Special Forces suicide tripled in 2018

"Special Forces committing suicide at a record pace this year..." was posted back in 2014. So why is it being repeated this week?

US Special Ops suicides triple in 2018, as military confronts the issue

CNN
Barbara Starr
February 2, 2019

Washington (CNN)Suicides among active duty military personnel assigned to US Special Operations Command tripled in 2018, in a disturbing and as yet unexplained spike, CNN has learned.

Special Operations units saw 22 deaths by suicide in 2018, almost triple the eight cases seen in 2017, according to figures provided to CNN by the command. SOCOM, as it's known, is the unified combatant command charged with overseeing the various Special Operations component of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force that take on counterterrorism and other specialized missions.

Based in Tampa, Florida, the command includes some of the military's most highly trained and effective fighting forces, including the Army's Delta Force and the Navy's SEAL Team Six.

While sudden spikes in suicide rates have been noted in both the military and civilian populations, military officials who spoke to CNN said what has happened at SOCOM is striking. The surge in SOCOM suicides comes as the Marine Corps and Navy are experiencing 10-year highs in the number of suicide deaths.
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The road you can choose is waiting

Change the road you are on 

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 3, 2019

Whatever happened to you that started PTSD was out of your control. That is the only way to get PTSD. It hits you! It is not something that started inside of you. It just ended up there.

The fact you have PTSD means you survived something that could have killed you. Isn't it time you started to live like a survivor?

You have the ability to determine your own destiny from this moment on. It is up to you to suffer in silence, more afraid to ask for help, than you were of what set off PTSD in the first place, or, take control of the rest of your life.

Just like learning how to drive your vehicle and control it, you can learn how to drive your life and heal it. Just spend as much time discovering a new way of living instead of spending so much time suffering.

It isn't easy and will take a lot of hard work. Then again, it has not been easy feeling as if all hope has vanished. I can assure you it has not. You just stopped looking for it.
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Personal note: I am in a lot of pain right now with my back and did not want to show it on video. I just wanted to let you know that no matter how much you are hurting, there is always something positive to find if you look for it.

$3 Billion for repairs to Tyndall Air Force Base

Air Force plans to spend $3 billion to rebuild Florida base

Associated Press
February 1, 2019

Tornado damages Tyndall Air Force Base, Photo date: 1/21/2019 / Courtesy: WJHG

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (AP) — Air Force officials say they are committed to spending $3 billion during the next five years to rebuild a Florida base heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael.

The assistant secretary of the Air Force for installations, environment and energy announced the Tyndall Air Force Base reconstruction plans Thursday to local officials in Florida's Panhandle.

The News Herald report s Assistant Secretary John Henderson said the plans will be submitted to Congress this spring.

Bay County officials said the effort likely will create up between 4,000 and 5,000 jobs.
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Hawaii National Guard Veteran running for President

Iraq War veteran joins crowded democratic field for president

FOX 8 News

HONOLULU, Hawaii – Rep. Tulsi Gabbard officially launched her 2020 presidential campaign in Hawaii on Saturday, drawing on her service in the National Guard as guiding her longshot bid for the White House.

“It is this principle of service above self that is at the heart of every soldier, at the heart of every service member, and it is in this spirit that today I announce my candidacy for President of the United States of America,” Gabbard said at an event in Honolulu, Hawaii.

“I will bring this soldier’s principles to the White House, restoring the values of dignity, honor and respect to the presidency and above all else, love for our people and love for our country,” Gabbard said. “I ask you to join me, join me in putting this spirit, this spirit of service above self at the forefront and to stand up against the forces of greed and corruption.”

She added, “The road ahead will not be easy. The battles will be tough. The obstacles great, but I know when we stand united by our love for our people and for our country, there is no obstacle we cannot overcome. There is no battle we cannot win.”

Gabbard served in Iraq and Kuwait in a Hawaii National Guard field medical unit.
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Maine VA Medical Center shutting down dialysis center?

Vietnam veteran feels displaced by shutdown of Togus VA outpatient dialysis center

Central Maine Kennebec Journal
Abigail Austin
February 2, 2019

According to an official statement from the VA Maine Healthcare System, the shutdown of the outpatient dialysis center is temporary and caused by the unexpected departure of three dialysis nurses. 

Vietnam veteran Ron Wills poses for a photo Friday outside the Togus VA facility in Augusta. Kennebec Journal photo by Abigail Austin

AUGUSTA — “There’s nothing wrong with the new dialysis center,” Vietnam veteran Ron Wills said, “but it’s just not Togus.”

The North Anson resident feels displaced, having received a letter during his dialysis treatment at the Togus VA Medical Center last week stating the outpatient dialysis center was closing. Christine Wills, Ron Wills’ daughter, said her father has been stressed by the transition.

“He went through hell once,” she said. “(He doesn’t) need to go through it again.”

Ron Wills receives dialysis treatment three times a week, each one lasting four to four-and-a-half hours. He first started receiving care at Togus in 2006 after the first of two strokes.

