Shaq's wife in Orlando car crash
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Updated: 11:51 a.m.
The wife of former Orlando Magic center Shaquille O'Neal was injured Tuesday when she was involved in a traffic accident in Orlando. Read more...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Suicidal woman, mother who called police die in shootout
Suicidal woman, mother who called police die in shootout
Story Highlights
Barbara Baker died at the scene; daughter, Penny Schwartz, 51, died at hospital
Baker had called police, said Schwartz was trying to shoot herself, police say
When officer arrived, Baker said Schwartz had said she wanted "police to shoot her"
Pair shot after Schwartz pointed gun at officer, police say
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A 75-year-old suburban Atlanta woman who called police for help died in a shootout between the policeman who responded and her suicidal daughter, police said Wednesday.
Barbara Baker of Duluth died at the scene Tuesday night, and her daughter, Penny Schwartz, 51, died overnight at a hospital, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department.
read more here
Suicidal woman, mother who called police die in shootout
Story Highlights
Barbara Baker died at the scene; daughter, Penny Schwartz, 51, died at hospital
Baker had called police, said Schwartz was trying to shoot herself, police say
When officer arrived, Baker said Schwartz had said she wanted "police to shoot her"
Pair shot after Schwartz pointed gun at officer, police say
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- A 75-year-old suburban Atlanta woman who called police for help died in a shootout between the policeman who responded and her suicidal daughter, police said Wednesday.
Barbara Baker of Duluth died at the scene Tuesday night, and her daughter, Penny Schwartz, 51, died overnight at a hospital, according to the Gwinnett County Police Department.
read more here
Suicidal woman, mother who called police die in shootout
Soldier on leave for funeral dies
Soldier on leave for funeral dies
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, July 22, 2009
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 22-year-old soldier who died while on leave at his home in Litchfield, Maine.
Pvt. Lawrence "Larry" Gowell II died at home on Saturday from what his father suspects was a blood clot. Gowell had been at the warrior transition unit in Baumholder after being diagnosed last fall with post-traumatic stress disorder. He had just served his first tour in Iraq.
He had returned to Maine on July 15 to attend a relative’s funeral. His father, also named Larry, said Tuesday that an official cause of death has not been determined, but that he suspected it was a blood clot.
"He had a sore around his leg," the father said by phone from his home in Maine. "It was hurting him bad. I tried getting him to go to the hospital, but he didn’t want to because he had just gotten home."
Gowell leaves behind a wife, Crystal; a 2-year-old son and a 15-month-old daughter, as well as his parents, Larry and Lisa, both of Litchfield.
By Seth Robbins, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, July 22, 2009
BAUMHOLDER, Germany — Family and friends are mourning the loss of a 22-year-old soldier who died while on leave at his home in Litchfield, Maine.
Pvt. Lawrence "Larry" Gowell II died at home on Saturday from what his father suspects was a blood clot. Gowell had been at the warrior transition unit in Baumholder after being diagnosed last fall with post-traumatic stress disorder. He had just served his first tour in Iraq.
He had returned to Maine on July 15 to attend a relative’s funeral. His father, also named Larry, said Tuesday that an official cause of death has not been determined, but that he suspected it was a blood clot.
"He had a sore around his leg," the father said by phone from his home in Maine. "It was hurting him bad. I tried getting him to go to the hospital, but he didn’t want to because he had just gotten home."
Gowell leaves behind a wife, Crystal; a 2-year-old son and a 15-month-old daughter, as well as his parents, Larry and Lisa, both of Litchfield.
read more here
Not Enough Colleges link veterans with others
This is a very interesting article but I wanted to spotlight the part that only 32 percent have set up veterans groups so they can find each other. Considering they already feel out of place, more colleges need to focus on putting these veterans in touch with others. This way they can find the support they may not be able to find on their own.
Survey of Services for Veterans
July 22, 2009
Colleges are preparing for an influx of student veterans, but how prepared are they? A new report from a group of five higher education associations, "From Soldier to Student: Easing the Transition of Service Members on Campus," represents, the authors write, the first attempt to assess the current state of programs and services nationally.
A new, much-expanded Post-9/11 GI Bill goes into effect August 1 (less than two weeks from now). In anticipation, many colleges have been stepping up their outreach to and support for veterans -- creating veterans' offices, training faculty and staff on challenges unique to student veterans, creating specialized orientation programs, expanding counseling center capacity, and, perhaps most significantly, putting extra money into institutional aid for veterans by joining the Yellow Ribbon program. The new report attaches numbers to the anecdotes.
