Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Fort Knox soldier pleads no contest in beating of homeless man

Fort Knox Soldier Pleads No Contest in Beating Death of Homeless Man
Posted by Barry Leibowitz

CINCINNATI (CBS/AP) A soldier from Fort Knox in Kentucky pleaded no contest to felonious assault in the beating of a homeless Cincinnati man with a baseball bat and pipe.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20012690-504083.html

Veterans for Obama? Some now have doubts

I've watched Presidents come and go since Kennedy was shot. I've read just about everything concerning veterans going back to the Vietnam War. I had to because I was too young when my husband was there and I wanted to learn. Since 1982 I have paid attention to what's been going on. Readers of this blog know there are a lot of problems in the DOD and the VA because they read all of this everyday. The suicides, attempted suicides, families falling apart and suffering in the military and among veterans is posted way too often. There are serious problems that needed to be corrected yesterday but no one is talking about how we got here.

The fact is we all allowed it. We let it go on when Bush was cutting the VA budget with two wars producing more wounded and we let the GOP leadership say there wasn't enough money to pay for the wounded with "two wars to pay for" when they were in charge and some Democrats were trying to do something. But it isn't all Bush's fault. We also watched it when Clinton was President and very little was being done to address the homeless veterans issue and Gulf War veterans were suffering without help. We watched it when President G.H.W. Bush greeted the Gulf War veterans back home but then forgot about the illnesses they were complaining about. We watched it when President Reagan didn't do enough to address the Vietnam veterans plight. We watched it when President Carter was in the chair as we watched when Ford took the place of Nixon. Yet it goes back even further as we watched, complained and mostly ignored. Hell, everyone had their own problems when they had problems that mattered to the state of their lives but when it involved someone else, well, that was their problem.

So now we have someone in the office who got it. He understood that there were many problems that needed to be fixed in the DOD and the VA. Things have gotten better but even Obama acknowledges there is a lot more work to be done.

He's trying to do something about homeless veterans when up until the last few years, not many people were even talking about them at all.

He's trying to do something about PTSD and a lot more programs have started.

He's trying to do something about the suicides in the DOD and the VA.

We read about all these reports along with the scandal with appointments being canceled but we also read about what is being done. We read about them at the same time we get emails from friends slamming him without giving him any credit at all. So let's be honest here, he has done a lot for veterans and the military. He should be appreciated for that at least.

That said, his staff is letting him down if the reports from Steve Robinson and the IAVA are true. He is the President and he is in charge of his staff. So where the hell is Rahm Emanuel? What is he doing when all this is going on? He is the Chief of Staff. Obama can set the agenda and his staff is supposed to be following his agenda. Face it, the man has more things going on than taking care of the military and veterans but if he doesn't know his staff is not returning phone calls and emails, then isn't it Emanuel's job to deal with it?


Veterans for Obama? Some now have doubts
Leading military vets who joined the 2008 campaign now complain about White House "deafness" and inaction


Relations between the Obama administration and some elements of the military veterans community, a constituency the Obama campaign carefully cultivated for the 2008 election, have grown distant and, in some cases, icy. Some veterans advocates describe a tangible sense of disenchantment, even among some of Obama's staunchest veteran supporters who actively campaigned on his behalf as part of "Veterans for Obama."

The flagging support among veterans results from a combination of unforced errors by the White House in basic constituency relations, coupled with rising frustration that the Obama administration is not aggressive enough in tackling wartime crises that continue to escalate, like suicides in the military. The damage is serious enough that it threatens to lurk as a political liability for Obama in 2012, since disgruntled surrogates might refuse to help the next time around.

"Suicides are skyrocketing, people are being deployed to war with PTSD, people are being denied their healthcare benefits, and the Obama administration is allowing the Department of Defense to punish people who are suffering from PTSD rather than giving them the medical care they deserve," said Steve Robinson, a retired Army Ranger and longtime veterans advocate who has worked for a number of veterans’ organizations. Robinson closely advised then-Sen. Obama on veterans policy and was prominently featured in a video tribute to Obama made by the campaign that played at the Democrats' 2008 convention in Denver. "I am confident that he believes in this generation and that he is actually putting into practice what he believes," Robinson said about Obama, from a huge TV screen at the convention. The Democratic nominee fought for vets, he added, "by stepping out, by speaking up, by legislating, by holding government accountable to take care of this generation when they send them to war."
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Veterans for Obama

Builder modifying veteran's bike — at the VA's expense

Builder modifying veteran's bike — at the VA's expense

A custom shop in Waterford Township, Mich., is modifying a bike for a Vietnam veteran who lost his legs below the knees, and the Veteran’s Affairs Administration is picking up the tab for the modifications.

