Family remembers slain Marine
April 25, 2012
LINDELL KAY -
DAILY NEWS STAFF
The father of a Camp Lejeune Marine killed over the weekend in Washington, D.C., said his son was just days away from leaving the Corps and beginning a new life with his girlfriend.
Lance Cpl. Philip Bushong, 23, died Saturday after being stabbed in the heart with a pocket knife.
The Marine charged with second-degree murder in Philip Bushong’s death has said he acted in self defense. Pfc. Michael Poth, 20, told police the stabbing was because Philip Bushong punched him in the head. Police detectives did not notice any wounds, and Poth did not request medical treatment, according to court documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The altercation occurred at around 2:30 a.m. Saturday on the Barracks Row end of 8th Street in southwest Washington, which has several bars and restaurants where Philip Bushong had been a well-known and popular patron, said his father Michael Bushong, of Broad Brook, Conn.
read more here
Original story
Marine kills another Marine
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Veterans refused to attend group labeled as “non-compliant” for treatment
This is about as bad as it can be since groups do fine for some veterans but for others, it makes PTSD worse!
From Marine Times
Whistle-blower blasts VA mental health policies
By Patricia Kime -
Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 25, 2012
Testimony from a former employee at a New Hampshire Veterans Affairs hospital confirmed what the VA’s inspector general noted in a scathing report released Monday — that VA embellishes its success rates of helping veterans with their mental health care needs.
Taking it further, Nicholas Tolentino, a former mental health administrator at the Manchester VA Medical Center, said VA culture encourages administrators to game performance metrics, lie on VA-wide surveys and emphasize quantity over quality.
For example, at Manchester, the hospital was able to say it was providing therapy to numerous veterans in a timely manner by placing those who needed intense individual psychotherapy into group sessions.
If veterans refused to attend group, they were labeled as “non-compliant” for treatment.
Worse, Tolentino added, this strategy spread to other regional VA hospitals, ensuring that administrations met their performance metrics by failing needy veterans.
“The system is too open to putting numerical performance goals ahead of veterans’ mental health care needs — too susceptible to gaming practices to make facilities ‘look good’ — and too little focused on overseeing the effectiveness of the mental health care,” said Tolentino, a former Navy corpsman and combat veteran.
read more here
Warning Signs of Suicidal Airmen
Moody: Warning Signs of Suicidal Airmen
Two airmen died this month in possible suicides; one is still under investigation.
Apr 25, 2012
Reporter: Greg Gullberg
Valdosta, Ga.
Two recent deaths are now putting Moody Air Force Base on high alert for suicidal behavior.
Two airmen died this month in possible suicides; one is still under investigation. It's been about two and a half years since the last suicide at Moody.
"People are not made to stand up to that kind of grueling activity. And that's one of the reasons we see as much Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as we have today," said Ed Kent.
Kent is a Gulf War veteran and member of the Georgia State Department of Veteran's Services. He helps military personnel with PTSD cope with everyday life.
Kent sees first hand how suicide is an ever lingering fog over our armed forces. He says our men fighting today face challenges like nothing his generation ever knew.
read more here
Two airmen died this month in possible suicides; one is still under investigation.
Apr 25, 2012
Reporter: Greg Gullberg
Valdosta, Ga.
Two recent deaths are now putting Moody Air Force Base on high alert for suicidal behavior.
Two airmen died this month in possible suicides; one is still under investigation. It's been about two and a half years since the last suicide at Moody.
"People are not made to stand up to that kind of grueling activity. And that's one of the reasons we see as much Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as we have today," said Ed Kent.
Kent is a Gulf War veteran and member of the Georgia State Department of Veteran's Services. He helps military personnel with PTSD cope with everyday life.
Kent sees first hand how suicide is an ever lingering fog over our armed forces. He says our men fighting today face challenges like nothing his generation ever knew.
read more here
Gary Sinise playing Albany show to help build house for disabled vet
Actor-musician Gary Sinise talks about crash and upcoming benefit concert
Actor-musician Gary Sinise playing Albany show to help build house for disabled vet
By Tom Keyser
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
In his first concert tour since being injured March 30 in a car wreck, Gary Sinise and his band will perform Saturday at the Washington Avenue Armory to raise money to build a home for a disabled veteran from Nassau.
A concert tour? Sinise is an actor, not a musician, right? Actually, he is both, and the name of his band encapsulates that — Lt. Dan Band. In the role for which he is best known, Sinise played Lt. Dan Taylor in the Oscar-winning movie "Forrest Gump."
