DOD wants to limit gun purchases for troops

This is the headline on Military Times. "Keeping firearms out of easy reach key to preventing military suicides"

Among the findings in the research was this,

Firearms are used in 66% of suicides among active duty troops, 72% among reservists, and 78% in the National Guard, according to the commission’s report, whereas guns are employed in roughly half of suicides in the U.S. overall.

And then this was added.

“Often ... someone found out that a service member had purchased or acquired a firearm, often on base at a military exchange ... only after they had used it to kill themselves,” said Craig Bryan, an Air Force veteran and clinical psychologist at Ohio State University, in a briefing Friday. “This was a common refrain in our site visits, that military personnel wanted to encourage a culture of secure firearm storage, and also to reduce convenient access to firearm acquisition, especially for those who are in acutely elevated distress.”

The commission recommended standardizing purchasing rules across the Defense Department, whereas current policies tend to mirror local and state laws. Recommendations included raising the purchase age to 25 on bases, in addition to imposing a seven-day waiting period to purchase a gun, another four-day waiting period to purchase ammunition and a requirement to register all privately owned firearms stored in base housing.

The question is, why is this only being applied to members of the military? Think about it. They are trained to use weapons to defend the nation. They are screened for mental health. They are trained in suicide prevention. They are willing to lay down their lives for those they serve side-by-side with, and yet, they continue to commit suicide. The military wants to raise the age they can purchase guns to 25 for personal use. Where does this leave the rest of the population when half of the suicides civilians commit, including veterans in those numbers? 

It leaves us on our own because another part of our government is not interested in doing a damn thing about any of us. While it is true that guns are used to commit suicide more often than other means, this also makes it crystal clear that most of what the military is doing in suicide prevention has failed. 

The troops are dying waiting for solutions. Veterans are dying waiting for solutions. The American people are dying waiting for solutions. When will they wake up and when will those we elected to Congress actually do something that will prove all of our lives matter? 

GOP sold their souls for guns and ending choice

The Supreme Court just ended the right of females to decide their own futures. They used the "moral" argument to end it a day after they rules they could not limit gun rights. While most of us find all of this repulsive, the thing is, this is why they wanted the least Christian man to ever become President of the United States.

I remember when Trump was running and I heard Republican friends I knew to be churchgoers, saying how much their faith mattered to them. Yet these same people wanted Trump because he would appoint the next members of the Supreme Court. Why was this important to them? Guns and abortions. Just those two things. Nothing else mattered to them and that is why they didn't care what else he did.

These same people didn't care he used them, because they were using him. They didn't care what lies he told or how he was a complete total failure. All they care about was these two things. 

Truth didn't matter. What Jesus taught didn't matter. What He said they were supposed to be and how to treat other people, didn't matter. And yet, these same people show up at church and receive communion while their hearts have turned against everything He stood for.

Trump proved that he follows the father of lies, and didn't care about anyone but himself. We've seen all that with the January 6th hearings on what he did and how he was willing to do anything, sacrifice anyone for what he wanted and nothing else mattered. His supporters still say they would vote for him again.

They proved they were willing to support an egomaniacal minion of Satan into the abyss because they sold their souls to protect gunfights and sacrifice the rights of everyone else to make their own choices. They also ignored the fact that God Himself gave every human the free will to make their own choices.

Things have gotten so bad in this country because of them, that people are turning away from the church, feeling they cannot turn to God even if they want to because the only thing they see and hear is the zealots preaching against all Jesus taught.

I wrote three books to help people find spiritual healing with #PTSD and had to rewrite them because people liked the story but were "offended" by the Bible passages. The GOP managed to push the other Children of God away from Him because they never knew Him or they wouldn't have allowed themselves to be corrupted by the father of lies!

Right now, I pray the people I knew repent before it is too late for them to open their eyes and see the truth again.

Time for the majority to use their power

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos 

June 3, 2022

The majority of Americans own guns. The majority of Americans are also supporting gun law restrictions. So why are the members of the GOP in the Senate and House against them?

The answer comes from FORBES.

The poll found a combined 59% think it’s important for elected leaders to “pass stricter gun control laws,” including 83% of Democrats, 52% of Independents, and 37% of Republicans.

Just 37% of Republicans? Seriously? I know a lot of them and they are great people, love their families and friends, and would not want to see any harm come to them, especially from a bullet. They are responsible gun owners. Well, there was one time when we were in a truck following our husbands on a ride from Florida to Washington DC for a Memorial ride. We stopped for lunch with the guys and had a great time. We drove for about twenty minutes when one of the women realized she left her purse behind. We were in the passing lane, so we missed the next exit, had to drive more miles, and turned around while she tried to calm down. She ran in and thanked God a waitress found it instead of an unethical person, or, God forbid, a child got their hands on it. (I don't own a gun for a simple reason. I'm a klutz. Ask anyone I know and they'll agree that is the last thing that should ever be in my hands.)

