Former Oswego Resident Missing From Army Post Found

A former Oswego resident and 2012 graduate of Oswego High School that had been missing from his army post in Fort Carson, Colorado since Monday, May 11 has come out of hiding and returned to his post.

Pvt. Daniel Domres had been declared AWOL and his family had hired a private investigator to find their son, KOAA News 5 reports.

Domres said he was suffering from substance abuse issues and PTSD, but wasn’t able to find the help he needed. Tom Domres, Daniel’s father, had said Daniel had an alcohol-related incident on base the day he left.

“Honestly I’d rather go to jail than go back there (to Fort Carson), Domres said. “That’s how I feel.”

Domres tried to get help, but said he was failed by his chain of command multiple times.

“They gave me one (therapy) session a week for one hour,” he said. “They talk basically about what’s going on with you but it didn’t help me out one bit.”

According to the report, when Domres left the post, he continued to stay in Colorado, residing with a friend not far from where he was stationed. He came out of hiding because he didn’t want to be on the run anymore and because of his love for his family and friends.

Daniel’s mother, Julie Domres, told KOAA that she feels the military didn’t do enough to help her son and she’s concerned about his future.

Fort Carson released the following statement to KOAA about the Army Substance Abuse Program:

“The Army Substance Abuse Program is a federally funded self-referral/command-directed program for any substance abuse problem, to include prescription drug abuse. ASAP is a commander’s tool to help Soldiers get early assistance with substance abuse. Once entered into the program, a Soldier will be assessed for the appropriate treatment. During the initial evaluation, the Soldier and the unit are involved with the provider to develop a treatment plan together. The length of treatment is determined based upon the Soldier’s diagnosis and needs. All ASAP providers are licensed clinical social workers or licensed professional counselors who have a certification in addictions counseling. At Fort Carson, ASAP personnel will see any Soldier who has a drug or alcohol concern. Other addictions are referred off installation for treatment. How long a Soldier is in the program is based on the Soldier’s individual needs as well as the diagnosis given by a behavioral health expert. ASAP provides the resources and tools to the Soldier to utilize in the future. It is up to the Soldier to apply those lesson learned. ASAP will also help transitioning Soldiers to find help and connect with outside installation resources when they are no longer in the Army. At Fort Carson the ASAP program has provided services to 595 Soldiers since October 2014. Since October 2014, the recidivism rate is 1.18 percent. If a Soldier is declared Absent without Leave (AWOL), the facts and circumstances will dictate the appropriate course of action for the unit commander. It can result anywhere from no-action to a general court-martial.”