Is Navy Trying to Blame Navy SEAL's Death on Certification?

What is this story really all about? How does Marston's certification question change the fact he was unconscious as this investigation found?

Navy SEAL Who Died in Parachute Incident Was Unconscious
Associated Press
Jan 25, 2016

Marston lived in Virginia Beach and was a member of SEAL Team 6. He died during the accident on Jan. 10, 2015, in Deland, Florida.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. -- An investigation has concluded that a Navy SEAL who died in a parachute training accident in Florida last year became unconscious after exiting the plane.

The investigation also found that Petty Officer 1st Class William Blake Marston was unable to open his main chute, The Virginian-Pilot reported. It also determined that Marston shouldn't have been on the plane to begin with because of a discrepancy over whether he was up to date with a required certification.
read more here

Did Budget Cuts Cause Military Helicopter Crashes?

Slew of military helicopter deaths raises question of whether budget cuts endanger troops 
Stars and Stripes
By Tara Copp
Published: January 25, 2016

Retired Cmdr. Chris Harmer, who flew SH-60F Sea Hawk helicopters for the Navy, and who now is a defense analyst at the Institute for the Study of War, said there is a direct tie.

WASHINGTON — A threefold increase in helicopter crash deaths last year is raising questions about whether budget cuts are endangering troops by forcing deep cuts in maintenance and training.

Twelve helicopter crashes in 2015 killed 30 servicemembers — three times as many deaths as in 2014. Twelve more died Jan. 14 when two U.S. Marine CH-53 Super Stallions collided off the coast of Oahu in Hawaii during a night training flight.

Marine commanders including Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy Marine commandant for aviation, and Gen. Robert Neller, commandant of the Marine Corps, are looking at why so many helicopters are crashing, according to a senior defense official familiar with the discussions.

Almost all the deaths, including those on Jan. 14, occurred during home-station training missions.

Nondeployed units at their homes stations have dealt with reduced flight training opportunities for years. The continued high pace of wartime operations meant units deploying to conflict areas got priority for training.
read more here

Veteran and Her Service Dog Turned Away from Motel

This is the answer the ADA has on service dogs.

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
SERVICE ANIMALS IN PLACES OF BUSINESS
Q: I have always had a clearly posted "no pets" policy at my establishment. Do I still have to allow service animals in?

A: Yes. A service animal is not a pet. The ADA requires you to modify your "no pets" policy to allow the use of a service animal by a person with a disability. This does not mean you must abandon your "no pets" policy altogether but simply that you must make an exception to your general rule for service animals.

Maybe it would be a good idea to go to the link and print it so that you can educate all these businesses turning away your service dog.

Veteran and her service dog denied lodging
West Central Tribune
By Shelby Lindrud
Jan 25, 2016

Sandy Gessler, of Grand Forks, sits with her service dog, Cozmo. Gessler

said her service dog helps her manage her Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

WILLMAR — Cozmo the corgi might not look like your stereotypical service dog, but he is just as essential to his human partner’s well-being as any seeing eye dog. To do the job, for which he is specially trained, Cozmo must be able to go wherever Sandy Gessler goes — restaurants, hospitals and hotels.

“He is not really a family pet, he is a little different,” Gessler said.

Gessler, of Grand Forks, was visiting Willmar Jan. 2 when she ran into a problem trying to find lodging for the night. Though she made reservations with a local motel, when she arrived with Cozmo the manager made her leave, repeatedly saying he had a no-pet policy.

“It was a really ugly feeling I had,” Gessler said.

The Americans with Disabilities Act and the Minnesota Human Rights Act state service dogs are not pets and are allowed in most public places, even if the business has a no-pet policy. Businesses that don’t accommodate a service dog are breaking the law.

Gessler left the motel and found a room elsewhere, but even there she didn’t receive a warm welcome. The second motel charged her $10 for Cozmo to stay in the room, again against the ADA. She said the motel staff also asked for proof Cozmo was a service dog, also illegal.
read more here

Fort Bragg Command Sgt. Major Killed Riding Harley

Fatal collision of two lives leaves a community in mourning 
Fayetteville Observer
By Greg Barnes, Staff writer
January 25, 2016

Fort Bragg Command Sgt. Maj. Lynn Edward Ratley had been around the world, leading soldiers and helping people in need.

He had worked at medical centers in Germany and Afghanistan, served as chief clinical sergeant major at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and, most recently, commanded troops with Fort Bragg's 261st Multifunctional Medical Battalion.

Justin Andrew Dunlap hadn't been much of anywhere, save for a stretch in a South Carolina prison.

The paths of the 47-year-old military leader and the 26-year-old convicted sex offender crossed eight days ago, in a screeching tangle of rubber and steel near the intersection of West Mountain Drive and Gillespie Street.

