Florida @ MindSay

Some days, you think you've heard it all:

The state of Florida announced on Tuesday it intends to spend $1.75 billion to buy a large chunk of Everglades land from U.S. Sugar, one of a number of sugar companies blamed for polluting the precious wildlife habitat.

U.S. Sugar Corp., one of the largest privately held U.S. agriculture firms, will abandon its Florida sugar plantations and go out of business in six years, handing over about 187,000 acres of farmland to the state's efforts to restore the Everglades, company and state officials said.

The purchase, lauded by environmentalists as the "missing link" in the restoration project, will be paid for with $50 million cash and $1.7 billion in certificates of participation, similar to bonds, that will be sold in public debt markets, the South Florida Water Management District said.

So, the government paid $1.75 billion to kill a company over 187,000 acres?  That averaged out to $9358.29 dollars an acre for land destined to be turned back into swamp.  What a deal, John and Susie Taxpayer. 

Well, this is it -- I have actually gotten to where I walk everywhere! When gas hit $4 a gallon, I decided that either I stopped places on the way to and from work or I walked to them.  Today, I walked from my work to and from a retail store then back over to a drugstore with my packages.   It actually reminded me of the times that I used to walk to the store with my grandparents from the farm in North Carolina.  I am trying to cut back on my a/c in the car; drive slower (if that is possible!) - go to just one store for as much as I can do (Wally world, here I come again!).  Don't even go any extra if it is not work related or an emergency. 

 

Started growing a vegetable garden this spring and hope to continue with that.  Just can't get over the fact that so many big oil companies are getting rich and we are cutting corners everywhere.  Even started reusing and washing baggies -- Someone else out there, let me know what else you are doing to try and save money!!

 

 

By Donna Miles

American Forces Press Service

 

June 12, 2008 - Three additional trees were planted here today along Warriors Walk, bringing to 411 the number of Eastern redbud trees in the memorial honoring fallen 3rd Infantry Division soldiers who died in Iraq. Family members and fellow 3rd Infantry Division soldiers gathered for the somber ceremony as Army Command Sgt. Maj. McArthur Dixon, the rear detachment command sergeant major, called out the fallen soldiers' names. Army Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, the 3rd Infantry Division commander, remembered the soldiers as heroes who sacrificed for the country.

 

Army Pvt. Kyle P. Norris, 22, died May 23 after an improvised explosive device hit his vehicle as it patrolled in Balad. Two of the soldiers died in Iraq of noncombat injuries: 25-year-old Army Pvt. Ronald Harrison died April 22 at Forward Operating Base Falcon, and Army Spc. Mary J. Jaenichen, 20, on May 9 in Iskandariyah.

 

The simple tree-planting ceremony took place along Cottrell Field, a parade ground that was a site of celebration recently when 3rd Infantry Division soldiers returned from their third deployment to Iraq.

 

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrapped up a visit here yesterday strolling through the grove alongside Lynch. They walked slowly through the grounds, pausing frequently to reflect on the small granite markers at each tree bearing a soldier's name. U.S. and unit flags at the base of each tree blew in the wind, and wind chimes dangling from many of the branches sent soft tinkling sounds through the grounds.

 

Mementos left at each tree told the personal stories of the soldiers honored. Two miniature motorcycles and a golf ball rested under the tree for Army Staff Sgt. William J. Beardsley, who died in February 2007 when an IED detonated near his vehicle in Diwaniyah.

 

Two wind chimes, a pinwheel and a flower arrangement graced the tree honoring Army Spc. Adam Harting, a 21-year-old who died in Samarra in July 2005.

 

A plaque engraved with a photo of Army Sgt. Nathan Bouchard carried a message of inspiration: "Greater love hath no man than that a man lay down his life for his friends. RECON." Bouchard was among four 3rd Infantry Division soldiers killed Aug. 18, 2005, when an IED detonated near their Humvee following a mine-assessing mission in Samarra.

 

Other tokens rested at the bases of other trees: a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of beer, a religious plaque and a crystal angel among them. Each night, a miniature spotlight casts a glow on each tree.

 

After walking through Warriors Walk yesterday, Mullen stopped to reflect, crossing his arms across his chest as he looked down the long rows that began with 34 trees planted during the 2003 dedication ceremony.

 

Garrison Commander Army Col. Todd Buchs said it's fitting that the division's heroes are honored in a way that will allow future generations to read their names and know of the sacrifices they made.

 

When the trees bloom each April, it's a tribute to the achievements the brigade made – and losses it suffered -- in April 2003 when it led the drive into Baghdad during its first deployment to Iraq, he said.

 

Army 1st Lt. Oscar Blasingame, whose legal services office sits directly across the street from Warriors Walk, said he visits it frequently and attends the tree-planting ceremonies "to remind myself of why I'm here."

