Airmen applying for conscientious objector status over US support for Israel
Larry Hebert and Juan Bettancourt both serve in the U.S. Air Force. After seeing events between Hamas and Israel, and the US’s support for Israel, these Airmen decided to apply for conscientious objector status. Both labeled Israel’s actions in Gaza as a “genocide” and expressed belief that this sentiment is growing. Based a track record of the previous decisions on these conscientious objector applications, these Airman may either get an honorable or a general discharge.
From NBC News:
After witnessing footage of death and destruction in Gaza, senior U.S. Airman Juan Bettancourt said he could no longer ignore the U.S. government’s role in the war, including its supply of weapons, diplomatic coverage and intelligence.
“I see the slaughter of thousands of innocent civilians,” Bettancourt said during an interview in San Antonio, Texas, “all while the world watches through their smartphones.”
A new phase in the long-simmering Israel-Hamas conflict erupted on Oct. 7 last year, after armed militants surged across the border from the Gaza Strip into Israel, a close U.S. ally, and began a devastating massacre that killed 1,200 people and took 240 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory military assault has heightened calls for a cease-fire amid a spiraling civilian death toll that local authorities say has claimed the lives of more than 37,000 Palestinians.
Hebert, who enlisted six years ago and is based in Rota, Spain, and Bettancourt are both in the U.S. Air Force and are currently requesting to become conscientious objectors over the United States support of Israel, a decision they said was emboldened by the ongoing war in Gaza. The service members made clear that these were their personal views and chose not to appear in uniform when they sat down for an interview with NBC News’ “Nightly News” to emphasize that they were not speaking on behalf of the Air Force.
Hebert and Bettancourt, who enlisted in 2022, said the scale of atrocities pushed them to question their participation in a military system that they believe is helping to perpetuate the heavy death toll. Both referred to Israel’s attack on Gaza as “genocide” and said footage coming out of the region is weighing not only on them but many Americans.
Additional Reading:
Doyle, K., & Kube, C. (2024, June 22). U.S. military members discuss seeking conscientious objector status over support of Israel in Gaza. NBC News. Link.
Category: Israel, Terror War, Veterans in the news
They’re just good little brainwashed minions doing the bidding of liberal media herders IMO.
Why does the AF enlist all these leftist wussy c*cksuckers? They think it’s okay when Hamas rapes and beheads people, right?
What a crock of shit…
You’re pushing pallets around the ramp, not kicking in doors and getting into firefights. All the years you played COD & Halo thinking you’re a couple badasses, but now you’re wetting your diapers because of a few TikTok videos. ADMINSEP with NO veteran benefits for these two pansies. Good riddance!
But I’m sure their important Training like SHARP and DEI is up to date!
Now we know where this Darwin Award winner came from:
He got an injection of lead-acilin to cure what ailed him. The world is a slightly better place without the likes Garret Foster polluting the gene pool.
Darwin was the clear winner that night.
The ironic thing is that four years later, his wheelchair bound girlfriend is still at the intersection, waiting for someone to wheel her home.
I laughed at that and I am ashamed of myself.
Curse you, associate purveyor of Red Hat software!
You’re not alone in your shame.
I guess one of those “pussies” was not quite was pussified as he thought. Darwin would be gratified.
Yup, he worked at it.
Darwin approved!
Hey hey hey, don’t be lumping these bitches around with my goddamn career field. (605/2T2, Aerial Port Dawgs) Some of us that actually push pallets are proud of our service. These turds could be chow hall or fucking civil, engineers, or SECFO homos. Even worse, these retards could be personnel or finance which basically makes them terrorists in their own, right. 🤨🫡😝🖕🤔
Or gosh they could even be “Hospitality” services!
Hebert is the senior airman who went on a short lived hunger strike in April when he was instructed to report back to Rota via Andrews AFB. He is an aviation electronics-type, so he’s certainly not kicking in doors.
Not sure what the other airman does for the USAF, but my guess is he’s “low-speed…high-drag”.
Fat boy found out something he should have learned in boot camp, never point a gun at something unless you intend to kill it. Well he went full retard and his scared pussy choice fought back.
