Latest Events Memorial Day Weekend 2010
MemorialDay 2010 Weekend
Yesterday our 2nd Platoon got together for a few hours in the late afternoon to early evening for a cookout, to eat burgers, steak, hotdogs and to drink nearBeer, smoke cigarettes, cigars and pull from theHooka!!
As of late, I'm re-assigned to theMayorsCell on FOB WARRIOR, and MayorsCell sent me across base to theAirForceVillage MWR Rec Center.
It seems that ever since I came here to Iraq, things haven't gone as expected for me. I find myself being treated like shit for the last 6 months and it affects me negatively,
You'd think that such hazing, harassment and bullshit would stop after Basic/BootCamp, but it didn't really begin until I got sent to B Company. I never set out to be a shitbag soldier, I never became one either.
I got written up so many times that eventually it all lead to my getting an Article 15 write up, So far, I haven't been judged by the Company Capt guilty or not, but so far, that's what is next is my informal hearing at the lowest company level possible.
It seems that a small group of sr Enlisted sgts and specialists have been against me ever since I got here, they've pretty much said this to me cos it's easier to smoke a soldier than to mentor one and that phrase rings true on a daily basis here.
There's much behind the scenes work related to the following notes, I will post theWriteUps about me, I will post theCommandAssessment about me later on, bottom line here is that this soldier here has been treated unfairly, treated disrespectfully and has been assaulted more than once physically by bullying srEnlisted.
It all started by peers changing my name, Flyinghorse to bigDick, to horseDick and so on, it was all in good fun but kept going and going and soon, when that wave of popularity regarding the buying of those sexToys, "FleshLights" by a lot of Platoon members, then it was, "hey horseDick, why'nt you get one of those fleshlights?, here you can use mine, I cleaned it!!"
It is true that sexual harassment can be Male-on-Male, and jackAss behavior like what I've experienced from my peers has totally turned me off to this military experience, but my weekly visits to thePsychiatrist at MentalHealth are helping me cope and to rise above the teenage and twentysomething juveniles around me,
Read this because it may be unpleasant to know and certainly is embarassing for the military, but my experiences need to be known, I sure hope no other Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine goes through shit like this, at least it wasn't worse for me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
K-5 Asleep on Duty Notes
On Sat 08 May 2010 @ K-5 checkPoint I was on CP/CommandPost guard duty up in theGun turret of theHMMWV, my CP guard companion at that time was PFC Jackson (asleep & off duty in the drivers seat). Around 1330hrs I was accused of falling asleep on watch by Sgt Rix. As time came for us to leave K-5, I noticed that PFC Casper was upset with me, he said in passing that I was "going to fuck up the whole platoon later on",
As the Sgts and sr Specialists were standing around as usual doing SI/sensitiveItems equipment checks on everyone in their respective teams I noticed that Specialist Perkins and PFC Casper were more agitated than usual when they gruffly barked orders at me, "Get that trash out of the truck and into the LMTV!!", "Get into your harness, you've got 30 seconds to get up in the turret or I swear to God...." Eventually everyone in Platoon was situated in their respective trucks (HMMWV) and we drove back to FOB.
At 1600hrs after Casper and I finished refitting the Truck (refueling and cleaning out, restocking with water and MRE's food) we parked the truck and I finished locking up the vehicle. I was last one on the truck line and Casper returned to get me, told me to follow him and we went to the main Platoon CHU area where a majority of the Platoon lives (where I used to live before getting assigned into a 2 man CHU and moving next POD over 100m away).
Everyone in my Platoon was gathered in semi-circle and they had each acquired a case of water for themselves. Sgt Rix called told me to drop my gear and sit in theFoldingChair in front of everyone, they put a cold bottle of water in my hand and I had to slowly drink that while everyone else got "smoked" (hard PT session)
Sgt Rix interupted theSmoke session now and then to keep asking me if I fell asleep on CP watch. I did not admit guilt or confess and each time I said "No", thePlt was made to do more pushups, flutterkicks, more pushups then hopping up and doing jumpingJacks then dropping back down for MountainClimbers then pushups, Over and over again, then thePlt had to stop and chug down a bottle of water before continuing this group PT session.
Eventually several Soldiers did have to throw up from this exertion & drinking of large amounts of water, Sgt Rix made everyone throw up on a spot on the ground at me feet, as the Smoke session continued some soldiers would call out to me to confess, others cursed me and yet a few Soldiers did say "I believe you Flyinghorse". Yes I felt badly that everyone had to suffer like this because of me, but I did not fall asleep on watch as accused, therefore I kept saying "NO" everytime Sgt Rix would press me to give in and confess.
During this PT session Sgt Rix was pointing me out to everyone by belittling me, telling everyone I had no heart and that I didn't give a shit about anyone here but myself, that I was selfish and that I was lying about falling asleep on watch. In one hand Sgt Rix held a small folding knife and he was snapping it open and shut and waving & thrusting it around in the air to emphasize his words, to build upon his threatening manner.
I felt uncomfortable w/Sgt Rix screaming at me and leaning in close to me as he stood by me, waving his knife in a threatening manner. I feared for my life and for my safety at this point. I thought that Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins were going to dogPile me and threaten to take me into a CHU to beat the shit out of me (as they had threatened to do w/ PFC Mastrangelo one night last month)
After about 90mins of this Plt PT Sgt Rix started dismissing everyone and he left the area, some of us were left to clean up the empty and half empty water bottles, later on I was sent to my CHU and I gathered my gear and left. One statement that Sgt Rix made to me during that Plt PT session was this, "For the longest time I've been trying to get YOU out of theArmy".
My simple mind can only speculate that Sgt Rix has been the main person behind all those Counseling Statements that had been written against me over the last 5 months, I think this way cos I just assume the worst case oft-times. I could be wrong though but I am lead to believe (even as I type up this report) that the Article 15 charges brought upon me for allegedly falling asleep on duty at K-5 is ultimately reprisal from Sgt Rix. I know that Sgt Rix has never liked me and that somehow he has been against my being here in this B Co. I still fear for my safety & well being here in 1-30th ever since the night of Mon 26 Apr 2010, I report the following.
