My 50 year-old uncle has been backdoor drafted.

[angrycarpenter]

Two days before X-mas last year My uncle received a registered letter from the Army. The letter said that he was to report to an army base 250 miles away in 5 weeks, he had been called back to active duty.

My uncle had been put out of the army after 16 years of outstanding service. He was a ranger. He had served with distinction in the first gulf war, winning the bronze star. He had been stationed all over the world and went to every school the army would send him to. After all of that he was put out prematurely at the end of the first gulf war sometime in mid 1991. He had wanted to serve 20 and retire but he was given a small yearly stipend rather than full retirement benefits.

Flash forward to 9/11. He was about 42 and like everyone else he freaked out over the attacks. He went right down to the recruiting office and demanded to be called back so he could go after Bin Laden. They basically laughed in his face and said he was too old.

So he then and there gave up all hopes of going back. He had already started a business that does alright.A year ago he bought a lot and started planning his retirement home. His youngest has moved out of the house and gotten married.

So here he is 50 years-old and starting to look forward to his retirement and being able to spend time with his wife and family when this letter lands in the mailbox. He was dumbstruck. It gave him 5 weeks to report for active duty. He was able to get an extension on it, he now has to report this Easter Sunday.

This backdoor draft for him means financial ruin. He has a pest control business to run and payments on his house and a nice wooded lot he meant to retire on. He gets none of the large re-enlistment bonuses we have heard about. The army has no sympathy for what this will do to him. They won't even tell him what they want him to do or where he will be.

So he will report as ordered and do what he is told to do because he signed a contract to do it. He has remained in the ready reserve all these years in return for a couple of thousand dollars a year. No one I have talked to has ever heard about an arrangement like that but that is the deal he had. He gave his word and will not go back on it.

I want to hear some conservative hawk explain how this is a good thing for America. How they can laugh in a mans face when he wants to serve and then force him to go when he should be sitting in his porch, in a rocker, with his wife, watching his 6 grandchildren playing in the yard.

[Olney Blue]

1. I hope everything works out for him. So sorry to hear this.

[babylonsister]

2. I'm so damned sorry to read this, but thanks for sharing. How many

more military who have served honorably and gone on to live their lives have had this thrown in their faces?

[Warpy]

3. I would imagine the GOP has now lost a whole bunch of voters

He isn't the only one facing this stuff. The abuse of the National Guard has cost many of them everything: their families, their homes, their children, and their livelihoods.

This administration is just plain evil. There is no other word that will describe it.

[bronxiteforever]

4. Kick & R-Best wishes for your uncle

[Kittycat]

5. You know, I don't even have words.

I'm so sorry.

[yellerpup]

6. That is scandalous.

Makes me want to cry, I can't imagine what it does to his wife. Too bad he can't take a soon-to-be-unemployed ex-president with him. Bush promised to serve but never did. Can't he be stop-lossed into Iraq too? Sorry about your uncle. So unfair.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. Dang!

Hey, I work in the pest control business myself. Have him get in touch with his state Pest Management Association and see if someone will let his techs work under his license while he's away-or check with the state regulatory board to make sure his license will still be valid--and then give his wife a crash course on pest control if he has no other techs. Best of luck to him.

[peacebird]

8. I m so sorry. I wish I knew who to contact to help him.... This just sucks.

Please keep us informed....

[angrycarpenter]

14. I do not have his permission to give out any info

But I would love to sic DU on them on his behalf.

[peacebird]

16. if he ever gives his permission - i promise my complete support!

[Kurovski]

9. K&R. (nt)

[KingOfLostSouls]

10. thats bullshit

whats next, calling up WWII vets, giving them pikes, and marching them to the front to die honorably to halt the horde?


goddamn this really is the worst administration in the history of this country.

[lynnertic]

11. oh I'm so sorry.

The Ready Reserve is meant for real emergencies and like everything else, it's being misused and bankrupted.

