Members of Congress, Weapons of Mass Deception!

There is a very interesting report on Foreign Policy about contractors working with the military. Within the report is this stunning piece of information.

"The extent of contracted support for America’s wars can be unearthed in the Pentagon’s daily “contracts” press releases. The most important recent U.S. policy statement for America’s post-2014 role in Afghanistan did not come from the White House, but rather was found in two paragraphs published late on New Year’s Eve, in which the Pentagon announced $100 million in contracts for DynCorp International, LLC, to “advise, train, and mentor” the Afghan Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense. Similarly revealing contracts include $12.8 million for Six3 Intelligence Solutions, Inc., $36 million for IDS International Government Services, LLC, and two — released on the same day — for $6.9 and $6.8 million awarded to Battlespace Flight Services, LLC, for work “performed at Jalalabad, Afghanistan,” and work “performed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada” (Foreign Policy)

We now know that contractors have also been paid to take care of the troops medical care, as well as veterans. An example of that was proudly talked about at a Memorial event I attended over the weekend. One of the speakers talk about providing this "care" to the troops and veterans.

Luke and Associates Inc., a tiny, Brevard County startup staffing company that had never generated any contracts or revenue, signed a 10-year, $1.9 billion contract -- that's billion with a "B" -- with the U.S. Air Force to supply medical personnel to bases all over the country.

Luke and Associates, Inc. Awarded $20 million Contract at Fort Bliss, Texas

Is this all there was? Oh hell no! Plenty more to go around. There was a time when politicians were ashamed to have this kind of thing go on but now, hey, business as usual.

While you're thinking of those numbers, remember this was all happening when these same guys decimated the military with sequestration cuts and deployed servicemembers got lay off notices because there wasn't enough money to let them stay on the only job they ever wanted to do.

Angry yet? Politicians sent troops into Iraq looking for WMD but they should have just checked in Washington first for the real ones jeopardizing our security. Members of Congress, Weapons of Mass Deception!

The New Unknown Soldiers of Afghanistan and Iraq
Did you know that private contractors in Afghanistan outnumber U.S. troops three to one?
Foreign Policy
BY MICAH ZENKO
MAY 29, 2015

This past Monday, as on every Memorial Day, American political and military leaders paid tribute to the sacrifice of service members who gave their lives for their country. The day of remembrance is not only to honor the past dead, but also to recognize the tens of thousands of service members still deployed in combat zones today, regardless of whether politicians label them as “wars” or whether these operations are in the forefront of Americans’ minds. On Memorial Day itself, the Pentagon released a somber statement: “Sgt. 1st Class Pablo A. Ruiz, 37, of Melbourne, Florida, died May 24, in Bagram, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related incident.”

President Barack Obama, speaking at Arlington National Cemetery, used standard language of reflection declaring, “We honor the sacrifice of the thousands of American service members — men and women — who gave their lives since 9/11, including more than 2,200 American patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan.” This is factually accurate.

However, it overlooks the important sacrifices made by non-service members on behalf of military missions. Since 9/11, a total of 1,592 private contractors (approximately 32 percent of whom were Americans) working on Department of Defense contracts were also killed in Afghanistan. Last year, private contractors accounted for 64 percent of all U.S. deaths in Afghanistan (56 service members and 101 contractors died). But we cannot know exactly where last year’s deceased are from, because shockingly the U.S. Department of Labor “does not routinely track the nationality of workers injured or killed under any of the laws administered by the program.”
read more here

DOD Casinos and Stippers OK, Marine WIth Bible Verse Court Martialed?

It seems folks are really upset over the report about our tax dollars being spent by the Department of Defense on stippers and gambling. The kicker is that they could have spent more but the charges were declined. A Marine got kicked out over a bible verse on her computer. Bet these guys got promotions!

U.S. military charge cards used at strip clubs and casinos thousands of times
The Washington Post
By Dan Lamothe
May 20, 2015

The charges examined included 4,437 made in casinos and 900 made in adult entertainment venues, the IG found. The Army had the most adult-entertainment charges flagged by the watchdog, followed by the Air Force.

