SOLDIER SAVES 6-MONTH-OLD IN CRASH
ABC 11 News
September 30, 2015
SPOUT SPRINGS, NC (WTVD) -- It was an emotional reunion Wednesday at the Spout Springs Fire Department as a young Army family thanked a fellow soldier for rescuing their son.
Sgt Josh Farrell got a big smile from the 6-month-old boy he rescued.
On August 18, Caitlin Coffeen ran off the road in the rain and hit a power pole along HWY 87 S. north of Spring Lake. She was able to get out, but couldn't get to her son strapped in a child seat in the overturned vehicle.
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Friday, October 2, 2015
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Mass Shooting At Oregon Umpqua Community College
Oregon shooting: Gunman dead after college rampage
CNN By Dana Ford
Updated 5:34 PM ET, Thu October 1, 2015
(CNN)The man who opened fire at Oregon's Umpqua Community College on Thursday is dead, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters.
No police officers were injured, but preliminary information indicates 10 people were killed and more than 20 others injured in the shooting, according to Oregon State Police spokesman Bill Fugate.
Officers and the gunman exchanged fire. The shooter was a 20-year-old man, according to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
"It's been a terrible day," said Hanlin. "At this point, it's a very active scene. It's a very active investigation."
read more here
CNN By Dana Ford
Updated 5:34 PM ET, Thu October 1, 2015
(CNN)The man who opened fire at Oregon's Umpqua Community College on Thursday is dead, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin told reporters.
No police officers were injured, but preliminary information indicates 10 people were killed and more than 20 others injured in the shooting, according to Oregon State Police spokesman Bill Fugate.
Officers and the gunman exchanged fire. The shooter was a 20-year-old man, according to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown.
"It's been a terrible day," said Hanlin. "At this point, it's a very active scene. It's a very active investigation."
read more here
Open Letter to Sen. Joe Donnelly to Open Your Eyes
UPDATE
Considering the DOD released their suicide numbers for the second quarter it pretty much proves the point DoD releases 2nd quarter suicide figures on Army Times
Trained to Fight, Trained to Suffer in Silence
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 1, 2015
Suicide Prevention month is over and evidently did little good to prevent them.
I just read the headline with Donnelly Says Military Still Has Work To Do To Help Prevent Suicide and after reading about your efforts, I think you may really want to do something to save lives. Your answer is right here.
Wounded Times has documented all the ups and downs members of Congress have let happen. While the press seems to forget, veterans remember, especially since it is their lives we're talking about. Somehow members of Congress have managed to get away with just blaming the person in the Chair of the VA even though you've all held hearings and promised changes only to turn around every time the press reports on another crisis and veterans get more promises.
Here's a blast from the past with Senator Bernie Sanders as he and Senator Daniel Akaka were calling for more funding for the PTSD Center Funding. It came out in 2008, a year after Congress had the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill passed and signed into law in 2007.
Want to remove the stigma of PTSD? Then get to the original problem. Some yahoo decided a research project designed to give school aged children a better sense of self worth would be just fine and dandy for service members. That is what Comprehensive Soldier Fitness was. Take and look at what RAND Corp had to say about this and then hold folks accountable for doing it. Dark Side of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness
When suicides went up instead of down, it would have been helpful if you guys started to ask why what you already failed before you just did more of it.
The worst thing is none of you seemed to notice that for veterans in general, they are double the civilian population rate, which is really bad, but when they looked at the percentages for younger veterans, the ones who got that "training" their rate was triple their peer rate.
Anyone can get PTSD after trauma, but not everyone went into traumatic events willingly. They put their lives on the line for each other but couldn't talk to each other about needing help to heal from it. That is the real problem behind all of it. They were trained that way.
Considering the DOD released their suicide numbers for the second quarter it pretty much proves the point DoD releases 2nd quarter suicide figures on Army Times
Suicides among active-duty service members rose by 20 percent in the second quarter of this year to 71, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Defense Department.
The Marine Corps had the highest percentage increase, 12 suicides, up from three the previous quarter.
The Army had 28 active-duty suicides, the Air Force, 17, and the Navy, 14, according to the report.
Over the first six months of 2015, 130 active-duty troops took their own lives, along with 89 reserve members and 56 National Guardsmen. In the second quarter, the reserve component experienced 47 suicides and the National Guard, 27.
Trained to Fight, Trained to Suffer in Silence
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
October 1, 2015
Suicide Prevention month is over and evidently did little good to prevent them.
I just read the headline with Donnelly Says Military Still Has Work To Do To Help Prevent Suicide and after reading about your efforts, I think you may really want to do something to save lives. Your answer is right here.
“You have to be able to ask for help – and it’s okay to ask for help," Frost said. "And that stigma that existed, really a lot in what is that Army tough, Army strong, we’re soldiers, we’re hooah…that has really started to melt away.”I have over 30 years crammed in my brain but since we're running out of time, and frankly, I ran out of patience long ago, I will be blunt but I mean you no disrespect. I am just tied of all of this getting worse when the reason behind it was predicted back in 2009.
