Desertion arrests fairly regular here

[norml]

Desertion arrests fairly regular here

Desertions in Tampa Bay have risen, but officials say they have declined nationally since the Iraqi conflict began.
By SHANNON COLAVECCHIO-VAN SICKLER, Times Staff Writer
Published August 20, 2005



TAMPA - Sometimes they drive up to the gates at MacDill Air Force Base and turn themselves in, months after they failed to report for duty.

I am a deserter, they tell military authorities.

Others are found when local police pull them over for an expired tag or some other crime, only to discover they have been on the military's list of deserters for weeks.

The recent arrest in Tarpon Springs of accused Vietnam-era Marine Corps deserter Jerry Texiero has garnered much attention, largely because his capture came 40 years after the fact, and despite Texiero's efforts to create a new identity.

Around Tampa Bay, arrests of deserters happen on a fairly regular basis. And typically they involve military personnel who more recently abandoned their assignments, said 1st Lt. Erin Dorrance, a spokeswoman for MacDill Air Force Base.


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http://www.sptimes.com/2005/08/20/Tampabay/Desertion_arrests_fai.shtml

[oasis]

1. Let Halliburton fight for their own oil.