HP prepares to announce mass layoffs
By David Goldman and Michal Lev-Ram @CNNMoneyTech
May 23, 2012
Hewlett-Packard will lay off around 25,000 employees, but that may not help it fix its core problems.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Hewlett-Packard will announce another round of substantial job cuts Wednesday afternoon in an effort to streamline its teetering PC and services businesses, a source familiar with the plans told Fortune.
The layoffs will be "in the ballpark" of 25,000 workers, the source said, which would amount to about 7% of HP's global workforce. The nation's largest technology company by revenue currently employs 349,600 people worldwide, according to its latest regulatory filing.
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Wednesday, May 23, 2012
While some companies hire veterans HP cutting 25,000 workers
The push is on for companies to take the breaks from the government to hire veterans but HP is cutting 25,000 workers.
Frustrated Bay Area veterans descend on 'Fix-it' event
Frustrated Bay Area veterans descend on 'Fix-it' event
By Gary Peterson
Contra Costa Times
Posted:05/22/2012
SAN FRANCISCO -- Chris Munich was part of the military force that invaded Iraq in 2003, which within nine months had toppled Iraq's government.
Munich has been waiting almost two years for the Oakland Veterans Affairs office to consider his request to upgrade the rating on his disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.
"I've been rated 35 percent for PTSD," said Munich, 30, who lives at his parents' home in Oakland while pursuing a career as a chef. "It took them six months to get me paperwork. It just seems like a big circus. It doesn't seem like anybody's held accountable."
read more here
By Gary Peterson
Contra Costa Times
Posted:05/22/2012
SAN FRANCISCO -- Chris Munich was part of the military force that invaded Iraq in 2003, which within nine months had toppled Iraq's government.
Munich has been waiting almost two years for the Oakland Veterans Affairs office to consider his request to upgrade the rating on his disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.
"I've been rated 35 percent for PTSD," said Munich, 30, who lives at his parents' home in Oakland while pursuing a career as a chef. "It took them six months to get me paperwork. It just seems like a big circus. It doesn't seem like anybody's held accountable."
read more here
Stress 'shrank brains of Japan's tsunami survivors'
Stress 'shrank brains of Japan's tsunami survivors'
The emotional stress of Japan's tsunami and earthquake disaster resulted in some survivors suffering a shrinkage of the brain, according to a new study.
By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo
10:41AM BST 23 May 2012
Scientists compared before and after brain scans of healthy adolescents who were affected by last year's March 11 disaster in order to measure the neurological effects of emotional trauma. The findings revealed that those suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had experienced a shrinkage in the part of the brain associated with decision-making and regulation of emotions.
read more here
The emotional stress of Japan's tsunami and earthquake disaster resulted in some survivors suffering a shrinkage of the brain, according to a new study.
By Danielle Demetriou in Tokyo
10:41AM BST 23 May 2012
Scientists compared before and after brain scans of healthy adolescents who were affected by last year's March 11 disaster in order to measure the neurological effects of emotional trauma. The findings revealed that those suffering from symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had experienced a shrinkage in the part of the brain associated with decision-making and regulation of emotions.
read more here
Marine lost legs and arms but skydives!
Injured Marine flies again thanks to special parachute jump
BY DIANA KUYPER
Sun-Times Media
May 22, 2012
Antioch Marine Sgt. John Peck whooped for joy and maybe a bit of relief as he completed a successful tandem parachute jump at Skydive Midwest in Sturtevant, Wis.
Although the skydiving center annually conducts thousands of successful jumps, Peck’s Monday jump was unique: He wore a specially-designed harness to accommodate the loss of his arms and legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
read more here
BY DIANA KUYPER
Sun-Times Media
May 22, 2012
Antioch Marine Sgt. John Peck whooped for joy and maybe a bit of relief as he completed a successful tandem parachute jump at Skydive Midwest in Sturtevant, Wis.
Although the skydiving center annually conducts thousands of successful jumps, Peck’s Monday jump was unique: He wore a specially-designed harness to accommodate the loss of his arms and legs in an IED explosion in Afghanistan.
read more here
AP Correction: The Russians Are Coming story
Wounded Times posted on April 27, 2012 The Russians are coming
Reported on Business Insider
But it took AP until May 17th and had to give a correction?
Correction: The Russians Are Coming story
Reported on Business Insider
Russia Is Sending Troops To The US To Learn American Military Tactics
Eloise Lee
Apr. 25, 2012
Russian paratroopers will meet up with American forces next month for an unprecedented military exercise in Colorado, according to RT News.
It's the first time Russian service members will be invited into the United States for a joint drill.
A Russian airborne task force will "exercise with U.S. special service weapons," an announcement by Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Aleksandr Kucherenko revealed.
But it took AP until May 17th and had to give a correction?
Correction: The Russians Are Coming story
General Pittard, was Marine Clay Hunt selfish too?
UPDATE May 27, 2012
A friend of Clay Hunt has been nominated for CNN HERO and he talks about TEAM RUBICON along with the loss of Clay. I thought it was an important story to point out considering what Pittard said. While Pittard has issued a retraction he came up with "while working out in the gym" five months after he wrote that troops committing suicide were selfish, there were many people thinking the same way.
