Call log

Call Log of SSG Michael R. Griffin

Address

Address

(xxx) xxx-xxxx

email address

From this point forward:

SGT Jackson refers to:

Casey J. Jackson, SGT, Admin NCO

HHT 1-151 Cav, Rear Det NCOIC

email address, telephone number

SSG Moore refers to:

Eugene B. Moore, SSG

Incap Manager

Camp Robinson, AR

email address, telephone number

MSG Cummings refers to:

Harry J. Cummings, MSG

1-151 CAV NCOIC

email address, telephone number

Mrs. O’Connell refers to:

Mrs. Bridget O'Connell

Case worker, Camp Robinson, AR

telephone number

Me and I refer to:

Michael R. Griffin, SSG

HHT 1-151 Cav, (except where stated that caller was Brie’Anne, my wife.)

July 1, 2008

· I called Warren Armory, SGT Jackson states that SSG Moore at Camp Robinson called him and, “Cannot find any medical packet or information about [me] since Bridget O’Connell left.” SSG Moore told Jackson that he [Moore] needs me to go for another Fitness for Duty Board at Camp Robinson, probably July 17-19, 2008. SGT Jackson requested I fax him all medical records that I have. I told him the last thing I had from a doctor was the physicians’ statement that I had faxed to him on June 23, 2008.

July 2, 2008

· Called SSG Moore and he said my packet went to my case worker, Bridget O’Connell and to have paperwork faxed to her.

· Called SGT Jackson, he said he’d written a nasty email to SSG Moore and had told his superior officer, MSG Cummings. MSG Cummings told Jackson to, “Lay off Little Rock,” and only do the paperwork, no bad emails. Also, Cummings said that he would contact a MJR Pickle.

· Called Mrs. O’Connell, she said my packet was there, she had it.

· Called SGT Moore, he told me he had no PEB on me. He was confused as to whether I was Michael GRIFFIS or GRIFFIN and I had to spell it several times. He said he would call Heidi Buck and find out about my MEB.

July 7, 2008

· 12noon: Called Warren Armory and talked with SGT on duty. No word from MSG Cummings and Jackson is running back and forth to Little Rock.

· Spoke with SGT Jackson. He said, “They’re not telling me anything.” Asked him if I could speak to MSG Cummings, overheard MSG Cummings in the background tell SGT Jackson, “Give him Moore’s fucking number because Moore’s not telling us anything.”

· SSG Eugene Moore’s number is (xxx) xxx-xxxx

· Called SSG Moore, told him who I was. He asked if I was Michael GRIFFIS or GRIFFIN and I clarified who I was. He asked what I needed, I told him I was checking on the status of my paperwork and he told me to call SGT Jackson.

· Called SGT Jackson, he stated that on Thursday (July 3?), SSG Moore told him that “he [me] doesn’t need an extension for INCAP.” SGT Jackson stated that SSG Moore emailed him on Friday (July 4?) saying he did need the extension for INCAP. SGT Jackson said he emailed SSG Moore back and told him he needed some information on me and that SSG Moore has not responded.

· Called SSG Moore back, he states, “Refresh me on what we are doing.” Told him who I was and what the problem was – INCAP and not being paid – and he stated, “There were no dates on the DD-114 sent by Casey Jackson or the dates were wrong. None of the DD-114’s had the right date and they need to be signed by the card holder for signatures.” He also said he needs me to sign a 7574-2 counseling form for every month I am claiming. Said he will go upstairs and talk to Mrs. O’Connell. Stated that Mrs. O’Connell is still my case worker and that he only does INCAP pay. Asked SSG Moore to call me in the morning when he talks to Mrs. O’Connell and gave him my home phone number. He said he would or that I could call him back. Told him thanks and to have a good day.

· Tried to call SGT Jackson on his gov’t cell phone, no answer, will try again later.

· SGT Jackson called me back. I told him everything that SSG Moore told me and that I will try to email him by tomorrow the paperwork that he needs to make the packets correct for SSG Moore to process them. He said all packets were sent for April and May and that he told Mrs. O’Connell to let him know if anything needed correcting. He said now he’s just pissed off that I told him that because Camp Robinson is just now saying, three months later, that they were not correct.

July 9, 2008

· I drove to Warren Armory and assisted SGT Jackson in correctly re-filing my INCAP claims for April, May and June. Made copies of Physician’s Recommendations. SGT Jackson scanned and emailed all paperwork to SSG Moore and CC to Mrs. O’Connell, LT Hurst, MSG Cummings and me.

