Wisconsin Soldier Stays Home; Refuses To Go Back To Iraq

[Dinger]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,498650,00.html


GREEN BAY, Wis. — A Green Bay soldier has notified his commanding officers that he will not return to duty in Iraq.

Spc. Kristoffer Walker is a member of the 353rd Transportation Company. Walker said he was motivated to join the service after the Sept. 11 attacks. He enlisted in 2002 at the age of 21. But, Walker said he will no longer fight because he believes the war in Iraq is immoral.

He was scheduled to board a flight to return to duty last Friday after a two-week leave.

Walker has received an e-mail from the Army warning him of the consequences of going AWOL and asking him to reconsider.

P.S. Sorry about the faux "news" link.

[KansDem]

1. "...warning him of the consequences of going AWOL "

If George W. Bush can do this, why not every American soldier, sailor, and Marine? This is why you don't put the loser, and military deserter, in the White House. But apparently, tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and "shrinking government" are more important to the neo-cons than leading by example...

[Orsino]

4. Walker for president! n/t

[polmaven]

6. But not yet!

OK???? :hi:

[FirstLight]

2. GOOD for him!

We need many of our service people to just walk away from this war, collectively.
That would be such a message.
(for those still overseas: If they could put down their guns and start building sewers and cleaning up the mess, helping fix what they broke...)

*sigh* in my perfect peaceful world, it would be so nice....

[Name removed]

3. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[chrisa]

5. Losers.

That's right. Screw the military higher-ups.

How many of these guys went to fight the Taliban to avenge those murdered on September 11, and instead got stuck in an oil war in Iraq? Then, you have these officer D-bags sitting back in comfy chairs ordering others to be cannon fodder.

[AnotherDreamWeaver]

12. Have you seen "Sir, No Sir!"?

When those within the military started protesting the war in Vietnam, the end came about.

I believe prosecuting the criminals who lied us into these wars would bring about the new wars end too.
See: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=5121644&mesg_id=5121644
for web site lists of those supporting Prosecution.
ADW

[mudesi]

7. Well then he needs to be put in jail

No matter how you feel about the war, and God knows I'm against it, it's a soldiers job to follow orders.

[Squatch]

11. Slight correction:

"it's a soldiers job to follow lawful orders."

[Thothmes]

47. What constitutes an unlawful

order will be determined at the General Court Martial.

[Captain Hilts]

16. That's exactly right. This politicizes the military. nt

[EFerrari]

18. I'd rather the dirtbags that lied us into an illegal war go to jail.

A soldier's job is to refuse illegal orders. It's the law.

[roody]

39. I am sure he is willing to go to jail for justice.

[Thothmes]

46. It will be President Obama that puts him there.

[Cid_B]

8. Just an observation...

He joined in 2002 and this is 2009 for a total of approximately seven years. I've got Specialists that got that far in a year and some change of actual active duty. My spidey senses tell me that this "Soldier" wasn't outstanding in the first place and has a history of problems.

Secondly, you sign your name, you take your oath and you GET ON THE DAMN PLANE!

[Captain Hilts]

15. That's right. The military isn't a Democracy. None of this Army of One shit. nt

[EFerrari]

21. Yeah, we wouldn't want anyone THINKING on duty. n/t

[EFerrari]

20. When you got nothing, go right to a personal smear.

[Peace Patriot]

9. Another American hero stands up for what is right!

There is no greater courage than this--the moral courage to stand up to the military and to the government, when you are so vulnerable to their retribution.

What an amazing young man!

KUDOS AND LAUREL WREATHS TO YOU, Spc. Walker!

Here is a good war resisters' web site. It's mostly about those who have sought refugee status in Canada, but includes others as well, and I imagine that info about Spc. Walker will be posted their in the future.

http://www.couragetoresist.org/x/content/view/298/1/

This has not been updated since Obama became president, but here are Courage to Resist's latest stats:

"The US army admits that 27 per cent more of its soldiers deserted in 2006 than in 2005, for a total of 22,500 over the past six years, and President Bush is now 'staying the course'* by “surging” another 20,000 Americans into Baghdad, where the situation is already 'grave and deteriorating,' according to a US Congressional Commission. Add a bit more stay-the-course to grave-and-deteriorating and Canada can expect a surge of Americans who will report to Canada instead."

-------


*(And what is President Obama doing? Is the war on Afghan civilians any more justified than the war on Iraqi civilians? Is even the war on Iraqi civilians really going to be over any time soon? Is this the Forever War that writer George Orwell warned about?)

