Fortunate

I want to talk about the fortunate position we are in during this situation. We are in the position to be able to fight this ridiculous scenario because of my husbands successful career. He is an E-8 (Master Sergeant) in the Army. For those of you in the military you CLEARLY understand how important that is. For those of you who are not, he outranks 97.4%  of the enlisted Army. (An even better perspective: the next and LAST step of the ranking system for Enlisted Soldiers is E-9.) 

We are fortunate because, as it stands,  my husband can continue on and be an E-8 elsewhere. Will our family financially suffer from him not being a PA for the Army? Slightly. Will it put us in the poor house? Absolutely not. We are in a position to fight, fight for what is right and just. Fight for those who cannot and wish they could.

We are not the only family that IPAP has tried to bowl over. 

We are not the only family that has suffered under Tripler command. 

We don’t have as much to lose as some other folks out there who have dedicated their lives and careers to military medicine. Thank god this AMEDDC&S is only one small part of our military career. It is not without stress and turmoil that we go through IPAP and fight the awful leadership at Tripler.

"Anonymous" , if you knew anything about my husband and his career, you would know that the very LARGE section of the GOMOR 2.0 is the investigation from Ft. Sam. An investigation about Fraternization between ALL the IPAP students at a BIRTHDAY PARTY. What were the findings of the investigator the 1st and 2nd time around?? NOTHING. It wasn’t until they succeeded in stretching shades of gray to reach the conclusion they did. That is why the investigation is hundreds of pages long. It resulted in a counseling statement that served as an "appropriate disciplinary action" from the Battalion Commander to those soldiers involved. 

GOMOR 2.0 symbolizes the “Hail Mary” the command is striving for to relieve my husband from PA school and possibly the Army. How does it make sense to punish someone TWICE for the same 'crime'? At this point it is comical because I can’t wait to see what they pull out of their “magical hat-o-tricks” next!! 

I am fortunate to have the freedom to voice my concerns about my husbands career through this blog. That is a large part of what our good military does. Protects our rights to freedom, all of our freedoms. My husband is a leader, a wonderful father and husband. He stands up for what is right and does not compromise his integrity for any reason. He is a man, he is human. He has faults like the rest of us. He has stumbled like everyone of us, but he has stayed true to his morals and Christian beliefs. He should not be condemned for a mistake he made (coupled with a grudge by someone in a leadership position). It is sad that “they” have gone that route and have shown how petty “they” can be. I just hope “they” can change and grow and strive to be better leaders.

I can’t express my gratitude enough to those of you who have read and shared my blog. (If anything, this has been an outlet for my frustrations.) I would like you to keep in mind that my husband, my children and I live through this stress everyday. We do not get a break from it. I understand everyone has problems, and I wouldn’t wish ours on any of you. I am so happy that most of you out there are not feeling what we are. Not going through what we are. But for the few, (although too many in my eyes) who are ‘suffering to serve’, please know there are good people out there who will listen and believe your story. People are kind and will take action against evil. Know they are out there, and they truly exist!

Who is my State Representative?

Who is my Senator?

GOMOR 2.0

“GOMOR” is a General Officer Memorandum of Reprimand. To anyone in the military, you know this is a very “bad word”. This is something no soldier wants on their record.

There are 2 ways to file a GOMOR, on a permanent record or locally. If you are in receipt of a GOMOR you pray it gets filed locally. Permanently filed follows you for ever. 

I didn’t know what one was until recently. I am so intimate with it now that it is no longer a dirty little 5 letter acronym. It’s almost lost its meaning from having been said so much, gomor, gomor, gomor, gomor. 

There doesn’t seem to be rhyme or reason to the issuing of a GOMOR. From my experience as a military wife, all you need is a vindictive command and you may very well receive one! (That’s just my opinion.)  One lawyers opinion, (you can read article here), states the “AR 600-37 , “Unfavorable Information”, requires only an “objective decision by competent authority.” ”  I have read AR 600-37 myself and its just way beyond me. I can’t make heads or tails of it. 

In my last post, “I will NOT go away”, I talk about a “document with an error”. This document was the reason my husband was issued a GOMOR. This GOMOR was filed locally. End of saga, right? Wrong! Turns out a General can rescind a GOMOR. Sounds like a good thing, right? Wrong! They pulled this GOMOR only to give him a NEW ONE!!!!! What!???? Let me try to explain. 

In the first one he was being reprimanded for the document with an error. Why this wasn’t good enough, I don’t know. So, they got rid of that one and drew up a new one.

The NEW GOMOR (in which I like to call GOMOR 2.0) has more reprimands than the first. It contains 5 points. I am going to paraphrase and give the gist of what each one is.

The reprimand is for the following:

1. an investigation that took place in 2013 (back at Ft. Sam Houston, TX) that resulted in no findings and is a closed matter
2. an email to the company commander about the wearing of his green beret 
3. a counseling statement in May 2014
4. comments on an in-processing worksheet about his strengths and weaknesses 
5. the document with the error on it

So to recap we have a reprimand for something old, something new, something borrowed and something out of the blue. What???? 

