Mastodawn

NPR: There's growing disquiet in the #military. The Iran war made it worse

By Kat Lonsdorf, Tom Bowman
April 10, 20265:00 AM ET

"Bill Galvin has spent much of the past month answering the phone.

" 'It's been very, very busy,' he says. Galvin is the counseling director at the Center on Conscience and War, which helps run the 24-hour #GIRights Hotline, set up to inform service members of their options for military discharge.

"Most callers are asking how to apply to become a #ConscientiousObjector — a difficult, invasive and rarely used process. But they're also airing their concerns and frustrations, often anonymously, as the hotline allows them a space to do so without repercussions.

"Military members are citing myriad reasons for wanting to leave, but the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has been a powerful motivator. In March alone, Galvin's center took on more than 80 new clients — almost twice as many as it takes on in an average year. The busiest single day saw 12 new clients join, with one person saying four other members of their platoon were also interested."

#NoWar #WarOnIran #USPol