Naval Surface Forces Pacific, Commander, US Pacific Fleet
Naval Surface Forces Pacific, Commander, US Pacific Fleet
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Have you heard the tale of 2 cities??
2 18 year old 1 signed an Active Duty enlistment, 1 signed a Reserve Enlistment that was recruited as an oppornity to go to college and be in military at the same time ad get a college degree by 22 and commision! Both! graduate from seperate bootcamp companies meritoriously, learning to trust without question leadership, follow orders attention to detail honor pride integrity! No question! This is their mindset
1 the active duty guy comes from home stable mom dad. He also played Varsity Sports in High School Lettering!
1 the reservist came from a home missing the father for reasons that will make sense later. He also played Varsity Sports in High School Lettering!
They are both assigned to a guided missile frigate The USS SIDES!! The same guided missile frigate!
The full time active duty guy has an administrative job on the ship develops a relationship, like bootcamp, like family at home, like high school sports with the other full time guys, including the corpsman. Operationally just the mere fact the ship is deployed, his heart may race representing America! “We The People” not sure what to really expect first time exposures to severe motion illness, weapon systems, chemicals, fumes, battle stations etc etc etc etc etc etc etc * 1 millions…..When he gets stress injuries, he is treated promptly and well documented and get to the VA and be accepted instantly welcomed home and rated for service connection and goes to college as if there was never a break in team family society trust etc etc etc gets a college degree a civilian job…his resume of test skill growth individually and as a team grow year by year and so does his salary! He is strong. He is Proud! He is battle tested! He is accepted! His confidence and stability in benefits and the system, well it attracts a good mate! The alpha and the omega! The beginning and end it all seems to be happening in a good way here! He gets engaged young and married and has children feels the greatness of being a father and making his father proud a grandfather now, and they grow up well and the pride and cycle of greatness grows and they show that story on the TV all the time!!! The American Dream HURRAUGGH
The reservist is assigned to the same ship into deck department where most all the young grunts go, and the Navy knows some if not all the hardest most demanding experiences for a young man are going to be had on any Navy Ship. He can never really get to know the rest of the crew. He can not make relationships. His heart races. His mind is trying to actually make sense of this being put in a dog pit with other young dogs and see what happens. The full time crew has a significant turnover. He is unable to identify or know who he will be interacting with monthly on the ship. He gets sent into the middle of deployments and sent home. He gets shocked that he can not seemingly get to know or adapt or anything else on the ship part time. His duty consist of getting some kind of motion illness every month, exposures to chemicals, shocked at first time exposures to weapon systems he never been around, deployed stressors, and then sent home. The full time guys can and will diagnose him with various ailments even without his knowledge the details. Because he is young and can push through walls and just pounds no matter if his mind is cracking and body shacking he is never sent for any further medical follow up. He is just sent home to recover on his own with which a young body will do without the added stress of duty. Removed from duty he can recover but still shocked he never forgets what happened. He just buries it. But he knows for an unknown amount of time he must return honorably report for duty and repeat the darkness he is confused by. He does not know how to think about it. He can not think about it. Things are happening way to fast on duty as the unit must move. He just looks for a place to hide mentally stay out of trouble as his unit is not only physically demanding but also emotionally draining. Guess who gets to see this every month off duty off the ship!? His mom!! Is she ready for a young man her firstborn in schock?! Ok someone on the full time crew tries to have sex with him and he runs scared. Someone on the full time crew assaults him, the new e9, I mean actually attacks him kicks his ass at sea, as his uniform was not up to snuff and he was sea sick and depressed and not responding correctly. So this reservist guy tries to join the Army half out of his mind just 22 to restart throw those 4 years in the trash and start over. He can’t even pass the physical the same recruit physical he passed to enter the Navy he was given again to transfer to the Army. He is sent back to the same ship. Quick forward. Honorably discharged. 2 Months after discharge he is already in Psych Wards in San Diego getting diagnosed and treated for depression an suivcide hospital by 2005 self harm. He had to drop out of college no education by 22 when the Army Transfer was a failure. He could not concentrate any longer.
He is young 28 now and still young wondering what happe3nd to his life. Depressed well they better make a new word. This is hell as in he was not sure who and what happened. He dedicated 8 years to a enlistment and he wanted to forget! He finally gets to the VA and they kick him out and deny services. He went to the VA and the reason they kicked him out was because he was a RESERVIST!!!! He was no longer in the Navy. He was a RESERVIST.
The other part is he this reservist would find out in this time frame he was the son of an ARmy Vet. Yes that is correct. His father was an ARmy Vet Vietnam 1966-68 11 LIB. He was the son living in homeless shelters with his mom who could not get enough food when the father his father could not longe3r provide and had not yet get VA Support. The VA support for his father would come some 40 years later!
