Trusted to Care for Veterans, Going to Jail for Abusing Them

15 yrs in prison for former physician’s assistant who sexually assaulted vets at Leavenworth V.A. Hospital
FOX 4KC
BY MICHELLE PEKARSKY
NOVEMBER 3, 2017

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. — A former physician’s assistant found guilty of sexually assaulting patients at the Leavenworth Veterans Administration hospital was sentenced Friday to 15 years in prison.

In August, Mark Wisner, 66, was found guilty on one count of criminal sodomy, one count of aggravated sexual battery, and three counts of sexual battery.

Court documents say Wisner admitted to V.A. special agents investigating sexual abuse claims that he performed genital exams on men that were ‘excessive and unnecessary.’ Documents also state that Wisner said he ‘lost control’ and it became an ingrained habit.

During his trial, victims testified that Wisner groped their genitals, forced them to get prostate and genital exams they didn`t need, and had even made sexual advances. Some said Wisner would withhold medication if they didn`t go through with the exams.

The judge sentenced Wisner to 15 years and 5 months in prison (187 months) for the combined charges. Wisner will also have to register as a sex offender. Fox 4’s Kera Mashek was in the courtroom and reports Wisner could be eligible for parole after three years.
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Will Ronald A. Gray Be Executed?

Murdered woman’s sister backs execution of former soldier
By Fox News
December 30, 2016

The sister of a woman murdered more than 30 years ago in North Carolina says she and her family fully support the military’s planned execution of the woman’s killer, a former soldier.

Ronald Gray leaves a courtroom at Fort Bragg in 1988. AP

The execution would be the first by the US military in more than a half-century. A Kansas federal judge earlier this month lifted the stay of execution for the former Fort Bragg soldier, Ronald A. Gray, who is being held at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Gray was convicted in military and civilian courts of raping several women and killing four, including 18-year-old Tammy Cofer Wilson. He was sentenced to death in a Fort Bragg court-martial in 1988.
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Veterans Face Sexual Predator At Leavenworth VA

If he did this at the VA, did he also do it as an Army Major?

Veterans say they returned home from battlefield only to face new foe at Leavenworth VA
FOX 4 News
John Holt
JULY 11, 2016

"We went through so much ourselves overseas... I mean day in and day out nonsense. To come back to this, for real. Is this a real thing happening to all of us right now?" Purple Heart Veteran Jake

LEAVENWORTH, Kan. -- He was a decorated Army officer.

They are Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, who all came home with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and in some cases, physical wounds. The men turned to the Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth for treatment when their paths crossed with Mark Wisner.

Now, the retired Major and former physician assistant at the Leavenworth VA is charged with aggravated sexual battery in Leavenworth County. Prosecutors filed that charge in June, the second sex abuse case filed in Leavenworth County involving veterans treated at the VA. Wisner also faces two misdemeanor counts.

On top of that he faces at least eight federal lawsuits by veterans who allege he sexually abused them, the most recent filed on July 11, 2016. And more lawsuits are expected, with pending Federal Tort Claims filed by other veterans.

"He went in there, we trusted him, he says 'hey, I'm also a doctor," said Steve, a staff sergeant at Fort Leavenworth.

And that's the similar story of other veterans, who for the first time are sharing their stories and experiences with Wisner. They all allege they were lured into trusting him by easy access to him and prescriptions, and by the fact he was prior service and claimed to know what they were up against.
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Leavenworth 10 Soldier Rebuilds Life

'Leavenworth 10' soldier rebuilds life after serving time for infamous 'Iron Triangle Murders'
FOX News
By Perry Chiaramonte
Published June 18, 2016

Among the more well-known cases is that of Army First Lt. Clint Lorance, who is serving a 20-year sentence for ordering his men to shoot two suspected Taliban scouts in July 2012 in the Kandahar Province of Afghanistan. Lorance had just taken command of the platoon after the prior leader and several others were killed days before by fighters using information provided by scouts.

Corey Clagett, seen here hugging his mother before leaving to begin his prison sentence in 2007, was recently released and is petitioning for a pardon so he can re-enlist.

(Sheryl Levine Guterman )

Corey Clagett was a 21-year-old U.S. Army private in the 101st Airborne Division on a mission deep inside Al Qaeda-controlled territory in Iraq when, he says, he followed an order that would change his life forever.

It was May 9, 2006, and Clagett’s squad had been dropped on to a tiny lake island 200 miles north of Baghdad. They were told it was a terrorist training camp, and members would later testify the rules of engagement were to kill all military-aged males in the area. When they caught three men hiding in a house, the squad’s leader ordered Clagett and three others to let them go – and shoot them as they fled.

“I was just a private. I looked up to the higher officers. We thought they were following the rules,” Clagett, who was released earlier this year after serving 10 years at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., told FoxNews.com. “I followed their orders and thought it was the right call, but it wasn’t the case.”
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Getting Onto Military Bases Harder in 5 States

Military Bases No Longer Accepting IDs from Five States 
Military.com
by Amy Bushatz
Jan 13, 2016

U.S. military installations are no longer allowing visitors to gain base access using official ID cards from five states -- and other installations may soon follow.

