Fallen soldier comes home from Vietnam 45 years later
WCNC.com
April 9, 2015
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Bunyan Price died 45 years ago during the Vietnam War. Today his family was finally able to see him come home.
The family was joined at Charlotte-Douglas International Airport by a police escort along with some 300 members of the Patriot Guard.
They looked on as the casket with Price's remains was slowly lowered from the aircraft that carried him on the last leg of his long journey home.
His uncle, Harley Walker Jr. said, "We were kind of shocked but it is a relief."
Relief that the family now knows what happened to Price, who was a 19 year old fighting in Vietnam.
read more here
Friday, April 10, 2015
Subclass of Fort Hood Wounded Don't Count
Fort Hood’s mentally wounded veterans don’t qualify for Purple Hearts
2009 shooting now classified as ‘terror’
The Washington Times
By Jacqueline Klimas
Thursday, April 9, 2015
The Defense Department is awarding 47 Purple Hearts and Defense of Freedom Medals, the latter being the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart, to victims and the families of those who were killed in the shooting.
The event holds special meaning to some, as it ends a years-long battle to classify the shooting as a terrorist attack, not workplace violence.
But for others, the battle is far from over.
“I will always have an empty chair at my table,” said Harold Berry, the father of a soldier stationed at the Texas base at the time of the shooting.
“A Purple Heart isn’t going to bring him back, but it would help my family have some closure.”
Mr. Berry’s son, Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Berry, committed suicide in February 2013.
While he suffered a shoulder injury in the shootout on that November day in 2009, his father said it was the mental wounds sustained during the shooting that left a lasting impact and led to his death from PTSD. The younger Berry won’t be honored at tomorrow’s ceremony.
read more here
2009 shooting now classified as ‘terror’
The Washington Times
By Jacqueline Klimas
Thursday, April 9, 2015
“They don’t think we should have that medal, because they don’t think we have been wounded. Well, I beg to differ,” said Mr. Woods, who is a Vietnam-era veteran who suffers from PTSD himself.As victims and families are honored Friday for the sacrifices they made in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, some say the Department of Defense is ignoring soldiers who died from invisible wounds suffered that day.
The Defense Department is awarding 47 Purple Hearts and Defense of Freedom Medals, the latter being the civilian equivalent of the Purple Heart, to victims and the families of those who were killed in the shooting.
The event holds special meaning to some, as it ends a years-long battle to classify the shooting as a terrorist attack, not workplace violence.
But for others, the battle is far from over.
“I will always have an empty chair at my table,” said Harold Berry, the father of a soldier stationed at the Texas base at the time of the shooting.
“A Purple Heart isn’t going to bring him back, but it would help my family have some closure.”
Mr. Berry’s son, Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Berry, committed suicide in February 2013.
While he suffered a shoulder injury in the shootout on that November day in 2009, his father said it was the mental wounds sustained during the shooting that left a lasting impact and led to his death from PTSD. The younger Berry won’t be honored at tomorrow’s ceremony.
read more here
Congress Offers Symbol to Fort Hood Soldiers, Not in a Good Way
Unless you have no clue how the government works you know that this is all tied to Congress and what they decided to leave out of this! Basically they ended up giving them something much different than a medal and more in line with a middle finger.
Fort Hood shooting victim denied benefits, despite Purple Heart decision
FOX News
By Catherine Herridge
Published April 10, 2015
EXCLUSIVE: The Obama administration has finally acknowledged that those hurt and killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shootings were victims of terrorism -- and not “workplace violence,” as it was previously described. But while formal recognition of that is set for Friday, when victims will receive the Purple Heart, it may only be symbolic.
Fox News has learned as part of its ongoing investigation of the 2009 terrorist attack that the military, at least in one case, is still denying benefits for injuries sustained in the attack.
"I think it's almost unheard of for someone to receive the Purple Heart but not have their injuries deemed combat-related," Shawn Manning, who was seriously injured in the 2009 attack, told Fox News. "I know that was not what Congress intended to have happen, but it is what currently the Army has determined is going to happen."
