[Thanos]

To avoid any potential disruption by having him in combat they should just reassign him to logistics or something similiar. There's always room for one more REMF and I highly doubt that this would trigger a stampede among the other volunteers attempting the same thing. It isn't that kind of military anymore and really doesn't have any of the same problems it did back in the Vietnam draftee era. I totally respect the honour and deidcation of the vast, vast majority of American troops and officers who are doing their very best (like they always do) even if the politicians and think-tank warmongers that put them in this situation in the first place deserve nothing but history's scorn and contempt.

Maybe an America run by the military for a decade or so wouldn't be such a bad thing to have happen for a while. Beats what the civilian leadership's been up to, say, since Eisenhower.

[Canadiana55]

Ahh, religion. Need an excuse to not do something? Start believing in genies.

[uwish]

Canadiana55 Canadiana55:

Ahh, religion. Need an excuse to not do something? Start believing in genies.

[EyeBrock]

It’s a bit of a weird one this. The guy is a paratrooper. He joined the 101st Airborne. It’s the hardcore part of the army. Maybe he made a naïve career choice.

That said, I agree with Sapper.

At least this guy has the balls to face the music with his beliefs vs his duties.

He’s decided his religion is more important to him than his country.

At least he’s not like those cowards who ran to Canada and claimed refugee status.

[martin14]

This is better than desertion, at least.

Fuck the REMF, thats for pussies; and I hope the 101st doesnt
have much rear area anyway, they arent supposed to.


Many of the COs in WW2 became front line medics, so...........


slap a red cross ( or red crescent if he continues to cry )
on his ass and send him over.

The medics have a tougher job anyway, now that takes balls..

[Guy_Fawkes]

SprCForr SprCForr:

While I think he's stupid for having joined in the first place, I applaud him for not taking the cowards route by running.

Im with Spr on this one, ya he is an asshole, but he isnt running across the border and thumbing his nose at his country.

[rickc]

martin14 martin14:

This is better than desertion, at least.

Fuck the REMF, thats for pussies; and I hope the 101st doesnt
have much rear area anyway, they arent supposed to.


Many of the COs in WW2 became front line medics, so...........


slap a red cross ( or red crescent if he continues to cry )
on his ass and send him over.

The medics have a tougher job anyway, now that takes balls..

Spot on!

[Guy_Fawkes]

martin14 martin14:

This is better than desertion, at least.

Fuck the REMF, thats for pussies; and I hope the 101st doesnt
have much rear area anyway, they arent supposed to.


Many of the COs in WW2 became front line medics, so...........


slap a red cross ( or red crescent if he continues to cry )
on his ass and send him over.

The medics have a tougher job anyway, now that takes balls..

I would rather have a medic dedicated to running into fire to save my ass than having to rely on a guy forced into that position, who has doubts about serving in the military to begin with.

Best thing for him is to get his bumps done and over with in prison so he can go back to being a civi.

[SprCForr]

rickc rickc:

Why should this guy get sent to some cushy assignment like Hawaii,while other brave kids are coming home in bodybags or crippled for life?

You said cushy, not me. Don't put words in my mouth.

$1:

Screw him!I have a friend that has been deployed to that shithole four times now.

This has nothing to do with the number of times your friend has deployed. The number of times your friend has deployed is not dependant on or affected by the actions of one man in the 101st.

$1:

I would approve his CO status.You don't want to kill people? Fine,retrain his ass into the bomb squad or medic.Then ship his ass to Afganistan.He won't have to kill anyone,but let him spend some time living in foxholes dodging incoming rounds just like everyone else.

This is is the crux of the issue. If he has CO status granted, the US Army would be further ahead to discharge him than retain him. If it's not granted, then no field unit will want him and no one will want to serve beside him.

Regardless of the decision his days as an Infantryman are done. Retraining him will be throwing good money after bad and doesn't make sense for the couple years he'd have left until his hitch is done. Even sending his ass to A'stan as a blanket passer is just asking for trouble. Post him out of the area and let him cut grass, shovel snow and pick up brass for the rest of his engagement.

[BeaverFever]

I'd like to have sympathy for the guy BUT he volunteer for combat infantry post-9-11. post-Afghanistan, post-Iraq, POST GEORGE BUSH. WTF did he expect to do except go to the middle east and kill muslims?????????

I guess the fact that he's from Texas partially explains his stupidity, but still.

Theres no good outcome to this for the army: send him to combat and he's a liability to the soldiers he serves along side, honourable discharge or transfer him and you open up a door to all the other soliders who have been "stop lossed" or involuntarily recalled and don't want to serve, let alone deploy. Not a bad thing for individual freedom, but a catch-22 for the army.

I think the best bet is to give him a discharge and bill him for the training he's received; the military does this all the time, for example even in peace-time pre-9/11, pilots who backed out of training after a certain point had to pay a termination fee that was in the tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes over $100k. Maybe even give this guy a DD to boot, that ought to at least discourage abuse of the process.

[kenmore]

No Virgins for you!

[Brenda]

BeaverFever BeaverFever:

I think the best bet is to give him a discharge and bill him for the training he's received; the military does this all the time, for example even in peace-time pre-9/11, pilots who backed out of training after a certain point had to pay a termination fee that was in the tens of thousands of dollars, sometimes over $100k. Maybe even give this guy a DD to boot, that ought to at least discourage abuse of the process.

That answers the question I hadn't asked...
Thank you.

[ShepherdsDog]

Brenda Brenda:

So what would happen if he, lets say, worked for an abortion clinic, and he suddenly decided he was against abortion. Or if he worked for a vet, and he decided he was against euthanasia on pets. Or he worked at the oil rigs and he suddenly became "green".
He would be let go, and on welfare.

Why would this be any different?

If you are against war, WHY would you join the army???

I don't know too many members of the military that are for war.

[Brenda]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Brenda Brenda:

So what would happen if he, lets say, worked for an abortion clinic, and he suddenly decided he was against abortion. Or if he worked for a vet, and he decided he was against euthanasia on pets. Or he worked at the oil rigs and he suddenly became "green".
He would be let go, and on welfare.

Why would this be any different?

If you are against war, WHY would you join the army???

I don't know too many members of the military that are for war.

I get that, but that was not what I meant. If you do not agree with your president, who sends troops to a war they have been in for years, why would you join?
You know, or should know, that there is a big chance you get send abroad. If you do not want that, you shouldn't join.

[ShepherdsDog]

It was one of the reasons I joined as a kid...to see the world and get paid for doing so.