67 year old grandpa gets BACKDOOR DRAFTED

[wyethwire]

Many people know that South Carolina's Fort Jackson is one of five Army mobilization stations for the Individual Ready Reserve - what some are calling a "backdoor draft."

More than 5,600 soldiers have been recalled to duty.

Including a 67-year-old grandfather from Lexington, South Carolina.

http://www.scdp.org/blog.php?blog_id=62

[wyethwire]

1. notice that the backdoor draftees keeps getting larger

last month they planned to call up 3,600, now it is up to 5600

[molly]

2. Here in Delaware - a 51 year old district councilmen

is at Fort Dix. He was in the reserves and wears 2 hearing aids. He's on his way to Iraq.

[demokatgurrl]

3. This really pi$$es me off! If they can take these guys

they can take Bush. He's not "essential" here. In fact, take Cheney too. Would that leave Hastert or the Sec of Defense (I'm a little rusty on my presidential line of succession).

[TriMetFan]

39. I Agree with you 100%.

Make Bush finish his tour with the Guard. :evilgrin:

[molly]

56. Well, Rush no longer has a pimple on his butt - does he

and Cheney used up all 5 of his deferrments. How many does that leave?

[Name removed]

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[Stuckinthebush]

6. What pitiful shape are we in

When we have to get the 67 year olds to fight for us?

Bush's little war will screw us for years to come.

[oasis]

8. There is such a thing as a lying scumbag president who sent them to war

under false pretenses. They didn't sign up for that. Or do you think Bush isn't a liar?

[Name removed]

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[oasis]

19. There is no "official" backdoor draft. We do have a lying official

residing in the White House. Do you want him out?

[Name removed]

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[oasis]

If you want to be technical why do you use the word "draft" and not

conscription?

[Name removed]

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[oasis]

37. An updated edition will define "backdoor draft" as a Bush/Rumsfeld attempt

to avoid a real draft by forcing troops to remain beyond their tour of duty. Wait for the updated version.

I am in support of those troops.

[PassingFair]

57. Avoidance tactic?

When was the last time the US called up 50 year olds?
When was the last time it accepted 67 year old recuits?
An army of uneducated youth and old men. Superb!

[molly]

22. Are you saying over 1,050 dead US soldiers

and countless (won't release the figures) dead and injured Iraqi citizens worth bush's big fucking lie?

[Name removed]

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[molly]

29. Yes he is - did you read Paul O'Neil's book?

9-11 was THE EXCUSE they were looking for. There was not need to pre-emptively strike. Iraq didn't even have the air power to get anything over here.

[Name removed]

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[F.Gordon]

46. That's just fucking sad.........

As much as the Michael Moores and the MoveOns want to drive this point home, there really isn't much evidence that Bush lied about Iraq

[Bandit]

38. What do you call it when a person's enlistment is over but they

refuse to let them out. It is referred to as stop loss. To me when your time is up and they keep you anyway it is a draft.

[molly]

11. Are you volunteering?

[Name removed]

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[molly]

18. Where are you?

[Name removed]

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[molly]

26. What branch?

[Name removed]

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[realFedUp]

12. Welcome to DU

perhaps....

snip-
It is worth noting that Ham's call-up was voluntary, but that the Army couldn't find anybody younger - which is troubling in an of itself.
Still, when Ham was first notified by the Army of his call-up, he asked the service to look for someone younger. After all, he is on Medicare.

Ham was called back and told he was needed; the Army needs doctors to help the troops.

Ham is a mental health professional, and he will be working to reduce the mental stress our troops face in combat zones

[Name removed]

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[ScreamingMeemie]

36. My 46 year old female cousin was called back up and put with 101st

Airborne. She rode the convoys. You know, the ones that draw all the fire. She's in Minnesota right now...unable to use her left arm, shoulder and hand anymore. 46. Out of the military for 8 years. 46 with 2 small kids. 46. With no benefits because she wasn't active duty anymore. Good job Mr Bush. The whole thing is screwed up. You know it. I know it. This administration knows it. If you are in the military, I hope you return safely, and I'm only sorry that you're fighting for Mr. Bush/Mr. Cheney etal's pocket books. Hope you've still got some benefits left over. My ret. Lt. Col. Air Force uncle doesn't. Pity, eh?? Take care, stay well...you'll be in my thoughts with the rest of our troops.


