Tag: Army Spc. Kevin Holyan

Military February 06, 2019

Centcom Commander Outlines Regional Challenges
 
 
 
 
By David Vergun: Acquisition Reform a Top DOD Priority
 
 
 
 
Task & Purpose: National Guard general admits his ribbons were upside down during State of the Union; The Army’s new 40mm grenade round looks like it’s straight out of ‘The Fifth Element’; Chinese student sentenced to one year for taking photos of Florida naval station and more ->
 
 
 
 
By Matthew Cox: Army to Buy Israeli-Made Iron Dome to Protect Soldiers from Indirect Fire
 
 
 
 
Self-loading gun? He f’dup but the military should not pay for it.
Stars and Stripes | By Wyatt Olson: Soldier who Shot Himself in Head Appeals Army’s Decision to Deny Benefits

The Army maintains that its determination was warranted because it says Holyan was intoxicated when the shooting happened.

In an April memo to the 101st Airborne commander, the chief of Fort Campbell’s Administrative and Civil Law Division wrote: “Evidence exists to show SPC Holyan abused intoxicating liquor and voluntarily became intoxicated.”

“A reasonable and prudent person would not handle a firearm while intoxicated and would not put a firearm to his head and pull the trigger, even thinking it was unloaded,” said the memo, a redacted version of which was provided to Stars and Stripes by Tully Rinckey.

The memo said Holyan’s blood-alcohol level was .178 percent according to a test taken at the hospital in which he was treated. The Uniform Code of Military Justice assumes an individual is impaired to operate vehicles and vessels at a .10 blood-alcohol level.
 
 
 
 
https://youtu.be/3MtXfwV8wUY

Military January 29, 2019

By Rose L. Thayer: Three Are Arrested in ‘Senseless, Cowardly’ Killing of Airman in Texas
 
 
 
 
By Jeff Schogol: He Accidentally Shot Himself In The Head. Now This Soldier Is Fighting To Be Medically Retired
Timmons described Hoylan as a young and relatively inexperienced junior enlisted soldier who “fell victim to peer pressure” to do something stupid when he accidentally shot himself in the head. There is no evidence that Hoylan was to avoid service by becoming permanently disabled.

“The regulation is very clear that absent willful misconduct in the commission of a crime or deliberate intent to harm someone, it’s line of duty,” Timmons said. “Here, in this case, my client did not intentionally mean to harm himself. Although it was a reckless, stupid act, he had no thought there was actually a bullet in the gun when he fired it. Because of his lack of knowledge, by default the rule is line of duty.”

As a result of his injuries, Hoylan is paralyzed and he suffered brain damage, Timmons said. Ultimately, either Army Secretary Mark Esper will decide Hoylan’s appeal, which is due on Feb. 28.
 
 
 
 
By David Axe, The National Interest: Photos Of Russia’s New Stealth Drone Just Leaked. Here’s What You Should Know
 
 
 
 
By Dominic Adams, Mlive.Com: How A Michigan Police Chief Allegedly Stole More Than $1 Million In Military Gear Over A Decade
 
 
 
 
By James Clark: This Marine-Made War Documentary Is So Raw The Corps Doesn’t Want You To See It
Combat Obscura isn’t about “painting these guys as heroes or victims” or “painting this war as an ultimately good thing in the long run,” Lagoze said, adding that it’s about “showing an honest to God depiction that doesn’t cater to either side of the political spectrum, and humanizing these guys and showing, ultimately, the futility of this whole experience.”
 
 
 
 
By Jeff Schogol: Navy Suicides Hit A Record High In 2018
 
 
 
 
https://youtu.be/DIUNDkm_p-Q