Colonel living in his van
A couple of dozen readers have sent us this link to the story of former-Colonel Robert Freniere who retired a few years back and has been unable to find much work lately and he’s living out of his mini-van;
So Freniere, a man who braved multiple combat zones and was hailed as “a leading light” by an admiral, is now fighting a new battle: homelessness.
“You stay calm. That’s what we were trained for when I went through survival training,” he said recently in King of Prussia, where he had parked his blue minivan, the one crammed with all his possessions and held together with duct tape.
As of January 2012, more than 60,000 veterans were homeless, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Reducing that number has been a priority for the Obama administration – and the number of homeless veterans dropped 24 percent nationwide from 2009 to 2013. In Pennsylvania, however, it jumped 46 percent, to more than 1,400.
Joblessness among returning service members is even more common. Freniere describes a monthly lunch he has attended in Washington, a hushed tradition that he says attracts about 200 veterans. After they eat, the men and women who are unemployed stand up one by one to recite their service records, hoping someone else in the room will hire them.
I’m guessing that you want me to do a FOIA on him, but there are official photos floating around and former colleagues are commenting on what great guy he is, so I don’t know how productive it would be to check on him. I didn’t see his name in AKO, but he’s Air Force, so that says nothing. I tend to believe him – yeah, he’s a retired LTC and he should be pulling in a couple tens of thousands of dollars, but he also got divorced right before he retired, which probably took a chunk of his retirement pay, and he has kids in college and private schools, so there it all goes.
I’m thinking he’s a victim of geography – he probably wants to stay near his kids. And Philadelphia doesn’t have a lot of opportunities for his particular set of skills. He should try to find a job in the DC area – my kids go through jobs there like I change my socks, but to each his own. Then again, I could be wrong. I spent sometime unemployed in Upstate New York and when I got tired of that, I moved to DC. But then, I don’t have any ex-wives and my kids are spread out around the world.
Category: Air Force
This story is such shit.
$40k a year pension.
Why can’t his shitty kids join the military to pay for college? That dude is such a chump bitch it’s unbelievable.
Not going to make a Chris Farley as Matt Foley reference here, but hope this guy can turn things around.
FatCircles0311: due to the Former Spouse Protection Act, his spouse is probably getting a big chunk of that pension. I’d guess he’s seeing maybe $20-25k of it, tops. And he may well be getting stuck with having normal taxes deducted as if he were getting it all, then recouping any tax benefits due to the alimony deduction when he files his federal taxes the next year.
I still think the law that the ex-spouse gets half of your retirement pay is crap.
I don’t know much about these sort of things, but he’s apparently estranged from his second wife, not divorced. How does this affect his retirement pay? His first divorce?
Anyways looks like one job didn’t work out because he didn’t like that it was too far away from his sons.
I don’t think there’s any red flags about his service but he does seem like someone that seems to be having ‘issues’ if you know what I’m saying.
@4: Especially since there are women that go through a few marriages just so they can live well at the expense of others.
I wonder what the kids and ex think.
@6; I don’t know about that. You have to be married while in the service for 10 years for the law to apply.
A clarification – FSPA doesn’t mandate that the spouse gets 50% (or any %) of retired pay. It specifically states that those issues are up to state courts. A couple of links:
http://www.military.com/benefits/military-legal-matters/uniformed-services-former-spouse-protection-overview.html
http://www.dfas.mil/garnishment/usfspa/legal.html
That being said, I’ve heard some anecdotal horror stories about judges misinterpreting FSPA in various ways. Here’s the part that I believe is misinterpreted the most:
“In addition, for orders dividing retired pay as property to be enforced under the USFSPA, a member and former spouse must have been married to each other for 10 years or more during which the member performed at least 10 years of military service creditable towards retirement eligibility (the 10/10 rule).”
It’s the ENFORCEMENT of the court order dividing retired pay that FSPA addresses, and not the terms of the order itself. If the spouse doesn’t meet the 10/10 rule, then he/she can’t go through DFAS to get the order enforced (i.e., have the $$ automatically deducted from the retired servicemember’s pension). If the spouse DOES meet the 10/10 rule, then he/she can ask DFAS to have the deduction done.
However, I’m betting that more than a few judges have misinterpreted that rule to mean that the 10/10 rule applies to the amount of the order, instead of what their state’s law says.
IIRC, a number of servicemember organizations tried a number of years ago to get Congress to change the law and exempt retired pay from marital property proceedings. The efforts went nowhere, and I haven’t heard that the issue has been broached lately.
I think I’ve summarized it correctly, but take a look at the links for more details.
I’m sick of homeless vet stories.
The one thing the military teaches, ESPECIALLY a LTC, is to adapt and overcome.
