{This blog is not affiliated with the VA. Though a Veteran, four yrs. all shore in Navy last year In-Country Vietnam, I don't work for the VA}
**USN All Shore '67-'71 GMG3 Vietnam In Country '70-'71 - Independent**


In 2003 some 72% of Americans fully supported the Abandoning of the Missions and those Sent to Accomplish so extremely Quickly after 9/11!!
At least some 95%, if not more as less then 1% serve them, not only still support the, just below, total lack of Sacrifice, they ran from any and all Accountability and left everything still on the table to be continually used if the political/military want was still in play in future executive/legislative wants!!
DeJa-Vu: “With no shared sacrifices being asked of civilians after Sept. 11", Decades and War From, All Over Again!!
Especially for the Corporate and Wealthy Community, investors in Defense Industries, and for these, Afghanistan and Iraq, came Two Huge Tax Cuts, with more sweetheart deals to same from states and the fed!!


Thousands of people across America don’t just talk about honoring Veterans; they walk the walk. Dedicated Volunteers Serve Veterans for Decades

On this Executive Administration, it's Cabinet and those directly around same, "Best - Ever": "We haven't had this kind of visibility from the White House—ever." Joyce Raezer National Military Family Association - Dec. 30, 2011, and plenty more of similar since Joyce, others, spoke and continues!

Ask yourself: If the Veterans Administration is so corrupt and mismanaged, as the conservative ideology, under which the seeds of are planted when they control, wants everyone to buy into as they obstruct the budgets and do extremely little after they charge same, then why does the Private sector, many problems within rarely heard about, adopt so many practices and advanced technologies developed within the VA, for free?! The VA, DoD, and in partnership with Universities and Colleges, not just Health Care are constantly in R&D and that developed that works is quickly moved into the private, for profit, sector, even as the VA is long under funded, decades, and especially during and after our wars that the few are sent into!

* * * * *
President Obama 26 August 2014

Fact: "This is not just a job of government. It’s not just a job of the veterans’ organizations. Every American needs to join us in taking care of those who've taken care of us. Because only 1 percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but 100 percent of Americans benefit from that 1 percent. A hundred percent need to be supporting our troops. A hundred percent need to be supporting our veterans. A hundred percent need to be supporting our military families."

Fact:
"We’ve been able to accomplish historic increases to veterans funding. We’ve protected veterans health care from Washington politics with advanced appropriations. We’ve been able to make VA benefits available to more than 2 million veterans who didn't have them before, including more Vietnam vets who were exposed to Agent Orange. We’ve dedicated major new resources for mental health care. We’ve helped more than 1 million veterans and their families pursue their education under the Post-9/11 GI Bill."

August 26, 2014 - Secretary Robert A. McDonald's Remarks for the American Legion's 96th Annual Convention, Charlotte, NC
Fact: "Unlike, P&G, VA may not be concerned about quarterly profit and loss statements or shareholder value, but it does have a bottom line—Veterans. "
{which is why No Government agency should be turned into a private corporate entity feeding for profit off the Countries duty and responsibility, especially the VA}
* * * * *

Fact: “We are dealing with veterans, not procedures—with their problems, not ours.” —General Omar Bradley, First Administrator of the Veterans Administration

Facts: Matthew Hoh {former Marine and foreign service officer in Afghanistan}: "We spend a trillion dollars a year on national security in this country."
"And when you add up to the Department of Defense, Department of State, CIA, Veterans Affairs, interest on debt, the number that strikes me the most about how much we're committed financially to these wars and to our current policies is we have spent $250 billion already just on interest payments on the debt we've incurred for the Iraq and Afghan wars."
26 September 2014

Fact: "If military action is worth our troops’ blood, it should be worth our treasure, too — not just in the abstract, but in the form of a specific ante by every American." -Andrew Rosenthal 10 Feb. 2013

Fact: "12 years also is a long time. We now have a lifetime responsibility to a generation of service members, veterans and their families." Dr. Jonathan Woodson 11 Sep. 2013: With 9/11 Came Lifetime Responsibility
{two tax cuts, especially for the wealthy, came with these two recent unpaid for wars, nor the results of, DeJa-Vu all over again from the previous decades and wars from! Ignore the many issues, by those served, no need to fund!}

Fact: Sen. Bernie Sanders told Republicans: “If you can’t afford to take care of your veterans, than don’t go war. These people are bearing the brunt of what war is about, We have a moral obligation to support them.” February, 26th, 2014

Fact: 25 June 2014 U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller: Veterans' Affairs issue an 'all too similar' scene

Fact: How We Could Do More For Our Vets: "We need to go into debt to pay our debt to U.S. veterans to make sure they get the care and services we owe them."

Fact: “Why in 2009 were we still using paper?” VA Assistant Secretary Tommy Sowers “When we came in, there was no plan to change that; we’ve been operating on a six month wait for over a decade.” 27 March 2013

WHY? GOOD QUESTION THOSE SERVED SHOULD ANSWER!


