Arrest in Melissa Richmond murder

[The Bread Guy]

In another thread I posted an article about the "dysfunctional" Ottawa JPSU. Now the Ottawa Citizen has linked WO Richmond to it.

The headline is: Soldier charged in wife’s killing was posted to overloaded rehab unit.

The article notes that, "Richmond, who told news media before his arrest that he is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was posted into the Ottawa IPSC, which is officially a platoon with a traditional personnel strength of around 30 ... [but] ... "the Ottawa IPSC is now trying to cope with 182 ill and injured, the bulk of whom are “Red Cases” — “high intensity people who need a lot of care.”"

I sense "Crackberries" aglow all over the National Capital Region .... 

 

[GAP]

I can see the NIMBY responses now..................... :

 

[Armymedic]

Personnel posted to JPSU are not just soldiers who are injured in Afghanistan, it is also a location for people to be placed in situations where they need long term rehab, or have been diagnosed with conditions where working in thier normal occupation is difficult, and/or impeding thier treatment.

I still find his claim of PTSD suspect.

 

[George Wallace]

Personnel posted to JPSU are not just soldiers who are injured in Afghanistan, it is also a location for people to be placed in situations where they need long term rehab, or have been diagnosed with conditions where working in thier normal occupation is difficult, and/or impeding thier treatment.

I still find his claim of PTSD suspect.

I can see where some may question his timing. 

 

[bridges]

I can see where some may question his timing.

Anecdotally speaking, in the community at large (i.e. outside DND) I have heard some skepticism on that very point as well... along the lines of "Is he working on his defence, or what?".  Some of this was voiced before his arrest.

Who knows...  many substantial questions remain.     

 

[Nudibranch]

In another thread I posted an article about the "dysfunctional" Ottawa JPSU. Now the Ottawa Citizen has linked WO Richmond to it.

The headline is: Soldier charged in wife’s killing was posted to overloaded rehab unit.

The article notes that, "Richmond, who told news media before his arrest that he is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was posted into the Ottawa IPSC, which is officially a platoon with a traditional personnel strength of around 30 ... [but] ... "the Ottawa IPSC is now trying to cope with 182 ill and injured, the bulk of whom are “Red Cases” — “high intensity people who need a lot of care.”"

The JPSU administers their pers and their RTW/career re-training/whatever. It's not a medical unit, and so it doesn't matter how "overloaded" it is from the perspective of a member's health care - what matters is whether (if he was diagnosed before, and he was diagnosed with *something* if he was in JPSU because he either had a TCAT with restrictive MEL's or a PCAT to get posted there) he had access to the right medical assessments and care. The JPSU being overloaded has no bearing on that.

 

[garb811]

The JPSU administers their pers and their RTW/career re-training/whatever. It's not a medical unit, and so it doesn't matter how "overloaded" it is from the perspective of a member's health care - what matters is whether (if he was diagnosed before, and he was diagnosed with *something* if he was in JPSU because he either had a TCAT with restrictive MEL's or a PCAT to get posted there) he had access to the right medical assessments and care. The JPSU being overloaded has no bearing on that.

Then obviously you have a very stovepiped and biased perspective on what is required to fully support an injured/ill member in either their return to duty or transition to the outside world.  The medical world is content to deal with them on an "by appointment or in a crisis" basis. It is the member's chain of command who provides the day to day support which is also critical in providing the full spectrum of care to the member.  In case you haven't been paying attention, the vast majority of "crisis and complaints" are generated by members who have been "abandoned" by the system.  Becoming just a number on a list who is left to rot in the corner is not the way for anyone to be treated. 

Oh...and in my world it is rarely the family and almost never the medical staff who calls us and asks for a welfare check.  The preponderance of the time, it is the member's chain of command who hasn't heard from the member in far too long.  If nobody is actively tracking someone, it is too easy for them to fall through the cracks.

 

[Nudibranch]

The preponderance of the time, it is the member's chain of command who hasn't heard from the member in far too long.

Well clearly, if the CoC isn't hearing from their member in "far too long" they're not doing their job. Even members on component 1 RTW are supposed to check in with their unit (and the responsibility is on the member, btw), so unless they're on outright sick leave the CoC should be hearing from them on a regular basis.

 

[PanaEng]

Well clearly, if the CoC isn't hearing from their member in "far too long" they're not doing their job. Even members on component 1 RTW are supposed to check in with their unit (and the responsibility is on the member, btw), so unless they're on outright sick leave the CoC should be hearing from them on a regular basis.

