ProgressNow.org Daily News Digest

Veterans, retirees may face higher health care costs | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/health_45742___article.html/retirees_budget.html A report from the Congressional Budget Office shows why some military retirees and veterans could face higher out-of-pocket costs if the Obama administration and Congress take bold moves to reform the health system and to make federal health programs more efficient. Among 115 "options" presented, though not endorsed, in the CBO report, several focus on raising Tricare out-of-pocket costs for retirees and target families. Others would tighten access to Veterans Administration hospitals and clinics, or raise health fees for veterans with no service-connected conditions. Working-age military retirees will find here some of those familiar cost-saving ideas endorsed by the Bush administration to raise Tricare fees, co-payments and deductibles for retirees under age 62 and their spouses.

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GJSentinel.com: County official marches into extra National Guard duties

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/01/03/010409_3A_Tom_Fisher_command.html Tom Fisher, whose working days are more fragmented than most, has a new responsibility on his shoulders. Fisher, director of regional services for Mesa County, now is a lieutenant colonel in the Utah National Guard and commander of its 489th Brigade Support Battalion. He juggles that job with that of keeping track of Mesa County’s regional transportation planning office, animal services, facilities and parks, emergency management and working with the Tri-River Extension Service.

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Son follows father into the skies - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11368613 For Coloradans Patrick and Ryan Mahany, the bond between father and son is illustrated in a paradox of sorts — the men are grounded by service to their country as they take flight. Ryan Mahany, 29, is an Army helicopter pilot who has served in Afghanistan. His dad, Patrick Mahany, is a long-time Flight for Life helicopter pilot who flew in the Vietnam War. "Growing up, all my heroes were my dad and his friends," Ryan Mahany said. "They were all helicopter pilots, and it wasn't a big stretch for me to become one." In August 2007, while serving in Afghanistan as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot, Ryan Mahany took off on an early morning mission to rescue two downed pilots who had crashed on a mountainside at about 10,000 feet in the Tora Bora region along the Pakistan border.

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GJSentinel.com: Western Slope World War II vets hope for Honor Flight takeoff

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/01/05/010509_1a_honor_flight.html Time is not on the side of World War II veterans. Yesterday — and the day before that, and the day before that — more than 1,200 of them died, along with the heroic memories of their service and the stories of their incredible accomplishments. Because time is running short, there is added urgency to the efforts of the Honor Flight Network, a group with a mission to fly veterans at no charge to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials erected in their honor.

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Marine from Greeley heads for tour in Iraq | GreeleyTribune.com

http://www.greeleytribune.com/article/20090103/NEWS/901029884/1002/NONE A 15-year Marine veteran from Greeley is headed to serve a tour in Iraq. Arthur Ramos, a 1990 Greeley Central High School graduate, will serve about six months at the Al Asad Air Base in western Iraq. “I would say for the most part I think the locations are starting to ease up a lot,” Ramos said of the hostilities faced by U.S. troops in Iraq. According to recent reports, U.S. troop deaths are at their lowest in the Iraq war since spring 2004. Ramos, 36, will begin the tour, his first in Iraq, in a couple weeks. He will depart from Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

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No common link between Iraqi war veterans in homicides | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/link_45057___article.html/army_veterans.html No common thread has been found that would explain the shocking murders in which Fort Carson Iraq war vets have either been convicted or are awaiting trial, the Army's top civilian official wrote in a letter to Sen. Ken Salazar released Thursday. The Colorado Democrat, who has been named to President-elect Barack Obama's Cabinet, called for a review in October after Colorado Springs police arrested Spc. Robert Hull Marko on suspicion of murder and rape in the death of a 19-year-old woman. Other troops from Marko's unit, the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, were charged in the deaths of two fellow soldiers last year and in the June shooting deaths of a couple posting garage-sale signs in their neighborhood. The brigade returned from Iraq in 2007 after 15 months of fighting in Baghdad.

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Army: No single link in vets accused of murders - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11266948 Secretary of the Army Pete Geren says a task force studying murders committed by Fort Carson war veterans has not pinpointed a common cause. In a letter to U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., Geren also disclosed that the task force has broadened its initial review to include a study of similar units. "To date, no single factor has emerged as the cause of these tragic incidents," Geren wrote. "However, leaders at all levels at Fort Carson continue to work to address any and all stressors related to combat in our returning soldiers." Salazar has asked the Army for a servicewide review of soldiers involved in violent crimes after returning from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and for a pilot program to broaden mental-health services for Fort Carson soldiers.

