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I may be wrong, but aren't the people in the military under some type of order where they can't retire or let their enlistments expire?

It's the Stop-Loss Order:

Army partially lifts Stop-Loss order
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, May 29, 2003) -- The Army has lifted "Stop Loss" for active-component units and for soldiers in about half of the specialties that had been required to stay on active duty.

Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs Reginald J. Brown approved the partial lifting of Stop Loss May 27.

This lifting of Stop Loss will allow about 16,000 active-component, 4,900 Army Reserve and 675 National Guard soldiers to leave active duty if they want between now and October, personnel officials said.

These soldiers, as they begin their transition from the Army, will be provided time to complete transition and career counseling, along with demobilization activities, officials said. They said the Army's Stop Loss exit strategy will normally allow 180 days to transition soldiers returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Personnel strength managers from all Army components will regulate separation dates to ensure no adverse impact on Army-wide readiness, officials said.

The Army lifted its "stop movement" order earlier this month to allow many OIF soldiers to report to their next assignments.

Soldiers in the following specialties are now no longer subject to Stop Loss:

Officers with specialties: 15C35 (Aviation Intelligence); Additional Skill Identifier (ASI) K4 (Special Operations Aviation), K5 (MH-60K Pilot), and/or K6 (H-47E Pilot); 18 (Special Forces); 38 (Civil Affairs); 39 (Psychological Operations).

Warrant Officers with specialties: 153E (MH-60 Pilot); 154E (MH-47 Pilot); 155E (C-12 Pilot); 155G (O-5A/EO-5B/RC-7 Pilot); Pilots with ASI K4 (Special Operations Aviation), K5 (MH-60K Pilot, and/or K6 H-47E Pilot); 180A (Special Forces); 350B (Intelligence Technician); 351C (Area Intelligence Technician); 352G (Voice Intercept Technician);

Enlisted soldiers with Military Occupational Specialties: 00Z (Command Sergeant Major with Special Forces (SF) background); 18B (SF Weapons Sergeant); 18C (SF Engineer Sergeant); 18D (SF Medical Sergeant); 18E (SF Communications Sergeant); 18F (SF Operations and Intelligence Sergeant); 18Z (SF Senior Sergeant); 37F (Psychological Operations Specialist); 38A (Civil Affairs Specialist); 67U (CH-47 Helicopter Repairer); 98C (Signals Intelligence Analyst).

The Stop Loss policy was initiated in four separate increments to allow the Army to retain soldiers -- who were determined to be essential to the national security of the United States -- on active duty beyond their date of retirement or separation for an open-ended period. It began with Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom Nov. 30, 2001. The fourth and last increment, announced Feb. 14, was for units supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Stop Loss does not affect most involuntary separations or retirements, officials said, nor does it generally limit laws, regulations, or policies that lead to involuntary separations, retirements, or releases from active duty.

Reserve-component Unit Stop Loss, which affects Reserve soldiers assigned to alerted or mobilized RC units, remains in effect.

The following skills for all components remain affected by the Army's 12-Month, Skill-Based Stop Loss Program:

Officers designated: 30 Information Operations, 31 Military Police, 34 Strategic Intelligence, 35 Military Intelligence, 45A Comptroller, 48G FAO (Mideast/N Africa), 51C Contract & Industrial Management, 53 Information Systems Management.

Warrant Officers: 152C OH-6 Scout Pilot, 153D UH-60 Pilot, 154C CH-47D Pilot, 311A CID Special Agent, 351B Counter Intelligence Technician, 351E Human Intelligence Collection Technician.

Enlisted: 52E Prime Power Production Specialist, 55D EOD Specialist, 74B Information Systems Operator, 92M Mortuary Affairs Specialist, 95B Military Police, 95C Correctional Specialist, 95D CID Special Agent, 96B Intelligence Analyst, 96U UAV Operator, 97B Counter Intelligence Agent, 97E Human Intelligence Collector, 97L Translator (Minus Russian and Spanish), 98G Voice Interceptor (Language Specific).

There is a Stop Loss program in effect that keeps people in certain career fields from leaving during time of war/conflict, where their expertise is needed. It has nothing to do with folks reenlisting - they do that because they want to. Those whose enlistments would normally end, are just held over, they do not have to commit to more time; they just don't get to separate until the potential emergency need is past.