July 10, 2008

· 8:45AM: I called SGT Jackson at Warren Armory. He said that SSG Moore told him that he needed a 7574-1 for each month and to fill them out with dates that INCAP was applied for and send them, and that SSG Moore would get CPT Lowery to fill in the correct blocks.

· 9:00AM: Called SSG Moore and he said that there was no way he could get the emails to print and have the packet ready to present to the board by 12:30PM today. States that he needs a 7574-1 for every month. I told him that those shouldn’t have to be attached every month. SSG Moore said, in a louder tone, “You have to have a 7574-1 for every month.” He stated that he’d been trying to call SGT Jackson and never gets an answer from him. I gave him SGT Jackson’s gov’t cell phone number:

(xxx) xxx-xxxx

· SSG Moore asked me again, just to clarify, is my name GIFFIN or GRIFFIN and spelled it. Said some of the paperwork had both on it. I spelled my full name for him and gave him the last four digits of my SSN.

July 14, 2008

· 9:00AM: Spoke with SSG Moore, he stated that he was unable to process the paperwork on Thursday, July 10, because there was no way to get the paperwork done and he would try to get an emergency board to meet next week.

· 9:30AM: Called SGT Jackson at Warren Armory, told him what SSG Moore had said. SGT Jackson stated that SSG Moore should have everything he needed because he sent it all to SSG Moore on Thursday morning, July 10. SGT Jackson also stated that he had CC’d the information to his [Jackson’s] peers as well, and that he had confirmation that the materials had been received and opened by SSG Moore via email.

· 10:30AM: Spoke with SSG Moore again and asked him again if he needed anything from me. He stated that he did not, and,-just to make sure- from now on, make sure that Jackson had my paperwork right because, “It doesn’t affect me whether you get paid or not.” Said that he will try to get an emergency board and that it only consisted of emailing people on the board.

July 16, 2008

· Called SSG Moore. Asked if he had any news on pay or the emergency board. He stated that he got the paperwork done and will get a board meeting.

July 17, 2008

· Tried to call SSG Moore today, several times, with no answer and no voicemail pick-up.

July 18, 2008

· Tried to call SSG Moore three more times today, no answer and no voicemail pick-up.

· Called SGT Jackson’s gov’t cell phone. He is in Warren. He said there was a Fitness for Duty Board this weekend and that was probably why SSG Moore had not been in his office, because most of Camp Robinson had been pulled away to assist with the physicals and paperwork for that.

July 21, 2008

· 2:00PM: Have attempted numerous times today to contact SSG Moore with no answer and no voicemail pick-up.

· Called Mrs. O’Connell, no answer. I left her a voicemail to please call my house and leave a message with my wife on news of INCAP. I left her my home phone number.

· Tried numerous times today to contact SGT Jackson on both his office and his gov’t cell phone number. I left him a voicemail on his gov’t cell phone for him to please call me back.

· Made contact with LT Hurst at Warren Armory. He told me that SGT Jackson was in a G-1 class all this week at Camp Robinson.

· Called SGT Jackson’s gov’t cell phone to call me back and left my dad’s cell phone number as I am in El Dorado at the hospital because my step-mother is having surgery and my cell phone has been shut-off due to unpaid bill.

July 22, 2008

· 9:00AM: Called SSG Moore and he said he was getting ready to submit my packets for April, May and June for INCAP pay today to an emergency board. He said that he had emailed MSG Cummings on June 23, 2008 and told him that he needed an extension packet completed on me because one had never been done. He asked again today if I had ever been to the Fitness for Duty Board. I told him yes and that I had appealed their decision. He asked who I appealed to and I told him I had sent my appeal to my unit and was assisted by SSG Wesley Smith so it could go through the proper channels. He said he was going to talk to Heidi Buck and asked me to call him back in 45 minutes.

· 9:50AM: Attempted to call SSG Moore, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 10:10AM: Attempted to call SSG Moore, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 10:20AM: Called SSG Moore, he told me that he may need me to come to Troop Medical Center for evaluation. He said I was on the board to be scheduled to go to Fort Sill, Oklahoma for an MEB. He said he still needed my extension packet from my unit. Said he was going to transfer me to Mrs. O’Connell, I waited on hold for five minutes and the phone never rang.

· Hung up and dialed Mrs. O’Connell’s extension. I got her voicemail and left her a message to please call at my home number and left it.