On Nov. 5, 2009, then-Staff Sgt. Manning was shot six times by Maj. Nidal Hasan. Two bullets are still in his body -- one in his leg, the other in his back -- and he suffers from PTSD.
The 2015 defense budget -- known as the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA -- included language that meant Fort Hood victims were eligible for the Purple Heart honor because the attack was inspired by a foreign terrorist group, and not workplace violence, as the Defense Department initially labeled it.
read more here
Orlando area veterans needed for photo shoot
We've been planning a stunt for veterans to send a message most reporters miss. Up until now, we've kept it pretty quiet but ran into a problem.
We had enough veterans lined up to do this but it took time to work out the logistics, find the piece of equipment we needed and the location. We need more veterans now!
Orlando area veterans needed for photo shoot tomorrow at 9:00 am
Location 5176 West Colonial (Route 50) Orlando
Between Kirkman and Pine Hills
Wear a hat! This is a must!!!!! If you have extra hats, bring them just in case.
If you deployed in combat, wear where you served. If you didn't then, wear hat with your branch of service on it.
You can wear whatever else you want, serious or even funny like your PJs.
Shorts are good too, if you have the legs for them but please, for the sake of others, no socks and sandals!
Details not being released to public but you can call me to get more information at 407-754-7526.
This should all be done in less than 30 minutes!
We had enough veterans lined up to do this but it took time to work out the logistics, find the piece of equipment we needed and the location. We need more veterans now!
Orlando area veterans needed for photo shoot tomorrow at 9:00 am
Location 5176 West Colonial (Route 50) Orlando
Between Kirkman and Pine Hills
Wear a hat! This is a must!!!!! If you have extra hats, bring them just in case.
If you deployed in combat, wear where you served. If you didn't then, wear hat with your branch of service on it.
You can wear whatever else you want, serious or even funny like your PJs.
Shorts are good too, if you have the legs for them but please, for the sake of others, no socks and sandals!
Details not being released to public but you can call me to get more information at 407-754-7526.
This veterans event is for all veterans!
This should all be done in less than 30 minutes!
Camp Pendleton Marines, Everything Working Against Them, Everyone For Each Other
Marines Awarded Navy Cross, Bronze Stars for Bravery in Afghanistan Battle
NBC San Diego
By Andie Adams and Bridget Naso
Apr 9, 2015
Six Camp Pendleton Marines were honored Thursday for their bravery in Afghanistan: one with the Navy Cross, and the others with the Bronze Star.
All part of a Marine Corps Special Operations Team, they took part in one of the most historic battles during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Gunnery Sgt. Brian Jacklin, who was the team’s second in command, described the June 2012 battle at an early morning ceremony at Camp Pendleton Thursday.
He and ten fellow Marines were helping the Army stabilize villages in the Helmand province when they were surrounded on all sides by their foes. “The enemy had the advantage in terms of geographic position, they had the advantage in terms of local fire power.
Everything was working against that team,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman at the ceremony.
read more here
NBC San Diego
By Andie Adams and Bridget Naso
Apr 9, 2015
“I asked the guys, I said, 'Look, does anyone have a problem with risking it to take these guys out there because if we don't, they're going to die here,’” said Jacklin. “And there wasn't a second of hesitation. Everyone says, ‘I'm in, let's do it, let's do it.”
He and ten fellow Marines were helping the Army stabilize villages in the Helmand province when they were surrounded on all sides by their foes. “The enemy had the advantage in terms of geographic position, they had the advantage in terms of local fire power.
Everything was working against that team,” said Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman at the ceremony.
read more here
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Veterans Feel Like They Are Just Numbers
'We're just numbers,' local veteran contends
Observer
Alyssa Choiniere
Digital News
April 9, 2015
Morris knew he didn't want to go out like his roommate who left the bullet hole behind after his suicide. But he was running out of options.
After months of trying to get the care he needed from the Department of Veterans Affairs for post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic injuries caused by a bomb blast, he was close to giving up.
“They're trying to get things, on the outside, to look better,” he said. “The easiest way for them to deal with us is for us to just kill ourselves because we're just numbers.”
