Army captain dies serving in South Korea
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jul 29, 2012
WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe says an Army captain from Maine has died while serving in South Korea.
Snowe said in a statement released Saturday that 30-year-old David Haas, of Brunswick, died Friday. She didn’t release his cause of death.
read more here
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Would Private Chen have lived with hope given back to him?
While I have not been posting on the information coming out on Private Chen's death, this one really caused me to be infuriated enough to post it. Had someone given Chen hope of getting away from his tormentors, given him a reason to try one more day, he may have decided to live one more day.
2 minutes ago
Pvt. Danny Chen killed himself not knowing of planned transfer
By DAVID ZUCCHINO
The Los Angeles Times
Published: July 29, 2012
FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Pvt. Danny Chen, a Chinese American infantryman who prosecutors say was hazed and abused by fellow platoon members in Afghanistan, was scheduled to be moved out of the unit less than two days after he killed himself last Oct. 3, his company commander testified at a court-martial Saturday.
Capt. Sean Allred said Chen was to be removed from the unit because he was performing poorly as a soldier and was unfit for combat at the dangerous outpost. Allred said he was unaware that Chen was suicidal or that platoon members were accused of hazing the private and humiliating him with ethnic slurs.
Allred said he would have immediately provided help for Chen if he’d known how troubled he was. “I wish that information had been provided to me,” the captain said.
Chen did not know about the transfer plans, according to testimony.
read more here
SCHARF: The power of his story
Pay really close attention to this for now.
Between 2008 and 2010 I was certified as a Chaplain and trained in crisis intervention with almost every group down here in Florida for this reason. Everything I read from trusted experts said talking after trauma is vital to healing from it. This was all a reenforcement of what I grew up with. My family, unaware of it, did what psychologists have been doing. They got me to talk. I had their time, patience and naturally their two cents but what I didn't have was their judgment. I talked until I didn't have to talk anymore.
I saw a psychologist when I was younger, dealing with the way my father was when he was a violent alcoholic but stopped drinking after the damage was done. When I was done talking, I stopped going. The last time I went to a psychologist was when no one in my family could understand what Vietnam did to my husband anymore than they could understand PTSD. Again, I talked until I was done talking, well almost. My psychologist had me write in between appointments. The last time I saw her I promised what I wrote would be turned into a book and I did it, but it proved I really wasn't done talking even though I didn't need anyone to "hear" me.
You don't have to take my word on how important it is to talk, especially after combat. You can hear Medal of Honor Sammy Davis for that.
The only problem with this comes when no one is talking right after the event. Talking is still necessary in healing but it gets more complicated as time goes by.
When Combat PTSD has taken hold, it has invaded every part of the veteran. Anyone treating these men and women has to address the whole person or nothing will really work.
For veterans, I wait until I have their trust, then ask them what their worst nightmare is. It is usually centered on something that happened for real. I have them talk about it and tell me what happened. I listen carefully as they try to piece it all together. I give them time to go back and put in things they had forgotten about. When they are done, I'll ask them about something I think is missing from what they told me, usually it is the beginning of their remembrance of the event. Getting them to look at everything from start to finish opens the door for me to help them get to the point where they can either forgive themselves or someone else. In other words, they make peace with it. They cannot change what happened but they can change what "it" turns into. When they actually say the words, the power hold is broken. Needless to say, I love the article I read above.
SCHARF: The power of his story
By GREG SCHARF
Last year, I attended a seminar on treatment for patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. The speaker was Capt. Paul Hammer, the psychiatrist who was in charge of that unit at Balboa Naval Hospital. What he said was very simple and revolved around two themes. The first is that only a psychopath can go into battle and come out unchanged. Some people come out devastated, some people come out stronger, for most, it's a combination of the two.
The second was that the road to mental health for those experiencing PTSD was simple: Let them tell their story repeatedly until it loses its power.
We have lost another hero in this Valley, Army Sgt. Eric Williams of Murrieta. There is power in his story, his sacrifice and his blog (myfriendthemedic.blogspot.com) are his testament.
He talks of the change our warriors undergo under the force of the uncertainity, the atrocities of war, the chaos, "the sting of losing someone we tried hardest to save" and how, when they come home, they take with them "the weight of a thousand missions" ---- something that few civilians will ever understand, at least on the visceral level Williams describes.
Williams then talks about the world to which he's returning and how alienated he feels from the country he fought for.