Bob Herbert Losing Our Way : "And then the staggering costs of these wars, which are borne by the taxpayers. I mean, one of the things that was insane was that, as we're at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Bush administration cut taxes. This has never been done in American history. The idea of cutting taxes while you're going to war is just crazy. I mean, it's madness." Bill 'Moyers and Company': Restoring an America That Has Lost its Way 10 Oct. 2014

Presidential Proclamation -- Veterans Day, 2013: "As we pay tribute to our veterans, we are mindful that no ceremony or parade can fully repay that debt." read more>>>


Under two previous Executive administrations and wars from, father and son. With son and conservative congresses leading the extremely quick abandoning of the missions and those sent to accomplish after 9/11:

ProPublica and The Seattle Times Nov. 9, 2012 - Lost to History: Missing War Records Complicate Benefit Claims by Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans
"DeLara's case is part of a much larger problem that has plagued the U.S. military since the 1990 Gulf War: a failure to create and maintain the types of field records that have documented American conflicts since the Revolutionary War."

Part Two: A Son Lost in Iraq, but Where Is the Casualty Report?

Army Says War Records Gap Is Real, Launches Recovery Effort

3/27/15 - U.S. Nerve Gas Hit Our Own Troops in Iraq
"During and immediately after the first Gulf War, more than 200,000 of 700,000 U.S. troops sent to Iraq and Kuwait in January 1991 were exposed to nerve gas and other chemical agents. Though aware of this, the Department of Defense and CIA launched a campaign of lies and concocted a cover-up that continues today."
"When Brown and others tried to obtain their medical records to prove their illnesses were service-related, they learned that the records had disappeared."


Add in the issues of finally recognizing in War Theater and more Veterans, by the Shinseki Veterans Administration and the Executive Administrations Cabinet, what the Country choose to ignore from our previous decades and wars of: The devastating effects on Test Vets and from PTS, Agent Orange, Homelessness, more recent the Desert Storm troops Gulf War Illnesses, Gulf War Exposures with the very recent affects from In-Theater Burn Pits and oh so so much more! Tens of Thousands of Veterans' that have been long ignored and maligned by previous VA's and the whole Country and through their representatives!

How does a Country HONOR It's Fallen, by Their Own 'Sacrifice' in Taking Care of the Brothers and Sisters They Served With!!


"You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today." - Abraham Lincoln

"To care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan" - President Lincoln

She wrote that she's proud of her service but added this: "That doesn't change the fact that I contributed - however indirectly - to human beings vanishing from the earth in a moment of sheer agony."







For our sisters: National Women Veterans Hotline, call 1-855-VA-WOMEN1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-66361-855-829-6636) New Hotline now up and running







They are a coalition of leading Veterans, mostly of OEF and OIF, and national security organizations who recognize that climate change is a major threat, and support fast, bold action. It is time for Americans to rise to the challenge, and we’re taking on the fight.





Their Mission: Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. Learn More




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Saturday, September 3, 2011

HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military KIA, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan - August 2011

The Ultimate Sacrifice {Pentagon Channel RSS feed}


Honors service members who have laid down their lives in the line of duty.


Memorial at the New JPED facility at Dover Air Force Base, Del..
Iraq, from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn Sept 1, 2010
There have been 4,792 coalition deaths -- 4,474 Americans, 2 Australians, 1 Azerbaijani, 179 Britons, 13 Bulgarians, 1 Czech, 7 Danes, 2 Dutch, 2 Estonians, 1 Fijian, 5 Georgians, 1 Hungarian, 33 Italians, 1 Kazakh, 1 South Korean, 3 Latvian, 22 Poles, 3 Romanians, 5 Salvadoran, 4 Slovaks, 11 Spaniards, 2 Thai and 18 Ukrainians -- in the war in Iraq as of September 3 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. At least 32,186 {32,153 up to last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan


The passing of August in Iraq marked Sep 01, 2011 - Iraq Milestone: No U.S. troop deaths in August while soldiers are still serving there in greatly reduced numbers of the supposed coming of full withdrawal. But if you look above you'll see the numbers of soldiers injured In-Country still rose, from 32, 153 the previous month to 32, 186 last month for the years we've had troops in that conflict theater. There are no breakdowns of the injured, like how they were, if on patrols or accidents on bases, nor how serious, just that none have died in theater.

By leaving the Main Mission, from what was started by 9/11, as well as our promise the the Afghan people once again of rebuilding, the news of no deaths in Iraq during August brought this August: Deadliest month for U.S. in Afghanistan as in previous months the actions in the stagnated, and lost original mission, occupation in Afghanistan has greatly increased with no winning of the hearts and minds of counter insurgency policy but into a quagmire of no good exit strategy and costly death and destruction continuing, the names of those fallen are below.

POW/MIA: Afghanistan & Iraq


Two U.S. soldiers are currently listed as captured or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown as of December 1, 2009. The information below reflects the name, an unknown, officially listed as Prisoners of War or Duty Status -- Whereabouts Unknown by the Pentagon.


Spc. Ahmed K. Altaie 41 Army reservist assigned Provincial Reconstruction Team Baghdad Ann Arbor, Michigan On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to missing-captured on December 11.


