Search for new VA leader should look beyond ex-military, experts say

President Barack Obama may want to look beyond the military community for someone with solid management experience to fix the Veterans Administration after retired Gen. Eric Shinseki resigned as head of the troubled department.

Shinseki, a decorated Vietnam veteran and former Army chief of staff, stepped down Friday after a preliminary investigation confirmed reports of widespread mismanagement and delays in scheduling appointments for veterans in VA hospitals.

TIMELINE | Shinseki at the top

Obama praised Shinseki but said the VA "needs new leadership" to address the mounting claims of malfeasance that allowed executives to cash in on bonuses even as veterans with serious health issues languished on secret waiting lists.

The search for that new leadership should be “less about having someone with a military background and more about someone with a management background,” said Michael Tanner, a senior fellow at the CATO Institute.

Tanner said many retired generals move from the Pentagon to the VA but "we’re not talking about combat or an army. We’re talking about bureaucracy.”

Tanner said veterans can identify with other veterans, but "they’re not dealing with the veterans, ultimately."

"They’re dealing with a lot of people who aren’t impressed by how many stars the guy wore,” he said, adding that a better candidate might be someone with solid business credentials, "ideally someone who's helped turn around a company."

Shinseki himself alluded to the problem just before his resignation was announced. In a speech to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, Shinseki said he had initially thought the delays in scheduling appointments for veterans were isolated cases.

Now, he thinks such delays are systemic and that he was misled by other managers within the VA system.

“I can’t explain the lack of integrity among some of the leaders of our health care facilities,” he said. “This is something I rarely encountered during 38 years in uniform.”

Phillip Carter, a former Army officer and current director of the military, veterans and society program at the Center for a New American Security, said Obama should “cast a wide net” as he searches for someone capable of repairing the damage.

“The next VA secretary should be familiar with the culture of the VA, but that does not mean that he or she needs to be a veteran, let alone a retired general or admiral,” Carter said.

With a department employing more than 312,000 people and a budget of more than $150 billion, any VA secretary must be “very politically astute… capable of balancing competing interests and priorities,” Carter said.

John Raughter, spokesman for the American Legion, said the key is to find a reformer, “someone who will make monumental changes to the structure of how the VA is operating now, someone who will hold the administrators accountable if they abuse their customers."

He also said the new secretary must change the "culture of fear" that seems to have kept many employees from reporting problems.

“It’s going to take a reform-minded individual,” Raughter said.

In a written statement, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America urged Obama to choose a new secretary who would make “bold changes and work quickly and aggressively to change the VA system."

The organization also called on the president to look for a veteran of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan.

Dr. Sam Foote, a retired VA doctor who helped expose scheduling abuses in the Phoenix VA, said someone with considerable administrative experience would be ideal, though a top-level hospital administrator would likely have to accept a significant pay cut to take the job.

Ex-military commanders would face culture shock, Foote said. They are accustomed to working with trained subordinates who follow orders — habits less widespread in the VA culture, Foote said.

“Superman would be good, if he’s available,” Foote said.

hlad.jennifer@stripes.com

Twitter: @jhlad

For many in the military, Shinseki remains an American hero

WASHINGTON — As the words left President Barack Obama’s lips on Friday that he had accepted the resignation of retired Army Gen. Eric Shinseki as secretary of veterans affairs, a pained groan emerged from a crowd of troops, veterans and civilians who’d gathered around television sets at the Pentagon.

Even as calls grew in Congress for Shinseki, 71, to step down, and details emerged of an effort to misreport scheduling delays for patient appointments, many in the uniformed military had remained decidedly in Shinseki’s camp, convinced an American hero — maimed in Vietnam and humiliated for publicly questioning Iraq policy during the Bush administration — was being made a scapegoat.

His resignation does not fix the intractable problems that have plagued the Department of Veterans Affairs for decades, Shinseki supporters said; perhaps it will make them worse. Particularly galling to some in uniform was that Shinseki was well-known for loving the soldiers he commanded and that he had risen to become the chief of staff of the Army, the highest-ranking Asian-American in U.S. military history.

“GEN. Rick Shinseki gave his all in the service of his nation. He will be missed,” Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, tweeted upon learning the news.

Retired Army Gen. Barry McCaffrey, a friend of Shinseki, said that Shinseki was right to resign because he, rather than the VA’s problems, had become the focus. But McCaffrey said it would be hard for anyone to make much headway in solving the VA’s problems before November’s midterm elections. Politics will hinder real change.

“I would be surprised if you could find someone in military who doesn’t look up to him. But that doesn’t mean that he is a political infighter that would deal with Congress, the media and these semi-independent systems in the VA,” McCaffrey said.

Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, like Shinseki a Vietnam veteran, struggled Friday while in en route to Singapore to answer what should happen to Shinseki, just hours before the president’s announcement.

“I leave the politics of it to others. But I’ve made it very clear where I am as a veteran on this, where I am as a secretary of defense — this has to get fixed and this is as high a priority as this country has, taking care of its veterans,” Hagel told reporters. But he also had kind words for Shinseki. “General Shinseki is a war veteran, disabled; lost part of his foot in Vietnam. And I think he understands … what our veterans deserve.”

To be sure, there are those who reject Shinseki’s claims that he did not know about the litany of problems that led to missed care for 1,700 veterans at the Phoenix VA hospital and investigations in similar issues at 42 other VA medical centers nationwide. A damning inspector general’s report Wednesday confirmed that the Phoenix VA had cooked its books to make waiting times look shorter than they were. The American Legion, the nation’s largest veterans group, and Concerned Veterans for America called for Shinseki’s resignation.

But to some of those who served alongside him in uniform, Friday’s announcement marked the fourth time in Shinseki’s career that he has been wounded in the service of his country. This time, it was because he did the same things that had made him such a successful Army commander — he trusted those around him, reacted calmly to crisis and when learning of a problem, tried to address it through channels.

Shinseki, they said, was not responsible for systemic problems in the VA like a decades-old computer system, the failure during the Bush years to modernize as hundreds of thousands from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan began clamoring for VA care, or for the seeming lack of integrity within the ranks of the VA, where the cooked books helped lower-level administrators earn bonuses.

In Vietnam, Shinseki sustained shrapnel wounds in the shoulder and chest, returned to combat, then lost part of his right foot when a landmine exploded. His grace in dealing with his wounds resonated with the last generation of soldiers.

Often, in talking about his injuries in Vietnam, Shinseki would say: “Twice in my career I have been carried off the battlefield on the backs of soldiers.”

When the next generation of troops came back from Iraq and Afghanistan with missing limbs, wondering when the phantom pain that comes when the body expects a missing part to return would stop, he would quietly counsel, “It doesn’t.”

He rose swiftly through the ranks to command the 7th Army and U.S. forces in Central Europe. As chief of staff of the Army, he created the Stryker brigades, which consisted of vehicles agile enough for urban warfare. In Iraq, especially, they became critical forces.

But it was his comments in the 2003 run-up to the Iraq War that made him a national hero of thoughtful resistance to the growing warpath, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee that Bush administration predictions of what was needed to pacify Iraq were wrong.

Calling on his experience as a commander of peacekeeping troops in Bosnia, Shinseki said that “something in the order of several hundred thousand soldiers” would likely be required for postwar Iraq, not the few thousand that the Bush administration had predicted.

A few days later, then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz publicly contradicted him, saying, “The notion that it will take several hundred thousand U.S. troops to provide stability in post-Saddam Iraq are wildly off the mark.”

Branded an unwelcome whistleblower, Shinseki lost influence within the Joint Chiefs of Staff for the remaining months of his four-year term, which marked the end of his military career. In 2006, Gen. John Abizaid, then the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East, acknowledged that Shinseki had been right.

White House press secretary Jay Carney unexpectedly resigns

WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Jay Carney became the news instead of just delivering it Friday, when President Barack Obama unexpectedly interrupted the daily media briefing to announce Carney's resignation after three and a half years as his primary spokesman.

Obama said it was "bittersweet" to see his friend Carney step down and announced that principal deputy press secretary Josh Earnest will take over the job. Carney said the transition will take place around mid-June, but Earnest will take his place traveling next week on Obama's trip to Europe.

Carney brought rare but practical experience to the job as a former reporter who once covered the White House for Time magazine. He left journalism to become communications director for Vice President Joe Biden and subsequently moved over to serve as Obama's press secretary in 2011.

"He comes to this place with a reporter's perspective," Obama told reporters after interrupting Carney midsentence as he responded to a question on Ukraine in the Brady Press Briefing Room. "That's why, believe it or not, I think he will miss hanging out with you."

A key component of a White House press secretary's job is to regularly joust with reporters in an intense question-and-answer session. Obama said he is putting the "flak jacket" for dealing with the press on another friend in Earnest, who has worked with Obama since he was his communications director for the Iowa caucuses in the 2008 campaign.

The affable Earnest is well-liked within the White House press corps, and is seen as helpful. Reporters applauded the announcement. Earnest is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and Obama noted he still roots for the hometown baseball team, the Royals, as the son of an athletic coach.

"As you know, his name describes his demeanor," Obama said. "Josh is an earnest guy and you can't find just a nicer individual even outside of Washington."

