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NEWS ABOUT: Iraq veterans

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Homeless Killer Suspect Accused of 2 More Murders

Itzcoatl Ocampo to be charged with stabbing Raquel Estrada, Juan Herrera

(Newser) - Authorities believe Itzcoatl Ocampo, the 23-year-old Iraq veteran charged with stabbing four homeless men to death in California, also killed two other people—ones that he knew. Ocampo will be charged today with the murders of Raquel Estrada, 53, and her 34-year-old son, Juan Herrera, the mother and brother of... More »

Suspect in Homeless Killings Is Iraq War Vet

Calif. man talked of hallucinations

(Newser) - A suspect detained for killing homeless people in Southern California is a mentally unstable Iraq war veteran who complained of hallucinations, the Los Angeles Times reports. When Itzcoatl Ocampo returned from service in 2010, "he was sick," his uncle says. But Ocampo never went to therapy appointments made... More »

Second Iraq Vet Hurt in Oakland Protests

Ranger suffers lacerated spleen during Wednesday's violence

(Newser) - Another Iraq war veteran has been injured in clashes between police and protesters in Oakland, reports the Guardian . One week after Scott Olsen suffered a fractured skull , Kayvan Sabeghi was hospitalized with a lacerated spleen, which he says was caused by being hit with police batons Wednesday night. "There... More »

Oakland Cops Face Inquiry Over Wounded Iraq Vet

City prepares for general strike

(Newser) - A city panel is launching a formal investigation into Oakland police following the wounding of an Iraq veteran in last week’s clash with Occupy Oakland protesters . The inquiry, sparked by a complaint to the Citizens’ Police Review Board, is due to begin within days and run “several months,... More »

Iraq Vet Wounded in Occupy Protest Wakes Up

Occupy protests around the country hold candlelight vigils for Scott Olsen

(Newser) - Scott Olsen, the 24-year-old Iraq war veteran who suffered a fractured skull when police raided the Occupy Oakland camp on Tuesday, is awake and lucid, and doctors have upgraded his condition from critical to fair, Reuters reports. “He’s able to understand what’s going on,” a hospital... More »

Just 1 in 3 Vets Say Iraq, Afghanistan Wars 'Worth It'

Another 1 in 3 disagree: Pew Research Center poll

(Newser) - Friday marks the 10th anniversary of the US invasion of Afghanistan; with an eye on the decade-long effort, the Pew Research Center asks veterans: Were the Afghanistan and Iraq wars worth it? Just 34% of post-Sept. 11 veterans say yes, while another 33% say no (Afghanistan is considered slightly more... More »

Friend of Amputee: 'He Went Out With a Smile'

Funeral takes place for Iraqi vet killed on coaster

(AP) - With his iron will to make the most of life without legs, James Hackemer would set off turkey-hunting in an all-terrain wheelchair or toil for hours atop a lawn tractor at the 40-acre family farm in southwestern New York. "He had a thirst for life and wanted to do... More »

Park Won't Face Charges in Amputee's Coaster Death

Darien Lake violated its own policy

(AP) - A double-amputee Iraq War veteran who was hurled off a towering roller coaster to his death never should have been allowed on the ride, but the New York park's operators will face no criminal charges despite violating their own policy, authorities said today. Signs at the Ride of Steel... More »

Amputee Vet Killed in Coaster Accident

James Hackemer was thrown from ride

(Newser) - Rough story from the Darien Lake amusement park in upstate New York: A 29-year-old man who lost both legs in the Iraqi war is dead after falling out of a 200-foot-high roller coaster. James Hackemer lost his limbs to a roadside bomb in 2008 and just barely survived. "We... More »

Manning a 'Wreck' Army Shouldn't Have Sent to Iraq

Soldier underwent psych evaluations regularly, given to outbursts

(Newser) - Bradley Manning never should have been let near Iraq, much less the classified trove he spilled to WikiLeaks, reports the Guardian in a look at the Army private's mental health. "He was harassed so much that he once pissed in his sweatpants," says an anonymous officer from... More »

Breathing Trouble Dogs Middle East Vets

New study increases concern over respiratory issues

(Newser) - Why do so many young, previously healthy soldiers come back from the Middle East with respiratory problems, some so bad they can no longer pass a physical required for active duty? The question was made more urgent with the results of a new study showing that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans... More »

For Returning Troops, an Even Worse Job Reality

They're grappling with 10% employment; non-vets at 9.1%

(Newser) - The job market is obviously bleak—but it's even worse when it comes to troops returning from war. The Washington Post takes a look at the 2 million veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, who spent as much as 10 years, on and off, in desolate war zones, racking... More »

College Bans Vet for 'Addicted to Killing' Essay

Ex-soldier: Essay was 'therapeutic'

(Newser) - An Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who wrote that he was "addicted to killing" in an essay about his war experiences was banned from campus after his essay was published in his college newspaper. The Community College of Baltimore County told Charles Whittington that his writings "raised red flags,... More »

Marine Will Be Vet's 'Legs' in Marathon

HBO special inspires stranger to help fellow veteran

(Newser) - Two former Marines will demonstrate their solidarity in this weekend's Marine Corps Marathon, where Bryan Purcell will act as the "legs" of Eddie Ryan, an Iraq veteran who was paralyzed in combat, AOL News reports. Ryan, 26 was shot twice in the head in 2005, and while he's recovered... More »

Obama to Troops: 'Job Well Done'

Says speech tonight won't be a 'victory lap'

(AP) - Hours before addressing the nation, President Obama told US troops just back from Iraq that his speech outlining the withdrawal of combat forces "is not going to be a victory lap" nor a cause for celebration. "There's still a lot of work that we've got to do."... More »

Iraq Vet Kills Family, Himself

Matthew Magdzas left no note

(Newser) - An Iraq war veteran killed his pregnant wife and young daughter before turning the gun on himself, and police are having a tough time figuring out why. The bodies of Matthew Magdzas, 23, April Oles-Magdzas, 26, and 13-month-old Lila, along with their three dogs, were found Wednesday—the day April... More »

Obama: 'Solemn' Duty to Help Vets With PTSD

White House plans to make getting benefits easier

(AP) - With the military fighting two wars, President Obama said today the country has a "solemn responsibility" to ensure that veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder get the help they need. Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki is to announce new regulations Monday intended to make it easier for veterans with PTSD... More »

Soldiers Blast Hurt Locker

Troops, vets object to film's 'cowboy' bomb crew

(Newser) - As the thriller Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker steams to Academy Awards night, soldiers and veterans are blasting the popular film as Hollywood hooey, portraying them as reckless death cowboys. Critics have emerged just days before Best Picture ballots are due for the Oscars. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has... More »

AP Scribe Debunks HuffPo Blogger's War Tale

Media darling with lovable dog has sketchy lawsuit and criminal past

(Newser) - Huffington Post blogger Luis Carlos Montalván started out as an anti-war liberal's dream: a decorated Iraq vet with a compelling war story, vocally opposed to the war and accompanied by a lovable golden retriever to stave off PTSD-related anxiety. But an AP reporter who's been digging into the self-promoting... More »

Vets With PTSD May Have Been Denied Benefits

Military is reviewing thousands of records

(AP) - The military is speeding up a review of the records of thousands of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans discharged with post-traumatic stress disorder to determine whether they were improperly denied benefits. The agreement stems from a class action lawsuit filed by seven combat veterans who alleged the military illegally denied benefits... More »

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