortunately, this story will probably make your blood boil.
It's about a wanted man who is taking advantage of that generosity. Even worse, he's a man who doesn't deserve it.
"This guy needs to be caught and put away for a while 'til he learns his lesson," said Richard Dain of Duluth.
He and his church are just some of the victims who know firsthand.
Dain says 33-year-old Michael Allen Bradshaw showed up at the Korean Church of Atlanta just before services began on Sunday, January 15.
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7:57 PM, Feb 10, 2012
Written by
Paul Crawley
DULUTH, Ga. (WXIA) -- 11Alive News has brought you many heart warming stories about the generosity shown to wounded war veterans. Unfortunately, this story will probably make your blood boil.
It's about a wanted man who is taking advantage of that generosity. Even worse, he's a man who doesn't deserve it.
"This guy needs to be caught and put away for a while 'til he learns his lesson," said Richard Dain of Duluth.
He and his church are just some of the victims who know firsthand.
Dain says 33-year-old Michael Allen Bradshaw showed up at the Korean Church of Atlanta just before services began on Sunday, January 15.
read more here
Iraq veteran accused of paying to have wife killed
Did PTSD Play A Part In MWC Mom's Death?
news9.com KWTV
OKLAHOMA CITY - We're learning more about the Midwest City husband investigators say hired Brodric Glover to kill his estranged wife.
Police arrested Fabion Brown and his girlfriend, Emily Matheson, for soliciting the murder of Jessica McPherson-Brown.
As detectives escorted Brown to jail, he appeared calm and collected answering reporters' questions, "I'm not a violent person, I don't believe in hurting anyone."
As Brown defends his image, pictures tell a different story. On Brown's Facebook page, in an album titled, "in the army now," a photo of Brown aiming a gun at the wall is posted.
The caption reads: "If you want to live stay out of my sights."
The photos describe Brown's take on his role in the army and one caption reads "I'm bullet proof b******"
Dr. Stewart Beasley explains this type of behavior could be a result of post traumatic stress disorder,
"This dehumanization of other people is a common training technique that is used to help other people cope with the things that they are going to encounter," Beasley said. Such techniques may have side effects on some soldiers returning home from war.
When police arrested Brown for paying Broderic Glover $250 to kill his wife, Jessica, as part of an alleged murder for hire plot, Brown was not in the Oklahoma National Guard. He is, however, a known Iraq War Veteran.
read more here
news9.com KWTV
OKLAHOMA CITY - We're learning more about the Midwest City husband investigators say hired Brodric Glover to kill his estranged wife.
Police arrested Fabion Brown and his girlfriend, Emily Matheson, for soliciting the murder of Jessica McPherson-Brown.
As detectives escorted Brown to jail, he appeared calm and collected answering reporters' questions, "I'm not a violent person, I don't believe in hurting anyone."
As Brown defends his image, pictures tell a different story. On Brown's Facebook page, in an album titled, "in the army now," a photo of Brown aiming a gun at the wall is posted.
The caption reads: "If you want to live stay out of my sights."
The photos describe Brown's take on his role in the army and one caption reads "I'm bullet proof b******"
Dr. Stewart Beasley explains this type of behavior could be a result of post traumatic stress disorder,
"This dehumanization of other people is a common training technique that is used to help other people cope with the things that they are going to encounter," Beasley said. Such techniques may have side effects on some soldiers returning home from war.
When police arrested Brown for paying Broderic Glover $250 to kill his wife, Jessica, as part of an alleged murder for hire plot, Brown was not in the Oklahoma National Guard. He is, however, a known Iraq War Veteran.
read more here
Kids at Outback Steakhouse shocked when Dad comes back from Afghanistan
Soldier's Return Shocks, Delights His Children
Emotional Homecoming Caught On Camera
POSTED: 8:18 am MST February 10, 2012
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A soldier surprised his three children at dinner when he returned home from Afghanistan, and Action 7 News caught the emotional homecoming on camera.
Sgt. Eric Cole served two tours in Iraq and is now serving in Afghanistan. He said that each time he leaves, it gets harder but it's also sweeter when he comes home.
Cole's three children got the surprised of a lifetime when he showed up to surprise them at a local steakhouse. Cole is on a brief break from a 12-month tour.
"It was great. We were trying to surprise them anyways, so you guys being here is even better," he said. "It's one of those things that's hard to put into words. It's a reminder of what we're over there for."
read more here and for video
Emotional Homecoming Caught On Camera
POSTED: 8:18 am MST February 10, 2012
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- A soldier surprised his three children at dinner when he returned home from Afghanistan, and Action 7 News caught the emotional homecoming on camera.
Sgt. Eric Cole served two tours in Iraq and is now serving in Afghanistan. He said that each time he leaves, it gets harder but it's also sweeter when he comes home.
Cole's three children got the surprised of a lifetime when he showed up to surprise them at a local steakhouse. Cole is on a brief break from a 12-month tour.
"It was great. We were trying to surprise them anyways, so you guys being here is even better," he said. "It's one of those things that's hard to put into words. It's a reminder of what we're over there for."
Sgt. Cole said he wanted to eat at Outback Steakhouse because Outback gave the soldiers a free steak dinner last year while he was serving, and he's been thinking about it ever since. He'll return to Afghanistan next week.
read more here and for video
Wheel of Fortune Military Spouse Week shocks winner
NH Soldier Surprises Wife On Wheel Of Fortune
February 9, 2012
MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) – She won big on Wheel of Fortune, but for a New Hampshire woman, the prize money was just gravy.
Maryanne Rigor appeared on the show Thursday night for Military Spouses week.
She took home $14,000. That was good enough for second, but the real prize came after the final round. Her husband who had been overseas came out from backstage.
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February 9, 2012
MANCHESTER, N.H. (CBS) – She won big on Wheel of Fortune, but for a New Hampshire woman, the prize money was just gravy.
Maryanne Rigor appeared on the show Thursday night for Military Spouses week.
She took home $14,000. That was good enough for second, but the real prize came after the final round. Her husband who had been overseas came out from backstage.
read more here
Friday, February 10, 2012
9 years after leaving Army, veteran mistakenly declared AWOL is arrested, jailed
UPDATE
Army finalizes discharge for veteran mistakenly jailed as AWOL
By BILL MURPHY JR.
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 13, 2012
WASHINGTON — The Army will issue a discharge certificate to a former soldier who was arrested and held in Florida jails for 12 days last month because the military considered him absent without leave nine years after he was chaptered out.
Louie Castro, 28, who was to have been given an other-than-honorable discharge in December 2002 and who says he had thought his military service was long behind him, was arrested Jan. 2 as he re-entered the United States after a trip to France. Army officials had demanded that he fly to Fort Carson, Colo. — a base where he had never served, but where the 4th Infantry Division moved in 2009 — as a condition of being let out of jail.
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Army finalizes discharge for veteran mistakenly jailed as AWOL
By BILL MURPHY JR.
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 13, 2012
WASHINGTON — The Army will issue a discharge certificate to a former soldier who was arrested and held in Florida jails for 12 days last month because the military considered him absent without leave nine years after he was chaptered out.
Louie Castro, 28, who was to have been given an other-than-honorable discharge in December 2002 and who says he had thought his military service was long behind him, was arrested Jan. 2 as he re-entered the United States after a trip to France. Army officials had demanded that he fly to Fort Carson, Colo. — a base where he had never served, but where the 4th Infantry Division moved in 2009 — as a condition of being let out of jail.
read more here
9 years after leaving Army, veteran mistakenly declared AWOL is arrested, jailed
By BILL MURPHY JR.
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 10, 2012
WASHINGTON — Louie Castro is a 28-year-old religion major at Florida State University who should have started the final semester of his senior year last month. Instead, he spent 12 days in jail after being arrested at Miami International Airport because of an administrative error the Army apparently made when he left the service more than nine years ago.
The Army considered him absent without leave.
Castro was told he must fly to Fort Carson, Colo. — a base where he never served, but where his old Fort Hood unit, the 4th Infantry Division, relocated in 2009 — to resume his old life as an Army private long enough for military personnel officers to fix his paperwork. In the meantime, he missed the start of classes and was forced to withdraw, costing him his financial aid. He will not graduate on schedule.
read more here
Service members who have lost their homes part of foreclosure deal
Millions owed to families in foreclosure deal
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 10, 2012 15:22:24 EST
The $25 billion nationwide foreclosure settlement announced Thursday by the Justice Department includes compensation for service members who have lost their homes to illegal foreclosures since 2006.