U.S. troops and Defense Department employees improperly used their government charge cards to spend more than $1 million in casinos and strip clubs in one year, according to a new report released Monday by the top Pentagon watchdog.

The Defense Department Inspector General found that in the 12 months ending June 30, 2014, $952,258 was improperly spent using government charge cards in casinos and $96,576 was spent in “adult entertainment establishments.” The numbers would have been even higher, the watchdog found, but some credit-card transactions were declined.
read more here

Sgt. Rafael Peralta To Receive Navy Cross Posthumously

UPDATE
Peralta family will donate fallen Marine's Navy Cross to ship

The family plans to treasure the Navy Cross over the summer and donate it to the ship for its Oct. 31 christening, Peralta-Donald said.

A photo of the newly named Navy destroyer Rafael Peralta is displayed during a ceremony in San Diego. (Photo: Lance Cpl. Anna Albrecht/Marine Corps)

Family of Rafael Peralta, fallen Iraq war hero, to accept Navy Cross award after long refusal
Washington Post
Dan Lamothe
May 28, 2015

The family of one of the most celebrated Marine Corps heroes of the Iraq war will soon accept the nation’s second-highest award for valor on his behalf, nearly 11 years after he was killed in combat and almost seven years after the Pentagon made the controversial decision to deny him the Medal of Honor.

Sgt. Rafael Peralta will soon receive the Navy Cross posthumously during a ceremony at Camp Pendleton, Calif., said his younger brother, Ricardo. Peralta’s mother, Rosa, still believes the sergeant deserves the nation’s highest award for heroism in combat, but is tired after years of appeals. She had refused to accept the Navy Cross, citing her belief he deserved the higher award.

“That decision does not mean that she was willing to settle,” Ricardo, 24, told The Washington Post in a phone interview. “It just means that she grew tired of it.”
read more here

Will Sgt. Rafael Peralta's life finally be honored?

Denial of Medal of Honor for Sgt. Rafael Peralta causes anger to survivors

The decision is "almost like somebody called me a liar," said Marine Sgt. Nicholas Jones, 25, who was with Peralta that day. Jones, a recruiter, said Peralta's actions have become part of Marine Corps lore, as drill sergeants and officer-candidate instructors repeat it to new Marines. "His name is definitely synonymous with valor," said Jones, who was wounded by the grenade blast.

"I know for a fact that I would have been killed … and that my daughter, Sophia, our new baby, Sienna, would not be here or coming into the world. And that my son, Noah, would have grown up without knowing his dad," said Robert Reynolds, 31, a corrections officer and former Marine who was with Peralta that day.

High School Students Build Home For Iraq Veteran

High school students build home from ground up for wounded veteran
The Associated Press
By JOHN ROGERS
Published: May 29, 2015

Asked when he'd actually move in, he laughed and replied: "As soon as the cameras leave."

27-year-old Iraq war veteran Jerral Hancock, sitting on an electric wheelchair, and members of Operation All The Way Home(OATH) chant their slogans after a meeting at Lancaster High School on Monday, Oct. 21, 2013, in Lancaster, Calif. The seniors in Jamie Goodreau's high school history class learned Hancock was stuck in a modest mobile home for months, unable to travel the 70 miles to the nearest VA hospital in Los Angeles to have his bedsores treated or his rotting teeth fixed. Goodreau's students, who each year raise a few thousand dollars for veterans, decided to make Hancock their cause. AP

LOS ANGELES — Jerral Hancock is about to replace the worst day of his life with the best one.

The Army veteran, who was partially paralyzed, badly burned and lost his left arm when the tank he was driving through Iraq on his 21st birthday was attacked, will get a spacious, new home built from the ground up by a group of Southern California high school students. The students took up Hancock's cause as part of an annual school project honoring veterans.

After two years of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars from selling T-shirts and refrigerator magnets, soliciting donations from businesses and receiving unsolicited help from people that included actor Gary Sinise and local prison inmates, they'll present the keys to Hancock on Friday, his 29th birthday.

