Just a fun-loving bunch, aren’t they?
From a Gold Star mom;
It was a nasty evil thing to do back during the Vietnam war. People would call families claiming to be the military and tell their son had been killed and the family would later find it was a lie. Mental and emotional abuse and torture of the worse kind. Well what once was old is new again… but still just as evil and heartless. Only this time the media is being compliant.
Calls are being made to families and the words no family with a soldier wants to hear are uttered ” We regret to inform you”… Only to find out their soldier is alive and well. It’s done to break morale and inflict injury on the families. Not only that but on our troops also. Now instead of our soldiers being able to completely focus on their mission they have the burden of worrying about something like this happening to their loved ones who are suppose to be safe at home.
She’s referring to this story via CBS News. Notice the headline.
Military Wrongly Told Dad Soldier-Son Died
(AP) Military officials say they’re investigating why an upstate New York man was told his son had been killed in Afghanistan when the soldier was alive and well.Ray Jasper of Niagara Falls says he was camping Sunday when he received a call on his cell phone from a woman who said she was a military liaison. He says the woman told him his son, Staff Sgt. Jesse Jasper, was killed in action Saturday.
The father says he later called military officials to get details of his son’s death and was told that his son is alive. Ray Jasper says the officials couldn’t explain the earlier call.
The father says his son called from Afghanistan and said he would talk to his commanding officers about the call reporting his death.
First, as anybody with a Google search capability could tell you, the military does not notify next of kin by phone.
From the US Army’s own guide (my bolding);
b. The Army’s policy is to make personal notification to the primary next of kin (PNOK) and secondary next of kin (SNOK) of the deceased soldier within 4 hours after notification of the death. Notification should take place during the hours from 0600 to 2200 local time unless otherwise directed. The time limits established for notification may have to be adjusted due to distances involved or other conditions, such as adverse weather. All attempts will be made to notify the PNOK first, if your efforts to contact the PNOK are unsuccessful, then contact the Casualty Area Command (CAC), immediately for guidance.