Sgt Bowe R. Bergdahl 23 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Ketchum, Idaho Captured in Paktika province in Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Duty Status Whereabouts Unknown on July 1 and his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3.


Obama honors US war dead

President Barack Obama walks with Col. Mark Camerer, the 436th Airlift Wing commander, as he arrives at Dover Air Force Base on Tuesday to meet with the families of the service members who died in a helicopter crash. / GETTY IMAGES/AFP/JIM WATSON

Aug. 10, 2011 - An elite Navy SEAL team, an Air Force para-rescue medic, an Army combat helicopter crew, a pair of Marine infantry sergeants.

snip


President Barack Obama and top leaders of the Defense Department and military led the midday ceremony honoring the 30 troops killed when a rocket-propelled grenade slammed into their helicopter after they flew in to assist ground troops fighting in Afghanistan's Wardak province on Saturday.

For the two Marines, a later and smaller, but no less solemn, reception followed Tuesday night, followed by transfer to the mortuary at Dover, the U.S. military's largest.

snip


Hundreds of other family members, friends and military colleagues from around the nation made the trip to Dover on Tuesday, arriving by car, bus or chartered aircraft. At one point, the group spent about 70 minutes with President Obama after he arrived and briefly paid his respects aboard both C-17 jet transports that bore the helicopter crash victims to Dover. read more>>>


Honor Roll: Remembering the 30 U.S. Forces Killed in Helicopter Crash


The Newshour used to have one site page where you could view all of these 'Silent Honor Rolls' they've run since both wars started. When they revamped the site and the program they are now harder to find, they had some high 80's into 90's pages with five Honor Rolls on each, but as they say with each they air them when they receive confirmation and photo's, information on, of those who lost their lives serving in these theaters


Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 2,699 coalition deaths -- 1,756 Americans, 29 Australians, 380 Britons, 1 Belgian, 157 Canadians, 4 Czech, 41 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 5 NATO, 8 Estonians, 2 Finn, 73 French, 53 Germans, 7 Hungarian, 39 Italians, 2 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 29 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 19 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 33 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 2 Turks, 3 New Zealand, 10 Georgian and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of September 3 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. Below are the names of the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors whose deaths have been reported by their country's governments. The troops died in support of the U.S.-led Operation Enduring Freedom or were part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. At least 13,609 {12,593 up to last month} U.S. personnel have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. In addition to the military deaths, 11 U.S. intelligence operatives have died in Afghanistan.

Staff Sgt. Leon H. Lucas Jr. 32 Wilson, North Carolina, USA 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 1, 2011


Staff Sgt.Kirk A. Owen 37 Sapulpa, Oklahoma, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in in the Lajah district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on August 2, 2011


Pfc.Gil I. Morales Del Valle 21 Jacksonville, Florida, USA 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 3, 2011


Spc.Barun Rai 24 Silver Spring, Maryland, USA 54th Engineer Battalion, 18th Engineer Brigade Died of injuries sustained during a vehicle rollover in Logar province, Afghanistan, on August 3, 2011


Pfc.Cody G. Baker 19 Holton, Kansas, USA 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their vehicle with a roadside bomb in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 3, 2011


Sgt.Anthony Del Mar Peterson 24 Chelsea, Oklahoma, USA 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Paktia province, Afghanistan, on August 4, 2011


Capt.Waid C. Ramsey 41 Red Bay, Alabama, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 20th Special Forces Group, Alabama Army National Guard Died of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked with small-arms fire in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on August 4, 2011


Spc.Jinsu Lee 34 Chatsworth, California, USA 2nd Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died in Kunar province, Afghanistan, on August 5, 2011


Spc.Mark J. Downer 23 Warner Robins, Georgia, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 5, 2011


Marine James Robert Wright 22 Weymouth, England Juliet Company, 42 Commando, 3 Commando Brigade Killed when his patrol was involved in a firefight with insurgents in the Shpazh Gerebian area of Nad-e Ali district, Helmand province, on August 5, 2011


Sgt.Daniel D. Gurr 21 Vernal, Utah, USA 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Killed by enemy fire while on patrol in Malozai, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 5, 2011


Spc.Spencer C. Duncan 21 Olathe, Kansas, USA Company B, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Army Reserve One of five soldiers killed along with three airmen and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011. Seven Afghan soldiers, a civilian interpreter and a military working dog also were killed in the crash.


