[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."

[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.

[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?

[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.

[alarm rider]

Bump for later reading...

[zkbeta51]

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.

[yankeedame]

At least 8,000 members of the all-volunteer U.S. military have deserted since the Iraq war began,...

What is this supposed to mean? That they deserted while in Iraq (or Middle East). I sure could be read that way. A more objective way of writing that line would be:

Since the beginning of U.S. involvement in the Iraqi war, more than 8,000 member of the U.S. military have deserted..."

[DJ Taylor]

"The last thing they want is for people to think ... that this is like Vietnam,"

It's not at all like Vietnam. In Iraq, there's no jungle, cold beer is not allowed, and the local women...let's just not even go there.

[GOP_1900AD]

String 'em up.

[Calpernia]

I would really like a reporter write about how many kids are being kicked out of the military for stupid stuff like underaged drinking or other various infractions. Rumor is someone wants to leave the MIL short handed they can
justify a draft. But the hundreds being kicked out is verifiable. And a worthy news story for reporting on.