Use your resources. I feel the same for regular homeless as I do homeless vets; all subjective and situational.
If your a shit bag before you enlist, chances are you’ll make private, shit-bag decisions after you get out.
I’ve seen it first hand in talking to just-enlisted privates (and those I processed out) at Fort Knox reception battalion.
Ok. Do I really have to be one of the a$$holes that points out the end?
“Eric, 21, plans to follow in his father’s military footsteps. “My dad’s the most motivated person I’ve ever met in my whole life, and he’s living out of his van,” Eric said. “A full colonel with three master’s degrees? I don’t get it at all – it doesn’t make sense to me. If he had a job right now, we’d be fine. We’re not fine right now.”
Freniere says dyslexia makes focusing on a computer screen difficult. Online applications are so hard for him, he said, that tears well in his eyes as he describes his days at public libraries.”
Who gets three Masters degrees and and makes it to LTC in the United States Air Force, and is such a bad dyslexic that he can’t use a computer to fill out online applications? I call bullshit.
@8.
That is the way I understand it.
I call bull. His picture in this article http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/01/09/decorated-air-force-colonel-has-three-degrees-and-great-referencesso-his-living-arrangement-may-shock-you/ shows him wearing the USAF Headquarters badge above his name tag like a woman. Men are required to wear it below. It is correct in the picture from the Philly.com link, but why would he let the first picture get out like that. Also, the middle ribbon in the third row has disappeared so he has one less ribbon in the Philly picture, why?
I was recently unemployed in the DC area and it took me three months to find a new job. He is not trying.
I forgot to add, those are chickens on his “uniform” not silver clusters…
Seems like a case of piss poor planning.
I would like to remind the Colonel, “Your hands still fit a broom!”
Many, perhaps all, of us have taken jobs much below our skill and education levels to ensure our children were fed.
I was all set to tear the Colonel a new one when I looked at his uniform again. Is that an Army Service ribbon in his rack? No other Army decorations? Yes one may serve in the Army and become an Officer in the Air Force; but, something is not adding up.
I’m raising two teenagers where he’s living in a van. We have some spectacularly good public schools in the Philly suburbs. Tuition for a commuting student at VFMAC is about twice what the rent would be for a two-bedroom apartment in a safe, comfortable neighborhood in a good suburban school district.
Having spent the beginning of the week working at a job site where it was so cold that they thought they needed to put road salt in the portajon urinal, I’m having a hard time finding a lot of sympathy for a guy who says he can’t find work to finance his questionable life choices. Either make the really obvious changes in your spending habits, or swallow your pride and get a job that you don’t like to pay for the things you do like.
This is just confusing as hell: Anyone want to learn this dumb CPT here what this means? It looks like his profile from some military social site.
“”(Retired as a USAF 06, in 2006). Also, this site does not, due to the software package involved (not a complaint – this is an excellent website!) reflect the fact that I did a Branch transfer to Military Intelligence Branch in 1978 and served as the S-2 for the 3/67th ADA, Giebelstadt, AB, FRG for less than a year before being medivaced back to Wright-Patterson, AFB, Ohio. Resigned my Regular Commission 1 April 1979 and took a USA Reserve Commission, serving in the 259th MI BN, CI Branch in Sharonville, Ohio till 1982. Then became an IMA for a year serving as a Curriculum Development Officer for MI School at Fort Huachua, AZ till April of 1983, switched to the US Air Force Intelligence Service, retired off AD in 2006 as a USAF 06.””
Source:
http://army.togetherweserved.com/army/servlet/tws.webapp.WebApp?cmd=ShadowBoxProfile&type=Person&ID=156217
And yes, I’m an idiot for not paying attention to all the details. Both kids are adults, so the VFMAC student would be in college and it doesn’t matter how good the public schools are here.
That said, if your choices are helping your kids pay for college or having a roof over your head and you choose the former, I still question your priorities.
@ AndyN: By the way, Center City West here. Go Birds!
It sounds more like he is “selectively homeless” in that he splits time between friend’s couches, hotels and his van. While after having an ex taking out a chunk of his retirement may not leave him with enough to live high on the hog I’m betting he could find a small place or rent a room within his means.
I think he likes being the center of attention.
I read the article and think the reporter did a good job. She saw records and, when she didn’t, she qualified unsubstantiated claims with “He says.” (e.g., when Frenier mentioned his family’s military history). I wish other reporters would do the same. As for him, I pereceive some, shall we say, other issues. I wish him well. He ought to be able to substitute teach anywhere and some of those jobs are long term. He also would qualify for a community college adjunct position. Hey, it’s money and he sounds well qualified. Like I said, though, I’m sensing other issues here that have nothing to do with dyslexia.
