War On Terror News

Those Pesky Veterans Are Bankrupting the Nation?

To hear some people talk about it, the Nation can no longer afford to provide Health Care and Disability payments to Our Veterans.  The Obama Administration says they need to pay for their own health care to a greater degree.  We "all" need to "share in the sacrifice."  And others point to 10 years of war and question how we could possibly afford to fulfill Our National promise and obligation to those that volunteered to put their lives in harm's way.  Surely, the number of Veterans in the Nation is rising, and the number that have earned disability checks and care for their injuries is rising as well, right?

No.  As of 2007 (VA's most recent information), there were 3x as many Veterans over 65 than under 40. Of Our Living Veterans, more than 39% are over 64. In fact there were twice as many Veterans over 80 than there are Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.  As of the end of 2006, according to CBS (in 2009), 947,000 Viet Nam Veterans were receiving compensation for their disabilities.  This compares to only 181,000 current conflict Veterans receiving compensation (of at least $1).  "Officially" we've been at war longer, and in two Nations, than we were in Viet Nam, though that doesn't account for the early years of the Viet Nam War.

Why are there so many more Viet Nam Veterans than current conflict Veterans?  A greater burden has been placed on a smaller number of people.  In Viet Nam, a very high percentage of Veterans did one deployment and one term of enlistment.  In today's conflicts, a very high percentage of Troops have served multiple tours.  And we have fewer Troops deployed.

Confirmed: Civilians More Disconnected From Military

Survey Shows Growing Gap Between Civilians, Military

By Donna Miles, AFPS, WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2011 - A new report confirms a concern defense and military leaders have long recognized: There's a growing disconnect between Americans and their military.

The report, published last week by the Pew Research Center, notes that a smaller share of Americans currently serve in the armed forces than at any time since the peacetime era between World Wars I and II.

Just one-half of 1 percent of Americans served in uniform at any given time during the past decade -- the longest period of sustained conflict in the country's history -- the report says. Meanwhile, as the military shrinks in size, the connections between military members and the broader civilian population "appear to be growing more distant," the report says.

The report was based on surveys of more than 2,000 civilian adults and almost 1,900 veterans, more than 700 of whom served after 9/11.
Among the respondents, most said they have family members who are serving in the armed forces or have served in the past. However, older Americans were considerably more likely to have close military ties.

International Troops Remember on 11-11-11

KABUL – More than 200 military and civilian members assigned to NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan at Camp Eggers, Kabul, gathered today to commemorate Remembrance Day.

Nov. 11 marks a significant point in history honored as Veterans Day in America and Remembrance Day for Commonwealth and other European countries.

During the ceremony, personnel honored those who lost their lives with a moment of silence before placing a wreath at the foot of each country involved in World War I. The poem “In Flanders Field,” written by Canadian physician John McRae, was read and illustrated the significance of bravery.

“We don’t remember the bombast or the propaganda or the neatly marked maps of the generals or the treaties signed by the diplomats. We remember the heroism of those who served selflessly for others,” said Guest Speaker NTM-A Commander Lt. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger.

Bolger went on to emphasize the importance of each service member’s decision to serve – both past and present.

The event recognized the personal sacrifices made by those who wear, or have worn the uniform. For some military members, this was their first experience attending a Remembrance Day ceremony at a deployed location.

“This was the first time that I have had the opportunity to stand side-by-side with so many service members from other countries,” said Air Force Tech. Sgt. Christopher Craig. “I was inspired by the fact that, in the past, we were at war with some of these countries, and now we stand here serving together. It gives me hope for the future. The ceremony also gave me a chance to think about all of those who came before me, especially my grandfather who served in three wars.”

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918, the armistice to end World War I was signed. Today, Remembrance and Veterans Day offers a time each year to offer thanks to veterans and for service members to reflect on their service to the nation.

“To the end, men and some women stood and fought … for king, for country but mostly for each other. Because, when it comes right down to it, soldiers fight and die for each other - for their mates. That is real courage, and its worthy of remembrance. So today, we remember,” said Bolger.

