American GIs resist the wars

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Inside G.I. Resistance: An interview with two former soldiers who describe how they helped prevent their unit from deploying to a war zone

By Sarah Lazare, Counterpunch, August 5, 2009

war-resisters-welcome-hereWhat do you do if you are a soldier being asked to fight a war you do not believe in?

For two former soldiers whose unit was ordered to deploy to Iraq in April 2005, the answer came in the form of work slowdowns, letter-writing campaigns, and one-on-one organizing with fellow soldiers. The result: they helped prevent their unit from deploying to a war zone.

In this interview, Skippy and Robert, who did not give their full names for fear of military retaliation, share their stories, telling how they convinced several in their unit to deliberately fail physical training, called public attention to the insufficient training and gear they were being asked to fight with, and found creative ways to encourage soldiers to “drop the military before the military drops you.” They tell how they dealt with the fear and intimidation of standing up to their command, and about friends and comrades who fell victim to “broken Joe” syndrome.

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