I Just Spoke with a Father of an Iraq War Veteren..........

I wish I could tell you his name, but alas, it would be a betrayal of confidence.

His son, who served in Iraq for about a year and a half, joined just after 9/11. They are from a neighboring city of mine.

He is now stationed in Germany. He is told that he may well have to return to Iraq under the military "stop loss" rule.

My friend is bull-shit, and he has yet to inform his wife.

They are ardent detractors of George Bush, Dick Cheney, and the whole regime.

We sat and talked for about two hours today, drinking home made wine in my cousin's cellar. This loving father held his breath for nearly a year and half while his brave son was stationed in Tikrit. Now, after thinking that they had survived the worst, the piece of shit that calls himself a President, is about to send the son back to Iraq. The reason is that they can't find anyone else to go.

I don't know how many other first hand accounts are available to DUers, but this one really hit home.

Let's see how popular this war is if EVERY American family has to face this same dilemma.

it's like a new form of a draft.

Once you're in, you can't get out.

Where the soldier killed in Iraq was under the stoploss for the next 30 years? Is that really the case? Does stoploss keep you in that long???

in for whatever period of time they deem necessary if they need you.

The military would never, to my knowledge, do something like say, "we're going to stop loss you for the next 30 years (rest of your life)." They would have the power to do that, but they'd typically do it a year at a time. e.g. you've done your tour in Iraq and your obligation is up... so sorry, not enough Republican voters signed up, so we're going to keep you in for another 1-2 years...

At the end of THAT 1-2 years: So sorry, not enough Republican volunteers in our "all volunteer" military. Guess we'll have to "volunteer" you again. Etc. etc.

It is being widely used and abused by shrubco for obvious reasons, they want to be able to fuel their Middle East war machine, but they don't want the political cost of actually drafting some of those flag waving, ribbon sticker on their SUV shrub voters.

It's always been a feature of military service but was used much more selectively in the past. It happened to a friend of mine just before the shrub administration. His medical specialty was an important one for the military and he was "stop lossed" for a year at the end of his service obligation so that the service would have enough of his type of surgeon. Luckily for him, his dream job at a top university was held for him during that year and he was able to go. If he were still in the service now, I'd bet they'd be stringing him along with stop loss after stop loss, since his specialty is important for reconstructive work with all the soldiers and Marines with mangled limbs.

my neighbors kids friend. Little girl. Both parents in the military and the father was just killed in Iraq. Not tragic enough? Well now they're deploying the mother. Kid gets to go with grandma or something I guess. Private Ryan would be screwed in this war.