>> announcer: this is the steele report. >> ron: this week on the steele report, we're talking about the role of law enforcement in our society. we'll take a look at some key veterans issues of today and also take a look back 25 years at the role of delta battery, the waterloo marines back in the first gulf war called desert storm. our questioning begins right now. captioning provided by caption associates, llc www.captionassociates.com >> announcer: now from kwwl, this is the steele report. >> ron: and welcome to this week's edition of the steele report. it's hard to believe it's been 25 years now since desert storm, which was the first gulf war and a couple of major wars since, so i'm joined today by two combat veterans to talk about some of the key issues facing our veterans right here in the area today, so let me first of all introduce them to you.

he's a waterloo native who served with delta battery and they went to desert storm 25 years ago. hard to believe. and this is derek wittenberg who founded a very important veterans group called 22 no more. now, derek is a combat veteran of a couple of wars, desert storm and also the afghan war and his new group is referring to the 22 veterans who commit country. so we're going to talk about some of these key issues here as we go on. derek, just real quickly, about your organization, you're really -- 22 no more obviously refers to that very tragic number of 22 veteran suicides a day. you're also trying to develop quite a network of other organizations, so how is that going so far? >> derek: it's overwhelming. we nationally launched 22 no more in january of this year and it's grown exponentially.

organizations to help veterans not only dealing with pssd and suicide, but homelessness, food, paying the bills, the whole nine yards. >> ron: we'll get pour into that later. kris, i had you on here five years ago and we talked to you on the 20th anniversary. what do you remember after all these years, what is so vivid in your 90s when call that d battery was going to be activated in the summer of 1990. what do you remember about that still today? >> kris: well, the thought that we were going to be brought up to another base, to occupy the base, but in reality, we were actually prepped to go oversea, so it was a shocker to me. i cannot believe that we got the call, it's time to go.

delta battery marine unit that you served in is no longer here and has been moved. >> kris: and a lot of veterans feel alienated because of the absence of that unit. >> ron: so groups like derek's and other veteran organizations with provide a team almost a network where you guys can get together and talk about some of these issues that are critically. we ask veterans to make these sacrifices, leave their families behind and that can cause turmoil in itself, and need to take care of them when they come home. we've had a lot of veterans administration scandals already, and hopefully that's moving in the right direction. i remember when kwwl covered the first press conference when delta battery got the call to. >> overseas. let's take a look at some of

mind after 25 years. >> reporter: camp lejeune getting hooked up with an active duty marine unit and saying off for saudi arabia. >> ron: that was the scene back in november of 1990. kris, look at some of these guys -- >> there i am right there. >> ron: this is the sendoff, on december 1st. >> derek: that's amazing. >> kris: that is amazing. >> ron: and we interviewed a lot of the gis and your calling -- of the guys and your calling card is right there, the 155 meter howitzer and you guys launched those 90-pound project styles more than any other unit, didn't you? >> kris: from what i'm told, yes, we were direct support and

>> ron: and i remember what you told us, that saddam hussein, a lot of debate about whether or not it should have just continued on in and taken him out the first time, but i remember what you said to us when mike and i interviewed you five years ago, too, as well. >> kris: i'm glad to experience it and i'm glad we didn't have any casualties. i'm glad to actually, you know, just be able to say i served a purpose bigger than, you know, bigger than myself, and w >> ron: there you are, 25 years ago, kris jones. >> kris: wow. >> ron: and then i had asked you and larry basin of independence to come in five years ago and we looked at some of this video i hadn't looked at in all those years myself. you guys had 134 marine reservists who left waterloo deese 1st and helped push -- des

out. >> kris: just reflecting on it, i'm glad i got a chance to reconnect on it again and it's there that i actually did something that's worth whying you know, towards this country and it makes me feel proud that it's able to be a part of this, this unit and this purpose. >> ron: this was the scene in april of 1991 near the waterloo airport. it was a rousing and emotional 134 marines of delta battery. >> that's the actual telecast that we did when you guys came home at the airport, and i'm tell you, looking at that five years ago and looking at it again today, there's the actual date, april 18th, a thursday, in 1990 and that is still one of the most memorable days in all the things i've covered in my career of almost, you know, over 44 years i guess here. so as we come back on camera here, looking at that, what do