You are supporting the argument that the JPSU, the members CoC as they are "posted" there, is not doing their job or their job is not well defined or they are doing it wrong??? Please illustrate your argument better, as I don't get it (maybe I'm a bit thick) and justify why the JPSU is not required to do more.
I think garb811 is right.

 

[Nudibranch]

You are supporting the argument that the JPSU, the members CoC as they are "posted" there, is not doing their job or their job is not well defined or they are doing it wrong??? Please illustrate your argument better, as I don't get it (maybe I'm a bit thick) and justify why the JPSU is not required to do more.
I think garb811 is right.

To my knowledge, none of us are aware of the specifics in this case. However, my argument is that the member's supervisors (regardless of the unit the member is posted to) should clearly be aware of where the member is. I don't understand what garb811 means by a CoC not hearing from a member in "far too long" (unless, again, that member is on sick leave or the temporary supervision of someone else, such as a training program, inpatient care, whatever - but in that case there is no expectation of hearing from the member, until member comes back from leave/whatever).
If a member is supposed to be reporting in, and isn't, the member is AWOL. The CoC should obviously look into why the member is AWOL, be it a medical reason or a non-medical one. There shouldn't come a point where the CoC just loses contact with their member for "far too long".

 

[the 48th regulator]

To my knowledge, none of us are aware of the specifics in this case. However, my argument is that the member's supervisors (regardless of the unit the member is posted to) should clearly be aware of where the member is. I don't understand what garb811 means by a CoC not hearing from a member in "far too long" (unless, again, that member is on sick leave or the temporary supervision of someone else, such as a training program, inpatient care, whatever - but in that case there is no expectation of hearing from the member, until member comes back from leave/whatever).
If a member is supposed to be reporting in, and isn't, the member is AWOL. The CoC should obviously look into why the member is AWOL, be it a medical reason or a non-medical one. There shouldn't come a point where the CoC just loses contact with their member for "far too long".

Uhm Nijmegenbark,

Before you jumped into the fray, waxing poetically about the JPSU, and lecturing us about how the system is supposed work with Gumdrop clouds and rivers made of chocolate, did you even bother to click the links E.R. Campbell in his post and read the article?  Here, let me make them real big for you;

In    another thread    I posted an article about the "dysfunctional" Ottawa JPSU. Now the Ottawa Citizen has linked WO Richmond to it.

The headline is: Soldier charged in wife’s killing was posted to overloaded rehab unit.

The article notes that, "Richmond, who told news media before his arrest that he is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), was posted into the Ottawa IPSC, which is officially a platoon with a traditional personnel strength of around 30 ... [but] ... "the Ottawa IPSC is now trying to cope with 182 ill and injured, the bulk of whom are “Red Cases” — “high intensity people who need a lot of care.”"

 

[Nudibranch]

I hardly think saying that a CoC should investigate a soldier who's AWOL is "waxing poetic" about anything.

What I meant when I said that none of us are aware of this case's circumstances is...just that. Making a font rilly rilly big won't change that fact. There are soldiers in overloaded JPSU's who report in daily, or who are on RTW in another location full-time and are accounted for, and these are those who don't. Neither you nor I know which the accused was, so we don't know whether his CoC dropped the ball or not. Maybe they did. And maybe he's just anther asshole wife-abuser, and his stated PTSD is merely incidental to that. It is in fact possible to have a mental illness *and* be an asshole/abuser/murderer, and the two need not be connected at all.

Just as he's innocent until proven guilty, so the mere existence of a mental illness should not immediately be linked to an alleged violent act.

 

[the 48th regulator]

I hardly think saying that a CoC should investigate a soldier who's AWOL is "waxing poetic" about anything.

What I meant when I said that none of us are aware of this case's circumstances is...just that. Making a font rilly rilly big won't change that fact. There are soldiers in overloaded JPSU's who report in daily, or who are on RTW in another location full-time and are accounted for, and these are those who don't. Neither you nor I know which the accused was, so we don't know whether his CoC dropped the ball or not. Maybe they did. And maybe he's just anther asshole wife-abuser, and his stated PTSD is merely incidental to that. It is in fact possible to have a mental illness *and* be an asshole/abuser/murderer, and the two need not be connected at all.

Just as he's innocent until proven guilty, so the mere existence of a mental illness should not immediately be linked to an alleged violent act.

What??

You skimmed over some of the things you are now saying, but by no means was that your complete argument.


