{"id":264997,"date":"2024-06-24T12:00:28","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T11:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=264997"},"modified":"2024-06-21T06:25:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-21T05:25:03","slug":"us-air-force-engineer-resigns-dissent-against-gaza-war-slowly-spreads-within-military","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2024\/06\/us-air-force-engineer-resigns-dissent-against-gaza-war-slowly-spreads-within-military\/","title":{"rendered":"US Air Force Engineer Resigns: Dissent against Gaza War Slowly Spreads within Military"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>

A sign with one of the last words said by U.S. Airman Aaron Bushnell is seen during a vigil at the U.S. Army Recruiting Office on 27 Feb 2024, in NYC.
Photo: Michael M. Santiago\/Getty Images<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cUtterly Dismayed–I don\u2019t want to be working on something that can turn around and be used to slaughter innocent people.\u201d <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

18 Jun 2024 <\/em>– Sixteen years ago<\/span>, Riley Livermore enlisted in the Air Force. His path to the military was shaped by his evangelical Christian upbringing and growing up amid the war on terror. His ensuing career as a flight test engineer took him to Israel, where he spent two years doing missile guidance research. And shortly after October 7, he decided he couldn\u2019t continue anymore.<\/p>\n

Livermore is \u201cutterly dismayed\u201d by how President Joe Biden and the Department of Defense \u201chas been complicit in the genocide in Gaza,\u201d he told The Intercept. So much so that he is in the final steps of separating from the Air Force, a monthslong process he initiated in late October. Once he officially exits the military, he said, he will never again work in what he describes as the military\u2013industrial complex.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want to be working on something that can turn around and be used to slaughter innocent people,\u201d he said. \u201cI think the dissonance just kind of continued to get louder and louder, it\u2019s like \u2018I can\u2019t really do this anymore.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Livermore joins a burgeoning wave of dissent within the Biden administration and the military over U.S. support for Israel\u2019s war on Gaza \u2014 including nine prominent resignations in recent months; 25-year-old Airman Aaron Bushnell\u2019s self-immolation<\/a> in February; and a new service member-led campaign to help soldiers speak out against elected officials\u2019 support for Israel\u2019s war.<\/p>\n

The latter campaign comes in the wake of Jewish Maj. Harrison Mann\u2019s public resignation<\/a> from the U.S. Army, in protest of America\u2019s \u201cnearly unqualified support for the government of Israel, which has enabled and empowered the killing and starvation of tens of thousands of innocent Palestinians.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the weeks since Mann\u2019s resignation, The Intercept has heard from members of the armed forces who expressed emotions ranging from guilt and frustration to outrage and repudiation regarding the Biden administration\u2019s unconditional support for Israel, which includes billions of dollars in military aid as well as political<\/a> and diplomatic <\/a>cover. The testimonies, while limited in scope, nevertheless signal dissent within American power structures bubbling beyond the public resignations and protests seen thus far. The Department of Defense declined to comment.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery single one of my friends in the military agree that this is a genocide,\u201d one seven-year member of the Army wrote in a message. \u201cWe\u2019re all outraged by the repeated war crimes and depravity of Israel, as well [as] America\u2019s complicity\/enabling.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Airman\u2019s Evolution<\/h2>\n

Livermore first commissioned with the Air Force in 2012, and after graduating with a master\u2019s degree from the Air Force Institute of Technology two years later, he was selected to go to Israel for an engineering sciences exchange program.<\/p>\n

During his two years there, Livermore researched missile guidance algorithms while learning Hebrew, immersing himself in the culture, and making friends. \u201cIsrael had kind of a special place in my heart,\u201d he said. Ironically, Livermore\u2019s open-armed experience in Israel is what helped lead him to his belief today that the U.S. government may be complicit in supporting an Israeli genocide against Palestinians.<\/p>\n

