Marine War Objector Boards Gulf-Bound Ship : Deployment: Corporal obeys orders under protest after receiving assurances that his claim for CO status will be expedited by the Corps.

A 22-year-old Marine corporal who said he has strong religious objections to war was aboard a ship bound for the Persian Gulf Wednesday, but his wife said he deployed under protest after the Corps agreed to expedite his application for conscientious objector status.

“He was persuaded by the command to go aboard the ship,” said Joelle Turner, the wife of Cpl. Kenneth Turner, who on Monday made public his desire to be honorably discharged as a conscientious objector, or CO.

“He agreed to go on board as he agreed it is a lawful order,” she continued. “He is going aboard under moral protest, and he believes that going aboard is a violation of his conscience. He is doing all of this because the Marine Corps has promised to expedite his claim.”

According to Joelle Turner, the Corps began making good on that claim Wednesday by arranging for her husband to be interviewed by an investigating officer--the last of three interviews he needed to complete before his application is reviewed by Marine headquarters in Washington. Already, he has completed sessions with a chaplain and a psychiatrist.

Turner is bearing up under the pressure, his wife said.

“He’s doing the best he can, I think,” she said. “It’s a tough situation.”

Turner, a Michigan native who said he had a spiritual “reawakening” during training exercises this summer, said Monday that he intended to refuse to deploy because of his religious beliefs. On Tuesday, he at first refused to accompany his unit to the ships in San Diego but reversed himself that night after hours of discussion with his superiors and his father, according to military officials.

“At the present time, as far as I know, he’s part of his force,” Brig. Gen. Peter J. Rowe, commanding general of the 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade of which Turner is a member, said. Rowe said Turner “may well be facing some sort of disciplinary action based on his (initial) refusal to get aboard.”

When asked if he agreed with Turner’s decision to seek CO status, Rowe said, “You mean does an individual in this country have an opportunity and a right to object? Yes, he does. That’s sort of what we fight for.”

Mark Lamanna, a military counselor for the Central Committee for Conscientious Objection, worked with Turner for three months on his CO application. He said he believes Turner decided to stay with his unit in order to avoid disobeying a direct order and endangering his CO claim. Turner’s unit is scheduled to leave San Diego for the Persian Gulf on Saturday.

“What was pivotal was his desire to keep his claim lawful in all aspects. He’s sure that he has a strong case, so he wants to do as little as possible to divert attention from his case,” said Lamanna, who conceded that Turner’s decision to board the ship “took me completely by surprise. But I’m not disappointed. All along this has been Mr. Turner’s personal struggle. This isn’t my gig.”

“I personally considered this a victory for Ken,” said Kathy Gilberd, co-chairwoman of the Military Law Task Force of the National Lawyers Guild in San Diego, which was planning to represent Turner if necessary. “I am hopeful that the Marine Corps will, in fact, follow through. It’s in everybody’s interest to solve this claim as quickly as possible.”