Obama also teased Earnest for providing the "golden voice and dulcet tones" as narrator of West Wing Week, a recap of White House events that can be seen on YouTube or the White House website. Earnest, who is expecting his first child with his wife, Treasury Department official Natalie Wyeth Earnest, told reporters he's "grateful and excited and relishes the opportunity to spend the next couple of years with you."

Earnest, 39, regularly conducts the briefing at the White House or aboard Air Force One when Carney is absent. He has been deeply involved in negotiations with the press corps over access to the president.

It was Obama's second appearance in the briefing room Friday to announce a resignation, the first being under much more somber circumstances as Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki left under pressure due to widespread problems plaguing the agency's health care system. Obama said Carney's job has put a strain on his family and the press secretary told him in April that he's been wrestling with the decision whether to leave for some time.

Carney said he's made no decision yet on his next step but plans to take the summer off before starting a new job. He ruled out rumors that he would serve as ambassador to Russia, after having covered the collapse of the Soviet Empire for Time. He said his wife, ABC News correspondent Claire Shipman, and two children wouldn't welcome such a move.

Carney, who celebrated his 49th birthday last week, expressed his appreciation for working at the White House for more than five years, even though he says being press secretary is not easy.

"It's an important interaction that takes place here," Carney said. "It's not always pretty. It could certainly be better. But to be a part of it is an honor and a joy for me. And no matter how tough the briefing is, I walk out of here having been glad to stand here."

Obama said that Carney had demonstrated good judgment and temperament and said he will continue to rely on his advice from outside the West Wing. The two men embraced before Obama made his exit.

Kadena High School reports 4th alleged sex assault in past 3 weeks

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Kadena High School officials are dealing with the fourth alleged sexual assault of a student to come to light in three weeks.

The latest incident allegedly occurred during the Memorial Day weekend and was unrelated to any school activities, according to DODEA-Pacific schools spokesman Charly Hoff. School officials contacted Kadena Air Base security forces to investigate after being told of the case Tuesday.

Hoff referred further questions to Air Force officials, who did not immediately respond to queries. Kadena assistant principal Dr. Susan Paul declined to comment when reached by phone.

“As educators, we are committed to doing our part to help end sexual assault, but without peers, parents, extended family members, leaders and other caring individuals in the community stepping up and leaning in to help, this problem will not go away,” Hoff wrote in a statement to Stars and Stripes.

Hoff said another round of military-style Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Training, modified for the younger dependent audience and more comprehensive than one delivered in April, is set for next week. The students will be separated by gender to foster candid discussion.

The first round took place about a month after an 18-year-old male student allegedly raped a heavily intoxicated 17-year-old female classmate in front of other students at his uncle’s on-base home and used his cell phone to record it. Charges against that student were announced three weeks ago in federal court in Minnesota under provisions for felonies committed abroad by certain people employed by or accompanying U.S. servicemembers.

The following week, another sexual assault allegedly occurred on Kadena High school grounds. The May 19 incident was reported to Okinawan prefectural police instead of American military investigators to lead the probe.

Hoff said authorities are also investigating a fourth assault that allegedly occurred on the weekend of May 3. No other details were available at press time.

He said the rash of reported incidents doesn’t necessarily reflect a rise in assaults.

“The increased reporting may indicate that the sexual assault prevention and response training provided to students at the end of April is working,” he said. “This is a positive first step toward ending sexual assault altogether. Increased reporting brings consequences; consequences bring change; and changes in attitudes and beliefs will bring an end to sexual assault in our community.”

Only about 30 percent of sexual assaults are reported, Hoff said, citing Justice Department statistics.

Letters from Kadena High principal Terry Gibson were sent home to parents and sponsors Friday urging them to take a more active role in educating students.

“To be clear, we’re not interested in running out the clock on the school year; we’re not just hoping this problem goes away on its own; and we’re not sweeping anything under the rug,” Gibson wrote. “We have been and will continue to take this issue head-on.”

burke.matt@stripes.com

Kadena High School reports fourth alleged sex assault in last 3 weeks

CAMP FOSTER, Okinawa — Kadena High School officials are dealing with the fourth alleged sexual assault of a student to come to light in as many weeks.

The latest incident allegedly occurred over the Memorial Day weekend and was unrelated to any school activities, according to DODEA-Pacific schools spokesman Charly Hoff. School officials contacted Kadena Air Base security forces to investigate after being told of the case Tuesday.

Hoff referred further questions to Air Force officials, who did not immediately respond to queries. Kadena assistant principal Dr. Susan Paul declined to comment when reached by phone.

“As educators, we are committed to doing our part to help end sexual assault, but without peers, parents, extended family members, leaders and other caring individuals in the community stepping up and leaning in to help, this problem will not go away,” Hoff wrote in a statement to Stars and Stripes.

Hoff said another round of military-style Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Training, modified for the younger dependent audience and more comprehensive than one delivered in April, is set for next week. The students will be separated by gender to foster candid discussion.

The first round took place about a month after an 18-year-old male student allegedly raped a heavily intoxicated 17-year-old female classmate in front of other students at his uncle’s on-base home and used his cell phone to record it. Charges against that student were announced three weeks ago in federal court in Minnesota under provisions for felonies committed abroad by certain people employed by or accompanying U.S. servicemembers.

The following week, another sexual assault allegedly occurred on Kadena High school grounds. The May 19 incident was reported to Okinawan prefectural police instead of American military investigators to lead the probe.

Hoff said authorities are also investigating a fourth assault that allegedly occurred on the weekend of May 3. No other details were available at press time.

He said the rash of reported incidents doesn’t necessarily reflect a rise in assaults.

“The increased reporting may indicate that the sexual assault prevention and response training provided to students at the end of April is working,” he said. “This is a positive first step toward ending sexual assault altogether. Increased reporting brings consequences; consequences bring change; and changes in attitudes and beliefs will bring an end to sexual assault in our community.”

Only about 30 percent of sexual assaults are reported, Hoff said, citing Justice Department statistics.

Letters from Kadena High principal Terry Gibson were sent home to parents and sponsors Friday urging them to take a more active role in educating students.

“To be clear, we’re not interested in running out the clock on the school year; we’re not just hoping this problem goes away on its own; and we’re not sweeping anything under the rug,” Gibson wrote. “We have been and will continue to take this issue head-on.”

burke.matt@stripes.com

'Enlisted' skipper rallies support in last-ditch effort to save scuttled show

The captain of Fox’s scuttled military comedy “Enlisted” is hoping the show’s final four episodes — set to being airing June 1 — might just pack enough funny firepower to save his sinking ship.

“If we get even the slightest rating bump, it can help us live. This may seem like a fool’s errand, but even a little bit of hope is still hope,” writes “Enlisted” creator Kevin Biegel in a note to friends, supporters and “everyone whose email was ever in my inbox.”

Despite largely positive reviews, Fox executives killed the show even before its first season was over due to low ratings, pulling it off its scheduled weekly run in March.

Supporters were quick to point out that even the much-beloved “M*A*S*H” — whose 11-year run lasted nearly four times longer than the Korean war it lampooned — barely survived its first season for the same reason. Fans argued that given the chance, and a better time slot than a typically kiss-of-death Friday-night airing, “Enlisted” could rally better ratings.

A veteran of the “South Park” writing crew who went on to co-produce the medical comedy “Scrubs,” Biegel is now leading a last-ditch insurgency to do just that, if only to help the show find new life on another network.

“If anyone knows or knows of a Nielsen family, beg them to watch. Beg, really? That’s strong. How about ask?” writes Biegel. “I fear no one will know ‘Enlisted’ is coming back on the air for the final 4. If we can get even a slightly decent rating we can show a new home that this show has a real fan base.”

Indeed, if there was any hope of “Enlisted” returning to Fox, it may have died with the just-announced departure of the show’s most powerful supporter at the network.

Amid a network-wide ratings slump, Fox network chief Kevin Reilly said he was resigning in a statement released May 29. According a variety of industry reports, Reilly had fought to give “Enlisted” another season but was overruled by his bosses, including 21st Century Fox head Rupert Murdoch.

Whether “Enlisted” will find new life anywhere remains to be seen, but Biegel promises viewers won’t be disappointed with this season’s remaining episodes.

“These are the best four episodes we did,” Biegel writes. “The episode airing June 1, our first one back, is one of our funniest, and the finale is one of the best pieces of TV I’ve ever been lucky enough to be a part of. Even more than that ‘South Park’ episode with the mouse with the penis on its back, although that one was pretty good.”

The new episodes will air Sundays at 7 p.m. Eastern — for now — on Fox.

US: Russia pulling most of its forces away from Ukraine border

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT — U.S. defense officials said Thursday that Russia has pulled most of its forces away from the Ukraine border, a withdrawal that the U.S. has been demanding for weeks.

They said about seven battalions remained, amounting to a couple of thousand troops. U.S. officials had estimated as many as 40,000 Russian forces had been aligned along the border with a restive eastern Ukraine that has been wracked with violence between government security forces and pro-Russian separatists.

The defense officials spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the precise numbers.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel didn't provide any details to reporters traveling with him at the start of a 12-day overseas trip, but he called the withdrawal promising.

