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:
Watch the full episode. See more PBS NewsHour.
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 4,795 coalition deaths -- 4,477 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 October 2, 2011, according to a CNN and iCasulties count. { Graphical breakdown of casualties }. At least 32,195 {32,186 up to last month} U.S. troops have been wounded in action, according to the Pentagon. View casualties in the war in Afghanistan
Sgt.Andy Caraballo Morales 32 Longwood, Florida, USA 96th Transportation Company, 143rd Sustainment Command, Army Reserve Died in a non-hostile incident in Baghdad, Iraq, on September 22, 2011
Staff Sgt.Estevan Altamirano 30 Edcouch, Texas, USA 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division Died of injuries suffered in a non-combat related incident in Tikrit, Iraq, on September 18, 2011
Cmdr.James K. Crawford 50 East Concord, New York, USA Assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, supporting operations at the Combined Maritime Forces Coalition Coordination Center in Bahrain Died as a result of a non-combat related incident at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, in Manama, Bahrain, on September 7, 2011
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.
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>>>
Afghanistan - Pakistan!!
There have been 2,747 coalition deaths -- 1,796 Americans, 29 Australians, 382 Britons, 1 Belgian, 157 Canadians, 4 Czech, 42 Denmark, 25 Netherlands, 8 Estonians, 2 Finn, 75 French, 53 Germans, 7 Hungarian, 42 Italians, 2 Jordan, 3 Latvian, 1 Lithuanian, 10 Norwegians, 29 Poles, 2 Portuguese, 19 Romanians, 1 South Korean, 33 Spaniards, 5 Swedes, 2 Turks, 4 New Zealand, 10 Georgian and three NATO/ISAF -- in the war on terror as of October 2 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 14,239 {13,609 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.
Spc. Adrian G. Mills 23 Newnan, Ga. 272nd Military Police Company, 519th Military Police Battalion, Fort Polk, La. in Kirkuk, Iraq, of wounds suffered when his unit was attacked by insurgents using indirect fire. September 29, 2011
Staff Sgt. Nicholas A. Sprovtsoff 28 Davison, Mich. 1st Marine Special Operations Battalion, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Pendleton, Calif. one of two who died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. September 28, 2011
Sgt. Christopher Diaz 27 Albuquerque, N.M. Headquarters Battalion, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Calif. one of two who died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. September 28, 2011
1st Lt. Ryan K. Iannelli 27 Clarksboro, N.J Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 269, Marine Air Group 29, 2nd Marine Air Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C. ., died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan. September 28, 2011
Pfc.David A. Drake 21 Lumberton, Texas, USA 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade One of three soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2011
Lance Cpl.John R. Wimpey Cagle 19 Tucker, Georgia, USA 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2011
Lance Cpl.Leon Smith 33 Wellington, New Zealand New Zealand Special Air Service Smith was one of 15 New Zealand SAS troopers assisting Afghan soldiers who were attempting to serve an arrest warrant at a compound suspected to house suicide bombers in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2011. When they entered the compound, the suspected insurgents opened fire, hitting Smith in the head, and he died of his wounds at a military hospital.
Spc.Steven E. Gutowski 24 Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade One of three soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2011
1st Lt.Ivan D. Lechowich 27 Valrico, Florida, USA 5th Engineer Battalion, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade One of three soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Ghazni province, Afghanistan, on September 28, 2011
Spc.Garrett A. Fant 21 American Canyon, California, USA 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 26, 2011
1st Lt.Andres Zermeno 26 San Antonio, Texas, USA 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division Died of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with a rocket-propelled grenade in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on September 25, 2011
Spc.Francisco J. Briseno-Alvarez Jr. 27 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb in Laghman province, Afghanistan, on September 25, 2011
Lance Cpl.Franklin N. Watson 21 Vonore, Tennessee, USA Company D, 4th Combat Engineer Battalion, 4th Marine Division, Marine Forces Reserve Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 24, 2011
Sgt.Tyler Nicholas Holtz 22 Dana Point, California, USA Company B, 2nd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment Killed by direct fire from enemy forces during a heavy firefight with insurgents in the Sayyidabad district of Wardak province, Afghanistan, on September 24, 2011
Cpl. Maj.Mario Frasca 32 Foggia, Italy Assigned to Quartier Generale del Comando delle Forze Operative Terrestri (Headquarters of the Land Forces Command) One of three Italian soldiers killed in a non-hostile traffic accident near Herat, Afghanistan, on September 23, 2011
Pfc.Carlos Arturo Aparicio 19 San Bernadino, California, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit using a roadside bomb in Wardak, province, Afghanistan, on September 23, 2011
Sgt.Rafael Enrique Bigai Baez 28 San Juan, Puerto Rico Company C, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit using a roadside bomb in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on September 23, 2011
Lt.Riccardo Bucci 34 Milian, Italy Reggimento Lagunari Serenissima (Amphibious Regiment Serenissima) One of three Italian soldiers killed in a non-hostile traffic accident near Herat, Afghanistan, on September 23, 2011
Cpl. Maj.Massimo Di Legge 28 Aprilia, Italy Raggruppamento Logistico Centrale di Roma (Logistics Group of Central Rome) One of three Italian soldiers killed in a non-hostile traffic accident near Herat, Afghanistan, on September 23, 2011
