If you would like to sign the online petition re Glenni Wilsey's case, click here.
Please sign this petition if you agree with protecting the MEDICAL RIGHTS of our future recruits!!!
Lora Bailey
To listen to an interview with Lora Bailey, go to http://www.talktainmentradio.com/The-Truth-Has-Changed/9564814?date=2011_04 and click on the 4/27/11 archived broadcast.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Discussion about Foreign Contractors and Non-combat Death
You can hear last Thursday's The Truth Has Changed radio show by clicking here:
Monday, April 25, 2011
Malpractice shield challenged
Military medical corps may soon face lawsuits
BRADENTON, Fla. — Veterans, military families and others who oppose a decades-old law that shields military medical personnel from malpractice lawsuits are rallying around a case they consider the best chance in a generation to change the widely unpopular protection.The U.S. Supreme Court has asked for more information from attorneys and will decide next month whether to hear the case of a 25-year-old noncommissioned officer who died after a nurse put a tube down the wrong part of his throat.
If the law is overturned, it could expose the federal government to billions of dollars in liability claims. That makes it highly unlikely a divided Congress desperate to cut expenses will act on its own to change what's called the Feres Doctrine, a 1950 Supreme Court ruling that effectively equates injuries from medical mistakes with battlefield wounds.
Read the entire story here.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Interview with the Mother of Morganne McBeth
The Truth Has Changed Podcast - The Death of a female soldier, Morganne McBeth. Guests feature Sylvia McBeth, mother of Morganne and Katherine Russ, investigative reporter and author. Sylvia discusses the day Morganne died . Katherine Russ discusses the Military issues surrounding the case. Click here to listen to the show - Talktainmentradio.com Podcast 4/14/2011
Pam Baragona
Pam Baragona
__._,_.___
Friday, April 15, 2011
DOD Launches New Helpline to Support Victims of Sexual Assault
The Department of Defense today launched its newest initiative to support victims of sexual assault. Using DoD Safe Helpline, service members can "click, call or text" for victim support services for themselves or others. The free, anonymous and confidential resource can be accessed worldwide, 24-hours a day, every day, to connect with live sexual assault support professionals.
In addition to improving victim care, secure and confidential access to Safe Helpline was developed to encourage victims to come forward when they might not otherwise.
"The underreporting of sexual assault poses a serious challenge to military readiness," said Clifford L. Stanley, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "We believe the Safe Helpline will provide DoD sexual assault victims with a variety of support outlets, which will lead victims to report sexual assault, seek needed information, and receive care."
Safe Helpline offers three access options designed for service members. Users can log on to http://www.SafeHelpline.org to receive live, one-on-one confidential help with a trained professional through a secure instant-messaging format. The website also provides vital information about recovering from and reporting sexual assault. A second option is to call the telephone hotline at 877-995-5247 to speak with Safe Helpline staff for personalized advice and support. Safe Helpline staff can also transfer callers to installation-based sexual assault response coordinators (SARC), on-call victim advocates, civilian rape crisis centers, or to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The third option is for users to text their location to 55247 inside the United States or 202-470-5546 outside of the United States to receive automated contact information for the SARC at their installation or base.
Further information on Safe Helpline can be found on http://www.SafeHelpline.org or at http://www.sapr.mil .
Editor's comment: I truly hope this new service will be useful to victims of sexual assault in the military. My son called the DoD Police on Ft. Dix in the middle of the night, asking for help, four days before he was killed. They not only did not investigate, they provided no victim support services and tried to twist the incident so that he could be charged with assault upon his attackers. Eventually, this effort to blame the victim resulted in his death. The incident report was "buried" until the DoD police were forced to produce it.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. I'm sorry to say that I have little optimism that bullying and/or sexual assault will end in the military.
In addition to improving victim care, secure and confidential access to Safe Helpline was developed to encourage victims to come forward when they might not otherwise.
"The underreporting of sexual assault poses a serious challenge to military readiness," said Clifford L. Stanley, under secretary of defense for personnel and readiness. "We believe the Safe Helpline will provide DoD sexual assault victims with a variety of support outlets, which will lead victims to report sexual assault, seek needed information, and receive care."
Safe Helpline offers three access options designed for service members. Users can log on to http://www.SafeHelpline.org to receive live, one-on-one confidential help with a trained professional through a secure instant-messaging format. The website also provides vital information about recovering from and reporting sexual assault. A second option is to call the telephone hotline at 877-995-5247 to speak with Safe Helpline staff for personalized advice and support. Safe Helpline staff can also transfer callers to installation-based sexual assault response coordinators (SARC), on-call victim advocates, civilian rape crisis centers, or to the Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The third option is for users to text their location to 55247 inside the United States or 202-470-5546 outside of the United States to receive automated contact information for the SARC at their installation or base.