"They are not where they need to be and won't be until all of their troops that they positioned along that border a couple of months ago are gone," Hagel said.

"We do know that thousands of Russian troops have been pulled back and are moving away. But we also know that there are still thousands of Russian troops still there that have not yet moved," Hagel said.

Hagel said he has not spoken to his Russian counterpart about the withdrawal.

Hagel was among Obama administration officials who expressed new concerns Thursday about rising violence in eastern Ukraine, including the downing of a military helicopter by pro-Russian rebels.

The White House and State Department both said a de-escalation of the crisis was imperative and called on Russia to exert pressure on the separatists to get them to end the fighting and release a group of international monitors who have been detained in eastern Ukraine since earlier this week.

"We are disturbed by the ongoing violence in eastern Ukraine," presidential spokesman Jay Carney said at the White House. While the U.S. has not been able to verify what happened to the helicopter, he said, "We are concerned that this indicates separatists continue to have access to advanced weaponry and other assistance from the outside."

Ukraine's acting president said earlier Thursday that 12 troops died when rebels shot down a military helicopter in Slovyansk using a portable air defense missile.

Even before the incident, Secretary of State John Kerry spoke to his Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, on Wednesday to reiterate U.S. concerns about the deteriorating situation in Ukraine, the State Department said.

Kerry raised with Lavrov reports of Chechen fighters crossing into Ukraine to join the separatists, spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at the State Department.

Kerry "pressed Foreign Minister Lavrov to end all support for separatists, denounce their actions and call on them to lay down their arms," she said.

"Our broad view, as you know, is that de-escalation is the proper path forward," Psaki added, although she said she was not aware of concerns that Ukrainian security forces were using disproportionate means to quell the fighting as some Russians have alleged.

Carney and Psaki also said it was unacceptable that insurgents have detained four observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. They demanded their immediate release.

The U.S. has called on Russia repeatedly to help de-escalate tensions in Ukraine, including withdrawing troops massed near Ukraine.

Associated Press writers Matthew Lee and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.

Army wife played dead during 'unreal' bear attack on JBER

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Jessica Gamboa grew up hearing you should play dead during a bear attack, and she put that knowledge to the ultimate test when she ran into a brown bear on the grounds of a military base.

The bear knocked Gamboa down, then picked her up and threw her to the ground. The bear went on to pummel Gamboa several times more with her powerful paws.

Throughout the May 18 attack, Gamboa lay in a fetal position and remained silent.

That action likely saved her life.

"I actually can't even believe this actually really happened," the 25-year-old woman said in a videotaped interview released by the Army on Thursday. "It seems still surreal, just for the fact that I'm still alive — seems unreal. "

In the interview taped Tuesday at her hospital bed, Gamboa said she surrendered herself to the bear during the attack at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage after she encountered the animal and her two cubs. Gamboa, of Sacramento, California, is married to a soldier assigned at the base to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division.

The Army also released an interview with Sgt. Collin Gillikin, a combat medic from Rockford, Michigan, who rescued her after the mauling, which left Gamboa with lacerations to her neck, arms and legs, a torn ear and neck fractures. Her neck wound is visible in the video.

Mark Sledge, senior conservation law enforcement officer at the base, said he knows of only one other close encounter with a bear. In 2010, a black bear gnawed a child's leg without breaking the skin when a group of children saw it and played dead. The animal ran off when a girl yelled at it, Sledge said. In this case, playing dead was the wrong thing to do because the bear had not taken an offensive action before the children laid down.

But Gamboa responded just as she should have, said Sledge, who participates in briefings introducing newly arrived JBER servicemembers to life in Alaska, including dealing with bears and moose. Gamboa's actions showed the bear she was not a threat.

"All that sow was worried about was the protection of her babies," Sledge said.

The day of the attack, Gamboa and her husband, Jacob, were jogging at the sprawling base when they became separated.

Gamboa was about 20 minutes into her run when she saw a cub on the side of the road. She immediately knew the mother bear had to be around. Sure enough, there it was, trotting toward her. She also saw the second cub.

It all happened so fast she's not sure if she was being bitten or lashed. She remembers the sow knocked her down, picked her up and carried her to the side of the road where the cubs were. The bear flopped her down on a grassy embankment and pummeled her, paused and attacked two more times while Gamboa lay curled in a fetal position. She didn't scream or fight.

And then the bear left.

Gamboa laid there for a couple minutes then crawled out of the embankment and rested some more. There was blood everywhere, her head hurt and her neck was pulsing.

"I felt completely like I was beaten half to death," said Gamboa, who has a 4-year-old son.

She called out for her husband as loudly as she could, but got no response. She prayed for strength to make it back to their truck so she could call 911.

Holding both hands to her bleeding neck, she started walking back on the road, hoping someone would see her. Then she saw a car, which was driven by Gillikin. The soldier had cleaned out his car of all medical supplies and had nothing to treat her with. He rushed her to the base hospital, and Gamboa was later transferred to the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage.

She was released from the hospital Thursday.

Gillikin, also a brigade member, said the experience changed his life. Until then, he was never a man of faith.

"It kind of made me realize there's something bigger than myself out there," he said.

Marine Corps major relieved of command after drowning investigation

SAN DIEGO — A Marine major in charge of a swimming training program at Camp Pendleton has been relieved of his command after an investigation into the drowning of a private concluded that the major had allowed unsafe conditions.

A Marine Corps investigation said that Maj. Adam Burch had placed too high a value on having each Marine finish the training while he was commanding officer of the Reconnaissance Training Co. and not enough significance on ensuring their safety.

Pfc. Joshua Islam, 18, of Union City, N.C., drowned Jan. 13 after refusing to quit during the training.

“(Islam) continuously said, ‘I can’t, I can’t,’ but the swimming instructors answered back, ‘Do you quit?’” the Marine Corps Times reported. The newspaper received a copy of the investigation report under the Freedom of Information Act.

Islam refused to quit and instead re-entered the pool to continue attempting to meet the standards, according to the report. Exhausted, he came to the side of the pool and collapsed, the report said.

Islam’s father, James Islam, told the newspaper that his son was determined to succeed in everything he did.

“He loved the idea of being challenged to his physical and mental limits,” he said. “In so many ways, that makes him perfect for a recon Marine. In training, if somebody didn’t work out till they puked, I would say he almost had a contempt for them. He just had a passion for it.”

Included in the investigation report was a memo by Col. Stefan Bien, commander of the School of Infantry West at Camp Pendleton.

“It is my opinion the instructors … were so focused on technical instruction of (Islam) and wanting him to succeed … they were unable to recognize and were unable to assimilate due to lack of knowledge, the signs of instinctive drowning response,” he wrote.

Burch was relieved of command by Brig. Gen. John Simmons, commanding general of the Training Command, based at Quantico, Va.

Simmons had a “loss of trust and confidence in his (Burch’s) ability to lead Marines,” a Marine spokesman said.

As a result of the drowning and investigation, several changes have been made in the swimming program, the spokesman said.

Specific rules are being established to determine when training should be halted for safety reasons. Periodic “safety stand-downs” will be held. And all commanding officers and senior non-commissioned officers will be required to take a safety course.

Instructors will be trained on how to distinguish between “aquatic distress” and “instinctive drowning response,” the spokesman said.

“The death of Pvt. 1st Class Islam was a tragedy for his family and for the Marine Corps,” Simmons said.

“We have a responsibility to all Marines and their families to learn from this incident so that Marines can, as safely as possible, conduct the hard, realistic training that enables them to be successful in all their missions.”

Kevlar for the Mind: Bridging the gaps in 'cultural competency'

The concept of cultural competency — the therapist’s ability to understand, acknowledge, and appreciate the differences each person brings to therapy and how it influences the therapeutic process — is an oft-discussed topic among mental health professionals.

It’s usually discussed within the context of race, ethnicity, religion, and even geographical factors such as where you were born and raised. Recently, clinicians who treat military personnel have written about how the military itself is a unique and distinct culture that can impact psychotherapy, especially for therapists not familiar with that culture.

Gaps in cultural understanding can lead to confusion and frustration for both therapist and patient, which can impede progress and possibly lead to the patient dropping out of therapy prematurely. By understanding some of the more common examples of these gaps cited by professionals, you can work with your therapist to ensure they don’t become an obstacle to treatment.

Arguably the biggest difference between the military and civilian worlds is language. The military is fond of acronyms, abbreviations and unique slang words and phrases. This language is adaptive in the combat environment, as it allows large amounts of information to be communicated in a short amount of time.

But for a therapist not familiar with military culture, differences in language may be seen as confusing and unnecessary, leading to miscommunication and frustration on both sides. Here’s an example of language that may sound distinctly “foreign” to a non-military therapist:

“I recently ETS’d from Fort Hood after six years as an NCO, where I worked in the S2 shop. Now, all I seem to be doing is working as an RTO or watching troops PMCS’ing vehicles all day. Hell, I was trained as an 11 Bravo. And wouldn’t you know it, DFAS screwed up my partial DITY and I still haven’t gotten paid since I in-processed.”