Lance Cpl.Terry C. Wright 21 Scio, Ohio, USA 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Died as a result of a non-battle related injury in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 21, 2011
Spc.Jakob J. Roelli 24 Darlington, Wisconsin, USA 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with small-arms fire in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 21, 2011
Spc.Robert E. Dyas 21 Nampa, Idaho, USA 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division One of two soldiers killed when insurgents attacked their unit with small-arms fire in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 21, 2011
Marine David Fairbrother 24 Blackburn, England Kilo Company, 42 Commando, Royal Marines Killed when his section was attacked with small-arms fire at close range while supporting an Afghan National Army patrol into the village of Old Khorgajat in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 19, 2011
Spc.Chazray Cleaantoine Clark 24 Ecorse, Michigan, USA B Troop, 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using a roadside bomb in the Zhari district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 18, 2011
Sgt.Timothy D. Sayne 31 Reno, Nevada, USA 5th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 18, 2011
Spc.Ryan J. Cook 29 Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of injuries suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 18, 2011
Sgt.Garrick L. Eppinger Jr. 25 Appleton, Wisconsin, USA 395th Ordnance Company, 687th Combat Sustainment Support Brigade, 646th Regional Support Group, Army Reserve Died as a result of a non-battle related injury in Parwan province, Afghanistan, on September 17, 2011
Staff Sgt.Michael W. Hosey 27 Birmingham, Alabama, USA 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Forces Group Killed in a firefight with insurgents in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan, on September 17, 2011
Sgt.Mycal L. Prince 28 Minco, Oklahoma, USA 1st Battalion, 179th Infantry Regiment, 45th Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard Died of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit using rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire in Laghman province, Afghanistan, on September 15, 2011
Cpl.Michael J. Dutcher 22 Asheville, North Carolina, USA 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, I Marine Expeditionary Force Died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 15, 2011
Sgt.Rodolfo Rodriguez Jr. 26 Pharr, Texas, USA 3rd Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of injuries sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 14, 2011
Lance Cpl.Jonathan James McKinlay 33 Darlington, County Durham, England Company B, 1st Battalion, The Rifles Killed by a burst of small-arms fire while on patrol with his team and members of the Afghan Uniform Police in Haji Khodin Nazar, a village in the Nahr-e Saraj district of Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 14, 2011
Master Sgt.Danial R. Adams 35 Portland, Oregon, USA 1st Battalion, 10th Special Forces Group Killed in an intense firefight that began when insurgents attacked his unit using mortar, machine gun and small-arms fires in Wardak province, Afghanistan, on September 13, 2011
Staff Sgt.Keith F. Rudd 36 Winder, Georgia, USA Company C, 3rd Battalion, 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division Died of wounds sustained while supporting combat operations in Parvan, Afghanistan, on September 10, 2011
Staff Sgt.Daniel A. Quintana 30 Huntington Park, California, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 172nd Infantry Brigade Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit using small-arms fire in Paktika province, Afghanistan, on September 10, 2011
Pfc.Tony Joe Potter Jr. 20 Okmulgee, Oklahoma, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard One of three soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with small-arms fire in the Zurmat district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2011
Spc.Christopher David Horton 26 Collinsville, Oklahoma, USA Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 279th Infantry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard One of three soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with small-arms fire in the Zurmat district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2011
Sgt.Bret Daniel Isenhower 26 Lamar, Oklahoma, USA C Troop, 1st Squadron, 180th Cavalry Regiment, 45th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, Oklahoma Army National Guard One of three soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with small-arms fire in the Zurmat district of Paktia province, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2011
Pfc.Brett E. Wood 19 Spencer, Indiana, USA 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died of wounds suffered when insurgents attacked his unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2011
Petty Officer 1st ClassBrian K. Lundy 25 Austin, Texas, USA Hospital corpsman assigned to the 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force Killed while conducting a dismounted patrol in Marjah, Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 9, 2011
Pfc.Douglas Jay Jeffries Jr. 20 Springville, California, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on September 8, 2011
Spc.Koran Pulido Contreras 21 Lawndale, California, USA Company C, 2nd Battalion, 87th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division One of two soldiers killed when enemy forces attacked their unit with a roadside bomb in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on September 8, 2011
Lt.Valery Tholy 36 Dijon, France 17e Regiment du Genie Parachutiste (17th Paratrooper Engineer Regiment) Killed when his unit was attacked in the village of Mobayan in Kapisa province, Afghanistan, on September 7, 2011
James W. Coker 59 Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, USA Civilian employee of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, temporarily assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Afghanistan Coker was kidnapped from a power plant near Kabul. His body was found in a cave in nearby hills on September 5, 2011.
