More forced to stay in Army-involuntary extensions to bolster troop levels

[babylonsister]

More forced to stay in Army
Policy counter to Gates' 2007 order to Pentagon

By Tom Vanden Brook
USA TODAY


WASHINGTON — The Army has accelerated its policy of involuntary extensions of duty to bolster its troop levels, despite Defense Secretary Robert Gates' order last year to limit it, Pentagon records show.

Gates directed the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the service secretaries to minimize mandatory tour extensions, known as "stop loss," in January 2007. By May, the number of soldiers affected by the policy had dropped to a three-year low of 8,540.

Since then, the number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army rose 43% to 12,235 in March. The reliance on stop loss has increased as the military has sent more troops to Iraq and extended tours to 15 months to support an escalation in U.S. forces ordered by President Bush. The increase last month was driven by the need to send more National Guard soldiers to Iraq.

Soldiers affected by stop loss now serve, on average, an extra 6.6 months, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said. Key leaders at the small-unit level — sergeants through sergeants first class — make up 45% of those soldiers. Soldiers usually enlist for four-year stints.

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http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080422/1a_lede22_dom.art.htm

[mvccd1000]

1. I have a hard time getting upset about stop-loss...

... for the simple fact that it's in the contract everyone signs when they enlist. It was made very clear to me - before I ever signed on the line - that this could happen at the military's discretion. It was even used on shipmates of mine in the Navy during the mid-90's when there were no wars going on.

Part of the game, so if you choose to play the game (by joining the military), you know it's a possibility.

[KSinTX]

2. Stop loss by design is to be used for contingency planning, not SOP

If the military doesn't have the manpower to accomplish its mission abiding by the intent of their contracts, they should either get more bodies (whatever means necessary) or scale down the personnel requirements. Operation by stop loss is counter-productive IMO.