FBI Joins Army Investigation at Arlington

The FBI is joining the Army's investigation into possible criminal practices at Arlington National Cemetery.

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DOD Announces Iraq, Afghanistan Campaign Stars

Bronze campaign stars are now authorized for service members who have served in Iraq since Sept. 1, 2010, or in Afghanistan since Dec. 1, 2009, Defense Department officials announced today.


The new campaign stars, worn on the Iraq and Afghanistan campaign medals, recognize service during Operation New Dawn in Iraq and the Consolidation III campaign phase in Afghanistan.

Operation New Dawn began Sept. 1, 2010, marking the official end of Operation Iraqi Freedom and U.S. combat operations in Iraq and a new focus on advising, assisting and training Iraqi security forces.


The Consolidation III campaign in Afghanistan began Dec. 1, 2009, the date President Barack Obama committed to sending 30,000 additional troops to Afghanistan with a plan to begin drawing down that force in July.

The services will announce implementing instructions to their members about wear of the new campaign stars.
Service members who have qualified for the ICM and ACM may display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each campaign phase in which they participated. A silver campaign star is issued in lieu of five bronze stars.

Six other campaign phases were previously identified for Iraq, and three in Afghanistan.


In Iraq, they are:


-- Liberation of Iraq, March 19 to May 1, 2003;
-- Transition of Iraq, May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004;
-- Iraqi Governance, June 29, 2004 to Dec. 15, 2005;
-- National Resolution, Dec. 16, 2005 to Jan. 9, 2007;
-- Iraqi Surge, Jan. 10, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2008; and
-- Iraqi Sovereignty, Jan. 1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2010.

In Afghanistan, the previously identified campaign phases are:

-- Liberation of Afghanistan, Sept. 11 to Nov. 30, 2001;
-- Consolidation I, Dec. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2006; and
-- Consolidation II, Oct. 1, 2006 to Nov. 30, 2009.

The Defense Department first authorized campaign stars for service in Iraq and Afghanistan in April 2008.

Vet gets $925K from VA for eye op mistake

A 60-year-old Army veteran won a $925,000 settlement with the Department of Veterans Affairs after he was blinded in one eye during a routine outpatient cataract operation, his attorney said Monday.

Jose Goncalves of Hartford was blinded in his right eye when a third-year resident at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in West Haven incorrectly administered an anesthetic during the procedure in 2007, attorney Christopher Bernard said. The resident then injected too much anesthetic, causing his eyeball to explode, Bernard said.

“Jose suffered excruciating pain after that botched surgery and continued to have severe pain for months afterward,” Bernard said. “The damage to the eye is obvious because his iris is missing and his eyelid droops. If anything should ever happen to the undamaged left eye, he could face total blindness.”

The U.S. attorney’s office, which represented the VA, declined to comment. The resident, Dr. Yue Michelle Wang, also declined to comment. She wasn’t sued because doctors who work for the federal government have immunity, Bernard said.

Wang incorrectly placed a needle with a local anesthetic directly into Goncalves’ eye instead of behind his eye, Bernard said.

Goncalves endured four more surgeries in an attempt to save the damaged eye and to maximize his eyesight, but he has no functional vision in that eye, his attorney said. He is able to see a rough outline of his hand when held about 6 inches in front of his face, Bernard said.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Bridgeport in 2009 against the VA, argued that Goncalves’ injuries were a result of carelessness and negligence by the doctors at the Veterans’ Administration facility and that he “has been permanently deprived of his ability to carry on and enjoy life’s activities.”

“It is clear that Dr. Wang’s training was seriously inadequate,” Bernard said. “This should have been a routine procedure as it is for countless people every day. When proper techniques are used, this particular complication should never occur.”

Goncalves suffers from a significant lack of depth perception that makes him unable to resume his previous job as a roofer, his attorney said. He works in the maintenance department at Central Connecticut State University.

He is unable to drive except for short distances. Reading, watching television and going to movies are difficult because the undamaged eye tires so quickly, Bernard said.

By John Christoffersen - The Associated Press

USO breaks ground on wounded warrior, family center

The center at Fort Belvoir, Va., will also support families and caregivers of the wounded as they transition from inpatient to outpatient care.

The day also marked the official launch of Operation Enduring Care, USO's $100-million initiative. A quarter of these funds will go to construct both the Belvoir center and one at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Another $25 million will ensure these centers are self-supporting and $50 million will underwrite programs to be offered at the centers and around the world that advance these servicemembers and their families in the future.

"It's a great day for Fort Belvoir and the Warrior Care Triad," said Fort Belvoir Garrison Commander Col. John J. Strycula. "Along with our new community hospital, our Wounded Warrior complex with personnel lodging, command and control headquarters, and Soldier and Family Assistance Center; and this USO facility where warriors can relax, we'll have established a home away from home."

Strycula said about 200 wounded warriors will initially move to Belvoir from the closing Walter Reed Army Medical Center, with the capacity being more than 400.

The center, he said, will be an important cog in the concept of Soldier and family-centered care and recovery. The center will have a family kitchen, a children's play space, recreational areas, classrooms, a learning center, and a business center. But it will also be a place where Soldiers and families can find peace, solace and help in their recovery process.

The 25,000-square-foot building will also encompass movie theaters and healing gardens.