Soldier escorts World War II Navy veteran on Honor Flight

November 8, 2011 By Martha Yoshida, Fort Leonard Wood Public Affairs

U.S. Army Soldier escorts World War II Navy veteran on Honor Flight

 

Veterans who took part in the 13th mission for the Missouri Ozarks Honor Flight visited the World War II Memorial Oct. 26, 2011, in Washington D.C. The Ozarks Honor Flight, in two short years, has taken more than 1,000 veterans to see the World War II Memorial.

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo., Nov. 8, 2011 -- Master Sgt. Tony Gifford, rear detachment S-3 sergeant major for the 92nd Military Police Battalion here, received an unusual Christmas gift from his wife, Shari, in 2010. It was a chance for Gifford to be an Honor Flight guardian and to take a World War II Navy veteran to see the war memorials in Washington D.C. through the Honor Flight program.

Shari Gifford said she got the idea from a commercial she had seen on TV, and after talking it over with her husband, she completed the online application.

Veterans Day 2011

Veterans Day Honors Service, Sacrifice

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service(Photo illustration courtesy of the State of Virginia)  

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2011 – Until the 1960s, veterans groups used the red poppy as the symbol of Veterans Day. In Great Britain, it still is.

The symbol comes from a poem, “In Flanders Fields,” written by Canadian doctor John M. McCrae in 1915.

The first two verses of McCrae’s three-verse poem read:

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

“We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.”

McCrae tended to the first victims of a German chemical attack on the British line at the Belgian town of Ypres during World War I.

Veterans inspire longest-serving recruiter

FORT MEADE, Md. (American Forces Press Service, Nov. 8, 2011) - Last week, retired Army Sgt. Maj. Ray Moran visited the Baltimore Military Entrance Processing Station here to bid goodbye and good luck to young men and women, many whom he recruited himself, as they headed off to basic military training.

Moran's frequent visits to the station are reminiscent of his boyhood days in Latrobe, Pa. He remembers fondly when he and his brother, Sam, ran to the local railroad station to wave goodbye to U.S. troops bound for combat during World War II.

 Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Ray Moran, who celebrates his 82nd birthday this week, talks on the phone with a prospective recruit in his office at Fort Meade, Md. His office wall documents the many Soldiers he has recruited over the decades.

Veterans inspired Moran's life-long love of the military and the men and women who serve in uniform.

He joined their ranks as soon as he was old enough, in 1948. It was the start of a 30-year career that included duty in post-World War II Japan, in Korea during the Korean Conflict, in Vietnam, and after volunteering to return to active duty after his retirement, during Operation Desert Storm.

Ride 2 Recovery: Veterans Leave Jacksonville on 350 Mile Ride

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Sunday Williams, Navy Public Affairs Support Element East Detachment Southeast

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- More than 200 cyclists, injured veterans and their supporters gathered at Mayo Clinic Oct. 25 and began the six-day, 350-mile Ride 2 Recovery Florida Challenge that will end in Tampa Bay, Fla.

Cyclists will ride across central Florida with overnight stops in St. Augustine, Gainesville, Daytona, Cape Canaveral, Orlando, Winter Haven and finishing in Tampa Oct. 30.

VA Releases Draft Report on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses: Imput invited

October 21, 2011

 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has published a notice of the final draft of the Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force 2011 report in the Federal Register. The report details VA’s actions to transform care and services for Veterans affected by Gulf War' illnesses in the areas of Department of Defense partnerships, benefits, medical care, research and outreach. You can download the complete report in PDF format.

 

Written comments on this report must be received on or before November 21, 2011.You can also submit ideas on improving VA services to Gulf War Veterans at http://vagulfwartaskforce.uservoice.com. 

[Editor: emphasis mine!]

 

Visit the National Resource Directory for more information on Gulf War illnesses.

 

(c) VA

Heroes on the Water

“Healing wounded spirits…Restoring warriors’ hearts through kayak fishing”

 

A dip of the paddle, the look on their face, reading the body language of an injured service member out in a kayak says it all.

“The Heroes on the Water program lets mother nature do what she has done for hundreds of years: heal. It’s an individual thing, each wounded warrior draws something different from it. But to a person, each one reconnects with a part of himself or herself that they thought was lost."

Divers 4 Heroes Diving For Troops Diving for Health

Divers 4 Heroes was founded after a visit to Key West Florida by husband and wife, Bo and Debbie Twillman.

