UT UT - Spc. Joseph Michael Bushling, 26, Dugway, 8 May 2011

[liz b.]

Would he call if he had decided to go awol ? I wonder how he had been emotionally before he went missing ? I notice that he went missing on Mother's Day. JMO

 

[shefner]

Interesting case....

 

[SuziQ]

Some better details at the below link.

http://www.tooeletranscript.com/vie...issing-in-desert?instance=home_news_1st_right

(snip)

Spc. Joseph Bushling, 26, left English Village to drive around the desert in his black 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Saturday night. On Sunday at about 7 p.m., he contacted a friend at Dugway stating that he had run out of gas and was going to walk back to the test area, according to a press release from Dugway Proving Ground. No contact with him has been made since that phone call. His last known location was west of Granite Mountain, which is about 35 miles west of Dugway’s main gate.
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Map of Dugway:
Dugway utah - Google Maps

Google street view of Dugways main gate area. It's approx at the tag A in the above link:
[url="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Dugway+utah&aq=&sll=37.996163,-95.712891&sspn=30.328642,78.662109&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Dugway,+Tooele,+Utah&ll=40.220568,-112.690201&spn=0,0.307274&z=12&layer=c&cbll=40.22917,-112.725793&panoid=JxwvvpW7nnyP1QaRbK67rA&cbp=12,90,,0,0"]Dugway utah - Google Maps[/url]

​

 

[ljczec]

I was trying to think of ways a person could "lose" a pair of flip flops they were wearing. It seems like if they just fell off, he could have just put them back on right? Very weird. So I came up with a couple theories.

-Running away from someone/something. If Joseph was running from something out of fear, it would be easy for him to lose his flip flops. It could be easier to run without them. When finally safe, he started using his shirt as footwear.

-Getting stuck in something. I initially though getting stuck in mud, but that's not likely in the desert. Perhaps he ran into some heavy bushes or cactus and his flip flops fell off and into an inaccessible area. I often hike in desert area and can vouch for bushes that look like nothing, but are incredibly prickly and sharp. And if you're not looking down, it's easy to walk right into a cactus!

It is also rattlesnake season in the deserts near me, but I am not familiar with them in Utah. I really hope he didn't run into a snake!

~JMO

 

[liz b.]

I was trying to think of ways a person could "lose" a pair of flip flops they were wearing. It seems like if they just fell off, he could have just put them back on right? Very weird. So I came up with a couple theories.

-Running away from someone/something. If Joseph was running from something out of fear, it would be easy for him to lose his flip flops. It could be easier to run without them. When finally safe, he started using his shirt as footwear.

-Getting stuck in something. I initially though getting stuck in mud, but that's not likely in the desert. Perhaps he ran into some heavy bushes or cactus and his flip flops fell off and into an inaccessible area. I often hike in desert area and can vouch for bushes that look like nothing, but are incredibly prickly and sharp. And if you're not looking down, it's easy to walk right into a cactus!

It is also rattlesnake season in the deserts near me, but I am not familiar with them in Utah. I really hope he didn't run into a snake!

~JMO

ITA about the flip flops ; they would only come off if one was running. But, even at that this story makes no sense. He was driving.He ran out of gas.Presumably started walking along the road. Felt threatened enough by something or someone that he started running. His flip flops fell off along the road. So this means that his shoes were someplace back on the road. Yet, even though he felt threatened, and possibly started running, he later felt safe enough to make calls on his cell ? It doesn't add up. Must be pieces that are being held back.

Couple of possibly interesting things : the friend he called was careful enough to say that the missing man never did tell him why he had driven to the location where he vanished from. And the other thing is that he worked for an army clinic.Connected to the Dugway Proving Ground, but not really part of it. No idea what it might mean...

JMO

 

[Auburn]

I wonder if someone is trying to cover something up. I mean,this is just odd.

 

[MsFacetious]

Spc. Joseph Bushling, 26, left English Village to drive around the desert in his black 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Saturday night. On Sunday at about 7 p.m., he contacted a friend at Dugway stating that he had run out of gas and was going to walk back to the test area...

“He was due to leave Dugway pretty soon. He just wanted to look around the desert,” she said. “He wasn’t on official business. He just wanted to see some things. I guess he’s done it before.”

http://www.tooeletranscript.com/vie...issing-in-desert?instance=home_news_1st_right

I can totally believe all of that.

I will go for a drive in almost any of our canyons... just to do it. My kids have an awesome appreciation for nature and have just as much fun touring gardens as going to the park.

However, before I enter a canyon I make sure I have a full tank of gas, water, food and blankets if it's cold. I actually keep water and blankets in the truck.

I also have a couple of friends who literally run out of gas on a weekly basis. It's ridiculous.


Do they have a BOLO on his car?


Did Joseph have a habit of running out of gas?

If he had not run out of gas before I would find it highly unlikely that a drive through the desert would be the time that he would do so.