He said that although the operations in Iraq and Afghanistan are slowing down, the need to care for the complexity of wounded warriors' and their family's visible and invisible wounds will continue far into the future.

"We've learned that healing is much more than just a physical process. True and complete healing encompasses physical, emotional, social, spiritual and family healing. That's what complete healing is all about and that's what makes our warriors Army strong," said Strycula.

Congressman Gerald E. Connolly of Virginia's 11th District, agreed.

"When our troops come home, we have a commitment to do the right thing. This is an important day for the program," said Connolly, who has introduced 35 pieces of legislation to help vets and active duty servicemembers.

"The legislation I've introduced covers everything from post-traumatic stress disorder to housing and jobs," he said.

Speakers at the event included Sloan D. Gibson, president and CEO of USO; Sue Timken, co-chair of Operation Enduring Care; Congressman Jim Moran of Virginia's 8th District; and Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin E. Dempsey.

"In many ways, my career of 37 years began with the USO when they helped 2nd Lt. Dempsey after landing in Germany," he said, adding that caring for the military men and women and their families is an enduring responsibility.

"Over the last 10 years, I've often wondered why do these young men and women of all branches of service -- do what we ask them to do -- why do they venture out into harm's way? They do that because of one simple value that defines our profession, and that value is trust.

"They trust the men and women to their left and right, they trust their leaders, and importantly, they trust that behind them, back in the United States that if something happens to them, they'll be cared for medically (and) their families will be cared for, and that's what this is all about.

"And I'm very proud and very excited for what the people at the USO are doing," Dempsey said.

In 2003, the USO began its care for the wounded warrior community in Germany at Ramstein Air Base to provide a home-away-from-home environment. Five years later, the USO Warrior Center was built at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center to serve the outpatient wounded until they were cleared to return to their unit in Afghanistan or Iraq.

In 2010, the USO launched comprehensive long-term programs designed to create a continuum of care, including physical health and recreation, mental health support, family strengthening, education, employment and community integration.

The Wounded Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2012.

Walter Reed Army Medical Center move: news, resources

Walter Reed Army Medical Center move: news, resources


By U.S. Army
The Department of Defense is making final preparations for the upcoming move of patients now at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, who will move to either the newly named Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., or the new Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in Virginia.

The move is scheduled for the weekends of Aug. 12, and Aug. 19, 2011.

For the most up-to-date news about the upcoming move, or for military medical resources, please see the links to the right.

New Program Links Wounded Vets With Health Care Jobs

A new program called Hero Health Hire is the health care industry's commitment to make jobs available to some of the 10,000 wounded warriors who transition each month from the military into the workforce.

The 2011 Hero Health Hire Employment Summit, held here today, brought together senior government officials and military leaders, federal and local legislators, and health care industry representatives.

Attendees discussed recruiting practices for veterans and wounded warriors, challenges for those transitioning into the civilian workforce, support that wounded vets and employers need for their efforts, and best practices and next steps for instituting hiring and retention processes at participating companies.

"We're talking about an extraordinary group of young men and women," John R. Campbell, deputy assistant secretary of defense for wounded warrior care and transition policy, told summit attendees.
Campbell, a Vietnam vet who worked in the private sector on global economic issues before joining the Defense Department, said the men and women transitioning from the armed forces have skills that range from leadership and warfighting to community integration, political activism, international relations and logistics.

"If we don't employ them we are not going to be able to compete globally," Campbell said. "To me, this is a national security issue.

"We need to bring every element," he added, "every asset to bear to make sure we can compete among some very formidable competitors around the world."

The unemployment rate for younger Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is at about 30 percent, Campbell noted. "We have an exciting challenge ahead of us," he said.

The Defense Department, he said, is working closely with the departments of Labor, Housing and Urban Development, and Veterans Affairs to "create better programs so that we're able to provide [jobs for] these young men and women who are truly spectacular."

Hero Health Hire, sponsored by Magellan Health Services, encourages health care employers to recruit wounded warriors and helps them to provide a welcoming workplace, the initiative's website says.
The initiative offers a tailored mentoring program to help new employees succeed at their jobs, with special attention to former service members who have lingering issues related to post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury.

"With tonight's speech by the president announcing troop withdrawals, we're here at a great time," Dr. Rene Lerer, chairman and chief executive officer of Magellan Health Services, told the attendees.

Participating in the summit were representatives from 25 different health care companies and associations from all over the country, Lerer said, "Collectively employing in excess of 300,000 employees and serving tens of millions of members, customers and patients."

Labor Department Secretary Hilda Solis also attended the summit. "I am very excited to see all of you here," she said. "The mental health services providers, because you play an essential role here, insurance companies, pharmaceuticals, device makers. You are the appropriate people to be at the table to help us begin this discussion."

The health care industry -– including insurers, health plans, pharmaceutical companies, device manufacturers and hospital networks –- is one of the fastest growing in the nation. Last year alone, the United States created well over 360,000 jobs in the health care industry, Solis said.

"The Bureau of Labor statistics says that by 2018 there's going to be a projected 4 million jobs added in the health care industry," she said. "So I can see a good future for the health care industry and our veterans."

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

Defense Officials Support Afghan Withdrawal Plan

Top defense officials told lawmakers on Capitol Hill Thursday they support President Barack Obama's decision to begin a gradual withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan.

