Fort Ann, NY, May 29, 2009 — The top soldier in New York state is facing new questions and new scrutiny following his nomination by President Obama to head the Army National Guard. Major General Joseph Taluto, who lives in Fort Ann in Washington County, had been expected to win easy confirmation by the U.S. Senate. But now the widow of one of his officers killed in Iraq says General Taluto mishandled discipline and morale during a deployment in 2005. Brian Mann reports.  Go to full article

Canton, NY, May 26, 2009 — Across the North Country, parades and ceremonies remembered the sacrifices of America's soldiers on Memorial Day. In Canton, veterans of World War 2, and the wars in Korea, Vietnam, and Iraq and Afghanistan marched together down Main Street to the village green. David Sommerstein was there for today's Heard Up North.  Go to full article

Fort Drum, NY, Apr 07, 2009 — Senator Kirsten Gillibrand focused on the wellness of soldiers and their families at Fort Drum yesterday. It was the Democrat's first visit to the Army base near Watertown. Gillibrand praised Fort Drum's role in protecting the country and revitalizing the local economy. But she said soldiers need more downtime and more mental health resources. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Feb 11, 2009 — Last year, Fort Drum began posting the names and photos of soldiers who were arrested for drunk driving while intoxicated in the post newspaper. The unusual step was taken by Drum's commanding general when he was alerted to high DWI rates among his soldiers. Today, Major General Michael Oates says the situation has not improved. He's taken another unusual step: asking his troops for answers on his blog. Martha Foley and David Sommerstein revisit this story for our series, Story 2.0.  Go to full article

Feb 09, 2009 — Last week, the U.S. Army announced 2008 saw the highest soldier suicide rate on record. Now, the news is even worse. The Army believes 24 more soldiers committed suicide just last month, six times the number from January 2008. One Army official told CNN, "this is terrifying, we do not know what's going on." Inside the Army and out, experts agree back-to-back deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are taking a devastating toll on mental health among soldiers. The Army has been trying to catch up on treating post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. Tom Tarantino says it's still not enough. Tarantino is an Iraq veteran and is a policy associate for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. The group was lobbying Capitol Hill last week for more mental health care for veterans. Tarantino told David Sommerstein there is still a stubborn stigma among soldiers attached with seeking help.  Go to full article

Dec 24, 2008 — The ongoing pace of wartime deployments are forcing some families at Fort Drum to get creative. Single parents can send their children back home to grandparents or other relatives when called to duty. But sometimes their children don't want to leave their friends and schools around Fort Drum. Today we have a second story of military kids living in the North Country while their parents fight in a war zone. K'Wuan Allen's mother and father are in Iraq. To get by, he relies on the discipline of sports, close friends, and a dose of faith. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Dec 23, 2008 — Fort Drum's 3rd brigade begins deploying to Afghanistan next week. Almost 5,000 soldiers will spend a year protecting the area south of the capital, Kabul, and the mountainous border region with Pakistan. The 10th Mountain Division troops are the first of a surge in U.S. forces in Afghanistan. Life can be tough for any family when one adult deploys to a war zone. But what happens when both mom and dad go at the same time? Generally, the children stay with grandparents or other relatives. But some families have to get creative. David Sommerstein has the first of two profiles of families based at Fort Drum.  Go to full article

Dec 22, 2008 — Governor David Paterson paid a holiday visit to U.S. troops in Iraq yesterday. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Nov 21, 2008 — President-elect Barack Obama says he'll close Guantanamo Bay, ban torture, and begin a withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from Iraq. Peace and social justice activist Martha Swan, from Westport, says she welcomes those moves. But as part of our series, "A Fresh Start," Swan told Brian Mann that Obama should think much bigger about changing America's role in the world and our relationship with other countries.  Go to full article

Oct 22, 2008 — In this election season, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have often been eclipsed by the sagging economy. But national security took center stage last night when Congressman John McHugh and challenger Mike Oot met for a debate in Plattsburgh, hosted by Mountain Lake PBS. The pair clashed repeatedly over the war's future, treatment of returning soldiers, and civil liberties. Brian Mann has our story.

NOTE: Last night's debate was hosted by Mountain Lake PBS. It will air in its entirety on October 30 at 8 pm.  Go to full article