Signing off

We wanted to let our readers know that we're no longer going to be publishing the Observation Post blog. You may already have figured this out by the lack of posts in recent weeks. We're still interested in telling military stories and reporting about the Department of Veterans Affairs -- both online and in our print edition. We just won't have a separate military blog.

Anyone with military or VA news can call Bill Levesque at (813) 226-3436 or e-mail him at levesque@sptimes.com.

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Guard funding reaches record level

The National Guard has reached a record funding level at $30-billion as it continues to send troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. The level of deployments is the greatest since World War II. The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon expects to spend $32-billion over the next four year on Guard equipment to make sure deployments don't erode the Guard's ability to respond. The status of Guard equipment has been a particular worry with long deployments overseas since a lot of equipment is battered or simply left in the war zone instead of being shipped back at a cost.

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Veterans with mild brain trauma to get benefit increase

One of the struggles veterans with mild brain trauma often face is convincing people that there really is something wrong with them. Brain trauma is often called an invisible wound. But to doctors and patients, it's as real as a bullet in the gut. Now the government is increasing disability payments for veterans suffering mild brain trauma. A story in USA Today notes that 320,000 troops have suffered brain trauma, much of it defined as mild. Currently veterans with symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, insomnia, sensitivity to light -- all prime symptoms of brain trauma -- can only collect $117 a month in disability benefits. But that's now being increased to a maximum of $600. New regulations will take effect in a month.

-- William R. Levesque, Times Staff Writer

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Thanks, everyone!

Times military reporter and blog author Bill Levesque is back in town, so I'm handing the OP reins back over to him.

I'm not sure when he'll be up and running again, so please check back for new posts.

Meanwhile, you can still catch me over at Standing By.

Welcome back, Bill!

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The green Army

The Army's going green, but not in the way you might think.

Thirteen Army posts have set a goal to reduce or eliminate fossil fuel use in the next 25 years. My colleagues over at the Fueling Station blog wrote last week about Ft. Lewis, Wash., which is taking the lead.

Click here to read more.

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In the news

Some interesting headlines from the past week:

"New base beefs up Afghanistan presence," Stars and Stripes, Sept. 22: U.S. forces are beefing up their presence in southern Afghanistan, building a new base and joining a Canadian task force in an effort to stem a rising tide of violence in the heartland of the Taliban insurgency.

"Tom Ricks's Inbox: Iraq's fragility", Washington Post, Sept. 21: Some very senior Bush administration officials are rushing to claim credit for backing the "surge" of U.S. troops to Iraq, calling it the turning point in the war. But before they spike the ball into the end zone, they might want to listen to John McCreary, a retired analyst for the Defense Intelligence Agency, who now puts out a daily e-mail report called "NightWatch."

"Grieving a loss, celebrating a birth and returning to duty," St. Petersburg Times, Sept. 21: When she saw the police at her door she knew he was gone. As the Chesapeake, Va., police ticked off the details of the motorcycle wreck that took her fiance's life, Rachael Leite wept and clutched her swollen belly.

"Transsexual wins lawsuit against Library of Congress," CNN, Sept. 19: A former Army commander who underwent a sex change operation was discriminated against by the U.S. government, a federal judge ruled Friday in an important victory for transgenders claiming bias in the workplace.

"General: Far more U.S. troops needed in Afghanistan," Associated Press, Sept. 17: Speaking just hours after a new U.S. commander took charge in Iraq, Gen. David McKiernan, the commander of international forces in Afghanistan, told reporters that he realized the only way he would receive the additional ground forces he needs is for Washington to decide to divert them from Iraq.

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Are you a veteran looking for a job?

An upcoming job fair in Tampa seeks to link employers with veterans and those who will soon the leave the military.

The RecruitMilitary Career Fair is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

At least 18 companies and organizations have already signed up to exhibit at the event, in areas including teaching, insurance, law enforcement and aviation.

The event is open to recently returning troops, other veterans, active duty servicemembers and their families.

About 190,000 troops transition out of military service every year, according to a recent Wall Street Journal article.

Most go on to seek jobs in the civilian world.

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Army reveals how Dade City soldier died

The Army announced today that it has solved the mystery of how Ehren Murburg, a Pasco High graduate and prospective Special Forces soldier, died in June during training at Fort Bragg, N.C.

Murburg was 20 years old and had just started the long process of earning the prestigious Green Beret when he went missing. His body was found the next day in the remote training area.

His death perplexed Army officials and his family until this week, when his family was told the results of an autopsy.

Murburg was bitten at least twice by a venomous snake, probably a water moccasin.

Click here to read the story by Times reporter Erin Sullivan.

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Petreaus on his way to MacDill

Gen. David Petreaus relinquished command of U.S. forces in Iraq today. It's the first step on the route to his next post as head of U.S. Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

CentCom officials say the change of command here will be "in late October." The exact date hasn't been set, according to a spokesman.

A lot of big names have worked at MacDill, including Gen. Hugh Shelton who was commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and later went on to become chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

But the CentCom post, in particular, is a high-profile position.

Past commanders include Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf, who lead the first Gulf War, and Gen. Tommy Franks, who was in charge when the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

Petreaus already is well-known to most Americans as the face of the current war in Iraq, and his new job at CentCom will put him in charge of troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Associated Press has this story today about Petreaus' legacy in Iraq and his future at CENTCOM: "Fingers crossed, Petreaus leaves Iraq."

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Poker run raises funds for Haley House

The Riverview Detachment of the Marine Corps League is raising money to help families of injured or sick veterans undergoing treatment at the James A. Haley VA Medical Center in Tampa.

The league hosts its second annual poker run Sept. 27 in support of the Haley House, which provides hotel rooms and other services to families of patients at the hospital.

For the uninitiated, a poker run is a scavenger hunt, with a twist. Riders pick up a playing card at each stop along the way, and prizes are awarded at the end for the best hand.

The ride starts at 11:15 a.m. at American Legion Post No. 148, 7240 Highway 301 in Riverview, and travels along country roads with stops in Thonotosassa, Zephyrhills, Plant City and Ruskin before returning to the American Legion.

Registration starts at 8 a.m. at the Legion. Participants can also register from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hawg Pound Pub, 38704 Tucker Road, in Zephyrhills, and join the ride there.
The cost is $20 per driver and $5 for riders, which includes dinner afterward. The first 100 registered participants receive a free commemorative T-shirt.

All proceeds go to the Haley House Fund.

Call 967-3150 or 215-3614 for more information, or click here to visit the Haley House fund Web site.

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