‘Illegal Occupation’: US Soldier Refuses To Deploy To Iraq
"My decision is based on my desire to no longer continue violating my core values to support an illegal and unconstitutional occupation... I refuse to participate in the Iraq occupation."
When the going gets tough, throw in the towel.
The pattern of quiting will define his life.
judiMay 16th, 2008 - 5:18 pm
I am happy that this louse joined the army and received their benefits for 6 years and then deceides he doesn’t want to go to war. Well too bad that’s not up to him. If he wasn’t in the army where would he be? He was a poor student. He might be on the streets. Many of us have obligations that we must carry through.
Yes I have family in the military so no comments about not knowing what’s involved.
J AvantMay 16th, 2008 - 7:40 pm
This guy can’t quit. He’s needed to make sure our empire stays strong all over the world! We can’t have soldiers who think for themselves!
SteveMay 16th, 2008 - 9:33 pm
He’ll have a good time in Levenworth with that harcut. And he WILL be there within a few weeks, this isn’t going to be a civilian trial, Jonnie Cochran rest his soul, couldn’t help him if he was alive…
AnitaMay 16th, 2008 - 9:59 pm
Why join the Army to protect and serve then turn around and say you want to pick and choose where?
Get him out of the army and let him work at Mcdonalds.
Kevin AndrewsMay 16th, 2008 - 10:41 pm
This is not a story. No matter whether this is a selfish desire for publicity, an act of cowardice or passionate political protest, all military forces for time and memorial have had deserters and this should be treated as nothing different.
The media coverage of this individual is likely a proxy political argument.
“The medium is the message” — Marshall McLuhan
MikeMay 16th, 2008 - 10:52 pm
Doesn’t the guy standing in the background look like Robert DeNiro?
TerryMay 16th, 2008 - 11:22 pm
He’s good looking, got incredible chiseled features, and he’s very well spoken. Send him to Hollywood!
PatMay 16th, 2008 - 11:26 pm
You know our civilization, like the Romans, is in the midst of decline when our military gives voice (or jobs) to cowards.
JP VanderbiltMay 17th, 2008 - 12:13 am
He didn’t seem to have a problem accepting the Army’s paychecks.
Is he giving them back?
StanMay 17th, 2008 - 1:25 am
There’s something wrong with this story. That’s clearly not a military haircut, so he’s either been AWOL or he’s a reservist called up to active duty. The lack of details and the anti-war press release nature of the AFP makes this entire thing suspect.
TimMay 17th, 2008 - 1:50 am
As a former soldier, I think it’s amusing that this guy says this now. He clearly joined during a time that our country was presented with problems that we had never faced. He knew what he was getting into when he signed on the dotted line. And he’s been missing from active duty for way over 30 days already with this haircut, there is a lot more to this story than told, but the left media will not tell you what kind of soldier this guy truly is. His duty is to defend, serve, protect, and obey the President, Country, and the Constitution. He’s doing none of these, the Constitution states the President and Congress can send the Troops to War, so doing what he’s doing is unconstitutional. He’s just lazy, and quite frankly being a coward, don’t go and let your battle buddies to the left and right of you go instead–great Soldier this guy is.
J HuttingtonMay 17th, 2008 - 2:52 am
It seems that Ron Paul’s Revolution has gone way deeper than thought earlier. The only Republican who is against the war in the presidential race and the only man who actually knows the economy. He was the one who pointed out this was an illegal unconstitutional war. Hes also known as Dr. No in Congress.
How come this kind of things in the great majority of the cases, they come from the ARMY???
Well they want a army of one aren’t they ???
AlexMay 17th, 2008 - 3:29 am
This young man is a true American hero. It takes guts to stand up to a massive, corrupt system and say “NO”. It is every U.S. soldier’s duty to refuse to fight in an illegal war; one that is not Constitutional, which our occupation of Iraq clearly isn’t.
AlexMay 17th, 2008 - 5:27 am
It says in the article, he was from a poor background with little education, the army could provide this. Isn’t there something wrong with the country when someone feels they have to join a force to kill people in their own country to gain an education and money. The system is all based around taking violence to another side of the world.
Respect to this man for standing up for his own, and the Iraqi’s constitutional right to not kill within an illegal war.
It’s not about throwing in the towel, as it said in the article, he has fought in lots of places, and he is not denying his job, he is denying being a part of an occupation that should not have occurred. There is no immediate threat to the west, the majority of these people are just trying to live their lives with an American (and British) occupation.
