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Date Posted: 10:42:55 02/12/04 Thu
Author: Sharon Plumb
Subject: Re: President, Senators and Congressmen E-Mail
In reply to: Glenn K Detro 's message, "Re: President, Senators and Congressmen E-Mail" on 09:06:55 09/17/03 Wed

>>Subject: President, Senators and Congressmen E-Mail
>>Addresses:
>>BY: any help would be appreciated

>From: "Liberty Valve Services Inc."
>To: ohsewsew2@hotmail.com
>Subject: Fwd: letters
>Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 15:11:12 -0800 (PST)
>
>
>Note: forwarded message attached.

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From: Billieasaf@aol.com
Date: Tue, 3 Feb 2004 15:34:00 EST
Subject: letters
To: lvsvalve@flash.net

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February 2, 2004

Dear Congressman Huffily:

My name is Billie Janine Asaf. I am writing to you to request your assistance in getting my son, Private Bryan M. Asaf, home from Iraq. I have been attempting this myself since July 2003. I have found myself stuck in a never-ending world of red tape and brick walls. Below is a summary of what I have been through since July 15th, 2003.

On July 15, 2003, the El Paso County Department of Human Services took my son’s five-week-old twin daughters from their mother. I immediately sent a Red Cross message to my son, Private Bryan Asaf, in Iraq informing him of the situation along with a request to send him home to handle the situation. He immediately contacted the original caseworker, Cathy Durkin and me. At that Bryan requested that his children been sent to Texas to live with me until his return. (The children were diagnosed with Failure to Thrive. Basically they were starving, did not even have the energy to cry, and had significant weight loss. One twin weighted less at 5 weeks than when she was born.) He also mailed me three signed power of attorney forms. I maintained continuous contact with DHS and honestly believed the twin babies would be coming to live with me in a very short amount of time, as did my son. I also had a home study completed by the Child Protective Services in Texas, which gave a strong recommendation to send the children to me.

In September 2003, I was informed by, the new caseworker, Tyra Baltierra that the children would not be sent to Texas until sometime in mid-December and would remain in foster care until that time. I was also informed that the mother was not complying with the treatment plan and was not making the significant progress required of her. I made arrangements and came to Colorado Springs on October 15, 2003, expecting that in a week or two the children would be moved from foster care in with me and in mid-December we three would be returning to Texas. On October 21st, I went to the court hearing to request that the children be placed with me while living in Colorado. It was then the judge stated that pending the determination of the paternity test that the children should be placed with me with the understanding that I was willing to make a long-term commitment to stay in Colorado. I had no choice but to agree. I was also informed that it was the courts job to insure that reasonable efforts were being made to reunite the"family”, meaning to have the children returned to their mother or father. Please keep in mind that my son has never denied that these babies are his. He was not married to the mother of the children and his name was not included on their birth certificates; however, the children do have his last name. (On August 4th, a paternity test was sent to Captain Santiago in Iraq for Bryan. The DNA results were received on December 10th, 2003 with the conclusion that Bryan is the father of the twins.)

Our next court hearing was on December 2, 2003. At that time there was a request by the county attorney to file contempt of court charges against the mother since she had not made an effort to comply with the court ordered treatment plan and the visitations with her 3 year old son from a previous relationship were also terminated. I thought for sure that the court would award the twins to me and allow us to go home to Texas. This did not happen and I still did not have my grandchildren out of foster care. Never mind I continuously reported that the back of babies heads were flat from neglect or that the babies continuously had diaper rashes that were bleeding. What I did get was the ability to visit with the babies twice a week unsupervised. The entire time previously to this I had to go to the foster home in Payton for a few hours a week. I was also informed that I could not take the babies home to Texas for Christmas due to their mother having one-hour visitation twice a week scheduled. Never mind the court documented the mother showed up 50% of the time for visitation. I did however get the babies for over night visitations during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

When we went to court on January 13, 2004 I was awarded the twins and the three-year-old child. Idid not receive custody. I was only granted kinship foster care meaning that the children were finally allowed to come live with me in Colorado. The court stated again that the purpose of the court was to reunite the family and I was to be available to take the twins to visitation with their mother twice a week for one hour at a time. The visitation between the mother and the three-year-old was not reinstated. It was also documented that the mother only went to four out of seven visits with the babies in the month of December. She spent 4 hours total with babies for the entire month and I was not allowed to go home for Christmas with the children.

