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A Veteran’s Death, the Nation’s Shame By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF New York Times, April 14, 2012 Here's a window into a tragedy within the American military: For every soldier killed on the battlefield this year, about 25 veterans are dying by their own hands. Bradley Manning Judge Warns Military Prosecutors in WikiLeaks Case Judge refuses to dismiss most serious charge but tells prosecution it must prove private knew he was aiding the enemy Stand with Bradley Manning during the April 24-26 hearing Events in the Washington DC area and internationally in solidarity with accused WikiLeaks whistle-blower PAST BRADLEY MANNING NEWS March and Demonstration At the Gate of Fort Meade, Maryland For the second day of Bradley Manning's Preliminary Hearing Bradley Manning makes court appearance in WikiLeaks case Hearing opened Friday, Dec. 16 Coping with PTSD   The War Comes Home: Trauma & Its Aftermath was held February 4, 2012 as a conference for service members, veterans, family members, and helping professionals. View TV coverage View video from the conference: Part I Part II Part III U.S. military Looks at Ways to Modify the Neurological Activity of Soldiers Making them fiercer warriors? Truth, Lies and Afghanistan How military leaders have let us down BY LT. COL. DANIEL L. DAVIS Another Recruit Dies Trying to Meet Weight Requirement Danny Ruff, 22, from Tracy, CA ordered to lose 13 pounds in 16 days S.I. dad says Marine son victim of hate, just like Pvt. Danny Chen "Somebody did this to him, " dad claims. Mentally Stressed Iraq War Vet Kills Park Ranger and injures four others near Seattle on New Year's Day Young Park Ranger, Margaret Anderson, murdered at Mt. Ranier National Park Army Charges 8 in Wake of Death of a Fellow G.I. Pvt. Danny Chen was found shot to death in Afghanistan on Oct. 3 America's Secret Empire of Drone Bases: Its Full Extent Revealed for the First Time Army Probes Events Behind Soldier Death "Before he died he was harassed, and he was dragged out of the bed and actually beaten," Mr. Gee said. "The Army volunteered that information to the family." Getting the Word Out to Atomic Veterans Exposed to Radiation With the clock ticking, R.J. Ritter is on a hunt for an estimated 195,000 veterans exposed to radiation when the United States conducted atmospheric nuclear bomb tests between 1945 and 1962. Army Base On the Brink "At an Army base near Seattle, soldiers are committing suicide, murdering their families - and in one case, waterboarding their own kids. Winston Ross reports from a base on the brink." Scientists Say “The Pentagon Is Falsely Claiming Its Research Shows That Airborne Dust In Iraq And Afghanistan Poses No Health Risk To U.S. Troops” Were There People In The Military Trying To Cover Up And Get Away With Something? Vermilion Mom: Army Recruiters Made Son Diet to Death Wilsey's mother, Lora Bailey, said her son told her he was following recruiters' advice, including self-induced vomiting. UPDATE "Jury Still Out" on Army's Probe of Recruit's Death by Dieting Forum in Va. Beach tries to link veterans to mental help Roughly one in three soldiers returning from war reports psychological problems, the Department of Defense estimates. U.S. Troops' Mental Health Continues to Erode "Psychologically, it is hard to imagine that these elevated levels of combat are not taking a toll on Soldiers." Veterans' Advocate Calls on V.A. to Research Potential Damage from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) in Iraq & Afghan War Veterans Citizen Soldier has written VA Administrator Shinsheki On Anniversary of Marjah Push Escalation Strategy Still Failing   Cable reveals US behind airstrike that killed 21 children in Yemen A diplomatic cable released by WikiLeaks shows that the US military covered up the killing of dozens of civilians during a cruise missile strike in south Yemen in December 2009. Number of Army Suicides Already Surpasses 2009 Total