The other thing is, most of the people I know are Republicans and I never once worried about being around them with their guns. They must be in the 37% of the Republicans thinking there should be stricter gun laws. I can't imagine any of them being in favor of anyone getting their hands on an AR15, or any other weapon, considering all of them obey the law and treat their weapons with respect.

So when do the majority of people in this country actually act like they are? When do we use the power of our numbers instead of just shutting up, living our own lives, worrying about our own problems, and shaking our heads because we don't think there is a damn thing we can do about any of this?

The minority has more power because they scream about what they want and demand it. The minority of people acting up always get the attention of the media, including social media because the majority think there is nothing they can do, so we allow them to do and get whatever they want.

I was talking to a woman yesterday and she said it seems like everything is just too much. She ran down the list of everything that is wrong. I told her I felt the same way, but take comfort when I see enormous groups of people joining together to fight for what is right and let their voices be heard. I take comfort when I hear politicians and members of the press showing the emotional turmoil they are in when they talk about the children massacred in Robb Middle School in Uvalde, Texas. 

That is another problem for the members of the GOP in Congress because they keep saying the way to address it is by arming more teachers and putting armed guards into schools. After all, as they say, "The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." The truth, however, is not a movie. There were plenty of armed "good guys" outside of Robb but nothing while the murderer was murdering more kids.

Let this headline sink in for a second from People.

Police Knew Texas Shooter Was in Room with Kids, Undermining Claim They Thought He Was Barricaded: Witnesses

Read the rest of this and then try to figure out how you can use your own voice to stop all this. If you read Wounded Times because of #PTSD, then know this, when we do nothing, we increase membership into this club no one wants to join.

There are about 393 million privately owned firearms in the US, according to an estimate by the Switzerland-based Small Arms Survey -- or in other words, 120 guns for every 100 Americans. That's the highest rate of any country in the world, and more than double the rate of the next country on the list.

A number of polls and surveys conducted in recent years share some insights on gun ownership in the United States.

What studies reveal about gun ownership in the US

CNN
By Harmeet Kaur
June 2, 2022

(CNN)As the nation continues to endure devastating mass shootings and increasing homicide rates, guns remain a fixture of American culture.

Many Americans consider the right to bear arms sacred, seeing guns as key to their identities and individual freedoms. Some keep guns for protection, hunting or sport, while others see guns and the lax regulations around them as a threat to life and safety. Recurring tragedies involving guns contribute to a climate of fear in which those positions become more entrenched.

Understanding gun ownership in the US can help inform debates about firearm laws (or lack thereof). Obtaining a precise picture, however, is challenging because no definitive database of gun sales exists. What we have to rely on then are polls and survey data from think tanks and academic researchers, which vary somewhat in their estimates. Still, there are some broad trends that stand out.
read more here

"More than 50,000 organizations that provide suicide prevention services for veterans"

Following blind leaders leaves too many lost

Wounded Times
Kathie Costos
June 20, 2019

When you have over a decade of claiming you are paying attention to something, but it gets worse, no matter what you do, that should give you a clue to open you eyes. Somehow, common sense dictates a serious look to find what you got wrong.

Common sense left Washington a long time ago.

Members of Congress are yet again trying to blame guns for veterans committing suicide. Guess they did not see a few facts. 

Taking guns away from veterans, especially if their jobs depend on using them, keeps them away from the VA and prevents them from seeking help from anyone.

They tried that back in 2007 with the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act. If it worked, would his family have to give their heartbreaking account in 2014...seven years later?

Voices: The heartbreak of veterans' suicides

"...Seven years ago, the script was almost exactly the same during a series of hearings I covered about veterans who were killing themselves after combat."

Randall Omvig testifies about his son Joshua's suicide during an appearance before the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington in 2007. Omvig's wife, Ellen, is at right. (Photo: File photo by Dennis Cook, AP)

The following year, President Bush signed into law a bill named after Omvig. It called for better screening of veterans returning from combat, better education, more mental health professionals for the Department of Veterans Affairs, more research, a new suicide hotline.

"This bill has Josh's name on it, but it represents so many men and women before and after Josh who were unable to live with the physical, mental and psychological effects of their service," his father, Randall Omvig, said at the time.