I have sent numerous Red Cross requests to have my son sent home on numerous occasions. I have been in consistent contact with Captain Westphal, Lt. Montgomery, Sgt. Pellegi and Sgt. Sizemore all with the 3 ACR Rear Detachment unit. I have used my POAs to register my granddaughters into the Army benefits program, completed my son’s Family Plan, taken out a loan through the AER, and filed all the necessary financial paperwork. Captain Westphal requested I send him a letter detailing what I had been through so that he might be able to use this along with legal documentation I had provided to get Bryan home. I emailed this letter to him on December 16.2003 and he forwarded the information to Iraq. Please keep in mind that this was not the first time a request was sent to Iraq from the Rear Detachment Unit. I have made a request every time there has been a scheduled court hearing. A reply was emailed back to Captain Westphal from a Lt. Foreman. I was told that Lt. Foreman stated basically that my son is needed in a foxhole in Iraq more than he is needed in Colorado to handle the situation with his children. Lt. Foreman has been standing in the way of my son returning to the states to handle this situation the entire time. Another request was sent to Iraq about two weeks ago via email and there has not been a response received back to date.

I have spent all of my savings, taken a leave of absence from my job, and spent the money my son had saved in his checking account, Andean went so far as to take out a loan from the ARE to pay for the rent on the furnished apartment I live in. I estimate that I have spent well over $2000.00 a month since being here. I have also taken on the responsibility of caring for a very neglected three-year-old child. I believe I am doing my part for our country's future, as is my son in Iraq, and the Army has not help this family at all. My son is still very dedicated to the United States Army and would like to make the military his life-long career.

I am making a plea to you for your assistance in helping to bring my son home so that he may prove to the court that the twins are not dependent and neglected and he will be able to provide for his children. At a recent meeting with DHS, I was informed that whichever parent is able to prove this first will receive custody of the children. My son has never seen his babies in person, and the mother has threatened that when she gets her babies she will disappear and Bryan along with his family will never see them. The mother has been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder. The same diagnosis the Army made when she was discharged in January 2003.

I have been informed that there is a plane leaving Iraq On February 12, 2004, and there could be a possibility that someone could be taken off the flight in order to make room for my son. Also, today I was told one of the soldiers scheduled to be on that flight has already arrived at Fort Carson and his seat so far has not been filled. Our next court date is on March 16, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. Bryan needs to be on that February 12th flight so that when he gets back he will have the time to complete a treatment plan which will include completing parenting classes, a mental evaluation, supervised visits with his daughters, and numerous meetings with DHS, the caseworker, the GAL, and his court appointed attorney.

He is scheduled for redeployment sometime in March, so this would only be bringing him home a month or so early. From what I understand, should he be allowed to come home he is eligible for one-month emergency leave in addition to his one-month end of deployment leave. My son has done everything possible in Iraq to get home, I have done everything I know of stateside to get him home, and we have both failed. Please help me get my son home so that we may return to a normal life.

I have enclosed a copy of the letter I sent to Captain Westphal, and a copy of the power of attorney my son mailed me from Iraq. I can be reached at 719-538-0439. If for some reason I am not available my mother, Shirley Janine Cain can be reached at 936-828-6178 or 1-800-222-3200. I talk with her every night. Should you need copies of the court documentation, I will be happy to provide this too. Anything you can do to help solve this problem and get my son home would be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,
Billie Janine Asaf

December 16, 2003

Dear Captain Westphal:

On July 15th, 2003 Private Bryan M. Asaf’schildren, Emajon and Skiler, were taken away from their mother by DHS. The twins were bore on June 7th,2003. The children were diagnosed withFailure to Thrive. Basically they werestarving, did not even have the energy to cry, and had significant weightloss. One twin weighted less at 5 weeksthan when she was born. You should alsoknow that the mother, Renee Legan was sectioned out of the military for apersonality disorder.