But colleges have much more work to do in the following areas, the report notes:
Assisting in the transition to college. Just 22 percent of colleges with services for veterans provide such assistance.
Offering professional development to faculty and staff, on transition issues and issues specific to students with brain injuries and other disabilities.
Easing the path to re-enrollment for service members once they return from deployments. Again, just 22 percent of colleges with services for veterans have an expedited re-enrollment process in place (16 percent even require veterans to reapply and be readmitted to re-enroll!).
Helping veterans connect with other veterans. Just 32 percent of colleges with services for veterans have a club (although that might be changing, given the rapid growth in Student Veterans of America chapters).
read more here
Survey of Services for Veterans
New PTSD Program Answers Need
New PTSD Program Answers Need
July 21, 2009
Army News Serviceby Capt. Bryan Lewis
LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany - Symptoms of combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder include continual nightmares, avoidance behaviors, denial, grief, anger and fear.
Some Soldiers, battling these and other symptoms, can be treated successfully as an outpatient while assuming their normal duties. For others, however, returning to work and becoming their old selves again were challenges recognized by several mental health professionals across the European theater.
"We were looking at how we can best meet the needs of our clientele, and we were identifying that a lot of the Soldiers needed more than once-a-week outpatient, individual therapy and probably needed more than once- or twice-a-week group therapy," said Joseph Pehm, chief of Medical Social Work at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The solution came in the creation of an intensive eight-week therapeutic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Day Treatment Program called "evolution" that began in March 2009 at LRMC. During the eight-hour days, patients enrolled in the program participate in multiple disciplines and interests, including art therapy, yoga and meditation classes, substance abuse groups, anger and grief management, tobacco cessation, pain management and multiple PTSD evidence-based practice protocols.
read more here
New PTSD Program Answers Need
July 21, 2009
Army News Serviceby Capt. Bryan Lewis
LANDSTUHL REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER, Germany - Symptoms of combat stress and post-traumatic stress disorder include continual nightmares, avoidance behaviors, denial, grief, anger and fear.
Some Soldiers, battling these and other symptoms, can be treated successfully as an outpatient while assuming their normal duties. For others, however, returning to work and becoming their old selves again were challenges recognized by several mental health professionals across the European theater.
"We were looking at how we can best meet the needs of our clientele, and we were identifying that a lot of the Soldiers needed more than once-a-week outpatient, individual therapy and probably needed more than once- or twice-a-week group therapy," said Joseph Pehm, chief of Medical Social Work at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center.
The solution came in the creation of an intensive eight-week therapeutic Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Day Treatment Program called "evolution" that began in March 2009 at LRMC. During the eight-hour days, patients enrolled in the program participate in multiple disciplines and interests, including art therapy, yoga and meditation classes, substance abuse groups, anger and grief management, tobacco cessation, pain management and multiple PTSD evidence-based practice protocols.
read more here
New PTSD Program Answers Need
Nam Guardian Angel IFOC Charter
It is complicated figuring out how to tell people what I do but I think I managed to do it a bit better on this post on my website. If you're still confused, please go there and read it. It should help clear things up.
Nam Guardian Angel IFOC Charter
by Chaplain Kathie
Nam Guardian Angel is trilled to become a Charter of the International Fellowship of Chaplains.
My heart was tugged by veterans in 1982 when I met a Vietnam veteran I ended up marrying. I've been doing this every since. In 2004 my family moved from Massachusetts to Florida partly so that I could focus more on the needs of veterans. Before 2001, it was a matter of trying to reach the Vietnam veterans and their families so they understood what PTSD was. They lacked information they needed to begin to heal. After the attacks of 9-11, I knew that PTSD issues would only increase and no one seemed to be ready for any of it.
click link to read more
Nam Guardian Angel IFOC Charter
by Chaplain Kathie
Nam Guardian Angel is trilled to become a Charter of the International Fellowship of Chaplains.
The International Fellowship of Chaplains, Inc. (IFOC) is a non profit, providing training, recognition, certification and information in the varied areas of Chaplaincy. We also interface with the secular and ministry worlds for the purpose of promoting tolerance and understanding, as well as, provide professional, trained and dedicated Chaplains in the various fields of need.
