Army deserter arrested in Orlando, accused of attempted murder
By Anika Myers Palm, Orlando Sentinel
2:05 p.m. EDT, July 21, 2011
A U.S. Army sergeant accused of both deserting the military and an attempted murder in Tennessee was arrested Thursday morning in Orlando.
Sgt. First Class Andres Betancourt, 32, of Clermont, is in custody and under guard in a Central Florida hospital, according to the Orange County jail. Officials at the jail have refused to identify his exact location, citing safety concerns.
Betancourt, a native of Cali, Colombia, deserted a unit based at Fort Campbell, Ky., according to an Army affidavit for his arrest.
He also is facing charges of aggravated assault and attempted second-degree murder in connection with an alleged attempt to run over his girlfriend in May 2010 in Clarksville, Tenn.
read more here
Army deserter arrested in Orlando
Showing posts with label AWOL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AWOL. Show all posts
Friday, July 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Retired, stop loss, fugitive soldier?
How do you make sense out of something like this? How can this be right?
U.S. army fugitive illegally forced to return to Iraq: Report
By Amy Minsky, Postmedia News
An American soldier, now living in Toronto, was ordered to report to Fort Hood, Texas and then back for more duty in Iraq, even though he had been discharged.
Photograph by: Joe Raedle, Getty Images
A U.S. war resister who is facing deportation from Canada was illegally forced to do a second tour in Iraq, a U.S. magazine reports.
Phil McDowell has been on the lam since 2006, after being ordered to return to the U.S. army less than two months after retiring — and according to GQ Magazine, only a week after being formally discharged.
McDowell served one year in Iraq and finished his tour, even though his feelings about the war had changed and he no longer supported it.
He voluntarily joined the U.S. army one month after the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001, was sent to Iraq in 2004 and returned to the U.S. in 2005 to serve the remaining year left on his contract before being discharged.
Shortly afterward, he was served a "stop loss," a program adopted in 2002 which extended any active soldier's contract without consent, and which the U.S. government began phasing out in January 2010.
Read more: U.S. army fugitive illegally forced to return
Friday, May 6, 2011
Police seek suicidal, AWOL Marine from Camp Lejeune
Thursday, May 5, 2011 - 10:03pm
Police seek suicidal, AWOL Marine
By Frank Gerace
Alexander Doron
County Police are looking for a Newark man they say has threatened to kill himself.
Police say 21-year-old Alexander Doron is AWOL from the Marine base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, could be armed, and could be staying in the Newark area.
read more here
Police seek suicidal, AWOL Marine
Police seek suicidal, AWOL Marine
By Frank Gerace
Alexander Doron
County Police are looking for a Newark man they say has threatened to kill himself.
Police say 21-year-old Alexander Doron is AWOL from the Marine base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, could be armed, and could be staying in the Newark area.
read more here
Police seek suicidal, AWOL Marine
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Family Faults Army In Case Of AWOL Soldier Killed By Police
Family Faults Army In Case Of AWOL Soldier Killed By Police
Austin Jenkins | February 28, 2011 | Fort Lewis, WA
ShareDiscuss
It was a surreal scene last August 27th in downtown Salt Lake City.
A soldier - AWOL from his base in Western Washington - emerged from an underground parking lot. He was dressed head-to-toe in combat gear and carrying a rifle.
Seconds later the soldier was dead.
Now, an internal Army investigation has found shortcomings in how the case was handled. The family of Specialist Brandon Barrett blames the Army for not intervening sooner.
Austin Jenkins has the latest installment in his year-long series following the hard-hit 5th Stryker Brigade as it transitions home.
No one will ever know what was in the mind of Specialist Barrett that day last August. He told passersby he was "in training." They immediately dialed 9-1-1. Here's what happened next as reported by TV station KSL.
KSL TV: "Shots were fired between the man and an officer...."
The officer was grazed in the leg. His return fire struck Specialist Barrett in the face killing him instantly.
Police have theorized Barrett was about to go on a shooting spree -- perhaps from the top of the Grand America Hotel. He carried a thousand rounds of ammunition.
But his brother Shane, a cop himself, has another theory.
read more here
Family Faults Army In Case Of AWOL Soldier Killed By Police
Austin Jenkins | February 28, 2011 | Fort Lewis, WA
ShareDiscuss
It was a surreal scene last August 27th in downtown Salt Lake City.