· 11:41AM: I called Warren Armory. LT Hurst answered and I asked for MSG Cummings. LT Hurst said MSG Cummings was at the armory in Mena this week. I asked for MSG Cummings gov’t cell phone number and he gave it to me:

· (xxx) xxx-xxxx

· 12:20PM: Called MSG Cummings cell. Asked him if he knew if the extension packet had been completed and filed for my INCAP. He said he knew that SGT Jackson had sent some paperwork but couldn’t check because of where he was today. He told me to call SGT Jackson’s gov’t cell phone and leave a message to return my call “ASAP.”

· 12:22PM: Called SGT Jackson on his gov’t cell phone. He was on his lunch break from class at Camp Robinson and answered. I told him about my conversation with SSG Moore and that Moore had said he had to have my extension packet before he could file INAP pay for April, May and June. SGT Jackson said he had all emails and requests for help that he had sent to SSG Moore saved on his external hard drive, and that he had it at Camp Robinson with him. He said there was information that he needed from Moore to fill in some of the blocks on the extension form. He said that he was going to see Heidi Buck and that he would also talk with LT COL Brooks. I told him it was very urgent because I had nothing left to sell or pawn, and was supposed to get my daughter for visitation tomorrow, but couldn’t keep her because my lights would be cut off Thursday. So I would have no fridge, fans, would be unable to run water for baths, clothes and dishes, or have water to cook with and drink. I said PLEASE, PLEASE, let him know this.

July 23, 2008

· 10:30AM: Called SGT Jackson’s cell, no answer, left message for him to call me back at home, left number.

· 10:48AM: Called MSG Cummings cell, no answer, left a message for him to call me back at home, left number.

· 10:50AM: Called SSG Moore, 10 rings, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 11:29AM: Called SSG Moore, 10 rings, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 11:31AM: Called Mrs. O’Connell, got voicemail. Left message to please call me back and left my home number and said that it was very urgent.

· 12:38PM: Called SGT Jackson’s cell, left a message to call me at home, left number, said I would be there for 20 more minutes.

· 12:40PM: Called SSG Moore, 10 rings, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 12:48PM: Called MSG Cummings cell, no answer, left voicemail to please call me back.

· Approx. 12:55PM: Brie’Anne – Called MSG Cummings and left a message stating who I was and for him to call me back here at the store, ReDesigns (xxx) xxx-xxxx

· Approx. 1:00PM: Brie’Anne – MSG Cummings called me back. I asked if he’d received my message and he stated that no, he had not, that he had been in a meeting and had a missed call from this number. I told him who I was and asked him if he remembered receiving an email from SSG Moore on June 23, requesting an extension for Michael’s INCAP. His answer was that SGT Jackson was working with SSG Moore on this situation. I said, “Okay…” there was a pause and he asked if that helped. I said no, not really, I want to know if you remember receiving an email from SSG Moore requesting an extension of Michael’s INCAP. He stated that he would have to look at his emails and that he wasn’t anywhere close to where he could do that right now. I told him okay, thank you, and hung up.

· Approx. 1:15PM: Brie’Anne – Called SGT Jackson. He is at Camp Robinson. Told him who I was and asked him what was going on with Michael’s case. He said he was on his way (it sounded as if he was actually walking right then) to speak to SSG Moore and Mrs. O’Connell to ask them why they haven’t been helping him and what the problem was. I mentioned the verbatim comment from SSG Moore, “It doesn’t affect me whether you get paid or not.” Then we talked back and forth privately about the whole situation. I told him I appreciated him and asked if he would call me back at the store, ReDesigns, and gave him the number, and let me know what he found out. Told him Michael was not at home and our cell phones were cut off. He took down my number and said he would call me.

· 2:39PM: Brie’Anne –SGT Jackson called, says Mrs. O’Connell is sending INCAP paperwork to board members to vote on it, and as soon as she gets enough yes votes back, she will send it over to pay branch to get it paid tomorrow. SGT Jackson stated that they usually, “do dumps” on Tuesdays and Thursdays and that it usually takes 10-12 days from then to get paid. SGT Jackson stated that he will call Stephanie Tucker Friday and try to get us the exact dates for pay. He stated that Mrs. O’Connell told him that since it’s been more than 30 days since Michael has been paid, we need to apply for an MWR loan, and that Mrs. O’Connell will send the minutes over to Miss Abbit, and she will call pay branch to verify the loan. He also stated that he has filed an IG complaint on SSG Moore and that MSG Cummings would file an IG complaint on SSG Moore as well. I asked him if he would send me copies of the emails he has on file showing where he’d emailed SSG Moore for help on filling out the extension. He said he would and took down my email address: email address@gmail.com

