To CNN: How to read a DD214
So TSO sent me this article from CNN about Iraq war veteran Robert Rissman, 22 who is on the streets of LA after being discharged from the Army. he tells Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a turd in his own right how Rissman was in a “Quick Reation Force” who saw action “night after night” and suffered from PTSD and was discharged because of his suicidal thoughts. CNN shows his DD214 in the video below;
They also show a picture of him and his unit standing on the ramps of some FISTVs (fire support vehicles) so i started wondering about his ‘acton” Night after night”. I blew up a screenshot of his DD214 n the video;
He was a 13D, artilleryman on a FIST Vehicle. Not much action there. Before you Red Legs get bent out of shape, stick with the story for a minute more. The DD214 says he was in Iraq december 2008 until August 2009…so how much action was tyhere to see? It was after the surge. And if he saw “action” “night after night”, wouldn’t he have a CAB? there’s none on the DD214, in fact there are no awards for anyone who would have the record he’s claiming to have, beyond the “everyone” awards….there’s nothing wrong with that, mind you, but it doesn’t match his blather to CNN.
Well, what cinched it was this comment on another article about Rissman from someone claiming to have served with him;
BIGGY MIKE says:
October 23, 2011 at 8:18 AMAre you serious? Look, this is a very serious issue about homeless veterans, but you have honestly chosen the wrong veteran to come talk about this stuff. I was overseas with this young kid. He was far from always seeing action, they were rarely deployed out, and nor was this kid in any sort of “action” ever. Those of us that are still in the unit saw this and was highly outraged at the fact that the media didnt do any sort of background check on this person. This person was discharged from the army for a myriad of reasons, nothing to do with PTSD or anything of that nature. We have done more and seen more on our currently deployment that we did lasty deployment. 1 person from our BRIGADE earned a CAB (Combat Action Badge) from last deployment. That is 1 in about 2500 soldiers. Serious issue, wrong person to feature.
One guy from the whole Brigade earned a CAB…one guy saw “action” – that’s why they call it a “Combat ACTION Badge”. So what did Rissman see that gave him PTSD? Did he see the civilian contractor spill the sprinkles for his sundae on the floor at Baskin Robbins? Did his pickle on his Whopper have a dust bunny on it?
CNN giving these numbnuts a platform without looking into their background does nothing for the homeless veterans or the REAL PTSD victims.
Category: Military issues, Shitbags, Veteran Health Care
You do not understand, Jonn. Yam yanking counts as night-after-night action.
You wonder about a network that features Anderson Cooper as the “face” of CNN? That says all that needs to be said about CNN.
If they had more than 2500 viewers, it might be a concern. But, they seem locked in a death struggle with Richard Madcow and the other luminaries at LSDNBC.
If this asshat is homeless, it’s because he’s wasting the rent money on weed and blow.
Hopefully people will read the last line of your post, and realize that THAT is what this is all about. When you prop up a movement, effort or venture with a shitdick, you are going to suffer when it comes out. And this guy is a perfect example of the kind of guy you DON’T want as the hallmark of your campaign.
Any idea what unit this guy was with? I work in an office filled with Red Legs (technically I’m Fires, too).
13D works inside a Fire Direction Center, or a TOC, working the computer, unless his Chief hasn’t certified him and he’s outside filling sandbags and being Top’s gofer.
13F are Fisters.
I wonder if he is trying to claim that deterrence fire/star butts fire missions as “actions”.
These guys are like Barry O. They’ll tell the lies for the attention and claim the other hand isn’t full of bullshit…until they get caught because someone else always knows when the buddy fucking is going on. I hate this shit. They truly believe they are untouchable.
I was at FOB Warhorse about this same time (Sep 2008 to Aug 2009). I earned my CAB in that time frame, so while it was slow, it wasn’t dead.
Do we have any idea what unit this guy was with (can’t get video’s through the corporate firewall). We had 2-4 FA and 2-8 FA (as well as 1-5 INF) 25th ID, and they saw action almost every night, if you count flares, a couple of counter battery, and some terrain denial missions. If you consider “every night” to also mean the weekly patrols and sweeps of villages outside of Baqubah, then yeah, this guy’s claims about being busy are possible.