Sgt.Daniel J. Patron 26 Canton, Ohio, USA 8th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011


Chief Petty Officer Robert J. Reeves 32 Shreveport, Louisiana, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Senior Chief Petty Officer Kraig M. Vickers 36 Kokomo, Hawaii, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer Stephen M. Mills 35 Fort Worth, Texas, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Sgt.Patrick D. Hamburger 30 Lincoln, Nebraska, USA 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, Nebraska Army National Guard One of five soldiers killed along with three airmen and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher G. Campbell 36 Jacksonville, North Carolina, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Warrant Officer 4 David R. Carter 47 Centennial, Colorado, USA Detachment 1, Company B, 2nd Battalion, 135th Aviation Regiment, Colorado Army National Guard One of five soldiers killed along with three airmen and 22 Navy SEALs killed when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class John Douangdara 26 South Sioux City, Nebraska, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Tech. Sgt.Daniel L. Zerbe 28 York, Pennsylvania, USA Pararescueman assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron One of three airmen killed along with five soldiers and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer John W. Faas 31 Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer Nicholas H. Null 30 Washington, West Virginia, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Tech. Sgt.John W. Brown 33 Tallahassee, Florida, USA Pararescueman assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron One of three airmen killed along with five soldiers and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Senior Chief Petty Officer Thomas A. Ratzlaff 34 Green Forest, Arkansas, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Jon T. Tumilson 35 Rockford, Iowa, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Master Chief Petty Officer Louis J. Langlais 44 Santa Barbara, California, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Staff Sgt.Andrew W. Harvell 26 Long Beach, California, USA Combat controller assigned to the 24th Special Tactics Squadron Harvell was one of three airmen killed along with five soldiers and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas P. Spehar 24 St. Paul, Minnesota, USA Assigned to an West Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Lt. Cmdr.Jonas B. Kelsall 32 Shreveport, Louisiana, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse D. Pittman 27 Ukiah, California, USA Assigned to an West Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Darrik C. Benson 28 Angwin, California, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer Matthew D. Mason 37 Kansas City, Kansas, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Warrant Officer Bryan J. Nichols 31 Hays, Kansas, USA Company B, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Army Reserve One of five soldiers killed along with three airmen and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Jared W. Day 28 Taylorsville, Utah, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Jason R. Workman 32 Blanding, Utah, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Aaron Carson Vaughn 30 Stuart, Florida, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Petty Officer 1st Class Michael J. Strange 25 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer Heath M. Robinson 34 Detroit, Michigan, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer Brian R. Bill 31 Stamford, Connecticut, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Sgt.Alexander J. Bennett 24 Tacoma, Washington, USA Company B, 7th Battalion, 158th Aviation Regiment, Army Reserve One of five soldiers killed along with three airmen and 22 Navy SEALs when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province on August 6, 2011.


Chief Petty Officer Kevin A. Houston 35 West Hyannisport, Massachusetts, USA Assigned to an East Coast-based SEAL unit One of 22 Navy SEALs killed along with five soldiers and three airmen when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down while flying to assist a unit of the 75th Ranger Regiment that was pinned down by enemy fire in the Tangi Valley, Sayyidabad district, Wardak province, Afghanistan, on August 6, 2011.


Lance Cpl.Gerardus Jansen 24 France 2e Compagnie, 2e Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes, Légion étrangère (2nd Company, 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, Foreign Legion) One of two French soldiers killed when their unit was attacked as it was withdrawing after a reconnaissance and search in the village of Nowruz Khel in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on August 7, 2011


Cpl.Kisan Bahadur Thapa 30 France 2e Compagnie, 2e Regiment Etranger de Parachutistes, Legion Etrangere (2nd Company, 2nd Foreign Parachute Regiment, Foreign Legion) One of two French soldiers killed when their unit was attacked as it was withdrawing after a reconnaissance and search in the village of Nowruz Khel in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on August 7, 2011


Sgt.Adan Gonzales Jr. 28 Bakersfield, California, USA 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 7, 2011


Sgt.Joshua J. Robinson 29 Omaha, Nebraska, USA 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force One of two Marines killed while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 7, 2011


Sgt.Alessandro Leonard Plutino 28 Pitman, New Jersey, USA Company B, 1st Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Killed by enemy small-arms fire during a heavy firefight while conducting combat operations in Paktia province, Afghanistan, on August 8, 2011


Cpl.Nicholas S. Ott 23 Manchester, New Jersey, USA 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 10, 2011


Master Cpl.Facrou Housseini Ali 32 Chouami, Comoros Islands, France 1ère Compagnie de Combat du Genie, 19e Régiment du Génie (1st Combat Engineer Company, 19th Engineer Regiment) Killed when a roadside bomb detonated near his armored vehicle while riding in a convoy four miles (seven km) south of Tagab in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Pfc.Rueben J. Lopez 27 Williams, California, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of five soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Spc.Jordan M. Morris 23 Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of five soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Sgt.Edward J. Frank II 26 Yonkers, New York, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of five soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Spc.Patrick L. Lay II 21 Fletcher, North Carolina, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of five soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Hospitalman Riley Gallinger-Long 19 Cornelius, Oregon, USA Navy corpsman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 1, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting a dismounted patrol in the Marjah district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Spc.Jameel T. Freeman 26 Baltimore, Maryland, USA 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of five soldiers killed when their unit was attacked with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 11, 2011


Lt.Daniel John Clack 24 North London, England Company C, 1st Battalion, The Rifles Killed when a roadside bomb detonated while he was leading a 10-man patrol to speak to the local nationals and discuss a meeting due to take place the next day in the village of Dactran, Nahr-e Saraj district, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 12, 2011


Master Sgt.Charles L. Price III 40 Milam, Texas, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 12, 2011


