thedrifter
10-02-06, 08:28 AM
Confusion and anger
BY ANNA HAISLIP Colorado Daily Staff
Sunday, October 1, 2006 8:15 PM MDT
Lance Hering's reported decision to fabricate his own disappearance and death in an attempt to avoid military duty a month ago mystifies most University of Colorado students.
Students said Friday that the Boulder Marine shouldn't have gone to such lengths, and that he had other options to consider before causing one of the most extensive and costly search-and-rescue attempts in Boulder County history.
Hering, 21, has been missing since Aug. 30, when he and his friend, 20-year-old Steve Powers, fabricated a story about Hering falling while they were hiking in Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder, sheriff's officials have said. Hering was missing when the friend came back with help.
Hering was on leave from Iraq when he disappeared. He was due back at Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Sept. 18.
According to court documents released Thursday and reported on Friday, Hering's girlfriend, Kaley Sutton, told authorities he had talked about disappearing. She said he had come up with a “great idea, an amazing plan” about a year ago and had planned to tell only her and his brother, Air Force Lt. Brendan Hering, about it.
Sutton said Lance Hering intended to fake his death and assume a new identity in another country. He planned to use insurance money by naming his brother as a beneficiary and having the money funneled to him, Sutton said.
Boulder County Sheriff's Cmdr. Phil West said authorities were still investigating leads. Last week, they announced they had obtained video of him buying a bus ticket in Denver a day after his reported disappearance.
West said investigators have taken a computer from the home of Powers, who was ticketed for false reporting. Powers told authorities that he didn't know where Hering was headed but that he had planned to be in contact by Internet.
“I think it's just incredibly childish,” senior Scott Quintavalle said. “No matter what happens, there is a different way to get out of it (the military).”
According to Quintavalle, Hering is not unique in having apprehensions about returning to his military duty after spending time in Iraq, but he's just the only one Quintavalle's heard about who has gone about it in what Quintavalle refers to as a selfish manner.
“Hering and his friend caused so much crap,” Quintavalle said. “If Hering didn't want to return to the military, he could have just stayed at home in his bedroom instead of spending Boulder County's time and money on a search-and-rescue effort.”
Other students said if Hering was serious about leaving the military, he should have gone to the Marines for help. Junior Ben Dellva said that if he was in a similar situation to Hering's, he would have followed the chain of command.
“If I were Hering I would have talked to an officer and discussed my options,” Dellva said.
On the other hand, Dellva claims that it may have been too late for Hering to weigh his options.
“Once you've signed up for the military, you're signed up,” Dellva said. “You either pay to get out of it, or go to jail.”
CU-Boulder adjoint professor and United States Marine Corps Colonel Gregory S. Akers said that American military service is voluntary, and that if Hering didn't want to be involved in it, he didn't have to sign up.
Many students disagree that Hering's situation was that simple, and several blame Hering's dilemma on the military's eagerness to enlist young adults by offering incentives that often include money. It is those incentives, according to some students, that might have caused Hering to jump to enlist without fully understanding his commitments.
“Hering was probably misled to the realities of the military and Iraq, and the promises did not match the reality of what he experienced,” senior Feven Netsanet said.
According to Akers, everyone who enlists in the Marine Corps knows, by the time they reach boot camp, what they are getting into, and they understand the level of self-discipline and commitment expected of them.
“There is a culture shift in boot camp to make sure that everyone is in step to what it takes to be a Marine,” Akers said. “Those who didn't know what they were getting into think, ‘This isn't for me,' and they get out.”
According to Akers, rarely does someone become a Marine like Hering, and then refuse to perform the duty expected of them. This, according to students is the most perplexing aspect of the Hering ordeal.
“It is not surprising that the war in Iraq would be traumatizing, but what is surprising is that it would be so bad that (Hering) would go to such lengths not to go back,” senior Sarah Wagner said. “Marines go through such intense training that you'd think they'd be more willing to go and face such atrocities.”
Akers said that students must not single out Hering and lump his situation in with those of other Marines, because Hering most likely had problems before entering the military.
“It is more a description of the individual character than the circumstances,” Akers said.
Senior Mary-Jo Henry, whose grandfather was a Marine and veteran of several foreign wars, agrees with Akers that Hering's actions reflect his individual character, and not the Marine Corps.
“He (Hering) is dishonorable, and his actions go against the Marine Corps belief of brotherhood because Hering doesn't want to face responsibility,” Henry said. “If Hering doesn't want to face responsibility here, then how will he be able to in Iraq?”
Graduate student Steven Sgourdos, who served in the military, sympathizes with Hering. While Sgourdos believes that Hering should be held accountable for deserting his military commitment, he feels everyone needs to cut Hering some slack.
“Everyone, especially the military, needs to take into account the situation Hering has been in,” Sgourdos said. “The guy just came back from serving in a war zone and he was under a high level of stress.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Anna Haislip in regard to this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 113, or at editor@coloradodaily.com.
