Afghan Policeman Kills 9 Sleeping Fellow Officers
March 30, 2012
Associated Press|by Amir Shah
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan policeman killed nine of his fellow officers as they lay sleeping in a village in the eastern Paktika province on Friday, police said, blaming the attack on the Taliban.
Provincial police chief Dawlat Khan Zadran said the incident took place in Yayakhil town of Yayakhil district.
Bowal Khan, chief of Yayakhil district, identified the gunman as Asadullah, who goes by one name. He said the gunman was assigned to a small command post when he woke up at 3 a.m. for guard duty. He then used his assault rifle to kill the nine men sleeping inside the post, took their weapons and piled them in a pickup truck.
According to Khan, Asadullah then sped away in the truck.
read more here
Friday, March 30, 2012
Sgt Bales case echoes loudly for ex-soldiers on hotline for vets
Afghan massacre: Sgt Bales case echoes loudly for ex-soldiers on hotline for vets
By Kari Huus, msnbc.com
LOS ANGELES – The young men who answer the phones at the National Veterans Foundation's hotline for troubled veterans speak with an authority that comes from having faced down the same demons that plague their callers.
All are combat veterans, having served up to four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and all have struggled with either PTSD or traumatic brain injury – the signature wounds of these conflicts – or both.
For them, the story of Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of murdering 17 Afghan civilians during his fourth combat deployment, triggers mixed emotions – horror over the senseless rampage but also empathy for a soldier who, in their view, apparently was pushed beyond the breaking point. But their more immediate concern is the impact it may have on the troubled voices on the other end of the phone lines they answer each day.
read more here
By Kari Huus, msnbc.com
LOS ANGELES – The young men who answer the phones at the National Veterans Foundation's hotline for troubled veterans speak with an authority that comes from having faced down the same demons that plague their callers.
All are combat veterans, having served up to four tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, and all have struggled with either PTSD or traumatic brain injury – the signature wounds of these conflicts – or both.
For them, the story of Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of murdering 17 Afghan civilians during his fourth combat deployment, triggers mixed emotions – horror over the senseless rampage but also empathy for a soldier who, in their view, apparently was pushed beyond the breaking point. But their more immediate concern is the impact it may have on the troubled voices on the other end of the phone lines they answer each day.
read more here
Combat veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts share their experiences with PTSD, and their reaction to reports that Army Staff Sgt. Robert Bales allegedly gunned down 17 Afghan civilians. Msnbc.com's Kari Huus reports.
68 year old Ex-Marine's medic alert alarm got him killed by police
When I came across this, Black Marine Veteran killed in own home after accidentally calling authorities
it was hard to believe, so I did a search and found the news report.
it was hard to believe, so I did a search and found the news report.
‘Officers, Why Do You Have Your Guns Out?’
By MICHAEL POWELL
Published: March 5, 2012
The niece stood in the darkened stairwell of the Winbrook Houses, listening, as 20 feet away five police officers yelled at her uncle, who had locked himself in his apartment.
It was 5:25 on a chill November morning. The officers banged loud and hard, demanding that her 68-year-old uncle open his door.
“He was begging them to leave him alone,” she recalls. “He sounded scared.” She pulls her shawl about her shoulders and her voice cracks; she is speaking for the first time about what she saw.
“I heard my uncle yelling, ‘Officers, officers, why do you have your guns out?’ ”
The string of events that night sounds prosaic, a who-cares accumulation of little mistakes and misapprehensions. Cumulatively, though, it is like tumbling down the stairs. Somehow the uncle, Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., a former Marine who had heart problems and wheezed if he walked more than 40 feet, triggered his medical alert system pendant. The system operator came on the loudspeaker in his one-bedroom apartment, asking: “Mr. Chamberlain, are you O.K.?” All of this is recorded.
