Photo: Reuters/Jason Reed
George W. Bush greets troops and their
families on the Tarmac before his departure from
Fort Benning, Ga., on Jan. 11, 2007.

March 11, 2007 | COLUMBUS, Ga. -- "This is not right," said Master Sgt. Ronald Jenkins, who has been ordered to Iraq even though he has a spine problem that doctors say would be damaged further by heavy Army protective gear. "This whole thing is about taking care of soldiers," he said angrily. "If you are fit to fight you are fit to fight. If you are not fit to fight, then you are not fit to fight."

As the military scrambles to pour more soldiers into Iraq, a unit of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Benning, Ga., is deploying troops with serious injuries and other medical problems, including GIs who doctors have said are medically unfit for battle. Some are too injured to wear their body armor, according to medical records.

On Feb. 15, Master Sgt. Jenkins and 74 other soldiers with medical conditions from the 3rd Division's 3rd Brigade were summoned to a meeting with the division surgeon and brigade surgeon. These are the men responsible for handling each soldier's "physical profile," an Army document that lists for commanders an injured soldier's physical limitations because of medical problems -- from being unable to fire a weapon to the inability to move and dive in three-to-five-second increments to avoid enemy fire. Jenkins and other soldiers claim that the division and brigade surgeons summarily downgraded soldiers' profiles, without even a medical exam, in order to deploy them to Iraq. It is a claim division officials deny.

The 3,900-strong 3rd Brigade is now leaving for Iraq for a third time in a steady stream. In fact, some of the troops with medical conditions interviewed by Salon last week are already gone. Others are slated to fly out within a week, but are fighting against their chain of command, holding out hope that because of their ills they will ultimately not be forced to go. Jenkins, who is still in Georgia, thinks doctors are helping to send hurt soldiers like him to Iraq to make units going there appear to be at full strength. "This is about the numbers," he said flatly.

That is what worries Steve Robinson, director of veterans affairs at Veterans for America, who has long been concerned that the military was pressing injured troops into Iraq. "Did they send anybody down range that cannot wear a helmet, that cannot wear body armor?" Robinson asked rhetorically. "Well that is wrong. It is a war zone." Robinson thinks that the possibility that physical profiles may have been altered improperly has the makings of a scandal. "My concerns are that this needs serious investigation. You cannot just look at somebody and tell that they were fit," he said. "It smacks of an overstretched military that is in crisis mode to get people onto the battlefield."

Eight soldiers who were at the Feb. 15 meeting say they were summoned to the troop medical clinic at 6:30 in the morning and lined up to meet with division surgeon Lt. Col. George Appenzeller, who had arrived from Fort Stewart, Ga., and Capt. Aaron K. Starbuck, brigade surgeon at Fort Benning. The soldiers described having a cursory discussion of their profiles, with no physical exam or extensive review of medical files. They say Appenzeller and Starbuck seemed focused on downplaying their physical problems. "This guy was changing people's profiles left and right," said a captain who injured his back during his last tour in Iraq and was ordered to Iraq after the Feb. 15 review. Appenzeller said the review of 75 soldiers with profiles was an effort to make sure they were as accurate as possible prior to deployment. "As the division surgeon and the senior medical officer in the division, I wanted to ensure that all the patients with profiles were fully evaluated with clear limitations that commanders could use to make the decision whether they could deploy, and if they did deploy, what their limitations would be while there," he said in a telephone interview from Fort Stewart. He said he changed less than one-third of those profiles -- even making some more restrictive -- in order to "bring them into accordance with regulations." In direct contradiction to the account given by the soldiers, Appenzeller said physical examinations were conducted and that he had a robust medical team there working with him, which is how they managed to complete 75 reviews in one day. Appenzeller denied that the plan was to find more warm bodies for the surge into Baghdad, as did Col. Wayne W. Grigsby Jr., the brigade commander. Grigsby said he is under "no pressure" to find soldiers, regardless of health, to make his unit look fit. The health and welfare of his soldiers are a top priority, said Grigsby, because [the soldiers] are "our most important resource, perhaps the most important resource we have in this country."

Grigsby said he does not know how many injured soldiers are in his ranks. But he insisted that it is not unusual to deploy troops with physical limitations so long as he can place them in safe jobs when they get there. "They can be productive and safe in Iraq," Grigsby said.

The injured soldiers interviewed by Salon, however, expressed considerable worry about going to Iraq with physical deficits because it could endanger them or their fellow soldiers. Some were injured on previous combat tours. Some of their ills are painful conditions from training accidents or, among relatively older troops, degenerative problems like back injuries or blown-out knees. Some of the soldiers have been in the Army for decades.