Another difference: Troops are taught to be solution-focused rather than problem-oriented. This may conflict with a therapist whose style is more non-directive and tends to spend hour after hour focusing on a patient’s childhood or unconscious motives. Being continuously asked probing questions such as, “How does that make you feel?” can drive a solution-focused person up the wall.

Thirdly, individuality and independence are highly valued traits in American culture. But while they’re also valued in the military, they are less important than “the group.” In fact, individuality and independence are viewed as a potential threat to military unit cohesiveness, morale, and mission effectiveness. A therapist who neglects this distinction will struggle with military patients more than one who understands it.

If at any time you believe issues related to military culture are negatively impacting your relationship with your therapist, discuss it with them sooner rather than later. It was save you both a lot of time and frustration.

Bret A. Moore is a clinical psychologist who served in Iraq. Email kevlarforthemind@militarytimes.com. Names and identifying details will be kept confidential. This column is for informational purposes only. Readers should see a mental health professional or physician for mental health problems.

Hollywood reconsiders its portrayal of veterans

LOS ANGELES — When the Got Your 6 initiative was launched two years ago to enlist Hollywood in the effort to help military veterans, it focused on benchmarks in crucial areas including jobs, housing and education.

Some of the goals have been met and even surpassed, initiative members said. But work is just getting started on another task, that of using the industry's creative power to shape the public perception of veterans.

Got Your 6 — a name drawn from military slang for "I've got your back" — was holding its first conference Thursday with TV and film industry executives, producers, writers and others to discuss how to make that a reality.

The gathering was to hear from veterans and recognize those in the industry who have found effective ways to include veterans in storytelling without the hyperbole that makes them either heroes or charity cases, said Chris Marvin, the initiative's managing director.

Every year, some 250,000 service members return to civilian life, said Marvin, himself a veteran.

"Historically, we're not at a place where the entertainment industry is vilifying veterans in any way," Marvin said, but there is a need for "neutral" depictions of vets in everyday life. Ed O'Neil's veteran in ABC's "Modern Family" is such a character, he said.

"Studies prove that by putting that portrayal in front of people, they start to think about veterans more positively and as assets in their community, which is what a veteran should be," he said.

The conference will highlight work that illustrates how to handle the challenge, such as Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom" on HBO, which has included passing references to the military background of featured character Charlie Skinner (Sam Waterston).

"We mention it a couple times but it really doesn't play into the story. In a nutshell, that's what we're talking about, normal veterans. ... People who have gone on in the next chapter in their lives," said Amy Gravitt, HBO Programming vice president and a Navy veteran.

The Got Your 6 initiative, which includes every TV network, studio and agency along with more than 30 nonprofit groups, was conceived with the support of the Clinton Global Initiative. It counts progress in areas including employment.

Disney, which committed in 2012 to hire 1,000 veterans in three years, has hired more than 3,600, according to company. It has increased its goal to hire 1,000 additional veterans by 2015, Got Your 6 said.

Another media giant, Comcast Corp., announced last November that it and NBCUniversal had hit the goal of hiring 2,000 veterans since January 2012 and had done so almost two years ahead of schedule.

The conference in Beverly Hills Thursday was done in conjunction with the Hollywood Radio & Television Society.

In survey, Lackland drill instructors rip leaders, say they fear recruits

SAN ANTONIO — A survey of basic-training instructors conducted during the worst sex scandal in Air Force history revealed a sharp distrust of senior commanders at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and a widespread fear of recruits.

In occasionally bitter comments, some instructors lashed out at basic-training leaders.

They talked of stressful working conditions and declining standards that had made training too easy, with recruits even saying they expected to have a harder time.

The survey, done last year and obtained this week by the San Antonio Express-News, revealed basic training remains haunted by recruit abuse and misconduct, the same issues that prompted a major makeover at Lackland.

Trainers and recruits reported that problems persist, but instructors also said changes designed to ensure that recruits couldn't be exploited by sergeants had gone too far, and many said they were sorry they had become instructors.

“I am terrified I'm going to have my career ended by a trainee that drops a comment because I hurt his feelings or they just don't like me,” one instructor wrote in the survey.

“Leadership does not back us up. At all,” the instructor continued. “I feel as though (basic training) is overcorrecting and it's actually making the Air Force worse.”

The Rand Corp. surveyed nearly 200 training instructors anonymously last summer as part of an overhaul of basic training driven by the scandal.

Trainees said instructors often were unsupervised and even worked together to prevent misdeeds from being reported.

Problems ranged from poor officer supervision of instructors to an understaffed MTI corps that worked long hours and rarely had a day off.

Lackland officials last fall said statistics showed the makeover had worked, with no new sexual misconduct cases had been filed against instructors.

Col. Mark Camerer, commander of Lackland's 37th Training Wing, said late Wednesday that changes had corrected a lack of oversight in training, but he conceded they hadn't come without trouble.

“We've gone a long ways to fixing the things that you're talking about,” he said, noting that surveys in January and April had produced “vastly different” results from Rand's report.

“So, were we in a tough spot in July of last year? Yes, we were,” he continued. “I need my MTIs to know we listen to them.”

Rand found that more than half of the instructor corps worked more than 11 hours a day last summer, and that two thirds of “street” MTIs — those who train recruit flights — slept five hours or less a day.

Another one-third of supervisors and other instructors also said they slept five hours or less a day.

Camerer said he was surprised to learn of the problem, but added that some instructors told him “they just didn't want to leave their flight.”

He said the instructors willingly put in extra hours to ensure their flights were properly trained, but a new rule required officer approval for MTIs working more than 10 hours a day.

A number of trainers shared the belief that the rules for handling recruits had shifted so dramatically that the trainees held more power than their instructors.

“I'll give it to you in a nutshell: trainees run this place, MTI's are afraid constantly of getting in trouble over hurting a spoiled 18-year-olds' feelings, and no one is willing to change that,” one instructor wrote.

Instructors also expressed concerns about interaction of Col. Deborah Liddick, commander of the 737th Training Group, with those running the group's eight training squadrons.

One said, “It is very apparent that she does not trust anyone who is an MTI and she continues to discredit the feedback given to her on decisions made.”

Other MTIs made similar comments. But Camerer said myriad changes were implemented since he and Liddick took command in fall 2012. Liddick wasn't available for comment.

“It's understandable that people in the organization, that that's stressful for them, and that they feel like they didn't get a lot of voice in that. Well, they didn't get a lot of voice in that,” Camerer. “Did we get it all right, a hundred percent? No? Is it all 100 percent correct today? No.”

sigc@express-news.net

Trainers express anger over stress at Lackland

SAN ANTONIO — A survey of basic-training instructors conducted during the worst sex scandal in Air Force history revealed a sharp distrust of senior commanders at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and a widespread fear of recruits.

In occasionally bitter comments, some instructors lashed out at basic-training leaders.

They talked of stressful working conditions and declining standards that had made training too easy, with recruits even saying they expected to have a harder time.

The survey, done last year and obtained this week by the San Antonio Express-News, revealed basic training remains haunted by recruit abuse and misconduct, the same issues that prompted a major makeover at Lackland.

Trainers and recruits reported that problems persist, but instructors also said changes designed to ensure that recruits couldn't be exploited by sergeants had gone too far, and many said they were sorry they had become instructors.

“I am terrified I'm going to have my career ended by a trainee that drops a comment because I hurt his feelings or they just don't like me,” one instructor wrote in the survey.

“Leadership does not back us up. At all,” the instructor continued. “I feel as though (basic training) is overcorrecting and it's actually making the Air Force worse.”

The Rand Corp. surveyed nearly 200 training instructors anonymously last summer as part of an overhaul of basic training driven by the scandal.

Trainees said instructors often were unsupervised and even worked together to prevent misdeeds from being reported.

Problems ranged from poor officer supervision of instructors to an understaffed MTI corps that worked long hours and rarely had a day off.

Lackland officials last fall said statistics showed the makeover had worked, with no new sexual misconduct cases had been filed against instructors.

Col. Mark Camerer, commander of Lackland's 37th Training Wing, said late Wednesday that changes had corrected a lack of oversight in training, but he conceded they hadn't come without trouble.

“We've gone a long ways to fixing the things that you're talking about,” he said, noting that surveys in January and April had produced “vastly different” results from Rand's report.

“So, were we in a tough spot in July of last year? Yes, we were,” he continued. “I need my MTIs to know we listen to them.”

Rand found that more than half of the instructor corps worked more than 11 hours a day last summer, and that two thirds of “street” MTIs — those who train recruit flights — slept five hours or less a day.

Another one-third of supervisors and other instructors also said they slept five hours or less a day.

Camerer said he was surprised to learn of the problem, but added that some instructors told him “they just didn't want to leave their flight.”

He said the instructors willingly put in extra hours to ensure their flights were properly trained, but a new rule required officer approval for MTIs working more than 10 hours a day.

A number of trainers shared the belief that the rules for handling recruits had shifted so dramatically that the trainees held more power than their instructors.

“I'll give it to you in a nutshell: trainees run this place, MTI's are afraid constantly of getting in trouble over hurting a spoiled 18-year-olds' feelings, and no one is willing to change that,” one instructor wrote.

