Where Are the Missing Iraq and Afghanistan War Records?

Florida Cong. Jeff Miller.

Army records from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars are missing. And it appears to be more than just a misplaced file or two according to a report in ProPublica.

Cong. Jeff Miller, R-Florida, sent Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel a letter requesting a detailed accounting of how many files are missing:

The 12 questions posed to Hagel in the letter focus largely on the Army because it has the largest records deficit. Among other things, the congressmen want to know what happened to operational records for the 1st Armored Division and the 82nd Airborne Division and what is being done to reconstruct them.

In November, ProPublica and the Seattle Times reported that they were among numerous Army units that had lost or failed to keep battlefield records as required, making it harder for some veterans to obtain benefits and for historians to recount what actually happened.

The top Democrat on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, Cong. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, also signed the letter wanting to know  why records are missing and what the military is doing about it. The Department of Defense had not provided a response to ProPublica as of Monday.

How the 99 Percent Can Support Military Service Members

Lest we forget, here’s a photo to remind us that U.S. Marines and their working companions are hard at work daily in Afghanistan as are all U.S. Armed Forces.

Wilbur, a U.S. Marine Corps military working dog with a Marine special operations team, takes a break with his handler after successfully searching a build site for an Afghan Local Police (ALP) checkpoint in Helmand province, Afghanistan, March 30, 2013. The ALP complemented counterinsurgency efforts by assisting and supporting rural areas with a limited Afghan National Security Forces presence. (DoD photo by Sgt. Pete Thibodeau/Released)

Currently, only 1 percent of Americans serve in the Armed Forces.

If you are part of the other 99 percent, here’s a chance for you to support those service members and their families.

A number of community-based organizations, listed below meet a number of criteria from OurMilitary.mil , which can be found here.  Click on the type of support you would like to offer for a list of organizations that can help you get started:

• Caregiver Support
• Care Packages
• Education and Scholarships
• Electronics
• Employment Assistance and Vocational Training
• Entertainment and Recreation
• Families of the Fallen (Survivor Support)
• Financial Support
• Help for the Wounded
• Helping Troops Help Others
• Housing Assistance and Home Repair
• Interactive Communication Platforms

• Letters and Messages
• Mental Wellness and Counseling
• Military Family Support
• Military Spouse Support
• Other Support
• Phone Cards
• Physical Rehabilitation
• Retreats
• Service Aid Societies
• Travel
• Veteran Focused Support
• Youth Programs and Support

 

Video: Military Dad Surprise Daughter at Rays Game

Alayna Adams leaps into the arms of her father, Lt. Col. Will Adams, after he surprised her at Thursday night’s Rays game. Credit Screen Shot.

By Dalia Colon

Some things turn us to mush every time: Cute animals. Sappy Publix commercials. And most of all, surprise military reunions.

Nine-year-old Alayna Adams was chosen to throw out the first pitch at Thursday night’s Rays game. What the Dunedin girl didn’t know was that the catcher wasn’t a pro ball player. It was her dad, Lt. Col. Will Adams, just home from Afghanistan.

After Alayna threw the ball, her father caught it. Then he lifted his catcher’s mask. Alayna raced toward him and leaped into his arms.

And yes, the crowd went wild.

Here’s the video courtesy of the Sun Sports Rays and Fox Sports.

This Times article shares the back story of the surprise.

As for the baseball game, the Rays lost to the Boston Red Sox, 4 to 3. But Alayna Adams definitely walked away a winner.

Women Veterans: Military Sexual Trauma and Resources

Florida has an estimated 142,000 women veterans and many likely had their eyes on the Pentagon this week.

First, there was the deadline for the services to submit plans on how to integrate women into combat units or explain why women should remain banned. Many women already are serving in units exposed to combat but aren’t officially acknowledged.

And there is more news related to the growing problem of military sexual trauma.

We talked with an Air Force woman veteran, Larri Gerson, who now serves as a claims examiner with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs and is a member of the federal, VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans.

Courtesy Dept. of Defense

“I’m glad to talk about how important right now the topic of military sexual trauma (is) because if we had this year 29,000 cases, they estimated suffer from military sexual trauma, that’s going to be too much to wait for next year to talk about it,” Gerson said.

Recently allegations of sexual misconduct have been brought against two military members who are part of the military sexual trauma prevention programs.

Gerson said congress is taking testimony and considering legislation

She said the issue of women in combat also is important but is being addressed over a longer period of time.