Good job standing up to let people know about the problem that is this oil-based war.
wardMay 17th, 2008 - 6:20 am
These guys are so screwed. People have NO IDEA what Ft. Levenworth is. IT IS A MILITARY PRISON…
thats right, bootcamp everyday for 20+ years. He would have been better to have shut his trap and serve his year in Iraq than to now be on his way to the a MILITARY PRISON.
This is so damn funny. The cowards are going to regret this day for the rest of their lives. I hate cowards who run away after many, many BRAVE men have sacraficed for our freedoms. Levenworth is the JUST sentence for COWARDS.
KevinMay 17th, 2008 - 6:32 am
Sorry to say he should not have joined the military if he wanted a personal say in what wars he chooses to be legal. Congress and the President are the only ones who can decied these things if soliders got to choose what battles to fight there would be no one showing up to WAR. War is terrible and sorry to say I don’t beleieve this war is just but he still need to be court martialed and sent to jail a bit.
Why countless americans sacraficed there lifes in the military and it needs to be strict if it’s going enforce any kind of order. I wonder if his liberal friends realize what this is going to do to his life. He’s going to prison
breaking little rocks in big rocks. This guy is the perfect example case that the goverment chomps at the bit for.
ronskiMay 17th, 2008 - 9:16 am
Actually he looks like he’d have a gay time in Fort Leavenworth. THEN he’ll be ready for H’wood!
MartinMay 17th, 2008 - 10:06 am
Yeah, I seriously doubt the news will cater to your smug self when you’re trying to deliver your little speech from the 6×4 cell in Leavenworth! I got a chance to visit that hellhole when I served in the Marines. I guarantee they’ll take GREAT care of you there!
I was a poor white boy too. I made myself a tool for “pres” Clinton for 8 years. You should really change your little attitude and get back with your troops. You call yourself a Sgt. You’re a traitor, and a disgrace.
Oh, and tell tht panty-waste in the picture supporting you to remove those honorable medals from his chest.
JohnMay 17th, 2008 - 10:07 am
How many of you Bozo’s critizing this guy would shoot kids down if “ordered” to? Or confiscate guns from American citizens, like in Katrina?
We need more guys like this standing up to these clowns that claim to be our “leaders”.
Peter WaineMay 17th, 2008 - 10:19 am
How dare this guy refuse to get himself killed or refuse to kill others for the Oil barrons and Corporate and Banking elite…some one tell this guy that he is just a dumb animal to be used in goverment foreign policy….yeah tell him again Mr Kissinger…This Gi should know his place. Cant have this white trash refusing to take part in our 300 billion dollar (and rising)war scam… Jesus what will happen if they all start doing it?
J. AlejandroMay 17th, 2008 - 10:34 am
I want to see if any of all the people behind this sap are going to help him, after he gets a dishonorable discharge, and can’t get a decent job.
the DudeMay 17th, 2008 - 11:56 am
If he doesn’t want to go, we don’t need him. Simply put him on trial for treason and have him shot.
sfmc98May 17th, 2008 - 12:11 pm
I don’t care what any piece of paper a person signs, they don’t have a moral obligation to kill others and do themselves physical and mental harm.
Should he be legally prosecuted? Yes, because he broke the law. But to condemn him for his conscience and call him a coward is shameful. He is anything but.
A coward is someone who knows what the right thing is but doesn’t do it for fear of reprisal. He could be in Canada right now but he’s going to take his licks. I wish we had 100,000 more like him.
TheWhigsMay 17th, 2008 - 12:22 pm
“He is a traitor. His interview will now be propaganda. It appears that he is a National Guardsman. He is a coward and a cheat. He signed up for all the benefits of what the military has to offer. He now turns around and spits on his buddys. I hope this follows him his entire life. He isn’t a hero.”
Well said by a true Tory, Kairenn. The country needs more robots in the military to do exactly as they’re told, rather than be concerned with the orders they are given.
Y’know, the Nazi soldiers did as they were told too. So, is what they did right? Should they have continued to slaughter people for their heritage because they had orders to do so?
Please read Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense”. Believe it or not, many of the thoughts presented in that text can be applied to the current government today. Not all, but quite a bit.
Doing what you’re told without understanding does not make you a hero or a patriot. But defying orders you believe to be morally wrong, especially with the entire nation attacking you for it, is courageous.