Laura

[uncle ray]

44. and i suppose it doesn't matter to you

thet they'll need those mental health specialists IN the combat areas? just because this guy isn't going to be infantry, doesn't mean he isn't going to be in danger of being killed, or have a heart attack for that matter. he's going to die because younger "brave" men like yourself are not stepping up.

if the pay sucks, then how can you have a problem with people NOT wanting to serve? it's all about money right?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

23. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to.

So some formal procedure gets a less-than-flattering nickname. Is that a reason to get upset?

[ltn72]

25. re: back door draft

Come on, people. We can have our own opinions but we can't have our own facts. If you sign into the IRR you agree to be recalled whenever the service damn well wants you. You agree to stay in the IRR to earn additional retirement points for pension and benefits. It is your own decision. To complain about being recalled in the IRR is infantile and whiny and it makes the whiner look bad.

[oasis]

31. Re: Lying to the troops about protecting their country.

Those who signed up did so to protect America and not to be involved in a trumped up war for corporate profits.

[ScreamingMeemie]

41. Nobody looks like they're whining here to me.

:shrug: Looks like they've got damned good points. :hi:

Welcome to DU!

[Bandit]

43. When you sign up your also sign a contact for your term of enlistment

When that time is up you should be free to go. When they apply a stop loss on you and breach your contract then it is in effect a draft. You are being forced into the military against your will that my friend is conscription.

[ltn72]

54. re: time

"When that time is up you should be free to go. When they apply a stop loss on you and breach your contract then it is in effect a draft. You are being forced into the military against your will that my friend is conscription."
<P>
This is a common misconception. The standard US military contract is six years. When you end your initial active duty (2,3, or 4 years) you are obligated to serve the remainder of the six years in the IRR. In the IRR you are eligible to be recalled whenever the Army wants you back. You signed this contract knowing that (unless you are stupid enough to sign a contractb without reading it). It comes down to what you agreed to, voluntarily, as an adult. Either you are a grown-up and can make your own decisions are you aren't.
<P>
Once again, we can have our own opinions but we can't have our own facts. How can we complain about stop-loss when it is in the contracts servicemen signed?

[oasis]

59. Here's a fact. Bush lied about the war. That voids all contracts, legal

and ethical.

You should know that by now.

[uncle ray]

45. ok, tell YOUR grandpa you'd rather HE go die than yourself.

[RetroLounge]

52. Enjoy your short stay...

_|_

RL

[progressivebydesign]

68. Yeah.. but how often have we called up 67 year old men..

.. for a war that is rather small in scope? This war is no larger than any of our smaller wars, but it's so badly fucked up that we're committing WAY more troops than we should of had to.

[ltn72]

5. re: grandfather "drafted"

Let's be precise here. Any officer who accepts retirement from the military signs a document acknowledging that he/she may be involuntarily recalled to active duty at the military's pleasure. This is the deal you sign into if you ask for retirement pay and benefits. This doctor signed the agreement. You may not like it, but a deal is a deal. If he had wanted to preclude recall, he could have refused his pension and benefits. It's called being an adult.

[molly]

7. To both of you newbies - the guy from DE DID NOT

want to go - he tried everything.

[Name removed]

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[Julien Sorel]

51. If the guy didn't want to go,

and wasn't in the military, then he's in effect been drafted, no matter what document he signed. He has been involuntarily taken from civilian life and forced into the military. That's a draft.

Kind of like the wind moving from ear to ear in some peoples' empty heads.


"If you didn't want to fall victim to a press gang, you shouldn't have gone drinking in the pubs."

[Stuckinthebush]

9. How pathetic, though...

We are reduced to having to call in this last option. Sure, they signed an agreement, but what state are we in when we have to go to that well?

Pretty bad.

America ain't what it used to be...thanks Bush!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

15. Heard on one of the news shows over the weekend

That a full 60% of the military personnel being called up again are just not responding to the notice. Nothing, nadda, zilch. Just ignoring the notice. We might end up with a bunch of guys who left the military years ago end up in jail or heading for Canada. And who says this doesn't remind anyone of Viet Nam?

