Honorary officer remembered as hero
Raleigh, N.C. — Raleigh police bid farewell Saturday to a friend and fellow officer. William Bunn, 8, died of a cancer called neuroblastoma Thursday.
On June 11, the Raleigh Police Department made him the city's first honorary officer, fulfilling his dream. Bunn was buried with full police honors, including a flyover by a police helicopter.
Bunn always wanted to be a police officer. He liked the cool cap, the crisp uniform, but most of all, he loved the job description.
Officer Graham Witherspoon remembered meeting Bunn last April. The two struck up a friendship when Witherspoon visited the boy's school.
"I said, 'What do officers do?' He said, 'Simple. Catch the bad guys.'"
"For him to become an officer, for him to enjoy it, was probably the proudest day of my life, in my career," Witherspoon said.
Bunn proudly carried his police badge for the last three weeks of his life. Inside his casket Saturday, he wore his police uniform.
go here for more if you want your heart warmed
http://www.wral.com/news/local/noteworthy/story/7902381/
linked from CNN
Monday, July 5, 2010
NFL coaches meet wounded soldiers in Afghanistan
4 NFL coaches visit troops in Afghanistan
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT (AP) – 1 hour ago
As Andy Reid visited with injured soldiers in a hospital at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't get over how eager they were to return to action.
"You see guys in there, some of them missing limbs and some pretty beat up," Reid said. "These guys couldn't wait to go back out there, if they could, and fight to protect our country. It's quite an amazing thing."
Reid, John Fox of the Carolina Panthers, Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals and Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings met with hundreds of soldiers at the air field north of Kabul over the Fourth of July weekend.
The NFL-USO coaches tour is in its second year. Last year, five coaches visited troops in Iraq.
Watching a war unfold on TV half a world away and then suddenly being with the soldiers doing the fighting was an eye-opening experience for the coaches.
go here for more
4 NFL coaches visit troops in Afghanistan
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT (AP) – 1 hour ago
As Andy Reid visited with injured soldiers in a hospital at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan, the coach of the Philadelphia Eagles couldn't get over how eager they were to return to action.
"You see guys in there, some of them missing limbs and some pretty beat up," Reid said. "These guys couldn't wait to go back out there, if they could, and fight to protect our country. It's quite an amazing thing."
Reid, John Fox of the Carolina Panthers, Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals and Brad Childress of the Minnesota Vikings met with hundreds of soldiers at the air field north of Kabul over the Fourth of July weekend.
The NFL-USO coaches tour is in its second year. Last year, five coaches visited troops in Iraq.
Watching a war unfold on TV half a world away and then suddenly being with the soldiers doing the fighting was an eye-opening experience for the coaches.
go here for more
4 NFL coaches visit troops in Afghanistan
Camp Pendleton Marine died in Afghanistan saving another
Camp Pendleton Marine died in Afghanistan while carrying wounded Marine
July 5, 2010 8:33 am
The body of Cpl. Larry Harris Jr., 24, a Camp Pendleton Marine killed in Afghanistan, has been returned to the U.S. and to his family in Colorado.
And the details of Harris' heroism are beginning to emerge.
Harris, a mortar man, was killed July 1 while on combat patrol in Helmand province, a Taliban stronghold. His patrol was ambushed and Lance Cpl. Jake Henry was wounded.
Harris was carrying Henry to safety outside the "kill zone." Brian Henry, the lance corporal's father, wrote on a Facebook page for family members of the 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment:
"He was carrying my son when he tripped an explosive device. His life was lost but my son lives.
go here for more
Camp Pendleton Marine died in Afghanistan
Kayaker says he found 46 military grave markers going back to Civil War
Kayaker says he found 46 military grave markers
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 5, 2010 13:03:26 EDT
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown kayaker says he found a cache of military grave markers in the Lehigh River.
Joe Brozowski said he found 46 of the small markers in shallow water near a Catasauqua bridge last month.
read more here
Kayaker says he found 46 military grave markers
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Jul 5, 2010 13:03:26 EDT
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — An Allentown kayaker says he found a cache of military grave markers in the Lehigh River.
Joe Brozowski said he found 46 of the small markers in shallow water near a Catasauqua bridge last month.
He said some appear to honor service dating back to the Civil War.
There are no signs of corrosion, suggesting they were dumped recently.
read more here
Kayaker says he found 46 military grave markers
Tiny spider bite nearly claims Washington man's life
Tiny spider bite nearly claims Wash. man's life
By Associated Press
PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - What seemed like a minor spider bite almost turned deadly for a Port Angeles plumber.
The Peninsula Daily News reports that Joel Roberson was working on a plumbing job in May when a tiny spider bit him. A few days later, his leg had swollen to twice its size, then fevers set in. Doctors gave him antibiotics, and he improved, but he soon developed a full-body skin rash.
