Free Republic

An Iraqi doctor encouraged security officers at Brooke Army Medical Center to shoot him earlier this month after telling others that he planned to free accused Fort Hood shooter Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, a federal agent testified Monday. FBI counterterrorism and military intelligence operatives took a hard look at Senan Kahtan Abrahem after he went to Fort Sam Houston on Jan. 6 and approached an information booth at BAMC about seeing Hasan, according to testimony at a bail hearing Monday for Abrahem. Abrahem, an immigrant living in San Antonio, was indicted last week on a federal charge of making a...

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, July 11, 2008 – Years of preparation by U.S. Army South, Brooke Army Medical Center, Northrop Grumman Corp. and family members finally came to fruition on the night of July 2 when three American civilian contractors set foot in San Antonio. Former hostage Marc Gonsalves hugs his daughter, Destiny, during July 7, 2008, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. U.S. Army photo  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell, who were held captive for five and half years in a Colombian jungle, were escorted to Brooke Army...

Scientist at Work | John Holcomb SAN ANTONIO — Since the war in Iraq began, Col. John Holcomb has been working to change the way the military takes care of its wounded. Along the way he has suffered a few dings himself. A tall medical doctor with a Southern lilt and close-cropped gray hair, Colonel Holcomb, 48, has spent his entire 27-year career in the Army, earning a reputation as one of the military’s top trauma surgeons. Since 2001, he has headed the Army’s Institute of Surgical Research, based on the campus of the Brooke Army Medical Center here. Under...

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, March 2, 2007 – A handful of wounded warriors recovering at Brooke Army Medical Center here are getting a taste of home -- minus the neck-wrenching skyscrapers and taxi-filled city streets. Wounded warrior Marine Sgt. Rocky Ramirez, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., checks out the chocolate apple that represents his Big Apple home as he unloads his culinary bounty Feb. 23 at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. The food shipment is part of a weeklong project to bring a taste of home to New York natives recovering at the hospital. Photo by Elaine...

THE PRESIDENT: Happy New Year to you all. Thanks. I can't think of a better way to start 2006 then here at this fantastic hospital -- a hospital that's full of healers and compassionate people who care deeply about our men and women in uniform. It's also full of courageous young soldiers, Marines, airmen -- men and women who are serving our country and making great sacrifice. I'm just overwhelmed by the great strength of character of not only those who have been wounded, but of their loved ones, as well. And so, thank you all for bringing great credit...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1, 2006 – President Bush visited Brooke Army Medical Center, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, today to wish wounded troops undergoing treatment there a happy new year, thank them for their sacrifice, and present nine Purple Heart Medals. "I can't think of a better way to start 2006 than here at this fantastic hospital," Bush told reporters during a stop at the San Antonio post, where he met with 51 soldiers and Marines, most of them injured in Iraq. "This hospital is full of healers and compassionate people who care deeply about our men and women in uniform,"...

President Bush yesterday defined as "limited" a once-secret program to intercept al Qaeda-linked calls to and from the United States, saying, "This is a limited program designed to prevent attacks on the United States of America, and I repeat -- limited," Mr. Bush told reporters after visiting wounded troops at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. "It seems logical to me that if we know there's a phone number associated with al Qaeda or an al Qaeda affiliate, and they're making phone calls, it makes sense to find out why," he said. Mr. Bush repeated his view that a...

"This is a limited program designed to prevent attacks on the United States of America, and I repeat limited," Bush said before flying back to Washington... "If someone from al-Queada is calling you, we'd like to know why."

SAN ANTONIO — President Bush today strongly defended his domestic spying program, saying it's a limited initiative that tracks only incoming calls to the United States. "It's seems logical to me that if we know there's a phone number associated with al-Qaida or an al-Qaida affiliate and they're making phone calls, it makes sense to find out why," Bush said. "They attacked us before, they'll attack us again." Bush spoke to reporters at Brooke Army Medical Center where he was visiting wounded troops. He said the leak of information about the secret order to eavesdrop on Americans with suspected ties...

