Rachael Kalinyak, Author at Air Force TImes

Maryland cemetery to offer burial of military working dogs, service dogs alongside owners

Rachael Kalinyak — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 15:33:01 +0000

A new section in a Maryland cemetery will be open to veterans who wish to be buried alongside their service animals or military working dogs.

Resthaven Memorial Gardens, on the northern edge of Frederick along the Monocacy River, has opened the Faithful Companions Honor Garden, which features larger burial spaces designed to accommodate such final requests.

“Resthaven has been doing pet burials since 1970,” said Jon Cody, the cemetery’s vice president of operations. “We were already doing it for all families and their pets,” but the new honor garden is a first for the cemetery.

The cemetery provides what it calls “courtesy space” to veterans, and will make the same offer to their animals. Maryland law requires money to be set aside for the care and maintenance of each plot, Cody said, so Resthaven asks for a $239.50 contribution for any space in the Faithful Companions Honor Garden. The money goes into a trust fund that has been set up for the future care and maintenance of the cemetery, Cody said.

The “courtesy space” offer will apply to military working dogs and service animals that are adopted by nonmilitary caregivers, he said.

“Our idea was to provide a courtesy space for those combat dogs, giving them the same honor that we would a human veteran,” Cody told the Frederick News-Post.

“It’s an extension of what we do — to memorialize with honor, commitment and dignity,” he added. “We want to make sure the dogs themselves are being honored, and the soldiers, and the bond between them.”

The memorial garden sits empty between the cemetery’s third veterans’ section, called the Veterans Garden of Valor, and its section reserved for pets, called the Garden of Faithful Friends. Commemorative bronze artwork planned for the garden is a “work in progress,” Cody said.

A rendering of the proposed dedication plaque for the Faithful Companions Memorial Gardens at Resthaven Memorial Gardens in Frederick, Maryland.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Resthaven

7,000 letters in 6 years, one woman gives deployed troops a connection to home

Rachael Kalinyak — Fri, 02 Jun 2017 17:54:07 +0000

A 98-year-old woman has written 7,000 letters to troops overseas in the past six years, WGN Chicago reports.

Alleen Cooper of California first started writing letters to troops during World War II. She sent her son letters when he served in Vietnam and hasn’t stopped since, sending letters to troops serving overseas and to those who have been injured.

“One in Florida, he had to have a new ear. And I’m sure he was very, very depressed,” she told WGN Chicago.

She decided to start counting her letters six years ago and has officially sent 7,000 letters since then. The letters are all hand-written, about four pages in length and each is unique.

WGN Chicago set up a meeting for Cooper to meet one of her correspondents over Skype, Chris Cantos. Cantos is a Marine she began writing to years ago. When he first received her letters, Cantos was deployed to a remote area of Afghanistan where the only method of communication available to him written letters.

During the Skype meeting, Cantos told Cooper and WGN Chicago that he would look forward to her letters. “She would always send us clippings and jokes. She would tell us about her day.”

Although her hands are getting tired, she said her letters will continue. “I decided I’m going to write as long as I can,” she told WGN Chicago.

Suspect accused of punching man with cerebral palsy was convicted of stealing from veterans cemetery

Rachael Kalinyak — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 20:18:44 +0000

A man previously arrested for an unprovoked attack outside a 7-Eleven in West Chester, Pennsylvania, has also stolen from veteran cemeteries, according to The Smoking Gun.

Barry Baker, 29, was charged with battery for attacking a 22-year-old man with cerebral palsy on May 10. The incident was caught on surveillance video and shows Baker mocking the victim before punching him.

Baker’s criminal records, obtained by The Smoking Gun, reveal that he was placed on probation for three years after violating a previous probation sentence for theft of a vehicle. In addition, Baker was convicted of theft in 2007 when he confessed to stealing nearly 250 bronze flag holders from the marked graves of veterans. The holders, estimated to be worth $10,000 total, were taken from two cemeteries in Pennsylvania. Baker sold them to a state scrap company as scrap metal, Smoking Gun reports.

For the 2007 crime, Baker received a sentence with a minimum of eleven and a half months in jail to a maximum of 23 months in custody. He was also ordered to take part in a treatment program for alcohol or drugs and get a mental health evaluation. For his most recent crime, he was charged with assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct, but made the $25,000 bail.

