Chai Soua Vang's military record (WI Deer Hunter Killer)

Pioneer Press ^ | Nov. 24, 2004 | — Charles Laszewski

[Ladysmith]

Chai Soua Vang's military record

According to the public portion of Chai Soua Vang's military record on file at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis:

Jan. 11, 1989: He entered the California Army National Guard as a trainee with the 246th Medical Detachment in Sacramento.

Jan. 24, 1989: Basic training at Fort Dix, N.J., followed by patient administration specialist training at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. A patient administration specialist does hospital admissions and dispositions of patients but is not trained to provide medical treatment.

May 26, 1989: Returned to the 246th Medical Detachment of the California Army National Guard.

Dec. 1, 1991: Completed two-week medical specialist course in Dublin, Calif.

Sept. 5, 1992: Completed two-week Primary Leadership Development Course, 6th Army Noncommissioned Officer Academy.

Jan. 10, 1995: Left the National Guard as a private first class and transferred to Individual Ready Reserve until completion of his eight-year obligation in January 1997. (Individual Ready Reserve is the final two years of military service when a solider is not on active duty and does not have to attend annual drills, but can be called to active duty.) Honorably discharged.

Chai Soua Vang received the Army Service Ribbon, the Expert Qualification Badge (hand grenade), the California Good Conduct Medal and the Sharpshooter Qualification Badge (Rifle M-16). Sharpshooter is the middle of three rankings, with marksman being the lowest and expert the highest.

[Ladysmith]

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[Ladysmith]

Ping to Vang's military recond.

[Godebert]

Ladysmith....can you add me to the ping list?

Thanks...

[Lokibob]

After 6 years in NG, and attending the PLC NCO development course, he left the NG as a PFC. Something bad wrong here.

[Beckwith]

After 6 years in NG, and attending the PLC NCO development course, he left the NG as a PFC. Something bad wrong here.

Not really.

[AirForceMom]

He never obtained a rank above private??? I wonder if there were some disipline problems.

[Godebert]

I thought it odd that a PFC (E-3) would be sent to the Primary Leadership Development Course. Maybe that's a National Guard thing?

[Ladysmith]

You bet.

[TADSLOS]

There has to be more to this story. He was a medical records clerk, a specialty in which rank is not that difficult to attain (to a point). He attended PLDC, which is usually reserved for SPC/E4s as a pre-requisite for promotion to SGT/E-5. He either attended as a SPC, was promoted to E-5, then busted to PFC/E-3 or he was never promoted to E5 but was busted to E-3. Either way, he spent 6 years as an active member of a National Guard unit and was tranferred to the IRR as an E3. That's telling. I'd be willing to bet that he was involuntarily tranferred for reasons unknown.

The media, as usual, is making a big deal about his being qualified as sharpshooter. His ability to kill 6 (unarmed?) people at relatively close range has little to do with Army sharpshooter qualifications.

[marktwain]

The media, as usual, is making a big deal about his being qualified as sharpshooter. His ability to kill 6 (unarmed?) people at relatively close range has little to do with Army sharpshooter qualifications.

True, but it does show that he understood the basics and has usable skills.

I agree, though, PFC (E-3) after 6 years is unusual. Very likely some discipline or attitude problems.

[kaferhaus]

I made E-3 in 11 months... plenty of guys got there before me... I made Sgt. (E-5) in 3yrs. 5mos.

[TexasTransplant]

Or he had a Unit Clerk that had a school slot, that sent him to PLDC instead of his annual 2 Weeks ACDUTRA with the hope that the extra points would help him to get advanced to E-4 and then making him eligible for re-enlistment, the re-enlistment would then help to keep the Company retention numbers inside a Company Commanders pre-determined re-enlistment parameter.

Just another theory.

TT

[TexasTransplant]

WE may need Dan Rather to decipher this one.

[Iowa Granny]

Since you were so cleaver to get his military records, I was wondering if you could also dig up John Kerry's. I'd love to see those!

[Ladysmith]

LOL! Brad's Gramma did the google and it was right on the top of the list. Maybe she can do it again!! ;o)

[Kart_Racer]

"After 6 years in NG, and attending the PLC NCO development course, he left the NG as a PFC. Something bad wrong here."

That's exactly what I was thinking. Seeing how promotion from PFC to SPC (E-4) is automatic and he didn't get discharged as a SPC, I wonder if het got demoted or was some kind of reject. Sounds like a POS to me.

Thank God he is no longer in the Guard.

[TexasTransplant]

E-4 is not automatic, neither is E-3, doesn't mean he isn't POS, but it may explain the PLDC.

[TexasTransplant]

PS Welcome to FR

[Shamrock-DW]

"Sounds like a POS to me."

Maybe you have more than my 22+ years in the military. Maybe it's true that "it takes one to know one". But in my experience if there are no slots to promote to in the NG then you don't get promoted.

Have you got some stats on your performance in the military you'd be willing to give us to show your qualifications to judge?
 

[Brad’s Gramma]

LOL!!

HA HA HA HA HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whoo HOOOOOOOO!!!!