But beyond the acting and performing, Sinise, star of the CBS series "CSI: NY," is a tireless supporter of veterans, first responders and children in ravaged parts of the world. When he was involved in the accident in Washington, D.C., he was on his way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to spend time visiting veterans, and the next day the Lt. Dan Band was to play in Martinsville, Va., to raise money for a triple-amputee veteran wounded in Afghanistan.
read more here
Actor-musician Gary Sinise playing Albany show to help build house for disabled vet
By Tom Keyser
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
In his first concert tour since being injured March 30 in a car wreck, Gary Sinise and his band will perform Saturday at the Washington Avenue Armory to raise money to build a home for a disabled veteran from Nassau.
A concert tour? Sinise is an actor, not a musician, right? Actually, he is both, and the name of his band encapsulates that — Lt. Dan Band. In the role for which he is best known, Sinise played Lt. Dan Taylor in the Oscar-winning movie "Forrest Gump."
But beyond the acting and performing, Sinise, star of the CBS series "CSI: NY," is a tireless supporter of veterans, first responders and children in ravaged parts of the world. When he was involved in the accident in Washington, D.C., he was on his way to Walter Reed Army Medical Center to spend time visiting veterans, and the next day the Lt. Dan Band was to play in Martinsville, Va., to raise money for a triple-amputee veteran wounded in Afghanistan.
read more here
More Soldiers Face Homeless Homecomings Due To Economy, PTSD
More Soldiers Face Homeless Homecomings Due To Economy, PTSD
[VIDEO]
By Sarah Pusateri
When Stacie King finished up 10 years of service in the United States Navy, she was assured by her Navy TAP class instructor – a class that helps soldiers transition into civilian life and find jobs – that she would be a hot commodity for many employers.
“They were just like, ‘everyone wants to hire a veteran,’” recalls King. “Everyone wants to hire a veteran. You’re so marketable!”
King says for her, the exact opposite was true. She applied for dozens of jobs but got no response.
Finally, the single mother of three did manage to land a job at McDonald’s but quickly realized she wasn’t going to be making enough money to support her family. She packed up her children and belongings and moved to Florida to live with her brother’s family. Several months later, she still hadn’t found a job.
“I was on the brink. I was technically considered homeless because I was doubled up with my family, but even at that point, it wasn’t good. It wasn’t a good situation.”
She’s not alone. King’s family is among hundreds in Hillsborough County experiencing the threat of homelessness.
“With the current troop draw downs, we’re seeing an increase in request for services,” says Sara Romeo the Executive Director of Tampa Crossroads. “We have been really overwhelmed by the needs in the community.”
read more here
[VIDEO]
By Sarah Pusateri
When Stacie King finished up 10 years of service in the United States Navy, she was assured by her Navy TAP class instructor – a class that helps soldiers transition into civilian life and find jobs – that she would be a hot commodity for many employers.
“They were just like, ‘everyone wants to hire a veteran,’” recalls King. “Everyone wants to hire a veteran. You’re so marketable!”
King says for her, the exact opposite was true. She applied for dozens of jobs but got no response.
Finally, the single mother of three did manage to land a job at McDonald’s but quickly realized she wasn’t going to be making enough money to support her family. She packed up her children and belongings and moved to Florida to live with her brother’s family. Several months later, she still hadn’t found a job.
“I was on the brink. I was technically considered homeless because I was doubled up with my family, but even at that point, it wasn’t good. It wasn’t a good situation.”
She’s not alone. King’s family is among hundreds in Hillsborough County experiencing the threat of homelessness.
“With the current troop draw downs, we’re seeing an increase in request for services,” says Sara Romeo the Executive Director of Tampa Crossroads. “We have been really overwhelmed by the needs in the community.”
read more here
Did you know Johanna Dilag?
Homeless Vallejo woman found dead, along with her dog
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen,
Vallejo Times-Herald
Posted:04/25/2012
Some of the people who gave her food periodically offered Johanna Dilag and her dog Muggles a quiet send-off Tuesday after the two were found dead in their tent in a wooded area behind a Vallejo car dealership on Sunday.
"We held a little memorial for her," said Maria Guevara, founder of Vallejo Together who was familiar with Dilag and Muggles through the agency's Care to Share arm that feeds the homeless.
"We said a prayer and read The Rainbow Bridge -- a poem about deceased pets reuniting with their owners -- for the dog, and we had a moment of silence for her as a soul living on the planet; someone we cared for."
Fairfield native Mike Wagner, 35, a former waiter and carpenter who's been homeless in Vallejo about eight years, said he's known Dilag for several months. He and several others discovered the 37-year-old woman and her dog dead after not having seen the pair for about two days, he said.
"She lived by us," he said. "She liked to be left alone."
Wagner describes Muggles as a 4- or 5-year-old, short-legged, medium-sized orange and white animal of unknown breed.