State-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards from Illinois, New Mexico, Missouri, Washington and Minnesota can no longer be used to obtain a visitor’s pass because those cards don’t comply with federal standards, officials said. DoD officials did not say whether or not enhanced driver's licenses (EDL) from Minnesota or Washington would still be accepted.

Guidance has already been issued by such installations as Fort Bragg in North Carolina, White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Fort Drum in New York, Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Fort Leavenworth in Kansas.

"Effective immediately, residents of these five states can no longer use their driver’s license to get a visitor’s pass," Tom McCollum, a Fort Bragg spokesman said in a release today. "Driver's licenses and identification cards issued by these states cannot be used to access not just Fort Bragg, but all federal facilities, to include other military installations."

Nate Allen, a spokesman for the Army, in an email confirmed the changes affect all military installations in the U.S.
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Army Reserve Captains Attacked Outside Restaurant

UPDATE: Army captain assaulted on Plaza out of hospital, back at Ft. Leavenworth
He is at Leavenworth for 12-week course
KSHB 41 News Kansas City
Shain Bergan, Nick Sloan
Sep 26, 2015

The man punched the soldier, according to police. The other five individuals then piled on and began punching and kicking the soldier while he was on the ground.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - UPDATE, 9/28: The Army captain who suffered serious injuries after being assaulted on the Country Club Plaza on Sept. 19 was released from the hospital Monday. He is back at Fort Leavenworth, Kan., being examined by on-base medical crews, according to officials there.

The 37-year-old man was admitted at St. Luke's hospital in Kansas City after being jumped by six assailants outside of the Zocalo Mexican restaurant on the Plaza in Kansas City, Mo. Another Army captain he was with was also assaulted, but was treated at the scene and released, according to Fort Leavenworth officials.

Both captains serve in the Army Reserve with the 151st Theater Information Operations Group at Fort Totten, New York. They are at Fort Leavenworth for a 12-week qualification course

Officials said the severely injured captain met with family at the base and was released from on-base medical care Monday.
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Court Martial and Soldiers Found Him Guilty, Others Want Him Free?

Cause Célèbre, Scorned by Troops 
New York Times
By DAVE PHILIPPS
FEB. 24, 2015

The events of that day continue to haunt many members of the platoon. Some, stalked by anger and regret, say they have trouble sleeping. One cried while talking about how the episode tore apart the platoon. One recently checked into a clinic for post-traumatic stress disorder, saying the calls to free Mr. Lorance had revived disturbing memories.

Clint Lorance, an Army platoon leader who was found guilty of second-degree murder in connection with the shooting deaths of two Afghan civilians in 2012, in a photograph provided by his mother, Anna Lorance.

Nearly two dozen soldiers from an Army platoon were on patrol in a dangerous valley in southern Afghanistan when a motorcycle sped toward them, ignoring commands to stop.

As he tells it, First Lt. Clint Lorance, the platoon leader, ordered his men to fire just seconds before the motorcycle bore down on them that July day in 2012. But the Afghans were unarmed, and two died.

The next year, Lieutenant Lorance was found guilty at a court-martial of second-degree murder, one of the few times an American soldier has been convicted of a crime for actions in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan.

He is serving a 19-year sentence at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

But the case is far from over. Mr. Lorance, who was dismissed from the Army, has become a cause célèbre for conservative commentators, including Sean Hannity of Fox News, who say the Obama administration punished a soldier for trying to defend his troops.

Three Republican House members — Duncan Hunter of California, Matt Salmon of Arizona and Ryan Zinke of Montana — have asked the secretary of the Army to review the case. And more than 124,000 people have signed a petition to the White House demanding a pardon.
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Ex-Air Force instructor found dead in Fort Leavenworth cell

Ex-Lackland instructor dead in apparent suicide
My San Antonio
BY SIG CHRISTENSON
SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Photo By Billy Calzada/San Antonio Express-News
Air Force Staff Sgt. Luis Walker arrives for the fourth day of his trial at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland on Friday, July 20, 2012.

SAN ANTONIO — A former Air Force basic training instructor who was found guilty of rape and other sexual misconduct charges two years ago at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland died Sunday after hanging himself in his prison cell, Air Force officials said.

Airman Basic Luis Walker, 28, was found in his cell Friday at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks on Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He was taken to a Kansas City, Missouri, hospital, where he died Sunday night..

The Disciplinary Barracks did not respond to emails or phone calls, but the Air Education and Training Command said Tuesday it had been notified of his death.
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Military still doesn't get what PTSD does

The list offered by Dr. Forys-Donahue includes, relationship problems, substance use and abuse, life stressors and behavioral health issues. Where do I start on this one? The best way to hit this is with a reminder that after all these years of the military training the troops to be "resilient" they have managed to increase suicides at the same time less than half of the troops with PTSD seek help. Pretty obvious they still don't get it.

