Is this the train to Fullerton, Sonny?
Now I can even join back up if I want! They subtract your years active from your age, so I’m officially in “in the zone” again. (I wonder how old you have to be to avoid recall…)
The U.S. Army, aiming to make its recruiting goals amid the Iraq war, raised its maximum enlistment age by another two years on Wednesday, while the Army Reserve predicted it will miss its recruiting target for a second straight year.
People can now volunteer to serve in the active-duty Army or the part-time Army Reserve and National Guard up to their 42nd birthday after the move aimed at increasing the number of people eligible to sign up, officials said.
It marked the second time this year the Army has boosted the maximum age for new volunteers, raising the ceiling from age 35 to 40 in January before now adding two more years.
Why don’t we just bring back the draft?
Oh, I forgot, many of those that promote this war are chickenhawks who wouldn’t serve, or hypocrites who wouldn’t want their children to serve.
How can they POSSIBLY get away with this? You leave the military…years and years go by and you get yourself a job making money for your family…or you build up a business yourself. All of a sudden you have to go back to the military, abandoning your job or business AND your paycheck…
What about house payments? insurance? the bills? your car payments? the fricken government going to pay for all that?
Sorry, my term of service was over 20 years ago…not going back and they can kiss my ass.
As one who volunteered in 1991, I love calling the dodgers in government (Republican and Democrats both) chickenhawks.
They also need to make it clear that the military will provide free arthritis medicine for volunteers.
Hell, I wore Khakis in AIT wore green fatigues, and even was issued a Gama Goat at one point. That’ll give you a general idea when I served.
I think it’s a generous offer, our government is great. First they shipped our low paying jobs to Asia and Mexico, now they creating new ones. I guess this is what Bush had in mind when he said that our workers should get a better education and move to high tech field.
Wait a minute, draft dodgers are called Chickenhawks? What are we calling predatory child molesters now? I can never keep up.
Its not fair call people like Bush, Cheney, Delay, Wolfawitz chicken hawks just because they didn’t bother to serve in Vietnam.
We must face up to the fact that the neocon is just more valuable than poor people, veterans or otherwise. They have been endowed by Jerry Fawell and Pat Roberts with certain inalienable privileges, among them a Rich life at government expense, the right to curb liberty and to pursue happiness by sending others to die for them, even if those others have already served where the leadership has not.
For this the stupid religious right were used by these men in order get them into office while their neocon gods give lip service to such “important” issues like gay marriage, prayer in school and the ten commandments in the court room, while actually spending the country blind and giving away tax money to big oil.
You all simply don’t understand, its for their own good and we should be happy to be allowed to exist at all.
I doubt they would send these guys into combat. In past wars these older and less able recruits filled non-combative jobs. You don’t have to be in the best of shape to run a desk or computer, but those jobs are essential also.
And here I thought my certificate for tranfer to the Retired list was just another “goddamn piece of paper”! [grin]
I didn’t hit the 30-year gate any too soon… although, to be fair, I don’t think they are recalling Navy Submariners – just yet…
Funny that I was just discussing this a couple of weeks ago, after I received my notice [enlisted: May 76, active to reserves: Oct 96, reserves to retired: Jun 06]
Full disclosure: I was in the delayed-entry program from May 76 until I went on active duty in Feb 77 – so I was on active duty for 19-years 7-months 2-days… but hey, who’s counting? [grin]
Discussion we had: How people who do volunteer are “on the hook” for 30-years after they first enlist, while people who never felt like volunteering can only be called-up if the draft is re-instated…. Hmmm…
That just highlights the one, big lesson everyone in the military learns – don’t sign anything unless you understand the “fine print”…
They can still screw over you, Mike. One of my ex-wives was a Navy VietNam era vet. After a few hitches, she decided not to re-up. Since employment wasn’t exactly rampant in the early 80’s, she was collecting those massive unemployment checks — figuring on going back to school if she couldn’t find a gig.
After a few weeks, it was solved for her. Reagan issued an executive order ending unemployment compensation for any military personnel who didn’t re-enlist. Whatever the reason or context. Easy as pie.
I think we should do what Israel does – every single person serves two years after high school. You cannot get any more fair than that.
After two hitches in the Navy and a tour and a half in Vietnam I think I’m safe; but little visions of some of my favorite liberty ports keep dancing through my mind. But time does strange things, my sixty plus body may not be able to do what it did in the day, and I hear that the Officers Wives club forced a clean up of Olongapo City. Now that’s just sad.
Again, how can they do this? People have to give up their careers, their homes, their families have to move because they won’t be able to afford house payments on the pay of a e-4 or e-5.
I currently make more a year than a one-star general…if they recall me are they going to pay me that same rate? They going to pay for my house? My two kids in college? Mine and my wife’s car?
Hmmm…wonder if my insurance would cover all this because it’s basically like I’ll be dead or incapacitated so I can’t make my lively-hood.
#13 “how can they do this?”
Do what? This is for new guys only…
“Army has boosted the maximum age for new volunteers”
How can they POSSIBLY get away with this?
If someone is a member of the active reserve or National Guard – it is part of the deal.
For everyone else it is: “your country needs you”…
Similar to the reason people are so upset by “stop loss” orders for active duty troops, and extended deployments for Reserves – i.e. the “de facto draft” of those who have already volunteered.
In law, it appears to be in Title 10 United Staes Code section 101 i.e. 10USC101
http://tinyurl.com/mzq69
(13) The term “contingency operation” means a military
operation that–
(A) is designated by the Secretary of Defense as an
operation in which members of the armed forces are or may become involved in military actions, operations, or hostilities against an enemy of the United States or against an opposing military force; or
(B) results in the call or order to, or retention on, active duty of members of the uniformed services under section 688, 12301(a), 12302, 12304, 12305, or 12406 of this title, chapter 15 of this title, or any other provision of law during a war or during a national emergency declared by the President or Congress.
Welcome to the War on Terror.
Anyone have enough Vivarin to stay awake while reading sections 688, 12303(a)…blah, blah, blah… to see who it actually applies to?
Liberals,
When you make no gains during the national elections later this year, remember this thread: This debate didn’t help you two years ago and it won’t help you now.
This is interesting actually – only a few European countries (mostly Eastern/Southern Europe) still have conscription for men for a period of a year or two after leaving school. I understand from friends from these countries that there are many ways of getting out of it however… It seems to me that the solution to the problem of a lack of servicemen in the US is for the Government to stop over-extending its military commitments abroad…
oh btw – for those of who don’t know, the picture is of a “Chelsea Pensioner” , an invalided british ex-serviceman who lives at the Royal Chelsea Hospital – they tend to wheel them out (literally in quite a few cases) for grand military occassions. Not many of em left these days…