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Hering faces military court today : Local News : The Rocky Mountain News

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/dec/19/hering-faces-military-court-today/ After more than two years on the run and more than a month behind bars, Marine Lance Hering is expected to learn his fate this morning in a military courtroom. Hering, 23, is scheduled for a two-hour "summary" court- martial at Camp Pendleton, the Marine base north of San Diego where he was stationed when he disappeared in August 2006 while on leave to visit his family in Colorado. He faces a single charge of "unauthorized absence for more than 30 days terminated by apprehension," rather than the more serious accusation of "desertion." He faces up to a year in a military prison and a bad conduct discharge from the Marine Corps. Hering, a lance corporal, was 21 when a buddy reported him missing Aug. 30, 2006, in Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder. The friend told an elaborate story about how he had gone for help after Hering had fallen while rock climbing - suffering a head injury that left him disoriented.

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GJSentinel.com: Four students nominated to attend military academies

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/12/18/121908_3amilitary_nominees.html U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., and Congressman John Salazar, D-Colo., nominated four local high school students Thursday to attend the country’s military academies. Sen. Salazar nominated Grand Junction resident Jordan Potterton to attend the U.S. Naval Academy next year. “They are the future leaders of our state and our Nation, and I am not only encouraged, but inspired by their eagerness to serve America,” the senator said in a statement.

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Pentagon encouraged AFA assault reports rising | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/sexual_45017___article.html/air_assaults.html The Air Force Academy had more reported sexual assaults in the past school year than the Naval Academy or the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, according to the Pentagon's annual report released Wednesday. Far from alarmed about the Air Force's numbers, Pentagon leaders say they show too many midshipmen at Annapolis Md., and cadets at West Point, N.Y., are keeping silent about sexual assaults. In the report to Congress on sexual violence at the military academies, the number of sexual assaults reported at Air Force dwarfed those of its two sister academies. At Air Force, 24 sexual assaults were reported from June 2007 to May 2008, of which six involved cadets assaulting another cadet and were formally reported to commanders. One of those resulted in criminal charges.

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Marines: Hering to face court-martial Friday : County News : Boulder Daily Camera

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/2008/dec/16/marines-hering-face-court-martial-friday/ Boulder Marine Lance Hering will face a summary court-martial on Friday at Camp Pendleton, Calif., military officials said Tuesday. Maj. Kristen Lasica, a spokeswoman for Camp Pendleton, said Hering’s hearing comes after discussions between the military authority and Hering’s defense attorney. The maximum penalty Hering faces under the court is 30 days confinement, hard labor without confinement up to 45 days, restriction to specific military duties or a combination of the three options, Lasica said. Hering could also be required to complete his military commitment, or officers could administratively dismiss him from service. He also could be required to forfeit two-thirds of his pay for one month and face a reduction in rank.

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Boulder Marine set for court-martial Friday in California - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11248195 A Boulder Marine accused of faking his own disappearance to avoid returning to his unit will face a summary court-martial Friday in California. Lance Hering, 23, who is being held at Camp Pendleton, Calif., was on leave when he disappeared in 2006 during a rock-climbing trip with a friend, Steve Powers. Powers told authorities Hering was hurt when he fell in Eldorado Canyon and wandered away. Powers later said the story was a hoax. Hering, a lance corporal who was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, was arrested Nov. 16 in Port Angeles, Wash.

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GJSentinel.com: Navy SEAL saved by Kevlar vest, comes home for Christmas

http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/12/15/121708_1A_Soldier_comes_home.html While most Americans were safe at home Feb. 3, watching the New York Giants upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, Karl “Gus” Gustavson, a graduate of Grand Junction High School, was taking enemy fire in Iraq. A round from an AK-47 caught the U.S. Navy SEAL in the leg. As he scrambled for cover, falling to the ground, he was struck by another round, right in the chest. “But he didn’t know that,” said Gustavson’s dad, Dr. John Gustavson. It was not until Karl, 29, got back to a medical facility and someone was inventorying his gear that anyone noticed the indentation in the chest plate of his body armor, John said.

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Disability system still has some kinks to iron out | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/veterans_44860___article.html/pilot_disability.html The pilot for a new, jointly developed Defense Department and Veterans Affairs disability evaluation system that's set to expand from five to 22 military bases by May, does much of what proponents hoped it would. It allows more injured or ill service members to win higher disability ratings, to see Veterans Affairs payments start faster and, through greater transparency in the process, to feel they have been treated more fairly by government. But there have been enough kinks and challenges uncovered by the pilot to persuade designers in the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs not to expand so quickly that the program outpaces the additional staff that needs to be hired and trained, particularly at the largest military bases.

