Email Larry's commander, Colonel Charles D. Cooley, Wing Commander, 521st AMOW at
M-RO-NAVSTA_Coastline@fe.navy.mil
Also contact the public affairs office:
Ramstein ~~~~~~~~~~
86 Airlift Wing Public Affairs office:
Email: 86AW.PA@us.af.mil
Mail: Bldg 2201, Unit 3300, APO, AE 09094
Phone: 49-6371-47-9108
Rota~~~~~~~~~~
Public Affairs Office
Naval Station Rota PSC 819 Box 1 Rota, Spain 09645
Email: M-RO-NAVSTA_Coastline@fe.navy.mil
Commercial: 34-956-82-1680
To: Colonel Charles D. Cooley, Wing Commander, 521st AMOW
Public Affairs Office, 521st AMOW.
The undersigned urge you to refrain from disciplining Airman Larry Hebert for allegations related to his free speech activities.
He has had an exemplary service record to the Air Force of over five years. Recently he, like millions of people around the world, found he could no longer ignore the suffering and death the U.S. is sponsoring in Gaza, nor his part in it.
As a career military professional, you can surely recognize the integrity and courage Airman Hebert exhibited by following his conscience, whether you agree with his views or not.
Taking authorized leave, he traveled to Washington, D.C., and courageously made his concerns known, strictly following DoD Instruction 1325.06, the primary regulations that govern free speech activities by active duty servicemembers. Unfortunately, his command revoked his authorized leave and his security clearance. Airman Hebert is now waiting to find out if he will be further punished for his lawful free speech activities.
Airman Hebert’s acts of lawful protest should be heard, not merit punishment, particularly given what Airman Hebert was protesting: the unlawful transfer of weapons to the state of Israel at this time by the US, in violation of federal statutes and international treaties, including:
The Foreign Assistance Act forbids the provision of assistance to a government which "engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”
Arms Export Control Act says countries receiving US military aid can only use weapons for legitimate self-defense and internal security. Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza goes way beyond self-defense and internal security.
The U.S. War Crimes Act forbids grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, including willful killing, torture, or inhuman treatment, willfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, and unlawful deportation or transfer perpetrated by the Israeli Occupying Forces.
The Leahy Law prohibits the U.S. Government from using funds for assistance to units of foreign security forces where there is credible information implicating
that unit in the commission of gross violations of human rights.
The Genocide Convention Implementation Act, which was enacted to implement U.S. obligations under the Genocide Convention, provides for criminal penalties for individuals who commit or incite others to commit genocide.
As in so many of our past conflicts, time will prove that our official policy was in error, and we will celebrate the brave people in our military who recognized it at the time and had the integrity and compassion to speak out and not ignore their consciences.
We urge you to do the following: 1. Recognize the fact that Airman Hebert’s free speech activities were in fact, lawful and remove all negative statements about these protests from his military records,
2. Honorably discharge Airman Hebert from the US Air Force.
Most Sincerely,