So he had questions, and sought answers. What were the answers?
“No comment.” Lakin’s attorney Puckett said the military dropped the ball and did him wrong.
From this thread.The Congress AND many in the Military, including many of LTC Lakins' commanders ACKNOWLEDGE there IS an issue with Barry's eligibility. YET, they ALL pass the damn buck. This is totally unacceptible! Question is, what can be done besides writing yet MORE letters which history has proven does NOTHING.
He sought advice and confirmation of Barry's eligibility and his orders being lawful from:
* legal assistance at Aberdeen Proving Grounds - Result = Ignored him
* his commander and supervisor - Who acknowledge there IS an issue. - Result = They don't know what to do
* Submits Article 138 complaint to his company commander - Result = they tell him his Article 138 complaint was deficient, so the Army didn’t have to answer it.
* LTC Lakin then writes letters to his congressional "representation" - Result = 1 Senator ignores him, the other say's the issue was "twittered" and therefore resolved and his Congressman forwards this issue to military affairs but apparently doesn't get answers to Lakin's questions and concerns.
* After being transferred to the Pentagon, he raised the issue with his clinic’s commander - Result = Commander acknowledges there IS an issue BUT had no guidance as to what to do.
* LTC Lakin then submitted another Article 138 complaint, this one routed through General Casey - Result = General Casey wasn’t in his chain of command, so his Article 138 complaint wouldn’t be addressed.
* LTC Lakin then goes to Capitol Hill for face-to-face meetings with one Congressman and high-level staffers. They acknowledge there IS an issue BUT but the media ridiculed it. Result = they let it go.
My comment on that.
"Obviously he didn’t decide to disobey his deployment orders simply based on an opinion. He sought advice and guidance at every level of command and through his Congressional representatives and what he got back from them did more to confirm his reservations than to pacify them. The DoD proved itself unaccountable for its own command structure and it remains in that state today."