Split decision on Marine objector

[thedrifter]

Split decision on Marine objector
Reservist innocent of desertion, will do time for absence

A Marine reservist who said he failed to report for duty with his unit in San Jose because he is a conscientious objector was found guilty Saturday of unauthorized absence but innocent of desertion.

On Saturday night, Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk was sentenced in New Orleans to six months in prison and will receive a bad-conduct discharge, which results in his losing all military benefits, after he gets out of prison.

While in military custody, Funk's rank will be dropped from lance corporal to private, the lowest rank in the Marines, and two-thirds of his pay will be docked for six months.

The desertion charge accused the 21-year-old Seattle native of "shirking important duty" for missing 47 days of service. His San Jose-based unit was mobilized Feb. 13 to load ships and cargo planes in San Diego bound for the Middle East.

In April, Funk said he had a lapse in judgment when he signed up, swayed by his recruiter's pitch of new skills, camaraderie and a naive belief that it would be "like the Boy Scouts."

"They don't really advertise that they kill people," Funk had said when he presented his conscientious objector papers. "I didn't really realize the full implications of what I was doing and what it really meant to be in the service as a reservist."

Funk, who contended the Marines were trying to make an example of him, said he became a conscientious objector after months of being trained to kill. He attended anti-war rallies while absent and later announced he is gay.

Funk is one of several service members in today's volunteer military who are seeking conscientious objector status.

During the buildup to the Iraq war, peace groups reported their hot lines were flooded by calls from service members. The "GI Rights Hotline" logged about 3,500 calls in January and 3,100 in February -- double the monthly average in 2002.

The Marine prosecutor, Maj. Mike Sayegh, told the jury of one officer and three enlisted personnel that Funk's case "is about a kid who thought he could beat the system."

"Does anybody honestly believe this Marine, when he read the conscientious objector order, did not know of his obligation to report?" Sayegh said. "All of this conscientious objector stuff is nothing but a made-up bedtime story."

There were 27 other Marines who declared themselves conscientious objectors to the Iraq war. Like Funk, all were transferred to New Orleans for processing but none of the others were prosecuted because they still reported for duty on time.

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...7/BA178418.DTL

Sempers,

Roger