Sailor Gets 5 Yrs for Assisting Superior's Suicide
Aug 06, 2012
The Virginian-Pilot
by Kathy Adams
VIRGINIA BEACH -- A Circuit Court judge this morning sentenced a former Navy sailor to five years in prison for helping his superior commit suicide.
Paul Stephen Bricker, 27, pleaded guilty April 4 to voluntary manslaughter in the July 2009 death of Gerard Curran. Bricker, a petty officer second class at the time, testified Curran led him to believe he was ill and asked him to help him commit suicide so his family would still receive death benefits from the Navy.
Curan, a 45-year-old chief, was Bricker's superior and mentor, Bricker said.
Bricker said he initially refused Curran's request but eventually agreed as Curran became more desperate. Curran had been having marital problems, abusing alcohol and had stabbed himself in the chest in April 2009, Bricker's defense attorney, Suzanne Moushegian, said in court.
According to court testimony, Curran and Bricker met in First Landing State Park, where Curran strangled himself with a yellow physical therapy band. When he passed out, Bricker stabbed him in the chest with his diving knife, gathered his belongings and left, according to the testimony.
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Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Spc. Trever Gould's Mom fights to stop military suicides
I wrote about another suicide and asked a question. Why did we let Trever Gould Die? This should not still be happening. Trever's Mom left a comment on the post and blamed herself. Families should not have to go through their lives blaming themselves for what they should have been told. We emailed a few times and I told her that it was not her fault. How many other Moms are out there blaming themselves because their sons and daughters didn't get the help they needed and they didn't get the information they needed so they could have helped them heal?
There is still a dark secret in this county and it is kept by guilt in places where it does not belong. In their homes!
If we continue to neglect the families, we are neglecting all of the military. They have to have the answers on what they can do to help before it is too late. They sadly have to learn even more when it is too late so they can stop blaming themselves for what we allowed to happen. So why did we let Trever Gould die? His Mom and sister deserve the answer.
Sheri Johnson left this comment on the post.
Family of Army Vet Who Committed Suicide Starts Petition to Assist Returning Troops A grieving Minnesota family has started a petition to bring attention to veteran suicides.
08/06/2012
KSTP.com
By: Mark Saxenmeyer
Army Specialist Trever Gould of Fulda, in southwestern Minnesota, took his own life in June. His family says he was unable to cope after returning home from service in Iraq.
Their mission, they say, is to increase prevention and treatment options for service members as they return to civilian life.
There is still a dark secret in this county and it is kept by guilt in places where it does not belong. In their homes!
If we continue to neglect the families, we are neglecting all of the military. They have to have the answers on what they can do to help before it is too late. They sadly have to learn even more when it is too late so they can stop blaming themselves for what we allowed to happen. So why did we let Trever Gould die? His Mom and sister deserve the answer.
Sheri Johnson left this comment on the post.
Hello I am Sheri Johnson Trever Gould's mother. A person does not know how hard they can ache until they lose a child. It hurts even more knowing my son did not get the help he need when he asked for it. He always acted strong around me because he was trained that way and thought he was my protector. We need to help our soldiers that come home and even the ones that are deployed. They need to be heard we need to be heard. I would give anything to hold my son one more time and tell him how much I love him, but I can't do this anymore and I want to change things so other parents and spouses can hold their loved ones every day.
Family of Army Vet Who Committed Suicide Starts Petition to Assist Returning Troops A grieving Minnesota family has started a petition to bring attention to veteran suicides.
08/06/2012
KSTP.com
By: Mark Saxenmeyer
Army Specialist Trever Gould of Fulda, in southwestern Minnesota, took his own life in June. His family says he was unable to cope after returning home from service in Iraq.
Their mission, they say, is to increase prevention and treatment options for service members as they return to civilian life.
This past June, 25-year-old Trever hung himself in the family garage. "When I opened that door it's just, wow.." says Johnson, her words trailing off and her eyes filling with tears.
"I never got to tell him how much I loved him and how proud we were," says Brittney.
Johnson says of her son, "He was taught that you're a wuss if you seek help. You don't even belong in the military. He did his time, he went to Iraq, he wanted to hold his head up and not be afraid that people would call him a coward."
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NY Artists focus on our troops and veterans
A Festival of Political Art on your radar, specifically next week's events touching on Veterans issues.
Running now through August 26th, Culture Project’s festival consists of documentaries, satirical political comedy, music, theater and new art created by emerging and established artists along with provocative conversations focusing on subjects crucial to the decision making process and the preservation of our democracy and constitution.
We are particularly excited to share with you the topic guiding the conversation next week, The Blind Eye: Women and Veterans including performances dealing with soldiers and their stories which you can read about below.
