"...American troops are deserting..."40,000 plus since 2000

[Blackhatjack]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2099-2318643,00.html

A relevant and disturbing article in light of recent call-ups of Individual Ready Reserve Marines. Individual stories show a side of the war in Iraq that points to what is inherently wrong with the "plan" we have been trying to execute there.

Edit: Thread title edited.

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. That many? I'd only read of a handful.

Regardless, it's nice that they've finally thrown a war and people aren't willing to show up. This of course means that in order to continue the war, and to escalate it into the Iranian oil fields, they'll have to use muscle upon America, causing increasing resentment and rejection of their intent. Let them become very obviously what they are, and enjoy the show!

[Fire Walk With Me]

3. A vote for "best"? We can only hope that we reach 40,000 objectors.

Because we'll easily reach 3,000 dead in Iraq only very soon.

[LA lady]

2. Impossible!

And the number has gone DOWN since Afghanistan and Iraq.....WTF?

[cleofus1]

4. c'mon that has to be bullshit

40,000? get real...

[sofa king]

12. I saw it happen last summer.

A guy in my office was called back up after several years out of the service. He said that fewer than half of those in his unit who were called up actually showed up. He had a telecommunications specialty. They put him in an infantry company.

He also said that from the day they got to retraining they were told, "we don't know where you're going." I warned him that my Army pals were saying that all reserves being called up were going straight to Iraq, and he laughed. It wouldn't happen to him. He had a specialty.

His year in Iraq should be up in October, if he lived.

I never got the full details from him, but it sounded as if his unit was a half-strength company (due to the no-shows) and was going to ship out as a company regardless. If that was true, it means that his unit could not keep a platoon in reserve in combat zones, meaning that the entire company would be on duty more or less all the time, for at least a year and probably more.

[Blackhatjack]

5. That is the number they are reporting, but what really is disturbing...

...is the U.S. Military will not address the number of "deserters" to set the record straight. So you can bet the number must be pretty high.

[TreasonousBastard]

6. Reread the article-- the 40,000 includes common AWOLs...

and does NOT say there are 40,000 "deserters."

'Twas a time I remember when our company of a hundred or so had five people show up at reveille, with the rest of 'em still passed out drunk, still at their girfriend's place, or who-knows-where, including just didn't give a shit about getting up. No way the first sargeant was gonna put that on the morning report, though, but they're getting tougher about that sort of thing.

AWOL is just not being where you're supposed to be and desertion is simply a technical term for AWOLs over 30 days. Usually, an article 15 is as far as they go if the guy comes back with a good story. Until recently, a "deserter" could show up at one of a list of "easy" installations and just be processed out with one of the several other than honorable discharges.

Desertion under fire is a whole different matter, though. And, with the GI Rights hotline getting well over 30,000 calls a year about getting out, things are getting tougher.

[IChing]

7. "You wouldn’t catch me dead in Iraq"---

This is a three page report and needs to be read.

excerpt:
George W Bush should be the one to go to prison, says Key ( a deserter).

“On the day he goes to prison, I’ll go sit in prison with him. Let’s go. I’ll face it for that music. But that ain’t never going to happen,” he laughs.

[FloridaPat]

10. They airlift you out before you die so they can say you didn't die in Iraq

[keopeli]

8. The number 40K is misleading, but the stories are chilling. worth a read

[SpiralHawk]

9. Following the lead of Commander George AWOL Bush

If the "elite" George AWOL Bbush can desert his unit and get away with it, why can't the average man or woman in uniform?

What's sauce for the republicon goose, is sauce for the average Joe or Jane, right? I mean, this is America, isn't it?

[jazzjunkysue]

11. "I can’t kill these people. They’re not terrorists. They’re 14-year-old bo

"I can’t kill these people. They’re not terrorists. They’re 14-year-old boys, they’re old men. "

This is the true cost of war, and the GOP want it to go on forever.

These deserters are the true patriots.