But when this reservist was fighting his own claim with the VA to be recognized as a veteran for veteran purposes as a Navy Surface Warfare Sailor his father would pass away in the years he would actually have time to meet and know him.
His young loving mother having seen both his father and her own son with a military experience well god would all her early as well
2 18 year old 1 signed an Active Duty enlistment, 1 signed a Reserve Enlistment that was recruited as an oppornity to go to college and be in military at the same time ad get a college degree by 22 and commision! Both! graduate from seperate bootcamp companies meritoriously, learning to trust without question leadership, follow orders attention to detail honor pride integrity! No question! This is their mindset
1 the active duty guy comes from home stable mom dad. He also played Varsity Sports in High School Lettering!
1 the reservist came from a home missing the father for reasons that will make sense later. He also played Varsity Sports in High School Lettering!
They are both assigned to a guided missile frigate The USS SIDES!! The same guided missile frigate!
The full time active duty guy has an administrative job on the ship develops a relationship, like bootcamp, like family at home, like high school sports with the other full time guys, including the corpsman. Operationally just the mere fact the ship is deployed, his heart may race representing America! “We The People” not sure what to really expect first time exposures to severe motion illness, weapon systems, chemicals, fumes, battle stations etc etc etc etc etc etc etc * 1 millions…..When he gets stress injuries, he is treated promptly and well documented and get to the VA and be accepted instantly welcomed home and rated for service connection and goes to college as if there was never a break in team family society trust etc etc etc gets a college degree a civilian job…his resume of test skill growth individually and as a team grow year by year and so does his salary! He is strong. He is Proud! He is battle tested! He is accepted! His confidence and stability in benefits and the system, well it attracts a good mate! The alpha and the omega! The beginning and end it all seems to be happening in a good way here! He gets engaged young and married and has children feels the greatness of being a father and making his father proud a grandfather now, and they grow up well and the pride and cycle of greatness grows and they show that story on the TV all the time!!! The American Dream HURRAUGGH
The reservist is assigned to the same ship into deck department where most all the young grunts go, and the Navy knows some if not all the hardest most demanding experiences for a young man are going to be had on any Navy Ship. He can never really get to know the rest of the crew. He can not make relationships. His heart races. His mind is trying to actually make sense of this being put in a dog pit with other young dogs and see what happens. The full time crew has a significant turnover. He is unable to identify or know who he will be interacting with monthly on the ship. He gets sent into the middle of deployments and sent home. He gets shocked that he can not seemingly get to know or adapt or anything else on the ship part time. His duty consist of getting some kind of motion illness every month, exposures to chemicals, shocked at first time exposures to weapon systems he never been around, deployed stressors, and then sent home. The full time guys can and will diagnose him with various ailments even without his knowledge the details. Because he is young and can push through walls and just pounds no matter if his mind is cracking and body shacking he is never sent for any further medical follow up. He is just sent home to recover on his own with which a young body will do without the added stress of duty. Removed from duty he can recover but still shocked he never forgets what happened. He just buries it. But he knows for an unknown amount of time he must return honorably report for duty and repeat the darkness he is confused by. He does not know how to think about it. He can not think about it. Things are happening way to fast on duty as the unit must move. He just looks for a place to hide mentally stay out of trouble as his unit is not only physically demanding but also emotionally draining. Guess who gets to see this every month off duty off the ship!? His mom!! Is she ready for a young man her firstborn in schock?! Ok someone on the full time crew tries to have sex with him and he runs scared. Someone on the full time crew assaults him, the new e9, I mean actually attacks him kicks his ass at sea, as his uniform was not up to snuff and he was sea sick and depressed and not responding correctly. So this reservist guy tries to join the Army half out of his mind just 22 to restart throw those 4 years in the trash and start over. He can’t even pass the physical the same recruit physical he passed to enter the Navy he was given again to transfer to the Army. He is sent back to the same ship. Quick forward. Honorably discharged. 2 Months after discharge he is already in Psych Wards in San Diego getting diagnosed and treated for depression an suivcide hospital by 2005 self harm. He had to drop out of college no education by 22 when the Army Transfer was a failure. He could not concentrate any longer.
He is young 28 now and still young wondering what happe3nd to his life. Depressed well they better make a new word. This is hell as in he was not sure who and what happened. He dedicated 8 years to a enlistment and he wanted to forget! He finally gets to the VA and they kick him out and deny services. He went to the VA and the reason they kicked him out was because he was a RESERVIST!!!! He was no longer in the Navy. He was a RESERVIST.
The other part is he this reservist would find out in this time frame he was the son of an ARmy Vet. Yes that is correct. His father was an ARmy Vet Vietnam 1966-68 11 LIB. He was the son living in homeless shelters with his mom who could not get enough food when the father his father could not longe3r provide and had not yet get VA Support. The VA support for his father would come some 40 years later!