Mon 26 Apr 2010, ReBlueing Week
That evening we were in our CHU's/containerizedHousingUnits and we see Sgt Rix, Spec Mazzola, Spec Perkins outside our open room door. They're picking up cigarette butts and other trash from around our porch and proceed to move onto behind our CHU's. A few minutes later our Plt gets summoned over to the Main CHU area (where in the story above I witness the Plt getting smoked from the Camp chair) and there's a pile of trash lying on the gravel. Some long boards, some pee bottles, food wrappers, cigarette butts etc.
Sgt Rix gets angry at us Plt members for letting our CHU areas get trashed, he points to the items he and the other Plt leaders picked up moments ago and tells us we shouldn't walk past any trash we see lying about, that we should keep our living areas clean.
We are then dismissed to our CHU's w/ orders to bring back garbage bags and a light to see with (since at this late evening hour of 2030hrs? it was dark). We all return with a bag of some kind and a light source, I had my small MagLight with me but the batteries were dying on it. Sgt Rix told us to go out to the truck line by our HMMWV's and we were made to form a line across the parking lot and we slowly walked the area looking for trash to pick up,
After we had walked down and back a small distance we were then directed to slowly walk the area right where our trucks were parked, my MagLight was slowly going dim at this point, I remember walking next to a couple of soldiers who had bright lights, eventually I ended up walking w/ PFC Jackson and at this time frame, I did hear loud angry voices coming from a small group of soldiers in our Plt.
I did not hear specific words per se coming from certain individuals as it was dark, but I did catch words now and then, "watch yourself", "he's your team leader don't talk like that", and then a scuffle broke out. I could hear gravel crunch under foot and more loud voices as if someone was whispering very loudly "listen here.."
I just kept on picking up trash and soon we were gathered around Sgt Rix and he started yelling at us all. I could see him in the darkness, he was agitated and worked up about something. He was smacking his fists together, fist into open hand and waving his arms as he yelled at us openly challenging anyone that didn't like the way he was doing things to step up right now. "Come on, come on, anyone step up here. I'm hoping someone will...".
We knew that he was wanting to fight and at that time I was troubled that Sgt Rix had to resort to such tactics to keep control of us Plt members. I considered his actions as uncreative in leadership style because you don't smoke the personnel you're in charge of just for fun or belittle them, humiliate them publicly NOR do you consider your Soldiers you are in charge of as theEnemy to the extent that you feel you have to prove something by fighting them.
A part of me wanted to step up to the challenge but I didn't, cos getting in trouble for fighting isn't something I want and especially for some silly reason as Sgt Rix getting mad at us for trash around our CHU areas (most of which was never put there by us) Besides, I have a respect for human life and for personal safety and well being of everyone around me. I did not want to hurt Sgt Rix nor did I want him to hurt me. I was too tired from current patrol hours and from PT and lack of sleep so I stood there and watched Sgt Rix scream and yell, cuss at us before letting us go for the night.
As I walked back to my CHU I observed Spec Mazzola walking with us/me to my CHU, he and another Sgt wanted to get into my CHU and get PFC Mastrangelo's weapon (as we were roommates in the same CHU) to get all his Ammo and we had to put these items into the CHU next door, I observed the Sgts and Spec even taking out any wiring lying about (as the previous tenants of our CHU had left behind lots of phoneWire, Internet wire and lots of powerCords-feet and yard lengths of these items we just coiled up and put aside)
I thought that perhaps PFC Mastrangelo was in trouble, from all the shouting and scuffling I previously heard out in the parking lot, and the Sgts and Spec with us, emptying out my CHU of weapons and other things that could be used to harm another individual, they pretty much inferred to us/me that PFC Mastrangelo had been back talking Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins and made suicidal statements, which was the reason for removing all weaponry and wiring from my CHU.
There was even talk of posting CHU guards for PFC Mastrangelo but no one ever ordered such a thing, we were then free for the night and PFC Mastrangelo came back to us soldiers in our CHU pod and told us what happened to him earlier.
Apparently PFC Mastrangelo had been back talking Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins while we all were picking up trash on the truck line, and Spec Mazzola was giving orders to Mastrangelo when, for reasons known only to Mastrangelo, he back talked Mazzola and said words to effect of, "You'd better watch your back when we get back to Fort Stewart"
And when Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins stepped in yelled at Mastrangelo he uttered to them in response words to effect of, "We ALL have Force Pro" and then he was dogpiled by Spec Mazzola and Perkins & Sgt Rix. It was then that Spec Perkins hissed loudly in Mastrangelo's ear "now listen here boy..." and Mastrangelo was then threatened by Perkins that they (Specialists & Sgt) would take him (Mastrangelo) into a vacant CHU and lock the door and beat the shit out of him and no one would ever know.
I can understand that PFC Mastrangelo, theSgt and Specialists, even us Soldiers not involved in this dogpile were stressed from the ReBluing week, stressed from this Deployment, there's a lot of variables here that made us all act the way we did. And I can understand the Sgt and Specialists taking precautions like removing weapons from my CHU, but here's what I personally don't like nor do I agree with, That the Leadership, which was Sgt Rix, Spec Perkins and Spec Mazzola had to in turn, stoop to the immature level of PFC Mastrangelo and threaten him in return.
Good effective leaders don't do that, good effective leaders don't reign by terror, by threatening unlawful kidnapping, confinement and beating of a subordinate. I don't agree with that. And these actions on part of Sgt Rix, Spec Perkins that night in Apr were foremost in my mind that afternoon of Sat 08 May when Sgt Rix was walking close to me in the PT circle with his folderKnife in his hands and brandishing it.
It saddens me and breaks my heart to have experienced other unpleasant behavior from Sgt Rix over the past 6 months. There were several times during our Plt Mobile Sentry city patrols that I was Driver of a HMMWV for Sgt Rix (when he was TC). Often us Drivers, the TC and Gunner wear communication Headsets and we can talk to each other in vehicle without having to broadcast to the rest of the HMMWV's in our convoy or even broadcasting to the B Co CP either.
