Comments

• Gil

  Apr 8, 2011 10:46 PM

  As a veteran, I am concerned about the combat veterans, some who have served four back to back deployments to Iraq/Afghanistan, and then are detailed to USAREC. The suicide events are still occurring at USAREC unabated - In February 2011, for example, in one of USAREC's 46 Battalions, there were 13 suicide events, e.g., ideation/attempts/completions. And that was just one Battalion. What are you doing personally, Lt Gen Freakley, as USAAC CG, to assure a safe work place for both USAREC Recruiters and Army Civilians, and protecting your USAREC disabled/handicapped military and civilian employees? Thank you. Kind regards.

  
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• LTG Freakley

  Apr 11, 2011 10:20 AM

  Thank you for your comment and for your service as a Veteran.

  I too am concerned about the multiple deployments of our Women and Men as is our Army. For our command , we have increased the screening requirements to select a Recruiter for we want to select the right leader who can operate away from an Army installation. If our Soldiers need more assistance and support post deployment, we want them to stay with their unit. Also, we have a Behavioral Health team at Fort Jackson, Center One, that works with all prospective Recruiters prior to their assignment to a Recruiting Station. Some are screened out and sent back to their unit so they have additional support. While we do have suicide events, I take exception to your "unabated" comment. This year to date we have a loss that is under review that is a possible suicide. One loss is tragic, and is not acceptable to any of us. This is a significant reduction over previous years. We are doing all we can, from my level to the Station Commander level to provide support to our Recruiters, our Civilians and our Families. I am continuing to work with the Commanders to ensure our team has a high quality of life and is surrounded with support. We have added Behavioral Health experts and Chaplains at lower levels to assist our team. We have instituted work hour policies to provide more time at home for our team. We continue to stress our Army Value of Respect so that all Recruiters, Civilian and disabled/handicapped are provided the best of support while they serve this great Nation. The people of our command have always been and will remain our first priority.

  Again, thank you for your service.

  Respectfully,

  LTG Freakley

  
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  • Gil

    Apr 11, 2011 1:43 PM

    Thank you, Lt Gen Freakley, for your timely response. I respectfully disagree with you. On one point. "The people of our command have always been and will remain our first priority". Lt Gen, you were on board in 2008/2009 when news of the recruiter suicides began emerging to the public. At that time, (google army recruiter suicides) from published reports you indicated that the Houston BN was a "problem Battalion". However, this suicide "problem" spread across the Command from coast to coast. The resources you report now, and I applaud you on, were not available back then. How are you addressing the fact that an NCO or one of your Army civilians could be summarily removed from their positions either via chaptering out or termination, if they came forward requesting assistance for either an emotional/psychiatric disorder or a physical injury? Do you support former TRADOC CG Dempsey's Policy Letter regarding reasonable accommodations for civilians? I am sure you do. However, I know personally of three individuals who requested your support/intervention when USAREC let them down on these issues. One individual received a letter from you - but nothing resulted of the support you stated you would provide. The other individual just gave up and was chaptered out with no resources to support themselves while they were suffering from PTSD and had recently been discharged from a community locked mental facility. The third remains working for USAREC but struggles to obtain the reasonable accommodations assistance they need. I accept your word on what you are doing now - however - I saw no mention of increased training for Commanders on civilian personnel/management policies, e.g., Title VII, the ADA and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In closing, you state you "are continuing to work with the Commanders to ensure our team has a high quality of life and is surrounded with support". We have to rely on your word, Lt Gen Freakley, as there are few or no resources for Army civilians to turn to out in the Battalions when they experience workplace issues. There is no USAREC Employee Assistance Program (EAP), no labor union, and no on-site or local or even BDE EEO counselor for the civilians. I do not speak for the current employee who is working their reasonable accommodations issue, but I do speak for the other two former employees - one civilian and one military. The former Recruiter was evicted from his home after he was chaptered out - the former civilian employee remains in limbo due to claims of USAREC's unaccountability. The former civilian employee made use of the "open door" policy with you but what they were requesting you may not have had or made time for - your statement above, "The people of our command have always been and will remain our first priority". Again, I have to repeat, I respectfully disagree with your statement, LT Gen Freakley. Thank you. Kind regards, Gil

    
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