PRESS CONFERENCE
June 18, 2009 8:00 am sharp

Psychologist Who Evaluated Mentally-Stressed Ft Drum Soldier Trevor Loope Is Wrongfully Excluded as Witness from Army Sanity Board set for June 18th.

Conference room, 4th Flr., Days Inn
110 Commerce Park Dr Watertown, NY

Above: Trevor Loope.

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.

McHugh A Disastrous Choice
for the Health and Welfare of Soldiers

Different Drummer & Citizen Soldier send a letter of protest to Barack Obama about his nomination of US Rep. John McHugh (R-NY) for the next Secretary of the Army

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.

Rise in Marine suicides prompts new training

Forty-one Marines took their lives in 2008 and another 146 attempted to do so, according to Marine administrative message 0134/09.

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 new projects join "The Different Drummer" internet cafe, a GI counselling project near Ft. Drum in upstate New York. In its third year of operation, the "Drummer" salutes the new arrivals and will actively share information and project ideas with them

All three projects plan to 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