I hope your family is cohesive enough to help him keep his life together while he serves, since he's decided to do it. Your uncle is a brave and honorable man. He's going to need you, you know, so please be there for him however you can.

:patriot:
PS on edit - that means among anything else you can think of, make a pledge to yourself to write him while he's away. I'm a vet know firsthand how nothing is more important to someone who's away than word from home, even if it's short notes/postcards about normal everyday stuff that keeps them connected to home.

Take care my friend.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. Oh, man! This really sucks. *hugs*

[blues90]

13. It's really upsetting to hear this sort of thing

Man . I'm sorry , hopefully he will be able to remain in the US and get through this . Things aren't bad enough yet this crime family always seems to find a way to reach out and make it worse .

[wuushew]

15. How is the military confident that it knows the location of all past military veterans?

Was this letter sent certified mail?

[angrycarpenter]

21. Yes, he had to sign for it personally. nt

[Historic NY]

17. Thats why they call it blood money, my niece cut all ties

to get out of the reserves and the army. They promised her the moon and gave her nothing in the end.

[babylonsister]

18. I saw this yesterday and wondered-he's not alone and won't be:

now I understand what they're up to.
:grr:


Thousands of IRR troops to muster

Published: Thursday, March 6, 2008 9:23 AM CST


ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The U.S. Army Human Resources Command will conduct a muster of about 10,000 Individual Ready Reserve Soldiers beginning this month.

The muster is a follow-on to the successful pilot program the Army conducted last year, HRC officials said.

This year HRC, with support from the U.S. Army Reserve Command, will conduct three different types of one-day musters at Army Reserve Centers located across the continental United States.

The three types of musters are readiness musters, personnel accountability musters, and unit affiliation musters.

There will be eight readiness musters between March and June at eight different locations:

n Fort Devens, Mass.

n Los Alamitos, Calif.

n Fort Lawton, Wash.

n Fort Totten, N.Y.

n Decator, Ga.

n Arlington Heights, Ill.

n Grand Prairie, Texas

n Fort Meade, Md.

more...

http://www.ftleavenworthlamp.com/articles/2008/03/06/dod_news/dod2.txt

[angrycarpenter]

20. The place he has to report to is not on that list

He is constrained by secrecy oaths to not tell certain things (like how he won the bronze star) He may know more than he is telling, he is not a very talkative man and almost never talks of his time in the gulf war.

[babylonsister]

23. Those locations are where they're culling the current batch of IRR's

for future call-up, I'm thinking.

[SquatDog]

27. is he medically retired or disabled?

Your story may be true, but isn't really consistent with the way things work. You don't get paid for being in the IRR. If your uncle was recieving money from the Feds, and was previously injured, that was either a partial disability settlement or a medical retirement.

IRR service ends at the point a person has completed eight years of total active and reserve service, unless a person re-enlists in the IRR, which is possible. One reason that a person might choose to stay in the IRR is so that their "years of service" would increase for purposes of calculating a "base pay" ammount that would be further used to calculate a monthly disability payment.

Basically there are only a few ways that person could be called back in the way that your uncle was:

1.) If they are a Reservist or Guardsman. After the length of time that you describe your uncle would have had to voluntarily re-enlist for that to happen. "Stop loss" can extend you beyond your contract, but it can't get you back once you are clear of a contract.

2.) If he is a retiree. There are more than one type of retirement but it is more favorable for most people to be on the Retired Reserve list, those people have at times been called back. You can also be medically retired, but generally the medical problem that retired you would render you medically unfit for duty.

3.) Commissioned officers who neglect to resign their commission. An officer's commission is for life, unless he resigns it or it is taken away. Most officers do not resign their commissions when they leave active duty and they can technically be called back, a few have.

If your uncle was still in the IRR 16 years later, he had to re-enlist in the IRR to be there, thats just a hard fact.

[babylonsister]

28. Not my story; you posted this to the wrong person. nt

[angrycarpenter]

29. The whole thing is odd

He is forbidden to say exactly what he did in the war nor is he allowed to say how he won the bronze star. He has never to my knowledge ever violated the oaths he took.