If you promote this (Comprehensive Solider Fitness) program the way Battlemind was promoted, count on the numbers of suicides and attempted suicides to go up instead of down. It's just one more deadly mistake after another and just as dangerous as sending them into Iraq without the armor needed to protect them.Overwhelmed VA didn't happen overnight but then again if you fail to factor in the obvious crush of younger veterans against the already long line at the VA, this was a predictable catastrophe, or it should have been.
Wounded Times has documented all the ups and downs members of Congress have let happen. While the press seems to forget, veterans remember, especially since it is their lives we're talking about. Somehow members of Congress have managed to get away with just blaming the person in the Chair of the VA even though you've all held hearings and promised changes only to turn around every time the press reports on another crisis and veterans get more promises.
Here's a blast from the past with Senator Bernie Sanders as he and Senator Daniel Akaka were calling for more funding for the PTSD Center Funding. It came out in 2008, a year after Congress had the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Bill passed and signed into law in 2007.
In recent years, the Center for PTSD has been called on to dramatically expand its mission and conduct research on a larger scale. At the same time, an increasing number of servicemembers are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD. However, the Center's budget has increased by less than 10 percent in the past half-decade. Due to limited funding, the Center's capacity to continue its work is severely restricted, and staff levels have been reduced since 1999.While all of you were blaming Shinseki, veterans noticed this going on,
In a departure from the rhetoric Shinseki has used before Congress, Shinseki said at the American Legion's National Convention that he's not afraid of the claims backlog that has grown to about 600,000 -- a sore point when Senators and Congressmen question him on Capitol Hill. The VA secretary said he doesn't regret opening the opportunity to issue disability claims to nearly a million veterans of wars going back more than 60 years. He only wishes the decision had been made sooner to give the VA a head start.We also remember this, Obama to order VA to add staff, see suicidal vets within 24 hours from Stars and Stripes reporter Megan McCloskey on August 30, 2012
WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama will sign an executive order Friday directing the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand mental health services and suicide prevention efforts. The president will make the announcement in a speech to troops at Fort Bliss, Texas, where he’ll also hold a roundtable with soldiers and their families. Much of what's outlined in the executive order are initiatives that were previously announced earlier this summer by the VA. Obama is instructing the VA to ensure that any veteran with suicidal thoughts is seen by a mental health professional within 24 hours -- a standard already set for the VA, but which the department often fails to meet. The VA has until June 2013 to figure out how to fix that issue with pay, loan repayment, scholarships and partnerships with community-based providers and training programs. The goal, announced by the VA in June, is to hire 1,900 mental health staffers.We also knew that the Pentagon hadn't even spent the money they were already given to prevent suicides and that came out during a U.S. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing a month after President Obama made his announcement.
The VA is also being told to increase the veteran crisis hotline capacity by 50 percent by the end of year and to develop a national 12-month suicide prevention campaign that would help connect veterans to mental health services.The president ordered the Pentagon to review and rank its mental health and substance abuse prevention programs by quality and effectiveness. “By the end of Fiscal Year 2014, existing program resources shall be realigned to ensure that highly ranked programs are implemented across all of the military services and less effective programs are replaced,” the order states. That forces the Pentagon to take ownership of the programs military-wide instead of allowing each service to decide on its own what programs to use. Reviewing the vast and disparate programs will be a big task and could lead to kickback from the services, which are protective of their programs.
In addition, the president is convening a Military and Veterans Mental Health Interagency Task Force to present him with recommendations in 180 days on how to improve treatment services.
In July, the McDermott-Boswell amendment that would increase critical funding for suicide prevention for active duty military by $10 million passed with strong support in the House Defense Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2013.So we've been watching and waiting for our elected officials to wake up and change what has been proven to be wrong. We keep reading about this bill and that bill while veterans pay the price for their service as they get speeches. Enough it enough! Before you try another attempt at writing yet one more bill, ask yourself "Why it has gotten worse as Congress has done more than ever before?" and then toss in the fact that there are hundreds of thousands of charities all over the country collecting billions a year after veterans did everything possible to make it home from war alive but cannot survive right here at home.
“The Pentagon hasn’t spent the money that it has for suicide prevention for this year – and that money wasn’t nearly enough money to reach all the soldiers who need help. Now we are hearing about bureaucratic technicalities at the Pentagon that are preventing them from acting. This is unconscionable,” said Congressman McDermott. “The Pentagon is funded to help soldiers and needs to do much more on the epidemic of suicides. As we commemorate National Suicide Prevention Week, we are calling on the Pentagon to move much faster.”
