Missing Veteran Alert Brian Rossell PTSD Service Dog Led Searchers to River

SAD UPDATE
29-year-old Brian Rossell was found in Lake Wausau Thursday afternoon. Police said evidence shows he took his own life. A person bird watching located his body which was found 150 feet from shore near the Eagles Cub landing. An autopsy will be conducted Friday.



Police searching for man in Wisconsin River
USA TODAY NETWORK
Arielle Hines, -Wisconsin
September 6, 2016

WAUSAU - Police were searching the Wisconsin River Tuesday morning for a Wausau man who has been missing since Sunday night.

Brian Rossell
(Photo: Wausau Police Department)

Brian Rossell, 29, left his home without his keys, wallet, ID and phone, near The Store in Wausau with his service dog at around 8:30 p.m. Sunday, police said. Rossell never leaves home without his service dog, but the dog was found in the parking lot of his apartment complex with no collar or leash at 11:30 p.m., police said.

Rossell has a service dog because he is a veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder and the dog is used as a companion for the man, said Wausau Police Lt. Andrew Hartwig. Rossell's girlfriend also told police he suffers from depression, paranoia, anxiety and schizoaffective disorder, a release said. 

Search crews have been looking for Rossell along the Wisconsin River because the dog led his girlfriend to the river and started whimpering, Hartwig said.

Search crews were searching for Rossell at the Wausau Dam on Tuesday morning, Hartwig said. Police will also search for Rossell at the downtown islands, parks and river until he is found, according to a release.
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Shame of Texas From WWII To Today

Commentary: The shame of Texas
The Statesman
OPINION By Drs. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr. and William S. Bush
Special to the American-Statesman
Sept. 4, 2016

Where if all else fails, the criminal justice system picks up the pieces — and too many of our veterans and loved ones are ending up homeless, marginalized and unseen. For if we do not do enough, one thing is certain: The shame of Texas will continue.

A shortage of available beds in the state’s system of psychiatric hospitals has left nearly 400 Texans languishing for months, sometimes years, on a waiting list. This is according to a recent Texas Tribune article, which describes examples of individuals who wound up accessing care only after being charged with a crime.

Over half of the current residents in Texas’ psychiatric hospitals are “forensic” commitments through the criminal justice system, which is often the only way that low-income people with mental illness can access treatment. Further compounding these daunting problems is the continued use of “crumbling, century-old state hospitals” built in an earlier time when mental health and mental illness were poorly understood — even by credentialed experts.

This depressing state of affairs recalls an earlier period, in the decade after World War II, when similar conditions sparked a mass movement that decried inadequate mental health care as “the shame of Texas.”
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Johnson and Stein Invited to Commander-in-Chief Forum By IAVA

For over a decade and through multiple elections, IAVA has focused on finding every way possible to ensure veterans remain at the forefront of the American dialogue. As the 2016 election season continues to dominate headlines, IAVA will continue to be aggressive in advocating for our community to be a part of that dialogue. That's what our historic Commander-in-Chief Forum event on NBC next week is all about. 

As a non-partisan organization committed to advocating for the voices of all Post-9/11 veterans, IAVA applauds the efforts of some of Governor Gary Johnson's and Dr. Jill Stein's supporters to include their perspective in the conversation. We agree. The conversation focused on veterans should not end on September 7th  and with the major party candidates. IAVA is 100% committed to expanding the public conversation about the issues facing veterans with any viable candidate for President as often as possible.

As it stands today, Governor Johnson is qualified to appear on a ballot in all 50 states and exceeds 10% in a recent poll of active duty troops, Reservists and National Guard members conducted by the Military Times.  Though Mr. Johnson still does not meet the historical standard for general election meetings between candidates set by the Presidential Debate Commission, IAVA took the extra step to develop our own, more inclusive threshold for a series of Commander-in-Chief Forums.  We appreciate the patience of our members as we carefully underwent this important process. We have reached out to Governor Johnson's campaign to invite him to participate in an IAVA Commander-in-Chief Forum event and I had an extremely friendly and productive phone call with him yesterday. You can see a recap from The Military Times here.  

We have also reached out to Dr. Stein to invite her to engage in a dialogue with IAVA Members.

IAVA also believes we have a responsibility to inform our members that, as of today, neither Gov. Johnson nor Dr. Stein has even posted a veterans policy section on their website.  For anyone vying to be Commander-in-Chief, that would be an important early step. IAVA's comprehensive Policy Agenda, informed by our members nationwide, gives them an excellent place to go for guidance.

