WTUs

[120mm]

Reading that article just made my stomach hurt. I could see each and every one of those things really happening, while the Commander continues to give the "happy talk".

On the other hand, I can't really judge the veracity of the claims. Though the idea of combat troops with combat wounds being mixed in with the guy who breaks something every time he moves (how do people like that get IN the Army, anyway?) kind of bugs me. I mean, if you break four separate bones in four separate minor accidents in training, the Army isn't the problem, ya know???

[Cavguy]

Found this Sad Story:

Carson soldier in WTU dies after standoff

WIDEFIELD, Colo. (AP) — A man who died at a Widefield home after an armed standoff with sheriff’s deputies was a Fort Carson soldier assigned to the Warrior Transition Unit.

El Paso County sheriff’s spokeswoman Lari Sevene says 27-year-old Spc. Larry Curtis Applegate died Friday of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Deputies responded to the house on a report that a man was firing assault rifles inside.

The gunfire continued for about an hour. When it ended, a SWAT team entered the house and found Applegate dead.

Applegate, of Myrtle Beach, S.C., was a twice-deployed Iraq war veteran awarded the Purple Heart and Army Commendation Medal with Valor. He joined the Army in 2004.

[Bullmoose Bailey]

www.army.mil/-news/2008/08/21/11799-commentary-every-american-should-visit-a-warrior-transition-unit"]http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/08/21/11799-commentary-every-american-should-visit-a-warrior-transition-unit"]www.army.mil/-news/2008/08/21/11799-commentary-every-american-should-visit-a-warrior-transition-unit

I can not wrap my mind around the WTU concept. As a counselor and as a soldier, my heart and mind scream "NO No No!" that separating a soldier from his unit is the same as separating him from greatest support group. Some of the concept; especially the availability of case management make sense to me however. There are two WTU's in my AOR and one is a complete poison pill that has good soldiers going bad and bad soldiers getting worse, w/ a very low success rate for rehabilitation back to duty. The other one is well thought of by the soldiers in it and by the community as a whole. I have seen soldiers from that unit that I never thought would be able to continue to serve do so and do it well and with pride.

What are the opinions and experiences regarding WTU's from the members of this forum? Everybody feel free to chime in, you may help me in my work and by extension help some of our fellow combat vets.
Reed

Very thoughtful analysis, your point is well taken.

Have thought of the units in question as offering a quite respectful separation from service, have you thought of it in these terms before ?

Have equated the WTU more to the GAR than to the RA. In some ways it also reminds of Val Halla.