On March 17, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved Senate Bill 802. This legislation approved $1 million for the First Responders Presumed Coverage Reimbursement Fund. This fund was first created in 2015 to "help first responders who developed cancers after years of exposure to hazardous materials," according to the Lansing State Journal.
Though the fund is over a year old, the committee had yet to make any deposits. However as of March 17, there was a unanimous vote to make the $1 million deposit.
"When firefighters get to the scene of a fire, they have to work as a team. I'm proud that we've worked as a team to get this done," Sen. Curtis Hertel told the Detroit Free Press. "Let's make sure that never again when someone who is injured in the line of duty is not taken care of."
The committee has plans to increase the deposit into the fund by $2 million in next year's budget, as reported by the Lansing State Journal. The fund will cover firefighters who develop lymphatic cancer and cancers of the respiratory tract, bladder, skin, brain, kidney, blood, thyroid, testicular or prostate because of exposure to hazardous materials on the job.
Jennifer Suarez was determined to come out strong and not let anything stand in her way. Despite her battle with cancer, she continued on with her dream of being a part of the United States Marine Corps.
Curveball thrown her way
Everything seemed to be going well in Jennifer Suarez's life. She was recently married and was expecting her first baby in only four months, according to Stars and Stripes. Suarez had also accomplished her goal of becoming a Marine in the U.S. Armed Forces. Then out of nowhere a major curveball was thrown her way – she was tragically diagnosed with brain cancer.
Though hearing this news was a tough pill to swallow, through perseverance and strength, Suarez decided to fight hard and get her life back on track.
Inspiration to join the Marine Corps
Suarez decided she wanted to be a Marine in the fourth grade when her friend's dad spoke about his role as a Marine one day in class on Career Day, Stars and Stripes stated. Ever since then she had always had a passion for the military and ended up enlisting as soon as she could after high school.
At 17 she completed boot camp and then continued her education until she became a field wireman. Suarez was stationed in Okinawa, Japan for a couple of years before she got married and then settled down in Pendleton, California after becoming pregnant, according to Stars and Stripes.
Motivation to keep going
During the time of her first pregnancy, her health took a turn for the worse. One morning while enjoying breakfast with her husband, she suffered a seizure due to muscle spasms on the left side of her body. After immediately being escorted to the hospital, her brain was scanned, revealing an astrocytoma, a tumor in the brain tissues, the U.S. Department of State said. This news was devastating for not only her own life, but for her unborn baby's as well.
Her son Anthony was born prematurely with an emergency C-section, according to Stars and Stripes. Though Anthony was on the brink of death, he miraculously survived. With the motivation of her strong newborn son's survival, Suarez pushed through many challenging obstacles. Not only did she have to retire from the Corps because of her poor health, but she also experienced a divorce and had to face rehab and chemotherapy.
Back on top
Through it all, Suarez managed to come out strong and found herself right back where she wanted to be. After giving birth to her second child, the tumor shrunk, and her cancer was in remission. Five years later, Suarez re-enlisted in the military and was accepted, according to the U.S. Department of State. Because she worked hard to return to active duty, she was appointed as the commanding officer's driver and then promoted to sergeant shortly after.
In an article from Stars and Stripes, Col. Christian Wortman, commanding officer of The Basic School, said, "Sgt. Suarez has faced decisions and obstacles that many hope to never encounter yet she still rises above her challenges and continues to serve her family and the Corps to the best of her ability. Sgt. Suarez exemplifies the type of Marine all should strive to emulate with her attitude and determination. She truly lives our motto 'Semper Fidelis.'"
Suarez fought hard and came out on top and stronger than ever, despite the bumpy road along the way.
In a contentious decision, a federal appeals court on Monday threw out a case involving a veteran convicted for wearing military medals he hadn't earned, stating that doing so was a form of free speech protected by the Constitution. According to the Associated Press, an 11-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court was specially convened for the occasion.
The Marine at the center of the case is Elven Joe Swisher of Idaho. In 2007, he was convicted for violating the Stolen Valor Act – a law signed by President George W. Bush in 2006 that made it a misdemeanor to falsify military achievements. In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional based on free speech violations. Congress passed a new law the following year, however, that made it a crime to make money from false claims of military service.
Court House News reported that, back in 2007, the Department of Veterans Affairs accused Swisher of making false statements, forging documents to obtain veterans benefits, stealing government funds and adorning himself with unauthorized military commendations.
Investigators first began to take a look at Swisher's military record after he testified in 2005 that another man had approached him to kill a federal judge. Swisher wore a Purple Heart in the court room and told stories of how he was severely injured in a fire fight while on a secret mission during the Korean War. Marine Corps officials later testified that such a mission never occurred.
