Friday, May 25, 2012

Memorial Weekend events 2012 - for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties

Cathy Haynes keeps Central Florida up to date on what is going on for the military/veterans community and works tirelessly putting together a list of events topped off with showing up at most of them. If you think I work hard, I can't figure out how she does what she does!

Memorial Weekend events 2012 - for Orange, Osceola and Seminole Counties


Friday, May 25
8am - American Legion Post 109 at Ocoee Cemetery - The Colors will be raised and posting of American flags on veterans’ graves. The flags will remain posted until 1700 Monday, May 28th when they will be collected and Colors struck at the Cemetery. Info: 407-656-7285

11am - The City of Ocoee will remember and honor fallen soldiers at the Starke Lake Gazebo, 125 North Lakeshore Drive, next to City Hall. The keynote speaker for the Memorial Day Ceremony will be JD Lopez. In 2002, Mr. Lopez became a combat soldier with the U.S. Army 82nd Airborne Infantry division. He is a two-time Iraq War veteran who survived a near fatal car explosion. Ceremony includes patriotic songs, Ocoee Police Department Honor Guard, Ocoee High School Air Force JROTC Color Guard, honor wreath to be set at Ocoee’s Memorial Wall inscribed with the names of Ocoee residents who sacrificed and served their country. Mayor Scott Vandergrift will recite the names of Ocoee residents who gave their lives for freedom. At the conclusion of the ceremony, Ocoee High School student Nathan Kimbrell will play Taps. Refreshments afterwards. For more information, please call (407) 905-3100. (filming this)


Saturday, May 26

10am - Vietnam War Memorial Groundbreaking Ceremony - Veterans Memorial Park, 2380 Lake Baldwin Lane, Orlando. Presented by Vietnamese-American Memorial Committee in Florida. Veterans, Vietnamese-Americans and their families and friends are invited. (Info courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel.)


Sunday, May 27
9 am-5 pm - Team Patriot Paddle - Katie's Landing on Wekiva River, 190 Katie's Cove, Sanford. Eight-mile Memorial Day River Run event for kakaks, canoes and stand-up paddlers to raise funds and awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project and Heroes on the Water. Bring your own gear. $5 donation. Details: 407-461-9420. (Info courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel)

11am – American Legion Post 112 honors and remembers the persons who served and died for our freedoms. 4490 N. Goldenrod Road, Winter Park, 32792. The public is invited. Free. 407-671-6404 or 407-212-6587.

12 noon – American Legion Post 331 and JROTC will place flags on veterans’ graves and have a ceremony at Taft Cemetery, 501 Landstreet Road in south Orlando, 32824. The public is invited. For more information, call 407-294-7228 or 407-405-3786.

2:30pm – Annual Memorial Day service at the Larry E. Smedley National Vietnam War Museum (aka: the Bunker”) at 3400 N. Tanner Rd. in east Orlando. A solemn ceremony of 5 Color Guards, Vietnamese Veterans of Central FL, Guest speaker Marine Col. David Smith, wreath ceremony, and dedication of the new T-34 and Caribou airplanes. Optional und raising picnic style dinner following. The public is invited. Website and directions: www.nwmvocf.org For more info: 407-463-0192 or 508-523-7192 . (filming this)


Monday, May 28 – Memorial Day ceremonies
Orange County
8:30 am - Veterans Park, 420 S. Park Ave., Winter Garden. West Orange High School JROTC with roll call of veterans, placement of wreaths and patriotic songs. (Info courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel.)

10am – Orange County Courthouse Veterans Memorial Wall, 425 N. Orange Ave. downtown Orlando on south side of bldg. Ceremony honoring the 2 Orange County soldiers who died in Afghanistan this past year – Pvt. J. Vaquerano and Pvt. A. Obod, Jr.. Their names will be engraved on the Memorial Wall of the Orange County persons who were killed serving our country and were county residents upon joining the armed forces. Mayor Teresa Jacobs, guest speaker SSgt Christopher Olejnik, the fallen warriors families, Color Guard, Orange County Sheriff’s Dept. and others, Public is invited. Free. 407-836-2857.

