Soldier Reenlists In The Army To Get Health Insurance For His Family-Pays Ultimate Price

[kpete]

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0909/07/ltm.02.html

CNN Transcript

ROBERTS: Welcome back to the most news in the morning. How far would you go to get good health insurance? One man who lost his job and medical benefits reenlisted in the Army just to get his family covered and then he paid the ultimate price. This is a story that you'll see only here on CNN.

Jim Acosta joins us now from Washington for the heart-wrenching report. It's unbelievable story, Jim.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CORRESONDENT: It is terrible, John. The story of Greg Missman as you mentioned is not just about a soldier's sacrifice in the intensifying war in Afghanistan. It's also about a father's sacrifice to his family, when that family has no health insurance.

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ACOSTA (voice-over): Army Specialist Greg Missman was only on the ground in Afghanistan for one month.

JIM MISSMAN, FATHER OF ARMY SPC. GREG MISSMAN: My son's convoy had been ambushed.

ACOSTA: In July, his father Jim got that knock on the door.

J. MISSMAN: A chaplain and a master sergeant showed up. So it was - it was not a pleasant day.

ACOSTA: It was an abrupt end to what was actually Missman's second stint in the Army. He left the service 11 years ago, but last year, he lost his job as a computer consultant.

(on camera): He lost his job?

J. MISSMAN: Um-hmm.

ACOSTA: And became unemployed.

J. MISSMAN: Became unemployed. Lost his health insurance.

ACOSTA (voice-over): Missman says his son reenlisted to see to it his family had health insurance.

J. MISSMAN: See you in a year.

ACOSTA: He was full of confidence on the day he left for Afghanistan. J. MISSMAN: So he said, you know, I'm going to go back in the Army and make sure Jack has -- his son Jack would have health insurance. That was really the motivating thing to have him go back in.

ACOSTA (on camera): Greg Missman grew up in a community that's already lost two of its sons in the war of Iraq. Greg made it three, only in Afghanistan.

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[MadMaddie]

1. Republicans will find a way to blame the soldier I am very

confident in that.

May he RIP!!

[1Hippiechick]

2. Same way the military has always dangled a paid education in the faces of our youth. Bastards.

What a price to pay - they risk their lives for a CHANCE at an education...now it's health insurance. And the enlistment propaganda I saw on tv today turned my stomach. The Army opened an office last year on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, and there was a huge protest and candelight vigil.