Want to remove the stigma of PTSD? Then get to the original problem. Some yahoo decided a research project designed to give school aged children a better sense of self worth would be just fine and dandy for service members. That is what Comprehensive Soldier Fitness was. Take and look at what RAND Corp had to say about this and then hold folks accountable for doing it. Dark Side of Comprehensive Soldier Fitness
There seems to be reluctance and inconsistency among the CSF promoters in acknowledging that CSF is "research" and therefore should entail certain protections routinely granted to those who participate in research studies. Seligman explained to the APA's Monitor on Psychology (link is external), "This is the largest study - 1.1 million soldiers - psychology has ever been involved in" (a "study" is a common synonym for "research project"). But when asked during an NPR interview (link is external) whether CSF would be "the largest-ever experiment," Brig. Gen. Cornum, who oversees the program, responded, "Well, we're not describing it as an experiment. We're describing it as training." Despite the fact that CSF is incontrovertibly a research study, standard and important questions about experimental interventions like CSF are neither asked nor answered in the special issue. This neglect is all the more troubling given that the program is so massive and expensive, and the stakes are so high.We also know this,
The Defense Department runs 900 suicide prevention programs, yet the number of military suicides has more than doubled since 2001, the head of the Pentagon’s suicide prevention office told lawmakers Thursday.
Jacqueline Garrick, acting director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office, told the House Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon has identified 291 suicides in fiscal 2012 with investigations into another 59 pending. This is up from 160 in 2001. She said the suicide rate for 2012 is expected to increase once death investigations have been completed and a final manner of death determination is issued.
When suicides went up instead of down, it would have been helpful if you guys started to ask why what you already failed before you just did more of it.
The worst thing is none of you seemed to notice that for veterans in general, they are double the civilian population rate, which is really bad, but when they looked at the percentages for younger veterans, the ones who got that "training" their rate was triple their peer rate.
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, according to a federal study released Friday. Former troops in that high-risk age group — who were also enrolled for care at veterans' hospitals — posted a suicide rate of 79.1 per 100,000 during 2011, the latest data available. In contrast, the annual suicide rate for all American males has recently averaged about 25 per 100,000, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs reports. During 2009, the suicide rate for veterans 24 and younger was 46.1 per 100,000 — meaning the deadly pace increased by 79 percent during that two-year span.Seems like one of your staffers should have paid attention to all of this since we did.
Marine Dies in Hit-and-Run While Helping Another Driver
Marine, 21, Dies in Hit-and-Run While Helping Another Driver
NBC Washington
Sep 30, 2015
A Marine who tried to help the driver of a disabled vehicle in heavy rain Tuesday night in Frederick County was hit and killed by a driver who fled the scene.
Marine Cpl. William Ferrell, 21, stopped to help a driver on northbound Route 15 in Thurmont, Maryland State Police said.
Ferrell, of Carthage, North Carolina, was walking on the shoulder and was just feet from the stranded car when a tractor-trailer or heavy-duty pickup with a car-hauling trailer left the road, striking and killing him.
Witnesses tell police that as they tended to Ferrell, the truck stopped for a few minutes, then pulled away.
Police say the truck likely has damage to its right side.
read more here
NBC Washington
Sep 30, 2015
Ferrell joined the fire department at age 16 and then joined the U.S. Marine Corps, Tyner said. His journey led him to Maryland, where he was promoted to corporal and stationed at Camp David.
A Marine who tried to help the driver of a disabled vehicle in heavy rain Tuesday night in Frederick County was hit and killed by a driver who fled the scene.
Marine Cpl. William Ferrell, 21, stopped to help a driver on northbound Route 15 in Thurmont, Maryland State Police said.
Ferrell, of Carthage, North Carolina, was walking on the shoulder and was just feet from the stranded car when a tractor-trailer or heavy-duty pickup with a car-hauling trailer left the road, striking and killing him.
Witnesses tell police that as they tended to Ferrell, the truck stopped for a few minutes, then pulled away.
Police say the truck likely has damage to its right side.
read more here
Fort Carson Soldier Died in Training Accident
Fort Carson soldier dies after California Stryker training crash
The soldier was a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team
The Denver Post
By Jesse Paul
09/30/2015
A Fort Carson soldier died Wednesday after a California training accident last week, Army officials said, becoming the second GI from the Mountain Post to die in a Stryker armored-vehicle crash this year.
The soldier, a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, was injured Sept. 24 in a Stryker rollover crash at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.
Fort Carson officials say the soldier was taken to Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, Calif., for treatment before his death.
read more here
UPDATE
Fort Carson ID's soldier killed in California Stryker training crash
Staff Sgt. Christopher Popham was assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and was injured in a Stryker rollover during training Sept. 24.
The soldier was a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team
The Denver Post
By Jesse Paul
09/30/2015
A Fort Carson soldier died Wednesday after a California training accident last week, Army officials said, becoming the second GI from the Mountain Post to die in a Stryker armored-vehicle crash this year.
The soldier, a member of the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, was injured Sept. 24 in a Stryker rollover crash at the National Training Center, Fort Irwin, Calif.
Fort Carson officials say the soldier was taken to Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside, Calif., for treatment before his death.
read more here
UPDATE
Fort Carson ID's soldier killed in California Stryker training crash
Staff Sgt. Christopher Popham was assigned to the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division and was injured in a Stryker rollover during training Sept. 24.