Air Force says it can’t fund health-risk study of water contamination at former Pease AFB

Rachael Kalinyak — Thu, 01 Jun 2017 15:16:08 +0000

The Air Force says it cannot fund a study into the health risks of toxic chemicals used in firefighting foam at the former Pease Air Force Base, which contaminated the drinking water in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, according to the Portsmouth Herald.

Despite warnings from its own researchers dating back to 1979, the Air Force used the firefighting foam at bases around the country until 2016. The Environmental Protection Agency in 2000 said the perfluorinated compounds in the foam were “likely to be carcinogenic to humans” and reached an agreement with the main manufacturer to stop producing it.

The federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recommended that studies of children and adults be conducted in the area around Pease, and that these studies be tied to a national study, after PFC contamination was found in Portsmouth’s drinking water in May 2014, according to the paper. The base closed in 1991 and is now Pease International Tradeport.

Agency officials have said health studies on people exposed to PFCs show they can harm a developing fetus or child, decrease fertility, interfere with the body’s natural hormones, increase cholesterol, hurt the immune system and increase cancer risk.

ATSDR Director Patrick Breysse said his agency can’t afford to conduct the local health-risk studies. “I don’t see how we can do it on our existing funding,” he said May 30 at a public meeting, according to the Portsmouth Herald

Air Force Lt. Col. Joseph Constantino, who also spoke at the meeting, said the Air Force “can’t fund [the] study.”

“We don’t have authority to go into that kind of work…. Without authority, there’s no funding,” he said, according to the paper..

“We need something long-term and people monitored over time, not just once,” said Portsmouth resident Andrea Amico, whose child attended daycare on the former base.

Veterans group condemns Kathy Griffin’s photo depicting Trump’s decapitated head

Rachael Kalinyak — Wed, 31 May 2017 18:35:43 +0000

The group Veterans of Foreign Wars has condemned comedian Kathy Griffin’s photograph, widely shared on social media, depicting her holding a bloody, decapitated head of President Donald Trump.

“The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. strongly condemns comedian Kathy Griffin’s incredibly revolting attack on the president of the United States. Her apology is not accepted. What she did was not humorous nor should it be protected speech or expression. Playing to an audience with a severed head is what our enemies do. The USO should immediately end its relationship with her,” VFW National Commander Brian Duffy said in a statement.

Griffin issued an apology, posting on her Instagram account: “I am sorry. I went too far. I was wrong.” But the backlash has been swift and serious. CNN announced that it would no longer feature Griffin on its New Year’s Eve coverage with CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who posted to Twitter that he was “appalled by the photo.”

“It is clearly disgusting and completely inappropriate,” Cooper said.

Trump tweetedabout the photograph on Wednesday: “Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick!”

Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton,

also weighed in on Twitter

: “This is vile and wrong. It is never funny to joke about killing a president.”

America’s heroes honored at events around the country for Memorial Day weekend

Rachael Kalinyak — Fri, 26 May 2017 15:14:42 +0000

Every year on the last Monday of May, America honors those who have fallen while serving in the armed forces of the United States. Memorial Day events will be held around the country throughout the long weekend as a tribute those who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country.

U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers march along Constitution Avenue in the 2016 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., May 30. The Soldiers in formation were from the 200th Military Police Command, from Fort Meade, Maryland; the 55th Sustainment Brigade, from Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and the Military Intelligence Readiness Command, from Fort Belvoir.

Photo Credit: U.S. Army/Master Sgt. Michel Sauret

The National Memorial Day Parade will be held in Washington, D.C., at 2 p.m. on Monday. Traveling down Constitution Ave., the annual parade features a moving timeline, mapping America’s military history, from the American Revolution to the conflicts of today. The parade is the largest Memorial Day celebration in the country, anticipating an audience in the hundreds of thousands. It will also feature Memorial Day parade traditions that date back to the holiday’s earliest parades, which we held just after the Civil War. The parade route begins on Constitution Ave. at 7th St. N.W. where it then travels west to its endpoint at 17th St. N.W., just past the White House Ellipse and the Washington Monument. The event is free and open to the public.

An up-armored Humvee belonging to the 416th Theater Engineer Command leads a small convoy during the 2014 Chicago Memorial Day Parade.

