Interview with Christopher Gorman, a religious Conscientious Objector
who is refusing to return to Iraq.
7/13/06
Published and Audio Broadcasted by Coalition For Free Thought In Media
Interview conducted by Jay Shaft: Editor-In-Chief/Executive
Investigative Editor
THOUGHT BOMB RADIO - SHOCK AND AWE FOR THE MIND RADIO HOUR (C)
2003-2006 Jay Shaft/Coalition For Free Thought In Media
This is an interview with Pfc. Christopher Gorman who is home on
leave from Iraq. He has just been stationed at F.O.B. (Forward
Operating Base) Kalsu in Iskandariya, Iraq with Echo Company, 2nd
Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division.
Chris is supposed to get on a plane on Monday, July 17th to fly back
to Iraq. He is not getting on the plane, or returning to Iraq,
despite the Army’s order to do so. He plans to go in the battalion
Rear Detachment office and directly report that he is refusing to go
back for the rest of his combat tour.
Audio archived at San Francisco Indy Bay media center
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2006/07/12/18287427.php
Part One: Chris talks about what he has witnessed in Iraq and how it
has affected him. He explains what a C.O is, and why he considers the
war to be wrong and injust.
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/07/12/tbrcgpart1.wma
Part Two: Chris goes over the reasons why is refusing to return to
Iraq. He also explains why he is religiously opposed to serving in
combat.
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/07/12/tbrcgpart2.wma
Part Three: Chris details his plans for filing a new C.O. application
with his unit. He discusses the consequences of reporting that he is
refusing to return to Iraq.
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/07/12/tbrcgpart3.wma
Part 4: Interview with Heather Gorman, wife of Chris Gorman.
Heather talks about the joy of having Chris at home, and discusses
how their children feel about Chris refusing to go back.
http://www.indybay.org/uploads/2006/07/12/tbrhgpart5.wma
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Pfc. Gorman is already on record as a Conscientious Objector and has
taken every legal step to be granted a discharge under the legal
guidelines. Because his original Conscientious Objector application
packet was denied at the Pentagon level, he is going to file a new
statement with his chain of command.
He says he will not let the military send him back, because they have
already promised him a discharge after the 4th ID redeployed back the
US and returned to stateside duty. He states that he refuses to go
back and is demanding an immediate discharge.
At this point he is still the only C.O. on record who has filed
paperwork, and then been sent to combat in Iraq while his application
was being reviewed. I do not know of any other soldier who has
publicly spoken out while serving with a combat unit. I have been in
contact with several other soldiers who were deployed after filing
for C.O. status, but none of them have been willing to go public with
any details.
For those of you who do not know what a Conscientious Objector is,
please go and take a look at the Department of Defense Directive on
C.O. Status and the different kinds of C.O. status’ and designations.
http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf2/d13006p.pdf
The Army regulations relating to C.O. status are available at
http://www.usapa.army.mil.
The main Army discharge regulation, AR-635-200, can be
viewed in PDF format at
http://www.usapa.army.mil/pdffiles/r635_200.pdf
A full copy of the Uniform Code of Military justice can be found here:
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj.htm
This is the type of C.O. status that Chris Gorman has filed under. He
is supposed to have every legal right to claim and use it as grounds
for discharge.
3.1.1. Class 1-O Conscientious Objector. A member who, by reason of
conscientious objection, sincerely objects to participation of any
kind in war in any form.
3.2. Religious Training and Belief: Belief in an external power or
being or deeply held moral or ethical belief, to which all else is
subordinate or upon which all else is ultimately dependent, and which
has the power or force to affect moral-well-being. The external power
or being need not be of an orthodox deity, but may be a sincere and
meaningful belief which occupies in the life of its possessor a place
parallel to that filled by the God of another, or, in the case of
deeply held moral or ethical beliefs, a belief held with the strength
and devotion of traditional religious conviction. The term "religious
training and belief" may include solely moral or ethical beliefs even
though the applicant himself may not characterize these beliefs as
"'religious" in the traditional sense, or may expressly characterize
them as not religious. The term "religious training and belief" does
not include a belief which rests solely upon considerations of
policy, pragmatism, expediency, or political views.
Please listen to the audio interview to hear all the details in
Chris’s own words. I can type up facts and quotes all day long, but
it doesn’t have the same impact as hearing it directly from Chris.
A press conference is tentatively being scheduled on Monday to cover
the issue of Chris Gorman’s case as a C.O. and his refusal to return
for duty. I will interview Chris on Monday afternoon, or in the event
that he is taken into custody by the Army, I will interview his wife
Heather.
Please write to Chris Gorman at cmgorman24@yahoo.com. He
welcomes any comments, support, or prayers. He has asked
everyone to pray for his continued safety and well being in this
time of trial and trouble.
CFTM has released two previous interviews in print/audio format.
Live from Iraq-PFC Chris Gorman: This is an Ungodly War Based
on Lies and Sin http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0605/S00042.htm
This article contains background information
about other soldiers who
have filed C.O status or gone AWOL or refused to report for
deployment to Iraq.
The Army Is Religiously Persecuting and Harassing My Husband
Interview with Heather Gorman, Wife of Army Specialist Christopher
Gorman
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0604/S00053.htm
This article contains facts about my
investigation into the 4th
Infantry Division, and some other incidents of soldiers being denied
C.O. status.
You can find a timeline of the events leading up to this point, and
the background behind Chris Gorman’s reasons for declaring himself a
Religious C.O. at http://www.soldiersrights.com/index.html
ABOUT THE INTERVIEWER:
Jay Shaft is a freelance investigative writer and the Editor-In-Chief
and Managing Investigative Editor of the independent news group
Coalition For Free Thought In Media.
http://groups.google.com/group/Coalitionforfreethoughtinmedia
He has conducted many interviews with soldiers who have served in
Iraq, in which service members exposed the issues of the military's
failure to provide proper equipment and training to US troops, and he
has been on the forefront of investigating the price that soldiers
are paying as a result.
He is currently involved in interviewing soldiers who have returned
from war with PTSD or traumatic injuries. An ongoing expose and
series of troops/vet interviews and articles highlighting the failure
of the VA system to adequately take care of the soldiers and vets is
in current publication at this time. There is an ongoing series of
letters from soldiers serving in Iraq that is being published as well.
Contact Jay at coalitionforfreethoughtinmedia@yahoo.com or
cftmeditor@gmail.com