Fatal Motorcycle Crash Claims Life of Fort Carson Soldier
The Gazette
By: Chhun Sun
September 30, 2015
The man who died in a weekend motorcycle crash in Fremont County was identified Wednesday as a Fort Carson soldier, officials said.
Spc. Rafael Munoz Baez, 44, was traveling north on Colorado Highway 9 when he lost control of his 2005 Buell XB12S motorcycle while going around a curve near mile marker 5, Colorado State Patrol said. The motorcycle went down an embankment, where Munoz-Baez was thrown from the bike and suffered fatal injuries. He was wearing a helmet, State Patrol said. read more here
Brevard Veterans Memorial Center Expanding
Veterans Center finally expanding
FLORIDA TODAY
R. Norman Moody
September 30, 2015
The project is part of the 80-acre complex along Sykes Creek just south of Merritt Square Mall.
The 4,000-square-foot expansion of the center's building comes thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The project will feature the addition of a two-story military museum, an improved military library, enhanced facilities for the Disabled American Veteran support program and an upgraded and expanded Memorial Plaza.
read more here
FLORIDA TODAY
R. Norman Moody
September 30, 2015
"It's really nice to see this happening," said Bill Vagianos, president of the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center. "My heart is with the center and always will be. The building will be doubled in size. It's going to be a two-story building. We'll move our offices and storage above."
Brevard Parks and Recreation director Jack Masson addresses the audience, among them from left Bill Vagianos, former county commissioner Chuck Nelson, County Commissioner Jim Barfield, State Sen. Thad Altman, State Rep. Steve Crisafulli (Photo: R. Norman Moody / FLORIDA TODAY)MERRITT ISLAND — As veterans marked the start of expansion of the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, the rumble and beep of heavy equipment could be heard across a thicket of brush and trees where construction is ongoing at Veterans Memorial Park.
The project is part of the 80-acre complex along Sykes Creek just south of Merritt Square Mall.
The 4,000-square-foot expansion of the center's building comes thanks to a $1.5 million grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. The project will feature the addition of a two-story military museum, an improved military library, enhanced facilities for the Disabled American Veteran support program and an upgraded and expanded Memorial Plaza.
read more here
Delaware Police Officer Receives Award After Veterans Received Help
Cop Shop: Officers Nee and Carter win 2015 Awards of Valor
Delaware County Daily Times
POSTED: 09/30/15
The pair was honored at the 10th annual Awards of Valor Ceremony Wednesday night at the National Liberty Museum in Old City Philadelphia.
Delaware County Daily Times
POSTED: 09/30/15
Aston 2nd Ward Commissioner Carol Graham presented certificates of recognition to Aston Fire Chief Michael Evans, Aston EMT Tony Cirino, Crozer-Keystone Health System Chief Paramedic Robert Reeder, Aston EMT John Gibson Jr., Aston EMS Capt. Bruce Egan, and Aston Police Chief Dan Ruggieri.Congratulations to Upper Darby Police Officer Thomas Nee and Collingdale Police Officer William “Fox” Carter. Both were among those selected to receive 2015 Awards of Valor by The National Liberty Museum.
SUBMITTED PHOTO
The pair was honored at the 10th annual Awards of Valor Ceremony Wednesday night at the National Liberty Museum in Old City Philadelphia.
Carter is among the supervisors of the Delaware County Southeast Regional Emergency Response Team, as well as assigned patrol duties. He was nominated for his commitment to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder training for police officers and for training for the proper interaction for police with those suffering from PTSD, as well as homeless veterans. He organized a daylong training for officers for more than 75 police and support personnel. In addition, he leads the Toys for Tots campaign, and oversees outreach to fellow officers and community members for used clothing to give to homeless vets in the area.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015
VFW: VA Turned 'Blind Eye' to Insurer Profiteering
VFW: VA Turned 'Blind Eye' to Insurer Profiteering Off Survivors
Military.com
Bryant Jordan
September 30, 2015
A 2009 document shows that that VA allowed Prudential to pay benefits in the form of an account that survivors could draw on rather than a single payment, as the law governing Service Group Life Insurance and Veterans Group Life Insurance required.
"The documents speak for themselves, and they show that Prudential initiated this program for the money that could be gained, not to help grieving military families -- and the VA knew all about it," VFW National Commander John A. Biedrzycki Jr. said. "For an insurance company to profit off the dead is sickening, but for our own government to turn a blind eye to profiteering is something entirely else."
read more here
UPDATE
Looks like the service groups are coming out swinging!
Military.com
Bryant Jordan
September 30, 2015
The lawsuit was settled in 2014 when the insurer paid out a $40 million settlement, but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing. The VFW continued to demand release of the documents, however, arguing that they would enable families and the public to better understand what the company did in connection with its administering of federally subsidized life insurance programs.One of the country's largest veterans' organizations says it has uncovered proof that that the Veterans Affairs Department agreed to an insurance policy payout system that gave Prudential Insurance Co. an edge in holding onto survivor's money rather than pay it out in a lump sum.