 

Blasingame is an Army reserve soldier from Florida who volunteered to serve with the 3rd Infantry Division because of his strong family ties to the storied unit. Sitting on his desk is a photo of his grandfather and the victory medal he earned serving with the division in Marne, France, during World War I when it earned the motto, "Rock of the Marne."

 

Warriors Walk, he said, provides a reminder of the sacrifices 3rd Division soldiers continue to make, he said.

 

Army Pvt. Jonathan Goad, who joined the division last month, visited Warriors Walk with a friend just back from Iraq during his first days at Fort Stewart. "He lost a couple of friends there, so it was a very emotional day," said Goad, who expects to deploy with his new unit late next year.

 

As he walked among the trees, Goad said, he felt a sense of brotherhood with the fallen soldiers, knowing that he is taking up the cause they fought and died for. "I felt a sense of pride and a sense of unity with them," he said.

 

Goad said he recognizes that he, too, will go into harm's way serving with the division. But after feeling the terrorist threat personally at a young age, he said, he feels it's his duty.

 

A last-minute schedule change saved Goad's mother from being at the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Okla., when it was bombed in April 2005. Goad remembers his sixth-grade class music trip into Oklahoma City getting disrupted as rescue workers rushed to the scene to search for survivors.

 

But the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks were the clincher, convincing Goad to join the military.

 

"I pretty much felt the call to serve," he said. "I've always felt that we should have a sense of pride and a willingness to make this country a better place and a safer place."

 Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books.  Police-Writers.com added three Florida cop writers: Art Smith, Susan Goreck and Ronald Hunter.

 

Art Smith had a career in law enforcement from 1970 to 1986.  His book, My Life in the Blue Parade details his career beginning with the Wadsworth Police Department (Ohio).  He explores the “unusual conflicts of a police officer with the public, other police officers, administrators, and family.”  A divorce sees Smith moving to Florida and joining the Fort Lauderhill Police Department. According to the book, “after a couple years, because of internal problems, he moves back to Ohio on a promise of a position by a sheriff’s office. The promise was broken and he worked temporarily at the Marietta Police Department as a dispatcher. Art Smith returns to Florida and works five years as a police officer for the Sunrise Police Department.  Again, according to the book description, “unprofessional and unethical treatment by his supervisors and another police officer made him lose all desire to remain in law enforcement any longer.”

 

Susan Goreck is a deputy sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office (Florida).  Her book, Poisoned Mind, tells the story of her year undercover investigating a murder suspect.  According to the book description, “Many of us have had neighbors whose loud music, objectionable habits, or destruction of property get on our nerves. This is the story of a man who got so annoyed, he poisoned his neighbors with an extremely painful nerve toxin. The personalities are what make the book: the cartoon-character nerd who was a disgruntled househusband to a female orthopedist, the quietly charming policewoman who went undercover to get the goods on him, the loving Southern family who suffered so much. And there's a revelation at the end of the story that will appall you. As the New York Times wrote, "Florida, the cradle of creepiness in detective fiction, offers up some weird criminals in real life, too.... The authors are good at portraying the oddly disconnected society of small-town Florida, as well as the man who almost committed the perfect crime there."

 

Ronald D. Hunter is Professor and Head of the Department of Applied Criminology at Western Carolina University. He has also taught at the State University of West Georgia (1999-2005), Jacksonville State University (1989-1999) and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1988-1989). He received his Ph.D. in Criminology from The Florida State University. Prior to entering academia, Dr. Ronald Hunter was a Sergeant with the Tallahassee Police Department (Florida). He has published a number of articles, book chapters dealing with crime prevention and law enforcement, and books related to law enforcement and criminology. Dr. Hunter is on the Executive Board of Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences and has been honored in “Who’s Who Among American Teachers” (2004) as well as other prestigious acknowledgements.  His books include: Police-Community Relations and the Administration of Justice; Crime and Criminality: Causes and Consequences; Research Methods for Criminology and Criminal Justice.

 

Police-Writers.com now hosts 474 police officers (representing 202 police departments) and their 986 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.

By Elaine Wilson

Special to American Forces Press Service

 

June 9, 2008 - Col. Troy Lovett considers himself a myth buster of sorts. As president of the Physical Evaluation Board here, Lovett spends a considerable amount of time setting the record straight about the PEB process, which determines whether soldiers are fit or unfit for duty.

 

"Soldiers may hear something from a buddy or a blog and accept it as fact," he said. "There are a lot of myths out there about the system."

 

Since Physical Evaluation Boards deal with money and careers, the rumor mill may be inevitable, Lovett said, but he hopes one truth remains evident. "The reality is that we are all focused on making sure soldiers are treated fairly and receive their full due process," he said.

 

At Fort Sam Houston, a 16-person staff, skilled in medical and military matters, is dedicated to carrying out the PEB mission, which echoes Lovett's mandate: "provide a full and fair hearing to determine a soldier's physical fitness for continued military service."

 

The process starts with stacks of paperwork about the soldier's medical condition and duty performance, which represent years of service and considerable work by the soldier, his or her chain of command, and the medical staff providing treatment.

