Army Stop-Loss Could End in 2009
Monday May 5, 2008
Lt. Gen. James Thurman, the Army G-3, predicts that the Army could end Stop-Loss by Fall of 2009, according to the Army Times. Under the current stop-loss policies, active-duty soldiers within 90 days of retirement or obligated service are barred from leaving the Army if they are in units alerted for deployment. Reservists and National Guard members are barred from leaving if their units have been alerted for mobilization.
Overall, about 58,000 soldiers, about 1 percent of the active force and activated Guard and Reserve soldiers, have been affected by the stop-loss policy since 2002.
Comments
Stop-Loss is a back door draft. These soldiers have completed their service and should be allowed to go home. If the military cannot fight this war with the soldiers they have then perhaps we need a draft.
I think a draft is the last thing we need. I don’t really believe in a draft of any kind (regular or back-door), but I’d rather have my husband’s life depending on someone who choose to be there than someone who didn’t. Perhaps, if we cannot fight this war with the soldiers we have, we shouldn’t be fighting this war at all.
I think that the stop-loss policy should end soon.Those on stop-loss have completed their obligation,they should be able to return home. If the Army cannot maintain its strength,then they need to start a draft! Get some of those others over here,who enjoy their freedom.Make them fight for it.
It is my understanding that when you signup you have a two year tail.My son who is a Marine does. He has reenlisted on his own after declining a job as a policeman in Long Beach CA.He said he would rather be in IRAQ.
My husband possible with be hit with the stop-loss unless he reups. There is a period after your active that they can always call you back up if needed. they tell you that when you sign up. so thinking that the stop-loss is not right you all are wrong at least they would still be fit and ready to fight rather than get out for a year or so and get called back up. Part of being in the military. Im proud of all my guys deployed right now and hope they all come home safe. RAKKASAN Cco 3-187
The stop loss policy is actually better than being out like a yr and being recalled. not only do these people have families and lives by then and who knows what else, but they must put all of that behind and go back into the military, to me that would be much worse. though i don’t agree with it, u can be recalled up to 8 yrs after your enlistment date (meaning u serve 4 or 5 active duty, then have the remaining time that the military could recall u).
Yes it is true that you enlist for a total of 8 years reguardless of of contract. But the fact is that stop-loss should have never been activated. Stop-loss was only suppose to be activated in a time of war. Stop-loss policy in my eyes is bogus. But this is a political dispute that no matter how much we critique each other and learn about it. It will never be solved.
Why would a government adopt a policy of stop loss after a major conflcit. It’s brutal on our forces whether it’s being discloused or not. I don’t agree with the policy because it’s socialst in nature. When secret societies dictate our war policies so that their children are excluded from war , we have abandoned our democratic process to allow a submersive process of collusion to dictate our nations
political policies. Don’t we have a right to know how our government works ?
Is the military program of Stop Loss directly related to the repercussion of Watergate and should these policies be halted ? When Mark Felt { Deep Throat } leaked the information that a policy of war had been signed into our Executive that would exclude certain members and sectors of our society from having to serve in the military , are the current policies of Stop Loss what they had in mind ? Although the Stop Loss policy has some redeeming benefits , it’s long term goals are mainly responsible for the fatigue and exhaustion of our current troops. The personal effort in the military has become so desperate that you have some soldiers serving in war zones while taking psychological medications and sleeping pills. Considering the long and short term effects of this policy , it appears genocidal in nature and unfair to the military personnel that have so boldly volunteered to serve and defend our country. Please take a minute through the holiday season and think about the people defending your nation and write your legislators and demand the program of Stop Loss be stopped.
Reference = All The President’s Men / Un Censored - Warner Editions 1st Edition - ( Simon And Shuster are all Censored )
Reported the Mark Felt Leaked that A System To Delete The Need For War was signed into the Executive and that a Black Operational Government had been incorporated into our government.
The Stop-Loss policy is equal to a form of modern day slavery. There is no justification for this policy. The need for Stop-Loss shows that changes need to be made. Changes that would inspire more soldiers to like what they do - therefore reenlisting. Unfortunately, some leaders truly believe they own their subordinates. To these kind of leaders, stop-loss means nothing. The stop-loss policy is an unfortunate indication that the concept of slavery still exists in America. Bottom line = if you want your reliable, well-needed soldiers to deploy with you, then take care of them (caring leaders, promotions when due, awards, education, non-discriminatory workplace, *respect*). Otherwise, this well-needed soldier is going to want to get out of the Army and then when you need him/her, “Your solution is to simply say sorry I own you therefore you are forced to come with me whether you like it or not. ” What an unjust and uneducated idea!!!
how and when can the military give the”alert of deployment” to a unit? Can they do this to an individual to stress this individual out, or does it have to be told to the entire group?If a soldier is to seperate with an ETS date of 8-3-09, and is currently in the states for 12 months (11-13-08 to 11-13-09), can’t he leave as scheduled after 2 tours(12 mo.,14 mo.) and 48 months total service as per his contract? Can anyone tell me the truth about “STOPLOSS”?I need some answers.
I think Stop loss should end because so many men and women have served the United States of america and for the to go home is a great day for all,and then tell them they are to return to a place where they have been brave and scared but at the same time keep their heads high and get threw everyday.
Its a shame that our heros have no say so in what they want to do.STOPLOSS SHOULD END BEFORE WE TAKE MORE FATHERS,SONS,GRANDSONS,WOMEN, MOTHERS, AWAY FROM THERE FAMILY
Overall about 58000 soldires have been stoploss since 2002 and we the people need to stad up for what is right for The United States.
