Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was unnecessary

California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.

Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions.

“The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which represents the interests of military spouses, children and veterans.

  • Wahots@pawb.social
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    10 hours ago

    They shouldn’t be there. The national guard is for fighting wildfires and vaccinating hundreds of thousands of people during the pandemic. They are not to be abused for idiotic political reasons, especially for protests with very few bad apples.

    • MattTheProgrammer@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      The national guard, if i understand it correctly, is meant to be the well-regulated militia of the states as outlined in the 2nd amendment. They shouldn’t even be under federal control at all.

  • Olhonestjim@lemmy.world
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    16 hours ago

    They’re welcome to come defend the American people from the criminal gangs known as the police and ICE.

  • khaleer@sopuli.xyz
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    18 hours ago

    Pawns of political games feel like pawns of political game? No fucking way, at this rate, they will get self-conscience faster than they predict it for ai.

  • throwawayacc0430@sh.itjust.works
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    18 hours ago

    I mean didn’t a court just said this deployment is illegal? Just use that as an excuse and be like: “fuck this, I’m out”. Like literally just start holding a poster and go to the protester’s side.

  • bitwolf@sh.itjust.works
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    15 hours ago

    I keep looking for cries for help on their shields.

    I can totally see a scenario where they deploy but have protest messages on their shields, and maliciously comply to orders.

  • jonesey71@lemmus.org
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    1 day ago

    They should be feeling like shit. They are acting like shit and following unconstitutional orders. Grow a goddamn spine and frag any officers who give you unconstitutional orders.

    • aaron@infosec.pub
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      18 hours ago

      If you have been trained to follow orders under extreme pressure, in an organisation that has done exactly this stuff for decades overseas to ‘other people’. And if actually you consider immigrants ‘other people’, how big a leap is it really?

    • Ledericas@lemm.ee
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      22 hours ago

      they also have a dilemma, if theyw ere to shoot a citizen, then once they get out of the military, people will know who shot them and then there will be constant guilt/harrasment, or doxxing eventually.

      • jonesey71@lemmus.org
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        20 hours ago

        The instant they shoot a civilian they are an outlaw. Outlaws are beyond the protection of the law. They are beyond the protections of the law. They are kill on sight.

  • selkiesidhe@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    You got the choice to stand up and say no. No I will not use my weapons on my own fucking people because some geriatric PoS is having a terrible twos tantrum because everyone hates his ass.

    Do what’s right or be remembered as the ones who did wrong.

  • Machinist@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    Please. Please. Please. Come on boys, just read the Constitution, you didn’t sign up for this shit.

  • Rekorse@sh.itjust.works
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    1 day ago

    Maybe this will be what wakes up Americas military to the fact that everything they do is political. Apparently its harder to trick people into hurting their own country though so thats good to hear.

  • Wrrzag@lemmy.ml
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    22 hours ago

    “I signed up to kill brown people in the middle east, not this”

    • Razzazzika@lemm.ee
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      16 hours ago

      That’s not what the National Guard is for. It’s meant to help citizens in times of crisis and defend the nation in case of invasion, not be deployed overseas.