In late 2006, Army reservist Joshua Omvig went home for Thanksgiving a week after he returned from Iraq. While home, he pulled out a gun in front of his mother and shot himself.

Kelly Kennedy reported that for USA Today. There is a battle that veterans are losing. It is yet one more price they have paid after serving this country. It has been as it was since they risked their lives to obtain the freedom the rest of the citizens of this country enjoy. 

They tried everything they could think of TO GET THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE TO ACTUALLY THINK OF WHAT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM!

THEY SUCK AT THEIR JOBS

Leaders keep saying they do not know why the percentage of veterans committing suicide goes up after spending has also gone up. Admittedly, I am far from a genius but I do have common sense and that is the thing that is missing most in Washington.

Yet again, the VA and Congress miss the point as to why veterans commit suicide.

Notice how "first responders" were mentioned? They really think that taking away weapons will prevent suicides? It prevents veterans from seeking help, especially if their jobs are tied to the use of guns AS FIRST REPONDERS!

Notice there are no plans in place to rid the veterans community of ineffective "efforts" to change the outcome, or, hold any of the 50,000 organizations accountable, they want to blame the means instead of the reason.

Federal suicide prevention efforts in coming months will include increased focus on veterans’ access to firearms, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie said during a Capitol Hill appearance Wednesday.

“It is key,” he said during a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing on his department’s recent efforts to address the problem. “Seventy percent of veterans who (die by suicide) do so with firearms. We’re dealing with a population that has a special familiarity with firearms. So we’re working on ways to build time and space … between thoughts and impulsive acts.”

The comments came just two days after the first formal meeting of a new presidential task force on preventing veterans suicide, part of a year-long effort to re-energize government’s approach to the problem.

That was from this article

Veterans suicide prevention efforts will include more discussions on firearm safety
Military Times
By: Leo Shane III
June 19, 2019

The comments came just two days after the first formal meeting of a new presidential task force on preventing veterans suicide, part of a year-long effort to re-energize government’s approach to the problem.

The group, which includes eight cabinet officials and the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, named as its executive director Barbara Van Dahlen, founder of the mental health advocacy organization Give an Hour. Wilkie said the work ahead will help establish a strategic plan to coordinate federal, state and community efforts on prevention.

And he also said that work will include discussions of firearms. The topic has long been a problematic political debate on Capitol Hill, with critics calling any discussion of limiting unstable veterans’ access to weapons a violation of their constitutional rights.

But Wilkie said his department has already partnered with several firms to provide gun locks to veterans, and is looking at additional education for veterans on firearms storage and safety issues.

That will include gun safety instruction for veterans caregivers, and more information for veterans families about resources on firearms storage and services.
read more here

Considering that guns have been tied to veterans committing suicide since the first "prevention" bill these folks came up with back in 2007, you'd think they would have figured out by now that is not the solution. 

“Of the 20 veterans who commit suicide every day in this country, roughly 14 of them don’t receive treatment from the VA,” said Warner. “This legislation will target that group by providing grant funding to private organizations with a proven track record of strong mental health and suicide prevention efforts among veterans. It’s my hope that broad coordination between the VA, state veterans affairs departments, first responders, and local leaders, will allow us to support more at-risk veterans and make a meaningful impact on reducing veteran suicide rates in this country.”

In Fiscal Year 2010, the VA requested $62 million for suicide prevention outreach. In Fiscal Year 2020, that number nearly quadrupled to $222 million. Despite the sharp increase in funding, the rate of veterans suicides has remained roughly unchanged at 20 per day. Only six of those 20 veterans are receiving healthcare services at the VA. This points to a significant need to empower the VA to work through community partners to expand outreach. At the same time, national data indicates there are more than 50,000 organizations that provide suicide prevention services for veterans, yet they are hard for veterans to find, access, apply for and use.

That was reported in the following article, and yes, you read those numbers correctly. 

Boozman-Warner bill aims to expand outreach, create measurement tool to improve effectiveness in fight against veteran suicideAugusta Free PressJun. 19, 2019
U.S. Sens. John Boozman (R-AR) and Mark Warner (D-VA) introduced legislation to improve coordination of veteran mental health and suicide prevention services and to better measure the effectiveness of these programs in order to reduce the alarming number of veteran suicides.
The IMPROVE (Incorporating Measurements and Providing Resources for Outreach to Veterans Everywhere) Wellbeing for Veterans Act creates a new grant program to enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to conduct additional outreach through veteran-serving non-profits in addition to state and local organizations.
“Congress has provided significant resources to the VA to decrease veteran suicides, yet the number of veterans who take their own lives everyday remains unchanged,” Boozman said. “We all share the goal of saving the lives of veterans. We must have better coordination of existing programs; a common tool to measure the effectiveness of our programs; and better information sharing, data collection and continual feedback in order to identify what services are having the most impact. Creating a framework for these necessary pieces is essential to empowering organizations to work together in the fight against veteran suicide.”

read more here

Taking away one means of doing it, is not the answer. The means can change, but unless we remove the reason, they will still seek death over one more day unless we give them a reason to stay! More female veterans attempt suicide, but since they use less lethal means, many survive the first time they tried it.

