Posted on 05/15/2005 9:46:22 PM PDT by StuLongIsland
Drudge posted a link to an article from "The Independance" PAPER: AWOL crisis hits the U.S. forces... . Could not reference it here at Free Republic due to some dumb copywrite limits or something so referring to the Drudge reference. Well maybe I am reading more into this, it is about US Soldiers going AWOL, but the usual left wing idiots who join to make trouble, but noticed there are people mostly in this article with Jewish names, thought maybe this was another left wing attempt to pain all Jewish people with one leftwing brush as hating the military and sympathising with the Arabs, and hating the USA. Maybe I am reading too much into this. No mention of anyone's religion here,overtly, just reading between the lines. For the record I am Jewish, not a left wing Jew and tired of the press "printing" as these leftwingers are all of us, but not so. Would have prefered to let the article speak, but could not post it here.
That AWOL list goes back decades, so this story is a crock.
AWOL is as old as the military. Every war and even peace time produces those who "go over the fence." Technically, when we snuck out the wire to visit the "ville" in Vietnam, we went AWOL also.
I also notice this a UK news source and as are most there, not very sympathetic to the US. I'd read this with a large grain of salt and give it the merit it deserves, squat!!!!!
I presume things haven't changed much in the last 20 years. There are always a few troublemaking shirkers who do everyone a favor by leaving.
A read of some other of Andrew Buncombe's articles will no doubt explain, shall we say, a bias?
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=638635
"The most recent Pentagon figures suggest there are 5,133 troops missing from duty. Of these 2,376 are sought by the Army, 1,410 by the Navy, 1,297 by the Marines and 50 by the Air Force. Some have been missing for decades.
But campaigners say the true figure could be far higher. "
Could be far higher or maybe not ?
Maybe not. One of my sons actually talked his room mate into going AWOL. The guy was a dirt bag who whined constantly about how much he hated the military. The soldier who replaced him was team asset that liked by all making everyone in the unit much happier.
Bush's war on "terror"? Seems like Bin Laddie called the war ON. Ain't canceled yet, last I heard.
#2 - It is a REAL problem.
One of my sons actually talked his room mate into going AWOL
are you serious ? That would have to be illegal.
However, the USAF active duty forces says they will force out another 50,000 and are giving them the chance of going Army or civilian.
In the meantime, we are closing another round of bases and China quietly builds up and reinforces her million man army.
Exactly. The article contradicts itself -- it says "since the start of President George Bush's so-called war on terror", then at the end of the paragraph: " Some have been missing for decades.
".
It's just a leftist rag, who can't stand our success in Iraq and in the WoT, so they try to find something to demoralize our soldiers and their supporters.
The Independent is, like The Guardian and many other Brit papers, an great source for anti-American journalism. I don't say that as someone who complains about "liberals" and people being unpatriotic. These papers are simply exceedingly anti-American or counter-American in their views, and are quite open in admitting such. Unfortunately many people don't know this, especially people across the pond, and they believe this is the "true, objective" reporting that Americans aren't given.
"Some have been missing for decades. "
What? And this is news? OK, Some have been missing for decades....
"are you serious ? That would have to be illegal."
Sounds quite sensible for unit survival.
The only ones AWOL are the radical left in their desertion of America.
Remember the man who was charged with murder at the sentry post for killing the two Iraqi's? Then there was the grunt who got charged when he killed the wounded guy in the house search.
That would be my concern about joining today. Train me to kill and then when I do, you want to charge me for it.
I think this sergeant probably needs to be treated for PTSD and reassigned to supply or the mess hall.
>>"Sergeant Kevin Benderman cannot shake the images from his head. There are bombed villages and desperate people. There are dogs eating corpses thrown into a mass grave. And most unremitting of all, there is the image of a young Iraqi girl, no more than eight or nine, one arm severely burnt and blistered, and the sound of her screams."<<
Having 1% one or 2% who can't handle the job doesn't surprise me. Making a fuss about it does.
This makes more sense.
>>"The vast majority of those who desert do so because they have committed some criminal act, not for political or conscientious objector purposes."<<
This probably answers most of the criminals.
>>After 30 days of being Awol a serviceman is considered a deserter, and a warrant is issued for his arrest.<<
This might just be the answer for these guys who don't want to go into combat!
Boudreaux's Theory
Boudreaux's first military assignment was to a military induction center, and--because he was a good talker--they assigned him the duty of advising new recruits about the government benefits, especially the GI insurance to which they were entitled.
Before long the Captain in charge of the induction center began noticing that Boudreaux was getting a 99% sign up for the top GI insurance.
This was odd, because it would cost these poor inductees nearly $30.00 per month more for their higher coverage than what the government was already granting.
The Captain decided that he would not ask Boudreaux about his selling techniques but that he would sit in the back of the room and observe Boudreaux's sales pitch.
Boudreaux stood up before his latest group of inductees and stated, "If you have the normal GI insurance and go to Iraq and are killed, the government pays your beneficiary $6,000. If you take out the supplemental GI insurance (which will cost you an additional $30.00 per month), the government pays your beneficiary $200,000.
"NOW," Boudreaux concluded, "which bunch do you think they're gonna send into battle first?"
....Put a price tag on yer butt that makes the bossman think about just how much yer worth to him!
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