A soldier - AWOL from his base in Western Washington - emerged from an underground parking lot. He was dressed head-to-toe in combat gear and carrying a rifle.
Seconds later the soldier was dead.
Now, an internal Army investigation has found shortcomings in how the case was handled. The family of Specialist Brandon Barrett blames the Army for not intervening sooner.
Austin Jenkins has the latest installment in his year-long series following the hard-hit 5th Stryker Brigade as it transitions home.
No one will ever know what was in the mind of Specialist Barrett that day last August. He told passersby he was "in training." They immediately dialed 9-1-1. Here's what happened next as reported by TV station KSL.
KSL TV: "Shots were fired between the man and an officer...."
The officer was grazed in the leg. His return fire struck Specialist Barrett in the face killing him instantly.
Police have theorized Barrett was about to go on a shooting spree -- perhaps from the top of the Grand America Hotel. He carried a thousand rounds of ammunition.
But his brother Shane, a cop himself, has another theory.
read more here
Family Faults Army In Case Of AWOL Soldier Killed By Police
Friday, November 12, 2010
Happy Veterans Day, you're under arrest
You can judge him and tell yourself he had a duty to this country to serve out his time but then you would be ignoring the duty that the military had to him to take care of his wounds.
November 11, 2010 5:09 PM
AWOL Soldier Suffering from PTSD Turns Himself In
Posted by Armen Keteyian
.(Credit: CBS/Pia Malbran)
AWOL Army Specialist Jeff Hanks turns himself in at Ft. Campbell, KY November 11, 2010
FORT CAMPBELL, Ky.
Less than 24 hours after interviewing AWOL Army specialist Jeff Hanks in the living room of his temporary home in White Lake, North Carolina, I was waiting for him to turn himself in at Gate 4 of Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
In that brief time, Hanks had become something of a symbol.
He was a soldier struggling with what he said was war-induced stress, anger, panic - all PTSD-like symptoms.
He was fighting the military for help to the point where he walked away from the Army last month after a superior ordered him to return to Afghanistan just days before an on-base mental health assessment.
read more here
AWOL Army Specialist Jeff Hanks turns himself in
Friday, November 5, 2010
AWOL Soldier Refusing Deployment Because of Severe PTSD
AWOL Soldier Refusing Deployment Because of Severe PTSD
Friday 05 November 2010
by: Sarah Lazare, t r u t h o u t | Report
(Photo: RDECOM / Flickr)
"I am just trying to get help," insisted Jeff Hanks, active duty US Army infantryman, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My goal in this situation is to simply heal. And they wonder why there are so many suicides." Jeff spoke rapidly over the phone from Virginia, where he, his wife and his two young daughters are staying while he is AWOL from the military. Days earlier, Jeff had walked out of an airport, refusing to board a plane headed for Kuwait, which was to be his first stop on his way back to Afghanistan.
During his mid-September leave from his second combat tour with the 101st Airborne Division, Jeff sought help from Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell military doctors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical wounds sustained in battle. Yet, just as his treatment was getting started, his command interfered, insisting that his military health care providers grant him clearance for immediate deployment. His providers acquiesced, even though they had not completed preliminary testing.
Jeff, who has trouble being in large crowds of people and difficulty controlling his anger, says he is in no state to deploy back to the war from which he is still struggling to heal. The 30 year-old soldier decided that his only choice was to go AWOL. Jeff plans to turn himself into his command at Fort Campbell on Veterans Day, November 11.
read more here
AWOL Soldier Refusing Deployment Because of Severe PTSD
Friday 05 November 2010
by: Sarah Lazare, t r u t h o u t | Report
(Photo: RDECOM / Flickr)
"I am just trying to get help," insisted Jeff Hanks, active duty US Army infantryman, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My goal in this situation is to simply heal. And they wonder why there are so many suicides." Jeff spoke rapidly over the phone from Virginia, where he, his wife and his two young daughters are staying while he is AWOL from the military. Days earlier, Jeff had walked out of an airport, refusing to board a plane headed for Kuwait, which was to be his first stop on his way back to Afghanistan.