I would love to get on the phone to him and get all of the details and post them here to get the opinion of someone who is in the know about these things. But he has no intention of talking about the details of his war service or of his forced semi-retirement. He was no run of the mill soldier, not with the clearance he had.

[stillcool]

30. Perhaps this part of the OP...

is pertinent?

So he will report as ordered and do what he is told to do because he signed a contract to do it. He has remained in the ready reserve all these years in return for a couple of thousand dollars a year

[MaryCeleste]

47. That answers my question of how he was still subject to callup

Given the dates in the OP he should have been out of the IIR otherwise. Under those circumstances, there is nothing to complain about his being call to active duty.

That said, I have not heard of that kind of contract, but BuPers is not my area of expertise.

[angrycarpenter]

50. Nothing to complain about???

they said that he was too old 7 years ago and then draft him back on short notice putting his family in financial peril. Nothing to complain about?

I never suggested that the army was not within it's rights. Only that it was a bad situation and an insult to a very good man.

I do not know the details of his separation only he and the army do.

[MaryCeleste]

52. If you take the money you owe the service

and its good to see that he is doing the honorable thing.

I have done some checking and read some of the other posts on this thread. Do you know what kind of contract status he had so that he could be called back?

[warren pease]

19. Have you contacted local press/TV/independent radio about this?

Or does he just feel that complying is the right thing to do and so he's committed and doesn't want any intervention?

If he's on the fence, local media -- generally useless and corrupt though they are -- might really help shine some light on this outrage because this is exactly the kind of human interest story the dweebs on local TV just slobber over.

It's got all the right elements: vet who's done his time and lots more; unpopular war; unpopular pResident; destruction of his personal life and business; his age, which compounds the outrage; possibility of losing property; leaving his wife for a war zone; the dangers he faces...

And if it gets enough coverage and pisses off enough people -- who then write letters and make phone calls and pester his congressperson and demand that this insanity end right now -- it might just create enough of a shit storm so that the army decides it isn't worth the PR nightmare and rescinds his orders.

Newspapers and radio are also good, but nothing beats a weepy TV reporter for pathos, not to mention nausea (but that's another story).

I don't want to belabor the point, but there's a hell of a lot of mileage there and I would really expect local media -- and, again, TV in particular -- to fall all over themselves wanting to cover this story.

This kind of crap can't go unchallenged. Good luck, and to your uncle as well.


wp

[angrycarpenter]

24. see post 20. nt

[kestrel91316]

22. He needs to tell them he's gay. Immediately.

He's already got his honorable discharge from years ago. So what are they gonna do to him?

[angrycarpenter]

26. Put him in jail and take all he owns

If they want him bad enough they will have him. Try getting a fair hearing in a southern republican court, or a courts martial for that matter.

[JohnnyLib2]

25. Back door draft -- just what it means. I'm sorry for your uncle

and for many, many others in various categories of "recruitment."

This type of story is a tip of the iceberg, the iceberg composed of a drained active military, trillions of dollars in funding, and a Congress still complacent with the botched plan.

Let's hope that some Democrats who are considering a vote for McCain hear this loud and clear.

[Bigmack]

31. Ahem.... wooded lots need...

clearing. (Shit, even Dumbya clears brush down on the hog farm.)

Clearing brush means chainsaws and shit.

Accidents happen.

(For the deductively-challenged: Better to give up a little toe to a raving chainsaw than maybe get your ass blown off... after losing all your financial security.)

[ben_meyers]

32. Wow , I'm confused now

The 1st time you posted this story (12/31/07) he was to report by mid january, (3 weeks from xmas)This time he had 5 weeks (feb 1st) but got a delay til Easter Sunday? He can't even get Easter Sunday off?

Hope all goes well for your uncle.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x2565302

[angrycarpenter]

33. You are fact checking me?

The story is absolutely true, my head for dates is not so good. I didn't even think to look back to the earlier post but they should agree in the main points of the story, It being true and all.

