Adam Hermanson-TC – Ms Sparky

Archive for the Adam Hermanson-TC Category

Adam Hermanson’s family still seeks answers

By Ms Sparky | Filed in Adam Hermanson-TC, Adam Hermanson-TC, CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, Security Contractors

Terror In Iraq

Local Woman Seeks Answers About Her Husband’s Death

Barbara C. Barrett
POSTED: October 27, 2009

adam-hermanson MUNCY – On September 1 at 11:30 in the evening, Janine Hermanson received a phone call from the US Embassy in Iraq that her husband, Adam Hermanson was found dead in the shower. No explanation was given other than the fact that he was electrocuted because they found burn marks on his arm and hand. They were only married for three months.

Since then, Mrs. Hermanson has been on a mission to find out what really happened to her husband in Iraq. She said that this has not been the first time this has happened to contractors working overseas. She has uncovered over 280 electrocutions to Americans since 2003 in Iraq and Afghanistan. “My husband is the 19th electrocution death in Iraq and that includes service members and contractors,” she said. “Others have occurred in swimming pools, washing hummers in car washes, and just from washing their hands,” she explained. He was doing what many of us do everyday when he died, taking a shower. He was working as a supervisor for a security contractor in Baghdad’s Green Zone since July 6, 2009 for a company called Triple Canopy. The company, headquartered in Herndon, Virginia hired him to be a mercenary since he was no longer employed by the Air Force. He was not allowed to discuss his job with his family while he was employed in Iraq she said.

The Hermansons met while they were serving in the Air Force in Utah in 2003.

“I know very little,” she added. “No one has been able to give me the information I want. The privacy laws are keeping me from getting information from the company. They said there was no foul play involved. I can’t help but be suspicious of such an untimely death. His life was taken from me. It’s just not right. He was going to come home in November.”

An autopsy was done at the Dover Air Force base in Delaware. The medical examiner said that the toxicology reports are pending. In speaking with others who had similar cases, Hermanson discovered she wasn’t alone. “Others have been electrocuted at different camps and as I keep doing the research more cases are being revealed, and I think the government is keeping it a secret,” she said.

Hermanson is working with the Department of Defense and Senator Bob Casey’s office in Harrisburg. She also hired a law firm from Philadelphia that specializes in these types of cases. Her investigation has also been handed over to the ARMY CID (Criminal Investigation Division) and she is hoping to get answers this week.

Senator Casey said he has been working on this issue for some time and recently passed an amendment (FY2010) through the Department of Appropriations that requires inspections on any contract work paid for by taxpayers.

“I want to prevent this from happening again. This shouldn’t keep happening. This is shocking. I’m going to find answers no matter how long it takes, even if it is for the rest of my life,” she vowed. “I’m tired of people not talking. I have every right to know what happened to my husband.”

The couple had plans to permanently reside in Muncy after Adam was deployed. (click HERE for the original article)

If you have information regarding the death of Adam Hermanson please contact me by clicking HERE. For those of you who have come forward with information THANK YOU!!!

I am working on another post on Adam Hermanson. It should be published in a couple of day.

Ms Sparky

Tags: Adam Hermanson*, Electrocutions/Shocks, Janine Hermanson*, LAWSUITS, Reports & Investigations, Triple Canopy

Senator Casey cracksdown on DoD contactors

By Ms Sparky | Filed in Adam Hermanson-TC, Adam Hermanson-TC, CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, LOGCAP III - KBR, LOGCAP-Dyncorp, LOGCAP-Fluor, Politics, Rape, Hazing, Discrimination & Harassment, Ryan Maseth-US Army, Security Contractors, Stanley Baker Hill (SBH), Task Force SAFE

Casey pushes crackdown on government contractors

By Robin Acton
Saturday, October 3, 2009

One month after the latest electrocution in Iraq, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey has proposed an amendment to a defense appropriations bill that would hold government contractors accountable for the safety of overseas military personnel and civilians working abroad.

The legislation would close a loophole that allowed shoddy electrical work and other problems on American military bases to go uncorrected, the Scranton Democrat said. It would require the Department of Defense to review contracts to ensure they include language requiring contractors to immediately correct deficiencies, such as improperly grounded facilities or equipment, that could cause death or serious injury.

Casey’s amendment also seeks to ensure safe and sanitary water systems, and establish and enforce strict standards for preventing and prosecuting instances of sexual assault.

He has been an outspoken critic of the government’s defense contracting procedures since the Jan. 2, 2008, electrocution of Staff Sgt. Ryan Maseth, 24, of Shaler. The Green Beret collapsed and died when a rooftop pump shorted out and sent a lethal electrical current along water running through metal pipes into his shower in the Radwaniyah Palace Complex in Iraq.