The first seed was planted by a Palestinian friend in the Air Force who pulled him aside before he departed for Israel. The friend warned him of possibly being met with a lopsided story about Israel and Palestine, Livermore recalled. He said his friend introduced him to the Israel lobby \u2014 like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee<\/a>, or AIPAC \u2014 and its influence on U.S. politics. He also recalled his friend advising him simply to note where people \u201cstart the story\u201d when they talk about the country\u2019s history: Do they acknowledge historic Palestine, or is their starting point the Balfour Declaration or the creation of the state of Israel in 1948?<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m so grateful for that because it kind of helped me, maybe inoculate a little bit from what I see now is like heavily Zionist propaganda. And it always didn\u2019t sit well with me, in general, just some of the Zionist talking points as far as, like, we\u2019re a nation surrounded by enemies, but yet we\u2019re the strongest around,\u201d Livermore said. \u201cThere\u2019s also this sense of being an American, being in the American military \u2014 it\u2019s like America owes Israel something. There\u2019s a lot of things, dynamics I didn\u2019t super like.\u201d<\/p>\n

In language classes he took before his deployment and in interactions with people from around the world upon arriving, he added, his conversations with peers began to challenge his preexisting assumptions.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018We\u2019re the good guys. They\u2019re the bad guys. We\u2019re protecting interests abroad. We\u2019re the fighters for democracy.\u2019 Like, it kind of put a lot of cracks in that,\u201d Livermore said.<\/p>\n

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\"Riley<\/div>\n<\/div>
Riley Livermore spent two years in Israel as a member of the U.S. Air Force.<\/span>
\nPhoto: Courtesy of Riley Livermore<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Livermore\u2019s experience in Israel also challenged his faith. He grew up evangelical Christian and was active in his church, where he met his wife. In Israel, he joined what\u2019s called a messianic congregation: a self-proclaimed Jewish sect that embraces evangelical Christianity.<\/p>\n

Having grown up as a Christian nationalist, he began to see self-avowedly moral and pro-life people setting those values aside for the sake of their political interests, which intersected with Israeli policy aims, pointing to widespread support<\/a> for President Donald Trump\u2019s moving<\/a> of the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem<\/a> as an example. He saw his faith being used as a \u201ccudgel for capitalism and power and oppressing people.\u201d While maintaining a strong connection to a Jesus who preached love today, he added, he \u201cdoesn\u2019t believe in white Jesus anymore,\u201d the Jesus \u201cwrapped in an American flag with an M4.\u201d<\/p>\n

Livermore slowly grew disenchanted with the military, especially as he reflected more on how the U.S. waged war in Iraq and Afghanistan<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019ve had friends who died,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s like, what\u2019s this all for?\u201d<\/p>\n

Then came October 7. His exposure to Israeli military brass during his training, as well as the rhetoric he heard from Israeli friends in October, primed him for how ugly things could get.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew just how bad it was going to be and how there would be wholesale acceptance from the Israeli population,\u201d Livermore said, offering \u201cdemolish Gaza, wipe it off the face of the earth\u201d as an example of the types of comments he heard.<\/p>\n

Before October 7, Livermore said, he would \u201chave been a little bit more of an Israeli apologist, or like \u2018it\u2019s complicated,\u2019 kind of take-a-both-sides-type approach.\u201d Israel\u2019s war on Gaza, however, was a \u201cpry bar that kind of ripped it wide open.\u201d<\/p>\n

Livermore\u2019s work in the Air Force has mainly focused on research and development, he said, though he\u2019s worked with several contractors he reckons had a more direct link with operations in Gaza. He said that learning more about Israel\u2019s use of targeting systems like Gospel and Lavender \u2014 artificial intelligence systems that have mechanized Israel\u2019s war <\/a>on Gaza, with little oversight \u2014 scared him. He credits his wife for helping him \u201ccut through the bullshit\u201d and not simply put his head down without engaging with the moral stakes.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not an easy process to leave, Livermore noted. \u201cThe joke is the only harder thing than getting into the military is getting out of it.\u201d He said it\u2019s typically a multi-month ordeal, including congressionally mandated training and bureaucratic exit processing. There are also varied contingencies and approval processes based on how long members have served. In his case, the process he commenced last year will be finalized later this summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only do I want to get out of active duty, but I want nothing to do with anything that\u2019s directly like the military\u2013industrial complex,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not worth the money.\u201d<\/p>\n

