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Abandon the Battlefield. "There's No Way I'm Going to Deploy to Afghanistan"

by Dahr Jamail

MARFA, Texas, May 26 (IPS) - "It’s a matter of what I’m willing to live with," Specialist Victor Agosto of the U.S. Army, who is refusing orders to deploy to Afghanistan, explained to IPS. "I’m not willing to participate in this occupation, knowing it is completely wrong."

Agosto, who returned from a 13-month deployment to Iraq in November 2007, is based at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

While in Iraq, Agosto never left his base, located in northern Iraq.

"I never had any traumatic experiences, never fired my weapon," Agosto told IPS in a phone interview. "I mostly worked in information technology, working on computers and keeping the network functioning well. But it was in Iraq that I turned against the occupations. Through my reading, and watching what was going on, I started to feel very guilty."

Agosto added, "What I did there, I know I contributed to death and human suffering. It’s hard to quantify how much I caused, but I know I contributed to it."

Having served three years and nine months in the U.S. Army, Agosto was to complete his contract and be discharged on Aug. 3. But due to his excellent record of service and accrued leave, he was to be released the end of June. Nevertheless, due to the stop-loss programme, the Army decided to deploy him to Afghanistan anyway.

Stop-loss is a programme the military uses to keep soldiers enlisted beyond the terms of their contracts. Since Sep. 11, 2001, more than 140,000 troops have had tours extended by stop-loss.

A copy of his Counseling Form from the Army, dated May 1, reads, "You will deploy in support of OEF [Operation Enduring Freedom] on or about [XXXXX] with 57th ESB. This is a direct order from your Company Commander CPT Michael J. Pederson."

Agosto posted copies of the Counseling Statements issued by the Army on his Facebook page. Counseling Statements outline actions taken by the Army to discipline Agosto for his refusal to obey a direct order from his company commander.

On one of them, dated May 1, Agosto’s written statement appears: "There is no way I will deploy to Afghanistan. The occupation is immoral and unjust. It does not make the American people any safer. It has the opposite effect."

In another, dated May 18, he wrote: "I will not obey any orders I deem to be immoral or illegal."

On that day, Agosto was ordered to get his medical records in preparation to deploy to Afghanistan. He refused to do so. The Army threatened to take punitive measures, but Agosto wrote on the Counseling Statement, "I am not going to Afghanistan. I will not take part in SRP [Sealift Readiness Programme]."

If Agosto continues to refuse orders, he almost assuredly will face court martial, and likely jail time.

When IPS asked Agosto if he is willing to take whatever consequences the Army is prepared to mete out, he replied, "Yes. I’m fully prepared for this. I have concluded that the wars [in Iraq and Afghanistan] are not going to be ended by politicians or people at the top. They are not responsive to the people, they are responsive to corporate America."

Agosto added, "The only way to make them responsive to the needs of the people is if soldiers won’t fight their wars, and if soldiers won’t fight their wars, the wars won’t happen. I hope I’m setting an example for other soldiers."

Agosto has overtly refused to follow any order that has anything to do with his taking an action that would support the occupation of Afghanistan. For a time, according to Agosto, he was given simple orders to clean the motor pool, or pull weeds.

"They switched that recently," he told IPS, "I’ve continued to be fairly defiant, so on Tuesday I have to meet with Trial Defense Services, which then begins the process of getting an Article 15, which is movement towards being court-martialed, if these reprimands continue."

"If I take the Article 15, I’ll take a reduction in rank and pay. I don’t’ know what is going to happen. I agreed to sweep the motor pool and pull weeds, but nothing else that I feel directly supports the war. I’m not going to follow orders I’m not comfortable with."

Agosto’s case is not unique. The group Courage to Resist, based in Oakland, California, actively engages in assisting soldiers who refuse to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan.

"Although the efforts of Courage to Resist are primarily focused on supporting public GI resisters, the organization also strives to provide political, emotional, and material support to all military objectors critical of our government's current policies of empire," reads a portion of the group's mission statement.

IPS spoke with Adam Szyper-Seibert, an office manager and counselor with Courage to Resist.

"Currently we are actively supporting over 50 military resisters like Victor Agosto," Szyper-Seibert told IPS, "They are all over the world, including André Shepherd in Germany, and several people in Canada. We are getting five to six calls a week just about the IRR [Individual Ready Reserve] recall alone."