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Depression Key Risk Factor for Suicide in Homeless Veterans
Depression Key Risk Factor for Suicide in Homeless Veterans
March 28th, 2012
Suicide is a leading cause of non-natural death among older veterans. Rates of suicide among veterans are nearly double that of the general population. Many veterans struggle with mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress (PTSD), drug or alcohol abuse, and depression as a result of having been in combat. With increased access to firearms and knowledge of how to use them, these individuals are more likely to act on suicidal thoughts when they occur. Additionally, older veterans, many of whom are unemployed and impoverished, often remain isolated, and if they do attempt suicide, will likely be left unattended for long periods of time, making their chances of survival even slimmer.
read more here
March 28th, 2012
Suicide is a leading cause of non-natural death among older veterans. Rates of suicide among veterans are nearly double that of the general population. Many veterans struggle with mental health problems, including posttraumatic stress (PTSD), drug or alcohol abuse, and depression as a result of having been in combat. With increased access to firearms and knowledge of how to use them, these individuals are more likely to act on suicidal thoughts when they occur. Additionally, older veterans, many of whom are unemployed and impoverished, often remain isolated, and if they do attempt suicide, will likely be left unattended for long periods of time, making their chances of survival even slimmer.
read more here
PTSD Iraq Veteran proves help better than lockup
Local Iraq War Vet Makes History When U.S. Attorney Decides Against Prosecution
Mar 29, 2012
Written by
Scott Brown
HAMBURG, N.Y. - Over the past ten years, brave Western New Yorkers have sacrificed their lives, and others their mental health, while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One local veteran, Britten Walker, came home very troubled and did some things he never would have done but for the impact his service had on him.
Federal prosecutors recognizing that fact, treated him not as a criminal, but instead with compassion.
To say that Britten Walker has come a long way over the past few years is a huge understatement.
Today he's a talented artist preparing for a showing of his work.
And a dean's list student at ECC.
But except for a decision by U.S. Attorney William Hochul, a guy known for locking people up, Britten Walker could have been serving up ten years in prison.
We'll get to what turned out to be that life changing moment for Britten Walker in a minute, but first the back story of what led him there.
"The region we were in they called it the 'Triangle Of Death,'" said Walker.
Back in 2006 and 2007, Britten was a sergeant in the infantry serving in Iraq during a a period of very heavy fighting.
read more here
Mar 29, 2012
Written by
Scott Brown
HAMBURG, N.Y. - Over the past ten years, brave Western New Yorkers have sacrificed their lives, and others their mental health, while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
One local veteran, Britten Walker, came home very troubled and did some things he never would have done but for the impact his service had on him.
Federal prosecutors recognizing that fact, treated him not as a criminal, but instead with compassion.
To say that Britten Walker has come a long way over the past few years is a huge understatement.
Today he's a talented artist preparing for a showing of his work.
And a dean's list student at ECC.
But except for a decision by U.S. Attorney William Hochul, a guy known for locking people up, Britten Walker could have been serving up ten years in prison.
We'll get to what turned out to be that life changing moment for Britten Walker in a minute, but first the back story of what led him there.
"The region we were in they called it the 'Triangle Of Death,'" said Walker.
Back in 2006 and 2007, Britten was a sergeant in the infantry serving in Iraq during a a period of very heavy fighting.
read more here
Sgt. Dennis Weichel's body being flown home after saving child
Army sergeant who gave life to save Afghan child being flown home for burial
Published March 29, 2012
FoxNews.com
An Army sergeant and father of three from Rhode Island who gave his life to save an Afghan child from being run over by a 16-ton armored fighting vehicle is being flown back to the U.S. and will be buried Monday.
Sgt. Dennis Weichel, 29, died in Afghanistan last week after he dashed into the path of an armored fighting vehicle to scoop up the little girl, who had darted back into the roadway to pick up shell casings, according to the Army. Weichel, a Rhode Island National Guardsman, was riding in the convoy in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan when he jumped out to save the girl, who was unhurt.
“He would have done it for anybody,” Staff Sgt. Ronald Corbett, who deployed with Weichel to Iraq in 2005, said in a quote posted on the U.S. Army website. “That was the way he was. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was that type of guy.”
read more here
‘Hero’ Rhode Island National Guardsman Gives Life to Save Afghan Girl
Wake for RI soldier killed in Afghanistan
Published March 29, 2012
FoxNews.com
An Army sergeant and father of three from Rhode Island who gave his life to save an Afghan child from being run over by a 16-ton armored fighting vehicle is being flown back to the U.S. and will be buried Monday.
Sgt. Dennis Weichel, 29, died in Afghanistan last week after he dashed into the path of an armored fighting vehicle to scoop up the little girl, who had darted back into the roadway to pick up shell casings, according to the Army. Weichel, a Rhode Island National Guardsman, was riding in the convoy in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan when he jumped out to save the girl, who was unhurt.
