Refusing to fight

[rppearso]

I did AFROTC and you could just join, it is definatly preferable to have a scholarship but not required. Google the draft sometime and you will find the 1 semester requirement, they dont just let a freshman get out of the draft for 4 to 5 years to finish school, if you were a junior you might be able to apply to extend out to graduation but as a freshman you will be drafted.

 

[E-beth]

My 18-year-old cousin is refusing to register for civil service because he is anti-war and would refuse to fight. They are sending him some very threatening letters, which scare me but don't seem to phase him in the slightest. Do they really jail guys who don't register?

 

[ChristianMilitaryWife]

A direct quote from the Goverments web page on Registration for Civil Service...

http://www.sss.gov/sssyou/sssyou.htm

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Failure to register or otherwise comply with the Military Selective Service Act is upon conviction, punishable by a fine of up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both. In addition, federal and certain state laws require registration as a prerequisite for obtaining student financial aid, job training, government employment, and U.S. naturalization.[/FONT]

If he wants any kind of Federal aid for school he will have to do it. Eventually him just blowing it off will catch up with him. It's really not worth a 250,000 dollar fine or 5 years in jail.

 

[Gwenyfur]

Not only that, but even if he is "drafted" there are plenty of non forward positions in the military...usually where they assign "conscientious objectors".
Clerical, supply etc.
Doesn't mean he won't learn how to fight or defend himself and his fellows...but it does mean the military makes certain allowances...

 

[3girls2dogs]

The only way you could go in as an officer is if you already have a bachlors degree,

This isn't true. You can join as an officer before you have your Bachelor's Degree as long as you get it within a certain amount of time after getting in. How much time depends on how far into the degree you are.

 

[christsblood]

One of my teachers is a vietnam veteran. If you must be trained in a combat position , but don't wanna fight, join something like airforce, or navy, or a maybe coast guard.

While I understand that there is a rivalry between services to imply that only the Army and Marines are involved in combat is really insulting. While the coast guard may be state side they do put themselves in harms way quite often. Even during peacetime.

 

[3girls2dogs]

While I understand that there is a rivalry between services to imply that only the Army and Marines are involved in combat is really insulting. While the coast guard may be state side they do put themselves in harms way quite often. Even during peacetime.

Very true. And just for the record, any Marine worth their boots would tell you that their best friend in combat is their "Doc".

Corpsman UP!!

Really, when it comes right down to it, during battle all services work together. I could point you to story after story of Marines and Army , or Army and Navy, working together to get a job done.

ETA: I wanted to add that I truly feel that the Coast Guard gets a really crappy rap. They have a hard job, and theirs is the first line of defense if an attack were to be launches on our shores. Plus, with all the drug runners and saving people our in our oceans, I would have to say that day for day, pound for pound, they have the crappiest end of the deal.

 

[Gwenyfur]

My 18-year-old cousin is refusing to register for civil service because he is anti-war and would refuse to fight. They are sending him some very threatening letters, which scare me but don't seem to phase him in the slightest. Do they really jail guys who don't register?

yup...they do

 

[Gwenyfur]

While I understand that there is a rivalry between services to imply that only the Army and Marines are involved in combat is really insulting. While the coast guard may be state side they do put themselves in harms way quite often. Even during peacetime.

I like coasties...they take care of biz at home Not an easy job at all...

 

[Gwenyfur]

Very true. And just for the record, any Marine worth their boots would tell you that their best friend in combat is their "Doc".

Corpsman UP!!

Yep...them Devil Doc's are crazy brave....love 'em to pieces!

 

[Angeldove97]

I did AFROTC and you could just join, it is definatly preferable to have a scholarship but not required. Google the draft sometime and you will find the 1 semester requirement, they dont just let a freshman get out of the draft for 4 to 5 years to finish school, if you were a junior you might be able to apply to extend out to graduation but as a freshman you will be drafted.

I don't think this is correct, with all due respect. One of my ex-boyfriends (still a dear friend) has joined the Military and is still going to college... they're paying for all 4 years and then he has to serve for a couple of years. I know a few other friends who have also signed up for service and are finishing their degrees and then serving. They often are obtaining a degree which will help them do their jobs better, so I think it would be in the Military's best interest to have their get their education.

 

[Angeldove97]

I had a lengthy discussion with a young man online about joining the military and the draft.

Now personally the draft makes me nervous, however likely or unlikely it is.

So what is the possible punishment if I am drafted and I refuse to fight?

There won't be a draft... nobody would stand for it at all. Honestly, I doubt that it will happen in the near future... maybe as things change, but even then I think that's the last thing the government wants to do.

I think you could confidentaly sign up (as I know guys have to) and not worry about being drafted. My Sweetheart has his military card (not sure what it's called but its the one you have to fill out for when you turn 18) and he's not worried about a draft at all.

Unless you're 110% against all wars I don't think you can really get past it, but I don't blame you for being worried either.

