Army: No Immediate Plans To Charge Anti-War Soldier

NBC 6 Miami ^

[MindBender26]

MIAMI -- Army commanders at Fort Stewart, Georgia are trying to decide whether to prosecute a Florida National Guardsman who refused to return to his deployment in Iraq.

Maj. Robert Resnick, chief of military justice at Fort Stewart, said the Army had no immediate plans to charge or arrest Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia when he returned to the Georgia Army post.

In the meantime, an Army official said Wednesday that Mejia will perform regular duties at Fort Stewart.

Mejia, 28, of Miami Beach, left Iraq on a two-week leave in October, but did not return to his unit. He spent much of the time he was absent without official leave in New York, before surrendering Monday at an Air Force base in Massachusetts.

Mejia has said he opposes the "oil-driven war" in Iraq, and that he is prepared to go to jail rather than return.

He faced a Wednesday deadline to report for duty at the Georgia military base or face arrest as a deserter.

Mejia said on Wednesday that the military has treated him well and that he's not afraid of going back to duty. He is seeking status as a conscientious objector.

Mejia met with officials at his Florida National Guard unit at the North Miami Armory Tuesday after repeating his determination not to return to the Middle East and fight.

"I'm prepared to go to prison because I'll have a clear conscience," Mejia said.

After conflicting accounts on his status, Florida National Guard spokesman Jon Myatt said Mejia has been classified as a deserter because he had been missing from his unit for more than 30 days. Mejia has not rejoined his unit since going on leave in October.

Myatt said a warrant to arrest Mejia as a deserter could be issued if Mejia failed to appear at Fort Stewart by 3 p.m. EST Wednesday. He said Mejia had not been charged in the case.

Mejia said he's been treated with "respect and dignity" by the military and he intends to report to the Georgia base. The Florida National Guard doesn't have jurisdiction over Mejia because his unit has been activated.

Mejia could face up to one year in prison for being absent without leave and up to five years if convicted of desertion, said Tod Ensign, director of Citizen Soldier, a New York-based group that is organizing Mejia's defense.

Mejia's attorney, Louis Font, faxed papers seeking conscientious objector status to Fort Stewart on Tuesday.

Maj. Darryl Wright, a base spokesman, confirmed receiving the papers but refused further comment.

"In all fairness to the soldier, we don't want his case tried in public until we get him here," Wright said.

Mejia was in Iraq for about five months last year until October, when he returned home on leave. He did not return to duty. He surrendered Monday at an Air Force base in Massachusetts and was ordered to return to Florida and report to his unit, the 1st Battalion, 124th Infantry Regiment of the Florida National Guard.

"The justification for this war is money and no soldier should go to Iraq and give his life for oil," Mejia told reporters Tuesday. He was accompanied by his mother, an aunt and Spc. Oliver Perez, who served with him, when he reported to the Florida armory Tuesday.

Perez said Mejia is "a brave leader" and should not be prosecuted.

"I fought next to him in many battles. He is not a coward," Perez said.

Font said he believes Mejia is the first soldier to turn himself in after refusing to return to Iraq.

The military reports some 600 soldiers are currently classified as AWOL from Iraq.

Mejia said some of his fellow soldiers are also having trouble accepting the U.S. campaign in Iraq and that morale was suffering.

"There are people who agree with me but they're afraid to come forward," Mejia said.

A native of Nicaragua, Mejia is a permanent resident of the United States who served in the Army for three years. He had served in the National Guard for five years when his unit was called to active duty. In civilian life, he was a psychology student at the University of Miami.

Mejia said he joined the military upon his arrival in the United States so he could work his way into American society. He could not say whether he might be deported because of his refusal to serve, but said "whatever sacrifice I have to make, I have to go there."

Mejia said the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and increasing attacks on U.S. soldiers frustrated him.

"When you try to find justification and you think about weapons of mass destruction and you think about terrorism and things like that, all you find is lies and you have no justification," Mejia said. "You need that justification to live with yourself."

[MindBender26]

Why not just kiss him on both cheeks (make that all four cheeks) and get him 3 lawyers and a "stress management" counselor!

Poor baby!!!!!

Send his arse back to Iraq ASAP! This wimp BS is a bulletin to any grunt in Iraq that if you desert, nothing bad will happen!

[RandallFlagg]

Aw MAN! Where's General Patton when ya need him?!

**SLAP!**

[cripplecreek]

My neighbor tells me he signed up for duty in Vietnam and ended up in Germany instead. His brother was a conscientious objector and ended up in the jungle.

[boxerblues]

I could be wrong on this but as a conscientious objector, and he returns to his unit to do regular duties he cannot be charged as AWOL.