General Pittard, was Marine Clay Hunt selfish too?
by Chaplain Kathie
When Major General Dana Pittard decided to blame the troops for committing suicide, calling them selfish, it got to me so much that I had to walk away from the computer.
The more I thought about how sickening his statement was, it made me wonder if he felt that way all along and this is not simply about his sudden frustration.
Was Clay Hunt selfish?
Was Jacob Manning selfish too?
Was Jonathan Bartlett selfish?
That is something General Pittard didn't think about. 18 veterans a day commit suicide along with one active duty serviceman/woman every 36 hours. There are 529 posts on this blog alone connected to military suicides. There are many more stories of them doing their duty, their jobs, risking their lives until everyone they were with were out of danger before they let their own pain "get to them" because they were thinking of others. How many committed suicide because they were not taken care of in return for what they were willing to sacrifice? How many tried to commit suicide for the same reason? Did Pittard ever think about them?
What good does it do to be "devoted" to suicide prevention when he has this kind of attitude?
A friend of Clay Hunt has been nominated for CNN HERO and he talks about TEAM RUBICON along with the loss of Clay. I thought it was an important story to point out considering what Pittard said. While Pittard has issued a retraction he came up with "while working out in the gym" five months after he wrote that troops committing suicide were selfish, there were many people thinking the same way.
In the worst calamities, these veterans rush to the rescue
By Kathleen Toner
CNN
March 29, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Jake Wood started Team Rubicon to help those in need after natural disasters
Most of the group's 1,400 volunteers are military veterans who still want to serve
The nonprofit also gives veterans a chance to connect and feel part of a team
Los Angeles (CNN) -- When Haiti suffered a massive earthquake two years ago, many people responded by donating money.
Jake Wood responded with a Facebook post.
"I'm going to Haiti. Who's in?" wrote the former U.S. Marine.
The images Wood was seeing on the news reminded him of his tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He realized that the skills he had acquired in the service, including the ability to adapt to difficult conditions, work with limited resources and maintain security in a dangerous environment, were sorely needed.
"Those are just lessons that you work at every single day in Falluja," said Wood, 28. "To a veteran, it's second nature."
Wood wanted to help, and he persuaded his college roommate, a firefighter, to join him. Within minutes of seeing Wood's Facebook post, another friend and former Marine, William McNulty, signed on. Interest quickly snowballed, and soon donations poured into Wood's PayPal account. Three days later, he and seven others were in the Dominican Republic, heading into neighboring Haiti with medicine and equipment.
Wood realized the importance of this after a personal loss in April 2011. His best friend, Clay Hunt -- a fellow veteran and Team Rubicon volunteer -- committed suicide. Hunt had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt. It was a shock to Wood, as Hunt seemed to be adjusting well. He was literally a poster boy for returning veterans, appearing in a public-service announcement for a veterans advocacy group.
"It was tremendously difficult to feel like I had let him down, knowing that we had survived two wars together but that when things were easy and it had come to peace, that I wasn't there enough for him," Wood said. "That has been a very tough battle for me, dealing with that."
Brothers in arms refocusing efforts
Hunt's death made Wood realize how critically important the connections are that Team Rubicon enables veterans to build with each other. It also made the group refocus its own mission: Instead of being a disaster relief organization that uses veterans, Team Rubicon is now a veterans support organization that uses disasters as opportunities for continued service.
"We're giving them a reason to come together ... and that community lasts long after the mission," Wood said. "Right now, Team Rubicon is focused on how we can ... get them involved in as many ways as possible."
read more here
General Pittard, was Marine Clay Hunt selfish too?
by Chaplain Kathie
When Major General Dana Pittard decided to blame the troops for committing suicide, calling them selfish, it got to me so much that I had to walk away from the computer.
The more I thought about how sickening his statement was, it made me wonder if he felt that way all along and this is not simply about his sudden frustration.
Was Clay Hunt selfish?
Marine Clay Hunt's suicide causes group to take action
Group Aims To Help Young Vets With Civilian Life
Rick Collins Says 'Unseen Wounds' Aims To Guide Young Vet Away From Alcohol, Drugs, Isolation, Suicide
March 27, 2012
SAN DIEGO -- A local group is planning to give struggling young veterans entering civilian life some free help.
After fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, Clay Hunt – who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder – left the Marines and became an advocate for veterans. A year ago – at the age of 28 – the Texas veteran committed suicide.
Rick Collins called him a friend.
"His death is an example of person who gave his life for service to his country," said Collins.
"When he left the service, the support wasn't there for him."
Hunt's death was one motivating factor in Collins' bid to heal the "unseen wounds."
Collins, who served with the British Royal Marines, is starting a free local program called "Unseen Wounds" to guide struggling young veterans away from the path of alcohol, drugs, isolation and suicide.
Was Jacob Manning selfish too?
A suicidal veteran and a call for help, unanswered
By LEO SHANE III
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 24, 2012
WASHINGTON
Jacob Manning waited until his wife and teenage son had left the house, then walked into his garage to kill himself.
The former soldier had been distraught for weeks, frustrated by family problems, unemployment and his lingering service injuries. He was long ago diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, caused by a military training accident, and post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from the aftermath. He had battled depression before, but never an episode this bad.