Take away the means and they just find another way...forced to find another way because the leaders have been blind to the better way!

We had more veterans living in this country when the VA reported 20 a day...back in 1999! During a time when there was not billions being handed out like prizes with absolutely no judges to weigh the merit of the "effort" they were paid to deliver on. Somehow we managed to save more lives than spend more on creating crap!

PTSD On Trial: Desert Storm Veteran

Veteran with PTSD goes on trial
Written by Silver City Daily Press
April 18, 2017

A decorated Silver City veteran goes on trial today in U.S. District Court in Las Cruces for allegedly growing marijuana and having an unregistered firearm.

Trevor Lee Thayer, a 46-year-old father of three and decorated U.S. Army veteran with the 82nd Airborne, was charged in 2012 after a SWAT-style search of his residence by the DEA and ATF, according to a news release from his defense team at the Bowles Law Firm in Albuquerque. At that time, Thayer was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress syndrome and was in possession of a medical marijuana license, his attorneys said.

Thayer, a Desert Storm veteran, had applied to renew his medical marijuana license and paid a renewal fee, but had apparently not yet received the card at the time of the search. According to his defense team of Bob Gorence and Jason Bowles, further investigation had revealed that the state had cashed Thayer’s check but the equipment for printing the cards in Santa Fe was broken and that delayed the mailing of his card. The charges allege that Thayer did not have a valid medical marijuana card at the time of the 2012 search.
read more here

Decorated Marine Facing Jail Time in New Jersey Mandatory Gun Sentence

UPDATE
Commuted by Christie: No jail time for Marine whose friend grabbed his gun


DECORATED MARINE VETERAN FIGHTING FOR HIS FREEDOM AFTER MANDATORY GUN SENTENCE IN NEW JERSEY
ABC 7 News
Jim Hoffer
Friday, April 14

NEW YORK -- A decorated Marine veteran is fighting for his freedom after his arrest on gun charges in New Jersey.

Even though the firearm was legal, it was not registered in that state. The convicted man, Hisashi Pompey, has asked Gov. Chris Christie to step in.

To combat gang violence, New Jersey lawmakers several years ago tacked on mandatory sentences for gun-related offenses.

No longer does a person have to be in the process of committing a crime with a gun to end up behind bars. Simply possessing an unpermitted gun in the state can make someone a felon and a prisoner.

Pompey served as a Marine military police sergeant in three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, for which he received medals for bravery.

He has a wife and young children whom he may have to leave again -- not to serve his country but to serve three years behind bars.
read more here

Senators Seek Compromise to Ban Suspected Terrorists From Buying Guns

Senators strike compromise to ban suspected terrorists from buying guns
CBS News
Rebecca Shabad
June 21, 2016

A group of nine senators on Tuesday unveiled a bipartisan compromise aimed at keeping guns out of terrorists' hands in the wake of the June 12 Orlando shooting.

The legislation spearheaded by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, would prohibit people on the government's no-fly list and the government's selectee list used for extensive screening at airports from purchasing a gun.

The bill would allow U.S. citizens and green-card holders to appeal a decision blocking his or her purchase of a firearm, and if successful, to be awarded attorney's fees. It also contains a look-back provision so that if anyone has appeared in the government's broad terrorism database over the last five years, the FBI would be immediately notified if they attempt to buy a gun.

"Our goal is simple and straightforward: We want to make America safer," Collins said at a press conference unveiling the proposal, which she said "would help keep guns out of the hands of terrorists."
read more here

Gens. David Petraeus and Stanley McCrystal Join Forces on Gun Control

We elect folks to not just get a paycheck in Washington but to earn their pay. When they toss their hands up in the air and refuse to actually find answers, we're paying them for doing nothing. 

Folks have a right to own guns but others have a right to live without them. So when will Congress actually think about that and do something?

Gun control group enlists Petraeus and other vets to help curb violence
Stars and Stripes
Alex Horton
June 15, 2016

“Veterans are folks that understand firearms and weapons. These are people who swore an oath to defend the Constitution, which includes the Second Amendment,” Kelly said. "At the same time, we have a problem with more than 30,000 people dying from gun violence and have to act.”

