WHAS11 coverage

(WHAS11) - Supporters say PFC James Burmeister should be back in Oregon with his family this Fourth of July.  Instead, he’s being held at Ft. Knox, facing a court martial on AWOL and desertion charges.   

PFC James Burmeister, 23, has been held at Ft. Knox for five months now.  He’s charged with deserting his army unit while on leave from Iraq.  Thursday, he got a court martial date.

His friends and family say because he suffers from head injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder after surviving after surviving a road-side bomb attack in Iraq, they’re hoping some of those charges can be dismissed.

“My son is an Iraqi war veteran.  I’m very proud of him,” says Helen Burmeister, James’ mother.  “He fought bravely in Iraq, he followed orders, he was wounded by a roadside bomb.  He’s been diagnosed with PTSD and a possible brain injury.”

PFC James Burmeister enlisted in the army in June of 2005.  Two years later, while on leave, he went AWOL—absent without leave—to Canada.  After 10 months, he turned himself into Fort Knox.

“He went AWOL because he didn’t think the treatment for his injuries was up to par with what he should be getting,” says Nina Benson, a friend of James’ in Canada.  “His injuries had a physiological, physical and mental effect on James’ well-being.”

Fort Knox is one of only two military processing centers for Army deserters.  Nearly 5,000 Army soldiers were charged with deserting last year—a number up 92% from 2004.

Harold Trainer and his wife, Carol Rawert-Trainer, are following James’ case closely in Louisville.  They both served in the military during Vietnam.

“It’s not rare that there’s so many suffering from PTSD not getting help.  That’s not rare,” says Rawert-Trainer, who follows the case through the Louisville chapter of Vietnam Veterans against the War.  “It’s not even rare that we have AWOLS anymore.  The rare thing is how the army’s going after James instead of just giving him a discharge.”

“Those young men and women give our government a blank check when they sign up,” says Harold Trainer, who served with the army in Vietnam.  “The government and country really needs to give them a blank check back to take care of them.”

If James is convicted of desertion, he could get a dishonorable discharge and face time in prison.  His court martial date is scheduled for July 16^th.