“He would have done it for anybody,” Staff Sgt. Ronald Corbett, who deployed with Weichel to Iraq in 2005, said in a quote posted on the U.S. Army website. “That was the way he was. He would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it. He was that type of guy.”
read more here
‘Hero’ Rhode Island National Guardsman Gives Life to Save Afghan Girl
Wake for RI soldier killed in Afghanistan
Thursday, March 29, 2012
House GOP votes for Ryan budget THAT DID NOT INCLUDE VETERANS!
House passes GOP budget
By Alan Silverleib, CNN
updated 5:41 PM EDT, Thu March 29, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
House of Representatives passes GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan
Ryan budget includes big changes in Medicare, tax code
Democrats say the plan would hurt the elderly and middle class
They argue that the plan is a betrayal of last year's deficit reduction deal
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday passed the GOP leadership's 2013 budget plan -- a measure that has no chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate but creates a clear contrast between the two parties on a number of critical tax and spending issues ahead of the general election.
The resolution passed in a strongly polarized 228-191 vote. No Democrats backed the measure; only 10 Republicans opposed it.
red more here
GOP budget written by Paul Ryan did not include veterans
By Alan Silverleib, CNN
updated 5:41 PM EDT, Thu March 29, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
House of Representatives passes GOP Rep. Paul Ryan's budget plan
Ryan budget includes big changes in Medicare, tax code
Democrats say the plan would hurt the elderly and middle class
They argue that the plan is a betrayal of last year's deficit reduction deal
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Republican-controlled House of Representatives on Thursday passed the GOP leadership's 2013 budget plan -- a measure that has no chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate but creates a clear contrast between the two parties on a number of critical tax and spending issues ahead of the general election.
The resolution passed in a strongly polarized 228-191 vote. No Democrats backed the measure; only 10 Republicans opposed it.
red more here
GOP budget written by Paul Ryan did not include veterans
Police, Air Force launch program to save lives of veterans in crisis
Police, Air Force launch program to save lives of veterans in crisis
By Jackie Valley
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The call did not sound good: man barricaded inside residence, possibly suicidal.
Nellis Air Force Base leaders mobilized. They knew the airman recently had returned from a war zone and other obstacles loomed in his life.
Nellis officials drove to the scene and met Metro Police, who were trying to coax the man outside. They joined the conversations, offering insight into this man’s life.
“It ended up a good news story in the fact that the individual came out and got care on base,” said Maj. Christopher Johnson, a security forces squadron commander at Nellis.
The encounter — and positive outcome — planted a seed in authorities’ minds: If they could share information about veterans in distress, it might help de-escalate other, similar situations and ultimately save lives. Planning for the new program, Veterans In Crisis, began immediately in the fall.
read more here
By Jackie Valley
Thursday, March 29, 2012
The call did not sound good: man barricaded inside residence, possibly suicidal.
Nellis Air Force Base leaders mobilized. They knew the airman recently had returned from a war zone and other obstacles loomed in his life.
Nellis officials drove to the scene and met Metro Police, who were trying to coax the man outside. They joined the conversations, offering insight into this man’s life.
“It ended up a good news story in the fact that the individual came out and got care on base,” said Maj. Christopher Johnson, a security forces squadron commander at Nellis.
The encounter — and positive outcome — planted a seed in authorities’ minds: If they could share information about veterans in distress, it might help de-escalate other, similar situations and ultimately save lives. Planning for the new program, Veterans In Crisis, began immediately in the fall.
read more here
‘Hero’ Rhode Island National Guardsman Gives Life to Save Afghan Girl
‘Hero’ U.S. Soldier Gives Life to Save Afghan Girl
By Luis Martinez
Mar 29, 2012
It is a compelling war-zone story of heroism of a U.S. soldier who gave his own life to save an Afghan girl from certain injury.
Sgt. Dennis Weichel, 29, died in Afghanistan last week as he lifted an Afghan girl who was in the path of a large military vehicle barreling down a road.
Weichel, a Rhode Island National Guardsman, was riding along in a convoy in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan when some children were spotted on the road ahead.
read more here
By Luis Martinez
Mar 29, 2012
It is a compelling war-zone story of heroism of a U.S. soldier who gave his own life to save an Afghan girl from certain injury.