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Program Opens Doors to Spouse Employment

With multiple moves and deployments to contend with, military spouses face considerable challenges when it comes to maintaining or advancing their careers.

They also come up against the high unemployment rate for military spouses -- 28 percent, according to Defense Department officials. And, there's a 25-percent wage gap compared to their civilian counterparts to consider. Yet, more than 80 percent of military spouses want to work, officials said, and bring much-needed skills to the table, such as team focus and a strong work ethic.

In the hopes of expanding job opportunities for spouses, the DOD is launching a new partnership June 29 that will connect spouses with employers actively seeking to hire them. Nearly 60 corporations and companies already have signed on with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership, and 14 more are set to sign on next week.

As part of the program, spouses will be able to search for prospective employers online at Military OneSource or by calling OneSource at 1-800- 342-9647. In addition, they are invited to attend one of the 100 scheduled job fairs taking place around the country in the coming months, with the first to take place in Los Angeles on July 10.

For more on this partnership, read my American Forces Press Service colleague Terri Moon Cronk's article "Partnership Links Military Spouses With Employers."

I plan to attend the partnership's launch next week in downtown Washington, D.C. Be sure to check the Family Matters blog for all the details.

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

Congress again pushes Defense to track Rx drug use in combat zones

The House Appropriations Committee has directed the Defense Department to find a way to capture and track pharmaceutical information electronically to monitor prescriptions to troops engaged in combat operations.

In its report on the 2012 military budget, the committee expressed concern that doctors were increasingly prescribing troops pain medications that can lead to dependency.

Nextgov reported in January that 14 percent of soldiers had been prescribed opiate painkillers in 2010, with 95 percent -- or 72,764 -- of those prescriptions for oxycodone, a highly addictive drug.

The committee said tracking pain management drugs is inconsistent in the department, "particularly in theater, where prescription data is not always transmitted to the Department of Defense Pharmacy Data Transaction Service," a central prescription data repository.

Defense must examine the feasibility of electronically transmitting such data from combat zones, the committee said, so patient usage and physician prescribing patterns can be monitored and tracked.
The report also gave Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of Defense for health affairs, two months from the time the budget is passed to deliver a report on the required steps and potential obstacles toward electronic transmission of prescription drug data.

Woodson told a May hearing of the House Appropriations' Defense subcommittee that he took information technology specialists to Afghanistan to help resolve the drug tracking problem but he did not say when it would be fixed.

This is the second time in a year Congress has pushed Defense to track drugs prescribed to troops engaged in combat operations. Last June the Senate Armed Services Committee in its report on the 2011 Defense authorization bill said it expected Defense to expeditiously develop "a reliable method to track and manage the prescription and use of pharmaceuticals, to include psychotropic medications, by deployed service members."

Though it can't track drugs that lead to addiction and abuse, the Military Health System requested $23 million in funding to expand testing of illegal use of painkiller drugs and benzodiazepine tranquilizers, such as Valium, a project the committee did not immediately buy into.

In strong language, the committee said, "The upward trend in prescription drug abuse is, first and foremost, a direct consequence of the extraordinary burdens placed upon the force under the high operations tempo of the last decade.

"Due diligence must be exercised to ensure that cases of prescription drug abuse are handled properly by the chain of command, and that wounded warriors are not unduly punished for prescription drug abuse that may arise from improper medical care," the committee said.

The committee said it will put funding for the drug testing program on hold until Defense develops a training program for commanders that will make sure they "properly utilize the information derived from prescription drug testing, including awareness of treatment alternatives, the circumstances under which disciplinary action is appropriate, and necessary measures to safeguard medical privacy."

Debate Swirls Around Research Showing Lung Problems for Returned Troops

As a teenager in northern New York, Gary Durham ran cross-country and hiked the Adirondack’s high peaks. In Army basic training, he did two-mile runs in under 13 minutes. But after a yearlong deployment to Iraq with the 101st Airborne Division in 2003, he says he started gasping for air while just mowing the lawn.

An emerging body of research indicates that Mr. Durham is one of a significant number of American service members who are reporting respiratory problems like coughing, wheezing or chest pains that started during deployment and continued after they returned home.

In 2009, a major survey of military personnel, the Millennium Cohort Study, found that 14 percent of troops who had deployed reported new breathing problems, compared with 10 percent among those who had not deployed.

Though the percentage difference seems small, when extrapolated for the two million troops who have deployed since 2001, the survey suggested that at least 80,000 additional service members had developed post-deployment breathing problems.

But now, a fierce debate is under way over just how long-lasting and severe those problems really are.
On one side are scientists, many working for the government, who say that a large number of returning troops have serious and potentially lifelong ailments. They point to an array of respiratory hazards in Iraq and Afghanistan — including powerful dust storms, fine dust laced with toxins and “burn pits” used to incinerate garbage at military bases — as potential culprits.

Those scientists also question whether the government has acted swiftly enough to study the effects of prolonged exposure to dust, allergens and pollution in Iraq and Afghanistan, and whether it is properly compensating those who may have service-connected lung injuries or diseases.

“I’m concerned that this exposure is not getting the serious review it needs,” said Capt. Mark Lyles, the chairman of medical sciences and biotechnology at the Center for Naval Warfare Studies in Newport, R.I., who has studied dust from Iraq and Afghanistan.