"I'm grateful, I'm very, very grateful," the retired soldier said by phone Thursday in a voice filled with emotion.
read more here

Patriotism and Pretence on Memorial Day

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
May 28, 2015

This weekend was one event after another. I told coworkers it was good to be back at work so that I could get some rest with the usual chaos.

I love covering the events and sharing what the press hardly ever shows.

This is from the Lake Nona VA Hospital Dedication.  As you can see, these cameramen blocked the view of the veterans behind them,

but what makes it worse is, none of them showed the whole event and few put anything on air at all.

I have a unique view of crowds behind the camera. I watch their faces, listen to the folks in the crowd almost more than I listen to the speakers. While the news crews were in the way, I was off to the side, standing in the sun in over 90 degree heat, so that I could see the speakers as well as the veterans. After all it was the dedication of their hospital.

We left early due to other appointments plus, I really didn't want to hear the same thing out of the politicians I've been hearing for years.

There is a vast difference between a politician speaking, reading words but clearly lacking the experience behind the words. They stumble over words that should come flowing out while they choke back words to appear to be emotional. Usually these stunts are followed by screwing up something important like a name or an important event in our history.

They read the words and some, if they are good and practiced enough, they glantz at the words written for them but if you pay close attention, it is easy to tell they don't have a clue what the words really mean to members in the crowd.

Then there are the veterans. When they speak, it is from their hearts filled with the experiences behind the words. Sometimes when they stop, choke back, then carry on, you can see it in their eyes and the change in their tone how much those words truly meant to them.

If you took the same speech about fallen servicemembers and had a politician read it right after a veteran did, you'd booo because the difference is that obvious.

I heard a Vietnam veteran talk about not leaving another generation of veterans behind and how they fight for all veterans to make sure they don't ever have to experience what they were put through. Then I heard politicians at another event talk about how they value veterans and want to make sure they are taken care of, but the words were just words. No emotion. No understanding of what it is like to be a veteran, disabled by risking his/her life because some politicians decided they needed to go but never planned for when these veterans returned.

The Lake Nona VA took about 10 years to get to the point where they started taking appointments and even now they are limited. It is supposed to be fully operational by the end of the year. Think about that for a second. All those years and all we heard out of members of Congress is it is all the VA's fault. After all, why would they want to remind anyone that they are responsible for this and everything else the VA does or does not do?

Jeff Miller
U.S. House of Representatives
United States Representative Jeff Miller serves as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The Committee on Veterans’ Affairs is responsible for authorization and oversight of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA.) VA is the second largest department in the federal government with over 300,000 employees and a budget of over $150 billion.

Congressman Jeff Miller, Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee has been on that committee since 2001. That is proudly stated on his website.

After taking the oath of office in 2001, Congressman Miller was appointed to the House Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He quickly established himself within Washington as a strong advocate for veterans' concerns and immediately supported changes to concurrent receipt and policy changes such as a greater co-sharing between the military and veterans' clinics.

Is this all his fault? No, but like all those before him, they simply don't feel the words they say and none of them have ever accepted responsibility for what they left behind. Mainly, veterans in line waiting for the care they were promised time and time again, years after more years. Most of the talking has been during election years.

The groundbreaking for the VA Hospital was in 2008 and every politician showed up to take credit for it even though building it wasn't scheduled to begin until 2010.  Every politician on that stage was involved in this in one way or another, but as with everything else, they seem to forget it was their job to make sure happened.

When politicians gave their speeches at the other events, their words painfully came out to the point where folks stopped listening hoping they'd finish. When veterans spoke the pain came from living what the words meant and folks hoped they'd be able to finish their speech without breaking down.

Hands wiped away tears for them yet when politicians spoke, hands wiped away sweat because the difference between the pretence of patriotism and true patriots was obvious.

Fort Bliss Soldier From Florida Receives Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device

Army chief of staff honors two young Fort Bliss soldiers as heroes 
Army chief of staff pins medals of valor for their actions during an ambush in Afghanistan
El Paso Times
By David Burge
POSTED: 05/27/2015

Rudy Gutierrez—El Paso Times
Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, left, the 38th Chief of Staff for the U.S. Army pins the Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device to SPC Robert Gillespie, center, and PFC Nile Clarke, right, during a ceremony on post. The two soldiers were cited for their actions on March 13, 2014 when the convoy they were riding in was ambushed by insurgents in Afghanistan.

