AWOL Soldier fighting for his Right to Heal returns on Veteran Day
Spc. Jeff Hanks has turned himself in after refusing to return to Afghanistan when the Army denied him medical care. Jeff has served in Iraq and Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division and was due to receive medical evaluation and treatment during a leave from his tour in Afghanistan. But his military command effectively canceled his medical appointments to send him back to combat. Jeff made the difficult decision to go AWOL to get the care he so desperately needed. With the help of Iraq Veterans Against the War's Operation Recovery Campaign, Jeff is getting the medical care, and moral and legal support he needs.
Thousands of soldiers like Jeff are being denied their right to heal by the U.S. military so it can continue its ongoing occupations. Approximately 20% of the current fighting force are suffering from un-treated trauma. Our Operation Recovery Campaign will to stop the deployment of traumatized troops and hold those accountable who send them back into war. Sign the Pledge to support Operation Recovery to end the deployment of traumatized troops.
Jeff now awaits the decision of his command and could face an Article 15. He is hoping that instead of punishing him, the Army gives him the medical treatment he so desperately needs.
Donate to Jeff's legal defense fund
To make a donation to Jeff's legal defense fund, click here and type "JH Legal Defense" in the Special Project box, or make a check out to IVAW and put "JH Legal Defense" in the memo line. Send your check or money order for Jeff's legal defense to: IVAW, 630 Ninth Ave., Suite 807, New York, NY 10036
Read and Share The Associated Press article AWOL Soldier Returns on Veterans Day
AWOL soldier Jeff Hanks said he walked away from the Army in the middle of a deployment to Afghanistan because his problems with anxiety and stress from combat have been ignored. On Veterans Day, he returned to face the consequences. Read more about Jeff in the Associated Press article here.
Read and Share the Truth Out article AWOL Soldier Refusing Deployment Because of Severe PTSD
"I am just trying to get help," insisted Jeff Hanks, active duty US Army infantryman, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "My goal in this situation is to simply heal. And they wonder why there are so many suicides." Jeff spoke rapidly over the phone from Virginia, where he, his wife and his two young daughters are staying while he is AWOL from the military. Days earlier, Jeff had walked out of an airport, refusing to board a plane headed for Kuwait, which was to be his first stop on his way back to Afghanistan. Read more about Jeff in the Truth Out Article here.
