Army Lieutenant Ehren Watada

by Clifford F. ThiesMarine Sgt. Gary Stein faces a less than honorable discharge, by reason of the findings and recommendations of a Marine Administrative Separation Board. Sgt. Stein, on his (personal) Facebook page, called President Barack Obama a domestic enemy, claimed he would not follow certain orders issued by the President, and superimposed the face of the President on a “Jack-Ass” movie poster.The Obama administration had, how should I put it, a different approach to the interplay of...Read Full Story

Iraq war objector Lt. Ehren Watada cannot be retried by the Army on charges of missing his unit’s deployment and criticizing President George W. Bush and the war, a federal judge ruled Tuesday.U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said retrying Watada would violate the soldier’s constitutional protection against double jeopardy. “He dismissed the heart of [the Army’s] case,” said Watada’s lawyer Jim Lobsenz said of the judge’s ruling. “We’re very pleased. It’s taken a long time.” Watada...Read Full Story

This is not a hero, this is a coward!This is a hero!Click here for his full story.Tomorrow Lt. Ehren Watada will stand before a court-martial panel at Ft. Lewis Washington.There are many out there that think he is doing what is right by refusing to deploy to Iraq because of personal convictions and some of those people will show up to support him tomorrow.As a soldier that has served a lot longer than this young man, I for one will be following this case to its end.There are some things that...Read Full Story

An Army lieutenant who refused to deploy to Iraq in 2006, saying he believed the war was illegal, has officially left the service.Fort Lewis spokesman Joseph Piek confirmed that Ehren Watada was discharged Friday.Watada was charged with missing his unit's deployment and with conduct unbecoming an officer for denouncing President Bush and the war — statements he made while explaining his actions.His court-martial ended in a mistrial in February 2007. The Army wanted to try him in a second...Read Full Story

An attorney says the first commissioned officer to be court-martialed for refusing to go to Iraq will be allowed to resign from the service.Kenneth S. Kagan attorney says in a statement Friday that the Army plans to grant 1st Lt. Ehren Watada a discharge "under other than honorable conditions."The Honolulu-born soldier told the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that he was "glad to finally bring this chapter to a close and to move on."Watada refused to deploy to Iraq with his Fort Lewis, Wash.-based...Read Full Story