Know Your Rights
US MILITARY KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
The way military members view their role in war is a constantly evolving story. Often during their military careers, people start to question or doubt the missions they once signed on to carry out. Some feel asked to carry out orders they never imagined. As citizens themselves, some military members want to use their free speech rights to speak out against injustices they see. Some even find themselves in situations where their conscience won’t allow them to carry out orders they believe to be immoral. And in the rigid military discipline system, people are often curious about their rights in these situations and nervous about possible consequences for acting on their inclinations. There is a long, powerful legacy of military personnel taking courageous action to ensure public visibility and/or accountability for unlawful, unethical and unjust situations carried out by the US military.
There is a common misconception that members of the military are not allowed to be “political” or involved in any form of activism. This guide is designed to give you an idea of what current regulations say about some of your rights to free speech. It will also explore options and consequences for resisting legal and illegal orders, filing complaints, and getting out of the military altogether. This guide is a starting place but it is not legal advice or a replacement for speaking with a GI Rights counselor or lawyer about your situation.
Ban strips rights of transgender service members
The Pentagon is forcing transgender members out of its military ranks while court cases continue over the ban's legality.
If your conscience troubles you...
In recent years, we have gotten calls on the GI Rights Hotline from service members concerned about having to police the US-Mexican border and/or police demostrations in the US. Others feel disturbed by US support for specific overseas operations, like Israel’s actions in Gaza…
Will they transfer me to the IRR?
We get a lot of calls from reservists who are having issues with drilling and feel they would be better off in the IRR. They want to know how to request transfer. What form do they fill out? Where do they send it? That's where things start getting tricky. The first thing people…
Some Conscientious Objector Applicants Are Confused About This
With no draft underway, today’s military is seen as an all volunteer membership. Even though a lot of our callers don’t want to be in the military anymore, they volunteered at some point. This is true for conscientious objectors as well. Even though they now feel a moral or…
Automatic Upgrades Reportedly Coming for Many Discharged Under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,”
Just over a week ago Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III stated: As we mark the twelfth anniversary of the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” I want to recognize the service members, DoD civilians, and DoD families who served courageously and forged new pathways for future…
PARENTHOOD AND THE MILITARY
Stacy (not her real name) called in distress. She has been having serious, sometimes incapacitating, health issues and her husband’s command was bullying him to sign papers saying who would care for their kids in the event of deployment. The command said he couldn’t…
Entry Level Expanded
Sometimes we get calls from military members who, after several years in, are hoping to be discharged for “failure to adapt.” Previously we would explain that by itself, failure to adapt was only a basis for discharge during the first six months of active duty. Now failure to…
Military Myths
Servicemember is told by a military medical provider: "We would send you to the medical board for disability consideration except you don’t have enough time left on your contract." Fact: The Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) can begin at any point in a persons…
New 988 phone number to assist people in mental health crisis
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis now has an easier way to get help. By dialing or texting 988, people can gain immediate access to a trained mental health crisis counselor and, if necessary, a crisis mobile response team.