Still Mistreating Our Wounded Soldiers?

[Mountain Man]

It appears that the military has yet to get the message about soldiers with disabilities. We now apparently have "transition" units, which sound to me like punishment battalions from the old days.

FORT BRAGG, North Carolina - Staff Sgt. Jason Jonas says when he goes to bed at night, he is terrified his medication will cause him to oversleep and miss morning roll call again.His commanders are fully aware the paratrooper wounded in Afghanistan has been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, because he is one of about 10,000 soldiers assigned to the Army's Warrior Transition units, created for troops recovering from injuries.
Instead of gingerly nursing them back to health, however, commanders at Fort Bragg's transition unit readily acknowledge holding them to the same standards as able-bodied soldiers in combat units, often assigning chores as punishment for minor infractions.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29620210/

[Arkane]

The UCMJ rate doesn't support the story. One AR15 per 135 soldiers a month? I know line platoons that can't keep a rate of 1/30 up.

This is another thing that bothers me: Every month an E/O report is done that includes the UCMJ stats down to company level. Anything odd throws up a red flag at the Brigade and installation level. A high UCMJ rate is one of the first things you get a visit from the IG for. 1/135 monthly is not a high UCMJ rate. That's actually probably better than the units these kids were in before they were sent to WTU.

[Mountain Man]

They aren't punishing them under the UCMJ, as I understand it, just using punishment details and the like to drive them out.

This is a hard one to call, because there are two sides to the issue and the article doesn't adequately address either of them. I do know that as a former military medical officer I have been in the middle of such disputes between commanders and troops far too many times to believe that either side is telling the complete truth.

[Centrix Vigilis]

exactly.

and that's the bs i was alluding to in the other post....here @hoodski the Corp Commander has personaly put the cabash on that kind of horseshit; and the company commander, who knuckles to the pressure of 'higher', up and out em'... to avoid a med discharge and service connected compensation and or proper treatment, prior to a determination of status and possible return to service, vice an 'unsatperform' or 'othd';


is a chickenshit son of a bitch.


if that's a little rambling in and of content.... pardon my frustration.. as the shitze piss's me the hell off.

During my recent visit down below, i talked to 30-35 vets recently seperated.... @ VAMC Temple... and several were as a result of that kind of crap....outstanding records but stigmata attached and lack of or just enough command assistence to the point that by it's nature and lack of empathy both the command and soldier suffered negative consequences.

In the end, as indicated earlier by somebody, the soldier is suppressing it, to avoid this and loss of benefits to include various pays he can be subject to repayment on, if he's seperated less then hon.

gawdamn crying shame.

[Mountain Man]

It seems that the publicity has prompted an investigation:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29640936/

note to admin: should this be in the Military Medicine section?

[irontoad]

Does the US Armed Forces allow soldiers with disabilities to stay in the service?
In Canada they have to be able to do the infantry role or they have to leave.
Its called Universality of Service.
it s seems somewhat unfair as I am sure there are many roles a disabled soldier could fill. It seems a great waste.

[Mountain Man]

As I understand the Transition Units, they are basically holding units for troops who are largely expected to return to active duty, and in some cases to receive medical boards instead.

[Blackcloud6]

This is a hard one to call, because there are two sides to the issue and the article doesn't adequately address either of them.

I agree. And my initial reaction to a similar article is much like the first post in this thread. The problem is that the Transition Units can become looked as as the "Sick, Lame and Lazy" units and all the stigma that has.


Commanding and and being an NCO in one of this units is a challenge and takes some savvy leadership to do right.

I do know that as a former military medical officer I have been in the middle of such disputes between commanders and troops far too many times to believe that either side is telling the complete truth.

Yep, been there too, on the other side. I found it best to give the medical professional the benefit of the doubt and not get into a pissing contest.

In this case, a command investigation may be warranted. Tough calls all around.

The thing the Army has to watch for is that these Transition Units don't become places of ill-discipline and degrading for the soldier. We don't want any more "Camp Lucky Strikes" like the disaster right after WWII.