Community comes together for Navy SEAL critically wounded in Afghanistan

Billings Navy SEAL critically wounded in Afghanistan
Billings Gazette
By CINDY UKEN
August 15, 2012

Navy SEAL Bo Reichenbach, of Billings, is recovering from critical injuries suffered in Afghanistan.

Navy SEALs to parachute into Washington-Grizzly, hope to raise $50K for wounded Montana colleague

How to help
A benefit fund has been set up to assist Bo Reichenbach in his recovery. Donations may be made to First Interstate Bank’s Billings Heights branch, 730 Main St., Suite 100, Billings, MT 59105. Donations also may be mailed to Dana and Jenn Brumwell, 2105 Concord Drive, Billings, MT 59102. Checks should be made to the Bo Reichenbach Benefit Fund.

BILLINGS – A 24-year-old Navy SEAL from Billings is recuperating at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., after being critically wounded in Afghanistan by a makeshift bomb.

Bo Reichenbach was injured by an improvised explosive device in July, said U.S. Navy Lt. Dave Lloyd, public affairs officer for Naval Special Warfare Group 2. He would not disclose the extent of Reichenbach’s injuries.

Lloyd also would not disclose the nature of Reichenbach’s mission, other than to say it was part of the U.S. forces’ “ongoing operations in Afghanistan.”

Reichenbach, the father of a 4-year-old son, Landon, grew up in the Lockwood area. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in March 2008 and became a SEAL in May 2010.

SEALs take their name from the environments in which they are trained to operate: sea, air and land. Their small, highly trained teams usually conduct some of the nation’s most critical missions.
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Euphoria over PTSD drugs needs to be over

Euphoria over PTSD drugs needs to be over
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 29, 2013

Euphoria is "a good ability to endure" but not heal. So why is it that medications seem to be the only answer?

More and more reports on research being done on medications but evidence has shown most have come with warnings to not use them when the patient has depression because suicidal thoughts could increase. Some researchers point to this and say another medication needs to replace "what is" and go for the alternatives of medical marijuana to ecstasy to treat PTSD. Basically the response from many psychiatrists has been if it feels good, take it.

The problem is that while medications for PTSD were supposed to be about getting the chemicals of the brain level so that therapy had a better chance to work, they have been used in replace of what is less expensive but takes more time, listening.

Recently CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta came out in favor of medical marijuana but the use of it is far from new. Many Vietnam veterans used it to relax and clam down. It was a lot better than alcohol for them because instead of passing out from booze, they simply fell asleep. Keep in mind that chemicals, legal or not, take effect in the brain and thus hit the whole body. "The high-profile doc, who is CNN's chief medical correspondent, apologized for "not looking hard enough" at the research on medicinal marijuana that suggests it can help treat conditions from chronic pain to post-traumatic stress disorder."

Ecstasy has also been in the news around the world. The push in the US has been going on for years and now it seems that Rick Doblin, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Director of Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies is trying to get Australia to get involved.

"Doblin wants Australia to replicate a successful trial in the United States in which 80 per cent of soldiers and emergency workers in a study were successfully treated for PTSD using MDMA, the main ingredient in ecstasy, and psychotherapy. The controversial but legal program involved 20 veterans, who had not responded to other treatments, taking MDMA twice during three months of psychotherapy."

Wow! A whole 20 people participated in the study and 80% of them were "successfully treated" by getting high. Not impressed considering that the National Institute of Mental Health says Approximately 7.7 million American adults age 18 and older, or about 3.5 percent of people in this age group in a given year, have PTSD. PTSD can develop at any age, including childhood, but research shows that the median age of onset is 23 years. About 19 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced PTSD at some point after the war.13 The disorder also frequently occurs after violent personal assaults such as rape, mugging, or domestic violence; terrorism; natural or human-caused disasters; and accidents.

Topped off with the fact the VA has 3.9 million veterans collecting disability compensation with hundreds of thousands receiving treatment for PTSD and another huge percentage of veterans with PTSD still not seeking treatment. The assumption has been that less than half of our veterans with PTSD seek help.

This isn't new. Back in 2004 NBC News had a report that 1 in 8 soldiers back from combat had PTSD but less than half sought treatment. The CBO released a report in 2012 with 103,000 OEF OIF veterans with PTSD, 8,700 with TBI and 26,600 with both.

When you look at the hard numbers a research project on 20 veterans is not even yawn worthy.

Most of the veterans seeking help have a need to feel better and they are ready to grab at anything that does it, no matter how long it lasts. They make irrational decisions clinging onto whatever works for "now" hoping it is what does the trick for the long haul only to discover it didn't last long enough. They replace that fix with something else, then something else but the end result is always the same. It wears off and most of the time they feel worse than they did before. Why? Because while they were trying to fill the void and numb the pain, PTSD had rested up enough to get stronger.

Drugs, legal or otherwise, are not the answer especially when there is time to reverse most of what PTSD does. Early on treatment with medication blended with talk therapy, physical therapy and spiritual intervention reverses most of what PTSD does but even a perfect blend of all of these treatments do not cure it.

