Needless to say, Eric Lancaster's situation is upsetting to anyone in uniform. The more he told me about being turned away when he sought help, the more frustrated I became.
I first learned of Eric's emotional journey a year ago when his mother, Peggy, contacted me to see if I could meet with her son and reinforce his spirits, offer advice. He's certainly been through a lot .. and readjusting to the United States again is tough on anyone who has been overseas.
I'm hopeful that some local veterans will reach out and offer support to him .. at least until the Army can figure out what it's going to do . .and the Pentagon completes its investigation.
Our soldiers don't deserve to be turned away .. and any commander worth his commission should at least call a soldier who goes AWOL .. and not just go along with some scheme to erase him from the roster.
This one really upsets me .