[molly]

16. Didn't Canada make some sort of deal with the US

recently about draft dodgers?

[molly]

10. Are you volunteering?

[ltn72]

33. re: are you volunteering

Been there. Done that.

[AndyTiedye]

35. Maybe They'll Call You Up to Do it Again

like they have been doing to all these other guys.

[ScreamingMeemie]

42. Do it again...come on. You support it.

:shrug: My daughter is gunning for a career in the Air Force, and I still think it's shitty. Especially when these folks get nada in return.

[Name removed]

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[PassingFair]

58. The larger shame here

is that many HAVE to join the military to receive an education. In America in the 21st century.
Truly shameful.

[JusticeForAll]

27. "Involuntarily Recalled"

Sounds like a draft to me!

Thanks for your many years of service, you are always the United States' slave!

You Cheneying idiot, hope your stay is a short one.

(on edit: removed one expletive for another)

[Name removed]

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[oasis]

60. Your attempt to change folks minds about this obvious draft is futile

although it clearly is an important issue for you. Bottom line, we'll keep saying and writing it because we belive it to be true.

And more importantly, so does John Kerry, your next Commander in Chief.

[ScreamingMeemie]

40. And the deal stinks. And you know it. Why not show these men going

back to war, if it's such a wonderful thing? Hmmmmm? Perhaps Mr "I-just-wanna-be-reelected-so-I-can-rape-the-country-some-more" can tell us. :shrug:

[Wind Dancer]

47. This is terrible!

There sure seems to be a few low count posters on this thread who are as cold as ice. What happened to compassionate conservative?

[IdaBriggs]

50. If I'm reading his position correctly...

...he (or she) is saying "you wanted the money, you knew the risks, quit whining and get to work." At a certain level I can't say I disagree; the problem is that most of these people thought we would have good leadership, and instead we got Darth Bush. They had an option to "not gamble", decided to gamble anyway, and lost. Now there is a certain "suck it up" attitude. I think I get it; if they hadn't been collecting the money for "doing nothing" then they wouldn't have been called up. Did I get that right?

[molly]

53. After 9-11, my twin was walking down the street in Manhattan

there was a group of Natl Guard Soldiers and there was the BIG DAWG and Chelsea. They said that they wished he were in charge - they trusted him. That's what it's all about - begin a TRUSTWORTHY LEADER. Sadly, we don't have one now.

[molly]

55. That was a lie too

[Wind Dancer]

61. Yes, everything has been.!

They even have to lie about the weather conditions in Crawford when * takes a fall off his bike. I don't believe a word they speak, not one.

[oasis]

62. What does that say about their apologists? Drinking Koolaid for 4 years

has destroyed their ability to think logically.

[Minimus]

63. I have seen a few of its posts in other threads

it is not worth responding to. it is just stirring the pot.

btw: I'm in NC too. :hi: Where are you located?

[Wind Dancer]

64. Hi, cliberty!

Nice to see another neighbor, I'm in Raleigh!

[Minimus]

67. I work in Burlington , live in Gibsonville - Guilford County

[GoldenOldie]

66. "The mental health is not a common job in the Military"

This is not a true statement and shows that you have little if any knowledge on the Medical Corp of the military branchs of service. They have and are a necessary part of the Military health care function.

All military hospitals from the small hospitals through those such as Walter Reed Army Medical Center, have manpower slots required for mental health of the troops.

The reason that this elderly man has been called back along with another 71-year old psychiatrist is because of the thousands of wounded being returned from Iraq. The district VA Hospitals are saying that they know that there are thousands in the pipe-line and they are ill-prepared to handle this volume of head injuries and the post-traumatic disorders that the Iraqi/Afghanistan war has dealt.

It is cheaper to order senior citizens who are already on Medicare than hiring civilian phychiatrists and mental health therapists who command much higher salaries.......how does this fit privatization?

It's a back-door draft no matter how you cut it.

[noonwitch]

65. What is this, the Confederate Army? Calling up 67 year olds?

What kind of way is that to win a war?