RogalinIf you have been deployed or have a loved one who has been deployed, you know that while Soldiers generally put their belongings in storage units while they are deployed. The idea is that they will be safely tucked away in a storage unit until the Soldier returns and can reclaim his stuff. Apparently this isn’t always the case.

Army Reserve Specialist Patrick Rogalin had put his belongs away in a Public Storage unit before he deployed. He arranged to pay for the unit with automatic withdrawals from his bank account. While he was away someone fraudulently wrote some checks from his account and he had to change bank accounts. By the time he got another account set up and transfered the automatic withdrawals his belongings had been auctioned off from the storage unit he had rented.

Remember, he’s trying to handle this business from the other side of the world while in a war zone.

“I was shocked that they had done this,” Rogalin said. “I moved in with my girlfriend, who’s going to Missouri State. Otherwise I wouldn’t have anything.”

Ron Ramler, regional vice president of Public Storage, said his company policy prevented him from talking about Rogalin’s case.

“I can say that I am in communication with Patrick again to resolve it,” Ramler said Friday.

Rogalin still has his car and the military clothing he brought back from Iraq. And his girlfriend, Jaimie Alonzo, 21, and her parents bought him some clothes for Christmas.

“At least now I’m not wearing the same three things every week,” Rogalin said.

Rogalin estimated his belongings were worth $8,000.

But he said Ramler offered him only $2,000 - and an apology - for his loss.

“I called them back and told them this isn’t anywhere near right,” Rogalin said. “They upped their offer to $2,500 and gave me seven days to accept it or get nothing.”

Rogalin’s contract with Public Storage states the company is liable for losses only up to $5,000.

“I didn’t expect to get $8,000, but I did expect to get at least $5,000 for my stuff,” he said. “I didn’t accept the $2,500 and I can’t afford to go to court to fight them for the rest. It’s really insulting, after all I went through over there serving my country, to come back and have to deal with this.”

Despite the hassles he’s faced, Rogalin plans to move forward by taking history and journalism classes at MSU this spring.

He also hopes to join the university’s ROTC program so he can resume his Army career as an officer when he graduates. [source]

As if they don’t have enough to worry about while they are deployed!!! Please, cut the kid some slack and give him a desent settlement on his belongs - it won’t break your company and it will buy you a ton of good will and good publicity.

hat tip: American Pugilist Citizen