3rd Wing CO at Elmendorf dies of gunshot wound

[unhappycamper]

Source: Air Force Times

3rd Wing CO at Elmendorf dies of gunshot wound
Staff report
Posted : Monday Jul 28, 2008 10:32:16 EDT

The commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, died Sunday of a gunshot wound at his home on base, the Air Force announced.

Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley was declared dead at approximately 10:30 p.m. local time Sunday by the Elmendorf medical personnel who responded, according to the Air Force press release.

Tinsley had served as the 3rd Wing commander since May 2007.

The incident is under investigation, the press release said, and no further information was immediately available.

Read more: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2008/07/airforce_elmendorf_death_072808w/

[saigon68]

1. You should unload your weapon

Before cleaning it

[tomreedtoon]

2. Unless you intend to fire it while cleaning it.

Okay, as long as we're gossiping about something about which we know absolutely nothing, how are we going to discuss this? Here's some preliminary questions:

1) Suicide, fragging, or early retirement commanded by superior authority?
2) If suicide: the misery of an Alaskan post, despair over the military's decline, cheating on wife/husband, drug use?
3) If fragging, was it by a private, a noncom, or an officer under his command?
4) No matter who did it, who will take the blame, since military courts like to lay the blame on someone obvious, simple and quick? (Private, noncom, officer?)

[sofa king]

3. It's always the lowest-ranking person they can pin it on, no?

As I recall, right now there are a couple of teen-something Rangers sitting in the brig for the Commander in Chief's order to torture Iraqi prisoners.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Go to Anchorage Daily News, it has a much better story

It appears he did commit suicide. Why? I don't know but it does seem very out of place.

[Ian David]

13. We've lost more soldiers to suicide in Bush's war than we have to enemy action.

Bush is our military's worst enemy.

[Thothmes]

15. You have statistical support for that claim?

[Ian David]

16. Yes, I do...

APA: Suicide Among Vets Could 'Trump' Combat Deaths
Topic started by NYC_SKP on Jul-14-08 09:43 PM (15 replies)
Last modified by 1Hippiechick on Jul-15-08 09:18 PM

Please add this to the reasons we have GOT to win this time.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/MeetingCoverage/APA/tb/9345
That's just Iraq/Afghanistan veterans. Among ALL veterans, the suicide rate is 18 PER DAY.


Last November when CBS News exposed an epidemic of more than 6,200 suicides in 2005 among those who had served in the military, Katz attacked our report.

"Their number is not, in fact, an accurate reflection of the rate," he said last November.

But it turns out they were, as Katz admitted in this e-mail, just three days later.

He wrote: there "are about 18 suicides per day among America's 25 million veterans."

That works out to about 6,570 per year, which Katz admits in the same e-mail, "is supported by the CBS numbers."

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/21/cbsnews_investigates/main4032921.shtml


More:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=6501328



See also:


22,000 veterans called suicide hot line
Topic started by Ichingcarpenter on Jul-28-08 07:05 PM (2 replies)
Last modified by hootinholler on Jul-28-08 10:48 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=3413133

In its first year, VA's suicide hot line for veterans receives 55,000 calls
Topic started by LaStrega on Jul-27-08 10:53 PM (3 replies)
Last modified by ladywnch on Jul-28-08 12:15 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=373397

Bush honors moms of recently killed soldiers by playing golf with Poppy to raise money for McCain
Topic started by Amerigo Vespucci on Jul-14-08 03:35 PM (15 replies)
Last modified by 1Hippiechick on Jul-14-08 08:13 PM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=6499809

Iraq Vet Made Famous By Photo Dies Of Drug Overdose
Topic started by ProSense on Jul-07-08 06:46 PM (9 replies)
Last modified by WakeMeUp on Jul-08-08 11:50 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=3577255

'Support the troops" is an American lie. A blind eye on soldiers' suicides
Topic started by DogPoundPup on Jul-05-08 10:07 AM (4 replies)
Last modified by Buzz Clik on Jul-05-08 10:43 AM
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=103&topic_id=369627

[Changenow]

17. Thanks. nt

[SpiralHawk]

19. The shame of being 'commanded' by an AWOL republicon chickenhawk?

And a VP clown war profiteer like Dick Cheney with Five Freaking Military Deferments?

More than a soldier with honor can bear to follow orders from these republicon chickenhawks?

[bdab1973]

21. I don't think he committed suicide...

It's not uncommon for gun owners to die at the hands of their own weapons by accident. This guy didn't fit the profile of someone wanting to commit suicide...a couple people on the staff here had met him before and he was a great person and leader, very motivated, and very good career and home life.

[Ian David]

22. For now, it's a mystery wrapped inside an enigma. n/t

[roguevalley]

14. oh crap. not to be facetious but it has rained every day except for

four since may, huge heavy constant rain most days. Cabin fever suicides and murders happen up here a lot during the winter. Makes you wonder.

[spotbird]

5. Air Force officer (Brig. Gen.) found shot dead in home

Source: AP

WASHINGTON (AP) — The officer who commands the air wing at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska has been found dead at his home.

Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley, commander of the 3rd Wing, died of a gunshot wound Sunday night, the Air Force said.

------------

Brig. Gen. Tinsley, 3rd Wing commander at Elmendorf, dies of gunshot wound
By Jeff Schogol, Stars and Stripes

.....

Tinsley, who became wing commander in May 2007, was pronounced dead at 10:30 p.m. Sunday after medical officials responded to his home on base, an Air Force news release said.

.....

Before becoming wing commander at Elmendorf, he served as executive officer to the Air Force chief of staff. In another previous assignment, he served on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56408


Read more: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jwfHVHeEJlguxBiYCFf2lLqY-H5QD926UI0G0

[panader0]

6. Wow! That's some heavy news. I wonder......

I assume he lived on base, in which case security is pretty tight. I'll be watching this investigation.

[Ian David]

7. Did he know something's coming that we don't? n/t

[Ian David]

8. "a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest"

UPDATE/According to the Anchorage Daily News, the Air Force has confirmed that Tinsley died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the chest. It has not been determined if the shooting was accidental or a suicide.
http://formerspook.blogspot.com/2008/07/death-at-elmendorf.html



Elmendorf general dies of gunshot on base
Air Force: Incident under investigation
By JULIA O'MALLEY | jo'[e-mail]

Published: July 28th, 2008 03:06 PM
Last Modified: July 28th, 2008 03:29 PM

The commander of the 3rd Wing at Elmendorf Air Force died of what is being described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest at his on-base home Sunday night, the Air Force said this afternoon.

The Air Force is investigating and can't say whether the shot that killed Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Tinsley was accidental or a suicide, Col. Richard Walberg said in a press conference.

He did not leave a suicide note.

More:
http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/477369.html

[spotbird]

9. We'll never know. nt

[MetaTrope]

18. Who commits suicide by shooting themselves in the chest?

Not much information about Tinsley out there, except that he seemed to be intimately familiar with General Dynamics

[Ian David]

20. Women are more likely to shoot themselves in the chest than in the face, IIRC.

General Dynamics is the company that made the "Mobile Truck Version" of Air Force One that follows the pResident around in a cargo plane when he travels abroad.

They also make tiny little environmental sensors that can be dropped out of planes like cluster bombs that radio back information about sound, temperature, chemicals in the air, etc.

That is, if I'm thinking of the same company-- the company that used to own Dynatup before they sold it to Instron.

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Dup

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=3690948&mesg_id=3690948

[spotbird]

11. That one wasn't in LBN. nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. I meant, "Link."