Vt. proposal: Legalize pot for PTSD treatment
By Wilson Ring - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 26, 2012 17:00:20 EST
MONTPELIER, Vt. — A Vermont lawmaker wants to amend the state’s medical marijuana law so that anyone suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder could use it to help alleviate their symptoms.
State Rep. Jim Masland said he introduced the bill earlier this month at the request of a number of his constituents who were using marijuana to alleviate stress symptoms they felt were caused by their military service.
“I understand that these unnamed individuals, at least a couple, haven’t been able to find relief any other way or at least this is the best way for relief,” Masland, D-Thetford, said Thursday. “So I would say they are quietly, surreptitiously using marijuana, but they would much rather do it legally.”
Masland said the veterans who asked him to introduce the legislation had served in the Vietnam War as well as the wars the United States has fought over the last decade.
read more here
Friday, January 27, 2012
Apparent suicide victim found dead "had military badge" on car
Apparent suicide victim found dead in vehicle in WindanSea parking lot late this morning
The body of an unidentified man who is believed to have committed suicide was found in a red Pontiac in WindanSea Beach parking lot by locals about 11 a.m. this morning.
They reported it to police who immediately cordoned off the parking lot.
The body of an unidentified man who is believed to have committed suicide was found in a red Pontiac in WindanSea Beach parking lot by locals about 11 a.m. this morning.
They reported it to police who immediately cordoned off the parking lot.
Kennedy said the victim “had a current military badge on his car,” and added the gun those who found him saw “looked lik an issued weapon.”
read more here
Fort Hood soldier chased away by police for "wedding" in public?
Wedding banned from Tarrant County College downtown
Posted Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012
BY BUD KENNEDY
bud@star-telegram.com
We paid $185 million for our new county college on the bluff downtown.
You'd think we'd be welcome there.
No such luck for one would-be bride.
With her Army boyfriend suddenly deployed to Afghanistan, county tax office worker Rosie Enriquez Martinez wanted to use the riverfront overlook at the edge of campus Sunday for a small wedding.
But Tarrant County College police chased them away.
Instead, Rosie and Sgt. Phillip Martinez Jr. of Fort Hood exchanged vows on a windy downtown sidewalk, wondering why he can fight for American freedom in Afghanistan but not peacefully enjoy a public campus downtown.
read more here
Posted Thursday, Jan. 26, 2012
BY BUD KENNEDY
bud@star-telegram.com
We paid $185 million for our new county college on the bluff downtown.
You'd think we'd be welcome there.
No such luck for one would-be bride.
With her Army boyfriend suddenly deployed to Afghanistan, county tax office worker Rosie Enriquez Martinez wanted to use the riverfront overlook at the edge of campus Sunday for a small wedding.
But Tarrant County College police chased them away.
Instead, Rosie and Sgt. Phillip Martinez Jr. of Fort Hood exchanged vows on a windy downtown sidewalk, wondering why he can fight for American freedom in Afghanistan but not peacefully enjoy a public campus downtown.
read more here
Man charged in crash that killed Fort Hood soldier
Man charged in crash that killed Fort Hood soldier
Thursday, January 26, 2012
BELTON, Texas (AP) — A Central Texas grand jury has indicted a San Antonio man on a count of intoxication manslaughter over a crash last summer that killed a Fort Hood soldier.
The Bell County grand jury indicted 37-year-old Philip Ray Hernandez for the crash that killed Sgt. Chad Richard Clifton.
read more here
Thursday, January 26, 2012
BELTON, Texas (AP) — A Central Texas grand jury has indicted a San Antonio man on a count of intoxication manslaughter over a crash last summer that killed a Fort Hood soldier.
The Bell County grand jury indicted 37-year-old Philip Ray Hernandez for the crash that killed Sgt. Chad Richard Clifton.
read more here
One lucky Marine, hit by cement truck while on motorcycle, recovering
Motorcyclist struck by truck
January 26, 2012 4:30 PM
SUZANNE ULBRICH - DAILY NEWS STAFF
A Marine riding a motorcycle and hit by a truck on Bear Creek Road Wednesday did not sustain life-threatening injuries, according to Highway Patrol officials.