Vallejo Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jeff Bassett confirmed Dilag's death and said there were no signs of foul play or suicide at the scene, though the matter is under investigation by the Solano County Coroner's Office.
read more here
By Rachel Raskin-Zrihen,
Vallejo Times-Herald
Posted:04/25/2012
Some of the people who gave her food periodically offered Johanna Dilag and her dog Muggles a quiet send-off Tuesday after the two were found dead in their tent in a wooded area behind a Vallejo car dealership on Sunday.
"We held a little memorial for her," said Maria Guevara, founder of Vallejo Together who was familiar with Dilag and Muggles through the agency's Care to Share arm that feeds the homeless.
"We said a prayer and read The Rainbow Bridge -- a poem about deceased pets reuniting with their owners -- for the dog, and we had a moment of silence for her as a soul living on the planet; someone we cared for."
Fairfield native Mike Wagner, 35, a former waiter and carpenter who's been homeless in Vallejo about eight years, said he's known Dilag for several months. He and several others discovered the 37-year-old woman and her dog dead after not having seen the pair for about two days, he said.
"She lived by us," he said. "She liked to be left alone."
Wagner describes Muggles as a 4- or 5-year-old, short-legged, medium-sized orange and white animal of unknown breed.
Vallejo Police Department spokesman Sgt. Jeff Bassett confirmed Dilag's death and said there were no signs of foul play or suicide at the scene, though the matter is under investigation by the Solano County Coroner's Office.
read more here
Members of mortuary affairs have some of the highest percentages of PTSD
HOME FROM WAR: One of the toughest military jobs
April 25, 2012
by Scott Wise and Greg McQuade
RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – She is just 20 years old, but Specialist Jennifer Martinez can say her job is one of the most challenging in the armed forces. Martinez just returned to Virginia after serving her second tour in battle. During her six month deployment, Martinez missed a great deal while serving overseas.
“This deployment was in Afghanistan and my first one was Iraq,” she said. “I just got back maybe two weeks ago. I missed food! Food! Driving my car things like that.”
Jennifer is exhaling at Fort Lee after spending a long six months in a war zone. Her five foot one frame had many questioning her ability in a theatre of war.
“Because I’m so short and small they say oh you can lift that.. ‘Yes I can lift that,’” she said.
As a member of the 54th Quartermaster Company, this 20-year-old soldier was tasked with one of the toughest jobs in the military.
“We have infantry people come in special forces come in and say I couldn’t do the job you’re doing. I guess it takes a special person. We basically process the soldiers so they can come home to their families with respect and honor,” she explained.
Not just process any soldier, but those who gave their lives serving their country.
read more here
April 25, 2012
by Scott Wise and Greg McQuade
EDITOR’S NOTE: CBS 6 reporter Greg McQuade is telling the stories of veterans who have returned to Central Virginia after serving their country in Iraq or Afghanistan. Look for Greg’s reports each Wednesday on the CBS 6 News at 11 or click here to view them on WTVR.com. If you know a veteran whose story Greg should tell, let Greg know on his Facebook page.
RICHMOND, Va. (WTVR) – She is just 20 years old, but Specialist Jennifer Martinez can say her job is one of the most challenging in the armed forces. Martinez just returned to Virginia after serving her second tour in battle. During her six month deployment, Martinez missed a great deal while serving overseas.
Members of mortuary affairs have some of the highest percentages of PTSD in the military. Jennifer said she has the right mental and physical makeup for a most difficult mission.
“This deployment was in Afghanistan and my first one was Iraq,” she said. “I just got back maybe two weeks ago. I missed food! Food! Driving my car things like that.”
Jennifer is exhaling at Fort Lee after spending a long six months in a war zone. Her five foot one frame had many questioning her ability in a theatre of war.
“Because I’m so short and small they say oh you can lift that.. ‘Yes I can lift that,’” she said.
As a member of the 54th Quartermaster Company, this 20-year-old soldier was tasked with one of the toughest jobs in the military.
“We have infantry people come in special forces come in and say I couldn’t do the job you’re doing. I guess it takes a special person. We basically process the soldiers so they can come home to their families with respect and honor,” she explained.
Not just process any soldier, but those who gave their lives serving their country.
read more here
Castle's Jon Huertas Talks PTSD at the 16th Annual PRISM Awards
Castle's Jon Huertas Talks PTSD at the 16th Annual PRISM Awards
(VIDEO)
April 23, 2012
by Wetpaint Entertainment Staff
Castle star and military veteran Jon Huertas opened up about the importance of raising awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder at 16th Annual PRISM Awards on April 19, 2012. He and fellow Castle co-star Stana Katic were honored with the award for Performance in a Drama for tackling PTSD in Season 4, Episode 9: "Kill Shot."