"One day it would be a little bit better, and so we would put off going to the doctor for another day," said his wife, Sandi Roberson.
The bite had let in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - commonly known as MRSA.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/97745559.html
By Associated Press
PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - What seemed like a minor spider bite almost turned deadly for a Port Angeles plumber.
The Peninsula Daily News reports that Joel Roberson was working on a plumbing job in May when a tiny spider bit him. A few days later, his leg had swollen to twice its size, then fevers set in. Doctors gave him antibiotics, and he improved, but he soon developed a full-body skin rash.
"One day it would be a little bit better, and so we would put off going to the doctor for another day," said his wife, Sandi Roberson.
The bite had let in Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - commonly known as MRSA.
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/97745559.html
Navy brass targets hike in sexual assaults
Navy brass targets hike in sexual assaults
Intervention strategy mimics college efforts
By Jeanette Steele, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Originally published July 3, 2010 at 10:41 p.m., updated July 4, 2010 at 12:02 a.m.
The Navy’s top brass wants commanders to “get uncomfortable” about sexual assaults, which are happening at the rate of more than one a day and to one in five female sailors during her career — mostly at the hands of other shipmates.
“A lot of it is blue on blue, sailor on sailor,” the Navy’s No. 2 officer, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert, said during a recent speech in San Diego.
“In your Navy and my Navy, that’s, to me, totally unsatisfactory. I have a problem even talking about it. It gets me irritated,” he said.
After spending five years concentrating on supporting victims but seeing no decrease in assault numbers, the Navy’s new tactic is to get “left of the event” — the same language the Pentagon used when it concentrated on diminishing roadside bomb deaths.
They are instructing sailors to step in when something looks sinister, even if the perpetrator is of a higher rank — something, they acknowledge, that may be tough to achieve because the difference between a commander and a petty officer is woven into the basic fabric of the military.
The Navy recently held “bystander intervention” seminars in San Diego, Virginia and Hawaii. It’s a pilot program, and officials will look at the results before they roll out the seminars to the entire fleet.
read more here
Navy brass targets hike in sexual assaults
linked from Stars & Stripes
Intervention strategy mimics college efforts
By Jeanette Steele, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Originally published July 3, 2010 at 10:41 p.m., updated July 4, 2010 at 12:02 a.m.
The Navy’s top brass wants commanders to “get uncomfortable” about sexual assaults, which are happening at the rate of more than one a day and to one in five female sailors during her career — mostly at the hands of other shipmates.
“A lot of it is blue on blue, sailor on sailor,” the Navy’s No. 2 officer, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert, said during a recent speech in San Diego.
“In your Navy and my Navy, that’s, to me, totally unsatisfactory. I have a problem even talking about it. It gets me irritated,” he said.
After spending five years concentrating on supporting victims but seeing no decrease in assault numbers, the Navy’s new tactic is to get “left of the event” — the same language the Pentagon used when it concentrated on diminishing roadside bomb deaths.
They are instructing sailors to step in when something looks sinister, even if the perpetrator is of a higher rank — something, they acknowledge, that may be tough to achieve because the difference between a commander and a petty officer is woven into the basic fabric of the military.
The Navy recently held “bystander intervention” seminars in San Diego, Virginia and Hawaii. It’s a pilot program, and officials will look at the results before they roll out the seminars to the entire fleet.
read more here
Navy brass targets hike in sexual assaults
linked from Stars & Stripes
Military enlistment a popular option during recession
Military enlistment a popular option during recession
With the nation's economy suffering and unemployment hovering near 10 percent, many are remaining in uniform longer than they planned. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines exceeded their retention goals last year and this year despite the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Army met 124 percent of its goal last year, compared with 102 percent in 2001.
With the nation's economy suffering and unemployment hovering near 10 percent, many are remaining in uniform longer than they planned. The Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines exceeded their retention goals last year and this year despite the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Army met 124 percent of its goal last year, compared with 102 percent in 2001.
Talks of cutting funds for troops disgraceful
When will politicians understand that they are the people responsible for committing men and women to fight the battles they decide need to be fought? Taking care of them and their families are part of the deal considering how much they are sacrificing for our sake. Taking care of them should never, ever be part of any debate but should be a priority.
Anyone suggesting the troops are not worth the price, needs to ask themselves what part of freedom they do not want anymore. Yes, budgets have to be cut but try to start with the no-bid contracts defense contractors have received and holding them to account for every dime of tax payer funds. Considering how much of the defense budget goes to them, that seems like a perfect place to start. When it comes to the troops, lawmakers should be ashamed of the disgraceful thoughts of cutting the budget off their backs.