But when this reservist was fighting his own claim with the VA to be recognized as a veteran for veteran purposes as a Navy Surface Warfare Sailor his father would pass away in the years he would actually have time to meet and know him.
His young loving mother having seen both his father and her own son with a military experience well god would all her early as well
CDR
Navy Reserve
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Vietnam
Posted 4 y ago
Responses: 4
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Forgive my my bluntness and would need to ask you to read your email sent. There are many grammar mistakes, hard to follow what you are posting, and there are so many grammar mistakes it probably made readers lost.
What on earth are you trying to say?
What on earth are you trying to say?
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SPC Nancy Greene
Actually attempting to do both, unfortunately, incorrect grammar, excessive rambling, and intertwining two separate issues into same descriptive interrogative. Thus, unable to comprehend either issue.CMSgt Virgil Horsley
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SPC Nancy Greene
Definitely SSgt Jon Wise! Seems to still be processing a wealth of historical information combined with negative VA experiences. Extremely confusing and grammatically incorrect and confusing.SSgt John Wise
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Please clean up the vocabulary and put some paragraphs. Read the story back to yourself and critique it. This sounds like a very interesting story. The lesson learned could help others. I don't think the National Guard or Army Reserve would treat Soldiers like this. I did not know the Navy discriminates against naval Reserve.
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SPC Nancy Greene
Unfortunately LTC Stephen Conway, the Guard and Reserve components of the Army, Navy, and USMC have been treated unfairly IMHO and through my direct knowledge and interactions.
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SPC Nancy Greene
Actually, the VA’s denial of services to his Vietnam Jungle Warfare Veteran seems to be at the root of his issues. Combine that with his Navy experiences and Theron lies the confusion...CMSgt Virgil Horsley
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I read the article and the comments and I agree that it would be extremely helpful to us readers if you were able to get some assistance in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, cohesiveness...
However, I get the gist of what you are trying to say. As both AD and Reservist (I was AD for 6 years before deciding the Army wasn’t for me but just in case I could find my niche, I stayed in the Reserves.
However, I get the gist of what you are trying to say. As both AD and Reservist (I was AD for 6 years before deciding the Army wasn’t for me but just in case I could find my niche, I stayed in the Reserves.
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LTC Glenna Wheatley
Sorry. Cut myself off before making my point.
Anyhow, I saw the discrimination from both sides. While on AD, my unit was host to a reserve unit on their annual training. I befriended many members and enjoyed their company and camaraderie.
Come time for them to leave us, they asked me if I could help their supply sergeant make up some “discrepancies” he had with his inventory. I knew my supply sergeant had loads of extra stuff and I told them, no problem. Talked to my supply sergeant and, well, problem. He wasn’t willing to help. I was confused and was told the AD always has problems with the reserves. The main excuse at the time was the reserves and NG were flooded with “draft dodgers” who had wealthy parents buy them these cushy stateside slots to protect them from having to serve in Viet Nam, while all the senior guys in my unit (at that time) had been to Nam usually more than once. Obviously, this was a natural spark stoking a flame of disrespect, so he wasn’t going to give me anything to help them.
When I tried to tell him these guys were different, I knew at least one of them was a Viet Nam vet, he came up with the other usual excuses; they don’t know how to be soldiers, they’re too civilian-ized, they don’t do anything on “their weekends” except play games and read the paper, etc... I managed to get a few things out of him but I knew if he had felt the camaraderie with them that I developed, he would have given them much more.
Years later, as a reservist, I went up against the reverse side of this discrimination. This was long after the Viet Nam war plus, as a female, well I clearly didn’t join the reserves to avoid the draft.
The discrimination is there, sometimes subtle, other times blatantly disrespectful. The Army, hell, the military in general, could do a lot to improve it, thereby improving morale, but they choose to ignore it. That’s the mistake.
Sorry for the long, blathering comment but I had to state it.
Anyhow, I saw the discrimination from both sides. While on AD, my unit was host to a reserve unit on their annual training. I befriended many members and enjoyed their company and camaraderie.
Come time for them to leave us, they asked me if I could help their supply sergeant make up some “discrepancies” he had with his inventory. I knew my supply sergeant had loads of extra stuff and I told them, no problem. Talked to my supply sergeant and, well, problem. He wasn’t willing to help. I was confused and was told the AD always has problems with the reserves. The main excuse at the time was the reserves and NG were flooded with “draft dodgers” who had wealthy parents buy them these cushy stateside slots to protect them from having to serve in Viet Nam, while all the senior guys in my unit (at that time) had been to Nam usually more than once. Obviously, this was a natural spark stoking a flame of disrespect, so he wasn’t going to give me anything to help them.
