Off the Base is a weekly news series featuring the stories - the successes and the struggles - of veterans, active-duty military and their families in the Tampa Bay area.
1- (Sept. 19, 2014) - Army Ranger Cory Remsburg returns each year to James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa to show the staff his progress. He was severely injured in 2009 and spent two years recovering at Haley’s Polytrauma Center.
2- (Oct. 10, 2014) - The U.S. military passed a tragic milestone in 2012: more active-duty service members died by suicide, than in combat. A loved one who returns from the battlefield only to die by suicide can leave a family with complex feelings like anger and guilt. TAPS, the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, developed a program specifically for military family survivors of suicide.
3- (June 20, 2014) - U.S. Rep. David Jolly (R-FL) asked for and got an earful from local veterans this week. He invited them to his office in Seminole where they shared stories of their experiences within the VA health care system. The veterans were offered immediate assistance from Jolly’s staff, VA representatives and volunteers from veteran service organizations.
4- (Sept. 26, 2014) - Moving from military to civilian life is not always easy. Ted "Gunny" Weiser, a 20 year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, has become the touchstone for those transitioning veterans at Saint Leo University where he’s now interim director of Veteran Student Services.
5- (June 6, 2014) - There will be many tributes and memorial services over the next week to mark the 70th anniversary of D-Day. Among those marking the historic battle will be 31 young voices from Pinellas County. Their East Lake High School choir was invited to travel to France to sing as part of the commemoration.