He tossed one end of an extension cord over the rafters above and then fashioned a noose.
The cord snapped. It couldn’t handle his weight.
He called Christina Roof, a friend and national veterans policy adviser who helped him years before, and rambled about trying again with a bigger cord or a gun. She urged him to calm down. She sent a message to Manning’s wife, Charity, telling her to rush home. The two of them tried for more than a day to persuade him to get professional help.
He eventually agreed to call the veterans hospital in Columbia, Mo., near his home.
When a staffer at the mental health clinic answered the phone, Manning explained what he had done, and asked if he could be taken into care.
The staffer asked if Manning was still suicidal. He wavered, saying he wasn’t trying to kill himself right then. The hospital employee told him the office was closing in an hour, and asked if Manning could wait until the next day to deal with the problem.
Was Jonathan Bartlett selfish?
Wounded Iraq vet commits suicide
Local wounded Iraq vet commits suicide
by Mike Gooding
WVEC.com
Posted on April 20, 2012
NORFOLK -- A local former Army soldier whose grit and determination were an inspiration to many people in Hampton Roads has died at his own hand.
Jonathan Bartlett was just 19 when he lost both of his legs following an improvised explosive device attack in Iraq, back in 2004.
Bartlett never wanted anybody to feel sorry for him.
"Being shot at sucks, but I mean, it was a job I chose to do," he had said. "If the enemy had waited until my cabin was over the bomb instead of the engine, everyone would have died. Instead, no one died. I lost a few pounds. I'll be fine."
That is something General Pittard didn't think about. 18 veterans a day commit suicide along with one active duty serviceman/woman every 36 hours. There are 529 posts on this blog alone connected to military suicides. There are many more stories of them doing their duty, their jobs, risking their lives until everyone they were with were out of danger before they let their own pain "get to them" because they were thinking of others. How many committed suicide because they were not taken care of in return for what they were willing to sacrifice? How many tried to commit suicide for the same reason? Did Pittard ever think about them?
What good does it do to be "devoted" to suicide prevention when he has this kind of attitude?
Pittard, for his part, is far more devoted to suicide prevention than his comments might suggest. Fort Bliss -- which houses roughly 40,000 troops, 40,000 military family members, and 13,000 other civilians in Texas and New Mexico -- has an unusually large staff of 160 psychologists, psychiatrists, and other mental-health professionals.
At Pittard’s direction, the base has also constructed a “Wellness Fusion Campus” designed to provide education on resilience, suicide prevention, and spotting signs of depression or other mood disorders in one’s self or fellow troops.
Major General Dana Pittard blames soldiers for suicides?
Fort Bliss Major General Dana Pittard called soldiers who committed suicide "selfish" but did not seem to be thinking about the vast majority of them that did think of their comrades first. That's right! They finished their tour of duty with honor and courage beyond their own comfort because they were thinking of others! It was not until most were back in the US they ended their own lives. How is that selfish? Is it selfish to experience that level of emotional pain, flashbacks, nightmares and everything else that comes with PTSD, end up not getting what they need to heal after sacrificing their lives?
Did General Pittard ever once consider that? Or the fact these men and women put others first the day they signed up to serve in the Army? He may be frustrated they are still committing suicide in rising numbers and attempted suicides have gone up as well, but he needs to look at what they are DOING WRONG and stop blaming the soldiers!
The rates have gone up because they did not get what they needed to heal including enough dwell time without being sent back too soon and sent back on medication for PTSD caused by where they were already sent!
Did General Pittard ever once consider that? Or the fact these men and women put others first the day they signed up to serve in the Army? He may be frustrated they are still committing suicide in rising numbers and attempted suicides have gone up as well, but he needs to look at what they are DOING WRONG and stop blaming the soldiers!
The rates have gone up because they did not get what they needed to heal including enough dwell time without being sent back too soon and sent back on medication for PTSD caused by where they were already sent!
General's blog post reignites Army suicide debate
By Yochi J. Dreazen National Journal
Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard Muhannad Fala'ah/AP file photo
Maj. Gen. Dana Pittard commands Fort Bliss, one the nation’s largest Army bases, so his blunt comments about suicide has raised eyebrows throughout the military.
"The remarks may reflect Pittard’s own frustration and emotional exhaustion after a grim few months at Fort Bliss. A total of 14 soldiers from the post were killed in traffic accidents and training mishaps between October and December of last year, along with several suicides. Pittard himself had just come from a memorial service for a soldier who killed himself in front of his twin 6-year-old daughters."
“I have now come to the conclusion that suicide is an absolutely selfish act,” he wrote on his official blog recently. “I am personally fed up with soldiers who are choosing to take their own lives so that others can clean up their mess. Be an adult, act like an adult, and deal with your real-life problems like the rest of us.”
The posting was subsequently scrubbed from the Fort Bliss website, but the comments are adding new fuel to a contentious debate about whether the record numbers of troops who are taking their own lives are acting out of weakness and selfishness or because of legitimate cases of depression and other psychological traumas.
Pittard is expected to formally retract his comments later this week, but suicide-prevention experts believe that Pittard’s blog posting has already conveyed precisely the wrong message to emotionally-fragile troops.
