«
»

wherein TJIC waxes harsh on deserters

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/23/magazi…

Of the more than 25,000 American soldiers who, according to the United States Department of Defense, have deserted since 2003, the Toronto-based War Resisters Support Campaign estimates that 225 have fled to Canada. (The D.O.D defines a deserter as anyone who has been AWOL for 30 consecutive days or who seeks asylum in a foreign country; desertion carries a maximum penalty of five years’ imprisonment.)

It was explained to me in no uncertain terms when I swore into the USAF that upon doing so, I could not pick and choose my deployments or wars. I was asked at least three or four times if I had any objections to combat, to bearing arms, or to using arms.

I suspect that this has not changed in the intervening years.

I imagine that a few of these 25,000 deserters have had honest changes of heart, and I truly do respect their willingness (assuming they are willing) to take their punishment like men and women, as the cost of standing up for their principles.

As for the fair weather soldiers, the cowards, and the job-program weenies who chose to join our all-volunteer military, enjoyed the paycheck, the training, and the medical care that I and other taxpayers gave them, and then wussed out when they were asked to deliver on their side of the bargain: there are a lot of rocks on military bases that need breaking between now and 2013.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 23rd, 2008 at 11:15 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

6 Responses to “wherein TJIC waxes harsh on deserters”

  1. HTRN Says:
    March 23rd, 2008 at 1:24 pm

    Ah, for the good ole’ days, when we actually shot deserters. These days, they get 2-5 years(depending on circumstances) and a Dishonerable discharge.

    HTRN

  2. shane Says:
    March 23rd, 2008 at 4:07 pm

    Joining the military was clearly a deal structured between the government and myself to trade my time for the taxpayers money. it was abundantly clear to me that my time no longer belonged to me and that I might be asked to shoot someone or be shot at. These guys should be deployed upon apprehension to the nearest combat theater. The unit they are deployed with will re-educate them in no uncertain terms.

  3. brian Says:
    March 23rd, 2008 at 7:21 pm

    there are a lot of rocks on military bases that need breaking between now and 2013.

    i hate to break this to you; most work details for brig rats involve a lot of cleaning and moving stuff and less ‘rock breaking’.

  4. Korgmeister Says:
    March 24th, 2008 at 12:29 am

    Well, there’s no shortage of latrines ;)

  5. ParatrooperJJ Says:
    March 24th, 2008 at 11:47 am

    Just to point out that desertion during wartime carries the death penalty. Howerer, most soldiers are not charged with desertion because it is one of the most difficult charges to prove, instead they are charged with being AWOL. Generally the worst discharge they will get is a BCD, not a DD.

  6. Joshua W. Burton Says:
    March 24th, 2008 at 1:30 pm

    Just to point out that desertion during wartime carries the death penalty.

    It actually happened, the last time the United States was at war.