why is it alway true that when people in the government break the law they dont get punished like the rest of us??? (although i am personally glad that these folks are refusing to help the american empire kill woman and children in iraq) Original Article Army reservists who won't go to war going unpunished Gregg Zoroya USA Today Oct. 4, 2005 12:00 AM Seventy-three reserve soldiers are defying orders to appear for wartime duty, with some of the cases pending for more than a year, and the Army has quietly chosen to take no action against them. "We just continue to work with them, reminding them of their duty," said Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman. The soldiers are part of the Individual Ready Reserve, a pool of about 110,000 inactive troops rarely summoned back to active duty. But an Army stretched thin by the demands of war in Iraq and Afghanistan began a phased call-up of 6,545 such soldiers in June 2004. About half have served, and 1,433 have been excused for issues such as finances, family or health. An additional 1,476 are slated to report in the future. The Army has failed to reach 386 of the reservists, in many cases because addresses or phone numbers are no longer valid. But Lt. Col. Karla Brischke, who supervises call-ups, says that in some instances, the reservists may simply be avoiding the orders. Seventy-three soldiers were contacted and either ignored their orders or blatantly refused to serve. One is an officer. The others are all enlisted. Brischke said Army staffers keep calling and reminding them of "duty, honor, country" and their need to fulfill their obligations. Brischke and Hilferty say that, currently, the Army is taking no action. Failing to punish those who disobey an order "sets a bad precedent, especially for those in the IRR who have accepted the call to serve," said retired Maj. Gen. John Meyer Jr., the Army's former chief of public affairs. The behavior may be reinforced by peace activist groups operating the GI Rights Hotline, which keeps reservists informed about the Army's failure to act. "What we tell them is that right now the Army is not doing anything to pursue IRR call-ups," hotline counselor Dawn Blanken said. Army regulations state that a soldier who doesn't report for duty is usually declared absent without leave, or AWOL, and ultimately accused of desertion. Punishments can range from counseling to a less-than-honorable discharge.