Army Dishonors a Dying Hero

Posted By Blackfive

Some of you may have seen this story on the O'Reilly Factor last week. It is the case of a 25 year old Green Beret, Staff Sergeant James Alford, who contracted Mad Cow Disease when stationed in Oman. He is going to die of this disease...there is no cure.

The U.S. Army retired him at 80%...why? I have no idea. Maybe there is some bureacratic regulation involved. Here is what is involved in this case, via the Ledger.com:

...In April, the Green Beret and Bronze Star recipient was sent home from Iraq by the Army. But it wasn't because he badly needed medical care.

"They sent him home to be court-martialed," said his mother, Gail Alford, a former Army nurse. "They wanted to strip him of his special forces tab. They wanted him out of the Army."

Army officials say they did not realize the 24-year-old soldier's increasingly erratic behavior was an early symptom of the difficultto-diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. CJD is a fatal, degenerative brain disorder that attacks the human brain in the same way that "mad cow" disease attacks cattle.

Alford was disciplined and demoted. Although the Army has restored his rank and corrected what it admits was a mistake, the Alfords -- a family in which many members have served in the armed forces -- question how this could have happened.

"I don't blame the Army for this disease," said his father, retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Alford, who was in the service 34 years. "I blame them for how they treated my son. They treated him like yesterday's garbage. They reduced his rank. They called him an idiot, called him stupid -- this is a wounded soldier. It's no different than if he had taken a bullet to the brain."

Here is what I have a problem with here:

One, Staff Sergeant Alford probably contracted the disease while eating sheep's brains with local tribesmen in Oman. This was something that he HAD to do in order to win the respect of the Omanis. Oman is a key territory in the War on Terror.

Two, he contracted Mad Cow Disease (MCD) which will kill him. If you were slowly dying of wounds received in combat or were incapacitated by an accident, you would be kept on Active Duty and receive the best treatment possible. I just don't see the difference between those situations and SSG Alford's.

Three, he DESERVES the dignity and respect of remaining of Active Duty until he dies. The treatment he would receive will be much better if he were on Active Duty than retired. Think of the difference between Walter Reed and your local Veteran's Administration Hospital. This is the least that the Army could do for this soldier who volunteered to be a paratrooper, volunteered to be a Green Beret, and volunteered for Delta Force. He received a Bronze Star for Valor in Afghanistan. And the Army misdiagnosed him, called him lazy and a liar, demoted him and brought him before a court-martial where his disease was discovered.

Finally, he does not have much time. This young sergeant WILL die soon, probably before Christmas. Action needs to happen immediately in order to restore his status and respect.

Via the Associated Press, this is the condition he is in now:

Alford now lies in pastel sheets next to a wall painting of John Wayne.

"He knows his name, sometimes," says his wife. "Sometimes I'll go up to him, wink at him and make kissy faces, and he laughs."

As his brain deteriorates, his organs will fail.

"He will go blind, he will go deaf, he will lose everything," his father says.

More on his condition from theledger.com:

Staff Sgt. James Alford can't talk. He doesn't recognize his wife. His head shakes, his hands tremble.

He is agitated, restless, diapered and helpless, requiring round-the-clock care from his family. Unable to coordinate his fingers and hands, the former marathon runner can still walk, with assistance, and his daily ritual is to unsteadily "walk the floor," as his wife, Army Spec. Amber Alford, describes it.

We should hear an update on Monday night about what is happening with this case. One thing that you can do, is fill out a form with your thoughts to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, and let him know that this is unacceptable. Strongly request that Staff Sergeant James Alford be reinstated on Active Duty.

Staff Sergeant James Alford needs your help.

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Army Dishonors a Dying Hero

Some of you may have seen this story on the O'Reilly Factor last week. It is the case of a 25 year old Green Beret, Staff Sergeant James Alford, who contracted Mad Cow Disease when stationed in Oman. He is going to die of this disease...there is no cure.

The U.S. Army retired him at 80%...why? I have no idea. Maybe there is some bureacratic regulation involved. Here is what is involved in this case, via the Ledger.com:

...In April, the Green Beret and Bronze Star recipient was sent home from Iraq by the Army. But it wasn't because he badly needed medical care.

"They sent him home to be court-martialed," said his mother, Gail Alford, a former Army nurse. "They wanted to strip him of his special forces tab. They wanted him out of the Army."

Army officials say they did not realize the 24-year-old soldier's increasingly erratic behavior was an early symptom of the difficultto-diagnose Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. CJD is a fatal, degenerative brain disorder that attacks the human brain in the same way that "mad cow" disease attacks cattle.

Alford was disciplined and demoted. Although the Army has restored his rank and corrected what it admits was a mistake, the Alfords -- a family in which many members have served in the armed forces -- question how this could have happened.

"I don't blame the Army for this disease," said his father, retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. John Alford, who was in the service 34 years. "I blame them for how they treated my son. They treated him like yesterday's garbage. They reduced his rank. They called him an idiot, called him stupid -- this is a wounded soldier. It's no different than if he had taken a bullet to the brain."

Here is what I have a problem with here:

One, Staff Sergeant Alford probably contracted the disease while eating sheep's brains with local tribesmen in Oman. This was something that he HAD to do in order to win the respect of the Omanis. Oman is a key territory in the War on Terror.

Two, he contracted Mad Cow Disease (MCD) which will kill him. If you were slowly dying of wounds received in combat or were incapacitated by an accident, you would be kept on Active Duty and receive the best treatment possible. I just don't see the difference between those situations and SSG Alford's.

Three, he DESERVES the dignity and respect of remaining of Active Duty until he dies. The treatment he would receive will be much better if he were on Active Duty than retired. Think of the difference between Walter Reed and your local Veteran's Administration Hospital. This is the least that the Army could do for this soldier who volunteered to be a paratrooper, volunteered to be a Green Beret, and volunteered for Delta Force. He received a Bronze Star for Valor in Afghanistan. And the Army misdiagnosed him, called him lazy and a liar, demoted him and brought him before a court-martial where his disease was discovered.

Finally, he does not have much time. This young sergeant WILL die soon, probably before Christmas. Action needs to happen immediately in order to restore his status and respect.

Via the Associated Press, this is the condition he is in now:

Alford now lies in pastel sheets next to a wall painting of John Wayne.

"He knows his name, sometimes," says his wife. "Sometimes I'll go up to him, wink at him and make kissy faces, and he laughs."

As his brain deteriorates, his organs will fail.

"He will go blind, he will go deaf, he will lose everything," his father says.

More on his condition from theledger.com:

Staff Sgt. James Alford can't talk. He doesn't recognize his wife. His head shakes, his hands tremble.

He is agitated, restless, diapered and helpless, requiring round-the-clock care from his family. Unable to coordinate his fingers and hands, the former marathon runner can still walk, with assistance, and his daily ritual is to unsteadily "walk the floor," as his wife, Army Spec. Amber Alford, describes it.

We should hear an update on Monday night about what is happening with this case. One thing that you can do, is fill out a form with your thoughts to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Richard Myers, and let him know that this is unacceptable. Strongly request that Staff Sergeant James Alford be reinstated on Active Duty.

Staff Sergeant James Alford needs your help.

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» http://www.thedonovan.com/archives/000721.html from Argghhh!!! The Home of one of Jonah's Military Guys©
Having nothing useful to add to Blackfive's post of the subject of SSG Alford, I will instead comment on the vagaries of the rating system. This young man is at death's door and unemployable - but he's only 80%. I'm... [Read More]