Finding Jesus at a Georgia truck stop
Story Highlights
Pastor's personal need inspires him to create ministry for truckers
Chaplain hears stories of loneliness and desperation
Truck stop owner: Truckers are "the last American cowboys"
Chaplain's downward was spiral halted by a late-night sermon
By John Blake
CNN
JACKSON, Georgia (CNN) -- "I gave up smoking, women and drinkin' last night," the singer shouts, "and it was the worst 15 minutes of mah life!"
The music blaring from the radio tonight is country. The dessert special is peach cobbler. And the customers are wide-bodied truck drivers, lumbering into a Georgia truck stop at suppertime.
But another group of truckers nearby is singing a new song. They amble into a truck stop trailer adorned with pictures of Jesus and sing the hymn "O Happy Day" in wobbly bass voices.
"I've been back and forth between God and Satan over the years," trucker Harold "Jumper" McBride says as he stands to share his story. "It was a rough life, but I finally found that saving grace to make life a whole lot better."
It's the Wednesday night service at "Chaplain Joe's" truck stop chapel service. The chaplain himself, a lanky, bearded man with tan cowboy boots, sits in the back of his narrow chapel, saying the loudest amens.
For 28 years, the Rev. Joe Hunter has been a chaplain to the truckers. Though most ministers preach to people in the pews, he takes God to people on the go. He reaches out to truckers at fuel stops, in parking lots, on the CB and through a radio show called "Heaven's Road."
He hears all sorts of stories: tales of loneliness, thoughts of suicide, struggles with guilt. A Vietnam veteran, he's even lived a little of what he's heard.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/09/23/truck.chaplain/index.html
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
“I’m not going to shoot, I just want some help.”
September 23, 2009
Man sought for questioning in parents' death fires shot in VA hospital
BY ROSE SOBOL AND MICHAEL LANSU Staff Reporters
Emergency crews remain on the scene of a Near West Side hospital Wednesday morning, more than five hours after a person of interest in a double-murder allegedly fired shots and holed himself the facility, authorities said.
At 5:40 a.m., police remain on the scene of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, where a man has holed himself inside the facility with a gun, police said. No injuries have been reported.
Bobby Freeman, an admission clerk at medical center, said a man walked into the facility about 1:20 a.m. and stood behind a patient he was admitting into the hospital.
The man -- described as a 40- to 50-year old bald black man with no facial hair in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white gym shoes -- asked for the location of the washroom and told Freeman he wanted to see a doctor, the clerk said.
The man went into the washroom, came out and walked into the emergency room, where he fired a shot into the ceiling and pointed a gun to his head, Freeman said.
read more here
Man sought for questioning in parents death
linked from RawStory
Man sought for questioning in parents' death fires shot in VA hospital
BY ROSE SOBOL AND MICHAEL LANSU Staff Reporters
Emergency crews remain on the scene of a Near West Side hospital Wednesday morning, more than five hours after a person of interest in a double-murder allegedly fired shots and holed himself the facility, authorities said.
At 5:40 a.m., police remain on the scene of the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, where a man has holed himself inside the facility with a gun, police said. No injuries have been reported.
Bobby Freeman, an admission clerk at medical center, said a man walked into the facility about 1:20 a.m. and stood behind a patient he was admitting into the hospital.
The man -- described as a 40- to 50-year old bald black man with no facial hair in a white T-shirt, blue jeans and white gym shoes -- asked for the location of the washroom and told Freeman he wanted to see a doctor, the clerk said.
The man went into the washroom, came out and walked into the emergency room, where he fired a shot into the ceiling and pointed a gun to his head, Freeman said.
read more here
Man sought for questioning in parents death
linked from RawStory
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
2 Officers Dead In Murder-Suicide
2 Officers Dead In Murder-Suicide
Couple Had History Of Domestic Abuse
POSTED: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
UPDATED: 6:13 pm EDT September 22, 2009
CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Two Detroit police officers died Tuesday in what is being called a murder-suicide.
Canton police said witnesses reported seeing a man shoot a woman, and then himself, just after 9 a.m. in the parking lot that is shared by the Canton Public Library and the Canton Police Department.
Detroit police homicide detective of 15 years, Edward Williams II, 36, and his wife, Patricia, a 33-year-old Detroit police officer, have been identified as the victims.
read more here
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21059408/detail.html
linked from CNN
Couple Had History Of Domestic Abuse
POSTED: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
UPDATED: 6:13 pm EDT September 22, 2009
CANTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. -- Two Detroit police officers died Tuesday in what is being called a murder-suicide.
Canton police said witnesses reported seeing a man shoot a woman, and then himself, just after 9 a.m. in the parking lot that is shared by the Canton Public Library and the Canton Police Department.
Detroit police homicide detective of 15 years, Edward Williams II, 36, and his wife, Patricia, a 33-year-old Detroit police officer, have been identified as the victims.
read more here
http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/21059408/detail.html
linked from CNN
Child narrowly escapes being crushed by car caught on video tape
Child narrowly escapes being crushed by car
By KOMO Staff SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- Whether it was a quick reaction or just good timing, a child in Sunnyside is lucky to be alive after nearly being crushed by an out-of-control car.
