Monthly Archives: May 2010

Video of the Day: Troop

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

This is an awesome video and song put together by Mr. Joe Roos and Johnny Angelo.

It is a “rap” song, but I can guarantee you that even if you don’t like rap music this is one like you have never seen or heard before. Truly a song hat pays tribute to Troops. “Troop” is a Joe Roos original, that honors all service members, but is from the perspective of a Soldier of the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division. “Troop” was shot and produced during the Red Bull’s deployment to Basra, Iraq. Produced by Johnny J. Angelo Concept/Song//Lyrics/Music: Joe Roos Supporting Vocals: Debi Kilde Music Production: Jim Morgan, Conduit Sound Also available in high definition.

Now here is the best part, we will have Mr. Roos and Mr. Angelo on You Served Radio tomorrow night. We will be talking to them about why they did this video, what they hoped to achieve from it and what the reaction has been. All of that plus a little about their tours in Iraq. Be sure to join us at www.blogtalkradio.com/youserved on Thursday night at 7PM EST.


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Posted in MilBlogger Interviews, Video, You Served Radio

Financial Reform Bill Will Hurt Military Families, Curb Homeownership

Posted on May 18, 2010 by You Served Editorial Staff| 4 Comments

Congress is on the verge of potentially crippling the VA loan program and making it increasingly difficult for some military borrowers to take advantage of the benefits earned by their service.

The huge Financial Services bill currently in the Senate aims to boost consumer protection and bring more openness and accountability to the mortgage industry. But in its current form, after a last-minute amendment from Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Oregon), the bill will ultimately hurt military families and deal a serious blow to their access to home lending.

Like the bill as a whole, the Merkley amendment seems to have good intentions — it prevents the return of the kind of loans that helped lead to the financial meltdown. These loan types include the paper-thin loans that do not require significant documentation and loans made to families even though the terms made them difficult to afford for the long term.

But, in typical Capitol Hill fashion, the amendment winds up going too far while trying to fix things that aren’t broken. Instead of taking the extra effort to ensure the legislation is focused on preventing poor loan products from returning, the Merkley amendment adds additional layers of underwriting and verification to all loan programs, including those that are already safe and protecting consumers — namely the VA Loan Guaranty program, but others such as the USDA Loan program are also negatively affected.

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Posted in News, Veteran Benefits

Country singer Rick Trevino entertains Soldiers in Southern Iraq

Posted on May 18, 2010 by Troy| 2 Comments

Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq – Texas country music artist Rick Trevino and his band performed for Soldiers on Contingency Operating Base Adder April 25 as part of a four-day tour through Southern Iraq.

Trevino, an Austin, Texas area native, won a Grammy in 1998 for Best Mexican-American Music Performance with Los Super Seven for the group’s self-titled debut album said he was excited about performing for the troops.

“We’re really excited about the opportunity to come and to be a part of what’s going on right now with the war and just to be able to support and to contribute the troops,” Trevino said. “Even if it is one night. It helps the troop morale and I’m just happy to be a part of that.”

The tour, a combined effort of Tax Masters out of Houston, Armed Forces Entertainment, Morale Welfare and Recreation and Maj. Fred Hackett, an attorney with the 36th Sustainment Brigade and Houston native, started before Hackett’s deployment last summer.

Tax Masters CEO Patrick Cox, a resident of Houston, said he and Hackett were talking about what they could do for the troops here in Iraq to boost morale. “We got to talking and he asked if I was going to come visit him in Iraq this year so I said,’ sure, why not?’ Never actually thinking that it was ever actually going to happen,” Cox said. “He (Hackett) said maybe we can sponsor a band or something.” Between Cox and Hackett, Cox said they started looking for a Texas band. Because they were both Aggies and they knew that Trevino was an Aggie as well, they both agreed that it was a perfect opportunity. Trevino said they were up to coming over here a few years ago, but due to other bookings, it just didn’t work out because they were already on tour.

“Ever since then, I have been waiting for the opportunity to come back,” Trevino said. “I’ve always wanted to come out and do this, especially to be able to come out here where a lot of the Texas troops are.” After a few e-mails and phone calls, Cox said the Pentagon called them and told them some folks at Tax Masters and some of their employees deployed with the 36th Sust. Bde over in Iraq would like Trevino to come over and do a tour, and he agreed.

