Carefree Truth
Issue #530, November 21, 2016
Ted Dimon introduced Brigadier General Richard Gregg Maxon who retired in 2008, culminating military and state service careers as the Director of the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services. Appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano, he assumed duties as the Director on March 28, 2007.
Gen. Maxon enlisted in the Army in May 1972 serving as a linguist for the Army Security Agency. Separating from active duty in July 1975, he attended Arizona State University where he earned Bachelor of Science, Master of Business Administration, and Juris Doctor degrees.
In October 1980, he re-entered active duty as a Judge Advocate with the U.S. Navy. He joined the Arizona Army National Guard as a Judge Advocate in August 1984. In June, 1999, he was appointed as the Assistant Adjutant General and promoted to Brigadier General on December 12, 2000. He retired from military service on July 9, 2007.
Gen. Maxon is accredited to practice before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice before the U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He serves as a Judge on the Arizona Court of Military Appeals and currently serves as a Judge Pro Tem in the Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler Municipal Courts. He presides over the Mesa and East Valley Regional Veterans Treatment Courts. Gen. Maxon is a 2011 inductee into the Arizona Veteran’s Hall Of Fame.
He is married to the former Janine Elizabeth Lucas. They have two sons, Major Bradley Maxon, US Air Force and Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Maxon, Kansas Air National Guard.
Gen. Maxon related the story of a judge in Boston who noticed a lot of veterans appearing in his criminal court. He found that many had recently returned from duty in Afghanistan or Iraq, and were struggling to reintegrate into civilian society. Charges tended to involve domestic violence, assaults, and bar fights involving alcohol and/or drugs. This inspired the formation of Veterans' Treatment Courts, which still held criminal behavior accountable, but got the veterans into treatment programs rather than the traditional punishments of jail or community service sentences.
Many of these veterans had performed honorable service but had witnessed horrific scenes and suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries, and many other issues. They had difficulty holding jobs, their divorce rate is much higher than that of the general populous, and their self esteem is low. The Veterans' Treatment Courts, while holding them accountable, get them into the appropriate treatment programs, work with them to find jobs and safe housing, and help them reconnect with their families. These men and women richly deserve their rightful place in the community but "they got off the rails a bit".
In 2009, Judge Mike Pollard, a former Marine, heard about the program Judge Russell started in Boston and began a Veterans' Court in Tucson. The Court hears cases from 5 different cities in the Tucson area and sees about 450 veterans a day. Phoenix began a Veterans' Treatment Court in August of 2012, and within 18 months it became the largest one in the country, with over 600 veterans.
In September of 2014, Tempe started a Veterans' Court and 6 months later Mesa followed suit. About 250 veterans were getting services. 1-1/2 years ago, many other cities wanted to start Veterans' Courts. The main partner is the Veterans' Administration (VA). Veterans have unique issues, but they also have unique benefits and resources available. It was difficult to service courts all over the East Valley, so the East Valley Regional Veterans' Court was established. The Court has been hearing cases for the past 2 months, but November 9th was the official kick off ceremony. The Court includes Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, and the Carefree/Cave Creek Consolidated Court. Approximately 150 veteran's are currently being serviced by the East Valley Court.
Originally most of the veterans being seen in these courts were from the Vietnam era, but now they are starting to see younger men and women. The General said it is not unusual for him to see a 24 year old on the 2nd DUI charge, who has had 5 different jobs and been cut off by the family. It hurts him to see this. These veterans are placed into mental health clinics at the VA Hospital for substance abuse, anger management, and a number of other issues. These programs have worked wonders. Without the partnerships with the VA and with local community service providers, many of these veterans would probably just go to court, get fined and/or go to jail, then go back onto the streets to repeat the cycle over and over. Judge Pollard has a 14% recidivism rate, compared to a 50-60% rate in most courts. Veterans leave the program with jobs and housing, and the criminal charges are often dropped or reduced to have a less negative impact. The most common comment Gen. Maxon gets as a judge is that the veteran has never been in a court before where he or she was treated with respect.
Veterans are trained from the beginning of their service to "drive on, suck it up, get the job done". The don't complain or ask for help, so have trouble admitting they need help. When in a group with other veterans, they see "It's not just me", and can be more open. The General feels privileged to be a judge in this court and feels like he's back with the troops again.
