8,000 desert during Iraq war

Yahoo! News ^ | 3/7/06 | Bill Nichols

[libertarianPA]

[Gannett, which only allows headlines and links]

[libertarianPA]

Some lawyers who represent deserters say the war in Iraq is driving more soldiers to question their service...

I wonder if they had this moral quandry when they accepted their federally funded college tuition.

[xrp]

The correct title of the article should be "US Armed Forces experiences LOWER desertion rate year over year since 9/11"

And your statement of "federally funded college tuition" should read "taxpayer funded college tuition".

As a libertarian, you should know better!

[oldleft]

That has to be the biggest BS headline ever. Pravda couldn't do better.

[Coop]

Title written by a press that either likes America or at least is not openly rooting for her defeat:

Overall Military Desertion Rate Plunges since Sept. 11 Attacks

[GreenFreeper]

i see no bias in this article. /sarcasm

[2banana]

Desertions in 2005 represent 0.24% of the 1.4 million U.S. forces.

What the real title of this article should be...

[AliVeritas]

Debunking developing... will be back.

[TexasCajun]

"I didn't sign up to go fight no stinking war! I only joined for the free college education and to pick up chicks."

[PeteB570]

I was going to post "LOWER" but you beat me to it.

[bwteim]

US military desertion rate halves

http://www.washtimes.com/upi/20060307-090253-1125r.htm
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/5205.php
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060307-090253-1125r

Fewer Troops Desert Since 9/11
http://www.military.com/NewsContent/0,13319,90179,00.html

[cripplecreek]

Penalties range from other-than-honorable discharges to death for desertion during wartime. Few are court-martialed.

Gee, I wonder when the last death penalty was imposed causing them to feel the need to include it?

[Jim Pelosi]

I have to think that most of these "desertions" are reserve soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, etc. not showing up or refusing to oblige their contracts for active duty.

[YouPosting2Me]

Proud Ping to those serving honorably at home and abroad.

Thanks for all you (and your family) do!

[PISANO]

Yahoo......a rubber stamp of the AP and the rest of the hit and run LEFTIST Media.

[Paradox]

Gee, I wonder when the last death penalty was imposed causing them to feel the need to include it?

I am curious about this as well, anyone have a name and date?

[mbynack]

I knew two people who deserted. In both cases it was a mixture of personal problems and an inability to adapt to military life that caused it. Both were overseas and were going through a divorce. The spouse was back in the states charging up the credit cards and hiring the best lawyer the GI could afford.

Most of the guys that I knew that claimed to oppose a military deployment were actually opposed to being separated from their family for six months and really didn't get into the politics of why we were doing what we were doing. It makes a better case for the lawyer if they can claim the client had objections to the war, rather than "he was afraid of getting hurt" or "he missed his family."

[NeonKnight]

Since fall 2003, 4,387 Army soldiers, 3,454 Navy sailors and 82 Air Force personnel have deserted.

Hmmm...does the AF keep their Airmen in cages?

[Coop]

Imagine, if you will, an America where the news media actually rooted for our side.

[RetiredArmy]

Working in the Army legal field for 17 years, I can tell you that this is a MINOR problem. Considering the hundreds of thousands of people in uniform, coming and going from the military on a daily basis, this is minor. We have always had these people. The huge majority of those walking away are exactly what the person says in the article, people WHO COULD NOT ADAPT to the military life style. Working long hours without a break, weekend after weekend of working, long duty days, away from home for the first time, having to DO EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE TOLD TO DO AND KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT, taking orders, caring out orders promptly, EVEN shaving, getting a haircut, taking a bath regularly was a problem for some. Personal problems, family problems, financial problems. I NEVER IN MY SERVICE was involved in a case of a deserter who was captured and returned to military control, say he/she walked away BECAUSE OF ANTI-WAR, ANTI-MILITARY, ETC. type crap. It was always something like those I mentioned above. Basically, this article is pure liberal/leftist/socialist/democrat B.S.

[Coop]

Good stuff. Yet none of them fall under the "mainstream American media" umbrella.