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Army Private training at Fort Gordon, Georgia went AWOL and moved to Toronto, Canada to resist deployment November 2006.
Steve Yoczik trained in communications at Fort Gordon, Georgia. While in training he discovered that he had been recruited for a military job which no longer existed and was destined for general infantry deployment in Iraq (and further that the military was continuing to deceitfully recruit and train for this occupation with intentions of deploying every trainee in the same fashion). After a few months there, he began to realize that the decision he'd made to join the Army was a serious mistake and that trading 4 years of his life for the opportunity to have college paid for was not an agreeable enough trade. Also after seeing pictures of wounded or killed Iraqi civilians (and combatants) as well as stories from soldiers that had been to Iraq and Afghanistan, he knew without a doubt that he did not want to be involved in the war.
Steve waged a concerted bid to be kicked out of the army. Over a period of months, he deliberately failed between 50 and 100 physical tests. When it became obvious that the officers would not file three consecutive failing reports so as to have his status reviewed, Steve started to fail to appear for the tests and was flippant, if not outright insubordinate, if these absences brought any reproach.
Steve headed for Canada as all other attempts to leave the Army 'legitimately' were exhausted. Steve believes that he was gone for a while before anyone realized that he was AWOL.
He found out about the War Resisters Support Campaign in Canada through a friend and fellow soldier. He moved to Toronto on November 25th, 2006. Since arriving in Toronto, Steve has adjusted fairly well, and is being careful in the decisions he makes in life now, as his Army experience has taught him that signatures hold a lot of power.
