Marine Corps News Room

Samantha Allen 01.08.165:01 AM ET

Service members suffering from PTSD often feel like they’re wearing a mask. Melissa Walker asks them to make one.

Continue reading "Veterans Let Slip The Masks Of War: Can This Art Therapy Ease PTSD?" »

Posted by KC at 4:43 PM | Permalink

A California couple helps rescued wolves and veterans with PTSD forge lasting bonds.
SIDNEY STEVENS
January 5, 2016, 9:34 a.m.

About 90 minutes north of Los Angeles at the Lockwood Animal Rescue Center (LARC), healing magic happens every day. Nestled on acres of scenic land inside the Los Padres National Forest, LARC’s Warriors and Wolves program offers combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder the chance to bond with wolves and wolfdogs that have been rescued from abusive situations or abandoned because their wild roots make them poor pets. Together they heal and gain a sense of belonging — and a second chance at life.

Continue reading "How wolves and warriors help each other heal" »

Posted by KC at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Resources for handling the holidays with PTSD.

Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2015 2:52 pm Posted in VA Careers by Darren Sherrard

According to psychologist Michael Terman, as many as 60 million Americans suffer winter doldrums. Consequently, they often don’t find much to celebrate during the holiday season. Add PTSD to the mix – 11-20% of Veterans who served in Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) have PTSD in a given year – and the “season to be jolly” can be downright challenging.

Continue reading "Handling PTSD during the Holidays" »

Posted by KC at 4:24 AM | Permalink

By Nicole Kwan Published December 22, 2015 FoxNews.com

When Josh Sweeney stepped on an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan in October 2009, the Marine Corps Sergeant lost both legs above the knee. Now, the Purple Heart recipient is an accomplished athlete- scoring the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team’s game-winning goal to earn its third gold medal at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games and receiving the inaugural Pat Tillman Award for Service at the 2014 ESPYS. Sweeney’s transition from Marine to injured veteran to team captain is just one example of the positive impact the growth of sled hockey has had on veterans and paralyzed athletes in the past decade.

Continue reading "Paralyzed Marine turns to growing sport of sled hockey for rehabilitation, community" »

Posted by KC at 8:18 PM | Permalink

DEC 16 2015, 4:43 PM ET
by GABE GUTIERREZ and TRACY CONNOR

He endured the trauma of war with man's best friend. Now a young veteran is hoping a reunion with his canine comrade will finally bring him peace of mind.

Continue reading "'He Was My Rock': Veteran With PTSD Reunited With Military Dog" »

Posted by KC at 10:52 PM | Permalink

By Gina Harkins, Staff writer 9:17 a.m. EST December 12, 2015

Justin Constantine defied the odds when he made it home from Iraq.

Continue reading "How to approach wounded warriors, a Marine vet's tips" »

Posted by KC at 10:24 AM | Permalink

by Kate Good
November 7, 2015

There is such a thing as happily ever after. Just take a look at the story of this Marine and a shelter dog who waited seven, long, lonely years to be adopted!

Continue reading "Marine Adopts Shelter Dog That Waited 7 Years for a Home" »

Posted by KC at 10:18 AM | Permalink

By TIM STANLEY World Staff Writer | Updated 11/1/2016

SAND SPRINGS — He’s “still the same ol’ Sam.”

Continue reading "World War II veterans remember: Sam Ward fought with the Marines at Saipan, Okinawa" »

Posted by KC at 9:10 PM | Permalink

By John Hanc TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2015, 4:35 PM

Hank can relate to the people he’s running for.

Continue reading "Retired Marine On Marathon Streak To Raise PTSD Awareness" »

Posted by KC at 9:10 PM | Permalink

By AVIANNE TAN
Oct 15, 2015, 4:48 PM ET

After years apart, a dozen Marine are being reunited with the explosives-detecting dogs who served at their sides during deployment in the Middle East.

Continue reading "Marines Reunite With Dogs They Served With in Middle East After Years Apart" »

Posted by KC at 4:18 PM | Permalink

NEWS OCT 15 2015, 8:21 PM ET
by ASHLEY MUNGIGUERRA and DANIELLA SILVA

A college student whose soldier dad was having trouble sleeping after experiencing combat and his friends are helping veterans with a new app that tracks their sleep.

Continue reading "Student Whose Army Dad Has PTSD Creates App to Help Vets Sleep" »

Posted by KC at 11:06 AM | Permalink

“This farm was a savior for me. It was like I belonged here.”
Thursday, September 17, 2015 11:07 am Posted in Health by Tom Cramer

How would you like to spend a couple of restful, worry-free days on a scenic New Hampshire farm where you can pet a lamb or a friendly goat, ride a horse, gather eggs from the hen house, or just go for a walk in the woods?

Continue reading "Women, horses and healing: Veterans find therapy at retreat" »

Posted by KC at 4:14 PM | Permalink

September 15, 2015 1:00 am • By Nick Mariano

MARION – Ian Michael and his Human Hug Project are hardly slowing down.

Continue reading "800-mile ride for PTSD starts at Marion VA" »

Posted by KC at 5:49 PM | Permalink

Andrea c. Dickerson - September 10, 2015 Featured in Veterans Health Center

As I limped through the doors of the Washington DC VA Medical Center, I carried along the same restless feelings of nervousness and anxiety I normally experience on a day-to-day basis.

Continue reading "'I didn't want to live like that anymore'" »

Posted by KC at 7:55 PM | Permalink

Posted on Thursday, August 13, 2015 10:33 am in Health, Top Stories by Tom Cramer

Kenny liked his job. As a 22-year-old Marine participating in the initial invasion of Iraq, life couldn’t have been more exciting.

Continue reading "Battle buddy: Canine friend helps Veteran cope with PTSD" »

Posted by KC at 11:13 AM | Permalink

Jul 24, 2015
By USA Today

A puppy in training as a wounded warrior service dog is named after a Marine who was injured in Iraq.

Continue reading "See Marine's reaction when he meets puppy named after him" »

Posted by KC at 12:59 PM | Permalink

Tanya Basu July 26, 2015
Each day, 22 former servicemembers commit suicide

A group of Marines is marching 22 kilometers, or about 13.5 miles, wearing nothing but short shorts—called “silkies”—and hauling 22 kilograms, or about 50 pounds, of gear to honor the 22 service members who commit suicide every day.

Continue reading "Shirtless Marines March in ‘Silkies’ to Raise Suicide Awareness" »

Posted by KC at 9:06 AM | Permalink

The “gold standard” treatment for PTSD makes many vets’ symptoms even worse.
By David J. Morris
JULY 21 2015 9:49 AM

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is the world leader in research on post-traumatic stress disorder. No organization spends more money or expends more resources to treat it than the VA. Yet its efforts to stamp out the disorder, which afflicts upward of 30 percent of veterans today and is the fourth most common mental health condition in the world, are often strikingly wasteful and driven by shoddy science. In 2006, the VA began treating veterans with a form of therapy charmingly known as prolonged exposure. It is now a central piece in the VA’s war on PTSD and its most popular type of individual psychotherapy. Prolonged exposure is heavily promoted by the VA, which describes it as the “gold standard” treatment for PTSD.

Continue reading "Trauma Post Trauma" »

Posted by KC at 9:19 AM | Permalink

BY TIARE DUNLAP 07/13/2015 AT 07:35 PM EDT

Ian knows the anxiety and isolation faced by combat veterans returning from and even years after war – because he's faced it himself.

Continue reading "Marine Travels Across the Country Giving Out Free Hugs to Veterans" »

Posted by KC at 8:38 PM | Permalink

Peter Tuerk TED Talk from TEDxCharleston
Posted on Friday, July 10, 2015 10:30 am | Posted in Guest Posts by VAntage Point Contributor

Psychologist Peter Tuerk was attracted to the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center because it allowed him to marry two of his passions: clinical treatment of Veterans with PTSD and continuing advancement of PTSD treatments through research. Tuerk’s passion for treating Veterans has propelled him to be a leader in the field.

Continue reading "Return from Chaos: Treating PTSD" »

Posted by KC at 4:58 PM | Permalink

By James LaPorta, Special to Military Times 1:36 p.m. EDT June 27, 2015

Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham received a posthumous Medal of Honor after fighting an Iraqi insurgent and then diving onto a hand grenade to protect his fellow Marines.

Continue reading "War dog movie 'Max' honors four-legged troops" »

Posted by KC at 10:38 PM | Permalink

Home away from home for traveling military families visiting wounded loved ones

By Linda McIntosh9:34 A.M.MAY 12, 2015

CAMP PENDLETON — Barely six months after its groundbreaking, a home away from home for military families visiting their wounded at Camp Pendleton’s Naval Hospital is set to be dedicated May 15.

Continue reading "Fisher House to open at Camp Pendleton" »

Posted by KC at 1:08 PM | Permalink

By Michelle Tan, Staff writer 8:07 a.m. EDT May 9, 2015

For almost two years, Jim Kuiken retreated into himself.

Continue reading "Spared from the kennel: These rescue dogs now help vets" »

Posted by KC at 11:23 PM | Permalink

BY NATHAN S. WEBSTER 04.03.1512:30 PM ET

Vietnam’s strong hold—not trauma, maybe, but close—on Michael Herr’s psyche comes across in the final words of his legendary Dispatches: “And no moves for me but to write down some last few words and make the dispersion, Vietnam, Vietnam, Vietnam, we’ve all been there.”

Continue reading "PTSD AND THE PAST THAT NEVER DIES" »

Posted by KC at 11:12 AM | Permalink

The Huffington Post | By Lindsay Holmes
Posted: 04/02/2015 7:48 pm EDT Updated: 04/02/2015 7:59 pm EDT

Mental health disorders can be so complex that many adults can't comprehend them. So, how exactly do you explain them to children?

Continue reading "Army Veteran Writes Children's Book To Explain PTSD To Younger Kids" »

Posted by KC at 12:54 PM | Permalink

By Nate Gotlieb
The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
Published: February 14, 2015

MANKATO, Minn. (Tribune News Service) — Physically, Joshua Jablon appeared unhurt. But mentally, he was deteriorating.

Continue reading "Marine veteran finds healing through throwing" »

Posted by KC at 12:42 PM | Permalink

POSTED 12:21 AM, FEBRUARY 12, 2015
BY WEB STAFF, UPDATED AT 08:09AM, FEBRUARY 12, 2015

RICHMOND, Va. – Spike is a member of the K-9 patrol with the Virginia Capitol Police. Sweet as he is though, Spike, is also a heartbreaker. He didn’t mean to be – he just got caught in a love triangle. At the State Capitol in Richmond on Wednesday Spike was reunited with U.S. Marine Jared Heine. They hadn’t seen each other in three years.

Continue reading "Why a Capitol Police Officer gave her beloved dog to a U.S. Marine" »

Posted by KC at 11:27 PM | Permalink

By Matthew M. Burke
Stars and Stripes
Published: January 31, 2015

Retired Marine and lifelong New Yorker Matthew Raible knows that service dogs save lives.

Continue reading "Study examines impact of service dogs on veterans with PTSD" »

Posted by KC at 4:08 PM | Permalink

By Liberty Zabala and Samantha Tatro
Updated at 11:23 AM PDT on Monday, Mar 30, 2015

More than a dozen bikes used by Wounded Warriors are missing from a facility and the Navy is looking for the public’s help in finding them.

Continue reading "Sixteen Wounded Warriors Bikes Missing" »

Posted by KC at 6:42 AM | Permalink

By Lance Cpl. Isaac Ibarra | | December 14, 2014

CAMP KINSER, OKINAWA, Japan -- In 2006, Lt. Col. Justin Constantine was injured during a routine combat patrol while deployed to Iraq. An enemy sniper fired upon Constantine and his Marines, and before he could take cover a round hit the back of his head, exiting through his jaw.

Continue reading "Combat veteran shares recovery success story with Okinawa Marines" »

Posted by KC at 10:14 PM | Permalink

By George Decker, Public Affairs Officer, VA National Center for PTSD
Monday, November 24, 2014

There are currently more than 50 brain banks in the United States. The focus of these brain tissue repositories is on investigating alcoholism, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, schizophrenia and a variety of neurological disorders. Yet there has never been a PTSD brain bank — until now.

Continue reading "Brain Bank to Help in Treatment of PTSD" »

Posted by KC at 11:11 PM | Permalink

By Leora ArnowitzPublished November 09, 2014

When Jim Stanek returned from his deployment with the 1st Infantry Division of the Army with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, he saw first-hand in therapy the impact service dogs can have on veterans.

Continue reading "'Dogs of War:' A&E; makes reality show about veterans struggling with PTSD" »

Posted by KC at 9:37 PM | Permalink

POSTED 7:04 PM, OCTOBER 28, 2014
BY JIM ALTMAN, UPDATED AT 07:06PM, OCTOBER 28, 2014

BROOKLYN–He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and now the community is serving him. Marine Pfc. Robert Vardaro was injured in three separate IED attacks while on combat missions in Afghanistan, and, as he continues to heal from the brain injuries he sustained, he has been given the keys to a new life.

Continue reading "A marine gets the gift of a lifetime, and the keys to his future" »

Posted by KC at 2:34 PM | Permalink

By Emily Wax-Thibodeaux | The Washington Post | Published: October 19, 2014

RICHMOND, Va. — The acupuncturist in his glow-in-the-dark yellow Crocs gently leaned over the burly and bearded Army Special Operations officer, who was stretched across a bed in the "zen den" of the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center.

Continue reading "VA explores alternative therapies" »

Posted by KC at 10:18 PM | Permalink

Aug 31, 2014 | by Bryant Jordan

Veteran suicide numbers have gone up in recent years with much of the attention focused on veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan killing themselves. However, almost seven out of 10 veterans who have committed suicide were over the age of 50, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs study.

Continue reading "Older Vets Committing Suicide at Alarming Rate" »

Posted by KC at 9:05 PM | Permalink

by Vets Prevail
August 27, 2014

Identifying the signs of mental health needs can be a challenging and confusing time for many individuals. Everyone experiences different emotions and feelings when dealing with difficult or stressful situations, and mental health may not be at the forefront of one's mind. In the US, 1 in 4 people experience a mental illness in a given year; and Veterans experience rates of depression and PTSD at 5 times higher rates than civilians, but up to 60% never seek treatment. This can be caused by a variety of barriers including stigma or a lack of access to treatment. The most important fact to remember is that mental illness is not a sign of weakness or a personal flaw, and should be regarded as any other medical issue. Knowing some of the signs and symptoms for mental illness can be the first step to finding help.

Continue reading "Program Helps Vets Improve Mental Health From Home" »

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

By Gerald herbert
The Associated Press
Published: August 7, 2014

VENICE, La. — Two tours in Afghanistan took a toll on Joshua Ploetz.

Continue reading "Former Marine paddles away 2 tours in Afghanistan" »

Posted by KC at 8:21 AM | Permalink

By Jennifer Griffin
Published July 04, 2014
FoxNews.com

Marine Sgt. John Peck is one of very few quadruple amputees to survive the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now he is preparing for his next mission: an experimental double-arm transplant that will give him, in part, his freedom back.

Continue reading "'Heart of a lion': Quadruple amputee Afghanistan vet prepares for arm transplant" »

Posted by sr at 8:06 AM | Permalink

Jun. 20, 2014 - 04:35PM
By Patricia Kime

New research links Iraq dust to sick soldiers
The Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry is now live.

Continue reading "Service members can now register on burn-pit list" »

Posted by KC at 9:54 AM | Permalink

Nikki Burdine 6:13 p.m. EDT June 17, 2014

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- Two D.C. area Marines quit their jobs and decided to walk thousands of miles to raise awareness of PTSD last year, but little did they know, their journey would turn into so much more.

Continue reading "Marine veterans walk cross-country for PTSD awareness" »

Posted by KC at 9:02 AM | Permalink

By Tom Charlier
Published: May 31, 2014

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — That very first kill haunted him most. There were many others, to be sure, but long after he’d returned to Memphis from three deployments with the Marines, Paul Oliver voiced the greatest pain while recounting his lethal encounter with an Iraqi insurgent who ignored a command to disarm and raised his rifle.

Continue reading "Marine's final battle: Years of fighting PTSD, brain injury end in postwar casualty" »

Posted by KC at 6:01 PM | Permalink

May 10th, 2014 | Posted by Hope Hodge Seck

Not all working dogs in Afghanistan sniff explosives or walk patrols.

Continue reading "Meet Steel, the Marines’ morale dog in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 11:37 AM | Permalink

BY AARON CLAVERIE
STAFF WRITER
April 17, 2014; 10:46 AM

The water’s surface forms a shield.

Continue reading "Diving as therapy for injured veterans " »

Posted by sr at 5:55 PM | Permalink

By Anja Niedringhaus, Associated Press
Friday, April 11, 2014 6:03pm

Editor's note: Anja Niedringhaus, 48, an internationally acclaimed German photojournalist, was shot and killed by an Afghan police officer earlier this month while on assignment for the Associated Press. In 2005, she was part of the AP team that won the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Iraq, and she was awarded the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation. One of her bosses said "she truly believed in the need to bear witness." In years of reporting from war zones, the story that most haunted her was one about a Marine who was grievously wounded by a IED in Afghanistan in June 2011. This is what she wrote about it two days before Christmas 2011 — six months after the attack.

Inside the medevac helicopter in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Cpl. Burness Britt bleeds profusely from his neck. He and two other Marines have just been hit by shrapnel, with Britt's injuries the most serious. The medevac crew chief clutches one of Britt's blood-covered hands as he is given oxygen. I take hold of the other.

Continue reading " Anja Niedringhaus felt the need to bear witness" »

Posted by sr at 4:58 PM | Permalink

By Gretel C. Kovach
3:27 p.m.March 19, 2014

Children of seriously wounded combat veterans are “the hidden casualties of war,” according to a study released Wednesday.

Continue reading "Study finds family challenges, limited support for offspring of healing vets" »

Posted by sr at 3:53 PM | Permalink

Written by Ernesto Londoño
Published: March 4

At BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — Shortly after midnight on this frigid night, Capt. Nicholas Ingham arrived at this massive air base, in the belly of an Air Force C-130. As the back door swung open, flooding the cabin with light, the heavily sedated Marine, strapped onto a stretcher, blinked away a tear. An American flag tattooed on his chest rose and fell gently as a ventilator pumped air into his collapsed lung.

Continue reading "The last casualties: As a long war ends, risks still prove real" »

Posted by sr at 9:18 AM | Permalink

By Linda McIntosh
6 a.m.Feb. 27, 2014

CAMP PENDLETON — Several hundred injured Marines are set to compete in the annual Marine Corps Trials, starting Sunday at Camp Pendleton. The trials help determine who will represent the Marine Corps at the military paralympics, known as the Warrior Games, to be held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., this fall.

Continue reading "Marine paralympic game trials start" »

Posted by sr at 5:23 PM | Permalink

By Justin Zaremba/NJ.com
on February 20, 2014 at 1:47 PM, updated February 20, 2014 at 4:39 PM

BETHESDA, Md. — U.S. Marine Sgt. Aaron Alonso, who was critically injured and lost his legs in an explosion in Afghanistan earlier this month, has a long road ahead in his recovery including "upwards of 100 surgeries," according to his wife.

Continue reading "Marine's goal after explosion takes his legs: 'To play with my daughter'" »

Posted by sr at 3:22 PM | Permalink

EOD Marine is first to receive prosthetic implant
By Hope Hodge Seck | Staff writer
Feb. 8, 2014 - 06:00AM

A year after an improvised explosive device pulled him from the front lines of the battlefield, a Marine staff sergeant stood on the front line of medical science, becoming the first patient to receive an implant that allows him to operate his prosthetic arm with his upper arm muscles.

Continue reading "EOD Marine is first to receive revolutionary prosthetic implant" »

Posted by KC at 4:45 PM | Permalink

By Andy Fillmore
Correspondent
Published: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 6:19 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 5, 2014 at 6:19 p.m.

Lance Cpl. David Garrett Burgess, wounded in December while serving with the U. S. Marine Corps in Afghanistan, will be honored Saturday with an official “welcome home” fundraising dinner to benefit him and his wife Emily, and their son Joseph.

Continue reading "Groups rally to plan dinner for wounded Marine" »

Posted by sr at 1:59 PM | Permalink

Jan. 26, 2014 - 02:44PM
By R. Norman Moody
Florida Today

MELBOURNE, FLA. — It took time, but Mariette Kalinowski is now more open to identifying herself as a veteran than when she first returned from war.

Continue reading "Film helps women veterans find safety at home" »

Posted by KC at 10:49 AM | Permalink

By Joanne C Gerstner | Jan. 09, 2014, 11 a.m. (ET)

In so many ways, everything Josh Sweeney has been through in his life — good and bad — keeps bringing him back to hockey.

Continue reading "After Being Injured In Afghanistan, Josh Sweeney Finds Solace On Ice " »

Posted by sr at 4:08 PM | Permalink

Marine determined to move forward, set example

By Susan Ladd
News & Record, Greensboro, N.C.
Published: December 22, 2013

GREENSBORO — Cindy Gitter laughs and shakes her head when asked to describe Nathan Harris as a teenager.

Continue reading "Road out of hell" »

Posted by sr at 10:33 PM | Permalink

By Leo Shane III
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 16, 2013

WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs officials are easing disability filing rules for brain injured veterans with additional combat complications like depression, dementia or Parkinson’s disease.

Continue reading "VA eases rules for claims on some TBI-related health problems" »

Posted by sr at 11:01 PM | Permalink

Dec. 14, 2013 - 06:00AM
By James K. Sanborn

The Corps has overhauled its manual governing how Marines retire or are separated from the service, with broad changes that cover everything from transition assistance requirements and involuntary separation protections for career officers to drug use and sexual ­assault.

Continue reading "New order defines separation rules" »

Posted by KC at 7:37 PM | Permalink

By Travis J. Tritten
Stars and Stripes
Published: December 11, 2013

Traumatic brain injuries during deployments appear to increase the risk of troops experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder after returning home, according to Department of Veterans Affairs-sponsored research published Wednesday.

Continue reading "Study links traumatic brain injury and PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 10:20 PM | Permalink

By Derek Herrera 12:17 P.M.NOV. 27, 2013

Thanksgiving is a tremendous opportunity to pause and reflect on the beauty of the human experience. This Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for. I consider myself lucky to do so, and like many others who have experienced life-altering events, I have had a cathartic shift in the way I view my role in the world.

Continue reading "A Thanksgiving story: Life-changing injury doesn’t dim Marine’s gratitude" »

Posted by KC at 8:55 AM | Permalink

November 10, 2013 5:15 pm • Associated Press

HELENA – A Montana program aiming to honor wounded veterans recently brought two men from different wars together for a hunting excursion in Big Sky Country.

Continue reading "Afghanistan, Vietnam veterans hunt together as part of new Montana program" »

Posted by sr at 10:24 PM | Permalink

Caitlin Johnston, Times Staff Writer
Friday, October 25, 2013 6:14pm

When asked what gets him out of bed every morning, J.T. Doody's response is simple: Jesus, football and women. • His morning ritual involves an hourlong process in which the 30-year-old Iraq War veteran depends on his mom or a nursing assistant to do everything. Brush his teeth. Scrub his body. Wash his hair. • Doody spends his life in constraints, paralyzed because he contracted a hospital-borne infection while under treatment for injuries suffered in Iraq. • His days consist of a series of movements between his hospital bed, a 375-pound motorized wheelchair, and a sling that transfers him from his bed to his shower. • But Chris Ott refuses to let her son's limitations define his life.

