[johniegrad]

One guy refuses to deploy and is AWOL and this is news?

[RooRoobird20]

Hmmm..... lucky for this young man he’s not under the command of General George Washington. Our greatest general didn’t tolerate deserters.

[doc1019]

Was he drafted? /s

[BIGLOOK]

Poliical statements by proxy? The Watada Syndrome.

[svcw]

IRR a back door draft, bull cr@p. It is a continuing your service - moron.

[TXnMA]

This deserter has made his choice, and he deserves another:

rope or firing squad...

[yldstrk]

What a loser

[CodeToad]

Shhot him. That’ll stop these chickensh*t press hounds.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

National emergency or war...I thought the surge is going great and Iraq is on the verge of stabilizing? The situation in Iraq now is neither a war nor a national emergency, it's akin to firefighters gaining control of a blaze and making sure all of the hotspots are doused. Why does the Army need to call this guy up then?

I am certainly not in favor of any military draft, but how long should we remain in Iraq? And if there's going to be possible strikes on Iran, what do you think is going to happen?

I know the guy is in the reserves, but he did his time, he served 5 years and got honorably discharged. Surely the Army can ask someone else who's stint is coming to an end if they want to extend their stay, plus you got others who'll voluntarily re-enlist.

[Anti-Bubba182]

US soldier refuses to serve in 'illegal Iraq war'

On far left of photo

"...Matthis Chiroux is the kind of young American US military recruiters love.

"I was from a poor, white family from the south, and I did badly in school," the now 24-year-old told AFP.

"I was 'filet mignon' for recruiters. They started phoning me when I was in 10th grade," or around 16 years old, he added.

Chiroux joined the US army straight out of high school nearly six years ago, and worked his way up from private to sergeant.

He served in Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines and was due to be deployed next month in Iraq.

On Thursday, he refused to go, saying he considers Iraq an illegal war.

"I stand before you today with the strength and clarity and resolve to declare to the military, my government and the world that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq," Chiroux said in the sun-filled rotunda of a congressional building in Washington...."

IVAW member Matthis Chiroux announces his refusal to deploy to Iraq

"..Sgt. Chiroux made the following statement to the press on May 15, 2008.

Good afternoon. My name is Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, and I served in the Army as a Photojournalist until being honorably discharged last summer after over four years of service in Afghanistan, Japan, Europe and the Phillipines. As an Army journalist whose job it was to collect and filter servicemember's stories, I heard many stomach-churning testimonies of the horrors and crimes taking place in Iraq..."

This one is John Kerry 2. Maybe Rahm Emanuel will run him as a candidate.

[Future Snake Eater]

One thing I’ve heard about IRR is that they’re almost surprised if people do show up and there seem to be no real consequences if they don’t. If that’s true (personally I have my doubts), then this guy could have just not showed up without the fanfare of publicity without anyone really caring.

[Repeal The 17th]

"...I may face further action from the army for refusing to reactivate..."
- - -
Yes.
Yes.
You certainly may.

[Eagles6]

"he considers the war "illegal and unconstitutional."

How so? The war is neither illegal nor unconstitutional. They mouth this BS but can't back it up.

"according to the Military Times, an independent newspaper for members of the US armed forces and their families."

Ahh yes, the vaunted Military Times published by the leftist Gannett Publishing which also brings us the dems' propaganda sheet USA Today. Their role is to sow dissension within the ranks.

[GOPmember]

'nuff said.

[pfflier]

Matthis' father Rob, a rocket scientist who lives in the army town of Huntsville, Alabama, said mobilizing IRR members was a form of back-door draft.

As a rocket scientist, he should read his son's enlistment contract before he lets loose with the BS.

[Mr. Jazzy]

How many times is this story going to run?

I remember this item from some time ago and that little twerp isn't in the brig already?

Get that ass-hat to Leavenworth!!!

[peggybac]

C’mon, even a rocket scientist knows that Individual Ready Reserves (IRR), is a pool of former soldiers who can be “reactivated” in a national emergency or war. Oh wait. Never mind.

[Lovebloggers]

He is using the GI benefits, but does not want to honor his commitment in getting those benefits. Also note that he only served in Afghanistan for one week:

“Matthis Chiroux is a member of the Army Individual Ready Reserve, he was on active duty for about five years before being discharged July 2007, he then moved to Brooklyn. He started college at Brooklyn College in January.
Matthis Chiroux “grew up all over the south” but from about 10 years old until he joined the military he lived in Auburn Alabama. Military recruiters where in contact with Matthis as early as eleventh grade. Matthis’ reasoning behind enlisting into the Army is very similar to almost all young people, opportunity. Matthis’ turbulent relationship with his family caused him to leave home at a very early age, almost immediately after he graduated from high school. Matthis’ decision to leave home at that early of an age severely limited his options, as time passed and his option began to dwindle even further he enlisted into the army in mid June about one and a half months after he graduated high school.
Matthis’ Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) was 46 Quebec, which is Public Affairs Specialist/Writer. His duties included planning executing and producing news stories. Primarily print stories and photographs for use on the web or in print publications.
Matthis served in Japan on the island of Okinawa, after Japan he served two years in Heidelberg Germany while there he served as a strategic communicator for the U.S Army Europe Headquarters, a major command Headquarters, and while there he traveled extensively throughout Europe, he also served in Afghanistan, for about a week. Matthis went there to cover a story about a unit of American soldiers who were part of a training unit designed to help soldier perpare for combat at training bases specifically Hoensfeld Germany and they were deployed under the direct command of Romanian battalion.
Matthis also served on the island of Palawan in the Philippines, in support of a bilateral military exercise conducted between the United States Military and the Filipino Military.
Matthis said throughout the whole experience the only thing that kept him going was the thought that three or four or five years from now he would be in college and that would make it worthwhile. In February of 2008 Matthis received orders from the Army requiring him to report back to active duty on June 15th for a yearlong deployment in support of operation Iraqi Freedom.”

http://veterantestimonies.blogspot.com/2008/05/matthis-chiroux.html

[RobinOfKingston]

... -- you want to draft my kid? Iraq's got to stop."

This attitude is the functional equivalent of "I've got mine, to hell with America."

[castlebrew]

yellow-bellied, chickensh!t, traitorous, media-sl*t cowards, the both of them. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

What part of "Individual" "Ready" or "Reserve" don't you understand?

And by the way, how much of that enlistment/re-enlistment bonus did you turn back, seeing as this so-called 'occupation' is such a problem for you?