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Posted on Wed, Jun. 09, 2004
Protest group: troops improperly involved in Bush rally
Associated Press
LA CROSSE, Wis. - The U.S. Army Reserve Command is reviewing a complaint about the involvement of troops from Fort McCoy when President Bush held a campaign rally in La Crosse May 7, a base spokeswoman says.
Because of the pending review, "it's inappropriate to comment at this time," Fort McCoy spokeswoman Linda Fournier told the La Crosse Tribune, as reported in Wednesday's edition.
A group called Coulee Region Concerned Citizens, whose members protested Bush's appearance, filed a complaint with the Army about the involvement of soldiers in the campaign rally held at Copeland Park.
The group complained that Col. Danny Nobles, garrison commander at Fort McCoy, attended the rally in his Army uniform.
The group has also asked for an investigation into whether the fort's civilian executive officer, Al Fournier, attended the rally on work time.
The Army needs "to send the message that we don't endorse political candidates," said Al Novotne, a retired Army major and ethics counselor at Fort McCoy who said he was speaking out as a private citizen, not on behalf of the military.
Linda Fournier, the wife of Al Fournier, said Nobles and her husband would have no comment.
Members of a Minnesota National Guard unit training at Fort McCoy and other fort personnel also attended.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars District 11 "sponsored" the soldiers' trip and provided white T-shirts emblazoned with an American flag to 500 troops, according to the Wisconsin VFW News. The back of the shirts said, "I am an American soldier."
The troops were observed walking and running in formation at the park.
Novotne said appearing at a campaign event in uniform is "strictly prohibited" by the Army.
La Crosse County Republican Party Chairman Chris Muller has defended the soldiers' attendance at the rally. He said Fort McCoy soldiers contacted the GOP about getting tickets.
"The Bush campaign provided those soldiers with tickets so they could show their support for their commander-in-chief before getting shipped out to fight the war on terrorism," Muller said. "They were not in uniform."
Merrill Hughes Smith, a spokeswoman for Bush-Cheney '04, said the president's campaign was glad to have Nobles attend.
"We are honored that Col. Nobles was there to shake the president's hand," she said.
She declined comment on whether the Bush campaign has any policy about using uniformed service members at campaign events.
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Information from: La Crosse Tribune, http://www.lacrossetribune.com