Iraq War veteran is fighting to bring troops home

[Servonaut]

I found this at the DUmp

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3606143

but no one replied to it.

http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_271/iraqwar.html

It does not sound right to me but I wasn't in the navy and the dates are a little screwy.

What do ya'll think.

Iraq War veteran is fighting to bring troops home


By Joy Wiltermuth

At 18, Fabian Bouthillette joined the Navy. In his words, he wanted to “do something good and decent.” He served for several years, but then as the Iraq War began and raged on, he found what he was doing was for all the wrong reasons.

Bouthillette, now 27, found the antiwar group Iraq Veterans Against the War through an Internet search for “Veterans for Peace.” He connected with the mission of the group, as part of which he is now fighting to end military support for the war and to broaden outreach to local veterans.

For the past three years, Bouthillette, who lives on the Lower East Side, has studied the antiwar movement and Vietnam-era activism.

“I went from a very innocent, young Navy officer to becoming a veteran in the antiwar movement, instead of a veteran of the Navy,” he reflected recently during an interview at the Bluestockings Bookstore and Cafe on Allen St., near his home.

Now, Bouthillette is the secretary and outreach coordinator for Iraq Veterans Against the War’s New York chapter, which shares space with the War Resisters’ League in Noho, at 339 Lafayette St.

I.V.A.W. was founded in 2004, by a group of Iraq War soldiers who were united in their opposition to the conflict. They were no longer willing to remain silent about their experiences or their desire to see the war end.

The group’s second-floor office is reached by climbing a dark, cramped staircase. The narrow hall is littered with tacked-up fliers and old posters. It opens to a cluttered, sunlit space.

“You walk in there and you feel like you’re in the ’60s protesting Vietnam,” Bouthillette said.

I.V.A.W. offers support to fellow soldiers and provides a forum to those willing to talk about their experiences.

“It’s not about being anti-military. It’s just about being anti-occupation,” he explained.

Army Captain Luis Carlos Montalván served two combat tours in Iraq. He joined I.V.A.W. because he said no other organization was as genuine in its commitment to extricating the United States from Iraq.

“Too many irresponsible acts by utterly loathsome politicians and military leaders have caused our national woes for the past eight years,” Montalván said. He said I.V.A.W. veterans have a shared understanding that foreign policy changes need to be made.

The organization sponsors Winter Soldiers, a speakers panel of Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, in which Montalván has been a participant. The group collects testimony and talks to the public about day-to-day life on the ground, for soldiers and civilians, in these war zones.

Once a month, I.V.A.W. heads out to local armories. Bouthillette said their presence lets soldiers know there is an active antiwar movement led by veterans. They hand out fliers and try to talk about the war.

“Our troops need to feel that America has their back if they want to resist,” he said. “We are the ones that really understand where they come from.”

I.V.A.W. has built up a network of local therapists offering free mental health services.

“The guys that really are emotionally struggling come really motivated,” he said, but added that they risk burnout from opening up about their feelings. “They talk about their experiences a lot. They want to get if off their chests.”

Bouthillette grew up in Arlington, Va., about a mile from the Pentagon. He graduated high school in the late 1990s and promptly enrolled in the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., to get a good education. “I’m a guy who grew up poor. It was just that simple,” he said of his joining the military.

He graduated from the Naval Academy in 2003, with a five-year commitment. But in a strange twist of fate, the Navy commissioned too many officers, and in November 2004, it requested volunteers to waive their active-duty requirement.
“I was quick to jump on it,” Bouthillette said of his decision to leave the service. “I was not going to work hard to support the war machine anymore. Once I came to that realization, I could no longer do it.”

Still, there are elements of the military that Bouthillette misses.

“You’re just part of a huge community that works really hard together,” he said. He remembers navigating the U.S.S. Curtis Wilbur, a guided-missile destroyer, in the Sea of Japan. “Just looking at that alone — not why we were doing it or the political reasons — was awesome,” he said. “And, I will never do that again. I’ll never be the officer on deck on a warship.

“One second I am an officer in the Navy and next second I am just an unemployed guy,” he said, recalling his retirement from active duty. He walked off the base, took off his uniform and got into a friend’s car. “That was it. I was happy, but it was weird.

