Posted on 11/01/2008 2:17:52 PM PDT by bubman
Need advice for a friend that was just caught going through US border. My friend a canadian citizen enlisted in the US army in 1988 at 22 in the hopes of persuing a military career. Was dissapointed to find out that he could not persue the disciplines he was interested in. (which was entirely different from what the recruiter told him) Went awol 5 months from joining. Has been to the US on numerous occasions but not since 911 happened. Had to take care of an issue in the US and was arrested by the border patrol. Identified himself with a canadian passport. No intention of hiding his identity.Has three kids married and is an upstanding member of his community. Lost his father recently and was one of the reasons he went to the US to resolve an estate issue. Feedback would be appreciated especially from legal and military backrounds.
I doubt you’ll find much sympathy for him here.
I expect he’ll get maybe 60 days of brig time, a DD and get kicked out of the country.
Such is life.
Let me get this straight he enlisted then deserted?
If thats the case he needs to do his time get a dishonourable discharge then go back to canada.
Yeah, that Asshole.
Can’t remember his name but that case still gripes my butt. At the very least he should have lost his citizenship for that. Japan would have given him some sort of immigration deal because of his abductee wife, but he was a traitor of the worst sort and I think he should have been shot.
He’s a deserter and we are at War.
Give hime a speedy courts martial, a cigarette, a blindfold, and shoot the SOB.
I have in the past processed a few of these type of cases while working in the Army JAG Corp. Most were just processed with what the military calls "an other than honorable discharge" or what we called an OTH. This would probably be what happens. Unless they have had a lot of these, then he may be made an example. Basically, it is up too the commander of wherever he is at. THIS IS NOT a civilian action. It will be a military action.
When I was 22 years old I was in Vietnam.
Screw him.
I’m sorry but this guy is a traitor of the worst kind. You cant simply desert the military because the discipline you wanted was taken. This isn’t college. I’m sorry but I hope this guy goes to jail for a long time.
I was a recruiter in 1988-1990, from what i gather from the little information given was that he joined under the delayed entry program or DEP. Under that program you are not officially in the service until the day you ship, so if he never went back to the military entrance processing (MEPS) for the second time he was really never in the service. I had an issue like this where I recruited a person into the army, and he joined for a job that required a background check, when the check came back before he shipped out it was found that he had a parent that was still a canadian citizen and couldnt go into the job he chose, he then had the choice of choosing a new job, or I would have taken him as a loss and had to make up that person. This person chose a different job and still shipped out.
What selfish reason to go AWOL. It is time of war they should shoot him.
“Was disapointed to find out that he could not persue the disciplines he was interested in. (which was entirely different from what the recruiter told him).”
Whatever. We all know the US Army is not a picnic.
it wasn’t the answer I was looking for.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.