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André Shepherd
U.S Army 412 Aviation Support
Battalion Specialist (E-4)
Asylum Seeker

MCN statement on André Sheperd

The Military Counseling Network is a non-governmental project of the German Mennonite Peace Committee committed to nonviolent resolutions of conflict, which seeks to assist U.S. military personnel with problems they encounter. This can mean anything from informing them of their rights, to assisting a conscientious objector pursue a discharge, to helping an injured service member receive an appropriate medical diagnosis and treatment. For soldiers are looking for information on discharges and getting out of the military, the Military Counseling Network is a source of information.

The Military Counseling Network and the German Mennonite Peace Committee are assisting André Shepherd because he falls between the military regulation cracks. He cannot in good moral conscience participate in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and he cannot apply for a conscientious objection discharge because he does not object to all wars in all form, which the U.S. military requires to grant conscientious objector status.

Our organizations are committed to nonviolent peacemaking and conflict resolution in the name of Christ. We support Mr. Shepherd, who is not a conscientious objector, because his moral stance forbids him to continue aiding the War in Iraq and supporting violent attacks on a defenseless civilian population. We believe that all soldiers who refuse combat should have our support.

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For more information, or to schedule an interview with Specialist Shepherd, call the Military Counseling Network at (49) 0622347506 or email at mcn@dmfk.de, or call Rudi Friedrich at Connection e.V. at (49) 06982375534 or email at office@connection-ev.de