Brave? How about shortsighted, irresponsible, and cowardly.

I read this article - http://www.ourlivesourrights.org/statements/ft-hood-soldier-successfully.html 
A friend posted the link on a social media site and I began to read the comments underneath my friend's post.

Someone said, "Being in the military is not all about being a soldier." Ummm, then what is it about? What do they spend so much time training for? Parades? I think not.

The point was made that if you don't agree with something, if you can't stand behind it, leave it. I agree. If you were too stupid or thoughtless to think about what you would do when/if you were asked to go overseas, and you signed up anyhow, have some responsibility and fulfill your commitment. It will teach you to think next time you make an oath.You should figure this out during basic.

Someone said if he left, he'd have to live with the less than honorable discharge on his record. So be it. He can explain to an employer, "I didn't agree with the war." If you're proud of your cause, confident in your beliefs, and a responsible person, you will use the situation to further your cause. If you're not, you're using the cause to further your plans for the moment, and you will not get success in things until you learn to be an adult.

Speaking of being an adult, if you didn't want to put your kid and wife through a deployment, you should have thought about that before you signed up, or before you had a wife and kid.

"When ordered to report for duty with all of his gear for deployment, PV2 Munoz reported as ordered, but he bravely refused to bring his gear." That's about as brave as a teenager who is told to come home at 10:00, and does, but goes back out for the night at 11:00. That's about as responsible as a person who finds out his girlfriend is pregnant, and breaks up with her. That's about as courageous as a person who signs up to help someone who needs an organ transplant, but backs off when they talk about actually having the kidney surgery. In other words, I think his actions were rebellious, irresponsible, and cowardly.

I wouldn't go to work for an abortion clinic and tell them I wouldn't prep anyone for procedures because I'm against abortions; I would simply never align myself with any office that performs abortions. If my beliefs changed while I was employed there, and I grew to hate abortion (as I do in reality), then I would quit. My consequences might be: I would be jobless, I would have to explain to others why I quit, I may be unable to find another job to support my family immediately. But I have the guts to stand for what's right no matter what the consequences are, instead of trying to manipulate my circumstances to fit whatever I want at the moment. It's called having character, folks.