Noonie Fortin: Honoring our Female Soldiers

Women WarriorsIN MEMORY — is dedicated to some of the women  and men I have known who have died.

IRAQ — is dedicated to the American women who died while  serving our country in Iraq or near-by countries during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

AFGHANISTAN — is dedicated to the American women who died while  serving our country in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom.

OTHER AREAS — is dedicated to the American women who died while serving our country in  other areas of the world since Desert Storm and 11 September 2001.

THE PENTAGON — is dedicated to all the American women (and one man who I personally knew) who died when a plane hit The Pentagon on 11 September 2001.

OKC — is dedicated to the American women who died when a bomb blew up the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on 19 April 1995.

DESERT STORM — is dedicated to the American women who died during the Gulf War of 1990-1991.

VIETNAM — is dedicated to the American women who died while  serving our country in Vietnam.

EARLIER WARS —  is dedicated to the American women who died during the Korean War, World War II, World War I, Spanish-American War and Civil War.

Learn more here.

Marine Corps Veteran Justin Eldridge Died by Suicide in Connecticut Home; Battled PTSD & TBI After Deployment to Afghanistan (October 29, 2013)

Justin Eldridge
Justin Eldridge, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran (Photo: Obituary)

Marine Corps veteran Justin Eldridge was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Waterford, Connecticut home on October 29, 2013. Justin served in the Marine Corps for 8 1/2 years. After a deployment to Afghanistan he battled with both Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury. As a result he was medically retired from the Marine Corps in 2008. Justin was married with four children at the time of his death. Justin’s wife Joanna has continued the fight for our soldiers and veterans. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) honored Justin Eldridge on the Senate Floor and co-sponsored a veteran suicide prevention bill in his name. Joanna attended the 2015 State of the Union and a bipartisan suicide prevention bill was signed into law in March 2015.

His final message, posted on his Facebook Page at about 9 p.m., “theres only so much bashing someone can take before they react………” –Waterford Patch (October 29, 2013)

Senator Richard Blumenthal Honors US Marine Justin Eldridge:

In a Senator Floor speech today, Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal honors the heroism of United States Marine Justin Eldridge of Waterford, tragic victim of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who took his own life two days ago. (October 30, 2013)

Related Links:
Justin Eldridge Obituary
Justin Eldridge’s Battle With PTSD Ended In Tragedy Last Night
For Waterford veteran, battling PTSD was too tough a fight
Man who killed himself in Waterford was ex-Marine
Former Marine’s suicide in Waterford standoff shocks friends
Marine’s Family Decides To Talk Openly About His Suicide
PTSD cases in veterans on the rise
Why One Man’s Death Is A National Tragedy
U.S. Marine’s Suicide Magnifies Veterans Needs, Says Acclaimed Cowboy Singer R.W. Hampton
In Senate Floor Speech, Blumenthal Honors Heroism Of U.S. Marine Justin Eldridge Of Waterford
Senator Blumenthal honors US Marine Justin Eldridge
Widow continues Marine veteran’s fight
Study: Younger vets have higher suicide risk
Blumenthal wins on veteran suicide prevention bill
Blumenthal-backed veterans suicide prevention bill wins approval
Senate approves Blumenthal’s veteran suicide prevention bill
New Generation Of Veterans Has Higher Suicide Risk, Study Finds
Widow of Connecticut Marine to Attend State of the Union Address
Preventing suicide to save veterans’ lives
Bipartisan veterans suicide prevention act signed into law

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

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

Insider outrage: Staff Sgt. Andrew Britton-Mihalo, 25

US ArmyInsider outrage: Staff Sgt. Andrew Britton-Mihalo, 25

Britton-Mihalo, a Green Beret, was slain April 25 by an elite counterpart with the Afghan special forces on a base the two sides shared in Kandahar Province. But those circumstances haven’t played much of a part in Mihalo’s grief. “We just accepted it,” she said.

Britton-Mihalo’s father was a Marine, his stepfather served in the Army and his two half-brothers are also in the Army.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/insider-outrage-staff-sgt-andrew-britton-mihalo-25-1.191954

Insider outrage: Sgt. Joshua Born, 25

US ArmyInsider outrage: Sgt. Joshua Born, 25

The soldiers who came to the door in Florida told Beth Croft that her son was killed in a green-on-blue attack, but the only word that held any significance to her was “dead.”

It didn’t matter that an Afghan soldier had shot him while they monitored a local protest. Her only child, Sgt. Joshua Born, was gone forever.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/insider-outrage-sgt-joshua-born-25-1.191942

Insider outrage: Pfc. Jon Townsend, 19

US ArmyInsider outrage: Pfc. Jon Townsend, 19

It turned out that on Sept. 16, the newly married 19-year-old had been gunned down by an Afghan ally. The International Security Assistance Force had sent out a press release announcing that the incident was an insider attack, but when Nelson asked the Army about it, the service refused to confirm the reports or offer any details, saying that no information would be released until the investigation was complete.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/insider-outrage-pfc-jon-townsend-19-1.191945

Insider outrage: Maj. Phil Ambard, 44

USAF SealInsider outrage: Maj. Phil Ambard, 44

The U.S. military didn’t call the shooting a “green-on-blue” or “insider” attack. On April 27, 2011, when Linda Ambard’s husband and eight other Americans were gunned down by an Afghan ally, the only label the military put on it was “anomaly.”

The Afghan who opened fire at the Kabul airport snapped, the military said, in what was an event too rare to be considered anything more than an isolated tragedy.

Read more: http://www.stripes.com/insider-outrage-maj-phil-ambard-44-1.191939

Not the man I used to be: Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with PTSD

PTSD Invisible WoundsNot the man I used to be: Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan struggle with PTSD

When Simon Bertholf, Matt Rose and Tony Phillips were sent overseas, they had no idea the events they experienced in the Middle East would haunt them a decade later.

While they appear normal to the casual observer, each has been forever changed by the death, atrocities and pain witnessed firsthand during their tours of duty.

Watch video: http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20131010/GPG0101/310100338/Not-man-used-Veterans-Iraq-Afghanistan-struggle-PTSD?nclick_check=1

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

US ArmyDoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

Spc. Angel L. Lopez, 27, of Parma, Ohio, died Oct. 5, in Zabul province, Afghanistan, of wounds suffered when enemy forces attacked his unit with small arms fire.

He was assigned to the 201st Brigade Support Battalion, 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Fort Knox, Ky.

For more information, media may contact the Fort Knox public affairs office at  502-624-3051.

Original link: http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=16305

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaches Epidemic Levels Among Veterans

Veterans AffairsPost Traumatic Stress Disorder Reaches Epidemic Levels Among Veterans

According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, 20 percent of Iraqi War  veterans, and 11 percent of those returning from the war in Afghanistan, suffer  from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Mental health issues among service  members have reached a crisis level. The Department of Defense and the Veterans  Administration have recognized the gravity of this epidemic and are now actively  supporting mind-body modalities, from yoga to mindfulness practice, as a  complement to traditional drug and talk therapies for veterans.

Read more:  http://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/1513185#ixzz2hEnICLNd