I was thinking back to the era of the unpopular U.S. war in Vietnam, when lawyers and counselors stepped forward to offer advice to military personnel who felt compelled to refuse to participate in what they saw as an illegal and unjust war.

That led me to wonder whether similar resources are available to day if men and women of conscience who are members of the National Guard feel they cannot participate in ordered occupations of American cities.

I’ve seen several references to the GI Rights Hotline.

Hotline

According to the groups website:

Since 1994, the GI Rights Hotline has been providing free, confidential, and accurate information on US military regulations and practices to servicemembers, veterans, potential recruits, and their families.

The GI Rights Network is a 501 c3 nonprofit.

We are a consortium of non-governmental, non-profit organizations. Some of our counselors are veterans, some are lawyers and some have decades of military counseling experience. We are in constant contact with each other to stay up-to-date on the latest military regulations and practices.

We provide resources and counseling options. Many of us are not lawyers and therefore cannot give legal advice, but, in cases in which an attorney might be useful, we may be able to help you find one.

An organization called Courage to Resist provided information and counseling for over 20 years before shutting down at the end of last year. However, the left an archive of podcasts featuring interviews with resisters.

About Face: Veterans Against the War, has a message for National members or active duty military concerned about the moral, ethical, or legal implications of your situation: You are not alone! The group’s website offers a link to an encrypted form “to request support exploring your options.”

If you know of other available resources, such as churches or religious organizations, please leave information in a comment below.