His civil liberties may have stopped, his Constitutional rights did not.
Of course none of them apply in this case. No right to desert, no right to refuse to go. Heck there's not even any real question of any illegal orders. The Congress authorized the use of force, twice. Once right after 9-11 and again just before we took down Saddam's "forces". So he's just a left winger, from a wing family, trying to score left wing points.
The only question I have is why he ever joined and took a commission in the first place. Just to make such a point?
free education, commission, retirement bennies..that's why he joined..then he found out he might have to give his life and changed his mind..