Medical Monday: Helping Fellow Soldiers

Filed under DoD News by on August 30, 2010 at 9:14 am {8 comments}

By Staff Sgt. Meg Krause

When I returned from Iraq, I thought the scariest moments in my life would be those I survived while deployed. Boy was I wrong. It was when I found myself face-down in a mud pit, in the middle of a pigpen in State College, Penn., running from insurgents that I thought were chasing me. This was the realization for me that I hadn’t survived.

I realized I needed help and when I reached out, it came in abundance. I was surprised to discover how supportive my Army Reserve unit was through this process. In fact, it became a bonding experience between my first sergeant and I, who said he was also seeking help. He told me it was the best decision he could have made.

I discovered there is no shame in admitting I was in trouble and needing help. In fact, I earned more respect from seeking treatment and facing my problems head on than I ever had while failing to be the non-commissioned officer (NCO) I wanted to be. Never once was I disciplined for my actions. Instead, my company asked what they could do to help and commended me for being open and honest about my experiences.



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Episode #43: Weekly AFPS News Roundup for July 15

Filed under DoD News by on July 15, 2010 at 2:37 pm {no comments}

In the AFPS podcast for July 15:  The military continues to assist humanitarian recovery operations in Haiti six months after an earthquake;  an interview with the commander of NATO Training Mission – Afghanistan updates the growing capabilities of Afghan forces; defense department officials announce the final states that will host regional homeland response forces; Defense Secretary Robert Gates urges servicemembers to participate in a survey related to the possible congressional repeal of  Don’t Ask Don’t Tell; President Barack Obama asks federal employees to submit ideas to the SAVE award program to cut wasteful spending; a new Veterans Administration policy makes it easier for veterans with post traumatic stress disorders to seek treatment; a cyber-security forum examines the challenging mission of the U.S. Cyber Command; and, tips on steps to take after an identity theft occurs.

To listen to the podcast, click here.

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    An United States Air Force C-130J Hercules cargo aircraft from the 146th Airlift Wing, California Air National Guard, conducts flare training off the Ventura County coast. The flares are used as tactical infrared countermeasures to confuse and redirect heat-seeking missiles.

    (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Dave Buttner)


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    Famed Yankees pitcher “Lefty Gomez” once remarked “I’d rather be lucky than good,” but for one Tuskegee Airman, luck and good combined to make him one of the most successful combat pilots of World War II.

    During the summer of 1944, 2nd Lt. Clarence D. “Lucky” Lester was flying the P-51 Mustang over the skies of Italy’s Po Valley providing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers with cover support on their way to attack airfields in southern Germany.

    Lester was assigned to the 100th Fighter Squadron, a part of the 332nd Fighter Group, and had earned the nickname “Lucky” “because of all the tight situations from which I had escaped without a scratch or even a bullet hole in my aircraft.”

    Read the story of a flight that helped Lester earn his nickname here.


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    The only African-American ace of World War II, and a former Tuskegee Airman, went on to have a career in the Air Force, as well as success in the business world.

    Lee A. Archer joined the Army in 1941 with high hopes of becoming a pilot, but was initially denied because of his race. When the Army’s policy changed about a year later, Archer was accepted to the training program for black aviators at the Tuskegee Army Airfield in Alabama.

    Archer is best known for a day in late 1944 when he was involved in a series of dogfights over German-occupied Hungary. Flying a P-51 Mustang fighter, Archer shot down three German fighters. He would go on to add two more German fighters to his credit to become the first and only African-American ace of the war.

    As a civilian, Archer enjoyed even greater success, serving as vice president for urban affairs with General Foods, as CEO of North Street Capital Corp. and chairman of Hudson Commercial Corp. He also served on the board of directors of Beatrice International Foods and the Institute for American Business.

    Read the rest of his story here.