Prison or treatment for military criminals with PTSD?

Posted August 31st, 2009 by Leo Shane in Stripes Central


A recent change in Texas law could give some criminals with combat-related PTSD an easy choice: jail, or mental health treatment outside of prison walls.

The El Paso Times reported this weekend that officials there are in the process of establishing a new Veterans Mental Health Treatment court, which would handle cases of veterans and soldiers who have been diagnosed with mental health problems related to their combat experience.

The most serious violent offenses -- rape and murder, for example -- would still be handled by traditional courts. But drunken driving charges, minor drug offenses and domestic abuse cases could all be handled by the special courts, and individuals convicted of the crimes could be ordered to various mental health treatment options in lieu of lengthy prison time.

Post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related mental health issues are a tricky problem for normal courts; Stripes reporters have been following the issue for years.

Defense attorneys insist that not considering the mental health problems while sentencing a veteran is overlooking a major mitigating factor. Prosecutors say that excuse only goes so far, especially in more violent and premeditated crimes.

This new trend of veterans courts started 18 months ago in Buffalo with Judge Robert Russell. Other judicial bodies around the country have quickly jumped on the idea; about 20 cities have or are considering similar programs. Colorado Springs – which has already had to deal with a series of violent crimes at Ft. Carson – is one of them.

Texas State Rep. Joe Moody told the El Paso Times that the new program there is not intended to be a "get out of jail free" card for soldiers and veterans. But walking the fine line between rehabilitating troops who need help and punishing those who deserve it will be a tricky task, even for a court with better knowledge and experience with mental health issues.

Depressed vets can now get help by chatting online with a VA counselor

Posted August 31st, 2009 by Megan McCloskey in Stripes Central

Veterans feeling suicidal but hesitant to seek help can now chat with a VA counselor anonymously online.

Suicides among servicemembers have increased alarmingly in the last few years, and the "Veterans Chat" program is a pilot effort to get more to reach out for help when feeling depressed.

The idea is that someone who might not take the step to go to a VA clinic could be more willing to talk about their feelings through the distance of an internet connection. There's a certain security and control that comes with that seperation. It's one step removed beyond even the Suicide Prevention Hotline, where having someone hear your voice over the phone can be too personal for some.

Struggling veterans - or their friends and family - can talk to someone at any time; counselors are online 24 hours a day. The user choses whatever name they want for the one-on-one chat.

The VA says the program, though, is not intended for crisis intervention. Anyone deemed to be in immediate danger by the chat counselor is encouraged by the counselor to call the hotline.

"Chat responders are trained in an intervention method specifically developed for the chat line to assist people with emotional distress and concerns," Janet Kemp, the VA's National Suicide Prevention Coordinator, said in a press release. "We have procedures they can use to transfer chatters in crisis to the hotline for more immediate assistance."

Iraq says it owns 19 fighter jets in storage

Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Iraqi Defense Ministry said this week that it recently learned that Iraq owns 19 fighter jets, which have been in storage in Serbia since 1989, The New York Times reported.

"Everyone knows how much we need fighter aircraft," a statement issued by the ministry said. "We have reached a tentative agreement with the Serbian side to rehabilitate the aircraft and deliver them to Iraq in the shortest possible time, in recognition of Iraq’s need for such aircraft."

Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told the Times the MIG-21 and MIG-23 jet fighters had been sent to Serbia for maintenance and never returned. He noted that the discovery was important because Iraq’s air force at the moment includes primarily helicopters and transport and reconnaissance planes. There are no fighter jets.

The defense ministry said Serbia would make two aircraft available for "immediate use" and the rest would be restored on a rush basis.

The U.S. military recently arranged for Iraq to get a T-6 trainer, which is used to train F-16 pilots.

Lt. Col. Gary Kolb, a spokesman for the Multi-National Transition and Security Command-Iraq, the American military’s training wing, told the paper the addition of the MIG aircraft would not alter the U.S. plans.

GI Bill Transferability Has Arrived

For the first time in history, service members enrolled in the Post-9/11
GI Bill program will be able to transfer unused educational benefits to their spouses or children starting Aug. 1, 2009.

New Department of Defense guidance, issued June 23, 2009, establishes the criteria for eligibility and transfer of those education benefits.

The new GI Bill, signed into law June 20, 2008, provides the most comprehensive educational benefit package since the original bill, officially known as the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, was signed into law.