Now, a few of you “patriots” and vets will slam me for this. Fine. It is your right to do so. But my question is, when have YOU gone against the norm, with EVERYONE IN THE NATION standing against you, standing up for what you believe in? You may not agree with him, but I doubt you have the moral fortitude to do the same if you were found in conflict with your own beliefs. You’d just follow orders and pull the trigger, wouldn’t you?
Good riddance to this scared little boy…because the good soldiers fighting the good fight wouldn’t want his sorry butt anywhere near them.
He should be made to repay all cash incentives he received from the military. I wouldn’t bother prosecuting his worthless butt…Just kick him out with a dishonorable discharge, and get back to helping the soldiers who matter.
xdemMay 17th, 2008 - 1:54 pm
All Volunteer Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, And Reserves! This guy is every thing you can expect from a liberal! Vote for obama and you will get a rosie odonnell! Or just another moe on the “Down Low”.
realmanMay 17th, 2008 - 2:02 pm
Pussies…
“they made me join… Waaaaa Haaaaa… I want my mommy.. Waaaaaa Haaaa…..
JWTMay 17th, 2008 - 2:18 pm
This story is not worth the media attention it is getting. It’s obviously a staged event by the libs. Ho-hum. Hope he enjoys his deployment to Leavenworth.
shinMay 17th, 2008 - 2:28 pm
That’s great. Volunteer and make your way up the military hierarchy, collecting a paycheck from the taxpayers each and every week. Then, when your point of view doesn’t fit with your orders, simply ignore them.
We’ve been paying this guy because we believed that when the time would come that we would rely on him, he’d be there to do the job. I say that if he wants to avoid going to war, that’s fine. We don’t want folks like him in the battlefield anyhow. But, he should have to pay back every dime he collected from the government, with interest.
TexanMay 17th, 2008 - 4:00 pm
Enoy Leavenworth you yellow coward.
J. AmorosMay 17th, 2008 - 6:17 pm
Poor useful idiot, another dupe of the left. He admits, “I did badly in school” and all of a sudden he is a legal and constitutional scholar!
KairennMay 17th, 2008 - 7:38 pm
I get to make an opinion. I am a Navy vet, the daughter of a Korean Army vet, the sister of 2 Navy vets, the mother of an Army vet, the mother in law of a soldier leaving for Iraq in August.
He is a traitor. His interview will now be propaganda. It appears that he is a National Guardsman. He is a coward and a cheat. He signed up for all the benefits of what the military has to offer. He now turns around and spits on his buddys. I hope this follows him his entire life. He isn’t a hero.
Quit Pulling PostMay 17th, 2008 - 7:51 pm
The soldier figured out he was in the negro army. When my son joined he wrote and told us the army was all negros and illegal mexicans now. I wrote him back and told him the negros were Americans at least and he better muster. I told him the reason the mexicans are there is because the white folks have killed off all their babys because of brainwashing by the heb rews.
dswilliMay 17th, 2008 - 8:21 pm
This clown has been listening to the wrong people. We’ll see how often his left wing pals visit him at Leavenworth.
MaxMay 17th, 2008 - 8:56 pm
Not only should HE do what he is told everybody should do what he or she is told.When I was in the Army we had to learn the Chain of Command. It started at the bottom with the squad leader, the platoon leader, ecetera and at the top went up to 5-Star General then to President and then God. We were told the President takes orders only from God.
So to all you members of the 101st Typewriter Brigade out their condemming this jerk, I say to you, you are the true Heroes and Heroesses. You are the Backbone of this great country. Type, type, type. Type and sweat and type and sweat. No matter what the Libs tell you, God’s no dummy. He knows when you are typing and when you are goofing off or looking at gay porn. He tells the President these things. It doesn’t matter that many of you don’t like President Bush. He is the President. You have to do what he says.
xdemMay 17th, 2008 - 10:03 pm
To (quit pulling post) First off Black people make up 14% of the population in America and in the army they make up 14% which is down 41% over the past 5 years over all they make up 13% of all military personnel. A larger pecent of blacks choose to stay longer in the military. The overwhelming number of people in the military are white. And all those who have choosen to serve our country honorably are to be respected and are owed the thanks of all free living peoples of our country and those they defend.
Ben ThairMay 18th, 2008 - 12:55 am
J. Alejandro said: “I want to see if any of all the people behind this sap are going to help him, after he gets a dishonorable discharge, and can’t get a decent job.”
