Coward Avoids Leavenworth

The Army mechanic who had better things to do than deploy with his unit gets off without jail time, probably because the Army didn't even want him to soil a prison uniform with his cowardice:

An Army mechanic who refused to go to Iraq while he sought conscientious objector status was acquitted of desertion but found guilty of a lesser charge during a court-martial Thursday.

Sgt. Kevin Benderman, 40, was sentenced to 15 months in prison on the charge of missing movement. He also was given a dishonorable discharge from the military and a reduction in rank to private. If he had been found guilty of desertion, he could have faced five years in prison.

Benderman failed to deploy with his 3rd Infantry Division unit Jan. 8, 10 days after he told Fort Stewart commanders he was seeking a discharge as a conscientious objector.

Benderman said during the sentencing phase that he didn't mean for his actions to hurt his comrades.

"I am not against soldiers," he said. "I don't care what anyone says. Though some might take my actions as being against soldiers, I want everyone to be home and safe and raising their families. I don't want anyone to be hurt in a combat zone."

Well, Sunshine, nobody much cares what you think about anything. Truth be told, you'd likely have gotten somebody killed if you had deployed, and unfortunately it probably would have been a real soldier and not your miserable, sorry, chicken---- excuse for one.

Hope you like working for Moveon.org or NPR, because that's about the only outfit that will hire somebody with a dishonorable discharge these days.