PRESIDENTIAL NEWS OF THE DAY: Accompanied by their daughter Barbara, the first couple and the pets arrived safely back at the White House earlier today. Before leaving Texas, the President began the new year on Sunday at the bedsides of wounded servicemen and women, and awarded nine Purple Hearts to U.S. troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. The president boarded the Marine One presidential helicopter before dawn on his ranch in Crawford and flew more than an hour to Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. His motorcade drove to Brooke Army Medical Center, a 224-bed hospital at...

CRAWFORD, Texas — For six days, President Bush has stayed in nearly complete isolation on his ranch here — just mountain-biking and brush-clearing, the White House insisted daily, and seeing only one visitor, his mother-in-law, Jenna Welch. He never even ventured into this little town of 600, not even to the cheeseburger joint that he often uses as a political tool to show that he is in touch with his neighbors. But on New Year's Day, after a brief stop at an Army hospital in San Antonio to visit wounded soldiers, Bush is scheduled to return to the White House...

President Bush Defends Domestic Spying Program, Claims Leak Causes Great Harm to U.S. SAN ANTONIO - President Bush on Sunday strongly defended his domestic spying program, saying it's a limited program that tracks only incoming calls to the United States. Bush spoke to reporters at Brooke Army Medical Center where he was visiting wounded troops. He said the fact that someone leaked information about the secret order to eavesdrop on Americans with suspected ties to terrorists causes great harm to the nation. "It's seems logical to me that if we know there's a phone number associated with al-Qaida or an...

CRAWFORD, Texas — President Bush plans to begin 2006 by visiting wounded troops at an Army medical center in Texas on New Year's Day. Bush will stop at Brooke Army Medical Center on Sunday on his way back to Washington from a weeklong stay at his Texas ranch, said White House spokesman Trent Duffy. Most of the soldiers he will see were injured in Iraq, Duffy said. During his holiday stay, the Crawford chapter of Veterans for Peace is organizing small demonstrations near Bush's ranch. The group wrote a letter to the president on Christmas Eve, asking him to limit...

Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brook Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC) the other day. This is where soldiers that have been evacuated from Germany come to be hospitalized in the States, especially burn victims. They have buildings there called Fisher Houses. The Fisher House is a hotel where soldiers' families can stay, for little or no charge, while their soldier is staying in the hospital. BAMC has quite a few of these houses on base but as you can imagine, they are almost completely filled most of the time. . . . ....

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, Sept. 19, 2005 – NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson scored a slam dunk with wounded servicemembers during a visit to Brooke Army Medical Center Sept. 10, thanking them for their numerous sacrifices, courage and dedication. Johnson visited patients in the BAMC Burn Center and the Amputee Care Center.Wounded warriors being treated at BAMC brought their families in to visit with Johnson. He autographed basketballs, rookie cards and photos while laughing and joking with the servicemembers. Even as time ran short, he left no basketball unsigned. “It really boosts our morale to see someone who is willing...

Through the old soldier grapevine, my father received the following bit of information. He thought I would like it, and as I don't recall it being posted on any news site I thought y'all would like it as well: --- Sent: Saturday, 04 June 2005 9:24pm Subject: Fw: NEEDS WIDE DISTRIBUTION Forwarded in the hopes that you all will give this info maximum distribution.... Suject: Denzel Washington Subject: Brooks Army Medical Center Don't know whether you heard about this, but Denzel Washington and his family visited the troops at Brooks Army Medical Center, in San Antonio, Texas (BAMC) the other...

America marked its one-year anniversary since coalition troops went to war with Iraq Friday. At Brooke Army Medical Center, many injured soldiers were reflecting on a year that brought many changes. Specialist Jose Martinez is not a doctor but every day, he arrives at BAMC to make unofficial rounds. “When I was over there, never thought I’d be doing the things I’m doing today at all, that's how life changes,” Martinez said. Martinez is only 20-years-old, as a warrior, he was one of thousands who stood on the front lines of war exactly a year ago. “A lot went through...