Military Panel Recommends General Discharge For Marine Who Protested War In Uniform

Monday, June 4th 2007, 7:39 pm

By: News On 6

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A military panel has recommended a general discharge for an Iraq war veteran who wore his uniform during a war protest and later responded with an obscenity to a superior who told him he might have violated military rules.

Marine Cpl. Adam Kokesh participated in the protest in March, clad in a uniform that had his name tag and other insignia removed. After he was identified in a photo caption in The Washington Post, a superior officer sent him a letter saying he might have violated a rule prohibiting troops from wearing uniforms without authorization.

After a hearing Monday before an administrative separation board at the Marine Corps Mobilization Command, the panel decided not to recommend a less-than-honorable discharge, choosing instead the general discharge.

``This is a nonpunitive discharge,'' said Col. Patrick McCarthy, chief of staff for the mobilization command. ``The most stringent discharge that could have been received is other than honorable, and the board chose to raise that up to a general discharge.''

If the recommendation is approved, Kokesh would not lose any military benefits. McCarthy said.