Sgt. Dennis Weichel, 29, died in Afghanistan last week as he lifted an Afghan girl who was in the path of a large military vehicle barreling down a road.
Weichel, a Rhode Island National Guardsman, was riding along in a convoy in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan when some children were spotted on the road ahead.
read more here
Iraq vet uses rear naked choke to stop robbery
Iraq vet uses rear naked choke to stop robbery
By Maggie Hendricks
Cagewriter
You walk into a store and see someone holding up the cashier. What do you do? If you're Zack Thome, an Iraq vet and someone who has trained in MMA, you slap a rear naked choke on the offender and choke him out.
Original Video- More videos at TinyPic
By Maggie Hendricks
Cagewriter
You walk into a store and see someone holding up the cashier. What do you do? If you're Zack Thome, an Iraq vet and someone who has trained in MMA, you slap a rear naked choke on the offender and choke him out.
Original Video- More videos at TinyPic
Grassroots group continues to help wounded warriors
Grassroots group continues to help wounded warriors
Sixth annual barbecue will move to new Walter Reed facility
By Ron MacArthur
Mar 28, 2012
For the past six years, the Delaware Community Appreciation Group has been raising money to provide a barbecue for wounded warriors at Walter Reed. During the event, organizers Butch and Linda Elzey hand out gift cards to wounded warriors to the tune of more than $200,000 over the years to hundreds of wounded soldiers to help pay for incidentals while at the hospital.
The group is planning its sixth annual summer barbecue at the new location. In addition, Elzey said DCAG is taking a slightly different approach to helping wounded warriors. “We are going to keep more of our money closer to home to help vets who are returning to Delaware,” he said.
He said it doesn't take a lot of money to make dramatic differences in veterans' lives. “Some vets are coming home to problems they don't know they have,” he said. “Some families are broken apart because of two to three or more deployments.”
read more here
Sixth annual barbecue will move to new Walter Reed facility
By Ron MacArthur
Mar 28, 2012
Photo by: Ron MacArthurDelaware Community Appreciation Group organizers Butch and Linda Elzey take part in a benefit event at the Greene Turtle in Lewes.Walter Reed has officially relocated to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. and now a local grassroots veteran support group says it's moving its annual barbecue to the new site, and its goal of helping wounded warriors remains steadfast.
For the past six years, the Delaware Community Appreciation Group has been raising money to provide a barbecue for wounded warriors at Walter Reed. During the event, organizers Butch and Linda Elzey hand out gift cards to wounded warriors to the tune of more than $200,000 over the years to hundreds of wounded soldiers to help pay for incidentals while at the hospital.
The group is planning its sixth annual summer barbecue at the new location. In addition, Elzey said DCAG is taking a slightly different approach to helping wounded warriors. “We are going to keep more of our money closer to home to help vets who are returning to Delaware,” he said.
He said it doesn't take a lot of money to make dramatic differences in veterans' lives. “Some vets are coming home to problems they don't know they have,” he said. “Some families are broken apart because of two to three or more deployments.”
read more here
Nicholas Horner Trial:Victim's son says justice was served
Williams’ son: ‘We do feel justice was served’
March 29, 2012
By Kay Stephens and Amanda Gabeletto
The Altoona Mirror
HOLLIDAYSBURG - Family members whose loved ones were killed almost three years ago by Nicholas A. Horner left the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday night with a sense of satisfaction.
"We felt the death penalty would have matched the crimes, but we do feel justice was served," said Matthew Williams as he stood on the courthouse patio, shortly after hearing that Horner, the man who killed his 64-year-old father almost three years ago, will never get out of prison.
"We don't think Mr. Horner got off easy by any means. He has a life sentence in prison, so we feel good about that. And we're also just happy to be done with this after three years."
Horner, 31, was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday night. After additional testimony Wednesday, the jury deliberated about 75 minutes, until almost 9 p.m., before announcing that it couldn't decide between life in prison or death, which leaves the court to impose two life sentences.
read more here
Nicholas Horner Convicted
March 29, 2012
By Kay Stephens and Amanda Gabeletto
The Altoona Mirror
HOLLIDAYSBURG - Family members whose loved ones were killed almost three years ago by Nicholas A. Horner left the Blair County Courthouse on Wednesday night with a sense of satisfaction.
