IVAW and Jeff Hanks
Jeff Hanks went AWOL last year when he was scheduled to deploy. His excuse is that he needs treatment for his PTSD. To prove that he didn’t go AWOL as a publicity stunt, he turned himself in after his unit deployed, on Veterans’ Day at a press conference. Yeah, I know.
Well, of course, since it conveniently segues with IVAW’s Operation Recovery program which claims that wounded troops are being re-deployed while they’re still being treated, IVAW took up Hanks’ cause.
Here’s video of someone (I think it’s Jason Hurd but who can tell with all of that fur) delivering an Article 138 complaint to the 1st Brigade of the 101st Airborne Division on Hanks’ behalf.
For those of you who are wondering what an Article 138 is, it’s a complaint from a servicemember against his commander, because a service member thinks he or she is being mistreated. From the Navy’s IG website;
Any member of the Armed Forces who believes he/she has been wronged by his Commanding Officer must seek redress with the Commanding Officer personally.
What the above paragraph doesn’t say is that some random, unclean hippie off of the street can just walk into a brigade headquarters and file an Article 138 complaint on behalf of some member of the military. And I’m pretty sure that’s what the young staff sergeant in the video is thinking.
That Navy website also says;
Who should I contact to obtain more information about Article 138 procedures?
Your legal officer or command Staff Judge Advocate.
Notice that it doesn’t say “Ask any random, unclean, errant hippie off of the street”. The last word in the above quote is “personally”. The last time I checked, some unclean pot-smoking hippie handing a random staff sergeant a sheaf of papers isn’t “personally” between Hanks and his commander.
So I guess this is just more ineffective theater on the part of IVAW in what could be a laudable and effective campaign if they kept words like “AWOL” out of it. How can we take IVAW seriously if they’re going to make the same empty gestures that they always make?
Category: Antiwar crowd, Iraq Veterans Against the War
I have never heard of article 138, but I expect alot of them will be filled on behalf of gays in the military.
As a Company Commander I had to deal with a few Article 138 requests. Here is what my JAG provided to me.
Matters appropriate to address under Article 138 include discretionary acts or omissions by a commander that adversely affects the member personally and are
– In violation of law or regulation
– Beyond the legitimate authority of that commander
– Arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion; or
– Clearly unfair (e.g., selective application of administrative standards/actions)
Matters NOT appropriate for Article 138 action are
– Acts not under the control of the commander
– Complaints relating to UCMJ or Article 15 actions
– Complaints filed to seek disciplinary action against another
I don’t see how this would apply to a Soldier going AWOL due to lack of treatment unless he could demonstrate that the Commander knowingly prevented him seeking that treatment.
The AWOL portion has no standing under ART 138 because it falls under ART 15.
This is more grandstanding by IVAW than anything else. In my cases the legal representative for the Soldier (i.e. JAG) brought the complaint to my attention personally, not some idot bringing it to the Staff Duty NCO.
Now, it is clear that the IVAW has been studying TV shows and movies for proper lawyer speak.
OTOH, they failed to note proper lawyer appearance and grooming.
They’re trying to use all the right buzzwords, even if they are so skeered that they use their military experience to do their deeds in off duty hours to avoid any possibility of actually running into the officer in question.
I’ll bet that SSG slapped his head, after the fact, remembering the sign at the gate that states there is no photography/video taping allowed on post, that he could have had them picked up by the MP’s for bursting in during his nap time with a video camera and shabby garb. It may even have led to drug charges (though idiocy is still not a crime).
The officer probably got a good laugh after JAG explained the lunancy of it all and the SSG probably got some ribbing for those Air Force mittens.
Good points from Daniel…Art 138 has NOT changed even since I was a Co Cdr in the Dark Ages.
What I would like to know is how did those freaks get into the BCT HQ?
And why didn’t a Soldier(s) shove that piece of paper up Mr. Freak’s 4th Point of Contact?
Their asses should have been put in the street and escorted the fuck off post.
IVAW,(IDIOTIC VERMIN AND WANKERS), at its finest.
