Chris Munoz, the Blue Falcon
I’m sure you remember Christopher Munoz, the prospective conscientious objector at Fort Hood who decided that he opposed war ten days before his unit deployed to Afghanistan. NBC does a brief discussion of his case, in which I participated a few weeks back;
At “This Ain’t Hell, but you can sure see if from here,” a blog by Army combat veterans, Jonn Lilyea wrote in an email to NBC News that he has strong doubts about the sincerity of Munoz’s CO claim.
“I’ve met some real COs and this guy, Munoz, doesn’t seem to be one of them. It looks more to me that he doesn’t want to be separated from his young family, which is fine, but it’s NOT CO,” wrote Lilyea, who retired from the Army in 1994 after serving in Desert Storm as an infantry platoon sergeant. He lives in West Virginia.
“Actually, me & most of my readers sympathize with real COs, we can appreciate true religious or philosophical opposition to war. Most of us have been to war and understand the feelings that arise from that experience. But, this Munoz guy hooks up with the anti-war vultures days before he’s scheduled to deploy to make his case,” Lilyea wrote.
Munoz’ lawyer, James M. Branum tells NBC that Munoz tried to apply for CO while he was at Benning in basic and AIT, but “a higher-ranking soldier” would suggest each time that he wait until he got to Hood to apply. Well, he arrived at Fort Hood in April and didn’t mention it until 10 days before his unit deployed. That sounds odd to me. And who are these “higher-ranking soldiers”? An E-2 platoon guide?
I’m surprised, but most of the commenters on the NBC article agree with us. But everyone needs to understand that Munoz is doing jail time for his decision. With James M. Branum as his lawyer, that is guaranteed. If he had a speeding ticket and Branum as a lawyer, he’d be doing jail time, because Branum hasn’t had one military client who didn’t go to jail, because Branum is an activist and he needs martyrs rotting in jail cells.
Oh, yeah, Branum almost had a conscientious objector client not go to jail once, then that client was found to have downloaded child porn to his computer, so Branum helped him to abscond to Fort Hood where he and IVAW hid that soldier. That soldier was later arrested for planning to blow up a restaurant in Killeen – yeah, it was Nasser Abdo. When that happened, Branum fired his client, like he had nothing to do with it, but Branum had everything to do with it – he hid Abdo at Fort Hood in the first place.
For those of you who are new here, Branum has earned his own category of posts here at TAH because of his history of screwing over troops.
Category: Shitbags
…’And who are these “higher-ranking soldiers”? An E-2 platoon guide?’
LMFAO!!!
Branum raises his ugly head yet again….I wish soldiers would quit going to him…
Old Tanker: actually, I kinda hope shitbirds like this guy keep going to him. He’s got a wonderful track record for the prosecution. (smile)
All of these outside legal experts that purport to help troops are full of it. Mikey Weinstein from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation gets a lot of press, but his group’s litigation on the behalf of individual troops has an abysmal record. These guys are getting paid for their time somehow, and I think they dig the press more than they truly dig helping the kids they snooker into coming to them.
The long and the short of it is that whatever you’ve got going on in the military, *always* exhaust your chain of command first. If you’re that sincere about it, and the problem isn’t just sand in one’s flaps, it’s the correct way to go.
I recall listening to the tearful shpiel of a born-again Korean veteran (not combat veteran). He thanked G-d he was never near the front lines, because he’s not sure he would have had the wherewithal to kill somebody. But he didn’t go CO because he was afraid of being a coward. I think his concern for the people to the left and right would have ruled the day. Munoz should have allowed for the same opportunity.
Branum is like Potok over at the SPLC–doesn’t actually DO anything worth a shit other than stir the pot and get face time on TV and other news outlets.
The sooner these dipshits figure that out, the faster the people screwing them over for the sake of publicity go away (are you listening, Al Sharpton?)
I am told by friends in OKC that he was trying to be a consumer bankruptcy attorney – and not doing very well at that either.
Susan- Birds of a feather!! mwahahahaha…They deserve each other.
The “story” that will not die. No matter how many times we stake it through the heart…behead it and stuff its mouth with garlic and burn the body. Until the decision on whether he is or isn’t a C.O. comes down, there isn’t a whole lot to report other than the two sides’ POV. My amateur opinion/educated guess is that he will get his C.O. status granted, then told that because of his non-combat, low-density MOS- he’s fine to deploy to some big FOB/hub in Afghanistan where his radio repair skills can be used in the rear with the gear. At that point, I suspect the chain of command will have to weigh the decision to send a guy who is probably going to be more trouble than he’s worth to the first-line leadership stuck with him over there, with the more expedient decision to cut bait and chapter him out for being unsuitable for the Army. No easy answers, especially since he’s drawing a paycheck to be a janitor/taxi driver back at Fort Hood…if it was up to me, he would have been put on that plane a couple of weeks ago and made to fulfill his obligations. But by keeping him here, the NCOs downrange can do their jobs without having to babysit a guy who is capable of anything to get out of carrying out his duties. What’s next by Munoz to up the ante? Suicidal ideations and/or attempts? Willful refusal to do his job over there, meaning that his fellow troopers are picking up the slack for him just like they are doing now? Sure- you can drop the hammer on him at that point via UCMJ, but it still forces someone to have to do the paperwork and waste time with an individual who is not worth the time/effort. Obviously torn between the fact that everyone else is doing their duty so he should as well, and the fact that kicking Munoz out of the Army is the best COA for all involved. Unfortunately, until the process is completed, he gets to hang around and… Read more »
‘Munoz tried to apply for CO while he was at Benning in basic’
He got to boot camp and realized he was in the Army and not the Peace Corps? That probably explains the Army Proud t-shirts his wife and mother have been pictured in…
By looking at how he perfectly poses for the camera in the same NBC article (including the background and setup), I feel it’s a fair indication of his contrivance and shallowness.
How long has this young private got to go on his enlistment? Ft. Hood has a LOT of latrines, I am told, and it would probably take him till the date of his LTH ETS to clean them all with the requisite toothbrush. For God’s sake, don’t send him where he has the remotest chance of getting someone else killed, though.
The boys over at Ranger Up have a great Blue Falcon shirt we could send this 4sshole…because Buddy is only half the word…
“Munoz’ lawyer, James M. Branum tells NBC that Munoz tried to apply for CO while he was at Benning in basic and AIT…”
Okay, let me get this straight. This douchenozzle decided he was a CO in BASIC TRAINING?!!!!! Color me gobsmacked. I raise the Bravo Sierra flags, but if it is true, why the hell did he join in the first place?
@13 The BS and BF run strong in this Munoz fellow….
I hear the Army has units in Korea. Good place for tis young lad to fullfill his obligation. Like I said its not about him deploying to a combat zone, its about deploying PERIOD.
He don’t want to leave his little wifey. I guess he is worried about “Sancho” ( That’s the Hispanic version of Jody) showing up and banging her like a cheap screen door.
Guess what punk… it can happen while you are in the brig too.
Turd.
Let me get this straight he enlists during combat operations and then he becomes a CO in basic. I might have missed it but what was the MOS he volunteered for? I somehow do not believe his basic was anything I went through in ’75 that would have shocked me into CO status, bet he would have loved my Drill Sergeants. Maybe this was a scam to take the money and run.
I have looked, but can’t find it.
What’s this kid’s MOS?