Disabled Veteran Loses 140 Pounds
Regains Ability to Walk Against Near-Impossible Odds
May 17th, 2012 11:50 AM by Free Britney
If you've ever felt sorry for yourself or thought about giving up on a life goal you felt was impossible, then you need to watch this amazing video.
Told he would never walk unassisted again, a 47-year-old Iraq War veteran (the first Iraq War) had let himself go and ballooned to 297 pounds.
read more here
Friday, May 18, 2012
Disabled Gulf War Vet walks again because someone believed in him
A Yoga instructor finally thought this disabled veteran was worth believing in and he was proven right! Get out your tissue box. You'll need it.
Less than two years in Sangin, 50+Marines killed, 500+wounded
Sangin Marines brace for summer of combat
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 17, 2012
SANGIN, Afghanistan — Lying on a dusty rooftop, Lance Cpls. Jacob Bisek and Daniel Buzalsky watched suspiciously as a man down the road peered at them. He was pointing at the Marines and holding a cell phone, raising the prospect he was a Taliban spotter.
Seconds later, the explosion hit. An insurgent had snuck up on them and hurled a grenade onto the roof, sparking a fight in which Marines inside the compound threw grenades over a wall back at the attacker.
Bisek and Buzalsky did not sustain any serious injuries, but the Marines learned later that their attacker died from shrapnel wounds.
“I was about to peek over, and that’s when it exploded,” said Bisek, adding his hearing still wasn’t right two weeks later. “For the longest time, I didn’t believe it was a grenade. It landed five feet from my face, and it didn’t do anything.”
The April 15 attack underscores the volatility that Marines will face this summer in Sangin, arguably the most notorious place they have fought during the war in Afghanistan. More than 50 have been killed there in less than two years, and at least 500 more have sustained catastrophic injuries, mainly from improvised explosive devices.
read more here
By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 17, 2012
SANGIN, Afghanistan — Lying on a dusty rooftop, Lance Cpls. Jacob Bisek and Daniel Buzalsky watched suspiciously as a man down the road peered at them. He was pointing at the Marines and holding a cell phone, raising the prospect he was a Taliban spotter.
Seconds later, the explosion hit. An insurgent had snuck up on them and hurled a grenade onto the roof, sparking a fight in which Marines inside the compound threw grenades over a wall back at the attacker.
Bisek and Buzalsky did not sustain any serious injuries, but the Marines learned later that their attacker died from shrapnel wounds.
“I was about to peek over, and that’s when it exploded,” said Bisek, adding his hearing still wasn’t right two weeks later. “For the longest time, I didn’t believe it was a grenade. It landed five feet from my face, and it didn’t do anything.”
The April 15 attack underscores the volatility that Marines will face this summer in Sangin, arguably the most notorious place they have fought during the war in Afghanistan. More than 50 have been killed there in less than two years, and at least 500 more have sustained catastrophic injuries, mainly from improvised explosive devices.
read more here
Hawk caused Camp Pendleton Marine helicopter crash
Report: Bird strike caused Marine helicopter crash that killed 2 Camp Pendleton Marines
By Associated Press
Published: May 17
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A bird strike caused a deadly helicopter crash at Camp Pendleton last year that killed two Marines, according to a Marine Corps investigation.
The AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter collided Sept. 19 with a red-tailed hawk that had a wing span of about 4 feet and probably weighed about 3 pounds, according to a report obtained by U-T San Diego
Both pilots onboard, Capt. Jeffrey Bland, 37, and 1st Lt. Thomas Heitmann, 27, were killed in the crash.
read more here
By Associated Press
Published: May 17
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — A bird strike caused a deadly helicopter crash at Camp Pendleton last year that killed two Marines, according to a Marine Corps investigation.
The AH-1W Cobra attack helicopter collided Sept. 19 with a red-tailed hawk that had a wing span of about 4 feet and probably weighed about 3 pounds, according to a report obtained by U-T San Diego
Both pilots onboard, Capt. Jeffrey Bland, 37, and 1st Lt. Thomas Heitmann, 27, were killed in the crash.
read more here
Harrisburg man who faked being a Marine even fooled his family
Harrisburg man who faked being a Marine even fooled his family, brother says
Published: Friday, May 18, 2012
By DAN MILLER
The Patriot-News
Brian Khan of Harrisburg likes the way he looks in a Marine Corps dress blue uniform.
He’s got the high-and-tight going on, and the lean build of a fighting machine.
Canadian Cpl. Chris Dupee (left) with "1st Sgt. Brian Camacho," an alleged Marine faker from Harrisburg whose real name is Brian Khan.
In a video, he describes in vivid detail seeing his buddies killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and talks about the post-traumatic stress disorder that he suffers every day.
It’s all very convincing. The problem is, the Marines say it is not true.
The 45-year-old Khan, who also goes by Brian Camacho, has been fooling a lot of people into believing he’s a Marine for a long time.
Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Office of Manpower and Reserve Affairs, says there is no record of anyone named Brian Khan or Brian Camacho ever having served in the USMC.
Khan’s own kids thought their dad was a Marine, said Ian Khan, Khan’s brother, who lives in Elizabeth, N.J.
read more here
Published: Friday, May 18, 2012
By DAN MILLER
The Patriot-News
Rubio Films photo
Canadian Cpl. Chris Dupee (left) with "1st Sgt. Brian Camacho," an alleged Marine faker from Harrisburg whose real name is Brian Khan.
Brian Khan of Harrisburg likes the way he looks in a Marine Corps dress blue uniform.
He’s got the high-and-tight going on, and the lean build of a fighting machine.
Canadian Cpl. Chris Dupee (left) with "1st Sgt. Brian Camacho," an alleged Marine faker from Harrisburg whose real name is Brian Khan.
In a video, he describes in vivid detail seeing his buddies killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, and talks about the post-traumatic stress disorder that he suffers every day.
It’s all very convincing. The problem is, the Marines say it is not true.
The 45-year-old Khan, who also goes by Brian Camacho, has been fooling a lot of people into believing he’s a Marine for a long time.
Maj. Shawn Haney, spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Office of Manpower and Reserve Affairs, says there is no record of anyone named Brian Khan or Brian Camacho ever having served in the USMC.
Khan’s own kids thought their dad was a Marine, said Ian Khan, Khan’s brother, who lives in Elizabeth, N.J.
read more here
VA claims in Oakland CA made veterans wait 320 days
State's DC delegation demands answers from VA concerning disability claims
By Matthias Gafni
Contra Costa Times
Posted:05/17/2012
California's senators and representatives are demanding answers and accountability regarding the state's three Veterans Affairs regional offices -- all of which received scathing reviews last week for their slow and inaccurate handling of vets' disability claims.
Most of the state's congressional delegation, as well as Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, signed a letter sent Thursday to the Veterans Affairs secretary following a critical report by the VA inspector general last week about the Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego regional offices, which handle all of the state's veteran disability claims.
read more here
By Matthias Gafni
Contra Costa Times
Posted:05/17/2012
California's senators and representatives are demanding answers and accountability regarding the state's three Veterans Affairs regional offices -- all of which received scathing reviews last week for their slow and inaccurate handling of vets' disability claims.
Most of the state's congressional delegation, as well as Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer, signed a letter sent Thursday to the Veterans Affairs secretary following a critical report by the VA inspector general last week about the Oakland, Los Angeles and San Diego regional offices, which handle all of the state's veteran disability claims.
In Oakland last month, the office had average delays of 320 days, the second worst backlog of the nation's benefits centers, according to the VA inspector general report. One claim had been pending for eight years. In addition, 39 percent of the 90 disability claims inspected in Oakland were incorrectly processed.
read more here
Alaska Native American Indian veterans can stay near home for care
Department of Veteran Affairs, 15 Tribal Health Programs Sign Agreement
By SEARHC
15 Alaska Native tribal health programs sign an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that will allow Alaska veterans living in rural communities to seek health care closer to home.
The Alaska VA Healthcare System has very few clinics in Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Kenai).
Even though many Alaska Native/American Indian veterans living in rural Alaska had access to a tribal health facility in their community, they frequently had to travel to one of the Alaska VA clinics or even Seattle, sometimes at their own expense, in order to receive care from the Veterans Health Administration.
This agreement will allow eligible veterans (those who have registered for VA benefits) to receive care in their home community. It also allows Alaska Native tribal health programs to be eligible to be reimbursed by the VA for providing that care. Under the agreement, non-Native veterans also will be able to receive care at the participating tribal health facilities.
“The agreement is the result of years of work by both the Alaska Tribal Health System and the Alaska VA Healthcare System, with support from Sen. Mark Begich,” SEARHC President/CEO Charles Clement said. “The goal of the agreement is to enable tribal health organizations to provide care for veterans either in their home community or closer to home.
read more here
By SEARHC
15 Alaska Native tribal health programs sign an agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that will allow Alaska veterans living in rural communities to seek health care closer to home.
The Alaska VA Healthcare System has very few clinics in Alaska (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau and Kenai).
Even though many Alaska Native/American Indian veterans living in rural Alaska had access to a tribal health facility in their community, they frequently had to travel to one of the Alaska VA clinics or even Seattle, sometimes at their own expense, in order to receive care from the Veterans Health Administration.
This agreement will allow eligible veterans (those who have registered for VA benefits) to receive care in their home community. It also allows Alaska Native tribal health programs to be eligible to be reimbursed by the VA for providing that care. Under the agreement, non-Native veterans also will be able to receive care at the participating tribal health facilities.
“The agreement is the result of years of work by both the Alaska Tribal Health System and the Alaska VA Healthcare System, with support from Sen. Mark Begich,” SEARHC President/CEO Charles Clement said. “The goal of the agreement is to enable tribal health organizations to provide care for veterans either in their home community or closer to home.
read more here
Thursday, May 17, 2012
NBC spends over 50 seconds on swallows but only 32 seconds on MOH
Last night I watched NBC Nightly News and thought they would do a good job on the MOH story of Leslie Sabo Jr. but I was wrong.
They did a better job reporting on the swallows!
They did a better job reporting on the swallows!
Two sentenced for beating 101st wounded Afghanistan veteran
Two sentenced for beating war veteran outside The Page
By Elizabeth Dinan
May 17, 2012
BRENTWOOD — Two men were sentenced to state prison Wednesday for kicking war veteran Stephen Bohn outside The Page Restaurant & Bar in Portsmouth until his bladder ruptured.
First to be sentenced in Rockingham Superior Court for the July 16, 2011, assault was Daniel May, who was sentenced to two to five years and given 305 days' credit for his pretrial confinement. Assistant County Attorney Howard Helrich told the court Bohn bumped into May or his girlfriend on a dance floor in The Page, and a "pushing match" ensued. Both were asked to leave the bar and the friction escalated into a "full blown fight" outside, Helrich said.
May was arrested at the scene while Bohn was en route to Portsmouth Regional Hospital for emergency surgery, Helrich said.
At the time of the assault, Bohn, a retired Army specialist from the 101st Airborne Division, was still recovering from injuries he received three years earlier when a suicide bomber attacked his camp in Afghanistan.
Helrich read a statement by Bohn, who attended the hearings with his mother and stepfather. Through the prosecutor, Bohn described the incident as "a nightmare."
read more here
By Elizabeth Dinan
May 17, 2012
BRENTWOOD — Two men were sentenced to state prison Wednesday for kicking war veteran Stephen Bohn outside The Page Restaurant & Bar in Portsmouth until his bladder ruptured.
First to be sentenced in Rockingham Superior Court for the July 16, 2011, assault was Daniel May, who was sentenced to two to five years and given 305 days' credit for his pretrial confinement. Assistant County Attorney Howard Helrich told the court Bohn bumped into May or his girlfriend on a dance floor in The Page, and a "pushing match" ensued. Both were asked to leave the bar and the friction escalated into a "full blown fight" outside, Helrich said.
May was arrested at the scene while Bohn was en route to Portsmouth Regional Hospital for emergency surgery, Helrich said.
At the time of the assault, Bohn, a retired Army specialist from the 101st Airborne Division, was still recovering from injuries he received three years earlier when a suicide bomber attacked his camp in Afghanistan.
Helrich read a statement by Bohn, who attended the hearings with his mother and stepfather. Through the prosecutor, Bohn described the incident as "a nightmare."
read more here
Quadruple-amputee soldier talks to news station from Walter Reed to thank community
Exclusive: TV5 talks with wounded warrior Travis Mills
Updated: May 17, 2012
By Tom Plahutnik, Web Editor/Producer
SAGINAW, MI (WNEM)
WNEM TV5 had the privilege of speaking with Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills, the young Vassar man wounded in an IED attack while serving in Afghanistan.
TV5 spoke with Mills via phone from his hospital bed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland.
When asked how he was doing, Mills replied that he's "doing good."
"[I'm] keeping my spirits up. I'm feeling good." Mills said.
He is slated to get a prosthetic arm next week and is doing a lot of physical therapy.
"I do a lot of exercise. I work on the muscles that were there, [because] that's how prosthetics are controlled. [I] go every day, and it just gets harder and harder," said the soldier with a laugh.
