We are urging the U.S. Army to honor the service and legacy of 2nd Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III by offering full acknowledgement of his service as a member in good standing of the United States Army.
We are horrified by the murder of this brave young man, who was dedicated to and passionate about our country, who was honored to be selected to faithfully serve as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. His commitment to serve the nation he loved is reflected in his volunteering to complete the rigorous training regimen required of soldiers to be certified to wear the “Airborne Insignia.” His unwavering devotion to his country was clearly demonstrated on May 18, 2017 as 2nd Lieutenant Collins, being of sound mind and body, willing accepted his oath of Commissioning at the hands of a Three-Star General of the U.S. Army. This great nation relies on the U.S. Army to protect us all from enemies foreign and domestic while living up to its creed of duty, honor, country.
Therefore, we fervently implore that the U.S. Army honor its own creed in establishing an Exception to Policy (ETP) for a change of status to active duty to officially acknowledge Richard W. Collins III as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. This status change should be applied to include the award of full honors, benefits, and privileges to all duly Commissioned Officers who lose their lives as a member of the Armed Forces of these United States.