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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