Got Draft?

[TheStripey1]

Well... not yet... if John "100 years war" McBush is elected there will be one, of that I'm sure but for now the military just won't let you get out... even when you've fulfilled your end of the contract... so if you were in the army and served your time, would you be happy about this or pissed off? I bet you would be pissed off...



U.S. Army's 'stop-loss' orders up dramatically over last year
The jump coincides with the extension of combat tours from 12 to 15 months

By Julian E. Barnes, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 9, 2008 (http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/mideastemail/la-na-stoploss9-2008may09,0,4341624.story)

WASHINGTON -- The number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army involuntarily under the military's controversial "stop-loss" program has risen sharply since the Pentagon extended combat tours last year, officials said Thursday.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates was briefed about the program by Army officials who said that thousands of new stop-loss orders were issued to keep soldiers from leaving the service after Gates ordered combat tours extended from 12 to 15 months last spring.

The Army has resorted to involuntary extensions of soldiers' enlistment terms to prevent them from leaving immediately before a combat tour or in the middle of a deployment.

Army officials have argued that the policy is necessary to ensure that they are not forced to send inadequately trained soldiers and unprepared units into war.

However, many soldiers subjected to the stop-loss policy consider it a backdoor draft. Critics argue that once soldiers have completed the enlistment period they agreed to, they should be allowed to return home. The involuntary retention program is so unpopular that it helped inspire a recent movie called "Stop-Loss."

...snip



Can you spell indentured service? you can now...

[Gaffer]

My question is, what jobs are they keeping them in for? This is usually only used for specialized jobs.

Secondly, everyone has a 6 year commitment. whether they sign up for 3 or 4 years. The remainder of the time is put on the shelf and your in the inactive reserve, but are subject to activation. So anyone with less than 6 years could be activated before they could get out from their active duty time.

Definitely a back door draft. How many is it really effecting?

Haven't heard anything about this on the mil blogs or any complaining. Sounding a bit like someones trying to make victims of the military again. But I'll be looking for more info on it.

[avatar4321]

what's wrong with a draft? I believe that many would respond with honor to serve their country.

[Gaffer]

I don't want to see a draft until congress has the balls to declare war. A draft just gives the libs fodder by creating a victim class in the military.

[Psychoblues]

I agree with avatar. Implement the draft and we'll see, again, how the economically elite fare. Not to mention the politically connected. What you want to bet that the Republicans fare as poorly in this draft as they have the others?

Republican Patriot is an oxymoron.

[bullypulpit]

An all volunteer military is supposed to discourage foreign adventurism of the sort the Bush administration has pursued with the invasion of Iraq.

<a href=http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Young_Officers_leaving_service_at_alarming_0525.ht ml>Mid level officers are leaving the military</a> in droves as soon as they finish their initial commitment.

The Army has <a href=http://www.slate.com/id/2182752/>lowered its recruitment standards</a>.

To maintain deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, and get quality recruits, a draft will need to be instituted. And should that happen, the Iraq war's proponents will find out exactly how unpopular the war is.

[midcan5]

what's wrong with a draft? I believe that many would respond with honor to serve their country.

Will women be drafted too this time?

[avatar4321]

Will women be drafted too this time?

how should i know?

[AFbombloader]

My question is, what jobs are they keeping them in for? This is usually only used for specialized jobs.

Secondly, everyone has a 6 year commitment. whether they sign up for 3 or 4 years. The remainder of the time is put on the shelf and your in the inactive reserve, but are subject to activation. So anyone with less than 6 years could be activated before they could get out from their active duty time.

Definitely a back door draft. How many is it really effecting?

Haven't heard anything about this on the mil blogs or any complaining. Sounding a bit like someones trying to make victims of the military again. But I'll be looking for more info on it.

It is an 8 year commitment, not a 6 year. You have to serve the remainder of the time in the inactive reserves. I don't know if any service has called up the inactive reserves on a major scale. The last numbers I could find said that this stop-loss was affecting 8000 soldiers. That is 8000 out of about 1 million soldiers. That is .8% soldiers affected. They even briefed me that I can be called back after I retire from the Air Force, and that is after 20 years of service.

This is not a draft in any way, shape, or form. Nor is it being an indentured servant. Most people know this and are just throwing those terms out to get reactions.

This is something that happens, and has happened for many years. Look at this logically and you will see that you cannot have highly trained people leaving in the middle of their tour overseas. These men/women wil not be kept on forever.

I'm not defending this, nor am I saying I disagree with it. It is what it is and it has been going on for a long time.

AF:salute:

[stephanie]

Why??

didn't you all suggest.......the draft when...... President Clinton was sending our troops ails over the place????

the troops weren't so important then???

[Gaffer]

It is an 8 year commitment, not a 6 year. You have to serve the remainder of the time in the inactive reserves. I don't know if any service has called up the inactive reserves on a major scale. The last numbers I could find said that this stop-loss was affecting 8000 soldiers. That is 8000 out of about 1 million soldiers. That is .8% soldiers affected. They even briefed me that I can be called back after I retire from the Air Force, and that is after 20 years of service.

This is not a draft in any way, shape, or form. Nor is it being an indentured servant. Most people know this and are just throwing those terms out to get reactions.

This is something that happens, and has happened for many years. Look at this logically and you will see that you cannot have highly trained people leaving in the middle of their tour overseas. These men/women wil not be kept on forever.

I'm not defending this, nor am I saying I disagree with it. It is what it is and it has been going on for a long time.

AF:salute:

When I was in it was a six year commitment. So that part has been changed. Thanks for the info.

Those things happen when you train in a job that you can't be easily replaced in.