[shezza]

I will never understand why people sign up to be warriors and defenders of this country if, when push comes to shove, it is fundamentally against their beliefs (or courage level). Is it the money? The job security? The benefits? Aren't there a thousand other jobs these conscientious objectors could have applied for instead of enlisting in the MILITARY? They get no sympathy from me.

[verity]

He has not been granted CO status.
He can be charged, at a minimum, with violation of Article 86, UCMJ.

[Lokibob]

This is normal for the Army. They get an AWOL trooper return, they put him on administrative hold status until the investigation is completed.

You certainly do not send him back to his unit until all investigations are complete. That would affect morale of the unit as well as endanger the soldier. This is even more important if a combat situation is in the mix.

The Army has what is called "Holding Companies" for these situations. They aren't pleasant places to be assigned, but on the other hand, they are not stockades, either.

[Kakaze]

" "When you try to find justification and you think about weapons of mass destruction and you think about terrorism and things like that, all you find is lies and you have no justification," Mejia said. "You need that justification to live with yourself." "

I'll fore go listing the terror events from the marine barracks foreward, to the twin towers, it would be wasted on this coward.

The justification to charge him is obvious too.

Could we just let him go......sure, But then what happens?

This coward has already shown whats going to happen. He will become a weapon against the war and those who fight it. From his statemnt above, he's shown he will publicly undermine every troop serving. The only thing the United States can do is punish him to the full extent of the law ( UCMJ).

Make an example of this coward, don't let him become a weapon against the United States.

[sheltonmac]

Are members of the military not allowed to have a conscience? Are they expected to obey all orders regardless of whether or not they believe an order to be unconstitutional or immoral? (Granted, this article doesn't give us the full details of his reasoning, so we can only take a guess.)

You can disagree with him, but I wouldn't call him a "baby" or a "wimp." Babies and wimps typically don't invite the wrath of the U.S. government.

[verity]

"You can disagree with him, but I wouldn't call him a "baby" or a "wimp." Babies and wimps typically don't invite the wrath of the U.S. government."

You are correct. He is only a fool!

[Brilliant]

Just give him a dishonorable discharge.

[New Perspective]

I will never understand why people sign up to be warriors and defenders of this country if, when push comes to shove, it is fundamentally against their beliefs (or courage level). Is it the money? The job security? The benefits? Aren't there a thousand other jobs these conscientious objectors could have applied for instead of enlisting in the MILITARY? They get no sympathy from me.

It is all about the money and college funding. Phil Donahue had a show and came to my hometown during the first gulf war. They had kids, I mean young adults, acting like kids, protesting the war. These people had their college paid for while they were in the reserves,but now that it was time to pay the piper, they wanted out. I say let them out, AFTER they repay all of the money that was stolen from the hard working tax payer.

[cynicom]

The man should not be charged. He is free to voice his conscience. Now that he has had his say, shoot the man and have done with it. There wont be any more such people.

[End Times Sentinel]

Send his arse back to Iraq ASAP!

 

Send him back to Nicaragua and bar him from ever returning to the U.S.

Owl_Eagle

" WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
DIVERSITY IS STRENGTH"

[boxerblues]

Im not up on military law. If he is granted CO status and he did return to the Army of his own free will, can he still be charged or reassigned to desk duty for the duration of his contract?

[Lion in Winter]

Lookie.. no show trial for the liberal losers to wail about.

Actually pretty good idea. Think about it. The press cannot just go on and on about the poor UNWILLING soldier, the victim soldier. He doesn't get a STAGE to perform his ACT against the war.

Maybe, he gets some , LATRINE duty, one would hope.

When I was in the service we were pretty hard on jokers who tried to shirke-out on KP even . Imagine how his fellows are going to react to this bloody COWARD?

I almost cringe when I think about it. HAHA!

[gedeon3]

The sob is communist pig. He is from Nicaragua; the son of carlos mejia godoy, a singer and 100% sandinista (marxist). He was born and raised under sandinista rule. He is a piece of sh*t.

[RandallFlagg]

Here's a thought. Sit his cowardly butt in a Boatswain's chair on the side of a carrier with a roller and paint.

In the hot noon sun.

...'till sundown.

"Side Cleaner duty" Been there, done that!

[verity]

885. ART. 85. DESERTION (a) Any member of the armed forces who-- (1) without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently; (2) quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or (3) without being regularly separated from one of the armed forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another on of the armed forces without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the United States; is guilty of desertion. (b) Any commissioned officer of the armed forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away therefrom permanently is guilty of desertion. (c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct. 866. ART. 86. ABSENCE WITHOUT LEAVE Any member of the armed forces who, without authority-- (1) fails to go to his appointed place of duty at the time prescribed; (2) goes from that place; or (3) absents himself or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty at which he is required to be at the time prescribed; shall be punished as a court-martial may direct.

[Lion in Winter]

OHHHHh, that does sound painful! Just perfect for his candy-a$$.