Office of Soldiers Counsel

nwlivewire said:

I might mention that when I was in a WTU/CB-WTU, we all were having to sign away our "rights to privacy" to HIPPA (sp?). It's some sort of blanket permission form that gives the Nurse Case Manager (and probably Everyone else up the chain) access to all your med records. "They" can contact your civilian doctors and get any records they want as you already signed this form. And you have no advance knowledge, nor are they obligated to ever inform you, nor do you even know when or what they ask for and/or who they ever talk to. Unless they want to tell you - mine never did.

Although I never had anything to "hide", I still always felt very uneasy with this.

But what can you do? The NCM was an Officer - I was Enlisted.

nwlivewire

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I don't believe that one is going to find much integrity in the system, at least in the way of rights being protected, esp. those of the SM. An attorney breaching attorney-client privilege, as is the case regularly in the OSC, is grounds for disbarment, not by the Army--but rather by the State which holds the law license.

In my time at Regional 2, OSC, I saw the African-American Chief Paralegal dismissed, putatively for reasons of "wanting to return to her assigned agency" but--in truth, other grounds prevailed. The numerous EO complaints against Regional 2 Counsel involved, for example, an African-American male attorney at Fort Benning in 2012, as well as a Puerto Rican attorney at Fort Gordon in the same year; and so on.

There is a fair amount of unlawful, and highly unethical, conduct being committed. And, as illustrated, with regard to issues of race and gender, blatant violations of federal EO law and left unchecked, and entirely allowed to go on. With SMEBC counsel coming and then disappearing, as ever--It is the SM who is damaged.

One avenue for issues with military counsel is to address problems with the Office of The Judge Advocate General, Standards of Conduct office. They are the office that handles and investigates professional responsibility/ethical issues for Army lawyers.

Jason Perry said:

One avenue for issues with military counsel is to address problems with the Office of The Judge Advocate General, Standards of Conduct office. They are the office that handles and investigates professional responsibility/ethical issues for Army lawyers.

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Ah ha, oh yes indeed and thank you very much!

Hmm, there's going to be trouble, trouble, trouble, trouble on the horizon and I can't wait!

Thus, I quite often comment that "possessing well-informed knowledge is truly a powerful equalizer."

Best Wishes!

I think OSC counsel is arguably more incompetent and understaffed. Some do not track Seminole case law and now your MEB counsel represents you at PEB. If you get a stinker you are stuck with her.