By Alexandra Hemmerly-Brown Army News Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 12, 2010 - Walking her cousin's dog past a cemetery on a winter day in 2009, Army Capt. Emily Stehr realized she envied the bodies buried there -- they had peace.
"I started to fixate on death, especially my own death. ... I would think of different ways to kill myself," Stehr confessed. Enveloped in what she calls a "shroud of suicide," Stehr battled with a feeling of hopelessness upon returning from a 15-month deployment to Iraq. Stehr had struggled with depression prior to her deployment, she said, but this was different. A physical therapist, Stehr helped to nurse injured soldiers of the 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment back to health so they could return to the fight -- a job that she said caused her anger and grief when many of her former patients went on to be killed in combat. Stehr experienced accumulative trauma and compassion fatigue; she was jittery around crowds, having trouble sleeping, and her anxiety level increased. She kept waiting for her life to go back to "normal" after her deployment, but it didn't. What eventually pushed Stehr to her limit was reading an e-mail from a deployed co-worker who had witnessed the death of a combat medic -- the soldier had bled to death from shrapnel cutting a major artery in her neck. "For me, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. ... I thought, 'I'm done. Done with pain, done with life,'" Stehr said. That day, she added, she knew she was going to end up either in the hospital or dead. She chose the hospital. Stehr admitted herself to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. Going in, she said, she was consumed with taking her life. But when she walked out, she was determined to live. "It was quite a transformation to happen in one week. ... I learned that I was sick, but not crazy or defective," she said. "Thankfully, I learned that there is something you can do if you are suicidal." Stehr began cognitive behavioral therapy, joined a depression-management group and is learning how to analyze and steer her thoughts. "I didn't really realize how angry I was," Stehr admitted. "I'm at such a healthier place now where I know how to cope." Stehr said part of the reason it was hard for her to ask for help is she knew the stigma associated with suicide would follow her. "No one would say the "s" word," she said. "The stigma tells us that people with mental health problems are crazy or weak or defective. ... I've actually been told that I am a less-quality person because I've had struggles with suicide." But Stehr wants soldiers to know that emotional injuries are just as legitimate as physical ones -- they are just invisible. She also said there are repercussions when a healthy person voluntarily elects to die. "It's like a candle going out and there's less light in the world. ... [It's] a representation of hope extinguished," she said. At her lowest point, Stehr said, she believed no one would miss her if she was gone, but she added that she now knows her suicide would have hurt many people -- especially her husband, who has been supportive throughout her struggle. "Don't believe the lies. ... Don't believe your thoughts and feelings. You don't have to kill yourself to escape your pain," she said. "There is a way out." Stehr's advice to friends and family members of a person who is battling suicide is to treat it as a medical emergency and to get their loved one to a mental-health professional or a hospital as soon as possible. Stehr has now made it her mission to tell her story in hopes that it will reach and stop those contemplating suicide. "I'll always tell my story if it will help someone not kill themselves," she said. And while she still struggles with depression, especially on death anniversaries of friends she has lost, Stehr said, suicide is no longer an option. Her story already has helped others. She recently received word that a social worker's patient accepted treatment after watching a video featuring Stehr. "That makes everything worth it," Stehr said of what she's been through. "That's my vindication." | ||
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Thursday, August 12, 2010
Face of Defense: Officer Beats Suicide, Helps Others
Soldier Finds Strength in Family’s Support
Retired Army Maj. Ed Pulido poses with his wife, Karen, and daughters, Kaitlin and Kinsley. Courtesy photo
I spoke with a veteran the other day whose inspiring story epitomizes the importance of family and peer support.
Army Maj. Ed Pulido was wounded in Iraq in August 2004 while driving into an area of Iraq known as “IED Alley.” The sport utility vehicle he was driving hit a bomb lodged in the asphalt and exploded, causing severe damage to his leg.
The moment he pushed aside the air bag and saw the injury is one he’ll never forget.
