How long have you been in the Texas National Guard?
Three years and nine months
Tell us about your decision to enlist into the National Guard.
I decided to enlist my senior year of high school but had to wait until my freshman year of college because I wore braces until that time. Firstly, I wanted to experience as much in my lifetime as possible, and I was very curious to know what military life was like. Secondly, I was interested in money for college because being educated was very important to me. The National Guard seemed logical because I could experience military culture and go to school at the same time.
What is your assigned job in the military?
I'm a cook, a 92G.
What kinds of things would you be required to do if deployed?
Not cooking, that's done by civilian workers. I would most likely be working in an office doing odd jobs because my unit is in charge of base operations in Afghanistan.
When did your beliefs against war and as a CO begin to crystallize?
I finished my Initial Entry Training in June of 2003. Over the next year, I slowly began to become skeptical of and question the reasons that we had invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. After coming to the conclusion that it was wrong to invade these countries, I began to question the morality of all wars. In the early months of 2004 I spent a lot of time studying and reflecting on my beliefs about war. I decided that wars are all started for more or less the same reasons, and none of these reasons warrant the use of warfare to solve conflict. In April of 2004, I was introduced to the concept of Conscientious Objection. I learned that people that held the same convictions about war as I did could apply for a discharge from the military or request reassignment to a non-combative position. About a week later, my unit received activation orders for a possible deployment to Afghanistan. Initially I didn't want to apply for a discharge as a CO because I felt that my contract with the military was more important than my newly realized beliefs. For a month I tried to reconcile my convictions on war with military service and specifically with my participation in a war. Ultimately, I knew that I could not participate in something that I believed, with all of my being, to be a moral crime.
Were there any particular individuals or groups who helped inspire you to take the stand you did?
It really came down to a matter of personal integrity. I asked myself how I could participate in an organization whose main objective is to train for and execute wars. I knew I would never forgive myself if I gave into the pressures of military/environmental influences and betrayed my conscience for the sake of convenience.
Why are you making a public stand against deployment as opposed to a quiet one?
I want the world to change and it's not going to happen when people keep their ideas to themselves. We have to start questioning the status quo more and more, louder and louder, until people can't help but take notice.
Can you tell us about some of the work you are doing/have done in Austin?
About 10 people have started a GI Rights Hotline branch in Austin and in February the group will start answering calls from people in Texas. Texas has the greatest number of active duty personnel in the U.S., and I think its important to establish a strong GI advocate community there, and make it very easy for military personnel to get advice and help when they need it quickly.
What is the current status of your CO application?
My application for a discharge was denied by the Department of the Army Conscientious Objector Review Board in October. Currently, I have filed a writ of habeas corpus and a federal judge is reviewing the Army's decision.
Describe how the process of trying to obtain CO status has been.
It's been a very long and arduous process. My command didn't know how to process my application correctly and my paperwork was often delayed or misplaced. I had to petition a federal court just to be allowed to complete the entire application process before being sent to Afghanistan. After 18 months, my application was denied and I wasn't given reasons why until I filed a writ of habeas corpus. Needless to say, I didn't agree with their "reasons."
How have soldiers responded to your public stand?
Soldiers who know me personally know that I'm sincere and wish me the best. Then there are others who know of me; some believe that this is an all-volunteer Army and I should be discharged and some think that I should fulfill my contract no matter what.
Are you experiencing any kind of threats or harassment due to your public stand?
Many of the people I come into contact with here at Ft. Benning have no idea that I'm a CO or that I made a public statement because the battalion I'm in is a deployment battalion. Soldiers and civilians are only here for a week or two and then they deploy overseas. The military personnel who are assigned to this battalion that I see on a regular basis are respectful. If they have their opinions about what I'm doing, they don't let me know.
Are you facing court-martial charges for refusing an order to deploy? Can you explain what is happening with you and the military “justice" system?
I haven't been charged with anything yet, but I know charges have been preferred for Article 90, disobeying a direct order. The order I disobeyed was to do weapons training, not refusing to deploy. When I am charged I will face a special court-martial, a bad conduct discharge, and whatever sentence I am dealt.
What has surprised you the most since you claimed CO status?
I'm surprised at how much I've grown and learned outside of an academic environment. I used to worry a lot about all of the time I was wasting by being out of school until I realized that I'm learning things that no academic institution could ever teach me. Patience and the ability to calmly handle seemingly catastrophic events are just a couple of the things I'm getting really good at.