“Soldiers who are thinking about suicide can’t do what the general says: They can’t suck it up, they can’t let it go, they can’t just move on,” said Barbara Van Dahlen, the founder of Give an Hour, an organization that matches troops with civilian mental-health providers. “They’re not acting out of selfishness; they’re acting because they believe they’ve become a burden to their loved ones and can only relieve that burden by taking their own lives.”
read more here
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Gloucester Mayor adds Vietnam Memorial back into Memorial Day Parade?
Update: Mayor adds Vietnam ceremony to end of parade
By Richard Gaines
Staff Writer
May 22, 2012
The Vietnam Memorial was restored today to its traditional place at the end of the city's official Memorial Day ceremonies.
Mayor Carolyn Kirk today expanded the official Memorial Day Parade to once again include the Vietnam Memorial outside Gloucester High School, which sent 11 of its own to be lost in the lost war that the U.S. entered 50 years ago.
The decision to extend the parade to the memorial reverses a decision to exclude the Vietnam Memorial ceremony from the official agenda.
The initial change had been outlined Friday and over the weekend to perplexed and widespread opposition.
Many in the community said they could not understand the decision to essentially eliminate the Vietnam War ceremony from the official agenda for the Memorial Day, especially in a year that marks the nation's decision 50 years ago to become in a war that the nation would ultimately lose, bringing bitterness and lingering pain, especially among the veterans who served.
Kirk had said that the decision was based on a desire to produce a single unified memorial ceremony at the World War II Memorial off Stacy Boulevard. In a letter to Mark Nestor, the organizer of the Vietnam War Memorial ceremony, Kirk apologized "for not overcoming the logistical challenge of incorporating the Vietnam Memorial into the parade salute for this year. I should have caught this sooner, and we plan to do everything we can to properly honor the fallen sons of Gloucester."
Nestor, a local attorney and a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, said this morning, "I congratulate the mayor."
read more here
By Richard Gaines
Staff Writer
May 22, 2012
The Vietnam Memorial was restored today to its traditional place at the end of the city's official Memorial Day ceremonies.
Mayor Carolyn Kirk today expanded the official Memorial Day Parade to once again include the Vietnam Memorial outside Gloucester High School, which sent 11 of its own to be lost in the lost war that the U.S. entered 50 years ago.
The decision to extend the parade to the memorial reverses a decision to exclude the Vietnam Memorial ceremony from the official agenda.
The initial change had been outlined Friday and over the weekend to perplexed and widespread opposition.
Many in the community said they could not understand the decision to essentially eliminate the Vietnam War ceremony from the official agenda for the Memorial Day, especially in a year that marks the nation's decision 50 years ago to become in a war that the nation would ultimately lose, bringing bitterness and lingering pain, especially among the veterans who served.
Kirk had said that the decision was based on a desire to produce a single unified memorial ceremony at the World War II Memorial off Stacy Boulevard. In a letter to Mark Nestor, the organizer of the Vietnam War Memorial ceremony, Kirk apologized "for not overcoming the logistical challenge of incorporating the Vietnam Memorial into the parade salute for this year. I should have caught this sooner, and we plan to do everything we can to properly honor the fallen sons of Gloucester."
Nestor, a local attorney and a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, said this morning, "I congratulate the mayor."
read more here
1,600 museums offer troops free tickets
1,600 museums offer troops free tickets
By Brett Zongker
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 22, 2012
WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 museums across the country will offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families this summer in a program that has more than doubled in size since 2010.
The expanded Blue Star Museums initiative will be announced Tuesday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City where more than 40 museums are participating. The offer of free admission runs from Memorial Day until Labor Day at sites nationwide.
RELATED READING
National parks entrance fees waived for troops (May 15)
The program began in 2010 as a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Defense Department. It's adding 300 new museums this year.
read more here
By Brett Zongker
The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday May 22, 2012
WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 museums across the country will offer free admission to active-duty military personnel and their families this summer in a program that has more than doubled in size since 2010.
The expanded Blue Star Museums initiative will be announced Tuesday at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City where more than 40 museums are participating. The offer of free admission runs from Memorial Day until Labor Day at sites nationwide.
RELATED READING
National parks entrance fees waived for troops (May 15)
The program began in 2010 as a partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families and the Defense Department. It's adding 300 new museums this year.
read more here
Man Arrested After Throwing Bullets Into Barbecue Has PTSD
Man Arrested After Throwing Bullets Into Barbecue
Luis Macias, 25, Taken To Hospital After Standoff With Sheriff Deputies
POSTED:May 22, 2012
LEMON GROVE, Calif. -- A Spring Valley man with post-traumatic stress disorder was taken into custody at his home early Tuesday following a standoff of about two hours with sheriff's deputies during which he threw bullets and other items into a lit barbecue grill in his backyard, authorities said.
Deputies were called to the residence in the 3000 block of Central Avenue at 11:12 p.m. Monday, according to San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Luis Chavez.