Pfc.Christophe J. Marquis 40 Tampa, Florida, USA Company A, 1st Battalion, 5th Infantry Regiment, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division Died on September 4, 2011, at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Landstuhl, Germany, of injuries sustained when a car bomb exploded at the entry control point he was guarding in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on August 27, 2011
Pvt.Jacob Sten Lund Olsen 22 Rønne, Bornholm, Denmark Bravo Kompagniets, I Panserinfanteribataljon, Gardehusarregimentet (Bravo Company, 1st Armored Infantry Battalion, Guard Hussar Regiment) Killed when his patrol was attacked with a roadside bomb near Gereshk in Helmand province, Afghanistan, on September 3, 2011
Spc.Christopher John Scott 21 Tyrone, New York, USA 561st Military Police Company, 716th Military Police Battalion, 101st Sustainment Brigade, 101st Airborne Division Died of wounds sustained when insurgents attacked his unit with small-arms fire in Kandahar province, Afghanistan, on September 3, 2011
21 September 2011 - The Oct. 21, 2011, deadline for eligible service members, veterans and their beneficiaries to apply for Retroactive Stop Loss Special Pay (RSLSP) is one month away. The deadline was previously extended to allow those eligible more time to apply for the benefits they have earned under the program guidelines.“The nation has rallied behind this effort -- the military services have been joined by the White House, Congress, the VA, veteran and military service organizations, and friends and family members around the world,” said Lernes Hebert, director of Officer and Enlisted Personnel Management. “Despite these remarkable outreach efforts, some people may still not yet have applied. If you think you are eligible, and have not yet applied, now is the time to do so.” read more>>>
September 28, 2011 - Last week the Department of Defense released a statement reminding Service members and Veterans that the deadline for Retroactive Stop Loss Payments (RSLP) is fast approaching. This is not an automatic entitlement, benefit or allowance. Eligible Service members and Veterans must file a claim by October 21, 2011 to receive this benefit.,/blockquote>
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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>>>
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War monologues will be performed at the Capitol "We want to help end the epidemic of disconnection between civilian and military families,"
September 29, 2011 - The largely silent voices of military families after 10 years of war will be heard loud and clear this fall in Washington, D.C., thanks to the efforts of a Medford woman.
Stacy Bannerman is the producer and director of "Homefront 911: Military Family Monologues," which will be performed beginning at noon Nov. 17 in the United States Capitol Visitors Center Congressional Auditorium.
She is the author of many of the monologues that will be read by military family members. read more>>>
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"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
Country Must 'Sacrifice' not just Groups Within nor Just Non Profits Fighting for Donations!
No Revenues = Still No Sacrifice = That's Called 'Support' For The Troops = DeJa-Vu all over again, Shared Sacrifice My A**!!
As those war profiteers who ordered are still profiteering and not only on books, their wealthy class does as well, directly or indirectly, and none are taxed to boot!
No Sacrifice now a decade plus long added to the previous decades!!
“A nation that does not take care of its veterans has got no business whatsoever making new ones.”
Stacy Bannerman, April, 2007
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Panel pushes for medical research to help wounded troops Public support for research has fallen since the Vietnam War era, from roughly 70 percent to 57 percent, according to a Zogby poll McKellips’ organization cited.
Supportive Services for Veteran Families Program - Homeless
New grant steers veteran families away from homelessness* * *
'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>>>
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National Coalition for Homeless Veterans.
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
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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.
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Rate Of Homeless Female Vets Rises Near Fort Bragg September 15, 2011 - More than 200,000 women have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. While their numbers are small compared to their male counterparts, many face the same struggles finding employment and affordable housing.* * *
NIMBY: Remember this from a few days back “Everybody’s concern is we’ll have one-legged veterans like in that Tom Cruise movie wheeling their wheel chairs up and down the street swigging out of a bottle,” McCartney said. “Whether there is any truth to that or not, that’s their concern.”
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DADT ban officially ends
20 September 2011 - Don't ask don't tell, the policy banning openly gay troops serve in the military, officially ended after it was passed in 1993. David Martin reports on one of the most senior officers to come out.
Republican Debate Audience Boos Gay Soldier Stephen Hill After DADT Repeal Question 9/22/11 - During the Republican debate Thursday night, host Megyn Kelly dropped a YouTube clip on Rick Santorum: a question from Stephen Hill, a soldier in Iraq who, up until this week, had to "lie about who [he] was" in order to serve in the army.
