Key Marine Lawyer Cites Military Court Injustices [LtCol Colby Vokey]

NPR - All Things Considered ^ | October 30, 2007 | Daniel Zwerdling

[AnAmericanMother]

Thanks for the clarification.

Been a very long time since I had anything to do with the UCMJ, but I thought it was CM boards and not juries . . . .

But I discounted any detail right off the bat, seeing as it's NPR. The only reason they cover this is that they see it as an opportunity to bash the military and get a shot in at the administration while they're at it.

[KeyLargo]

As a Savage listener, I believe that Savage has expressed often that he supports the Marines, and believes that Bush could right this wrong with a stroke of the pen.

[KeyLargo]

Well said.

[verity]

Based on my 25 years of AD, I can tell you that there is only one person who commands a unit and has the legal authority and responsibility for that unit.

Although DCGs, XOs, and CSMs have an important leadership roles [as you suggest], command [by law as well as doctrine]is conferred upon one individual in a unit.

[Paul Ross]

It's all about running like scared bunnies from the liberal Democrat newsrooms while at the same time cozying up to the Democrats in Congress.

Totally Agreed.

This administration has been cowardly and shamefully RINO. No guts to stand up to the press and the Rats on any PC issues.

I am also inclined to believe the rest of your surmises, but will withhold judgment, and take a wait and see attitude. But you are certainly right as to what it SOUNDS like...

[Lancey Howard]

This administration has been cowardly and shamefully RINO. No guts to stand up to the press and the Rats on any PC issues.

Unfortunately, many of the military "commanders" aren't any better.

[El Gato]

Although DCGs, XOs, and CSMs have an important leadership roles [as you suggest], command [by law as well as doctrine]is conferred upon one individual in a unit.

Thus the word "helped". Didn't command, "helped to command". Of course "helped the commander" would have been a bit more accurate. But this was a reporter for NPR, you can't have very high expectations in that situtation.

[El Gato]

seeing as it's NPR. The only reason they cover this is that they see it as an opportunity to bash the military and get a shot in at the administration while they're at it.

BINGO!

[AnAmericanMother]

I know the man is angry, but I wish he had considered who he was talking to before he handed them a stick to beat the USMC with.

It won't make matters any better with respect to his concerns, and it may make them worse.

[brityank]

I also discounted *recent* court decisions in favor of older ones. It's so nice how settled law crumbles under political correctness and modern sensibilities.

Thank you for bringing that point up; seems that the libs are all in favour of stare decisis when it favours one of their pet programs, but not if it interferes with their current PC project. Once there is a clear victor in the battle, then some measure of civility -- as in civil(ian) consideration -- can be expended to your foes. However doing that at the start of the conflagration will only serve to get your own forces driven off the field and beaten before they start. I think we're getting close to that now, and I shudder to think of the next military incursion we may have to undertake. Without the will to win, to do what it takes to defeat the foe to his full acceptance of your terms, then you may as well bow down and say "Yes, Master."

LtCol Colby Vokey may be an outstanding defense attorney, and I wish him well in that regard -- however he, and all like him, is not suited to command on the field. Haditha is showing just how entrenched the political officer has become in our forces, courtesy of the socialist mindsets of the elitists in charge.

[verity]

We have educated those who are unfamiliar with ‘command’ doctrine. ;-)

[VeniVidiVici]

Vokey charges that some commanders and officials in the Bush administration have abused the system of justice, and he's going to retire from the Corps May 1, 2008.

Such a principled guy to be sticking it out in such a horrible and abusive system till retirement.

[RedRover]

He is a principled guy. LtCol Vokey was only fired in September as Regional Defense Counsel for West Coast Marines. Reportedly, his sin was assigning too many defense attorneys to the Haditha and Hamandiyah defendants. Maybe his replacement will know how to play ball and get some convictions on the scoreboard.

[VeniVidiVici]

Sorry, but from the article I doubt his views have been formed from Haditha. And if he felt that strongly about being associated with a system that he said has “abused the system of justice” and have accused his fellow Marines of torture, it would seem to me the appropriate thing to do would be to resign his commission.

[RS]

“It is they who lead to the rise of the insurgency by insisting we go to war with an inadequate force and inadequate plans to deal with the post-Sadam world that they wanted to create. “

And the ones who were insisting that we should not take out Sadam until we had some kind of “adequate force and adequate plans” were ?

[bigheadfred]

A couple of Curt’s interviews on local TV.

http://www.localnews8.com/Global/story.asp?S=7316917

http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=7316961

[bigheadfred]

If you watch those interviews of Curt and compare it with this picture of me, you can see we are twins.

[xzins]

Fred, our prayers continue for Evan and the other Iskandariyah troops.

It’s wrong to train/expose our troops to special techniques and then prosecute them when they’re used.

It’s cowardly to pretend the command has no culpability. It’s chilling to watch them distance themselves from their own troops.

[pissant]

This crap MUST end.

[bigheadfred]

If I get any more info I will let you know.