If this is for real, we've still got some fixing to do to our military command...

www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2006020623?pt=20

The last time 1st Lt. William “Eddie” Rebrook IV saw his body armor, he was lying on a stretcher in Iraq, his arm shattered and covered in blood.

A field medic tied a tourniquet around Rebrook’s right arm to stanch the bleeding from shrapnel wounds. Soldiers yanked off his blood-soaked body armor. He never saw it again.

But last week, Rebrook was forced to pay $700 for that body armor, blown up by a roadside bomb more than a year ago.

He was leaving the Army for good because of his injuries. He turned in his gear at his base in Fort Hood, Texas. He was informed there was no record that the body armor had been stripped from him in battle.

He was told to pay nearly $700 or face not being discharged for weeks, perhaps months.

Rebrook, 25, scrounged up the cash from his Army buddies and returned home to Charleston last Friday.

“I last saw the [body armor] when it was pulled off my bleeding body while I was being evacuated in a helicopter,” Rebrook said. “They took it off me and burned it.”

But no one documented that he lost his Kevlar body armor during battle, he said. No one wrote down that armor had apparently been incinerated as a biohazard.

Rebrook’s mother, Beckie Drumheler, said she was saddened — and angry — when she learned that the Army discharged her son with a $700 bill. Soldiers who serve their country, those who put their lives on the line, deserve better, she said.

“It’s outrageous, ridiculous and unconscionable,” Drumheler said. “I wanted to stand on a street corner and yell through a megaphone about this.”

Rebrook was standing in the turret of a Bradley Fighting Vehicle when the roadside bomb exploded Jan. 11, 2005. The explosion fractured his arm and severed an artery. A Black Hawk helicopter airlifted him to a combat support hospital in Baghdad.

He was later flown to a hospital in Germany for surgery, then on to Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington, D.C., for more surgeries. Doctors operated on his arm seven times in all.

But Rebrook’s right arm never recovered completely. He still has range of motion problems. He still has pain when he turns over to sleep at night.

Even with the injury, Rebrook said he didn’t want to leave the Army. He said the “medical separation” discharge was the Army’s decision, not his.

So after eight months at Fort Hood, he gathered up his gear and started the “long process” to leave the Army for good.

Things went smoothly until officers asked him for his “OTV,” his “outer tactical vest,” or body armor, which was missing. A battalion supply officer had failed to document the loss of the vest in Iraq.

“They said that I owed them $700,” Rebrook said. “It was like ‘thank you for your service, now here’s the bill for $700.’ I had to pay for it if I wanted to get on with my life.”

In the past, the Army allowed to soldiers to write memos, explaining the loss and destruction of gear, Rebrook said.

But a new policy required a “report of survey” from the field that documented the loss.

Rebrook said he knows other soldiers who also have been forced to pay for equipment destroyed in battle.

“It’s a combat loss,” he said. “It shouldn’t be a cost passed on to the soldier. If a soldier’s stuff is hit by enemy fire, he shouldn’t have to pay for it.”

Rebrook said he tried to get a battalion commander to sign a waiver on the battle armor, but the officer declined. Rebrook was told he’d have to supply statements from witnesses to verify the body armor was taken from him and burned.

“There’s a complete lack of empathy from senior officers who don’t know what it’s like to be a combat soldier on the ground,” Rebrook said. “There’s a whole lot of people who don’t want to help you. They’re more concerned with process than product.”

Rebrook, who graduated with honors from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., spent more than four years on active duty. He served six months in Iraq.

Now, Rebrook is sending out résumés, trying to find a job. He plans to return to college to take a couple of pre-med classes and apply to medical school. He wants to be a doctor someday.

“From being an infantryman, I know what it’s like to hurt people,” Rebrook said. “But now I’d like to help people.”

Bullshit. All it takes is a missing gear statement signed by your CO to keep you from having to pay. Surely someone who knows what happened to him and his gear could be found unless (a) this never happened or (b) this guy is hated by everyone up and down his chain of command, and everyone he knows is sitting back laughing at him for getting fucked.

This is something his Congresscritters should be able to handle with a single phone call, cut thru the red tape BS

This sort of billing by the Army does not surprise me.

Quoted: Bullshit. All it takes is a missing gear statement signed by your CO to keep you from having to pay. Surely someone who knows what happened to him and his gear could be found unless (a) this never happened or (b) this guy is hated by everyone up and down his chain of command, and everyone he knows is sitting back laughing at him for getting fucked.

Nevermind, not worth getting banned over.