U.S. Army Specialist André Shepherd, who went AWOL after serving in Iraq, has applied for asylum in Germany after refusing military service because he is morally opposed to the occupation of Iraq.

The IRR is composed of former military personnel who still have time remaining on their enlistment agreements but have returned to civilian life. They are eligible to be called up in "states of emergency." The Army is currently undertaking the largest IRR recall since 2004, despite the recent inauguration of a so-called anti-war president.

Szyper-Seibert said that the number of soldiers contacting Courage to Resist has been increasing dramatically in the last year, and particularly in recent months.

"The number of soldiers contacting us is increasing," he explained, "With five to six IRR’s contacting us a week, plus others going absent without leave [AWOL], the numbers are all climbing, as compared to a year ago. Since May 2008, we’ve had a 200 percent jump in how many soldiers are contacting us."

According to Courage to Resist, there have been at least 15,000 IRR call-ups since Sep. 11, 2001, for deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sgt. Travis Bishop, who served 14 months in Baghdad and is also stationed at Fort Hood, recently went AWOL when his unit deployed to Afghanistan.

Like Agosto, Bishop feels it is immoral for him to deploy to support an occupation he morally opposes.

"I love my country, but I believe that this particular war is unjust, unconstitutional and a total abuse of our nation’s power and influence," Bishop’s blog reads, "And so, in the next few days, I will be speaking with my lawyer, and taking actions that will more than likely result in my discharge from the military, and possible jail time... and I am prepared to live with that."

The reason he made this decision is addressed in his blog.

"My father said, ‘Do only what you can live with, because every morning you have to look at your face in the mirror when you shave. Ten years from now, you’ll still be shaving the same face.’ If I had deployed to Afghanistan, I don’t think I would have been able to look into another mirror again."

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Comment by Jeff on July 1, 2009 at 11:51pm
Maybe he didn't use it. That's the assumption you're making. Maybe he just actualized his conscientious objection position at the wrong time.

Either way, you make assumptions to prove your point and that proves nothing.

I will say that if this country were ever actually attacked, and again it hasn't been in my lifetime, I would want you fighting by my side because even in the face of insurmountable adversity you don't give up. That's a good quality in a soldier.
Comment by clamor on July 1, 2009 at 10:56pm
"Your (Agosto and you) Words Not Mine"

All I did was used what he has said to prove my point. I'm not assuming for assumptions sake. He makes a comment, I turn around and use that comment. I didn't tell him to say it. I didn't make up his words. I use direct quote's, true? I used dates presented to me, right? So I'm not just assuming, I'm looking at what is given, and I found holes.

"Orders of extension would have caused me to do the same..." - This is YOUR quote.
And it was answer in regards about me showing you a time line on facts. So you're saying, since you're not getting your way, your going to pull a Houdini. Am I getting that right? If you can't get what you want one way, you use any means necessary to get it?

"Your position is one of assumption and it's always unwise to make statements based on assumptions."

YOUR QUOTE AGAIN...."If they only told me. No, I would not share it with you or anyone else. I don't care why.

I told you Spc. Clamor, their reasons are meaningless to me. It's the action I consider to be immensely helpful to my cause."

"In the end, Agosto and Bishop's reasoning matters little to me. The timing is also insignificant. Where these things matter to you they don't to me..."People like me see them as martyrs for our cause, even if their motivation is a bit tarnished."


These are your words not mine, Jeff. Don't make it seem like I'm pulling words out of thin air and ASSUME you feel like this, and that.

"You are assuming that Spc. Agosto needed to be a conscientious objector prior to stop loss. That's a faulty premise." Why is it faulty, it a BBBBBBBBBBBIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG difference, WHY? Do I really need to spell it out even more, again and again? Fine, just for you Jeff. If he had one during or after deployment, I would support him. But to wait till he was "stop-loss (one would THINK!, how very convenient). Even if he did it on January 01, 2009, I would not use it against him, but to wait till he new that he didn't have enough time to get out in terminal leave, he uses this.


"There are few facts and the facts that do exist do not support you and they don't support me." Facts do not exist, yeah okay? So what have I been showing you?

FACTS:

DATES ARE REAL!!!!