"The truth is that the general American public couldn't give a (expletive) about us. They want their Starbucks and celebrity gossip, and their '16 And Pregnant.' We are breeding a generation of young people who have no idea what this country is founded on or what its citizens had to go through to make this country great and more about what time Jersey Shore is on."
read more here
Between 2008 and 2010 I was certified as a Chaplain and trained in crisis intervention with almost every group down here in Florida for this reason. Everything I read from trusted experts said talking after trauma is vital to healing from it. This was all a reenforcement of what I grew up with. My family, unaware of it, did what psychologists have been doing. They got me to talk. I had their time, patience and naturally their two cents but what I didn't have was their judgment. I talked until I didn't have to talk anymore.
I saw a psychologist when I was younger, dealing with the way my father was when he was a violent alcoholic but stopped drinking after the damage was done. When I was done talking, I stopped going. The last time I went to a psychologist was when no one in my family could understand what Vietnam did to my husband anymore than they could understand PTSD. Again, I talked until I was done talking, well almost. My psychologist had me write in between appointments. The last time I saw her I promised what I wrote would be turned into a book and I did it, but it proved I really wasn't done talking even though I didn't need anyone to "hear" me.
You don't have to take my word on how important it is to talk, especially after combat. You can hear Medal of Honor Sammy Davis for that.
The only problem with this comes when no one is talking right after the event. Talking is still necessary in healing but it gets more complicated as time goes by.
When Combat PTSD has taken hold, it has invaded every part of the veteran. Anyone treating these men and women has to address the whole person or nothing will really work.
For veterans, I wait until I have their trust, then ask them what their worst nightmare is. It is usually centered on something that happened for real. I have them talk about it and tell me what happened. I listen carefully as they try to piece it all together. I give them time to go back and put in things they had forgotten about. When they are done, I'll ask them about something I think is missing from what they told me, usually it is the beginning of their remembrance of the event. Getting them to look at everything from start to finish opens the door for me to help them get to the point where they can either forgive themselves or someone else. In other words, they make peace with it. They cannot change what happened but they can change what "it" turns into. When they actually say the words, the power hold is broken. Needless to say, I love the article I read above.
Chick-fil-A holier than cow
Chick-fil-A holier than cow
by
Chaplain Kathie
Chick-fil-A has caused a lot of pain in this country and attacked "gays" they seem fine with hating. I listened to a lot of people claiming to be Christian while knowing very little about what Christ said. (Good Lord do these people own a Bible with Red Letters?) Do they ever read the Sermon on the Mount?
This is the most famous and loving thing Christ had to say about how we treat each other and how we should live our OWN lives.
Christ talked about adultery and divorce but you don't hear any of these people talk about either one of them even though Christ also said no one sin is worse than another, with all equal in the eyes of God. He talked about forgiving, giving to the needy, keeping your word, and "True and False Disciples"
While Christ had a lot to say while He walked the earth, who gets quoted on the gay issue is Paul. Paul, you know the same guy who spent his days hunting down Christians because he was so sure he was right and everyone else was evil when they followed Christ until he was on the road to Damascus and Christ set him straight on all he got wrong. As Saul, he was a know it all. As Paul he was learning, then teaching, but he was still "Saul" deep inside with his own ideas.
The bottom line in all of this is we can intend to do good and get it wrong so we all need to actually look at what Christ said. He never said one word about being gay even though we know there were gay people at the time.
So this is how you may be able to make sense out of all of this.
If you believe that being gay is a sin, it is not. Adultery is. So it is not the fact that gay people have sex, but more they are having sex with someone they are not married to. If a straight couple gets divorced and marries someone else while their ex-spouse lives, they are committing adultery. I'm guilty of that because while my first marriage was annulled by the church, my husband's first marriage was not by his. A lot of marriages ended yet you don't see a company like Chick-fil-A coming out and condemning divorce and adultery because society has accepted it as part of what is normal in most households.
There is what society says is fine and what Christ said was not, so how can we justify one sin over another? We can't, or we shouldn't.
When in doubt, I turn back to the Sermon on the Mount and try to live the way Christ said I should and treat people accordingly. Not perfectly in anything because right now I am judging Chick-fil-A and have not missed that point. They have the right to do and not do with their business just as people have the right to believe what they believe. Too bad they don't think others have the same right.
I am not gay but I am a sinner in other ways. What they do in their own lives does not hurt me but what I do and say can hurt them and hurting someone else is not what Christ preached.
There are gay men and women risking their lives in the military right now wondering how that can be forgotten just because they are gay.
