By Samantha L. Quigley
American Forces Press Service
July 13, 2007 – Thanks to a Phoenix talk show host and troop-support group, Operation Homefront of Arizona, troops with Internet access will be able to hear what their comrades are saying. Operation Homefront of Arizona's parent organization, Operation Homefront, is a member of America Supports You, a Defense Department program connecting citizens and corporations with servicemembers and their families serving at home and abroad.
Mike Broomhead, host of the "Mike Broomhead Show" on News Talk KFYI in Phoenix, will dedicate one hour of his two-hour Sunday evening show to "Voice of the Troops." The segment, which will debut July 15 at 7 p.m. PST, will begin as a once monthly feature.
"I hope this segment catches on very quickly with my listeners and becomes the most listened to segment on the radio," Broomhead said. "Our troops deserve the time and attention of the citizens of America."
Not only will the show air over radio waves, those with Internet access will be able to hear it on the station's Web site, www.kfyi.com.
"'Voice of the Troops' is so important to me because my brother (Army) Sgt. Thomas Broomhead was (killed in action) on May 27, 2003 in Fallujah," Broomhead said. "After his sacrifice and hearing stories first hand from many soldiers who have sacrificed a great deal to serve their country, I think it only fitting to give them the platform to tell all of my listeners why they serve.
"I also want to give my listeners a chance to tell these brave men and women thank you!" he added. "There is a huge segment of this country who fully support these troops and I want our soldiers to hear from them."
That was exactly what David Whitten, director of marketing and media relations for Operation Homefront of Arizona, was thinking when he approached his friend about doing the segment.
"We feel that there is not enough of this happening across the country," said Whitten. "I think these personal stories are important to the American people."
Whitten said the program will provide a way for servicemembers to share their stories from the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan.
"We will discuss topics that the people of this country need to know," he said. "Everything from what our men and women serving in combat need from the citizens of this country (to) their personal stories, updates on progress in both military and diplomatic operations, and how we can help (troops) acclimate back to civilian life when they return."
Whitten said the show already has several great stories lined up and is confident he won't have a problem finding more.
"One of (those stories comes from) an Arizona Army sergeant by the name of Ryan Kenner," Whitten said. "We will share his story of why he feels it's necessary to sign up for this 3rd consecutive tour of duty without a break in between."
Whitten also anticipates hosting Army Lt. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV, commander of the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Forth Leavenworth, Kan., as a future guest on 'Voice of the Troops.'
Though the program will begin with a focus on Arizona servicemembers with ties to Arizona, and their families, once a month, Whitten sees it growing. He said he hopes to see it expand to perhaps twice a month before, hopefully, spinning off into its own program.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Severely Wounded Troops Find Meaningful Ways to Continue Serving
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
July 13, 2007 – Army Sgt. John Keith likes to finish what he starts. So even after a rocket-propelled grenade tore into the door of his Humvee during his deployment to Iraq, leaving his leg dangling, he wasn't willing to give up his 15-year military career. Thanks to a new mentality within the military, and programs to back it up, Keith is among a growing legion of severely wounded troops who are opting to continue their military service. In his case, the former medic is now serving with the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier to help get state-of-the-art equipment to warfighters quickly as possible.
Sixty soldiers with 30 percent or higher disability ratings have applied to stay on active duty, and all have gotten the green light, said Col. Mary Carstensen, director of the Army's Wounded Warrior Program.
There's a growing recognition that these soldiers have leadership experience, specialized skills and, in many cases, combat experience - all qualities they can continue to contribute to the Army, she said.
The Marine Corps shares this recognition, and issued a Marine administrative message in May 2006 that details its program for combat-wounded Marines seeking to remain on active duty.
President Bush advanced this effort while visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in December 2003. "Americans would be surprised to learn that a grievous injury, such as the loss of a limb, no longer means forced discharge," the president told the soldiers.
