OH-10 GOP Jim Trakas: Kucinich Foe Wants Guard And Reserves Off The Front Lines

CLEVELAND (TDB) -- Jim Trakas, a former state representative and ex-chair of the Cuyahoga County Republican Party, says national guard and reservists should be pulled from serving in combat zones. The proposal appears on his campaign Web site for Ohio's 10th Congressional District seat, which covers Cleveland's west side, along with the city's western suburbs. Trakas is running against Democratic U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, a fierce opponent of the War in Iraq who has filed an House impeachment measure against Vice President Dick Cheney. Trakas steers clear of the blame game, "We are there now, it doesn't matter how we got there." Trakas says the U.S. needs to "defeat the terrorists," but the war should be fought by regulars not reservists:

"Keep the National Guard and Reserves out of harm's way. Our Guardsmen and Reservists can easily rotate into non-hostile theatres of operations, such as Europe and Asia where America has bases, but are not involved in conflict. Let the Regular Armed Forces fight, they are better trained and equipped, and let the patriots in the Guard and Reserves serve their country out of the combat zone."

OH-05 Dem Robin Weirauch: Latta Voted Against Raising Death Benefit For Ohio National Guard

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (TDB) -- Democratic congressional candidate Robin Weirauch says her opponent has a "lackluster record" on veterans issues. The campaign said Bob Latta is on record opposing efforts to increase the death benefit paid to families of Ohio National Guard members who are killed in action. Republican Latta cast the nay votes in February and June 2005 while serving in the Ohio General Assembly. The death benefit was increased from $20,000 to $100,000 as Ohio Guard troops took part in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Weirauch and Latta are in a contest for a vacant House seat in Ohio's 5th District, which covers 16 counties, primarily in the state's NW corner outside of Toledo. The special election is Dec. 11. Some 52,800 veterans live in the district.

Weirauch was born on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton and grew up in a military family. She said veterans' issues will be a high priority if she is elected to Congress.

"I have always believed we have a moral responsibility to do everything possible to care for our nation's fighting men and women. We've seen too many career politicians such as my opponent makes speeches standing in front of veterans groups. The mark of a real leader is standing behind our veterans when it counts."

Ohio National Guard Training Video: It Explains How Combat Affects Mental Health

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- All 10,400 soldiers in the Ohio National Guard -- along with everyone else who wears an Army uniform -- have been ordered to watch a 30-minute video about combat trauma and mental health. It says that mild traumatic brain injury and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are real injuries that should never be ignored. The video openly says the risk comes from serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The order is below. It is short and to the point. And you can watch the training film yourself (probably worth a half hour of civilian time to see what the troops are facing) by clicking on the link that says "video:"

"Mandatory Training: All units must watch the MTBI and PTSD video from the Battlefield Training System Office...video"

The upbeat officer who introduces the training film is Brig. Gen. Matthew L. Kambic, the Army Guard's top commander in Ohio. After he speaks for about two minutes, the meat of the film unfolds. It's not really dramatic, but it describes what life can be like for a soldier who is dazed and confused.

Kent State Shooting Victim Memorialized: Idiots Say Death Came 37 Years Late

KENT, Ohio -- "Well, he got his wish. He wanted to disappear!"

That's what somebody calling themselves thinblueline posted on a Website about James Russell, a former Kent State University student who was shot May 4, 1970 on the campus during Vietnam War protests. Four died and nine, including Russell, survived wounds from Ohio National Guard gunfire. Russell passed away June 23 in Oregon, but was memorialized at KSU this weekend after classes ended Friday evening. He was a witness during several years of legal proceedings that followed the shootings and was an anti-war activist until the end of his life. [Note: The picture above is from Kent State's files, and was taken the day of the shootings.]

Videos of some of Russell's remarks over the years were played at the memorial ceremony and he said in one:

"I discovered the legal system is not the justice system. It's weird, every time I come here I'm back in 1970."

Thinblueline was full of hate in a comment posted on the Web site of the Kent-Ravenna Record Courier, whose reporter Matthew Fredmonsky covered the ceremony for James Russell. Thinblueline said:

"Blood brother my ass. He wouldn't have been injured if he would have obeyed the law and left the campus when ordered."

Another commenter called DoWhatIsRight was equally scornful.

"I am sick and tired of these troublemakers being treated as some big shot. In my opinion, they went looking for trouble and found it. The true facts of this act was in the Portage County Grand Jury's investigation. The one that the Federal government destroyed."

There are plenty of archival law enforcement records available about the shootings, including these 78 pages of Ohio Highway Patrol reports. The reports include interviews of witnesses at Kent State on the day the National Guard opened fire.

Ohio National Guard: Serbia's President Watches Troops On Maneuvers

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- Serbia's defense ministry has news about Ohio National Guard soldiers who completed a joint mission with that country's paratroopers. A lot of brass was on hand to watch. Not so long ago, U.S. forces and NATO were bombing Serbia during the war led by Gen. Wesley Clark.

Ohio Nat'l Guard: Holding 'Detainees' In Iraq

CLUMBUS (TDB) -- An Ohio National Guard unit serving in Iraq is assigned to Task Force 134, the military command responsible for all detainee operations in that strife-torn nation where daily life is dangerous and chaotic. The Daily Bellwether learned of the assignment after ONG officials disclosed the mission of soldiers assigned to the Army Reserve's 324th Military Police Battalion today. But there was nothing that mentions the exact location of the security facility where they are based.

However, some elements of the 324th are at Camp Cropper, which is near the Baghad airport, and was the detention facility where Saddam Hussein repotedly spent his days in American custody. About 2,000 prisoners are held there now.

A statement sent by the 324th's public affairs officer in Baghdad, 1st Lt. Rob Glenn, said the Ohioans were working alongside guard members from Illinois and New Hampshire. "The primary mission of the unit is security, custody, care and control of the security detainees inside the facility,'' Glenn reported. He did not describe anything in detail, "But here is what we can tell you. It looks like any other detention facility. Concertina wire, concrete, chain link fence, wood and the steely resolve of a guard force . ."

He said the soldiers are cautioned to use appropriate force, receive language training, and have been versed on the Geneva Convention. ''All leaders in the battalion recently conducted a study of the Abu Ghraib scandal and analyzed how a permissive environment was created, which led to the tragic events," Lt. Glenn wrote. "This training is instrumental in insuring such tragic events don't happen again."

ONG officials have posted Glenn's report from Iraq on the state's Web site HERE. Glenn said the soldiers are committed "to doing what is legally and morally right."

Ohio's soldiers are with the 1/124 Infantry. Some men from the unit were rushed to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and rescued trapped refugees inside the SuperDome. I was a newspaper reporter who covered the disaster and ran across the unit at the SuperDome. They were kind, patient and concerned about the people they were sent to help after the terrible storm. Hope all goes well in Iraq.