Fort Campbell soldier remains in trauma unit after motorcycle crash
WKRN NBC News
By Talia Kaplan
Published: August 26, 2015
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Fort Campbell soldier, Nick Sprowl, is in the trauma unit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Clarksville police said he was hit by a car on his motorcycle and was seriously injured.
“He’s a fighter,” said wife Stephanie Sprowl. She is wearing his wedding ring because he can’t.
“Both hands are broken,” said Sprowl. “Spine is fractured, neck injuries, both arms are broken.”
She said his jaw, sternum, and ribs are also broken.
“His liver and spleen both have lacerations; his left kidney is damaged,” Sprowl said.
She told News 2 the father of her five young children, ages 2, 3, 6, 8, and 12, will never be the same.
read more here
Thursday, August 27, 2015
“Woe to you, blind guides!" for using veterans
End False Awareness
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 27, 2015
There is a special place in hell if you have been using veterans for your own gain. It doesn't matter how you manage to convince yourself that it is all about some "noble" cause to justify your actions. The fruits of your deeds are known to God. The results of your actions are the deaths of veterans by the thousands!
How can you claim you are making veterans aware of anything when you don't have a clue what life is like for them of for families like mine? You are blind to us at the same time you claim to be doing it all for us. You tell us that you are raising awareness but I got news for you, we already know a lot more than you will ever begin to learn. Your false awareness has only raised funds for what you want and not for what we need.
What has changed after all these charities popped up all over the country to "raise awareness" while picking our pockets?
This is a reminder of where we were on veterans committing suicide.
Yet the numbers remain the same
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
AUSTIN (KXAN) reported on November 2014 "Professional fundraisers have collected $130,399,567 for veteran organizations since 2001, the records show. But those fund-raisers kept 84 percent of the money donated. Meaning, most of the money you donate never reaches veterans needing help."
Elite Marketing used veterans
VES a VA Contractor sent veterans to a Doctor after the Department of Justice was trying to take away his license and send him to jail.
Congress and corporations are accountable to no one but God knows what they are doing! I have no need to curse you because you have already put a curse on your own head and you will answer to God for what you have done. You are no better than the charities out there collecting billions a year for using veterans.
Hold hearings all you want to pretend you care but the evidence is all around you! If you did what you claimed then there would be no need for more bills to do the same exact thing as the bills others wrote years before you. Who do you think you are fooling?
If you are still repeating the 22 a day claim, you are no better than any of the thieves picking pockets. You have been lied to and then repeated the lie instead of actually taking the time to discover what the truth is. Who are you trying to make aware of the suffering of millions of veterans? Civilians unable to put two simple facts together? "Survived combat willing to die for someone else but gave up living back home and took their own life?" Or are you trying to make veterans aware of what they know far better than you do?
Our families are real! We're not a bunch of numbers. You are using us and screwing with our lives! We're sick of suffering so you can make more money! You have done this to those you see as the least of your brothers at the same time you want the masses to think we are worth it?
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
August 27, 2015
There is a special place in hell if you have been using veterans for your own gain. It doesn't matter how you manage to convince yourself that it is all about some "noble" cause to justify your actions. The fruits of your deeds are known to God. The results of your actions are the deaths of veterans by the thousands!
How can you claim you are making veterans aware of anything when you don't have a clue what life is like for them of for families like mine? You are blind to us at the same time you claim to be doing it all for us. You tell us that you are raising awareness but I got news for you, we already know a lot more than you will ever begin to learn. Your false awareness has only raised funds for what you want and not for what we need.
What has changed after all these charities popped up all over the country to "raise awareness" while picking our pockets?
This is a reminder of where we were on veterans committing suicide.
In 2007 CBS News had a headline Suicide Epidemic Among Veterans and in that article a study CBS News asked for. It found that veterans were more than twice as likely to commit suicide in 2005 than non-vets.
Yet the numbers remain the same
The suicide rate among young male veterans continues to soar: ex-servicemen 24 and younger are now three times more likely than civilian males to take their lives, Female military veterans commit suicide at nearly six times the rate of other women, new research showed but when they factored in the younger female veterans The rates are highest among young veterans, the VA found in new research compiling 11 years of data. For women ages 18 to 29, veterans kill themselves at nearly 12 times the rate of nonveterans.But what most leave out is this simple fact.
"Veterans over the age of 50 who had entered the VA healthcare system made up about 78 percent of the total number of veterans who committed suicide"Here are just two reports on veterans new groups won't even talk about.
