T. Franks retires from army; stop loss means average joe cannot why?

[Justice]

Yesterday I heard a RWer respond to a question about dying and injured service men and women. The response was something like - it is really hard, but that is their job, to go out and fight, that is what they decided to do when they joined. My heart goes out to them, but they are just doing their job.

So many service men and women have gotten far more than they signed up for. They have been forced to go on multiple long tours of duty - prevented from leaving the service, under stop gap policies, and oh, we found your papers in the bottom of the drawer policies, and oh, we don't like your policies. This is wrong.

But you know what else is really wrong - people like Tommy Franks are allowed to "retire" from the Army - no one told Tommy Franks he had to stay on - too bad, we need commanders like you, you cannot leave, it is your job blah blah blah.

In fact, lots of senior military folks have retired over the last 2 years. Some are now against the war - others, like Tommy, still try to defend it. But how is it that they could retire? Wouldn't their strategic knowledge and planning be key to fighting the war on terror?

How many senior military folks have been allowed to retire? List them here if you know a name. Next time someone says - too bad it is their job - we can reply - oh really, what about Tommy Franks, etc etc.

Edit to correct spelling - thanks for the tip!

[The2ndWheel]

1. Because there is a double, triple, quintuplatafifle standard

Always has been, always will be.

[acmejack]

2. It is different if you are an enlisted swine

as compared to an "Officer and a gentleman". Believe it! Check out how the Navy lists the crews of it's ships-"The Officers and MEN of the USS So and So..." they don't even use the same restrooms, total segregation. The military makes sure you realize every waking moment you are "inferior"(their terminology, not mine) to some dipshit, because he/she was a ROTC person. Think back to the ROTC people you knew. I rest my case.

[Shipwack]

3. Of course; Why would I want to share living facilities with one of them?

I don't want officer stink in -my- shower... ;)

Actually, the submarine force used to be a -little- bit better about this. When there was a supply onload, it was "all hands", from the CO on down. Granted, the CO and XO only put in a token appearance, but they honestly had their schedules too full of meetings to devote 3 hours to that. All the other officers (and chiefs) were passing me slabs of meet and crates of veggies.

But change even comes to the submarine force. When I complained to my last sub's Chief of the Boat (senior-most enlisted person) that there weren't any officers helping to load their food for the patrol, he told me that he "didn't want to demean them." The chief petty officer rating isn't what it used to be...

[acmejack]

4. I was a Chief Sonarman in a former life

Things were a lot different on the boats, the surface Navy was 200 years of tradition unhampered by progress.

[Solo_in_MD]

5. Officers are getting "stop lossed" as well

Even if they are passed over in a few cases