Nope. Out you go. You do not get to pick and choose which policies you will support. Thanks for coming, here’s your OTH discharge, all veterans benefits are hereby revoked. Enjoy your protest. NEXT!
This was tried during my war. It didn’t work out well for those that pulled it after all their training and then receiving orders for the Viet of the Nam.
War makes a believer out of a lot of people. I’m one of those that is opposed to the draft, less the nation is invaded. Serves as a constraint on federal power and the type of mischief they can get us into. IF Johnny doesn’t want to go fight ISIS or the Viet Cong I don’t think he should be made to.
But these assholes knew what they were getting into. It’s way too late now to say; “no I don’t want to”.
You can’t go through life responding to events. You make a plan to minimize distractions to remain on course. Show these guys the door and good riddance.
Here ya go, idjiots– if your d*ck had a discharge this bad you”d see a doctor!
I see those little dweebs in the same light I did those in the Military right after 9/11 screeching things like “I joined for the college money, NOT to go to war …” when the reason they joined was right there in the paperwork. Hell, I went back in after a NINE YEAR break in service to go get deployed!
I say put them on EVERY shit detail they can for the rest of their Enlistments.
IMHO those little shits are about as tough as cotton candy in a heavy thunderstorm.
I joined “for the college money” in 1987. After 24 years, trips to Somalia, Afghanistan, and Iraq x3, I got the college money. These little fuckstains can piss off.
The VA loaned me money for college after
Viet of the Nam in 1971. I paid it all back.
I concur. They can piss away any benefits.
“Serves as a constraint on federal power and the type of mischief they can get us into.”
I haven’t seen much evidence to support that. On the contrary.
Maybe. I knew one E5 who went to Sweden, which was a fairly welcoming venue from what I read.
Hack Stone is not a (disbarred) lawer, nor does he portray one at -6 Felt altitude, but based on previous instances similar to this, US Service Members can not be “Situational Conscientious Objectors”. You cannot get a Conscientious Discharge only when certain people are being killed. It’s all or nothing. Hack welcomes any correction if what he wrote is wrong.
“Conscientious Discharge”
Is that what you get in exchange for a pity f#$k?
“Negligent discharges” cause people.
Hack Stone is hoping that “Conscientious Discharge” catches on as a popular phrase, just like hoe Joe Biden made “lying dogfaced pony soldier” a common expression.
Better than me. I’m a disbarred Barrack Block Lawyer
Well…Bye!
😎
Concur
It’s way more funner, gooder, and betterer, when they set themselves on fire.
That would involve total commitment. They just want to be partially committed. Where’s my check, what time does the chow hall close and what’s today’s special.
What, like BGen Ripper? Too Cold War…
But that really fucks up the weekend duty roster. “Senior Airman Bushnell has blacked out the second weekend of July because he is scheduled to light himself on fire that weekend.”
I wonder if there’s going to be marshmallows available. No sense letting a situation or flame go to waste.
Damn shame that Senior Airman Aaron Bushnell did not light himself on fire in front of the Papua New Guinea embassy, because he could have fed a family of four for a week.
😆 😆 😆 😆
Or the Haitian embassy, rumour has it thet have a better sauce.
I think you need some tires for that BBQ
It was a Goodyear for regime change.
🙄😜🥴🤪
What’s up with the “crisis in Haiti”? Haven’t heard squat about for several weeks. Joe Biden must have taken care of it, since it is no longer in the news, just like the families displaced in the Maui wildfires. $700 per family, way to go, Joe. You can’t even get lei’d in Hawaii for $700.
But his ‘ house almost burned down’ so SloJoe knows exactly how those families felt.
He almost lost his Corvette after all!!
He has had a lot of “almosts”. He nearly got into the Naval Academy, he was wife was almost killed by a drunk driver and his son was almost killed in Iraq. Also nearly elected president.
I’m on board. They need to call a halt to all US military operations inside the Gaza Strip. No more baby killing by US forces. No more dropping bombs or poisoning them with MREs. Bring all the American soldiers home from the Gaza! Don’t make me go over there and climb on an anti-aircraft gun wearing a burka. From the Israeli built fence to the sea!
GTFO!