Breaking Points<\/h2>\n

For Livermore, Mann\u2019s resignation letter was extremely relatable. The Jewish Army major described the anticipation of waiting for things to improve or to end, only for them not to. It was a similar feeling that bolstered Livermore\u2019s resolve to act on his preexisting inclinations to leave the Air Force.<\/p>\n

Nemesis Hazim, who serves as a doctor in the U.S. Army, also found Mann\u2019s decision a source of comfort as she\u2019s grappled with her role in the military. \u201cI wish I could just quit\u2026\u2026 but at least this is validating and makes me feel like I\u2019m not the only one feeling completely out of place,\u201d Hazim wrote to The Intercept.<\/p>\n

She said she enlisted to help pay for medical school and has rationalized her way through because of it. \u201cBut it gets harder and harder,\u201d she said, adding that she\u2019ll fulfill her time obligations in November 2025.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel useless, ideally I would get out now and volunteer in Gaza, but I don\u2019t have that option until they no longer own me.\u201d<\/p>\n

One 22-year member of the Air Force who comes from a lineage of service members described to The Intercept his evolution from committed foot soldier to today fearing that the U.S. is enabling genocide.<\/p>\n

In the wake of Bushnell\u2019s self-immolation<\/a>, he appealed to higher-ups to lead conversations around mental health and Gaza. Those efforts didn\u2019t go anywhere, but he himself broached the subject of Bushnell with his unit to indicate it was safe to talk about the war on Gaza. After Mann resigned, the Air Force member wrote a letter to a senior officer that invoked some of Mann\u2019s own words and once again requested internal conversations to help people cope with the war.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAt some point \u2014 whatever the justification \u2014 we\u2019re either advancing a policy that enables the mass killing and starvation of innocent people and children or we\u2019re not,\u201d he wrote. \u201cWe\u2019re either advancing the destruction of schools, hospitals, and life-supporting infrastructure of 2+ million people or we\u2019re not.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a message to The Intercept, he wrote that he condemns Hamas\u2019s attacks on Israel as well as \u201cany and all anti-semitism and Islamophobia.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time,\u201d he continued, \u201cI also condemn what I feel is not a proportional response by Israel (as it related to international Law of Armed Conflict). I also feel like our country and leaders are enabling what seems to be genocide.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was indeed preparing us to potentially do harm to others but also to desensitize us to that fact.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It\u2019s a remarkable turnaround for someone who enthusiastically enlisted in the wake of 9\/11. \u201cI remember feeling proud that I would be able to join the Armed Forces to help rid the world of terrorism.\u201d He recalled the \u201chype\u201d videos that were part of training in the academy. \u201cWe would see videos of jets flying at high speed, dropping bombs, tanks firing munitions, etc. while Bombs Over Baghdad by Outkast<\/a> or Bodies (\u2018Let the Bodies Hit the Floor\u2019) by Drowning Pool played.\u201d<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the academy atmosphere now, he said, \u201cwhether intentional or not \u2026 it was indeed preparing us to potentially do harm to others but also to desensitize us to that fact as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

His time as an intelligence analyst in Afghanistan, where he said he observed military abuses<\/a> of ordinary Afghans, contributed to his eventual disillusionment with the U.S. military.<\/p>\n

Still, he\u2019s decided to remain enlisted in hopes of encouraging younger soldiers to view things more critically \u2014 even as America\u2019s relentless support for Israel\u2019s campaign against Gaza makes it increasingly difficult.<\/p>\n