Fayetteville police say Dunlap's black 2000 Honda Accord was traveling south on Gillespie Street when it crossed a grassy center median, veered into oncoming traffic and smashed into Ratley's 2015 Harley Davidson motorcycle.
read more here

Amputee Veteran: Everest is his goal, happiness is his choice

For wounded Afghanistan vet, Everest is his goal, happiness is his choice
Modesto Bee
Katherine Jones
January 25, 2016
“At the same time, that’s life. Life always seems to give you a challenge.

“It’s whether we step up to the challenge or give up. Life always gives you challenges. It's whether we step up to the challenges." Charlie Linville

Since having his lower leg amputated after stepping on a bomb in Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Charlie Linville has tried twice to climb the highest mountain in the world — and each time was turned away by devastating natural disasters on and near Everest. He wanted — and wants — to prove something to himself, to other veterans and to the world: That injured veterans can do anything. His climb is sponsored by The Heroes Project. Katherine Jones and Heroes Project

Charlie Linville actually hasn’t climbed Mount Everest. Although it’s not for lack of trying.

He has climbed Aconcagua, the highest peak in South America, plus three of the four tallest volcanoes in Ecuador and the tallest peak in Mexico — all of which were training for Everest.

But Everest itself...

He has been to Base Camp twice. The first time was in 2014. After rigorous training in South America and climbing a 22,000-foot peak in Nepal multiple times to acclimatize, Charlie and his crew — Tim Medvetz from The Heroes Project and their Sherpas — arrived at Everest Base Camp.

They were a mere 24 hours from starting their climb to Camp 2 when an avalanche roared through the Khumbu Icefall, which separates Base Camp from Camp 2. Sixteen Nepalese guides were killed and the mountain was closed to further climbs.
read more here

Fort Bragg Special Forces Remembers MOH Staff Sgt. Robert Miller

On anniversary of his death, MoH recipient a model for Army special operators 
Fayetteville Observer
Drew Brooks
January 25, 2016

On the eighth anniversary of his death, Miller remains the only Special Forces soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for service in Afghanistan, and the only Fort Bragg soldier to be so recognized in the Global War on Terror.

First, there was just one insurgent.

A single man jumping from behind a boulder, screaming "Allahu Akbar!"

Staff Sgt. Robert Miller killed the man instantly.

Then, the valley erupted.

More than 140 enemy fighters, holed up in fortified positions overlooking Miller's 3rd Special Forces Group team and their Afghan allies, faced the soldiers on three sides.

The soldiers, trapped in the open terrain, had little chance to respond. Some of the enemy fighters were a mere feet away, unleashing hell with AK-47s, rocket-propelled grenades and PKM machine guns.

That day, Jan. 25, 2008, could have been the last for the Green Berets and their allies, according to some of the men who were part of the fight.

But as the ambush began, Miller took charge.
read more here
Linked from Stars and Stripes

Orlando Sentinel


This is the memorial service after the Medal of Honor had been presented to his family.
Adm. Eric Olson Special Forces

Medal of Honor Afghanistan and Iraq

VIDEO: DOD tribute video to Medal of Honor recipient Staff Sgt. Robert Miller Department of Defense video

The False Narrative of the Number “22”

Veteran Suicide: The False Narrative of the Number “22”
InMilitary.com
Wes O’Donnell
January 22, 2016

There is a single number that defines the way many Americans think about military veterans. That number is 22 per day, as in, 22 veterans commit suicide daily in the United States. This number has been blasted across the outlets of the mainstream media as a rallying cry for the advocates of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans; the group that seems to be the most at risk. In addition, entire non-profit organizations with the number “22” in their name, have sprung up to assist this group and draw national attention to this crisis.

The problem is that the number 22 is built on a false narrative.

First, this number is based on a Veteran Affairs report from 2012 using the agencies’ own data and numbers reported from only 21 states from 1999 through 2011. Those states represent only 40% of the U.S. Population. The other states, including states with massive veteran communites, like California and Texas, don’t make their data available, and don’t report suicides to the VA. As you can deduce, we should be using the number “22” as a starting point or bare minimum.

Second, the entire generation of veterans that have been implicated in “22”, that is, the Post-9/11 or Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans, are NOT the group that is committing suicide. In reality, only about 1 veteran from that group takes their own life daily, (which is still 1 too many). But if the media and charitable organizations are going to focus on this number, they need to make sure that they are targeting the right generation.

According to the report, the majority of veteran suicides are committed by Vietnam-Era veterans, yet the media is quiet on this point, much to their disgrace.
read more here


At least he's talking about it.

Just like NPR did The Number 22: Is There A 'False Narrative' For Vet Suicide? in October of 2015.