The man's wife called from a neighbor's house, saying her husband suffers from PTSD and was throwing items into a swimming pool, Chavez said in a statement.
read more here
Luis Macias, 25, Taken To Hospital After Standoff With Sheriff Deputies
POSTED:May 22, 2012
LEMON GROVE, Calif. -- A Spring Valley man with post-traumatic stress disorder was taken into custody at his home early Tuesday following a standoff of about two hours with sheriff's deputies during which he threw bullets and other items into a lit barbecue grill in his backyard, authorities said.
Deputies were called to the residence in the 3000 block of Central Avenue at 11:12 p.m. Monday, according to San Diego County sheriff's Sgt. Luis Chavez.
The man's wife called from a neighbor's house, saying her husband suffers from PTSD and was throwing items into a swimming pool, Chavez said in a statement.
read more here
Troop Mental Ills: Psychiatric or Organic?
Troop Mental Ills: Psychiatric or Organic?
By ELSPETH CAMERON RITCHIE
May 22, 2012
There’s a continuing tension over whether mental disorders are “organic” or “psychological”. The first is easier to define — a brain injury caused by an insult, such as a bullet wound, blow to the head or bomb blast. “Psychological” is usually chalked up to bad parenting.
Two new debates raise this issue again. One is whether “post-traumatic stress disorder” should be called “post-traumatic brain injury”. The other is the emerging findings on “CTE” — chronic traumatic encephalopathy — which shows long-acting brain changes after concussions.
read more here
By ELSPETH CAMERON RITCHIE
May 22, 2012
There’s a continuing tension over whether mental disorders are “organic” or “psychological”. The first is easier to define — a brain injury caused by an insult, such as a bullet wound, blow to the head or bomb blast. “Psychological” is usually chalked up to bad parenting.
Two new debates raise this issue again. One is whether “post-traumatic stress disorder” should be called “post-traumatic brain injury”. The other is the emerging findings on “CTE” — chronic traumatic encephalopathy — which shows long-acting brain changes after concussions.
The term “shell shock” was later re-named “not yet diagnosed, nervous”, “battle fatigue”, “PTSD” and “combat stress reaction”. Now the term “post-traumatic stress injury” is being considered.
Dr. Remington Nevin has proposed that some of these reactions are actually the result of neurotoxic injuries from certain anti-malarial medications given to soldiers over the years, most recently mefloquine, or Lariam®.
read more here
Wounded Marine's inspiring recovery
Wounded Marine's inspiring recovery
Posted: May 21, 2012
TAMPA
(FOX 13)
You'd be hard pressed to find a more optimistic man than Mike Jernigan. The wounded war veteran has endured so much in a short period of time. He was severely injured in Iraq when an IED (improvised explosive device) blew-up the vehicle he was riding in.
The injured Marine endured dozens of surgeries, almost dying several times on the operating room table, but was able to recover. His skull was crushed, he lost sight in both eyes, sustained severe burns, and injured his knees.
read more here
Posted: May 21, 2012
TAMPA
(FOX 13)
You'd be hard pressed to find a more optimistic man than Mike Jernigan. The wounded war veteran has endured so much in a short period of time. He was severely injured in Iraq when an IED (improvised explosive device) blew-up the vehicle he was riding in.
The injured Marine endured dozens of surgeries, almost dying several times on the operating room table, but was able to recover. His skull was crushed, he lost sight in both eyes, sustained severe burns, and injured his knees.
read more here
Mental Health Worker Fatally Stabbed While Delivering Medication
Mental Health Worker Fatally Stabbed While Delivering Medication
ABC News
(ST. HELENS, Ore.) The stabbing death of a mental health worker has put the spotlight on the safety of home visits.
Jennifer Warren, 38, was killed Sunday while delivering medication to a patient in St. Helens, Ore., ABC affiliate KATU reported. Warren worked for Columbia Community Mental Health, which provides in-home counseling and medication management for people with mental illness.
"She was a real good worker," Columbia Community Mental Health's director Roland Migchielsen told KATU.
"We had her for 10 years, and this is a devastating loss."
The suspect, 30-year-old Brent Redd, was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries, KATU reported. Police would not say whether Redd's injuries were self-inflicted or the result of a struggle with Warren, but did say he called 911 to report what he'd done.
In 2007, Redd was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted murder of his mother. He was sentenced to 20 years under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board, a sentence he started serving in Oregon State Hospital. But in 2010, the board granted Redd conditional release into community care.
"Public safety is the first concern of the Psychiatric Security Review Board," Mary Claire Buckley, executive director of the board, said in a statement Sunday. "Today's tragic incident is the first time in 34 years when any client under the board's jurisdiction has been alleged to have committed a violent act of this nature."
Because of patient confidentiality laws, the nature of Redd's mental illness is not known. His family told KATU he had been taking antipsychotic and antidepressant medications, but that the doses had been scaled back for an upcoming surgery.
read more here
Oregon man accused of slaying mental health caseworker suffers neck wound, remains in ICU
Suspect's family blames system for death of mental health care worker
ABC News
(ST. HELENS, Ore.) The stabbing death of a mental health worker has put the spotlight on the safety of home visits.
Jennifer Warren, 38, was killed Sunday while delivering medication to a patient in St. Helens, Ore., ABC affiliate KATU reported. Warren worked for Columbia Community Mental Health, which provides in-home counseling and medication management for people with mental illness.
