Thursday, May 19, 2005
How Stupid Do They Think...
I read this a few days ago:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army will allow recruits to sign up for just 15 months of active-duty service, rather than the typical four-year enlistment, as it struggles to lure new soldiers amid the Iraq war, a general said on Thursday.
Do they really think nobody has listened or read the news for the past couple of years? They are dragging folks back into Iraq who got out in the 90s! Stop Loss is in effect which means you're basically in for the duration. Even me, after 20 years in the Cold War military, got caught by a stop loss like situation and needed to spend another 2 years before they'd let me go.
At least in the Vietnam draft, you'd put your time in and then you'd get out. One year incountry and then it was back to the land of the big BX (PX for you army guys). Now, you enlist and you may never be let go. I was in Saudi for a short time and that was no fun at all - and I didn't even get shot at (or bombed or strafed or whatever). Now you go over there, dodge IEUs (big ass bombs without the PC acronym) and mufti dressed terrorists, come back and go over again - and again.
15 months active duty?? I doubt it. Oh, it just dawned on me. My mistake, I can believe it's only 15 months active duty. Then you're relegated to the Guard or Reserve and - oops - back to the Middle East again dodging bombs and camels. But you're not active duty so it's cool now.
2fers: US Army and Quakers
