From: islander@midmaine.com
Date: Wed Dec 15 2004 - 20:08:52 PST
Sounds like these guys are getting made an example for a larger problem.
Not a good thing.
Interestingly enough two members of this unit were authorized by the Army
to speak with NPR about the armoring problems last week. They said they
too have hand armored most of their vehicles because no kits were made
available or were simply not available at all period (apparently no kits
are available for the tanker cabs they have). One of the two SGTs
interviewed survived an IED a few days before because of the extras he had
on his vehicle, though his buddy next to him received a serious arm wound.
They said that they get shot at by small arms fire all the time and have
had more than a few run ins with IEDs, yet there they are supposed to be
driving around without protection from anything more than the elements.
They said this has a negative effect on morale and they are quite "upset"
that so many months have passed with nothing being done for them. Today
a General (LT Gen?) in Iraq said that they've shifted more to air
transport to compensate for the problems with overland shipments.
Now, before any of you guys jump all over either NPR or these two SGTs who
were interviewed, the Army OK'd the interview and the soldiers cleary
stated that they believe in their mission and are proud to serve. They
simply want the tools necessary to get their job done with a reasonable
amount of personal safety. Hard to argue with that.
Steve
> COLUMBUS, Ohio - At a time when some U.S. troops in
> Iraq are complaining they have to scrounge for
> equipment, six Ohio-based reservists were
> court-martialed for taking Army vehicles abandoned in
> Kuwait by other units so they could carry out their
> own unit's mission to Iraq.
>
> The soldiers say they needed the vehicles, and parts
> stripped from one, to deliver fuel to Iraq. Members of
> the 656th Transportation Company based in Springfield,
> west of Columbus, said they needed the equipment to
> deliver fuel that was needed by U.S. forces in Iraq
> for everything from helicopters to tanks.
>
> The reservists took two tractor-trailers and stripped
> parts from a five-ton truck that had been abandoned in
> Kuwait by other units that had already moved into
> Iraq, one of the reservists, Darrell Birt of Columbus,
> told The Associated Press on Sunday.
>
> Birt, a former chief warrant officer, and the others
> were charged with theft, destruction of Army property
> and conspiracy to cover up their crimes. Birt said he
> and two others pleaded guilty and the other three were
> convicted. All received six-month sentences.
>
> "Nobody ever reported these trucks stolen. The deal
> was, when you are moving, if it was going to take more
> than 30 minutes to fix it, you left it," said Birt,
> who was released in November. A lot of people felt
> Birt deserved a medal, not a prison sentence.
>
> In contrast to lowering the boom on these poor guys
> who were only trying to do their job, the military
> said it would not court-martial any of 23 other Army
> reservists who refused a "direct order" in a combat
> zone to transport much needed fuel to resupply
> fighting elements.
>
>
>
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