And bush/cheney/rove wonder why our young men and women aren't enlisting? Christ, do we have leadership, or what?

FINALLY! It's about time the Army got off it's ass on this one. Of course, Bush could/should grant full pardons to 'em, but I'm not holding my breath.

I'll be blogging more details, as well.

We disagree on this one, Jo. As I remember the facts of this case, Birt was company motor officer. His unit was short of critical parts and equipment. His company commander ordered him and some of his soldiers to steal parts and equipment from another unit and he complied.

Cannibalizing another unit’s vehicles only means that another unit has been rendered unfit for combat. The problem was with the supply system. If their shortages were so critical, MAJ Kaus (the company commander) should have formally reported her unit non-mission-capable to her immediate commander, with CW2 Birt standing at her side. Her commander would have then faced a choice: concur with her NMC assessment or relieve her. Either choice would have brought immediate General Officer attention to the parts and equipment shortage in her company.

Reporting her unit NMC would have taken a great deal of personal courage and possibly endangered her career, especially if it was later determined that the shortages resulted from pencil-whipped peacetime Unit Status Reports. I’ve known plenty of other officers who put their careers in jeopardy rather than issuie an illegal order that put another unit into risk that MAJ Kaus and CW2 Birt considered unacceptable.

I’m a retired Army CW4 and I’ve served in combat, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer. I won’t comment on the punishment imposed, but if I ever go into combat again, I wouldn’t want either one of these individuals anywhere around me.

YD
CW4, USA (Ret.)

We disagree on this one, Jo. As I remember the facts of this case, Birt was company motor officer. His unit was short of critical parts and equipment. His company commander ordered him and some of his soldiers to steal parts and equipment from another unit and he complied.

Cannibalizing another unit’s vehicles only means that another unit has been rendered unfit for combat. The problem was with the supply system. If their shortages were so critical, MAJ Kaus (the company commander) should have formally reported her unit non-mission-capable to her immediate commander, with CW2 Birt standing at her side. Her commander would have then faced a choice: concur with her NMC assessment or relieve her. Either choice would have brought immediate General Officer attention to the parts and equipment shortage in her company.

Reporting her unit NMC would have taken a great deal of personal courage and possibly endangered her career, especially if it was later determined that the shortages resulted from pencil-whipped peacetime Unit Status Reports. I’ve known plenty of other officers who put their careers in jeopardy rather than issuie an illegal order that put another unit into risk that MAJ Kaus and CW2 Birt considered unacceptable.

I’m a retired Army CW4 and I’ve served in combat, both as an enlisted soldier and an officer. I won’t comment on the punishment imposed, but if I ever go into combat again, I wouldn’t want either one of these individuals anywhere around me.

YD
CW4, USA (Ret.)

We disagree on this one, Jo. As I remember the facts of this case, Birt was company motor officer. His unit was short of critical parts and equipment. His company commander ordered him and some of his soldiers to steal parts and equipment from another unit and he complied.

Cannibalizing another unit’s vehicles only means that another unit has been rendered unfit for combat. The problem was with the supply system. If their shortages were so critical, MAJ Kaus (the company commander) should have formally reported her unit non-mission-capable to her immediate commander, with CW2 Birt standing at her side. Her commander would have then faced a choice: concur with her NMC assessment or relieve her. Either choice would have brought immediate General Officer attention to the parts and equipment shortage in her company.

(Continued)

Aahh, shit. Sorry for the multiple posts.

yankeedoodle -

The other unit in question had already hauled ass for Baghdad. The remaining vehicles were left behind, as deadlined/inop.
Apparently they couldn't get parts either.

Now, from my perspective - which correlates with CWO Birt's, he did what was necessary to complete the mission as required by the standing operational order of attack. In laymen's terms - the war had begun.

CWO Birt is a Marine, as am I. I would have done the very same thing as to ensure the highest levels of completion and success of the mission. I spent 9 years in an Army National Guard unit myself - which was composed of about 35% Marines. Funny - we didn't have these types of "backstabbing issues" around our unit.

No offense, but maybe the late Colonel Hackworth was right about the Army officer corps, being too willing to fry their own over regulatory issues rather than to execute a successful combat mission. Seems to me that the lure of the next higher rank is more important than the safety, welfare of the men and women and the mission success of the unit.

And that, is highly unfortunate and completely disgusting.

Semper FI

All Postings on this subject:

It is clear you don't have all the information related to Mr. Birt's conduct in Iraq. Certainly, none of you read the AR 15-6 and AR 32 investigations. I did. I also spoke with Soldiers of the 656th TC Co, the company in question. In conjunction with pieces of the trial transcript, I can confirm the basic facts of the case.

The unit, under the command of MAJ Kaus and the Motor Officer Mr. Birt, stole a total of 9 vehicles, all but one from assigned holding areas at the port and at Camp New York. There were a couple of S&P trailers, a parts trailer, a 3/4T trailer, in addition to at least two 5T trucks and three prime movers. These vehicles were not 'abandoned'. Some units didn't have enough licensed or assigned drivers to get all their vehicles into Iraq in their initial convoys. Some vehicles were excess and, in at least one case I can confirm, were signed out to a unit that went through the proper channels to request additional support. Best information I have is that all but one were at 10-20 standards (ie., operable). Also, they idea this equipment was abandoned is belied by, in at least one instance, the owning unit was able to track their trailer down to the 656th and threatened legal action. This is documented in statements by several of the 656th Soldiers.

In taking these vehicles, Mr. Birt spent time grinding off the serial numbers and painting over the bumper numbers to conceal their rightful owners. In addition, Mr. Birt had a couple of his Soldiers take parts off specific vehicles he identified that were in the holding areas.

Of all these vehicles, only 2 were used on missions to deliver fuel, and one of the 5T trucks was used as a gun truck. Bear in mind that the unit had almost its full complement of 61 prime movers and tankers. The most fuel the unit moved at any one time was approx 240,000 gals. Divide 240 by 5K and you can see they were only using 48 prime movers and tankers at any given time. They still had at least 10 vehicles left.

In May 2003 (after the ground war was essentially over), the 656th fell under a new battalion. The Bn Commander gathered up all unit leadership in all subordinate companies and gave them a blanket amnesty to turn in anything that didn't belong to them. The 656th didn't take advantage of that.

This removes the argument that the vehicles were taken to support the war effort, save lives, etc. Remember, the insurgency didn't start until July or thereabouts.

When the unit was getting ready to redeploy back to CONUS, MAJ Kaus and Mr. Birt further conspired to hide the evidence by abandoning most of the vehicles at places such as the PX at LSA Anaconda, after having been cleaned of any identifying marks that could trace the vehicles to the 656th. One M931 truck, however, had been cannabilized down to its frame and cab. The cab was cut up and the frame was buried in separate pits at Camp Speicher.

I don't pretend to understand why Army leadership has not defended our Army Values but, that said, the actions of MAJ Kaus, Mr. Birt, and some few others were not nearly as noble as you have been led to believe. Their initial motivations for pursuing this action appears, on face, to be arguable, but their conduct over their remaining service wipes away all questions of honor and integrity.

CSM Veppert-

Thanks for your input. I will post your comment in the main part of the blog.

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