It also contains provisions designed to protect military homeowners from future foreclosure or financial loss related to their military duties or orders.
In a release Thursday, Justice said financial institutions JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial — formerly GMAC — will review their foreclosures to determine whether any since Jan. 1, 2006 violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
If any are found, the lenders must pay service members $116,785 each, in addition to any lost equity and interest.
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By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Feb 10, 2012 15:22:24 EST
The $25 billion nationwide foreclosure settlement announced Thursday by the Justice Department includes compensation for service members who have lost their homes to illegal foreclosures since 2006.
It also contains provisions designed to protect military homeowners from future foreclosure or financial loss related to their military duties or orders.
In a release Thursday, Justice said financial institutions JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial — formerly GMAC — will review their foreclosures to determine whether any since Jan. 1, 2006 violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
If any are found, the lenders must pay service members $116,785 each, in addition to any lost equity and interest.
read more here
Woman, horse killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion in Marion
Woman, horse killed in hyperbaric chamber explosion in Marion
By Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel
2:28 p.m. EST, February 10, 2012
A 28-year-old woman and a horse are dead after a hyperbaric chamber exploded at an equine-therapy center in Marion County on Friday morning, fire rescue officials said.
A spokeswoman for Marion County Fire Rescue said crews were called to KESMARC Florida on Highway 326 in Ocala about 9:20 a.m. Friday, after a report of an explosion.
The horse, MCFR spokeswoman Jessica Greene said, was inside the chamber when it exploded. The cause of the blast is under investigation.
The woman killed was identified as Erica Marshall. A second woman, Sorcha Moneley, was taken to Shands HealthCare with traumatic injuries. She is believed to be in her 30s.
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By Jeff Weiner, Orlando Sentinel
2:28 p.m. EST, February 10, 2012
A 28-year-old woman and a horse are dead after a hyperbaric chamber exploded at an equine-therapy center in Marion County on Friday morning, fire rescue officials said.
A spokeswoman for Marion County Fire Rescue said crews were called to KESMARC Florida on Highway 326 in Ocala about 9:20 a.m. Friday, after a report of an explosion.
The horse, MCFR spokeswoman Jessica Greene said, was inside the chamber when it exploded. The cause of the blast is under investigation.
The woman killed was identified as Erica Marshall. A second woman, Sorcha Moneley, was taken to Shands HealthCare with traumatic injuries. She is believed to be in her 30s.
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Army veteran surprises 6-year-old son in classroom
Army veteran surprises 6-year-old son in classroom
Posted: Feb 09, 2012
By Christine Pae
TONEY, AL (WAFF) -
It was like any other school day at Madison Cross Roads Elementary school in Toney on Thursday, except for one thing. A U.S. army veteran was about to surprise his 6-year-old son in the classroom.
Mrs. Terrell's kindergarten class just returned from PE and took a break to enjoy a snack. Little did Jamari Massey know what waited for him as he munched on his fruit roll-up.
Later, while Jamari worked on subtraction problems, his father walked through the door with balloons for the surprise. Jamari leaped up and cried "daddy" as he ran into his arms.
for video and to read more go here
Posted: Feb 09, 2012
By Christine Pae
TONEY, AL (WAFF) -
It was like any other school day at Madison Cross Roads Elementary school in Toney on Thursday, except for one thing. A U.S. army veteran was about to surprise his 6-year-old son in the classroom.
Mrs. Terrell's kindergarten class just returned from PE and took a break to enjoy a snack. Little did Jamari Massey know what waited for him as he munched on his fruit roll-up.
Later, while Jamari worked on subtraction problems, his father walked through the door with balloons for the surprise. Jamari leaped up and cried "daddy" as he ran into his arms.
for video and to read more go here
Two Tour Iraq Veteran Who Brandished Butcher Knives At Walmart Sentenced
Man Who Brandished Butcher Knives At Walmart Sentenced
Dunyell Gordon: I'm Not A Monster
February 9, 2012
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A 37-year-old man who used butcher knives to terrorize Walmart shoppers pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a reduced charge on Thursday.
Dunyell Gordon went into the Woodruff Road store last Feb. 15 and stole two butcher knives, that he brandished as he walked through the store. Shoppers told News 4 that when deputies arrived at the scene, Gordon started saying, “Go ahead, just shoot me.”
Four deputies confronted Gordon in the store’s parking lot, and when he would not cooperate, they shocked him with two Taser guns. Officers said even after he was shocked, Gordon charged at the deputies and threw one of the knives, striking Greenville County Deputy Ryan Conlon in the leg.
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Dunyell Gordon: I'm Not A Monster
February 9, 2012
Gordon spent 10 years in the military and had served two tours in Iraq. His attorney said Gordon suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.
GREENVILLE COUNTY, S.C. -- A 37-year-old man who used butcher knives to terrorize Walmart shoppers pleaded guilty but mentally ill to a reduced charge on Thursday.
Dunyell Gordon went into the Woodruff Road store last Feb. 15 and stole two butcher knives, that he brandished as he walked through the store. Shoppers told News 4 that when deputies arrived at the scene, Gordon started saying, “Go ahead, just shoot me.”
Four deputies confronted Gordon in the store’s parking lot, and when he would not cooperate, they shocked him with two Taser guns. Officers said even after he was shocked, Gordon charged at the deputies and threw one of the knives, striking Greenville County Deputy Ryan Conlon in the leg.
read more here
Ex-Marine, Iraq Veteran declared a "boy" finally from NYC
NYC agrees ex-Marine is a man, ending 5-year battle
Jonathan Allen
Reuters
8:04 p.m. CST, February 9, 2012
NEW YORK (Reuters) - After a five-year battle with bureaucracy, a former U.S. Marine finally got New York City to admit on Thursday that he is male and agree to reissue the birth certificate that incorrectly stated otherwise.
David Hassan, a bearded Iraq War veteran, was born in Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital 29 years ago. There was never a reason to doubt he was a boy.
But it was only in 2003 that it came to Hassan's attention that the hospital had deemed him to be female on his birth certificate, his lawyer said.
Hassan was not bothered by the mistake until he moved to New Jersey after serving in Iraq with the Marine Corp, and tried to get a New Jersey driving license.
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Jonathan Allen
Reuters
8:04 p.m. CST, February 9, 2012
NEW YORK (Reuters) - After a five-year battle with bureaucracy, a former U.S. Marine finally got New York City to admit on Thursday that he is male and agree to reissue the birth certificate that incorrectly stated otherwise.
David Hassan, a bearded Iraq War veteran, was born in Manhattan's Lenox Hill Hospital 29 years ago. There was never a reason to doubt he was a boy.
But it was only in 2003 that it came to Hassan's attention that the hospital had deemed him to be female on his birth certificate, his lawyer said.
Hassan was not bothered by the mistake until he moved to New Jersey after serving in Iraq with the Marine Corp, and tried to get a New Jersey driving license.
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Obama Pulls Combat Pay for U.S. Troops email is false
Don't always trust what you read in emails. I just received this and it took all of five seconds to find the truth.
Here's what really happened.
Obama Pulls Combat Pay for U.S. Troops
February 4, 2012 | Filed under: Florida Review | Posted by: Javier Manjarres
By Javier Manjarres
President Obama’s latest policy outrage makes no attempt to hide his contempt for our military, as he is ordering that our troops serving overseas in war zones overseas are not to receive combat pay unless they are being shot at, or at risk of being injured by hostile aggression. A Marine who lives in Florida(also currently serving in Afghanistan) has just posted a note on Facebook which stated that he received a letter from his MyPay account that he would only be receiving his Hazard pay (Imminent Danger Pay) if he is actually in a hostile area and at risk of being shot at.
So I just got a letter from MyPay (the way we get paid in the military), saying that I will only reason Combat Pay while deployed for the days that I take fire or am in a hostile area. Now, as an Infantry Marine, I’m constantly in a combat zone…it may not always be popping off, but for them to take that away from us is bullshit. Now, the aviation tech who sits on Camp Leatherneck, sure, I can see him not getting Combat Pay, but to take it away from the grunts, the ground pounders, the front line of defense…come on, Uncle Sam. You let the Liberals win a big one here… Marine from Florida (We are not posting his name for obvious reasons)
According to Military.com, and the National Defense Authorization Act of 2012 (H.R. 1540-7 Sec 616) as of February 1, 2012, this new measure went into effect, and soldiers who are to receive the additional $225/mo. combat pay ‘must’ be in immediate risk of harm. The measure is very specific in its criteria for receiving the additional pay.