For more information on eligibility and application procedures,
see the Dept. of Veteran's Affairs Web site.

Sept. 11, 2009

We have a little less than one month and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America.

THE PROGRAM:

On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States.

Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this eighth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.

In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marinemomsanddads/

Honor in the Valley of Tears

This movie is about a 1SG who ended up getting the congressional medal of honor in Vietnam. It's a movie that was just released. Documenting Company A 1st BN 8th INF REG, 4th ID. I'm thinking of getting this dvd if I do I'll post a review on this board!!

VA's 'You have ALS' Letter Stuns, Scares Vets

August 25, 2009
Military.com|by Bryant Jordan

Nodya "Gale" Reid of Montgomery, Ala., read the Veterans Administration letter in her hand, not believing at first it was meant for her.

She checked the name again and the Social Security number. It was her.

And she kept reading the first sentence over and over: "According to records of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), you have a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis."

Her heart dropped.

According to the ALS Association Web site (www.alsa.org), ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a neurodegenerative disease that destroys nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, eventually taking away all motor abilities. Life expectancy is typically two to five years.

"I began crying. I was grief stricken," Reid, a former Air Force staff sergeant, who already has a service connected disability, told Military.com in a phone interview.

But Reid's fear was unnecessary. As it turns out, the VA letter diagnosing her with Lou Gehrig's disease was a terrible mistake. And Reid wasn't alone in her scare. The same letter went out to about 1,200 veterans on August 11.

VA officials have not yet replied to Military.com's request for information on the letter. According to Veterans for Common Sense and the National Gulf War Veterans Center, both of which have been alerting vets of the bogus letter, some vets may already have spent thousands of dollars on unnecessary tests to see if they had the deadly disorder.

The Gulf War Center is calling for the VA air public service announcements admitting to the error.

"The VA has an obligation to go on television and make public service announcements to prevent veterans from becoming overly alarmed," GWC President Jim Bunker wrote. "In addition, each veteran that was notified should be rescreened by the [VA] for neurological issues that are undiagnosed."

Reid thought that panicked veterans -- shaken or depressed by the letter diagnosing them with the deadly ailment -- would even consider committing suicide.

"I discussed this with a nurse friend of mine," Reid said. "Somebody in a fragile state of mind, they might think that [ALS] is not how they want to leave the world."

Another veteran, former Army Sgt. Brent Casey, a medic with the 82nd Airborne during the Persian Gulf War, agrees. He learned of the letter's contents on the phone, when his mother called to tell him he had a letter from the VA. As usual, he told her to open it and read it to him.

He was stunned and had to pull off the road, he said. A series of phone calls followed with a VA official.

"For 24 hours I thought I had ALS," he told Military.com. "You contemplate suicide - I knew I had only three to five years to live." Recalling his last conversation with the VA official, he said: "My words to him were, 'I'm so glad it's a mistake, but what about the other veterans who are not having this conversation or getting this explanation?' "

Casey said it has been about two weeks since the letters went out, and yet the VA has not been on TV to alert people who need to know.

"I just can't understand how the days and hours keep passing by and it's not happening," he said.

"Based on the calls we've received and the emails, there are clearly some very anxious and irate veterans out there," said Paul Sullivan, executive director for Veterans for Common Sense. "The VA needs to ensure that any costs incurred are covered."

Reid is one of those vets, in fact. She told Military.com she went to her primary physician with the letter, and though that doctor doubted Reid had ALS, the doctor referred her to a neurologist anyway.

Reid saw the neurologist, who administered some blood tests and an MRI. She also was subjected to "nerve conductivity" tests that used electrodes to shock her in about 20 different places.

"It was very, very painful," she said.

And in the end, the results indicated she did not have ALS.

"I'm keeping a running tab now of what it costs for these tests," Reid said, who estimates the bill to be about $3,000.
© Copyright 2009 Military.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Roberts funeral | Tampabay.com - St. Petersburg Times

Roberts funeral | Tampabay.com - St. Petersburg Times

Posted using ShareThis

Canada cares

OleTrout

Although I'm Canadian, I support not only Canada's troops but all troops that fight the war on terrorism. This is dedicated to the United States Armed Forces. God Bless you all.