"She was a real good worker," Columbia Community Mental Health's director Roland Migchielsen told KATU.
"We had her for 10 years, and this is a devastating loss."
The suspect, 30-year-old Brent Redd, was taken to a hospital and treated for injuries, KATU reported. Police would not say whether Redd's injuries were self-inflicted or the result of a struggle with Warren, but did say he called 911 to report what he'd done.
In 2007, Redd was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the attempted murder of his mother. He was sentenced to 20 years under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board, a sentence he started serving in Oregon State Hospital. But in 2010, the board granted Redd conditional release into community care.
"Public safety is the first concern of the Psychiatric Security Review Board," Mary Claire Buckley, executive director of the board, said in a statement Sunday. "Today's tragic incident is the first time in 34 years when any client under the board's jurisdiction has been alleged to have committed a violent act of this nature."
Because of patient confidentiality laws, the nature of Redd's mental illness is not known. His family told KATU he had been taking antipsychotic and antidepressant medications, but that the doses had been scaled back for an upcoming surgery.
read more here
Oregon man accused of slaying mental health caseworker suffers neck wound, remains in ICU
Suspect's family blames system for death of mental health care worker
Joaquin Phoenix Plays WWII veteran with PTSD in "The Master"
Joaquin Phoenix Makes a 'Crazy' Comeback in 'The Master'
(VIDEO)
Posted by Linda Sharps
May 21, 2012
(VIDEO)
Posted by Linda Sharps
May 21, 2012
While The Master has been described as a thinly-veiled attack on Scientology (it centers on the leader/creator of a faith-based organization, with Philip Seymour Hoffman playing the leader), you can't really tell that from the teaser. It's focused entirely on Joaquin Phoenix, who plays a psychologically-scarred WW II vet who Hoffman eventually taps to be his right-hand man.read more here
Coming Home: Canandaigua VA Expanding to Stop Suicides
Coming Home: Canandaigua VA Expanding to Stop Suicides
By: Kevin Doran
Updated: May 21, 2012
America we have a crisis on our hands. Thousands of men and women who have served our country are killing themselves each year. These aren't just people coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Older veterans are committing suicide at an alarming rate. And an army of local responders is leading the nation's fight to save their lives and get them help.
When a United States Veteran anywhere in the world calls the VA's Crisis Line it rings here in Canandaigua. A highly trained Responder like Peter Grant is ready to help. "We listen intently in terms of what that veteran is communicating to us. Not only in their words but in their tone. um They may be crying, they may be in a crisis situation."
Peter served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. "Every day it's an honor to serve our veterans. And I keep that in mind when they call."
Doctor Caitlin Thompson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester and Coordinator of the VA's Veterans Crisis Line. There's no other place like this in the country. It's the heart of the government's response to an alarming number of Veteran's killing themselves.
read more here
By: Kevin Doran
Updated: May 21, 2012
America we have a crisis on our hands. Thousands of men and women who have served our country are killing themselves each year. These aren't just people coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. Older veterans are committing suicide at an alarming rate. And an army of local responders is leading the nation's fight to save their lives and get them help.
When a United States Veteran anywhere in the world calls the VA's Crisis Line it rings here in Canandaigua. A highly trained Responder like Peter Grant is ready to help. "We listen intently in terms of what that veteran is communicating to us. Not only in their words but in their tone. um They may be crying, they may be in a crisis situation."
Peter served in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. "Every day it's an honor to serve our veterans. And I keep that in mind when they call."
Doctor Caitlin Thompson is an Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester and Coordinator of the VA's Veterans Crisis Line. There's no other place like this in the country. It's the heart of the government's response to an alarming number of Veteran's killing themselves.
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Iraq War veteran, Fitchburg native filmed at Devens powwow
Iraq War veteran, Fitchburg native filmed at Devens powwow
By Mary E. Arata
Posted:05/21/2012
DEVENS - "Oh Lord, Creator of Mother Earth and the Universe, I have opened my eyes to another day," said Johnny "Paleface" Sarmiento of Granby, age 95 who served in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Sarmiento's prayer opened the 2-day, inter-tribal powwow on Devens last weekend.
"Please help me by taking away all that is negative," said Sarmiento. "Take away my impatience, intolerance, resentment, denials, anxiety and any other things that are negative within me."
Such spiritual cleansing has become a life journey for Tim Durrin of Great Barrington. Durrin is a Fitchburg native who also has many relatives in Lunenburg. Durrin and his family participated in the gathering to honor his ancestor's Micmac tribal roots.
A 2003 graduate of Montachusett Technical High School, Durrin enlisted in the Army and served in the 101st Airborne Division, 372nd Transportation Company. From 2004 to 2005, Durrin served in Iraq.
Among other atrocities, Durrin lost two fellow soldiers to suicide, and a third unit member who was killed by a roadside bomb. "Every day we were being attacked," said Durrin.
"Don't make me cry," said Durrin's aunt, Chere "Morningsun" Piermarini of Fitchburg. "He's been through a lot in his young life. But we all dream and live."
Durrin returned stateside and began self-medicating to try, in vain, of dealing with his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Following a stint in rehabilitation, Durrin turned both to meditation and back to his Native American roots.
