It has happened before and unfortunately could happen again.

Lets hope not though!!

We should enact the draft.
If we did the war in Iraq would end in 6 months!

I'm of the exact same opinion, there would be riots in the streets!

The United States is a fake democracy

Dont pledge allegience to a flag

Pledge allegience to The One True God

If this nation of couch generals were moving pieces around on the oil map with their children's faces painted on them instead of faceless volunteers, my guess is they would sicken of this chit real quick!

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heck I'll even give you a

draft no way

should just go from graduation to boot camp

no draft just mandatory service

That'll work!

Here's one for you too baby........

Where's jax!!!!

It is not a soldier on active duty's place to debate politics.
To allow it will undermine authority and discipline.
This will weaken the military and would be irreversible without reverting to firing squads.

While I admire this soldiers fortitude, he must understand this and be prepared to suffer the consequences of his stance. If not then it is not even fortitude. Making a statement against the war in this way, and then trying to avoid the consequences by reasoning your way out is defeatist and contradictory!

He should ETS from the service and then join our efforts to bring his brothers home.
As is he should either shut-up and take his punishment or strap-on his LBE, lock and load, and go do his duty!

I get the impression that the young man knows he's headed for a cell, but he's going to use what publicity he can get to shed light on what he's seen and why he's ignoring his deployment orders.

The Iraq/Afghanistan winters soldier conference was sad, scary and it made me sick to my stomach at times.

Seeing how its Iraq I can almost sympathize with him.
If it were Afghanistan, which I believe is a legitimate war, Id have no compassion for him at all.
I might even call for him to be placed before a firing squad!

I'm therefore torn, but the military cant just allow this to go unpunished. I reread the OP, and he does understand this and isn't trying to avoid the inevitable so all is good!

I wonder why the military didn't just transfer him to a unit being deployed to Afghanistan. At least it may have shut him up. Now they have a media event happening around this!

He's been in the service for 6 yrs so he must have re-uped.

Knowing he could be sent to Iraq, and now complaining just doesnt make sense. Why didnt he just ETS?..

I guess he could be in the active reserves and being sent back under stop-loss.
Bush is screwing these boys by not enacting the draft, but he knows what would happen if he did, and is avoiding it at the price of putting too much sacrifice on too few.
These boys and their families are stressed to a breaking point.

he may have not been able to get out

they have extended service terms because of the wars

We must be typing at the same time adj!!

as a society, yes we have the right to voice our opinions. However, what the majority of the ountry does nt realize is this: when you raise your hand and swear your oath to serve in the military, you are foregoing certain rights that you would otherwise have. If you do nt agree with doing so, then you should not raise your hand and agree to serve. it is that simple.

Now, the military does have a clause for you to disobey an order if you feel it is an illegal order (for example to kill anunarmed, and unthreatening civilian). However, the burden of proof is on the soldier who refuses the order.
And as far as stating the war itself is nt lawful, the soldier does not have the authority to decide that. There is no way in hell he is going to be able to show beyond a doubt that the war is illegal (no matter what popular opinion might state), and thus he is guilty of treason and he is awol.

Full penalties should be given.



and yes, I have served my country on foriegn soil and know what I am talking about not just from text book, but also from first hand experience.

me2

for the most part, yes.

An American Soldier, by definition, is not an American Citizen, insofar as the constitutional rights are involved. You literally sign a waiver, waiving certain rights and freedoms when you enlist in the military. This is because, the military as a whole needs to act decisively in any and lal circumstances, and can not succeed if each soldier is stopping to question their orders.

Close but not quite true Kartma..

A soldier who believes an order is illegal, can by all means refuse that order. He is then required to prove it was illegal (keep in mind however, that during war, and under fire, if you refuse an order, you can be executed on the spot).

A soldier is NOT allowed to refuse an order simply because it endangers himself or his team mates (war is dangerous!!!)