PTSD Veteran Racing To Top of Empire State Building at 70

At 70, Vietnam Veteran From Middletown To Race Up Empire State Building
Courant
Erik Hesselberg Special to Courant
February 1, 2016

Jerry Augustine (center) with buddies at Tay Nin Military base, near the Cambodian border north of Saigon. (Jerry Augustine / hc)

MIDDLETOWN — At the Empire State Building, Jerry Augustine doesn't take the elevator. He sprints up 1,576 stairs to the 86th-floor observation deck.

Augustine, a Vietnam War veteran, belongs to an elite group of tower runners who bolt up 86 floors of the 1,200-foot skyscraper in less than 15 minutes. A few do it in a gasping 10 minutes.

Augustine has run the race eight times, placing first, second and third in his age group. His best time is 14 minutes, 28 seconds. That was in 1998. He was 52 years old at the time.

Now 70, the Vietnam veteran, who said he started running to cope with his PTSD symptoms, wants to see if he's still got it. Augustine is running in the 39th annual Empire State Building Run-up in New York City on Wednesday.
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Fort Hood Gets New Center for Healing

Fort Hood satellite center 'symbolizes hope' for injured soldiers
Killeen Daily Herald
JC Jones
Herald staff writer
January 31, 2016

“It symbolizes that no matter what the soldier has been through, they may be broken, but they’re still standing, and able to heal. It really symbolizes hope,” said Christopher Miller, chief nursing officer at the Intrepid Center.

Eric J. Shelton | Herald

Fort Hood Intrepid Center

FORT HOOD — Soldiers being treated for traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder now have a new home for treatment at Fort Hood.

The National Intrepid Center of Excellence Satellite Center at Fort Hood opened its doors to patients for the first time Jan. 11, ushering in a new era of care on post.

The 25,000-square-foot facility includes state-of-the-art technology, a fully functioning gym, a yoga and meditation area, group session rooms, an outdoor patio and a staff of health care and mental health professionals, all to offer a multidisciplinary, holistic approach to treating TBI, PTSD and other conditions.

“Some of the equipment that we have here now is going to allow us to be better able to quantify objectively how service members are doing upon their initiation of treatment, and then what happens while they’re going through treatment,” Dr. Scot Engel, the center’s director, said.

Ground broke on the center in June 2014. It is the fifth of its kind on military installations across the country, all part of a joint effort by the government and the private sector. The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, a nonprofit organization, donated $11 million to Fort Hood’s Intrepid Center. A similar facility at Fort Bragg, N.C., also opened recently.
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Amputee's Angel Showed Up As Marine

While we're all having a problem with Wounded Warrior Project right now, get past the hat the veteran is wearing because this is about a veteran doing something for another veteran in need.

Marine builds ramp for amputee veteran in Cullman Co.
WTVM ABC News 9
Vanessa Ariza
Posted: Jan 30, 2016

CULLMAN COUNTY, AL (WBRC)
Jeremy Hogan has a history of helping fellow Marines.

In his spare time, he makes American flags out of wood and gifts them to fellow soldiers and veterans.

And now he's a man on a mission. A mission to help a fellow brother. A man he has just met Thursday but one he shares an immediate bond with.

"I walked in. It was just one of those things where you know the gentleman is in straight distress and needed anything and everything I could do for him," Hogan said.

Hogan heard about former Marine Corporal Ken Beasley at a local grocery store. Beasley is an amputee veteran who is struggling with health and home issues. So, Hogan did what he knows best as a Marine.

"I didn't even tell my wife I was coming over here. I ran over here and was just going to see what supplies I needed and was going to get him help and build a ramp," said Hogan.
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WTVM.com-Columbus, GA News Weather

Navy Veteran Survived Truck Fire in Florida

Navy veteran escapes truck fire with minor injuries
WSVN News
Posted: Jan 31, 2016

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WSVN) -- A Navy veteran is lucky to be alive after he crashed his pickup truck and it burst into flames.

The 18-year veteran from Jacksonville walked away from the fire with only a few scratches.

