Surviving sisters opt out of combat

Associated Press
Apr. 28, 2004 
 

The two Wisconsin sisters of a female soldier killed this month in Baghdad said Tuesday that they will not rejoin their Army National Guard units in Iraq.
 

The Pentagon gave Spc. Rachel Witmer, 24, and Sgt. Charity Witmer, 20, the option of finishing their service without returning to their tightknit units in a war zone.  Their sister, Spc. Michelle Witmer, 20, was killed April 9 when her Humvee was attacked. Michelle, Charity's twin, served in the same military police unit as Rachel. The sisters had been weighing their options at home in New Berlin, Wis., since accompanying their sister's body back from Iraq for her funeral April 16. They said at the time that they were torn between their two families: the one in Wisconsin and their military family in Iraq.  They said their decision not to return was in part because of

Rachel (center) and Charity Witmer  (right), sisters of slain Michelle,  (left), will not return to combat.

the Army's concern that the media attention might make the  women and their units targets.

The sisters had been weighing their options at home in New Berlin, Wis., since accompanying their sister's body back from Iraq for her funeral April 16.

They said at the time that they were torn between their two families: the one in Wisconsin and their military family in Iraq. They said their decision not to return was in part because of the Army's concern that the media attention might make the women and their units targets.