On a personal note, the only thing I like at Chick-fil-A is their fries but just like their position on gay people, their fries are flat and full of holes.
by
Chaplain Kathie
Chick-fil-A has caused a lot of pain in this country and attacked "gays" they seem fine with hating. I listened to a lot of people claiming to be Christian while knowing very little about what Christ said. (Good Lord do these people own a Bible with Red Letters?) Do they ever read the Sermon on the Mount?
This is the most famous and loving thing Christ had to say about how we treat each other and how we should live our OWN lives.
The Beatitudes
He said:
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Christ talked about adultery and divorce but you don't hear any of these people talk about either one of them even though Christ also said no one sin is worse than another, with all equal in the eyes of God. He talked about forgiving, giving to the needy, keeping your word, and "True and False Disciples"
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’
While Christ had a lot to say while He walked the earth, who gets quoted on the gay issue is Paul. Paul, you know the same guy who spent his days hunting down Christians because he was so sure he was right and everyone else was evil when they followed Christ until he was on the road to Damascus and Christ set him straight on all he got wrong. As Saul, he was a know it all. As Paul he was learning, then teaching, but he was still "Saul" deep inside with his own ideas.
The bottom line in all of this is we can intend to do good and get it wrong so we all need to actually look at what Christ said. He never said one word about being gay even though we know there were gay people at the time.
So this is how you may be able to make sense out of all of this.
If you believe that being gay is a sin, it is not. Adultery is. So it is not the fact that gay people have sex, but more they are having sex with someone they are not married to. If a straight couple gets divorced and marries someone else while their ex-spouse lives, they are committing adultery. I'm guilty of that because while my first marriage was annulled by the church, my husband's first marriage was not by his. A lot of marriages ended yet you don't see a company like Chick-fil-A coming out and condemning divorce and adultery because society has accepted it as part of what is normal in most households.
There is what society says is fine and what Christ said was not, so how can we justify one sin over another? We can't, or we shouldn't.
When in doubt, I turn back to the Sermon on the Mount and try to live the way Christ said I should and treat people accordingly. Not perfectly in anything because right now I am judging Chick-fil-A and have not missed that point. They have the right to do and not do with their business just as people have the right to believe what they believe. Too bad they don't think others have the same right.
I am not gay but I am a sinner in other ways. What they do in their own lives does not hurt me but what I do and say can hurt them and hurting someone else is not what Christ preached.
first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
There are gay men and women risking their lives in the military right now wondering how that can be forgotten just because they are gay.
On a personal note, the only thing I like at Chick-fil-A is their fries but just like their position on gay people, their fries are flat and full of holes.
A veteran in search of validation
Emily Yates: A veteran in search of validation
By Gary Peterson
Contra Costa Times
Posted:07/29/2012
OAKLAND -- Sometimes it's as subtle as an arched eyebrow. Other times it's a full-on, in-your-face confrontation. No matter how the message is delivered, it grates on Emily Yates:
You are not a "real" veteran.
"I want to be given credibility where credibility is due, that's all," said Yates, an Oakland resident and UC Berkeley student who served two tours in Iraq during her six years as an Army public affairs specialist. "I'm not asking for anyone to put me on a pedestal. I just don't want anyone to discredit me when I haven't done anything to earn it."
Upon her discharge in 2008, Yates hopped in her car and embarked on meandering cross-country journey. She hasn't slowed down since. In addition to her education -- her major is Near Eastern Studies -- she has immersed herself in activism, music, photography and writing.
But to her, the coming-home experience is diminished when her military service is dismissed as something less than legitimate. She has some theories why that is sometimes the case -- why some have trouble reconciling her anti-war stance with her Army career, or why people in the VA office look at her "like, so who's your father?", or why she was told during a heated debate at a recent Cal Veterans Group meeting to "get the (expletive) out" if she didn't like the way the group was being run.
read more here
By Gary Peterson
Contra Costa Times
Posted:07/29/2012
OAKLAND -- Sometimes it's as subtle as an arched eyebrow. Other times it's a full-on, in-your-face confrontation. No matter how the message is delivered, it grates on Emily Yates:
You are not a "real" veteran.
"I want to be given credibility where credibility is due, that's all," said Yates, an Oakland resident and UC Berkeley student who served two tours in Iraq during her six years as an Army public affairs specialist. "I'm not asking for anyone to put me on a pedestal. I just don't want anyone to discredit me when I haven't done anything to earn it."