During his mid-September leave from his second combat tour with the 101st Airborne Division, Jeff sought help from Fort Bragg and Fort Campbell military doctors for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical wounds sustained in battle. Yet, just as his treatment was getting started, his command interfered, insisting that his military health care providers grant him clearance for immediate deployment. His providers acquiesced, even though they had not completed preliminary testing.
Jeff, who has trouble being in large crowds of people and difficulty controlling his anger, says he is in no state to deploy back to the war from which he is still struggling to heal. The 30 year-old soldier decided that his only choice was to go AWOL. Jeff plans to turn himself into his command at Fort Campbell on Veterans Day, November 11.
read more here
AWOL Soldier Refusing Deployment Because of Severe PTSD
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Army didn't warn of slain soldier's intent
Report: Army didn't warn of slain soldier's intent
Seattle Times
Army officials knew about a distraught and AWOL soldier recently back from Afghanistan was headed to Utah with ammunition, weapons and a grudge but didn't warn local authorities, a newspaper reported.
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY —
Army officials knew about a distraught and AWOL soldier recently back from Afghanistan was headed to Utah with ammunition, weapons and a grudge but didn't warn local authorities, a newspaper reported.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday that Army Spc. Brandon Barrett sent text messages to fellow soldiers warning that he was preparing for death in Utah with "one hell of an argument and about 1,000 rounds to prove my point." The newspaper reported that military records show Army investigators were worried that Barrett might commit a mass shooting.
Barrett was classified as a deserter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash., when he dressed in full combat gear and engaged in a gunfight with a Salt Lake City police officer in late August. He was shot and killed by the officer, whom he wounded.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank told The Associated Press that detectives never determined why Barrett chose Utah for a fatal encounter with police or how long he had been in town.
Burbank told reporters Tuesday that his department wasn't notified by Army officials of Barrett's intentions, but said the military's failure to notify authorities was understandable.
Barrett's random threats didn't convey a specific plan and it wasn't clear if the threats were credible, he said.
click link for more
Seattle Times
Army officials knew about a distraught and AWOL soldier recently back from Afghanistan was headed to Utah with ammunition, weapons and a grudge but didn't warn local authorities, a newspaper reported.
The Associated Press
SALT LAKE CITY —
Army officials knew about a distraught and AWOL soldier recently back from Afghanistan was headed to Utah with ammunition, weapons and a grudge but didn't warn local authorities, a newspaper reported.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported Tuesday that Army Spc. Brandon Barrett sent text messages to fellow soldiers warning that he was preparing for death in Utah with "one hell of an argument and about 1,000 rounds to prove my point." The newspaper reported that military records show Army investigators were worried that Barrett might commit a mass shooting.
Barrett was classified as a deserter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash., when he dressed in full combat gear and engaged in a gunfight with a Salt Lake City police officer in late August. He was shot and killed by the officer, whom he wounded.
Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank told The Associated Press that detectives never determined why Barrett chose Utah for a fatal encounter with police or how long he had been in town.
Burbank told reporters Tuesday that his department wasn't notified by Army officials of Barrett's intentions, but said the military's failure to notify authorities was understandable.
Barrett's random threats didn't convey a specific plan and it wasn't clear if the threats were credible, he said.
click link for more
Friday, September 3, 2010
Soldier survived brutal deployment
Shooter’s troubled soul: Soldier survived brutal deployment
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Sep 3, 2010
A U.S. Army soldier who was killed in a shootout with police in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon had suffered through a brutal combat tour in Afghanistan, where he survived mortar attacks, sniper ambushes, roadside bomb blasts and a suicide bombing — and in which he took the lives of several enemy fighters, according to soldiers who served with him.
Just days after returning home from the war, Brandon Barrett was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol after police found him asleep and intoxicated behind the wheel of his car at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in western Washington. Fellow soldiers say that Barrett went AWOL on July 19 shortly after being berated for the incident in front of his comrades by a senior soldier.
“We all thought he was going to take a month or two and come back,” said one of Barrett’s fellow soldiers. “I guess that wasn’t his plan.”
