Ohio Soldier Cleared Of Murder Ordered Back To Iraq Duty
I am on this young man’s side here …
He is a ‘casualty’ of this war … But not the way that term is intended.
He, along with the Haditha Marines, are casualties and victims of a MSM and even their own Congress that second-guessed and judged and condemned their combat decisions and actions in extreme battle situations. Called them rapists, murderers, killers, terrorists, illegal occupiers. His PTSD is THEIR infliction upon him.
He should NOT be re-deployed to either war … His ‘combat capability and confidence’ has been shot to hell. He would be a danger to his unit. And if the Army insists on his continued service should use him stateside in a training or administration capacity.
Congressman appeals to defense chief to intervene on Twinsburg man’s behalf
By Katie Byard - Beacon Journal
Twinsburg native Erick Anderson has been ordered to report for another tour of duty in Iraq after spending two years and $11,000 fighting accusations that he murdered Iraqi citizens, U.S. Rep. Steven C. LaTourette said Monday.
LaTourette said he has called on U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates to ”intervene immediately” on behalf of the 29-year-old first lieutenant.
The Army falsely accused Anderson of murder ”not once, but twice,” LaTourette said.
”To have this sort of replay after he went through that experience, which has led to post-traumatic syndrome, among other things, is an outrage.”
The Army has ordered Anderson to report to Fort Benning, Ga., by Aug. 3 — even though he was separated from the Army in 2006, six months after the Army dismissed all murder and other charges against him. He went on Individual Ready Reserve, often called ”inactive ready reserve.”
Normally, personnel on Individual Ready Reserve would not be
called up except in emergencies. But the six-year war is straining the system.
Returning Anderson to combat duty would put him and other soldiers at risk, said LaTourette and Anderson’s uncle, Peter Lorenz, an attorney from Rootstown Township.
”You’re telling me you expect [Anderson] to make instantaneous decisions [while on combat duty] and risk the lives of others and his own without hesitating?” Lorenz asked.
Anderson and other military personnel have fallen victim to the effects of six years of war, Lorenz said.
”Units they are putting together and sending back have no combat experience,” said Lorenz, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. ”So people like Eric, who do have the combat experience, they are sucking them back in.”
LaTourette said that if Gates won’t grant Anderson ”administrative separation” from Individual Ready Reserve status, the Army should rescind Anderson’s active duty orders.
Anderson declined to comment Monday on the advice of his attorney, Neal Puckett.
Anderson joined the Army in 2002, motivated to enlist by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
He now works as a project engineer for a company in Iowa.
Last year, he married Jennifer Humphries, a researcher at Iowa State University. They met while attending Youngstown State University.
Anderson said in a June 2006 Beacon Journal article that his status on Individual Ready Reserve meant he was not assigned to any unit and would be called up only in a ”worst-case scenario.”
The charges against him involved the deaths of two people in the Sadr City area of Baghdad in August 2004. In each case, two men under his command were convicted of murder. Anderson maintained his innocence throughout.
When the charges were initially dropped in January 2005, he was sent back to combat.
LaTourette released a report showing a military psychiatrist has concluded Anderson suffers from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences in the Army.
The psychiatrist said ”administration separation from the Individual Ready Reserves would serve the best interests of the U.S. Army and [Anderson].”
Be respectful of others and their opinions. Inflammatory remarks and inane leftist drivel will be deleted. It ain’t about free speech, remember you’re in a private domain. My website, my prerogative.
If you can't handle using your real email address, don't bother posting a comment.
He needs to go back to Iraq but the army needs to apologize, payback all his legal fees, pay him a big cash settlement, and, prosecute the fuck out of the military justice personnel who brought the charges against him. Im getting totally sick of the NCIS and JAG bitches who keep bringing these trumped up charges.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:23 amPerhaps I am being a bit naive or maybe I am too much of an idealist. I think there has been some serious crimes committed against this young man and his unit. I think the likes of Murtha should be put on trial for “playing” their part in this. They should be sentenced along with those in the MSM that KNEW they had only partial information, yet ran with it in hopes of making political hay. These soldiers were lied about, condemned and injured in ways that are ungodly. People should be paying for what they did to these fine soldiers.
God, please help them recover and move out again in life. If they do, then it will be in spite of the Demoncraps who set out to destroy them. Damn them.
June 10th, 2008 at 7:34 amYa, I cant belive they are putting old boy back in the shit after the ringer they already ran him through.
WTF.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:12 amWell hopefully he does alright..The military should have to pay for all his expenses…and the liberals who ran him into the dirt should have to eat cat shit.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:16 amThey should send him for combat duty in Murtha’s office with a blowtorch and a pair of pliers.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:19 amThis is Kafka-esque. Where is the MSM defending this guy? Where is the outrage?
June 10th, 2008 at 8:23 amScrewed over by the out-of-control prosecutors.
Throw them all a rifle and send them into a fire fight. Let’s see what their attitude is, should they survive.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:32 amSometimes military command and their minion jags are fighting on the wrong side of justice.
June 10th, 2008 at 8:51 amWTF is up with that?
“who served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War”
Certainly qualifies as an expert on combat experiences like the ones I meet who were in “Naval Intelligence” in Nam. Who knew there were so many invisable personell in the Navy?
Lt. LaTourette deserves much better treatment than he has received and a return to full duty, back pay, legal costs and at the least an apology from JAG.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:09 amYeah this whole situation was just a damn shame that should have never happened. and i cant really believe they are expecting him to go back to the sandbox after that. that 11,000 in expenses should definitely be reimbursed to him.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:10 ambesides, the whole “victim” mentality would be in full force in Iraq. regardless of him being declared innocent, they’d still think him guilty and we may find him a true casualty (not saying ptsd isn’t already that)
June 10th, 2008 at 10:26 ami mean, prince william was removed once his location was disclosed.
June 10th, 2008 at 10:26 amUmmm yeah we are sorry we accused you of being a baby killer and basically fucked you for life because of this accusation but, if its not too much to ask would you please come back to Iraq?
I love my country and my military but, I’d give them the middle finger on that one without reparations for everything I had to go through.
June 10th, 2008 at 12:04 pm