If too much time goes by, life gets in the way of healing and more parts of the human are hit including the brain itself. Scans have shown changes in the brain hit by PTSD. It hits the nervous system, heart, digestive organs and on and on. Even chronic cases of PTSD veterans can live better lives by combining treatments, so it is not hopeless but when we pretend that drugs are the answer the reality is, they are part of the problem when they are the only game in town.

A Dream Come True Ends in Suicide for Soldier

A Dream Come True Ends in Suicide for Soldier
News21
by Chase Cook
Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation Fellow
Published Aug. 24, 2013

The roadside bomb blasted the safety hatch and blew away the windshields on the heavy transport that Army Pfc. Kimberly Agar rode across Iraq during the 2007 surge. As she regained her composure, insurgents rained rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire on the convoy for about 15 minutes. Agar climbed into the back seat and returned fire as the convoy pushed through the ambush.

Agar’s group didn’t suffer fatalities in that attack but she was diagnosed as having a concussion after she complained of headaches and insomnia, about a day after the bombing.

About a year later, Agar finished her 15-month deployment and went home to Dallas for a two-week break before returning to Fort Benning, Ga. Her mother, Margy Agar, though, noticed her daughter was different, saying she was distant, withdrawn and not “my Kimi anymore.”

In 2009, Kimberly Agar re-enlisted and was posted to Germany, a place she had always wanted to visit. There, the talented vocalist who swept pageants in her childhood and teen years eventually made the U.S. Army Europe Band and Chorus, singing with the elite, selective military musical troupe that performs at diplomatic and military events.

It was a job that the younger Kimberly would have envied — getting paid to travel the world as an entertainer. Agar told everyone it was her dream gig. But there were lingering effects of her injuries, fragile emotions and even a suicide attempt.

The mother of Army veteran Kimberly Agar, Margy Agar, talks about her daughter's struggles with symptoms related to a traumatic brain injury.

Early in October 2011, Agar killed herself in Germany after struggling with a minor traumatic brain injury.
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Hotdog Dad back from Afghanistan shocks family

Soldier Shawn Jamieson surprises wife Courtney by dressing as hot dog at Coney Island Brooklyn Cyclones game
Army Sgt. Shawn Jamieson reunited his wife Courtney by hiding in a hot dog costume at the Brooklyn Cyclones game at MCU Park in Coney Island. It was the first time he'd met his family in two months.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
BY CHELSIA ROSE MARCIUS AND BILL HUTCHINSON
AUGUST 28, 2013

KEN MURRAY/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Army Sgt. Shawn Jamieson surprised his wife Courtney and their daughters Gabrielle and Genavieve by dressing as a hotdog at the Brooklyn Cyclones game.

It was a moment to relish.

A soldier returning from Afghanistan was hot dogging it at the Brooklyn Cyclones game Tuesday night, but only his wife was surprised.

Army Sgt. Shawn Jamieson, 26, stunned his wife, Courtney, with a secretly-planned reunion at MCU Park in Coney Island, showing up disguised as a hot dog.
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Female soldier's body exhumed to discover truth

Soldier's body is exhumed; Army closes case
YNN News
By: Erin Connolly
August 26, 2013

On a day we find out exclusively the body of fallen soldier Amy Seyboth Tirador has been exhumed, we're also learning the Army has closed its case in her death. Our Erin Connolly sat down with Seyboth Tirador's father to hear the latest on their search to find the truth.

COLONIE, N.Y. -- There have been two large developments in one day regarding the death of Staff Sgt. Amy Seyboth Tirador of Colonie. First, there's been an official ruling from the Army. And second, we have confirmation, for the first time, that Amy's family has taken matters into their own hands.

"On May 19th, my son-in-law and I did have her exhumed at Saratoga National Cemetery," said her father, Jerry Seyboth.

For the first time, we're learning the soldier's body was exhumed by her husband, Mickey Tirador. It's a fact Amy's father Jerry and Mickey wanted to keep private, but with so many people pointing fingers at Mickey, he wanted to clear up any misunderstandings.

Her father Jerry said, "I don't think he had anything to do with my daughter's death, and I think he's doing everything possible to get to the bottom of it."

Amy died last November in Iraq while serving her third tour of duty. An Arabic translator, Amy went back to the barracks to spend some time with Mickey who was serving in the same unit. The next day, Amy was found with a single gunshot wound to the head.
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Fort Campbell on lockdown end after reports of shooter

Fort Campbell officials respond to threat on post
WSMV
Kimberly Curth
August 27, 2013

FORT CAMPBELL, KY (WSMV)
Many people who live and work near Fort Campbell were concerned Tuesday after hearing rumors of an active shooter on post.

Officials said the alleged threat at a post facility proved unfounded, and added that no one was ever in danger and no one was injured.