Trooper Michael Davis confirmed that 58-year-old Francis Mitchell, of Swansboro, was driving a cement truck on Bear Creek Road around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, turned into a driveway and struck a motorcycle driven by Donald Baldo, 26, of Hubert.
read more here
January 26, 2012 4:30 PM
SUZANNE ULBRICH - DAILY NEWS STAFF
A Marine riding a motorcycle and hit by a truck on Bear Creek Road Wednesday did not sustain life-threatening injuries, according to Highway Patrol officials.
Trooper Michael Davis confirmed that 58-year-old Francis Mitchell, of Swansboro, was driving a cement truck on Bear Creek Road around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, turned into a driveway and struck a motorcycle driven by Donald Baldo, 26, of Hubert.
read more here
St. Louis to Host 1st Big Parade on Iraq War's End
St. Louis to Host 1st Big Parade on Iraq War's End
January 27, 2012
Associated Press
by Jim Salter
ST. LOUIS -- Since the Iraq War ended, there has been little fanfare for the veterans returning home. No ticker-tape parades. No massive, flag-waving public celebrations.
So, two friends from St. Louis decided to change that. They sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. On Saturday, hundreds of veterans are expected to march in downtown St. Louis in the nation's first big welcome home parade since the last troops left Iraq in December.
"It struck me that there was this debate going on as to whether there should or shouldn't be a parade," said Tom Appelbaum, one of the organizers. "Instead of waiting around for somebody somewhere to say, `Yes, let's have a parade,' we said, `Let's just do it.' "
Appelbaum, a 46-year-old lawyer, and Craig Schneider, a 41-year-old school technology coordinator, said they were puzzled by the lack of celebrations marking the war's end. But, they wondered, if St. Louis could host thousands of people for a parade after their beloved Cardinals won the World Series, why couldn't there be a party for the troops who put their lives on the line?
read more here
January 27, 2012
Associated Press
by Jim Salter
ST. LOUIS -- Since the Iraq War ended, there has been little fanfare for the veterans returning home. No ticker-tape parades. No massive, flag-waving public celebrations.
So, two friends from St. Louis decided to change that. They sought donations, launched a Facebook page, met with the mayor and mapped a route. On Saturday, hundreds of veterans are expected to march in downtown St. Louis in the nation's first big welcome home parade since the last troops left Iraq in December.
"It struck me that there was this debate going on as to whether there should or shouldn't be a parade," said Tom Appelbaum, one of the organizers. "Instead of waiting around for somebody somewhere to say, `Yes, let's have a parade,' we said, `Let's just do it.' "
Appelbaum, a 46-year-old lawyer, and Craig Schneider, a 41-year-old school technology coordinator, said they were puzzled by the lack of celebrations marking the war's end. But, they wondered, if St. Louis could host thousands of people for a parade after their beloved Cardinals won the World Series, why couldn't there be a party for the troops who put their lives on the line?
read more here
PTSD veterans get review after Madigan Army Medical Center changes diagnosis
Army is reviewing Madigan's reversal of PTSD diagnoses
The Army plans to review a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team that reversed the PTSD diagnoses of more than a dozen soldiers, potentially weakening their case to receive a medical retirement.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Army is reviewing the actions of a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team that reversed the diagnoses of more than a dozen soldiers previously found to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
All these soldiers have been under consideration for medical retirement, which offers considerably more financial benefits than alternative forms of discharge.
Some have complained that doctors at the hospital, south of Tacoma on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, unfairly stripped them of the PTSD diagnoses, which would help qualify them for a medical retirement, and instead tagged them as malingerers.
In an unusual intervention, the office of the Army Surgeon General has arranged for the soldiers to fly to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where they are scheduled to be examined by another team of Army doctors.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., confirmed details of the review to The Seattle Times.
read more here
The Army plans to review a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team that reversed the PTSD diagnoses of more than a dozen soldiers, potentially weakening their case to receive a medical retirement.
By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter
The Army is reviewing the actions of a Madigan Army Medical Center psychiatric team that reversed the diagnoses of more than a dozen soldiers previously found to have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
All these soldiers have been under consideration for medical retirement, which offers considerably more financial benefits than alternative forms of discharge.