The rules for Hostile Fire and Imminent Danger Pay have changed. Service members will now receive imminent danger pay only for days they actually spend in hazardous areas. This change went in effect on February 1, 2012.
Here's what really happened.
Congress sets pay, not the President.
Berkley Votes to Give America’s Troops A Pay Raise -- Republicans Vote to Block Combat Pay Increase
(May 26, 2011 -- Washington, D.C.) Congresswoman Shelley Berkley today voted to give America's troops serving in combat zones a $100 per month pay increase, only to see the effort blocked by House Republicans. Despite the support of Berkley and more than 180 of her Democratic colleagues, Republicans defeated a motion that would have increased combat pay for designated members of the U.S. armed forces.
The motion to provide the pay raise was defeated by Republicans during debate on H.R. 1540, The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. The legislation was approved this afternoon by the full House."I am shocked that instead of supporting an increase in combat pay for our troops, Republicans opposed giving an extra $100 per month to these men and women in uniform. At a time when our armed forces are serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zones, and with Memorial Day fast approaching, this vote sends the wrong signal to those willing to sacrifice their lives in order to protect our nation's freedoms. I am proud to have voted to give this raise in combat pay to our troops and I know many Nevadans are disappointed that House Republicans chose to put politics above rewarding the dedication and hard work of American military personnel serving in harm's way," Berkley said.
More than 2,200 soldiers died within two years of leaving the service
In November of 2011 ABC News reported that Military Losing the Battle Against Suicide it stated that,
This sounds really bad. Add into that number 18 veterans a day commit suicide and you have a new level of sadness. While the reports talk about increases in attempted suicides of active duty and veterans, the in between veterans are not counted by anyone. If they have been discharged but not enrolled in the VA, no one is counting them. Keep that in mind when you read the following.
Between 2005 to 2010, a U.S. service member took his or her own life every 36 hours, according to a new report by the Center for a New American Security (CNAS).
This sounds really bad. Add into that number 18 veterans a day commit suicide and you have a new level of sadness. While the reports talk about increases in attempted suicides of active duty and veterans, the in between veterans are not counted by anyone. If they have been discharged but not enrolled in the VA, no one is counting them. Keep that in mind when you read the following.
US military suicides high even as wars wind down
The military has finally admitted to the problem, but hasn't been able to curb the deaths
Michael Moran
February 10, 2012
Even as the wars of Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, the US military remains embroiled in what seems to be a losing battle: the fight against the growing number of suicides by active duty troops, and Iraq or Afghanistan veterans.
Statistics on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, obtained in 2011 through a Freedom of Information Act request by a San Francisco newspaper, found that more than 2,200 soldiers died within two years of leaving the service, and about half had been undergoing treatment for post-traumatic stress or other combat-induced mental disorders at the time.
Senior commanders concede that during some recent years, more American veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have died of their own hand than through contact with the enemy.
In the wake of previous wars, the stigma attached to suicides led the military to downplay the problem, particularly in the ranks of the US Army and Marine Corps, where grueling ground combat often took the heaviest psychological toll.
read more here
Amputation Cases Among Troops Hit Post-9/11 High in 2011
Amputation Cases Among Troops Hit Post-9/11 High in 2011
February 10, 2012
Stars and Stripes|by Chris Carroll
WASHINGTON -- More U.S. troops lost limbs in 2011 than in any previous year of fighting since the 9/11 attacks, recently published Pentagon data show.
The grisly toll, 240 cases of deployed troops with at least one arm or leg amputated, appears to mainly reflect the ongoing troop surge in Afghanistan, along with an increased emphasis on foot patrols in areas where insurgents are active.
Amputation cases were up from 196 in 2010 and exceeded the previous high of 205 during the 2007 Iraq surge, according to figures published this month by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. The Marine Corps was hit hardest by far, with 129 Marines suffering amputations in 2011.
The Army, which has more troops in the country, had 100 amputation cases. Six sailors and five airmen also lost limbs.
read more here
February 10, 2012
Stars and Stripes|by Chris Carroll
WASHINGTON -- More U.S. troops lost limbs in 2011 than in any previous year of fighting since the 9/11 attacks, recently published Pentagon data show.
The grisly toll, 240 cases of deployed troops with at least one arm or leg amputated, appears to mainly reflect the ongoing troop surge in Afghanistan, along with an increased emphasis on foot patrols in areas where insurgents are active.
Amputation cases were up from 196 in 2010 and exceeded the previous high of 205 during the 2007 Iraq surge, according to figures published this month by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center. The Marine Corps was hit hardest by far, with 129 Marines suffering amputations in 2011.
The Army, which has more troops in the country, had 100 amputation cases. Six sailors and five airmen also lost limbs.
read more here
Pendleton Marine Shot During Traffic Stop ID'd
UPDATE
Concern for safety of children led to shooting, authorities say
MILITARY: Deputies release details in deadly Marine shooting
North County Times wire services
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
SANTA ANA - An account of a deputy-involved shooting that killed a Camp Pendleton-based Marine was released Tuesday by the union representing Orange County sheriff's deputies, which claims the serviceman was acting irrationally and posed a danger to his daughters.
Sgt. Manuel Levi Loggins Jr., 31, was shot about 4:45 a.m. last Tuesday after crashing a GMC Yukon through a gate in the parking lot of San Clemente High School, according to the sheriff's department.
Loggins' 14- and 9-year-old daughters were in the back seat of the SUV at the time, and were not wearing seat belts, according to the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.
A deputy was in his squad car working on reports when he saw Loggins speeding down the street and then turn into the parking lot and crash through the gate, according to sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.
According to the union, Loggins got out of the SUV -- parts of the gate were wedged underneath -- and "walked off into the dark" while ignoring "repeated orders" from the uniformed deputy.
The deputy -- himself a former Marine and recipient of the sheriff's Medal for Lifesaving and the Medal of Courage -- followed Loggins on foot, but went back to the vehicle when he heard screaming from the girls, sheriff's officials said.
read more here
Concern for safety of children led to shooting, authorities say
MILITARY: Deputies release details in deadly Marine shooting
North County Times wire services
Posted: Tuesday, February 14, 2012
SANTA ANA - An account of a deputy-involved shooting that killed a Camp Pendleton-based Marine was released Tuesday by the union representing Orange County sheriff's deputies, which claims the serviceman was acting irrationally and posed a danger to his daughters.
Sgt. Manuel Levi Loggins Jr., 31, was shot about 4:45 a.m. last Tuesday after crashing a GMC Yukon through a gate in the parking lot of San Clemente High School, according to the sheriff's department.
Loggins' 14- and 9-year-old daughters were in the back seat of the SUV at the time, and were not wearing seat belts, according to the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.
A deputy was in his squad car working on reports when he saw Loggins speeding down the street and then turn into the parking lot and crash through the gate, according to sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.
According to the union, Loggins got out of the SUV -- parts of the gate were wedged underneath -- and "walked off into the dark" while ignoring "repeated orders" from the uniformed deputy.
The deputy -- himself a former Marine and recipient of the sheriff's Medal for Lifesaving and the Medal of Courage -- followed Loggins on foot, but went back to the vehicle when he heard screaming from the girls, sheriff's officials said.
read more here
Pendleton Marine Shot During Traffic Stop ID'd
Daughters Of Sgt. Manuel Levi Loggins Jr. In Car When He Was Shot, Authorities Say
February 9, 2012
SAN CLEMENTE, Calif. -- A Camp Pendleton-based Marine's two young daughters were in the back seat of his sport-utility vehicle when he was fatally shot by an Orange County sheriff's deputy in the parking lot of San Clemente High School, authorities revealed Thursday.
Sgt. Manuel Levi Loggins Jr., 31, was shot about 4:45 a.m. Tuesday, after crashing his SUV through a gate in the school's parking lot, said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.
read more here
original report
2 kids in back seat when Marine was shot
VA accused of excessive outsourcing of vets' jobs
VA accused of excessive outsourcing of vets' jobs
By Alice Lipowicz
Feb 09, 2012
The Veterans Affairs Department is being accused of undermining its own goal of hiring more veterans by expanding its outsourcing practices that eliminate many federal jobs currently, or historically, held by veterans, according to the union representing 205,000 employees at the VA.
In November, President Barack Obama signed into law the “VOW to Hire Heroes Act,” which included language to set up an expedited process for hiring returning solders for federal jobs.
For example, the Veterans Benefits Administration recently entered into a $54 million three-year contract with ACS Government Systems to perform claims processing work.