Upon being notified, I sent a Red Cross message to let Bryanknow about his babies. Bryan called meas soon as he got the message and also made contact with caseworker, KathyDurkin, at DHS. Bryan also had threePower of Attorneys drawn up and sent to me in Texas. DHS has continuously stated that it is in Bryan's best interestto return to the states and claim his children in order to get them out of thefoster care system. I have sentnumerous requests via Red Cross for Bryan to be sent home. On August 3rd, a meeting was heldto discuss placement options for the children. On August 4th, a paternity test was sent to Captain Santiagoin Iraq for Bryan. The DNA results werereceived on December 10th, 2003 with the conclusion that Bryan is thefather of the twins. I have attemptedto handle this situation to the best of my ability. I had also been in frequent contact with 1st Sgt.Pellegi regarding this matter. Continuously I have been led to believe by DHS that I could have thegirls come to Texas, only to be told differently a few days later. After the court hearing in September, I wastold that DHS would not be sending the girls to Texas and all I could do was“hurry up and wait”. At this point itwas made very clear that the mother would be given an opportunity to proveherself to the court and if she did not succeed Bryan would not be ableto get custody his children without being present to complete a treatmentplan. Adoption was not ruled out as anoption. A letter was sent to Bryan inIraq from the new caseworker, Tyra Baltierra, stating that the only way hecould get custody of his children would be to return to temporarilyColorado. Having sent another Red Crossmessage in the later part of September expressing the importance of his return;I fully expected I would meet him here in Colorado to help him handleeverything and in a short amount of time I would go back to Texas and he toIraq. Bryan has also been attempting tobe sent home on emergency leave to resolve this situation. I arrived in Colorado Springs on October 15th,rented a furnished apartment, and began entering into the world ofuncompromising red tape and brick walls. At this point I began speaking with Lt. Montgomery. Lt. Montgomery sent several emails requestingupdates on Bryan’s expected return. Asit turns out it from the emails Lt. Montgomery has received it does not looklike Bryan is going to be sent home.

I have done everything in my power to handle this for Bryan,but to no avail. The information Ihave been given is that DHS does not have a treatment plan for deployedsoldiers. So DHS is prescribingparenting classes, a mental evaluation, and monitored visitation just as theydo for parents that are incarcerated. He only needs come back for a few weeks, instead of the originalestimated time of 90 days. Thereduction in time is due to having him start his parenting classes inIraq. I am in the process of having Emajonand Skiler added to the DEERS program, and arranging the Family Plan since Ihave his POAs. I have also talked withJill at Family Services about having Bryan start his parenting classes in Iraqand completing the parenting classes here upon his arrival. Jill stated that is could be done in a fewdays instead of 90 days. Bryan willneed to complete a mental evaluation (DHS has stated this should only takeabout an hour). The last two task toBryan’s treatment plan in order to gain custody will require him to bemonitored with the twins and to appear in court. There is another scheduled court date on January 13th. If Bryan could be here for this hearing thisentire matter can be quickly resolved, he can then return to Iraq to completehis tour and I can return to Texas with the children. If Bryan is not here for the January 13th hearing, thecourt will most likely state that I should stay here until June or until Bryanreturns. And this request by the courtwould in no way guarantee me being able to take the children out of foster careor granted custody of the children. Since being here I am able to go to the court hearings and gather moreinformation. I had expected to have thegirls live with me instead of in a foster home by now but this has nothappened. At this point I am able tosee the twins twice a week.

I truly believe my son when he states he is trying to doeverything in a professional manner in Iraq after finding out about thesituation with his children and dealing with the initial shock. But I can only imagine the distraction thishas caused him. I remember going to the graduation ceremonies and hearing thespeeches about how important family is to the soldier in the United StatesArmy, and about how the Army encourages family; I often wonder if the speechesI heard were just written scripts. Istand behind our troops and have done everything in my power to resolve thissituation. I have missed familybirthdays, events, and holidays expecting that any day now I will be able toget help from the Army by bringing Bryan home and putting an end to all ofthis. It is very disappointing to methat a higher-ranking soldier has the audacity to state that my son has nobusiness being a father and Bryan should allow his children to be adopted out.Who is he to decide whether or not I should be allowed the opportunity to be agrandmother? It seems to me thissoldier must have enough clout to keep Bryan from returning home. These are not only Bryan’s children; thesechildren are my grandchildren and the future of our United States. I am really beginning to wonder whysomething so important to our family is being treated as something so trivialto the Army. I understand we are in awar and every soldier is needed to perform the duty he/she has been trained todo, but this has been going on since July 15th, 2003. This could all be over is just a few shortweeks with the cooperation of the 3rd ACR’s chain of command.

I would appreciate your assistance is helping me to resolvethis matter.

Sincerely,
Billie Janine Asaf

P.S.
The babies are now six months old and have been in thefoster care system since they were five weeks old.
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Re: President, Senators and Congressmen E-Mail -- Thomas Paterno, 09:00:02 07/11/04 Sun

Re: President, Senators and Congressmen E-Mail -- Thomas Paterno, 09:02:01 07/11/04 Sun