Maseth is among 10 service members and civilian contractors in Iraq who died from electrocutions that could have been prevented, according to Casey.

The most recent occurred Sept. 1 when Adam Hermanson, 25, of Muncy collapsed and died in his shower at Camp Olympia inside Baghdad’s Green Zone. The Air Force veteran, who completed four tours of duty in Iraq, was working as a civilian contractor for Triple Canopy Security Service.

“We’ve had lots of investigation and lots of reviews, but, in my judgment, not enough in the way of answers,” Casey said. He said the Defense and State departments are obligated to provide families with answers about how the electrocutions continue to happen.

Maseth’s parents, Cheryl Harris and Douglas Maseth, filed suit in federal court against defense contractor KBR Inc., alleging shoddy electrical work killed their son. KBR denies responsibility for the soldier’s death, which brought national attention to the electrocution issue and prompted government inspections of facilities military personnel use.

Hermanson’s widow, Janine, said she does not know much about her husband’s living quarters or what he was doing in connection with the war effort because he was not permitted to talk about it. The dental assistant, who is staying with her parents in Muncy, said she learned about his death when she got a phone call at work.

“When he didn’t show up for work, they got worried, and a co-worker went to check on him. He was found in his room in the shower,” she said.

She described her husband as a strong, family-oriented man who did everything he could for his family and friends. They met while serving in the Air Force as they were preparing for deployment to Iraq and would have celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary five days after his death, she said.

“I never had to worry about anything when he was around,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. (click HERE for original article)

I ‘ve said this before, but I am going to say it again…..”WHAT THE HELL!” I am disturbed there has be been a law passed to enforce a DoD contactor to produce potable drinking water. I can hear KBR now. “You said make water!! You didn’t say it had to be drinkable!! Now make sure we get those 100′s of millions in award fees!!” What the hell!!! DoD you are freakin’ FIRED!!

And as for sexual and other assaults….”You must now prevent and prosecute those!” No more LaVena Johnson’s out there. Is the Army CID actually going to have to investigate and recommend charges against someone who rapes and or assaults someone else.

You can bet you bottom dollar the attorney’s for KBR, Fluor (aka KBR east), Dyncorp and other DoD contractors are scanning this bill to see how they can get out of having to do what they are contracted to do……and still get paid!

Ms Sparky

Tags: Adam Hermanson*, Cheryl Harris, Electrocutions/Shocks, Janine Hermanson*, LaVena Johnson, LAWSUITS, Rape, Reports & Investigations, Senator Bob Casey*, Triple Canopy

A law to protect soldiers from KBR and others? How disturbing!

By Ms Sparky | Filed in Adam Hermanson-TC, Adam Hermanson-TC, CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, LOGCAP III - KBR, LOGCAP-Dyncorp, LOGCAP-Fluor, Politics, Ryan Maseth-US Army, Security Contractors, Senate & House Committee Hearings, Stanley Baker Hill (SBH), Task Force SAFE

press_headerSM

Casey Amendment to Hold Contractors Accountable

Addresses Electrocutions and Other Risks to Safety

Press Release – October 1, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC-U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) spoke on the Senate floor and introduced an amendment to the FY2010 Department of Defense Appropriations Bill that would hold contractors accountable for the safety of military personnel while serving abroad. Senator Casey introduced this legislation after shoddy electrical work lead to the deaths of a soldier and a contractor with ties to Pennsylvania while showering in Iraq.

“Since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, 10 brave service members and civilian contractors in Iraq have died as a result of electrocutions that could have been prevented,” said Senator Casey. “We’ve had lots of investigation and lots of reviews, but, in my judgment, not enough in the way of answers. We have an obligation in the United States Senate as well to prevent any further electrocutions of our troops in these circumstances.”

Casey’s amendment would close a loophole that has left shoddy electrical work and other problems on American military bases uncorrected. Under current law, contractors that inspect and discover deficiencies are not explicitly required to immediately correct such problems. This amendment would ensure that the Defense Department reviews all contracts to ensure that the language of the contract clearly requires contractors to immediately correct deficiencies, such as improperly grounded equipment or facilities, which could cause death or serious bodily harm.

Senator Casey continued, “Staff Sergeant Ryan Maseth of the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania died on January 2, 2008, when he was electrocuted while showering in his barracks in Iraq. It’s hard to describe in words the horrific nightmare that he had to live through and was killed by and the nightmare that his family has lived through ever since. His mother, Cheryl Harris, is someone I’ve come to know and she’s been a strong advocate not just for finding out what happened to her son but also making sure that this doesn’t happen to other sons and daughters serving in harm’s way. And just imagine this- a brave soldier trained to take on the enemy, willing to go into the battlefield and endure a firefight, is killed in a shower because someone didn’t do their job in ensuring that that shower was not grounded or not installed correctly to prevent a shock which led to an electrocution and a death.

