AWOL soldier says Army ignoring him

[deadparrot]

NEW ORLEANS - A soldier who is again absent without leave said his lawyer has repeatedly tried to speak with the Army about his status but the military is ignoring the subject.

Pvt. Kyle Snyder, 23, a former combat engineer, went AWOL from his Army unit after failing to report to Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., on Nov. 1 — a day after turning himself in after an 18-month AWOL stint. He had fled to Canada in April 2005 while on leave to avoid a second tour in Iraq.

"Legally, I'm AWOL again," Snyder said Friday. "My lawyer has tried to contact Fort Leonard Wood like 75 times — it's documented, 75 times — and tried to get in touch with the military. They've avoided this entire subject."

Snyder was among two dozen volunteers from Iraq Veterans Against the War spending the week in New Orleans, gutting houses belonging to veterans and musicians that were flooded more than a year ago by Hurricane Katrina.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061125/ap_on_re_us/awol_soldier

[IndianaGreen]

1. Iraq Veterans Against the War are becoming an embarrassment to the military

They don't want more soldiers or Marines to get notions of going AWOL the next time they get deployment orders.

I am old enough to remember Nixon going ape shit over the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

There isn't a more powerful voice against war than that of a combat veteran!

[Bucky]

2. If he really wanted to serve his country he'd go kill someone for oil instead of "building houses"

Where the hell is this man's priorities?

[Ezlivin]

4. Seriously. Doesn't the guy know how to follow orders?

He could be in Iraq RIGHT NOW defending our freedoms and liberties by depriving all Iraqis of their freedoms and liberties.

Then he could enjoy hours of fun in the custom-built Green Zone. Pizza, video games and movies. Plus Rush and Fox always on the air.

A little sleep, then he could slip into the comforts of his unarmored Humvee for a little drive through hostile territory, dodging IEDs if possible.

Yeah, he's really missing out!

[buddysmellgood]

3. They are afraid to talk about this in any way, shape or form. But they won't forget

either.

[uppityperson]

5. Sounds like a "we don't hear you, you're not there" sort of thing.

Kyle sounds like a good person and I wish the best of luck to him.

[MGD]

6. The Army doesn't forgive and forget. Snyder is now a fugitive felon

and will be incarcerated the next time he is pulled over for speeding at which time the MPs will be sent for him and they will return him to Ft. Leonard Wood for trial, conviction, and imprisonment. My guess is, they will make an example out of him for other would be deserters. His best chance for freedom is to move to a foreign country. If I were him, I'd be looking at Jamaica (I'm looking at it anyways actually).

[Zhade]

7. That would be such an injustice.

We live in a crazy world when a man who refuses to go kill innocent people in a war based on lies about a nonexistent threat can be sent to jail for following his sworn duty to disobey illegal orders, but those who lied us into the war walk free!

[IndianaGreen]

8. I don't see the military arresting Bush--he is a deserter!

Kyle Snyder is doing more good in the Gulf region than he will ever do in Iraq.

[MGD]

9. Bush worked the system to avoid going to war. Snyder just refused to go

I have more respect for Snyder by far but our conservative friends won't see it that way as you well know. More importantly, neither will the Army.

[BikeWriter]

10. They will nail him eventually.

[Joey Liberal]

11. The Army will really nail this kid

In peacetime, they'd probably give him a discharge. But with the present warmongering administration, and other sodiers going AWOL too (the Army is keeping quiet about it), they will make an example out of this kid. He needs a really good lawyer.