“Debbie and Bo were visiting Key West in 2006 when they saw several veterans and their families negotiating Duval Street in their wheelchairs and on their crutches. Many of them
were missing limbs or otherwise coping with their injuries from war.

Seeing the injured veterans moved them to take action."

Ocean Therapy Program Makes Big Splash For Wounded Warriors

9/1/2011  By Cpl. Damien Gutierrez  , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton 

 

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.  — Marines from Wounded Warrior Battalion–West took to the waves during an Ocean Therapy Program hosted by a local foundation at the Del Mar beach on Camp Pendleton, Aug. 30.

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif.-A Marine from Wounded Warrior Battalion-West rips into a wave at Camp Pendleton’s Del Mar Beach during an Ocean Therapy program hosted by a local foundation, Aug. 30. Ocean Therapy sessions are held on base twice each month, and provide the Marines a chance to learn to surf in an encouraging atmosphere while focusing on the therapeutic benefits of the ocean. , Cpl. Damien Gutierrez, 8/29/2011

Ocean Therapy sessions are held on base twice each month, and provide the Marines a chance to learn to surf in an encouraging atmosphere, while focusing on the therapeutic benefits of the ocean.

“Therapy like this is exactly what we need,” said Lance Cpl. Aubrey Egolf, a Marine currently undergoing therapy for a non-combat related injury. “When you’re out there on the waves nothing else matters.”

Male Spouses Cope With Added Challenges, Expert Says

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2011 - Brian Campbell knew some challenges were in store for him after he left his Navy career to follow his military wife across the country.

But what he didn't count on were the additional challenges brought on not by his status as a military spouse, but by his gender.

"I was the first [nonmilitary] male spouse in that command ever," Campbell said in a podcast posted on Military OneSource.

Seeking social connections, Campbell looked for a spouses' club at their new installation, but instead, found a wives' club.

"I didn't fit into that organization very well," he said. "In a lot of instances, when you're talking about a spouses' organization, you're going to be the only male in the room."

Campbell eventually found the social interaction he craved by reaching out to

Olympian greets injured Royal Marines at end of Thames row

A People In Defence news article

 15 Jul 11 Injured Royal Marines were met by Olympic rower James Cracknell yesterday as they completed their gruelling 150-mile (241km) row up the Thames in aid of charity.

Members of the Thames Challenge Row Team approach the Palace of Westminster near the end of their row up the Thames in aid of charity
[Picture: Crown Copyright/MOD 2011]

The Royal Marines recovering from wounds, injury or illness, mostly sustained on operations with Taunton-based 40 Commando in Afghanistan last year, have rowed the length of the Thames from Lechlade in Gloucestershire to Westminster and Greenwich, where they finished up at the Old Royal Naval College yesterday.

The 150-mile (241km) challenge, undertaken at 30 miles (48km) a day, crossed 45 locks and took some 55,000 strokes.

Spouses, Veterans on the hunt see Royal Couple at Job Fair

Royal Couple Visits Spouses, Veterans at Job Fair

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

Great Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, arrive at a veteran and spouse hiring fair at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, Calif., July 10, 2011. The fair, sponsored by ServiceNation: Mission Serve, the U.S. and Los Angeles Area Chambers of Commerce and the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry, attracted more than 1,500 job-seeking veterans and spouses. DOD photo by Elaine Sanchez (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

CULVER CITY, Calif., July 11, 2011 - Calling the final stop of their whirlwind West Coast tour the "seriously most important," Great Britain's Prince William and his wife, Catherine, visited with military spouses and veterans and helped to shine a light on the importance of troop and family support at a hiring fair here yesterday.

The royal newlyweds -- also a military couple -- received a resounding cheer as they entered Stage 15 of Sony Pictures Studios here, where a crowd of more than 1,500 veterans and military spouses and 160 employers had gathered for the Mission Serve: Hiring Our Heroes Los Angeles hiring fair.

The fair, co-sponsored by ServiceNation: Mission Serve, the U.S. and Los Angeles Chambers of Commerce, and the Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry, is the largest of about a hundred such events slated to take place across the nation over the next year to help spouses and veterans find jobs.

