Schofield soldier
acquitted overseas

Staff Sgt. William Pace is deemed
not guilty of dereliction of duty

A Schofield Barracks soldier serving in Afghanistan has successfully defended himself at a court-martial where he was charged with dereliction of duty when he asked to be reassigned as a squad leader.

Staff Sgt. William Pace, 35, faced an Army court-martial in Kandahar on Aug. 2, according to Maj. Stacy Bathrick, 25th Division spokeswoman in Bagram. He was charged with dereliction of duty and conduct prejudicial to good order and discipline.

Bathrick said Pace, 35, "was found not guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and will not be punished for his alleged misconduct."

Pace was reassigned to the battalion's headquarters company, working as a security guard for the airfield.

Bathrick said Pace's new assignment was because "he told his command he was not qualified to serve as an infantry squad leader, so he was reassigned to another billet more in keeping with his abilities."

Since arriving in Afghanistan, Pace was a squad leader -- responsible for nine soldiers who were tasked with responding to any signs of trouble. Those jobs could range from reinforcing a base under siege, to securing a downed aircraft, to rescuing soldiers ambushed in a convoy attack.

The Stars and Stripes reported that testimony during the court-martial showed that Pace went to his platoon sergeant, Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Pentz, on May 10 and told him he wanted to step down as leader of the 2nd squad.

However, Pace, according to court testimony, crossed the line in the eyes of his commander when on the following evening he gathered his men in a tent on the Kandahar flight line and told the squad he was thinking of giving up his job.

"This is not a job at Wal-Mart," Capt. Brett Egusa, the chief prosecutor, told the military judge, Col. Stephanie Browne, according to the newspaper. "At Wal-Mart someone can quit as the cashier, and it doesn't matter. Someone else just fills in."

But not in the Army, said Egusa. "You can't quit in the infantry." The consequence, he argued, was sending "a message you no longer have to do what you're told." The risk: The whole Army could just "decide to step down."

Pace did not testify at his court-martial and has not said what prompted his decision.

During the court-martial, Pace's attorney, Capt. Paul Golden, argued that although Pace's actions were outside of Army tradition, the soldier did the right thing, the newspaper reported.

"They don't like that he requested to step down, but that doesn't make it criminal," said Golden. "In fact, you could argue that it was the responsible thing to do, as was telling his men."

The military judge did not explain why she did not convict Pace.