Enablers – Part 2
Some weeks ago, Jonn wrote about the tool who claimed to have “created the POW/MIA logo” – the logo actually designed by World War II veteran Newt Heisley. I’ll refer to that individual hereafter as “Logo-boi”.
“Logo-boi” even managed to get honored by both the IL State House (2013) and the US House of Representatives (2014) for “his design for the POW/MIA logo”. However, those honors were false; “Logo-boi” wasn’t the one who designed it. And when when presented with definitive evidence that he wasn’t the originator of the logo, “Logo-boi” then backtracked his claim – kinda.
While “Logo-boi” now acknowledges he did not create the POW/MIA logo, he still claims to have “independently” come up with the same design”, but at a later time – though he does now allow that his design was “unknowingly inspired by the original POW/MIA flag designed by Newton Heisley in 1971”.
“Unknowingly?” Yeah, right. Just like I’m the last of the Romanovs – and therefore the rightful Tsar of all Russia.
But “Logo-boi” isn’t really what this article’s about.
Predictably, the guy had his defenders and enablers. Fakes always do; Jonn’s written an article about that as well.
Notable among “Logo-boi’s” defenders was Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia, his representative in the Illinois State House of Representatives. She’s also the one who rather foolishly introduced a resolution in the IL House commending the guy for “creating the POW/MIA Logo” when he didn’t. That state resolution in turn resulted in a similar resolution erroneously praising “Logo-boi” for same being introduced in, and passed by, the US House of Representatives.
Rep. LaVia continued to support the guy even after clear and convincing evidence was available that he was NOT the creator of the POW/MIA Logo. Rep. LaVia – referred to in the last linked article as “a retired Army officer”, and chair of the Illinois House Veterans Affairs Committee – may well be supporting the guy to avoid admitting she screwed up. That’s understandable; people hate to admit they’ve been “had”. Or maybe she truly does believe him.
But perhaps there’s another reason.
Here’s Rep. LaVia’s bio, taken from her official IL House website (click image for larger version). A PDF print of the webpage including this bio can be found here.
In that bio, downloaded/captured as of the morning of 23 June 2016, Rep. LaVia appears to claim she’s still serving as a member of the “Inactive Ready Reserve”. That’s at odds with the article in which Rep. LaVia defends “Logo-boi”; it refers to her as a “military retiree”. However, it’s unclear where that article’s author got the word that Rep. LaVia was a “military retiree”; it might not have been from Rep. LaVia herself.
Either way, it looks to me like Rep. LaVia needs to contact NPRC. Because it seems to me that her records on file there may be “inaccurate or incomplete”.
Specifically, the service listed in NPRC’s records doesn’t seem to match that in her official bio. Nor do those records seem to say she’s a military retiree.
It appears Rep. LaVia’s maiden name was very likely “Erlinda Chapa”. Rep. LaVia’s bio indicates she graduated from East Aurora High School – and an individual by the name of “Erlinda Chapa” apparently graduated from East Aurora High School in 1984. Graduating from high school in 1984 is consistent with Rep LaVia’s published year of birth (1966). Graduating from high school in 1984 is also fully consistent with someone graduating from college and receiving a commission in 1988.
The above dovetails nicely with Rep. LaVia’s official bio. Moreover, “Chapa” is also now her middle name – a not uncommon practice for many women who marry and elect to adopt their husband’s family name. Finally, it seems quite likely that her current first name “Linda” is a variant of “Erlinda”.
If this “Erlinda Chapa” from 1984 is indeed today’s “Rep. Linda Chapa LaVia” – and I’m fairly sure they’re the same person – here’s what NPRC had to say about their military career. What follows was obtained pursuant to a FOIA request made using the name “Erlinda Chapa”, Rep. LaVia’s published DOB (from Wikipedia), and the place of birth of Aurora, IL. You can view the information below in PDF format here.
Now, “discharged as a 1LT with 11 years 3 months total Reserve Component service” is indeed honorable (if unspectacular) service. But last time I checked, that generally was not the same as either being a current member of the IRR or being a military retiree.
There are also other “disconnects”. NPRC says she served in the IL ARNG from 1988-1993 and in the USAR from 1993-1999. Her official bio says she served in the IL ARNG starting in 1993, serving in the “US Army” before then – and doesn’t mention her 1999 discharge from the USAR at all. NPRC also shows no extended active duty other than for IET – something that Rep. LaVia’s biography IMO implies she did between 1988 and 1993, but doesn’t unambiguously claim.
Perhaps this is all due to a mistake on the part of NPRC. Maybe Rep. LaVia’s records there are not complete. Maybe her bio is simply wrong. Maybe the reporter who wrote that article that refers to Rep. LaVia as “a retired Army officer” misunderstood something she was told.