During brief remarks to the crowd and framed by a backdrop of stories-high British and U.S. flags, the Duke of Cambridge called the hiring fair "brilliant." This event "is about men and women who of their own free will choose to put their life on the line for their country," said the prince, who is a search and rescue pilot in the Royal Air Force.

DOD Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration Program Director Announced

DOD Announces Appointment of DOD Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemoration Program Director

 

           The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that Retired Army Lt. Gen. Claude M. “Mick” Kicklighter has been appointed director of DoD Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemoration Program.

          Kicklighter, a Vietnam veteran with 35 years’ service in the U.S. Army, served as executive director of the United States of America 50th Anniversary of World War II Commemoration Committee, and provided oversight for the writing of the plan for the commemoration of the 50th Anniversary of the Korean War.  Most recently, he served as the director of the Center for Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security, at George Mason University.

           The DoD Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemoration Program is partnered with other federal agencies, veterans groups, state, local government and non-government organizations to:

• Thank and honor veterans of the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans. 
• Highlight the service of the armed forces during the Vietnam War and the contributions of federal agencies and governmental and non-governmental organizations that served with, or in support of, the armed forces. 
• Pay tribute to the contributions made on the home front by the people of the United States during the Vietnam War. 
• Highlight the advances in technology, science, and medicine related to the military research conducted during the Vietnam War. 
• Recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by the allies of the United States during the Vietnam War.

           For more information call 877-387-9951 or visit the official website at http://www.vietnamwar50th.com.

Pushups for Wounded Warriors

455th Air Expeditionary Wing 

Tech. Sgt. Daniel Cain (left) and Master Sgt. Frank Espinoza (right), 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group Quality Assurance, do pushups in front of Senior Master Sgt. Kelly Norris, 455th EMXG QA, for the Wounded Warrior Project here, July 6, 2011. If you would like more information on the Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org. If you would like to contribute to the program contact Sgt. Cain at daniel.cain@bgab.afcent.af.mil. Photo by Capt. Korry Leverett

07.06.2011 Story by Capt. Korry Leverett BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan - Airmen here are spending extra time on physical fitness, not for their own personal well-being, but for service members who have sacrificed so much in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Approximately eight airmen from the 455th Expeditionary Maintenance Group Quality Assurance section are taking pledges and doing pushups in order to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

$50 Million Big Ones and Going Strong!!

 “After recently celebrating its 7th anniversary, the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund (http://semperfifund.org/) is proud to announce that it has surpassed the $50 million mark in the financial assistance it has given to injured and critically ill servicemembers and their families. This historic achievement in the life of the Semper Fi Fund represents over 31,000 grants issued to more than 6,000 Marines, Sailors, Soldiers, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen and their families. Our assistance helps with immediate financial needs that arise during hospitalization and recovery, as well as perpetuating needs such as home modifications, customized transportation and specialized equipment.”

The Semper Fi Fund (SFF) (http://www.semperfifund.org) is a non-profit organization that provides financial assistance and quality of life solutions for Marines and Sailors, as well as members of the Army, Air Force and Coast Guard who serve in support of Marine forces, when they become injured in post 9-11 combat or training operations, or they face life threatening illness or injury

I think the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund is a pretty remarkable organization.  Why?  Take a look at this pie chart.  See for yourself where the 50 Million dollars went.

Golfers support injured heroes

Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni

Ryan Chilson, golf-a-thon fundraiser participant, looks down range as he prepares to tee-off during the golf-a-thon fundraiser held at the Torii Pines Golf Course here, June 10, in support of injured and fallen military members. The money earned went toward the Sgt. Elliott fund and the Wounded Warrior Project. Photo by Lance Cpl. Cayce Nevers

06.22.2011 Story by Lance Cpl. Cayce Nevers IWAKUNI, Japan - Eight Marines and sailors participated in the golf-a-thon fundraiser at the Torii Pines Golf Course here, June 10, in support of fallen and injured military members.

The Marines and sailors who participated in the all-day golf fundraiser were Louis Starnes, Robert Pippin, Troy Ruby, Jerry Woods, Keith Applegate, Travis Eno, Geno Johnston and Ryan Chilson.

