Reservists Backpedaling As War Looks More Likely

The Tampa Tribune | Feb 9. 2003 | Marilyn Rauber

[FloridaGeezer]

Panic phone calls coming, lawyers say.

Washington-South Carolina freshman Gov. Mark Sanford-an Air Force reservist-sparked an outcry when he suggested his job would keep him from joining a war against Iraq.

Sanford, a Republican, was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the reserves in January 2002 and was elected governor in November. He said recently that he wouldn't deploy, then changed his course and said he would go if called.

But he's not the only military reservist with doubts about heading for the Persian Gulf.

Lawyers say they're being flooded with pamic calls from reservists who either don't believe the United States should attack Iraq or are worried about their safety, their jobs, their finances, their health or leaving their loved ones. The reservists are afraid to talk on record, their attorneys say.

"We have everybody from doctors to seaman apprentices wanting to get out," said David Sheldon, a former Navy lawyer now in private practice in Washington.

Virginia Beach lawyer Greg McCormack said a lot more reservists are calling him than in 1991 when the United States drove Iraq out of Kuwait,

This time around, with no overt aggression by Iraq, "a lot of people are questioning what are we doing, moms and dads saying, 'Why should my son go?,'" said McCormack, a former Army prosecutor.

No one disputes that most reservists are cooperating with the Pentagon call-up, the largest since the 1991 Persian Gulf War.

"Most people in the military are there to do their job and do it well," said Pentagon Spokesperson Maj. Sandy Troeber.

No Pentagon statistics on AWOLs and deserters were available beyond 2001.

But the G.I. Rights Hotline, which was set up by antiwar activists to help those who have either fled or are thinking about it, say their calls have more than tripled in the past few months.

"Sometimes they say, 'I just got back, I can't go again,' or 'I was just in it for the college money,' or 'I'm willing to defend my country but I'm not willing to invade Iraq,'" said J.E. McNeil, a lawyer for the G.I. Rights Hotline.

Last week, Defense Sectretary Donald Rumsfeld acknowledged some of the nation's reserves have been "jerked around" since the rolling call-ups began after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Reservists have been doing everything from guarding local airports to cleaning up after the war in Afghanistan. Now, they'r heading for the gulf. Rumsfeld is considering easing the future burden on the reserves by delegating more support jobs to permanent troops.

About 95,000 reservists and National Guardsmen are on active duty. More than 260,000 were mobilized during the Persian Gulf War.

Jay Farrar, a military analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that after Bush declared a long term war on terrorism 16 months ago, many of his reservist friends began resigning or retiring to avoid being called up again and again.

Some of the services, including the Marine Corps, have frozen retirements and are keeping overseas units in place to ensure troops can't retire even if they want to.

But, Farrar predicted, despite a reluctance to go to war, the number of AWOLs will be about as low as during the Persian Gulf War.

Most of the people , while it's painful to go, believe in their commitment and will honor their commitment," Farrar said.

Reservist or full-time servicemen who dodge their orders can receive a dishonorable discharge or even jail time. The military usually waits 30 days before considering them deserters.

The Pentagon says not even governors are exempt from deployment,

Air Force Reserves spokesman Lt. Col. Audrey Bahler said only members of Congress or those holding "key" federal jobs are automatically exempted. Other requests are handled "case by case."

Reserveists sign up for a six year stint and are paid only when they are on duty. They also can get college tuition and other G.I. Bill benefits. While on active duty, they receive the saame benefits as military enlisties, such as health care, They can be activated for as much as 12 months at a time.

They also get added help from Uncle Sam and private industry.

Employers are required to save a reservist's job, and some companies continue to provide benefits and salary supplements to absent workers. A 60-year old federal law also tries to alleviate mortgage and credit card worries by capping the interest rates that banks may charge active-duty reservists.

[kcvl]

Prof. Noam Chomsky

The main reasons for my concern with U.S. foreign policy are that I find it, in general, horrifying, and that I think that it is possible for me to do something to modify it, at least to mitigate some of its most dangerous and destructive aspects. In the concrete circumstances of my own society, where I live and work, there are various ways to do this: speaking, writing, organizing, demonstrating, resisting, and others. Over the years, I've been engaged in a variety of such activities.