New Army data suggest that the service's suicide epidemic shows little sign of improvement. Air Base Expansion Plans Reflect Long-term Investment in Afghanistan Three $100 million air base expansions in southern and northern Afghanistan illustrate Pentagon plans extending well into the future. Combat Veteran PFC Jacob Wade from Cortland, NY, with PTSD Diagnosis Surrenders at Ft. Hood, TX. A Test of Pentagon's New Policy of "Compassion and Caring" for Combat Vets AWOL Fort Hood soldier turns himself in By Chie Saito Citizen Soldier co-sponsors a National Conference on PTSD "The War Comes Home: Soldiers and Veterans in Crisis" Vet panelists confer: John Waltz, Navy Commander Mark Russell (Ret), and former Marine Captain Anu Bhagwati, head, Servicewoman's Defense Network View highlights of the conference on YouTube or purchase a copy of a 2-disc DVD for $6 by sending a check or money order to: Citizen Soldier 267 Fifth Ave., #901 New York N Y 10016 212-679-2250 Military suicides increase as U.S. soldiers struggle with torment of war His death is part of an accelerating trend that has sent tremors throughout the U.S. military. Fun Times at Fort Drum: My Story After is all said and done, its a damn shame how this all turned out. You bleed for your country and try to do your best and you just get fucked in the end. Iraq, Afghanistan wars coordinated from afar TAMPA, Florida (AFP) – The target may be in Iraq or Afghanistan, but if a US air attack risks killing civilians the decision to strike is taken by leaders at this military base in sunny Tampa, Florida. Fifteen Months After Bloodbath in Iraq, Young Veteran Commits Suicide "I saw things today that I think will mess me up for life," Army Spc. Trevor Hogue wrote to his mother from Baghdad in 2007. The Brave, Living and Dead That has to stop. We must treat the living as respectfully as we do the dead. Secrecy a factor in the rise of military suicides The Department of the Army has finally gone public and acknowledged the alarming rate of suicide among its ranks. The Life and Lonely Death of Noah Pierce A small-town soldier returns from Iraq broken. He is not alone. He thinks he is. Kucinich targets Army's video war game exhibit used for recruiting Rep. Dennis Kucinich wants to kill federal funding for an immense traveling video game exhibit that acts as an Army recruiting tool by letting kids as young as 13 play soldier in modified Humvees armed with realistic weapons. Army suicides rise as time spent in combat increases "He went to Fort Lewis to kill himself to prove a point," Kelly Barber says. " 'Here I am. I was a soldier. You guys didn't help me.' " A Focus on Violence by Returning G.I.’s ...the number of servicemen implicated in violent crimes has raised alarm... U.S. soldier seeks asylum in Germany "We went to war basically for nothing," said Shepherd, of Cleveland. "There's no way I would go back for a second tour with the information that I have since received." Germany should grant him asylum, Shepherd said, because of its strong opposition to the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. AWOL Afghan War Vet Trevor Loope from Ft Drum Surrendered at Different Drummer December 4: He Left in Search of Mental Health Care View his statement to the Ithaca Common Council, requesting active support as he returns to base and potentially faces criminal charges Network of GI Support Grows: Two New Coffeehouses for Soldiers to Open Coffeehouse/Counselling centers for Soldiers will open near Ft. Lewis, WA and Ft. Hood, TX in the next two weeks. The "Coffee Strong" cafe next to Ft. Lewis will provide educational programs, entertainment and GI rights counselling as well as links to psychological and legal support for Ft. Lewis personnel and their families. Coffee Strong also makes a mean cup of coffee! (Also see GI Coffee House Coming Soon next to Ft. Lewis; Tod Ensign to speak) The "Under the Hood" project, adjacent to Ft. Hood TX will also offer social programs, counselling and legal referral to