In a story which broke today in the Clarion Ledger out of Mississippi, 17 members of a Reserve unit have reportedly been detained by military officials for refusing what they have described as a “suicide mission.”  The soldiers, members of the 343rd Quartermaster Company, out of Rock Hill, South Carolina, refused to do a convoy mission.  They cited unreliable vehicles (which they described as being inadquately maintained and unable to drive at any speed over 40 mph) and the lack of an armed escord as reasons why they refused to take their fuel convoy into an area which has seen a large number of attacks on vehicles.  The Pentagon, in an AP story, is denying that the soldiers have been detained.

What is agreed upon is that whatever happened, it is meriting both a military and a congressional inquiry, the latter requested by Representative Bennie Thompson.  And, while this is likely an isolated incident, as described by military officials, the findings have some very important implications.  From the military perspective, the chain of command MUST be responsible for the ultimate decisions on a mission.  That includes accountability for the safety of the troops involved, as well as strategic decisions.  Clearly, soldiers cannot be allowed to disobey any order that they find to be dangerous (which in this day and age could include making coffee stateside, as Mc Donald's will attest).

However, that does not mean that I think soldiers should undertake missions which are of unreasonable risk to themselves or to their subordinates without question.  Clearly, sitting in my comfortable chair far from Iraq, I am not in a position to judge where one might reasonably draw that line.  But certainly others with more experience are and should, and hopefully that is done more often that not at higher command positions before an order is ever issued to the soldiers.  This incident also underscores what has been a major sore spot for the Reserves this campaign:  namely outdated and minimally functional equipment, when equipment is available at all.  If the equipment was in as poor of condition as described, it is not one convoy that is at issue but the entire ability of the unit to function while deployed.  And that puts EVERYONE at risk.

Most directly, the findings of this investigation will have important implications on the soldiers involved.  According to one expert, willful disobeying of orders is punishable by up to five years in prison, in addition to dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of pay.  Not exactly a slap on the wrist.

There is a lot more going on here than what we are getting in brief news stories.  As the wife of one of the Reservists (a 24 year veteran) said, “When my husband refuses to follow an order, it has to be something major.“ Hopefully, regardless of the findings, this situation can be used to improve procedures and correct other problems so that other soldiers are not put into a similar position in the future.  Unfortunately, since life is not a made-for-tv movie, we will have to wait more than two hours to find out the outcome.  However, I think this situation bears watching as it unfolds, so stay tuned for more....