"The climate [at the unit] was just go, go, go, do, do, do, we'll worry about any personal stuff later," MacMillan said. We have to turn in our phones, something happened, I cant talk about it, Clemons-Etheredge remembers her husband texting her. Only one defendant,Harris, chose to testify in his own defense, and the four men deny any scheme to get Whitmer at her vacation home. In 2018, the 21-year-old Navy petty officer third class killed himself. The Caserta couple is now devoting their lives to the passage of the Brandon Act, and say the legislation named after their son will help other servicemembers experiencing a medical crisis requiring psychological care without the fear of retaliation. But the investigating officer then recommended against mast, instead suggesting the aviation electrician's mate 1st class, or AE1, be transferred with a "declining" evaluation. Without support, what followed next broke him. The lead petty officer remains in the Navy, never having received punitive action. He played flag football for about 10 years and graduated to tackle football. Navy policy states that the command should provide round-trip travel and allowances to family members to attend a command memorial service. When he ran into the bad people he would try to look for the good in them and try to bring it out of them. After their son died by suicide in the Navy, the couple lobbied Congress for legislation to expand mental health services to members of the military. They're dragging people along just trying to complete mission and chase their next rank.". MacMillan finally filed a Naval Inspector General complaint against the command after another issue arose: He requested to remain at the squadron and not go out on a detachment when his wife fell ill and he needed to support her and his two girls, a toddler and an infant. That includes addressing violence and threats to our democracy. And I see the need for change. The Tontitown father accused of holding down his son and forcibly piercing his ear is set to appear in court on May 22. Three of the men also faced weapons charges. Patrick Caserta said he and Teri will never get over the loss of theirchild,but passage of the Brandon Act it will help prevent deaths of other military members who are experiencing similar mental health issues. The FBI on Thursday announced it had arrested five men and charged six in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Moulton introduced similar legislation last year. She feared losing rank and the stigma. Learn More About Macoy. The Brandon Act would have saved Brandons life, Patrick said. He never placed judgement on anyone. The investigator found "sufficient evidence to take [the LPO] to captain's mast for violation of UCMJ Article 93, Cruelty and Maltreatment" regarding Caserta. "I have to be a voice for somebody that doesn't have a voice. In the case of Brandon, that (getting mental health help) was not an option, Kelly said. All four were charged with conspiracy, accused by prosecutors of being angry overCOVID-19restrictions imposed by the Democratic governor and seeking to ignite a civil war. Brandon Caserta did get some help. They should be put up on a pedestal.. Acquitted defendant Caserta will not testify at Whitmer kidnap retrial Prosecutors rest their case in Whitmer kidnapping trial - WILX In 2019, 348. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. The unit held a memorial service four days later; Patrick and Teri say they weren't invited. TONTITOWN, Ark. One chief petty officer with the unit was promoted to ensign after Caserta's death and another is on terminal leave. Lawyers have signaled an entrapment defense, claiming the men were cajoled by undercover FBI agents and zealous, greedy informants. We feel he is smiling down on us right now.. Brandon Casertas bedroom was left as it was except for a few gifts arranged on his bed. Brandon Act to Change DoD Mental Health Policy, Pay Tribute to Fallen Indeed, she didnt know about any supposed plan, of course, until after the government filed its case," defense lawyers argue, adding: "Potential jurors, especially women jurors, are likely to feel an emotional reaction" to such exhortations. As for the two who pleaded guilty, Langton says they're "stupid" for doing so and acted too quickly. They serve our country. All rights reserved. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge issued a statement saying, "Although we are disappointed the jury did not reach decisions in our favor, we continue to respect the jury trial system whatever the outcome. "My take is they needed somebody to accompany Fox because Fox is a joke by himself so they needed the Wolverine Watchmen to give it credibility. "They were paranoid because they knew what they were doing was wrong and they feared they could be caught.". And we thank the jury for their service. Defense attorneys insist they were under the spell of informants and agents who got them to say and do violent, provocative things. He "treated his workers worse than garbage" and "like dogs. Ear piercing investigation leads to arrest of Tontitown dad Im f-----ready dude. He worked out with a great bunch of guys who he helped and pushed so they could get their contracts as well. And the social media for one of them, Brandon Caserta, is filled with right-wing misinformation and violent memes. I have zero patience for immoral coward criminals. When he was in BUD/S (Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training) in