U.S. Army Private Criticizes Commander-in-Chief

Oxford Town (Oxford Eagle) | April 30, 2003 | Self

[Spook86]

A U.S. Army Private from Mississippi has publicly criticized President Bush for his handling of military action in Afghanistan and Iraq, a move that could land her in hot water with her superiors.

Private Sarah Freeland, 22, a native of Oxford, said she "loathes" the President's decision to go to war against Saddam Hussein. In an interview pushlished in her hometown newspaper, the Oxford Eagle, Freeland rebuked the President for failing to gain UN approval for the war.

"The United Nations should have handled this," Freeland told the paper. "It's not our business taking it into our how hands." According to free-lance reporter Camille Comer, who wrote the article for the Eagle's entertainment section, Freeland identifies herself as "a liberal Democrat who hates Bush and his politics."

Freeland is an Army communications specialist, currently assigned to Fort Drum, NY. Her duties include operating and maintaining mobile communications systems. Private Freeland was interviewed while on leave from her military post.

Freeland's critical comments are considered highly unusual, given her junior rank and the military's prohibition on criticizing superior officers, including the Commander-in-Chief. During the Clinton Administration, at least two high-ranking officers were fired for making less-than-flattering remarks about the President. In both cases, those comments were made in private gatherings, not a press interview.

It remains unclear whether Freeland will be punished for her criticism of President Bush. A spokesman for the Fort Drum public affairs office said she had not seen the article, which was published last Thursday.

A check of the newspaper's web site revealed that the weekly entertainment section, "Oxford Town," is not available on-line. However, the print version of the article filled an entire page, with a photograph of a soldier identifed as Freeland in the center.

Freeland told the interviewer that she joined the Army in 2001 because "I thought four years of maturity and discipline would be a good thing." She entered the military after dropping out of the University of Mississippi because "I was too into partying. I couldn't hold down a job or make myself go to class."

Private Freeland, who is engaged to another Fort Drum soldier, said she is worried about Mr. Bush angering so many countries and failing to deliver on promises of assistance.

"In Afghanistan, we promised to set up something better, but these people are starving with no medical care. We promised the same thing to Iraq, but we haven't delivered in Afghanistan yet."

Despite her disagreement with Bush Administration policies, Freeland admitted that her political beliefs are irrelevant to her role as a soldier.

"No matter what moronic things Bush does or how much I don't agree, he's my commander-in-chief, and I'll go," she said.

[NFOShekky]

"her conduct was not against military regulations unless she did such in uniform.........."on duty"."

Since she was interviewed as a Private in the US Army, she is giving her opinion as such. I don't have my copy of the UCMJ handy, but this probably will come under the article for insubordination, and there is also a general article for "unsoldierly conduct."
Sadly, military justice and discipline has gone to hell over the past 20 years. She will probably receive only unit punishment from her CO ("Article 32" I think the Army calls it). If I were her CO, I would get real "creative" as there is a lot of "bad deals" that can befall a young trooper without calling it "punishment." Better yet, turn her over to the unit senior NCOs to see that she gets a "numba one good deal." You have to commit murder to get anything other than an honorable discharge, as higher ups are scared to hang the bad paper on anyone.

[Newbomb Turk]

In Afghanistan, we promised to set up something better, but these people are starving with no medical care. We promised the same thing to Iraq, but we haven't delivered in Afghanistan yet."

I think a front line assignment to Afganistan is in order here. Let this soldier garner some first hand experience of which she spews.

[Redleg Duke]

Okay, fine...now we have a 21-year old PFC and a female to boot criticizing the Commander in Chief.

This sounds like a little girlie looking for a way to get out of the mean ol' Army and back home to the Bayou...and maybe get some sympathy and bucks along the way.

[Steel Wolf]

That is true. Absent of a violent felony or major embezzelment, it is almost impossible to get a dishonorable discharge.

