Saturday, November 15, 2008
Iraq's Cabinet to vote on security pact with US
By HAMZA HENDAWI and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA, Associated Press
BAGHDAD – Iraq's Cabinet will vote Sunday on a security pact with Washington that would keep U.S. forces in the country for another three years, a major step in efforts to balance Iraqi demands for national sovereignty with the security concerns of the two allies.
In a bid to secure support for the agreement from the country's top Shiite cleric, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Saturday dispatched two senior lawmakers to see Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani in the holy city of Najaf, south of Baghdad, with a copy of the pact's final draft.
A senior official at al-Sistani's office said the cleric told the two legislators — Khalid al-Attiyah and Ali al-Adeeb — that the document represented "the best available option" for Iraq, signaling that he would not object to it if the Cabinet and later parliament approve it.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said al-Sistani indicated to al-Attiyah and al-Adeeb that he wanted the agreement to pass by a comfortable majority in the 275-seat parliament.
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US helicopter down in Iraq's Mosul, two dead
15 Nov 2008 19:44:06 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds deaths)
BAGHDAD, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Two U.S. soldiers were killed in a helicopter accident in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Saturday, a military spokeswoman said.
The helicopter involved was an OH-58 Kiowa Warrior, a small scout helicopter fitted with weapons. It hit overhead cables as it was attempting to land.
"There has been a helicopter incident in Mosul. They're classifying it now as a hard landing when it came in contact with wires," Captain Charles Calio said earlier on Saturday.
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http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LF144121.htm
11 year old Brenden Foster: 'I could have done more'"
Brenden Foster: 'I could have done more'
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The local boy whose dying wish to feed the homeless inspired thousands across the world has taken a turn for the worse. Brenden Foster is growing weaker. His body is failing, his skin yellowing. His mother is trying to decide on the wording for his grave marker.
BOTHELL, Wash. -- The local boy whose dying wish to feed the homeless inspired thousands across the world has taken a turn for the worse.
Brenden Foster is growing weaker, but his message is growing stronger.
His body is failing, his skin yellowing. His mother is trying to decide on the wording for his grave marker.
"B-Man is his nickname, or Mr. B. But most people call him B-Man," said Wendy Foster.
The end is near, and Brenden has one question for God.
"Why at so young an age? I could have done more. But if it has to be now, it has to be now," he said.
It's easy to imagine all he could have accomplished after seeing what the 11 year old has achieved in his final days. Brenden's dying wish to help the homeless has touched hearts from Saudi Arabia to South Carolina. Many of them left voice messages for their new hero.
"We saw you on television and love you with all of our hearts and we're praying for you," said Gayle Cleveland.
"(I'm) 59 years old and it brings tears to my eyes every time I see him -- someone with that initiative that wants to help the homeless," said Danny Billingsly.
"We collected over 20,000 cans of food and donated it to a local food bank in your honor," said a woman named Nina.
A Vietnam vet from Kentucky who lost his leg in the war wants me to give Brenden his Purple Heart for bravery.
"This is for you, little angel," said Jim Jones. "A bunch of guardian angels here and a bunch of guardian angels are waiting for you in heaven."
Brenden's message inspired Daniel Chairez, a 12-year-old boy in California who is also battling leukemia.
"He really inspired me because he's not afraid. And he wants to help people and he's not selfish," he said.
How you can help
In Brenden's honor, KOMO News will be holding a food drive for Northwest Harvest and Food Lifeline. You can drop off food on Thursday, November 20th at Fred Meyer stores in Issaquah (6100 E Lake Sammamish Parkway SE), Federal Way (33702 21st Avenue SW) or Brenden's hometown of Bothell (21045 Bothell-Everett Hwy).
If you can't make it in person, you can donate online by going to the Problem Solvers donation page and select "Brenden Foster Food Drive" from the donation options list.
Donations to the family can be made to the "Brenden Foster Cancer Fund" at any Washington Mutual bank branch.
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Eagle Scout's dream comes true, even after he succumbs to cancer
Darryl E. Owens | COMMENTARY
November 15, 2008
Simon Sharp could have been the poster child for Scouting -- the kind of Boy Scout who lived the creed, served his community, respected elders and embraced people with friendship. A born leader his fellow Scouts admired.