Mills, 25, was severely wounded by the explosion in April, and he is believed to be the fourth quadruple-amputee to ever survive that kind of blast in U.S. military history. It could be a year or more before Mills leaves Walter Reed.
read more here
Updated: May 17, 2012
By Tom Plahutnik, Web Editor/Producer
SAGINAW, MI (WNEM)
WNEM TV5 had the privilege of speaking with Army Staff Sgt. Travis Mills, the young Vassar man wounded in an IED attack while serving in Afghanistan.
TV5 spoke with Mills via phone from his hospital bed at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Maryland.
When asked how he was doing, Mills replied that he's "doing good."
"[I'm] keeping my spirits up. I'm feeling good." Mills said.
He is slated to get a prosthetic arm next week and is doing a lot of physical therapy.
"I do a lot of exercise. I work on the muscles that were there, [because] that's how prosthetics are controlled. [I] go every day, and it just gets harder and harder," said the soldier with a laugh.
Mills, 25, was severely wounded by the explosion in April, and he is believed to be the fourth quadruple-amputee to ever survive that kind of blast in U.S. military history. It could be a year or more before Mills leaves Walter Reed.
read more here
Iraq veteran killed while changing tire, hit and run
Family Of Spur 601 Hit-And-Run Victim Speaks To ABC-7
Richard Lopez's Family Angry, Shocked Over His Death
By ABC-7 Reporter Stephanie Valle
POSTED: 6:51 am MDT May 15, 2012
EL PASO, Texas -- The man who was hit and left on the side of the road Saturday morning was an Iraq war veteran and had been married for four years.
The family of Richard Lopez, 26, sat down with ABC-7 late Monday night to talk about the man whose mother described as caring, funny and loving.
read more here
linked from Alex Jones
Richard Lopez's Family Angry, Shocked Over His Death
By ABC-7 Reporter Stephanie Valle
POSTED: 6:51 am MDT May 15, 2012
EL PASO, Texas -- The man who was hit and left on the side of the road Saturday morning was an Iraq war veteran and had been married for four years.
The family of Richard Lopez, 26, sat down with ABC-7 late Monday night to talk about the man whose mother described as caring, funny and loving.
read more here
linked from Alex Jones
Iraq veteran, double amputee, in new Battleship movie
Col. injured in Iraq lands role in ‘Battleship’
By Scott Bowles
USA Today
Posted : Thursday May 17, 2012
LOS ANGELES — Greg Gadson’s departure from Baghdad was a sudden one.
Gadson, then a lieutenant colonel with the Second Battalion and 32nd Field Artillery, was returning from a memorial service for two soldiers when his vehicle passed a roadside bomb on May 7, 2007.
Gadson remembers the detonation sending his body tumbling through rubble, then medics placing him on a stretcher in a helicopter, his severed feet sitting in his lap. He awakened days later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., his legs amputated above the knees.
“When you come to grips with the injuries like that, you don’t think of anything in your future,” he says.
“I never imagined anyone outside the military would be interested in me.”
Turns out a lot of folks were, including the New York Giants and now Hollywood. Gadson makes his acting debut in “Battleship,” playing Lt. Col. Mick Canales, a vet struggling with recovery much as Gadson did.
read more here
By Scott Bowles
USA Today
Posted : Thursday May 17, 2012
LOS ANGELES — Greg Gadson’s departure from Baghdad was a sudden one.
Gadson, then a lieutenant colonel with the Second Battalion and 32nd Field Artillery, was returning from a memorial service for two soldiers when his vehicle passed a roadside bomb on May 7, 2007.
Gadson remembers the detonation sending his body tumbling through rubble, then medics placing him on a stretcher in a helicopter, his severed feet sitting in his lap. He awakened days later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., his legs amputated above the knees.
“When you come to grips with the injuries like that, you don’t think of anything in your future,” he says.
“I never imagined anyone outside the military would be interested in me.”
Turns out a lot of folks were, including the New York Giants and now Hollywood. Gadson makes his acting debut in “Battleship,” playing Lt. Col. Mick Canales, a vet struggling with recovery much as Gadson did.
read more here
VA Uses More 'Last-Resort' Antibiotics
VA Uses More 'Last-Resort' Antibiotics
By Michael Smith
North American Correspondent
MedPage Today
Published: May 17, 2012
Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
The use of "last resort" antibiotics by the nation's largest medical system has been increasing in recent years, a likely indication of a growing problem with drug-resistant pathogens.
Note that there is no comprehensive data about the use of the antibiotics or what pathogens are associated with their use.
The use of "last resort" antibiotics by the nation's largest medical system has been increasing in recent years, a likely indication of a growing problem with drug-resistant pathogens, researchers reported.
In 127 Veterans Affairs medical centers, the use of the recently approved tigecycline (Tygacil) rose four-fold over a 5-year period, according to Makoto Jones, MD, of the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, and colleagues.
Over the same time, the use of polymyxins – antibiotics long out of favor because of uncertainty over toxicity and dosing -- also rose, although not as steeply, Jones and colleagues reported online in PLoS ONE.
The use of the drugs "probably indicates the presence or suspicion of problematic pathogens," the researchers argued. But despite that, there is no comprehensive data about the use of the medications or what pathogens are associated with their use, they added.
read more here
By Michael Smith
North American Correspondent
MedPage Today
Published: May 17, 2012
Reviewed by Robert Jasmer, MD; Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.
The use of "last resort" antibiotics by the nation's largest medical system has been increasing in recent years, a likely indication of a growing problem with drug-resistant pathogens.
Note that there is no comprehensive data about the use of the antibiotics or what pathogens are associated with their use.
The use of "last resort" antibiotics by the nation's largest medical system has been increasing in recent years, a likely indication of a growing problem with drug-resistant pathogens, researchers reported.
In 127 Veterans Affairs medical centers, the use of the recently approved tigecycline (Tygacil) rose four-fold over a 5-year period, according to Makoto Jones, MD, of the Veterans Affairs Salt Lake City Health Care System, and colleagues.
Over the same time, the use of polymyxins – antibiotics long out of favor because of uncertainty over toxicity and dosing -- also rose, although not as steeply, Jones and colleagues reported online in PLoS ONE.
The use of the drugs "probably indicates the presence or suspicion of problematic pathogens," the researchers argued. But despite that, there is no comprehensive data about the use of the medications or what pathogens are associated with their use, they added.
read more here
Oops! Army dropped bomb in Killeen neighborhood
Inactive missile drops from Army chopper in Texas
KILLEEN, Texas (AP) – A 6-foot-long inactive training missile accidentally fell from a military helicopter into field near a Texas military post, causing the brief evacuation of nearby homes but not harming anyone, officials said.
About 100 homes in a neighborhood near Fort Hood were evacuated Tuesday night after a witness reported seeing something fall from the sky around 8 p.m., Killeen police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said.
read more here
KILLEEN, Texas (AP) – A 6-foot-long inactive training missile accidentally fell from a military helicopter into field near a Texas military post, causing the brief evacuation of nearby homes but not harming anyone, officials said.
About 100 homes in a neighborhood near Fort Hood were evacuated Tuesday night after a witness reported seeing something fall from the sky around 8 p.m., Killeen police spokeswoman Carroll Smith said.
read more here
Ron Paul talks about military suicides
Suicide Deaths of US Military, Every 80 Minutes A Vet Takes His/Her Life
Posted on May 12, 2012
by Mormons For Ron Paul
The only Veteran in the Race, the the only non-CFR man addressing a topic that Robomney will never touch, is guess who? Ron Paul, of course!
These stellar weekly commentaries by a statesman have been enjoyed for decades by liberty lovers who have been aware of this gem of sanity in the US Congress, the near lone citizen patriot and statesman in the US Congress, who took his oath of office seriously, which meant he wouldn’t wheel and deal to “get things done” and he would oftime stand alone; had little clout within the corrupt system; zero lobbyist money; and relegated as a non-player in the game of the ever continued expansion of government that continues no matter which party is in power.
read more here
While I do not agree with what this site has to say all the way, at least they posted Ron Paul talking about military suicides and that is a good thing.
Posted on May 12, 2012
by Mormons For Ron Paul
The only Veteran in the Race, the the only non-CFR man addressing a topic that Robomney will never touch, is guess who? Ron Paul, of course!
These stellar weekly commentaries by a statesman have been enjoyed for decades by liberty lovers who have been aware of this gem of sanity in the US Congress, the near lone citizen patriot and statesman in the US Congress, who took his oath of office seriously, which meant he wouldn’t wheel and deal to “get things done” and he would oftime stand alone; had little clout within the corrupt system; zero lobbyist money; and relegated as a non-player in the game of the ever continued expansion of government that continues no matter which party is in power.
read more here
While I do not agree with what this site has to say all the way, at least they posted Ron Paul talking about military suicides and that is a good thing.
Will Army review of PTSD and TBI claims include falsely discharged?
Will Army review of PTSD and TBI claims include falsely discharged?
by
Chaplain Kathie
Of the more than 22,000 discharged because of "Personality Disorders" this may seem like good news. Is it? Are they to be included in this review? When will what happened to them be reviewed and when will they have their dignity restored?
We know it was the practice of the military to falsely discharge this way. It left them with nothing. They can't even go to the VA with an other than honorable discharge topped off with "pre-existing" illnesses are not covered by the DOD.
Imagine for a second here that you served your country with the same passion as everyone else. After too much combat, you ended up paying the price with PTSD, sought help and ended up being kicked out with the military telling you that you must have had it when you took their psychological tests. Then you have no more job in the military and zero chance of getting one in the civilian world plus a head filled with PTSD and probably TBI. After you lost your family, your home, your car and woke up in a box, you pick up the old newspaper you used for a pillow and read about how many veterans are getting help because things changed.
Wouldn't it be more fair for them to read that they will have their cases reviewed so they can finally get justice from this nation they served? How about having their records restored, paid back for the money they lost after being falsely accused? How about a public apology so that employers know they served with honor even if the government was not so honorable to them at the time?
by
Chaplain Kathie
Of the more than 22,000 discharged because of "Personality Disorders" this may seem like good news. Is it? Are they to be included in this review? When will what happened to them be reviewed and when will they have their dignity restored?
We know it was the practice of the military to falsely discharge this way. It left them with nothing. They can't even go to the VA with an other than honorable discharge topped off with "pre-existing" illnesses are not covered by the DOD.
Imagine for a second here that you served your country with the same passion as everyone else. After too much combat, you ended up paying the price with PTSD, sought help and ended up being kicked out with the military telling you that you must have had it when you took their psychological tests. Then you have no more job in the military and zero chance of getting one in the civilian world plus a head filled with PTSD and probably TBI. After you lost your family, your home, your car and woke up in a box, you pick up the old newspaper you used for a pillow and read about how many veterans are getting help because things changed.
Wouldn't it be more fair for them to read that they will have their cases reviewed so they can finally get justice from this nation they served? How about having their records restored, paid back for the money they lost after being falsely accused? How about a public apology so that employers know they served with honor even if the government was not so honorable to them at the time?
“We owe it to every soldier to ensure that he or she receives the care they need and deserve,” said Army Secretary John McHugh, adding that the Army “must ensure that our processes and procedures are thorough, fair and conducted in accordance with appropriate, consistent medical standards.”
Army policy calls for every service member involved in a blast, vehicle crash or a blow to the head to be medically evaluated.
Army launches review of PTSD diagnoses after complaints some were overturned
By Associated Press
Published: May 16
WASHINGTON — Army leaders are launching a sweeping, independent review of how the service evaluates soldiers with possible post-traumatic stress disorder following recent complaints that some PTSD diagnoses were improperly overturned.
The Army said Wednesday it will review the diagnoses at all of its medical facilities going back to October 2001. And top Army leaders said they will develop a plan to correct any decisions or policies necessary to make sure that soldiers are receiving the care and treatment they deserve.
The latest reviews were triggered by revelations that the forensic psychiatry unit at Madigan Army Medical Center at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state may have reversed diagnoses based on the expense of providing care and benefits to members of the military.
read more here
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Soldier Beaten, Robbed, Left For Dead in Florida
Soldier Beaten, Robbed, Left For Dead in Florida
May 15, 2012
Written by WFMY News 2
Tampa, FL-- The attack is almost too painful to watch.
The beating is brutal and swift. It happens in a matter of seconds, and the young man struggling on the ground is an American soldier, beaten at the hands of four unidentified men.
The 24-year-old is beaten so severely that he can't even stand up when the agonizing attack is finished and the men run away.
The victim has only been in Tampa less than a month.
The beating was caught on a nearby surveillance video in a South Tampa neighborhood around 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning as Johnny Aparico was walking home.
read more here
May 15, 2012
Written by WFMY News 2
Tampa, FL-- The attack is almost too painful to watch.
The beating is brutal and swift. It happens in a matter of seconds, and the young man struggling on the ground is an American soldier, beaten at the hands of four unidentified men.
The 24-year-old is beaten so severely that he can't even stand up when the agonizing attack is finished and the men run away.
The victim has only been in Tampa less than a month.
The beating was caught on a nearby surveillance video in a South Tampa neighborhood around 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning as Johnny Aparico was walking home.
read more here
Bravo Company gets standing ovation during MOH ceremony for Lesile H. Sabo Jr.
