Mullen: ‘Stop-loss’ to continue

[CommunityEditor]

FORT STEWART, Ga. — The U.S. military’s top uniformed officer told an audience of Army troops Wednesday the unpopular “stop-loss” policy won’t end anytime soon, and he predicted a small rise in the number of troops forced to serve past their re-enlistment or retirement dates.

Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told an audience of 600 soldiers at Fort Stewart he understands the strain the stop loss practice and multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan have placed on service members.

“I would like to see an end to the stop-loss policy, but I don’t see it happening in the near future,” Mullen said during a question-and-answer session with the troops. “I see a slight growth in the next couple of years based on predictions right now.”

Mullen said about 11,000 Army soldiers are now serving under the stop-loss policy, which critics have referred to as a “backdoor draft.” Retaining troops beyond the date they’re due to leave the military has been necessary to keep units stocked with trained soldiers ready to deploy to Iraq and Afghanistan, he said.

The stop loss question came up as Mullen spoke to noncommissioned and junior officers from the 3rd Infantry Division who returned from a 15-month deployment to Iraq in the last few months.

The 20,000-soldier division was the first tapped by the Army to serve a third tour in Iraq since 2003, and about half the soldiers in the room raised their hands when Mullen asked how many had deployed three times or more.

Concerned about burnout among the ranks, the Army is working to grow by about 22,000 soldiers, to 547,000 total on active duty. The expansion will make it easier to cease the stop loss policy, Mullen said, as well as extend the time troops spend at home between deployments to two years rather than one.

But that won’t happen for up to three years, Mullen said.

“What I worry about is ... you come up to the end of your obligation and you go. And we can’t afford to lose you,” he said. “There’s a finite amount of gas left in this tank. And in my view we’ve used at least half the tank.”

Article: http://www.militarytimes.com/news/20...oploss_061108/

I just think it is unfair that troops still not even half way through a tour in Iraq have already been told they are going to Afghanistan which means they will be stop lossed. Being told this while still in theater could and probably is a moral buster at this point in the game. Why not at least wait until they get home to give them this news?

A concerned parent

And soldier or Marine who's joined in 2003 and beyond really has no excuse. They should have known the score that we got a neo-con warmonger as President and would take war "on the cheap". Stop-loss was in the cards. Everyone (without blinders on) could have said this stop-loss would happen.

[USSConstellation]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I just think it is unfair that troops still not even half way through a tour in Iraq have already been told they are going to Afghanistan which means they will be stop lossed. Being told this while still in theater could and probably is a moral buster at this point in the game. Why not at least wait until they get home to give them this news?

A concerned parent

Ma'am or Sir,

If you want the truth, they honestly don't give a damn about moral. How about being fresh out of your MOS school and being sent to Iraq within two weeks of graduating school................ Ok now also knowing that you have 3 deployments ahead of you. Knowing that you will have no life whatsoever and only 5 months of dwell time between each deployment, then after your 3rd deployment, you receive orders to another unit. OVERSEAS and away from your family yet again, unaccompanied for a year. Having to extend past contract in order to bring your family with you, so instead of one year its now 3. That was the final straw for me, I basically took the 1 year orders and they can kiss my ass because I will never reenlist, HOWEVER because I have a critical MOS I will probably be recalled. Last but not least, being told by your chain of command that if you do not take the overseas orders you will be NJP'd and sent back to Iraq for a fourth tour. This was all in my 1st enlistment and I still have a year to go on my enlistment

[USSConstellation]

Originally Posted by USSConstellation

Ma'am or Sir,

If you want the truth, they honestly don't give a damn about moral. How about being fresh out of your MOS school and being sent to Iraq within two weeks of graduating school................ Ok now also knowing that you have 3 deployments ahead of you. Knowing that you will have no life whatsoever and only 5 months of dwell time between each deployment, then after your 3rd deployment, you receive orders to another unit. OVERSEAS and away from your family yet again, unaccompanied for a year. Having to extend past contract in order to bring your family with you, so instead of one year its now 3. That was the final straw for me, I basically took the 1 year orders and they can kiss my ass because I will never reenlist, HOWEVER because I have a critical MOS I will probably be recalled. Last but not least, being told by your chain of command that if you do not take the overseas orders you will be NJP'd and sent back to Iraq for a fourth tour. This was all in my 1st enlistment and I still have a year to go on my enlistment

. They don't give a damn

[populancefirst]

For this reason and several others........ This Marine willl be voting for the Democrat

[USSConstellation]

my vote won't even count, my absentee ballot will get lost just like the last 4 times