Comments on: Can Stop-Loss Be Stopped?

Military Returns Troops To War After They've Completed Tours, Even After They've Left Active Duty

[connapa]

Next thing you know, they''ll use the excuse that they are being kept due to the "war on terror." And since there will be noe defined "end" to the war on terror, they will be able to keep them on active duty forever (or at least until they die from either combat or natural causes.)

[mary7310]

Stop-loss isn''t sneaky at all. The information is right there in the contract you sign at the recruiter''s office. If someone is willing to sign a contract that hands over their life for eight years (also in the contract) without reading it, they really can''t say how bad this is. I spent 20 years in the Army and I was perfectly aware of my initial obligation, including the extra time in the reserves, and the expectation of extended service in case of war. I knew this because I read my contract. As far as how this impacts the families, it is the responsibility of the soldier to inform his family about his contractual obligations, the military doesn''t have a contract with the family.

[rf35]

"Of course, not everyone is qualified. All the obese kids and the one-in-five CBS Health claim suffer some mental problem wouldn''t be allowed in." -- rf35

Actually, the US military currently has no problem whatesoever letting in people with mental problems and even criminals. It''s the only way they can meet their quotas. No sane person thinks killing people and getting shot at is really a "good career move".
Posted by IDNNSG at 07:14 AM : Dec 08, 2008

I don''t know about the other services, but for the Air Force, a misdemenor was cause to bar one from serving. Maybe it has changed a little since I joined, but it is still not a "we''ll take anyone" service. People have many reasons for serving their country. I don''t think "killing people and getting shot at" is high on the list for most.

[hairyonetooo]

Stop loss is an extension of the draft. During the 1960''s when we had the draft there was very little of the stop loss activity. I left the military after 4 yrs active duty 58 days before the Tonkin Bay incident and never heard from the the military, I was in the IRR two years after my active duty was over.

In 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis in the USMC everyone with less than 90 days to go were given a 90 day extension of active duty as no one knew what was happening, then at the end of the 90 days were released.

[armydog2]

Stop loss is a back door draft, plain and simple. Reinstate the draft, that would make more sense. stop abusing the folks who have already served 2 AND 3 TOURS OF DUTY IN THE WAR ZONES

[donevis-2009]

Its way past time to put a stop to this wasteful war and start to bring these people home. We all know we were lied to, and mislead, so as to provide profits and a looting of our treasury by the hawks. Hopefully our new administration will be able to change the direction of this flow of money to where it helps, not hurts. Our Vets health-care and any needed help to be re-acclimated into society should be off the top of the Pentagons budget. . It''s a terrible thing to witness Vets being ignored and labeled a sacrifice of war insinuating they are beyond help.%u201CGod Speed USA%u201D

What happens when the soldiers who are recycled from signing the dotted line come home and kill off their families and themselves? The 8 year obligation and stop-loss are totally different. They are by no means the same. The 8 year obligation you can change your MOS and go to another unit. When you get stop-lossed, you can''t change units, you can''t change your job, you can''t go to school. If you''venever been stop-lossed, pleas don''t comment on the rules about it. Sure you volunteer for the military, but stop-loss is NOWHERE on the contract.

Stop-Loss is not fair and it is not right. My husband and I suffered through this. We were deployed twice in 3 years. There is no way of justifying this either. New people need to go out there and experience what it''s like to serve their country too. The experienced soldiers who are getting this wrong treatment are suffering and they are getting recycled and dying their 2nd and 3rd time being over there. Since the government is doing this, the should bring back the draft. I was suppose to get out 02/2005 but I was stop lossed and was told I had to stay a year more in Iraq sitting 12 hours a day in a guard tower and getting attacked. No one can tell me that is fair. Has anyone thought about the families?

[idnnsg]

"Of course, not everyone is qualified. All the obese kids and the one-in-five CBS Health claim suffer some mental problem wouldn''t be allowed in." -- rf35

Actually, the US military currently has no problem whatesoever letting in people with mental problems and even criminals. It''s the only way they can meet their quotas. No sane person thinks killing people and getting shot at is really a "good career move".

[rf35]

Stop-loss is sneaky, wrong, and not mentioned in the recruiter''s office, but it is not going away, either. But the military has been cut back and cut down so much in manpower and materiel, what do you expect? We need to build the forces back to their 1980 levels and beyond. Then there would be little use for stop-loss. If a draft is needed, then a draft can be used. I feel it should be mandatory for Americans to serve for a few years after high school. It would do them good. Of course, not everyone is qualified. All the obese kids and the one-in-five CBS Health claim suffer some mental problem wouldn''t be allowed in.