Travis King Charged with Eight Counts
Accused of Desertion
Travis King charged with desertion for crossing into North Korea
Story by Jordan Freiman
Travis King, the U.S. soldier who crossed into North Korea from South Korea earlier this year, has been charged by the Army with several crimes, including desertion, assaulting other soldiers and officers, and soliciting and possessing child pornography, according to documents obtained by CBS News.
King faces eight total charges, which also include making false statements and disobeying superior officers. A conviction on a peacetime desertion charge can come with a three-year prison sentence, according to The Associated Press.
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King, a Private 2nd Class in the U.S. Army who has served since 2021, entered North Korea on foot in July while he was on a guided tour of the South Korean border village of Panmunjom, which he joined after absconding from an airport in Seoul, where he was supposed to have boarded a flight back to the U.S. to face possible disciplinary action from the U.S. Army for actions taken before his alleged desertion.
Pvt. King managed to turn a likely Admin separation into this litany of serious charges. I’m sure members of the 15th Military Police Brigade are looking forward to welcoming him to his new mailing address.
Category: Big Army, Blue Falcons, Legal, North Korea
He might have been considered a leadership challenge.
Even the NKs thought he was a smurf and sent him back.
Seriously dude…kiddie porn? You aint a friend of Huntet or Epstein.
His mother was out front advocating for him of course.
I can only imagine the frustration being felt by the recruiter, the people at MEPS, and this soldier’s BASIC/AIT or OSUT leaders who probably saw trouble coming with this guy but for various reasons were not allowed to cut the Army’s losses…and will now likely receive additional PowerPoint training to address “their” deficiencies in training this specimen.
As a Recruiter, it was the Drill Sergeant’s problem. As a Drill Sergeant, it was the Recruiter’s fault. I’m being facetious, of course, but anyone who’s made rank and/or been given positions of responsibility knows the system. CSM: “1SG, why did your Soldier get a DUI 5 hours after the safety brief? I want you and all of his NCOs in my office at 0900 Monday!”
We NCOs are obviously to blame. 11B34 (Infantry SSG Recruiter) me would have seen this kid as qualified (otherwise, why was he enlisted in the first place?) and sent him off to BCT/OSUT. 11B4X (Infantry SFC Drill Sergeant) me might have considered him a training challenge but if he met the standard, he’d have passed training. 11B2O (Infantry SGT, no SQI) me would have probably just said, “not just no, but HELL NO!” Senior Sergeants (E-8/E-9) are probably looking at this kid as the Recruiter/Drill Sergeant/Junior NCO’s failure. Officers are blaming the senior NCOs they interact with the most and learning to distrust all the enlisted ranks.
Cutting out the dead wood is considered a command failure. Just like chaptering out fatbodies and PT failures.
“No such thing as a bad troop, just bad leaders.”
My COC when I tried to start a chapter packet.
Can’t build good troops out of shit raw materials. Sometimes it’s best to just thank them for trying and send them on their way.
Your COC was a fucking moron.
Same troop later misplaced his M16 at JRTC, that embarrassed them enough to get rid of him.
Good times in the 82nd.
There is no such thing as a untrainable soldier! Well sir…..
“He wuz gittin’ hizlife inoder, an’ turnin’ it aroun’…he wuz goin’ t’skoo, an’ gittin of da druugs an’shit. Done need nobody to be takin’him ina custidy fo’ nothin’ he did rong, he waz jus lookin’ t’be bettah den e bettah den de wuz as da wuz an’ Amerca’ be racis…an all…”
Of course, they still say that when cartel/thugs (unlike the military) can shoot people for being a F*-up.
Of course, you know how it goes:
One problem with that video…the Army would never have such a cool recruitment ad. That’s more along the lines of the Marines. Fight dragons, get a cool sword, look at these Dress Blues you’ll wear at graduation before shipping off. Land warfare! “But what about Special Forces? Flock Special Forces, you’re a Marine!” (reference: Army Ranger Ad – YouTube)
I’ve always loved the USMC’s marketing, but I’m glad I went Army. Zero ship duty, got my choice of MOS, and I wore Dress Blues nearly daily for over four years of my career. I also got issued a sword instead of having to buy one.
The Army ought to charge him with Article 87 for missing a movement as well.
Even the Norks knew he wasn’t worth a roach turd, I wonder if he isn’t going to go on some kind of attention-whoring spree after the US Army is done with him? Possessing kiddie pr0n? I hope his fellow inmates straighten his ass out over that if you know what I mean.
Too bad Chris Hansen didn’t welcome King home, ” Why don’t you take a seat. “
Child porn. I actually didn’t have that one on my shitbag loteria card.
