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

[MsFacetious]

His family doesn't believe that...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372617/Missing-Dugway-soldiers-dad-fears-foul-play.html

The father of a soldier missing since Sunday evening believes his son, Spec. Joseph Bushling, has met with foul play and that the car he was driving is nowhere near this sprawling Army base.

"I feel something has happened to him, some harm has come to him. Otherwise, he would have contacted us," Kevin Bushling said from his home in Arkansas.

"There is nothing from his room that is missing. Everything — all his clothing, he had a few firearms, those are in his room. Medication — everything is in his room. He took nothing with him but his clothes on his back," Bushling said.

The car belongs to another soldier at Dugway who is away on a temporary assignment, Bushling said.

Joseph's only brother, Jeremy, committed suicide a year ago. "He left no note to my wife or I stating why he did it or anything," Bushling said, adding that Joseph "knew how much that hurt us, that we did not know the reason. … That's why, I know, if (Joseph) was able to get ahold of us, he would do it."

Thomas said Dugway Commander Col. William E. King IV agrees the soldier and the car he was driving are not on the Dugway range. "As of two days ago, he said he is 100 percent confident (Bushling) is not on Dugway Proving Ground," Thomas said the commander told her.

 

[laytonian]

His family doesn't believe that...

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372617/Missing-Dugway-soldiers-dad-fears-foul-play.html

The father of a soldier missing since Sunday evening believes his son, Spec. Joseph Bushling, has met with foul play and that the car he was driving is nowhere near this sprawling Army base.

"I feel something has happened to him, some harm has come to him. Otherwise, he would have contacted us," Kevin Bushling said from his home in Arkansas.

"There is nothing from his room that is missing. Everything — all his clothing, he had a few firearms, those are in his room. Medication — everything is in his room. He took nothing with him but his clothes on his back," Bushling said.

The car belongs to another soldier at Dugway who is away on a temporary assignment, Bushling said.

Joseph's only brother, Jeremy, committed suicide a year ago. "He left no note to my wife or I stating why he did it or anything," Bushling said, adding that Joseph "knew how much that hurt us, that we did not know the reason. … That's why, I know, if (Joseph) was able to get ahold of us, he would do it."

Thomas said Dugway Commander Col. William E. King IV agrees the soldier and the car he was driving are not on the Dugway range. "As of two days ago, he said he is 100 percent confident (Bushling) is not on Dugway Proving Ground," Thomas said the commander told her.

The family believes "foul play", but doesn't believe he'd leave on his own.
Sounds like another case I followed, for 17 months.

If the Commander is so sure that he's not on Dugway, they must have determined where the call was placed from.

BUT....I'm always suspicious when a family says "nothing's missing" -- because (unless they were in his room recently), they really don't know if he'd bought a new pair of jeans, some boots, etc.

If there's a suspect, is it the other soldier (who reported receiving the call). Maybe the call does not exist ... and the other soldier's phone has been tracked?

I'm still hopeful.

 

[SuziQ]

Now I really want to know when and where the phone was pinging.

 

[Snoopster]

Somehow, IMO, it appears that this 'disappearance' comes down to the two most likely scenarios.
1) He took off, for whatever reason. A girl; he didn't want to transfer; he had some 'deals going down'; or similar.
2) Foul play. He was killed (drug deal gone wrong?) and then the subsequent story about the cell phone call was made up.

I just don't buy into the story that he ran out of gas and is wandering around in the desert. Surely his car would have been found by now. Also, his behaviour.....driving around at night and running out of gas so far out, just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[dreamweaver]

I agree with other posters. The story does not make sense.
If he was really stranded, he would have called a tow truck or a friend to say come and get me.
If he was that desperate, why not call another friend if the first one was not home and he had to leave a voice mail?

Who called the police or the military police? The friend? When? What time?

I agree with his family that he would not just 'disappear' without letting them know something, considering their recent family tragedy.

So, either something very serious has happened to him or he is on his way
to someplace he considers 'safe.'
He is from AR, wonder if he is trying to make it back home?

I hope so.

 

[liz b.]

So his family knows that he left his medication(s) in his room ? Wonder what they were for ? Also, is it okay for him to be without them ?

JMO

 

[Lady LEO]

What were the circumstances around finding the flip-flops? SAR dogs?