And while Grigsby, the brigade commander, says he is under no pressure to find troops, it is hard to imagine there is not some desperation behind the decision to deploy some of the sick soldiers. Master Sgt. Jenkins, 42, has a degenerative spine problem and a long scar down the back of his neck where three of his vertebrae were fused during surgery. He takes a cornucopia of potent pain pills. His medical records say he is "at significantly increased risk of re-injury during deployment where he will be wearing Kevlar, body armor and traveling through rough terrain." Late last year, those medical records show, a doctor recommended that Jenkins be referred to an Army board that handles retirements when injuries are permanent and severe.

A copy of Jenkins' profile written after that Feb. 15 meeting and signed by Capt. Starbuck, the brigade surgeon, shows a healthier soldier than the profile of Jenkins written by another doctor just late last year, though Jenkins says his condition is unchanged. Other soldiers' documents show the same pattern. One female soldier with psychiatric issues and a spine problem has been in the Army for nearly 20 years. "My [health] is deteriorating," she said over dinner at a restaurant near Fort Benning. "My spine is separating. I can't carry gear." Her medical records include the note "unable to deploy overseas." Her status was also reviewed on Feb. 15. And she has been ordered to Iraq this week.

http://www.salon.com/news/2007/03/11/fort_benning/

Soldier's recent suicide may not have been isolated incident

(Columbia) September 10, 2006 - It's been more than three years since the war on terror began. We've lost many of South Carolina's bravest along the way - but not all of them have died in the warzone.

WIS found that at least three soldiers from South Carolina committed suicide after returning from active duty. Whether they like it or not, the military now is on a mission to get soldiers help long after the shooting stops.

Phillip Kent was down to 90 pounds when he returned to Columbia from Iraq.

"It's screaming at me when he gets off that bus," Phillip's mother, Laura told WIS News. "He is not well - he's stressed, he's on edge, he's just a bundle of nerves. Besides that just his general appearance, any mother would pick up on that immediately."

Laura says her son would not eat or sleep, had anxiety, and lost interest in doing all the things he loved growing up, like playing sports and making music. Laura believes Phillip was scared to ask for help.

"If he were to admit it, it was a sign of weakness - and of course in the military you don't want to be weak," said Laura. So behind his back, Laura called a military chaplain. However, she says nobody followed up with her son. Two months later he was hospitalized.

"For two days in the psychiatric unit - boy that was sure a long time for someone that - I just thought 'what a sham.' That was so ridiculous."

Six months later, Phillip was honorably discharged from the military after being arrested but not charged for a fight he had with his wife. Laura says Phillip's mental health had strained his marriage and at this point his life began to really unravel. Then he threatened suicide...

"He said 'I'm going to get a bottle of Jack [Daniel's Whiskey] and I got my pistol right here,'" Laura tearfully remembers, "and then I got the call that no human being wants to get ever."

Phillip killed himself, exactly the way he said he would. The psychological toll of war is climbing. The military does not track suicides among returning soldiers, but an Ohio newspaper was able to come up with 21 such veterans from news reports and V.A. advocate groups. WIS News was able to confirm three of the soldiers were from South Carolina.

Laura Kent believes the military is partly to blame for her family's horrific outcome. She doesn't think her son got the right counseling before being released from the Army. Lieutenant Colonel Steve Shugart says the demand for mental health treatment is growing, and finding ways to deal with it is a battle the military is still learning about.

"Certainly, there must be some places where we let people down, must be some places where we could've done it better. We want to do it better and are trying to do it better," Lt. Col. Shugart told WIS News.

According to the Army's Surgeon General, 30% of US troops returning from Iraq have developed mental health problems a few months after coming home.

Reported by Angie Goff

www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5388817
(Please paste this link to your browser)

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SPC James Webb


Iraq Veteran Needs Your Help

Reply to: giwifegimom@netscape.net
Date:, 7:21PM EDT

James and Michelle
On their Wedding Day

James Webb is an Iraq war veteran who is in need of help. My first visit with him was Saturday May 21st.

His first injury occurred in Kuwait; he injured his back while trying to lift a tow bar. According to my daughter (also an Iraq war veteran), tow bars weigh around 100 to 300 pounds.

The second injury occurred in Iraq – he injured his back and hip in a blast. He had intense pain but had to return to duty the next day because of stop loss, and because there was no one to replace him.

His third injury occurred during a firefight; he re-injured other injuries and started to lose sensation in his legs. He walks with a limp, and has neurological problems and suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

He was exposed to biological/ chemical contaminants in Iraq that engineers pulled out of the ground -- none of the soldiers had protective suits. He does not know the extent of the damage that this exposure may have caused.