"We felt the death penalty would have matched the crimes, but we do feel justice was served," said Matthew Williams as he stood on the courthouse patio, shortly after hearing that Horner, the man who killed his 64-year-old father almost three years ago, will never get out of prison.
"We don't think Mr. Horner got off easy by any means. He has a life sentence in prison, so we feel good about that. And we're also just happy to be done with this after three years."
Horner, 31, was convicted of first-degree murder Tuesday night. After additional testimony Wednesday, the jury deliberated about 75 minutes, until almost 9 p.m., before announcing that it couldn't decide between life in prison or death, which leaves the court to impose two life sentences.
read more here
Nicholas Horner Convicted
Investigation clears Madigan's forensic psychiatrists of PTSD wrongdoing
Investigation clears Madigan's forensic psychiatrists of PTSD wrongdoing
by MEG COYLE / KING 5 News
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 6:28 PM
Updated yesterday at 6:41 PM
LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- They've been suspended from their jobs, their medical ethics questioned. They've even been subjected to death threats. All because Madigan's forensic psychiatrists reversed several PTSD diagnoses.
Those same doctors have reportedly been cleared in the first of three separate investigations.
Questions surrounded 17 cases in particular, and whether doctors deliberately lowered the number of PTSD cases to save the government money. Wednesday, the Army Surgeon General came under fire once again for the scandal.
On Capitol Hill today, Lieutenant General Patricia Hororo told a congressional subcommittee the army is reevaluating how it diagnoses soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"We're looking at everywhere we have variance and we're looking at how we can decrease that variance and be able to ensure we have one standard across army medicine," she said.
Doctors at Madigan first came under fire earlier this year when it was revealed 17 soldiers initially diagnosed with PTSD were told they didn't have the condition afterall-- changes made when Madigan's forensic psychiatric team reviewed their cases.
Army Specialist Jared Enger says doctors were already treating his PTSD when he was told his diagnosis had been reversed by Madigan's forensic psychiatristic team. "Talking to a doctor on the phone trying to dispute the fact I didn't have PTSD while I was in an inpatient program for PTSD," recalls Enger.
But in at least one investigation--those same doctors appear to have been cleared.
read more here
Sen. Murray questions Army Surgeon General about PTSD diagnoses at Madigan
The Joint Base Lewis-McChord medical center is under investigation
Web reporter
Q13 FOX News Online
7:08 p.m. PDT, March 28, 2012
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Wednesday questioned the policies surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses at Madigan Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Murray, chairwoman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, questioned Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the Army Surgeon General.
read more here
by MEG COYLE / KING 5 News
Posted on March 28, 2012 at 6:28 PM
Updated yesterday at 6:41 PM
LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- They've been suspended from their jobs, their medical ethics questioned. They've even been subjected to death threats. All because Madigan's forensic psychiatrists reversed several PTSD diagnoses.
Those same doctors have reportedly been cleared in the first of three separate investigations.
Questions surrounded 17 cases in particular, and whether doctors deliberately lowered the number of PTSD cases to save the government money. Wednesday, the Army Surgeon General came under fire once again for the scandal.
On Capitol Hill today, Lieutenant General Patricia Hororo told a congressional subcommittee the army is reevaluating how it diagnoses soldiers with post-traumatic stress disorder.
"We're looking at everywhere we have variance and we're looking at how we can decrease that variance and be able to ensure we have one standard across army medicine," she said.
Doctors at Madigan first came under fire earlier this year when it was revealed 17 soldiers initially diagnosed with PTSD were told they didn't have the condition afterall-- changes made when Madigan's forensic psychiatric team reviewed their cases.
Army Specialist Jared Enger says doctors were already treating his PTSD when he was told his diagnosis had been reversed by Madigan's forensic psychiatristic team. "Talking to a doctor on the phone trying to dispute the fact I didn't have PTSD while I was in an inpatient program for PTSD," recalls Enger.
