Am I SO FAR off the beaten path???

**Eagle5US** · 02-11-2008, 13:42

Honestly?!?
I live in fieldgrade and CSM housing on FT. Leonard Wood. Last night Kimberly and I heard yelling and whatnot outside (doors and windows closed), so being the kind of guy I am I went outside to investigate.
Turns out is was coming from the next street over, the driveway of the house involved is clearly visible (about 250meters from my back porch) as I look across my back yard and between the homes that are behind mine-then across that street.
There is a car running in the driveway, teenagers yelling between the house and the car, the last thing I hear from the guy at the door to the kids in the car is "you don't live here, you can't tell me to leave". Then they all run in the house.
I get my phone, go down to the house and knock on the door (which is open)...
Black teenager with baggy shorts off his hips, t-shirt, doo-rag and braids:
"what do you want dude?"
ME: "I want to know if you live here"
TEEN: "yeah, I live here"
ME: "How long have you lived here?"
TEEN: "I dunno-but this is MY house"
ME: "This is your house, but you don't know how long you have lived here?"
TEEN: "That's right, I don't know how long I've lived here, but this is my house" while he is smiling at his buds peeking around the corner.
ME: "OK, then I am calling the MP's and they can figure out how long you have lived here."

So I call, they show up in force, the kids MOTHER shows up about the same time. I relay the story, she's all pissed off AT ME for knocking on her door in the first place, and most certainly for calling the police. I tell her this is a quiet neighborhood and we don't generally have these types of issues here. This was out of the ordinary and her son wouldn't say how long he lived in the house.
After hearing "you don't live here, you can't make me leave" and seeing everyone go inside, I felt it best to let the Police sort it out. They took statements, info reports etc...
I shook her hand, gave the "no hard feelings bit" and went home, a little bent that she was pissed at me for being the neighborhood watch guy instead of her being pissed off at her kid for causing this in the first place. Her words, "They are just teenagers being teenagers. He don't know you, so he shouldn't be answering any of your questions". OK fine, whatever, that's why I called the MP's, so he could answer THEIR questions.

So TODAY, my next door neighbor (Herb) comes over and rings the bell. Turns out the father from last night's incident is a LTC currently in Iraq. My neighbor (Herb) is his CSM. Herb just got a call (from the pissed off LTC in Iraq) after hearing the story (I am assuming from the wife) of how I interrogated and harassed his kid for no reason then called the MP's.
Seeing how both the LTC and his wife work in the post HQ with the post CG, you can imagine the next thing that came out:
"Well, this is probably going to go higher since they are such close friends with the post CG-probably a harassment complaint with housing"

I told him to go ahead and put me on the General's calendar, I would be glad to speak with him regarding MY recollection of events. Friends or not, I doubt he is going to publicly support a bunch of teenagers creating a ruckus at night that can be heard 250meters away in a closed house.

This is MILITARY HOUSING for goodness sakes. WTH?
The MP's said it was a good call. I called and spoke to the watch commander today who said there is absolutely zero that they can do against us for calling regarding a disturbance.
I am not worried, intimidation is fairly useless against me, and I gargle no man's balls.
It is more the principle of this whole encounter. I friggin hate it. Stuff like this is why people refuse to get involved. If it would have happened at MY house, I would only HOPE that someone would call the police to get it straightened out.

OK...
Rant off....

I just don't get it...

Eagle

**Bill Harsey** · 02-11-2008, 14:05

Eagle,
One would think you would be praised by the LTC for going out of your way to make sure his family is ok.
Well done from my long distance point of view.

I haven't called the police for a neighbors loud and dangerous sounding domestic dispute since, uh, last night.

**Pete** · 02-11-2008, 14:09

I hear ya'.

2nd street over and you were the one who acted? Post housing sure has changed.

Anything like that after dark on my Cul-du-Sac at Ft Campbell and they would have had all the CSMs and SGMs who were not deployed in thier front yard.

Small Low Lux video camera.

**Eagle5US** · 02-11-2008, 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pete

I hear ya'.

2nd street over and you were the one who acted? Post housing sure has changed.