General Maxon worked in the Phoenix Veterans' Court as a Public Defender before going over to become a judge in the Veterans' Court. 4 years ago, he represented a retired Marine Corps. Sgt. Major who was stopped for a DUI. He was backing out of his garage and hit the side of it. He never even got out of his driveway. His neighbors called the police, who came and stopped him. There were 5 Marines to see the judge that day. When they were told the Sgt. Major had fought in the Pacific during WWII, they gave him a standing ovation. The other young defendants followed suit. To them, he was a rock star. He and his wife stopped drinking that day, and came back to work in the Court with the young veterans, and to inspire them, veterans helping veterans.
The goal of the Veterans' Courts is to get them through the hard times to become community assets. Most do great. Gen. Maxon thanked Mayor Les Peterson for joining the East Valley Veterans' Court and showing confidence in the system. He cherishes his work with the young veterans who gave selfless service. Many don't believe they deserve the privileges and breaks they get, but they have earned them. He thanked Carefree for inviting him to speak about the Court program.
https://vimeo.com/192043546
Next, Mr. Dimon introduced Col. Jeanne J. Blaes of the Association of the United States Army. Colonel Blaes is a 1977 ROTC graduate of Upper Iowa University and Allen Memorial Hospital School of Technology with a Bachelors of Science in Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Technology. She holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College (2000), and a PhD in Public Administration from North Central University (2008).
Col. Blaes served on Active Duty as a Medical Service Corps. Health Services Material Officer with the 68th MED Group in Germany from 1980-83. As a U.S. Army Reserve Officer, she held Health Services Material Officer positions with the 73D Field Hospital in Georgia, the 1207th U.S. Army Hospital in Alabama, the 322nd General Hospital in New Jersey, and was an Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
In October 1991, Col. Blaes joined the AZ Army National Guard as a full-time federal civil servant and staff officer. Between 1991 and 2007, Col. Blaes held positions of increasing responsibility in both medical and logistics units and Commands, which culminated in her being assigned as the first female Chief of Staff for the AZ Army National Guard. Her last medical assignment was as the Commander for the AZ Medical Command. Col. Blaes retired in 2007 and is credited with 20 years of federal civil service and 30 years of military service.
Col. Blaes’ military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Achievement Medal.
Following military retirement in 2007, Col. Blaes was employed as a State of AZ employee, holding the position of Deputy Construction and Facilities Management Officer for the AZ Army National Guard. She retired from this position in September 2015. Dr. Blaes has been the President of the AZ Territorial Chapter of the Association of the US Army (AUSA) for the past 3 years, and is a Class of 2016 inductee into the AZ Veterans Hall of Fame.
Col. Blaes wished the veterans in the audience a happy Veteran's Day and thanked them for their service. She also thanked their families, who have their own stress factors when spouses and parents deploy. She relayed that Col. Gene Raffinelli, who usually speaks for the AUSA at this event, underwent surgery the day before to remove a maligant tumor in his brain. He is recovering, and the prayers of many are with him.
AUSA has many chapters. Col. Blaes was present to represent the Arizona Territorial Chapter, with about 850 members. It covers quite a large area, and has sister Chapters in Tucson and Sierra Vista. AUSA is the voice of soldiers on Capital Hill. When in uniform, soldiers may not speak or have political opinions. They do as they are told. With the reduction in recent years in funding to the National Defense Bill, the benefits for soldiers have decreased. The AZ Territorial Chapter was honored at the National Convention for the Army with the Best Chapter Award.
AUSA also supports ROTC units in the local area. They support the battalions at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and Grand Canyon University, as well as the Junior ROTC high school programs. They will be sponsoring an All Service event on November 22. Recruiters and the military academies, such as West Point and the Naval Academy will be there. They will be instructing JR ROTC participants on how to become officers and to improve their military careers. Materials on that event and on PTSD were available at their table at the back of the amphitheater or you can visit their website at www.ausa.org. Many benefits are available. Col. Blaes again thanked Carefree and thanked the veterans for their service, wishing them a happy Veteran's Day.
https://vimeo.com/192076744
Mr. Dimon introduced Susan Haines, representing Packages from Home and AZ Stand Down. Susan Haines’ support of our service personnel spans more than 25 years. During Operation Desert Storm / Shield she began supporting our military personnel in Hong Kong in 1990 where she volunteered at the Serviceman's Guide, the British version of the USO. Many US servicemen passed through Hong Kong on their way to the Persian Gulf. Ms. Haines assisted them with general information about Hong Kong. During her stay in China, she hosted service personnel in her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. From 2004 to 2006 while living near the Great Lakes Naval Station, Susan volunteered with the USO and worked hospitality for troop deployment ceremonies around the Chicago area.
