Somebody obviously misplaced a brain here, please find it quickly!

Image by patries71 via Flickr

Gary Pfleider who was a soldier with the Oregon National Guard was in a truck on patrol in Iraq in 2007 when a bullet tore through his left leg. The Daily Weekly says that Pfleider flew back to the states and recuperated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where he was awarded the Purple Heart. One-third of the muscle in his leg is gone and he'll have to wear a brace for the rest of his life.

Then the Army sent Pfleider a bill for more than $3,000. "Technically, the clothes and weapons his unit had to leave behind after he got shot were the responsibility of his commanding officers." Apparently, our feds are already docking Pfleider's social security and has put a freeze on his tax returns. "Making it even more difficult for him to mentally prepare for an upcoming surgery on his leg, the ninth one he's undergone since getting shot."

Now, that is idiotic, says my housemate who spent many years in the Army. Somebody in his command should have taken care of those gears when he was wounded.    

The paper says that altruistic strangers are reaching out to Pfleider and offering to cover his expenses but the former soldier has something to say:

"I appreciate the offers, but that's not the issue. I want a response back from the military. I want them to admit they are wrong. I want it known that vets are not going to stand for it and be treated the way we're being treated."

Continue reading, Soldier Gary Pfleider Shot By Sniper, Billed By U.S. Army.

Somebody obviously misplaced a brain here, let's help them find it quickly!  Help one soldier at a time. Write to the top of the Army chain (sorry, DOD does not provide the email addresses of their top guys):



The Honorable John McHugh
Secretary of the Army
1400 Defense Pentagon
Washington DC 20301-1400

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