US Army forces 50,000 soldiers into extended duty

[kpete]

US Army forces 50,000 soldiers into extended duty
By Will Dunham


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Army has forced about 50,000 soldiers to continue serving after their voluntary stints ended under a policy called "stop-loss," but while some dispute its fairness, court challenges have fallen flat.


The policy applies to soldiers in units due to deploy for the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The Army said stop-loss is vital to maintain units that are cohesive and ready to fight. But some experts said it shows how badly the Army is stretched and could further complicate efforts to attract new recruits.

"As the war in Iraq drags on, the Army is accumulating a collection of problems that cumulatively could call into question the viability of an all-volunteer force," said defense analyst Loren Thompson of the Lexington Institute think tank.

"When a service has to repeatedly resort to compelling the retention of people who want to leave, you're edging away from the whole notion of volunteerism."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060129/pl_nm/iraq_usa_stoploss_dc

[G_j]

1. bet the recruiters don't talk about

these policies

[ohio_liberal]

4. No, they sure don't

n/t

[hobbit709]

2. If my enlistment contract was up

It's "Bye now". What happened in the Revolutionary War can happen now.

[long_green]

3. the all-volunteer army was what made our armed forces

the best in the world post Vietnam. If the soldiers are well paid, well provided for, and well trained an all-volunteer army is better than anything else.
The problem is you'd better be damn sure you're spending their lives in a good cause. The impact of the particular brand of imperialism practiced by this administration will be felt by our armed forces for generations. Thanks guys.

[Toots]

5. I am sure happy they did not use this during Vietnam or Korea

Only under Bush*. during WW II it was acknowledged you were in for the duration, however long that may be and once the war was officially over you were released whether you had one year in or ten if you so chose....Bush* changed everything. Not 9-11 but Bush* changed everything...

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

6. "Gee whiz, cheese and crackers. The military is in excellent shape."

[berni_mccoy]

7. "Only a complete fool would join the military"

"They'll keep you in there forever or until you die." Someone posted that earlier on the same thread in LBN.

My response was this:

A complete fool or someone in dire straights who is young, uneducated, unemployed and needs to provide for a family including medical benefits...

Isn't it convenient that Bush's economy of unemployment, low-paying jobs, substandard primary education and dismantled social programs is forcing people to choose between poverty, starvation and death.