And the whole incident was captured by a security camera:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/60316542.html
By KOMO Staff SUNNYSIDE, Wash. -- Whether it was a quick reaction or just good timing, a child in Sunnyside is lucky to be alive after nearly being crushed by an out-of-control car.
And the whole incident was captured by a security camera:
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/60316542.html
Vietnam vet, Iraq vet, hero and chaplain killed himself, police say
Cpl. Eric C. Schwartz / Marine Corps Naval Cmdr. Dennis Rocheford, a Catholic chaplain with II Marine Expeditionary Force, serves communion to 1st Lt. Steven Rubeo, a supply officer with Headquarters and Support Company, Task Force 1st Battalion, 4th Marines, in 2007 at St. Michael's Chapel, Camp Al Qa'im, Iraq. The Navy Reserve chaplain and former enlisted Marine died Sept. 10 of an apparent suicide in Newport, R.I.
Reserve chaplain killed himself, police say
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 15:35:18 EDT
A decorated reserve Navy chaplain who served with Marines and soldiers in Iraq in 2007 died of an apparent suicide Sept. 10, according to police.
Cmdr. Dennis J. Rocheford, 60, a Catholic priest and former enlisted Marine, jumped to his death from the Newport Bridge in Rhode Island, according to Capt. James Swanberg, with the Rhode Island State Police.
Swanberg said the police were called at 8 a.m. with the report of a parked car in the bridge’s center lane.
“When the officer arrived on the scene, he went to the side of the bridge, looked over and saw a body face down in the water,” Swanberg said.
Coast Guard and fire units pulled the body from the water and unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him. Rocheford was later pronounced dead at Newport Hospital, Swanberg said, adding that he had not received results of the autopsy as of Tuesday.
He said a witness saw Rocheford walk from his car to the edge of the bridge and look over, but did not see him jump.
At the time of his death, Rocheford was on medical leave from St. Anne’s parish in North Oxford, Mass. He was also serving as a Catholic chaplain at Naval Station Newport, said Ray Deslile, spokesman for the Diocese of Worchester where Rocheford was assigned.
Rocheford served as an enlisted Marine from 1966 until 1969, when he got out as a lance corporal. A Vietnam veteran, he deployed to Quang Tri Province.
Personnel records show he earned a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts. He was also twice awarded the Combat Action Ribbon along with the Navy and Marine Corps and Army Commendation Medals.
Female veterans road home dotted with difficulty
The Girls Come Marching Home
In The Girls Come Marching Home, Author Kirsten Holmstedt tackles controversial issues head-on, from racism, sexual harassment, and drugs to the difficulties of getting treatment from the Veterans Administration. Capturing these women's unique voices, Holmsted lets them speak for themselves about their trials and tribulations, their hopes and dreams, their frustrations and achievements. Even as the Iraq War dies down, these stories will resonate for years to come.
http://girlscomemarchinghome.com/
Female veterans' road home dotted with difficultyBy Jeanette Steele
Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. September 22, 2009
Since 2001, U.S. women went marching into war in ways never seen before. Serving in foreign lands, they frisked people at checkpoints, searched for bombs, drove trucks while under fire and emptied their weapons against their enemies.
More than 225,350 female service members have been deployed for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, representing 11 percent of the total number of U.S. troops.
At least 765 of them have been killed or wounded since 2001, mostly in Iraq. Some are household names, such as Jessica Lynch, who was a 19-year-old Army supply clerk when she was captured in Iraq in March 2003. Lynch's subsequent rescue received widespread media coverage.
Most of the women marched home quietly and are trying to remake their lives, battle scars and all. The wounds are physical, mental and emotional.
Marine Sgt. Shannon Evans, a military policewoman, still deals with traumatic memories after being injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
Navy Cmdr. Lenora Langlais, a surgical nurse wounded when bombs hit her base in Iraq, has tried to remain stoic despite grappling with her own wartime horrors.
These women are among four San Diego County residents profiled in a new book about the battlefield and homecoming experiences of female warriors.
read more here
Female veterans road home dotted with difficulty
You may also be interested in my videos too.....
Women at War
The Voice, Women at War
Hardest Times You Could Imagine
Sisters After War
Husband charged with killing wife at Isleworth Country Club
Isleworth shooting: Isleworth Country Club resident accused of shooting his wife
James Robert Ward is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife at their multimillion-dollar Isleworth estate.
Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writer
1:19 p.m. EDT, September 22, 2009
Investigators today charged Isleworth Country Club resident James Robert Ward with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Diane Elizabeth Ward, at their multimillion-dollar estate.
"I just shot my wife ... she's dead ... she's on the floor of the master bedroom," Ward told 911 dispatch operators at 8 p.m. Monday, according to the arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said it was a case of domestic violence, though they didn't provide many details. He is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail.
When deputies arrived at Ward's house at 5277 Isleworth Country Club Drive, the 61-year-old developer told them her body was in the second-floor bedroom.
Sheriff's deputies found Diane Ward, 55, on the floor and in a pool of blood.
read more here
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-isleworth-shooting-update-092209,0,1203939.story
James Robert Ward is charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife at their multimillion-dollar Isleworth estate.
