Woman runs 3,400 miles for wounded veterans
By MYFOX NEW YORK STAFF
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
NEW YORK (MYFOXNY)
Long-distance running helped Anna Judd overcome challenges in life and she used that experience to help America's veterans struggling with their own conditions.
Judd completed a 3,400- mile run from Venice, California to Lower Manhattan over five months in an effort to draw awareness to America's wounded soldiers. She arrived in New York City on Saturday afternoon.
"I feel pretty good. I think your body can adjust to anything. It was a huge physical challenge. I wanted to challenge myself to my limitations not just physically but emotionally and make a difference in the world," said Judd.
The veteran suicide rate is 22 a day, added Judd, and the number with psychological and mental health problems including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder is high. read more here
Fort Hood soldier dies in Afghanistan from "non-combat" related incident
ABC News 25
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
FORT HOOD - The Department of Defense has released the name of a Fort Hood soldier who died from a "non-combat" related incident on Friday, August 22 in Gardez, Afghanistan.
According to the Fort Hood Public Affairs Office, Sgt. Christopher Waugh Mulalley, 26, whose home of record is listed as Eureka, California, entered active-duty service in July 2006 as an infantryman.
Circumstances surrounding his death are under investigation. Further details into the incident were not released. read more here
VA touts progress on suicides; data tell another story
USA TODAY
Dennis Wagner
August 25, 2014
But other evidence hints at the magnitude of the crisis. As of June 2012, the national VA Suicide Prevention Line was getting roughly 17,000 calls per month — up more than 17 percent from 2009. Four out of five were veterans seeking help, nearly one-third of them contemplating suicide.
Seven years ago, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs rejected allegations by media outlets and watchdog organizations that America faced a suicide epidemic among former military personnel.
The VA claimed just 790 veterans under department care had taken their own lives that year. Yet, by reviewing available public records since 2005, CBS News uncovered 6,256 suicides.
As VA officials publicly disputed the network's data, Dr. Ira Katz, the top mental-health officer, was sending internal e-mails titled "Not for the CBS Interview Request."
"Shh!" Katz wrote in one message. "Our suicide prevention coordinators are identifying about 1,000 suicide attempts per month among veterans we see in our medical facilities."
When the e-mails were disclosed, confirming the CBS findings, some members of Congress called for Katz's resignation or termination.
Today, Katz remains at VA headquarters as acting director of mental health operations. In a phone interview with The Arizona Republic, he and Caitlin Thompson, deputy director for suicide prevention, said veterans' mental-health care is a national success story that merits a B+ if graded on a curve against other programs. Katz said recent data indicate the suicide rate is increasing among men in the general U.S. population but is stable among VA patients. "We're doing relatively well by fighting this trend," he added. read more here
I made a promise about not writing anything that was not positive on military suicides so I am reserving what I want to say now with this latest report. So here is just a reminder.
Justice Department lawyer Richard Lepley argued Monday that the VA has responded to the unprecedented number of claims, which officials say is being driven by aging Vietnam veterans and other warriors of the Cold War era, by launching a massive new hiring process.
Lepley told the judge that the VA has added more than 3,700 new "mental health physicians" to a mental health professional staff of 17,000 that treats increasing cases if post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological problems in the last year.
"We are staffing up," Lepley said. "We can't do it overnight."
Government lawyers say the VA has been devoting more resources to mental health and making suicide prevention a top priority. They also argue that the courts don't have the authority to tell the department how it should operate.
Earlier in the morning, veterans lawyer Gordon Erspamer told the judge that the VA isn't doing enough, calling for the judge to order a massive overhaul of how the VA processes claims and perhaps hire a "special master" to preside over the agency.
Erspamer cited a RAND Corp. report released last week estimating that 300,000 U.S. troops—about 20 percent of those deployed—are suffering from depression or post-traumatic stress from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Erspamer showed the judge two e-mails written last year among high-ranking officials that said an average of 18 military veterans kill themselves each day—and five of them are under VA care when they commit suicide. Another e-mail said 1,000 veterans under VA care attempt suicide each month.