A 2009 document shows that that VA allowed Prudential to pay benefits in the form of an account that survivors could draw on rather than a single payment, as the law governing Service Group Life Insurance and Veterans Group Life Insurance required.
"The documents speak for themselves, and they show that Prudential initiated this program for the money that could be gained, not to help grieving military families -- and the VA knew all about it," VFW National Commander John A. Biedrzycki Jr. said. "For an insurance company to profit off the dead is sickening, but for our own government to turn a blind eye to profiteering is something entirely else."
read more here
UPDATE
Looks like the service groups are coming out swinging!
The American Legion has renewed its call for Under Secretary of Veterans Benefits Allison Hickey to resign or be fired.
The Legion, which first sought her removal along with other department officials in connection with a wait-times scandal in 2014, said Hickey now should go because of her connection to officials who used coercion to assume the directorships of regional offices in Philadelphia and St. Paul, Minnesota.
IAVA Chief Criticizes Sanders as ‘Apologist’ for Scandal-Riddled VA The head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America said presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, should explain why he didn't early and aggressively investigate the Veterans Affairs Department scandal involving manipulated wait times and the deaths of veterans.
"If you want to be commander-in-chief, let's ask some hard questions of Bernie Sanders on why he didn't do more, why he didn't hold more oversight hearings," Paul Rieckhoff said during a panel discussion on Tuesday in Washington, D.C. "We and others called him out for basically being an apologist for the VA as the scandal erupted around him."
Army Surgeon General Tried to Cover Up Concussion Data?
Report Alleges Army Surgeon General Tried to Cover Up Concussion Data
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Sep 29, 2015
Cook said he was not yet fully informed on the details of the allegations that Horoho and the West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., conspired to delay a FOIA request from The New York Times on concussions in the Academy's mandatory boxing program.
The Times also published an internal Army document that purported to show Horoho and Caslen planned to quash the Times story before it was published by planting favorable articles with other news outlets.
Caslen earlier this month took responsibility for an Aug. 20 pillow fight at the academy in which 30 cadets required treatment for mild concussions, bloody noses, split lips and other injuries. The final injury toll was 24 concussions, a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder, a hairline fracture of a cheekbone and possibly a broken leg. All of the injured returned to duty.
Because the incident that started out as a morale builder turned bloody, a military police investigation was ongoing, Caslen said at the time. "I assure you that the chain of command will take appropriate action when the investigation is complete," he said.
read more here
Pillow fight at West Point turns violent; 24 of 30 injured suffered concussions
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Sep 29, 2015
The Times' story Tuesday said that Horoho and Caslen "discussed trying to kill an article in The New York Times on concussions at West Point by withholding information so the Army could encourage competing news organizations to publish a more favorable story."The Pentagon's press secretary said Monday that he was looking into allegations that Army Surgeon Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho sought to delay a Freedom of Information Act request for concussion data and manipulate reporters to cover up potential wrongdoing.
Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, U.S. Army Surgeon General hosts a roundtable with key medical representatives from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, April 24, 2015 (Photo: Master Sgt. Anthony Elliott, PRMC)At a confrontational news briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary told reporters, "I hear your concerns about this particular incident." He said, "We treat the FOIA process here, as with other government agencies, as incredibly important."
Cook said he was not yet fully informed on the details of the allegations that Horoho and the West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., conspired to delay a FOIA request from The New York Times on concussions in the Academy's mandatory boxing program.
The Times also published an internal Army document that purported to show Horoho and Caslen planned to quash the Times story before it was published by planting favorable articles with other news outlets.
Caslen earlier this month took responsibility for an Aug. 20 pillow fight at the academy in which 30 cadets required treatment for mild concussions, bloody noses, split lips and other injuries. The final injury toll was 24 concussions, a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder, a hairline fracture of a cheekbone and possibly a broken leg. All of the injured returned to duty.
Because the incident that started out as a morale builder turned bloody, a military police investigation was ongoing, Caslen said at the time. "I assure you that the chain of command will take appropriate action when the investigation is complete," he said.
read more here
Pillow fight at West Point turns violent; 24 of 30 injured suffered concussions
UK: Millions Spent on Recovery Empty Beds?
How the British Army and Help for Heroes spent tens of millions on recovery centres for wounded soldiers where beds are empty
Daily Mail
By MARK DUELL and LUCY CROSSLEY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:54 EST, 28 September 2015
The network of centres is funded by the British Army, in partnership with Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion, to support injured military personnel and veterans.
But only around half of bedrooms at the two largest facilities were reported to have been occupied by serving personnel between August 2013 and January this year.
This figure does not include mentally and physically injured veterans who also use the centres or other visitors. Many facility users only attend during the day.
