ARMED FORCES NEWS
Many thanx to GaryJames (the Boss Man, one of mine) for his beautiful banner for all of mine/ours past and present.
Take care all of mine ... go in safety always. Meems
Many thanx to GaryJames (the Boss Man, one of mine) for his beautiful banner for all of mine/ours past and present.
Take care all of mine ... go in safety always. Meems
2009/8/20 Guard official visits Ky. soldiers in Iraq
By Derek Poore • dpoore@courier-journal.com • August 20, 2009
Long-term and repeated deployments to Iraq have not hurt Kentuckians so far, the adjutant general of the Kentucky National Guard says.
Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini made the comments after meeting Thursday with the 301st Chemical Company from Morehead and the 299th Chemical Company based in Maysville during a trip to the Green Zone in Baghdad.
Tonini will meet the Shelbyville-based 1163rd Medical Company on Friday in southeastern Iraq.
Members of the 299th and 301st were previously deployed in Iraq in 2005 and the 1163rd was deployed in Afghanistan in 2003-04.
“I am concerned like a lot of people are concerned about wearing these soldiers out, but so far I haven't seen it,” Tonini, of Louisville, said during a conference call with reporters. “We have a lot of people fired up ready to go.”
About 180 soldiers are deployed with the 301st and 299th and 82 are deployed with the 1163rd, said David Altom, spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs.
The 1163rd was most recently deployed in fall 2008 and is scheduled to return in September. The 301st and 299th were deployed in May and are scheduled to return in May 2010. The companies are providing security support for U.S. bases.
Tonini had dinner with troops and said they were in high spirits.
Altom could not confirm if Tonini would next travel to meet Kentucky units in Afghanistan, citing security concerns.
There are 89 soldiers from the Kentucky Air and Army National Guard in Afghanistan as part of an agricultural development team.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, about 12,000 members of the Kentucky National Guard have been deployed worldwide, Altom said.
Reporter Derek Poore can be reached at (502) 582-4286.
2009/8/21
Kentucky Marine recruit dies at SC base
The Associated Press
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- A Marine recruit from Kentucky has died after a training exercise at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island.
Marine officials said Friday they are investigating the Monday death of 20-year-old Adrien E. Augustin of Kenton, Ky. He collapsed after finishing a physical fitness test and was pronounced dead at a Beaufort hospital.
Second Lt. Sharon Hyland says an autopsy has been performed to determine the cause of his death, but the results are not back yet.
Rest dear heart… be at peace and go with God…. Meems
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2009/8/21
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- An Army major general who has lost two sons - one of them to suicide - says the military needs to do more to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and his wife, Carol, were keynote speakers at a suicide prevention conference attended by hundreds Friday at the Frankfort Convention Center.
Months before their older son Jeffrey was killed in Iraq, their younger son, Kevin, hanged himself when he was an ROTC cadet at the University of Kentucky.
The Grahams have successfully pushed several changes, particularly in the military. They say recruits now are given a card when they enter training, telling them what steps to take if they believe they are depressed.
My deepest sympathy goes out to the families of these young men…
meems wrote on 08/21/2009 02:50:32 PM:
"I work with Veterans and active military both... I have a question for suggestions.
HOW do we reach these suffering individuals? Bowenarrow, you are correct. The individuals themselves need to come forward but that takes great courage from the individual. We must let them know they are NOT alone. The word needs to be disseminated daily!
Maybe a column in every newspaper could be devoted to mine/ours. Meems"
I wrote this note to the Lex Herald Leader in response to the above article (suicide).
I am going to ask for some help from my good friends on Eons… I’m thinking of a banner for all our military and accepting incoming articles which can be emailed to me.
For the time being, I will confine the articles to a all encompassing banner/header. Lots of work and checking to be done.. Any volunteers can email me at emom101@prtcnet.org or you can call me at 1-606-593-7457
Take care all of mine… go in safety always. Remember that NO ONE should ever be alone… Share of yourself… It takes very little effort sometimes….
Many hugs and much love… meems
Paula Rice
Booneville KY 41314
By Derek Poore • dpoore@courier-journal.com • August 20, 2009
Long-term and repeated deployments to Iraq have not hurt Kentuckians so far, the adjutant general of the Kentucky National Guard says.
Maj. Gen. Edward Tonini made the comments after meeting Thursday with the 301st Chemical Company from Morehead and the 299th Chemical Company based in Maysville during a trip to the Green Zone in Baghdad.
Tonini will meet the Shelbyville-based 1163rd Medical Company on Friday in southeastern Iraq.
Members of the 299th and 301st were previously deployed in Iraq in 2005 and the 1163rd was deployed in Afghanistan in 2003-04.
“I am concerned like a lot of people are concerned about wearing these soldiers out, but so far I haven't seen it,” Tonini, of Louisville, said during a conference call with reporters. “We have a lot of people fired up ready to go.”
About 180 soldiers are deployed with the 301st and 299th and 82 are deployed with the 1163rd, said David Altom, spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Military Affairs.