He was stationed in the Fallujah / Ramadah area where there was an infestation of sandfleas and sandflies. These insects are known to deposit a toxin on human skin and it builds up over time.

He lived in one of Saddam's old death camps and saw the mass graves.

He joined the military after 911 because he wanted to help. His Grandfather was in the Army and his uncle was in the Navy -- that had an influence on him.

Total time in Iraq - one year and seven days.

His wife suffers from pancreatitis and it can only be treated with pain management. She has a good paying job, but misses a lot of days due to illness. They have three children living with them (ages six, 13 and 14), and James has a six year old son living with the mother. He must pay child support for that child.

They are in the process of moving out of their house and into an apartment. Their house will be in foreclosure at the end of May, but their home can still be saved for them until it is sold. He is about to lose his car and has made arrangements with the loan holder to catch up. He does not know how he will honor that arrangement.

If he can catch up his car payments, his sister will take over payments and switch vehicles with him to eliminate his car payments. They do not know how they will pay their basic bills when they move.

James' mother Jackie has been helping financially but has reached her limit. Jackie’s mother is dying in hospice care.

James was medically discharged from the Army in February (he was in Ft Riley, Ks and came here to the Atlanta area where his wife and children are). He started trying to get benefits at that time, and is working with a VA caseworker. He was told that it would take six to eight months to receive benefits.

He and his wife Michele stated that they might even need food soon.

He attempted suicide in early September. Five others in his brigade also attempted suicide. Since returning from Iraq, James also suffers from unexplained seizures and blackouts.

There has been a story about James in the New York Times, but he has not read it.

Read the New York Times story that includes James on our "IN THE NEWS" web page.
Also, a recent article about James has run in the Atlanta Journal and Constitution.
It's now the first story on our In The News page.

James and Michelle do not care how public we make this information; they say they just need help. They have other financial obligations not listed here. If you would like to help, please send contributions in the name of James Webb to:

James Webb
c/o Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition
P.O. Box
Atlanta, Ga 30333

Thank You,

Denise Thomas
Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition (GPJC)
Georgia Military Families Speak Out (GA MFSO)
giwifegimom@netscape.net

UPDATE 7-31-05:
Sadly, the Webb's marriage does not appear to have survived.

The VA is still telling James that he has to wait six to eight months for monetary help, but a lawyer has become interested because of the news story and maybe that will speed the process.

James has been in and out of the VA hospital and has been found to have four damaged vertebrae and a host of other hidden problems. He faces months more of re-hospitalization and surgery; and he still needs your help.

UPDATE 9-14-05:
James' physical condition and his financial condition has shown no improvement. He continues to look for any work that he is capable of doing, and no help seems to be forthcoming from the government.


UPDATE:

James has informed us that he has started to receive benefits (finally!) a few weeks ago. We want to know why did this have to happen to this brave soldier??

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SPC Patrick G. Barron

My name is Kimberly A. Barron and my husband is SPC Patrick G. Barron. Patrick has a T-3 profile for his knees, and has been on one since being mobilized August 17, 2004.

The name of his condition is Chrondromalacia Pattelar, which is a DEGENERATIVE condition involving the cartilage beneath the knee caps. He has been diagnosed by several doctors including both army and civilian doctors here at home. I have all medical documents from the army, including copies of ALL his profiles.

In the 11th hour before his deployment ceremony, a doctor came in and—without benefit of MRI and X-Rays—wiped out all previous diagnosis and diagnosed my husband with ITB (runner’s knee), which is correctable. I believe that this is the diagnosis that sent my husband to Iraq. Upon arrival in Kuwait, my husband was seen by the Chief surgeon there who reinstated the initial diagnosis of CP. He asked my husband, “How the hell did you get this far? You shouldn’t have gotten through SRC!”

He then stated two things that disturbed me:

1) If he had it his way my husband would receive a P-3 and be MEB boarded. He will be eventually, just not NOW.

2) He would get Pat through this deployment with steroid shots, but, but he could not guarantee that it would not leave him crippled. This is very true as I have done research on it.

My husband is in the Army National Guard, and I feel that he is being retained for the “numbers”. We are in Texas, and up to this point I have contacted senators, his chain of command, and congress people, both by email and snail mail across the nation.

The response has been more run-arounds and dancing around the topics. There are so many variables in this case including an accident my husband had and in which army procedure was not followed. Medical treatment was NOT administered and it could have been serious, but now we won’t know.

I have copies of all medical records and correspondence with everyone I have contacted.

Thank You So Much,
God Bless You,
Kimberly A. Barron