Carl Vinson Sailor Stops Attempted Suicide Atop Coronado Bay Bridge

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class (SW/AW) Nicolas Lopez, USS Carl Vinson Public Affairs

CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- A USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) Sailor helped prevent a suicide attempt on the Coronado Bay Bridge, June 19.

Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuel) 1st Class (AW/SW) David Lawrence, Air Department's V4 Division maintenance leading petty officer, first responded to a 60-year-old man's suicide attempt approximately 4 a.m. after pulling over to assist with what he thought would be a flat tire.

Lawrence, on his way to the gym before work, saw the car in front of him slow and pull to the side of the bridge near the bridge's apex.

"I saw he was an older guy and he didn't have his hazard [lights] on, so I didn't want him to get hit - and he was in a black Fiat and it was dark out," Lawrence said. "Most people going over the bridge at that time won't be paying attention; they're just trying to wake up."

However, Lawrence's decision to stop was rooted in his deeply held belief that one's actions have direct consequences, either positive or negative.

"I try to help anybody I can. What comes around goes around - I sincerely believe that," Lawrence said. "Somebody is returning the favors. My health is good. My family's health is all good. [So I take] any opportunity I get to help somebody."

As Lawrence asked the driver if he needed assistance, he watched as the man climbed over the concrete barrier and onto the bridge's ledge.

"I stopped right where I was at," Lawrence said. "I put my hands up where he could see them; I didn't want to make any hasty moves."

Lawrence immediately called upon the training he received while deployed in the Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) program. Lawrence said the information and intervention skills he learned from the two-day workshop helped him that morning.

"Just ACT: ask, care, treat," Lawrence said. "I didn't get to the 'treat' part; the FBI negotiators and cops got that. But I asked the guy."

Lawrence's actions also proved how important how the "care" aspect is as well. When asked by the police if he wanted to leave the scene, Lawrence declined.

"I told the cops that I was the first one talking to him," Lawrence said. "I don't know if this guy got abandoned by someone and so I didn't want him to see me get in my car and leave. So I stayed there the whole time."

For 15 to 20 minutes, Lawrence talked to the man, trying to prevent him from jumping while also flagging passing drivers to call for assistance. Aware of the magnitude of his choice of words, Lawrence said he talked about his experiences in the U.S. Navy.

"My thought was, 'Please don't jump. How am I going to keep this guy from jumping? What can I possibly say that will make him think it's not worth it?'" Lawrence said. "I just talked about everything I did and tried to let him see that there's positive stuff out there."

California Highway Patrol and San Diego Police Officers arrived approximately 20 minutes after Lawrence's initial communication with the man and assumed suicide prevention efforts. FBI agents, California Highway Patrol and San Diego Police Officers successfully talked the man off the ledge and took him into custody shortly before 7 a.m.

Before his morning was over, an FBI agent informed Lawrence the man wished to see him.

"He was just standing there with a jacket on, looked at me and said, 'Thanks,'" Lawrence said. "I said, 'Hey, man, you made the right choice. I'm glad to see you're on this side of the ledge. Have a good day and be safe.'"

Lawrence, a quiet and humble U.S. Navy Sailor, said he feels little difference since Tuesday morning, shrugging off any accolades given him.

"I'd do it again today, if I had to," Lawrence said. "People are saying I'm a hero and thanking me, but I'd like to think if I didn't do it, somebody would have stopped and did it."

Coronado Holds Safety Stand Down

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Spencer Mickler, Naval Base Coronado Public Affairs

SAN DIEGO (NNS) -- Sailors stationed aboard Naval Base Coronado (NBC) attended a holiday safety stand down briefing at the base theatre, Dec. 14.

The holiday safety stand down is an annual event held by the NBC Safety Office to help minimize the risk of potential accidents or injuries during the holidays.

"This event was all about preparing the Sailors and civilians aboard NBC to have a safe holiday," said Ryan Hilliard, NBC safety specialist. "We wanted to raise awareness of holiday hazards like suicide, fires and drunk driving."

The safety stand down marks the beginning of the holiday leave period in which many Sailors travel out of state to be with family and friends.

"We provide tips on safe travel, traffic safety, fire prevention and suicide prevention," said Gwenevere Ray, NBC safety director. "We want everyone to have a safe and happy Christmas."