On March 30, veteran Michelle Langhorst, 31, of Plum, shot herself in the head at the H.J. Heinz Campus of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in Aspinwall, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office.
read more here
Observer
Alyssa Choiniere
Digital News
April 9, 2015
“The easiest way for them to deal with us is for us to just kill ourselves because we're just numbers.”Retired Marine Cpl. Christopher Morris didn't know where else to go, so he stayed there, in his Morgantown apartment, wishing heavy metal would drown out his racing mind, wishing his eyes would stop darting up to the bullet hole in the ceiling, wishing his thoughts would stop drifting toward the New River Gorge Bridge.
Morris knew he didn't want to go out like his roommate who left the bullet hole behind after his suicide. But he was running out of options.
After months of trying to get the care he needed from the Department of Veterans Affairs for post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic injuries caused by a bomb blast, he was close to giving up.
“They're trying to get things, on the outside, to look better,” he said. “The easiest way for them to deal with us is for us to just kill ourselves because we're just numbers.”
On March 30, veteran Michelle Langhorst, 31, of Plum, shot herself in the head at the H.J. Heinz Campus of the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System in Aspinwall, according to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner's office.
read more here
Veterans Still Waiting Too Long for Care, Decades After Congress Promised
How many times does it have to be said that members of Congress keep making promises to fix the VA? They've been doing in since 1946 when the first House Veterans Affairs Committee took their seats and have been sitting on them ever since in more ways than the most obvious.
Look what all the promises made ended up being, then remember many members of congress want the VA to be turned over to for profit operations. How can they do it? Destroy the VA first. We noticed!
Clarksburg VA
Mississippi
Florida
Ohio
And one more reason to not use the term PTS instead of PTSD. It actually stands for something else.
Colorado
The veterans service organizations that make up the Independent Budget-AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)-last month told Congress that for FY 2003 it recommends a medical care appropriation of $24.4 billion, an increase of $3.1 billion over this year's level.Veterans have been hearing it for years, and years, and then more years. At the same time they have been encouraged to go to the VA and file claims, the other part of the VA was not anywhere close to being able to meet the increased demand. So year after year Congress held hearings and then dropped the ball when it was in their hands to actually do the right thing.
Look what all the promises made ended up being, then remember many members of congress want the VA to be turned over to for profit operations. How can they do it? Destroy the VA first. We noticed!
Veterans still waiting for care at VA hospitalsWest Virginia
Associated Press
John Boyle and David B. Caruso
April 9, 2015
FAYETTEVILLE – A year after Americans recoiled at new revelations that sick veterans were getting sicker while languishing on waiting lists — and months after the Department of Veterans Affairs instituted major reforms — government data show the number of patients facing long waits at VA facilities has not dropped at all.
No one expected that the VA mess could be fixed overnight. But the Associated Press has found that since the summer, the number of medical appointments delayed 30 to 90 days has largely stayed flat. The number of appointments that take longer than 90 days to complete has nearly doubled.
Nearly 894,000 appointments completed at VA medical facilities from Aug. 1 to Feb. 28 failed to meet the health system's timeliness goal, which calls for patients to be seen within 30 days.
The Associated Press figures show that from September 2014-February 2015, the Charles George VA had a monthly average of 23,544 completed visits, with 1.96 percent of those delayed at least 31 days. During that time, the local VA had a total of 97 cases delayed by more than 90 days, an average of 16 a month.South fares poorly
Of the 75 clinics and hospitals with the highest percentage of patients waiting more than 30 days for care, 12 are in Tennessee or Kentucky, 11 are in eastern North Carolina and the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, 11 are in Georgia or southern Alabama and six are in north Florida.
Seven more were clustered in the region between Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Colorado Springs, Colorado.
Those 47 clinics and hospitals represent just a fraction of the more than 1,000 VA facilities nationwide, but they were responsible for more than one in five of the appointments that took longer than 60 days to complete.
read more here
Clarksburg VA
Over the six-month period, nearly 13,000 of 456,800 medical appointments at VA facilities in West Virginia failed to meet the health system’s timeliness goal, which calls for patients to be seen within 30 days, according to government data reviewed by the Associated Press. The numbers include four VA medical centers and 10 outpatient centers.Maryland
About 5,700 out of 80,300 appointments, or 7.1 percent, were delayed more than 30 days at the Clarksburg VA hospital. VA medical centers in Huntington and Beckley were close to the national average. The VA hospital in Martinsburg excelled, with fewer than 1 percent of appointments delayed more than 30 days.
