Army Officer Refuses to Deploy...

[MobBoss]

http://www.komotv.com/stories/43774.htm

Can we say "Attention Who**"? My prediction is once this is all said and done, this man wont see sunlight for a good length of time.

 

[Elrohir]

It's his right to refuse to fight.

And the military's right to send him to federal prison for a couple years for refusing to obey orders in a time of war.

 

[Kozmos]

Time of war? Yea suuuuuuuure.

 

[MobBoss]

Well, Cleric, refusing orders is a punishable offense any time, not just during War. However, refusing while all your comrades still go to a dangerous theater doesnt earn you a lot of mercy when it comes to the sentencing phase....

 

[warpus]

Can't he just quit the military to avoid going to Iraq instead of staying on as an officer and facing punishment?

 

[Elrohir]

Time of war? Yea suuuuuuuure.

What else would you call it over there? A tea party? Somehow "The Tea Party against Terror" sounds more like a bad fundraising name than anything else.

 

[Che Guava]

Can't he just quit the military to avoid going to Iraq instead of staying on as an officer and facing punishment?

I think the army has measures against 'fair weather friends'

I think I have to agree with Elohir on this one: if he's willing to do the time, that's his choice.

 

[warpus]

I think the army has measures against 'fair weather friends'

I think I have to agree with Elohir on this one: if he's willing to do the time, that's his choice.

I don't really know much about military protocol.. especially american military protocol.

Is it really impossible to quit whenever you want? Do you have to stay on for the duration of your.. agreed length of service?

 

[Che Guava]

I'm sure that mobboss will have a more definite answer, but yes, I don't think that you can just quit at the first sign of trouble.....

 

[MobBoss]

I don't really know much about military protocol.. especially american military protocol.

Is it really impossible to quit whenever you want? Do you have to stay on for the duration of your.. agreed length of service?

Typically, yes. Especially once your unit is identified to be deployed. It goes under "Stop Loss" which means all transfers out are stopped and you can be involuntarily extended until the federal mission is completed. The reason this is done is to ensure the unit arrives at its destination with the manpower it needs to accomplish its mission. If we let people just "quit" to avoid going, we wouldnt be able to do anything effectively.

That being said, there are various ways one can get a discharge prior to ones End of Term of Service (ETS) date. But the door slams shut on those avenues once your unit is identified to deploy.

Basically, the story says the officer tried to resign his commission, but it was too late. In my humble opinion, he is screwed.

 

[IglooDame]

Enlisted folks serve rather like politicians: they are term-to-term, reenlisting every 2, 4, 6, or whatever years. Officers get commissioned, usually have a minimum service contract (8 years for me) that might allow part of it to be in the reserves, and then can resign their commission, but as far as I know they cannot resign during an assignment, only in between assignments. Assuming Lieutenant Watada is an O-2, he's probably got between 2 and 4 years of service in and wouldn't have completed his service obligation yet.

My guess is that he's going to face more than a slap on the wrist, as the DoD is going to make an example of him.

Edit: And yeah, ditto what MobBoss just posted - Stop Loss would get him even if he didn't have any remaining service obligation, so he's stuck either way. And screwed.

 

[Evil Tyrant]

"I refuse to be silent any longer. I refuse to watch families torn apart, while the President tells us to ‘stay the course.’ I refuse to be party to an illegal and immoral war against people who did nothing to deserve our aggression.

I don't understand how people like this get into a volunteer military. I could understand this drivel out of the mouth of a conscript, but if he has such high standards of when to fight a war, he should have never volunteered. I hope the military throws the book at him.

 

[warpus]

Ahh, I see.

IMHO, he knew what he was signing up for, so he can't complain about whatever ends up happening to him.

 

[Zamecnik]

Good for him! A courageous move, hope he sticks to it.

 

[Cuivienen]

What else would you call it over there? A tea party? Somehow "The Tea Party against Terror" sounds more like a bad fundraising name than anything else.

Officially, there's no war and there never was. For that matter, the "combat operations" ended in May 2003, didn't they?

 

[Uiler]

If he was a conscript I'd have a lot more sympathy for him. It's not much use having an army if the soldiers are allowed to desert whenever they feel like it.

 

[Turner]

Ahh, I see.

IMHO, he knew what he was signing up for, so he can't complain about whatever ends up happening to him.

Exactly. I'm just in a mean enough mood right now to suggest he goes over there and serves his tour, and then comes back to a court-marital.

He won't run, knowing that desertion in a time of war is the death penalty. Although I don't know if our current situation would actually warrant that.

 

[Cuivienen]

He won't run, knowing that desertion in a time of war is the death penalty.

There's no war, so the death penalty can't be applied. In order for there to be war, Congress must declare war. It hasn't.

 

[SupremeC]

This is at a time the japs want to start a new army. RoXor!

 

[Uiler]

Exactly. I'm just in a mean enough mood right now to suggest he goes over there and serves his tour, and then comes back to a court-marital.

He won't run, knowing that desertion in a time of war is the death penalty. Although I don't know if our current situation would actually warrant that.

Well, fortunately for him, the US is not officially in a time of war.