Suzanne Swift is the Army specialist who went AWOL last spring, refusing to return to Iraq with seniors who she claims had sexually abused her during her first tour of duty there. SPC Swift lives in Eugene but is confined at Ft. Lewis, WA, pending legal proceedings.
On September 12, a group from Camp Democracy in Washington, DC, including our own BC Dem, Leah Bolger, visited the offices of Rep. Peter DeFazio on Capitol Hill. They demanded that he initiate an investigation into Suzanne's treatment and that he call on the Army to grant Suzanne an honorable discharge with full medical benefits to treat her post traumatic stress disorder which has resulted from her exposure to the horrors of war in Iraq and from her rape and sexual harrassment.
While DeFazio was out of the office on travel, the group, including members of Iraq Veterans Against the War, met with senior DeFazio staff and were quite pleased with their reception. Here's the press release Camp Democracy issued following the meeting--A bit more optimistic than the feedback from DeFazio's staff, but both sides agree the meeting was a success. See this excellent piece in the Corvallis Gazette-Times for a recap of the meeting and additional background.
If you would like to help ensure Rep. DeFazio presses the Army hard on this issue, please call his office at: (202)225-6416 or toll-free (in OR): 1-800-944-9603. In fact, a call to Ron Wyden's office wouldn't hurt either (202)224-5244. A letter to the Army signed by both would really help move things along.