What this guy needs!
Posted on 02/22/2005 12:59:45 PM PST by Pilsner
Military Probes Hoax of GI Death Notice
By RUSS BYNUM, Associated Press Writer
SAVANNAH, Ga. - Military police are investigating a cruel hoax in which a man wearing an Army dress uniform falsely told the wife of a soldier that her husband had been killed in Iraq (news - web sites).
Investigators are trying to determine why the man delivered the false death notice and whether he was a soldier or a civilian wearing a military uniform.
"We're taking it extremely seriously. Whatever motivation was behind it, it was a sick thing to do," said Fort Stewart spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Whetstone.
Last month, 19,000 soldiers from the Fort Stewart-based 3rd Infantry Division deployed for their second tour of duty in Iraq. At least eight division soldiers have been killed since then.
Fort Stewart officials would not identify the Army wife who reported to military police that a man posing as a casualty assistance officer came to her door Feb. 10.
"Right off the bat, she noticed some things were not right," Whetstone said. "The individual's uniform wasn't correct — there were no markings or name tags. Plus, the person was alone, and she knew one person does not make (death) notifications."
Whetstone said no similar hoaxes have been reported.
When the 3rd Infantry first deployed to Iraq for the 2003 invasion, some Fort Stewart families reported receiving phone calls from pranksters saying their soldiers had been killed.
This time around, troops and their spouses got pre-deployment briefings that included detailed explanations of how death notices work. Two soldiers, including a chaplain, in dress uniform always arrive to tell the family in person. The Army never makes notifications over the telephone.
Fort Stewart spouses have been spreading news of the latest hoax, said Army wife Michelle Dombrowski, who received an e-mail more than a week ago reporting the incident.
"I can't believe that someone would do that," said Dombrowski, whose husband, Staff Sgt. Joe Dombrowski, is deployed with the 3rd Infantry. "I know the protocol, though."
Military police described the suspected hoaxer as being 6-feet, 1-inch tall and about 180 pounds with black or brown hair and a pale complexion. He was reported to be driving a blue or green pickup truck with chrome wheels, oversized tires and a Georgia license plate.
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On The Net:
Fort Stewart: http://www.stewart.army.mil
The individual who did this is the dubious progeny of questionable antecedants & a excellent example of why bestiality should remain a crime(goes back to the questionable antecedants)
Local kid paid by someone who knew the couple. Probably an ex-girl/boyfriend behind it.
Best punishment I can think of is once they have the scumbag don't send him to jail, put his butt in the unit of the soldier's family member that he terrified and then send him out on a combat patrol with them and he gets point (and the Biblical Captain Uriah treatment).
Thanks for the ping Sarge. Makes me blood boil.
Hubby's response to this story: Find the guy. I'll kill him.
That's just wrong. I'm glad she was properly briefed and didn't buy the story. I just wish she was packing heat.
I swear the SfB who did this better hope he doesn't get caught! I'm glad for the wife that she knew it was a hoax, but still her heart must have leapt into her throat.
Can't say that my words were that clean.
I'm still fuming.
Ok. I cleaned it up a bit! LOL! Between this and the story of the soldier in Korea who got the nasty letters from the 6th grades I have been at the boiling point all day.
LOL! You must be from the South, too!
I hope they catch the SOB soon and throw the book at him.
Like you, I'm glad the wife realized something was fishy and called this in. It still had to be unnerving for her til she knew for sure her husband was alright.
Hearing about the two things back to back set my blood pressure through the roof. It's still not settled down.
Yep, a tad east of ye, methinks.
I have to agree with the FReeper who speculated this wasn't so much a political act as the act of one sick puppy. Nevermind his motivations, let's get to the punishment part of it.
I'm pretty much with you and the other FReeper that this wasn't political....just sick. But who knows what would motivate someone to do something cruel such as this?
I certainly hope there's a follow-up on it. I wanna know when the jerk is caught and I'll help feed him to the hogs.
It's a date, then. I'll bring the pliers for those teeth.
What this guy needs!
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