Further information on Safe Helpline can be found on http://www.SafeHelpline.org or at http://www.sapr.mil .
Editor's comment: I truly hope this new service will be useful to victims of sexual assault in the military. My son called the DoD Police on Ft. Dix in the middle of the night, asking for help, four days before he was killed. They not only did not investigate, they provided no victim support services and tried to twist the incident so that he could be charged with assault upon his attackers. Eventually, this effort to blame the victim resulted in his death. The incident report was "buried" until the DoD police were forced to produce it.
Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. I'm sorry to say that I have little optimism that bullying and/or sexual assault will end in the military.
Army Released March Suicide Data
The Army released suicide data today for the month of March. Among active-duty soldiers, there were seven potential suicides: none have been confirmed as suicide, and seven remain under investigation. For February 2011, the Army reported eight potential suicides among active-duty soldiers. Since the release of that report, one case has been confirmed as suicide, and seven cases remain under investigation.
During March 2011, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were eight potential suicides: none have been confirmed as suicide, and eight remain under investigation. For February 2011, among that same group, there were eight total potential suicides. Of those, three were confirmed as suicides and five are pending determination of the manner of death.
"Army efforts to improve suicide prevention awareness, education and support that is readily available to all members of the Army family continue to be of paramount importance to senior Army leadership. Informed and engaged leaders at every level help foster a sense of responsibility in soldiers, Army civilians and family members." said Col. Chris Philbrick, deputy director, Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction Task Force. "Leaders will reduce the stigma associated with seeking help by promoting positive behavioral health opportunities that include physical, emotional, social, family and spiritual well-being," Philbrick said.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trained consultants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and can be contacted by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or by visiting their website at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org .
The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.preventsuicide.army.mil .
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_63.pdf and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) at http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf .
Suicide prevention training resources for Army families can be accessed at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20 (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).
Information about Military OneSource is located at http://www.militaryonesource.com or by dialing the toll-free number 1-800-342-9647for those residing in the continental United States. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource website for dialing instructions for their specific location.
Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf/ .
The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil .
The website for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is http://www.afsp.org/ and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council site is found at http://www.sprc.org/index.asp .
The website for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is http://www.TAPS.org and they can be reached at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/releases/
Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public Contact: http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1
Source: DoD Announcement, verbatim
During March 2011, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were eight potential suicides: none have been confirmed as suicide, and eight remain under investigation. For February 2011, among that same group, there were eight total potential suicides. Of those, three were confirmed as suicides and five are pending determination of the manner of death.
"Army efforts to improve suicide prevention awareness, education and support that is readily available to all members of the Army family continue to be of paramount importance to senior Army leadership. Informed and engaged leaders at every level help foster a sense of responsibility in soldiers, Army civilians and family members." said Col. Chris Philbrick, deputy director, Army Health Promotion, Risk Reduction Task Force. "Leaders will reduce the stigma associated with seeking help by promoting positive behavioral health opportunities that include physical, emotional, social, family and spiritual well-being," Philbrick said.
Soldiers and families in need of crisis assistance can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trained consultants are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and can be contacted by dialing 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or by visiting their website at http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org .
The Army's comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.preventsuicide.army.mil .
Army leaders can access current health promotion guidance in newly revised Army Regulation 600-63 (Health Promotion) at: http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/r600_63.pdf and Army Pamphlet 600-24 (Health Promotion, Risk Reduction and Suicide Prevention) at http://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf .
Suicide prevention training resources for Army families can be accessed at http://www.armyg1.army.mil/hr/suicide/training_sub.asp?sub_cat=20 (requires Army Knowledge Online access to download materials).
Information about Military OneSource is located at http://www.militaryonesource.com or by dialing the toll-free number 1-800-342-9647for those residing in the continental United States. Overseas personnel should refer to the Military OneSource website for dialing instructions for their specific location.
Information about the Army's Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Program is located at http://www.army.mil/csf/ .
The Defense Center for Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) Outreach Center can be contacted at 1-866-966-1020, via electronic mail at Resources@DCoEOutreach.org and at http://www.dcoe.health.mil .
The website for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention is http://www.afsp.org/ and the Suicide Prevention Resource Council site is found at http://www.sprc.org/index.asp .
The website for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors is http://www.TAPS.org and they can be reached at 1-800-959-TAPS (8277).
U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/releases/
Media Contact: +1 (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public Contact: http://www.defense.gov/landing/questions.aspx or +1 (703) 428-0711 +1
Source: DoD Announcement, verbatim
McChrystal resurrected? Not so fast, says Pat Tillman’s mom.