“Ryan was not killed in combat. He was killed by the mistakes of others in a place where he should have had a reasonable expectation of safety and security away from the battlefield. This amendment is necessary because Ryan’s tragic death could have been prevented if the bad electrical work was fixed.

“At the beginning of last month, a civilian contractor, Adam Hermanson died as a result of being electrocuted. Adam was planning to move to Pennsylvania with his wife Janine. Janine is currently living in our state with her parents and searching for an explanation as to why this happened to her husband. The Departments of Defense and State have an obligation to provide this explanation.”

In addition to preventing electrocutions, Senator Casey’s amendment seeks to ensure safe and sanitary water and establish and enforce strict standards for preventing and prosecuting instances of sexual assault.

Click HERE for the original press release

I think the thing that disturbs me the most about this Amendment is that we even have to have an Amendment to make DoD contractors provide clean safe drinking water and safe electrical installations. I am disturbed the DoD would settle for anything less. I really do think it’s time to be yanking some stars off!!!

Ms Sparky

Tags: Adam Hermanson*, Cheryl Harris, Electrocutions/Shocks, Janine Hermanson*, LAWSUITS, Reports & Investigations, Triple Canopy

Woman Wants Answers in Husband’s Electrocution

By Ms Sparky | Filed in Adam Hermanson-TC, Adam Hermanson-TC, CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, Security Contractors

By Jim Hamill
5:34 PM EDT, September 29, 2009

Woman Wants Answers in Husband’s Electrocution A woman in Northumberland County is mourning her husband’s death earlier this month in Iraq.

He was electrocuted and she said it’s not the first time it has happened to contractors working overseas.

Adam Hermanson was doing what many of us do every day when he died; taking a shower. He was far from home, working as a security contractor in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

Now his wife and her family want to know who is responsible for his untimely death.

“I’m going to keep fighting for him. He fought for me, now it’s my time to fight for him,” said Janine Hermanson.

She lives with her parents near Muncy. Her late husband’s belongings sit on the back porch.

“It’s been a month now and they still don’t know who had a contract or contracts on his facility such as building or who had to maintain his facility,” Hermanson said.

She added the couple planned to buy a home in the Muncy area when her husband finished working for the firm Triple Canopy. Now she spends hours every day trying to find out what went wrong.

Her father said Adam Hermanson did not deserve to die like this.

“Our poor daughter. No husband, 25 years old. This is insanity,” said Janine Hermanson’s father, John Sivak.

Hermanson said she and her husband served in the Air Force. It’s where they met. Following his death, she said, she isn’t getting straight answers from company officials or military officials.

Not only that, but Hermanson has learned her husband’s case would make the 19th electrocution death in Iraq since 2003. That includes service members and contractors.

Senator Bob Casey said he has been working on this issue since early 2008 and is filing an amendment that would require inspections on any contract work paid for by taxpayers.

“It’s disturbing and troubling that we have to file an amendment like this. (It) should be part of what Army does anyway,” Casey said Tuesday.

As for Janine Hermanson, she doesn’t plan on giving up her quest for answers.

“I’m going to make sure who’s responsible and make this stop,” she vowed. “I’m tired of people not talking to me. I have every right to know what happened to my husband.”

Senator Casey said that amendment could take months to pass.

The state department is also investigating the situation. (click HERE for original article)

If you have any information regarding Adam Hermanson’s death or information about Camp Olympia send me an email by clicking HERE

Ms Sparky

Tags: Adam Hermanson*, Electrocutions/Shocks, Janine Hermanson*, LAWSUITS, Reports & Investigations, Triple Canopy

House Reps Ask for a Full Investigation of Hermanson’s Death

By Ms Sparky | Filed in Adam Hermanson-TC, Adam Hermanson-TC, CONTRACTOR DEATHS, Electrocutions/Shocks, GOV. CONTRACTORS, LAWSUITS, Lawsuits Against KBR, Security Contractors

House Representatives Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) have sent a letter to Secretary Gates requesting that he “fully investigate the death of Adam Hermanson”. “We are appalled by the Pentagon’s failure to pursue answers to the questions surrounding this tragedy.” “The family has also stated that a Triple Canopy representative informed them that the company dismantled the electrical wiring in Mr. Hermanson’s quarters after is his death, hampering any subsequent investigation.”

The complete letter is below. For a larger view, there is a “full screen toggle” in the upper right hand corner of the letter screen. If that doesn’t worker for you click the link just above the letter screen entitled “Hermanson Letter to Sec. Gates”.

Hermanson Letter to Sec. Gates