Extended war tours likely to continue (despite pledges "stop loss" policy continues)

[sabra]

Source: USA Today

WASHINGTON — The Army's use of involuntary extensions of combat duty will likely continue through 2009 despite pledges earlier this year by top military officials to reduce reliance on the policy known as stop loss.

In September, 12,204 soldiers were affected by stop loss, a policy that forces them to remain in the Army after their service commitment has expired. The same number likely will be affected each month through 2009, Army Lt. Col. Mike Moose said last week.

Stop loss strains troops and their families, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, acknowledged in May. Gates and the Army say the policy is needed to maintain the cohesion of units heading to battle.

"The secretary understands the stress on the Army, but … he wants to see the Army rely less on stop loss. They need to make better progress on this," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said Sunday.

Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., a retired vice admiral and member of the House Armed Services Committee, blamed the reliance on stop loss on "the failures to properly plan and execute." Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the panel that funds the Pentagon, said the policy is "a draft" that disrupts lives. Murtha said those affected now receive an additional $500 a month, but he says he wants to compensate all troops who have been extended involuntarily since 2001.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2008-10-26-stoplo...

[Submariner]

1. Obama will begin to bring this mess to an end on January 21st

This is the result of a cowardly president not admitting his pitiful defeats at the expense of the lives and welfare of the Troops and their families.

I wish Bush and Cheney ill health, deep depression, and alcohol poisoning when they leave office. It would be a fitting end to the lives of these two traitorous yellow belly draft dodging cowards. Other than that, I hope they enjoy their retirement into obscurity forever the subjects of world wide scorn.

[happyslug]

2. No he can't and he won't.

Unless Obama goes on National TV and in a great speech gets ten of thousands of America to enlist, then stop loss can end. The problem is I do NOT think he can make that great a speech, the Speech would have to be the best speech ever, better then Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, FDR's Request of a Declaration of War Against Japan and Christ's Sermon on the Mount.

Remember Obama has NOT say he will pull our Troops out as soon as he gets Sworn in, Obama has NOT said he will reduce US troops in either Afghanistan or Iraq. Obama has said he has plans to reduce and withdraw troops over a time period, but no exact time period has been given on the grounds Obama does not want to encourage the insurgents just to wait for the Withdraw.

Given those facts, we will need Stop loss do to lack of troops AND an inability to raise them. As long as the US is in Iraq and Afghanistan the US will need to use Stop Loss, there is no way around it.