Or maybe not.
Hopefully Rep. LaVia or her staff can fill in the blanks here.
Category: Who knows
DAMMMME!
11 years 3 months and almost promoted as of often a PFC.
Word.
And she still got elected.
I imagine she will be placing a call to Lori Benton very soon.
Rule of thumb: If you have something in your background that can be used against you, try not to draw attention to yourself or come clean about it before you do.
Word.
Say it with me; “At this point, what difference does it make?!”
I see a cabinet position in the Hillary administration in this woman’s future.
New SECDEF
She’ll play it off as a some staffer not getting her bio to her before it was put online or some aide not allowing her to review it before it was released. It’ll be someones fault but her own.
She’s a politician and a professional liar.
Im working the the Vet Council Chairman, who cancelled “honoring” the fraud, to get these commedations revoked. Ill keep everyone updated.
I’d hit it….naughty gurl
Why does that not surprise me? (smile)
With what? A 2×4? Or a 4×4? Lumber? Or pickup truck?
With a throbbing blued steel hard-on a tomcat couldn’t scratch.
Coffee… nose… fuckin ow, man
I believe I’ve heard that referred to as a “diamond-cutter”. (smile)
She’s good. She has a NDSM.
It’s not as if they just hand those medals out.
I received mine at a Guard mount on an early Sunday evening. The OD passed them out without fanfare. It was my first participation trophy.
I think I got mine from my Chief one duty day. Scarily enough, it was NOT my first medal.
She also has an Army Service Ribbon, yet that wasn’t enough! Sheesh, some people’s kids! 🙄
Can someone help me out? At what point does someone become “highly decorated” veteran? Quite often, news reports describe a veteran as highly decorated, which consists of them receiving the coveted NDSM, maybe a Good Conduct Medal and a Letter Of Appreciation. What would constitute a “moderately decorated” veteran? Would a star on an NDSM make someone an extremely highly decorated veteran? I need to know for when the time comes for me to arrested and sentenced for any comments that I may have made about a highly inebriated software salesman.
A service member is highly decorated when at least one of the following conditions exist:
1) The service member was under the influence of alcohol or nonprescription drugs when decorated;
2) The service member stood at least eight inches above the medal giver when decorated; or
3) The service member received a Silver Star for valor, a DSC or its other- service equivalent, or a Medal of Honor.
You left out one, 2/17:
1a) Or the individual presenting the decoration was 3 sheets to the wind at time of presentation.
Generally, I do not consider someone as “highly decorated” unless they have a “COB” (Continued on back)….
Word
I have a star on my NDSM! Can I call myself extremely highly decorated?? Please, please please!!!
She working undercover with MI at the Tijuana Donkey show in Operation Hung and Bored.
I thought that was operation Donkey Deep Thrust” ???
Somebody help me out. I’m not familiar with how the guard works but how does one spend 11 years in the military and just get to 1stLt?
Not show up and stay on the books as a heartbeat.
Can’t answer for the ARNG, but in the USAR today that’s not supposed to happen. I’m guessing it can if someone “hangs out” in the IRR and the appropriate boards don’t do their job, though. Caveat to what follows: ROPMA (the RC equivalent of DOPMA) went into effect in the mid/late 1990s – 1996, I think, but I’m working from memory and may be a year off either way. Rules were different under the prior system, and most of this lady’s service was pre-ROPMA. Under ROPMA, promotion to 1LT is administrative and non-competitive – essentially it’s a “gimme” if educationally qualified (and waivers exist for those in the SELRES for some of the educational requirements). Promotions above that are competitive, based on “best qualified” – just like the active component. There are also time limits for total commissioned service (not including any enlisted service) that vary by grade. If a USAR commissioned officer is 2x nonselect for promotion to CPT or MAJ, unless they qualify for “limited sanctuary” (my term – there’s an official term, I think, but I can’t recall it) they’re supposed to be discharged. The “limited sanctuary” comes into play for officers that have 18+ years of total credible service (possible for those with significant prior enlisted service) – and is a bit complex. It essentially gives them somewhere between 1 and 3 years to get “20 good years”. (If they have a substantial number of non-qual years, that sanctuary “grace period” may not be sufficient for them to qualify for reserve retirement.) My recollection is that USAR officers with less total credible service than 18 years don’t get that “grace period”. Instead, they get discharged on the 1st day of the 7th month following publication of the promotion list where they were non-selected for the second time. Not sure that “up or out” policy existed prior to ROPMA – or was enforced if it did. If it didn’t (or wasn’t enforced), it makes the speculative scenario I’m about to describe plausible. To make a long story short: IMO it looks to me like LaVia transferred from… Read more »
Update: ROPMA indeed became fully effective in 1996 – on 1 October 1996, to be precise. First boards under ROPMA rules were during FY97.
http://inrecruiting.net/OP/ROPMA.pdf
Her records shows she went through basic in 1988 and Officer Basic in 1991.