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By Mary E. Arata
Posted:05/21/2012
Iraqi War veteran Tim Durrin of Great Barrington, center, shakes a tail feather at the inter-tribal powwow on Devens over the weekend. (Nashoba Publishing/Mary Arata)
DEVENS - "Oh Lord, Creator of Mother Earth and the Universe, I have opened my eyes to another day," said Johnny "Paleface" Sarmiento of Granby, age 95 who served in World War II, the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Sarmiento's prayer opened the 2-day, inter-tribal powwow on Devens last weekend.
"Please help me by taking away all that is negative," said Sarmiento. "Take away my impatience, intolerance, resentment, denials, anxiety and any other things that are negative within me."
Such spiritual cleansing has become a life journey for Tim Durrin of Great Barrington. Durrin is a Fitchburg native who also has many relatives in Lunenburg. Durrin and his family participated in the gathering to honor his ancestor's Micmac tribal roots.
A 2003 graduate of Montachusett Technical High School, Durrin enlisted in the Army and served in the 101st Airborne Division, 372nd Transportation Company. From 2004 to 2005, Durrin served in Iraq.
Among other atrocities, Durrin lost two fellow soldiers to suicide, and a third unit member who was killed by a roadside bomb. "Every day we were being attacked," said Durrin.
"Don't make me cry," said Durrin's aunt, Chere "Morningsun" Piermarini of Fitchburg. "He's been through a lot in his young life. But we all dream and live."
Durrin returned stateside and began self-medicating to try, in vain, of dealing with his post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Following a stint in rehabilitation, Durrin turned both to meditation and back to his Native American roots.
read more here
Life after the battlefield not easy for Iraq veteran Wright
Life after the battlefield not easy for veteran Wright
By GREG WELTER
Staff Writer
Posted:05/21/2012
CHICO — As Nick Wright was pulled through the twists and turns of losing his mother at 15, a failed marriage, war, a severe brain injury and the ravages of post-traumatic stress disorder, he never lost touch with his sense of honor.
Wright joined the Marines at 18, and went on to volunteer for three frontline tours in Iraq.
With three children by his first wife while still in the service, Wright has had two more since getting remarried nearly three years ago. He is a devoted father and has made his family the center of his universe.
Struggling to regain his footing, Wright's moral compass keeps him looking inward for the answers to his emotional problems from PTSD. "I blame no one but myself for what has happened," he says.
Now the decorated combat soldier from Chico is adding his voice to "American Homecomings." The experience is likely to expose the scars he desperately wants to keep from the outside world, but it's one he's willing to endure if it helps other veterans.
Wright, 29, left the battlefield five years ago with a traumatic brain injury and plenty of emotional baggage. Several months later he was back home.
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By GREG WELTER
Staff Writer
Posted:05/21/2012
CHICO — As Nick Wright was pulled through the twists and turns of losing his mother at 15, a failed marriage, war, a severe brain injury and the ravages of post-traumatic stress disorder, he never lost touch with his sense of honor.
Wright joined the Marines at 18, and went on to volunteer for three frontline tours in Iraq.
With three children by his first wife while still in the service, Wright has had two more since getting remarried nearly three years ago. He is a devoted father and has made his family the center of his universe.
Struggling to regain his footing, Wright's moral compass keeps him looking inward for the answers to his emotional problems from PTSD. "I blame no one but myself for what has happened," he says.
Now the decorated combat soldier from Chico is adding his voice to "American Homecomings." The experience is likely to expose the scars he desperately wants to keep from the outside world, but it's one he's willing to endure if it helps other veterans.
Wright, 29, left the battlefield five years ago with a traumatic brain injury and plenty of emotional baggage. Several months later he was back home.
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Jury convicts man for WWII veteran's death on Veterans Day
Man guilty in mugging death of WW II veteran
Jury convicts John McKinney, of Huntington Beach, of second-degree murder in the 2003 Veteran's Day attack that killed Cecil “Lucky” Warren.
By VIK JOLLY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SANTA ANA – An Orange County jury Monday found a 30-year-old man guilty of killing a 77-year-old Army veteran who was mugged and later slipped into a coma.
The jury of 11 women and one man deliberated about two days before finding John Kirk McKinney of Huntington Beach guilty of second-degree murder. He now faces a 15 years to life in state prison at his June 15 sentencing by Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals.
Prosecutors had charged McKinney with one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of a robbery in the 2003 Veteran's Day attack that killed Cecil "Lucky" Warren.
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Jury convicts John McKinney, of Huntington Beach, of second-degree murder in the 2003 Veteran's Day attack that killed Cecil “Lucky” Warren.
By VIK JOLLY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
SANTA ANA – An Orange County jury Monday found a 30-year-old man guilty of killing a 77-year-old Army veteran who was mugged and later slipped into a coma.
The jury of 11 women and one man deliberated about two days before finding John Kirk McKinney of Huntington Beach guilty of second-degree murder. He now faces a 15 years to life in state prison at his June 15 sentencing by Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals.
Prosecutors had charged McKinney with one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of a robbery in the 2003 Veteran's Day attack that killed Cecil "Lucky" Warren.
