Posted on 12/23/2004 11:16:35 AM PST by txradioguy
Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes followed through on his plan: He refused to board his Navy ship yesterday morning when it sailed for Iraq with thousands of Camp Pendleton Marines.
For nearly two hours, the weapons-control technician sat on his ship's pier at the 32nd Street Naval Station. He talked with media and waited to be arrested, but the arrest didn't happen.
A Navy spokesman said Paredes, 23, wasn't taken into custody because he hadn't violated any regulations. Navy procedures stipulate that an officer can't be listed as missing until an official roll has been called aboard ship.
"Paredes is considered (to be) in an unauthorized absent status," said Cmdr. William Fenick, spokesman for the 3rd Fleet. "He is encouraged to check into any naval facility as soon as possible. Sailors have an obligation to get under way when their ships deploy, and today over 5,000 sailors and Marines met that obligation and began their deployment."
Paredes believes he wasn't detained because of the media presence. On Sunday, he had called newspapers and radio and TV stations to announce his anti-deployment intentions.
Paredes had planned to publicly throw his military I.D. into the ocean to underscore his stand against the war. But yesterday, he changed his mind after learning that he could be charged with destruction of government property.
Paredes held firm, however, when a Navy officer tried to persuade him to board the amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard, which transports Marines to the Middle East.
"I told him that I don't plan on getting under way, that I refuse, that I resign," Paredes said yesterday afternoon in a phone interview.
Paredes had joined the Navy in 2000. He was stationed in Japan until now, he said, and didn't think he had a direct connection to the war in Iraq.
Paredes might be the first local sailor to refuse deployment on the grounds of being philosophically opposed to the Iraq war, said Sam Samuelson, spokesman for the San Diego Naval Station.
Paredes is looking for a lawyer to represent him for free before he turns himself in to the Navy.
"I knew what was coming," Paredes said, "and now I just have to see it through."
"Don't worry, the Navy will most definately burn this guy's ass for this."
Too bad keel hauling isn't still an accepted form of discipline in the Navy.
one percenter...
Thank God this clown did not go...
Better to know he's a coward now then to learn it while under attach and he causes the lives of others.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
I believe that and they will do it
mainly because of his antics of calling
the press, and making a big deal about it.
Same situation with Martha Stewart. If she
hadn't spent so much time along with her
entourage taking potshots at the Feds, we
would have barely heard about it.
Now, the Navy (rightfully so), not to mention
the ticked off soldiers are going to have a
field day slamming this guy.
The kicker is that he actually says that he didn't think
he had a connection to the war because he has been in Japan. What an a$$!
I think. IMHO. Usual disclaimers about my stupidity, ignorance and all-around venality apply.
It was originally written Dec. 7th in the San Diego Times Union...I just heard about it on Tuesdy when Roger Hegecock filled in for Rush. I did a search on the story and came up blank so I decided to put it out there.
I guess it's a good thing for this "organization" that I went into the military in Texas and not where they are at. My recruiter would have had to come throw my bail on a simple assault charge had one of those schlubs tried to talk me out of going! LOL!
You're right. As an enlisted man, he can't resign. And the Navy is not going to just let him walk away from this. The following is from Article 85 of the Uniform Code of Military Jusice. The article refers to desertion.
(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;
IMO, this isn't about the war at all. This is about a slacker who doesn't want to go on a deployment and has manufactured this situation to get sympathy and support. He sought out media attention to build a shield of public opinion between him and the consequences of his actions.
It remains to be seen if the Navy will succumb to public pressure or if they will stand firm and do what is right.
07 Dec 2004 - 0927 (San Diego, California) Petty Officer Third Class Pablo Paredes, 23, decided that he didn't like the duty assignment he was given so he has gone absent without leave. Previously stationed in Japan, he had been satisfactorily meeting his obligations in the U.S. Navy for over four years. Unfortunately, now that he's been ordered to sea duty in a deployment to the Indian Ocean, Paredes has decided he's not going because he's against the war and he went on television to tell everyone about his newfound complaint. http://www.shortfamilyonline.com/life/archives/000440.php
Bet this twerp voted for Lurch.
Series, why the hell did he enlist? So he could be deployed to Maui and bask in the sun with a dozen bikin-clad girls?
And the food sure beats what the grunts eat.
"This is an old story. Why is it being rehashed here?"
Well from most of the other 28 responses on here it's a NEW story or at least new to them.
YOu'd be surprised how many people still use the arguement "I only did it for the college money"! Had a guy in Somalia in my foxhole say that. He honestly believed he would never be in a situation like we were in.
My first thought when I hear that is "well genius...why do you think they trained you to fire a rifle and toss a grenade?"
What a wimp this guy is! First he signs-up for voluntary service. Then he doesn't like what the service is. Who does he call? The media (the only ones who sympathize with losers). What's next? He'll move to Canada (thank God) after getting a dishonorable discharge. I don't know how these guys live with themselves, having no honor, and what do they tell their Grandchildren?
New story to me. Thanks for rehashing it so I could be PO'ed also.
The one thing about the story that bothers me the most..and one thta (no surprise) the MSM hasn't picked up on is that there is an organization out there in SD...well funded enough to run ads on City Buses that is encouraging and promotion the idea to military members to desert and go AWOL. This guy had less than two years left on a 6 year enlistment. Someone from this organization...IMHO...must have done some pretty heavy convincing to get this guy to do this.
And what's sad is...when Petty Officer Peredes' usefulness for this organization is gone...they'll forget his name. And they'll leave him out in the cold with the stigma and (hopefully) guilt of having deserted his brothers in arms during a time of war.
And why? So some anti-American/War/Bush wacko group could get it's 15 minutes of fame.
No offense, but last I heard, the Marines were looking for a few good men...not some wimp traitor. Why waste their time with this trash?
Looks like the bastard missed out on his 15 minutes of fame the leftist media was supposed to give him by not being arrested on camera.
It can be, but the Navy has better ways of handling cases like this.
A Courts Martial is a judicial proceeding in which all rules of evidence apply. A Sailor (or Marine) assigned to a deploying vessel is not entitled to the right of a Courts Martial. This is to prevent a ship's deployment from being disrupted by large chunks of the crew having to transfer ashore for all of the legal wrangling. At the discretion of the ship's CO, the crewman will receive NJP. (Non-Judicial Punishment, UCMJ Article 15) The Navy/Marine Corps usually refer to this as a "Captain's Mast".
Things may have changed, but when I was in, the first thing they would do is put the little chowderhead on an airplane to meet his ship at it's next scheduled port...in this case probably Hawaii. (His expense.) He will be returned to his ship, placed on pretrial restriction (to the ship). The ship's Master-at-Arms will investigate the charges and will make recommendations to the ship's Executive Officer and Commanding Officer. The Ship's CO decides whether to handle the situation through NJP or refer the case to JAG for Courts Martial.
He will most likely end up on the deployed ship while the Navy decides what to do with him. If he continues to refuse orders once he gets there they will most likely keep him in the ship's brig until they transfer him to a shore station brig to await trial by CM. (I wonder if they ever built a brig in Diego Garcia or Bahrain? Those would be good.)
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