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

[cocomod]

Wondering out loud here, but I wonder if this kids just went AWOL. It is strange that there is so little in the local news about him.

 

[laytonian]

Here's a satellite view of Granite Peak. The A is the peak itself -- he reported being west of it (to the left). There's lots of roads out there. Unless he went off-roading in that car, he shouldn't have been hard to find.
You might have to scroll and zoom around to see the entire area.

The best news report I've found, is from the Tooele Transcript Bulletin.

Tooele is the home of a now-deactivated Army Depot which is closely allied with Dugway.
If you have access to Dugway, you have access to the entire area (including UTTR, the bombing range).

For a few years, I worked with the Hill AFB squadron/wing that managed most of the range facilities, and IIRC, "Granite Peak" was a long-view site where range electronics were based.

Out on the Lakeside Range area, there's a small cave that a car could hide in.

But I join cocomod: this isn't making sense.
A shiny black car can't hide all that well from helicopters and range security.
He was due to leave Dugway, and wanted to drive around?

If I were looking for his car, I'd look in the parking lots surrounding the Wendover casinos.

 

[liz b.]

Here's a satellite view of Granite Peak. The A is the peak itself -- he reported being west of it (to the left). There's lots of roads out there. Unless he went off-roading in that car, he shouldn't have been hard to find.
You might have to scroll and zoom around to see the entire area.

The best news report I've found, is from the Tooele Transcript Bulletin.

Tooele is the home of a now-deactivated Army Depot which is closely allied with Dugway.
If you have access to Dugway, you have access to the entire area (including UTTR, the bombing range).

For a few years, I worked with the Hill AFB squadron/wing that managed most of the range facilities, and IIRC, "Granite Peak" was a long-view site where range electronics were based.

Out on the Lakeside Range area, there's a small cave that a car could hide in.

But I join cocomod: this isn't making sense.
A shiny black car can't hide all that well from helicopters and range security.
He was due to leave Dugway, and wanted to drive around?

If I were looking for his car, I'd look in the parking lots surrounding the Wendover casinos.

May I ask you what a "long view site " is ? TIA...

jmo

 

[MsFacetious]

Now I'm thinking about going to Wendover.... :innocent:

It is really, really, really bothering me that they are not covering this in the media. Like REALLY bothering me.

I would go search myself if it wasn't the new Area 51!

I don't think he intended to walk the full 40 miles. He said to "the test area."

Which makes me think he meant to the area around Granite Mountain where they do testing.

He wasn't in military gear from what we've heard, he was walking in civilian clothes.

Is it possible he started walking into the testing area, in civilian clothes and they took him out?

They are still getting heat for shooting and starting the fire in September. On a day with a RED Flag Warning, no shooting... high fire danger. A fire which burned down houses...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...ional-Guard-shot-in-the-face-of-Red-Flag.html


So I wonder if they would come out and admit it if he was mistaken for an enemy... it'd be another black eye for Utah's military.

I am not a big conspiracy person but he is a SOLDIER. When a soldier goes missing and there isn't a whole lot else going on, it should be the top story!


The only place he is still on the front page is the Tooele Transcript. But really, there isn't much new news posted there.

http://www.tooeletranscript.com/


Salt Lake Tribune

http://www.sltrib.com/csp/cms/sites/sltrib/news/index.csp


Daily Herald

http://www.heraldextra.com/


Deseret News

http://www.deseretnews.com/home/


KSL Channel 5

http://www.ksl.com/


KUTV Channel 2

http://connect2utah.com/


ABC 4

http://www.abc4.com/default.aspx


Fox 13

http://www.fox13now.com/

 

[laytonian]

Now I'm thinking about going to Wendover.... :innocent:

It is really, really, really bothering me that they are not covering this in the media. Like REALLY bothering me.

I would go search myself if it wasn't the new Area 51!

There's nothing new to say, I guess.

But it's not the "new Area 51". It's a large Army Base where munitions of all types were stored, and the test range is primarily for bombing practice.

You don't even need a security clearance to work there, or to enter. You just need to obtain a pass at the gate, if you're not an badged employee or military. Both my husband and son-in-law have been out there, related to their employment. Of course, special passes are needed for secure areas.

As a former top security clearance holder myself, I can ssure you there's nothing alien at Area 51, either
I don't think it's even called "Area 51" either, but the urban legends have sure made people a lot of money!

 

[laytonian]

May I ask you what a "long view site " is ? TIA...

jmo

It's a tall place you can see a long way from.

That's why the radar and electronic tracking facilities are generally on the peaks out there. That's why ours were, back in the old drone/RPV testing days.