How do they know that these are JB's flip flops?

 

[laytonian]

Who called the police or the military police? The friend? When? What time?

You'd think there'd be someone from LE around here somewhere, to help us get answers to our questions.

 

[laytonian]

So his family knows that he left his medication(s) in his room ? Wonder what they were for ? Also, is it okay for him to be without them ?

JMO

If he had a life-threatening condition without meds, he wouldn't be able to serve in the military. That may explain why he's not being described as "endangered".

 

[Lady LEO]

2005 Article--AWOL in America

Link: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2005/03/0080447

Quote:

"The Pentagon has estimated that since the start of the current conflict in Iraq, more than 5,500 U.S. military personnel have deserted, and yet we know the stories of only a unique handful, all whom have publicly stated their opposition to the war in Iraq, and some of whom have fled to Canada."

Anyone know current numbers for 2010 or 2011?

 

[MsFacetious]

But since he just barely re-enlisted... I would think he just wouldn't re-enlist if he wanted to be done... unless he had a sudden breakdown or something after he re-enlisted.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372617/Missing-Dugway-soldiers-dad-fears-foul-play.html

Bushling said his son had just re-enlisted for another five years with the Army and was in his final days at Dugway before beginning training in Texas to become a nurse.

"Nobody is completely happy with the Army," Bushling said, but he sees nothing to suggest his son just ran off — a belief backed up by another soldier friend at Dugway...


http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1584832832&sk=wall

Also worth noting he had been in Texas as well, so he was familiar with that area... had family/friends there as well.

People are posting on his facebook page more regularly now. Including his family and a fellow soldier who is out searching for him. If they are 100% sure he isn't on Dugway, why are they still searching? :waitasec:

 

[laytonian]

But since he just barely re-enlisted... I would think he just wouldn't re-enlist if he wanted to be done... unless he had a sudden breakdown or something after he re-enlisted.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372617/Missing-Dugway-soldiers-dad-fears-foul-play.html

Respectful snippage.

He was also headed into a new career field: nursing (meaning that the Army was going to educate him - what a bonus for him!)

I just thought of something: Maybe his name came up on the drug-testing list, or he knew he'd be tested when he entered his new assignment? The tests are generally random, but not always. Some are mandated due to type of assignment, and are specific in the orders.

(Years ago, a female Air Force officer I worked with, was assigned to Dugway for 30 days as a form of "drug rehab".)

 

[Lady LEO]

The unit he is with may not be seeing actual combat, but according to unit's FB page, they are seeing some ugly stuff.

Without knowing when he decided to re-enlist, it's hard to say that he still had the same emotional commitment. Some people in the military decide to re-enlist 2 yrs into their 4 yr commitment and a lot could happen in those 2 yrs.

Also, the element of "survivor's guilt" could be a factor given his brother's suicide a year ago.

The military doesn't talk much about the AWOL/desertion rate for obvious reasons. But, if you were a soldier in the west desert of Utah, without your own vehicle, and were disenchanted, what would you do?

He borrows a car from a soldier who is deployed.

He goes on drives to familiarize himself with the area, which news reports say he was known to do. Do these drives a few time and always return to reduce suspicion for when you don't come back.

He goes for a drive, late at night, and "runs out of gas." Calls a fellow soldier, but leaves a voice mail message (according to news articles) informing of the vehicle running out of gas, but doesn't ask for any assistance despite being 35 miles away.

By placing the phone call and adding the additional information that he was going to walk the 35 miles back to base, in flip-flops no less, it provides him with a plausible head start because he knows he won't be considered over-due for sometime. Humans walk at about 3 miles per hour, this would put him 12 hrs away from being expected back presuming he didn't feel like running in flip-flops.

It is likely he was aware of others who had gone AWOL and based upon the articles I've read, most AWOLs return to their families and that is where they are apprehended. The smart thing to do would be to stay away from your family and friends planning only to make contact well after the situation has cooled down and when you are safe and settled.

The footwear is particularly interesting. Disposable footwear, no better toss away footwear than flip-flops. Especially if you want people looking for someone shuffling along at a slower pace...eventually having to use his shirt for footwear, slowing him down even further. But, anyone who is at the point of using a shirt to protect their feet on a 35 mile walk and has medical training to boot, knows they should be asking for help on the phone call, not just an FYI "I'm using my shirt in place of shoes."