The 1163rd was most recently deployed in fall 2008 and is scheduled to return in September. The 301st and 299th were deployed in May and are scheduled to return in May 2010. The companies are providing security support for U.S. bases.
Tonini had dinner with troops and said they were in high spirits.
Altom could not confirm if Tonini would next travel to meet Kentucky units in Afghanistan, citing security concerns.
There are 89 soldiers from the Kentucky Air and Army National Guard in Afghanistan as part of an agricultural development team.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, about 12,000 members of the Kentucky National Guard have been deployed worldwide, Altom said.
Reporter Derek Poore can be reached at (502) 582-4286.
2009/8/21
Kentucky Marine recruit dies at SC base
The Associated Press
PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- A Marine recruit from Kentucky has died after a training exercise at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot at Parris Island.
Marine officials said Friday they are investigating the Monday death of 20-year-old Adrien E. Augustin of Kenton, Ky. He collapsed after finishing a physical fitness test and was pronounced dead at a Beaufort hospital.
Second Lt. Sharon Hyland says an autopsy has been performed to determine the cause of his death, but the results are not back yet.
Rest dear heart… be at peace and go with God…. Meems
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2009/8/21
FRANKFORT, Ky. -- An Army major general who has lost two sons - one of them to suicide - says the military needs to do more to reduce the stigma of mental illness.
Maj. Gen. Mark Graham and his wife, Carol, were keynote speakers at a suicide prevention conference attended by hundreds Friday at the Frankfort Convention Center.
Months before their older son Jeffrey was killed in Iraq, their younger son, Kevin, hanged himself when he was an ROTC cadet at the University of Kentucky.
The Grahams have successfully pushed several changes, particularly in the military. They say recruits now are given a card when they enter training, telling them what steps to take if they believe they are depressed.
My deepest sympathy goes out to the families of these young men…
meems wrote on 08/21/2009 02:50:32 PM:
"I work with Veterans and active military both... I have a question for suggestions.
HOW do we reach these suffering individuals? Bowenarrow, you are correct. The individuals themselves need to come forward but that takes great courage from the individual. We must let them know they are NOT alone. The word needs to be disseminated daily!
Maybe a column in every newspaper could be devoted to mine/ours. Meems"
I wrote this note to the Lex Herald Leader in response to the above article (suicide).
I am going to ask for some help from my good friends on Eons… I’m thinking of a banner for all our military and accepting incoming articles which can be emailed to me.
For the time being, I will confine the articles to a all encompassing banner/header. Lots of work and checking to be done.. Any volunteers can email me at emom101@prtcnet.org or you can call me at 1-606-593-7457
Take care all of mine… go in safety always. Remember that NO ONE should ever be alone… Share of yourself… It takes very little effort sometimes….
Many hugs and much love… meems
Paula Rice
Booneville KY 41314
4 months ago
2009/8/21
Bumper stickers seen at a Marine Corps Base:
"U.S. Marines -- Certified Counselors to the 72 Virgins Dating Club"
"It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden -- It's Our Job To Arrange The Meeting"
"My kid fought in Iraq so your kid can party in college"
"A Dead Enemy Is A Peaceful Enemy -- Blessed Be The Peacemakers"
"If You Can Read, Thank A Teacher. If You Can Read It In English, Thank A Veteran"
"Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything."
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." - Ronald Reagan...
Bumper stickers seen at a Marine Corps Base:
"U.S. Marines -- Certified Counselors to the 72 Virgins Dating Club"
"It's God's Job to Forgive Bin Laden -- It's Our Job To Arrange The Meeting"
"My kid fought in Iraq so your kid can party in college"
"A Dead Enemy Is A Peaceful Enemy -- Blessed Be The Peacemakers"
"If You Can Read, Thank A Teacher. If You Can Read It In English, Thank A Veteran"
"Except For Ending Slavery, Fascism, Nazism, and Communism, WAR has Never Solved Anything."
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." - Ronald Reagan...
4 months ago
HEADS UP
2009/8/21 2243 hours
Army IDs 4 soldiers killed in helicopter crash
The Associated Press
The Army on Friday identified four Fort Campbell soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed Wednesday while conducting mountain and environmental training near Colorado's second-highest summit, Mount Massive.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Terrance W. Geer, 40:
- Geer was a native of Casper, Wyo., and entered the Navy in February 1989. After serving five years in the U.S. Navy, Geer was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Ala., in 1994. Upon graduation from the UH-1 Course in 1995, Geer was assigned to the 82nd Air Ambulance Medical Company at Fort Riley, Kan., as an Aero Medical Evacuation Pilot and Instructor Pilot. In 1998, after completing the Instrument Flight Examiner Course, Geer was assigned to the Combat Maneuver Training Center at Hohenfels, Germany, as a Standardization Instructor Pilot. After a successful assessment in 2002, Geer was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as an Instructor Pilot and Aviation Safety Officer.
