This is just so sad. The article does not say how many tours he had served already but he was desperate not to return again.

A soldier trying to avoid redeployment to Iraq had a friend shoot him in the leg and then claimed he had been wounded in a holdup, authorities said.

The 20-year-old old man from of Apple Valley limped into a minimart about 9:30 p.m. Sunday and reported he had been walking on a golf course when a gunman stole his wallet and military identification and shot him in the right thigh, authorities said.

Some of these kids are on their fourth and fifth tours now. Less than 1% of the nation is actually involved in fighting in Iraq. The demographics of the military indicate that 1% come primarily from rural America.