I would drive for Sgt Rix on Mobile Sentry often in daylight hours when the Iraqi public was out walking about in their streets and sidewalks, women and children were out and about and we'd drive by and Sgt Rix would routinely lewdly comment to us Soldiers, present in the truck, about the Women walking past or standing by.
Sgt Rix would sexualize them and dehumanize the Women and children by saying words to effect of, "I'd fuck her face and finish her ass with my rifle and then rape her daughter", or "She's fuckable.. and then shootable", As for the young men we'd see, Sgt Rix would often make comments about them like, "I'd love to stick my dick up an 11yr old Iraqi boys ass"
Sgt Rix, Spec Perkins, PFC Casper, Sgt Misuraca, Sgt Waters and a few of the other soldiers in our Plt have all openly stated such verbiage about Iraqis and other Sgts, Spec and even our Leadership have condoned this behavior. How do we Soldiers ever expect to honestly protect the Iraqi people from harm from their own terrorists in-their-midst when we Soldiers can't even protect them from ourselves (by speaking so evil of them and by thinking of the Iraqis in that manner)
It's frightening to me currently because I'm here in Iraq with what I regard as ammoral soldiers and we're supposed to be Army strong and uphold American values and we're out on patrol everyday or out on checkPoint. I don't get it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sun 23 May 2010 Room Inspection
Sometime after 0700hrs we had Room Inspections (of our CHU's). Of the 5 chu's on my porch where I live, 4 of us belong to B Co since we were moved out of the main POD 14 area (3 man rooms) and reassigned to POD 15 row 2. Our respective squad & team leaders come over to our chu's to do room inspections other than that we rarely see them at our chu's, they just send other privates & specialists to summon us to various events as needed.
I remember that PT was at 0600hrs and we finished before 07, and I was over by Spec Perkins room in POD 15, then started walking over to my chu at POD 15, Spec Perkins was behind me a short distance with the other team leaders & sgts, and I heard him call out to me in a threatening manner (as he always does) "You better hurry the fuck up and get to your chu!". All the sgts and various teamleaders treat me this way, as they have been for the last 5 months now. You'd think that such hazing / harassment would stop after basic / bootcamp was over right?
When it came time for my chu to be opened up, 2D of POD 15, Spec Perkins and Sgt Rix walked on in and Spec Mazzola trailed behind saying, "I bet you can't even say 'At Ease' Flyinghorse", as is custom for such things when Commissioned Officers and NonComs do enter our rooms. I bellowed "At ease!!" to everyone's amusement.
Spec Perkins and Sgt Rix had apparently taken notice of my wall locker and from time to time previous, had pointed out that it needed to be organized better. I did not understand and still don't, that since all my stuff in my wall locker was either hanging up or in small laundry bags and stacked up on the top shelf how could that be "disOrganized"?
I stood outside my chu and peeked in and observed that one of my small Laundry bags, the one that held all my ShowGirl & Tattoo magazines (ones they sell at the PX) were dumped on the floor. I had also brought with me several sketch pads from which I'd draw upon a sheet, fold up carefully and mail home or to friends in snail mail. I even had some artwork in one sketchpad that I was working on.
I quietly protested the dumping of my personal stuff on the floor, and Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins started to get angry with me as they raised their voices at me. Sgt Rix demanded that all my shit in my chu goes out of my room onto the porch. That's when Spec Perkins grabbed my CarePackage boxes from under my bed and I said "NO". I said that those care package boxes were off limits, don't touch them.
I even remember Sgt Barr was in my chu and he too screamed at me loudly but I don't remember what he said to me, I was looking at him for a moment and remembering the day he got shot back in Feb and how his loud voice today was the same as it was back then when he was thrown screaming and moaning into the back of my HMMWV I was driving and Doc and a few more soldiers piled in back and we all drove speedily back to theFOB. Funny how you remember things like that.
At this time I do believe that PFC Thorpe and Spec Mazzola were in my chu as well as my roommate PFC Mastrangelo whom was on his side of the room. I kept protesting and Sgt Rix turned to someone behind me and demanded "Close that door!", I recalled how last month in Apr when I'd heard of PFC Mastrangelo being dogpiled and threatened in such manner by Spec Perkins and Sgt Rix via being thrown into a chu and the locking of the door and how they were going to beat the shit out of him,
That thought ran through my mind at this time and I knew I had to stand up to what ever Sgt Rix was going to do now. Sgt Rix stepped up to me closely and got face to face with me, nose to nose, he looking up at me and I looking down at him into his shadedEyePro, I couldn't even see his eyes but took comfort that I was staring into my calm reflection and I used that to ground me, to center my emotions even though at the time I did feel extreme fear and did fear for my life, for my safety and well being.
Sgt Rix bumped chests with me, yelling very loudly challenging me to fight him, words just like he uttered that one night back in Apr when he called any of us Plt members out to challenge his authority yet here in my chu he was doing the same thing yet it was more personal, one on one. "raise your hands!!, Put your hands up!!, Put your fucking hands up!!"
I could feel his warm breath and feel saliva, his spit hitting my face most annoying. I was backed into the wall by my bunk yet I still said No, still quietly spoke in the face of his screaming at me and I didn't raise my hands at all, fearing he would take the opportunity to attack me physically. Though I can take care of myself quite well, this wasn't the time or place to lay hands on my Sgt as he was not an enemy of mine, but a part of me wanted to push him away from me, to at least be free of his flying spit but I didn't.
Eventually Sgt Rix stepped away and all during this chest bumping and screaming at me, I felt someone to my right pulling on my arm, I do believe it was PFC Thorpe saying "come on, let's get out of here" but I didn't move. Thorpe pulled on my arm again and then Spec Perkins took over for the remainder of the time that he and Sgt Rix were into my belongings in my chu.