 

[MsFacetious]

I was trying to think of ways a person could "lose" a pair of flip flops they were wearing. It seems like if they just fell off, he could have just put them back on right? Very weird. So I came up with a couple theories.

-Running away from someone/something. If Joseph was running from something out of fear, it would be easy for him to lose his flip flops. It could be easier to run without them. When finally safe, he started using his shirt as footwear.

-Getting stuck in something. I initially though getting stuck in mud, but that's not likely in the desert. Perhaps he ran into some heavy bushes or cactus and his flip flops fell off and into an inaccessible area. I often hike in desert area and can vouch for bushes that look like nothing, but are incredibly prickly and sharp. And if you're not looking down, it's easy to walk right into a cactus!

It is also rattlesnake season in the deserts near me, but I am not familiar with them in Utah. I really hope he didn't run into a snake!

~JMO

Just because it's desert doesn't mean it can't be muddy. Technically Utah is a desert. It still snows in this area. So basically it went from snow on the ground to raining. (That's why were are flooding or going to flood.)

I think mud is a viable option. It had better be muddy, if the weather is too wet for them to fly a helicopter!

I don't think they got quite as much rain as we did... but again, if the weather has been too bad to fly... it is getting warmer now though.

http://www.weather.com/weather/today/Dugway+UT+USUT0062

There are rattlesnakes out there. (Great Basin Rattlesnakes) I don't get the impression they are a huge issue and I would think a soldier would know how to avoid them for the most part. I also think they would be less likely to be out given the weather. They do blend in with the dirt though.. if the dirt is dry anyway.

There is also poisonous scorpions and spiders in addition to the Tarantula... last I heard. Ick ick ick.

I don't think Cacti would be a huge concern, I don't think there is a lot of it out there.

Here is a pretty extensive and from what I can tell, accurate page about the West Desert.

http://www.summitpost.org/utah-western-desert-ranges/190033

 

[SuziQ]

MsF, that's is a great link. I found a pic that shows the base from a nearby peak.

http://www.summitpost.org/looking-north/405255

from the summit, Fish Springs (the water areas) is a strange contrast in a stark looking desert area and the forbidden bulk of Granite Mountain is just beyond (in military area) and in the far distance, the snow capped splendor of Deseret Peak beckons.
5-16-08

 

[SuziQ]

Another picture of Granite Mountain. The area that Joseph was reportedly last known to be near.

http://www.summitpost.org/granite-mountain/618162

 

[SuziQ]

MsF, I'm loving that link about the West Desert. A wealth of information. You should put this in the Susan Powell forum if you already haven't done so.

I am somewhat familiar with the area and the below pic illustrates perfectly why I doubt Josh's story. Then add that it's nighttime, bad snowstorm, frozen snow on the ground, freezing weather, no 4wd, a van and two teeny children. Yeah right!

http://www.summitpost.org/utah-western-desert-ranges/190033#chapter_9

(snip)
Roads, Gas, & Food
Everything is scarce, as befits the desert. Delta, Tooele, Milford and Wendover are the true population centers at its edges. Hwy 6/50 crosses the South part of the desert from Delta to Ely, with a gas station and c-store at the state line.

Three strips of blacktop reach into the desert, from route 6 to IPP and Topaz, from I-80 to Dugway, and from Nevada line to Ibapah. No improved campgrounds in the middle of the area, but there are a few in Tooele area (South Willow, Clover Springs), around Little Sahara, and across from the state line in Great Basin NP.

The Pony Express road is a dirt track that cuts through the heart of the desert and is an area rich in history. Many of the ranges are best accessed by utilizing this historical pathway.

Overall, the "hubs" presented as gateways are the following cities, towns and routes:
Salt Lake City, Wendover, Pony Express, Eureka, Delta, and Milford


Remote dirt road approaches are common in the West Desert
http://www.summitpost.org/another-view-of-the-jeep-track/409219


It's so remote that this website has a disclaimer:

Disclaimer
Many of these ranges are very very isolated and it is your responsibility to be prepared for the event of emergencies or breakdown. Cell service is sketchy or non existant in many areas and you might find your self on a road that becomes impassable for a while due to a storm. If you venture out into these areas, recognize the risk and go accordingly. It is not a bad idea to let others know where you are going and to have another vehicle along. High clearance and often 4WD is a necessity. Be safe and have fun. This part of Utah is a treasure.

 

[dreamweaver]

http://www.wunderground.com/US/UT/Dugway.html
52 degree weather today.

This is an odd case. The info we have been given does not add up.

Why is he driving around at Sat. night? To look around before he leaves?
Is that what I am reading?
Why not on Sun. morning? You can see the place.

And if he did take off to drive around, just because he wanted to,
wouldn't he notice his gas getting really low and not be 40 miles
from the gate of Dugway?

