Mom says enlisting in army started son's downfall

Troop Shortage Fallout: The Disastrous Consequences of Recruiting Unfit Soldiers
Elaine Silvestrini
The Tampa Tribune (Florida)

Jul 23, 2008
Mom says enlisting in army started son's downfall

July 20, 2008, Tampa, FL - When the United States was attacked on Sept. 11, 2001, 14-year-old Phillip Michael Pearson told his mother he wanted to join the military as soon as he graduated from Alonso High School.

The wrestling team captain graduated early at age 17, but his mother wouldn't sign the papers. When he turned 18 in 2004, he immediately enlisted, said his mother, Tonya Shelton.

His entry into the Army, where he trained for Special Forces, was the beginning of a downward spiral, Shelton said. That ended Tuesday when his body was found in a courtyard between four air conditioning units at the Altamonte Apartments on North Himes Avenue.

"There was not one person that knew him before he went in the Army that would say anything negative," Shelton said. "Before he went in the Army, he had no problems whatsoever."

After initial training in Oklahoma, he was sent to Fort Benning, Ga., Shelton said. He told his mother the place had a party atmosphere like a college dorm.
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