Spec Perkins picked up my 2-3 boxes of colored pencils and a plastic bag of colored pens and told me I had too much stuff. At this point, Spec Perkins handed me an empty laundry bag and told me to hold it open. He started going through my stuff and started tossing out what he thought was junk, things I didn't need. All the while lecturing me upon why I had so much stuff, and how apparently I go to the PX cos I'm bored and I just get stuff and hoard it. I guess Spec Perkins is me and knows why I do what I do (sarcasm)
Spec Perkins went through all my stuff, all my dresser drawers, my 2 green duffel bags, my wall locker, my plastic tote/stack boxes and then my carePackage mail boxes. All this excess stuff was thrown into the trash bin. My sketch pads, my self help books that a Sgt friend gave to me here on FOB, a book I got from MentalHealth to read, all those religious tracts with anecdotes and advice for dealing with Depression and Suicide-stuff that I thought would help me if I ever got to feeling real low in life while on Deployment.
Some of my small notebooks of journals were thrown out, some of my index cards where I kept Patrol Briefing notes w/ names, call signs, phone numbers etc. Stuff that should be KNOWN ONLY to us Soldiers, all got tossed out. Sheesh. I had finally received extra items in the mail from friends back home, lots of Q-Tips and wetWipes and much of them were thrown out.
Spec Perkins dumped one of my bodyWash bottles into my carePackage box and got all contents therein sticky and messy, Ooops, It's all junk. Toss that stuff out. I had extra toothpaste, extra deodorant, extra tooth brushes now all GONE.
And when Spec Perkins got to my one care package containing foodStuffs, was angry that I had dipped into a package of Oreo cookies and eaten 4 of them. It was true that I had eaten those cookies, cos a few nights ago I volunteered to go to the PX for Spec Perkins and Spec Myers to buy a cheap DVD player for them using their OWN money.
And Spec Perkins said I could use left over funds of his to get myself a coffee from the GreenBeans Cafe, which I did, and I had eaten those 4 Oreo cookies later that night from my carePackage box, to which, was later found on Room Inspection day to be..... gotten into and eaten.
Which was apparently against their wishes and I stood by my chu room, standing amidst my belongings unceremoniously dumped at my feet and surrounding porchside and received a lecture about keeping up with the Verbally imposed Food Restriction that Command gave to me, which was No sweets, No Fast food, nothing from the WagonWheel food court vendors etc.
I was tired of all this confrontation and quietly listened to Spec Perkins and to Sgt Rix as he now too chimed in again and was pounding a fist into his hand to emphasize his words, "you're a grown ass man...... 42 yrs old...... THIS (with emphasis on kicking some of my stuff aside) is going to happen to you twice a week now.... in fact, we had things to do this morning, if we weren't here with you we'd be somewhere else now. They left me soon after and I had from that time frame of 0800hrs till 1100 to get my stuff organized, folded, put away and stand by for another room inspection.
By 0830hrs I had put my stuff back and showered & dressed into ACU's. I noticed that when I was gone from my chu to shower, my rifle was missing. I asked my roommate PFC Mastrangelo if he knew where my rifle was, he didn't know as he'd been here the whole time I was gone.
I figured that some Sgt or Spec had returned to my room and took my rifle, which later turned out to be true, They had come to my room for something else and found me absent and took my rifle from my bunk citing that it was "laying out in the open and the chu door was open".
I remember that Spec Perkins was going through my stuff, he recited to me his name and social security number and said I could go to 1st Sgt Phillips and complain about what happened, so I walked up to the CP (without my rifle, as it had been taken away for a moment) and I asked to see CAPT Rhodes or 1st Sgt Phillips.
I got to see 1st Sgt Phillips and told him of the event that took place. I did tell him of how angry Sgt Rix was after I protested when my carePackage boxes were first grabbed and how Sgt Rix got into face and my personal space and that I considered that Assault. I asked if that was normal behavior in the Army for Sgts to do those things to lesser enlisted. I said I did not fight back physically or even raise my hands, that I did not want to hurt Sgt Rix nor did I want to be hurt by him.
1st Sgt Phillips said that I did the right thing by not responding physically to Sgt Rix and that it was good that I came to CP to see him about this incident. 1st Sgt Phillips told me not to worry because "this sort of thing is not going to happen again".
I felt better immediately because I trust 1st Sgt Phillips, even though I hardly see him ever, I know that to be where he is today in the Army as my 1st Sgt, he has to be a good decent, honest man to have our trust the way everyone in B Co seems to look up to him.
Though I felt out of place a bit by utilizing the chain of command cos I certainly wasn't an obvious stereotyped victim that the EO/SexAssault/Discrimination posters, tv commercials and ads portray and tout about helping. I certainly wasn't bleeding, wounded, raped and hysterical. But I still had a legitimate grievance I wanted resolved and so far, it looked like I was being helped by my chain of command. I was happy to have some relief. As I walked out the CP I heard 1st Sgt Phillips call out for Sgts Misuraca, Rix and Spec Perkins to meet him in CP.
Later that morning Sgt Misuraca, Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins came by my chu to apologize for what they did. Spec Perkins was to the point more so than Sgt Rix, who's apology turned into a speech about wanting to be tough and firm and sticking with the Old Army ways instead of dealing with todays X-Box kids. Sgt Rix is no longer to speak to me, to no longer correct me as someone else will speak for him in matters that concern me. They left.
Mon, the next day, I went on early morning patrol with the Platoon/Plt. After we arrived back from mission I was told to go up to the CP soonest, I went there with my Armor, Helmet etc, and 1st Sgt Phillips told me to go drop my gear in my chu, change shirts and come back to CP.
Sgt Misuraca was there at CP and together we went into 1st Sgt Phillips office. 1st Sgt Phillips said he was going to tell me about how my Article 15 paperwork was going. He said he was acting on behalf of CAPT Rhodes.
But he commented, that You came in here yesterday crying about something that happened and I believed you, but now I look at this paperwork written up about you and I have to reconsider things. If you were to look at these papers, Who would you believe? he asked me. I thought for a moment and said that I would believe the Sgts and Spec and not me.
That's right, 1st Sgt Phillips said, You're like the little boy that cried wolf too many times, and yet you might have something that happened to you recently, but still, who's going to believe you?
Then the 1st Sgt read my Article 15 statement and covered all supporting Counciling statements written against me. He read more legal stuff and said that I would be taken over to Legal soon to meet with them. Any questions?