But in at least one investigation--those same doctors appear to have been cleared.
read more here
Sen. Murray questions Army Surgeon General about PTSD diagnoses at Madigan
The Joint Base Lewis-McChord medical center is under investigation
Web reporter
Q13 FOX News Online
7:08 p.m. PDT, March 28, 2012
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., on Wednesday questioned the policies surrounding post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses at Madigan Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Murray, chairwoman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and a senior member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, questioned Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, the Army Surgeon General.
read more here
Woman Accused of Helping 86-year-old WWII Vet Commit Suicide
Woman Accused of Helping 86-year-old Vet Commit Suicide
KTLA News
March 28, 2012
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (KTLA) -- Orange County sheriff's deputies have arrested a woman for allegedly helping an 86-year-old Laguna Niguel man commit suicide.
Elizabeth Barrett, 65, is accused of helping Jack Koency, a World War II veteran, kill himself with a cocktail of drugs on Sept. 30, 2011.
Koency's death at a senior living complex in Laguna Niguel was reported by Barret, a self-described social worker.
But, investigators say what may have initially seemed like a natural death turned out to be anything but natural.
The first sign of foul play came when sheriff's deputies found a motion-activated video camera that Koency had hidden in his apartment.
"He was part of the greatest generation," Deputy District Atty. Ebrahim Baytieh said about Koency.
"He fought in World War II, and unfortunately he came back and he suffered from depression, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He was paranoid."
read more here
KTLA News
March 28, 2012
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (KTLA) -- Orange County sheriff's deputies have arrested a woman for allegedly helping an 86-year-old Laguna Niguel man commit suicide.
Elizabeth Barrett, 65, is accused of helping Jack Koency, a World War II veteran, kill himself with a cocktail of drugs on Sept. 30, 2011.
Koency's death at a senior living complex in Laguna Niguel was reported by Barret, a self-described social worker.
But, investigators say what may have initially seemed like a natural death turned out to be anything but natural.
The first sign of foul play came when sheriff's deputies found a motion-activated video camera that Koency had hidden in his apartment.
"He was part of the greatest generation," Deputy District Atty. Ebrahim Baytieh said about Koency.
"He fought in World War II, and unfortunately he came back and he suffered from depression, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He was paranoid."
read more here
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Fort Campbell medic saves neighbor's child from choking
Fort Campbell medic saves child from choking
Mar. 28, 2012
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — A Fort Campbell Soldier’s heroic act helped save the life of a 4-year-old boy from choking.
Spc. Katherine McIntire, an Army medic assigned to the 194th Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion, 101 Sustainment Brigade, was awarded an impact Army Achievement Medal March 22, for saving the boy’s life.
“People think our job in the Army is focused on combat, but it is also about helping people,” said 1st Sgt. Christopher A. Barnes, company first sergeant. “Specialist McIntire was in the right place, at the right time, with the right training.”
The incident occurred Jan. 13. According to reports, McIntire was sitting on her couch watching television at home when she was startled by her neighbor screaming for help and stating that her son was choking. She ran toward the sound of yelling and saw the 4-year-old child lying face down on the floor.
read more here
Mar. 28, 2012
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — A Fort Campbell Soldier’s heroic act helped save the life of a 4-year-old boy from choking.
Spc. Katherine McIntire, an Army medic assigned to the 194th Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion, 101 Sustainment Brigade, was awarded an impact Army Achievement Medal March 22, for saving the boy’s life.
“People think our job in the Army is focused on combat, but it is also about helping people,” said 1st Sgt. Christopher A. Barnes, company first sergeant. “Specialist McIntire was in the right place, at the right time, with the right training.”
The incident occurred Jan. 13. According to reports, McIntire was sitting on her couch watching television at home when she was startled by her neighbor screaming for help and stating that her son was choking. She ran toward the sound of yelling and saw the 4-year-old child lying face down on the floor.
read more here
Nicholas Horner Pennsylvania Iraq war veteran convicted of first-degree murder
Pennsylvania Iraq war veteran convicted of first-degree murder
Published March 27, 2012
Associated Press
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. – An Iraq war veteran has been convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two people during a west-central Pennsylvania sandwich shop robbery nearly three years ago.
The Altoona Mirror says Blair County jurors deliberated for about five hours Tuesday night before convicting 31-year-old Nicholas Horner of Altoona in the shooting deaths of a 19-year-old clerk and a bystander during the April 2009 robbery.
read more here
Published March 27, 2012
Associated Press
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. – An Iraq war veteran has been convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting deaths of two people during a west-central Pennsylvania sandwich shop robbery nearly three years ago.