The work of the Chaplain differs greatly from the work of the Pastorate. The Pastor cares for the Spiritual needs of the congregation; whereas, the Chaplain must care for the needs of the Secular World as well.
There are several fields of Chaplaincy, some of which are easily recognized. Others are not. The IFOC endorses all types of Chaplains and recognizes the need for Credentialed Coverage. Some Chaplaincy areas of note are, Police, Fire, Hospital, Jail, Industrial, Transportation, Search & Rescue, Sports, Collegiate, Hospice, Nursing Home, Motor Cycle, and the list goes on. All are valid in scope and design. All need Education, Credentials & Guidance to do the work their hearts desire. www.ifoc.org
My heart was tugged by veterans in 1982 when I met a Vietnam veteran I ended up marrying. I've been doing this every since. In 2004 my family moved from Massachusetts to Florida partly so that I could focus more on the needs of veterans. Before 2001, it was a matter of trying to reach the Vietnam veterans and their families so they understood what PTSD was. They lacked information they needed to begin to heal. After the attacks of 9-11, I knew that PTSD issues would only increase and no one seemed to be ready for any of it.
click link to read more
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Newborn baby abducted by family dog
Dog Drags Newborn From Family Home
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, AP
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 21) - A father was frantically calling 911 to report his newborn missing when he spotted the baby, bleeding from the mouth and clutched in the mouth of a family dog who had carried him from his crib to the heavily wooded backyard.
Four-day-old Alexander James Smith was rushed to the emergency room at University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, where he was listed in critical condition Tuesday with two collapsed lungs, a skull fracture, broken ribs and various cuts and bruises.
read more here
Dog Drags Newborn From Family Home
By JEFFREY McMURRAY, AP
LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 21) - A father was frantically calling 911 to report his newborn missing when he spotted the baby, bleeding from the mouth and clutched in the mouth of a family dog who had carried him from his crib to the heavily wooded backyard.
Four-day-old Alexander James Smith was rushed to the emergency room at University of Kentucky Hospital in Lexington, where he was listed in critical condition Tuesday with two collapsed lungs, a skull fracture, broken ribs and various cuts and bruises.
read more here
Dog Drags Newborn From Family Home
Secondhand trauma: Workshop looks at effects of PTSD on loved ones
Secondhand trauma: Workshop looks at effects of PTSD on loved ones
By Cindy Sutter
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
When Beth Grant moved to Boulder a year ago to live with her boyfriend, Ryan Nieto, she began to see a side of him she had never seen before.
"I started to notice that something was affecting him, something was wrong," she says. "There were times where he was withdrawn, times where he kind of shut himself off and pulled back. (I'd think) 'he's mad at me. What did I do wrong?'"
Grant knew her boyfriend was a veteran of the Iraq war. A Marine, he went in with the first wave of troops in 2003 and served six months there. But Grant got to know him after his deployment as a fellow college student in Ventura, Calif. They both got interested in rock climbing, and as the relationship got more serious, decided to move to Boulder and live together. Last year, Nieto began to have trouble sleeping and realized he was depressed, He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Not surprisingly, Nieto's struggles in coming to terms with his war experience began to affect Grant. Many loved ones who are close to veterans have symptoms of what local psychotherapist Trish Dittrick calls Secondary PTSD. It's a phenomenon, sometimes termed empathy fatigue, that has been studied among medical and mental health professionals in the aftermath of traumatic events such as Sept. 11 or Hurricane Katrina. Dittrick will participate in a workshop July 29 on Secondary PTSD, sponsored by Veterans Helping Veterans Now, a local nonprofit in which veterans help other veterans find the services they need. The group also runs a support group for female family members, which gave rise to the workshop.
"There's such a need for families of veterans to get support," Dittrick says. "The talk is meant for veterans and their families."
read more here
Workshop looks at effects of PTSD on loved ones
By Cindy Sutter
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
When Beth Grant moved to Boulder a year ago to live with her boyfriend, Ryan Nieto, she began to see a side of him she had never seen before.
"I started to notice that something was affecting him, something was wrong," she says. "There were times where he was withdrawn, times where he kind of shut himself off and pulled back. (I'd think) 'he's mad at me. What did I do wrong?'"