The factors leading up to Barrett’s death in Salt Lake City may never be clear, but friends and family members say the Army appears to have quickly washed its hands of Barrett after he left, leaving a clearly troubled soldier to his own devices just weeks after returning home from war.
read the rest here
Soldier survived brutal deployment
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Sep 3, 2010
A U.S. Army soldier who was killed in a shootout with police in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon had suffered through a brutal combat tour in Afghanistan, where he survived mortar attacks, sniper ambushes, roadside bomb blasts and a suicide bombing — and in which he took the lives of several enemy fighters, according to soldiers who served with him.
Just days after returning home from the war, Brandon Barrett was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol after police found him asleep and intoxicated behind the wheel of his car at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in western Washington. Fellow soldiers say that Barrett went AWOL on July 19 shortly after being berated for the incident in front of his comrades by a senior soldier.
“We all thought he was going to take a month or two and come back,” said one of Barrett’s fellow soldiers. “I guess that wasn’t his plan.”
The factors leading up to Barrett’s death in Salt Lake City may never be clear, but friends and family members say the Army appears to have quickly washed its hands of Barrett after he left, leaving a clearly troubled soldier to his own devices just weeks after returning home from war.
read the rest here
Soldier survived brutal deployment
Sunday, August 29, 2010
AWOL soldier shot dead after Dad says Army failed him
Dad: GI shot dead seemed happy, Army failed him
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated Aug 28, 2010 11:12PM
There was something different about Brandon Barrett when he came home from Army basic training in early 2007.
Bill Barrett had always been proud of his son. But now, the Marine Corps veteran noticed, “Brandon held himself higher. Joining the Army was a life-changing experience for him. It was a good change.”
But Bill Barrett now fears that his son’s experiences at war brought on another change — something deeper, something darker.
Something deadly.
The younger Barrett, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, was wearing full battle gear and carrying a loaded rifle when a police officer confronted him in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon. A police spokeswoman said Barrett opened fire, striking the officer in the leg. The officer returned fire, killing the 28-year-old soldier, whose bloodied body fell in a patch of grass behind the Grand America Hotel, near one of the city’s busiest intersections.
According to military records, Brandon Barrett served in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Force from July 2009 to June 2010, a member of the Army’s 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
read more here
GI shot dead seemed happy Army failed him
By Matthew D. LaPlante
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated Aug 28, 2010 11:12PM
There was something different about Brandon Barrett when he came home from Army basic training in early 2007.
Bill Barrett had always been proud of his son. But now, the Marine Corps veteran noticed, “Brandon held himself higher. Joining the Army was a life-changing experience for him. It was a good change.”
But Bill Barrett now fears that his son’s experiences at war brought on another change — something deeper, something darker.
Something deadly.
The younger Barrett, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, was wearing full battle gear and carrying a loaded rifle when a police officer confronted him in downtown Salt Lake City on Friday afternoon. A police spokeswoman said Barrett opened fire, striking the officer in the leg. The officer returned fire, killing the 28-year-old soldier, whose bloodied body fell in a patch of grass behind the Grand America Hotel, near one of the city’s busiest intersections.
According to military records, Brandon Barrett served in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Force from July 2009 to June 2010, a member of the Army’s 4th Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment.
read more here
GI shot dead seemed happy Army failed him
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
By Mitch Stacy - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 15, 2010 14:46:19 EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — A man arrested as he tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base with weapons and ammunition in his car is a serviceman listed as being absent without leave, base officials said Tuesday.
Air Force Col. Dave Cohen released few new details about Monday night's arrest at the base that houses the U.S. command center for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But Cohen said it doesn't appear to have been a terrorism attempt. He did not release the serviceman's name, his military branch or the name of the woman who was with him. Both are in their mid-20s, Cohen said. The woman is not connected to the military.
read more here
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
By Mitch Stacy - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Jun 15, 2010 14:46:19 EDT
TAMPA, Fla. — A man arrested as he tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base with weapons and ammunition in his car is a serviceman listed as being absent without leave, base officials said Tuesday.
