Imagine volunteering to fight in a war that you support. Picture yourself leaving your family, friends and home for this noble cause.

On the other hand, try to visualize the sick, heart-wrenching feeling you would experience when you couldn’t handle combat any longer. Why? Because you ethically opposed everything you’re required to do.

This is a real-life scenario for many American soldiers in Iraq. In fact, at least 8,000 U.S. soldiers have decided to desert their positions since the war began in 2003, according to USA Today. It’s extremely unlikely that all of these men and women went absent without leave because of conflicting moral beliefs. But, for those who did, their actions are blameless and honorable.

A conscientious objector is someone who won’t serve in the armed forces because of conflicting moral or religious principles, according to www.sss.gov. However, many objectors have been thrown in jail for choosing their personal beliefs over combat – honorable leave is not an option.

But, any moral reasoning should be grounds for discharge. If a soldier believes he or she has been misled into fighting the war in Iraq, leave should be granted, as well.

Americans were under the impression that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that there was a link between al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein. Neither of these turned out to be true, yet U.S. soldiers were sent to Iraq believing they were fighting for these reasons.

Staff Sgt. Camilo Mejia went AWOL from Iraq in October 2003.

“I have not deserted the military,” he told CBS correspondent Dan Rather. “I have not been disloyal to the men and women of the military. I have not been disloyal to a country. I have only been loyal to my principles. And I think that gives me the right to decide not to be a part of something that I consider criminal.”

Once in Iraq, Mejia couldn’t find a good reason to fight in the war. He found shooting at people didn’t help the Iraqis, nor did it make America and the world safer. He said his involvement did not help create democracy and did not stop terrorism.

Surely Mejia is one of the many soldiers who feel this way. But instead of continuing in warfare, he abandoned his duties in Iraq. While he felt his actions were justified, his commanding officer deemed it an insult.

“His duty is to carry out the orders that I give him or his platoon leader gives him,” Florida National Guard Commanding Capt. Tad Warfel told CBS. “We’re not paid in the military to form personal opinions or to doubt what our leaders say.”

In the interview, Warfel even went so far as to offer a brilliant new slogan for the military: “Tired of having a mind of your own? Join the military! We’ll do all the thinking for you.”

Apparently, men and women in the armed forces give away their right to speak out, express their beliefs or make judgments for themselves when they enlist. Only those in a higher position have the authority to do so. Military personnel aren’t drones, yet they’re expected to sign their lives and judgment away.

Let’s look at a smaller scale version of this situation. If someone worked for a weight-loss product company for many years and he or she found out it was actually making people sick or causing death, would it be justifiable to continue working for this company? Some hard-hearted people would stay because of the money. However, most people wouldn’t continue working for the company for moral reasons.

The U.S. government has no right to dictate soldiers’ beliefs and actions. If someone can’t rationalize his or her military duties, he or she shouldn’t complete them. It’s inconceivable to expect someone to kill when you can’t explain what they’re killing for.

Military lenience is rare, but the amount of AWOL soldiers is bound to increase as the war continues. Soldiers don’t want to murder because it defies their beliefs. Those who continue in combat will be forced to live with a guilty conscience until they die.

-Jessica Napier is a pre-journalism sophomore and a staff columnist for The Daily Aztec.

–This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Daily Aztec. Send e-mail to letters@thedailyaztec.com. Anonymous letters will not be printed – include your full name, major and year in school.