This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Author: Sporkmaster

  • The real difference.

    Recently Travis Bishop commented on a post about him a few days ago. One thing that he did bring up was the group called Disposable Warriors. Now don’t let the name fool you, this website is very different from it’s alleged counter parts that Travis linked it with in his post.

    The person running the show is Former Sgt Chuck Luther He has been working with those with honest to good real issues and really seems to care about the each person. In his recent case shows that it working with Private First Class Jacob Wade He went AWOL during mid-tour leave. While while I still think AWOL is never the right thing to do, it is more sympathetic then others.

    He said he made the decision after dealing with the effects of what he witnessed and experienced during his first six months in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division.

    “Riding through town we got attacked,” he said. “I had a grenade go off five feet behind me, and only one other soldier that was with me made it into the truck, and we thought everyone was dead.”

    So Chuck talks about how to face this challenge and this is the real difference.

    “We have a large amount of AWOL cases; the rest are soldiers that are currently there that possibly if nobody intervened they would go AWOL,” Luther said.

    He said he has handled more than 175 cases across the country so far with more than 70 active cases.

    “It’s not something that can’t be taken over and fixed,” Luther said. “But there is help out there, and AWOL is seriously the last resort, and it shouldn’t ever get to that point.”

    That is just it the real divide over who wants to help the person or help their cause. Something we already know about you James.

  • The million dollar question for James Branum.

    Awhile back I wrote about Eric Jasinski and how James Branum helped him in getting jail time for going AWOL. Well James replied to me that he has many clients that he has defended successfully. It is only the ones that have been public have gotten the jail time and bad conduct discharge. It was just by chance that all the public ones got the bad verdict. Also he gives a excuse for any questions we have made so far about him..

    I have a policy of not responding to anyone affiliated with TAH. Responding to them gives their website credibility, which is why I do not respond to their posts on their website anymore.

    So I go back and check to find a un-named person asking the same type of questions we have. I guess it might take a person on the other side of the spectrum to get the point across.

    I like how no one can give a direct and honest answer to mastersporks simple question. How many people who refused deployment for moral or medical reasons that Branum represented not get the worst outcome possible? Eric Jasinki should be getting medical treatment and the fact he got jail time is absurd and while a strike against the Army it is also a strike against Under The Hood Cafe for feeding another Soldier who needed help to this incompetent practitioner of the law.

    The UCMJ allows for a Soldier to choose free representation from any lawyer from any branch all paid for by the Military. So there would be no need for Branum.

    AWOL does not mean automatic jail time. For anyone to suggest that is grossly misinformed. They just want to get that person off the books and move on. Branum seems to go in a botch things up so bad they end up getting jail time. No one is also the wiser because people on the outside like these activists don’t understand the UCMJ, hate the Army, so they will blame the Military because they are already predetermined to. Lack of knowledge and true understand allows Branum to operate in this manner. People need to look at the actual numbers for how many Soldiers actually get jail time for going AWOL. It is very very low.

    Another absurd accusation is that anyone who stands up to the Military will get punished to the severity in which Bramun’s clients do. How these people have forgotten active duty troops who stood up and all walked away with Honorable Discharges and zero jail time is sad. Colby Buzzel, Ronn Cantu, Casey Porter, Selena Coppa, just to name a few.

    Support war resisters, keep them away from Under The Hood and James Branum.

    James gives a typical reply about the John Doe clients.

    Anonymous, as I stated earlier, the overwhelming majority of my clients do NOT get jail time. I don’t know how much more clear I can get on this point.

    Even for my clients who aren’t just garden variety AWOL’s but actually refuse deployments, a high percentage get no jail time. (if you wait until the last minute to refuse, your odds go down obviously).

    But I make no guarantees. Sometimes I can swing a good deal. Sometimes I can’t. Any lawyer who claims they get good deals all of the time, either only take easy cases, is a liar, and/or is a fool.

    But this is the money shot question in the reply.

    Then Mr. Branum I ask you to answer a straight forward question: How many war resisters have you represented that did not get a negative discharge or get jail time? I’m not asking for court documents, or anything that would violate client attorney privilege. Actually, giving out such information would not violate that trust because any case would be a matter of public record and there is no foreseeable legal reason I can think of as to why a case like that would be sealed. So please, sir, can we get that number?

    So what is your answer James?

  • Stop pretending that you care, at least it will make you honest.

    Once again there are stories being posted about the issue with suicide in the military and PTSD. Sounds like it could be good thing right? Yea I wish. More then anything it really reinforces that groups are willing to uses people in suffering as a means to a end. Case one is talking about 18 Veteran Suicides Every Day . It is not as bad as other that I have seen but still manages to bring in the politics.

    I commend the VA for their efforts and for the lives they are able to save, but obviously much more needs to be done. They not only need to increase their outreach to include many veterans not currently receiving care, but they also need to increase the quality and effectiveness of the care they are giving (because five suicides a day among those receiving treatment is just too many).