Michael Smith was driving down an exit ramp when his brakes wouldn't work properly Friday. "I put my foot on the brake and nothing. Foot pedal to the floor, nothing," he said. "I mean, just fear, I just got scared. I don't know. Didn't know what to do."
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WSVN-TV - 7NEWS Miami Ft. Lauderdale News, Weather, Deco

What Connection Does Gen. Ray Odierno Have To Wounded Warrior Project?

UPDATE February 1, 2016
Wounded Warrior Project Board of Directors Issues Statement

The Board takes very seriously the concerns that have been raised in recent days and is in the process of retaining independent advisors to conduct a thorough financial and policy review of the concerns. We remain steadfast in our commitment to our warriors and supporters and will ensure that the organization is effectively fulfilling this important mission."

What they "do" is very vague so hopefully the "independent advisors" can clear that up. No one really knows what they are actually doing for the post 9-11 veterans but we do know they don't serve older veterans waiting even longer. If these veterans are "aiding and assisting each other, then why does WWP need all that money?

How Did Wounded Warrior Project Get So Big?
Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
January 31, 2016

In 2013 General Raymond Odierno was asked about the increase in soldiers committing suicide by David Wood during an interview for the Huffington Post.

This was his answer.

"Some of it is just personal make-up. Intestinal fortitude. Mental toughness that ensures that people are able to deal with stressful situations."

"But it also has to do with where you come from. I came from a loving family, one who gave lots of positive reinforcement, who built up psychologically who I was, who I am, what I might want to do. It built confidence in myself, and I believe that enables you to better deal with stress. It enables you to cope more easily than maybe some other people."

The problem is that he was head of the Army at the time. Left a pretty bad image of how the troops were really being treated especially in the Warrior Transition Units. It always comes down to the difference between what they tell us and what they actually do.

What does this have to do with all the reports about Wounded Warrior Project?

General Raymond Odierno's son, Anthony K. Odierno, is Board Chair, a combat wounded Iraq veteran. When I searched Charity Navigator for the report on WWP being put on "watch list" I discovered this.

"Odierno joined the WWP board of directors in 2009, serving as secretary from 2009 – 2013 and audit committee chair from 2011 – 2014. In 2014, he was elected to the position of chair."

Charity Navigator listed the CEO this way.

Steven Nardizzi Executive Director, Founder

But is he the founder?

Steve Nardizzi is a founder of Wounded Warrior Project® (WWP) and currently serves as chief executive officer, overseeing all aspects of the organization. Before being promoted to this role in 2009, Steve served as chief operating officer.

Just a reminder, Nardizzi is not a veteran. With all the reporting going on it turns out that only about a third of the employees are veterans.

In the New York Times report on the scandal there was this about how it was founded and by whom.

The Wounded Warrior Project’s roots are more humble. Its founder, John Melia, was a Marine veteran who had been injured in a helicopter crash off the coast of Somalia in 1992. When wounded troops began returning from Iraq in 2003, Mr. Melia remembered how he had arrived in a stateside hospital with only his thin hospital gown, and began visiting military hospitals to distribute backpacks stuffed with socks, CD players, toothpaste and other items.

As the backpack project grew, Mr. Melia hired a few employees, including Mr. Nardizzi, a lawyer who had never served in the military but was an executive for a small nonprofit, the United Spinal Association, which served disabled veterans.

No one has been able to figure out how WWP went from that to that to this mega size charity. The question now should be if General Odierno had anything to do with it or not. If the accusations turn out to be true, they are far from new considering CBS had reported on most of this last year.

CEO responds after watchdogs give Wounded Warrior charity low marks

On the Wounded Warrior Project’s website, the charity says it spends 80 percent of its donations on its main services. But tax records show it also includes some fundraising expenses in that mix. Charity Navigator subtracts the fundraising and — in its most recent report — said the Wounded Warrior Project spends less than 60 percent on its services. The rest, according to Charity Navigator, went to fundraising and administration.

But as we've seen, not much has changed.  There are still a lot of other questions no one seems to have found the answers for. How did they get all the footage of wounded getting physical therapy? Are they doing it or did the DOD and VA let them use their wounded? If they are doing it then why don't they mention that in their commercials? When you think about it, they never really say what they are doing with all the money.