Bradley Trowbridge came up in Scouting with Simon, looked up to his senior patrol leader, and wouldn't shrug at going that extra mile if Simon asked.
At 11 this morning, friends, families, and veterans will meet at Founder's Park in the Osceola County community of Celebration. They'll gather to dedicate The Celebration Veterans Memorial, the labor of love that Simon, who belonged to Boy Scout Troop 125, chose for his Eagle Scout project.
In doing so, they'll celebrate a special pact, born of a friendship so strong that Bradley refused to allow Simon's dream to go unfulfilled even after his friend passed away.
Three summers ago, Simon sold commemorative American flag pins on the Fourth of July. The pins brought in $7,000, and his project was off and running. But the following month, life tripped Simon up. He fell ill, stricken with an aggressive form of leukemia.
With Simon undergoing treatment, and fighting fevers, nausea and pneumonia, his comrades tended to his project. They raised more than $12,000 toward the $40,000 budget.
Halfway through Simon's 30-month treatment regimen, doctors knew the cancer would win -- long before the monument ever would come to fruition.
But Simon was determined he'd die an Eagle Scout. Last November, he slid off his oxygen mask, endured his Eagle Scout interview, and, one last time, gasped the Scout Oath.
He died the next day at age 16.
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Cops: Man hid stolen money in prosthetic leg
Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer
November 15, 2008
MERRITT ISLAND - Brevard County deputies on Friday arrested a man in a wheelchair they say robbed a credit union on Merritt Island and hid the money in his prosthetic leg. Christopher Warren Reed, 45, was caught about 4:15 -- 10 minutes after investigators say he robbed Space Coast Credit Union on Fortenberry Road. Reed, a paraplegic who uses a motorized wheelchair, came into the credit union about 4 p.m., told a teller he was armed with an explosive and demanded money, the Sheriff's Office said. He left with an undisclosed amount of cash that was recovered in the prosthetic leg when he was caught about a block away, they said. Reed told investigators that two people had threatened him with a gun, told him to commit the robbery and were going to take the money for themselves. He was arrested on charges of robbery, grand theft, threatening to use a hoax explosive device and aggravated assault.
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http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-robber-
hides-money-in-leg-08nov15,0,2114685.story
The War Within: Eyewitness News investigates PTSD, Part V
By By Kurt Rivera, Eyewitness News
Video
* Editor's Note: This is the final installment in an Eyewitness News special report on post-traumatic stress disorder. For months, Eyewitness News has been documenting personal accounts of the devastating disorder. Many military veterans have never spoken publicly about their agonizing problems.
By the time all troops in Iraq and Afghanistan finally come home, thousands will face a different battle: post-traumatic stress disorder. So how are veterans and their families getting help? And, is the Department of Veterans Affairs prepared for the expected onslaught of cases? Amber Allen is married to a Bakersfield Marine veteran diagnosed with PTSD."You want to throw in the towel all the time. You really do. Like I quit, I'm done," says Amber Allen.
"My marriage is starting, hopefully it doesn't, to go down the drain. I don't want it to," says Marine veteran Mike Allen.
Mike Allen and wife Amber are opening-up at a counseling session at Good Samaritan Hospital in southwest Bakersfield."It comes firmly out of his mouth. Nothing will make me happy," says Amber referring to husband Mike.
The Allens who have known each other since they were thirteen.
"I served eight and a half years in the Marine Corp and I was diagnosed with severe PTSD," say Mike Allen surrounded by his family in a cozy conference room.This is ground zero in their desperate attempt to save a close knit marriage deeply impacted by Mike's struggle from within.
"Takes a lot of courage to just be free enough to take the risk, just to talk," says Russ Sempell who leads the counseling session.
Russ Sempell and Patrice Maniaci are co-founders of the counseling session called "Frontline."
"It's a unique "National Alliance on Mental Illness" or "NAMI" support group geared towards counseling family and friends of veterans with PTSD."Have you accepted I've got a different deck of cards to play with this time?" says Sempell speaking directly to Amber Allen.Sempell is a clinical psychologist and licensed family & marriage therapist at Good Samaritan Hospital.