    Notice the quickness on pointing out a problem and saying that someone else should fix it. Kinda like watch your neighbors house burn making off hand comments about he should really need more water. If you not going to help, get out of our way and stop pretending that you are.

    The next one is even worse. Yet in the comments and story it tries to make it sound that James Branum that he cares about his clients or can do his job without putting his “cause” first.

    What this young man has had to face should be an outrage to us all. I hope that he will find his strength and begin to heal. I thank James Branum for his dedication to helping these soldiers find their way toward justice in the midst of the overwhelming intimidation that is the military culture.

    Yea I had a knee jerk reaction too. But it get better with the next two replies to me.

    Masterspork, with all do respect to having your own opinion, you nor thisainthell know what you are talking about. why don’t you come down to UtH coffeehouse and talk to some of James’ clients and people who have worked with James?

    Masterporks,

    Yes come talk to clients that got guilty charges. There are two that come to UtH daily. And they still stand behind James and the choices THEY made.

    As for having a general understanding of UCMJ and how it works does not give anyone the right to slander people.

    The problem with people like you all is that you always get your info wrong or make assumptions. All soldiers that we talk to know they can apply for CO for free. If they choose to ask an attorney for help and are low on funds there are great people out there that donate to help them. So there is nothing unethical that James is doing.

    As for Travis we know the story so there is no need to comment on it.

    Honey as we all know in the military community when you go up against the brass or institution it never goes well. You got two options… 1. You stay quiet and accept what they give you or 2. You tell them to go fuck themselves and get more time.

    Well that’s to bad you can’t visit UtH maybe when you come back to TX you can see for yourself what we do.

    So as a military blog with many members that had deployed with a few that have seen combat we collectively know nothing about how the military works. Still have not heard of any such people exist.

    There is at least one guy that seems to be doing it right. From the group that he runs to help soldiers with PTSD and any issues that they are facing. Here is something that I got off of his Facebook group, Soldiers Advocacy Group.

    More progress here at Ft Benning. Last week the actions of the Reduction Board were overturned and the rank that was taken from husband was restored. Again, this wouldn’t have happened without Chuck’s intervention. Thanks for all the prayers and good thoughts from all of you. We aren’t done yet, but it is getting better!!!

    Taking note James this is what success looks like.

  • A meeting brief in passing.

    Since today was my Wife’s birthday today we stopped at a book store to use her gift card. So at the front of was a older man that was doing a book signing about his military history. His name was George S. Oliver Colonel, U.S. Army (Retired). He had served during WW2 and the Korean War among many years of services as a Company and Field grade Officer in places all over the world.

    I guess I wussed out for awhile because I was not sure how to approach him. I mean having been in WW2 and the Koren War and a Officer over 50 years ago? Not much in common to start out on.

    I did talk to him and it was odd at first in that there where many changes in how the military was back then and is now. I think the four things we had in common was we had history as enlisted, has been stationed at Fort Benning, had been to Alaska, and had been deployed. So after a brief conversation I bought the book and he signed it for me.

    From just reading a few pages he does not spare any details in that it reads more like a blog then a cut and dry book about history of the Koren War. The page that I am reading is talking about when he was a XO of a Battalion of the 45th Division. He talks about having a Lt Colonel that was a National Guard that was going through the motions waiting for his rotation to end describing him as a Fobbit for lack of a better word.. He says it in such a way that it is easy to relate too.

    He rarely left the CP, even to visit the companies of the line. When we had any action going on he would sit in the CP with a open telephone line to each of the forward companies and just sort of left the war go on around him. I had to accept that fact that I had to hold down the battalion together until a active duty Lt. Col. came to take his place.

    Then he talks about talks about his first soldiers that where killed in action under his command. They where about to return home when they where killed by random Chinese Artillery round. Another case was about a guy that had “Battle Fatigue”.

    He was a good man at leading night patrols, and as a result had been ordered to take out too many of them. When I saw him he was in our aide station with the S-2, who was in charge of patrolling and while his brain said he was willing to go out again his body simply wouldn’t function. The surgeon said, “Sorry Major. This man is going to the rear.” And he went to the rear and then on home.

    The more I read into it I think that there will be a lot of things that the military reader can relate to. But I was wondering after we are done with all of this and we went through a painstaking process of remembering what we did and where. Would anyone be willing to listen to us?

  • 60th Engineers return from Afghanistan

    I have been wanting to post about this all week. The 60th Engineer Company is a sister company in my last unit that left for Afghanistan in April of last year. One of the medics that went with them was with me at Basic and Ait. If I remember correctly he is the last original person from when I first got to the 11th Engineer Battalion that has not left.

    I did not want to write about it too soon because of the delay in Kuwait and the million of things that could go wrong.

    So in short welcome home.

  • How is that working out for you now?