Some have complained that doctors at the hospital, south of Tacoma on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, unfairly stripped them of the PTSD diagnoses, which would help qualify them for a medical retirement, and instead tagged them as malingerers.
In an unusual intervention, the office of the Army Surgeon General has arranged for the soldiers to fly to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where they are scheduled to be examined by another team of Army doctors.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., confirmed details of the review to The Seattle Times.
read more here
Salt Lake Veterans Affairs enlists vets for huge medical research project
Salt Lake Veterans Affairs enlists vets for huge medical research project
BY KRISTEN MOULTON
The Salt Lake Tribune
First published Jan 26 2012
Becky Kemp Carpenter’s dad, a Vietnam War veteran, died two years ago of ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. So when she heard about the Million Veteran Program to help medical research, she — a third-generation veteran — didn’t hesitate to sign up.
"I come from a strong history of service," said Carpenter, who was one of 35 veterans enrolled Thursday during the program’s formal kickoff at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
"By doing a simple blood test and answering questions, we can help not just future vets but people who are around now," said Carpenter, a West Valley City resident who served in the Air Force in the 1990s. "There is so much more we can continue to do to serve our country."
Begun last year in Boston, the Million Veteran Program has so far enlisted more than 20,000 veterans to donate their DNA and release their VA medical records to researchers. The VA in Salt Lake City is one of 40 hospitals participating so far and has enrolled more than 300 veterans since fall; the program hopes to have 50 participating hospitals by summer.
read more here
BY KRISTEN MOULTON
The Salt Lake Tribune
6 million vets get ongoing care through VA, and a national program aims to get 1 million to help create a huge database of continually updated records.
First published Jan 26 2012
Becky Kemp Carpenter’s dad, a Vietnam War veteran, died two years ago of ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. So when she heard about the Million Veteran Program to help medical research, she — a third-generation veteran — didn’t hesitate to sign up.
"I come from a strong history of service," said Carpenter, who was one of 35 veterans enrolled Thursday during the program’s formal kickoff at the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
"By doing a simple blood test and answering questions, we can help not just future vets but people who are around now," said Carpenter, a West Valley City resident who served in the Air Force in the 1990s. "There is so much more we can continue to do to serve our country."
Begun last year in Boston, the Million Veteran Program has so far enlisted more than 20,000 veterans to donate their DNA and release their VA medical records to researchers. The VA in Salt Lake City is one of 40 hospitals participating so far and has enrolled more than 300 veterans since fall; the program hopes to have 50 participating hospitals by summer.
read more here
2nd Fort Bliss Soldier Dies After Shooting Outside Central Nightclub
BREAKING: 2nd Soldier Dies After Shooting Outside Central Nightclub
POSTED: 3:38 pm MST January 26, 2012
EL PASO, Texas -- A Fort Bliss soldier who was shot in the head outside a Central El Paso nightclub has died from his injures, police said.
The shooting occurred shortly after 2:09 a.m. Jan. 15 outside Fussion Nightclub at 4304 Dyer Street.
Preston Brown died at University Medical Center on Monday. Damien Bailey died the night of the shooting. The third victim, Tyrone Head was shot in the upper chest and transported to William Beaumont Army Medical Center. He was released after he received medical treatment. All three soldiers were 21years old.
read more here
Suspect held in shooting death of Fort Bliss soldier
POSTED: 3:38 pm MST January 26, 2012
EL PASO, Texas -- A Fort Bliss soldier who was shot in the head outside a Central El Paso nightclub has died from his injures, police said.
The shooting occurred shortly after 2:09 a.m. Jan. 15 outside Fussion Nightclub at 4304 Dyer Street.
Preston Brown died at University Medical Center on Monday. Damien Bailey died the night of the shooting. The third victim, Tyrone Head was shot in the upper chest and transported to William Beaumont Army Medical Center. He was released after he received medical treatment. All three soldiers were 21years old.
read more here
Suspect held in shooting death of Fort Bliss soldier
Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier allegedly fired at neighbor's home
JBLM soldier allegedly fired at romantic rival's neighbor's home
JEREMY PAWLOSKI
Staff writer
Published January 27, 2012
Tenino police arrested a solider at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for allegedly shooting up a Rainier home on New Year’s Day to get revenge for an affair.