Continue reading "With mother at his side, a wounded veteran fights to stay positive" »

Posted by sr at 4:36 PM | Permalink

By ELIZABETH FLOCK
October 10, 2013

In the months before Joseph Petit, a trained Army airborne ranger, died in a bathroom at the Atlanta Veterans Affairs Medical Center, his sister Brandie watched her brother age far beyond his 42 years.

Continue reading "Medical Reports, Veterans' Families Suggest VA Is Overmedicating Vets A number of veterans have died since 2012 after being prescribed multiple anti-pyschotics by the VA" »

Posted by KC at 12:49 PM | Permalink

Photos by Cpl. Caitlin Brink | Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island | Date: 09.05.2013
Date Posted: 09.19.2013 13:32

Recruits of India Company, 3rd Recruit Training Battalion, took turns donning modified dress blue uniforms and posing for their boot camp photo Sept. 5, 2013, on Parris Island, S.C. India Company is scheduled to graduate Oct. 25, 2013. Parris Island has been the site of Marine Corps recruit training since Nov. 1, 1915. Today, approximately 20,000 recruits come to Parris Island annually for the chance to become United States Marines by enduring 13 weeks of rigorous, transformative training. Parris Island is home to entry-level enlisted training for 50 percent of males and 100 percent of females in the Marine Corps.

Continue reading "Photo Gallery: Marine recruits dress in iconic blues for Parris Island boot camp" »

Posted by sr at 10:57 PM | Permalink

BY CHRIS · SEPTEMBER 15, 2013 ·

Hartford, CT to Danbury, CT
Day 5 from Newburgh to Ft. Lee got underway with very iffy weather conditions that gave way to serious thunderstorms and heavy rain. This caused a delay in the day’s ride just as the riders reached the lunch stop in Haverstraw, NJ. The day’s highlights included a stop at the world famous Orange County Chopper with the owner Paul Sr. coming out and visiting with the riders.

Continue reading "Ride2Recovery: Minuteman Challenge, Days 5 and 6" »

Posted by KC at 4:53 PM | Permalink

By J.D. Leipold
Army News Service

FORT BELVOIR, Va., Sept. 12, 2013 – Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks 12 years ago, more than 2.5 million U.S. troops have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and over that same period, more than 260,000 service members have been diagnosed with the invisible wounds of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress as a result of combat-related injuries and accidents.

Continue reading "First of 9 ‘Intrepid Spirit’ Centers Opens at Fort Belvoir" »

Posted by sr at 9:19 PM | Permalink

Friday, September 6, 2013

A group of approximately 200 injured veterans and their supporters will set off on Sunday, September 8, on the UnitedHealthcare Ride 2 Recovery (R2R) Minuteman Challenge, a seven-day, 425-mile bicycle ride. The route begins in Lexington, Mass., and will conclude in Philadelphia, Penn., on Saturday, September 14.

Continue reading "Ride 2 Recovery Minuteman Challenge Will Bring Bicycling Veterans Through Newtown, Tuesday" »

Posted by sr at 10:50 PM | Permalink

By Don Norcross
4 p.m.Sept. 2, 2013

TEMECULA — Josue Barron’s left leg was ripped off just below the hip after stepping on an improvised explosive device nearly three years ago in Afghanistan. He later lost his left eye, now replaced by a glass prosthetic.

Continue reading "Marine brings message to U-T Honor Bowl" »

Posted by sr at 4:48 PM | Permalink

By RACHEL COHEN
The Associated Press
Published: August 25, 2013

NEW YORK — From his hospital bed, Angelo Anderson could see the wheelchair, the cane and the walker with the tennis balls on the bottom.

Continue reading "Injured in Afghanistan, now US Open ballperson" »

Posted by KC at 1:24 AM | Permalink

Darkhorse Marines from 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, three years later

By Gretel C. Kovach
1:50 p.m.Aug. 10, 2013 Updated3:56 p.m.

Juan Dominguez and his bride Alexis exchanged vows on a warm evening this spring at a Temecula winery. The couple met a year after a bomb buried in the hard ground of Sangin, Afghanistan, blew away his legs and an arm.

Continue reading "After Sangin, still fighting for their lives" »

Posted by sr at 9:15 PM | Permalink

Posted: Friday, July 26, 2013 4:00 am

By STEPHANIE BUCKNER

Freedom does not come without a price, and that price for United States Marine and Cleveland resident Adam Brochin is constant anxiety and persistent memories of his active-duty experiences, which haunt his dreams like a roadside bomb waiting to explode.

Continue reading "Local Marine carries memories of war, for better or for worse" »

Posted by sr at 8:54 PM | Permalink

By Cpl. Trevon S. Peracca | Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton | July 19, 2013

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. --
Fifteen Marines and four coaches from Wounded Warrior Regiment, participated in a swim camp at the Wounded Warrior Hope and Care Center here July 18.

Continue reading "Swim camp held for wounded warriors" »

Posted by KC at 2:51 PM | Permalink

By Pfc. Samuel Ellis | Marine Corps Base Quantico | July 17, 2013

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (July 17, 2013) --
Disability. According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a disability is a limitation in the ability to pursue an occupation because of a physical or mental impairment.

Continue reading "Transition class offered to disabled Marines " »

Posted by KC at 3:24 PM | Permalink

Patients at Camp Pendleton’s Wounded Warriors program use cameras as tools for recovery

By Michael Gardner
12:01 a.m.June 30, 2013

Sacramento — The images are haunting and stories powerful.

Continue reading "Marines find focus with photography" »

Posted by sr at 8:53 PM | Permalink

The new career came after a years-long dark period following his return from Afghanistan

By Mekahlo Medina and Brandon Lowrey
Sunday, Jun 16, 2013

U.S. Marine Alex Minsky of Venice Beach was caught in a downward spiral.

Continue reading " Wounded SoCal Marine Becomes Underwear Model" »

Posted by sr at 4:13 PM | Permalink

By Terri Moon Cronk
American Forces Press Service

BETHESDA, Md., June 12, 2013 – Wounded warrior amputees at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center here got a chance today to share the wisdom and experience they’ve gained through tough rehabilitation and prosthetic fittings with a man who lost a leg during the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors Inspire Boston Marathon Amputee" »

Posted by sr at 8:29 PM | Permalink

By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., June 11, 2013 – Service members and veterans transitioning from the military to Veterans Affairs for treatment or between military treatment facilities now have access to greater consistency in psychological health and traumatic brain injury care, a Defense Department official said here today.

Continue reading "Program Aids Mental Health Care for Transitioning Troops" »

Posted by KC at 11:14 PM | Permalink

Lloyd I. Sederer, MD and Sandro Galea, M.D.
Posted: 06/11/2013 11:07 am

June is PTSD Awareness Month, so declares the Veterans Administration. Hundreds of thousands of war returnees from Iraq and Afghanistan have or will develop post-traumatic stress disorder. It is a condition that induces suffering in veterans -- and their families, who can be repeatedly separated from their loved one, live with more limited resources as a member is gone and emotionally contend with anxiety about the possible injury or death of their soldier.

Continue reading "Wartime PTSD: What Works and How to Care for a Loved One " »

Posted by sr at 8:13 PM | Permalink

Foundation raising money for exoskeleton for SpecOps Marine

By Gretel C. Kovach
6:45 p.m.May 30, 2013

CAMP PENDLETON — The first enemy bullet blew a hole in the neck of a Marine sergeant. The second lodged in the spine of Capt. Derek Herrera, a special operations team leader who was deployed last summer in southwestern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Paralyzed, Marine fights for active duty" »

Posted by sr at 5:00 PM | Permalink

Foundation raising money for exoskeleton for SpecOps Marine

By Gretel C. Kovach
6:45 p.m.May 30, 2013

CAMP PENDLETON — The first enemy bullet blew a hole in the neck of a Marine sergeant. The second lodged in the spine of Capt. Derek Herrera, a special operations team leader who was deployed last summer in southwestern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Paralyzed, Marine fights for active duty" »

Posted by sr at 5:00 PM | Permalink

Athletic competition for wounded troops taps competitive drive for rehab

By Gretel C. Kovach
3:19 p.m .May 17, 2013

The Marines fought off a near upset from the Army this week in the 2013 Warrior Games, claiming a fourth Chairman’s Cup and another year of bragging rights as undefeated champion of the athletic competition for troops injured by combat, illness or accidents.

Continue reading "Marines win Warrior Games" »

Posted by sr at 9:13 PM | Permalink

By Gregg Zoroya and Alan Gomez
USA Today
Apr. 26, 2013 - 05:29PM

BELTSVILLE, Md. – Six years have passed since a roadside bomb set Ronny “Tony” Porta on fire in Iraq when he was 20, and he’s still trying to find his way home.

Continue reading "Disfigured Marine veteran faces disrespect at home" »

Posted by sr at 10:28 PM | Permalink

By Tony Perry
Los Angeles Times
Published: April 11, 2013

SAN DIEGO — Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Zambon was in Afghanistan, on his fourth combat deployment as an explosive ordnance disposal technician, when he took a step and heard the ominous click.

Continue reading "Afghan bomb cost Marine his legs, but not his spirit" »

Posted by sr at 5:46 PM | Permalink

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 27, 2013 11:07:00 EDT

Starting today, injured service members no longer will need to remove their shoes, jackets or hats at airport security checkpoints, but they must call ahead to qualify for the perk.

Continue reading "Airport screenings eased for injured troops" »

Posted by sr at 2:16 PM | Permalink

Special Consideration

15 March 2013

TSA wants to facilitate the screening of injured and wounded service members. To address these specific situations, TSA has established the Wounded Warrior/Military Severely Injured Joint Support Operations Center Program to support and facilitate the movement of severely injured service members and veterans through the security screening process at our nation’s airports.

Posted by sr at 5:34 PM | Permalink

Story by Lance Cpl. Scott Reel | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 03.02.2013

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - Lance Cpl. Chad Ohmer, 25, from North Bend, Ohio, had the dream.

Continue reading "Wounded Ohio Marine competes at 2013 Marine Corps Trials" »

Posted by sr at 10:25 PM | Permalink

Tuesday, February 05, 2013
By Eric Brandner

There were large scissors. There was a large ribbon. And when the ceremonial cuts were finally made, the USO fulfilled one of the most ambitious goals in its 72-year history.

Continue reading "Warrior and Family Center at Fort Belvoir Opens" »

Posted by sr at 5:28 PM | Permalink

Story by Aquita Brown | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 02.04.2013

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. - The U.S. Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment will host the third annual Marine Corps Trials for wounded, ill and injured Marines aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., March 1-6.

Continue reading "Marine Wounded Warrior Regiment To Host Third Annual Marine Corps Trials" »

Posted by sr at 10:16 AM | Permalink

Veterans learn to write the words they could not speak.

By CECILIA CAPUZZI SIMON
Published: February 1, 2013

RON CAPPS sat alone in a truck in a Darfur desert preparing to shoot himself in the head. He had been in the military for 22 years, serving in the Army and working for the Foreign Service in the world’s hot spots, including Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Sudan and Rwanda. He’d debriefed Iranian terrorists held in Iraq, observed rebel forces and assessed the carnage they’d left behind in Sudan, counted the mass graves of the hundred thousand killed in the civil war in Zaire — and reported all back to Washington. After five wars in 10 years, Mr. Capps had developed post-traumatic stress disorder, and it was killing him.

Continue reading "Warrior Voices" »

Posted by sr at 11:54 AM | Permalink

By Marilynn Marchione, AP
January 29, 2013

The first soldier to survive after losing all four limbs in the Iraq war has received a double-arm transplant.

Continue reading "Soldier who lost 4 limbs has double-arm transplant" »

Posted by sr at 9:16 PM | Permalink

By Julie Watson - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Jan 19, 2013 14:28:57 EST

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The U.S. Marine Corps, known for turning out some of the military's toughest warriors, is studying how to make its troops even tougher through meditative practices, yoga-type stretching and exercises based on mindfulness.

Continue reading "Marines studying mindfulness-based training" »

Posted by JAA at 10:04 PM | Permalink

Courtesy Story | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 01.17.2013

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va., - Stress is a part of everyday life. However, due to increases in operational tempo and multiple combat deployments many Marines face a greater risk of developing combat stress, post traumatic stress disorder and survivor’s guilt.

Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Regiment promotes basewide discussion of combat stress" »

Posted by sr at 8:02 PM | Permalink

Story by Cpl. Jeff Drew | 2nd Marine Division | Date: 12.14.2012

CAMERON, N.C. – The cheers of the gathered crowds overpowered the roaring of the motorcycles that escorted Lance Cpl. Richie Chavis as he arrived at his new home. Marines with 1st Battalion, 8th Marine Regiment, Chavis’ former unit, joined vendors, friends and family in applause as he arrived to receive the keys.

Continue reading "Operation Coming Home provides wounded Marine veteran with new home" »

Posted by sr at 9:49 AM | Permalink

By Annie Groe
The Washington Post
Published: December 14, 2012

On Dec. 13, 2011, Marine Lance Cpl. Christian Brown was leading his squad on a foot patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand province when he stepped on an explosive device that blew off both his legs, one above the knee, the other below his hip. He also lost part of his right index finger.

Continue reading "Marine double-amputee’s treatment on Delta flight angers other vets" »

Posted by sr at 8:07 AM | Permalink

Learning to Accept, and Master, a $110,000 Mechanical Arm

By JAMES DAO
Published: November 26, 2012

SAN ANTONIO — After the explosion, Cpl. Sebastian Gallegos awoke to see the October sun glinting through the water, an image so lovely he thought he was dreaming. Then something caught his eye, yanking him back to grim awareness: an arm, bobbing near the surface, a black hair tie wrapped around its wrist.

Continue reading " The Hard Road Back" »

Posted by sr at 6:15 PM | Permalink

Written by
Linda McIntosh
12:01 a.m., Nov. 7, 2012
Updated 12:26 p.m. , Nov. 6, 2012

Randy Abbott used to surf in Todos Santos, Mexico. But after a back injury forced him to use a wheelchair, the Marine veteran thought he could never surf again. Now he rides the waves every Thursday off Del Mar.

Continue reading "WOUNDED MARINES TAP OCEAN’S HEALING POWER " »

Posted by sr at 11:48 AM | Permalink

By Martin Griffith - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Oct 28, 2012 11:53:38 EDT

RENO, Nev. — A Marine who has undergone 22 surgeries and lost a leg since being critically wounded in an explosion in Afghanistan is getting a big boost in rebuilding his life in Nevada.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine gets boost in rebuilding life" »

Posted by sr at 4:48 PM | Permalink

Tony Perry in San Diego
October 26, 2012 | 10:23 am

Marine Cpl. Nicholas Kimmel, who lost both legs and his left arm in Afghanistan, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Thursday's World Series game in San Francisco: a strike.

Continue reading "Marine injured in Afghanistan throws first pitch at World Series" »

Posted by sr at 6:52 PM | Permalink

Jim Michaels, USA TODAY

1:25AM EDT October 19. 2012 - CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The shrapnel tore into his midsection and blood was squirting from his right leg. Marine Cpl. Joseph Singer plugged the hole in his leg with a finger and fretted about his dog.

Continue reading "Warriors and dogs bond on battlefield" »

Posted by sr at 4:39 PM | Permalink

By Bill Briggs, NBC News contributor
September 28, 2012

Everything you see in the music video happened to Marine-turned-country-singer Stephen Cochran: Pushing the girl away, boozing into oblivion, the gun on the blanket. It all went down last year.

Continue reading "A country song about PTSD: 'All you've got left are these pieces'" »

Posted by sr at 11:07 PM | Permalink

By Jamie Stengle - The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Sep 24, 2012 9:33:50 EDT

IRVING, Texas — As former President George W. Bush kicked off a golf tournament for wounded members and veterans of the U.S. military Monday, he said the event was not only a chance to watch good golf, but also “a celebration of patriotism, courage and sacrifice.”

Continue reading "Bush hosts golf tourney for wounded military" »

Posted by sr at 10:44 AM | Permalink

Story by Pfc. Joshua Grant | Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune | Date: 09.18.2012

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Improvised explosive devices are a threat to every service member fighting overseas. For those who have faced them, IEDs can leave wounds everyone can see.

Continue reading "Resources for those with traumatic brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 4:41 PM | Permalink

By Katherine Dorsett Bennett, CNN
updated 6:53 PM EDT, Mon September 10, 2012

(CNN) -- While serving on an assignment in Afghanistan on October 23, 2010, Marine Cpl. Juan Dominguez landed on a buried bomb after slipping down an embankment and lost both of his legs and his right arm in an explosion.

Continue reading "Triple-amputee veteran gets 'smart' home on September 11" »

Posted by sr at 10:35 PM | Permalink

By Gina Harkins - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 25, 2012 12:46:17 EDT

A Marine has reached the summit of Africa’s tallest mountain just 18 months after losing his legs to an improvised explosive device — and he did it at the pace of an able-bodied climber.

Continue reading "Amputee EOD tech tackles Africa’s tallest peak" »

Posted by sr at 6:02 PM | Permalink

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Aug 11, 2012 9:05:02 EDT

The Social Security Administration is putting a rare lung disease found in some veterans exposed to burn pits and fires in Iraq and Afghanistan on its “compassionate allowances” list, a designation that should speed the process to receive Social Security disability benefits.

Continue reading "Lung disease put on list for faster benefits" »

Posted by sr at 9:04 AM | Permalink

By C.J. Lin
Stars and Stripes
Published: August 3, 2012

BROOKEVILLE, Md. — Marine Sgt. Jon Gordon hadn’t been able to sleep soundly after driving over three roadside bombs in a six-week period during a 2010 deployment to Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Finding comfort in training service dogs for other wounded vets" »

Posted by sr at 9:42 AM | Permalink

Community members help build accessible house

By Kathleen Ronayne
News Staff Reporter
Published:July 29, 2012, 12:08 AM

NORTH TONAWANDA - Dust and the percussion of hammers on nails filled the air as Marine Cpl. Paul Schaus, who lost both legs in Afghanistan, watched his new home take shape Saturday afternoon.

Continue reading "'Build Brigade' gets to work for wounded vet" »

Posted by sr at 2:55 PM | Permalink

By Piper Haugan of The Montana Standard | Posted: Friday, July 27, 2012 8:30 am

When Lance Cpl. Thomas Parker joined the Marine Corps, it was because he wanted to be a part of something bigger than himself.

Continue reading "Field of Honor: Injured Marine bolstered by citizens’ support " »

Posted by sr at 4:59 PM | Permalink

By Jeff Branscome
The Free Lance-Star, Fredericksburg, Va.
Published: July 20, 2012

Sgt. John Peck says he remembers everything.

Continue reading "Groups team up to build home for wounded Marine in Virginia" »

Posted by sr at 11:14 PM | Permalink

July 18, 2012

The soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in the United States armed forces are some of the toughest, most dedicated, most dependable personnel that make up the most formidable fighting force on earth.

Continue reading "Joyce Orrell serves wounded warriors in Purple Heart Family Support program" »

Posted by sr at 11:53 PM | Permalink

By: Jessica Shumaker - [email protected]
Created: Wednesday, July 18, 2012 9:00 a.m. CDT

DIAMOND — Area groups are mobilizing to support a local Marine who was critically injured last week by a rocket-propelled grenade in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Diamond Marine critically injured in Afghanistan Locals mobilize to raise funds for family, show support" »

Posted by sr at 10:29 PM | Permalink

By John Gillie
The News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.
Published: July 9, 2012

The Transportation Security Administration is making a new program available for wounded and injured veterans that’s designed to make their passage through airport security screening easier and more dignified.

Continue reading "New airport security procedures available for wounded warriors" »

Posted by sr at 11:59 PM | Permalink

Posted: Saturday, June 30, 2012 5:30 am

TWENTYNINE PALMS — A relay team of U.S. Marines crossed the Hi-Desert Friday, bearing an American flag to present to a veteran whose legs were destroyed in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Runners bring flag to war veteran" »

Posted by sr at 10:23 AM | Permalink

By Chuck Haga
Grand Forks Herald, N.D.
Published: June 24, 2012

SAN DIEGO — On a small organic farm outside San Diego, a former combat Marine has found peace and purpose in the tending of plants and in providing other combat veterans a way to find their places in life after war.

Continue reading "Farm program aims to help returning veterans find peace, purpose" »

Posted by sr at 10:16 PM | Permalink

By Sara Bruestle | Jun 20, 2012

A U.S. Marine from Mukilteo is running an American flag more than 50 miles in the desert to raise funds for a wounded fellow Marine.

Continue reading "Marines honor their brother with 160-mile run in the desert" »

Posted by sr at 9:48 PM | Permalink

Combat stress conference in San Diego emphasizes building resilience

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
6:53 p.m., May 24, 2012

The military is expanding its stress control programs and studying ways to protect against the strains of combat and nonstop deployments, adding psychological armor to its kit bag in the same way it once up-armored Humvees.

Continue reading "War winding down, but strain on military continues" »

Posted by sr at 10:55 PM | Permalink

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 20, 2012 15:40:50 EDT

A group of investors, government officials, business executives and former military personnel broke ground May 18 on a private retreat they hope will become a premier getaway for wounded warriors recovering in the Washington, D.C., region.

Continue reading "Va. wounded warrior retreat breaks ground" »

Posted by sr at 4:58 PM | Permalink

By Chip Reid
May 3, 2012

(CBS News) For nearly 100 years, since World War I, the U.S. military has used combat artists to create a visual record of America's wars.

Continue reading "Sketching veterans recovering from war, so their stories aren't lost" »

Posted by sr at 10:49 PM | Permalink

5/1/2012 By Sgt. Aaron Hostutler , Headquarters Marine Corps

COLORODO SPRINGS, Colo. —
The U.S. Olympic Committee and Department of Defense held its opening ceremony today for the 2012 Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Continue reading "First lady kicks off 2012 Warrior Games - Marines prepared for a three-peat " »

Posted by sr at 4:08 PM | Permalink

Reporter: Conroy Delouche
Posted: Fri 8:05 PM, Apr 27, 2012

SPEEDWELL, Tenn. (WVLT) - An injured marine from east Tennessee who spent time recovering in Maryland, is finally home.

Continue reading "Injured Marine returns home to Claiborne County" »

Posted by sr at 10:46 PM | Permalink

Story by Aquita Brown | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 04.26.2012

FORT CARSON, Colo. — “There is nothing wrong with having post traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury. You are not letting anyone down when you seek help for the symptoms that you are encountering and you are not alone in the fight.”

Posted by sr at 5:31 PM | Permalink

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Apr 22, 2012 10:06:22 EDT

A Defense Department inspector general report found gaps in the care, treatment and transition programs for wounded Marines — plus poor morale fueled by idled hands, long waits for medical review boards, mixed messages about using and abusing medications and illegal drugs, and the sense their units had forgotten them. Worse, investigators found, wounded warriors complained they were put on public display, much like in a petting zoo, when charities visited and wanted the “visibly wounded” for their events.

Continue reading "DoD reports gaps in care of wounded warriors" »

Posted by sr at 6:12 PM | Permalink

Written by VINCE DEVLIN Photographed by KURT WILSON of the Missoulian | Posted: Saturday, April 21, 2012 10:00

SAN DIEGO – A few nights ago as she prepared dinner for herself and her son, Lisa Corbett punched through the top of a can of vegetables, gripped the can opener handles with one hand and turned the key with the other.

Posted by sr at 10:57 PM | Permalink

April 7th, 2012 | Posted by Dan Lamothe

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Lance Cpl. Scott Anderson had been in Afghanistan about a month when he was “blown up.”

