Pueblo man accused of making threats towards law enforcement and government officials
KOAA News
By: Benjamin Lloyd
Mar 10, 2020
Photo by: Pueblo County Sheriff's Office
A Pueblo man is in the custody of the Pueblo County Sheriff's Office on charges of harassment and obstruction of government operations after law enforcement say he made threats against police and government officials.
37-year-old Thomas Wornick was arrested on Fort Carson by the FBI, Pueblo Police and military police.
According to the sheriff's office, Wornick identified himself as a disabled veteran and made several threats via email towards defense lawyers, businesses and others, including Pueblo County Sheriff's deputies. read it here
Volunteers come out in force to work on disabled veteran's home
Village News August 30, 2019
“They transported me to Landstuhl in Germany, where they actually called my mom and told her to fly out to Germany because they didn’t think I was going to make it,” Paulks said in a video from Homes for Our Troops. “They were hoping that they could get there to say goodbye.”
An unusually warm Saturday morning couldn’t stop more than 150 volunteers from showing up to work on the future home of a disabled U.S. Army veteran relocating to Fallbrook with the help of Homes for Our Troops.
The event is the second for the home build for Spc. Joseph Paulks, leading up to the key presentation ceremony, Saturday, Sept. 7.
The landscaping event was organized by Homes for Our Troops with the help of general contractor Youngren Construction.
“We as a company and also as a family are so appreciative to be a part of giving back to our veterans who have given so much,” Jennifer Youngren said. “Joey’s home will be the 23rd we’ve completed for Homes for Our Troops. We get to know each veteran throughout the build process but the best part for us is seeing them through the years afterward. It’s amazing to witness how each family has thrived because of the freedom this specially adapted home provides.”
Paulks was serving with the 546th Military Police Company as the lead driver of a Quick Reaction Force in southern Afghanistan in 2007, and while on a rescue mission, his convoy was struck by an improvised explosive device, causing the vehicle to flip over.
Though he was ejected from the vehicle, he was engulfed in flames. His unit quickly put the fire out with fire extinguishers as Paulks sustained severe burns. He was moved to the nearest U.S. facilities in Afghanistan, where doctors put him into a medically induced coma. read it here
Double Amputee Veteran Training 3-Legged Puppy to Be Therapy Dog for Schoolchildren
PEOPLE By KELLI BENDER March 14, 2019
“Without her, I would have given up already. I got to places so low in my life that I didn’t want to go on but didn’t know what to do with her because she relies on me,” Gardner said. “I didn’t know how she’d handle it. Now, I’d never give up on her and I’m so afraid of the day I have to let her go. She’s given me my life back and a purpose helping others.”
Christy Gardner is paying it forward in the best way possible: with a puppy!
In 2006, Gardner, a U.S. Army Military Police Officer at the time, was injured during a peacekeeping mission. Due to complications from these injuries, Gardner had both of her legs amputated. This drastic change left Gardner in a low place, unable to live on her own and unsure on how to enjoy life.
Those feelings shifted when she met Moxie, a golden retriever service dog trained by Florida’s K9s for Warriors. Always an animal lover, Gardner was open to the idea of getting a service dog when her doctors suggested a canine companion.
She was place with Moxie in 2010. The effect the service dog had on her was immediate.
Now, both Gardner and Moxie have been working together to prepare Lucky for life as a three-legged therapy dog. Moxie has been doing her part to teach Lucky the essentials of good dog behavior. read more here
Over a five-year period, Navy Chief Petty Officer Lucky Jackson, a military working dog, and his handler, Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jaime Perez, a master at arms, have forged a bond that ensures the Navy is getting the maximum capability out of its military working dog force.
When classmates cop out on birthday party, boy’s mom calls the cops
KWTX News By Julie Hays Nov 16, 2018
GATESVILLE, Texas (KWTX) When classmates failed to show up for a pizza party celebrating the birthday of the son of two Gatesville Army veterans, the youngster’s mother called police, thinking that officers would appreciate the unneeded pizzas and the cops responded, bearing goodwill and an armload of gifts.