Judge Sandra Ikuta, who wrote for the majority on Monday, noted that there is no evidence Swisher's deceitful behavior ever hurt someone or convinced them to pursue an action they wouldn't have taken otherwise.
"We see no basis for [concluding] that wearing a medal is more probative than speaking a lie," Ikuta said, according to Court House News.
Some big changes are coming to the way the Pentagon recognizes combat service. According to the Military Times, a two-year internal review conducted by the Department of Defense has recommended 37 changes that will bring the military's medals system into the 21st century.
Among the changes are a new "C" device that will indicate a medal earned while in combat. Veterans will recognize its similarity to the "V" device currently signifying valor. Along with the new combat denotation is a definition – applicable to every service – of what "meritorious service in combat" means, a change that will affect the criteria for the Bronze Star.
"We're ensuring that the Bronze Star goes out to those who are incurring the risk of combat or actually have a significant risk of hostile action," a defense official told the Military Times.
But the Bronze Star isn't the only medal cast under a new light.
CNN reported on Wednesday that the military was going back to take a close look at more than 1,000 medals awarded since the terrorist attacks of Sep. 11, 2001, a review initiated by Chuck Hagel, then Secretary of Defense, intended to determine whether or not the actions cited in those awards were worthy of the Medal of Honor.
Seventeen Medals of Honor have been earned since U.S. troops first hit the ground in Afghanistan in 2001. The first seven were given posthumously, but in 2010 the Defense Department issued a clarification on what the "risk of life" qualification meant. Since then, CNN noted, all 10 recipients of the nation's highest honor have been living.
"There is no indication that any service members were not recognized appropriately, but the purpose of this is to ensure that those service members who performed valorously were recognized at the appropriate level," an official with the DOD told the news organization.
Matthew and Cori Maple had long dreamed of establishing a nonprofit organization to help veterans. An Army veteran himself, Matthew finally got the opportunity to do so this holiday season. News Channel 11 of Fort Wayne, Indiana reported that the Maples' "Clothes for Joes," though new, has already made a big impact of local veterans.
"I've had a few friends that I served with that ended up being homeless throughout the years," Matthew told the news station. "Being around the homeless population, knowing what's out there, knowing how many of those guys are actually veterans – it breaks my heart to see guys who gave their life for our country have nothing."
Rather than sit around and do nothing, Matthew and Cori took action. They put a flyer for donations up on Facebook, and before long their local Texas Roadhouse pledged its support. According to News Channel 11, two trucks were required to transport nearly 100 coats to the local shelter.
"The day we took it over there, it was probably five or 10 vets outside," Matthew recalled. "Just some of their reactions … to see guys break down in tears and overwhelmed with happiness and joy. To see these guys get the gratification of knowing that someone is doing this for [them], made it all worthwhile."
The Maples weren't the only ones who made collecting coats for veterans their mission. In Reading, Massachusetts, the Reading Fire Fighters Association made sure that Alex Reinoso of the Veterans Northeast Outreach Center had plenty of winter gear to carry back to the men and women he serves after dropping by the fire station on Dec. 22.
Altogether, Reading Patch reported, the firefighters delivered 47 coats – both brand new and very lightly used – as well as 57 new hats and 23 new pairs of gloves. Not to exclude the veterans' children, more than 20 toys were also delivered to the outreach center.
The 2016 Summer Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro are already filling athletes the world over with anticipation. In the United States, a small, elite group of soldiers were honored to be some of the first athletes to be chosen as members of Team USA in September. Now, with the new year right around the corner, another team of top-tier, active-duty soldiers are joining their ranks.
According to the Military Times, Spc. Nathan Schrimsher, a pentathlete with the Army's World Class Athlete Program, earned the honor of being the first American to qualify for his country's team after finishing third in July's Pan American Games. World-class shooters from WCAP, as well as from the Army Marksmanship Unit in Fort Benning, Georgia, were also named as members. One of the double-trap shooters, Sgt. First Class Glenn Eller, will travel to the Olympics for the fifth time in 2016.
Earlier this month, Ammoland – a shooting sports news site – reported that the Army's international shooting teams were practicing for the Olympic qualification trials after four soldiers with the International Pistol and Rifle Teams qualified at the 2015 Winter Airgun-Olympic Trials held in Colorado Springs. Staff Sgt. George Norton of Albuquerque; Sgt. First Class James Henderson of Pasadena, California; Staff Sgt. Greg Markowski, originally from Sycow, Poland; and Spc. Daniel Lowe of Federal Way, Washington will all move on to June's final selection match.