· Brie’Anne – Spoke with Mrs. O’Connell. She stated that she is sending out the INCAP packet for votes (email meeting), and after enough yes votes come back, she will send it to payroll, probably by tomorrow. She stated that after the INCAP packet is at payroll, Miss Abbit at MWR will have the meeting minutes and can process an MWR Loan. She gave me Miss Abbit’s phone number

· (xxx) xxx-xxxx. She told me to make sure to call her tomorrow before I called Miss Abbit, I told her I would.

· Mrs. O’Connell stated that SSG Moore looked at all she had been doing (since he took over INCAP pay) and asked her how she did it, stated that it was the job of three people. She stated that they have given INCAP back to her for the time being. She also stated that SSG Moore was on leave.

· Approx. 3:45PM: Spoke with MSG Cummings, he called the store, ReDesigns. He stated that the verbatim comment from SSG Moore, “It doesn’t affect me whether you get paid or not,” crawled all over him. He was just calling me back to make sure that SGT Jackson had gotten something accomplished today. He wanted to make sure that the INCAP was processed and check on what SGT Jackson told him about the MWR Loan. I told him what Mrs. O’Connell told me about the loan and INCAP and that SGT Jackson had tried to explain the same thing to me but that he was trying to explain both things at once and it was hard to understand him, so I spoke with Mrs. O’Connell to get my facts straight. I made sure to note to MSG Cummings that Jackson had done a great, great job these past few days. MSG Cummings expressed how upset he was about our situation and told me that he had been on Haifa Street with Michael and respected him and just wanted everything to get taken care of, etc. He told me to keep him posted on INCAP pay and the loans and said that he was in meetings this week and would get the word out about SSG Moore not helping Jackson and stating that it didn’t affect him whether Michael got paid or not. I told him that I realized this problem wasn’t just with Michael and he seemed to want to take it up the chain of command rather quickly and get something done about it. I also mentioned to MSG Cummings that I had asked SGT Jackson for copies of the emails and wanted to make sure that he was okay with SGT Jackson forwarding them to me, he stated that it would not be a problem.

· Brie’Anne – Called SGT Jackson again and he stated that he was working on putting Michael’s LOD into the LOD Module. He said that they have a hard copy of it but that all of them are being put into this ‘Module’ now. He also stated that he might have to go back to Warren for some paperwork for either the LOD or the INCAP extension. I asked if there was anybody there in Warren who could get it to him and he stated that there was not.

· Approx. 6:30PM: Michael called SGT Jackson and SGT Jackson recounted everything he had said to me today to Michael. He also stated that Mrs. O’Connell told him that she should have filed or requested an INCAP extension on Michael but never did, and that it was her fault.

· Brie’Anne – Talked to a friend on Yahoo Instant Messenger who is in the ARNG tonight and told him about our situation and he asked me why Michael hadn’t filed a complaint with the IG already. I told him that before we started making a log of all our telephone conversations, SSG Moore had told him that it wouldn’t do him any good to file a complaint with the IG.

July 25, 2008

· 9:48AM: Brie’Anne – I tried to call Mrs. O’Connell, got her voicemail, didn’t leave a message.

· 11:00AM: Michael – Called Mrs. O’Connell, told her I was just checking in to see how things were going. She said she couldn’t send my packets to payroll until the extension was complete because payroll wouldn’t accept them without NGB approving the extension and then it would take about a week for NGB to approve and process the extension once it was filed with them. I asked if we could still apply for the MWR loan and she stated, “I’m afraid not,” because they have to have verification from payroll and payroll has to have the packets and payroll can’t do the packets until the extension is filed. I asked where we were with the extension and she said that SSG Moore was working on that with my unit.

