LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Rep. Jodey Arrington has introduced the Smitty Check Act, legislation that would expand mandatory in-person wellness checks for injured or ill service members across the entire Department of Defense.
Rep. Jodey Arrington has introduced the Smitty Check Act, legislation that would expand mandatory in-person wellness checks for injured or ill service members across the entire Department of Defense.(KCBD Video)
The bill honors Pvt. 2nd Class Caleb “Smitty” Smither, a Lubbock soldier who died at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2020. Smither suffered a head injury and returned to his barracks while ill. Despite multiple medical visits in the days leading up to his death, no one physically checked on him. He was not discovered until five days later.
Previous reforms and the ‘Smitty Check’
Arrington previously secured reforms honoring Smither by directing the Army to report to Congress on the enforcement of a new protocol called the “Smitty Check.” That protocol required leadership to monitor service members following an injury or illness, strengthening accountability for their welfare.
Expanding the standard
The Smitty Check Act would expand those safeguards across the entire Department of Defense, establishing a standardized expectation for in-person wellness checks across all branches of the armed forces.
Arrington said the act will provide “a clear standard of in-person verification when a service member is injured, ill, or on sick call, ensuring no soldier is ever left unaccounted for.”
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