US soldier refuses to report for active duty in Iraq

AFP via Breitbart ^ | Jun 15, 2008 | afp

[Jet Jaguar]

A month after US army reservist Matthis Chiroux publicly refused to deploy to Iraq, the former sergeant on Sunday set himself up for possible prosecution by failing to report for active duty with his unit in South Carolina.

"Tonight at midnight, I may face further action from the army for refusing to reactivate to participate in the Iraq occupation," Chiroux told reporters in Washington.

"I stand here today in defense of those who have been stripped of their voices in this occupation, the warriors of this nation...", Chiroux read from a statement as his father Rob, who had travelled to Washington from Alabama to support his son on Father's Day, stood beside him.

Last month, Chiroux rejected an order calling him back to active duty in Iraq, saying he considers the war "illegal and unconstitutional."

Chiroux served five years in the army, with tours in Afghanistan, Japan, Germany and the Philippines.

He was honorably discharged last year and was placed in the Individual Ready Reserves (IRR), a pool of former soldiers who can be "reactivated" in a national emergency or war.

Prior to the Iraq war, IRR members were rarely recalled to active duty, according to the Military Times, an independent newspaper for members of the US armed forces and their families.

"Many believed they never would be called -- but when the army found itself stretched by unexpected combat demands in Iraq in the summer of 2004 it began issuing mobilization orders," Military Times wrote in an article published a year ago on Sunday.

According to the paper, hundreds of IRR members "refused to report or simply ignored their mailed mobilization orders."

Matthis' father Rob, a rocket scientist who lives in the army town of Huntsville, Alabama, said mobilizing IRR members was a form of back-door draft.

"If our country is in such a dire emergency that we need to conscript manpower, congress has to vote to reinstate the draft," the elder Chiroux told AFP.

"But they won't do that because if congress said we need to bring back the general draft, the war in Iraq would be resolved very quickly," he said.

"Moms and dads, who represent millions and millions of voters, would say: wait a minute -- you want to draft my kid? Iraq's got to stop."

[johniegrad]

One guy refuses to deploy and is AWOL and this is news?

[RooRoobird20]

Hmmm..... lucky for this young man he’s not under the command of General George Washington. Our greatest general didn’t tolerate deserters.

[doc1019]

Was he drafted? /s

[max americana]

It’s the AP. Right now, they;re scraping the bottom of the barrel to make Bush look bad and make the Iraq War look like we’re losing. Same M.O.

[BIGLOOK]

Poliical statements by proxy? The Watada Syndrome.

[svcw]

IRR a back door draft, bull cr@p. It is a continuing your service - moron.

[Jet Jaguar]

Exactly.

[Recovering Ex-hippie]

Uh, if you want the benifits of being a reserve, uh, I guess then that is what you are..reserves in reserve.

A sad commentary the father makes...if the draft was in, the war would end. Whew! I am so glad this country is so patriotic that all would be proud to serve, if needed...uh, guess not according to this guy.

I am thinking if this guy is really a rocket scientist?

[TXnMA]

This deserter has made his choice, and he deserves another:

rope or firing squad...

[peeps36]

I was just thinking the same thing. Why does the media cover one coward who refuses to carry out his duty? There are thousands of brave men and women who report for duty when called. Who cares about a few cowards who wet their pants at the thought of being deployed?

[yldstrk]

What a loser

[politicalwit]

if you want the benifits of being a reserve, uh, I guess then that is what you are..reserves in reserve.

There are no benefits being on IRR status. Simply put, the DOD can essentially say.."Dude, you're a soldier again."

What the use of IRR tells me is that the military is undermanned and can't recruit sufficient new and qualified personal.

[CodeToad]

Shhot him. That’ll stop these chickensh*t press hounds.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

National emergency or war...I thought the surge is going great and Iraq is on the verge of stabilizing? The situation in Iraq now is neither a war nor a national emergency, it's akin to firefighters gaining control of a blaze and making sure all of the hotspots are doused. Why does the Army need to call this guy up then?

I am certainly not in favor of any military draft, but how long should we remain in Iraq? And if there's going to be possible strikes on Iran, what do you think is going to happen?

I know the guy is in the reserves, but he did his time, he served 5 years and got honorably discharged. Surely the Army can ask someone else who's stint is coming to an end if they want to extend their stay, plus you got others who'll voluntarily re-enlist.