When’s his invite to the White House?
Tickle Monster is a permanent Bingo square on my card. There always seems to be a high school kid or younger family member in the background for the class A Fuknutz. Berghdahl likely ran off to get him some from the local goat herder’s son.
I’m thinking he ran off to replace the local goat herder’s son.
Lotería? Oh man, that takes me back. I have to say my favorite card was “El Borracho”.
If your decision to desert was bad enough, you’re also into kiddie porn. Let the ass pounding begin.
He’s gonna get dorked in the squeakhole.
I’d give credit to whichever of you dickweeds coined that phrase, but I don’t know who created that masterwork.
I heard the Norks dubbed him ‘ Won Dum Cho Mo ‘
Idiot. Enjoy Leavenworth.
Huh, was expecting everything but the kiddie Pr0n. He went all in. Turned a probable admin sep with VA bennies into a likely BCD or the big Ding Dong. Turd he is. I can’t imagine the time and resources and paperwork he’s wasted for so many people.
Further proof that King was one of those “special” soldiers I loved finding myself in charge of, remember how he did a month in a Korean prison for smashing up a Korean police car? Well it turns out, according to another news article, the idiot was given a choice, pay a fine or do 30 days. HE CHOSE 30 DAYS. You can not fix stupid.
The icing on all this, his family has hired one of Bergdahls attorneys. Odds he refuses a plea deal?
Pretty good odds.
Or?
The article says he “served since 2021.” Pretty sure they misunderstand service…. Maybe say “assigned to a unit/wore a uniform since 2021.”
So was in 2 years give or take and was an E-2?
Tickle Monster
Go big or go home
If he does any Brig time, king can sit back and listen to King of the road by Roger Miller 1964 on the Smash record label
Dirtbag Travis and his Mommy need to be taught the story of SFC Alywyn C. Cashe, MOH Recipient:
https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/cashe/?from=features
“SFC Alwyn C. Cashe grew up in poverty in Oviedo, Florida, and joined the U.S. Army as a supply specialist shortly after graduating from Oviedo High School. He initially served two years in Korea, followed by nearly three years at Fort Lewis, Washington. In 1993, he became an infantryman and served another yearlong tour in Korea. Cashe served as a squad leader for two years at Fort Hood, Texas, and for two years in Germany. He graduated from Drill Sergeant School in 1998, and served over two years as a drill sergeant at Fort Benning, Georgia. He returned to Europe in February 2001 as an operations noncommissioned officer for the 19th Battlefield Coordination Detachment, then served in Germany for two years as a squad leader in the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment. Finally, in April 2004 Cashe served as a platoon sergeant in the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, at Fort Benning, Georgia.”
“Cashe deployed in support of the Gulf War in 1991, participated in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and deployed in 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.”
“On October 17, 2005, near Samarra, Iraq, Cashe’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle was struck by an improvised explosive device. Cashe retrieved six Soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter from the burning vehicle, receiving burns on nearly 72% of his body. Alwyn Cashe died on Nov. 8, 2005, at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas.”
Rest In Peace, SFC Cashe.
Salute.
Never Forget.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
John 15:13
How many of the troops he pulled out survived?
I gather 6 from the report, with 4 later DFW (including himself).
It’s that last bit that you have to squint to read that makes the eyes water.
Jonn used to post about the need for Cashe’s Silver Star to be upgraded to the MOH. Whenever I had Staff Duty on the Trail, I’d look at the plaque of fallen 2/54 Drill Sergeants and reflect. It’s sobering to see names like Alwyn Cashe, who once served in the same battalion, sucking up the suck and training future generations of Soldiers, only to go on to give his life so that others might live.
And what have we here?
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/alwyn-cashe-son-enlists-army/
Some were wondering the other day where the good kids were. They are out there, but getting harder to find. Unlike a lot of people today he understood the value of service and sacrifice better than anyone.
It doesn’t have to be a career or vocation, but it sure can get you pointed the right way in life.
Here’s wishing this young man the best in his future endeavors. Whether he serves a single enlistment or makes a career of it, he’s made a good choice for the right reasons. I’m sure he’ll succeed in whatever he sets out to do.
Best he deserves is an oubliette in Leavenworth. A deep, dark one.
Hope he gets a starring role as the “Kiddie in the pr0n” from the Boys in Cell Block D.
Bubba will be waiting.
Currently in South Korea with Miss Dustoff visiting family. Of course the topic of Shitbird King came up in dinner conversation. Rest assured as a US Army veteran I made no excuses for this jackass.
As I recall, as he was heading north, he basically smirked at the Army guards, and said; “you can’t catch me”.
Well, son; you were wrong.