Ohio widow informed of soldier husband’s death via Facebook

[Playinghardball]

Source: Raw Story

An Ohio woman last week said she was informed of her husband’s untimely death in Afghanistan by one of his platoon members, who contacted her in a Facebook post and broke protocol to give her the shocking news.

Staff Sgt. Christopher Brown, a 26-year-old resident of Columbus, Ohio and father of two girls, was killed in action earlier this month just under two weeks after embarking on his fourth tour of duty. His wife, Ariell Taylor-Brown, said she is 11 weeks pregnant.

Brown was killed after he stepped on an improvised explosive device. He died just one day after his youngest daughter’s birthday, according to a memorial service announcement.

But even more painful and shocking: “I was told via Facebook,” his wife explained to reporters.


Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/04/16/ohio-widow-informed-of-soldier-husbands-death-via-facebook/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRawStory+%28The+Raw+Story%29

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. That is HORRIBLE.

What happened to the so-called "normal" channels of communication?

My heart goes out to her and her family at this awful news.

[PavePusher]

3. Nothing "happened to the so-called "normal" channels of communication"...

An idiot, trying to be helpful, completely bypassed the chain.

"one of his platoon members, who contacted her in a Facebook post and broke protocol to give her the shocking news."

This happens occasionally. We get many briefings on it, but not everyone actually gets the message or the point. It's a problem while we, as a culture, learn to deal with instant global communication and the ever increasing demand for social media and stream-of-conciousness-i-gotta-share-everything-all-the-time-ness.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Thank you; I appreciate your input. n/t

[MADem]

6. Yes--EXACTLY. That jerk should have his ass handed to him.

Maybe let him do a month at Dover on his way out the door. Stupid jerk--what if the spouse completely went to pieces and needed substantial physical/medical/psychological assistance upon hearing the news? No one's there to help or walk the family through the process. The family is left with ... THE NEWS. And nothing more.

The CACO job is difficult enough. When you have buddies--or even slight acquaintances--"sharing" that kind of horrific news, it makes the CACO job next to impossible.

[PavePusher]

15. The jerk was a she.

Not that it makes any difference, dumb-assedness knows no gender boundaries.

[MADem]

17. She should have her ass handed to her.

What a complete lack of compassion and common sense.

[PavePusher]

22. Indeed. n/t

[Mimosa]

12. God, didn't she realise how shocking that would be?

As you said, that takes an IDIOT.

Does the military still send a team to notify the family?

I think a subliminal ego assertion was there.

[PavePusher]

14. I am sure that a casulty assistance team was sent. This would be standard protocol....

as there is still a requirement for an official notification, and to provide all assistance and support options available. And, as with any death, lots of paperwork that needs to be done, some sooner, some later.

[Skittles]

20. I used to do that paperwork, long before computers

there was lots of it and it was incredibly detailed

[liberal N proud]

2. I am surprised they been able to keep this from happening more often

What a terrible way to learn of such a tragedy.

[Common Sense Party]

5. That soldier who told her is a well-meaning idiot.

That is absolutely NOT the way it is supposed to happen and he knows it. It was drilled into them again and again to keep quiet and to avoid just these types of painful and awkward situations. I'm very sorry for the family's loss and pain, but I'm livid at the soldier's insensitivity.

[cynatnite]

7. Exactly...

It's appalling. He should be disciplined for this.

[pasto76]

8. no, he is a selfish "look at me!" attention whore

This is all about *I* am not going to follow orders, *I* am not going to let her wait to find out, *I* am going to be the one who tells her, I,I,I,I,I,I,I,me, me, me, me, me, me, me.

stupid, foolish and selfish.

[Common Sense Party]

10. He was a she, it turns out. She may have had the wife's well-being in mind,

but she didn't have the right or the training to deliver bad news like that.

[skyounkin]

13. Yeah- the fact that she did it thru Facebook speaks

VOLUMES of how idiotic she was in doing what she did.

[Posteritatis]

11. Ahhh, mindreaders. (nt)

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. This headline is irresponsible.

No, I am not defending what happened, but this makes it sound like a wall post to someone's facebook page saying "your husband is dead".

Yes, it was wrong of this soldier to ask for the phone call, and yes, even moreso for volunteering this information, but Raw Story is playing the "if it bleeds it leads" game here. Would they have headlined "Told via Email" if an email was sent saying "call me"?

One of Brown’s squadmates, a female soldier, reportedly posted a message to Ariell’s Facebook page with word of an emergency following the attack, begging her to call as soon as possible. Speaking on the telephone, Ariell said she sat stunned as this soldier broke rank and informed her of her husband’s death.

“I was in front of my kids, and… I completely had a meltdown,” she admitted. “She wasn’t supposed to, but I guess she took it into her own power to do it.”

Had proper protocol been followed, the Department of Defense would have informed her in a more sensitive manner: in person. Families are also typically cut off from overseas communications with military personnel once a death has occurred — a policy intended to prevent exactly this situation from occurring.

[Skittles]

16. I did death notifications in the military

it was ALWAYS in person and an official process

[MADem]

18. I did it too for a bit. Awful duty. Heartbreaking. nt

[Skittles]

19. aw I did not do many

I begged off - it takes a certain temperament to do that kind of stuff - it just affected me too badly

[MADem]

21. I didn't have a choice, I'm afraid! I just sucked it up and did it. nt