Continue reading "Marines at Leatherneck concussion center heal, return to combat" »

Posted by sr at 10:10 AM | Permalink

By Tom Vanden Brook
USA Today
Published: April 2, 2012

WASHINGTON -- Staff Sgt. Ross Cox's wounds from the buried bomb were horrific enough: left foot blown off, right leg shattered, three tourniquets strapped to his bleeding limbs.

Continue reading "Protective underwear helps guard troops against IEDs" »

Posted by sr at 8:41 AM | Permalink

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 31, 2012 9:54:58 EDT

The Tricare Assistance Program for behavioral health counseling is being shut down due to lack of use, Tricare officials said Friday.

Continue reading "Tricare to close online mental health program" »

Posted by sr at 9:37 AM | Permalink

By CHRIS PETERSON Hungry Horse News
Posted: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 8:29 am

Can you still play video games? Are your fingers inside the flesh on your hand? How do you get out of the pool with no legs? What does your stump look like? How does that wheelchair work?

Continue reading "Marine tells tales of Afghanistan, recovery" »

Posted by sr at 9:36 PM | Permalink

Story by Cpl. Sarah Dietz | Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms | Date: 03.21.2012
Date Posted:03.26.2012 19:14

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Cpl. Carlos Torres has a quiet spirit and is a man of few words. He is not arrogant, but he is proud of what he does.

Continue reading "1st Tanks Marine, double amputee named best Marine in 1st MarDiv" »

Posted by sr at 8:10 PM | Permalink

3/26/2012 By Capt. Jill L. Wolf , Wounded Warrior Regiment

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — The United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment announced today the final roster of 50 Marines and Marine veterans who will serve on the 2012 All-Marine Warrior Games team.

Continue reading "WWR names 2012 All-Marine Warrior Games team " »

Posted by sr at 3:22 PM | Permalink

By Matthew M. Burke
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 17, 2012

SASEBO NAVAL BASE, Japan — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is collecting video testimony from people suffering from traumatic brain injury, or TBI.

Continue reading "TBI sufferers invited to share their stories online to help others" »

Posted by sr at 9:46 AM | Permalink

Rock group led by Gary Sinise to raise funds for an accessible home

By Dennis Yusko
Updated 10:10 p.m., Monday, March 12, 2012

NASSAU — Actor Gary Sinise came to the Capital Region Monday to roll out the red carpet for an Air Force veteran partially paralyzed from exposure to toxic chemicals in Iraq.

Continue reading "A band of brothers to help wounded vet" »

Posted by sr at 10:52 PM | Permalink

3/12/2012 By Sgt. John Jackson , 1st Marine Logistics Group (FWD)

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Staff Sgt. Marcus Burleson, an explosive ordnance disposal technician and team leader with 2nd EOD Company, 9th Engineer Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group (Forward) was awarded the General Kvinitadze medal, which is given to foreign service members who significantly contribute in the development of Republic of Georgia-foreign nation military cooperation, Feb. 3.

Continue reading "Wounded EOD Marine receives award from Georgian President " »

Posted by sr at 10:14 AM | Permalink

By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 11, 2012

WASHINGTON — In late July last year, Marine Cpl. Kevin Dubois headed out to take the place of another Marine wounded while guarding a hastily setup landing zone near Sangin, a Taliban hotbed in southern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Prosthetics give injured Marine hope for future" »

Posted by sr at 5:31 PM | Permalink

By Joe Gould - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Mar 10, 2012 10:17:55 EST

In the movie “The Empire Strikes Back,” Luke Skywalker’s hand is severed in a battle with Darth Vader and replaced by a futuristic prosthetic. Now science fiction is becoming science fact as the Defense Department funds the development of the “Luke Arm,” which may replace limbs that veterans have lost in battle.

Continue reading "New prosthetic arm born from ‘Star Wars’" »

Posted by sr at 9:44 AM | Permalink

By Michael Hill - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 22, 2012 10:15:57 EST

HYDE PARK, N.Y. — Julio Gerena is in a wheelchair, his long career in the Navy and Army forever behind him. But the 52-year-old recaptured some of the old military camaraderie while peeling potatoes and chopping cilantro in a crowded kitchen.

Continue reading "Vets find camaraderie in cooking ‘boot camp’" »

Posted by sr at 11:05 AM | Permalink

February 22, 2012 3:52 PM
ERIKA I. RITCHIE - Orange County Register

CAMP PENDLETON — Cpl. Anthony McDaniel spun his wheelchair and strategically placed it between it himself and two guards from the opposing team.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors show spirit in Marine games Area Marine takes gold in air rifle shooting" »

Posted by sr at 8:34 AM | Permalink

CNN|Added on February 17, 2012
News video

Marines just back from war in Afghanistan reunite with their injured buddies, CNN's Barbara Starr reports.

Continue reading "Marines visit wounded buddies" »

Posted by sr at 6:13 PM | Permalink

By Jay Reeves - The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Feb 8, 2012 11:26:40 EST

JACKSONVILLE, Ala. — Shot through the upper back on a rooftop in Afghanistan and gasping for breath after a bullet ripped through his chest, Marine Sgt. Ben Tomlinson had a fear worse than death.

Continue reading "Homecoming pushes wounded vet toward recovery" »

Posted by sr at 11:44 AM | Permalink

By MICHAEL M. PHILLIPS
FEBRUARY 4, 2012

DALLAS—The night Katie Brickman met Ian Welch at the bar, she knew right away the Iraq war veteran was the man she wanted to marry.

Continue reading "For Wounded Vet, Love Pierces the Fog of War " »

Posted by sr at 10:25 PM | Permalink

By Elaine Sanchez
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2012 – First Lady Michelle Obama today announced a series of measures intended to increase the nation’s support for caregivers of wounded, ill and injured service members.

Continue reading "Proposal Would Expand Support for Military Caregivers" »

Posted by SP at 9:13 PM | Permalink

1/27/2012 By Capt. Jill Wolf , Wounded Warrior Regiment

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. (Jan. 27, 2012) — Marines, sailors and family members gathered here to honor a Wounded Warrior Regiment staff member during an award ceremony at the regimental headquarters today.

Continue reading "WWR Marine receives Bronze Star " »

Posted by sr at 9:51 PM | Permalink

By Julie Watson - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Jan 19, 2012 7:18:12 EST

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — When the Marine unit that suffered the greatest casualties in the 10-year Afghan war returned home last spring, they didn’t rush back to their everyday lives.

Continue reading "Wars’ lessons applied to ease combat stress" »

Posted by sr at 10:43 AM | Permalink

By BILL LEUKHARDT, [email protected] The Hartford Courant
12:24 a.m. EST, January 13, 2012
CHICOPEE, Mass.—

— The sight of a young man with a USMC tattoo on his right forearm, standing with the help of two canes next to a wheelchair, was the big treat Thursday night for a group of Connecticut-based Marines returning from Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine Surprises Comrades As They Return Home From War" »

Posted by sr at 9:49 PM | Permalink

Photo Essay: The Story of Scott Ostrom
Friday, December 30th, 2011

After serving four years as a reconnaissance man and deploying twice to Iraq, Brian Scott Ostrom, now 27, returned home to the U.S. with a severe case of post-traumatic stress disorder. “The most important part of my life already happened. The most devastating. The chance to come home in a box. Nothing is ever going to compare to what I’ve done, so I’m struggling to be at peace with that,” Scott said. He attributes his PTSD to his second deployment to Iraq, where he served seven months in Fallujah with the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion. “It was the most brutal time of my life,” he said. “I didn’t realize it because I was living it. It was a part of me.” Since his discharge, Scott has struggled with daily life, from finding and keeping employment to maintaining healthy relationships. But most of all, he’s struggled to overcome his brutal and haunting memories of Iraq. Nearly five years later, Scott remains conflicted by the war. Though he is proud of his service and cares greatly for his fellow Marines, he still carries guilt for things he did — and didn’t do — fighting a war he no longer believes in.

Continue reading "Welcome Home" »

Posted by sr at 5:04 PM | Permalink

Posted: Friday, December 30, 2011 7:10 pm
By HILARY MATHESON/The Daily Inter Lake

One misstep on a path containing improvised explosive devices destroyed Lance Cpl. Thomas “Tomy” Parker’s legs and four fingers of his left hand.

Continue reading "Injured Marine ready to live his life" »

Posted by sr at 11:22 AM | Permalink

By Staff reports
Lombard Spectator
Posted Dec 27, 2011

Lombard, IL —

On a warm summer night, throngs of people gathered at O’Hare Airport, at the Yorktown Shopping Center then outside a single-family home on Lewis Avenue. They were in a festive spirit to welcome home Marine Sgt. Billy McIntyre, a Lombard resident returning home after being wounded in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Catching up with: Billy McIntyre, U.S. Marine wounded in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 8:23 PM | Permalink

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
8 p.m., Dec. 24, 2011

The current generation of young war-wounded amputees like Sgt. Collin Raaz, a 25-year-old Marine scout sniper, will likely live 50 to 60 more years.

Continue reading "Amputee needs will continue long after wars" »

Posted by sr at 10:43 PM | Permalink

With his surgeries in the past, Marine sergeant sees a clear path forward

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
8 p.m., Dec. 24, 2011

Sgt. Collin Raaz has a few things to give the guys after they return from Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Facing the future with hope" »

Posted by sr at 10:31 PM | Permalink

Sgt. Collin Raaz wears tall prosthetic legs to the ball

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
8 p.m., Dec. 23, 2011

Sgt. Collin Raaz stops in the lobby of Caesars Palace hotel, leaning on two canes. The 25-year-old Marine is dressed casually in shorts that reveal his new prosthetic legs. He spray-painted them in red, white and blue stripes to match the motorcycle he used to ride before he was wounded.

Continue reading "A reunion of Marine brothers" »

Posted by sr at 11:50 PM | Permalink

Associated Press
By ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS
AP – Fri, Dec 23, 2011

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Inside the medevac helicopter in Afghanistan, U.S. Marine Cpl. Burness Britt bleeds profusely from his neck. He and two other Marines have just been hit by shrapnel, with Britt's injuries the most serious. The medevac crew chief clutches one of Britt's blood-covered hands as he is given oxygen. I take hold of the other.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine inspires AP photographer's search" »

Posted by sr at 11:49 PM | Permalink

Marine is poised at nexus of man and machine

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
8 p.m., Dec. 22, 2011

In a sunlit room of the naval hospital, Sgt. Collin Raaz balances on two tall prosthetic legs, standing at the threshold of his bionic future.

Continue reading "Walking tall on prosthetic legs" »

Posted by sr at 8:52 PM | Permalink

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
8 p.m., Dec. 21, 2011

The Marine lies on his side in the military hospital, his wheelchair parked nearby, waiting to be cast for his first pair of legs. The prosthetist dips strips of fabric coated in plaster into a bucket of warm water, then smooths them over thin pants covering Sgt. Collin Raaz’s battle-scarred thighs.

Continue reading "First steps for Marine after the blast" »

Posted by sr at 8:42 PM | Permalink

12/21/2011 By Capt. Patrick Boyce , Manpower & Reserve Affairs

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — No one steps foot into the combat zone in hopes to be wounded. But it’s a fact that some Marines in combat will be wounded or injured as a result of enemy action, with many of the Marines being eligible for award of the Purple Heart.

Continue reading "Marines with concussion, mild brain injury may qualify for Purple Heart " »

Posted by sr at 4:57 PM | Permalink

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Dec 21, 2011 14:47:52 EST

The Marine Corps wants to make sure Marines and sailors who suffer concussions and other head injuries are tagged and tracked in a medical database, which officials hope will lead to better health care and treatment.

Continue reading "New database tracks Marine head injuries" »

Posted by sr at 9:43 AM | Permalink

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
8 p.m., Dec. 20, 2011

On moving day, Sgt. Collin Raaz doesn’t have far to go or many belongings to transport. His car, his motorcycle and most of his other possessions remain in storage at the Twentynine Palms Marine base he called home before deploying to Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Marine moves on from inpatient ward" »

Posted by sr at 11:42 PM | Permalink

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
9 p.m., Dec. 19, 2011

Sgt. Collin Raaz sits in a dimly lit physical therapy room on a September morning, gripping a six-pound weight in each hand. His thighs are scored with scars from the explosion, the many surgeries that followed and skin grafts.

Continue reading "Healing hurts for Marine after return from war" »

Posted by sr at 11:00 PM | Permalink

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
9 p.m., Dec. 18, 2011
Updated 7:33 p.m.

The field where they wait for the medevac flight is strewn with dead stalks of opium poppy. Sgt. Collin Raaz, a 24-year-old Marine scout sniper, is critically injured from a bomb strike.

Continue reading "Military doctors on a mission for wounded Marine " »

Posted by sr at 9:29 PM | Permalink

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
5 p.m., Dec. 17, 2011

Reporting for the eight-day series “The Long Walk Home” was compiled during periodic visits and lengthy interviews with Sgt. Collin Raaz over three months of his recovery at San Diego Naval Medical Center.

Continue reading "Reporting 'The Long Walk Home'" »

Posted by sr at 10:50 PM | Permalink

Marine left disabled by explosion in Afghanistan greeted with flags, ribbons, cheers

By Jack McCarthy, Special to the Tribune
7:17 p.m. CST, December 17, 2011

Josh Misiewicz couldn't stop grinning, even as he stood outside his family's La Grange home on prosthetic legs with an ear injury suffered in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "La Grange welcomes wounded warrior home" »

Posted by sr at 10:21 PM | Permalink

Marine had seen his share of IED casualties in Afghanistan, then he became one

Written by
Gretel C. Kovach
9:47 p.m., Dec. 17, 2011

Click. Boom.

Continue reading "A single step, then everything changed" »

Posted by sr at 9:35 PM | Permalink

By Kenneth Klein/Contributing Writer | Posted: Friday, December 16, 2011 12:15 am

Sitting in a wheelchair with a giant smile on his face, Marine Lance Cpl. Cody Elliott matched the excitement of those welcoming the wounded warrior back to the Central Coast.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine from Grover is welcomed home" »

Posted by sr at 6:04 PM | Permalink

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Dec 2, 2011 15:53:29 EST

Veterans whose genitals have been severely injured as a result of trauma are now eligible for a lump-sum payment under the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance Traumatic Injury program, or TSGLI.

Continue reading "Traumatic injury pay now covers genital trauma" »

Posted by sr at 5:41 PM | Permalink

POSTED: 9:25 pm CST November 30, 2011

OMAHA, Neb. -- Months after a roadside bomb blew up his vehicle, a Fremont Marine has returned home, thankful to be alive.

Continue reading "Injured Marine Greeted With Hero's Welcome" »

Posted by sr at 11:09 AM | Permalink

By Seth Robbins
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 25, 2011

LANDSTUHL, Germany — During a firefight in Afghanistan’s Kandahar province in 2002, U.S. Army Maj. Kevin Kit Parker stood atop a hill awaiting a Medevac flight for an injured soldier when a bomb exploded several miles away.

Continue reading "Groundbreaking research looks at how blasts injure brain" »

Posted by sr at 5:20 PM | Permalink

By BRITTANY SHAMMAS
Posted November 23, 2011

About 40 people gathered Wednesday night to pray and show support for a local Marine and Gulf Coast High School graduate who lost his leg after stepping on an improvised explosive device last week in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Friends, strangers turn out to support local Marine who lost leg in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 5:33 PM | Permalink

Julia Prodis Sulek
[email protected]
Posted: 11/22/2011 03:58:46 PM PST

Marine Cpl. Daniel Franke will be coming home this Thanksgiving, wheeling across the concourse at the San Jose airport after a long and painful journey.

Continue reading "Injured San Jose Marine returns home to family" »

Posted by sr at 5:32 PM | Permalink

By Megan McCloskey
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 20, 2011

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — The breaking point came when Sandra Rivera found their 9-year-old son backed against a wall with his arms over his face, shielding himself from her husband’s screaming.

Continue reading "War-torn marriage: Family shattered by TBI, PTSD picks up pieces" »

Posted by sr at 9:18 PM | Permalink

By Gina Cavallaro - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Nov 20, 2011 9:49:10 EST

Fresher blood, sharper training and more rehab in theater have meant higher survival rates for wounded Marines and allowed thousands more to stay with their units longer after suffering an injury downrange.

Continue reading "More Marines survive war-zone wounds" »

Posted by sr at 10:52 AM | Permalink

Sunday, November 20, 2011
John Garcia

November 20, 2011 (MANHATTAN, Ill.) (WLS) -- A suburban Marine injured in Afghanistan was welcomed home to an early Thanksgiving dinner on Sunday.

Continue reading "Local Marine injured in Afghanistan returns home" »

Posted by sr at 9:27 AM | Permalink

Greg Caron was seriously injured in Afghanistan and the whole town is now coming together to support him and his family.

By Erin Quinlan
Nov. 17.2011

When people in Ellington heard that Marine Greg Caron had been injured in Afghanistan, they rallied.

Continue reading "Ellington Comes Together for Injured Marine" »

Posted by sr at 10:24 PM | Permalink

By taniameireles2
– November 17, 2011

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently published the 2011 DoD Compensation and Benefits Handbook, a comprehensive resource guide describing compensation and other benefits Service members and their families would be entitled to upon separation or retirement as a result of serious injury or illness.

Continue reading "DoD Releases Updated Compensation and Benefits Handbook to Assist Wounded, Ill and Injured Service Members and Their Families" »

Posted by sr at 9:28 AM | Permalink

By NICK VLAHOS
OF THE JOURNAL STAR
Posted Nov 10, 2011 @ 08:25 PM
Last update Nov 11, 2011 @ 08:48 AM

PEORIA —
Happy birthday, U.S. Marine Corps.

Continue reading "Marine injured in Afghanistan receives hero's welcome" »

Posted by sr at 4:59 PM | Permalink

Published: Saturday, November 05, 2011, 7:38 PM

MONROE (Middlesex County) — At first, Marcella Pascik didn’t notice the color scheme on the outside of her newly renovated home.

Continue reading "Volunteers make Monroe home wheelchair accessible for Marine who lost legs in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 10:22 PM | Permalink

By Patricia Kime - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Nov 4, 2011 13:09:32 EDT

Apparently, wounded warriors who find a way to overcome grievous injuries tend to share a common characteristic: a wicked sense of gallows humor.

Continue reading "Wounded warriors share tales of recovery, hope" »

Posted by sr at 5:30 PM | Permalink

By Paula J. Caplan, Published: November 4

Psychologist Paula J. Caplan on how civilians and veterans can find common ground

We are a war-illiterate nation, and our ignorance can be obvious when civilians say to veterans: “Thank you for your service.” That simple phrase might seem like the best thing to say — it strikes us as easy, respectful and appreciative — but some veterans find the thank you disturbing, even if they realize that the speaker has good intentions.

Continue reading "Just by listening, civilians can help veterans heal" »

Posted by sr at 9:20 AM | Permalink

By Tom Smith
Senior Staff Writer
11/3/11

Christina Felber said her family members have had some anxious moments since learning her brother, Marine Cpl. Brian Felber, was severely injured while on patrol Monday morning in Sangin, Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Local Marine injured in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 5:15 PM | Permalink

By CNN National Security Producer Jennifer Rizzo
November 1st, 2011
02:27 PM ET

For the first time ever, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) systems were deployed to a combat zone last month, ending an initiative by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps to obtain the technology for brain injury treatment in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Military surges MRIs to war zone to diagnose brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 1:53 PM | Permalink

Active-duty Marines will undergo trials at Pendleton, Lejeune naval hospitals

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Oct 22, 2011 9:18:14 EDT

Marines are participating in a study to see whether treatments of pure oxygen will help heal service members with mild traumatic brain injuries, one of the most common wounds of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Pure oxygen used in treating brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 8:26 AM | Permalink

David Wood
Posted: 10/21/11 08:10 AM ET

In the dusty desert village of Jigjiga, in Ethiopia, I once watched a man die.

Continue reading "Beyond The Battlefield: A Reporter's Reflections On The Plight Of Severely Wounded Veterans " »

Posted by sr at 1:01 PM | Permalink

By MARK WALKER [email protected] | Posted: Sunday, October 16, 2011 5:30 am

The Marine Corps is trying to ease some of the hell of war, ordering that initiatives with roots at Camp Pendleton be put in place across the force to stem troop suicides and reduce combat stress disorder.

Continue reading "Pendleton leads way in easing hell of war " »

Posted by sr at 7:04 PM | Permalink

By Michael Doyle
McClatchy Newspapers
Published: October 14, 2011

WASHINGTON — Kurtis Foster knows the cost of wartime service.

Continue reading "Badly wounded Marine finds a new way to serve his country" »

Posted by sr at 8:10 PM | Permalink

David Wood
First Posted: 10/14/11 08:31 AM ET Updated: 10/18/11 11:14 AM ET

Luana Schneider gave up her career as an interior decorator and her "side job" as a mother of six, and moved to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio to care for her son. In addition to his severe burns, he had suffered perforated internal organs and leg injuries that eventually required an amputation. She lived in a hotel room and devoted days and nights to his care. Just changing his dressings took up to eight hours a day.

Continue reading "Beyond the Battlefield: As Wounded Veterans Struggle To Recover, Caregivers Share The Pain " »

Posted by sr at 4:55 PM | Permalink

David Wood
First Posted: 10/13/11 08:57 AM ET

Last January, on a dusty parade ground in Mosul, Iraq, Army Sgt. Robert Fierro was shot in the head.

Continue reading "Beyond The Battlefield: Military Turning To Wounded Vets' Families As Key Part Of Healing Process " »

Posted by sr at 4:17 PM | Permalink

10/12/2011 By Lance Cpl. Michelle S. Mattei , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in celebration of the opening of Camp Pendleton’s Warrior Hope and Care Center, Oct. 6, marking the end of a nearly three-year-long construction. MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The new facility located in the Wounded Warrior Battalion West will house offices for counseling and transition services that cater to wounded, ill and injured Marines, sailors and their families during their healing process.

Continue reading "Hope and Care center opens for wounded warriors " »

Posted by sr at 9:54 PM | Permalink

David Wood
First Posted: 10/11/11 08:28 AM ET

Stepping carefully through the blinding sun and heat and dust of southern Afghanistan with Lance Cpl. Tyler Southern and several squads of sweating Marines was a brand-new Navy corpsman, James Stoddard. He had never treated a real-life battle casualty. He was 19 years old.

Continue reading "Beyond The Battlefield: With Better Technology And Training, Medics Saving More Lives " »

Posted by sr at 10:06 PM | Permalink

Events for wounded warriors draws former president back into spotlight

By Jamie Stengle - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Oct 8, 2011 14:17:00 EDT

DALLAS — George W. Bush says that after eight years in the White House, he’s happy to be back home in Texas and out of the spotlight.

Continue reading "Bush hosting Warrior Open for injured troops" »

Posted by sr at 5:08 PM | Permalink

By JANE ROSETT
Published: October 8, 2011

Jane Rosett is an artist at work on a multimedia project, “Adaptivitudes: Navigating My Brain Injury Rehabilitation,” and currently a brain injury patient at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

Boston

“WANT a piece of gum, Jane?” asked my friend Andrée.

Continue reading "Starting Again After a Brain Injury" »

Posted by sr at 4:51 PM | Permalink

The Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) provides veterans who were medically separated from military service between September 11, 2001 and December 31, 2009, with a new chance to have their disability ratings reviewed for fairness, consistency and accuracy.

Continue reading "Separated Vets Can Apply for Review" »

Posted by sr at 5:12 PM | Permalink

By Brigid Brett | Posted: Friday, September 30, 2011

Richard "Sunny" Farrand hates to see anyone who has been injured while serving in the military falling through the cracks. Which is why he spends pretty much all his time checking up on wounded warriors at Naval Medical Center San Diego and helping military families who are trapped in bureaucratic limbo.