"In other words, the medical care is so good and the recovery process is so technologically advanced that people are no longer forced out of the military," Bush said. "When we're talking about forced discharge, we're talking about another age and another army. This is a new age, and this is a new army. Today, if wounded servicemembers want to remain in uniform and can do the job, the military tries to help them stay."
In that "other army" Bush referred to, troops with disabling injuries used to be automatically turned over to the Department of Veterans of Affairs. If they returned to the Defense Department at all, it was generally after being medically retired, then hired as civilian employees.
The concept of enabling wounded troops to stay on duty isn't unprecedented, and examples can be found from every conflict since the Revolutionary War.
Even as the wars were kicking off in Afghanistan, then Iraq, the Army's top officer was serving as living proof of the concept. Gen. Eric Shinseki stepped on a land mine that blew off the front of one of his feet during the Vietnam War. He continued his military service, ultimately serving as the Army's chief of staff from 1999 to 2003.
Troops serving in the global war on terror, even those with severe wounds, have continued Shinseki's example.
One of the better-known examples is Army Capt. David Rozelle. After losing his foot and part of his leg to an anti-tank mine in Iraq, Rozelle not only stayed on active duty; he became the first amputee to return to combat as commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's Headquarters and Headquarters Troop.
Other severely wounded soldiers who have stayed green have pursued a variety of different paths, according to Carstensen.
"They do a little bit of everything," Carstensen said. One is attending a military school; others are on the other side of the podium, teaching their fellow soldiers or ROTC cadets. A couple have returned to their units as first sergeants, and one was accepted into the Army's elite World Class Athlete Program. Still others are doing administrative jobs or serving as retention noncommissioned officers.
What's important, Carstensen said, is that troops who remain on active duty after being wounded continue pursuing military careers that are both professionally and personally fulfilling. "If the Army is still a viable option for them, we want to bring them into the fold and make that possible," she said.
Keith, who was wounded while deployed to Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division in November 2004, is among the severely wounded troops seizing that opportunity. A medic at the time of the incident, Keith was responding to a patrol had come under attack when an RPG hit his vehicle.
The events of the day are a bit foggy; he remembers being transported to an emergency room in Baghdad's Green Zone before slipping into a coma. Seventeen days later, he woke up at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The doctors there tried valiantly to save his leg, but so many nerves and tendons had been severed that they ended up having to amputate, just four days before Christmas. An Army board later certified him as 60-percent disabled.
If Keith was distraught about losing his leg, he was even more so about the possibility of losing the career he'd spent the past decade and a half building. "When I was first injured, I knew for sure that my military career was over," he said.
Keith wanted desperately to continue serving. Although emphatic that he didn't want to be a hindrance to anyone, he said he knew he still had something to contribute. "I may not be able to physically do my job, but I have the mind to do my job," he said. "I'm still useful."
The Army agreed and approved his request to remain on active duty.
Keith trained as a contracting specialist and has been working for the Army's PEO Soldier effort at Fort Belvoir, Va., since June 2006. The program was established to design, develop, procure and field state-of-the-art equipment to deployed troops as quickly as possible.
Keith said he gets a lot of gratification knowing that as he serves out his military career until he's eligible to retire, he's also continuing to helping his fellow troops who are at war. "This office is making a difference," he said. "And it's rewarding to be a part of it."
American Forces Press Service
July 13, 2007 – Army Sgt. John Keith likes to finish what he starts. So even after a rocket-propelled grenade tore into the door of his Humvee during his deployment to Iraq, leaving his leg dangling, he wasn't willing to give up his 15-year military career. Thanks to a new mentality within the military, and programs to back it up, Keith is among a growing legion of severely wounded troops who are opting to continue their military service. In his case, the former medic is now serving with the Army's Program Executive Office Soldier to help get state-of-the-art equipment to warfighters quickly as possible.
Sixty soldiers with 30 percent or higher disability ratings have applied to stay on active duty, and all have gotten the green light, said Col. Mary Carstensen, director of the Army's Wounded Warrior Program.