Police think Eric David Kollar meant to target a romantic rival’s home but instead fired eight shots from a .45-caliber Glock into a home adjacent to where the man lived. The man had an affair with Kollar’s wife while Kollar was in Iraq, police said.
Kollar, 25, was most recently assigned to group support for the 1st Special Forces Group and has served at least one tour in Iraq, court papers state. He was arrested without incident Wednesday on suspicion of one count of drive-by shooting.
read more here
JEREMY PAWLOSKI
Staff writer
Published January 27, 2012
Tenino police arrested a solider at Joint Base Lewis-McChord for allegedly shooting up a Rainier home on New Year’s Day to get revenge for an affair.
Police think Eric David Kollar meant to target a romantic rival’s home but instead fired eight shots from a .45-caliber Glock into a home adjacent to where the man lived. The man had an affair with Kollar’s wife while Kollar was in Iraq, police said.
Kollar, 25, was most recently assigned to group support for the 1st Special Forces Group and has served at least one tour in Iraq, court papers state. He was arrested without incident Wednesday on suspicion of one count of drive-by shooting.
read more here
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Naval Hospital becomes training ground for program improvement
Naval Hospital becomes training ground for program improvement
January 25, 2012 10:40 AM
HOPE HODGE - DAILY NEWS STAFF
In October 2010, Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital was the worst in the Navy at returning findings for service members sidelined by wounds, injury or illness in a timely manner. A little more than a year later, officials from distant Marine Corps bases and even other services pay visits to the hospital to learn how to improve their own programs.
All it took, Lt. j.g. Lisa Cook said, was a number of sleepless nights and a different way of seeing things.
The process for wounded, ill, or injured troops deemed potentially unfit for further service is supposed to take a Congress-mandated 295 days from injury to military separation or re-joining a unit. The Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, like other Navy medical centers, is responsible for 100 of those days: the time it takes to complete a service member’s physical exam and complete medical records and findings so that the service member can continue to receive a VA rating and transition to civilian life or begin re-integration into full-time service. And with the high rate of deployment of Camp Lejeune troops, the Naval Hospital processed 1,200 of these medical boards last year, more than any other naval medical center, including larger centers such as Camp Pendleton and Portsmouth.
Cook, the department head for Patient Administration, arrived at her post a year ago to find a staggering mess. In the office were 989 patient files, each representing a Marine or sailor waiting idle on base while his or her findings were completed. The oldest file was dated 2008.
“They’re in limbo; they don’t know if they can move on with their life, or they’re just sitting around,” Cook said. “You don’t know. ‘Do we move my spouse back home while I wait for my findings; do I not?’ We had members being told ‘This process is going to take 295 days and you’re going to be out,’ and they moved their spouse away so they could just sit here and relax and get better, but a year and a half later, they still have no findings.”
read more here
January 25, 2012 10:40 AM
HOPE HODGE - DAILY NEWS STAFF
In October 2010, Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital was the worst in the Navy at returning findings for service members sidelined by wounds, injury or illness in a timely manner. A little more than a year later, officials from distant Marine Corps bases and even other services pay visits to the hospital to learn how to improve their own programs.
All it took, Lt. j.g. Lisa Cook said, was a number of sleepless nights and a different way of seeing things.
The process for wounded, ill, or injured troops deemed potentially unfit for further service is supposed to take a Congress-mandated 295 days from injury to military separation or re-joining a unit. The Camp Lejeune Naval Hospital, like other Navy medical centers, is responsible for 100 of those days: the time it takes to complete a service member’s physical exam and complete medical records and findings so that the service member can continue to receive a VA rating and transition to civilian life or begin re-integration into full-time service. And with the high rate of deployment of Camp Lejeune troops, the Naval Hospital processed 1,200 of these medical boards last year, more than any other naval medical center, including larger centers such as Camp Pendleton and Portsmouth.
Cook, the department head for Patient Administration, arrived at her post a year ago to find a staggering mess. In the office were 989 patient files, each representing a Marine or sailor waiting idle on base while his or her findings were completed. The oldest file was dated 2008.