Air Force Col. Dave Cohen released few new details about Monday night's arrest at the base that houses the U.S. command center for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But Cohen said it doesn't appear to have been a terrorism attempt. He did not release the serviceman's name, his military branch or the name of the woman who was with him. Both are in their mid-20s, Cohen said. The woman is not connected to the military.
read more here
Man who tried entering MacDill is AWOL
Friday, June 4, 2010
PTSD Soldier Punished by Army
PTSD Soldier Punished by Army
Friday 04 June 2010
by: Dahr Jamail, t r u t h o u t Report
Iraq war veteran Eric Jasinski, after seeking treatment for his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being punished by the Army.
Jasinski turned himself in to the Army late last year, after having gone absent without leave (AWOL) in order to seek help for his PTSD. Help, he told Truthout, he was not receiving from the Army, even after requesting assistance on multiple occasions.
He was court-martialed and jailed for 25 days for having gone AWOL, during which time he was escorted in shackles to therapy sessions for his PTSD. After being released from prison, he was informed that he would be given an other-than-honorable discharge, which means he is likely ineligible for full PTSD treatment from the Veterans' Administration (VA) after he leaves the service.
Jasinski enlisted in the military in 2005, and deployed to Iraq in October 2006 as an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army. He collected intelligence in order to put together strike packets - where air strikes would take place.
Upon his return to the U.S. after his tour, Jasinski was suffering from severe PTSD due to what he did and saw in Iraq, along with remorse and guilt for the work he did that he knows contributed to the loss of life in Iraq.
read more here
PTSD Soldier Punished by Army
Friday 04 June 2010
by: Dahr Jamail, t r u t h o u t Report
Iraq war veteran Eric Jasinski, after seeking treatment for his post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is being punished by the Army.
Jasinski turned himself in to the Army late last year, after having gone absent without leave (AWOL) in order to seek help for his PTSD. Help, he told Truthout, he was not receiving from the Army, even after requesting assistance on multiple occasions.
He was court-martialed and jailed for 25 days for having gone AWOL, during which time he was escorted in shackles to therapy sessions for his PTSD. After being released from prison, he was informed that he would be given an other-than-honorable discharge, which means he is likely ineligible for full PTSD treatment from the Veterans' Administration (VA) after he leaves the service.
Jasinski enlisted in the military in 2005, and deployed to Iraq in October 2006 as an intelligence analyst with the U.S. Army. He collected intelligence in order to put together strike packets - where air strikes would take place.
Upon his return to the U.S. after his tour, Jasinski was suffering from severe PTSD due to what he did and saw in Iraq, along with remorse and guilt for the work he did that he knows contributed to the loss of life in Iraq.
read more here
PTSD Soldier Punished by Army
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Future uncertain, AWOL and PTSD soldier returns to Fort Hood
Future uncertain, AWOL soldier returns to Fort Hood unit
Posted On: Monday, May. 10 2010 10:54 PM
By Jade Ortego
Killeen Daily Herald
It has been 10 months since Pfc. Jacob Wade was scheduled to catch a flight to Iraq after a two-week leave. Wade was in the middle of a yearlong deployment to Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and the day he was to return, he had a panic attack and missed the flight.
Wade, 22, of Cortland, N.Y., dropped out of high school at 17 and got his GED. After working odd jobs, he joined the Army in order to help pay for college. He wanted to be a baseball coach.
Twenty years old at the time, Wade said he didn't know what to expect from the military.
go here for more
http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=41415
Posted On: Monday, May. 10 2010 10:54 PM
By Jade Ortego
Killeen Daily Herald
His psychiatrist, Dr. William Cross of Manilus, N.Y., who has agreed to testify on Wade's behalf at his sanity board, diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder. Wade also suffered physical injuries to his legs as a result of his service, and walks with a limp.
It has been 10 months since Pfc. Jacob Wade was scheduled to catch a flight to Iraq after a two-week leave. Wade was in the middle of a yearlong deployment to Iraq with the 1st Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, and the day he was to return, he had a panic attack and missed the flight.
Wade, 22, of Cortland, N.Y., dropped out of high school at 17 and got his GED. After working odd jobs, he joined the Army in order to help pay for college. He wanted to be a baseball coach.
Twenty years old at the time, Wade said he didn't know what to expect from the military.
go here for more
http://www.kdhnews.com/news/story.aspx?s=41415
Thursday, October 8, 2009
U.S. military challenges Marine's story of PTSD
There is a problem with this because you do not have to kill someone to end up with PTSD and you do not have to even see someone die to end up with PTSD. This is a fact and you need only visit a neighborhood after a natural disaster to find that out. There has also been a history of veterans after they worked in the motor pool after bombs have blown up ending up with PTSD, just as there has been other people never in combat with PTSD.
