Posted on 04/07/2014 1:53:44 PM PDT by servo1969
Edited on 04/07/2014 1:54:53 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Using the SWAG (Scientific Wild A$$ed Guess) method of reasoning I am going to propose that there are thousands, check that, tens to thousands of people serving in the military right now who are disaffected.
People have flipped over less. One time an airman was denied leave and he held the commander hostage for eight hours. Pissed all over commander during that time. They finally talked him down. Not sure what happened to him after that.
I never spent a year in the military where there weren’t a lot of disaffected folks. By and large, though, they didn’t gun down their NCO chain.
I overlapped the Viet era in my first tour (70-74), so we heard the “fragging” stories, but even those were rare, and even those were perpetrated by folks who’d gone off the deep end.
Let’s say this guy killed his NCOs because of a slow response to an emergency leave after his mother died, and that was 6 months ago. Still seems extreme to me.
Let’s say it was because another leave was denied, and thinking of his leave problem at the time of his mother’s death, he guns down his NCOs. Still seems extreme to me.
After a total of 16 years in the military this guy was an E-4. At most it should take only 2 years to make it to E-4. He then had 14 years to make one more promotion, and he wasn’t there.
Something is missing here.
And they don't go around shooting people.
Frankly, I don't give a frog's fat ass why he did....have the trial then hang his butt.
Reservist make rank slow. We had an E6 who was in his late fifties. The oldest you can stay on active duty at that rank is 47. 27+20=47. USAF age limit is 27 to enter active duty.
I think this guy hit the wall. He decided suicide was his best option. But instead of just offing himself he decided to to take a couple of others with him. There is something missing. But if he couldn’t find it, who can?
No trial possible. He’s dead. Shot himself when engaged by by an armed polecewoman.
Oh, you're no fun anymore. ;)
Slow rank is not the case in the National Guard, especially the Infantry.
It is very easy to make rank in the NG Infantry. And wasn’t he active duty for the last 4-5 years?
So would I. But I think we all know that the military has/IS been one big testing lab for all kinds of pharms. And info on the use, abuse, or disabuse will be forthcoming (per) 20(+) years TOO LATE.
Lopez had received numerous awards and decorations, according to the public affairs office, including “two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, three Army Good Conduct Medals, two National Defense Service Medals, Iraqi Campaign Medal with campaign star, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Non commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, Armed Forces Reserve Medal and Multinational Forces and Observers medal.”
http://www.buzzfeed.com/ryanhatesthis/fort-hood-shooter-confirmed-as-ivan-lopez-was-being-treated
Sounds like a soldier doing well in his career The Non commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon really jumped out at me. Doesn’t that indicate that at some point he was seeking promotion and may have been on a fast track?
I agree.
So now I need to know what was his pay grade despite his classification? In my little corner of the world (private sector) they cannot demote your pay because you got demoted.
He had four children, an ex-wife, and his present wife.
At an E-4 salary, with likely child support, that is a tough row to how.
I suspect that he was under a lot of pressure of one kind or another. There is a facebook post that says he was robbed fairly recently.
During my years in the military, if memory serves, your rank was your pay grade. If you got busted from E-6 to E-4, you started drawing E-4 pay. Years of service couldn’t be taken away, and they meant an E-4 with 10 years service would be paid at a higher rate than an E-4 with 3 years service.
So what I gather is that this isn’t some NATIONAL news story but just another guy that did what he wanted to do, lived his life, tried, and then came up short. And just couldn’t take it anymore.
That is where the focus should be.
If only he would have signed up for obamacare instead of the military. He would have lived the Life of Riley.
Good point. Maybe he was a gay leftist...
Just got home from my sons house and he said the Non commissioned Officers Professional Development Ribbon is awarded to anyone who has completed the Primary Leadership Development Course which is required to be promoted to Sgt. E-5 in the Army. He wouldn’t have been a problem soldier to have been selected for the school.
Lopez had completed the course and was either waiting for the promotion or I guess he possibly could have been promoted and then busted but that’s speculation on my part.
They don’t make rank that slow in the Army, even in the reserves. 11 years to E-4 is odd even in the national guard. Add 5 years of active duty to that, and you’ve got a puzzle.
And in wartime, rank is even faster. I know a couple of E-7’s in the NG who have less than 15 years, if comparison with the Air Force helps a bit. They’re good...but that’s the point. Something odd in Ivan’s military record that after 16 years he’d be only an E-4. We just don’t know what it is.
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