Heroic Vietnam War soldier awarded posthumous Medal of Honor
By Jeff Black, msnbc.com
President Barack Obama presented the country’s highest military decoration to the family of Army Spc. Leslie H. Sabo Jr., who was killed protecting fellow soldiers from an ambush in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
The 22-year-old Army rifleman killed several North Vietnamese soldiers, shielded a comrade from a grenade blast and forced a retreat in a battle that took place on May 10, 1970.
The Medal of Honor was awarded to Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown, in the East Room of the White House. "He saved his comrades who meant more to him than life," Obama said at the ceremony, while also saluting other Vietnam War veterans. Members of Sabo's unit, Bravo Company, were in attendance and received a standing ovation.
read more here
Saul Loeb / AFP - Getty Images President Obama presents Rose Mary Sabo-Brown with a Medal of Honor for her late husband, Army Specialist Leslie H. Sabo, Jr., during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
By Jeff Black, msnbc.com
President Barack Obama presented the country’s highest military decoration to the family of Army Spc. Leslie H. Sabo Jr., who was killed protecting fellow soldiers from an ambush in Cambodia during the Vietnam War.
The 22-year-old Army rifleman killed several North Vietnamese soldiers, shielded a comrade from a grenade blast and forced a retreat in a battle that took place on May 10, 1970.
The Medal of Honor was awarded to Sabo’s widow, Rose Mary Sabo-Brown, in the East Room of the White House. "He saved his comrades who meant more to him than life," Obama said at the ceremony, while also saluting other Vietnam War veterans. Members of Sabo's unit, Bravo Company, were in attendance and received a standing ovation.
read more here
Veterans exposed to explosions may be at risk for dementia
Veterans exposed to explosions may be at risk for dementia
By Gregg Zoroya
USA TODAY
A generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to explosions may be at risk for early-onset dementia, according to a new study that looked at the autopsied brains of four former combat servicemembers and four athletes.
Scientists said their work showed evidence of a progressive degenerative brain disorder known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease found in recent years among deceased professional football players who had suffered multiple concussions.
What researchers said was particularly alarming was evidence that the disorder could result from exposure to a single blast and that several hundred thousand U.S. troops may have suffered concussions in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of them from exposure to blasts.
"Ramifications are that these hundreds of thousands of military personnel are at risk for this disorder. It doesn't mean by any means that they all have or will get it. But they are at risk for it," says Ann McKee, a Department of Veterans Affairs scientist and co-author of the study in Science Translational Medicine.
read more here
By Gregg Zoroya
USA TODAY
A generation of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans exposed to explosions may be at risk for early-onset dementia, according to a new study that looked at the autopsied brains of four former combat servicemembers and four athletes.
Scientists said their work showed evidence of a progressive degenerative brain disorder known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease found in recent years among deceased professional football players who had suffered multiple concussions.
What researchers said was particularly alarming was evidence that the disorder could result from exposure to a single blast and that several hundred thousand U.S. troops may have suffered concussions in Iraq and Afghanistan, most of them from exposure to blasts.
"Ramifications are that these hundreds of thousands of military personnel are at risk for this disorder. It doesn't mean by any means that they all have or will get it. But they are at risk for it," says Ann McKee, a Department of Veterans Affairs scientist and co-author of the study in Science Translational Medicine.
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PTSD could be more about stronger mind
Does A Better Memory Equal Greater PTSD Risk?
Strong recall may be genetically associated with heightened flashbacks of trauma and pain, according to new research.
By MAIA SZALAVITZ
May 15, 2012
A good memory is typically seen as a powerful advantage, an aid to intelligence and socializing. But when experience is traumatic, this asset may become a serious liability, according to new research on survivors of the Rwandan genocide.
Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland studied a gene for a protein called PKCA, which is known to be involved in the encoding of emotional memories. In healthy Swiss adults, a variant called rs4790904 was found to be associated with visual memory.
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Strong recall may be genetically associated with heightened flashbacks of trauma and pain, according to new research.
By MAIA SZALAVITZ
May 15, 2012
Thirty-nine percent of the refugees had current symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), an anxiety disorder marked by a sense of repeatedly re-experiencing the emotional and physical sensations linked to the trauma, often triggered by sensory reminders of the event, like sudden loud noises. People with PTSD typically try to avoid these cues, which can result in isolation and increased distress.
A good memory is typically seen as a powerful advantage, an aid to intelligence and socializing. But when experience is traumatic, this asset may become a serious liability, according to new research on survivors of the Rwandan genocide.
Researchers at the University of Basel in Switzerland studied a gene for a protein called PKCA, which is known to be involved in the encoding of emotional memories. In healthy Swiss adults, a variant called rs4790904 was found to be associated with visual memory.
read more here
Patient died at VA hospital after alarm was ignored
Patient died at VA hospital after alarm was ignored
By CHARLES ORNSTEIN AND TRACY WEBER
ProPublica
Published: May 15, 2012
Stars and Stripes coverage of veterans issues
Registered nurses at a Manhattan Veterans Affairs hospital failed to notice a patient had become disconnected from a cardiac monitor until after his heart had stopped and he could not be revived, according to a report Monday from the VA inspector general.
The incident from last June was the second such death at the hospital involving a patient connected to a monitor in a six-month period. The first, along with two earlier deaths at a Denver VA hospital, raised questions about nursing competency in the VA system, ProPublica reported last month.
The deaths also prompted a broader review of skills and training of VA nurses. Only half of 29 VA facilities surveyed by the inspector general in a recent report had adequately documented that their nurses had skills to perform their duties. Even though some nurses "did not demonstrate competency in one or more required skills," the government report stated, there was no evidence of retraining.
read more here
By CHARLES ORNSTEIN AND TRACY WEBER
ProPublica
Published: May 15, 2012
Stars and Stripes coverage of veterans issues
Registered nurses at a Manhattan Veterans Affairs hospital failed to notice a patient had become disconnected from a cardiac monitor until after his heart had stopped and he could not be revived, according to a report Monday from the VA inspector general.
The incident from last June was the second such death at the hospital involving a patient connected to a monitor in a six-month period. The first, along with two earlier deaths at a Denver VA hospital, raised questions about nursing competency in the VA system, ProPublica reported last month.
The deaths also prompted a broader review of skills and training of VA nurses. Only half of 29 VA facilities surveyed by the inspector general in a recent report had adequately documented that their nurses had skills to perform their duties. Even though some nurses "did not demonstrate competency in one or more required skills," the government report stated, there was no evidence of retraining.
read more here
10% Military spouses considered suicide
I get a lot of strange links in my email, but this one got my attention. "Does the COW Still Moo?" by Molly Blake. She writes that she is the Commanding Officer's wife, so I thought it would be interesting. That's when I saw the link to Blue Star Families and took the crazy title seriously.
Then I read this.
The general pubic cares but how can they really think about what it is like for the men and women serving this country and their families if no one reminds them of any of it? Do you see them or any of these reports on National News? If you do, how often do you see them? These things happen to them everyday!
Blue Star Families 2012 Military Family Lifestyle Survey Comprehensive Report
Then I read this.
Military Family Lifestyle Survey, one of the statistics that stood out detailed the number of military spouses (10%) who have considered suicide.
The general pubic cares but how can they really think about what it is like for the men and women serving this country and their families if no one reminds them of any of it? Do you see them or any of these reports on National News? If you do, how often do you see them? These things happen to them everyday!
Blue Star Families
May 09, 2012
National survey of military families details stressors, successes after 10 years of war
Significantly, the survey found that sixty-two percent of respondents who felt their service member had exhibit signs of PTSD, regardless of any official diagnosis, did not seek treatment, demonstrating there is a still much to be done to help service members and their families cope of the invisible wounds of war. Overall, the 2012 Military Family Lifestyle Survey found that military families are generally coping well with the unique stressors of military family life. However, community and government leaders can do more to help make military life more sustainable.Washington, D.C. (May 9, 2012)—Blue Star Families, a national non-profit organization supporting military families, today released the results of its 2012 Military Family Lifestyle survey at a joint session of the Senate and House Military Family caucuses. Featuring a panel discussion between military family experts, including Mrs. Deanie Dempsey, the event focused on the issues of top concern to military families. The full survey report is available at Blue Star Survey.
Family sues Bay Pines VA after suicide with medications
Lawsuit: Bay Pines VA sends suicidal woman three months worth of pain pills
By William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer
Posted: May 15, 2012
TAMPA — The Bay Pines VA Medical Center mailed a three-month supply of pain medication to a Treasure Island woman with a history of suicide threats who died after overdosing on the pills, a lawsuit filed this month says.
Linda Abrams Dresel, 56, an Army veteran who came to prominence in the 1990s as a supporter of anti-government causes, died May 9, 2009, at her home after she ingested the entire supply of pills, said the suit filed by her husband.
The former Indianapolis lawyer was better known by the name Linda Thompson, which she apparently discarded after her marriage to a Pinellas County man three years ago.
Her brother, Stephen Capps, said in an interview Tuesday that the pill bottle found after her death showed a physician's assistant at Bay Pines wrote the prescription. Capps said his sister had been committed to Bay Pines in Seminole six times under the Baker Act for suicidal threats in the month prior to her death.
read more here
By William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer
Posted: May 15, 2012
TAMPA — The Bay Pines VA Medical Center mailed a three-month supply of pain medication to a Treasure Island woman with a history of suicide threats who died after overdosing on the pills, a lawsuit filed this month says.
Linda Abrams Dresel, 56, an Army veteran who came to prominence in the 1990s as a supporter of anti-government causes, died May 9, 2009, at her home after she ingested the entire supply of pills, said the suit filed by her husband.
The former Indianapolis lawyer was better known by the name Linda Thompson, which she apparently discarded after her marriage to a Pinellas County man three years ago.
Her brother, Stephen Capps, said in an interview Tuesday that the pill bottle found after her death showed a physician's assistant at Bay Pines wrote the prescription. Capps said his sister had been committed to Bay Pines in Seminole six times under the Baker Act for suicidal threats in the month prior to her death.
read more here
A discussion of initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD
Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks Vets and PTSD / Songs for Hospice
A discussion of initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, plus songs for hospice.
Program: Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks
Episode: Vets and PTSD / Songs for Hospice
A discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and innovative initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, such as a new Veterans Court in Augusta and the expansion of mental health services at the VA in Togus.
Also, Mariah Williams of Heartsong in Belfast, will speak about a cappella singing groups that provide joy and comfort for hospice patients through song.
Click link for the video
A discussion of initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, plus songs for hospice.
Program: Maine Watch with Jennifer Rooks
Episode: Vets and PTSD / Songs for Hospice
A discussion of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and innovative initiatives designed to help vets with PTSD, such as a new Veterans Court in Augusta and the expansion of mental health services at the VA in Togus.
Also, Mariah Williams of Heartsong in Belfast, will speak about a cappella singing groups that provide joy and comfort for hospice patients through song.
Click link for the video
Fort Hood Soldier survived Iraq and Afghanistan, died in car accident
St. Robert soldier killed in car accident
By Natalie Sanders
The Rolla Daily News
Posted May 15, 2012
FORT HOOD, Texas
Sgt. Joshua Louis Kline, 26, of St. Robert was killed in a car crash in Texas May 5.
Kline was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas with Company A, 21st Combat Support Hospital, 1st Medical Brigade, according to the Fort Hood Public Affairs office (PAO).
The Killeen Daily Herald reported that Kline and another vehicle hit each other in a head-on collision while traveling on Texas State Highway 195 at 9:15 p.m.
read more here
By Natalie Sanders
The Rolla Daily News
Posted May 15, 2012
FORT HOOD, Texas
Sgt. Joshua Louis Kline, 26, of St. Robert was killed in a car crash in Texas May 5.
Kline was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas with Company A, 21st Combat Support Hospital, 1st Medical Brigade, according to the Fort Hood Public Affairs office (PAO).
The Killeen Daily Herald reported that Kline and another vehicle hit each other in a head-on collision while traveling on Texas State Highway 195 at 9:15 p.m.
read more here
Trained Afghans Turn Enemy of US forces
As Trained Afghans Turn Enemy, a U.S.-Led Imperative Is in Peril
By MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Published: May 15, 2012
COMBAT OUTPOST SANGESAR, Afghanistan — A burst of gunfire snapped First Sgt. Joseph Hissong awake. Then came another, and another, all with the familiar three-round bursts of an American assault rifle — and the unfamiliar sound of its rounds being fired in his direction.
The shooters were close. His first thought: “Are Taliban inside the wire?”
But it was not the Taliban. Over the next 52 minutes, as his company of paratroopers braved bullets and rocket-propelled grenades in the predawn darkness to retake one of their own guard towers in southern Afghanistan, they found themselves facing what has become a more pernicious threat: the Afghan soldiers who live and fight alongside the Americans.
