Split decision on Marine objector
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  1. #1

    Cool Split decision on Marine objector

    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



  2. #2
    firstsgtmike
    Guest Free Member
    "His San Jose-based unit was mobilized Feb. 13 to load ships and cargo planes in San Diego bound for the Middle East."

    Sound to me that he was in a Combat Support unit.

    "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,"

    Obviously mentally retarded. He never read a book, watched tv, or went to the movies, and he had someone read the newspaper comics to him.

    I wonder what subects he took in school, since neither history nor current events were ever discussed in his presence.

    "he became a conscientious objector after months of being trained to kill."

    I'd like to hear a breakdown from him, week by week, of his "killer" training. How many hours in bootcamp were devoted to "killer training"? How many hours in his combat support MOS school were devoted to "killer training"? One weekend a month, and two weeks in the summer are for MOS training, how much of that time was spent in "killer training"?

    I don't believe that my Marine Corps has changed THAT much. I can probably count on one hand the hours of "killer training" I received in 20 years. Combat training always stressed how to avoid "being killed".

    Now, if his complaint was that all of his training to kill was wasted because "His San Jose-based unit was mobilized Feb. 13 to load ships and cargo planes in San Diego bound for the Middle East", I may be able to understand his disappointment.

    As for his claim to being gay, he'll have six months to think about it.


  3. #3
    Registered User Free Member mardet65's Avatar
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    This "kid" is a total idiot. He's done and said things that will plague him the rest of his life... Sometimes mistakes never go away. Good riddance, the Corps is better off without people like this.


  4. #4
    Good riddance.

    An A-hole S**t Bird as I see this!

    Let's see how he enjoys his BCD in the future I hope that as he ages he comes to undrstand his personal failure in a deep and personal way.

    Wish the Corps still practiced a good "drumming out" !


  5. #5
    Registered User Free Member JChristin's Avatar
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    During the recent war, while sitting in a group meeting of other "professional" folks, a young man spoke about his "newly" found beliefs about being against war. He was being called up in the Army reserves. He went on to share that he didn't want to go off to Iraq and fight an unjust war. Then he shared that he was "gay" and wanted out of the military.

    I couldn't believe anyone could be so naive about joining any branch of the military and not realize the potential of risking one's life, or going off to war. But what really ****ed me off was he tried to use "I'm gay" excuse. That got me going.

    When I was called upon, I looked straight at that guy and said I had served in the finest military branch in all the world - my friends knew what was coming - I could see people at the table ready to take cover - I mentioned the United States Marine Corps, his face went white. I went on to say he didn't deserve to be in the military as his pansy *** would hamper efforts and not help anyone. Then I added that I knew of a lot of male Marines who where also gay. They never disclosed this to anyone, as they knew about the discrimination that still exisits. But they served honorably and just as effectively as any other Marine. They never used their God-given sexuality as an excuse to get out of anything. I ended with he should be ashamed of himself for using sexuality as a reason to get out of anything.

    Well, I didn't see him for a few months. He's back at our professional group and he "eyes" me with caution. He should, I am just of the mind to bring a few "gay" Marines with me sometime. They'll give him a going over - and that's not in the rack neither!


    semper fi,
    jchristin


  6. #6
    September 08, 2003

    Convicted conscientious objector to seek reduced sentence

    By Doug Simpson
    Associated Press


    NEW ORLEANS — A Marine reservist convicted of leaving his unit for 47 days without permission will formally request that his six-month prison sentence be reduced, his lawyer said Sunday.
    Steve Collier, lawyer for Lance Cpl. Stephen Funk, also said another part of the sentence is too severe: a bad conduct discharge, which means Funk will lose all his military benefits. Collier said he will request that Funk receive a normal discharge and a prison term of 47 days.

    “It would not be unheard of for that to be the punishment in a typical unauthorized absence case,” Collier said.

    A jury of four Marines found Funk guilty of unauthorized absence and innocent of a more serious charge: desertion with intent to shirk important duty. Along with the prison term and discharge, they also recommended that he be demoted to private, the Marines’ lowest rank, and his pay be docked by two-thirds during his incarceration.

    Collier said he will submit a formal clemency request to Lt. Gen. Dennis M. McCarthy, commander of the Marine reserves, who has authority to accept or reduce the sentence.

    Funk was held in the New Orleans jail Sunday and would likely be transported to a military prison on Monday, Collier said. The prison has not been determined, the Marines said.

    Funk will receive his discharge when he’s released from prison.

    Marine prosecutors accused Funk, 21, of being absent while his San Jose, Calif.-based unit was mobilized Feb. 13 to load ships and cargo planes bound for the Middle East.

    Funk said he became a conscientious objector after months of being trained to kill. Funk, who attended anti-war rallies while absent and later announced he was gay, argued that he did not believe he would be ordered to San Diego because those who declare themselves conscientious objectors are usually separated from their unit. If so, he argued, then he would not have had to perform the “important duty.”

    Marine prosecutors argued that during wartime, any presidential order to report for duty is important.

    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 reported for duty on time, the Marines said.

    Of the 27, 16 were granted conscientious objector status, Capt. Jeffrey Pool, a Marine spokesman, said Sunday. Five were denied and the other cases are pending.

    Pool said a Marine should know that during an absence of fewer than 30 days cannot be deemed desertion or punished with jail time. Those who return within 30 days face nonjudicial punishment instead of a special court-martial, as Funk did, Pool said.






    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Copyright 2003 The Associated Press.

    Sempers,

    Roger



  7. #7
    Fate hasn't struck yet! Have not seen anyone beat that yet, either! One of the things already mentioned is how some mistakes never go away! I believe these mistakes are going to haunt him in the years to come! I'm sure for a few years he will brag and act like he beat the system, then when he's older and realizes what has really happened, he will be able to do nothing but live with it!!!


  8. #8

    Angry

    I just had an idea!!!
    Send all these conscientious objectors to Iraq or Afghanistan.
    They love gays over there!
    I'm sure they would supply some pleasure for the Iraqi and Afghans, who love "boys".
    Then we will see if they are attacked, if they won't fight back because they are against killing.
    I'm sure that won't stop those seeking to kill Americans from killing these fools.

    Semper Fidelis
    Ricardo


  9. #9

    Angry

    "Boy Scouts" and reduction on sentence?
    What a fool, we better off without this fool.

    Semper Fidelis
    Ricardo

    PS Wonder how many more think that this what the military is all about?


  10. #10

    Idiot, the guy is a coward, and used any excuse to save his butt from war

    "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."


    And, and, they didn't tell me, I had to wear green all the time, or get my hair cut short, and say, "Sir," ....

    Stupid, idiot, the Corps is better off with him off its roster.

    How did he get through boot camp?


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