Son calls home & tells of fellow Reservists refusal to serve

[Deb]

I just had a conversation with the Mom of an Army Reservist. On his way to the fort, he was to pickup other Reservists that have also been called up. (This group is expecting to be sent to Iraq.)

Her son reported to superiors that none of the other Reservists showed at the airport as ordered. He was told that only 40-60% of newly called up Reservists are responding and the missing Reservists will be arrested.

Has the news media reported on this? It seems an incredibly high number.

[jean]

1. what's the law? they will no doubt not be allowed to vote in Nov

[donsu]

2. kick

nt

[merh]

3. Can the reservist just tell 'em that they were working on a

campaign and didn't feel like showing up? It worked for a guardsman I know of?

[Wind Dancer]

7. Good one!

[merh]

8. Don't know how the Military tribual would handle it

but I should would use this in my own defense. The commander in chief has set the precedent, why can't I do the same thing?????

:shrug:

I really hate the evil, two faced thugs that are destroying my nation and this world. :mad:

[Wind Dancer]

15. Yes, it's scary how this country is being destroyed!

I can't imagine what will happen if we have to endure this for another 4 years. :scared:

We have part of a nation that is brainwashed by the media and the RW religious nuts. Yes, I am sick of the evil claiming to be religious in order to gain more control, it's disgusting.

Let* finish out his National Guard duty in Iraq instead of sending our troops over.

[Chef]

4. Over 1/3rd going AWOL

Front page USA Today

www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-09-27-reserves_x.htm

Quite amazing. Almost mutiny like. This refers to the IRR callup of over 5,000. Out of 1,662, 624 haven't shown up. Over 500 of these have requested exemptions, but only those with servere medical conditions will get off.

[Deb]

5. Thanks, I'm sending this to the Mom

Just found Nostamj's thread too - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x2422525

[grasswire]

11. ha

" If you are a deserter, it can affect you the rest of your life."

Apparently not for some.

[Zorra]

30. Good one! Heck, our illustrious "leader", Bu$h, is a DESERTER.

Maybe these folks hope to be the pResident someday!

[Beam Me Up]

6. Perhaps it is time for us to seriously begin to think about PROTECTING

those who REFULSE to fight in Halliburton's war? Someday soon, it may be YOUR children or grandchildren.

This goes for yours, too, FREEPS! This war is NOT to protect us from terrorism. GET A CLUE!! You are being USED.

[Tsiyu]

9. Hope bush wasn't planning to sic the troops

on the American people if he doesn't get his demonic way. Seems they aren't interested in his warmongering.

[BeHereNow]

25. Porter Goss has a plan for that-

Don't forget, they have thought of everything,
including this scenario.
Porter plans to use international mercs here in the fatherland
to control the masses. All those "School of the Americas"
graduates are sure going to come in handy, and soon.
See Section 503 in excerpt of post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=2192072
BHN

[Eye and Monkey]

27. THAT should go over really well.

[kayell]

10. Time for a Bush world version of the underground railroad.

There could be many who need some kind of safe haven.

[VolcanoJen]

12. USAToday had a story about this just yesterday.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-09-27-reserves_x.htm

Excerpt:

Former soldiers slow to report

By Tom Squitieri, USA TODAY

WASHINGTON — Fewer than two-thirds of the former soldiers being reactivated for duty in Iraq and elsewhere have reported on time, prompting the Army to threaten some with punishment for desertion.
The former soldiers, part of what is known as the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), are being recalled to fill shortages in skills needed for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of the 1,662 ready reservists ordered to report to Fort Jackson, S.C., by Sept. 22, only 1,038 had done so, the Army said Monday. About 500 of those who failed to report have requested exemptions on health or personal grounds.

"The numbers did not look good," said Lt. Col. Burton Masters, a spokesman for the Army's Human Resources Command. "We are tightening the system, reaching the people and bringing them in."

[Eloriel]

13. WooHoo! "What if they gave a war and nobody came?"

I LOVE it.

[Blue Wally]

16. And if??

It was a war that you wanted like going into the Sudan?? Should we let each service member decide for himself where and when he wants to go??

[skygazer]

19. This is a shameful use of our reservists

This is not a case of regular army recruits who are not showing up. These are people who have done their time and are being used so Bush can run his war on the cheap.

[Blue Wally]

20. When you sign up for the services

You assume an obligation which last longer than your active duty time. You are signing up for so many years of active services and so many years in the reserves. One of the lessons learned from Vietnam was that it is a mistake to rely solely on expanding the active services to fight the war. Part of the refroms made by Gen Creighton Abrams after Vietnam was to assure that the active services would never be left out dangling like Vietnam and that any future president who wanted to deploy a serious force overseas would have to pay the political price of activating reserve components.