    Well after reading Jonn’s post about the (I might have thought about going to) Iraq, GWOT, New Dawn Veterans against the war is doing in Iraq. Considering her last statement, I wonder how well it would work if we where not there. This might be a likely out come.

    The three University of California at Berkeley graduates were detained July 31, after apparently straying into Iran while hiking in a scenic part of Iraq. This month, Iran’s intelligence minister accused them of having links to U.S. intelligence services, which their families said was absurd.

    Two of three American hikers jailed in Iran for nearly nine months are in poor health and told Swiss diplomats — their first outside visitors since October — that they were considering a hunger strike, their mothers said late Thursday.

    Yep remember the three students from Berkley University home of the “not welcome in our city.” in regards to the Marines? Well they are still there and from the looks of it their accommodations are less then a 5 star rating.

    Bauer and Fattal, who are both 27, and Shourd, 31, had been allowed no sympathetic visitors in months, though they were allowed to call their mothers in early March. The calls lasted about a minute.

    Their mothers were heartened that the Swiss diplomats were allowed a 40-minute visit. They were told their children have been allowed to receive letters from family and friends, and were given access to books from the prison’s library, the diplomats told their families. The three were told of efforts by their families to secure their release and that their mothers applied for visas to try to visit them in prison.

    But seems that one of them has a stomach issue that is thinking on going on a hunger strike while another is having problems with a pre-existing depression issue while being in isolation for 9 months.

    But the reason that they were where they are is….

    Bauer, a freelance journalist, had been hired to cover the Kurdish elections, but his family said the hiking trip was a vacation. He and Sarah Shourd were dating and had been living in Damascus, Syria. She taught English and had written for various online publications.

    Josh Fattal went to visit them after traveling overseas on a teaching fellowship.

    So after 9 months how is that vacation and fellowship teaching?

    Mean while Tracey Harmon is having fun posing next to Russian made Anti-aircraft guns. Where have I seen that before.

  • Late Sunday Night Funny

    At least it is Sunday here. I was not going to post this weekend but this is too good to pass up.

    I have been following posts on the Rag Blog that led to John posting this one.

    I got a chance to read what the author’s thought on both sites, some standard replies but nothing out of the norm. Then comes this guy, Brother Jonah

    He does not waste a letter to start off the crazy.

    Then there’s the Kurd Shepherd blown away along with his flock because a U.S. Air Force Pilot couldn’t tell the difference between sheep and people. Bush, a master Liar from the depths of Hell, claims that every such incident occurred only whenthe aircraft were targeted. This happened in the Northern No-Fly Zone (Kurdistan) before the Invasi… oops “Liberation”.

    Ok, besides were is the proof, I have to ask where did this come from?

    Lets not forget the sinister motives.

    I suspect the reason you challenge her story is by your own admission you do a lot of challenging of anybody who speaks or writes against the war. The Anti-War movement are by necessity volunteers, no corporate or government sponsors.

    Or this one.

    We’re not the ones killing people based on lies. That leaves a much higher burden of proof on the Pentagon apologists. Prove you’re not an Agent Provocateur or that any of the “discredited” stories you claim to be debunked are both fake AND not from a Pentagon source.

    This one I was not even sure how to reply to this one.

    Then there’s the notion that the Pentagon plants fake veterans in organizations like VVAW and IVAW in order to “expose” them, and all the ChickenHawks crow really loudly that they’ve “disproved” the Anti-War Veterans.

    So all of those people that have been outed in the IVAW as fakes are really just infiltrators.

    It goes on and on like that for two post, but the thing that I got offended about was him trying to tell me how Texans act. I was born and raised in Texas, living there for over 25 years.

    By the way, people in Texas DO talk to strangers. It’s something you’d have to experience.

    Really? I mean seriously?

  • The Sky is Falling!

    Ok I am not sure what to make of this and when it became a impending issue?

    President Barack Obama set a lofty next goal this week for Americans in space: Visiting an asteroid by 2025. But reaching a space rock in a mere 15 years is a daunting mission, and one that might also carry the ultimate safety of the planet on its shoulders.

    If humanity doesn’t develop a capability to meet space rocks head-on, and win, than it is almost a certainty that an asteroid will eventually threaten life on Earth, he added.

    So let get this straight we are going after all the things we are dealing right now we are going to put funds into a program that has a goal that most likely not even going to happen.

    Oh and try to make sense of one

    “By going to a near-Earth object, an asteroid, and perhaps even modifying its trajectory slightly, we would demonstrate a hallmark in human history,” said Grunsfeld, who flew on three shuttle missions to fix the Hubble Space Telescope. “The first time humans showed that we can make better decisions than the dinosaurs made 65 million years ago.”

    If humanity doesn’t develop a capability to meet space rocks head-on, and win, than it is almost a certainty that an asteroid will eventually threaten life on Earth, he added.

    You make Captain Picard Cry.