“I’ve had dreams about it all the time,” Maj. Pulido told me. “The night sweats and terrors — it was that moment right there when I put the air bag aside and saw the blood.”
His leg was broken in three places and partially on fire, but he felt no pain. He wasn’t concerned for himself, he said, but for his fellow soldiers and his family. “How will my family live without a father?” he asked himself.
Maj. Pulido was flown to Baghdad then on to the United States, where he underwent more than 18 surgeries. Struggling with infections, Maj. Pulido and his family made the tough decision to amputate his leg.
Maj. Pulido felt a tremendous sense of loss that caused him to spiral into depression, he said.
He worried about how he was going to live without a limb, how he was going to learn to walk again. “I thought, ‘Why don’t I just pull the plug on this thing?’” he said.
He drifted into sleep and woke up hoping it was all just a dream. “But it wasn’t,” he said. “It was a dark time.”
His wife, Karen, and his mother tried to encourage him to think positively. He leaned on them and on chaplains and other wounded servicemembers who came to visit him and slowly fought his way back.
Unknown to him at the time, his wife, mother and daughter, who was 2 at the time, were visiting other wounded warriors in the hospital, a memory that still stirs emotion in him. “I was in my deathbed, and they were taking time to visit other servicemembers and families,” he said. “My little girl still has that gift of giving.”
Maj. Pulido medically retired from the military and now dedicates himself to helping others. He’s passionate about his work for the Folds of Honor Foundation, which offers scholarships to spouses and children of fallen and wounded servicemembers, as well as information on counseling and benefits.
He also found healing in his participation in the “Real Warriors” campaign. The Real Warriors campaign is sponsored by the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and features stories of servicemembers who sought psychological treatment and continued successful military and civilian careers. Maj. Pulido is the first veteran to participate.
Just the other day, Maj. Pulido put a new flagpole up in front of his new house. And when he looks at it, he no longer feels that cavernous feeling of loss, he said.
“I lost my leg on that day, but I don’t know if I’d want my life the way it was before,” he said. “It opened up a world and life that is different. I may have changed, but what I’ve changed to is a challenge that can be overcome with support.”
For more on Maj. Pulido, read my American Forces Press Service article “‘Real Warrior’ Loses Leg, Gains New Perspective.”
Al Qosi Sentence Announced
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| An artist’s drawing of Ibrahim Ahmed Mahmoud al-Qosi appearing before a military commission on August 27, 2004. [Source: Art Lien/ Getty Images] {Courtesy:http://www.historycommons.org/} |
Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:09:00 -0500
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Al Qosi Sentence Announced The Department of Defense announced today that Ibrahim al Qosi was sentenced to 14 years in confinement for conspiracy and providing material support to al Qaeda. The sentencing hearing took place in a military commission courtroom at the U.S. Naval Station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. It follows al Qosi's guilty plea in July. During his guilty plea, al Qosi admitted that he engaged in hostilities against the United States in violation of the laws of war. He admitted that he intentionally supported al Qaeda since at least 1996, when Osama bin Laden issued an order urging his followers to commit acts of terrorism against the United States. At the sentencing hearing, the prosecutors presented evidence that al Qosi performed an important function within al Qaeda. He provided key logistics support to bin Laden at various al Qaeda compounds in Afghanistan. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, he helped bin Laden and other al Qaeda forces escape Afghanistan in anticipation of a U.S. invasion. He was captured fleeing Afghanistan in December 2001. The defense presented video testimony from members of his family in Sudan, including his father, cousin and brother. At the end of the hearing, al Qosi was sentenced by a panel of military officers, known as "members" – the equivalent of a jury in civilian courts. The defense and the prosecution asked the military judge to instruct the members to consider a sentence of 12 to 15 years of confinement. Under the Manual for Military Commissions, al Qosi will not receive credit for the time he spent in law of war detention before his conviction. The Convening Authority will defer his sentence for a period of 60 days in order to facilitate resolution of matters related to where al Qosi will serve his sentence. After the military commission adjourns, the Office of Military Commissions will finalize the record of trial, including all the related documents. The military judge must review the record to ensure it is accurate, after which it will be sent to the Convening Authority for Military Commissions. The Convening Authority may reduce, but not increase, al Qosi's sentence. After reviewing the record, the Convening Authority will take final action on the findings and sentence, announcing the sentence that al Qosi will serve. -----------0000------- (إبراهيم Ø£Øمد Ù…Øمود القوسي) Al Qosi Military Commission Hearing Brings More of the SameBin Laden Cook Accepts Plea Deal at Guantánamo Trial |