After retiring from American Airlines and moving to Phoenix, Ms. Haines started with Packages From Home in 2007. She served on the Board of Directors from 2010-2012 and served as the Donations Drop Site Coordinator for metro Phoenix until early 2016. Most recently, she volunteered for the AZ Stand Down. Each year at the Arizona Memorial Stadium, AZ Stand Down provides services to our homeless veterans with access to doctors, dentists, barbers, and cell phone operators and also provides used clothing and hygiene items . Many of those hygiene items are donated to the Stand Down by Packages For Hope, Packages From Home’s sister charity.
Ms. Haines thanked the veterans with gratitude for their service. In 2007, Packages from Home was a small organization dedicated to sending packages to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. It began as a labor of love by Cathleen Lewis, whose son was deployed in Iraq in 2004. When she discovered that no one else in his squad was getting any boxes, she started sending packages to them too. The word got out, so Packages from Home shipped boxes to those who added their names to the list. It grew and grew, so in 2005, they applied for and acquired a non-profit status. Packages from Home is approved by the Department of Defense. Since security is an issue, Packages from Home wanted to be sure everything going into the packages was cleared. America Supports You also supports Packages from Home.
Ms. Haines thanked Laurie Stein, with Discount Tires, for the Discount Tires grant that provided the seed money to start Packages of Hope, which helps homeless veterans in the Phoenix area. They are grateful for Discount Tires' generous donation. It's a great organization that has done a lot of good around the community.
A new offshoot organization called Bones for Packages sends boxes for the service dogs in Afghanistan and Iraq who have saved so many lives. They are deserving recipients. But the true focus remains on the service men and women. More information was available their table in the amphitheater or on their website www.packagesfromhome.org. She again thanked the veterans.
https://vimeo.com/192154705
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list. Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.
Issue #530, November 21, 2016
Ted Dimon introduced Brigadier General Richard Gregg Maxon who retired in 2008, culminating military and state service careers as the Director of the Arizona Department of Veterans’ Services. Appointed by Governor Janet Napolitano, he assumed duties as the Director on March 28, 2007.
Gen. Maxon enlisted in the Army in May 1972 serving as a linguist for the Army Security Agency. Separating from active duty in July 1975, he attended Arizona State University where he earned Bachelor of Science, Master of Business Administration, and Juris Doctor degrees.
In October 1980, he re-entered active duty as a Judge Advocate with the U.S. Navy. He joined the Arizona Army National Guard as a Judge Advocate in August 1984. In June, 1999, he was appointed as the Assistant Adjutant General and promoted to Brigadier General on December 12, 2000. He retired from military service on July 9, 2007.
Gen. Maxon is accredited to practice before the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and is admitted to practice before the U. S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. He serves as a Judge on the Arizona Court of Military Appeals and currently serves as a Judge Pro Tem in the Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert and Chandler Municipal Courts. He presides over the Mesa and East Valley Regional Veterans Treatment Courts. Gen. Maxon is a 2011 inductee into the Arizona Veteran’s Hall Of Fame.
He is married to the former Janine Elizabeth Lucas. They have two sons, Major Bradley Maxon, US Air Force and Staff Sergeant Jeffrey Maxon, Kansas Air National Guard.
Gen. Maxon related the story of a judge in Boston who noticed a lot of veterans appearing in his criminal court. He found that many had recently returned from duty in Afghanistan or Iraq, and were struggling to reintegrate into civilian society. Charges tended to involve domestic violence, assaults, and bar fights involving alcohol and/or drugs. This inspired the formation of Veterans' Treatment Courts, which still held criminal behavior accountable, but got the veterans into treatment programs rather than the traditional punishments of jail or community service sentences.
Many of these veterans had performed honorable service but had witnessed horrific scenes and suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injuries, and many other issues. They had difficulty holding jobs, their divorce rate is much higher than that of the general populous, and their self esteem is low. The Veterans' Treatment Courts, while holding them accountable, get them into the appropriate treatment programs, work with them to find jobs and safe housing, and help them reconnect with their families. These men and women richly deserve their rightful place in the community but "they got off the rails a bit".