Yes, it's true that a lot of Clinton bashing went on in the service during his reign. That bashing was almost without exception behind closed doors, and mostly, it seemed, by officers and senior NCOs. This isn't to say that the lower enlisted may not have felt the same, but it wasn't appropriate for them to acknowledge it. Even the memos that went out was from senior leaders to senior leaders re: Do not trade Clinton-bashing emails while at work.

Never in the darkest days of the 90s would anyone have thought that they could have gone to their hometown newspaper, torched Clinton directly, and walked away without calling down the thunder.

[jagrmeister]

Should be terminated for violating military rules. When liberals whine that free speech is being violated, we should once again lecture them (as if they were children) about the nature of free speech and how organizations can expect that certain standards are met as an obligation of your employment.

[cookcounty]

She's enlisted. She can say what she wants as long as she follows orders.

[Kenny Bunk]

... She entered the military after dropping out of the University of Mississippi because "I was too into partying. I couldn't hold down a job or make myself go to class."

Well, she not have become much of a soldier-ette, but she sure has the makings of an excellent Democrat. She has neither her life, nor many facts, under control.

[SERE_DOC]

"Well, they can't bust her to a lower rank."

Well yes they can, I believe they are called... convicts.

What they need to do to this moron is

6, 6, and a Big Chicken Dinner

6 months brig, 6 months badtime & a Bad Conduct Discharge

IMO then have a nice time getting a job,for this SFB bimbo

[NFOShekky]

"She's enlisted. She can say what she wants as long as she follows orders."

NEGATIVE! See my post #81 and besides, almost any contact a servicemember has with the press must be cleared with the local Public Affairs Office for just this reason. The military doesn't need PFCs speaking "for the military."

[Not A Snowbird]

"But I do thank x42 for two things: because of him, (1) I joined FR and (2) I joined the NRA."

LOL! Because of him, I found Rush Limbaugh, Hugh Hewitt, the NRA, the addresses of all my congressmen, Free Republic, and the RNC. Gosh. I had no idea how far over the edge he had driven me...

[LiteKeeper]

"I thought four years of maturity and discipline would be a good thing."

I wonder if fighting a war ever crossed her mind as a reason, or certainly a consequence, of joining my Army!

retired Army officer bump

[TheGunny]

You are wrong! If this is true she will get spanked and sent to packin'. Shes gonna get a trip home but it will be more costly than most folks think. The Gunny

[flyer182]

Her comments are chargeable as sedition. This charge makes no difference if she was on duty or off of duty what ever that means.

[cajun-jack]

"she will get a pass"

yeah, a bus pass on the next greydawg back to oxford!

[TheGunny]

Hey dipsh*t! They called her "ARMY PRIVATE" I expect that you would have missed this, being that most folks in the AF refer to each other by thier first names and not rank. Or if thats not the case EVERY one is a Sergeant! The Gunny

[Sandy]

Hey dipsh*t! They called her "ARMY PRIVATE" I expect that you would have missed this...

Hey dipsh*t! Spook86 is the author of the original post and the person who actually read the referenced article. I guess you missed that.

[FreedomCalls]

You guys who want to hang her are completely out of line. Bush is not so fragile that he would find the words of a E-1 a threat to his manhood like Clinton would.

If she is prosecuted then three-quarters of the military would have had to have been prosecuted during the Clinton years.

As an enlisted, she is granted far more leeway in voicing "contemptuous words" than an officer. An officer is expected to know better. No enlisted has ever been punished for violating the "contemptuous words" directive -- whereas senior officers have.

Give her a few years and she will come around. If she stays in the military, in about 10 years she will be a neocon FReeper wondering how she could have thought such stuff when she was younger.

[Chong]

"She might also be a specialist,"

NOPE. An Army Private is from E-1 thru E3, then you are either E-4 or Spec 4 depending on your MOS.

[FreedomCalls]

Her comments are chargeable as sedition.

Sedition?! She's a private for Pete's sake. Like she's going to lead a movement to overthrow the government or something? You need to switch to decaf.

[flyer182]

point out where it charges by rank. hey, some of the worlds best dictators were cpls. she wears the uniform, she answers like everyone.