Army Chief Of Staff Presents Purple Hearts In SA
KSAT.com - San Antonio,TX,USA
General Says Health Care Level Improving, But Still Needs More
POSTED: 4:52 pm CST November 17, 2008
SAN ANTONIO -- While much has been done to improve the level of care for wounded military members, some issues still remain, said the U.S. Army's highest-ranking officer.
Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the current chief of staff of the Army and former commander of multi-national forces in Iraq was in San Antonio on Monday to bestow the Purple Heart on two Army specialists injured while serving in Iraq.
Casey Jr. said the Army has multiple conflicts when dealing with issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and brain injuries among its ranks.
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Soldier says faulty grenade blew hand off
Soldier says faulty grenade blew hand off
FBI agents speak out on injuries from faulty grenades
Story Highlights
Weapon emits bright flash, deafening bang that's used to shock and disorient
Three FBI agents injured when flash-bang grenade unexpectedly went off
Federal indictment says manufacturer knew weapon was defective
Pyrotechnic Specialties says "indictment is lacking in detail, vague and/or confusing"
By Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost
CNN Special Investigations Unit
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The explosion happened without warning around 4 a.m. in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
FBI agents were sitting in this car when a "flash-bang" grenade on one of the agents went off without warning.
1 of 3 FBI agent Donald Bain was sitting in his car in a parking lot with two other agents. He was armed and wore a Kevlar vest. He was also carrying a "flash-bang" grenade, a nonlethal weapon that emits a bright flash and deafening bang that's used to shock and disorient criminal suspects or the enemy in combat situations.
The three agents -- Bain, Thomas Scanzano and James Milligan -- were waiting for developments on a kidnapping that had turned into a hostage stakeout.
That's when, Bain says, the flash-bang grenade in his vest just blew up.
"The car is on fire," Bain recalled. "I was told later I was on fire. Smoke billowing in the car. It was obviously chaos."
Scanzano remembers "it was like being in combat. There was smoke and fire in the vehicle, and I knew that we were in trouble."
An ambulance rushed the three agents to a nearby hospital.
"To me, it felt like someone just whacked me in the back with a baseball bat as hard as they could," said Bain, recalling the incident, which happened four years ago.
Bain suffered severe bruising, a concussion and burns to his neck and ears. All three agents said they have experienced hearing loss.
"There was smoke, and it was like a grenade going off in the car," Scanzano said.
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FBI agents speak out on injuries from faulty grenades
Story Highlights
Weapon emits bright flash, deafening bang that's used to shock and disorient
Three FBI agents injured when flash-bang grenade unexpectedly went off
Federal indictment says manufacturer knew weapon was defective
Pyrotechnic Specialties says "indictment is lacking in detail, vague and/or confusing"
By Abbie Boudreau and Scott Zamost
CNN Special Investigations Unit
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The explosion happened without warning around 4 a.m. in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
FBI agents were sitting in this car when a "flash-bang" grenade on one of the agents went off without warning.
1 of 3 FBI agent Donald Bain was sitting in his car in a parking lot with two other agents. He was armed and wore a Kevlar vest. He was also carrying a "flash-bang" grenade, a nonlethal weapon that emits a bright flash and deafening bang that's used to shock and disorient criminal suspects or the enemy in combat situations.
The three agents -- Bain, Thomas Scanzano and James Milligan -- were waiting for developments on a kidnapping that had turned into a hostage stakeout.
That's when, Bain says, the flash-bang grenade in his vest just blew up.
"The car is on fire," Bain recalled. "I was told later I was on fire. Smoke billowing in the car. It was obviously chaos."
Scanzano remembers "it was like being in combat. There was smoke and fire in the vehicle, and I knew that we were in trouble."
An ambulance rushed the three agents to a nearby hospital.
"To me, it felt like someone just whacked me in the back with a baseball bat as hard as they could," said Bain, recalling the incident, which happened four years ago.
Bain suffered severe bruising, a concussion and burns to his neck and ears. All three agents said they have experienced hearing loss.
"There was smoke, and it was like a grenade going off in the car," Scanzano said.
Stern has also filed a civil lawsuit against PSI on behalf of Dean Wagner, a master sergeant in the Army who also said he was seriously injured by a flash-bang grenade that he says prematurely detonated and was manufactured by PSI.Earlier this year, PSI, its chief operating officer, David Karlson, and three other defendants were indicted for fraud, conspiracy and money laundering. According to the federal indictment, PSI had a $15 million contract to supply flash-bang grenades to the military before it supplied them to the FBI. Watch soldier describe losing his hand from flash bang »
An emotional Wagner told CNN he was days away from finishing his second tour in Iraq when he was putting away his flash bangs. One of them exploded, severely damaging his right hand. The injuries were so severe that he ended up having his hand amputated.