Upon her discharge in 2008, Yates hopped in her car and embarked on meandering cross-country journey. She hasn't slowed down since. In addition to her education -- her major is Near Eastern Studies -- she has immersed herself in activism, music, photography and writing.
But to her, the coming-home experience is diminished when her military service is dismissed as something less than legitimate. She has some theories why that is sometimes the case -- why some have trouble reconciling her anti-war stance with her Army career, or why people in the VA office look at her "like, so who's your father?", or why she was told during a heated debate at a recent Cal Veterans Group meeting to "get the (expletive) out" if she didn't like the way the group was being run.
read more here
Rep. Tim Scott gave veterans a piece of paper and a load of BS
Scott's vets event an insult to veterans, says Rose
JULY 28, 2012
BY: ROB GROCE
In a historic march conducted 80 years ago today, 17,000 military veterans were joined by 26,000 other Americans in valid protest; instead of receiving promised pay and benefits, these American war heroes had only been given paper certificates.
In a complete slap in the face to that historic event, this evening Rep. Tim Scott gave local World War II veterans a paper certificate, and after he voted for a budget that cut $11 billion from veterans' benefits.
This apparent disrespect left congressional candidate Bobbie Rose with a bad taste in her mouth.
“I respect them, I honor their sacrifices and I hold them in highest esteem. I applaud any event held just to say ‘thank you’ to our bravest men and women,” says Rose, Scott’s Democratic challenger.
“But is this event enough to replace the benefits they’re about to lose?”
Rose refers to Scott’s support of the fiscal year budgetary bill recently proposed by the Republican Party, which substantially reduced funding for veterans’ benefits.
“While our veterans certainly deserve all the accolades Scott offers, they need proper benefits more, which our congressman is working to take away, based on his vote for the Ryan Budget.”
Deriving its name from its primary sponsor, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisc.), the bill contains substantial cuts in military benefits, some of which will leave 130,000 veterans without needed healthcare.
“The Ryan Budget is an insult to every American veteran. It’s 98 pages long and does not even contain the word ‘veteran.’ It contains over $11 billion in cuts that adversely affect our veterans, yet never mentions them by name.”
read more here
Flags Line Berne In Honor of Fallen Soldier
Flags Line Berne In Honor of Fallen Soldier
By Stephanie Parkinson
By Eric Dutkiewicz
July 28, 2012
BERNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - The body of Army Spc. Nick Taylor will return to Northeast Indiana Sunday, and preparations for his procession home are already being made.
More than 100 people gathered at South Adams High School to place an estimated 2,200 flags along the procession route in Berne.
read more here
By Stephanie Parkinson
By Eric Dutkiewicz
July 28, 2012
BERNE, Ind. (Indiana's NewsCenter) - The body of Army Spc. Nick Taylor will return to Northeast Indiana Sunday, and preparations for his procession home are already being made.
More than 100 people gathered at South Adams High School to place an estimated 2,200 flags along the procession route in Berne.
read more here
Soldier's Angels responds to Michael Yon
I am not sure what this is all about and frankly, I don't know enough about Michael Yon or Soldier's Angels to have an opinion. I've been too busy with what I do but I know some readers support Soldier's Angels and may not know about this.
UPDATE
Charity Ratings and Board Response
07/25/12
An Open Letter to Our Friends and Volunteers
Below is a letter from the Chairman of our Audit Committee and Member of the Board of Trustees, Richard Lowe. The Board of Trustees has recommended that this response get as wide an audience as possible, so we encourage you to share the message.
Wingtip to Wingtip,
Patti Patton-Bader
Soldiers' Angels Founder and CEO
It has come to the attention of Soldiers' Angels Board of Trustees that allegations have been raised by Michael Yon regarding the stability of our organization. We understand that some of our volunteers and supporters are disheartened by these charges, and we would like to take the opportunity to respond to them. We would also like to take this time to explain the ratings that were given to Soldiers' Angels by Gloria Wise/Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Charity Navigator, two independent rating organizations.
First, let me address organizational stability. Mr. Yon’s allegations are baseless at best. Soldiers' Angels has worked with over 400,000 highly-motivated volunteers since in its inception. In any organization of this size there will always be interpersonal conflicts and hard feelings between some of the volunteers; that is only normal. As our charity evolves in its mission to support service members and their families, organizational priorities change and some individuals may feel that their particular program isn’t being given the proper amount of attention. Rest assured, the Board weighs every issue and does its level best to make sure that everyone is accommodated, but our focus is on delivering the maximum benefit to those who are serving or have served in harm’s way. While most of our volunteers understand and support this concept, a handful of them have opted to air their grievances publicly, which has created fodder for Mr. Yon, who in turn has elevated concern among our other volunteers.