FORT BLISS
Two young Fort Bliss soldiers say they were just doing their jobs as infantry men, but the Army says they are heroes.

Spc. Robert Gillespie, a 21-year-old from Bartow, Fla., and Pfc. Nile Clarke, a 20-year-old from Norwalk, Conn., were each given the Army Commendation Medal with Valor Device during a ceremony at Fort Bliss on Wednesday.

They were recognized for their actions when the unit they were with in Afghanistan was ambushed on March 13, 2014, in the Zabul Province. They both exposed themselves to enemy fire, returned fire and allowed a six-vehicle convoy they were riding in to free itself up. No American soldiers were killed or wounded in the incident.

Making Wednesday's ceremony even more memorable, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, who was visiting Fort Bliss for the day, pinned the medals on the two soldiers.

"They represent what we are about" as soldiers, Odierno said. "They care about the mission, they care about each other, about who they are and what they represent."

"War is a very personal business, especially on the squad and platoon level," Odierno added.

"It's about taking care of each other."
read more here

Fort Hood First Lieutenant Found Dead on Memorial Day

W. Mich. soldier dies from gunshot wound at Fort Hood
WWMT News 3
May 27, 2015

FORT HOOD, Texas (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - A soldier from West Michigan has died from an apparent gunshot wound in Fort Hood, Texas.

30-year-old First Lieutenant Dilon Mitchell died on Memorial Day at his on-post home.
check here for update

Fort Bragg Soldier's Death Touched Many By How He LIved

Fallen Fort Bragg soldier remembered for selfless service, dedication to troops 
Fay Observer
By Drew Brooks, Military editor
May 27, 2015

A Fort Bragg soldier who died in Afghanistan the day before Memorial Day is being remembered for his selfless service to the families of fallen troops and his dedication to his soldiers.

Pablo A. Ruiz III died Sunday of non-combat-related injuries in Bagram.

The 37-year-old soldier from Melbourne, Florida, was deployed with elements of the 3rd Special Forces Group. The cause of his death remains under investigation, officials said.

Ruiz, who was posthumously promoted to master sergeant, was noncommissioned officer in charge of a dining facility for Special Forces soldiers in Afghanistan, according to officials.

His battalion commander, Lt. Col. John Sannes, said in an email from Afghanistan that Ruiz led by example, "always diving in alongside his soldiers to complete any mission or task."

"We lost a great soldier, leader, husband and father," Sannes said.
read more here

Salem Virginia PTSD Veterans Sent to North Carolina?

The good thing is that this article points out they are separating types of PTSD finally. Treating them all the same, no matter what the trauma was, didn't make sense for decades. The best-real-experts, have been saying that for as long as they have been researching PTSD and that goes back to about 40 years ago.

The bad thing is, this means that the veterans will be away from their family support.

Salem VA to shift some PTSD patients to North Carolina
Roanoke.com
Luanne Rife

May 28, 2015

The Salem VA Medical Center in July will begin to send veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder to North Carolina for residential treatment.

The change announced Thursday affects only veterans whose PTSD is considered combat-induced. No changes are expected to outpatient PTSD treatment programs and support groups. Veterans whose PTSD is attributed to other causes, including military sexual assault, can continue to access a residential program in Salem.

Until now, the Salem VA did not differentiate between combat and noncombat PTSD.

“Right now we have an inpatient program that we bring in a big group for a six-week period of time for combat and noncombat PTSD,” said Ann Benois, a spokeswoman for the medical center. The shift requires sorting between the types and sending vets with combat-related cases to a pilot project established at the Salisbury VA Medical Center in North Carolina.
read more here

Ret. Master Sergeant Memorial Day Speech All Should Read

A speech on the occasion of Memorial Day, May 25, 2015 
Harvard Press
by Master Sergeant (ret.) Dennis Lyddy
May 28, 2015

Master Sergeant (ret.) Dennis Lyddy. 

(Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz) 

Distinguished guests, honored brothers and sisters in arms, my family—Kelly, Patrick, Victor, Taylor, and Ashton—fellow citizens of America …

I am grateful to be standing before you this Memorial Day, May 25, 2015.

Memorial Day is the day citizens can still freely gather to honor those men and women, a father or a mother, a son or a daughter, a brother or a sister who sacrificed everything in this world, so that we can continue our American way of life each day: a way of life safe from the horror of suicide bombers; secure from the brutality of snipers, car bombers, and thoughtless mines; unthreatened by indiscriminate mortars and the savagery of IEDs—a way of life that provides opportunity to learn without terror, to worship without judgment, to nourish without want, to love without labels, and to speak without fear.

Each of us present today believes, acts, and teaches the continuum of noblesse oblige.



A simple question: Why so few?
Memorial Day is a day of acknowledgment.

A day of memories and emotions Memorial Day is a day of memories and emotions.

On August 27, 2003, a native son of Deerfield, Massachusetts, died in Al Hilla, Iraq.

A roadside bomb, detonated by cowards, murdered 24-year-old Sgt. Gregory Belanger—a chef, a son, a fellow citizen-soldier.

The chef could not prepare a four-star, candlelit, romantic meal for two in a cozy apartment for a broken-hearted fiancée. The son did not get the chance to pass on his winning smile and impish tricks to a child that would make grandparents laugh and carry on the family name.

The nation lost a generous citizen-soldier who shared his tent with me and willingly left behind school, family, the love of his life, when he heard the clarion.

On September 20, 2003, a brutal insurgent mortar attack targeting Iraqi prisoners killed 26-year-old Sgt. David Travis Friedrich. Travis Friedrich, the student, studied with fabled Dr. Henry Lee to become a forensic scientist.

Sgt. Friedrich, the citizen-soldier, blended his skills, discipline, and humanity to go after the biggest group of criminals since World War II. Travis’s light was prematurely snuffed out before his brilliance could illuminate the darkness of crime.

These are only two small stories about Americans killed in a combat zone. When will they end? On MassLive, reporter Fred Contrada wrote about U.S. Army Capt. Roselle M. Hoffmaster, a Smith College graduate. Hoffmaster, a surgeon assigned to Iraq, died under “non-combat-related” circumstances in September 2007, according to the army. Sixteen months later, a government report concluded that Roselle took her own life.

In a May 6, 2014, article, the Boston Globe reported that Jeffrey Lucey, a USMC veteran, committed suicide on June 22, 2004. The Globe also photographed members of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America placing 1,892 flags representing veterans and service members who have died by suicide.

These are only two short stories about Americans dying in a safety zone. The statistics from various studies, government agencies, and independent researchers reveal that the suicide rate of veterans exceeds the suicide rate of civilians for the first time.

I simply ask: Why so many? read more here

Military-Civilian Police Officer Not Allowed in 7-11 on Memorial Day?

This story is in need of editing. Deitch is the veteran/owner and Sox is the dog. Hope they fix it.

Owner of 7-Eleven apologizes for kicking out veteran's service dog
New Jersey.com
By Dave Hutchinson
May 27, 2015

Deitch is both a military police and civilian police service dog, according to News 12.

PARSIPPANY — The owner of a Parsippany 7-Eleven has apologized to a veteran who was not allowed into the store on Memorial Day because of his service dog, according to News 12 New Jersey.

Veteran Michael Deitch said he was not allowed into the 7-Eleven on North Beverwyck Road because he had his service dog, Sox, with him, the report said. Sox, a 7-month-old lab-hound-mix, is federally protected under the American with Disabilities Act, the report said. read more here

Boston Homeless Veterans Center Getting Makeover

The New England Center for Homeless Veterans is very near to my heart. When I lived in Massachusetts I had a tour of the building and saw the work they do first hand. I sat with some of the veterans for a while and discovered what a difference it made to them to know they were cared about as well as cared for.