I asked for copies of all counciling statements for my own personal records and shortly after did receive copies.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yesterday our 2nd Platoon got together for a few hours in the late afternoon to early evening for a cookout, to eat burgers, steak, hotdogs and to drink nearBeer, smoke cigarettes, cigars and pull from theHooka!!
As of late, I'm re-assigned to theMayorsCell on FOB WARRIOR, and MayorsCell sent me across base to theAirForceVillage MWR Rec Center.
It seems that ever since I came here to Iraq, things haven't gone as expected for me. I find myself being treated like shit for the last 6 months and it affects me negatively,
You'd think that such hazing, harassment and bullshit would stop after Basic/BootCamp, but it didn't really begin until I got sent to B Company. I never set out to be a shitbag soldier, I never became one either.
I got written up so many times that eventually it all lead to my getting an Article 15 write up, So far, I haven't been judged by the Company Capt guilty or not, but so far, that's what is next is my informal hearing at the lowest company level possible.
It seems that a small group of sr Enlisted sgts and specialists have been against me ever since I got here, they've pretty much said this to me cos it's easier to smoke a soldier than to mentor one and that phrase rings true on a daily basis here.
There's much behind the scenes work related to the following notes, I will post theWriteUps about me, I will post theCommandAssessment about me later on, bottom line here is that this soldier here has been treated unfairly, treated disrespectfully and has been assaulted more than once physically by bullying srEnlisted.
It all started by peers changing my name, Flyinghorse to bigDick, to horseDick and so on, it was all in good fun but kept going and going and soon, when that wave of popularity regarding the buying of those sexToys, "FleshLights" by a lot of Platoon members, then it was, "hey horseDick, why'nt you get one of those fleshlights?, here you can use mine, I cleaned it!!"
It is true that sexual harassment can be Male-on-Male, and jackAss behavior like what I've experienced from my peers has totally turned me off to this military experience, but my weekly visits to thePsychiatrist at MentalHealth are helping me cope and to rise above the teenage and twentysomething juveniles around me,
Read this because it may be unpleasant to know and certainly is embarassing for the military, but my experiences need to be known, I sure hope no other Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine goes through shit like this, at least it wasn't worse for me.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
K-5 Asleep on Duty Notes
On Sat 08 May 2010 @ K-5 checkPoint I was on CP/CommandPost guard duty up in theGun turret of theHMMWV, my CP guard companion at that time was PFC Jackson (asleep & off duty in the drivers seat). Around 1330hrs I was accused of falling asleep on watch by Sgt Rix. As time came for us to leave K-5, I noticed that PFC Casper was upset with me, he said in passing that I was "going to fuck up the whole platoon later on",
As the Sgts and sr Specialists were standing around as usual doing SI/sensitiveItems equipment checks on everyone in their respective teams I noticed that Specialist Perkins and PFC Casper were more agitated than usual when they gruffly barked orders at me, "Get that trash out of the truck and into the LMTV!!", "Get into your harness, you've got 30 seconds to get up in the turret or I swear to God...." Eventually everyone in Platoon was situated in their respective trucks (HMMWV) and we drove back to FOB.
At 1600hrs after Casper and I finished refitting the Truck (refueling and cleaning out, restocking with water and MRE's food) we parked the truck and I finished locking up the vehicle. I was last one on the truck line and Casper returned to get me, told me to follow him and we went to the main Platoon CHU area where a majority of the Platoon lives (where I used to live before getting assigned into a 2 man CHU and moving next POD over 100m away).
Everyone in my Platoon was gathered in semi-circle and they had each acquired a case of water for themselves. Sgt Rix called told me to drop my gear and sit in theFoldingChair in front of everyone, they put a cold bottle of water in my hand and I had to slowly drink that while everyone else got "smoked" (hard PT session)
Sgt Rix interupted theSmoke session now and then to keep asking me if I fell asleep on CP watch. I did not admit guilt or confess and each time I said "No", thePlt was made to do more pushups, flutterkicks, more pushups then hopping up and doing jumpingJacks then dropping back down for MountainClimbers then pushups, Over and over again, then thePlt had to stop and chug down a bottle of water before continuing this group PT session.
Eventually several Soldiers did have to throw up from this exertion & drinking of large amounts of water, Sgt Rix made everyone throw up on a spot on the ground at me feet, as the Smoke session continued some soldiers would call out to me to confess, others cursed me and yet a few Soldiers did say "I believe you Flyinghorse". Yes I felt badly that everyone had to suffer like this because of me, but I did not fall asleep on watch as accused, therefore I kept saying "NO" everytime Sgt Rix would press me to give in and confess.
During this PT session Sgt Rix was pointing me out to everyone by belittling me, telling everyone I had no heart and that I didn't give a shit about anyone here but myself, that I was selfish and that I was lying about falling asleep on watch. In one hand Sgt Rix held a small folding knife and he was snapping it open and shut and waving & thrusting it around in the air to emphasize his words, to build upon his threatening manner.
I felt uncomfortable w/Sgt Rix screaming at me and leaning in close to me as he stood by me, waving his knife in a threatening manner. I feared for my life and for my safety at this point. I thought that Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins were going to dogPile me and threaten to take me into a CHU to beat the shit out of me (as they had threatened to do w/ PFC Mastrangelo one night last month)
After about 90mins of this Plt PT Sgt Rix started dismissing everyone and he left the area, some of us were left to clean up the empty and half empty water bottles, later on I was sent to my CHU and I gathered my gear and left. One statement that Sgt Rix made to me during that Plt PT session was this, "For the longest time I've been trying to get YOU out of theArmy".
My simple mind can only speculate that Sgt Rix has been the main person behind all those Counseling Statements that had been written against me over the last 5 months, I think this way cos I just assume the worst case oft-times. I could be wrong though but I am lead to believe (even as I type up this report) that the Article 15 charges brought upon me for allegedly falling asleep on duty at K-5 is ultimately reprisal from Sgt Rix. I know that Sgt Rix has never liked me and that somehow he has been against my being here in this B Co. I still fear for my safety & well being here in 1-30th ever since the night of Mon 26 Apr 2010, I report the following.
