Posted on 08/22/2020 9:16:42 AM PDT by BenLurkin
A Fort Hood soldier who has been missing since Monday had been transferred to a different unit because he was the victim in an “abusive sexual contact” investigation, the Army said.
Lt. Col. Chris Brautigam, a 1st Cavalry Division public affairs officer, told CNN in a statement that there is an “open investigation of abusive sexual contact” involving Sgt. Elder Fernandes and confirmed that Fernandes was the victim in the investigation.
“The unit sexual assault response coordinator has been working closely with Sgt. Fernandes, ensuring he was aware of all his reporting, care, and victim advocacy options,” Brautigam said. “The unit also facilitated his transfer from a unit who has recently deployed to a different unit within the brigade to ensure he received the proper care and ensure there were no opportunities for reprisals.”
Fernandes, 23, is assigned to a unit in the 1st Cavalry Division. He was last seen Monday afternoon by his staff sergeant when he was dropped off at his home in Killeen, Texas, the soldier’s family told police.
The US Army said Thursday it was asking for the public’s help in finding Fernandes, according to a statement from Fort Hood.
Fernandes is about 5 feet, 4 inches tall, and weighs approximately 133 pounds, according to the Killeen Police Department, which is investigating his disappearance. Police said he was last seen wearing a black Army physical training shirt and shorts with red athletic shoes.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
My son is 5’2” and 120 lbs.
He’s a Machine Gunner in the USMC,
On hikes he packs around a 50 lbs receiver as well as his regular pack.
He enlisted with his brother my oldest son who is 5’6” and 165 lbs. and also a Machine Gunner (0331)
In basic training and in SOI my oldest son told me the younger was by far the toughest in their platoon. He would ignore pain and push on through.
He also took a Scout Sniper indoc but so far hasn’t done anything with it yet. Few can make as indoc.
No, we need to resume the draft and pull in Mitt Romney’s kids while we raise standards.
Again, the gang membership is what happens when nobody from Phil Graham’s family serves.
Enlistment is almost impossible. No GED recipients without a minimum of 15 college credits, which is a few years, they’ll reject you for an undescended testicle, or a couple bad teeth, etc. Forget broken bones.
The job of the MEPS physicians is to KEEP YOU OUT OF THE MILITARY. PERIOD.
If you are less than a perfect specimen of humanity, you will be sent home. No matter how small and minor the issue, they will look for reasons to keep you out of uniform. I tried for years after the towers fell when I was 16. At 17, I attempted to join with parental content, but I was 6 pounds overweight. I lost the weight in a few weeks, went back, and said I can’t join with a GED without college. So I went to school as much as I could afford, but it wasn’t long enough, and my dad started having heart problems. I had to help him with the family business and couldn’t afford to go back to school.
We SERIOUSLY need to loosen our insane enlistment standards.
I’m 5 feet even, was 145 lbs of piss and vinegar during my Marine Corps days in the early 90s. We come in all sizes. My 20 year old son is currently carrying on the tradition and making me proud. Blessing on you and your boys.
Perhaps. But when still in AIT we got a new butterbar, I don’t remember where he slotted in the CoC, but he looked about 16 years old and had That One Ribbon, and we were young-n-dumb enough to feel like we could get away with whistling the Andy Griffith Show theme whenever we saw him, and if he was former enlisted it had been for about six weeks :)
Really? I got mine in 1986 and saw it consistently to, through and beyond Desert Storm.
And never with an OLC.
Doesn't mean it didn't happen...
The Army? Should have tried the Army Guard.
5’5”, 130 lbs. :https://www.stripes.com/news/patrick-tadina-vietnam-war-s-longest-continuously-serving-ranger-dies-at-77-1.632005
Officers receive the Army Service Ribbon on completion of their officer basic course. Officers are not awarded the Good Conduct Medal, or the NCO Professional Development Ribbon.
“It ain’t the size of the dog in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the dog.” —Mark Twain
That is to say, CSM Tadina packed a ton of fight in a small frame! Great article!
You’ll be thrilled when he turns up dead then.
I must have been thinking about the NCODP ribbon. I just remember something stood out about a former enlisted officer.
“5’4”, w133 pounds. An Army of 3/4.”
Audie Murphy?
15 hours is 1 full-time semester of 12 hours, and half a summer 2-class schedule. That's about 9 months or less.
...We SERIOUSLY need to loosen our insane enlistment standards.
Agree. I think we should have either a universal draft, or you get to vote once you've done one hitch in the military, an equivalent time as a first responder, or for those not physically able but mentally capable, in some equally difficult (relative to the disability) service, a la Heinlein's STARSHIP TROOPERS.
I was Air Force, not Army. I graduated BASIC at 5'll" and 120 lbs. It wouldn't have been that difficult for a bigger guy to assault or rape me, but he'd better clear out fast afterwards and not let me ever find out who he was.
My dad was one of those little guys, and before my growth spurt he taught me a bunch about dealing with bigger guys. Hit them with a brick from behind first, and you can do about anything you want to them afterwards. I favor castration with a dull rusty spoon for rapists of any sort.
I did enlist during the last years of the war in Vietnam. They were still taking just about any warm body at that time. Including me.
WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.) 1973-1997
You actual believe members are serving God and country? Lol!
Here is a Department of Defense press release from 2002 giving the requirement to be awarded the National Defense Service Medal and earlier periods of service during which it was awarded to serving members of the US armed forces:
https://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=44101
Gentlemen,
My apologies, I confused the “Army Service Ribbon” with the older “National Defense Service Medal.”
Here are the conditions and history of the Army Service Ribbon (ASR): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Army_Service_Ribbon
And here is a Department of Defense press release from 2002 giving the requirement to be awarded the National Defense Service Medal (NSDM) and earlier periods of service during which it was awarded to serving members of the US armed forces:
https://archive.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=44101
At some point I would have added it to my bar of ribbons, but the first one on the bottom left, for me, is the NSDM, followed by the ASR, & etc.
I’m not saying he can’t be an effective warrior. I’ll bet he’s small by modern US Army standards, though. Without knowing the particulars of his predicament, I can’t comment further on what may be at the heart of this issue.
The knights of medieval times were fairly small men. The weight of armor was prohibitive for large men
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