what that meant to you guys? >> kris: coming back home? >> ron: yes. >> kris: that we made it home safely. you know, spending time out in the field, you know, you never know what can happen to you, step on a mine or something like that, scorpions or whatever else are out there. you want to make sure that you make it home and start your life all over again because it does set you back in time. and then you have to figure out who you are all over again and yourself in society. >> ron: and how tough do you think that has been, talking to both you have guys? you probably know a lot of guys who have been through the most traumatic stress disorder and even larry himself mentioned that he had been affected by that five years ago. you fired that howitzer 365 times. you were on gun four with yours. >> kris: correct. >> ron: and those are a tiller

pressure to send that shell as far as it can, that alone is something, when you talk about fireworks over fourth of july, those are why a lot of guys don't like to be around fireworks on the fourth because of being around the war situation with your are a till already ri and the howitzer, that itself is a pressure-packed situation. >> kris: i mean, sometimes it takes you back. of course, it does, to familiar situations that you so well identify with, and, you know, especially if you don't know wh kids, it's like i have to identify the source when i hear fireworks or whatever else, or they tell me, so i'm not guessing. i have to know for certain what's going on. i don't take anything for granted. >> ron: you're married, have three children, lived in this area your entire life and i notice you're still wearing a hat about that. you had a hat in that previous interview and we're still

you think it's having an impact, is the word getting out about 22 no more? >> derek: it's overwhelming. i'm sorry if i get a little emotional because i have a group, a support system that helps me filter through and some veterans i actually will call and talk to them. i'm not a therapist or psychologist, but i know how they're feeling, gauge that is what i did and it may not work for you. i go to bed a heavy heart because a lot of the situations for some of these vets, not having the ability to turn to either an organization or the v.a., it's heart wrenching. they don't have a support system and the support systems that they do have are not working, and that's what i concentrate on. >> ron: you were injured yourself in -- i think you said kind of like an rpg rocket attack, a concussion from that, right? >> derek: yeah, and we were -- i

kandahar, we had a rocket attack. i was on the phone with my daughter megan and it went off and i didn't even know where i was at the time, but from that day forward, i didn't write home, i didn't call home, because my fear was if something happened to me and my child heard that, but it compounded daily because shortly thereafter, i was in security and quick reactionary force and the things you do to your body and stresses, it builds know. >> ron: because you guys were -- you were 19 or 20 when you went to desert storm, and kris, you were in your early 20s, so now a lot of time has passed. you've been obviously a veteran a very long time and you continue your military career for a while. >> derek: combined service about 18 years, yeah. >> ron: kris, your mission, actually the ground war luckily for you guys only lasted five days.

marines back home without a single casualty, so that's probably the most important thing about the service you guys provided, going over there, risking your lives and coming back home with everybody, right? >> kris: that's a big thing, to make sure you bring everything back home as well, the best you can in a physical and mental state and you can comfort those parents and those families and loved ones, you know, knowing that everybody made it back home. >> ron: short break. we'll have another segment here talking to these guys about what you feel are the key issues that need to be addressed and those that aren't. our show is always on kwwl.com as well in its entirety, so come back here in just a moment. we'll take a break and come back

>> ron: welcome back to to our second segment this week on the steele report, talking about veterans issues here with derek wittenberg and kris jones, two combat veterans from eastern iowa, and t derek, that you organized, we were having a discussion off camera, there's a lot of debate about the number of suicides, but there's also homelessness and people who really need help on a daily basis and that's what your group is trying to address, right? >> derek: yes, and i personally experience it every day. i'm 90% to 100% service connected and i live from paycheck to paycheck. i don't have a job. i even tried going to get a job

turned down. those that say they're veteran friendly. so my decision at that point was, you know, i've attempted suicide myself, i've gone through these things -- >> ron: you say you've even attempted suicide yourself. >> derek: yes. >> ron: you said you lost your family basically because of what happened in the military. >> derek: yeah, all that happened all at once. you're in the hospital, your marriage is falling apart and the only thing you have control over is your own life, so you luckily, i had a support system with the community back home, and i made the decision, i'm -- if i have to put my body on the rampart to others can have help, that's what i will do. >> ron: certainly appreciate your candidness because people need to put faces to our veterans who ka come back home after risk be their lives and now it's our responsibility and the government and everybody else who's involved to make sure

