Im and Army Infintray wife and the worst thing in the would happened this last week. My best friend got shot in a training accident. We were told that he was doing good, showing alot of improvment, and his family was getting taken care of while he was in the ICU. I was in England at the time and wanted to go home early but was asured that everything was ok. I got back to Germany and the secend I got off the plane we got in the car and my husband and I went to go visit our friend. The doctor pulled us aside and informed us that it had been to late. They had known he was not doing well for about 4 days and that he had been brain dead for 12 hours. We looked around and were shocked to see that no one from the company was there. We went down the street and his family was sitting on a curb alone. After my friend was shot the CO looked down at him looked back up at the guy who shot him and started yelling at him and left my friend not getting first aid.There were no safteys for the live fire
2007-06-12 02:10:09 · 19 answers · asked by Brandy D 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
If you have proof of deriliction of duty, you can contact the Inspector General's Office with your complaint. Better have proof though.
2007-06-12 03:33:11 · answer #1 · answered by WC 7 · 3⤊ 4⤋
Short answer, you can't.
Neither of us were there, so we can't say for sure what happened.
As was said before the Army will have a full investigation about everything that happened. They will bring in investigators from outside units so as to keep from having a conflict of interest. Everyone present at this live fire, including the CDR will have to submit sworn statements about everything that happened that day, in detail. They will then consolidate all of the sworn statements and try to recreate the entire day. Upon conclusion of this investigation they will determine if there was any wrong doing.
So you are aware, the Company Commander will most likely not receive any adverse action from this. The investigation will most likely show that there were in fact safety officers there. It will also show that the CDR's actions were in accordance with that to which he is held.
The reason for this would be, there is no way a live fire range can be "Hott" without safetys. At any range there is "Range Controll" whose sole job is to harrass Range OIC's and NCOIC's and make sure they do the right thing.
In order to be allowed on the range, units are required to have but not limited too, CLS personell, an Ambulatory vehicle, Range Safeties, Tower NCOIC's, and also on every range every soldier is considered a Safety officer. Every single soldier on that range has the ability to say "Cease Fire", at that point every single soldier is to repeat that command and the range MUST stop.
Moreover, the company commander was most likely NOT the range OIC, those jobs are handled by Platoon Leaders.
Second, a company commander is NOT a Combat Life saver or a Combat medic. Infantry companies usually have their own Medics.
Now, if what you say is true. If there were no range safeties and there was no medic to administer aid then the company Commander, the First Sergeant, the range OIC and NCOIC, the tower NCOIC, Range Controll, and any soldier firing on that range, will receive punishment IAW the UCMJ.
As for you, a spouse who was not present, can't do anything. You could write letters to your congressman, but once the investigation is complete there is nothing he can do either.
2007-06-12 03:12:09 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 7⤊ 0⤋
Take it from experience do not get involved in this issue and let the military deal with the CO remember your husband is the service member and by you getting involved can open a whole can of worms for your husband!! I have seen it all to often that the spouses getting involved in something and ended up causing more trouble than good. I understand that you have lost your best friend and that you are upset that you were not told the truth on his conditon. There will be a full investigation as to what happened and to see if anyone was at fault for this however i don't think its was all your husband CO fault. They will look into all aspects of what went wrong and what happened but please take my advice and do not get involved. I am so sorry for your lose but once again if the CO was at fault it will surface and the army with deal with it the best way they see fit. Sorry if i sound harsh i am just saying for the sake of our husband and for the sake of you.
2007-06-12 02:26:53 · answer #3 · answered by british gurly 3 · 13⤊ 0⤋
No incident of this nature goes without an inquire. So the appropriate people will all have the opportunity to say what they saw happen. You were not there, so you really don't have much to offer to an investigation. Opinions are like -------,, well you know, and everyone has one. It would have been a violation of law for them to have told you what his condition was over a phone.
It's always unfortunate when someone gets hurt in an accident, be as supportive of his family as you can (that is your part in this)
2007-06-12 02:47:49 · answer #4 · answered by tom l 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I tend to agree with "B". The Army will investigate this incident and interview witnesses...until you have walked a day in a company commander's shoes, you have no idea what he/she goes through on a daily basis. Chewing out the shooter was probably very much a gut reaction that accompanied the daily stress of command, and I'm sure he regrets his actions daily.
The fact of the matter remains that if your husband's commander lost a Soldier due to a preventable training accident due to lack of safety, his career is over, eventually.
2007-06-12 02:25:40 · answer #5 · answered by Robert N 4 · 8⤊ 0⤋
It's not YOUR place to do anything about it! Shnit happens, the CO acted upon the situation to the best of his abilities and for the good of the other soldiers.
So in short: YOU can't get someone's CO "fired". I understand that you're angry and devestated, but this is a training accident. He took a hit and didn't come thru it.
Not only that---but you're not family. Military is under no obligation to tell you the status of another member's health. Their only obligation is to the family. If he wasn't doing well, it would have been up to the family to tell you, not the Doctor's.
2007-06-12 03:09:57 · answer #6 · answered by Jennifer S 4 · 8⤊ 0⤋
This really doesn't involve you. Let the Army figure this one out. Any type of accident, injury, and especially death that occurs during training is investigated. If the CO is found to be at fault, then the Army will take care of it.
2007-06-12 03:01:52 · answer #7 · answered by casey_leftwich 5 · 5⤊ 0⤋
First of all it is not your place to get involved. I am sorry for your loss but you are not in the military your husband is. Be reassured that the Army will be doing an internal investigation and will interview all present at the time of the incident. Any training accident is handled this way and especially when a death is involved. Again I am sorry about your loss.
2007-06-12 02:35:14 · answer #8 · answered by MAGS 2 · 12⤊ 0⤋
You won't get anybody fired being a family member. The Army will be doing an investigation about the whole incident. Then it will be the Commanding General's decision on what will happen.
2007-06-12 02:27:20 · answer #9 · answered by Sergeant Major 3 · 7⤊ 0⤋
umm, you CAN'T. I am sorry that your lost a good friend, but IF an investigation revelas that no wrong doing occurred, there is nothing you can do. and yes, there will be an investigation.
you were not there, so how do you know hat happened at the time of incident? there are always htree sides.. your side, the other guys suide, and the truth.
2007-06-12 05:11:09 · answer #10 · answered by Mrsjvb 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Somebody being killed in a training related negligent discharge is a _big deal_. This sort of thing is very rare and draws Pentagon attention.
Many heads are going to roll.
2007-06-12 03:30:00 · answer #11 · answered by MikeGolf 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