Army Apologizes For "John Doe" Letters

Thousands Of Letters Sent To Families Of Fallen Soldiers Addressing Them By Generic Moniker

(AP)  The U.S. Army said Wednesday that 7,000 family members of soldiers killed in the Iraq or Afghan wars mistakenly were sent letters addressing them as "John Doe."

Army Chief of Staff Gen. George W. Casey, Jr., was sending a personal letter to all the families who received the improperly addressed letters as the result of a printing error, the Army said.

The 7,000 original letters were sent late last month to inform survivors about private organizations that offer gifts, programs and other assistance to families that have lost soldiers in Iraq or other countries where they are deployed for the war on terrorism.

It was sent from the U.S. Army Human Resources Command's Casualty and Mortuary Affairs Center, which issued a formal apology Wednesday.

The letters, which were printed by a contractor, were to have been automatically addressed with the specific names and addresses of survivors, said Paul Boyce, an Army spokesman. Instead, they contained the placeholder greeting - "Dear John Doe."

"It's our fault for not catching it," he said. "We are certainly sorry."

Casey's personal note to the families alluded to the fact that he lost his own father in Vietnam and it said the Army is extremely sensitive to family grief.

An apology also was being posted on the human resources Web site, Boyce said.

"There are no words to adequately apologize for this mistake or for the hurt it may have caused," Brig. Gen. Reuben D. Jones, the Army adjutant general, said in the statement to be posted.

Boyce said all the other information in the letter regarding the assistance organizations was correct.

"It is important the original intent of the letter is not lost," Jones' statement said. "The organizations mentioned are dedicated to honoring loved ones and recognizing their sacrifice and commitment."

[observer2020]

This is what happens when you have to contract out duties that have normally been done by active duty and DoD civilians. Contractors do not have the same sense of urgency and commitment to excellence that the military and their civilian counterparts do. Do away with the contractors and hire more DoD civilians. We do a much better job!

[antoniof123]

So this is how the Republicans support the troops.

They used the war for their own policital agenda and divided a nation now.

The conservatives should be ashamed this is how they suppor the troops.

[arnoldbowers]

I think the majority of you seem to forget bush/cheney had to scab out the jobs (blackwater and the other soldiers of fortune) to get the kick backs (from that idiot in NC who runs black water who really need to be in cuba doing his time) for their future they do not have enough billions of american dollars in the bank as of yet.
The other thing is bush cheney dwanted those men who work for black wsater out of the country you see they did not trust them and the secret service guards knew they could no tprotect them from those who know the truth and had been on the ground over there.
the last fact is they had to employee them or the depression would have been realized sooner.
The best o good byes to all from Austin, TX and
Frank Bowers

[Krazcarl]

This is SO SAD. Asa child I was raised the USA always took the high ground and was just more civilized than the rest of the world and we treated folks with respect this made me happy and proud the bush legacy I''m no longer happy or proud....

[misha128-2009]

A truly deserving part of the Bush Legacy -- the true compassionate conservative that does not believe or seemingly care about the families of fallen soldiers being addressed by their own name. What are the chances we could contribute for a monument to be placed the space in front on the New Bush library to have this form letter permanently remembered in Bronze? This subject will certainly not be covered inside the library. The monument to gross negligence and incompetence should also LIST the real names of the fallen for their families including an expression of the thanks of the entire nation for their service. It''s by far the least that can be done to recognize those this administration is willing to consider nameless.

[rixmix98]

It was the contractor who sent the letters not the government. You wanted cheap government you got it.

Posted by tripkit at 07:30 PM : Jan 07, 2009



Another profound statement of truth!

[rixmix98]

Bush has outsourced federal functions to a legion of subcontractors, who end up costing the taxpayer more than it would cost to keep the operation in-house.

Posted by alphaa10000 at 06:37 AM : Jan 08, 2009




There is so much truth in this statement it hurts.

[whatawebb]

Well there goes a billion dollars on a faulty computer system.

[rusure5]

It''s probably difficult for anyone who has never served in the US military to comprehend just how incompetent this group really is, on the whole.