· 11:10AM: Called SSG Moore, rang 10 times, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 11:15AM: Called SGT Jackson’s gov’t cell. Told him what Mrs. O’Connell said. He said that he had talked with her yesterday and she had told him she was sending packets over to pay branch. He said SSG Moore had not attempted to contact him and that SSG Moore had his cell number. SGT Jackson stated that he had a class yesterday with a LT Beenes and a LT COL Redman and told them of the problems and that they were going to talk to LT COL Brooks. SGT Jackson said that Mrs. O’Connell told him that SSG Moore was on leave for the rest of the week, I let him know that SSG Moore was in his office today and not on leave. SGT Jackson stated that he was finished with his class at Camp Robinson and was on his way home. He was driving and was in Fordyce at that moment. I asked him if he was on leave all next week and he said all but Monday and that he would be at Warren Armory then and had a conference with Brigade on Monday.

· 12:00noon: Called SSG Moore, rang 10 times, no answer, no voicemail pick-up.

· 12:05PM: Called MSG Cummings gov’t cell phone. 3 rings, no answer. Phone picked up with voicemail then it hung up and I got the fast busy signal.

· 12:09PM: Called MSG Cummings and got his voicemail, left a message for him to call me back on home number.

· 12:17PM: MSG Cummings called me back and asked what he could do for me. I explained the situation with the extension packet and told him I had talked with SGT Jackson and where Jackson was. MSG Cummings had called me from his home number, (xxx) xxx-xxxx because his cell phone service was poor where he was. He asked about the MWR loan and I told him how nice Mrs. O’Connell had been, but that she had said it couldn’t be done. He asked if I was in dire straits for money and I told him I was and he gave me Lea Bodiford’s number and said she was the unit’s family assistance and maybe she could get me in contact with some family assistance program. He said he’s get SGT Jackson on the phone and that he [MSG Cummings] didn’t care who had to come into their office to get this done. He stated that paperwork left on Moore’s desk while he took leave with this being so important was not acceptable. Statedt hat he had filed a complaint on SSG Moore and that he was calling SGT Jackson to get something done.

· 12:31PM: SGT Jackson called from his civilian cell phone (xxx) xxx-xxxx, listed as Paul Jackson. He said MSG Cummings had called and told him paperwork was still messed up and he didn’t care who he [Jackson] had to call, to fix it. SGT Jackson told me he had called the Armory at Warren and LT Hurst and SGT Grey and they told him that SSG Moore had not tried to call the Armory. SGT Jackson stated that when he last talked to Mrs. O’Connell, yesterday at 3PM, she said that they did not have to have the extension packet to submit the INCAP packets to payroll. He said that he was tired of everyone changing their story up there [Camp Robinson]. SGT Jackson explained again that he had asked SSG Moore numerous times for his assistance with information to go on the extension packet that he didn’t have and that SSG Moore would not and had not called him. He stated again that he had copies of all the email traffic with SSG Moore and that he had filed a complaint against Moore. SGT Jackson stated that he was going to call SSG Moore on a 3-way with MSG Cummings and get something accomplished. He stated that he was going to Camden Armory at the moment to drop something off and would check again to see if SSG Moore had attempted to contact him via email. He said he would keep me updated.

· 1:00PM: Called Lea Bodiford, she was off but gave me this info and said they may be able to help:

Operation Homefront/Family Assistance

Referred by: FAC

(xxx) xxx-xxxx

CC/Lea @ email address @us.army.mil

Send application to Andrea Rockefeller via mail, email or fax

Monday, July 28, 2008

· 10:00AM: Several emails have been sent by my wife today, refer to emails and response logs.

· 11:02AM: Called SSG Moore, no answer, 10 rings, no voicemail pick-up.

· 11:09AM: Called SGT Jackson’s gov’t cell number. I asked where we were with paperwork. He said the tax forms were sent to Little Rock and that SSG Moore was off until the 4^th of August. I asked if there was anything I could do, and he said that he guessed I could call Mrs. O’Connell, that she was probably doing the paperwork, that it was out of his hands and that he had sent them everything he could and it was up to them now.

· 11:11AM: Called Mrs. O’Connell, asked her where we stood on my paperwork. She asked me to hang on just a minute, she wasn’t really sure. She stated that she had my paperwork, and that she’d just tried to get CPT Lowery to sign the INCAP packets only to find out that she [Lowery] was in a meeting. I asked how long it would take after she had CPT Lowery sign them and she said she wasn’t sure, it just depended on how the paperwork went. I told her I had heard that SSG Moore was off on leave and she stated that yes, he had decided to take the week off. I asked about paperwork that SGT Jackson had sent and she said yes, she saw it when it came through this morning. I asked if she would call me when she found out anything, she said yes and asked for my home number again and I gave it to her. She repeated it back to me, I told her thank you and hung up.

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.