And this is why you shouldn’t take information from the internet before doing the research. Especially from the Navy, because just because the Navy wants to tag on some extras to the MCM doesn’t mean the Army does. Popping open my Manual for Courts Martial…938, Article 138. Complaints of Wrongs. Any member of the armed forces who believes himself wronged by his commanding officer, and who, upon due application to that commanding officer, is refused redress, may complain to any superior commissioned officer, who shall forward the complaint to the officer exercising general court-martial jurisdiction over the officer against whom it is made. Just because a Navy website says the complaint has to be made “personally” doesn’t mean it’s true. In fact, as someone that came very close to preparing an Article 138 complaint /through/ my legal office, I can assure you that you do not have to prepare it, and in fact, a lawyer is darn handy in preparing the thing. As a citizen of the United States, really, there’s almost never a time when having a lawyer look over your paperwork does you /harm/. Also, let’s be real. Everyone here who has served in the Army, I would lay you money that you had some paperwork that had to go to the commander. Leave forms, random requests, deferments, etc etc etc. Now here’s the question. How many times, of all those, did you, personally, walk your paperwork in to said commander? I would wager almost none. I know if I had paperwork to get to the commander, it’d either go to my squad leader, if I was the squad leader, platoon sergeant, or if I was the platoon sergeant, first sergeant. In fact, the only time I think I’ve ever gone straight to the commander is once when I was trying to clear a post during Christmas holidays, and he let it slip he could sign for every block. Daniel: It could be about the lack of treatment if the commander refused or stopped treatment. It could also be about the commander’s decision to deploy him against medical… Read more »
And really, if I’m turning in paperwork and want to have flying monkeys deliver it, that does not invalidate the paperwork. It seems clear that Hank’s chain of command had very little interest in taking care of his issues, so it’s completely understandable that he preferred outside agents to deliver it, and record the delivery. How many times have you seen paperwork “lost” when convenient?
I knew that would light a fire under you, AS. And leave it to you to argue the least important portion of the post.
“Personally” can also mean your legal representative – not some unkempt, unwashed, scraggly hippie who is not in the military. And I’m pretty sure the staff sergeant isn’t Hanks’ court martial authority. If I had been that NCO, I would have tossed that sheaf of papers in the trash as soon as Grizzly Adams handed them to me…in front of him. And then I would have stuffed him out the door furry face first.
If the intent was a serious redress of Hanks’ grievances, this was the exact opposite of what should have happened. It was nothing but useless theater. Any one who argues the contrary clearly doesn’t understand the military or law.
Here is a good test of motives in these cases:
Actual redress of a grievance – use the system. Until you have utilized that system to its fullest, do not resort to stunts.
Publicity for your “cause” – go straight for the stunts.
This is what makes Branum a crappy lawyer, and why this guy is now SOL for any actual grievance he really had.
Gimme a break….you guys are upset that a guy with long hair and a beard delivered the paperwork instead of a lawyer or another service member?
WTF? Is the fu—g hippie acting like an attorney? Does the fu—-g hippie work for an attorney?
Or, is he just a shit disturber? Any solider on active duty can go talk to JAG for free and get proper, legal advice…or go on sick call and claim stress etc.
I’d guess the AWOL POS is just afraid of getting killed…OK, we all were…but we went anyway.
Did it ever dawn on you that drawing publicity for your cause is actually important? A lot of times something solid doesn’t seem to come until you see a story on the news or something….because people just are not aware of the problem.
Jax
Because a lawyer would know his job and how UCMJ works. I mean since the IVAW has such a great track record of helping Soldiers. I mean they have helped out…. help me out here.
Your a idiot.
The “cause” is not screwing over Soldiers by people that will never have to fact or deal with the punishments. The IVAW is no different then the Birthers that try to get Soldier’s to no deploy to get a “real” birth certificate from President Obama.
The end result is the same, lives wrecked and while the “cause” moves on the the next victim.
Okay, just out of curiousity….is anyone on this website a psychiatrist, psychologist, mental health provider, or even have a degree in psychology?? Because you love to throw around derogatory terms and call people like Hanks an “AWOL POS.” But you don’t seem to understand much about the human brain and how it works. Everybody responds differently to fear and there is no guarantee a person will get PTSD, but there is certainly the risk. You all act as if PTSD isn’t a real thing, or when a person is suffering from it, you all tend to call them pussies. I’m sure glad as hell that none of you were my commanders or NCOs when I was active duty because you’re failing to recognize that a GOOD commander or NCO is supposed to care about their soldiers.
And from where is your degree, Jax? Would you like to compare and contrast?
Because I would like to know how you can get PTSD from CQ duty, 8 day stay inside the FOB, or hearing stories 2nd/3nd hand. This is the type of people that the IVAW shows as people with PTSD.
