Soldiers to help maintain posts in money crunch
By Joe Gould
Posted : Monday Feb 25, 2013
Soldiers may find themselves washing windows, cutting grass, manning post gatehouses and doing other jobs they haven’t performed in a generation, under the current budget crunch, according to a top Army official.
As civilians are laid off or furloughed, the Army will have soldiers do their jobs, providing them with less training and fewer services, said Katherine Hammack, assistant secretary of the Army for installations, energy and environment.
“What it’s going to mean are shorter operating hours and closed gates,” Hammack said. “It’s going to be inconvenient; it’s going to be longer lines. It’s going to mean you’re going to see soldiers doing things you’ve seen civilians do over the last 10 years. That could be anything from mowing lawns and washing windows to replacing light bulbs.”
Soldiers, instead of training, would be working in maintenance roles because the Army will not otherwise have the money or the manpower. Sustainment, restoration and modernization funding “would have to go away,” Hammack said.
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Monday, February 25, 2013
Suicide in military more tied to PTSD than deployments
This is the headline.
Report: No Link Between Deployment, Suicide in MilitaryNotice what the headline made you think this article was all about? Bet you thought that it just meant they were passing off military suicides.
Young, white men most at riskHere's the section that came after the part they wanted you to read. Notice what is in here and has been linked to suicides.
By JASON KOEBLER
February 22, 2013
The report was published in Armed Forces and Society, a military studies journal, and was written by Army Research Psychologists James Griffith and Mark Vaitkus. "Primary risk factors associated with having committed suicide among the 2007-2010 [National Guard] suicide cases were age (young), gender (male), and race (white)," according to the report. People who fall into that group are also most likely to commit suicide in the general population.Instead of a headline like they used do you think it would have been more important to discuss what the rest of us are talking about? The fact that PTSD has been linked to military suicides? Maybe if they had they would have pointed out that training itself is traumatic for some. You also have to remember that while the rate of PTSD is 30% the redeployments have increased that risk by 50% for each time they are sent back. All in all, yet again another report that proves beyond a doubt what the DOD has been doing to address all of this has left more dead by suicide.
The report found very little relationship between whether a soldier had faced active combat and whether they committed suicide, but the study suggests that problems at home that may be associated with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder could have an impact on whether a soldier takes his or her own life.
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iPhone killed saving soldier's life
Close Call for Alaska-based Soldier
KTVA.com Story Updated: Feb 15, 2013
ANCHORAGE - On May 14, Joel Stubleski was with his unit in Eastern Afghanistan, the 3-509th out of Fort Richardson, Alaska. His unit was returning from a mission when they heard gunfire.
During the commotion, he felt a strong pressure in his upper thigh. "It knocked me over." He said he didn't feel pain right away. He didn't see blood, so he continued to reload. He'd been hit.
Once he knew what had happened, he took cover and waited. A fellow soldier put the tourniquet he kept in his pocket around his leg. Stubleski waited. While he waited, he thought, "Is this it? If it is, there's nothing I can do -- at least I went out doing what I was supposed to do." He was bleeding and, he said, he started feeling tired. "I kept telling myself, don't close your eyes."
After helicopters picked him up, medics inspected his injuries. They cut off his clothes and went through his pockets. There, they found his iPhone -- with a bullet hole through it. "The medics would come up to me and say, ‘this is the coolest thing I've ever seen.’"
Stubleski wasn't carrying it for calling or texting. He said he used it as a camera or for music. The doctors told him how lucky he was that the bullet didn't hit the femoral artery. They said that the iPhone probably changed the trajectory of the bullet, making the wound shallower in his flesh. The protective cover he had on his phone made it so the glass didn't shatter, making his wounds worse. He and his friends joked they should replace their body armor with iPads.
Even though his injuries could have been worse, they were bad enough to cut his deployment short. He came back after his injury. His battle buddies didn't return until the fall. He said keeping up with them on Facebook helped lift his spirits during his recovery.
read more here linked from Boing Boing
KTVA.com Story Updated: Feb 15, 2013
ANCHORAGE - On May 14, Joel Stubleski was with his unit in Eastern Afghanistan, the 3-509th out of Fort Richardson, Alaska. His unit was returning from a mission when they heard gunfire.
During the commotion, he felt a strong pressure in his upper thigh. "It knocked me over." He said he didn't feel pain right away. He didn't see blood, so he continued to reload. He'd been hit.
