Soldier files deployment probe
Updated: 03/07/2008 05:07 PM
By: Amy Ohler
FORT DRUM, N.Y. -- With his lawyer and family by his side Specialist Bryan Currie spoke out about why he went AWOL.
"There was no care everywhere I looked. There was a lot of hazing from higher-ups. People that should be there to help platoon sergeants and stuff were just not there or didn't care," said Spec Bryan Currie, 10th Mountain Division.
While serving in Afghanistan with the 10th Mountain Division Currie was hit by a roadside bomb.
"Sustained a broken jaw, broken cheek bone, lost four teeth, burned my hands. I've got shrapnel wounds, PTSD, lacerated my lip I had to get stitches, my knees were swollen, I couldn't walk the dashboard crushed my legs," said Currie.
Currie said he had a hard time receiving care but once he found a doctor that would listen, that doctor wrote in his physical profile, "cannot deploy." It stated that Currie could not run, carry a weapon or wear protective gear.
"The doctor made his opinions and once my chain of command realized they needed one more guy they contacted him and he changed his opinion," said Currie.
Currie says he was told he had to deploy with his unit to Iraq, shortly after that he went AWOL.
click post title for the rest
go here for video
http://news10now.com/Video/video_pop.aspx?vids=68281&sid=1083&rid=1013
When I read stories like this AWOL comes into mind for the commanders giving the orders to the wounded that they have to go no matter what. They are Acting Without Logic. What's next? Sending them back without an arm and expecting them to shoot a rifle? Sending the wounded back to get wounded or killed again is not only appalling, conduct unbecoming an officer, disgraceful and inexcusable, it's dangerous to the rest of the men in the unit. The generals have to be held accountable for the sake of the men and women they order to go.
This story involving Bryan Currie has gotten entirely out of hand. I was a long time close friend of Bryan, for about seven years until recent. Anyone can be diagnosed with PTSD, especially if they have ever read about it before seeing a psychiatrist. It is a diagnosis all too common for war veterans, and can easily be sought. If the events of his tour in Afghanistan were truly so revolting to cause him to have any post-traumatic stress, he would find difficulty or impossibility in showing his friends and me videos of Afghani gun-fights, car crashes with horribly mangled people and dead Afghanis (which is illegal to show). He also would have difficulty sleeping at night, which I have also never witnessed. Bryan is a delinquent, and always has been even before his days in the Army. It's this Bryan that drives around and throws eggs at people out of cars, constantly gets into mischief, sells his prescription Percocet and other medication to individuals in Louisiana (prescribed by the Army). Bryan is a rebellious, stubborn person, that any can attest to. He ignored family and friend's wishes to go back to Fort Polk to resolve his discontent with being deployed again.
ReplyDeleteBryan needs to see this is his mistake; he informed me that the Army gave his body armor away to another soldier because he would NOT be in combat if deployed again. He would simply be sitting at a desk doing Intel or work of the sort. This I believe in itself made him angry. After his hummer was hit with a roadside bomb, Bryan willingly reenlisted for 6 more years, possibly being enraged at the opponent after this event and wanting revenge. He now wants a way out, and thinks this is the way. And I understand that you will not accept this, but favor his fabricated story-- which has gone on far too long. I do not wish for him, though not currently on good terms with him, to go to jail, but it seems inevitable. He had a signed contract for the United States Army and is now breaking it, which is a concept not new to Bryan --having quit almost every job he has ever had. This should not be an affair for the whole nation to watch and follow. This is the story of a young man and him opposing his obligations. No matter how much he does not like his occupation, it was a path he chose, and as bad as it sounds, he must go through with the repercussions.
Thank you for the comment. PTSD is very complicated and you cannot assume people can fake it that well. There are too many tests to prove, or disprove it. There are also different levels of it. Some, like my husband are in the 90% range but others have mild PTSD. It depends on the person and the exposure to trauma. You could be right, but you also could be wrong.
ReplyDelete