Cut and Paste News
The more I read many CP News items, the less I trust them as a reputable news source. The following article is so one-sided and full of holes that I'm just left shaking my head. The problem is, the average Canadian reading it would be none the wiser. H/T Doing It Wrong
1. As a reservist, the only way Juarez was going to Afghanistan was if he volunteered.
2. If he was completing his Basic Officer Course earlier this year, I find it hard to believe that he would be in Kandahar early next year. He would have to complete his Basic training first and then volunteer. Once his application was accepted, he would then be assigned to a unit and begin training for Afghanistan. I find it very hard to believe that a wet-behind the ears 2/Lt would be deployed this quickly - although there is a slim possibilty
3. He was not discharged for refusing to go to Afghanistan, he was discharged for refusing a lawful order. A Reservist has the right to request an RTU, but is still required to follow any and all commands until such RTU is effected. Just because you want to go home does not mean you get to sit around on your ass until you do.
4. If the description of how he requested his Return to Unit is accurate, then it's probably a good thing this gentleman left the military. He 'dropped off a note' ? The military has a chain of command for a reason.
5. "I'm in control of my legs. Nobody can make me do this." - Nobody was attempting to make this person do anything else but finish his Basic Officer Training.
The NDP was trying to promote this person as a 'War Resister' to bolster their policy postion. Even Juarez disputes that, but the article does it's best to portray him as a resister regardless.
From the descriptions in the article - hours of discussions with the Chaplain and his knowing he wanted out after the first week, this is nothing more than someone who signed up and found out it he didn't like it. It's not new, it happens all the time in both the regular forces and reserves. When I on my Basic Training in Cornwallis they formed us all up sometime in the 6th week and asked anyone if they wished to leave. Three people stepped forward and at the end of the 10 weeks, they we're released from the military.
As far as I'm concerned, it sounds like the military did exactly the right thing. On the other hand, we'll never know for sure. It doesn't look like the military was even asked for any comment on the story.
Update: for some further opinions, check out the Army.ca forums.
Cross posted from Blue Blogging Soapbox
Soldier describes why he abandoned military over Afghan mission
ALEXANDER PANETTA
QUEBEC (CP) - Francisco Juarez bristles at being labelled Canada's first Afghanistan war resister.
But the 35-year-old former army reserve member is proud to have turned his back on the military because he doesn't believe in the Afghan mission.
During a training session earlier this year at Gagetown, N.B., he refused to walk onto an obstacle course and told his commanding officer: "I no longer wish to participate."
He was dragged before several army captains, told he would feel like a failure for the rest of his life, and threatened with a court martial and possible jail time.
The military relented somewhat. They fined the B.C. native $500 and discharged him without honour.
But Juarez doesn't regret his disobedience for a second. He says he was being groomed to become a second lieutenant and would have been in Kandahar by early next year.
ALEXANDER PANETTA
QUEBEC (CP) - Francisco Juarez bristles at being labelled Canada's first Afghanistan war resister.
But the 35-year-old former army reserve member is proud to have turned his back on the military because he doesn't believe in the Afghan mission.
During a training session earlier this year at Gagetown, N.B., he refused to walk onto an obstacle course and told his commanding officer: "I no longer wish to participate."
He was dragged before several army captains, told he would feel like a failure for the rest of his life, and threatened with a court martial and possible jail time.
The military relented somewhat. They fined the B.C. native $500 and discharged him without honour.
But Juarez doesn't regret his disobedience for a second. He says he was being groomed to become a second lieutenant and would have been in Kandahar by early next year.
1. As a reservist, the only way Juarez was going to Afghanistan was if he volunteered.
2. If he was completing his Basic Officer Course earlier this year, I find it hard to believe that he would be in Kandahar early next year. He would have to complete his Basic training first and then volunteer. Once his application was accepted, he would then be assigned to a unit and begin training for Afghanistan. I find it very hard to believe that a wet-behind the ears 2/Lt would be deployed this quickly - although there is a slim possibilty
3. He was not discharged for refusing to go to Afghanistan, he was discharged for refusing a lawful order. A Reservist has the right to request an RTU, but is still required to follow any and all commands until such RTU is effected. Just because you want to go home does not mean you get to sit around on your ass until you do.
4. If the description of how he requested his Return to Unit is accurate, then it's probably a good thing this gentleman left the military. He 'dropped off a note' ? The military has a chain of command for a reason.
5. "I'm in control of my legs. Nobody can make me do this." - Nobody was attempting to make this person do anything else but finish his Basic Officer Training.
The NDP was trying to promote this person as a 'War Resister' to bolster their policy postion. Even Juarez disputes that, but the article does it's best to portray him as a resister regardless.
From the descriptions in the article - hours of discussions with the Chaplain and his knowing he wanted out after the first week, this is nothing more than someone who signed up and found out it he didn't like it. It's not new, it happens all the time in both the regular forces and reserves. When I on my Basic Training in Cornwallis they formed us all up sometime in the 6th week and asked anyone if they wished to leave. Three people stepped forward and at the end of the 10 weeks, they we're released from the military.
As far as I'm concerned, it sounds like the military did exactly the right thing. On the other hand, we'll never know for sure. It doesn't look like the military was even asked for any comment on the story.
Update: for some further opinions, check out the Army.ca forums.
Cross posted from Blue Blogging Soapbox
posted by WE Speak at 2:08 a.m.
1 Comments:
Glad somebody is gave this anti-war fable the drubbing it deserves. Spotted it on the CTV News site last night and didn't know whether to laugh out loud or shake my head in disbelief.
I have to wonder about the sanity of guys who sign up for military service and then get all angsty about the prospect of putting their training to use.
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