Kaleb Jansen and his parents, Brian and Tara, both former military police officers, moved to Gatesville from Colorado six months ago.
Tara spent five years as an MP and Brian served for 24 years, spending time at Fort Hood and deploying several times to Iraq.
Classmates didn't show up for Kaleb Jansen's 11th birthday party, but police did. (Courtesy photo)
Kaleb invited his new classmates to his 11th birthday party over the weekend at Studebakers Pizza in Gatesville, but his parents’ hearts sank when not one person walked through the door.
“It’s so hard as parents to see your little one sitting there just waiting for friends,” Tara said.
“I was afraid I put the wrong date on the invitation or something.”
“I think he did on a certain level understand what was going on, but he understood some people had other things to do and it was a weekend. We have moved quite a bit being in the military so he’s used to making new friends and going different places.”
read more here
Wife: Drowned veteran struggled with post-traumatic stress Associated Press MAY 10, 2018
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — A military veteran who drowned in the Mississippi River after being rejected for treatment at a veterans' facility and instead visited a hospital emergency room had struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder since he served with the U.S. Army in the 1990s, his wife said.
Witnesses told police that they saw 49-year-old Shannon Shaw wade into the massive waterway at St. Cloud, Minnesota, fully dressed on Monday afternoon. He started to swim and they said they lost sight of him when he was about halfway across. The witnesses dialed 911.
Authorities searched the river for Shaw and divers found his body Tuesday evening.
Shaw's wife, Kristi Shaw, told The Star Tribune that he had struggled with PTSD since he served with the military police in Germany in the 1990s. She said he struggled to find adequate help, including from the VA hospital system.
"They didn't have room for him," she said. "They need to change something about the system. I don't want any vet, or anybody who needs help, to be turned away. I don't want someone else to be lost this way."
VA officials declined the newspaper's request for comment. read more here
Florida man passes himself off as decorated war veteran to land job, police say Local10.com By Peter Burke - Managing Editor April 4, 2018
Edward Liroff, 46, arrested after real veteran notices discrepancies on form
Among the discrepancies Byrne noted were that the Distinguished Service Medal was only awarded to four U.S. Army soldiers between 1983 and 2013 -- Liroff was not among them -- and that his Silver Star Medal was spelled incorrectly.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. - A Florida man who passed himself off as a war hero and applied for a job with the city of Port St. Lucie was arrested after it was discovered that he never served in the military, police said.
Edward Liroff, 46, was arrested Tuesday on felony charges of fraudulently obtaining a Florida driver's license, uttering a forged instrument and unlawful use of uniforms, medals or insignia. read more here
Fort Stewart police respond after soldier barricades himself in on-post apartment Army Times By: Nicole Bauke March 20, 2018
A Fort Stewart, Georgia, soldier barricaded himself with a weapon in his on-post apartment for three hours on Tuesday, according to a press release.
The incident happened about 11:20 a.m. on Courage Loop in Marne Point.
The soldier, who has not been identified at this time for privacy reasons, initially refused to comply with police commands, but he surrendered to military police almost three hours later. read more here
National Guardsman Rescued Others Before Dying in NYC Fire
Associated Press
December 31, 2017
NEW YORK -- The victims of New York City's deadliest fire in decades include a man who immigrated to the Bronx from Ghana and dreamed of becoming a military policeman.
A relative told The New York Times that Emmanuel Mensah had rescued a number of people before going back into the burning building, where he died of smoke inhalation.
Massive fire that killed 12 started by child playing with stove, causing 'unprecedented' loss
ABC News
Julia Jacobo and Morgan Winsor
December 29, 2017
A massive apartment fire that killed at least 12 people -- including a 1-year-old girl found with her mother in a bathtub -- was sparked by a small child playing with a stove, city officials said.
When the family fled the first-floor apartment unit, they left the door open, allowing the flames to spread into the stairwell and shoot up the staircase of the five-story residential building.
"It took the fire so quickly upstairs, people had little time to react," New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a press conference Friday morning. "Open stairs act as chimneys."
The burned-out halls of the building are seen in video released by New York fire officials on Friday. Soot and ash cover the hallway and stairwell from floor to ceiling.