10am – Woodlawn Memorial Park, 62nd Annual service, 400 Woodlawn Cemetery Rd., Gotha, 34734. Guest speaker Former Congressman Lou Frey, Orlando Concert Band, Color Guard, JROTC and Scouts, Wreath laying and more to honor those who died while in military service. Band begins at 9:30 am. Following the service on the opposite side of the grounds will be the free 5th Annual Cruise-In car show and BBQ lunch (while supplies last.) 11am-3pm. Public is invited. Free. 407-293-1361.

10am – American Legion Post 19 and Ladies Auxiliary will conduct a ceremony at Greenwood Cemetery, 1603 Greenwood St. in downtown Orlando, 32801. The ceremony will include a guest speaker, wreath laying, rifle volley and Taps. Food and Entertainment at Post from 2pm – 5pm. The public is invited. For more information, call 407-453-5695.

11am – Glen Haven Memorial Park, 2300 Temple Dr., Winter Park, 32789. Featuring guest speakers Capt. Tae Shin, FLNG, and Capt. Joshua Walker, FLNG, VFW Post #2093 Band, singers, Civil War Reinactors, Winter Springs AJROTC, Scouts and others. Public is invited. Free. 407-647-1100. (filming this)

11am – American Legion Post 242 honors and remembers the persons who died for the freedoms of Americans and others. 17142 E. Colonial Dr. in eastern Orlando, 32820. Cookout at 1pm. Public is invited. 407-568-3416.


Osceola County

8:30 am – Ceremony at Osceola Memory Gardens by the Osceola County Veterans Council and numerous groups. 1717 Old Boggy Creek Rd., Kissimmee, 34744. Public is invited. Free. 407-957-2511

10am – VFW Post 3227 and American Legion Post#80 ceremony at Mount Peace Cemetery, 755 E. 10th St., St. Cloud, 34769. Guest speaker Peter Olivo – wounded Vietnam soldier, wreaths representing various wars and Posts, flags placed on veterans graves by Boy Scouts. Public is invited. Refreshments at American Legion Post 80 after the ceremony – 1019 Pennsylvania Ave., St. Cloud. 321-624-7093 or 407-892-8808.

11am – American Legion Post 10 honors and remembers the persons who died for our freedoms while serving our country. Ceremony at the Post flagpole. 200 Lakeshore Blvd., Kissimmee, 34742. Public is invited. Free. 407-847-4193.


Seminole County

10am – Memorial Day Parade in downtown Sanford featuring many veterans, military and patriotic groups. Begins on 1st Street in Sanford and thru the historic downtown area. Immediately following the parade is a tribute at the Veterans Memorial Park on the waterfront with honorary guests, gun volley salute, and helicopter flyover. Public is invited. 386-837-3973.

3pm – Casselberry Veterans Club will honor and remember the persons who died for our freedoms while serving our country with a Flagpole ceremony. 200 Concord Dr., Casselberry, 32750. A BBQ meal will be available for a small charge after the ceremony and until 6pm. Public is invited, ceremony is free. 407-340-9780.

3pm – American Legion Post 183 and VFW Post 10180 will have a patriotic ceremony at 3pm and picnic meal following the ceremony. Maitland/Casselberry/FernPark Post, 2706 Wells Ave., Casselberry, 32730. Public is invited. 407-831-8004.

Florida National Cemetery (6502 SW 102nd Avenue, Bushnell, 33513, in Sumter County) The Memorial Day Ceremony begins at 11:00 AM on Monday, May 30, rain or shine. The Guest Speaker will be Major Gen. Jeffrey E. Phillips, assistant deputy chief of staff; Hernando High School Band will play patriotic music prior to the ceremony and music will be performed during the ceremony. Seating is limited, those attending are encouraged to arrive early, wear comfortable clothing, and bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on. Organizations with colors are invited to participate in the massing of colors at the beginning of the program and should plan to arrive by 9:30 A.M. The Florida National Cemetery Visitor's Center will be open to the public on Memorial Day from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. For more information call 352-793-7740.

