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Some Examples of Quaker House Cases These situations are real,
and will - we hope - give you some idea of the range of cases and issues we deal with.
Most
names and other identifying information have been changed to protect privacy. A Special interview: "A Few Good Men--Want Out of the Military: Christian Conscience Meets the Marines Chris Chris had left a message on
the answering machine. When QH called 45 minutes later, his mother answered. Chris was
stationed at a base in Texas and had gone AWOL [absent without leave] for the second time.
The Sheriff was coming to the house with a warrant. The family was anxious and Chris was
afraid to return to his base. QH explained the possible scenarios that Chris might face.
Over the next five days, QH took calls from Chris’s sister, father and mother, all of
whom remained anxious. Chris was held for four days in the city jail and taken by military
police back to his base, and has been told he will be discharged. Juan called from a base in
the South. He had just returned from two weeks of home leave and was very concerned for
the safety of his wife. His brother was involved with drugs, and Juan’s wife and
children had been threatened as a way to put pressure on Juan’s brother. He
didn’t know what to do, and was thinking of going AWOL. He said he could not speak to
the police, believing that that would ensure the threats were carried through. He felt he
couldn’t get help to bring his wife to the USA as he couldn’t raise the matter
with his Congressman. With QH encouragement, Juan approached his commander requesting a
further compassionate leave in order to settle matters at home, and also consideration for
a compassionate reassignment[he would not inform his commander of the reasons for his
anxiety]. His commander refused his request, and told him that he would not support
bringing his wife and family to the USA. The next call from Juan came from a bar [going by
the noise in the background]. He had managed a few days emergency home leave, and spoke of
not going back. QH informed him of the consequences of such an action. After one more call
the next day, QH has heard nothing since and presumes Juan is AWOL. Mary was extremely
frustrated. Despite having three college and university degrees, the military had her
working as a supply clerk. Mary joined after being told that the military would pay off
her university loans. And, while she had to sign up in a particular field the military
said they’d shift her quickly because of her skills, and also that after 18 months
she could go to officer school. After basic training and her advanced training, she got to
her permanent station to find out the hospital wasn’t going to use her nursing skills
and she would remain a supply clerk. She also found out the money the military paid for
her student loan was taxable, which she was never told before going in. And, she found out
that if she went to officer school, the three year loan re-payment package would end,
defeating the main purpose of her entering the military. She raised the matter with her
new commander who told her that nothing could be done. He also advised her not to raise
any questions during the orientation and welcome that the base commander gives new
personnel. Mary was now working part-time to raise the funds needed to pay her extra
taxes. QH discussed with her developing a case of deceptive enlistment, a very difficult
case to win because it means documenting the fact that the recruiter made false or
misleading statements pivotal to Mary’s having entered the military. QH referred Mary
to a competent lawyer. Due to a sudden medical problem, Mary’s situation has changed
and she now expects a medical discharge. Rocky entered the military
with debts, and then the military messed up his pay and he started getting late on
payments. With a wife and two kids, he has been forced to get two army emergency loans. He
says his wife could work, but the money would simply go to pay for day care. With the help
of army economic counselors, Rocky developed a new budget. The budget leaves his family
with $36 per month of flexible funds. Rocky phoned QH for help as his wife was now so fed
up with the army that she gave him two months before she would leave and take the kids.
Rocky had spoken to his commander who told Rocky he’s not interested in Rocky’s
family, and that Rocky would not be given a hardship discharge [Rocky has a guaranteed
well-paying job he can go to, which would settle all his current problems]. Rocky was
seriously considering AWOL, but didn’t want a bad discharge. QH suggested he write to
his Congressman. QH also suggested that he develop a written application for a hardship
discharge since everything from his commander is verbal, and that he also send a copy to
his Congressman. The commander would then need to formally address Rocky’s needs
rather than brushing him [and his family] off. Ralph was in 15 months when
he called. He said he had seen a therapist before going into the army but didn’t tell
anyone. Now he was very down and depressed and had no friends. He got a counseling
statement [a reprimand] from his sergeant for ‘not participating’. He spoke of
wanting to take an Uzzi machine gun and kill. QH encouraged Ralph to seek professional
support on base and sent him an information packet. This letter is not unusual:
“Hi my name is John and I am a soldier at Ft. Bragg and I want out. I was wondering
if you could help me out…I have been in for one year and a couple of months. And I
have become increasingly depressed to the point where I can’t hold it in anymore. I
don’t really care for an honorable discharge, I just don’t want to go to jail or
something for leaving and I want out fast. I feel as though I am at the end of my rope
here….please help.” QH sent John a package of discharge information and
encouraged him to seek some professional support. Theresa’s mother called
QH because Theresa’s husband had very recently been killed in a military accident.
Theresa went to her commander to request a hardship discharge and had been getting
negative responses, perhaps because she was a linguist in the intelligence field and they
wanted to keep her for her skills. The chaplain told her he’d support her request and
then changed his mind. They wondered what they could do. QH suggested that Theresa apply
formally for a hardship discharge and also contact her Congressman for assistance. Jason is an officer with a
history of depression, but who has never seen a psychiatrist. Jason also told QH that he
tried to commit suicide once. None of this is on his military record. He now wants out
from the nuclear program, and told them he’s willing to pay back the money the
military paid for his university, but is receiving no response and wonders what he can do.
Since he has no formal history of depression, QH suggested he could either start to
develop one within the military, perhaps eventually leading to a discharge, or he could
flunk his tests and get out of the nuclear program [which seemed to be his major concern]. Chris is married with one
child and he and his wife want more. He has been ordered to take the anthrax shot and they
are both concerned about its possible long-term effects. He phoned QH to find out about
his options. QH gave Chris the latest information on the military’s attitude and
actions taken against those who refused to take the shot. Rita joined the DEP about 10
months prior to calling QH [DEP = Delayed Entry Program, also known as ‘sign now,
join later’]. She told QH that she wanted out of the program as her grandmother was
seriously sick and her father wasn’t working. She was the only one working and she
wanted to take care of her grandmother who lived with her and her father. She had been
trying to tell this to her recruiters for months. Not only were they not listening, they
were telling her she had sworn to God, trying to make her feel guilt. They told her,
“You’re a woman and act like one.” The day before her call, Rita had met
one of the senior recruiters who told her she had no choice but to join, and that they
would make up her mind for her. They told her that her reasons are not good enough to get
out of the DEP, and even asked her if she now had a boyfriend, probing into her personal
life. Rita was very anxious when she called, not knowing what to do. QH explained how to
approach her commander, and Rita is now out of the DEP. |
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