- He was a combat veteran with 12 deployments, 11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
- His awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals for valor, seven Air Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the Navy Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, three Southwest Asia Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Saudi Arabia), Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), Navy Aircrew Insignia Badge, and Senior Aviator Badge.
- Geer is survived by his wife, Gina Geer, and his son and daughter, Braden and Emma of Clarksville, Tenn.; and his mother, Barbara Geer, of Toledo, Ohio.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert M. Johnson, 41:
- Johnson was a native of Seattle and entered the Army in April 1990. After serving a year in the U.S. Army, Johnson was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Ala., in 1990. Upon graduation from the UH-60 Blackhawk Course, Johnson was assigned to 9th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division as an Instructor Pilot. In 1996, Johnson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment at Seoul, Korea. In 1997, he was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. After a successful assessment in 2001, Johnson was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as an Instructor Pilot and Instrument Flight Examiner.
- Johnson earned his Bachelor's of Science in Aeronautical Management from Embry-Riddle University in 2009.
- He was a combat veteran with 20 deployments, 18 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and one in support of operations in Somalia.
- His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal for valor, 13 Air Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, two Valorous Unit Awards, Army Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-three Campaign Stars, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the United Nations Medal, the Air Assault Badge, and Master Aviator Badge.
- He is survived by his wife, Sandra Johnson, and his daughter and son, Morgan and Hatch of Clarksville, Tenn.; and his mother and father, Wells and Connie McGrath, of Enumclaw, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Chad A. Tucker, 28:
- Tucker was a native of Titusville, Fla., and entered the Army in June 2000. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Va., Tucker served with 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment at Coleman Barracks, Germany, as both a helicopter mechanic and crew chief. In 2003, he successfully assessed with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a helicopter mechanic. Tucker arrived to 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR, at Fort Campbell, Ky., in January 2004.
He was a combat veteran with 14 deployments, all in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal for Valor, eight Air Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, and the Basic Aviation Badge.
- He is survived by his wife, Megan Tucker, and his son, Jeremy, of Fort Campbell, Ky.; and his father and mother, Wendell and Wanda Tucker, of Titusville, Fla.; and his sister, Crystal Castaner, of Titusville, Fla.
Staff Sgt. Paul R. Jackson, 33:
- Jackson was a native of Lancaster, Md., and volunteered for Army service in May 1998. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., Jackson successfully assessed with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a helicopter aircrew member. Tucker arrived to his first duty station with 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR, at Fort Campbell, Ky., in March 1999. In 2007, Jackson served with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, at Camp Humphreys, Korea, as an aircrew member. In 2008, Jackson returned to the 160th SOAR, serving with 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR as an Aviation Standardization Non-Commissioned Officer.
- He was a combat veteran with 10 deployments, nine in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
- His awards included the Air Medal for valor, three Air Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Award, Valorous Unit Award, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Aircrew Member Badge, and the Basic Aviation Badge.
- He is survived by his daughter, Desiree, and his mother, Brenda Jackson, of Philadelphia.
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2009/8/21 2243 hours
Army IDs 4 soldiers killed in helicopter crash
The Associated Press
The Army on Friday identified four Fort Campbell soldiers killed when their MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed Wednesday while conducting mountain and environmental training near Colorado's second-highest summit, Mount Massive.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Terrance W. Geer, 40:
- Geer was a native of Casper, Wyo., and entered the Navy in February 1989. After serving five years in the U.S. Navy, Geer was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Ala., in 1994. Upon graduation from the UH-1 Course in 1995, Geer was assigned to the 82nd Air Ambulance Medical Company at Fort Riley, Kan., as an Aero Medical Evacuation Pilot and Instructor Pilot. In 1998, after completing the Instrument Flight Examiner Course, Geer was assigned to the Combat Maneuver Training Center at Hohenfels, Germany, as a Standardization Instructor Pilot. After a successful assessment in 2002, Geer was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as an Instructor Pilot and Aviation Safety Officer.
- He was a combat veteran with 12 deployments, 11 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
- His awards included the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, three Air Medals for valor, seven Air Medals, the Joint Service Commendation Medal, two Army Commendation Medals, the Army Achievement Medal, the Navy Achievement Medal, the Valorous Unit Award, the Navy Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, three Southwest Asia Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Saudi Arabia), Kuwaiti Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait), Navy Aircrew Insignia Badge, and Senior Aviator Badge.
- Geer is survived by his wife, Gina Geer, and his son and daughter, Braden and Emma of Clarksville, Tenn.; and his mother, Barbara Geer, of Toledo, Ohio.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert M. Johnson, 41:
- Johnson was a native of Seattle and entered the Army in April 1990. After serving a year in the U.S. Army, Johnson was accepted into the Army Warrant Officer Program at Fort Rucker, Ala., in 1990. Upon graduation from the UH-60 Blackhawk Course, Johnson was assigned to 9th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division as an Instructor Pilot. In 1996, Johnson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment at Seoul, Korea. In 1997, he was assigned to 5th Battalion, 101st Airborne Division. After a successful assessment in 2001, Johnson was assigned to the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as an Instructor Pilot and Instrument Flight Examiner.