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L.A. County offers crisis counseling to fire victims
Most of you know I do videos on PTSD. There are several that should go here. More later.
First one is that while we focus on the victims, we need to remember the firefighters trying to save lives and as much property as they can. PTSD I Grieve is about firefighters and police officers who also happen to be members of the National Guard. They train to serve here and their communities, then they get deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, then come home again. They need a lot of help.
Second one is PTSD Not God's Judgment. While it was intended for warriors, it has been used to help firefighters and police officers. We tend to come out of tragedies and wonder if God just judged us after it happened. PTSD is not a judgment against anyone.
PTSD After Trauma is for the victims.
IFOC Chaplain Army Of Love is about the Chaplains who go rushing in to help and they are never really reported on. These are quiet heroes, going where they are needed and when they are needed. It does not matter what the cause of the trauma was, usually, they are right there.
For more information about the IFOC, go here
L.A. County offers crisis counseling to fire victims
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
By Kate Linthicum
12:07 PM PST, November 17, 2008
The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is offering free crisis counseling to victims of the Sayre and Freeway Complex fires.
"When you talk about traumatic events like these, they will be affecting people for days, weeks, months and even years after," said Ken Kondo, a spokesman for the department. "The recovery process has to start now."
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First one is that while we focus on the victims, we need to remember the firefighters trying to save lives and as much property as they can. PTSD I Grieve is about firefighters and police officers who also happen to be members of the National Guard. They train to serve here and their communities, then they get deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, then come home again. They need a lot of help.
Second one is PTSD Not God's Judgment. While it was intended for warriors, it has been used to help firefighters and police officers. We tend to come out of tragedies and wonder if God just judged us after it happened. PTSD is not a judgment against anyone.
PTSD After Trauma is for the victims.
IFOC Chaplain Army Of Love is about the Chaplains who go rushing in to help and they are never really reported on. These are quiet heroes, going where they are needed and when they are needed. It does not matter what the cause of the trauma was, usually, they are right there.
For more information about the IFOC, go here
International Fellowship of Chaplains Chaplaincy Training ...Dave and Judy Vorce
The International Fellowship of Chaplains, Inc. (IFOC) is a non profit, providing training, recognition, certification and information
Gen. George Casey said "Soldiers need more time at home"
Two points that need to be remembered here. During the presidential campaign, there were a lot of veterans upset saying they heard Senator Obama wanted to cut the size of the military because he wants to cut the budget. They wouldn't listen. The size of the Army alone is going to increase. The spending cuts are to stop spending money that does not need to be spent, as in the case of contractors in Iraq and their cost plus billing and other waste. The other part is that this is not the first time longer dwell time has been talked about. Congress held hearings on this two years ago but not much has been done to do it.
Casey: Soldiers need more time at home
By MICHELLE ROBERTS - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Nov 17, 2008 16:39:30 EST
SAN ANTONIO — After years of longer and more frequent deployments, soldiers should get more time at home as long as overall demand for troops overseas holds steady, the Army chief of staff said Monday.
Increasing the time troops have at home is probably the most important element for readying them for future assignments, said Gen. George Casey during a news conference after a Purple Heart ceremony.
With the size of the Army growing and demand holding steady, soldiers should get nearly 18 months at home starting next year. By 2011, they should get two years at home to undergo more training and spend time with their families, Casey said.
Soldiers and their families have been strained by 15-month deployments ordered as part of the surge in Iraq. Some have been getting less than a year at home between deployments and are on their second or third tour.
A reduction to yearlong deployments and the planned growth in troops should give soldiers more time away from the battlefield, Casey said. The Army plans to add 74,000 troops by 2011.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/ap_casey_111708/
Marine accused in disappearance hoax arrested
Marine accused in disappearance hoax arrested
By Associated Press BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - A Marine accused of faking his own disappearance to avoid returning to his unit was arrested Sunday in Port Angeles, Wash., and his father was arrested for investigation of aiding and abetting.
Acting on a tip from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office in Colorado, Port Angeles police arrested 23-year-old Lance Hering at the Port Angeles airport.
His father, Lloyd Hering, also was arrested.
Lance Hering, a lance corporal and Iraq war veteran, was on leave from Camp Pendleton, Calif., when he disappeared in 2006.
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By Associated Press BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - A Marine accused of faking his own disappearance to avoid returning to his unit was arrested Sunday in Port Angeles, Wash., and his father was arrested for investigation of aiding and abetting.
Acting on a tip from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office in Colorado, Port Angeles police arrested 23-year-old Lance Hering at the Port Angeles airport.