Walter Pacheco
Sentinel Staff Writer
1:19 p.m. EDT, September 22, 2009
Investigators today charged Isleworth Country Club resident James Robert Ward with second-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife, Diane Elizabeth Ward, at their multimillion-dollar estate.
"I just shot my wife ... she's dead ... she's on the floor of the master bedroom," Ward told 911 dispatch operators at 8 p.m. Monday, according to the arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff's Office.
Authorities said it was a case of domestic violence, though they didn't provide many details. He is being held without bail at the Orange County Jail.
When deputies arrived at Ward's house at 5277 Isleworth Country Club Drive, the 61-year-old developer told them her body was in the second-floor bedroom.
Sheriff's deputies found Diane Ward, 55, on the floor and in a pool of blood.
read more here
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-isleworth-shooting-update-092209,0,1203939.story
VA Suicide prevention programs in place
The question is, if the numbers keep going up, do they know if any of the "programs" are really working?
VA IG: Suicide prevention programs in place
By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Sep 22, 2009 11:36:52 EDT
WASHINGTON — The Veterans Affairs Department says it has stepped up its suicide prevention efforts.
The agency’s inspector took a look at 24 facilities and found they generally met new requirements such as appointing suicide prevention coordinators to track high-risk veterans. It did say the coordinators and medical providers could do a better job of communicating with each other.
The VA estimates there are as many as 6,400 suicides annually among all veterans.
New policies were implemented after growing concern about the number of suicides among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
Suicide prevention programs in place
Chuck Norris wants flag stained and doesn't know what year 9-11 attack was?
First the attack was in 2001 not 2002. The troops were sent to Afghanistan in 2001 as a response, but Norris seems to forget that too. He seems to forget about a lot of things. Stain the flag? He's late on that one considering most of the people that rushed out to buy flags for the first time after 9-11, slapped the magnets to the ass ends of their cars, were the first to let them just fade away. People like Norris used to be about respecting the flag as the flag of the nation, not some kind of political weapon to use to prove a point. Now I guess it just doesn't matter anymore. There is a lot that doesn't matter people like Norris could really be getting upset about, but that would have required them to pay attention all along, especially when his "party" was in control.
Begin with the fact we had two military campaigns so important to our security, this bunch of fiscal conservatives didn't seem to let it bother them neither campaign was included in the budget. The contractors ran amuck with no restrictions and no oversight on their contracts. The troops went without equipment they needed to stay as safe as possible and no one had any plans for after the invasion itself. Yet with all of this, people like Norris were silent, never once mentioning how all of this was hurting the troops and our financial security. People like Norris never even bothered to wonder how it was that 9-11 happened and all of our defenses failed at the same time on the same morning we needed them all to work the most. But he can't even see he got the year wrong.
He doesn't seem to understand that most of what is being addressed now, was causing most of us to get angry and scream for accountability, but people like Norris were not listening, swinging instead against people he thought were just "Bush bashers" instead of patriots concerned with where they county was heading.
It didn't seem to bother Norris that when the troops came back from Afghanistan, which most of the people like Norris forgot all about, was producing more wounded, no one here was getting ready to take care of any of them. You know, the same type of people too busy to notice the same thing was happening when the wounded were coming back from Iraq even though the evidence proved there was no need to attack Iraq, but plenty of reason to finish what was going on in Afghanistan, since that did have to do with 9-11 in 2001, not 2002 like Norris said.
So Norris now calls for people to stain the flag when he can't seem to care about the fact people like him never really respected it in the first place, or they would have been paying attention all along. Being a patriot requires people wanting this nation to be her best, no matter who is in charge. It requires them to want security and when there isn't, to find out why and make corrections. It requires respect through actions, not just words. We cannot say we support the troops with words but not when it comes to giving them everything they need to do what we ask of them. We cannot say we are a grateful nation when combat veterans are left without care, incomes and the support they really need from this nation. The list goes on but I bet you get the point. If we do not do what it really takes, then we are just a bunch of bad actors taking the stage and reading a script in a pretend world.
The rest of the American Patriots would never think of disgracing the flag for the sake of a political zealot who doesn't even know what year we were attacked. We also noticed that our men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan waited for their wounds to be taken care of, but people like him, never said let's protest the lack of care and force that President to take care of their healthcare needs. You know, the ones they wouldn't need taken care of if people like Norris cared after they were sent to risk their lives.
Begin with the fact we had two military campaigns so important to our security, this bunch of fiscal conservatives didn't seem to let it bother them neither campaign was included in the budget. The contractors ran amuck with no restrictions and no oversight on their contracts. The troops went without equipment they needed to stay as safe as possible and no one had any plans for after the invasion itself. Yet with all of this, people like Norris were silent, never once mentioning how all of this was hurting the troops and our financial security. People like Norris never even bothered to wonder how it was that 9-11 happened and all of our defenses failed at the same time on the same morning we needed them all to work the most. But he can't even see he got the year wrong.
