Letter from the wife of a medically unfit soldier forced to serve in Iraq

Hello, my name is Brandie Lampin and I am the wife of a Sgt. Tony Lampin, a mechanic for the 115th Field Hospital, stationed at Fort Polk, La. I have sent every media company that I could find or know and the President, this letter because my husband and other soldiers, that are medically unfit for service, were forced to go back to Iraq for a second tour. One soldiers name that I have been given permission to name is Sgt. Jacqueline Stinnett. All left on the 25th of July bound for Abu Ghraib Prison.

Last month, on the 9th of June, my husband had a follow up appointment with his orthopedic surgeon, Maj. Granger, for his knee that was operated on for a second time due to damage. After several follow ups, the doctor said that my husband’s knee has not gotten any better, and that his knee is permanently damaged, and that he recommends that he be medically discharged out of service, and that he is NON DEPLOYABLE. He gave my husband a permanent medical profile stating this, and is also marked that he CANNOT RUN, should only walk at own pace and distance, that he is unable to move with a fighting load at least 2 miles (48 lbs., includes helmet, boots, uniform, LBE, WEAPON, protective mask, pack, etc.), unable to do 3 - 5 second rushes under direct and indirect fire, and that he is UNHEALTHY by medical condition that prevents him from deploying. It also says that he is to not lift or carry a max weight of 30lbs., no prolonged standing for a max. of 20 min., no marching with field gear and no impact activities such as jumping.

My husband has gone through two surgeries on his knee, gone through physical therapy, water therapy, and has taken numerous medications all to no prevail. The current medications he is on right now are Celebrex, Ultracet, and Percocet. Just a little information on the meds. Celebrex, is for his arthritis, and one of the warning labels on it is: avoid prolonged or excessive exposure to direct sunlight. I ask you this, what does Iraq have plenty of? Ultracet, and Percocet are taken for pain, and both have a warning label that says: may cause drowsiness/dizziness, and SHOULD NOT operate machinery. He has not gotten any better after the second surgery, and in fact, it is starting to get worse once again. His doctor even told him that his knee is permanently damaged, and that being sent back to Iraq would only make it more worse. In my husbands medical records, the last entry that was entered by his doctor reads this: At this point we will begin a permanent profile. I’d like to switch him over to Arthrotec to see if that treats his osteoarthritic symptoms better. I’d additionally like him to consider having a steroid injection at the lateral portal site if he is not better in another three to six weeks at the lateral portal site. If he continues to persist and we are unable to find a nonsteroidal that can control his osterarthritic symptoms, I would consider offering a Viscus supplementation, Hyalgan injections. He is reticent to have that many injections in his knee and I can understand that but his may help him significantly with his pain. We discussed that at today’s visit. Permanent profile was written today recommending him for a medical board as he has attempted to take a walk and bicycle PT test and had been unable to pass either of them and this has now been two years from his initial injury to the knee that he’s not a record PT test. This was entered on June 9, 2004 by doctor Shawn P. Granger, MAJ. U.S. Army, Bayne Jones ACH Fort Polk, La.

Now here is where the being forced back to Iraq comes in. After showing this profile to his Battalion Commander, Colonel Richards, he stated that he would override the medical board, and force him to go back to Iraq for a second time with the company. The Colonel promised that he would take care of him and the other soldier and see that nothing will happen to them. Here is the thing, how can the Colonel do this if he himself is not going to Iraq. That he has been reassigned to another duty station sitting behind a nice desk, safe and sound in a hospital in Milwaukee. He said that my husband and the other soldier were badly needed and that there was nothing they could do. I ask this, if, God forbid, something was to happen to them, what would the company do, pack up and go home? Get this, before he was relieved by a Colonel Short, Colonel Richards changed his mind and decided to not take my husband and the other soldier and have their deployable status changed back to non deployable status. After doing this, the new Colonel said that why bother because he would just change it back and still force them to go. That he wants to hear from their doctor himself saying that they would only get worse if deployed to Iraq. My husband’s doctor had been saying this for over a month. If he was told this, he would not take them. This is where Colonel Short lied to his soldiers. They were forced to go anyway. He also, like Colonel Richards, promises to keep them safe. What is he going to do, keep them by his side at all times? How can he do this if my husband will be on a convoy from Kuwait to Abu Ghraib Prison where they are being sent to set up a hospital for the prisoners/soldiers. A convoy is one of the most dangerous places to be for a soldier, and the prison alone isn’t really all that safe. It has been attacked 6 times in the past 3 months. Which includes a mortar attack that hit the quarters that my husband’s company was to be placed in. There also, they have to wear their protective gear at all times. Which means my husband will be forced to go against his medical profile of not to carry or lift anything over 30lbs.

During all this, we then began to write our State Senator of Texas, Mrs. Kay Hutchison. We sent all the information that was needed for an investigation into why was my husband not allowed his medical board and forced to go to war. All this was done last month, but yesterday, Aug. 3, I was informed that my husbands Congressional has come back, and was read to me by phone. It basically said that my husband’s commander, Colonel Richards, has the say if my husband can be deployed or not. I find it unacceptable. No one should be able to tell a soldier that he can no longer receive treatment and not be able to be medical boarded out of service and then force him to go to war where his life would be at greater risk.

The stories of older soldiers in their 50’s and 60’s, I hear, are being told to America that they have been called back for duty. Some of these soldiers died in Iraq due to heart failure, heat stroke, and various other medical conditions. If I am not mistaken, did or did not the Army ordered retired personal without medical problems back for duty. Hence the word without. Why doesn’t this apply to soldiers who are active? How do you think Americans would react to medically unfit soldiers being sent back to war? Unable to fend/protect themselves and other’s properly. On medications that makes them sleepy or dizzy. How do you think they would feel if they knew that their tax dollars are being used to send unfit soldiers to war?

When I took my husband to Fort Polk for departure on July 25th, I noticed a female soldier, whose name I do not know, was on crutches. What was wrong with her? She had a broken foot. Was she going? Yes. I have a question for you, how is she going to protect herself if an attack was to occur? Was she to shoot the enemy with her crutches?

The last I heard from my husband was this past Saturday. I asked how things were going so far, and he said not great. The soldier that has a broken foot, was forced to walk on it without her crutches. Now, I know that depending on the fracture, you can apply force, but this soldier is in a war. She can’t just rush into things. As for him, he told me that his knee was giving him problems and is really hurting him. That he had to take himself off a shooting range in Kuwait because the drugs mixed with the heat was causing him to almost pass out. What will it be like for him in the convoy? I am afraid to think. The convoy is supposed to take 3 to 4 days, because of the heat and they are only allowed to drive for so long. During that time, will my husband be able to stay alert. I can only pray for.

My husband has served in the Army for 12 long years. He has been to the Gulf War, where he first initially hurt his knee during training, gone to Kuwait last year for Operation Iraqi Freedom, and after being forced, is now there again despite being medically unfit for duty. I don’t know how long he was there for the Gulf War. He was in Kuwait last year for only 3 months, and during this next tour, they told him to be prepared to be there between 6 months to a year. Can you just imagine what further damage his knee will be in?

I will leave this letter at this. The 115th Field Hospital’s motto is Warrior Medic and that they are here to take care of patients. My husband is a patient. How are they taking care of him? By not letting him get the medical attention he needs and sending him back to war. My husband has served proudly for his country, but look how he is getting treated for it. He deserves better than that. Our country owes him its gratitude. America, let my husband, the farther of my children, your son, come home.

Brandie Lampin,
Wife of a medically unfit soldier