That work currently is being performed by “large numbers of veterans,” the union said. “To add insult to injury, the VBA employees are being asked to volunteer to train the contractors to do their work.”
“Contract claims processors working for profit will now handle the most personal information of our veterans.” AFGE National President John Gage said in the release.
read more here
By Alice Lipowicz
Feb 09, 2012
The Veterans Affairs Department is being accused of undermining its own goal of hiring more veterans by expanding its outsourcing practices that eliminate many federal jobs currently, or historically, held by veterans, according to the union representing 205,000 employees at the VA.
In November, President Barack Obama signed into law the “VOW to Hire Heroes Act,” which included language to set up an expedited process for hiring returning solders for federal jobs.
But the VA’s own outsourcing, which began to grow under the Bush Administration and are continuing to expand, are abolishing many federal jobs currently held by veterans, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), an AFL-CIO union, said in a Feb. 8 news release.
For example, the Veterans Benefits Administration recently entered into a $54 million three-year contract with ACS Government Systems to perform claims processing work.
That work currently is being performed by “large numbers of veterans,” the union said. “To add insult to injury, the VBA employees are being asked to volunteer to train the contractors to do their work.”
“Contract claims processors working for profit will now handle the most personal information of our veterans.” AFGE National President John Gage said in the release.
read more here
Madigan Army Medical Center doing damage control after PTSD denials
Army insists doctors at Madigan aren't told not to diagnose PTSD
The Army’s top medical officer this week rejected assertions that commanders are discouraging doctors at Madigan Army Medical Center from diagnosing soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
ADAM ASHTON; STAFF WRITER
Published: 02/09/12
The Army’s top medical officer this week rejected assertions that commanders are discouraging doctors at Madigan Army Medical Center from diagnosing soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Absolutely, the Army is not putting pressure on any of our clinicians,” said Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho in remarks to lawmakers in the House subcommittee on defense appropriations.
They were Horoho’s first public remarks on an investigation she launched to review discrepancies between initial PTSD diagnoses at Madigan and later conclusions reached by a forensic psychiatry team at the Army hospital south of Tacoma.
Officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are reviewing the cases of 14 soldiers who passed through Madigan with PTSD diagnoses only to have those results changed by the forensic team in such a way that the soldiers would receive less generous disability benefits in retirement. The review was first reported by The Seattle Times.
The Army has suspended the leader of the forensic psychiatry team, Dr. William Keppler, while it conducts its investigation.
read more here
The Army’s top medical officer this week rejected assertions that commanders are discouraging doctors at Madigan Army Medical Center from diagnosing soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
ADAM ASHTON; STAFF WRITER
Published: 02/09/12
The Army’s top medical officer this week rejected assertions that commanders are discouraging doctors at Madigan Army Medical Center from diagnosing soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
“Absolutely, the Army is not putting pressure on any of our clinicians,” said Army Surgeon General Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho in remarks to lawmakers in the House subcommittee on defense appropriations.
They were Horoho’s first public remarks on an investigation she launched to review discrepancies between initial PTSD diagnoses at Madigan and later conclusions reached by a forensic psychiatry team at the Army hospital south of Tacoma.
Officials at Walter Reed Army Medical Center are reviewing the cases of 14 soldiers who passed through Madigan with PTSD diagnoses only to have those results changed by the forensic team in such a way that the soldiers would receive less generous disability benefits in retirement. The review was first reported by The Seattle Times.
The Army has suspended the leader of the forensic psychiatry team, Dr. William Keppler, while it conducts its investigation.
read more here
Justice will be served at Red Lobster in one Florida domestic dispute
Off topic but just too strange to not post.
Florida man accused of domestic violence ordered to buy wife flowers, dinner
By Casey Glynn
(CBS/AP) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - Justice will be served at Red Lobster in one Florida domestic dispute.
A South Florida Judge has ordered Joseph Bray to buy his wife a birthday card and flowers, and to take her to dinner at a Red Lobster restaurant and a night of bowling, to smooth over any hard feelings from a marital spat.
Bray, 47, was arrested after a dispute over forgetting to wish his wife a happy birthday allegedly escalated into violence.
read more here
Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier accused of murder had history of drugs and violence
Soldier accused of murdering Kirkland woman has history of violence, drugs
By MATT PHELPS
Kirkland Reporter Staff Writer
FEBRUARY 9, 2012
He is being held at the base and faces court-martial charges, according to military charging documents obtained by the Reporter.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Pvt. Dakota Wolf was charged in December with the first-degree murder of Kirkland resident Scarlett Paxton. Wolf is accused of stabbing Paxton to death with a large chef’s knife at her apartment behind the Juanita Albertsons.
Wolf, who was in the second year of a six-year term with the Army, is facing five separate charges from the military in the court martial.
Wolf had a history of disobeying orders, but the biggest issue is an assault charge that he faces. Wolf struck a noncommissioned officer of the United States Army in the right eye with an open hand on Nov. 17, 2011, according to charging documents. The incident took place just 13 days before the murder.
Wolf then went AWOL from Nov. 18-30. During his absence from the military, he stayed in Kirkland at a friend’s house after a falling out with his mother on Nov. 28, according to Kirkland police records.
read more here
By MATT PHELPS
Kirkland Reporter Staff Writer
FEBRUARY 9, 2012
CONTRIBUTEDThe soldier accused of killing a 19-year-old Kirkland woman in Juanita on Nov. 30 has a record of going Absent Without Leave, assaulting a noncommissioned officer and a history of drug use.
Kirkland resident Scarlett Paxton, age 19, was murdered on Nov. 30 outside her apartment.
He is being held at the base and faces court-martial charges, according to military charging documents obtained by the Reporter.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord Pvt. Dakota Wolf was charged in December with the first-degree murder of Kirkland resident Scarlett Paxton. Wolf is accused of stabbing Paxton to death with a large chef’s knife at her apartment behind the Juanita Albertsons.
Wolf, who was in the second year of a six-year term with the Army, is facing five separate charges from the military in the court martial.
Wolf had a history of disobeying orders, but the biggest issue is an assault charge that he faces. Wolf struck a noncommissioned officer of the United States Army in the right eye with an open hand on Nov. 17, 2011, according to charging documents. The incident took place just 13 days before the murder.
Wolf then went AWOL from Nov. 18-30. During his absence from the military, he stayed in Kirkland at a friend’s house after a falling out with his mother on Nov. 28, according to Kirkland police records.
read more here
Fort Stewart Soldier killed in Ga. crash remembered as having a big heart
Soldier killed in Ga. crash remembered as having a big heart
Christiaan Bush's mother says, 'He made sure he was taking care of everybody'
By DAVE McMILLION
davem@herald-mail.com
7:10 p.m. EST, February 9, 2012
Christiaan Bush started thinking about enlisting in the armed forces when he was about 6 years old, his mother said Thursday.
“I wouldn’t let him do it right out of high school,” said Amy Werner of Clear Spring.
So instead of going into the service at that point, he enrolled in Universal Technical Institute in Exton, Pa., to study auto mechanics, Werner said.
When Bush finished that training, he still wanted to go into the military, Werner said.
“That was his way of contributing and doing his part. He had a passion for it,” she said.
Bush, 22, a Hagerstown resident and a 2007 graduate of Smithsburg High School, was killed Sunday night at Fort Stewart, Ga., when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car, a post official said Wednesday.
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Christiaan Bush's mother says, 'He made sure he was taking care of everybody'
By DAVE McMILLION
davem@herald-mail.com
7:10 p.m. EST, February 9, 2012
Christiaan Bush started thinking about enlisting in the armed forces when he was about 6 years old, his mother said Thursday.
“I wouldn’t let him do it right out of high school,” said Amy Werner of Clear Spring.
So instead of going into the service at that point, he enrolled in Universal Technical Institute in Exton, Pa., to study auto mechanics, Werner said.
When Bush finished that training, he still wanted to go into the military, Werner said.
“That was his way of contributing and doing his part. He had a passion for it,” she said.
Bush, 22, a Hagerstown resident and a 2007 graduate of Smithsburg High School, was killed Sunday night at Fort Stewart, Ga., when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car, a post official said Wednesday.
read more here
WWII veteran from Hawaii earns Congressional Gold Medal
W.W.II soldier from Lahaina earns Congressional Gold Medal
February 9, 2012
BY WALTER CHIHARA , Lahaina News
LAHAINA - Beginning in the early 1900s, Japanese culture spread across the United States with immigration to diverse areas in metropolitan pockets and island locales. Though widespread to all corners of the country - as well as across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii - the influence of the Japanese presence had a deep and profound effect in those neighborhoods labeled fondly as the "Lil' Tokyos" and "Japantowns" in those areas.