There's a growing recognition that these soldiers have leadership experience, specialized skills and, in many cases, combat experience - all qualities they can continue to contribute to the Army, she said.
The Marine Corps shares this recognition, and issued a Marine administrative message in May 2006 that details its program for combat-wounded Marines seeking to remain on active duty.
President Bush advanced this effort while visiting wounded troops at Walter Reed Army Medical Center here in December 2003. "Americans would be surprised to learn that a grievous injury, such as the loss of a limb, no longer means forced discharge," the president told the soldiers.
"In other words, the medical care is so good and the recovery process is so technologically advanced that people are no longer forced out of the military," Bush said. "When we're talking about forced discharge, we're talking about another age and another army. This is a new age, and this is a new army. Today, if wounded servicemembers want to remain in uniform and can do the job, the military tries to help them stay."
In that "other army" Bush referred to, troops with disabling injuries used to be automatically turned over to the Department of Veterans of Affairs. If they returned to the Defense Department at all, it was generally after being medically retired, then hired as civilian employees.
The concept of enabling wounded troops to stay on duty isn't unprecedented, and examples can be found from every conflict since the Revolutionary War.
Even as the wars were kicking off in Afghanistan, then Iraq, the Army's top officer was serving as living proof of the concept. Gen. Eric Shinseki stepped on a land mine that blew off the front of one of his feet during the Vietnam War. He continued his military service, ultimately serving as the Army's chief of staff from 1999 to 2003.
Troops serving in the global war on terror, even those with severe wounds, have continued Shinseki's example.
One of the better-known examples is Army Capt. David Rozelle. After losing his foot and part of his leg to an anti-tank mine in Iraq, Rozelle not only stayed on active duty; he became the first amputee to return to combat as commander of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment's Headquarters and Headquarters Troop.
Other severely wounded soldiers who have stayed green have pursued a variety of different paths, according to Carstensen.
"They do a little bit of everything," Carstensen said. One is attending a military school; others are on the other side of the podium, teaching their fellow soldiers or ROTC cadets. A couple have returned to their units as first sergeants, and one was accepted into the Army's elite World Class Athlete Program. Still others are doing administrative jobs or serving as retention noncommissioned officers.
What's important, Carstensen said, is that troops who remain on active duty after being wounded continue pursuing military careers that are both professionally and personally fulfilling. "If the Army is still a viable option for them, we want to bring them into the fold and make that possible," she said.
Keith, who was wounded while deployed to Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division in November 2004, is among the severely wounded troops seizing that opportunity. A medic at the time of the incident, Keith was responding to a patrol had come under attack when an RPG hit his vehicle.
The events of the day are a bit foggy; he remembers being transported to an emergency room in Baghdad's Green Zone before slipping into a coma. Seventeen days later, he woke up at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The doctors there tried valiantly to save his leg, but so many nerves and tendons had been severed that they ended up having to amputate, just four days before Christmas. An Army board later certified him as 60-percent disabled.
If Keith was distraught about losing his leg, he was even more so about the possibility of losing the career he'd spent the past decade and a half building. "When I was first injured, I knew for sure that my military career was over," he said.
Keith wanted desperately to continue serving. Although emphatic that he didn't want to be a hindrance to anyone, he said he knew he still had something to contribute. "I may not be able to physically do my job, but I have the mind to do my job," he said. "I'm still useful."
The Army agreed and approved his request to remain on active duty.
Keith trained as a contracting specialist and has been working for the Army's PEO Soldier effort at Fort Belvoir, Va., since June 2006. The program was established to design, develop, procure and field state-of-the-art equipment to deployed troops as quickly as possible.
Keith said he gets a lot of gratification knowing that as he serves out his military career until he's eligible to retire, he's also continuing to helping his fellow troops who are at war. "This office is making a difference," he said. "And it's rewarding to be a part of it."