kris, did you feel you were adequately taken care of when you got back home and your fellow marines? >> kris: for me, no. when i got back home, i check into the v.a. and, you know, i wanted to know if they're going to follow up with me, check on me, see how i'm doing, because when i got back, i got out of the unit. you try to re-establish yourself as best you can and distance yourself from the negativity of the war, and it's hard because, u what you thought was the support that was going to be there for you is not there for you. i've never been in a situation to where i -- i don't know about the experiences or what's going to come next or whatever else, the traumatic side of it, and that's later on down the road. when you actually can compare it to others and see if you have similar issues that's popping up, you know, and there is a lot of similarities as far as our issues go that you can identify

and other service connected issues that should have been followed up with, you know. >> ron: and just think of the vietnam veterans who you guys were all supported. they did not have the kind of public support coming back home from that very unpopular war and that was certainly wrong as part of the public not supporting the military. >> derek: i think with the vietnam veterans, we would not have the vet centers if it wasn't to them. they pushed for the vet centers for and congress said, yes you're going to have it, but not everybody can get to the center and when you're dealing with the v.a. where they don't have a psychiatrist on duty twemp. cedar rapids only has one psychologist for the whole area. my therapist passed away and now i'm on a waiting list two to three months. that's unacceptable.

need to get it, but the gatekeepers that be won't say that. and we're not the only once suffering. our families are suffering, our kids, on you communities. it bleed -- our communities. it bleeds everywhere, and it's a shame, but there are foundations that we're linking up with, even locally in the cedar valley area. the freedom foundation for food pantry and english river outfitters and nonprofits organizations. if they can't get it done, we will. and we are going to be doing a major step forward, saying it's our v.a. and instead of us arguing what's wrong, let's stand up, give the solutions and fix it now. >> ron: kevin dill i know had the luncheon during the summer. real quickly, we have about 40 seconds, a couple of events.

school football game this next season. as you speak about kevin dill, we're working on programs now to tray to help with the mindset of these people who are suffering, people who have the not actually know what their ratings are as far as disability. a lot of these guys already know what the benefits are out there for them and we work with kevin to try to get that changed. >> ron: fantastic. all right. derek wittenberg, kris jones, combat veterans, thank you very

>> ron: and welcome back for our final segment on the program today. i want you to hear right now from black hawk county sheriff tony thompson and his perspective on the role of law enforcement in our free society of today. remember, we aired a portion of this interview on our 10:00 news recently right after the that is ambush on the officers there and since then, there have been other attacks, including the ambush in baton rouge. this is sheriff tth >> thompson: god forbid there be a day i can't get a deputy sheriff to take the test or i can't put an officer on the street because they've all double-clutched and reevaluated their career choice because it's just not worth it anymore. that we have the ability to treat people justly and fairly and honestly, but still do so in such a way that further public safety. law enforcement i want out here

here to work against you. we're guardians of your freedoms, that if we do something wrong, can be held accountable for it and in this profession, that's just part of that job and it's probably more skrut citizen us in than most -- scrutinious than any other job you do. a law enforcement professional is out here getting a bad name and we're trying to do it right, trying to be the guardian of those freedoms and personal choice and personal service and involved in and it's frustrating and it's one of those things that i hope the make takes away in understanding that we're here to help. every single one of those folks are involved in lausms because they want to help people. they recognize the importance waif we do, the importance of the role that we perform to keep our societying moving in the direction we want it to do. i know the importance whatever we do every day and i think most of the public knows the

public supports us. at the end of the day, we're not here trying to work against our citizens. we're here trying to empower them, trying to encourage them to live their lives as freely and as unencumbered as possible, so long as the way they live their life doesn't encumber others. and sometimes that's where our action comes into play. it's funny how many people say, hey, i'm recording this and my officer responds, so am i because i'm wearing a body we're reporting at two different angles as well. and you would think that it makes complete sense that if an agency like mine and an administrator like me is willing to make that kind of monetary investment in those kinds of recording devices to demonstrate the things that officer did, to fully examine, to fully illustrate that we were following procedure, protocol, whatever the case may be, that