Maniaci is a recovering survivor of PTSD learning to understand a father who developed the disorder in World War Two and Korea."I saw that he wasn't that crappy old drunk that we all hated or that I did. He was a veteran suffering with the trauma he suffered while he was in the war," says Maniaci.
"We had a veteran last night that was excited about getting help for the first time in fifty years.
Our motto is we're trying to save lives and save families," says a beaming Sempell.
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http://www.bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/34495484.html
PTSD stigma is over for us
After 26 years of doing outreach work, the stigma of PTSD is finally over for my husband. It was up to him when I started to use my married name because our story has been so personal. It took a long time to get here but from now on you'll see the name DiCesare on my posts and videos.
When I started to write, I was still in high school. The newspaper back home was used to seeing my name and when we got married, they had a hard time adjusting to the new name. I kept it. Back then it came in handy so that I could write about living with PTSD when the stigma was overwhelming the veterans and their families. Trying to get people to understand that living in silence should have never been necessary was nearly impossible. I tried to get people to understand that until they began to talk about this wound, the stigma would live on and they would suffer needlessly.
My husband is a private man, a quiet man and without a doubt one of the most magnificent I've ever met. Out of respect for his need for privacy, very few people knew my full name. While the work I do is because of him, veterans have claimed my heart because of him, this has never been about him. It's been about all of us. The men and women serving this nation and all the ones who came before them. It's been about the families trying to cope and understand what this wound does, not just to the veteran but to the entire family.
While I have responded to emails with full disclosure so that verifying my background can be done, many have not even bothered to ask. If you have any questions, please email me at namguardianangel@aol.com
There are still some things I do want to keep private but our lives have been pretty much an open book and that can be read from this blog on the side bar under Free Book, For the Love of Jack.
We will always run up against people who refuse to understand. We will always come in contact with people who refuse to become educated. It takes courage to talk about this but the more we do, someday, we will get to the point where the shame is laid at the feet where it belongs. Not on the veterans and not on their families, but on the judgmental people too closed minded and hard hearted to listen and learn. Over 7 million people are living with PTSD in the USA alone. Millions more across the globe. We have plenty of company.
We need to do this for the Vietnam veterans, still trying to heal and we need to do this for the new generation so they do not have to suffer in silence anymore. We need to be their voices until they can find their own.
Senior Chaplain Kathie "Costos" DiCesare
International Fellowship of Chaplains
407-754-7526
Namguardianangel@aol.com
http://www.namguardianangel.org/
http://www.woundedtimes.blogspot.com/
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of early wars were treated and appreciated by our nation." - George Washington
Troops sick from burn pits urged to contact DAV
Military official: Situation improving; troops report health complications
By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Nov 15, 2008 7:02:03 EST
Top News StoryBurn pit falloutDisabled American Veterans has issued a call to all service members and veterans who think they may have illnesses related to burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq: Contact the DAV so they can collect data and look for trends.
“Anyone out there who thinks they may have had a long-term health effect ... needs to file a complaint” with the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Kerry Baker, DAV’s associate national legislative director.
Noting that it took Vietnam veterans 20 years to gain benefits for exposure to the defoliant Agent Orange, Baker said, “We don’t want to see these guys have to wait 20 years. We want to see Congress act right away.”
He said service members should be alert for respiratory-related problems, such as allergies, sleep apnea, trouble breathing, asthma and lymphocytic leukemia, as well as skin diseases. Of the 300 to 400 disability cases Baker said he has personally reviewed since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, he said 30 percent potentially could be linked to the burn pits. He said he’s amazed by the numbers of troops reporting sleep apnea.
Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., also has demanded an investigation in an Oct. 31 letter to Army Gen. David Petraeus, the new chief of U.S. Central Command.
“After years of helping veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf Wars cope with the health effects of toxic battlefields, we have learned that we must take exposures to toxins seriously,” Feingold wrote.
