Army wants reservists for longer tours

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6796550/

Stretched thin by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is considering a National Guard and Reserve policy shift that could result in part-timers’ being called to active duty multiple times for up to two years each time, a senior Army general said Thursday.

The officer, who discussed the matter with a small group of reporters on condition of anonymity because the matter has not been fully settled inside the Defense Department, said the Army would probably ask Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to change the policy in the next several months.

<snip>

Under current policy, set by Rumsfeld, a Guard or Reserve member is not to serve on active duty for more than 24 total months. Thus, for example, if a Guard or Reserve member was mobilized for six months after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and later for nine months in Afghanistan, then that person is off limits for duty in Iraq because a yearlong tour there would exceed the 24-month limit. A standard tour in Iraq, for both active-duty and reserve forces, is 12 months.

If the limit were set at 24 consecutive months, with some break between tours, then in theory a Guard or Reserve member could be mobilized for multiple 12- or 24-month tours in Iraq or elsewhere.

[yinkaafrica]

1. What a nightmare

[indepat]

3. Should really help in recruitment and retention

[yinkaafrica]

23. It is like science fiction morphed with a horror movie

It freaks me out

[Scooter24]

2. Oh

I'm sure this news will bring in the new recruits. I wonder how many of those men or women considering enlisting in the guard actually know or have been told about this.

[mhr]

4. Can You Say Draft Boys And Girls?

eom

[RamboLiberal]

6. Those bastards are trying so desparately to avoid a draft

That they're willing to screw up the military for years to come. They no they'd lose the freepers and fundie votes if they had to put their own or their kids asses on the line in Iraq.

And look how they're cutting their own precious boondoggle defense programs.

Zell had it right - we're going to end up using spitballs - he just had the wrong damn party that's going to cause it. It's the Repukes. I'd love to see some firebrand liberal shove this back at "dueling Zell".

[0007]

7. Its on it way baby! And then the shit will hit the fan.

[yinkaafrica]

25. The shit will not hit the fan

Americans have become soft and spineless.
Bigtime spineless. We will be living in refrigerator boxes
before Americans wake up.
Hard times are coming.

[DELUSIONAL]

5. any "contract" signed with the military

probably isn't worth the paper it is written on.

Apparently the rules can be changed at the whim of the military.

Sort of like bushie sending a letter to the military saying he has lost interest -- in reverse. The military can send out letters recalling anyone who has served in the military in last few decades -- cause it changes its mind about signing discharge papers.

I wonder what would happen if National Guard members copy bushie's letter to the TANG word for word and send it to their state National Guard???

[MADem]

22. Ah, but it is worth a FORTUNE to the government!

Once they have ya, they have ya. Any retired former active duty commissioned officers out there should slowly be getting nervous...when they start scraping near the bottom of the barrel, just before they give it up and go to a draft, we'll start getting letters. Greetings: ... !!! We are subject to recall at the whim of the weecowboy, and barring medical issues that are disqualifyers (which can be changed at the stroke of a pen) we could end up back in the sandbox.

Not good.

It's a little harder to go after the enlisted personnel, as they serve a set contract. Yes, they are using stop loss, but they are stopping the loss while the contract is still running, not after it has been completed. They'll go after the commissioned officers first, as they serve at the pleasure of the president and are subject to recall up to statutory retirement age (which can vary, depending on whether you are a warfighter or a specialist, such as a chaplain or a doctor). It's already affecting the doctors....

[sarcasmo]

8. Imagine making 80grand in your civilian job and serving two years.

The military pay at the most is about fifteen grand a year twenty tops. If you made eighty grand a year at your civilian job doing a two year stint in Iraq you would probably have to file chapter 11 when you came home. This is a sure fire way to get the draft started, no one will join the reserves at least no one with common sense.

[lebkuchen]

31. active duty army are already figuring out what their career will look like

One year in, one year out, one year in, one year out, etc.

The reservists will really be biting the dust, with two years in, one year out, two years in, one year out, etc. The Bushies are planning to turn Iraq into Pat Pong and Angeles City, PI.

[MSgt213]

9. As a veteran I hate to say this but you are a complete idiot if you join

the military these days. You are asking, no begging to be sacrificed. It has absolutely nothing to do with being a patroit. You will in effect be a lamb led to slaughter. If you have confidence in the leaders of this country and the military you are asking to be fucked.

The recent acts of terrorism, such as the bombing of the U.N. headquarters and the mosque in Najaf, show a couple of things. First, that Iraq is still a dangerous place. They also show, I think, the desperation -- the desperation of the adversaries that we face. We're actively engaged in rooting out this threat with more and more Iraqis coming forward with information and a willingness to help us.

-- Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, September 9, 2003.

You'll see the threat go to, again, more suicide attacks, vehicle- borne IEDs, which I think shows desperation for both so they can get themselves in the news so people around the world can see them, and to show that they are in fact frustrated that they can't really make an impact any other way.

-- Major General Raymond T. Odierno, January 22, 2004.

We have said for quite a while that one of the signs not only of desperation on the part of the terrorists and the former regime elements but also, quite frankly, the cowardice of these forces is that, in opposition to six months ago, when many of the attacks -- most of the attacks were against the coalition forces, we have seen over the past few months that they are starting to go after softer targets. That is a concern of ours, but it also ought to demonstrate the desperation of these people because they decide, rather than attack coalition forces and Iraqi security forces, they'll attack women that are working for the coalition, washing clothes to make their lives better.

