NEWS
Witmer sisters not to return to Iraq
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Also by Abby Peterson:
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- In-Depth: Bush, Kerry largely ignore higher-education issue (October 14, 2004)
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by Abby Peterson
Wednesday, April 28, 2004
The sisters of Michelle Witmer, the Wisconsin National Guard soldier recently killed in Iraq, have opted not to return to active duty in Iraq.
In a press conference Tuesday, Rachel, 24, and Michelle’s twin Charity, 20, released a statement saying the choice not to return to war after their sister’s death was, “by far, the most difficult decision we have ever made.”
“We looked outside our family’s grief and considered the broader impact of our individual decisions,” the two sisters’ statement read.
Due to the international attention the Witmer family’s loss received, military officials felt the 32nd Military Police Company’s safety could be threatened if the two girls returned. The 32nd, which Michelle and Rachel served in, is based out of Madison and Milwaukee. It was ordered to tour Iraq for a 120-day extension beyond its originally scheduled 12-month assignment.
Maj. Gen. Al Wilkening, adjutant general of the Wisconsin National Guard, said the safety of the 32nd brigade and the grieving of the Witmer family was taken into account when deciding what recommendation to give the two soldiers about the rest of their military service.
“Yesterday afternoon I told them, using all the influence I have, that they should complete their active duty military obligations outside of Iraq,” a statement from Wilkening that was read at the conference said.
A military regulation allows soldiers to serve out their active duty service outside a war zone if their relative has been killed.
“A defense department policy makes it easy for these soldiers to be reassigned from Iraq after their sister’s death,” Wilkening’s statement said, adding, however, that the final decision must be made by both sisters and not military leaders. “Charity and Rachel have wisely and responsibly accepted the request they received from me and the advice they received from thousands of people around the world.”
Michelle Witmer, who was killed April 9, was the first woman in the Wisconsin National Guard ever to be killed in action and the first member of the state’s National Guard to be killed in action since WWII. Since the war in Iraq began in March 2003, she is the 16th soldier from Wisconsin to be killed.
Witmer’s two sisters returned from Iraq two weeks ago with her body to attend funeral services in Wisconsin. The parents of the young women appealed to Pentagon leaders and politicians to allow their daughters to remain at home rather than return to Iraq to serve the remainder of their time on duty.
“We trust that those in charge of making such a decision will realize that we have already sacrificed enough and that our family must not be asked to bear such an impossible burden,” a statement from the Witmer family read.
Just days after learning of Witmer’s death, families of soldiers in the 32nd learned the unit’s duty would be unexpectedly extended through the summer months. A number of families launched the website, www.weneedtobehome32ndmp.com, in hopes of changing the minds of military leaders.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld officially approved the 120-day extension April 16.