(VIDEO)
April 23, 2012
by Wetpaint Entertainment Staff
Castle star and military veteran Jon Huertas opened up about the importance of raising awareness for post-traumatic stress disorder at 16th Annual PRISM Awards on April 19, 2012. He and fellow Castle co-star Stana Katic were honored with the award for Performance in a Drama for tackling PTSD in Season 4, Episode 9: "Kill Shot."
Another veteran discovers VA ID card not good enough to vote
Wisconsin veteran ‘pissed off’ that he couldn’t vote with Veteran ID card
By Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Gil Paar, a veteran living in Racine, Wisconsin, said he upset to learn on election day that he couldn’t use his Veteran Identification Card to vote.
In a video produced by the United Steelworkers, Paar explained that when he tried to vote in a school board election, he was told that his Veteran ID card was not an acceptable form of identification.
“I can use it anywhere in the United States at a V.A. hospital,” he said. “It is good enough for everything else, but it amazes me that it is not good enough to use as identification to vote. It pissed me off.”
read more here
By Eric W. Dolan
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Gil Paar, a veteran living in Racine, Wisconsin, said he upset to learn on election day that he couldn’t use his Veteran Identification Card to vote.
In a video produced by the United Steelworkers, Paar explained that when he tried to vote in a school board election, he was told that his Veteran ID card was not an acceptable form of identification.
“I can use it anywhere in the United States at a V.A. hospital,” he said. “It is good enough for everything else, but it amazes me that it is not good enough to use as identification to vote. It pissed me off.”
read more here
Iraq vet battling PTSD pedals his way to recovery
Iraq vet battling PTSD pedals his way to recovery
By Matthew Hansen
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
April 26, 2012
Marine Sgt. David Wright of Omaha will climb on his mountain bike today in northern Texas, take a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves, and begin to pedal through the second-largest canyon in the United States.
He'll be pedaling away from a past of daily roadside bombs in Fallujah and then the daily drinking binges to numb the panic attacks and the flashbacks.
He'll be pedaling alongside former President George W. Bush, who was Wright's commander in chief during two tours of duty in Iraq. Wright is one of 20 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans picked to participate in the second-ever Warrior 100K, Bush's three-day, 100-kilometer ride through the picturesque Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo.
The ride is meant to honor those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. It serves as one of the former president's most public events — Bush has remained generally out of the public eye since ending his second term in office.
For the 32-year-old Wright, the ride through the largest U.S. canyon not named the Grand Canyon serves as another milestone in his recovery from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
By Matthew Hansen
WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
April 26, 2012
Marine Sgt. David Wright of Omaha will climb on his mountain bike today in northern Texas, take a couple of deep breaths to calm his nerves, and begin to pedal through the second-largest canyon in the United States.
He'll be pedaling away from a past of daily roadside bombs in Fallujah and then the daily drinking binges to numb the panic attacks and the flashbacks.
He'll be pedaling alongside former President George W. Bush, who was Wright's commander in chief during two tours of duty in Iraq. Wright is one of 20 Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans picked to participate in the second-ever Warrior 100K, Bush's three-day, 100-kilometer ride through the picturesque Palo Duro Canyon near Amarillo.
The ride is meant to honor those injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. It serves as one of the former president's most public events — Bush has remained generally out of the public eye since ending his second term in office.
For the 32-year-old Wright, the ride through the largest U.S. canyon not named the Grand Canyon serves as another milestone in his recovery from a traumatic brain injury and PTSD.
That recovery had been slowed by misdiagnoses and his long-held belief that Marines don't ask for assistance, Wright said before leaving for Texas.read more here
Manager at VA said "we don't want to know or we'll have to treat it"
Wednesday's hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs followed the release of an inspector general's report Monday that found the VA has greatly overstated how quickly it provides mental-health care for veterans.
By Steve Vogel
The Washington Post
One manager directed the staff to focus only on the immediate reason for an appointment and not to ask the veteran about any other problems because "we don't want to know or we'll have to treat it," according to Tolentino.
WASHINGTON — The Department of Veterans Affairs' mental-health-care system suffers from a culture where managers give more importance to meeting meaningless performance goals than helping veterans, according to testimony before a Senate committee Wednesday.
The hearing before the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs followed the release of an inspector general's report Monday that found the VA has greatly overstated how quickly it provides mental-health care for veterans.
"They need a culture change," Linda Halliday, the VA's assistant inspector general for audits and evaluations, told the committee.
"They need to hold facility directors accountable for integrity of the data."
