A soldier with Fort Carsonâs 10th Special Forces Group has been charged with cowardice for allegedly refusing to do his duty in Iraq. Staff Sgt. Georg Pogany, 32, a Special Forces interrogator, is charged with showing âcowardly conduct as a result of fear, in that he refused to perform his duties,â according to his charge sheet. If convicted in a court-martial, the soldier faces prison time and a dishonorable discharge. He was charged Oct. 14. His first court appearance is Nov. 7 at Fort Carson.
A cowardice charge is extremely rare, military law experts say. Army officials couldnât say Wednesday the last time it had been filed. Pogany said he is wrongly charged. The soldier said he experienced a âpanic attackâ after seeing the mangled body of an Iraqi man and told his superior he was heading for a ânervous breakdown.â After that, Pogany said he didnât request to go on missions nor did the unit ask him to go. Pogany said he asked for help but was denied the care soldiers with âcombat stressâ are supposed to receive. Instead of help, Pogany said, one of his superiors told him to âget his head out of his ass and get with the program.â
An Army psychologist in Iraq said Pogany had a normal reaction to seeing the body and recommended rest and then a return to duty, the soldier said. Instead, his commander ordered him back to Colorado Springs to face a court-martial for âmisbehavior before the enemy.â Pogany said he returned to the 10th Group after he was examined, was ignored for more than a day and then told he was being sent home to face charges. The soldier said he had asked three times to stay in Iraq and work through his problem.
Too little, too late.
| Not knowing the details, I don't know if it was a panic attack or if he flat lost his nerve forever and ever. The sight of mangled meat that used to be somebody can have a pretty visceral effect on a person, though, and the effect isn't always predictable. The panic attack can be brought on by something as subtle as the expression on the corpse's face. Especially the young ones... |
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