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Three States Draw Down Guard's Oil Spill Response
By Air Force Lt. Col. Ellen Krenke National Guard Bureau ARLINGTON, Va., Aug. 11, 2010 - Now that the leak has been plugged and the oil has been stopped, three of the four states on duty are decreasing the number of National Guard members they have responding to the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
In Florida, where Guardsmen are patrolling beaches for tar balls on all-terrain vehicles, about 70 Guard members remain on duty today. The high point was about 100. An additional 30 Guard members from other states are also working in the air coordination center at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. "We are maintaining current operations of primarily ground reconnaissance as well as aviation support, while also doing our planning and coordination for the right-sizing of our force," said Air Force Lt. Col. Ron Tittle, the state public affairs officer. If they are needed, "we have forces that have been and will be ready to respond to the needs of our nation," Tittle said. In Alabama, the claims action team ended its mission on July 30, said Army Lt. Col. Cynthia Bachus, the state public affairs officer. She said the state now has about 200 Guardsmen on duty, which is half the number that was on duty at the height of operations. About 200 Alabama Guardsmen went door to door in Baldwin and Mobile counties telling people how to file claims with BP. Other missions included erecting barriers on Dauphin Island, transporting state and federal officials with aviation assets, and coordinating air support for surveillance of the slick and skimming operations at the incident command post in Mobile. In Mississippi, Guard officials announced Aug. 3 that the number of soldiers supporting the oil spill response would be reduced by 75 percent. "We brought on a responsible amount of National Guardsmen when the task at hand required it," said Army Col. Lee Smithson, commander of Joint Task Force Vigilant Horizon, which oversees the Mississippi National Guard's response to the oil spill. "But this phased reduction matches the response needed." On Aug. 1, nearly 230 National Guard soldiers were activated, but only about 50 will remain on duty by Aug. 20, Smithson said. This announcement of troop reductions in Mississippi comes nearly two weeks after the decision to activate 30 additional troops to boost the communications link on cleanup vessels, and it coincides with the successful capping of the well. "With two weeks of no oil sighting, the time has come to right-size the force," Smithson said. "The light at the end of the tunnel is approaching." After the leak was plugged Aug. 5, retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, the national incident commander, said the clean-up effort has a long way to go. "There still is residual oil that is out there," he said. "It's not that visual. It's harder to find at sea, but we still know we have tar balls and mats that are showing up, ... so we have to be in a position to respond to that." In Louisiana, the number of Guardsmen on duty is holding steady at 1,030, said Army Col. Mike Deville, the state public affairs officer. "We are continuing the support by maintaining the current barrier projects that we have emplaced, and we continue to work with the parishes and local officials to assist with their needs," he said. | ||
| Related Sites: Special Report: Military Supports Federal Oil Spill Response National Guard Bureau |
Amnesty International Says Taliban Should be Prosecuted for War Crimes in Afghanistan
Civilian deaths in Afghanistan leapt by 31% in the first half of 2010, driven largely by the Taliban and other insurgents’ rising use of improvised explosive devices, and their increased targeting of civilians for assassination, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). Attacks by the Taliban and other anti-government forces accounted for more than 76% of civilian casualties and 72% of deaths.
In the first half of 2010, the executions and assassinations of civilians by the Taliban and other insurgent groups increased by over 95% to 183 recorded deaths compared to the same time last year. The victims were usually accused of supporting the government.