At the Clarksburg VA, 657 appointments stretched longer than 90 days. Only one other medical center had a higher percentage of such waits.
Overall, veterans in Maryland faced delays of at least 31 days in obtaining 7,205 appointments at VA medical centers, according to the data, which was compiled by the Associated Press. Austin Robinson, an Army veteran, said Wednesday that he has waited as long as three months to get an appointment at the Glen Burnie clinic on Landmark Drive. Sometimes, doctors tell him to call a hotline or go to an emergency room if problems persist, and he doesn't like that. "I don't understand why it takes so long," he said as he left the clinic. "The care is pretty good. It's just getting inside to get it done. Anything can happen in three months."Washington DC
Over 6 months at the Washington hospital, nearly 4,800 patients had to wait more than 30 days for an appointment, 700 had to wait more than 60 days and 94 had to wait more than 90 days.
Mississippi
The VA hospital in Biloxi has failed to meet goals of seeing patients within 30 days, an analysis of data provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reveals.
Between September and February, 4.25 percent of patients seen -- more than 5,500 people -- had waited at least a month for care and 273 people had waited at least 90 days, according to the numbers obtained by The Associated Press.
The Biloxi hospital is not the VA system's worst offender. At the Hopkinsville VA Clinic in Kentucky, which saw 5,377 patients during that time to Biloxi's 131,219, almost 20 percent of patients waited at least a month.
Florida
Statewide, though, veterans don‘t fare as well. Florida veterans still experience some of the longest wait times in the country, with the state placing 11th for the most wait times surpassing one month and fifth for delays longer than three months, according to VA data from September to February analyzed by the Associated Press.
Ohio
In Ohio, about 4 percent of patients wait more than the 30-day limit, including those who wait up to 60 days, 90 days or even longer.
Among the worst offenders includes a clinic in Portsmouth, ranked 74th out of 940 clinics in the United States, with more than 11 percent of patients experiencing a delay of 31 days or more waiting for care.
And one more reason to not use the term PTS instead of PTSD. It actually stands for something else.
But Jones said it’s a good thing they did move because that’s when doctors discovered he had post-traumatic syringomyelia, or PTS, a rare spinal cord disease that causes the development of a cyst filled with fluid after severe spinal cord injury.
PTS can manifest for years after a traumatic injury, especially if left untreated. Potentially devastating, it can cause loss of function, chronic pain, respiratory failure and in extreme cases, death. Extremely rare, not many doctors are familiar with the disease and there are few treatment options.
Colorado
The clinic moved into a new 76,000-square-foot building in Colorado Springs in August, but its on-time performance has gotten worse. In September, nearly 8 percent of appointments were past the 30-day target. It rose to 11.6 percent in February.
The VA estimates that more than 82,000 veterans live in El Paso County, by far the most of any county in the state. Arapahoe County is second with nearly 45,000.
Vietnam Veteran Built Missile In Backyard
A missile in his backyard: Vietnam veteran in Medford builds replica of MIM-23 Hawk
Veteran will showcase replica of MIM-23 Hawk in Pear Blossom Parade
Mail Tribune
By Nick Morgan
Posted Apr. 8, 2015
"It's much bigger than we thought," said Mike Halverson, the Oregon state representative of CVMA, as he stared up at the replica Vietnam-era MIM-23 Hawk missile in Bloom's backyard, along with about 10 local members.
Halverson rode his motorcycle from Marion to see the replica in person.
"It's built to scale — 16 feet, 8 inches long," Bloom said. "Young or old, they love to look at it."
read more here
Veteran will showcase replica of MIM-23 Hawk in Pear Blossom Parade
Mail Tribune
By Nick Morgan
Posted Apr. 8, 2015
"Homeland Security knows about it," Bloom said.