- Johnson earned his Bachelor's of Science in Aeronautical Management from Embry-Riddle University in 2009.
- He was a combat veteran with 20 deployments, 18 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and one in support of operations in Somalia.
- His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal for valor, 13 Air Medals, five Army Commendation Medals, six Army Achievement Medals, Joint Meritorious Unit Award, two Valorous Unit Awards, Army Good Conduct Medal, two National Defense Service Medals, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-three Campaign Stars, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the United Nations Medal, the Air Assault Badge, and Master Aviator Badge.
- He is survived by his wife, Sandra Johnson, and his daughter and son, Morgan and Hatch of Clarksville, Tenn.; and his mother and father, Wells and Connie McGrath, of Enumclaw, Wash.
Staff Sgt. Chad A. Tucker, 28:
- Tucker was a native of Titusville, Fla., and entered the Army in June 2000. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Eustis, Va., Tucker served with 1st Battalion, 214th Aviation Regiment at Coleman Barracks, Germany, as both a helicopter mechanic and crew chief. In 2003, he successfully assessed with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a helicopter mechanic. Tucker arrived to 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR, at Fort Campbell, Ky., in January 2004.
He was a combat veteran with 14 deployments, all in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
- His awards included the Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal for Valor, eight Air Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, and the Basic Aviation Badge.
- He is survived by his wife, Megan Tucker, and his son, Jeremy, of Fort Campbell, Ky.; and his father and mother, Wendell and Wanda Tucker, of Titusville, Fla.; and his sister, Crystal Castaner, of Titusville, Fla.
Staff Sgt. Paul R. Jackson, 33:
- Jackson was a native of Lancaster, Md., and volunteered for Army service in May 1998. Following basic training at Fort Jackson, S.C., Jackson successfully assessed with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment as a helicopter aircrew member. Tucker arrived to his first duty station with 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR, at Fort Campbell, Ky., in March 1999. In 2007, Jackson served with 3rd Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, at Camp Humphreys, Korea, as an aircrew member. In 2008, Jackson returned to the 160th SOAR, serving with 1st Battalion, 160th SOAR as an Aviation Standardization Non-Commissioned Officer.
- He was a combat veteran with 10 deployments, nine in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and one in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
- His awards included the Air Medal for valor, three Air Medals, two Army Commendation Medals, Army Achievement Medal, Presidential Unit Citation Award, Valorous Unit Award, two Army Good Conduct Medals, National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Iraqi Campaign Medal-Campaign Star, Global War On Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War On Terrorism Service Medal, NCO Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, the Combat Action Badge, the Senior Aircrew Member Badge, and the Basic Aviation Badge.
- He is survived by his daughter, Desiree, and his mother, Brenda Jackson, of Philadelphia.
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4 months ago
2009/8/23
Army Doc Bot URL to the article…
view link
The latest in Army Med Tech. Article way tooo long to c/p….Meems
Army Doc Bot URL to the article…
view link
The latest in Army Med Tech. Article way tooo long to c/p….Meems
4 months ago
Oh Meems, This is amazing news!!! Think what all they could do with such a shortage of manpoer, plus less chances of spreadinf infections...oh so many advantages! I hope the potential for good continues!!!
3 months ago
Memorial held for soldiers killed in Colo. crash
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Fort Campbell planned to hold a memorial ceremony on Wednesday for four soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in Colorado last week.
Maj. Brandon Bissell, a spokesman for the soldiers' unit, said the ceremony was not open to the public. Family members of the soldiers asked for privacy as they grieve.
Those killed were Chief Warrant Officers 4 Terrance Geer, 40, of Casper, Wyo.; and Robert Johnson, 41, of Seattle; and Staff Sgts. Paul Jackson, 33, of Lancaster, Md., and Chad Tucker, 28, of Titusville, Fla.
They were members of an elite special operations unit called the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers for their training at flying in the dark.
Army officials said the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed Aug. 19 while conducting mountain and environmental training near Colorado's second-highest summit, Mount Massive.
The Black Hawk's flight recorder was recovered and an investigation team from Fort Rucker, Ala., was still gathering evidence from the crash site, said Jennifer Albert, an Army spokeswoman.
Albert said it could take up to 90 days before the cause of the crash can be released.
The Associated Press
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. -- Fort Campbell planned to hold a memorial ceremony on Wednesday for four soldiers killed in a helicopter crash in Colorado last week.
Maj. Brandon Bissell, a spokesman for the soldiers' unit, said the ceremony was not open to the public. Family members of the soldiers asked for privacy as they grieve.
Those killed were Chief Warrant Officers 4 Terrance Geer, 40, of Casper, Wyo.; and Robert Johnson, 41, of Seattle; and Staff Sgts. Paul Jackson, 33, of Lancaster, Md., and Chad Tucker, 28, of Titusville, Fla.
They were members of an elite special operations unit called the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, known as the Night Stalkers for their training at flying in the dark.
