military

Photographing Midway Island, And Gen. Peter Chiarelli On Brain Injury

Weekday — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 23:33:13 +0000

Coming up on Weekday, June 19 at 9:00 a.m.

Photographing Midway Island
Seattle-based photographer Chris Jordan has traveled around the world to document mass consumption and the waste that results from it. His most recent work is focused on Midway Island, an atoll thousands of miles from the nearest land mass. Jordan documented the impact of ocean detritus on Midway’s native albatross species. The result is Jordan’s first film, to be released later this year. But “Midway” is about more than birds. How did this work affect the photographer himself?

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress And Traumatic Brain Injuries
There are many invisible wounds soldiers in combat face. Thirty-six percent of soldiers have traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress as a result of their time in the military. General Peter Chiarelli retired from his position as Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army after serving as a combat commander in Iraq for two tours. He is now the CEO of One Mind for Research, where he works to get rid of the stigma service members and veterans face when they seek assistance for PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

As US Troops Draw Down, Can Afghans Take The Lead?

Tom Bowman — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 07:47:00 +0000

There's just a sliver of light in the eastern sky as the patrol leaves the American compound through a thick metal door.

They scamper across Highway 2, a narrow asphalt road that leads to Kabul, just an hour's drive away — if not for the war. They cross an old graveyard and head toward the silhouette of a tree line, all seen through the eerie green glow of night-vision goggles.

They are heading to the village of Kasan, less than a mile away in the darkness. Taliban fighters cross the nearby mountain passes at night, slip into the villages and plan attacks that target Kabul.

International Intervention In Syria, Sexual Assault In The Military, And Studying Hormone Levels

Weekday — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

How The World Is Responding To Syria
The US and Russia have agreed to convene an international conference to discuss ways of diplomatically settling the ongoing conflict in Syria. Dr. Steven Cook, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the implications of this conference and how the international community should be intervening in the crisis.

Sexual Assault In The Military
The Pentagon has released a report on sexual assault in the military. It estimates that 26,000 military members were sexually assaulted in 2012, a large increase from the previous year. The report comes out just as Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Kelly Ayotte argued for a bill that would work to reduce sexual assaults and help victims of the crime. Sen. Patty Murray and KUOW’s Patricia Murphy explain the new bill and the Pentagon's study.

The Effects Of Blast Injuries On Hormone Levels In Veterans
A new study suggests that people with blast injuries are more likely to have irregular hormone levels. The hormone imbalance can lead to PTSD-like symptoms, depression and physical symptoms that raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. University of Washington professor Charles Wilkinson studied the hormone levels in veterans who had suffered from concussions caused by blast injuries.

Basketball Diplomacy
NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is using his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to ask for the release of Kenneth Bae, the Lynnwood man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for "hostile acts" against the government. Rodman took to Twitter on Tuesday to ask Kim to “do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose.” We talk with Seattle Times editorial writer Thanh Tan, who first urged Rodman via social media to approach his “lifelong friend” on Bae’s behalf.

Washington Senator Patty Murray Introduces Bill To Combat Military Assault

Patricia Murphy — Wed, 08 May 2013 04:56:11 +0000

The latest report on military sexual assault from the Department of Defense shows a sharp increase in assaults from previous years. For fiscal 2011, the military estimated there were 19,000 cases of sexual assault, while 3,192 cases were reported. In fiscal 2012, the estimate spiked to 26,000 cases, with just 3,374 cases reported. The estimates are based on surveys given by the DoD to military service members.

Army Surgeon General Suspends Trust Enhancement Program Following Investigation

Patricia Murphy — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:56:34 +0000

Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled the name of the program director, Claudette Elliott.

The Army has suspended the Trust and Enhancement Sustainment Task Force, a program that was created to help improve patient care by building on trust. Documents from the investigation obtained by KUOW show that investigators found the task force lacked the structure and employee training standards needed to execute its mission.

North Korea May Have Know-How To Miniaturize Nuclear Warhead, Says Pentagon

editor — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 21:39:00 +0000

The Pentagon's intelligence arm has "moderate confidence" that North Korea may have developed the technology to create nuclear weapons that are small enough to fit on a long-range missile.

NPR's Larry Abramson filed this report for our Newscast unit:

"The Defense Intelligence Agency assessment says such a weapon would probably not be very reliable. This is the first time the U.S.

Collector To Return Japanese War Flag Nearly 70 Years After Capture

Tom Banse — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 16:53:44 +0000

A collector of World War II memorabilia has succeeded in a daunting quest thanks to help from the Japanese government. The veteran from Clarkston, Washington has found the right person to receive a Japanese war flag taken in battle nearly 70 years ago.

Years ago, memorabilia collector George Koller bought an inscribed "good luck flag." It originally belonged to a Japanese fighter pilot killed in combat.

Militia Group Allegedly Formed By Washington State Soldier

Patricia Murphy — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:07:04 +0000

A solider from Washington state has been charged with murder in the death of his pregnant wife. Prosecutors also say Pvt. Isaac Aguigui of Cashmere, Wash., is the ringleader of an anti-government militia group that plotted to overthrow the government and poison apple crops in Washington state.

Defense Contractor Lays Off One-Third Of Its Joint Base Lewis-McChord Staff

Patricia Murphy — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 00:11:22 +0000

Last week the Department of Defense delayed anticipated furlough notices for civilian employees. The DOD said the two-week delay would allow it to analyze the impact of the federal budget sequester on its workforce.

But not everyone got a reprieve.

Poet Colleen McElroy On Choosing "What Stays Here"

Elizabeth Austen — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 21:54:41 +0000

In her poem "What Stays Here," Colleen McElroy imagines life as a female soldier who must choose between loyalty to herself, and loyalty to a military code that says "keep quiet" and "get along." Like many of the poems in McElroy's ninth collection, "Here I Throw Down My Heart," (University of Pittsburgh Press, 2012) the poem awakens us to voices and stories we might otherwise never hear with such intimacy and power.