COUNTERING MILITARY RECRUITMENT
Articles: Leaving Military: AWOL
Army to assess if Oregon recruiter lied
The Associated Press, Source
May 29, 2006
SALEM, Ore. — The Army has launched an investigation into an AWOL
soldier's charges that he was misled by a Salem-based recruiter.
Capt. Brian Peterson said his investigation was prompted by media
reports in which Jeremy Crawford said he was lied to by a recruiter who
allegedly told him that the Army would supply him with medication for anxiety and
depression.
"Any time there's any suspicion of fraudulent behavior, anything of
that nature, we always investigate," Peterson said.
Crawford, 31, of Salem, said that Sgt. Renny Lutz, a recruiter at the
Army's South Salem recruiting station, assured him that he would
receive psychiatric medication at basic training.
Crawford also said Lutz advised him not to disclose his medical history
during a pre-enlistment physical exam, and that Lutz suggested he stop
taking his medication before the exam so that it would not be detected
by blood testing.
After Crawford enlisted and was sent to Fort Benning, Ga., he said,
military personnel told him that they were not allowed to dispense
mood-stabilizing drugs.
Crawford said he fled basic training April 8 because he felt as if he
were losing his mind.
Lutz has not commented about Crawford's allegations, citing privacy laws.
Crawford told The Statesman-Journal newspaper of Salem that he welcomed
the Army investigation. "I'm definitely glad they're looking into it," he
said. "I'm not lying, so I have nothing to hide."
Under Army procedures, Crawford's history of depression and anxiety
should have disqualified him from service, Peterson said.
"If the medical records had been divulged," that is, Peterson said. "As
with all people who join the military, medical records have to be
completely divulged. That's the little cog that we're trying to
investigate and figure out what happened. Why weren't those medical records
processed?"
Crawford said he heeded the recruiter's advice about not divulging the
critical medical information because he didn't want to sabotage his
Army service before it started.
The unemployed, divorced father of three said he envisioned making a
fresh start in the military.
With proper medication, Crawford said, he thought he'd have no problems
graduating from boot camp and going on to serve in the Army infantry.
He could face punishment for going AWOL, ranging from a court-martial
and jail time to an other-than-honorable discharge.
Peterson said his findings will be submitted to Oregon Army officials,
who will decide whether to take action or order an additional investigation.
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