Forward

This blog will chronicle our dealings with the U.S. Army and Army National Guard while my husband, Michael is going through the process of being discharged, retired or retained.

Most of the posts here will be very wordy and long, but I do hope this will not deter you from reading them.

Michael is now in the middle of the Medical Evaluation Board (MEB)/Physical Evaluation Board (PEB) process. They sent him to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for the first part of this process at the beginning of November.

Currently, he is supposed to be receiving monthly Incapacitation (INCAP) pay based on his base salary as an E-6. Right now though, the ARNG is 2 months, almost 3 months behind in paying him. In August of this year, they were 3 almost 4 months behind with his pay when I had had enough of the run-around and wrote an email to the Adjutant General of Arkansas, Major General William Wofford. I will follow this post with all of my communications with him and Command Sergeant Major Deborah Collins, preceded by the call logs between Michael and his chain-of-command that led up to my finally emailing the Adjutant General.

As for some background, Michael is an Army medic (91W) in the Arkansas National Guard. He has 21 years of service and has been on active duty in Arkansas, Louisiana, Bosnia and Iraq. He served a 6-7 month tour in Bosnia in 2001, a year (total 18 months with training leading up to) in Iraq, several months in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina, and numerous state activations over the years.

While in Iraq, Michael was injured in the line-of-duty numerous times. Several of those were never documented correctly because-and this is an excuse from the powers that be-there was no printer available. He has officially received one Purple Heart, though he has been recommended for two more and we are not sure whether he has received those or not because sometimes awards and other things tend to sit on a desk at his unit never to be awarded officially. (I am going to try not to be catty in the writing of this blog, but I can't make any promises)

On his Brigade's return to the United States, they were stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. During his de-briefing there, they were all told that should they have any problems-physical or mental- to report, they could be detained there for up to two years. In my opinion, that sounds pretty scary to a soldier who just wants to be home with his or her family.

Michael injured his shoulder while he was on active duty in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. They were unloading a truck, and he and another soldier were catching chests as they were dropped down from the back of the truck. The other soldier missed his side and Michael, not wanting the chest full of medical supplies to go into the Mississippi River, tried to save it and over-extended his shoulder with the 250 pound chest full of IV fluid.

He has since had two surgeries on that shoulder with less than desirable results. He is no longer able to work as an LPN and so the National Guard put him on the INCAP pay.