“They’re in limbo; they don’t know if they can move on with their life, or they’re just sitting around,” Cook said. “You don’t know. ‘Do we move my spouse back home while I wait for my findings; do I not?’ We had members being told ‘This process is going to take 295 days and you’re going to be out,’ and they moved their spouse away so they could just sit here and relax and get better, but a year and a half later, they still have no findings.”
read more here
Good Samaritan killed while helping motorist on I-4
Good Samaritan killed while helping motorist on I-4
The victim has not been identified, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel
12:26 p.m. EST, January 26, 2012
A man who was helping another motorist on the side of westbound Interstate 4 in Volusia County was fatally struck by a passing vehicle early Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The unidentified victim pulled over to help Tiffany Walters, 23, who properly parked her Landrover sport-utility vehicle on the right shoulder near Mile Marker 115 in Lake Helen after she ran out of gas, said FHP Sgt. Kim Montes.
read more here
The victim has not been identified, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
By Arelis R. Hernández, Orlando Sentinel
12:26 p.m. EST, January 26, 2012
A man who was helping another motorist on the side of westbound Interstate 4 in Volusia County was fatally struck by a passing vehicle early Thursday, the Florida Highway Patrol said. The unidentified victim pulled over to help Tiffany Walters, 23, who properly parked her Landrover sport-utility vehicle on the right shoulder near Mile Marker 115 in Lake Helen after she ran out of gas, said FHP Sgt. Kim Montes.
read more here
557,460 wait more than 125 days for VA claims
VA sees 'paperless' claims as critical to ending backlog
By TOM PHILPOTT
Special to Stars and Stripes
Published: January 26, 2012
The only way to achieve VA Secretary Eric Shinseki’s goal for 2015 -- that every disability compensation claim gets processed within 125 days and with 98 percent accuracy -- is to shift to a paperless claims system. And that transformation has begun.
That was the testimony Tuesday by VA’s top claim processing official before the House veteran affairs’ subcommittee on disability assistance.
Tom Murphy, director of compensation service for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA), an agency for the Department of Veterans Affairs, acknowledged the claims backlog has grown in recent years.
Compensation and benefit claims pending at VA, as of Jan. 23, totaled 852,127 and 65 percent of them – 557,460 – had been filed by veterans more than 125 days ago, which means they are in “backlog” status.
read more here
Big cuts coming; lower pay raises start in 2015
Big cuts coming; lower pay raises start in 2015
By Andrew Tilghman and Rick Maze - Staff writers
Posted : Thursday Jan 26, 2012 14:00:23 EST
Service members can expect standard pay raises for the next two years — most likely 1.7 percent for 2013 — but that will change starting in 2015, according to a new budget plan unveiled at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta released details of the 2013 budget, the first since Congress ordered the Pentagon to slash more than $450 billion in planned spending over the next decade, with a few glimpses of what may be in store beyond 2013.
Under the plan, military pay will continue to rise in tandem with the average annual increase in private-sector wages, but starting in 2015, raises may be capped a level slightly below annual growth in civilian pay.
read more here
By Andrew Tilghman and Rick Maze - Staff writers
Posted : Thursday Jan 26, 2012 14:00:23 EST
Service members can expect standard pay raises for the next two years — most likely 1.7 percent for 2013 — but that will change starting in 2015, according to a new budget plan unveiled at the Pentagon on Thursday.
Defense Secretary Leon Panetta released details of the 2013 budget, the first since Congress ordered the Pentagon to slash more than $450 billion in planned spending over the next decade, with a few glimpses of what may be in store beyond 2013.
Under the plan, military pay will continue to rise in tandem with the average annual increase in private-sector wages, but starting in 2015, raises may be capped a level slightly below annual growth in civilian pay.
read more here
Former Marine pleads to military shootings
Former Marine pleads to military shootings
By Matthew Barakat - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 26, 2012 12:27:11 EST
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former Marine from Virginia pleaded guilty Thursday and has agreed to serve a 25-year prison sentence on charges that he fired a series of overnight pot shots in 2010 at the Pentagon, the Marine Corps museum in Quantico and other military targets as part of what prosecutors called a campaign to strike fear throughout the region.
