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Marines investigate assault of recruit (by drill instructor?)
The Beaufort Gazette ^ | Apr 24, 2002 | JIM NEWMAN

Posted on 04/24/2002 2:04:14 PM PDT by aomagrat

A Parris Island recruit who allegedly was beaten into a coma might have been assaulted by his own drill instructors, according to a report from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service obtained by The Beaufort Gazette.

Recruit Heath A. White, 24, of Dry Fork, Va., is listed in serious condition at Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.

The NCIS report said it had "substantiated allegations against drill instructor team members" of the 2nd Recruit Training Battalion, indicating their involvement in "physical assaults against (the) victim and recruits within the platoon."

The report said the NCIS investigation indicated that the "violations related to (the) victim occurred during the 18 hours leading up to (the) victim's collapse."

The allegations also included alleged violations of Marine Corps standard operating procedures.

Heath White, a recruit in his first week of training, reported feeling faint March 8 while preparing to participate in a training exercise at Parris Island.

He fell unconscious shortly thereafter and was taken to U.S. Naval Hospital Beaufort for treatment. He was sent to Beaufort Memorial Hospital for a CT scan and an hour later was airlifted to MUSC.

White was diagnosed with an intracranial hemorrhage with edema -- swelling of the brain and a ruptured blood vessel inside the brain.

Capt. James Chittenden, public affairs officer at Parris Island, said Tuesday that an investigation into the matter is under way.

"In accordance with standard procedures, anytime there is a serious injury or illness involving a recruit, an investigation is initiated," he said.

"An investigation is ongoing in the case of Recruit White, and it is premature to speculate beyond the fact that a recruit is being treated for a medical condition."

Additional information requested by the Gazette was not available from PI officials Tuesday night.

The report said that an Article 32 investigation would be launched once charges were drafted. Chittenden said Tuesday that the three Marines allegedly involved in the assault had not been charged.

An Article 32 investigation is the military equivalent of a grand jury or pre-trial hearing. An accused serviceman can be present during the process, and his attorney can examine and cross-examine witnesses and present evidence.

An Article 32 investigation must be carried out before any charge is sent on for court-martial, according to the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

White's father, Alvis, was reluctant to speculate on the NCIS report and said he was unaware of the assault allegations.

"I'm not going to say anything until I get more definite information on paper," he said by phone from his home in Dry Fork. "All we've heard is talk. I don't want to be telling you something that's not right."

Although his son remains in serious condition, White said he hasn't given up, and he knows his son won't give up, either.

The Marine recruit, who turned 24 last month, spent his birthday in the hospital in a coma, his father said.

His mother's voice was heavy with sadness as she talked by telephone Tuesday from his bedside in the acute care unit at MUSC.

"He was a hard-working family man," said Kathy White, the beeps from her son's life signs-monitoring equipment clearly audible in the background.

Alvis White said Heath has come "in and out" of consciousness, and that he appears to be slowly improving.

"He's not a quitter," the recruit's father said.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; US: South Carolina
KEYWORDS: marines
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1 posted on 04/24/2002 2:04:15 PM PDT by aomagrat
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To: aomagrat
Prayers for this recruit.....my son is in basic at Fort Jackson, if this would of happened to my son, those DI's a$$es would belong to me!
2 posted on 04/24/2002 2:15:43 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: aomagrat
Prayers for this recruit.....my son is in basic at Fort Jackson, if this would of happened to my son, those DI's a$$es would belong to me!
3 posted on 04/24/2002 2:17:04 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: aomagrat
Drill instructors...Men of Honor....don't think so.
4 posted on 04/24/2002 2:22:19 PM PDT by smiley
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To: aomagrat
Heath White, a recruit in his first week of training, reported feeling faint March 8 while preparing to participate in a training exercise at Parris Island.

They don't beat you in the first week of Boot Camp, unless you REALLY deserve it.

5 posted on 04/24/2002 2:25:56 PM PDT by greydog
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To: greydog
*Really* deserve it......who deserves that!
He joined to serve his country, not have his head cracked by a couple of overzealous DI's
btw sorry for the double post.
6 posted on 04/24/2002 2:30:36 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: mystery-ak
who deserves that!

I can think of two guys in my platoon who would have benefitted from a tune-up.

