Iraq

Subscribe to Iraq via RSS

Well, the state Senate passed a measure that would restrict Hazlewood recipients to veterans who served six years or longer. That means the average veteran who does his or her 3 years and leaves would not qualify. And, the benefits must be used within 15 years of service, according to the Senate version. That means…

Just a few years ago, most Texans were anxious to help veterans. The Texas legislature passed an amendment to the Hazelwood Act which would allow free tuition at state schools for veterans. The veteran could pass that benefit to his/her children. The Texas act did not require service after the amendment was passed. While, the…

I previously wrote about the attack at Ft. Hood by Major Hassan here and here. Now, the victims of that attack have received some recogntion. The military service members received Purple Hearts and the civilian victims received the civilian Defense of Freedom Medal. The widow of CW2 (Ret) Michael Cahill received the Defense of…

So, the other shoe drops. Bowe Bergdahl may not have been appropriate for Army service, at all. It turns out that he had been in the Coast Guard before entering the Army. The Coast Guard kicked him out after 90 days. He was removed administratively. As most veterans know, that typically means he had some…

SGT Bowe Bergdahl has been charged with desertion with intent to shirk important or hazardous duty. The charges will go before an Art. 32 hearing, which is equivalent to a grand jury. He may not spend any time in prison, since he served five years as prisoner of the Taliban. Many members of any court-martial…

The jury in Alonzo-Miranda v. Schlumberger Technology has returned a verdict. The jury found in favor of the veteran and awarded him $29,000 in total damages. That amount includes $5,386.50 in lost overtime wages and $23,205 in compensatory damages (emotional suffering type damages). The jury declined to award punitive damages. The jury deliberated for about…

The jury in Iraq veteran Juan Alonzo-Miranda’s case deliberated all day Friday and still could not reach a verdict. At one point, they sent the judge a note saying they could not reach a unanimous agreement. Judge Lamberth, however, told them to continue deliberating. The two opposing lawyers agreed they would accept a 7-1 verdict.…

We went into the Iraq War on the cheap. We entered that war with the smallest number of troops possible. So, that lead to the US relying on private security firms for a number of missions. One such mission was providing security for the diplomats. Four Blackwater security personnel were found guilty last week after…

I have to say, I find it fascinating that the Iraq Prime Minister will not give up his seat for the good of his country. He persists in holding onto his seat with clenched teeth, despite his own party turning away from him. See CBS news report. When we were in Iraq, we, the…

The ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) forces capture northern Iraq and some 2 million U.S. veterans look with dismay. See CBS news report. I spent a lot of time traveling north form Tikrit, through the oil fields and the critical bridge over the Tigris River. Now, it is in the hands of…