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Soldier Says Heâs Being Branded a Coward
FORT CARSON, Colo. (AP) - A Special Forces interrogator whose cowardice charge was reduced to a lesser count said Friday he believes the Army is pursuing the case to pressure him to resign. ``I am getting the vibe that my military career is over,ââ Staff Sgt. Georg-Andreas Pogany said in a telephone interview. ``The sentiment I get is that they have branded me as a coward.ââYa think? A military court dismissed the cowardice charge against Pogany on Thursday, and his commander then charged him with dereliction of duty. Pogany, 32, said the charge came after he sought counseling for symptoms of panic attacks he suffered when he saw the mangled body of an Iraqi man who had been cut in half by American gunfire in Iraq. Okay, I have some sympathy here, seeing something like this has to be disturbing as all hell. But you still have to do your job. Since he returned to Fort Carson to face the charge, Pogany said he has been assigned janitorial duties, stripped of his security clearance and barred from carrying a gun. He also said he has endured hostile stares and comments. Iâll bet he has. ``I am absolutely not guilty of dereliction of duty. I am relieved that they dropped the other charge but I am highly disappointed that they came forward with this charge,ââ he said. Army officials have refused to comment on Poganyâs case, saying they want to protect Poganyâs rights during the judicial process. A telephone message left for Fort Carson officials Friday was not immediately returned. Assigned to the 10th Special Forces Group, Pogany was attached to a team of Green Berets on Sept. 26 when he departed for Iraq. He wouldnât discuss his responsibilities, citing security issues. Three days later, he was standing in a U.S. compound near Samarra north of Baghdad when soldiers brought in the Iraqi manâs bloody body. The soldiers told Pogany the man was killed after he was seen shooting a rocket-propelled grenade. Pogany said he was shaken, couldnât focus and kept vomiting. He told his commanders he believed he was suffering from panic attacks or a nervous breakdown and requested counseling. Iâm sure he was shaken, seeing a dead, mangled body the first time in combat can do that. He was examined by psychologist Capt. Marc Houck, who concluded he had signs consistent with normal combat stress reaction. Houck recommended Pogany be given a brief rest before returning to duty, but he was sent home to Fort Carson in mid-October and charged with ``cowardly conduct as a result of fear.ââ Pogany said he asked three times to be given time to adjust and complete the recommended treatment while in Iraq. Hmmm. Why not give him a day to get his head back on straight and put him back on the job? In a statement released Thursday, Fort Carson officials said the company commander brought the new charge after judicial officers dismissed the cowardice charge. SF company commander? Attorney Frank Spinner, a retired Air Force colonel who handles military cases, said dereliction of duty is a minor offense that, if disposed of without a court-martial, usually is penalized by loss of pay or reduction in rank. With a court-martial, the maximum penalty is six months. Whether a court-martial is held depends on the military judiciary. Either someone really over-reacted or this guy did not than shake a little after seeing a deader. Posted by: Steve White 2003-11-07 |
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