Okay, this story has been flying all over the blogosphere since last week, so I’m late.  But it’s such a messed up story that I’m going to post it anyway.

SSgt. Jason Hess is stationed in Iraq with the 1st Cavalry Division.  He was tired of sleeping on the ground (or on top of cold steel armor), so he decided to look into the possibility of purchasing some mats so he and his buddies would have something more comfortable to sleep on.  He sent the following e-mail to Bargain Suppliers of West Allis, Wisconsin:

To Whom it may concern:

Do you ship to APO addresses?

I’m in the 1st Cavalry Division stationed in Iraq and we are trying to order some mats but we are looking for who ships to APO first.

This is the response Sergeant Hess received:

Sgt Hess,

We do not ship to APO addresses, and even if we did, we would NEVER ship to Iraq.  If you were sensible, you and your troops would pull out of Iraq.

Bargain Suppliers
Discount-Mats.com

If you were sensible…?  (The emphasis on the word never was in the original.)

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Online elucidates:

Bargain Suppliers of West Allis said its discount-mats.com Web site had to be taken down Monday to address the thousands of e-mails it’s received since news of the exchange—in which an employee voiced opposition to the war in Iraq—began circulating on the Internet last week.
[…]
Vice president Sajid Nasir said the employee is being ‘held accountable.’  But he said the incendiary and threatening nature of some of the e-mails—and voicemails left at the West Allis home that co-owner Faisal Khetani shares with his parents–have shaken the family.
[…]
It’s really getting out of control,’ said Nasir, who described the messages as ‘angry and vulgar.’
[…]
‘Our main concern is for the safety of the family. That’s more important than the business,’ he said.
[…]
Repeated attempts to reach the Khetanis were unsuccessful.

Sajid Nasir?  Faisal Khetani?  Says the Journal Sentinel:

Many of the messages invoked anti-Middle Eastern or anti-Muslim sentiment. (Khetani is Muslim, Nasir said.) Others vowed to shut the company down, and a few suggested they might make a personal visit.

Which isn’t really surprising.  Nevertheless, the moonbats and other delusional loonies are crawling out of the wordwork.  The Journal Sentinel continues:

Anti-war and free speech advocates were equally offended, by the widespread criticism of the company and the individual who responded to the soldier.
[…]
‘This is a matter of free speech,’ said Julie Enslow, an organizer with Peace Action Wisconsin in Milwaukee. ‘It is totally irresponsible for radio stations and bloggers to attack a person for his personal political views.’
[…]
Othman Atta, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, said he would fault the worker for his lack of tact but defended his right to speak his mind.
[…]
‘If you look at the polls, his opinion is reflected by a majority of Americans now,’ Atta said. ‘In the United States, everyone one is free to speak their opinion.’
[…]
Atta appeared concerned that the controversy might fuel anti-Muslim and anti-Middle Eastern sentiment.

In the United States, everyone is free to speak their opinion, eh?  Well, Mr. Atta (and where have we heard that name before?), that’s not necessarily the case.  The Journal Sentinel article points out that “a person identifying himself as Hess, who was reached via a military e-mail address, has agreed to an online interview but has yet to respond to a list of questions.”  Now I wonder why that might be?

Here’s a little excerpt I pulled from Chapter 5 of Army Regulation 360–1 (PDF document), The Army Public Affairs Program:

Release of Information

5–1. Release of official Information

Department of Defense policy requires any official information intended for public release that pertains to military matters, national security issues, or subjects of significant concern to the DOD be cleared by appropriate security review and PA offices prior to release. This includes materials placed on the Internet or released via similar electronic media. See DODD 5230.9 for additional guidance.

5–2. Impartial and objective dissemination

Information about policies of the United States and its allies will be disseminated impartially and objectively, according to local command guidance.

5–3. Authority to release information.

a. General procedures. The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) normally releases general military information on the overall plans, policies, programs, or operations of the DOD, the DA, or the Federal Government. Information that meets any of the criteria below will be submitted to OCPA for OSD clearance prior to release. Doubtful cases also will be submitted for clearance. Prior unofficial publication of information does not constitute authority for official release.

There are some specific restrictions imposed on the release of information by Army Regulation 360-1.  Here are a few examples of those restrictions:

• Information that is or has the potential to become an item of national interest or international interest.
• Lists of names and/or duty addresses of military personnel assigned to units that are sensitive, routinely deployed, or stationed in a foreign territory.
• Commanders below HQDA level will inform OCPA, through command channels as soon as possible, when national news media requests are received or situations concerning their commands exist that have the potential for national exposure. Local commanders have maximum flexibility in releasing information. However, local commander should alert OCPA of national media interest in a particular subject so that it may be determined if the national media is pursuing it at more than one location. National media are defined as network television (to include local affiliates if national interest is likely), national news magazines, or metropolitan newspapers with national distribution such as the New York Times or Washington Post.

Sorry.  I really don’t mean to belabor the point, but many people without military experience don’t realize that service members are quite clearly restricted as to what they can say to the media.  Almost without exception, the expectation is for them to refer requests for information to their local unit Public Affairs Officer.  No ifs, ands, or buts.  In other words, the regular soldier, sailor, Marine, or airman who goes off and blabs to the press without official clearance is doing so at his or her own risk.  So it’s not terribly surprising that Sergeant Hess is taking some time in responding to that “list of questions”.  (Of course, there’s always the possibility that he’s too busy chasing down Sunni insurgents or Shi’a death squads to respond!)

So, Mr. Atta, Sergeant Hess is in Iraq fighting for your right to free speech while he, himself, has forfeited a goodly portion of that very same right by virtue of the fact that he enlisted.  What do you think about them apples?

To make a long story short, the Web site for Bargain Suppliers is still experiencing “technical difficulties”.  Further, the employee responsible for the obnoxious e-mail has apparently been sacked.

Here are some other blogs that have posted on this topic:

7.62mm Justice
Bill’s Bites
Blackfive
Michelle Malkin
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Riehl World View

As a final thought, here’s an excerpt from 7.62mm Justice.  Sniper One makes a valid point:

As a guy who supports the troops, and has been to both Afghanistan and Iraq, I have to ask; ‘Why doesn’t every company on American soil ship to APO addresses?’
[…]
As Americans, enjoying the freedom that is provided by our troops, isn’t it a civic responsibility to ship to those members of the Armed Services deployed overseas? So I ask, all you cheap unpatriotic bastards who won’t ship to APOs…why should I spend my money on your good or services if you won’t support our men and women in harms way?
[…]
Shame on all you who won’t ship to APO’s.
[…]
Write Congress, encourage them to require all companies doing mail order business to ship to APOs.  (Emphasis in original.)

Amen.

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