Once he knew what had happened, he took cover and waited. A fellow soldier put the tourniquet he kept in his pocket around his leg. Stubleski waited. While he waited, he thought, "Is this it? If it is, there's nothing I can do -- at least I went out doing what I was supposed to do." He was bleeding and, he said, he started feeling tired. "I kept telling myself, don't close your eyes."
After helicopters picked him up, medics inspected his injuries. They cut off his clothes and went through his pockets. There, they found his iPhone -- with a bullet hole through it. "The medics would come up to me and say, ‘this is the coolest thing I've ever seen.’"
Stubleski wasn't carrying it for calling or texting. He said he used it as a camera or for music. The doctors told him how lucky he was that the bullet didn't hit the femoral artery. They said that the iPhone probably changed the trajectory of the bullet, making the wound shallower in his flesh. The protective cover he had on his phone made it so the glass didn't shatter, making his wounds worse. He and his friends joked they should replace their body armor with iPads.
Even though his injuries could have been worse, they were bad enough to cut his deployment short. He came back after his injury. His battle buddies didn't return until the fall. He said keeping up with them on Facebook helped lift his spirits during his recovery.
read more here linked from Boing Boing
Fort Riley soldier died of gunshot wound
Ft. Riley Soldier Dies From Single Gunshot
WIBW News
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (WIBW) - A Ft. Riley soldier is dead after suffering a single gun shot in Junction City early Saturday morning.
Junction City Police were called to 311 W. 8th Apt. #2 just after 1:30 a.m. in reference to a subject suffering from a gunshot wound.
Upon arrival, officers located a 22-year-old Ft. Riley soldier suffering from a single gunshot.
He was transported to Geary Community Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy has be scheduled. His identity is not being released at this time, pending notification of next of kin.
The investigation is ongoing but police say the incident does not appear to be criminal in nature.
WIBW News
JUNCTION CITY, Kan. (WIBW) - A Ft. Riley soldier is dead after suffering a single gun shot in Junction City early Saturday morning.
Junction City Police were called to 311 W. 8th Apt. #2 just after 1:30 a.m. in reference to a subject suffering from a gunshot wound.
Upon arrival, officers located a 22-year-old Ft. Riley soldier suffering from a single gunshot.
He was transported to Geary Community Hospital and was later pronounced dead.
An autopsy has be scheduled. His identity is not being released at this time, pending notification of next of kin.
The investigation is ongoing but police say the incident does not appear to be criminal in nature.
Australia Defense Ill Prepared for PTSD Time Bomb
Defence 'ill-prepared' for PTSD time bomb
Sydney Morning Herald
February 24, 2013
Tim Barlass
Soldiers who have served in Afghanistan say the Defence Department is unprepared for the number of servicemen who will return with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Ray and Pam Palmer, the parents of commando Scott Palmer, who was killed in Afghanistan, are among those who believe the impact will be much higher than Defence's estimates of about one in 10 serving staff.
Private Palmer was among the first on the scene when his colleague Private Damien Thomlinson drove over an improvised explosive device, which was to claim both his legs.
Mrs Palmer, from the Northern Territory, said she noticed a big change in her son before he returned for his third tour of Afghanistan in 2010. He later died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash.
''He developed a twitch, a sense of nervousness and was reluctant to go out in case a car backfired,'' she said.
''The government is not ready for the number of people that are going to come back with PTSD. They think it is going to be a ripple but it is going to be an enormous wave.
''The government should realise they stuffed up with Vietnam; not helping the guys when they came back. Let's not make the same mistake twice,'' she said.
read more here
Sydney Morning Herald
February 24, 2013
Tim Barlass
Soldiers who have served in Afghanistan say the Defence Department is unprepared for the number of servicemen who will return with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Ray and Pam Palmer, the parents of commando Scott Palmer, who was killed in Afghanistan, are among those who believe the impact will be much higher than Defence's estimates of about one in 10 serving staff.
Private Palmer was among the first on the scene when his colleague Private Damien Thomlinson drove over an improvised explosive device, which was to claim both his legs.
Mrs Palmer, from the Northern Territory, said she noticed a big change in her son before he returned for his third tour of Afghanistan in 2010. He later died in a Black Hawk helicopter crash.
''He developed a twitch, a sense of nervousness and was reluctant to go out in case a car backfired,'' she said.
''The government is not ready for the number of people that are going to come back with PTSD. They think it is going to be a ripple but it is going to be an enormous wave.