I see it ether two ways. He is faking to get out of a deployment using the IVAW or he is not with the IVAW is using him for the “cause” and he get screwed over.
Ether way he loses.
I actually used to work as a mental health provider in the Army and have my degree in Psychology….and have worked on two separate psychological research teams. I do not have all the answers, but I also would gather facts on Hanks and his situation before I started calling him an AWOL POS, because I know better than that.
DD214 or it did not happen.
Anon,
There is a difference between informing the public and grandstanding. Marching into a Brigade HQ to present a packet to a random Soldier is much different than making a press release stating that the Soldier filed an ART 138.
AS,
Your point is exactly what I stated. If the documents provided show that the Commander knowingly prevented treatment, or violated regulations dealing with Soldier medical treatment than there is a case.
I don’t believe anyone is bemoaning the fact that an ART 138 was filed. That is a right under UCMJ and if the Soldier believes there is cause, they are free to file away.
However, third parties with no motivation besides their own political advancement and publicity have no business in the process and are further proof of IVAW’s desire to promote its own cause on the back of Soldier’s careers and lives.
As far as PTSD from CQ and 8 day stays inside the FOB, I don’t know what to say to that except that I know from my experience in Iraq that being on a FOB doesn’t guarantee your safety. There was more than 1 incident when I was there where soldiers were killed by incoming fire. And it only takes ONE incident where a person fears for their life to develop PTSD. It’s an extremely baffling illness because a person can develop PTSD from one incident or a person can go without developing it after going outside the wire multiple times. There is no black & white where PTSD is concerned– no sure way to know who is highly susceptible.
As far as developing PTSD from hearing stories secondhand….there is something called vicarious traumatization. Look it up if you don’t believe me. But, it should be noted, vicarious traumatization symptoms are not as severe as firsthand traumatization.
If your comment about PTSD from 8 day stays inside the FOB was directed at Matthis, which I kind of suspect it was, I should note that I personally feel Matthis is a liar….but this came after much observation about what he said and how he acted.
I’m fully aware of where and in what capacity you used to work, and your opinion of some douche who uses a legitimate illness as a means to promote himself and evade accountability means sweet fuck all.
And you should do a little more research on him yourself before you espouse an all-encompassing knowledge of his person. He is now and always has been a piece of shit with the intellectual capacity God gave a goat’s balls. Unfortunately, the idiot got hooked up with your “organization” instead of someone who can actually help him.
The fact that you promote an organization who will use a soldier who needs help as a face and means to reach their own ends only serves to show who and what you (don’t) stand for.
Go peddle your fucking IVAW cards under some other door.
After numerous personal interactions with Jason Hurd, I feel he is 100% sincere in wanting to help soldiers and veterans. Maybe you guys do not agree with how he goes about it, but that doesn’t diminish the sincerity in his actions, in my opinion.
This all stinks to barracks lawyer advice. Sadly, the only “licensed” attorney they have to use for guidance and to learn from is Branum, and he’s pretty much barracks lawyer quality as it is, so expect more of these goofy stunts.
Fully aware of where and in what capacity I used to work? Are you some sort of super secret spy that you could have such detailed information on me?
I never said I had an all-encompassing knowledge of him. But I doubt everyone on this website has an all-encompassing knowledge of him either. I never defended him by saying he had PTSD or wasn’t malingering. Maybe he is malingering in hopes of dodging a deployment….it has certainly happened before. I simply said I don’t feel you all are being fair by labeling him as a “douche” the second you hear he went AWOL. Because he went AWOL, everyone calls him a “douche” and a “POS” and acts as though he is faking his PTSD.
And I do not “peddle” IVAW cards, thank you very much
I guess it’s possible that this guy might have PTSD, that was so severe and untreated that he needed to go AWOL to get help. I haven’t heard anything about it really.
But when he cast his lot with IVAW, he’s joining with an organization whose members (including board members) have historically insisted that you can get PTSD from not deploying, from hearing stories from people who did deploy, from dreams, from seeing smoke in the sky on 9/11, and from a six day tour of Afghanistan/just joining the Army in the first place.
So you can see where our skepticism arises.
It doesn’t take a genius to read your posts and make 2 and 2 equal 5.
I believe his choice to hold a press conference on Veteran’s Day in the company of miscreants he was with may have had more to do with his being called a piece of shit than claiming he has PTS and needs help.
Yep, what ROS said.
