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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[aruanan]

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.

Let me alter this:

Like anyone should care that an Austrian 18-year-old who is now an American citizen spent a year minus a day in compulsory military service in Austria.

[Stallone]

Hilarious!

Arnold went AWOL and did he...

Get tanked and puke in cab?

No, he enters a professional athletic competition and wins.

He is properly punished, and then allowed to train as part of his military preparedness and promotion of the Austrian military.

Arnold breaks the rules, and still comes out a champion!

I have even more admiration for him.

Thank you for letting me know about this remarkable candidate.

[olivia3boys]

LOL! I'm trying to not LOL at work here in cubicle land. It is very very quiet here late on Fri evening. Your comment, and this thread, are HILARIOUS!

Still don't know whether I'm voting for Arnold or McClintock. I'm just hoping the 9th Circuit in its wisdom allows us to have an election at all. . .

I was one of the earlier petition signature gatherers, way back in the beginning. . . I can't wait to throw Davis out.

[olivia3boys]

LOL!

[Ronin]

dispicable... typos....

[South40]

Arnold's Austrian Military Record Raises Questions [AWOL]

That does it. I'm ready to join the McTomBots and help bustamante get elected now. You had my vote Arnold; now you've blown it.

[Catspaw]

There really is a UW-Superior, and according to their website, it's been around since 1893. It's not one of the bigger schools in the UW system, to be sure, but the school does exist.

http://www.uwsuper.edu/index.html

[El Gato]

If that's the best they can do, they better pack it in. Seven days AWOL?

It doesn't say he was AWOL for 7 days, it says his punishment was 7 days in the stockade. In the US military, you have to be absent for 3 days before it becomes "aggravated AWOL", and likely to be cause for a court martial, rather than non-judicial punishment.

Besides, it sounds as if his CO was rather pleased with the overall result, but punished him to avoid favoritism, or just on general principals. It was a slap on the wrist punishment for what must have been considered a minor infraction.

[Spok]

Since Arnold's a Republican, it won't take the press long to realize that he and Hitler were both from Austria, and bingo, there's your New York/LA Times headline for at least two weeks.

[El Gato]

You got to love the fact that as Americans we were working hard and paying billions in taxes to protect Europe from the Soviets and the only respect for our efforts was that Arnold could show what to run off to hang our with a bunch of Euro-Girly-Man-Body-Builders.

Austria was neutral, under the terms that ended WW-II. They were luckey that they weren't occupied by the Soviets, as they were for a time at the end of the war.

[jsbankston]

Austria may have been neutral but their guns were pointed east and their money was coming from the west.

[strela]

The Rats tried the same thing with Bush during the 2000 election. It didn't stick then either.

Sorry, guys. But keep trying - we're all getting a huge laugh out of watching you flail around.

[Scenic Sounds]

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.

LOL. As silly becomes sillier!

Who's paying for all this research? And where's the judgment?

[michaelt]

El Gato is right, Austria was neutral and not part of NATO during the Cold War.

[jsbankston]

Well yes, but who were the Austrians worried about rolling over their country? The United States or the Soviets?

[joesnuffy]

Not that I care for Arnold all that much...

any one familiar with him and who read his bio Education of a Bodybuilder back in the 70s
already knew this as he wrote all about it...

Back then he truly was "a kid" and he paid for the mistake...they werent at war...and he went on to bring the unit some esteem by winning the competitions he went AWOL to compete in...

Even GW Bush's military career had some "moments" as did his personal life..

(we wont even get into other politician's compromises and lies...)

After Mr. Clean starting taking Indian Casino vice money recently ...Arnie's life of twenty thirty forty years ago doesnt seem to matter all that much ...imo

[Rabid Dog]

I'm in the non-issue camp big time. Every one who considers themselves a Republican should just ignore this kind of nonsense. Even more ridiculous is trying to blame McClintock for this kind of stuff seeing that light of day like some of the posters are trying to do. At least jump to the conclusion that it was Bustamante (after all it is weak and inept).

[Rabid Dog]

Ping

[Billthedrill]

The story I read - I think it was in Pumping Iron - was that he was released from service early for having driven a tank through a barn. Through the wall of a barn. He meant well...

[per loin]

What the button brained dorks will never understand is that a story like this will add to Arnie's vote total.