VA practices "greatly distorted" the waiting time for appointments, Halliday said, enabling the department to claim that 95 percent of first-time patients received an evaluation within 14 days when, in reality, fewer than half were seen in that time.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., chairman of the committee, said the findings show a "rampant gaming of the system."
Nicholas Tolentino, a former mental-health administrative officer at the VA Medical Center in Manchester, N.H., told the committee that managers pressed the staff to see as many veterans as possible while providing the most minimal services possible.
read more here
'Take the warrior mask off...get help' for PTSD
Latino soldier to fellow troops:
'Take the warrior mask off...get help'
April 25th, 2012
By Sonya Hamasaki,
CNN Los Angeles
(CNN) - When Army Master Sergeant Mike Martinez arrived in Saudi Arabia for his first assignment 22 years ago, he knew his experience in the infantry would make him “real tough, tough like nails.” But little did he know back then just how much those words would resonate now, in his new role as a voice for the invisible wounds of war.
Martinez, 42, shared his story in the USO’s first Invisible Wounds public service announcement to address post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries - the masked wounds encountered by many of the 300,000 troops returning home. He’s on a mission to educate Latino troops, in particular, whom he says are likely to feel a cultural stigma surrounding mental health treatment.
“I tell my Hispanic brothers that are still serving, don’t let pride get in the way," Martinez said. "Pride’s going to kill you. Take that warrior mask off and if you need to, get help. Get it in the beginning stages, and not later.”
Even veterans seeking help might not be getting a quick response from those who would care for them, according to an report released by the U.S. Office of Veterans Affairs this week. While the number of former service members seeking mental health care increased by 39% from 2005 to 2010, according to the Veterans Health Administration, the agency hasn't been meetings its goals to evaluate them within 24 hours and begin treatment within two weeks.
read more here
'Take the warrior mask off...get help'
April 25th, 2012
Editor's note: Overseas, they fight for freedom. In America, they fight for jobs. “Voters In America: Vets Wanted?” is the first part of CNN In America's documentary series on American voters. J.R. Martinez narrates the documentary airing at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET May 13 on CNN.
By Sonya Hamasaki,
CNN Los Angeles
(CNN) - When Army Master Sergeant Mike Martinez arrived in Saudi Arabia for his first assignment 22 years ago, he knew his experience in the infantry would make him “real tough, tough like nails.” But little did he know back then just how much those words would resonate now, in his new role as a voice for the invisible wounds of war.
Martinez, 42, shared his story in the USO’s first Invisible Wounds public service announcement to address post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries - the masked wounds encountered by many of the 300,000 troops returning home. He’s on a mission to educate Latino troops, in particular, whom he says are likely to feel a cultural stigma surrounding mental health treatment.
“I tell my Hispanic brothers that are still serving, don’t let pride get in the way," Martinez said. "Pride’s going to kill you. Take that warrior mask off and if you need to, get help. Get it in the beginning stages, and not later.”
Even veterans seeking help might not be getting a quick response from those who would care for them, according to an report released by the U.S. Office of Veterans Affairs this week. While the number of former service members seeking mental health care increased by 39% from 2005 to 2010, according to the Veterans Health Administration, the agency hasn't been meetings its goals to evaluate them within 24 hours and begin treatment within two weeks.
read more here
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Soldier killed, five others injured in autobahn accident near Bamberg
Soldier killed, five others injured in autobahn accident near Bamberg
By MARCUS KLÖCKNER AND JENNIFER H. SVAN
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 25, 2012
A U.S. Army Humvee lies in shambles after it was struck by a civilian truck on the autobahn near Bamberg, Germany, on Tuesday. A U.S. soldier was killed and five others were injured. The truck driver, from Nuremberg, was slightly injured. Courtesy of Ronald Rinklef
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — One U.S. soldier was killed and five others were injured when a large truck slammed into the rear of their slow-moving military convoy Tuesday afternoon on the autobahn south of Bamberg, German police and U.S. Army officials said.
The soldiers were part of the same company within the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and are stationed in the Schweinfurt area, said Army Capt. Gregory Jones, a spokesman for the 21st TSC in Kaiserslautern.
Two of the soldiers received life-threatening injuries, one was seriously injured and two were slightly injured, according to German police. The truck driver had minor injuries, German police said.
read more here
By MARCUS KLÖCKNER AND JENNIFER H. SVAN
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 25, 2012
A U.S. Army Humvee lies in shambles after it was struck by a civilian truck on the autobahn near Bamberg, Germany, on Tuesday. A U.S. soldier was killed and five others were injured. The truck driver, from Nuremberg, was slightly injured. Courtesy of Ronald Rinklef
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — One U.S. soldier was killed and five others were injured when a large truck slammed into the rear of their slow-moving military convoy Tuesday afternoon on the autobahn south of Bamberg, German police and U.S. Army officials said.