“Ron is on borrowed time,” said Barbara Wills, his wife of 47 years. “I don’t want them to shorten it up for me.”
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Breaking news: Suspected suicide at OIA

UPDATE

OIA implements new safety measure after TSA worker jumped to his death

Investigators say the 36-year-old Robert Henry finished his TSA shift earlier this month. Henry, who had worked for the TSA for more than 12 years, then made his way to an upper level of the Hyatt Regency hotel, which has indoor balconies overlooking the large atrium that encloses the airport's security checkpoint.

update WESH2 News

Co-workers and friends of the TSA agent learned of his death during a meeting where they were getting information about resources available if there is another shutdown this month. TSA union representatives said crisis counseling is available to people in an effort to try to help them deal with everything going on.

TSA agent dead after jumping from balcony inside Orlando International Airport, police say

Travelers with flights at gates 70-129 will be re-screened, delays possible By Anna Johnson - Digital Journalist

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Transportation Security Administration agent is dead after he jumped from a balcony in the Hyatt Regency Hotel at the Orlando International Airport, according to officials from the Orlando Police Department.

In a tweet, OPD officials said the man jumped into the atrium area of the airport Saturday morning. A statement from TSA officials said he fell, though they also said that it will be up to law enforcement to officially determine the cause of death.
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Some are connecting the shutdown and threat of another one as part of the reason. 

This is from Click Orlando

The apparent suicide comes after a 35-day shutdown, in which TSA and federal employees went without pay. 

"Our @TSA Officers have already suffered so much during the #GovernmentShutdown," Rep. Darren Soto posted on Twitter. "This apparent suicide only adds to tragedy experienced at Orlando Int'l. Our prayers go out to his family and coworkers after this difficult loss." 

"TSA agents have some of the toughest jobs, and these public servants often sacrifice a lot in order to keep us safe at our nation's airports," Rep. Stephanie Murphy said. "My thoughts today are with his family and coworkers, and I wish them well during this difficult time." 

"Terrible news from Orlando airport today with the death of a TSA agent," Sen. Marco Rubio said. "Please pray for the family and all impacted by todays horrible tragedy.​"

Director of VA "Center of Excellence" investigated for misconduct

Complaint lodged against director of Waco VA Center for Excellence

Waco Herald Tribune
Tommy Witherspoon
February 1, 2019

A high-ranking research center official at the Doris Miller Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Waco is under investigation after a VA psychologist lodged a formal complaint against him.

VA officials have reassigned Dr. Michael Russell, director of the Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War Veterans, for at least 120 days while authorities investigate misconduct complaints against him by psychologist Bryann DeBeer, a Waco-based VA investigator and researcher in the fields of suicide prevention and post-traumatic stress disorder.

DeBeer hired Waco attorney David Schleicher to document her complaints in a nine-page letter to top VA officials dated Jan. 17. General allegations of misconduct in the letter include abuses of authority, misuse of resources, Hatch Act violations, violations of hiring procedures and gender discrimination, which DeBeer claims has driven away female employees.

Russell, a clinical neuro- psychologist who retired as a lieutenant colonel after 24 years in the Army, said Friday he is precluded by VA policy from discussing the complaint and deferred comment to his attorney, Jon Ker, who also is a longtime Army veteran and retired colonel.

Ker said Russell denies the allegations in Schleicher’s letter and warned others not to rush to judgment or read too much into the fact that Russell has been reassigned during the investigation.
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Veteran Marine left for dead by hit and run driver

Marine veteran injured while riding scooter looking for Pacific Beach driver who left him for dead

FOX 47 News
Michael Chen
February 1, 2019

SAN DIEGO (KGTV)
A ride on an electric scooter in Pacific Beach ended in a life-altering crash for an actor and Marine veteran.

Houston Teamer's pain is a constant reminder of the ride scooter he wishes he could forget.

"What started as a good day ended in my worst nightmare," said the 27-year-old Teamer.

On Jan. 20 at about 4:30 p.m., the Marine veteran was on a scooter headed to a restaurant to meet his girlfriend. He says he was in the bike lane headed east on Grand Avenue just before Cass Street.

"I see a champagne, silverish car in my left periphery .. then it hit the side of me, the side of my Bird scooter," said Teamer.

Teamer says he went flying, face-first into the pavement.

"I tasted blood, and I could feel teeth falling out of my mouth ... just kind of prayed and hoped I was going to make it through," said Teamer.

He fell unconscious and woke up in the hospital after a Good Samaritan called 911. He suffered a concussion, broken bones in his eye sockets, nose and cheekbones. He broke his jaw in three different places. Surgeons inserted three permanent metal plates in his face.
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Groundhog Day: Deadly Decade Results

Deadly Decade Results

Combat PTSD Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
February 2, 2019


Today is Groundhog Day and it appears that everyone has retreated into their dens, covering their heads for a prolonged winter season. 

Groundhog Day - specifically Feb. 2 - traces its roots back to an ancient celebration of the midway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. According to legend, a sunny sky on that day signifies a stormy and cold second half of winter while a cloudy sky indicates the arrival of warm weather.

