It was a great day out at the Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion in Melbourne. Sun shining, good food and friends.
Saturday, April 23, 2016
Green Beret Lost Arm But Not Faith And Returned to Full Duty
Green Beret returns to full duty after losing arm in Afghanistan
FOX 32 News
April 22, 2016
Army.mil described the incident that caused Morera's injury: In August 2013, an insurgent on a motorcycle drove up to the front-left tire of the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle that Morera was driving. Aware of intelligence reports stating insurgents were employing suicide bombers on motorcycles, Morera swerved to avoid the attacker. The insurgent pursued Morera's vehicle, even as he swerved multiple times. The final time Morera swerved, the vehicle went off the road. When he over-corrected to return to the road, the vehicle began to roll over. While the vehicle flipped, the driver's side door next to Morera broke off its hinges and combat lock.
read more here
FOX 32 News
April 22, 2016
"Continue to move forward. Don't let your situation define who you are. Don't let your situation stop you from your goals. Everything and anything is possible with faith and determination." Sgt. 1st Class Ivan Morera
A Green Beret returned to full active duty service more than two years after his hand was amputated stemming from a vehicle roll-over in Afghanistan. Sgt. 1st Class Ivan Morera, a Special Forces medic, will continue to serve with the 7th Special Forces Group.Photo Source: U.S. Army
Army.mil described the incident that caused Morera's injury: In August 2013, an insurgent on a motorcycle drove up to the front-left tire of the MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle that Morera was driving. Aware of intelligence reports stating insurgents were employing suicide bombers on motorcycles, Morera swerved to avoid the attacker. The insurgent pursued Morera's vehicle, even as he swerved multiple times. The final time Morera swerved, the vehicle went off the road. When he over-corrected to return to the road, the vehicle began to roll over. While the vehicle flipped, the driver's side door next to Morera broke off its hinges and combat lock.
read more here
Missing Veteran Alert: Manatee Florida
Manatee deputies looking for 67-year-old veteran
Press Release
Published: April 22, 2016
ELLENTON, Fla. – A 67-year-old man is missing. Robert Shea was last seen at 9:30 a.m. Friday by his wife when she left the home.
Photo via Manatee County Sheriff’s Office
Ro wife talked to him at approximately 10:45 a.m. by phone and he was still at home.
Robert is a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe panic attacks. He also has a history of strokes and is required to take daily medication to control his high blood pressure.
Anyone with information on Robert’s whereabouts should contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011.
Press Release
Published: April 22, 2016
ELLENTON, Fla. – A 67-year-old man is missing. Robert Shea was last seen at 9:30 a.m. Friday by his wife when she left the home.
Robert is a veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and severe panic attacks. He also has a history of strokes and is required to take daily medication to control his high blood pressure.
Anyone with information on Robert’s whereabouts should contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011.
Judge Spent Night in Jail To Support Special Forces Veteran
UPDATE
Judge gives former soldier unusual sentence for probation violation
CBS News April 29, 2016
A compassionate judge sentences a veteran to 24 hours in jail, then joins him behind bars
Washington Post
By Yanan Wang
April 22, 2016
The judge knew that Sgt. Joseph Serna had been through a lot.
The former Special Forces soldier did four combat tours in Afghanistan over a nearly two-decades-long career with the U.S. Army. Through those years, the Fayetteville Observer reported, Serna was almost killed three times: once, by a roadside bomb, then again by a suicide bomber.
During a tour in 2008, Serna and three other soldiers were driving down a narrow dirt road in Kandahar when their armored truck toppled into a canal, the Associated Press reported. As water filled the vehicle, Serna struggled to escape.
It was his fellow soldier, Sgt. James Treber, who saved him.
“I felt a hand come down and unfasten my seat belt and release my body armor,” Serna recalled to the AP. “Sgt. Treber picked me up and moved me to a small pocket of air. He knew there was not enough room for both of us to breathe so he went under water to find another pocket of air.”
Treber died from the accident, but Serna survived. He was the only one who did.
Judge gives former soldier unusual sentence for probation violation
CBS News April 29, 2016
Joe Serna during one of his tours in Afghanistan CBS NEWS
A compassionate judge sentences a veteran to 24 hours in jail, then joins him behind bars
Washington Post
By Yanan Wang
April 22, 2016
The judge knew that Sgt. Joseph Serna had been through a lot.
