In This Military Wedding, Love Conquers All...And Hurricane Florence WLTX 19 News Author: Alicia Neaves September 21, 2018
The young couple learned they'll never be alone. At every corner of our nation and in many cities around the world, thousands of their military brothers and sisters will be there should they ever need a hand.
Columbia, SC (WLTX) -- When military families need a hand, the entire military community springs into action.
Marine Corporal Jordan Taylor is stationed at Camp LeJeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina. His fiancee Julia lives in Texas.
When Hurricane Florence pounded the Carolina coast, Jordan, 23, returned home to Fort Jackson.
"He was evacuated and he came home to be with us," said Jordan's mother, Stacy Taylor.
Stacy says Jordan is scheduled to report back to Jacksonville in October.
His wedding is scheduled for November.
There are so many things wrong with this, it is hard to know where to begin other than this picture!
Yes, this is the stunt they pulled because veterans committing suicide is such an important thing to them...they did not even bother to read the report from the VA in the first place, or the second report, or the third one!
This is a quote from the "event coordinators"
"They don't have the right outlet to come back. They need to go to their local VFW and talk to these people that were in World War 2 and tell them what they saw, because those guys want to know the generation gap and what they saw in World War 2 and what they are seeing now in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Kinzer-Henry.
So lets not talk about how that generation, along with ever other generation of veterans OVER THE AGE OF 50 ARE IN FACT THE MAJORITY OF THE KNOWN SUICIDES! Why talk about the fact that had it not been for Vietnam veterans, there would have been nothing available for any of the Iraq and Afghanistan veterans they claim to be doing this for...? (and yes, insert the words you know I have in my head right now) OMG! But hey, this is doing the groups like this a lot of good getting attention and raising a lot of money. Did it ever dawn on any of these people that veterans already know they are dying by their own hands but do not know how to stay alive?
"22 Won't Do" event raising awareness for suicide among veterans Rocket City Now By: Kelly Kennedy Posted: Sep 22, 2018
September is suicide prevention month, and the U.S. Space & Rocket Center hosted an event today to raise awareness for veteran suicide.
"22 Won't Do" is an event that is shedding light on the issue of suicide among veterans.
Lyn Rothe, an event participant, said, "there are people that go through something that maybe we don't understand, but we need to be aware that there are people that need additional help and additional support."
Studies show that on average, 22 veterans a day commit suicide. The community came out today to do 22 push ups in support of veterans.
Jordon Fleming said he wanted to raise awareness "for my young marines, for my country, for my flag, so I didn't wanna just stop and bail out with everybody else." read more here
New Florida law will allow first responders to claim benefits for PTSD ABC 7 News by Annie Hubbell September 21st 2018
Under the law, a first responder must be diagnosed with PTSD after witnessing one of seven qualifying events, all including death, and the claim has to be filed within 90 days of it happening.
Fire officials hope a new law will help break the stigma of mental health in public service.
When you're in work mode, you're in autopilot," Assistant Chief of Operations for North Collier Fire and Rescue John McMahon said. "The problem occurs when the individual is done with that call. That person then goes back to being a human being."
Starting October 1, Florida worker's compensation benefits for first responders will now include Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD is a psychiatric disorder when a person experiences a traumatic event. read more here ABC-7.com WZVN News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral and Naples, Florida
Think about the part where it said, "a traumatic event" which is how civilians end up getting hit by PTSD. Now think about how many of them you experience in your career. If they can get it from one time, which turns out to be over 7 million Americans, then it should be easy to accept the fact that no matter how tough you are, the odds are, you will need help too! The 90 days is more than a problem about filing a claim. The truth is, the sooner you get help to heal, the better the chances are, the worst will not happen. As soon as you get help to heal from what you survived, you begin to #TakeBackYourLife.
If you have a hard time understanding what PTSD is, this may help. I created it for National Guards and Reservists, but it was used to help first responders. I even got an award for it back in 2008 from the IFOC.