Charity Navigator Wounded Warrior Project

EXPENSES (Adjusted)
Program Expenses
$148,641,215
Administrative Expenses
$15,006,166
Fundraising Expenses
$84,358,058
TOTAL FUNCTIONAL EXPENSES
$248,005,439

Wounded Warrior Project on Charity Navigator's watch list
CBS News
January 30, 2016

In another response to the on-going CBS News investigation of Wounded Warrior Project, Charity Navigator, a national evaluator of charities, put the country's most prominent veterans charity on its watch list.

Part 1: Wounded Warrior Project accused of wasting donation money
Part 2: Ex-employee: Wounded Warrior Project conduct "makes me sick"
Part 3: Charity watchdogs question Wounded Warrior's spending on vets

Wounded Warrior Project is facing criticism from more than 40 former employees about how it spends the more than $800 million it's raised in the past four years, reports CBS News correspondent Chip Reid.

CBS News asked Marc Owens, a former director of tax exempt organizations at the IRS, to review the Wounded Warrior Project's tax documents.

"What was your biggest concern in reading these forms?" Reid asked him.

"That I couldn't tell the number of people that were assisted. I thought that was truly unusual. If the organization is asking for money and spending money -- purportedly spending money -- to assist veterans, I would like to know," Owens said.
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And if all that isn't enough for you, you can still get a credit card from USAA with their logo on it.

Make a Difference With the WWP USAA Rewards™ World MasterCard®
Show your support for WWP and its mission to honor and empower Wounded Warriors. USAA Bank will contribute to WWP five dollars for every new WWP USAA Rewards™ World MasterCard® account opened, one dollar for each renewal and 0.30% of each purchase. This excludes refunds, returns or cash and reward point transactions. Plus get a competitive introductory APR.

Fort Riley Soldier Died in Iraq

UPDATE
Soldier from Glendale killed in crash while serving in Iraq
Los Angeles Times
Ryan Fonseca
January 30, 2016

An Army sergeant from Glendale serving in Iraq was killed earlier this week in a rollover accident, Army and Department of Defense officials said.

Sgt. Joseph F. Stifter, 30, from Glendale, suffered fatal injuries after his armored vehicle rolled over at Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. (Courtesy of the U.S. Army 1st Infantry Division)

Sgt. Joseph F. Stifter, 30, suffered fatal injuries after his armored vehicle rolled over at Al Asad Airbase in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, the DOD confirmed Friday.
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Fort Riley soldier dies in Iraq
WIBW News
Jan 31, 2016

FORT RILEY, Kan. (WIBW) -- A Fort Riley soldier has died on Thursday while serving in Iraq.

Sgt. Joseph F. Stifter died on Thursday from non-combat-related injuries, the post said. 

He was a field artillery cannon crewmember with the 1st Infantry Division Soldier with the 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team

"Sgt. Stifter was an exceptional Soldier and leader in our battalion," said Col. Miles Brown, commander of the 2nd ABCT.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of a member of the 'Dagger' family."
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Heroin Robs Family of Army Veteran

Heroin robs another family: Young Army veteran from Hudson remembered
Telegram.com
By Brad Avery
MetroWest Daily News Staff
Posted Jan. 30, 2016

After a relapse, he was able to get clean again and had been living in Veterans Administration transitional housing. He had been clean up until the night he died, his parents said.

Matthew Holmes with his sister Rachel at her Hudson High School graduation.

Submitted Photo/MetroWest Daily News

HUDSON - A soldier, a sports fan, a son and a brother - Matthew Holmes was the kind of person who always wanted to help others. He was the kind of person who would give the shirt off his back - literally. He once tried to use his shirt to put out a brush fire, his parents said.

Holmes died last week at age 22, losing a years-long battle to heroin addiction.

"He was in the top 2 percent on aptitude tests," said his father. "He could have had any job he wanted and written his own script. He wanted to be the boots on the ground, to be an infantryman."

Holmes lived at Fort Hood and trained as a sniper, but never saw combat. By the time he reached the military, troops were being pulled out of Iraq and the wars in the Middle East were winding down for a period. That's when he started running into problems.

