I read a friend's blog today and she wrote a post about a guy she knows from school that has joined the army just a few short months from graduating with a bachelor's degree. She couldn't fathom WHY he would do this . . . to go off and possibly die in this war. She is not perhaps always on the same side of the vote as I or my husband, but we agree a lot of the time. Truly this isn't about whether the war is justified or not, but WHY would this "boy" do this?
I have the same situation. There is this boy at my work who joined the Air National Guard a few months ago. He was told that it would be his CHOICE if he wanted to go to Iraq. That he would only have to do his weekend a month and his two weeks a year and any time they had a deployment, it would be "up to him" if he wanted to go. He bought this hook line and sinker. He signed up during hurricane Katrina. When he told all of us this, I told him that fellow co-worker's husband was in the same unit and had been deployed to Louisiana just that week. I told him that there was no option, he was told to pack and leave. He went and asked his recruitment officer about this, he said "Well, going out of the country is different." Yeah, okay, whatever. That same husband is now in Iraq. It was not by choice.
He is pulling out in two weeks for basic training. Last week he was called and told to be on base at 5:00pm and be prepared. He thought he was going to be sent early. I thought he was going to vomit. He looked panicked. He said, "they can't send me anywhere! I have a choice, that's what they said." I have told him all along that until he is actually sworn in, he can change his mind. I have told him that once you are sworn in, you basically have no rights, you are theirs.
This boy is barely 20. He has struggled in college to pay the bills. I think he saw this as a good way out . I am frightened for him. I am not anti-military. My husband served in the Navy. I commend all the troops that are doing their job daily in the war-torn area. I grieve for the families that lose their loved ones in the line of duty. I am not anti-troops, I am anti-war. I support our troops . . . I want them brought home safe. I don't believe that new recruits need to be given false information . . . who am I kidding . . . I don't believe they need to be LIED to.
It makes me want to cry.
Bullshit. When you signup you DO NOT have a choice over serving where you want when you want.
ReplyDeleteTypes of Status in the Reserve and National Guard.
All Reserve and Guard service members are assigned to one of three Reserve Component categories-
-the Ready Reserve
-the Standby Reserve
-the Retired Reserve
As part of the IMA you will be assigned to an active duty unit. So in a time of war or national emergency you could be called up quickly to bring your unit up to strength.
There's a hell of a lot more... more than posting in comments would lend itself to. Go here if you really want to the the truth:
http://www.military.com/Recruiting/Content/0,13898,rec_step04_questions_guardreserve,,00.html#status
OK, never thought that Sheri and AWB would agree on anything. That's a shocker.
ReplyDeleteMy friend Matt just went home. He was a Marine Reservist who got an administrative discharge (which means he was discharged neither honorably nor dishonorably). He and I were just having this same conversation about how the men and women of the military -- especially Reservists, IMO -- are completely swindled to get them to sign up.
It's sad. Really. Prayers for both your friends.
While I do believe that everyone should go threw some type of mandatory service I also think that no one should be allowed to enlist until they have completed at minimum an associates degree. Give our kids time to grow up and at least vote once before you send them to war or put them over the barrel of false promises
ReplyDelete