Perhaps due to geographic similarities of the island nation of Japan and emerging territory of the United States, that influence seemed to run deeper in Hawaii than in the city existence, such as New York, Los Angeles or Seattle. Island living in the middle of the Pacific more resembled that of the Far East nation with seaside villages, subsistence farming and aquaculture these immigrants were used to.
Regardless of where the Japanese settled, the ethical standards of their character - mainly respect, courtesy, duty, kindness, persistence and honor - were carried forth through these pioneers, the Issei or first-generation immigrants, to their offspring, the Nisei or second-generation.
In this strength of character, the Nisei, the Japanese Americans, made great progress toward attaining the American Dream of owning a home and raising a family all across the United States, from New York to Hilo and all the "Lil' Tokyos" in between during the first half of the 20th Century.
read more here
February 9, 2012
BY WALTER CHIHARA , Lahaina News
LAHAINA - Beginning in the early 1900s, Japanese culture spread across the United States with immigration to diverse areas in metropolitan pockets and island locales. Though widespread to all corners of the country - as well as across the Pacific Ocean to Hawaii - the influence of the Japanese presence had a deep and profound effect in those neighborhoods labeled fondly as the "Lil' Tokyos" and "Japantowns" in those areas.
Perhaps due to geographic similarities of the island nation of Japan and emerging territory of the United States, that influence seemed to run deeper in Hawaii than in the city existence, such as New York, Los Angeles or Seattle. Island living in the middle of the Pacific more resembled that of the Far East nation with seaside villages, subsistence farming and aquaculture these immigrants were used to.
Regardless of where the Japanese settled, the ethical standards of their character - mainly respect, courtesy, duty, kindness, persistence and honor - were carried forth through these pioneers, the Issei or first-generation immigrants, to their offspring, the Nisei or second-generation.
In this strength of character, the Nisei, the Japanese Americans, made great progress toward attaining the American Dream of owning a home and raising a family all across the United States, from New York to Hilo and all the "Lil' Tokyos" in between during the first half of the 20th Century.
read more here
Soldier visits Skype buddies at middle school
Soldier visits Skype buddies at school
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Jason Knowles
February 9, 2012 (WEST DUNDEE, Ill.) (WLS) -- Army Sgt. Justin Craggs spent the last year Skyping with seventh-graders at Dundee Middle School while he was serving in Afghanistan. On Thursday, he paid the class a visit so they could talk to him in person for the first time.
"When I was in seventh grade, (I had) no one at this age to look up to," Craggs said. "This is a chance to talk to younger kids."
Craggs arrived in uniform, including a full backpack to give students an idea of the load he carries while serving. He presented the class an American flag.
read more here
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Jason Knowles
February 9, 2012 (WEST DUNDEE, Ill.) (WLS) -- Army Sgt. Justin Craggs spent the last year Skyping with seventh-graders at Dundee Middle School while he was serving in Afghanistan. On Thursday, he paid the class a visit so they could talk to him in person for the first time.
"When I was in seventh grade, (I had) no one at this age to look up to," Craggs said. "This is a chance to talk to younger kids."
Craggs arrived in uniform, including a full backpack to give students an idea of the load he carries while serving. He presented the class an American flag.
read more here
Tampa Hiring Our Heroes Event
Register and create a new account Employer and Job Seekers on line at
Hiring Our Heroes by midnight 19 Feb 2012
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce "Hiring Our Heroes" (HOH), in association with other Federal, State, and local agencies, is sponsoring a series of "Hiring Fairs" across the country and in your area.
These "one-of-a-kind" Hiring Fairs are designed specifically for current and active Reserve "seekers" and their eligible spouses, transitioning active duty military members, veterans, and members of the National Guard as well as current Reserve Employer Partners. I would like to ask for your assistance in getting the word out to as many eligible Reserve Soldiers/seekers, eligible spouses and employers in your area of responsibility as you can. Please distribute the attached information and flier to your active seekers and other constituency groups as appropriate pertaining to the hiring fair in your area. Please note that this is a FREE service for job seekers and employers. Seekers and employers must preregister for these events. The website for registration is identified on the attached flier. In some cases other services, i.e. resume writing, interviewing skills, etc., will be offered in conjunction with the hiring fair.
Chicago Giving $6.2 Million To Arrested Anti-War Protesters
Veterans should hire these lawyers so they get some justice too!
Chicago Iraq War Protester Settlement: City Giving $6.2 Million To Arrested Anti-War Protesters
After nearly nine years of litigation, lawyers for the city of Chicago on Thursday agreed to settle a lawsuit brought on by anti-war protesters for $6.2 million.
More than 800 plaintiffs were part of the class action suit against the city, which claimed that hundreds of people were arrested without being told by police to disperse during a protest against the Iraq war in 2003. Last year, federal appellate Justice Richard Posner ruled that police did not have the right to arrest peaceful protesters "merely because they do not have a permit," the People's Law Office said in a statement.
read more here
U.S. veterans deported after they served
U.S. veterans deported after they served
By CINDY CARCAMO / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ROSARITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA – Keeping tabs on his U.S. citizenship application wasn't much of a priority for Marine Cpl. Rohan Coombs when he served in the Persian Gulf War.
The aircraft maintenance specialist had more pressing concerns: the safety of his comrades as bombs rained down and people died around him in the desert.
Coombs, who came to the U.S. legally from Jamaica as a child and enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 20, served six years in the military. Eventually, he settled in Tustin and figured he was a U.S. citizen because he'd gone to war for his country.
He was wrong. Like hundreds of other men and women who served in the U.S. military, Coombs faces deportation and banishment from the country he went to war for after being arrested. In his case, he was arrested several times on charges of possession for use or sale of marijuana.
Just south of the U.S.-Mexico border in Rosarito, a contingent of about a dozen veterans who call themselves the "Banished Veterans" are lobbying to change an immigration act that allows legal residents who commit certain crimes to be deported, despite his or her military service.
The group has launched a website, Facebook page and created a network of advocates and attorneys who provide legal and emotional support to U.S. veterans who face deportation.
read more here
By CINDY CARCAMO / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ROSARITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA – Keeping tabs on his U.S. citizenship application wasn't much of a priority for Marine Cpl. Rohan Coombs when he served in the Persian Gulf War.
The aircraft maintenance specialist had more pressing concerns: the safety of his comrades as bombs rained down and people died around him in the desert.
Coombs, who came to the U.S. legally from Jamaica as a child and enlisted in the Marine Corps at age 20, served six years in the military. Eventually, he settled in Tustin and figured he was a U.S. citizen because he'd gone to war for his country.
He was wrong. Like hundreds of other men and women who served in the U.S. military, Coombs faces deportation and banishment from the country he went to war for after being arrested. In his case, he was arrested several times on charges of possession for use or sale of marijuana.
Just south of the U.S.-Mexico border in Rosarito, a contingent of about a dozen veterans who call themselves the "Banished Veterans" are lobbying to change an immigration act that allows legal residents who commit certain crimes to be deported, despite his or her military service.
The group has launched a website, Facebook page and created a network of advocates and attorneys who provide legal and emotional support to U.S. veterans who face deportation.
read more here
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Ban on women lifted for 1% of military jobs
Ban on women lifted for 1% of military jobs
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 9, 2012 15:21:29 EST
The Pentagon will lift parts of its longtime ban on women serving in combat units, but only a small fraction of the force will be affected, officials announced Thursday.
The change will open up about an additional 1 percent of military jobs to women, but about 20 percent of jobs across the active-duty force will remain restricted to men.
The new rules, likely to take effect this spring, will continue keep most combat career fields off-limits to women, who make up about 15 percent of the active-duty force.
By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 9, 2012 15:21:29 EST
The Pentagon will lift parts of its longtime ban on women serving in combat units, but only a small fraction of the force will be affected, officials announced Thursday.
The change will open up about an additional 1 percent of military jobs to women, but about 20 percent of jobs across the active-duty force will remain restricted to men.
The new rules, likely to take effect this spring, will continue keep most combat career fields off-limits to women, who make up about 15 percent of the active-duty force.
For the Army the change means nearly 14,000 new jobs are available for women, less than 10 percent of the jobs currently closed to them. The Army will be opening six enlisted occupational specialties that were not formerly available to women, including artillery mechanic and maintainers for the Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle.
