Posted on 01/21/2005 3:13:54 PM PST by Former Military Chick
January 20, 2005 - "I am ashamed to be associated with this mess, and I certainly did not join the Army to kill women, children and old men. I just don't see how these innocent people could be a threat to the Constitution of the United States. An American soldier should not be ashamed of what they do," said Sgt. Kevin Benderman of the U.S. Army.
Benderman has said that he will refuse to deploy to Iraq as ordered. A 40-year old veteran who has received many awards, including four Good Conduct Medals, Benderman was deployed in Iraq from March to September of 2003. During that time, he says, "elements of my unit were instructed by a captain to fire on children throwing rocks at us."
He said that he realized that "the people that we are fighting now are for the most part people like you and me, people that are defending themselves against a superior military force and fighting to keep that which is rightfully theirs." He has also said the Iraqi people have the right to choose their own form of government, "just like we did in America after the revolution."
Benderman, who first entered the Army in 1987, has applied for a conscientious objector discharge. A decision on his application is still pending.
Benderman is not alone in his objection to the war. Twenty-two soldiers in his unit have refused to deploy to Iraq. Seventeen have gone AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave). Two have attempted suicide.
Discontent and low morale are becoming so widespread throughout the armed forces, especially the reserves, that even top officers are getting worried. In a recent memo, Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly criticized repeated "stop loss" orders, decisions extending reservists' tours in war zones, and calling reservists to active duty after they had returned to civilian life.
Helmly wrote that these policies have pushed the Army Reserve to the point that it is "in grave danger of being unable to meet other operational requirements" and is "rapidly degenerating into a 'broken' force."
Meanwhile, soldiers in Iraq face daily attacks from a popular resistance that now numbers more than 200,000, according to the head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. U.S. deaths in combat are approaching 1,400. As many as one in five returning troops suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The soldiers want to come home, and the Iraqi people clearly want them to leave. In a letter from Kevin Benderman and Monica Benderman to President George W. Bush, they outlined the only way to end the violence in Iraq: "Until America leaves Iraq to the Iraqis, and brings its soldiers home, freedom cannot begin to materialize for the Iraqi people."
January 20, 2005 - "I am ashamed to be associated with this mess, and I certainly did not join the Army to kill women, children and old men. I just don't see how these innocent people could be a threat to the Constitution of the United States. An American soldier should not be ashamed of what they do," said Sgt. Kevin Benderman of the U.S. Army.
Benderman has said that he will refuse to deploy to Iraq as ordered. A 40-year old veteran who has received many awards, including four Good Conduct Medals, Benderman was deployed in Iraq from March to September of 2003. During that time, he says, "elements of my unit were instructed by a captain to fire on children throwing rocks at us."
He said that he realized that "the people that we are fighting now are for the most part people like you and me, people that are defending themselves against a superior military force and fighting to keep that which is rightfully theirs." He has also said the Iraqi people have the right to choose their own form of government, "just like we did in America after the revolution."
Benderman, who first entered the Army in 1987, has applied for a conscientious objector discharge. A decision on his application is still pending.
Benderman is not alone in his objection to the war. Twenty-two soldiers in his unit have refused to deploy to Iraq. Seventeen have gone AWOL (Absent Without Official Leave). Two have attempted suicide.
Discontent and low morale are becoming so widespread throughout the armed forces, especially the reserves, that even top officers are getting worried. In a recent memo, Lt. Gen. James R. Helmly criticized repeated "stop loss" orders, decisions extending reservists' tours in war zones, and calling reservists to active duty after they had returned to civilian life.
Helmly wrote that these policies have pushed the Army Reserve to the point that it is "in grave danger of being unable to meet other operational requirements" and is "rapidly degenerating into a 'broken' force."
Meanwhile, soldiers in Iraq face daily attacks from a popular resistance that now numbers more than 200,000, according to the head of the Iraqi Intelligence Service. U.S. deaths in combat are approaching 1,400. As many as one in five returning troops suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
The soldiers want to come home, and the Iraqi people clearly want them to leave. In a letter from Kevin Benderman and Monica Benderman to President George W. Bush, they outlined the only way to end the violence in Iraq: "Until America leaves Iraq to the Iraqis, and brings its soldiers home, freedom cannot begin to materialize for the Iraqi people."
:: Article nr. 9035 sent on 21-jan-2005 18:24 ECT
:: The address of this page is : www.uruknet.info?p=9035
:: The original address of this article is : www.workers.org/ww/2005/reserves0120.php
LOL! Common sense huh?
ping
Thanks for the correction!
Now it's THREE?
I'd already retired----WTF is my Navy coming to?
As for the subsequent awards---I usually received a memo "Authorizing" me to wear the star in lieu of an additional award.
I know the Army gives the GCM for 3 years---I guess that was why they changed it. After 130-odd years you'd think they would just leave it alone.
*sigh*
I think they changed it to be more standardized with the other services and to give out more chest candy. Funny thing is they left the interval for "hash marks" at four years.
If think this is odd you should see the new proposed uniform changes! You're right subsequent awards of the GCM just came over in the guard mail.
I've been noticing every one of the left's "posterboys" against the war are far behind the normal career track.
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