Tagged: military

 Photographing Midway Island
Seattle-based photographer Chris Jordan has traveled around the world to document mass consumption and the waste that results from it. His most recent work is focused on Midway Island, an atoll thousands of miles from the nearest land mass. Jordan documented the impact of ocean detritus on Midway’s native albatross species. The result is Jordan’s first film, to be released later this year. But “Midway” is about more than birds.  How did this work affect the photographer himself?

Understanding Post Traumatic Stress And Traumatic Brain Injuries
There are many invisible wounds soldiers in combat face. Thirty-six percent of soldiers have traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress as a result of their time in the military. General Peter Chiarelli retired from his position as Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army after serving as a combat commander in Iraq for two tours. He is now the CEO of One Mind for Research, where he works to get rid of the stigma service members and veterans face when they seek assistance for PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

How The World Is Responding To Syria
The US and Russia have agreed to convene an international conference to discuss ways of diplomatically settling the ongoing conflict in Syria. Dr. Steven Cook, senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, discusses the implications of this conference and how the international community should be intervening in the crisis.
 
Sexual Assault In The Military  
The Pentagon has released a report on sexual assault in the military. It estimates that 26,000 military members were sexually assaulted in 2012, a large increase from the previous year. The report comes out just as Sen. Patty Murray and Sen. Kelly Ayotte argued for a bill that would work to reduce sexual assaults and help victims of the crime. Sen. Patty Murray and KUOW’s Patricia Murphy explain the new bill and the Pentagon's study.   

The Effects Of Blast Injuries On Hormone Levels In Veterans
A new study suggests that people with blast injuries are more likely to have irregular hormone levels. The hormone imbalance can lead to PTSD-like symptoms, depression and physical symptoms that raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. University of Washington professor Charles Wilkinson studied the hormone levels in veterans who had suffered from concussions caused by blast injuries.

Basketball Diplomacy
NBA Hall of Famer Dennis Rodman is using his friendship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un to ask for the release of Kenneth Bae, the Lynnwood man sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for "hostile acts" against the government. Rodman took to Twitter on Tuesday to ask Kim to “do me a solid and cut Kenneth Bae loose.” We talk with Seattle Times editorial writer Thanh Tan, who first urged Rodman via social media to approach his “lifelong friend” on Bae’s behalf.

The latest report on military sexual assault from the Department of Defense shows a sharp increase in assaults from previous years.  For fiscal 2011, the military estimated there were 19,000 cases of sexual assault, while 3,192 cases were reported. In fiscal 2012, the estimate spiked to 26,000 cases, with just 3,374 cases reported. The estimates are based on surveys given by the DoD to military service members.