The former Special Forces soldier did four combat tours in Afghanistan over a nearly two-decades-long career with the U.S. Army. Through those years, the Fayetteville Observer reported, Serna was almost killed three times: once, by a roadside bomb, then again by a suicide bomber.
During a tour in 2008, Serna and three other soldiers were driving down a narrow dirt road in Kandahar when their armored truck toppled into a canal, the Associated Press reported. As water filled the vehicle, Serna struggled to escape.
It was his fellow soldier, Sgt. James Treber, who saved him.
“I felt a hand come down and unfasten my seat belt and release my body armor,” Serna recalled to the AP. “Sgt. Treber picked me up and moved me to a small pocket of air. He knew there was not enough room for both of us to breathe so he went under water to find another pocket of air.”
Treber died from the accident, but Serna survived. He was the only one who did.
A Gulf War veteran himself, Olivera was concerned that leaving Serna in isolation for a night would trigger his PTSD.
The two passed the time trading stories of their experiences in the military. Serna told WRAL: “It was more of a father-son conversation. It was personal.”
read more here
Veteran of Vietnam and Iraq Killed Because Kids Wanted to Race
UPDATE
'He loved his country and his family': Family remembers veteran killed by street racers
Police: Teenage car racers hit and kill respected war veteran
KOMO News
BY MATT MARKOVICH
APRIL 22ND 2016
TACOMA, Wash. -- A Vietnam and Iraq War veteran from Spanaway died Thursday following a crash with two cars that police say were street racing.
Rollin Gray, 61, died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma on Thursday after being taken there following the Tuesday night accident.
Pierce County sheriff's deputies say Gray was traveling eastbound on 182st East in Spanaway when two cars came over the horizon at a high rate of speed in the opposite direction.
Deputies say a red 2004 Dodge Stratus, driven by a 16-year-old boy from Spanaway with only a learner's permit, was racing with a black 2004 Acura TSX driven by an 18-year-old man from Spanaway.
'He loved his country and his family': Family remembers veteran killed by street racers
Police: Teenage car racers hit and kill respected war veteran
KOMO News
BY MATT MARKOVICH
APRIL 22ND 2016
Gray was a veteran of the Vietnam War. After fighting overseas, he battled cancer and won. It was enough of a motivation for Gray to rejoin the military, serving the combat zone during the Iraq War.
Rollin Gray, 61, died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma on Thursday after being taken there following the Tuesday night accident.
Pierce County sheriff's deputies say Gray was traveling eastbound on 182st East in Spanaway when two cars came over the horizon at a high rate of speed in the opposite direction.
Deputies say a red 2004 Dodge Stratus, driven by a 16-year-old boy from Spanaway with only a learner's permit, was racing with a black 2004 Acura TSX driven by an 18-year-old man from Spanaway.
"They have taken a man's life who did nothing but give to this country, give to his community, raise a family," said Saxton. "He still has a son who's not even out of high school yet, I believe he's 15-years-old, he's his namesake and now he's left without a father."
read more here
Friday, April 22, 2016
San Antonio Police Officer Served Multiple Tours In Combat--Life Ended in After Last Return
SAPD identifies officer found in apparent on-duty suicide
KCEN News
Apr 20, 2016
(KENS) - San Antonio police have identified an officer who they believe took his own life while on duty Monday morning.
Steven Franco, 38, was a 10-year SAPD veteran who also served multiple tours of combat in the U.S. military.
Franco was married to another SAPD officer and had children.
Police said Franco recently had returned from military duty and had bought a new home.
read more here
Tuesday's officer suicide highlights mission of Chaplains for Justice
Program offers training, counseling for first responders
KSAT News
By Concetta Callahan - Anchor/Reporter
April 20, 2016
SAN ANTONIO - The newly formed Chaplains for Justice program aims to train and counsel first responders in difficult situations of grief, tragedy and post traumatic stress disorder.
Its mission is highlighted after San Antonio police Officer Steven Franco, 38, took his own life Tuesday in an apparent suicide.
"Seeing the difficult tragedies that occur and bringing people to justice, keeping our community safe, our law enforcement certainly goes above and beyond anything we could even begin to imagine," said Mary Beth Fisk, CEO and executive director at the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health.