April 14th, 2011 | Outside the wire | Posted by Joe Gould
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a hero fired for a minor flap, is brought back into the fold, made useful again as the co-chair of a White House initiative on military families.
All is well with the world again, right?
Not according to Pat Tillman’s mom.
Read the entire story here.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal, a hero fired for a minor flap, is brought back into the fold, made useful again as the co-chair of a White House initiative on military families.
All is well with the world again, right?
Not according to Pat Tillman’s mom.
Read the entire story here.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Lawmakers push to protect sex assault victims
By Phillip Swarts - Medill News Service
Posted : Wednesday Apr 13, 2011 17:34:10 EDT
Eight months after accusing a noncommissioned officer of sexual assault, Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, who was pregnant, was killed by that NCO and buried in his backyard.
Lauterbach’s death in 2007 has brought increased attention to the issue of sexual assault in the military.
Read the entire story here.
Posted : Wednesday Apr 13, 2011 17:34:10 EDT
Eight months after accusing a noncommissioned officer of sexual assault, Marine Lance Cpl. Maria Lauterbach, who was pregnant, was killed by that NCO and buried in his backyard.
Lauterbach’s death in 2007 has brought increased attention to the issue of sexual assault in the military.
Read the entire story here.
Monday, April 11, 2011
2 US servicemen mistakenly killed by drone attack in Afghanistan
NBC: Pair died in missile airstrike in an apparent case of mistaken identity
By Jim Miklaszewski
Chief Pentagon correspondent
NBC News NBC News
updated 4/11/2011 2:04:23 PM ET 2011-04-11T18:04:23
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Marine reservist and a Navy corpsman were killed in a drone airstrike in Afghanistan last week in an apparent case of friendly fire, U.S. military officials tell NBC News.
Marine Staff Sgt. Jeremy Smith and Navy Corpsman Benjamin Rast were reportedly killed Wednesday by a Hellfire missile fired from a U.S. Air Force Predator in what appears to be a case of mistaken identity, NBC reported. Smith and Rast were part of a Marine unit moving in to reinforce fellow Marines under heavy fire from enemy forces outside Sangin in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
The Marines under fire were watching streaming video of the battlefield being fed to them by an armed Predator overhead. They saw a number of "hot spots," or infrared images, moving in their direction. Apparently believing that those "hot spots" were the enemy, they called in a Hellfire missile strike from the Predator.
It's believed that this is the first time that U.S. service members have been killed by a Predator in a friendly fire incident.
Smith, 26, of Arlington, Texas, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division out of Houston. Rast, 23, was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division out of San Diego.
The U.S. military is investigating the incident. Military officials say the families of both service members have been informed of the possibility this was a friendly fire incident.
© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints
Read the original here.
By Jim Miklaszewski
Chief Pentagon correspondent
NBC News NBC News
updated 4/11/2011 2:04:23 PM ET 2011-04-11T18:04:23
WASHINGTON — A U.S. Marine reservist and a Navy corpsman were killed in a drone airstrike in Afghanistan last week in an apparent case of friendly fire, U.S. military officials tell NBC News.
Marine Staff Sgt. Jeremy Smith and Navy Corpsman Benjamin Rast were reportedly killed Wednesday by a Hellfire missile fired from a U.S. Air Force Predator in what appears to be a case of mistaken identity, NBC reported. Smith and Rast were part of a Marine unit moving in to reinforce fellow Marines under heavy fire from enemy forces outside Sangin in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan.
The Marines under fire were watching streaming video of the battlefield being fed to them by an armed Predator overhead. They saw a number of "hot spots," or infrared images, moving in their direction. Apparently believing that those "hot spots" were the enemy, they called in a Hellfire missile strike from the Predator.
It's believed that this is the first time that U.S. service members have been killed by a Predator in a friendly fire incident.
Smith, 26, of Arlington, Texas, was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 23rd Marine Regiment, 4th Marine Division out of Houston. Rast, 23, was assigned to the 2nd Marine Division out of San Diego.
The U.S. military is investigating the incident. Military officials say the families of both service members have been informed of the possibility this was a friendly fire incident.
© 2010 msnbc.com Reprints
Read the original here.
War casualty on the home front
A poster boy for suicide prevention, Houstonian becomes another statistic
By LINDSAY WISE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
April 9, 2011, 7:15AM
Marine veteran Clay Hunt had a tattoo on his arm that quoted Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien: "Not all those who wander are lost."
"I think he was a lot more philosophical about life than a lot of us are, but trying to search for some inner peace and the meaning of life, what was the most important thing," said his father, Stacy Hunt.
His son's quest ended last week when he took his own life at his Sugar Land apartment.