Talk about a “marshmallow test”…
Perhaps they can claim being butt-hurt as a service connected disability via self video-capture of wailing and crying.
When they set themselves on fire and get all burned up. No need for benefits, and the parents are off the hook for cremation services. Really a win win for everyone.
“Hebert, who enlisted six years ago and is based in Rota, Spain”
I hear Rota is pretty good duty.
Gotta be more to the story than “feelings”.
Cruising for chicks at Ibiza…
From what I understand a CO status generally has to be established before enlisted based on a moral belief in not willing to commit violence or be a part of an organization that commits violence against ANYONE.
You can not pick and choose the group of people you do not want to off. These bozos are mixing up their political beliefs with moral exclusion.
20 grand (thousand) terrorists which are called civilians killed. I think those numbers are inflated. There were conscientious objectors in the military during WW2 but they had that status when they enlisted.
And they became medics and went to
War.
All citizens in Gaza are civilians. All civilians are terrorist or terrorist supporters. I hope the numbers are high than that actually. They should be quite a bit higher, there are millions in Gaza. Israel is only trying to terminate those that pickup arms. A few extra here and there is no big deal, as there all civilians.
Desmond Doss comes to mind.
The good conscientious objector. One of a kind.
“One of a kind”
I don’t think so. Just lucky enough to survive. Many didn’t.
I believe he received the MOH. So I think he’s okay.
WW1 Alvin York also whom claimed that status and ended up fighting in the enemy trenches. Desmond Doss was a medic.
York claimed CO status then reconsidered. And an American badass was created.
From what Hack Stone read of Alvin York, he was a reluctant hero. He did celebrate what he did, but only did what was needed to be done to save his comrades.
Alvin C. York had been approached by producer Jesse L. Lasky several times, beginning in 1919, to allow a movie to be made of his life, but had refused, believing that “this uniform ain’t for sale.” Lasky convinced York that, with war threatening in Europe, it was his patriotic duty to allow the film to proceed. York finally agreed, but only on three conditions. First, York’s share of the profits would be contributed to a Bible school York wanted to be built. Second, no cigarette-smoking actress could be chosen to play his wife. Third, only Gary Cooper could recreate his life on screen. Cooper at first turned down the role, but when York himself contacted the star with a personal plea, Cooper agreed to do the picture. Strangely, York did not mind the fact that Cooper was a chain smoker.
He probably didn’t want to ‘ movie kiss ‘ an ashtray for several takes.
Gary Cooper portrayed him in the film. Quite a bit of interesting trivia for Sergeant York on IMDB.
Since most jobs in the USAF don’t involve partaking in active combat against anyone, this would only preclude them from continuing service in a handful of AFSCs.
Permanent dishwasher for his enlistment?
That and weekend Police Call among other things. Library and/or Gym Duty was how we got rid of our slugs, shammers and other perpetually mediocre types during my AD Army days.
Electronic Maintenance Company (ELMACO), 1st Maintenance Battalion. We had a guy in a particular MOS that promoted as long as you had a pulse. Totally worthless in any assignment that had to do with repair, or even supporting repair like working the Shipping & receiving counter. His daily duty was to report to a Quonset Hut Warehouse across from the Camp Pendleton flightline, and watch the dust accumulate on shelves of obsolete gear. And that was a challenge for him.
I went on Gym Duty for one day at Ft. Benning when I was waiting for my OCS slot in 1980. The gym manager was a chubby (okay, fat) SFC Bondsteel. He kept trying to tell me he had the Medal of Honor and told me how he bravely rushed VC machine gun bunkers with satchel charges and blew up 10 bunkers.
…Sure Sarge……
Then I told my Senior Drill about it and he flipped! He told me that Bondsteel was an honest-to-God MoH recipient.
Signal Corps? Left lapel.
Holy shit! I though Will Croft Barnes was Signal’s only superhero!
Must’ve reclassified from 11B.
I notice that he is wearing Signal Corps insignia!!!
Hooah!!!!! Signal Corps!!!!!
They could talk about him but they couldn’t talk without him!!!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Leroy_Bondsteel
For our thudfucks awaiting Court Martial or release, they shoveled a lot of snow and would set up chairs and tables for events. They always looked so depressed.