The soldiers were part of the same company within the 21st Theater Sustainment Command and are stationed in the Schweinfurt area, said Army Capt. Gregory Jones, a spokesman for the 21st TSC in Kaiserslautern.
Two of the soldiers received life-threatening injuries, one was seriously injured and two were slightly injured, according to German police. The truck driver had minor injuries, German police said.
read more here
Grade-schoolers in trouble for wearing wounded warrior tees
This came from one of my friends on Facebook.
Grade-schoolers in trouble for wearing wounded warrior tees
by Mayra Moreno /
KENS 5
Posted on April 23, 2012 at 6:26 PM
CONVERSE, Texas - They thought it would be a harmless gesture to wear a t-shirt in support of their father who is a wounded warrior. But two elementary school girls got in trouble for it.
According to the Judson ISD spokesperson, the girls got in trouble for breaking the dress code before, but this time, their mom said, they were just supporting their father.
First grade student, Savannah and fourth grade student, Taylor, were raised in an Army family.
"I'm paralyzed. I have a TBI," said Army Spc. Justin Perez-Gorda.
The girls' father was injured by a road-side bomb in Afghanistan. The family moved to San Antonio not long after Perez-Gorda was injured in 2011.
"This organization may build us a home that is safe for my husband to be safe in," said Josie Perez-Gorda.
Last week, the family learned they could soon get help from a non-profit organization. They received t-shirts with their logo on Thursday, so on Friday the two girls wore the shirts to school in support of their father. They got in trouble with their principal at Masters Elementary.
"We do have a standardized dress code," said Judson ISD spokesperson, Aubrey Chancellor. "We certainly support the military, but we do have to be consistent across the board when it comes to following the dress code."
Mom and dad are upset and wondering why the school allows students to wear t-shirts with college logos but not one with an organization that supports wounded warriors like their father.
"These guys are fighting for our country and they should be able to wear something that honors their parents, especially if they are wounded," said the girls' mother.
The district spokesperson said if a parent feels the dress code needs to be changed they are always welcome to attend board meetings to address their concerns.
The Judson Independent School District dess code requiremenst for grades pre-k to 8th are as follows: Polo-style shirts (any color - solid or stripes), t-shirt with college or JISD campus spirit logo.
send letters to:
Judson ISD
8012 Shin Oak Drive
Live Oak TX 78233
210-945-5100 Receptionist
Grade-schoolers in trouble for wearing wounded warrior tees
by Mayra Moreno /
KENS 5
Posted on April 23, 2012 at 6:26 PM
CONVERSE, Texas - They thought it would be a harmless gesture to wear a t-shirt in support of their father who is a wounded warrior. But two elementary school girls got in trouble for it.
According to the Judson ISD spokesperson, the girls got in trouble for breaking the dress code before, but this time, their mom said, they were just supporting their father.
First grade student, Savannah and fourth grade student, Taylor, were raised in an Army family.
"I'm paralyzed. I have a TBI," said Army Spc. Justin Perez-Gorda.
The girls' father was injured by a road-side bomb in Afghanistan. The family moved to San Antonio not long after Perez-Gorda was injured in 2011.
"This organization may build us a home that is safe for my husband to be safe in," said Josie Perez-Gorda.
Last week, the family learned they could soon get help from a non-profit organization. They received t-shirts with their logo on Thursday, so on Friday the two girls wore the shirts to school in support of their father. They got in trouble with their principal at Masters Elementary.
"We do have a standardized dress code," said Judson ISD spokesperson, Aubrey Chancellor. "We certainly support the military, but we do have to be consistent across the board when it comes to following the dress code."
Mom and dad are upset and wondering why the school allows students to wear t-shirts with college logos but not one with an organization that supports wounded warriors like their father.
"These guys are fighting for our country and they should be able to wear something that honors their parents, especially if they are wounded," said the girls' mother.
The district spokesperson said if a parent feels the dress code needs to be changed they are always welcome to attend board meetings to address their concerns.
The Judson Independent School District dess code requiremenst for grades pre-k to 8th are as follows: Polo-style shirts (any color - solid or stripes), t-shirt with college or JISD campus spirit logo.
send letters to:
Judson ISD
8012 Shin Oak Drive
Live Oak TX 78233
210-945-5100 Receptionist
Criminal hazing: Raped by his fellow soldiers
Criminal hazing: Raped by his fellow soldiers
‘Crazy Troop’ NCOs court-martialed after initiation ritual in Iraq went too far, Army victims say
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 25, 2012
Warning: Some details of this story are graphic and may be disturbing.
