.Soldier suing to stop his 5th tour says it's personal, not protest
Army Reserve Sgt. Erik Botta of Port St. Lucie, Fla., has been sent to Iraq three times and to Afghanistan once.
He says that's enough.
Botta, 26, has asked a court to block the military's plan to deploy him for a fifth time Sunday, most likely to Iraq. "This has nothing to do with protest of the war. ... I have nothing but respect for the people on the ground," Botta said Friday, one day after he filed his petition in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach.
But Botta says he can better serve his country as a defense contractor -- and by finishing college. "My heart sank through the floor" when he got his latest orders, he said.
An Army spokeswoman said that although the service sympathizes with the hardships of solders, Botta is under an 8-year contract. He enlisted in October 2000.
Freep
He says that's enough.
Botta, 26, has asked a court to block the military's plan to deploy him for a fifth time Sunday, most likely to Iraq. "This has nothing to do with protest of the war. ... I have nothing but respect for the people on the ground," Botta said Friday, one day after he filed his petition in U.S. District Court in West Palm Beach.
But Botta says he can better serve his country as a defense contractor -- and by finishing college. "My heart sank through the floor" when he got his latest orders, he said.
An Army spokeswoman said that although the service sympathizes with the hardships of solders, Botta is under an 8-year contract. He enlisted in October 2000.
Freep
posted by madtom at 8:07 PM
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