Continue reading "Preventing injured military families from falling through the cracks" »

Posted by sr at 11:01 PM | Permalink

By MARK WALKER [email protected] | Posted: Friday, September 30, 2011

A half-dozen Marines with brain injuries from combat in Afghanistan or Iraq will crawl inside a hyperbaric chamber at Camp Pendleton next week to begin eight weeks of treatment breathing pure oxygen to see if it speeds their recovery.

Continue reading "Brain injury study under way at Camp Pendleton " »

Posted by sr at 9:43 PM | Permalink

By Associated Press, Updated: Saturday, September 24, 2:10 AM

FORWARD OPERATING BASE JACKSON, Afghanistan — After the suicide bombing, the U.S. Marine dog handler lay on a stretcher, his bloodied legs laced with shrapnel. They brought in his wounded dog, too. Blood dripped from the haunches of the Belgian Malinois.

Continue reading "US Marine dog handler and his dog, injured in Afghan suicide bombing, begin long recovery" »

Posted by sr at 3:49 PM | Permalink

by Dave Franzman :: UPDATED: 23 September 2011

MARION – A Marine who was wounded in a blast in Afghanistan in late May still has a long way to go to meet his goal of returning to duty.

Continue reading "Wounded Marion Marine on road to recovery" »

Posted by sr at 2:54 PM | Permalink

9/19/2011 By Aquita Brown , Wounded Warrior Regiment

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va., (Sept 19, 2011) — Marine reservists who are combat wounded, injured stateside or fall ill while in a duty status can be assured that they will have someone on their side. Mark Brokaw, who works at the Wounded Warrior Regiment here, wants reserve Marines to know this. Brokaw works at the Regiment as the program manager for the Reserve Medical Entitlements Determination section. Unique to the Marine Corps, the Wounded Warrior Regiment has an RMED section that tracks and manages the non-medical and medical care of wounded, ill and injured reserve Marines.

Continue reading "Program aids wounded reserve Marines " »

Posted by sr at 10:57 PM | Permalink

Photos and story by Sarah Weiser, The Herald
Published: Sunday, September 18, 2011

LAKE STEVENS -- The crowd's shouts were lighthearted.

Continue reading "The battle within: Trying to find the man inside the Marine" »

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

TSGLI Payments Will Be Made for Qualifying Injuries

September 16, 2011

WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is extending retroactive traumatic injury benefits to Servicemembers who suffered qualifying injuries during the period Oct. 7, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2005, regardless of the geographic location where the injuries occurred.

Continue reading "Retroactive Traumatic Injury Benefits No Longer Just For OEF/OIF Injuries" »

Posted by sr at 2:24 PM | Permalink

Five years after they joined the Marines, one of the Shipp twins is home and thankful for help from family and veterans programs

September 10, 2011
[email protected]

Five years ago, fraternal twin brothers from Hauser Lake realized their lifelong dream of enlisting in the U.S. Marines. They were eager to “see action” in Iraq or Afghanistan and defend their country.

Continue reading "Enlisting support" »

Posted by sr at 10:26 PM | Permalink

SAN FRANCISCO | Fri Sep 9, 2011 3:38pm EDT

(Reuters) - Jordan Towers said he was unpacking a truck during a family move from Truckee, California, to the state capital of Sacramento when he heard the news that a plane had flown into New York's World Trade Center.

Continue reading "Man who joined U.S. Marines after 9/11 made sacrifice" »

Posted by sr at 10:13 PM | Permalink

Published: Wednesday, September 07, 2011
By Daniela Forte

“If it wasn’t for people in the military, and people in the CIA and FBI, still out there doing their jobs, Osama Bin Laden would still be out there.”

Continue reading "Severely Injured Litchfield Marine Reflects on Importance of Mission 10 Years After 9/11" »

Posted by sr at 11:26 PM | Permalink

Five years after a gunshot changed his life, the author reflects on what a decade of war has cost Americans

By Justin Constantine
Sep 6 2011

I cry whenever I think of a memorial service I attended in Iraq. From the back of the hot, packed room next to the chaplain's office, I looked down the center aisle and saw six sets of boots, rifles, helmets, and dog tags. Six Americans had lost their lives defending their country. I had seen these Marines hug each other before heading out on patrol -- real hugs, as if they guessed they might not see each other again. They had been in Iraq for a while and knew how dangerous every mission was.

Continue reading "Wounded in Iraq: A Marine's Story" »

Posted by sr at 10:07 PM | Permalink

By R. Norman Moody - Florida Today
Posted : Sunday Sep 4, 2011 11:09:15 EDT

With the touch of a button, Russ Marek’s easy chair lifts him to a standing position.

Continue reading "Wounded vets applaud new caregivers plan" »

Posted by sr at 11:19 AM | Permalink

Sep 3, 2011
Written by
David Rising
Associated Press

LANDSTUHL, Germany - Volunteer staff from the U.S. military's Landstuhl Regional Medical Center huddle outside the emergency room doors, waiting under heat lamps on a crisp morning for what has become a daily routine in a decade of war - the arrival on a blue bus of the latest casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continue reading "U.S. military hospital at forefront of saving lives" »

Posted by sr at 5:34 PM | Permalink

By Janese Silvey - The Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune via AP
Posted : Saturday Sep 3, 2011 10:18:36 EDT

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Aaron Johnson applauded when Stella, a boxer mix, made it through a dark, curved tunnel on an obstacle course at Columbia Canine Sports Center.

Continue reading "Shelter dogs train to aid vets with PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 11:46 AM | Permalink

9/2/2011 By Capt. Jill L. Wolf , Wounded Warrior Regiment

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Some service members who are catastrophically wounded, ill or injured are now eligible for compensation designed to offset the economic burden primary caregivers incur when assisting them.

Continue reading "Special Compensation for Assistance with Activities of Daily Living " »

Posted by sr at 11:18 PM | Permalink

Proceeds to benefit USO Wounded Warrior Family Centers

September 4, 2010(Nashville, Tenn. – Aug. 31, 2011) Active-duty U.S. Marine and multi-genre artist Mike Corrado is raising public awareness for wounded service members with his latest single and video, titled “Still In The Fight.”

Continue reading "U.S. Marine Mike Corrado Raises Awareness For Wounded Warriors With Latest Single and Video, “Still In The Fight” " »

Posted by sr at 11:24 PM | Permalink

8/29/2011 By Lance Cpl. Daniel Wulz , II MEF (FWD)
CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Within the military, it is said that service members look out for their own. In combat, brothers and sisters in arms have given life and limb for one another countless times throughout the history of our nation’s military.

Continue reading "Volunteers build pathway for heroes " »

Posted by sr at 10:41 AM | Permalink

By Tanya Eiserer - Dallas Morning News
Posted : Monday Aug 29, 2011 11:40:38 EDT

DALLAS — Dallas police Officer Andrew Litz falls frequently and can’t walk across the room without help.

Continue reading "Vet struggles to get care for PTSD, TBI" »

Posted by sr at 7:23 AM | Permalink

By NICK VLAHOS
of the Journal Star
Posted Aug 05, 2011

EL PASO —

Rodney Holzhauer has a severe heart problem. "I'm a bomb waiting to explode," the El Paso resident said with a chuckle.

Continue reading "Fundraiser will help Marine who lost lower legs in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 9:57 PM | Permalink

August 1, 2011
by JTOZER

Captain Matthew Kutilek, U.S. Marine Corps

My interaction with Navy Medicine during my first eight years of service in the Marine Corps proved to be limited, uneventful and quite normal. An appointment here, sickness there, the birth of two healthy daughters over a span of two years and follow-on requisite visits proved to be the norm.

Continue reading "Medical Monday: A Grateful Marine’s Journey Through Navy Medicine" »

Posted by sr at 5:29 PM | Permalink

By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday Jul 29, 2011 7:25:44 EDT

WASHINGTON — More than a thousand Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder would be given lifetime disability retirement benefits such as military health insurance under the terms of a settlement reached between the government and the veterans.

Continue reading "Vets with PTSD, government reach settlement" »

Posted by sr at 8:17 AM | Permalink

Story by Cpl. Jeff Drew | 2nd Marine Division | Date: 07.27.2011

CAMP HANSON, Helmand province, Afghanistan – The pouring rain drenched the streets of Ramadi, Iraq, mixing with the rancid stench of backed-up sewage canals. The knee-deep concoction made the night patrol difficult for the Marines, but they had a mission to accomplish.

Continue reading "An American hero: Georgia native loses leg, returns to combat zone" »

Posted by sr at 5:46 PM | Permalink

By Amy Norton
NEW YORK | Thu Jul 21, 2011 4:03pm EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Reservists returning from Iraq or Afghanistan may have more trouble adjusting to life at home than full-time soldiers do -- and that can take a toll on their mental well-being, a UK study finds.

Continue reading "After tour, Reservists' mental health may suffer" »

Posted by sr at 3:42 PM | Permalink

OSCAR, the mental health arm of the Marine Corps, offers a host of services designed to ensure that no Marine has to recover alone from the trauma of battle.

By Judy Erickson
July 14, 2011

In an effort to identify and treat Marines who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the Navy and Marine Corps have developed certain protocols in recent years. Psychiatrists, nurse practitioners and psychiatric technicians deploy with and also live in regiments on the front lines with troops.

Continue reading "Marine Corps Wages War on PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 10:40 PM | Permalink

Kurt Busch carries a deep passion for connecting with veterans of the United States military...

FOXSports.com | Posted July 05, 2011 Daytona Beach, FL
Article by Lee Spencer, FOXSports.com

Johnny “Joey” Jones is as elated as any NASCAR fan who would have the opportunity to hang out in the driver/owner lot at Daytona International Speedway.

Continue reading "Kurt Busch Gives To Soldiers In Personal Way" »

Posted by sr at 12:21 PM | Permalink

Saturday, VFW Post 2593 held a fundraiser barbecue and auction to benefit U.S. Marine Corporal Justin McLoud, of Cedar Hill, who was severely injured by a roadside bomb while serving in Afghanistan.

By Sarah Worner | July 4, 2011

U.S. Marine Corporal Justin McLoud, 23, of Cedar Hill, briefly returned to St. Louis for the first time since Christmas 2009.

Continue reading "VFW Raises Close to $60,000 for 23-Year-Old War Veteran" »

Posted by sr at 9:39 AM | Permalink

Published: Sunday, July 03, 2011, 6:11 AM Updated: Sunday, July 03, 2011, 7:37 AM
By Roy Hoffman, Press-Register

At Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, Christopher Montgomery, a U.S. Marine corporal from Mobile, is learning to walk on artificial limbs.

Continue reading "U.S. Marine from Mobile who lost legs in Afghanistan determined to walk" »

Posted by sr at 10:26 PM | Permalink

By LAURA SUMMERS World Correspondent
Published: 7/2/2011 4:49 PM
Last Modified: 7/3/2011 2:02 PM

BARTLESVILLE — Marine Lance Corp. William Ely pounded the pavement Saturday on a 20-mile run down U.S. 75 to raise awareness and support for the Marine 1st Battalion, 5th Regiment serving in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Marine Runs for Unit in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jul 2, 2011 9:54:21 EDT

SAN DIEGO — An advanced, high-tech scanner is providing a team of Navy, Veterans Affairs Department and university researchers with detailed pictures of brain activity that will better identify traumatic brain injury, the signature but often-invisible war wound.

Continue reading "Scanner helps find traumatic brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 10:33 AM | Permalink

Grover Beach man loses leg in IED explosion

By April Charlton/Senior Staff Writer [email protected] | Posted: Thursday, June 30, 2011

Life forever changed for one U.S. Marine from Grover Beach during his second tour of duty in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Local Marine severely injured in Afghanistan explosion" »

Posted by sr at 10:20 PM | Permalink

AMANDA CROWE
Fairborn Editor
June 30, 2011

FAIRBORN � While Homes For Our Troops is completing a new home for Corporal Larry Draughn another organization wants to help him take care of it.

Continue reading "Help �stuff the trailer� for local Marine" »

Posted by sr at 11:17 AM | Permalink

By GoFISHn Editors on June 29, 2011

Anyone who's fly fished in Montana knows how soothing it can be, and that's why retired Marines colonel Eric Hastings decided to start Warriors and Quiet Waters–to share that tranquility with servicemen and women who have been traumatically wounded.

Continue reading "Former Marine Helping Injured Veterans Find Peace Through Fly Fishing: Warriors and Quiet Waters" »

Posted by sr at 11:05 AM | Permalink

6/28/2011 By Cpl. Damien Gutierrez , Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — The legacy and tradition of one Camp Pendleton Marine who changed the lives of hundreds of wounded veterans was given new life at the place where it all began.

Continue reading "Horse riding program named after Marine Corps legend" »

Posted by sr at 9:59 PM | Permalink

By Mark Schulman
Times-News Staff Writer
Published: Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 4:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Friday, June 24, 2011 at 12:32 p.m.

The family of a fallen Marine from Stanley has stepped up to help a Marine from Hendersonville who was severely injured in an IED attack in Afghanistan earlier this month.

Continue reading "Fallen Marine's family reaches out to Hendersonville Marine" »

Posted by sr at 8:58 PM | Permalink

6/24/2011 By Lance Cpl. Walter D. Marino II , 2nd Marine Division

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Imagine you’re driving down a road with loved ones and suddenly a deer leaps in front of your car. Maybe you’re able to avoid the crash, maybe not – either way, that moment will affect you for the rest of your drive and maybe the rest of your life. Now multiply that by 100 and you might have an idea of what it’s like to encounter an improvised explosive device.

Continue reading "Help available for Lejeune Marines with PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 9:44 PM | Permalink

11:00 PM, Jun. 18, 2011
Written by
LA TONYA FRELIX

Community members turned out Saturday to welcome home Petal resident Cpl. Colte James, who was injured June 4 in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Community welcomes injured Marine" »

Posted by sr at 5:13 PM | Permalink

By ANJA NIEDRINGHAUS
Associated Press
Jun 17, 6:19 AM EDT

ABOARD A BLACK HAWK HELICOPTER IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN (AP) - The Army medics had just dropped off a Marine wounded in a bombing when one reached over and handed me a scribbled note inside the noisy U.S. helicopter.

Continue reading "Lucky charms and bullet holes in Afghan helicopter" »

Posted by sr at 9:17 AM | Permalink

Commemorative DVD raises funds for Camp Pendleton troops

By Gretel C. Kovach
4:45 p.m., June 14, 2011

Amber McLoud was shopping in Walmart when she got the call. A gunnery sergeant wanted to inform her of some “really bad news” about her husband, an infantry Marine deployed to Afghanistan.

Continue reading "'The Day Remembered': Wounded Marines reflect on life after Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 11:10 PM | Permalink

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 13, 2011 – A month after the Veterans Affairs Department began processing applications for primary family caregivers of eligible post-9/11 veterans, officials report steady progress toward delivering the new services and benefits.

Continue reading "VA Works to Provide Post-9/11 Family Caregiver Benefits" »

Posted by sr at 5:03 PM | Permalink

By Denise Bonura
The Record Herald
Posted Jun 11, 2011 @ 11:01 AM

Lance Cpl. Matthew Shank of Waynesboro was among five Marines to receive the Purple Heart by Marine commandant Gen. James Amos Thursday.

Continue reading "Lance Cpl. Matthew Shank of Waynesboro receives the Purple Heart" »

Posted by sr at 12:59 PM | Permalink

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Jun 8, 2011 12:42:25 EDT

When Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent hits the road to visit Marines, he likes to share the story of one man’s fight with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Continue reading "Navy Cross recipient credits Kent in recovery" »

Posted by sr at 5:41 PM | Permalink

The Palo Alto facility is among four nationwide in which physicians and therapists take a team approach to care for those who have suffered amputations and other catastrophic injuries, many from bomb blasts.

By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
June 5, 2011

Reporting from Palo Alto—
Marine Lance Cpl. Jorge Ortiz is in pain.

A combat photographer, Ortiz was taking pictures of a captured weapons cache in Sangin, Afghanistan, on Jan. 15 when he stepped on a buried explosive device.

Continue reading "VA trauma center treats most grievously wounded troops" »

Posted by sr at 10:17 PM | Permalink

Frank Gray
Last updated: June 5, 2011 10:36 a.m.

Normally a placid place, the Fort Wayne International Airport terminal was jammed Saturday afternoon with people carrying flags, signs and cameras.

Continue reading "Marine earns raucous day of welcoming" »

Posted by sr at 5:09 PM | Permalink

Wounded Propst won't come home without unit

Andrew Dys - Columnist
Published: Friday, Jun. 03, 2011

YORK --

When you are the son of a guy who runs a sawmill in rural western York County - and your grandfather and great-grandfather that ran that mill - you grow up tough and hard-nosed.

Continue reading "Marine from York injured by shrapnel in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 10:16 PM | Permalink

He's home from war early, not unscathed. It's the first time Marine Lance Cpl. Johnathan Bedwell has been back since he was injured in an IED Explosion in Afghanistan.

Posted: 5:46 PM Jun 1, 2011
Reporter: Sara Shookman
Email Address: [email protected]

MORRISTOWN, Tenn. (WVLT) -- A wounded warrior is home with family in East Tennessee Wednesday.

Continue reading "Injured marine gets warm welcome home" »

Posted by sr at 10:00 PM | Permalink

Story by Gunnery Sgt. Pauline Franklin | 2nd Marine Division | Date: 05.27.2011

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Helmand province, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan – At 6:50 p.m., May 25, a Marion, Iowa, Marine struck an improvised explosive device while patrolling in southern Garmser district. The infantry point man with Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marine Regiment, was wounded and needed care, but just as the communication lines began to light up to coordinate transportation for him, a sandstorm brought it all to a halt, putting the Marine in grave danger of bleeding to death before he reached medical assistance.

Continue reading "Americans Don’t Wait for Memorial Day to Unite in Helmand" »

Posted by sr at 5:46 PM | Permalink

May 25, 2011
Military.com|by Amy Bushatz

The more mail a happily married Soldier receives downrange, the less likely he is to have PTSD issues when he comes home -- but frequent mail for unhappily married Soldiers can result in stronger symptoms, a new study says.

Continue reading "Study: Mail From Home Lessens PTSD Symptoms" »

Posted by sr at 10:58 PM | Permalink

BY BILL LAMBRECHT • [email protected] and MARLON A. WALKER • [email protected]
STLtoday.com | Posted: Tuesday, May 24, 2011 7:00 am |

At a benefit concert Friday on his behalf, Marine Cpl. Todd Nicely's thoughts may travel from the explosion in Afghanistan that nearly killed him to the peaceful environs of Lake of the Ozarks.

Continue reading "Marine who lost limbs to war looks ahead to concert, new home" »

Posted by sr at 10:42 PM | Permalink

By Gen. James F. Amos - 05/24/11 06:45 PM ET

On a typically beautiful Southern California day in March of this year, First Lieutenant Cameron West of 3rd Platoon, Company I, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment rolled his wheelchair up to the podium in front of a crowd gathered for his battalion’s family readiness meeting. With a determined look, he deliberately halted the wheelchair several feet from the podium, stood on his one leg and hopped confidently to the microphone. West gave the crowd a wry grin and, in his characteristic good humor, introduced himself, “You Marines on the left side of the room can call me Lieutenant West and all you beautiful ladies and people on the right can call me Cam. I live in Oceanside and I’m open for visits,” he said.

Continue reading "Stories of our brave Marines teach us what it means to be truly selfless" »

Posted by sr at 10:24 PM | Permalink

11:00 PM, May. 24, 2011

As Marine sergeant Micah Crooks walked with a slight limp to to the pitcher's mound at Angel Stadium of Anaheim, the Alexandria native was introduced to some 43,000 fans settling in to watch the Los Angeles Angels host the Atlanta Braves Saturday night.

Continue reading "Angels honor local Marine's sacrifice in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 12:23 PM | Permalink

5/22/2011 By By Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes , Headquarters Marine Corps

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The Marines continue to dominate the competition at the 2011 Warrior Games, and the gold medals continue stacking.

Continue reading "Still in the fight: All-Marine team closing in on Warrior Games success" »

Posted by sr at 7:14 AM | Permalink

Story by Aquita Brown | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 05.19.2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- The All-Marine shooting team consists of 18 athletes who competed in the 2011 Warrior Games preliminary rounds. The Marines went head to head with athletes from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Special Operations Command. Victorious in their pursuit, the Marines advanced all 18 of their athletes to the final round that will be held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 19.

Continue reading "Entire Marine shooting team advances to Warrior Games final round" »

Posted by sr at 10:04 AM | Permalink

Story by Lance Cpl. Kayla Hermann | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 05.18.2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James F. Amos, his wife Bonnie, and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Carlton W. Kent, surprised Marines during an intense sitting volleyball match between the Marines and Air Force, at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 18.

Continue reading "Amos, Kent surprise Wounded Warrior Regiment at Warrior Games" »

Posted by sr at 10:54 PM | Permalink

Story by Sgt. Heidi Agostini | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 05.18.2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - By the end of the track and field meet, fans were not surprised to hear the Marines’ Hymn play during medal presentations at the 2011 Warrior Games, May 17, in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Continue reading "Marine team dominates track and field competition at 2011 Warrior Games" »

Posted by sr at 10:01 PM | Permalink

BY FRANK MORTIMER SUN CHRONICLE STAFF
Wednesday, May 18, 2011 2:57 AM EDT

FOXBORO - A young Marine from Foxboro was seriously wounded this week in an attack by insurgents in a rugged desert region in southwestern Afghanistan.

Continue reading "The costs of war" »

Posted by sr at 8:34 AM | Permalink

Story by Sgt. Heidi Agostini | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 05.17.2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The U.S. Paralympics and Department of Defense held its opening ceremony today for the 2011 Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Continue reading "2011 Warrior Games commence with opening ceremony" »

Posted by sr at 12:58 PM | Permalink

Story by Aquita Brown | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 05.15.2011

From their first day on the yellow footprints at recruit training or day one at Officer Candidates School, Marines have developed into athletic warriors. A program that was established in February 2008 has succeeded in bringing out that same warrior instinct for wounded, ill and injured Marines nationwide. The Wounded Warrior Regiment’s Warrior Athlete Reconditioning program, also known as the WAR program, provides opportunities for Marines to engage in individual or team sports settings that improve their overall mental and physical fitness.

Continue reading "Program brings out the warrior in Marine athletes" »

Posted by sr at 5:18 PM | Permalink

By Gretel C. Kovach
Saturday, May 14, 2011 at 6 p.m.

CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan — Flags for the international fighting force were flying at half-staff outside the military trauma hospital the morning of our visit, in remembrance of the latest troops killed in the war.

Continue reading "Trauma surgeons fight to keep troops alive" »

Posted by sr at 10:33 PM | Permalink

Story by Aquita Brown | Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment | Date: 05.14.2011

The Warrior Games is an annual athletic competition that allows the Wounded Warrior Regiment’s wounded, ill and injured Marines to strengthen their mind, body and spirit. Athletes from all branches of service have an opportunity to compete, fine tune their skills and build camaraderie. However, for Marine veteran Chuck Sketch it means much more than that. Chuck has the opportunity to share this experience with his fellow Marines and his father, Roger Sketch.

Continue reading "Blind Marine competes in Warrior Games with the help of his family" »

Posted by sr at 10:15 PM | Permalink

By PAUL ELIAS
Associated Press
May 10, 4:47 PM EDT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Noting that an average of 18 veterans a day commit suicide, a federal appeals court on Tuesday ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to dramatically overhaul its mental health care system.