The list offered are all parts of what PTSD does, especially when it is untreated and the soldier does not understand what is happening to him/her.

When Vietnam veterans and older generations came home, nothing was being done. Vietnam veterans pushed for what is available today. They are also sick to their stomachs all of this is still going on.

In 1982 I met my Vietnam vet husband and everything listed was part of his PTSD. Families understood this when they were aware of what combat does to those we send. We helped them heal. The issue came when families had no clue while taking no interested in discovering what the cause of their problems was. I understood it from clinical books before the Internet showed up in most homes and provided the research necessary to understand even more. The problem was, even though I knew a lot, it was almost impossible to keep my family together. Families with no knowledge had zero chance of defeating PTSD, so it destroyed their veterans.

Families went through "relationship problems" substance abuse and "behavioral health issues" along with the same life stressors everyone else goes through, so none of this is new. Considering how much has been "done" on PTSD, the results are proving one thing. The military still doesn't get what PTSD does.

Pay attention, prevent a suicide
Suicide is real.
Fort Leavenworth Lamp
By Dr. Kelly L. Forys-Donahue
U.S. Army Public Health Command
September 12. 2013

Most of us know someone whose life has been affected by suicidal behavior (a completed suicide or a suicide attempt), and the pain and stress of the suicidal behavior spreads like a ripple to family, battle buddies, friends and co-workers.

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — “What? Are you serious? So-and-so tried to kill himself?”

Unfortunately, at some time in your life, you may have heard these questions spoken in your circle of friends. Suicide is real. Most of us know someone whose life has been affected by suicidal behavior (a completed suicide or a suicide attempt), and the pain and stress of the suicidal behavior spreads like a ripple to family, battle buddies, friends and co-workers. All of those individuals — including you — who could be impacted by suicidal behavior can help recognize risk factors and stressors and act to increase the chances of saving a life.

There is not one single factor or set of factors that indicate a person is thinking about suicide.

Sometimes, we can look back at an incident of suicidal behavior and say, “Wow, we should’ve seen that coming,” but other times, the behavior seems to happen out-of-the-blue. Noticing the signs and risk factors of suicidal behavior is not always easy. Risk factors for suicide vary from person to person and change over time in the same person. An individual can have one or multiple risk factors contributing to a suicidal behavior.
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PFC. Bradley Manning Sentenced to 35 Years for Leaking Secrets

Bradley Manning Sentenced to 35 Years for Leaking Secrets
ABC News
By LUIS MARTINEZ
Producer
via WORLD NEWS
Aug. 21, 2013

FT. MEADE, Md. -- Bradley Manning, the Army private convicted of leaking hundreds of thousands of classified documents to the website WikiLeaks, was sentenced to 35 years in a military prison today.

Pfc. Manning will also be reduced in rank to private, forfeit all pay and allowances and receive a dishonorable discharge.

Manning expressed no emotion as a military judge announced the sentence. He was then quickly escorted out of the courtroom.

He will serve his prison sentence at the military's detention facility at Fort Leavenworth, Kan.
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Army imports suicide prevention program from Europe

Army imports suicide prevention program from Europe

Published: Thursday, March 20, 2008 10:50 AM CDT
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Sarah Maxwell, U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine

FORT DETRICK, Md. - In an effort to keep Soldiers and their family members spiritually, emotionally and mentally fit, the Suicide Prevention Task Force process developed in Europe is being implemented at some Army installations in the continental United States.

U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Medicine Europe representatives briefed military medical professionals on their SPTF efforts at installations across Europe during a presentation last summer at CHPPM's annual Force Health Protection Conference. Since then, CHPPM is replicating the process at Fort Lewis, Wash., and other CONUS sites to be determined.


The process is not intended to replace the current Army G-1 Suicide Prevention Program - it is intended to focus on prevention strategies. The strategies pull together existing installation resources that address personal issues such as mental health, relationships, finances - issues that are known to contribute to suicidal thinking.

"The Army already has a suicide intervention model established - that's not what we are focused on," said Kym Ocasio chief of health promotion and wellness at CHPPM West, Fort Lewis, and one of the developers of the process.

"As well, the Army already has a lot of great health and wellness programs. We don't think brand new ones need to be developed, but we need to standardize what we already have," she added.



In addition to standardization, Ocasio and the other health promotion coordinators at CHPPM Europe wanted to move the focus away from the act of suicide to those interventions that may stop people from taking their own lives.

"We believe the SPTF needs to focus on the word 'prevention,' which is about more than reviewing suicide statistics. We look at things like dealing with depression and loneliness, stress management and the many factors that influence behaviors before a person considers suicide," she emphasized. "The SPTF looks at what resources are available, how they are accessed, and how they are marketed and integrated within the community."
go here for the rest
http://www.ftleavenworthlamp.com/articles/2008/03/20/dod_news/dod6.txt