Miscreants huh? Since Jason Hurd was there on Veterans Day and is also in this video, I will focus on him….what makes Jason Hurd such a miscreant? Is it simply because he has long hair and a beard? Or is it because you all have labeled him as a pothead? What exactly is it? I know Jonn has ridiculed him and eluded to the idea that Jason is faking it, but the VA highly disagrees with Jonn on that one.
Jax…I’m was a Mental Health Professional for over 30 years. I worked in the PTSD field before it was in the DSM. I have PTSD. I would disagree that you can get PTSD through “vicarious tramatization”. I have a MSW from UNC and was a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. I have NEVER heard one of the men or women on this blog call people who have PTSD pussies. They question some of the people that claim to have PTSD pussies, especially when they say they got it from listening to stories. I would imagine Hansel and Gretel really freaked them out as kids. Your degree is in Psychology? Would that be a BA, MA, Ph.d, or PsyD? You are absolutely correct in much that you say and you do sound as you have worked in the field. I think the problem here is with the way some of these people go about doing the things they do. I also think if he has a legitimate beef he needs to have the nuts to do it himself instead of bringing in a bunch of wannabee’s like I ran into in the 70’s with the VVAW. I have found the people on this site to be some of the most honorable people I’ve ever met on the internet so don’t jump to conclusions with them and understand where they are coming from as much as you would like to be understood.
Honor and Courage
1AirCav, I think that I have agreed with you more than I have agreed with anyone else on this site.
As far as vicarious traumatization, I don’t know that I really agree with it either to be honest. I think maybe it is just more of counter-transference thing. In Iraq, I heard stories from my clients about being outside the wire every night, and the things they witnessed. Knowing what they were dealing with made me worry all the more about them because I was afraid they might not make it to the next appointment. But that is certainly not traumatization; it’s just worry.
My degree in Psychology is a BS from the University of North Florida, and admittedly, I don’t work with Clinical or Counseling Psychologists on research. I chose to work with an Evolutionary Psychologist and a Cognitive Psychologist.
“After numerous personal interactions with Jason Hurd, I feel he is 100% sincere in wanting to help soldiers and veterans.”
So? Hitler was 100% sincere in wanting to help Germans.
I hear ya Spade, I really dislike hearing how someone’s intentions should count for something. It’s one of the lesser reasons I don’t embrace religion, and especially Christianity.
Some of my favorite quotes concerning intentions:
All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions.
Reinhold Niebuhr
Hell isn’t merely paved with good intentions; it’s walled and roofed with them. Yes, and furnished too.
Aldous Huxley
It is not enough to be well-intentioned; one must strive to put those intentions into action in a capable way. One must consider the effect his actions will have on others. Looked at like this, to persist in ignorance is itself dishonorable.
Andrew Cohen
So to hope to be able to have peace, to be able to have justice and environmental balance, are consequences of our behavior, not just our intentions.
Godfrey Reggio
The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.
Albert Camus
WOW! Comparing Jason Hurd with Hitler huh? How can you possibly compare the two? Hitler wanted to “help” the Germans by massacring Jewish people.
And I do not embrace religion either, Jacobite, because some of the most evil actions are often performed in the name of religion. The difference that I see here is that Jason is not committing any sort of evil act….you all merely disagree with his act. And I would welcome any EXAMPLE of a time when Jason Hurd destroyed someone’s life. Good luck in finding some proof of that.
Depends on how you define destroyed, much like trying to define evil. It rather depends on your point of view.
Jax,
OK, so you don’t specialize in treatment of soldiers got it. I cannot imagine any mental health professional advising their patient to pursue associations and a course of action that based on history, will result in more severe punishment and pain to the patient. It is a fact that soldiers who have elected to receive support from IVAW and Barnum have on the average, received more severe punishment than those who return to their units on their own accord. Prove me wrong.
A significant aspect of true PTSD is survivors’ guilt and the belief that the soldier could have done more to help his fellow soldiers. Explain how going AWOL would not add to a deserter’s feelings of guilt. Part of the road to recovery is dealing with these deep seated feelings, regardless of the type of therapy employed. I would argue that any health care professional that would advise a patient to break the law should be subject to professional censure and loss of license.
And no, I am not a mental health professional so lets skip the ad hominem attacks. However, I have significant experience in dealing with PTSD, my own and that of my soldiers. In my over 4 years of company command and multiple battalion commands I have never failed to help a soldier seeking mental health counseling.
