Military says it might return some former soldiers to duty

[icymist]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001933950_armyrecall20m.html

Thursday, May 20, 2004 - Page updated at 01:26 A.M.

Military says it might return some former soldiers to duty

By Hal Bernton
Seattle Times staff reporter

Hundreds of Washington residents who thought they might be done with their days in the Army may be pulled back into service in the weeks ahead.
The unusual move would affect some who were on active duty less than eight years. It would be intended to shore up the ranks of reserve and National Guard units, many of which have been mobilized to serve in Iraq.

"The driving force behind this is that reserves, stateside, are in some areas running short," said Ray Gall, a spokesman for the Army Human Resources Command in St. Louis.

The decision on whether to go ahead with the recall in Washington and other states is expected sometime after May 31. Men and women would be assigned to units short of soldiers. A recall could involve thousands nationwide.

<snip>

Army reserve officials say many units in the United States have holes because some soldiers have been siphoned off to fill out units headed for Iraq. Army officials would try to place soldiers in reserve units within 50 miles of their homes, but there would be no guarantees. Those units, if mobilized, could be sent to Iraq.

(more)

[pfitz59]

1. Inactive reserve call-up......

This should be a wake up call to the fence-sitters! Last gasp before the draft!

[Dead_Parrot]

2. Hmmm... If it looks like a draft, and sounds like a draft... n/t

[saigon68]

8. THE DRAFT OF 2005

The invasion of SYRIA 2006

The liberating of IRAN 2007

[opihimoimoi]

3. The Boys not gonna luv this shit

No way. The Troops are gonna be PISSED OFF

[izzie]

4. If I recall my ex was in the inactive reserve for 10 years

after he retired and could be called back at any time. He would have flipped. Looks like Bush has used up our Military.And if the DOD knows what it is doing the civilians running the place are putting a stop to that. Are we sure Bush has not started reading the war maps and picking the new spot for his smart bombs? Looks like one hell of a mess up.

[ConcernedCanuk]

5. I am Soooooooo impressed with this "superpower"

.
.
.

held "hostage" by a country with 2/3 the population of Canada

dragging forces from all over the world and it's own retired reservists to battle a wee country with no organized military, no fancy weapons, and no taxpayers to rape billions of dollars from to fund a war.

The US still doesn't get it

Iraq doesn't need more troops over there

They need PEACEKEEPERS.

Peacekeeping . . .

Something the US isn't very good at

So they make war,

and more war.

(sigh)

[leQ]

12. i too have questioned why nobody's screaming more about why it takes

a 150,000 soliders to battle 'pockets' of resistance? either they are indeed more than 'pockets', or we have a very incapable army.

[htuttle]

15. Hey! We spend more on defense than the rest of the world combined!

That's gotta be proof of *something*, right?

:shrug:


ps: I just traded my farm for a handful of magic beans, but I can't figure out how to make them work. Anyone got any ideas?

[icymist]

16. Magic beans are over-rated!

eom

[ConcernedCanuk]

20. *cough* - *ahem* - *choke, gag* - - - defense ? - DEFENSE???

.
.
.

that's a loose use of the word "defense" I'd say !!!!!

It used to be named the Department of War

It has changed in name only - - -

Actually, to be historically correct,

The Department of Defense was created by amalgamating the Department of War with the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force in 1947.

But really,

What the US has IS a Department of War,

but

"defense" is such a much "nicer" word, doncha think? :shrug:

[htuttle]

21. Very good point

Calling it 'defense' is, well,...'offensive'.

[Bandit]

24. The Pentagon cannot account for over two trillion dollars

:shrug: We spend a lot but does it go to our National Defense?

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

6. When it comes to soldiers returning to Iraq, there is no "might."

It's a done deal. Get used to it, America. You wanted this war, now do your "thing."

[colonel odis]

7. if any countries had designs on us but were intimidated

by the power of the u.s. military ....

this imbroglio in iraq should take care of that. the u.s. is no longer a superpower. it's just another pisspot dictatorship.

[MSgt213]

9. This is going to go over really, really well. Wish them luck tracking

down all thoughs "he doesn't live here anymores."

[shanti]

23. come on

it's easy enough to track someone down by their SSN....unless they are homeless and living on the streets.

[dusty64]

10. Is there STILL any

question about this regime's plans after they get "elected" in November? They are desperate and straining at the leash to enact the rest of there fascist agenda, that will require many more living human bodies. What about all that BULLSHIT about military recruitment numbers being above average, do they really think we are ALL that stupid?

[jobycom]

11. I've heard a lot of people are going to be very surprised

A friend who's a high rank officer in the Texas National Gaurd says the plans are a done deal. THere will be a big callup soon of the National Gaurd, and of the Reserves, and many of the people in the Reserves will be called up who believe they are untouchable.

The troops hate Bush now. He's lied to them, he's used them. He's had them kill people by the thousands, and they know he lied to send them there. He's given them orders that they can be court martialled for obeying, or for disobeying. And now he won't let them leave the military, he keeps sending them to Iraq to wait for that roadside bomb.

Recruiting has dried up in the National Gaurd. Re-enlistment has dried up.

Worst of all, this officer's ranking officers, those in command, are complaining to their subordinates about Bush. Griping that he doesn't know what he's doing. Griping that he's a liar. Griping about Abu Graib. They all know it was ordered-- no 19 year old has the knowledge to carry out the specific tortures that were used.

He's losing the military fast. We were the ones supporting the troops all along, by trying to make sure they weren't used for no reason. Even the troops are starting to get that. If we protest now, if we hold a big "bring 'em home" rally now, we could have a big impact, show the troops that someone really does support them, maybe loosen up a few tongues.

[dusty64]

13. So they cooked the books

and are lying to us about their "wonderful" recruitment numbers. They would NEVER do anything like that would they (extreme sarcasm)?

[jobycom]

19. It WAS up

But the last few months, with all the bad press, it has dwindled. During the Abu Graib flare-up, it practically died out.

[leQ]

17. supporting the troops was the subject of my letter today

Mason City Globe-Gazette
to sum it up: our troops are not pawns to be used indiscriminately for political gain. aren't there laws regarding this somewhere?

[Mokito]

14. Is this contradictory?

Iraq Deaths Don't Faze Military Recruits

[union_maid]

18. Happened to my son's friend already

I posted about it somewhere else here. He was in the Marines. He did four years active and has been out for about a year and a half. He was an MP. He was so done with it that he'd decided against his orignial life plan which was to be a cop if he didn't re-enlist and decided to just be a private citizen. He's not only going back, he's going to Fallujah and it wasn't his idea by a longshot.

[Love Bug]

22. It happened to my friend's son, too

He was just recalled and is shipping out to Iraq at the end of June. Mom is NOT happy about this at all. The son is resigned to doing his duty.