Fort Riley Big Red One back from Afghanistan

Fort Riley Cavalry Soldiers Honored After Return From Afghanistan
Jan 25, 2012
"Big Red One" soldiers were honored for their service and bravery at Fort Riley Wednesday after returning from Afghanistan.
Reporter: Lindsey Rogers

FORT RILEY, Kan. (WIBW) -- "Big Red One" soldiers were honored for their service and bravery at Fort Riley Wednesday after returning from Afghanistan.

Commanders say they faced off against the enemy nearly every day for a year during a dangerous and deadly deployment.

Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, held a ceremony to award Soldiers for valorous actions at Fort Riley's Marshall Army Airfield Wednesday afternoon.

The soldiers are just back from Afghanistan and during the ceremony, commanders gave out eight Army Commendation Medals for Valor, 25 Bronze Stars for Service and 48 Purple Hearts.

"Because of individual actions of soldiers in this squadron, 4-4 Cav defeated the Taliban in central Zhari, freed the people in that area from oppression and in the process, made history.

The warriors in this room destroyed thousands of pounds of homemade explosives, military vests and military grade explosives," said Lieutenant Colonel Michael Katona, Squadron Commander.

"There’s 144 total purple hearts earned across the squadron of just a little over 500 soldiers.
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Wounded Marine gets 6,000 followers on Facebook

Wounded Marine gets some fresh air during treatment at Walter Reed
1/25/2012
ANDREA L. CHAFFIN
Staff Writer

Despite being in a hospital bed, Cpl. Josh Sams, Wilmington, is showing he has a lot of strength left.

Sams was moved off the critical care floor Tuesday, where he is a patient at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland. Wound wash surgeries went well and the family received a good report from the trauma team, said his mother, Barb Regan. In addition, his wife, Hillsboro High School graduate Lindsey Sams, was able to spend the night with him for the first time.

“We have a long way to go, but it’s a step in the right direction,” Regan said.

The Marine was on routine patrol Jan. 11 when he stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) and was rendered a double amputee. Since, a Facebook page supporting him titled, Support WIA Marine Scout Sniper Josh Sams, has steadily gained popularity and now has more than 6,600 followers.
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Wife of Camp Lejeune Marine shot to death

Woman from Kalamazoo found shot to death at a home in North Carolina Monday
Published: Wednesday, January 25, 2012
By Simon A. Thalmann

KALAMAZOO — A woman from Kalamazoo was found shot to death at a home in North Carolina Monday, according to local media reports there and in Michigan.

ABC affiliate WCTI, which operates from New Bern, N.C., reports that no arrests have been made for the murder of Susan Zemlick, 50, who was found dead at a South Dogwood Lane home shortly before 11 a.m. Monday.

Zemlick was married to Matthew Zemlick, a 29-year-old Marine who has family in Portage and is based at Camp Lejeune, according to WWMT Newschannel 3.
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also

Victim Name, New Info Released In Swansboro Shooting
By WCTI Staff

UPDATED: 6:59 pm EST January 25, 2012

SWANSBORO -- Swansboro Police have a suspect in the shooting death of a woman found Monday.
An arrest has not yet been made.
Police found Susan Zemlick, 50, dead at a South Dogwood Lane home after a 911 call at 10:50 a.m. Monday, police said.
Zemlick lived at the home with John and Helen Giltz, neighbors said.
Zemlick married 29-year-old Matthew Zemlick, a Camp Lejeune Marine, in 2009.
Susan asked for domestic violence protective order against Matthew last year, records show.
Matthew "threatened to kill [me] and himself," Susan alleged last summer.
The couple later agreed to not have contact with each other, records show.
Matthew is not involved in the case, police said.
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'ReEntry' Play teaches Marines about returning home

'ReEntry' - Play teaches Marines about returning home

I Marine Expeditionary Force
Story by Cpl. Jennifer Pirante

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Marines and family members with I Marine Expeditionary Force gathered to watch a play at the South Mesa Club at Camp Pendleton, Calif., Jan. 24.

“ReEntry” is a play written by theater writer Emily Ackerman and KJ Sanchez, CEO of American Records, based on interviews conducted with Marines returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and their family members.

“I am a member of a military family,” Ackerman said. “I had no idea of a lot of the things they were going through, a lot of the things that they thought until we started working on this play. I try to be supportive and it was hard to figure out how to do that. It wasn’t until we started talking to a lot of Marines that I got a better idea of things that people actually go through, the way they actually feel and how to be more supportive.”
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4 Month Old Pup's Death Tied to Vet's "War Trauma"?

This is not the first time this kind of thing has happened. It is also not the first time PTSD has been blamed for it. With many veterans with PTSD turning to PTSD service dogs to help them heal, it is obvious how much they love their dogs and how much the dogs love them in return.

When my husband's PTSD was about as bad as it could be, we had a Golden Retriever named Brandon. Like all puppies, he was getting into trouble, trying to learn what he could and could not do. There were times when my husband would yell at him more than he should have but that is just about as far as that went. Brandon lived to almost 14 years old. My husband called him "brother" and he was not just a "dog" to us, but part of our family.

Anger is an issue with PTSD but it is no excuse to allow it to be so out of control a puppy ends up dead. Violence cannot be excused but it does need to be taken into consideration when seeking justice. We need to be asking a lot of questions.

The lawyer said he was being treated for PTSD at the VA. Was he getting any anger management help? Was he on medication he had a bad reaction to? Is he a dog lover or stressed about a puppy he didn't really want? These questions the court needs to ask before they can know what to do with this veteran accused of this crime.

Pup's Death Tied to Vet's "War Trauma": Family
Defendant's uncle believes a case like this is one where "Support Our Troops" comes into play
By R. Stickney
Wednesday, Jan 25, 2012

NBC San Diego

NBCSanDiego
Phillip Shawn Rich (left) at his arraignment and Knight shown with another dog before the beating.

A San Diego-area man charged with beating a puppy so badly it had to be euthanized is a veteran currently getting treatment for PTSD at the VA hospital, according to his defense attorney.

Phillip Shawn Rich, 26, of Crest, faces one felony charge of animal abuse for the death of his four-month-old male Siberian husky.

Rich brought the puppy, named Knight, to a veterinary hospital Saturday night. After the hospital staff examined the dog, they decided its injuries were so severe the animal had to be euthanized.

His attorney requested no bail, explaining that her client has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and is currently receiving treatment at the VA hospital.
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