Army Will End "Stop Loss" Tour Extension

(AP)  The Army will substantially reduce use of the unpopular practice of holding troops beyond their enlistment dates and will pay $500 to those still forced to stay in the service, defense and congressional officials said Wednesday.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates was expected to announce later Wednesday that he had approved the plan for cutting the use of so-called "stop loss" except in extraordinary circumstances, The Associated Press has learned.

Some critics have called "stop-loss" a backdoor draft because it keeps troops in the military beyond their retirement or re-enlistment dates. But the military has said it's a necessary tool to keep unit cohesion in times of war and to keep soldiers with certain skills needed in those units.

Under the plan approved by Gates, the Army Reserve in August will begin mobilizing units that don't include stop-loss soldiers and the Guard in September will do the same, a senior Army official said on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not been made.

The active duty Army is to deploy its first unit without stop-loss in January, he said.

Rep. John Murtha said Wednesday that the military also has agreed to begin $500 monthly payments to troops still forced to stay in service beyond their retirement or enlistment terms.

"I have said repeatedly that stop-loss is little more than a backdoor draft, disrupting the lives of our service members and their families," Murtha said in a statement

Though the practice has been virtually ended in the other service branches, the Army said it still needed to use it because of the severe strain it has is under to find troops for the two ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

There are currently some 13,000 troops being held beyond their exit times.

According to Pentagon documents obtained by the Associated Press, the intent is to cut the number of stop-loss soldiers in half by sometime next year, and to eventually stop the use of the program when it is feasible.

One official said they believe they can gradually reduce the number of stop-loss soldiers because of the drawdown in Iraq, because the Army has grown and because they are changing the way new units rotate - something that gives units scheduled for combat more time to get the people with the skills they need as opposed to holding in service soldiers who have that skill.

[Ichabod09]

What an ignorant comment. The illegal and unnecessary occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine helped caused this depression
Posted by noloyalisti at 1:39 PM : Mar 19, 2009

Ignorant? You, mean like someone turning the topic of every conversation into a rabid verbal attack of Israel. Like in the mirror Adolf.

[noloyalisti]

What an ignorant comment. The illegal and unnecessary occupations of Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine helped caused this depression. What a stupid right wing myth. Money for war is simply blown up. The only people that make money are the war profiteers like the big American corporations. Money that is blow up does not circulate thru the economy to build roads, schools and hospitals. How moronic to prop up war.

Happy 6th anniversary of the debacle in Iraq.

[wdrussell1]

The news media is now seeing what a disaster Iraq has been.
After being in a coma for the past 6 years.

[aciescottr]

They are supposed to give everyone that served under stop loss after oct 1 $500 dollars a month just like the perstempo days it will never happen.
Caution: Effective 8 October 2001, the SECDEF suspended the PERSTEMPO $100 a day payment and General Officer management consideration, but directed continued tracking and reporting of PERSTEMPO days.

[omded]

Has anyone been to a military morgue? I have. It's a really sobering experience every time I go there. This morgue isn't actually used as a morgue any more, but you can still see the way it used to be if you go to the right places. This building consists of four 10,000 square foot hangar bays. All but one are used to house aircraft now days, but, if you go to the last one, it hasn't been changed that much from the days it was used to receive the bodies of fallen soldiers coming home from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. It has three levels built of wood, and an elevator connects each level. The levels each have long, numbered rows. The numbers are placed about 30 inches apart, and run from 1 to 42. There are 6 rows per level. The caskets are placed, side by side, stacked up to three high, in front of a number. When a body comes home, it's given an I.D., such as Bay 2, level 3, row 4, number 32, top of stack. I calculate when it was in use, it could house up to about 9,000 bodies. Whenever I go there, I wonder how many bodies passed through this mass receiving facility, and awaited identification, and then being claimed by a next of kin. Folks, war is not a video game. It's serious stuff. If you don't believe it, you need to visit a morgue like the one I'm writing about here. Seeing things like this don't make you disrespect the fallen. They make you respect them very deeply, and they make you realize that in war, people die. Lots of people. And all those dead. How bad does an injustice need to be to really justify all of them? Think before you attack. Visit a morgue. Know what you're about to start, and the consequences it will have. Imagine one of those dead soldiers coming home to rest in the morgue is your son. And make extra sure it's really worth it.

[cattiej]

So now do we still have the Selective Service Board in place to implement the Draft?
I read 2 years ago in the newspaper that Bush and company we asking for volunteers to serve on the Selective Service Board,. Anyone know of someone on their local board.
Obama wants to send or have 400,000 American troops in Afghanistan. Are we taking over the corrupt country? How many of our young people will lose live and limb for nothing? These countries have been fighting since before Jesus Christ was born, why did Bush think he was going to change them?? Obama said he would bring our troops home, looks to me like most of them will be coming home in a body bag or on a gurney.
Obama, we voted for you because you said the first thing you would do was bring our troops home,,you lied!

[winstrv]

If you are in the military, this is the first foot to fall. When the troops are brought home, the cuts will begin. The military forces will be cut because there won't be a need for that force size. Those who claim they support you now will turn their backs on you and demand that the forces be downsized. Promises made during war will be forgotten in the name of the economy. Standards not being enforced now will be enforced, and people won't care that you risked your life for this country. Promotions will dry up, and benefits will disappear. You will be thrown out on your ear. Unemployment rates will go up because there won't be jobs for all those let go from the military. It happens after every war and will happen after this one. I feel sorry for what is going to happen to those who fought for this country. You deserve more than being stabbed in the back.

[stevex47]

Just to make clear,

Thank you all military personnel for all your service. The political situation of this war made your jobs more difficult (i think) . Hopefully it will be over sooner than later.

[stevex47]

Obama is single handedly reversing the train sent down the wrong tracks by the reich wing FAILURES.

Um, anybody notice the last 8 years were a complete FAILURE?

[mav547166]

Retired military can be called back to active duty for 10 years past their retirement date.