She was enlisted and either went through NG OCS (in VA that is 2 weeks in the summer, 12 drills, 2 weeks in the summer the next year) or she got a straight commission based on her Law Degree and she went straight to AG-OBC.
I wonder how she did 5 years in Ill NG and never got her thanks for staying awards. She did get the one for a state level mob, but nothing for being else.
“Illinois Military Long and Honorable Service Medal
The Illinois Military Long and Honorable Service Medal is awarded by the State of Illinois to the Army and Air National Guard members assigned to the Illinois Military Department for 5 consecutive years of honorable service.
Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon
The Illinois Military Attendance Ribbon is awarded by the State of Illinois to the Army and Air National Guard members assigned to the Illinois Military Department for 2 years of attendance for Drill, Annual Training and other duties as determined by the Adjutant General. Member must have attended at least 75% of scheduled UTA training as well as Annual Training for the timeframe awarded.
Illinois State Active Duty Service Ribbon
The Illinois State Active Duty Service Ribbon is awarded by the State of Illinois to the Army and Air National Guard members assigned to the Illinois Military Department for state activation and mobilization.”
It sure looks to me like post commission the state transferred her to IRR so that she could satisfy her commissioned time. Hard time explaining the “Place of Separation” being an ARNG unit when you are in the reserves.
“but nothing for being else”
I have no idea what I was trying to say here.
I blame TSO.
Charming colloquialism. It comes from hanging out too much with rednecks like Dave Hardin.
Made sense to me.
I’m guessing “Place of Separation” may refer to her separation after IET. She was in the IL ARNG for that.
Not sure why that’s not the location where she attended IET, but if she wasn’t there long enough to trigger a DD214 maybe her ARNG unit processed the appropriate ARNG paperwork releasing her from active duty instead. She only seems to have done about 9 weeks of IET, which as I recall isn’t a long enough tour of active duty to require a DD214.
You might be right on both accounts, Hondo.
I too was expecting another duty station for either the Reserves or using your theory the Basic Training Station OR the OBC location (since that was her last AD position and is currently 12 weeks long).
Here is what I found on the minimum tour for DD214.
AR 600-8-101 Chapter 3-2 states in part.
Processing requirements for transition from active duty include:
…
(2) Soldiers (Active Army and RC) processing for transition will be out-processed per this regulation and issued a DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty), as appropriate, per AR 635–8. Soldiers being released from active duty to USAR and ARNG will receive a DD Form 214 prior to their departure. This requirement cannot be waived.
Until proven otherwise, I am going with she was “discharged” and transferred on paper to IRR so she could finish her Officer Commitment.
No retirement for her.
I’m thinking she did the AG OBC via correspondence. No active duty time corresponding to same, and many OBCs have a correspondence version. If it counts as a school completion for PME, pretty sure it gets listed on the FOIA reply whether resident or nonresident.
If she did the AG OBC via resident attendance, unless she did it on the state of IL’s dime (state ARNG orders) there should be active duty time in her records for the course.
Not sure if this was different during her time, but if you’re awarded an MOS, you get a DD214, regardless of how long it took:
http://www.dd214.us/reference/r635_5.pdf
2-1 (a): “…a DD Form 214 will be prepared for each soldier as indicated:”
…
(5) RC soldiers completing initial ADT that results in the award of a military occupational specialty (MOS), even when the active duty period was less than 90 days.
Current reg is now AR 635-8 (2014). But yes, I checked and the new reg says much the same. Learn something new every day – thought the min 90 day requirement for DD214 was hard and fast.
If policies in the late 1980s time frame were the same, then yes – she should have received a DD214 for her attendance at IET in 1988. Not sure that’s the case if that IET it was a post-grad version of ROTC camp, though. Not sure that awards a MOS.
However, that may not be relevant regarding her completion of the AG OBC in the early 1990s. That could well have been done via correspondence.
As a member of the SELRES (ARNG), she’d have had a waiver from the resident OBC requirement for promo to CPT. She lost that waiver under ROPMA if she moved to the IRR or Standby Reserve (ASL). My guess is that’s what triggered her discharge – 2x non-select for promo from the IRR or Standby Reserve (ASL) due to not being educationally qualified.
We’d need to see the regs effective in the late 1980s/early 1990s to be sure, though.