Chuck Norris to American "patriots": stop flying U.S. flag or fly one that is 'tea-stained'
September 21, 9:49 AM Grassroots Politics Examiner Ron Moore
In today’s column he states that,
“On Sept. 12, 2002, we sought to protect our nation against terrorists from without. Beginning on Sept. 12, 2009, we are seeking to protect our nation against enemies of our republic from within. Many of us are protesting the present political direction of Washington. Outrageous borrowing, excessive bailouts, massive spending, speedball stimulus plans, universal hell-care and swings toward socialism are just a few of things that were protested that day. Of course, economics is far from America's only problem, as large as it appears to loom.“
read more here
Chuck Norris to American patriots
He doesn't seem to understand that most of what is being addressed now, was causing most of us to get angry and scream for accountability, but people like Norris were not listening, swinging instead against people he thought were just "Bush bashers" instead of patriots concerned with where they county was heading.
It didn't seem to bother Norris that when the troops came back from Afghanistan, which most of the people like Norris forgot all about, was producing more wounded, no one here was getting ready to take care of any of them. You know, the same type of people too busy to notice the same thing was happening when the wounded were coming back from Iraq even though the evidence proved there was no need to attack Iraq, but plenty of reason to finish what was going on in Afghanistan, since that did have to do with 9-11 in 2001, not 2002 like Norris said.
So Norris now calls for people to stain the flag when he can't seem to care about the fact people like him never really respected it in the first place, or they would have been paying attention all along. Being a patriot requires people wanting this nation to be her best, no matter who is in charge. It requires them to want security and when there isn't, to find out why and make corrections. It requires respect through actions, not just words. We cannot say we support the troops with words but not when it comes to giving them everything they need to do what we ask of them. We cannot say we are a grateful nation when combat veterans are left without care, incomes and the support they really need from this nation. The list goes on but I bet you get the point. If we do not do what it really takes, then we are just a bunch of bad actors taking the stage and reading a script in a pretend world.
The rest of the American Patriots would never think of disgracing the flag for the sake of a political zealot who doesn't even know what year we were attacked. We also noticed that our men and women coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan waited for their wounds to be taken care of, but people like him, never said let's protest the lack of care and force that President to take care of their healthcare needs. You know, the ones they wouldn't need taken care of if people like Norris cared after they were sent to risk their lives.
Monday, September 21, 2009
What is Texas Outrage All About Really?
There has been something really bugging me for a while and this is behind it. There are so many people in Texas talking about how much they hate the government and want succession but they never seem to feel the same way when they are looking to the government for money. The following is just regarding Fort Hood. There is also a help wanted for the National Guard to point out that even with their National Guard, they also get involved with federal funds for that too.
With all these millions of dollars going back to Texas, just for Fort Hood alone, what is all of this really all about? I doubt they hate the troops or our veterans. I doubt they hate the National Guard and I doubt they hate the federal funds going into Texas for what the people of Texas need, like when hurricanes hit or they need food stamps or federal funds to cover banks that closed, or bailouts for Texas companies. Any ideas? I'm really lost on how they can hate with words what they embrace with open hands.
Washington, May 12, 2005 -
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Representative John Carter (TX-31) is proud to announce today the first step in the appropriations process has been taken. The Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee approved $57,338,000 for military construction projects at Ft. Hood and $68,112,300,000 for veterans.
Carter, who sits on the subcommittee, said, "This is the first and most crucial step in the appropriations process and I am thrilled about the funding that is going toward projects at Ft. Hood."
At the request of Carter, an allocation of $4.1 million was made for a fire station at North Fort Hood. The funding will be used to construct a fire station with air rescue capability to replace the existing fire station. The existing fire station is antiquated, deteriorating, and is too small to accommodate modern fire fighting equipment. The existing fire station is located on the East side of Highway 36, while all future North Fort Hood construction, which includes barracks, head quarters, and motor pools, is planned on the West side. The separation will cause unacceptable delays in reaction times. This structure is included in the Future Years Defense Plan for FY09.
http://carter.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=40&parentid=6§iontree=6,40&itemid=570
Stimulus Funds Will Pay For New Fort Hood Hospital
Funds from the massive federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood, Central Texas Congressman Chet Edwards said Tuesday evening.
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2009)—Funds from the $787 billion federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood to replace the Vietnam War-era Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Tuesday evening.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/41399507.html
With all these millions of dollars going back to Texas, just for Fort Hood alone, what is all of this really all about? I doubt they hate the troops or our veterans. I doubt they hate the National Guard and I doubt they hate the federal funds going into Texas for what the people of Texas need, like when hurricanes hit or they need food stamps or federal funds to cover banks that closed, or bailouts for Texas companies. Any ideas? I'm really lost on how they can hate with words what they embrace with open hands.
Congressman John Carter : Press Releases : CARTER ANNOUNCES ...09/12/07
Washington, Sep 12, 2007 -
U.S. Congressman John R. Carter (TX-31) today announced that the Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport has been awarded a $285,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The funds are used to boost civilian aviation capacity by upgrading former and joint use military airports.
Washington, May 12, 2005 -
Washington, D.C. –U.S. Representative John Carter (TX-31) is proud to announce today the first step in the appropriations process has been taken. The Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee approved $57,338,000 for military construction projects at Ft. Hood and $68,112,300,000 for veterans.
