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PROTECT THEMSELVES. LIVE IN LITCHFIELD PARK, THE
UNCLE BUONO WITH 12 NEWS.
>>> FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS,
12 NEWS HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE
CASES OF VETERANS WITH SO-
CALLED BAD PAPER DISCHARGES.
SOMETHING OTHER THAN AN
HONORABLE DISCHARGE BECAUSE OF
PTSD RELATED TO THEIR SERVICE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY LOSE
THEIR VA BENEFITS.
>> WILLIAM PITTS TRAVEL TELL
WASHINGTON DC WITH A FORMER
SOLDIER ON HIS SECOND TRY TO
CHANGE HIS DISCHARGE.
>> Reporter: JEFF WAS A SPECIAL
FORCES MEDIC, A RANGER DEPLOYED
TO AFGHANISTAN IN 2005.
TRAUMA WHILE AT WAR AND IN HIS
PERSONAL LIFE SENTENCE
SPIRALING.
SPIRALING. HE WAS DISCHARGED FROM THE
MILITARY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS
HE HAS BEEN FIGHTING TO UPGRADE
HIS DISCHARGE TO HONORABLE.
WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THIS
THREE YEARS, HIS FIRST APPEAL
FLATLY DENIED.
FLATLY DENIED. THIS TIME HE WENT TO WASHINGTON
DC TO SEE THE PEOPLE THAT
DENIED HIM IN PERSON.
>> DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE
SAYING THAT?
SAYING THAT? >> LET'S SAY --
>> I REALIZE I NEEDED HELP FOR
EVERYTHING I WAS GOING THROUGH.
>> Reporter: THIS IS JEFF'S
LIFE, MOSTLY THE BAD PARTS LAID
OUT FOR THE REVIEW BOARD.
IT IS LIKE A PAROLE HEARING TO
SHOW HE IS NOT A BAD PERSON, HE
MADE MISTAKES.
MADE MISTAKES. JEFF HAS HAD MORE THAN HIS
SHARE OF PAIN.
A FELLOW SOLDIER SEXUALLY
ASSAULTED HIS FIRST WIFE WHILE
HE WAS ON A TRAINING MESSAGE.
>> A FEW WEEKS LATER, SHE
LOCKED HERSELF IN THE BEDROOM
AND SHOT HERSELF.
I WIPED THE BLOOD OFF THE
BATHROOM FLOOR.
BATHROOM FLOOR. >> Reporter: HIS SECOND WIFE
WAS ADDICTED TO METH.
SO IS HE.
SO IS HE.
SO IS HE. HE WAS CAUGHT ON BASE WITH THE
UNREGISTERED GUN AND DETOX KIT.
JEFF WAS GIVEN A GENERAL
DISCHARGE, NOT HONORABLE.
HE CAN GET SOME VA BENEFITS,
NOT ALL BUT CANNOT ACCEPT ADOPT
HIS STEPDAUGHTER BECAUSE OF IT.
>> HE HAD A DARK PERIOD, HE HAS
DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO HELPING
OTHERS.
OTHERS.
OTHERS. THAT SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED.
>> Reporter: HE HAS BEEN THE
FORCE TRYING TO HELP VETERANS
LIKE CHRIS.
LIKE CHRIS. HE TRIED TO KILL HIMSELF WHILE
IN THE ARMY AND HE WAS KICKED
OUT.
OUT.
OUT. NOW,
OUT. NOW, HE HELPS OTHER VETS LIKE
JEFF.
JEFF.
JEFF. >>
JEFF. >> THIS IS A BUNCH OF VETS
HELPING VETS.
HELPING VETS. I THINK THE BOARD WILL
RECOGNIZE THAT.
RECOGNIZE THAT. >> I HAVE THE PRE-MEETING
JITTERS, IT WILL GO AWAY WHEN I
START ANSWERING QUESTIONS.
>> Reporter: ARE YOU READY FOR
THIS?
THIS?
