The number of conscientious objectors is on the rise: Here is how U.S. soldiers can apply to avoid being deployed to Iran
Operation Epic Fury has entered its second month and as more U.S. troops are being deployed the number of them saying they don’t want to go is increasing.
The United States Armed Forces continues to build up its military presence in the Middle East as part of the ongoing Operation Epic Fury against Iran. The US-Israeli war with the Islamic Republic has entered its second month and as the conflict drags on, President Donald Trump has not ruled out putting troops on the ground to secure the mission’s objectives.
However, as thousands more soldiers arrive at staging grounds and thousands more receive messages to prepare for deployment, groups that assist and defend service members who want to file conscientious objector (CO) claims have seen a “1,000%” uptick in inquiries.
Mike Prysner, an Iraq war veteran and director of the Center on Conscience and War, told Democracy Now! That the turning point for many calling in was the U.S. bombing of the girls’ elementary school in Minab on 28 February.
“I haven’t talked to any service member who said that they are scared of dying in a war that they don’t believe in. They’re scared of killing in a war that they don’t believe in. They’re scared of the long-term moral consequences of their actions in this moment right now,” he said.
What is a conscientious objector and who can file a CO claim?
The Department of Defense states in DoD Instruction 1300.6 that “a Service member’s objection may be founded on religious training or belief; it may also be based on personal beliefs that are purely moral or ethical in source or content and occupy to the Service member a place parallel to that filled by more traditional religious convictions.”
This objection must be “firm, fixed, and sincere” and “must be to all wars rather than a specific war.” A conscientious objector may be discharged from military service or placed in a different role in order to accomodate their objection to war. Service members can seek out help in filing a claim from organizations like the Center on Conscience and War or the GI Rights Hotline.
Prysner told Democracy Now! That they are talking with “many dozens and dozens and dozens of people,” some of whom submitted their conscientious objector claim “with hours to go before deployment.”
He noted that any soldier can file a CO claim but while the number of service members seeking help from his organization is “significant,” it’s “a small percentage compared to the number of people in the military.” However, he has found that as more people become aware of his organization, “the more people will be calling us to file this conscientious objection claim.”
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