Quoted: Quoted: Bullshit. All it takes is a missing gear statement signed by your CO to keep you from having to pay. Surely someone who knows what happened to him and his gear could be found unless (a) this never happened or (b) this guy is hated by everyone up and down his chain of command, and everyone he knows is sitting back laughing at him for getting fucked. Nevermind, not worth getting banned over.

Knock yourself out. I will personally appeal the site staff if they ban you for saying something out of line to me.

However, nothing you say will change the fact that the Army, like all the other services, has a form that can be signed by your CO and given to CIF indicating that your gear was damaged, destroyed, or lost in combat or training, and that you are not to be held liable for the costs of replacing it. If this guy didn't do that there are only a couple of resons.

He didn't qualify for it. This is highly unlikely if the story is true.

He couldn't verify it. Againg highly unlikely.

Or, finally, his story is true and he is unable to get help from his CO, XO, Rear Det Commander, IG, or anyone else. I have a difficult time believing that this soldier went through all of the channels available and still has to deal with this bullshit. If he did, he is getting royally fucked and I will send him my Interceptor to replace the one he lost.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Bullshit. All it takes is a missing gear statement signed by your CO to keep you from having to pay. Surely someone who knows what happened to him and his gear could be found unless (a) this never happened or (b) this guy is hated by everyone up and down his chain of command, and everyone he knows is sitting back laughing at him for getting fucked. Nevermind, not worth getting banned over. Knock yourself out. I will personally appeal the site staff if they ban you for saying something out of line to me. However, nothing you say will change the fact that the Army, like all the other services, has a form that can be signed by your CO and given to CIF indicating that your gear was damaged, destroyed, or lost in combat or training, and that you are not to be held liable for the costs of replacing it. If this guy didn't do that there are only a couple of resons. He didn't qualify for it. This is highly unlikely if the story is true. He couldn't verify it. Againg highly unlikely. Or, finally, his story is true and he is unable to get help from his CO, XO, Rear Det Commander, IG, or anyone else. I have a difficult time believing that this soldier went through all of the channels available and still has to deal with this bullshit. If he did, he is getting royally fucked and I will send him my Interceptor to replace the one he lost.

Hell, I've signed off NVG that went for a "swim" more expensive than IBA. There is more to this story than this Lt's side.

I would not have paid, but then I am somewhat of an ass about such things.

I was tasked with a few investigations for Report of Surveys and always went out of my way to support the soldier. It was a lot more work to dig through regs and interview people, but very satisfying to save soldiers sometimes thousands of dollars.

Sadly there are plenty of dirtbags in the military who go out of their way to screw the other soldier and Battalion commanders who sign off on it.

So, if he died would they have billed his estate? Jackasses.

I know of no "journalist" or "newspaper" that would distort facts, leave out details or outright lie to satisfy an anti-war agenda...

I'm not saying it didn't happen but I AM saying I doubt this the whole story.  This sells papers and sure gets attention (it's showing up everywhere).  Going on to explain how the issue was, or could be, resolved is not nearly as exciting or profitable.

Quoted: Knock yourself out. I will personally appeal the site staff if they ban you for saying something out of line to me.

You just became one of my favorite people on ARFCOM.


and TAG.

He was told to pay nearly $700 or face not being discharged for weeks, perhaps months.

It sounds like he had a choice of paying the $700 or waiting for someone in Iraq to fill out the appropriate paperwork and send it back.  The article makes no mention that he tried to get the necessary witness statement.  Granted, I'm making assumptions based on the content of the article, but it would seem he could have just waited.  In other words, they didn't really make him pay.  They just gave him two crappy options to choose from.

LL

Quoted: I know of no "journalist" or "newspaper" that would distort facts, leave out details or outright lie to satisfy an anti-war agenda... I'm not saying it didn't happen but I AM saying I doubt this the whole story.  This sells papers and sure gets attention (it's showing up everywhere).  Going on to explain how the issue was, or could be, resolved is not nearly as exciting or profitable.

I agree, something about this story stinks to high heaven.

Another example of the dishonest media trying to drive wedges anywhere they can in the military.  They desparately want a return to the "good ol' days" of fraggings and desertions, such as the Vietnam era.  That only serves to weaken the military effort and has the added benefit of provided "proof" of another "quagmire".

Hell if this was true, I will drive to D.C. and get arrested protesting against this kind of crap.
I would hit every Libtards office first and make them say "we don't care" . With the news media in tow of course. Most would reprt that it wasBush's fault, but some might get it right.
In the end someone would step up to the plate.

Thats some Bull Shit right there. Whatever happened to signing it off as a "Combat Loss"

Then there was the MP who got into an accident in Germany while on duty with injuries so bad he was forced out of the Army and THEN got the bill for the wreaked van.

