Posted on 02/11/2003 2:05:09 PM PST by 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.
This needs to repeated, often. These clymers in the press need to be held accountable for their unethical, agenda-based reporting.
say their calls have more than tripled in the past few months
Did she check the assertion? Probably not. Why? Cause she's got an agenda to push. And the whore, Marilyn Rauber, sure lets the begged question lie there. How many calls is that, Marilyn? How many before the past few months? And how many in the past few months? Did the same guy call back three different times? It is a cheap, childish, lazy trick to make this context free statement.
Yup,this crap is totally destroying the reserves as a ready reserve element. Once this stuff dies down to where the people in the reserves now are allowed out,the reserves will dissapear as a worthwhile asset.
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.
Same thing in the army. I know of a retired WO with only one lung who is 50 years old,and they asked him to come back on active duty to train troops. This is a man retired and on 100% disability who was supposed to have died of cancer about 3 years ago. I also know others on AD who had planned on retiring,and are now frozen in place who are pretty upset about this,too. Once they have the chance to get out,it's going to be a flood of people leaving. A flood that can't be replaced without a draft.
TRIPLE damages for deceit!
Well,not everybody is lucky enough to join a Air Guard unit that only flies obsolete planes that will never be deployed.
Actually, I don't think he is. Although if he's a retiree, they can't join the reserves, at least not without giving up their retired pay. However they can be recalled to active duty. Since he probably hasn't been out more than years or so, that is a distinct possibility. They recalled a few retirees in critical skill areas during Gulf War I, IIRC.
My best recollection of the Army's policy at least, is that one must be able to complete 20 years of active service by age 55, so the oldest one can be for initial enlistment would be 35. To determine eligibility for re-enlistment, subtrqct total active federal service from age. If the result is 35 or under you're eligible, at least as far as age is concerned.
As a reservist, this sickens me. No one forces you to sign that contract. Everyone knows what they are getting into when they join up. As far as I'm concerned, any reservist who does not show when activated should be punished to the fullest extent of the UCMJ: missing a movement; failure to obey a direct order; AWOL; etc. For anyone who doesn't know, during wartime, the penalty for any of these can be death. Line a couple up against a wall and the rest will take notice.
James R. McClure Jr.
USNR
It was important doing what we do... but after getting NO help from some significant folks (TriCare is USELESS, they won't pay over 40% of the going rate.. and there are NO doctors in our area that take that, and will accept new patients), I've got to admit that my personal motivation level isn't the best it's ever been.
We've had damn few develop a case of chicken-sh*t when the call comes, but damn few. We provide something that the active guys don't have... that's lots of experience, and they've learned how important that is.
Lesson learned from all this... I'm not volunteering to do anything else, but if the call comes... let's go do the job right this time, finish it, and get on with things.
PS: If I had a nickle for every employer that's given our folks fits (you REALLY don't want to know), I could retire now.
That's correct in the Navy-until you go over 30 years, it's not even called retirement pay, it's retainer pay and you can be recalled to active duty from the Fleet Reserve. You're considered retired only after 30 years. I don't know about the other services.
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