Daily Mail
By MARK DUELL and LUCY CROSSLEY FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 23:54 EST, 28 September 2015
Network of centres is funded by Army with H4H and Royal British Legion
Half of bedrooms at two biggest facilities 'occupied by serving personnel', although the centres are also used by veterans
Costs allegedly went from £70m over four years to £350m over ten years
Charity founder says 'We are not running a Travelodge. These Centres are helping to rebuild lives'
Tens of millions of pounds has been spent on recovery centres for wounded soldiers where beds have been left empty, it was claimed last night.
Royal visit: The Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry open the
Tedworth House recovery centre in May 2013
The network of centres is funded by the British Army, in partnership with Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion, to support injured military personnel and veterans.
But only around half of bedrooms at the two largest facilities were reported to have been occupied by serving personnel between August 2013 and January this year.
This figure does not include mentally and physically injured veterans who also use the centres or other visitors. Many facility users only attend during the day.
Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Sutton, acting chief of staff on the project, told The Times that he had warned senior officers and the Ministry of Defence about what he said was the army's failure to justify how the money was being spent.
'‘The team used to joke how it was like trying to build an aeroplane while taxiing down the runway,' he said.
read more here
Documentary Shows PTSD Decades of Grief and Healing
Film about veterans' trauma to make Maine debut
The Forecaseter
By Colin Ellis
September 30, 2015
Searching For Home
PORTLAND — The University of Southern Maine will host the state premiere of a documentary detailing soldiers’ wartime trauma and their struggles to transition home.
The documentary, titled “Searching for Home: Coming Back from War,” will premiere Oct. 3 at the university’s Hannaford Hall, located in the Abromson Community Education Center on 88 Bedford St. An invitation-only reception will be held at 6:30 p.m.; the film will be screened at 7:30 p.m. and a question and answer session with the filmmakers will follow.
Eric Christensen, the director of the 106-minute documentary, said he has made documentaries about individual trauma in the past, which eventually led him to the topic of wartime trauma. The documentary, portions of which were filmed in Maine, features veterans who survived injuries in war and their attempts to transition to life back home, as well as their family members.
The documentary looks at veterans suffering grief and trauma and spans multiple decades, from World War II to modern day conflicts.
Christensen, who lives in Burbank, California, said he hopes the message people take from the film is that recovering from trauma is a process.
“I want people to take away hope from the film and relate it their own traumas,” Christensen said.
He said military trauma is an acute example of trauma, and it is a good analogy that people who are suffering from their own trauma can relate to.
read more here
"Home is not home anymore" - Searching for Home: Coming Back from War - W/ Anthony Edwards from Eric Christiansen on Vimeo.
The Forecaseter
By Colin Ellis
September 30, 2015
PORTLAND — The University of Southern Maine will host the state premiere of a documentary detailing soldiers’ wartime trauma and their struggles to transition home.
The documentary, titled “Searching for Home: Coming Back from War,” will premiere Oct. 3 at the university’s Hannaford Hall, located in the Abromson Community Education Center on 88 Bedford St. An invitation-only reception will be held at 6:30 p.m.; the film will be screened at 7:30 p.m. and a question and answer session with the filmmakers will follow.
Eric Christensen, the director of the 106-minute documentary, said he has made documentaries about individual trauma in the past, which eventually led him to the topic of wartime trauma. The documentary, portions of which were filmed in Maine, features veterans who survived injuries in war and their attempts to transition to life back home, as well as their family members.
The documentary looks at veterans suffering grief and trauma and spans multiple decades, from World War II to modern day conflicts.
Christensen, who lives in Burbank, California, said he hopes the message people take from the film is that recovering from trauma is a process.
“I want people to take away hope from the film and relate it their own traumas,” Christensen said.
He said military trauma is an acute example of trauma, and it is a good analogy that people who are suffering from their own trauma can relate to.
read more here
"Home is not home anymore" - Searching for Home: Coming Back from War - W/ Anthony Edwards from Eric Christiansen on Vimeo.
Built on the pillars of the truth, the healing and the hope, SEARCHING FOR HOME: COMING BACK FROM WAR is an emotional and unflinching look at returning veterans and their search for the“home” they left behind, physically, mentally and spiritually.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Loving Life With PTSD
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
September 29, 2015
Tomorrow is the end of Suicide Prevention Month It is also the anniversary of the day I married my best friend. Hard to believe so many years have gone by but harder to believe that we don't spend much time thinking about the bad times we've had in over 3 decades together.
We were so young, full of dreams and possibilities. We were also carrying memories of a lot of pain. He was married before and it fell apart. I was married before and it did worse than fall apart. My ex-husband tried to kill me one night. Yep, he decided I needed to die.
The last thing I ever thought I'd do again, was be willing to trust someone else enough to get married again. I couldn't help it.
Somehow I just knew I was supposed to be by his side.
It has been a long road for us and everything I do is because of my husband and what he taught me about what real love is.
I almost lost my husband but we made it even though most of it was during a time when no one was talking about any of this battle after war families were fighting everyday. We were all suffering in silence and searching for hope.