AWOL is not the answer and anyone, professional or lay person who advises a soldier to do so is more concerned with their own agenda rather than the beneift of the soldier.
Jax…ditto 100% what the LTC says. You really need to listen. I would expect to lose my license if I recommended, when I worked for the Marine Corps and Navy, any of my Marines or Corpsmen to go AWOL for ANY reason. This is another reason that my therapy model is cognative BEHAVIORAL. If he has PTSD, making himself have more guilt ain’t the answer. Having those asshats from the IVAW wouldn’t help either. It’s a slap in the face to his command.
LTC…you certainly have been involved with this and I so respect you for it. Most of my Marine’s Officers were also on board along with their SGTsMaj. I have seen the military evolve so much since I was in back in the Dark Ages. I would like to think I was a part of that evolution.
Honor and Courage
Jason Hurd gave me Post Traumatic Storytelling Disorder when when I saw him blubbering over the woman he ALMOST shot. And then he wished that I’d contract an incurable disease and die…that only compounded the disorder. There.
Well it is my understanding that Hanks went AWOL before he ever got into contact with IVAW. I’m not sure if that is true or not though.
And “specialize in the treatment of soldiers”?? What exactly do you mean by that? I did treat soldiers for several years in the Army. I think I did a pretty damn good job, seeing as how I had more than one psychiatrist I worked with trying to talk me into going to medical school because they thought I would make an awesome psychiatrist myself.
With that being said, you are absolutely correct about the guilt aspect. It is a very common symptom, but it is not an absolute symptom. Maybe Hanks felt more guilt about leaving his family behind? I can’t really say….I just know it does no good to call him a “douche” for going AWOL. Maybe he just made a mistake and we should chalk it up to that?
Right on AirCav69, what a bunch of useless numbnuts VVAW were. But they must of had a helluva mentoring program.
Jax, beware any Sea Story that begins “You ain’t gonna believe this shit…”, would’nt want you to catch a dose of PTSD.
Now I don’t doubt the sincerity ot the diagnosis, I was diagnosed with it in the early 80s before it was in the book,years after doing extended tours “Down South”.
The treatment? going to a Vet Center once a week or 2-3 times a month to small group sessions that were more or less coffee drinkin’, smokin’, Sea/War Story Bullshit sessions. It would never cross any of our minds that we were “sick” or
seek any disability benefit from the VA. We all gladly signed that blank check come what may. Me personally I think that PTSD has become a crutch/excuse and seen as a way to get that Gov’t Stash, on the backs of legitimate sufferers
Oh yeah, the best part of those sessions? Going to the nearest Slop Chute afterwards and partaking in some adult beverag imbibement…thats when the real war stories started.
I have never recommended to any clients that they join IVAW, or any other organization for that matter….hope that clears it up for you.
And I have seen commanders threaten their soldiers if they go to Mental Health or Combat Stress. So that possibility has not escaped my mind.
Jax,
“Specialize in the treatment of soldiers” recognizes that soldiers and their families mental health challenges are unique and they require different therapeutic strategies. Let me cite two examples. In his book, “Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior” DR (COL) Charles Hoge compares key differences between most forms of civilian trauma versus the military. Most notable is the sustained, repetitive, nature, of military trauma… constant danger and multiple deployments. The key distinction that many of the behaviors in the DSM criteria such as hypervigilance, repetitive OCD like checking, and intolerance of mistakes save lives on the battlefield and thus serve a positive function. It is only when these behaviors manifest themselves out of the battlefield that they become dysfunctional. It may not be in the patients’ best interest to completely eliminate these behaviors, rather the context in which they are presented determines their affect on the patient. The body of research going back at least as far as WWII demonstrate that that treating patients far forward on the battlefield is in most cases most effective. MIlitary mental health issues are indeed unique…so much so that USC has established a Military Mental Health School and other universities now offer courses focused on the unique aspects of military mental health.
So while I’m just a knuckle dragging martinet who regards his soldiers as cogs in the big green machine, I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
Perhaps you ought to go read up on this subject.
That will be 5 cents please ;o)
OOH RAH, Get Some LTC Tim!
Do you take debit cards LTC Tim?
Bottom line, for me: kid went AWOL. Strike 1
The unit, with the kid assigned to it, was under orders to deploy. So he missed movement. Strike 2
Never let a kid get to Strike 3.