And if he did decide to get out and walk....40 miles...?
why wouldn't the flip flops stay on his feet?
And if the flip flops were left behind in a mud hole and he
did wrap his shirt over his feet to protect them..............
Then, what, he calls a friend to tell them the news, but he
doesn't call the 911 or his employer or a tow truck,
And he continues on.... no one knows where.

7am: He calls a friend
????? Time search started.
????? Time flip flops found.

Just speculation: JMO
Was he drinking and just lost track of time and the gas in his car and
found himself in a predicament?
Did he call a friend thinking I should tell someone?

or

Or is this some mysterious happening around Dugway and Granite Mountain?

 

[dreamweaver]

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51787237-78/dugway-bushling-soldier-vogel.html.csp

Bushling called another soldier sometime Sunday and left a message on his phone saying he was without shoes on the west side of Granite Mountain, about 40 miles from the military installation’s main gate, Vogel said.

The article says he last spoke to another solider Sat. night.

 

[TGIRecovered]

I guess we can assume that this gut was of at least average intelligence.

It makes no sense for him to finally get cell reception to call a friend, only to tell him that he's going to walk 40 miles in the desert with no shoes or supplies. Even if he was dehydrated or injured and making no sense, why did the friend not offer to send help or come get him? The logical thing to do would be to find a bit of shelter where your phone last had reception and wait for them to track the ping to rescue him.

Don't they teach that in the military?

I hope the friend who recieved the call is thoroughly checked out with a verified alibi for the previous night.

Someone could have dumped him out there, placed a call with his phone and planted the flip-flops after realizing they had dumped a barefoot body. MOO

No word on the car yet, right?

 

[cocomod]

http://www.wunderground.com/US/UT/Dugway.html
52 degree weather today.

This is an odd case. The info we have been given does not add up.

Why is he driving around at Sat. night? (Respectfully snipped)

I am from Utah. The weather on Saturday was finally gorgeous (first time for the weekend in ages!). However, on Sunday the rain started. Monday - rain. Tuesday - rain. We are WET, WET, WET this season! I feel like I am living in Oregon! It was also VERY cold on Monday. We need to be concerned about the elements here. In the desert, it can be very cold at night.

This case is very strange indeed! Interestingly, the news here in Utah are not covering this case very much either. Hmmmm.

 

[SuziQ]

I guess we can assume that this gut was of at least average intelligence.

It makes no sense for him to finally get cell reception to call a friend, only to tell him that he's going to walk 40 miles in the desert with no shoes or supplies. Even if he was dehydrated or injured and making no sense, why did the friend not offer to send help or come get him? The logical thing to do would be to find a bit of shelter where your phone last had reception and wait for them to track the ping to rescue him.

Don't they teach that in the military?

I hope the friend who recieved the call is thoroughly checked out with a verified alibi for the previous night.

Someone could have dumped him out there, placed a call with his phone and planted the flip-flops after realizing they had dumped a barefoot body. MOO

No word on the car yet, right?

BBM. Apparently mere flip flops are easier to locate out there than a car is? Were the flip flops dayglo orange or something?

 

[liz b.]

Has it been verified that the flip flops have actually been found ? Because I read a comment at the end of some local newspaper piece that the army had not located the flip flops.... There appears to be no,or very little new news about this case. Strange....

JMO

 

[SuziQ]

Might be bad reporting, but the below article doesn't mention the flip flops.

http://www.heraldextra.com/news/sta...cle_27ac02f2-c091-5fc8-ab1a-b4832d891cee.html

(snip)
Bushling did not give a location and officials aren't sure if he was on or off the 800,000-acre installation about 100 miles west of Salt Lake City.
Dugway is used to test military weapons, including defending troops against biological and chemical attacks.
Ground and military helicopter searches of the base found nothing.

ETA: Liz, I see you posted about the questionable flip flops right before I did.

 

[liz b.]

Dugway Proving Ground covers 798,214 acres: an area approximately the size of Rhode Island. It is the Army’s largest land mass facility, and thus is an ideal environment to be the Defense Department’s leader in chemical and biological defensive testing, environmental characterization, and remediation technology testing. Such tests evaluate the reliability and survivability of all types of military equipment in a chemical or biological environment. In addition to Chem-Bio testing, Dugway also tests battlefield smokes and obscurants.

http://www.dugway.army.mil/index.php/index/content/id/20

" In addition to Chem-Bio testing, Dugway also tests battlefield smokes and obscurants. " Obscurants ? To obscure something is to hide it ? I wonder if Joseph walked up on some type of experiment. Highly classified ?

Not sure how he could be AWOL and no one at Dugway knows it yet. How did he drive of the facility without any guards having a record of it ? Dugway is a very tightly guarded facility ?

JMO

 

[SuziQ]

I know they've had friendly fire incidents out there. Nicer weather means training will pick up. I hope Joseph can remain safe.

Do Not Drive A Suburban Near Utah’s Dugway Proving Ground

http://jalopnik.com/396044/do-not-drive-a-suburban-near-utahs-dugway-proving-ground