Retired Gen. David Petraeus at a Senate hearing in September, 2015.

JOE GROMELSKI/STARS AND STRIPES

SAN ANTONIO — A group of former senior military officials and veterans, including Gens. David Petraeus and Stanley McCrystal, have launched a veteran-focused gun law initiative. 

The initiative, Veterans Coalition for Common Sense, is spearheaded by Capt. Mark Kelly, a former Navy combat pilot and astronaut whose wife, Rep. Gabby Giffords, D-Ariz., was the target of an assassination attempt in 2011.

The couple jointly formed Americans for Responsible Solutions, a gun control advocacy group in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut shootings in 2013 that left 27 dead, most of them children.

The new initiative splinters from that group and mobilizes veterans to urge lawmakers and stringent gun enthusiasts to rethink gun control access for domestic abusers and the mentally ill, in addition to people under FBI investigation, the group’s spokesman and advisers said Wednesday.
read more here

President Obama's Mental Health Gun Edict Set Back Decades of Work

UPDATE January 9, 2016
This is what I've been hearing since the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act was passed in 2007. Many veterans said it would keep them from seeking help. Not much has changed.

Many question who new gun laws will ban from having firearms

"They will attempt to hide, the people that really need the help may not seek out the help," says veteran and former law enforcement officer Tony Smith.

Tony served in law enforcement and the national guard, and worries how gun laws will treat him in his struggle with depression. "Used against me or used as a tool to create another law, yeah, I do," says Smith.

UPDATE
American Legion questions White House gun restrictions

The American Legion issued a statement Wednesday urging Obama to protect the right to gun ownership for “law-abiding veterans,” and said the organization fears an "over-fix" that would bar any veteran from owning a weapon.

“The American Legion strongly believes that treatment for PTSD or depression by itself, which a number of wartime veterans experience, should not be the sole factor in denying a veteran the right to purchase a firearm,” said American Legion National Commander Dale Barnett.

Original Post

In one swoop President Obama's edict on Gun rights has done more to enforce the stigma of PTSD. It is one thing to feel the need to do something and another to do the right thing.

Already too many veterans are worried about losing their rights, especially veterans employed by police departments across the country. According to the release by President Obama, it is not suppose to take guns away from anyone unless they are "receive disability benefits, and are unable to manage those benefits because of their mental impairment, or who have been found by a state or federal court to be legally incompetent."

When the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act was being debated, it was on hold because of the gun rights issue.

Senator Coburn Opposed the Bill Because He Was Concerned that Data-Gathering Would Prevent Veterans from Purchasing Guns. Coburn expressed concern that a section of the bill saying the Veterans Affairs Department ‘shall provide for appropriate tracking of veterans’ would result in data-gathering that could prevent veterans from purchasing handguns. Coburn said his concern was that if the department shared health data with other federal agencies, such as the Justice Department, then veterans with mental illness could be barred from purchasing handguns. [CQ Today, 8/23/07]

Senator Coburn Also Opposed the Bill Because it Would Require Patients to Be Screened for Suicide Risk Factors Before Receiving Medical Treatment. Coburn said he was also concerned that a provision in the bill would require patients seeking VA medical care to also be screened for suicide risk factors. [CQ Today, 8/23/07]

It was passed and signed by President Bush in 2007. Then veterans were even more afraid to seek help from the VA. The simple fact this bill did not reduce the stigma nor has it reduced suicides, it has reduced the number of veterans needing help actually seeking it.

FACT SHEET: New Executive Actions to Reduce Gun Violence and Make Our Communities Safer

3. Increase mental health treatment and reporting to the background check system.

The Administration is proposing a new $500 million investment to increase access to mental health care.

The Social Security Administration has indicated that it will begin the rulemaking process to include information in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm for mental health reasons.

The Department of Health and Human Services is finalizing a rule to remove unnecessary legal barriers preventing States from reporting relevant information about people prohibited from possessing a gun for specific mental health reasons.

Include information from the Social Security Administration in the background check system about beneficiaries who are prohibited from possessing a firearm. Current law prohibits individuals from buying a gun if, because of a mental health issue, they are either a danger to themselves or others or are unable to manage their own affairs. The Social Security Administration (SSA) has indicated that it will begin the rulemaking process to ensure that appropriate information in its records is reported to NICS. The reporting that SSA, in consultation with the Department of Justice, is expected to require will cover appropriate records of the approximately 75,000 people each year who have a documented mental health issue, receive disability benefits, and are unable to manage those benefits because of their mental impairment, or who have been found by a state or federal court to be legally incompetent. The rulemaking will also provide a mechanism for people to seek relief from the federal prohibition on possessing a firearm for reasons related to mental health.

