Guard right to discharge soldier
Apr. 1, 2004When Ohio University sophomore Kurt Hickman registered to be an Ohio National Guardsman, he signed up to be all that he could be and accepted every responsibility that came with it. Feb. 25, Hickman was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army while in Kuwait. His deportation, however, was not a result of failing to serve the United States in battle. The repercussions came instead as a consequence after Hickman refused to be vaccinated against biological weapons such as anthrax. The guardsman was in direct discordance with the Defense Department's regulation requiring troops in high-risk areas to be vaccinated. Hickman's Army rank was lowered from specialist to private, and it is likely that he'll receive similar punishment from the National Guard. Perhaps the most detrimental effect, though, will be the loss of tuition money that Hickman eventually will have to repay. His lawyer, Kenneth Levine, has spoken for Hickman, saying he always wanted to serve his country. Everyone enters the military hoping to help, but hoping and actually helping can hardly be considered the same. In the end, failing to fulfill a contract with the U.S. military does little to assist a nation at war.