Health scare sent to 1,800 veterans

By William M. Welch, USA TODAY

More than 1,800 Gulf War veterans were sent letters from the Veterans Administration this month informing them that they had Lou Gehrig's disease — a fatal neurological disease.

But at least some of the letters — and the diagnoses — were a mistake.

Jim Bunker, president of the National Gulf War Resource Center, said VA officials told him the letters dated Aug. 12 were the result of a computer coding error that mistakenly labeled the veterans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

Katie Roberts, a spokeswoman for the VA, said the letters were simply to inform veterans with ALS of disability compensation available to them and were not intended to deliver a medical diagnosis of ALS.

Roberts said the administration has since been contacted by a "small number" of people who did not believe they had ALS. Veterans Administration officials are now reviewing all the cases, Roberts said.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Gulf War | Lou Gehrig

For those who were sent the letters in error, Roberts said, VA officials are personally contacting the recipients to "express VA's sincere apologies for the distress caused by this unfortunate and regrettable error."

Bunker said the letters informed recipients that the ALS diagnosis made them 100% disabled, meaning they were entitled to about $2,700 a month, with additional money for children and spouses.

Although some may view that sought-after 100% designation as a welcome benefit, Bunker said, being diagnosed with a disease that generally kills people within five years far overshadowed any monetary gains.

"The vast majority saw it as bad," he said.

Brent Casey served as an Army medic in the 1990 Gulf War and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome.

He has already been classified 100% disabled by the VA, but is working toward a master's degree in business in Louisville. He also volunteers at the local VA.

When Casey's mother called and read him the letter, the 41-year-old thought he had just been read a "death sentence."

"By volunteering at the VA, I've learned a lot of these illnesses. So I knew firsthand what that meant for me," Casey said. "I just had a total meltdown."

Casey learned that the letter was a mistake after making calls to the VA. But he now worries about the veterans who have received the letter and have yet to be contacted about the mistake.

"My concern is, what about the guy who's been on vacation, and he comes home to find this letter this evening?" Casey said. "We need to get the word out to these guys."

Contributing: Alan Gomez in McLean, Va.

Valor under fire earns 2/7 Marine Navy Cross

Famous French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “Valor is a gift. Those having it never know for sure whether they have it till the test comes.”

In a ceremony at Lance Cpl. Torrey L. Gray Field Thursday, a Marine who was tested in the heat of battle received the highest award for valor given by the Department of the Navy, the Navy Cross Medal, and was meritoriously promoted to the rank of corporal.

Cpl. Richard S. Weinmaster, a Squad Automatic Weapon gunner with 3rd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, received the award for his actions as a private first class in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province on July 8, 2008 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.

According to his platoon commander, 1st Lt. George Fenton, Weinmaster, a Cozad, Neb., native, was in front of a squad-sized patrol making its way through an eight-foot wide alley bordered on each side by 10-foot tall mud-brick walls, dubbed “ambush alley,” when their patrol was attacked by enemy small-arms fire and grenades.

In the midst of the firefight, Weinmaster provided accurate suppressive fire with his SAW until he noticed an incoming grenade land near his team leader, Lance Cpl. Tyler Wilkerson.

Fenton, a Fredericksburg, Va., native, explained how Weinmaster shoved Wilkerson out of the way then jumped toward the grenade to try and smother the blast. As he jumped, the grenade exploded sending the majority of its shrapnel into Weinmaster.

Weinmaster effectively shielded his team leader from the blast and Wilkerson was spared from any shrapnel. Weinmaster, however, received serious wounds, including a piece of shrapnel that entered his left eye socket and traveled halfway into his brain, where it remains to this day.

Despite his grave injuries, Weinmaster re-mounted his SAW and continued to provide effective suppressive fire on the enemy positions 50 yards away.

Staff Sgt. Kyle Lockhart, Weinmaster’s former platoon sergeant, said Weinmaster’s heroic actions in the heat of battle are a true reflection of his caliber.

Lockhart said for a Marine two-and-a-half months into his first deployment who has been in the Marine Corps for just a year to show such heroism is proof real valor and selflessness remain in the heart of Marines everywhere.

“Valor has to come from the heart and soul,” said Jim Weinmaster, Cpl. Weinmaster’s father. “It has to come from within. Karen [Weinmaster’s mother] and I raised him as best as we could, but actions like that go beyond parenting, beyond anything that can be taught.”