SD, I asked him what it was like, if he liked it, and the first words out of his mouth were, How can I not like it? Defense lawyers say the groups believedthat government had engaged in actions that were overreaching and unconstitutional, and that Caserta specifically believed the "stability of local and federal governments were eroding and civil unrest was tearing at the fabric of our country and being prepared for this unrest and governmental breakdown was essential.". Im proud to represent Brandons parents, Patrick and Teri Caserta, who live in my district, and work with them on this important bipartisan legislation in honor of their son, fallen U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Brandon Caserta.. Gretchen Whitmer railed that President Trump was a tyrant and called all government workers your enemy.. Cronkite News is the news division of Arizona PBS. Brandon Caserta killed himself after a sustained period of being bullied and hazed. The agency is piloting a program in which service members complete an annual wellness check with a trained counselor, and its expanding another effort aimed at reducing stigma and barriers around seeking help. -- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Brandon would work out for hours and that was after riding his bike. As the platoons substance abuse and drug coordinator for a command stationed in New Mexico, many soldiers were coming to her with drug problems, asking her if they could be sent to rehab. Brandon Caserta (@brandon_caserta) / Twitter The suicide rate has steadily increased in the armed forces in the past four years: in 2019, the rate was 25.9 per 100,000 active duty members, up from 24.9 per 100,000 in 2018 and 21.9 per 100,000 in 2017. "Brandon was home for a few weeks [in May 2018] and he was happy, making plans for Christmas," said his father, Patrick Caserta, a retired Navy career counselor with 22 years of service. He died soon after that, on June 25, 2018. Dec 19 You must watch this sentencing hearing. While a single senator cannot prevent confirmations, a hold significantly delays confirmations because the Senate needs to All of these veterans, who used education benefits earned in the military to pay for the training, had signed agreements Copyright 2023 Military.com. "Just shuffle the toxic leaders off to another place.". The Daily Dot has reached out to Facebook as to why. Today, a statue of an angel faces the peak, marking the place where his ashes were spread. Could GhostEzra take QAnon to an even more disturbing level? It gets ingrained, Kolata said. So, I know the occupational phenomenon that the command can absolutely burn you out, to make you quit. Wrapping things up, President Biden assured everyone he could take a joke, but cautioned that Dark Brandon may not be so forgiving. "Right from the beginning I kept looking for it. The four members of anti-government groups are facing trial on federal charges accusing them in a plot to abduct Michigan's. Hills said Kaleb Franks and Ty Garbin, two other suspects who were charged with the same crimes but pleaded guilty earlier this year, acted too fast. This story has been shared 597,292 times. And these are the guys who are actually doing it. "He was the kind of person that would drop whatever he was doing to help someone else. Caserta is one of five men facing federal conspiracy charges of plotting to kidnap Whitmer, largely fueled by anger over mask mandates and state restrictions on business and travel during the. Former executive officer Cmdr. U.S. military hasn't implemented measure to help service members seek While details of the plot are still scarce, the FBI did release the names of the men behind the effort. But her command leaders ignored the burgeoning problem. In this video, Brandon Caserta states why he was stopped and is complaining about thepolice: "Yeah, so guess what guys. His parents and friends later discovered notes describing hazing and bullying from some members and leaders of his helicopter squadron. According to the indictment, Caserta wasa member of the Michigan-based militia group, Wolverine Watchmen," whose members were also were affiliated with the Three Percenter group a similar anti-government outfit. The trial for the four men accused in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. The Casertas are so angry and distraught that they have offered a $25,000 reward to anyone who will come forward with information that "would lead to successful prosecution of individuals in their son's chain of command.". As the Daily Dot went to publish, Casertas page was taken offline. His work has appeared in Vice, the Huffington Post, Jezebel, Gothamist, and other publications. The rise mirrors an increase in suicides among the general U.S. population, and suicide experts are struggling to understand why. Asked by the Army to "think outside the box" in studying the deaths, Matsuda found that, given the opportunity, some noncommissioned officers and officers in the chain of command make their subordinates' lives a living hell. His favorite sports were karate, swimming and tackle football. "The plan was utter nonsense. It's hard to tell which version is accurate, but a text sent to Brandon's parents from a junior sailor on May 31, 2019 -- after the command learned that Military.com had made phone calls regarding the Casertas' allegations -- indicates a culture of fear at the squadron. He also ranted about getting robbed by government thugs for some made-up traffic