Grant knew her boyfriend was a veteran of the Iraq war. A Marine, he went in with the first wave of troops in 2003 and served six months there. But Grant got to know him after his deployment as a fellow college student in Ventura, Calif. They both got interested in rock climbing, and as the relationship got more serious, decided to move to Boulder and live together. Last year, Nieto began to have trouble sleeping and realized he was depressed, He was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Not surprisingly, Nieto's struggles in coming to terms with his war experience began to affect Grant. Many loved ones who are close to veterans have symptoms of what local psychotherapist Trish Dittrick calls Secondary PTSD. It's a phenomenon, sometimes termed empathy fatigue, that has been studied among medical and mental health professionals in the aftermath of traumatic events such as Sept. 11 or Hurricane Katrina. Dittrick will participate in a workshop July 29 on Secondary PTSD, sponsored by Veterans Helping Veterans Now, a local nonprofit in which veterans help other veterans find the services they need. The group also runs a support group for female family members, which gave rise to the workshop.
"There's such a need for families of veterans to get support," Dittrick says. "The talk is meant for veterans and their families."
read more here
Workshop looks at effects of PTSD on loved ones
Double tragedy for family after mom's suicide, daughter dies in car crash
Woman dies rushing to family emergency
SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The tragedy of a Concrete woman's suicide took another heartbreaking turn Monday when her 26-year-old daughter died in a head-on collision while rushing to her mother's side.
By Tahlia Ganser
Skagit Valley Herald
SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The tragedy of a Concrete woman's suicide took another heartbreaking turn Monday when her 26-year-old daughter died in a head-on collision while rushing to her mother's side.
Stefanie A. Heggie of Concrete died when she tried to pass a vehicle while driving east on Highway 20 about two miles east of Sedro-Woolley and struck two large trucks coming in the other direction. Neither truck driver was injured in the accident.
The accident left debris scattered across the highway, which was closed for more than five hours as State Patrol detectives investigated the scene.
Part of Heggie's orange 2008 Kia Spectra looked like what a state trooper at the scene called "a crinkled piece of aluminum foil" on the road. Chunks of glass and plastic were strewn on the highway, along with tires ripped from vehicles in the collision.
SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The tragedy of a Concrete woman's suicide took another heartbreaking turn Monday when her 26-year-old daughter died in a head-on collision while rushing to her mother's side.
By Tahlia Ganser
Skagit Valley Herald
SEDRO-WOOLLEY — The tragedy of a Concrete woman's suicide took another heartbreaking turn Monday when her 26-year-old daughter died in a head-on collision while rushing to her mother's side.
Stefanie A. Heggie of Concrete died when she tried to pass a vehicle while driving east on Highway 20 about two miles east of Sedro-Woolley and struck two large trucks coming in the other direction. Neither truck driver was injured in the accident.
The accident left debris scattered across the highway, which was closed for more than five hours as State Patrol detectives investigated the scene.
Part of Heggie's orange 2008 Kia Spectra looked like what a state trooper at the scene called "a crinkled piece of aluminum foil" on the road. Chunks of glass and plastic were strewn on the highway, along with tires ripped from vehicles in the collision.
At about 10 a.m. Heggie's 44-year-old mother, of Concrete, was apparently in the Rockport area and sent a text message to a Skagit County sheriff's deputy and acquaintance about her suicidal thoughts, said Chief Criminal Deputy Will Reichardt. The deputy started driving to see her right away, but found her dead when he arrived, Reichardt said.
read more here
St. Petersburg offering nonprofits $338,000 in grants to help homeless
St. Petersburg offering nonprofits $338,000 in grants to help homeless
By Jackie Alexander, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG — With the help of city grants, groups like Boley Centers can help homeless people get off the street.
St. Petersburg is offering $338,000 in grants the next budget year for local nonprofits to help the homeless.
Miriam Williams, the chief executive officer at Boley Centers, said it was able to hire a case manager with a $25,000 grant this year. As a result, about 35 people have received help getting benefits and finding places to live.
read more here
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1020399.ece
By Jackie Alexander, Times Staff Writer
In Print: Wednesday, July 22, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG — With the help of city grants, groups like Boley Centers can help homeless people get off the street.
St. Petersburg is offering $338,000 in grants the next budget year for local nonprofits to help the homeless.
Miriam Williams, the chief executive officer at Boley Centers, said it was able to hire a case manager with a $25,000 grant this year. As a result, about 35 people have received help getting benefits and finding places to live.
read more here
http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article1020399.ece
Apopka police commander faces battery charge
17 years on the job with nothing like this happening before? What made him snap?