Gerson provided several resources for women veterans and contacts.

For Florida women veterans issues, contact Florida’s State Women Veterans’ Coordinator Cynthia T. Brown at brownc@fdva.state.fl.us.

For national women veterans issues, contact Larri Gerson at gersonl@fdva.state.fl.us.

• VA Hotline on Health Care and Benefits for Women Veterans: 1-855-VA-WOMEN (1-855-829-6636)
• Military Sexual Assault DoD Safe Hotline: 877-995-5247 (Text: 55247)
• Military Sexual Trauma
• VA Center for Women Veterans
• Women Veterans Issues
• Women Veterans Health Care
• Homeless Women Veterans
• National Association of State Women Veterans Coordinator
• V-WISE – Women Veterans Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship

 

A Brother and Sister Team Rows for Veterans

Shannon Casey (L) and Matt Casey (R) more than 7 hours into their rowing marathon on a sidewalk in downtown Tampa.

This morning on a sidewalk in downtown Tampa, a brother and sister team were 21 hours into a rowing marathon.

They were working to set a 26-hour and 12-minute rowing record and raise money for Quantum Leap Farm which offers equine therapy to wounded veterans and military families.

Their attempt , however, was stopped short by their father.

Tom Casey called off the rowing event at 8 this morning – 21 hours after it started. He told WUSF 89.7 News that his children would have kept going, but he was concerned about their health.

“They were exhausted,” Tom Casey said. Dad is no stranger to athletic challenges. For 12 years, he swam in a relay across Long Island Sound. So, he understands the perils of pushing beyond a breaking point.

Shannon and Matthew Casey started their fund-raising event Wednesday (May 15,2013) at 11 a.m. Each hour they traded-off sitting at an “erg” rowing machine – pushing with their legs and pulling with their arms and shoulders as the seat slid back and then were pulled forward.

Fueled by water, protein bars, bananas, peaches, trail mix and watermelon. They hoped to row until 1:12 p.m. Thursday, May 16, 2013.

Matt Casey (L) and his dad, Tom Casey (R), on the first day of the rowing marathon.

At 6:30 a.m. Thursday, their father, Tom Casey, reported that the duo made it through the night. Their pace slowed but they kept rowing. However by 9 a.m., they were packed up. No trace of the rowing machine, tables, coolers, chairs and canopy could be found on the concrete sidewalk.

Their goal was to raise $5000 for Quantum Leap Farm. There’s no word on how close they got to that financial goal.

Shannon has volunteered at Quantum Leap Farm since a sophomore at Berkeley Prep High School. She’s now a junior at the University of South Florida. On Wednesday, she couldn’t conceive of not reaching their goal.

“It’s such a wonderful organization (Quantum Leap Farm),” Shannon said. “I wouldn’t want to let them down at all.”

Her brother Matt, who just graduated from USF’s College of Business, said he wanted to do something to help veterans after meeting several WWII vets when he started a stock club at a local retirement community.

“What Quantum does is, yes people have a lot of injuries but, they get them back on their feet and provide them the therapy in order to live their lives like the veterans at the stock market club,” Matt said.

Tom Casey said late Thursday morning that both rowers had gotten a shower and sleeping. He stayed with them all night on the downtown city street. So,  he planned to take a nap too.

Matt Casey during hour 8 of a 21 hour rowing marathon with his sister.

Investigation: Military Still Targeted by Predatory Lenders

Photo courtesy of Pendleton.Marines.mil

Service members are supposed to be protected from predatory lenders thanks to the Military Lending Act (MLA) in place for several years.

However, a joint investigation by Marketplace and ProPublica found that while the act did reduce the number of “payday loan” problems, the law does not regulate loans that extend beyond three months.

The MLA did little to regulate open-ended credit, or military installment loans longer than 91 days. Those are still available to service members, and in some cases aggressively sold to them. Some payday and title lenders have found ways to exploit gaps in the MLA, offering longer-term high-interest installment loans, sometimes backed by a car-title, that are not illegal but can send service members into a deepening spiral of debt.

Financial troubles are considered a serious threat to force readiness according to the Department of Defense.

At issue now, according to the report, are short-term high-interest cash loans. These “installment lenders” and pawn shops can be found outside the entrances of most military bases.

“I think it’s been a vexing problem for the military,” says Holly Petraeus, assistant director of the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in Washington.

