Puckett & Faraj

Captain Roger Hill, USA, the West Point graduate and company commander in Afghanistan, who had known insurgents in his camp, has been separated from the Army as of 31 June 2009. Capt Hill’s resignation in lieu of court-martial was accepted by the Secretary of the Army and his service to this country remains characterized as a “general under honorable conditions” discharge.

General Under Honorable Conditions

Captain Hill offered his resignation in December 2008 after an Article 32 hearing in Afghanistan. The “general under honorable conditions” discharge normally qualifies for Veterans Administration benefits including disability pension, health care, and death benefits. An exception to this policy is found in 38 USC § 5303(a); it states an officer who resigns for the good of the service is barred from most of the Veteran’s benefits.

Combat Injuries

In Captain Hill’s case, his injuries suffered while at West Point and subsequently aggravated by parachute qualification and combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan may not qualify for a VA disability pension. The Army held him on active duty for an additional 90 days this spring to assess his combat injuries. His doctors assessed his neck and back injuries as severe enough to qualify for significant disability compensation from the VA. However, due to his resignation for the “good of the service,” he may only be eligible for care at a VA hospital as his constant pain dictates.

SecArmy Denies Upgrade of Discharge

The Secretary of the Army could have upgraded his discharge to “honorable” but chose to let the “general under honorable conditions” characterization stand. During his 90-day extension on active duty, he submitted another request for resignation, void of any reference to disciplinary actions by the Army and thus not for the “good of the service.” The detainee abuse charges had been dropped in December 2008. The Secretary of the Army had the discretion to approve this second resignation request, but he declined to do so.

Civilian Roger Hill

Captain Hill is currently seeking a job Southeast United states. He has requested copies of all of his military records and upon receipt of them, he will apply to the Veteran’s Administration for all the benefits available to him including a request for exemption for a disability pension.

More Than Brothers

The More Than Brothers website outlines the current status of Capt Hill and his men of Dog Company. Some faced courts-martial and are still fighting to clear their names. Donations are welcome to support the families of Dog Company including the two Soldiers who lost their lives to the insurgents who were spying on them within the camp.