Afghanistan veteran, combat medic helped after shooting

3 Dead, Including Gunman, in Shooting Near Texas A and M
By MANNY FERNANDEZ and MICHAEL SCHWIRTZ
Published: August 13, 2012

COLLEGE STATION, Tex. — A gunman opened fire on police officers near the Texas A and M University campus shortly after noon on Monday, killing at least two people, including a local constable, and wounding four others, the police said. The gunman, who was shot by officers, died after he was taken into custody.

The police identified the constable as Brian Bachmann and said he was shot after approaching the gunman’s house on Fidelity Street about two blocks from campus. A 43-year-old man, Chris Northcliff, who was outside at the time, was also killed.

Rigo Cisneros, 40, an Army medic who served a tour in Afghanistan, saw the shooting from his home across the street.

Mr. Cisneros said he tried to administer CPR to the constable, who was immobile and had no pulse. When paramedics arrived, Mr. Cisneros said he began attending to Mr. Caffall, who had already been handcuffed. read more here

Vietnam Vet receives medal for USS Forrestal fire heroism

Vet receives medal for USS Forrestal fire heroism
The Day
Published 08/13/2012

Norwich - U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney presented service medals to Gregory Potts, a Vietnam veteran, in the Norwich District Office Aug. 6.

Potts, of Willington, received the Navy Commendation Medal with Combat "V," National Defense Service Medal and Vietnam Service Medal with one bronze star, medals he earned but never received when he left the Navy.
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Friends take to sky to bid farewell Air Force veteran

Friends take to sky to bid farewell
By: Sebastian Robertson
YNN
08/13/2012

Friends held a memorial service for Lt. Col. Ed Miller, thousands of feet in the air.

After losing a long battle with cancer, Miller passed away. Friends of the Vietnam vet honored him with a ceremonial skydive in Fentress, just outside of San Marcos Sunday.

“We will remember Ed in this way," one friend said.

Miller served in Vietnam and Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Friends and fellow Marines did not do the jump alone; they were escorted by three Air Force members flying an American flag.

”Everybody was pretty solemn about it. They knew what it was for and everybody wanted to do their best. We had a really nice sky dive," Friend Welson Herchek said. "He is up there grinning right now."
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Stars Earn Stripes 'Trivializing War'

New Reality Show Stars Earn Stripes Slammed By Veteran Group For 'Trivializing War'
Posted on Aug 12, 2012
NBC
By Debbie Emery
Radar Reporter

Reality television has long been accused of pushing moral boundaries, and a new show from NBC that sends celebrities into mock military missions has caused outraged among veteran groups who know the grim reality of real-life combat.

"I was speechless when I first saw this. People have to realize that war is not a game," Amy N. Fairweather, Director of Policy for Swords to Plowshares, told RadarOnline.com in an exclusive interview, when asked about the controversial show.

"The real warriors who go out there and come home from war don’t win a reality prize.

They live with the consequences of being exposed to the dangerous elements they survived."
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Vietnam Veterans of America calls for legislative fix to VA contracting rule

Veterans group calls for legislative fix to VA contracting rule
Federal News Radio
Monday - 8/13/2012
By Ruben Gomez

Vietnam Veterans of America has thrown support behind a congressional effort to loosen a rule that governs service-disabled veteran-owned businesses working for the Veterans Affairs Department.

"Congress may need to move to synchronize the standards of control between VA and [the Small Business Administration]," said Rick Weidman, VVA's executive director for policy and government affairs, in an interview with Federal News Radio.

Weidman criticized a VA rule requiring that service-disabled veterans competing for SDVOSB contracts unconditionally control decision-making within their companies. He said SBA regulations allow more flexibility.

"Literally every day I get emails on both sides of this issue," he said. "And the two sides being people begging for help to throw the frauds out because they're stealing the business, and letters from veterans who are saying, 'look, you know me Rick. You know my business. And [VA is] saying that I'm not qualified.'"

Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), chairman of the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, is crafting legislation to force VA to loosen its rule. Johnson said he favors SBA's process, although he did not say exactly how the bill would change the steps VA uses to verify SDVOSB program eligibility.
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Illinois Veterans Charities get grants from lottery

Nonprofits receive grants from lottery-ticket sales
By NORTHWEST HERALD
Created: Monday, August 13, 2012

SPRINGFIELD – Two McHenry County groups were among seven nonprofit organizations that received grants from Veterans Cash scratch-off lottery tickets sales.

Family Alliance of Woodstock received a $2,000 grant and TLS Veterans of McHenry received $43,787, according to a Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs news release.

The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs announced $330,185 in grants to help nonprofits that deliver specialized programs and services to the Illinois veteran community.
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VA reviewing medications at Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic

Healthcare Inspection
Review of a Patient’s Medication Management
Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic Lincoln, Nebraska
August 10, 2012

Executive Summary
The VA Office of Inspector General Office of Healthcare Inspections conducted a review of the medication management provided for a patient who received health care and prescriptions at the Lincoln Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) of the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa Healthcare System. The patient died unexpectedly, and a medical examiner determined the patient’s cause of death was accidental multidrug toxicity. The purpose of this review was to determine if the patient received appropriate medication management.

The patient had a complex medical and mental health history, which included acute and chronic pain. He was well known to CBOC staff; from 2004 through February 2012, he received MH, primary care, and/or pharmacy services at least every 30 days at the CBOC.

A psychiatrist treated the patient and prescribed medications to address his mental health needs. A physician assistant treated the patient and prescribed medications to address his other acute and chronic conditions. CBOC providers prescribed a number of medications that had the potential for adverse interactions. The patient’s medication regimen remained essentially the same for several years prior to his death. Providers performed medication reconciliations, (reviews of active VA and non-VA medications), and monitored the patient’s compliance with his medication regimen.

Providers, pharmacists, and pharmacy software identified potential adverse medication interactions (low blood pressure, elevated potassium, and electrocardiogram abnormalities). Providers monitored these potential adverse medication interactions by annual blood chemistries, drug levels, and electrocardiograms. Mental Health providers conducted assessments at an appropriate frequency, referred the patient to pain management clinic services, and monitored his prescribed opioid use closely. CBOC providers managed the patient’s medication management appropriately. We made no recommendations. read report here

Camp Lejeune Marine drowns off NC coast

Camp Lejeune Marine drowns off NC coast
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C.

A Camp Lejeune Marine died last weekend after drowning off the coast of Emerald Isle, authorities said Monday.

Lance Cpl. Esrom R. Joseph, 19, of Scott, La., died Saturday. Camp Lejeune authorities said the drowning is under investigation by the Emerald Isle Police Department as well as the command post.
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Police: Officer Shoots Armed Fort Carson Soldier

Police: Officer Shoots Armed Fort Carson Soldier
Fountain Police: Officer Was Responding To Domestic Violence Incident
ABC News 7
Posted By Alan Gathright
August 13, 2012

FOUNTAIN, Colo. -- A man who was shot by a Fountain police officer after police say he threatened family members with a gun has been identified as a 34-year-old Fort Carson soldier.

Stephen Payne was shot by an officer in the 800 block of Daffodil Street just before 1 a.m. Sunday, KRDO-TV reported.
Fountain Deputy Police Chief Bill Elder told the news station that officers responded to a domestic violence case involving a man with a gun.
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Veterans Affairs agency under investigation for conference spending

Veterans Affairs agency under investigation for conference spending
By Lisa Rein
Washington Post
09:00 AM ET, 08/14/2012

The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $5 million—and set aside $4 million more — last year for two training conferences whose organizers are under investigation for breaking ethics rules by improperly accepting gifts, congressional committees and government sources said Monday.

The agency’s inspector general is investigating whether event planners and other organizers of the conference for human resources employees improperly accepted alcohol, concert tickets and spa treatments. Investigators also are looking into tens of thousands of dollars spent on promotional items for conference attendees, government sources said.

A total of about 1800 VA employees attended the four-day events, held in July and August 2011 at the Marriott World Center in Orlando, officials said.

The investigation comes four months after the General Services Administration was engulfed in scandal over a Las Vegas conference for the agency’s West Coast employees that cost $823,000. That four-day event, revealed by the GSA inspector general, was billed as a training exercise but was little more than an entertainment junket. The agency’s top leaders were fired or forced out as a result.
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