Mr President, please don't send me back to fight in Iraq

Mr President, please don't send me back to fight in Iraq
By David Mortlock
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006
Published: September 2 2006 03:00 | Last updated: September 2 2006 03:00
From Mr David Mortlock.

Sir, What does a military draft feel like? As one of the 50,000 former marines in the Individual Ready Reserve, I am absolutely terrified by the prospect of returning to Iraq. I have even talked with another former marine officer about forming an anti-war movement called Iraq War Veterans Against the Backdoor Draft. My wife and I have avoided talking about the recall because the thought of another separation is too painful.

Not a day goes by since the announcement of this involuntary recall that I don't think about getting a letter instructing me to report for duty. And sadly, I feel growing resentment towards my fellow citizens, and specifically towards my Wharton classmates, who can lead their lives without sharing some of this burden. The president can call this an involuntary recall, but it sure feels like a draft to me.

Some people would probably argue that I should not gripe since I willingly agreed to serve four years in the Marine Corps followed by four years of inactive duty. However, it is hard for me to rationalise why I should have to return to Iraq against my own free will.

When I joined the Marine Corps, I was a directionless 22-year-old. It was before September 11, before experiencing first-hand the devastation and violence of war, before being ambushed in Iraq and almost killed, and before meeting my wife and getting married. The world is different today. I am different today. And while I am proud of my service in Iraq and honoured to have shared that experience with some fine marines, I have come to hate this senseless war. In 20 years, will tomorrow's generation be unable to find Iraq on a map much like my generation can't find Vietnam?

My stance against the war and against this involuntary recall has generated conflicting emotions. I still strongly believe in the Marine Corps motto, Semper Fi (Always Faithful). I am grateful for my time in the military. The marines made me a better person by helping me shape a value system around discipline, honour and integrity. So I have often asked myself over the past two years, Can I protest against the war without dishonouring the Marine Corps and the marines that have made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq? I now believe the answer is yes.

I recognise that I went to war fighting for the marine on my left and the marine on my right, not for the people of Iraq. All warriors feel this way. The obvious conclusion is that the best way to honour the marines, soldiers, sailors and airmen who died in this war is to leave Iraq and raise the threshold for which we accept the sacrifice of Americans who live today but once fought on the left and on the right of those killed.

However, if we pull out of Iraq as I advocate, are we not responsible for the tens of thousands of Iraqi civilian deaths that will occur as the factional violence gains intensity? This issue should weigh heavily on our consciences, which leads me to believe that it will require significantly more courage to pull out of Iraq than it took to go in.

The US needs new leaders in Washington, and preferably ones who have experienced warfare first-hand and know its awfulness. In the meanwhile, I will hold my breath every time the mail arrives because we have a military draft no matter what you call it.

David Mortlock,
MA/MBA Candidate,
The Wharton School,
University of Pennsylvania
The School of Advanced International Studies,
Johns Hopkins University