Ron Bloom of Medford will premiere his replica Hawk missile at the Pear Blossom Parade Saturday.When Ron Bloom of Medford approached fellow members of Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association about premiering his replica missile at the Pear Blossom Parade, they had a difficult time wrapping their minds around just what Bloom had built.
Mail Tribune / Jamie Lusch
"It's much bigger than we thought," said Mike Halverson, the Oregon state representative of CVMA, as he stared up at the replica Vietnam-era MIM-23 Hawk missile in Bloom's backyard, along with about 10 local members.
Halverson rode his motorcycle from Marion to see the replica in person.
"It's built to scale — 16 feet, 8 inches long," Bloom said. "Young or old, they love to look at it."
read more here
Forget Dolphins, Veterans Swim with Navy SEALs
Navy SEALS help veterans and have an island renamed
SEAL event will be part of Spring Fling
Charlotte Observer
BY LISA DAIDONE CORRESPONDENT
04/09/2015
The best part of Spring Fling, which will be held April 18 at LangTree Lake Norman, won’t be the exhibits from nurseries, landscapers, outdoor-specialty stores and outdoor-themed organizations.
Nor will it be the music, food, beverages or nature crafts.
The best part of the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists Spring Fling in Mooresville will be a dedication ceremony. LKN SEAL Swim charities, which holds the annual SEAL Swim, will rename a Lake Norman island, currently called Whale Island, as Navy SEAL Island, said Chris Durant, of the charity group.
Eventually, the group will hold a dedication ceremony on the island and a plant a Navy SEAL flag there.
The dedication is a result of the LKN SEAL Swim, created three years ago to raise awareness and funds to help veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Combat Related Stress.
Three former Navy SEALs – Rich Graham, Shannon Rusch and Troy Pusateri – swim 13.6 miles, beginning at McCray Creek access in Mooresville and ending at the Rusty Rudder in Cornelius with a huge party. The swim this year will be held July 24.
read more here
SEAL event will be part of Spring Fling
Charlotte Observer
BY LISA DAIDONE CORRESPONDENT
04/09/2015
Retired Navy SEALs Rich Graham, lback left, Rusch, in front and Troy Pusateri, right, participate in the 2014 LKN Navy SEAL Swim. TIM DOYLE COURTESY SEAL SWIM CHARITIES
The best part of Spring Fling, which will be held April 18 at LangTree Lake Norman, won’t be the exhibits from nurseries, landscapers, outdoor-specialty stores and outdoor-themed organizations.
Nor will it be the music, food, beverages or nature crafts.
The best part of the Lake Norman Wildlife Conservationists Spring Fling in Mooresville will be a dedication ceremony. LKN SEAL Swim charities, which holds the annual SEAL Swim, will rename a Lake Norman island, currently called Whale Island, as Navy SEAL Island, said Chris Durant, of the charity group.
Eventually, the group will hold a dedication ceremony on the island and a plant a Navy SEAL flag there.
The dedication is a result of the LKN SEAL Swim, created three years ago to raise awareness and funds to help veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Combat Related Stress.
Three former Navy SEALs – Rich Graham, Shannon Rusch and Troy Pusateri – swim 13.6 miles, beginning at McCray Creek access in Mooresville and ending at the Rusty Rudder in Cornelius with a huge party. The swim this year will be held July 24.
read more here
Sunny 105.9 Paco Lopez Remembers Veterans Everyday!
I listen to Sunny 105.9 FM everyday and one of my favorite things happens during the Paco Lopez show. He plays a song , usually the Eagles Hotel California, and dedicates it to the veterans at the VA everyday. He always makes me smile when he does it because I know how much it means to them to be remembered. It means even more because it comes from one of their own. Paco was a Marine. Or should I say is a Marine? Considering the saying goes, "Once A Marine, Always A Marine."
I asked Paco to give a bit of his background so that veterans would know why they matter so much to him. This is what he wrote back.
"I went to Paris Island in Dec of 1979 and served for 4 years at EdCtrCo, H and S Bn, MCDEC, Quantico, Va. Also, I was on the Quantico Ceremonial Squad and did many burials, grand openings, special events, and presented colors for MCDEC.
