"I got kicked out of the Military because I didn't go to IRAQ."

Soldier's Letters

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November 1st, 2004 2:09 PM

"I got kicked out of the Military because I didn't go to IRAQ."

From: [e-mail address omitted]
Sent: Wednesday, June 30, 2004 1:43 PM
To: mike@michaelmoore.com
Subject: I got kicked out of the Military because I didn't go to IRAQ.

Hello Mike,

I was given orders in December of 2003 for 1 to 2 years in Iraq. I was a Naval Reservist stationed at Travis Air Force Base, Sacramento Reserve Center. I was a Supply Clerk with a SSB1 Fuels Unit Co E.

I was active duty in the Navy at one time and joined the reserves in 2002, later in my life.

At first when I was given the orders for Iraq I was really excited to be part of this, that's why I am involved in the Military, to serve my country.

As the days got closer to get ready to ship out, the more I didn't want to go. I had to put my civilian life on hold, lose everything I had and either sell it or put it in storage. I was starting to get depressed and all I wanted to do was sleep all the time and not wake up. I was missing work, I was getting migraine headaches on a daily bases, I was over-eating, and I was self medicating at home, drinking.

So I went to my doctor and told them how I was feeling and I just broke down in front of her. There were a few other things that were told, that were bothering me. She recommended that I go and see a counselor and she gave me some Zoloft and wrote me a letter of recommendation of why I shouldn't be deployed, for my safety and the safety of others.

I turned that letter in, I was told that I had to turn in all of my medical records to the military so they could determine if I was really depressed or not. I told them I just went and this letter is all I had and I hadn't started with my counselor yet. This was like a week before deployment. They were acting like I have had a lifetime of counseling and they wanted it all. I told them I didn't have it, and it was none of their business what I had in civilian medical records.

They (and E-6, which I at the time was E-5) demanded I go and see a psychiatrist. I told them I didn't have the money to go to one before I was to deploy in a week. I said you guys need to provide one if you want the information. They said NO. I missed drills in January, then I went in February, and they kicked me out for not complying with the rules. It's unbelievable what they do.

Actually the other people that stayed behind told me that this is voluntary, and they didn't volunteer to go. One girl in my unit, she had less than a year left of duty and she didn't want to re-up for the war, so they tried to kick her out early, and not let her finish her time.

It's amazing that in the Land of Free, people playing sports for a living are making millions of dollars and the people fighting and dying to protect this the Land of Free are getting paid so little with little benefits.

I have never been a registered voter in my life, but your film has inspired me to register now and vote.

Is there anything we can do to get Bush punished for what he has done? They dealt with Watergate, Whitewater, Monica--my god this is way worse than our president getting a blow job.

Regards,

SK2, Fuel Unit

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