Guard unit to deploy from lockdown to war zone (Bad news for W)

[DoYouEverWonder]

September 19, 2004

FORT DIX, N.J. ? The 635 soldiers of a battalion of the South Carolina National Guard scheduled to leave today for a year or more in Iraq have spent their off-duty hours the past two weeks under a disciplinary lockdown in their barracks.

The trouble began Labor Day weekend, when 13 members of the 1st Battalion of the 178th Field Artillery Regiment went AWOL, mainly to see their families again before shipping out.

Then there was an ugly confrontation between members of the battalion's Alpha and Charlie batteries that threatened to turn into a brawl involving three dozen soldiers and required the base police to intervene.

That prompted a barracks inspection that uncovered alcohol, resulting in the lockdown that kept soldiers in their rooms except for drills, barred even from stepping outside for a smoke, a restriction that continued with some exceptions until today's scheduled deployment.


more...

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002039926_lockdown19.html


Sounds like some of these guys should audition for Mutiny on the Bounty? We locked down our own troops before shipping them to a combat zone? Oh, I bet they're going to be a happy bunch of campers, not.

[Algorem]

1. Can't just go to Alabama and hangout?

[AIJ Alom]

2. Ho(W) dare they !!!

Ho(W) dare those Guardsmen go A(W)OL !!! (W)here ever do they get such ideas ???

[DoYouEverWonder]

5. How unpatriotic

Who Would even dare to do such a thing. Must be a real traitor?

BTW: Welcome to DU. I think you will like it around here. :hi:

[AIJ Alom]

8. Thanks. I feel right at home.

Dang, I should have done the bold thing. Makes it look nicer. Next time.

[Catch22Dem]

3. I can't even imagine how bad that must suck!

I mean, I have an idea from serving in the military and having to deploy to Saudi or Jordan and live in a tent for months at a time. I can only imagine how pissed off I'd be if I got punished with lockdown due to the actions of a few immature assholes just two weeks before I shipped out. But, going to a combat zone makes it 1000 times worse! How do you say your goodbyes to your family? How do you enjoy a meal with your wife and kid(s) at your favorite restaurant before you go for 12 months of MREs? This is outrageous fucking bullshit!

[underpants]

12. My wife ran into a guy in the smoking area at work (old job)

She said "Where have you been?"

The answer? Well he showed up for his weekend in the Va. National Guard and they flew out the next day for Iraq. They could take only what they had and had to buy everything else when they get there. He was gone 6months or so-NO NOTICE.

[Rose Siding]

4. Our national media is a JOKE

He said his case is hardly unusual nowadays. "Other units have similar problems," he said. "Ours just make more headlines." The disciplinary measures were covered by some soldiers' hometown newspapers.

I NEVER heard about any of this. The paper is too filled with stories about how much higher Bush polls in the military than Kerry!

[napi21]

9. Has this been publicized in SC?

I hate to see the troops treated this way, but what has happened to the military? It used to be "NOBODY" disobeyed an order. Nobody WANTED to get orders to ship out! The grumbled and growled, but the WENT! It was the tremendous authority influence of the comand! Even in the 60's, you had guys fleeing to Canada, getting married, entering college to get a deferment, to get out of the draft, but when they got that notice to appear, they went!

Something has happened inside the military to change that.

[Cleopatra2a]

19. My husband says the same thing

He is a Vietnam vet - drafted in 1967. He hates it when he sees these people complain. His opinion is that you signed up, you need to either do your time or go AWOL and take your punishment. What he can't understand is the 50 or older personnel getting shipped out. He thinks they will just hinder the mission. P.S. He is a strong Kerry supporter. I ordered some Vets for Kerry stickers, he is putting one on his truck right next to his Purple Heart plates.

[DoYouEverWonder]

29. I agree up to a point

this is a volunteer army. However, I don't think when W got selected, that anyone had the slightest clue that we would be fighting two wars by the end of his term. Or that he was going to use and abuse the National Guard to fight his wars in foreign lands.

Remember the ads, One Weekend A Month? Yeah, right. These guys deserve to be pissed.

[starbuck6446]

21. Nothing on the news here in SC... first I've heard of this!!!!

[Kinkistyle]

25. National Guard have lives.

They have wives, husbands, children, friends, etc.. who they love. They have jobs that provide for their families who may already be going through tough times.

These are the supposed to be the NATIONAL Guard.

[DoYouEverWonder]

30. That's right

These folks didn't sign up to go overseas when the were recruited and most of them joined before we knew we were going to war.

[SayitAintSo]

28. I'm from SC ... Havn't seen this ... Interesting....Sad...

It needs to be in the papers down here on the from page. Might beat some sense into some of the RW'ers flying the flags (American and Confederate) for BushCo.