frankly, if they're recording it, that's just another camera angle of exactly what's going o right. >> ron: what have your officer been talking about and what have you been telling them in the days since this happened? i'm sure there's been a lot of talk. >> thompson: you know, not my officer, about the i had a friend in law enforcement who actually posted on facebook that he wonders ste made the wrong career choice. as an administrator, that's sensationalizing negative behavior of an acute level spills over to everywhere, that's a problem. i only react, so when they run over the birdbath and the yard gnome or whatever, i react to that. i don't go out there looking for somebody that's drunk driving, but i respond to it when i see it and in that way, i try and

the same thing is true for most any law enforcement officer. we're guardians, we're not warriors. although it's very clear that in today's day and age, we are in a battle, and there are more guns and more violence and more precipitation of violent acts than ever that we face. so we train our officers very diligently to be tactically sound and technically proficient and to be able to keep themselves safe and to keep the public safe, so they respond in a, in a situation where it is battlefield like conditions and they know how to respond. they're trained to react to those kinds of things, but at the end of the day, they still bring this mentality that they are guardians. people don't hate plumbers for plumbing, they don't hate teachers for teaching, don't hate law enforcement officers phone -- for enforcing the law.

are being professional. i get very few complaints against my officers for lack of professionalism and i receive very well in that, i absolutely relish it because i think there is proof in training and support and the mechanism that we have in place to make sure we have good officers doing the right things, so from a law enforcement perspective, to have people scrutinious is expected. to have people downright belig advertise counter productive too. i think most citizens recognize the fact that we do a pregz job here. we -- pretty good-looking day job here. we enforce every day the aspect of being guardians. not warriors, not combatants, but guardians and guarding those public safety freedoms and i think it's illustrative of the problem we have in officers from dallas, texas, getting shot while supporting people

work to do the job that i've been tasked to do. my deputies come to work the same way. they're focused on not being oppressive, not beating somebody up tonight, not -- we're out there trying to enforce the law. we never take action against anybody. we react to those actions. and, you know, i go to work every morning praying that nothing bad happens and i bed every night praying to god that we train our officers well enough that any situation can be handled and mitigated successfully. >> ron: the words of black hawk county sheriffs tony thompson on his perspective of the role of the law enforcement as the guardians of your may have. given the tragedies of recent events and i'm talking both the killing of black men at the hands of law enforcement and the murders of law enforcement

we all need to ask what should our own personal roles and responsibilities be in helping all sides find peaceful and meaningful solutions to this ongoing racial divide which clearly still exists in our nation today. we can no longer nearly be observers watching from the sidelines as these events are repeated time and time again. so think about it and ask yourself, what can you do, what can i do to help find solutions, to find some kind of meaningful common ground, c which law enforcement can do its job in providing public safety without being harassed, ridiculed and persecuted, while also taking an honest new look at how law enforcement does its job and why so many young black men become victims in officer-involve situations. clearly these are complicated and difficult issues, but issues that must be solved for everybody moving forward. encourage you to be part of the solution. that's it for this week.

i'm hillary clinton and i approve this message. i'd look her right in that fat ugly face of hers. she's a slob. she ate like a pig. a person who's flat chested is very hard to be a 10. does she have a good body? no. does she have a fat [expletive]? absolutely. do you treat women with respect?

>> announcer: the following is a paid presentation for the nuwave oven pro, brought to you by the makers of the nuwave precision induction cooktop. stay tuned. to celebrate the amazing success of the nuwave oven pro, with over 5 million sold, today we're offering an incredible deal. order right now and we'll upgrade your order to the all-new nuwave oven pro plus for free. the pro plus features advanced temperature control for perfect meals every time. it also has new features like delay cooking and warm, so your meal is ready when you are. keep watching to see how you can upgrade to the all-new pro plus for free. that's right, free. don't miss this special opportunity. stay tuned. professional chefs create great-tasting meals from years