 

[Zipper]

WOW! I live in Utah and I have not heard anything about this until now after reading this. I am going to go research a bit and see if I can come up with any theories. This is just bizarre!

 

[Zipper]

In the Tooele news article, am I the only one who is uneasy about the comment, "no outside help has been required"? I would feel a lot better if it wasn't just the military that was searching. Seems odd not to ask for outside help with such a huge space to search. Also, in the article it says that no clothing has been found. Does this mean that it has not been verified that his flip-flops were found?

One last thing: I wonder what "things" he wanted to see? Why drive around in the dark if he was wanted to see things?

 

[laytonian]

In the Tooele news article, am I the only one who is uneasy about the comment, "no outside help has been required"? I would feel a lot better if it wasn't just the military that was searching. Seems odd not to ask for outside help with such a huge space to search. Also, in the article it says that no clothing has been found. Does this mean that it has not been verified that his flip-flops were found?

One last thing: I wonder what "things" he wanted to see? Why drive around in the dark if he was wanted to see things?

The area is a military base, as well as a huge Air Force Test and Training Range. There are unexploded munitions, dangerous shrapnel, munitions storage, and other items.

There's plenty of military and civilians living out there, who can be assigned to an organized search, if it's needed.

I think, in the end, this will turn out to be something else.

If he was truly out of gas, why didn't he have his friend bring him some?
If it got late and he was going to miss his duty station, he certainly should have called his commander's office.

 

[laytonian]

They are still getting heat for shooting and starting the fire in September. On a day with a RED Flag Warning, no shooting... high fire danger. A fire which burned down houses...

I just caught these sentences.

I know all these military bases sound alike

The fire was at Utah Air National Guard's firing range, at Camp Douglas - and destroyed homes in Herriman.
This man is "lost" at Dugway Proving Grounds (a US Army base) in the west desert.

 

[Enchanting_eyes]

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

I'm assuming you mean drive off the base. At the Navy bases here they just stop you at the gate to make sure you have proper ID to get on the base, they don't check you when you leave. Last week ( not sure if they still are since I've haven't been on base since then ) they had heighten security where they checked out everyone in the car for proper ID's they still did not stop people when they left base.

 

[liz b.]

I'm assuming you mean drive off the base. At the Navy bases here they just stop you at the gate to make sure you have proper ID to get on the base, they don't check you when you leave. Last week ( not sure if they still are since I've haven't been on base since then ) they had heighten security where they checked out everyone in the car for proper ID's they still did not stop people when they left base.

What I meant was that they would be aware that he drove off base.

JMO

 

[MsFacetious]

I just caught these sentences.

I know all these military bases sound alike

The fire was at Utah Air National Guard's firing range, at Camp Douglas - and destroyed homes in Herriman.
This man is "lost" at Dugway Proving Grounds (a US Army base) in the west desert.

Oh I know they are different, that's why I said it would be another black eye for Utah's military. Not Dugway specifically. I am very aware of the differences... I get to have a panic attack every time Camp Williams decides to "play war"! I'd much prefer the fighter jets of Hill Air Force base thank you very much. :innocent:

I had the good fortune *mostly sarcasm of course* to be right there during the Herriman (Machine Gun) fire... which started at Camp Williams training range. It then spread to homes in Herriman... Just as all big fires are, it was great for taking pictures... not so great for breathing.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...ional-Guard-shot-in-the-face-of-Red-Flag.html

There's nothing new to say, I guess.

But it's not the "new Area 51". It's a large Army Base where munitions of all types were stored, and the test range is primarily for bombing practice.

You don't even need a security clearance to work there, or to enter. You just need to obtain a pass at the gate, if you're not an badged employee or military. Both my husband and son-in-law have been out there, related to their employment. Of course, special passes are needed for secure areas.

As a former top security clearance holder myself, I can ssure you there's nothing alien at Area 51, either
I don't think it's even called "Area 51" either, but the urban legends have sure made people a lot of money!

There have been a couple of experiences that I am aware of, that are quite similar to the one on this video (and the accompanying videos.)

More importantly however, in this video you see what Dugway looks like.

Now tell me, HOW have they not found a 3,000 pound car if it is there just on the ground somewhere?

Flying over, they haven't spotted it? :waitasec:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65LfQsBwY-0&feature=autoplay&list=UL0NQWimWxrKo&index=21&playnext=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/Dugway_Proving_Ground

 

[Kat]

About the term AWOL.

It is only a term used in accountability of troops. It means nothing perjorative or indicates they know where he is, rather I would take it they don't know where he is.

Each Company has to account for every soldier. Each Company reports the soldiers status to their Battalions---->brigades---->Division----> Corps--->DOA.