The 28-year-old had narrowly escaped death in Iraq four years ago, when a sniper's bullet missed his head by inches. But he wrestled with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt over the deaths of four friends in his platoon who weren't so lucky.
"Two were lost in Iraq, and the other two were killed in Afghanistan," said his mother, Susan Selke. "When that last one in Afghanistan went down, it just undid him."
In many ways, Hunt's death is all too familiar: the haunted veteran consumed by a war he can't stop fighting.
Suicides among Texans younger than 35 who served in the military jumped from 47 in 2006 to 66 in 2009 — an increase of 40 percent, according to state records.
The problem seems increasingly intractable. Efforts by the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to stop the alarming rise in military suicides nationwide through training and screening have had limited success.
Read the entire story here.
By LINDSAY WISE
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
April 9, 2011, 7:15AM
Marine veteran Clay Hunt had a tattoo on his arm that quoted Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien: "Not all those who wander are lost."
"I think he was a lot more philosophical about life than a lot of us are, but trying to search for some inner peace and the meaning of life, what was the most important thing," said his father, Stacy Hunt.
His son's quest ended last week when he took his own life at his Sugar Land apartment.
The 28-year-old had narrowly escaped death in Iraq four years ago, when a sniper's bullet missed his head by inches. But he wrestled with post-traumatic stress disorder and survivor's guilt over the deaths of four friends in his platoon who weren't so lucky.
"Two were lost in Iraq, and the other two were killed in Afghanistan," said his mother, Susan Selke. "When that last one in Afghanistan went down, it just undid him."
In many ways, Hunt's death is all too familiar: the haunted veteran consumed by a war he can't stop fighting.
Suicides among Texans younger than 35 who served in the military jumped from 47 in 2006 to 66 in 2009 — an increase of 40 percent, according to state records.
The problem seems increasingly intractable. Efforts by the Pentagon and Department of Veterans Affairs to stop the alarming rise in military suicides nationwide through training and screening have had limited success.
Read the entire story here.
Friday, April 08, 2011
Military Injustice: Going Light on Murder
THE RUSS REPORT
Katharine Russ
The first of two trials surrounding the murder of 19 year-old Specialist (SPC) Morganne McBeth in July 2010 began Monday in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. SPC Tyler Cain, 21, of North Carolina, charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice, was found guilty and now faces demotion to the rank of private and 45 days in prison. Cain will be allowed to stay in the Army.
Read more...
Katharine Russ
The first of two trials surrounding the murder of 19 year-old Specialist (SPC) Morganne McBeth in July 2010 began Monday in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. SPC Tyler Cain, 21, of North Carolina, charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice, was found guilty and now faces demotion to the rank of private and 45 days in prison. Cain will be allowed to stay in the Army.
Read more...
Podcast of Radio Interview with Pam Baragona
NON COMBAT DEATHS
WITH DONNA JANECZKO AND DOMINIC BARAGONA
http://podcast.talktainmentradio.com/talk/2881726.mp3
WITH DONNA JANECZKO AND DOMINIC BARAGONA
http://podcast.talktainmentradio.com/talk/2881726.mp3
Thursday, April 07, 2011
The Busted Moral Compass: Reflections on "The Kill Team" and the Decay of Military Leadership
Cilla McCain has written an article about Murder in the Military and about the case of Anthony Wilder.
Read the story here.
Read the story here.
KBR wants Iraqi law used in electrocution case
PITTSBURGH — Attorneys for Houston-based military contractor KBR Inc. have asked a federal judge in Pittsburgh to apply Iraqi law to a lawsuit filed by the mother of a Pittsburgh-area soldier who was electrocuted while showering at a U.S. military base in Iraq.
U.S. District Judge Nora Berry Fischer asked attorneys for both sides to file written arguments before she’ll decide the issue.
At a hearing Tuesday, she frankly acknowledged what she believed was the reason for the motion. “The big nut is whether or not you can apply for punitive damages,” the judge said. “You can’t get punitives in Iraq.”
Read the entire story here.
U.S. District Judge Nora Berry Fischer asked attorneys for both sides to file written arguments before she’ll decide the issue.
At a hearing Tuesday, she frankly acknowledged what she believed was the reason for the motion. “The big nut is whether or not you can apply for punitive damages,” the judge said. “You can’t get punitives in Iraq.”
Read the entire story here.
Tuesday, April 05, 2011
More on the Patrick Rust Case
Watch the full episode. See more Public Eye with Jeff Cole.
An interview with the Jefferson County Sheriff, the lead detective in the case, and Crime Wire Consultant and private investigator Bill Sullivan, was aired over the weekend on the local Watertown, New York PBS station. If you'd like to see it, the link is http://www.wpbstv.org/COVE_Images/PublicEye-April-01-2011.htm
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