American Road Shop is doing the modifications for the veteran, who asked not to be identified.

He bought a used 2000 Harley-Davidson Softail with a 1450 cc engine for about $13,000, American Road Shop owner Tim Beaubien, whose staff is converting it to a trike and making it entirely hand-operable.

Beaubien and Mike Brause, a certified mechanic, have been working to modify the transmission to add a reverse gear and the shifter and brakes for full control from the handlebars.

The Veteran’s Affairs Administration wrote a prescription for the veteran to cover the $8,000 conversion.
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Builder modifying veteran bike

Lockheed Martin recognized for support of veterans and reservists

Lockheed Martin Receives U.S. Navy Reserve and Department of Veterans Affairs Recognition for Workplace Support

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Navy Reserve and the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) recently recognized Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT) for outstanding support of U.S. Navy Reservists on active duty and veterans with disabilities.

On July 6, U.S. Chief of Navy Reserve and Commander, Navy Reserve Force, Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink, met with Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Bob Stevens to thank the Corporation for supporting Navy Reservists in its workforce. Debbink presented Stevens a certificate of appreciation for outstanding employer support and expressed gratitude to the Corporation's employees for helping Reservists carry out their service's mission.

"This certificate of appreciation is more than words," Debbink said. "We do not take your support for granted. It's really important for us thank the 136,000 Lockheed Martin employees for their support."

"It's gratifying for our company and employees to receive this accolade," said Stevens. "We have a great desire and capacity to support deployed Reservists and their families, and we do our very best to ensure that veterans and Reservists benefit from a supportive and inclusive environment. Our employees have the highest regard for Reservists and their contributions to our company and to the community," he said.

According to the U.S. Navy Reserve, Lockheed Martin is one of the nation's top employers of Navy Reservists. Almost 250 Lockheed Martin employees serve in the Navy Reserve. Currently, the Corporation has more than 1,200 Reservists from all the service branches, about 400 of whom are on current military leave.

The DVA honored the Corporation with a 2010 Private Sector Employer of the Year Award for the company's exemplary dedication to hiring veterans with service-connected disabilities. The award was presented during the DVA's annual conference in Chicago on July 14. Ruth Fanning, director of Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment Service with the Veterans Benefits Administration, presented the award to Lockheed Martin Worldwide Media Relations Vice President Nettie Johnson.

In accepting the award Johnson said, "It's an honor to receive this award on behalf of Lockheed Martin. Approximately 30,000 veterans who are part of our Corporation bring experience and knowledge from their military service that is extremely beneficial in helping us to best serve our armed forces."

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 136,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's 2009 sales from continuing operations were $44.5 billion.
PR Newswire

North Carolina Soldier and two Marines killed in Afghanistan

Bragg soldier killed in Afghanistan

Fort Bragg, N.C. — A Special Operations soldier was killed Wednesday during a combat operation in Afghanistan, the Department of Defense announced Friday.

Master Sgt. Jared N. Van Aalst, 34, was killed in Konduz Province. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg.
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Bragg soldier killed in Afghanistan


Military: Two Camp Lejeune-based Marines killed in Afghanistan
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Military offiicials say two Marines based in North Carolina have been killed in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense announced on Monday that 20-year-old Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Cornelius of Ashtabula, Ohio, and 19-year-old Pfc. Vincent E. Gammone III of Christiana, Tenn., died on Aug. 7 in Helmand province.
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Two Camp Lejeune based Marines killed

UK:The Chalice Well

Real Life
How a holy well healed Our Boys
By SHARON HENDRY

A gentle wind is blowing softly through an idyllic country garden and the hypnotic sound of healing water can be heard trickling from a holy well.

The Chalice Well, an ancient watering hole buried deep in the heart of mystical Glastonbury, in the lush green Somerset countryside, is a far cry from the dusty, death-ridden plains of Afghanistan. And the New Age healing sessions that are taking place in its grounds are at odds with the usual early morning gun drills and marches of army life.


But for a group of soldiers suffering from severe Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this unusual therapy is proving a miracle cure. Originally launched in 2007, the Warrior Programme aims to help those who have battled on behalf of their country to battle the demons they now face as a result.


Such is its proven success, the army's highest ranking officials are taking notice and even seeking to fund further retreats.