Three Missouri Law Enforcement Officials
Editor's Note: One of the authors is WWII Navy vet.
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two Missouri police officers and one state trooper: Robert B. Heinen, Del Gibson and Jeffery Nance.
Robert B. Heinen was a police officer for the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri) from 1946 to 1974. He retired at the rank of Captain. At the beginning of World War II a then 17 year old Robert Heinen enlisted the United States Navy. He served four years in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Six months after the war he joined the Kansas City Police Department. He is published his autobiography The Battle Behind the Badge in 1997.
According to one reader, “The Battle Behind the Badge takes you on the streets of Kansas City with Captain Heinen as your partner. BEWARE! On your shift you'll not only encounter dangerous street thugs, but high-powered organized crime figures. When you return to the station house to file your reports, be prepared to battle corrupt police officials and egocentric city hall politicians. "The Battle Behind the Badge" is an excellent hardball account of Kansas City during a time when it was difficult to tell who the bad guy was. Captain Heinen is an honest cop who pays for his integrity by being yo-yoed up and down the ranks. He is Kansas City's "Serpico." This is a very good read that took a lot of guts to write.”
Del Gibson had a circus act at age fifteen, hitchhiked through forty of the lower 48 states at sixteen, and was a homicide detective with the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri). A graduate of Central Missouri State University with an M.S. degree in Criminology, he trained National Police in the Republic of Marshall Islands and was a counter-intelligence investigator for the U.S. Department of Defense in the South Pacific. He has also taught criminology in several colleges and universities.
Del Gibson is the author of the thriller False Sanctuary. According to the book description, “Newly divorced, Kelly Garrison moves to Newton, Colorado, to start a new life. A former policeman, Kelly is hired by the Newton police department. Kelly is befriended by long- time resident, Joel Carson, who is a retired miner and also mayor of Newton. Then Kelly falls in love with Joel’s granddaughter just before stumbling upon a huge drug money laundering operation conducted through the bank where Joel is the major stockholder. The drug cartel attempts to kill Kelly for investigating the laundering operation. Is Joel, Kelly’s new friend, part of the operation? Who in Newton can Kelly trust?”
Jeffery Nance is a certified fraud examiner, former undercover narcotics agent trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He is the author of Conquering Deception. According to the book description, “Conquering Deception delivers the tools to recognize the hidden meanings of what others say using principles originated by America's savviest police investigators. Conquering Deception adapts these principles for use in any setting--business or personal--to be used in an informal and non-confrontational style. A handbook for the savvy conversationalist that is practical, effective, and one-of-a-kind.”
One reader of Conquering Deception said, “This book is quite effective (maybe too effective) at translating police interrogation tactics in a way that you can use in everyday conversations, and like the literature says, you don't have to be overly inquisitive or accusatory to make them work. I say 'maybe too effective' because I'm not sure that the average person needs to be privy to this information. Like the author, I'm a former police officer. I liked the book, and as above, it's highly effective--but this is material that the average officer doesn't even know, much less the average citizen. It is powerful stuff--if these principles of conversation have been used to get suspects to confess to murdering another person, it's easy to see that they would be powerful in everyday conversation.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 631 police officers (representing 277 police departments) and their 1344 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.
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added two Missouri police officers and one state trooper: Robert B. Heinen, Del Gibson and Jeffery Nance.
Robert B. Heinen was a police officer for the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri) from 1946 to 1974. He retired at the rank of Captain. At the beginning of World War II a then 17 year old Robert Heinen enlisted the United States Navy. He served four years in both the Atlantic and Pacific. Six months after the war he joined the Kansas City Police Department. He is published his autobiography The Battle Behind the Badge in 1997.
