United States: Adventist Marine, Jailed Over Non-Combatant Request, Released From Brig Early

Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, United States …. [Mark A. Kellner/ANN]

Marine Private Joel David Klimkewicz, court-martialed in December 2004 in a dispute over his request for non-combatant status, will be released from a jail at the U.S. Marine Corps base at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, today, Adventist church attorney Mitchell Tyner said.

Klimkewicz, 24, was a combat engineer with the 2nd Combat Engineer Battalion, with headquarters at Camp Lejeune, and was convicted on a charge of refusing to obey an order from a commanding officer who asked that the Marine pick up a weapon. Klimkewicz, whose military performance and personal life underwent a drastic and positive change after a Christian conversion, joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church in October 2002, then re-enlisted for another tour of duty. After that time, the then-lance corporal learned that non-combatancy is the church’s recommendation, and, upon personal reflection, came to the conclusion that he could not take up a weapon to kill another person. He then asked for assignments where he could serve without carrying a weapon, volunteering, for example, to work on clearing landmines in Iraq.

The Marine Corps refused his request, culminating in the court martial that reduced Klimkewicz’s rank, led to a bad conduct discharge, and a felony conviction record following the jail sentence. Such actions are not common in the military, which will most often separate a service member if an accommodation cannot be made.

The moves against Klimkewicz drew international attention including major media coverage in the United States and overseas. Two members of the United States Congress spoke up on the Marine’s behalf — Rep. Dale E. Kildee of Michigan, and Rep. Roscoe G. Bartlett of Maryland.

Rep. Bartlett held several meetings with Marine Corps officials on the matter. An aide told ANN that Rep. Bartlett is happy to hear of Klimkewicz’s early release.

At the same time, Klimkewicz’s attorneys will seek to overturn the Marine Corps’ court-martial verdict, clearing the young man’s name and permanent record.

“We are delighted to have Joel out of the brig, and continue our efforts to get his unjust conviction overturned,” said Tyner.

“This situation needs to be closely examined so the Marine Corps doesn’t tarnish its reputation further,” said Richard O. Stenbakken, a retired U.S. Army chaplain and Seventh-day Adventist church pastor who, until recently, headed Chaplaincy Ministries for the world church.

With an estimated 13.4 million members and approximately 114,000 congregations in 203 countries and areas of the world, the Seventh-day Adventist Church has long advocated nonviolence and peaceful solutions to conflicts. The church supports noncombatancy for its members who serve in the military, but leaves such decisions to individual members.

Copyright © 2005 by Adventist News Network.