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Chapter 2

Extenuating Circumstances

At 0500 hours, Lieutenant Commander Stevens’s alarm awakened him from his dream about dogs running into a battlefield filled with corpses. He welcomed the interruption.

A meeting with Captain Ericson was scheduled for 0900 hours. There was no time to waste. Stevens had substantially written his report, but there were some edits and loose ends to resolve.

One of those loose ends had to do with his conclusion. He wanted to be in his office 0700 hours.

He arrived at 0658 hours and began to edit his report. After he had finished editing, he paused and reviewed the conclusion. He was principally concerned about his recommendation. Stevens sympathized with Bryant, but it was an assault, after all.

Finally, he chose to recommend two months of therapy and then a consideration of discharge based on medical recommendations resulting from therapy. He conjectured that a discharge designation of honorable discharge for medical reasons could be the determination. He felt unsettled with that outcome.

He would tell the commander that there were extenuating circumstances and that Bryant was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder with moderate symptoms. He would go on to explain that the incident resulting in Lawrence being hospitalized was clearly connected to a traumatic experience prior to enlistment. He would add that although the circumstances under which Bryant became violent were unlikely to be repeated, he was a potential threat to the current team, especially Lawrence.

Based on Bryant’s performance prior to the incident, he believed that he would avoid a dishonorable discharge but assumed he would be discharged. The best he could do was to postpone that decision until Lawrence’s full recovery. Perhaps then, a better understanding would help Bryant’s case. Realistically, however, he doubted the final decision would be positive for Bryant.

Lieutenant Commander Stevens finished the evaluation. He signed the report, placed it in a manila folder, and sealed it. He tucked it under his left arm and carried it to his meeting with Captain Ericson.

Captain Ericson was seated behind an oak desk when Lieutenant Commander Stevens arrived at his office. Stevens saluted.

“Have a seat,” Ericson said, waving him to a matching seat across the desk from him. Ericson sat and held out the manila envelope carrying the report on Shawn Bryant.

“The evaluation is inside. I imagine you will read it thoroughly, but I wanted to highlight a couple of items mentioned in the report and one or two factors that are not mentioned,” Stevens explained.

Ericson nodded and opened the envelope. “It’s been a tough case, I gather.”

“It has. It took more time to understand what was going on with Bryant, and I still feel uncomfortable with the”—he paused, then—“situation and what he is facing.”

Ericson glanced at Lieutenant Commander Stevens and could read the unsettled expression on his face. The captain scanned the report quickly, looking at the conclusions with more diligence. He looked at Stevens again, pushed the report aside, and folded his arms across his broad chest.

“So what’s eating you, Carl?”

Bryce Ericson and Carl Stevens had known each other for a long time. They had worked together to orchestrate the establishment of the mental health section of the incarceration process for all military personnel serving in Afghanistan. Both had served time as Navy SEALs experiencing action in Iraq and Afghanistan together, and each had a reasonable understanding of the hardship experienced by servicemen in the region. These men respected each other as soldiers and as professional mental health experts. The primary difference was that Captain Ericson also had administrative training and experience.

Stevens took a deep breath and began his explanation.

“As you can see from the report, Bryant has had an exceptional record serving as a SEAL team member. Despite his nearly three years of service, which included a commendation, this isolated incident will likely prevent him from reenlisting and possibly result in a negative discharge. I cannot make a recommendation regarding his discharge, but you can. So I’m trying to help you understand what’s at stake. I firmly believe that the circumstances surrounding this incident suggest an unusual situation that resulted in an extremely rare reaction from a talented and highly capable SEAL team member. I hope you will take these factors into consideration when you make your recommendations.”

Captain Ericson studied Stevens’s concerned expression for a few seconds, then said, “I will take time to review the report, and I will definitely take into consideration your comments about his character. I can’t guarantee that it will make any difference in the final outcome, but it would be a shame to lose a warrior of his caliber.”

Ericson glanced at the report again, then looked back at Stevens. “What is the status of the other party in this incident?” he asked.

“His name is Casey Lawrence,” Stevens offered. “He’s recovering in a medical facility not far from here. He suffered a broken jaw as well as abrasions, bruising, and cuts from Bryant’s beating. It’s documented in the report, but I want to add that Lawrence pulled a knife on Bryant.”

“Thanks for your report, Carl. I see that you want to continue meeting with Bryant for therapy.”

“Yes, I do. I know you need to decide soon, and I don’t have much time. But I think it will be worth it,” Stevens explained.

“Okay, go ahead with the therapy. Also, I want you to check on the status of Petty Officer Lawrence and get back with me. Let me know if it looks like he will be taking any legal steps,” Captain Ericson ordered as he stood and stretched his six-foot-plus frame while running his fingers over his copper-tinted blond hair. Captain Stevens recognized this as a sign the meeting was over.

He stood, saluted, and said, “Thanks, Captain. I know you will resolve this incident in the best way possible.”

He pivoted on his left heel and left the room. He felt that the determination would be reasonable and fair even though he might not be totally content with the implications for Bryant. He also knew that Captain Ericson often offered creative solutions to problems about which no one else had thought.