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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[navyblue]

Sorry, but this is no big deal! I went awol a couple of times when I was in the Navy. Never got caught though. Was back in time for muster.

And I am NOT an Arnold fan! It just should not make any difference. There are other issues much more important.

[DMZFrank]

Some of the best combat soldiers I ever saw (as well as the worst) in Nam went AWOL regularly. Constantly got Article 15's and even summary courts martials. Dosn't make it right, but I found it interesting.

[ambrose]

So who in the media decides to recycle old news as if it were new news?

[ambrose]

I am shocked at the short memory spans of some of you. This AWOL factoid was reported right after Arnold made his Tonight Show appearance in his various bios. It is now being reported as some new earth shaking event. Amusing....

Here's what most concerns me about Arnold Schwarzenegger:

http://www.joinarnold.com/en/agenda/arnoldsviews.php

[ambrose]

Has Drudge lit up the siren yet?

[AgThorn]

A non issue. I don't rank an AWOL as nearly as bad as desertion or draft dodging.

Especially in light of what he was doing when he went AWOL ... What a bad boy!!! attending a body building competition!!! Right up there with desertion, drug running and prostitution for sure!!!

And his supervisors response when they found out! They made his body building a regular part of his training, which they wouldn't have done if he didn't win the competion his AWOL allowed him to compete with.

The "spinners" will paint this as a desertion though, I am sure.

[NormsRevenge]

Both you guy(s) and/or gal(s) know what I did last night and Im a hard core Tom supporter. I walked away from posting this report (Thanks Ambrose for your insight about it being old "news") that I saw on KTVU last night, and I left it alone and watched it scroll across the KTVU news morning show ticker all morning long...

It took a while for it to pop up, but eventually it did.

KTVU has one of the most liberally biased new reporting orgs
in the country. What can you expect?

Me, my conscience is clean, arnold probably learned a lesson then. Obviously the liberals haven't learned anything and continue to do what they have done best, spin spin spin.

gubamyster, btw, You did nothing wrong in posting this, imo.

Maybe the media that actively oversteps its own bounds is
in need of a good lambasting for their own use of 38 year old "news". Shades of Gdubya's old DUI... but no real surprise.

Also, the Recall will happen October 7th. No ifs, ands or butts about it. ;-)

[PeoplesRep_of_LA]

A non issue. I don't rank an AWOL as nearly as bad as desertion or draft dodging.

Exactly who told you to vote for Clinton either... "Conservative"?

[Centurion2000]

. 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.

Actually it doesn't seem like he was gone for days. Think about it. They mention he was AWOL but give no duration (probably about 1 day for a competition). The article does mention imprisonment for 7 days though.

Was it right ? No, absolutely not. Was it treason .... nope.

[Fred Mertz]

This is the *Austrian Army*, for Pete's sake.

Austria has one of the best homeland defenses in the world. A high caliber weapon must be kept in the closet.

I'm sure this will make Pubbies feel much better about Dubya's alleged AWOL.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... Austria has one of the best homeland defenses in the world. A high caliber weapon must be kept in the closet."

I believe you're thinking of the next country over. ;)

[Roscoe]

The Arnway hucksters don't like questions or quotes.

[Fred Mertz]

Switzerland. D'oh!

I need rest.

[kingu]

I can't wait to throw Davis out.

That is what this is all about, tossing Davis out of office, and hopefully leaving Cruz in as Lt. Governor (he's not subject to the recall, just Davis.)

[Enterprise]

Exactly who told you to vote for Clinton either... "Conservative"?

If someone told me to vote Clinton, my reaction would be the same as it is to your response. Idiot.