"The brief was good for everyone, it gives us all an idea of what to expect when leaving the base and going on leave," said Mater-at-Arms 1st Class (EXW/SW/AW) Michael Daley. "We hear things like this from our friends and family, but it's good to hear it come from the chain of command."

The Safety office brought in guest speakers from the California Highway Patrol, Fleet and Family Support Center, Federal Fire, and special guest retired Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt., and actor, R. Lee Ermey.

Ermey, who has acted in the film "Full Metal Jacket," joined as a special guest speaker to encourage Sailors to be safe. After the brief, Ermey stayed to sign autographs and take photos with Sailors.

"It's awesome to have someone who's put on a uniform and served in the military come back and see us after they've become famous," said Daley.

The holiday stand down will continue until after the New Year.

For more information about holiday safety aboard NBC, contact the Safety Office at (619) 545-1049.

Badge of Life

Editor's Note: The information presented on PTSD is applicable to military personnel.

On February 13, 2009, Conversations with Heroes at the Watering Hole will feature a discussion Sergeant Andy O’Hara, California Highway Patrol (ret.), Executive Director of The Badge of Life.

Program Date: February 13, 2009
Program Time: 2100 hours, Pacific
Topic: The Badge of Life
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/02/14/The-Badge-of-Life

About the Badge of Life
According to The Badge of Life, they “are a group of active and retired police officers from the United States and Canada who are victims of trauma-related injuries from our law enforcement service. We have suffered the worst that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) brings—the hopelessness, the despair, the flashbacks, the attempts at suicide, the nightmares and insomnia, the panicky hypervigilence, anxiety and terror. Among us are victims of both critical incident and cumulative PTSD.

Our personal experiences are varied and representative of what occurs in police work—shootings, violent attacks, the loss of fellow officers, near-death experiences, helplessly watching the death of a child, and more. We were drawn together out of a determination to help others avoid our fate. With the help of experts in the field like John Violanti, PhD (author of Police Suicide, Epidemic in Blue and Under the Blue Shadow), Dr. Janak Mehtani, an expert on PTSD and Catherine Leon, LCSW, who has worked extensively with PTSD and law enforcement, we began to set a path.

We found that many departments still lack adequate suicide prevention programs. We found many departments have excellent programs—but limit themselves to suicide awareness and prevention. Our program came after long discussion and research--and the realization that, in the search for complex answers, we were all missing the simple solutions! Thus came about the Badge of Life program--a common sense approach to law enforcement stress and trauma that stunned even us by its utter simplicity.

About the Guest
Sergeant Andy O'Hara, California Highway Patrol (ret.) is a military veteran and the Executive Director of The Badge of Life. According to Sergeant O’Hara, he “spent his last day of law enforcement sitting on the bedroom floor with his gun, trying to decide whether to shoot himself in the mouth or side of the head. Hospitalized twice with the effects of his post traumatic stress, he has written on this topic and spoken to numerous groups about the importance of this new program. Through those presentations, he has realized how well received and effective the message truly is. He is a member of the California Peer Support Association, the International Police Association and works as a peer volunteer with the West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat.

About the Watering Hole
The Watering Hole is police slang for a location cops go off-duty to blow off steam and talk about work and life. Sometimes funny; sometimes serious; but, always interesting.

About the Host
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster was a sworn member of the Los Angeles Police Department for 24 years. He retired in 2003 at the rank of Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor’s from the Union Institute and University in Criminal Justice Management and a Master’s Degree in Public Financial Management from California State University, Fullerton; and, has completed his doctoral course work. Raymond E. Foster has been a part-time lecturer at California State University, Fullerton and Fresno; and is currently a Criminal Justice Department chair, faculty advisor and lecturer with the Union Institute and University. He has experience teaching upper division courses in law enforcement, public policy, law enforcement technology and leadership. Raymond is an experienced author who has published numerous articles in a wide range of venues including magazines such as Government Technology, Mobile Government, Airborne Law Enforcement Magazine, and Police One. He has appeared on the History Channel and radio programs in the United States and Europe as subject matter expert in technological applications in law enforcement.

Listen, call, join us at the Watering Hole.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/LawEnforcement/2009/02/14/The-Badge-of-Life

Program Contact Information
Lieutenant Raymond E. Foster, LAPD (ret.), MPA
editor@police-writers.com
909.599.7530

Defense Logistics Agency Supports Wildfire Relief Effort

American Forces Press Service

Oct. 29, 2007 - In the midst of fires raging in California, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Department's largest combat support agency, has come to the aid of the thousands of evacuees and Marines and sailors supporting wildfire relief efforts by supplying the Federal Emergency Management Agency with meals and other supplies necessary to sustain the evacuees and fight fires.