[annd2302]

Posted by, " brundage3 " and in part only, "Fir generation after generation the Army has proven it is in the end a non careing bureacracy. Period. As such it proves again it is INCOMPETENT. INCOMPETENT. The U S Army is an evil in our world because no one has the guts to stand up to it. OR they want to use it for evil."

You stupid little person, what gives you the right to be so critical of the United States Army? Answer these:
Have you ever been in the military?
Have you ever been refused a promotion while in the military?
Were you an officer or enlisted?
Were you demoted, (busted) while militarily serving?
What rank did you hold?
I spent 43 years and that alone gives me more rights than stupid little people like you.
I will not waste any more time or thought toward little people like you. Go to bed if you can find it....................................

[mainedoggie]

=========
mainedoggie Calm down and take your blood pressure meds. Yeah this wasn''''t a good thing but why over react like this. I''''m not saying what they did was ok but it''''s not the end of the world either. And by the way I didn''''t vote for Bush I have more brains than that. I''''m just saying we have bigger things to worry about you know.

Posted by fabrat1
==================

Yea, you''re right. Let''s not worry about petty stuff like this. After all, who cares, wasn''t my family who got the letter.

Let''s just sweep it under the carpet and forget any of this ever happened.

Now... where did I put my meds...

[caliengineer]

I deployed with an outstanding man and sergeant. His wife was epileptic and began to have serious problems. The army refused to allow him. Yet, we all believed he should have gone.

Later, two men in our unit refused to return from leave. Nothing happened to those men.

Scarier still is the way corporate global machines are moving the world to corporate armies, and nobody seems to be noticing.

[allzwell]

Who was the sub-contractor who printed these? Halliburton?

[brundage3]

AMEN! To the poster who said the army "can''t even get
a programmed letter to the families of deceased correct."

Fir generation after generation the Army has proven it is in the end a non careing bureacracy. Period. As such it proves again it is INCOMPETENT. INCOMPETENT. The U S Army is an evil in our world because no one has the guts to stand up to it. OR they want to use it for evil.

This is only one more element of proof of that. Now and then, a President comes along who wishes to use our armed forces for truly needed purposes only. (As the Army claims it is doing EVERY time it is employed.) Let us hope that the new President does effect change within the armed forces "thinkology."

President Kennedy told a few aids and a Senator or two that he found out in the Bay of Pigs he was right in thinking he could not trust the intelligence/military/industrial complex thinking. When he died he had decided to get out of Vietnam and begin a process of major change in the military
corporate think" functions.

Unfortunately President Johnson was not in the loop on that decision. It was truly top secret because the word could not get out to the intelligence/Army structure.

[sandy19731]

Still better than the first draft:

Dear __________,
Words cannot express my profound sadness to learn that your [son/daughter] was [killed/wounded/missing in action]
Thanks,
George and Laura

[jsd330]

Typical U.S. government contractor. They can make mistakes and waste millions of $, and nothing happens to them. Some poor low level clerk who had nothing to do with it will get fired over it.

[fabrat1]

mainedoggie Calm down and take your blood pressure meds. Yeah this wasn''t a good thing but why over react like this. I''m not saying what they did was ok but it''s not the end of the world either. And by the way I didn''t vote for Bush I have more brains than that. I''m just saying we have bigger things to worry about you know.

[nobdysfool]

The US Government had no regard for these soldiers when they sent them off to fight a war we should''ve never been in to begin with, so why would they have any regard for them after they returned or didn''t return? This letter is very befitting.

[mainedoggie]

"ms1-1-1.... you are really pathetic!! It was a mistake. You act as if they told you that a loved one was dead when in fact they weren''''t. It was a MISTAKE so get over it! There is NO reason to sue anyone have you lost your mind??

Posted by fabrat1 "
=============

A Mistake? This is a blatant disregard for human life and complete disrespect for those serving our country.

This is hardly a mistake. This is the result of good old 100% pure, lazy, carelessness on the part of the overpaid contractor hired by your dear Bush/Cheney thug ridden, no-bid contract creating administration.

There is NO excuse for this.

[drblizzard]

yea think the IRS could make the same mistake?