We assure you that the organization is in good standing and we sincerely hope that the actions of a few people who have placed personal agendas above service do not tarnish the feelings you have for all the amazing work you do. We want to once again thank all of our volunteers for giving so much of themselves to our men and women in uniform.
read more here
UPDATE
Clarification
Not knowing enough about Soldier's Angels is not a bad thing. It just means I have not heard complaints about them from the veterans or the troops. When I spend time checking out a charity like Disabled Veterans Foundation (not the DAV) or Wounded Warrior Project, it is caused by complaints from the veterans they claim to be doing everything for. If I get a few complaints, I let it go but when I get a lot, then I check them out so that people will know the flip side of great PR advertising and can make an informed decision to support them or not. Always check out a charity to see if they deserve your money.
The two groups I am involved with are the Disabled Veterans of America
The 1.2 million-member Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a non-profit 501(c)(4) charity dedicated to building better lives for America’s disabled veterans and their families.
The DAV was founded in 1920 by disabled veterans returning from World War I to represent their unique interests. In 1932, the DAV was congressionally chartered as the official voice of the nation’s wartime disabled veterans.
And Point Man International Ministries taking care of veterans with PTSD since 1984.
Both of these groups were established a long time ago and help all generations of veterans.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Military Suicides leave DOD and NRA at odds
Why would this happen? The number one choice of suicides connected to military service is a firearm. Does the NRA care about any of this? No one is talking about taking away their guns. As I've pointed out a thousand times I'd rather see a veteran with a gun and getting help than not getting help. Besides, if you take away their guns they use the next in line for ways to commit suicide. Still what is wrong with talking to them about all this? If the DOD wanted to prevent suicides then they would drop the BS program called "resiliency" and finally open up their ears to hear what they can do. This is about to get a lot worse the long troops are in Afghanistan and still not getting the right kind of help. The NRA should be more involved in saving their lives than stopping the commanders from even talking to them!
Amid suicide 'epidemic,' military at odds with NRA over law
Published: July 28, 2012
To help combat suicide in the military, leaders would like greater leeway in talking to a servicemember about it and whether they personally own a firearm. Standing in their way, is a new law backed by the National Rifle Association that is frustrating things.
Some U.S. military commanders are at odds with the National Rifle Association over a relatively new law that bars them from talking to a servicemember about their personal firearms if the individual lives off base, according to a Christian Science Monitor article.
The NRA-backed law, which went into effect in early 2011, includes language that prohibits them from talking to their charges about weapons and safety, particularly when they live off base. The article relied heavily on Gen. Peter W. Chiarelli, the Army's former vice chief of staff.
read more here
Hundreds attend funeral for Capt. MacFarlane
This morning at Glen Haven Memorial Park in Winter Park Florida, hundreds of people gathered together to honor the life of Capt. MacFarlane. The Orlando Nam Knights and Patriot Guard Riders formed a wall of flags.
Oviedo soldier dies in Afghanistan
July 8, 2012
By Leslie Postal and David Breen
Orlando Sentinel
A U.S. Army captain from Oviedo died in Afghanistan on Friday about three months after his Army Reserve unit was mobilized.
Bruce A. MacFarlane, 46, died in Kandahar, according to the Department of Defense, which did not provide information on how he died.
He was assigned to the 1186th Transportation Company, 831st Transportation Battalion, which is based in Jacksonville.
"He was a great guy, good family guy," said Keith Marang, who lives next door and said he met MacFarlane when both families moved into their new homes in 2008. "I was just floored when I heard the news."
He said MacFarlane, befitting his military career, was clean-cut and fit and looked younger than his age. He and his wife have two children, a son and a daughter, Marang said, adding that he thought they were in their early teens. He said the family moved to Oviedo from DeLand.
A person who answered the door at the family's large, modern home Sunday afternoon said they were not available, and she was not authorized to release any information. She said she was a friend of the family, and they'd been devastated by the news.
MacFarlane, who spent 12 years on active duty, was very patriotic, with an American flag always flying from his home, his neighbor said. Several small flags and red, white and blue pinwheels decorated the flower pots at the front door Sunday, presumably from the Fourth of July holiday last week.
read more here
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