Others – Courtesy of Joe Rassel, Orlando Sentinel: 9 am-5 pm - Saturday-Monday - Valiant Air Command Open House - Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, 6600 Tico Road, Titusville. Vintage aircraft and memorabilia, flybys throughout weekend and pilots who flew the aircraft on display. Admission free for military (active or retired) and Florida residents. I.D. required. Details: 321-268-1941.

Memorial Remembrance Service: 9 a.m. Monday; Rockefeller Gardens, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach. Music by Daytona Beach Concert Band, flyovers by Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight and 21-gun salute by Volusia County Sheriff's Office, followed by taps. Parking at The Casements, Fortunato Park and the Ormond Memorial Art Museum. Details: 386-676-3241.

Memorial Day Service: 10 a.m. Monday; Deltona Memorial Gardens, 1295 Saxon Blvd., Orange City. Sponsored by Veterans Community Education Partnership and Deltona Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Presentation of colors and placement of wreaths at Veterans Memorial by veterans groups and other organizations. Details: Bob McFall, 386-775-4260, or Mick Cotton, 386-960-5425.

Ponce Inlet Memorial Day Ceremony: 11 a.m. Monday; Davies Lighthouse Park, 4931 S. Peninsula Drive, Ponce Inlet. Flyover by Spruce Creek Gaggle Flight, 21-gun salute, wreath-laying and playing of taps.

Information was compiled by Cathy Haynes, member/supporter on numerous veterans and military organizations with the help from each organization.
All information is correct to the best of my knowledge with care. Sincere apologies if there are errors as the best of intentions and efforts were made. If additional ceremonies were not included, please contact me so that the information can be included next year.
407-239-8468
chaynes11629@yahoo.com

Tim McGraw to give 25 homes to veterans

Tim McGraw to give 25 homes to veterans
CHRIS TALBOTT
Associated Press
Friday, May 25, 2012

Nashville, Tenn.

Tim McGraw will be saluting veterans in a big way while on tour this summer.

The country music superstar is giving away 25 mortgage-free houses - one for each stop on his upcoming Brothers of the Sun tour with Kenny Chesney - to wounded or needy service members.

McGraw will kick off the campaign with a Memorial Day concert for military members at New York City's Beacon Theatre during Fleet Week.

"My sister's a veteran, my uncle's a veteran, my grandfather was a veteran, one of my best friends is a veteran," McGraw said. "I've known people my whole life who are in service to America. And I think in my position to be able to do something like that is probably the ultimate thing. So to be able to go on tour and provide sort of a stable foundation for a veteran and their family is something I really look forward to."
Read more

Marines to offer early retirement, with benefits

Marines to offer early retirement, with benefits
By MATTHEW M. BURKE
Stars and Stripes
Published: May 25, 2012

U.S. MARINE CORPS

SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The Marine Corps soon will offer early retirement with benefits to some troops as part of force-shaping efforts aimed at cutting 20,000 jobs from the rolls over the next four years, Corps officials said this week.

Under the plan, expected to start this fall, Marines and officers with 15-20 years of service will be offered early retirement with benefits. It’s part of a larger Marine initiative that includes voluntary early discharges and the convening of a selective early retirement board for lieutenant colonels and colonels already eligible for 20-year retirement benefits, who have stagnated in their grade.
read more here

Marine back from Afghanistan dies in Grand Canyon

Marine on way home to Kansas after Afghanistan tour dies in sightseeing fall at Grand Canyon
By Associated Press
Published: May 24

DERBY, Kan. — A young Marine returning to civilian life in Kansas died this week after falling from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, where he had stopped to do some sightseeing on his way home from Camp Pendleton, Calif., his father said.

After two years in the Marines, Jeffery Klingsick had big plans, said his father, Russ Klingsick. The 20-year-old veteran of Afghanistan planned to join a band, become an emergency medical technician and, said his father, watch lots of John Wayne movies.
read more here

US lawmakers probe food contract for troops in Afghanistan

US lawmakers probe food contract for troops in Afghanistan
Reuters
Thu May 24, 2012

* Pentagon asked for refund of over $750 million last year
* Lawmakers question Pentagon oversight of contract
By Susan Cornwell
WASHINGTON, May 24 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers are investigating a billing dispute of at least $750 million between the main supplier of food to U.S. troops in Afghanistan and the Pentagon.