Maine veteran experiences thrill of carrying flag at Patriots opener
Bangor Daily News Ryan McLaughlin September 9, 2017
Like a lot of New England Patriots fans from Fort Kent to Stamford, Connecticut, Michael Flanagan was hoping for a different outcome than the shocking one the Kansas City Chiefs served up on Thursday night.
Contributed Photo | BDN
Sanford native Michael Flanagan poses with New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Thursday evening. Flanagan, a U.S. Marine veteran, led the Patriots onto the field prior to their game carrying a U.S. flag.
But the Sanford native and 18-year veteran of the United States Marine Corps experienced a thrill that made the final score somewhat irrelevant.
Flanagan, who is currently stationed with the Navy’s ROTC program at the University of Maine, was one of four military personnel selected to lead the Patriots onto the field carrying a U.S. flag. The longtime Patriots fan was chosen to represent the Marines for Thursday’s season-opener, which featured a speech from actor Mark Wahlberg and the unveiling of the Patriots’ fifth championship banner.
“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity” said Flanagan, who has enjoyed multiple jobs in the Marines but most of his service has been as a Military Police officer.
He did two tours in Iraq as a military officer, and went back to the University of Mississippi to earn a law enforcement degree and remained in the military police field. read more here
Fort Hood Police Officer Dedicates Life to Serving Others Despite Disability KCEN
September 15, 2016
FORT HOOD- Retired Sergeant William Fisher is new to the Fort Hood Police Department, and he is already turning heads. In fact, as far as Fisher knows, he is the only officer of his kind in the entire Department of Defense.
“To be honest with you, yes I was surprised. He wants to be treated like one of the guys, and so far there has been nothing put in front of him that he cannot do,” said Fort Hood Police Captain Rex Spicer.
It is not Fisher’s 16 years of military service or his dedication to serving others that sets him apart. It’s something entirely different that makes him special.
“Wearing pants all the time you really can’t tell that I’m an amputee,” said Fisher. “It is what it is. You can’t change it. You learn to live with it and adapt to it.”
In August of 2009, Fisher was deployed in Iraq when he fell 40-feet from an overlook. As he landed standing up, he crushed his right ankle and broke his back.
“After four years and six surgeries on my ankle of trying to revive it, fix it, and fuse it together, my life vs. the pain wasn’t worth it,” he said. “Amputation was probably the best decision I ever had to make concerning my injury.”
After amputating his right leg in 2013 and medically retiring from the Army, Fisher began his journey of public service as a civilian. After a recommendation to join law enforcement, he started a nine-week course to become a military police officer.
read more here
Man involved in Sunday shooting was military policeman, Fort Gordon officials say
Augusta Chronicle
By Travis Highfield
Staff Writer
Sept. 23, 2015
A man shot by a state ranger before turning a gun on himself Sunday was a military policeman assigned to Fort Gordon, officials confirmed.
In a statement from the installation’s Public Affairs Office, officials said that Sgt. David Sean Owens, 28, of Montgomery, Ala., had belonged to the 35th Military Police Detachment, a criminal investigations unit.
He entered service in July 2007 and served as a military policeman in Hawaii from July 2008 to August 2011, according to the release. He served a tour of duty in Iraq from July 2009 to July 2010 before arriving at Fort Gordon in October 2011.
Five witnesses, including at least one deputy, said they saw Owens walking along Baker Place Road and past Chaffin. When Chaffin tried to get Owens to get out of the road, Owens pulled out a pistol, chambered a round and pointed the gun at Chaffin, according to the report.
Chaffin shot Owens, who then used his own gun to shoot himself in the head, according to witnesses at the scene. Owens was taken to Doctors Hospital, where he later died. read more here
"A law was passed, apparently in the Clinton administration, about whether, in recruiting offices … Marines or other military should be able to have guns. Apparently it is prohibited."
— Jeb Bush on Friday, July 17th, 2015 in a town hall in Carson City, Nevada
Wrong!