However you stated;

However, my argument is that the member's supervisors (regardless of the unit the member is posted to) should clearly be aware of where the member is. I don't understand what garb811 means by a CoC not hearing from a member in "far too long" (unless, again, that member is on sick leave or the temporary supervision of someone else, such as a training program, inpatient care, whatever - but in that case there is no expectation of hearing from the member, until member comes back from leave/whatever).

Some of us have worked in the IPSC's, since it;s inception.  Some of us have had the priveleage of have 3 IPSC to work directly with for 5 years, and beleive it or not, it has happened where soldiers have sat at home with absolutely no contact from the CoC for months on end.  So when you start to lecture us on what the CoC should be doing, without a clue what is truly happening, I advise you take your own advice, and say nothing,  if you know nothing.

I was trying to be gentle at first, but now I am blunt.  Remember that lecture you got before going on the range "Stay in your Lane", it works elsewhere as well.

dileas
tess

 

[Nudibranch]

it has happened where soldiers have sat at home with absolutely no contact from the CoC for months on end.  So when you start to lecture us on what the CoC should be doing, without a clue what is truly happening, I advise you take your own advice, and say nothing,  if you know nothing.

And...what? You think this is acceptable, or at least, that such a situation should not be criticized if it's happening? I don't have to be "in the know" to know that a soldier still on duty, including posted to JPSU, should not be going for months without any contact from their unit or some kind of alternate (training program, schooling, etc - NOT sitting around at home). So yeah, the CoC clearly should be doing something different, if that's happening. How is that even a question? What do you think the CoC should be doing, since you are in the know?

 

[Teager]

I hardly think saying that a CoC should investigate a soldier who's AWOL is "waxing poetic" about anything.

What I meant when I said that none of us are aware of this case's circumstances is...just that. Making a font rilly rilly big won't change that fact. There are soldiers in overloaded JPSU's who report in daily, or who are on RTW in another location full-time and are accounted for, and these are those who don't. Neither you nor I know which the accused was, so we don't know whether his CoC dropped the ball or not. Maybe they did. And maybe he's just anther ******* wife-abuser, and his stated PTSD is merely incidental to that. It is in fact possible to have a mental illness *and* be an *******/abuser/murderer, and the two need not be connected at all.

Just as he's innocent until proven guilty, so the mere existence of a mental illness should not immediately be linked to an alleged violent act.

I think the 48th regulator has explained it well. If you have never been injured, never been to a JPSU/IPSC or worked in one then you do not know what you are talking about. As for the checking in with you CoC I went through this myself with the IPSC staff. I did not check in for several weeks. Eventually contact came from my CoC asking why I hadn't checked in. My question was why have YOU not checked in with me? The explanation I got was simple not enough staff or time to check in with each member which would fall under the current article posted.

Injured/ill go  through a lot and some are bitter towards the military and the last thing some want to do is pick up the phone or e-mail to check in. This is where the IPSC staff come in. All the staff members are hard working and will always do their best to help members but with less staff and more injured/ill this is becoming very hard. Injured/ill have very complex issues and each case is on an individual basis as much as possible. I suggest doing some reading on injured CF members in the media or even threads on here to get a better understanding of the issues that are faced by them and there famlies.

 

[the 48th regulator]

And...what? You think this is acceptable, or at least, that such a situation should not be criticized if it's happening? I don't have to be "in the know" to know that a soldier still on duty, including posted to JPSU, should not be going for months without any contact from their unit or some kind of alternate (training program, schooling, etc - NOT sitting around at home). So yeah, the CoC clearly should be doing something different, if that's happening. How is that even a question? What do you think the CoC should be doing, since you are in the know?

:facepalm:

I want to thank Teager for further emphasizing what is happening, as opposed to what should be happening.

Thanks for your input Nimrodchipper, until you arrived I have been in the dark on the Principles of Leadership, how the Ill and Injured should be treated, and what is happening in today's military.....

dileas

tess

PS that is 60 minutes of my life I will never get back, so you should reflect on that.

 

[Kat Stevens]

That's telling him, 48th Regurgitator!

 

[the 48th regulator]

That's telling him, 48th Regurgitator!

The cheek of you.  I wanted to say Nudibranch.....but it just sounds, I dunno bawdy.

 

[jollyjacktar]

Any way you cut it, it's a tragedy all around.  Many lives lost and ruined.

 

[PanaEng]

Any way you cut it, it's a tragedy all around.  Many lives lost and ruined.

Perhaps the silver lining in all of this is that the attention the JPSU receives may prompt for better funding and staffing iot properly take care of the pers in their charge.