U.S. military challenges Marine's story of PTSD
by Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio
October 8, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — Military officials released a statement Thursday saying a Minnesota Marine diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder never engaged in combat while deployed to Iraq.
Pvt. Travis Hafterson's mother, Jamie Hafterson, has spoken publicly about her son's diagnosis and raised questions about whether he will receive adequate treatment at Camp Lejeune, N.C. Her son, who went AWOL, turned himself in to Fort Snelling last week before going to the Marine base.
Based on medical assessments in Minnesota, a judge had ordered Hafterson to be committed to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for treatment of his mental illness. Instead, the military held Hafterson at Fort Snelling before taking him to Camp Lejeune.
Jamie Hafterson has said her son's PTSD is linked to serving two tours in Iraq, where she said he killed people and saw a suicide bomb seriously injure other Marines.
But on Thursday, Marine Maj. Kelly Frushour said a Marine Corps investigation on the matter showed Hafterson did not witness the bombing that injured a lieutenant in his command and did not engage in any combat while deployed. Frushour also said Hafterson did not kill anyone or even fire his weapon.
read more here
U.S. military challenges Marines story of PTSD
Pvt. Terrance Hilton flees federal escort in Colo
UPDATE
Suspected AWOL private from Carson arrested
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Oct 11, 2009 12:13:31 EDT
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Mesa County deputies arrested a 20-year-old private suspected of being AWOL.
Authorities say Pvt. Terrance Hilton had escaped a federal escort at Denver International Airport Wednesday while he was being transferred in handcuffs from Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs. Officials searched for him at the airport for about an hour.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_awol_101109/
Suspected AWOL private from Carson arrested
The Associated Press
Posted : Sunday Oct 11, 2009 12:13:31 EDT
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — Mesa County deputies arrested a 20-year-old private suspected of being AWOL.
Authorities say Pvt. Terrance Hilton had escaped a federal escort at Denver International Airport Wednesday while he was being transferred in handcuffs from Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs. Officials searched for him at the airport for about an hour.
go here for more
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_awol_101109/
AWOL suspect flees federal escort in Colo.
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Oct 7, 2009 20:52:26 EDT
DENVER — Authorities say a soldier suspected of being AWOL is again at large after escaping from a federal escort at the Denver airport.
Denver police say the handcuffed man was being transferred from Salt Lake City to Colorado Springs via Denver on Wednesday when he ran from his escort on Concourse B at Denver International Airport.
read more here
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_army_awol_suspect_100709/
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
PTSD and AWOL, is this justice?
Soldier turns himself in after deserting
Alexandra Poolos and Ismael Estrada
AC360°
Jerri Hyde first sent Anderson an email in July. In it, she wrote that her sons Donald and Daniel had both served in Iraq. Dan, 23, worked as an explosives expert in the Marines, and Don, 25, had been in the Army. Both, Jerri wrote, now suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and weren’t getting the help they needed.
“I am writing because I feel Mr. Cooper just might be the one to listen,” Jerri wrote. “My sons are suffering PTSD after serving our country. And getting no help. I don’t understand this.”
Jerri’s email arrived after visiting her younger son Dan in Texas.
When we first called her, Jerri told us that Dan’s problems seemed minor when compared to his older brother Don’s, who had deserted the military almost six months ago after reenlisting for another tour of duty. Don didn’t know what to do now that he deserted the army. Jerri didn’t know where he was hiding, just that he was somewhere in their home state of Illinois. For three months, the family kept in touch, and then finally in late September, Don reached out and said he wanted to talk.
Don was on the run and was getting tired of looking over his shoulder. He was ready to turn himself in and face the reality of his decision to abandon his duties.
According to the army, the penalties for desertion can be quite steep. He could receive up to 5 years of confinement, forfeiture of all pay, and a dishonorable discharge.
Still, Don showed up at the Illinois State Police station with his mother, father-in-law and girlfriend. He was emotional, but ready to turn himself in. He says leaving was a good decision because he was worried that he would hurt himself or a fellow soldier while he was in the army. His only regret was re-enlisting.
