Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Bully Behavior from Fort Sill...or It's Not Over

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. For my son, who just last week finally made his exit from Fort Sill’s PTRP (Physical Training and Rehabilitation program), to his first duty station, it’s not over. After 8 months at Fort Sill, and more than ½ of that time in Fort Sill’s PTRP environment (for stress fractures in his ankle), my son, amidst support from his Command Sgt Major, passed his alternate PT test.

Now someone in the chain of command at Fort Sill has apparently decided that revenge is required. On this day, his second day of actual duty at his first duty station, my son was advised that an email had been sent from the chain of command at Fort Sill, about his problem. Yes, he was a “problem”, and in good company. He and some of his peers cared more about their fellow injured soldiers than you did. He and they cared more about the truth than they did about their own hides. He and they saw the pack mentality of those that were over them, and refused to let their fears paralyze them. They refused to become institutionalized. They did not develop Stockholm Syndrome or anything else like that. Instead, they took their Army values seriously and stood up for themselves and each other. A gimpy Band of Brothers in a no-win situation.

Let’s just quickly review those values, in case you don't know them or have forgotten:

Loyalty
Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. constitution, the Army, and other soldiers.
Be loyal to the nation and its heritage.


Duty
Fulfill your obligations.
Accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care.
Find opportunities to improve oneself for the good of the group.


Respect
Rely upon the golden rule.
How we consider others reflects upon each of us, both personally and as a professional organization.


Selfless Service
Put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own.
Selfless service leads to organizational teamwork and encompasses discipline, self-control and faith in the system.


Honor
Live up to all the Army values

Personal Courage
Our ability to face fear, danger, or adversity, both physical and moral courage.

Obviously, some of you at Fort Sill have forgotten these, or you never believed them. So why am I surprised that you continue your bully tactics now?

Your own actions or inaction (some of which were unethical at best and illegal at worst) have caused your own consequences. Revenge is a two-edged sword that can slice your hand as easily as your intended mark.

I was planning to leave the Fort Sill events in the capable and ethical hands of a major newspaper writer and editor. I was envisioning a gradual return to normalcy, of eventually leaving my self-imposed part-time job studying Army regulations in general and Fort Sill in particular. I’m told that disciplinary actions have been taken with some of those in charge of Fort Sill's PTRP. I’m told that the investigation continues from multiple levels, including the Inspector General’s office, but I don’t know. I’ve been persona non grata for a while now.

Maybe the cadre at Fort Sill missed reading my blog? Well, miss me no longer, because here I am. I was just taking a break, and hoping to broaden my scope a little. Perhaps those in the chain of command might think about the sequence of events and the context that allowed those events to happen -- the verbal abuse, punishing and potentially injurious physical activities, assault -- and the tragic death of Mathew Scarano last month.

Now, so that no one at Fort Sill misses me too much, here’s a blog comment that was left on one of my posts here on 4/21/06, by the parents of an injured soldiers who spent some quality time in Fort Sill’s PTRP:

“Well the inadequate health care still continues. My son during physical therapy had a 50 lbs weight dropped on his head ended up luckily with only 8 staples in his scalp. No further tests were done on this and since has been suffering with crippling headaches which drop him to his knees. They are refusing to do a cat scan as they want a Doctor to prescribe it and as they are putting him in a 3 week limit to pass his run he is now longer receiving physical therapy (though still needed) and doesn't have a "doctor" to authorize a CAT scan. My son has opted for the transfer for the PT test so as to finally be out of 95th one way or the other. Of course if he is discharged he will very likely have no medical back up for his injuries either. The depression has gotten out of hand as has the verbal and psychological abuse causing it . I have written to all the representatives, congress and the president and not one has responded either verbally or in writing. Obviously the Government has no desire to take care of thier own."
Original comment here

1 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

i didnt go to fort sill i went to fort leonard wood but the army training across the board is the same for it you are told to push through the pain and sick call is always an option, but you are in a sense somewhat ridiculed about it. we never got it that bad. i understood why my drillsergants did it and i dont place any blame on them your signing up to be a soldier and their job is to make you one. One kid broke his leg at a diaganal from the bottom right of his tibia up to the top left of it from jumping off a wall he did the 10k march back to the barracks and was forced to go to sick call. that is what they want they are trying to make people who have never dealt with the pain to push it through a bit. but when the found the extent of his injury they brought him candy all day while he recovered and sat and talked with him. this kid cried almost everynight because he wanted to be with his battle buddies and train with us and to graduate with us. not all drillsergants are like that you have to understand that their are people who live for they day they get to take revenge on people just cause they are of lower rank. this guy was on pay grade above me but he treated everyone in my company from texas like shit he wasnt an NCO or anything just a spealist. the ride back to our barracks was in the back of a truck where he floored it out of everything and slammed on the break for every stop sign. This was a guy who was humiliared everyday buy a sgt who was from tx just because it was very obvius he was gay you could tell by everything he did he was but since he never admitted it army didnt say anything, but he took his chance to make our lives hell. why? cause he could. not all company's act this way their are ups and downs this is something that is hard to prevent because of the nature of basic and what it is supposed to do. It just depepends on the people there. as for the profiles creed that is intended for people who go for a head cold or a shin splint or a pulled muscle, these are things that in normal life yes you go to get fixed but basic is designed to train you for the hardships you might face in war and if those cant be pushed through for 9 weeks then thats not someone that should be serving. i got very sick mid way through but i just pushed through it i did all my runs and all my training and passed it all. it was hard but war is hard. what they did was wrong but dont blame he army for it blame the individuals

3:15 AM  

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