I can’t wrap my mind around what is happening. I feel like just when it can’t get any worse, it does. Not only does it get worse, it gets more ridiculous! 

They have confiscated my husbands work computer and pager because of my blog. Yes, this blog you are reading right now. Civilian little ‘ole me has caused a stir amongst the command and IPAP. Why is that? Is it because they know what they are doing is wrong? They are afraid of the truth getting out, because the truth hurts. 

I hope they learn a lesson from all this and truly understand the power their soldiers families have. I have the 1st amendment on my side and I will tell my side of the story. I will not sit idly by while they trash my husbands career. My husband has proudly served his country for almost 17 years and is being blindsided by his own command and advisors!! This is not the example of American leadership I am used to or will stand for! They are bullies and control with fear. Soldiers can’t say anything but civilians can. We as Americans, as responsible people of the world, need to stand up and be a voice for these soldiers that are unfairly backed into a corner through toxic leadership.

I will NOT go away!!!

I believe people should stand up for what is right. I am in the right to defend myself and my family when someone tries to hurt us. I will not go away. I am determined to expose the truth about the lies, complacency, incompetence and ignorance that festers through the so called “leadership” at Tripler. 

There is one person who I want to address more than anyone since she is now aware of this blog. 

“To the woman who knows who she is, 

Aren’t you aware that you are supposed PROTECT your soldiers!?! You are not just dealing with a person in a uniform, you are dealing with his entire family. You destroyed the peace in my household by spreading your ignorance and holding a grudge. Maybe I am being a little harsh. Maybe this is the kind of “Army” you are used to, one that steps on the hearts and minds of those beneath her just to be a little closer to the top. That is NOT how the world works lady! You are supposed to take care of your own and not throw them under the bus. I feel sorry for anyone in your command. I’m sorry they have not the courage nor the gall to stand up to you and challenge your wrongful ways, visions and ideas. 

I have never met you and frankly, I don’t care to. I can only hope and pray to our Lord that you will take the time to see the destruction you have caused. I am certain my family is not the only one left floating in your wake of incompetence. I can only hope that you learn from your mistakes, fix them and make amends. You are responsible for American soldiers and all that encompasses their success. You need to start acting like a leader, and not someones well-groomed puppet. 

Jamie B.”

I’m so frustrated at the fact that the Army is allowing non-sense like this to occur over a document with an error which was submitted by my husband. A document that never should have been given to him in the first place by a civilian who was his healthcare provider and preceptor!!! A lousy piece of paper stating he was injured and could not perform a Physical Fitness Test. A test he has never missed, failed, or just done the BARE minimum. The error was fixed in 15 minutes, yet this “leader” pushed through for my husband to be formally reprimanded by the General. Her excuse? “Something had to be done.”  All command involved should be ASHAMED of themselves. I am embarrassed to be a part of this kind of Army. My husband is more than embarrassed, he is heartbroken! All he intended to do was to serve his country and take care of soldiers. They have scarred not only him, but the rest of us that know about these heinous acts. I will doubt them always. This command has proven to be the worst group of people I have ever met in my life!!

The List

I’m not shocked anymore when my husband tells me about the lies, deception, distrust and complacency he deals with at work. It’s a shame. I am used to hearing about the efforts put forth to help the soldiers, not harm them. I guess when you come from an awesome place like 5th Special Forces Group (where your heart is filled with pride on a daily basis because these men take care of their own) you become accustomed to integrity. “What do you need, and how can I help?”, might as well be the motto of the SOF community. They are always there for you when you need them. I miss that very much.

I was talking with my husband, recapping the events that have taken place. There are so many it is hard to keep it straight. This person (who I am still not naming yet), behaves like a compulsive liar. I would say almost every word he has spoken to my husband has been a lie or a [piss poor] excuse. 

The best way I can deliver this persons short comings is by listing them. If I were to explain it as a story it would be a crazy long book that would spin your head. Let’s get to listing, shall we?!

Keep in mind the job of the PA advisors are to educate, guide and advocate for the students. This individual has done the following:

• He was unable to be found at the hospital on 3 separate occasions when we first arrived to Hawaii. (My husband, who was on leave at the time, was being proactive looking for him.) This advisor finally made contact with my husband ONLY because the company contacted him to do so. During this initial contact my husband tried to ask him questions that needed to be answered, his reply was, “I don’t have time.” 
• He had failed to set up the clinical rotation schedule for the 3 new arriving IPAP students. (Other students at other sites knew there schedule before we left Ft. Sam.)
• He scheduled a time for these students to be familiarized with 2 software systems but not fully trained.  There are 4 other systems they are required to use and have NEVER been trained on. One program called DMHRSi (they pronounce it ‘dimmers eye’), is a constant issue for the students. This PA advisor has threatened to take punitive action on the students if there were anymore mistakes made on that program. (There is an email stating this by him.) He never took the time to teach the students and has in fact, admitted that he has someone else DO IT FOR HIM!!!
• He creates drama through hearsay.
• He tasks out his duties to the students. Before Christmas he assigned my husband to 1) find out what documents the company needed to be included in each students leave forms, 2) inform the rest of the students, 3) have all the students email my husband so he could then review and correct any errors, and finally 4) consolidate everything into one neat package to email to the advisor. He said he didn't have the time to do all of that and he hates getting lots of emails. He shirks other responsibilities to students that include tasks such as issuing training certificates, gathering student photos, assignment preference requests…etc. etc. etc.
• He had a student draft a a memorandum to justify the necessity of a study room for PA students. 
• He tasks the students to plan, coordinate, and PAY for graduation. (The students essentially buy lunch for officers as high as Brigadier General.)

