Minneapolis VA faulted after Vietnam vet's suicide
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minneapolis Veterans Medical Center was "deficient" in its handling of a suicidal Vietnam War veteran who killed himself while under the agency's care, according to a recent report by the national Veterans Administration office.
The one-time Marine had survived a recent suicide attempt, and mental health staff warned that he might attempt suicide again. But the hospital failed to follow up, according to the report from the VA Inspector General's office.
"While we cannot say whether implementation of (recommended) measures would have changed the outcome of this case, the facility nonetheless did not adhere to (VA) guidelines on managing this patient at high risk of suicide," the report said.
Ralph Heussner, a spokesman for the Minneapolis VA, said the hospital has since improved communication between departments about high-risk patients and updated its suicide-prevention training and policies.
"Every veteran's suicide is a tragedy and we appreciate the review of this incident," Heussner said. "We will use this information to improve our system of flagging potential risks."
Read more
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Lewis-McChord Family members say soldier fatally stabbed wife
Army investigates death at JBLM
Family members say soldier fatally stabbed wife
The Army is investigating a death at that occurred early Saturday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The News Tribune was contacted Sunday by members of a family who said the death was the result of a soldier fatally stabbing his wife.
ALEXIS KRELL
STAFF WRITER
Published: Aug. 26, 2012
The Army is investigating a death that occurred early Saturday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The News Tribune was contacted Sunday by members of a family who said the death was the result of a soldier fatally stabbing his wife.
A woman who identified herself as the victim’s mother said her daughter was in her late 30s and lived on base with her husband and their four children.
Lt. Col. Gary Dangerfield said Sunday that the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division began investigating a death on the base Saturday.
He would not confirm whether that’s where the death occurred and declined to release further details. The Criminal Investigation Division did not return messages from The News Tribune on Sunday.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office could not confirm the death, saying a killing on the base would be out of its jurisdiction.
KOMO-TV reported that base residents had told its reporter that a soldier had stabbed his wife to death. KOMO said base officials declined to comment on the report.
read more here linked from Army Times
Family members say soldier fatally stabbed wife
The Army is investigating a death at that occurred early Saturday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The News Tribune was contacted Sunday by members of a family who said the death was the result of a soldier fatally stabbing his wife.
ALEXIS KRELL
STAFF WRITER
Published: Aug. 26, 2012
The Army is investigating a death that occurred early Saturday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
The News Tribune was contacted Sunday by members of a family who said the death was the result of a soldier fatally stabbing his wife.
A woman who identified herself as the victim’s mother said her daughter was in her late 30s and lived on base with her husband and their four children.
Lt. Col. Gary Dangerfield said Sunday that the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division began investigating a death on the base Saturday.
He would not confirm whether that’s where the death occurred and declined to release further details. The Criminal Investigation Division did not return messages from The News Tribune on Sunday.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office could not confirm the death, saying a killing on the base would be out of its jurisdiction.
KOMO-TV reported that base residents had told its reporter that a soldier had stabbed his wife to death. KOMO said base officials declined to comment on the report.
read more here linked from Army Times
Coming Out of the Dark of Combat PTSD
Coming Out of the Dark of Combat PTSD
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
August 28, 2012
Long before the VA took on telling veterans it takes strength and courage to ask for help, there was work already being done to get this message across to our veterans.
In 2006 I had a lot of videos up on YouTube that had to be moved in 2009 because of the music I used in the videos was being blocked. I moved them onto Great Americans.
2006 Coming Out of the Dark
In the video the message is clear that PTSD is not a sign of weakness no matter what the flawed Battlemind or "resiliency training" tells you. You could not train your brain to prevent it and you are not weak because you have it. All it means is that you went through very traumatic experiences with the ability to feel things more deeply than others. This is a wound to your soul/spirit and came because you were willing to do the hardest thing a person can do. Be willing to lay down your life for someone else. You cared about the men/women you were with so when they were killed or hurt, you felt it. You were ready to die for the sake of strangers you were sent to protect as much as you were prepared to die because of strangers wanting to kill you.
The notion that PTSD is a sign of weakness has blinded you to the fact that most of you will not allow yourselves to feel the pain while your unit is in danger. It is not until you've come back home where you are supposed to be safe that you allow that pain to be felt.
You can come out of the dark of PTSD and when you arrive on the other side, you are stronger and in a position to help others get out of their own darkness. It is within you to be of service to others and helping other people helps you heal.
Point Man International Ministries has been helping veterans come out of the dark since 1984. They have proven that you can heal with the right kind of help addressing your spiritual needs, helping you to know you are forgiven for whatever you feel you need forgiveness for, forgiving others and the hardest thing to be able to do, forgive yourself.
You don't have to watch your friends turn away from you, have your family abandon you or feel hopeless.
If the help you are already getting is not enough, then no one has been addressing the source of your wound. The whole veteran has to be treated before the hole in the veteran is healed. That means your mind, body and spirit.
If you are a Christian and believe that you are being judged for what you had to do, watch this video. All of us forget that wars have happened since man walked this earth and the Bible is filled with accounts of combat along with spiritual suffering. It also has an account of the Roman Centurion being treated with compassion from Christ.
One thing to keep in mind is what the Romans were doing at the time. If Christ had so much compassion for this Roman, how much compassion do you think He will have for you?
2008 PTSD is not God's Judgment
Point Man of Winter Park is a 501c3
If you believe in the work I do for veterans and their families, please help support it.
by Chaplain Kathie
Wounded Times Blog
August 28, 2012
Long before the VA took on telling veterans it takes strength and courage to ask for help, there was work already being done to get this message across to our veterans.