The fundraiser was put together by these same Marines and sailors with hopes to raise money for Sgt. Joshua Elliott, a Marine whose legs and half of his left hand were blown off by an improvised explosive device while deployed to Afghanistan, as well as the Wounded Warrior Project.

Different take on EOD Bomb Suit 5k

EOD runs a 5k in their bomb suits....

"Repairing the world one step at a time."

Jon Batzdorff Makes People's Dreams Come True

His life's work is to help amputees live a full life.  Jan Sluizer | San Francisco, California VOA News June 21, 2011 Jon Batzdorff has made it his life’s work to help amputees, not only in the United States, but around the world. 

VOA - J. Sluizer Jon Batzdorff works with John Buckley, as he prepares to try his new prosthetic leg and hip joint.

His business is prosthetics and orthotics -  the evaluation, fabrication and custom-fitting of artificial limbs and orthotic braces. Both an art and a science, limb replacement has come a long way since metal and wood were used to make artificial limbs.

Hands on

All Batzdorff ever wanted to do with his life was make a living working with his hands and helping people. He started building things with his parents in his childhood home in Delaware.

“We built our own furniture there. We hooked up all the light fixtures. We did plumbing work," says Batzdorff. "So I always grew up working with my hands and building things and that was really the foundation for being able to make artificial limbs.”

Batzdorff began making artificial limbs in the late 1970s, prompted by a desire to help soldiers who had returned from Vietnam as amputees. Today, he is clinical director at the Sierra Orthopedic Laboratory in Santa Rosa, California.

FOR THOSE WHO CAN'T

Good evening and Happy Father's Day to those that are Dads.  I wanted to catch up with you all and let you know that the group I have been training and running race after race with are ramping up for another successful year to support those that supported us by sacrificing themselves in combat so that we can keep our country safe and free for our children and grand children to come.  

Hopefully you will feel compelled to assist our group raise the funds to continue taking care of every Hero that needs us.  It's really very easy on your part, all we need is your money ;))  Each penny you pay is accounted for and used as a direct support mechanism for someone that "NEEDS" it.  Imagine your dream home when you realize you can't reach the counter tops because you lost your legs from an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) explosion.  Someone has to pay to make your dream house accessible to you (i.e. wheelchair ramps, wheelchair friendly doors, prosthetic limb, utility bill, etc...)  IMSFF is doing just that.  We ARE making a difference.  Many would be in big trouble if it weren't for the IMSFF.  

I don't want you to go broke, but I could use your support.  If you want to put a collection jar at your Church or store.  Hit up your boss and get your co-workers to get involved.  To give you an idea just how much it costs to lose a leg and want to have a chance of mobility without a wheelchair,

Wounded Warriors Get Intelligence Job Opportunities

By Christina Cawley
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 20, 2011 - The intelligence community is reaching out to wounded warriors, offering new employment opportunities through a unique internship program.

U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and retired Air Force Lt. Gen.James R. Clapper, director of national intelligence, welcomed dozens of wounded warriors to Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Md., May 18 to discuss these new career options.

Addressing the crowd of service members wounded in combat and now stationed in the Washington, D.C., region, Chambliss and Clapper encouraged them to continue to serve their country - this time out of the uniform.

"You have been through some very difficult challenges, and you've faced those challenges. You looked them in the eye and said 'I'm going to overcome this,'" said Chambliss, vice chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. "You're here because you have an opportunity to see what the world has to offer for you and the world has the opportunity to see what you have to offer to it."

Agent Orange Quilt of Tears

Henry Snyder, a Vietnam veteran, and his wife Shelia Snyder discuss the Agent Orange Quilt of Tears during the VVA 2010 Leadership Conference in Orlando, Florida. The Quilt, managed by the Agent Orange Victims & Widows Support Network, is a traveling memorial to the Vietnam veterans who have died due to cancers and illnesses caused by their exposure to Agent Orange during the war.

(Music by Kevin MacLeod, www.incompetech.com)

For more information about the Quilt, visit http://www.agentorangequiltoftears.com/

Marine returns to Iraq for closure

Written by Sgt. Joseph A. Vine

Tuesday, May 17, 2011 CAMP VICTORY, Iraq - During the height of the war in Iraq, patrols, setting up checkpoints and vehicle searches were standard and occurred every day. Most of those ended without any type of conflict or casualties.