Weinmaster remained humble throughout the ceremony as well as afterward when he was greeted and thanked by scores of Marines, former Marines and grateful civilians.

“I didn’t do anything special,” he told everyone. “Everyone on my left and right would have done the same thing. I was just in the right place at the right time.”

Fenton and Lockhart agreed, saying that their platoon was full of Marines who would have done the same if given the opportunity, but both also emphasized the fact Weinmaster was given the opportunity and he acted in total disregard for his own safety to save another Marine’s life.

His devotion and selflessness earned Weinmaster the Navy Cross, although he maintains he was “just doing his job.”

http://www.hidesertstar.com/articles/2009/08/24/observation_post/news/news01.txt

Fallen officer's name engraved into memorial

Tampa, Florida -- Fallen Tampa Police Corporal Mike Roberts' name is now among the 28 others who made the ultimate sacrifice as they tried to serve and protect. His name was added to the police memorial outside Tampa Police Headquarters Monday. [Full Story]

Tampa Police Chief Steve Hogue says the toughest thing one does as a police chief is to bury an officer.

But part of the process of burying Corporal Mike Roberts includes his family coming together with his police family, sharing hugs and tears as his name was etched into the memorial.

Hogue says putting Roberts' name on the memorial will allow generations to come know that he should be remembered as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice for his city and community.

As Roberts' widow Cynthia and his almost 4-year-old son Adam pulled off the stencil to reveal his name and the date he died, it occurred to many, including Chief Hogue, that the little boy who will grow up without a father doesn't have the full understanding of his loss.

Hogue says this is a sad day and that adds to the sorrow. On the same day Roberts' name was added to the police memorial, Tampa Police released the transmissions -- including his final one -- on the night he died. [Full Story]

Sgt. Paul Mumford was the first to arrive on the scene and in the dispatch, you can hear him scream that Robert is "10-33," meaning officer down.

Mumford says his first concern when he saw Roberts on the ground was for his fellow officer.

Although Mumford says he tried to help Roberts, there was nothing he could do and he had to deal with the suspect, who pointed an assault rifle at him.

Mumford says it is difficult to see a fellow officer in a situation like that.

The family will receive visitors at the Blount and Curry Funeral Home in Tampa on Monday night. There will be a service for him Tuesday at St. Timothy's Catholic Church in Lutz. The family will have a private burial at the National Cemetery in Bushnell.

National Guardsman reunited with dog

Ed Panosh with his dog Molsen on the balcony of his apartment on the Northwest Side of Chicago on Friday, Aug 21, 2009. The dog was shipped to Chicago from the camp in Afghanistan where Panosh served. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune / August 21, 2009)

Ed Panosh, a Chicago police detective and first sergeant in the Illinois National Guard, thought he'd never see a beloved camp dog again when he left his Afghan base near Kandahar in May.

But friends who heard about a charity that helps with this sort of thing filled out the paperwork, crated up the dog and mailed it home before telling Panosh about their plans. "I got on the helicopter kind of thinking there's no way for it to happen," he said. They alerted him in an e-mail after he left the country.

"It basically said everything was taken care of, but she was in a crate and she was on her way to Kabul," Panosh, 37, said.

A lieutenant new to the base but on his second tour had done this before. A fellow Illinois Guardsman, Jorge Solis, helped carry it forward.

It is 7,000 miles from Panjwai, Afghanistan, to Chicago. Panosh got here May 28, the dog July 15. To get here, she was loaded into a crate at a Canadian camp southwest of Kandahar, flown to Kabul, then to Islamabad, Pakistan, then to New York, and then to Chicago. She got veterinary care in Pakistan, and also, Panosh surmises from new scars, into a few fights.

"Molson" (named after the beer: her hair is golden, and Panosh served on a Canadian base) is now getting used to life in America, where she has discovered grass, forest preserve deer and a regular place to sleep -- at the foot of Panosh's bed on the Northwest Side of Chicago.

jjanega@tribune.com Chicago Tribune

Port Richey woman searches for brother left behind in Germany after World War II

Mary Ann Wilson of Port Richey was sent to an American orphanage after the war, but brother Wisil remained in Germany.

PORT RICHEY — Mary Ann Wilson remembers only snippets of her older brother: the colored pencils he adored, his German army uniform, their final embrace.