When I tried to tell him these guys were different, I knew at least one of them was a Viet Nam vet, he came up with the other usual excuses; they don’t know how to be soldiers, they’re too civilian-ized, they don’t do anything on “their weekends” except play games and read the paper, etc... I managed to get a few things out of him but I knew if he had felt the camaraderie with them that I developed, he would have given them much more.
Years later, as a reservist, I went up against the reverse side of this discrimination. This was long after the Viet Nam war plus, as a female, well I clearly didn’t join the reserves to avoid the draft.
The discrimination is there, sometimes subtle, other times blatantly disrespectful. The Army, hell, the military in general, could do a lot to improve it, thereby improving morale, but they choose to ignore it. That’s the mistake.
Sorry for the long, blathering comment but I had to state it.
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PO3 Aaron Hassay
Yeah so thanks for the review and comments...
Yes I had a few beers last night while typing. But the gist may have got through.
I mean how can you enlist someone into the Navy in a reserve enlistment and then assign them to a actual active duty ship part time duty part time pay no health care off duty and full time qualification requirements and rapid deployment readiness recall status for 5 years just to start out your adult life at 18. And when I got the VA they actually stopped services and denied services multiple times strictly because of the enlistment.
Those last 5 years battleing with the VA just for common decency and respect for someone that stepped foot on a guided missle frigate as crew floooded me that seeming disrespect you felt from the active duty on the ship who did not know how to deal with you as you were rushed through qualifications and they said that was Training! That has never been considered training ever before or after in the Navy. Regardless somewhere along the line you get so well sick confused unable to concentrate cant even sleep you try to join the Army to get out of it. You cant even pass MEPS the transfer is medically disqualified.
Then you meet your father after the Navy. He is a Army Vietnam Vet . Those last years of his life were infact the last 5 years I was actually fighting day in day out unable to even concentrate on having a relationship with my father. LTC Glenna Wheatley
Yes I had a few beers last night while typing. But the gist may have got through.
I mean how can you enlist someone into the Navy in a reserve enlistment and then assign them to a actual active duty ship part time duty part time pay no health care off duty and full time qualification requirements and rapid deployment readiness recall status for 5 years just to start out your adult life at 18. And when I got the VA they actually stopped services and denied services multiple times strictly because of the enlistment.
Those last 5 years battleing with the VA just for common decency and respect for someone that stepped foot on a guided missle frigate as crew floooded me that seeming disrespect you felt from the active duty on the ship who did not know how to deal with you as you were rushed through qualifications and they said that was Training! That has never been considered training ever before or after in the Navy. Regardless somewhere along the line you get so well sick confused unable to concentrate cant even sleep you try to join the Army to get out of it. You cant even pass MEPS the transfer is medically disqualified.
Then you meet your father after the Navy. He is a Army Vietnam Vet . Those last years of his life were infact the last 5 years I was actually fighting day in day out unable to even concentrate on having a relationship with my father. LTC Glenna Wheatley
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SPC Nancy Greene
Excellent Personal comments Ma’am! As Active Duty female in 1983, NG were regarded as ‘weekend warriors’ and unfortunately treated as such. As we had to ‘declare’ our status at Every ‘chow line’ I heard and they felt the difference. In AIT, my Platoon SGT was NG and he treated RA differently than NG. Add the fact I chose to go ‘Enlisted’ with a BA Degree instead of OCS; and I saw and experienced discrimination from various sources, on various levels. I also recently spoke with an Army female 2LT Reservist who had been in for eight years! She had completed her Batchelors Degree while in the Reserves. She discussed transferring to RA, in hopes of making Army her career. I was definitely surprised to discover after eight years, she was only 2LT! I enlisted as E3 and promoted to E4 after 4 months Active Duty. If I hadn’t been hurt in Basic, I would have gone to OCS & then Airborne! I would have graduated from OCS as 2LT in less than 12 months on Active Duty. If That Career path had been possible republican if I had been informed of PFT options available to accommodate my injury; I could have stayed on Active Duty for at least 20 years. I could have Retired as a COL. That being said, IMHO, SM’s in All Components are not provided All pertinent information! So, I requested a Medical Discharge after 3 years 8 months on Active Duty. I had been SP4(P) for over 3 years! Cut Off score for promotion to E5 only dropped once below 998 points during my entire time on Active Duty! Missed score by 10 points in spite of P3 Profile. If I had been before MEB or PEB in May 1984 per AR; I would have been able to follow Career Path of my Original Enlistment Contract.
So, there IS confusion in All Aspects if the Military across All Branches, and Especially pertaining to Vietnam Era Veterans and Females in the Military.LTC Glenna Wheatley
So, there IS confusion in All Aspects if the Military across All Branches, and Especially pertaining to Vietnam Era Veterans and Females in the Military.LTC Glenna Wheatley
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