Apopka police commander faces battery charge
By Stephen Hudak
Sentinel Staff Writer
11:28 AM EDT, July 21, 2009
TAVARES - An Apopka police commander, accused of punching a woman and her restrained brother outside a restaurant/bar in Mount Dora, has turned himself in to face charges stemming from the February scrum, authorities said today.
David Call, 41, a 17-year police veteran, was suspended with pay, said Officer Steven Popp, Apopka police spokesman.
Call faces up to 15 years in prison if found guilty of aggravated battery, a third-degree felony that accuses him of breaking the ribs of Robert Henns of Eustis. Read more...
N.J. cop injured in shootout dies day before 38th birthday
N.J. cop injured in shootout dies day before 38th birthday
Story Highlights
Marc DiNardo was one of five officers injured in New Jersey shootout last week
Two suspects were killed in shootout; DiNardo was shot twice in face
DiNardo's family plans to donate his organs, medical center's president says
By Stephanie Gallman
CNN
(CNN) -- A Jersey City, New Jersey, police officer shot in the line of duty last week died of his injuries Tuesday, a day before his 38th birthday, a spokeswoman for the city's mayor announced.
Jennifer Morrill said Officer Marc DiNardo, who was wounded last Thursday in a shootout, passed away Tuesday morning.
Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey told reporters Monday night that DiNardo was not expected to live.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/21/new.jersey.cops.shot/index.html
Story Highlights
Marc DiNardo was one of five officers injured in New Jersey shootout last week
Two suspects were killed in shootout; DiNardo was shot twice in face
DiNardo's family plans to donate his organs, medical center's president says
By Stephanie Gallman
CNN
(CNN) -- A Jersey City, New Jersey, police officer shot in the line of duty last week died of his injuries Tuesday, a day before his 38th birthday, a spokeswoman for the city's mayor announced.
Jennifer Morrill said Officer Marc DiNardo, who was wounded last Thursday in a shootout, passed away Tuesday morning.
Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey told reporters Monday night that DiNardo was not expected to live.
read more here
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/21/new.jersey.cops.shot/index.html
Pfc. James Gonzalez, missing Fort Hood soldier kidnapped
UPDATE July 23, 2009
Missing Hood soldier located in Laredo
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 23, 2009 8:59:38 EDT
LAREDO, Texas — A Fort Hood soldier from Robstown who was reported as a possible kidnap victim was located unharmed in Laredo.
Spokesman Christopher Grey with the Army Criminal Investigations Command told the Associated Press early Thursday there are no indications that Pfc. James Gonzalez was abducted.
read more here
Missing Hood soldier located in Laredo
Missing Hood soldier located in Laredo
The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jul 23, 2009 8:59:38 EDT
LAREDO, Texas — A Fort Hood soldier from Robstown who was reported as a possible kidnap victim was located unharmed in Laredo.
Spokesman Christopher Grey with the Army Criminal Investigations Command told the Associated Press early Thursday there are no indications that Pfc. James Gonzalez was abducted.
read more here
Missing Hood soldier located in Laredo
Missing Ft. Hood soldier reportedly kidnapped
Posted : Tuesday Jul 21, 2009 14:29:39 EDT
McALLEN, Texas — A Fort Hood-based soldier has been missing for about a week since telling family members he was heading to a Texas border town, and the FBI says the Army was told the missing private had been kidnapped, the soldier’s brother said Tuesday.
The family of Pfc. James Gonzalez, 24, last saw him July 11 at his mother’s house in Robstown, near Corpus Christi, said his older brother, J.C. Gonzalez. James Gonzalez said he was headed to Laredo that afternoon to hang out with friends before returning to base July 13, his brother said.
But on July 13, Gonzalez’s commander called looking for the private. Later that day, the FBI called the family to say that the Army had received a call saying that Gonzalez had been kidnapped. The caller demanded $100,000 and the withdrawal of all troops from the border.
About 575 National Guard troops remain on the border, but the thousands that had been patrolling the area withdrew last year.
read more here
Missing Ft. Hood soldier reportedly kidnapped
Can You Be Scared to Death?
Can You Be Scared to Death?
Adapted excerpt from "The Medicine Cabinet of Curiosities: An Unconventional Compendium of Health Facts and Oddities, From Asthmatic Mice to Plants That Can Kill" by Nicholas Bakalar. Copyright © 2009 by Nicholas Bakalar. Reprinted by arrangement with Times Books, an imprint of Henry Holt and Company LLC.