Instructors also expressed concerns about interaction of Col. Deborah Liddick, commander of the 737th Training Group, with those running the group's eight training squadrons.

One said, “It is very apparent that she does not trust anyone who is an MTI and she continues to discredit the feedback given to her on decisions made.”

Other MTIs made similar comments. But Camerer said myriad changes were implemented since he and Liddick took command in fall 2012. Liddick wasn't available for comment.

“It's understandable that people in the organization, that that's stressful for them, and that they feel like they didn't get a lot of voice in that. Well, they didn't get a lot of voice in that,” Camerer. “Did we get it all right, a hundred percent? No? Is it all 100 percent correct today? No.”

sigc@express-news.net

USFK, South Korea may discuss civilian workers' strike threat

20 minutes ago

By Ashley Rowland and Yoo Kyong Chang

Stars and Stripes

Published: May 29, 2014

SEOUL — U.S. and South Korean authorities are expected to discuss next month the treatment of thousands of Korean civilians who work for the U.S. military, and what to do if they go on strike.

The Korean Employees’ Union threatened to walk off the job in April — coinciding with President Barack Obama’s visit to Seoul — over complaints ranging from shortened work hours to frozen wages. The walkout was postponed after a ferry disaster that left about 300 people dead.

U.S. Forces Korea said in an email that labor issues may be on the agenda for the June 11 meeting of the Joint Status of Forces Agreement Committee but that the focus would likely be the impact that a strike would have on military readiness.

A union spokesman said the group has no plans yet to go on strike but has been told that Korean representatives plan to bring up the union’s concerns at the meeting.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ SOFA Team said the Korean government may discuss “better treatment” for civilian employees, though she would not specify what that meant.

Yonhap News recently reported the agenda may include job security for Korean employees concerned about losing their jobs when U.S. forces relocate to Pyeongtaek, as well as a wage increase.

The union, which claims to represent about 9,500 workers, has said it wants at least a 1.96 percent raise, retroactive to Jan. 1, with the expectation for additional negotiations this summer.

USFK announced in April that it was giving all South Korean workers a 1.7 percent raise, effective the beginning of May, calling it the maximum amount allowed by law.

USFK in March took steps to avert a mass furlough of its South Korean employees due to a shortfall in funding from Seoul. The South Korean government normally pays the bulk of their salaries but had not done so since a defense cost-sharing agreement between the two nations expired at the end of 2013. South Korea approved a new cost-sharing agreement in April.

rowland.ashley@stripes.com

Twitter: @Rowland_Stripes

chang.yookyong@stripes.com

Pacific pivot absent from Obama's West Point speech on foreign policy

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama laid out a sweeping vision for U.S. foreign policy on Wednesday but made no mention of what has been a signature tune of his administration's diplomacy: the "pivot" to Asia.

The concept of the pivot was that as America wound down its involvement in wars in Afghanistan and Iraq that would free up military and diplomatic resources to focus on the Asia-Pacific, after a decade of relative neglect.

Yet in the president's speech delivered a day after Obama outlined plans to get U.S. forces out of Afghanistan by the end of 2016, there was not a single reference to that shift in regional focus.

RELATED: A look at how former presidents handled US foreign policy post-Cold War

That was partly because of the purpose of the address. Obama was pushing back against critics who contend that his approach to global problems, such as Ukraine and Syria, has been too cautious and has emboldened adversaries.

He offered a broader perspective on the role that America should play in international affairs, still leading on the world stage and eschewing isolationism, but less ready to embark on military adventures.

But Obama made clear that the threat of terrorism that has preoccupied the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks remains an abiding concern. He said as the U.S. reduces its Afghan presence, it can do more to address emerging threats in the Middle East and North Africa.

It's a far cry from the tone Obama struck in another keynote foreign policy speech he made in Australia in November 2011, where he declared that in the Asia-Pacific in the 21st century, "the United States of America is all in."

Despite his administration's intent to devote more attention to Asia, the rebalance, as the pivot is also known, has struggled for air time. The civil war in Syria, the escalating violence in Iraq, nuclear negotiations with Iran, the Israel-Palestinians peace process and the threat of conflict in Ukraine all compete for Washington's attention.

That's not to say Asia was entirely neglected in Wednesday's speech, which was delivered to graduating officers at the elite U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

Allies in the region may draw some comfort from Obama's pointed references to China's economic rise and military reach and its conduct in maritime territorial disputes.

"Regional aggression that goes unchecked — in southern Ukraine, the South China Sea, or anywhere else in the world — will ultimately impact our allies, and could draw in our military," Obama said.

Despite stressing the importance of coalition-building before the U.S. intervenes overseas, the president did express a willingness to use military force if necessary if the security of U.S. allies is in danger — comments that could reassure U.S. treaty allies like Japan and the Philippines.

Obama also reiterated Washington's backing for Southeast Asian nations as they try to negotiate a code of conduct with China to help resolve disputes in the South China Sea, where there are half-dozen claimants. His comments come as dozens of Chinese and Vietnamese vessels are engaged in a standoff around a Chinese offshore oil rig.

But U.S. support for the code of conduct since 2010 hasn't helped much. Negotiations have moved slowly, and they could become tougher as disputes multiply and tensions escalate. Seeking to maintain its leverage, China remains reluctant to negotiate with the regional bloc rather than individual nations.

Obama even conceded Wednesday that Washington "can't try" to resolve problems in the South China Sea when the U.S. Senate has not ratified the U.N. Law of the Sea Convention that defines the rights and responsibilities of nations in their use of the world's oceans.

John Kerry tells Snowden to 'man up' and come home

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday called National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden a fugitive and challenged him to "man up and come back to the United States." Snowden says in an interview that he would like to go home.

The former NSA contract systems analyst is living in Russia on a temporary grant of asylum after leaking a massive volume of NSA documents to the media. He told anchorman Brian Williams of NBC News that he had taken action in the belief that he was serving his country in exposing the surveillance programs of the NSA.

"I don't think there's ever been any question that I'd like to go home," Snowden said in a segment of the interview broadcast Wednesday night. "Now, whether amnesty or clemency ever becomes a possibility is not for me to say. That's a debate for the public and the government to decide. But, if I could go anywhere in the world, that place would be home."

Kerry's comments came before NBC aired that portion of the Snowden interview. On the matter of Snowden returning, Kerry told the "Today" show on NBC: "If Mr. Snowden wants to come back to the United States, we'll have him on a flight today." Kerry also said, "A patriot would not run away."

Snowden told Williams that he worked undercover and overseas for the CIA and the NSA. He said he had a much larger role in U.S. intelligence than the government has acknowledged.

"I was trained as a spy in sort of the traditional sense of the word, in that I lived and worked undercover overseas," he said.

National security adviser Susan Rice said in a CNN interview that Snowden never worked undercover.

As far as the necessity for the leaks, "let him come back and make his case," Kerry said. "If he cares so much about America and he believes in America, he should trust the American system of justice."

Snowden said he never intended to be holed up in Russia but was forced to go there because Washington decided to "revoke my passport." In response, Kerry said: "Well, for a supposedly smart guy, that's a pretty dumb answer, after all."

"I think he's confused," Kerry said. "I think it's very sad. But this is a man who has done great damage to his country."

Trenches used for WWI training unearthed in Iowa

JOHNSTON, Iowa — Archaeologists hired to dig at World War I training trenches on the Iowa National Guard Base at Camp Dodge have uncovered several artifacts dating to when the United States entered the war: rifle shell casings, a machine gun suppressor from the era and non-exploding grenades.

Excavation began last week in Johnston and continued Wednesday with the team working to learn more about the trench systems, which were used for training U.S. soldiers before they were shipped out to Europe.

Hundreds of thousands of soldiers trained at 16 military bases around the U.S. before being sent to man the trenches of Europe. Some of those bases built extensive trench systems in 1917 so the soldiers could train in a realistic environment.

One of the bases was Camp Dodge, where soldiers assigned to infantry, signal and ordnance units would have prepared for combat, said Mike Vogt, curator of the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum at Camp Dodge.

Widespread use of weapons such as high-explosive ammunition and rapid-fire artillery during the war led to battles in which soldiers hunkered down in complex trench systems along the Western Front, an area that stretched more than 400 miles between Switzerland and the North Sea on the northern coast of France and Belgium.

"When American soldiers became involved in the war 2½ years after the Europeans engaged in combat they realized this was the nature of warfare," Vogt said.

As a result, the U.S. military trained soldiers to fight in trenches. Historic photos at the camp show soldiers standing in trenches, their heads barely reaching ground level, indicating they were about 6 feet deep. The trenches that remain have over time filled in to a depth of about 3 feet.

Only a few remnants of these training grounds remain on the 4,400-acre Camp Dodge but intense interest has developed as the 100th anniversary of U.S. involvement in the war approaches.

Training trenches also have been found at Camp Upton in New York and Camp Shelby in Mississippi.

At the Iowa site, trenches were used for training 120,000 soldiers from across the U.S. However, it was unclear until recently whether they those trenches had survived.

The Guard base, originally established in 1909, was expanded and transformed into a training facility by the federal government in 1917. After the war, significant portions of land the government had acquired from farmers was sold and much of it was returned to farming by the 1920s.