Meritoriously promoted to PFC by recruiting two into service after boot camp as a recruiters asst while awaiting my due date in MOS school. Meritoriously promoted to LCpl by graduating 1st in my class at MOS school. Meritoriously promoted to Cpl by 9 months for performance. I was an SRB Chief when I left. Rifle Expert 2nd award, 1st class PFT, 3rd class swim qual. EAS'd as an E-5/Sgt. in 1984."
Noah Galloway: A Real American Hero (And Great Dancer Too)
Sunny 105.9
April 9, 2015
I spent four years in the United States Marine Corps, serving my country. Though I never saw any battlefield action, I recognized that I could have been called onto the battlefield at any time. I intentionally, and quite voluntarily, enlisted during a very tense period in history. It was when the Ayatollah Khomeini had taken 52 hostages and held them for 444 days.
During boot camp, our drill instructors came in on several occasions and told us to pack our gear because we were going to Iran. We believed them, and so we did…only to be told 30 minutes later that our orders had been cancelled. Our hearts were pounding while we stood there on “line” waiting for our next command from our leaders. Later we learned those were only head games they played with us.
All the more reason, that as a Marine vet, I can appreciate what Noah Galloway did, and even more impressively, what he continues to do to amaze us.
read more here
I asked Paco to give a bit of his background so that veterans would know why they matter so much to him. This is what he wrote back.
Meritoriously promoted to PFC by recruiting two into service after boot camp as a recruiters asst while awaiting my due date in MOS school. Meritoriously promoted to LCpl by graduating 1st in my class at MOS school. Meritoriously promoted to Cpl by 9 months for performance. I was an SRB Chief when I left. Rifle Expert 2nd award, 1st class PFT, 3rd class swim qual. EAS'd as an E-5/Sgt. in 1984."
IAVA Paul Rieckhoff Among Others Removed for New York Mayor's Veterans Council
Mayor to present veteran board appointments, amid harsh criticism
Capital New York.com
By Gloria Pazmino
Apr. 9, 2015
Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce today a new set of appointees to the Veteran Advisory Board, finally replacing many of the members whose terms had expired.
The appointments have angered representatives of the city’s veterans, who say that de Blasio has failed to act quickly on a crisis.
The board, established in 1987, serves as a liaison between veterans and the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs and helps guide policy and connect the veterans to resources in the city. The mayor is responsible for appointing six members; the speaker and Council appoint five.
The mayor’s slow pace of appointments led to questions about whether the board was serving its purpose in the early months of his administration. Gotham Gazette reported last year on some of the holdover members’ murky attendance record at meetings and frustration among city veterans who did not feel they had a direct connection to the board.
August 18, 2014
From NPR in 2010
Capital New York.com
By Gloria Pazmino
Apr. 9, 2015
“It’s become clear to the community that the mayor is not serious about veterans' issues,”
Rieckhoff told Capital.
Mayor Bill de Blasio will announce today a new set of appointees to the Veteran Advisory Board, finally replacing many of the members whose terms had expired.
The appointments have angered representatives of the city’s veterans, who say that de Blasio has failed to act quickly on a crisis.
The board, established in 1987, serves as a liaison between veterans and the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs and helps guide policy and connect the veterans to resources in the city. The mayor is responsible for appointing six members; the speaker and Council appoint five.
The mayor’s slow pace of appointments led to questions about whether the board was serving its purpose in the early months of his administration. Gotham Gazette reported last year on some of the holdover members’ murky attendance record at meetings and frustration among city veterans who did not feel they had a direct connection to the board.
All board members who were appointed by former mayor Michael Bloomberg have been removed, including Paul Rieckhoff, the founder and C.E.O. of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America—the country’s first organization specifically for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, which boasts over 200,000 members and is headquartered in the city.
Rieckhoff told Capital the members were only told about their removal a day in advance and said he questioned the qualifications of the new members. He also criticized Loree Sutton, commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Veterans’ Affairs, for her slow pace of action so far.
read more here
August 18, 2014
IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff issued the following statement:
“IAVA congratulates General Sutton on this well deserved honor to head Veterans Affairs for the city of New York,” said IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff. “New York is home to one of the largest communities of veterans, who face the same issues as veterans across the country, including homelessness, unemployment, suicide, waiting on disability benefits, and more. General Sutton knows the problems veterans face and is uniquely positioned to help solve them. As a New York based organization, IAVA looks forward to continuing our work with General Sutton as she continues to improve the lives of veterans.”
