What would you do if your employer ordered you to work even if you where under a doctors care and on pain medication? What would you do if your job required you to use a weapon around many people? Here is part of a recent email I received about an Army soldier being ordered and force to report to formation even though he was under the influence of Vicodin prescribed by an Army doctor and given orders by the doctor to stay in his quarters and seek follow up medical care the next day. The email was sent by to the soldier’s family member to several senators.
On Tuesday morning and although my son is under doctors orders to see his regular Army physician of which his Sergeant’s are fully aware, called demanding he show up to formation in full gear to go out to the range. This is in total disregard to my son’s injury and the doctor’s orders. He tried to further explain his the doctor’s orders, but was told they would mark him as AWOL and send MP’s to get him if he did not show up to the formation. Injured and under the influence of Vicodin my son obeyed orders and showed up to formation. His unit went to the firing range for a live fire exercise. My son informed the Sergeant of being him being on medication and the dangers it presented to other soldiers and himself, but was still ordered to use his weapon at the range.
I am very concerned over the way this unit is run and the ability of it’s officers in charge. Ordering an injured soldier who is under doctor’s orders to get medical care and is under the influence of Vicodin, to use his weapon in a live fire exercise is least very poor judgment. Would you please investigate and take action as needed?
This soldier is assigned to the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment in Hawaii. I understand his wife and her family has started calling her elected officials to investigate this. And the Army wonders why they are having retention issues? Poor leadership would be a good reason. But how could a person expect quality leadership when the president who is in charge is such a poor leader himself.
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