violation after receiving a traffic ticket. Brandon Caserta attorney after Whitmer trial acquittal: 'Our governor Military leaders push back on 'woke' military narrative in - CNN First published on April 8, 2022 / 2:38 PM. The LULAC Presidential Medal presentation ceremony was held at the Texas LULAC State Convention . The Navy, they say, should find the toxic leadership of the LPO, and the subsequent failure of the command to stop the harassment of Caserta and other sailors, reprehensible. David Hecht, the public affairs officer for Naval Air Force Atlantic, said the LPO was placed in a leadership position after his dismissal from another supervisory role because the Navy believes in leadership opportunities and second chances. What followed was what she called two years of demoralization and humiliation. As a direct result, she attempted suicide. Romero,a former platoon sergeant in the Army,retired after 17 years of service. The jury, made up of six men and six women, elected a foreperson last week and began deliberating Monday after two weeks of primarily prosecution testimony. They just don't want to say that it happens and they are at fault.". ContactTresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com. "They were trying to just keep him in the command and force him to deploy," he said. Croft, Fox, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with conspiracy . They have resumed the fight this year. He took swim lessons, joined the USA Swim team and swam for his high school. "I've learned that my voice and my knowledge can help somebody else," Clemons-Etheredge said. "This short 70-second video that was posted on Facebook says nothing about kidnapping the governor, nothing about any plot to kidnap the governor, because it has nothing whatsoever to do with any conspiracy orplot to kidnap the governor. He expressed to his parents his general unhappiness but nothing too specific. He was only two weeks away from Hell Week, but the leg injury proved too debilitating. She believesthe Brandon Act isnecessary. Now $79 (Was $127) on Tripadvisor: Clostermanns Hof, Niederkassel. ", In the last weeks of Caserta's life, his parents became so concerned about his welfare that his father called the command, hoping to speak with the command master chief. "It's a bit like the Catholic Church and the sex abuse scandal," he added. He just needed someone to talk to, and they were unwilling to allow him to do that, Clemons-Etheredge said. She does what she can to help. "They would simply have to say, 'I have a Brandon Act concern.' And I've met several active duty sailors currently that have freely stated that they asked for a mental health evaluation, and under the mental health evaluation code, they were denied. "Those who serve in the military are people like all of us, and they come in with different experiences, and the traumas that they have during their time in service are not just about the things they see and do during combat deployments," Springer said. Because of the injury, Caserta's orders were canceled and he was sent back to selling candy and snacks for several months. Hills also argues: "Brandon Caserta in these videos is upset and says some negative things regarding police officers that will undoubtedly offend many jurors. James has friends who served who died by suicide. The LPO officer and some of his peers also didnt take to his happygo-lucky attitude, Patrick said. Claimed. This is the horrible, destructive climate we find ourselves in.. And hes saving lives, Patrick said as he looked at a photo of Brandon in the living room. In a TikTok posted Wednesday, Caserta is shown wearing a Hawaiian shirt, which could be a signifier of the Boogaloo Boys, a militia bent on starting a second civil war. Thanks for contacting us. Garbin was the first to plead guilty and Hills said he made a decision before knowing what the government had against him. LULAC Presents Presidential Medal To Parents Of Navy Seaman Brandon Caserta The plot was foiled as undercover agents and an informant were embedded in the group, whose members were ultimately arrested in a setup by the FBI. He was LARPing," Gibbons said, using an acronym for live action role playing. After a deployment, she was sexually assaulted, which caused a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. See 230 traveler reviews, 241 candid photos, and great deals for Clostermanns Hof, ranked #1 of 2 hotels in Niederkassel and rated 4 of 5 at Tripadvisor. Among those is a plaque from the group Tribute to Fallen Soldiers. Without accountability, extremists will be emboldened," said the statement by Whitmer's chief of staff, JoAnne Huls. He was then sent to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28 in Norfolk, Virginia, where he worked under a lead petty officer known to be verbally abusive to sailors. Brandon Act, named for Brandon Caserta, meant to address suicide in the Adam Aycock, who managed to complete his command tour, was found to have overseen a ship in complete dysfunction, his leadership threatening the ship's readiness by causing exhaustion, despair and suicidal thoughts among sailors, according to a report in Navy Times. The tragedy drove the Casertas to lobby Congress for legislation to expand mental health services to members of the military. This was no . "They aren't leading anymore. According to Navy records and personal correspondence, Caserta was being bullied by one of his supervisors and was despondent over his circumstances.