And LA Times did in 2013

A misunderstood statistic: 22 military veteran suicides a day
LA Times
By Alan Zarembo
December 20, 2013

Most of the 22 military veteran suicides that occur each day do not involve people who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. The parents of Iraq war veteran Rusty McAlpin comfort each other near where their son killed himself with a handgun.

In most discussions of suicide and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan — including the online buzz that followed publication of a Times analysis on how young California veterans die — one statistic gets repeated most: 22 veterans kill themselves each day.

That number comes from a study published in early 2013 by researchers at the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. But the recent wars were not the study's primary focus. In fact, they play a minor role in veteran suicides overall.

The VA researchers used death records from 21 states to come up with a 2010 national estimate for veterans of all ages. As a group, veterans are old. Military service being far rarer than it was in the days of the draft, more than 91% of the nation's 22 million veterans are at least 35 years old, and the overwhelming majority did not serve in the post-9/11 era.

Side note: Great choice of picture since I used it in this article back in 2014 plus a few others.

Beyond 22 A Day Forgotten Veterans and Families

We Count The Coffins They Won't Even Think About
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 24, 2016

I always wonder how a family feels when they are planning a funeral for the others forgotten in the number "22 a day" being repeated by 400,000 charities as part of "awareness" fund raisers. After all we're really talking about over 26,000 a year but most only want to do what is easy all the way around.

If you saw half of the articles I have to read your head would explode too. I try to just put up the best ones the national media has no time for. Considering they've been covering the election for the last two years, they don't take time to report on much else anymore. Seems really strange all this attention on folks wanting to become Commander-in-Chief but no attention paid to what happens to the troops or veterans.

For what I don't post, I usually swear at it then drop it but the following articles are wrong in so many ways, I just couldn't let them go.

This bullshit has to stop! All of us agree on that because nothing has changed for any of our veterans from any decade. Pretty sickening to most of us.

Ask any of these groups what they are trying to change and they can't explain it or how they plan on making a difference. It happened from coast to coast this weekend just like every other weekend and reporters are all over it to give readers a warm and fuzzy feeling since they know this country loves its veterans, or at least appears to.

Active, retired military service members raise suicide awareness in Orlando
Orlando Sentinel
Caitlin Dineen Staff Writer
January 23, 2016

Saturday's high of 50 degrees didn't stop Jared DeFoor and 40 others from walking around downtown Orlando wearing military-issued shorts, carrying ruck sacks with no shirts on.

Check out pictures of the Silkie hike through downtown Orlando, calling awareness to the 22 veterans that die by suicide daily.

When passersby were done gawking at the 24-year-old's six-pack abs, the Marine Corps sergeant would tell them the real reason he stripped down.

"I've lost three of my friends to suicide," said DeFoor, an Apopka native who's been a marine for nearly six years. "So this is pretty near and dear to my heart."

The Silkies Hike, also called the "22 with 22 for the 22," is an event sponsored by the Irreverent Warriors organization.

Irreverent Warriors brings veterans together "using humor and camaraderie to heal the mental wounds of war" and raises money to financially support warriors.
read more here

Great attention getter on that one.  It was pretty cold here yesterday. Is that a feel good story about veterans caring about their own? Sure. But is it a story on making any kind of real difference for their own? Hardly.

That's the point of all this. For all the groups out there claiming they are raising awareness, there is very little real things getting through to them.

They don't understand they are not stuck suffering the way they are or how to find what really will work for them. Simply put, with 4 decades of research behind us it seems more like they have taken a trip back in time to when no one was doing anything instead of everyone doing something.

These groups don't talk about the fact most of the veterans committing suicide are over the age of 50 and none of these new groups want anything to do with our generation. Leaves most of us speechless since it was our generation to make sure the research treating the wounds of combat past generations came home with were treated. Yep, we know nothing is new about any of this but this younger generation doesn't seem to have the awareness required to begin to understand any of this.

How did we do it without the internet? How did we learn so much more than they have begun to learn without instant access to a world full of knowledge? We learned because we needed to know the right answers and not will to settle for the fast answers that changed nothing.

On the Las Vegas Review Journal there is "Trike riders bring attention to veteran suicides" about yet another "awareness" fundraiser.

Air Force veterans started this one.

"We're not some person in a three-piece suit starting a veterans organization because it's a good idea," Peter said. "We are the suffering veteran that got around it with other veterans to figure out how to overcome the thing that was holding us back."

Well no real wonder who is the person in the suit he's talking about. Still, there isn't much in this article that is right.

The "22 a day" is wrong and we all know it. With the CDC reporting over 40,000 Americans committing suicide each year and veteran suicides are double the civilian population rate, that is over 26,000 veterans a year. Hey, but why actually think about something so important that there are charities popping up all over the country to raise awareness on something they need to become aware of first?

How about someone actually raise awareness on the basic facts, like they don't have to suffer with PTSD, they can heal and then maybe offer the hope suicidal veterans need that tomorrow can be better than this day is?