The Altoona Mirror says Blair County jurors deliberated for about five hours Tuesday night before convicting 31-year-old Nicholas Horner of Altoona in the shooting deaths of a 19-year-old clerk and a bystander during the April 2009 robbery.
read more here
Veterans battle PTSD stigma -- even if they don't have it
Veterans battle PTSD stigma -- even if they don't have it
By Stacy Lu
Fresh from a tour of duty in Iraq where he earned a Bronze Star, Ryan Gallucci didn’t expect a simple job interview to be such a memorably unpleasant experience.
“I was interviewing with a P.R. agency when my military service came up. Some of the questions got a little prying. ‘Oh, so what did you do over there? And what was that like?’ ”
Though he was called back for subsequent interviews, Gallucci said the experience left a “sour taste in my mouth.” Now the deputy legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization, Gallucci suspects the interviewer for that other job may have been more curious about his mental health than his experiences in Iraq.
Research shows he may be right: Some employers are wary of hiring veterans because of potential mental health issues.
“There’s a whole host of questions you can’t legally ask, but I must say that somehow in interviews it comes out,” says Jim Pabis, a Colonel in the New York Army National Guard and Iraq combat vet who runs an executive search firm in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Nearly half of employers -- 46 percent -- said PTSD or other mental health issues were challenges in hiring employees with military experience, according to a 2010 Society of Human Resource Managers survey. And a 2011 survey of 831 hiring managers by the Apollo Research Institute found that 61 percent were "less favorable" toward hiring military personnel when considering war-related psychological disorders.
read more here
Looks like the government has done a lousy job of getting the truth out about PTSD. Over 2 million Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and a tiny portion of them end up in the news in a bad way. The vast majority of them can't find work because of a few bad reports?
Here's a link to a story on this blog going back to 2010
Are veterans being discriminated over PTSD or just because they are veterans?
By Stacy Lu
Fresh from a tour of duty in Iraq where he earned a Bronze Star, Ryan Gallucci didn’t expect a simple job interview to be such a memorably unpleasant experience.
“I was interviewing with a P.R. agency when my military service came up. Some of the questions got a little prying. ‘Oh, so what did you do over there? And what was that like?’ ”
Though he was called back for subsequent interviews, Gallucci said the experience left a “sour taste in my mouth.” Now the deputy legislative director for the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization, Gallucci suspects the interviewer for that other job may have been more curious about his mental health than his experiences in Iraq.
Research shows he may be right: Some employers are wary of hiring veterans because of potential mental health issues.
“There’s a whole host of questions you can’t legally ask, but I must say that somehow in interviews it comes out,” says Jim Pabis, a Colonel in the New York Army National Guard and Iraq combat vet who runs an executive search firm in Saratoga Springs, NY.
Nearly half of employers -- 46 percent -- said PTSD or other mental health issues were challenges in hiring employees with military experience, according to a 2010 Society of Human Resource Managers survey. And a 2011 survey of 831 hiring managers by the Apollo Research Institute found that 61 percent were "less favorable" toward hiring military personnel when considering war-related psychological disorders.
read more here
Looks like the government has done a lousy job of getting the truth out about PTSD. Over 2 million Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans and a tiny portion of them end up in the news in a bad way. The vast majority of them can't find work because of a few bad reports?
Here's a link to a story on this blog going back to 2010
Are veterans being discriminated over PTSD or just because they are veterans?
IAVA can't get a meeting with Department of Veterans Affairs?
Vets group disappointed with lack of VA meeting
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 27, 2012
A band of 26 members of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America expressed one disappointment about its trip to Washington, D.C. — and even a bit of insult — for a group that arranged hundreds of meetings with top government leaders.
“The one meeting we couldn’t get was at the VA,” said Paul Rieckhoff, a former Army officer who is founder and executive director the group “In fact, we haven’t been able to get a meeting more than 1,000 days, which seems very odd considering all of the issues facing veterans that we would like to discuss.”
A key issue IAVA is pushing during its visit — which has become an annual trip to talk about unemployment, education and healthcare — is a membership survey that found widespread employment problems, general dissatisfaction with how the VA is treating mental health and trauma from sexual assault, and concerns about whether the VA and Defense Department are doing enough to tell veterans about what help is available.
read more here
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Mar 27, 2012
A band of 26 members of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America expressed one disappointment about its trip to Washington, D.C. — and even a bit of insult — for a group that arranged hundreds of meetings with top government leaders.