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Iraq veteran Ocampo faces death penalty for "thrill" killings
Death penalty sought for Iraq war vet in California killings
Dan Whitcomb
Reuters
May 21, 2012
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California prosecutors will seek the death penalty against an Iraq war veteran charged with six murders, including the serial "thrill" killings of four homeless men in Orange County, a top prosecutor said on Monday.
Itzcoatl Ocampo, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine, is scheduled to stand trial in September on six counts of first degree murder with special circumstances, including the brutal stabbing deaths of four transients beginning in late December.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said he chose to seek the death penalty against Ocampo after consulting a special committee in his office that considers "the nature of the crime, the vulnerability of the victim, the defendant's criminal record and other factors."
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Dan Whitcomb
Reuters
May 21, 2012
Former U.S. Marine Itzcoatl Ocampo, 23, an Iraq war veteran, has his arraignment postponed on charges of first degree murder in Santa Ana
(POOL New Reuters, REUTERS February 6, 2012)
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California prosecutors will seek the death penalty against an Iraq war veteran charged with six murders, including the serial "thrill" killings of four homeless men in Orange County, a top prosecutor said on Monday.
Itzcoatl Ocampo, a 24-year-old former U.S. Marine, is scheduled to stand trial in September on six counts of first degree murder with special circumstances, including the brutal stabbing deaths of four transients beginning in late December.
Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas said he chose to seek the death penalty against Ocampo after consulting a special committee in his office that considers "the nature of the crime, the vulnerability of the victim, the defendant's criminal record and other factors."
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Soldiers and civilians join Red Sox Foundation for PTSD and TBI
SOLDIERS, CIVILIANS ‘RUN HOME’ TO SUPPORT PTSD, TBI TREATMENT
STORY BY KELLY SOUZA
U.S. ARMY
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
BOSTON (May 21, 2012) — It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the kind of day where the sun is saying so long to spring and heating up for summer. Fans eagerly crowded into Fenway Park adorned with team shirts and carrying supportive signs.
But, fans were not there to cheer on the Red Sox that morning.
Instead, they were supporting runners and walkers as they crossed Fenway Park’s famous home plate. About a dozen active duty Soldiers and civilians from Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., joined the nearly 2,000 runners and walkers who participated in the Red Sox Run-Walk to Home Base, May 20, 2012.
The Run-Walk to Home Base is a unique 9k fundraising run and three-mile walk which helps raise money for the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program. Participants begin at Fenway, wind through a scenic route of Boston and then end back at the Park with a timed finish in front of the Green Monster and a photo opportunity crossing home plate.
Dr. Naomi Simon is a psychiatrist and the chief medical officer for the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program. She said that the program is a joint collaboration between these two organizations that provides clinical care and support services to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and families affected by combat- or deployment-related stress and traumatic brain injury, regardless of their financial situations. This makes the dollars raised from the Run-Walk to Home Base vital.
“The Run-Walk to Home Base has been a major philanthropic sustaining force for the Home Base Program,” Simon said. “Almost all of our services are paid for through philanthropic efforts like the Run to Home Base. This program is critical in giving families a place to seek care, regardless of their ability to pay for it.”
The Home Base program also provides community education and research to improve the understanding and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury — the so called “invisible wounds of war.”
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STORY BY KELLY SOUZA
U.S. ARMY
RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE
Soldiers and civilians from Natick Soldier Systems Center stand together at Fenway Park before the Run-Walk to Home Base, May 20, 2012. About a dozen active duty Soldiers and civilians from NSSC in Natick Mass., joined the nearly 2,000 runners and walkers who participated in the Red Sox Run-Walk to Home Base. The Run-Walk to Home Base is a unique 9k run and three-mile walk which helps raise awareness and support for PTSD and TBI.
(Photo by David Kamm, NSRDEC)
BOSTON (May 21, 2012) — It was a beautiful Sunday morning, the kind of day where the sun is saying so long to spring and heating up for summer. Fans eagerly crowded into Fenway Park adorned with team shirts and carrying supportive signs.
But, fans were not there to cheer on the Red Sox that morning.
Instead, they were supporting runners and walkers as they crossed Fenway Park’s famous home plate. About a dozen active duty Soldiers and civilians from Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass., joined the nearly 2,000 runners and walkers who participated in the Red Sox Run-Walk to Home Base, May 20, 2012.
The Run-Walk to Home Base is a unique 9k fundraising run and three-mile walk which helps raise money for the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program. Participants begin at Fenway, wind through a scenic route of Boston and then end back at the Park with a timed finish in front of the Green Monster and a photo opportunity crossing home plate.
Dr. Naomi Simon is a psychiatrist and the chief medical officer for the Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program. She said that the program is a joint collaboration between these two organizations that provides clinical care and support services to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and families affected by combat- or deployment-related stress and traumatic brain injury, regardless of their financial situations. This makes the dollars raised from the Run-Walk to Home Base vital.
“The Run-Walk to Home Base has been a major philanthropic sustaining force for the Home Base Program,” Simon said. “Almost all of our services are paid for through philanthropic efforts like the Run to Home Base. This program is critical in giving families a place to seek care, regardless of their ability to pay for it.”
The Home Base program also provides community education and research to improve the understanding and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury — the so called “invisible wounds of war.”
read more here
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