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10-21-2004, 02:41 AM
Commander reassigned after unit refused duty
Army Reserve unit balked at poor equipment, lack of armorThe Associated Press
Updated: 3:06 a.m. ET Oct. 21, 2004BAGHDAD, Iraq - The company commander of a U.S. Army Reserve unit whose soldiers refused to deliver fuel along a dangerous route has been relieved of duty, the U.S. military said Thursday.
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The decision to relieve the commander of the 343rd Quartermaster Company came at her request and is effective immediately, according to a statement from the 13th Corps Support Command. It was authorized by Brig. Gen. James E. Chambers.
“The outgoing commander is not suspected of misconduct and this move has nothing to do with the guilt or innocence of anyone involved,” the statement said.
The commander, whose name is being withheld to protect her privacy, will be reassigned, the U.S. military said.
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Under investigation
Eighteen soldiers from the 343rd Quartermaster Company, based in Rock Hill, S.C., are under investigation for refusing to drive a fuel convoy from Tallil air base near Nasiriyah to Taji north of Baghdad.
The soldiers have told their families that they balked at the mission last week because the vehicles were unarmored and in poor condition. They said complaints to their commander about concerns went unheeded.
Military convoys are often the target of insurgent attacks in Iraq. The unit delivers food, water and fuel on trucks in combat zones.
Chambers said on Sunday that an investigation is underway but maintains that it is “too early” to determine if any of the soldiers will undergo disciplinary action. The soldiers have since returned to duty.
The U.S. military has downplayed the soldiers’ refusal, calling it an isolated incident and not indicative of wider U.S. Army morale or maintenance problems.
However, Chambers has called for the 343rd to undergo a two-week “safety maintenance stand-down,” during which it will conduct no further missions as the unit’s vehicles are inspected
The platoon has troops from Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi and South Carolina.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6295482/)
Army Reserve unit balked at poor equipment, lack of armorThe Associated Press
Updated: 3:06 a.m. ET Oct. 21, 2004BAGHDAD, Iraq - The company commander of a U.S. Army Reserve unit whose soldiers refused to deliver fuel along a dangerous route has been relieved of duty, the U.S. military said Thursday.
advertisement
The decision to relieve the commander of the 343rd Quartermaster Company came at her request and is effective immediately, according to a statement from the 13th Corps Support Command. It was authorized by Brig. Gen. James E. Chambers.
“The outgoing commander is not suspected of misconduct and this move has nothing to do with the guilt or innocence of anyone involved,” the statement said.
The commander, whose name is being withheld to protect her privacy, will be reassigned, the U.S. military said.
RELATED NEWS
Click here for the latest about Iraq
Under investigation
Eighteen soldiers from the 343rd Quartermaster Company, based in Rock Hill, S.C., are under investigation for refusing to drive a fuel convoy from Tallil air base near Nasiriyah to Taji north of Baghdad.
The soldiers have told their families that they balked at the mission last week because the vehicles were unarmored and in poor condition. They said complaints to their commander about concerns went unheeded.
Military convoys are often the target of insurgent attacks in Iraq. The unit delivers food, water and fuel on trucks in combat zones.
Chambers said on Sunday that an investigation is underway but maintains that it is “too early” to determine if any of the soldiers will undergo disciplinary action. The soldiers have since returned to duty.
The U.S. military has downplayed the soldiers’ refusal, calling it an isolated incident and not indicative of wider U.S. Army morale or maintenance problems.
However, Chambers has called for the 343rd to undergo a two-week “safety maintenance stand-down,” during which it will conduct no further missions as the unit’s vehicles are inspected
The platoon has troops from Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi and South Carolina.
© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved
MSNBC (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6295482/)