The attack on Sergeant Hissong’s company, on March 1 at Combat Outpost Sangesar, left two Americans dead along with two Afghan assailants, but it was not the first time that Afghan solders had attacked forces from the American-led coalition, nor would it be the last of what the military calls “green on blue” attacks. Already this year, 22 coalition service members have been killed by men in Afghan uniform, compared with 35 for all of last year, according to coalition officials.
read more here
By MATTHEW ROSENBERG
Published: May 15, 2012
COMBAT OUTPOST SANGESAR, Afghanistan — A burst of gunfire snapped First Sgt. Joseph Hissong awake. Then came another, and another, all with the familiar three-round bursts of an American assault rifle — and the unfamiliar sound of its rounds being fired in his direction.
The shooters were close. His first thought: “Are Taliban inside the wire?”
But it was not the Taliban. Over the next 52 minutes, as his company of paratroopers braved bullets and rocket-propelled grenades in the predawn darkness to retake one of their own guard towers in southern Afghanistan, they found themselves facing what has become a more pernicious threat: the Afghan soldiers who live and fight alongside the Americans.
The attack on Sergeant Hissong’s company, on March 1 at Combat Outpost Sangesar, left two Americans dead along with two Afghan assailants, but it was not the first time that Afghan solders had attacked forces from the American-led coalition, nor would it be the last of what the military calls “green on blue” attacks. Already this year, 22 coalition service members have been killed by men in Afghan uniform, compared with 35 for all of last year, according to coalition officials.
read more here
Iraq burn pits killed soldiers
Disease caught in Iraq fatal to vet
BY BOB KALINOWSKI (STAFF WRITER)
Published: May 16, 2012
FORTY FORT - Loved ones of U.S. Army Spc. Dominick J. Liguori say he was fighter, but the 31-year-old could not overcome the lung disease they say he developed while serving in Iraq.
Family and friends gathered Tuesday night to say farewell to the Swoyersville man, who died Friday after a three-year battle with a lung disease called sarcoidosis.
Family members say Spc. Liguori developed the disease from exposure to open-air burn pits while serving in Iraq, and the ailment slowly scarred and destroyed his lungs.
"For whatever reason he go it, he got it," Spc. Liguori's mother, Andrea Kovalik, 50, said outside a viewing and funeral service for her son at the Hugh B. Hughes Funeral Home. "As it heals, it kills you. So his lungs were all tight and scarred."
Respiratory issues affecting military veterans exposed to open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the subject of several recent national news stories.
The Department of Defense maintains that research on the link between lung disease and the burn pits remains inconclusive but nonetheless has shut down all burn pits in Iraq and says it has plans to do so in Afghanistan by the end of the year, according to news reports.
Concerns about a possible link have led to a proposed law in the U.S. House of Representatives called the Open Burn Pit Registry Act. The law would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a registry of veterans who have health problems they believe are related to exposure to open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Subcommittee hearings were held on the topic in April.
read more here
BY BOB KALINOWSKI (STAFF WRITER)
Published: May 16, 2012
FORTY FORT - Loved ones of U.S. Army Spc. Dominick J. Liguori say he was fighter, but the 31-year-old could not overcome the lung disease they say he developed while serving in Iraq.
Family and friends gathered Tuesday night to say farewell to the Swoyersville man, who died Friday after a three-year battle with a lung disease called sarcoidosis.
Family members say Spc. Liguori developed the disease from exposure to open-air burn pits while serving in Iraq, and the ailment slowly scarred and destroyed his lungs.
"For whatever reason he go it, he got it," Spc. Liguori's mother, Andrea Kovalik, 50, said outside a viewing and funeral service for her son at the Hugh B. Hughes Funeral Home. "As it heals, it kills you. So his lungs were all tight and scarred."
Respiratory issues affecting military veterans exposed to open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan have been the subject of several recent national news stories.
The Department of Defense maintains that research on the link between lung disease and the burn pits remains inconclusive but nonetheless has shut down all burn pits in Iraq and says it has plans to do so in Afghanistan by the end of the year, according to news reports.
Concerns about a possible link have led to a proposed law in the U.S. House of Representatives called the Open Burn Pit Registry Act. The law would require the Department of Veterans Affairs to create a registry of veterans who have health problems they believe are related to exposure to open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Subcommittee hearings were held on the topic in April.
read more here
Mental Ills Top Reason U.S. Troops Now Hospitalized
Reminder of how this happened.
Mental Ills Top Reason U.S. Troops Now Hospitalized
By MARK THOMPSON
May 16, 2012
Four of the top five non-combat medical conditions sending troops to the hospital in 2011 were mental ailments, the Pentagon reports:
“Substance abuse, mood, anxiety, and adjustment disorders accounted for 622 person-years of lost duty due to hospitalization, convalescence, and limited duty dispositions,” the summary of military hospitalizations concluded. “Mental disorders accounted for more hospital bed days than any other morbidity category and two-fifths (40.1%) of all hospital bed days.”
In fact, mental ills account for the most hospitalizations of U.S. active-duty troops for illness and injury, now topping pregnancy-related conditions. “In 2011 mental disorders accounted for more hospitalizations of U.S. service members than any other major category of diagnoses,” a second piece in the Pentagon’s Medical Surveillance Monthly Report noted. “Adjustment reactions (including post-traumatic stress disorder) and episodic mood disorders were associated with more hospitalizations among active component members than any other specific condition…together, these two conditions accounted for 15 percent and 17 percent of all hospitalizations of males and females (excluding pregnancy and delivery-related), respectively.”
red more here
“The first shot of a war hits the heart of a mother.”
Fallen soldier honored with plaque dedication
By JOHN GUTEKUNST
Today's News-Herald
Published Monday, May 14, 2012
Former Parker resident Ara Tyler Deysie was honored May 12 with the unveiling of a plaque in his honor at Western Park. Pfc. Deysie was killed in action May 9, 2008, in Paktia Province, Afghanistan.
The plaque honoring Deysie was placed in Western Park because he often played there while growing up in Parker.
The plaque was purchased by members of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division and sent to his mother, Lori Deysie. The regiment has purchased plaques for all its fallen members.
Lori Deysie asked the Parker Town Council to have the plaque installed at Western Park. The council agreed, and the town purchased a decorative boulder to mount it on. The plaque was installed earlier this year.
Lori Deysie was the guest of honor at the dedication. She now lives in Lake Havasu City. She was given an escort to Parker by the Blue Star Mothers and the Patriot Guard motorcycle riders.
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By JOHN GUTEKUNST
Today's News-Herald
Published Monday, May 14, 2012
Former Parker resident Ara Tyler Deysie was honored May 12 with the unveiling of a plaque in his honor at Western Park. Pfc. Deysie was killed in action May 9, 2008, in Paktia Province, Afghanistan.
Yava quoted a Chinese proverb:
“The first shot of a war hits the heart of a mother.”
The plaque honoring Deysie was placed in Western Park because he often played there while growing up in Parker.
The plaque was purchased by members of the 506th Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division and sent to his mother, Lori Deysie. The regiment has purchased plaques for all its fallen members.
Lori Deysie asked the Parker Town Council to have the plaque installed at Western Park. The council agreed, and the town purchased a decorative boulder to mount it on. The plaque was installed earlier this year.
Lori Deysie was the guest of honor at the dedication. She now lives in Lake Havasu City. She was given an escort to Parker by the Blue Star Mothers and the Patriot Guard motorcycle riders.
read more here
Operation Eagle Visit, Screaming Eagles
Operation Eagle Visit
May 15, 2012
By Bill Silverfarb
Daily Journal staff
In 1968, the San Mateo City Council voted to adopt an infantry regiment with the 101st Airborne to help improve morale among the fighting troops at war in Vietnam.
With the adoption, San Mateo residents and city staff started sending messages of love and support from home in care packages to members of Alpha Company, 1-327 Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, known as the “Screaming Eagles.”
The support came at a time when troops in Vietnam had very little contact with loved ones here in the United States and opponents of the conflict demonstrated across the country. Students boycotted class in solidarity with the anti-war movement.
In 1972, in response to renewed escalation of bombing in Vietnam, university students around the country broke into campus buildings and threatened strikes in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
But in San Mateo, the city held a welcome home parade in 1972 for its adopted sons, the only city in the entire United States to do so.
Forty years later, the city is set to honor the current members of the Screaming Eagles, recently returned from a 12-month tour of duty in Afghanistan and those alums of the group that fought in Vietnam, Iraq and elsewhere in a series of events Memorial Day weekend.
San Mateo adopted the Screaming Eagles after a letter home from Sgt. Joe Artavia to his sister Linda in December 1967.
“Sis do you think you could get the City of San Mateo to “Adopt” us, for morale support? You see, many of the guys aren’t getting mail and maybe someone back home could write us and we would write back. I know it would bring their morale up AS HIGH AS THE CLOUDS, please try Sis.”
Three months later, the San Mateo City Council passed a resolution to adopt the company. Three weeks later, Artavia would become the first adopted son to die in action in Vietnam.
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May 15, 2012
By Bill Silverfarb
Daily Journal staff
In 1968, the San Mateo City Council voted to adopt the 101st Airborne Division, known as the Screaming Eagles after a letter from Sgt. Joe Artavia (bottom right) to his sister Linda asked the city to do so. San Mateo was the only city in the U.S. that held a welcome home parade in 1972. Howard Shepardson (center right) will be coming back to San Mateo for the 40th anniversary of the parade this Memorial Day weekend. He was given a key to the city after the Screaming Eagles were adopted in 1970.
In 1968, the San Mateo City Council voted to adopt an infantry regiment with the 101st Airborne to help improve morale among the fighting troops at war in Vietnam.
With the adoption, San Mateo residents and city staff started sending messages of love and support from home in care packages to members of Alpha Company, 1-327 Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, known as the “Screaming Eagles.”
The support came at a time when troops in Vietnam had very little contact with loved ones here in the United States and opponents of the conflict demonstrated across the country. Students boycotted class in solidarity with the anti-war movement.
In 1972, in response to renewed escalation of bombing in Vietnam, university students around the country broke into campus buildings and threatened strikes in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.
But in San Mateo, the city held a welcome home parade in 1972 for its adopted sons, the only city in the entire United States to do so.
Forty years later, the city is set to honor the current members of the Screaming Eagles, recently returned from a 12-month tour of duty in Afghanistan and those alums of the group that fought in Vietnam, Iraq and elsewhere in a series of events Memorial Day weekend.
San Mateo adopted the Screaming Eagles after a letter home from Sgt. Joe Artavia to his sister Linda in December 1967.
“Sis do you think you could get the City of San Mateo to “Adopt” us, for morale support? You see, many of the guys aren’t getting mail and maybe someone back home could write us and we would write back. I know it would bring their morale up AS HIGH AS THE CLOUDS, please try Sis.”
Three months later, the San Mateo City Council passed a resolution to adopt the company. Three weeks later, Artavia would become the first adopted son to die in action in Vietnam.
read more here
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Medical corpsman still trying to heal Vietnam warriors' scars
Medical corpsman still trying to heal Vietnam warriors' scars
Veteran's play to help raise funds for suburban shelter for homeless veterans
5/15/2012
By Burt Constable
Virtually blind in one eye and barely topping 100 pounds, suburban teenager Bob Adams never thought he'd be shipped off to combat in Vietnam with the unenviable task of trying to save the lives of wounded warriors.
Forty-five years later, the 64-year-old Adams, a playwright and a counselor, is still doing the same job, only this time from the relative comfort of his cramped office in the Midwest Shelter For Homeless Veterans that he founded in Wheaton.
“Everybody needs a hobby, and mine is making errors in judgment,” Adams says dryly, noting that he and a buddy joined the Navy solely as part of a misguided scheme to avoid getting drafted and sent to Vietnam. The vision in his left eye was so bad he couldn't read any part of the eye chart during his induction physical.
“I had been taking eye tests since I was 3 years old. I knew that the big letter is an E,” recalls Adams, who passed his physical and endured boot camp and training before he left for Vietnam in the spring of 1968 to serve as a corpsman providing medical services for the Marines based in Khe Sanh, home to some of the war's longest and bloodiest battles.
“Corpsmen were an endangered species,” he says, noting that he rose through the ranks from a newbie to senior corpsman in about 2½ months as his superiors were killed, wounded or succumbed to malaria and other dangers.
read more here
Veteran's play to help raise funds for suburban shelter for homeless veterans
5/15/2012
By Burt Constable
Virtually blind in one eye and barely topping 100 pounds, suburban teenager Bob Adams never thought he'd be shipped off to combat in Vietnam with the unenviable task of trying to save the lives of wounded warriors.
Forty-five years later, the 64-year-old Adams, a playwright and a counselor, is still doing the same job, only this time from the relative comfort of his cramped office in the Midwest Shelter For Homeless Veterans that he founded in Wheaton.
“Everybody needs a hobby, and mine is making errors in judgment,” Adams says dryly, noting that he and a buddy joined the Navy solely as part of a misguided scheme to avoid getting drafted and sent to Vietnam. The vision in his left eye was so bad he couldn't read any part of the eye chart during his induction physical.
“I had been taking eye tests since I was 3 years old. I knew that the big letter is an E,” recalls Adams, who passed his physical and endured boot camp and training before he left for Vietnam in the spring of 1968 to serve as a corpsman providing medical services for the Marines based in Khe Sanh, home to some of the war's longest and bloodiest battles.