On the other side of the debate are officials with the Pentagon and the Department of Veterans Affairs who assert that current research remains inconclusive. They acknowledge that some troops are returning with respiratory symptoms but say those problems vary widely depending on genetic background or location of deployment and are usually temporary.

“I think we are going to find that there is some increase in respiratory symptoms, and maybe even respiratory diagnoses,” said Col. Lisa Zacher, a doctor who is the pulmonary consultant to the Army’s surgeon general. “But I think we’ll find the majority who deploy do not have long-term chronic pulmonary diseases related to deployment.”

Mr. Durham’s breathing struggles have proved to be long-term. When he returned to Fort Campbell, Ky., in 2004, Mr. Durham was coughing up phlegm daily. Running became impossible. Yet a battery of lung tests showed nothing wrong. Before he was medically discharged as a sergeant in 2005, an Army doctor suggested that his problem might be psychological, records show.

Then last year, Mr. Durham read about a specialist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who had treated Iraq veterans for breathing problems. The doctor did a lung biopsy on Mr. Durham and concluded that he had a debilitating and largely untreatable injury known as constrictive bronchiolitis.
Though the diagnosis might have seemed devastating, Mr. Durham felt vindicated. “I had been told there was nothing wrong with me by so many doctors,” he said. “I just wanted to know what was wrong with me.”

Dr. Robert F. Miller, who treated Mr. Durham, has conducted similar biopsies on 56 previously deployed veterans, many from Fort Campbell. He found that 40 of them had constrictive bronchiolitis, an irreversible scarring of the small airways that can make breathing during moderate exercise feel like “sucking air through a straw,” Dr. Miller said. Fifteen other biopsies led to diagnoses of other lung ailments.

Almost all of his patients had been through standard lung function tests like CT scans and spirometry that found nothing wrong. Constrictive bronchiolitis is typically found in people with lung transplants or rheumatoid arthritis, or who work with industrial chemicals, but is rare in the general population.
“My concern is that these guys come back from war, can’t do a two-mile run and then are dismissed from the Army,” Dr. Miller said. “They are told: ‘Maybe you’re out of condition.’ ”

Fort Campbell no longer refers cases to Vanderbilt. Dr. Miller said he believed the Army was trying to reduce the number of biopsies that might show serious lung injuries. But Colonel Zacher said the Army was simply trying to standardize its care and avoid unnecessary procedures.

“Anyone who shows up at our clinics is going to get a state-of-the-art workup,” she said.

Respiratory problems among returning troops have been the subject of Senate hearings and Pentagon studies that have focused heavily on the burn pits found at scores of bases across Iraq and Afghanistan. But a growing number of experts say the problem is probably more complex than those fires.

Captain Lyles, whose latest research was described recently by USA Today, argues that air particles found in Iraq and Afghanistan are exceptionally fine and thus more readily inhaled into the lungs.

Those particles carry an array of harmful metals, bacteria and fungi that are different from — and potentially more toxic than — dust in the United States, Captain Lyles and his fellow researchers say.

“There is potential acute and chronic risk to that exposure,” Captain Lyles said. “But we don’t yet know what that chronic risk is.”

Another scientist affiliated with the government, Dr. Anthony Szema, was an author last year of a paper that found that previously deployed troops were more likely to report new cases of asthma than troops who had not deployed.

In more recent research, Dr. Szema, an allergy expert at the Stony Brook School of Medicine and the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center on Long Island, has found that previously deployed troops are far more likely than nondeployed troops to report breathing problems that lead doctors to order lung function tests. He calls the diverse lung problems he believes exist Iraq-Afghanistan War Lung Injury.

Colonel Zacher and other military officials have raised sharp questions about the research by Dr. Miller, Dr. Szema and Captain Lyles.

The officials say that many of Dr. Miller’s patients were exposed to acidic smoke from a sulfur mine fire near Mosul, Iraq, in 2003 that may have injured their lungs, suggesting that those injuries are unique to a relatively small group of soldiers. Dr. Miller, however, said that some of his patients were deployed after 2003.

In a statement, the Navy said that Captain Lyles’s work lacked “scientific rigor” and that its own studies had found “no increase in the incidence of diseases to which Dr. Lyles inferred a cause-and-effect link from exposure to Middle East sand.”

Colonel Zacher also said that Dr. Szema’s sample of deployed troops included a high percentage of smokers, higher than among the troops that did not deploy. “I don’t want to blame it all on tobacco,” she said, “but tobacco is associated with lung problems.”

But Colonel Zacher also acknowledged that more research was needed, noting that the Army planned to do lung function tests on a sampling of soldiers before and after deployment to look for trends in breathing problems.

“There will be some people truly affected by dust or particulate matter,” she said. “Whether it’s 5 or 10 percent, we just have to define it better.”


© 2011 The New York Times Company
Truthout has licensed this content. It may not be reproduced by any other source and is not covered by our Creative Commons license.     

