Far more U.S. soldiers desert as Bush occupations drag on - 4 years in Iraq, 80% increase

[bigtree]

Saturday, November 17, 2007 3:42 AM
Associated Press

WASHINGTON -- Soldiers strained by six years at war are deserting their posts at the highest rate since 1980, with the number of Army deserters this year showing an 80 percent increase since the United States invaded Iraq in 2003.

Although the totals are still far lower than they were during the Vietnam War, when the draft was in effect, they show a steady increase during the past four years and a 42 percent jump since last year.

"We're asking a lot of soldiers these days," said Roy Wallace, director of plans and resources for Army personnel. "They're humans. They have all sorts of issues back home and other places like that. So, I'm sure it has to do with the stress of being a soldier."

The Army defines a deserter as someone who has been absent without leave for longer than 30 days. The Army says about nine in every 1,000 soldiers deserted in fiscal year 2007, which ended Sept. 30, compared with nearly seven per 1,000 a year earlier. Overall, 4,698 deserted this year, compared with 3,301 last year.

The increase comes as the Army continues to bear the brunt of the war demands, with many soldiers serving repeated, lengthy tours in Iraq and Afghanistan . . .


http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/national_world/stories/2007/11/17/Deserters_1117.ART_ART_11-17-07_A3_UE8GN8U.html?sid=101

[sam sarrha]

1. the highest suicide rate ever ..120 a week >Link>>

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22762457-5005961,00.html

this article about our soldiers is particularly egregious
http://www.vermontguardian.com/dailies/022006/020806.shtml

[ikojo]

2. They are only following Bush's example

from his days defending the airspace above Alabama.

[sam sarrha]

3. they should give the deserters amnesty