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The Longmont Times-Call - Local Guard members enjoy holiday lunch, ‘USO Show’

http://www.timescall.com/News_Story.asp?id=12922 Next Christmas, they’ll be in Iraq. So this year, Christmas for the 3rd Battalion, 157th Field Artillery of the Colorado Army National Guard had to be something special. On Sunday, special is just what they got. The troops and their families crowded into Longmont’s Moose Lodge for a holiday party all their own. Veterans’ groups served the food. Boy Scouts and volunteers took it to the tables. And entertainers provided their own “USO Show,” complete with a magician sawing the unit’s commander in half. “It’s incredible,” said Sgt. Jeremy Yuen. “I’ve been in the Guard for nine years and to tell you the truth, I think this is one of the best Christmas parties or sendoffs I’ve ever seen.”

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Springs airman faces court-martial for sexual assaults, other charges - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11210838 The Air Force has accused Airman First Class Derick Ryan Thompson, of the 10th Medical Support Squadron, of sexual assault, providing alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21, using a government-owned vehicle to purchase alcoholic beverages, and failure to obey an order from a superior. The charging documents say Thompson's alleged victims were not cadets at the academy but two female airmen. The charges allege that Thompson raped the airmen on Dec. 22, 2007, and on Jan. 3, Jan. 4 and Jan. 9, 2008. Thompson, a logistics technician, is also accused of sodomizing airmen on Dec. 12, 2007, and Jan. 20 and Jan. 25, 2008.

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The Pueblo Chieftain :: Hydrolysate treatment decision due next week

http://www.chieftain.com/articles/2008/12/12/news/local/doc4942356476019169979577.txt The Defense Department agency overseeing the destruction of the aging stockpile of mustard agent weapons at the Pueblo Chemical Depot isn’t budging from its contention that the final stage of work would be cheaper if it was done elsewhere. With two research reports to back that up, Kevin Flamm, manager of the Assembled Chemical Weapons Alternatives program, told a local advisory panel Wednesday night that he would make a decision next week on which course to take although the reports from the consulting firm Noblis and the National Research Council both say off-site treatment would be cheaper. Flamm will then make his recommendation to an advisory council in the secretary of defense’s office. The Colorado Chemical Demilitarization Citizens Advisory Commission and members of the state’s Congressional delegation have gone on record opposing off-site treatment of the mustard agent hydrolysate, the contaminated water left over after a neutralization process breaks down the agent.

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Fort carson soldier faces murder charges in young couple’s deaths | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/falu_44769___article.html/vives_cervantes.html A Fort Carson soldier will stand trial in the June shooting deaths of two Colorado Springs residents who were hanging a garage-sale sign, a judge decided Thursday. After the daylong hearing, 4th Judicial District Judge Thomas Kennedy ordered Pfc. Jomar Dionisio Falu-Vives, 24, to stand trial on first-degree murder charges in the June double homicide and other felonies in connection with a May shooting that severely injured an Army captain. But no evidence surfaced Thursday that would point to a reason why Cesar Ramirez-Ibanez, 21, and Amairany Cervantes, 18, were gunned down with a high-powered military rifle June 6 on the corner of Monterey Road and Carmel Drive.

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Fallen soldiers remembered for their humor | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/paz_44685___article.html/walker_iraq.html Staff Sgt. Timothy Walker and Spc. Armando De La Paz weren't stand-up comics. But the two 3rd Brigade Combat Team soldiers who died in Baghdad last month had the right touch to boost the morale of their comrades who are 13 months into a 15-month deployment in Iraq. "That's important, especially on a 15-month deployment when you need to smile and laugh," Lt. Col. Conor Cusick, who served in the brigade with them, said during Wednesday's memorial service at Fort Carson for De La Paz and Walker. While both were known for their sense of humor, they also had their differences. Walker, who died in a Nov. 8 bombing, was an 18-year Army veteran combat medic and father of two from Tennessee. Cusick said the 38-year-old sergeant had almost a psychic sense of what needed doing, and it was almost always done before his commanders had to ask.

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Realtors show their support for Operation Vacation | PostIndependent.com

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20081211/VALLEYNEWS/812109972/1001/NONE Karl Oelke appreciates Operation Vacation. Being a retired Colonel for the United States Army Reserves and a Vietnam Veteran, Oelke has witnessed first-hand the way in which veterans have been mistreated when they returned from war in the past. Oelke attended and spoke at the Glenwood Springs Association of Realtors luncheon at Buffalo Valley Wednesday afternoon to show his support for the program and he spoke about the contrast from some of his experiences 30 years ago. “All over the country I think people have more respect for soldiers now. They know what they are doing and support them and it’s great to see,” Oelke said.