She was just a child the last time she saw him. Maybe eleven years older than her, he and their father had been drafted to fight in the German army, she said.

After World War II ended, her brother visited Mary Ann and her mother in a displaced persons camp. Their mother was in the final stages of her battle with ovarian cancer. The brother came to say goodbye.

Like many details of her childhood, where he had been before or what happened to him after that, Mary Ann doesn't know.

At 66, she's come to accept that the father she saw only occasionally as a child is long gone. Her mother died when she was 6. But somewhere, her brother, Wisil Petruk, could be alive.

"Maybe God saved him," Mary Ann said.

• • •

Mary Ann was born in Germany two years before the war ended to parents she believes were of Ukrainian descent.

Her childhood playground was the ruins of post-war Germany. Tea parties were held with broken saucers found in the rubble. Old mattress springs were bouncy toys. The children avoided the spots where they found human skeletons.

Mary Ann's mother's dying wish was that her daughter be removed from the squalor and brought to America. After her mother's death, Mary Ann lived with a family friend in the camps for two years, until a relief organization arranged to bring her overseas.

After a week's journey by boat, Mary Ann said she was greeted by the Statue of Liberty in November 1951.

"Coming to America was the best, the most wonderful thing. But by the same token I thought about everyone left behind. I always said, 'I'm going to find them.' "

• • •

Mary Ann is tight-lipped about some of the details of her childhood. She did not reveal the names of the Philadelphia couple who adopted her. She did not say when her birth name of Maria was changed to Mary Ann, or what her last name became after her adoption.

She eventually married George Williams, a police and military man. Mary Ann asked the Times not to contact her husband, but said they raised four children in Philadelphia and retired to Port Richey in 2004.

Once a full-time mom, she now spends her days gardening, babysitting her grandchildren and entertaining friends. She likes chick flicks and is an active member of the local Republican party.

Mary Ann's children always knew they had an uncle, but she didn't reveal the details of her search as they grew up. She didn't want to burden them with the harsh realities of her childhood.

"Every time she would talk about it, she would get emotional," said daughter Daria Wilson, 28, who lives in Philadelphia.

Stories of war-torn families like Mary Ann's are not uncommon, said Orest Subtelny, a history professor at York University in Toronto, Ontario.

"This happened all the time, families were split, brothers and sisters split," he said.

In some parts of Europe, Subtelny said, people still place newspaper ads seeking family members lost during and after World War II.

Mary Ann has written to organizations throughout Europe, inquiring about her brother. She asked friends who traveled abroad to rip out the P pages of phone books. She called all the Petruks, looking for Wisil.

In June 2008, Mary Ann told her story to the American Red Cross, which provides tracing services for families displaced during war, civil unrest and natural disasters through its international network of societies.

Since 1945, the relief organization has handled 9,000 requests to locate family members lost during World War II.

The American Red Cross gathered as much information as they could on Wisil Petruk from Mary Ann, then forwarded it on to their tracing center in Baltimore, Md.

They told her to be patient.

But Mary Ann wasn't about to quit her quest.

The biggest breakthough came soon after. Through an Internet search, Mary Ann said she found a man with the same name as her brother, working as a priest in Brazil.

After decades of searching, Mary Ann felt chills and butterflies looking at his name on the screen.

She called the Red Cross with the information.

"That night, I prayed for the missing link to be found," she said.

• • •

The Brazilian Red Cross is currently looking for Wisil. There have been no updates on the search, and the Times could not find the Web page that Mary Ann discovered last year.

Such delays are not uncommon in a case like this, said Chad Magnuson, emergency services director for the American Red Cross, Tampa Bay Chapter.

"Sometimes these things take years."

But Mary Ann wonders if her brother doesn't want to be found.

Decades ago, she returned to the Philadelphia orphanage where she had lived before her adoption. They gave her a letter, supposedly from her brother.

The letter said that Wisil gave up all rights to his sister. He was in no position to take care of her.

But there was no signature, and Mary Ann holds on to a shred of hope that some organization or orphanage employee wrote it so she could be more easily processed through the system.

If the Wisil Petruk in Brazil is her brother, and he doesn't respond, Mary Ann says she will understand. Maybe by reaching out, she has stirred up too many emotions. Maybe he did write that letter and feels guilty about it. Maybe he never told anyone about her.