THIS? >>
THIS? >> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. WE HAVE PRACTICED A LOT, I HAVE
BEEN ASKED A LOT OF DIFFICULT
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> Reporter: WE WERE NOT
ALLOWED IN THE HEARING ROOM BUT
STAYED WITH JEFF AS HE
PRACTICED HIS SPEECH.
HE WANTED THE BOARD TO KNOW, IT
WAS FOR A REASON.
>> IT TOOK AWAY THE GUILT, THE
PAIN OF MY FATHER'S DEATH, MY
WIFE'S SUICIDE, THE PEOPLE I
KILLED.
KILLED.
KILLED. THE RANGER IN SPECIAL FORCES
CULTURE, WE ARE TAUGHT TO SUCK
IT UP AND PUSH THROUGH.
I UNDERSTAND THIS IS NO EXCUSE
BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO
UNDERSTAND WHERE I WAS COMING
FROM AT THE TIME.
SEEKING MENTAL HEALTH IN
SPECIAL OPERATIONS IS NOT
PROMOTED OR ENCOURAGED.
WITHIN TWO WEEKS OF ARRIVING IN
IRAQ, I TOOK A GRENADE TO THE
SHOULDER AND HAD SHRAPNEL IN MY
LEG.
LEG.
LEG. I
LEG. I WATCHED TEAMMATES DIE IN
FRONT OF ME.
ON ONE OCCASION, I WAS FORCED
TO KILL A MAN THAT WAS POINTING
A WEAPON AT ME AND MY
TEAMMATES.
TEAMMATES. I HAVE BEEN SOBER FIVE YEARS
AND STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE IN MY
PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE.
GETTING THE DISCHARGE TO
HONORABLE WOULD MEAN MORE TO ME
THAN IMAGINABLE.
THAN IMAGINABLE. THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY CASE,
I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR
QUESTIONS.
QUESTIONS. >> I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS
FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
IT IS MY LIFE ON DISPLAY, NOT
THE PARTS OF MY LIFE I WANT TO
DISPLAY.
DISPLAY.
DISPLAY. >> THEY WERE GOOD QUESTIONS,
NOT AS MANY QUESTIONS AS THE
LAST TIME I WAS HERE.
I TOOK THAT AS A GOOD SIGN.
>> ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, I AM
BOUND AND DETERMINED TO MAKE
SURE SERVICEMEMBERS WHO SUFFER
FROM PTSD, WHO SUFFER FROM TBI,
ARE HEARD AND GIVEN A FAIR
CHANCE.
CHANCE.
CHANCE. >> Reporter: IN THE LAST FEW
YEARS, JEFF HAS COME A LONG
WAY.
WAY.
WAY. HE
WAY. HE IS A PARAMEDIC, ABOUT TO
GRADUATE NURSING SCHOOL AND
OWNED HIS OWN BUSINESS TEACHING
FIRST AID AND CPR AND HOPES
THAT IS ENOUGH TO SHOW THE
REVIEW BOARD HE IS WORTH A
SECOND CHANCE.
SECOND CHANCE. WILLIAM PITTS WITH 12 NEWS.
>> UNBELIEVABLE STORY.
TANKS.
TANKS.
TANKS. IF
TANKS. IF YOU ARE A SERVICEMEMBER OR
VETERAN IN CRISIS OR YOU ARE
CONCERNED ABOUT ONE, THERE ARE
SPECIALLY TRAINED RESPONDERS
READY AND AVAILABLE TO HELP 24
HOURS A DAY SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.
THE VETERANS CRISIS LINE
CONNECTS SERVICEMEMBERS AND
VETERANS IN CRISIS AS WELL AS
THEIR LOVED ONES WITH QUALIFIED
VA RESPONDERS FROM CONFIDENTIAL
TOLL-FREE HOTLINE.
TOLL-FREE HOTLINE. OR IF YOU PREFER, ONLINE CHAT
OR TEXT MESSAGING SERVICE.
>> CALL 1800-273-8255 AND PRESS
ONE TO TALK TO SOMEONE.
OR SEND A TEXT TO 838-255.