US Army to punish soldiers who refused Iraq orders

Four or five members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company could face courts-martial on unspecified criminal charges, said Army officials who asked not to be identified. The rest were expected to get administrative punishment, which could include demotion, loss of pay or a reprimand, the officials said. Members of the unit disobeyed orders to take their unarmored fuel tankers on a supply run from Tallil in southeastern Iraq to the Baghdad area on October 13. They raised concerns about the safety and the condition of their vehicles and whether the convoy was getting adequate protection.

Major Richard Spiegel, an Army spokesman in Iraq, said in a statement that a U.S. commander “has reviewed the initial findings of the investigation into allegations that members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company refused to participate in their assigned mission on October 13.”

“Certain administrative actions have been initiated as a result of this review and more actions, including criminal charges, are possible in the future,” added Spiegel, who did not provide details.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_17-11-2004_pg7_53

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Army is recommending punishment for about two dozen soldiers from an Army Reserve unit in Iraq that refused orders to drive a fuel convoy because they believed it was too dangerous, officials said Tuesday.

No final decisions have been made, and none of the soldiers has been charged with a crime, the officials said, but preliminary findings of an Army investigation faulted about 24 members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company, which is based at Rock Hill, South Carolina.

About 18 of the 24 were held for nearly two days after refusing orders to drive a fuel convoy from Tallil Air Base in southern Iraq to a base north of Baghdad. Another six also have been faulted.

Most of the accused face administrative actions such as fines or reduction in rank, although officials said it was possible that some could face courts-martial under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Their refusal to obey orders was deemed to be detrimental to good order and discipline.

Brig. Gen. James E. Chambers, commanding general of 13th Corps Support Command, which manages the provision of fuel, food and ammunition across Iraq, ordered two investigations. One examined the soldiers' refusal of their orders and the other focused on allegations that the unit's trucks were unfit for hazardous duty.

U.S. officers say the refusal to carry out the mission on October 13 was an isolated incident and not an indication of a broader breakdown in discipline. Still, it's no secret that convoy duty is one of the most perilous jobs in Iraq.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/11/16/army.reservists.ap/

WASHINGTON -- Soldiers from an Army Reserve unit in Iraq who refused to take part in a convoy last month, citing security concerns and maintenance problems with their vehicles, are facing disciplinary action and some could be charged criminally, Pentagon and military officials said yesterday.

As many as two dozen soldiers from the 343d Quartermaster Company, an Army Reserve based in Rock Hill, S.C., were part of the investigation that began Oct. 13 when soldiers refused to take part in a cross-country fuel convoy.

The mission was carried out later by others from the 120-soldier unit who took the convoy from Tallil air base near the southern Iraqi city of Nasiriyah to Taji north of Baghdad.

A Pentagon official, who requested anonymity, said a number of soldiers under investigation are facing an Article 15 -- an administrative action that could lead to a fine, loss of pay or rank -- or letters of reprimand. As many as five could be recommended for criminal charges and the possibility of courts martial, the official said.

Initially, the investigation centered on 17 soldiers who refused to travel in the convoy, although now as many as two dozen could face disciplinary action that includes charges of disobeying a lawful order and conspiracy, officials said.

Major Richard Spiegel, a spokesman for the 13th Corps Support Command, which includes the 343d, said in an e-mail that the command's top officer, Brigadier General James E. Chambers, has received the initial review into the incident. ''Certain administrative actions have been initiated as a result of this review and more actions, including criminal charges, are possible in the future," Spiegel wrote, declining to provide additional details.

The unit arrived in Iraq in February for a yearlong mission. Family members of the soldiers have said their relatives refused to go on the October mission because their vehicles were poorly maintained and without necessary armor. Moreover, the military confirmed another complaint of the soldiers, that the Oct. 13th mission was longer than their normal convoy operations.

After the soldiers refused to go on the mission, the unit's operations were halted while it underwent a two-week ''maintenance and safety training stand down."

http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2004/11/16/soldiers_who_refused_duty_said_to_face_discipline/