That "and are unable to manage those benefits" part ends up being the biggest part of the problem. This is a repeat of what already didn't work.  So why do it?


There is a need to do something in this country so that if people want to own guns, they are responsible for them. At the same time, people who do not want to own guns should not be caused to feel they have no choice because they can't even go to a movie without being afraid.

Have we forgotten how to do anything smart? Why haven't we been able to figure this mess out decades ago? We managed to land on the moon, cure a bunch of illnesses and transplant body parts but we can't figure out how to do this?

Veteran's Unlawful-Search Suit Tossed in D.C.

Under the law is a requirement to report anyone who is a threat to themselves or others. That depends on how serious the observer thinks the situation is. Is there a need to act instantaneously? Most of the time, it is, because hindsight could end up coming too late to save a life. Veterans don't call the Suicide Hotline for fun. They call it out of desperation.

After tracking reports around the country, the fact is, when police officers are called, they usually end with officers having to explain why a call for help left a veteran in jail or dead.

In this case, the mental health worker did the right thing and so did the officers, for the most part, because the veteran is still alive and was taken to get the help he needed.

Veteran's Unlawful-Search Suit Tossed in D.C.
Courthouse News
By ROSE BOUBOUSHIAN
August 27, 2015

(CN) - A veteran has no claims against Washington, D.C., police for searching his home, taking a grenade and several guns, leaving the door open, and letting his fish die, a federal judge ruled.Matthew Corrigan, a former D.C. resident and an Army reservist, phoned the National Suicide Hotline - though he believed he was calling the military's emotional-support hotline - on the night of Feb. 2, 2010, because "he was depressed and had not slept for several days," according to court records.

In response to questioning, Corrigan told a hotline employee that he was a veteran and owned firearms, but did not indicate that he planned to harm anyone or kill himself, he claims. Corrigan turned off his phone, took prescribed sleeping pills and fell asleep, according to his lawsuit.

Unbeknownst to Corrigan, the employee called 911 and reported an attempted suicide. Metropolitan police officers were sent to Corrigan's apartment around 11 p.m., where they reported a strong odor of natural gas, so they had the service cut off.

The reservist says he awoke at about 4 a.m. on Feb. 3, hearing his name being called over a bullhorn, and saw about eight cops in the back yard and 20 in the front, lit up by floodlights.

When he came outside at about 4:50 a.m. and locked his apartment, he refused to give the key to an officer, who said he did not "have time to play this constitutional bullshit. We're going to break down your door. You're going to have to pay for a new door," according to Corrigan's deposition testimony.

Officers then entered and reportedly found a military smoke grenade and whistler device. Corrigan claims police took him to a Veterans Affairs hospital, where he admitted himself for three days because weapons being pointed at him triggered "PTSD hyper-vigilance."

"Under the community caretaking, exigent circumstances, and emergency aid doctrines, Lt. Glover's orders to the [Emergency Response Team] and [Explosive Ordnance Division] Unit to enter without a warrant and search the plaintiff's apartment for people, threats, and hazardous materials were objectively reasonable and, therefore, did not violate the plaintiff's Fourth Amendment rights," Howell wrote.
read more here

VA: Does Not Have The Authority To Confiscate Weapons

Fears that VA will confiscate Navy vet's guns lead to protest
Associated Press
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI
Published: August 6, 2015

Veteran Affairs spokesman Bret Bowers confirmed a letter had been sent to Arnold from the VA's benefits office in Salt Lake City, but he said that VA policy prohibits discussing individual health records without consent. Bowers added that the agency doesn't have the authority to confiscate weapons.

BOISE, Idaho — A group of residents in northern Idaho lined up outside a Navy veteran's house Thursday to protest claims that federal officials are planning to confiscate the man's weapons.

Idaho Republican state Rep. Heather Scott of Blanchard said the Veteran Affairs office has sent a letter to John Arnold of Priest River warning him that he cannot possess or purchase firearms.

The protest —spearheaded by Scott— attracted about 100 people. Among them were Bonner County Sheriff Daryl Wheeler, who promised to stand guard against any federal attempts to remove Arnold's guns, and Republican Washington state Rep. Matthew Shea of Spokane Valley, who described the event as a "defiance against tyranny."