Photo Credit: U.S. Army/Master Sgt. Michel Sauret

Chicago will host its Memorial Day Parade and Wreath Laying Ceremony on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. at Daley Plaza. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Robert S. Walsh will serve as the parade’s grand marshal. Walsh is the commander of Marine Corps Combat Development Command and Deputy Commandant, Combat Development and Integration. The parade will follow the wreath laying ceremony, stepping off at noon and proceeding south on State St., from Lake St. to Van Buren St. Chicago will also host its 21st Annual Ceremony and Dedication of the Gen. John A. Logan Monument. The Memorial Day ceremony will feature wreath laying and monument rededication, commemorating those who died serving the country. Music will begin at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, with the wreath laying ceremony starting at 11. The monument is located at S. Michigan Ave. and E. 9th St., and the ceremony is free and open to the public. The Chicago Cultural Mile Association will host a Memorial Day luncheon following the ceremony at the Crystal Ballroom at the Blackstone Hotel.

Sailors and Marines man the rails of the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) as it passes the Statue of Liberty during the 29th annual Fleet Week New York’s Parade of Ships on May 24. Fleet week will continue throughout the Memorial Day weekend in New York City.

Photo Credit: U.S. Navy/Chief Mass Communication Specialist Travis Simmons

The Big Apple hosts multiple annual Memorial Day parades in each of the city’s five boroughs. In Queens, the 90th Annual Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade is known to be the largest in New York. The parade begins at 2 p.m. at Jayson Ave. and Northern Blvd., ending at Divine Wisdom Catholic Academy parking lot at Alameda Ave. and Northern Blvd. Following the parade, the U.S. Air Force Band and The Blue Aces will perform at the closing ceremony. In Brooklyn, the 150th Annual King’s County Memorial Day Parade will be held at 11:00 a.m.. The parade route stetches from 78th St. and Third Ave., along Third Ave. to Marine Ave., up to Fourth Ave. and over to John Paul Jones Park on 101st St. and Fourth Ave. Both events, in addition to several others in the city, are free and open to the public. The Navy’s Fleet Week is also underway in New York, continuing throughout Memorial Day weekend, ending on Tuesday.

On the West Coast, the Mount Soledad’s Memorial Day Ceremony near San Diego is a unique service that honors veterans and Gold Star families. There will be a variety of performances including the United States Marine Corps Band and the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego Color Guard. The San Diego Performance Formation Team, led by John “Flipper” Flippen, will perform a flyover at the ceremony, executing the traditional missing man formation. The keynote speaker this year will be Cpt. Howard C. Warner III, the commanding officer of Naval Base Point Loma, and the master of ceremonies will be radio and television personality Brett Winterble. The ceremony will run from 2 to 3 p.m. Monday and will be held at the Mount Soledad National Veterans Memorial in La Jolla, California.

Sailors, airmen work together to save a child’s life

Rachael Kalinyak — Thu, 25 May 2017 17:35:50 +0000

A 16-month-old burn victim recently needed to be transported to Travis Air Force Base in California from the U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka in Japan. The problem was that the child was too large for VERIFY, the traditional medical transport system used by the Air Force, and too small for a regular hospital bed, according to the Air Force Medical Service.

The 18^th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan worked with the Navy to outfit a C-17 Globemaster III with a “Giraffe” system for the very first time.

“The child was too large for all of our normal equipment,” said 1st Lt. Kristen Hawkins, 18th AES staff duty officer. “The ‘Giraffe’ is large enough, but it’s usually used in hospitals, not aircraft.”

U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Angel Figueroa, 18th Medical Operations Squadron technician, (left) and Maj. Melissa Dassinger, 18th Aerospace Evacuation Squadron (AES) Training Flight commander, test a “Giraffe” omnibed May 13, 2017, at Kadena Air Base, Japan. A C-17 Globemaster III can be equipped with materials and systems required to transport injured patients across great distances quickly and safely. The 18th AES works to provide the expertise required to help make the trip a successl.

Photo Credit: Senior Airman Quay Drawdy / US Air Force

The “Giraffe” system is found in neo-natal intensive care units and, up until May 13, had never been used on a C-17. So, in order to pull this off, detailed coordination and planning was needed throughout all units.

“One thing I feel is important to mention is the whole team approach,” Lt. Col. Leslie Wood told the Air Force Medical Service. Wood is the 18th Aerospace Evacuation Squadron chief of west Pacific Air Force critical care air transport team. “Not only do we have multiple units coming together, but multiple services. We wouldn’t have been able to get this piece of equipment if the United States Naval Hospital hadn’t been willing to release it to us.”

