http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061003/ap_on_re_us/awol_soldier
As a career enlisted I think this guy did his share. He should be honorable discharged.
2006-10-03 08:22:04 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Gilla, what if he had gone to Iraq and tripped while there. Maybe gunning down a few folks while he is gone crazy. They are totally not doing enough for these guys when they get home.
2006-10-03 08:32:03 · update #1
If he gets anything less than jail time, the military has enabled every other coward to desert too.
It is not the responsibility for a soldier to determine the legality of a war. He may make judgments about specific orders, if they are illegal, but deploying to a war zone is not an illegal order in any case.
He swore an oath, and then recanted. He deserves everything they throw at him.
2006-10-03 08:43:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not much info in the article but from what I have read, here is what I think.
I think he should face no charges, he should receive all of his medical benifits, he should receive the medical help that he needs, and he should be discharged with an honorable discharge.
Then he should be given a hero's parade when he returns to his home town. He was wounded on active duty for our country and he should be treated as a hero, not a number. His jaunt to Canada was probably spawned by the fact that America STILL hasn't learned how to take care of its Veterans. It's a National Disgrace. A much larger disgrace that this Foley thing and Clintons shenanigans combined. When will this country wake up?
I served my country, during the cold war, the gulf war,grenada. Thirteen wonderful years of being proud, and growing up. And now that I am in the civilian world, I often wonder why I did it? Americans are selfish, greedy and NOT very compassionate.
2006-10-03 16:54:43 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
He went AWOL... what's more, he went AWOL deliberately to avoid deployment, nothing more. He's not the first to use the "conscientious objector" excuse... if he found it to be such an issue he should have petitioned for that status rather than turning tail and running to Canada, where plenty of draft-dodgers from the 60's and 70's still live. Ask almost any soldier, especially one who's ever been deployed to Iraq, what they think of this guy or anyone like him (going AWOL, fleeing to Canada, etc, to get out of a deployment) and you'll find that 99% of them will say they consider him a scumbag. Most of the people who are sympathizing with him are either people who have not served or haven't been to Iraq, or are people who never supported the war in the first place and see this guy as some kind of example to show how "evil" the war is. If you fulfill your obligations in service honorably, that is how an honorable discharge is earned; going AWOL, running to Canada for two years, and doing so to avoid a deployment are in no way honorable, and is illegal several times over. He's a deserter in a time of war--what kind of message would you send to the thousands of other troops who fulfill their obligations if a guy like that gets an honorable discharge?? It's like flinging poo into the faces of the rest of us who did our jobs regardless of how hard it got--and yes, this is an unpleasant job. It makes getting an honorable discharge meaningless for everyone else if they buckle to the pressure of anti-war civilians who don't know anything about the military or war in the first place. By no means does this clown deserve an honorable discharge, to say the least!
2006-10-03 15:36:32 · answer #3 · answered by ಠ__ಠ 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
He signed up. He made a commitment to follow the orders of the President of the US and the officers appointed over him. He is not a man of his word. he is being a baby about it blaming his nightmares and stuff on it. If his nightmares was such a problem he should have went to sick call at mental health they do have open hours for soldiers returing from war zones. These issues probably never came back to light until he found out he was redeploying. Dis-Honorable is what he deserves.
You know the maximum punishment for missing a deployment is death. So he is getting off easy.
2006-10-03 16:32:45 · answer #4 · answered by SuperSoldierGIJOE 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Desertion is not honorable in any fashion. If he disagreed then he should have just separated and then make his point. He joined and voluntarily said he would serve for those appointed over him and obey their orders. I do admit he did his share but he was DEAD WRONG on deserting. What is everyone one else decided to desert, should they be given honorable discharges as well? I have been in 24 yrs and I have seen too many people taking up the slack for people like this. He made his bed, let him sleep in it!
2006-10-03 15:33:51 · answer #5 · answered by kevin T 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
I don't think he deserves anything but jail. This soldier put the lives of his comrades in danger. What if everyone felt like he did and half a squad was left? Where would those that understood their commitment when they signed be?
I think it's a load of ssss! There are ways to get out of a deployment if you really wanted to. Why do you think he should be honorably discharged? He knows the dangers of Iraq. It's not one person out there, it's a group of people.
And guess what?
He just let those soldiers down. Sucks to be them huh?
2006-10-03 15:29:47 · answer #6 · answered by Gilla 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
He took an oath to defend the constitution and obey his superior's orders. He effectively deserted in a time of war and is lucky not to sent to prison. When you sign on to serve you understand that is exactually what you are doing--serving. That means obeying the orders of your superiors, including the commander in chief, the president.
He has decided this is an "illegal" war and thinks nothing of breaking the oath he swore to keep.
Yeah, he is getting a good deal, he should be locked up.
2006-10-03 15:36:52 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Nope, sorry he's screwed.
You should know there are other ways out. He could have applied for contentious objector status. Canada is no where even close to the list of options. He did the crime & now has to pay for it.
Anybody else wonder what the wounds are? My guess is scrapnel to the testicals!
2006-10-03 15:59:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope, if anything, he's getting off light. Still nice to see that he did come back and face his actions. a discharge of other than honorable fits in this case.
2006-10-03 17:58:24 · answer #9 · answered by southernman 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, he should be dishonorably discharged, maybe he should have thought of that before he joined. I can understand someone who doesn't want to kill another person just because they government tells them to, but obviously they should not have joined the military. Thank god for those men and women out there who aren't cowards though.
2006-10-03 15:42:35 · answer #10 · answered by Phil My Crack In 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