"BAY PINES VETERANS MEDICAL — A man fatally shot himself near a flag pole next to the front entrance of the Bay Pines VA Medical Center, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office." Deputies identified the man as 61-year-old James W. Violette of St. Petersburg.But this didn't just happen. It happened in March 17, 2011. It did happen again on August 25, 2015 when a Vietnam veteran committed suicide.
Violette was not a veteran or on staff at the hospital.
Sgt. Tom Nestor said Violette told his family he was going to do it at the hospital because he knew they would take care of his body and bury him.
Ever since leaving the battlefields of Vietnam in 1968, Marine veteran Gerhard Reitmann struggled with the horrific memories of the things he did and saw.
“It was a rough one,” said his brother, Stephan Reitmann. “Emotionally, it did a number on his mind.”
Gerhard Reitmann had trouble holding a job. He often kept to himself and, until recently, cut himself off even from his family.
On Tuesday, Reitmann’s struggle ended.
The man who once served as a guard at Camp David during the term of President Richard Nixon apparently took his own life while parked in his car on the southeast side of the sprawling Bay Pines VA campus shortly after noon, according to officials from Bay Pines and the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office.
It was near Building 37, which houses the hospital system’s human resources, environmental management and inspector general’s offices.
Bay Pines police are investigating,
Reitmann, of St. Petersburg, was 66.
Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
16 “Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but anyone who swears by the gold of the temple is bound by that oath.’ 17 You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred?Huffington Post reported on August 29, 2011 "Almost half of the 39 veterans charities rated by the American Institute of Philanthropy in its April/May 2011 report received F grades, largely because they devoted only a small ratio of their expenses to charitable programs, in part due to excessive fundraising expenses. Some of these groups defend their spending by arguing that reliance on such ratios is misleading, claiming that new nonprofits may have to spend over 50 percent of their revenue on outreach, education and fundraising for a while. But charities that spend up to 90 percent of their donations on overhead have been widely condemned and were the subject of congressional hearings in 2007."
AUSTIN (KXAN) reported on November 2014 "Professional fundraisers have collected $130,399,567 for veteran organizations since 2001, the records show. But those fund-raisers kept 84 percent of the money donated. Meaning, most of the money you donate never reaches veterans needing help."
Matthew 25:31-46 New International Version (NIV)
Hypocrisy of the Pharisees
5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
Matthew 21:12-13 King James Version (KJV)
12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves,
13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
Elite Marketing used veterans
From September 2014 to July 2015 an estimated 40,000 to 800,000 Florida vets were illegally approved for free cellphones under the government’s Lifeline program.
VES a VA Contractor sent veterans to a Doctor after the Department of Justice was trying to take away his license and send him to jail.
Congress and corporations are accountable to no one but God knows what they are doing! I have no need to curse you because you have already put a curse on your own head and you will answer to God for what you have done. You are no better than the charities out there collecting billions a year for using veterans.
Hold hearings all you want to pretend you care but the evidence is all around you! If you did what you claimed then there would be no need for more bills to do the same exact thing as the bills others wrote years before you. Who do you think you are fooling?
If you are still repeating the 22 a day claim, you are no better than any of the thieves picking pockets. You have been lied to and then repeated the lie instead of actually taking the time to discover what the truth is. Who are you trying to make aware of the suffering of millions of veterans? Civilians unable to put two simple facts together? "Survived combat willing to die for someone else but gave up living back home and took their own life?" Or are you trying to make veterans aware of what they know far better than you do?
Our families are real! We're not a bunch of numbers. You are using us and screwing with our lives! We're sick of suffering so you can make more money! You have done this to those you see as the least of your brothers at the same time you want the masses to think we are worth it?
VA Paid Psychiatrists Who Were Not Seeing Patients?
VA wasted time for mental health care, money for psychiatrists without appointments
The Washington Times
By Anjali Shastry
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
The Department of Veterans Affairs wasted tens of millions of dollars last year on salaries for psychiatrists who weren’t seeing patients, the agency’s inspector general said in a report Tuesday that detailed continued problems in getting veterans the mental health care they need.
Veterans Health Administration clinics were more focused on meeting hiring goals than in getting the right number of mental health professionals on staff, the inspector general said, meaning that most of them had to rush to hire psychiatrists to meet the demand by December 2014.
read more here
The Washington Times
By Anjali Shastry
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
One clinic in Minneapolis boosted its psychiatric resources by 14 percent, but appointments dropped by more than 21 percent. By contrast, the clinic in Miami boosted its resources by 25 percent and its appointments by 36 percent.