Carter, who sits on the subcommittee, said, "This is the first and most crucial step in the appropriations process and I am thrilled about the funding that is going toward projects at Ft. Hood."
At the request of Carter, an allocation of $4.1 million was made for a fire station at North Fort Hood. The funding will be used to construct a fire station with air rescue capability to replace the existing fire station. The existing fire station is antiquated, deteriorating, and is too small to accommodate modern fire fighting equipment. The existing fire station is located on the East side of Highway 36, while all future North Fort Hood construction, which includes barracks, head quarters, and motor pools, is planned on the West side. The separation will cause unacceptable delays in reaction times. This structure is included in the Future Years Defense Plan for FY09.
http://carter.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=40&parentid=6§iontree=6,40&itemid=570
Stimulus Funds Will Pay For New Fort Hood Hospital
Funds from the massive federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood, Central Texas Congressman Chet Edwards said Tuesday evening.
WASHINGTON (March 17, 2009)—Funds from the $787 billion federal stimulus package will pay for construction of a new hospital at Fort Hood to replace the Vietnam War-era Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, said Tuesday evening.
http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/41399507.html
HQ TXANG ANNOUNCEMENT #09-081
OFFICER VACANCY ANNOUNCEMNT
TEXAS AIR NATIONAL GUARD
POSITION: Legislative Liaison Officer (LLO)
LOCATION: Headquarters, Texas Air National Guard, Camp Mabry, Austin, TX
OPENING DATE: 19 AUG 09
GRADE: O-3 NTE O-5 CLOSING DATE: 19 Nov 09
AFSC: 1XXX, 2XXX, 3XXX, 6XXX
HOW TO APPLY: USAF, AF Reserves or ANG commissioned officers will submit a completed AF Form 1288(Application for Reserve Assignment), copies of the last three OPRs, records review rip, resume, letter of introduction and fitness results. Letters of recommendation may also be included. The AF FORM 1288 and RECORDS REVIEW RIP may be obtained from your unit orderly room or your servicing Military Personnel Flight.
All other applicants will submit a completed AF Form 24, Application for Appointment, certified college transcripts and a personal resume. AF Form 24 and resume will be detailed chronologically of civilian and military experience with special emphasis on areas of experience and education related to the position applying for.
PERSONAL INTERVIEWS: Applicants must be available for an interview. Applications will be reviewed and qualified applicants will be notified via phone or email in regards to the board details. Payment for travel IS NOT AUTHORIZED
All questions regarding this announcement should be directed to TSgt Andrea Marqueses at commercial (512) 782-5488 or DSN 954-5488.
SUBMIT EMAIL APPLICATIONS TO: andrea.m.marqueses@hqtx.ang.af.mil
SUMIT PAPER APPLICATIONS TO: HQ TXANG/A1
2200 W 35th Street, Bldg 9
Camp Mabry, TX 78703
NOTE: All applications must be postmarked by the close of business on 19 Nov 09. Applications that do not make the deadline will not be considered and returned without action.
All applicants will receive consideration for this position without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, and other non-merit factors.
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS
1. Specialty Summary. Performs the duties of the Legislative Liaison Officer for Headquarters Texas Air National Guard (HQTXANG). Working with Wing Commanders, Civil Engineers and Wing Facility Utilization Board’s identifies high priority military construction projects for inclusion in the Future Year's Defense Plan (FYDP) and works directly with NGB staff members in coordinating project funding. Serves as the Headquarters TXANG functional expert on the federal and state authorizations, appropriations and budget processes and Congressional Staff relations. Manages the development and communication of state facility and equipment priorities to congressional members and their staff, including management of data submission at critical stages in the legislative process.
2. Duties and Responsibilities:
Responsible for identifying State and Federal Funding sources to include facilities and equipment
Briefs State and Federal Congressional issues and submission progress to the TXANG Commander and other staff as appropriate or required
Responsible for the development and maintenance of congressional staff relations
Develops and maintains biographical database on congressional members to include district and Washington contact data
Develop and maintain information on the membership of congressional committees such as appropriations, armed services, etc.
Development of easy to understand congressional member and staff communication literature outlining funding request
Maintain database of past projects and funding by funding year and unit
Coordinate and participate in Washington D.C. congressional visits for the TXANG Commander
Process follow up contacts with congressional staff and committee member and obtain TAG letters
Develop and maintain a working relationship with Air National Guard Readiness Center (ANGRC) Civil Engineer Programs Manager as well as State Programmer
Provides funding and process guidance to Commanders on (possible) Congressional Add-on Opportunities
Responsible for coordinating and participating with the Plans, Operations, and Military Support Officer (POMSO) in identifying resources in support of state emergencies
Responsible, in conjunction with Plans officer, for coordination, planning and training exercises in military support to state and local civilian authorities
Responsible for participating as a member of the Texas State Joint Services Facility Board
Responsible for assisting in the development of the Force Management Planning
Performs reviews when requested by Commanders
http://www.agd.state.tx.us/jobs/air/traditional/gsu/HQ-09-081%20Legislative%20Liaison.pdf
Proper Exit, trips offer Iraq vets closure
Brian A. Barbour / Courtesy of the U.S. Army
From left: Sgt. Robert Brown, retired Staff Sgt. Bradley Gruetzner and Sgt. Christopher A. Burrell walk through “Hero’s Highway” on June 25 at the Air Force Theater Hospital at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. Brown, Gruetzner, Burrell and four other soldiers wounded in Iraq had the opportunity to return to the places they once served in a program called Operation Proper Exit.