DLA's Joint Logistics Operations Center is the DLA office responsible for coordinating and monitoring the agency's support to federal and other Defense Department and government agencies. In response to a FEMA tasking, the JLOC and Defense Distribution Center coordinated the shipment of packaged meals from Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin, Calif., to March Air Reserve Base, just north of San Diego near Riverside, Calif.

Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin worked with the California Highway Patrol to coordinate escort assistance to ensure the trucks transporting the meals could quickly and safely get to displaced residents affected by the fires.

"I want to congratulate the warehousing team at (the depot) for their mobility and flexibility to meet the challenge of resources," said the depot's Shipping Division chief, Bob Mahan. "I stand in awe of the folks in shipment planning, truck control and customer service who never thought of getting up from their desks to leave at 3:30 p.m., but hunkered down and got the food rolling to those in need."

Two hundred fourteen active-duty personnel, 72 Defense Department civilians and 2,492 National Guardsmen are engaged in either ground or airborne firefighting or security and relief operations, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.

FEMA requested 42,624 packaged meals on Oct. 23, and the Marine Corps requested seven truckloads of the meals be delivered to Camp Pendleton, Calif. -- totaling 120,000 meals -- and an additional 600 meals went to the Naval Special Warfare Group at San Diego.

DLA also augmented FEMA's National Response Coordination Center with an onsite liaison officer to facilitate DLA support In addition to supporting FEMA, the Joint Logistics Operations Center also coordinated DLA's military support.

Defense Distribution Depot San Joaquin also shipped 200 fire retardant gloves and 200 fire retardant coveralls to Camp Pendleton. Defense Supply Center Philadelphia coordinated the delivery of 200 additional fire retardant coveralls directly from vendors.

"The (packaged meals) will augment local-level efforts to provide subsistence to evacuees," said Marine Lt. Col. Todd Lloyd, the JLOC's operations information management chief. "The fire retardant material will enable the United States Marine Corps to execute its mission in assisting the firefighting efforts.

"DLA stands ready to respond to any request for assistance that is received from FEMA, U.S. Northern Command or the military services" he said. "The JLOC is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until further notice in order to receive, process and support requests for assistance."

DLA provides supply support, and technical and logistics services to the U.S. military services and several federal civilian agencies. With headquarters at Fort Belvoir, Va., the agency is the source for nearly every consumable item, whether for combat readiness, emergency preparedness or day-to-day operations inside the Department of Defense.

(From a Defense Logistics Agency news release.)

Military Books from Servicemembers

Military-Writers.com is a website committed to listing military personnel who have authored books. The website added three former servicemembers who have authored books.

At the age of 14, Jim Wagner began to study his life long pursuit of self-defense by beginning his study of the marital arts. Four years later he joined the United States Army. In 1991 Jim Wagner, sponsored by the Costa Mesa Police Department, entered the police academy (Orange County Sheriff’s Department Training Academy Class 104). Like his military training before, Jim Wagner was deeply influenced by the law enforcement training realistic conflict scenarios.

During his career with the Costa Mesa Police Department, Jim Wagner earned a place on the SWAT team. It was through this conduit that Jim learned about logistics, command post operations, hostage negotiations, entry team tactics, and sniping. On the job training included courses with LAPD SWAT, the U.S. Army Special Forces, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department Tactical Training Center, and from U.S. Marines Division Schools Camp Pendleton (Advanced Sniper Course, Military Operations Urban Terrain, Helicopter Rope Suspension Training, and Range Safety Officer).

While conducting a myriad of courses at Camp Pendleton, both military units and other law enforcement agencies using the base for their own training discovered Jim Wagner’s unique approach to training and his seamless blending of defensive tactics with edged weapons and firearms skills. Before long he was getting offers from the United States Marine Corps, U.S. Marshals Special Operations Group, Department of Defense Police, California Highway Patrol, California Department of Corrections, San Diego Sheriff’s Department, Los Angeles Probation Department, U.S. Border Patrol, Immigration & Naturalization Service, U.S. Navy and U.S. Marines Provost Marshal Office, Drug Enforcement Administration. By 1996 Jim found himself being invited by foreign unit to train in their own countries: GermanGSG9, Brazilian G.A.T.E., Argentinean G.O.E., Royal Canadian Mounted Police, London Metropolitan Police, Helsinki Police Department, and various units in Spain, Mexico, and Israel.