"Most of the remnants of World War I were lost at that time," said Mary Jones, environmental specialist with the Iowa National Guard. The exact location of the training trenches was forgotten.

In a recent review of an aerial image created by a special type of laser photography that allows the terrain of land to be seen through trees, National Guard geographical information systems specialist Jamie Conley noticed unusual ground indentations that appeared unnatural. Upon further inspection, it was concluded they were the World War I training trenches.

The trenches cut through the floor of a dense forested area of hackberry, elm and black locust trees in a 5-acre area north of the current Camp Dodge main base buildings.

Jones said the area may have been used again in the 1920s for training, sparing it from being filled in or otherwise significantly altered. The timber has been off-limits for much of the last 40 years as part of the safety area behind the base's shooting ranges.

It's in a flood plain and was under several feet of water in 1993.

The National Guard Bureau provided $10,000 to hire the archaeologists. Additional money will be sought to further explore the area and to preserve it.

"It's about how we trained, how we lived, how we fought. This is a piece of priceless history that can't be replaced if it would ever go away," said Col. Greg Hapgood, the Iowa National Guard spokesman. "It can be preserved and guarded for future generations to understand the history of what our nation went through in World War I."

Iraq War vet sought mental-health help before fatal encounter with police

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Issac Sims left Iraq alive, but not unscathed.

The lingering effects of a serious head injury and the emotional trauma wrought by the sights and sounds of war never left him.

On Sunday, with the demons of untreated post-traumatic stress disorder roiling his mind, Sims grabbed a rifle and started firing off shots in and outside his family’s modest home on Kansas City’s east side.

His neighbor and friend, Rick Jackson, begged the former paratrooper to put down the weapon. Sims wouldn’t do it. Jackson said his friend’s mind just seemed to be somewhere else. Sims hugged Jackson. When Jackson stepped outside, Kansas City police officers had arrived and were pointing guns directly at him.

“Don’t shoot me,” Jackson yelled, holding his hands in the air.

Officers hustled Jackson and others on the block away to a safe place.

According to police reports, the first officers were sent on a report of a disturbance involving an “emotionally disturbed person.” The officers heard shots being fired inside the home, and a witness told them that Sims had pointed the rifle at his father and fired a shot toward the witness with a handgun. Sims’ father reportedly told the officers that Sims had pointed the weapon at the ground..

Officers summoned tactical teams to surround the area. After a standoff of about five hours, police said, Sims emerged and pointed the rifle at officers. They fired.

And Sims was dead at the age of 26.

“All he needed was help,” Jackson said Wednesday. “He didn’t need to die.”

That help in the form of bed space at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs Medical Center was about 30 days away, according to his family.

That’s how long Adrian and Patricia Sims said they were told last week it would be until the facility had room for their son.

Officials at the VA hospital in Kansas City released a written statement about the situation:

“We are aware of this tragic situation and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family at this very difficult time. We are unable to comment on an ongoing police investigation or on care provided to a particular veteran. However, we want to encourage any veteran (or their family member) who has questions or concerns about the attention or services they are receiving to contact the Kansas City VA Medical Center Director’s Office.”

Patricia Sims said the treatment was ordered as part of her son’s probation through the Kansas City Municipal Court Veterans Treatment Court program. Court officials said he pleaded guilty April 30 to domestic assault and was placed on probation for two years.

The program, which began in 2009 as a partnership with the Veterans Affairs Department, is geared to helping veterans who enter the criminal justice system.

Patricia Sims said she thought it was a “great” program, and praised the court’s judge, Ardie Bland.

“We are saddened by such a tragic loss,” Bland said in a written statement. “Our hearts must now go out to the family of Mr. Sims with our prayers and support.”

Efforts such as Kansas City’s veterans court have sprung up across the country in recent years in recognition of the special issues and struggles faced by men and women returning from war.

And because police officers often are called to deal with volatile situations involving troubled veterans, the U.S. Department of Justice instituted a training program to help law enforcement officers learn the skills to defuse such situations.

When police first arrived at his house on Sunday, Adrian Sims said he informed them that his son suffered from PTSD. He said he told them, “Don’t shoot my son.”

He said that like other family members and neighbors, he was moved away from the area. He did not see what happened.

Also an Army combat veteran, Adrian Sims served multiple tours in Vietnam. His father served as a medical corpsman with the U.S. Marines in the Pacific theater during World War II.

Being a soldier was what Issac Sims always wanted to do, his father said.

And according to some of the men who served with him in the 82nd Airborne Division, he excelled at it.

“He was a hell of a soldier,” said Evan Aitkens, who was with Sims during his second tour in Iraq during 2009 and 2010.

First Sgt. Jonay Medina was Sims’ first platoon sergeant when he arrived in Iraq for his first tour of duty in January 2008.

“He was only 18 and straight out of basic training,” Medina said.

But Sims quickly established himself as a top soldier.

“I would tell people if you want to look like a soldier, look at Sims,” he said.

Zachary Murray called Sims, who later became a sergeant, an outstanding leader. Although he was small in stature, he was strong and fast.

“That little guy could run like the wind,” he said.

Charlie Kim said that besides his dependability and strong work ethic, Sims was a genuinely good person.

“Sims was always laughing or smiling,” Kim said. “The goofy moments that we had together are some of my most cherished memories.”

Aitkens said Sims was the last person he would expect to have the kind of emotional breakdown that appeared to overtake him.

“With some guys you would say you could understand it,” he said. “With Issac, that’s shocking.”

He and his comrades said they don’t want Sims remembered as “some crazy guy who got shot by the police.”

“He served his country honorably,” Aitkens said. “There’s got to be a better way to honor his memory.”

Bland, in his written statement, said the veterans’ court will continue its efforts in Sims’ honor “and in honor of the others that have served this country.”

“We hope that with our work we will be able to stop tragedies such as this before they happen,” he said.

Patricia Sims said that she hopes her son’s death shines a light on issues surrounding veterans and mental illness.

“Things should be done better, done different,” she said. “From the first call to 911 to the last call to the ME.”

Lawmakers question military health care after removal of Womack commander

A shakeup at Fort Bragg's hospital has elected officials concerned and asking questions.

U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, a Republican, said the removal of Womack Army Medical Center's commander was a sign of bigger issues in military health care, both for current troops and veterans.

In a release, Ellmers referenced the news at Womack and the ongoing scandal in the Department of Veterans Affairs health system.

"The recent problems affecting the healthcare of our nation's military struck home last night at Fort Bragg," Ellmers said. "While the details continue to unfold, the initial reports of substandard care and the neglect of our country's warriors and veterans should shock and outrage not only the Fort Bragg community, but the nation as a whole."

Rep. David Price, a Democrat, said he was disturbed by reports of substandard care at Womack and other military health facilities.

"I want DoD to get to the bottom of it. We need to know if the cause is human error, poor administration, lack of training, or other factors so that we can take steps to fix them," Price said. "In particular, we need to know whether these are isolated incidents or evidence of serious systemic problems. Like America's veterans, our service members and their families deserve quality healthcare, and we must make sure that they receive it."

On Tuesday, Col. Steven Brewster was removed from his post as commander of Womack Army Medical Center and three of his deputies were suspended pending investigations.

Brewster had led the Army hospital since July 2012 and was set to change command next month.

But senior Army medical leaders lost "trust and confidence" in Brewster, according to officials, and he was relieved of his duties "to address the changes needed to maintain a high level of patient care."

Col. Ronald Stephens assumed command of Womack effective Tuesday, officials said. Specific reasons for Brewster's ouster were not given.

According to reports, Brewster was removed, in part, because of two recent deaths at Womack. One of them involved a 29-year-old mother of three who had a routine procedure and died the next day.

"Investigations into these issues are ongoing, and further action will be forthcoming," Army medical leaders said in a release. "We assure you that the Army is committed to doing whatever is necessary to provide proper medical care to our soldiers and their families."

Also on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel ordered an immediate review of the military health system. The review will be led by Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. It will focus on access to care and "an assessment of the safety and quality of health care," according to the Pentagon. The review is expected to last 90 days.

Earlier this year, Womack officials delayed medical procedures following concerns with the hospital's accreditation.

In March, Brewster told The Fayetteville Observer the hospital put off surgeries and other medical procedures over two days during a hospitalwide "stand down" to address the findings of a team from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, a national nonprofit that accredits more than 20,000 health care organizations and programs.

Brewster said the accreditation team that visited the hospital had concerns with infection control, but found no evidence that patients had been harmed or were in danger.

The hospital received full accreditation with no follow-up visits necessary, and Brewster said the issues came with documentation. He said the two-day stand down was an effort to retrain hospital staff on proper procedures while also updating those procedures.

Ellmers said she would work with others in the U.S. House of Representatives to ensure other leaders are held accountable and that medical care for the military, veterans and their families is strengthened and improved.

"While I appreciate the decision by the Department of Defense to act decisively following their review of glaring problems at Womack Army Medical Center, there remain many serious problems," Ellmers said. "Over the past month we have uncovered numerous reports of a nationwide failure in regards to the health care and support of our veterans and the men and women who fight for our country. This is shameful and must be addressed immediately.