Center Works to Optimize Warfighters' Performance

A new high-intensity workout regime promises to build strength and endurance. Ads tout dietary supplements as formula for getting stronger, smarter and even less-stressed-out. A "how to" book presents a sure-fire way to bounce back from physical or emotional setbacks.         
Click photo for screen-resolution image
Army Sgt. Ryan Kennedy and Army Spc. Douglas Petty pull security duty and discuss possible enemy locations in Katalai village, Khost province, Afghanistan, June 15, 2011. The Defense Department's Human Resource Performance Center is exploring ways to maximize warfighters' performance, make them less susceptible to illness and injury and more physically and emotionally resilient. Courtesy photo

(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
With the wealth of ever-changing and often-conflicting information on the Internet and on the street, what are warfighters to believe about the best way to improve their performance, particularly in combat?

Getting to the bottom of that, and putting word out to the troops whose lives and missions depend on their ability to perform in demanding and often extreme conditions, is the mission of the Defense Department's Human Performance Resource Center, Dr. Stephen Frost, the center's director, told American Forces Press Service.

DOD stood up the center in September 2009 under the auspices of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to gather and develop solid science for warfighters, their leaders and their health care providers.
         
Part research arm, part information clearinghouse and education center, the center provides a single DOD focal point for human performance optimization, encouraging better coordination, collaboration and communication among the services and with other government agencies, Frost explained.

The staff seeks out scientifically proven data to post on its website and answers warfighters' questions submitted through an online link. When it identifies an information gap, it reaches out to experts within the military and civilian professional communities to research the issue or evaluate research already conducted.
         
To date, the center has issued a White Paper on the pros and cons of a high-intensity physical training program popular with many military members. Its findings, in a nutshell: It may be great if you're already fit, but could be too physically demanding if you're not.
         
The staff also evaluated the prudence of taking specific dietary supplements in extreme temperatures or altitudes after some deployed service members experienced liver and kidney problems, Frost said. The results, posted on the center's website, showed that high-protein supplements such as creatine can be extremely dangerous, especially when users aren't properly hydrated, he reported.

"One of our missions is to provide the warfighter information that is evidence-based [and] scientific so that they can make decisions about things like dietary supplements in a better way than just 'Googling' on the Internet and getting commercialized information," Frost said.

The center plans to look into possible ways to mitigate problems associated with the sickle cell trait. Another project on the center's radar screen, to be conducted with NASA and the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, will look into the issue of sleep, particularly sleep deprivation.

"That's a big problem through the services," Frost said. "We know that missions sometimes require warfighters to remain vigilant for long periods of time. So the big question is: How much sleep do you really need? And are there ways of enhancing your ability if you don't have enough sleep? Are there ways of catching up on your sleep? There are a lot of questions around sleep that apply around the services, and NASA is interested, too."

"Optimal performance" involves much more than strength, endurance and overall physical fitness, Frost explained. It includes all the mental, emotional and physical factors that impact a warfighters' ability to perform effectively in demanding conditions and extreme environments, to stay healthy and injury-free and recover from any injuries and illnesses.

This involves everything from what goes into their mouths to what kind of exercise routine they follow to behavioral issues such as drug, alcohol and tobacco use.

But equally important are what Frost calls "mind tactics" -- a warfighter's mental toughness and resilience.

"In the past, the emphasis has always been on the physical part, and we have become pretty good at managing the physical resilience and physical capabilities of our warfighters" he said. "But only recently have we come to recognize that the mind and body go together. So unless you have that same optimal capability for your mental performance, then your physical performance can't be optimal, either."

For this reason, the Human Performance Resource Center addresses family and social issues that can impact performance.

"We recognize that if a warfighter is worried about his family, he is not going to be in his optimal condition," Frost said. "If he doesn't have the social support systems he needs when he comes home from deployments, or if he is going to be deployed, he is not going to be in his optimal mental condition."

Ultimately, Frost hopes the military community will come to recognize the Human Performance Resource Center as the place to go for unvarnished, scientifically proven information about factors that affect warfighter performance.

"If we can get the Human Performance Resource Center to truly become the go-to place for our warfighters, our health care providers, the line leadership and researchers so they aren't simply Googling for information, I think we can go a long way toward enhancing the coordination, communication and collaboration among the services and DOD around human performance," Frost said. "I think that will be a wonderful goal."


          

Officials Seek Input to Update MWR Services

Defense Department officials intend to use input gained from customer satisfaction surveys to bolster Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs and meet the up-to-date needs of service members and their families, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy said today.

Officials are electronically sending 600,000 surveys to military installations worldwide, Robert L. Gordon III said. The survey is the first of its kind to collect input from all components of the U.S. military, including National Guardsmen and reservists, he added.           
The survey includes 135 questions that address a range of offerings from fitness centers to libraries, and automotive services to leisure activities.
         
Officials hope to have survey data returned in about three weeks, Gordon said.

"If [service members] can turn it around quickly, we can soon understand how we're doing and see how we can get better," he said. Sent randomly, the survey takes about 20 minutes to complete, he added, and the answers are kept confidential and anonymous.
         
"We want to get a sense of exactly what our service members and their families are using [at MWR] so we can tailor it to our multigenerational force," Gordon said.

Recognizing the differences in multigenerational needs is essential to members of the armed forces, he noted.

"The younger service members might use different types of equipment in our fitness centers [than older troops], and library services is another area where our millennial generation –- ages 18 to 29 -- is more likely to use online service, while others use books," he said.

The MWR survey does not include data from family members since valid contact information was not available for them. Because of this, Gordon emphasized that service members should keep their families in mind when filling out the survey.

