Is this one brave smart soldier?

Question

Conscientious Rejector?
First Lieutenant Ehren Watada still refuses Iraq deployment orders, calling the war illegal. A six-year prison term could result. Preliminary hearings are set for Thursday.

First Lt. Ehren Watada, a 28-year-old Hawaii native, is the first commissioned officer in the U.S. to publicly refuse deployment to Iraq. He announced last June his decision not to deploy on the grounds the war is illegal.


Lt. Watada was based at Fort Lewis, Washington, with the Army's 3rd (Stryker) Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division. He has remained on base, thus avoiding charges of desertion.


He does, however, face one count of "missing troop movement" and four counts of "conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman." If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison.



Watada's court martial is on February 5. A pre-trial hearing is set for this week.

Answer 1

Traitor should be prosecuted to the fullest extent. He is a disgrace to the uniform and to this country.

Answer 2

Watada is neither brave nor smart... he is a coward! His justification for missing movement is infantile and unwarranted. He crows about how this is an illegal war, but when his feet were held to the fire, he could not say illegal by whose standards. Since the US is a sovereign nation and there is no world gov't that exercises sovereignty over sovereign nations, the war is not illegal. Just because a corrupt leader at the UN says it's illegal, that doesn't make it so. The US did not give up it's sovereignty when we signed the UN Charter. Watada should be made an example of what happens when one volunteers to serve and then refuses to execute lawful orders. His penalty should be to the maximum allowed by the UCMJ, since he is a commissioned officer and supposedly a leader of soldiers.

Answer 3

First of all, I would like to point out that he joined the army AFTER finishing his education and AFTER the US invaded Iraq. Therefore, he didn't join to get the army to pay for his education, and he didn't join with the expectation that he would never have to fight. I believe that he joined in good faith because he believed that Iraq posed a serious threat to the United States. He says that he believed this because of statements by the commander in chief of the US military. Now he has come to believe that the commander in chief and the secretary of defense purposely mislead him (along with the rest of the US) and is no longer willing to fight, kill, and perhaps die for something that he does not believe. I don't see this as cowardice, I see it as someone who follows his beliefs. How many people believed that Iraq was a serious threat, and that we were right to invade, but didn't choose to join the army and go fight? How many troops believe today that the United States should not be in Iraq but go anyways? Lt. Watada is at least someone who turns his beliefs into actions, knowing that there will be serious consequences. He is not a coward. He may be accused of being gullible or not the smartest person in the world because his beliefs seem to change rather radically, rather quickly.

Answer 4

He was aware of what he may have to do. He took an oath, which apparently means very little to him. He took a lot of money from the government, that is the tax payers, with no intention of doing his duty. That makes him a fraud. He has allowed those he was supposed to command to deploy without him which makes him a coward and he has deserted his men, those he should be responsible for. Whatever his feelings on the war, and who is he to say it is illegal when the judiciary says no such thing?, he had a responsibility and a duty. If he was so opposed, he should have resigned his commission, not played the coward.

Answer 5

Actually the stupidist. Why join the infantry during a time of war, then refuse to go to war? Lets see, just like his father did? basically makes both of them spineless. It also makes them untrustworthy, disloyal, and liars since they both made an oath, and promise, and were contractually obligated to do so. If you are a conscientuous objector, they will not allow you to join in the first place. So the bigger question is, why did he lie about that when he signed his contract? The answere, he's a fraud..

Answer 6

No he is not he is a cock sure arrogant excuse for a soilder .. when will he realise he can not fight the system and his appalling attitude and conduct has a knock on effect on other serving personnel ..If he did not wish to fight for his country then he should not have signed up and taken the oath which states to protect the country .. gosh what a plum i hope they throw the book at him and strip him of his uniform what will he do when in the big house try and command men ?lol silly boy trying to play big boys games tut tut

Answer 7

I cannot attest to him being brave but it is a fact he is breaking the oath he took when he became an officer. Integrity is one of the most valuable assets an officer can have so when the officer breaks that the military is better off without him anyway. I would not want to serve with someone who cannot keep his word.

Answer 8

i agree with usarmorsoldier. He should have to pay back all the money and time it took us to train him and educate him. That money could have been put to better use if he wasn't planing on going. And he really isn't that smart. If he didn't know what kind of guy Saddam was then he shouldn't have gotten into the military in the first place. It was just a waste of space and time.

Answer 9

Yeah that is brave thing he is doing because if convict he could end up in prison and he could lose his commission as a officer!

Answer 10

He should be charged with disertion in the face of the enemy.....punishible by death.
As an officer, he should be busted to Private and dishonerably discharged as a coward and traitor.......He sure is brave and smart............NOT!!!!!