Hunting around this site:
https://p94008.eos-intl.net/P94008/OPAC/Search/AdvancedSearch.aspx
…I searched “635” (I saw a reference in a 1984 AR elsewhere that said AR 635-5 governed DD-214s), and ran across this version of 635-5 from 1978:
https://p94008.eos-intl.net/P94008/OPAC/Common/Pages/GetDoc.aspx?ClientID=MP94008&MediaCode=41231834
Paragraph 1-4 (1): “Each member of the Anrmy National Guard of the United States (ARNGUS) and the Army Reserve (USAR) released after comple tion of 90 days or more of ADT or FTTD and all individuals serving on initial active duty for training regardless of length of time served on initial active duty for training.”
If that site is complete, it looks like AR 635-5 didn’t change again until 2000. That sure doesn’t sound right to me, but the fact that you got a DD-214 in 1978 for getting an MOS in IET, and you get one today, tells me it’s highly unlikely that this changed in the 80’s and changed back after…
I was commissioned in the ARNG in 1993. There was a ridiculous amount of TIG required for promotion to 1LT then. It took 6 years for me to go from 2LT to CPT, so it’s reasonable to assume that when she left the IL ARNG with 5 years she was still a 1LT. No idea how she didn’t make CPT after her move to the USAR unless she failed to complete her advanced course and stuck around until she was a 2 time non-select on the federal promotion board.
My experience in the IRR was “out of sight, out of mind”. I was an O-3 for 8 years, much of it in the IRR.
I seem to recall that in the past it wasn’t uncommon for politicians to maintain a RC commission for purposes of “cred” even though they typically were “excused” from actually serving due to the importance of their political careers.
There’s a way that happens, but it doesn’t involve an assignment to the IRR.
There is a separate reserve status for those deemed “emergency essential employees”, for those undergoing temporary hardship, or in a few other specified circumstances. It’s called the “Standby Reserve”. It’s discussed in detail on this page from HRC. Certain elected officials qualify.
I’m reasonably sure someone in the USAR has to request assignment to the Standby Reserve. If not, they stay in their current assignment in the SELRES or the IRR.
There are two subcategories within the Standby Reserve: the Active Status List and the Inactive Status List. Those on the former can earn retirement points and be considered for promotion. Those on the latter cannot.
It’s possible she went into the Standby Reserve vice the IRR. However, even if in the Standby Reserve it’s my understanding she should have been boarded at the appropriate times. And if she wasn’t educationally qualified (or hadn’t done anything after transferring from the ARNG), I’d guess she’d almost certainly have been a non-select for promo twice.
Oh, you guys! Don’t be so hard on this poor, confused person. Obviously, she means no harm. She just has early onset short-term memory loss when it comes to the details of her illustrious military career.
I’m sure that she took it far more seriously than you give her credit for.
Now, who wants ‘fun’ brownies?
I sure was happy to see the FOIA, as I learned something I never knew existed.
The FOIA says she started her second go-around with the IL NG on 31 September 1988.
I guess it must be an Illinois thing, having two leap days in a leap year.
How’s that little tune go that we learned as kids? Oh, Yeah:
30 days hath September, April, June, and November. All the rest have 31, cept for February, which has 28.
Of course, her being a Policrap, she’ll say the FOIA contains bogus information, so it can’t possibly be true.
I think the technical term for that kind of date error is “brain fart on the part of the individual preparing the document”, Claw. (smile)
Damn you, Claw, for pointing out facts!
You’re just being mean! Just a big ol’ mean ol’ meanie.
Well, if dead people can vote early and often in Illinois, I guess having two leap days in a leap year is possible.
Either that or it’s some kind of a combination of the Chinese, Buddhist/Muslim, Julian date calendar, space time continuum merger.
Or that one extra day of service put her over the top for “retirement” purposes.
I recall being at 2nd ELMACO way back when Christ was on the Delayrd Entry Program, our Company Clerk made up the duty roster for the month of February, neglecting to assign someone for February 29th, it being a leap year. The XO signed off, and when they eventually discovered that they neglected to assign a Duty NCO for the 29th, they decided to tag the Supernumerary. The 1st Sgt said hell no. He made the Company Clerk AND the XO stand the duty.
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I gotta say, this inactive reserve stuff can be pretty confusing. When I was a military physician, I got a lot of warnings from my colleagues about it. A number of folk who were military docs, particularly those on scholarship, did their time and got out. Then, the two Iraq wars happened and a boatload of people got a surprise call telling them they were recalled. They thought they were home free, and boom, suddenly they are in an airplane headed for the middle east. They had no clue they were still on the hook.
When I got out, it took me forever (almost two years as I remember) to actually get an official recognition that I had resigned my commission and was out of the inactive reserves. I got my letter just a couple of months before the second Iraq war.
Thank God — they still tried to get me. I remember getting a call while I was at a meeting in DC telling me that they wanted me at APGEA in two weeks. Happily, I had my paperwork in order. A lot of people didn’t.