“You just feel betrayed,” he said about the toll the Iraq War is taking on the military. “I think a lot of guys feel that way, in whatever they were doing.”

The best thing that could happen is that the war just ends, Bouthillette said.

“Then we are all left without a job. I’m dying for that day to come,” he said. “But until that day comes, we are pushing forward.”

I read it twice and I did not see anything about his time in Iraq. Did I miss something ?   
 

[Rebel]

Screw that sumbitch. 

[JohnnyReb]

I found this at the DUmp

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3606143

but no one replied to it.

http://www.downtownexpress.com/de_271/iraqwar.html

It does not right to me but I wasn't in the navy and the dates are a little screwy.

What do ya'll think.


 

I read it twice and I did not see anything about his time in Iraq. Did I miss something ?   
 

"He graduated from the Naval Academy in 2003...." and a year and a half later he's out of the Navy.....uh huh....yeah....right.....sure

I think we both missed the part about a Dishonarable Discharge.....or he left it out.

[Lacarnut]

That business about a reduction in officers sound fishy as all get out. He screwed up or someone was screwing him and he got booted out.

[Rebel]

Kinda funny that the DUmpmonkeys have been bitching about stop-loss this, back door draft that, yet this fool was just allowed to get out early because "the Navy commissioned too many officers"?  Excuse me while I......whip dis out. 

[Thor]

Sounds like he's hiding something. The Navy isn't just going to allow folks to abandon ship after they've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars educating them. He MUST have been a dirtbag, at best.

here's the dirtbag:


It's possible that he's one of the 31 gay Academy folks that wanted a gay chapter there....... :dunno:

[Miss Mia]

I agree, this whole thing just doesn't read right.

[Servonaut]

This bothers me too.

“You’re just part of a huge community that works really hard together,” he said. He remembers navigating the U.S.S. Curtis Wilbur, a guided-missile destroyer, in the Sea of Japan. “Just looking at that alone — not why we were doing it or the political reasons — was awesome,” he said. “And, I will never do that again. I’ll never be the officer on deck on a warship.

According to this site

http://www.uscarriers.net/ddg54history.htm

The closest the U.S.S. Curtis Wilbur got to Iraq was in 1995 and 1999.

USS Curtis Wilbur departed on her first western Pacific Deployment on July 31, 1995, transiting the Pacific and heading to the Arabian Gulf. While deployed with the United States Naval Forces Central Command, she supported Operations Southern Watch and Vigilant Sentinel. During her 100 days in theater, she served as Air Warfare Commander, Surface Warfare Commander, Undersea Warfare Commander, and Strike Warfare Commander. The destroyer also served as a member of the United States Fifth Fleet Expeditionary Task Force supporting United Nations sanctions against Iraq.

After completing Tandem Thrust ’99, an annual multi-national training exercise, USS Curtis Wilbur received immediate tasking to proceed at best speed en route the Arabian Gulf. Steaming in company with USS Kitty Hawk and USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), it conducted a no-notice high speed transit and arrived in the Gulf April 18, 1999. Proceeding directly to the northern Arabian Gulf, the ship commenced operations in support of Operation Southern Watch; enforcing the southern No-Fly Zone over Iraq and supporting United Nations Sanctions against Iraq by conducting Maritime Interception Operations (MIO) as a member of Fifth Fleet. USS Curtis Wilbur also participated in two major exercises while on her second Arabian Gulf deployment: Nautical Swimmer ’99, a combined exercise with the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, and SHAREM 128, an Undersea Warfare exercise in the North Arabian Sea. Following port visits to Bunbury, Australia and Phattaya, Thailand, she returned to Yokosuka on August 25, 1999.

[Rebel]

So, um, how's he an Iraqi veteran again?

Also, and I'm not up to speed on naval operations, maybe Thor can jump in here as he is retired navy, but do they turn over the navigation of a guided missile destroyer to an ensign? Sounds kinda like turning the control of an assault force over to an E-1 private.

[TheSarge]

Ok I'm confused.  Did he join the Navy at 18 or did he get accepted to the USNA?

That story has so many holes and discrepancies in it that my 10 y/o son would call BS on it.

