A soldier's death, a family's fight - Army probe finds failures in care at Fort Knox unit

[Contrary1]

The Army pronounced Cassidy's death an accidental overdose. I think not.

"FORT KNOX, KY. -- When Sgt. Gerald Cassidy died alone from a prescription drug overdose at the Army's Warrior Transition Unit here, at a facility set up expressly to help wounded soldiers, he had more than 600 prescription pills in his room.

His body was found Sept. 21 in a chair in his room, after he had missed required morning and afternoon check-in for three days. A sergeant was supposed to have taken attendance and tracked down anyone not present. Instead, the sergeant ignored Cassidy's absence the first afternoon, missed the next daily check-in with car trouble and the following day marked Cassidy present even though he wasn't.

Cassidy was found dead more than eight hours after his wife, Melissa, began calling Fort Knox in an escalating panic on Sept. 21.

Finally, after she called at 6 p.m. and told a sergeant that she was getting ready to drive down from Westfield to look for her husband herself, the sergeant checked Cassidy's room..."

More: http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080316/LOCAL/803160365/1304/NEWS

[babylonsister]

1. Three days? That's unconscionable. nt

[TomInTib]

2. "Warrior Transition Unit"

That, as a name unto itself, speaks volumes.

These poor fucking guys are not Warriors, they are Soldiers.

And there are huge differences inherent.

By naming the "Unit" as they did, they are greatly inhibiting the poor bastards enrolled.

Soldiers are aplenty.

Warriors, few.