Some Current Military Members Protest Iraq War_____________________
If you are not aware of this we recommend you go here for the story:
www.dailypress.com/news/local/dp-protest.j16,0,1708460.story?track=rss
Granted it has been a long while since I last served in the US Military. But, one thing I recall… and that is… that as a (then) current member of the US Military we were not allowed to take part in such displays of obvious disagreement with our military commanders and certainly not against the Commander-in-Chief while in uniform. If we were officers we couldn’t do it in, or out, of uniform.
You will quickly note that the story admits as much. But something is troubling me. Aside from the fact that current military personnel took part in such an exercise, even out of uniform, if they identified themselves as serving members of their specific branch of the Service… what difference does it make that they were not in uniform?
The Uniform Code of Military Justice, that is THE LAW of the Military says this in reference to the conduct of commissioned officers: (In the old Army that would be from a Warrant Officer upwards)
888. ART. 88. CONTEMPT TOWARD OFFICIALS
Any commissioned officer who uses contemptuous words against the President, the Vice President, Congress, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of a military department, the Secretary of Transportation, or the Governor or legislature of any State, Territory, Commonwealth, or possession in which he is on duty or present shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.
The UCMJ goes on to say the following:
934. ART. 134. GENERAL ARTICLE
Though not specifically mentioned in this chapter, all disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline in the armed forces, all conduct of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces, and crimes and offenses not capital, of which persons subject to this chapter may be guilty, shall be taken cognizance of by a general, special or summary court-martial, according to the nature and degree of the offense, and shall be punished at the discretion of that court.
The point of all this is… currently serving US Military personnel need be extremely careful of taking part in protests against the war, or the way in which the war is being prosecuted. Just a casual reading of the UCMJ would lead one to believe that the military has WIDE discretion in choosing whom to punish and for what. One should ask oneself if taking part in a protest is really worth being discharged from the service with a less than honorable discharge… which will follow one for the rest of his, or her, life. It is an awful price to pay.
Longstreet
conservative+military
I dunno Longstreet I support all our troops, especially the ones brave enough to stand up to their C.O's and the Commander in Thief (Bush)and say "Kiss my Butt!". Now if we could get enough of them to just lay their weapons down, flip their C.O.s the "bird" and come home, they (the leaders not or troops) are just not doing Iraq right. If we aren't going to own Iraq when it's over, it's not worth the lives lost.
ReplyDeleteHey Frank, didn't one of your anti-war protesters have something of the same idea on one of their signs? It said something like "I support the troops when they start killing their officers"
ReplyDeleteWhat I came here originally to ask, was are we SURE they were *real* soldiers and not the 'Operation Winter Soldier' types who's last involvement with the military was the personnel desk where they collected their "Unfit for military duty" DD214's?
What I came here originally to ask, was are we SURE they were *real* soldiers and not the 'Operation Winter Soldier' types who's last involvement with the military was the personnel desk where they collected their "Unfit for military duty" DD214's?
ReplyDelete**********************************
I am sure they are more real than the Swift boat lying cowards!