Army officials said the MH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed Aug. 19 while conducting mountain and environmental training near Colorado's second-highest summit, Mount Massive.
The Black Hawk's flight recorder was recovered and an investigation team from Fort Rucker, Ala., was still gathering evidence from the crash site, said Jennifer Albert, an Army spokeswoman.
Albert said it could take up to 90 days before the cause of the crash can be released.
3 months ago
Science News
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Primary Suicide Risk Factor For Veterans
ScienceDaily (Aug. 26, 2009) — Researchers working with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have found that post-traumatic stress disorder, the current most common mental disorder among veterans returning from service in the Middle East, is associated with an increased risk for thoughts of suicide.
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Results of the study indicated that veterans who screened positive for PTSD were four times more likely to report suicide-related thoughts relative to veterans without the disorder. The research, published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, establishes PTSD as a risk factor for thoughts of suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. This holds true, even after accounting for other psychiatric disorder diagnoses, such as substance abuse and depression. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD and two or more comorbid mental disorders were significantly more likely to experience thoughts of suicide relative to veterans with PTSD alone.
As many as forty-six percent of veterans in the study experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors in the month prior to seeking care, and of those veterans, three percent reported an actual attempt within four months prior to seeking the care. Suicide-related thoughts and behaviors discovered in a returning veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD, especially in the presence of other mental disorders, may suggest an increased risk for suicide.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Primary Suicide Risk Factor For Veterans
ScienceDaily (Aug. 26, 2009) — Researchers working with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans have found that post-traumatic stress disorder, the current most common mental disorder among veterans returning from service in the Middle East, is associated with an increased risk for thoughts of suicide.
·
Results of the study indicated that veterans who screened positive for PTSD were four times more likely to report suicide-related thoughts relative to veterans without the disorder. The research, published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress, establishes PTSD as a risk factor for thoughts of suicide in Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans. This holds true, even after accounting for other psychiatric disorder diagnoses, such as substance abuse and depression. Veterans who screened positive for PTSD and two or more comorbid mental disorders were significantly more likely to experience thoughts of suicide relative to veterans with PTSD alone.
As many as forty-six percent of veterans in the study experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors in the month prior to seeking care, and of those veterans, three percent reported an actual attempt within four months prior to seeking the care. Suicide-related thoughts and behaviors discovered in a returning veteran who has been diagnosed with PTSD, especially in the presence of other mental disorders, may suggest an increased risk for suicide.
3 months ago
Soldier surrenders in fatal stabbing
The Associated Press
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A Fort Campbell soldier wanted in a fatal overnight stabbing surrended Friday morning to Clarksville police.
The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle reported Donald Ray Green Jr. turned himself in at a convenience store.
Police had obtained a criminal homicide warrant for Green after a stabbing on Thursday night in the parking lot of a supermarket near the U.S. Army post that sits on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.
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External Link view link" rel="nofollow">view link
Police said the victim, Byron Nixon, 17, managed to walk across Fort Campbell Boulevard into Kentucky before collapsing. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Cathy Gramling, a spokeswoman for Fort Campbell, said Green was a specialist from Kyle, Texas, and was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division as a petroleum supply specialist.
Gramling said Green has been in the Army since October 2003 and at Fort Campbell since April 2005. He deployed to Iraq in 2006 and 2008.
Fort Campbell's criminal investigators helped with the police investigation.
Information from: The Leaf-Chronicle, view link" rel="nofollow">view link
The Associated Press
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. -- A Fort Campbell soldier wanted in a fatal overnight stabbing surrended Friday morning to Clarksville police.
The Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle reported Donald Ray Green Jr. turned himself in at a convenience store.
Police had obtained a criminal homicide warrant for Green after a stabbing on Thursday night in the parking lot of a supermarket near the U.S. Army post that sits on the Tennessee-Kentucky state line.
*
External Link view link" rel="nofollow">view link
Police said the victim, Byron Nixon, 17, managed to walk across Fort Campbell Boulevard into Kentucky before collapsing. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Cathy Gramling, a spokeswoman for Fort Campbell, said Green was a specialist from Kyle, Texas, and was assigned to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division as a petroleum supply specialist.
Gramling said Green has been in the Army since October 2003 and at Fort Campbell since April 2005. He deployed to Iraq in 2006 and 2008.
Fort Campbell's criminal investigators helped with the police investigation.
Information from: The Leaf-Chronicle, view link" rel="nofollow">view link
3 months ago
D-Day veteran from Nicholasville receives France's highest honor
By Greg Kocher - gkocher1@herald-leader.com
NICHOLASVILLE — Sixty-five years after landing on Omaha Beach under heavy fire in the D-day invasion of France, Army veteran Jesse Beazley will receive the French government's highest military honor.
Beazley, 86, of Nicholasville recently learned that he will receive the French Legion of Honor for his meritorious service during World War II. Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honor is the highest award given by the French republic for outstanding service to France.
"The French don't give this to many people," Beazley said Tuesday during a press conference at Nicholasville City Hall.