If any of you knows his email,pass it on to me at hgonads AT gmail DOT com.Even though there is a huge draw down there is still over 2000 jobs in the ghan and asscrack,I would think with his level of clearance we could find him something in 2 days.
Maybe I’m just used to being cynical these days, but a lot of the story sounds familiar and fishy. Either way, if his background is indeed correctly portrayed, and he can’t find a DoD contractor job in the DC area(which ain’t that damn far from PA), somethings wrong.
Sounds like he needs to get in that van and drive somewhere where he is employable. A 30 year O-6 with an intel background should have no problem putting those skills to use, but only if he’s looking in the right areas. Even with half his pension going to the ex wife, it sounds like he didn’t do much career planning during his transition. Somehow I’m getting the impression he turned down a number of suitable job opportunities to move to wherever he is now. The article didn’t say much about his college age sons, but I wonder if they’re working. They damn well ought to be.
He’s living in a van DOWN BY THE RIVER!!!!
ANCCPT – sounds like he was Army prior to 78, went into the reserves ’79 until ’82, became an IMA (whatever the hell that is) until 83, transferred to the Air Farce, retired as an O-6 in 2006. Explains the Army service ribbon.
I thought O-6s got pretty decent retirement – I read it that his pre-divorce pay was $80K annual and $40K after divorce. Not a whole lot… but he could travel less than 50 miles and live pretty comfortably on much less than that. Somehow, unless those three degrees were in underwater basketweaving, you would think he could land SOMETHING.
Damn, DCM, I sure miss Chris Farley…
so is he an LTC or a COL? Everything points to Col, including his picture. I dunno, it still smells fishy. FOIA his ass.
IMA is an individual mobilization augmentee, that is a reservist assigned or attached to an active duty unit instead of a reserve unit.
I could be wrong, there might be an Army overseas ribbon in his rack, that might make things less muddy, but sill, I’m not convinced this guy’s legit.
Do both pictures show the same person?
By the way, am I the only one who was slightly disappointed that the last name wasn’t Bateman?
@30 – we could only wish
Everything I’ve read shows this guy as a retired O-6 Colonel, not an O-5 LtC. I find it incredible that he cannot live off his pension and cannot find a job anywhere near where he wants to live. At the end of 2008, I found myself unemployed and finally found a job in April 2010 but I did what I had to so as not to lose my home and had an unsteady income (aside from my E-7 pension) during the entire time I was unemployed. I guess it’s a good thing that I have marketable skills to either work a real job or under the radar of the tax man. I can’t believe a former colonel can’t do something similar.
@30 Old Dog – this guy has hair on the top of his head. Your favorite LTC doesn’t.
http://www.esquire.com/cm/esquire/images/zT/110106-F-0000X-001.jpg
@27: David, IMA is ‘Individual Mobilization Augmentee’. It’s kind of like drilling but without a unit assignment. You basically find your own drill opportunities and are responsible for getting your paperwork to prove it signed and turned into HRC yourself. It’s used heavily in AMEDD for people like doctors, nurse partitioners, PA’s dentists, that sort of stuff who the Army wants but has to be super flexible with due to professional obligations outside of the Army.
And as for his degrees, I’d assume one of them is from the War College; Graduates end up with a Masters of some type. The other two, who the hell knows. Intel officers don’t usually have artsy types of degrees, so who the hell knows why he can’t find employment. Still something fishy about a retired full bird not being able to afford a place to live. King of Prussia ain’t THAT nice of a place.
*Correction* ^^ ‘Like a drilling Reservist’
@34 well ladifreakindaaaaaa none of that matters when your living in a van down by the river!!!!!!
Maybe he lost his security clearance. That pretty much screws you in lots of Washington jobs. I know if I lost mine, I would be quickly on the unemployment line.
I don’t get the sons. Both are adults, why aren’t they paying for their own college? Go out and get a job and help your father for God’s sake! What kind of person takes money for college from someone who has to live out of his van?
“If he had a job right now, we’d be fine. We’re not fine right now.”
If you and your lazy ass brother had jobs, you’d be fine and so would he. My youngest son, who turned 21 today, has been employed full-time since he left high school, is in the Air National Guard, and starts school in a couple of weeks. He supports himself and we don’t have to pay a dime for college, same with my daughter who is also Air Guard.
I worked my way through college as well – full-time work and a full school load – fueled by lots of caffeine.
Devilchief, I am thinking the same thing. He must have lost his clearance, otherwise, with his skills and education, he should be pulling in a minimum of $100K. I am well North of $100K, and I was enlisted slime with no degree.