For the wounded, one last mission
‘Proper Exit’ trips offer Iraq vets closure
By Seth Robson, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Monday, September 21, 2009
GRAFENWÖHR, Germany — Some soldiers are returning to the places where they were wounded in Iraq under a program that aims to speed their recovery and close a painful chapter in their lives.
"They left without closure. … They left behind their belongings, their friends and battle buddies," said Rick Kell, director of the Troops First Foundation, who devised Operation Proper Exit after hearing wounded soldiers talk of their desire to return to Iraq. "We have heard for so long that Vietnam veterans wanted to go back and in their words, ‘have some closure.’ I thought why not try to get some of these guys to go back in real time so they don’t have to wait 30 years? "
Six soldiers took part in the initial trip in June, and another is planned for November.
One participant in the June trip was Staff Sgt. Kenneth Butler, 29, of Braintree, Mass., who lost his right arm above the elbow in a bomb attack while serving in Baghdad in 2007.
"I blacked out a few times," said Butler, who recently retired from active duty. "The last time was at FOB Rustamiyah and I woke up at Walter Reed."
Almost all wounded soldiers want to go back to where they served, Butler said.
"They want to rejoin their team and to be part of the fight and leave that place on their own terms and not on a gurney almost dead," he said.
read more here
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64913
Also older story on Operation Proper ExitWounded Warriors Return to Iraq
Five reported dead in Georgia flooding
Five reported dead in Georgia flooding
Story Highlights
NEW: Girl who was swept from father's arms is among those killed
At least four other people missing in Georgia; one presumed dead in Tennessee
300 people in Trion, Georgia, evacuate homes amid fears levee might fail
Hundreds of roads closed, official says; more rain expected before finally ending
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia creeks and rivers, swollen by days of rain, burst their banks Monday, and at least five people were killed in flooding in the state, officials said.
At least four others were thought to be missing, said Wes Tallon, spokesman for fire and emergency management services in Douglas County, west of Atlanta.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/21/southeast.floods/index.html#cnnSTCText
Story Highlights
NEW: Girl who was swept from father's arms is among those killed
At least four other people missing in Georgia; one presumed dead in Tennessee
300 people in Trion, Georgia, evacuate homes amid fears levee might fail
Hundreds of roads closed, official says; more rain expected before finally ending
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Georgia creeks and rivers, swollen by days of rain, burst their banks Monday, and at least five people were killed in flooding in the state, officials said.
At least four others were thought to be missing, said Wes Tallon, spokesman for fire and emergency management services in Douglas County, west of Atlanta.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/21/southeast.floods/index.html#cnnSTCText
2 dozen motorcycles crash on I-5 in Oregon
2 dozen motorcycles crash on I-5 in Oregon
By Meghan Kalkstein KATU News and KATU.com
WILSONVILLE, Ore. – An accident involving almost 30 motorcycles just south of Wilsonville on Interstate 5 Friday afternoon injured several people, two critically.
The crash happened at about 3 p.m. near milepost 282. LifeFlight airlifted Herbert Sinclair of Heyburn, Idaho and David Bowyer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Oregon Health Sciences University and Legacy Emanuel Hospital, respectively. Both were motorcyclists.
Representatives of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said that it treated eight patients for shoulder and hip injuries and broken bones. They were also taken to area hospitals.
The accident closed northbound lanes of Interstate 5 for over two hours.
The motorcyclists were part of a local motorcycle club called Brothers Speed which was established in May 1969, according to its Web site. It has chapters in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, specifically in Portland, Ore. Camas, Wash., and Boise, Idaho.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/59860797.html
By Meghan Kalkstein KATU News and KATU.com
WILSONVILLE, Ore. – An accident involving almost 30 motorcycles just south of Wilsonville on Interstate 5 Friday afternoon injured several people, two critically.
The crash happened at about 3 p.m. near milepost 282. LifeFlight airlifted Herbert Sinclair of Heyburn, Idaho and David Bowyer of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Oregon Health Sciences University and Legacy Emanuel Hospital, respectively. Both were motorcyclists.
Representatives of Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue said that it treated eight patients for shoulder and hip injuries and broken bones. They were also taken to area hospitals.
The accident closed northbound lanes of Interstate 5 for over two hours.
The motorcyclists were part of a local motorcycle club called Brothers Speed which was established in May 1969, according to its Web site. It has chapters in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho, specifically in Portland, Ore. Camas, Wash., and Boise, Idaho.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/59860797.html
Father, daughter deploy jointly with ND Guard
Father, daughter deploy jointly with ND Guard
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Sep 21, 2009 18:13:08 EDT
WEST FARGO, N.D. — National Guard Spc. Heather Zimmerman followed in her father’s footsteps in joining the military. Now the two are being deployed together.
