Month: October 2013

Navy nominee seeks to clarify remark

On By AdministratorIn Military Policy, NavyLeave a comment

Jo Ann RooneyNavy nominee seeks to clarify remark

The woman nominated to be the No. 2 civilian in the Navy is seeking to  clarify a statement she made on sexual assault in the military that sparked  outrage among victim advocacy groups.

Jo Ann Rooney, tapped by President Barack Obama to be the next undersecretary  of the Navy, says she never meant to suggest military commanders shouldn’t weigh  the evidence when deciding whether to prosecute allegations of sexual  assault.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/10/jo-ann-rooney-navy-nominee-remark-98504.html

Ex-Calif military prep administrator arrested for alleged sexual abuse of former students

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Ex-Calif military prep administrator arrested for alleged sexual abuse of former students

Carlsbad police say 55-year-old Jeffrey Barton was taken into custody late Thursday and was booked for investigation of sexual assault. Barton was responsible for academic and residential programs at the Army and Navy Academy, a private college-prep academy that has more than 300 male cadets in grades seven through 12. He resigned earlier this year.

Read more: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/9f4c0d516244455aa822346b5be7624d/CA–Military-Administrator-Arrest

Veteran says Fort Harrison VA is not qualified; Gatlin: Office near Helena ‘incompetent’

On By AdministratorIn Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental IllnessLeave a comment

Veterans AffairsVeteran says Fort Harrison VA is not qualified; Gatlin: Office near Helena ‘incompetent’

WASHINGTON –  The Veterans Board of Appeals heard oral arguments Wednesday by a disabled vet who charged that the Fort Harrison Veterans Affairs office near Helena is “organizationally incompetent.”

Charles Gatlin, a 38-year-old graduate student at the University of Montana, is a Ranger-certified Army captain retired on a disability. After being awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart, Gatlin was retired from active duty with a 70 percent disability rating for traumatic brain injury (TBI) suffered in Iraq by a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED).

But the VA at Fort Harrison ignored three batteries of neuropsychological testing by the Department of Defense and dropped Gatlin’s 70 percent TBI disability to 10 percent and then added another 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Read more: http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20131017/NEWS01/310170012?odyssey=mod%7Cmostcom&nclick_check=1

Wilkerson: Demotion, ouster politically motivated

On By AdministratorIn Military Policy, Sexual AssaultLeave a comment

USAF SealWilkerson: Demotion, ouster politically motivated

Lt. Col. James Wilkerson, the former Aviano Air Base, Italy, inspector general whose overturned sexual assault conviction triggered calls for change to long-standing military law, called his forced retirement and demotion to major an unfair and politically motivated decision.

“I emphatically disagree with [the] decision and believe my service record provides clear proof that I honorably served in the rank of lieutenant colonel, so much that I was promoted to colonel,” Wilkerson said in a statement to Air Force Times.

It is the first time Wilkerson has spoken publicly about his case.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20131018/NEWS/310180012/Wilkerson-Demotion-ouster-politically-motivated

High anxiety for veterans: Medical marijuana contradictions

On By AdministratorIn Military Policy, PTSD, TBI, Mental IllnessLeave a comment

CannabisHigh anxiety for veterans: Medical marijuana contradictions

Benson is comfortable with choosing marijuana over prescription drugs to treat his PTSD. The federal and Department of Veterans Affairs bureaucracy, not so much. And that’s led to a new battle for Benson and thousands like him.

Former Marine Erick Benson is off the front line, but readjusting to civilian life has been a new battle. “I was having a bad day,” Benson said, recalling a recent morning while trying to make coffee. He became so enraged when he was unable to get the carafe under the grounds, he threw the coffee maker. It was a classic example of his post traumatic stress disorder. The fits of anger aren’t rare when he’s not treating the malady.

Read more: http://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/high-anxiety-for-veterans-medical-marijuana-contradictions/

Attorney for accused student seeks superintendent’s recusal in sex assault case

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US Naval Academy InsigniaAttorney for accused student seeks superintendent’s recusal in sex assault case

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — A lawyer for a U.S. Naval Academy student accused of sexual assault is asking a federal judge to remove the school’s superintendent from the case out of concern he could be biased from political pressure due to the heightened focus on the sexual assault problem in the military.

Jason Ehrenberg, an attorney for Midshipman Josh Tate, wrote in a court filing submitted Tuesday night that a bias on the part of Vice Adm. Michael Miller could affect how he chooses who will serve on a court-martial panel that will decide his client’s guilt or innocence. Ehrenberg noted that the superintendent decided to refer the case to a court-martial despite recommendations from an investigating officer and Miller’s own senior counsel not to do so after an Article 32 hearing. The hearing resembles a preliminary hearing in civilian court.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/apnewsbreak-attorney-for-accused-student-seeks-superintendents-recusal-in-sex-assault-case/2013/10/16/d76ee65a-3671-11e3-89db-8002ba99b894_story.html

Navy releases September court-martial results

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US NavyNavy releases September court-martial results

Keeping a pledge made earlier this year to improve “transparency” in the judicial system, the Navy on Wednesday released the results of all courts-martial from September.

The Navy does not release the names of those found not guilty. Cases are listed by region:

Read more: http://www.navytimes.com/article/20131016/NEWS/310160016/Navy-releases-September-court-martial-results

DOD Bolsters sexual assault victim advocacy with new initiatives

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Department of DefenseDOD Bolsters sexual assault victim advocacy with new initiatives

WASHINGTON – The Defense Department continues to take steps to improve victims’ confidence in sexual assault advocacy through a multi-pronged approach, said the deputy director for DOD’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office, Oct. 3.

Air Force Col. Alan R. Metzler, SAPRO’s deputy director, emphasized that the first step to stopping sexual assault in the military is through prevention and working to reinforce cultural imperatives of mutual trust and respect, team commitment, and professional values.

Read more: http://www.dolphin-news.com/articles/2013/10/17/life/doc525ec223e3833716250594.txt

Can the military police itself on sex crimes?

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Can the military police itself on sex crimes?

Washington— The U.S. Senate is poised to pass legislation this fall aimed at curbing what lawmakers agree is a troubling crisis of sexual assaults in the armed forces, but disagreements remain over whether military commanders can be trusted to lead the charge against abuse.

The battle has led to divisions in the Michigan congressional delegation. Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee, will present national defense authorization legislation in the coming weeks that includes more than two dozen provisions to encourage reporting, prosecution and prevention of sexual assaults.

From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20131017/OPINION01/310170036#ixzz2i1mz5ojL