Obama presents caution as strength in West Point speech

WASHINGTON – Short of direct threats to national security, the U.S. military isn’t the first tool to reach for when conflicts arise around the globe, President Barack Obama told West Point graduates on Wednesday.

Coming after nearly 13 years of non-stop fighting in the Middle East, the president’s speech appeared to be calibrated for a war-weary America—civilian and military alike—willing to side with him over critics who argue that failing to take more direct action forsakes U.S. leadership in crises from Syria to Ukraine to Iran.

In defending his measured approach to conflicts around the globe, Obama said working with the international community for diplomatic solutions is not a sign of weakness. The United States will act unilaterally to defend itself, he said, but short of that, the country will seek partners and work with allies to accomplish its overseas goals.

“U.S. military action cannot be the only -- or even primary -- component of our leadership in every instance,” he said. “Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.”

Obama has endured harsh criticism over his administration’s refusal to provide more U.S. military support to rebel fighters in Syria, where Western-backed fighters are contending both with the repressive regime of Syrian president Bashar Assad and al-Qaida affiliated insurgents bolstered by foreign jihadists. But it was the right decision, he said.

“As frustrating as it is, there are no easy answers, no military solution that can eliminate the terrible suffering anytime soon,” he said. “As President, I made a decision that we should not put American troops into the middle of this increasingly sectarian war.”

Other calls have come from Republicans and Democrats alike, demanding a greater show of force against Russia for annexing part of Ukraine, or for military action against Iran or against terror groups in Africa. Soon after the speech, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Ed Royce, R-Calif., issued an email statement that Obama has not done enough to deal with global threats, including Syria and North Korea, sacrificing U.S. leadership and credibility.

“The Obama Administration has consistently underestimated the threats we face: Iran, North Korea, al-Qaeda, and others,” Royce said. “In many corners of the globe, the world is growing more unstable, with a tide of militancy facing the United States and our allies.

Rushing to use the military with an unclear view of consequences has caused repeated blunders, Obama said at West Point. He vowed to the graduates – whom he pointed out were members of the last class graduating before the scheduled end of combat operations this year in Afghanistan – that he wouldn’t initiate military operations simply for the sake of appearances.

“I would betray my duty to you and to the country we love if I ever sent you into harm’s way … because I was worried about critics who think military intervention is the only way for America to avoid looking weak,” he said.

Obama’s theme -- when and how to use the military -- is not a new one, but analysts said it has never been put forth as forcefully or prominently as the West Point speech, which aides said would lay out Obama’s approach to foreign policy in his final years as president.

“I think the reason he had to give the speech is that both here in the United States and abroad he’s become viewed as a very weak leader,” said Gary J. Schmitt, a resident scholar on national security issues at American Enterprise Institute, a conservative Washington think tank.

While bashing advocates of profligate military intervention, Obama has failed to live up the principles he promoted in the speech, Schmitt said. The president has not nurtured democracy in Egypt, nor has he worked effectively with allies to support pro-Western rebels in war-torn Syria, Schmitt said.

A human rights advocate said that while Obama’s theme has been oft-discussed, it has never sunk in.

“The idea that not every problem has a military solution has proven really hard to get into our national discourse,” said Heather Hurlburt, senior fellow for national security at Human Rights First, based in New York. “There have been efforts for a long time from the military and civilian side alike saying we have a fabulous tool, but let’s not overuse it.”

Obama may feel it particularly necessary to try to steer U.S. foreign policy in a slightly different direction as the U.S. trims its defense budget and potential adversaries flexing their muscles.

“One reason for him to do this now is that both Russia and China are acting in pretty aggressive ways, and there’s a sort of knee-jerk reaction that to counter that, we should steam around the Black Sea and build more aircraft carriers to counteract China,” she said. “The Obama framework is that that isn’t necessarily the right approach. He’s explaining to Americans how we’re going to compete and thrive in an environment where our competitors are newly assertive.”

carroll.chris@stripes.com

Twitter: @ChrisCarroll_

Germany-based Army officer convicted of raping three daughters

STUTTGART, Germany — A Stuttgart-based Army officer has been sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of raping his three daughters over a six-year period, the Army said.

The officer, a major assigned to U.S. European Command, was found guilty Saturday following a five-day court-martial in Kaiserslautern.

Capt. Meghan McEnerney, the Army’s special victim prosecutor in Europe, credited the three children, all of whom testified during the trial, with having the courage to step forward and confront their father.

“The oldest child testified that her father once told her, ‘Some day when you have children you will have to keep them away from me because I won’t be able to help myself,’ ” McEnerney said in a post-trial statement. “So, both the verdict and sentence from this military jury send an important message to the three child victims — first, ‘we believe you’ and second, ‘you and your children will always be safe.’ ”

The officer was convicted on all 32 specifications of rape, sodomy and lewd acts, according to the Army.

Stars and Stripes is withholding the name of the convicted officer to avoid indirectly identifying the victims.

According to an Army post-trial summary, the sexual assaults began in 2006 when the oldest child was 7 years old and the family was stationed in the U.S. In 2008, the Army officer began sexually assaulting his second daughter who was 6 years old at the time.

“The family moved to a second home in Maryland where the abuse continued in the accused’s self-proclaimed basement ‘man cave,’ ” the Army report stated. “He would tuck his daughters in at night, make them count to 60, and force them to meet him in the man cave where they would be raped and sodomized.”

In 2010, the officer began abusing his youngest daughter, the Army report stated. In 2012, the family moved to Germany where the assaults continued.

“Finally, one day in December 2012 when the oldest daughter was sodomized so brutally that she believed she would die, she disclosed the abuse to her mother in church that same night,” stated an official Army post-trial report.

The mother immediately filed a report with the Army Criminal Investigation Command, which initiated an investigation with the German police. The accused’s semen DNA was obtained during a medical examination of the daughter and later submitted as evidence against the officer during the trial, according to the Army.

“The live testimony from the three child victims shocked the conscience and left little room for doubt that the accused was guilty,” the Army report stated.

vandiver.john@stripes.com

Military Sealift Command contractor, businessman charged in Navy bribery case

A former Military Sealift Command contractor and a Virginia-based businessman have been indicted in federal court in the latest bribery scheme to hit Navy contracting.

Government contractor Scott Miserendino Sr., 55, was charged in the Eastern District of Virginia with one count each of conspiracy to commit bribery, bribery, conspiracy to commit obstruction of criminal investigations and witness tampering as well as obstruction of criminal investigations, according to a Justice Department statement.

Businessman Timothy Miller, 57, was charged with one count of conspiracy to commit bribery and two counts of bribery of a public official.

Miserendino is accused of soliciting and accepting bribes from two unidentified companies while playing a role in managing telecommunications projects and awarding government contracts, subcontracts and task orders for the command, the statement said.

Miller allegedly bribed officials for contracts on behalf of his company.

The indictments came after five other individuals pleaded guilty in the bribery scheme involving the Navy’s leading transportation provider, the statement said.

Miserendino worked closely with another command official, Kenny Toy, who was also involved in the scheme, the statement said. Between 2005 and 2007, Miserendino allegedly accepted approximately $100,000 in cash bribes from agents of an unidentified corporation seeking command contracts. He also received a flat-screen plasma television, a wine refrigerator and other goods.

Miller and his business partner, Dwayne Hardman, allegedly paid $50,000 in cash bribes to Miserendino and Toy in 2009 for preferential treatment for their telecommunications business in connection with contracts, subcontracts and task orders.

Miserendino allegedly obstructed justice and tampered with a witness by seeing that $85,000 was paid to Hardman to prevent him from exposing the scheme to law enforcement officials, the statement said.

Toy, a former Afloat Programs Manager for the Military Sealift Command N6 Command, Control, Communication and Computer Systems Directorate, pleaded guilty in February to bribery for receiving more than $100,000 in cash, the statement said. Hardman pleaded guilty to bribery in February and admitted that he provided more than $140,000 in cash bribes to Toy and Miserendino.

Three other individuals — Michael McPhail, Roderic Smith and Adam White — have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and forfeited a total of $289,000, the statement said. The case was investigated by the FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.

It is the latest bribery and corruption scandal to plague Navy contracting.

On May 19, a Navy sailor became the third man to plead guilty in a classified information-for-gifts scandal involving Glenn Defense Marine Asia, an Asia-Pacific Navy contractor. Several others have pleaded not guilty and others remain under investigation in that case.

burke.matt@stripes.com

In West Point commencement, Obama to recast post-war foreign policy

WASHINGTON — As the U.S. emerges from more than a decade of war, President Barack Obama is seeking to recast American foreign policy as an endeavor aimed at building international consensus and avoiding unilateral overreach.

Obama was to outline his approach Wednesday during a commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York. The speech comes one day after the president put forward a blueprint for ending U.S. military engagement in Afghanistan by the time he leaves office.

RELATED: Obama left with few options for post-war Afghanistan

"I'm confident that if we carry out this approach, we can not only responsibly end our war in Afghanistan and achieve the objectives that took us to war in the first place, we'll also be able to begin a new chapter in the story of American leadership around the world," Obama said Tuesday during an appearance in the White House Rose Garden.