The Pentagon says Supreme Foodservice GmbH overcharged it, but the Netherlands-headquartered company said the rates were properly based on the complexities and dangers of supplying food in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

The Republican and Democratic leaders of a House of Representatives panel have written to the company as well as the Pentagon's Defense Logistics Agency, demanding information and documents within ten days about the dispute on a contract dating to 2005 that so far has cost U.S. taxpayers $5.5 billion.

The lawmakers' probe comes amid continuing concerns about waste and abuse of tax dollars in Afghanistan, with scrutiny intensifying as the Pentagon budget faces big cuts.
read more here

Soldier found guilty of trying to blow up Fort Hood families

It seemed important to add "families" into the title of this report. I've been on Fort Hood, ate in the food court a few times and it is full of families along with soldiers.

AWOL Muslim soldier guilty in plot to blow up eatery full of Fort Hood troops
He was found at motel with numerous bomb-making components
AP
updated 5/24/2012

WACO, Texas — A federal jury on Thursday convicted a Muslim soldier on six charges in connection with a failed plot to blow up a Texas restaurant full of Fort Hood troops, his religious mission to get "justice" for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Jurors in U.S. District Court in Waco deliberated a little more than an hour before finding Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo guilty of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, attempted murder of U.S. officers or employees, and four counts of possessing a weapon in furtherance of a federal crime of violence — two involving a gun and two involving a destructive device.
read more here

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Veterans Face Ruin Awaiting Benefits As Wounded Swamp VA

UPDATE May 25, 2012
My two cents
After having lived with some of these same problems, it is heartbreaking to know so little has changed. My husband didn't want help from the VA when he got home from Vietnam. He wanted to work. He adopted his father's attitude that the VA was for "guys that couldn't work" especially the veterans missing arms and legs. No matter how hard I tried to get him to go to the VA, it took ten years from the time we met for him to go to a Veterans Center. The fight to have his claim approved took 6 years.

What veterans and their families go through is a pile of bills that cannot be paid getting higher as someone at the VA says, "Well once the claim is approved, you'll get all the money prorated" as if all the suffering means nothing.

First comes denial. The veteran says they don't need help. It isn't that bad. They just need time to get over it. As their family is falling apart, their job is in jeopardy, they begin to think they should get some help. They look at veterans living with physical wounds and think they don't deserve the same kind of help for their own wounds. A bullet wound leaves a visible scar but you can't see the whole damage done. A bomb blast leaves scars on the body but you can't see what lives beneath the flesh. PTSD and TBI can't be seen with your eyes. You have to see them with your heart and know the human you see lived through something you probably will never have to experience because they did it for you.

Then there is the stigma they don't want to face. They don't want the label they still don't understand. As claims are denied, they begin to think that whatever is going on inside of them is their fault and not because they survived combat. After all, the VA is there for them and if the VA is turning down their claims, well then, it has to be their fault. It is like a knife in their back.

Somehow they find the courage to file an appeal. They may even get some help from organizations like the DAV to help them with all the paperwork that has to be done exactly right. More time goes by, more damage done to their families and to them but still they find just enough hope to keep fighting for what they wouldn't need help with if they didn't serve. The world no longer makes sense to them. A lot of veterans end up homeless because of the stress placed on them and their families. Everyone is at the end of their endurance. A VA doctor told me many years ago for ever 10 veterans filing a claim, 8 drop out from frustration, but it also could be because they lose the support of family members and friends. None of this is good. Most of it makes PTSD worse and for a veteran with TBI they cannot fight alone. What are we if we cannot take care of our disabled veterans and stop putting them through more hell than they survived during combat?

Veterans Face Ruin Awaiting Benefits As Wounded Swamp VA
By William Selway
Bloomberg News
May 23, 2012

Rebecca Tews sat at her kitchen table in North Aurora, Illinois, stared into her laptop and tried to find a place for her family to live.