In 2009, Judge Mike Pollard, a former Marine, heard about the program Judge Russell started in Boston and began a Veterans' Court in Tucson. The Court hears cases from 5 different cities in the Tucson area and sees about 450 veterans a day. Phoenix began a Veterans' Treatment Court in August of 2012, and within 18 months it became the largest one in the country, with over 600 veterans.
In September of 2014, Tempe started a Veterans' Court and 6 months later Mesa followed suit. About 250 veterans were getting services. 1-1/2 years ago, many other cities wanted to start Veterans' Courts. The main partner is the Veterans' Administration (VA). Veterans have unique issues, but they also have unique benefits and resources available. It was difficult to service courts all over the East Valley, so the East Valley Regional Veterans' Court was established. The Court has been hearing cases for the past 2 months, but November 9th was the official kick off ceremony. The Court includes Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, and the Carefree/Cave Creek Consolidated Court. Approximately 150 veteran's are currently being serviced by the East Valley Court.
Originally most of the veterans being seen in these courts were from the Vietnam era, but now they are starting to see younger men and women. The General said it is not unusual for him to see a 24 year old on the 2nd DUI charge, who has had 5 different jobs and been cut off by the family. It hurts him to see this. These veterans are placed into mental health clinics at the VA Hospital for substance abuse, anger management, and a number of other issues. These programs have worked wonders. Without the partnerships with the VA and with local community service providers, many of these veterans would probably just go to court, get fined and/or go to jail, then go back onto the streets to repeat the cycle over and over. Judge Pollard has a 14% recidivism rate, compared to a 50-60% rate in most courts. Veterans leave the program with jobs and housing, and the criminal charges are often dropped or reduced to have a less negative impact. The most common comment Gen. Maxon gets as a judge is that the veteran has never been in a court before where he or she was treated with respect.
Veterans are trained from the beginning of their service to "drive on, suck it up, get the job done". The don't complain or ask for help, so have trouble admitting they need help. When in a group with other veterans, they see "It's not just me", and can be more open. The General feels privileged to be a judge in this court and feels like he's back with the troops again.
General Maxon worked in the Phoenix Veterans' Court as a Public Defender before going over to become a judge in the Veterans' Court. 4 years ago, he represented a retired Marine Corps. Sgt. Major who was stopped for a DUI. He was backing out of his garage and hit the side of it. He never even got out of his driveway. His neighbors called the police, who came and stopped him. There were 5 Marines to see the judge that day. When they were told the Sgt. Major had fought in the Pacific during WWII, they gave him a standing ovation. The other young defendants followed suit. To them, he was a rock star. He and his wife stopped drinking that day, and came back to work in the Court with the young veterans, and to inspire them, veterans helping veterans.
The goal of the Veterans' Courts is to get them through the hard times to become community assets. Most do great. Gen. Maxon thanked Mayor Les Peterson for joining the East Valley Veterans' Court and showing confidence in the system. He cherishes his work with the young veterans who gave selfless service. Many don't believe they deserve the privileges and breaks they get, but they have earned them. He thanked Carefree for inviting him to speak about the Court program.
https://vimeo.com/192043546
Next, Mr. Dimon introduced Col. Jeanne J. Blaes of the Association of the United States Army. Colonel Blaes is a 1977 ROTC graduate of Upper Iowa University and Allen Memorial Hospital School of Technology with a Bachelors of Science in Biology, Chemistry, and Medical Technology. She holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College (2000), and a PhD in Public Administration from North Central University (2008).
Col. Blaes served on Active Duty as a Medical Service Corps. Health Services Material Officer with the 68th MED Group in Germany from 1980-83. As a U.S. Army Reserve Officer, she held Health Services Material Officer positions with the 73D Field Hospital in Georgia, the 1207th U.S. Army Hospital in Alabama, the 322nd General Hospital in New Jersey, and was an Individual Mobilization Augmentee to Brook Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
In October 1991, Col. Blaes joined the AZ Army National Guard as a full-time federal civil servant and staff officer. Between 1991 and 2007, Col. Blaes held positions of increasing responsibility in both medical and logistics units and Commands, which culminated in her being assigned as the first female Chief of Staff for the AZ Army National Guard. Her last medical assignment was as the Commander for the AZ Medical Command. Col. Blaes retired in 2007 and is credited with 20 years of federal civil service and 30 years of military service.
Col. Blaes’ military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with three Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, and the Army Achievement Medal.