“The one meeting we couldn’t get was at the VA,” said Paul Rieckhoff, a former Army officer who is founder and executive director the group “In fact, we haven’t been able to get a meeting more than 1,000 days, which seems very odd considering all of the issues facing veterans that we would like to discuss.”
A key issue IAVA is pushing during its visit — which has become an annual trip to talk about unemployment, education and healthcare — is a membership survey that found widespread employment problems, general dissatisfaction with how the VA is treating mental health and trauma from sexual assault, and concerns about whether the VA and Defense Department are doing enough to tell veterans about what help is available.
read more here
ABOUT IAVA
IAVA is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. With more than 200,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide, IAVA is building the next greatest generation with a three-pronged model based on advocacy, awareness, and assistance. IAVA programs empower our community online and offline, and include Smart Job Fairs, our signature New GI Bill calculator and Community of Veterans, a veterans only social network.
Lake Nona Orlando VA hospital delays could cost $120 million
Orlando VA hospital delays could cost $120 million
March 27, 2012
By Mark K. Matthews, Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- The largest contractor building Orlando's overdue VA Hospital told Congress on Tuesday that red tape and design errors could add $120 million or more to the original $665-million price tag – an overrun that ultimately would fall on U.S. taxpayers.
The estimate, revealed during a hearing held by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, is the first time the construction firm, Brasfield & Gorrie, has publicly attached a dollar figure to problems that have postponed the hospital's opening from next October to summer 2013, if not later.
The cost increase floored even veteran lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat who has fought for years for the project.
"I am not a happy camper," Brown said. "That is unacceptable."
read more here
March 27, 2012
By Mark K. Matthews, Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON -- The largest contractor building Orlando's overdue VA Hospital told Congress on Tuesday that red tape and design errors could add $120 million or more to the original $665-million price tag – an overrun that ultimately would fall on U.S. taxpayers.
The estimate, revealed during a hearing held by the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, is the first time the construction firm, Brasfield & Gorrie, has publicly attached a dollar figure to problems that have postponed the hospital's opening from next October to summer 2013, if not later.
The cost increase floored even veteran lawmakers, including U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, a Jacksonville Democrat who has fought for years for the project.
"I am not a happy camper," Brown said. "That is unacceptable."
read more here
Marine Clay Hunt's suicide causes group to take action
Group Aims To Help Young Vets With Civilian Life
Rick Collins Says 'Unseen Wounds' Aims To Guide Young Vet Away From Alcohol, Drugs, Isolation, Suicide
March 27, 2012
SAN DIEGO -- A local group is planning to give struggling young veterans entering civilian life some free help.
After fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Clay Hunt – who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – left the Marines and became an advocate for veterans. A year ago – at the age of 28 – the Texas veteran committed suicide.
Rick Collins called him a friend.
"His death is an example of person who gave his life for service to his country," said Collins.
"When he left the service, the support wasn't there for him."
Hunt's death was one motivating factor in Collins' bid to heal the "unseen wounds."
Collins, who served with the British Royal Marines, is starting a free local program called "Unseen Wounds" to guide struggling young veterans away from the path of alcohol, drugs, isolation and suicide.
read more here
Also on this story
Marine Clay Hunt another after combat casualty
Marine Clay Hunt's suicide not counted as "military suicide"
Rick Collins Says 'Unseen Wounds' Aims To Guide Young Vet Away From Alcohol, Drugs, Isolation, Suicide
March 27, 2012
SAN DIEGO -- A local group is planning to give struggling young veterans entering civilian life some free help.
After fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Clay Hunt – who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – left the Marines and became an advocate for veterans. A year ago – at the age of 28 – the Texas veteran committed suicide.
Rick Collins called him a friend.
"His death is an example of person who gave his life for service to his country," said Collins.
"When he left the service, the support wasn't there for him."
Hunt's death was one motivating factor in Collins' bid to heal the "unseen wounds."
Collins, who served with the British Royal Marines, is starting a free local program called "Unseen Wounds" to guide struggling young veterans away from the path of alcohol, drugs, isolation and suicide.
read more here
Also on this story
Marine Clay Hunt another after combat casualty
Marine Clay Hunt's suicide not counted as "military suicide"
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