His user name is Testvet6778 - and most of us call him Testvet. Some of us know him as Mike Bailey. After the jump, I'll tell you more about Mike but right now, let's talk about Testvet.
Testvet's health has always been iffy. He's had a "triple bypass, 2 failed stets, a stroke, mental health care, [and] herniated disks." I know that list isn't complete, there is one more to add to it. In an e-mail sent to him, I asked how he was. This is his response:
I am home I had a heart attack on April 9 and spent 15 days in hospital. I am weak but alive.
Thanks Mike
It's not his first heart attack, either.
Now about Mike Bailey. He's a former alcoholic, married multiple times, retired mail carrier [that's not bad, except Mike used to ring some bells more than once - see multiple marriages] and the absent father of too many. Having done almost everything wrong so early in life, Mike in his last marriage woke up and has reformed. Multiple heart attacks helped.
Whenever I'm trying to help a Veteran in trouble, I always check what I plan to do with Mike. He knows more about how the Army and the Veterans Administration operate than anyone I ever met. Because of his help, a lot of service members have gotten answers to their questions or help that no one would ever dream possible.
Here is an example of one life he saved, and he did just by talking with the kid. The kid was fairly young - under 21 at the time - and still in the service. He had been to Iraq and his duties as a medic brought him into contact with more men dieing than he could handle. He had a bad case of PTSD, was suicidal, and his stateside unit commander decided that PTSD was a big, fat myth. He had been diagnosed by a military psychiatrist, recommended for a medical discharge, and the unit commander decided that what the kid needed was more combat experience. To make a long story shorter, Mike talked with the kid, calmed him down, called a few people, and the Surgeon General of the Army flew cross country to personally intervene.
That's just one example I know about. I played middle man in that case. There are others - many others and not all had a happy ending. Not everyone was innocent of wrong-doing, either. Mike never plays both judge and jury, but when something doesn't pan out, it is very hard on him.
I hope that with this little bit about Mike, you will take a minute to wish him well on his so far rocky road to recovery.