Following military retirement in 2007, Col. Blaes was employed as a State of AZ employee, holding the position of Deputy Construction and Facilities Management Officer for the AZ Army National Guard. She retired from this position in September 2015. Dr. Blaes has been the President of the AZ Territorial Chapter of the Association of the US Army (AUSA) for the past 3 years, and is a Class of 2016 inductee into the AZ Veterans Hall of Fame.
Col. Blaes wished the veterans in the audience a happy Veteran's Day and thanked them for their service. She also thanked their families, who have their own stress factors when spouses and parents deploy. She relayed that Col. Gene Raffinelli, who usually speaks for the AUSA at this event, underwent surgery the day before to remove a maligant tumor in his brain. He is recovering, and the prayers of many are with him.
AUSA has many chapters. Col. Blaes was present to represent the Arizona Territorial Chapter, with about 850 members. It covers quite a large area, and has sister Chapters in Tucson and Sierra Vista. AUSA is the voice of soldiers on Capital Hill. When in uniform, soldiers may not speak or have political opinions. They do as they are told. With the reduction in recent years in funding to the National Defense Bill, the benefits for soldiers have decreased. The AZ Territorial Chapter was honored at the National Convention for the Army with the Best Chapter Award.
AUSA also supports ROTC units in the local area. They support the battalions at Northern Arizona University, Arizona State University, and Grand Canyon University, as well as the Junior ROTC high school programs. They will be sponsoring an All Service event on November 22. Recruiters and the military academies, such as West Point and the Naval Academy will be there. They will be instructing JR ROTC participants on how to become officers and to improve their military careers. Materials on that event and on PTSD were available at their table at the back of the amphitheater or you can visit their website at www.ausa.org. Many benefits are available. Col. Blaes again thanked Carefree and thanked the veterans for their service, wishing them a happy Veteran's Day.
https://vimeo.com/192076744
Mr. Dimon introduced Susan Haines, representing Packages from Home and AZ Stand Down. Susan Haines’ support of our service personnel spans more than 25 years. During Operation Desert Storm / Shield she began supporting our military personnel in Hong Kong in 1990 where she volunteered at the Serviceman's Guide, the British version of the USO. Many US servicemen passed through Hong Kong on their way to the Persian Gulf. Ms. Haines assisted them with general information about Hong Kong. During her stay in China, she hosted service personnel in her home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. From 2004 to 2006 while living near the Great Lakes Naval Station, Susan volunteered with the USO and worked hospitality for troop deployment ceremonies around the Chicago area.
After retiring from American Airlines and moving to Phoenix, Ms. Haines started with Packages From Home in 2007. She served on the Board of Directors from 2010-2012 and served as the Donations Drop Site Coordinator for metro Phoenix until early 2016. Most recently, she volunteered for the AZ Stand Down. Each year at the Arizona Memorial Stadium, AZ Stand Down provides services to our homeless veterans with access to doctors, dentists, barbers, and cell phone operators and also provides used clothing and hygiene items . Many of those hygiene items are donated to the Stand Down by Packages For Hope, Packages From Home’s sister charity.
Ms. Haines thanked the veterans with gratitude for their service. In 2007, Packages from Home was a small organization dedicated to sending packages to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. It began as a labor of love by Cathleen Lewis, whose son was deployed in Iraq in 2004. When she discovered that no one else in his squad was getting any boxes, she started sending packages to them too. The word got out, so Packages from Home shipped boxes to those who added their names to the list. It grew and grew, so in 2005, they applied for and acquired a non-profit status. Packages from Home is approved by the Department of Defense. Since security is an issue, Packages from Home wanted to be sure everything going into the packages was cleared. America Supports You also supports Packages from Home.
Ms. Haines thanked Laurie Stein, with Discount Tires, for the Discount Tires grant that provided the seed money to start Packages of Hope, which helps homeless veterans in the Phoenix area. They are grateful for Discount Tires' generous donation. It's a great organization that has done a lot of good around the community.
A new offshoot organization called Bones for Packages sends boxes for the service dogs in Afghanistan and Iraq who have saved so many lives. They are deserving recipients. But the true focus remains on the service men and women. More information was available their table in the amphitheater or on their website www.packagesfromhome.org. She again thanked the veterans.
https://vimeo.com/192154705
Lyn Hitchon
Prepared by Carefree Truth
Visit our website at www.carefreetruth2.com If you know anyone who would like to be added to the Carefree Truth email list, please have them contact me. Feel free to share Carefree Truth with others on your list. Visit www.carefreeazbusinesses.com to see more info about businesses in Carefree. Please support our merchants.