There are more examples that I know I am forgetting right now. Just writing this makes me sick to my stomach. No soldier deserves a leader like this. I can barely write the word leader when talking about this person. He is not a leader. He is a selfish, vain, disgusting excuse for a person in charge of IPAP students here at Tripler Army Medical Center.

Contact Phase II IPAP

Suffering 2-gether

I asked my husband last night, "Can we please have one day where we don't talk or think about this stress?" He was more than happy to say yes.

It has been such a wonderful day. I was able to enjoy life with my kids and husband. No talking about the "stress". No debating on "what we should do". No over analyzing this "mess".

It has been WAY too long since I have felt peace of any kind. I honestly had asked him out of selfishness for a break from it all. Little did I know, it was for the benefit of all four of us. My kids were thrilled to play with their daddy like they used to. You could see the sheer joy on their faces and hear it in their laughs. I was motivated to exercise. I saw my husband smiled more today than I have seen in months. It was uplifting and amazing!

A friend of mine has been telling me to let go and let God, (you know who you are). I did that today. I feel like crying right now because of the days I took for granted. The days before we allowed this corrupt command to affect us, as it so heinously has done.

 If this is happening to us, it sure as hell is happening elsewhere. Therefore, I am choosing to make this conscious effort: I will not allow them, our so called "leaders" at Tripler Army Medical Center, to hurt my family any more!

I am taking a stance against those petty awful cowards who tout themselves as military leaders. I will NO LONGER accept their ignorance of what it means to truly serve America and face the enemy. I will NO LONGER allow their negativity to spread any further than it has.

This stops now!

Toxic Leadership

I would like to make the public aware that my husband is being forced out of the Interservice Physicians Assistant Program (IPAP), a military course accredited by University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Yes, I said forced out. He has academically achieved ALL of the standards set forth, as well as excelled as a clinician during his training at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) here in Hawaii. 

Does this make sense to ANYONE? My husband has been erroneously recommended for relief from the program based on fabricated claims from the TAMC chain of command. 

Based on recent events, both TAMC and IPAP have demonstrated they are infested with toxic leadership and incompetent officers. There has been no reason set forth by the program (based at Ft. Sam Houston, TX) to justify his dismissal. This seems to be a pattern of wasting tax dollars of the American people for no apparent reason.

My husband's dismissal will bring the tally up to $1 million that has been wasted by our military at TAMC in the IPAP. I believe that all people everywhere have the right to know that TAMC is (yet again) involved in the wasting of our tax payer dollars. This is not only a problem affecting Hawaii, it is a problem for the entire United States.

The military spends altogether about $300,000 per student to go through IPAP. There have been 2 IPAP students relieved from “Phase II” (the clinical portion of this medical program) at TAMC in the past 8 months, both of which were months away from graduating the intense 29 month program. My husband is next on the “chopping block”.  My husband, a Green Beret and decorated Iraq war veteran with nearly 17 years of impeccable military service, is one of the students being neglected and prejudiced against.

Students of IPAP, who train at TAMC for "Phase II", are assigned to incompetent leaders who fail to provide proper guidance and support to them. Not only are soldiers unsupported, they are subjected to ‘fear-based’ leadership, an environment where a voice is condemned and complacency is reality. This problem includes the hospital chain of command and the IPAP advisors (who are intended to mentor students about military PA service).

A civilian DOD employee at TAMC, who shall remain nameless for now, is one of the IPAP advisors. This individual hasn't any Active Duty experience, did not go through IPAP, and is the only civilian advisor within the clinical sites for IPAP. (TAMC is also rumored to have the highest fail rate for a phase II clinical site. Coincidence?) How can this "advisor" effectively lead our soldiers and mentor them when he himself has never done the job they are training for? This is a disservice not only to these soldiers wanting to serve as clinicians for other Active duty soldiers, but for all Americans as well. 

My husbands impeccable career and our family’s livelihood are in jeopardy because of certain prejudices brought against him by the TAMC chain of command. He has been severely reprimanded and has caused the course directors (at Ft. Sam Houston, TX) to recommend he be relieved from the program. He has not only academically achieved the program requirements he has been praised by the hospital’s staff for his ability to connect with patients as a clinician, provide high level of care and learn quickly. 

Why is TAMC and IPAP allowing such a valuable asset to be lost and money to be wasted? It is simply irresponsible and America deserves better.