I don't want to dwell on any of that right now. For now, I am asking you to give me an anniversary gift. Don't worry. It won't cost you a dime. It will cost you some pride because if you are still suffering instead of healing, take a good gulp of that pride of yours and do something to change right now.
Bet you didn't think it was wrong to ask for help when you were in combat so why think it is wrong now? You didn't go where you were alone. You didn't train yourself to use the weapons. You didn't just et off a bus from your hometown and jump out of a perfectly good plane hoping the parachute would open up on time or wondering if you figured out how to put it on right. Other folks taught you how do all of it. You had to learn. Then why find so many excuses now to not ask for help?
My husband didn't want to either. Then again, my husband thought that he didn't deserve it. He actually thought he didn't deserve to be happy or loved. Now he knows the difference between what he thought and what was true.
If you are a spouse, you can give me a gift too. Think about all the reasons you fell in love with your veteran. No matter how rotten they are acting, or how big of a jerk you may think they suddenly became, all the good stuff is all still in there behind a huge wall of pain. He/she needs you to help them find themselves again.
Sometimes they had to do some bad things and they think they are evil for having done them but they need to be reminded that the basic fact of war is simple for those who go. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for those they are with. Imagine that kind of love and that is what you saw within them when you decided to spend the rest of your life with them.
Everyone can learn what PTSD is and what it does but you have to look at all of it in a different way. Yesterday is part of the pain we all carry within up but the hope of a different tomorrow keeps all the good stuff alive.
The song from Fleetwood Mac, Don't Stop is one of my favorites. It pretty much sums up what I really want for my gift from you. Don't forget about things that matter but that doesn't mean you have to let them haunt you. You can make peace with the past. Yesterday is gone and there isn't anything you can do to change it. There is plenty you can do to change right now so that it will be a different day tomorrow.
Kathie Costos
September 29, 2015
Tomorrow is the end of Suicide Prevention Month It is also the anniversary of the day I married my best friend. Hard to believe so many years have gone by but harder to believe that we don't spend much time thinking about the bad times we've had in over 3 decades together.
We were so young, full of dreams and possibilities. We were also carrying memories of a lot of pain. He was married before and it fell apart. I was married before and it did worse than fall apart. My ex-husband tried to kill me one night. Yep, he decided I needed to die.
The last thing I ever thought I'd do again, was be willing to trust someone else enough to get married again. I couldn't help it.
Somehow I just knew I was supposed to be by his side.
It has been a long road for us and everything I do is because of my husband and what he taught me about what real love is.
Folks talk all the time about "awareness" yet don't seem too interested in offering much hope. Sure they just have a lot of stuff they looked up online but it a lot different being aware of the reality we face everyday.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.Corinthians 13:4-8New International Version (NIV)
I almost lost my husband but we made it even though most of it was during a time when no one was talking about any of this battle after war families were fighting everyday. We were all suffering in silence and searching for hope.
I don't want to dwell on any of that right now. For now, I am asking you to give me an anniversary gift. Don't worry. It won't cost you a dime. It will cost you some pride because if you are still suffering instead of healing, take a good gulp of that pride of yours and do something to change right now.
Bet you didn't think it was wrong to ask for help when you were in combat so why think it is wrong now? You didn't go where you were alone. You didn't train yourself to use the weapons. You didn't just et off a bus from your hometown and jump out of a perfectly good plane hoping the parachute would open up on time or wondering if you figured out how to put it on right. Other folks taught you how do all of it. You had to learn. Then why find so many excuses now to not ask for help?
My husband didn't want to either. Then again, my husband thought that he didn't deserve it. He actually thought he didn't deserve to be happy or loved. Now he knows the difference between what he thought and what was true.
If you are a spouse, you can give me a gift too. Think about all the reasons you fell in love with your veteran. No matter how rotten they are acting, or how big of a jerk you may think they suddenly became, all the good stuff is all still in there behind a huge wall of pain. He/she needs you to help them find themselves again.
Sometimes they had to do some bad things and they think they are evil for having done them but they need to be reminded that the basic fact of war is simple for those who go. They are willing to sacrifice their lives for those they are with. Imagine that kind of love and that is what you saw within them when you decided to spend the rest of your life with them.
Everyone can learn what PTSD is and what it does but you have to look at all of it in a different way. Yesterday is part of the pain we all carry within up but the hope of a different tomorrow keeps all the good stuff alive.
The song from Fleetwood Mac, Don't Stop is one of my favorites. It pretty much sums up what I really want for my gift from you. Don't forget about things that matter but that doesn't mean you have to let them haunt you. You can make peace with the past. Yesterday is gone and there isn't anything you can do to change it. There is plenty you can do to change right now so that it will be a different day tomorrow.