FORT HOOD, Texas — Minutes after returning to his room after a long day of training Iraqi soldiers, Spc. Jarett Wright heard the door open.
Three of his fellow soldiers entered and pushed him down on the bed. Wright struggled, but the other soldiers were too strong.
Two of them — both sergeants — held him down by the shoulders. Another grabbed his legs.
The soldiers ripped off Wright’s belt and tore off his pants and underwear.
Taking turns, the sergeants grabbed Wright’s genitals while the third soldier repeatedly shoved a finger into his anus.
The attack lasted about a minute. But Wright was not the first, nor the last, soldier in C Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, to endure this kind of assault. The unit calls itself “Crazy Troop.”
Wright, who spoke to Army Times about what happened to him, said all the new guys in the troop experienced some sort of initiation. However, the initiations escalated with attacks on him and two other specialists, he said. The two other victims also described identical attacks in interviews with Army Times.
read more here
‘Crazy Troop’ NCOs court-martialed after initiation ritual in Iraq went too far, Army victims say
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Apr 25, 2012
Warning: Some details of this story are graphic and may be disturbing.
FORT HOOD, Texas — Minutes after returning to his room after a long day of training Iraqi soldiers, Spc. Jarett Wright heard the door open.
Three of his fellow soldiers entered and pushed him down on the bed. Wright struggled, but the other soldiers were too strong.
Two of them — both sergeants — held him down by the shoulders. Another grabbed his legs.
The soldiers ripped off Wright’s belt and tore off his pants and underwear.
Taking turns, the sergeants grabbed Wright’s genitals while the third soldier repeatedly shoved a finger into his anus.
The attack lasted about a minute. But Wright was not the first, nor the last, soldier in C Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry Regiment, to endure this kind of assault. The unit calls itself “Crazy Troop.”
Wright, who spoke to Army Times about what happened to him, said all the new guys in the troop experienced some sort of initiation. However, the initiations escalated with attacks on him and two other specialists, he said. The two other victims also described identical attacks in interviews with Army Times.
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Marine Who Criticized Obama On Facebook, Other-Than-Honorable Discharge
Gary Stein, Marine Who Criticized Obama On Facebook, Will Receive Other-Than-Honorable Discharge
By ELLIOT SPAGAT
04/25/12
SAN DIEGO — A sergeant will be discharged for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook in a case that called into question the Pentagon's policies about social media and its limits on the speech of active duty military personnel, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.
Sgt. Gary Stein will get an other-than-honorable discharge and lose most of his benefits for violating the policies, the Corps said.
The San Diego-area Marine who has served nearly 10 years in the Corps said he was disappointed by the decision. He has argued that he was exercising his free-speech rights.
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By ELLIOT SPAGAT
04/25/12
SAN DIEGO — A sergeant will be discharged for criticizing President Barack Obama on Facebook in a case that called into question the Pentagon's policies about social media and its limits on the speech of active duty military personnel, the Marine Corps said Wednesday.
Sgt. Gary Stein will get an other-than-honorable discharge and lose most of his benefits for violating the policies, the Corps said.
The San Diego-area Marine who has served nearly 10 years in the Corps said he was disappointed by the decision. He has argued that he was exercising his free-speech rights.
read more here
Obama surges in campaign donations from military members
Report: Obama surges in campaign donations from military members
By DEREK TURNER
Published: April 25, 2012
The U.S. military has long been closely linked with the Republican party, particularly when it comes to presidential candidates, but that may be changing.
In March, President Barack Obama took in the most campaign contributions from those within the military and the Department of Defense, trumping the previous leader, conservative candidate Ron Paul, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics. Despite essentially locking up the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney lags far behind.
read more here
By DEREK TURNER
Published: April 25, 2012
The U.S. military has long been closely linked with the Republican party, particularly when it comes to presidential candidates, but that may be changing.
In March, President Barack Obama took in the most campaign contributions from those within the military and the Department of Defense, trumping the previous leader, conservative candidate Ron Paul, according to data collected by the Center for Responsive Politics. Despite essentially locking up the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney lags far behind.
read more here
Army encourages new way of looking at combat and PTSD
I can't believe I am finally reading something like this after all these years of screaming about it!
I don't think I'd call it "new evidence" since most studies on combat and PTSD go back 40 years!
Army encourages new way of looking at PTSD
Traditional definitions of post-traumatic stress disorder may not fit in the case of a trained warrior, a new policy document states.