“The Taliban and other insurgents are becoming far bolder in their systematic killing of civilians,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific Director. “Targeting of civilians is a war crime, plain and simple. The Afghan people are crying out for justice and have a right to accountability and compensation.”
“There is no practical justice system in Afghanistan now that can address the lack of accountability,” said Zarifi. “So the Afghan government should ask the International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity that may have been committed by all parties to the conflict.”
Afghanistan is a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Amnesty International has been told that tribal elders in various villages of Kandahar, Zabul, and Khost provinces have been fleeing rural areas, fearing systematic targeting by the Taliban.
“The elders are threatened and if they don’t cooperate with the Taliban they are killed,” said a Kandahar journalist. “Then the Taliban will just tell the village that the elder was an American spy and that is why he was killed.” The journalist asked not to be identified out of fear of Taliban retaliation.
Amnesty International is urging the international and Afghan forces to ensure they comply with their legal obligation to protect civilians from harm, especially those who provide them with information about anti-government groups or cooperate during military operations.
According to UNAMA, NATO-led and government forces caused 29% fewer casualties than the previous year, which has been attributed to policy changes placing greater priority on civilian protection, borne out in a 64% decline in casualties caused by aerial attacks.
Amnesty International welcomes the reported drop in deaths caused by NATO-led forces, but sounded a note of caution.
“Pro-government forces were responsible for at least 223 deaths in six months, and NATO still has no coherent way of accounting for casualties,” said Zarifi. “Special Forces in Afghanistan are still failing to be open about their actions when being called to account over civilian casualties.”
The UNAMA report singles out Special Forces in Afghanistan for acting without accountability, and calls for greater transparency over their operations, and for more information on forces are now operating under a new integrated command structure, so that casualties can be properly investigated and justice delivered to victims.
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Female engagement team
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Miracle of onion
 This is a mail from a friend....In 1919, when the flu killed 40 million people, there was a doctor who visited many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu. Many of the farmers and their family had contracted it, and many died. The doctor came upon one farmer, and to his surprise, everyone in the household was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different, the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a Dish in the rooms of the home (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one, and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy. Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser in AZ. She said that several years ago many of her employees were coming down with the flu and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work... (And no, she is not in the onion business!) The moral of the story is, buy some onions and place them in bowls around your home. If you work at a desk, place one or two in your office or under your desk or even on top somewhere. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year, and we never got the flu. If this helps you and your loved ones from getting sick, all the better. If you do get the flu, it just might be a mild Case...Whatever, what have you to lose? Just a few bucks on onions!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now there is a P.S. To this, for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions: Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but I do know that I contracted pneumonia, and needless to say I was very ill...I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion. Put one end on a fork, and then place the forked end into an empty jar...placing the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs. Sure enough, it happened just like that...the onion was a mess, and I began to feel better. Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties. This is the other note: LEFTOVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS! I have used an onion which has been left in the fridge. Sometimes I don't use a whole one at one time, so I save the other half for later. Now with this info,I have changed my mind. I will buy smaller onions in the future. I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, makers of mayonnaise. Mullins is huge, and is owned by 11 brothers and sisters in the Mullins family. My friend, Jeanne, is the CEO. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist. The guy who gave us our tour is named Ed. He's one of the brothers. Ed is a chemistry expert and is involved in developing most of the sauce formula. He's even developed sauce formula for McDonald's. Keep in mind that Ed is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made Mayo is completely safe. "It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the quintessential picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick. Ed says that when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade Mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the onions, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES. He explained, onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to Keep a portion of a sliced onion. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator. It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!) Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put it on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down. So, how's that for news? Take it for what you will. I (the author) am going to be very careful about my onions from now on. For some reason, I see a lot of credibility coming from a chemist and a company that produces millions of pounds of mayonnaise every year. Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs CAN NOT metabolize onions!. Please remember it is dangerous to cut onions and try to use it to cook the next day. It becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning |
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Sent by :Sanjeev Batra
Flooding in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan
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