From NPR in 2010
Pentagon Shifts Its Story About Departure of Leader of Brain Injury Center
Two days later, we got a message from Sutton's boss, Charles Rice, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. A Pentagon spokeswoman, Eileen Lainez, said that Haight "misspoke." Sutton stepped down after Rice decided "that a change in leadership was necessary to continue moving the organization forward," Lainez said.
The Pentagon has pledged in recent days to improve its care for soldiers with mild traumatic brain injury — and one place that might need some attention is communications at the top.
Earlier this month, we reported that the military was routinely failing to diagnose such injuries, which are the most common head wounds sustained by soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan. We also found that soldiers had trouble getting adequate treatment at one of America's largest military bases, Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas.
Female Veterans Not Getting Proper Help For PTSD
Feds: Female Veterans Battling to Get PTSD Treatment
Officials say cases are often linked to sexual trauma
KRGV News
Apr 08, 2015
WESLACO - Female veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may not be getting the help they need, according to federal investigators.
Investigators looked at the Veterans Benefits Administration, which is within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
One of the administration's jobs is to help female vets who suffered sexual trauma while in the military and who may now suffer from PTSD as a result.
Investigators found that there's much more work to be done.
Serving in the military is one of the toughest, most dangerous jobs in the world. Still, the real war sometimes is at home.
It's estimated that 20 percent of female veterans returning home after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. That's about 56,000 women.
read more here
Officials say cases are often linked to sexual trauma
KRGV News
Apr 08, 2015
WESLACO - Female veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder may not be getting the help they need, according to federal investigators.
Investigators looked at the Veterans Benefits Administration, which is within the Department of Veterans Affairs.
One of the administration's jobs is to help female vets who suffered sexual trauma while in the military and who may now suffer from PTSD as a result.
Investigators found that there's much more work to be done.
Serving in the military is one of the toughest, most dangerous jobs in the world. Still, the real war sometimes is at home.
It's estimated that 20 percent of female veterans returning home after serving in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. That's about 56,000 women.
read more here
Female Veterans Torment Focus After Suicide
Recent Pittsburgh suicide brings to light issues tormenting female veterans
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Sean D. Hamill
April 9, 2015
The suicide of a Plum veteran last week in the parking lot at the Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs’ H.J. Heinz facility in O’Hara was tragic because she was a young woman who seemed to have much to look forward to.
Former Army Staff Sgt. Michelle R. Langhorst, 31, served nine years in the Army, mostly as a member of the military police, before an honorable discharge in 2012. She had graduated from Point Park University last year and recently got a job as a security supervisor at UPMC Shadyside.
“She was moving forward. She had everything going for her,” said Natalie Guiler, who taught Ms. Langhorst last year in a tutorial class at Point Park. “I am devastated about Michelle’s death.”
But Ms. Langhorst’s death stood out for two main reasons: she was female and she had been receiving behavioral health treatment at the VA for at least a couple of years.
Both categories put her in a distinct minority among the painfully large number of veterans — about 22 a day, nationally, according to one study that estimated the figure based on data from 21 states — who kill themselves.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
By Sean D. Hamill
April 9, 2015
“A lot of times in life, a person just needs someone to listen to them,”
The suicide of a Plum veteran last week in the parking lot at the Pittsburgh Veterans Affairs’ H.J. Heinz facility in O’Hara was tragic because she was a young woman who seemed to have much to look forward to.
Former Army Staff Sgt. Michelle R. Langhorst, 31, served nine years in the Army, mostly as a member of the military police, before an honorable discharge in 2012. She had graduated from Point Park University last year and recently got a job as a security supervisor at UPMC Shadyside.
“She was moving forward. She had everything going for her,” said Natalie Guiler, who taught Ms. Langhorst last year in a tutorial class at Point Park. “I am devastated about Michelle’s death.”