He asked Petraeus to inform him of pending investigations into the “prevalence of health care conditions among those potentially exposed to toxins and particulates,” as well as why more incinerators are not taking the place of burn pits in Iraq.
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Friday, November 14, 2008
Disabled veterans swimming with the sharks
Shark swim helps vets feel whole again
An innovative program at the Georgia Aquarium is helping disabled veterans feel free
Swimming with sharks helps veterans feel whole again
Story Highlights
Fish Wish program allows veterans with disabilities to swim with sharks
Program is open to the public, but waiting list is long and cost is $290
Veterans report feeling "equal" in the weightless environment of water
By Judy Fortin
CNN Medical Correspondent
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Retired Army Spc. Scott Winkler had many scary encounters while serving in Iraq, but they were nothing compared with his recent experience at the world's largest aquarium: swimming alongside a massive whale shark.
The fact that Winkler, 35, of Augusta, Georgia, is a paraplegic made the once-in-a-lifetime experience even more challenging.
"It's like you're in space," Winkler said. "It's like you're an able body again. It makes you feel so free."
Winkler was paralyzed five years ago during an accident while unloading ammunition in Tikrit, Iraq.
He is one of more than two dozen disabled veterans who have participated in the Fish Wish program at the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta during the past two months.
A separate swim and dive program is open to the public, but the waiting list is nearly full until the end of the year.
The experience isn't cheap. A half-hour dive costs $290. The veterans swam for free.
Therapeutic recreational specialist Susan Oglesby helps train safety divers at the aquarium to assist swimmers with disabilities. She explained there are very few limitations in the tank. Watch more on veterans swimming with sharks »
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DoD Rethinks 'Personality Disorder' Separations, but only half way
They were left with no money, no jobs, families that fell apart, some ended up homeless, some ended up committing suicide and Lord knows what else they suffered after they were wounded in service to this nation then slapped in the face by the commanders they trusted with their very lives. That is what this all comes down to. The men and women serving this nation were willing to lay down their lives for this nation and they put their faith and trust in their commanders to give the right orders, have the right plans and equipment needed and the get as many of them home as possible as soon as possible. What they did not allow to enter into their minds was that these very same commanders would be so blind to the wound of PTSD that has been suffered by warriors since man first went to war with man, that they would betray them. Where is their justice? Has anyone bothered to study what happened to any of them? Any clue what happened to over 22,000 of them or their families? Does anyone care? Changing the rules and procedures is great but you cannot forget about the ones it's already been done to. Let's get this right!
DoD Rethinks 'Personality Disorder' Separations
Tom Philpott November 13, 2008
Crackdown Begins On 'Personality Disorder' Separations
Under pressure from Congress and following the Army's lead, the Department of Defense has imposed a more rigorous screening process on the services for separating troubled members due to "personality disorder."
The intent is to ensure that, in the future, no members who suffer from wartime stress get tagged with having a pre-existing personality disorder which leaves them ineligible for service disability compensation.
Since the attacks of 9/11, more than 22,600 servicemembers have been discharged for personality disorder. Nearly 3400 of them, or 15 percent, had served in combat or imminent danger zones.
Advocates for these veterans contend that at least some of them were suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or traumatic brain injury but it was easier and less costly to separate them for personality disorder. By definition, personality disorders existed before a member entered service so they do not deemed a service-related disability rating. A disability rating of 30 percent or higher, which most PTSD sufferers receive, can mean lifelong access to military health care and on-base shopping.
Over the last 18 months, lawmakers and advocates for veterans have criticized Defense and service officials for relying too often on personality disorder separations to release member who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan or other another areas of tension in the Global War on Terrorism.
A revised DoD instruction (No. 1332.14), which took effect without public announcement August 28, responds to that criticism. It only allows separation for personality disorder for members currently or formerly deployed to an imminent danger areas if:
1) the diagnosis by a psychiatrist or a PhD-level psychologist is corroborated by a peer or higher-level mental health professional,
2) if the diagnosis is endorsed by the surgeon general of the service, and
3) if the diagnosis too into account a possible tie or "co-morbidity" with symptoms of PTSD or war-related mental injury or illness.
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http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,179143,00.html