Restrepo screening and discussion Monday, August 6th
One platoon. One valley. One year. Restrepo chronicles the one-year deployment of a platoon of American soldiers at one of the most dangerous outposts in Afghanistan. Amongst the many prestigious awards Restrepo has garnered, the film has received an Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story – Long Form.
GOLIATH, Wednesday, August 8th
Told from seven different perspectives, Takeo Rivera’s Goliath tells one young soldier’s war story, from home to the front and back again. Using a poetic landscape inspired by Ntozake Shange, a Greek chorus and spoken word in the style of Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry, Goliath is a theatrical meditation on war and masculinity; a glimpse into what we do during times of war and of what it means to love when violence is part of the norm.
This performance of Goliath will feature opening poetry by Warrior Writers NYC and a post-show conversation on critical issues facing Veterans this upcoming election with NYC Veterans and veteran service organizations. Read more about GOLIATH on CP’s blog!
Lioness screening, Thursday, August 9th
Lioness tells the story of a group of female Army support soldiers who became the first women in American history to be sent into direct ground combat. Without sufficient training but with a commitment to serve as needed, these young women ended up fighting in some of the bloodiest counterinsurgency battles of the Iraq war. Lioness makes public, for the first time, this hidden history. Screening will be followed by a conversation with directors Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers, and the American Civil Liberties Union.
Please visit the IMPACT 2012 Festival page for a listing of all the upcoming events throughout the festival. All events are on a "pay-what-you-will" system, to allow entry for all who would like to attend. In addition, Veterans who show their military ID will receive VIP seating in the theater.
Culture Project
Monday, August 6, 2012
Is Mefloquine the new Agent Orange?
Is Mefloquine the new Agent Orange?
By Samantha A. Torrence
Aug 6, 2012
During Vietnam troops were exposed to Agent Orange. Later there was Gulf War Syndrome and depleted Uranium exposure. Now the military is dealing with a rash of military members with PTSD, and another chemical agent may be responsible for the diagnosis.
Malaria is a major concern to troops who are deployed around the world where contracting the disease is a risk. It is the Department of Defense policy that service members deployed to these areas must take an anti-malaria drug. There are various drugs available such as doxycycline, chloroquine, malarone, and mefloquine. Each drug comes with its unique problems such as high monetary cost in the case of malarone and photosensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and resistance in the cases of doxycycline and chloroquine. Most anti-malaria drugs must also be taken once a day which causes problems with consistency and potency for the soldiers who miss a dose and for that reason Mefloquine, which is only taken once a week, has been prescribed.
Mefloquine(Lariam®) may have a higher rate of compliance but it comes at a high cost to soldiers and American taxpayers. Mefloquine can cause brain injury, hallucinations, paranoia, psychosis and can predispose service members to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Read more
By Samantha A. Torrence
Aug 6, 2012
During Vietnam troops were exposed to Agent Orange. Later there was Gulf War Syndrome and depleted Uranium exposure. Now the military is dealing with a rash of military members with PTSD, and another chemical agent may be responsible for the diagnosis.
Malaria is a major concern to troops who are deployed around the world where contracting the disease is a risk. It is the Department of Defense policy that service members deployed to these areas must take an anti-malaria drug. There are various drugs available such as doxycycline, chloroquine, malarone, and mefloquine. Each drug comes with its unique problems such as high monetary cost in the case of malarone and photosensitivity, nausea, vomiting, and resistance in the cases of doxycycline and chloroquine. Most anti-malaria drugs must also be taken once a day which causes problems with consistency and potency for the soldiers who miss a dose and for that reason Mefloquine, which is only taken once a week, has been prescribed.
Mefloquine(Lariam®) may have a higher rate of compliance but it comes at a high cost to soldiers and American taxpayers. Mefloquine can cause brain injury, hallucinations, paranoia, psychosis and can predispose service members to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Read more
Kenny Britt to explain himself to NFL today
Kenny Britt to explain himself to NFL today
August, 6, 2012
By Paul Kuharsky
ESPN.com
The Titans are ready to ramp up Kenny Britt’s rehab, and it sounds like he could be part of practice within two weeks.
Whether his issues off the field land him on the shelf at the start of the season, we don’t know. But he’ll explain himself to the NFL today when he visits the league office, according to John Glennon of The Tennessean.
Britt recently had his eighth incident that required police attention, facing a DUI charge at the Army post at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
“I don't know what to expect -- a lot of questions,” he said.
read more here
August, 6, 2012
By Paul Kuharsky
ESPN.com
The Titans are ready to ramp up Kenny Britt’s rehab, and it sounds like he could be part of practice within two weeks.
Whether his issues off the field land him on the shelf at the start of the season, we don’t know. But he’ll explain himself to the NFL today when he visits the league office, according to John Glennon of The Tennessean.
Britt recently had his eighth incident that required police attention, facing a DUI charge at the Army post at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.
“I don't know what to expect -- a lot of questions,” he said.
read more here
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