Prosecutors also revealed Thursday new details about Yonathan Melaku’s intended next target: Arlington National Cemetery, where he was arrested before he was able to carry out a plan to deface gravestones there.
As part of Thursday’s plea deal, Melaku, 24, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty to destruction of U.S. property, use of a firearm in an act of violence and intention to injure a veterans’ memorial, namely the cemetery. Prosecutors and Melaku’s lawyer agreed to a 25-year sentence as part of the deal, and U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said he would agree to the sentence as well. But formal sentencing was delayed until April so a pre-sentence report can be prepared and Melaku’s lawyer can request a mental-health evaluation for his client.
read more here
By Matthew Barakat - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 26, 2012 12:27:11 EST
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A former Marine from Virginia pleaded guilty Thursday and has agreed to serve a 25-year prison sentence on charges that he fired a series of overnight pot shots in 2010 at the Pentagon, the Marine Corps museum in Quantico and other military targets as part of what prosecutors called a campaign to strike fear throughout the region.
Prosecutors also revealed Thursday new details about Yonathan Melaku’s intended next target: Arlington National Cemetery, where he was arrested before he was able to carry out a plan to deface gravestones there.
As part of Thursday’s plea deal, Melaku, 24, of Alexandria, pleaded guilty to destruction of U.S. property, use of a firearm in an act of violence and intention to injure a veterans’ memorial, namely the cemetery. Prosecutors and Melaku’s lawyer agreed to a 25-year sentence as part of the deal, and U.S. District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee said he would agree to the sentence as well. But formal sentencing was delayed until April so a pre-sentence report can be prepared and Melaku’s lawyer can request a mental-health evaluation for his client.
read more here
U.S troops killed in action have a last ally
U.S troops killed in action have a last ally
By Misty Showalter, CNN
updated 8:33 AM EST, Thu January 26, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Scientists and historians, military and civilians aim to recover all missing U.S. service personnel
The Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command digs at battle sites and crash sites for remains
In the lab they use dental records, photo recognition software and DNA tests to put a name to the remains
They call it the most honorable mission in the military
Together, it tells the story of life and death in the military.
At the world's largest skeletal identification laboratory more than 30 forensic anthropologists, archaeologists and dentists of Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command are working to put names to the remains.
Based at Hickam Air Force Base -- site of the Pearl Harbor attack -- in Honolulu, Hawaii, JPAC is made up of all branches of the U.S. military and civilian scientists, united in the goal of bringing back all 84,000 U.S. service members who went missing during war or military action.
read more here
By Misty Showalter, CNN
updated 8:33 AM EST, Thu January 26, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Scientists and historians, military and civilians aim to recover all missing U.S. service personnel
The Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command digs at battle sites and crash sites for remains
In the lab they use dental records, photo recognition software and DNA tests to put a name to the remains
They call it the most honorable mission in the military
Editor's note: A team dedicated to finding, recovering and identifying every missing U.S. service member opens its doors to CNN International. Watch "World's Untold Story" Friday January 27 at 2330 ET, Saturday at 1630 ET and Sunday at 2330 ET.Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii (CNN) -- There is a skull here, hundreds of fragments of bones there. Table after table is lined with human remains. One holds a near-complete skeleton, another has hundreds of tiny pieces of bone that could come from many different people.
Together, it tells the story of life and death in the military.
At the world's largest skeletal identification laboratory more than 30 forensic anthropologists, archaeologists and dentists of Joint POW-MIA Accounting Command are working to put names to the remains.
Based at Hickam Air Force Base -- site of the Pearl Harbor attack -- in Honolulu, Hawaii, JPAC is made up of all branches of the U.S. military and civilian scientists, united in the goal of bringing back all 84,000 U.S. service members who went missing during war or military action.
read more here
An Iraq Vet's Journey From Wall Street to OWS
An Iraq Vet's Journey From Wall Street to OWS
Derek McGee January 25, 2012
In late September 2001, I was living in a tent in Lower Manhattan with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, a reserve unit just outside the city. We were occupying Battery Park, which at the time served as the National Guard's headquarters. "Guarding the guard," we called it.