[doc1019]

I signed the papers to enter the military during the VN war, I wasn’t drafted. I was the only living son of a deceased father, so I couldn’t be drafted. I served were the military sent me and did my duty. I wasn’t looking for any benefits or any other special consideration. I joined (during time of war); I served my contracted time and left the military with an Honorable discharge (heaven only knows how?!)

I call him a coward. JMHO.

[benjamin032]

Well you read the situation wrong then. We meet and exceed recruiting and retention goals most months. The benefit to IRR is that you can finish your initial 8 year commitment in some capacity other than active. Trust me, when a Soldier gets honorably discharged there a plenty of benefits that go along with it. We have called IIR guys back, and retired for that matter, numerous times before. The only reason this is news is because it makes the legal and just War on Terror look bad.

[Anti-Bubba182]

US soldier refuses to serve in 'illegal Iraq war'

On far left of photo

"...Matthis Chiroux is the kind of young American US military recruiters love.

"I was from a poor, white family from the south, and I did badly in school," the now 24-year-old told AFP.

"I was 'filet mignon' for recruiters. They started phoning me when I was in 10th grade," or around 16 years old, he added.

Chiroux joined the US army straight out of high school nearly six years ago, and worked his way up from private to sergeant.

He served in Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines and was due to be deployed next month in Iraq.

On Thursday, he refused to go, saying he considers Iraq an illegal war.

"I stand before you today with the strength and clarity and resolve to declare to the military, my government and the world that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq," Chiroux said in the sun-filled rotunda of a congressional building in Washington...."

IVAW member Matthis Chiroux announces his refusal to deploy to Iraq

"..Sgt. Chiroux made the following statement to the press on May 15, 2008.

Good afternoon. My name is Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, and I served in the Army as a Photojournalist until being honorably discharged last summer after over four years of service in Afghanistan, Japan, Europe and the Phillipines. As an Army journalist whose job it was to collect and filter servicemember's stories, I heard many stomach-churning testimonies of the horrors and crimes taking place in Iraq..."

This one is John Kerry 2. Maybe Rahm Emanuel will run him as a candidate.

[politicalwit]

I know the guy is in the reserves

IRR is nothing like the "reserves". There are no monthly meetings, no uniforms, no pay. There is no compensation for the loss of your civilian job if called back up. It is essentially a draft list of veterans that have fulfilled the active duty requirements.

Perhaps it is time to reinstitute the draft....btw, I would be of draft age.

[Future Snake Eater]

One thing I’ve heard about IRR is that they’re almost surprised if people do show up and there seem to be no real consequences if they don’t. If that’s true (personally I have my doubts), then this guy could have just not showed up without the fanfare of publicity without anyone really caring.

[yldstrk]

Pore widdo fang. Da big bad weecwuder took advantage of widdo ole me.

[politicalwit]

We meet and exceed recruiting and retention goals most months.

I really find that hard to believe.

BTW...please detail for us the "benefits" of IRR.

[benjamin032]

So now we are second guessing the strategies that work. If we didn't prepare for the future we would see our success turn to failure. So we get an adequate amount of Soldiers for the near future and people complain. He signed an 8 YEAR INITIAL TERM. This is no draft nor is it underhanded, it is the law and the same one we had since the inception of an all volunteer Army.
And by the way, parroting that crap about possible Iran invasion plans is irresponsible and pretty lame.

[Jet Jaguar]

I have not heard that. When you leave active duty, they let you know that you are still obligated for whatever term.

[MindBender26]

>>>I was the only living son of a deceased father, so I couldn’t be drafted.

A common misconception. There were no exemptions, special considerations, etc. for sole surviving sons, etc.

Surviving BROTHERS of men KILLED IN A WAR ZONE, are not / were not deployed to a war zone. Even they were not exempt from the draft. Everyone else was fair game.

[Repeal The 17th]

"...I may face further action from the army for refusing to reactivate..."
- - -
Yes.
Yes.
You certainly may.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Thanks, I didn’t know that. I was originally going to write that this guy was flat-out getting screwed until the article mentioned he was a reservist, and I thought it was the traditional reserves.

[waxer1]

Love your tag line...ain’t it the truth though? LOL

[Jet Jaguar]

The benefit of IRR is that a trained and experienced servicemember may be called back for service. This saves the gov’t a great amount of money training new folks with no experience.

All of us know it is out there. If I left today, I would be obligated to 4 years of IRR.

[benjamin032]

Well I find it hard to believe that you would post on a subject you know so little about.
I guess that for 5 years of service where this guy was overseas in war torn Germany and Japan and the Phillipines was enough for you. I however would ask that he serve his entire 8 year commitment.