[Thor]

I'm thinking that he got accepted to USNA at 18. As far as navigating a ship, he probably was doing just that under some supervision. I'm not real up on  exactly what duties are assigned to whom in the surface Navy. It was my impression that the Quartermasters did the majority of the navigation (enlisted folks).  :clueless:

[Airwolf]

Sounds like he's hiding something. The Navy isn't just going to allow folks to abandon ship after they've spent hundreds of thousands of dollars educating them. He MUST have been a dirtbag, at best.

here's the dirtbag:


It's possible that he's one of the 31 gay Academy folks that wanted a gay chapter there....... :dunno:

I;m betting its a DADT deal and he doesn't want anyone outside of the Nnavy to know about it.

[NHSparky]

I'm just a (former) lowly enlisted puke, but this guy got shitcanned 18 months after leaving the Academy?  Guy wouldn't have even made LTjg yet, and NOBODY with a pulse is refused promotion from Ensign to LTjg.

Personally, I'd like to see his resignation letter and/or a copy of the NAVADMIN message which authorized release of officers under ANY circumstances prior to completion of obliserv since 1992.

BTW--Military.com has him down as a non-drilling O-2.  Sorry, I call bullshit.  He got canned, he didn't just quit.

But I'll tell ya what--he sure is burning up the bandwidth on the moonbat blogs!

[djones520]

That business about a reduction in officers sound fishy as all get out. He screwed up or someone was screwing him and he got booted out.

Nope, it happened.  Navy and Air Force where both sitting real fat during that time frame.  I know the AF was 45,000 personnel over the limits that Congress allowed.  Not sure about the Navy.  Officers and Enlisted in both branches where seperating left and right.  Most Officers where actually being paid to leave.

[NHSparky]

That business about a reduction in officers sound fishy as all get out. He screwed up or someone was screwing him and he got booted out.

Nope, it happened.  Navy and Air Force where both sitting real fat during that time frame.  I know the AF was 45,000 personnel over the limits that Congress allowed.  Not sure about the Navy.  Officers and Enlisted in both branches where seperating left and right.  Most Officers where actually being paid to leave.

Mid-level O-3's and O-4's, perhaps or those already passed over twice.  Not those with less than 18 months AD, sorry.

[djones520]

That business about a reduction in officers sound fishy as all get out. He screwed up or someone was screwing him and he got booted out.

Nope, it happened.  Navy and Air Force where both sitting real fat during that time frame.  I know the AF was 45,000 personnel over the limits that Congress allowed.  Not sure about the Navy.  Officers and Enlisted in both branches where seperating left and right.  Most Officers where actually being paid to leave.

Mid-level O-3's and O-4's, perhaps or those already passed over twice.  Not those with less than 18 months AD, sorry.

I wasn't watching the Navy side as closesly, but the Air Force was seperating O-1's and O-2's.  We had an O-1 with about 18 months AD seperate in my shop.  Each rank and rating had a qouta to fill for releases to help keep the ranks level manning wise.

[Lord Undies]

The best way to "protest" the "war" is not to reenlist or volunteer in the first place.  Since those who currently serve knew exactly what they were getting in to, I assume it was a choice they made.  Who are these "against war" freaks to try and deny grown-ups their chosen course? 

[NHSparky]

The best way to "protest" the "war" is not to reenlist or volunteer in the first place.  Since those who currently serve knew exactly what they were getting in to, I assume it was a choice they made.  Who are these "against war" freaks to try and deny grown-ups their chosen course? 

And the funny thing is, this assclown KNEW what he was getting into BEFORE he accepted his commission.

Nah, this guy's just another Watada, trying to be an attention whore.  Like I said, show me the NAVADMIN message where this guy got out on and I'll believe it.  Until then, he's just another Jesse MacBeth wannabe in my book.

[Rebel]

And the funny thing is, this assclown KNEW what he was getting into BEFORE he accepted his commission.

Nah, this guy's just another Watada, trying to be an attention whore.  Like I said, show me the NAVADMIN message where this guy got out on and I'll believe it.  Until then, he's just another Jesse MacBeth wannabe in my book.

I agree. Jones, the AF may have done that, but I seriously, SERIOUSLY doubt the Navy, with a HUGE presence in the Persian Gulf, and all over the f'n place, did this.