Arnold's Austrian Military Record Raises Questions [AWOL]

KTVU.com ^ | 09/19/03

[gubamyster]

POSTED: 7:51 a.m. PDT September 19, 2003

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- At a time when the world was enveloped in the Cold War, Austrian teenagers were required to spend at least one year in the military. Among those young men was Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Now, a decision he made in those days may come back to haunt him during his recall campaign to replace Gray Davis.

KTVU has learned that the actor turned candidate went AWOL from the Austrian Army when he was 18 years old. Schwarzenegger climbed over a wall and attended a body building competition without permission from his superiors. He was imprisoned for seven days in a military stockade.

When asked about the incident at a campaign stop in Sacramento on Thursday, Schwarzenegger chose to let spokesman Sean Walsh speak for him.

"He broke the rules and he was punished for breaking the rules," Walsh said. "Some kids jay walk, some kids drive too fast and some kids break some infractions…He was a young, young man."

The revelation is just the latest incident involving Schwarzenegger, who also has been linked to smoking marijuana as a young man and also a magazine piece in which he admitted to using women merely for sex. U.C. Berkeley Political Scientist Jack Citrin said characater questions are becoming a growing problem for Schwarzenegger.

"You're talking about a person who's entire campaign to become governor is predicated upon his personal qualities," Citrin said. "His personal character, his strength, his ability to stand up to pressure…his willingness to do his duty. And so any news that chips away at that image is bound to have potential political consequences."

While admitting it was a serious violation, Austrian Consul General Donald Burns downplayed the incident.

"When his commanding officer found out about what had happened (Arnold won the competition) he said 'This is so good for the army, you can now train as an official part of your military experience.'"

Copyright 2003 by KTVU.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[Catspaw]

So the "news" is about 20 years old, give or take a few years.

[Dog]

He lifted weights then went back to the barracks......shocking!

[Republicus2001]

also he doesn't know how to pronounce Mexifornia

[Catspaw]

I myself am shocked and dismayed, I really am.

[Dog Gone]

Then he has a duty as the frontrunner to step down. Jaywalking, spitting, lifting weights, getting parking tickets, and not getting the West Coast accent down, are simply not forgiveable.

It's the main reason some conservatives don't like Henry Kissinger. He and Arnold are like siamese twins, separated only by 30 years.

[demlosers]

yawn...old news. No traction for the lefties here. So he could attend a body building contest like that's news? Sounds like ahhnold.

[truthkeeper]

The attacks on McClintock are vile also.....you all need to pull together out there.

I'm with you. I don't like the piling on I am seeing around here, and that goes for BOTH sides.

Guess I'll stick to the 9th Circuit threads, where it's relatively calm.

[NeonKnight]

What???? No Good Conduct Award????? You low life, miserable excuse for a soldier. Hang your head!!!

JK

[Saundra Duffy]

I don't care about this. I don't like Schwarzenegger and I'm not voting for him BUT I HATE THIS KIND OF CRAP!

[CyberCowboy777]

I am tired of going back and forth.

Tom is a great guy, would/will make a great governor.

Cruz is a cold sweat nightmare.

Arnold is better than Cruz, worse than Tom.

I hope Tom has great numbers by the 7th, but if not I hope all Tom supporters go with Arnold.

[Sacajaweau]

Think maybe the Dems jumped the gun on this one?? I love it!! He wanted to Be All You Can Be from early on!!

[PRND21]

Weak. That ain't gonna do it.

[fightu4it]

The AWOL seems like a minor point in comparison to his laughable undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin (Superior). I have not, as yet, researched his graduate degree, but would not be surprised to find that it is a sham also.

[PhiKapMom]

Would bet McC is part of this digging up dirt the way things are going! This is another one of those non-starter deals. No wonder Californians are sick and tired of career politicians!

[DoctorZIn]

Your One Stop Resource For All The California Recall News!

Want on our daily or major news ping lists? Freepmail DoctorZin

[cyncooper]

I don't think Arnold is a Communist.

You are right, he certainly is not. In his speech last weekend he stressed that he thinks communism is evil.

[CFC__VRWC]

This ranks right up there with George Bush's 24-year-old DUI that Al Gore's campaign conveniently made public the weekend before the 2000 election.

The man did something stupid, got caught doing it, and was punished for it. Nowhere in this hatchet piece does it make any mention of Arnold trying to deny what happened, or making a big deal about the "unfair" treatment he got. OTOH, Arnold's spokesman comparing this incident to kids jaywalking was way out of line. That was a truly stupid thing to say, and Arnold needs to make that twit do 500 pushups.

[Ronin]

How DARE you insult me by calling me that discicable word... soldier...

I was a proud United States Navy SAILOR!!!

[aruanan]

Now, a decision he made in those days may come back to haunt him during his recall campaign to replace Gray Davis.

Like anyone should care that an Austrian 18-year-old who is now an American citizen didn't spend a year in compulsory military service in Austria.

[usadave]

...Citrin said. "His personal character, his strength, his ability to stand up to pressure…his willingness to do his duty. And so any news that chips away at that image is bound to have potential political consequences."

(Yawn) California voters don't care.