Military Connection Archives

Still Holding Out Hope for Marines Missing in Hawaii

January 19, 2016/in Military, Military News

Search and rescue crews are still holding out last hopes for finding the twelve Marines missing in Hawaii since late Thursday night, when their Super Stallion helicopters failed to return to base.

Searchers have found life rafts and other debris that were carried aboard the aircraft, but still have had no sign of the crew members who were on board. The debris was found on the North Shore of Oahu, where the two helicopters were involved in a midair collision during a nighttime training mission.

So far, the search has spanned more than 18,000 square miles, with a Navy warship, a Coast Guard cutter, several helicopters, jet ski teams, sonar, and dozens of Marines along the shoreline all scouring the surf for signs of life. The first two days of the search were hampered by 30 foot waves from a storm off the coast of Hawaii. By Sunday, the weather had calmed, allowing search efforts to continue at full speed.

Still a search for survivors, Chief Petty Officer Sara Mooers said on Monday, “We err on the side of caution because the last thing that anybody wants is to suspend the search when there’s still a possibility of finding somebody.” She added that survival was possible under a “best-case” scenario.

According to the Marines, crews wear personal flotation devices and receive training in survival swimming.

We join the rest of the country in sending out thoughts and prayers for the twelve crew members, who come from Oregon to Massachusetts and range in rank from lance corporal to major, and their families.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

The War Horse Features First-Hand Accounts of Wars

By Debbie Gregory.

Marine veteran Thomas Brennan, a medically retired sergeant-turned-journalist, wants to ensure that the war stories of his generation are told. To that end, Brennan is launching The War Horse, an independent non-profit journalism site dedicated to chronicling the stories of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The plan for stage one of The War Horse’s development, which launches on January 18th, is:

Launch Kickstarter crowd-funding campaign, website, and initiate media coverage campaign.
Begin using tax-deductible donations to enter into contracts with freelance journalists and interns, and begin hiring processes for office staff.
Continue submitting grant applications, developing business strategy, pursuing sponsorships and donations, and finding volunteers.

Brennan is uniquely qualified to tell those stories. Besides his near nine years of service in the Marine Corps and being wounded when a rocket- propelled grenade detonated next to him, he has reported on the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs as a civilian. He began freelancing for The New York Times blog, At War while he was still in uniform, documenting medical appointments for his TBI and PTSD, his combat memories, and even his suicide attempt in 2013. He later matriculated as a Stabile Fellow from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

Brennan believes the War Horse will ultimately be a collaboration of staff and freelance journalists, producing quality stories through “bulletproof reporting.” He defines the site as a news outlet and community where all people—military, civilian, pro-war, and anti-war—can express their thoughts about and experiences with war and have them matter.

His Kickstarter campaign goal is at least $50,000, which will fund the first four fully multimedia long-form stories and assist with grant-writing and development that will allow the website and newsroom to grow. In addition to the works of investigative journalism and feature stories, the site will host The Echoes Project, a compilation of profiles for all US personnel killed in combat since Sept. 11, 2001. The project will also allow those who knew the fallen service members to share stories, images, and written memories about them.

To learn more about the War Horse, visit http://www.thewarhorse.org/. Follow them on Facebook (hyperlink: www.facebook.com/thewarhorsenews) and Twitter (hyperlink: www.twitter.com/@shareyourwar)

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Alaska Groups Give Away Cannabis to Veterans in Need

January 17, 2016/in Healthcare, Military Veteran, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

By Debbie Gregory.

While Alaskans technically gained the right to use medical marijuana 18 years ago, there are no state-licensed dispensaries, and only six qualifying illnesses for medical marijuana use, according to NORML. In a bold move to help the state’s veterans, private residents in Alaska are providing cannabis to veterans, free of charge.

Alaska Green Angels has been giving away cannabis for the past year. While they may appear to be a disconnected, non-cohesive group, the Angels all share a common thread- pain, and the treatment of their pain with cannabis.

Researchers in the United States and several other countries have found evidence that medical marijuana can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder, pain and anxiety.

After Alaska voted to commercialize recreational marijuana use in 2014, numerous businesses claimed that they were giving away marijuana, but they asked people to make a “donation” for the product. The Green Angels began, partially in response to what co-founder Don “DC” McKenzie called “predatory” practices against medical marijuana users, on Facebook.

The premise is a simple request/fulfillment arrangement. Post your need for cannabis and one of the members with marijuana will respond. Alaska state law says that one can legally give one ounce of marijuana to another person over the age of 21. However, under federal law it remains a crime.