The Department of Veterans Affairs wasted tens of millions of dollars last year on salaries for psychiatrists who weren’t seeing patients, the agency’s inspector general said in a report Tuesday that detailed continued problems in getting veterans the mental health care they need.
Veterans Health Administration clinics were more focused on meeting hiring goals than in getting the right number of mental health professionals on staff, the inspector general said, meaning that most of them had to rush to hire psychiatrists to meet the demand by December 2014.
read more here
Vietnam Veteran Committed Suicide in Bay Pines Parking Lot
Suicide at Bay Pines shows pain among older veterans
Tampa Tribune
By Howard Altman
Published: August 26, 2015
Ever since leaving the battlefields of Vietnam in 1968, Marine veteran Gerhard Reitmann struggled with the horrific memories of the things he did and saw.
“It was a rough one,” said his brother, Stephan Reitmann. “Emotionally, it did a number on his mind.”
Gerhard Reitmann had trouble holding a job. He often kept to himself and, until recently, cut himself off even from his family.
On Tuesday, Reitmann’s struggle ended.
The man who once served as a guard at Camp David during the term of President Richard Nixon apparently took his own life while parked in his car on the southeast side of the sprawling Bay Pines VA campus shortly after noon, according to officials from Bay Pines and the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office.
It was near Building 37, which houses the hospital system’s human resources, environmental management and inspector general’s offices.
Bay Pines police are investigating,
Reitmann, of St. Petersburg, was 66.
Tampa Tribune
By Howard Altman
Published: August 26, 2015
Ever since leaving the battlefields of Vietnam in 1968, Marine veteran Gerhard Reitmann struggled with the horrific memories of the things he did and saw.
“It was a rough one,” said his brother, Stephan Reitmann. “Emotionally, it did a number on his mind.”
Gerhard Reitmann had trouble holding a job. He often kept to himself and, until recently, cut himself off even from his family.
On Tuesday, Reitmann’s struggle ended.
The man who once served as a guard at Camp David during the term of President Richard Nixon apparently took his own life while parked in his car on the southeast side of the sprawling Bay Pines VA campus shortly after noon, according to officials from Bay Pines and the Pinellas-Pasco Medical Examiner’s Office.
It was near Building 37, which houses the hospital system’s human resources, environmental management and inspector general’s offices.
Bay Pines police are investigating,
Reitmann, of St. Petersburg, was 66.
Stephan Reitmann and Aurin moved to St. Petersburg about five months ago from Ohio.
“My partner and I both retired. We were sick of cold and had my brother down here. We were getting the relationship back together.”
Reitmann “was really obsessed with his heath,” Aurin said. “Last month, he thought something was really wrong with him. But his doctors at the VA said he was as healthy as a horse.”
Still, Reitmann was having “a lot of anxiety,” Aurin said.
Last week, Reitmann’s VA doctor increased his anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications, Aurin said.
“They said to up his medications a little bit, but it was not helping him,” Aurin said.
“That’s all we know.”
About a week ago, Reitmann’s brother made a pact.
“Stephan would call his brother every day,” Aurin said. “It made him feel better.”
Just hours before killing himself, Reitmann “got a little out of his routine,” Aurin said. “He actually called Stephan first. He said, ‘I wanted to call you first, and let you know that everything is good.’”
The conversation, said Aurin, “was light and fluffy.”
“One hour later, he was in the parking lot at the veterans hospital,” she said.
read more here
Veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan Ready to Ram
The rookie is a veteran: Aspiring Ram Daniel Rodriguez is battle tested
LA Times
By SAM FARMER
August 26, 2016
Yet Jeff Fisher couldn't help but smile.
The St. Louis Rams coach didn't slam his headset to the ground when rookie Daniel Rodriguez fielded that kickoff nine yards deep in the end zone and, instead of taking the obvious touchback, decided to run it out. Fisher only smiled.
"I was thinking, 'Just let him return it,'" Fisher said. "He's savoring every moment."
First of all, it was only an exhibition game at Oakland. But more important, Rodriguez deserved his moment in the spotlight. OK, so it was miraculous that the 5-foot-8, 180-pound returner was able to get the ball to the 15, but his story is all about miracles anyway.
read more here
LA Times
By SAM FARMER
August 26, 2016
Rodriguez is no ordinary undrafted rookie. He is an Army veteran who served separate tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was wounded in the Battle of Kamdesh, among the bloodiest firefights in the war, and was awarded a Purple Heart and Bronze Star Medal with valor device for his actions that day.