She points out that the Department of Defense has tried hard to offer alternatives, providing low-cost emergency loans to low-income, cash-strapped military families. But there’s some paperwork involved, and permission from someone up the chain of command may be required, and follow-up financial counseling is strongly encouraged.

“People don’t want to come in and say they’ve messed up their finances,” she says. “And yet, with products where they’re just repeatedly paying large fees to borrow the same small amounts every month—you’re going to end up in a terrible financial mess, and with the real potential of losing your security clearance.”

You can read the full Marketplace and ProPublica report and check out the entire series HERE.

 

All Sexual Assault Prevention Personnel Must Be Re-trained

Courtesy Dept. of Defense

Increased incidents of military sexual assault coupled with reports of alleged abuse by military members assigned to prevent such assaults has prompted Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to order the retraining, re-credentialing and re-screening of all personnel involved with sexual assault prevention and military recruiting.

Defense Secretary Orders Retraining

The retraining was directed by Hagel after he was briefed on the second incident involving prevention personnel according to the American Forces Press Service.

“I cannot convey strongly enough his frustration, anger and disappointment over these troubling allegations and the breakdown in discipline and standards they imply,” Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.

… Little said Hagel directed the retraining, re-credentialing and rescreening to address the broader concerns that have arisen out of these allegations and other recent events.

VA Bay Pines Resarch Fair and Recognition Today

Photo courtesy of Bay Pines VA.

Speech and hearing, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Alzheimer’s Disease are three of several areas the Bay Pines VA is conducting clinical research.

Their work will be showcased today, May 13, 2013, as part of National VA Research Week. The research fair is set from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the first floor of the main medical building in the JC Cobb room.

Other areas of clinical research at Bay Pines include: ; psychosocial behavioral science (sexual trauma); diseases of the heart, lung and respiratory system; infectious diseases; cancer and wound healing.

Bay Pines is located at 10000 Bay Pines Blvd N, St Petersburg, FL.

 

8 Tips for Mother’s Day with a Military Mom

A proud “Marine” mom, Cyd Deathe.

Sunday is Mother’s Day – normally a time for celebration.  But it’s sometimes tough to celebrate when mom is home and the kids are serving overseas in the military. So here are some suggestions.

When it comes to tips on what not to say to a Marine mom, Cyd Deathe, co-founder the Tampa Area Marine Parents Association, has a list:

 

• Don’t say to a military mom, ‘Why did you let him join up?’ That’s one of Cyd’s biggest irritants because it totally dismisses that the child is an adult.
• Don’t ask ‘When are they coming home?’ Cyd says, “Most of the time we don’t know. We can only hope and the more you hear it and the more you want it and the more you say it it’s not good.”
• Don’t open a political discussion about the wars with the mother of a deployed military member because they cannot change the fact their child is deployed and possibly at risk.
• Do be sensitive. “I had one military mom who took her son’s dress blues to the dry cleaners,” Cyd said. “And attendant asked her if she was getting them ready for him to be buried in them.”

Cyd’s son is no longer in the Marines, but she still leads the parent support group  that is open to all military parents. And she had some advice for parents of deployed service members:

 

• Give up the crying because it makes them weak.
• It’s not about you.
• Don’t tell them that you miss them, they know that already.
• Your job is to make them strong so they’re on point so they can do what they’ve got to do.

Earlier this week, Dorie Griggs offered 7 suggestions on ways to support a military mom and what to avoid.

You can listen to Dorie and Cyd tell their stories on WUSF.

 

Grab Your Rod and Reel – MacDill AFB Is Open for Fishing

The waters off MacDill AFB. Photo courtesy of MacDill Happenings.com

The bay waters that lap on the southern shores of MacDill Air Force Base are typically off limits to civilian fishing boats, but not this Saturday, May 11, 2013.

Col. Scott DeThomas, 6th Air Mobility Wing commander, has opened two miles of the base coastline to recreational fishermen starting at 7 a.m. and ending at 6 p.m. for the one day.

Guest anglers must be registered. You can register and get full details by calling the outdoor recreation office at 813-828-4982.

MacDill officials have designated the area as a no-wake zone. Registered fishermen will be identified by a flag provided by MacDill AFB. Those not displaying the issued flag on their vessel will be escorted out of the area.

Tampa Police Department, Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida Fish & Wildlife and the U.S. Coast Guard will be on the water to provide support.