In 2006 I had a lot of videos up on YouTube that had to be moved in 2009 because of the music I used in the videos was being blocked. I moved them onto Great Americans.
2006 Coming Out of the Dark
In the video the message is clear that PTSD is not a sign of weakness no matter what the flawed Battlemind or "resiliency training" tells you. You could not train your brain to prevent it and you are not weak because you have it. All it means is that you went through very traumatic experiences with the ability to feel things more deeply than others. This is a wound to your soul/spirit and came because you were willing to do the hardest thing a person can do. Be willing to lay down your life for someone else. You cared about the men/women you were with so when they were killed or hurt, you felt it. You were ready to die for the sake of strangers you were sent to protect as much as you were prepared to die because of strangers wanting to kill you.
The notion that PTSD is a sign of weakness has blinded you to the fact that most of you will not allow yourselves to feel the pain while your unit is in danger. It is not until you've come back home where you are supposed to be safe that you allow that pain to be felt.
You can come out of the dark of PTSD and when you arrive on the other side, you are stronger and in a position to help others get out of their own darkness. It is within you to be of service to others and helping other people helps you heal.
Point Man International Ministries has been helping veterans come out of the dark since 1984. They have proven that you can heal with the right kind of help addressing your spiritual needs, helping you to know you are forgiven for whatever you feel you need forgiveness for, forgiving others and the hardest thing to be able to do, forgive yourself.
You don't have to watch your friends turn away from you, have your family abandon you or feel hopeless.
If the help you are already getting is not enough, then no one has been addressing the source of your wound. The whole veteran has to be treated before the hole in the veteran is healed. That means your mind, body and spirit.
If you are a Christian and believe that you are being judged for what you had to do, watch this video. All of us forget that wars have happened since man walked this earth and the Bible is filled with accounts of combat along with spiritual suffering. It also has an account of the Roman Centurion being treated with compassion from Christ.
One thing to keep in mind is what the Romans were doing at the time. If Christ had so much compassion for this Roman, how much compassion do you think He will have for you?
2008 PTSD is not God's Judgment
Point Man of Winter Park is a 501c3
If you believe in the work I do for veterans and their families, please help support it.
Punishments Handed Down For Marines in Urinating Video
Punishments Handed Down For Marines in Urinating Video
By LUIS MARTINEZ
ABC News
Aug. 27, 2012
The first of a group of Marines who were caught on tape allegedly urinated on the corpses of several Taliban fighters have been given what's known as "non-judicial administrative punishments," the Marine Corps said today.
The Corps did not specify exactly how the three Marines had been punished, but generally non-judicial administrative punishments can include, among other things, a reprimand, reductions in rank, forfeiting pay, extra duties or being restricted to a military base.
More Marines are believed to be involved in the incident and the service said in a statement that further punishments will be announced at a future date.
A video posted on the internet in January appeared to have been taken in Afghanistan and showed four Marines urinating on the corpses of three Afghan men -- one of the Marines chuckling as they do so. In the background, a voice could be heard saying, "Have a nice day, buddy."
read more here
By LUIS MARTINEZ
ABC News
Aug. 27, 2012
The first of a group of Marines who were caught on tape allegedly urinated on the corpses of several Taliban fighters have been given what's known as "non-judicial administrative punishments," the Marine Corps said today.
The Corps did not specify exactly how the three Marines had been punished, but generally non-judicial administrative punishments can include, among other things, a reprimand, reductions in rank, forfeiting pay, extra duties or being restricted to a military base.
More Marines are believed to be involved in the incident and the service said in a statement that further punishments will be announced at a future date.
A video posted on the internet in January appeared to have been taken in Afghanistan and showed four Marines urinating on the corpses of three Afghan men -- one of the Marines chuckling as they do so. In the background, a voice could be heard saying, "Have a nice day, buddy."
read more here
Former SEAL could face criminal charges if secrets are in it
US Officials Checking SEAL Raid Book for Secrets
Aug 27, 2012
Associated Press
by Kimberly Dozier
WASHINGTON - U.S. officials said Monday that they are reviewing a copy of a soon-to-be-published account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, checking for leaks of classified information.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said Defense Department officials "received the manuscript and we are looking at it."
CIA spokesman Preston Golson would only say that "the CIA has a copy of the book."
The book, "No Easy Day," is scheduled for publication on Sept. 11.
The author, a former Navy SEAL who participated in the raid, did not submit the book for pre-publication review that is required by the military secrecy agreements officials say he signed.
Pentagon regulations stipulate that retired personnel, former employees and non-active duty members of the Reserves "shall use the DoD security review process to ensure that information they submit for public release does not compromise national security." Pentagon officials say that if they determine the manuscript reveals classified information about the raid, the Pentagon would "defer to the Department of Justice."
If there is classified information in the book, the former SEAL could face criminal charges.
read more here
Associated Press
by Kimberly Dozier
WASHINGTON - U.S. officials said Monday that they are reviewing a copy of a soon-to-be-published account of the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, checking for leaks of classified information.
Pentagon spokesman George Little said Defense Department officials "received the manuscript and we are looking at it."
CIA spokesman Preston Golson would only say that "the CIA has a copy of the book."
The book, "No Easy Day," is scheduled for publication on Sept. 11.
The author, a former Navy SEAL who participated in the raid, did not submit the book for pre-publication review that is required by the military secrecy agreements officials say he signed.
Pentagon regulations stipulate that retired personnel, former employees and non-active duty members of the Reserves "shall use the DoD security review process to ensure that information they submit for public release does not compromise national security." Pentagon officials say that if they determine the manuscript reveals classified information about the raid, the Pentagon would "defer to the Department of Justice."
If there is classified information in the book, the former SEAL could face criminal charges.
read more here
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