-- Coalition Provisional Authority senior adviser Dan Senor, March 31, 2004.

said that the recent run of gruesome suicide bombings, which have killed dozens of civilians, was a measure of desperation among the insurgents, who have put forward no political vision beyond expelling the Americans.

[Inland]

12. And as one who isn't a veteran, I hate to agree.

The civilian leadership treats our volunteers like dirt. They will go anywhere they are ordered, and are willing to die for the country. Our duty to them as civilians is to reserve their deaths and hardships for the actual good of the country, and not send them to dumb wars to be wasted.

But not only are they being wasted, but every person noticing that they are being wasted is met with "that's what they signed up for" or "stop putting down the troops". Or the one that makes me just plain go nuts: "They aren't complaining." Well, its not their job to complain that the mission is failing or not worthwhile--its OUR job to do that! And of course, when they do complain, well, its ignored anyway because "that's what they signed up for."

Nobody could put their lives in the hands of this bunch. It is foolish enough we civilians did it with our own lives, but Bush is working hard to make soldiers bear the entire burden of his mistakes.

[Redstone]

14. You may hate to say it, but you're right anyway

"You are asking, no begging to be sacrificed."

For nothing.

Just like in Viet Nam. For nothing.

Just like in Grenada. For nothing.

Just like in Beirut. For nothing.

Just like in Panama. For nothing.

The Army recruiters finally stopped calling to try to snare my oldest son after I lost my temper and told them straight out (and loudly) that I wan't about to allow them to kill any of my children for a deserter's lies.

Guess I'm on the Government's shit list now. Wouldn't be the first time.

Redstone

(on edit: damn, spelled my own name wrong. time to go to bed.)

[MSgt213]

17. Well, if there is a shit list then I will gladly join it. Until these

idiots figure out that we need to stop fucking with people in the first place.

[Redstone]

20. Welcome to the shit list, Sarge

Most of us are on one (if not more than one), I suppose.

At least some of us have the solace of knowing that we did our own part as best we saw fit, even if the Big Deserter and his cronies feel like they have the corner on Patriotism with a capital P these days...

I grow weary; another dram of Maker's Mark and off to sleep.

Redstone

[beanball]

21. The Army

my son can enlist just after the Bush boys and girls enlist.

[saigon68]

26. Right On Sgt I second your thoughts. (graphic)

Only the witless and clueless will join now.

The kid who "Wants to KILL" Hoo Rah.

Wait til they see this and better yet SMELL THIS

LOL

HUNGRY DOGS DEVOUR CORPSES





A Dog Lunching on a The Head of an Iraqi Corpse





Burnt bodies, the legs of which, were devoured by Dogs.

What a Feast in Fallujah

[lebkuchen]

32. "desperation on the part of the terrorists"

Our mercs are making, what, $1000 a day? The Saudi student who sacrificed himself in the mess tent before Christmas was probably making nothing, just as the others who have blown themselves up for the cause before him.

The partisan Iraqis will win. They're not in it for the money, but for the cause.

[gizmo1979]

10. What a sad sad country

we have become.The many sacrificing for the ill gotten gains of the few. Just sad.

[hvn_nbr_2]

11. Someone close the window please.

I think I feel a draft.

[Been Fishing]

13. The general in charge says

the reserve system is "broke".

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0&u_pg=54&u_sid=1302222

Similar news accounts have appeared on other sites.

[damntexdem]

15. It's time for reservists to say what the rest of us say:

"Screw the Administration and its dirty little war. Hell no, I won't go!"

Remember that great motto: HNIWG?

[Deja Q]

16. * is doing a great job at defending America! 4 more years!!!

:puke:

Obviously, my subject line is sarcasm!

[Cornjob]

18. This policy will work very well when Rummy...

signs the order to pay all military personnel $250,000/year to serve in combat zones. After all, that's the going rate for civilian truck driver recruits in Iraq!

I have never seen a more incompetent group of cabinet members in my entire life.

I am now so very thankful that our Republican friends bear full responsibility for this shit storm.

DUers, it won't be long until all hell breaks loose!

[shanti]

27. oh, they're much more

than incompetent - they are evil and greedy. their greed will be their undoing.

[lebkuchen]

33. Paying more might help maintain numbers

but the partisans will still win. There are a quarter of a million of them, at least, who will work for free, blowing themselves up in the process. Why?

[radar]

19. Geez

...Don't the state governors have a say in what the nat'l guard does?

I reckon even repubs would not like losing their muscle for that long a period.

[teryang]

24. This is just another refusal to admit the costs of the war

They are desperately trying to keep authorized strength numbers for regular active duty forces low while turning the guard and reserve into a de facto active duty component without the same benefits and job stability.

[trof]

28. Well THAT bygod ought to kick the morale up a notch or two.

Right up there with "The whippings will continue until employee morale improves."

"Congratulations Private Smith, you've completed your 24 months of active duty. We're giving you a day off before we call you up for another 24 months."

[struggle4progress]

29. kick

[lebkuchen]

30. This finally made it into Stars and Stripes today

multiple calls to duty, but hey, for no more than two years each time.

LOL!

Who in hell would join the Reserves these days? No wonder Lt Gen Helmly timed his public comments about the reservists being "broken" last week.

[yorkiemommie1]

34. why aren't all of Bush's voters enlisting?

cowards? hypocrites? cowardly hypocrites?