[ben_meyers]

34. Nope, I Just thought I had heard this story before

and looked it up, it's right there in your journal. And I don't doubt that the bastards would make him report on Easter Sunday either, I remember how the military was.

Like I said, good luck to your uncle.

[angrycarpenter]

35. sorry to be defensive

But last time I posted it I had some people doubt me because the story has some pretty odd points. Also my unwillingness to give details made it seem like I was making it up. The story made it over to the place whos name I will not speak and they basically thought I was full of shit. Not that I really cared what they thought but no one likes to be called a liar.

peace.

[ben_meyers]

40. I know what you mean

That's why I remember the story. I saw it get picked up at a couple of veterans websites, like those "Stolen Valor" type places where they track down fake medal winners and navy seals and stuff. They gave you a pretty bad time. They must have too much free time on their hands.

[angrycarpenter]

43. If you see it again PM me and let me know.

I will drop them a note.

This story needs to be told but I cannot give any details to back it up. If they get him killed it will be a different story. I will shout his name from the top of any soapbox I can find and they will know the name of my uncle and how a true solider was used and discarded.

[Laurier]

36. Your uncle gets mail on Sunday?

Well, even if he did get this letter on December 23/07 telling him that he has to report for duty in 5 weeks (January 27/08), it appears that he's well beyond that date now without reporting, so what's happened in the months since then?

[angrycarpenter]

38. I wonder why you are taking the time to fact check

read the OP he got an extension until easter.

Next time I will take the time and make several out of state phone calls to my relatives and make sure that every little thing I write is correct to least detail to prevent someone from picking it to pieces.

The story is true. Nit picking my ramblings based on phone calls to another state is bound to show some flaws. The facts are that they are taking a man who has been out of the army 17 years and there is nothing he can do about it.

[DemBones DemBones]

39. Special Delivery letters used to come on Sunday.

It's been years since I got one so I don't know if they still do.

The OP says his uncle got an extension, has to report Easter Sunday.

[alittlelark]

56. uh, yeah....

funny how SOME people look deeply into minutia and ignore the BIG PICTURE.

[DemBones DemBones]

37. This stinks but the military often does shit like this.

Not to downplay your uncle's case, just to say to those who may not know that it's not unusual for them to shaft people who have served well and honorably.

Has he contacted his congressman and senators? Political influence does work and I would think they would be sympathetic to a man of 50 being called up when they wouldn't take him at 42, especially when he was forced to retire after 16 years.

A friend's father was forced to retire after 20 and he sued, got reinstated and got back pay for the years he was out, retired on 30 years, for which those years out were counted.

With all the changes of this administration, I don't know if you can still sue the military but back pay for 17 years would make this easier to take, I think. And political influence could keep him from having to go but he needs to get on it right away.

[kineneb]

41. folks, please note the person's age: 50

why is the gov. calling back the "near old" (in military terms, anyway)? Have we gotten to the "last days of Hitler" stage, where they are taking the "elderly" and children? Is the Army that broken?

I recall that there are a number of National Guard folks serving in Iraq who are near this age. How can they possibly do an adequate job? My friends around age 50 are starting to complain about arthritis and other problems...Where are the young, gung-ho war supporters, now that their bodies are needed? Cooling their heels behind a computer in mom's basement?

My 50th birthday is in Aug. I went to Jr.College with Vietnam vets and still remember that disaster. This really, really pisses me off.:mad:

[Ghost Dog]

55. Hey, come on kineneb. 50 is not that old,

barring medical issues, certainly not for a desk job or similar...

[kineneb]

57. I know, I know.

Some of us are in good condition and have another 40+ years (your milage may vary)*. However, others start developing health problems around 50- bad knees, the beginnings of arthritis, diabetes, etc.

I was considering the effect of sending the average American 50 yr. old out into the desert heat, with uniform, armor(?), etc. ... not very good for their long-term survival.