''The government should realise they stuffed up with Vietnam; not helping the guys when they came back. Let's not make the same mistake twice,'' she said.
read more here
Arrest made in death of 2nd LT. Alvin Bularoro
Camp Pendleton Marine arrested on murder warrant
The Associated Press
Feb. 23, 2013
FALLBROOK, Calif. -- A 23-year-old Marine corporal has been arrested on a murder warrant charging him with killing a man found dead in his car last month, authorities said.
Kevin Albert Richard Coset was taken into custody Friday night at Camp Pendleton, San Diego County Sheriff's Capt. Duncan Fraser said in a statement. Agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service assisted in the arrest.
On Jan. 3, the body of 24-year-old Alvin Bulaoro was discovered zipped into a sleeping bag inside his Toyota 4Runner at an Albertsons market in Fallbrook. He was last seen Dec. 21, when he went to visit friends. His family reported him missing Dec. 23.
read more here
The Associated Press
Feb. 23, 2013
FALLBROOK, Calif. -- A 23-year-old Marine corporal has been arrested on a murder warrant charging him with killing a man found dead in his car last month, authorities said.
Kevin Albert Richard Coset was taken into custody Friday night at Camp Pendleton, San Diego County Sheriff's Capt. Duncan Fraser said in a statement. Agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service assisted in the arrest.
On Jan. 3, the body of 24-year-old Alvin Bulaoro was discovered zipped into a sleeping bag inside his Toyota 4Runner at an Albertsons market in Fallbrook. He was last seen Dec. 21, when he went to visit friends. His family reported him missing Dec. 23.
read more here
Senator Mitch McConnell thinks blog satire is real
GI Bill' Parody Draws Official Response
Feb 22, 2013
United Press International
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's office confirms it queried the Pentagon about a satirical report that Guantanamo detainees will get GI Bill benefits.
The parody appeared in The Duffel Blog, founded in 2012 by a Marine veteran and frequently described as a military version of the satirical news website, The Onion.
It quoted a fictitious Defense Department spokesman as saying, "By allowing the detainees to use the Department of Veterans Affairs, we hope to completely crush their souls with bureaucracy" -- and included a made-up quote attributed to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, saying his department is prepared to process detainees' GI Bill benefits claims "in 12-15 years as per standard operating procedure."
read more here
Feb 22, 2013
United Press International
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's office confirms it queried the Pentagon about a satirical report that Guantanamo detainees will get GI Bill benefits.
The parody appeared in The Duffel Blog, founded in 2012 by a Marine veteran and frequently described as a military version of the satirical news website, The Onion.
It quoted a fictitious Defense Department spokesman as saying, "By allowing the detainees to use the Department of Veterans Affairs, we hope to completely crush their souls with bureaucracy" -- and included a made-up quote attributed to Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, saying his department is prepared to process detainees' GI Bill benefits claims "in 12-15 years as per standard operating procedure."
read more here
Soldier lost leg but returned to duty in Afghanistan
Amputee Soldier Returns to Battlefield
Military.com
Feb 22, 2013
Army.mil/News
by Sgt. Luke Rollins
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - It's clear from the way Staff Sgt. Brandon Vilt moves around the maintenance bay of Delta Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Lighthorse, that he has his mission in mind. An OH-58 "Kiowa" helicopter crew chief responsible for the maintenance of the troop's fleet, he and his soldiers keep the "moshshe"-Pashtu for mosquito because of its bite and illusiveness, and the nickname for the Kiowa-flying to bring the fight to the enemy.
"I just want to make sure my guys put out a good, quality product," said Vilt, a Cameron Park, Calif., native.
Not only is he responsible for the soldiers on the maintenance bay floor, but he's also a platoon sergeant. If he's not overseeing the maintenance of Kiowas, he's up in the office loft doing administrative work for his soldiers.
Vilt moves up the stairs to his office. The motivation in each upward step ignites a spark of inspiration among his coworkers, but he's too humble to show his discomfort if he had any. "Stairs are the worst," he says, collapsing into his office chair. A prosthetic leg hangs on the rear wall. Vilt rolls up his left pant leg to reveal the prosthesis helping him accomplish the mission at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
read more here
Military.com
Feb 22, 2013
Army.mil/News
by Sgt. Luke Rollins
KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - It's clear from the way Staff Sgt. Brandon Vilt moves around the maintenance bay of Delta Troop, 3rd Squadron, 17th Cavalry Regiment, Task Force Lighthorse, that he has his mission in mind. An OH-58 "Kiowa" helicopter crew chief responsible for the maintenance of the troop's fleet, he and his soldiers keep the "moshshe"-Pashtu for mosquito because of its bite and illusiveness, and the nickname for the Kiowa-flying to bring the fight to the enemy.