Anything like that after dark on my Cul-du-Sac at Ft Campbell and they would have had all the CSMs and SGMs who were not deployed in thier front yard.

Small Low Lux video camera.

Ah yes... the good ol'e days. I was actually HAULED TO JAIL on Fort Lewis for cussing in my post housing back yard and my CSM had to come sign for me! Of course, it was 1988, but still!

What has happened to my Army

Eagle

treykane · 02-11-2008, 14:26

No you're not.

As a civilian, I would have been right there if that happened in my neighborhood, and if the person I confronted answered my questions the same way I too would have called the police. I would rather have an angry neighbor than let someone get hurt or robbed when I could have prevented it.

-Trey

CoLawman · 02-11-2008, 14:43

My two cents:

Your rear end would have been better covered had the MPs issued the offending youth a citation for a noise violation. You could have been a witness at the "trial", as well as the MPs. This would have certainly prevented anyone up the chain from throwing their weight around.

I understand this is a civilian perspective, but I once did this job as an MP as well. Had to deal with offending youth whose parents had some clout. Nothing like using the courts to protect one from the "my kid does no wrong."

JMI · 02-11-2008, 14:50

My father would have beat my ass had that happened. But while he was away, I am sure he would have found someone to do the job until he returned. One of the neighbors had to come to the house to investigate loud noise? I shiver at the thought and I am 38. Ah, the memories.

Chris · 02-11-2008, 14:50

IMO, you did the right thing. Better everything alright and a pissed off mother than something wrong and a (potentially) mourning mother. Some people just don't get it.

**Roguish Lawyer** · 02-11-2008, 15:01

Good job, Eagle.

**Eagle5US** · 02-11-2008, 15:03

Well it's nice to see that I am not in the minority, of course I didn't really expect to be in this particular group of yahoos

I guess it is just another disappointment...I am constantly reminded that I should expect less out of people who I choose not to surround myself with.

Eagle

monsterhunter · 02-11-2008, 15:05

It seems that the mother had a pre-existing chip on her shoulder and went straight to assuming along a popular line of crap. Reality has no basis with this type of mentality. I can only imagine what she told her husband. It sure sounds like you acted rationally to me.

SOGvet · 02-13-2008, 15:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eagle5US

Her words, "They are just teenagers being teenagers. He don't know you, so he shouldn't be answering any of your questions".

Right, and a teenager will put one between your eyes, or gut you with a razor before you know it. They have no sense of value of life, primarily due to TV and video games (my .02 cents).

All I know is that the one time I lived on post (Bragg) in 1970 (no joke), if you created a ruckus, you were promptly told to pack your shit and move downtown - many times w/o drawing BAQ.

**The Reaper** · 02-13-2008, 15:25

I had a student in the SFQC kill the dependent son of a SGM during a botched home invasion attempt off post many years ago.

The SGM had been warned that his son was running with a bad crowd, and the cops had called the SGM to come pick the young man up a couple of times, but he was in denial as the boy could do no wrong, and was just "being a teenager".

That didn't stop him from becoming a dead teen when he and his buddies attacked the wrong people.

Sounds to me like reverse racism, and you being blamed for their son's misconduct, and that is exactly what it is.

With that attitude the parents almost certainly have some steep learning to do over the next few years, hopefully, they will not learn that lesson in a very hard way.

TR

Patriot007 · 02-13-2008, 15:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Reaper

hopefully, they will not learn that lesson in a very hard way.

TR

Looks to me the LTC and his son could learn two lessons from TR's story:
1. Man up and parent your child
2. Don't mess with SF

Here's hoping this turns out right for you EAGLE sir.

SF_BHT · 02-13-2008, 16:53

Eagle
Get your handy dandy DV Video Recorder. A picture is worth a thousand words. Set the date and time and start recording from a distance of all the antics of their little angles. If you have to get close put it under your arm as you walk up to get the true picture before they know you have a video.

You might send a few clips to the father and he may then change his tone and try to get the house in order. All else fails and you see the CG show him the video's and he will then light up the parents (Father) first. It has worked well for me and a few friends in Fayetteville and VA.

Good luck with the kids....