Biography
Specialist Cliff Cornell was a U.S. Army soldier with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, who refused deployment to Iraq in early 2005 and fled to Canada. After Canadian authorities denied his refugee claim, he returned voluntarily to the United States in February 2009. Border authorities arrested him on February 4 and held him overnight in Whatcom County Jail before releasing him on February 5 to report to his unit. He subsequently performed regular Army duties while awaiting trial. On April 28, 2009, he pleaded guilty to desertion at Fort Stewart, received a one-year confinement sentence and a bad-conduct discharge, and was jailed. His confinement included the brig at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. His sentence was reduced by 30 days through clemency, and he was released on January 16, 2010.
Previous biography:
Specialist Cliff Cornell was a U.S. Army soldier with the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, who refused deployment to Iraq in early 2005 and fled to Canada. After Canadian authorities denied his refugee claim he returned voluntarily to the United States in February 2009. He was court-martialed at Fort Stewart in April 2009, convicted of desertion, and sentenced to one year in military confinement plus a bad-conduct discharge. He served his sentence at the Naval Consolidated Brig at Charleston.