Not unlike the movie, it appears the day has been repeated far too many times.

This is a headline no one wanted to see and families did not want to change their lives.

Active-Duty Military Suicides at Record Highs in 2018

But when we read something like this, anyone paying attention knows that the answer is not attitudes like this.

Army spokeswoman Col. Kathleen Turner said the loss of any soldier or family member is a tragedy. "Like the rest of America, the Army continues to grapple with the loss of too many of our people to suicide. While the Army has made progress, more work needs to be done. We must continue to ensure commanders have the policies and resources they need to prevent suicides, that all leaders have the tools to identify soldiers who are suffering and to positively intervene, and that all soldiers view seeking mental health care as a sign of strength."

 While it is true that suicides have increased across America, there is something that is different with members of the military.

First, they were willing to endure all kinds of hardships and trained to save lives. That requires something above and beyond what civilians are willing to do for the sake of someone else.

As some point out the rise in suicides in the civilian population, it is no excuse for what has been going on.

We have seen a rise in suicides within law enforcement, firefighters and other emergency responders. They also valued the lives of others to the point they were willing to sacrifice their own.

Whenever someone tries to use part of the story, they are abdicating instead of educating.

So what does a person do when they know the answer, but cannot get anyone to listen? How is it that I predicted that suicides would increase way back a decade ago? The most pressing question is, if I knew it, then why didn't the people in charge? Why have they still failed to see it?

Well, for starters I have been emailing and calling members of Congress and reporters all the time and giving them the facts. They either respond with a form letter, as with Congress, or "thanks" but no thanks phone calls, as with reporters. Occasionally some have taken the time to listen, but that is the end of it.

As for the prediction of suicides increasing, here it is.

I fully understand to you, I'm no one. I have been ignored by senators and congressmen, doctors and other brass for as long as I've been trying to help, so you are not the first. I've also been listened to by others trying to think outside the box, but more importantly to me, by the men and women seeking my help to understand this and their families. I tell them what you should have been telling them all along so that they know it's not their fault, they did not lack courage and they are not responsible for being wounded any more than they would have been to have been found by a bullet with their name on it.
If you promote this program the way Battlemind was promoted, count on the numbers of suicides and attempted suicides to go up instead of down. It's just one more deadly mistake after another and just as dangerous as sending them into Iraq without the armor needed to protect them.

For a long time, I have been deeply hurt by the fact a lot of people have simply stolen my work. Then I came to the point where getting credit, or even support, was pushed far behind the result I wanted to see. If I wanted them to heal more than anything else, I had to put that mission first.

If you are among the people using my work and taking the credit, you have my permission to do it. This is beyond my ego. I am approaching 60 and have been doing this since the age of 23. While I know what has failed, like the "resilience training," I also know what saved lives and restored hope.

There is no condition when it should ever become a matter of slogan above substance, especially when the subject is those who put their lives on the line for everyone else.

If you want to make a difference, here is where you  begin.

Stop resilience training and begin educating what PTSD is so that the stigma is killed off and they can live long enough to heal it.

Remind them that they are not a victim of anything. They are survivors of everything that they had to go through doing their jobs.

Let them know that PTSD stops gaining strength when they begin to fight back.

Support what works and stop supporting what failed with your money. Suicide Awareness has failed and that has been proven by the facts of the rise of suicides in every walk of life. What works is the truth that they can heal.

The truth of what makes these people of service experiencing a higher rate of suffering, needs to be something they are well aware of.

Support Peer Support efforts that offer true hope and help, side by side with them. This has to be done in small groups, much like AA, and not operating for the glorification of those looking to make fame for themselves.

If we do not change what we are doing, then we will not change the outcome in the right way. We will simply allow more and more to choose death after risking their lives to prevent the deaths of others.

UPDATE and sums things up nicely.

(CNN) — Punxsutawney Phil predicts spring will come early. Don't get too excited, though -- he's usually wrong.

Historical flights and the woman who inspired them

The Navy's first all-female flyover will honor a woman who helped make it possible

CNN
Lauren M. Johnson
January 31, 2019

"She not only kicked doors open, she put a doorstop in the door and told others behind her to go through. Her mentorship was legendary," said Katherine Sharp Landdeck, a history professor at Texas Women's University who studied under Mariner at the University of Tennessee.

Rosemary Mariner in the 1990s, when she was commanding officer of a Naval squadron in California.

(CNN)The first woman to fly a tactical fighter jet in the US Navy opened the door for more than just women in combat. She also helped them with the transition to civilian life.

Now, at her funeral, retired Navy Captain Rosemary Mariner will receive the first-ever all-female flyover.

The special tribute, officially (and datedly) named the "Missing Man Flyover," honors aviators who have died serving their country. It features four jets flying above a funeral service in formation before one of the aircraft peels away and climbs into the sky.

Mariner died January 24 after a long battle with ovarian cancer. She was 65. Mariner was the Navy's first female jet pilot and the "first female military aviator to achieve command of an operational air squadron," according to a Navy statement.
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