United Airlines will reimburse soldier for $200 fine

Rachael Kalinyak — Tue, 23 May 2017 19:43:21 +0000

A Texas Army National Guard soldier is to be refunded the $200 United Airlines charged him for his overweight bag, according to Dallas News.

1^st Lt. John Rader was on his way home after nearly two years deployed to Afghanistan. During his layover in Houston, he was told his bag was too heavy, over the 70-pound weight limit. The gear in his bag included a Kevlar vest, two helmets and his boots.

United Airlines’ policysays active military members can have up to five bags checked for free, as long as they remain under 70 pounds each. Without another bag to siphon items into, Rader found himself paying the $200 fine.

The airline released a statement on Thursday saying the $200 fine would be reimbursed as a “gesture of goodwill.”

Rader said in a Fox 7 reporthe wants to try to change the policy, and he doesn’t intend to fly on United again.

“I just want to make sure soldiers are cared for going forward,” he said.

Veteran-run card game company seeks support for second offering, ‘Blue Falcon’

Rachael Kalinyak — Mon, 22 May 2017 17:59:08 +0000

The veterans who created the military-themed card game FUBAR are crowd-funding a new game that will allow players to participate in “the age-old military tradition of screwing over your buddies.”

Blue Falcon, the latest from War Games LLC, is two-thirds through its 30-day funding run on Kickstarter and needed about $1,000 in pledges to reach its $9,000 goal as of Monday morning. The game description above comes from the Kickstarter funding page, where interested backers can support the project in exchange for rewards such as advance copies of the game and service-specific posters featuring art from former sailor and current Navy spouse Megan Willcoxson, creator of the military comic “Scuttlebutt.”

Photo Credit: War Games LLC

Willcoxson also provided art for the 55-card deck. Veterans Justin Burgess (Army captain) and Kevin Jacobson (Marine sergeant), co-owners of War Games LLC, developed the game, which is designed to be played in 15 to 20 minutes by between three and five players.

Unlike FUBAR, which took inspiration from the less-than-family-friendly party game Cards Against Humanity, Blue Falcon lets players eliminate their opponents by playing one of five “Blue Falcon” cards in the deck. According to the Kickstarter campaign, testers claim the game is never complete until “someone gets punched in the face!”

Photo Credit: War Games LLC

The creators have promised to include additional cards to each deck if separate crowd-funding “stretch goals” are met. These include an $11,000 goal that will add five more cards to the deck, with no extra cost; a $13,000 goal adding three more cards on top of that; and a $15,000 goal that will give everyone an additional 14 cards as well as another Blue Falcon card, allowing for six people to play.

FUBAR found success on Kickstarter, raising more than $72,000 against a goal of $10,800.

Photo Credit: War Games LLC

Prior service isn’t a requirement to enjoy the game, the creators state on the Kickstarter page. They offer this explanation for civilians who may not be familiar with the origins of the game’s title: “You’re standing in formation and First Sergeant asks why Johnson isn’t present. That guy who raises his hand and says he saw Johnson going home with a stripper… that’s a Blue Falcon.”

Military veterans take to Twitter to fight discrimination with #VetsFightHate

Rachael Kalinyak — Mon, 22 May 2017 15:37:40 +0000

A group of veterans are fighting anti-immigration messages one tweet at a time.

Vets Fight Hate has partnered with Southern Poverty Law Center with the goal of reminding people that they are all much more than just their looks or ancestry. Their Twitter account @VetsFightHate targets users who post hateful messages and possess a large number of followers. They reply to these hateful messages with personalized messages of their own — messages of immigrants who have served in the U.S. military.

“Veterans are one of the most respected and honored groups of Americans, and they have an important voice in fighting back against those spreading hatred,” SPLC spokeswoman Wendy Via told the Huffington Post.

The organization’s very first post introduces us to Roy who tells his story: “I joined the US Army at 17 to defend America. I’m from Germany, but I was willing to fight for this country because it accepted me. Immigrants are what make America great.”

Another veteran named Lawrence responded to a hateful message that said “immigrants are a disease to this country.”

“I’m an immigrant; I’m a citizen; and I’m a veteran. I served in the U.S. Air Force and fought for you, your family, and people I don’t even know. I risked my life for a free and inclusive country. This country was built by immigrants. Respect us. This is our home too,” Lawrence replied.

Approximately 11 percent of all U.S. veterans come from an immigrant background, whether they immigrated themselves, or their parents did. That’s the equivalent to nearly two million veterans, according to migrationpolicy.org.