Military Judge Convicts Anti-War Sailor

[SparrowHawk62]

Military Judge Convicts Anti-War Sailor
Associated Press
May 12, 2005

SAN DIEGO - A sailor turned anti-war activist was convicted Wednesday in a special court-martial of refusing to board the USS Bonhomme Richard as it deployed to the Persian Gulf in December.
A military judge found Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes guilty of missing his ship's movement, but dismissed a second count of unauthorized absence, ruling it duplicative.
The proceeding then moved into the sentencing phase. The 23-year-old New Yorker could receive a year in jail, a forfeiture of pay, reduction in rank and a bad-conduct discharge.
Paredes had waived his right to have his trial heard by a military jury.
Paredes, a weapons control technician, refused to board the ship on Dec. 6 as it left for a six-month deployment in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The Bonhomme Richard and two other ships were transporting about 3,000 Marines to Iraq.
At the time, Paredes told reporters he did not want to be part of a war he views as illegal and immoral. He said his military training has taught him to avoid what he views as a war crime.
Navy prosecutors, however, blocked Paredes' plans to put the war on trial during the court-martial. A Navy officer reviewing Paredes' request for conscientious objector status has also recommended that it be denied.
Defense attorney Jeremy Warren said Paredes passed up deals that would have minimized his punishment in exchange for a guilty plea.
"He's not backing down from what he did or why he did it," Warren said.

This is one stupid squid! "Paredes, a weapons control technician" "Paredes' request for conscientious objector status..." Weapons, a deterrent to war or use in war against an enemy.
Why did he ever get into this rate (mos)?
Makes me want to puke in his Dixie Cup!

[David]

I remember watching this idiot on TV here when the ship was leaving. He tried to drum up support from local fruitcake protesters but the turnout was dismal for him and the real men and women in the crowd hurled incessant insults his way. I have nothing but contempt for this person and am happy to hear he is going to pay for his betrayal of his fellow sailors.

We had a lot of people try to pull this and other scams back at FT. Hood too. Same old storys. One guy tried a hunger strike but was strapped to a hospital bed and taken on the plane anyway. He was a flight surgeon and had no trouble with Uncle Sam paying his tuition until the time came for him to pay it back.

[Packo]

Hawks right.....one dumb squid. Hope he enjoys jail and the bad paper that's coming with it.

Also.....I too am kind of amazed that this guys in weaps. Well, guess your only a CO when it's your turn to pay the piper. Haven't heard of too many guys from the Bonnehomme Richard being killed in action. That is also one of the ships my brother was a CT, (spook) aboard. Sent him a nice print of the Richard in a famous fight with some Brit ship. (No, not the same one my brother was on)

Pack

[Seascamp]

I?d wager that if an accurate dipstick measurement were taken, the real reason for the seagull?s snivel, snivel, boo-hoo and the stated reason are not one in the same. Nope, not at all, for that would be as rare as lips on a woodpecker.

Sounds like a rip-roaring case of the much-dreaded PW port fever. Bad fever it is, takes a terrible toll.

Scamp

[revwardoc]

Back in '90, a doctor in a hospital here in MA was also serving in the Army Reserve when his unit was activated to be sent to the Gulf. He refused to go saying that he didn't join the Army to go to a war zone and possibly be killed. He was then told that it was OK and instead he could be part of the hospital staff at Leavenworth.

He said the desert wasn't all that bad after all.