US Military in Afghanistan on 911

GIs in Afghanistan run to Remember 9/11
September 11, 2009
Associated Press


BAGRAM AIR FIELD, Afghanistan—American troops in Afghanistan donned shorts and sneakers Friday to run in memory of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, as they fight a war that was born of that day but now faces waning public support.

About 1,000 service members ran 9.11 kilometers (about 5.5 miles) at the main U.S. base, both to commemorate the anniversary and remember troops who have died in nearly eight years of fighting.

The U.S. and its allies first invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to oust the Taliban regime for sheltering al-Qaida leaders who planned the attacks. The Taliban were quickly routed, but the militants regrouped and have mounted an increasingly strong insurgency over the past three years.

Organizers of Friday’s race, which also was held at two other bases, called it an act of defiance against insurgents who have killed more American troops this year than in any other since the beginning of the conflict. August was the deadliest month for U.S. troops so far, with 51 killed.

“Our Soldiers are running in the heart of Taliban territory, where the attacks on America were planned,” a military statement said.

Soldiers in the early morning run at Bagram said their mission has grown beyond those autumn days of 2001 when priority No. 1 was to get al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

“It’s more about establishing Afghanistan’s government and the freedom of the Afghan people,” said Army Capt. Jeremy McHugh, 38, of Petersham, Mass. He says he’s still fighting terrorism, just very indirectly.

The attacks of eight years ago have faded into the background for many U.S. troops here. It’s unclear if bin Laden is even in Afghanistan, and few say they’ll be ready to declare “mission accomplished” if he’s caught.

As Soldiers snacked on oranges and sports drinks after the race, they talked about getting medical supplies out to nearby villages or training Afghan counterparts or improving the government.

A memorial service was planned at Bagram later in the day, timed to coincide with the moment when the first plane hit the World Trade Center in New York.

Many on the U.S. base, including Sgt. Joshua Applegate of Springfield, Miss., cite the Sept. 11 attacks as the reason they signed up for the military or re-enlisted. Applegate was in high school when the planes hit the towers, and enlisted two years later though he said he had wanted to do it right away.

“I like my country too much not to,” said Applegate, who arrived in Afghanistan in April. He facilitates transport and other logistics.

President Barack Obama shifted the spotlight away from Iraq this year and ordered a surge in troops to Afghanistan, where the conflict had worsened while money and troops were focused elsewhere.

But as violence and deaths continue and officials suggest even more troops may be needed, opinion polls in the U.S. suggest Americans may be tiring of a conflict that some say is unwinnable and now seems far removed from the effort to find bin Laden.

In mid-July, an AP poll indicated that 53 percent of Americans opposed the Afghanistan war and 44 percent supported it. In August, an ABC News-Washington Post poll found that 51 percent said the war was not worth fighting, while 47 percent said it was worth it.

Has America forgotten already????

http://www.hubgarage.com/mygarage/PACC/blogs/12430

DoD, AP battle over photo of dying Marine

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 6, 2009 15:24:28 EDT

A graphic photograph of a mortally wounded Marine released for publication Thursday by The Associated Press — over the objections of the family and the Pentagon — has reignited the debate over how to juggle combat coverage with sensitivity toward loved ones of the deceased.

Lance Cpl. Joshua Bernard was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade during an Aug. 14 Taliban ambush in Afghanistan. He suffered severe leg wounds and died on a field hospital’s operating table, according to AP.

An AP photographer’s slightly blurred image captured Bernard lying on the ground, with two fellow Marines rushing to his aid. His face is recognizable, and he appears to have lost his legs.

The AP released the photo as part of a larger story package on Bernard’s death after what it called “long deliberations.” AP had placed a one-day embargo on the photo’s release to give media outlets time to consider whether to publish the graphic image. And it had called Bernard’s family before moving the photo to its member publications, AP spokesman Paul Colford said.

The photo’s release prompted a telephone call from Defense Secretary Robert Gates to AP President Thomas Curley asking him to reconsider and defer to the wishes of the family, according to Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell.

Gates, who has supported media access in the past, then sent a formal letter of protest to Curley.

“Why your organization would purposefully defy the family’s wishes knowing full well that it will lead to yet more anguish is beyond me,” Gates wrote. “Your lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple American newspapers is appalling.”

Curley told Gates he would revisit the decision with his editorial team; he later told Morrell that the AP had decided not to withdraw the photo.

In a statement dated Sept. 4, Colford said the AP ultimately decided that in the context of the full story package, “it was important” to release the images.

The Military Times newspapers were involved in a similar incident in 2003. A photo taken in the weeks after the invasion of Iraq showed soldiers carrying a wounded comrade, who later died.