Continue reading "Appeals court blasts VA mental health care system" »

Posted by sr at 4:56 PM | Permalink

Article updated: 5/9/2011 10:33 PM
By Russell Lissau

Marine Cpl. John Peck doesn't remember who told him he lost his limbs after stepping on an explosive device in Afghanistan nearly a year ago.

Continue reading "Antioch honors wounded Marine, but he denies he's a hero" »

Posted by sr at 12:24 PM | Permalink

Naval Medical Center San Diego is where some learn a new way of life.

By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
May 7, 2011

Reporting from San Diego—

Marine Lance Cpl. Juan Dominguez has come a long way since October, when a roadside bomb in Afghanistan ripped off his legs above the knees and shredded his right arm above the elbow.

Continue reading "After severe war injuries, a new battlefield Troops with severe war injuries such as multiple amputations face a long and difficult rehabilitation." »

Posted by sr at 10:15 AM | Permalink

By Kelly Kennedy, USA TODAY
04.29.11

WASHINGTON — More than 190,000 active-duty servicemembers sought treatment for back injuries in 2010 — roughly 70,000 more than did in 2001, before the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began, according to a Defense Department morbidity report released Friday.

Continue reading "Troop ailments, from backs to breathing, swell" »

Posted by sr at 11:57 PM | Permalink

NASCAR star drops by Quantico to visit wounded Marines, sign autographs for fans

Date published: 4/29/2011
By RUSTY DENNEN

On any given weekend in NASCAR's racing season, driver Tony Stewart is greeted by thousands of cheering fans.

Continue reading "NASCAR champ driven to honor pair of warriors" »

Posted by sr at 11:06 PM | Permalink

By Chris Carroll
Stars and Stripes
Published: April 22, 2011

WASHINGTON -- About 30 percent of traumatic brain injury patients will develop clinical depression, a level three times higher than the general population, according to a new study.

Continue reading "Study establishes depression, TBI link" »

Posted by sr at 5:24 PM | Permalink

The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs launch the free PTSD Coach to help veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder seek immediate help or manage their symptoms.

By Elizabeth Montalbano InformationWeek
April 19, 2011 14:06 PM

Veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) now can turn to their mobile devices for help, thanks to a new application from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD).

Continue reading "PTSD iPhone App Launches For Veterans" »

Posted by sr at 10:43 PM | Permalink

By DAVE TARRANT
Staff Writer
[email protected]
Published: 17 April 2011 12:15 AM

Second of a two-part series

Doctors told Ivonne Thompson to prepare for the worst. Her husband might not survive the night.

Continue reading "Wife faces life-or-death decision for her war-injured husband " »

Posted by sr at 1:36 PM | Permalink

1 in 5 Combat Veterans Get Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, But Training, Unit Cohesion Can Foster Resilience

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES
April 15, 2011

The 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment returned home from one of Afghanistan's deadliest war zones this week after a grueling eight-month deployment with record casualties. Remarkably, military psychiatrists say the men appear to be relatively unscathed mentally.

Continue reading "Marines Battalion Mentally Upbeat, Despite Record Deaths" »

Posted by sr at 5:48 PM | Permalink

By Gretel C. Kovach
Saturday, April 9, 2011 at 6 p.m.

With his family at his bedside, there was no reason for the phone in Cpl. Marcus Chischilly’s hospital room to ring. Then one day it did.

Continue reading "Marines stick together, even after battle" »

Posted by sr at 10:17 PM | Permalink

By DAVID TARRANT
Staff Writer
[email protected]
Published: 09 April 2011 10:21 PM

First of two parts
For nearly four days, the squad of Marines stood guard on Bridge 286, an overpass that crossed a highway thick with traffic between Baghdad and Fallujah. Just a few hours before the end of their shift, a dump truck approached the bridge and rolled to a stop under the overpass. It was loaded with 3,000 pounds of explosives.

Continue reading "Military families are thrust into caregiving roles for severely injured troops " »

Posted by sr at 1:23 PM | Permalink

by Julie Rose
April 8, 2011 from WFAE

Hundreds of veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with disabilities that make it hard or impossible for them to get a job. Many are eligible for disability benefits, but with a wait time that can last months or even years, the veterans are at risk of serious financial trouble.

Continue reading "VA Officials Try To Ease Disability Exam Backlog" »

Posted by sr at 5:35 PM | Permalink

Study shows 2010 saw at least 171 troops suffer battlefield injuries resulting in amputations; 65 of them lost two limbs or more.

By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
April 6, 2011

Reporting from Landstuhl, Germany, and Helmand— Grim combat statistics that one military doctor called "unbelievable" show U.S. troops in Afghanistan suffered an unprecedented number of catastrophic injuries last year, including a tripling of amputations of more than one limb.

Continue reading "U.S. troops in Afghanistan suffer more catastrophic injuries" »

Posted by sr at 9:38 PM | Permalink

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

HAMPTON, Va., March 24, 2011 – The “F-bombs” fell fast and furiously yesterday at an otherwise perfectly proper gathering of military health care professionals here as they broke away from their lectures and academic exchanges to watch a documentary play about the challenges many of their patients struggle to overcome.

Continue reading "Play Shares Emotions of Deployments, Reintegration" »

Posted by sr at 8:38 AM | Permalink

By Andrew deGrandpre and Richard Sandza - Staff writers
Posted : Tuesday Mar 15, 2011 18:27:36 EDT

More U.S. troops who sustain combat-related brain injuries could soon be eligible for the Purple Heart.

Continue reading "Mild brain injury could soon rate Purple Heart" »

Posted by sr at 5:11 PM | Permalink

3/14/2011 By Maj. Paul Greenberg , Wounded Warrior Battalion-East

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (March 14, 2011) — In September 2001, Than Naing was cooking hamburgers in a fast-food restaurant in New York City and taking prerequisite classes part-time at the City College of New York in hopes of pursuing an engineering degree.

Continue reading "Wounded Warrior shows true grit to stay in the fight" »

Posted by sr at 11:40 PM | Permalink

The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Mar 14, 2011 11:28:10 EDT

WELLINGTON, Nev. — A Marine who had both legs amputated after his Humvee struck an anti-tank mine in Iraq in 2007 will soon realize his dream of a new home for his family in Nevada.

Continue reading "Groups build home for Marine wounded in Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 5:00 PM | Permalink

By Leo Shane III
Stars and Stripes
Published: March 11, 2011

WASHINGTON — Veterans Affairs officials promised Friday that traumatic brain injury victims will be covered under new caregiver benefits scheduled to start this summer, but veterans advocates remain skeptical.

Continue reading "VA insists benefits will cover caregivers of vets with TBI" »

Posted by sr at 5:30 PM | Permalink

The Associated Press
Posted: Tuesday, Mar. 08, 2011

LOS ANGELES Former TV game show host Bob Barker is donating $2 million to a charity that helps injured members of the military and their families.

Continue reading "Bob Barker donates $2 million to Semper Fi Fund" »

Posted by sr at 5:39 PM | Permalink

2/28/2011 By Lance Cpl. Michelle S. Mattei, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Some competed blindly; some competed without their arms or legs—but for the first ever Marine Corps Trials, wounded warriors from all over the world did not let their injuries deter their will to compete.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors Compete During First Marine Corps Trials" »

Posted by SP at 7:12 AM | Permalink

By Alison St John
February 21, 2011

More than 150 Marines, many of them missing a limb, are competing this week in the first ever Marine trials for the Warrior Games later this year. More Marines are remaining in the service, even with serious injuries that might have disqualified them in the past.

Continue reading "Inaugural Marine Trials for Wounded Warrior Games" »

Posted by sr at 10:52 PM | Permalink

Richard Johnson February 19, 2011 – 6:00 am

In remarkably candid interviews from a veterans hospital in Richmond, Virginia, three U.S. Marines tell National Post graphics editor and illustrator Richard Johnson about coming under fire in Afghanistan, and the long road to recovery.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors: Life will never be the same" »

Posted by sr at 10:32 PM | Permalink

By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian missoulian.com | Posted: Saturday, February 19, 2011 11:00 pm

RONAN - They rolled in by the hundreds Saturday, close friends, distant relatives and complete strangers alike, never-ending waves of people who packed the Ronan Community Center to welcome Lance Cpl. Thomas Parker home, and thank him for his sacrifice.

Continue reading "Ronan friends, strangers come out in force for Tomy Parker" »

Posted by sr at 10:16 PM | Permalink

February 17, 2011 6:30 AM
by Patty Kleban

After spending two weeks at Marine base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C, I considered the many things I could write about for this week’s column. The dedication of those who have volunteered to serve in the Marine Corps. The enthusiasm of the Marine Corps Community Service personnel who serve those who serve. Adjusting to life, even temporarily, in a community where “security” means more than locking the front door. Acronyms. Artillery practice and helicopter training missions overhead at night. Being the only person in civilian clothes in the long lines of young men and women in uniform at the food court at the MC Exchange.

Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Serves as Inspiring Example to Marines Injured in Action" »

Posted by sr at 9:52 AM | Permalink

By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian Wednesday, February 16, 2011

As Marine Lance Cpl. Thomas Parker of Ronan returned home Wednesday night for the first time since losing both legs and four fingers in Afghanistan, it was hard to tell what got to him more.

Continue reading "Injured Ronan Marine returns home for first time" »

Posted by sr at 10:10 PM | Permalink

By Leo Shane III
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 10, 2011

WASHINGTON — A plan to provide benefits to caregivers of wounded troops may now exclude some of the same families who appeared alongside President Barack Obama when the measure was signed into law last spring.

Continue reading "Caregiver benefits proposal irks families of wounded troops" »

Posted by sr at 5:30 PM | Permalink

The lifelike limb, controlled by a chip planted on the brain, is being tested as part of a program designed to speed development of medical devices.

By Andrew Zajac, Washington Bureau
February 9, 2011

Reporting from Washington —
Responding to the needs of badly wounded war veterans, federal officials said Tuesday they were accelerating reviews of a science-fiction-like robotic arm controlled by a computer chip on the brain.

Continue reading "FDA expedites review of robotic arm" »

Posted by sr at 5:47 PM | Permalink

By Leo Shane III
Published: February 9, 2011

WASHINGTON – A group of senators is asking White House officials to speed up plans to train and pay caregivers of wounded troops, noting that by law the first checks should have gone out to those families last month.

Continue reading "Senators want caregiver benefits now" »

Posted by sr at 5:33 PM | Permalink

By Nancy Montgomery
Stars and Stripes
Published: February 7, 2011

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Gunnery Sgt. Williams had done it before, clearing a compound with his company, preparing to build a new patrol base.

Continue reading "Military tries one-stop shop for treatment of concussions" »

Posted by sr at 10:26 PM | Permalink

The New York Times
by CJ Chivers
02.04.2011

By any reasonable measure, Specialist Peter Sprenger, a radio operator in an Army infantry company, could easily have been dead. It was Dec. 19, 2003, in Talafar, Iraq. An Iraqi man driving an explosives-laden car had breached his company’s perimeter. American soldiers fired at him with light machine guns, but the driver accelerated toward the company command post.

Continue reading "Exploding Bombs and Wounded Eyes: From Blindness Back to Patrol" »

Posted by sr at 10:25 PM | Permalink

2/4/2011 By Capt. Jill Leyden , Wounded Warrior Regiment

IRVING, Tx. — Marines and Marine veterans, supported by the United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment, gathered here to attend a welcome dinner at the Irving Convention Center, marking the start of events leading up to their attendance at Super Bowl XLV. The 40 Marines and Marine veterans are from military treatment facilities, military bases and communities across the nation. They were hand selected by Wounded Warrior Regiment staff to attend Super Bowl XLV and participate in various activities throughout the week.

Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Marines SuperBowl Bound" »

Posted by sr at 8:58 AM | Permalink

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2011 – From benefits and compensation to education and training, an online directory is providing wounded warriors, veterans and their families a direct connection to thousands of state, local and national resources.

Continue reading "Directory Links Wounded Warriors, Families to Resources" »

Posted by sr at 10:36 AM | Permalink

by Julie Watson, The Associated Press
Posted: Monday, January 31, 2011

MOORPARK, Calif. — The crisply ironed uniforms of the father and son hang side by side in what they have dubbed the “Marine Corps closet,” a dark space filled with vestiges of their tours of duty.

Continue reading "Marine father, son battle brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 10:43 PM | Permalink

JULIE WATSON
Associated Press
January 25, 2011, 11:50 a.m.

MOORPARK, Calif. (AP) — The crisply ironed uniforms of the father and son hang side by side in what they have dubbed the "Marine Corps closet," a dark space filled with vestiges of their tours of duty.

Continue reading "War wounded family: Father, son help each other after suffering brain injuries from blasts" »

Posted by sr at 10:38 PM | Permalink

By Dr. Patrick B. Massey
Article updated: 1/24/2011 07:36 AM

Traumatic brain injury is a major cause of death and disability worldwide, especially in young adults and children. Unfortunately, war is also a significant factor in the number of serious brain trauma events. The end result of TBI can be significant deficits in speech, understanding, memory and higher brain functions.

Continue reading "Old and new ways to treat traumatic brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 5:34 PM | Permalink

Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines drafted in 1995 have been widely adopted. Iranian physicians who treated the wounded in the Iran-Iraq war also helped treatment advance.

By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
January 24, 2011

In the 1946 issue of the Annals of Surgery, U.S. Army Maj. Ralph A. Munslow chronicled in exquisite detail the emergency care of 140 soldiers and civilians who suffered grievous head wounds — mainly from shell fragments — during the 5th Army's 1944 operation to seize and hold a beachhead in Anzio, Italy.

Continue reading "Advances in treatment help more people survive severe injuries to the brain" »

Posted by sr at 5:12 PM | Permalink

The Virginian-Pilot
© January 24, 2011

The Defense Department has launched an interactive simulation designed to help those dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Continue reading "Website aims to increase awareness of PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 8:39 AM | Permalink

Staff Writer
6:18 p.m. EST, January 21, 2011

THOMASVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) —
Dozens of volunteers are building a new home for a former Marine who was severely wounded in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Thomasville Marine Vet To Get New Home Built By Volunteers" »

Posted by sr at 9:41 PM | Permalink

By Sharon L. Peters Special for USA TODAY
01.20.11

The number of veterans who get rehabilitation and re-entry help from dogs will substantially increase if a bill introduced in the House of Representatives this month becomes law.

Continue reading "Man's best friend could soon be veteran's best medicine" »

Posted by sr at 4:40 PM | Permalink

Posted: Jan 18, 2011 7:27 PM by Allyson Weller (KPAX News)
Updated: Jan 18, 2011 8:42 PM

MISSOULA - The Ronan community is working to raise money for a local Marine who lost both his legs and most of his left hand in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Ronan banding together to help injured Marine" »

Posted by sr at 5:03 PM | Permalink

Before he headed back to base, Santa and the American Legion paid Michael Brattole a visit.

By Lauren Mazzarella and Jessica Remo
01.18.11

Marine Sergeant Michael Brattole was on the nice list this year.

Continue reading "Santa, Clark American Legion Visit Recovering Marine Sgt. Michael Brattole" »

Posted by sr at 2:53 PM | Permalink

By VINCE DEVLIN of the Missoulian missoulian.com | Posted: Saturday, January 15, 2011 10:49 pm

BETHESDA, Md. - Both of his legs are gone. The flesh was torn to shreds half a planet from here, and what little remained - mostly bone - was amputated in a field hospital in Afghanistan last month.

Continue reading "Modern warfare's lifesaving techniques give Ronan's Tomy Parker a fighting chance" »

Posted by sr at 4:58 PM | Permalink

POSTED: 4:53 pm CST January 14, 2011

TEXARKANA -- A U.S. Marine from Broken Bow, Okla., who was wounded by a roadside bomb in Afghanistan returned home on Friday.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine Returns Home" »

Posted by sr at 5:23 PM | Permalink

Posted: Jan 13, 2011 6:01 PM by Amanda Venegas
Updated: Jan 13, 2011 6:03 PM

BILLINGS - United States Marine Corps Sergeant Dustin Stroble is finding himself in a whole new world, after being seriously wounded in service. Now, instead of patrolling the streets of Marja, Afghanistan, he is rebuilding his strength and body one day at a time.

Continue reading "Wyoming marine gives meaning to the word sacrifice" »

Posted by sr at 5:00 PM | Permalink

By Corinne Reilly
The Virginian-Pilot
© January 11, 2011

The Department of Veterans Affairs must work harder to address combat stress in women returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a new government study says.

Continue reading "Study: Women shortchanged on combat-stress help" »

Posted by sr at 7:22 AM | Permalink

By Diana Kuyper Special to The News-Sun Jan 8, 2011 02:34AM

Marine Cpl. John Peck may have lost his legs and arms in an IED explosion in Afghanistan, but he hasn’t lost his heart.

Continue reading "Marine’s long road to recovery" »

Posted by sr at 4:31 PM | Permalink

BY VIK JOLLY
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Published: Jan. 6, 2011

CAMP PENDLETON – About a dozen Pendleton Marines will hike from San Francisco to San Clemente over 22 days starting next month to raise money for wounded warriors and their families.

Continue reading "Pendleton Marines to hike from San Francisco to O.C. for the wounded" »

Posted by sr at 9:02 AM | Permalink

Story by Donna Miles | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 01.05.2011

BETHESDA, Md. - A popular program that turns donated frequent-flyer miles into free airline tickets for wounded warriors receiving medical care as well as their families will expand this year so families of the fallen and combat wounded can participate in two upcoming events.

Continue reading "'Hero Miles' Program Supports Families of Fallen, Wounded" »

Posted by sr at 10:09 PM | Permalink

By Andrew Tilghman - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jan 1, 2011 10:07:25 EST

Military health officials are refusing to pay for a new treatment for traumatic brain injury despite widespread support for the therapy among doctors and lawmakers.

Continue reading "Tricare denies coverage of newer TBI treatment" »

Posted by sr at 2:50 PM | Permalink

By Kate Wiltrout - The Virginian-Pilot via AP
Posted : Friday Dec 24, 2010 12:43:53 EST

CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Jason Redman remembers what it was like to go out in public while recovering from war wounds — out into what he called “the land of stares and gawks.”

Continue reading "Vets launch clothing line for wounded warriors" »

Posted by sr at 7:14 AM | Permalink

by T. Christian Miller, ProPublica, and Daniel Zwerdling, NPR Dec. 23, 2010, 8:30 a.m.

Last month, the Pentagon sent a soothing letter [1] to members of Congress worried about the treatment of soldiers who suffered brain injuries in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Pentagon Told Congress It’s Studying Brain-Damage Therapy" »

Posted by sr at 11:09 AM | Permalink

By T. Christian Miller and Daniel Zwerdling
ProPublica and NPR
Published: December 21, 2010

ATLANTA — One afternoon this fall, Bobby McKinney hunched over a coffee table with a clear glass surface. A lamp with a bare light bulb illuminated it from below. Pencil in hand, the former Marine traced the pattern for a tattoo across delicate paper, a swirling, intricate design reminiscent of a Celtic cross.

Continue reading "Philanthropist, not Pentagon, bankrolls promising TBI therapy" »

Posted by sr at 7:22 AM | Permalink

By T. Christian Miller and Daniel Zwerdling
ProPublica and NPR
Published: December 20, 2010

WASHINGTON — Over the past few decades, scientists have become increasingly persuaded that people who suffer brain injuries benefit from what is called cognitive rehabilitation therapy — a lengthy, painstaking process in which patients relearn basic life tasks like counting, cooking and remembering directions to get home.

Continue reading "Battle over science, money blocks widely recommended TBI therapy" »

Posted by sr at 5:20 PM | Permalink

By: Todd South
Sunday, Dec. 19, 2010

DALTON, Ga. — Joyce Jones barely could wait for the car door to open to hug her son, a Marine sergeant who arrived home Saturday for the first time since an August bomb blast in Afghanistan took his legs.

Continue reading "Joey Jones makes first visit home since Afghanistan blast" »

Posted by sr at 5:03 PM | Permalink

December 18, 2010 12:32 AM
Craig Smith / CBS 6 Staff

COLONIE -- It was a special holiday homecoming for a local Marine -- his first time back to Westerlo since he lost his lower legs to an explosion in Afghanistan in June.

Continue reading "Wounded Marine arrives home to hero's reception" »

Posted by sr at 11:28 PM | Permalink

Published December 16, 2010
| FoxNews.com

A pair of recently released government
reports shows that more military trainees are being discharged for "pre-existing" psychiatric conditions than any other reason, with those cases particularly high among Marines.

Continue reading "Troop Discharges High for 'Pre-Existing' Psychiatric Disorders" »

Posted by sr at 9:33 AM | Permalink

Four Marines Who Lost Limbs in Afghanistan Talk About the Afghan People, Their Time in Afghanistan and the Price They Paid

Dec. 15, 2010
By David Martin

(CBS) If ever Marines earned the right to speak their minds about the war, it is a group of four men who were all gravely wounded by roadside bombs in Afghanistan, reports CBS News National Security correspondent David Martin

Continue reading "Are Marines Giving Up too Much in Afghanistan?" »

Posted by sr at 11:56 PM | Permalink

1st Reconnaissance Battalion arrives home in time for the holidays

By MARK WALKER - [email protected] North County Times - Californian | Posted: Wednesday, December 15, 2010 8:53 pm

He lost his legs, his left arm and part of his right hand to a roadside bomb in Afghanistan in August, but Navy Medical Corpsman James Raffetto says that's not what's been worrying him.

Continue reading "Injured corpsman greets troops who helped save him" »

Posted by sr at 11:55 PM | Permalink

John Davis • Poughkeepsie Journal • December 15, 2010

FREEDOM PLAINS — Individuals, businesses and organizations such as the LaGrange Sunrise Rotary Club can help the recovery of Marines severely wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Colonel asks community to help wounded Marines' recovery" »

Posted by sr at 10:30 PM | Permalink

The Price of Progress: At Bethesda Naval Hospital, Amputees Recover From Injuries Received While in Afghanistan

By David Martin
BETHESDA, Md., Dec. 14, 2010

(CBS) If you want to measure the price of progress in Afghanistan, there's no better place than the surgical ward at Bethesda Naval Hospital, reports CBS News David Martin

Continue reading "Soldiers Sacrifice Limbs for Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 8:29 AM | Permalink

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 8, 2010 – Improvised explosive devices and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are boosting the incidence of mild traumatic brain injury, a condition that some early studies indicate may increase a soldier’s future risk for Alzheimer’s disease, a researcher said yesterday.

Continue reading "Mild Brain Trauma May Raise Long-Term Alzheimer’s Risk" »

Posted by sr at 2:58 PM | Permalink

By Bob Brewin [email protected] December 6, 2010

During the past decade, 767,290 active-duty military personnel have received a diagnosis of a mental health disorder, according to a series of reports expected to be released today by the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center in Silver Spring, Md. Overall, from January 2000 through December 2009, such diagnoses increased 60 percent.

Continue reading "Report: Defense faces large and growing mental health problem" »

Posted by sr at 1:45 PM | Permalink

Last Updated on Friday, 03 December 2010 12:49 Friday, 03 December 2010 00:15
Written by Rick and Alice Linahan

This 3 day outdoor excursion was successful before the first Marine stepped foot onto the property, into a deer blind, or on the lake shore.

Continue reading "These Marines are Real American Heroes and they know how to Hunt and Fish" »

Posted by sr at 5:03 PM | Permalink

By Gretel C. Kovach • U-T,
Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 6 p.m.

A young soldier who returned from Iraq drives across the country to visit a buddy at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The patient’s legs have been blown off by a rocket-propelled grenade.

Continue reading "After decade of war, impact of combat stress becomes clearer" »

Posted by sr at 10:57 PM | Permalink

Findings of a study by MIT engineers might contribute to a future redesign.

