I joined the Army shortly before 9/11. Upon arriving at Fort Benning, my Drill Sergeant politely informed me that everything my recruiter had told me was a lie; this turned out to be the most honest thing another soldier had ever told me.
I went on to medical training at Fort Sam Houston, back to Benning for Airborne school, and on to Fort Bragg.

When I deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 I couldn't wait to do my job: saving lives, liberating people, stopping terrorists. 8 months later, I returned to the states convinced that the War on Terror was a contradiction in terms. I felt like a terrorist myself for being complicit in the illegal detainment, torture, and murder of thousands of innocent civilians.
After nearly a year of introspection, I came to the conclusion that I could not morally participate in war. In November of 2004, I was honorably discharged as a conscientious objector.

Since then, I have helped found the website www.peace-out.com, a comprehensive online source for soldiers interested in conscientious objection. I am also the co-author of the forthcoming children's book "After Gandhi: 100 Years of Nonviolent Resistance." I am currently finishing my bachelor's degree in political theory at Cornell University.