The Army disembedded several Army Times staff members at the time, but it was ordered days later to reinstate them by Defense Department public affairs.

http://www.militarycity.com/valor/4240112.html

http://www.militarytimes.com/static/projects/pages/090409_secdef_curley_letter

VA won't pay benefits to Marine injured by vaccine

By David Goldstein | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — It wasn't a bullet or roadside bomb that felled Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez three years ago after nine days in Iraq. It was an injection into his arm before his unit left the states.

The then 20-year-old Marine from Springfield, Mo., suffered a rare adverse reaction to the smallpox vaccine. While the vaccine isn't mandatory, the military strongly encourages troops to take it.
However, it left Lopez in a coma, unable for a time to breathe on his own and paralyzed for weeks. Now he can walk, but with a limp. He has to wear a urine bag constantly, has short-term memory loss and must swallow 15 pills daily to control leg spasms and other ailments.
And even though his medical problems wouldn't have occurred if he hadn't been deployed, Lopez doesn't qualify for a special government benefit of as much as $100,000 for troops who suffer traumatic injuries.
The hangup? His injuries were caused by the vaccine.
"I could have easily died, or not been able to walk because of that," Lopez said. "It destroyed my world. It was pretty traumatic to me."
Officials at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which oversees the benefit program, said they're following what the agency has determined to be Congress' intent.
"It's for traumatic injury, not disease; not illness; not preventive medicine," said Stephen Wurtz, deputy assistant director for insurance at the VA. "It has nothing to do with not believing these people deserve some compensation for their losses."
The VA was unable to say how many claims have been rejected because of vaccine-related injuries. Wurtz and others familiar with the program said it probably wasn't a large amount.
As of July 1, the traumatic injury program has granted nearly 6,700 claims, a 63 percent approval rate, and paid $394 million in compensation, Wurtz said.
A representative for the Military Vaccine Agency, which oversees the vaccination of troops for smallpox, anthrax and other diseases, couldn't be reached for comment, despite repeated attempts.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat and a member of the Armed Services Committee, drafted a bill named after Lopez to widen the program to include vaccine-related injuries.
She became aware of his plight when he and his mother stopped in her Senate office last year looking for help. Lopez had come to Washington to compete in the wheelchair portion of the Marine Corps Marathon.
"The program was created with a broad mandate to provide financial assistance to folks with serious injuries and given to VA to determine the outlines," said Stephen Hedger, McCaskill's legislative director and an Army veteran of Iraq. The VA "took a narrower approach and defined in greater detail what injuries and illnesses qualified for payment. Our view is it was way too narrow."
Lopez's health insurance through the military has covered all his medical expenses. The VA has paid for his medical costs since he was discharged in June.
What he didn't get were benefits from a program called TSGLI, or Traumatic Servicemember Group Life Insurance. Congress created it in 2005 to provide short-term financial help to severely injured service members until their disability benefits could kick in. The compensation is retroactive to injuries suffered since Oct. 1, 2001.
It's intended to cover expenses such as the costs of having a family member temporarily relocate while an injured service member receives treatment at a military hospital. Another might be the costs of retrofitting a service member's home to accommodate a wheelchair or other medical equipment.
The injuries don't have be the result of combat, however. Service members could be eligible because of a car accident on the way to the grocery store. The fee is an additional $1 each month on top of their regular military life insurance premium.
Lopez seemed to fit the profile. His injuries affected his normal daily activities, one of the criteria to obtain coverage. His family also met another: financial hardship.
His mother, Barbara Lopez, took a leave from her job as a high school secretary to move to Maryland to be with him while he spent six weeks at the National Naval Medical Center at Bethesda. She also had to give up her second job, a part-time position as a cashier.
They'd to build a ramp and widen a door to accommodate his wheelchair at her home in Springfield, where he spent his recovery.
Barbara Lopez said she heard about TSGLI from families of other injured troops at Bethesda. Yet unlike many of them, whose wounds were obvious, her son's application was turned down. She still can't fathom it.
"In his spinal column, he has quite a bit of permanent scarring," Barbara Lopez said. "He takes medication to help his legs. He can walk unassisted, but never far, and he can't stand for very long. I kind of feel Joe was out there fighting the same fight they were. He should be just as eligible."
The military began the smallpox vaccination program in 2003 because of post-9/11 fears that terrorists might attack the U.S. with germ warfare. Plans for the invasion of Iraq were also under way. The military was concerned that Saddam Hussein might use biological weapons against American troops.
Smallpox is contagious and can be fatal. It has no known cure. However, on rare occasions, as in Lopez's case, the vaccine can be as dangerous as the disease. Side effects can range from a simple rash to swelling around the brain and heart, and even death.
Like the inoculation for anthrax, another pre-combat injection, troops are supposed to be informed of the side effects and told that taking the vaccine was optional. Many have said that it was made abundantly clear that refusing wasn't a good idea.
"No one said 'No,'" Lopez said. "I had no qualms. I had no reason not to."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/244/story/74566.html?storylink=omni_popular

http://truthfortroops.blogspot.com/

"The Government Can"

http://truthfortroops.blogspot.com/

Prison or treatment for military criminals with PTSD?

