Adam Kokesh, 25-year-old Iraq War veteran, faced a military disciplinary panel after he and other members of Iraq Veterans Against the War protested the war while wearing military uniforms. Monday, the panel recommended that Kokesh's discharge status be reduced from "honorable" to "general under honorable conditions."
The message Adam heard: risk your life but shut your mouth. Adam volunteered for deployment to Iraq and served six months there. He left active duty with an honorable discharge and is scheduled to leave the reserves on June 18.
After the military learned of his in-uniform protests, an officer emailed Adam, warning of disciplinary action. Adam wrote back, ending with "go f*ck yourself." After that, the panel had two issues: violation of uniform-policies, and disrespect toward an officer.
Adam asserts that he didn't violate uniform-policies, because he removed his name tag and insignia before protesting. He's convinced the disciplinary hearing was a politically based attempt to chill his First Amendment right of free speech.
Two other IVAW members face possible disciplinary action: Liam Madden (22) and Cloy Richards (23). The IVAW requests donations for legal expenses.
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