Posted on 01/28/2015 6:35:47 PM PST by Timber Rattler
I have several friends who retired after 20 years and were recalled to active duty and ended up in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Why do you think we’re called “LIFERS”?
We can actually be recalled for life, but there are three categories with category I being most likely and category III being least likely to be recalled.
Cat I - Non-disability military retirees under age 60 who have been retired fewer than 5 years.
Cat II - Non-disability military retirees under age 60 who have been retired 5 years or more.
Cat III - Military retirees, including those retired for disability, other than categories I or II retirees
DODD 1352.1
At age 67, I guess I’m Cat III. And as a Dept Army civilian, I could still go overseas for short deployments/TDY.
Thanks, that was my understanding also, but it didn’t affect me because I retired at 30 years active duty.
For the ARMY
2-10. Retired Soldier categories
Retired Soldiers are identified by categories and will be ordered to AD or mobilized based on Service needs.
a. Category I. Category I retired Soldiers (non-disability retired Soldiers under age 60 who have been retired less than 5 years) may be used to meet all duty assignments stated in paragraph 2-9 a through d above.
b. Category II. Category II retired Soldiers (non-disability military retired Soldiers under age 60 who have been retired 5 years or more) will normally be used to meet only those duty assignments stated in paragraph 2-9 b through d above. Headquarters, Department of the Army, DCS, G-1 may designate selected category II retired Soldiers for assignment to meet requirements for deploying units. Normally, they will be volunteering by name requests from ACOMs, ASCC, or DRUs.
c. Category III. Category III retired Soldiers (all military retired Soldiers not in category I or II to include WOs and health care professionals who retire from AD after age 60) may be used to meet duty assignments stated in paragraph 2-9 b through d above. Generally, category III personnel should be assigned to civilian jobs, unless they have critical skills or volunteer for specific military jobs. Age or disability alone may not be the sole basis for excluding a retired Soldier from active military Service during mobilization.
I’m not questioning the value or sacrifice involved; just the ability of the taxpaying public to provide it (for ANY government workers).
If you stretch out the career, then you also stretch out the promotion system like the European boutique armies. I have seen good people that age trying to lead the titanium twenty year olds. They did their best, but tho the sprit was willing, the body was weak. Not everyone is Jack Lalane.
WRT “While select units might require youth & stamina, more and more of wars are waged from behind computer consoles” do you speak from experience?
Battle rattle,160 degree black bulb temps, lousy sleep, food, stress and the fact that steel is currently undefeated in the war against flesh are things young men deal with best. In fact, check out the USAF retention issues with the drone pilots for an example of what happens even to “computer warriors” fighting in the Mideast from a seat in Nevada.
One of the more famous examples of recall:
Ted Williams interrupted his baseball career in 1943 to serve three years in the US Navy and Marine Corps for World War II. Upon returning to MLB in 1946, Williams won his first AL MVP Award and played in his only World Series. The following season he won his second Triple Crown. Williams returned to active military duty for portions of the 1952 and 1953 seasons in the Korean War, in which he served as a Marine aviator
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