Thousands of the US Guard members and US Marines currently mobilised in Los Angeles have pledged their duty to serve their country, but some have been confused about the actions of government leaders, according to resource counselors, part of the GI rights hotline.
“GI Rights Hotline is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that informs military people who have different types of issues related to military service,” says Steve Woolford, resource counselor at the Hotline.
Steve Woolford has been a resource counselor for GI Rights Hotline for 20 years, and says Hotline has received more calls than usual.
“We get about 200 calls a month during normal times, and we got 50 calls on Sundays,” he said.
Woolford explains that most of the calls came from service members, their families and others following the National Guard mobilization in Los Angeles.
“This person never imagined he was signing up to be in a situation where he might point his guns at fellow American citizens who might think they would just exercise their rights to free speech and so on. So this was someone who was very troubled with what was going on,” Woolford said.
“Some of these people are thinking, this is my home, this is my neighborhood, or this is my town. And I’m the town they send me. And I know people who might be the migrant raids and what you want to call it, you know, you’re not going to deport my family.
Woolford says there is also confusion and contemplation over the orders from the federal government and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“I don’t feel right about this, but what will happen to this? So there are people trying to sort out what happens if they refuse things,” Woolford explains some of the questions he received.
He says there were calls from people defending the development.
Woolford said the hotline will provide guidance on a variety of situations, including “mobilizing reserves,” and will not tell people what to do. He says he tries to help them listen to the caller and understand what’s best for each individual.
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