“Corpsmen were an endangered species,” he says, noting that he rose through the ranks from a newbie to senior corpsman in about 2½ months as his superiors were killed, wounded or succumbed to malaria and other dangers.
read more here
Soldiers fail to seek PTSD treatment or drop out of therapy early
What they are getting is not working, has not worked and will not work until the DOD stops listening to the wrong people!
Soldiers fail to seek PTSD treatment or drop out of therapy early, research finds
By SETH ROBSON
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 15, 2012
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Roughly half of the soldiers who return from war with post-traumatic stress disorder don’t seek treatment, and many more drop out of therapy early, according to military research presented at last week’s American Psychiatric Association’s annual meeting.
“Fewer than half of the soldiers who report symptoms of combat-related PTSD receive the care they need,” Maj. Gary H. Wynn, a research psychiatrist at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said during a presentation to the association. “And of those soldiers who do start treatment, between 20 percent and 50 percent walk away before its completion.”
Army analysis of multiple studies suggests that most servicemembers have at least one experience during deployment that could lead to PTSD, and 15 percent of U.S. infantrymen who have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan have returned with the disorder, a condition characterized with such symptoms as depression, anger, mistrust, panic, guilt and violent behavior, physical pain, dizziness and trouble sleeping, Wynn said.
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Casualties of the homefront war
Discussing suicides remains tough for post officials, community groups and families
May. 14, 2012
Written by
Philip Grey
Leaf-Chronicle
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — Somewhere between the casualties of war and the military victims of accidents, illness and even homicide, there is a limbo-like place occupied by military personnel who die of suicide.
Unlike other categories of military deaths, victims of suicide are rarely named except in a few cases, usually involving an off-installation, high-profile incident.
The reasons for that are as varied as the victims of suicide, a category not amenable to easy answers or one-size-fits-all definitions. Underlying the reasons, however, is the common thread of stigma, even as civilian and military health professionals seek to undermine its hold on both the military and the larger culture.
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Iraq veterans take to YouTube to talk about PTSD
Iraq veteran uses rap to treat his PTSD
By Cristina Silva
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 15, 2012
LAS VEGAS — On one of the many days Leo Dunson wanted to die, the Iraq veteran put a gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. The loaded weapon misfired. For the troubled former soldier, it was another inexplicable failure, like his divorce or inability to make friends after returning from the war.
In a Las Vegas recording studio, Dunson rapped about his life: "What's wrong with me? Got PTSD. These pills ain't working, man, I still can't think."
One in six Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in 2011, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some committed suicide. Others are receiving mental health services at military hospitals. Many more are like Dunson and have refused help, according to research by the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD.
Dunson, who was discharged from the Army in 2008 and diagnosed by the military with PTSD, uses his music to examine his disappointment with veteran life. It is the only thing keeping him alive, he said. He refuses to attend counseling or visit his local VA hospital.
The use of music to heal war wounds is part of an emerging field of alternative treatment being embraced by military officials eager to help veterans suffering from PTSD. In Wisconsin, New Jersey, California and other states, government doctors in recent months have launched experimental music therapy programs that rely on the smoothing sounds of classical or acoustic music to help veterans get well.
read more here
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world. SGT DUNSON
PTSD Is Wars Biggest Killer (PTSD Awareness Day)
By Cristina Silva
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 15, 2012
LAS VEGAS — On one of the many days Leo Dunson wanted to die, the Iraq veteran put a gun to his temple and pulled the trigger. The loaded weapon misfired. For the troubled former soldier, it was another inexplicable failure, like his divorce or inability to make friends after returning from the war.
In a Las Vegas recording studio, Dunson rapped about his life: "What's wrong with me? Got PTSD. These pills ain't working, man, I still can't think."
One in six Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder in 2011, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Some committed suicide. Others are receiving mental health services at military hospitals. Many more are like Dunson and have refused help, according to research by the Department of Veterans Affairs' National Center for PTSD.
Dunson, who was discharged from the Army in 2008 and diagnosed by the military with PTSD, uses his music to examine his disappointment with veteran life. It is the only thing keeping him alive, he said. He refuses to attend counseling or visit his local VA hospital.
The use of music to heal war wounds is part of an emerging field of alternative treatment being embraced by military officials eager to help veterans suffering from PTSD. In Wisconsin, New Jersey, California and other states, government doctors in recent months have launched experimental music therapy programs that rely on the smoothing sounds of classical or acoustic music to help veterans get well.
read more here
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - a condition of persistent mental and emotional stress occurring as a result of injury or severe psychological shock, typically involving disturbance of sleep and constant vivid recall of the experience, with dulled responses to others and to the outside world. SGT DUNSON
PTSD Is Wars Biggest Killer (PTSD Awareness Day)
Reporter fights for change at Fort Sam Houston
Hybrid versus Handicap
Reported by: Mireya Villarreal
It's reserved - But is it deserved?
A video posted on Youtube.com shows hybrid vehicles being allowed to park closer than wounded service members living at the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU).
It’s a hybrid versus handicapped battle brought forward by a solider staying at the Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston facility.
Kent Ployhar lives at the Warrior Transition Unit after being injured by a grenade attack overseas. Eventually, he'll walk again. But not everyone living at the WTU is that lucky. So, after just a week of living at the complex, Kent posted a Youtube video.
read more here
Reported by: Mireya Villarreal
It's reserved - But is it deserved?
A video posted on Youtube.com shows hybrid vehicles being allowed to park closer than wounded service members living at the Warrior Transition Unit (WTU).
It’s a hybrid versus handicapped battle brought forward by a solider staying at the Joint Base San Antonio Fort Sam Houston facility.
Kent Ployhar lives at the Warrior Transition Unit after being injured by a grenade attack overseas. Eventually, he'll walk again. But not everyone living at the WTU is that lucky. So, after just a week of living at the complex, Kent posted a Youtube video.
read more here
Fort Drum "dumping ground for unwanted soldiers" replaced by new complex
Fort Drum Opens New Complex for Wounded Warriors
Story Published: May 14, 2012
The new Warrior Transition Battalion Complex at Fort Drum officially opened Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The facility's job is to make it easier for wounded soldiers to get the care they need.
"One of the things that will improve will be the care of the soldiers and their access, ease of access to a variety of systems that will be available in essentially one spot," said Fort Drum Commander Major General Mark Milley.
The new complex arrives not a moment too soon.
Earlier this year, a report from military's Inspector General's Office showed major problems for the Fort Drum Warrior Transition Battalion, including problems with leadership and soldiers said to be stoned on medication.
The unit was called a "dumping ground" for unwanted soldiers.
read more here
Story Published: May 14, 2012
The new Warrior Transition Battalion Complex at Fort Drum officially opened Monday with a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The facility's job is to make it easier for wounded soldiers to get the care they need.
"One of the things that will improve will be the care of the soldiers and their access, ease of access to a variety of systems that will be available in essentially one spot," said Fort Drum Commander Major General Mark Milley.
The new complex arrives not a moment too soon.
Earlier this year, a report from military's Inspector General's Office showed major problems for the Fort Drum Warrior Transition Battalion, including problems with leadership and soldiers said to be stoned on medication.
The unit was called a "dumping ground" for unwanted soldiers.
read more here
Wounded Times ahead of PTSD name change debate
Wounded Times ahead of PTSD name change debate
by
Chaplain Kathie
This is post number 15,001 for Wounded Times Blog and vindication! The rest of the blog world seems to be all too willing to just jump on the bandwagon without thinking about what they are reading. While most cheered the PTSD name change to PTSI for "injury" instead of "disorder" they didn't seem able to think about what this actually could mean. Most of the people I know agree this is a dumb idea. Instead of actually explaining what PTSD is, why they have it and what they can do to heal it, the government pulls a stunt like this. It is important to point out here that there is no cure for PTSD, but healing is possible so that they can live better lives and learn what to do for what they will live with the rest of their lives.
Here is the vindication. The next time you read something online that is just posting something this important without understanding the ramifications of it, you should wonder how much they actually do know.
I am and always will be a "skeptic" because of the things they've already done while avoiding what needs to be done.
by
Chaplain Kathie
This is post number 15,001 for Wounded Times Blog and vindication! The rest of the blog world seems to be all too willing to just jump on the bandwagon without thinking about what they are reading. While most cheered the PTSD name change to PTSI for "injury" instead of "disorder" they didn't seem able to think about what this actually could mean. Most of the people I know agree this is a dumb idea. Instead of actually explaining what PTSD is, why they have it and what they can do to heal it, the government pulls a stunt like this. It is important to point out here that there is no cure for PTSD, but healing is possible so that they can live better lives and learn what to do for what they will live with the rest of their lives.
Who is behind PTSD term change?
May 9, 2012
There was a time when I thought it may be a good idea to change it to injury considering the only way a person ends up with PTSD is after a traumatic event but after much consideration the word "wound" would have fit better. The word "trauma" is Greek for "wound" and that is exactly what it is. When you change it to "injury" it implies that it is not a lifetime condition and removes the obligation of the government from treating it as a lifetime condition. A broken bone will heal but an amputation is a part of the body gone forever. This is not a simple question and there are no easy answers.
Here is the vindication. The next time you read something online that is just posting something this important without understanding the ramifications of it, you should wonder how much they actually do know.
PTSD definition change could affect veterans
By Kyle Martin
Staff Writer
Monday, May 14, 2012
Pending changes in the diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder could have wide-ranging implications for veterans.
The proposed definition can be found in a draft of the American Psychiatric Association’s fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The manual serves as a guide for mental health workers around the world.
The changes include removing subjective criteria such as fear and expanding definitions of traumatic events.
The introduction of the manual’s draft this month coincides with a movement to change post-traumatic stress from a disorder to an injury.
Dr. Bill Albrecht, a staff psychologist at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center, said Monday that the outcome will be interesting.
“We’ll be getting rid of some problems, but we may be gaining some more,” he said.
Though dropping “disorder” from the title might reduce the stigma, skeptics warn that changing the term to “injury” could make it harder to qualify for permanent benefits. A disorder can last a lifetime; “injury” implies something that heals.
“That’s the concern,” said Dave Autry, the deputy national director of communications for Disabled American Veterans. “We’re certainly keeping an eye on it.”
read more here
I am and always will be a "skeptic" because of the things they've already done while avoiding what needs to be done.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Family still waits for report after death ruled suicide
Reservist’s death in Afghanistan ruled suicide
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 14, 2012
APPLETON, Wis. — A military investigation has concluded that a Wisconsin soldier who died in Afghanistan last year killed himself.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command this spring found that 25-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Garrick Eppinger of Appleton died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
red more here
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday May 14, 2012
APPLETON, Wis. — A military investigation has concluded that a Wisconsin soldier who died in Afghanistan last year killed himself.
The U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command this spring found that 25-year-old Army Staff Sgt. Garrick Eppinger of Appleton died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
red more here
Redefining PTSD could backlog VA even more?
Military Looks To Redefine PTSD, Without Stigma
by LARRY ABRAMSON
May 14, 2012
The military and the Department of Veterans Affairs say they want more veterans and service members to get appropriate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
That's why they're tweaking the way they define and treat PTSD. But if this approach works, it could add to the backlog of PTSD cases.
For years, the standard definition for post-traumatic stress disorder had a key feature that didn't fit for the military. It said that the standard victim responds to the trauma he or she has experienced with "helplessness and fear."
Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a former psychiatrist with the Army, says that may be true for civilians. But, she says, military people are trained to do just the opposite.
"When the IED, the improvised explosive device, goes off, they pick up their weapon, lay down suppressing fire, drag their buddies into safety and go on about doing what they're trained to do," she says.
read more here
by LARRY ABRAMSON
May 14, 2012
The military and the Department of Veterans Affairs say they want more veterans and service members to get appropriate treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
That's why they're tweaking the way they define and treat PTSD. But if this approach works, it could add to the backlog of PTSD cases.
For years, the standard definition for post-traumatic stress disorder had a key feature that didn't fit for the military. It said that the standard victim responds to the trauma he or she has experienced with "helplessness and fear."
Elspeth Cameron Ritchie, a former psychiatrist with the Army, says that may be true for civilians. But, she says, military people are trained to do just the opposite.
"When the IED, the improvised explosive device, goes off, they pick up their weapon, lay down suppressing fire, drag their buddies into safety and go on about doing what they're trained to do," she says.
read more here
Juvenile named trigger man in Clarksville soldier's death
Juvenile named trigger man in Clarksville soldier's death
Incident began as planned armed robbery, teen testifies
May. 14, 2012
Written by
Tavia D. Green
Leaf-Chronicle
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — An armed robbery planned by teenagers ended with the roadside shooting death of a soldier last month in Clarksville, according to testimony in court Monday.
Spc. Taylor Hotzoglou, 22, was shot multiple times on April 28 after giving two teenagers a ride. The preliminary hearing of one of those teens, Giovanne Johnson, 18, was held in Judge Ken Goble’s court.
Johnson is charged with criminal homicide in the death of Hotzoglou, who was found in his car on the shoulder of Victory Road.
A juvenile also is charged, and a transfer hearing may be held next week to determine whether the 17-year-old, referred to as “Ruthless” in the hearing, will be charged as an adult.
read more here
Incident began as planned armed robbery, teen testifies
May. 14, 2012
Written by
Tavia D. Green
Leaf-Chronicle
CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — An armed robbery planned by teenagers ended with the roadside shooting death of a soldier last month in Clarksville, according to testimony in court Monday.