Love? Yes! Sgt. Ronald J. Shurer II put his life on the line when he joined the military. Why do they do it? Love, pure and simple. Sure, they have to have courage, but the fact they could all do something else with their lives, choosing service requires something beyond courage. Shurer wanted to save lives and became a combat medic. According to the Citation for the Medal of Honor he will receive, he was ready to sacrifice everything to save someone else. He did it so that others may live even if it meant he could die. Army Special Forces Medic Will Get Medal of Honor for Afghanistan Heroism Military.com Hope Hodge Seck September 21, 2108
"With disregard for his own safety, Sergeant Shurer took off through a hail of bullets and began scaling the rock face to get to the casualties," his dramatic Silver Star citation states. "During initial movement to the base of the mountain, he treated a teammate wounded by shrapnel to his neck from an RPG blast that blew him off his feet."
Ronald J Shurer II
An Army medic who braved enemy rocket-propelled grenades and sniper fire in Afghanistan to treat wounded soldiers will receive the military's highest honor, the White House announced late Friday.
Ronald J. Shurer II will receive the Medal of Honor, an upgrade to the Silver Star he had been previously awarded for his actions in April 2008. The medal will be presented at an Oct. 1 ceremony, according to the White House announcement.
"Sergeant Shurer rendered life saving aid to four critically wounded casualties for more than five and a half hours," the citation reads. "As the lone medic at the besieged location, and almost overrun and fighting against nearly 200 insurgent fighters, Sergeant Shurer's bravery and poise under fire saved the lives of all wounded casualties under his care."
Before the day was over, Shurer had evacuated three critically wounded soldiers down a "near-vertical" 60-foot cliff, using a rig of nylon webbing he designed himself and shielding the wounded from falling rocks with his own body. read more here
Denver Veterans Affairs Official Charged With Taking Bribes PATCH By Jean Lotus, Patch Staff Sep 20, 2018
A small business official and two vendors were accused of attempted bid-rigging on federal contracts with the VA.
DENVER, CO – A Denver-based U.S. Veterans Administration official and two business owners were arrested Wednesday as part of an investigation into bribes and bid-rigging at the VA's Colorado Network Contracting Office in Glendale.
VA official Dwane Nevins, 54, of Denver, and business associates Robert Revis, 59, and Anthony Bueno, 43, were indicted by a grand jury for allegedly paying and receiving bribes to manipulate federal contracts between September of 2014 through April of 2016, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. Nevins was also charged with trying to extort $10,000 from an undercover FBI agent posing as the owner of a service-disabled-veteran-owned small business.
The indictment alleges that Revis and Bueno, through a partnership with Nevins, created a company called Auxilious allegedly to help service-disabled veteran business owners navigate the VA's federal procurement set-aside system. Prosecutors allege the three conspired to alter and manipulate federal contracts for two medical procurements: A contract for LC bead particle embolization products for a Salt Lake City VA hospital and a contract for other medical products for VA hospitals throughout the region. read more here Veterans charity collects $6.5 million, still MIA WFLA By: Steve Andrews Posted: Sep 20, 2018
According to Campbell's own admission, VetMade Industries hasn't helped any veterans in at least 5 years, yet it's collected millions and kept its doors closed.
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) - Tax records obtained by 8 On Your Side reveal a local charity collected more than $6.5 million to help veterans, but kept its doors closed, helping no one.
VetMade Industries received the money from generous people donating their cars to help train unemployed and disabled vets.
VetMade paid most of the money from those donations to a professional fundraiser.
Earlier this month, we disclosed that according to its tax records, VetMade Industries took in $5.5 million from 2014-2016.
IRS records from 2010 to 2013 show it took in another $1.07 million and veterans got nothing.
The sign on its door still says, "VetMade Industries is closed."
The charity's mission is to put unemployed, disabled veterans back to work.
"We do partner and have partnered with the Veterans Administration, the Office of Compensated Work Therapy Program. They're out of James Haley," VetMade founder John Campbell said.
Not according to an email from Haley Public Affairs Specialist Karen Collins, who wrote, "We don't have an existing partnership." read more here