"I took an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and uphold the laws of Idaho," Wheeler said. "This seemed appropriate to show my support. I was going to make sure Mr. Arnold's rights weren't going to be breached."
read more here

Ohio Gulf War Vet with PTSD wins battle with sheriff over Ohio CCW license

Persian Gulf War vet wins battle with sheriff over Ohio CCW license
Guns.com
by Jennifer Cruz
September 5, 2013

After fighting a different sort of battle over the last few months, a Persian Gulf War vet finally had his CCW license granted to him last month.

James Redmon sued Van Wert County Sheriff Thomas Riggenbach after he denied Redmon a license based on a post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis from more than six years ago as well as felony charges, which were later dropped.

Redmon accused Riggenbach of abusing his power and misinterpreted the law by denying him his license, which he claims he had no legitimate reasons for doing so.

“The sheriff overstepped his authority and broke the law. I tried twice to tell him before filing the lawsuit and he treated me as if I were not worth of speaking to him and blew me off,” Redmon said.

Riggenbach stands behind his decision and said it was more than just the PTSD diagnosis which Redmon’s attention seems to be focused.
read more here

Colorado 77-year-old Marine veteran told to give up guns or move

Colorado public housing residents told to disarm or get out
Daily Caller
Greg Campbell
August 8, 2013

A senior living apartment complex in Castle Rock, Colorado tried to disarm its renters recently, sending them notices telling them to get rid of their guns and other weapons if they wanted to keep living there.

The apartments are public housing, owned by a local housing authority and supported by local, state and federal tax dollars.

But representatives of the authority told Denver’s 9News that the apartment’s management company, Ross Management, sent out the “get rid of your guns” notice without their knowledge or approval.

9News was tipped off to the story by a 77-year-old Marine veteran upset at the prospect of being forced to give up a fundamental right that he’d fought for.

“It upset me very much,” Art Dorsch said. “Because I don’t think it’s fair.”
read more here

Adam Kokesh arrested for possession of firearm and drugs after protest

Gun-rights activist Adam Kokesh arrested in Herndon
Washington Post
By Trishula Patel
Updated: Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Police searched the Northern Virginia home of libertarian activist Adam Kokesh Tuesday evening and took him into custody, according to a news release posted on Kokesh’s Web site.

Kokesh, a former Marine, was being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center, charged with possession of schedule I and II drugs while in possession of a firearm, said Lt. Steve Elbert, a spokesman for the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office. No additional details were immediately available.

The search warrant was served by U.S. Park Police, a federal agency that is responsible for policing Freedom Plaza, the park on Pennsylvania Avenue NW where Kokesh was videotaped loading a shotgun, in violation of local gun laws, according to a YouTube video posted on July 4.
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Anti-war Iraq veteran Adam Kokesh protests with loaded shotgun

Anti-war Iraq veteran Adam Kokesh protests with loaded shotgun

UPDATE
Gun-rights activist Adam Kokesh arrested in Herndon

Watch: Gun rights libertarian loads shotgun, denounces D.C. laws
MSNBC
Emma Margolin
07/05/2013

Adam Kokesh–self-described “libertarian propagandist,” Iraq war veteran, and host of the online show Adam vs. The Man–seems to have carried out his promise to buck Washington D.C.’s gun laws and load a shotgun in the district’s Freedom Plaza during an apparent one-man July 4th protest against the government.

In a video titled, “Open Carry March on DC a Success,” posted on Kokesh’s YouTube account Thursday, the 31-year-old packs bullets into a shotgun while simultaneously reciting the last few lines of his “Final American Revolution Pledge of Resistance,” posted on his blog.

“We will not be silent, we will not obey, we will not allow our government to destroy our humanity,” says Kokesh.

“We are the final American Revolution. See you next Independence Day.”
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Iraq combat vet slams lawmakers over New York Safe Act

Iraq combat vet slams lawmakers for passing the NY SAFE Act on the ‘demented actions of a couple mad men’
(VIDEO)
Guns.com
by Jennifer Cruz
July 3, 3013

Aaron Weiss, an Iraq combat veteran and law enforcement officer, delivered an emotionally charged three minute speech to the legislators of Duchess County, New York, against the passing of the NY SAFE Act.

Weiss questions the lawmakers’ definition of the “courage” they claim it took to pass the act, rebuking them for their middle of the night meetings, which he refers to as a “mafia-style sit-down to divvy up what’s good for the bosses.”
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Fear of losing guns led Granville man to fire at police

Police: Fear of losing guns led Granville man to fire at police
Post Star.com
DON LEHMAN
July 1, 2013

"Granville Police Chief Ernie Bassett said the two incidents appear to be unconnected, other than the fact both men were military veterans who had struggled to re-acclimate to society after their return from the Middle East."

