Month: October 2013

Congress Still Dragging Its Feet On Military Sexual Assault Reform

On By AdministratorIn Military PolicyLeave a comment

Seal of CongressCongress Still Dragging Its Feet On Military Sexual Assault Reform

Proposals to address a major flaw in the military’s policy for reporting rapes have languished in Congress.

(New York)– Every May, the U.S. Department of Defense issues statistics on rapes and sexual assault charges in the military in its Annual Report on Sexual Assault. In FY 2012, 3,374 sexual assaults were reported. That’s only part of the story. Those who work to treat and heal sexual violence, whether as survivors, advocates or therapists, say they know there is always underreporting.

In the same report, an anonymous survey of service members found 26,000 reports of sexual assault, 14,000 of which came from men. Many victims never come forward, fearful of repercussions in their military careers, and the ones that do often find their cases are dismissed or ignored, or they are told not to push the complaint.

Read more: http://www.mintpressnews.com/congress-still-dragging-its-feet-on-military-sexual-assault-reform/170734/

Cody Hooks, US Air Force, Murdered his Wife Kaylla Rihn & Then Killed Himself in San Antonio, Texas (2013)

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Felony Crime, Homicide, In Their Name, Military Policy, Suicide, USAFLeave a comment
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Kaylla Brooke Rihn and SrA Cody Hooks, US Air Force

Senior Airman Cody Hooks and Kaylla Brooke Rihn were found dead in their apartment from an apparent murder-suicide on October 17, 2013 in San Antonio, Texas. Their friends reported this was two days after they heard them having a late night argument. Although family were not aware of any previous issues with the couple. Senior Airman Cody Hooks, 21, was considered a suspect and Kaylla Brooke Rihn, 22, was listed as a homicide victim in the shooting. They found Rihn dead with a bullet wound to one eye and Hooks with a .40-caliber wound to his temple. A Beretta handgun was found near his body. SrA Hooks was a member of the 802nd Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base San Antonio. Hooks and Rihn were married only two weeks before the murder-suicide yet family didn’t learn she was married until after she was found dead. This was SrA Hooks first tour of duty with the Air Force and it is unknown if he deployed in support of the war efforts.

“Suicides have plagued the armed forces for years, with self-inflicted deaths rising after the U.S. went to war in Afghanistan and Iraq. A record was set last year (2012), with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps logging 514 suicides.” -My SA

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Murder-suicide suspected in pair’s deaths

Male nurse ‘fondled paralyzed Afghanistan war veteran, 24, who revealed the abuse to his father through eye movements’

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Male nurse ‘fondled paralyzed Afghanistan war veteran, 24, who revealed the abuse to his father through eye movements’

A registered male nurse has been arrested for  allegedly fondling a paralyzed Afghanistan war veteran who is unable to  speak.

The 24-year-old paraplegic told his father  about the alleged abuse at the hands of 39-year-old Dioscoro  Flores by using eye movements and a board to spell out words, a police report  said.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2459754/Chicago-male-nurse-fondled-paralyzed-Afghanistan-war-veteran.html

Senior Airman raped in Okinawa

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mydutytospeak's avatar My Duty to Speak

Sarah, United States Air Force

It all began 22 March 2003. I landed in a foreign land as a technical school graduate. After departing my flight I got settled into this new land called Okinawa. When I finally got acclimated to the shop I met my first supervisor, Staff Sergeant ***** Our first supervisor/trainee session was at CoCo’s, the local curry shop. Since this was all new to me, I thought that this was how bonds were built between the ranks. Then **** began telling me about all of his heterosexual and homosexual relationships he had been having on the island. Mind you, this man was married with a child. I began to feel like this encounter was not going as it should and was feeling very uncomfortable about the topic.

After our food came he propositioned me. He said, “If you have sex with me I will give you…

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Fallen Marine’s mother fought for Swenson’s Medal of Honor

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USMCFallen Marine’s mother fought for Swenson’s Medal of Honor

Susan Price says her world was upended when she found out her son was killed.

But the pain of losing a child to war would be compounded as she learned that the mission he was on was poorly planned and poorly executed, with a lack of support from aircraft and artillery that might have made a life-saving difference. It was further compounded by the fact that unlike Marine Cpl. Dakota Meyer, who received a Medal of Honor two years ago for risking his life to help recover the bodies of Kenefick and others killed that day, Swenson, who criticized the chain of command during the investigation into what went wrong in Ganjgal, had to wait.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/news/us/fallen-marine-s-mother-fought-for-swenson-s-medal-of-honor-1.247235

Fighting Words

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Soldiers in AfghanistanFighting Words

Soldiers are telling their war stories one way or another, through blogs, e-mails, and letters home. Now thanks to a partnership between the military and the arts community, they are learning from authors like Tom Clancy and Tobias Wolff how to turn their battlefield experiences into books.

Read more: http://www.bostonglobe.com/magazine/2005/02/13/fighting-words/PZv3i6mUajFCUIHgOUsNLK/story.html

Viewpoint: How Marijuana Decision Could Signal Turning Point in the U.S. War on Drugs

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

David Chesser: A Man Changed Forever By PTSD

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PTSD Invisible WoundsDavid Chesser: A Man Changed Forever By PTSD

Three hours before David Chesser, wife Jenifer Chesser was on the phone with her husband.
David had said he was going for a walk. When he called her, it was clear he’d been drinking heavily. Actually, he’d been sober for a month but in the past couple of days he began to unravel again, she said.

Back from the war, Chesser was unable to find regular work and unable to keep it when he did. He was drowning in back rent payments, and their landlord called to say they were out of chances. “It’s hopeless,” he told her over the phone. “If I was dead, at least you and the kids would be taken care of.”  Then he hung up.

Read more: http://lakewood-jblm.patch.com/groups/politics-and-elections/p/xyxyxyx

The Need for Out of the Box Solutions in Mental Health Treatment

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

US ArmyThe Need for Out of the Box Solutions in Mental Health Treatment

A recent Army Times piece explained that a mental health program aimed at reducing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) will be expanded despite their own researchers finding no proven gains since 2009. This revelation is a vivid illustration of the need for out of the box solutions in mental health treatment and the delivery of healthcare at large. Continuing to expand a $50 million dollar per year program (now costing $75 million dollars annually) doesn’t make much sense when there are other viable alternatives that have not been adequately explored.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcus-bright/the-need-for-out-of-the-b_2_b_4093413.html

Court-martial begins Tuesday in Dyess child neglect case

On By AdministratorIn Armed Forces, Child Abuse, Military Policy, USAFLeave a comment

USAF SealCourt-martial begins Tuesday in Dyess child neglect case

A court-martial begins Tuesday for a Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, senior airman accused of failing to report the neglect of a toddler who died last year at her family’s base home.

Senior Airman Christopher Perez is charged with dereliction of duty, child endangerment and adultery. Perez was living at the home of Tiffany Klapheke and her husband, Senior Airman Thomas Klapheke, when the toddler died in August 2012.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/article/20131014/NEWS06/310140011/Court-martial-begins-Tuesday-Dyess-child-neglect-case