"Refused 01May2009 on counseling statement, when would he have been able to take terminal leave late June2009, when was "stop-movement, stop-loss" order's given, late April2009. So no refusal on his service with the Army till he got order's of extension. Like I said, where was this before that? You just don't want to admit that the facts really point to that."

FACT:

"Stop-loss is a programme the military uses to keep soldiers enlisted beyond the terms of their contracts." BEYOND the terms of their contract...Our contract is 8 YEARS..."Having served three years and nine months in the U.S. Army..." 3 yrs 9 mon's....my math might be off, but is that 8 years?

FACT:

"Through my reading, and watching what was going on, I started to feel very guilty."

Through he's reading and watching, where was from 2001 to 2005, under a rock? He didn't see all the news articles, didn't see the news on television? No one talked about the war near his presence before he came in? Oh wait a minute, maybe he shot an innocent civilian down range or maybe he went out the FOB and kick down the doors in Sadr City or saw dead casualties the streets of Baghdad and that gave him an epiphany.....oh wait he did say this..."I never had any traumatic experiences, never fired my weapon." So it MIGHT NOT (don't want to assume) be that, but he did started voice out he's dilemma after he got "stop-loss" orders. So did Sgt Bishop. NOT FACTS, but very coincidental, one might say.

"A conscientious objector (CO) is a person who believes that it is wrong to kill another human being in war. The military defines conscientious objection as a "firm, fixed and sincere objection to war in any form or the bearing of arms" because of deeply-held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs. A lot of people in the military believe it's too late to be a CO now that they have enlisted, but the fact is many people realize they are opposed to participation in war after joining the military, and they are discharged as COs."

Why not this route? No article 15, no punishments, nothing, Just a thank you for serving your country, and we understand your change or hart. Simple right?



Before I end this................ NOT FACTS:

"...be discharged on Aug. 3. But due to his excellent record of service...he was to be released the end of June."

Not true, you don't get out early for "excellent record or service." However, you can get out early if you have saved leave and use it as terminal leave.

"Counseling Statements outline actions taken by the Army to discipline..." Not true, The Development Counseling Form (DA Form 4856) is design to help Army leaders conduct and record counseling sessions.

THIS IS WRITTEN IN ON DA FORM 4856

"PRINCIPLE PURPOSE: To assist leaders in conducting and recording counseling data pertaining to subordinates."

"...SRP [Sealift Readiness Programme]. WTF? Did he just google and hope for the best? SRP - "(S)oldier (R)eadiness (P)rocessing," talk about not checking your facts. Something that simple. Oh and just to let you know Jeff, its a check up, they check you eyesight, hearing, immunizations, dental, blood, financial state, etc...IT HARD TO SEE HOW THIS IS "IMMORAL AND ILLEGAL." "In another, dated May 18, he wrote: "I will not obey any orders I deem to be immoral or illegal."
On that day, Agosto was ordered to get his medical records in preparation to deploy to Afghanistan. He refused to do so...."I am not going to Afghanistan. I will not take part in SRP [Sealift Readiness Programme]."

I also enjoy how he takes a stand on not helping with the motor clean up or pulling of weeds. Must be also immoral and illegal.

"Agosto has overtly refused to follow any order that has anything to do with his taking an action that would support the occupation of Afghanistan. For a time, according to Agosto, he was given simple orders to clean the motor pool, or pull weeds."
Comment by Jeff on July 1, 2009 at 7:45pm
Everyone experiences a learning curve. You believe that Spc. Agosto's motives were self-serving. I don't. There's no argument and in fact neither one of us can be judged right or wrong. The entire argument, both sides, yours and mine, is based on innuendo, aspersion, assumption and speculation. There are few facts and the facts that do exist do not support you and they don't support me.

Why don't you ask Spc. Agosto and then accept his position as being the only truth? Is that too much to ask?
Comment by Jeff on July 1, 2009 at 7:39pm
Spc. Clamor, you might take your own advice about growing. Your position is one of assumption and it's always unwise to make statements based on assumptions. I don't know that people are necessarily born conscientious objectors. Perhaps that realization comes at various points in a persons life. When it comes that person then makes the necessary arrangements to object. You are assuming that Spc. Agosto needed to be a conscientious objector prior to stop loss. That's a faulty premise.
Comment by clamor on July 1, 2009 at 7:31pm
"Thank You, Fireguy"

Conscientious Objection - that's the term I was looking for. And I've talked to two NCO's who have been in for 18 years and up about that yesterday. And one of them knew two of his friends that got out because of that after OIF 1 or 2.

