Chelsea Manning has been freed from the Fort Leavenworth military prison, according to a US Army spokesperson:
In January she tweeted that she wanted to move to Maryland after being released, a state where she previously lived. On Monday she tweeted: "Two more days until the freedom of civilian life ^_^ Now hunting for private #healthcare like millions of Americans =P".
Manning will remain on active army duty while her military court conviction remains under appeal. She will have healthcare benefits but will be unpaid, the army says. An online campaign set up by her attorney has raised $150,000 (£115,725) to pay for her living expenses for the first year after her release. If the appeal is denied, she could be dishonourably discharged from the army, US media say.
The mentioned Chelsea Manning Welcome Home Fund. Also at NPR, NYT, and CNN.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday May 18 2017, @06:59AM
What? Hey, where are my free health benefits? How come soldiers get that and civilians don't?
They are not free, health benefits are part of the employment contract between the state and the soldier.
So what's the military plan for an enemy like Climate Change? Deny that it's a problem? Throw up their hands and say that's one for civilians to handle?
Uhhh.... yes? These are radically different spheres of expertise we are talking about, operating military hardware does not exactly have transferable skills in climate research or political science.