Officer refuses to go to Iraq

Here's my point of view, since I'm in the Army.Granted, the cause remains unknown as to why we're still in Iraq. However, it's in the contract to heed the call of duty, and given the situation, and the time he decided to become an officer, he should have been more aware. EVERYONE goes to Iraq, and everyone that does go to Iraq doesn't always support the cause gung-ho.If I was that 1LT, I'd just go and get it done. But, being a nice guy, I'd just deploy him to Afghanistan or something, instead of just sending him to jail.Still...he's sorta a dumbass.

It's a different situation from that of CWO Thompson.Do you know how the Vietnam War started? And do you know that most people didn't like the war to start out with?1LT Watada's situation involved him being deployed into a combat zone, one which he had moral objections to.Because of this, he refused. Though I understand his reasoning, there are so many others that went before him, and because of that silver bar on his collar, it means he exemplifies leadership. Though I don't believe in the Iraq war conceptually, or even in war itself, it doesn't mean that I have the right to refuse a deployment. It's only gonna end up in yourself getting screwed. In the military, you're under a different code, and if you don't follow it, then no matter how much civilians rally to his/her cause, this person is going to receive whatever punishment is deemed worthy of his offense.I would have done the same thing if I was in CWO Thompson's situation, because it's just wrong to kill innocent people, and there is no order that can rectify that.Hope that cleared up something.

Yeah, he actually did know that it would screw him.But in an institution such as the Army, "beliefs" don't apply when it comes to deployment orders.There are some things that you can object to, but deployment isn't one of them. Don't ask me why, or what the Army defines as "duty"; it just is what it is. Trust me, if I could just complain about something and it gets fixed, then, by all means, I'd do it. But this is a lose-lose situation.He isn't helping or hurting the situation; he's just screwing himself. That's it.The Army will continue to do as it does as long as the current commander-in-chief is in charge.Again, I don't approve of the Iraq war or war in itself, but I have no say in that.

What do you think the Army is?This is what I'm trying to say.No one drafted the 1LT into the Army. It was his choice to do it. Once you've joined the military, you've pledged to fight the nation's wars. It's in the contract. It doesn't say that you can pick what war you want to fight in.What I'm saying is that he could have picketed the war all he wanted outside of the military. He joined in 2003; it's not like he didn't know. So it's his fault.My point is that you don't willfully join a warfighting institution without the inherent consequences included with it (aka war).As I said earlier, there have been many wars fought by this nation, all of which were not justifiable. Though there were people drafted in some of these wars, the ones who volunteered understood what they got into, and followed accordingly.All I know is that the 1LT is wasting the commission. I would LOVE to be an officer right now. The guy's just being a dumbass. Screwing himself, but to no avail.His "sacrifice" only means that he's gonna be looked down on in the military. Some civilians think he's a hero, but you have to look at the big picture.I'm not arguing rights; I'm looking at his actions, and what the outcome will be like. He signed the papers, held up his right hand, and got commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Army.So...what do you make of it? It's like a job. You sign on for a job, and you follow accordingly. The rules are put before you, and if there is something unlawful in it, then you are free to object.However, there just are things with which you don't argue. There are plenty of things that you may not believe in in any job; the Armed Forces are no exception.I just want you to understand the entire situation. He SIGNED the contract to fight the nation's wars. No one made him.You're right. No one has to follow orders. It's always your choice. However, the consequences of that choice are not.

Well, if you don't want to or would not kill a human being, then don't join the military. It's that simple.I don't want to die or kill anyone. But if I really have to to prevent other innocent people from dying, I will. That's my prerogative; I have no idea how you feel.I don't get off on seeing people die. It's not a good thing. If this world didn't have people killing other people, then it would be a good world. Unfortunately for me, and those getting killed, it's not.I have very strong emotions. You may not believe this, but the military has not changed how I feel about the value of human life. While humans are, as a whole, pointless, their lives are still precious.And every soldier doesn't have to bomb groups of women and children. It's only when a child is strapped to a bomb and has been brainwashed to kill groups of Soldiers (doesn't the principle work both ways???) that a situation like that happens. I'm sure most Soldiers (or Marines, or Sailors, or Airmen) don't relish the thought of having to blast some kid to bits, but just think of what would happen if they didn't?We aren't some crazy murderous bastards hell-bent on killing entire families. You have exceptions to that rule, but most are just doing their jobs.I'm sure 1LT Ehren Watada changed his mind; in fact, I'm positive. All I'm saying is that it was a dumb freakin' move on his part.Also, about me: I'm an idealist. Just thought you should know The moral of this story is: the 1LT didn't do his job, and he's screwing himself. Yeah, it was his choice, and it was his personal moral obligation. However, there are no justifications outside of that. It's just him. Him and the Army.I hope that cleared some things up about Soldiering and all it entails. It's not randomly blowing the hell out of things; you do what you're assigned, and within the rules given. Anything else is wrong.

