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An Anonymous DC National Guardsman Tells All - “This is not what I signed up to do.”
(washingtonian.com)
this post was submitted on 23 Jan 2026
316 points (98.8% liked)
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Yes, I guess. But can they? Without consequences, that is.
I suppose everyone has their own set and level of consequences that keep them from immediately reacting or trying to stop events.
Sorry, Americans. You had 20-30 years to stop this slow motion reactionary train wreck without risking serious consequences. You failed to do that, so now your choice is to do it the hard way or just roll over and give up now. All indications point to you having already decided to do the latter.
Things have to get much worse before people do anything on a large scale. In most parts of the country, day to day life is unchanged.
I've spent years screaming into the void, trying to wake people up, feeling like Cassandra. After the election I had way too many people try to console me with "at least they're gonna go after the immigrants now"
I don't know what to do now but all I see is no quick solution. I think the hard way won't result in the change needed and is only part of the accelerationism that got us here. We should all be doing what we can to set up for the longer haul.
That was supposed to console you?
I'm American and I agree. People can downvote us if they want, but what we believe is true. There is literally no way this ends peacefully, and we shouldn't just be rolling over and taking it. Our whole country is a fucking joke full of larpers
I don't disagree at all with that aspect. As a minority who has been screaming at the others, it's hard to both try to explain why we're going down this path while totally understanding why the world is looking at us like we're all insane. Fire may be the only remedy at this point.
I disagree with the timeline. I'm old, and things were already in motion when I was born. This has been a long train wreck with so many false points of hope and promises of change tricking and deluding us.
I have the same take on humanity as a whole. It's been a long road of disappointment with lots of missed exits to possible better times.
I need a more direct tag than Canadian
So we should tag you American Nazi Enabler?
Brother, you're tagged as UK Troglodyte — your hatemongering is also invalid.
Probably not from the UK.
I'm keeping it because it pisses them off, mending ignorance be damned
I don’t actually care mate.
Frankly I’m more offended by your implicit support for fascism.
Ah yes, telling someone not from the U.S. to stop hatemongering about the U.S. simply means I'm a fascist.
You fucking extremists are a plague
Doing nothing while fascism takes over means you're a fascist.
Yes, because you know everything about me — like I said, extremists (you) are a fucking plague.
I know enough to know you aren't doing shit to resist fascism and actively fight against efforts to do so.
Says the guy who doesn't even fucking live here.
Extremists (you) are a fucking plague.
Every death is partially on your hands enabler.
Spoken by the arbiter of truth, hatemongering across the ocean.
Guess what dipshit, the U.S. isn't Nazi Germany and there are many reasons why. If you can't understand that, let me be clear — you are a dentbrained troglodyte and you should focus on the shit going on in your own backyard.
Okay Nazi enabler.
Ok extremist
Oh look, they did another execution in the streets today!
Good job doing nothing, you’re saving lives.
Imagine thinking this is a take.
Like I said, extremists are a plague.
Being against fascism is not an extreme take unless you’re a fascist.
I am fucking offended. How dare you call me British.
I'm keeping it
Staying in has consequences too, it means he's a Nazi soldier fighting against Americans.
What are the consequences if they don't?
The national guard is both state and federal, and can be subject to penalties under the Uniform Code of Military Justice at times just like active duty troops.
If you just stop showing up, your unit declares you AWOL, and this can carry criminal penalties under the UCMJ. They may ask local law enforcement to bring you in. Jail time is a possibility in aggravated cases.
You could claim certain types of mental illness, that you're experiencing gender dysphoria, or fake a disqualifing medical condotion and you may or may not be discharged or face a court martial based on wether or not they think you're lying.
Depends on the branch, but you could try gaining weight and failing your PT test, however the process of getting discharged could take months/years.
Failing a drug test would probably the be the fastest way out, but you're potentially going to get dishonorably discharged, which can be treated as equivalent to a criminal conviction in some regards.
Declaring yourself a consciencous objector could work, and is probably the closest to simply quitting, but the process of being discharged could be lengthy and involve some investigation to make sure your beliefs are "sincerely held". Again, you may be dishonorably discharged or face other penalties if someone really wants to be an asshole about it.
EDIT: After some googling. If activated under federal orders or participating in their annual training and therefore subject to the UCMJ, the consequences for a National Guardsman found guilty of desertion could be as severe as death. However, this is historically rare in the modern era.
When not activated, most states have their own code of military justice, which often mirrors the UCMJ.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/10/885
Some other relevant reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Slovik