AWOL With Significant Mental Health Issues as Trigger

AWOL Case Study #2

Matter:

AWOL, With Significant Mental Health Issues as Trigger

Service:

Army

Summary:

Our Client was deeply depressed and mentally disturbed when his family contacted Meili Law. Over the course of the next month or so, we saw to it that he was properly diagnosed, safely returned to military control, treated, and later honorably discharged.

This Soldier was suffering from a powerful combination of untreated depression and anxiety, and close to suicidal when his family found me. I traveled to Tennessee to meet him and his family, and to get him admitted to a VA hospital, even though he was active duty military, and not technically entitled to service. The VA helped tremendously to stabilize and diagnose our client. With that diagnosis, I then arranged to have the Soldier safely returned to military control, where we helped facilitate his admission to the psych ward of an active duty military hospital. That staff did a wonderful job. They confirmed the VA's diagnosis of severe depression and anxiety and began a treatment regimen. The military medical staff also contacted our Client's unit and worked with the unit to encourage the chain of command to take into account the Soldier's medical/mental health state and its influence on his actions in the weeks and months leading up to his AWOL. We were grateful to be able to negotiate a fair and just handling of the AWOL by our Client's chain of command. His brigade commander approved an administrative medical discharge for our Client, with an honorable characterization of service.

Result:

Client was discharged honorably. He now has a full time civilian job and plans to marry soon.

Highlights:

Working with a young man and his family to show that there was, indeed, hope in what they initially thought was a pretty hopeless situation.

References:

Our Client and his family. Please call us at 214-363-1828 or email us at info@meililaw.com for further information and contact numbers.

I contacted Col. Meili as a fellow practitioner to gain some context and perspective on a pretty complex set of issues. Because I practice in a different field of law, Col. Meili's extensive expertise was invaluable and he was more than generous with his time. A skilled and dedicated professional who cares deeply about obtaining the best possible outcome for his clients, Bill's a leader in this field.

- Steffen Chapin


After an exhaustive search of military attorneys, I came across the name of Bill Meili. From my first email exchange and telephone call, I knew that Bill was the right person to handle my case. I had discussed my unique circumstance with a handful of other attorneys who felt it may be too difficult to achieve the outcome that I was seeking - but Bill was interested in me and my case, and wholeheartedly believed that we had the ball in our court. I could tell that Bill cared about me as a person and soldier, not just viewing me as a paycheck.

- Anonymous