So i will be joining the National Guard in june,And I was looking up information and dear god if i ever get stoploss i will fight it with all that i have because its not right and i will be damned if they tell me after my 4 years are up that i have to return
let us help other soldiers keep their heads high
thank you
Brooke
well if you dont like the stop loss policy then why even enlist in any service? if the military needs you to go back and fight then thats the job you signed the contract and thats it! and the draft is not a bad idea their are alot of homeless people out their? they should shop being selfish and do something with their lives! but all in all stop loss is just another part of being in the military and my uncle was stop lossed back to iraq!
I have been in the Army for over six years and yes stop loss is a back door draft. But it seems to me that no one has asked why the Army and Congress insists on using this form of draft. The reason is that they dont wont the ACLU challenging the constitutionality of the draft which only requires males to sign up(for). As if our female counterparts dont sign up for the draft they still get all the college and govt benefits with out giving up anything but if the men refuse to signup for the draft they will be refused a wide range of college and govt benefits, plus might be looking at jail. Thus making men again a second class citizen. Yes, I am a father of a girl and a boy. If anybody in the US should be a second class citizen it should be those that havent served.
Robert,
Although your comment on two classes of citizens has merit, I feel compelled to speak on behalf of a group you have ignored. My wife tried to enlist repeatedly but, through no fault of her own, was disqualified based on medical history. She was just as dedicated to sacrificing for her country as my fellow service members and I are now. As a military grandchild, daughter, sister and wife she has supported the military more than most and deserves more awards, medals or recognition than will ever appear on my uniform.
Friday, I hope that your comment that a “draft is not a bad idea” was in jest. Otherwise you are a fool and have no idea what you’re talking about. A draft would weaken the force with unwilling conscripts not dedicated professionals. And your implication that the homeless as a group are selfish or leading unworthily lives is arrogant and ignorant. My brothers and sisters in arms and I are protecting the right of every sovereign individual to conduct their business as they see fit such as it does not impede on any others right to conduct theirs.
But that is not the topic.
Should stop-loss end? Yes. But the idea of stop-loss as a back door draft is idiocy at best, and calling it slavery is just ignorant. You have no concept of the meaning of the words you choose or choose your words to rally those less educated. Stop-loss is and unfortunate tool used by our military leadership to ensure the quality and viability of our military units as they head into harm’s way. There are other ways to meet this goal but this is the way that has been selected. Write your congressman if you don’t like it but don’t call it what it’s not, all that will serve is ignorance. For those who are so grossly inconvenienced under this sad policy I hope that you (or your loved one) are delivered your well deserved discharge quickly and no worse than before it.
Stop-loss is not a recent idea, but it is a popular buzzword lately that is misused and misunderstood by the media and those whose opinions are slave to it.
When I enlisted four years ago I was aware that I may serve beyond the intended time in my contract because it was so stated in the contract that I willingly agreed to the terms of. And if I was to have skimmed over that part of my contract then my recruiter and the people at MEPS were certain to repeatedly reiterate the concept to the point of boredom. If I didn’t understand it at that point I should have been declared incapable of contracting on my own behalf. If I should ever be subject to stop-loss I will be disappointed but to call me a conscript or slave is insulting.
If you are considering joining the military but unwilling to subject yourself to the possibility of stop-loss then wait till the practice is abolished or find another job. But don’t whine about or swear to fight the terms of a contract that you entered into of your own free will.
If you are under the mistaken (but painfully common) impression that stop-loss and the Individual Ready Reserves (8 years total commitment) are one and the same please research such concepts before you display your ignorance for us all to see. This very site has an article defining the topic of Military Stop Loss authored by non other that Rod Powers.
And Richard, regardless of whether or not your conspiracy theories hold water, your way out on the frilly fringe on this one and your attempt to redirect the topic failed as it should have.
Thank you Proudly Serving, there is just one thing that you failed to touch on. The average stop loss I have seen is between 1 and 5 months. There are 6 people in my platoon who were put on stop loss before the last deployment in 2006 and there are three who are currently on stop loss now. Of those 6, 4 had their ETS dates pushed back by less than a month 1 was 3 months and the last was 5. This time around 2 of the three have had their ETS dates pushed back about 2 months and the third was 4 months. We had one Staff Sergeant who had a stop loss put on him for 8 months, he went to the commander said sir I have a job waiting for me when I am scheduled to get out and the commander put through the paperwork and let him out of his stop loss.
I wonder how many of the 58000 soldiers had less than a month added on OR who were stop lossed only to be released from it.
Hey yall my name is anna and i can say proudly that i am serving the united states.
And sadly i have been stoplossed but when i joined to serve the army i knew what i was getting into and im going to keep my head high because im 22 and my life still goes on.
And talking about homeless people like that is not right if your going to talk about them like that atleast dont say they have nothing in their lifes. We do not knoe about their past and im sorry but that was wrong
People who serve great job
anna
comment something back if you dont agree or agree with me
My son has served in the US Army for four years. He lost the hearing in one ear,the hearing in the other ear is going, his back will never be the same.He was told that he needed to serve one more year under “stop loss”. He will be home soon from his 5 year stent in Iraq. The Army tells him that he could be redeployed again within the next 3 years. In departing from Iraq his Sgt in Command made disparaging remarks,laid on the guilt trip because my son opted not to “Re-Up” Although he did not loose life or limb,he did loose 90% of his hearing, put his life on the line,saw things that no one should have to see and gave 5 years of his life to an out fit that does not give a damn! He served our country well and enough is enough.STOP THE STOP LOSS INSANITY. To Jason, You and your friends are extremely lucky 1 to 5 months how extraordinary. My son has friends who have been stop lossed twice…Where is the JUSTICE IN THAT!!!