"Every day, it's a missing link in my life," she said. "It's a sadness because here in America people take each other for granted. They don't know what a gift it is to have a family."

Times Researcher Shirl Kennedy contributed to this report. Helen Anne Travis can be reached at htravis@sptimes.com or (813) 435-7312.

Women in the U.S. Army

Spc. Craig Morrison, 1st Cavalry Division receives his Shoulder
Sleeve Insignia for War-Time Service from Sgt. 1st Class
Zenalia Moses.(U.S. Army photo by Spc. L.B. Edgar)

Women have served in the United States Army since 1775. They nursed the ill and wounded, laundered and mended clothing, and cooked for the troops in camp on campaign; services that did not exist among the uniformed personnel within the Army until the Twentieth Century. Women are an invaluable and essential part of the Army. Currently, women serve in 91 percent of all Army occupations and make up about 14 percent of the active Army. Women continue to have a crucial role in the War on Terrorism and their sacrifices in this noble effort underscore their dedication and willingness to share great sacrifices.

A special thanks to the Army Women's Museum at Fort Lee, Virginia

To my fellow Sisters in Arms: God Bless You, God Speed and know we have made a difference! They say we can't be a part of "the front line", yet we always have been and will continue to be!

http://www.army.mil/women/?ref=home-spot0-title

In honor of his bride

War burns, 7 years can’t stop airman from giving her dream wedding

By Bruce Rolfsen - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 22, 2009 8:22:22 EDT

Wedding receptions are a dime a dozen at Idlewild Country Club in Flossmoor, Ill. One in the middle of August, though, stood out. Even the waiters couldn’t help but wipe their eyes at the Del Toro affair.

Tech. Sgt. Israel Del Toro and his wife, Carmen, who had tied the knot in a simple civil ceremony, finally realized their dream for a big church wedding and reception four years after a roadside bomb almost killed him.

The Del Toros hadn’t meant to keep pushing back their plans. It just happened.

First, there was the hectic pace of Israel’s work as a joint terminal attack controller, one of only a few hundred airmen who travel with the Army to call in airstrikes. The couple settled for a trip to the courthouse to say, “I do.”

Then, an explosion in Afghanistan burned Israel over 80 percent of his body. Suddenly, the biggest church wedding in the world didn’t matter to Carmen — only helping Israel get better, helping him get through the dozens of skin graph surgeries.

But Israel never forgot their dream — and wanted to show his wife of seven years just how much she means to him.

The couple walked down the aisle of St. Raymond’s Cathedral in Joliet, Ill., near Israel’s hometown and then hosted a reception at Idlewild.

“After I got hurt, she said, ‘It doesn’t matter about a wedding; I got you, you’re alive,’” Israel told the Southtown Star newspaper in suburban Chicago. “With what she’s gone through with me it’s just ... it’s the least I can go to give her the wedding she’s always wanted. She’s amazing, and she deserves this.”

The reception had two surprises.

As the wedding party was introduced, the Del Toros learned that members of the country club and others from his hometown area had quietly paid for the $15,000 reception.

“It was just something we had to do,” said George Davis, a board member of the club.

As the couple took center stage for the first dance, Israel pointed to a big screen. On it appeared singer Richard Marx, who recorded Carmen’s favorite song, “Right Here Waiting.” Marx dedicated the song to them before singing it.

The video, the donation — it was all more than the Idlewood staff could take, said Peter Corydon, who was helping run the reception.

Out came the tissue.

“There wasn’t a dry eye in the room,” he said.

READ MORE ON DEL TORO

Fighting to stay in

http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2009/08/airforce_deltoro_wedding_082209/

This is for the Soldiers

deadstarzx


This video is for the troops, its not about pollitics or government, its about my friends, my boyfriend-other peoples families over there dying and doing their jobs. I support the soldier, I dont support the war. That's what this video is about so any negative comments dont need to be heard and will be removed.

This is for the soldiers who have served/are serving or who've lost their life or limbs
And to the protestors, may they open their eyes to what really needs focused on..

The Song is "Hands Held High" by Linkin Park

Report: More vets get improper radiation doses

The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Aug 18, 2009 7:47:07 EDT

PHILADELPHIA — Six more cases have been found of cancer patients being given incorrect radiation doses at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia.

