Kevin C. Hicks - Private First Class (E-3) U.S. Army - 1st Armored Division
Age: 31
MOS: 12B - Combat Engineer
Served: 20 Mar 2003 - 9 Dec 2005
Iraq Deployment: 11 Sept 2003 - Aug 2004
Awards/Medals: 3 Confirmed Kills, Combat Badge
Discharge: Honorable (conscientious objection)

Read Kevin's Conscientious Objector claim:PDF

I joined the Army for a number of reasons, the most prominent were earn money for college, serve my country/family tradition, and basic financial improvement. If I am able to leave the Army on good terms I will be able to say that I accomplished all of these goals, though in retrospect not in the best possible way. The GI bill will pay for a large portion of my college. I have served my country and lived up to a family tradition, even though I now believe my country needs me much more at home working on local problems and helping local people. Even after traveling extensively in Europe I am better off financially now then I was upon entering the army.

I went to Iraq on Sept 11, 2003 and spent the next 11 months serving with the 16th Engineer Battalion as part of the 1st Armored Division. In the role I was a driver on countless IED sweeps, raids, combat patrols, and supply convoys. I worked for EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal), or the bomb squad, participated in 18 continuous days of combat, helped rebuild parts of the Baghdad infrastructure, and conducted more guard hours then I can even remember.

On March 7th, 2005 I started my application for Conscientious Objector under AR 600-43. That is a very army way of saying I declared my belief that we are not condemned to live a life ruled by fear, hate, and envy. For that is what I believe war is derived from, fear, hate, and envy on a national level if we are ever going to live a life of peace it is time to take personal
responsibility for what is happening the world over. Once that happens it is obvious the time is now to start enacting change for world peace, whether that is locally advocating for peace, or attempting to alter international relations.

My goal in life is now to work on a very local level to improve my community, raise awareness of the possibilities for peace in my larger community, and to improve the quality of life for those that suffer. I plan on doing this through a combination of local political activism, teaching at various levels, and restarting my work in outdoor therapeutic recreation in Bend, OR. While going
to college and whitewater kayaking as much as possible.

I am participating in this website in an attempt to bring as even keeled a view as possible, and to answer questions about the military that the military won't answer themselves.

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