For the Marine Corps, the change will be less significant because the Marines are currently not enforcing the legally optional restrictions on women serving in units that “co-locate” with ground combat units. That’s less than 1 percent of the roughly 54,000 Marine Corps jobs currently closed to women. The Marines for the first time will allow women to serve in some career fields in artillery battalions, tank battalions and combat assault battalions.
The Navy will open 60 positions that were previously closed, also less than 1 percent of the nearly 34,000 Navy jobs currently closed to women.
The Air Force will be largely unaffected by the change because more than 99 percent of Air Force jobs are already open to women.
read more here
Ron Paul gets the most military donations
This is not the first time Paul has received the bulk of military donations. The troubling part is how few are counted in on donating to the one they want to be the next Commander-in-Chief.
Ron Paul gets the most military donations
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 9, 2012 16:05:41 EST
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul is getting by far the most campaign contributions from military-affiliated donors than anyone else in the 2012 field.
President Obama ranks second, a review of Federal Election Commission donor records show.
While the FEC records make it difficult in some cases to separate civilians who work for the Defense Department from uniformed service members, Paul has still received more than twice as much as the next closest recipient from people who list the military or one of the armed services as their occupation.
Paul, an Air Force veteran who is the only remaining candidate in the field with military experience, has received a combined $17,432 in campaign donations from 36 people affiliated with the military, some of them contributing more than once, as allowed under campaign finance rules.
It is difficult to break down contributions by service because of how occupations are listed, but when a service is clearly designated, Paul received the most donations from people working for the Army. Records also do not show which contributors might be veterans.
President Obama received a combined $7,200 in donations from 18 people with military affiliations. Seven donors listed the Army as their occupation, three Navy and one Air Force. No donor said they were a Marine. The remaining donors listed “the military” as their occupation.
read more here
New program helps veterans in prison
New program helps veterans in prison
Feb. 8, 2012
By Erica Bryant
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — More than 1 million veterans are in jails and prisons in the U.S. More than 2,000 of them are in North Carolina prisons, arrested for crimes ranging from theft, to drugs, to murder.
Many incarcerated veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury or other mental health issues. The problems are side effects of their service that they might not recognize until it’s too late.
But there is a new effort in Mecklenburg County to help them.
Wesley Woodling will never forget the night he killed an innocent man, someone he mistakenly thought was trying to rob him.
“I was using tactics when I did it. I did it from a tree line where nobody could see me,” he said. “Like I was trained to do.”
He was trained in the National Guard and served in Iraq and Kuwait.
He was diagnosed with PTSD and bi-polar disorder and discharged in 2008. He said he was suicidal and hearing voices after he returned to his Charlotte home.
read more here
Feb. 8, 2012
By Erica Bryant
MECKLENBURG COUNTY, N.C. — More than 1 million veterans are in jails and prisons in the U.S. More than 2,000 of them are in North Carolina prisons, arrested for crimes ranging from theft, to drugs, to murder.
Many incarcerated veterans suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, traumatic brain injury or other mental health issues. The problems are side effects of their service that they might not recognize until it’s too late.
But there is a new effort in Mecklenburg County to help them.
Wesley Woodling will never forget the night he killed an innocent man, someone he mistakenly thought was trying to rob him.
“I was using tactics when I did it. I did it from a tree line where nobody could see me,” he said. “Like I was trained to do.”
He was trained in the National Guard and served in Iraq and Kuwait.
He was diagnosed with PTSD and bi-polar disorder and discharged in 2008. He said he was suicidal and hearing voices after he returned to his Charlotte home.
read more here
Houston Police and FBI questions PTSD speaker's war-hero story
HPD questions PTSD speaker's war-hero story
by Jeff McShan / KHOU 11 News
khou.com
Posted on February 9, 2012
HOUSTON – Houston police thought that a war hero had volunteered to help officers handle troubled vets suffering from post-traumatic stress, but now sources say the FBI is investigating whether the man ever went to war.
KHOU 11 News first met Paul Schroeder in February of last year when we featured him in a story about post-traumatic stress disorder.
Schroeder is a full-time employee of the PTSD Foundation of America. It’s a group that provides counseling for veterans who are having a hard time after returning home from war.
HPD sources tell us Schroeder was so knowledgeable and was such a great speaker, the department decided to let him offer some training to officers at the HPD Academy. The classes were designed to help officers deal with returning veterans who are having issues.
HPD confirms that Schroeder taught six classes at the academy since September.
read more here
by Jeff McShan / KHOU 11 News
khou.com
Posted on February 9, 2012
HOUSTON – Houston police thought that a war hero had volunteered to help officers handle troubled vets suffering from post-traumatic stress, but now sources say the FBI is investigating whether the man ever went to war.
KHOU 11 News first met Paul Schroeder in February of last year when we featured him in a story about post-traumatic stress disorder.
Schroeder is a full-time employee of the PTSD Foundation of America. It’s a group that provides counseling for veterans who are having a hard time after returning home from war.
HPD sources tell us Schroeder was so knowledgeable and was such a great speaker, the department decided to let him offer some training to officers at the HPD Academy. The classes were designed to help officers deal with returning veterans who are having issues.
HPD confirms that Schroeder taught six classes at the academy since September.
read more here
U.S. Army Photo of the Year credit to Soldier’s passion, dedication
U.S. Army Photo of the Year credit to Soldier’s passion, dedication
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. Wallace Bonner
FORT CARSON, Colo. – Even the most carefully considered and chosen words fail to capture the visceral reaction inspired by a great photograph, and such is certainly the case with the 2011 U.S. Army Photo of the Year taken by Sgt. Breanne Pye, a public affairs non-commissioned officer, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry division.
A soldier kneels, frozen in a moment of time, vigilantly surveying the terrain ahead of him, intent on identifying the shadowy threat that has plagued his entire deployment to Afghanistan. He holds his rifle in what appears to be a casual carry, but can be presented with deadly effect in a second's notice.
read more here
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs
Story by Staff Sgt. Wallace Bonner
FORT CARSON, Colo. – Even the most carefully considered and chosen words fail to capture the visceral reaction inspired by a great photograph, and such is certainly the case with the 2011 U.S. Army Photo of the Year taken by Sgt. Breanne Pye, a public affairs non-commissioned officer, assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 1st Special Troops Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry division.
A soldier kneels, frozen in a moment of time, vigilantly surveying the terrain ahead of him, intent on identifying the shadowy threat that has plagued his entire deployment to Afghanistan. He holds his rifle in what appears to be a casual carry, but can be presented with deadly effect in a second's notice.
read more here
Teens Sentenced for Attacking Vietnam Vet
Teens Sentenced for Attacking Vietnam Vet: Cops
Two teens accused of beating a Vietnam Veteran were sentenced to four years at a youth detention center.
By Teresa Masterson, Dan Stamm and David Chang
Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012
Two teenagers accused of beating a Vietnam Veteran last month learned their fate on Wednesday.
Ed Schaefer, 64, lost his eye in a grenade attack while serving in the Vietnam War. On January 17, he was injured in a different kind of battle, as a group of teens ambushed him from behind in the Olney section of Philadelphia, according to police. The attack, which police say was a robbery attempt, left Schaefer with a fractured skull.
The grandfather of four was on his way to meet his wife at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Police say two or three teens approached him from behind while he was walking on the 5000 block of N 5th Street.
The teens beat Schaefer so badly that he was left with serious injuries to his face, head and hand including a broken skull and orbital bone around the eye he lost at war, according to authorities.
read more here
Disabled Vietnam Veteran beaten
Two teens accused of beating a Vietnam Veteran were sentenced to four years at a youth detention center.
By Teresa Masterson, Dan Stamm and David Chang
Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012
Two teenagers accused of beating a Vietnam Veteran last month learned their fate on Wednesday.
Ed Schaefer, 64, lost his eye in a grenade attack while serving in the Vietnam War. On January 17, he was injured in a different kind of battle, as a group of teens ambushed him from behind in the Olney section of Philadelphia, according to police. The attack, which police say was a robbery attempt, left Schaefer with a fractured skull.
The grandfather of four was on his way to meet his wife at about 6 p.m. Tuesday. Police say two or three teens approached him from behind while he was walking on the 5000 block of N 5th Street.
The teens beat Schaefer so badly that he was left with serious injuries to his face, head and hand including a broken skull and orbital bone around the eye he lost at war, according to authorities.
read more here
Disabled Vietnam Veteran beaten
US Marines Posed With Nazi Symbol in Afghanistan
US Marines Posed With Nazi Symbol in Afghanistan
By JULIE WATSON Associated Press
SAN DIEGO February 9, 2012 (AP)
The Marine Corps on Thursday once again did damage control after a photograph surfaced of a sniper team in Afghanistan posing in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS — a special unit that murdered millions of Jews, gypsies and others.