Alexandra Poolos and Ismael Estrada
AC360°
Jerri Hyde first sent Anderson an email in July. In it, she wrote that her sons Donald and Daniel had both served in Iraq. Dan, 23, worked as an explosives expert in the Marines, and Don, 25, had been in the Army. Both, Jerri wrote, now suffered from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and weren’t getting the help they needed.
“I am writing because I feel Mr. Cooper just might be the one to listen,” Jerri wrote. “My sons are suffering PTSD after serving our country. And getting no help. I don’t understand this.”
Jerri’s email arrived after visiting her younger son Dan in Texas.
When we first called her, Jerri told us that Dan’s problems seemed minor when compared to his older brother Don’s, who had deserted the military almost six months ago after reenlisting for another tour of duty. Don didn’t know what to do now that he deserted the army. Jerri didn’t know where he was hiding, just that he was somewhere in their home state of Illinois. For three months, the family kept in touch, and then finally in late September, Don reached out and said he wanted to talk.
Don was on the run and was getting tired of looking over his shoulder. He was ready to turn himself in and face the reality of his decision to abandon his duties.
According to the army, the penalties for desertion can be quite steep. He could receive up to 5 years of confinement, forfeiture of all pay, and a dishonorable discharge.
Still, Don showed up at the Illinois State Police station with his mother, father-in-law and girlfriend. He was emotional, but ready to turn himself in. He says leaving was a good decision because he was worried that he would hurt himself or a fellow soldier while he was in the army. His only regret was re-enlisting.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Fort Benning Private accused of killing his mother
Benning private accused of killing his mother
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 18:57:08 EDT
AUSTIN, Texas — A soldier arrested in a Texas border city has been charged with capital murder in the death of his mother.
Pvt. Travis Wayne Baczewski of Austin was in the Travis County Jail on Wednesday on bonds totaling $1.1 million. That’s according to Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade.
read more here
Benning private accused of killing his mother
The Associated Press
Posted : Wednesday Jul 29, 2009 18:57:08 EDT
AUSTIN, Texas — A soldier arrested in a Texas border city has been charged with capital murder in the death of his mother.
Pvt. Travis Wayne Baczewski of Austin was in the Travis County Jail on Wednesday on bonds totaling $1.1 million. That’s according to Travis County sheriff’s spokesman Roger Wade.
read more here
Benning private accused of killing his mother
Monday, July 27, 2009
Army arrests local civilian after bizarre mixup
Army arrests local civilian after bizarre mixup
By Ray Lane
SEATTLE - A local man returning from a trip to Central America was dumbfounded when military officials had him arrested for being a deserter - even though he was never in the military.
"To one day just be arrested, and like - here you go, you're detained, and not have any idea why ..." says Chris Parks of Seattle, his voice trailing off.
For Parks, 27, the incredible headache began a few weeks ago as he and some friends were coming back to the United States after a trip to Mexico and Central America.
As he went through customs at the Charlotte airport in North Carolina, his name caught the attention of Homeland Security personnel.
Parks' name was flagged as being a deserter from the military.
"I've been in the Army for 10 years, and didn't even know it," he says. "Just seems kind of odd."
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/51747592.html
By Ray Lane
SEATTLE - A local man returning from a trip to Central America was dumbfounded when military officials had him arrested for being a deserter - even though he was never in the military.
"To one day just be arrested, and like - here you go, you're detained, and not have any idea why ..." says Chris Parks of Seattle, his voice trailing off.
For Parks, 27, the incredible headache began a few weeks ago as he and some friends were coming back to the United States after a trip to Mexico and Central America.
As he went through customs at the Charlotte airport in North Carolina, his name caught the attention of Homeland Security personnel.
Parks' name was flagged as being a deserter from the military.
"I've been in the Army for 10 years, and didn't even know it," he says. "Just seems kind of odd."
read more here
http://www.komonews.com/news/local/51747592.html
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Missing Fort Carson Soldier Found Dead
Carson issues alert on AWOL soldier
CARLYN RAY MITCHELL
THE GAZETTE
The Army is asking for help in finding an AWOL Fort Carson soldier who may be armed.
