Get ready to be disgusted...

[raptor10]

Vietnam era Draft Dodgers set up network to help Iraq War Deserters...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/16/AR2008031602749.html

 

[el douge]

unbelievable...

 

[usmarinemike]

I'm not reading all 5 pages, but...

1) Does anybody raise their eyebrow when their contract says they're enlisting for 8 years? What the hell is so hard to understand about that? Especially when our country is at war, you can pretty much expect and brace yourself to stay on all 8 years. These stop-loss weenies are not doing their due diligence before they come in, and then they want a free pass when it blows up in their faces. I haven't read the thread on the stop-loss movie so I don't know if this has already been said.

2) Put your hand in a bucket of water. Watch what happens when you pull your hand out. The water fills in immediately. These douche-bags aren't diminishing our forces any. It just sucks to see that people that are trained just the same as I am to have a sense of pride in your service (regardless of how you feel about the war) have such weak minds as to resort to cowardice.

3) Leave'em in Canada. Send their families up there. It's punishment enough, and we don't need such weak minded individuals anyway.

 

[Flash]

At every turn the deserters have been denied legal residency by Canada, from refugee boards (rough equivalent to Immigration Courts here) to the Supreme Court of Canada. From what I have seen, there is little sympathy for them in Canada. The unfortunate thing is that the refugee/deportation process in Canada is very long and tortuous process that can drag on for years, even with convicted criminals. The party that put forth the motion in the Canadian House of Commons is the National Democratic Party, a small left wing party that has only 30 seats out of 308. The motion has little chance of passing.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Canada-rejects-US-Army-deserters/2007/11/16/1194766934321.html

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2007/11/15/hinzman-decision.html

One deserter had enough with Canada and left:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/09/28/anderson-canada.html

 

[Scoob]

These brain surgeons realize that Canadian forces are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, right?!?!?!

Conscript 'em; slap a maple leaf on 'em; send 'em there anyway.

Below in headwork for all.

 

[loadtoad]

I'm not reading all 5 pages, but...

1) Does anybody raise their eyebrow when their contract says they're enlisting for 8 years? What the hell is so hard to understand about that? Especially when our country is at war, you can pretty much expect and brace yourself to stay on all 8 years. These stop-loss weenies are not doing their due diligence before they come in, and then they want a free pass when it blows up in their faces. I haven't read the thread on the stop-loss movie so I don't know if this has already been said.

Do 15 months in Iraq and you might think a little different. Especially if they are telling you that you will be going back again for just as long. In Vietnam you did 12 months and after that you would be given the option to get out.
I do not agree with them at all but I don't think its as cut and dry for people to "sideline quarterback" if they hadn't been in their shoes. I have known quite a few friends who came back with sour attitudes and wanted nothing more than to get out of the Army. They didn't jump ship and its wrong when people do but they sure as hell wanted out. I don't excuse the behavior at all, just think their is more too it with some of those that have been there.

On the other hand I have known a couple others who couldn't wait to go back...

 

[Spekkio]

Listen, if I were in their shoes, I'd be upset about the situation, too. It sucks that we don't have enough manning to let these guys out after four years and take it easy during the reserve time. But unfortunately, no one can instantaneously expand the Army and Marine Corps. I also have a feeling that recruiters told them something like "oh yea, people are rarely called back for the 4 years reserve so you'll be okay" and then bam they're hit with a long ass deployment.

However, there are multiple clauses in the enlistment contract about the possibility of having to do long deployments (24 mo, IIRC), and if you haven't done one by the time you're due to get out, they can give you one up to the day before you are due for discharge and it extends your time. Basically, all this stuff is in writing when they signed the deal, so they have to at least expect the possibility of it actually happening one day.

 

[Flash]

These brain surgeons realize that Canadian forces are deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, right?!?!?!

Conscript 'em; slap a maple leaf on 'em; send 'em there anyway.

Below in headwork for all.

Eh? Canadian troops are deployed to only to Afghanistan, not Iraq.

 

[DSL1990]

One deserter had enough with Canada and left:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/09/28/anderson-canada.html

i just found another article about him. the army let him go after he got back, supposedly because he was an iraq vet and would have drawn negative publicity:

http://thecommonills.blogspot.com/2006/10/darrell-anderson-will-not-be-charged.html

 

[lmnop]

Just got done reading the WP article. What a bunch of tools. I have much more understanding for the Vietnam era guys who were draftees. The current crop are all volunteers, and got into this of their own volition. Regardless of how the press wants to make it out, the reality is that for every one of these 200 douchebags up north there are a few thousand OIF vets that understand the concept of fulfilling an obligation.

 

[gotta_fly]

The Viet Nam era draft dodgers, whether you agree or disagree with their actions, were also at the beginning of military service (mostly), as opposed to these guys who ditched out on their units after having become an integral part of the team. Articles 85-87 of the UCMJ apply, for Desertion, AWOL, and Missing Movement. I think it's a bit extreme, but these guys could actually be given the death penalty since it's a time of war. I wonder if they considered what that would do to their families (vice the effects of another deployment).

 

[Lawman]

One thing that really pissed me off was that some of the people being quoted in the article hadnt actually been anywhere yet. Hell the one guy apparently got as far as BCT and then got on a bus.

And the slanted way they refer to them as "Resistors" is just disgusting. Desertion in time of war used to be a firing squad offence.

 

[phrogdriver]

Weren't WWII enlistments for "duration of the conflict plus 12 months," or something similar? And that time could be deployed for almost 4 years if one joined at the start of the conflict.

Not a "uphill both ways" thing, but a little perspective.

 

[Lawman]

Weren't WWII enlistments for "duration of the conflict plus 12 months," or something similar? And that time could be deployed for almost 4 years if one joined at the start of the conflict.

Not a "uphill both ways" thing, but a little perspective.

And you had the whole points system to go along with it. Grandpa had enough points after going from Omaha to Germany to go home. A lot of poor schmucks who had missed the big show at D-day but went through the rest of the conflict were staring down the barrel of getting to make up for it by invading Japan. Thanks to the atomic bombs for ending that war or a lot of us would not be here had the original plan gone through. Then again niether would the Japanese.

 

[eddie]

Thanks to the atomic bombs for ending that war or a lot of us would not be here had the original plan gone through. Then again niether would the Japanese.

Seriously. +1