J. is so right. Do anything “they” tell you rather than risk not getting a decent job. Why, J. Alejandro would blow up an orphanage, kill unborn children, kick dogs, stab his mother in the heart, stab himself in the genitals, participate in an illegal war — anything at all lest he or she risk not getting a decent job. Rather a decent job than a decent person, that’s the ticket.
Fortunately it’s a myth. I used to work at a job helping vets (I am one myself). From my own experience, I can tell you that vets who had bad discharges are working as commercial pilots, lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, truck drivers, ministers and just about everything else. It is true that they will probably not be hired by the federal government or the huge companies. People who have been imprisoned for their stance against war include all of the above plus former Poet Laureate Robert Lowell, Genius Grant winner Brother Antonius, Dr. Howard Levy, Norman Thomas, Bayard Rustin, writer David Harris, Eugene Debs, Art Director Bob Cato, administrator Dan Seeger, tailor Hiskias Möttö, jazz drummer Steve Reid, psychology professor Dale Noyd (who had been an instructor at the Air Force Academy) and on and on.
Bob BrowneMay 18th, 2008 - 1:34 am
Where can Isend a check to contribute to his defence fund?
btxusaMay 18th, 2008 - 1:42 am
I recommend you all see “Sir! No, Sir!”
This young man is doing the right thing regardless of what will happen to him. He deserves praise, not criticism.
It’s time our country stands up for bringing our soldiers home. The only Iraqi’s who want to keep us there are those who are making money off the occupation. If we quit sending them money, you’ll see how quickly THEY kick us out. (Didn’t GWB say that when they ask us to leave, we’ll leave?)
Real AmericanMay 18th, 2008 - 2:42 am
You can’t change some peoples minds, but this guy, I say, put him in prison until he gets motivated to go. So many are so proud of what this trader has done. What other obligation will he refuse? That’s your kid, not mine. It’s the same thing. He chose to do something and when the obligation became real he wants out. TAKE CARE OF THE COUNTRY AS YOU SHOULD, OR GO TO JAIL. No one made you volunteer, and like any contract YOU SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. It’s really hard to believe that someone is going to look at this TRADER as a role model. This is appalling.
USA68May 18th, 2008 - 2:55 am
It’s time civilians caught up with the military. Of all the presidential candidates, Ron Paul and Barrack Obam got the most campaign contributions from members of the military. Why? Do you think that the men and women in the military are weak minded dupes? Or could it be that those two candidates both advocated pulling the troops out?
And why does a Military Times (hardly a liberal rag) poll show that 46.1% of the active duty soldiers believe that the US should not have gone to war in Iraq and that a full 1/3 of all members said they don’t think there will be success? 63.4% of all respondents say that the Iraq Armyis 3-10 years away from being ready and 12% say it will take longer. Only 4 in 10 approve of the job the CIC is doing. 43% say we should immediately reduce troop levels, 18% to below 50k and nearly 10% for complete withdrawal immediately?.
Hang the TradersMay 18th, 2008 - 3:03 am
Real American wrote: “It’s really hard to believe that someone is going to look at this TRADER as a role model.”
Yes, but Real American, he’s not only a TRADER but a day trader. Heck, he’s probably a horse trader, a baseball card trader, a fur trader and shops at Trader Joe’s and hung out at Trader Joe’s.
PatriciaMay 18th, 2008 - 3:22 am
Lousy man, lousy recruit, lousy publicity-seeking stunt. I wish him the very worst. Thinks he’s a victim because someone finally asked him to do what he promised to do. Go rot.
J. AlejandroMay 18th, 2008 - 6:14 am
Ben Thair You are right I would “blow up an orphanage, kill unborn children, kick dogs, stab his mother in the heart, stab himself in the genitals, participate in an illegal war” if I guaranteed that you and your ilk will be among the victims! And bring your mother too!
HollandMay 18th, 2008 - 1:50 pm
Die for a lie
JohnMay 18th, 2008 - 4:47 pm
I’m happy to see that there are a few people left who are real Americans like this hero and Michael New. I’ve lost three men in my family to needless U.N. wars. Everyone needs to start reading the Constitution and follow it.
MMSJune 16th, 2008 - 1:18 pm
Next he will run for office in the DEMOCRAT PARTY and they will clap and cheer for the “strength” of this punk, you watch.
When the going gets tough, throw in the towel.
The pattern of quiting will define his life.