Let's help out one of our Heroes

Gary Fouse
fousesquawk
http://garyfouse.blogspot.com

Not many people are aware that the Drug Enforcement Administration is active in Afghanistan. I have received the below message from the Association of Formal Federal Narcotic Agents, of which i am a member. One of our retired agents, Doug Driver, was critically injured in Afghanistan by  an IED. As the below letter describes, he needs some help.

Dear AFFNA Member:

Subject:  Request for Contributions to Support Doug Driver

Recently the AFFNA Board of Directors met at the Western Regional Conference in San Diego. During our meeting it came to our attention that one of AFFNA’s own, retired DEA Group Supervisor Doug Driver needs our support.

Many of you no doubt know Doug Driver of Jacksonville, FL. Among his many accomplishments during his DEA career, Doug was the DEA Case Agent whose investigative efforts led to the arrest and conviction of Carlos Lehder, a principle member of Colombia’s Medellin Cartel and one of the most important investigations in DEA’s history.

When the investigation began, Lehder had acquired Norman’s Cay in the Bahamas and was using the island to transship tons of cocaine from Colombia into the United States. Pursuant to Lehder’s arrest in Colombia he was immediately transported to Jacksonville, Florida where Doug spearheaded DEA’s successful conviction of Lehder and his co-defendants. Doug also worked in DEA offices in Los Angeles, Savannah, Georgia, Washington DC and Panama City, Panama.

Upon retirement from DEA, Doug began working for a company that provided law enforcement support to our soldiers in Afghanistan. He was embedded with U.S. Army combat units in remote areas of Afghanistan, providing leadership in conducting investigations into those groups responsible for the manufacture of IEDs against U.S. forces. Our young soldiers always expressed amazement at what a 62 year old man could do physically in a demanding climate and terrain so they nicknamed him, “Superman.”

In 2010, while on a mission to arrest two Afghan brothers who had manufactured an IED which had killed two American soldiers, Doug was severely injured by an IED.  

Because of Doug’s meticulous investigation of the IED which killed the two U.S. soldiers, he identified the two Afghan brothers responsible. While attempting to make the arrests in a remote village, another IED intended for Doug and his unit exploded and killed several Aghan citizens in the vicinity. Doug, who was close to the explosion, initially suffered a severe headache but later that night suffered a massive stroke, which left him in a coma for a period of time until he was transported to Germany and subsequently to the U.S for treatment. As a result of the stroke Doug has been left partially blind, with the inability to talk or walk and requires 24/7 medical assistance at his home in Jacksonville. Doug has all his mental capacity and is cognizant of everything but simply has limited use of his body.

As you can no doubt imagine the last few years have been very difficult for Doug and his wife Becky. His rehabilitation has been a long and difficult journey but both Doug and Becky have always been fighters. Along the way, they have had to battle against the insurance company to cover their medical costs and have had limited success due to several factors.  Some of their current needs are to obtain rehabilitation equipment for their home, making their home accessible for a handicapped person and many other requirements.   

The AFFNA Board of Directors is offering our members the opportunity to assist and join in the our efforts to support Doug’s valiant fight and determination to get well by asking that our members donate whatever they can in support of his requirements. We know that Doug and Becky will appreciate any contribution, no matter how great or how small.  The most important thing we can do as brother and sister DEA agents is to let Doug and his family know that they are not forgotten and we stand together with them in their struggle.

Please consider sending a contribution to the Doug Driver Fund. Please make your check payable to AFFNA. Send your contribution to Andy Fenrich, AFFNA’s treasurer at:

Andy Fenrich

280 S. Scofield Mountain Road

Winchester, NH  03470

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As you can plainly see, this is a cause that merits our support. If you can help, please give what you can.