How about give them the knowledge they are lacking about how to actually make it better and liver a happier life?

The veterans and families I work with say they never heard any of what I have to say before and then they wonder why it isn't on the internet. I tell them they are just looking in the wrong places because after over 30 years, I can assure them that it is all available online. They are wasting their time searching social media sources and really won't learn much at all that way.

Further down in the article Rep. Joe Heck showed Congress is just as unaware of the real issues they are supposed to have jurisdiction over.

And as Rep. Joe Heck, R-Nev., said during a meeting this week with veterans: over 50 percent of the suicides are in the population of nondeployed service members.

Non-deployed? They are still talking about that but never seem to fathom the fact that every servicemember had been trained in "resilience" for almost the last decade. How did they expect that training to work on deployed troops especially when most had been deployed several times?

"They're struggling with the same issues that the civilians struggle with," he said, listing such depression triggers as failed marriages and financial issues.

Huge difference between servicemembers and civilians because civilians are not willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of others and are not willing to endure all the hardships that come with that service. Families are different as well considering they are also willing to endure whatever comes with military life. Why compare the two? Why try to point to the regular problems without putting the rest that goes with it?

"So we've got to build a better mental health system in general," Heck said, adding that Las Vegas has the fewest number of publicly funded mental health beds "of any metropolitan area in the country."

What he failed to mention is the fact that Congress has been spending billions a year on what has failed. Strange how they haven't noticed that part. Even stranger that reporters haven't either.

So they'll keep covering these walkers and talkers, making it seem as if it is a good thing when we keep counting the coffins that shouldn't have been filled, and worse, ones they won't even stop long enough to think about.

Getting Onto Military Bases Harder in 5 States

Military Bases No Longer Accepting IDs from Five States 
Military.com
by Amy Bushatz
Jan 13, 2016

U.S. military installations are no longer allowing visitors to gain base access using official ID cards from five states -- and other installations may soon follow.

State-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards from Illinois, New Mexico, Missouri, Washington and Minnesota can no longer be used to obtain a visitor’s pass because those cards don’t comply with federal standards, officials said. DoD officials did not say whether or not enhanced driver's licenses (EDL) from Minnesota or Washington would still be accepted.

Guidance has already been issued by such installations as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Fort Drum in New York, Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

"Effective immediately, residents of these five states can no longer use their driver’s license to get a visitor’s pass," Tom McCollum, a Fort Bragg spokesman said in a release today. "Driver's licenses and identification cards issued by these states cannot be used to access not just Fort Bragg, but all federal facilities, to include other military installations."

Nate Allen, a spokesman for the Army, in an email confirmed the changes affect all military installations in the U.S.
read more here

Rep. Graham Hunt Valor Questioned After Stolen Photo

For a politician to use a photo of real grief in combat in a campaign is terrible. It is reprehensible for one to use it and say it was a photo of his grief.

‘Combat veteran’? Records fail to back state lawmaker’s claims 
Seattle Times
Jim Brunner
January 23, 2016

A doctored war photo and discrepancies about medals have raised questions about state Rep. Graham Hunt’s military background. He served in the Middle East and says he was “wounded in combat,” but has been vague about the details.

A 2014 post on the Facebook page of state Rep. Graham Hunt, R-Orting, displayed a version of a 2003 Associated Press photo with a doctored military insignia on the uniform. The post falsely claimed Hunt was one of the soldiers. Hunt blamed an unnamed campaign volunteer.

A version of this Associated Press photo was shared on Graham Hunt’s Facebook page. The photo shows Sgt. David Borell and Sgt. Maj. Bryan Pacholski, both of Ohio.

In May of 2014, a dramatic Iraq war photo was posted to the Facebook page of state Rep. Graham Hunt, R-Orting, showing two kneeling U.S. soldiers in desert combat uniforms, one man consoling the other.

 “This picture of me was taken after a mortar attack in 2005,” the post said. “Background has been modified, but I think combat camera captured the moment pretty well. I surely have not forgotten that moment.” 

Hunt is a decorated former Arizona Air National Guard member who deployed to the Middle East.

But neither soldier in the picture was him. The image was a doctored version of a 2003 Associated Press photo of two military policemen from Ohio during a deployment near Baghdad. The photo was removed several months later, with Hunt saying a campaign volunteer had posted it without his knowledge. read more here

In 2006 I start to make videos on PTSD using real pictures of soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. This was one of the photos I used many times. When I saw it being used by a politician, it damn near broke my heart. Then to read the Facebook post saying it was Hunt, all I wanted to do was find Sgt. David Borell and Sgt. Maj. Bryan Pacholski to let them know this moment of true compassion had been used for political gain. What makes all this even worse is Hunt was a member of Arizona Air National Guard.