St. Louis Rams wide receiver Daniel Rodriguez takes part in a drill during training camp at the NFL football team's practice facility on Tuesday. (Jeff Roberson / AP)It was impulsive. It was foolhardy. It made no football sense.
Yet Jeff Fisher couldn't help but smile.
The St. Louis Rams coach didn't slam his headset to the ground when rookie Daniel Rodriguez fielded that kickoff nine yards deep in the end zone and, instead of taking the obvious touchback, decided to run it out. Fisher only smiled.
"I was thinking, 'Just let him return it,'" Fisher said. "He's savoring every moment."
First of all, it was only an exhibition game at Oakland. But more important, Rodriguez deserved his moment in the spotlight. OK, so it was miraculous that the 5-foot-8, 180-pound returner was able to get the ball to the 15, but his story is all about miracles anyway.
read more here
New Port Richey Martial Arts Class Free For Veterans
Lightning-fast martial art draws in students in NPR
The Suncoast News
BY KELLY S. KELLY
Special to The Suncoast News
Published: August 26, 2015
NEW PORT RICHEY — In a blur of motion, combatants at Gulfcoast FCS Kali clash with sticks and knives in a weapons-based tribal martial arts system called Filipino Combat Systems — or FCS Kali.
The system, used by military teams around the world, was developed by Tuhon Ray Dionaldo, one of the most sought-after weapons experts in 96 countries.
Owner Ray Norton has worked in FCS Kali for five years, two years in his current location. He’s been in martial arts most of his life and also currently is employed as a fireman.
“We have professional men and women — doctors, lawyers, military and ex-military — participating,” Norton said. “It makes no difference if you have a background in martial arts or none at all. At Gulfcoast FCS Kali, everyone starts over. If you come off the street you will be struggling right alongside someone with 20 years of martial arts. It takes time.”
Norton says that the combat system is recognizable from the popular Jason Bourne movies. It’s a style that uses sticks, knives, broomstick, lamps or anything in your hand.
“Classes are free to combat veterans and those who have served in support of combat operations,” said Norton. “The system helps tremendously with post traumatic stress disorder. Some veterans are older, have been out of combat for a while, are injured or cannot do it anymore. FCS Kali becomes a connection back to what they’re used to doing.”
read more here
The Suncoast News
BY KELLY S. KELLY
Special to The Suncoast News
Published: August 26, 2015
NEW PORT RICHEY — In a blur of motion, combatants at Gulfcoast FCS Kali clash with sticks and knives in a weapons-based tribal martial arts system called Filipino Combat Systems — or FCS Kali.
The system, used by military teams around the world, was developed by Tuhon Ray Dionaldo, one of the most sought-after weapons experts in 96 countries.
Owner Ray Norton has worked in FCS Kali for five years, two years in his current location. He’s been in martial arts most of his life and also currently is employed as a fireman.
“We have professional men and women — doctors, lawyers, military and ex-military — participating,” Norton said. “It makes no difference if you have a background in martial arts or none at all. At Gulfcoast FCS Kali, everyone starts over. If you come off the street you will be struggling right alongside someone with 20 years of martial arts. It takes time.”
Norton says that the combat system is recognizable from the popular Jason Bourne movies. It’s a style that uses sticks, knives, broomstick, lamps or anything in your hand.
“Classes are free to combat veterans and those who have served in support of combat operations,” said Norton. “The system helps tremendously with post traumatic stress disorder. Some veterans are older, have been out of combat for a while, are injured or cannot do it anymore. FCS Kali becomes a connection back to what they’re used to doing.”
read more here
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Veterans "thrown to the wolves" Memphis VA Medical Center
‘We’re left to the wolves’: Videos allegedly show Memphis VA leaving disabled vets unattended
FOX News
August 26, 2015
Video footage allegedly showing veterans -- many of whom are quadriplegics or paraplegics -- being left unattended at a Memphis Veterans Affairs hospital during staff meetings is reviving concerns about how VA hospitals treat American servicemembers.
The videos, first reported by Communities Digital News (CDN) and said to be filmed at the Memphis VA Medical Center, show patients being left alone for about 30-45 minutes each evening during a staff meeting attended by all hospital staff, whistleblower and former Memphis VA employee Sean Higgins told FoxNews.com.