Please note this isn’t a knock on the men in deuce four or two eight. They did their jobs (and beyond their jobs) with the utmost professionalism and courtesy when they were called upon to do so. The problem was, there just wasn’t that much to do.
Sgt K
I was at Warhorse from May 2008 to June 2009. I was on pad 11 if I remember correctly. Right next to the theater. There was a fatal indirect fire attack were two 25ID soldiers were killed in late 2008 on the base. We were the Seahorse patch.
Sporkmaster,
I was Pad 5, right across from the soccer field and not too far from the chow hall and PX. I was on one of the PSYOP teams (not skeletor’s death reaking team though). Talk about a small world. Did you hear, Warhose closed this month, handed over to some Iraqi’s who plan to reopen it as a regional airport/business complex.
No did not hear that but it is kinda small for a airport besides helicopters. I wonder if they will keep those T-72s out front.
Ok, but the article I saw this attached to, and I’m not going to click the link to see if they are the same, was about how the VA was bequeathed 500 ACRES of Californian land for a veteran’s home type of thing. After Vietnam, the VA started kicking them out and basically started leasing out the land to private entities and making money on the back of homeless vets.
I don’t care about this kid and DD214. I DO care about the fact that the VA is screwing over vets by using land that should be used to house them and help them get back on their feet, not giving space to a damn golf course.
I stopped by Warhorse on occassion in 2006 when things were much busier. We used it as a sort-of pitstop as we moved to whatever mission was going on that day. I can see it becoming a little business area, but agree that it is kind of small for anything other than helicopters.
As for Rissman, I do believe he is pulling his “no sh!t, there I was” card to willfully ignorant media personalities who need to put a compelling face to the story they are trying to shape. It is remarkable how many people just assume anyone who deployed, regardless of timeframe, must have experienced trauma and killed people. Unfortunately, there are people, like the IVAW crowd and the people who manipulate them, who exploit this.
That was me (about Pad 5)…I don’t know how/what they are really going to end up doing with it. My ‘terp went back for a visit and when he returned to the states, he told me about it. His family was trying to get him to stay there and work with the guys re-opening it. I wonder what they are doing with Gabe.
LL, I’m trying to find out more details about that myself. It does sound like a straight up shafting by the VA, but with CNN you never know. So far all the other stories about it are “No comment due to pending litigation”.
OMG did you see that guy. He had like PSD and it was SOOO sad. Shouldn’t he like you know get help or something? That’s why I’m like really against war, cuz its really sad.
This kinda shit only worsens the stereotype out there that we’re all fucking crazy. You know you CAN go to Iraq and no come back a raging nutjob.
Doc, you can’t! If you go off to war and come back without being a raging nut job, then it means you were a sociopath before you left (and as such a raging nut job who’s lack of empathy was only worsened by going off to war).
Psychology is set up so you just can’t win. No matter what behavior you exhibit, it will fit and confrom to whatever preconceptions the analyst already holds.
It is also the media potrayal of PTSD=homelessness..
My husband came back with PTSD. He worked through it. Some people can function with it. I am sure there are those that cannot and those are very severe case.
This is the same Shit as we found in Iraq Vets against the War. I was on one to show his DD 214— He said things around my son who did tours in Iraq that my son saw through as Bull Shit. Turned out this guy had never been in Iraq. THROWN OUT!
THE PRESS WAS UP THIS GUYS ASS AND HAD PICTURES OF HIM IN THE FISH WRAPPER THAT THEY PRINT!
I was there in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2008-09. I received combat pay for all deployments, but there was no combat (1 IED the whole deployment) in Iraq in 2008-2009. Why is he homeless, the post 9-11 GI bill pays you to go to college.
i know him personally, and he us a liar.
i was in his platoon, its all bull!
Heh. Send us more Anonymous, those are always fun emails!
/salute