I will not; and have not claimed to know the proper procedudes and/or methods for an idividual serving in our armed forces to proclaim himself as such. I do know, however; that without this classification an individual who flees to another country will be deemed AWOL and possibly a deserter. which has dire consequences for that individual. If somebody can clear up the discrepancies; I would much appreciate it.
My next point to your post is: Who decides whether war is illegal or not? This is another murky area. The President- like it or not- has certain authority granted to him under the War Powers Act to authorize and order military strikes and other such action up to and including the use of nuclear weapons. This is something that has never been fully explained. Again- anybody who can explain this?