Higgins said the videos, filmed by a close friend of his, show a breach of hospital policy, which dictates that even during meetings, there should be a nurse at the nurse’s station. He said the videos all show the spinal injury ward, which contains quadriplegics and paraplegics.
read more here
When you watch this video, think about the fact this is a hospital. There is no one there. No nurses. No doctors. There are patients, but there are no visitors. I have never, ever seen anything like this in my life. I've been to plenty of VA hospitals, civilian hospitals and several nursing homes. The only time I ever saw anything like this was at the Lake Nona VA hospital during a tour OF A HOSPITAL THAT WAS NOT OPENED YET AND NO PATIENTS NEEDING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF!
FOX News
August 26, 2015
Video footage allegedly showing veterans -- many of whom are quadriplegics or paraplegics -- being left unattended at a Memphis Veterans Affairs hospital during staff meetings is reviving concerns about how VA hospitals treat American servicemembers.
The videos, first reported by Communities Digital News (CDN) and said to be filmed at the Memphis VA Medical Center, show patients being left alone for about 30-45 minutes each evening during a staff meeting attended by all hospital staff, whistleblower and former Memphis VA employee Sean Higgins told FoxNews.com.
Higgins said the videos, filmed by a close friend of his, show a breach of hospital policy, which dictates that even during meetings, there should be a nurse at the nurse’s station. He said the videos all show the spinal injury ward, which contains quadriplegics and paraplegics.
read more here
When you watch this video, think about the fact this is a hospital. There is no one there. No nurses. No doctors. There are patients, but there are no visitors. I have never, ever seen anything like this in my life. I've been to plenty of VA hospitals, civilian hospitals and several nursing homes. The only time I ever saw anything like this was at the Lake Nona VA hospital during a tour OF A HOSPITAL THAT WAS NOT OPENED YET AND NO PATIENTS NEEDING TO BE TAKEN CARE OF!
Paralyzed Veterans of America Reacts to Video Footage of Paralyzed Veterans Left Alone at Memphis VA
August 26, 2015 03:07 PM Eastern Daylight Time
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a recent video aired on Fox & Friends today, a paralyzed veteran who was housed on the spinal cord injury inpatient ward at the Memphis VA Medical Center said he felt "thrown to the wolves" in the video, which showed a nursing station unmanned for an extended period. A former Memphis VA employee and whistleblower who saw the video said patients are typically left alone for about an hour each evening during staff meetings attended by all hospital staff, despite a requirement that at least one nurse remain stationed at all times.
“We can no longer scrimp on the cost of freedom where our Nation's most disabled heroes are concerned.”
Sherman Gillums Jr., deputy executive director of Paralyzed Veterans of America and a paralyzed veteran himself, said, “This video speaks to a need that our organization has stressed to VA leaders, Congress, and the public for quite some time: VA needs more nurses in specialized care services like spinal cord injury centers.”
read more here
Train Hero Oregon National Guardsman to Receive Soldier's Medal
Oregon Guardsman Who Helped Stop Train Attack to Get Soldier's Medal
Associated Press
Aug 26, 2015
WASHINGTON -- Aleksander Skarlatos, one of three Americans who subdued a heavily armed gunman on a Paris-bound train, will be awarded one of the U.S. Army's highest honors.
Senior Army leaders say Skarlatos, a member of the Oregon National Guard, will get the Soldier's Medal -- the Army's highest award for acts of heroism not involving actual conflict with the enemy.
Skarlatos was traveling from Amsterdam when the gunman emerged from a train lavatory carrying an AK-47 and a Lugar pistol.
After hearing the sound of gunfire, Skarlatos called on other passengers to act, then charged the gunman, helped wrestle his firearms away and helped knock him unconscious with his own rifle.
"Spc. Skarlatos' actions that day epitomize what we mean by a soldier of character -- one who lives by a personal code where dedication to duty and taking care of others is sacred," said Army Secretary John McHugh. read more here
Associated Press
Aug 26, 2015
WASHINGTON -- Aleksander Skarlatos, one of three Americans who subdued a heavily armed gunman on a Paris-bound train, will be awarded one of the U.S. Army's highest honors.
Skarlatos was traveling from Amsterdam when the gunman emerged from a train lavatory carrying an AK-47 and a Lugar pistol.
After hearing the sound of gunfire, Skarlatos called on other passengers to act, then charged the gunman, helped wrestle his firearms away and helped knock him unconscious with his own rifle.
"Spc. Skarlatos' actions that day epitomize what we mean by a soldier of character -- one who lives by a personal code where dedication to duty and taking care of others is sacred," said Army Secretary John McHugh. read more here
Chris Kyle Posthumously Awarded Texas Medal of Honor
‘American Sniper' Chris Kyle awarded Texas Medal of Honor
FOX 4 News
August 26, 2015
The state’s highest military honor was given to the late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.
Gov. Greg Abbott presented the Texas Legislative Medal of Honor to Kyle’s family Wednesday morning.
His wife, Taya, was there to receive it.
Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were killed two years ago by an Army veteran they were trying to help deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Eddie Ray Routh was sentenced to life in prison.
read more here
FOX 4 News
August 26, 2015
The state’s highest military honor was given to the late Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle.
His wife, Taya, was there to receive it.
Kyle and his friend, Chad Littlefield, were killed two years ago by an Army veteran they were trying to help deal with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Eddie Ray Routh was sentenced to life in prison.
read more here
2 US troops killed by gunmen wearing Afghan military uniforms
UPDATE
A Pensacola staff sergeant was one of two U.S airmen killed Wednesday in Afghanistan.
The Pentagon announced Staff Sgt. Forrest B. Sibley, 31, of Pensacola, Florida and Capt. Matthew D. Roland, 27, of Lexington, Kentucky died after the vehicle they were traveling in was attacked near Camp Antonik, Afghanistan.
2 US troops killed by gunmen wearing Afghan military uniforms
Stars and Stripes
By Carlo Munoz and Zubair Babakarkhail
Published: August 26, 2015
KABUL, Afghanistan — Two U.S. servicemembers were shot and killed by two gunmen wearing Afghan security forces uniforms who opened fire on their vehicle in southern Afghanistan early Wednesday, U.S. and coalition officials said.
The attack occurred on an Afghan military compound in Helmand province. It coincided with reports that Taliban insurgents had overrun the center of Musa Qala, a strategically important district center in Helmand.
“Resolute Support servicemembers returned fire and killed the shooters,” a coalition statement said.
“We are deeply saddened by the reports out of Afghanistan overnight,” said Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, Pentagon spokesman. “Two U.S. servicemembers operating in support of the Resolute Support Mission were killed yesterday when two individuals wearing Afghan National Defense and Security Force uniforms opened fire on their vehicle.”
DOD is withholding their identifications 24 hours, as families are notified. Their service branches were not identified.
read more here
"White House Fence Jumper" Killed After Attacking Deputy
Man Previously Arrested For Climbing White House Wall Killed After Attacking Sheriff
He had a criminal record that included arrests for assault and burglary.
Reuters Posted: 08/25/2015 Aug 25
(Reuters) - A man arrested for climbing a White House fence earlier this year was shot and killed at a suburban Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday after he sliced a sheriff's deputy with a knife, the local district attorney said.
Curtis Smith, 34, is accused of entering the lobby of the Chester County Justice Center at about 11 a.m. and slashing a sheriff's deputy on the arm or hand, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said in a statement.
A second deputy in the lobby drew his weapon and shot Smith, who was treated at the scene but later died at Paoli Hospital, Hogan said. read more here
He had a criminal record that included arrests for assault and burglary.
Reuters Posted: 08/25/2015 Aug 25
(Reuters) - A man arrested for climbing a White House fence earlier this year was shot and killed at a suburban Pennsylvania courthouse on Tuesday after he sliced a sheriff's deputy with a knife, the local district attorney said.
Curtis Smith, 34, is accused of entering the lobby of the Chester County Justice Center at about 11 a.m. and slashing a sheriff's deputy on the arm or hand, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said in a statement.
A second deputy in the lobby drew his weapon and shot Smith, who was treated at the scene but later died at Paoli Hospital, Hogan said. read more here
Greek Armed Forces: 3 Suicides in Less Than 30 Days
Shock in Greek Armed Forces: Three suicides in less than a month
Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Very Mix
Greece’s Armed Forces are in shock. A non-commissioned officer of the Land Forces was found dead in his home on Monday morning. According to a statement of the Land Forces General Stab, the 44-year-old lieutenant was ‘fatally wounded at 2 am’ on Monday. “The causes of his death are being investigated,” the statement concluded in a traditional army tone. However, the Greek Federation of Military Associations, speaks of a suicide, noting in a statement that the man “had hanged himself in the early hours of Monday.
