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Its been six weeks since Rosalind Williams 30-year-old son, Army veteran Michael Corey Hadley, took his own life.

When grieving the death of a child, thats a moment. A blink of an eye, a flip of a calendar. Barely enough time for Williams to pick herself up and return to the Philadelphia high school where she teaches science.

And yet in that small window, 900 other military parents have been dealt the same blow left behind to try and find the rhythm of a life that theyve lost after losing their children to suicide. According to the most recent data from the Department of Veterans Affairs, about 20 veterans, active-duty service members and members of the National Guard and Reserve die by their own hands every day.

In the quiet that followed the initial flurry of collective shock and grief after his death on Jan 2, Williams sat with her anguish. She went through old photographs, collected new ones from his funeral and military interment. She read, and reread, the numerous news stories written about her son after the family spoke unsparingly about his death.

His wounds were slow-acting and invisible, but nonetheless crippling and fatal, the family said in a statement that spoke of his struggles with depression and PTSD after six years and three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Just as she did when she and the family struggled to find the right way and words to describe the loss of her son, Williams has continued to consider the cause of his death. His PTSD and the mental health issues that medicines and other interventions failed to help those were merely symptoms, torturous as they were, of what really ailed him. Instead, his mother believed: What finally cost him his life was the traumatic brain injury he suffered after the Army sharpshooters multiple deployments. Even in his final letter to his family, which she read aloud to me at her dining room table, he spoke about it.

Im so sorry for doing this to you, Hadley wrote. I am so grateful to have been born into a loving, strong family.

Sadly Im not as strong as you may think I am. I have endured for as long as I could. My brain feels as though its swelling within my head. My ankles do not support my weight causing me to lose balance often and my heart my heart feels as though there is a black hole in the center of it sucking in all positive emotions allowing them to never leave and me never truly feeling happiness.

Hadleys family knew his mental health had deteriorated after the infantryman and sharpshooter returned home in 2013. But the wounds he and so many others experience remain invisible to many, including the president of the United States.

In January, Trump announced that no Americans were harmed when Iran fired over a dozen ballistic missiles at U.S. and coalition forces in Iraq. Even after the Pentagon said 34 U.S. troops were diagnosed with concussions or traumatic brain injury following the attack, he downplayed the injuries and said compared with people with no legs and no arms, they were not very serious injuries. He only doubled down after it was recently announced that 109 U.S. troops were diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury from the attack.

I wont be changing my mind on that, he said during an interview with Fox Business.

Veterans advocates, led by the 1.6 million member Veterans of Foreign Wars, demanded a presidential apology.

Editorial boards called Trumps comments a cruel reflection of lingering ignorance on how to treat service members of the signature wound of Americas 21st century wars. Since 2000, more than 400,000 troops have been diagnosed with versions of traumatic brain injury, many of them as a result to being exposed to blasts.

The father of Ryan Larkin, a Navy SEAL in Iraq and Afghanistan who took his life at 29 at his parents home in 2017, wrote a letter to Trump about the invisible wounds his son sustained. Frank Larkin stood beside Trump last year when the president signed an executive order to prevent veteran suicides.

He called the presidents comments a hard hit to the gut.

Williams has some choice words, too. But her focus now is on honoring her son by trying to save other men and women who so valiantly fight and die for a country that mostly just gives lip service to supporting its troops.

Leaving you for the fourth and final time is incredibly hard, Hadley wrote in that final letter to his family. Know that at my end I am finally able to find peace.

Helen Ubinas is a columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Read the original here:
Helen Ubinas: Trump insists no troops were injured in Iraq, but one vet's final words show the true cost of war - Richmond County Daily Journal

What will this reorganization of tasks in Iraq mean?

The ministers decided that the NATO mission will expand, mainly in the form of taking over training missions. NATO is currently training Iraqi soldiers and advising security and defense ministry structures. These mandates will be revisited to determine what else NATO could take over that would fit inside its current mandate.

Strictly training?

Yes, strictly just training, an advisory role. All of it should reinforce Iraq's ability to ensure its own security.

It still seems like just a flag change. Why is it necessary? U.S. President Donald Trump wanted NATO to play a bigger role. Is that the reason? Or perhaps it's tied to Iraq's reactions following events in January, the drone strike?

It has been said for a while that the U.S.-led mission should change because the fight against Daesh (ISIS) is constantly changing. Such plans have existed for some time. I believe that it was simply found now that NATO should do a little more. NATO ministers agreed and also found that threats emanating from the south are considerable and should be addressed to a greater degree.

To what extent could the wish of the U.S. president have been a factor?

I believe it was definitely a factor. USA clearly wants to reshape these things a little, its participation in various operations, missions. It might not mean they want to do less. I believe they just want to reshape things to have a more sensible system.