The German police said the military vans brakes were faulty and cited multiple safety problems with the vehicle. The MP was found to be driving under the speed limit and cleared by the Polizei.

The “officer” doing the Report of Survey said the MP was driving too fast “for the conditions” (ha ha that’s funny) so was responsible for the accident. Commander signs off on it so he gets the repair costs back to spend on other things.

Some of you guys think this kind of stuff doesn’t happen every day?

Doesn't suprise me one bit.  How was he over there 6 months and not have a big bank account?

This is

Not the story, but the way a hero is being treated.

We should all chip in and cover this guy's armor cost.

The people who handle issue of equipment like that are all civilians. Central Issuance Facility(CIF) at Hood is nortorious for being filled with assholes. They were quite well known for kicking back gear that soldiers were trying to turn in for being "dirty". A soldier trying to clear post would have to make 2 or 3 trips(and buy brand new shit) to turn in everything to those fuckers. The problem got so bad that the Corps Commander sent one of his lower enlisted staff down there to draw a bunch of gear, and then back a few days later to turn it back in. Of course, it was all "dirty" and almost all got kicked back. He made a personal trip down there to straighten that shit out. Anyway, like I said, they're all civilians, mostly retirees, and complete dicks. This will probably all get straightened out eventually. Sometimes things just move at what I call "the speed of the Army", which isn't too quick. I hope they don't stick him with the bill. His chain of command in Iraq probably doens't really care/can't help now anyway because he's not assigned to them anymore.

.  wrong forum

Quoted: This is Not the story, but the way a hero is being treated. We should all chip in and cover this guy's armor cost.

thats a good idea. 10 bucks a pop. it wouldnt be bad.

Quoted: www.wvgazette.com/section/News/2006020623?pt=20

First problem is that this is a lib rag owned by a bunch of libs.

Quoted: Bullshit. All it takes is a missing gear statement signed by your CO to keep you from having to pay. Surely someone who knows what happened to him and his gear could be found unless (a) this never happened or (b) this guy is hated by everyone up and down his chain of command, and everyone he knows is sitting back laughing at him for getting fucked.

+1

This is BS.  

Max

I am in the army and i will tell you exactly what happened,

he pissed off the supply SGT,

you do not want to piss off the supply SGT

+1 on the whole story missing here...

tag for follow up

My Dad had in issue with some short lifespan biologics for research (enzymes for radio-labeling) being imported.  Customs didn't know squat about them, so they siezed them as "possibly hazardous", and were going to investigate...meanwhile the enzymes (expensive and begin to degrade quickly) were not being stored properly, etc.  

A fellow researcher told my Dad to contact his congressman.  He did so.  The office of the Congressman took the report and told my Dad that the Congressman would make an official request to the Customs Dept.  By law the Customs dept. had 48 hrs to reply to the request.

I would imagine that the Soldier's Congressman could do an idential request on the soldier's money.  

I don't doubt that the army adopted this policy as people would dump their equipment...(I wonder how much stuff shows up on Ebay, and how much a vest would bring)...this soldier probably got billed under the assumption he sold the vest himself.

AFARR

+1

Im sure this guy got several awards, which could be attached to the report of survey/combat loss.

His chain of command must be total idiots, or there is more to this story.

FREE

Quoted: Bullshit. All it takes is a missing gear statement signed by your CO to keep you from having to pay. Surely someone who knows what happened to him and his gear could be found unless (a) this never happened or (b) this guy is hated by everyone up and down his chain of command, and everyone he knows is sitting back laughing at him for getting fucked.

Shit happens.  There wasn't a record of how it was destroyed.  The "Report of Survey" is the investigation to find out what happened to the missing items.  No proof was found that it was actually destroyed in combat, therefore he had to pay for it.


I don't think a company commander can clear this.  The amount has probably gone up, but a company commander can only sign off on a certain dollar amount.  I doubt it's enough for the value of an IBA.  In 1995 it was only $100.  I don't know what it's up to now though.

Quoted: CO Can't clear this. It isn't his equipment. The equipment belongs to CIF, and they have to initiate and approve the Report of Survey.  Getting CIF equipment Surveyed is a total PITA. The dude got screwed by CIF, and he ain't the first.I had CIF "lose" my turn in documents for my issue gear 18 fucking months after I left the unit.  I had thrown away all my records 4 months before  a letter shows up telling me I owe $1400. Yeah, I took it in the ass. I FUCKING HATE CIF.

No kidding.

"You geah durtie!"

"No, Hop Singh, that gear was what you gave me and, it's been in a garbage bag in my closet for two years while I used my own gear!"

"You geah durtie!  I no take!""



F*cking CIF.

