He would drive the command's 18-person passenger van and no longer inconvenience any other sailors by requesting transportation to and from medical appointments for his re-rate application, according to several command counseling sheets. They all turned a blind eye to [his] bullying and hatred toward Brandon and others," they wrote. So this legislation would make it anonymous. Claimed. In Norfolk, Brandon was bullied and hazed. Brandon would work out for hours and that was after riding his bike. As for Fox and Croft, because the case against them has not been resolved, he said they would be remanded into custody. "If someone is getting smoked, it doesn't make sense to keep that leader, that commander. It was difficult for her to get treatment, and James attempted suicide. Dec 19 You must watch this sentencing hearing. The article also includes the following from Whitmer: You know, Ive been a target of white supremacists efforts to kidnap me, put me on some sort of a sham trial, and execute me. He wanted justice, Patrick said. Another f------cop pulled me over on my way home from work, on my way home from work and f------robbed me again dude. Editor's Note: This article contains a description of suicide. Desperate for answers on their son's death, the Casertas reached out to Brandon's NCOs, the friends he left gifts and notes for and those he had spoken about in texts. He pressed Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown for his support and added that the Defense Department does not favor the proposal. He had a Magic Johnson smile.. The last time Patrick and Teri saw their son was when he was on leave during his birthday week in late May 2018. Two of the defendants were acquitted on all charges, while the jury deadlocked on two other defendants, resulting in a mistrial on those counts. His new role: electrician's mate for a Navy aircrew. US Navy Macoy Hicks 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. We feel that our son would be proud of us and proud that he was involved in saving others' lives. They deserve to get it," said Patrick Caserta. Related: Military Deaths by Suicide Rose 25% at End of 2020. He only went to the Department of Motor Vehicles to get a license so he would have a state ID and could legally drive in an emergency. Gretchen Whitmer railed that President Trump was a tyrant and called all government workers your enemy.. The four members of anti-government groups are facing trial on federal charges accusing them in a plot to abduct Michigan's. Patrick Caserta recalled the passion Brandon had for building anything with his hands. Fox, along with Barry Croft, Jr., are both likely to face another trial as a verdict in their charges could not be reached. The LPO officer and some of his peers also didnt take to his happygo-lucky attitude, Patrick said. Facebook gives people the power. ", Hecht said that after the lead petty officer's initial counseling, "no concerns meriting his removal from his position were ever brought to the awareness of HSC-28's leadership. She noticed something was wrong after her husband texted her while he was at work one day in late June 2018. Gretchen Whitmer (D). They directed him to fork over $12 for a duplicate copy and told him they were sending him to a disciplinary review board for hiding the fact that he had a license. Aircrew Aviation Electrician's Mate Striker Brandon Caserta, 21 died by suicide on June 25, 2018. 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. "We are all scared that we will get into trouble. In 2018, the 21-year-old Navy petty officer third class killed himself. "They are working like 14 aircraft with the manning of five," MacMillan said. 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. "The jury, even though they didnt get all of it, they smelled enough of it," he said. It gets ingrained, Kolata said. MacMillan said he saw similar behavior at HSC-28. The Brandon Act would have saved Brandons life, Patrick said. Services also are available online at www.veteranscrisisline.net or by text, 838255. According tocourt records, Caserta and his cohorts held field training exercises and plotted the kidnapping in the basement of a vacuum shop near Grand Rapids. You just arent supposed to show those emotions. He deserves to save lives. But while it was incorporated into the House's version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill, it was removed during deliberations of the final law. But a year later, a broken leg forced him to drop out of the training, reclassify as an aviation electrician and transfer to Norfolk, attached to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 28. Read Next:Troops Can Finally File Medical Malpractice Claims Against the Military. He had been counseled while serving as a detachment LPO for "intolerable and unprofessional" behavior toward subordinates, and later relieved when his behavior didn't change. Caserta broke his collarbone while riding his bicycle, threatening his chance to make the move. He deserves to have justice. He enlisted at age 17 with dreams of becoming a Navy SEAL. 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. My ears popped on the way down. Brandon did not like swimming at all at first but then he learned the breast stroke and that was his favorite stroke. Two defendants now await re-trial and, for that reason, we have no further statement at this time.". They told him that he needs to suck it up and that he was fine.. ", The LPO eventually was transferred on June 28, 2018, three days after Caserta's death, and only after he was heard making "derogatory and inflammatory comments concerning the deceased.". I'm going to make this shit 100%clear, dude. Here is whatprosecutors want the jury to hear, taken from this Oct. 7, 2020, clipof Caserta stating the following: "And I'm telling you what, right now, man. On June 25, 2018, Caserta left notes to several friends and his parents, walked out on the flight line at Naval Station Norfolk and hurled himself into the spinning tail rotor of an MH-60S helicopter. "Trump is not your friend dude and it amazes me that people actually like believe that," Brandon Caserta, one of the men charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer, said in a video posted to Twitter Then, three weeks into SEALstraining, Brandon broke his leg. Military.com first reported on the tragedy in 2019. Share. But we must be honest about what it really is: the result of violent, divisive rhetoric that is all too common across our country. So, yeah, its been almost four years that thats what weve been doing.. In a lot of big organizations, theres always a resistance to change, Kelly said. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Asked why she decided to speak out, Clemons-Etheredge said, because I'm a civilian and tired of seeing people I care about not get mental health treatment, not get proper treatment in general. DETROIT (FOX 2) - An attorney for Brandon Caserta, one of two men who were found not guilty on all charges on Friday in the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, says that the leader of the state was never in any danger and that the case presented by the prosecution was clearly not enough for a conviction. This law is designed to protect service members who experience mental health emergencies by requiring requiring the Department of Defense to create a process and reduce the stigma a process that also protects confidentiality, said Kelly, a former combat pilot who served in the Navy for 25 years and championed the act after hearing Brandons story. Because of the injury, Caserta's orders were canceled and he was sent back to selling candy and snacks for several months. An annual DOD report, released in September, showed rates for active duty service members alone went from 20.3 suicides per 100,000 members in 2015 to 28.7 in 2020, with increases across all branches. ", "It was awful," the sailor said. Services also are available online atwww.veteranscrisisline.net or by text, 838255. This year, the Philippines agreed to give the U.S. access to four more bases on the islands. 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. "[The lead petty officer]'s noted belligerence, vulgarity and brash leadership was likely a significant contributing factor in AEAN Caserta's decision to end his own life," the investigation states. 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. At the moment Brandon Caserta was making his final long walk out to the flight line, Patrick Caserta was on the phone with the command master chief, expressing concern for his son's welfare and telling him he planned to fly to Norfolk to take Brandon to base legal and the equal opportunity office to discuss his options. The Associated Press contributed to this report. At a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Moulton said the Brandon Act would empower service members to manage their mental health during a crisis. Tragically, this system failed Brandon.". As they learned more about the workings of the Capitol, Teri and Patrick grew more confident that the bill could be passed into law and scheduled more appointments for April 2020. They are being held in U.S. marshals'. Which is why the Brandon Act is so important because it gives them confidentiality.. He had applied for a transfer to the naval aircrewman rating and was accepted. View the profiles of people named Brandon Caserta. And these are the guys who are actually doing it. 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. "The real strength of our military, the thing that matters most and the thing that sets us apart is our people," added Kelly. They are part of the problem," Matsuda said. The Caserta family, along with politicians and advocacy organizations, coordinated a June 25 vigil in Washington in which they remembered Brandon's life and recommitted to pushing for the Brandon Act. "They aren't leading anymore. But other than her, no one is looking out for junior sailors. He said: Somebody walked onto the flight line and killed themselves. One chief petty officer with the unit was promoted to ensign after Caserta's death and another is on terminal leave. As tragic as it is, all we can do is use him and his story to save lives, Patrick said. When he said he wanted to join (the SEALs), I'm not gonna say we weren't happy, but it was just shocking, Patrick Caserta said. "When he returned from detachment, he was counseled on leadership techniques, ways to improve his demeanor with junior sailors and given another opportunity to lead," Hecht said. In the Whitmer case, Adam Fox, Barry Croft, Ty Garbin, Kaleb Franks, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were charged with conspiracy to commit kidnapping. This article may not be republished, rebroadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. I mean, they locked me out of my office. Don't even f--- with me. All rights reserved. In 2015, he joined the Navy with the dream of becoming a SEAL the special operations force thats part of the Naval Special Warfare Command. But we were tasked with the simplicity that other parents face: Either you are against it and when he's 18, he joins anyway, or you support him and give him everything he needs to succeed, and we chose that route. His football coach called him the Energizer bunny.. If you or someone you know needs help, the Veterans Crisis Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at 800-273-8255, press 1. He was bullied and hazed, retaliated against. So they build a median that goes over to the right, on a one-lane road, so that you can goaround them. Courtesy the Caserta Family Parents of sailor who died by suicide urge Pentagon to implement mental health measure named in his honor that became . Suicides have risen since then. That, and the fact that his dad served in the Navy for 22 years, were major factors in Brandon applying to the Navy SEALs after his senior year at Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria. 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.. Whitmer kidnap plot suspects face new charges: Weapons of mass destruction. He was transferred out of HSC-28 two weeks after filing the complaint. Military.com is not naming him as he has not been charged. In 2020, that number rose to 377. As commanding officer of the cruiser Cowpens, she was relieved in 2010 for demeaning and humiliating crew members, exploding with fury and a seemingly bottomless trough of expletives in tirades aimed at subordinates. Jurors reached a partial verdict Friday in the case of four men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. "They made him work in gedunk for a year. We feel he is smiling down on us right now.. He biked everywhere he went. Marine Corps veteran Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and Navy veteran Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., are among the sponsors of the Brandon Act: legislation that would give service members a safe phrase that would trigger an automatic referral to a mental health specialist for evaluation. "You have not performed your required duties as a watchstander (duty driver) like your peers and superiors since your assignment to HSC-28 due to the fact that you stated you are not a licensed driver. Thats why they were pulling them together," Hills said. I went through that. Hecht said manning issues did not play a role in any of the command's