Air Force MSgt Tara Brown died April 27, 2011 in a hail of gunfire near the Kabul Airport in Afghanistan. She was among nine Americans killed when a veteran Afghani pilot opened fire in a training room after an argument with a foreign colleague. The incident is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Defense.
[Former] Rep. Bruce Braley introduces the Holley Lynn James Act — a bill to help victims of sexual assault and domestic violence in the military get justice. The bill is named after Holley Lynn James, a constituent of [former] Rep. Braley who was killed by her husband while both were in the service. -[Former] Rep. Bruce Braley (April 12, 2011)
“The U.S. military could crack down on internal cases of sexual and domestic abuse. That’s if a bill that [former] Congressman Bruce Braley has written becomes law. The bill is named after this former Dubuque [Iowa] woman. In 2008, Holley Lynn James’ husband killed her at their home at a military base in North Carolina. Both James and her husband John Wimunc were in the military. [KCRG spoke with James’ father] Call it a gut feeling or a father’s intuition, during the spring of 2008 Jesse James knew something wasn’t right with his daughter’s marriage. ‘We were constantly calling the unit, calling the unit and they would do something but it didn’t last very long’ (Jesse James) Two months before her death, Army 2nd Lt. Holley James filed a domestic violence complaint with police against her estranged husband Marine Corporal John Wimunc.
[Wimunc] later killed Holley, dismembered her body, then set her apartment on fire. ‘The military has never had a system of investigating and prosecuting these cases’(Jesse James). But [former] Congressman Braley’s new bill aims to change all that. It would create an Inspector General’s office to handle abuse cases. There would be a resource department for victims and would include a neutral third party investigator. ‘This isn’t an indictment on military leaders, it’s just that people who are more qualified with the life experiences to investigate and prosecute these things need to be doing it’ (Jesse James). James says he’ll never know but a department like this may have saved his daughter’s life…John Wimunc pleaded guilty to Holley James murder and a judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole. James had two children from a previous relationship. Jesse James says the children are doing well and living with their father…”
“Last year the Department of Defense reported more than 3000 instances of sexual assault in the military. Now [former] Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley has introduced legislation that aims to bring that number down. ‘When it has to do with woman serving their country in the military, I can’t think of a better reason for people to come together and come up with a solution to an alarming problem’ (Rep. Bruce Braley). In Dubuque today, Braley spoke about the Holley Lynn James Act. It would help victims of sexual and domestic abuse in the military. The bill is named after the Dubuque native and Army 2nd Lt. [Holley Lynn James] who was killed by her husband [John Wimunc] in 2008. The bill would enlist the office of Inspector General to provide independent oversight in reported cases.” –KCRG-TV (April 12, 2011)
Lance Cpl. Harry Lew, 21, US Marine Corps, died of a non combat-related incident in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on April 3, 2011. Lance Cpl. Lew was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom on behalf of the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force based out of Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii. According to the Department of Defense, the incident is under investigation.