IAVA is always focused on empowering our generation of veterans and sharing our triumphs and challenges with all Americans. If national leaders want to talk seriously about veterans issues with our members, we're excited to help make that happen. But as a non-profit organization, IAVA can not do this alone.  We need all the help we can get to ensure our voices are front and center for all Americans during this important election season. Even more so, we need everyone to help after the election is over. IAVA is in this for the long haul. Our vital programs change and save lives daily. And just as our members will lead America for decades to come, we'll need support that continues long after the current media attention has faded.

We also look forward to uniting all Americans just days after Election Day for Veterans Day 2016. It will be the perfect time for people of all political backgrounds to come together around our veterans and chart a course ahead that benefits all of us for generations to come.

Our groundbreaking Commander-in-Chief Forum on NBC is just 5 days aways. Go to www.CommanderInChiefForum.org for all the latest news, FAQs and for ways to get involved online and on the ground. And keep checking your inbox. We'll have more exciting announcements in the days to come--and a way for you to submit your questions to the candidates.

Stay tuned!

Paul Rieckhoff 

Founder and CEO

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)

Fort Campbell Solider On Leave Killed By 15 Year Old

Funeral honors Blount Co. soldier killed in Harriman
WBIR
Raishad Hardnett
September 03, 2016

On Saturday, family and friends honored the life of a Ft. Campbell soldier killed while on leave.

Authorities say a Harriman teenager shot and killed Blount County native MarStratton Gordon last Sunday. Police say an argument turned deadly after a 15-year-old fired a single shot at MarStratton.

The Army soldier was visiting his girlfriend in Harriman when the shooting happened.

On Saturday afternoon, relatives held Gordon’s funeral at Heritage High School, where he played football.

Relatives described Gordon as charismatic and outspoken, with a knack for making people laugh.
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Bradenton Missing Veteran Has Been Found

UPDATE
10 News Tampa Bay 

Missing Bradenton veteran located Ian Oswald has been located, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office.

MISSING military veteran in Manatee County
By WFLA Web Staff
Published: September 4, 2016

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A military veteran diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder was reported missing in Manatee County Saturday.

Ian Oswald, 36, is a 16-year veteran who was medically retired due to PTSD. He left his residence on 53rd Avenue West in Bradenton Saturday night threatening to harm himself. His wife Lori reported him missing.
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Purpose for Hospital Hostage Situation Not Known Yet

Family member of Waxahachie hostage suspect blames PTSD for incident
FOX 4
September 4, 2016

A family member of Lorenzo Zarate, the man police say walked into a Waxahachie ER waiting room Saturday night and threatened to hurt his two children, is blaming PTSD for his relative’s actions.

Zarate is in the Ellis County jail on $200,000 bond, facing charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, terroristic threats, placing the public in fear of serious injury and attempting to take a weapon from an officer.

Sunday, a man claiming to be his uncle, posted about Zarate and the incident on Facebook, saying, in part, "My boy fought and served America in its time of need. He needs America to understand PTSD. It's real".

Zarate is an Iraq War veteran from Austin, featured in several news publications in 2008 -- the year he came home from serving in Iraq.

Waxahachie Police say Zarate carried both a baby and a gun into the Baylor Scott and White ER waiting room Saturday night before 7:00 P.M. with another child by his side.
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Vietnam Veteran Sent Wrong Medical Records by Congressman?

Reminder, none of this is new. Vietnam veterans have been fighting to have their claims honored since the 80's, stood in lines, fought backlog of claims and all of this, when no one was paying attention. Now that it seems as if everyone is paying attention, no one is doing anything to change what has been happening all along.

My husband's claim was filed in 1993. It took six years to get approved. We heard all the speeches and promises but had to live with the reality of members of Congress breaking all the promises they made to take care of our veterans.

One more reminder is Congress has jurisdiction over the VA budget, rules and laws. They don't like to remind anyone of that so if you member of Congress has been in longer than 2 years, ask them why they didn't fix all this before. It isn't as if they didn't know what was going on.

Vietnam veterans struggle to navigate VA system
Victoria Advocate
By Laura Garcia
September 3, 2016

He was upset that the congressman’s office accidentally mailed him medical documents that belonged to two other individuals.

Vietnam veteran Weldon Holmes came back from the war 46 years ago,

but has long fought with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Photo by Rugile Kaladyte.

Weldon Holmes, 67, clenches and unclenches his fists as he tries to figure out what exactly he wants to say.

He wants to tell his story and for someone to listen.

But he also wants change.

For at least the past 14 years, the Vietnam veteran has struggled to get through the bureaucracy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Holmes is one of more than 440,000 veterans in the country with pending appeals that need to be resolved by the Veterans Benefits Administration.

