Friday, November 14, 2008

Panel: Gulf War vet health research lacking

Panel: Gulf War vet health research lacking

By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Nov 14, 2008 6:46:12 EST

WASHINGTON — Even as possibly hundreds of thousands of veterans suffer from a collection of symptoms commonly called Gulf War illness, the government has done too little to find treatments for their health problems nearly two decades after the war ended, a panel commissioned by Congress said.

The advisory panel of medical experts and veterans wants at least $60 million spent annually for research, calling it a “national obligation,” according to its report, obtained by The Associated Press.

The report, which goes to the Veterans Affairs Secretary James Peake on Monday, said the Defense Department cut research money from $30 million in 2001 to less than $5 million in 2006. Both departments have identified some of their research as “Gulf War research” even when it did not entirely focus on the issue.

“Substantial federal Gulf War research funding has been used for studies that have little or no relevance to the health of Gulf War veterans,” the panel concluded.

Independent scientists have declared that the symptoms of veterans of the 1991 Gulf War do not constitute a single syndrome. They have pointed to pesticide, used to control insects, and pyridostigmine bromide pills, given to protect troops from nerve agents, as probable culprits for some of the varied symptoms.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_gulfwarresearch_111408/

Thursday, November 13, 2008

London Police alerted to 'distressed' mother hours before child killings



Police alerted to 'distressed' mother hours before child killings
Last updated 12 minutes ago
Senior police officer describes scene as 'something no human being should ever have to see in their life'
Woman, 21, sectioned under Mental Health Act
• Social services launch inquiry into family's case
Helen Carter and Sandra Laville guardian.co.uk, Friday November 14 2008 00.01 GMT The Guardian, Friday November 14 2008

The family of a baby and his two-year-old brother who were stabbed to death at home expressed their complete devastation yesterday at the loss of their "beautiful, innocent" children.

A senior police officer described the scene inside the home in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, as "something no human being should ever have to see in their life". Police and ambulance crews who attended the house have been offered counselling.

The boys, Romario Mullings-Sewell, two, and his three-month-old brother Delayno, were discovered at 6pm on Wednesday, a few hours after a family doctor had called police to express concerns at the erratic behaviour of their mother, Jael Mullings. The brothers had single stab wounds to their abdomens.

As Mullings, 21, was arrested on suspicion of murder and sectioned under the Mental Health Act yesterday it emerged the family was known to social services, though the children were not on the at-risk register. The admission that the family was on the radar of social services is likely to once again focus attention on the efficiency of child protection measures in the wake of the death of Baby P in Haringey, north London.

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New Castle soldier death investigated


New Castle soldier death investigated

Updated: Nov 13, 2008 04:54 PM EST

Fort Campbell, KY - The Army is investigating the death of a Fort Campbell soldier who was being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center for injuries suffered in Iraq.

Fort Campbell spokeswoman Kelly Tyler says 22-year-old Spc. William Justice Foster McClellan was found dead on Nov. 6 in his barracks room at Walter Reed.

Tyler says he was being treated for shrapnel injuries to his arms and legs, which were not life-threatening.

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linked from ICasualties.org

DYING DOESN'T STOP AFTER WAR

DYING DOESN'T STOP AFTER WAR

Many of the troops in Iraq have been drawn from the TA
History recounts the awful cost of war - the dead, the maimed and the destruction. But we are now learning more of a hidden cost that often only shows itself when soldiers return home. Battlefield trauma can come with a heavy price.

Peter Mahoney was a long distance lorry driver. He enjoyed his job, his family and friends.

He was, as his wife Donna says, "a loving father and a loving husband".

But he was also dedicated in his commitment to the Territorial Army (TA) as a specialist truck driver.

With the TA comprising a quarter of the British Army, he was always on the call-up list to join front-line actions with his regular army colleagues.

In 2003, his call up came for action in Iraq.

He already had experience of active service with the TA in Bosnia, so his family and he were aware of the implications.

But in August 2004, he died.

He was immaculately turned out in his army uniform - smart as he always was.

But he didn't die on the front line in Iraq. He died in his car, in his garage.
go here for more
http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/northeast/series6/ptsd.shtml

Neb. parents rush to leave kids at 'safe havens'

Neb. parents rush to leave kids at 'safe havens'
State sees uptick in abandoned children before law is rewritten

updated 59 minutes ago
LINCOLN, Neb. - The mother was running out of more than patience when she abandoned her 18-year-old daughter at a hospital over the weekend under Nebraska's safe-haven law. She was also running out of time: She knew that state lawmakers would soon meet in a special session to amend the ill-fated law so that it would apply to newborns only.

"Where am I going to get help if they change the law?" said the mother, who lives in Lincoln and asked to not be identified by name to protect her adopted child.

To the state's surprise and embarrassment, more than half of the 31 children legally abandoned under the safe-haven law since it took effect in mid-July have been teenagers.
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http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27706078/

PTSD on Trial:Wife dead, Iraq veteran convicted

Double tragedy? Some will say no because this wife was murdered. Who did it was not in question. That was known. Ricardo Cortez shot Nikki Fix-Cortez. Her family has closure because "justice" has been granted. They will never have to wonder who killed their daughter or regret that he was not punished for doing it. The rest, we may never know.