Greg Kocher | Staff
Greg Kocher | Staff - Jesse Beazley, 86, of Nicholasville, spoke Tuesday during a press conference at Nicholasville City Hall. On Sept. 18, Beazley will be awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest honor that France bestows on those who have achieved remarkable deeds. Beazley will receive the award for his service as an infantry soldier who landed on Omaha Beach during the 1944 D-Day invasion of France. Photo by Greg Kocher | Staff
CLICK FOR MORE PHOTOS
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The award will be presented at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at Lighthouse Baptist Church, 105 Shun Pike, in Jessamine County during a ceremony that will also honor more than 40 other veterans. Beazley said the medal was to be given in Chicago, but he wanted the ceremony to be in his home community.
"I was born here, I raised my family here, I went to the service from here," Beazley said.
"I love Nicholasville, and I love my county. That's the reason that I didn't go to Chicago and accept it there. I wanted it here."
Before 2004, only American veterans who served in France during World War I were eligible to receive the Legion of Honor. In 2004, the French government decided to extend eligibility for the award to American veterans of World War II who served in France.
Before the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy, Beazley remembers, Gen. George S. Patton spoke in Great Britain to the U.S. troops who would land across the English Channel at Normandy.
"He said, 'They're telling you when you hit the beaches to dig in.' And he says, 'You won't live to dig in. So when you go in, go as far as you can because the first wave will die anyway,'" Beazley said. "That's the message he gave us, and turned out to be right because we found out when we went in and started digging, we were under tremendous fire.
"I got to the beach, and I found a foxhole. It was like a dream to me. I couldn't hear, and night come, and I stayed in that hole. And I got to wondering what was going to happen. I thought maybe we had failed and they went off and left me and the Germans would come down and kill me at any minute. The only thing I knew to do was to get down in my foxhole and put my rifle between my legs with the bayonet up, in case they jumped in on top of me, and they would hit the bayonet.
"I never spent such a night in life as that, not knowing what to do. But the next morning, I heard someone hollering in English, 'Get up! Get out!' and it was the sergeant, and he led us on in."
Beazley spoke about arriving back in Nicholasville in the early morning hours when very few people were awake. Then-Nicholasville Police Chief Robert Bruner walked him home and knocked on the door. When Beazley's mother saw her son, she fainted and dropped to the floor.
To this day, Beazley said, he has flashbacks of battle scenes from the war. He sleeps on a mattress on the floor because several times he has fallen out of bed during flashback episodes in the night.
He returned to France in 1999 and was heartened to see how the country had been restored from the war's devastation.
"I saw the towns in France that had been completely demolished and torn up," he said. "Seeing the farmers back to work and the kids playing and going to school — they weren't under bondage anymore; they were free."
Greg Kocher covers Jessamine County for the Herald-Leader. Reach him in the Nicholasville bureau at (859) 885-5775.
The Edmonton Journal reports on a soldier from Ft. Knox, Ky., who has deserted to Canada and is seeking asylum. Pte. Bethany Smith, who adopted the name Skyler James upon fleeing to Canada two years ago, appealed to a Canadian judge for asylum on Tuesday claiming that because she is a lesbian, she was repeatedly harassed and threatened with death, then denied a discharge because her superiors wanted to send her to Afghanistan.
By Greg Kocher - gkocher1@herald-leader.com
NICHOLASVILLE — Sixty-five years after landing on Omaha Beach under heavy fire in the D-day invasion of France, Army veteran Jesse Beazley will receive the French government's highest military honor.
Beazley, 86, of Nicholasville recently learned that he will receive the French Legion of Honor for his meritorious service during World War II. Created in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, the Legion of Honor is the highest award given by the French republic for outstanding service to France.
"The French don't give this to many people," Beazley said Tuesday during a press conference at Nicholasville City Hall.
Greg Kocher | Staff
Greg Kocher | Staff - Jesse Beazley, 86, of Nicholasville, spoke Tuesday during a press conference at Nicholasville City Hall. On Sept. 18, Beazley will be awarded the Legion of Honor, the highest honor that France bestows on those who have achieved remarkable deeds. Beazley will receive the award for his service as an infantry soldier who landed on Omaha Beach during the 1944 D-Day invasion of France. Photo by Greg Kocher | Staff
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The award will be presented at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at Lighthouse Baptist Church, 105 Shun Pike, in Jessamine County during a ceremony that will also honor more than 40 other veterans. Beazley said the medal was to be given in Chicago, but he wanted the ceremony to be in his home community.
"I was born here, I raised my family here, I went to the service from here," Beazley said.
"I love Nicholasville, and I love my county. That's the reason that I didn't go to Chicago and accept it there. I wanted it here."
Before 2004, only American veterans who served in France during World War I were eligible to receive the Legion of Honor. In 2004, the French government decided to extend eligibility for the award to American veterans of World War II who served in France.
Before the June 6, 1944, Allied invasion of Normandy, Beazley remembers, Gen. George S. Patton spoke in Great Britain to the U.S. troops who would land across the English Channel at Normandy.