I'll be looking for it tho'...

[napi21]

31. You need to send some LTTE's! I'd do it, but I don't live in the

State and it probably wouldn't get published in your papers. Even if it did, the responses would be against my opinion just because I don't live there.

[Pirate Smile]

6. This was also in the Washington Post today. Hopefully, it was in a lot

of papers around the country.

[AIJ Alom]

7. Reposting Article (W)ith Emphasis.

DoYouEver(W)onder, hope you don't mind.

September 19, 2004

FORT DIX, N.J. ? The 635 soldiers (good luck fellas) of a battalion of the South Carolina National Guard scheduled to leave today for a year or more (definetly more) in Iraq have spent their off-duty hours the past two (W)eeks under a disciplinary lockdo(W)n ((W)onder if W ever faced a disciplinary lockdo(W)n) in their barracks.

The trouble began Labor Day (W)eekend, (W)hen 13 members of the 1st Battalion of the 178th Field Artillery Regiment went A(W)OL, mainly to see their families again before shipping out (as opposed to a certain national figure (W)ho did the same thing 32 years ago for six months).

Then there (W)as an ugly confrontation between members of the battalion's Alpha and Charlie batteries that threatened to turn into a bra(W)l involving three dozen soldiers and required the base police to intervene.

That prompted a barracks inspection that uncovered alcohol, resulting in the lockdo(W)n that kept soldiers in their rooms except for drills, barred even from stepping outside for a smoke, a restriction that continued with some exceptions until today's scheduled deployment.

[Gin]

10. saw a recent story that husband and wife (both in guard) are going to

Iraq (transportation unit)and their 2 small daughters were left in the care of the grandmother. I thought there was a rule of not sending more than one family member into harms way?

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. As .long as y have where to leave the kid wth

very leaga and part of the contract, now if grand ma got sick and could no longer take care of the kid, then one of them would get a hardship discharge

[bemildred]

11. Anybody want to volunteer to "lead" this group in combat? nt

[tlcandie]

13. Those addicted to nicotine.. I can't imagine the condition they are in!

I wonder how long before the people in our military start protesting and such or turn and rend their higher ups?

How can they expect them to NOT want to see their families before they leave out? Especially knowing the survival rates of going to Iraq and coming back whole, much less alive.

Desperate measures by desperate people.

[underpants]

14. Babies on the way? RENT? pets (single soldiers)?

the nicotine would be hell too.

[Bush was AWOL]

15. why the hell are we sending National Guard to Iraq?

I don't care what they agreed to. They simply are not prepared to be on the ground in Iraq.

[librechik]

16. "fight in the barracks requiring police: was it Bush v Kerry?

can you imagine what the split between Pro-Bush Fascist Illegal War and Pro-Traditional American Serviceman must be like there behind closed doors?

[Florida_Geek]

17. I and most everybody I now got 30 day vacation BEFORE

going to Viet Nam... But I was in the "Old Army" with real cooks and real 365 day combat tours.........

[nadinbrzezinski]

18. The part that got to me of this article

last night was... the Command NCO never been to war, but thinks will calm down once they get there.

What the hell does he think he is going to? CAMPING TRIP? and he still thinks this is all about honor and glory and all that bull... he is in for a rude surprsie... and so are the officers


Can we all say Fraging? this is the word of the day... Fragging, repreat after me, f-r-a-g-g-i-n-g

[bemildred]

23. I didn't want to say that, but I sure thought it. nt

[luaneryder]

27. My guess is the fraggin's

already begun. And sending senior enlisted with no experience is not only stupid, but lethal for everyone involved.

[nadinbrzezinski]

32. Tell me about it

I don't want to lay odds on people's lives, but somehow I do not think the sergaeant is coming home.

God this is bad and this is not the only unit having these problems

[skordane]

22. I Know How They can Get Out of Going

Write a letter to their commander telling them they want to work for the President "Frank Burns" Bush campaign.

[pfitz59]

24. Co-worker's sister leaves today for Iraq.....

One year from retirement! Also heard from folks in Iraq that morale is "less-than-zero"! Troops in Iraq already been told to ready for redeployment if and when they're rotated stateside. Now if we can only get those disgrubntled soldiers and their families to vote! (Are they part of the 50% who've abdicated citizenship?) Next two months look to be brutal and UGLY! Both in the election camopaign and on the ground in Iraq.....

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. You'd be surprised at how many of them are voting for Kerry

Look folks the military is not in love with bush... and people need to undersand this. They will vote for Kerry... in 92 the buzz was clinton at military bases, when I left Pearl Harbor the buzz was Clarke, now I can bet it is Kerry

[Moderator]

33. Duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=838123