[doc1019]

I hate to disagree; I already had an exemption (4y I believe). I could not be drafted excerpt in times of national emergency, which the VN war was not. ;-)

[Eagles6]

"he considers the war "illegal and unconstitutional."

How so? The war is neither illegal nor unconstitutional. They mouth this BS but can't back it up.

"according to the Military Times, an independent newspaper for members of the US armed forces and their families."

Ahh yes, the vaunted Military Times published by the leftist Gannett Publishing which also brings us the dems' propaganda sheet USA Today. Their role is to sow dissension within the ranks.

[johniegrad]

I served in the Navy’s medical corps from 1979 through 1987. I attended medical school on a Navy scholarship and was obligated to 4 years. I took postgraduate medical education in the Navy which counted neither for nor against that obligation. It was an equitable arrangement both for me and for the Navy. When that time was up, I knew that I wanted to settle down in a practice and raise my family. IRR was available to me as was a continued commission in the reserves. I really did not want to be subject to recall at that time because I was in a critical shortage specialty. I had the option of resigning my commission which eliminated me from any reserve category whatsoever. Is this not an option open to enlisted?

[politicalwit]

IRR was supposed to be used in event of national emergencies, not ongoing foreign conflicts. Instead of the current administration not demanding a larger active duty military force they resort to distrupting the lives of GI’s that have made a difficult transition to civilian life back to military life. This guy was Honorably Discharged after five years of service and deserves a chance to start a new life, get an education, start a new career and even start a family.

[Red_Devil 232]

Why bother with him? Let him and his google eyed buddy go do their thing together.

[Jet Jaguar]

It is not an option for enlisted, as far as I know. I had a friend who was a linguist, (Farsi) who was recalled. He is out again.

[TXnMA]

"I signed the papers to enter the military during the VN war, I wasn’t drafted."

Same here. And I spent over the four years on active duty required by my USAF contract. However, my total contracted term of service was for eight years. So I served out the remainder of my contracted term by being available to recall in the IRR. Had I been needed during those years, the USAF would have been right to recall me, (with all my training and experience) rather than disrupting the life of some ignorant draftee.

If this t*rd signed up for a contract obligating him to more than the five years he spent on active duty, he hasn't a leg to stand on.

As far as, "There are no benefits being on IRR status.", the benefit is that, during IRR exposure, you are essentially a civilian -- unless you are needed. I, for one, got a head start on a good career in microelectronics (thanks, largely, to my USAF training and experience).

This coward signed a contract. If he wants out of it, he has two appropriate choices...

[AZ .44 MAG]

I left the USMC in 1978 after enlisting in 1974 for a 4 year active/2 year reserve commitment. Even though I was separated I was told to keep my uniforms and gear serviceable for possible reactivation. When I enlisted they were VERY, VERY, VERY clear letting me know it was a 6 year obligation even though only 4 years were “active duty”.

This POS needs to do what he KNOWS is right or face the consequences.

[Hot Tabasco]

One guy refuses to deploy and is AWOL and this is news?

Of course and he probably spent his first AWOL week calling all the news outlets saying "come talk to me.....>"

[AZ .44 MAG]

Probably a future junior senator from Mass.

[MindBender26]

Selective Service Classifications:
1-A Available for unrestricted military service.
1-A-O Conscientious objector available for noncombatant military service only.
1-C Member of the Armed Forces of the United States, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or the Public Health Service.
1-D-D Deferment for certain members of a reserve component or student taking military training.
1-D-E Exemption of certain members of a reserve component or student taking military training.
1-H Active Registrant (all registrants currently in the database have this classification)
1-O Conscientious objector to all military service. A registrant must establish to the satisfaction of the board that his request for exemption from combatant and noncombatant military training and service in the Armed Forces is based upon moral, ethical or religious beliefs which play a significant role in his life and that his objection to participation in war is not confined to a particular war.
1-O-S Conscientious objector to all military service.
1-W Conscientious objector ordered to perform alternative service.
2-A Registrant deferred in support of the national interest.
2-D Registrant deferred because of study preparing for the ministry.
2-S Registrant deferred because of collegiate study.
3-A Registrant deferred because of hardship to dependents.
3-A-S Registrant deferred because of hardship to dependents (separated).
4-A Registrant who has completed military service.
4-A-A Registrant who has performed military service for a foreign nation.
4-B Official deferred by law.
4-C Alien or dual national.
4-D Minister of religion.
4-F Registrant not acceptable for military service. To be eligible for Class 4-F, a registrant must have been found not qualified for service in the Armed Forces by a Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) under the established physical, mental, or moral standards. The standards of physical fitness that would be used in a future draft would come from AR 40-501.
4-G Registrant exempted from service because of the death of his parent or sibling while serving in the Armed Forces or whose parent or sibling is in a captured or missing in action status.
4-T Treaty alien.
4-W Registrant who has completed alternative service in lieu of induction.
5-A Registrant who is over the age of liability (26) or if previously deferred (35)