USAF flunkies became cooks and guards back in the 70’s. Being a Security Specialist meant I had to deal with these idiots. I hope they stop that practice. It made the Security Police Field undesirable to be in at times. They were permanent augmentee guards.
When I was in, 79 to 83, they moved the screwups to supply. Maybe the SP’s were full up at the time. I do recall seeing a couple of them at Kadena “guarding” planes where the transient planes parked. I asked them what they were doing, and was told counting rivits.
Rivet counters. I know the type. They must have figured out you can’t have fuck offs guarding anything important. Putting them in supply? Wow, that’s a bad move too. I enlisted in 73. In 75 SS/SP came under our own chain of command and no longer worked for base commanders. General Sadler took command. It was a move for the better.
I met Gen Sadler at Udorn. He was out on his own visiting post on a rainy night in a jeep. I was working resupply that night and the mortar pit was located between the taxi way and run way. I came driving up to the post and hit a big puddle. Splashed him some, not too bad. We talked some, never mentioned being splashed. It was raining pretty hard. One of the few officers I met who seemed to be a straight talker. He liked being in the field. Always respected him after that. That was just after he became commander of all security forces. Not just in PACAF.
When I was in Germany the gates and perimeter of our Caserne were “guarded” by the Unit Police. That was an organization manned by individuals detailed from their parent units. Not “Soldier of the Month” material. They were, however, zealous in the performance of their duties. I can testify, however, that the perimeter was not secure.
Lackland was unbearable 12 years ago. All the flunkies in SP (Security Forces) Tech school who listened to barracks lawyers to get out of Nuke duty were sent to the 37th SFS at Lackland…it was known as the Dirty 7th. Most lasted less than a year there. I wasnt there bad had friends who managed the ROD squad. 2 strike policy pretty much since they were generally arrived with one already.
Nuke duty was absolutely the best duty I ever had. SAT teams, FSC. 3x12hr days on and back to the base. Easy, loved being able to fish and hunt the area. 6 days off, really 2 full days off. Of course if your a city boy things might look bleak on the flat lands. Great people and ranchers. Loved it. I still vacation out there.
Malmstrom or FE Warren?
Ellsworth 44th
Civil Engineering, Roads & Grounds.
The dirt boys we called them. They wouldn’t want any COs in CE. That’s where I was (Emergency Management). CE is the base’s second line of defense. If the SPs got overrun, it was down to us. If we got overrun, fuck it, surrender it is.
It was nice because we got to rifle qual annually, when most of the USAF was doing it every three years (and they didn’t even need to actually qualify unless they were going to the sandbox).
…I’m waiting for these two to be advised of a detail they may not be aware of: you can apply for CO status before you get in but not afterwards.
I know of someone who pulled this stunt during DESERT SHIELD when it looked like his unit was going to deploy. The wing leadership played it by the book and called him in for a few questions. He was joined in the Wing CCs office by his mother and her lawyer, a man of some political power back home. As I understand it, he was thinking he was home free until he was asked if he had been a CO when he enlisted. He replied that he was…and then they showed him, Mom, and the lawyer his enlistment paperwork, where he had signed and initialed that he was not. Now, the JAG says, we have a potential issue with falsification of his enlistment paperwork. Gonna have to defer any decision on this until everybody gets back.
Which turned out to be eight months in casual.
Some reserve units had a real problem back then. A fair number of single mothers thought reserve duty was a great part-time job and had no problem getting granny to take the kid(s) for one weekend /month & 2 weeks/summer. When the unit was activated, though, they sadly proclaimed they couldn’t go because they couldn’t find a baby sitter. Granny was suddenly “unavailable”.
A number of Females suddenly got pregnant when they got deployment orders, Pepperidge Farm remembers.
My unit had a Soldier suddenly decide she was a CO after getting orders to Korea, just prior to 9/11. Claimed it was a religious decision, she could no longer carry a weapon. The investigation got real interesting when it was pointed out that pretty much any religion that would object to her carrying a weapon would also object to her dancing on Thursday nights at the Sorry Gulch. Some of you may know that as “amateur night”.
