his original orders where that he would be in Fort Carson for a year before being deployed and those of course were rescinded and he is shipping out the first of March for Camp Taji in Iraq. As many of you have read in my past postings we complained to Stanley Green / Inspector General's office in Washington about my son's substandard treatment in the PTRP program at Fort Benning after being injured. The I.G.'s office 'launched' an investigation and from what we learned several other families complained and were part of it too. That was months ago and yes, they did talk to him, yes they did start an investigation but still nothing has been done.

During this visit last week I asked my son if the IG's office had been in contact with him and indeed they had, 3 times since his arrival at Fort Carson at the first of January. I asked too if anything had been done, meaning treatment for the injuries sustained and ignored for the past year. He said no. No x-rays have been taken, no treatment offered etc. Although he is still having difficulty training as of this posting there has been no treatment, no offer of discharge...nothing. I sent the IG's office an update on his condition weeks ago but there has been no response. I am at a loss as to why when all the data in his file should show his fractured femur and tibia as either still fractured or partially healed why the Army does not order him for treatment. Why do they not insist that he hve an x-ray?! Surely an x-ray costs them little and I have even offered to pay for his treatment but my son refused because of the intimidation and threats but still the IG's office or any other Army official or office will not do the one simple thing that would clarify his injuries.

I admire my son, he still wants to serve, he still feels that ' not everyone is like that in the Army', meaning those running the PTRP program. He does not want to go to Iraq but feels he needs to live up to his promise he made when he joined (oh, how I wish the Army felt the same !).  So as a parent all I can do is sit here stateside and pray until my knees are raw and my voice hoarse from pleading that he will stay safe. All I ever wanted was for him to be healed, that he would be made as whole as he could so that he could defend himself and his battle buddies. But the Army does not care, they have 'deployment' goals to satisfy and they do not care that his injuries will endanger not only his life but those of his fellow soldiers. The Army doesn't not care that they are failing their own, they are neglecting and ignoring their basic promises as outlined in their motto. Bottom line, they DON'T CARE about our sons and daughters, they do not care that many of us will be left with nothing more than a headstone or that children will grow up without mothers and fathers. I once supported and believed the Army but they proved to me and my family that they are worse than the terrorists, they lie, cheat and deceive and what is most heinous about it all is they do it to their own. At one time I would never have believed that the Army would drag an injured soldier from his bed and return him to duty, I would have never believed they would put a soldier who served a tour in Iraq already, sustaining serious injuries and putting him on permanent profile and start his discharge process only to deem him 'healed' and then return him to duty and to Iraq. But now I know the truth and it is deplorable, now I know that they can and will do all those things, not just to my son but to many, many others as well.

So the Army has handed down the 'verdict' : we will not treat your injured son and we will send him into a war zone in less than good condition and we will require him to do his job even though he cannot do his duty to the best of his ability. They have 'sentenced' his entire family...parents, wife, siblings, aunts, uncles etc, etc. to a Hell so many others have had to endure... a year in Iraq to fight for a people who don't want him there for a war without end.

Please as so many other times I urge you all to contact whoever you can to help our soldiers, past, present and future. Call upon our government to do what is right for those they ask so much of. 

Thank you all for listening once again.