MSG William Lewis, United States Army

SFC William Lewis enlisted in the Army in 2006 as an infantryman, hoping to become a Master Sergeant (MSG) like his grandfather. He deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2008 with the 56th Stryker Brigade. When he returned home, he had trouble adjusting to civilian life, facing unemployment, heavy alcohol use, and untreated PTSD. Though he returned to active duty, he continued to struggle with hypervigilance and suspicion over the years.

In 2019, after completing Ranger training, he suffered a TBI during an airborne night jump landing and subsequently found himself struggling to regulate his emotions and dealing with unprovoked rage. Noticing this, his wife coached him into mental health treatment out of concern for his well-being and career. In 2020, SFC Lewis had a mental health crisis and went into a full rage with an MTF physician.

Rather than coming alongside him in his mental health struggle, the medical command sought disciplinary action against him within his chain of command. A commander's inquiry was opened against SFC Lewis, and he was told to expect punishment for misconduct. Denied patient advocacy, rebuked by the MTF commander, ignored by army legal counsel, and finding no advocacy through his Army behavioral health team, SFC Lewis' wife reached out to USJAG as a last-ditch attempt for help.

Uniformed Services Justice and Advocacy Group (USJAG) came alongside the Lewis' in a tumultuous time filled with uncertainty regarding their future. USJAG advocated for SFC Lewis' mental health history to be given serious consideration in the Commander's Inquiry and for him to be able to medically retire with dignity. Today, SFC Lewis is medically retired as MSG with full medical retirement benefits.