TX TX - Gregory Wedel-Morales, Army soldier, 23, found deceased, Fort Hood, 19 August 2019

[evilwise]

So, just to summarize what has already been established in this thread - while enlisted, he got married and was in the process of changing his last name to his wife's, who at the very least has herself confirmed in this thread to have been incarcerated for a period during the investigation and who has now been arrested on animal cruelty charges. At the time of his disappearance, he was days away from discharge and separated from her but now she has a right to all of his back pay and his pension.

Do I have all of these facts correct?

 

[Mind your biscuits]

So, just to summarize what has already been established in this thread - while enlisted, he got married and was in the process of changing his last name to his wife's, who at the very least has herself confirmed in this thread to have been incarcerated for a period during the investigation and who has now been arrested on animal cruelty charges. At the time of his disappearance, he was days away from discharge and separated from her but now she has a right to all of his back pay and his pension.

Do I have all of these facts correct?

Unless he specified a different beneficiary in which case she still gets a percentage. Moo.

 

[Seattle1]

So, just to summarize what has already been established in this thread - while enlisted, he got married and was in the process of changing his last name to his wife's, who at the very least has herself confirmed in this thread to have been incarcerated for a period during the investigation and who has now been arrested on animal cruelty charges. At the time of his disappearance, he was days away from discharge and separated from her but now she has a right to all of his back pay and his pension.

Do I have all of these facts correct?

Well, no, not exactly.

GWM was married years ago and took his wife's name Morales at the time they married -- hence the Wedel-Morales identification.

Reportedly, the decedent was also known as Gregory Wedel and since the couple was proceeding towards divorce, I imagined he'd probably request his name restored to Wedel (minus Morales).

Since GWM disappeared before his marriage dissolved, his legal wife is entitled to the benefits of a spouse that were incorrectly withheld when the Army deemed the missing soldier a deserter. (Pension and/or life insurance probably dependent on the named beneficiary).

The Soldier's mother previously acknowledged his legal wife's say so in his matters but that she was graciously deferring to his bio-family for his burial in OK. MOO

Family hopes autopsy will help strike dead Fort Hood soldier’s name from deserter list

 

[evilwise]

Well, no, not exactly.

GWM was married years ago and took his wife's name Morales at the time they married -- hence the Wedel-Morales identification.

Reportedly, the decedent was also known as Gregory Wedel and since the couple was proceeding towards divorce, I imagined he'd probably request his name restored to Wedel (minus Morales).

Since GWM disappeared before his marriage dissolved, his legal wife is entitled to the benefits of a spouse that were incorrectly withheld when the Army deemed the missing soldier a deserter. (Pension and/or life insurance probably dependent on the named beneficiary).

The Soldier's mother previously acknowledged his legal wife's say so in his matters but that she was graciously deferring to his bio-family for his burial in OK. MOO

Family hopes autopsy will help strike dead Fort Hood soldier’s name from deserter list

Yes, how gracious of her...

 

[nannymo]

So, just to summarize what has already been established in this thread - while enlisted, he got married and was in the process of changing his last name to his wife's, who at the very least has herself confirmed in this thread to have been incarcerated for a period during the investigation and who has now been arrested on animal cruelty charges. At the time of his disappearance, he was days away from discharge and separated from her but now she has a right to all of his back pay and his pension.

Do I have all of these facts correct?

UNLESS CID suspects her of anything in his disappearance (not stating she is) then they would withhold payment until the investigation is complete.

I don't have a link but that is what happened in a NCIS the Cases they Can't Forget. (True Crime, not fiction)

The spouse's boyfriend murdered the sailor for the money. When they suspected her, they withheld the benefit until the investigation was complete. She had already blown through the $100,000 death benefit in 3 weeks!