The 43-year-old psychologist spent seven years fighting for disability benefits for her husband, Duane Kozlowski, after he left the U.S. Army, unable to hold a job because of brain damage and post-traumatic stress. She borrowed $20,000 from her father’s and grandfather’s retirement accounts, stopped paying her student loans and ran up tens of thousands of dollars in bills for Duane’s tests and medical care.

While she eventually got the benefits, her credit is in ruins. This month, an eviction notice was taped to the door of her rented 5-bedroom home. She’s worried about finding a landlord willing to rent to her, Duane and five children.

“It’s basically been like a tornado,” she said of her struggle with the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department. “It’s wiped out our future. It’s wiped out our relationship with our extended family. It’s wiped everything out and we’re starting out again below ground.”

Tews and Kozlowski, 44, are among thousands of former soldiers and their families suffering the effects of a Veterans department overwhelmed by a decade of fighting overseas. With the Iraq war finished and troops returning from Afghanistan, record numbers of former service members are turning to the federal government for disability pay, adding to a backlog of claims and delays that have dogged the agency for years.
read more here

Ill and injured troops wait 394 days for military evaluations

Wait gets longer for VA disability benefits
By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Army Times
Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2012

Ill or injured service members now wait an average of 394 days to move through the military’s disability evaluation process, an increase of more than 10 percent since 2010 and well off the goal of 295 days, according to the Government Accountability Office.

In fiscal 2011, just 19 percent of active-duty service members and 18 percent of National Guard and Reserve members completed the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, or IDES, process within the goal of 295 days for active-duty members and 305 days for Guard and Reserve personnel.

And at some installations, the average wait is nearly 18 months or longer. At Fort Belvoir, Va., for example, soldiers face an average processing period of 537 days, while guardsmen at Fort Carson, Colo., wait 651 days.
read more here

Homeless man upset with VA broke into TV station and stabbed 2 workers

Man upset with Veterans Affairs breaks into Kansas television station, stabs 2 workers
By Associated Press
Published: May 23

TOPEKA, Kan. — A man wielding a knife broke into a Kansas television station Wednesday morning and stabbed two sales employees.

WIBW-TV in Topeka (http://bit.ly/MnNXEV) reported the man eventually was tackled and held down by several employees until police arrived. While restrained, the man threatened to kill the staff and bit at least one worker.

The suspect and two people who were stabbed were taken to a hospital for treatment. None of their injuries were considered serious.

Topeka police Capt. Brian Desch said in a news release that the 48-year-old homeless man was booked into jail on suspicion of six counts, including aggravated battery and burglary.
read more here

American Railroad company wants to hire 3,000 veterans

Bringing America Back: Working on the Railroad
The railroad industry is on the mend and looking for new employees.
01:58
05/05/2012

video platform video management video solutions video player

The nation’s freight railroads have an almost 200 year commitment to the nation’s service men and women. Between 20-25 percent of current employees are veterans. Today, we continue this tradition by especially targeting veterans as we plan to hire more than 15,000 new employees, approximately 3,000 of whom are expected to be veterans. GI Jobs ranked four freight railroad companies in the top twenty of its 2011 “Military Friendly Employers” list. With an average annual salary and benefit package of $107,000, veterans who join the freight rail industry can expect a well-paid job—and one that can never be shipped overseas.
FREIGHT RAIL'S MILITARY VETERANS
Gary Adkins
Manager of Signals and Communications
Canadian National
Chicago, IL
17 years in the industry
6 years in the military
Base: Twenty-nine Palms, CA

As a small child, Gary Adkins remembers wanting to grow up to be in the military and work for the Illinois Central Railroad where his father, a Vietnam War veteran, had operated trains and was later an assistant superintendent.

So after leaving the U.S. Marines in 1994, Gary continued to follow his dream and took a job with the Illinois Central as a trackman laborer. Responsible for maintaining track, he steadily climbed the ranks to his current job as manager of signals and communications for Canadian National (CN), which merged with the Illinois Central in 1999. Read More »

USMC braces for post-combat child abuse spike

USMC braces for post-combat child abuse spike
By Gina Harkins
Staff writer
Marine Corps Times
Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2012

With the end of full-scale combat in Afghanistan in sight, the Marine Corps wants to head off an anticipated spike in the number of child-abuse and child-neglect incidents associated with post-deployment stress and family reunification.

