Ted, a dear friend of my son, , returned from Iraq clearly disabled with PTSD. I'm a therapist who deals with PTSD. The military help given to him was apparently not remotely sufficient to reduce the emotional pain he has and he made the poor choice to return to a former adolescent coping tool: substances. He then went awol but finally returned to base where he totally melted down after making more mistakes (pawned an army laptop-now recovered). He was hospitalized 2 weeks and has now been sent (on 7/16) to Ft. Knox awaiting trial. He has served honorably since 1999 and had exposure to some of the worst Iraq has to offer. Ha stands to lose everything and I'm really concerned that a prison setting will just fry him again. Can anyone tell me how to reach a chaplain at Ft. Knox prison, how to send mail, what policies are on phone calls? Ted has no family except for us and a 1/2 sister and we'll do everything we can to help. But where to begin????:(

Hi ToHelpAFriend,

I was not in the Army legal system, however, I was a paralegal, court reporter, jill of all trades in a Coast Guard legal office.

I am going to call a friend in the morning and see if I can and get that phone no. at Ft Knox for you. The Chaplain there should be able to answer your other two questions.

I may want to ask you some more questions, however, I will work on the phone no. first.

Hang in there,

Patti

He will get a Military Attorney to handle any charges (Larceny is what the Army calls theft) The Army may just be willing to go with an Artcle 15 (which could include loss of pay, rank, extra duty, or a discharge) It would help his case if he is diagnosed with a Mental Health issue. As the Lap Top was recovered, it sounds as if his 2 offenses are victimless and that helps. A Courts Marshal will mean a Felony Conviction so that could hurt his future. It's been 12 years since I was in the Army but I served as a Military Police Investigator and 2 years with CID (Criminal Investgations Detachment) and most of the AWOL's and Simple Larceny (under $1000) resulted in Artle 15 and discharges. Things may have changed since then. Good Luck.

Please check the threads I posted today (the abridged version of Military Justice system and the Military Legal Links). If you don't find enough information there, or have some specific questions, post them and we'll do what we can to fill in some of the blanks. It's a confusing system and for those of us waiting on the outside, frustrating because it's almost impossible sometimes to get answers from anyone! We're here to help and support each other, so take advantage of it!

The phone number of the chaplain at the RCF (Regional Correctional Facility) at Ft. Knox is 624-1894 or 624-1242.

The military justice system can be confusing and frightening. That's pretty much what it's supposed to be. Fortunately, you are in a very good place to pick up information. I also suggest the website for Citizens Against Military Injustice (CAMI). It's www.militaryinjustice.org. It's got a number of helpful resources, including an overview of the military justice system. If you are really a stalwart soul, you can find the Manual For Court Martial (2002 edition) online just by doing a google search.
Good luck, and God bless you for trying to help.
If you have specific questions or I can be of assistance, feel free to write me.
Dave

Chaplains: I have found that some military/prison chaplains are pretty cool and some definitely work for Caesar first. Go with your gut. You can usually find a good one.