[Peace-discuss] Vets To Drone Operators: We Will Help You Resist

[David Johnson]

Vets To Drone Operators: We Will Help You Resist

Description: Stop the drone stop the wars

 <https://www.popularresistance.org/category/resist/> Resist!
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/drones/> Drones,
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/militarization/> Militarization,
<https://www.popularresistance.org/tag/wars-and-militarism/> Wars and
Militarism 
By Staff,
<http://couragetoresist.org/2015/03/message-from-veterans-to-drone-operators
/> www.couragetoresist.org
March 22nd, 2015

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Message from Veterans to Drone Operators and Support Personnel at Creech Air
Force Base

To our Brothers and Sisters, Sons and Daughters at Creech Air Force Base,

Last week, veterans of the U.S. wars in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan
arrived in Nevada to join protests outside Creech Air Force Base against
Drone Warfare. We were not protesting against you, the airmen (and women)
who are drone operators and support personnel.

We were reaching out to you because we understand the position you that you
are in. We were once in that position ourselves, some of us quite recently.
We know what it feels like to be caught up in strange and brutal wars not of
our own making, and not clearly in the interests of our nation. We want to
share some of our hard won truths, and to offer you our support.

We know that drone operators and support personnel have a tough job. We
understand that you are not playing video games, but rather engaging in life
and death situations on a daily basis. You are not targeted and don't have
to worry about being killed and wounded. But you are human beings with
feelings who suffer nonetheless. You have a conscience too.

It is not normal or healthy for human beings to kill other human beings.
Many veterans continue to suffer from PTSD and "moral injury" for the rest
of their lives. The suicide rate for active duty GI's and veterans is
extremely high.

No matter how you spin it, your job involves killing other human beings,
thousands of miles away, who are not threatening you. No doubt you want to
know who these people are. According to recent independent research, the
identity of only one out of 28 victims of drone strikes is known beforehand.
Though officials deny it, the majority of those killed by drones are
civilians.

As veterans who have served in many wars and on many military bases, we have
been educating ourselves about what goes on at Creech AFB. In 2005, Creech
Air Force Base secretly became the first U.S. base in the country to carry
out remotely controlled assassinations using the MQ-1 Predator drones. In
2006, the more advanced Reaper drones were added to its arsenal. Last year,
in 2014, it was leaked that the CIA's drone assassination program,
officially a separate operation from the Air Force's, has been piloted all
along by Creech's super-secret Squadron 17.

Description: CREECH-PROTEST-MAR07_020_6The U.S. wars and occupations of Iraq
and Afghanistan have been disasters for the people of those countries. These
wars have also been a disaster for the soldiers, marines, airmen (and women)
who were forced to fight them, as well as their families.

The ISIS terrorist threat of today would not exist if the U.S. had not
invaded and occupied Iraq. Likewise, the U.S. drone war in Pakistan,
Afghanistan, Yemen and Somalia is creating more terrorism, not eliminating
it. And, as many veterans have painfully discovered, these wars have been
based on lies, and have more to do with rich men's dreams of empire than
they do with the defense of our country and the well being of the common
people.

So what can you do about it? You are in the military now. There are serious
consequences for those who dare to question the mission. That is true. But
there are also serious consequences for those who do not. We have to be able
to live with ourselves.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

We encourage you to think carefully about your place in the scheme of
things. Can you, in good conscience, continue to participate in killing
other human beings, no matter how remotely?

If, after serious soul-searching, you come to believe you are against all
wars, you can apply for a discharge from the Air Force as a Conscientious
Objector.

If you need advice, there are conscientious objector organizations that can
help you.

Military personnel have the right and the responsibility to refuse to
participate in war crimes, according to international law, U.S. law and the
Uniform Code of Military Justice. And then there are the higher moral laws.

If you decide to refuse illegal orders or to resist illegal wars, we are
here to support you.

Please also consider joining us to make common cause with fellow veterans
who are working for peace at home and peace abroad. We welcome active duty
members.

You can find out more at the websites listed below.

*	Veterans For Peace -  <http://www.veteransforpeace.org/>
veteransforpeace.org
*	Iraq Veterans Against War -  <http://www.ivaw.org/> ivaw.org
*	To Know Your Rights, Call the GI Rights Hotline -
<http://girightshotline.org/> girightshotline.org
*	Courage To Resist -  <http://www.couragetoresist.org/>
couragetoresist.org

 

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