Mon 26 Apr 2010, ReBlueing Week
That evening we were in our CHU's/containerizedHousingUnits and we see Sgt Rix, Spec Mazzola, Spec Perkins outside our open room door. They're picking up cigarette butts and other trash from around our porch and proceed to move onto behind our CHU's. A few minutes later our Plt gets summoned over to the Main CHU area (where in the story above I witness the Plt getting smoked from the Camp chair) and there's a pile of trash lying on the gravel. Some long boards, some pee bottles, food wrappers, cigarette butts etc.
Sgt Rix gets angry at us Plt members for letting our CHU areas get trashed, he points to the items he and the other Plt leaders picked up moments ago and tells us we shouldn't walk past any trash we see lying about, that we should keep our living areas clean.
We are then dismissed to our CHU's w/ orders to bring back garbage bags and a light to see with (since at this late evening hour of 2030hrs? it was dark). We all return with a bag of some kind and a light source, I had my small MagLight with me but the batteries were dying on it. Sgt Rix told us to go out to the truck line by our HMMWV's and we were made to form a line across the parking lot and we slowly walked the area looking for trash to pick up,
After we had walked down and back a small distance we were then directed to slowly walk the area right where our trucks were parked, my MagLight was slowly going dim at this point, I remember walking next to a couple of soldiers who had bright lights, eventually I ended up walking w/ PFC Jackson and at this time frame, I did hear loud angry voices coming from a small group of soldiers in our Plt.
I did not hear specific words per se coming from certain individuals as it was dark, but I did catch words now and then, "watch yourself", "he's your team leader don't talk like that", and then a scuffle broke out. I could hear gravel crunch under foot and more loud voices as if someone was whispering very loudly "listen here.."
I just kept on picking up trash and soon we were gathered around Sgt Rix and he started yelling at us all. I could see him in the darkness, he was agitated and worked up about something. He was smacking his fists together, fist into open hand and waving his arms as he yelled at us openly challenging anyone that didn't like the way he was doing things to step up right now. "Come on, come on, anyone step up here. I'm hoping someone will...".
We knew that he was wanting to fight and at that time I was troubled that Sgt Rix had to resort to such tactics to keep control of us Plt members. I considered his actions as uncreative in leadership style because you don't smoke the personnel you're in charge of just for fun or belittle them, humiliate them publicly NOR do you consider your Soldiers you are in charge of as theEnemy to the extent that you feel you have to prove something by fighting them.
A part of me wanted to step up to the challenge but I didn't, cos getting in trouble for fighting isn't something I want and especially for some silly reason as Sgt Rix getting mad at us for trash around our CHU areas (most of which was never put there by us) Besides, I have a respect for human life and for personal safety and well being of everyone around me. I did not want to hurt Sgt Rix nor did I want him to hurt me. I was too tired from current patrol hours and from PT and lack of sleep so I stood there and watched Sgt Rix scream and yell, cuss at us before letting us go for the night.
As I walked back to my CHU I observed Spec Mazzola walking with us/me to my CHU, he and another Sgt wanted to get into my CHU and get PFC Mastrangelo's weapon (as we were roommates in the same CHU) to get all his Ammo and we had to put these items into the CHU next door, I observed the Sgts and Spec even taking out any wiring lying about (as the previous tenants of our CHU had left behind lots of phoneWire, Internet wire and lots of powerCords-feet and yard lengths of these items we just coiled up and put aside)
I thought that perhaps PFC Mastrangelo was in trouble, from all the shouting and scuffling I previously heard out in the parking lot, and the Sgts and Spec with us, emptying out my CHU of weapons and other things that could be used to harm another individual, they pretty much inferred to us/me that PFC Mastrangelo had been back talking Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins and made suicidal statements, which was the reason for removing all weaponry and wiring from my CHU.
There was even talk of posting CHU guards for PFC Mastrangelo but no one ever ordered such a thing, we were then free for the night and PFC Mastrangelo came back to us soldiers in our CHU pod and told us what happened to him earlier.
Apparently PFC Mastrangelo had been back talking Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins while we all were picking up trash on the truck line, and Spec Mazzola was giving orders to Mastrangelo when, for reasons known only to Mastrangelo, he back talked Mazzola and said words to effect of, "You'd better watch your back when we get back to Fort Stewart"
And when Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins stepped in yelled at Mastrangelo he uttered to them in response words to effect of, "We ALL have Force Pro" and then he was dogpiled by Spec Mazzola and Perkins & Sgt Rix. It was then that Spec Perkins hissed loudly in Mastrangelo's ear "now listen here boy..." and Mastrangelo was then threatened by Perkins that they (Specialists & Sgt) would take him (Mastrangelo) into a vacant CHU and lock the door and beat the shit out of him and no one would ever know.
I can understand that PFC Mastrangelo, theSgt and Specialists, even us Soldiers not involved in this dogpile were stressed from the ReBluing week, stressed from this Deployment, there's a lot of variables here that made us all act the way we did. And I can understand the Sgt and Specialists taking precautions like removing weapons from my CHU, but here's what I personally don't like nor do I agree with, That the Leadership, which was Sgt Rix, Spec Perkins and Spec Mazzola had to in turn, stoop to the immature level of PFC Mastrangelo and threaten him in return.
Good effective leaders don't do that, good effective leaders don't reign by terror, by threatening unlawful kidnapping, confinement and beating of a subordinate. I don't agree with that. And these actions on part of Sgt Rix, Spec Perkins that night in Apr were foremost in my mind that afternoon of Sat 08 May when Sgt Rix was walking close to me in the PT circle with his folderKnife in his hands and brandishing it.
It saddens me and breaks my heart to have experienced other unpleasant behavior from Sgt Rix over the past 6 months. There were several times during our Plt Mobile Sentry city patrols that I was Driver of a HMMWV for Sgt Rix (when he was TC). Often us Drivers, the TC and Gunner wear communication Headsets and we can talk to each other in vehicle without having to broadcast to the rest of the HMMWV's in our convoy or even broadcasting to the B Co CP either.
