based on the reason that they believe the war in Iraq is immoral?
do you support them or are you against? whats your take?
thanks
What do you think of Soldiers/people in the military that go AWOL because they don’t want to go back to Iraq?
21
Mar
besgwineboogie
March 21, 2010 at 8:53 pm
They are criminals. The Army makes it very 0obvious what you are signing up for and swear to do.
Retired Navy Returns
March 21, 2010 at 9:41 pm
As a retired sailor who did my duty, I say that they should all be shot for desertion.
jgray7500
March 21, 2010 at 10:10 pm
I could understand if they were drafted, but they signed up for what they got.
Maybe they entered before the war, but they should have taken into account that war is a possibility.
I am personally against the war in Iraq, but my answer is the same.
SFC_Ollie
March 21, 2010 at 11:01 pm
Anyone who is in the military today and claims the Iraqi war is immoral is a liar. Probably a coward who is afraid to go back. They enlisted or re-enlisted sometime after the war started. Nuff said.
SFC
US Army
Retired
Grapes
March 21, 2010 at 11:02 pm
They should be punished…they weren’t drafted. It was their choice to join the military and if you believe war is immoral then you would not have joined the military. I don’t support going AWOL because of the war in Iraq.
God bless the USA and our Troops!!
Doc
March 21, 2010 at 11:24 pm
They should be tried and convicted on a number of charges, the least of which would be failure to follow a lawful order and missing movement. When they raised their right and and swore an oath to follow the orders of those appointed over them, to uphold and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies, both foreign and domestic, they had to know that at some point, they would be ordered to do something they wouldn’t like. They have the right to say “No, I won’t do it.” But with that right comes responsibility and accountability. Those guys pulling this garbage are cowards.
tboznchilli
March 22, 2010 at 12:10 am
they are cowards, plain and simple.
Vick B
March 22, 2010 at 12:25 am
If a soldier goes awol or deserts, lemme say this.
I won’t miss them and I certainly don’t like having members in my unit that are not into the cause.
I go back for my third time in a week or so, not sure but, keep the pansies and wimps away from me and my men.
Dan M
March 22, 2010 at 12:55 am
While I can certainly sympathize with service persons that are fed up with the war, disagree with it, or are demoralized by being held for two and three additional deployments beyond the end of their contracts, there is simply no acceptable excuse for an American service person to go AWOL.
When you sign up for the military, you take an oath to duty. You also sign a contract that very clearly stipulates what you’re signing up for and what the rules are for staying in. Part of those commitments are to surrender a part of the freedoms for which you fight. You are not allowed to criticize the administration while in uniform, or to express any negative opinions about the missions to which you are assigned. Unless you are an officer whose command requires candid assessments of on-the-ground situations (in which case you would be compelled to give an honest assessment, say, about whether or not a certain objective was a viable goal), you are expected to keep your personal and political opinions to yourself. The morale structure of the entire organization depends upon it.
It is our duty as citizens to assure that our representation respects our desires as a people when it comes to entering and resolving conflicts with other nations. If we go somewhere that proves ill-advised or even unjust, it is not the fault of our military. They have an immensely difficult job, and they do it with remarkable skill and professionalism, based on what we ask of them. If we ask something of them that’s wrong or unduly difficult (like invading Iraq with insufficient troops and armor, and with expectations of being met with little resistance and being hailed as liberators), that is not the fault of the military – it is the fault of our intelligence and civilian leadership.
But that being said, even if the people fail the military by creating situations that are an immense hardship to service persons (like the financial and marital pressures created by unending service commitments), it is the duty of every U.S. service person to find the courage and resources to stay with the mission, and to not abandon their fellows during war time.
If you don’t wish to serve, don’t sign up in the first place. Once you do, you are expected to honor your commitment. Period.
RS
March 22, 2010 at 1:05 am
If you raised your right hand and signed on the dotted line. There is no excuse and I cannot support them. If someone wants to be a conscientious objector, whatever (as long as you still deploy). Do I agree with the reasons we invaded Iraq? No. However, I’m in the Army, I do what I’m told and I don’t ask questions. I will do whatever our leaders think we should do even if I disagree. If I’m given a tasking that I believe is impossible, well, then I will give my best effort in trying to accomplish that impossible task. Bottom line, there is no “because I don’t want to”. That excuse doesn’t go far in the military. If you challenge your superiors on it, you WILL lose, and that’s the way it should be. Going AWOL is almost as severe as treason in my opinion. Treason is betraying the nation, going AWOL is turning your back on the fellow members of your unit. It is selfish, it is against every branch’s values, and it is a crime.
saylorkc
March 22, 2010 at 1:58 am
Give them a BCD and move on to those who want to be there. Anything else is just a waste of time.
wolfpack1jmb
March 22, 2010 at 2:52 am
It doesn’t matter if you agree to it or what it is, just or unjust; you signed the contract and took an oath, so suck it up and do your job.
That should tell you what I think of them.
drillsgtsgirl
March 22, 2010 at 3:39 am
Personally, I think they are raging idiots. Don’t sign if you don’t want to serve.
However, that is not the only reason people go awol, Some do it for a girl or guy. I knew a woman that went awol because she didn’t have custody of her kids, so she just took off to see them. There are many reasons, and while I can understand some of them it doesn’t make them right or justified.
You know what you are getting into when you sign up, no question about it.
Bella
March 22, 2010 at 3:55 am
While I agree it was their choice to sign up for the military I very much disagree that they knew what they were signing up for at the time they did. The army does not make it clear AT ALL what you are signing up for. What, they make clear that you are joining it to defend your country? Yes they do that indeed. But what they don’t make clear is that on the time of a war you’ll be deployed to God knows where and that you have more possibility of dying or becoming mentally ill than of surviving. No, they are not criminals, to the person who said so above me, they are military puppets doing what the government orders them to do. And can you blame them when the don’t want to go back to see the horrors of war, to see your military friends and innocent people from both sides dying all around? And when they have to follow irrational military orders like running a kid over on the road if they see one, because some kids are being used as decoys to slow down the convoys? (This is actually true about the war in Iraq). No, I wouldn’t blame them If they wanted to go AWOL, I would support them, because no one knows nothing about being in an environment where you constantly have to fear for your life, and be in an alert state. That has serious consequences later on and it’s been proven in the from of PTSD, even if the military refuses to acknowledge it as true. I think next time you decide to call someone a traitor, criminal, coward, etc. put yourself on their shoes and see what they actually had to go through. War is violent and useless, we are actually doing nothing in Iraq at the moment. Those people DO NOT want us in there. SO why are we still there, why are innocent people still dying? Humm…The troops should all come home permanently and that is that.
Pac
March 22, 2010 at 4:05 am
Honestly, I support Soldiers who make the choice to go AWOL, for whatever reasons. Its not safe for them or their battle buddies to be in a war that they don’t feel they can fight.
1.) If you’re a civilian and you say “they took an oath, then they need to stick to their commitment.” Um, mind my french…but eff you. Atleast these soldiers gave it a try…what did you do?
2.) If you’re in the military and you think they are the scums of the world…what does it matter to you? Wouldn’t you rather have someone just leave than be that unwilling battle buddy watchin’ your back?