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In April, Voices organized talks by Kevin and Monica Benderman in Chicago. Kevin refused redeployment to Iraq last fall after his application for Conscientious Objector (CO)status was denied. A 10 year veteran, he served in Iraq in 2003. At the last moment, the military refused to allow Sergeant Benderman to travel to Chicago for the talks—again showing the lengths to which the U.S. government will go to silence dissent. His court martial trial is scheduled for May 11. For his act of conscience, Kevin faces 7 years in prison.
Sergeant Benderman’s CO status was denied, again, by his command April 29th.
“Benderman applied for CO status after having already served one combat tour in Iraq during which his captain ordered personnel in the unit to fire on Iraqi children throwing rocks. This was one of many incidents during his deployment that Benderman said convinced him that war is immoral and it is his duty to refuse to kill.” (Conscientious Objector status for Army Sgt. Kevin Benderman denied, Robert S. Finnegan, Southeast Asia News, 29 April 2005)
To learn more about Kevin’s case, please visit www.bendermandefense.org.
The following is Monica Benderman’s letter to Kevin’s command in response to their denial of his CO application.