We say we're "scared to death" or "scared stiff" -- but can that actually happen? An article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine describes various stories, some of dubious historicity, of people who dropped dead from strong emotions. The Roman emperor Nerva (A.D. 30-98) died in a fit of anger at a senator who had offended him. A 13th century pope, Innocent IV, is said to have died of grief after the overthrow of his army. Some American patriots reportedly died of happiness after learning that General Cornwallis's army had been defeated at Yorktown.
read more here
Can You Be Scared to Death
Adapted excerpt from "The Medicine Cabinet of Curiosities: An Unconventional Compendium of Health Facts and Oddities, From Asthmatic Mice to Plants That Can Kill" by Nicholas Bakalar. Copyright © 2009 by Nicholas Bakalar. Reprinted by arrangement with Times Books, an imprint of Henry Holt and Company LLC.
We say we're "scared to death" or "scared stiff" -- but can that actually happen? An article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine describes various stories, some of dubious historicity, of people who dropped dead from strong emotions. The Roman emperor Nerva (A.D. 30-98) died in a fit of anger at a senator who had offended him. A 13th century pope, Innocent IV, is said to have died of grief after the overthrow of his army. Some American patriots reportedly died of happiness after learning that General Cornwallis's army had been defeated at Yorktown.
read more here
Can You Be Scared to Death
Iraq vets' caregivers seek training, compensation
While I cannot share emails I've received because of confidentiality, this is a really big issue. I can help them with emotional support but I cannot help them with what they need the most and that's financial support. There are arriving in this situation from all walks of life and all professional backgrounds. They give up jobs but what they try like hell to not give up on is the person they love just because they need help. As this report points out, many family members just get to a point where they cannot do it anymore. It's not just a matter of the stress of taking care of someone, but compounded with the loss of income plus the psychological cost of losing one's place in the world. When you have jobs outside of the home, you usually have that job as part of your identity. "What do you do for a living" is the question most of us get when we meet someone. Being a volunteer or a caregiver to a family member, that identity is often responded to with a lowering of the listeners perception of you. It happens all the time.
There is nothing to be ashamed of when you can put everything else aside for someone you love. It should be valued and honored. Too often it's ignored. It's also a sacrifice that saves the government money in the long run, but above that, the care given by loving hands aids in the quality of life of the veteran.
There is nothing to be ashamed of when you can put everything else aside for someone you love. It should be valued and honored. Too often it's ignored. It's also a sacrifice that saves the government money in the long run, but above that, the care given by loving hands aids in the quality of life of the veteran.
Iraq vets' caregivers seek training, compensation
By KIMBERLY HEFLING (AP) – 9 hours ago
WASHINGTON — On good days, Michelle Briggs has to remind her 40-year-old husband to shower and eat. On bad days, she lifts him out of bed and picks him up when he falls.
Robert W. Briggs, a former Army sergeant, was severely injured in Iraq and needs constant monitoring because of traumatic brain injury, blindness in one eye and paralysis on one side. He walks with the help of a service dog. Briggs gave up her job as a veterinarian technician to care for him and their two kids.
With tissue in hand, Michelle Briggs huddled Monday in a hotel conference room with 15 other caregivers who shared hugs and exchanged stories. They will go to Capitol Hill this week with a message to Congress: We need help.
"Mentally, it takes a very big toll on you," said Briggs, 34, of Hillsboro, Iowa, whose husband was injured in a rocket grenade attack in 2005 while serving with the Iowa National Guard. "You have to be a very strong person to get through a lot of it. It's a choice whether you stay or not. It's very much a choice."
Briggs said she's met other spouses of injured veterans who sought a divorce.
"It doesn't make them a bad person at all, but they just couldn't handle the situation because it's very, very stressful and you have to fight for the things that you're entitled to," Briggs said.
The caregivers say parents, spouses and siblings of the disabled have given up jobs, health insurance and college to care for a loved one. Yet they get no compensation to ease the burden.
read more here
Iraq vets caregivers seek training, compensation
Man bursts into flames after Taser shock
Man bursts into flames after Taser shock
Story Highlights
Man holding a lighter, douses himself with petrol, charges police officer
Officer fires Taser stun gun when he ignores command to stop, man catches alight
Police had received a report that the man and some others were sniffing glue
Man airlifted to hospital to undergo treatment for severe burns in Perth, W. Australia
By Saeed Ahmed
CNN
(CNN) -- A man, who doused himself with gasoline and charged at an officer, burst into flames when he was hit with a Taser, police in Australia said Tuesday.
