Sailor Who Refused Duty Gets Hard Labor

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/05/12/national/w131133D02.DTL&sn=021&sc=430 ^

[EnigmaticAnomaly]

Sailor Who Refused Duty Gets Hard Labor By SETH HETTENA, Associated Press Writer Thursday, May 12, 2005 Printable Version Email This Article (05-12) 20:54 PDT SAN DIEGO, (AP) -- A U.S. sailor was sentenced to three months of hard labor Thursday for refusing to ship out for the Persian Gulf in a protest against the war in Iraq. Pablo Paredes was also demoted from petty officer third class to seaman recruit, the lowest rank in the Navy. A military judge, Lt. Cmdr. Bob Klant, imposed the sentence a day after finding Paredes guilty of refusing to board the board the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard after it received orders for the Persian Gulf in December. The 23-year-old New Yorker said he refused to support a war he believed was illegal and immoral, and he has since become an outspoken anti-war activist. "If there is anything I could be guilty of, it is my beliefs," he said in a statement before the sentence was imposed. "I am guilty of believing the war is illegal."

[EnigmaticAnomaly]

He should receive a more severe penalty than just 3 months of hard labor...he is in dereliction of duty and should be dishonorably discharged immediately! Why does it seem our military is becoming soft? Left influence? Where are the good ole' days of "shoot first, ask questions later?"

[Mr Ramsbotham]

More military bashing by the press.

[Kozak]

Don't worry. They'll can his butt, AFTER he spends 3 months doing hard time. Personally I would nominate him to serve his 3 months clearing IED's in Iraq.

[TMSuchman]

His hard labor is turning big rocks into little rocks & into sand, then into cement then start over. This is under the watchful eye of Marines.

[tx_eggman]

Already Posted

[Right Angler]

He believes the war is illegal. I believe he is a coward.

[aBootes]

He should receive a more severe penalty than just 3 months

I think that all they charged him with was missing movement. That's a relatively minor offense, for which he may have gotten the maximum sentence. And it keeps the court-martial simple. Dunno for sure; wasn't in the Navy. But that's what it looks like.

[Steely Tom]

What happens if he refuses to do hard labor. He can just say it's illegal to force him to do it, cruel and unusual punishment (in his opinion, of course).

(steely)

[captain_dave]

When I was in the Army, not very long ago, a soldier received 6 months in the retraining battalion for patterns of disrespect, etc. That was peacetime.

[Mathews]

I'm stationed at the same base as this kid. Since the article never stated that he was being confined to the base and no mention of going to the brig, I'd say his chances of breaking rocks is minimal. He will most likely be confined to one of the barracks and walk the streets picking up liter on base as his "extra duties." I haven't heard anything through the grapevine (and we have been paying attention) that states he got anything more than a slap on the wrist. This kid got off.

[fireforeffect]

Wrong.

They closed Portsmouth Naval Prison years ago. Everybody goes to the (now) Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. They are watched by Army MP's.

Last time I was there they did still have a rock pile. Other duties (before 9/11) included washing cars, year round. There was only one car wash in town because most days you could get your car washed for free on post back then.

[fredhead]

And the biggest type of coward. He would have had thousands of tons of steel around him to protect his sorry little heinie. What was there to be afraid of? It's not like he would be on the ground with the soldiers.

BTW, I don't really consider myself a brave man. I spent 20 years protected by the "tons of steel" of Navy ships. I don't know if I would have been able to in the middle of the fighting but I like to think I would have done my duty if ordered to as I did during my Navy career.

[em2vn]

What you discribed is easy labor. It is when a prisoner must make little rocks into big rocks that it gets real tough. It takes a lot of pressure to form the big rocks.

[Darnright]

>BTW, I don't really consider myself a brave man. I spent 20 years protected by the "tons of steel" of Navy ships.<

Don't be hard on yourself. After recently visiting the Pearl Harbor memorial, and standing over the cemetary that is the USS Arizona, I have a new respect for the bravery of our Sailors.

[THEUPMAN]

Perhaps this is what happens when military service is sold as a ticket to collage rather then a service to your country.

.... public skools ...

[School of Rational Thought]

After recently visiting the Pearl Harbor memorial, and standing over the cemetary that is the USS Arizona, I have a new respect for the bravery of our Sailors.


No disrespect to our sailors, but this is not world war II and today's Navy in Irag should not expect to be attacked by the Al Quaida airforce or engage in massive sea battles with the Al Qaida navy expect to be torpedoed or have to traverse mined waters.

As far as I know, and you correct me, the Cole incident is the only damage to a ship and that was before 9-11.

The sailors work extreme hours, have great responsibility, and are in a dangerous occupation, but they are not under hostile fire on a ship.

[tarawa]

For the most part, yes, but we are definitely traversing mined waters. Mine watch is a frequent, but somewhat unpopular duty while cruising the Persian Gulf.

[dangerdoc]

>What happens if he refuses to do hard labor. He can just say it's illegal to force him to do it, cruel and unusual punishment (in his opinion, of course).<

This isn't a civilian prison. In the navy brig they can put him on bread and water in solitary confinement. You may not think that would do much but I've seen some pretty tough guys turn into very polite gentlemen after a week.

[Steely Tom]

Thanks dangerdoc. That's the kind of answer I was looking for. I assumed the disciplinary latitude was wider in the military prison system.

(steely)