Family advocacy personnel throughout the service are being trained to better help Marines — along with their spouses and children — improve communication and cope with traumatic events. The effort focuses on therapy techniques that emphasize participation from parents and children.

This program, called trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy, was developed in the 1960s and has proven effective in civilian circles. But stressors that are found in military and civilian communities — such as divorce, bullying and substance abuse — can be compounded in the former by challenges brought on by frequent moves, long parental absences and deployments, said Maj. Shawn Haney, a spokeswoman for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, home to the Corps’ Family Advocacy Program.

From 2007 to 2010, as the Corps grew by thousands of Marines to meet demands in Iraq and then Afghanistan, the number of reported child-maltreatment cases — including physical and sexual abuse, and neglect — nearly doubled, according to an information paper provided to Marine Corps Times in April by the Family Advocacy Program. In 2007, there were 397 reported cases. In 2010, there were 767.
read more here

Deployed Marines face electrocution threat

Deployed Marines face electrocution threat
By Dan Lamothe
Staff writer
Marine Corps Times Posted : Wednesday May 23, 2012

Clockwise from upper left are: Cpl. Jon-LukeBateman, Cpl. Adam Buyes, Cpl. Connor Lowry and Lance Cpl. Kenneth Cochran.


At least four Marines have been electrocuted in Afghanistan since November, highlighting another hazard for ground forces fighting in Helmand province.

Cpls. Adam Buyes, Connor Lowry and Jon-Luke Bateman and Lance Cpl. Kenneth Cochran were killed in three separate incidents. Buyes died Nov. 26, Bateman and Cochran on Jan. 15, and Lowry on March 1.

Buyes was a radio operator with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, out of Okinawa, Japan. He died in Sangin district after leaving a patrol base on foot with his unit, according to documents outlining a command investigation into his death. His three-foot radio antenna hit a power line hanging about eight feet high, causing “sparks/fire” beneath his feet.

The documents were released to Marine Corps Times through a Freedom of Information Act request.
read more here

General Pittard retracts "selfish suicide" statement

UPDATE Would be nice if "reporters" would either stay on a story or give credit where credit is due. Happens all the time and they get paid for what they do.
Army general retracts statement about suicide By Patricia Kime - Staff writer Posted : Friday May 25, 2012 13:29:21 EDT
General Pittard retracts "selfish suicide" statement too late!
by Chaplain Kathie

When Major General Dana Pittard blames soldiers for committing suicide and says they are "selfish" for doing it we should all be wondering how much more he isn't saying. How many others in his position feel the same way? Is this type of thinking holding up recovery after combat? Is it what is behind a failure like Resiliency Training? After all, considering the theory behind what was called "Battlemind" claims soldiers can "train their brains to be mentally tough" ended up telling them if they do become a combat survivor with PTSD, it is their fault.

We have rejoiced when general have come out publicly talking about their own battles with PTSD and how they got help to heal. The assumption the military finally got it turned out to be wishful thinking when the servicemen and women were still being betrayed by the military. The number of military suicides went up along with attempted suicides no matter how much was "done" to address it.

I started to slam Battlemind back in 2008 when reports started to come about what the programming was actually producing. A generation of troops with limited knowledge on PTSD corrupted by thinking PTSD was their fault for being weak minded and not training right.

It seems General Pittard just let the cat out of the bag when he said soldier suicides were selfish acts.

Then while "working out in the gym" he thought better about it and retracted his statement. So why did it take this long to change his mind? He wrote his commentary in January? It took Yochi J. Dreazen National Journal publishing this May 22, 2012 before the general public was made aware of it.

Thoughts while working out in the gym

Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard 1st AD and Fort Bliss Commanding General
Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard
1st AD and Fort Bliss Commanding General
On Suicide – A Retraction

In my commentary published January 19, 2012, I stated suicide was a selfish act. Thanks to many of you and your feedback, I have learned that this was a hurtful statement. I also realize that my statement was not in line with the Army’s guidance regarding sensitivity to suicide. With my deepest sincerity and respect towards those whom I have offended, I retract that statement.

