The Back-Door Draft

[Tyrone Biggums]

Are there any reservists out there worried/concerned about your contracts extending and ending up in Iraq or Afghanistan?

 

[Fred Da Head]

If you're in the army and you're worried about having to deploy, you're not in for the right reasons. The whole f***ing point of being in the military is that you might have to deploy if your government decides they need you. Your job, as a soldier, is to go, and do your job professionally. Whether or not you agree doesn't matter.

Or you can be a coward and run away to Canada.

 

[Tyrone Biggums]

This question was directed to soldiers who have already served 10 or so years (or have already deployed) and want to get on with their lives.

 

[Fred Da Head]

Originally posted by Tyrone Biggums
This question was directed to soldiers who have already served 10 or so years (or have already deployed) and want to get on with their lives.

Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant.

I'm not familiar with the way US reserves work, but wouldn't it be right to assume they could leave the reserves? Of course, leaving when their number comes up wouldn't be great. If they just want to get on with their lives, though, why are they still in the reserves?

 

[Giovanni Casanova]

Originally posted by Fred Da Head
Sorry, I misunderstood what you meant.

I'm not familiar with the way US reserves work, but wouldn't it be right to assume they could leave the reserves? Of course, leaving when their number comes up wouldn't be great. If they just want to get on with their lives, though, why are they still in the reserves?

This thread has the potential for getting very political, very quickly.

That said, when a reservist serves out their agreed-upon tour of duty, they can still be called back if the government deems it necessary. So say you sign up for three years, and at the end of your three years, the government can say, "Sorry, bucko, but we still need you -- you ain't going nowhere." And there's nothing you can do about it. Some are trying to fight it in court, but there's very little hope of them winning.

Even worse is the scenario where a soldier serves their time as either a reservist or active duty and can be called up years later. The armed services are even calling up people who are SENIOR CITIZENS to go serve overseas again. They may have retired five, ten, even twenty years ago... but the government can still knock on their doors and tell them to saddle up.

 

[Fred Da Head]

Thanks Gio. I had thought it was a possibility that people could get contract extensions without agreeing to it, but I had no idea people could be called up after their service is over. Basically, I thought once you got out, you were "deployment-proof."

But wouldn't a regiment of seniors be incredibly scary?

 

[diplomatic_lie]

Originally posted by Fred Da Head
The whole f***ing point of being in the military is that you might have to deploy if your government decides they need you. Your job, as a soldier, is to go, and do your job professionally.

I signed up for the army so I could steal their bullets and sell it on ebay.

But wouldn't a regiment of seniors be incredibly scary?

You could probably win the war with an army of seniors.

"Come back here, Iraqi boy! You haven't heard 'bout me wallet, laddie. See, this wallet 'ere I got from Sears in 1927. In those days, we didn't use money, we had rocks..."

 

[Giovanni Casanova]

Originally posted by Fred Da Head
But wouldn't a regiment of seniors be incredibly scary?

I read about a 55-year-old woman who got called back up as a sniper. I would be getting kind of concerned about eyesight and such at that age, but I suppose they know what they're doing. But yeah, I've even heard about 60+ getting called up. That idea does frighten me.

 

[tactic]

Just because they draft you doesn't mean you have to neccessarily kill or fight anybody.. you can do paperworks or patrols.. which could involve a little combat depending on where you are.