The seven-year member of the Army who expressed outrage at the war enlisted at the age of 21, they said, because they had just become homeless, had to drop out of college, and didn\u2019t know where else to go. The military changed their life for the better, they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would do 20 years if our country didn\u2019t use the armed forces to commit war crimes and violate international law at every step.\u201d<\/strong><\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But the war on Gaza has taken its toll. \u201cI\u2019ve been at the edge of my limits pretty much since the conflict started,\u201d they said. And the recent U.S.-supported Israeli operation<\/a> to rescue four Israeli hostages that killed at least 274 Palestinians<\/a> and injured hundreds of others felt like a \u201cbreaking point \u2026 one that feels too little too late, but better late than never I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n

They are \u201cexperiencing tangible mental health consequences as a result of watching a genocide in real time while simultaneously wearing a uniform that represents it,\u201d they said. Consequently, they plan to exit when their contract is up next year and also stay away from any Department of Defense-related work.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would do 20 years if our country didn\u2019t use the armed forces to commit war crimes and violate international law at every step,\u201d they wrote. \u201cIt feels like every conflict we participate in or facilitate is fucking sinister and evil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Capitol
A Capitol Police officer warns U.S. military veterans occupying New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand\u2019s office that they risk arrest if they do not stop blocking the door as they demand a ceasefire in Gaza.<\/span> Photo: Allison Bailey\/NurPhoto via AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Organized Resistance<\/h2>\n

Earlier this month, a coalition of veterans and anti-war organizations launched a campaign to help people in the military who are similarly struggling with U.S. support for Israel\u2019s \u201ccontinued war on the people of Palestine\u201d to advocate against it.<\/p>\n

The campaign \u2014 led by Veterans for Peace, the Center on Conscience and War, About Face: Veterans Against the War, and the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild \u2014\u00a0provides people in active duty, the National Guard, and the reserves with guidance and legal advice on how to raise concerns about the war with elected officials.<\/p>\n

The groups have prepared templates that service members can use to reach out to elected officials. \u201cWe are not mere pawns in a political game; we are human beings with the capacity for empathy, compassion, and moral discernment. It is time for us to reclaim our humanity and refuse to be complicit in the genocide of an entire people,\u201d one template reads.<\/p>\n

As of Monday, about 30 service members had engaged with the process, according to Mike Ferner, special projects manager at Veterans for Peace.<\/p>\n

The \u201cAppeal for Redress v2<\/a>\u201d effort is inspired by a campaign of the same name that took place in 2006 and 2007. That campaign, the groups say, led to nearly 3,000 armed service members sending protected communications to their congressional representatives calling for an end to the wars and occupations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Former Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich helped deliver<\/a> over 1,000 signatures to Congress on a statement that carried the calls.<\/p>\n

Senior Airman Larry Hebert, who is seeking conscientious objector status, told The Intercept he views the new effort as baseline action that every service member should take part in. \u201cThis is your constitutional right and I advise everyone to exercise that right,\u201d he said. \u201cWhether you like to believe it or not, the Department of Defense supports the missions that kills innocent Palestinians. We cannot just ignore this fact.\u201d<\/p>\n

______________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Prem Thakker – <\/a> prem.thakker@theintercept.com <\/a> <\/span> <\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go to Original – theintercept.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

18 Jun 2024 – \u201cUtterly Dismayed–I don\u2019t want to be working on something that can turn around and be used to slaughter innocent people.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":264998,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[65],"tags":[867,3287,2009,2134,1854,2896,87,865,1988,88,715,2571,112,95,70,965],"class_list":["post-264997","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anglo-america","tag-anglo-america","tag-anti-zionism","tag-anti-war","tag-conscientious-objector","tag-crimes-against-humanity","tag-dissent","tag-gaza","tag-genocide","tag-holocaust","tag-israel","tag-massacre","tag-official-lies-and-narratives","tag-pentagon","tag-us-military","tag-usa","tag-war-crimes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264997","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=264997"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264997\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":265004,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/264997\/revisions\/265004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/264998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=264997"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=264997"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=264997"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}