[Dec31,1999]

I am well aware of the problem, my previous sarcastic comment notwithstanding. Good post! Keep on keeping on!

[chasio649]

NO choices...do your duty or get your butt thrown in Leavenworth...period. We can't let these weekend warriors off so easy.

[CWOJackson]

I have no problem with people who suddenly want to become non-combatants. Give them some steel toed boots and ear plugs, then let them lead the combatants through mine field.

[Dec31,1999]

Oh, better! They especially like to clean the dirty areas for the master! But you must use a show of force and mean it.

[tracer]

Agreed, and I know from my own experience and that of friends and relatives.

But these deserters signed up voluntarily and knew, or should have been bright enough to know, that they could be called to active duty at any time for conflicts not to their liking or having their approval.

That said, we all owe a great debt to these so-called "weekend warriors," who provide a very large proprtion of the total number of largely selfless warriors that we have had to field over the years....

[LPStar]

"collateral torpedo damage"

Good one!
The other, even more serious objection I have is that leaving a woman soldier in enemy hands (which inevitably happens with POWs) could result in terrible scenarios - consider forced impregnation, killing the resulting child, etc. Can't happen to a man, although every other terrible thing can, of course.

[Core_Conservative]

What a bunch of horse manure - my wife retired before 9-11. She was called up by her former boss to come out and help out. (Michigan Air National Guard) She was put on the cavilian payroll. She has since been asked to un-retire and accepted the position - however the Guard has dragged their feet, and now the Pentagon (who has to approve un-retirement paperwork) seems to be dragging their feet. I know they are busy, but it shouldn't take an act of God to get un-retired. Just biding my time until she can be called a member of the MIANG again! Suck it up guys - You joined to defend the country - as well as get an education. You promised your state and you Federal Government!
Just Do It

[Leisler]

"To you it was an insult?" It is a declarative sentence. Not that you'd know."Being spouted at by creatures such as yourself.."(What’s type would that be, ones that would kick your pompous ass up and down I-95, Maine to Florida? "... is praise to my ears."(Deaf as well are you?)" It assures me that I'm still on the right track"(Since everything is subject to criticism, the existence of criticism is no proof of correctness. The use of an event that provides no objective assurance is superstition. You've spent too much time impressing pimple faced kids. It doesn't work with adults)".. when whinning( whining)”.. little defeat mongers don't like me. Hope you and your people do well in your revolution"("since" is past tense, that means the revolution already occurred. You are sharp.)"...toilets of the world rise up and unite."(Mixed metaphors.)

[CWOJackson]

My...interesting how brave the cowards are when they are hiding behind their keyboards. Like the cowardly reservists you are defending...you haven't got the personal courage or moral convictions to be a threat to anyone other than yourself.

[Leisler]

"Like the cowardly reservists you are defending...", and when did I do that frau Jackson? Like I said, and auto-proved by you, you are stupid. The interesting thing about stupidity is that if you are stupid, which you are, you don't know it, because you don't have the intellect to self-reference intelligence.

[CWOJackson]

Self analysis time again I see. Nothings changed.

[Leisler]

Come on dolt, find it.

[sphinx]

It's not like his political connections will prevent him from securing some cushy desk job well behind the front lines where the real soldiers are.

As with most pols-in-uniform, presumably his age would keep him out of any combat job. That's good, btw. I've no objection to politicians trying to set an example but they should be placed where they can't do any real harm. Strom may have talked his way onto a glider on D-Day, but as a general rule, ticket-punching pols don't belong in combat command. Put 'em in administration where they can free up one of the professionals and thank 'em for their time.

Besides, the story says Sanford is an Air Force reservist. Unless he's a pilot, he won't be in harm's way under any circumstances other than the possible stray Scud. I can understand that he'd not want to give up the governorship to go fly a desk somewhere, but them's the breaks.

[gulfcoast6]

They should have read the papers before they signed them. Sorry, they gotta go.