Is it true the NATO mission is only possible because of the U.S. mission that ensures the safety of all these advisers?

Yes, that's just how it is. The American-led mission that goes well beyond the scope of the NATO mission ensures security, with the Iraqi security forces also contributing, and NATO cannot remain there alone, nor has it been discussed. Whenever we've talked to Iraq, it has always been clear that the U.S. coalition must remain together with the NATO coalition they are either together in Iraq or they leave together. NATO could not handle it alone as its role is that of training and advise, not combat activity.

During the defense ministerial, it was also said that we will remain in Iraq only for as long as they want us there. At the same time, the Iraqi parliament has voted and sought the departure of the U.S.-led coalition. How welcome are the coalition and NATO in Iraq really?

The secretary general [of NATO] has spoken to the Iraqi PM on a couple of occasions and the Iraqi side has said very clearly that they want NATO to remain in Iraq and continue training because they realize that they can never ensure their own security otherwise. Today, we have confirmation that NATO is very welcome.

What does all of this hold for Estonia, both in the broader sense and for our Defense Forces members participating in these missions?

Estonia is participating in both Iraq missions the U.S.-led Inherent Resolve and the NATO training mission. It has been said that we will be continuing in both missions this year. But time will tell. It is impossible to say today which functions will be transferred and how. It might affect us, while it also might not.

But I think we are not an exception here. All other allies are in more or less the same situation today. We must simply wait for the military analysis by local defense forces. NATO structures are also analyzing would be feasible and what not. We must exhibit some patience and see.

Do we have any idea when NATO will be able to continue its mission the one that is currently on hold?

We also don't know that for the time being. // Everyone agreed to temporarily pulling out from there, while everyone is also saying it's temporary. But when exactly will the commanders there be certain everyone can return, that it's safer now even though the situation is always unstable there we cannot say today.

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Estonian ambassador to NATO: Alliance in Iraq not feasible without USA - ERR News

AS the world has been celebrating the fall of ISIS, the terror group is reported to be making a comeback.

Recent reports reveal the Islamic State has more fighters than it did when it founded its caliphate in 2014, as well as millions of dollars at its disposal.

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The prime minister of Iraqi Kurdistan, Masrour Barzani, believes ISIS is "still very much intact".

Speaking to the Atlantic, he said: "Yes, they have lost much of their leadership. They have lost many of their capable men.

"But they've also managed to gain more experience and to recruit more people around them. So they should not be taken lightly."

The Kurdish leader believes ISIS has about 20,000 fighters across Iraq and Syria - double the number than in 2014 when the terror group took over territories in the region.

A recent UN report indicated ISIS still has $100 million in reserves.

In March last year the world celebrated the defeat of ISIS in Syria after it was announced the bloodthirsty terror group's final stronghold had been liberated.

And in October the former leader of the terror group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, blew himself up during a raid President Trump ordered.

However, a recent report from the US Defense Department's inspector general said that it's done little to deter the group.

Ongoing tensions between the US and Iran could further aid in the potential for the group's resurgence.

In January, Trump ordered a drone strike that killed Iran's top military leader, Qassem Soleimani, taking attention away from ISIS.

Following the strike, the US suspended anti-ISIS operations in the region.

Yes, they have lost much of their leadership. They have lost many of their capable men ... But they've also managed to gain more experience and to recruit more people around them.

Iraq's parliament subsequently voted to expel all US forces from the country and a protest against the US military's ongoing presence in Iraq ensued.

Barzani added:"This confrontation definitely will have a negative effect on the fight against terrorism and ISIS, which should be the priority for all of us".

Additionally, the same conditions that allowed ISIS to take hold continue to exist.

Chaos, corruption, poor governance, sectarianism, economic malaise, military destruction and antagonizing between much of the population still persist.

Terrorism analysts say ISIS is largely regional in nature and believe it isunlikely to be attacking the US homeland anytime soon.

David Sterman, a senior policy analyst for New America, told Business Insider: "ISIS continues to exist in Iraq and Syria, and its long history of resilience and resurgence after supposed defeats including the much-heralded 'surge' suggests that it could well given the right circumstances pose an even greater threat in Iraq and Syria, particularly if tensions with Iran prevent coordinated international efforts to suppress it.

"However, it is essential to acknowledge that even when the United States began its counter-ISIS war, and at ISIS' peak territorial holdings, the group did not demonstrate a clear capability to strike the United States homeland."

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The new leader of ISIS was revealed as Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi - an Iraqi extremist nicknamed "the Professor."

Two intelligence services said Salbi seized control of the death cult following the death of former boss Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

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Continued here:
ISIS is BIGGER now than when it took over Iraq and Syria and its making a COMEBACK - The Sun

Black Lives Matter is a worldwide association that originates from the African-American community. Formed in 2013, the association campaigns against racism and violence aimed at the black people. It was inspired by other movements like Black Feminist from the 1980s, Black Power, the Civil Rights Movement, and the LGBTQ social movement.