The Corps said in a statement that using the symbol was not acceptable.
However, it was a naïve mistake made by Marines who believed the SS symbol was meant to represent sniper scouts and never intended to associate themselves with a racist organization, said Maj. Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman at Camp Pendleton.
The Marines in the image will not be disciplined because investigators determined there was no malicious intent, Chapin said.
Instead, the Corps used the incident as a training tool to talk to troops about what symbols are acceptable after it became aware of the photograph last November.
The image has since surfaced on an Internet blog.
"I don't believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in WWII," Chapin said. "It's not within who we are as Marines."
read more here
By JULIE WATSON Associated Press
SAN DIEGO February 9, 2012 (AP)
The Marine Corps on Thursday once again did damage control after a photograph surfaced of a sniper team in Afghanistan posing in front of a flag with a logo resembling that of the notorious Nazi SS — a special unit that murdered millions of Jews, gypsies and others.
The Corps said in a statement that using the symbol was not acceptable.
However, it was a naïve mistake made by Marines who believed the SS symbol was meant to represent sniper scouts and never intended to associate themselves with a racist organization, said Maj. Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman at Camp Pendleton.
The Marines in the image will not be disciplined because investigators determined there was no malicious intent, Chapin said.
Instead, the Corps used the incident as a training tool to talk to troops about what symbols are acceptable after it became aware of the photograph last November.
The image has since surfaced on an Internet blog.
"I don't believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in WWII," Chapin said. "It's not within who we are as Marines."
read more here
Ex-Marine sniper found in woods after traffic crash
UPDATE
Marine vet with PTSD found after 2 days in snow
Marine vet with PTSD found after 2 days in snow
Former U.S. Marine sniper spends 48 hours in snowy woods after fleeing traffic crash
Published: Thursday, February 09, 2012
By Stuart Tomlinson, The Oregonian
A former U.S. Marine sniper who fled a traffic crash in a remote area of Douglas County was found huddling beneath pine boughs Wednesday after spending 48 hours in the snowy woods, police said.
Jason D. Cooper, 37, of Temecula, Calif., was shivering and suffering from hypothermia when Oregon State Police trooper Sgt. Dave Randall and Fish & Wildlife Division Senior Trooper Don Frerichs found him lying on the ground covered with branches around 3 p.m. Wednesday.
read more here
2 kids in back seat when Marine from Camp Pendleton was shot at high school
UPDATE
Sheriff's Deputy Cleared
Sheriff's Deputy Cleared
UPDATE
Marine fatally shot by deputy described as deeply religious
Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. was shot by an Orange County sheriff's deputy in a parking lot at San Clemente High School. He regularly went to the campus track with his young daughters for early-morning prayer walks.
By Christopher Goffard, Los Angeles Times
February 10, 2012
A decorated Marine who was fatally shot by an Orange County sheriff's deputy in a high school parking lot was described Thursday as a deeply religious man who regularly went to the campus track with his young daughters for early-morning prayer walks.
Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. was shot to death during the predawn hours Tuesday under largely unexplained circumstances in a parking lot at San Clemente High School.
Loggins' daughters, 9 and 14, were sitting nearby in the family SUV at the time of the shooting.
Loggins, who was based at Camp Pendleton, was driving "at a high rate of speed" when he crashed his Yukon SUV through a gate at the parking lot about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, said sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.
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Officials: 2 kids in back seat when Marine was shot
Feb. 9, 2012 Updated: 10:20 a.m.
Authorities say a deputy feared for his life when he shot a Camp Pendleton Marine at a high school early Tuesday morning.
By SALVADOR HERNANDEZ / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SAN CLEMENTE – Two young daughters of a Camp Pendleton Marine were in the back seat of an SUV on Tuesday when a sheriff's deputy fired, fatally wounding the 31-year-old man, officials said Thursday.
On Thursday morning, officials with the Orange County Sheriff's Department identified the man as Manuel Levi Loggins and began to release details regarding what led a deputy to shoot him after a traffic stop at San Clemente High School.
Officials would not say how close the shooting occurred to the two girls, who they said were 9 and 14 years old, but said the shooting was near the vehicle.
Authorities said Loggins was walking back toward the GMC Yukon when the deputy feared for his life and fired. The two girls were not injured.
Sheriff's officials said Loggins was spotted speeding and crashing through a gate at the high school along Avenida Pico early Tuesday, prompting a deputy to contact the Marine.
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Man Killed by Deputy was Camp Pendleton Marine
This link says friends gave identification of this Marine. Until official release, it won't be posted here.
Man Killed by Deputy was Marine
By Adam Townsend
February 8, 2012
Camp Pendleton says the person who was shot during a traffic stop at San Clemente High School on Tuesday was stationed at the base.
The driver who was fatally shot by a sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop in the parking lot of San Clemente High School on Tuesday was a U.S. Marine stationed at Camp Pendleton, a base official said Wednesday.
Capt. Barry Edwards, a base spokesman, said he could not release any more information until after a 24-hour family notification period standard in all Marine deaths. The Marine died at Mission Hospital from his wounds late Tuesday, officials said.
read more here
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Vietnam veteran honored by President Obama loses cancer battle
Lockport Vietnam veteran honored by President Obama loses cancer battle
By Tony Graf tgraf@stmedianetwork.com February 7, 2012 7:50PM
Updated: February 8, 2012 10:20AM
LOCKPORT — Francis “Bud” Smolich, a Vietnam veteran whose Army unit received honors in person from President Obama at the White House in October 2009, died Monday. He was 69.
Obama shook the Lockport resident’s hand twice, and put his arm around him, as he honored the veterans with a Presidential Unit Citation for heroism. On March 26, 1970, the soldiers rescued another Army unit from certain destruction or capture by the North Vietnamese Army.
During the battle, Smolich, a sergeant, commanded soldiers who pounded enemy bunkers with mortar fire, and also lit the way to safety after the battle by firing illumination rounds.
In the Rose Garden ceremony in 2009, Smolich stood behind Obama as the president honored Alpha Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
“Throughout his life, one of Bud’s greatest pleasures was doing things for others. His daily goal was to bring a smile to someone’s face,” according to a statement Tuesday from Bud’s wife, Cheryl; his son, Eric; and his daughter, Joy.
“Sgt. Smolich’s determined and capable leadership served him in battle as well as in life,” the family said, a reference to previous remarks of commendation by retired Army Capt. John Poindexter, who led Smolich’s unit in the rescue.
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By Tony Graf tgraf@stmedianetwork.com February 7, 2012 7:50PM
Updated: February 8, 2012 10:20AM
LOCKPORT — Francis “Bud” Smolich, a Vietnam veteran whose Army unit received honors in person from President Obama at the White House in October 2009, died Monday. He was 69.
Obama shook the Lockport resident’s hand twice, and put his arm around him, as he honored the veterans with a Presidential Unit Citation for heroism. On March 26, 1970, the soldiers rescued another Army unit from certain destruction or capture by the North Vietnamese Army.
During the battle, Smolich, a sergeant, commanded soldiers who pounded enemy bunkers with mortar fire, and also lit the way to safety after the battle by firing illumination rounds.
In the Rose Garden ceremony in 2009, Smolich stood behind Obama as the president honored Alpha Troop, First Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
“Throughout his life, one of Bud’s greatest pleasures was doing things for others. His daily goal was to bring a smile to someone’s face,” according to a statement Tuesday from Bud’s wife, Cheryl; his son, Eric; and his daughter, Joy.
“Sgt. Smolich’s determined and capable leadership served him in battle as well as in life,” the family said, a reference to previous remarks of commendation by retired Army Capt. John Poindexter, who led Smolich’s unit in the rescue.
read more here
Time for an Iraq war parade?
Vets ask: Time for an Iraq war parade?
By Dugald McConnell and Brian Todd
updated 9:33 PM EST, Tue February 7, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
New York parade for Super Bowl-winning Giants sparks talk of veterans parade
Some GOP candidates have suggested parade for Iraq vets is a good idea
Pentagon spokesman says parade is deemed improper with troops still in Afghanistan
(CNN) -- On a day when New York City threw a parade to celebrate the New York Giants for their Super Bowl victory, at least one veterans' group is using the occasion to ask: What about a parade to honor the soldiers who fought in Iraq?