The two weeks I spent there were profoundly affecting. There I was, at the center of the world, watching America at its finest, showing at once nearly impossible perseverance and limitless compassion. Generosity sprouted everywhere throughout New York City; people gave out food, shoe inserts, massages, coffee, flowers, hugs, kind words and anything you needed. I told someone I liked Red Bull, and hours later he came to my tent, dragging a handcart with eight cases of the stuff. I would slip one under each of the other marines' pillows while they slept, and when we woke up for guard duty I would say the Red Bull fairy had come.
Exploring the city on my one afternoon off, I stumbled upon the Wall Street Bull. The smooth metal sculpture is stunning, always on the verge of some wild movement—a lunge or a charge, at the least, a bellow with a head toss. Too tarnished to be gold, too big to be a calf, it's revered nonetheless. I would come fairly close to worshiping it myself years later. But for now, I just had my picture taken on top of it. From where I stood, the whole world seemed to feel empathy. It was one of the only times in my life that I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
Another time was when I was living under a bridge along the Euphrates River. A nearly ceaseless convoy rolled overhead. I wasn't particularly keen on the invasion of Iraq, but if we had to have one, I knew I needed to be there with my fellow marines. A Subaru filled with reporters pulled up and offered us cigarettes to hasten our search of their car. "They're just outside Baghdad," they told us. The whole world is watching, I thought.
read more here
Derek McGee January 25, 2012
In late September 2001, I was living in a tent in Lower Manhattan with the 2nd Battalion, 25th Marines, a reserve unit just outside the city. We were occupying Battery Park, which at the time served as the National Guard's headquarters. "Guarding the guard," we called it.
The two weeks I spent there were profoundly affecting. There I was, at the center of the world, watching America at its finest, showing at once nearly impossible perseverance and limitless compassion. Generosity sprouted everywhere throughout New York City; people gave out food, shoe inserts, massages, coffee, flowers, hugs, kind words and anything you needed. I told someone I liked Red Bull, and hours later he came to my tent, dragging a handcart with eight cases of the stuff. I would slip one under each of the other marines' pillows while they slept, and when we woke up for guard duty I would say the Red Bull fairy had come.
Exploring the city on my one afternoon off, I stumbled upon the Wall Street Bull. The smooth metal sculpture is stunning, always on the verge of some wild movement—a lunge or a charge, at the least, a bellow with a head toss. Too tarnished to be gold, too big to be a calf, it's revered nonetheless. I would come fairly close to worshiping it myself years later. But for now, I just had my picture taken on top of it. From where I stood, the whole world seemed to feel empathy. It was one of the only times in my life that I felt like I was exactly where I needed to be.
Another time was when I was living under a bridge along the Euphrates River. A nearly ceaseless convoy rolled overhead. I wasn't particularly keen on the invasion of Iraq, but if we had to have one, I knew I needed to be there with my fellow marines. A Subaru filled with reporters pulled up and offered us cigarettes to hasten our search of their car. "They're just outside Baghdad," they told us. The whole world is watching, I thought.
read more here
Vietnam Veteran dies after being punched by 18 year old
Vietnam vet dies after being punched by 18-year-old during traffic confrontation
66-year-old bumped man's girlfriend with car: cops
BY PHILIP CAULFIELD / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, January 25, 2012,
An 18-year-old New Jersey man is facing murder charges after cops say he killed an aging Vietnam vet with one punch during a traffic dust-up.
Allen Briscoe, 66, suffered a brain aneurysm caused by blunt force trauma and died at a south Jersey hospital on Monday night after falling and hitting his head during the confrontation Aleem Mayes, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Cops say Briscoe was driving to pick up his girlfriend near his home in East Camden at around 7:30 p.m. when he accidentally bumped Mayes' pregnant girlfriend "at very low speed" with his black Ford F-150, cops say.
The 16-year-old girl was knocked to the ground, and Briscoe rushed out of the cab to help her, cops say.
read more here
66-year-old bumped man's girlfriend with car: cops
BY PHILIP CAULFIELD / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Wednesday, January 25, 2012,
An 18-year-old New Jersey man is facing murder charges after cops say he killed an aging Vietnam vet with one punch during a traffic dust-up.
Allen Briscoe, 66, suffered a brain aneurysm caused by blunt force trauma and died at a south Jersey hospital on Monday night after falling and hitting his head during the confrontation Aleem Mayes, NBC Philadelphia reported.