Given that the unit was under orders to deploy, something the colonel himself could nothing to change, seems to me that the complaint has no standing. It gets filed in the kid’s local file along with an MFR citing the deployment orders. Justice served, just in time to hit the links.
It’s almost like they’re not even trying to apply logic here.
Thank for you that lesson, LTC Tim. Fortunately, you didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. I had to teach a weekly class in Iraq called “Combat and Operational Stress Reactions,” as well as provide command consultations. One of the principles you are referring to is proximity– treating the soldier as close to their home unit/battlefield as possible. There are 5 other principles: brevity, immediacy, centrality, expectancy, and simplicity.
While I acknowledge that I don’t have all the answers, you’re acting as if I have done no research on the subject or have no experience treating soldiers with PTSD or COSR (combat and operational stress reactions).
With that being said, I acknowledge it was probably not in his best interest for Hanks to go AWOL, but I don’t know that IVAW talked him into it. Hanks is claiming his commander kept him from getting the help he needed. I’d like to get more of this story because I have seen commanders and 1SG’s threaten soldiers about going to get mental health services so I know it does happen. If his commander did, in fact, keep him from getting services that he has the right to get he does have a basis for a complaint.
You asked me what I meant by, “specialized in the treatment of soldiers”. I answered your question. Go back and reread your comments. You are the person that began the discussion of commenters’ qualifications to voice their opinions on PTSD. The clear inference is that unless you are a mental health professional, that you are de facto unqualified to speak on the subject. Judging from the other commentators, I’m not the only one who took your comments that way.
From general officers and other senior leaders coming forth with their own struggles with PTSD, to the enormous amount of resources the military has devoted to combat this condition, to suggest that this soldier had no other recourse except to go AWOL is ludicrous. It pains me and other veterans to see soldiers with weak or unverifiable PTSD claims shift the attention away from the overwhelming majority of soldiers who successfully seek help within the laws and regulations necessary for the military to function.
It sickens me as a leader and a person to see dysfunctional organizations use and dispose of soldiers who besides their naivete, do have mental health issues, but not PTSD. Furthermore, the moral relativism reflected in your comments regarding hitler has no place in any discussion of the this topic.
Moral relativism reflected in my comment regarding Hitler? I was not the one who brought up Hitler. What I said was that comparing Jason Hurd with Hitler was ludicrous.
I am also not trying to say that people who are not mental health professionals cannot speak on the subject of PTSD. But a lot of people on here seem to think they are qualified enough to say Hanks does NOT have PTSD, when Hanks says that more than 1 doctor has diagnosed him with PTSD. I was merely asking who on here does have the education and experience necessary to make such statements that they can disagree with more than 1 medical doctor.
And what sickens ME is the thought that there is a possibility a commander did, in fact, keep his soldier from receiving treatment. I genuinely hope Hanks’ accusation is not true.
For the record: POS is not a medical term. It is a military term. It describes dirtbags that miss formation and/or go AWOL, those that generally cannot perform to standard, attempt to laze their load on others, etc. The label POS can be ascribed by any Military member, but is most often used by the enlisted members of the squad or platoon of that unit, and his NCO’s. Any non-POS NCO can label a soldier a POS. LT’s are required to pay attention and CPT’s should accept the weight of that NCO’s opinion. As has been regularly stated here, there is a right and a wrong way of doing things (and the Airborne way). The right course of action for this POS would have been to go on sickcall and get an appointment with a shrink, who then would have deemed him deployable or not, along with determined whether or not he was afflicted with PTSD. Had the Commander prevented that course of action (and no commander with a lick of sense prevents a valid visit to sick call), then he would have had an Art 138 case, which would have entailed a visit to the Legal Defense/JAG office (which again no commander would prevent). No where in the right way of doing things, does one go to an organization practicing sedition as a policy, to enlist a bozo, no matter if his intentions were pure, to drop papers on an SDNCO not involved in the matter. Legally speaking, there is no acknowledgement that the commander ever received the documents. (Practically speaking, we can “assume” he did.) He was not “served” as required by law. Good Intentions are well and good, except when the means and/or goals are corrupted. The IVAW is a morally bankrupt organization with idiotic goals. They use lies and innuendo as a means to advance political goals they do not understand. Even their name is a lie. PTSD is a serious issue undermined by exaggeration and false claimants, along with politicians attempting to prove their Vet Cred. Those with PTSD are avoiding meaningful assistance because JA’s… Read more »