In 1992, when Bush was president, the Department of Defense issued a directive related to firearms for military personnel. That directive replaced an earlier one from 1986. The directive doesn’t specifically address recruiting offices, but it applies broadly to military sites.
The 1992 directive, signed by then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Donald Atwood, didn’t outright ban military personnel from carrying weapons. Instead, it said that only certain employees could carry weapons, including those who worked in law enforcement, security and prisons. The directive also did not apply in certain situations, such as in war zones.
The policy explains that the intent is "to limit and control the carrying of firearms by DoD military and civilian personnel." So the policy did cover most military personnel.
Wounded veterans hunt child predators
McClatchy
Washington Bureau
BY FRANCO ORDOÑEZ
June 19, 2015
Joseph, (in wheelchair), a 37-year-old Army veteran seriously wounded in Iraq, is sworn in with other veterans June 6, 2015, in Washington, D.C., for a federal program that trains wounded veterans to hunt sexual predators online.
FRANCO ORDONEZ — McClatchy
WASHINGTON — A 37-year-old Army veteran from Raleigh, N.C. who lost both legs and part of his right arm to a roadside bomb in Iraq remains in the fight. Only this time he’s hunting those who prey on children.
“I can’t be a badge carrying, gun carrying sworn agent. So this is an opportunity to work in federal law enforcement and be around those guys with similar mentalities and mission oriented people,” said Joseph, who asked that his last name not be used because it could be used against him by those he’s investigating.
The former military policeman who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq will now sit in front of a computer chasing child predators online for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
read more here
ESPYs to honor basketball star turned wounded warrior
Military Times
By Leo Shane III, Staff writer
June 16, 2015
The network received a backlash from conservative commentators for the selection, and criticism within military communities for not honoring any one of numerous service members with links to athletics.
Green was one of the first female service members injured in Iraq.
(Photo: Courtesy of Danielle Green)
A college basketball star turned wounded Army veteran will be the second recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service at next month's ESPY Awards ceremony, designed to honor the year's best sports moments and personalities.
Danielle Green, an Army specialist who lost an arm in a 2004 attack in Iraq, will receive the award for inspirational service and patriotism at the July 15 awards ceremony, being broadcast nationally on ABC. Hers will be among the first awards presented at the event, before a crowd of professional athletes and celebrities.
In an interview with Military Times, Green called the award a surprise and an honor, especially given its namesake.
"Pat Tillman was an extraordinary human being," she said. "I remember reading about him 11 years ago, I was hurt a month after he was hurt. So I just feel honored and grateful to be part of his legacy."
The award announcement Tuesday comes just a few days after ESPN announced it will give the Arthur Ashe Courage Award during the ESPY event to Caitlyn Jenner, the former track and field Olympian who recently went public with her struggles as a transgender woman.
As a specialist in the 571st Military Police Company, she lost her lower left arm in a rocket-propelled grenade attack in Baghdad in May 2004. Green was one of the first female service members injured in Iraq, and was medically retired from the service about seven months later.
read more here
This story is in need of editing. Deitch is the veteran/owner and Sox is the dog. Hope they fix it.
Owner of 7-Eleven apologizes for kicking out veteran's service dog
New Jersey.com
By Dave Hutchinson
May 27, 2015
Deitch is both a military police and civilian police service dog, according to News 12.
PARSIPPANY — The owner of a Parsippany 7-Eleven has apologized to a veteran who was not allowed into the store on Memorial Day because of his service dog, according to News 12 New Jersey.
Veteran Michael Deitch said he was not allowed into the 7-Eleven on North Beverwyck Road because he had his service dog, Sox, with him, the report said. Sox, a 7-month-old lab-hound-mix, is federally protected under the American with Disabilities Act, the report said.
read more here
Stealing from Yes Virgina There is a Santa Claus there seems to be a lot of people in America thinking troops are our of Afghanistan. Well here's a reminder while the rest of the country got too busy to notice, they are still leaving home serving them.
Connecticut National Guardsmen receive ceremonial sendoff
By WTNH.com
Staff
Published: March 5, 2015
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Ninety Connecticut soldiers are headed for Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay.
