by Jake Berzoff-Cohen
As the saying goes, "freedom is not free", especially for GI war resisters. Enlisting in the US military ensures an instant forfeiture of one’s constitutional rights under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, from freedom of speech and the right to gather peacefully to the right to a fair trial by an impartial tribunal. GI resisters take great risks to assert those freedoms through myriad forms of resistance, impacting the outcomes of wars and raising questions about the state of human rights.
U.S. GI resistance peaked during the Vietnam War, when thousands of soldiers participated in acts along the spectrum of resistance, from reading anti-war literature to staging "search and avoid" missions. Many enlisted and drafted soldiers went AWOL, while others attempted to organize from within the military through GI newspapers and coffeehouses, which served as discussion centers for GIs. In 1975, the Vietnam War ended, due in large part to mass GI refusal to continue the occupation of Vietnam.
However, since the Vietnam War, the importance of the GI resistance movement has been, if not buried, severely distorted. GI’s that resisted Vietnam are stereotyped as drug addicts, while civilian allies rallying for peace were labeled anti-American hippies. But GI resistance has resurfaced in response to the current U.S. occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, led by groups like Iraq Veterans Against the War and Courage to Resist.
In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Geoff Millard became fed up with "the ineptitude of his leaders" and decided to Google the phrase "Iraq veterans against the war." He located the IVAW website and, when he left Iraq in October, Millard immediately contacted and joined the growing organization. Soon after, Millard began speaking publicly about his decision to resist while recruiting for IVAW, and in 2007, co-founded the DC chapter of IVAW.
Besides for groups like IVAW, other forms of current resistance include the reappearance of GI coffeehouses, which offer soldiers a safe place to relax, connect, and safely question their orders and experiences. "The military spends so much of its time convincing you that it’s a huge sin to think for yourself," Millard explained. "But the first thing a GI should do is begin questioning things."
As the occupation in Iraq winds down, Millard ensures the resistance movement will continue, as the focus shifts to Afghanistan. "There are more troops deployed than at any other time since 9/11, and nothing makes [the war in] Afghanistan any more legal than [the war in] Iraq," said Millard. "Once Americans realize that this war is not making us any safer and is not healing the wounds of 9/11, you will start to see more large-scale resistance against the war."
The thousands of war resisters opposing the occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan need your support, so check out the five things you can do to help a war resister!
Check out the full Fall'09 Peace Letter- Eye on GI Resistance Issue here.