The Black Lives Matter movement was started in 2013 by three women; Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. These three women met through a national organization that trains individuals as community planners. They began questioning how they would counter the acquittal of George Zimmerman, who had been accused of killing Trayvon Martin, something they had seen as devaluing of black peoples lives. Gaza posted on Facebook to which Cullors replied with "#BlackLivesMatter" while Tometi added her comment.

When they started it, they claimed it was an online platform whose main aim was to provide activists with a set of goals and principles. They operate without a hierarchy or central structure, and the local BLM chapters are asked to commit to the guiding principles. Some of the notable Black Lives Matter activists include a writer Shaun King, lawyer Marissa Johnson, and transgender woman Elle Hearns.

BLM, as it is popularly referred to, holds protests regularly to speak out against police brutality and killings of blacks. This covers the broad subjects like racial profiling and inequality in the justice system of United States of America. On its website, however, it states that Black Lives Matter is a unique contribution which goes beyond extra-judicial killings of black people by police and vigilantes. It also says that it embraces intersectionality, affirming the lives of disabled folks, black, queer and trans folks, women, undocumented black folks, folks with records, as well as black lives along the gender spectrum.

Black Lives Matter activists planned their first physical, national demonstration on August 14th after the gunning down of Michael Brown, and more than five hundred people took part in the non-violent protests in Ferguson, Missouri. Many groups demonstrated against the shooting, but Black Lives Matter stood out as the most organized as well as most visible, something that made it be recognized nationally and worldwide.

Since the Black Lives Matter Freedom Ride to Ferguson, the movement has successfully planned thousands of demonstrations and protests. The media too has been phenomenal as renowned entertainers have Black Lives Matter in some of their releases. Beyonces Lemonade features the mothers of Trayvon Martin, Michael Rown, and Eric Garner holding their late sons photographs. A documentary film about the movement named Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement starring Jesse Williams has also been released.

Black Lives Matter has been credited with the protests that have gone beyond streets, notably the 2015-2016 University of Missouri protests. So popular has Black Lives Matter become, that in 2014 the American Dialect Society chose it as the word of the year. Yes! Magazine listed it among the 12 hashtags that changed the world in the same year. The hashtag #BlackLivesMatter had been tweeted over 30 million times by September 2016.

Excerpt from:
What is the Black Lives Matter Movement? - WorldAtlas.com

The College of Education will host an interactive keynote, "Teaching for Black Lives," on Thursday, Feb. 27 at 4:30 p.m., in the Carney Family Auditorium.

In this presentation, Dyan Watson and Wayne Au, two of the editors of Teaching for Black Lives, will discuss their book and the overall project of making black lives matter in schools.

This event includes a discussion between Watson and Au, a classroom activity and an audience question and answer session followed by a book signing and reception.

A former public high school teacher, Au is a professor in the School of Educational Studies and currently serves as the dean of diversity and equity for the University of Washington Bothell (UWB). He is a long-time editor for the social justice teaching magazine, Rethinking Schools, and his work focuses on both academic and public scholarship about high-stakes testing, charter schools, teaching for social justice and anti-racist education. Recently, Au has been working in the Seattle area to support the Black Lives Matter campaign and ethnic studies in Seattle schools and surrounding districts. His recent books include Rethinking Ethnic Studies, co-edited with Tolteka Cuahatin, Miguel Zavala, and Christine Sleeter; Teaching for Black Lives, co-edited with Dyan Watson and Jesse Hagopian; A Marxist Education; and Reclaiming the Multicultural Roots of the U.S. Curriculum, co-authored with Anthony Brown and Dolores Calderon. He was honored with the UWB Distinguished Teaching Award in 2015, given the William H. Watkins award for scholar activism from the Society of Professors of Education in 2017, and was honored with the Distinguished K-12 Educational Leader Award from the Evergreen State College MiT program in 2019.

Watson teaches at the Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling in Portland, Oregon. She teaches methods classes for pre-service social studies teachers, research methods classes for doctoral students and researches how race mediates teaching. Watson began her professional career teaching math and writing for young mothers working on their GEDs in Portland, Oregon. She taught social studies at the high school level in a suburb of Portland before pursuing her doctorate at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Watson is an editor for Rethinking Schools, and the author of Urban but not too urban: Unpacking Teachers' Desires to Teach Urban Students, Norming suburban: How teachers talk about race without using race words and A Letter from a Black Mom to Her Son; as well as the co-editor of Teaching for Black Lives; Rethinking Elementary Education; and Rhythm and Resistance: Teaching Poetry for Social Justice.

Link:
Teaching for Black Lives: A Keynote Event with Wayne Au and Dyan Watson - UMass News and Media Relations