Mark Wilkerson ( born 1984 in Colorado Springs , Colorado , USA ) was in Iraq as an American soldier and Iraq War deserter . Wilkerson enlisted in the US Army in the summer of his junior year of high school , before the September 11 attacks , through a delayed entry program . He served in a military police battalion and was deployed to Iraq . After returning from his first deployment , he came to believe that the American armed forces were not there for the reasons stated . He felt no longer able to serve the military in any aspect . After his first tour in Iraq , Wilkerson had filed for conscientious objector status but was denied . He appealed but would not be heard until returning from a second tour in Iraq what he found unacceptable . In consequence , Wilkerson did not return to his unit after a two-weeks leave . In 2005 , he went absence without leave ( AWOL ) for 19 months and then , in 2006 , turned himself in to his unit . With support of Cindy Sheehan 's group , he returned to Fort Hood to face court-martial . Wilkerson was convicted and sentenced to seven months in military prison with a Bad Conduct Discharge for violations of Article 85 ( desertion ) and an Article 87 ( missing movement ) . He was released from prison July 13 , 2007
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Mark Wilkerson (conscientious objector)