The case of Nidal Hasan grows more and more interesting

He's presently incarcerated in Ft. Leavenworth now awaiting execution after being convicted by a courts-martial for killing 13 people at Fort Hood.

Word from the American Military's Most Trusted News source is that Hasan isn't going to be executed in the foreseeable future. There's an interesting administrative glitch that has put the execution on hold.

It seems that Nidal Hasan hasn't turned in his field gear.

When a soldier is assigned to a post he is generally issued field gear. This is generally the soldier's helmet, web gear, field jackets, camping gear etc.

When he is reassigned to another post he is expected to turn this gear back in before he clears post and leaves for either his next duty station or his discharge. Until he turns his gear in he is still assigned to that particular installation.

Seems Hasan didn't turn in his field gear and hasn't properly cleared post at Fort Hood. it looks like they can't execute him until he does.

There is a mechanism in the system that allows the person clearing post to pay for any lost, stolen or damaged government property. It is called a Statement of Charges. The cost of the missing field gear is deducted from a soldiers pay.

However, when the government dismissed Hasan from the service he forfeited all pay and allowances so he has no pay coming to deduct the cost of the missing field gear from.

This is nothing more or less than a classic military Catch-22.

They cannot execute Hasam until he pays for his missing gear and the army has seen fit to not to pay him so that he can. 

Anyone that has served will understand this diliemma instantly because they know just how formidable an army supply clerk is. If the equipment is not turned in then the clerk simply isn't going to stamp the paperwork and the soldier isn't going to clear post. It is as simple as that. 

Any former soldier can tell you that there is nobody in the service more formidable than an army supply clerk. Nobody. Most people do not believe this unless they have had to deal with one.

First sergeants that would cheerfully lead a bayonet charge into the face of tanks get very nervous stomachs thinking about having to deal with a supply clerk at Central Issue Facility. Their knees turn into jelly when they have to turn their field gear in.

The late General Norman Schwartzkoff mentioned that when he retired he felt quite intimidated by a young Sp/4 he had to deal with while outprocessing for his retirement. This is a very real situation.

It looks like Nidal Hasan is going to be with up a while sitting at Fort Leavenworth for an execution that doesn't look like is going to take place in the forseeable future.

To find out why the blog is pink just cut and paste this: http://piccoloshash.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-feminine-side-blog-stays-pink.html NO ANIMALS WERE HARMED IN THE WRITING OF TODAY'S ESSAY