[Eloriel]

28. Well, come to think of it --

Sure, why not? Seems to me if you're being asked to put your life on the line, you ought to have some say so in the decision. If TPTB can't convince you that (a) it's a legal, moral, utterly worthy endeavor in every way AND (b) it's worth YOUR blood (and need it be said? NO LIES ALLOWED), then maybe they would just have to have their little war party without you. Might be much fewer and shorter wars that way. That's the whole point of what I said (which is a favorite oldie slogan from the 1960s in case anyone doesn't recognize it): What if they gave a war and nobody came?

BTW, YOU may want to go to war in Sudan, I don't. I'm tired of war.

Edited to add: we'll call it, taking a page from Bill Maher, "New Rules -- Democratizing the Services and especiall the 'Privilege' of Dying for your Country."

[Romulus]

14. not just "regular reservists" getting called up

the USA Today article also talked about the people who put in their active duty time, got discharged, and thought that was that.

The "individual ready reserve" was sold (to me) as a doomsday provision in case the UN invaded or something and the military needed to recall you to save the country.

Little did we IRR'rs think that the fine print in the enlistment contract would actually be enforced. Even with the same thing happening during Desert Storm, we thought it could never happen again.

You sign up for eight years, and the govt intends to collect. Good thing my eight years were up six years ago . . .

[Blue Wally]

21. Retirees are subject to recall as well.

Being as how I am over 65, i don't think they are hot for my bod though.

[Romulus]

37. LOL! (n/t)

[Jacobin]

17. Has anyone mentioned that this is a lot like Vietnam?

:-(


Its like I'm 19 years old again when I read the news.

[skygazer]

18. I'm not surprised

I saw a reservist just the other day at the doctor's office. He has four months to go and they're sending his unit to Iraq - of course, he would not be able to leave after that four months because of the stop-loss bullshit.

He'd recently had knee surgery and was still somewhat hampered but mainly he didn't want to go to Iraq. His CO was hassling him; as he put it, "they keep waving the flag at me. I'm pushing forty with a wife and an 18 month old baby and a bum knee."

The doctor gave him a note granting him full disability for another six months. The receptionist told him, "if you need an extention, just let us know."

I have a lot more respect for my doctor now.

[Blue Wally]

22. Except

It just means that some other poor sucker will have to go in his place or the others in his unit will go shorthanded.

[LisaL]

24. The guy is 40 years old with a bad knee and a little baby.

If some other poor sucker will have to go in his place, so be it.
:eyes:

[antigone382]

26. Yeah, but a 40-year-old guy with a baby and a bum knee?

He doesn't need to go to Iraq.

Let some 18-year-old Bush-worshipper go over there (not that the vast majority of them will, they're a bunch of baby chicken-hawks).

I understand what you're saying, but I just can't condemn these guys for being unwilling to go over there with inadequate supplies, just so they can escort a bunch of Halliburton truck drivers making three times their pay.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

31. Hey, Blue...did you serve, and if so, what branch?

[Blue Wally]

36. Yes, I did

Army, 28 years (two in Vietnam), and thanx for the pension (still subject to recall if they want to take a 65 year old great-grandpa).

[proud patriot]

23. I haven't heard this in the news

:shrug:

[Media_Lies_Daily]

32. Okay, think about it....what's the LAST thing the NeoCons want the...

...American people to know concerning the war in Iraq?

[Qanisqineq]

29. sooo many NG and Reserve getting called up

my husband (active duty) is now having to be "on call" to do National Guard duty. He can't leave the immediate vicinity for the next 5 months in case some disaster (natural or otherwise) happens. Guess going home for Thanksgiving or Christmas is out of the question. There aren't enough NG here in the states, they are all deployed.

[BeHereNow]

33. They are stalling for time-

They are trying to stem off starting the draft until after they
steal the next election...what part of the county do you live
in? Just curious.
BHn

[Qanisqineq]

34. Colorado

on an army base. And his "on call NG duty" covers everything west of the Mississippi. They are being especially strict about how far from home he can go during the time period from mid-October to end of November. I guess that's in case of an attack around the election.

[BeHereNow]

35. My brother and my niece live there too.

I fully expect some sort of attack, although not by
terrorists, rather by the BFEE on us.
The more I read about 911 and all the other documents
connected to them needing "a new Pearl Harbor" the more I am convinced
that these people will do anything to stay in power.
I think they are capable of killing civilians here with the
very same impunity as they have exhibited in killing
civilians in Iraq and globally.
Just my two cents on it-
BHN