[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 11 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S526]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        UNITED NATIONS INSIGNIA

 Mr. CRAIG. Mr. President, we have all been watching the 
reports as U.S. Army Specialist Michael New has become a casualty of 
the debate over American troops participating in U.N. operations.
  In violating a lawful order issued through the U.S. chain of command, 
he will be held accountable under the standards set by the U.S. Code of 
Military Justice for refusing to wear a U.N. cap and shoulder patch.
  Specialist New was to have been deployed to participate in Operation 
``Able Sentry'' in Macedonia, the stated purpose of which is to observe 
the border and discourage, by its presence, the spread of hostilities 
into Macedonia.
  Mr. President, on October 10, Army Specialist Michael New reported 
for duty without wearing the U.N. shoulder patch and beret he and his 
unit were issued to wear as part of their uniform while deployed in 
Macedonia. On October 17, Specialist New was charged for failure to 
obey a lawful order in violation of Article 92: Uniform Code of 
Military Justice.
  On January 23, 1996, the trial on the facts in the special court-
martial of Specialist Michael G. New began. On January 24, the court, 
composed of officers and enlisted personnel, found Specialist New 
guilty of the charged offense of failure to obey a lawful order to 
``wear the prescribed uniform for the deployment to Macedonia.'' He was 
found in violation of Article 92: Uniform Code of Military Justice.
  Specialist New was sentenced by the court-martial members to be 
discharged from the U.S. Army with a bad-conduct discharge.
  Mr. President, the situation that has resulted from Specialist New's 
actions has caused me great concern. As one who feels very strongly 
about this Nation's sovereignty and responsibilities placed on our 
Armed Forces to protect and defend this Nation, I find myself very 
frustrated with what has happened.
  Mr. President, my sympathy with his decision to refuse to wear the 
U.N. patch and hat does not change the fact that we must abide by the 
standards set by the military code of conduct if we are to assure order 
and fairness in the military. Our military must rely on strict chain of 
command and order. That is without a doubt.
  However, the men and women who have chosen to serve this Nation and 
the American people should not be put in a position which forces them 
to bear allegiance to any nation or organization other than the United 
States of America. Michael New made the decision to serve in the Armed 
Forces in order to defend the United States, not the United Nations.
  In order to address this situation, I introduced legislation that 
prevents any member of the U.S. Armed Forces from being required to 
wear, as part of their military uniform, any insignia of the United 
Nations.
  Mr. President, I hope that we can deal with this issue by proceeding 
in the legislative process with hearings on S. 1370, which now has 25 
cosponsors. In addition, there is still another, broader issue that 
must be addressed, and that is the use of U.S. Forces under U.N. 
command.
  Mr. President, I would just urge my colleagues to review S. 1370. We 
must not lose sight of the fact that the men and women who volunteered 
to serve in our Armed Forces, volunteered to defend the United States 
of America, not the United Nations.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from 
Virginia, Mr. Warner, be added as a cosponsor of S. 1370.

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