The lieutenant put an end to his life just 20 days, after another lieutenant, 38, shot himself in front of his soldiers, on August 4th. Several army units were participating in a army exercise on the island of Samos, when the officer pulled out his gun, put it on his temple, told two soldiers “I say Farewell” and pulled the trigger. Five days later, a 27-year-old soldier shot himself on a Sunday noon, while he was on watch duty in a military camp in Orestiada, in North-East Greece.
Greek media speak of an increase of suicides or attempted suicides in the last two years and that while in the past it was mostly soldiers taking such fatal decisions, “now it is also officers.” Last March a 43-year-old officer of the Air Force jumped into death from the fourth floor. In May 2013 an army officer committed suicide and left a note citing financial problems.
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Posted by keeptalkinggreece in Very Mix
Greece’s Armed Forces are in shock. A non-commissioned officer of the Land Forces was found dead in his home on Monday morning. According to a statement of the Land Forces General Stab, the 44-year-old lieutenant was ‘fatally wounded at 2 am’ on Monday. “The causes of his death are being investigated,” the statement concluded in a traditional army tone. However, the Greek Federation of Military Associations, speaks of a suicide, noting in a statement that the man “had hanged himself in the early hours of Monday.
The lieutenant put an end to his life just 20 days, after another lieutenant, 38, shot himself in front of his soldiers, on August 4th. Several army units were participating in a army exercise on the island of Samos, when the officer pulled out his gun, put it on his temple, told two soldiers “I say Farewell” and pulled the trigger. Five days later, a 27-year-old soldier shot himself on a Sunday noon, while he was on watch duty in a military camp in Orestiada, in North-East Greece.
Greek media speak of an increase of suicides or attempted suicides in the last two years and that while in the past it was mostly soldiers taking such fatal decisions, “now it is also officers.” Last March a 43-year-old officer of the Air Force jumped into death from the fourth floor. In May 2013 an army officer committed suicide and left a note citing financial problems.
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Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Veteran Died While On Protective Hold After Protecting Others
Iraq war veterans remember Joseph Murphy
KTOO Public Media
By Lisa Phu
August 25, 2015
Among other things, Murphy was an Iraq War veteran. His squad commander says it changed him forever. I spoke to some of the men Murphy served with.
KTOO Public Media
By Lisa Phu
August 25, 2015
"Murphy put his life in jeopardy looking out for others." Ed Irizarry
Joseph Murphy (from left, first man kneeling) served in the Iraq War. The squad was led by Ed Irizarry (standing to the left above Murphy). Mike Mercer (far right) was a gunner with Murphy.Earlier this month, 49-year-old Joseph Murphy died at Juneau’s prison 12 hours after being booked on noncriminal charges.
(Photo courtesy Ed Irizarry)
Among other things, Murphy was an Iraq War veteran. His squad commander says it changed him forever. I spoke to some of the men Murphy served with.
“It’s just a bond. You can’t break that. Time ain’t going to break it. I guess even the death of one of your brothers can’t break that either. Murph will always be my brother,” Mercer says.
Murphy was in the emergency room of Bartlett Regional Hospital the night of Aug. 13. Juneau Police transferred him to Lemon Creek Correctional Center on a 12-hour protective hold. A police spokesman says alcohol was a factor. Murphy died in a holding cell the next morning of an apparent heart attack.
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Jesse Brand Takes a Stand For Disabled Homeless Veteran
Musician stands up for homeless vet who was kicked out of Waffle House
WSMV 4 News
Posted by Tracy Kornet
Posted: Aug 24, 2015
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV)
Nashville musician Jesse Brand and a friend stopped for a bite to eat after a late-night gig Saturday night when he saw a homeless man nearby and invited him to dinner.
“I saw this guy hobbling across the parking lot with a cane,” Brand said. “He had a Marine Corps tattoo on his arm.
“I had spent several years off and on homeless as well,” Brand added.
Brand said what happened next made him sick.
“Within 30-40 seconds, the gal behind the counter said, ‘You two can stay, he's got to leave,’” Brand said.
“She said, ‘His shirt's dirty. He can't be in here.’”
Brand said it got worse when the man, who later told him was a disabled combat veteran named Roger Hornsby, asked for some belongings back.
“I went over there to get my sleeping bag and wheelchair,” Hornsby said. "And they said, ‘You get out of here. Get out of here.’”