There are two families in this. There are two stories in this. A man goes to serve his country and his company in Iraq. A wife waited at home. If she was leaving him, we may never know why. She was pregnant and it is not usual for a wife to leave her husband while pregnant, so there has to be more here.

This story is played out across the nation everyday. A veteran returns from combat with the war inside of him. He is judged by those who came home with just memories trapped in their minds but their ghosts were left behind. There are domestic violence issues that happen because a spouse is in the wrong place, at the wrong time with the wrong reaction simply because they don't know what PTSD does or what it can do. A combat veteran carries his wound well and tries to hide it but the anger and silence, the mood swings and pushing away are screams from his soul begging for help.

If Cortez has PTSD we need to wonder if this death could have been avoided. We need to wonder what else could have been done. If there was anything anyone could have done beside Cortez himself. What about all the others?

There are judges in different parts of the country setting up veteran's courts so they can render justice with knowledge and understanding of the uniqueness of these veterans. These courts deal with minor crimes and not murder. We really have to wonder if the judges dealing with murder cases are as informed as they can be to be able to provide the proper justice and then we need to wonder if while the veteran is incarcerated, if he is getting any help or not.

What I'm trying to say is that while some people will read this post and think "good justice is served" we really don't know if it was or not. Two families facing the rest of their lives with this in their mind, a wife stays in an early grave and a veteran, a man who was willing to lay down his life for this country, will see the rest of his days behind bars. kc

Iraq war veteran convicted in death of wife

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Nov 13, 2008 18:09:45 EST

GREELEY, Colo. — An Iraq war veteran has been convicted of first-degree murder in the shotgun death of his 21-year-old pregnant wife.

A jury took just 2½ hours to convict Ricardo Cortez Thursday in the Sept. 16, 2007, slaying of Nikki Fix-Cortez.

The 25-year-old Cortez pleaded innocent by reason of insanity. The defense said he suffers from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

A psychologist testified that the PTSD stemmed partly from Cortez’s work as a medic during two tours in Iraq and from being molested by his father.

Prosecutors say Cortez shot his wife twice in the back because she was leaving him.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_shootingdeath_111308/

Medal of Honor:Buffalo Soldier Sgt. Cornelius H. Carlton Buried at Arlington National Cemetery

56 Years Later, Arlington Welcomes A Buffalo Soldier
By JESSE A. HAMILTON The Hartford Courant
November 13, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — - Zenobia Penn's uncle is done with his traveling. And her family has learned that sometimes you have to bury a man three times before it's done right.

Penn's Uncle Connie is better known to some by the name on his Medal of Honor citation: Sgt. Cornelius H. Charlton. Now that name will be carved into one of the white stones on the green slopes of Arlington National Cemetery — more than half a century after the family said racism turned the soldier away from this resting place of many of the country's honored heroes.

It's bittersweet, this victory. The family finally gets to see its own Korean War hero put in the place they always thought he should be. But it took so long, a 56-year wait, ended by a little administrative tenacity by Penn, who lives in New London.

Penn, the daughter of Charlton's older sister Fairy Mae Papadopoulos, never knew her uncle. She was a month shy of being born when Charlton was killed taking Hill 549 near the village of Chipo-ri. But she knew his story, the one told around kitchen tables as far back as she can remember. The family's honest-to-goodness hero, awarded the country's highest military honor, handed to his folks by President Harry Truman.
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Neighbors pull father and son veterans from burning home

Neighbors pull vets from burning home
Neighbors pull vets from burning home
09:15 AM CST on Thursday, November 13, 2008
By CYNTHIA VEGA / WFAA-TV
DALLAS — Two military veterans — an elderly father and his son — are recovering after fire consumed their mobile home early Thursday in Southeast Dallas.

Neighbors were alerted to the fire in the 14700 block of Lasater Road shortly after 1 a.m., and they moved quickly to pull James and Danny Malone from the flames.
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Caylee Anthony searchers find toys and bones in river

Another Update at 5:53
This story gets stranger and stranger

Caylee Anthony search yields no bones, unrelated items
Nov 13, 2008 16:52 -0500
('Nov 13, 2008 16:52 -0500', '4:52 PM');

Updated: 58 minutes ago
Divers searching the river at Jay Blanchard Park today found plastic material holding some type of children's toys and what appear to be small bones.
go here for more
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-caylee-anthony-search-found-bones-111308,0,993530.story


Update seen on News 13, police are not happy about this. They want Leonard Padilla to take a polygraph. He contacted the media instead of law enforcement and they are not sure what to think. Caylee's grandparents were interviewed by News 13 and they do not believe what was reported is Caylee's remains.

Divers Find Plastic Bag With Bones, Toys
Divers said they have found a plastic bag filled with toys and bones that appeared to be weighted down with bricks, in a body of water near Blanchard Park. Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla said that, in his gut, he feels it is Caylee. However, OSCO says there is nothing credible or significant. OCSO also wants Padilla to take a polygraph.
Padilla Talks To News 13
Divers Look For Caylee
Read More




Caylee searchers find toys and bones in river
Sarah Lundy and Walter Pacheco Sentinel Staff Writer
2:10 PM CST, November 13, 2008
FBI agents are at Blanchard Park in east Orange County now looking at a bag of toys and bones that divers discovered in the Little Econlockhatchee River.

