Posted on 01/16/2005 7:56:02 AM PST by SandRat
MILTON, Fla. - Small, frail but rambunctious, 16-month-old Will Fitzpatrick suffers from multiple birth defects. He'll need a second open-heart operation within six months and a transplant if he makes it into his teens.
His parents, Terry and Susan Fitzpatrick, have juggled their work schedules to provide the constant care Will needs ---- [snip
-------- paste] Now the Fitzpatricks are facing a new crisis: The Army has ordered Terry, who was honorably discharged in 2000, back into uniform for duty in Iraq.
Terry, a 26-year-old carpenter who was an Army mechanic, is appealing for a hardship exemption but so far all he has received is an extension of his reporting date from Nov. 18 until Jan. 30.
"I just want them to make a decision," ---- [snip
--- paste]Their son was born with a constellation of birth defects. His heart had only three chambers instead of four. Holes in the heart that normally close as a fetus develops remained open and there was a gap between his esophagus and stomach. He is a happy and lively child and suffers no pain, but he weighs only 18 pounds, cannot yet walk and lags intellectually.
A U.S. flag flies from the front of the couple's home. Terry is resigned to returning to the Army if all appeals fail.
"I'm an all-American guy and I enjoyed being in the military when I was in," he said. "I'm not going AWOL."
(Excerpt) Read more at dailystar.com ...
ping
Let him stay home.
They ought to give him the exemption, imho.
He's following the process and I suspect the extension he's already received is to permit the process to go through to completion.
On the face of it, sounds like he has a good case--hope it works out for him.
I hope he gets to stay home and I hope Rummy pulls his head out of his ass soon.
That doesn't sound like a specialty MOS that is hard to fill from other sources. I wonder if another discharged soldier of the same specialty could volunteer to take his place.
I hope this works out for him and his family. Caring for a child with so many special needs has got to be difficult with two parents there...harder still with him gone. It would be incredibly frustrating and worrying for him as a father to be gone, as well.
I hope the extension gets them through long enough to get the exemption granted.
A vote for the hardship exemption here.
This seems to be what a hardship exemption was established for - I hope he gets it.
On the positive side, if recalled the government has to pay for all the kids medical needs. On the down side you really have to "break the code" to get what you are entitled to on paper. The Army also has some "Screw the Soldier" policies regarding long term dependant hospital stays. The other services pay for the servicemember's living expenses if you have to take your child to a distant hospital. The Army pays up until the time you check your kid into the hospital then you go out of pocket.
This may have changed since last year, but I got stuck when I had to take a child for surgery in California because our "region" was covered by an Army office out of Fort Carson. My command put me on TAD funds instead. My only requirement was to put my research on the subject into a memo for our air wing staff.
Dear Lord, please give this family the strength to overcome any hardships in their way. Their love has molded them. Your love can sustain them. Amen.
Not merely every letter of the law, must be honored by, again, the bosses, the commanders, that is, who have the guts to stand up.
The problems of the Administration, enlisting personnel, are the President's responsibility.
That is so interwoven with American tradtion, our American Heritage, that it escapes him; he who will not uphold our Constitution.
George Bush's R.I.N.O. Cultural Revolution, which is vapors for media consumption, constantly tears away at our worthy heritage and foundations for liberty.
From which birthplace, come men and women who will make a committment and sacrifice much, for peace and freedom.
The President keeps telling people that they must die to the last man, because, read his lips, there will bo no draft ... in the absence of explaining that, for the given manpower, there is only so much that can be done.
That means --- and Syria, Iran, Cuba, Red China, et al are aware of it --- where we are at, is it.
Just swell.
Demands from on high, that you must go to the eastern front, while demands from on high that support the ripping up of the fabric of your home and neighborhood with leftist agendae and other salutations to the socialist caucus on Capitol Hill.
So that they will keep to some dull roar, calling George Bush, "meanspirited."
Certainly, you must go to fight the "Islamic Liberation Front" while federal funds pay for teach your kids about how to fist each other in Homosexual Rearing 1, at your local elementary school back home.
That's really show'n 'em, George; way to stick up for our people going in harm's way.
You need the troops, George, they don't need you.
WTH's the big decision!! The guy's an IRR guy for cryin' out loud. Probably isn't even in "game shape" and has so many other things to worry about that it's laughable for them to not grant a hardship deferment. His little boy's life might be at stake!
Dammit! Stuff like this really annoys me. He should immediately get his congressman involved. It's also not as if this developed while he was serving. There is absolutely not tactical or practical reason why they cannot easily replace him with just about anyone else.
Hardship exemptions are routine in the military, but hardly newsworthy. Anyone showing this might just be someone who is anti-war and is trying to show a sob story for political gain.
Lets send LTE's to our local papers if we see the article there. The more publicity this gets, the better chance he'll be able to stay with his child.
The Army used to make comassionate reassignments and hardship discharges...
I suspect they still do...
Call your congressman...the Red Cross...talk to your Chaplain...
With the proper documentation the military will do right by him
imo
I too would like to see President Bush take a harsher stance on some the nonsense that Federal Tax dollars mandate, while brave Americans die in part, to guarantee that those same mandates.
Thanks for your service to our country!!!!!
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