Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Army Gives Officer Bronze Star...And Six Months In Jail...
Thanks to Rob for bringing this story to my attention. It's a story I'd heard about, but only in passing.
Much has been made about troops in Iraq trying to do their best given the Bush administration's short-sighted post-war planning and a lack of supplies needed to safeguard themselves.
Now comes this story of Chief Warrant Officer Darrell E. Birt, a soldier who tried to do just that: protect himself and the rest of his unit...
"The supply system was broke," Birt said. "From the time we left Kuwait until the time we got into Iraq, it took two months to get the computer codes loaded for supply. So for two months, we couldn't get new supplies."
Short of vehicles and spare parts critical to his unit's ability to haul fuel to infantrymen and helicopter pilots, Birt said he and other high-ranking soldiers agreed to procure the needed equipment improperly.
They took tractor-trailers that belonged to other units, and they scavenged repair parts off abandoned vehicles.
Birt's Bronze Star citation commends the officer for demonstrating "initiative and courage" during the first four months of the war. His actions, according to the citation, "proved vital to successful combat operations in Iraq."
But the medal was authorized before a sergeant in Birt's unit reported the thefts, initiating an investigation that ended with the Army filing criminal charges against Birt and five others, including his company commander, Maj. Catherine Kaus.
Birt's description of the situation as it came together makes his possible incarceration seem absolutely ludicrous:
The 656th was eager to proceed, Birt said, but supply problems were immediately evident: For starters, he said, the unit was missing eight ring mounts needed to attach machine guns and grenade launchers to 10 of its 70 vehicles.
Then, just days before they were to make the "jump" into Iraq, higher-ups told the soldiers they would have to go without most of their tools, spare parts, machine guns, chemical protective gear, night-vision goggles, tents, computers and personal belongings.
The reason: None of the vehicles belonging to the unit were capable of towing shipping containers that held their gear.
"So you have a dilemma," Birt said, during a recent visit with his parents and in-laws in Hempfield Township.
"You have to make a choice," he said. "You either go forward without your stuff and not be able to support yourself, or you refuse to go until you get support. The third is to find something to move your stuff."
Birt is seeking clemency. He truly deserves it...
If his clemency request is granted, Birt said, his career still will be over, but his retirement benefits will be reinstated.
If not, he said, "They won't bury me. I won't get a flag. I won't get VA benefits."
But the veterans benefits, Janet Birt said, aren't her husband's greatest loss.
"It's a shame, all the years he was in the service," she said. "That's the worst part. He gave up his life for the service."
UPDATE: Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) is doing the right thing by supporting Birt and Kaus's appeals for clemency. Drop him a line to let him know you appreciate his effort.
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