I know what Tadpole would say because he always talked about sworn duty to follow orders and that when you sign you sign to protect the government, its citizens etc. One should know that wars are political battles and that the use of you as a soldier is going to be in political contention. If you can't handle that on you conscience you should not sign up for service. As a child growing up I was really into military things, jets, guns, ships etc, and I always thought whether I would go to a service academy or not. The thought of being a fighter pilot or going to Anapolis always intrigued me. I learned through high school though that I would not put my life on the line for something I didn't agree with and I'm thankful I live in a country where I can make that choice. Iraq is a nasty place right now and I don't blame these guys, perhaps the element of fear combined with a sense of injustice is enough to drive these soldiers to desertion. I can see that but that's not what soldiers do.