My God, This Is So Wrong !!!

[WillyT]

From: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2004/1226/poy06.html

If we're gonna have guys this age in combat units in Iraq, maybe George W. could correct the blemish of HIS guard service by joining this guy in the morass! Or better yet... taking his place.

And Cheney, and Wolfowitz, and...

:grr:

[NMDemDist2]

1. oh lord help us, and protect that grandpa

that is wrong... on so many levels

[ogradda]

2. holy shit.

i thought it was against the rules for people that old to be in combat??

[jimfromthebronx10469]

3. old pop looks grimfaced..

and thinking wtf am i doing here...my best guess he's over 60:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :mad: :mad: :mad: :hi: :dem:

[Stephanie]

4. George Bush needs to explain. Since he won't, would DU vets please explain

How it is possible to reactivate this Vietnam vet? Wouldn't Bush as National Guard also be subject to reactivation?

[two gun sid]

11. Probably not reactivated

probably a national guardsman that got called up. He seems pretty old to me though. I can't imagine him passing the PT test. When I was in the service you never saw old codgers like that. We must be scraping the bottom of the barrel as far as personnel. Not to be alarmist but, a draft can't be far off. Jesus, that's about what Nazi Germany used to defend Berlin at the end of WWII, old men and boys.
Bush would not be subject to activation as he "completed" his service. This guy must still be in the guards, mostly likely close to retirement.

[Stephanie]

15. But I think I have heard that you are never really released from service?

And that some people who have completed their service are being called up under this clause, which they probably thought was strictly for emergencies.

[Iris]

22. I think there is a time limit.

Like you after you are released, you can be called back within 7 years or something. Not your whole life. After a while, it seems your training would become a bit dated.

[Not_Giving_Up]

29. According to 60 Minutes

If a commissioned officer did not resign his or her commission, they could be called up at any time. The thing is, that on the paperwork for discharge, this was only referenced to by some obscure code, so a lot of people didn't know. They thought they were discharged, they were done.

[two gun sid]

31. I think you're right about the new contracts

it is 7 yrs. but not sure.
A couple of weeks ago an old friend I was in the service with called me.While we were talking he told me DOD called him and said he did not complete his reserve time and they were going to put him on active duty. He told them they made a mistake but, they said they don't make mistakes. He said "fine" but, he weighed 290 lbs and was 5' 10", "come get me". Long story short they finally got it straightened out. He really hates this war like I do.

[two gun sid]

26. I don't know about the new contracts

but I think what they're doing is if you were active duty and are now inactive reserve and you have a specialty they need you can be called back up. Being in the National Guards or the Active Reserves is different than being inactive. Also, if you retire after 20 yrs. you go into a inactive status for 10 yrs. when you could be subject to activation. Wow, that's confusing.

[BamaGirl]

34. You can serve in the

Guard or Reserve for 30 years, no matter your rank (active duty you get forced out). (My husband's unit deployed several people over the age of 45, which I think is ridiculous, and one of them did not come home. He was 59.) Officers have a longer recall time and must resign their commission, or they can be recalled. Retirees are inactive for 10 years, or in the Guard/Res are inactive until 65. Enlisted soldiers, in all branches, enlist for 8 years. Usually that is 3 or 4 active and the rest reserve or IRR. You can be recalled to active duty during that period. I enlisted in 93 and was done with the IRR in 01. They're are supposedly trying to change that, though I doubt they'd be able to get away with making it retroactive to those with previous contract.

[asjr]

12. He looks more like WW11 age. Was this shown in a major

newspaper? If not, it should be.

[Stephanie]

13. Was shown in the Seattle Times, per the link

Seattlites will have to tell us if that is major paper.

[Left coast liberal]

18. Yes, it's a major paper. Still independant too. n/t

[Terran]

48. Er, that was 60 (and more) years ago

The guy doesn't look *that* old, fer chrissakes. To be a WW2 vet he'd have be 78, minimum.

[TahitiNut]

5. When he got there,

... he was 23. :grr:

[The Zanti Regent]

6. Where's George P Bush?

In hiding.

My only child died in George P Bush's place...

[OneBlueSky]

39. indeed . . . and where are Babs and Jenna? . . .

it's so much easier to order a war when your own loved ones have no chance of being put in harm's way . . . I'm sure that George P. and the twins feel that war is something for the little people to take care of . . . it's how they were raised . . . as Granny Bush has stated, they wouldn't want to pollute their beautiful minds by thinking about such things as dead soldiers and body bags . . .

[Not_Giving_Up]

7. A while back, 60 minutes did a story

that had a 52 year old grandmother going in to combat. They are running out of people to send.

[WillyT]

10. We'll Know It's REALLY Getting Bad When...

They go the other direction.



Link: http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/berlin.htm

:grr:

[Pirate Smile]

21. She was a sniper, right?

[Not_Giving_Up]

30. I think so n/t

[WillyT]

32. Here She Is...Qualified As A Marksman !!!

Chief Warrant Officer
Margaret Murray, 55,
has been called back to duty.

