US soldier leaves Canada for US border to desert army 16 years ago
If the dates he gave border officials are correct, he defected after leaving the army at age 22, around 2008.
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A U.S. soldier has been arrested at the U.S. border after he crossed from Canada on foot and said he was turning himself in for deserting the military 16 years ago.
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The 38-year-old man used the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Rainbow Bridge border between Niagara Falls, Ont., and Niagara Falls, New York, on Tuesday and moved on, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The man was escorted by a border patrol officer to a secondary checkpoint for screening. Border agents confirmed his identity and found that he was right, there was an active U.S. Army warrant for desertion on file with the National Crime Information Center, a U.S. Army warrant.
He was arrested and released to U.S. military personnel.
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It's unclear how long he's been in Canada or if he's lived there, but he only took a bag with him across the border.
His name and rank have not been released, nor has his role in the military at the time of his departure.
He is reportedly stationed at the U.S. military base in Fort Liberty, North Carolina. His file has been forwarded to the provost's office in Fort Liberty, North Carolina. The provost is the base's head of law enforcement and advisor on law and order issues.
Fort Liberty, formerly known as Fort Bragg, is a massive military complex, the largest U.S. military base by population, according to the U.S. Department of Defense. It is known as the home of the Air Force and Special Operations forces.
The U.S. base did not respond to a request for information.
If the dates he gave border officials are correct, he surrendered after leaving the military at age 22, around 2008.
Under U.S. military law, desertion is defined as the absence of oneself from military service without authorization with the intent to remain permanently.
If a soldier deserts his post during wartime, the penalty can be death. By 2008, the U.S. military was actively engaged in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan at the time, collateral damage from U.S. attacks was mounting, with civilian deaths fueling protests and undermining support for the war. A surge in U.S. troops was on the horizon with the arrival of new President Barack Obama.
In Iraq, the war against Saddam Hussein that began in 2003 had become the deadliest for U.S. troops, with 2007 the deadliest year for U.S. military personnel.
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