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Tussle ignites at hearing on veterans' jobs September 17, 2011 - Executives from more than 20 companies traded ideas on hiring more military veterans in this tough economy during an employment summit Monday hosted by the House Veterans Affairs Committee.
While the 112th Congressional House has already tried cutting the VA Budget, Again, the White House acts.
White House Cuts $25 Billion More From Defense to Fund VA September 30, 2011 - The White House has directed the Pentagon to reduce its 10-year spending plan by another $25 billion, on top of the roughly $450 billion it’s already planning to cut, according to three government officials.The Office of Management and Budget directed the action because the White House decided to protect Veterans Administration medical funding from cuts, said one the officials. All three spoke on condition of anonymity because the change hasn’t been announced.
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Still Not Nearly Enough
Senators concerned VA will be short of resources for veterans' healthcare 09/16/11 - Two senators are concerned that the Veterans Affairs Department might not have enough funding to handle the growing demand for veterans' healthcare.
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>>>
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>>>
Final day of wounded warrior conference focuses on survivor guilt Sep 15, 2011 - Wounded military personnel were offered advice, camaraderie and comfort Thursday during the final session of the USO Wounded Warrior and Family Caregivers Conference.
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>>>
* * * September 15, 2011 - Army Releases August Suicide Data
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
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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>>>
Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses: VA is seeking to extend the date to Dec. 31, 2018 for medically unexplained chronic multisymptom illnesses and undiagnosed illness to have appeared in Gulf War Veterans. Medically unexplained chronic symptoms include fatigue, headaches, joint pain, insomnia, gastrointestinal problems, and respiratory disorders: Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses: Medically Unexplained Chronic Multisymptom Illnesses.
Burn pits' role in troops' array of illnesses fans concerns at VA September 19, 2011 - A nurse inserted an intravenous line into Bethany Airel Bugay's right arm, and a saline solution followed by a dose of the chemotherapy drug Vidaza flowed into her blood.
Retroactive Traumatic Injury Benefits No Longer Just For OEF/OIF Injuries TSGLI Payments Will Be Made for Qualifying Injuries WASHINGTON – September 16, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is extending retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Service members who suffered qualifying injuries during the period Oct. 7, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2005, regardless of the geographic location where the injuries occurred.
* * * Total Costs of Wars since 2001, the rolling tabulation, over $1,257,489,146,835+++++ and continually counting!
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"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
Country Must 'Sacrifice' not just Groups Within nor Just Non Profits Fighting for Donations!
No Revenues = Still No Sacrifice = That's Called 'Support' For The Troops = DeJa-Vu all over again, Shared Sacrifice My A**!!
As those war profiteers who ordered are still profiteering and not only on books, their wealthy class does as well, directly or indirectly, and none are taxed to boot!
No Sacrifice now a decade plus long added to the previous decades!!
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26 September 2011 - The Pentagon Channel: The American Veteran - 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.
* * * CNN-Iraq and Afghanistan War Casulties
In Remembrance - Moving Tributes
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Civilian Casulties
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
Strasbourg judge: “Those who export war ought to see to the parallel export of guarantees against the atrocities of war” 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"!
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Still Coming Home, Our Brothers of WWII, Korea and Vietnam - Rest in Peace, You're Finally Home
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>>>
September 20, 2011 - The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of nine servicemen, missing in action from World War II, have been identified and are being returned to their families for burial with full military honors.
Army Air Forces 1st Lt. William J. Sarsfield of Philadelphia; 2nd Lt. Charles E. Trimingham of Salinas, Calif.; Tech. Sgt. Robert L. Christopherson of Blue Earth, Minn.; and Tech. Sgt. Leonard A. Gionet of Shirley, Mass., will be buried as a group in a single casket on Sept. 21 in Arlington National Cemetery, along with remains representing previously identified crew members 2nd Lt. Herman H. Knott, 2nd Lt. Francis G. Peattie, Staff Sgt. Henry Garcia, Staff Sgt. Robert E. Griebel, and Staff Sgt. Pace P. Payne, who were individually buried in 1985. These nine airmen were ordered to carry out a bombing mission over Rabaul, Papau New Guinea (P.N.G.), in their B-17E Flying Fortress nicknamed Naughty but Nice, taking off from an airfield near Dobodura, P.N.G., on June 26, 1943. The aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and ultimately shot down by Japanese fighter aircraft. A tenth man, the navigator and only survivor of the crash -- 2nd Lt. Jose L. Holguin -- was held as a prisoner of war until his release in September 1945. read more>>>
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National World War II Memorial
National Vietnam Veterans Memorial - "The Wall"
Department of Veterans Affairs National Cemeteries
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