The center provides counseling with a faith-based approach.
Fisk said traumatic situations can sometimes evolve into mounting stress.
Officer suicides aren't common in San Antonio, but the national numbers are higher. According to a recent study, just over 100 law enforcement officers intentionally took their own lives in 2015.
read more here
KCEN News
Apr 20, 2016
Steven Franco, 38, was a 10-year SAPD veteran who also served multiple tours of combat in the U.S. military.
Franco was married to another SAPD officer and had children.
Police said Franco recently had returned from military duty and had bought a new home.
read more here
Tuesday's officer suicide highlights mission of Chaplains for Justice
Program offers training, counseling for first responders
KSAT News
By Concetta Callahan - Anchor/Reporter
April 20, 2016
SAN ANTONIO - The newly formed Chaplains for Justice program aims to train and counsel first responders in difficult situations of grief, tragedy and post traumatic stress disorder.
Its mission is highlighted after San Antonio police Officer Steven Franco, 38, took his own life Tuesday in an apparent suicide.
"Seeing the difficult tragedies that occur and bringing people to justice, keeping our community safe, our law enforcement certainly goes above and beyond anything we could even begin to imagine," said Mary Beth Fisk, CEO and executive director at the Ecumenical Center for Religion and Health.
The center provides counseling with a faith-based approach.
Fisk said traumatic situations can sometimes evolve into mounting stress.
Officer suicides aren't common in San Antonio, but the national numbers are higher. According to a recent study, just over 100 law enforcement officers intentionally took their own lives in 2015.
read more here
Australia Looks for New Ways to Help PTSD Veterans
More must be done to help veterans suffering PTSD
The Sydney Morning Herald
David Forbes
April 22, 2016
For some, that sacrifice results in the devastating invisible wounds of poor mental health - posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, anger, aggression, alcohol and drug abuse, and thoughts of suicide.
This Anzac Day, let us make a commitment to those who are currently suffering, a commitment to improve the availability and effectiveness of interventions to help their recovery.
The majority of service men and women come through their military experiences with little or no long-term psychological problems. However, a substantial minority do develop devastating mental health problems which have a profound impact on the individual and their family.
We know that PTSD, the most common mental health disorder in veterans, is a serious and debilitating disorder. Symptoms include frequent flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, being constantly on the alert,and feeling emotionally numb. Other issues often occur alongside it, such as anger, aggression, depression, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.
read more here
The Sydney Morning Herald
David Forbes
April 22, 2016
"Moral injury" is a term used to describe the potential impact of experiences in battle that challenge or transgress a person's deeply-held moral beliefs. The consequences of such an experience may extend beyond PTSD into guilt, shame, anger and aggression, and at times, self-destructive thoughts and behaviour.
Research is being undertaken to find better ways of treating PTSD suffered by service men and women.This Anzac Day, we salute the contribution and sacrifice of the men and women who have served Australia in the armed forces for the past 100 years.
For some, that sacrifice results in the devastating invisible wounds of poor mental health - posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, anger, aggression, alcohol and drug abuse, and thoughts of suicide.
This Anzac Day, let us make a commitment to those who are currently suffering, a commitment to improve the availability and effectiveness of interventions to help their recovery.
The majority of service men and women come through their military experiences with little or no long-term psychological problems. However, a substantial minority do develop devastating mental health problems which have a profound impact on the individual and their family.
We know that PTSD, the most common mental health disorder in veterans, is a serious and debilitating disorder. Symptoms include frequent flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, being constantly on the alert,and feeling emotionally numb. Other issues often occur alongside it, such as anger, aggression, depression, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts.
read more here
Senior Marine Veteran Scammed Out of Puppy
Lonely marine veteran conned out of hundreds by slick ad offering companion dog
The News Hearld
By Jackie Harrison-Martin
April 21, 2016
It could happen to anyone, but in this particular instance it just so happened to one of the country’s most respected — a Brownstown Township military veteran.
“I was going crazy without a dog,” Smith, who has some disabilities and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, said. “I’ve always had a dog.”
In fact, Smith has had a dog for the past 30 years. He’s lived alone since the 1990s and his dog has been his sole companion. After two days without a pet around to walk with and talk to, Smith took to the Internet.
read more here
The News Hearld
By Jackie Harrison-Martin
April 21, 2016
It could happen to anyone, but in this particular instance it just so happened to one of the country’s most respected — a Brownstown Township military veteran.