2nd Lt.Joe Lee Cunningham 27 Kingston, Oklahoma, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard Died of injuries sustained in a non-combat related incident in Laghman province, Afghanistan, on August 13, 2011


1st Lt.Damon T. Leehan 30 Edmond, Oklahoma, USA 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma National Guard Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Laghman province, Afghanistan, on August 14, 2011


Sgt.Matthew A. Harmon 29 Bagley, Minnesota, USA 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade One of two soldiers killed when they encountered a secondary explosion while dismounted during a vehicle recovery operation in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on August 14, 2011


Spc.Joseph A. VanDreumel 32 Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA 1st Battalion, 2nd Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade One of two soldiers killed when they encountered a secondary explosion while dismounted during a vehicle recovery operation in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on August 14, 2011


Spc.Dennis G. Jensen 21 Vermillion, South Dakota, USA 200th Engineer Company, 153rd Engineer Battalion, 196th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, South Dakota Army National Guard Died from injuries suffered when he was struck by two steel bridge decking panels, which fell from a fork lift after a securing strap broke, near Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2011


Spc.Joshua M. Seals 21 Porter, Oklahoma, USA 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard Died from a non-combat related incident in Paktia province, Afghanistan, on August 16, 2011


Lance Cpl.Travis M. Nelson 19 Pace, Florida, USA 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died following a roadside bomb attack while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 18, 2011


Pfc.Douglas L. Cordo 20 Kingston, New York, USA 1st Battalion, 24th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained when enemy forces attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Zabul, Afghanistan, on August 19, 2011


Cpl.Douglas Grant 41 Tokomaru, New Zealand New Zealand Special Air Service Died of a gunshot wound to the chest that he sustained while responding to an attack by insurgents on the British Council offices in Kabul, Afghanistan, on August 19, 2011


Pvt.Matthew Lambert 26 Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment Died of wounds suffered when a roadside bomb detonated during a joint Afghan-coalition night patrol in the Khas Uruzgan region, 53 miles (85 km) northeast of Tarin Kot, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on August 22, 2011


1st Lt.Timothy J. Steele 25 Duxbury, Massachusetts, USA 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Killed when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 23, 2011


Sgt.Andrew R. Tobin 24 Jacksonville, Illinois, USA 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 24, 2011


Pfc.Brandon S. Mullins 21 Owensboro, Kentucky, USA 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 25, 2011


Pfc.Jesse W. Dietrich 20 Venus, Texas, USA 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Killed when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 25, 2011


Pfc.Brandon S. Mullins 21 Owensboro, Kentucky, USA 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 25, 2011


Pfc.Jesse Wayne Dietrich 20 Venus, Texas, USA Company A, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Killed when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Senjaray, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 25, 2011


Sgt.Devin James Daniels 22 Kuna, Idaho, USA 546th Transportation Company, 330th Transportation Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Kariz-e Sefid, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2011


Sgt.Colby Lee Richmond 28 Providence, North Carolina, USA 546th Transportation Company, 330th Transportation Battalion, 82nd Sustainment Brigade One of two soldiers killed when a roadside bomb detonated near their vehicle in Kariz Sefid, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 26, 2011


Spc.Michael Christopher Roberts 23 Watauga, Texas, USA 561st Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a car bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on August 27, 2011


Spc.Douglas Jay Green 23 Sterling, Virginia, USA Company C, 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb in Sperwan Ghar, Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 28, 2011


Pfc.Alberto L. Obod Jr. 26 Orlando, Florida, USA 391st Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade Died of wounds suffered during a vehicle roll-over accident in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 28, 2011


Sgt.Barry John Weston 40 Reading, England Company K, 42 Commando, Royal Marines Killed while leading a patrol near the village of Sukmanda in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on August 30, 2011


'Manned the Rails'


August 25, 2011 - Photo by MCSA John Kotara About 1,000 sailors from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier 'manned the rails' outside the Virginia Beach Convention Center Thursday as part of a private memorial service held for the 30 U.S. service members killed recently when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanstan. Many of the falllen were locally-based Navy SEALS. The sailors stood at attention for the arrival of families and guests attending the event. (Daily Press / August 24, 2011)

Links to Tribute Reports Here


'Day of Destruction, Decade of War'

As we approach the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on this country, that started a decade still ongoing of waging death, destruction and terror on others in their countries, and the change within this country from the growth of the hatreds towards us, MSNBC put together a documentary of the past decade call "Day of Destruction, Decade of War" and aired that on Sept. 2nd 2011. Here's a preview clip of the documentary An unsecured victory in Afghanistan leads to a decade of war. I posted the 15 seperate sections of the documentary, aired on the Rachel Maddow show on the second and third, On this blog, a site started to compile War Inquiries, reports and articles of, with this comment at the top: "Greatly enhancing, ten a hundred fold, the already grown hatreds for the policies of the previous decades, creating more who seek blowback from the terror, death and destruction waged on them and their neighbors, walking away from not only the main mission after 9/11 but also once again the promises of help in rebuilding a long devastated society and country, turning it instead into the quagmire of death and destruction ten years later and still waged!!"


