Iraq Vet: Don’t Join the U.S. Military

This Iraq Veteran has a message for potential recruits: Don't enlist.

Claude Copeland, an organizer with About Face: Veterans Against the War, spoke to us about his experiences in Iraq and how they lead him to oppose war and militarism.

[guytero]

I did 2 years in the army. As an old man now, I'm begging please don't be a pawn in their games and refuse to join the army. Countries go to war and suddenly they are best mates after the war and who loses? Only the civilians.

[disgruntledballistics]

I did 3 years in the Army. About a year and a half in, I absolutely hated it, left as soon as my contract was done. Did one deployment to Afghanistan in 2019, everything was just a mess. Everything we saw, after everything that went down there just made me see that we aren't the heroes the media makes us out to be. Don't sell yourselves out to Israel, be smart, go to trade school.

[charleydraper]

My father was a veteran and told me straight off, don't join the military, because they don't care about

[Freethought.]

Joining the military grooms' young adults to take abuse from future employers and coworkers for the rest of their lives. It teaches them that putting up with psychological and verbal abuse will pay off as long as they do exactly what there told without question and without failure. It's a life sentence and it can be a death sentence.

[frontseated]

If we don't have an enemy, go create one. The economy of our country depends on that enemy.

[CheesecakeYearsAgo]

More war = More profit
For the Millitary Industrial Complex

[alwaysright]

If this is not on mainstream news, it's not reaching most of the targeted audience.

[Kavala]

This guy is, in his own way, articulating what marine general Smedley-Butler wrote in his book "War is a Racket".
This book is well worth checking out, if you haven't.

[moriyokiri]

Joined the United States Marine Corps straight out of high school after 9/11 (2002-2006). Don't give your life to people who don't care about you. You don't need what they are offering. Claude speaks the truth.

[harriet]

Good to know there are good souls out there who know difference between right and wrong! 🙏❤

[MrTnylam]

Kids should not fight politicians war. Send them and their kids first.

[johntodd]

I served 3 years in the US Army and Vietnam. At this time in my life I realize what a huge mistake it was. The people in this country and especially our leaders don't deserve what we did for them, I would never do it again. It has left me a very bitter old man with nothing but anger for the people in this country.

[Matt_from_Florida]

I think being a cop will eventually lead you to the same conclusion. As one who did it for over 20 years told me, _"The rich people know we are there to protect them_ (meaning, their _'class')."_

[robdixson]

I was in the Army too, the experience wasn't bad overall. But one thing i noticed about hardcore military people is they tended to brag about being "government property".... As if that wasn't weird creepy and cultish. Who brags about being property?

[dangandee]

"War is old men talking, and young men dying."

[YairNavarrete]

I second everything he said. The military is terrible. Miserable time. Most people I know stayed in for job security.

[davebartosh]

I was in the Army Guard. Airborne and Air Assault. Never got deployed overseas. That said, my service was good for me. Got me in good shape mentally and physically, and some pride. But anyone who joins needs to understand what they are doing. You surrender a lot of freedom. You belong to the military. Anyone who thinks you are supporting your country is naive. You aren't. You are part of a money making machine for companies like Raytheon and Boeing, and politicians like Dick Chaney with Halliburton. I'm glad I wasn't deployed for wars that really are about money. Both Iraq and Afghanistan were bullshit.

[Zerpentsa]

There are decent people like him in the US forces, but they are now out. The leftover still inside are rotters.

[zoezoe]

Wars are never about freedoms but always about power and money of which the US wants to control all of it.

[peace]

Peace, a solution that weaken the US industrial military complex and its political allies .