According to one reader, “The Battle Behind the Badge takes you on the streets of Kansas City with Captain Heinen as your partner. BEWARE! On your shift you'll not only encounter dangerous street thugs, but high-powered organized crime figures. When you return to the station house to file your reports, be prepared to battle corrupt police officials and egocentric city hall politicians. "The Battle Behind the Badge" is an excellent hardball account of Kansas City during a time when it was difficult to tell who the bad guy was. Captain Heinen is an honest cop who pays for his integrity by being yo-yoed up and down the ranks. He is Kansas City's "Serpico." This is a very good read that took a lot of guts to write.”
Del Gibson had a circus act at age fifteen, hitchhiked through forty of the lower 48 states at sixteen, and was a homicide detective with the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri). A graduate of Central Missouri State University with an M.S. degree in Criminology, he trained National Police in the Republic of Marshall Islands and was a counter-intelligence investigator for the U.S. Department of Defense in the South Pacific. He has also taught criminology in several colleges and universities.
Del Gibson is the author of the thriller False Sanctuary. According to the book description, “Newly divorced, Kelly Garrison moves to Newton, Colorado, to start a new life. A former policeman, Kelly is hired by the Newton police department. Kelly is befriended by long- time resident, Joel Carson, who is a retired miner and also mayor of Newton. Then Kelly falls in love with Joel’s granddaughter just before stumbling upon a huge drug money laundering operation conducted through the bank where Joel is the major stockholder. The drug cartel attempts to kill Kelly for investigating the laundering operation. Is Joel, Kelly’s new friend, part of the operation? Who in Newton can Kelly trust?”
Jeffery Nance is a certified fraud examiner, former undercover narcotics agent trooper with the Missouri State Highway Patrol. He is the author of Conquering Deception. According to the book description, “Conquering Deception delivers the tools to recognize the hidden meanings of what others say using principles originated by America's savviest police investigators. Conquering Deception adapts these principles for use in any setting--business or personal--to be used in an informal and non-confrontational style. A handbook for the savvy conversationalist that is practical, effective, and one-of-a-kind.”
One reader of Conquering Deception said, “This book is quite effective (maybe too effective) at translating police interrogation tactics in a way that you can use in everyday conversations, and like the literature says, you don't have to be overly inquisitive or accusatory to make them work. I say 'maybe too effective' because I'm not sure that the average person needs to be privy to this information. Like the author, I'm a former police officer. I liked the book, and as above, it's highly effective--but this is material that the average officer doesn't even know, much less the average citizen. It is powerful stuff--if these principles of conversation have been used to get suspects to confess to murdering another person, it's easy to see that they would be powerful in everyday conversation.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 631 police officers (representing 277 police departments) and their 1344 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.
Cops in Mississippi and Missouri
Editor's Note: One of the authors is a Vietnam Vet.
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added one police officer from Mississippi and two from Missouri: James R. Kelly; Troy Cole; and, F.D. Jordan.
In 1966, James R. Kelly served one tour of duty in Vietnam with the United States Marine Corps. James Kelly received his BS degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1971, he joined the ranks of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics; becoming one of the organization's first agents. James Kelly retired from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics 1995. He is the author of two books: Prescription for Murder and Casting Alpha: Amtracs in Vietnam.
Casting Alpha: Amtracs in Vietnam, “depicts the daily life of U.S. Marine Corps amtrac crewmen during the Vietnam War and the continuing anxiety, as a result of enemy land mines, referred to as the big wait.” James Kelly served with A Company, 3rd Amtracs, 1966-67.
Troy Cole is a retired homicide investigator from the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri). He is the author of Rites Of Burial. According to the book description, “This books tells the gruesome true story of Robert Berdella, a serial killer while inhuman crimes of murder and dismemberment might have served to inspire Jeffrey Dahmer
According to a reader of Rites of Burial, “I was quite shocked by the graphic details and disturbing pictures in this book. Other reviewers have said this book is insensitive and biased. Although I understand this point, I disagree. If you truly want to examine the depravity of serial murderers, you have to know the details of their crimes to be able to understand the things of which these people are capable. In addition, other reviewers have charged the authors with being homophobic. I did not find this to be the case. Rather, the authors did expose how the homophobia of the KC police dept. affected their investigations and their handling of the victims and Berdella”
F.D. Jordan has over 21 years experience as a police officer working for the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri). He has extensive experience working the Kansas City Police Department Special Victims Unit, Sex Crimes Section. His is the author of Sex Crime Investigations: The Complete Investigator's Handbook.