The demand on Jim Wagner’s time was overwhelming and in 1999 he decided to resign from the Costa Mesa Police Department and started teaching full time. Not wanting to fully give up his law enforcement career Jim applied as a Reserve Deputy at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. Jim Wagner is the author of Reality Based Personal Protection.

Designed as a companion book to Jim Wagner’s best-selling instructional DVD series, Reality-Based Personal Protection provides eight detailed chapters. According to the book description, “Reality-Based Personal Protection system covers the complete tactical spectrum of pre-conflict, conflict and post-conflict techniques and training methods for a wide variety of worst-case scenarios. Mastering these tactics will educate you on the dangers of the modern world and how to survive them. This must-have manual covers: knowledge domain and conflict rehearsal; defensive tactics using strikes, threat zones and stopping power; using the ground to your advantage; surviving a knife attack and countering effectively; military techniques and training methods for handgun proficiency; how to protect yourself and others in criminal-assault scenarios; preparing for and surviving terrorist attacks; a special section for women’s self-defense tactics. In this highly-anticipated book, Jim Wagner shares more than three decades of martial arts, police, military and law enforcement training through highly detailed conceptual explanations, charts and captioned photo sequences. Coupled with his personal experience in the field and at some of the world’s most prestigious training facilities, the techniques and tactics of Reality-Based Personal Protection form the basis for the ultimate modern self-defense system.”

Ralph Askew was born in 1937 in Cleveland, Ohio. He spent a total of 10 years in the Ohio National Guard, the California National Guard and the United States Marine Corps where he developed an interest in military history. After graduating from UCLA, he joined the LAPD where he spent most of his patrol time at the Newton Street Patrol Division as a training officer. He retired from the police department after 21 years. He is the author of Battleslave.

According to the book description of Battleslave, “Chrisinda Balderack, a battledroid, was artificially produced in a laboratory solely for the purpose of fighting wars for the Galaxy. The production of battledroids meant that planets associated with the Galaxy did not have to provide the Galaxy with their own men to be killed in a far off war. Very few battleroids ever returned home. Many of the missions the battledroids were sent on were without support. They were trained to kill their wounded to prevent them from falling into enemy hand, and revealing the objective of the mission or slowing down its completion. Battledroids were trained to have no feelings. After meeting a young girl her own age, Chrisinda develops emotions and feeling for her own fellow battledroids and finds that she cannot bring herself to kill her fellow wounded.”

Jerry C. Scott is a 29-year-veteran law enforcement officer. After four years in the U.S. Air Force as an air traffic controller during the beginning years of the Vietnam conflict, stationed in Okinawa, he began his work as a city police officer in the state of Washington, in 1966. He spent a year as a motorcycle cop, walked the beat in the downtown tavern district, worked radar, and performed patrol duties.

After five years he moved to Provo, Utah, in 1977 and took up his profession with the Utah County Sheriff's Office. He moved through the ranks as a patrol deputy, patrol sergeant, lieutenant division commander, and finally operations bureau chief, holding the rank of captain before his retirement in 1995. His many police experiences include being a co-captain and assisting in the organization of the first department SWAT team in 1974. The team members joined the 19th Airborne Special Forces Group with the Utah State National Guard, and they held the distinction of being the only jump-qualified SWAT team in the United States. Jerry Scott’s assignment was sniper and bomb technician. He was a graduate of the Redstone Bomb School in Alabama, and was a member of the International Association of Bomb Technicians and Investigations. He was also an explosive instructor for a number of years at the Utah State Police Academy and Weber State College. As a jail commander during the 80's, he rewrote the Utah State Jail Standards and served on the Utah State Jail Inspection Team.

During all the years of his law enforcement career, nothing was more rewarding and enjoyable than his patrol duty assignments. The excitement of conduction arrests of drug suspects and burglars, and the general assistance to the public in general, are experiences he holds sacred. Jerry C. Scott is the author of Glass Mountain.

According to the book description of Glass Mountain, “true police experiences topple over each other as this fictional narrative unfolds starting with the watts riots, engaging the Mexican mafia, and creating an unforgettable love story. This story involves the real guts of police work.”