The Green Angels have roughly 10 people growing cannabis, while others provide the equipment or raw materials for edibles.

Also providing cannabis products to veterans is the Alaska Veterans Cannabis Relief Organization. It began as a chapter of the national group Weed for Warriors Project, and has since become its own organization.

In addition to supplying cannabis to a couple hundred veterans, the group also helps veterans set up their own home growing operation.

CannaCare joins the Green Angels an Alaska Veterans Cannabis Relief Organization in supplying the state’s veterans with free cannabis.

Going forward, Alaska Green Angels hopes to become a non-profit organization. The plan is to continue providing free cannabis in whatever capacity possible.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Health of the Force Report Reveals the State of Army Medicine

January 16, 2016/in Military, Military News

By Debbie Gregory.

The Office of the Army Surgeon General has released the inaugural Health of the Force (HOF) report, which provides a snapshot of the health of active duty Soldiers on U.S. based installations in 2014.

The Health of the Force report, released by Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) has tracked and collected health care data, showing the progress and needs of today’s soldiers. Key data regarding injuries, behavioral health, chronic disease, obesity, tobacco use, sleep disorders, hospital admissions, and other health measures has been invaluable in evaluating troop readiness.

In his first message to the force upon becoming Chief of Staff of the Army, Gen. Mark Milley stated, “We must ensure the Army remains ready as the world’s premier combat force. Readiness for ground combat is — and will remain — the U.S. Army’s #1 priority. We will always be ready to fight today, and we will always prepare to fight tomorrow.”

According to the report, medical readiness was achieved by 83 percent of Soldiers, with injuries affecting nearly 300,000 Soldiers annually. Approximately 15 percent of Soldiers had a diagnosed behavioral health disorder, including adjustment disorder, mood disorders and anxiety disorders.

Many of these issues can be attributed to inadequate sleep, affecting the approximate 33 percent of Soldiers who get five hours or less of sleep per night and the approximate 62 percent of Soldiers who get less than seven hours. Inadequate sleep increases the likelihood of injuries, behavior disorders, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and depression.

And, the report notes very sobering information that “individuals who routinely get five to six hours of sleep perform much like a person with a blood alcohol content of 0.08.”

Army Leaders now have the “Health of the Force” to track the health of the Army, installation by installation, and to share lessons learned for those installations on different ends of the health spectrum.

Those who serve our nation, past and present, deserve the best healthcare available. The MilitaryConnection.com Military Medicine page has outstanding articles and resources for anyone who wants additional information.

Unacceptable: The Sexual Assault of Military Children

January 15, 2016/in Military, Military News, Military Spouse

By Debbie Gregory.

In one of the most alarming and despicable statistics released by the Pentagon, hundreds of military children are being sexually abused each year, with more inmates in military prisons for child sex crimes than for any other offense.

Incidents involving sexual assault in which the children of service members are victims occur hundreds of times each year, according to the Defense Department. The abuse is committed most often by male enlisted troops, between E-4 and E-6 ranks, which contain the largest number of active-duty personnel and the largest number of parents in the military.

Three Democratic Party senators have urged Defense Secretary Ash Carter to end secrecy in the military justice system. They demanded that documents from sex crimes trials be more open and available. In a December 8^th letter, the senators — Barbara Boxer of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Mazie Hirono of Hawaii — told Carter they are concerned the department may be underestimating how many sexual assaults are occurring in the military.

For victims, the effects of child sexual abuse can be devastating. Victims may feel significant distress and display a wide range of psychological symptoms, both short- and long-term. They may feel powerless, ashamed, and distrustful of others. The abuse may disrupt victims’ development and increase the likelihood that they will experience other sexual assaults in the future.

Between 2010 and 2014, there were at least 1,584 substantiated cases of military dependents being sexually abused. Enlisted service members were the perpetrators in 840 of the cases. In 332 cases, family members of the victims were responsible.

We owe it to these children, who already sacrifice so much, to live and grow up in a safe environment. Parents need to remain ever vigilant, but our leaders also need to take some responsibility for prevention and punishment.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Funding Approved to Treat Veterans With Hepatitis C

January 14, 2016/in Government, Healthcare, Military News, Military Veteran, Veterans Benefits

By Debbie Gregory.

Many veterans who fought to protect and defend our country have continued to fight in order to get the support they need from the federal government. Fortunately, help is on the way for veterans living with hepatitis C, one of the greatest threats facing those who have served.