“Rick’s people wanted to do it, they were jumping up and down to do this so we put it all together with MWR and the next thing you know, we are on an airplane to Kuwait,” Cox said. Staff Sgt. Patricia Gutierrez, the MWR representative for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 141st Infantry Regiment on COB Adder and an Austin, Texas resident, said she loved the concert and that the crowd seemed to enjoy it as well. “I loved the concert, I love Rick Trevino and I really enjoyed it,” Gutierrez said. “He is a really down to earth guy. The Soldiers all got up and started clapping and he got a standing ovation.” Staff Sgt. Bedalina Rosario, an Austin resident and a 36th Sust. Bde. Fragmentary order manager, said it was nice to see Trevino and hear some of his new songs and also the old ones.

“It brought back memories from home. At the very end he sang an old song that originated from the late Freddy Fender,” Rosario said. “It just brought home a little bit closer to me here in Iraq.” Rosario said she really enjoyed Trevino’s singing and grew up listening to Trevino. After the concert, Trevino met with Soldiers and signed autographs with his band and talked to them about their experiences. “We talked a little about where we both live and where we come from and I mentioned to him that it was good to hear the music from the past, right here in the middle of Iraq, Rosario said.

“It couldn’t have come at a better time, a good ole slice of home. He agreed and he was really supportive and appreciates what we do as Soldiers.” Cox said he thought the concert was great and that it is amazing to watch the Soldiers. “They really seem to be enjoying it and having a good time and kind of forget for a moment that they are away from their Families and home,” Cox said. “It’s a real rewarding thing, it’s been a great experience, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Trevino toured five locations during his tour to southern Iraq as well as a tour of the Ziggurat of Ur near COB Adder. Trevino said he thinks a lot of people take for granted what the U.S. Soldiers are doing right now for our freedom and is impressed with the work the Soldiers are doing here. “The troops are so impressive and to be able to see it first hand really gives you a chance to, number one, say ‘thank you’ and number two, you go back to the states and you realize what you’ve seen and you don’t take it for granted, especially your freedoms,” Trevino said.

Staff Sgt. Belinda Rosario, a fragmentary order manager with the 36th Sustainment Brigade,13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and an Austin, Texas native, meets with Rick Trevino, a country music artist and also Austin, Texas, native, after a concert April 25 at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tad Browning)

Rick Trevino, a country music artist and Austin, Texas native, entertains Soldiers April 25 at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tad Browning)

Col. Sean Ryan, commander of the 36th Sustainment Brigade, 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Cedar Park, Texas, native, gives Rick Trevino, a country music artist, a certificate of appreciation and an American Flag flown over Iraq at Contingency Operating Base Adder on April 27 for entertaining the troops. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tad Browning)

Rick Trevino, a country music artist and Austin, Texas native, entertains Soldiers April 25 at Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. 1st Class Tad Browning)


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Posted in Life in the Military, Patriotism

Civilian contractors receive Defense of Freedom Medal

Posted on May 18, 2010 by CJ| 1 Comment

JOINT BASE BALAD, Iraq – Leftists will flip over this because “it’s the evil KBR”. Well, like it or not, defense contractors help us perform our wartime duties.

Three KBR, Inc. employees received the Secretary of Defense Medal for Defense of Freedom in a ceremony May 1 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.

The Defense of Freedom Medal is the civilian equivalent of the military’s Purple Heart Medal. It is awarded to civilian employees working in support of the Department of Defense who are injured or fatally wounded by hostile fire while in the line of duty.

Defense of Freedom Medal recipients Robert Martin Jr. (left), a heavy truck driver with Iraq’s Theater Transportation Mission, KBR, Inc. and a Lindale, Texas, native, and Lawrence Reynolds, a heavy truck driver with Iraq’s TTM and a Tulsa, Okla., native, pose with Brig. Gen. Paul L. Wentz, commanding general of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Mansfield, Ohio, native, after receiving their medals in a ceremony May 1 at Joint Base Balad, Iraq.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Keith S. VanKlompenberg)

Robert Martin Jr., a heavy truck driver with KBR’s Iraq Theater Transportation Mission and a Lindale, Texas, native, sustained a gunshot wound while driving in a flatbed convoy mission Dec. 5, 2005.

Lawrence Reynolds, a heavy truck driver with KBR’s Iraq’s TTM and a Tulsa, Okla., native, received shrapnel wounds and later had a cardiac episode as a result of an improvised explosive device detonation on his convoy June 6, 2006.