For Marine Cpl. Donny Daughenbaugh, during a vehicle search in Amadiya, Iraq, Oct. 12, 2004, ended with a medical evacuation to a surgical hospital.

Retired Marine Cpl. Donny Daughenbaugh fires an AK-47 assault rifle at a live-fire range with the Iraqi Special Operation Forces team on Victory Base Complex, Iraq, April 28. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Joseph A. Vine/USF-I PAO)

“I didn’t think this many people cared!”

Wounded not once, but twice in two different wars, Marine Cpl John Peck came home last week to Antioch, IL and found that his country does indeed care!  

Cpl Peck was escorted home by the Antioch police and fire departments.  

Photo: LCpl John Peck

Estimates say that nearly 2,000 people lined the streets of the route to Peck’s home.  Flags were waving and the sound of people clapping could be heard as Peck was escorted home for his first visit since losing both legs and an arm in Afghanistan.   He battled severe infection from a wound in his stomach that refused to heal.  Doctors tried to save his remaining arm, but they eventually had to amputate a portion of that as well.

2011 Warrior Games: The Healing Power of Sports

By Capt. Bernie Carter, director of Navy Safe Harbor

May 16, 2011  For good reason, physical health is an essential requirement for service in the armed forces. A key tenant of Total Force Fitness, it is absolutely crucial to ensuring military readiness.

Naturally, physical activity plays a significant role in service members’ everyday lives. Indeed, it often is a vital part of their personal identities. From their first days in the military until the conclusion of their service, they are expected to remain strong and fit.

Navy team members warm up for a preliminary wheelchair basketball game against Air Force at the inaugural Warrior Games at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.  Photo Courtesy of DoD Live

But, when they become ill or injured, many service members fear their days of athletic accomplishment are behind them. In addition to losing some of their physical abilities and freedoms, many also lose their sense of self.

Easter Seals to Partner with VA to support family caregivers

Easter Seals to Provide Support for Caregivers

By Jim Williams May 10, 2011

The Easter Seals’ Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Intergenerational Center hosted the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) on May 9th to announce its new partnership with Easter Seals — who’ll work with VA to provide a Program of Comprehensive Support throughout the country to family caregivers of Veterans.

Leaders Discuss Afghanistan Redeployment Challenges

Returning home is a risky time for soldiers.  In the past, drunk driving accidents and incidents of spouse and child abuse have spiked following Army redeployments.

"That's because we let those soldiers go with a high-five at the ramp when we got home," Hambrick said. "We don't do that any more."

Chaplains Prepare for Brigade Redeployment

By Karen Parrish
American Forces Press Service

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHARANA, Afghanistan, May 10, 2011 - Certain phrases are classic in the Army vocabulary: "Drink water." "Get a haircut." "Drop." And time and again, in briefings and formations: "If you have a problem, talk to the chaplain."

Army Chaplain [Maj.] Randal Robison, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Task Force Currahee, speaks to his junior chaplains and their chaplain assistants during a religious support team redeployment planning conference May 6, 2011, at Forward Operating Base Sharana in Afghanistan's Paktika province. DOD photo by Karen Parrish (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

Seven chaplains and chaplain assistants are assigned to Task Force Currahee here with the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat Team. They gathered May 6 to listen to unit experts discuss the problems the brigade's soldiers are likely to experience as they redeploy to their home station at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Army Chaplain (Maj.) Randal Robison, the brigade's senior chaplain, said he organized the conference to give the religious support teams -- one chaplain and one chaplain assistant per battalion -- time to prepare for the critical last few months of the deployment and the several high-risk months of reintegration that will follow.

"Our objective going in was to begin with a kick-off meeting," Robison said. "We wanted a clear vision of what we're looking at during redeployment and even after -- while we're still in the midst of very kinetic operations."

The teams heard from the brigade's command team, psychologist, surgeon, safety officer, operations officer and logistics officer about how, when, and where soldiers will cycle back to their home stations, and the risk factors they'll encounter as they gradually resume their normal lives in garrison.

Army Capt. Trish Shanahan holds a doctorate in psychology and spoke to the chaplains about the factors that can cause problems for soldiers and families after a deployment.