There are still plenty of qualifying events still to come. Pistol shooting is set to begin soon, and wrestling will hold its rounds in Iowa in April. A number of WCAP Greco-Roman grapplers will be in attendance, including 2012 Olympians Sgt. Spenser Mango, Sgt. Justin Lester and Spc. Ellis Coleman.
As the holidays hit full swing, firefighters and other first responders across the United States work to keep people safe and make the season a little brighter for some. Whether they are helping Santa distribute gifts, rescuing families from a fire or protecting Christmas purchases from the flames, firefighters are there to make the season merrier.
In Aurora, Illinois, The Chicago Tribune reported that firefighters will maintain their regular duties while helping a local Santa deliver presents to over 125 families in need around the community. The news source wrote that the Aurora Fire Department has been collecting gift donations for the past two decades, making Christmastime better for families in need.
In Wichita, Kansas, firefighters saved a family and all their presents from a fire caused by a space heater in the home, according to KAKE News. The family said that even though they lost their home to the blaze on Dec. 21, the holiday was saved by the firefighters' efforts to protect them and their purchases.
This holiday season, be sure to thank a local firefighter or first responder, as these brave individuals sacrifice time with their own families to keep you and yours safe.
The latest installment in the "Star Wars" franchise seems to be on everyone's minds lately. The seventh film "The Force Awakens" broke many box office records by making a cosmic $247 million opening weekend, as reported by Vanity Fair. Yet, the pop culture phenomenon has reached past the entertainment industry and begun to inspire military leaders.
The Morning Ticker reported that the U.S. military has hired contractors to develop a laser defense system not unlike the ones used in the sci-fi saga. The lasers would be used to defend against attacks by air, land and sea.
Though the technology is in the early stages, and the final product will look nothing like the laser weapons in "Star Wars," the military has some interesting projects in the works. Fox News wrote that some of the contractors hired have been working on things like a drone-slaying laser, all-terrain vehicle-mounted lasers and aircraft-mounted lasers. The news source also reported that there was a project dedicated to laser-equipped boats called Area Defense Anti-Munitions, or ADAMs for short.
All of the technologies are still in the testing phase.
Before the recent climate talks in Paris, France, the U.S. military and other Armed Forces around the world were exempt from having to report their emissions. However, under the new climate deal, all militaries in the United Nations would no longer be exempt from emissions targets.
"If we're going to win on climate we have to make sure we are counting carbon completely, not exempting different things like military emissions because it is politically inconvenient to count them," Stephen Kretzmann, Oil Change International's director, told The Guardian. "The atmosphere certainly counts the carbon from the military, therefore we must as well."
When the climate agreement was reached on Dec. 12, the participating members of the treaty committed to noticeable emissions cuts by 2030. The U.S. military is currently the world's largest consumer of crude oil, according to Grist. Therefore, the American Armed Forces will have to make some serious changes to meet the new regulations.
Though many anticipated pushback from the Pentagon, the only response was a request for a Kyoto exemption on the grounds that a CO2 emissions report would pose a national security threat, as reported by The Guardian.
Veterans Day isn't the only day of the year veterans are honored with parades. In San Angelo, Texas and Louisville, Kentucky, veterans were at the center of parades recognizing them for their dedication to service.
The Standard-Times reported that school bands from all over San Angelo and other parts of Texas were on hand on Thursday, Dec. 10 to receive 23 veterans wounded and disabled by combat. San Angelo Support for Veterans, Inc. and Lone Star Warriors Outdoors sponsored the men to participate in a multi-day, free-of-cost hunting trip to a number of West Texas ranches.
"Oh my gosh, this was amazing," Chris Gill, founder of LSWO, told the Standard-Times. "I've seen parades out here before but this was totally unexpected."
Uniformed servicemembers drove the 23 veterans along the Concho River route in golf carts as the Goodfellow Air Force Base Honor Guard, the Angelo State University drum corps and members of each branch of the service paid special tribute.
In Kentucky, the 60th inauguration parade – welcoming the state's 62nd governor into office – made sure veterans and first responders received their due. WHAS 11 described how four lines of marching police officers commemorated Daniel Ellis, Cameron Ponder, Eric Chrisman and Burke Rhoads – the four Kentucky officers killed in the line of duty this year.
An ambulance made its way through the parade as well, in memory of deceased paramedic John Mackey and fire chief Billy Ray Jarvis.
Servicemembers were also a main part of the parade. Medal of Honor recipient and Kentucky native Dakota Meyer, a Marine Corps veteran, was among those honored.
Charlie Coleman, a veteran who drove into town to see the parade, was moved by what he saw. "I was a coach. I've lost some players that were killed in Afghanistan and I lost a brother-in-law in Vietnam," he told WHAS 11. "So I'm pleased that they're being recognized today. What a great day for the Commonwealth."