Fleetwood Mac – Don't Stop Lyrics
If you wake up and don't want to smile
If it take just a little while
Open your eyes and look at the day
You'll see things in a different way
Don't stop thinking about tomorrow
Don't stop, it'll soon be here
It'll be even better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone
Why not think about times to come
And not about the things that you've done
If your life was bad to you
Just think what tomorrow will do
Don't stop thinking about tomorrow
Don't stop, it'll soon be here
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone
All I want is to see you smile
If it takes just a little while
I know you don't believe that it's true
I never meant any harm to you
Don't stop thinking about tomorrow
Don't stop, it'll soon be here
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone
Don't stop thinking about tomorrow
Don't stop, it'll soon be here
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone
Ooh, don't you look back
Ooh, don't you look back
Ooh, don't you look back
Ooh, don't you look back
Songwriters: MCVIE, CHRISTINE
Don't Stop lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Fort Hood Female Soldier Creates App to Fight for Sexual Assault Victims
Fort Hood Soldier Creates App to Help Sexual Assault Victims
KCEN News
By Tiffany Pelt
Updated: Sep 28, 2015
“All they have to do is open it,” said Sgt. First Class Sarah Whatley. “Anything they could potentially need would be at the touch of a finger.”
For two years, Whatley has served as a brigade SARC, a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, for the 1st Air Cav Brigade at Fort Hood. She handles all sexual assault complaints for her brigade and helps link the victim to their needed resources.
“I think some of the hardest things for me personally is witnessing how much the event has changed them as a person,” she said. “You can really tell how bad it hurts and how much they break down.”
Dealing with these victims and seeing the pain her fellow soldiers were enduring sparked something within Whatley. Her mission: make the process easier for the victims and bring more awareness to the issue of sexual assault.
read more here
KCEN News
By Tiffany Pelt
Updated: Sep 28, 2015
“The app will allow you access to one touch call for the III Corps Hotline, touch to call for Army OneSource, the local ER, Military and other local police stations,” she said. “Where ever they are at, if they need help all you have to do is push the icon.”FORT HOOD – It is a new weapon in the war against sexual assault within the military, and the creator is right here at Fort Hood.
“All they have to do is open it,” said Sgt. First Class Sarah Whatley. “Anything they could potentially need would be at the touch of a finger.”
For two years, Whatley has served as a brigade SARC, a Sexual Assault Response Coordinator, for the 1st Air Cav Brigade at Fort Hood. She handles all sexual assault complaints for her brigade and helps link the victim to their needed resources.
“I think some of the hardest things for me personally is witnessing how much the event has changed them as a person,” she said. “You can really tell how bad it hurts and how much they break down.”
Dealing with these victims and seeing the pain her fellow soldiers were enduring sparked something within Whatley. Her mission: make the process easier for the victims and bring more awareness to the issue of sexual assault.
read more here
Green Beret Made Morally Right Choice, Suffering For It
Green Beret Discharged for Shoving Accused Afghan Rapist Speaks Out
Fox News
by Judson Berger
Sep 28, 2015
A Green Beret ordered discharged after he and his team leader body-slammed an alleged Afghan child rapist is speaking out against the Army's effort to punish him, as he fights to stay in the service.
"Kicking me out of the Army is morally wrong and the entire country knows it," Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland said, in his first public statement on his case.
The detailed written statement, requested by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., was shared by the congressman's office with FoxNews.com. Hunter, who has advocated on Martland's behalf, intends to submit the statement to the House Armed Services Committee.
Martland's case has received renewed attention amid recent press reports on the U.S. military's handling of child abuse allegations involving Afghan allies. In his statement, Martland gives a blunt account of the September 2011 encounter with the "brutal child rapist," local police commander Abdul Rahman. He acknowledges the confrontation, but suggests the commander exaggerated his injuries -- and argues that the boy's safety, as well as American lives, was at stake that day.
Martland said the Afghan Local Police had been "committing atrocities," raising concerns that many locals viewed as "worse than the Taliban" -- and if locals returned to the Taliban, attacks against U.S. forces would increase.
"While I understand that a military lawyer can say that I was legally wrong, we felt a moral obligation to act," he said.
read more here
Fox News
by Judson Berger
Sep 28, 2015
A Green Beret ordered discharged after he and his team leader body-slammed an alleged Afghan child rapist is speaking out against the Army's effort to punish him, as he fights to stay in the service.
"Kicking me out of the Army is morally wrong and the entire country knows it," Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland said, in his first public statement on his case.
The detailed written statement, requested by Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., was shared by the congressman's office with FoxNews.com. Hunter, who has advocated on Martland's behalf, intends to submit the statement to the House Armed Services Committee.
Martland's case has received renewed attention amid recent press reports on the U.S. military's handling of child abuse allegations involving Afghan allies. In his statement, Martland gives a blunt account of the September 2011 encounter with the "brutal child rapist," local police commander Abdul Rahman. He acknowledges the confrontation, but suggests the commander exaggerated his injuries -- and argues that the boy's safety, as well as American lives, was at stake that day.
Martland said the Afghan Local Police had been "committing atrocities," raising concerns that many locals viewed as "worse than the Taliban" -- and if locals returned to the Taliban, attacks against U.S. forces would increase.
"While I understand that a military lawyer can say that I was legally wrong, we felt a moral obligation to act," he said.
read more here
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