By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times
November 22, 2010|6:34 p.m.

The much-maligned combat helmet worn by U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan sustained another blow Monday as engineers from MIT reported that the headgear, as currently designed, did little to protect troops from blast-related brain injury.

Continue reading "Helmet face shield could reduce troop brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 10:40 PM | Permalink

U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 1075-10
November 19, 2010

The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness announced today the names of 14 people who will serve on the Department of Defense Task Force for Care, Management, and Transition of Recovering Wounded, Ill, and Injured Members of the Armed Forces.

Continue reading "DOD Establishes Wounded Warrior Task Force" »

Posted by sr at 9:14 AM | Permalink

Story by Kristen Wong | Marine Corps Base Hawaii – Kaneohe Bay | Date: 11.19.2010

KANEOHE — All Lance Cpl. Joshua Kelly wants for Christmas is a cane.

Continue reading "Wounded warriors write winter wishlists" »

Posted by sr at 9:09 AM | Permalink

By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 11, 2010 21:20:43 EST

SAN ANTONIO — Col. Alan Sutton knows he can make lives better. He just has to get the word out. Sutton and a team made up of other doctors and highly skilled technicians at Wilford Hall Medical Center, the Air Force’s premier hospital in San Antonio, painstakingly restore the faces of service members injured in war.

Continue reading "Prosthetics team restores looks of injured" »

Posted by sr at 10:28 PM | Permalink

By Michael E. Ruane
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 11, 2010; 9:28 AM

The morning that Marine Cpl. Todd A. Nicely received his medal for valor, he and his wife, Crystal, paused in a restroom at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to pull the trousers of his uniform over his artificial legs.

Continue reading "On Veterans Day, honoring Marine who lost limbs in Afghanistan, but not spirit" »

Posted by sr at 1:09 PM | Permalink

'A SOLDIER'S HEART': DAY FOUR OF A PG SPECIAL SERIES

Wednesday, November 10, 2010
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Don Bankosh stands next to the bathroom door in his bedroom and points to large holes he punched into it during a fit of rage several years ago.

Continue reading "Medevac soldier makes peace with PTSD diagnosis" »

Posted by SP at 8:51 AM | Permalink

By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2010 – Troubled troops, veterans and family members have a round-the-clock, free resource for locating the help they need to deal with psychological health problems and traumatic brain injury.

Continue reading "DOD Call Center Links Troubled Troops, Resources" »

Posted by sr at 11:57 AM | Permalink

'A SOLDIER'S HEART': DAY THREE OF A PG SPECIAL SERIES

Tuesday, November 09, 2010
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

In his mind's eye, Mike Cranmer is a young boy, romping amid the rural lushness of a Greene County farm, his family's rustic getaway from suburban Pittsburgh. He's safe among the trees, the rolling hills, the foliage. A calmness envelops him.

Continue reading "Over and over: 'Why am I alive?'" »

Posted by SP at 10:07 AM | Permalink

By Arthur Allen
Special to The Washington Post
Monday, November 8, 2010; 1:51 PM

Rick Yount and his golden retriever puppy, Gabe, had separation issues every morning. "The dog kept looking at me at the door with those sad eyes, and finally it was just impossible to resist," Yount recalled. So one morning, "I decided to take him with me."

Continue reading "Vets with PTSD train dogs to help comrades" »

Posted by sr at 4:58 PM | Permalink

A PG SPECIAL SERIES: DAY TWO

Monday, November 08, 2010
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WHEELING, W.Va. -- Carrie Kleeh is calm and relaxed behind the steering wheel in Pittsburgh as other drivers fret and fume in the city's stop-and-go traffic.

Continue reading "Carrie Kleeh carries the unseen battle scars from Iraq" »

Posted by SP at 8:07 AM | Permalink

By John McCoy - The Charleston Gazette via AP
Posted : Sunday Nov 7, 2010 12:00:18 EST

FRANKLIN, W.Va. — With a quick squeeze of a crossbow's trigger, James Raffetto proved that it would take more than an insurgent's bomb to keep him from enjoying life.

Continue reading "Program lets wounded vets experience W.Va. hunts" »

Posted by sr at 10:18 PM | Permalink

A PG SPECIAL SERIES: DAY ONE

Sunday, November 07, 2010
By Michael A. Fuoco, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

WELLS TANNERY, Pa. -- Derrick Earley steers a four-wheeler up the gravel driveway to his father's hand-built stone home and climbs off. Fit and goateed, the 23-year-old is wearing a cutoff T-shirt, camouflage shorts and cap as he shyly greets visitors, not quite making eye contact, not quite avoiding it, either.

Continue reading "Caring for the invisible wounds that warriors bring home" »

Posted by sr at 2:26 PM | Permalink

A brief film shows three men struggling against a death wish after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

By Steve Lopez
November 6, 2010|6:41 p.m.

The Marine from Downey had the muzzle of an assault rifle in his mouth and was ready to pull the trigger when his fellow Marines saved him. Back home, he tried to overdose on Valium and he once called a suicide hotline with a gun in his hand and police at his door.

Continue reading "Veterans fighting the enemy within" »

Posted by sr at 9:00 AM | Permalink

By Kelly Koopmans KVAL News
Story Published: Nov 5, 2010 at 4:00 PM PDT

EUGENE, Ore. - Harvey Jay Leal remembers how and when Iraqi insurgents blew up his convoy, but it’s hard for him to remember how our conversation even started.

Continue reading "'The signature injury of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan'" »

Posted by sr at 10:49 PM | Permalink

BY MARTHA QUILLIN - Staff Writer
Published Fri, Nov 05, 2010 02:00 AM

FUQUAY-VARINA -- The cold rain that came down Thursday morning as former Marine Corps Sgt. Stanley A. Roberts received the keys to his new house felt like a blessing falling from the sky.

Continue reading "Volunteers give injured ex-Marine a house" »

Posted by sr at 9:38 AM | Permalink

By Kelly Koopmans KVAL News
Story Published: Nov 4, 2010 at 4:49 PM PDT

PART TWO of a three part series. Watch KVAL News on Friday for more on Traumatic Brain Injury

KEIZER, Ore. - There is a reason Julio Najara keeps his apartment dark.

Continue reading "Veteran with brain injury: 'Freedom isn't free ... it has a heavy price'" »

Posted by sr at 9:56 AM | Permalink

By Megan McCloskey
Published: November 3, 2010

WASHINGTON - HBO's new documentary about the psychological toll of combat will be aired on AFN this Veterans Day, the same day it premieres in the States.

Continue reading "AFN to air HBO documentary on PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 9:45 AM | Permalink

By Kelly Koopmans KVAL News
Story Published: Nov 3, 2010 at 7:33 PM PDT

PART ONE of a three part series. Watch KVAL News on Thursday and Friday for more on Traumatic Brain Injury

EUGENE, Ore. -- It's a wound few understand or even see: Many of Oregon's service members are coming home forever changed by Traumatic Brain Injury, known as TBI for short.

Continue reading "Silent epidemic: 'Brain injury and war go hand in hand'" »

Posted by sr at 9:24 AM | Permalink

By Drew Brown
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 2, 2010

Second in a two-day series

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The U.S. soldier arrived at NATO’s Role 3 hospital here in dire shape. A homemade Taliban bomb had torn off both legs and an arm, and he had lost a tremendous amount of blood.

Continue reading "At Role 3 hospital, ‘There’s essentially nothing that can come in here that we can’t handle’" »

Posted by sr at 5:00 PM | Permalink

By Drew Brown
Stars and Stripes
Published: November 1, 2010

First in a two-day series

KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — Hardly a day passes when the American flag above the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade’s headquarters here is not flying at half-staff.

Continue reading "'More missions, more contact' for Task Force Shadow" »

Posted by sr at 5:04 PM | Permalink

By David Brown
Saturday, October 30, 2010; 2:45 AM

BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN -- It's a heart-stopping and heartbreaking catalogue of the mayhem, heroics and human toll of modern war.

Continue reading "Teleconferencing from the war zone improves treatment for wounded soldiers" »

Posted by sr at 9:17 AM | Permalink

1st Marine Logistics Group Public Affairs
Story by Lance Cpl. Kenneth Jasik
Date: 10.24.2010
Date Posted: 10.29.2010 11:53

DEMAZONG, Afghanistan – Slightly more than a month ago, a Marine with Combat Logistics Battalion 2, 1st Marine Logistics Group (Forward) suffered a grade-three concussion in a blast from an improvised explosive device. Today, he is back on top of his game as a combat engineer who just completed a mission helping build Patrol Base Demazong.

Continue reading "Injured Marine returns to the fight" »

Posted by sr at 5:55 PM | Permalink

Courtesy Story | Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs | Date: 10.29.2010

WASHINGTON - Calling post-traumatic stress "the military health issue of our era," the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff last night re-emphasized his commitment to ensuring that war veterans and their families get all the help they need to deal with war's invisible scars.

Continue reading "Mullen Renews Commitment to 'Military Health Issue of Our Era'" »

Posted by sr at 11:55 AM | Permalink

AOL News

(Oct. 29) -- Suppose a stranger showed up at your doorstep and offered to help you run a marathon. How would you react?

Continue reading "Former Marine to Be Iraq War Vet's Legs in Marathon" »

Posted by sr at 10:01 AM | Permalink

Posted on: Fri, 22 Oct 2010 08:21:43 EDT

Oct 22, 2010 (The Daily News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --

A two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup winner met with some of his biggest fans Thursday: wounded Marines stationed at Camp Lejeune's Wounded Warrior Battalion East.

Continue reading "NASCAR pro visits Wounded Warriors" »

Posted by sr at 9:56 AM | Permalink

by Cpl. Priscilla Sneden | Wednesday, October 20, 2010

For more than seven years, the U.S. has been engaged in a two-front War. While the physical casualties of that war continue to be tallied, the total number of victims claimed by the Global War on Terror may never be certain.

Continue reading "Not all Wounds are Visible" »

Posted by sr at 10:37 PM | Permalink

October 20, 2010

U.S. and Israeli vets tour Israel to show anything is possible

Continue reading "Wounded Heroes Team Up for Bike Ride" »

Posted by sr at 11:22 AM | Permalink

Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:40 PM EDT
By LISETTE VELASQUEZ
Staff Writer

NEW BRITAIN — In the warmth of his mother Ana Mendoza’s apartment, 21-year-old Manuel Jimenez is back from war, back to the comfort and normalcy of home, with his nephews and older brother Hector watching football highlights and Saturday morning cartoons.

Continue reading "‘I’m still here:’ Local Marine who lost arm is grateful for family" »

Posted by sr at 10:03 PM | Permalink

By Mike LaBella
The Eagle Tribune
Mon Oct 18, 2010, 02:30 AM EDT

HAVERHILL — Ron Powell, a three-time Purple Heart decorated Marine veteran of the Vietnam War, has had many sleepless nights since his three sons followed in his footsteps.

Continue reading "'Dad, I've been hit'" »

Posted by sr at 10:18 AM | Permalink

Hands badly wounded by bomb

By Tanner Kent Free Press Staff Writer The Mankato Free Press Sat Oct 16, 2010, 11:42 PM CDT

MANKATO — In war-torn Iraq, Neil Schalk’s hands protected the lives of the Marine Corps’s top commanding generals.

Continue reading "Marine to carry flag in marathon" »

Posted by sr at 7:50 PM | Permalink

Air Force Doctor Lt. Col. Eric Holt Injured By IED In Battle

POSTED: 6:28 pm PDT October 15, 2010

SAN DIEGO -- An Air Force doctor is hoping his recovery from injuries sustained in battle can encourage other wounded servicemen and women.

Continue reading "Doctor Injured In Afghanistan Hopes To Inspire Others" »

Posted by sr at 11:02 PM | Permalink

Published: Sunday, October 10, 2010
By PAULA ANN MITCHELL
Freeman staff

ABOUT 70 friends and relatives gathered Friday afternoon at the Orange County Choppers headquarters in Newburgh as a modified and customized hand cycle designed for former Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan was unveiled.

Continue reading "Eddie’s new ride: Wounded Marine from Ellenville will use hand-operated, wheelchair-like cycle in marathon" »

Posted by sr at 4:12 PM | Permalink

Donations sought to aid Marine Lance Cpl. Colin Pascik in recovery after IED explosion

BY PATRICIA A. MILLER
Staff Writer
October 7, 2010

Members of the VFW Monroe Central Post 262 had a simple mission on Monday night: To publicize the plight of a hometown son who lost both his legs in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Monroe rallies for Marine wounded in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 9:14 AM | Permalink

By Christian Davenport
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 2, 2010; 6:16 PM

The doctor begins with an apology because the questions are rudimentary, almost insultingly so. But Robert Warren, fresh off the battlefield in Afghanistan and a surgeon's table, doesn't seem to mind.

Continue reading "Traumatic brain injury leaves an often-invisible, life-altering wound" »

Posted by sr at 10:35 PM | Permalink

By Gretel C. Kovach
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 7:05 p.m.

Source: Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — The first bomb blast that day left Sgt. Michael Monday light-headed. The next one knocked him unconscious for 10 minutes.

Continue reading "Marines put new focus on treating brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 8:28 AM | Permalink

Posted: Sep 27, 2010 5:47 AM PDT

(WRCB) Two different groups held events over the weekend to benefit Marine Sergeant Joey Jones.

Continue reading "Benefits help Marine family with expenses" »

Posted by sr at 2:28 PM | Permalink

Injured Marine progresses through good times, bad

Jamie Jones
Sun Sep 26, 2010, 01:25 AM EDT

DALTON — The raucous blast propelled Joey Jones skyward to the heavens.

Continue reading "‘My job didn’t take my legs’" »

Posted by sr at 9:17 AM | Permalink

by Stacy Bannerman
September 25, 2010

With thousands of troops now preparing to return, a new crisis may open on the domestic front. Military wife Stacy Bannerman on the husbands she's seen transformed into domestic abusers.

Continue reading "Husbands Who Bring the War Home" »

Posted by sr at 5:10 PM | Permalink

by NPR Staff
September 4, 2010

More than seven years after U.S. troops first invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003, President Obama addressed the nation on Tuesday to commemorate the official end of the Iraq War. However, the legacy of one of America’s longest combat missions will continue to affect the thousands of troops who came home suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries.

Continue reading "Thousands Of Returning Soldiers Face A New Enemy" »

Posted by sr at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Regimental Combat Team-7, 1st Marine Division Public Affairs
Story by Cpl. Skyler Tooker
Date 09.04.2010

CAMP DWYER, Afghanistan — Health officials with Regimental Combat Team 7 are conducting post-deployment health assessments for the Marines and sailors at the end of their yearlong deployment to identify and address any mental and physical health issues.

Continue reading " RCT-7 ensures mental health for returning Marines and sailors" »

Posted by sr at 10:52 AM | Permalink

Thursday, September 2, 2010 02:59 AM
By Jeb Phillips
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

One of the most highly decorated Marines during the war in Iraq had to drink to fall asleep. He once tried to kill himself.

Continue reading "Hero helps 'broken' troops" »

Posted by sr at 9:29 AM | Permalink

After emergency surgery, a Marine is airlifted to the Landstuhl medical center on a special cargo plane. Since 2004, nearly 13,000 wounded U.S. service personnel have been evacuated there.

By Tony Perry, Los Angeles Times
August 30, 2010|5:24 p.m.

Reporting from Landstuhl, Germany —
Before Marine Cpl. Corey Griggs went on his last patrol in Afghanistan's restive Helmand province, he had a premonition of sorts.

Continue reading "U.S. hospital in Germany handles America's Afghan war wounded" »

Posted by sr at 11:32 PM | Permalink

By MATTHEW PERRONE
AP Health Writer
Posted on Monday, 08.30.10

WASHINGTON -- Andrew White returned from a nine-month tour in Iraq beset with signs of post-traumatic stress disorder: insomnia, nightmares, constant restlessness. Doctors tried to ease his symptoms using three psychiatric drugs, including a potent anti-psychotic called Seroquel.

Continue reading "Questions loom over drug given to sleepless vets" »

Posted by sr at 3:32 PM | Permalink

By Julien Pearce
August 27, 2010

As President Obama prepares to address the nation next week about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the casualties continue to mount.

Continue reading "One Marine’s Struggle To Return To The Battle Field." »

Posted by sr at 10:08 AM | Permalink

LEXINGTON, Va., Aug. 26, 2010 – A Virginia Military Institute cadet wounded last month by an improvised explosive device while on active duty with the Marine Corps in Afghanistan is a cadet no more.

Continue reading "Wounded Cadet Meets Graduation Requirements" »

Posted by sr at 10:31 PM | Permalink

August 25, 2010
Julie Watson,Kevin Maurer, The Associated Press
The Canadian Press, 2010

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - They have been in harm's way for years in two countries, in a branch of the military where toughness and self-reliance have been especially prized for generations. Now the Marines are struggling against an enemy that has entrenched itself over nearly a decade of war: mental illness

Continue reading "Marines sharply increase mental health care for troops, fight military's highest suicide rate" »

Posted by sr at 10:35 PM | Permalink

8/23/2010
By Lance Cpl. Michelle S. Mattei,
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. —
Four Marines were added to the Purple Heart’s list of heroes injured during battles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Four Marines awarded Purple Heart for their sacrifice" »

Posted by sr at 10:41 PM | Permalink

Volunteers build addition to parents' house to aid recovery from wounds suffered in war

By Barbara O'Brien
NEWS STAFF REPORTER
Published:August 21 2010

A year ago, Marine Staff Sgt. John Stanz was fighting for his life in a military hospital in Germany after a bomb hit his Humvee in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "A heartfelt home for a hero" »

Posted by sr at 5:15 PM | Permalink

by WKBW Programming
August 20, 2010

HAMBURG, NY (WKBW) - Marine Staff Sergant John Stanz Jr. was nearly killed in Afghanistan when an enemy attack destroyed the humvee he was riding in.

Continue reading "Wounded Soldier Receives Special Gift" »

Posted by sr at 10:51 PM | Permalink

Flag-raising, dedication set for tonight in Caledonia.

By Chris Green
RRSTAR.COM
Posted Aug 12, 2010 @ 11:31 PM

CALEDONIA — Less than two weeks after being moved out of Bethesda Naval Hospital’s intensive care unit in Maryland, U.S. Marine Cpl. John Peck returned.

Continue reading "Critically wounded Marine shows improvement" »

Posted by sr at 10:08 PM | Permalink

A Whitfield County Marine family is praying and preparing this evening to fly to Bethesda, Maryland.

Continue reading "Afghanistan Bomb Blast Injures Whitfield Marine" »

Posted by sr at 10:26 PM | Permalink

Some of Cpl. John Peck's best friends are people he has never met.

Continue reading "Antioch event raises funds for badly wounded Marine" »

Posted by sr at 10:12 AM | Permalink

CASPER — At 5:30 a.m. on July 1, Lance Cpl. Jake Henry and roughly 17 other Marines left for a normal patrol in southern Afghanistan. They crossed over a canal and into an old poppy field, died out from the season before.

Continue reading "Memories linger as Marine recuperates" »

Posted by sr at 9:58 AM | Permalink

Clayton Jarolimek’s injuries are serious, but not ‘life-threatening,’ mother says
A U.S. Marine from Minto, N.D., was injured Monday by an improvised explosive device, or IED, while on a foot patrol in Afghanistan.

A U.S. Marine from Minto, N.D., was injured Monday by an improvised explosive device, or IED, while on a foot patrol in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Minto Marine injured in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 10:25 AM | Permalink

Although he was half a world away from home, DeAvila was quickly surrounded by family and friends, due to a strong military family and community.

Continue reading "Family in Far Places" »

Posted by sr at 10:28 PM | Permalink

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. • The reading of Sophocles' classic drama "Ajax" was polished and powerful.

Continue reading "'Ajax' strikes chord with Marine veterans" »

Posted by sr at 1:40 PM | Permalink

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan — Lance Cpl. Frank Martin had only been in Afghanistan a few days when a 60-pound improvised explosive device detonated while he and his squad were on their first foot patrol in northern Marjah, hurling him into the air.

Continue reading "'Wounded Warrior’ Facility Helps Injured Marines Get Back to the Fight" »

Posted by sr at 10:15 AM | Permalink

MOUNT PLEASANT, TX (KLTV) - Marine Lance Corporal Dustin Dryden, 21, of Mount Pleasant was on his second tour in Afghanistan when he was wounded by an IED late Tuesday.

Continue reading "East Texas Marine wounded by IED, family shares story" »

Posted by sr at 3:31 PM | Permalink

By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Wednesday Jul 28, 2010 22:14:27 EDT

TAMPA, Fla. — Army Ranger Cory Remsburg was thrown like a rag doll into an Afghanistan canal Oct. 1 by the blast from a 500-pound roadside bomb, the right side of his head caved in by shrapnel.

Continue reading "Long journey back for troops with brain trauma" »

Posted by sr at 10:11 PM | Permalink

By Gregg Zoroya - USA Today
Posted : Wednesday Jul 28, 2010 22:14:27 EDT

TAMPA, Fla. — Army Ranger Cory Remsburg was thrown like a rag doll into an Afghanistan canal Oct. 1 by the blast from a 500-pound roadside bomb, the right side of his head caved in by shrapnel.

Continue reading "Long journey back for troops with brain trauma" »

Posted by sr at 10:11 PM | Permalink

As Marine Cpl. John Peck fights in his recovery from near-fatal injuries suffered in Afghanistan, the Antioch community is continuing its support by planning a fundraising concert.

Continue reading "Fundraising concert to help injured Antioch Marine" »

Posted by sr at 11:57 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Marines with Wounded Warrior Battalion West did not let their injuries slow them down as they took part in the Ocean Therapy Program hosted by a local foundation at Camp Del Mar’s beach, Camp Pendleton, July 20.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors dive into Ocean Therapy Program" »

Posted by sr at 11:02 AM | Permalink

Local effort started to help family

Lance Cpl. Jake Henry received a Purple Heart July 15 at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. The 21-year-old Casper Marine is recovering from injuries received in Taliban stronghold Helmand province, Afghanistan, July 1.

Continue reading "Casper soldier wounded in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 12:32 PM | Permalink

He nearly lost his life to an improvised explosive device just last month in Afghanistan. Despite that, Lieutenant Nathan Jeffcoats is fighting to go back to war.

Continue reading "Wounded Adams County marine fights back" »

Posted by sr at 7:50 PM | Permalink

By Natalie Bailey - Medill News Service
Posted : Tuesday Jul 13, 2010 18:08:55 EDT

With her copper hair, pale skin and small stature, Army Reserve Sgt. Jennifer Hunt, 26, stands out in the Veterans Affairs Department hospital waiting room filled with Vietnam War-era veterans.

Continue reading "Back home, female vets fight for recognition" »

Posted by sr at 5:14 PM | Permalink

On a perfect summer day, Kyle Francis sat in a rocking chair on his parents’ front porch in Clay and talked about the worst part of having visible war wounds: People asking him what happened.

Continue reading "U.S. Marine from Clay: Being shot makes you grow up fast" »

Posted by sr at 4:26 PM | Permalink

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jul 10, 2010 9:07:07 EDT

New rules could take effect as early as Monday to streamline the process for veterans of all eras with post-traumatic stress disorder to become eligible for disability benefits and treatment.

Continue reading "VA to loosen rules to get PTSD benefits" »

Posted by sr at 12:56 PM | Permalink

An area Marine is adjusting to new prosthetic feet while working to get the pieces of his life together.