Zimmerman and her father, Sgt. Major Alvin Zimmerman of West Fargo, are among 650 North Dakota National Guard members assigned to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Officials say the North Dakotans will lead a multinational group of about 1,400.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_guard_nd_family_deployment_092109/
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Sep 21, 2009 18:13:08 EDT
WEST FARGO, N.D. — National Guard Spc. Heather Zimmerman followed in her father’s footsteps in joining the military. Now the two are being deployed together.
Zimmerman and her father, Sgt. Major Alvin Zimmerman of West Fargo, are among 650 North Dakota National Guard members assigned to a peacekeeping mission in Kosovo. Officials say the North Dakotans will lead a multinational group of about 1,400.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/09/ap_guard_nd_family_deployment_092109/
AZ police investigate apparent murder-suicide
AZ police investigate apparent murder-suicide
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 1:55 PM EDT
Arizona police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that left a mother and her two teenage sons dead.
Mesa police spokesman Detective Steve Berry said the woman's husband came home from work late Saturday and found her dead. As he continued checking the home, the man found his two sons dead, too.
The dead were identified as 50-year-old Susan Mullaly, 15-year-old Ryan Mullaly and 12-year-old Nicholas Mullaly
read more here
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11168858
Posted: Sep 21, 2009 1:55 PM EDT
Arizona police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide that left a mother and her two teenage sons dead.
Mesa police spokesman Detective Steve Berry said the woman's husband came home from work late Saturday and found her dead. As he continued checking the home, the man found his two sons dead, too.
The dead were identified as 50-year-old Susan Mullaly, 15-year-old Ryan Mullaly and 12-year-old Nicholas Mullaly
read more here
http://www.wave3.com/Global/story.asp?S=11168858
Deputies To Learn About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Deputies To Learn About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Law Enforcement Often First Professionals To Come In Contact With Ailing Soldiers
Last updated Sunday, September 20, 2009 11:55 PM CDT in News
By Anna Fry
THE MORNING NEWS
Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies will learn about veterans and post-traumatic stress disorder during special training scheduled for October.
"We're not going to turn them into mental health experts," said Vaughn DeCoster, team leader with the Fayetteville Veterans Center. "It's kind of sensitivity training, if you will."
DeCoster and two Veterans Affairs-affiliated nurses are providing the training. The training is mandatory for all deputies in the field, who are the sheriff's office employees most likely to deal with people with the disorder, said Capt. Mike Jones.
Deputies recently responded to a disturbance involving a recently-returned soldier with the disorder, Jones said. The man's family was complimentary of the deputies' handling of the situation but recommended training, he said.
The Sheriff's Office approached the center about the training and it's the first time it's been done, DeCoster said. The purpose is to educate deputies about soldiers returning from war and the community resources to which deputies can refer them.
The area doesn't have any big active-duty bases near, so soldiers returning from war can go unnoticed in public, he said.
"There are people out there that are suffering silently," DeCoster said.
All soldiers returning from war must decompress and adjust, he said. Just because soldiers are returning from combat and show symptoms doesn't mean they have post-traumatic stress disorder
read more here
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/09/21/news/092109bzptsd.txt
Law Enforcement Often First Professionals To Come In Contact With Ailing Soldiers
Last updated Sunday, September 20, 2009 11:55 PM CDT in News
By Anna Fry
THE MORNING NEWS
Benton County Sheriff's Office deputies will learn about veterans and post-traumatic stress disorder during special training scheduled for October.
"We're not going to turn them into mental health experts," said Vaughn DeCoster, team leader with the Fayetteville Veterans Center. "It's kind of sensitivity training, if you will."
DeCoster and two Veterans Affairs-affiliated nurses are providing the training. The training is mandatory for all deputies in the field, who are the sheriff's office employees most likely to deal with people with the disorder, said Capt. Mike Jones.
Deputies recently responded to a disturbance involving a recently-returned soldier with the disorder, Jones said. The man's family was complimentary of the deputies' handling of the situation but recommended training, he said.
The Sheriff's Office approached the center about the training and it's the first time it's been done, DeCoster said. The purpose is to educate deputies about soldiers returning from war and the community resources to which deputies can refer them.
The area doesn't have any big active-duty bases near, so soldiers returning from war can go unnoticed in public, he said.
"There are people out there that are suffering silently," DeCoster said.
All soldiers returning from war must decompress and adjust, he said. Just because soldiers are returning from combat and show symptoms doesn't mean they have post-traumatic stress disorder
read more here
http://www.nwaonline.net/articles/2009/09/21/news/092109bzptsd.txt
Longwood FL school under lock down over black bear
Bear At School; Campus Locked Down
Bear In Tree Near Classrooms
POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2009
UPDATED: 1:01 pm EDT September 21, 2009
LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A Seminole County school is on lock down after a black bear was found on its campus.
According to Fish and Wildlife, the bear was found on Pace-Brantley Hall school property Monday morning.
read more here
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21039378/detail.html
linked from CNN
Bear In Tree Near Classrooms
POSTED: Monday, September 21, 2009
UPDATED: 1:01 pm EDT September 21, 2009
LONGWOOD, Fla. -- A Seminole County school is on lock down after a black bear was found on its campus.