Program brings out the warrior in Marine athletes

From their first day on the yellow footprints at recruit training or day one at Officer Candidates School, Marines have developed into athletic warriors. A program that was established in February 2008 has succeeded in bringing out that same warrior instinct for wounded, ill and injured Marines nationwide.

Lance Cpl. Nicholas Green participates in the Marine Corps Trials wheelchair racing competition.  Photo by Aquita Brown

The Wounded Warrior Regiment’s Warrior Athlete Reconditioning program, also known as the WAR program, provides opportunities for Marines to engage in individual or team sports settings that improve their overall mental and physical fitness.

Navy Child of the Year Joins the Circus

By Mass Communication Specialist (EXW) Todd Frantom, Defense Media Activity Public Affairs

FAIRFAX, Va. (NNS) -- The Military District of Washington Armed Forces Color Guard kicked off the Month of the Military Child celebration at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, in Fairfax, Va., April 19.

Anthony Albright, son of wounded warrior Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Stephan Albright, was the guest ringmaster in attendance.

FAIRFAX, Va. (April 19, 2011) Navy Child of Year Anthony Albright, son of wounded warrior Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Stephan Albright, is guest ringmaster for the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus at the Patriot Center. The Military District of Washington Armed Forces Color Guard kicked off the night's celebration of the Month of the Military Child at the circus. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Todd Frantom/Released)

"I am really honored to be recognized and will never forget this experience," said Albright.

Iraq War Vet Uses Bionic Arm That Can Move, Feel

Nerves from amputated limb are attached to the remaining muscle

VOA News Carol Pearson Washington, D.C

Photo: VOA  Iraq War veteran Glen Lehman's artificial limb allows him to open and close his hands as well as feel some sensation.

Scientists are developing an entirely new type of prosthetic arm and hand that allows a patient to regain not only movement, but also the sense of touch.

Have families of fallen troops earned the right to bury their loved ones in peace?

U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe and 13 other Democratic and Republican Senators feel they do!

The Republican Senator from Maine introduced a bill last Wednesday "Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 2011" often referred to as the "SERVE Act of 2011", whose intent is to keep protesting people/groups from getting up close to these funerals.  Also, the act will seek to increase the penalties if groups choose to not keep their distance.

Spurred on by a campaign that a Maine High School student started involving attempts to ban such disruptions at military funerals and the recent Supreme Court decision regarding the Westboro Baptist Church protests at military funerals, Senator Snowe had this to say about the "SERVE Act of 2011."

WWII veteran visits his old training ground

An Army officer who served throughout the Second World War has returned to Colchester Garrison, where he completed his training, and found soldiers tackling the same challenges in very different surroundings.

Major Robert Walkden, 91, fought with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment during the Battle of France in 1940 and transferred to the tanks of the Royal Armoured Corps in North Africa, before joining the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME).

Major Robert Walkden during the Second World War.

Maj Walkden, who lives in St Osyth, was in charge of repairing Churchill and Sherman tanks damaged in action as British troops fought their way up through Italy from 1943 to the war’s end in 1945.

Currently, troops from Colchester-based 8 Field Company, 7 Air Assault Battalion REME are serving in Afghanistan, maintaining the vehicles and weapons used by British troops.

The unit’s rear party hosted Maj Walkden on a tour of their workshops and Merville Barracks.

 

Warzone to Waterside: Veterans Go Fishing

Veterans from Afghan and Iraq enjoy Fishing for Forces

Sixteen soldiers, all veterans of operational tours including Afghanistan, enjoyed a complimentary day of fishing at Leckford Lake in Hampshire thanks to the charity Fishing for Forces and local and national businesses and individuals who all contribute time and equipment to the day.

Miramar National Cemetery Ramps Up Operations

By Kirk Leopard April 13, 2011

Editor’s note: On Tuesday, the first regularly scheduled casketed burials began at the Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego. We asked Kirk Leopard, Cemetery Director, to shed light on the impact this new cemetery will have on over 235,000 Veterans in southern California.)

 

Tuesday marked the first regularly scheduled casketed burial at 313-acre Miramar National Cemetery in San Diego since 1966 when Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery closed. This achievement was accomplished due to the hard work of countless people. From John Ibe, a World War II Veteran who had plans for the cemetery in San Diego and raised money for its construction, to John Smith a Civil War Veteran, many have worked tirelessly to make this happen.