Tillman stands for others who also sacrificed

Pat Tillman Veterans Center: Pat Tillman's brother Kevin Tillman,left, hold his daughter Evie,1, as they walk down the entrance to the Pat Tillman Veterans Center inside the Memorial Union on the campus of ASU in Tempe, Tuesday, August 16, 2011. Kevin was on hand for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. [Tim Hacker/Tribune]

August 20, 2011 - For many years, the basement of the Memorial Union building at Arizona State University’s Tempe campus was where you’d find fast food, a bowling alley and pool tables, the campus bookstore and barber shop.

snip


It’s the kind of thing that’s only possible if somebody does some deep thinking. read more>>>


No Revenues = Still No Sacrifice = That's Called 'Support' For The Troops!!

No Sacrifice now a decade long added to the previous decades!!
Already known through decades of our brothers and sisters living those false patriotic? meme's!


'Stand Downs' don't end homelessness

let the war profiteers house homeless vets

AUGUST 3, 2011 - In America, a veteran is considered a real hero and patriot. Newspapers and TV always talk of his or her amazing courage. Ask any American and he’ll tell you that vets went off to war to protect our precious “freedoms.” America is sure proud of its vets.

Until one of them ends up homeless and lying on some sidewalk. Then the average American is more likely to call the police to have him arrested or cited under some anti-panhandling or sit/lie law.

It’s not an unlikely scenario: one in four homeless persons in this nation is a veteran of one of our country’s many wars.

Just ask the folks at Veterans Village of San Diego, a group formed in the 80s by veterans fed up with inadequate services from the Veterans Administration. It offers an annual “Stand Down” (the latest occurred last month) to provide homeless vets an opportunity to hook up with services they need, such as showers, barbers, counseling, shelters, 12-step meetings, etc. About 200 of these Stand Downs take place every year throughout the country.

The event derives its name from the military term for down time that exhausted troops take to recuperate in a safe place. read more>>>

National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.

Background & Statistics

The latest factual information about homeless veterans – how many there are, where they are, and who they are. All information in this section is taken from official studies and reports, and references to the information should include attribution to those sources. for more


Honor our living brothers and sisters as they return from our wars, especially the wounded, physically and mentally, all the time!
Fully Fund the Veterans Administration, no questions asked, as we fund the Department of Defense, no questions asked.


Still Not Nearly Enough

Homelessness Grants Target Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans

July 26, 2011 – The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced nearly $60 million in grants aimed at preventing homelessness among veterans and their families, with particular focus on veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.

VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki announced the awards, the first to be presented through VA’s new Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. The grants will go to 85 nonprofit organizations in 40 states and the District of Colombia to serve an estimated 22,000 homeless and at-risk veterans and their families. read more>>>


Under debt deal, military pay, veterans programs in play for cuts

August 3, 2011 - Military pay raises, funding for veterans health care and the Post-9/11 GI Bill could be sacrificed to new fiscal realities as the result of the deal signed by President Obama on Tuesday to raise the federal debt ceiling, according to the Military Officers Association and veterans groups. The law requires the federal budget be cut $2.1 trillion over 10 years.

The White House said it plans to cut $350 billion from the Defense Department budget (excluding war funding) over the next decade. Retired Air Force Col. Michael Hayden, the association's deputy director for government relations, said this means "everything is on the table," including military pay. read more>>>


Now Looking at Major Military Retirement Plan Changes

Radical overhaul of military retirement planned

August 15, 2011 - The military retirement system has long been considered untouchable - along with Social Security and Medicare. But in these days of soaring deficits, it seems everything is a potential target for budget cutters. A Pentagon-sponsored study says military pensions are no longer untouchable - they're unaffordable. read more>>>

Proposed Changes to the Military Retirement Plan

Online Document Reader


The Changing Face of Women Veterans


All Women Veterans


The current projected percentage of U.S. Veterans who are women is 8 percent. For the most recent projections, visit VetPOP. 1

In FY 2009, the average age of women Veterans was 48 years, compared to 63 years for their male counterparts.

In FY 2009 and FY 2010 PTSD, hypertension, and depression were the top three diagnostic categories for women Veterans treated by VHA.2 read more

Vietnam Veteran Gene Jones: Wars of Choice are a Cause of National Debt Problem

August 2, 2011 - Many politicians, including U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Longboat Key), are pushing to solve our debt problem with radical proposals like a balanced budget amendment to our Constitution. Is their goal to distract citizens' attention from their previous votes that caused the deficits in the first place?

Many of the same politicians calling for a balanced budget amendment are the same ones who routinely voted to fund expensive wars of choice. These expenditures constitute a primary cause of our national debt.
snip

The death and destruction were, and are, paid for with borrowed money. read more>>>


VA Kicks Off National Caregiver Support Conference


August 3, 2011 - Dr. Robert Petzel, Department of Veterans Affairs Under Secretary for Health, gave the keynote address Aug. 2 kicking off the 2011 National Caregiver Support Conference, “Caring for Those Who Care for Our Veterans.”

The training conference, Aug. 2-4 in Washington highlights VA’s support of caregivers of all eras, with plenary sessions featuring national experts in care giving.

