VETERANS, AGENT ORANGE AND PROSTRATE CANCER

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS 
Diseases Associated with Agent Orange » Prostate Cancer

Veterans who develop prostate cancer and were exposed to Agent Orange or other herbicides during military service do not have to prove a connection between their prostate cancer and military service to be eligible to receive VA health care and disability compensation.
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate, a small gland in the male reproductive system.

Some men may have urinary problems, but some men don't have symptoms early on. If you have any health concerns, talk with your health care provider.

The greatest risk factor for prostate cancer is increasing age. Other risk factors include having a father or brother with the disease and being African American.

Prostate cancer is often first detected with a PSA (prostate-specific antigen) blood test or digital rectal exam. Talk with your health care provider about your risk and the pros and cons of screening.

Visit Medline Plus to learn about treatment for prostate cancer, the latest medical research, and more from the National Institutes of Health

MARINE BROTHERS REUNITE IN AFGHANISTAN

Marine Corps Capt. Dustin Kerlin recently reunited with his brother, Marine Corps Lt. Col. Matthew Kerlin for a mission in Afghanistan. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Timothy Lenzo

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Face of Defense: Brothers Share Family Time in Afghanistan

By Marine Corps Cpl. Timothy Lenzo
Regional Command Southwest
CAMP BASTION, Afghanistan, Nov. 6, 2012 - A pair of Marine Corps brothers had a chance to get together briefly before an operation over Afghanistan's Helmand province.

Capt. Dustin Kerlin, a pilot with Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 161, recently enjoyed flying with his brother, Lt. Col. Matthew Kerlin.

Matthew, an embedded training team deputy commander, arrived here before the operation. Family members do not often deploy together, and his brother appreciated the opportunity.

"Getting to meet up with my brother in Afghanistan was the highlight of my career," Dustin said. "It was great to get to see him."

The brothers, from Albion, Ind., reunited on the flightline for a brief meeting before a joint operation with the two units to transport service members into Helmand province.

"I am thankful any time I get to see a member of the family," the elder brother said, "even if it is for only 20 minutes on a flightline in Afghanistan."

The brothers do not see each other often. Their family is scattered across the United States making it difficult to meet.

"It was great to see him," Dustin said. "My brother has always been a mentor personally and professionally for me."

Like many families, the brothers picked up right where they left off. Though years had passed since the last time they saw each other, they said, it was easy to be themselves with one another.

The rest of the Kerlin family was shocked, but pleased, to hear the brothers got to work together.

"Being dispersed across the U.S. makes it even better when we have a chance to get together," Matthew said.

While the chance to work together surprised the two Marine pilots, the fact that they both chose to be pilots did not surprise anyone. Their father had his private pilot's license and took them flying when they were children. This sparked their love for flying at a young age.

"As long as I can remember, he would take us up in his plane," Dustin said. "We would fly low by the house [and] do tricks like stalls and go to air shows."

For the brothers, the experiences shaped their lives.

"He is the reason I am a Marine pilot, and it's also his fault I am a helicopter pilot," Matthew said. "Flying is his passion, and his knowledge of military aircraft is incredible."

When Matthew was a young teen, he went to a small airport that had an old Bell 47, a two-bladed, light helicopter. He paid $100 and experienced his first helicopter flight.

Whether it was taking rides in helicopters or flying by their house, the two Marines were hooked. Now, many years later and thousands of miles away from their hometown, the brothers got an early holiday gift. For the one operation they flew together, the Afghanistan skyline temporarily replaced the Indiana landscape of their childhood.