Obama's efforts to pull the U.S. out of the lengthy and expensive conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have largely defined his foreign policy for much of his presidency. But he's at times struggled to articulate how his response to a new set of challenges in places like Syria, Ukraine and Iran fit into an overarching foreign policy philosophy.

That's left Obama open to intense criticism from opponents who argue that he has squandered America's global leadership and lacks the credible threat of action that can stop international foes. That criticism has deeply frustrated the president and is a driving factor in his decision to deliver Wednesday's speech.

ANALYSIS: Troops in Afghanistan, by the numbers

White House officials say Obama will argue that the U.S. is a linchpin in efforts to seek international cooperation, a posture that puts the nation on a stronger footing than when it acts alone. Officials point to U.S. actions involving Ukraine, with Washington rallying European nations to join the U.S. in enacting economic sanctions on Russia after Moscow annexed the Crimean Peninsula. And with Iran, the U.S. led secret talks with the Islamic republic that spurred broader international nuclear negotiations.

The crisis in Syria continues to be among the most vexing problems facing the White House. Even as Obama contends that an agreement to strip Syria of its chemical weapons was a success, that deal has done nothing to end the bloody civil war, which is now in its fourth year and which, according to activists, has left more than 160,000 people dead.

Obama is expected to cast Syria as a counterterrorism challenge in his speech Wednesday, making clear that the U.S. continues to believe that the right approach is strengthening the moderate opposition that is fighting forces loyal to President Bashar Assad. Administration officials say Obama may soon sign off on a project to train and equip those rebels, though it appeared unlikely that program would be ready for him to announce at West Point.

The president is also expected to discuss the counterterrorism threat facing the U.S. more broadly, arguing as he often has that core al-Qaida has been weakened even if splinter groups become a growing menace.

Counterterrorism missions will be a central part of the continued U.S. military presence in Afghanistan that Obama announced Tuesday. Though combat missions will officially end later this year, Obama wants to leave behind about 10,000 U.S. troops to train Afghan security forces and try to push back extremists.

The U.S. troop presence will be cut in half by the end of 2015 and concentrated in the capital of Kabul and at Bagram Air Field, the main U.S. base in Afghanistan. By the end of 2016, as Obama is preparing to leave the White House, the U.S. troop presence will again be cut to fewer than 1,000.

The drawdown blueprint is contingent on Afghanistan's government signing a stalled bilateral security agreement. While Afghan President Hamid Karzai has refused to sign the accord, U.S. officials say they're confident that either of the candidates running to replace him will finalize the deal.

Police ID Fort Bliss soldier killed in motorcycle crash

By Daniel Borunda

El Paso (Texas) Times

Published: May 28, 2014

El Paso, Texas, police on Tuesday released the name of a Fort Bliss soldier killed in a motorcycle accident during the Memorial Day holiday weekend.

Police said Jaia Spear, 24, was killed at about 1 a.m. Sunday on Loop 375 near Spur 601. Spear was riding a motorcycle north on Loop 375 when he lost control and crashed, police said. While lying on the road, Spear was hit by a Kia Optima driven by Victor Rosa-Garcia, 39, also of Fort Bliss. Spear died at the scene.

Police officials said that no charges are expected to be filed against Rosa-Garcia. Investigators suspect that the motorcyclist was speeding. It was not yet known whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.

The case remains open.

Report: US commandos training counterterror teams in Africa

U.S. special operations forces are attempting to build small teams of elite counterterror fighters in four African countries as part of a Pentagon program targeting al-Qaida-affiliated groups, but the effort is struggling to get off the ground as the military confronts a host of challenges in the region, The New York Times reported.

The Pentagon has been working to train special operations units in Libya, Niger, Mauritania and Mali, where concerns have been growing over groups such as al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, the Times reported online Monday. The effort involves members of the Army’s Green Berets and Delta Force.

The Defense Department is spending nearly $70 million to help train a counterterrorism battalion in Niger as well as a similar unit in Mauritania. The initiatives are still in the “formative stages,” a senior DOD official told the Times.

Meanwhile, $16 million was allotted by the Pentagon to train and equip two companies of Libyan troops and their support elements, which also involved an attempt to train troops at a secret military compound outside of Tripoli. That ended in August after militiamen stormed the base, stealing “hundreds of American-supplied automatic weapons, night-vision goggles, vehicles and other equipment,” the Times reported.

“As a result, the training was halted and the American instructors were sent home,” the Times reported.

Officials from both countries have been looking for a more secure training site, but American officials are rethinking how they select local personnel to train, the Times reported.

Such incidents underscore the challenges of building counterterrorism teams in regions where resources are limited, the security environment is risky and regional partners are unpredictable.

The training effort in Mali, for example, is struggling as the country attempts to recover from a military coup that upended political order.

For more than a decade, the U.S. military has been gradually building up its counterterror programs across Africa, with a particular focus on training indigenous troops to lead the effort. Both conventional and elite U.S. units have been involved in the mission, which has included training Ugandan soldiers to fight militants in Somalia as well as western African forces to take part in the fight against militants in Mali. The new effort to build elite teams in Libya, Niger, Mauritania and Mali is the latest signal that the Pentagon and its Africa Command remain focused on the effort to push local forces into the lead.

At the same time, the U.S. has been bolstering its network of surveillance aircraft on the continent, which includes a facility in Niger aimed at assisting French forces operating against militants in Mali as well as a more recent drone site in Chad, which supports international efforts to locate more than 200 girls kidnapped by extremists in Nigeria.

news@stripes.com

Blinded soldier, widow sue former Gitmo prisoner for $44.7M

SALT LAKE CITY — An American soldier blinded in Afghanistan and the widow of another soldier killed there have filed a $44.7 million wrongful death and injury lawsuit against a Canadian man who was held at Guantanamo Bay and pleaded guilty to committing war crimes when he was 15.

Layne Morris of Utah and Tabitha Speer of North Carolina filed their lawsuit Friday in federal court in Utah against Omar Khadr, who signed a plea deal in 2010 that he committed five war crimes, including the killing of U.S. soldier Christopher Speer, in 2002.

As part of the deal, Khadr admitted to throwing the grenade that killed Speer and injured other soldiers, including Morris, who lost sight in one eye from the shrapnel, the lawsuit states. The Toronto-born Khadr is serving the remainder of his eight-year sentence in Canada.

Morris and Tabitha Speer are concerned that Khadr might get his hands on money from a $20 million wrongful imprisonment lawsuit he filed against the Canadian government, said Don Winder, a Salt Lake City-based attorney who is representing them.

"We don't know if he'll ever have any money, but we need to make sure that we're doing the right thing and the principles are right, Winder said, noting that Morris is dealing with his injuries, and Tabitha Speer is raising two children without any income from her husband.

The lawsuit seeks damages for Speer's wrongful death and distress to Speer for suffering from his injuries before dying, in addition to damages for Morris and his wife.

Dennis Edney, a Canadian attorney who has represented Khadr, said in an emailed statement Monday that the Utah case seeks "to avoid a trial on the facts" without allowing Khadr to tell his side of the story.

Khadr has previously said the facts of the 2010 plea deal are false and Khadr signed it so he could return to Canada.

Khadr's military trial drew criticism because he was captured at age 15 and seriously wounded during a four-hour battle at an Afghanistan al-Qaida compound in 2002. Khadr's lawyers and human rights groups contended he was groomed to be "child soldier" and should have been sent home for rehabilitation.

They said Speer died in a battlefield killing that did not amount to a war crime.

Khadr was prohibited under the deal from calling witnesses at his sentencing hearing who would support defense claims that he was a "child soldier," forced into fighting the U.S. by a radical father who was an associate of Osama bin Laden.

"The fact that the trial of a child soldier, Omar Khadr, has ended with a guilty plea in exchange for his eventual release to Canada does not change the fact that fundamental principles of law and due process were long since abandoned in Omar's case," Edney said in 2010.

Military prosecutors in the case portrayed Khadr as a dangerous terrorist. Khadr spent 10 years at Guantanamo, the U.S. naval base in Cuba, and was transferred to Canada in 2012 to serve the remainder of his sentence.

Mark Denbeaux, a law professor at Seton Hall University who has represented Guantanamo detainees, said he's never heard of a similar lawsuit filed against a detainee. He called the case "odd" and "quixotic," and said there are a variety of legal questions that make it hard to calculate what barriers the lawsuit could face.

Denbeaux questioned how Morris and Speer could expect to recover any money from Khadr unless he wins his wrongful imprisonment lawsuit in Canada. If Khadr is found to have been wrongfully imprisoned, that could undermine the claims made in the Utah lawsuit.

Additionally, Denbeaux said the Utah lawsuit could open the door for Khadr to seek damages of his own in the U.S.

Lawsuits filed by detainees over their treatment by the U.S. government have been dismissed, with judges ruling that federal courts don't have the authority to hear such claims under the 2006 Military Commissions Act.

If Khadr can be sued in Utah, Denbeaux said that could open the door for his attorneys to attempt to recover damages in the U.S. by filing a counterclaim.

Associated Press writers Rob Gillies in Toronto and Annie Knox in Salt Lake City contributed to this report.