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Should soldiers be allowed to opt out of a war they disagree with No

It is difficult to fathom a provision in the military to allow enlistees to opt out of an unpopular war. Wars are horrific and complicated. They have been waged for numerous reasons: some political, others from deep seated disagreements that occurred as far back as the earliest recorded history of the human race.. To allow soldiers to avoid an unpopular war or to quit in the middle of a war zone would be preposterous and would discredit our military.

The soldiers are aware or should have known of the war clause provisions in the documents they signed when they joined the military, including the National Guard and Reserves. The documents spell out the terms and duties. Again, in the documents, when the soldiers complete their tour of duty, they are assigned types of classifications. At later dates, the government can change their inactive service status to active and call them to serve their country again, even send them to a war zone.

Soldiers who want to opt out are not like the conscientious objectors who object to war because of their faith. Filing for conscientious objector status sometimes has severe consequences. Conscientious objectors, depending on degree of the objection and practice of faith, are normally assigned to duty in maintenance or office areas clear from combat zones. This is done to protect them since they refuse to carry weapons and also to protect the other soldiers. Many filed for conscientious objector status during the Vietnam War but were denied because they were only trying to dodge the draft. Some of these draftees (women were not drafted) had to serve prison terms for their disobedience.

However, the draft is not in effect, and the military is composed mostly of volunteers. The enlistees should know that once they join they are under military rule, and they are no longer civilians. Many who enlist in the military deceive themselves, focusing only on the advantages of military life. Perhaps many who joined the National Guard and Reserves in times of peace thought only of the supplemental income, retirement benefits, and possible step-up in their future careers while still enjoying some civilian life. They failed to take their oath seriously. They were focused on the relative peace at home and dismissed the possibility that they could be sent off to war to defend their country. When orders to war arrive, they quickly become disillusioned and dismayed

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