But Ms. Langhorst’s death stood out for two main reasons: she was female and she had been receiving behavioral health treatment at the VA for at least a couple of years.
Both categories put her in a distinct minority among the painfully large number of veterans — about 22 a day, nationally, according to one study that estimated the figure based on data from 21 states — who kill themselves.
“What we try to do is give people hope,” said Veronica Lucious, who has been a suicide prevention case worker for the Pittsburgh VA since 2009.
She spends most of her day on the phone, checking in with veterans who have been flagged either by their doctor, family or friends, as being at-risk.
“A lot of times in life, a person just needs someone to listen to them,” she said.
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Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Iraq Veteran Survived 2 Tours, Killed By Co-worder
Family mourns local Army veteran shot to death in Alvin
KHOU 11 News
Grace White
April 8, 2015
HOUSTON - After two tours in Iraq, Jacob Cadriel's family thought he would finally be safe at home.
Instead, investigators say, he was shot to death at work by a disgruntled employee. Steven Young, 28, is in the Brazoria County Jail charged with murder.
"He was doing the American dream, going to work, providing for his family," said Antonio Cadriel, the victim's brother. Jacob Cadriel survived two tours with the U.S. Army in Iraq. "He was blown up, he's watched friends die," said Antonio Cadriel.
His family never imagined they'd lose him so close to home. "He got this job and he really really loved it," Antonio Cadriel said. read more here
KHOU 11 News
Grace White
April 8, 2015
HOUSTON - After two tours in Iraq, Jacob Cadriel's family thought he would finally be safe at home.
Instead, investigators say, he was shot to death at work by a disgruntled employee. Steven Young, 28, is in the Brazoria County Jail charged with murder.
"He was doing the American dream, going to work, providing for his family," said Antonio Cadriel, the victim's brother. Jacob Cadriel survived two tours with the U.S. Army in Iraq. "He was blown up, he's watched friends die," said Antonio Cadriel.
His family never imagined they'd lose him so close to home. "He got this job and he really really loved it," Antonio Cadriel said. read more here
Camp Pendleton Marine to Receive Navy Cross
Gunnery sergeant to receive Navy Cross for Afghanistan valor
The Associated Press
Published: April 8, 2015
The Los Angeles native was second in command of a team that came under attack in the Upper Gereshk Valley of Helmand province in 2012.
After his team leader and another Marine suffered life-threatening injuries, he established communications with a nearby unit.
"Without hesitation, Jacklin seized control of the situation and orchestrated a counterattack," the Marines said. "He courageously led his team out of their compound and through open terrain in order to secure a landing zone. Jacklin remained in the open, raining M203 grenades on the enemy and directing the fires of his team, until the aircraft could land and evacuate the wounded."
The Associated Press
Published: April 8, 2015
CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The Marine Corps said Tuesday that a gunnery sergeant will receive the service's second-highest award for enduring heavy assault in Afghanistan while his team leader and another Marine were ushered to safety after being shot and seriously wounded. Brian C. Jacklin, 32, will be awarded the Navy Cross on Thursday at Camp Pendleton, becoming the eighth person in the Marine Special Operations Command to receive the honor since the unit was formed in 2006.Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Brian C. Jacklin U.S. MARINE CORPS
The Los Angeles native was second in command of a team that came under attack in the Upper Gereshk Valley of Helmand province in 2012.
After his team leader and another Marine suffered life-threatening injuries, he established communications with a nearby unit.
"Without hesitation, Jacklin seized control of the situation and orchestrated a counterattack," the Marines said. "He courageously led his team out of their compound and through open terrain in order to secure a landing zone. Jacklin remained in the open, raining M203 grenades on the enemy and directing the fires of his team, until the aircraft could land and evacuate the wounded."
Also Thursday, Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commander of the Marine Special Operations Command, will award the Bronze Star with combat distinguishing device to Gunnery Sgt. William C. Simpson IV,
Staff Sgt. Christopher Buckminster, Staff Sgt. Hafeez B. Hussein, Sgt. William P. Hall and Sgt. David E. Harris, all critical-skills operators. The Marine Corps said they "boldly displayed their courage and gallantry during the same engagement as Jacklin."
read more here
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