There are many reasons why a person may take his or her own life; it is very complex. Suicide is a serious problem, not only in our Army, but throughout our entire nation. Our efforts to prevent suicide at Fort Bliss are having a beneficial effect. We have lower than average suicide rates within FORSCOM. We have more than four times the number of Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) personnel than other Army installation, the most Master Resilience Trainers, 160 behavioral health providers, and inspiring stories every month of Soldiers who intervened when one of their battle buddies had suicidal ideations or attempts. Our Wellness Fusion Campus is unique within the Army and is the cornerstone of a deliberate, programmed and accountable installation-wide resilience campaign. Our goal is to create the most fit, healthy, and resilient community in America.

We must continue to do better each and every day, reaching out, encouraging and helping those in need.

A person sometimes considers suicide when they lose hope about the future and they do not feel connected with others around them – a profound sense of hopelessness. We can all help by wrapping our arms around our fellow Soldiers and showing them a future that is positive and supportive. This takes both leadership and compassion. Leaders at all levels must continue with the intrusive, yet caring and compassionate, leadership that has become a part of our culture at Team Bliss. Battle buddies and leaders must stay vigilant and act when someone is in need. None of us are immune from needing help. All of us, at some point, need help for mental, emotional, or relationship stress.

Please seek help – it is the right thing to do!

• 24-hour Chaplain: 915-637-4265
•Team Bliss Operations Center: 915-744-1255
• Emergence Crisis Hotline: 915-779-1800
• National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)


Would you want to listen to this guy on what to do about PTSD after he said what he said? Why is he still pushing "Resiliency Training" when it has been proven to be a deadly failure? Stop and think about the other steps taken to save their lives and get them help. All of these programs along with groups around the country have not been enough to bring the suicides and attempted suicides down for a reason. Battlemind already told them to blame themselves just like Pittard's comment calling them selfish!

General Pittard, was Marine Clay Hunt selfish too?

Walter Reed Hospital welcomes combat veteran visitors

Welcome, Military Visitors
Combat veterans from capital in town
Wednesday, May. 23, 2012
Recovering injured combat veterans from Washington area military medical centers arrive today for a six-night visit including participation in several events wrapping up Military Appreciation Days and the Memorial Day weekend.

An estimated 57 visitors will be the largest number thus far on the visits arranged by Scents for Soldiers. “I’m pretty confident we’ll have a bus full – 57 [service veterans wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan] – this time,” says Christina Shealy, founder of Scents for Soldiers. “The most we’ve done on the bus trips is 37.” This is the sixth bus trip, and Scents also has brought injured service people here in small groups.

The visitors this weekend include Marines for the first time, a dozen from the former National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda, Md., combined in 2011 with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center to form the new tri-service Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Other Scents patients are from Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia. The latter includes Army, Navy and Air Force medical personnel.
read more here

Marine's Mom says to not pity her son

Video: Marine’s mom tells Morristown crowd: Don’t pity my Double Amp
Posted by Kevin Coughlin
May 24, 2012

We all gripe about our aches and pains. After hearing a story like Landi Simone’s, they quickly melt away.

Landi is the mother of Adrian Simone, who joined the Marines after graduating from Montville High School in 2010. He went to Afghanistan young and strong…and came back a “double amp.” That’s double amputee, in military hospital slang.

At a Memorial Day ceremony in Morristown on Wednesday, Adrian’s mom told a powerful story of sacrifice, devotion and love.

Patriotism, ultimately, is not about brass bands and flag-waving. It’s about 19-year-old boys who bravely carry on, after feces-covered roadside bombs blow their legs off. And it’s about the families who help make them whole again, savoring every extra minute that medicine and luck have granted them. If you want to thank Lance Corporal Simone for his service, take 17 minutes from your holiday weekend and watch this video of a grateful mother doing him proud.
read more here

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Hero N.J. cop turned NBA ref helps vets with PTSD

Hero N.J. cop turned NBA ref helps vets with post-traumatic stress
WEDNESDAY MAY 23, 2012
BY JEFF ROBERTS
STAFF WRITER
THE RECORD

The shotgun never was out of reach, stashed near the bed on those anxious nights Bob Delaney actually dared to sleep.

