Hi folks,

I just have a brief update to keep you all up to date on our work with the Truth Commission on Conscience in War. Please let me know if you want to be removed from this email list. We can't afford a spiffy email client that allows people to opt in or out, so just feel free to reply and I will make sure these updates only go out to those who want them.

First of all, I put up a very simple web page (actually a Google Document) where you can find ways to help us spread the word on the Commission and also support Centurion’s Guild in the process. You can find that page by going to http://bit.ly/alJwoQ. There you will find links and suggestions on how to maximize the use of social media, if you are tech savvy, but also links to articles that have been written about the TCCW that could really use your comments and feedback. For those that are unaware, the Pentagon recently re-approved the use of sites like Twitter and Facebook for active duty and deployed troops (http://bit.ly/9QkCeZ), so the timing is just perfect! This page will be updated as new items are posted or ideas are developed.

Secondly, the good people at Luna Productions have put together a video trailer about the Commission that you can watch on YouTube at http://bit.ly/db3AGv. Five veterans are profiled, including guys from the documentary Soldiers of Conscience as well as Jacob Diliberto and myself. Also, Kyle Caldwell, another officer on the Guild’s steering committee, will be traveling to New York to participate in the TCCW s a Commissioner for the Guild. During the Public Hearing he will be live-blogging and tweeting the event. The testimony will only be four hours (if I remember correctly), so this will not be a huge project, but he plans to blog before and after the hearing, as well as when the Commission wraps up on the 22nd.

Finally, we are trying to solicit from people their thoughts on collecting additional testimony from veterans and actively serving troops on the issue of conscience in war. Redemption stories are really the essence of what Truth Commissions stand for, but with our limited time on the 21st, there will only be time for a small number of testimonies. I think, and I hope you will agree, that there are an incredible number of redemptive tales that Americans need to hear, that even Iraqis and Afghanis stand to benefit from - that atrocities are not the only stories we soldiers have to tell.

If you, a friend of yours, or a family member would like to share a story about the triumph or tragedy of their own conscience, please put them in touch with us here at Centurion’s Guild. We are happy to protect the identities of those who contact us, and we are willing to accept video, audio, or written forms of testimony. We are interested in sharing the stories in some way between the Public Hearing next month and Martinmas on November 11th. Please help us spread the word about this project.

Gratefully,

- Logan Laituri
Executive Officer, Centurion's Guild

"Military personnel must reject participation in organizations that ...advocate the use of force
or violence" - DoD Directive 1325.6