Spc. Taylor Hotzoglou, 22, was shot multiple times on April 28 after giving two teenagers a ride. The preliminary hearing of one of those teens, Giovanne Johnson, 18, was held in Judge Ken Goble’s court.
Johnson is charged with criminal homicide in the death of Hotzoglou, who was found in his car on the shoulder of Victory Road.
A juvenile also is charged, and a transfer hearing may be held next week to determine whether the 17-year-old, referred to as “Ruthless” in the hearing, will be charged as an adult.
read more here
Active-duty troops hospitalized for mental disorders rose 19 percent in 2011
Mental disorder hospitalizations up 19% in 2011
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 14, 2012
The number of active-duty troops hospitalized for mental disorders rose 19 percent in 2011, to 21,735, up from 18,250 in 2010, according to a Defense Department morbidity report released Monday.
The statistics mean that for the second straight year, mental disorders have supplanted pregnancy as the number one reason active-duty personnel are hospitalized.
From 2006 to 2009, pregnancy-related conditions and childbirth were the top reasons service members were admitted to hospital.
But in 2010, mental disorders — mainly adjustment diagnoses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and episodic mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder — were associated with more hospitalizations among the active-duty component than any other medical condition.
And the trend continued in 2011.
“Together, these two conditions accounted for 15 percent and 17 percent of all hospitalizations of males and females (excluding pregnancy) respectively,” according to an Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center report released Monday.
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By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 14, 2012
The number of active-duty troops hospitalized for mental disorders rose 19 percent in 2011, to 21,735, up from 18,250 in 2010, according to a Defense Department morbidity report released Monday.
The statistics mean that for the second straight year, mental disorders have supplanted pregnancy as the number one reason active-duty personnel are hospitalized.
From 2006 to 2009, pregnancy-related conditions and childbirth were the top reasons service members were admitted to hospital.
But in 2010, mental disorders — mainly adjustment diagnoses, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and episodic mood disorders, including major depression and bipolar disorder — were associated with more hospitalizations among the active-duty component than any other medical condition.
And the trend continued in 2011.
“Together, these two conditions accounted for 15 percent and 17 percent of all hospitalizations of males and females (excluding pregnancy) respectively,” according to an Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center report released Monday.
read more here
Prosthetic technology continues to improve
Prosthetic technology continues to improve
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 14, 2012
Staff Sgt. Billy Costello lost his right leg to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan last fall, but the list of sports he’s pursuing this year might make a person with both legs dizzy: Running, snowboarding, surfing and scuba diving.
“They say the technology’s there to get you back to where you used to be,” said Costello, 30, of 3rd Special Forces Group. “It’s very possible. You just have to make calls and see who’s done what already.”
Costello, an above-the-knee amputee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, plans to do all this with a new generation of artificial leg that is powered by its own internal battery and intuits a user’s movements using an onboard computer.
Dr. Charles Scoville, chief of amputee services in the orthopedics and rehabilitation department, said such prosthetics have been tested since 2009 and have recently become available for most amputees there, affording them more mobility and less strain on muscles and joints.
“It’s only been in the last six months that we’ve really started to fit it this way,” Scoville said. “We’re now incorporating it as part of our standard of care versus just seeing how it works.”
read more here
By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 14, 2012
Staff Sgt. Billy Costello lost his right leg to an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan last fall, but the list of sports he’s pursuing this year might make a person with both legs dizzy: Running, snowboarding, surfing and scuba diving.
“They say the technology’s there to get you back to where you used to be,” said Costello, 30, of 3rd Special Forces Group. “It’s very possible. You just have to make calls and see who’s done what already.”
Costello, an above-the-knee amputee at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, plans to do all this with a new generation of artificial leg that is powered by its own internal battery and intuits a user’s movements using an onboard computer.
Dr. Charles Scoville, chief of amputee services in the orthopedics and rehabilitation department, said such prosthetics have been tested since 2009 and have recently become available for most amputees there, affording them more mobility and less strain on muscles and joints.
“It’s only been in the last six months that we’ve really started to fit it this way,” Scoville said. “We’re now incorporating it as part of our standard of care versus just seeing how it works.”
read more here
Marine receiving Navy Cross for valor in combat
La Porte Marine receiving Navy Cross for valor in combat
Sunday, May 13, 2012
BAYTOWN, TX (KTRK) -- This week, a Marine from La Porte will receive an extraordinary decoration for valor in combat -- the Navy Cross.
This Mother's Day, his mom was getting ready for the big ceremony, wiping tears from her face as she talked about her hero.
"I'm proud of him," Penni Farias said of her son. "But God protected him."
She calls him Chris -- her 26-year-old son who still gets homesick. But most of the world knows him as Sgt. Christopher Farias, a decorated U.S. Marine who nearly died while serving in Afghanistan.
"I had to keep my promise, which was to bring my guys home," Sgt. Farias told us. "I promised my best friend's wife that I would get him home. I could hear him screaming and I knew I had to do something."
read more here
Sunday, May 13, 2012
BAYTOWN, TX (KTRK) -- This week, a Marine from La Porte will receive an extraordinary decoration for valor in combat -- the Navy Cross.
This Mother's Day, his mom was getting ready for the big ceremony, wiping tears from her face as she talked about her hero.
"I'm proud of him," Penni Farias said of her son. "But God protected him."
She calls him Chris -- her 26-year-old son who still gets homesick. But most of the world knows him as Sgt. Christopher Farias, a decorated U.S. Marine who nearly died while serving in Afghanistan.
"I had to keep my promise, which was to bring my guys home," Sgt. Farias told us. "I promised my best friend's wife that I would get him home. I could hear him screaming and I knew I had to do something."
read more here
Disabled Iraq Veteran Tammy Duckworth running for congress
Tammy Duckworth Takes on the Tea Party
May 14, 2012
Michelle Goldberg
An Iraq War vet is making a stand in her run for Congress.
After Tammy Duckworth lost her 2006 run for Congress by 2 percentage points in one of the country’s most expensive House races, she swore she’d never run again. One of the few women to pilot Black Hawk helicopters in combat, Duckworth lost both legs and shattered her right arm after being downed by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq in 2004. She later emerged as an important voice against that war. Powerful Illinois politicians like Dick Durbin and Rahm Emanuel recruited her to run for Congress in suburban Chicago while she was still recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, learning to navigate the world on prosthetics.
The race against Republican Peter Roskam was hard. “It was so nasty, and so full of lies,” she says. Duckworth, whose mother is Thai-Chinese, recalls seeing an image of herself, her eyes Photoshopped into slits, “standing on the border handing out money to illegal immigrants.” After the election, she says, “I just thought, I’m done. I will find other ways to serve.”
Now, though, she’s back, campaigning against Republican Congressman Joe Walsh in what will likely prove one of 2012’s highest-profile races. For Democrats, the contest has an epic quality, pitting a galvanic war heroine against a man who symbolizes everything liberals abhor about the Tea Party. Walsh is famous for screaming at constituents for their criticism of big banks. He also preached personal responsibility while being sued by his ex-wife for more than $100,000 in unpaid child support. (They recently settled out of court.)
read more here
May 14, 2012
Michelle Goldberg
An Iraq War vet is making a stand in her run for Congress.
After Tammy Duckworth lost her 2006 run for Congress by 2 percentage points in one of the country’s most expensive House races, she swore she’d never run again. One of the few women to pilot Black Hawk helicopters in combat, Duckworth lost both legs and shattered her right arm after being downed by a rocket-propelled grenade in Iraq in 2004. She later emerged as an important voice against that war. Powerful Illinois politicians like Dick Durbin and Rahm Emanuel recruited her to run for Congress in suburban Chicago while she was still recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, learning to navigate the world on prosthetics.
The race against Republican Peter Roskam was hard. “It was so nasty, and so full of lies,” she says. Duckworth, whose mother is Thai-Chinese, recalls seeing an image of herself, her eyes Photoshopped into slits, “standing on the border handing out money to illegal immigrants.” After the election, she says, “I just thought, I’m done. I will find other ways to serve.”
Now, though, she’s back, campaigning against Republican Congressman Joe Walsh in what will likely prove one of 2012’s highest-profile races. For Democrats, the contest has an epic quality, pitting a galvanic war heroine against a man who symbolizes everything liberals abhor about the Tea Party. Walsh is famous for screaming at constituents for their criticism of big banks. He also preached personal responsibility while being sued by his ex-wife for more than $100,000 in unpaid child support. (They recently settled out of court.)
read more here
Are we doing enough for our veterans?
Are we doing enough for our veterans?
A Q and A with Jim Webb
By: WESLEY P. HESTER
Times-Dispatch
Published: May 14, 2012
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., knows a thing or two about veterans' issues.
A decorated Vietnam Marine combat veteran, Webb served as the first assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs and later as secretary of the Navy.
After being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Webb introduced the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which passed Congress and became law in 2008, providing a landmark increase in college aid to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Webb, who is retiring from the Senate next year, spoke with the Richmond Times-Dispatch last week about the current state of services for veterans.
Q: Are we doing enough to help our veterans? If not, what else do we need to work toward?
A: We — as a Congress and a nation — can always do more, but in terms of what we have been able to accomplish in the post-9/11 era, I think we have come quite a long way. I introduced the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill my first day in office, starting with a simple concept: that we owe those people who have served since 9/11 the same type of quality educational benefits that those who served in World War II received. The president's budget request for FY2013 veterans spending is $140 billion — more than double the amount in constant dollars appropriated in 1980, when the veterans' population was larger by a third.
I have worked on many other veterans-related priorities during my time in the Senate. I believe that our nation has a clear responsibility to provide an appropriate level of compensation and outstanding health care coverage to those who have put themselves in harm's way in the service of our country, and I have worked to ensure this as a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee.
read more here
A Q and A with Jim Webb
By: WESLEY P. HESTER
Times-Dispatch
Published: May 14, 2012
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., knows a thing or two about veterans' issues.
A decorated Vietnam Marine combat veteran, Webb served as the first assistant secretary of defense for reserve affairs and later as secretary of the Navy.
After being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2006, Webb introduced the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill, which passed Congress and became law in 2008, providing a landmark increase in college aid to veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Webb, who is retiring from the Senate next year, spoke with the Richmond Times-Dispatch last week about the current state of services for veterans.
Q: Are we doing enough to help our veterans? If not, what else do we need to work toward?
A: We — as a Congress and a nation — can always do more, but in terms of what we have been able to accomplish in the post-9/11 era, I think we have come quite a long way. I introduced the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill my first day in office, starting with a simple concept: that we owe those people who have served since 9/11 the same type of quality educational benefits that those who served in World War II received. The president's budget request for FY2013 veterans spending is $140 billion — more than double the amount in constant dollars appropriated in 1980, when the veterans' population was larger by a third.
I have worked on many other veterans-related priorities during my time in the Senate. I believe that our nation has a clear responsibility to provide an appropriate level of compensation and outstanding health care coverage to those who have put themselves in harm's way in the service of our country, and I have worked to ensure this as a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee and as chairman of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee.
read more here
Memory gene may fuel PTSD
Memory gene may fuel PTSD
May 14th, 2012
CNN
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
A vivid memory can be an asset if you're studying for an exam or trying to recall the details of a conversation, but that aptitude may backfire when it comes to forming long-term responses to emotional trauma.
In a new study, Swiss researchers have found that a certain gene associated with a good memory - and in particular, the ability to remember emotionally charged images - is also linked to an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
"We are very confident that the gene is associated with the risk for PTSD, at least in the Rwandan population," says lead author Andreas Papassotiropoulos, M.D., a professor of molecular neuroscience at the University of Basel, in Switzerland.
read more here
May 14th, 2012
CNN
Dr. Sanjay Gupta
A vivid memory can be an asset if you're studying for an exam or trying to recall the details of a conversation, but that aptitude may backfire when it comes to forming long-term responses to emotional trauma.
In a new study, Swiss researchers have found that a certain gene associated with a good memory - and in particular, the ability to remember emotionally charged images - is also linked to an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among survivors of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
"We are very confident that the gene is associated with the risk for PTSD, at least in the Rwandan population," says lead author Andreas Papassotiropoulos, M.D., a professor of molecular neuroscience at the University of Basel, in Switzerland.
read more here
"Voters in America: Vets Wanted?" J.R. Martinez documentary
Last night I watched "Voters in America: Vets Wanted?" with J.R. Martinez talking about how hard it is for so many Guards families, especially after combat. The general pubic doesn't want to think about what happens to them when they come home and cannot find work. Most assume they are just taken care of. This documentary shows how hard it is and has been for them.
Documentary Description: Multiple deployments interrupt lives and careers and can lead to health and financial challenges. Narrated by former U.S. Army infantryman and motivational speaker J.R. Martinez, "Voters in America: Vets Wanted?" looks at the unique burdens for families of men and women who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and it follows the reintegration of members of the Georgia National Guard's 877th Engineer Company into civilian life.