His father, Lloyd Hering, also was arrested.
Lance Hering, a lance corporal and Iraq war veteran, was on leave from Camp Pendleton, Calif., when he disappeared in 2006.
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Air crash in B.C. kills 7; 1 survives
Air crash in B.C. kills 7; 1 survives
One man walked away with minor injuries from a plane crash that killed all seven others aboard Sunday off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
By Kristi Heim and Nick Perry
Seattle Times staff reporter
A remarkable story of survival is emerging from a plane crash that killed seven people Sunday off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
The sole survivor scrambled out of the wreckage just before it burst into flames and, enduring burns to his body, hiked for several hours down a hillside to the waterfront, according to reports. There, wrapped in a yellow sheet, he was able to flag down a coast-guard boat.
The chartered plane, a Grumman Goose flown by Pacific Coastal Airlines, crashed around 10:30 a.m. on remote South Thormanby Island, 35 miles northwest of Vancouver in the Strait of Georgia, said Wayne Bamford, a Canadian coast-guard officer. It had been taking a construction crew from Vancouver International Airport to Powell River, B.C.
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One man walked away with minor injuries from a plane crash that killed all seven others aboard Sunday off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
By Kristi Heim and Nick Perry
Seattle Times staff reporter
A remarkable story of survival is emerging from a plane crash that killed seven people Sunday off British Columbia's Sunshine Coast.
The sole survivor scrambled out of the wreckage just before it burst into flames and, enduring burns to his body, hiked for several hours down a hillside to the waterfront, according to reports. There, wrapped in a yellow sheet, he was able to flag down a coast-guard boat.
The chartered plane, a Grumman Goose flown by Pacific Coastal Airlines, crashed around 10:30 a.m. on remote South Thormanby Island, 35 miles northwest of Vancouver in the Strait of Georgia, said Wayne Bamford, a Canadian coast-guard officer. It had been taking a construction crew from Vancouver International Airport to Powell River, B.C.
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California firefighters make gains
MARCIO JOSE SANCHEZ / AP
California firefighters make gains
Calm winds have allowed firefighters in Southern California to make gains on two raging wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee.
Read story
6-year-old Marysville girl shot in head Sunday has died
6-year-old Marysville girl shot in head Sunday has died
By The Associated Press
MARYSVILLE — A 6-year-old Marysville girl who was shot in the head Sunday has died, according to KING5.com.
The Snohomish County sheriff's office says the girl was shot as her father was cleaning guns.
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St. Pete police shoot armed suicidal man
St. Pete police shoot armed suicidal man
Nov 17, 2008
St. Pete police shoot armed suicidal man
ST. PETERSBURG -- A police officer shot and wounded a man that pointed a gun at officers who were responding to a report of a domestic dispute Sunday night.
The shooting victim has been identified by police as Roberto Garcia Lara, 42, of 6528 12th St. N.
The incident started when St. Petersburg police received a call from an alarm company at about 9 p.m. in reference to a woman screaming.
Police said the woman may have pushed a panic button on the alarm system at the home at 6528 12th St. N. Representatives with the alarm company heard the woman yelling and notified police.
When officers arrived, they found a "very emotional" woman in the front yard, said St. Petersburg Police spokesman Bill Doniel. The woman told police her husband was suicidal.
"She told officers they were having an argument and that he wanted to kill himself," Doniel said.
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Nov 17, 2008
St. Pete police shoot armed suicidal man
ST. PETERSBURG -- A police officer shot and wounded a man that pointed a gun at officers who were responding to a report of a domestic dispute Sunday night.
The shooting victim has been identified by police as Roberto Garcia Lara, 42, of 6528 12th St. N.
The incident started when St. Petersburg police received a call from an alarm company at about 9 p.m. in reference to a woman screaming.
Police said the woman may have pushed a panic button on the alarm system at the home at 6528 12th St. N. Representatives with the alarm company heard the woman yelling and notified police.
When officers arrived, they found a "very emotional" woman in the front yard, said St. Petersburg Police spokesman Bill Doniel. The woman told police her husband was suicidal.
"She told officers they were having an argument and that he wanted to kill himself," Doniel said.
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Veterans Airlift Command reunites wounded vets and families
Giving Vets A Lift
Veterans Airlift Command is an organization that offers free flights to soldiers and their families with pilots volunteering their services, planes, and paying for the fuel costs. Chip Reid reports.
November 17, 2008
Watch CBS Videos Online
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4608140n
Veterans Airlift Command is an organization that offers free flights to soldiers and their families with pilots volunteering their services, planes, and paying for the fuel costs. Chip Reid reports.
November 17, 2008
Watch CBS Videos Online
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4608140n
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