Lemmis Stephens Jr., a tank driver and fuel technician with KBR and a Houston native, sustained bilateral eye injuries when an incoming round exploded 70 feet from his bus, sending shrapnel through his windshield.

All three contractors have since returned to work in Iraq.

“Brave civilian men and women put their life on the line every day,” said Brig. Gen. Paul L. Wentz, commanding general of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) and a Mansfield, Ohio, native.

Civilian contractors have made and continue to make key contributions to the success of Iraq, Wentz said.

Wentz said the day’s ceremony was a bittersweet time, because, like the Purple Heart, the Defense of Freedom Medal is one earned through great physical sacrifice.

“It’s a medal a commander never wishes to present,” Wentz said.

Doug Horn, the vice president of operations for KBR and a Houston native, made his keynote address via live video feed from Baghdad due to logistical constraints that prevented him from attending the ceremony.

Stephens was also in Baghdad and witnessed the ceremony via video.

“An employee once told me he felt it to be a high calling to come to Iraq,” Stephens said. “Since he was unable to join the military, he wanted to make a meaningful contribution to the war on terror by offering his skills as only he can do and by assisting other KBR employees to make life easier for Soldiers in Iraq. … You see, that’s what a hero is, an everyday person.”

Stephens said civilian contractors are now an integral and permanent part of battlefield logistics and support in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Stephens said it is a harsh reality that contractors are put in danger on a daily basis, but the injuries and lives lost have not been in vain.

“I am truly humbled by and I am also proud of the role you are all playing in support of the U.S. military and ultimately in the support of the people in Iraq,” he said.

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Posted in Life in the Military, Military News

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New GI Bill Scholarship Program Begins

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Troy| 1 Comment

Applications are being accepted for a new scholarship program that allows the children of some deceased Servicemembers to tap into Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. Payments could begin as early as August 1, 2010. The Fry Scholarship program is named for a Marine Gunnery Sergeant, John D. Fry, who was killed in 2006 while deployed to Iraq. Fry Scholarships are available to the children of Servicemembers who have died in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001. The child must be 18 or older. More than one member of a family is eligible to use the benefits, making Fry Scholarships different from the transfer of Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits that require families to share 36 months of tuition and fees. To find out more, please go to:http://www.armytimes.com/news/2010/04/military_scholarship_survivors_042910w/


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Posted in Veteran Benefits

Sgt Steven Kiernan – Homes For Our Troops

Posted on May 17, 2010 by Marcus the Redshirt| 4 Comments

Sgt Kiernan knew his life would change when he joined the Marine Corps, but never did he think it could change like this.

Marine Sgt. Steven Kiernan was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq when he suffered life altering injuries that caused him to lose both of his legs in May 2008. While returning from a security patrol and acting as Walking Point, the leading foot patrol, Sgt. Kiernan and his team were hit by an IED, creating confusion in what had moments before been an ordinary day, with children playing in the streets and people out and about.

When the dust cleared, life saving measures were being applied by a buddy who after tourniqueting both of Steven’s legs, helped load him into a HUMVEE to transport him to the Medivac and then to the hospital. Sgt. Kiernan was later transported to Germany and later to Bethesda Naval Hospital before eventually transferring to Walter Reed where he remains today while receiving rehab and physical therapy.

“I’m 21 years old, I’ve never thought of this before,” he said. Those words hit me like a ton of bricks when I first saw this video. A very young man with so much of his life still ahead of him has gone through what could be the worst thing any of could imagine; the loss of both legs. Homes For Our Troops was there for Sgt Kiernan when he most needed them.

Ground has been broken on Sgt Kiernan’s home, and he was there, escorted in by Legion Riders and Patrior Guard Riders, as work continued last week. The foundation had been poured and work paused to await Steve’s presence. Video of his arrival is to the right (there is no audio with this video). Tears streamed down my face the first time I saw this video. My heart was warmed by the American and Marine Corps flags proudly flapping in the breeze behind several motorcycles. You can see the pride on the faces of the bikers as they lead Steve in and kept watch over his six. You catch but a small glimpse of Steve as he gets out of the car, but the smile on his face speaks volumes of how he must have felt that day.

One volunteer that was on site, Twana Blevins, wrote me earlier this week and had this to say. I’ve also inserted some pictures of Steve Homes for Our Troops uploaded to Flickr.

Marcus,

Kevlar SunglassesWendy Gumpert and I arrived at the home building location during the opening ceremony, (I first found Bob and got a wonderful hug…as I just a few months earlier was praying God would fully restore Bob’s heart). I listened to all the speakers as they shared how thankful they were to get to serve Sgt. Steven Kiernan – the man who had served and sacrificed so much for We The People of the US. Then to my great surprise Sgt. Kiernan was introduced and spoke. I was so humbled and honored to hear this great Hero speak to us.

We were then given instructions about what we as volunteers could and could not do in helping build this home for Steve and Dana. To even be on the construction site we had to have on a "Homes For Troops" t-shirt and a hard hat. So we got that part taken care of.

Gen ConwayBob introduced Wendy and I to Dell and many other wonderful Troop supporting patriots. We were looking forward to helping Bob of "Cooking For Troops" and Dell cook for this wonderful crew of patriots serving Sgt. Keirnan. As I was wanting to help in anyway, I was blessed to meet Sgt. Keirnan’s new neighbor. She opened up her home for us to use anything we needed. Her family was so gracious and helpful through the entire 3 days (Which by the way, the framing and roof was completed early -  It took under 2 full days).

Many of Steve’s new neighbors were volunteers and helped in so many different ways. It was a blessing to know how well loved and received Steve is in his neighborhood. Also there were some more Wounded Warriors there, I so wish I remembered their names. Homes For Troops had also built homes for them as well. I humbly listened to so many stories and testimonies, I truly knew I was in the presence of great men.

President BushOne thing that really stood out – Sgt. Steven Kiernan had sacrificed much in war, but he was in total command – Marine Style. I over heard some people talking about Steve wanting to open his home for some more Wounded Warriors….In Marine fashion his heart and mind are still fully thinking of his men, his brothers in service.

There are many more wonderful things I could share with you, but I would be writing all night so I will stop here. I am just so thankful and blessed to get to participate in something so special as serving a Veteran in this fashion. I am also blessed to see so many serving our veterans.

Twana Blevins

Steve isn’t just getting a house or a home. He’s getting neighbors that will form friendships and community. Many times injured veterans worry about feeling like outcasts or feeling alone, Steve won’t have that problem with the amazing people living around him.

At 0930 Sgt Steven Kiernan stood on the concrete slab foundation as builders raised the front wall and door frame above him to loud cheers and applause! Over the next five and a half hours, builders stopped only to eat (more on that in a minute!) in order to get the walls and roof on the home. I spoke with John Gonsalves, President and Founder of Homes for Our Troops, at the MilBlog Conference back in April. He explained that they work very quickly to get the outside structure of the home complete to ensure the home is weather proof. Once that is complete, they will take their time with the interior of the home to ensure nothing is over looked for the special needs of the veteran and family that will soon move into the home.

Another volunteer on site, Dell Shaff, wrote me about her experience working at Steve’s home site and on other Homes for Our Troops builds. I’ve included a picture of the ongoing construction sent by Dell, and a picture of Twana Blevis, Bob Miller, and Dell with her writing. Click on the photo to see the full size photo.

Marcus,

walls I can not fully put into words the emotions I get from working with HFOT.  I worked on my first house in January of this year for SSGT Dwayne Cole.  It was through the experience of those 2 days that really got me involved with HFOT.  As the daughter of an Air Force pilot and Vietnam Veteran, I have always supported our Troops.  If Dad was still alive I know he would be with me at as many of these houses as possible.  Now it is Mom and me as a Team.  It is so great to see the way so many Americans now stand behind our Troops and welcome them home with open arms and not spit.

Now matter what kind of skills one has there is always something for a volunteer to do.  Mom worked at the registration table for Cole and the memorabilia table for Kiernan.  I had gone to Kiernan’s thinking I would help with handling lumber, cleaning up brush and the yard.  Was I wrong?  Yep, I got to help Bob with the cooking.  I love to cook but have never prepared enough squash to feed an "army".  It was wonderful!! It’s amazing how many people you can meet when working with food.  Not only that, but I also got to work with and meet some of Bob’s friends.  Twana, you ROCK!

WLF-HFOT-FredericksburgAfter lunch, I looked up from the table and saw SSGT Cole and his wife going up to SGT Kiernan.  Awesome!  It was wonderful to see them sitting together and talking.  Although one is Army and the other Marine, you could see the special bond…..comrades in arms.

As I stated in my first sentence I can’t put down into words what I feel when it comes to our Service Men and Women…….the best thing would be to say THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for your Service, Sacrifices, and Dedication!!  God Bless America.

Sincerely,

Dell

There is so much a volunteer can do at a Homes for Our Troops build besides swing a hammer, hang dry wall, and install windows. Many of these other jobs, mainly food preparation, is as important as the construction. After all, we all know an army, whether it be of infantry men or Build Brigade, marches on it’s stomach! Dell can personally tell you how rewarding it can be to ensure a sweaty builder gets a great meal.

Flags A Homes for our Troops build for an injured Marine wouldn’t be complete without a flag pole keeping watch over the home with an American and Marine Corps flag proudly flying (click image for full view).

The Marine Corps flag you see was presented to Sgt Steve Kiernan by members of DCFreeRepublic and DCProtestWarrior in recognition of his service to our country.

This Marine Corps flag has flown at the Main Gate of Walter Reed Army Medical center during the DC Chapter’s weekly troop support rally, and was used during Protest Warrior’s Defend the White House Rally in September 2005. It has a storied history and is well travelled.

At the end of the day, everyone gathered for remarks Homes for Our Troops and Atlantic Builders, the contractors for Steve’s home. Community so important as you hear, and when they say Atlantic Builders stepped up to the plate, they did. It is an amazing statement when you can say a house is 100% donate, and that can be said about Steve’s home.

The story told by Atlantic Builders is a story that will bring tears to eyes much like the lady in the story. Consider this your tissue alert if you don’t already have them out.

Sgt Steve Kiernan will soon move into his new adaptive home, ready to take on the world. He has a full life ahead of him thanks to his brothers in arms who quickly reacted to save his life in combat, the many doctors, nurses, and volunteers that kept a watchful eye on him as he recovered in hospitals, and now Homes for Our Troops and the many volunteers that helped build his home. Semper Fidelis, Marine!

soutskids crane dellmomdwight

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Posted in Wall of Honor

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DFAS TO RESUME VSI/SSB RECOUPMENT

Posted on May 15, 2010 by Troy| 9 Comments

As per the AUSA Newsletter

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service announced last week that recoupment of military retirees’ Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI), Special Separation Benefit (SSB) and other separation payments will resume in August 2010.

VSI, SSB and certain other separation payments, such as severance pay, were offered to active duty military members in an effort to reduce manpower in certain career fields, primarily during the 1990s. Because federal law prohibits military members from receiving both separation and retirement payments for the same period of service, provisions of these programs included repayment should an individual join the Ready Reserve or return to active duty and earn status as a military retiree.

On June 1, 2009, in response to retirees’ concerns, DFAS temporarily stopped deducting these repayments from retirement pay while the DoD conducted a formal review of the recoupment program. Prior to the review, the federal statutes governing these programs did not allow the Department of Defense or DFAS to alter repayment rates or provide alternative repayment plans regardless of the financial hardships a retiree may be experiencing.

The DoD review is complete, and Congress has amended the law to help limit the financial strain on military retirees as they repay their outstanding balances. The new statutes allow DFAS more flexibility to accommodate for financial hardship and modify payment plans. As a result, DFAS has reduced the maximum recoupment rate from 90 percent to 40 percent. DFAS also will consider more lenient repayment plans for retirees who are experiencing financial hardship.
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Affected retirees will receive notification letters at least 90 days before recoupments resume. If they feel the rate of recoupment will create a financial hardship, they may request a more lenient repayment plan by providing financial information on the Financial Statement of Debtor form enclosed with the notification letter.

This monthly recoupment may also affect former spouses who receive Uniformed Services Former Spouse Protection Act payments from such retirees. Former spouses affected by this recoupment also will receive a notification letter prior to the resumption of recoupments.

Retirees and former spouses who have questions may find more information at www.dfas.mil/rapay.html or by calling Retired and Annuitant Pay Customer Service at 1-800-321-1080.


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Posted in Veteran Benefits

NFL Flyovers

Posted on May 15, 2010 by CJ| 1 Comment

This is a pretty cool piece on those flyovers you always see at NFL games!

NFL Pregame Flyovers from You Served Radio & Blog on Vimeo.

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The Passing of Mrs. Audie Murphy

Posted on May 14, 2010 by CJ| 6 Comments

I’m so incredibly late on this, but the news hit at a bad time for me and I wasn’t able to catch up. But, I wanted to bring this to your attention. Being a Dogface Soldier, Audie Murphy is something I consider a role model and hero. I stop short of calling him an idol, because I don’t believe them, but he is someone that our children can do well to look up to as a positive role model.

Pamela Murphy, widow of WWII hero and actor, Audie Murphy, died peacefully at her home on April 8, 2010 at the age of 90. She is survived by sons, Terry and James. Pam established her own distinctive 30 year career working as a patient liaison at the Sepulveda VA Hospital, where she was much beloved. Services will be held at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills) on Friday April 16 at 2:30PM.

After Audie died, they all became her boys. Every last one of them. Any veteran who walked into the Sepulveda VA hospital and care center in the last 35 years got the VIP treatment from Pam Murphy. The widow of Audie Murphy – the most decorated soldier in World War II – would walk the hallways with her clipboard in hand making sure her boys got to see a specialist or doctor — STAT. If they didn’t, watch out. Her boys weren’t all Medal of Honor recipients or movie stars like Audie, but that didn’t matter to Pam. They had served their country. That was good enough for her. She never called a veteran by his first name. It was always “Mister.” Respect came with the job. “Nobody could cut through VA red tape faster than Mrs. Murphy,” said veteran Stephen Sherman, speaking for thousands of veterans she befriended over the years. “Many times I watched her march a veteran who had been waiting more than an hour right into the doctor’s office. She was even reprimanded a few times, but it didn’t matter to Mrs. Murphy. “Only her boys mattered. She was our angel.”

“She was in bed watching the Laker game, took one last breath, and that was it,” said Diane Ruiz, who also worked at the VA and cared for Pam in the last years of her life in her Canoga Park apartment. It was the same apartment Pam moved into soon after Audie died in a plane crash on Memorial Day weekend in 1971.

She went from a comfortable ranch-style home in Van Nuys where she raised two sons to a small apartment – taking a clerk’s job at the nearby VA to support herself and start paying off her faded movie star husband’s debts. At first, no one knew who she was. Soon, though, word spread through the VA that the nice woman with the clipboard was Audie Murphy’s widow. It was like saying Patton had just walked in the front door. Men with tears in their eyes walked up to her and gave her a hug. “Thank you,” they said, over and over. The first couple of years, the hugs were more for Audie’s memory as a war hero. The last 30 years, they were for Pam.

She hated the spotlight. One year she was asked to be the focus of a Veteran’s Day column for all the work she had done. Pam just shook her head no. “Honor them, not me,” she said, pointing to a group of veterans down the hallway. “They’re the ones who deserve it.”

The vets disagreed. Mrs. Murphy deserved the accolades, they said. Incredibly, in 2002, Pam’s job was going to be eliminated in budget cuts. She was considered “excess staff.”

“I don’t think helping cut down on veterans’ complaints and showing them the respect they deserve, should be considered excess staff,” Pamela said in an interview.

Neither did the veterans. They went ballistic, holding a rally for her outside the VA gates. Pretty soon, word came down from the top of the VA. Pam Murphy was no longer considered “excess staff.” She remained working full time at the VA until 2007 when she was 87.

“The last time she was here was a couple of years ago for the conference we had for wounded veterans,” said Becky James, coordinator of the VA’s Veterans History Project. Pam wanted to see if there was anything she could do to help some more of her boys.

RIP Pamela Murphy: October 7, 1923 – April 8, 2010

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Posted in Military History, Military News

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New Centers to Help with Blast Injuries

Posted on May 14, 2010 by Troy| Leave a comment

The Army surgeon general told members of Congress that the Defense Centers of Excellence, especially for psychological health and traumatic brain injury, provide great promise for Wounded Warriors. The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, the first of five medical entities stood up as a result of the 2009 Defense Authorization Act, is already contributing to the treatment of battlefield injuries. The center has a 24-hour hotline available to Servicemembers and their families to help with suicide prevention, brain injuries and other problems. Trained consultants staff the line 365 days a year at 1-866-966-1020 and also respond via e-mail to mailto:Resources@DCoEOutreach.org. For further information please visit: http://www.dcoe.health.mil. To read this article in its entirety, please go to: http://www.military.com/news/article/army-news/new-centers-to-help-with-blast-injuries.html

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Posted in Life in the Military, Veteran Benefits