I would drive for Sgt Rix on Mobile Sentry often in daylight hours when the Iraqi public was out walking about in their streets and sidewalks, women and children were out and about and we'd drive by and Sgt Rix would routinely lewdly comment to us Soldiers, present in the truck, about the Women walking past or standing by.
Sgt Rix would sexualize them and dehumanize the Women and children by saying words to effect of, "I'd fuck her face and finish her ass with my rifle and then rape her daughter", or "She's fuckable.. and then shootable", As for the young men we'd see, Sgt Rix would often make comments about them like, "I'd love to stick my dick up an 11yr old Iraqi boys ass"
Sgt Rix, Spec Perkins, PFC Casper, Sgt Misuraca, Sgt Waters and a few of the other soldiers in our Plt have all openly stated such verbiage about Iraqis and other Sgts, Spec and even our Leadership have condoned this behavior. How do we Soldiers ever expect to honestly protect the Iraqi people from harm from their own terrorists in-their-midst when we Soldiers can't even protect them from ourselves (by speaking so evil of them and by thinking of the Iraqis in that manner)
It's frightening to me currently because I'm here in Iraq with what I regard as ammoral soldiers and we're supposed to be Army strong and uphold American values and we're out on patrol everyday or out on checkPoint. I don't get it.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Sun 23 May 2010 Room Inspection
Sometime after 0700hrs we had Room Inspections (of our CHU's). Of the 5 chu's on my porch where I live, 4 of us belong to B Co since we were moved out of the main POD 14 area (3 man rooms) and reassigned to POD 15 row 2. Our respective squad & team leaders come over to our chu's to do room inspections other than that we rarely see them at our chu's, they just send other privates & specialists to summon us to various events as needed.
I remember that PT was at 0600hrs and we finished before 07, and I was over by Spec Perkins room in POD 15, then started walking over to my chu at POD 15, Spec Perkins was behind me a short distance with the other team leaders & sgts, and I heard him call out to me in a threatening manner (as he always does) "You better hurry the fuck up and get to your chu!". All the sgts and various teamleaders treat me this way, as they have been for the last 5 months now. You'd think that such hazing / harassment would stop after basic / bootcamp was over right?
When it came time for my chu to be opened up, 2D of POD 15, Spec Perkins and Sgt Rix walked on in and Spec Mazzola trailed behind saying, "I bet you can't even say 'At Ease' Flyinghorse", as is custom for such things when Commissioned Officers and NonComs do enter our rooms. I bellowed "At ease!!" to everyone's amusement.
Spec Perkins and Sgt Rix had apparently taken notice of my wall locker and from time to time previous, had pointed out that it needed to be organized better. I did not understand and still don't, that since all my stuff in my wall locker was either hanging up or in small laundry bags and stacked up on the top shelf how could that be "disOrganized"?
I stood outside my chu and peeked in and observed that one of my small Laundry bags, the one that held all my ShowGirl & Tattoo magazines (ones they sell at the PX) were dumped on the floor. I had also brought with me several sketch pads from which I'd draw upon a sheet, fold up carefully and mail home or to friends in snail mail. I even had some artwork in one sketchpad that I was working on.
I quietly protested the dumping of my personal stuff on the floor, and Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins started to get angry with me as they raised their voices at me. Sgt Rix demanded that all my shit in my chu goes out of my room onto the porch. That's when Spec Perkins grabbed my CarePackage boxes from under my bed and I said "NO". I said that those care package boxes were off limits, don't touch them.
I even remember Sgt Barr was in my chu and he too screamed at me loudly but I don't remember what he said to me, I was looking at him for a moment and remembering the day he got shot back in Feb and how his loud voice today was the same as it was back then when he was thrown screaming and moaning into the back of my HMMWV I was driving and Doc and a few more soldiers piled in back and we all drove speedily back to theFOB. Funny how you remember things like that.
At this time I do believe that PFC Thorpe and Spec Mazzola were in my chu as well as my roommate PFC Mastrangelo whom was on his side of the room. I kept protesting and Sgt Rix turned to someone behind me and demanded "Close that door!", I recalled how last month in Apr when I'd heard of PFC Mastrangelo being dogpiled and threatened in such manner by Spec Perkins and Sgt Rix via being thrown into a chu and the locking of the door and how they were going to beat the shit out of him,
That thought ran through my mind at this time and I knew I had to stand up to what ever Sgt Rix was going to do now. Sgt Rix stepped up to me closely and got face to face with me, nose to nose, he looking up at me and I looking down at him into his shadedEyePro, I couldn't even see his eyes but took comfort that I was staring into my calm reflection and I used that to ground me, to center my emotions even though at the time I did feel extreme fear and did fear for my life, for my safety and well being.
Sgt Rix bumped chests with me, yelling very loudly challenging me to fight him, words just like he uttered that one night back in Apr when he called any of us Plt members out to challenge his authority yet here in my chu he was doing the same thing yet it was more personal, one on one. "raise your hands!!, Put your hands up!!, Put your fucking hands up!!"
I could feel his warm breath and feel saliva, his spit hitting my face most annoying. I was backed into the wall by my bunk yet I still said No, still quietly spoke in the face of his screaming at me and I didn't raise my hands at all, fearing he would take the opportunity to attack me physically. Though I can take care of myself quite well, this wasn't the time or place to lay hands on my Sgt as he was not an enemy of mine, but a part of me wanted to push him away from me, to at least be free of his flying spit but I didn't.
Eventually Sgt Rix stepped away and all during this chest bumping and screaming at me, I felt someone to my right pulling on my arm, I do believe it was PFC Thorpe saying "come on, let's get out of here" but I didn't move. Thorpe pulled on my arm again and then Spec Perkins took over for the remainder of the time that he and Sgt Rix were into my belongings in my chu.