I read the story and it says that he makes “more than $40,000” in retirement pay. As an O-5 with 30 years, he definitely makes a LOT more than $40K. I’m an O-4 with 25 years service and I make close to $50K.
Something about this doesn’t jive. His friends who say he’s a great guy should step up and help him out. I used to live in Hawaii and when I came back to the East Coast, a shipmate helped me out by hiring me so I could get my TS//SCI clearance back (it had expired when I was a cop in Honolulu).
I’m thinking I might write the author of the article so I can contact the LTC. He simply has to suck it up and move to the DC area. I’m pretty sure that he could get a guvvie job with DHS or TSA or some such.
If he just got divorced and is living in a van, I would suspect he had the same experience in family court as I did when I returned from Irag. Any male is immediately cast in the light of an axe murderer. I’m surprised he still has the van, but I would suspect he had to give his ex-wife 75% of the changs in his ashtray
@38: I live in the People’s Republic of Connecticut, and we are lucky enough to have a law which forces divorced fathers in most cases, to pay for 1/2 of “children’s” college. It’s called “Post-Minority Educational Support”. A number of states have this law. My daughter doesn’t even acknowledge me, and I have to pay 12K a year for her to go to UCONN.
If I was still married to their “mother”, I would not be forced to pay for college, so this should be a violation of the 14th Amendment, but the Connecticut Legislature justifies children of a divorce as being “disadvanatged”.
I remember an Army vet, Thomas Ball, a few years ago who was divorced, went to court in New Hampshire dozens of times, and was so distraught by the injustice of the family court, he set himself on fire on the courthouse steps
Somehow I think he gets some perverse satisfaction out out of the “Homeless Veteran LTC” title.
Couple of notes: If he’s an IMA (meaning staff assigned reservist, not assigned to a reserve unit) his pay is based on a formula on how many creditable days of service he has, so it’s very easy to believe he’s only making 40K. And in the old days, reservists never drew pay until age 60, since 2008, for every 90 days on certain orders, you reduce the age by 90 days to draw the paycheck. I too am an IMA, I didn’t know him, but admit with his experience, Intel background and multiple degrees, something else like geographic limitation or something unknown could be at play.
Somebody reach out to him. I wanna know the truth
@44. Reach out to him? That’s kinda tough. Sure, his residence is the same every day but its location keeps changing. One day it’s the Exxon just off Exit 17, the next it’s the Burger King lot near Exit 29.
Base pay for O-6 over 30 in 2006 was north of $8400 a month. Unless his reserve time is reducing his pay somehow, he should be receiving over $6300k a month gross (stipulating 30 years even of service.) Net will be about $5500 or so after taxes, Tricare medical/dental. Ex gets half, so roughly $2750 or so a month he gets to keep. Not extravagant living, but not pauper level either.
From the article, it appears he also has a service connected disability requiring surgery and over a year of convalescence.
Also younger son Eric, 21 attends Valley Forge Military Academy and College while the other son attends a community college in Va.
All in all, color me skeptical. Perhaps the reporter is not very good or I am overly suspicious, but many of the details don’t make sense to me.
MustangCryppie, Mark Dietzler: if the man retired w/20+ years active service, he’d retire under active duty rules. That means his retired pay would be based on his active duty time only. If he’s drawing any retired pay prior to age 60, that is indeed the case (he retired before the retired pay acceleration for contingency service became law in Jan 2008).
Under that scenario, he could well have barely 20 years of active service at 30 years. One way is if he (1) was a career reservist, and (2) was a “tour baby” (e.g., went from temp tour to temp tour to temp tour) who managed to reach sanctuary and retire under active duty rules. There are numerous others.
20 years of active service would get him only 50% of his final pay (he first entered before Sep 1980), or about $4300 a month based on 2006 base pay of $8600. SBP (which his former spouse could legally demand) would reduce that to around $4000/month. And if his former spouse got 50% of his retired pay in a divorce settlement, that would reduce his share of the gross to $2000/month.
He’s also probably getting hit with taxes withheld on the full gross amount of his retired pay, then having to claim alimony as a deduction each year in order to recoup the excess withholding. Since he has to pay any alimony in full post-tax, that would reduce the amount he actually sees each month even further – possibly well below $1500/month.
Bottom line: the guy’s claim to “about $40k a year” in retired pay may be an understatement (it could be accurate if he’s talking his post-tax net before paying alimony). However, he could easily be seeing well under $50k/year – before taxes and alimony – and be left with well under $20k per year in take-home after taxes/SBP/alimony.
Finally: last time I checked, TRICARE doesn’t include much in the way of dental. You have to buy retiree dental insurance to get that, and it ain’t particularly cheap.