IRR FAQ: If I refuse activation, and they come after me, will you help me?

This FAQ is related to Courage to Resist’s “Resisting Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) recall” published February 2009. If this question is of interest to you, please read our overview first.

Courage to Resist would work to find and fund civilian legal representation of an IRR resister if needed. However, there has not yet been a need—as there have been no real repercussions for not reporting.

We have supported public IRR objectors who have taken principled stands in opposition to involuntary activation as a platform to discuss the ongoing occupation wars.

In one such situation, IRR Marine Corporal “Benji” Lewis chose to purposefully report for activation in order to then refuse to later report for active duty. By doing so, Benji hoped to have a larger impact in opposing the war—in part due to his likely courts martial. The Marines eventually backed down and rescinded Benji’s orders as he embarked on a speaking tour against the wars. Benji has since become a member of the Courage to Resist collective.

In another situation, public IRR refuser Army Sgt. Matthis Chiroux demanded and received an official Army hearing to contest his General Discharge from the IRR. At the hearing, Matthis explained why he had refused to report for activation directly to the military officials, arguing that he deserved an honorable discharge from the IRR because the occupation wars were not honorable. Matthis failed to get an IRR discharge upgrade, but was no worse for the attempt.