 

[MichelleBlue]

Unit of Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales held a memorial for the fallen soldier

 

[MichelleBlue]

Protesters demand justice for Fort Hood soldier Gregory Wedel Morales

 

[MichelleBlue]

Fort Hood soldier Gregory Morales laid to rest in hometown

 

[Seattle1]

Unit of Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales held a memorial for the fallen soldier

July 30, 2020

On the same day a funeral was held for Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales in his hometown of Sepulpa, Oklahoma, his unit also held a memorial for him at Fort Hood.

First Cavalry Division leaders, friends and fellow soldiers gathered for the 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade unit memorial ceremony Thursday in honor of Wedel-Morales at the Spirit of Fort Hood Chapel, according to a news release from Fort Hood.

Lt. Col. Justin Redfern, commander of division’s 553rd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, spoke at the unit memorial.

As the battalion “moves forward in the absence of PV2 Morales, we can take comfort in knowing that the spirit of service and the ability to be a Soldier is something we should never take for granted,” Redfern said in the release. “Greg Morales will always be a part of the U.S. Army and the First Team and his service to the nation will not be forgotten.”

ETA: Photos of the Ft Hood services at link above.

 

[Seattle1]

Can't imagine what it does to the morale of 1st Cavalry Division Sustainment Brigade to know that a soldier from their unit can go to a club one night and never be seen again only to have the Army declare you a deserter in a matter of weeks. Glad they got his status straightened out.

 

[Seattle1]

Fort Hood soldier Gregory Morales laid to rest in hometown

July 30, 2020

SAPULPA, Okla. (KWTX) - Family and friends of Fort Hood soldier Gregory Morales said their final goodbyes during a funeral service Thursday in Oklahoma.

“He was full of love and life. Never wanted anyone to feel left out or alone,” said Nick Wedel, Morales’ brother.

During the funeral service at First Baptist Church in Morales’ hometown of Sapulpa, Okla., his sacrifice to the country was remembered.

[..]

Nick Wedel also sharing memories of his older brother.

“Everyone had a place in this world, that was who Greg was. He was the best big brother anyone could ask for. He gave his life for his country and I couldn’t be more proud to call him my big brother,” he said.

Following the funeral service, Morales was buried at Fort Gibson National Cemetery.

 

[KelseyDana]

Does anyone know how she gets to remain on post housing when Gregory was reported AWOL? Just curious!

When my friend's husband died on Active Duty, she was given 6 months to move off post. Outside of that 6 month range, the wife of GWM could be AD herself, could have been staying with a friend on post, or shaking up with a soldier.

 

[KelseyDana]

So, just to summarize what has already been established in this thread - while enlisted, he got married and was in the process of changing his last name to his wife's, who at the very least has herself confirmed in this thread to have been incarcerated for a period during the investigation and who has now been arrested on animal cruelty charges. At the time of his disappearance, he was days away from discharge and separated from her but now she has a right to all of his back pay and his pension.

Do I have all of these facts correct?

FWIW, for him to change his life insurance beneficiary would be pretty easy. Even though their divorce wasn't finalized, he could have changed the beneficiary of his SGLI to someone else himself on the military's self-service pay site online if he did it after 2018, or been able to change it with his unit prior to 2018. Their marriage still being valid would not have caused issue, he could change it to whoever.

As far as backpay, I would think that would go to whoever was named on his SGLI, but I'm not certain.

However, whether or not he did that (or had it set to go to her in the first place) would have been his responsibility.

 

[evilwise]

FWIW, for him to change his life insurance beneficiary would be pretty easy. Even though their divorce wasn't finalized, he could have changed the beneficiary of his SGLI to someone else himself on the military's self-service pay site online if he did it after 2018, or been able to change it with his unit prior to 2018. Their marriage still being valid would not have caused issue, he could change it to whoever.

As far as backpay, I would think that would go to whoever was named on his SGLI, but I'm not certain.

However, whether or not he did that (or had it set to go to her in the first place) would have been his responsibility.