During a three-day programme, soldiers are taught to let go of the past and move on through a series of alternative therapies including t'ai chi, meditation and a Hawaiian 'forgiveness' therapy in which participants are encouraged to cut the imaginary cord holding them to the object of their anger.



Read more: How a holy well healed Our Boys

Monday, August 9, 2010

Vietnam Combat Veterans refuses to set up Moving wall

Vietnam Combat Veterans refuses to set up Moving wall at American Indian Exposition
By Brian Daffron, Today correspondent

Story Published: Aug 9, 2010


ANADARKO, Okla. – During the first week of August each year, several Oklahoma tribes meet in Anadarko to make the annual American Indian Exposition a success. Now in its 79th year, one of this year’s major scheduled events was supposed to be the display of “The Moving Wall,” a trademarked replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Money had been raised throughout the year through benefit gourd dances and other fundraising activities in order to pay the $4,500 application fee and other expenses, and expectations were high.

But when veterans of all nationalities gathered for the opening ceremonies on Aug. 5, there was no Moving Wall. Instead, there was nothing but the wooden stand that volunteers made to fit the specifications as requested by Vietnam Combat Veterans, Ltd. – the White Pine, Mich.-based company who owns the Moving Wall – and the heartbreaking disappointment of an entire community.
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Vietnam Combat Veterans refuses to set up Moving wall

Funeral for McConnell father and sons today

Loved ones say last goodbyes to dad, sons killed in crash

By Mark Jenkins, Reporter
Last Updated: Monday, August 09, 2010 12:49 PM

OVIEDO
Family and friends will say their final goodbyes Monday to an Orlando man and his three sons, who were all killed in a car crash with a suspected drunk driver.

The funeral service for Roy McConnell, Jr., and his sons -- Roy III, Nathan and Kelly -- is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the First Carillon United Methodist Church, in Oviedo.

The Aug. 1 crash left four women without their husbands and boyfriend, two young children without a father, and countless friends coping with the loss.

The McConnells were on a family vacation, when Roy and his sons left their loved ones at home to go to a movie.
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Loved ones say last goodbyes to dad sons killed in crash

Hundreds arrive at memorial for father and 3 sons killed in crash


Updated: 13 minutes ago
A steady stream of friends and family of the four McConnell men killed in a St. Petersburg crash earlier this month are filing into University Carillon United Methodist Church for the 2 p.m. memorial service.

Florida National Guardsman lied about being a SEAL

Soldier washed out of BUD/S but wore Trident

By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Aug 9, 2010 12:44:00 EDT

Second Lt. Douglas Sofranko has spent the last year impressing his fellow soldiers in the Florida Army National Guard with stories of his days as a Navy SEAL, while proudly wearing the distinctive Trident insignia on his Army uniform. He even had the SEAL Creed hung on the wall of his office.

The problem is, it was all a lie.

The 33-year-old Army officer and former enlisted sailor, who works at the Ballard Armory in Miami as rear support for the Guard’s 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry, did attend Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training in Coronado, Calif., in 1996. But according to Naval Special Warfare Command, he washed out of training. His class graduated without him in February 1997.

“He did not complete training, and he is not authorized to wear the Trident insignia,” said Lt. Cate Wallace, spokeswoman for Naval Special Warfare Command.

Sofranko, who left the Navy in 1999, joined the Pennsylvania National Guard and later received his Army commission Aug. 17, 2009, has lived his SEAL lie for much of the last year, sources with his Army unit said. Recently, unit members became suspicious of his claims and started making inquiries.
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Soldier washed out of BUDS but wore Trident

Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan

Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan


By Agence France-Presse
Monday, August 9th, 2010 -- 11:46 am


HERAT, Afghanistan — The Taliban publicly flogged and then executed a pregnant Afghan widow by firing three shots into her head for alleged adultery, police said on Monday.

Bibi Sanubar, 35, was kept in captivity for three days before she was shot dead in a public trial on Sunday by a local Taliban commander in the Qadis district of the rural western province Badghis.

The Taliban accused Sanubar of having an "illicit affair" that left her pregnant. She was first punished with 200 lashes in public before being shot, deputy provincial police chief Ghulam Mohammad Sayeedi told AFP.

"She was shot in the head in public while she was still pregnant," Sayeedi said.

Sayeedi said a local Taliban commander, Mohammad Yousuf, carried out the execution before the woman's body was dumped in an area under government control.
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Taliban publicly flog, then execute pregnant woman in Afghanistan