Military-Writers.com currently lists 47 current or former military servicemembers and their 95 books.

Three Police Officers Added

Editor's Note: Two of the police officer authors are former U.S. Army.

Police-Writers.com is a website dedicated to listing state and local police officers who have authored books. Police-Writers.com added Alan Caddell, Ralph Landre and Francis Connelly.

Alan Caddell is a Commander with the Santa Ana Police Department. He holds a Master of Arts in Education from Pepperdine University and is a graduate of the POST Master Instructor Development Program. A trainer for over 15 years, Alan has extensive experience and expertise in the area of instruction design and technology. Alan has taught advanced PowerPoint and on-line training for POST and other law enforcement presenters and is currently teaching a variety of programs.

Alan Caddell is the Co-author of Crime Scene Investigation. According to the book description, “Focusing on the basics of crime scene investigation as it should be done by professionals, this book shows how to do a perfect job; its emphasis is on proven evidence, collection, and analysis. It provides a high level of relevant and realistic information needed to process crime scenes in today's environment. Generously illustrated with photographs, the book clearly demonstrates techniques used by field and lab personnel to preserve, process, and analyze a wide variety of evidence. Career profiles of working professionals in the field and actual case histories document how crime scene investigation is successfully used to solve crimes. For professionals in a variety of forensic science fields, including firearms examiners, fingerprint examiners, serologists, toxicologists, photographers, journalists, crime scene investigators, and others in the field of law and law enforcement.”

According to one reader/reviewer, “As a former police reserve officer, I spent years requesting CSI with little understanding of just what they do. This book goes well beyond lifting fingerprints and other routine tasks that police officers are typically limited to. I now have a better awareness of the capabilities of CSI and considerations about how to protect a scene and how CSI can be used to investigate certain crimes. I also have a greater appreciation for CSI personnel and the difficult job they have. I liked the book and believe it would be helpful to anyone in law enforcement.”

Ralph W. Landre, Jr., has published several articles in The California Highway Patrolman magazine, including: “The Day Fresno Burned,” “Motorcycle Theft Rings,” “Training Pays Off.” The U.S. Army has published his police training bulletins at training centers in Santa Cruz, San Jose and during Annual Active Duty training with the Military Police at Camp Roberts and Fort Ord, California. The bulletins focused on preservation of evidence at crime scenes and interrogations and interviews of suspects and witnesses. He served as temporary Chief of Police for the new city of Capitola and at the same time was deputized by the Santa Cruz Sheriff's Office due to the police district the newly formed city was geographically located in. He then served as patrolman for the Santa Cruz PD before serving on the California Highway Patrol for over 29 years, retiring as a sergeant.

Ralph Landre is the author of The Broken Center-Line. Ralph Landre’s book is a memoir of the “incidents occurring to a California Highway Patrol officer during approximately 30 years of traffic law enforcement while following The Broken Center-line around and over highways and freeways in different parts of our great state of California. This is somewhat like following the yellow brick road through the Land of OZ.”

In 1955, after serving in Korea with the U.S. Army, Francis J Connelly joined the New York Police Department. He worked a variety of assignment on NYPD and retired in 1975 as a lieutenant. He is the author of two books: By Reason of Childhood; and, the sequel, Beyond By Reason of Childhood.

According to the book description, “Beyond by Reason of Childhood begins with Connelly en route to the U.S. Army induction center on Whitehall Street. From there, it’s merely a series of hops, skips, and jumps to Fort Dix, New Jersey, for basic training; Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, for Morse Code Intercept Operator training; and on to the mountains, valleys, and rice paddies of South Korea. Fourteen months later, after an honorable discharge from the military, Frank meets Anne Marie Fleming. The couple marries, and, as time slips away, they find themselves being compared to a five-and-dime (for their five children and ten grandchildren).

Along the way, Francis Connelly works at various jobs: hauling cable for Western Electric, growing hair for Wybrandt Hair and Scalp Specialists, and spending twenty years on the New York Police Department. Near the end of his career in law enforcement, mental and physical difficulties and the debilitating effects of hypoglycemia take their toll on Connelly. Will his story have a happy ending?”

Police-Writers.com now hosts 539 police officers (representing 220 police departments) and their 1147 books in six categories, there are also listings of United States federal law enforcement employees turned authors, international police officers who have written books and civilian police personnel who have written books.