Something inclines me to think she made that sort of thing her responsibility

 

[KelseyDana]

Something inclines me to think she made that sort of thing her responsibility

I don't disagree with you there. If she had his log in info for MyPay, she could have illegally used it to insure she was the beneficiary on his SGLI.

I want to be clear that GWM hyphenating his last name to include hers isn't the only brush stroke that paints her character. I've been happily married for 7 years, and kept my maiden name. But, the animal abuse allegations, staying on post for over those 6 months allotted, and the tense relationship she seems to have with his family doesn't paint her in a good light.

 

[evilwise]

I don't disagree with you there. If she had his log in info for MyPay, she could have illegally used it to insure she was the beneficiary on his SGLI.

I want to be clear that GWM hyphenating his last name to include hers isn't the only brush stroke that paints her character. I've been happily married for 7 years, and kept my maiden name. But, the animal abuse allegations, staying on post for over those 6 months allotted, and the tense relationship she seems to have with his family doesn't paint her in a good light.

Well, I like when girls I knew in high school keep their maiden names and I personally might not want to marry that type of girl for the same reasons but it's not especially uncommon for women to do so. On the other hand, even in our current progressive society for a man to take on his wife's name feels pretty emasculating.

 

[MichelleBlue]

Fort Hood commander loses post after incidents at Army base

 

[evilwise]

Fort Hood commander loses post after incidents at Army base

Maj. Gen. Scott Efflandt was set to take over the 1st Armored Division soon. Now the Army will announce who will take over the division in the coming days. Division commander is a critical step in an Army general’s career and losing a division can be a career-ending move.

Gen. Garrett will appoint Gen. John Murray, commanding general of U.S. Futures Command, to "lead an in-depth investigation into the chain of command actions related to Spc. Vanessa Guillen," the statement says. The Army has several open investigations at Fort Hood already, and now Gen. Murray's investigation will add those efforts into a larger look at the base leadership.

It's nice to have some evidence of accountability.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Congress Investigates Fort Hood Following Soldier Deaths

Congress will launch an investigation into sexual assault, disappearances, deaths and the leadership’s response at Fort Hood after 28 soldiers stationed at the U.S. Army base in Texas died this year, two subcommittee leaders announced Tuesday.

According to data from Fort Hood officials, the 28 deaths include five homicides, as well as accidents, suicides, deaths related to illness, cases still under investigation and one combat-related death.

The subcommittees will jointly investigate if recent deaths “may be symptomatic of underlying leadership, discipline, and morale deficiencies throughout the chain-of-command.”

 

[imstilla.grandma]

But sometimes soldiers fail to show up because they've taken their own lives or been involved in accidents or foul play.

Such was the case with Pvt. Gregory Wedel Morales, whose body was found in a shallow grave near Fort Hood this summer — 10 months after the Army declared him AWOL without a thorough search. When Morales disappeared, he was just days away from an honorable discharge. Though his family immediately suspected foul play, Army investigators insisted Morales was an adult who had left the base voluntarily.

"They presume the worst of the individual rather than presuming that something nefarious has occurred with them at the onset," said Diana Danis, advisor to the Women Veterans Social Justice Network.

As of the end of August, there were 830 AWOLs throughout the Army worldwide, according to ABC News. More than a thousand people are listed on the Army's deserter rolls.

But former Army Military Police officer Maggie Haswell said they haven't all left by choice. Seven years ago, she founded the Warriors Aftermath and Recovery Facebook group to support families of missing service members. In that time, she's been involved in hundreds of cases, acting as a liaison between families, the military, and local law enforcement.

According to Haswell, Army investigators often don't try to understand what soldiers were going through when they disappeared.

"You have to think like them," she said. "To do that, you have to know their state of mind and you have to know them as a person. That comes with getting information from friends, from coworkers, from family members, all kinds of things. So this is not something that the Army does."
Tragedies At Fort Hood Have Led The Army To Rethink Its Response When Soldiers Go Missing