The conference follows the implementation of landmark legislation by VA that provides a direct benefit for the first time to designated, approved family caregivers of eligible Post 9/11 Veterans, which includes monthly stipends and health insurance. read more>>>


New Guide Helps Communities Aid Homeless Women Vets

July 20, 2011 – The Women’s Bureau of the Department of Labor has released an online publication that will help community service providers aid homeless women veterans, Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis said today.

Solis addressed an audience of several hundred at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial Theater on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery.

“Where we’re falling short in meeting the challenge of service women is when they come home,” Solis said.

“Too many women who once wore our uniform now go to sleep in our streets,” she added. “It breaks my heart to see that because many of them are sick [and] in need of help, and many are hungry. And it isn’t just them -- some of them have children.” read more>>>

Trauma-Informed Care for Women Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: {online document reader}


PTSD - TBI - Military and Veterans Suicides


Special Report: The Aftermath of War


The lead in site page to all the reports with Featured Content below report scroll


Introduction: Serving Those Who Serve


This Special Report aims to address those symptoms and syndromes most commonly seen by clinicians who treat service members. …

July 13, 2011 - The terms we use to describe them are numerous and reflect the respect we have for their service: soldier, warrior, hero, American. The service these men and women provide to the country, regardless of one’s political leanings, is nothing short of selfless; our society reverently honors and appreciates their efforts with yellow ribbons and proudly displayed flags.

It is the other words, however, that engender our professional attention: parent, spouse, wounded, patient. Thankfully, most of our service members return home safely and without incident. For those not as fortunate, the injuries experienced are both visible and invisible, and rarely occur as solitary entities. For these service members, comorbidity is rampant and Occam’s razor simply does not apply. Their narratives inspire, shock, worry, and challenge us all. read more>>>

The Long War Comes Home

July 13, 2011 - Mitigating Risk and Promoting Resilience in Military Children and Families

Traumatic Brain Injury Among Veterans Returning From Afghanistan and Iraq

July 13, 2011 - Strategies for Diagnosis and Treatment

Suicide Among Service Members

July 14, 2011 - Understanding the Reasons for Suicide Ideation and Treatment Strategies


VETERANS SUICIDES: Senators Call on Nation's Governors to Begin Reporting Veterans Suicides to the VA in Order to Accurately Track National Crisis, Improve Prevention Efforts

Letter focuses on the need for 41 states that do not currently communicate information about veterans suicides to begin tracking and reporting read more>>>


August 12, 2011 - Army Released July Suicide Data


Army Suicides Rise to Record Levels in July


August 12, 2011 - There were 32 Army suicides in July, the highest monthly toll ever recorded. The grim figure underscores the military’s continuing inability to find ways of preventing troubled soldiers from taking their own lives.

{Note: The numbers given above are as yet confirmed, only suspected because of the circumstances of each, as noted in the next paragraph below. But even if all are not confirmed as the numbers given, month to month, show the strain of our military and the multiple tours in the occupation theaters as well as the long underfunding of the care, going back decades, in the military and especially the veterans administration as to the mental wounds of soldiers sent into wars especially of choice! JS}

Military officials said 22 active-duty soldiers were thought to have taken their own lives last month, along with 10 reservists. The incidents are under investigation, and it'll be several weeks before the Army definitively rules on each case. If the numbers hold up, July will be the worst month for Army suicide in two years, since the Army first began releasing monthly suicide data. The previous record was June 2010, when 31 soldiers committed suicide. read more>>>


National Suicide Prevention Lifeline~~~Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) pdf~~~Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) pdf~~~Suicide Prevention Program~~~Suicide prevention training resources for Army families~~~Information about Military OneSource~~~Army’s Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program~~~Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center~~~American Foundation for Suicide Prevention~~~Suicide Prevention Resource Council~~~Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors


REACH Program Improves Quality of Life for Caregivers and Veterans


Federal Benefits for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors: VA Benefits 2011 Edition


Thousands of disabled veterans eligible for better care

Aug 10, 2011 - Nearly 75,000 veterans across the U.S. - 1,500 in Colorado alone - are eligible to receive a thorough review of their disability ratings. The review could make the difference between a one-time severance check and a lifetime of benefits for the veterans involved.

The only problem, as Michael LoGrande sees it, is that so far, only a small fraction of those eligible have bothered to look into it. read more>>>


"And so what I've been trying to do and what Mrs. Biden and Mrs. Obama and the chairman and his wife - all these folks, are trying to do is to - is to try and get that other 99 percent to - they all say they support the troops, but it's not just enough to say it." - Defense Secretary Robert Gates - 23 June 2011 - PBS News Hour


Another cost of Iraq war: billions for mental care

August 2, 2011 - In The Psychological Costs of War: Military Combat and Mental Health (NBER Working Paper No. 16927), authors Resul Cesur, Joseph Sabia, and Erdal Tekin report that the mere length of deployment or breaks between deployments are far less significant for veterans experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than the frequency of actual exposure to firefights.
snip

The authors estimate that just the combat-induced PTSD imposes two-year costs of $1.5 to $2.7 billion on the U.S. health care system. They determine that the psychological costs of combat are largest for soldiers who kill someone (or believe they have killed someone), are injured in combat, or witness the death or wounding of a civilian or a coalition member. read more>>>


Pentagon Channel: 05 Aug 2011 - A video news magazine designed to inform veterans, their families and their communities about the services and benefits they have earned through their service to America.