Honorable discharge? No way.
Their duties in no way involve Israel and most likely will never involve Israel. Their dispute with the gov’t. is political and does not involve the military.They don’t like it, act on it politically and write their congress critters and vote accordingly.
Buncha fucking pussies. Not the same Air Force I joined back in 1989.
George Patton had to deal with the likes of this sort of conundrum. He handled the mule on a bridge, better.
Don’t let them out.
Remove them from their MOS and make them third echelon pallet loaders for the remainder of their enlistment, at Thule AFB, Greenland
They’ll be crewing a C-130 flying rubber dogshit out of Hong Kong.
I’ll just leave this here…
I actually have this in my cart as a 3 inch car magnet sticker, but I have yet to order it. I’m just holding my breath.
I hate to tell you, but that moniker has gone the way of the dodo, Much to my chagrin, And what’s even more fucked up as I had to put Tooley in there because the state department and the government travel concurs system hasn’t changed over yet but…
I now introduce you to….
“ Pituffik Space Base (pronounced bee-doo-FEEK), formerly known as Thule Air Base (pronounced too-lee), is located in Greenland…”
Pituffik — the traditional Greenlandic name of the region — is the first Space Force installation to get a completely different title.
“This renaming represents our wish to celebrate and acknowledge the rich cultural heritage of Greenland and its people and how important they are to the sustainment of this installation against the harsh environment north of the Arctic Circle,” Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman said at the ceremony, according to a press release.
https://www.petersonschriever.spaceforce.mil/Pituffik-SB-Greenland/
At least it’s not because its WOKE
” the rich cultural heritage of Greenland “
Really??
If Rachel Levine can be a woman, why can’t Greenland have cultural heritage?
The highest murder rate ever recorded was a Greenland tribe. They had one murder in 100+ years, but there were so few of them the murders/100,000 was through the roof.
Why not Minot. I hear the winters aren’t that bad, and the trees provide a welcome wind break.
North Dakota, where it starts snowing in September and stops snowing in May. June, July and August you get to deal with tumbleweeds and box elders (looks like a ladybug). Windowsills chock full of those insects.
Trying to get in before it gets cold.
I forgot my sarc tag, but I figured the air force folks would get it.
They should be pointed in the general direction of Gaza and discharged from a cannon
Welcome to Joe Biden’s America. Tell me again how Donald Trump is the next Hitler when it is Democrats calling for the extermination of the Jews.
https://nypost.com/2024/06/23/us-news/nyc-jewish-family-pummeled-at-5th-grade-commencement-by-attendees-shouting-free-palestine-mom-says/
An interesting way to reveal one’s anti-semitic bigotry methinks….
I say bigotry for a very simple reason, “innocent” muslims have been getting killed by other muslims in the region for at least 15 years now…..Obama stepping up involvement in Syria, US back Saudi actions in Yemen and not a word from all these folks who so vehemently claim Israel to be a monster for killing “innocents”….half a million Syrians, two or three hundred thousand Yemenis..not a fucking word from these very moral objectors….
Israelis get murdered, still nothing from the objectors, Israel responds suddenly the objectors find their sense of morality?
Sorry folks for me that means you don’t give a shit about “innocents” you just hate Israelis…and there’s a somewhat unflattering word for such a position…
For me anyone claiming that muslims dying at the hands of Israelis is something they can claim objector status over while they never tried to get it for US involvement in supplying the various factions in Yemen and Syria reveals their bigotry, and thus a perfectly good reason to separate them with less than honorable attached to their bigoted, piece of shit, name.
Substitute “African Americans” for “Muslims” and you just dismantled the entire Black Lives Matter movement. Overwhelming evidence that African Americans are not disproportionately killed by law enforcement, but if you paid attention to that fact, and it is a fact, the BLM leadership would not be able to purchase those mansions in Bel-Air. Smedley Butler was quoted as saying that war was a racket, but the real money is being a social justice advocate. Hell, you don’t even have to pay taxes, just ask the “Reverend” Al Sharpton.
Being a “Social Justice Advocate” is VERY profitable as well, just ask “Reverend” Jesse Jackson!
That is a great point!!!