*(I don't consider 50 very old, but then most of my family lives into their 90s. I'm just a kid- have pink stripes dyed in my hair to prove it. Mom still down-hill skis and does yoga.)

[Triana]

42. Heartbreaking - Just damn heartbreaking...

...that this man who served his country so well is being so abused by its government.

Bastards!

:mad:

[TX_DemoCatLady]

44. My husband was called back in November 2005 and is still in the Army.

Before I even knew him, my husband got out of the Army in 1991 during a Peacetime drawdown. If he hadn't volunteered to get out he might have been RIFFED. A certain number of captains who became officers in a certain year were going to be RIFFED if enough of them did not volunteer to go. Volunteering to get out meant a severance package worth a nice amount of money. Getting RIFFED meant nothing.

Part of his agreement in taking the package the Army offered him was to be in a Reserve unit or in the Individual Ready Reserves. So he decided not to join a Reserve unit and he thought he was saying goodbye to the Army. After all, no one foresaw 9/11.

We met in 1994, married in 1995. He was a civilian. I am a peace activist. He used to tease me that the Army would call him back one day. He was overweight, nearly 50 and had some health issues.

In October 2005 he got a letter from the Army saying he was to report back on November 13, 2005. So he did. He went into training in Civil Affairs and around the first of the year 2006 found out he was going to Baghdad. A health issue came up, he never went to Iraq, but he has been at Fort Bragg, NC since then.

In all honesty, I have to admit he was THRILLED to be called back. He loves the Army, damned if I know why. He volunteered to stay the second year. I thought he was getting out either the end of this month or July 30. However, recently a woman from the Army called here at home looking for him. She said, enthusiastically, "I can get him extended another year." Is aid, "I'm not sure I think that is such a good thing." She asked for his cell phone number and called him. I don't know why she didn't already have his cell phone number, it's the only phone he uses at Ft. Bragg.

He is coming home tomorrow to visit for about two weeks, but lately when I have tried to pin him down on when he will get out, he has been evasive. I think he is coming home to tell me he is staying in another year.

So, I know all about the back door draft. I just happen to be married to a man who loves the military.

By the way, when he was home for my birthday in September I made him go to a Peace rally with me and he saw Cindy Sheehan. He found out she doesn't have horns or anything!

[angrycarpenter]

45. he bleeds green too

maybe that is why he is not fighting it as hard as he could.

[TX_DemoCatLady]

46. Yeah, I know

When he got back he and everyone had to sign papers multiple times that they agreed to serve. Evidently a West Pointer who was called back like my husband did not want to go and stirred up such a fuss that the Army started allowing recalled officers to opt out if they resigned their commission.

Back when we first started dating he would tease me about being an Army officer and try to give me orders. I always told him, "I outrank you - I'm a civilian." He soon discovered that Army rank stuff means nothing to me.

When he went back in he was really excited that I could shop in the nearest commissary (24 miles away in metroplex traffic). He kept asking me if I had gone to the base and registered my car to get the sticker that shows he is an officer. I still haven't because driving 24 miles to go to the grocery store is not my thing. I can do just as well at SuperTarget.

[angrycarpenter]

48. when I was in the army

I thought the commissary sucked. Things may have been a little cheaper there but it had a sort of institutional feel that I thought was unpleasant. It is supposed to be kind of fun to go to the store and they squeezed the fun out of buying anything.

[htuttle]

49. If they're drafting 50 year olds, they're basically down to the Werwolves...

Won't be much longer now...

[MaryCeleste]

53. As a practicing lycanthropist, I resent your remark

[htuttle]

54. I was speaking in a historical metaphor!

No offense to actual lycanthropes intended, obviously...!

:)

[Windex]

51. frickin' Rumsfeld!!

There were thousands if not millions of Veterans who were ready to go back in when the towers got hit. We were turned down for being to old then. This thing would have been long over if Rumsfeld hadn't of been in charge!

I've moved twice since then so hopefully they won't find me now..besides I'm pre-menopause..lol, they don't really want to be sending me a draft notice.