By Kim Murphy,
Los Angeles Times
April 25, 2012
SEATTLE
In a move to improve treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder, the Army is discouraging the use of traditional definitions such as feelings of fear, helplessness and horror — symptoms that may not be in a trained warrior's vocabulary. It also is recommending against the use of anti-anxiety and antipsychotic medications for such combat stress in favor of more proven drugs.
The changes are reflected in a new policy document released this month, one that reflects a growing understanding of the "occupational" nature of the condition for many troops. For them, the symptoms often associated with combat stress — hyperarousal, anger, numbness and sleeplessness — may be signs of illness at home but also responses crucial to survival in a war zone.
Doctors who adhere strictly to traditional PTSD definitions could withhold lifesaving treatment for those who need it most, Army doctors now warn, passing over soldiers or accusing them of faking problems.
"There is considerable new evidence that certain aspects of the definition are not adequate for individuals working in the military and other first-responder occupations," such as firefighting and police work, according to the policy, developed by the U.S. Army Medical Command.
"They often do not endorse 'fear, helplessness or horror,' the typical response of civilian victims to traumatic events. Although they may experience fear internally, they are trained to fall back on their training skills [and] may have other responses such as anger."
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I don't think I'd call it "new evidence" since most studies on combat and PTSD go back 40 years!
FSU grad still recovering from 2009 Fort Hood shooting
FSU grad still recovering from 2009 Fort Hood shooting
Apr. 25, 2012
By Doug Blackburn
Democrat senior writer
Zeigler, a Florida State graduate who was gravely wounded during the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, has relocated to a civilian hospital in California. His daily rehabilitation continues, 30 months out and counting.
He is hopeful he will be able to walk without a cane by August, when he is scheduled to testify in the murder trial of former Army psychiatrist Malik Hasan, charged with killing 13 men and women at Fort Hood. He also continues to work on his left arm, which remains mostly paralyzed after it suffered two bullet wounds.
Zeigler remains a positive, focused man. He and his wife, Jessica, who married at Fort Hood in December 2010, are expecting their first child in late October, within weeks of the third anniversary of the Fort Hood tragedy.
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Apr. 25, 2012
By Doug Blackburn
Democrat senior writer
FSU graduate Patrick Zeigler survived two tours in Iraq but was nearly killed during the Nov. 5, 2009 massacre at Fort Hood.
Zeigler, a Florida State graduate who was gravely wounded during the Nov. 5, 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas, has relocated to a civilian hospital in California. His daily rehabilitation continues, 30 months out and counting.
He is hopeful he will be able to walk without a cane by August, when he is scheduled to testify in the murder trial of former Army psychiatrist Malik Hasan, charged with killing 13 men and women at Fort Hood. He also continues to work on his left arm, which remains mostly paralyzed after it suffered two bullet wounds.
Zeigler remains a positive, focused man. He and his wife, Jessica, who married at Fort Hood in December 2010, are expecting their first child in late October, within weeks of the third anniversary of the Fort Hood tragedy.
read more here
Marines Brace for Cuts From Pentagon
Local Marines Brace for Cuts From Pentagon
More than 600 Marines filled Camp Pendleton’s base theater to learn how the Marine Corps will decide who will stay and who will go
By Lea Sutton
Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012
NBC San Diego
Major cuts in the defense budget are making their way to San Diego as the Marine Corps prepares to cut the size of its overall force by 20,000 Marines.
On Tuesday, officials from Headquarters Marine Corps were on Camp Pendleton to brief Marines on that drawdown plan.
Anxiety was in the air on base as many Marines braced themselves for how those personnel cuts will affect them.
"We know that the drawdowns are happening, so I think everybody's kind of anxious trying to figure out how that affects them. You know, for their personal life - not only for their own career, but for their families”, said Major Mark Paolicelli, who attended the brief.
More than 600 Marines filled Camp Pendleton’s base theater to learn how the Marine Corps will decide who will stay and who will go.
read more here
More than 600 Marines filled Camp Pendleton’s base theater to learn how the Marine Corps will decide who will stay and who will go
By Lea Sutton
Tuesday, Apr 24, 2012
NBC San Diego
Major cuts in the defense budget are making their way to San Diego as the Marine Corps prepares to cut the size of its overall force by 20,000 Marines.
On Tuesday, officials from Headquarters Marine Corps were on Camp Pendleton to brief Marines on that drawdown plan.
Anxiety was in the air on base as many Marines braced themselves for how those personnel cuts will affect them.
"We know that the drawdowns are happening, so I think everybody's kind of anxious trying to figure out how that affects them. You know, for their personal life - not only for their own career, but for their families”, said Major Mark Paolicelli, who attended the brief.
More than 600 Marines filled Camp Pendleton’s base theater to learn how the Marine Corps will decide who will stay and who will go.
read more here
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