Pending DUI and military deployment?

Question

My bf got news he was being deployed back in March. In April he got a DUI. In May he was told he was a 'no-go'....3 months had gone by and after every monthly drill he was told, and it was confirmed he was still a 'no-go'. They had advised him to stay behind this time to take care of his pending DUI, and when they are doing deployment sometime next year he should volunteer. He agreed to do so and I went on to fax over all of his legal papers to his first seargent. He was moved to another unit of people who were not going to Iraq this summer and they also held him back from going to his annual yearly training. After 3 months of relief and starting to move forward with our lives, we were under the impression he was clear of being deployed and can carefully take care of the DUI and finances. Come this past Monday morning his first seargent called him threatening him with signing AWOL papers and issuing a warrant for his arrest if he did not show up at his unit to be sent to NJ for deployment. After all of this time, we were not prepared AT ALL. He was in th process of straightening things out with the DUI, ARD and a finalized divorce, child support, loans, new car, etc. NOTHING was in order and now he, i and my entire family is in disarray. He has been gone for 5 days now and even told me when they were calling soldiers names off the roster to leave for training, his name was not on the list. He's not even on their roster....something has got to be wrong...someone must have dropped the ball?...what can we do....he is not mentally or physically prepared for this and everyone is losing it. Any advice....he only has 30 days left in the states to get things in order.....i am so LOST as to how to help....im concerned for his mental well being....please help!

Answer 1

While it's nice to be told your deploying they really don't have any obligation to tell you before hand. My fiance was told your going, no your not, yes you are, and no again for a month prior. Finally they called said you're going have your things packed you head out to training tomorrow. It threw everything off with trying to get out of the lease and anything else. So as far as time, sorry it just happens sometimes. I was lucky our unit told us we have a "tentative" deployment in February, the quotes are because you have to be a fool to think it would be called off. So we all have had the mindset of going for the past few months.

With the other deal as no one telling him he had to it's a poor chain of command and his higher should have know other than the first sgt. I don't think that anything will really happen as long as he showed up now. I don't think he'll have any disciplinary actions taken on him, they are looking for men and women to go to war, they'll over look a DUI and "make it good" to ship.

Sorry dear but I thank your boyfriend for his service.  

Answer 2

My husband, who is Army, said he needs to show up in NJ as requested.  He can talk with his command once there.  The suggestions for you getting power of attorney is a good idea assuming you can handle both his and your fiances.  The divorce and child support can be handled without his presence as the long as the general info is worked out ahead of time.  The lawyer can attend in his place.  The loans can be payed by him either through on-line banking, automatic payment or by you if you can again handle his and your finances.   Unfortunately sometimes deployment comes at a bad time and you have to deal with it the best way you know how.  He will need support but there are ways to get all the above done even when he is gone.  

Answer 3

Each unit has an adjutant general or someone to handle legal papers, he really shouldn't do any thing or go any where without paper work signed by the unit commander.

Some times a sargent will have to many beers and think its funny to make a phone call, most service men know a phone call may alert you to some pending danger, but you must  have it in writting!

Answer 4

Get power of attorney for him, or make sure someone in his family has it..so you can help tie the ends of everything together. Some places you will need to make sure you are on the account before he leaves though. I tried to cash some checks at my bank and they would not let me cash them for my husband because he was not on my account, and I even had a power of attorney! So make sure you do those two things before he leaves.

Answer 5

Bottom line, better spend the 30 day that he has left getting things in order.