AWOL soldier to surrender at Fort Lewis

KTVB.com ^ | August 11, 2006 | Associated Press

[carlo3b]

AWOL soldier to surrender at Fort Lewis

01:43 PM MDT on Friday, August 11, 2006

Associated Press

FORT LEWIS, Wash. -- An Army sergeant who went AWOL from Fort Bragg out of disgust with the Iraq war says he'll turn himself in Friday at Fort Lewis.

Lawyers for 24-year-old Ricky Clousing of Sumner have tried to negotiate a discharge without success. At an anti-war conference Friday morning at the University of Washington, Clousing announced he would turn himself in later at the Army base.

Clousing spent six months in Iraq and says he became confused and disenchanted with the U.S. role in Iraq.

"I stand here before you today about to surrender myself, which was always my intention," Clousing told several dozen friends, family and war veterans -- some conscientious objectors, who gathered in front of a war memorial at the University of Washington campus.

If Clousing turns himself in at Fort Lewis, "he surrenders to military control," Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Hitt said Friday. If military police find that Clousing is either a deserter or absent without leave from the U.S. military, he will be sent back to Fort Bragg in North Carolina, the post he walked away from.

[carlo3b]

Another traitor that should stand before a firing squad..

[CarolinaGOP]

I guess he didn't realize he could have been provided sanctuary at Mother Sheehan's new digs in Crawford.

[nopardons]

Spot on!

[CarolinaGOP]

Here's the link...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681937/posts

[TET1968]

Wonder what unit ....82nd?

[mtbopfuyn]

Disenchanted? What was he expecting, an all expense paid cruise and room service?

[ASOC]

Like many before him, he may just have discovered that --

War Sucks. Big time.

and may not have been able to handle it. I suppose we will need to see that the Army will do with/to him.

Took my son two tours (and 3 lost squadies) to discover this universal truth. Took me much less - must have been the climate difference.

[Little Bill]

The rain and humidity sucked. There seems to be a constant in this stuff, my ass is more worthy than yours.

I saw this in the few draft dodgers that I know, from my youth. Even though most of them would have been REMF mail clerks, if they had gone in.

[JakeSladder]

"who gathered in front of a war memorial at the University of Washington campus...."

Some gave all, Sarge.

[rfreedom4u]

Try, convict, sentence.

[ASOC]

Lot of guys lost it when they got home mid-tour and landed a new girl, one that, eeerrr, how do I put this - was willing to play house...


A guy thought he had a lot more to loose or was seriously whipped. Either way, wanted nothing to do with playing war - no more.

[TET1968]

I'd rather he be AWOL then watching my back.