March 04, 2004


Another 1600 Crew "we hate Soldiers" outrage

From Riba Rambles, here's another outrage. If, and I say If these charges are true, this is such bullshit. The military can turn around a drug test in just a few days even for a ship at sea...grunts in Iraq can probably get results from a lab in Europe in less than 24 hours if there's an exigent circumstance. Here:

Apparently 21 soldiers from the Iowa National Guard may be dishonorably discharged when they come home from Iraq. Apparently, they failed drug tests they took BEFORE being shipped off to Iraq. But they still served in Iraq, and only now that they've finished risking their lives for their country is the military looking to give them the shaft.
As Lisa remarks: that's one way to cut down on VA Benefits. The tiny upside is, that their discharges might be "General, Under Honorable Conditions", a Dishonorable or Bad Conduct discharge can only be meted out by a Courts-Martial (General or Special). Administrative seperation is usually the path to getting rid of those who fail a pee-test, and that can lead to an "Other than Honorable" discharge, which is sometimes worse than a DD or BCD because there are few evidentiary and due process rights attached to the proceedings.

If this is true, and they allowed these soldiers to serve in a combat zone, and they did so honorably and well, then it goes to show two things (1) the men and women who sent them have no morals and (2) all that anti-drug, zero-tolerance bullshit is just that. Bullshit. Except when it's convenient. All those years of hearing that you could not be "combat ready" if you were a doper...yeah, unless they are running out of warm bodies to man the lines, I guess. I'm not advocating being stoned on duty, it's the last thing I would accept from one of my sailors, but this is the absolute height of hypocrisy.

posted by Jo Fish on 03.04.04 at 11:33 PM





Comments:

Yeah, it's disgraceful, and so typical of this pack of gangsters.

The upside of course, is that they're being discharged, and won't be going back again in another 8 or 9 months with the rest of their unit.

I wonder if that thought will sink in with a lot of other Reservists?

posted by: Lurch on 03.05.04 at 07:25 AM [permalink]



Jo,

You screwed up the "here" link.

Just thought we'd let you know.

posted by: SullyWatch on 03.05.04 at 08:19 AM [permalink]



Fixed. Thanks, SW!

posted by: Jo on 03.05.04 at 09:12 AM [permalink]



Kinda puts AWOL's "honorable discharge" in perspective again too.

posted by: postit on 03.05.04 at 10:40 AM [permalink]



Mannn... No one likes the Big Chicken Dinner (BCD)...

;)

posted by: sUbversive on 03.05.04 at 11:26 AM [permalink]



Suburban Guerrilla has more warnings about what these guys think about veterans:

Apparently a shrink on (of course) the American Enterpise Institute's payroll says that Vietnam post-traumatic stress syndrome was pretty much 1) cooked up by anti-war psychiatrists and 2) eagerly adopted by substance-abusing veterans who weren't exposed to combat who are eager to qualify for a disability pension. ... trying to imply that the same conclusion she reaches about Vietnam applies to Iraq.

posted by: Lis Riba on 03.05.04 at 11:54 AM [permalink]



"Bullshit" doesn't even begin to cover it.

Republicans are trading on the "pro-military" (different than pro-war) reputation from the Eisenhower era. It's time this myth got shattered once and for all.

posted by: Glen on 03.05.04 at 01:22 PM [permalink]



Lisa,
Perhaps we can get anti-Iraq-war psychiatrists to diagnose NeoCons' "No WMDs in Iraq Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome".

posted by: Shag from Brookline on 03.05.04 at 02:22 PM [permalink]



Typical though. The "Dont Ask Don't Tell" rule for Gays was sold as being necessary for the close quarters and stress of combat. But they suspend when you are activated. Same concept. When they really need you they need you, and could care less what, or who, you do on the side. But you can bet any self-identified gays in Iraq are on the lists for discharge when they get back

posted by: Bruce Webb on 03.06.04 at 03:46 PM [permalink]



Civil disobedience, roll one up for the guard... lurch is onto this thing.
Anything that gives pentagoons a chance to cut off the earned benefits of those who serve. A milligan call that keeps ranks filled...

As for PTSD, probably more of it comes along with the hours served consecutive, the religious implications of this war for Christians and Muslim soldiers of America,language barriers and the civilian collateral damage that can occur.

Am betting an impact study would show that herbage would actually reduce the chance of PTSD occurring outside of high stress deployments.

PTSD is a human defense mechanism to stress in social circumstance. And there is a percentage who will always undergo such it is part of the human model and against the law of averages otherwise.

The oath to the constitution every soldier takes is to defend the spirit and words of a document written on hemp paper in its first draft as the model for our society.

Maybe in a cycle or two, once preznit is out, Nader can run and get enough true votes to make this an item for the greens.

How many vet members does the green party claim and are there organizations that represent both as a coalition of the willing? Crimes of consent...

That there could be any reason to disable care for those involved in ground contact is treason in every sense of the term.

Perhaps a president who knows and served with people who went through as much would say something about this, Mr.McCain could be vocal as well in short term. If the enlistment trend continues such policy will be overlooked soon as well.

posted by: Mr.Murder on 03.07.04 at 10:59 PM [permalink]



great site. just discovered it. keep up the good work.

GP

posted by: Gary Pierce on 05.20.04 at 01:00 PM [permalink]






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