Guilty Sir

The 82nd Airborne in Legitimate Action

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) - An Army paratrooper pleaded guilty
Thursday to engaging in sex acts on a military-themed gay pornographic
Web site and was sentenced to prison.

Pfc. Richard T. Ashley, one of seven members of the 82nd Airborne
Division charged with appearing on the site, pleaded guilty to sodomy,
conduct detrimental to the Army and the unit, and drug use.

He was sentenced to 90 days in prison, but was given 15 days credit.
Ashley also was demoted to private, will receive a bad conduct discharge
and will lose two-thirds of his pay.

"I've embarrassed the entire Army, my country and most of all, dishonored
God,'' Ashley said during the hearing.

Pfc. Wesley K. Mitten and Pvt. Kagen B. Mullen were charged with pandering,
sodomy and conduct detrimental to the Army and the unit. Mitten and Mullen,
who also faces adultery charges, have pleaded not guilty.

The 82nd Airborne says that four other soldiers, whose names were not released,
received nonjudicial punishment for appearing on the Web site. They were
reduced in rank to private, forfeited half a month's pay for two months, performed
extra work and were restricted to Fort Bragg for 45 days.

The Army has recommended that all seven be discharged.

The 15,000 paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne are among the Army's most
elite soldiers, having volunteered to serve in a unit that trains to deploy anywhere
in the world within 18 hours.

The military's "don't ask, don't tell'' policy states that "homosexual orientation
alone is not a bar to service, but homosexual conduct is incompatible with
military service.'' Service members who violate the policy are removed from
the military.

(The Guardian UK)

QEK: I wonder what this 'extra work' might entail...................

Note the "dishonored God" reference - Oh Pleeeese - no comment - it's been said before!
Except to wonder whether he is on trial for his improper conduct on a porn site or for his
homosexuality?