Army officers bailing out -- quit after 5-year commitment.

[greatauntoftriplets]

Army works to plug drain
Incentives targeted at young officers as their ranks decline

By Thom Shanker
New York Times News Service
Published April 10, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Young Army officers, including growing numbers of captains who leave as soon as their initial commitment is fulfilled, are bailing out of active-duty service at rates that have alarmed senior officers.

Last year, more than a third of the West Point class of 2000 left active duty at the earliest possible moment, after completing the initial five-year obligation. It was the second year in a row of worsening retention numbers, apparently marking the end of a burst of patriotic fervor during which junior officers chose continued military service at unusually high rates.

Mirroring the problem among West Pointers, graduates of reserve officer training programs at universities also are increasingly leaving the service at the end of the four-year stint in uniform that follows their commissioning.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0604100142apr10,1,7758481.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[wakeme2008]

1. Young officers (like young enlisted) means new wifes and

children. Besides dying or coming back missing limbs, who wants to spend their time away from their wifes and kids in Bush's Forever WarS.

[skooooo]

2. I'm starting to think....

...that our whole system is starting to break down.

[converted_democrat]

3. I honestly think they are intentionally trying to break our military..

Just s few days ago there was an article in LBN that stated something to the effect that one of the bigger mercenary firms (black water?) wanted to become a full service armed force for hire, and wanted to be able to do it legally.. With the way this current administration is into "privatize everything" I really think this is what they're up to.. The want to break our armed services to privatize it for profit.. I mean, it's evil genius when you think about it.. You start and stir up a bunch of shit, that you know the US will have to be defended or "protected" from, and then completely privatize the forces to make maximum profit for your buddies.. It's evil genius...

Edited for my many spelling issues..

[jmowreader]

4. That works for a little while

Unfortunately for Bush's evil scheme, Blackwater mercenaries (yes, it was Blackwater) don't work as cheap as government troops.

[converted_democrat]

5. Over the long haul, I don't think it will make a lick of difference..

1. The Military Industrial Complex is one of the most powerful (if not the most powerful) groups in this country, they want war with no end, and they'll figure out a way to make us pay for it.. 2. If * is seriously considering going after Iran, we are going to have China and Russia on our ass like white on rice.. I honestly think this is part of the plan too.. If WWW3 is started they'll hold us hostage for the money.. I can see the scenario now, we can cancel all of our social programs now to pay for our defense, or we can just hand over the US to them now.. 3. According to Dick Cheney, and the powers that be, deficits don't matter.. What's another 2-3 trillion of debt to defend our country, especially when it's all going to go into his buddies pockets?

Edited for my grammar issues..

[KharmaTrain]

6. More Outsourcing Opportunities

I spoke with a neighbor who will soon be headed back to Baghdad for his 4th tour...the second he didn't volunteer for. He liked the "action" of the military when he signed up after high school in the late 80's, but that sure wasn't the military he found himself stuck in 15 years later. His biggest problem was he has a specialized skill that continues to extend his stay and sends him back to the "hell zone" as he calls it.

Hopefully this will be his last taxpayer financed vacation in the green zone as he's "out of options" (he thought this was the case last time) and wants out of the military...even if it means reduced benefits and retiring at a lower rank/pay grade. He's so disenchanted with what's going on and just looks at what he's doing as a "job" in the way many of us do...something we have to do and best to shut up and put the food on the table then to speak out too loudly.

He pointed out that there was a lot of grumbling in the mid-levels for quite some time...the ROTC and officer candidates who are stuck right in the midst of the worst fighting. Those who are able to get out in one piece can't wait to cash out and let someone else do the dying.

His feeling is this is being done deliberately by von Rumsfeldt so that more of the military can be outsourced to the ever-expanding mercenary corporations. He thinks this regime looks down on the regular military as a drain on their money...sending things like body armor or beefing up forces takes money away from the contractors and their upper-level benefactors. He promises one day he'll relate some things he's experienced, but as long as he's still under the eye of the Pentagon and has a tough 6 months ahead, he best keep mum. The one thing for certain...here's a man who all but ran to the airport and hopped the plane in his first tour in 2003...how times have changed. I know it's going to be a rough 6 months ahead...for all of us.

[greatauntoftriplets]

8. His 4th tour of duty???

That is insane. Back during the days of Vietnam, I knew someone who was a West Point grad and retired a few years ago as a full colonel with 25 years of service. He was only deployed twice to Vietnam and had graduated from the Point about 1964 or 1965.

Good luck to your neighbor.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Yep...4 Tours Now

He was active on 9/11 and was off during the first wave into Kuwait and then into Iraq in 2003. His enlistement period was almost up after he returned, but decided to re-up in 2004 and ended up spending the summer in Fallujah. I think you know the rest. While he was there, he got his first extended stay (ended up for 6 months rather than 3) and his first stop loss notice extending his enlistment. He thought it would be for 3, maybe 6 months...that was two years ago. In 2004, his unit was called up again and this time off he went, but spring in his step was gone. When he came back right before the 4th of July, the local Repugnicans attempted to use him for campaigning and he refused...he ended up marching in the local 4th of July parade alone (his choice).

Last year he got the call again...and he took the orders in stride..."wartime" ya know. This time he ended up in Baghdad and Mosul...but still it was a long 6 months and things continue to deteriorate in front of his eyes. I'm really surprised how upbeat this man is...he doesn't have that 1,000 yard stare I remember seeing in many returning Vietnam Vets.

His unit is scheduled to move out in a couple weeks and this time the news hit his family like a ton of bricks. They figured he'd done his share and finally the military would be able to find someone to send in his place...but with recruting down, the quality of those coming in at a far lower level than when he came in, he's stuck...few can do what he does.

One thing for sure, his story has hurt local recruting.

Cheers...

[Tsiyu]

7. You have to wonder how they can be "alarmed"

Do they think these officers are idiots?

You wage a bogus illegal war without proper equipment or manpower, you put people in the middle of the hell you created ...and ask them to stand there? Sure.

I am so alarmed.


They should have been alarmed in 2000.

[kestrel91316]

10. Sorry, kids...............they may be bailing out, but the US gov't still

OWNS THEM. They can be called back to active duty any time, for what? 5 years? 10 years?

They still aren't off the hook. They sold their souls to the devil.