Veterans and suicide: A national issue with local consequences
St. Cloud Times
Kirsti Marohn and David Unze
August 25, 2014
Almost 19 percent of suicides in Minnesota from 2007-12 were veterans
That's the estimated number of veterans in the United States who died by suicide every day in 2010, according to a February 2012 report from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
A St. Cloud Times analysis of state death records found that 686 veterans died by suicide in Minnesota from 2007 to 2012. Almost 19 percent of suicides in Minnesota during those years were veterans, which closely tracks the national numbers.
Veterans also are dying from suicides at a higher rate than the general population, according to the Times analysis.
The average rate of veteran suicides in Minnesota during that six-year period was 30 per 100,000 people, almost double the suicide rate of the overall population of 15.4 per 100,000.
Soldier dies after shooting at Fort Lee
WWBT
Posted: Aug 25, 2014
FORT LEE, VA (WWBT)
Fort Lee officials say a soldier has died after she likely shot herself at the post Monday morning.
The shooting caused the post to be placed on lockdown for around 45 minutes.
Army officials have not released the soldier's identity, but say she is an E7 Sergeant First Class who was deployed to Iraq in 2007 for 15 months in the personnel arena.
The soldier came into the Combined Arms Support Command Headquarters, building 5020 around 8:45 a.m. She went to the third floor of the building armed with a small, concealed handgun. She barricaded herself inside an office and began throwing stuff around the room.
An alert was sounded and officials made occupants take shelter or evacuate as negotiators tried to get the situation to end peacefully. Officials say the soldier turned the gun to her head and fired a single shot. No other injuries were reported.
Special Agents from the US Army Criminal Investigations Command are on scene and investigating.
Officials initially called the incident a 'police emergency' and asked everyone to stay indoors. The installation was locked down and all personnel were asked to enact active shooter protocols.
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Disturbed female soldier dies after she shoots herself in apparent suicide attempt at Fort Lee in Virginia
The female sergeant died after she barricaded herself in an office at the Combined Arms Support Command and threw things at police who tried to calm her down before firing a single round into her head, a major general at the fort said.
New York Daily News
BY PHILIP CAULFIELD
August 25, 2014
An unhinged female soldier died after she barricaded herself in an office at Fort Lee in Virginia and shot herself in the head on Monday, officials said.
The soldier initially survived the self-inflicted blast, but died after she was taken to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, officials at the fort said.
The incident at the heavily populated base began at around 9 a.m. when military authorities received alerts about a female soldier with a gun inside building 5020 at the Combined Arms Support Command headquarters.
Maj. Gen. Stephen R. Lyons, CASC's commander, said the sergeant 1st class had snapped, barricaded herself in an office with a gun and threw things at authorities trying to talk her down. read more here
There was another suicide tied to Fort Lee in January
Man dead in apparent murder-suicide a soldier, Fort Lee officials say
FROM STAFF REPORTS)
Published: January 15, 2014
FORT LEE - A man suspected of killing his wife and then turning the gun on himself was a decorated Fort Lee soldier who had done several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Terrell D. Davidson, 38, was an Army first sergeant who had deployed to Iraq for three tours and one tour in Afghanistan, according to a statement from Fort Lee officials Tuesday.
Davidson was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the 12000 block of Mason Avenue around 9:15 p.m. Sunday, according to Chesterfield County police. Nearby, police found the body of the solider's wife, Nequia S. Davidson, 39. She died from a gunshot wound, police said.
Terrell Davidson entered active duty service in 1993 as an automated logistical specialist. He arrived at Fort Lee two years ago and served in a staff position as an instructor/writer. In November 2013, he was assigned as the senior noncommissioned officer in a 23rd Quartermaster Brigade training company.
Davidson deployed to Afghanistan in 2010 and Iraq in 2003, 2004 and 2008.
His awards and decorations included the Bronze Star medal, five Army Commendation medals, five Army Achievement medals, six Army Good Conduct medals, two National Defense Service medals, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary medal, Global War on Terrorism Service medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbons, Combat Action Badge and Air Assault. read more here