Having said that, I don't know anything more than what's in the story. Witholding judgement.

7 posted on 04/24/2002 2:41:11 PM PDT by fourdeuce82d
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To: fourdeuce82d
I can think of two guys in my platoon who would have benefitted from a tune-up.

Hooah. I can think of at least half a dozen morons in my platoon who needed quite a beating from our Drill Sergeants. You're right, though, to reserve judgement--who knows what happened? Did he really get beaten up by the DIs? And if so, why? Was he dumb enough to take a swing at one of them? Did they just fly off the handle for some reason?

8 posted on 04/24/2002 2:46:41 PM PDT by Future Snake Eater
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To: fourdeuce82d
I thought that the DI's were not allowed to touch the recruits. Am I wrong?

a.cricket

9 posted on 04/24/2002 2:47:43 PM PDT by another cricket
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To: another cricket
I thought that the DI's were not allowed to touch the recruits

To the best of my knowledge, DIs aren't even supposed to use harsh language on recruits anymore.

I dunno. The DIs are in a position of *huge* authority, and having one who let it go to his head would be a nightmare, and lead to poorly trained/motivated troops. Indiscriminate bullying for the sake of bullying is not productive.

On the other hand, Basic is supposed to be a stressful, scary environment that weeds out people who can't hack it. A moderate degree of physical correction, judiciously applied in terms of "how much" and "who gets it" could work wonders for the remainder of the platoon. And for the troop being corrected.

Fearing your drill instructor is a good thing- as long as there is respect as well.

10 posted on 04/24/2002 2:55:54 PM PDT by fourdeuce82d
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To: mystery-ak
I was half-way kidding in my post.

The first few weeks of actual physical training in Boot Camp will always bring up hidden medical problems. In my platoon, we had three medical discharges, out of ~80 recruits, one seizure, one heart and I forget what the other one was.

Anyway, if this is the case here, which I suspect, this event could maybe have saved his life.

11 posted on 04/24/2002 2:57:33 PM PDT by greydog
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To: another cricket
They are supposed to have a *hands off* policy...wink, wink.
12 posted on 04/24/2002 2:57:54 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: greydog
I know you were kidding......but there is no excuse for this if it is true.
Im an AF brat, married to a man in the Army, and now my son has enlisted.....I actually know DI's who are capable of doing this, and have bragged about it....they don't deserve to wear the uniform.
13 posted on 04/24/2002 3:02:37 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: mystery-ak
They are supposed to have a *hands off* policy...wink, wink.

Ah, sort of like working in the psychiatric ward. You may never, ever hit a patient even if they are attacking you.
You can however "push" awful hard with the heel of your hand if you need to defend yourself.

a.cricket

14 posted on 04/24/2002 3:09:00 PM PDT by another cricket
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To: another cricket
kinda....it has been rumored(wink) that Marine DI's do not abide by the *hands off* policy.....btw my favorite uncle, Bob, was a Marine DI...
15 posted on 04/24/2002 3:16:45 PM PDT by mystery-ak
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To: greydog
They don't beat you in the first week of Boot Camp, unless you REALLY deserve it.

Especially in the new politically correct Marine Corps.

16 posted on 04/24/2002 3:16:58 PM PDT by AMERIKA
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To: another cricket;Snow Bunny;Billie
PING
17 posted on 04/24/2002 3:17:31 PM PDT by SAMWolf
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To: smiley
Drill instructors...Men of Honor....don't think so.

I think so. The odds are, the vast majority are, but some are not. Do you think all of them are not, or am I misinterpreting what you are saying?

18 posted on 04/24/2002 3:20:55 PM PDT by Mark17
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To: aomagrat; SAMWolf
Oh, this is terrible. I pray he recovers. Sam pinged Bunny and me to this thread - what a coincidence that we just "did" Boot Camp at the Canteen today. Fortunately no one has stories like this they're telling.
19 posted on 04/24/2002 3:28:28 PM PDT by Billie
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To: greydog
Bullshit. And if things go wrong don't give me Semper Fi, the corps, Iwo, Khe Sanh, Tripoli or anything else as an excuse. DIs should be diamond hard but not vicious and you know it.
20 posted on 04/24/2002 3:39:24 PM PDT by gaspar
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