Ellie
BY ANNA HAISLIP Colorado Daily Staff
Sunday, October 1, 2006 8:15 PM MDT
Lance Hering's reported decision to fabricate his own disappearance and death in an attempt to avoid military duty a month ago mystifies most University of Colorado students.
Students said Friday that the Boulder Marine shouldn't have gone to such lengths, and that he had other options to consider before causing one of the most extensive and costly search-and-rescue attempts in Boulder County history.
Hering, 21, has been missing since Aug. 30, when he and his friend, 20-year-old Steve Powers, fabricated a story about Hering falling while they were hiking in Eldorado Canyon State Park near Boulder, sheriff's officials have said. Hering was missing when the friend came back with help.
Hering was on leave from Iraq when he disappeared. He was due back at Camp Pendleton, Calif., on Sept. 18.
According to court documents released Thursday and reported on Friday, Hering's girlfriend, Kaley Sutton, told authorities he had talked about disappearing. She said he had come up with a “great idea, an amazing plan” about a year ago and had planned to tell only her and his brother, Air Force Lt. Brendan Hering, about it.
Sutton said Lance Hering intended to fake his death and assume a new identity in another country. He planned to use insurance money by naming his brother as a beneficiary and having the money funneled to him, Sutton said.
Boulder County Sheriff's Cmdr. Phil West said authorities were still investigating leads. Last week, they announced they had obtained video of him buying a bus ticket in Denver a day after his reported disappearance.
West said investigators have taken a computer from the home of Powers, who was ticketed for false reporting. Powers told authorities that he didn't know where Hering was headed but that he had planned to be in contact by Internet.
“I think it's just incredibly childish,” senior Scott Quintavalle said. “No matter what happens, there is a different way to get out of it (the military).”
According to Quintavalle, Hering is not unique in having apprehensions about returning to his military duty after spending time in Iraq, but he's just the only one Quintavalle's heard about who has gone about it in what Quintavalle refers to as a selfish manner.
“Hering and his friend caused so much crap,” Quintavalle said. “If Hering didn't want to return to the military, he could have just stayed at home in his bedroom instead of spending Boulder County's time and money on a search-and-rescue effort.”
Other students said if Hering was serious about leaving the military, he should have gone to the Marines for help. Junior Ben Dellva said that if he was in a similar situation to Hering's, he would have followed the chain of command.
“If I were Hering I would have talked to an officer and discussed my options,” Dellva said.
On the other hand, Dellva claims that it may have been too late for Hering to weigh his options.
“Once you've signed up for the military, you're signed up,” Dellva said. “You either pay to get out of it, or go to jail.”
CU-Boulder adjoint professor and United States Marine Corps Colonel Gregory S. Akers said that American military service is voluntary, and that if Hering didn't want to be involved in it, he didn't have to sign up.
Many students disagree that Hering's situation was that simple, and several blame Hering's dilemma on the military's eagerness to enlist young adults by offering incentives that often include money. It is those incentives, according to some students, that might have caused Hering to jump to enlist without fully understanding his commitments.
“Hering was probably misled to the realities of the military and Iraq, and the promises did not match the reality of what he experienced,” senior Feven Netsanet said.
According to Akers, everyone who enlists in the Marine Corps knows, by the time they reach boot camp, what they are getting into, and they understand the level of self-discipline and commitment expected of them.
“There is a culture shift in boot camp to make sure that everyone is in step to what it takes to be a Marine,” Akers said. “Those who didn't know what they were getting into think, ‘This isn't for me,' and they get out.”
According to Akers, rarely does someone become a Marine like Hering, and then refuse to perform the duty expected of them. This, according to students is the most perplexing aspect of the Hering ordeal.
“It is not surprising that the war in Iraq would be traumatizing, but what is surprising is that it would be so bad that (Hering) would go to such lengths not to go back,” senior Sarah Wagner said. “Marines go through such intense training that you'd think they'd be more willing to go and face such atrocities.”
Akers said that students must not single out Hering and lump his situation in with those of other Marines, because Hering most likely had problems before entering the military.
“It is more a description of the individual character than the circumstances,” Akers said.
Senior Mary-Jo Henry, whose grandfather was a Marine and veteran of several foreign wars, agrees with Akers that Hering's actions reflect his individual character, and not the Marine Corps.
“He (Hering) is dishonorable, and his actions go against the Marine Corps belief of brotherhood because Hering doesn't want to face responsibility,” Henry said. “If Hering doesn't want to face responsibility here, then how will he be able to in Iraq?”
Graduate student Steven Sgourdos, who served in the military, sympathizes with Hering. While Sgourdos believes that Hering should be held accountable for deserting his military commitment, he feels everyone needs to cut Hering some slack.
“Everyone, especially the military, needs to take into account the situation Hering has been in,” Sgourdos said. “The guy just came back from serving in a war zone and he was under a high level of stress.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Anna Haislip in regard to this story at (303) 443-6272, ext. 113, or at editor@coloradodaily.com.
Ellie