Quoted: “From being an infantryman, I know what it’s like to hurt people,” Rebrook said. “But now I’d like to help people.”

Oh yeah, this is a liberal rag alright. He paid $700 because he didn't want to wait to get the paperwork completed. He could've stayed on Army payroll until the matter got cleared, but he decided to take the pay-off route to get an earlier discharge.

Tagged for follow up story.

I'd like to throw this out there too.  He's a friggin 1LT and makes enough that he can pay for it.  He's either to lazy or ate up to get a Report of Survey done or to go down on Rancier and buy a used one at a surplus shop.  The DFAS pay scale for 2006 lists an O-2 W/less than 2 years service as receiving $2,783.10.  He's probably been in longer than 2 years so he probably makes $3,170.10 a month.  And thats base pay folks.  He was probably bringing home almost $5000 tax free in Iraq.  Again, if he really lost it in combat he would be clear.  If he's willing to do the paperwork.  

Quoted: Doesn't suprise me one bit.  How was he over there 6 months and not have a big bank account?

Doesnt surprise me either.  The military will do anything to have to keep from paying for stuff.

The whole CIF concept s outdated and needs to go. The Army did a study some time ago and found that there would be substantial savings if they just issued every soldier his basic equipment as the beginning of Basic training, and it wa skept over an entire career and exchanged when unservicable..... the savings was way up there.

When we mobilized I made sure I took all my own gear, all I drew from CIF at bragg was a PT belt and brown sweater.... i am just going to take the loss on those.

Quoted: Oh yeah, this is a liberal rag alright. He paid $700 because he didn't want to wait to get the paperwork completed. He could've stayed on Army payroll until the matter got cleared, but he decided to take the pay-off route to get an earlier discharge.

He didn't like the shit details they were putting him on waiting for the paper work to show up. Any former NCO or officer knows the crap they have you doing will waiting on stuff.

Quoted: The whole CIF concept s outdated and needs to go. The Army did a study some time ago and found that there would be substantial savings if they just issued every soldier his basic equipment as the beginning of Basic training, and it wa skept over an entire career and exchanged when unservicable..... the savings was way up there. When we mobilized I made sure I took all my own gear, all I drew from CIF at bragg was a PT belt and brown sweater.... i am just going to take the loss on those.

Hmm...

We had to take everything from RFI and CIF.  Know what we did?  Half of it is back home cuz we arent using it.  The new fleece jackets are fucking kickass though.

I have to laugh about the stories from Ft. Hood CIF...  memories... ah yes.  I had to BUY gear to get them to let me get the fuck out of there...  

When I joined the guard, I had enough TA50 because of that I didn't need an issue at all...  my NG gear sat in a wall locker in bags till I cleared them 6 years later.  The supply sergeant was amazed at the shape it was in... 99% was still brand new.  His comment to me was "what the hell have you been using all this time?!"

I also kept every scrap of paper saying "you turned this in on this date" on my dad's advice (career soldier).

There's more to this story than what I've read here.  Sounds like the guy didn't feel like doing the paperwork and just wanted out.  For all we know, he might have recovered his armor shortly after his injury, and sent it home.

Quoted: Shit happens.  There wasn't a record of how it was destroyed.  The "Report of Survey" is the investigation to find out what happened to the missing items.  No proof was found that it was actually destroyed in combat, therefore he had to pay for it. I don't think a company commander can clear this.  The amount has probably gone up, but a company commander can only sign off on a certain dollar amount.  I doubt it's enough for the value of an IBA.  In 1995 it was only $100.  I don't know what it's up to now though.

The IBA wasnt around until 1999

Quoted: CO Can't clear this. It isn't his equipment. The equipment belongs to CIF, and they have to initiate and approve the Report of Survey.  Getting CIF equipment Surveyed is a total PITA. The dude got screwed by CIF, and he ain't the first. I had CIF "lose" my turn in documents for my issue gear 18 fucking months after I left the unit.  I had thrown away all my records 4 months before  a letter shows up telling me I owe $1400. Yeah, I took it in the ass. I FUCKING HATE CIF.

This is one of the big differances between the army and the Marine Corps, the Army requires allot of paper work and more than likely a report of survey.  The Marine Corps just requires a lost and missing gear statement with the BN CO signing off that it was a combat loss and the CIF drops it.  

Obviously this was all a conspiracy devised by Carl Rove and George Bush.

I believe they charged... and I'm shocked he was stupid enough tp pay if he did.

Either

a.) take it up your chain of command
I can't believe his CO/1SG couldn't fix this

b.) JAG

c.) Steal someone else's

d. ) Go to DRMO and get one that was DX'ed and turn it in. That's what I did when they pulled this shit with me.