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Soldier called back to duty on day before retirement
CBS2Chicago ^ | 10/15/06 | CBS2Chicago

Posted on 10/15/2006 10:38:58 PM PDT by World_Events

LINDENHURST, Ill. (AP) An Army staff sergeant was days away from retirement after a 20-year military career when he was ordered to return to his unit, which will be deployed to Iraq at the end of the month.

James Engle applied for retirement in January and later received a retirement award from the Army during a ceremony in Texas. On Sept. 20 he was told paperwork was missing and he should report to his unit, the 1st Cavalry Division.

Late last month, the Army denied his retirement request along with a request to exempt him from his unit's deployment saying it was ``neither compelling nor compassionate enough in nature,'' even though a military retirement counselor had scheduled his Army release for Sept. 21.

``I feel like I'm twisting in the wind,'' Engle said. ``I keep being told that there has been a big, huge mistake. Well, this big, huge mistake has turned my life completely around.''

Engle's lieutenant, Frank Lyle, said he is working with Army personnel to solve the problem.

A telephone call Sunday to the Army's public affairs office at the Pentagon for comment was not immediately returned.

Engle, 38, of Lindenhurst joined the Army in August 1986. During his two decades with the military he spent nine years in combat zones, including Somalia, Bosnia and Afghanistan.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbs2chicago.com ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Illinois; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 1stcavalrydivision; army; jamesengle

1 posted on 10/15/2006 10:38:59 PM PDT by World_Events
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To: World_Events

Ouch.


2 posted on 10/15/2006 10:40:56 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: World_Events
I had a buddy in San Diego who served in Desert Shield/Storm. He was 2 days from retirement on Sept 11, 2001. He had purchased a new home in northern CA, moved his family and had lined up a new job. Retirement canceled. Immediate reassignment to a ship.
3 posted on 10/15/2006 10:43:03 PM PDT by Myrddin
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To: Myrddin

I've got an idea--why not deploy this good soldier to help patrol our border with Mexico--in California?


4 posted on 10/15/2006 10:51:01 PM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: World_Events

The anti-war movement is having their desired effect. They say they support our soldiers, yet they try to kick the recruiters off campus.


5 posted on 10/15/2006 10:51:31 PM PDT by sageb1 (This is the Final Crusade. There are only 2 sides. Pick one.)
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To: World_Events

That's the Army! I remember them offering SFC supply assignments to veteran helicopter pilots right after the Vietnam war. These guys had survived the meat grinder and were still serving in Korea, and they were shit on. The Army has always been like that. RIF and they wanted to replace them with new flyers out of Rucker. Now the shoe is on the other foot, and they are casting about for bodies.

Still this wasn't an act of God. Somebody in personnel took a dump on this guy.


6 posted on 10/15/2006 10:58:59 PM PDT by claudiustg (Iran delenda est.)
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To: World_Events

The Army and their great PAC system. It screwed me out of 30 days leave once, claiming I took 51 days vacation in October, 2000. Funny, I thought October only had 31 days?


7 posted on 10/15/2006 11:02:27 PM PDT by Ex-pat Paul
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To: Myrddin
I'm empathetic but that *was* 9/11/01. That is not analogous to this guy's circumstance. Yes, we're at war but on 9/11/01 we didn't know who/what/where/why of those attacks, future attacks, or our response.
8 posted on 10/15/2006 11:17:08 PM PDT by newzjunkey (Support Arnold-McClintock *not* Angelides. YES on 85, Parental Notification.)
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To: Ex-pat Paul

"It screwed me out of 30 days leave once,"



I was always good at working the army, after jump school me and six other artillery instructors were given 2 weeks to get to Fort Lewis.

I took an extra week or two because I correctly guessed that no one would punish me, the old unit didn't care, and the new unit didn't want to get involved in something that they could ignore.

Other than a question by an NCO the night I checked in, where I looked him in the eye and said something like, no, I'm pretty sure everything is OK, it was never brought up.


9 posted on 10/16/2006 12:49:27 AM PDT by ansel12 ( sin holds a sway over their lives to the point where boldness begins to be craved.)
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To: ansel12
Reminds me of the motor pool Sgt, who had 20 plus years,heard through the roomer mill his unit 4th BN / 23 Inf Regt was going to HI and become part of the 25th ID then off to Nam, tried to retire. This was in 1965, he went to Nam
10 posted on 10/16/2006 3:42:00 AM PDT by tiger-one (The night has a thousand eyes)
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To: Mamzelle
I've got an idea--why not deploy this good soldier to help patrol our border with Mexico--in California?

That's a hypothetical offered 5 years after the fact. I haven't spoken with him since the week of 9-11-2001. His family was already relocated to northern California and he was called back to duty ASAP that week. He was working part time at American Shooting Center in San Diego at that time. I've since moved to Idaho, so it is unlikely we will cross paths again.

11 posted on 10/16/2006 10:50:59 AM PDT by Myrddin
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To: World_Events

It's things like this that gave birth to the word "SNAFU"!


12 posted on 10/16/2006 10:54:58 AM PDT by airborne (If Democrats win in November, America will suffer.)
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To: World_Events

This country needs these men and women who devote their lives, by choice, to the U.S. military. Stories such as this one, do not help re-enlistment efforts. This was a bad decision on someone's part, and I wouldn't doubt that it was personal and not a critical military necessity.


13 posted on 10/16/2006 11:03:46 AM PDT by Chena ("I'm not young enough to know everything." (Oscar Wilde))
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To: ConservativeMind

I got out in 76 after 8 years. I'd have retired with 20 in 1988 and have been retired almost 18 years. But even if they called me up today (they can't unless they start drafing over 55), I'd drop my engineering job of 25 years and go in a heartbeat....


14 posted on 10/16/2006 11:09:27 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Mamzelle

Because he is regular forces, not National Guard.


15 posted on 10/16/2006 11:11:22 AM PDT by 1rudeboy
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