They said we couldn't talk to anyone about the denial. The boards' decision was final. Ha. We found his (Col. Dale Block at the lab in Washington DC)number and gave him a call. Gave him until noon tomm. to return our call or we'll resort to our final option. The media. Honestly, I don't want to. I really don't want to have to deal with it, but I don't want them to continue to screw with their Soldiers. I have found dozens of internet postings and blogs relating to just this kind of thing. They are pushing their Soldiers out in the cheapest way possible. It's easier to allow an "exception" and pay INCAP (which includes no family benefits or health insurance) then it is to admit the Soldiers to ADME where they have to pay everything including health insurance, so they are denying them. They are sending them back to their units broken. Their units then Administratively discharge them with no medical board (a requirement per DOD regulation for anyone with a health issue) and they get nothing until their 60. Some of these Soldiers will never be able to work again from their injuries. Some, like Fred, will be able to work, but never in the career they have spent their life in - like police work. He will never be physically able to perform police work again because wearing a vest or restraining a prisoner will not be possible for him. They take their livelihoods and their lives and they toss them out the door. It's disgusting...
So I did what anyone that has been fighting with them for two months would do..I sent emails to several newspapers. I figure the more people know about their violations, the better. The better other Soldiers would be able to defend themselves against these sneaky ways of taking their careers from them. Is it wrong? Maybe. Maybe I should just keep plugging away with regulations and calling people that never call back or say "I can't answer that, let me ask my supervisor" and then disappear on leave for two weeks. Maybe. But I'm not.....I'm tired of fighting them and I want someone to help us. We are still waiting on unemployment to kick in...they called today. Another 3-5 business days for a determination. They received his wage statement from the Government yesterday. Nice, huh? Three weeks for an email. Ridiculous. So we are holding on...but a bright note..I got this response when we got home tonight:
Katie:
I am about to leave the country for Afghanistan and my editor, Richard Stradling, is on furlough this week. If you could, give him a call on Monday? Go through the main switchboard, 919-829-4500.... I have alerted him to this by forwarding your email. This sounds like there may be something there we need to look at, and if he agrees I am sure he will put someone on it...
I'm sorry for this, and hope it works out somehow,
--jp
Hopefully he's sincere and his Editor feels the same way. I would love the NC National Guard to be blown wide open with all their violations..taking leave away, forcing Soldiers to involuntarily transfer to units well over the allowed limits (some up to 6 hours drive time!), putting Soldiers out while injured, lying about numbers of Recruits and Soldiers in units (Ghost Soldiers as they like to call them...yep, have all that info, too so ha!!), spending money on things and then throwing them away instead of using them. It's disgusting.
But if not, I'm still thinking of marketing my "stupid army" t-shirts......with a top ten list of things to hate about the NC National Guard on the back.
Watch out, Major Boyles..the wife is off of her leash. ;-)
KT
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