This jerk killed his NCO chain of command because they wouldn’t approve a leave.
There’s a reason the guy was only a specialist (E-4). He had 11 years in the National Guard and 5 years active duty and he was only a specialist.
We’re NOT being told something.
Just about the only way to accomplish that is by being a colossal screw-up!
I was a UAV DET CO, and I had a SPC that I needed to promote in the 33W slot. He damn near cried and did NOT want to be promoted. He had been a E-4 for ten years and loved it there. Shrug. Glad I was 19-series until OCS.
Or dumb as a bag of hair. I saw a guy on AFV trying to put on his Navy jumper and the guy had 6 service stripes representing 24 years of service (not gold either which would represent 12 years of good conduct) and he only made it to E-5.
On the other hand, promotion can be slow in the Guard if the unit doesn't have a slot to promote into.
They sure aren't revealing much here.
I agree, they’re not saying anything about former problems and I’ve a hunch they’re there on his record.
If true he flipped over being denied leave there’s more than a few problems.
We’re NOT being told something.
I've been thinking this right along, too. Add in the no-known combat injury that could relate to his claimed TBI/PTSD and it just doesn't add up.
We still have a bunch of unknowns on “Why the leave was disapproved.” Could be no leave accrued, in a minus leave status, an operational mission planned or major training exercise tat was the same time as when he wanted leave.
Is it still in effect that only the CO can approve/disapprove leave requests? That was the requirement when I was in during the 70s, 80s, & 90s.
More to it than denial of leave, IMO. We may find out he was also recently denied consideration for promotion. Living off base with a wife and young daughter on an E-4 salary would be a challenge for any man.
“Lopez, his wife and their young child moved to the Killeen area, where Fort Hood is located, in February. Prior to the move, the family lived at another Texas military base, authorities said. The Quail Circle apartment Lopez lived in is approximately two miles from the military post”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/03/who-is-ivan-lopez_n_5084315.html
Much has changed since I took off the uniform, but I remain in touch through friends, family, and work associations.
Ordinary leave is generally granted if requested on a timely basis, does not impinge on the unit mission, and the soldier requesting it has sufficient days accrued. During the Cold War that meant that only so many of a unit were allowed to be on leave at any given time and that leaves were restricted during certain key training or deployment events. Some junior NCO’s tried to use leave as a reward, but if a soldier pushed it through the chain of command, that usually didn’t fly.
Things are a little different now. With the current training and deployment cycles, much of the ordinary leave program is tied to block leaves. The whole unit goes on leave together tied to their spot in the cycle. Exceptions are granted, but not often. These block leave dates are well known in advance and soldiers can plan vacations, visits to family, and personal business.
Emergency leave is the big exception, and while not required, a Red Cross message usually greases the skids. I cannot recall ever denying an emergency leave backed by a Red Cross message, even in combat.
I suspect that Lopez was requesting leave out of cycle, he may not have had leave accrued, and since he was newly assigned he may have had more of his share compared to others in the unit and probably had taken leave in conjunction with his PCS (Permanent Change of Station) from Ft. Bliss. Sounds like his platoon sergeant said no, and rather than going up the chain, he went postal. As a seasoned soldier, he would have known that the platoon sergeant did not have the final say.
This guy was trouble spelled with a capital T and he slipped through the cracks. An unfortunate characteristic of an Army in the middle of fighting a war. Certainly was true in my day.