Empty Chairs At Thanksgiving Tables

Empty Chairs At Thanksgiving Tables
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
November 28, 2013

They survived combat but could not survive because of it. That is what makes their suicides even more tragic than civilians losing hope they needed to believe the next day would be any better than their last day was.

The Department of Defense releases the suicide numbers for Army, Army National Guards and Army Reserves month by month.

The last release put the number of soldiers no longer here with this.

October, 10 Army, 11 Army National Guards and 1 Army Reservist. From January thru October there have been 126 soldiers taking their own lives, 82 Army National Guardsmen and 43 Army Reservists.

They also updated the numbers they previously released for 2012 with these totals.

Army, 186, Army National Guards 93 and 47 Army Reservists. This number was changed since the report that came out in February 2013

In December of 2012 there were 7 Soldiers, 10 Army National Guardsmen and 5 Army Reservists. There has been no explanation as to why the DOD does not release the same data for the Marines, Air Force and Navy or the other Guards and Reservists. There has been no explanation as to why the DOD has not release the Suicide Event Report for 2012 after the end of this 11th month of 2013.

That means there were 273 members of the Army here last Thanksgiving but left an empty chair this Thanksgiving.

The Department of Veterans Affairs released a report there are at least 22 veterans a day committing suicide. That means 8,030 a year. If you count the current numbers of military forces committing suicide the numbers are close to 9,000 gone since last Thanksgiving.

Every year we honor veterans on Veterans Day, November 11th and in the same month we give thanks for all we have. Everyday veterans carry the full weight of the duty they were willing to fulfill. Everyday we forget to help them carry that load. Forget to offer a hand, an arm to lean on and ear to hear them. Everyday we fail them we are assuredly contributing to the increase in those we remember of Memorial Day.

Whey you give thanks for all you have today, remember all  lost as well. Their families are looking at empty chairs.

Loss of VA grant imperils skiers’ paralympic hopes

Loss of VA grant imperils skiers’ paralympic hopes
Stars and Stripes
By Matthew M. Burke
Published: November 27, 2013

Aspen’s snow-covered mountains are Joshua Elliott’s sanctuary, a place where the double amputee can be free and feel closer to God.

But Veterans Affairs’ decision to withhold an annual grant for adaptive sports that keeps veterans like him on the slopes threatens to derail Elliott’s dreams for Olympic gold and to leave the retired Marine sergeant without a mission.

The Aspen Valley Ski/Snowboard Club’s adaptive program — one of the country’s pre-eminent programs for wounded veterans and a feeder for almost half of the U.S. Paralympic Ski Team — faces a $300,000 shortfall and might have to shut its doors Friday if funding isn’t secured for this year’s competitive season.

A number of Olympic dreams are on hold as Elliott, 32, and his teammates scramble to find money to keep the program going, even if just for one more month.

“[After my injury] I was afraid this was lost,” Elliott said last week from Aspen, where he is training. “I was questioning a lot of things. I was a little scared with this crazy life change … Now, here I am, competitive, looking at the Paralympics.”

The AVSC adaptive program was founded with wounded veterans like Elliott in mind but since has expanded to include a number of nonveterans as well, according to the AVSC website. Each year, the VA provides the U.S. Olympic Committee with grant funding for adaptive sports programs, Elliott said. About $500,000 goes to AVSC’s adaptive program.
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'Guardian Angel' keeps peace between American and Afghan soldiers

'Guardian Angel' keeps peace between American and Afghan soldiers
NBC World News
By Ghazi Balkiz, reporter
November 27, 2013

LAGHMAN PROVINCE, Afghanistan — U.S. troops and Afghan soldiers sat together, monitoring classified information streaming in on various screens earlier this week at the Tactical Command Center on Gamberi military base here in eastern Afghanistan.

But they were being watched: Staff. Sgt Howard Linville, an official “Guardian Angel,” was stationed by the door, observing the peace.

Dressed in full battle gear, the 28-year-old Iowan’s mission that morning was to protect and to prevent any “Green on Blue” violence, a term used by the U.S. military to describe attacks by rogue Afghan security personal on American soldiers. The Guardian Angel program was started in March 2012 after a spike in "Green on Blue" attacks on U.S. troops.

When Linville arrived in Afghanistan last July for his first tour in Afghanistan – he’d already done three in Iraq -- he volunteered to be part of the Guardian Angel team.

“I think it is a really good responsibility to have, to be able to keep the other guys safe out there. It is something I wanted to do,” he said.
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Canadian Military investigating two suicides tied to Shilo Base

UPDATE and then there were three
Trio of suicides by Canadian soldiers leaves military, minister reeling
The Canadian Press
By: Murray Brewster

OTTAWA - Beyond expressions of sympathy, the Harper government and the Canadian Forces appeared at a loss Thursday to explain a number of suicides this week among veterans of the war in Afghanistan.

The latest case, which occurred within the last couple of days, involved a senior non-commissioned officer at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, northwest of Ottawa. Military police are investigating and have not released any details, including the officer's name.