It is simply a term used as an accountability status. AWOL---->soldier not at assigned duty station and unknown as to where soldier is located.

Why didn't they use another designation such as DUSTWUN---there are certain designations of troop accountablity categories that only used in certain circumstances (combat vs. conus locations) and to be honest I don't have those memorized and have to ask my Husband when something like that comes up.

HTH.

 

[MsFacetious]

I am still shocked and angered this is not getting coverage.

After ALL of the uproar about how the military should have done more when Army Spec. Brandon Barrett went AWOL... that information would have kept him from being killed... in this case they still are not covering it?

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/...d-in-SL-family-criticizes-Armys-response.html

In Brandon's case they obviously didn't trace his phone or they would have found him, have they kept an eye on Joshua's or did they just try to ping it once?

Did Joshua's family hear from the military that he was missing, or from the media?

What have they done to look for him? Or have they just decided that he will turn up eventually?

I don't understand. If there was really a man missing, wandering around in the middle of nowhere... where was the urgency? When people get lost in Utah mountains there is practically an army looking for them, what is the difference? Why is he less deserving of just as much urgency?

 

[cocomod]

A Utah soldier with Arkansas connections has been missing since Sunday evening.Specialist Joseph Michael Bushling, raised in Russellville, was last heard from around 7:00

http://stateofarkansasfacts.info/tag/joseph-michael

http://www.onestopnewsstand.com/littlerock/soldier-raised-in-arkansas-missing-in-utah

 

[laytonian]

What I meant was that they would be aware that he drove off base.

JMO

Fill us in, please.
I guess things have changed, recently?

Really. It would be helpful to know how outgoing cars are tracked, when leaving military bases.

OT: does anyone know how to turn off the "pictures" that people have kindly inserted?
After we've seen them once, they still show - and right in the middle of trying to reply to a post, they load and "jump" the browser.

 

[laytonian]

You are completely correct; I typed "Douglas" instead of "Williams". I was picturing Camp Williams while I typed -- does that count?

Oh I know they are different, that's why I said it would be another black eye for Utah's military. Not Dugway specifically.

I'm sorry; I was just confused by Post #44.
I didn't realize you were talking about all of Utah's military (didn't see it there).

 

[MsFacetious]

Fill us in, please.
I guess things have changed, recently?

Really. It would be helpful to know how outgoing cars are tracked, when leaving military bases.

OT: does anyone know how to turn off the "pictures" that people have kindly inserted?
After we've seen them once, they still show - and right in the middle of trying to reply to a post, they load and "jump" the browser.

In your User CP you can go to Settings and Options on the left.

There is Edit Options.

On that page there is Thread Display Options.

You can turn off Avatars, Signatures AND Images there.

 

[laytonian]

In your User CP you can go to Settings and Options on the left.

There is Edit Options.

On that page there is Thread Display Options.

You can turn off Avatars, Signatures AND Images there.

Thanks - you're my hero.
It's working on everything but the google maps (which are slow-loaders, causing the problem).
I'm a clicker, rather than a looker

After following this case for a few days, I think the Army believes Bushling left on his own accord.

--It didn't make a lot of sense for him to have started driving around Dugway on Saturday evening.
--He didn't call in until Sunday evening. Dugway's big, but there's not that many places to go!
--His claimed location wasn't that far away, when he said he was out of gas.
--The flip-flops story doesn't make sense.
--Rather than calling in as "walking", why didn't he just tell his friend where he and the car were, and have the friend bring some gas. It's only a few miles.
--The general rule for military is that you can travel 75 miles away, during your off-duty time, without permission or checking in. Many went further without permission (personal experience during a two-family road trip).

I think he travelled -- and I hope he's OK. I worked around and closely with the military for 27 years, and saw many good, young military "skip off" for a few days without pre-approval. When they got back, they'd have to report to the Commander, get a slap on the hand, be restricted for awhile, be dunned leave, etc. Our military are scarce, and hard to replace.

I'm not seeing a similarity to Brandon Barrett (who grew up playing violent video games despite his father being an Iraq War vet with PTSD, and who saw awful things on the battlefield).

Bushling works in the Dugway medical clinic, which would treat minor injuries and illness, and refer more serious things to the SLC emergency wards. None of the stories say he's a medic, so I'm thinking he may work the paperwork end of things.

Bushling was also being transferred soon; I'm wondering if he had a relationship in the local area.

By now, I think the Army knows which cell tower his phone hit off, when he called -- and I'm thinking it's not near Dugway.
It's my belief that when he's found, he'll be far away from Dugway, safe and sound, but by now in some serious trouble.