Total Costs of Wars since 2001, the rolling tabulation, over $1,244,387,136,935+++++ and continually counting!


No Revenues = Still No Sacrifice = That's Called 'Support' For The Troops!!

No Sacrifice now a decade long added to the previous decades!!
Already known through decades of our brothers and sisters living those false patriotic? meme's!


CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties


In Remembrance - Moving Tributes


Civilian Casulties


Historic Judgment on British Army in Iraq

7 July 2011 - Strasbourg judge: “Those who export war ought to see to the parallel export of guarantees against the atrocities of war”
European Court Issues Historic Judgment on British Army in Iraq

Press Release: Historic Judgment on British Army in Iraq, to read in online document reader.

Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights
, visit for more on their rulings.


Recording Casualties: Victims of Armed Conflict Worldwide


This programme draws on the principles of human security to develop and enhance the technical and institutional capacity, identify and consolidate the legal requirements, and build the political will to record details of every single victim of armed conflict worldwide. The programme incorporates research into emerging good practice and existing legal frameworks, the development and promotion of clearer legal and more effective regulatory instruments, and the creation and support of advocacy networks. visit site for updated reports


Every Casualty.org: New Org Website Launched On Casualty Recording The one-stop source for information on conflict's casualties worldwide and the organisations that record them


Refugee's: 27.5 million From Violence 2010


CIVIC: Working for Civilian Victims, Annual Report 2010


Exact Count of Civilian Casulties may never be known, as is the case in every conflict, especially an Invasion by another Country. For it is the Innocent Civilians and those Defending their Countries,of which All would be counted if this country, the U.S., were ever invaded, who suffer the most, during and long after!


All the Deaths, Maimings and Destruction are the Blood on All Our Hands, No One can Escape that Guilt!



97 percent {now more} of U.S. deaths in Iraq have occurred after George W. Bush declared an end to "major combat."
"Mission Accomplished!"


"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the president to explain to us what the exit strategy is," - George W. Bush, Texas Gov., 1999


The Rand Corporation Terrorism Report the press release here, you can get the full document here or a summary of the research brief here


"What is the difference between an al Qaida terrorist and a misguided American terrorist?" "The planes they fly!"


"In fairness, we’ve been putting ground zeros next to mosques in Iraq since 2003" - Unknown Author Comment


"How anyone can say that torture keeps Americans safe is beyond me -- unless you don't count American soldiers as Americans."
How to Break a Terrorist: The U.S. Interrogators Who Used Brains, Not Brutality, to Take Down the Deadliest Man in Iraq
Matthew Alexander who is writing under a pseudonym for security reasons


"Torture is the tool of the lazy, the stupid, and the pseudo-tough. It's also perhaps the greatest recruiting tool that the terrorists have."
Major General Paul Eaton


Done "In Our Names"!


Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home


Soldier Missing in Action from WWII Identified

August 08, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being buried with full military honors.

Army Pfc. William F. Stehlin of Dayton, Ky., will be buried on Aug. 11 in Arlington National Cemetery. On Nov. 20, 1944, Stehlin, as part of the 333rd Infantry Regiment, 84th Infantry Division, went missing near Süggerath while his unit conducted a largely successful offensive to capture towns in Western Germany. In 1951, after an extensive search, his remains were determined unrecoverable by U.S. Army Graves Registration personnel. read more>>>


Air Force Pilot Missing From Vietnam War Identified

September 01, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, missing in action from the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Major Thomas E. Reitmann of Red Wing, Minn., will be buried on Sept. 8 in Arlington National Cemetery. In 1965, Reitmann was assigned to the 334th Tactical Fighter Squadron deployed out of Seymour-Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., to Takhli Air Base, Thailand. On Dec 1, 1965, he was flying a strike mission as the number three aircraft in a flight of four F-105D Thunderchiefs as part of Operation Rolling Thunder. His target was a railroad bridge located about 45 nautical miles northeast of Hanoi. As the aircrew approached the target area, they encountered extremely heavy and accurate anti-aircraft artillery (AAA). While attempting to acquire his target and release his ordnance, Reitmann received a direct AAA hit and crashed in Lang Son Province, North Vietnam. Other pilots in the flight observed no parachute, and no signals or emergency beepers were heard. Due to the intense enemy fire in the area a search-and-rescue team was not able to survey the site and a two-day electronic search found no sign of the aircraft or Reitmann. read more>>>



HONORING THE FALLEN: US Military and Coalition Forces Killed in Action, Iraq & Afghanistan/Pakistan from 2003 to July 2011 - My Honor Rolls, and more, to Share



National World War II Memorial



National Korean War Memorial



National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - "The Wall"



The Vietnam Women’s Memorial



Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries



Arlington National Cemetery

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