Police and residents are asked to be on the lookout for Pfc. Roy Mason Jr., 28, and the 2008 red Chevy Cobalt he rented from Enterprise with CO license plate 253SOX.
Mason is part of Carson's Warrior Transition Unit, to which physically and psychologically wounded soldiers are assigned as they recover or wait for reassignment.
go here for more
http://www.gazette.com/news/carson-54506-fort-mason.html
UPDATE
Missing Fort Carson Soldier Found Dead
Posted: 6:48 PM May 22, 2009
Last Updated: 11:09 PM May 22, 2009
Fort Carson officials tell 11 News a 28-year-old soldier who has been missing since Tuesday has been found dead in California.
Brandy Gill, a Fort Carson spokesperson says PFC Roy Mason II was found dead this afternoon in Santa Cruz, California by the Santa Cruz Police Department.
Gill said she could not release any other details because the death is still under investigation.
A California newspaper is reporting that Mason's death was a suicide. Fort Carson officials would not confirm.
PFC Roy Mason II, was assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit, and was listed as AWOL Tuesday when he did not report to the morning's accountability formation.
go here for more
http://www.kktv.com/news/headlines/45878117.html
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Army: AWOL Fort Jackson Soldier Spotted, Safe
Army: AWOL Upstate Soldier Spotted, Safe
POSTED: 10:18 am EDT March 17, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A U.S. Army spokeswoman said Tuesday afternoon that a 39-year-old soldier at Fort Jackson who has been away without leave for more than a week has been spotted around Columbia and appears to be safe.
Fort Jackson spokeswoman Karen Soule said that Pvt. Danielle Williams of Spartanburg was absent without leave from her basic training unit on March 7.
Williams was identified on security video withdrawing money from her bank account at a local store adjacent to Fort Jackson on March 9 and from a local bank on March 10.
Soule said that Williams failed to return to her unit after being treated at a medical clinic at Fort Jackson the afternoon of March 7.
click link for more
POSTED: 10:18 am EDT March 17, 2009
COLUMBIA, S.C. -- A U.S. Army spokeswoman said Tuesday afternoon that a 39-year-old soldier at Fort Jackson who has been away without leave for more than a week has been spotted around Columbia and appears to be safe.
Fort Jackson spokeswoman Karen Soule said that Pvt. Danielle Williams of Spartanburg was absent without leave from her basic training unit on March 7.
Williams was identified on security video withdrawing money from her bank account at a local store adjacent to Fort Jackson on March 9 and from a local bank on March 10.
Soule said that Williams failed to return to her unit after being treated at a medical clinic at Fort Jackson the afternoon of March 7.
click link for more
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Missing Fort Bragg Soldier Found
Bragg soldier located in Little Rock, Ark.
By Jon Gambrell - The Associated PressPosted : Thursday Feb 19, 2009 11:23:08 EST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sheriff’s deputies say they have found a North Carolina soldier missing since Feb. 10.
Hot Spring County sheriff’s deputies say they took 22-year-old Spc. Joseph E. Putnam into custody late Wednesday night at a mobile home park near the county line. Investigator Robert Terry told The Associated Press that Putnam was involuntarily committed and taken to a Malvern hospital for treatment.
Terry says Putnam, who has family in Bismarck, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving a tour in Iraq. He apparently left Fort Bragg and took a bus to Arkansas, where surveillance camera footage at an ATM showed him withdrawing money.
Putnam is a member of the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_ark_bragg_soldier_021909/
By Jon Gambrell - The Associated PressPosted : Thursday Feb 19, 2009 11:23:08 EST
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Sheriff’s deputies say they have found a North Carolina soldier missing since Feb. 10.
Hot Spring County sheriff’s deputies say they took 22-year-old Spc. Joseph E. Putnam into custody late Wednesday night at a mobile home park near the county line. Investigator Robert Terry told The Associated Press that Putnam was involuntarily committed and taken to a Malvern hospital for treatment.
Terry says Putnam, who has family in Bismarck, suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after serving a tour in Iraq. He apparently left Fort Bragg and took a bus to Arkansas, where surveillance camera footage at an ATM showed him withdrawing money.
Putnam is a member of the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division.
http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_ark_bragg_soldier_021909/
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