Kindly, Go Yourself. Semper Fi.

[Nbadan]

Pentagon launches more witch hunts of Iraq war critics

In this case, they're going after an Iraq war vet for wearing camouflage fatigues during a mock patrol protesting the war that took place in DC in March. Wearing camo? Funny that the Bush administration uses active and former military, in uniform, at practically every political event they hold, but the Pentagon has no problem when it's the Republicans using our troops for political purposes.

Remember when Colorado Republican House member Marilyn Musgrave had active-duty troops in uniform at a political event during her re-election? I didn't hear about those service members being in trouble. Remember when Bush did it in the White House a few months back (see photo at left), he had a whole crew of folks in uniform behind him at a terribly political event mean to bash Democrats over the war. The presence of uniformed American military at an event meant to declare Democrats unsupportive of our military implies that the military brass believes that Democrats are unsupportive of the military. That's a huge declaration for a country in which the military is supposed to be subservient to the political leadership, and not the other way around. Not a word about any of them facing charges either. The simple fact is that there are two standards of law in America (that's a violation of Equal Protection under the Cons ution). One for Bush and company and one for the rest of us. And our military leaders have been just as corrupted by politics as the rest of the administration.

America Blog

[Nbadan]

A Marine who may lose his honorable discharge for wearing a uniform during a protest of the war in Iraq got support Monday from anti-war protesters who gathered outside the site of a military hearing into his case.

Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh, a member of the Iraq Veterans Against the War, was appearing before an administrative separation board at the Marine Corps Mobilization Command.

Outside, several people stood in front of a bus painted with anti-war slogans, such as “Bring Them Home Now,” “Not One More!” and “What Noble Cause?”

Kokesh, 25, took part in an anti-war protest in Washington, D.C. in March. When he was identified in a photo cutline in The Washington Post, a superior officer sent him a letter saying he might have violated a rule prohibiting troops from wearing uniforms without authorization.

Kansas City

The national commander of America’s oldest and largest organization of combat veterans is taking issue with an apparent attempt by the U.S. Marine Corps to bring administrative actions against three former Marines for their anti-war positions.

“This is about First Amendment rights and whether the military can discipline former servicemen who are in the inactive reserves,” said Gary Kurpius, who leads the 2.4 million-member Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S. and its Auxiliaries.

...

“We all know that people give up some individual rights when they join the military,” said Kurpius, a Vietnam veteran from Anchorage, Alaska, “but these Marines went to war, did their duty, and were honorably discharged from the active roles. I may disagree with their message, but I will always defend their right to say it,” he said.

“Trying to hush up and punish fellow Americans for exercising the same democratic right we’re trying to instill in Iraq is not what we’re all about,” he said. “Someone in the Marine Corps needs to exercise a little common sense and put an end to this matter before it turns into a circus.”

Linky

[PixelPusher]

If Kokesh isn't active duty anymore, will the Marine Corp have to re-enlist him so they re-discharge him?

[Wild Cobra]

If Kokesh isn't active duty anymore, will the Marine Corp have to re-enlist him so they re-discharge him?

That's a good question. I think they can just modify his discharge without a hearing or anything.

Regulations clearly state what you can and cannot do. After you are no longer a member of the military, wearing the full uniform is covered in the do's and don'ts. If he is a member of the NG or reserves afterwards, the government has even more control of what he can do.

This question reminds me of John Kerry. There are still about 100 pages of his military record he never released. Because of discharge regulations, and a few other events, it is very probably he received a dishonorable discharge after his anti-war protesting. My assumption is when he claimed he witnessed events that he never reported. His date of discharge was after president Carter signed an executive order allowing discharges from the Viet-Nam era to be made better. When he joined congress, congress granted that his metals be reauthorized. You only loose authorization of your metals under a dishonorable discharge.

Two supporting articles on the subject:

Kerry's Dishonorable Discharge...
Kerry's non-honorable discharge

[ChumpDumper]

here are still about 100 pages of his military record he never released.

Are they his to release? Your link says the Navy is withholding them.

[CubanMustGo]

Typical neocon deflect and deny tactics. Don't answer the question, invoke Kerry or Clinton instead and in a way that has nothing to do with the original question.

[Wild Cobra]

Are they his to release? Your link says the Navy is withholding them.

Yes, the Navy is required to hold them in confidence without his consent. To release them otherwise would be a violation of Kerry's privacy rights. Liberals demanded president Bush release his records, and he did. Isn't it hypocritical of them not to ask Kerry to do the same?

What do they reveal? Why won't he sign the release?

[ChumpDumper]

Why should he?

It's not like he's going to be president.

[Wild Cobra]

Typical neocon deflect and deny tactics. Don't answer the question, invoke Kerry or Clinton instead and in a way that has nothing to do with the original question.

You are obviously a dip- if you think I'm a neocon after reading my posts. I'm a real conservative with a touch of libertarian. Not one of those wishy-washy one. Do you even know what neocon means?

What it has to do with the original question is show what can happen. But yes, I took it as an opportunity to throw an egg in Kerry's face.