A threat had been discovered on a wiretap recording, part of a conversation among mob figures. And the message was all too clear.

Delaney had to die.

“All I was thinking was, ‘They’re coming to get me,’ ” the former New Jersey State Trooper said.

The mob never caught up with the Paterson native, despite his work in the landmark undercover operation Project Alpha, in which he infiltrated the Genovese and Bruno crime families from 1975 to 1977.

But the stress of being so deeply immersed — often with a wire attached to his body — exacted a toll on Delaney.

However, the hero cop turned decorated NBA referee has harnessed that experience in his third career, helping the soldiers and veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars cope with the debilitating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder.
read more here

WWII veteran graduates high school at 87!

World War II vet, 87, graduates high school
Posted:May 22, 2012

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA (WPMT/FOX) – An 87-year-old man who dropped out of high school to serve during World War II finally earned his diploma.

Carlos E. Gonzalez was awarded his high school diploma during a special ceremony Monday.

Gonzalez is now a graduate of the 2012 class of Conestoga Valley High School.

Gonzalez said it was something he wanted to accomplish ever since he left high school at 18 to serve in the army.
read more here

Police offer course on taking care of combat veterans

Police share info on vets in crisis
Article by: Mark Brunswick
Star Tribune
Updated: May 22, 2012

A one-day course is scheduled next month to teach law enforcement personnel de-escalation tactics for military veterans in crisis.

The course, hosted by the Lakeville Police Department and the Upper Midwest Community Policing Institute, recognizes the unique circumstances first responders often face when dealing with veterans.

The eight-hour class teaches cops, 911 dispatchers, emergency medical responders, jail personnel, chaplains and others who may encounter a veteran in crisis how to use verbal tactical skills to defuse potentially dangerous situations. It also will deal with the effects of multiple deployments, understanding the emotional impact of war-time stressors, challenges of veterans with reintegration and definitions and how to identify the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health disorders affecting veterans.
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For this VA doctor, TBI and PTSD is personal

After all is said and done, the best "helpers" have a personal connection to PTSD. Here's one of them.
VA Hospital doctor is injured veteran himself
Posted on: May 22, 2012
by Ted Perry

MILWAUKEE — This Memorial Day weekend, we will rightly honor those who served our country and paid the ultimate price. One National Guard colonel who survived an attack is determined to help other veterans.

What he learned about himself makes him a hero in the hospital.

When he was in college, Kenneth Lee got a call from his father. The conversation was brief and direct. His father didn’t approve of his son taking grant money to pay for tuition. To his father’s pride and his mother’s horror, Lee joined the National Guard and stayed in to help pay for school at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Dr. Lee re-enlisted and became Colonel Lee – the top medical professional in the Wisconsin National Guard. In 2003, his unit was called to Iraq. There were some close calls, but none closer than the one on September 12th, 2004.

“Out of nowhere came a suicide car bomber, straight to us, right into our convoy. Next thing I know I wake up in the ER,” Lee said.

Dr. Lee cannot remember that day, and as he takes FOX6 News on a tour around the VA Hospital, he was almost nonchalant about a photograph of the event that almost took his life.

Dr. Lee looks perfectly fit and strong, but there is a lasting effect from that September day. Dr. Lee suffered a traumatic brain injury, and his short-term memory is still week.

“If I don’t have it down in my Blackberry, even though my wife told me four hours ago it’d be out the window. I’ve been going through a lot of notepads and my secretaries are constant reminders to me. They remind me of a lot of things,” Dr. Lee said.
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Tug McGraw Celebrity Shootout for PTSD and TBI veterans

Tug McGraw Foundation Sets Lineup For 'Celebrity Shootout'
May 23, 2012

The TUG McGRAW FOUNDATION, has announced the lineup for its "CELEBRITY SPORTING CLAY SHOOTOUT," presented by DELTASPORTS TV, on TUESDAY, JUNE 5th at the NASHVILLE GUN CLUB.

Proceeds from the event will benefit the TUG McGRAW FOUNDATION and its efforts to improve the lives of military service members who have been affected by Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
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