servicemembers from Ft Hood--the Army's largest base. (Also see Under The Hood: An Anti-War GI Coffeehouse in Texas) These projects aid activists who're seeking to launch similar operations at other military bases during 2009. More info: Tod Ensign, Ft Drum, N Y (212) 679-2250 Seth Manzel, Ft Lewis, WA (253) 228-8912 Alice Embree, Ft Hood, TX (512) 740-4819 Coming to Killeen: A GI coffeehouse in the grand tradition The Oleo Strut Coffeehouse And The G.I. Antiwar Movement THE NEW GULF WAR SYNDROME US soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan are being exposed to toxic chemicals that pose serious health risks Revealed: Secret plan to keep Iraq under US control Post-War Suicides May Exceed Combat Deaths, U.S. Says Ft Drum Commander Tramples Soldiers' Due Process Rights 10th Mountain Soldier Files for Army Court of Inquiry to Probe Treatment of Wounded; Brian C. was Ordered to Iraq Despite Medical Profile Barring Deployment Different Drummer Cafe Convenes Public Forum on Mental Health Care at Ft Drum: View the Symposium Soldier calls PTSD an "ugly demon" Fort Drum asking civilian employees to deploy to Iraq Brad Gaskins: View Channel 9 Report on Brad Gaskins AWOL Soldier Seeking Treatment Arrested (Associated Press) Sergeant Fled Army, but Not the War in His Head ( New York Times) Thousands of GIs Cope With Brain Damage Former Army medic Eugene Cherry discharged; Army drops AWOL Charges after Cherry argued he received inadequate mental health services Marine's death came after he served in Iraq Told to wait, a Marine dies UPDATE: Spec. Trevor Loope is Free! Army Drops Court Martial Specialist Trevor Loope, 24, of Austin, TX who faced a year in prison and a Bad Conduct discharge at Special Court Martial for AWOL was discharged administratively by order of Ft Drum's Commander, Gen. Michael Oates on Friday, July 10th. Brains scans of symptomatic Gulf War veterans show differences More Soldiers Lose Faith in Iraq War

CITIZEN SOLDIER REPORTS 2012 [download pdf ] BOOKS  When Johnny and Jane Come Marching Home: How All of Us Can Help Veterans. You Know When the Men Are Gone Reviewed by Ellen Nessuno On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society EDITORIALS A Working Class War: Who’s Opposing It? Depleted Uranium: Wonder Weapon or Toxic Hazard? LISTEN TO LIVE BROADCAST OF THE WINTER SOLDIER 2008 HEARINGS FREE DOWNLOADS The Military Enlistment Contract and You The Facts; Your Rights THEIR VOICES JOIN THOSE WHO HAVE SPOKEN OUT AGAINST THE WAR IN IRAQ "Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated" PAT TILLMAN'S BROTHER BREAKS HIS SILENCE "Let's stop this war before more are killed." Father of Lance Cpl. Edward "Augie" Schroeder II Laments His Son's Senseless Death Pablo Paredes: “…if there's anything I could be guilty of, it is my beliefs. I am guilty of believing this war is illegal. I'm guilty of believing war in all forms is immoral and useless, and I am guilty of believing that as a service member I have a duty to refuse to participate in this war. Captain Ian Fishback: "Despite my efforts, I have been unable to get clear, consistent answers from my leadership about what constitutes lawful and humane treatment of detainees" because it is illegal." Delegation of Californians Appeal for Sanctuary for U.S. War Resisters in Canada Kevin Benderman Convicted: Gets Fifteen Months Vigil Held, Demanding Benderman's Release Army Spc Katherine Jashinski: First Woman in the Military to Publicly Declare Resistance to Participation in the War as she faces immediate deployment to Middle East GI Coffeehouses Antiwar support at Different Drummer Café Vets organize GI coffeehouse outside military base Different Drummer Cafe FT. DRUM SPRING FESTIVAL "Residents seemed eager to embrace the marchers' dual message: bring our soldiers back and provide them with quality health care when they get home." An Antiwar March Through Towns Unused to One By Michelle York, The New York Times North Country Walk to Ft Drum Festival A Success By Tod Ensign