Link: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/12/03/60minutes/main658994.shtml

[Pam-Moby]

8. This is so sad

When is *ush going to wake up and care about what he is doing to us as a nation. That man look quite old and should be home in bed. Lets send *ush family members over there to help out in the war.

[anarchy1999]

20. Right here what you say is so sad!

"When is Bush going to wake up and care about what he is doing to us as a nation....."

WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WAKE UP AND START TO CARE AND STOP IT? THEY, our ELECTED OFFICIALS WORK FOR US. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE. IT WON'T STOP UNTIL WE STOP IT. The people of Ukraine have provided us with the road map. Are we going to use it or lose it?

[Pam-Moby]

28. You are so right

I am plugging away-are you? I will keep going until I drop. :grouphug:

[anarchy1999]

38. I and my husband have been "plugging away" for 2 solid years in a

very not friendly area of this country, what have you been up to? We've also thrown a significant number of dollars towards making change happen and bringing about awareness and enlightenment. You?

We also have many we are working with on alternative lifestyles and making sure our kids and any one else stays out of the military/industrial complex. How about you and a hug back if you are.

[LynnTheDem]

9. IIRC, the oldest combat soldier in Iraq is 68, and a medic is 70.

And both were RETIRED and DRAFTED BACK.

[Old and In the Way]

14. Republican solution for social security?

I don't know, that pic is just too wierd. This shows what a failure the entire Iraqi adventure is. I just wish all the young FreeRepublicans would enlist and help fight the war that they think is so necessary.

[Solly Mack]

17. I thought the same thing when I saw a 64 yr old retiree in uniform

again.

He had just retired from his civilian job when he got the call. Had spent 15 years in the military back in his youth.

I cried for days.

[Journeyman]

16. I guess no one here reads the links . . .

He's Staff Sgt. James Bowen. He's 53, has seven grandkids, and when the world is sane, he works in a seed company in Washington.

[WindRavenX]

23. Yeah so? Does that sound like an ideal situation?

The man is 53. Even if he is in good health, he's got kids and grandchildren- this man should NOT be out in combat.
Face it- the US is pretty fucked right now if we're calling up 50 + year olds for duty.

[Stephanie]

27. "He and his unit are still in Iraq." - I guess you didn't read it.

....I met Staff Sgt. James Bowen and found out he was 53, had seven grandchildren, worked at a seed company in Eastern Washington and had served in Vietnam. He invited me to join him and his "battle buddy" the next morning on watch at a guard station. That's where I made this image. I was impressed at Bowen's sense of duty to his fellow soldiers. "I've got a lot of friends here," he said. "I wouldn't feel right not going." He and his unit are still in Iraq.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. George Washington led the army into battle against the whisky rebellion

Despite the fact that Hamilton was wrong for provoking the rebellion in the first place, it's still really cool that the President actually went into battle as President. Gives an interesting meaning to the words "Commander in Chief".

[bush_is_wacko]

24. He may have gone of his own accord

At least I certainly HOPE he did. My dad is in better shape than this guy and he has had two heart attacks!

On Edit: He did go of his own accord from what the link says. Sorry I didn't read first!

[GRLMGC]

25. Good Lord!

I feel nauseous.

[Deja Q]

33. Maybe gramps is in favor of the war?

If he wanted to go, fine.

If he was called back to duty (read: drafted), then it's another story utterly.

(I don't mean or want to sound callous; but we all say that if they want the war then they should go in it...)

[unpossibles]

35. if only....

for some reason, when I see them together, I hear Gilligan's and Skipper's voices.

[WillyT]

36. THAT...Is Priceless !!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you !!!

Perfect!

:yourock:

[pacifictiger]

40. Best laugh of the day

[tabasco]

49. LMAO !

Good one !

[daleo]

37. At least he will be able to afford to attend college now. n/t

[KC_25]

41. A lot of folks join the guard/reserves...

after their active duty time is up. This gent was not "called back" in against his will. He most likely enlisted so that he could still wear the uniform and feel useful. He could also be staying in so long as to boost his retirement. Hell, He could just like the Army.
I just left active duty, after 12 years, and I joined the reserves all of my own free will.
All military contracts are for 8 years. so if you do 8 active, then you owe no IRR or guard/reserve time. if you do 4 then you owe 4 and so on down the line...
After that eight years is up, they cant touch you unless you want to be touched, and yes you can (many people have) re-enlist in the IRR so that potentially 10 years after you left the active component or drilling unit, you could be called up.

[daleo]

45. This may all be true

But under normal circumstances a military force simply would not even accept a volunteer anywhere near this fellow's age, at least not in an active combat zone.

[jayctravis]

43. Heaven help the Bush administration...

if they fuck with his benefits.

[jayctravis]

42. Bless him.

I'm sure our troops will benefit from his experience and wisdom.

God this war sucks!

[Is It Fascism Yet]

44. well, i personally know of a 70 year old vet who was called,

but he told them no and they went away. They did phone him at home though, to ask if he would consider it.

[flygal]

46. That is wrong

unless he's one of the one's who really thinks he's defending our "Freedom fries"!

[WillyT]

47. Kick !!!

:kick: