Kimberly Rivera

Interview with war resister Kimberly Rivera, trial Monday

Courage to Resist interview of US Iraq War Resister Kimberly Rivera as she anticipates her approaching court martial trial for desertion. If jailed as expected next week, her husband Mario will be left to take care of their four small children.

Please help us provide humanitarian assistance to these courageous objectors with your contribution to the Rivera Family Support Fund today!

By Bob Meola, Courage to Resist. April 23, 2013

Kimberly Rivera is at Fort Carson, Colorado, awaiting the April 29th start of her Army court martial trial for two specifications of one count of desertion. I asked Kimberly to talk about her present situation, and her thoughts and feelings as her trial nears next week. Here is Kimberly Rivera in her own words:

Read more...

An appeal from Mario and the Rivera Family

Kimberly Rivera currently awaits court martial at Fort Carson, Colorado, for seeking refuge in Canada while objecting to the Iraq War. Her husband and four children live in Texas. We need to make sure the kids have Christmas presents, and a roof over their heads this winter!

Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Rivera Family Support Fund:
https://co.clickandpledge.com/?wid=58528

By Mario Rivera, husband of war resister Kimberly Rivera. Interviewed by Bob Meola, Courage to Resist. December 21, 2012

The donations from the fund established by Courage to Resist let me and the four children visit Kimberly last month. We were able to stay at a motel on Fort Carson. It allowed the kids to visit their mother--even if it was just for a short week.

Any new donations would allow us to keep up with the basics--food and shelter and the water bill and gas and electric. They would allow us also, hopefully, to get some Christmas presents for the kids.

Read more...

Write a letter of support for Kimberly Rivera

• Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Rivera Family Support Fund:
  https://co.clickandpledge.com/?wid=58528
  
  
• The dire situation of objector Kimberly Rivera and her family
  Mario Rivera interviewed by Bob Meola, Courage to Resist. October 27, 2012

Guideline for letter is support of Kimberly Rivera

Kimberly Rivera is currently at Fort Carson, Colorado. She is part of a unit but her future is uncertain. She likely will face a military court-martial (and if convicted a lengthy prison sentence), but there are other options for command.

We are asking friends and supporters of Kimberly to write letters of support. These letters will be presented to the military by her civilian attorney in the hopes of persuading the military to not prosecute her, but instead give her a discharge. These letters may also be used as mitigating evidence for sentencing/clemency purposes if her case does go to trial.

Background about Kimberly:

• Kimberly and her husband Mario have four young children: Christian, 10; Rebecca, 8; Katie, 3; and Gabriel, 18 months.
• Kimberly’s objection to the war grew out of her experience in Iraq, and her faith.
• Kimberly’s separation from her family is causing tremendous hardship for all of the family.
• Kimberly was diagnosed with PTSD following her tour in Iraq, and incarceration would only exacerbate her symptoms.

Guidelines for your letter:

• Address letters to “To whom it may concern.”
• Please be polite and civil in your letter. It is ok to express emotion, but angry/hateful letters will not be helpful.  
• Please avoid political statements in your letters. The focus needs to stay on Kimberly and her plight.
• If you know Kimberly personally, please say so in your letter. (Please also be sure and tell stories that illustrate the kind of character she has and why she should be back home with her family).
• If you are military veteran, please say so in your letter.
• Please include your full name and contact information in your letter.
• Please state in the letter that you believe that Kimberly should be immediately discharged from the Army and not prosecuted.

Please send your letter to:

• Postal: James M. Branum, Attorney at Law; PO Box 721016; Oklahoma City, OK 73172
• Email:  girightslawyer (at) gmail.com (please include “Kimberly Rivera” in the subject line)
• Fax: 1-866-757-8785

The dire situation of objector Kimberly Rivera and her family

Mario Rivera interviewed by Bob Meola, Courage to Resist. October 27, 2012

Mario Rivera is the husband of Kimberly Rivera, the U.S. Army War Resister, who was deported from Canada on September 20th.  He is also the father of their four children.  Recently, he shared with us his family’s very dire and challenging situation as Kimberly awaits a likely military court martial. Below is their story, in his words.

Please consider a tax-deductible contribution to the Rivera Family Support Fund:
https://co.clickandpledge.com/?wid=58528

Please write a letter of support for Kimberly

Kimberly left Toronto and voluntarily crossed the border into New York and was handcuffed at the border when she told them who she was.  She was turned over by border officials to Fort Drum personnel.  Fort Drum held her for one day and then they stuck her in the county jail for four days. Then Fort Carson came and got her.   I heard from her when she was approaching the border and was going to turn herself in the next morning.  Then I didn’t hear from her for about 48 hours, until she was in county jail, and she told me what happened.

Read more...