Posted August 31st, 2009 by Leo Shane

in Stripes Central

A recent change in Texas law could give some criminals with combat-related PTSD an easy choice: jail, or mental health treatment outside of prison walls.  The El Paso Times reported this weekend that officials there are in the process of establishing a new Veterans Mental Health Treatment court, which would handle cases of veterans and soldiers who have been diagnosed with mental health problems related to their combat experience.
The most serious violent offenses -- rape and murder, for example -- would still be handled by traditional courts. But drunken driving charges, minor drug offenses and domestic abuse cases could all be handled by the special courts, and individuals convicted of the crimes could be ordered to various mental health treatment options in lieu of lengthy prison time.
Post-traumatic stress disorder and other combat-related mental health issues are a tricky problem for normal courts; Stripes reporters have been following the issue for years.
Defense attorneys insist that not considering the mental health problems while sentencing a veteran is overlooking a major mitigating factor. Prosecutors say that excuse only goes so far, especially in more violent and premeditated crimes. 
This new trend of veterans courts started 18 months ago in Buffalo with Judge Robert Russell. Other judicial bodies around the country have quickly jumped on the idea; about 20 cities have or are considering similar programs. Colorado Springs – which has already had to deal with a series of violent crimes at Ft. Carson – is one of them.
Texas State Rep. Joe Moody told the El Paso Times that the new program there is not intended to be a "get out of jail free" card for soldiers and veterans. But walking the fine line between rehabilitating troops who need help and punishing those who deserve it will be a tricky task, even for a court with better knowledge and experience with mental health issues.
[PHOTO: Supreme Court]

http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/prison-or-treatment-military-criminals-ptsd 

Depressed vets can now get help by chatting online with a VA counselor

Posted August 31st, 2009 by Megan McCloskey in Stripes Central

Veterans feeling suicidal but hesitant to seek help can now chat with a VA counselor anonymously online.
Suicides among servicemembers have increased alarmingly in the last few years, and the "Veterans Chat" program is a pilot effort to get more to reach out for help when feeling depressed.
The idea is that someone who might not take the step to go to a VA clinic could be more willing to talk about their feelings through the distance of an internet connection. There's a certain security and control that comes with that seperation. It's one step removed beyond even the Suicide Prevention Hotline, where having someone hear your voice over the phone can be too personal for some.
Struggling veterans - or their friends and family - can talk to someone at any time; counselors are online 24 hours a day. The user choses whatever name they want for the one-on-one chat.
The VA says the program, though, is not intended for crisis intervention. Anyone deemed to be in immediate danger by the chat counselor is encouraged by the counselor to call the hotline.
"Chat responders are trained in an intervention method specifically developed for the chat line to assist people with emotional distress and concerns," Janet Kemp, the VA's National Suicide Prevention Coordinator, said in a press release. "We have procedures they can use to transfer chatters in crisis to the hotline for more immediate assistance." 

http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/depressed-vets-can-now-get-help-chatting-online-va-counselor

Iraq says it owns 19 fighter jets in storage

Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Tuesday, September 1, 2009

The Iraqi Defense Ministry said this week that it recently learned that Iraq owns 19 fighter jets, which have been in storage in Serbia since 1989, The New York Times reported.
"Everyone knows how much we need fighter aircraft," a statement issued by the ministry said. "We have reached a tentative agreement with the Serbian side to rehabilitate the aircraft and deliver them to Iraq in the shortest possible time, in recognition of Iraq’s need for such aircraft."
Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told the Times the MIG-21 and MIG-23 jet fighters had been sent to Serbia for maintenance and never returned. He noted that the discovery was important because Iraq’s air force at the moment includes primarily helicopters and transport and reconnaissance planes. There are no fighter jets.
The defense ministry said Serbia would make two aircraft available for "immediate use" and the rest would be restored on a rush basis.
The U.S. military recently arranged for Iraq to get a T-6 trainer, which is used to train F-16 pilots.
Lt. Col. Gary Kolb, a spokesman for the Multi-National Transition and Security Command-Iraq, the American military’s training wing, told the paper the addition of the MIG aircraft would not alter the U.S. plans.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=64506