"He was carrying a lighter and pouring himself with petrol," said Inspector Bill Munnee with the West Australian Police. "We don't know if the lighter set it off or something from the Taser."
Authorities have launched an inquiry into what happened Monday when an officer arrived at the 36-year-old man's house in the remote desert community of Warburton.
Police had received a report that the man and some others were sniffing glue, Munnee said.
At the sight of the arriving officers, the man ran out of the house with a container of gasoline and a cigarette lighter, police said.
When he ignored the officer's command to stop, the officer fired his Taser stun gun -- and the man "caught alight," Munnee said.
When used, some stun guns emit an electric spark as they deliver an electric current. The jolt of electricity inhibits voluntary control of muscles, temporarily incapacitating the person.
While the officer tried to put out the fire, a woman from inside the house threw rocks at him, Munnee said. The officer suffered both burns from the fire and cuts from the rocks.
Man bursts into flames after Taser shock
Story Highlights
Man holding a lighter, douses himself with petrol, charges police officer
Officer fires Taser stun gun when he ignores command to stop, man catches alight
Police had received a report that the man and some others were sniffing glue
Man airlifted to hospital to undergo treatment for severe burns in Perth, W. Australia
By Saeed Ahmed
CNN
(CNN) -- A man, who doused himself with gasoline and charged at an officer, burst into flames when he was hit with a Taser, police in Australia said Tuesday.
"He was carrying a lighter and pouring himself with petrol," said Inspector Bill Munnee with the West Australian Police. "We don't know if the lighter set it off or something from the Taser."
Authorities have launched an inquiry into what happened Monday when an officer arrived at the 36-year-old man's house in the remote desert community of Warburton.
Police had received a report that the man and some others were sniffing glue, Munnee said.
At the sight of the arriving officers, the man ran out of the house with a container of gasoline and a cigarette lighter, police said.
When he ignored the officer's command to stop, the officer fired his Taser stun gun -- and the man "caught alight," Munnee said.
When used, some stun guns emit an electric spark as they deliver an electric current. The jolt of electricity inhibits voluntary control of muscles, temporarily incapacitating the person.
While the officer tried to put out the fire, a woman from inside the house threw rocks at him, Munnee said. The officer suffered both burns from the fire and cuts from the rocks.
Man bursts into flames after Taser shock
Sgt. Danny Facto wanted to help others with PTSD
The Patriot Guard Riders are heroes to many military and veterans families across the country. The family of Sgt. Danny Facto sent a letter about the man they would be escorting to his final rest. It just broke my heart. Sgt. Facto had PTSD. While he was in his words "eating him alive" he wanted to do whatever he could to help others. (These men and women are simply amazing that while carrying such a heavy burden they want to help others.) Please read the letter from his family and know that they all have their own stories and most of them should be told.
Veterans and Families Foundation
Let's Get Homecoming Right This Time!
The Veterans and Families Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit community service and support organization, founded and directed by Veterans, parents, grandparents, family members, employers, mental health professionals, academics, philanthropists and community leaders.
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive how the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation"
...George Washington November 10, 1781
http://www.veteransandfamilies.org/home.html
PGR Members,
We have been requested to attend Services for Danny Facto who lost his life on July 15th 2009 in a motorcycle accident. Danny was a 29 year old decorated Army Veteran (Sgt) with two tours in Afghanistan. He left behind a Wife (Kristen), two young children (6 and 8 years old) plus both parents. I had asked a family member for a brief bio on Danny and I will include it in this post, please take a minute to read this.
Letter from Family member
Hi Patrick,
First and foremost, I would like to thank you for being so kind and accommodating to myself and the family during this difficult time. You have been amazing, thank you.
I want to start off and tell you a little about Danny. He was originally from Arizona and joined the army the day he graduated from high school. When stationed later in Fort Drum, NY, he met his wife now, Kristen George, now Kristen Facto. During his two tours in Afghanistan and back, Kristen and Danny had their two beautiful kids. Tia, who will be eight next week and Sidney, who turned 6 in March. During his stay in Afghanistan. he sustained a head injury and an elbow injury. Because of his immense courage and the injuries he sustained, he was awarded a purple heart.
