An Army reservist who checked himself into a civilian psychiatric hospital after being turned away from a military clinic should be court-martialed for being absent without leave, according to an Army report.
First Lt. Jullian P. Goodrum, of Knoxville, Tenn., is a veteran of both U.S. wars in Iraq and is being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Goodrum was also suffering from the disorder last fall, the time of his alleged infraction.
First Lt. Jullian P. Goodrum, a patient at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, says the charges against him are retaliation for complaints he filed.
(Preston Keres -- The Washington Post)
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"Lt. Goodrum has been diagnosed with PTSD, though this should not be reason to not pursue court martial action," states the report by Army Lt. Col. Michael L. Amaral, the investigating officer in the case.
Goodrum's legal team, which released the Amaral report to The Washington Post, intends to fight the recommendation. The Post wrote about Goodrum and his case in its Style section last month.
"The diagnosis of PTSD is at the very heart of the case, and for that diagnosis to receive a single line in this investigating officer's report just goes to show how little attention has been given by the military to this case and the real issues in it," said Matthew J. MacLean, of the law firm Shaw Pittman.
Goodrum, 34, is a 16-year military man who has served in the Navy, Tennessee National Guard and Army Reserve. He served in Iraq last year as a platoon leader in the 212th Transportation Company. His deployment was cut short after three months by an extreme case of carpal tunnel syndrome. Shortly after his return to his base at Fort Knox, Ky., symptoms of his post-traumatic stress disorder emerged, culminating in a mental breakdown the day he was turned away from a base clinic.
Following an investigative hearing at Walter Reed on Oct. 25, Amaral recommended in his Nov. 5 report that Goodrum be court-martialed for being AWOL while in the civilian psychiatric facility; for failing to obey an order that he return to Fort Knox or follow the necessary medical leave procedures; and for fraternizing with his sergeant, a woman, while in Iraq. Goodrum faces up to six years in prison and the equivalent of a dishonorable discharge from the military.
He and his lawyers deny that he was ordered to return to Fort Knox, citing testimony from his senior officer, Capt. Debra G. Savage.
"I did not order First Lt. Goodrum to come back. I gave him two alternatives," the Amaral report quotes Savage as saying.
Goodrum, a decorated soldier with glowing military performance reviews, lashed out at the Amaral report.
"He never mentioned my outstanding service and he mentioned PTSD like it was a chewing gum wrapper," he said, calling himself "highly disgusted with the [Army] medical system."
Goodrum denies the charges and claims the case against him is rooted in retaliation. He has filed numerous complaints up the chain of command over the lack of equipment for troops in Iraq, about a commander whose leadership he questioned and about poor treatment of soldiers awaiting medical care at Fort Knox.
In the October hearing, a lieutenant testified that a captain who particularly disliked Goodrum had coerced two witnesses into writing statements saying they saw Goodrum fraternizing with his sergeant. (She, too, denies the charge, Goodrum's lawyers say.)
Also at the hearing, a lieutenant colonel at Fort Knox testified that he was angry about Goodrum's public statements criticizing the base's handling of sick soldiers. Lt. Col. Ronald Stevens, then the deputy chief of clinical services at Fort Knox, confirmed that Goodrum had been "turned away" from a clinic during his breakdown, but said it was because of a misunderstanding.
Goodrum's case has raised concern among some veterans who are also activists, as well as among some members of Congress.
When contacted by Goodrum earlier this year, Tennessee Republican Sens. Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander asked the Army to investigate and report back on his case. The senators specifically asked about allegations that Goodrum had been inappropriately locked down in the Walter Reed psychiatric ward. Goodrum's medical records suggest that he was locked down for administration or legal reasons rather than medical reasons, as is the norm. Army lawyers told the senators the Privacy Act prevented them from responding.
Army officials declined to comment on the case.
Amaral has submitted his report to Maj. Gen. Kenneth L. Farmer Jr., commander of the North Atlantic Regional Medical Command, which includes Walter Reed. Farmer is to make written recommendations based on the Amaral report and submit them to Maj. Gen. Galen B. Jackman, commander of the Army Military District of Washington. Jackman will make the final decision on whether Goodrum will be court-martialed.
