Military Diaries

"Suj"

My name is Suj. Unfortunately, I was not one of the lucky ones who got out. From the time I inquired about the Army, I had a recruiter hounding me day and night. I finally decided to take the ASVAB and physical, just to see how I'd qualify. Next thing I knew it, I was raising my right hand and swearing to something I had no idea about. Give my LIFE!, I was only 17. I was never told that I could go reserve and if I liked the Army, I could go active, nor was I told that once I go active I couldn't go reserve. I didn't even know that I was signing up for active duty until after I signed the papers.

When I started having doubts, my recruiter told me that it was too late for me to change my mind and I had to go. My recruiter lied and said I would have a traveling job.I've been at Fort Hood for 2 years. I want to get out but the only options I have of getting out could ruin my career, so I am forced to wait my time out like many others in my same position. I recommend that anyone who is even thinking about joining the Armed Forces look up all options before contacting a recruiter. "How do you know when a recruiter is lying?....His lips are moving."

"Jade"

My story touches on why girls may want to get out of the delayed entry program. When I enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1999, I was the only female in my recruit pool. In fact, I was the only female within three counties. I had no one to talk to about it, and because it was such an instant and rash decision, many friends thought I was nuts and avoided me. (I discovered later that I have AD/HD, and from what I know and remember of my physicals, should have never passed.)

However, my recruiter was very kind in offering me a shoulder to cry on. We became friends, which was very inappropriate for him to do, and ended up having a brief affair with him that involved sex. Because I was of age, I figured that it was okay. However, when female recruits started coming by the office visiting after boot camp, he was not so nice anymore, shifting his attentions to the other girls.

Later on, from a friend of mine who hated my recruiter, I found out that he had done it before with a high school recruit. I let the cat out of the bag to headquarters, and as it turned out, he was suspected of improper relations with female recruits before. He was thrown out of the military without benefits, sent to jail and fined.

I was still in the delayed entry program.

However, as time went on, the episode came back to haunt me. Information about what was supposed to be a discreet case was leaked out from the time I made the first call to headquarters, and I knew in my gut that my four years would be a nightmare as a female in an almost completely male Corps. My understanding of the politics between males and females were just as abusive and evil as mine were with my recruiter, no matter how much the female poolees were told that they would fare better in the Marines than in any other branch of the military.

I researched my contract as a recruit on the Internet and followed the link to this site. Just to make sure, I sent an email about the situation for advice. I was told that I would not be happy without the structure of the Marine Corps, or the college money, or the security. However, I now live in New York City, something I chose to do and love, working a good job and making decent pay. I was also able to get help for the AD/HD which would have proved to make boot camp nearly impossible for me. Though the military is good for those who want it, the marketing tactics are terrible for the buyer - the recruits.

I shared the information from this website with some of my fellow poolees who were sucked into the empty promises, who of course, did not go through what I went through. I would suggest that if any girl is interested in the military, she should make sure she really wants to go, and make sure she is strong enough to resist the misogynist traps all along the way.

"Aaron"

My story is similar to Gerard's. I signed up for the army's delayed entry program in October of 2000. And was scheduled to ship out in late January of 2001. I had begun having second thoughts from the moment I swore in and by December I had completely changed my mind and wanted out. I did some research on the Internet and found the objector.org homepage. So I did what they said and mailed a letter to the Commander at the recruiting station where I signed up and I also sent one to my recruiter.

A week later my recruiter called and said that my letter was unacceptable. He said that I couldn't get out and that if I didn't show up to the MEPS on my ship date that I would be arrested and get a dishonorable discharge. He also called the next day and talked to my father and told him the same thing. So my father persuaded me to suck it up and go. I was afraid that if I got a dishonorable discharge I would never get another job again.

So time passed by and on the day before I was supposed to ship out I went to the recruiter and they took me to a hotel with all the other people who were about to ship out. The next day at the MEPS I did all the required stuff. I took the physical and began filling out my paperwork. At 3 o'clock they called me to sign my final paperwork, before I had to swear in.