The errors happened in a common surgical procedure to treat prostate cancer.

That brings the total to 98 veterans who were given incorrect radiation doses over a six-year period at the hospital.

The program had treated 114 cancer patients before it was halted when the problem surfaced in 2008.

The cases involved brachytherapy, in which implanted radioactive metal seeds are used to kill cancer cells. Most veterans got far less than the prescribed dose while others received too much.

The newly reported cases have been forwarded to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mullen wants your questions – on YouTube

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer ArmyTimes
Posted : Saturday Aug 22, 2009 11:51:05 EDT

The nation’s top military officer wants to hear what’s on your mind — via YouTube.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, an avid Twitter user who has taken the lead among senior leaders in promoting communication via social networking — he’s also on Facebook — has issued an invitation to service members, family members or “anyone who cares about folks in the military” to video-record a question on any topic and submit it by midnight, Eastern Standard Time, Aug. 31.

Mullen, who as chairman of the Joint Chiefs is the top military adviser to President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates, will post his answers on YouTube.

“This is your chance to get the straight scoop, straight from the top,” promises Mass Communications Specialist 3rd Class William Selby on a promotional video.

The widely traveled Mullen makes a point of talking to troops and family members at every stop. This latest effort allows him to reach out in a different way, said his spokesman, Navy Capt. John Kirby.

“The chairman really wants to have a conversation with the troops akin to the way he does at all-hands calls at bases all over the world,” Kirby said. “He wanted that conversation to be as interactive as possible and reflective of what is on their minds.”

The effort coincides with the launch of www.defense.gov, a new Pentagon Web site loaded with links to social networking sites and aimed at encouraging viewers to “connect with us.”

But service members interested in posing a question to Mullen will have to do their recording on their own time. Access to YouTube and 11 other popular social networking sites from military computers has been banned since May 2007 because of what officials said was a drain on bandwidth in the .mil domain. A Pentagon review of that policy was launched in late July.

Twentynine Palms rifleman receives Navy Cross

By Denise Goolsby - The (Palm Springs, Calif.) Desert Sun via Gannett News Service
Posted : Friday Aug 21, 2009 17:01:59 EDT

A 20-year-old Marine was awarded one of the Navy’s highest awards for valor during a ceremony Thursday at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Cpl. Richard S. Weinmaster of Cozad, Neb., received the Navy Cross for his actions in combat July 8, 2008, in Helmand province, Afghanistan.

The Navy Cross is the second-highest award for valor and the highest given by the Navy.

The citation accompanying the award described Weinmaster’s actions during enemy combat: “While on a dismounted patrol, Weinmaster’s squad was ambushed by enemy forces. Weinmaster used his body to shield both his fire team leader and several other Marines from the blast of an enemy grenade.

“Although he was seriously injured, Weinmaster continued to carry out the attack, engaging enemy forces with accurate automatic weapons fire and forcing them to break contact before collapsing from the gravity of his wounds.”

Weinmaster is an automatic rifleman with 3rd Platoon, Company E, 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment.

His decorations include the Purple Heart, Combat Action Ribbon, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and National Defense Service Medal.

Hall of Valor collections

See our collection of Marine Corps Navy Cross citations

See our collection of Global War on Terrorism citations

Sgt Ryan Lane RIP

Please take a moment to honor a local Marine, Sgt. Ryan Lane, from Castle Shannon, PA. for giving the ultimate sacrifice to this nation in Afghanistan July 23, 2009.

As you'll see towards the end of the linked video (below), he loved the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It is warriors and true patriots like him that allow us the right to enjoy this great game of hockey and to celebrate the Stanley Cup.

Thank you and God Bless you Ryan!

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/world/2009/07/25/watson.afghan.ultimate.sacrifice.cnn

Health Insurance Reform & TRICARE

August 14, 2009

White House|by Jesse Lee

One of the President’s top priorities since coming into office has been to give our veterans "the care they were promised and the benefits that they have earned." That began with the largest single-year increase in VA funding in three decades, and with trying to initiating electronic medical records that would follow a member of the Armed Forces through their transition into VA care and stay with them forever.

And so we have been particularly concerned with correcting any misperception that health insurance reform would have any negative effect whatsoever on veterans’ access to their care. One of the first "Reality Check" videos we made for our new page on myths about reform was with Matt Flavin, Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy: