Troops refusing Iraq duty get a havenby Mike Barber Prompted by a Fort Lewis Army officer’s decision to refuse to fight in Iraq, the First United Methodist Church of Tacoma has declared itself a sanctuary for servicemen and servicewomen who also don’t want to go to Iraq. The 300-member congregation’s administrative council voted last weekend [...]
Death threats are alleged in Marine investigationsby Thomas Watkins SAN DIEGO – Pentagon investigators threatened the death penalty and used other coercive techniques to obtain statements from some of the seven Marines and a Navy corpsman jailed at Camp Pendleton in the shooting death of an Iraqi civilian, two defense lawyers say. Attorney Jane Siegel, [...]
Fighting in Iraq likely to stay at same levelby Stephen J. Hedges WASHINGTON — Despite the recent killing of insurgent leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, some former military officials and experts worry that the U.S. has not learned the lessons of counterinsurgency warfare in Iraq and that, as a result, a significant improvement in the fighting [...]
Veterans at workby Cami Joner Left: Joe Rhodes uses his home computer to check job prospects. Rhodes, who was in the Army’s supply corps for eight years, said he would like to work as a warehouseman. Former Marine Corps Sgt. Justin Babbitt is confident he’ll succeed in the working world. After completing two tours in [...]
Bill provides new help for disabled veterans Legislation to help servicemembers and veterans with their housing and other benefit needs was signed into law yesterday (Thursday, June 15) by President Bush. “I am very pleased that this legislation, S. 1235, the ‘Veterans’ Housing Opportunity and Benefits Act of 2006′ was adopted with unanimous support in [...]
Iraq: 60 soldiers a month suffer mental illness by Andy McSmith The number of soldiers diagnosed with psychiatric problems brought on by the stress of service in Iraq has dramatically escalated since the beginning of the war, according to new figures from the Ministry of Defence. In 2005, the military authorities were notified of 727 [...]
Analysts say steady rise in US military deaths in Iraq has contributed to erosion in US public support for war.by Jim Mannion The US military death toll in Iraq reached 2,500 Thursday, moving like a shadow behind President George W. Bush’s efforts to gain momentum from last week’s burst of good news from the war-torn [...]
Cup is empty for many members of Military by Richard Sandomir Marine Lt. Erin Kelly, a former soccer player at East Brunswick (N.J.) High School and the United States Naval Academy, is in her second tour of duty in Iraq and looked forward to watching the World Cup. But when word came last week that [...]
What if you woke up one morning and opened your newspaper and turned on your television set to find that the U.S. military decided to take the summer off?by Donna Teresa They decided to take a much needed break from all their duties all over the world, including back at home. Civilians would be left [...]
Evangelism in the military under fireby Meghan A. O’Connell and Michael P. McLaughlin “Members of the military swear an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States,” Weinstein told United Press International. “They do not put their hand on the Constitution and swear an oath to support and defend the New Testament.” Weinstein, [...]
Vets’ hiring preference changes for Guard, reserve Beginning last Friday, National Guard and reserve members released from active duty will get the same veterans’ hiring preference for federal jobs as those who are separated or retired from regular active-duty assignments. The Office of Personnel Management announced the new hiring rules in Friday’s Federal Register, where [...]
Veterans’ voices On Iraq: The war in their own words The heat, which is like living under a french-fry lamp, like standing in front of the world’s biggest hair dryer, like sitting in a sealed car on the hottest summer day in Washington with the heater blasting and someone throwing sand in your face. The [...]
Old soldier does penance for past atrocitiesby Jiao Xiaoyang and Huo Yongzhe SHANGHAI: “We went toward the Chinese captives bound in ropes, with rifles in our hands, the bayonets shining against the sunset. One Chinese captive faced me with his hands tied behind his back, smiling. … I, trembling, stabbed him in the chest, and [...]
The United States is still the dominant force in technology, innovation, productivity and profits. But Americans don’t quite realize how fast the rest of the world is catching up.by Fareed Zakaria June 12, 2006 issue – Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, held in London on June 22, 1897, was one of the grandest fetes the world [...]
Stolen American goods bound for GIs in Afghanistan fill bazaars in Pakistanby S. Amjad Hussain Left: Like a giant flea market, shopes in the bazaar sell, among other items, inner tubes for bicycles, Styrofoam cups, backpacks, and even triangular orange hazard signs. Much of the merchandise smugglers steal off supply shipments to troops in Afghanistan. [...]
Boy Scouts making comeback in Iraq On the shores of the Tigris River sits 40 acres of prime real estate which recently was home to a compound used by Saddam Hussein’s secret police. The location has since been bombed by coalition forces, and looted by local Iraqis. Now, a retired U.S. Navy commander is leading [...]
America’s robot army by Stephen Graham Already there are killing machines operating by remote control. Soon the machines will be able to kill on their own initiative. A new warfare is on its way. War is about to change, in terrifying ways. America’s next wars, the ones the Pentagon is now planning, will be nothing like [...]
Legislation seeks to overturn 150 year-old prohibition on hiring lawyers Legislation to allow veterans to hire an attorney as they seek benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs picked up strong support Thursday. The positive reaction came during a hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. The legislation (S. 2694), sponsored by Chairman Larry [...]
More than 22,000 veterans who underwent prostate biopsies at veterans’ hospitals across the country are being warned that improperly sterilized equipment may have exposed them to deadly viruses.by Dinesh Ramde Officials said Friday it was unlikely someone could get infected by the equipment, and no patient is known to have been sickened. Still, the U.S. [...]
National Security Concerns Raisedby Ann Scott Tyson and Christopher Lee Social Security numbers and other personal information for as many as 2.2 million U.S. military personnel — including nearly 80 percent of the active-duty force — were among the data stolen from the home of a Department of Veterans Affairs analyst last month, federal officials [...]
Inventive Productions releases new Documentary film about American war hero, John Bud Hawk of Bremerton, Washington The documentary, JOHN BUD HAWK AMERICA’S HOMETOWN HERO was directed by award-winning documentary filmmaker RJ McHatton. The film highlights the life and times of one of America’s remaining World War II recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, John [...]
Group protests at soldier’s funeral–but Patriot Guard Riders save the day Family and friends gathered Wednesday in Beebe to say goodbye to fallen soldier, Army Spc. Bobby West. But they were joined by people protesting at the funeral. West was killed in Iraq on May 30 after a roadside bomb exploded while his unit was on [...]
Breach of trust undermines active and retired military by Diane M. Grassi On the 62nd anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944, when the United States Armed Forces as part of the Allied Forces including Britain and Canada, landed on the beaches of Normandy, France and helped free France and much of Europe from the strongholds of [...]
Americans are encouraged to visit European battlefields and monuments and a federal agency can help with travel plans, authorize fee-free passports for immediate family of the fallen, and more On June 6, 1944, nearly 7,000 ships and landing craft left the coast of England. Loaded with American, British and other troops, they were on their way [...]
Select team of experts working to bring MIA troops homeby Kathleen T. Rhem Photo left: A team from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command along with several locally hired Vietnamese workers clean up a recovery site to prepare it to be photographed in 2004. The site is located in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. Photo by Sgt. [...]
Americans help Iraqis with severed hands While the press is having a feeding frenzy over the ugly photos of Iraqi prisoner abuse…we would all do well to spend some time dealing with a story that the media avoids. Time that we see some of what the “good guys” are doing in Iraq. – Basim Salman [...]
Defense Industry Hiring Event – June 19 & 20 – DC Convention Center This is a job fair like no other. As a matter of fact, it happens only once a year. Catapult your job search by meeting nearly every major employer in the defense industry over 2 days. Federal Agencies & Government Contractors are actively [...]
Veterans, families say Iraq war is increasingly complicated causeby Bill Whitaker TEXAS–Navy Seabee Nick Carter returned home to Waco about a month ago after serving eight months in Iraq. He voices pride in his work building base camps for Iraqi security forces. He says he’s confident in their progress. He also prides himself in his [...]
Veterans honored to maintain cemeteries for their comradesby Mike Billington Bob Vincent and Don Edginton stood with their heads bowed in silent prayer over a highly polished wooden casket. A stiff breeze ruffled their shirts and hundreds of nearby red, white and blue flags. Their prayers finished, they lowered the casket into the ground and [...]
Young vets can’t find jobsby James W. Crawley WASHINGTON - After they serve their country in war, young veterans often return home to fight another battle: finding a job. The jobless rate for veterans under age 24 is four times higher than the national unemployment rate and double that of others their age who never served [...]
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