SPC Lopez's military accomplishments a little skewed?

SFC James Baber — Thu, 03 Apr 2014 22:35:31 -0400

<p>I was reading various articles about the shooting and SPC Lopez, one in particular the reporter (M. Alex Johnson) provided a report/article for NBC News that give much repetitive info from similar reports, one of the things that stuck out to me was the end of the article where he gives SPC Lopez achievements during his 4 year active service.</p><p><br></p><p>"In his almost exactly four years in the Army, Lopez received two Army Commendation Medals, four Army Achievement Medals, two National Defense Service Medals and the Iraq Campaign Medal (with campaign star), among other commendations. None of them were related to combat, <a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/fort-hood-shooting/fort-hood-gunman-did-not-see-combat-iraq-tour-officials-n70691"><u><font color="#0066cc">which he didn't see in Iraq</font></u></a>."</p><p><br></p><p>http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/fort-hood-shooting/fort-hood-gunman-recently-reassigned-infantry-duties-n71286</p><p><br></p><p>I want everyone to look at the paragraph and even read the article and tell me what is wrong with what is written/shown for this Soldiers military service based on what is known/factual/published and such, and then post it here and see how many can find it correctly and figure it out.</p><p><br></p><p>This has nothing to do with the shooting but more about what the media is doing in relation to its reporting of incidents and reality of facts.</p><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_14/300481/140403-ivan-lopez-pr-nat-guard-jms-1626_12ee0d4bed531839876c05d3bb55a420.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/fort-hood-shooting/fort-hood-gunman-recently-reassigned-infantry-duties-n71286" target="_blank">Fort Hood Gunman Recently Reassigned From Infantry Duties - NBC News</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Spc. Ivan Antonio Lopez, the soldier who killed three service members before committing suicide at Fort Hood, Texas, was an experienced infantryman who arriv...</div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_14/299006/140403-fort-hood-gate-jsw-1002a_1e9ae67f6c4ed3ab578cceadb1ffee59.jpg"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/fort-hood-shooting/fort-hood-gunman-did-not-see-combat-iraq-tour-officials-n70691" target="_blank">Fort Hood Gunman Did Not See Combat in Iraq Tour, Officials Say - NBC News</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">The soldier who shot three people to death at Fort Hood apparently did not see combat during a tour in Iraq three years ago but was clearly troubled, under t...</div></div><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Apr 4 at 2014 9:23 AM

SFC Michael Hasbun — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 09:23:56 -0400

Two NDSM's? Was he a time traveler?

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Apr 4 at 2014 12:51 PM

SGT Ben Keen — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 12:51:59 -0400

I read an article too that stated he joined the PR National Guard in 1999 so I'm guess he was only on AD for 4 years. I join everyone else saying that there was a typo or a reporting mistake about Lopez having 2 NDSMs.

I feel they are also misleading people in they way they word his dates of service. The National Guard is still the Army. The name tape those service members wear is the same as those of us that serve or have served on Active Duty. To me, that is dismissing his time in the PR National Guard. It also brings up the question of if he was in the PR National Guard since 1999 why was he only promoted to SPC in 2011? I know the promotion system within the National Guard is different than that used for Active Duty members but was there a large break in his service that resulted in him losing rank? So many questions are yet to be answered and sadly, I don't think we will ever have the answers.

Response by SFC James Baber made Apr 4 at 2014 3:42 PM

SFC James Baber — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 15:42:18 -0400

I am a little surprised that so many have missed the obvious, the 2 NDSMs may have been a typo or mistake as some say, but that is not the only error or mistake in his bio alone, while I am not dismissing his NG time, he was never deployed except to Egypt in 2007 while in the PR NG. So how could he have an ICM with a campaign star, he couldn't you only get a campaign start for subsequent tours, his only tour was for 4 months during the end on OND, so he would have only had the ribbon to cover his 1 tour, and also it states that his 2 ARCOMs, 4 AAMs, 2 NDSMs, ICM w/CS, and other commendations were earned during his 4 years of AD, not his total years with what the article is stating 11 years PR NG and 4 years AD, for a total of 15 years, he supposedly earned all this during his 4 years of AD, doesn't that strike anyone as strange in itself, not to mention the ICM issue. I have never met anyone in my career that earned 9 major awards and 2 campaign ribbons without multiple deployments and above the rank of E5 in less than 4 years of service, has anyone else seen that or know of anyone, there is something very fishy on this account of his AD record to me.

Feel free to correct me if I am wrong if you know someone that has done what he has in 4 years, only 1 4-month deployment and has 15 yrs. total service between guard and AD and is still only an SPC.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Apr 4 at 2014 5:44 PM

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 17:44:23 -0400

Awfully contradictory 11 yrs Guard but 4 yrs active duty, Strange Way to put it, Not in Iraq but Iraq Campaign Medal. Huh What. Not Surprised though lot of contradictory stuff I have seen as far when they issued medals and ribbons I have have seen the qualifying date change back and forth and the criteria but either he was there or he wasn't, I am damn sure that they don't have direct access to his service jacket but someone may have leaked certain parts, which is wrong.

Response by SPC Eddie "Nemo" Aiumu made Apr 4 at 2014 6:12 PM

SPC Eddie "Nemo" Aiumu — Fri, 04 Apr 2014 18:12:05 -0400

SO this guy is a War Hero?

Response by MSG Stephen Thomas made Apr 5 at 2014 1:43 PM

MSG Stephen Thomas — Sat, 05 Apr 2014 13:43:10 -0400

Yes, it is possible to have TWO (2) National Defense Medals, I have meet Military people who were in before 1974 and was awarded a NDSM but stayed in the National Guard and was deployed to Iraq and was awarded a second NDSM.

Response by SFC Charles W. Robinson made Apr 6 at 2014 7:23 PM

SFC Charles W. Robinson — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 19:23:57 -0400

Some people have been asking about promotion in the National Guard. There has to be a slot open to be promoted into. That is why a lot of National Guard members have lower rank than their Regular Army counterparts. I was in the Illinois National Guard for four year before I went regular Army back in 1990. Back then, you only got promoted if somebody got out, retired, or got killed.