A Defence Department investigation into two other deaths in Western Canada is currently underway, a sombre and visibly moved Defence Minister Rob Nicholson told the House of Commons.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, friends and colleagues of these departed individuals, and I wish all those associated with those individuals peace during this difficult time," Nicholson said.

Earlier in the day, Nicholson called the deaths "very troubling," but noted that since 2011, the Conservative government has poured millions of extra dollars into the treatment and counselling of returning soldiers.
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Military investigating suicides of two soldiers with ties to Shilo base
Winnipeg Free Press
By: Mike McIntyre
November 27, 2013

Two Canadian soldiers with links to CFB Shilo died by suicide this week in separate incidents, the Manitoba military base has confirmed.

Lori Truscott, director of public affairs, told the Free Press on Wednesday that both deaths are now under investigation.

SUICIDE HELP
If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide or dealing with a suicide loss, call the Manitoba Suicide Line -- a free, confidential, 24-hour service -- at 1-877-435-7170.

The first occurred earlier this week when a soldier posted at CFB Shilo took his own life in a private residence off-base, she said. Hours later, another soldier who had been posted at the western Manitoba base until this past summer died by suicide in Alberta. That incident also happened away from his new posting in Lethbridge.

No other details are being released, including the names or hometowns of the two men. Truscott said there is no apparent link between the men or their deaths, other than the fact they both had been posted at CFB Shilo and ended their lives within a 24-hour period of each other.

The soldier who died off the base in Shilo was with the 2nd Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry.

A national organization which advocates on behalf of Canadian soldiers first reported the suicides on Wednesday morning.
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Home Healthcare Nurse stole from Korean-Vietnam veteran according to police

Cops: Nursing assistant steals almost $30K in jewelry from Vietnam vet
WFTV.com 9 News
November 26, 2013

Their 85-year-old father was a two-star general in the Air Force who served in Vietnam and Korea.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Investigators in Brevard County said a Palm Bay home health care nurse stole tens of thousands of dollars in jewelry from a sick, elderly couple.

Police said she cashed in on her patients by pawning off their most treasured items.

Police believe she may have other victims and they want to get her picture out there.

Joyce Speed had only been working for the company for six months and passed extensive background checks.

She's out of a job and out of jail, after allegedly taking advantage of the couple.

For months, Joyce Speed was entrusted with caring for Mr. and Mrs. Titus Hall inside their Palm Bay home.

Police said she'd been stealing from the elderly couple.

"She confessed to the crime and said she was in need of cash," Palm Bay public information officer Yvonne Martinez said.

The victims' daughters only realized nearly $30,000 in jewelry was missing after Hall passed away.
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Veteran held up at Lubbock airport over issue with PTSD service dog

Veteran held up at Lubbock airport over issue with service dog
CBS Atlanta
Posted: Nov 26, 2013
By Taylor Langston

LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD)
Everyone's trying to make it home for the holidays, but one veteran at the Lubbock Preston Smith Airport had to put her plans on hold.

Zondra Perkins battles PTSD and leans on her furry friend Sergeant Ski to overcome the symptoms.

The pair has been together for seven months and are now inseparable, so the idea of traveling without her pal was overwhelming.

"He's my best friend in the whole world," Perkins said. " He listens to me when nobody else will. He's there for me. He means the world to me."

Perkins was able to board flights at airports in South Carolina and Dallas on her way to visit a friend in Lubbock, but was held up after not providing proper documentation for the service animal.

According to American Airlines, all airlines are required to follow the same protocol for checking service animals provided by the Department of Transportation.
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Family wants ‘definitive proof’ man in Vietnam isn’t Army sergeant

Family wants ‘definitive proof’ man in Vietnam isn’t Army sergeant
Stars and Stripes
Matthew M. Burke
Published: November 26, 2013

For years, a man living in Vietnam as Dang Tan Ngoc has been claiming that he is Army Sgt. 1st Class John Hartley Robertson, a Special Forces soldier who went missing in 1968 and was declared dead by the U.S. government.

Ngoc’s story was the subject of a controversial documentary, “Unclaimed,” which premiered in the U.S. in May as part of the annual GI Film Festival. The film professed to have found the Green Beret living in a remote Vietnamese village, spurring an impassioned backlash from veterans.

The U.S. government has condemned Ngoc as a fraud, but members of Robertson’s family aren’t so quick to dismiss the claims.

They want to know for sure.

The family wants to exhume the body of Robertson’s mother, Mildred Robertson, from a Birmingham, Ala., cemetery and perform a mitochondrial DNA test to see whether the man living in Vietnam is John Robertson.

“We need definitive proof,” said Robertson’s niece, Cyndi Hanna, who launched a fund-raising effort on behalf of her family to cover the costs of exhumation. “I believe it’s him. I believe it’s him enough to try and confirm it one way or another.”
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Deadlines approach for Veterans' Money

Michigan Veterans

Deadline nears for property tax exemption for Mich. veterans
ABC News 57
By Alexandra Koehn
Nov 26, 2013

BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. -- If you are a disabled veteran who received an honorable discharge and live in the state of Michigan, you may be eligible for a refund on your property taxes. You only have until December 6th to fill out the paperwork.