"Don't just think about yourself," he said, "Think about your families. It's important because we want to make sure your families have access to the very best services that we can provide them."

Gordon noted the need for survey data. "In our last survey, we were able to pinpoint that our fitness centers were an area of concern for our service members and families, so we focused on that in terms of improvement across the force, and we intend to do the same with this survey.

"If you get it, please fill it out quickly, and know that your opinion counts and will make MWR better for you and your family members," he added. "Quality of life is important to us."

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service        
          

Army Released May Suicide Data


The Army released suicide data today for the month of May.  Among active-duty soldiers, there were 21 potential suicides:  one has been confirmed as suicide, and 20 remain under investigation.  For April 2011, the Army reported 16 potential suicides among active-duty soldiers.  Since the release of that report, two cases have been confirmed as suicide, and 14 cases remain under investigation.

During May 2011, among reserve component soldiers who were not on active duty, there were six potential suicides:  none have been confirmed as suicides, and six remain under investigation.  For April 2011, among that same group, there were 11 total suicides (two additional suicides for April were reported after the initial report).  Of those, four were confirmed as suicide and seven are pending determination of the manner of death.



The Army continues to focus on ensuring its leaders have the training and knowledge to address high-risk behavior and prevent suicide.  Company command teams are provided training on the requisite skills to identify and mitigate high-risk behavior.  “When it comes to suicide and other high-risk behavior, we cannot afford to relearn past lessons.  Incumbent commanders must continue to familiarize new leaders with the principles of leadership in garrison,” said Gen. Peter Chiarelli, Army vice chief of staff.

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 athttp://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.



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) athttp://www.army.mil/usapa/epubs/pdf/p600_24.pdf.

The Army’s comprehensive list of Suicide Prevention Program information is located at http://www.preventsuicide.army.mil.



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 1-800-342-9647 for 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 athttp://www.sprc.org/index.asp.

Army Promotes Missing-Captured Soldier


The Army announced today the promotion of a soldier listed as Missing-Captured while supporting Operation Enduring Freedom to the rank of sergeant effective June 12, 2011.

Sgt. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 25, is assigned to 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, Fort Richardson, Alaska.



This is Bergdahl’s second promotion since he was listed as Missing-Captured on June 30, 2009.  He was promoted to the rank of specialist on June 12, 2010.

New Emergency Phone Number

The American Red Cross has decided to move to a single telephone number for it's military emergency communications services.

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DOD Libraries Launch Summer Reading Program

Defense Department libraries have launched a summer reading program in the hopes of inspiring children -- and adults -- of all ages to read throughout the summer.

Visitors to libraries on 270 military installations around the world are invited to join "A Midsummer Knight's Read," an activity-packed reading program with a medieval twist.

"The idea is to encourage kids to come in and see the library and look at the books and other materials, [and to] encourage them to participate," said Margie Buchanan, libraries division chief for the Air Force Services Agency.

This open-enrollment program lasts for about eight weeks on average, she said, and military family members from all service branches, whether active or reserve, are welcome to participate.

Some libraries already have kicked off the program with a theme-driven opening event, Buchanan said, citing a few examples. One library hosted a renaissance fair featuring dancers and jousters, and at another, a librarian dressed up as a queen and "knighted" new program participants.

Once the program is under way, libraries typically host weekly events for children and adults, and can pick from a wide array of medieval-minded ideas, Buchanan said, such as candle-making, planting an herb garden, learning to weave, creating a sorcerer's hat or ballad writing. They also can make snacks such as smothered bread, chocolate toads, dragon's breath candy mix and medieval gingerbread.

The program inspires a love of reading in children, Buchanan said, and "the activities offer them a chance to learn more about arts and crafts and music."

To track reading progress, libraries ask children to fill out a handwritten log or, in some cases, an online log. Children who participate are asked to complete the books on their own or, for younger children, with the help of a parent. Book choice is left to the reader's discretion, Buchanan said, noting they can read a variety of fiction and nonfiction.

Libraries offer incentives along the way and, at summer's end, prizes to people with the most books read or with the longest time spent reading, Buchanan said. However, she added, everyone will get a prize, such as a certificate or ribbon.

The program also has an added benefit. Studies indicate there's a significant summertime loss in literacy and learning if kids stop reading, she said, citing a Dominican University study that showed students who read throughout the summer scored better in reading achievement tests in the fall, and had better literacy and analytical skills.

"Students who read recreationally outperform those who don't," she said.

This year marks the second for a DOD-wide summer reading program. Officials adopted a worldwide program last year to pool resources and offer military children consistency when making a summer move, and a way to get involved once they're at their new base, said James Ellis, program analyst for the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy's morale, welfare and recreation office.
         
"The summer reading program helps families transition during the busy [moving season] that routinely happens during summer months," he said.

"It's a great program for all our military families," Buchanan added. "We thought this would be a good way to de-stress and have some fun."

For more on this program, people can stop by their local library or read about it online at http://www.ila.org/dodsumread. Military families who aren't near a base can email dodsumread@navy.mil to find out how to participate.

Buchanan also pointed out a few of the other programs military libraries have to offer this summer, including reading groups, story times, reading program parties, online books, downloadable audio books for car rides, online study guides for summer school attendees and access to Tutor.com, a site that offers free tutoring services 24/7 to military members and their families.