Congress has earmarked $1.5 billion in the just-passed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs to treat veterans with hepatitis C.

While hepatitis C has reached epidemic levels nationwide, the veteran community has a hepatitis C infection rate that is nearly double the national average. For veterans, this deadly, blood-borne disease is a leading cause of liver failure, liver damage and liver cancer. It impacts veterans disproportionately due to a variety of factors, including battlefield blood exposure, emergency transfusions and mandatory vaccinations in the era before hepatitis C testing became common. It is estimated that as many as 230,000 veterans suffer from hepatitis C, a rate five times greater than the general population.

The cost of treatment is staggering. Newer treatments using modern drugs with fewer side effects and a higher cure rate cost over $1,000 per pill. That means a full treatment cycle needed to cure hepatitis C can cost over $84,000 per patient. While the VA does get a 50% discount from the drug maker, it’s still very expensive to treat all the veterans afflicted with the disease.

Ironically, the drug that can effectively cure 99% of all people infected with the hepatitis C virus was invented by a doctor who worked for the VA. That doctor sold the drug to a private company for around $400 million in 2012. The doctor estimates it costs $1,400 to produce a full treatment regimen of the drug. This is the same medication that the company charges $42,000 for, which reflects the 50% discount.

The VA has been seeking funding from Congress for years to treat infected veterans. The Senate Appropriations Committee followed the lead of military veteran and senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) and approved a budget for the that included the additional $200 million to fund critical hepatitis C treatments to make up the $1.5 billion for hepatitis C over the next two years.

The new influx of funds in this year’s budget should go a long way to provide needed treatment to seriously ill veterans and help cure many veterans who are not yet showing serious symptoms.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Hefty Bonuses Await Experienced Drone Pilots Who Re-up

January 13, 2016/in Archived Blogs

By Debbie Gregory.

As the Air Force tries to retain drone pilots, the service branch is offering critical skills retention bonuses of $125,000 if the pilots agree to serve five more years.

The Air Force said that 18X RPA pilots who have accumulated six years of aviation service, following their undergraduate RPA pilot training, are eligible for the bonuses.

The bonuses will be paid out in five annual installments of $25,000. Pilots also have the option of receiving 50 percent of the bonus up front.

To be eligible, officers also must be active duty lieutenant colonels or below, and must be receiving RPA aviation incentive pay, and they cannot complete 25 years of active duty service before the five-year bonus period ends.

“It is important to ensure RPA pilots receive a bonus that is equitable to other pilots,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said. “Therefore, we worked closely with OSD to implement the CSRB for them and with a commensurate amount this year. These airmen are making extremely important contributions to the fight; we need these professionals to stay with us and we’re committed to retaining them in our force.”

In July, we reported that the Air Force had floated a plan to offer $15,000 retention bonuses for commitments of either five years — for a total of $75,000 — or nine years, for a total of $135,000. At that time, due to the shortage, drone pilots were flying up to 900 hours a year, compared with fighter pilots, who were in the cockpit an average of 250 hours a year, according to Air Force officials.

The Air Force also said it will allow pilots, whose undergraduate flying training active-duty service commitments are due to expire in fiscal 2017, to sign up for an aviator retention pay bonus this year. In the release, Brig. Gen. Brian Kelly, director of military force management policy, said that those pilots would receive their first payment as soon as their contracts are ratified. The remaining payments would be spread out equally through the rest of the contract term.

Airmen applying for the bonuses will likely get their first payments within three weeks of their application’s final approval, and processing by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

Penis Transplants Being Planned to Help Wounded Warriors

January 12, 2016/in Healthcare, Military News, Military Veteran

By Debbie Gregory.

Dr. W.P. Andrew Lee, Dr. Richard J. Redett and Dr. Gerald Brandacher, surgeons at Johns Hopkins, hope that within the next year, a young soldier with a horrific injury from a bomb blast in Afghanistan will be the recipient of the first penis transplant.

The organ should develop urinary function, sensation and, eventually, the ability to have sex.

While missing limbs have become a well-known symbol of these wars, genital damage is a hidden wound, albeit not that rare. Modern warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq has put more troops on the streets with dismounted patrols and increased exposure to improvised explosive devices.

That has led to a new kind of trauma: genitourinary, known as GU trauma, which includes the genitals, bladder, urinary tract and kidney systems. From 2001 to 2013, 1,367 men in military service have suffered wounds to the genitals, according to the Department of Defense Trauma Registry. Nearly all were under 35 and wounded by IEDs.

Only two other penis transplants have been reported in medical journals: a failed one in China in 2006 and a successful one in South Africa last year.

Because only the penis will be transplanted, and not the testes, any sperm produced will be the patient’s own, not the sperm of the donor. Men who have lost testicles completely may still be able to have penis transplants, but they will not be able to have biological children.

Doctors who treat young men wounded in combat say that no matter how bad their other injuries are, the first thing the men ask about when they wake up from surgery is whether their genitals are intact.

Although surgeons can create a penis from tissue taken from other parts of a patient’s own body, erections are not possible without an implant, and that carries its own set of complications.

For now, the operation is being offered only to men injured in combat.

Assisting Veterans in a Number of Ways

January 11, 2016/in Charity, Military Spouse, Military Veteran, Veteran News

By Debbie Gregory.

Part of what we do here at MilitaryConnection.com is connecting our audience with great companies and non-profit organizations that work to make life better for those who serve, veterans, and their loved ones. We are not at all surprised that the vast majority of the organizations we work with are founded and run by veterans or military/veteran family members.

For the Troops is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to providing members of the American military with “We Care” packages containing basic necessities, goodies, games and—most of all—a show of support. In 2005, founder Paula Cornell realized that her husband had forgotten to brush his teeth. When she pointed this out to him, he said, “It’s no big deal, I didn’t brush my teeth for a year in Vietnam.” He went on to tell her that he also went without other comforts, such as toilet paper. Paula felt a deep need to help American freedom fighters obtain everyday comforts that civilians take for granted, and For the Troops was born.

Sword & Plough is a socially conscious brand that works with American manufacturers who employ veterans. The company recycles military surplus, incorporates that fabric into stylish bag designs, and donates 10% of profits back to veteran organizations. Founded by Army 1st Lt. Emily Nunez Cavness and her sister, Sword & Plough has grown from a humble Kickstarter campaign to a successful small business.

Prior to being cast as “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” villain Kylo Ren, Marine veteran Adam Driver was bridging the cultural gap between the Armed Forces and the performing arts communities through his nonprofit Arts in the Armed Forces.

Former Army Ranger Nick Watson started VetEx — Veteran Expeditions — because he knew more fellow former troops needed to experience the power of the mountains. “I realized when I was climbing, all I thought about was climbing. That focus is addicting. It’s a like a drug, a very good drug, and I was definitely hooked,” said Watson. Since launching in 2010, VetEx has transformed 1,500 veterans into mountaineers

Volunteers from the Colorado Aviation Business Association, led by Army veteran Mike Straka, team up each year with Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Precision Flight Team to deliver toys and food to veterans’ families in remote reaches of the state.

Navy vet Jack Maxfield is a counselor at the Silicon Valley Chapter of SCORE. They have been offering free workshops and seminars to National Guard and Reserve troops and veterans in the San Francisco Bay area for the past 3 years. Their consultant services are free, and more information can be found on their website at svscore.org.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.

VA to Change the Procedure for Confirming Veterans’ Deaths

January 10, 2016/in Military Veteran

By Debbie Gregory.

Mark Twain wrote, “The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” And now some veterans are echoing Twain’s words. The federal government is taking responsibility for wrongly declaring more than 100 veterans dead, when they were, indeed, still alive. As a result, the government is changing the way it is confirming veterans’ deaths.

The mistakes caused the suspension of benefit payments, causing many to suffer a temporary financial hardship.

U.S. Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) brought the issue to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ attention in a November letter. Jolly has been a leader in the ongoing fight to protect and provide for our nation’s veterans. He co-sponsored legislation to improve healthcare for veterans by creating more private sector options for care, authorizing additional medical staff, and increasing the number of healthcare facilities. Jolly also introduced legislation that gives veterans the opportunity to choose if they want to receive care within the Veterans Health Administration, the Department of Defense facilities, or private sector providers

The VA verifies its beneficiaries’ entitlement through an automated match with the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File.

Now, the department is “updating its process to request further confirmation of the beneficiary’s death before it terminates payments,” VA spokesman Randal Noller said. “Although these types of errors are a small percentage, we sincerely regret the inconvenience caused by such errors.”

When VA officials think a veteran has died, a letter will be sent to his or her address, requesting confirmation of the death from a surviving family member. If the VA fails to hear from the family — or from a veteran erroneously believed dead — only then will the department terminate payments.

While the VA attributed blame to both computer and human error, Jolly expressed his gratitude that the department took action.

Military Connection salutes and proudly serves veterans and service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Guard and Reserve, and their families.