Brand picked up the story from there.
“The gentleman said, ‘Can I have my sleeping bag and wheelchair?’ They said, ‘We threw it away,’” Brand said.
Brand said he turned to Hornsby and said, “Come on, let’s go somewhere.” He then turned to the manager and told him he would never be back there again.
“We drove five to six miles to the next Waffle House, where we were treated like kings,” Brand said.
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WSMV 4 News
Posted by Tracy Kornet
Posted: Aug 24, 2015
NASHVILLE, TN (WSMV)
Nashville musician Jesse Brand and a friend stopped for a bite to eat after a late-night gig Saturday night when he saw a homeless man nearby and invited him to dinner.
“I saw this guy hobbling across the parking lot with a cane,” Brand said. “He had a Marine Corps tattoo on his arm.
“I had spent several years off and on homeless as well,” Brand added.
Brand said what happened next made him sick.
“Within 30-40 seconds, the gal behind the counter said, ‘You two can stay, he's got to leave,’” Brand said.
“She said, ‘His shirt's dirty. He can't be in here.’”
Brand said it got worse when the man, who later told him was a disabled combat veteran named Roger Hornsby, asked for some belongings back.
“I went over there to get my sleeping bag and wheelchair,” Hornsby said. "And they said, ‘You get out of here. Get out of here.’”
Brand picked up the story from there.
“The gentleman said, ‘Can I have my sleeping bag and wheelchair?’ They said, ‘We threw it away,’” Brand said.
Brand said he turned to Hornsby and said, “Come on, let’s go somewhere.” He then turned to the manager and told him he would never be back there again.
“We drove five to six miles to the next Waffle House, where we were treated like kings,” Brand said.
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Bogus Free Phones For Veterans Leaving 800,000 Unplugged
Government-funded phones issued to Central Florida veterans in scheme
800,000 approved veterans never eligible
Click Orlando
Author: Mike Holfeld, Problem Solver
August 24, 2015
From September 2014 to July 2015 an estimated 40,000 to 800,000 Florida vets were illegally approved for free cellphones under the government’s Lifeline program.
On Sept. 1 most, if not all, of those phones will be disconnected because the vets were never eligible to receive them in the first place.
Former employees with New York based Elite Marketing came to WKMG after they started getting complaints from veterans who were being told they didn’t qualify for the phones.
Letters from Safe Link, one of the largest distributors of the free phones, asked veterans for proof of eligibility.
The letter reading in part: ”We need to obtain copies of valid documentation that shows you are a qualified benefit recipient.”
Under the Lifeline program eligibility includes anyone receiving: food stamps, Medicaid, SSI, Section 8 housing or National School Free Lunch Program. Military service has never been on the list.
One former Elite Marketing employee identifying herself only as Carrie, was considered one of Elite’s top employees.
In 10 months dating back to September 2014, she said she must have given away 20,000 free phones to veterans.
Carrie says she was paid roughly $4,000 every two weeks. She was told Elite was making $150 per application.
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800,000 approved veterans never eligible
Click Orlando
Author: Mike Holfeld, Problem Solver
August 24, 2015
The employees say 30 to 40 men and women were hired by Elite Marketing all of them told to take applications from veterans for free cell phones.
An email sent by Elite Marketing Group’s Director of Account Services to the Orlando supervisor last February included attachments of fliers announcing the Free Phones Program.
From September 2014 to July 2015 an estimated 40,000 to 800,000 Florida vets were illegally approved for free cellphones under the government’s Lifeline program.
On Sept. 1 most, if not all, of those phones will be disconnected because the vets were never eligible to receive them in the first place.
Former employees with New York based Elite Marketing came to WKMG after they started getting complaints from veterans who were being told they didn’t qualify for the phones.
Letters from Safe Link, one of the largest distributors of the free phones, asked veterans for proof of eligibility.
The letter reading in part: ”We need to obtain copies of valid documentation that shows you are a qualified benefit recipient.”
Under the Lifeline program eligibility includes anyone receiving: food stamps, Medicaid, SSI, Section 8 housing or National School Free Lunch Program. Military service has never been on the list.
One former Elite Marketing employee identifying herself only as Carrie, was considered one of Elite’s top employees.
In 10 months dating back to September 2014, she said she must have given away 20,000 free phones to veterans.
Carrie says she was paid roughly $4,000 every two weeks. She was told Elite was making $150 per application.
read more here
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