A War Resister describes her Decision to seek refuge in Canada with her children

a woman stands guard over a raid   cc Usmil

Private Kimberly Riviera is one a few women war resisters.  After serving three months in Iraq, she fled to Canada in 2007 with her husband and two small children.  For two years, they have lived as refugee claimants—receiving government assistance.

Riviera and family were to be deported on January 27, but the Canadian government stayed the decision.  If she returns, she faces military prison. Here is her story:

When the Army found out I had had gone AWOL, they called on our cell phones.  Once we went over the border and our service was cut off, they were threatening my in laws with what they are going to do to me.

They told my mother-in-law how they’d put the kids away, put my husband into prison for aiding and abetting a deserter, and put me into a military prison.  They said if they wanted to, they could kill me.  I was thinking they wouldn’t have the gall or balls to do it.

If you go awol, the Army doesn’t want to discard you, they could try to get back into your head and get you back into the soldier's way of life. They could try to rehabilitate me but my mind is too strong. 

JUST OR NOT?  

When I joined, I believed in just wars.  And when I joined, it was a just war.  By 2003, we had already won, so I thought that changed our mission to a human mission, I thought that we’d be in homes, taking care of people--but that’s not what we were doing.

Three months in Iraq changed me so much, from October to January. I felt so bad, my heart hurt.

That’s when my opinion was changed, now I don’t believe in war.

I was on gates in Baghdad.  Itwas one of the two positions they had for a female--it was basically combat. When raids would happen, I’d let them in and out of the gates. 

After hearing the first story of the raids when they came back to the gate, saying how they had trashed these people’s houses, I didn’t want want to hear any more.  I didn’t want to think differently about the guys.

Treat others as you would like to be treated, that’s what I say. 

I want my kids to understand basic human things: if you treat somebody else the way you want to be treated, then other people are more apt to follow your lead.

I wouldn’t want someone breaking into my house, throwing all my stuff, breaking my drawers--that’s what they were doing, we completely destroyed their houses.  The soldiers pulled the security on the “hot gun”—it was on and ready to go.  

It was hard, I was away from my kids, my priorities were skewed. I just did my job, day by day,telling myself, I’m one more day closer to going home, if I thought about it any other way, I couldn’t have done it.  

All soldiers have the right to choices—they have the choice to agree or disagree with what they are doing. Either one should be supported by the public, if they really want to support the troops. I don’t want to be forced. 

MAKING THE BREAK 

If I had gone back toIraq back in 2007,  I would bedead.  So I thought, well, ifthey’re going to do what they do to me, I’m going to do what I believe in, rather than being punished

So my husband foundand contacted the lawyer who helped Jeremy Hinzman, (another war resister who was deported back to the US)  and he gave us help and connected us to War Resisters.

Before I came, I wanted to make sure everybody was legal, so my kids could go to school or the doctors-- I’m cautious. 

By coming here, I bought myself more time with my kids-- time I could neverexpect.  If I hadn’t, I would have been in Iraq  or in jail. 

This might be delaying the inevitable, but at least no one chose the path for me. Regardless of the outcome, I chose the path.

The anti-war activism has awoken a fire and passion in me. I wrote a letter to our MPP that helped keep a food bank open.  Even if I just change just one part of my community-- I couldn’t ask foranything else.

Kimberly Rivera as told to Amy Cross