Post officials say after the alleged threat was made, their emergency personnel responded and took care of the situation.
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Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Gets Death Penalty

Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan Gets Death Penalty
ABC News
By RUSSELL GOLDMAN
via WORLD NEWS
Aug. 28, 2013

Maj. Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in a shooting rampage at Ft. Hood, was unanimously sentenced to death today by a jury of military officers.

A sentence of death was all but inevitable for Hasan, a Muslim American who represented himself during the court martial and whose own standby lawyers accused him of cooperating with the prosecution to hasten his "martyrdom."

"He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer," prosecutor Col. Mike Mulligan said today, according to the Associated Press. "This is not his gift to God. This is his debt to society. This is the cost of his murderous rampage."

Last week, Hasan was found guilty on all counts, including 13 charges of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder.
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No easy answers for Syria

No easy answers for Syria
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 28, 2013

The reports coming out of Syria are heartbreaking, but so have reports coming out of other nations regarding the way they treat their own people. The easy thing to say is "do something" but no one seems too interested in what comes after we do "something" and history should have taught us that lesson.

Afghanistan taught a lesson after Congressman Charlie Wilson convinced Congress to fund Afghans trying to get Russian forces out of there. The Afghans were being slaughtered and had very little to fight back with. No one was asking what would happen afterwards.

The answer came with Osama Bin Laden. "The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan begins late in the year. It profoundly influences bin Laden's course. Muslims around the world rally to the Afghan cause." But while he was furious over this, it was not until the Gulf War when he vowed to take revenge on the US.

When the Gulf War ended, President George H. W. Bush decided that sending troops into Iraq from Kuwait would cost too many lives. General Norman Schwarzkopf said "Had we taken all of Iraq, we would have been like a dinosaur in the tar pit - we would still be there, and we, not the United Nations, would be bearing the costs of that occupation."

We knew how long and what it took to get Russia out of Afghanistan before the troops were sent in back in 2001 but did not prepare for the wounded that they should have known would come. The VA was not ready but no one was. They also knew what would happen when troops were sent into Iraq. History told us much but it seems as if reporters were sticking their fingers in their ears so they would not have to hear what was being created.

The result of over a decade of war has been catastrophic for Iraq, Afghanistan and the US. No one wanted to pay the bill any more than they wanted to claim responsibility for what they had already done.

The fact that we have so many veterans suffering with wounds to their bodies and minds, military families falling apart and apathy from the other 93% of the population, leaves many with a bitter taste in our mouths. No one thought beyond wanting to "do something" so the troops pay the price, not just while deployed, but for the rest of their lives.

Now we see what can follow an attack by the US on Syria will bring. "An imminent U.S. strike on Syrian government targets in response to the alleged gassing of civilians last week has the potential to draw the United States into the country’s civil war, former U.S. officials said Tuesday, warning that history doesn’t bode well for such limited retaliatory interventions. The best historical parallels — the 1998 cruise missile strikes on targets in Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan — are rife with unintended consequences and feature little success."

We've heard it all before. Some scream that "we can't let those innocent people die" but no one seems to asking what will follow doing this. Some scream "we have to respond" but never seem too interested in what we can cause. No one seems too interested in the fact this very well could cause our troops to be sent yet again into a nation to risk their lives for something politicians decided to do without thinking about the next day.

So who will pay for this war?

Marine double amputee put on wife support

Injured Marine Lovingly Carried by Wife
Neatorama.com
Alex Santoso

Jesse Cottle and his wife Kelly were on a family photo shoot when photographer Sarah Ledford suggested the couple take a picture in the water. That's when Jesse - a former Marine who lost his both of legs in Afghanistan - hopped on his wife's back.
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There are so many young wives not willing to stay with their wounded veterans that this should be an example to all of them. This is what love does! Wife support is what makes a difference in the life of someone you love.

Email mistake threatens career of Marine Reservist and New York firefighter

Marine reservist — and NYFD firefighter — faces expulsion from USMC for sending warning to wrong email address
Reserve Maj. Jason Brezler had served four combat tours when he sent information about a suspected police official to an unsecure email address. He reported his error, but now his case is before an officer misconduct board.
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
BY JOE STRAW
AUGUST 27, 2013

LOMBARD, MARIELA FREELANCE NYDN
Iraq and Afghanistan vet Jason Brezler serves with the FDNY's Engine 45-Ladder 58.

WASHINGTON — A city firefighter whose warning of a threat to fellow Marines in Afghanistan fell on deaf ears faces expulsion from the Corps — because he used the wrong e-mail account.

Reserve Maj. Jason Brezler had served four combat tours when he got an urgent call last summer from Afghanistan’s Helmand Province. The Marines were asking about a shady police official, Sarwar Jan, whom they suspected of molesting local minors and who had access to their post.

Brezler quickly e-mailed warnings about Jan’s history of abuse and suspected ties to insurgents. Later realizing he sent classified information in an unsecure email, the Annapolis alum self-reported his error, and the message, to a superior. No action appeared to have been taken and days later, Jan’s 15-year-old “assistant” used Jan’s rifle to kill three Marines and wound another at a Nowzad base.
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