[VIDEO]The former U.S. soldier, 28, who joined the Kurdish militia to keep ISIS away from America – and is now recruiting other Westerners to join the fight

Jordan Matson has chosen a path that many would not- he has joined the Kurdish Militia to keep ISIS away from America – and is now recruiting other Westerners to join the fight :
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From the article:

When former U.S. soldier Jordan Matson learned about ISIS rampage across Iraq and Syria, he knew he couldn’t sit back and do nothing.

So the 28-year-old food packaging worker from Sturtevant, Wisconsin contacted the Kurdish militia – known as the People’s Protection Units or YPG – through Facebook.

‘I prayed about it for about a month or two,’ Matson, a Christian, told CNN. ‘And I really soul searched and said, “is this really what I want to do?” Eventually, I decided to do it.’

Matson flew to Turkey and was taken to Rojava, a Kurdish-controlled area of northern Syria. For the past month, he has been a volunteer fighter helping to defend three small statelets in the area.

During his two years in the U.S. military, he never served abroad – but on the second day fighting in Syria, he was struck by a mortar round during a firefight with ISIS.

As he recovered from his injuries – which sometimes still cause him to squint – he helped out the militia by taking to social media to recruit others, CNN reported.

He’s been contacted by many former soldiers from across Europe, America and Australia, he said. They are attracted to fighting for the Kurdish militia for the same reasons as he was.

‘ISIS has threatened all these countries… to push their agenda in those nations,’ he said. ‘And the veterans of those nations who love their countries don’t want to sit by while this is happening.’

While ISIS’s efforts to encourage people to join their forces using social media has been documented, Matson’s work gives an insight into how the Kurdish militia are recruiting from overseas using the same methods.

Matson recently posted a message to his Facebook page, urging would-be fighters to ‘be patient as the outcry to join the fight is immense’.

Of his own decision, he added: ‘These people threatened American citizens, and bring harm to us. I think I decided enough was enough, and I decided to come out this way.’

He had contacted the group online after ISIS captured Mosul in Iraq.

‘All the American veterans that have died over there and paid their lives for that country so they could have a democracy – that just resonated in my mind,’ he said. ‘And I couldn’t live with myself letting that country fall, and all my brothers’ lives be for nothing.’

But as well as fighting for Americans – ‘so [ISIS] can’t take it to us’ – he said he’s also fighting for the Kurdish people.

Aside from his political and religious beliefs, Matson explained that he was also driven to help because he has always wanted to be a soldier.

After being honorably discharged from the Army in 2007, he missed military life. But due to problems with his record, he could not return, so fighting abroad has allowed him to realize his dream.

‘Over here, everything makes sense,’ he told CNN. ‘I’m at peace being here.’

U.S. law enforcement officials said it is illegal for an American to join a Syrian militia, but Matson’s decision has been met with support from Americans, with some deeming him a hero online.

He said that although he believes the U.S. government is watching what he does, he does not think they will deny him re-entry when he tries to go home.

But if that does happen, he would remain in Kurdistan, he said.

‘Once this fight is over, and ISIS has been crippled, then the next stage of my life, then I’ll think about that,’ he said.

VIDEO:

What do you think? Is Jordan a patriot? Is he a hero? Should the government punish him for joining a Syrian Militia? Discuss.

McGuire

Writer, Blogger. Political aficionado. Addicted to all levels of government campaigns.

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