A solider refusing to go to war should he go to jail?

Answer 1

Hell, yes.

EVERY soldier that volunteers (and it's an All Volunteer Force) understands that there's the possiblity of going to war. I knew that when I signed the dotted line, and every person I served with understood it. It's one of the basic responsibilities of the military -- should you be called on to serve in combat, you serve.

Answer 2

Absolutely. He should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We have a voluntary service. The military can provide many great opportunities for a person--money for school, good pay and benefits--but it isn't there to provide those until a person's services are actually needed. In the case of this Army officer refusing to go, let me remind any of his supporters that we have been paying this chump to refuse to do his job. That's right. Comes right out of our tax dollars and our pockets. So it is personal. When you CHOOSE to join our military, you commit to following orders. Your job is not to decide which orders you'd like to follow and which you wouldn't. This man is the worst kind of coward. The idea that he "might" have signed something he didn't fully "understand" is assanine. There is no way that a serviceman, let alone an officer woudln't know that was the way it works. Furthermore, if a grown man signs a contract without reading it, he is still liable for his commitment...and an idiot.

Answer 3

If he joined the military on a volunteer basis, and that is the only way they join today, then he is obligated to serve. He took the oath to serve his country when called upon.

I am sure a lot of the kids that did sign thought it was a way to get extra money or to learn a trade or to get money for college. Well I say if they took the oath than if they do not want to go to war they should go to jail.

We all learn lessons in life and maybe next time when they think they can cherry pick the good things from an obligation they will remember there are consequences.

Answer 4

He signed on the line, they might have helped him pay for college... YES he should get a DD and do brig time. If someone was to sign a contract in the civilian world and then refused to follow up that is bad. So what if he doesn't believe in this war, he wasn't drafted, he was in the military and he left his soldiers without their officer, that is BS. If he is allowed to not have jail time or not get in trouble, then that opens it up for EVERYONE that doesn't want to go to war, and there is about oh 40 percent of the military that would be deserting and going AWOL because they don't have to fight because he didn't.

Answer 5

I have mixed feelings about this. Having served in the military myself, I know the policies. You are to do what you are told and question it later. There are rules about being rebellious against your superiors. I totally understand how he feels as a citizen though. I don't agree with our soldiers being there because this war isn't accomplishing anything that is beneficial. Our leader has lied to us and misled the country and now we have men and women dying for no reason. As much as I do understand about how he feels, I do believe that if he goes unpunished this will cause many others to rebel and it could cause more chaos then already exists with this war. Well, maybe that would be a good thing? I mean, are they going to arrest all of the soldiers that choose to follow his lead? Then again, I am quite sure our government woul be able to cover a lot of this story and the soldiers at war may not ever hear about it. LIstening to his audio interview, there is something brought up that makes a good point. Our own leader is guilty of war crimes and I have always felt that way. If he is guilty, then who can hold this soldier accountable to refusing to be a part of something illegal? The thing is our govenment is good at covering up their sins, so it may be hard to find the evidence that could find Bush guilty. Conspiracy theory or reality?

Answer 6

YES YES YES He should goto jail, in the oath of enlistment is says I will obey the orders of the officers and the president (cant recall it all and its late in iraq time for bed) He should goto jail though. Unless he can pay back every single cent that we the people of the united States paid for his Salary, training, housing, food, and clothing. If that soilder could repay all that back which is not cheap he should goto jail. Imagine if your the boss of a company, you hire a new worker, train him up, send him to school, give him uniforms and food money. And when it comes time to work (which combat is our job) he quits. Just rolls out on ya. You would be ticked off. That Lt. in WA is a piece of crap. Got his education paid for by the Army and look were all that money we paid is now. While his lesser paid soilders he was supposed to be leading our doing the job THEY signed up for. Granted they might not wanna be here but they are here and they do there job. Which in my opinion are some of the best soilders cause they know what they signed up for they do it, they might complain a little but in the end the job gets done

Answer 7

No, not a JAIL which is a county institution, nor State Prison but
rather a Federal Prison designated for military imprisonments.
In the UK the term, GLASSHOUSE, was employed to denote
same institutions. USA military branches have lesser holding
facilities for minor infractions (i.e, BRIG, US Navy; STOCKADE,
US Army, etc). There is an appeal process. Execution is not an option presently. The last military execution was in WWII of a
US Army Private.

Answer 8

Yes, he is a soldier, we do not get to choose where and when we wanna go fight. Don't enlist unless you can accept the fact you could get sent to a war you disagree with. No one will order you to shoot innocent civilians, if some tried, that is an order you can refuse, and the person who ordered you to would face charges. And no that is not the same as being ordered to go to war.

Answer 9

Since when are orders in the military optional? This guy JOINED the military on his own. No one forced him to take the oath. He VOLUNTEERED to serve, defend, and possibly give his life for his country. He's refusing to do what he signed up for. So yes, he should go to jail. If obeying orders were a choice, our military wouldn't exist.

Answer 10

If a soldier KNOWS that the "war" he was being deployed to breached International laws and advice, and the supposed definition of the term "war" is "looking down the barrel of a rifle and seeing a uniform at the end of it not civilian clothing" then I think they should be mitigating circumstances.

Having said that, I believe there would always be a role he could fulfill rather than have a well trained service man/woman being locked up... why make tax-payers pay TWICE for the same person - once in his/her training, and once to be kept locked up?

USA are too fond of invading other countries against International rule of law and advice.. and to class these reprehensible acts as "war" is wrong - given they are the instigators... after one thing - which ALWAYS comes down to money and greed.

The REAL SOURCE of this latest terrorism conflict is in AFGHANISTAN... NOT Iraq - contrary to popular US belief.
Sorry to burst your bubble.