Deployed to Afghanistan in December 2010, half of these veterans faced unemployment when they returned to the U.S. The documentary also examines whether the bipartisan Veterans Jobs Bill passed in November 2011 is of any help as our nation's heroes make full transitions back to the lives they left to defend America, and it offers insights into how veterans' unemployment may impact their decisions as they head to the polls this November.
read more here
Soldier on: Ride benefits veterans with PTSD
Soldier on: Ride benefits veterans with PTSD
Posted: May 14, 2012
By Jeff Hansel
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
If you have ''disturbing thoughts and feelings for more than a month, if they're severe, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your health care professional," recommends Mayo Clinic's website.
Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder has become a focus as increasing numbers of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq return from deployment.
To help, planners have set a goal of getting 200,000 people across the United States to participate in a Soldiers Ride for Rehab to support veterans. The ride takes place June 9.
"We're trying to bring awareness and help to all the veterans who are suffering from traumatic syndrome, or PTSD, as it's called," said Dave Soderberg, a civilian participant who has been helping to raise awareness of the ride.
read more here
Posted: May 14, 2012
By Jeff Hansel
The Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
Symptoms of PTSD The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which offers online screening, lists PTSD symptoms such as: • Re-living a bad memory of an event, sometimes triggered by a sight, sound or smell. • Avoidance of potential reminders of bad events and shutting off emotionally to protect from pain and fear. • Hypervigilance or increased arousal that can make a person startle easily, staying on high alert and having a short fuse.
If you have ''disturbing thoughts and feelings for more than a month, if they're severe, or if you feel you're having trouble getting your life back under control, talk to your health care professional," recommends Mayo Clinic's website.
Treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder has become a focus as increasing numbers of veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq return from deployment.
To help, planners have set a goal of getting 200,000 people across the United States to participate in a Soldiers Ride for Rehab to support veterans. The ride takes place June 9.
"We're trying to bring awareness and help to all the veterans who are suffering from traumatic syndrome, or PTSD, as it's called," said Dave Soderberg, a civilian participant who has been helping to raise awareness of the ride.
read more here
Homes For Our Troops builds home for injured Mass. veteran
Volunteers build home for injured Mass. veteran
By Bob Dunn
Daily Hampshire Gazette via The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday May 13, 2012
GRANBY, Mass. — When Marine Sgt. Joshua Bouchard enters his new home for the first time, messages of thanks, support and well-wishes will literally be embedded in the walls.
Bouchard, 29, originally from Amherst, lost a leg and severely injured his spine while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2009. He will receive a new, accessible home suited to his post-war condition through the efforts of volunteers, donations and Homes For Our Troops, an organization in Taunton that provides homes for injured and disabled veterans.
Bouchard is recuperating at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., from injuries he incurred when an improvised explosive device struck the Humvee he was traveling in. The blast killed two other Marines.
Bouchard said he will be at the hospital for the next two months.
A.J. Crane, co-owner of A. Crane Construction, which is donating its services, said that for $5 donations, people were invited to sign pieces of lumber that would become the frame of the 2,650-square-foot house.
“Thank you for your service,” reads one. “Wishing you many years of happiness,” reads another.
read more here
By Bob Dunn
Daily Hampshire Gazette via The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday May 13, 2012
GRANBY, Mass. — When Marine Sgt. Joshua Bouchard enters his new home for the first time, messages of thanks, support and well-wishes will literally be embedded in the walls.
Bouchard, 29, originally from Amherst, lost a leg and severely injured his spine while serving a tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2009. He will receive a new, accessible home suited to his post-war condition through the efforts of volunteers, donations and Homes For Our Troops, an organization in Taunton that provides homes for injured and disabled veterans.
Bouchard is recuperating at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., from injuries he incurred when an improvised explosive device struck the Humvee he was traveling in. The blast killed two other Marines.
Bouchard said he will be at the hospital for the next two months.
A.J. Crane, co-owner of A. Crane Construction, which is donating its services, said that for $5 donations, people were invited to sign pieces of lumber that would become the frame of the 2,650-square-foot house.
“Thank you for your service,” reads one. “Wishing you many years of happiness,” reads another.
read more here
Houston sailor died after falling off balcony in Bahrain
Houston sailor falls off balcony in Bahrain, dies
Sunday, May 13, 2012
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A U.S. Navy sailor from Houston died as a result of a non-combat incident in Bahrain, officials announced Sunday.
According to the Department of Defense, 35-year-old Petty Officer Second Class Jorge Luis Velasquez was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Manama, Bahrain, when he died.
read more here
Sunday, May 13, 2012
HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A U.S. Navy sailor from Houston died as a result of a non-combat incident in Bahrain, officials announced Sunday.
According to the Department of Defense, 35-year-old Petty Officer Second Class Jorge Luis Velasquez was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom in Manama, Bahrain, when he died.
read more here
General sent home from Afghanistan under criminal investigation
Report: Bragg 1-star removed from position
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair was sent home from Afghanistan earlier this month, according to a news report
Staff report
Posted : Saturday May 12, 2012
The deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division was relieved in Afghanistan, the subject of what a spokesman said was a “criminal investigation,” according to a news report.
The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer reported Friday that Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, the 82nd’s deputy commander for support, was sent home from Afghanistan early this month.
Ben Abel, a Fort Bragg, N.C., spokesman, said the move was related to an investigation. “This is a criminal investigation,” Abel told the Fayetteville paper.
read more here
Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair was sent home from Afghanistan earlier this month, according to a news report
Staff report
Posted : Saturday May 12, 2012
The deputy commander of the 82nd Airborne Division was relieved in Afghanistan, the subject of what a spokesman said was a “criminal investigation,” according to a news report.
The Fayetteville (N.C.) Observer reported Friday that Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, the 82nd’s deputy commander for support, was sent home from Afghanistan early this month.
Ben Abel, a Fort Bragg, N.C., spokesman, said the move was related to an investigation. “This is a criminal investigation,” Abel told the Fayetteville paper.
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Iraq War vet wants to return his medals to NATO
Iraq War vet talks about why he wants to return his medals during NATO summit
Ohio guardsman's hitch as gunner in Iraq turned him against war
Dawn Turner Trice
May 14, 2012
Greg Broseus joined the Ohio National Guard in 2002 to help pay for college. He wound up spending all of 2005 in Iraq as a gunner on a convoy whose mission was to search for roadside bombs.
For his service, he received 11 medals. But now he wants to give them all back.
On Sunday, he plans to participate in a unity march for reconciliation and justice at the 25th NATO summit. The march, organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, will culminate in a ceremony in which veterans will get rid of their medals.
Organizers said they wish they could hand over their medals to a NATO representative. Since that's unlikely, contingency plans range from members erecting a memorial site where the medals would be pinned to an American flag to tossing them over a barricade near McCormick Place, where NATO officials will be meeting.
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also on this
Ohio guardsman's hitch as gunner in Iraq turned him against war
Iraq War veteran Greg Broseus, who has a photography exhibit at the National Veterans Art Museum in Chicago, wants to hand over the medals he received for his service to a NATO representative during this weekend’s summit. (Nancy Stone, Tribune photo / May 14, 2012)
Dawn Turner Trice
May 14, 2012
Greg Broseus joined the Ohio National Guard in 2002 to help pay for college. He wound up spending all of 2005 in Iraq as a gunner on a convoy whose mission was to search for roadside bombs.
For his service, he received 11 medals. But now he wants to give them all back.
On Sunday, he plans to participate in a unity march for reconciliation and justice at the 25th NATO summit. The march, organized by Iraq Veterans Against the War, will culminate in a ceremony in which veterans will get rid of their medals.
Organizers said they wish they could hand over their medals to a NATO representative. Since that's unlikely, contingency plans range from members erecting a memorial site where the medals would be pinned to an American flag to tossing them over a barricade near McCormick Place, where NATO officials will be meeting.
read more here
also on this
Colin Powell on the Bush Administration's Iraq War MistakesThe General's Orders
May 13, 2012
Colin Powell reflects on lessons from the battlefield to the halls of power-including the mistakes of the Iraq War, his infamous U.N. speech, and the crimes at Abu Ghraib.
Chaos in Baghdad
On the evening of Aug. 5, 2002, President Bush and I met in his residence at the White House to discuss the pros and cons of the Iraq crisis. Momentum within the administration was building toward military action, and the president was increasingly inclined in that direction.
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Special Operations soldier, shot by a Fayetteville police officer has died
Soldier shot by Fayetteville police dies
By: NBC17 STAFF
MyNC
Published: May 13, 2012
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.
A Special Operations soldier who was shot by a Fayetteville police officer has died.
Fayetteville Police said Sunday that Staff Sgt. Mark Lewis Salazar, 27, died after suffering a gunshot wound May 5.
read more here
By: NBC17 STAFF
MyNC
Published: May 13, 2012
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C.
A Special Operations soldier who was shot by a Fayetteville police officer has died.
Fayetteville Police said Sunday that Staff Sgt. Mark Lewis Salazar, 27, died after suffering a gunshot wound May 5.
read more here
Sunday, May 13, 2012
101st Airborne ups ante on behavioral health
Do they really think that calling it "behavioral" health will be a good thing? Wouldn't that send a message that something like Combat PTSD is more or a behavior problem instead of what it really is?
101st Airborne ups ante on behavioral health
Embedding assets in units to extend past deployments
May. 12, 2012
Written by
Leaf-Chronicle
FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — As the 101st Airborne Division prepares for its next mission, the commanding general is announcing a new initiative to embed behavioral health assets within the brigade combat teams in-between deployments.
The concept is similar to the way soldiers access behavioral health services while deployed.
“Embedding behavioral health professionals within the brigades here at home helps bring support services closer to the soldiers,” said Maj. Gen. James C. McConville, 101st Airborne Division commander, in an announcement of the initiative. “We must continue to reduce stigma and encourage soldiers to seek out behavioral health services.”
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Rescue dog saves combat PTSD veteran's life
Rescue dog saves veteran's life
Starting Point
May 13, 2012
Paws 4 People pairs service dogs with veterans struggling with PTSD.
Starting Point
May 13, 2012
Paws 4 People pairs service dogs with veterans struggling with PTSD.
Vet: Charity is stealing from us
Vet: Charity is stealing from us
J.D. Simpson says the Disabled Veterans National Foundation isn't doing anything for vets.
This is not the Disabled American Veterans but they people confused about who they really are.
The DAV does not dress up in play clothes pretending to be in the military. We don't stand in the road with buckets and hold out flags or try to get you to feel guilty about not donating. I am with the DAV Auxiliary. I was Chaplain of the Orlando Auxiliary from 2009-2012 and will be the Adjutant and Legislative Rep from now on.
People keep telling me they just donated to the DAV on such and such a road but when I tell them the DAV doesn't collect money that way, they are angry they were taken advantage of. I just want to make sure that no one is still confused. This group has nothing to do with the Disabled American Veterans!
J.D. Simpson says the Disabled Veterans National Foundation isn't doing anything for vets.
This is not the Disabled American Veterans but they people confused about who they really are.
Updated ratings for charities mentioned in CharityWatch archived articles can be found in the current Charity Rating Guide and Watchdog Report.
The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) is now CharityWatch.
** Article Update May 2012 **
A CNN investigation inspired by CharityWatch article Millions in Future Donations to Vets Charity Will Pay Debt Owed to Vendors reveals further details showing how such a small portion of donations raised by Disabled Veterans National Foundation (DVNF) goes to assist injured veterans. CharityWatch president, Daniel Borochoff, comments about the waste at this and other veterans charities. This follow-up video features veterans charities that have received useless in-kind donations from DVNF, and the group's president refusing to explain why DVNF provides so little aid to veterans. DVNF's responses to CNN take a "bizarre and nonsensical" twist and J.D. Simpson, who operates a shelter serving homeless veterans, says that DVNF diverts much-needed funds away from groups helping veterans in need.
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The DAV does not dress up in play clothes pretending to be in the military. We don't stand in the road with buckets and hold out flags or try to get you to feel guilty about not donating. I am with the DAV Auxiliary. I was Chaplain of the Orlando Auxiliary from 2009-2012 and will be the Adjutant and Legislative Rep from now on.
People keep telling me they just donated to the DAV on such and such a road but when I tell them the DAV doesn't collect money that way, they are angry they were taken advantage of. I just want to make sure that no one is still confused. This group has nothing to do with the Disabled American Veterans!
Calif. FBI agent missing, possibly armed, suicidal
Calif. FBI agent missing, possibly armed, suicidal
BURBANK, Calif. (AP) – Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials and other law enforcement personnel searched a rugged mountain area Saturday for an FBI agent who had not been seen for more than 24 hours and was said to be despondent and possibly suicidal.
Los Angeles-based Special Agent Stephen Ivens was last seen by family members Thursday evening, KABC-TV reported. He left his Burbank home the next morning on foot and hasn't been seen since, FBI officials said at a news conference.
Ivens was distraught and authorities fear he may have harmed himself, according to KABC-TV. Officials did not say why Ivens was distraught.
A search of his home did not turn up his handgun and police believe he may have taken it with him. About 100 FBI agents, 40 sheriff's department rescuers and a dozen local police officers were participating in the search for Ivens, who was described as an avid hiker and runner.