He told his parents that his whole sniper team was getting into a depressive mode, doing busywork during work hours and partying heavily in the downtime. Although he started abusing prescription drugs at 16 at high school parties, his problems grew in the military where he had access to hard drugs. Eventually, as the problem worsened he sought help and was able to receive an honorable discharge.
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Congress Didn't Plan Veterans Choice Program

Program to hasten veterans’ care poorly implemented, Maine advocates say
Portland Press Herald
BY STEVE MISTLER STAFF WRITER
January 30, 2016

Health Net Inc. is one of the program managers cited in the report. It’s also the company charged with managing the Veterans Choice program in Maine and New England.

A report released Thursday shows that a 2014 program designed to reduce wait times has left half the qualifying veterans without medical appointments.

AUGUSTA — Advocates for Maine veterans said Friday that the rush to implement a $10 billion federal program designed to shorten wait times for veterans seeking medical care is contributing to delayed care, unbooked doctor appointments and billing errors.

“It was doomed for failure before it even hit the streets,” said Gary Laweryson, a retired Marine from Waldoboro who is chairman of the Maine Veterans Coordinating Committee.

There have been a number of reports in Maine and other states that the 2014 Veterans Choice health program is not working as intended. Those complaints, once anecdotal, were validated Thursday in a report produced by the VA Maine Healthcare System showing that only half of the 4,300 veterans who applied for care under the 2014 Veterans Choice program had received appointments since July.

The report was presented to veterans advocates and staff for the state’s congressional delegation during an unannounced meeting held at the VA’s Togus campus. The meeting has prompted urgent calls from Maine’s delegation to reform the program.

However, veterans advocates say the program was hastily conceived and carelessly implemented. Those assertions are supported by a U.S. Veterans Health Administration Office of Inspector General report issued in September.

Amedeo Lauria, a service officer for the American Legion at Togus, said veterans are having a difficult time just getting a call returned from a hotline provided by the choice program. On Thursday, Health Net said a call center in Tampa, Florida, was set up for 500 employees. Only 130 have been hired.
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Australia: Veteran Sent Wife's Attacker to Hospital

Aussie Iraq war vet under investigation for protecting wife from alleged Muslim attacker 
Washington Times
By Kellan Howell
January 30, 2016

“I’m a war veteran and I fought in the Middle East. The main attacker was Muslim and my take is he probably didn’t like being told what to do from a woman,” Mr. Tyrrell told the Herald Sun.

Kyle Tyrrell, 47 and his wife Liana. (Image: the Herald Sun)

Police are investigating a retired Lieutenant-Colonel and Iraq war veteran in Australia after he got into a skirmish with a fisherman who he says attacked his wife.

Kyle Tyrrell, 47, suffered minor injuries and says his wife, Liana, was punched in the face during the fight on Jan. 23 at the Cosy Corner beach at Torqauy, the Herald Sun newspaper reported. At least one of the fishermen was taken to the hospital.
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Community Comes Together For Family of Missing Marine

Community rallies support for missing Marine's family
KOAA News 5
By Lena Howland
January 31, 2016

FOUNTAIN - A community rallied in support of a grieving southern Colorado family as their decorated Marine was lost at sea in a helicopter crash.

The American Legion Post 38 held a fundraiser dinner for fallen Marine Sergeant Jeffrey Sempler on Saturday evening.

As News5 has reported, Sempler's helicopter crashed off the coast of Hawaii during a routine training session more than a week ago.

The search for him and 11 other missing marines has since been called off.

"It's been really rough, we were hoping that they would find him alive, but that didn't happen," Laurie Allen, the mother of Jeffrey Sempler said.

A mother's worst nightmare.

"I kind of knew it was coming but I didn't want to believe it," Allen said.

She hopped on a plane to Hawaii soon after learning the search mission for her son was called off.

"It's hard, everybody lost so much," she said after meeting with the families of the 11 other marines.

Sergeant Jeffrey Sempler, one of 12 missing Marines, now presumed dead.
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KOAA.com | Continuous News | Colorado Springs and Pueblo

They did it in Pennsylvania too.

DUNCANNON, Pa. (WHTM) – A vigil was held for Sgt. Adam Schoeller, the marine who went missing off the coast of Hawaii, following a training exercise on January 14.

Sunday, the community gathered to honor a friend, son, neighbor, and comrade.

“We’re just going to miss him,” Adam’s father, Ralph Schoeller, said.

Even though Adam didn’t make it home, his memory is a homecoming.