Libraries also have a host of other resources, including military and voluntary education study guides, online databases for college test exams, computer labs, CDs, DVDs and, in some cases, wireless Internet.

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service
          

Lawsuit blames VA for plight of homeless veterans

The Veterans Administration’s failure to provide stable housing to veterans suffering from severe cases of posttraumatic stress disorder or other mental disorders leaves many of them facing a life of homelessness, according to a class action lawsuit filed yesterday in US District Court in California.

The lawsuit requests a federal judge to order the VA to use empty buildings on its sprawling West Los Angeles Medical Center campus to provide permanent supportive housing for a class of veterans who suffer from conditions that the plaintiffs argue require a stable home environment for successful treatment.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs, including several Los Angeles-area homeless veterans and the group Vietnam Veterans of America, said the case, if successful, could have broad implications for veterans care nationwide.

“This case could be brought anywhere in the country there’s a homeless vet,’’ said Mark Rosenbaum, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation of Southern California. “There should be no such thing as a homeless veteran in America.’’

Between 44,000 and 66,000 veterans are believed to be chronically homeless, according to VA statistics, meaning they have been without shelter for more than a year or on multiple occasions in recent years. Veterans are about 50 percent more likely to become homeless compared with all Americans, according to a 2009 report on homelessness by the VA and the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Citing research in the field, the suit argues that the only way veterans suffering from severe cases of posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD, brain trauma, and other disorders can be effectively treated is when they live in stable and permanent housing that allows access to appropriate services and support.
“Homelessness itself exposes veterans to further trauma that itself can both cause and aggravate PTSD and other disorders,’’ the complaint states.

In a 2009 report to Congress, the VA acknowledged that “for the large percentage of veterans with disabilities, permanent supportive housing would be effective in helping them achieve long-term stability.’’

About 8 percent of the nation’s homeless veterans live in Greater Los Angeles, according to the suit. The 387-acre campus, located 5 miles from the Pacific Ocean, includes many buildings that are vacant, closed, or underused.

The land was given to the federal government in 1888 for the purpose of establishing and permanently maintaining a soldiers’ home for disabled war veterans. But after the Vietnam War, long-term housing facilities on the campus were closed and nearly a third of the campus has been leased to private companies, according to the suit.

“If this campus can house rent-a-cars, it can house homeless vets,’’ Rosenbaum said.

By Steve Vogel, Washington Post

Red Cross Access

The American Red Cross has announced its decision to move to a single telephone number for its military emergency communication services.

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Marine Survives IED Blasts

COMBAT OUTPOST SHUKVANI, Afghanistan, June 7, 2011 - Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Armstrong's fellow Marines call him "Rock," and the name fits him well. The Corinth, N.Y., native has survived two roadside bomb blasts. He is still in the fight and shows no signs of stopping.
Click photo for screen-resolution image
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Andrew J. Armstrong has survived two improvised explosive device attacks in Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Bryan Nygaard

(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
But the memory of the first explosion will always be engraved in his mind.
 
On Dec. 10, 2010, Armstrong, a forward observer with Fire Control Team 5, Supporting Arms Liaison Team Chuck, 2nd Air-Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, was on a patrol with soldiers of the 32nd Georgian Light Infantry Battalion. He was accompanied by his team chief, Marine Corps Sgt. Jamie Lee Lantgen, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Greg Christ, a hospitalman.

Also present was Marine Corps Cpl. Alex Wilson, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, who was attached to the Georgian liaison team, and Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Stacy Green, 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, who was working with the Afghan National Army embedded training team.

The patrol members were aboard four mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, and they were driving through the village of Corgulat in mid-afternoon. They then spotted something suspicious on the road: three rocks stacked on top of each other. It was a sign of a possible roadside bomb.

The patrol stopped, set up a perimeter around the area and called in an explosive ordnance disposal team to investigate.

"It's TIC time!" yelled Lantgen, using the battlefield acronym for "troops in contact."
The Marines and Georgian soldiers had learned to expect contact with insurgent forces during that time of day. Minutes later, the patrol started taking fire.

Marine Corps Sgt. Christopher Holm, the team leader for Fire Control Team 6, was on an observation post and saw the patrol taking fire from the east. He radioed the Marines and told them to take cover on the western side of the vehicles.

"I just turned the corner, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground," Armstrong said about being thrown from the explosive blast. "My initial thought was that I had been hit by [a rocket-propelled grenade]. I felt pain in my right arm. First thing I did was wiggle my fingers and toes to make sure they were still there."

Green was killed instantly from stepping on the roadside bomb. Lantgen was standing between Green and Armstrong. His right arm was broken, and the right side of his face and body was covered in blood from shrapnel wounds. Armstrong was shielded from the blast by Lantgen, and absorbed only about 10 pieces of small shrapnel around his neck, and his elbow was swollen from a piece of Green's gear that hit him on the arm.

Christ was knocked unconscious, but moments later woke up and immediately began administering medical aid to Lantgen.

The firing stopped as soon as the improvised explosive device detonated. Armstrong tried getting up. He said it was comparable to the opening scene of the movie "Saving Private Ryan," in which Tom Hanks' character, Captain Miller, experiences shellshock just as he lands on Omaha Beach.

