Veterans Who Oppose War Are Your Army

I had zero disciplinary issues. I was the Distinguished Honor Graduate of B Co. 787 MP Battalion at Fort Leonard Wood, and some of the MP buddies I deployed with to Firebase Waza Khwa and FOB Salerno were among the Chicago police, with whom we strove to communicate with to ensure that our role in the protest was peaceful and conciliatory.

Those same soldiers I deployed with know how fervently I oppose the war, and despite our differences, they've supported me every step of the way because they know I was the first to volunteer for missions in Afghanistan and tried to make that war work. Integrity means more to me than any other Army value, and the Army defines it as doing what's right even while nobody is watching. But sometimes, it's harder to do what's right when people are watching. At some point, I felt I had a duty to publicly oppose a war that, in order to counter the Taliban, is providing robust support for the second-most corrupt government in the world (Transparency International); where 55% of their GDP comes from drugs and bribe money (UN); where women are jailed for running away from their abusive husbands who are legally allowed to rape their wives (UN); where there is no effort to stomp out bacha bazi because government leaders participate in it (PBS); where we are "enabling bad governance" instead of "empowering good governance" (Center for Advanced Defense Studies); where instead of democracy, the people are "Not Free" (Freedom House); and on and on.

I don't believe that any more American lives need to be spent to bolster that pathetic excuse for a government, that was raised from a foundation of warlordism, tribalism, and druglordism. I also think that it's wrong that at a time when suicide outpaces combat death, soldiers who see this and experience what the VA calls a legitimate "moral injury" are told that they are wrong for these feelings and sent back to the source of their trauma. This is a violation of the American Psychological Association's Code of Ethics. Military clinical psychiatrists justify it by arguing the mission is more important than the patient, but this war is not saving any American lives. This war is a consequence of the US biting al Qaeda's bait to get drawn into a quagmire designed to bankrupt the US, kill US soldiers, and ruin our alliances using the same tactics they used against the Soviets ("Accidental Guerrilla").

None of this is radical. My views were a consequence of reading more to try to make the mission work. After learning what we've learned, don't we, of all people, have the right to speak out? I wore a Pat Tillman jersey to that rally, who has a USO at Bagram. How many soldiers sitting in that USO know Tillman and his brother (also a Ranger) opposed the Iraq War? How many know that his mother and father support IVAW? You say we shouldn't accept our benefits. How many know that there would have been no GI Bill without the Bonus Army protesters? While MacArthur fixed bayonets, beat veterans, gassed them, and burnt their camps in DC down, the Bonus Army were motivated by the leadership of two-time Medal of Honor winner General Smedley Butler, who wrote "War Is a Racket"? Are the US Marines told about Butler's views on war? No. We operate in his spirit. We aren't perfect - no one is - but we believe as patriots, we remain vigilant of ourselves, remain aware of our mistakes and accountable for them. And we make sure that the American public knows because we are their Army. 

- Afghanistan war veteran Brock McIntosh,

(Source: Afghans for Peace)