[Mari333]

10. these are the real heroes....nt

[Cid_B]

13. Some hero...

His cowardice means that a body has to be pulled from somewhere else... training and time spent on him are a waste...

Just because he is "special" enough to run doesn't mean that a job doesn't have to get done it just means that someone else has to take on their job and his job.

[EFerrari]

17. You are always very brave with other people's lives.

Why aren't you in Iraq, hmm?

[dysfunctional press]

23. kristofer is the one who made a commitment- and he needs to live up to it.

i'm no fan of the military- but if you sign, you gotta do the time.

[EFerrari]

24. Well, no. Unless he is a mindless lemming that feels a need to go die

for Bush's lies and Haliburton's profits. Both of whom should be up on war crimes charges.

[dysfunctional press]

26. sorry- but contracts have meaning- and signing them has consequences.

it's all part of being an adult.

you'll see.

[EFerrari]

30. Exactly. And falsifying a contract has consequences

as Bush and his co-conspirators will find.

[Captain Hilts]

28. Thinking is above his paygrade. He's there to follow orders. nt

[EFerrari]

29. Thinking is a right of American citizens. And no, he's not there

to follow illegal orders.

[Captain Hilts]

32. You agree to surrender those rights when you join the military. Free speech, individual freedom...

you have a right to them as a US citizen, but serving in the military is not a right, it's a privilege.

[EFerrari]

34. That's really not true. Soldiers can be held accountable for following

orders that result in crimes.

[Thothmes]

45. Operative word is "can be"

in reality probably not. None of the enlisted soldiers that obeyed Lt. Calley's orders at MiLai were prosecuted for shooting those villagers.

[Cid_B]

42. While I feel no need...

to lay out my life history for you, if you want to take the time to go through my posts you can probably piece together a good bit of my history. Of course if you did that you would also have to kick yourself in the ass for assuming that anyone who calls for someone to fulfill their responsibilities couldn't actually do it themselves.

[Captain Hilts]

14. His colleagues in his unit are counting on him. They train as a unit. nt

[EFerrari]

19. And now instead, they have his sane and legal example.

Maybe they'll use that bonding to save their lives.

[dysfunctional press]

38. a sane and "legal" example...? hardly.

but it's a good bet that he will end up being a good example of why commitments need to be honoured.

[dysfunctional press]

22. enjoy your future stay at leavenworth, kristofer...

:hi:

[EFerrari]

25. He'll be fine. The country is with him

and not with gun ho chickenhawks that love to use the lives of others in their juvenile pissing contests.

[dysfunctional press]

27. really?

i think you'll be surprised by the reaction of most responsible people.

[EFerrari]

31. Yes, really. Most responsible people are appalled by waste of any kind.

[dysfunctional press]

35. what does "waste of any kind" have to do with fufilling obligations?

i would wager that most truly responsible people would be appalled at the "soldier's" dereliction.
he made a commitment(albiet one i don't agree with) and he should honor it.

but then- that's not how kids are raised anymore, is it?

[EFerrari]

36. I think you know the answer to your own question.

And I'm proud of these kids who manage to stand up to the insanity and refuse to be killed for a lie. They are our future. We're in good hands.

[dysfunctional press]

37. the enablers that are "proud" of the wishy-washy generation of the almighty self...

are yet another big part of the problem.

when or if you decide your commitment makes you sad- then it's a-okely-dokely to just forget all about it.
oh yeah- the future is in good hands...:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[Cid_B]

43. Agreed...

Signed the contract to enlist - broke the contract cause he is "special" and scared

Signed a contract to pay for a home that people know they cant afford - it is someone else's fault. They weren't going to read that WHOLE contract. Thats just not realistic

Everyone thinks they are special. Everyone thinks it's ok if they break the rules cause someone else will cover their slack.

Christ, this is wishy washy crap. A generation that cant even live up to the basic idea that you do what you agree to is a generation that is screwed.

[Cid_B]

44. I still have enough faith...

.. that America doesn't want a coward. If they did the MSM would have had these sad sacks up on the front pages every new break for the last years.

[NeedleCast]

33. Motivated to join the service after the attacks on 9/11

but changed his mind? Well, okay, but the military isn't big on do-overs. Not to mention the fact that if he joined in 2002 and is still in, he's re-enlisted at least once.

You don't want to be in the military, the easy choice is to not join the military (and if you've got a moral issue with the war in Iraq, certainly don't re-enlist).

[hg4]

40. how might we support Kristoffer?

I wanted to email (or postal mail) him some words of support.
I looked through about 150 lines of google hits w/no luck.

[Forkboy]

41. Most of the people who will criticize the man won't have the guts to take his place.