Having a second pair of shoes or sandals in the vehicle would be very easy. Leave the pair you have been seen wearing in some rather conspicuous place in the approximate area you "ran out of gas" thereby reinforcing that the searchers are looking for a missing person in that area, not an AWOL who is now several states away and still moving. Maybe even go so far as to damage the flip-flops, pull them a part a little to support your claim that you had to use your shirt.

Not finding the vehicle, but having found the flip flops is rather compelling for the AWOL side. It would be difficult to miss a black vehicle in the desert landscape but be able to find flip flops...

The military may have their suspicions that this is not really a missing person case, but because of the family involvement, they may be having to handle this case as a missing persons case rather than an AWOL due to publicity.

I agree with Laytonian. He is probably safe, but in some hot water now and so he may not re-surface anytime soon.

 

[SuziQ]

IMO, the story about running out of gas, losing the flip flops, walking to the test area, is just that, a story. And that either came from Joseph himself or from the friend he supposedly spoke to.

I really don't see that Joseph was going to run since he recently made alot of plans that would indicate that wasn't on his mind. For me that leaves the friend and what is the friends reason for spinning that tale.

 

[marycarney]

I agree with the well-thought out AWOL scenario. Well stated.

 

[SuziQ]

Since reason articles state the military found "nothing" in their search. I'm inclined to believe that there were no flip flops found. JMO.

 

[Lady LEO]

I agree with the well-thought out AWOL scenario. Well stated.

O/T: Mary your signature line about no meetings at 3 a.m. with the woo-hoo got me laughing. :floorlaugh: Thank you!

 

[MsFacetious]

Clarification:

Joe allegedly said he was walking to the TEST AREA, not to the main gate. If he was indeed near Granite Mountain, he was much closer to the test area. Granite Mountain is the area where they do a lot of the testing.

He never said he was walking the 35-40 miles back to the main gate.

However, if a person walks into a testing area... that isn't likely to end well either. So I think that'd be a pretty stupid thing to do.

Someone might be able to ask questions of the soldier who is looking for him and posting on his facebook page. I thought about it... but I'm a bit of a tactless wimp. So I decided against it. I might change my mind later...

She may know more about whether his flip flops were found, whether they brought in SAR dogs and how far the testing area is from the main gate. Since his facebook page is basically being used a support/prayers/search page I guess that is where you would ask questions relating to that.

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1584832832&sk=wall

Oh and family on the facebook page that share his last name... so you guys don't have to figure it out.

PB - Aunt

LB - Mother

KB - Father

EB - Uncle, father's brother

 

[MsFacetious]

“This is just totally out of character for him,” Kevin Bushling said. “This is nothing he would have done.”

Paula Thomas, public affairs officer for Dugway Proving Ground, said the base has been searched three times and the commanding officer is “100 percent certain” Joseph Bushling is not on the base, which is bigger than the state of Rhode Island.

Kevin Bushling said his son has no history of mental illness nor does he believe Joseph Bushling decided to desert.

There has been no activity on his son’s bank account or phone, Kevin Bushling said.

“Everything he owned he left there in his room on the base,” Kevin Bushling said.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/51814840-78/bushling-joseph-kevin-base.html.csp

 

[laytonian]

Clarification:

Joe allegedly said he was walking to the TEST AREA, not to the main gate. If he was indeed near Granite Mountain, he was much closer to the test area. Granite Mountain is the area where they do a lot of the testing.

I can't imagine what he'd be walking towards.

Click here to view a map that shows the location and expanse of the range (UTTR). There's nothing to walk towards. It's a vast expanse.

There may be occasional buildings -- but mission control is at Hill AFB.

We used to have telemetry trailers on Granite, I wasn't aware that it was now used as a target. I guess it could be.

THE MORE I READ, THE MORE THIS RESEMBLES ANOTHER CASE: Remember the young couple from Nebraska, who went missing after a party in Lincoln or Omaha? They reported cars in trees, aliens speaking another language, that they were in Lincoln at a certain address, etc. Story from USA Today. The aliens turned out to be cows, and they were found dead a few days later....after having ingested meth at the party.

At the time Bushling left (Saturday night), it makes more sense to go to a party somewhere than to go drive in the desert.
Flip-flops?
Walking towards the range?
Out of gas?