GRANVILLE -- Police said a fear he was going to be arrested and police were going to confiscate his guns apparently prompted a Granville man to fire three rifle shots at police cars late Friday.

But officers said there appears to be no connection between Friday’s shooting and the violent death last month of a fellow military veteran from Granville.

Jonathan P. Hyatt, 26, died late Friday or early Saturday of a self-inflicted gunshot to the head from a .308-caliber rifle he had been using to fire at police from inside the 7 Irving Ave. home of his grandmother, officials said.

Hyatt was a veteran of the U.S. Army who spent 14 months in Iraq. He had suffered from post traumatic stress disorder because of a head injury sustained during combat.

Hyatt’s death follows a June 16 incident in nearby western Vermont, where Granville resident Aaron Allen was shot and killed by the boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend as Allen stabbed her with a knife.
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Open Carry Rally and March Triggers Second Amendment Rights

Open Carry Rally and March Triggers Second Amendment Rights
KWTX News
Kristin Gordon
June 1, 2013

TEMPLE (June 1, 2013)--A run in between a Fort Hood soldier and the Temple Police Department triggers an open carry rally and march...and a strong desire to protect second amendment rights.

On March 16, Army Master Sergeant CJ Grisham and his son were walking down Airport Road in West Temple.

He had a loaded assault style rifle strapped across his chest. While Grisham had the right to carry a firearm, a person called police out of concern after seeing the weapon in public.

Grisham's son recorded video on his phone of police confiscating his dad's weapon and taking Grisham into custody.

Arguments are still being heard over why this incident took place between Grisham and Temple Police.

But it has also awakened a desire to show support for the second amendment.
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From YouTube

Iraq veteran proves he violated probation on Facebook

Judge: Marine violated terms of release
Salem News
BY JULIE MANGANIS
STAFF WRITER
May 7, 2013

DANVERS — A Salem District Court judge has found “clear and convincing” evidence that Marine recruiter Matthew Fairbanks repeatedly violated the terms of his release in a pending assault and battery and weapons case, including failing to surrender an AK-47 to police.

Because of that, Judge Robert Brennan concluded that Fairbanks “poses a substantial risk of danger to the community” and ordered that he now be held without bail until trial.

Fairbanks, 23, an Iraq War veteran whose family has said may be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, was living in the Endicott Greens apartment complex on Route 1 in January when police were called because of a disturbance in his apartment.

Fairbanks allegedly ripped a toilet out of a wall during the altercation with his 52-year-old father, and then used it to assault the older man, according to police. Officers subsequently found guns and other weapons in the apartment and in Fairbanks’ car.

Then, last month, police and probation officers learned that Fairbanks had posted a photo of himself on Facebook laughing and holding an AK-47 with a caption that said, “So then the judge says to me, he says, you will surrender all your firearms.”
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Should Gun Restrictions Be Placed on Veterans With PTSD?

If they didn't forget about the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, this could have been a good story. Pay close attention to pages 628-630

Should Gun Restrictions Be Placed on Veterans With PTSD?
New York Times
By THOMAS JAMES BRENNAN
April 26, 2013

When Phillip Barker received the official report from the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2008, it said he suffered from homicidal ideations of a passive-aggressive nature. It also said that he had an alcohol dependency. That he experiences anxiety, sleeplessness, hypervigilance and nervous tics as part of his post-traumatic stress disorder, diagnosed in 2007 after his honorable discharge from the Marine Corps. And that he has flashbacks from his deployment to Falluja, Iraq, in 2004.

Mr. Barker also owns a pistol.

After the Newtown, Conn. massacre last December and the killing of the former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle at a Texas shooting range in February, the media, President Obama, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California and even David Keene, president of the National Rifle Association, have suggested that people with mental illnesses, which could include veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder, be subject to stricter gun restrictions. Many states already have laws saying that people who have mental illnesses or have been committed to mental institutions cannot purchase or own firearms.

But the issue is deeply contentious for many reasons, and not just because it involves gun control and the civil rights of veterans. For mental health professionals and veterans organizations, it also raises questions about the nature of post-traumatic stress disorder and its relationship to violent behavior.

Dr. Eric Elbogen, a clinical psychologist with the Department of Veterans Affairs in Durham, N.C., declined to comment on Mr. Barker’s case. But he said that although PTSD is a mental disorder, decisions on whether to restrict the gun rights of people who have received a diagnosis of PTSD should be individualized. The reason, he said, is that not all people with the disorder are violent.
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