Please note that 4-G applies only when the father or brother died “while serving in the Armed Forces or whose parent or sibling is in a captured or missing in action status,”

If your father dies “while serving in the Armed Forces,” you were exempt. If he died otherwise.

While waiting for an OCS class date at Ft. Knox, I ran a Reception Station platoon. Had at least 2-3 men a week want to get out of Army because they were a “surviving son.” Only one evey quaified, because the rest’s brothers or fathers had not died while in Service. The one’s father had died on Iwo Jima.

[GOPmember]

'nuff said.

[Vineyard]

As stated elsewhere in this thread - EVERY ONE WHO STARTS SERVING IN THE MILITARY - and this is Enlisted or Officer - has an eight year commitment.

Normally, the commitment is 4 years, and 4 years of IRR, where the individual can be recalled to active duty.
My third child signed up for the Army - and he has a 5 year active duty commitment, and 3 year IRR commitment. My daughter signed up in the Army Reserve with a commitment for 8 years of reserve drilling service - and after completing 2 years of a Reserve ROTC program - now has 8 years of obligated drilling service (on top of the 4 years she has already completed!)

People in IRR can be called up based on needs of the service. But - under various recall authorities, so can many other individuals who have served.

BTW - another thing to know - those who retire at 20 years aren’t really retired. In the Navy - someone who “retires” before 30 years of service is completed is transferred to the Fleet Reserve - and the retirement pay is isn’t really retirement pay, but the same amount of pay - but the individual can also be called up for active duty if the situation requires. At the 30 year point, the individual trasfers from the Fleet Reserve to the Retired List - but again, as a condition for drawing the retirement pay, the person can be called up for extreme national emergencies (up to age 60.)

If you don’t want an 8 year commitment - don’t sign up in the military. When all 3 of my children joined a service (1 Army, 1 Army Reserve, 1 Navy) - each knew from the paperwork, from the recruiters (and from me) what they were getting into, and that there was this 8 year obligation!

This guy is a jerk - and deserves a stiff punishment. But if the left wing media and left-wing Congress critters want to hype someone making claims to refuse to support unConstitutional actions - what would happen if millions of conservatives refused to support Social Security, Medicare, and the hundreds of unConstitutional programs churned out by Congress???

[MindBender26]

PS, My local draft board was FUBAR. I got a draft notice while on first tour in RVN, just before rotation.

While home, I showed up as summoned at 0700 in Class A uniform, just to break balls. Told the draft board civilians that I had bought my own uniform so I could “get through training more quickly and get to Vietnam faster.”

The recruiter who had signed me up 18 months earlier showed up. Told me to get my sorry dumb ass out of line.... then bought me breakfast.

[SierraWasp]

Plus he has either a French, or Cajun name so he has vast gravitas, ya know.(/sarcasm)

[EDINVA]

“I was from a poor, white family from the south, and I did badly in school,” the now 24-year-old told AFP.

Matthis’ father Rob, a rocket scientist who lives in the army town of Huntsville, Alabama, said mobilizing IRR members was a form of back-door draft.

So was he from a poor, white family in the south or the son of a rocket scientist from Huntsville, AL, home of a huge NASA facility?

And how many POOR rocket scientists do we know ?

[doc1019]

Then there is that elusive 4Y draft deferment that seems to stick in my mind. Can’t be sure, but seems that was what my draft card said. And to repeat myself … I had to sign several extra forms indicating my willingness to forgo the “only son of a deceased father exemption”.

I can only report what happened to me, believe it or not, that is your choice. ;-)

[lolhelp]

He says he was from a poor white family, yet the article says his father is a rocket scientist. I thought rocket scientists made fairly good money.

[lolhelp]

He says he was from a poor white family, yet the article says his father is a rocket sicentist.

[politicalwit]

Benny...I’m probably more knowledgable on the subject than you.