decisions. After a deployment, she was sexually assaulted, which caused a variety of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Christine Clemons-Etheredge recounted multiple stories in which her husband, a former HSC-28 sailor, encountered similar issues. And the command isn't going to admit there is a problem. The lead petty officer remains in the Navy, never having received punitive action. That proposal, named for their only child, is part of the new National Defense Authorization Act. The Brandon Act is designed to protect service members who experience mental health emergencies and reduce the stigma around reporting. The Brandon Act is named after Brandon Caserta, a young sailor whose parents described him as a "very charismatic and upbeat young man" who "always helped everyone he could." But in June. The Casertas invited Cronkite News into their home to talk more about Brandons experience in the military and the son they adored. He was always on the go. "They were paranoid because they knew what they were doing was wrong and they feared they could be caught.". Those at risk include people between the ages of 15 to 24 and those over age 60. Brandon, you will be missed by so many and we are so proud of you. Learn more about what we do and how to find our content on our broadcast, digital and social media platforms. Just because I had a bad experience doesnt mean the military is bad. "The governor remains focused on her work on behalf of Michigan and all Michiganders. A goofy, happy-go-lucky type, Caserta was usually the first to volunteer for "cleaning duty, aircraft wash or field day," squadron mates said. Newsletter: Video declaring the easiest job in the world goes viral, Fake TikTok of Boston Dynamics robot fighting racks up millions of views, FTC chair warns AI can turbocharge fraud and discrimination, *First Published: Oct 8, 2020, 11:29 am CDT, How South Carolina became a troubling new hub for QAnon. Belligerence, vulgarity and brash leadership from his LPO, or lead petty officer, played a role, according to the investigation. Posted on Oct 8, 2020Updated on Oct 8, 2020, 3:05 pm CDT. The U.S. military has not yet put a six-month-old federal law designed to improve how service members get mental health care into effect, despite a recent rash of suicides in the Navy. Gretchen Whitmer could be lengthy. The video that prosecutors want to show at trialwas preceded by two other videos, according to court records, including one that Caserta livestreamed to Facebook involving a traffic stop with a Canton Police Officer. Caserta's was one of three in Norfolk-based helicopter squadrons in the first half of the year alone. He said Caserta never agreed to the alleged plot to kidnap Whitmer. "I want to see as many people fired, kicked out or, at the very least, lose rank," he wrote. If convicted, the men could face up to life in prison. According to Navy records and personal correspondence, Caserta was being bullied by one of his supervisors and was despondent over his circumstances. His parents later discovered notes describing hazing and bullying from some members of his squadron. They also would like to see the Navy implement Brandon Caserta's request in his suicide note regarding the re-rate process: that sailors who don't complete the training for the rate they initially sought be able to select any other training they qualify for with their Armed Services Vocational Battery Test results. Whitmer, the commanding officer of HSC-28 at the time of Caserta's suicide, completed his command tour last month and has moved on. Clostermanns Restaurant & Bar. Navy Aircrew Aviation Electrician's Mate Striker Brandon Caserta, who died three years ago this month by suicide, Troops Can Finally File Medical Malpractice Claims Against the Military. When youre in the military, you have this part to play. Hills said that the jury recognized that there wasn't enough to convict, even if they didn't everything. The Casertas are focused on the widespread issue of suicides in the military. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime. Stepping into Brandons old bedroom, it immediately becomes apparent how much he loved to build, from the Lego sets he made with his father to the metal figures the size of ones hand that he built as he got older. Its time to defend our defenders. Every single person that works for government is your enemy, dude.. ", They are, the directive states, a combination of "self centered attitudes, motivations, and behaviors that have adverse effects on subordinates, the organization, and mission performance.". We were able to have his legacy live on by the Brandon Act. Suicides have risen since then. Trump is not your friend, dude, Caserta says, with an anarchist flag hanging behind him. The Daily Dot has reached out to Facebook as to why. Closed now : See all hours. "Theyre afraid that if they speak out, they will be harassed or something is gonna happen. A toxic leader, according to Army Doctrine Publication 6-22, "operates with an inflated sense of self-worth and from acute self-interest," consistently using "dysfunctional behaviors to deceive, intimidate, coerce, or unfairly punish others to get what they want for themselves. You either tell them to go right now, orelse they're going to die. Kelly said he doesnt expect a lot of resistance to the Brandon Act. 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. Normally, sailors have to report their mental health issues to their commanding officer, who then initiates the referral. "HSC-28 wanted AEAN Caserta to be successful, and his leadership was actively engaged in helping him pursue his professional qualifications in support of his career goals," Hecht said. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Democrat from Massachusetts and a Marine Corps veteran, formally introduced the Brandon Act on June 16, a year after he found out about it. The LPO remains at a unit in Norfolk. Croft, Fox, Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta are charged with conspiracy; three of them also face weapons-related charges. "We are so angry at them for not looking out for Brandon and the other troops. He is particularly interested in hearing any tips you have. Brandon left behind a suicide note in which he faulted the Navy. "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. 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. 54 talking about this. He was always joking around. Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were both found not guilty. He was a great son, grandson, cousin and friend. Operational leaders, he said, should not rely on "the boot camp strategy of breaking people down to build them back up.