"$900 on our taxes! That's phenomenal because that will help us live a little better and help our children because we also have a disabled daughter," said Claudia Kelley.

Berrien County Treasurer Bret Witkowski says to be eligible for a property tax exemption, a veteran must meet one of the following requirements:

1) Be rated by the VA as 100-percent disabled
2) Individual unemployability rating
3) Specially adapted housing grant rating
find out more here

Ohio Gulf War Veterans

Ohio Veterans Bonus deadline near for Gulf War Era veterans
Lima Ohio
November 26. 2013

COLUMBUS – Ohio veterans who served during the time of the Persian Gulf War have until December 31, 2013 to apply for the Ohio Veterans Bonus and receive the thank you for their service awarded them by Ohio’s citizens.

The Ohio Veterans Bonus continues for veterans of the Iraq War, who have until December 31, 2014 to apply. No deadline has been announced for veterans of the Afghanistan War and all veterans who served after October 7, 2001.

“I personally urge any eligible veteran, particularly those who served during the Persian Gulf War, to apply for the Bonus immediately. It’s a very personal thanks to every one of our veterans who served during our recent wars from all the people of our great state,” Ohio Department of Veterans Services Director Tim Gorrell said. “To everyone in our veterans’ community, please reach out to these veterans and make sure they’re aware. And if anyone has a friend or a family member who served, let them know.”

The specific criteria are below:

· Military service of more than 90 days active duty, not for training, anywhere in the world during the following periods:

- August 2, 1990 through March 3, 1991 – Persian Gulf; deadline to apply is December 31, 2013

- October 7, 2001 through a date to be determined by the President – Afghanistan

- March 19, 2003 through December 31, 2011 – Iraq; deadline to apply is December 31, 2014

· Eligible veterans and military service members must have been Ohio residents at the time of their entry into the military, and must be Ohio residents at the time they apply.

The bonus pays $100 a month to veterans who served in the Persian Gulf theater, or in the countries of Afghanistan or Iraq, up to a maximum of $1,000. For veterans who served elsewhere, the payment is $50 a month up to a $500 maximum. Veterans medically discharged due to injuries sustained in combat can receive $1,000, plus up to $500 for months of service elsewhere. Family members of those killed in action or who died from disease as a result of their in-theater service can receive a bonus of $5,000 plus whatever the service member was eligible for, up to a total of $6,500. find out more here

American Legion: veterans helping veterans

American Legion: veterans helping veterans
Navajo-Hopi Observer
Katherine Locke
Reporter
November 26, 2013

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - Orrin Chimerica, 40, has haunted eyes. Slightly watery and red, likely from the three shots he received hours ago for his lingering post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

His eyes have seen more of the horror of war than many people. As a combat coreman (medic) in the United States Navy, he was the first person to patch up the injured on the battlefield.

The suicide a week and a half ago of a friend and fellow veteran who had completed two combat tours shook him but also made him more determined to inform veterans that there are places to go for help. As the new American Legion Post No. 3 Commander in Flagstaff, and the only Native American and Hopi to assume the post, Chimerica is in a position to deliver on that determination.

"I want to do this for everybody, not just Native Americans, but any veteran who comes through these doors, that's my job," Chimerica said. "A lot of people died for the flag."

The American Legion, while a closed and private club restricted to those who are veterans, Sons of the American Legion or part of the Ladies Auxillary, reaches out to the community in a number of ways all with the goal of helping veterans.
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Green Beret Command Sgt. Major arrested for elder assault

Would anyone like to explain again how the "training" the military has been doing to help soldiers is working?

Allegation: Fort Carson Green Beret beat up mother-in-law in wheelchair
The Gazette
By Lance Benzel
Published: November 26, 2013

A top-ranking soldier in Fort Carson's secretive Green Berets was jailed Saturday on allegations of physically assaulting his elderly mother-in-law.

Jerry Lentz Lambert, 52, was booked into Teller County jail on suspicion of a crime against an at-risk person, third-degree assault and child abuse after authorities say he forced a plate of food into the 82-year-old woman's face and rammed her wheelchair into a table.

The woman's injuries did not require her to be hospitalized, family members said. Lambert was released Monday afternoon after posting $1,000 bail.

Police decided to pursue a child abuse charge because children were home and witnessed the alleged attack in the 1500 block of Crestview Way, said Woodland Park police Sgt. Thomas Kinney.

The 10th Special Forces Group - or Green Berets - confirmed Monday that Lambert works in the unit as a command sergeant major, the highest rank available to enlisted soldiers.
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There was also this out of Fort Carson

Fort Carson soldier suspected in attempted kidnapping
November 24, 2013
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. — A 28-year-old Fort Carson soldier was arrested after police say he crawled into the back seat of a woman’s car in downtown Colorado Springs and threatened to hurt her unless she drove away.

The Gazette reports Staff Sgt. Matthew Warren was arrested early Saturday and is being held on suspicion of attempted second-degree kidnapping.