Continue reading "Injured Marine determined to adjust to new prosthetic feet" »

Posted by sr at 8:28 AM | Permalink

BETHESDA, Md. — The U.S. military is opening a new medical center in suburban Washington dedicated to traumatic brain injury, sometimes called the signature wound of today's wars.

Continue reading "Military opens brain injury center in Md." »

Posted by sr at 8:18 AM | Permalink

The anger burns inside Niko Lorris.

Continue reading "New research could help explain the lasting effects of PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 4:54 PM | Permalink

Banding Together to Get BetterAmputees at Walter Reed Army Medical Center Rely on Each Other For Inspiration to Push Themselves to Walk Again

(CBS) May was a cruel month. The number of servicemen and women who lost an arm or a leg since the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began went over 1,000, many of them more than one. They come to the physical therapy room at Walter Reed, reports CBS News correspondent David Martin.

Continue reading "Banding Together to Get Better" »

Posted by sr at 8:31 AM | Permalink

NEW YORK - Maria Del Carmen Del Toro couldn't access her husband Israel's bank account for more than four months while he lay comatose after a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Family Finance: War can lead to financial battle" »

Posted by sr at 6:34 PM | Permalink

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 20, 2010 13:54:13 EDT

A study shows that there may be a reason that those with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder deal with more physical health issues as they age: Their immune system has been compromised.

Continue reading "Study links weak immune systems, PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 8:42 AM | Permalink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., - Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey Jr. made a surprise visit to the inaugural Warrior Games here, May 13, capping a pivotal night in medal game play.

Continue reading "Army Chief Presents Medals at Warrior Games" »

Posted by sr at 2:18 PM | Permalink

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- People are calling Corporal Tyler Southern a hometown hero.

Continue reading "Hometown hero honored" »

Posted by sr at 1:53 PM | Permalink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The inaugural Warrior Games at the Olympic Training Center here will draw to a close this evening, leaving in their wake a few hundred happy, but very tired troops, family members and volunteers.

Continue reading "Inaugural Warrior Games Set to Wrap Up" »

Posted by sr at 10:22 AM | Permalink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 13, 2010 – When retired Marine Corps 1st Sgt. John Fuller was asked how he thought the inaugural Warrior Games archery competition would turn out, his answer was complicated, yet simple. And it was right.

Continue reading "Marines Earn Gold, Silver in Warrior Games Archery" »

Posted by sr at 5:04 PM | Permalink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 13, 2010 – The Marine Corps teams competing at the inaugural Warrior Games here have a wealth of coaching knowledge available to their athletes.

Continue reading "Husband, Wife Coach Marine Shooting Team" »

Posted by sr at 4:55 PM | Permalink

An Afghan insurgent's homemade bomb shattered Marc Esposito's lower legs, broke his back and knocked him cold for four days. But the Air Force staff sergeant says the worst part was being torn from his Special Operations teammates who stayed in the field after he was evacuated.

Continue reading "Warrior Games give injured vets kinship, strength" »

Posted by sr at 4:42 PM | Permalink

Guidance Helicopters will offer helicopter rides to the public to raise money to help U.S. Marine Corps Lance Corporal Michael Martinez, a 2008 graduate of Prescott High School, who lost his legs in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Company offers helicopter rides to raise money for injured Marine" »

Posted by sr at 2:26 PM | Permalink

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., May 12, 2010 – The Marine Corps team is on top after yesterday’s first day of competition at the inaugural Warrior Games here, sweeping their opponents and finishing 4-0 in team play.

Continue reading "Marines Dominate in Early Competition at Warrior Games" »

Posted by sr at 4:47 PM | Permalink

Conference to examine consequence of battlefield transgressions, exposure to carnage

A group of mental health experts is giving a name to the guilt and remorse troops feel when they see or do bad things during war: moral injury.

Continue reading " 'Moral injury' as a wound of war" »

Posted by sr at 9:43 AM | Permalink

By Gidget Fuentes - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday May 2, 2010 9:16:02 EDT

The Corps is expanding special pay and allowance eligibility for Marines wounded or ill as a result of combat or hostile fire.

Continue reading "More wounded Marines eligible for special pays" »

Posted by sr at 9:35 AM | Permalink

FORT CARSON, Colo. – The All-Marine Warrior Games Team training camp kicked off with a dinner for athletes and staff April 27, at the Colorado Inn. The team, guests and staff celebrated the beginning of the training, as well as the mark of a new tradition when the games commence May 10 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

Continue reading "Training Begins" »

Posted by sr at 7:45 PM | Permalink

Marine slowly getting his life back together after being shot in Afghanistan

Lewis Skerry is adjusting to a new, strangely diminished life.

Continue reading " A slow journey back for wounded Marine" »

Posted by sr at 9:28 AM | Permalink

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Apr 27, 2010 13:33:37 EDT

Disabled veterans with sight, hearing and mobility limitations who might benefit from having a service dog at their side are being encouraged by a major veterans service organization to apply for government reimbursement of some dog-related expenses.

Continue reading "More vets eligible for service dog benefits" »

Posted by sr at 8:18 AM | Permalink

FORT DETRICK, Md., - From developing a new microprocessor-controlled prosthetic leg to a non-chafing socket device, the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center here is making big strides in advancing prosthetic science to improve wounded warriors' quality of life.

Continue reading "Better Prosthetics Coming for Wounded Warriors" »

Posted by sr at 6:18 PM | Permalink

By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 19, 2010 16:36:46 EDT

People caring for severely disabled veterans would be eligible for a host of new benefits — including payment for some — under a compromise reached between key congressional committees, the Veterans Affairs Department and the White House.

Continue reading "Deal reached on family caregiver benefits" »

Posted by sr at 6:15 PM | Permalink

By Natalie Bailey - Medill News Service
Posted : Saturday Apr 17, 2010 9:42:40 EDT.

Three years ago, Cpl. Matt Bradford lost both legs and his vision after a bomb blast in Iraq. Despite these devastating injuries, Bradford had no interest in retreating to civilian life. He wanted to continue his Marine career

Continue reading "Cpl. first blind double-amputee to re-enlist" »

Posted by sr at 10:32 AM | Permalink

Retired Marine will help paralyzed vet achieve dream

ELLENVILLE — It began with an impossible wish, a wish to run. And though he's paralyzed from the waist down, nobody who knows Marine Sgt. Eddie Ryan, his friends and especially his family should ever have doubted that wish would come true.

Continue reading "Sgt. Eddie Ryan training to roll in fall marathon" »

Posted by sr at 10:34 PM | Permalink

A local Marine who survived a devastating injury during a tour in Iraq marks a milestone with a new plan to complete a marathon. Lori Chung has more on how a fellow Marine is helping him to make his mission.

ELLENVILLE, N.Y. -- Marine Sergeant Eddie Ryan is used to defying the odds.

Continue reading "Marine celebrates "Alive Day"" »

Posted by sr at 10:23 PM | Permalink

By Sharon Cohen, The Associated Press
Stars and Stripes online edition, Monday, April 12, 2010

It wasn't his first tour in Iraq, but his second and third when Joe Callan began wondering how long his luck would last — how many more months he could swerve around bombs buried in the dirt and duck mortars raining from the skies.

Continue reading "Revolving door of multiple tours linked to PTSD" »

Posted by sr at 5:06 PM | Permalink

FRANKLIN—Franklin’s Jeane Brown says her 25-year-old grandson, Bobby Brown, is her hero.

Continue reading "Marine with local ties injured in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 9:34 AM | Permalink

After all he's been through, the only real regret Marine Cpl. Matthew Bradford says he has now is not being able to return to combat duty in Iraq.

Continue reading "Blind Marine re-enlists" »

Posted by sr at 1:46 PM | Permalink

COOS BAY, Ore. -Three months ago, a local Marine, 1st Lt. Richard Rush was fighting a war in Afghanistan when he and seven others were hit by a roadside bomb.

Continue reading "Injured Marine continues recovery in Coos Bay" »

Posted by sr at 9:13 AM | Permalink

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan—Under a dusty hospital tent where doctors yell over the roar of jet engines, Dr. John York studied an electronic image of a blood vessel in the neck of a soldier wounded by an improvised bomb. It looked like a balloon ready to pop. Too delicate to operate on directly. Dr. York would have to try a procedure that had rarely been attempted so close to a battlefield.

Continue reading "On Distant Battlefields, Survival Odds Rise Sharply" »

Posted by sr at 5:15 PM | Permalink

Camp Pendleton troops will be first to undergo experimental technique

Dozens of brain-injured Camp Pendleton troops from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan soon will climb inside a pressurized chamber and breathe pure oxygen to see whether the treatment speeds their recovery.

Continue reading "Brain-injured Marines to test new treatment" »

Posted by sr at 2:21 PM | Permalink

By Dan Blottenberger, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Wednesday, March 31, 2010

BAMBERG, Germany — Spc. Joseph Pickering has found a way to let some of his painful memories of the Iraq war float away.

Continue reading "Wounded find new freedom in scuba classes" »

Posted by sr at 5:15 PM | Permalink

By Amy McCullough - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Mar 31, 2010 7:47:00 EDT

The Defense Department hopes to find a better treatment for the 100,000 troops who have been diagnosed with mild Traumatic Brain Injury since 2003, and it’s looking at hyperbaric chambers — often used in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning — for the answer.

Continue reading "Hyperbaric chamber may treat TBI" »

Posted by sr at 9:13 AM | Permalink

Central graduate stepped on IED in Afghanistan

About 5 a.m. Saturday, Becky Palmer, 25, got the phone call.

Continue reading "Milton Marine loses leg in blast in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 9:06 AM | Permalink

MILTON, Fla. (WALA) - A Milton Marine stepped right onto a roadside bomb in Afghanistan. His foot had to be amputated and he's being treated for injuries in Germany. His family is keeping in close contact with him and is thankful he's still alive.

Continue reading "Local Marine injured in Afghanistan" »

Posted by sr at 7:02 AM | Permalink

Medical providers stress that there's a commitment to serve all military personnel.

CHEYENNE -- Veteran health care is changing along with changing military demographics.

Continue reading "VA focuses on needs of more female vets" »

Posted by sr at 4:17 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Defense Department is rolling out a new set of guidelines for the treatment of mild traumatic brain injury among service members in combat areas.

Continue reading "New Protocol to Provide Early Brain Injury Detection" »

Posted by sr at 2:51 PM | Permalink

The shattered Marine Part 1
“I was killing myself without even knowing it,” said Pvt. Travis Westhoven, an inmate at the Camp Lejeune Brig.

Continue reading " The shattered Marine" »

Posted by sr at 8:36 AM | Permalink

By Lauren Glendenning - Vail (Colo.) Daily via AP
Posted : Saturday Mar 13, 2010 16:15:15 EST

VAIL, Colo. — Sgt. 1st Class Joe Kapacziewski’s 2005 injury in Iraq might have gotten the best of his right leg, but it certainly didn’t get the best of him.

Continue reading "Vail ski program gives boost to injured vets" »

Posted by sr at 9:54 PM | Permalink

By Gregg Zoroya - USA TODAY
Posted : Tuesday Mar 2, 2010 17:33:08 EST

WASHINGTON — Troops caught near a roadside blast will be pulled out of combat for 24 hours and checked for a mild traumatic brain injury, even if they appear unhurt or say they are fine, according to a new treatment policy the Pentagon is planning to release.

Continue reading "New rules for troops hit by IED blasts" »

Posted by sr at 10:29 AM | Permalink

WASHINGTON - Scientists at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and a professor at Columbia University are working on a collaborative study measuring brain damage on traumatic brain injury patients.

Continue reading "Study Measures Traumatic Brain Injury" »

Posted by sr at 7:36 PM | Permalink

Brain scans, blood tests may help predict condition

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Dec 27, 2009 8:40:52 EST

Two new studies seem to provide more evidence that post-traumatic stress disorder is a chemical change in the brain caused by trauma — and that it might be possible to diagnose, treat and predict which troops are most susceptible to it using brain scans or blood tests.

Continue reading "Studies find breakthrough in PTSD treatment" »

Posted by sr at 5:26 PM | Permalink

By KIMBERLY HEFLING Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON December 14, 2009 (AP)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Nobody wants to buy them a beer.

Continue reading "Back from combat, women struggle for acceptance" »

Posted by sr at 8:39 AM | Permalink

U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Michael Blair sits tall in a saddle that has been used by soldiers since before World War I. Today he is riding Bud, a jet-black horse whose usual job is leading caissons through the somber funeral ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery With his crew cut and his Marine Corps windbreaker, Sgt. Blair, 34, looks every bit the part of a soldier as he rides down the path at Arlington's Fort Myer. When he dismounts, though, he grabs a walking stick with a Marines logo on it and walks unevenly to the stables.

Continue reading "Injured troops find therapy on horseback" »

Posted by sr at 10:29 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Nov. 24, 2009 – As Army Sgt. First Class John Wright lay in a hospital room after being wounded in Afghanistan this summer, he probably didn’t envision himself feeling especially thankful a few months later.

Continue reading "Vice President Opens Home to Recovering Troops" »

Posted by sr at 10:27 PM | Permalink

Marine Corps League Detachment 061 honored Purple Heart recipients representing three generations at a banquet Saturday that celebrated today as the 234th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Marine Corps.

Continue reading "Marine Corps League honors wounded warriors" »

Posted by BR at 7:53 PM | Permalink

From the series - Women at Arms

For Vivienne Pacquette, being a combat veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder means avoiding phone calls to her sons, dinner out with her husband and therapy sessions that make her talk about seeing the reds and whites of her friends’ insides after a mortar attack in 2004.

Continue reading "A Combat Role, and Anguish, Too" »

Posted by sr at 5:02 PM | Permalink

ARLINGTON, Va. - An Evansville Marine injured in Afghanistan was one of 25 soldiers awarded personal mobility vehicles at a ceremony in Arlington, Va., on Thursday.

Continue reading "Evansville Marine, wounded in Afghanistan, receives electric vehicle" »

Posted by sr at 4:56 PM | Permalink

Man loses lower leg in Monday’s helicopter wreck; parents fly from the county to see him

A Marine captain and San Luis Obispo High School alumnus is recovering in a hospital in Germany after he lost one of his lower legs and suffered other serious injuries in a helicopter crash Monday in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "San Luis Obispo High alumnus was in helicopter crash that killed four in Afghanistan on Monday" »

Posted by sr at 9:03 AM | Permalink

By Ralph D. Russo - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Oct 20, 2009 16:23:22 EDT

NEW YORK — Maryland and South Carolina will wear uniforms with camouflage designs during their games Nov. 14 to honor military veterans and promote the Wounded Warrior Project.

Continue reading "Teams to raise cash for Wounded Warrior Project" »

Posted by BR at 8:22 PM | Permalink

By Kimberly Hefling - The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Oct 15, 2009 13:10:33 EDT

WASHINGTON — Female soldiers and others serving in dangerous roles behind the front lines in Iraq and Afghanistan have long complained it was hard to prove their combat experience when applying for disability for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Continue reading "Proposal could ease way for disability payments" »

Posted by BR at 9:27 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — For the men and women who put themselves in harms way for our country and return injured, little can be done to fully repay them for their sacrifice.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors prepare for next step" »

Posted by BR at 1:40 PM | Permalink

Harrisburg, Pa. - A local Marine wounded in Afghanistan was honored for his service and his sacrifice on Thursday night.

Continue reading "Marine Honored for Service, Sacrifice" »

Posted by sr at 1:40 PM | Permalink

By Eloise Aguiar - The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted : Sunday Sep 20, 2009 9:46:48 EDT

KANEOHE BAY, Hawaii — Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s latest recruit breaks the mold with his laid-back attitude and nonregulation hairstyle. But he’s highly trained and devoted to his unit.

Continue reading "Wounded warriors get new best friend" »

Posted by sr at 11:30 PM | Permalink

DENVER - It's been one month since Staff Sergeant Jesse Cottle was seriously injured in Afghanistan. In that time he has had six surgeries and lost both of his legs.

Continue reading "Dozens gather for Marine's homecoming" »

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Sep 6, 2009 8:16:30 EDT

The Department of Veterans Affairs is moving closer to simplifying the process for many veterans to link post-traumatic stress disorder to their military service, whether in a war zone or not, which opens the door for disability benefits.

Continue reading "Change would streamline PTSD claims for vets" »

Posted by BR at 9:41 PM | Permalink

FAIRBORN, Ohio -- It was a homecoming in Fairborn for a disabled Marine who got a hero’s welcome from thousands of people.

Continue reading "Homecoming For Local Wounded Soldier" »

Posted by sr at 11:27 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON | It wasn’t a bullet or roadside bomb that felled Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez three years ago, after just nine days in Iraq.

Continue reading "Missouri veteran injured by vaccine ineligible for benefit" »

Posted by sr at 1:43 PM | Permalink

FAIRBORN — Marine Lance Cpl. Larry Draughn Jr. credits his remarkable recovery after losing both legs in Afghanistan on May 31 to his stubbornness and something he learned from his late father.

Continue reading "Local Marine loses both legs, not his spirit" »

Posted by BR at 3:05 PM | Permalink

BETHESDA, MD,— Crestron hosted the third Eagles Program dedication ceremony yesterday for the Wounded Warriors Battalion – East at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, unveiling the new home theater donated to provide comfort and entertainment for America’s heroes recovering from injuries sustained during combat overseas. The Crestron Eagles Program was conceived by Crestron
President George Feldstein to honor the service and sacrifice of our wounded warriors returning home from battle.

Continue reading "Crestron Eagles Program Donates Theater to Marines" »

Posted by BR at 7:29 PM | Permalink

Densfords seek assistance with meals program that supports military families as they visit injured or ill servicemen at National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda

Military service is a family tradition for Peggy and Joe Densford's family. Two of their three children are Marines — Capt. Nathan Densford, 30, is currently serving his third tour in Iraq as an air operations officer. Sgt. Seth Densford, 25, a veteran of Afghanistan, is currently serving at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Nathan is a 1997 graduate of Great Mills High School. Seth is a 2002 graduate of St. Mary's Ryken

Continue reading "Feeding a need" »

Posted by sr at 11:34 PM | Permalink

ST. LOUIS MO ( KTVI-FOX2Now.com ) - There is an effort underway by moms of St. Louis area Marines to make sure no injured Marine is left without a letter showing them America cares.

Continue reading "Effort To Give Every Injured Marine A Letter Showing America Cares." »

Posted by sr at 10:31 PM | Permalink

DENVER - In a place where crowds are a given and homecomings happen every day, a couple of hundred people, most perfect strangers, gathered to surprise one man in a way that doesn't happen every day.

Continue reading "Big homecoming for recovering Marine" »

Posted by sr at 11:27 PM | Permalink

DENVER - Lance Corporal John T. Doody is finally back home in Colorado. But it wasn't an easy trip.

Continue reading "Wounded Iraq War veteran receives hero's welcome at DIA" »

Posted by sr at 11:03 PM | Permalink

Gannett Washington Bureau - Gannett Washington Bureau
Posted : Thursday Jul 16, 2009 20:48:40 EDT

WASHINGTON — Marine Lance Cpl. Josef Lopez of Springfield has spent the last three years recovering from a smallpox vaccination that left him paralyzed and nearly took his life.

Continue reading "Stricken Marine spurs senator’s amendment" »

Posted by sr at 10:55 PM | Permalink

DENVER (CBS4) ― A wounded war veteran received a hero's welcome at Denver International Airport on Wednesday.

Continue reading "CO Soldier Receives Hero's Welcome" »

Posted by sr at 7:03 AM | Permalink

By Alysia Patterson - The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Jun 28, 2009 13:48:10 EDT

FORT CARSON, Colo. — Army Spc. Cameron Briggs washes down a cocktail of prescription drugs every day for post-traumatic stress disorder and a brain injury he suffered when four roadside bombs rocked his Humvee in Iraq.

Continue reading "Dogs more actively integrated into rehab" »

Posted by BR at 4:25 PM | Permalink

By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Saturday Jun 27, 2009 12:00:25 EDT

The deadline is July 27 for troops with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury, and their families, to register for a free getaway near Big Bear Lake in California’s San Bernardino Mountains.

Continue reading "Free retreat offered for TBI vets, families" »

Posted by BR at 2:26 PM | Permalink

Staff report
Posted : Thursday Jun 25, 2009 21:38:01 EDT

The Marine officer who devised centralized barracks for wounded warriors is leaving the Corps.

Continue reading "Marine behind Wounded Warrior barracks to retire" »

Posted by sr at 9:38 AM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, June 19, 2009 – A foundation formed by the family of a fallen Marine whose story was told in the HBO movie “Taking Chance” has donated $10,000 to a group that works to help wounded veterans and their families.

Continue reading "Chance Phelps Foundation Donates $10,000 to ‘Hope for the Warriors’" »

Posted by sr at 6:57 PM | Permalink

Staff report
Posted : Thursday May 7, 2009 21:41:11 EDT

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Marines recovering at Camp Lejeune, N.C., from wounds sustained in Afghanistan and Iraq are getting new digs conveniently located next to the base naval hospital.

Continue reading "Lejeune maps out new Wounded Warrior barracks" »

Posted by sr at 9:38 AM | Permalink

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday May 7, 2009 19:58:16 EDT

When an improvised explosive device blew up in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, Derek McGinnis, a former Navy corpsman, lost the bottom half of his leg.

Continue reading "Conference brings vets, caregivers together" »

Posted by sr at 9:23 AM | Permalink

By David Carter, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, May 3, 2009

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Lance Cpl. Matthew Bradford was nervous.

Continue reading "Injured Marine shares story to inspire others" »

Posted by sr at 6:23 PM | Permalink

Researchers are not sure whether the treatment will have any positive impact

Brain injuries are fast becoming one of the signature injuries of the wars in Iraq and Afghantistan. Now, some San Antonio researchers are trying a cutting edge way to treat these wounded warriors. It involves oxygen

Continue reading "Hyperbarics under study as a treatment for traumatic brain injury" »

Posted by sr at 8:41 AM | Permalink

By William H. McMichael - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Apr 20, 2009 5:21:31 EDT

Inexact post-deployment questions about service members’ health are leading to incorrect diagnoses of mild traumatic brain injury, resulting in troops sometimes receiving the wrong medications and inappropriate treatment while other maladies go untreated, two leading Army TBI researchers conclude in a paper published April 16 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Continue reading "TBI screens need to get specific, report says" »

Posted by sr at 12:39 PM | Permalink

ARLINGTON, Va. — Military scientists are learning how roadside bombs — the most common weapon used against U.S. troops in on the battlefield — harm the brain even when there is no other physical damage, according to research results released by the project’s lead scientist.

Continue reading "Military studies shed light on brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 8:42 AM | Permalink

The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Feb 1, 2009 8:56:50 EST

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. — Former Marine Cpl. Joshua Hoffman was paralyzed from the chest down two years ago by a sniper’s bullet in Iraq. He uses a wheelchair and has been in and out of hospitals with infections.

Continue reading "New home built for paralyzed Marine" »

Posted by sr at 10:11 AM | Permalink

Reaching for a cigarette to cope with a flashback is all too common among sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. The nicotine hit may feel good but scientists say its brain action probably makes their PTSD worse in the long run.

Continue reading "How to help when smoking, alcohol complicate PTSD" »

Posted by at 12:56 PM | Permalink

Reaching for a cigarette to cope with a flashback is all too common among sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder. The nicotine hit may feel good but scientists say its brain action probably makes their PTSD worse in the long run.

Continue reading "How to help when smoking, alcohol complicate PTSD" »

Posted by at 12:56 PM | Permalink

It took an explosion on the streets of Iraq to put in a kink in Sergeant Andrew Simmons stride back in 2006 as he made his way home to East Tennessee.