 

[Historygeek]

Robert Hinlein had some good ideas concerning the military in his novel "Starship Troopers". First,nobody started their careers as an officer- all officers earned their way up from the enlisted ranks. Ssecond, service was strictly voluntary, but nobody got the right to vote, or any other citizenship rights, until they had served(disabled people could be exempt from the military, but had to do some other federal service to qualify).only about five percent of the military were officers, thus eliminating the top-heavy brass.

i think federal service being mandatory for citizenship has merit. people would take citizenship a lot more seriously if they had to earn it. it would also be one hell of an incentive for people to sign up, if they wanted their voices in the government

 

[SH89]

There won't be a draft... nobody would stand for it at all. Honestly, I doubt that it will happen in the near future... maybe as things change, but even then I think that's the last thing the government wants to do.

There will be a draft if there is another world war. Hopefully it wont be in the next five years, but if it does,I will happily serve(though I want to enter the war as a volunteer officer from a ROTC unit.)

Robert Hinlein had some good ideas concerning the military in his novel "Starship Troopers". First,nobody started their careers as an officer- all officers earned their way up from the enlisted ranks. Ssecond, service was strictly voluntary, but nobody got the right to vote, or any other citizenship rights, until they had served(disabled people could be exempt from the military, but had to do some other federal service to qualify).only about five percent of the military were officers, thus eliminating the top-heavy brass.

i think federal service being mandatory for citizenship has merit. people would take citizenship a lot more seriously if they had to earn it. it would also be one hell of an incentive for people to sign up, if they wanted their voices in the government

Excellent moive. I'm sure it's an equally excellent book(I may pick it up one day).

Robert Hinlein idea's are kindof of similar to the was the Roman army was run. People who were not Roman citizens could serve in the Auxiliary army of the Romans(not the Legion itself), and after 25 years of service, could obtain a Roman citizenship.

There were very few officers int he Roman legions. There were perhaps 15 officers(inlcuding the Legate) in an army of 5,000. The centurions of the Roman army--officers who earned generally started as enlisted-men-- were the backbone of the army.They led men into actual battle, and directed the incessant movement in the Roman ranks.

 

[SoldierOfTheKing]

One point I think that needs to be brought up is that non-combatant positions are positions where you will not kill, not necessarily positions where you will not be be killed. Remember, a conscientious objector is someone who refused to fight because he believes that war, all war, is wrong, not because he's afraid of getting hurt.
Also, the only non-combatant positions that I'm aware of are chaplains, chaplain's assistants, medical personell, and file clerks. Other support troops (e.g. mechanics, truck drivers, cooks) are legitimate targets under the Geneva convention.

 

[rppearso]

I don't think this is correct, with all due respect. One of my ex-boyfriends (still a dear friend) has joined the Military and is still going to college... they're paying for all 4 years and then he has to serve for a couple of years. I know a few other friends who have also signed up for service and are finishing their degrees and then serving. They often are obtaining a degree which will help them do their jobs better, so I think it would be in the Military's best interest to have their get their education.

You can go to college while in the military but it can be extremely difficult because your military dutys come before your education (unless your national guard then its a different story, but even with the guard there are monitary caps per credit hour and certian things do not qualify). The only exception is a program in which the military allows you to go to school full time but you must serve 1-2 years for every year of school the military pays for in addition to your initial service commitment, I would hardly call that a deal. So yes you are correct, however, everything is at the discression of the military when you take that route.

 

[Historygeek]

One point I think that needs to be brought up is that non-combatant positions are positions where you will not kill, not necessarily positions where you will not be be killed. Remember, a conscientious objector is someone who refused to fight because he believes that war, all war, is wrong, not because he's afraid of getting hurt.
Also, the only non-combatant positions that I'm aware of are chaplains, chaplain's assistants, medical personell, and file clerks. Other support troops (e.g. mechanics, truck drivers, cooks) are legitimate targets under the Geneva convention.

You raise a VERY GOOD point about COs being Non- Combatants. Have you ever heard of Desmond Doss? He was the first, and so far only, Consciencious Objector to recieve the Congressional Medal of Honor. He served as a stretcher-bearer in the Pacific during WWII. He was wounded several times, yet helped to carry several wounded men to safety.

 

[Sybaris]

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)

 

[rppearso]

Robert Hinlein had some good ideas concerning the military in his novel "Starship Troopers". First,nobody started their careers as an officer- all officers earned their way up from the enlisted ranks. Ssecond, service was strictly voluntary, but nobody got the right to vote, or any other citizenship rights, until they had served(disabled people could be exempt from the military, but had to do some other federal service to qualify).only about five percent of the military were officers, thus eliminating the top-heavy brass.

i think federal service being mandatory for citizenship has merit. people would take citizenship a lot more seriously if they had to earn it. it would also be one hell of an incentive for people to sign up, if they wanted their voices in the government

I think that would be really silly to have to serve in the military to be able to vote. Who do you think builds the machinery that the military uses .... civilian contractors, so should the people that enable to military to do its job not be able to vote or do we just have all the handicap people build tanks and fighter jets. Thats the most nonsence I have heard in a while.

Also just because someone is not willing to be part of a military does not mean they are not willing to fight for there home land, just because you are trained to fight doesnt mean you always should.

 

[rppearso]

War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself.

John Stuart Mill
English economist & philosopher (1806 - 1873)

Refusing to fight in the military does not equate to having nothing to which you are willing to fight for.