Cops say Briscoe was driving to pick up his girlfriend near his home in East Camden at around 7:30 p.m. when he accidentally bumped Mayes' pregnant girlfriend "at very low speed" with his black Ford F-150, cops say.
The 16-year-old girl was knocked to the ground, and Briscoe rushed out of the cab to help her, cops say.
read more here
GAO finds Defense Center for Excellence lacking
GAO: DoD fails to detail mental health spending
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 25, 2012 19:18:28 EST
A new report from a congressional watchdog agency raises concerns about the Defense Department’s accounting of $2.7 billion marked for treating and researching psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries.
The report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office says DoD has not provided reports required by law detailing how those funds were spent. The money was distributed between fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2010.
The GAO described as “unreliable” the obligations data — information that gives an overview of what contracts and programs the funds support — in the reports.
“We found that the Tricare Management Activity, which administered funds allocated to [the Defense Centers of Excellence] had not developed written policies and procedures to ensure the proper recording of obligations and that it had not properly classified most of DCoE’s fiscal 2009 contract obligations,” the report states.
GAO also said the strategic plan of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, responsible for the Pentagon’s head injury and behavioral health programs, lacked clear guidance on its statutory responsibilities.
Instead, responsibilities for creating standards of care for injured and mentally ill service members as well as training, outreach, research and patient care are spread among the DCoEs, Tricare, the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and other agencies.
read more here
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jan 25, 2012 19:18:28 EST
A new report from a congressional watchdog agency raises concerns about the Defense Department’s accounting of $2.7 billion marked for treating and researching psychological health issues and traumatic brain injuries.
The report released Wednesday by the Government Accountability Office says DoD has not provided reports required by law detailing how those funds were spent. The money was distributed between fiscal 2007 and fiscal 2010.
The GAO described as “unreliable” the obligations data — information that gives an overview of what contracts and programs the funds support — in the reports.
“We found that the Tricare Management Activity, which administered funds allocated to [the Defense Centers of Excellence] had not developed written policies and procedures to ensure the proper recording of obligations and that it had not properly classified most of DCoE’s fiscal 2009 contract obligations,” the report states.
GAO also said the strategic plan of the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, responsible for the Pentagon’s head injury and behavioral health programs, lacked clear guidance on its statutory responsibilities.
Instead, responsibilities for creating standards of care for injured and mentally ill service members as well as training, outreach, research and patient care are spread among the DCoEs, Tricare, the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command and other agencies.
read more here
Fort Bragg soldier out of hospital, in police custody
Fort Bragg soldier out of hospital, in police custody
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A Fort Bragg soldier is out of the hospital and in custody after being treated for injuries he received during a police shootout nearly two weeks ago.
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Eisenhauer, 30, was released from UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill on Tuesday and faced a District Court judge in a Cumberland County courtroom Wednesday on 30 charges stemming from the Jan. 13 standoff.
Police say Eisenhauer fired several shots at police and firefighters responding to a fire at his third-floor apartment in the Austin Creek Apartments complex and then barricaded himself inside.
Four hours later, a special response team used explosives to take down the door to Eisenhauer's apartment. He was found injured on the kitchen floor.
Authorities haven't said how he was injured, but court records show police fired back. His father said last week that his son had three gunshot wounds.
read more here
also
Fort Bragg soldier in standoff
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. — A Fort Bragg soldier is out of the hospital and in custody after being treated for injuries he received during a police shootout nearly two weeks ago.
Army Staff Sgt. Joshua Eisenhauer, 30, was released from UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill on Tuesday and faced a District Court judge in a Cumberland County courtroom Wednesday on 30 charges stemming from the Jan. 13 standoff.
Police say Eisenhauer fired several shots at police and firefighters responding to a fire at his third-floor apartment in the Austin Creek Apartments complex and then barricaded himself inside.
Four hours later, a special response team used explosives to take down the door to Eisenhauer's apartment. He was found injured on the kitchen floor.
Authorities haven't said how he was injured, but court records show police fired back. His father said last week that his son had three gunshot wounds.
read more here
also
Fort Bragg soldier in standoff
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)