An update. My employee's Marine son, hit by an IED 9 days ago.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

The original thread...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=364&topic_id=2113101

He's verrry slowly improving. Questions remain...will he completely lose his eyesight? How bad is the brain injury? When can he be taken off the respirator?

I'm just sick about this. He doesn't deserve this. She doesn't deserve this.

Re: the call she got regarding his condition. The caller left a message with a number to call back..

She was scared to death when she got the message. She called, and the person answering said,"Can you hold a moment?" Then, the phone was left open.

She said it sounded like a call center. As she was waiting she heard people at the call center relaying news. "Your son's seriously injured." "Your son died from his injuries"

Can you imagine? Making a mother wait and listen to others receiving bad news.

Anyway, she's tired and scared. But, her son's alive, and with that, she has hope. He has responded to her voice, including giving her a thumbs up when she told him he was discharged from the Marines and could come home with her when he got better.

:cry:

Oh, and FUGWB. MKJ

edited to add: The person relaying the news was a Staff Sergeant.
So, I would infer the call center is staffed with Marines.

[Roland99]

1. .

:(

[NOLADEM]

2. I don't think they notify families of fatalities by phone

I am sorry for your employer's loss, though.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

5. They do, they did.

I talked to both her and her husband. They both described receiving the call and her ordeal on the phone to get the information.

Gone are the days of the uniformed Marines coming to the door. MKJ

[TacticalPeek]

13. Hope he has a good recovery.

I'm sure the phone call was an ordeal. Any notification is an ordeal.

In the Corps, wounded-in-action notification is by phone. Killed-in-action notification is always made in person to the designated Next of Kin.

All military personnel are required to complete paperwork prior to deploying to an overseas location naming the next of kin to be notified in case of an emergency.

The first step in the process of notification is to tell the unit RBE (remain-behind party or the FRO, Family Readiness Officer) at the base location that the Marine deployed from. This usually happens within 8 hours of an injury or death.

Once the RBE receives this information in the form of a report, the RBE determines if the person was WIA (wounded in action) or KIA (killed in action). If wounded, next of kin notification is made by phone. In either case, WIA or KIA, the person notified is whoever the Marine or Sailor has listed in the record of emergency data for the individual. Only that person is notified.

In the case of a KIA, notification is made in person only and by a Marine assigned by Headquarters Marine Corps. The RBE may be assigned to do the notification, but will not know that until ordered to perform those duties by HQMC.

The military personnel delivering the news are readily identifiable by their branch-specific uniform and most likely the vehicle they are driving as well. The personnel delivering the news generally work in pairs.

http://www.marineparents.com/USMC/next-of-kin.asp

Semper Fi.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

19. Thanks for the clarification. I'd imagine that while she waited and

listened to other calls, her strong emotions may have colored in some of what was being said on on the call center side of those calls.

However, she did hear enough to recognize that it was a call center and surmise its purpose.

MKJ

[The Backlash Cometh]

18. Bush wants to make it as impersonal as possible.

It's easier to use people and exploit them that way.

[Nickster]

3. OMFG, I wouldn't doubt it was some outsourced call center. Un-friggin-

believable. I'm so sorry for your employee. What a heartless way to find out about her son.All my best wishes to her and her son.

[MetaTrope]

4. A call center for U.S. casualties!

Wonder where it's outsourced?

[YDogg]

6. "The other Iraq"?

[NMDemDist2]

7. thanks for the update Heart, they are in my prayers n/t

[demnan]

8. I'm so sorry

Every man and woman we send off to this war is precious, we have to keep reminding the callous powers that be of that fact.

[proud patriot]

9. :-(

I'm so sorry to hear this . :-(

[Monkeyman]

10. When he comes home watch for Brain Injury

Not remembering small things
Headaches
Brites lights give him pain
Wants to sleep all day.
The VA does not look for these signs his family most.

one out of three who face these blast suffer from some sort of brain injury.

If family needs help email me the brain injury could be slight or very severe He is in our prayers

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

11. Thank you. I will do just that. n/t

MKJ

[OhioChick]

12. .....

:cry:

[Stinky The Clown]

14. That's really heart rending

Both the fact and the circumstances.

Awful.

[flyarm]

15. god bless him...i pray he recovers..and i send all my prayers to him

and his mom and family...

doggonne it...this should not be..it just should not be...

how many of our kids have to be put through this?

and all by a sick fuck in this white house who lies daily and doesn't give one rats ass about these kids..

who, when his nation called he sniffed coke up his nose...and drank himself into stupors..

thats what really frosts my ass!

a bunch of lying sacks of shits..putting our youth through this, when they were to chicken shit to ever face an enemy themselves..and sending them for lies..baseless lies..and defenceless....

bless this young man and his family...this just should not be..

fly

[alittlelark]

16. My cousin is praying not to hear from them

Her Hubby is in Falluja... he has MONTHS more to go.


Our family has had 2 recent deaths.


My cousin is feeling......$%^$&#%@#$VULNERABLE$%^*^%!!!!!!

[democrank]

17. Nineteen and second tour.

Hope this young Marine can hang in there. I`ll keep him in my thoughts.

[GreenPartyVoter]

20. I am so sorry. *hugs and prayers*

[mnhtnbb]

21. Oh, God, what a nightmare. Tell her we're holding good thoughts

for her son and his recovery. It does sound like his responsiveness is a good sign.

[me b zola]

22. Damn

Please let her know that she, her son, and her family is in our thoughts & prayers.

[BleedingHeartPatriot]

23. I will pass on your posts and send her a link to this thread.

Thanks to all of you for supporting this young man and his family.

It validates what I've always known about the special people who come to DU.

And, oh yeah, may gwb burn in hell for what he's visited upon all of us. MKJ

edited to add: This young man told his mother that she would not believe what the US has done to to the people of Iraq. He was in Fallujah during his first tour.

[Flying Dream Blues]

24. Prayers said, love, hope and healing sent. God bless. nt