Like I said Jeff, where was this during or after their deployment? Nowhere? Moral's - only when its convenient. The facts are there, from military laws to words from them. If you don't want to admit it, it's okay. Maybe someday you will (maybe when you find a genuine conscientious objector) or maybe not. But I hope you do, it helps a man grow when he admits he can be wrong at times.
Comment by Jeff on July 1, 2009 at 7:27pm
Orders of extension would have caused me to do the same although I would never enlist in the armed services unless the United States were attacked by another country and contrary to the belief of some we haven't been in my lifetime.
Comment by clamor on July 1, 2009 at 7:23pm
"I Beg To Differ"

"On May 1st at Fort Hood in central Texas, Specialist Victor Agosto wrote on a counseling statement, which is actually a punitive U.S. Army memo:"


Refused 01May2009 on counseling statement, when would he have been able to take terminal leave late June2009, when was "stop-movement, stop-loss" order's given, late April2009. So no refusal on his service with the Army till he got order's of extension. Like I said, where was this before that? You just don't want to admit that the facts really point to that.

Like I was telling Mr. Luggnut's or Vincent, the Army has way's of letting you out. And having morals (genuine one's) is one of them.
Comment by fireguy on July 1, 2009 at 7:05pm
Conscientious Objection

http://www.objector.org/girights/gettingout/co.html

A conscientious objector (CO) is a person who believes that it is wrong to kill another human being in war. The military defines conscientious objection as a "firm, fixed and sincere objection to war in any form or the bearing of arms" because of deeply-held moral, ethical, or religious beliefs. A lot of people in the military believe it's too late to be a CO now that they have enlisted, but the fact is many people realize they are opposed to participation in war after joining the military, and they are discharged as COs.

What do you think about war? Do you think it is morally wrong? Why? Are there any situations in which you would be willing to fight in a war? These are questions you will have to answer when applying for conscientious objector status.

Applying for CO status can be a long and difficult process. To get a discharge or reassignment as a conscientious objector, you must submit a written application to your commanding officer. In this application you must describe

the nature of your beliefs about participation in war;
how your beliefs changed or developed since you entered the military;
when and why you felt you could no longer continue serving in the military because of your beliefs; and
how your daily lifestyle has changed as a result of your beliefs.
further information required in the application.
After handing in your application, you will have three interviews: with a psychiatrist, a military chaplain, and an investigating officer. At the investigating officer's hearing you have a right to be represented by counsel--this can be a lawyer or a counselor. You may also bring witnesses--friends, family, a clergy member, or fellow military service members who can speak in support of you and your claim. The investigating officer will recommend to your commanding officer whether or not you should receive conscientious objector status.

Fact Sheet: Conscientious Objection

http://www.objector.org/girights/gettingout/co.html
Comment by Jeff on July 1, 2009 at 6:28pm
I would also like to address Spc. Clamor's argument about Spc. Agosto. That argument is based solely on timing and refers to moral ground:

On May 1st at Fort Hood in central Texas, Specialist Victor Agosto wrote on a counseling statement, which is actually a punitive U.S. Army memo:

“There is no way I will deploy to Afghanistan. The occupation is immoral and unjust. It does not make the American people any safer. It has the opposite effect.”

So, Agosto's statement makes it clear, there is nothing relevant about the timing of Agosto's dissent based on that statement. The facts are clear. An immoral and unjust military action that in no way affects the American public stands on simple ground.

That of immorality.
Comment by Jeff on July 1, 2009 at 6:16pm
I also want to say Vince that since you're fairly close to my age I think we both recognize that neither one of will live long enough to see any vast improvements in the system. It thrives on war, profit and resource depletion and once the resources are gone and there's no longer a continuing profit in death the system will need to feed on humanity at large.

The Terminator movies aren't so 'Science Fiction' as they are a good dose of the reality of things to come. While many people are optimistic about the future of mankind, I am not.

There may be a rosy future for wealthy elite western civilization but the globes poor and middle classes won't survive intact. There aren't enough resources for everyone which is precisely the reasoning behind US global hegemony and Imperialist endeavors.

He who has the most wins.

"Destroying the New World Order"

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