The National Guardsmen and their families gathered Thursday night in Hartford for a ceremonial sendoff. About 35 members of the 143rd regional support group will head to a military post in Afghanistan.
Fifty-five soldiers with the 192nd military police battalion are bound for Cuba.
Their family members watched as Governor Malloy thanked them for their service. read more here
When the movie American Sniper came out friends of mine were talking about Carlos Hathcock and how he saved lives in Vietnam. Not enough hours in the day, I never got around to posting about him but thanks to the posting below, here's his story.
This Marine Was The ‘American Sniper’ Of The Vietnam War
We Are The Mighty
BLAKE STILWELL,CONTRIBUTOR
JANUARY 23, 2015
Many American snipers had a bounty on their heads. These were usually worth one or two thousand dollars. The reward for the sniper with the white feather in his bush cap, however, was worth $30,000.
Carlos Hathcock at work in the fields of Vietnam.
(Photo: U.S. Marine Corps)
Long before Chris Kyle penned “American Sniper,” Carlos Hathcock was already a legend.
He taught himself to shoot as a boy, just like Alvin York and Audie Murphy before him. He had dreamed of being a U.S. Marine his whole life and enlisted in 1959 at just 17 years old. Hathcock was an excellent sharpshooter by then, winning the Wimbledon Cup shooting championship in 1965, the year before he would deploy to Vietnam and change the face of American warfare forever.
He deployed in 1966 as a military policeman, but immediately volunteered for combat and was soon transferred to the 1st Marine Division Sniper Platoon, stationed at Hill 55, South of Da Nang. This is where Hathcock would earn the nickname “White Feather” — because he always wore a white feather on his bush hat, daring the North Vietnamese to spot him — and where he would achieve his status as the Vietnam War’s deadliest sniper in missions that sound like they were pulled from the pages of Marvel comics.
1969, a vehicle Hathcock was riding in struck a landmine and knocked the Marine unconscious. He came to and pulled seven of his fellow Marines from the burning wreckage. He left Vietnam with burns over 40 percent of his body. He received the Silver Star for this action in 1996. read more here
UPDATE Video: Firefighter welcomed home from Afghanistan deployment
Firefighters took up donations to send him packages with special treats and even a fire department flag to remind him of home
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
DALLAS — Arlington firefighter Ryan Pugh, a specialist in the Army Reserve, received a wet welcome home Thursday after a nearly year-long deployment in Afghanistan.
In a “shower of affection,” fire engines shot sprays of water over the top of Pugh’s plane moments before it pulled into a gate at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, where family, friends and fellow firefighters gathered to celebrate his long-awaited arrival.
Arlington firefighters welcome home one of their own from Afghanistan
Star Telegram
BY SUSAN SCHROCK
September 18, 2014
DFW AIRPORT — Arlington firefighter Ryan Pugh, a specialist in the Army Reserve, received a wet welcome home Thursday after a nearly yearlong deployment in Afghanistan.
In a “shower of affection,” fire engines shot sprays of water over the top of Pugh’s plane moments before it pulled into a gate at Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, where family, friends and fellow firefighters gathered to celebrate his long-awaited arrival.
After reuniting with his fiancee, his parents and his older brother, Pugh said he was pleasantly surprised to see so many of his Arlington Fire Department friends and colleagues also waiting for him with hugs and handshakes.
“I missed those guys terribly. I’m overwhelmed by it,” said Pugh, who served in Kabul with the 302nd Military Police Company. “I definitely feel the love and support.”
Arlington firefighters regularly took up donations to send Pugh care packages with treats such as Crystal Light drink mix packets and Oreo cookies, even a Fire Department flag to remind him of home. read more here
Death Of Soldier With Military Dog Unit Under Investigation
KPBS
By Beth Ford Roth
September 3, 2014
The Army Criminal Investigation Command is investigating the death of Pvt. 1st Class Darrell Robinson, 23, who was found dead at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Aug. 31.
Robinson was a military police officer with the 550th Military Working Dog Detachment.
Fort Bragg officials have not released any information on the circumstances surrounding Robinson's passing, except to say that at this point, his cause of death is unknown. read more here