In an extreme case like that, yes, I would be forced to deny orders and accept punishment.It's just that this case is an exception, because he joined during the war on terrorism, and he actually knew about it. I'm sure our commander-in-chief's motives have changed slightly over these 2 years due to the lack of WMDs, but the only problem is this: you've deployed 150,000+ troops to a foreign nation to fight a war on terror. I'm sure even many that are deployed don't believe in our president's order, but they've already started the mission. What's the point of backing out of a mission that's been started and that 2500+ Soldiers/Marines/Airmen/Sailors have died for already?Our mission, especially now that the new government has been installed already, is to ensure the security of this new government. To me, it's about cleaning up a mess that's been made already. That, and the fact that so many other people will die if we don't finish the job is reason enough to fight. The terrorist ring will see us retreating as a sign of weakness, and attempt to use it to their advantage.While it isn't humanly possible to kill every last terrorist, it is possible to eliminate any imminent threat to our nation and/or its troops; in this case, to aid the troops that are already deployed there and assist them so that they can all get out of there soon.I hope you understand that I'm actually agreeing with you on the idealistic level, but I just want to make sure that you understand what it means to be a Soldier, and to, literally, sign your life to the government.The 1LT made his choice, and I'm quite sure that it doesn't matter to him whether or not his comrades-in-arms approve. That isn't the big issue. I'm only questioning the choice itself, and its relevance to our society, and to the military.After all, we're in the same service.The guy's got balls, but he's still a dumbass, regardless. Choices, man...it's what makes life what it is.For reference's sake, a prime example of damning the consequences is the late CWO Thompson. He defied his own comrades in order to stop the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam. These Soldiers were killing unarmed civilians, and that's not cool.He took all the criticisms from the military for years, but for a completely legitimate reason. The government finally recognized this, and things changed for him.Edited by TheNewGuy03, : additional information

I guess it's sort of inevitable that we're still gonna be holding some strings even after a troop pullout.It's also impossible to win a war against fundamentalist Islam, considering how the rules are laid out. It's sorta like spawn points in a video game. No matter how many you kill, mutilate, dismember, or anything like it, there will always be insurgents.But you've made your point, and I've made mine.It's still pointless to pull out troops, now that a government has been put in place and due to the countless American troops that are helping to train Iraqi men to defend their own country.We're writing history right now. While we retain the "conqueror" status right now, eventually a nation even more powerful will ostensibly take our spot as the #1 superpower.And for the guys planting IEDs (improvised explosive devices) all over Iraq's and Afghanistan's roads...they'd find someone to bomb; probably the guys we've been training to protect their own nation.Also, some more facts about 1LT Watada:
1) He's an infantry officer, as symbolized by the two crossed muskets on his collar.
2) He mentioned that he would fight in Afghanistan, but not Iraq. Why do you think that's the case...?Just something for you to ponder...

Yeah, I agree.The terrorists are basically bouncing from country to country because they can never find a safe spot, and it's a better opportunity to do what terrorists do: kill Americans.Also add that to the fact that since Saddam Hussein is toppled, bin Laden doesn't have to worry about him.I also believe that our commander-in-chief should have specified the details of his plans before spewing a bucket of falsehoods to the American people, who, especially after 9/11, he knew would buy it all.I don't think that President Bush is a bad person, but he's certainly not the best decision maker, and that's all that matters, really.I can only assume that now, given the situation at hand, the "war on terror" can only extend farther, now that I look at the big picture. That's an entirely different story.For now, I can only hope that 1LT Watada gets a deployment to Afghanistan instead, but that's up to his unit (2nd Infantry Division) and whoever else may be involved. From what I know, 2ID doesn't have Soldiers in Afghanistan at this present moment, but I can't confirm that. And if that is the case, this 1LT can't deploy by himself.Until then, peace.EDIT: I read one of your earlier posts. Since he is an O-2 in the U.S. Army, he's almost guaranteed to be in a leadership position. But if he objects that strongly to the war in Iraq, then he shouldn't be in charge of the activities of other Soldiers.Edited by TheNewGuy03, : additional information