 

Prior to the PEB, soldiers must work with their PEB liaison officer to gather extensive documentation regarding their case, to include the results from a Medical Evaluation Board. The MEB, normally conducted at a military treatment facility, uses tests, exams and medical records to make a recommendation to the PEB about whether or not the soldier meets medical retention standards.

 

In turn, PEB members must weed through a massive amount of information, including MEB results, medical files, evaluations, counseling forms, commander's statement, and results from physical fitness tests. Their goal is to reach a decision about whether or not a soldier can continue service.

 

A soldier may be considered fit or unfit based on several criteria, the most critical being performance and how the soldier's medical condition affects his or her performance, Lovett explained.

 

"For performance, we look at whether or not a soldier can meet Army standards in their primary military occupational specialty," he said. "As for medical condition, we have to decide if the condition precludes a soldier from reasonably performing the duties of his or her office, grade, rank or rating in his or her unit, at the present time."

 

Deployability is a factor considered in the equation, but it is not used as a sole basis for an unfit determination, Lovett said.

 

After review, a three-person board consisting of a president, a medical member and a personnel management officer, votes on each case, and the majority decision rules.

 

"We are making a determination if the soldier can continue to do his or her job," Lovett said. "If a soldier is considered unfit, we make a recommendation whether to separate or retire the soldier."

 

If a soldier is considered unfit, the PEB will recommend one of the following options: separate with severance pay, separate without benefits, place on the temporary disability retirement list, or grant permanent disability retirement. Soldiers placed on temporary disability retirement receive health benefits and some of their base pay, but are subject to periodic examinations to determine the long-term outcome. A soldier placed on permanent disability retirement is medically retired, which can follow 20 years of service or a 30 percent or higher disability rating, provided the rated condition is considered stable.

 

So far, in fiscal 2008, only 3 percent of soldiers considered by the Physical Evaluation Board here have been separated without benefits, 47 percent have been separated with severance pay, and 14 percent have been permanently retired, Lovett said.

 

The board also decides if a disability rating will be assigned as compensation for the loss of a military career. If a rating is given for an unfit condition, it is determined by criteria established by the Army and the Department of Veterans Affairs schedule for rating disabilities, and it will range from 0 to 100 percent in increments of 10.

 

Disability ratings are one topic that stirs up the rumor mill, because the Army and VA often differ in their ratings, though they use the same rating schedule, Lovett said.

 

The reason, Lovett explained, is tied to the injury or health condition and whether it qualifies for an "unfit" rating.

 

"If someone breaks a leg in service but can continue to do their job," Lovett explained, "the VA may give a rating since it was a service-connected injury. But the Army may not, because we only rate conditions that prematurely end a soldier's career."

 

Lovett emphasized that each case is unique and is determined based on the specific factors and situation unique to each individual soldier.

 

Up to this point, the process is conducted informally, by paper only. However, once informed of the initial decision and rating, soldiers can request a formal board to plead their cases in front of the decision makers. The soldiers are afforded access to legal counsel to accompany them to the formal board. They are assisted by their PEB liaison officer or case manager throughout the process.

 

"We allow the soldiers to provide material evidence, documentation and statements from chain of command to substantiate their case," Lovett said.

 

Soldiers can appeal their formal board decision, as well, by non-concurring with the decision.

 

"Soldiers have multiple opportunities to voice their concerns with those who can do something about it," he said. "We work hard at doing the right thing."

 

The PEB then sends its recommendation to the Physical Disability Agency, which has the authority to approve recommendations, return the soldier's case to the PEB for reconsideration, or issue revised findings. The PDA also serves as the appellate authority when soldiers disagree with their PEB recommendations.

 

From start to finish, the PEB here is required to complete its process, including appeals, within 30 days from receipt and logging of the case. On average, the Texas PEB completes its work in about 20 days, Lovett said.

 

Lovett said he hopes to cut the time back even further to provide better service to soldiers and their families. But with 25 to 30 cases submitted a day, he and his staff have their work cut out for them.

 

Cases are submitted from throughout the Fort Sam Houston PEB's area of responsibility, which encompasses nine states stretching from the western border of Texas to the southernmost tip of Florida.

 

Out of the three Army PEBs worldwide, the Fort Sam Houston office handles about 40 percent of total cases submitted, averaging between 5,000 and 6,000 cases a year. For fiscal 2008, it's on pace to receive about 5,700 cases.

 

Despite the heavy workload, Lovett said, each is given equal attention.

 

"We understand what a soldier and their family are going through. A PEB is a significant and potentially life-altering event," he said.

 

The staff bends over backward for soldiers and their families, Lovett said. "We track down information for them and do whatever it takes to put the soldier up front," he said. "The bottom line is that we're here to help soldiers move on, whether it's on to civilian lives or back to the fighting force."

 

(Elaine Wilson works in the Fort Sam Houston Public Information Office.)