Sgt. Ricky Clousing enlisted in the army after the events of September 11. He served in the army for three years, five months of those in Iraq. After 18 months of instruction, he completed his necessary training as an interrogator and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division. He deployed to Iraq with his unit in December of 2004.
While in Iraq, Sgt. Ricky Clousing operated as an interrogator and was attached to tactical infantry units during daily patrol operations. While in Iraq, Sgt. Clousing witnessed what he calls “abuses of power” ranging from daily physical and psychological harassment to baseless incarceration of innocent civilians, including children. He maintains that the events that he witnessed, including US troops killing an innocent civilian, were not isolated incidents but endemic in Iraq, and merely the marker of the larger daily devastation of occupation. As an interrogator, he spoke to Iraqis every day. His experiences and conversations in Iraq led him to conclude that the abuses of power and daily events of occupation created a cycle where the Iraqi people began to resent the occupation, resist American force and join resistance movements.
After Sgt. Clousing returned from Iraq, his objections became so deep that he decided he could no longer be involved either indirectly or directly with this organization at this time. Ultimately, he decided that staying in the military was a contradiction to his personal, moral and spiritual beliefs.
He attempted to reconcile this by seeking counsel from military chaplains and personnel. He began looking into applying for Conscientious Objector (CO) status, but ultimately concluded that the definitions for gaining CO status were simply too narrow for him. After months of contemplation, he ultimately left the military.
Sgt. Clousing surrendered to military custody on Friday, August 11, 2006, after holding a press conference with Iraq Veterans Against the War, Military Families Speak Out and Veterans for Peace. His mother also spoke at the press conference. He does not know what to expect, but states that his intention was always to surrender.
His call to us is to follow the words of Henry David Thoreau that as Soldiers, Americans, and Human Beings, “we mustn’t lend ourselves to the same evil which we condemn.”
Sgt. Clousing joins the ranks of war resisters worldwide as he speaks out on the terrible conditions of occupation that are kept from most civilians.
We urge you to support Sergeant Ricky Clousing by donating to his legal defense fund, signing up for alerts and updates, and joining supporters as we mobilize in solidarity with his brave stand.
