Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

When you join the military, you typically enlist for a hitch of some number of years. Depending on the branch and the type of contract, you can go in for 2, 4, or 6 years. Pretty straight-forward. What you may not realize is, no matter how many years you sign on for, you owe Uncle Sam eight years.

When I was offered the chance to take "terminal leave" or cash out my leave, the clerk explained it to me. "If you take terminal leave, it's like being on vacation but you are still in the Air Force. If we go to war or something while you're on leave, you're stuck for as long as the President says he needs you."

OK - So what if I had taken the cash?

"Then, for the rest of your life you'd still owe the Air Force a few months of service. If there's ever a war in the future, you could get called back and then you're stuck for as long as the President needs you."

So let's make sure you all understand this. Serve less than 8 full years and the military can draft you back for the rest of your life. Serve a full 8 years and you are free.

Now I don't know about the millions of other veterans, but when I joined the Air Force and signed up for FOUR years, no one told me that I owed the government another FOUR years and would owe that time for the REST OF MY LIFE!

I figured you sign up for four, do four, and you are honorably discharged. This idea of an "Inactive Ready Reserve" was NEVER mentioned to me by my recruiter.

Since the Iraq war began, the Army has called up over 14,000 folks in this back-door draft and now, according to news reports, the Marines have been authorized to start drafting vets.

Gee - Why does Donald Rumsfeld say that we are not stretched too thin? Would we need a backdoor draft if we weren't?

Can you imagine - having left the Marines or Army ten years ago, having a wife, kids, good job, happy life, and suddenly getting a letter in the mail that says report for duty! Holy crap!!

That's what you get for honestly and honorably serving your country, for anything less than exactly eight years.

Anyone want to go chat with some recruiters and see how many are telling their 4-year signups that they are actually signing up for life?

President Bush says we'll stay in Iraq as long as he's President. Sounds like we know how to get out and save a bunch of 30 and 40-somethings from a rude letter in the mail. Impeach the Commander in Chief! (Really - anything less than eight years from him would be a blessing).