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Conscientious Objector Filings Surge as 82nd Airborne Heads to Iran, Non-Profit Claims
A 1,000% rise in conscientious objector filings follows US troop deployments amid moral objections to the Iran air campaign and concerns over potential ground war, advocates say.
Center on Conscience & War reported a 1,000% increase in conscientious objector applications since February 28, with Executive Director Mike Prysner noting service members are urgently seeking guidance to avoid deploying to Iran.
On February 28, a missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' primary school in Minab, Iran, killing 168 people including at least 110 schoolchildren; troops cite this strike as the breaking point driving discharge filings.
Pentagon officials ordered thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, while commanders told rank-and-file soldiers that "a ground war is inevitable, like this is happening, you better get ready." Prysner said.
Calls to the GI Rights Hotline reached 212 in March's first half alone, counselor Lenore Yarger of Quaker House told Snopes—a volume the organization typically sees across an entire month.
Polling shows 55% of Americans oppose troop deployments to Iran, while veterans warn Washington appears headed toward a costly quagmire reminiscent of Iraq and Afghanistan wars.