According to the description of, Sex Crime Investigations: The Complete Investigator's Handbook, “when a sexual act occurs in combination with a physical or emotional assault, as in rape or child sexual abuse, highly sensitive issues often get misdirected, especially in the criminal justice system. For this reason, sex crime investigation in one field that investigators can ill afford to learn by trial and error. This book takes you step-by-step through how successful sex crime investigations are conducted and provides a clear and comprehensive look at the complexities and realities of the field that investigators and their agencies must learn to deal with, including selecting appropriate investigative personnel, gathering evidence at crime scenes, interviewing victims, interrogating suspected sex offenders and getting confessions, working with child sexual abuse victims, building solid cases for prosecution and much more. It is a must for investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, social workers, sexual assault victim advocates and the victims and their families.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 628 police officers (representing 276 police departments) and their 1341 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.
Police-Writers.com is a website that lists state and local police officers who have written books. The website added one police officer from Mississippi and two from Missouri: James R. Kelly; Troy Cole; and, F.D. Jordan.
In 1966, James R. Kelly served one tour of duty in Vietnam with the United States Marine Corps. James Kelly received his BS degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1971, he joined the ranks of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics; becoming one of the organization's first agents. James Kelly retired from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics 1995. He is the author of two books: Prescription for Murder and Casting Alpha: Amtracs in Vietnam.
Casting Alpha: Amtracs in Vietnam, “depicts the daily life of U.S. Marine Corps amtrac crewmen during the Vietnam War and the continuing anxiety, as a result of enemy land mines, referred to as the big wait.” James Kelly served with A Company, 3rd Amtracs, 1966-67.
Troy Cole is a retired homicide investigator from the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri). He is the author of Rites Of Burial. According to the book description, “This books tells the gruesome true story of Robert Berdella, a serial killer while inhuman crimes of murder and dismemberment might have served to inspire Jeffrey Dahmer
According to a reader of Rites of Burial, “I was quite shocked by the graphic details and disturbing pictures in this book. Other reviewers have said this book is insensitive and biased. Although I understand this point, I disagree. If you truly want to examine the depravity of serial murderers, you have to know the details of their crimes to be able to understand the things of which these people are capable. In addition, other reviewers have charged the authors with being homophobic. I did not find this to be the case. Rather, the authors did expose how the homophobia of the KC police dept. affected their investigations and their handling of the victims and Berdella”
F.D. Jordan has over 21 years experience as a police officer working for the Kansas City Police Department (Missouri). He has extensive experience working the Kansas City Police Department Special Victims Unit, Sex Crimes Section. His is the author of Sex Crime Investigations: The Complete Investigator's Handbook.
According to the description of, Sex Crime Investigations: The Complete Investigator's Handbook, “when a sexual act occurs in combination with a physical or emotional assault, as in rape or child sexual abuse, highly sensitive issues often get misdirected, especially in the criminal justice system. For this reason, sex crime investigation in one field that investigators can ill afford to learn by trial and error. This book takes you step-by-step through how successful sex crime investigations are conducted and provides a clear and comprehensive look at the complexities and realities of the field that investigators and their agencies must learn to deal with, including selecting appropriate investigative personnel, gathering evidence at crime scenes, interviewing victims, interrogating suspected sex offenders and getting confessions, working with child sexual abuse victims, building solid cases for prosecution and much more. It is a must for investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, social workers, sexual assault victim advocates and the victims and their families.”
Police-Writers.com now hosts 628 police officers (representing 276 police departments) and their 1341 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.
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