Welcome Home 2nd Lt. Martin P. Murray RIP

Airman Missing in Action from WWII Identified

 

            The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors. 

            Army Air Forces 2^nd Lt. Martin P. Murray, 21, of Lowell, Mass., will be buried on April 16 in Marshfield, Mass.  Murray, along with 11 other crew members, took off on Oct. 27, 1943, in their B-24D Liberator from an airfield near Port Moresby, New Guinea.  Allied plans were being formulated to mount an attack on the Japanese redoubt at Rabaul, New Britain.  The crew's assigned area of reconnaissance was the nearby shipping lanes in the Bismarck Sea.  But during their mission, they were radioed to land at a friendly air strip nearby due to poor weather conditions.  The last radio transmission from the crew did not indicate their location.  Multiple search missions in the following weeks did not locate the aircraft.

            Following World War II, the Army Graves Registration Service conducted searches for 43 missing airmen, including Murray, in the area but concluded in June 1949 that all were unrecoverable.

            In August 2003, a team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) received information on a crash site from a citizen in Papua New Guinea while it was investigating another case.  The citizen also turned over an identification card from one of the crew members and reported that there were possible human remains at the site of the crash.  Twice in 2004 other JPAC teams attempted to visit the site but were unable to do so due to poor weather and hazardous conditions at the helicopter landing site.  Another team was able to successfully excavate the site from January to March 2007 where they found several identification tags from the B-24D crew as well as human remains. 

            Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command and the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory also used dental comparisons and mitochondrial DNA in the identification of Murray's remains.  

 

(c) DoD

On April 12, 1861, The Civil War Began

On this day, in 1861, the Civil War began when the South Carolina Militia forcibly removed the Union Army from Ft. Sumter, SC.  Six states had seceded from the Union, including South Carolina, before Abraham Lincoln had decided to override his own belief that he had no Constitutional Authority to abolish slavery.

Ted Landphair, VoA: It was triggered, 150 years ago this coming April 12, by the bombardment of a federal fort in Charleston harbor by South Carolina militiamen.  But what lit the fuse?  What caused six states to declare that they were leaving the Union even before the shelling of Fort Sumter?  What force could be so powerful as to lead brothers into war with brothers, with the ultimate loss of 620,000 soldiers in bloody combat?

Fort Sumter was quickly surrendered after Confederate guns pounded the Federal garrison in the opening engagement of the Civil War. (Carol M. Highsmith)

Veterans and caregivers fight for support

By Taylor Dardan

While a number of soldiers continue their fight in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are a great amount of veterans looking for support back in America. Throughout the first three months of 2011, veterans have been campaigning to find support through the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act. President Obama signed the act on May 5, 2010 and intended on a creation deadline of this January 2011. The deadline has come and gone with the program yet to get off the ground. What’s unfortunate is that the act only provides for veterans of post 2001 military service and their caregivers. This could leave a number of older veterans suffering from health problems without the proper support for themselves and their caregivers.  

Both the VA and Congress has come heavily under fire for the extreme delay in the setup of the program and each has vowed to have it up and running by the summer. Secretary of Veteran Affairs Eric Shinseki expressed disappointment with the passing deadline by saying "that is not the appropriate outcome” and “It’s not what the American public wanted, it’s not what Congress wanted, and it’s not what the president wanted.”

WWII POW: A Ring For a Piece of Bread…

South Carolina Vet among Hundreds Honored on April 9, “Former POW Recognition Day”

Charles Rutledge Murray was a Prisoner of War in World War II and today still wonders how someone could treat another human being as cruelly as he and his fellow prisoners were treated.

“During my interrogation, I was hung upside down until my nose bled, because I was from Headquarters Company and they thought I should have more information.”

 

Charles “Rut” Murray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Charles was captured in the small French village of Schillersdorf in 1944. Over the next three months, he and his fellow prisoners would walk 230 miles to Munich.

“To this day, I still shiver when I see a German shepherd dog. When we were prisoners, if we did not move fast enough, they would sic the dogs on us. You don’t forget that.”