Spec Perkins picked up my 2-3 boxes of colored pencils and a plastic bag of colored pens and told me I had too much stuff. At this point, Spec Perkins handed me an empty laundry bag and told me to hold it open. He started going through my stuff and started tossing out what he thought was junk, things I didn't need. All the while lecturing me upon why I had so much stuff, and how apparently I go to the PX cos I'm bored and I just get stuff and hoard it. I guess Spec Perkins is me and knows why I do what I do (sarcasm)
Spec Perkins went through all my stuff, all my dresser drawers, my 2 green duffel bags, my wall locker, my plastic tote/stack boxes and then my carePackage mail boxes. All this excess stuff was thrown into the trash bin. My sketch pads, my self help books that a Sgt friend gave to me here on FOB, a book I got from MentalHealth to read, all those religious tracts with anecdotes and advice for dealing with Depression and Suicide-stuff that I thought would help me if I ever got to feeling real low in life while on Deployment.
Some of my small notebooks of journals were thrown out, some of my index cards where I kept Patrol Briefing notes w/ names, call signs, phone numbers etc. Stuff that should be KNOWN ONLY to us Soldiers, all got tossed out. Sheesh. I had finally received extra items in the mail from friends back home, lots of Q-Tips and wetWipes and much of them were thrown out.
Spec Perkins dumped one of my bodyWash bottles into my carePackage box and got all contents therein sticky and messy, Ooops, It's all junk. Toss that stuff out. I had extra toothpaste, extra deodorant, extra tooth brushes now all GONE.
And when Spec Perkins got to my one care package containing foodStuffs, was angry that I had dipped into a package of Oreo cookies and eaten 4 of them. It was true that I had eaten those cookies, cos a few nights ago I volunteered to go to the PX for Spec Perkins and Spec Myers to buy a cheap DVD player for them using their OWN money.
And Spec Perkins said I could use left over funds of his to get myself a coffee from the GreenBeans Cafe, which I did, and I had eaten those 4 Oreo cookies later that night from my carePackage box, to which, was later found on Room Inspection day to be..... gotten into and eaten.
Which was apparently against their wishes and I stood by my chu room, standing amidst my belongings unceremoniously dumped at my feet and surrounding porchside and received a lecture about keeping up with the Verbally imposed Food Restriction that Command gave to me, which was No sweets, No Fast food, nothing from the WagonWheel food court vendors etc.
I was tired of all this confrontation and quietly listened to Spec Perkins and to Sgt Rix as he now too chimed in again and was pounding a fist into his hand to emphasize his words, "you're a grown ass man...... 42 yrs old...... THIS (with emphasis on kicking some of my stuff aside) is going to happen to you twice a week now.... in fact, we had things to do this morning, if we weren't here with you we'd be somewhere else now. They left me soon after and I had from that time frame of 0800hrs till 1100 to get my stuff organized, folded, put away and stand by for another room inspection.
By 0830hrs I had put my stuff back and showered & dressed into ACU's. I noticed that when I was gone from my chu to shower, my rifle was missing. I asked my roommate PFC Mastrangelo if he knew where my rifle was, he didn't know as he'd been here the whole time I was gone.
I figured that some Sgt or Spec had returned to my room and took my rifle, which later turned out to be true, They had come to my room for something else and found me absent and took my rifle from my bunk citing that it was "laying out in the open and the chu door was open".
I remember that Spec Perkins was going through my stuff, he recited to me his name and social security number and said I could go to 1st Sgt Phillips and complain about what happened, so I walked up to the CP (without my rifle, as it had been taken away for a moment) and I asked to see CAPT Rhodes or 1st Sgt Phillips.
I got to see 1st Sgt Phillips and told him of the event that took place. I did tell him of how angry Sgt Rix was after I protested when my carePackage boxes were first grabbed and how Sgt Rix got into face and my personal space and that I considered that Assault. I asked if that was normal behavior in the Army for Sgts to do those things to lesser enlisted. I said I did not fight back physically or even raise my hands, that I did not want to hurt Sgt Rix nor did I want to be hurt by him.
1st Sgt Phillips said that I did the right thing by not responding physically to Sgt Rix and that it was good that I came to CP to see him about this incident. 1st Sgt Phillips told me not to worry because "this sort of thing is not going to happen again".
I felt better immediately because I trust 1st Sgt Phillips, even though I hardly see him ever, I know that to be where he is today in the Army as my 1st Sgt, he has to be a good decent, honest man to have our trust the way everyone in B Co seems to look up to him.
Though I felt out of place a bit by utilizing the chain of command cos I certainly wasn't an obvious stereotyped victim that the EO/SexAssault/Discrimination posters, tv commercials and ads portray and tout about helping. I certainly wasn't bleeding, wounded, raped and hysterical. But I still had a legitimate grievance I wanted resolved and so far, it looked like I was being helped by my chain of command. I was happy to have some relief. As I walked out the CP I heard 1st Sgt Phillips call out for Sgts Misuraca, Rix and Spec Perkins to meet him in CP.
Later that morning Sgt Misuraca, Sgt Rix and Spec Perkins came by my chu to apologize for what they did. Spec Perkins was to the point more so than Sgt Rix, who's apology turned into a speech about wanting to be tough and firm and sticking with the Old Army ways instead of dealing with todays X-Box kids. Sgt Rix is no longer to speak to me, to no longer correct me as someone else will speak for him in matters that concern me. They left.
Mon, the next day, I went on early morning patrol with the Platoon/Plt. After we arrived back from mission I was told to go up to the CP soonest, I went there with my Armor, Helmet etc, and 1st Sgt Phillips told me to go drop my gear in my chu, change shirts and come back to CP.
Sgt Misuraca was there at CP and together we went into 1st Sgt Phillips office. 1st Sgt Phillips said he was going to tell me about how my Article 15 paperwork was going. He said he was acting on behalf of CAPT Rhodes.
But he commented, that You came in here yesterday crying about something that happened and I believed you, but now I look at this paperwork written up about you and I have to reconsider things. If you were to look at these papers, Who would you believe? he asked me. I thought for a moment and said that I would believe the Sgts and Spec and not me.
That's right, 1st Sgt Phillips said, You're like the little boy that cried wolf too many times, and yet you might have something that happened to you recently, but still, who's going to believe you?
Then the 1st Sgt read my Article 15 statement and covered all supporting Counciling statements written against me. He read more legal stuff and said that I would be taken over to Legal soon to meet with them. Any questions?
I asked for copies of all counciling statements for my own personal records and shortly after did receive copies.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Comments