Anyone suggesting the troops are not worth the price, needs to ask themselves what part of freedom they do not want anymore. Yes, budgets have to be cut but try to start with the no-bid contracts defense contractors have received and holding them to account for every dime of tax payer funds. Considering how much of the defense budget goes to them, that seems like a perfect place to start. When it comes to the troops, lawmakers should be ashamed of the disgraceful thoughts of cutting the budget off their backs.
Military benefits target in cost-cutting talks
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Jul 4, 2010 10:11:52 EDT
From the left, right and center of the political spectrum, talk about drastically cutting military personnel costs is on the rise.
The $549 billion defense budget makes for a juicy target, and the $197 billion of that budget that goes to personnel costs is being attacked from all sides — even the Defense Department itself — as excessive in a time of economic malaise and belt-tightening.
The list of programs under attack includes pay raises, retired pay, health care benefits, commissaries and exchanges, and even the size of the force.
“We are very concerned about the outlook for the future,” said Joe Barnes of the Fleet Reserve Association, who is also a co-chairman the Military Coalition, a group of more than 30 military-related organizations. “We have had a lot of successes over the last 10 to 12 years, and we need to maintain them and to make further improvements.”
But, he added, “There is some pain coming.”
On the right, tea party activists and fiscal conservatives want the government to stop spending so much.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/07/army_benefits_070210w/
White House celebrates 4th with 1,200 troops and family members
Obama has Troops Over for the Fourth
July 05, 2010
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
President Obama opened the South Lawn of the White House to more than 1,200 American servicemembers and their families yesterday for a Fourth of July celebration.
Visitors ate hot dogs and ice cream to the sounds of Dixieland jazz played by the Marine Corps Band before Obama, speaking from the bunting-adorned balcony of the White House, thanked the military families gathered for doing their part in protecting the United States.
"This is the spirit of which Adams spoke so long ago," he told them. "You are the men and women who toil to defend these states. You are patriots, and you have earned your place among the greatest generations."
read more here
Obama has Troops Over for the Fourth
July 05, 2010
Military.com
by Bryant Jordan
President Obama opened the South Lawn of the White House to more than 1,200 American servicemembers and their families yesterday for a Fourth of July celebration.
Visitors ate hot dogs and ice cream to the sounds of Dixieland jazz played by the Marine Corps Band before Obama, speaking from the bunting-adorned balcony of the White House, thanked the military families gathered for doing their part in protecting the United States.
"This is the spirit of which Adams spoke so long ago," he told them. "You are the men and women who toil to defend these states. You are patriots, and you have earned your place among the greatest generations."
read more here
Obama has Troops Over for the Fourth
UK former sergeant major wanted to go to jail instead of being a burden
Iraq war veteran: Haunted, in prison, now homeless
Karen McVeigh The Guardian, Monday 5 July 2010
John Dale has completed 20 years of military service, in Iraq – the last time in 2006 amid some of the fiercest fighting of the war – and Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland. His plan was to leave the army and join the police or fire service.
But today, aged 40, the former sergeant major and father of three children is homeless, living in a tent in the garden of the Margate house belonging to the brother of his wife, Kerry.
He had been released from prison in April, after being found not guilty of the attempted murder of Kerry. The charge, he says, came about after he lied to police so that they would lock him up, so that his family, who had watched helplessly as he fell apart, would not have to "babysit" him any more.
Dale's life began to unravel two years ago, when his regiment, the 1st Battalion, the Light Infantry, was preparing to return to Iraq on what would have been his fourth tour. He never made it. The nightmares and flashbacks he increasingly suffered but had tried to suppress, became impossible to ignore. He saw dead children everywhere. He couldn't see a way out and tried to kill himself.
read more here
Iraq war veteran Haunted in prison now homeless
Case study: Former sergeant major John Dale's life began to unravel two years ago, when 20 years of military service brought nightmares and flashbacks
Karen McVeigh The Guardian, Monday 5 July 2010
John Dale has completed 20 years of military service, in Iraq – the last time in 2006 amid some of the fiercest fighting of the war – and Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland. His plan was to leave the army and join the police or fire service.
But today, aged 40, the former sergeant major and father of three children is homeless, living in a tent in the garden of the Margate house belonging to the brother of his wife, Kerry.
He had been released from prison in April, after being found not guilty of the attempted murder of Kerry. The charge, he says, came about after he lied to police so that they would lock him up, so that his family, who had watched helplessly as he fell apart, would not have to "babysit" him any more.
Dale's life began to unravel two years ago, when his regiment, the 1st Battalion, the Light Infantry, was preparing to return to Iraq on what would have been his fourth tour. He never made it. The nightmares and flashbacks he increasingly suffered but had tried to suppress, became impossible to ignore. He saw dead children everywhere. He couldn't see a way out and tried to kill himself.
read more here
Iraq war veteran Haunted in prison now homeless
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