Four divers are back in the dark waters, continuing their search for more clues that could lead to finding Caylee Marie, who has been missing since June.

Rob Dick, who is coordinating the search along with bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, said it's unclear if the bones come from an animal or human. The bones were found in the same location where dozens gathered Monday for a prayer vigil for Caylee Marie.
click post title for more

I've been tracking this story on my other blog. Good Lord I really hope the pain of the family and the community ends soon. Not knowing must be horrible.

Combat May Cause Long Term Problems for Veterans

http://www.thebaynet.com/news/index.cfm/fa/viewstory/story_ID/10776

Combat May Cause Long Term Problems for Veterans
SOUTHERN MARYLAND - 11/11/2008
By Pete Hurrey

The National Alliance on Mental Illness has released a new 14-page brochure on post-traumatic stress disorder, treatment and recovery. It is available online at www.nami.org/PTSD and is intended to help individuals experiencing symptoms or diagnosed with the illness, along with their families and caregivers.

The sad reality of our nation’s current military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan is that an increasing number of troops returning from those conflicts experience some level of PTSD. Symptoms can include poor concentration, sleeplessness, nightmares, flashbacks, heightened fear, anxiety and disassociation – feeling “unreal” or cut off from emotions.

“PTSD affects individuals and families,” said NAMI medical director Ken Duckworth, M.D. “Traumatic events produce biological responses that affect the mind, brain, and body. Those changes involve everyone.”

“Over a lifetime, approximately five percent of men and 10 percent of women in the general population are diagnosed with PTSD,” Duckworth said. “Risk factors include the type of trauma, degree of exposure and any prior history of trauma. In most cases, there is a direct physical impact. Proximity in witnessing violent, life-threatening events also makes a difference.”

PTSD sufferers are not limited to military veterans. The disorder was acutely evident, especially in children after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the gulf coast. In that case, affected children displayed the same symptoms as soldiers returning from armed conflict.

In her advocacy work on behalf of Veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, Connie Walker, Capt., USN (Ret.) and the president of NAMI Southern Maryland, has observed the devastation unresolved PTSD can bring to returning Veterans and families of Veterans. In a recent interview, she described PTSD as “an invisible wound that is often misunderstood by family members, and by Veterans themselves."

Walker went on to state that Veterans often pull within themselves when they suffer from the disorder. “Telling them to get a grip or shake it off only makes the situation worse,” said Walker.

She went on to explain that family members find the situation difficult to understand when they discover their loved ones are different after returning from armed conflict.

“Many times, active duty service members and Veterans who have served in combat experience feelings of hopelessness, anxiety, or depression. Between serving in a military culture where historically, disclosing a mental health problem has hurt servicemembers' careers, and their awareness of the stigma that surrounds mental health issues in our society even now,
these men and women are often reluctant or refuse to seek help," said Walker.

NAMI’s new brochure on PTSD addresses these areas: Psychological Trauma & PTSD , Risk Factors for Developing PTSD, The Neurobiology of PTSD, What is PTSD?, PTSD & Co-occurring Disorders, Combat Veterans & Trauma, Children & Trauma, Trauma & the Mental Health System, Family Impact of PTSD, Recovery and Coping, Treatment for PTSD, Medications, and Resources -- including NAMI’s Family-to-Family Education Program and NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups.

It notes that treatment for PTSD for returning service members and combat veterans can involve several methods depending on the individual and the severity of the problem; and can range from individual therapy, to group therapy, to a combination of therapy and medication. Like any other mental health condition – the sooner a mental health issue is diagnosed and effective treatment can begin, the better.

In discussing resources available, Walker noted that Dr. Mary Vieten (St. Mary’s County) and Dr. Al Brewster (Calvert County) are local specialists in PTSD and combat PTSD. She also said that through this year’s passage of the Maryland Veterans Behavioral Health Act (SB-210), Southern Maryland now has a Regional Resource Coordinator to assist Veterans and family members in connecting with VA services for these issues and other areas of VA assistance. The RRC’s role includes facilitating connections with local providers when timely and regular access to VA services is impeded by distance from VA Medical Centers in Washington and Baltimore. Southern Maryland’s RRC is Arianna Hammond and can be reached at (410) 725-9993.

In recognition of the need for increased services for Veterans and families, earlier this year, NAMI launched a Veterans Resources Center Web link on their Web site at www.nami.org Whether Veterans and families are looking for information on PTSD, mental illness, or how to obtain VA benefits – the Veterans Resources Center provides an extensive list of sites online to find information.

NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by serious mental illnesses. For more information about NAMI Southern Maryland and programs available in our region, visit their website at www.namisomd.org.

====================

Constance A. Walker, CAPT, USN (Ret)
President, NAMI Southern Maryland
P.O. Box 25
46940 S. Shangri-La Drive, Ste 101
Lexington Park, Maryland 20653