Stuart Smith of Brownstown Township, a former marine, was heartbroken when he was scammed out of $750 for a companion dog. He now has a new dog, Bailey, and couldn’t be happier. Photos courtesy of Stuart SmithStuart Smith is a 69-year-old retired marine and at a time when he was most vulnerable, just days after having to put down his English bulldog, he was scammed out of hundreds of dollars trying to get a new companion.
“I was going crazy without a dog,” Smith, who has some disabilities and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, said. “I’ve always had a dog.”
In fact, Smith has had a dog for the past 30 years. He’s lived alone since the 1990s and his dog has been his sole companion. After two days without a pet around to walk with and talk to, Smith took to the Internet.
read more here
Man Gets Probation for VA Fraud?
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Probation for Submitting Fraudulent Claims to Veterans Affairs Medical Center
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of New Mexico
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBUQUERQUE – Tomas Jaramillo, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court for his conviction for submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Albuquerque. Jaramillo was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $11,439.90 in restitution to the VAMC.
Jaramillo was charged by information on Aug. 18, 2015, with submitting fraudulent vouchers to collect payments for roundtrip travel to attend medical appointment. He was subsequently charged by indictment on Sept. 22, 2015, with submitting 173 fraudulent claims to the VAMC for travel beneficiary payments from June 2009 through July 2010.
On Dec. 11, 2015, Jaramillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with making fraudulent claims. In entering the guilty plea, Jaramillo admitted that from June 2009 through July 2010, he travelled to the VAMC in Bernalillo County, N.M., to obtain medical treatment and falsely claimed that he traveled from Socorro, N.M., to do so. Jaramillo admitted that he submitted fraudulent vouchers to VAMC to receive payment for roundtrip travel which he did not actually make to attend his medical appointments. Jaramillo received $11,439.90 in travel reimbursements to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.
Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of New Mexico
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBUQUERQUE – Tomas Jaramillo, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., was sentenced today in federal court for his conviction for submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Albuquerque. Jaramillo was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $11,439.90 in restitution to the VAMC.
Jaramillo was charged by information on Aug. 18, 2015, with submitting fraudulent vouchers to collect payments for roundtrip travel to attend medical appointment. He was subsequently charged by indictment on Sept. 22, 2015, with submitting 173 fraudulent claims to the VAMC for travel beneficiary payments from June 2009 through July 2010.
On Dec. 11, 2015, Jaramillo pled guilty to a felony information charging him with making fraudulent claims. In entering the guilty plea, Jaramillo admitted that from June 2009 through July 2010, he travelled to the VAMC in Bernalillo County, N.M., to obtain medical treatment and falsely claimed that he traveled from Socorro, N.M., to do so. Jaramillo admitted that he submitted fraudulent vouchers to VAMC to receive payment for roundtrip travel which he did not actually make to attend his medical appointments. Jaramillo received $11,439.90 in travel reimbursements to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Perfectly Good Humvees Dumped in Perplexing Parachute "Jump"
Humvees plummet to ground in Hohenfels parachute drop fiasco
Stars and Stripes
April 21, 2016
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — A training mission gone awry resulted in the loss of three Army Humvees during a heavy equipment drop mission last week in Hohenfels. A video circulating on social media shows the vehicles falling out of the back of passing C-130s during a routine training exercise for the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade on April 11. Connected to parachutes, most of the Humvees simply float gently to the ground. But during a second C-130 pass, one of the Humvees disconnects from its chute and is sent hurtling to the ground. A minute later, a second one breaks free from its chute. Then, a third. read more here
Stars and Stripes
April 21, 2016
GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — A training mission gone awry resulted in the loss of three Army Humvees during a heavy equipment drop mission last week in Hohenfels. A video circulating on social media shows the vehicles falling out of the back of passing C-130s during a routine training exercise for the U.S. Army’s 173rd Airborne Brigade on April 11. Connected to parachutes, most of the Humvees simply float gently to the ground. But during a second C-130 pass, one of the Humvees disconnects from its chute and is sent hurtling to the ground. A minute later, a second one breaks free from its chute. Then, a third. read more here
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