"If the Giants deserve a Super Bowl [parade], so do the 1 million Iraq veterans who have served," says Paul Reickhoff, an Iraq war veteran who now heads Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "The American people want a chance to say thank you, and want a chance to respect and remember those who served."
Along the parade route Tuesday in New York, several parade-watchers voiced support for the idea.
"Without a doubt there should be one," said Jim Lynch, who said his brother Scott was killed in Afghanistan. "They deserve it."
"Amen. Absolutely," said his friend Jim Diffley. "We showed up at 7 a.m. for a Giants parade; I'd be here at 4 o'clock yesterday for an Iraq war veteran parade."
read more here
By Dugald McConnell and Brian Todd
updated 9:33 PM EST, Tue February 7, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
New York parade for Super Bowl-winning Giants sparks talk of veterans parade
Some GOP candidates have suggested parade for Iraq vets is a good idea
Pentagon spokesman says parade is deemed improper with troops still in Afghanistan
(CNN) -- On a day when New York City threw a parade to celebrate the New York Giants for their Super Bowl victory, at least one veterans' group is using the occasion to ask: What about a parade to honor the soldiers who fought in Iraq?
"If the Giants deserve a Super Bowl [parade], so do the 1 million Iraq veterans who have served," says Paul Reickhoff, an Iraq war veteran who now heads Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. "The American people want a chance to say thank you, and want a chance to respect and remember those who served."
Along the parade route Tuesday in New York, several parade-watchers voiced support for the idea.
"Without a doubt there should be one," said Jim Lynch, who said his brother Scott was killed in Afghanistan. "They deserve it."
"Amen. Absolutely," said his friend Jim Diffley. "We showed up at 7 a.m. for a Giants parade; I'd be here at 4 o'clock yesterday for an Iraq war veteran parade."
read more here
Six Fort Bragg Soldiers committed suicide in last six weeks
North Carolina Town Plagued by Crimes by War Veterans
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff
The city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg, has suffered through a series of violent incidents perpetrated by soldiers who have returned home from war.
Many of the 14,000 soldiers stationed at the base suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems caused by the stresses of combat and multiple deployments.
Wednesday, February 08, 2012
David Wallechinsky, Noel Brinkerhoff
The city of Fayetteville, North Carolina, home to the U.S. Army’s Fort Bragg, has suffered through a series of violent incidents perpetrated by soldiers who have returned home from war.
Many of the 14,000 soldiers stationed at the base suffer from depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems caused by the stresses of combat and multiple deployments.
Lieutenant General Frank Helmick reported that six Fort Bragg soldiers had committed suicide in the past six weeks, and that there were at least 25 cases of spousal abuse at the installation in the past 30 days, according to the Fayetteville Observer.
read more here
Fort Carson soldier dies in crash near Stuttgart
Fort Carson soldier dies in crash near Stuttgart
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 7, 2012
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A soldier assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., serving in the Stuttgart area on a temporary assignment, was killed Sunday in a car accident, the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group reported.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew A. Harvey, 29, of Houston, was a passenger in the vehicle, according to a local newspaper account of the accident.
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Stars and Stripes
Published: February 7, 2012
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — A soldier assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne) at Fort Carson, Colo., serving in the Stuttgart area on a temporary assignment, was killed Sunday in a car accident, the 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group reported.
Sgt. 1st Class Matthew A. Harvey, 29, of Houston, was a passenger in the vehicle, according to a local newspaper account of the accident.
read more here
Fort Bragg soldier receives Distinguished Flying Cross
Fort Bragg soldier receives Distinguished Flying Cross
By: MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE EXCHANGE
The Fayetteville Observer
Published: February 07, 2012
FAYETTEVILLE
Low on ammo and outgunned, about 250 soldiers were in danger, with enemy fighters closing in and thunderstorms roaring overhead.
The severe weather prevented the air support the soldiers, operating near Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam in eastern Afghanistan, expected. But the weather couldn't stand between them and the soldiers determined to rescue them Sept. 5, 2010.
Maj. Brendan P. Murphy, then a captain with the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, was one of the men who volunteered for the dangerous mission to first reinforce and then extract the isolated ground forces.
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By: MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE EXCHANGE
The Fayetteville Observer
Published: February 07, 2012
FAYETTEVILLE
Low on ammo and outgunned, about 250 soldiers were in danger, with enemy fighters closing in and thunderstorms roaring overhead.
The severe weather prevented the air support the soldiers, operating near Forward Operating Base Mehtar Lam in eastern Afghanistan, expected. But the weather couldn't stand between them and the soldiers determined to rescue them Sept. 5, 2010.
Maj. Brendan P. Murphy, then a captain with the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade's Company B, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Aviation Regiment, was one of the men who volunteered for the dangerous mission to first reinforce and then extract the isolated ground forces.
read more here
Battle Creek Marines back from Afghanistan
WOODTV8 on Feb 7, 2012
Families welcomed back home their Marines, who spent the last six months in Afghanistan.
Families welcomed back home their Marines, who spent the last six months in Afghanistan.
Airmen deployed to Afghanistan return to Patrick Air Force Base
Airmen deployed to Afghanistan return to Patrick Air Force Base
920th Rescue Wing returns home from Afghanistan
7:54 PM, Feb. 7, 2012
Written by
R. Norman Moody
FLORIDA
About 50 airmen from the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing, headquartered Patrick Air Force Base, arrived back home after a four-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Others are expected on a flight tonight, bringing the total number of returning Airmen to 70 since Monday night.
Two C-17 cargo planes arrived at the base this afternoon, bringing most of the airmen and some of their equipment. The first flight with nine airmen arrived Monday night, two this afternoon and a final flight is expected later tonight.
read more here
The best part is this:
920th Rescue Wing returns home from Afghanistan
7:54 PM, Feb. 7, 2012
Written by
R. Norman Moody
FLORIDA
About 50 airmen from the Air Force Reserve's 920th Rescue Wing, headquartered Patrick Air Force Base, arrived back home after a four-month deployment to Afghanistan.
Others are expected on a flight tonight, bringing the total number of returning Airmen to 70 since Monday night.
Two C-17 cargo planes arrived at the base this afternoon, bringing most of the airmen and some of their equipment. The first flight with nine airmen arrived Monday night, two this afternoon and a final flight is expected later tonight.
read more here
The best part is this:
Palm Bay woman gets makeover for husband returning from Afghanistan: Follow Palm Bay's Shellie Rose, who lost weight and got a makeover before greeting her husband Msgt. David Rose, who returned from Afghanistan on Tuesday. Video by Breuse Hickman. Posted Feb. 7, 2011
Patrick Air Force Base combat rescue team training turns into real rescue
Airmen's Training Mission Becomes Rescue
4 Injured When Air Boat Crashes Into Tree
POSTED: 5:49 am EST February 8, 2012
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- Combat search and rescue airmen helped rescue four people injured in an air boat crash Tuesday night.
Four people were ejected into the St. John's River after the air boat slammed into a tree. All four were injured, one of them critically, according to Brevard County Fire officials.
Three of the injured were flown from the scene by the combat airmen from Patrick's Air Force base, who were training nearby when the crash happened at about 7 p.m.
read more here
4 Injured When Air Boat Crashes Into Tree
POSTED: 5:49 am EST February 8, 2012
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. -- Combat search and rescue airmen helped rescue four people injured in an air boat crash Tuesday night.
Four people were ejected into the St. John's River after the air boat slammed into a tree. All four were injured, one of them critically, according to Brevard County Fire officials.
Three of the injured were flown from the scene by the combat airmen from Patrick's Air Force base, who were training nearby when the crash happened at about 7 p.m.
read more here
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
World War II Four Chaplains
On Saturday I was at the National Vietnam War Museum in Orlando Florida for The Four Chaplains service. The Young Marines, Orlando Devil Dogs, held a very moving service. Great to see these young kids care so much about the men and women that came before them.
The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation
It was the evening of Feb. 2, 1943, and the U.S.A.T. Dorchester was crowded to capacity, carrying 902 service men, merchant seamen and civilian workers.
The Four Chaplains Memorial Foundation
It was the evening of Feb. 2, 1943, and the U.S.A.T. Dorchester was crowded to capacity, carrying 902 service men, merchant seamen and civilian workers.
Through the pandemonium, according to those present, four Army chaplains brought hope in despair and light in darkness. Those chaplains were Lt. George L. Fox, Methodist; Lt. Alexander D. Goode, Jewish; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; and Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed.
click link for more on these amazing men.
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