At this point I would have done anything to get out and when the opportunity arrived I acted on it. I was sitting at this woman's desk and she was asking me health questions. One of them was "Do you have any health problems the army should know about?" And I checked yes. As soon as I did she turned red in the face and asked me, "What's wrong with you?" I told her my knees had been hurting me when I ran or walked for short periods of time. After berating me and telling the ARMY to cancel my reservation for shipping today she sent me back to the doctor. The doctor asked me why I hadn't said anything during my physical and I told him that we were rushed through here so fast that I didn't have time.

As I was telling him this an older woman doctor walking by and overheard our conversation. She took me aside and asked me if I really just didn't want to go. I told her yes and my story of how I had tried to get out. She was upset, but this time not at me. She said that recruiters pull that all the time and end up wasting everybody's time. She then took me to the Lieutenant working at the MEPS. He wasn't actually affiliated with the ARMY or any other branch of service, he was there to make sure none of the rules of recruiting were [broken] and things like that. I told him what happened and he made me write it down as a statement and sign it.

Finally I was released from the MEPS and went home. A week later I got a call from my recruiter asking me where I was. I told him what happened and told him that I wasn't going. He told me that I screwed with the wrong guy and that I was just a boy and other things like that. After that I never head from him again. I guess the point of my story is that there are people willing to help you and not to give up, you can get out.

"Emma"

I'm desperately trying to divorce my military mistake and am curious to whether or not it might be possible for me to get a discharge. I enlisted in the Navy on September 1, 2001. I'm not sure what sort of demented ACCELERATE YOUR LIFE thoughts I was thinking at the time, but I somehow got duped into thinking that the navy wasn't a big evil machine after all, and that Uncle Sam really cares about me, and America truly isn't based on capitalist greed and all that garbage.

Anyhow, my idealistic thoughts were quickly shattered, and I soon found [myself] down in an incredible state of depression, anxiety attacks, concentration problems, insomnia, and anger. In the third week of boot camp, I went to the medical clinic complaining of anxiety and anxiety attacks, and was ignored on the paperwork as this being perhaps a chemical inbalance problem. The doctor gave me an ECGC for "Random Heart Palpatations," which came back just fine.

He also informed my drill sergeant who in turn humiliated me in front of my whole unit as being a "suicide risk" because he "cared" about me and wanted me to do well in the navy (being on suicide watch when you're not suicidal can make you suicidal really fast...).

I tried to refuse to train at this point, but was laughed at by my drill sergeant who convinced me that military police would have me in jail in ten minutes where I could await some court martial that would land me in prison for the next five years.

That was almost three months ago, and I'm still just as desperate, if not more, to cut my chains with big brother. I'm not too excited about the possibility of an other-than-honourable discharge due to the fact that I'd like tobe a teacher some day, and that could possibly blow up my chances (so they say). I would, however, rather live in Cancun, Mexico for the rest of my life than know that I contributed to the mass oppression of other human beings. Hopefully you could let me know what approach could afford me the the greatest chances of being able to burn my military ID and flush my dog tags down the toilet.

"Yadira"

I am 22, female, and have been in the army for almost two years. The whole two years has been a living hell. I have been jerked around, physically and mentally abused, and the army has taken everything for me.

I am a good natured person, and I have a lot of ambition. I joined the army as a way to obtain money and discipline. I thought it would be interesting to experience something different. I was dead wrong.

I feel like I was tricked in every way possible, and I feel very dumb. I am a unique case. I was in good standing for half of my tour. I was engaged to be married before I came in and thought it could only help me. I lost my car, my fiancee and my self-respect. I lost my sense of individualism, most of my liberal ideals, but mostly what it is to be me.

I have tried almost everything. I contacted two Congressmen, the Inspector General, and J.A.G., but to no avail. I was actually being chaptered out for serious misconduct. This is unjust as I have not done anything of a serious nature. I was late a couple of times and stood up for my beliefs in a respectful manner. I am currently AWOL, and have been for a couple of weeks. The clock is ticking, and I don't know what to do? Is it really that horrible for me to be a deserter? Is that a myth? I need your help. I am alone in this world with no family to turn to. I feel like I can't trust anyone. I want my individualism back!

My unit had no intentions of chaptering me out any time soon (I saw my chapter orders on an NCO's desk even though I was told they hadn't arrived yet.) They were dragging me through the mud. The longer I stayed, the better the chances became for them to pin something new on me. So I left. Please respond as quickly as possible.

"Sarah"

Waiting for her permission.

mailto: info@objector.org

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