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Base is part of a plan to reintroduce ferrets here | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/ferrets_44722___article.html/colorado_ferret.html The black-footed ferret, which in the mid-1980s was only 18 animals away from extinction, may be reintroduced to the prairie of Fort Carson, the first such effort in Colorado east of the Continental Divide. The Army announced Wednesday it has teamed up with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo to try to establish a ferret population at the southern end of the post, in Pueblo County. It would be the third reintroduction in Colorado, the other two on the Western Slope. The small ferrets, North America's most endangered mammal, once roamed the Great Plains, but habitat destruction, widespread poisoning of prairie dogs by farmers and the introduction of non-native disease such as the plague decimated their numbers. They were extirpated from Colorado by 1946 and have been considered endangered since 1967. The 2,370-acre Fort Carson site was chosen because there is a large colony of prairie dogs - the ferret's primary food - there. Also, because the site is on federal land, it would be protected from intrusion or development, said Della Garelle, director of conservation and animal health at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.

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Study on Carson vet crime could be out next week | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/study_44633___article.html/army_released.html Preliminary findings of a study on violent crimes committed by Fort Carson combat veterans could be released next week, the Army said in a letter released by U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar. The senator asked for the study in the wake of a string of Colorado Springs killings that involved Iraq war veterans as suspects. In a letter to Salazar, Army Secretary Peter Geren said the study was making headway. "I will provide you an update on our progress and any preliminary findings by Dec. 15," Geren told Salazar. Salazar called for the review in October after Colorado Springs police arrested Spc. Robert Hull Marko on suspicion of murder and rape in the death of a 19-year-old woman. Other troops from Marko's unit, the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 4th Infantry Division, were charged in the deaths of two fellow soldiers last year and in the June shooting deaths of a couple placing garage sale signs in their neighborhood.

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Salazar urges broader inquiry of GI violence - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11171770 U.S. Sen. Ken Salazar is asking the Army to broaden its inquiry of Fort Carson homicides into a nationwide review of violence among soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. "This review should not be limited to Fort Carson," Salazar wrote in a letter Monday to Army Secretary Pete Geren. "The Army should examine similar cases at installations across the country in a thorough, case-by-case, service-wide review." Salazar also questioned the adequacy of the Army's combat-stress and suicide-prevention programs. He again urged Geren to approve a pilot program that would let Fort Carson use mental-health resources outside the Army to help soldiers manage combat stress. Military men and women directly responsible for soldiers "believe that the Army needs more training to complement those programs already in place," Salazar wrote. "It is my hope that you will personally review this pilot program again and deploy it as quickly as possible."

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Soldier arrested in 2 motorcycle deaths - The Denver Post

http://www.denverpost.com/newsheadlines/ci_11172119 A daylight street race between two cars in Colorado Springs ended in tragedy Sunday when one of the drivers veered into another lane of traffic and hit a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, killing its two riders. Killed were Charles "Chuck" Coggins, 57, of Colorado Springs, the driver of the motorcycle, and his female passenger, Jacqueline M. Hansen, 47, of Arvada. Both died at the scene, according to the Colorado State Patrol. Investigators said a Pontiac Grand Prix driven by Brandon Howard, 18, was street racing a second car. Howard, a soldier at Fort Carson, changed lanes and slammed into Coggins and Hansen, said Trooper David Hall of the Colorado State Patrol.

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Season brings lower Tricare premiums, more travel money | Gazette.com

http://www.gazette.com/articles/season_44543___article.html/military_approach.html Readers familiar with this column know it typically focuses on a single news development affecting a lot of military people or veterans. The strength of that approach is that a critical issue can be covered pretty well. Sometimes, however, there are waves of news requiring a "roundup" approach. In the spirit of the season, we'll call these "stocking stuffers," but some items here are important enough to win a place under the tree. • Tricare Reserve premiums fall: Monthly premiums for drilling reserve personnel enrolled in Tricare Reserve Select will drop by about 42 percent for individual coverage and by 29 percent for families on Jan. 1. Premiums for individuals will fall to $47.51 a month, down from $81. Family coverage will be $180.17 instead of $253. Why the drop? Congress established the program in 2005 with the intent to set premiums high enough to cover the government's cost to offer a health insurance option to drilling Reserve and National Guard members.

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