According to Fish and Wildlife, the bear was found on Pace-Brantley Hall school property Monday morning.
read more here
http://www.clickorlando.com/news/21039378/detail.html
linked from CNN
Sgt. Rafael Peralta should have honor earned
The excuse of a friendly fire bullet limiting his capacity to act when a grenade came, is blown away by the military procedures they already have. PTSD medicated troops sent back into combat, but no one questions their mental capacity if they act heroically. TBI troops still kept on duty, but no one questions their mental capacity either. Here they have someone with a bullet wound but still put others first and pulled the grenade to himself. This act, was worthy of one medal but not the Medal of Honor because he was already wounded? Dah! How stupid does this get?
Marine could still get medal
By William Cole
President Obama on Thursday posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military recognition, to a Massachusetts soldier who died in Afghanistan trying to save a wounded comrade.
Staff Sgt. Jared C. Monti, a team leader with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the 10th Mountain Division, died in Nuristan province on June 21, 2006.
It was a reminder of a Medal of Honor not received in the case of a Hawai'i Marine, Sgt. Rafael Peralta. It is a cause that fellow Marines refuse to give up on.
At least four Marines with Peralta on Nov. 15, 2004, in Fallujah, Iraq, have stated in written reports that they saw the short and stocky Marine nicknamed "Rafa" pull a grenade to his body after it had bounced into a room, saving the lives of others in the process.
The 25-year-old was with the 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment out of Kane'ohe Bay.
A Medal of Honor recommendation for Peralta made it through examinations by the Marine Corps, U.S. Central Command and the Department of the Navy before being rejected by five individuals appointed in an unusual move by U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates to review the nomination.
read more here
Marine could still get medal
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Toys for Tots campaign kicks off
Updated: Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 7:53 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 11:46 AM EDT
Anthony DiLorenzo
FEEDING HILLS, Mass. (WWLP) - Local bikers wound their way through the Pioneer Valley, Sunday morning with the Marine Corps League of Westfield, raising money for an important cause.
Their efforts will help needy children this holiday season as well as wounded warriors.
Hundreds of bikers are all revved up for the holiday season. Even Santa Claus himself, and bikers from throughout New England spread Christmas cheer with the kickoff of the Toys for Tots campaign with a benefit ride through the Pioneer Valley.
Around 200 bikers are not only helping the needy children but also the wounded warriors that have come back from battle with deep scars.
"Toys are coming in one at a time as a donation, and then a donation will go toward the 'Marine Helping Marine' program," explained Commandant Fran Curnow, of the Westfield River Valley Marine Corps League.
It's a program Lou Johnson champions in his fallen son's name, "participating in something like this makes me feel we're extending his example of doing for others."
Nineteen-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Phil Johnson of Enfield, CT, was killed three years ago in Iraq.
The Johnson family now makes it their mission, to help other military families with similar struggles.
go here for more
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Toys for Tots campaign kicks off
Updated: Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 7:53 PM EDT
Published : Sunday, 20 Sep 2009, 11:46 AM EDT
Anthony DiLorenzo
FEEDING HILLS, Mass. (WWLP) - Local bikers wound their way through the Pioneer Valley, Sunday morning with the Marine Corps League of Westfield, raising money for an important cause.
Their efforts will help needy children this holiday season as well as wounded warriors.
Hundreds of bikers are all revved up for the holiday season. Even Santa Claus himself, and bikers from throughout New England spread Christmas cheer with the kickoff of the Toys for Tots campaign with a benefit ride through the Pioneer Valley.
Around 200 bikers are not only helping the needy children but also the wounded warriors that have come back from battle with deep scars.
"Toys are coming in one at a time as a donation, and then a donation will go toward the 'Marine Helping Marine' program," explained Commandant Fran Curnow, of the Westfield River Valley Marine Corps League.
It's a program Lou Johnson champions in his fallen son's name, "participating in something like this makes me feel we're extending his example of doing for others."
Nineteen-year-old Marine Lance Corporal Phil Johnson of Enfield, CT, was killed three years ago in Iraq.
The Johnson family now makes it their mission, to help other military families with similar struggles.
go here for more
Marine ride to provide holiday cheer
Marine reservist killed after stopping to help accident victims
Marine reservist dies after being hit by car in Arlington
11:54 PM CDT on Sunday, September 20, 2009
By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com
Arlington's 27th traffic fatality of 2009 was a Marine reservist who stopped to help victims of a traffic accident on Interstate 20 between Collins Street and Matlock Road shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday.
According to police, the original accident involved three vehicles in the westbound lanes of I-20. Two people were sent to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
The reservist and another man stopped to divert traffic and help the victims of the accident get out of their cars.
read more here
Marine reservist dies after being hit by car in Arlington
11:54 PM CDT on Sunday, September 20, 2009
By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
rabshire@dallasnews.com
Arlington's 27th traffic fatality of 2009 was a Marine reservist who stopped to help victims of a traffic accident on Interstate 20 between Collins Street and Matlock Road shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday.
According to police, the original accident involved three vehicles in the westbound lanes of I-20. Two people were sent to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries.
The reservist and another man stopped to divert traffic and help the victims of the accident get out of their cars.
read more here
Marine reservist dies after being hit by car in Arlington
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)