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BURBANK, Calif. (AP) – Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department officials and other law enforcement personnel searched a rugged mountain area Saturday for an FBI agent who had not been seen for more than 24 hours and was said to be despondent and possibly suicidal.
Los Angeles-based Special Agent Stephen Ivens was last seen by family members Thursday evening, KABC-TV reported. He left his Burbank home the next morning on foot and hasn't been seen since, FBI officials said at a news conference.
Ivens was distraught and authorities fear he may have harmed himself, according to KABC-TV. Officials did not say why Ivens was distraught.
A search of his home did not turn up his handgun and police believe he may have taken it with him. About 100 FBI agents, 40 sheriff's department rescuers and a dozen local police officers were participating in the search for Ivens, who was described as an avid hiker and runner.
read more here
More military troops and veterans seem to favor Obama
More military troops and veterans seem to favor Obama
Published: May 13, 2012
More U.S. troops and veterans are voicing support for President Obama in the upcoming general election, according to Reuters' report on a recent poll. The result might be a byproduct of dissatisfaction with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, concern over threats of a conflict with Iran over failed nuclear negotiations, and talk of Pentagon budget cuts.
read more here
Published: May 13, 2012
More U.S. troops and veterans are voicing support for President Obama in the upcoming general election, according to Reuters' report on a recent poll. The result might be a byproduct of dissatisfaction with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, concern over threats of a conflict with Iran over failed nuclear negotiations, and talk of Pentagon budget cuts.
read more here
Officer says military courts need to lean from civilians on PTSD cases
Officer says military courts should learn from civilian counterparts in PTSD-related cases
ALLEN G. BREED, AP National Writer
May 12, 2012
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Miller knew that deserting his post was a serious crime. But, by then, he had a lot more on his mind and heart than his job.
Back in 2003-2004, while Miller was deployed as a cavalry scout in Afghanistan, his father died, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and he was facing divorce. During his second tour, this time in Iraq, his best friend was killed by a roadside bomb.
A few months before his November 2007 serve-out date, while stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y., Miller learned that he had been "Stop-Loss'd" — meaning he would remain with his unit for a third deployment. He walked away twice, for a total of 19 months.
At his court-martial two years ago, Miller testified that he knew he was likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but purposely avoided treatment "in fear that I would be labeled a 'nut' and no longer be respected by my peers or subordinates."
When it came time for sentencing, the prosecutor, Capt. Christopher Goren, argued that Miller should be made an example.
"If we allow Staff Sgt. Miller to get off easy, what kind of message will that send?" he asked the judge.
"It would tell all those soldiers, lower soldiers, it is OK to go AWOL, which it is not." Goren asked that Miller be sentenced to seven months' confinement, reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted grade and a bad-conduct discharge — which would have cut him off from the medical and mental-health benefits usually available to veterans.
But Col. Michael Hargis, the presiding officer, recommended that all but the demotion be suspended, on the condition that Miller undergo treatment and counseling.
Maj. Gen. James L. Terry, then commander of the 10th Mountain Division, went along with the recommendation. Miller successfully completed his treatment and was granted an honorable discharge.
In the world of military justice, Miller's case is far from the rule. But some voices within that system are calling for change, saying military courts can learn from the recent experience of their civilian counterparts.
Civilian courts across the country have acknowledged the fact that, after a decade of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, some veterans' crimes can be traced back to battle-zone trauma — and that they shouldn't go to jail or prison for them. The same consideration should be given by the military legal system when damaged warriors come before it, say some military law authorities, including Maj. Evan Seamone.
read more here
ALLEN G. BREED, AP National Writer
May 12, 2012
Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Miller knew that deserting his post was a serious crime. But, by then, he had a lot more on his mind and heart than his job.
Back in 2003-2004, while Miller was deployed as a cavalry scout in Afghanistan, his father died, his mother was diagnosed with cancer, and he was facing divorce. During his second tour, this time in Iraq, his best friend was killed by a roadside bomb.
A few months before his November 2007 serve-out date, while stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y., Miller learned that he had been "Stop-Loss'd" — meaning he would remain with his unit for a third deployment. He walked away twice, for a total of 19 months.
At his court-martial two years ago, Miller testified that he knew he was likely suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but purposely avoided treatment "in fear that I would be labeled a 'nut' and no longer be respected by my peers or subordinates."
When it came time for sentencing, the prosecutor, Capt. Christopher Goren, argued that Miller should be made an example.
"If we allow Staff Sgt. Miller to get off easy, what kind of message will that send?" he asked the judge.
"It would tell all those soldiers, lower soldiers, it is OK to go AWOL, which it is not." Goren asked that Miller be sentenced to seven months' confinement, reduction in rank to the lowest enlisted grade and a bad-conduct discharge — which would have cut him off from the medical and mental-health benefits usually available to veterans.
But Col. Michael Hargis, the presiding officer, recommended that all but the demotion be suspended, on the condition that Miller undergo treatment and counseling.
Maj. Gen. James L. Terry, then commander of the 10th Mountain Division, went along with the recommendation. Miller successfully completed his treatment and was granted an honorable discharge.
In the world of military justice, Miller's case is far from the rule. But some voices within that system are calling for change, saying military courts can learn from the recent experience of their civilian counterparts.
Civilian courts across the country have acknowledged the fact that, after a decade of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq, some veterans' crimes can be traced back to battle-zone trauma — and that they shouldn't go to jail or prison for them. The same consideration should be given by the military legal system when damaged warriors come before it, say some military law authorities, including Maj. Evan Seamone.
read more here
Families also pay the price for repeated war tours
Families also pay the price for repeated war tours
TheNewsTribune.com
ADAM ASHTON; STAFF WRITER
Published: 05/13/12
Resilient, tough, experienced, professional. The Army uses words like these to describe U.S. soldiers in the post-9/11 era who have had to adapt to the new normal of repeat combat tours.
The Army’s No. 2 officer, Gen. Lloyd Austin, said on a visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord this spring that the “high up-tempo” of soldiers going on multiple overseas missions was challenging but had left the military with a “highly trained and incredibly resilient force.”
The same words apply to the spouses, children and other loved ones of oft-deployed troops. Thousands of families in the South Sound are now coping with the absence of soldiers who have gone to do dangerous work in Afghanistan for the better part of a year.
Tommie Polizzotti is one such spouse. She will spend Mother’s Day today without her husband around to make pancake breakfast for their four kids.
“It takes a special woman,” said Maj. Dave Polizzotti, a Lewis-McChord officer on his third deployment. “She is a smart, strong, capable wife.”
read more here
TheNewsTribune.com
ADAM ASHTON; STAFF WRITER
Published: 05/13/12
Resilient, tough, experienced, professional. The Army uses words like these to describe U.S. soldiers in the post-9/11 era who have had to adapt to the new normal of repeat combat tours.
The Army’s No. 2 officer, Gen. Lloyd Austin, said on a visit to Joint Base Lewis-McChord this spring that the “high up-tempo” of soldiers going on multiple overseas missions was challenging but had left the military with a “highly trained and incredibly resilient force.”
The same words apply to the spouses, children and other loved ones of oft-deployed troops. Thousands of families in the South Sound are now coping with the absence of soldiers who have gone to do dangerous work in Afghanistan for the better part of a year.
Tommie Polizzotti is one such spouse. She will spend Mother’s Day today without her husband around to make pancake breakfast for their four kids.
“It takes a special woman,” said Maj. Dave Polizzotti, a Lewis-McChord officer on his third deployment. “She is a smart, strong, capable wife.”
read more here
Marine Iraq Veteran died after saving life following plane crash
U.S. Marine dies after rescuing ORU trustee’s daughter from deadly air crash
posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor
The daughter of an Oral Roberts University trustee was pulled from the wreckage of a crashed small aircraft by a former U.S. Marine sergeant severely injured in the crash, who then helped her wave down help along a highway.
Three were killed in the crash, and former U.S. Marines Sgt. Austin Anderson, recently returned from two tours in Iraq, died after being airlifted to a Wichita, Kansas, hospital.
The five had been on their way to an Iowa youth crusade.
Hannah Luce, 22, was critically injured and admitted to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. She is the daughter of ORU trustee Ron Luce, the founder of Teen Mania Ministries, which was conducting this weekend’s “Acquire the Fire” rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
read more here
posted by Rob Kerby, Senior Editor
The daughter of an Oral Roberts University trustee was pulled from the wreckage of a crashed small aircraft by a former U.S. Marine sergeant severely injured in the crash, who then helped her wave down help along a highway.
Three were killed in the crash, and former U.S. Marines Sgt. Austin Anderson, recently returned from two tours in Iraq, died after being airlifted to a Wichita, Kansas, hospital.
The five had been on their way to an Iowa youth crusade.
Hannah Luce, 22, was critically injured and admitted to the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City, Kansas. She is the daughter of ORU trustee Ron Luce, the founder of Teen Mania Ministries, which was conducting this weekend’s “Acquire the Fire” rally in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
read more here
Gold Star Moms helping others Mother's Day and everyday
Gold Star Mothers continue the service of their fallen children
Maryland chapter, revived during decade of war, dedicate themselves to active duty personnel, veterans
By Matthew Hay Brown
The Baltimore Sun
May 12, 2012
BETHESDA — A mother arrives at the Red Cross office at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on a mission for her son, a 23-year-old soldier and double amputee. He needs a back scratcher.
With her bright eyes and wide smile, volunteer Janice Chance gives her that and more — a reassuring rub on the arm and an offer to do anything else she can for the soldier, who is visiting the hospital for tests.
In a sense, Chance is here for her own son, too.
Marine Capt. Jesse Melton III, the oldest of Chance's three children, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2008. Soon after his death, the Owings Mills woman began volunteering with the Red Cross at Walter Reed and in the emergency room at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Chance is one of 50 Maryland mothers who are honoring the memory of their fallen sons and daughters by tending to the needs of those still fighting, the wounded and the veterans.
Together, they have revived the long-dormant state chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers, a service organization made up exclusively of women who have lost children in the military.
Founded after World War I and widely recognized during World War II, the American Gold Star Mothers had been dwindling for decades. Now the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have brought a new generation of women to the organization.
Maryland is one of several states seeing a revival. Nationally, the organization now counts 2,000 women as members.
read more here
Maryland chapter, revived during decade of war, dedicate themselves to active duty personnel, veterans
By Matthew Hay Brown
The Baltimore Sun
May 12, 2012
BETHESDA — A mother arrives at the Red Cross office at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on a mission for her son, a 23-year-old soldier and double amputee. He needs a back scratcher.
With her bright eyes and wide smile, volunteer Janice Chance gives her that and more — a reassuring rub on the arm and an offer to do anything else she can for the soldier, who is visiting the hospital for tests.
In a sense, Chance is here for her own son, too.
Marine Capt. Jesse Melton III, the oldest of Chance's three children, was killed by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in 2008. Soon after his death, the Owings Mills woman began volunteering with the Red Cross at Walter Reed and in the emergency room at the Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Chance is one of 50 Maryland mothers who are honoring the memory of their fallen sons and daughters by tending to the needs of those still fighting, the wounded and the veterans.
Together, they have revived the long-dormant state chapter of the American Gold Star Mothers, a service organization made up exclusively of women who have lost children in the military.
Founded after World War I and widely recognized during World War II, the American Gold Star Mothers had been dwindling for decades. Now the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have brought a new generation of women to the organization.
Maryland is one of several states seeing a revival. Nationally, the organization now counts 2,000 women as members.
read more here
Missing Soldier's Husband Thanks Community at 'Vigil of Hope'
Kelli Bordeaux: Missing Soldier's Husband Thanks Community at 'Vigil of Hope'
By ALYSSA NEWCOMB
May 12, 2012
The husband of missing soldier Kelli Bordeaux thanked the community at a "vigil of hope" held Friday night near the bar where the 23-year-old was last seen.
"I appreciate everything everyone is trying to do to find her," Mike Bordeaux told ABC News affiliate WTVD.
"I just want her home and I want her safe. That's all I want."
The missing soldier, who is from St. Cloud, Fla., has been married to her husband, Mike Bordeaux, who is a civilian, for nearly two years.
He was in Florida at the time of his wife's disappearance visiting his father, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Pfc. Bordeaux, who is a combat medic stationed at Fort Bragg was last seen leaving Froggy Bottoms bar in Fayetteville around 1:20 a.m. on April 14.
read more here
By ALYSSA NEWCOMB
May 12, 2012
The husband of missing soldier Kelli Bordeaux thanked the community at a "vigil of hope" held Friday night near the bar where the 23-year-old was last seen.
"I appreciate everything everyone is trying to do to find her," Mike Bordeaux told ABC News affiliate WTVD.
"I just want her home and I want her safe. That's all I want."
The missing soldier, who is from St. Cloud, Fla., has been married to her husband, Mike Bordeaux, who is a civilian, for nearly two years.
He was in Florida at the time of his wife's disappearance visiting his father, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Pfc. Bordeaux, who is a combat medic stationed at Fort Bragg was last seen leaving Froggy Bottoms bar in Fayetteville around 1:20 a.m. on April 14.
read more here
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