Continue reading "Local group carves honors for wounded vets" »

Posted by sr at 10:53 AM | Permalink

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Jan 15, 2009 12:11:52 EST

The Defense Department has created a new outreach center for troops and family members who need help understanding post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries, as well as to help them get the resources they need.

Continue reading "New DoD center offers help for PTSD" »

Posted by at 12:03 PM | Permalink

ANN ARBOR, Mich – The McCormick Foundation in Chicago has awarded $350,000 to the University of Michigan Depression Center and Department of Psychiatry to help address the “invisible brain injuries” among returning Iraqi and Afghanistan veterans and their families. These include sleep, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and associated problems. The gift is part of a larger fundraising initiative called Welcome Back Veterans created by New York Mets Chairman and CEO Fred Wilpon to provide returning veterans the quality evaluations, treatment, support systems, and long-term employment assistance they deserve to restart their lives and care for their families.

Continue reading "University of Michigan Depression Center receives Welcome Back Veterans award for returning veterans and families" »

Posted by at 3:03 PM | Permalink

Reduced sense of smell might also signal need for testing, expert says

MONDAY, Jan. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Headache frequency and severity caused by traumatic brain injury might signal cognitive deficits, suggests a new study of Iraq war veterans.

Continue reading "War Vets With Headaches Could Have Brain Problems" »

Posted by at 2:21 PM | Permalink

TAMPA - Lance Corporal J.T. Doody has a newfound freedom. He's in a wheelchair, but now he can go where he wants.

Continue reading "Van gives disabled vet freedom" »

Posted by sr at 6:02 PM | Permalink

By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, December 10, 2008

FRANKLINTON, N.C. — The first thing that 1st Lt. Mike McMichael felt when he regained consciousness was a stinging sensation.

Continue reading "For troops and the military system trying to help them, traumatic brain injury is new territory" »

Posted by at 9:29 AM | Permalink

An Institute of Medicine report says even mild brain injuries seem associated with problems such as seizures, aggression and dementia reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease.

Traumatic brain injuries, one of the signature injuries of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, can be linked to such long-term problems as seizures, aggression and dementia reminiscent of Alzheimer's disease, according to an Institute of Medicine report released Thursday.

Continue reading "Veterans' long-term problems linked to traumatic brain injuries" »

Posted by sr at 10:47 PM | Permalink

By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Stars and Stripes online edition, Thursday, December 4, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. – Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance benefits have been expanded to include new injuries.

Continue reading "Traumatic Servicemembers Group Life Insurance benefits expanded" »

Posted by sr at 10:57 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Nov. 26, 2008 – Wounded warriors who call into the Marine Wounded Warrior Call Center near Quantico, Va., find truth in the motto, “once a Marine, always a Marine.”

Continue reading "Staying Power: Marine Corps’ Call Center Contacts, Assists Wounded Warriors" »

Posted by sr at 9:41 AM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Matthew Ryan Bradford was part of a patrol to clear an area near Haditha, Iraq, of roadside bombs with the 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, on Jan. 18, 2007.

Continue reading "Face of Defense: Double Amputee Marine Wants to Stay in to Help Others" »

Posted by at 2:40 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2008 – A troop-support group that provides education on the brain’s and body’s natural responses to stress launched its redesigned Web site yesterday.
“Our Web site is completely redesigned to power our mission of providing the best education, training and resources for supporting strength and resilience in all areas of military life,” said Elizabeth Hawkins, executive director of “One Freedom.”

Continue reading "Troop Support Group Launches New Web Site" »

Posted by at 2:12 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3, 2008 – Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a new handbook is another step in improving the care and support wounded, ill or injured troops and their families deserve. The handbook compiles the myriad information they need in one succinct, easy-to-read publication.

Continue reading "Warrior Care: Compensation, Benefits Handbook Consolidates Warrior Care Information" »

Posted by at 2:58 PM | Permalink

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq, Oct. 31, 2008 – A noncommissioned officer who returned to Iraq nine months ago after his left leg was amputated above the knee soon will represent the Marine Corps in the halls of Congress.

Continue reading "Face of Defense: Marine Amputee Who Returned to Iraq Earns Fellowship" »

Posted by at 1:26 PM | Permalink

KEVIN BLANCHARD’S freshman year at George Washington University was unlike anybody else’s on campus.

Continue reading "Combat to College" »

Posted by sr at 6:54 PM | Permalink

By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Wednesday, October 29, 2008

ARLINGTON, Va. — Wounded servicemembers whose combat-related injuries are diagnosed after they return home can keep their special pays while hospitalized, Defense officials said Tuesday.

Continue reading "Wounded troops’ pay overhauled" »

Posted by sr at 11:13 PM | Permalink

By Rick Maze - [email protected]
Posted : October 06, 2008

In the first of what could become many revisions in its disability ratings, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced Sept. 23 that it is changing how it evaluates traumatic brain injuries, a move that could increase disability compensation for thousands of veterans who have been injured by roadside bombs or other explosions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Continue reading "VA rule change may mean higher TBI payouts" »

Posted by sr at 1:16 PM | Permalink

The 12-bedroom facility allows them to stay close to loved ones being treated at the Naval Medical Center, many for traumatic brain injuries.

SAN DIEGO -- When Nicci McClearn of Chicago learned in July that her Marine son had been severely wounded in Afghanistan, she knew where she was headed: Fisher House, adjacent to Naval Medical Center San Diego.

Continue reading "Second house for families of wounded troops opens in San Diego" »

Posted by sr at 10:53 PM | Permalink

Free Lodging Puts Them Close to Hospital

SAN DIEGO -- More family members visiting badly injured sailors and Marines can now literally stay next door to their loved ones at Naval Medical Center in Balboa Park.

Continue reading "Military Families Get New Home Away From Home" »

Posted by at 2:14 PM | Permalink

Family, friend to come together for Corporal Kaspar

Sometimes, some good can result from a grim situation. Such is the case trusted for by the Kaspar family in the "Coming Together for Corporal Kaspar Foundation," to financially help U.S.M.C. Corporal Sean Kaspar of Orland Park and his family with the many months of therapy and rehabilitation he faces from injuries suffered in active duty.

Continue reading "Benefit planned for injured Orland marine" »

Posted by sr at 6:26 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON — The government plans to substantially increase disability benefits for veterans with mild traumatic brain injuries, acknowledging for the first time that veterans suffering from this less severe version of the Iraq war's signature wound will struggle to make a living.

Continue reading "VA to increase benefits for mild brain trauma" »

Posted by sr at 1:38 PM | Permalink

Petaluma Marine wounded in Iraq greeted by well-wishers upon return to hometown

A young hero came home Monday -- true to plan -- on his own two feet.

Continue reading "Kiernan comes home -- on two (new) legs" »

Posted by at 3:09 PM | Permalink

Scott MacKenzie is sleeping better these days.

Continue reading "‘Wiener dog’ helps Iraq War veteran adjust" »

Posted by sr at 1:44 PM | Permalink

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- Home for at least two months, soldiers with a combat brigade still are in the fight.

Continue reading "Fort Lewis Soldiers Get Help Readjusting To Home" »

Posted by sr at 10:54 PM | Permalink

How One Team Roping Marine Made A Difference

Cody Hill was like most late-teen roping bums you know. Coming off a 300-mother cow operation in Ada, Okla., he gravitated toward the arena and was a natural.

Continue reading "Beyond the Call of Duty" »

Posted by sr at 11:20 PM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Aug. 20, 2008 – After being medically retired from the Army last year as a result of mental wounds he suffered in Iraq, Michael Bradley faced a daunting challenge that would later prove pivotal in his recovery: holding down a job in the civilian world.

Continue reading "Afflicted Soldier Exemplifies ‘America’s Heroes at Work’" »

Posted by at 12:28 PM | Permalink

MIDDLEVILLE, Mich. (WZZM) - Supporters of a local Marine paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Iraq broke ground today on a new home for him in Middleville.

Continue reading "Supporters break ground on home for West Michigan Marine" »

Posted by sr at 11:32 PM | Permalink

Former Chicago Bears Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon will host a star-studded, two-day celebrity extravaganza before the game at Lakewood Ranch Golf and Country Club. It begins Jan. 29 with an evening under the stars at The Lake Club clubhouse, followed Jan. 30 by a 36-team celebrity golf tournament.

Continue reading "Super Bowl QB McMahon announces local benefit for wounded vets, others" »

Posted by at 11:39 AM | Permalink

A local marine who was severely injured in Afghanistan is back home tonight with his family. But not after an amazing show of generosity from strangers and friends alike.

Continue reading "Local marine receives hero's welcome home" »

Posted by sr at 3:40 PM | Permalink

EASTON -
A 21-year-old Marine from Easton is recovering at a veterans hospital in Virginia after being seriously injured last month in an attack while serving in Afghanistan.

Continue reading "Easton Marine recovering from Afghanistan attack" »

Posted by sr at 12:14 PM | Permalink

Scott MacKenzie recalls little of his past. His parents remember every detail.

Continue reading "Memory loss haunts injured Iraq War veteran" »

Posted by at 2:30 PM | Permalink

By Trevon Milliard - Bozeman (Mont.) Daily Chronicle via The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Aug 7, 2008 7:04:15 EDT

ENNIS, Mont. — Alroy Billiman, 28, stood at the front of a drift boat floating in the upper Madison River.

Continue reading "Group brings veterans to Montana to fish" »

Posted by sr at 9:54 AM | Permalink

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 30, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), a non-profit organization that honors and empowers wounded warriors, today announced that Michael Ward, chairman and chief executive officer of CSX Corporation, and his wife Terry have personally contributed $1 million toward education and rehabilitation.

Continue reading "Michael and Terry Ward Donate $1 Million to Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)" »

Posted by at 2:14 PM | Permalink

By Trista Talton - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jul 1, 2008 6:35:03 EDT

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. — Cpl. Mark Marcoux set his sights on college long before he was injured by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Continue reading "Wounded Warrior job fair offers opportunities" »

Posted by at 4:07 PM | Permalink

40 of America's most recently wounded service members were given a hero's welcome at The Venetian Thursday night.

Continue reading "The Venetian Honors Wounded Service Members" »

Posted by sr at 10:55 AM | Permalink

By Dan Lamothe - Staff writer
Posted : Monday May 26, 2008 9:39:03 EDT

Lance Cpl. Sam Hansen was on a Mother’s Day vehicle patrol in Taliban-heavy Garmser, Afghanistan, when insurgents opened fire.

Continue reading "Marine recovering after being shot in head" »

Posted by at 9:48 AM | Permalink

A colleague dropped by on a recent day to tell me that it was the third anniversary of her son’s coming home from Iraq. That stopped me. It’s been 40 years since I stepped off the battlefield, and I’m not home yet. I can still feel the muck of rice paddies pulling on my boots, still hear the jungle hiss and snap in the dark. Even after the night dreams and day drifts have stopped and the loud noises no longer startle, you still press your chin against your shoulder and look back.

Continue reading "Ferguson" »

Posted by sr at 9:54 PM | Permalink

Navy docs staff medical facilities in Iraq, Afghanistan

TAQADDUM AIR BASE, IRAQ ---- It wasn’t a roadside bomb or small-arms fire that put Marine Lance Cpl. Douglas Cox in a hospital bed here last week.

Continue reading "MILITARY: Treating the wounded in the Middle East" »

Posted by at 11:19 AM | Permalink

CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. -- Any day now, a new medical facility designed specifically for troops with traumatic brain injuries will open at Camp Pendleton, 10News reported.

Continue reading "Brain Injury Clinic To Open At Camp Pendleton" »

Posted by at 10:28 AM | Permalink

Walter Reed Tries Yoga to Counter PTSD

Derrick Farley, a 29-year-old Army sergeant stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., has seen many people die. He served in Iraq for three year-long tours of duty with only six-month breaks between them. He remembers driving trucks along the dirt roads of Tikrit, ever alert for telltale signs of a sniper or the sudden blast of a hidden roadside bomb. His vehicle, he said, was hit 13 times.

Continue reading "A Breath of Hope" »

Posted by sr at 11:33 PM | Permalink

- Challenged Athlete Foundation Members Participating Courtesy of TriWest -

PHOENIX, April 16 /PRNewswire/ -- After sacrificing their limbs while
fighting to protect America's freedoms in Iraq and Afghanistan, Marines Chris
Chandler and Brandon Mendez refused to let their injuries diminish their
spirits. Both received prosthetic limbs, returned to active duty and are
participating in Pat's Run courtesy of TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

Continue reading "Wounded Marines Running Their Way to Recovery at Fourth Annual Pat's Run" »

Posted by sr at 11:15 PM | Permalink

Sniper’s bullet destroyed gunnery sergeant’s knee, but not his will to serve

If you’ve ever wondered what the Marines have in mind when they advertise for “a few good men,” look no further than Gunnery Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson.

Continue reading "Marine who lost leg returns to combat in Iraq" »

Posted by at 3:17 PM | Permalink

BETHESDA, Md., April 3, 2008 – Two Marines who were injured in Iraq praised the medical care they’ve received at the National Naval Medical Center here during interviews yesterday in conjunction with a grand re-opening ceremony for their newly renovated outpatient quarters.

Continue reading "Wounded Marines Praise Medical Care, Relate Iraq Experiences" »

Posted by sr at 11:01 PM | Permalink

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Fighting in Iraq took a heavy toll on Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Patrick, damaging his hand, injuring his brain and causing him to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Continue reading "Marine Corps Offers Yoga, Massages to Marriages Strained by War" »

Posted by sr at 8:06 PM | Permalink

Shepherd Center and Humana Military Healthcare Services have partnered with Home Depot co-founder and philanthropist Bernie Marcus to help wounded U.S. military service members and their families obtain additional care to promote their recovery from combat-related injuries.

Continue reading "Shepherd Center and Humana Military Healthcare Services Launch SHARE Initiative" »

Posted by sr at 2:55 AM | Permalink

CASCADE TOWNSHIP, Mich (WOOD) -- When word went out that Joshua Hoffman was coming home, his family asked the injured Marine corporal if he wanted a public homecoming.

Continue reading "Hundreds greet wounded Marine" »

Posted by sr at 7:53 PM | Permalink

"Can I give you a kiss?"

Continue reading "Paralyzed Marine Joshua Hoffman returns home to well-wishers" »

Posted by sr at 7:49 PM | Permalink

Little-Known Event Is Emotional Salute;
Cpl. Lyon Pays a Visit

WASHINGTON -- Cpl. Kenny Lyon's mother pushed his wheelchair down a narrow Pentagon hallway, crying as she listened to the applause.

Continue reading "Wounded Soldiers See the Pentagon In Private Parade" »

Posted by sr at 4:14 PM | Permalink

By Richard S. Lowry
March 12, 2008

December 12, 2004 changed Jason and Lindsey Arellano’s lives forever. U.S. Marine Sergeant Jason R Arellano, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Kilo Company, 2nd Platoon’s third squad leader found himself in Iraq for the second time. He had last seen American soil on September 11, 2004, leaving his loved ones in prayer and anticipation. Jason and Lindsey recently shared the following write-up with me after I contacted him to request an interview for my book. Jason told me that they wanted to write it all down before the memories faded. Hopefully, they will gather other stories of that fateful day and publish a book of their own. No doubt, I will tell Sergeant Jason Arellano’s story, but this poignant tale will be left for their telling.about

Continue reading "Recording History - Part XIII - Jason and Lindsey" »

Posted by sr at 11:40 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —
The Wounded Warrior Regiment sponsored a job fair Monday at The Clubs at Quantico for four hours, where representatives from dozens of companies were waiting to receive resumes from and maybe even hire wounded and retired Marines.

Continue reading "Wounded Warrior Regiment sponsors job fair" »

Posted by at 10:36 AM | Permalink

BETHESDA, Md. (March 4, 2008) -- The Marine Corps officially unveiled its new running suit to Marines assigned to the Wounded Warrior Regiment at the National Naval Medical Center here Feb. 29.

Continue reading "Marines debut new running suit" »

Posted by sr at 10:33 PM | Permalink

Spanky Gibson was shot by a sniper in May of 2006 while on foot patrol in Ramadi, Iraq. When the firefight was over, his left leg was gone.

But Gunnery Sgt. William Gibson, a decorated Marine, didn't stop serving his country, even after his leg was amputated above the knee. He didn't settle for a desk job stateside, either. He's back in Iraq — his second tour — on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Continue reading "Iraq War Marine With Amputated Leg Back on Active Duty" »

Posted by sr at 11:10 PM | Permalink

By Karen Jowers - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 14, 2008 7:24:51 EST

The Pentagon’s top doctor is calling on wounded service members and their families to share their concerns and recommendations in a live online discussion Thursday at http://www.health.mil — and e-mails and text messages are being accepted ahead of time.

Continue reading "Forum for wounded troops today" »

Posted by sr at 11:33 PM | Permalink

Fifteen wounded Marine and Army personnel were welcomed by an enthusiastic round of applause as they exited their plane on the flight deck aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) Jan. 25.

Continue reading "Wounded Warriors Pay Visit to USS Nimitz" »

Posted by sr at 10:53 PM | Permalink

By Garry Mitchell - The Associated Press
Posted : Saturday Jan 26, 2008 14:16:36 EST

IRVINGTON, Ala. — Two Black Hawk helicopters hovered and tipped rotors Friday in honor of Marine Sgt. Greg Edwards at a ceremony to start building a specially adapted home for the Edwards family.

Continue reading "Homes for Our Troops begins house in Alabama" »

Posted by sr at 5:39 PM | Permalink

MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (Jan. 11, 2008) -- The greatest leaders, it seems, don’t think of themselves as great.

Continue reading "Don't call it a comeback: Marine goes from wounded warrior to silent warrior" »

Posted by sr at 9:50 AM | Permalink

Strength. Strength to survive. Strength to overcome long odds. Strength to cope with overwhelming adversity. Strength to hope for a better future. And strength to work hard at making that future happen.

Continue reading "Colin Smith a beacon of strength and hope for all who face adversity" »

Posted by sr at 9:30 PM | Permalink

Colin Smith always has a smile on his face. His sincerity and charm shine through it, making it impossible to not smile back. His smile radiates energy that can be felt by those around him.

Continue reading "Always smiling" »

Posted by sr at 7:47 PM | Permalink

Last of two parts
Part one may be found here:
http://www.marine-corps-news.com/2007/12/blasted_off_an_iraqi_bridge_cp.htm

SAN ANTONIO – Marine Cpl. Eric Morante's face darkens with effort, his mouth compressed in a tight line as he struggles for balance while doing abdominal crunches on a big blue exercise ball.

Continue reading "Marine Cpl. Eric Morante fights to find purpose in rehab grind" »

Posted by sr at 12:42 PM | Permalink

First in a two-part series
Part two may be found here:
http://www.marine-corps-news.com/2007/12/marine_cpl_eric_morante_fights.htm

It's sometime after noon on a Friday, the end of a four-day rotation on Bridge 286.

Continue reading "Blasted off an Iraqi bridge, Cpl. Eric Morante fights back; He won't rest until his Marines make it home" »

Posted by sr at 9:26 AM | Permalink

There’s happy and lucky to be alive, and then there’s the suicide bombing story that Marines Eric Morante and Steven May, both Spring Branch ISD graduates, will tell for years to come after serving in Iraq.

Continue reading "SBISD graduates recovering from suicide truck bombing in Iraq" »

Posted by sr at 9:13 PM | Permalink

BAY CITY -- A Purple Heart hangs on the wall over his pillow. Photos from Iraq are taped above the desk. A Marine Corps flag is pinned above the bed.

Continue reading "A Marine's long road home; After an Iraq bomb left him in a coma with Traumatic Brain Injury, a Saginaw man struggles to be normal" »

Posted by sr at 11:06 AM | Permalink

Marine Lance Cpl. Gene Landrus was hurt in a roadside bomb attack outside Abu Ghraib, Iraq, on May 15, 2006, and faces medical separation from the Corps. He's also up for a Purple Heart.

Continue reading "Marine didn't recognize signs of brain injury" »

Posted by KH for MarineParents.com at 6:35 PM | Permalink

The young marine lighted a cigarette and let it dangle. White smoke wafted around his helmet. His face was smeared with war paint. Blood trickled from his right ear and the bridge of his nose.

Continue reading "Two lives blurred together by a photo" »

Posted by sr at 11:22 PM | Permalink

Despite concerns of overstepping, Times photographer Luis Sinco feels compelled to help the Iraq vet he made famous.

James Blake Miller was in a world of pain, and I figured I should be by his side.

Continue reading "Rescue operation aims to save a wounded warrior" »

Posted by sr at 11:31 PM | Permalink

SAN ANTONIO -- President Bush paid an emotional visit Thursday to soldiers maimed or badly burned in combat and said his administration is determined to mend the nation's system of caring for veterans.

Continue reading "Bush Visits Injured Veterans in Texas" »

Posted by sr at 2:39 PM | Permalink

DENVER – During a television commercial break, those at Coors Field for Game 3 saw two men come to the mound to throw out the first pitch.

Continue reading "Soldiers who threw out first pitch bound together before game" »

Posted by sr at 10:52 PM | Permalink

They ran for different reasons.

Continue reading "Sunshine Run sets fast pace for generosity; Annual race tallies a record $40,000 for various charities as runners aim for best." »

Posted by sr at 2:18 PM | Permalink

SAN DIEGO — Marine Sgt. Jordan Pierson, who lost his left leg to a roadside bomb in Ramadi, Iraq, had a request for the therapists at the Naval Medical Center here. He wanted a prosthetic leg that would let him play golf like he did before his injury.

Continue reading "New San Diego facility cares for war's worst wounded; The Naval Medical Center upgrade includes expanded therapy for amputees." »

Posted by sr at 9:27 PM | Permalink

Surrounded by about 2,000 others on foot at today's Sunshine Run, Lance Cpl. Joe Lopez will get by with arm-power — and a set of wheels.

Continue reading "Marine keeps faith in spite of near paralysis; Physical therapy helps Lopez rebuild strength." »

Posted by sr at 2:08 PM | Permalink

Marines Raising Funds to Support Marines Injured in Iraq or Afghanistan

Washington, D.C. (October 04, 2007) – LCpl. Josef Lopez and Cpl. Neil Schalk didn’t know each other while serving in the Marine Corps in Iraq, but the invisible bonds of brotherhood that tie Marines together made it an easy decision for them to support each other through their next challenge: the Marine Corps Marathon. Those same bonds also made it an easy decision for a Gold Star family to support their cause.

Continue reading "Injured Marines, Gold Star Family Team Up to Conquer the Marine Corps Marathon on October 28" »

Posted by sr at 12:04 AM | Permalink

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2, 2007 – The stress of deployments, especially during war time, can take a toll on servicemembers and their families. A group of licensed mental health professionals in Southern California is helping to minimize that impact, however.

Continue reading "Group Helps Troops, Families Cope" »

Posted by sr at 5:58 PM | Permalink

TEMECULA, Calif. - He was one of America's first defenders on Sept. 11, 2001, a Marine who pulled burned bodies from the ruins of the Pentagon. He saw more horrors in Kuwait and Iraq.

Continue reading "Wounded Vets Also Suffer Financial Woes" »

Posted by sr at 9:50 PM | Permalink

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 20, 2007 – A new Warrior and Family Support Center being built here will be 10 times the size of the current facility.

Continue reading "New San Antonio Center for Wounded Warriors to Replace Current Facility" »

Posted by sr at 11:26 PM | Permalink

By Kelly Kennedy - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Sep 20, 2007 17:53:40 EDT

The concept of getting rid of a stigma can be a little nebulous, but experts on a post-traumatic stress disorder panel offered up some concrete changes that could help people overcome years of stereotypes.