"I just want to make sure my guys put out a good, quality product," said Vilt, a Cameron Park, Calif., native.
Not only is he responsible for the soldiers on the maintenance bay floor, but he's also a platoon sergeant. If he's not overseeing the maintenance of Kiowas, he's up in the office loft doing administrative work for his soldiers.
Vilt moves up the stairs to his office. The motivation in each upward step ignites a spark of inspiration among his coworkers, but he's too humble to show his discomfort if he had any. "Stairs are the worst," he says, collapsing into his office chair. A prosthetic leg hangs on the rear wall. Vilt rolls up his left pant leg to reveal the prosthesis helping him accomplish the mission at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan.
read more here
Military Chaplains need healing too
"Despite never seeing combat" was pointed out in this article as if it was an important factor. This Chaplain ended up with PTSD after being sent to Afghanistan. He was already haunted by the suicide of a soldier he was taking care of before he was sent there.
Chaplains do not fight in combat but they fight what combat does to others. If you can't understand how Chaplains can need help to, then you don't understand PTSD.
Post-Traumatic Stress: Looking For A Place To Rest
UPDATED News Canada
February 24, 2013
A Canadian Armed Forces chaplain who was sent to Afghanistan to give spiritual support to the troops came home with post-traumatic stress disorder himself, despite never seeing combat.
Maj. Michel Martin takes listeners to his dark corner of reality, describing a heart-wrenching descent into anguish, depression and anger in a CBC Radio documentary entitled Looking for a Place to Rest. It was produced by John Chipman for The Sunday Edition with Michael Enright.
Martin, who moved into the armed forces after acting as a civilian pastor, was on the front line dealing with the mental suffering of the troops.
The sudden suicide of a soldier under his care, before his deployment to Afghanistan, began his spiral of emotional stress.
“I had a burden on me, I felt guilty,” Martin says.
read more here
Chaplains do not fight in combat but they fight what combat does to others. If you can't understand how Chaplains can need help to, then you don't understand PTSD.
Police shooting of PTSD Gulf War Veteran Stanley Gibson to be examined
Family of slain veteran still wants to see someone held accountable
Police shooting of Stanley Gibson to be examined in revamped process
Las Vegas Sun
By Conor Shine
Jackie Valley
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013
In the 14 months since Stanley Gibson was shot and killed by Metro Police officers, Gibson’s family has struggled with unanswered questions.
What was Gibson, a 43-year-old Gulf War veteran allegedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, doing out of the house that fateful December night when police approached him, his older brother Rudy asks. Why did a plan to remove Gibson from his vehicle with beanbag rounds and pepper spray end with him being shot seven times by police officer Jesus Arevalo? And why were police in such a hurry to end the standoff with the unarmed Gibson, whose vehicle was boxed in between two patrol cars?
“Why not give him another half an hour? The car wasn’t going to fly anywhere,” Rudy Gibson said.
“I’ve been running that in my mind over and over and over again. It doesn’t make any sense. … This never should have happened.”
The family’s quest for understanding has yielded lots of closed doors but few answers.
read more here
Gulf War veteran Stanley Gibson's widow seeks justice
Police shooting of Stanley Gibson to be examined in revamped process
Las Vegas Sun
By Conor Shine
Jackie Valley
Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013
In the 14 months since Stanley Gibson was shot and killed by Metro Police officers, Gibson’s family has struggled with unanswered questions.
What was Gibson, a 43-year-old Gulf War veteran allegedly suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, doing out of the house that fateful December night when police approached him, his older brother Rudy asks. Why did a plan to remove Gibson from his vehicle with beanbag rounds and pepper spray end with him being shot seven times by police officer Jesus Arevalo? And why were police in such a hurry to end the standoff with the unarmed Gibson, whose vehicle was boxed in between two patrol cars?
“Why not give him another half an hour? The car wasn’t going to fly anywhere,” Rudy Gibson said.
“I’ve been running that in my mind over and over and over again. It doesn’t make any sense. … This never should have happened.”
The family’s quest for understanding has yielded lots of closed doors but few answers.
read more here
Gulf War veteran Stanley Gibson's widow seeks justice
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