"He said, 'They're telling you when you hit the beaches to dig in.' And he says, 'You won't live to dig in. So when you go in, go as far as you can because the first wave will die anyway,'" Beazley said. "That's the message he gave us, and turned out to be right because we found out when we went in and started digging, we were under tremendous fire.
"I got to the beach, and I found a foxhole. It was like a dream to me. I couldn't hear, and night come, and I stayed in that hole. And I got to wondering what was going to happen. I thought maybe we had failed and they went off and left me and the Germans would come down and kill me at any minute. The only thing I knew to do was to get down in my foxhole and put my rifle between my legs with the bayonet up, in case they jumped in on top of me, and they would hit the bayonet.
"I never spent such a night in life as that, not knowing what to do. But the next morning, I heard someone hollering in English, 'Get up! Get out!' and it was the sergeant, and he led us on in."
Beazley spoke about arriving back in Nicholasville in the early morning hours when very few people were awake. Then-Nicholasville Police Chief Robert Bruner walked him home and knocked on the door. When Beazley's mother saw her son, she fainted and dropped to the floor.
To this day, Beazley said, he has flashbacks of battle scenes from the war. He sleeps on a mattress on the floor because several times he has fallen out of bed during flashback episodes in the night.
He returned to France in 1999 and was heartened to see how the country had been restored from the war's devastation.
"I saw the towns in France that had been completely demolished and torn up," he said. "Seeing the farmers back to work and the kids playing and going to school — they weren't under bondage anymore; they were free."
Greg Kocher covers Jessamine County for the Herald-Leader. Reach him in the Nicholasville bureau at (859) 885-5775.
The Edmonton Journal reports on a soldier from Ft. Knox, Ky., who has deserted to Canada and is seeking asylum. Pte. Bethany Smith, who adopted the name Skyler James upon fleeing to Canada two years ago, appealed to a Canadian judge for asylum on Tuesday claiming that because she is a lesbian, she was repeatedly harassed and threatened with death, then denied a discharge because her superiors wanted to send her to Afghanistan.
3 months ago
GOOD NEWS...Ky. companies supporting employee soldiers
By Scott Sloan - ssloan@herald-leader.com
As National Guard personnel continue to be shipped out around the globe, some have found that their Kentucky employers are working to ease their minds while overseas.
Employers like automaker Toyota, which has its largest North American plant in Georgetown, and Kentucky Utilities parent company E.ON U.S. make up the difference in pay between what the Guard pays and what the employer pays.
And that's just some of the monetary efforts that happen at companies, said Harry Wiley, volunteer state public affairs director for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
090921Toyota-1
Carri Chandler
Toyota - Kevin Thornberry, manager of production control and logistics at Toyota's headquarters in Erlanger, cut a ribbon to celebrate his return from Afghanistan. The ribbon had been there during his leave.
"There are a number of ways companies can show above and beyond care to their soldiers," he said.
Toyota has won two national awards from ESGR for its assistance to those serving in the military. Under its plan, Toyota supplements employees' military base pay to get them up to what they would be earning in base pay at Toyota.
The company covers up to 10 work days annually for military leave for training, as well as up to 30 days for leave for public emergencies, said Mike Price, general manager of human resources.
For those on active military leave, Toyota covers them throughout their service.
The company put the program in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"No one really anticipated these engagements would go so long, but we feel really strongly about supporting our team members who are sacrificing so much to be in the military and be in these wars," Price said.
At the Georgetown plant, there are more than 50 workers who are active in the Reserves. The plant has four members on leave currently, Price said.
Toyota's North American manufacturing headquarters in Northern Kentucky recently welcomed back one such person.
Kevin Thornberry, manager of production control and logistics, had been in Afghanistan since last December in a role supporting the Special Forces.
While he was gone, Toyota allowed him to keep his company vehicle and fuel card, allowing his wife and two children to use it.
And the supplementary pay "certainly takes the burden off while you're gone," Thornberry said.
Among the burdens lifted was lawn care, because his co-workers came by and mowed.
Also, Thornberry's departure came soon after he applied for and received a promotion.
He said the company, despite knowing he would be gone for six months, kept him in the running and chose him.
"Even though they knew I wasn't going to be able to support them in the short-term, they were willing to look beyond that and make a sacrifice as well," he said. "I've had nothing but a very positive experience through this whole thing."
It's similar to the experience that Bergin Tuttle, who works in human resources at the Georgetown plant, had while he was on active military duty between October 2004 and February 2006.
"They made up probably 55 percent of my normal pay, a big chunk really," he said. "It helped out my wife a lot."
And Tuttle, who worked in body paint on the assembly line at the time, said his co-workers sent him numerous care packages.
"I got not boxes, but cases, of Girl Scout cookies," he said. "I made sure everybody in the company got boxes of Girl Scout cookies."
Price said the plant pays the postage for care packages that family members, friends and co-workers send. In the past few years, it has shipped around 600.