Boston homeless veterans center to get $31m upgrade
Boston Globe
By Steve Annear
GLOBE STAFF
MAY 27, 2015

The renovation project will include adding 200 transitional housing units and 38 permanent housing units to the center, as well as upgrades to the 59 permanent living spaces already in use.

Homeless veterans in Boston and surrounding communities will have better access to improved living accommodations, transitional services, and vocational programs, as a center dedicated to helping them begins work on a multimillion-dollar renovation downtown.

On Wednesday, the New England Center for Homeless Veterans will break ground on the $31 million, 18-month construction project to provide state-of-the art resources for its clients.

“The building is showing its age, so we are creating a facility that can be adaptable for veterans for decades to come,” said Andy McCawley, president and chief executive of the Court Street center. “These upgrades will get people into housing faster and more effectively, and offer a full array of services like case management support, vocational training, employment services, and wellness services.”

The project should be complete by the end of next year, said McCawley, a retired Navy officer, and will help aid the more than 1,500 homeless vets that the center assists annually.
read more here

Camp Lejeune Marine Court-martialed Over Bible Verse?

Marine court-martialed for refusing to remove Bible verse 
FOX News
Todd Starnes
May 26, 2015

“This is a very scary time when you are not allowed to have a very small printed Bible verse in your own personal workspace because it might offend other Marines,” Sasser told me. “Our Marines are trained to deal with some of the most hostile people on the planet. I don’t think they are afraid of tiny words on a tiny piece of paper.”

A United States Marine was convicted at a court-martial for refusing to remove a Bible verse on her computer – a verse of Scripture the military determined “could easily be seen as contrary to good order and discipline.”

The plight of Lance Corporal Monifa Sterling seems unbelievable – a member of the Armed Forces criminally prosecuted for displaying a slightly altered passage of Scripture from the Old Testament: “No weapon formed against me shall prosper.”

Sterling, who represented herself at trial, was convicted February 1, 2014 in a court-martial at Camp Lejune, North Carolina after she refused to obey orders from a staff sergeant to remove the Bible verses from her desk.

She was found guilty of failing to go to her appointed place of duty, disrespect toward a superior commissioned officer, and four specifications of disobeying the lawful order of a noncommissioned officer.

The Christian Marine was given a bad conduct discharge and a reduction in rank from lance corporal to private.
read more here

Sailor's Death in Abu Dhabi Under Investigation

Sailor from Illinois dies overseas 
WGN News
BY TOM NEGOVAN
MAY 22, 2015

ABU DHABI– A sailor from Illinois has died overseas, according to the Department of Defense.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Ryan D. Burris, 24, of Lisle, died May 21, in Abu Dhabi, UAE, of a non-combat related incident at Zayed Military City as he was helping to support Operation Inherent Resolve—that is the fight against ISIS.

He was temporarily assigned to the Crisis Response Element of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Arabian Peninsula, Special Operations Command Central, U.S. Central Command, according to the Department of Defense. read more here

Restaurant Makes Amends After PTSD Veteran Turned Away

Restaurant manager fired after veteran, dog turned away
WGNO News
BY ANTHONY PERRUCCI
MAY 26, 2015

Hershey the Labradoodle was turned away from a restaurant in Illinois. (WGN)

ALGONQUIN, Ill. (WGN)— An Illinois veteran’s trip to a restaurant over the weekend caused an uproar and cost a restaurant manager her job.

Garrett Loughran of Huntley has served four tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. And like a lot of veterans, Garrett uses a service dog to help with his PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.

Hershey, a 5-year-old Labradoodle, helps keep him calm in crowds and adjust to civilian life. He’s no ordinary canine. In fact, he’s specially trained for this. By law, he’s allowed to go where Garrett does.

But Garrett’s mom wanted to take him to a pre-Memorial Day lunch at the Houlihan’s in nearby Algonquin. And that’s when things got a little touchy. The veteran, his mom and his dog were turned away.

Houlihan’s says the manager involved in turning Laura, Garrett and Hershey away has been fired and it’s donating $2,000 dollars to the organization Pets for Vets.
read more here