by Wayne Finegar | Nov 17, 2020 | Conscientious Objection, GI Rights Hotline
National Guard staging in Fayetteville, NC, in anticipation of protests after murder of George Floyd. Recently a young soldier called us from Ft. Benning, Georgia. Like many, he contracted the coronavirus during his first couple of weeks in basic training and was sent...
by Wayne Finegar | Nov 13, 2020 | GI Rights Hotline, Peace, War and Use of Military Force
What gives us hope? This has been a tough time. As I write this, the presidential election in the United States has not officially come to a conclusion and the nine-day interval since Election Day has felt like a month, at least. COVID cases are beginning their...
by Wayne Finegar | Nov 11, 2019 | Conscientious Objection, GI Rights Hotline, PTSD
Federal law defines a “veteran” as anyone who served on active duty and was not discharged or released dishonorably. A good many of the veterans who call the GI Rights Hotline on any given day aren’t the ones you probably heard appreciated on Veterans’ Day. Here’s a...
by Wayne Finegar | Jun 4, 2019 | Before Joining, Conscientious Objection, GI Rights Hotline, Military, Selective Service System
Recently Lenore described our work with the GI Rights Hotline to a Guatemalan immigrant friend. “The government must not like you,” he said. “Once you’re in the US military, they make it almost impossible to get out.” Not everyone with whom we talk...
by Wayne Finegar | Nov 18, 2018 | Before Joining, Conscientious Objection, GI Rights Hotline
Last week we received this email from Gary, one of the conscientious objectors we helped apply for discharge when he could no longer reconcile his Christian faith with being in the military. “One year ago I gave you a call. Today I got a call from my Company...
by Wayne Finegar | Aug 6, 2018 | Before Joining, GI Rights Hotline
Delayed Entry Program (DEP): On the GI Rights Hotline, we receive calls from service members in all phases of military service. Some of our favorite calls come from those in the Delayed Entry Program, individuals who have signed up but not yet reported for basic...