The average wait time is three years, according to a press statement by VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald earlier this year. And for the appeals that reach the Board of Veteran Appeals, the wait is at least five years with thousands of cases lasting much longer.

McDonald said the VA needs resources to create a simplified appeals process that would enable the department to resolve appeals in a reasonable time frame. He said the backlog of claims has been reduced to 82,000 from a peak of 611,000 in March 2013.

But to veterans like Holmes, who are still waiting, this offers little consolation.

Some days Holmes is hopeful, and other days he can’t hide his anger from boiling over.
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101st Soldier Rescues Child Forgotten in Hot Car

101st soldier, Woodlawn firefighter saves infant in Texas
Leaf Chronicle
Ayrika L. Whitney
September 2, 2016

FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. — Staff Sgt. James Munns is a combat medic for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (Rakkasans), 101st Airborne Division and a firefighter with the Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Service, providing him with intense and thorough training and experience.

Training and experience that proved to be invaluable in San Antonio on Aug. 11 — and may have even saved a life.

Munns was about to leave the city after training and needed to purchase a new phone before the flight home later that day.

About half an hour into his visit to the Verizon store, two women rushed into the store and Munns noticed they were visibly distraught, one holding a baby.

One of the women forgot the child in the car in the extreme Texan heat. The high for the day was 100 degrees according to the National Weather Service's weather records.

"The baby was bright red, is visibly not doing well," said Munns.

He realized nobody, including the women were trained to handle the situation, and his training kicked in.

"For a lot of medics, it's like a switch goes off, and you just do your job," Munns stated. "You stop what you are doing and you do your job."
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Is Prince Harry Wrong on PTSD Medal?

Prince Harry is wrong to back call for all wounded troops to get new medal
Mirror UK
Rachael Bletchly
September 3, 2016

Rachael Bletchly writes for the Sunday People that, instead of gongs, our wounded deserve the best ­possible support when they leave the forces – medical and social care, housing and jobs

So a “wounded warrior” medal would surely be highlighting victimhood rather than extraordinary heroism.

Prince Harry is a champion of wounded troops

Since leaving the Army after ten years’ service Prince Harry has proved to be an admirable champion of our wounded ­military personnel.

His Invictus Games are inspiring, showing what servicemen and women can achieve despite appalling injuries.

And he’s joined forces with Michelle Obama and ex-President George Bush to highlight the ­hidden scars of post-traumatic stress disorder.

But now Harry is ­backing calls for ALL British troops who are wounded in action to be awarded a special medal, like the US Purple Heart.

Here in Blighty, cases of PTSD ­continue to rise – and the charity Combat Stress is worried.

Its medical director said recently: “It’s the tip of the iceberg. And if it is a big iceberg, we are going to be overwhelmed. We need funds, we need help, from any direction.”

So before we start handing out medals to our wounded warriors, let’s ­concentrate on helping those whose wounds still need tending.

Isn’t that a better way to honour them?
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82nd Airborne Soldiers Climbed Denali Remembering Friends Lost and Hope Found

Soldier climbs Denali for suicide awareness, proposes to girlfriend
DVIDS
DENALI, AK, UNITED STATES
Story by John Budnik
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District
09.02.2016

While visibly humble, Austria explained his personal encounters with suicide. Both his best friend and a fellow Soldier with the 82nd Airborne Division committed suicide.

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON – Blistering snowstorms, excruciating work hauling gear and possible death might not sound like an ideal summer vacation for most. If you are a mountaineer, then the experience is a paradise.

Courtesy Photo | Capt. Stephen Austria, project engineer in the USACE-Alaska District’s Foreign Military Sales Program, and fiancé and climbing partner, Rebecca Melesciuc, take a break from descending Denali, the tallest peak in North America, for a photo. Austria and Melesciuc climbed Denali this past summer to help raise Soldier suicide awareness.

For Capt. Stephen Austria, project engineer in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District’s Foreign Military Sales Program, a mid-June, non-guided expedition climbing Denali, formerly known as Mount McKinley, was a dream come true for him and girlfriend, Rebecca Melesciuc, and one he hopes brings awareness to Soldier suicide.

“Denali is the highest mountain in North America,” Austria said of the 20,310-feet peak. “Not many people want to do things like that. It is cool to say I have climbed it.”

While visibly humble, Austria explained his personal encounters with suicide. Both his best friend and a fellow Soldier with the 82nd Airborne Division committed suicide. He also knew several others in a previous unit who took their own lives. To honor those Soldiers, he carried an American flag on the majestic mountain that was with him on every mission while deployed to Iraq.

“It is a bigger issue than what some people make it out to be,” he said. “I climbed for veterans in general, too. It is a unique family that we are a part of.”
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