I believe “Chicken of Bristol” is still available.
Actually, it’s not. Although they only made 3 posts and haven’t been back in nearly a year, let alone paid to register the name, so perhaps the Admins would consider releasing it for use by someone else (if that’s even possible).
I have to admit that as “Mrs. Spiny Norman,” seeing this name used by someone else is a bit odd and weirdly unsettling. But welcome to the Straight Dope. We’re in SoCal, too, so perhaps we can meet at a “Dopefest” sometime.
On topic: I have mixed feelings. The guy disobeyed an order to return to service, knowing he was breaking a serious military rule and potentially jeopardizing lives in doing so, so he should pay the consequences. On the other hand, if he should have been discharged due to there being a rule against non-citizen service extending beyond 8 years, then forcing him to return was in violation of the rules, therefore making his refusal to comply not a violation. If he hadn’t already fulfilled his commitment to serve, I might feel differently, but he did more than “serve his time,” so the bad conduct discharge and up to a year in prison seems like a reasonable “compromise,” if punishment is deserved at all.
It would appear that the jury gave Mejia the maximum sentence, one year in jail and a bad conduct discharge.
The article quoted was written after the guilt-innocence potion of the trial:
In other words, he wasn’t sentenced to a year at that point, he was found guilty and faced up to a maximum of one year in jail. During the sentencing potion, the jury gave him that maximum.
[quote]
A U.S. soldier who said he left his unit in Iraq to protest an “oil-driven” war was convicted of desertion Friday and sentenced to a year in jail and a bad conduct discharge.
A military jury met for about 20 minutes before giving the maximum sentence to Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia, an infantry squad leader with the Florida National Guard.
[quote]
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/16/national/main606703.shtml
There’s a current trend in the military to treat deserters more lightly than in times past in order to get those DFR, dropped from the rolls, back into productive service where they are badly needed. Cite. Sentences in courts martial can’t exceed maximum limitations placed on offenses by the President under UCMJ 856 Art. 6. So if Mejia got off too lightly, the fault isn’t that of the jury, they threw as heavy a book at him as the military would allow. Blame might more properly lie with the upper echelon or with the President himself.
:smack: A foot massage to any mod that fixes that coding…
[QUOTE=Shayna]
Actually, it’s not. Although they only made 3 posts and haven’t been back in nearly a year, let alone paid to register the name, so perhaps the Admins would consider releasing it for use by someone else (if that’s even possible).
I have to admit that as “Mrs. Spiny Norman,” seeing this name used by someone else is a bit odd and weirdly unsettling. But welcome to the Straight Dope. We’re in SoCal, too, so perhaps we can meet at a “Dopefest” sometime.
A bow and a mea culpa toward you and Mr. Spiny Norman. I have changed my name to “Fritz.” Sorry for the unsettlement.
No apologies needed, sir - absolutely no harm done. Welcome to the SDMB, and thanks for being a gentleman about the name - I can tell you’ll fit in here.
I walked into the Pit with my first post, sporting a user name already taken by another. I felt like I walked into a room full of wild tigers with 10 pounds of fresh steak in my pockets. :smack:
Again, thanks for your understanding.
Back to my original message: this guy got off too easy. One year in the pokey and a BCD is a doddle.
Desertion, certainly from combat, should be at leat 10 years and a Dishonorable.