And because of Toyota's supplementary pay program, Tuttle was essentially still on the job and continued his perfect attendance streak.
During the plant's 2004 perfect attendance contest, he won $5,000 "while sitting in Baghdad."
"I got the e-mail and thought they were joking," he said.
Wiley, of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, called Toyota "one of the fine examples in the commonwealth."
"I can tell you that above and beyond comes in several different shapes and sizes," he added. "Some companies continue company health care plans ... so you may be fortunate enough to have two insurance plans covering your illnesses."
Utility E.ON U.S. does that in addition to supplementing pay, said spokesman Cliff Feltham.
"We'll make sure you're taken care of back home and don't necessarily need to worry about that," Feltham said.
Since 2003, the company has had 39 military leave requests, Feltham said.
And the companies have continued their programs despite the economic downturn.
"It is a cost," said Price of Toyota. "It's probably more of a burden on us today with the current financial crisis and Toyota losing money just like all the automotive companies are losing money.
"But it's still the right thing to do."
Reach Scott Sloan at (859) 231-1447 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 1447.
By Scott Sloan - ssloan@herald-leader.com
As National Guard personnel continue to be shipped out around the globe, some have found that their Kentucky employers are working to ease their minds while overseas.
Employers like automaker Toyota, which has its largest North American plant in Georgetown, and Kentucky Utilities parent company E.ON U.S. make up the difference in pay between what the Guard pays and what the employer pays.
And that's just some of the monetary efforts that happen at companies, said Harry Wiley, volunteer state public affairs director for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve.
090921Toyota-1
Carri Chandler
Toyota - Kevin Thornberry, manager of production control and logistics at Toyota's headquarters in Erlanger, cut a ribbon to celebrate his return from Afghanistan. The ribbon had been there during his leave.
"There are a number of ways companies can show above and beyond care to their soldiers," he said.
Toyota has won two national awards from ESGR for its assistance to those serving in the military. Under its plan, Toyota supplements employees' military base pay to get them up to what they would be earning in base pay at Toyota.
The company covers up to 10 work days annually for military leave for training, as well as up to 30 days for leave for public emergencies, said Mike Price, general manager of human resources.
For those on active military leave, Toyota covers them throughout their service.
The company put the program in place after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
"No one really anticipated these engagements would go so long, but we feel really strongly about supporting our team members who are sacrificing so much to be in the military and be in these wars," Price said.
At the Georgetown plant, there are more than 50 workers who are active in the Reserves. The plant has four members on leave currently, Price said.
Toyota's North American manufacturing headquarters in Northern Kentucky recently welcomed back one such person.
Kevin Thornberry, manager of production control and logistics, had been in Afghanistan since last December in a role supporting the Special Forces.
While he was gone, Toyota allowed him to keep his company vehicle and fuel card, allowing his wife and two children to use it.
And the supplementary pay "certainly takes the burden off while you're gone," Thornberry said.
Among the burdens lifted was lawn care, because his co-workers came by and mowed.
Also, Thornberry's departure came soon after he applied for and received a promotion.
He said the company, despite knowing he would be gone for six months, kept him in the running and chose him.
"Even though they knew I wasn't going to be able to support them in the short-term, they were willing to look beyond that and make a sacrifice as well," he said. "I've had nothing but a very positive experience through this whole thing."
It's similar to the experience that Bergin Tuttle, who works in human resources at the Georgetown plant, had while he was on active military duty between October 2004 and February 2006.
"They made up probably 55 percent of my normal pay, a big chunk really," he said. "It helped out my wife a lot."
And Tuttle, who worked in body paint on the assembly line at the time, said his co-workers sent him numerous care packages.
"I got not boxes, but cases, of Girl Scout cookies," he said. "I made sure everybody in the company got boxes of Girl Scout cookies."
Price said the plant pays the postage for care packages that family members, friends and co-workers send. In the past few years, it has shipped around 600.
And because of Toyota's supplementary pay program, Tuttle was essentially still on the job and continued his perfect attendance streak.
During the plant's 2004 perfect attendance contest, he won $5,000 "while sitting in Baghdad."
"I got the e-mail and thought they were joking," he said.
Wiley, of Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, called Toyota "one of the fine examples in the commonwealth."
"I can tell you that above and beyond comes in several different shapes and sizes," he added. "Some companies continue company health care plans ... so you may be fortunate enough to have two insurance plans covering your illnesses."
Utility E.ON U.S. does that in addition to supplementing pay, said spokesman Cliff Feltham.
"We'll make sure you're taken care of back home and don't necessarily need to worry about that," Feltham said.
Since 2003, the company has had 39 military leave requests, Feltham said.
And the companies have continued their programs despite the economic downturn.
"It is a cost," said Price of Toyota. "It's probably more of a burden on us today with the current financial crisis and Toyota losing money just like all the automotive companies are losing money.
"But it's still the right thing to do."
Reach Scott Sloan at (859) 231-1447 or 1-800-950-6397, Ext. 1447.
3 months ago