"I was messed up bad -- I had tunnel vision. I couldn't really hear anything. I was shaking," Armstrong said. "I saw doc working on Sergeant Lantgen. Then I saw Staff Sergeant Green's body. I didn't know it was him at the time. I asked Wilson if it was one of our guys. He grabbed me, told me not to worry about it and pulled me away from him."

Everyone was in a somber mood when Armstrong returned to base. Green had been killed, and Lantgen, a valuable member of the team who everyone looked up to, was lost to injury. Lantgen, a veteran of Iraq, was known to deliberately expose himself to draw enemy fire so the rest of his team knew where to aim.

"IEDs don't see your rank or what you've accomplished -- they just see a victim," Armstrong said.

Marine Corps Cpl. Matthew Williams, a radio operator with Fire Control Team 5, remembers seeing Armstrong for the first time that night.

"His face told the whole story," said Williams, a native of Temple, Texas. "You could tell he'd been through hell. The first thing he said when he got back was, 'I don't want to go back to [Camp] Leatherneck.'"

Weeks later, during another patrol, Armstrong was within 20 meters of another blast. Nobody was killed, but Armstrong had been exposed to a second roadside bomb. It is policy in Afghanistan for troops to remain on a forward operating base if they are exposed to three IEDs.

Marine Corps Capt. Ramon Pattugalan, the team leader for Fire Control Teams 5 and 6, did not want to risk having Armstrong confined to Camp Leatherneck.

"It was tough to see that look on his face when I told him he couldn't go out anymore," Pattugalan said. "He's a true team player. He's the type of guy that doesn't want us to go into the fight without him."

Armstrong begged Pattugalan to let him stay in the fight. Pattugalan told him that he did not need to worry -- he had a plan.

Pattugalan, who serves as the joint terminal attack controller for Fire Control Team 6 and coordinates close air support for the Georgian troops, has mentored Armstrong into becoming a joint forward observer.

"He helped me learn how to control aircraft," Armstrong said. "That way I can go to Joint Forward Observer's Course when we get back to the States. Eventually, I can be a team chief."

Even though Armstrong is not allowed to go out on patrols, he has been designated as a primary machine gunner and is able to provide overwatch from observation posts around the base. He said it is a welcome break from being inside the combat operations center.
         
"I still get to bring out the [M240 medium machine gun] and I still get to get in on the action," he said. "I don't like being in the COC watching things happen on a TV. I'm just not really an office type of guy."

By Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Bryan Nygaard
2nd Marine Expeditionary Force         
          
Related Sites:
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Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Pocket Guide Mobile Application Now Available

The Department of Defense announced today it has released a new mobile application for health care professionals, the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Pocket Guide. This application, developed by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology (T2), gives providers a comprehensive, quick reference that includes clinical practice guidelines for assessing and treating service members and veterans who have sustained a mild traumatic brain injury, commonly referred to as a concussion.
“This new tool is about providing clinicians with quick and convenient access to clinical guidelines for concussion care. It not only allows the clinician to provide evidenced-based care but maximizes time spent with the patient,” said Katherine Helmick, deputy director for traumatic brain injury.

The mobile application is free and available for download on Android smart phones at https://market.android.com/details?id=org.t2health.mtbi. Hard copies of the pocket guide can be ordered by contacting the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center at info@dvbic.org or 1-800-870-9244.

Missing Vietnam War Airman Identified

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 will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.

Air Force Capt. Darrell J. Spinler of Browns Valley, Minn., will be buried on June 18 near his hometown. On June 21, 1967, Spinler was aboard an A-1E Skyraider aircraft attacking enemy targets along the Xekong River in Laos when villagers reported hearing an explosion before his aircraft crashed. The pilot of another A-1E remained in the area for more than two hours but saw no sign of Spinler.

In 1993, a joint U.S.-Laos People’s Democratic Republic team, led by Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed villagers who witnessed the crash. They claimed Spinler’s body was on the river bank after the crash but likely washed away during the ensuing rainy season. The team surveyed the location and found wreckage consistent with Spinler’s aircraft.

In 1995, the U.S. government evaluated Spinler’s case and determined his remains unrecoverable based on witness statements and available evidence. Teams working in the area revisited the location in 1999 and 2003 and confirmed Spinler’s remains had likely been carried away by the Xekong River. However, in 2010, JPAC conducted a full excavation of the location and recovered aircraft wreckage, human remains, crew-related equipment and personal effects.

Among other forensic identification tools and circumstantial evidence, scientists from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command used dental x-rays in the identification of Spinler’s remains.

With the accounting of this airman, 1,689 service members still remain missing from the conflict.

For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, call 703-699-1420 or visit the DPMO Website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo .

Hall of Heroes

World War II veteran Army Technical Sergeant Rocky Matayoshi was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross during a ceremony in the Pentagon's Hall of Heroes.

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Gates on Troop Pullout

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told reporters this weekend in Afghanistan next month's scheduled U.S. troop withdrawal should begin with support personnel.

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Destroyer Commissioned

The Navy commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, William P. Lawrence this weekend.

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D Day Remembrances

This week marks the 67th anniversary of D Day and celebrations are taking place across military communities in Europe and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Mike Mullen speaks to WWII veterans.

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