Return to Sender - Iraq Veteran Gets the Call Again by Colby Buzzell
When I voluntarily enlisted in the Army, I remember asking my recruiter about the fine print on the contract about being called back up to active duty once my enlistment was completed. He assured me not to worry, that every contract said that and it would only happen if "World War III" broke out. That was a little over five years ago.
On [the] way out of my building two weeks ago, I checked my mailbox and found a letter from the Department of the Army with "Important Document" printed in all caps on the middle. I immediately felt sick. . . .I'm now going back to Iraq for a second time because people like me - existing service members - are the only people at the Army's disposal. [emphasis added]
^^^
I know I won't get any sympathy at all from the "you dumb ass you signed the contract!" crowd, which is fine, but I really was looking forward to applying my GI Bill to photography classes so I could learn how to take pictures. But now, thanks to not enough Americans volunteering for military service, I now have to worry about my picture appearing on the second or third page of my hometown paper with the words, "it was his second deployment" in my obituary.
5 comments:
It is a given that a recruiter will lie to you to fill their quota. Everyone I know was in the military and I do not know a single person who was not lied to. I really feel for that guy and the many like him. My sons are doing it voluntarily for the Bonuses. You know I firmly believe these are the opening volleys of WW3 and along with this just beginning greatest depression at the same time it will dwarf anything the world has ever seen but anyway what are people supposed to volunteer to keep people from being pulled back in? I'd rather see an end to Bush's forever war but I am afraid it is too late for that!
hi, libhom and welcome!
yep. they'll say virtually anything to fill their quotas-- including the statement that they aren't required to fill quotas.
uh huh, yeah, right. . . .
hi, AAP--
yeah, the **ahem** bonuses.
I _hope_ I'm wrong, but something tells me they'll play hell getting those bonuses when they finally get out of the military.
when those who come back physically or emotionally wounded can't get medical attention, who's going to hold the gov't's feet to the fire when it comes to handing out things like education and other bonuses, I wonder.
and, even while they're in Iraq, when the kids are reduced to adding scavenged armor to their vehicles [some of which are even made of plywood, for God's sake!] who's going to make sure they get the GI bill?
in fact is, right now, the GOP hardliners and blue dogs are doing whatever they can to keep the new GI bill from passing. how sick is that? [see post of 5/13]
The recruiters will say and do anything the get enlistments. Thats why the college campuses are always fighting to keep them away.
hey, mn-blue---
and, I don't know how true it is == but I wouldn't be surprised:
I recently heard that the feds are tying
funding state-run schools to their letting the recruiters onto their campuses.
how low is that?
a lot of these schools depend on those funds to keep tuitions within bounds so students can afford to go to school.
Post a Comment