After he came back from his second tour due to family problems, he started figuring out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. While suffering major PTSD, he realized this could be his calling. He once said to me, this PTSD, eats you up alive, it destroys you even though you're home and safe. He attended Onondaga Community College in 2007 and received an Associates Degree. Wanting to continue his education and become a social worker, he started at Syracuse University. Within studying at OCC he was still trying to get the cause out for PTSD. He turned to Channel 9 news in 2006 to get the word out and ask the community for support while soldiers come back from the war.
read more here
Danny Facto, 29, OEF Veteran, Bridgeport NY, 23 JUL 09
Veterans and Families Foundation
Let's Get Homecoming Right This Time!
The Veterans and Families Foundation is a 501(c) (3) non-profit community service and support organization, founded and directed by Veterans, parents, grandparents, family members, employers, mental health professionals, academics, philanthropists and community leaders.
"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive how the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their Nation"
...George Washington November 10, 1781
http://www.veteransandfamilies.org/home.html
Still no reason found why Spc. Adam Kuligowski died
Do you ever wonder what kind of investigations the military runs? This must be hard on the families and the unit soldiers served with. You'd think that since there is such a small group of people that finding someone in a murder investigation would be easier or a reason for a death from suicide or other causes but these investigations often take too long. How many are going on right now? Does the media ever ask? There are so many non-combat deaths that it's hard to even guess anymore but each one comes with families waiting for answers and units wondering if their lives even matter enough anymore to find out what happened.
Investigation of soldier's death continues
DERRY, N.H. — The military is still investigating the cause of Army Spc. Adam Kuligowski's death and has not determined if a crime was involved, according to a U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command spokesman.
Yesterday, Christopher Grey, the command's chief of public affairs, said a report in this week's Sunday Eagle-Tribune miscast the current status of the investigation by reporting the April 6 death was being probed as a crime.
read more here
Investigation of soldier death continues
Soldiers Question the Defense Secretary About Long Deployments
Soldiers Question the Defense Secretary About Long Deployments
Washington Post
By Walter Pincus
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Outside the military, not much attention is paid to the personal problems of families caught up in the endless rotational deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan that mark serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
Last Friday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates dealt with a handful of those problems in a town hall meeting at Fort Drum, N.Y., in front of Army units that either were coming from Southwest Asia or preparing to go there.
Many of the questions focused on disparities among units when it comes to "dwell time" -- time spent at home between deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan. With 130,000 troops remaining in Iraq through the end of the year and 68,000 more scheduled to be in Afghanistan during the same period, pressures on military family life have grown.
An Army sergeant opened by pointing out that one brigade has alternated between one year at home and one year deployed over the past five years, whereas another brigade in the same division has been spending two-year stretches at home. He asked whether anything could be done to even out the dwell time.
read more here
Soldiers Question the Defense Secretary About Long Deployments
Washington Post
By Walter Pincus
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Outside the military, not much attention is paid to the personal problems of families caught up in the endless rotational deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan that mark serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines.
Last Friday, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates dealt with a handful of those problems in a town hall meeting at Fort Drum, N.Y., in front of Army units that either were coming from Southwest Asia or preparing to go there.
Many of the questions focused on disparities among units when it comes to "dwell time" -- time spent at home between deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan. With 130,000 troops remaining in Iraq through the end of the year and 68,000 more scheduled to be in Afghanistan during the same period, pressures on military family life have grown.
An Army sergeant opened by pointing out that one brigade has alternated between one year at home and one year deployed over the past five years, whereas another brigade in the same division has been spending two-year stretches at home. He asked whether anything could be done to even out the dwell time.
read more here
Soldiers Question the Defense Secretary About Long Deployments
Man Shoots Ex-Girlfriend, Self at Texas Hospital
Man Shoots Ex-Girlfriend, Self at Texas Hospital
Monday, July 20, 2009
TYLER, Texas — Police say a man killed himself Monday after shooting his ex-girlfriend as she arrived for work at a Tyler hospital.
The woman was shot three times near East Texas Medical Center, but she managed to run to the emergency room, where she is an admissions clerk.
read more here
Man Shoots Ex-Girlfriend, Self at Texas Hospital
Monday, July 20, 2009
TYLER, Texas — Police say a man killed himself Monday after shooting his ex-girlfriend as she arrived for work at a Tyler hospital.
The woman was shot three times near East Texas Medical Center, but she managed to run to the emergency room, where she is an admissions clerk.
read more here
Man Shoots Ex-Girlfriend, Self at Texas Hospital
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