Special operations sergeant reprimanded for going to surgeon at DAFB

By LEE WILLIAMS / The News Journal

10/31/2004

DOVER -- Jason Adkins is a hero.

On May 13, 2003, the technical sergeant was on the first C-5 flown into Baghdad.

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Adkins and the entire crew were recommended, and are still in line, for the Distinguished Flying Cross, one of the nation's highest awards for bravery.

Now, despite medals, special operations missions and an unblemished service record spanning 14 years, Adkins says commanders at Dover are making an example of him because he complained about his medical issues linked to the anthrax vaccine.

Adkins believes he's being punished to send a warning to other personnel that they shouldn't call attention to the most controversial issue to hit the base since the Vietnam War.

Adkins' former commander, retired Col. Felix Grieder, is enraged that an airman of Adkins' abilities is being singled out for speaking the truth.

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Base officials declined to comment about Adkins' situation or the uproar the vaccinations have caused at Dover.

Safety of flight

Adkins arrived at Dover in 1998. It was the fifth duty assignment for the Alabama native.

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Adkins got to Dover just as the anthrax vaccination program was taking off.
Six of his eight anthrax vaccinations were tainted with squalene, a fat-like substance linked to autoimmune disorders.

Adkins suffers memory loss, muscle and joint pain, an occasional racing heartbeat, weight loss and severe migraines, all of which he blames on the anthrax vaccine.

Once an avid power-lifter, Adkins weighed 252 pounds and could bench press 425 pounds before he received his first anthrax vaccination.

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Now, he weighs 200 pounds and struggles to bench press his own weight.

"I can't work out anymore because of the joint pain," he said.

On Oct. 22, after he was hit by a "crippling" migraine, Adkins told his squadron he was reporting to the flight surgeon rather than flying a mission.

He didn't want his illness to endanger his crew.

Air Force policy clearly dictates that sick personnel should not fly.

Even during a flight, if crew members become ill or overly tired, they are encouraged to declare "safety of flight," at which point they are relieved of their duties - no questions asked - without any fear of discipline or repercussions.

Adkins didn't mention the link between his migraines and the anthrax vaccine to the medical staff, but he didn't need to.
"Severe headaches," euphemisms for migraines, are cause for grounding of pilots and crew. And like "joint pain," headaches have become buzzwords at Dover for personnel suffering adverse reactions to the anthrax vaccine.

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Because The News Journal has in the past month brought heightened awareness to the anthrax controversy, Adkins believes the response from his chain of command was immediate and unprecedented at Dover.

The chief flight engineer issued Adkins a letter of reprimand (LOR), a potential career-killer for an Air Force sergeant. Adkins' military lawyer says the LOR could bar Adkins from further promotion, access to specialty schools, choice assignments or possibly even re-enlistment.

"Your actions decreased the readiness of a high priority alert mission, caused last minute schedule disruptions and could have resulted in loss of training or inability of DoD assets to execute the mission," the letter states.

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"They're making an example of me because I complained about the migraines," he said. "They associate that with the anthrax. They're scared of losing control."
Adkins can't appeal the reprimand, he can only write a response.

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Retired Lt. Col. Jay Lacklen is a former Dover C-5 pilot who blames his advanced arthritis on the six squalene-tainted anthrax vaccinations he received at the base.
"By reprimanding Sgt. Adkins, Dover commanders are encroaching on a sacred safety principle established by generations of military fliers. When a crew member declares a safety of flight, he should never be challenged on that call, if valid," Lacklen said.

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"Apparently, the Air Force is reprimanding him for yielding to a condition they inflicted on him, a most unjust procedure that blames the victim for the crime," Lacklen said.

Bunker mentality

Personnel at Dover Air Force Base don't discuss their anthrax vaccinations openly.
"It's hush-hush," Adkins said. "We have to go behind closed doors. It's hardly even brought up."

Dover Air Force Base has become ground zero for the anthrax controversy. Problems began at Dover in May 1999 after some troops in their 20s and 30s began developing illnesses normally associated with old age.
Adkins was one of them.

"Sgt. Adkins has experienced a significant decline in his health since he started with the anthrax vaccination program at Dover Air Force Base in late 1998," Grieder said.
Grieder, who was then commander, halted the vaccination program, a move he said brought an end to his military career.

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The Air Force and the Department of Defense have continually stressed the safety of the vaccine, despite the claims of scores of military personnel who say it made them ill.

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On Thursday afternoon, after The News Journal started investigating Adkins' story - and after Voorhis made inquiries for his boss, a four-star general - the commanders at Dover intervened.

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The pilots and crews were ordered to go through the base's public affairs chief, Maj. Cheryl Law, before talking to the media. They also were ordered to avoid talking about the anthrax vaccination program, and they were told they would be held accountable for what they say.

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Adkins does not want to remain in the Air Force, and he will never again take another anthrax shot.

"I feel like I've been deceived and misled," he said. "The whole program has caused a lot of harm to a lot of people who are putting their lives on the line for this country. I am really thankful to Col. Grieder for having the courage to step forward when no one else would.

"If someone is suffering symptoms like mine, they need to come forward, because if you're suffering now, it's only going to get worse."

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