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AWOL C.O. JAILED
Hundreds of active duty, National Guard, and reservist members of the U.S. military have sought discharge as conscientious objectors since the invasion and occupation of Iraq seemed imminent in 2002. Most have had a hard time in the process. Superiors may not inform young recruits that conscientious objection is an option when they express such thoughts, and will actively discourage anyone filing an application for CO status. Some soldiers have refused orders or gone AWOL and suffered the consequences, while others were shipped off to battle while their claim was pending. A few seek public support.
Sgt. Camilo Mejia is an army reservist who was sentenced in June to one year in prison for desertion. During a six month tour of duty in Iraq, beginning in April 2003, Mejia grew increasingly disgusted and confused.
"Going home on leave in October 2003 provided me with the opportunity to put my thoughts in order and to listen to what my conscience had to say," Mejia wrote. "People would ask me about my war experiences and answering them took me back to all the horrors - the firefights, the ambushes, the time I saw a young Iraqi dragged by his shoulders through a pool of his own blood, the time a man was decapitated by our machine gun fire and the time my friend shot a child through the chest.
"Coming home gave me the clarity to see the line between military duty and moral obligation. My feelings against the war dictated that I could no longer be a part of it. Acting upon my principles became incompatible with my role in the military and by putting my weapon down I chose to reassert myself as a human being."
Camilo Mejia turned himself in on March 15, 2004. The judge at his court martial refused to consider arguments relating to international law, and prohibited Mejia from discussing his pending CO application. A jury of infantry commanders swiftly convicted him. In addition to one year in prison, Mejia lost all rank and most pay, and will receive a bad conduct discharge upon release from prison. In June, Amnesty International recognized Mejia as a prisoner of conscience.
It was reported in Stars and Stripes in June that Sgt. 1st Class Abdullah Webster, 38, pled guilty to disobeying a lawful order and missing movement. He refused to deploy in February, citing the counsel of Muslim clerics. An Air Force imam testified that "He was adhering to the sincere advice of the scholars. It is not permissible for him to take up arms and kill another Muslim. It would be better for him that he was killed than to pick up arms against anyone."
Webster's application for conscientious objection had been refused at the unit level and was on appeal when the orders came. The 18-year army veteran was sentenced to 14 months confinement and a bad conduct discharge. At this writing we do not have a brig address for Abdullah Webster.
Marine reservist and public refuser Stephen Funk had applied for conscientious objection and did not go in February 2003 when his unit was deployed to prepare for the invasion of Iraq. He turned himself in 47 days later and last September was convicted of going AWOL. He served a six month sentence and was then discharged for " bad conduct."
Other active duty and reservist objectors have left for Canada, where at least two - Brandon Hughey and Jeremy Hinzman - have gone public, seeking refugee status there.
For more information on the case of Camilo Mejia, contact Citizen Soldier, 267 Fifth Ave. #901, New York, NY 10016, (212)679-2205, www.citizen-soldier.org
Contributions to his legal
expenses may be sent to the "Free Camilo Committee", c/o Maritza Castillo,
201 - 178 Drive # 323, Miami, FL 33160. 
Letters of support should be addressed to Pvt. Mejia, Camilo, Building 1490, Randolph Rd., Fort Sill, OK 73503.
G.I.s in need of assistance
concerning any phase of determining or applying for conscientious objector status
are encouraged to call the GI Rights hotline at 1-877-447-4487, or visit their
website at www.girightshotline.org.
(This link updated July 8 2009)
