Support Our Troops

Matthis Chiroux is the kind of young American US military recruiters love.

"I was from a poor, white family from the south, and I did badly in school," the now 24-year-old told AFP.

"I was 'filet mignon' for recruiters. They started phoning me when I was in 10th grade," or around 16 years old, he added.

Chiroux joined the US army straight out of high school nearly six years ago, and worked his way up from private to sergeant.

He served in Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, and the Philippines and was due to be deployed next month in Iraq.

On Thursday, he refused to go, saying he considers Iraq an illegal war.

"I stand before you today with the strength and clarity and resolve to declare to the military, my government and the world that this soldier will not be deploying to Iraq," Chiroux said in the sun-filled rotunda of a congressional building in Washington.

"My decision is based on my desire to no longer continue violating my core values to support an illegal and unconstitutional occupation... I refuse to participate in the Iraq occupation," he said, as a dozen veterans of the five-year-old Iraq war looked on.

[...]

Chiroux is one of thousands of US soldiers who have deserted since the Iraq war began in 2003, according to figures issued last year by the US army.

But while many seek refuge in Canada, the young soldier vowed to stay in the United States to fight "whatever charges the army levels at me."

  Raw Story

Best wishes and good luck to Sgt. Chiroux. He's going to be doing some prison time.

Update on Kevin Benderman

I'm going to keep this post at the top of the page for a little while. New posts will be entered below it.

This comes in an email from Jack Dalton. It's from Kevin's wife, Monica.

THANK YOU -- to everyone for supporting Kevin and me.Kevin is currently in a local county jail -- but he is being treated well. We are waiting to see where he will be going next, and what will be happening.The appeals process has been initiated - BUT -- Kevin has not actually been convicted as yet. He is in prison, but the conviction will not be official until the Convening Authority, Col. John Kidd, has signed off on it. He cannot make the sentence any greater, but he can reduce it. It's doubtful that he will do that, he has an inordinate amount of disdain for me.

The entire prosecution team, including witnesses, all stood outside the doorway and laughed while Kevin was walking to the van. They wanted to put him in shackles and chains "so that the media could take pictures of him that way" but his supervisor, the man they had placed in charge of that, refused to do that, so Kevin walked freely.

This supervisor has been very supportive of Kevin from the start - and continues to be very upset about what is happening, as he knows the truth.Kevin could serve his entire sentence without Col. Kidd approving the sentence, which means that he will have the potential to serve without being convicted.

The reason this is a possibility is that until the sentence is confirmed, they cannot officially process the appeal, and until the conviction is official, the defense team cannot receive the full transcripts from the trial. Without these, they cannot begin to create the brief to file for the appeal.People need to be aware of this. Please... let people know just what they are capable of.Kevin is fine, and says

THANK YOU for staying with him.



Love, Monica

The Bendermans have a website, the link to which you will always be able to access in the left sidebar here at YWA.

Also from Jack:

| Free Kevin Benderman! | open the link, send your support letters, let them know they are not in this alone! Also remember that all, and I mean all, pay and allowances have been cut off to the Benderman family. As soon as I know what the address will be for Kevin I will pass it on to all of you. Kevin has already been hailed as a “hero” (and rightly so might I add) by not only others incarcerated where he is at, but, by those who are paid to be his guards and jailers also. When I spoke with Monica earlier today the fight, life, was back in her voice. The “tiger” is back in her tank. Now it is up to us to support Kevin and Monica for as long as needed, and in any way we are able. Kevin’s attorney will handle the appeal, but right now Kevin and Monica owe him $2500 which they do not have. Those of you that are in a position to help with getting the $2500 paid, you can do that by opening this link, Free Kevin Benderman. Kevin put his entire life on the line for that which he believes in—the utter futility of war and especially one such as in Iraq based on nothing but lies--which is what we all profess to believe is it not? So, we can do no less.



In solidarity and peace

Jack

Kevin Benderman at trial
(CNN photo)

Oakland, CA, rally supporting Kevin Benderman
More photos here.

Kevin Benderman further update

E-mail from Jack Dalton:

I just got off the phone with Monica Benderman. The court found Kevin guilty of "missing a movement" and sentenced him to 15 months in a military prison. The prosecutor told the court in his closing argument that, "because Sgt Benderman wouldn't deploy, soldiers in his unit died." What an outrageous lie! Not a single soldier in Kevin's unit has died. This was first and foremost punishment based on Kevin going public and not his refusal to deploy.

[...]

I'm working on a much bigger essay about this but wanted to let you all know the results of Kevin's court martial right away.

Jack

Late breaking news on Kevin Benderman

Debbie Clark covering the court-martial for Antiwar.com from Fort Stewart, Georgia, reports that judge Col. Donna M. Wright has convicted Sgt. Kevin Benderman of the charge of missing movement," failing to convict on the charge of desertion.

Updated: Judge Wright sentenced Sgt. Benderman to 15 months. Observers felt this was a harsher sentence than expected for the lesser charge. He also received a dishonerable discharge and a reduction in rank to E-1. This is believed to be the harshest sentence yet for an Iraq resister. Judge Wright threw out the bogus charge of larceny (for receiving the wrong pay grade) earlier in the week.

Military police immediately took Sgt. Benderman into custody.

  Antiwar article

This is bad news for Kevin, but good news, in my opinion, for the anti-war movement. It shows that Kevin's case had way too much publicity for military comfort. The intent is clearly to make a point to other would-be consciencious objectors.

From what I've read about the case, this does seem an unjust finding, to say nothing of the sentencing. I don't know if it can be appealed, or if Kevin would consider that.

Stay tuned.

Kevin Benderman's trial starts today

YWA extends best wishes and kudos to the Bendermans.

Benderman faces up to seven years in prison.

Military Judge Col. Donna M. Wright threw out charges of larceny against Benderman on July 22. The Army had based the larceny charges against this war resister on an Army accounting error that resulted in Benderman receiving an extra $2,922 in combat pay.

Last May officers used the threat of an additional 10 years in prison to try to get Benderman to waive his right to a new investigation of the desertion charges.

Army mechanic Sgt. Benderman is a 10-year Army veteran. He and his spouse, Monica Benderman, have been equally active in speaking and writing against the war on Iraq. Their writings can be found at www.bendermandefense.org.

[...]

Since he finished his one-year prison sentence for refusing to go to Iraq, Camilo Mejia has become an activist with the Iraq Veterans against the War (IVAW). He has now written a letter asking anti-war forces to support Sgt. Benderman at his court-martial.

"The best way to show your support," writes Mejia, "is by attending the trial and participating in any rallies and/or activities in support of the Bendermans. But also by announcing the trial and requesting support through your websites and publications."

  Workers World article

The Bendermans do have legal fees, which is also a way to help.