Retired Army colonel, 70, sent to Afghanistan

[Crunchy Frog]

By R. NORMAN MOODY
Gannett News Service

Dr. John Caulfield thought it had to be a mistake when the Army asked him to return to active duty. After all, he's 70 years old and had already retired - twice. He left the Army in 1980 and private practice two years ago.

"My first reaction was disbelief," Caulfield said. "It never occurred to me that they would call a 70-year-old."

In fact, he was so sure it was an error that he ignored the postcards and telephone messages asking if he would be willing to volunteer for active duty to "backfill" somewhere on the East Coast, Europe or Hawaii. That would be OK, he thought. It would release active duty oral surgeons from those areas to go to combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan.

But then the orders came for him to go to Afghanistan.

http://www.marionstar.com/news/stories/20041211/localnews/1731211.html

[saigon68]

1. Nice

I'd like to see him pass a PT test.

[LynnTheDem]

2. Anyone who was ever in the military is being DRAFTED.

And when they run out of Vietnam-era and Korean-era and WWII-era ex-soldiers, I hope they come for the rightwingnut warmongers, their parents, their spouses, and all their kids and grandkids. :)

[PDX Bara]

20. The Draft

The best of our youth and now even our mature citizens with a love for their country are being drafted or are volunteering to protect the cowardly a**es of those despicable lumps of protoplasm who "had other priorities" when it was their time and turn to serve. Really disgusting that the biggest coward of all is their so-called "Commander in Chief."

[DS1]

21. Anyone who was in the Officer Corps and still wanted to call themselves

Capt or Colonel etc after they got out is getting 'drafted'. It's payback for those expensive clubs and pretty swords they were given ;-)

[classof56]

26. If it were anybody but Bush and crowd, I'd say I can't believe this!

But we know now, sadly it's true and believable. I have a relative, a Lt Colonel helicopter pilot in Viet Nam who was shot in the head, survived, and retired. He's now 75 but supports Bush completely based on one issue: Gun control. So maybe he's safe. On the other hand, my husband, almost 70, is a Korean-era vet who did not vote for Bush. I have this cold fear within me that something awful is about to happen. I agree about the rightwing Bush supporters who view this as a "righteous war". Let 'em go fight it. Maybe they'll have some special reward in heaven for having died there.

Tired Old Cynic

[leftchick]

29. and the bushbot I just passed on the road.....

with a 'freedom isn't free' bumpersticker.

[pinerow]

3. And so it goes...

:wtf:

[Cooley Hurd]

4. I'm waiting for my Dad's orders to come...

He was with the 551st AAA Battalion in WW2 - and has been dead for 36 years...:eyes:

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

5. Now I'm worried

My brother is 63, has just had heart surgery, and is just about to reach retirement from the college where he works. He was in the Army for 20 years, retiring as a CW3 in 1980. I sure hope they don't draft him back in-or draft his 20 year old son.

[Solly Mack]

6. My sister in Georgia was telling me about a 70+ yr old nurse

that is serving with the NG in Iraq.

My sister said the lady remarked that she felt "useful"

[kedrys]

9. Yeah, but...

if these are the "choices" some people are left to make, i.e. getting shot in the ass day after day or be a greeter at the Wal-Mart of the Living Dead, it just shows this country is even more fucked than we've been led to believe.

Not good.

[Solly Mack]

10. That was my sisters point as well

that she (the nurse) had to go to war to feel useful in society.

We were reared to honor the elderly so things such as this wound us deeply.

[kedrys]

16. That's how we were raised as well...

The eldest have the most experience and have seen and done the most things...so what if some of that may not be relevant in today's world? Listen to their stories and learn something!

I was blown away to find out during a casual conversation that my uncle Jack, who could build anything and fix anything, was a general aviation pilot in Alaska and the Yukon before he met my aunt. I had no idea. We ended up talking about it for hours.

You can't know where you're going until you figure out where you've been.

[leesa]

17. And yet hospitals are desperate for volunteers. Sounds a bit like

a rationalization to me.

[Solly Mack]

18. Actually, the lady in quesiton was turned

down as a volunteer at her local hospital. Seems she wanted to volunteer her talents as a nurse and all that means...and the hospital wanted little old ladies to deliver mail, flowers, and other assorted candy striper duties.

Perhaps she wanted to do more than just push a patient to x-ray.

[TahitiNut]

30. Yes, private companies love free labor.

When I contemplate the huge number of 'volunteers' at our local hospital (Beaumont) and the enormous financial clout of that company, I get ill. Of course, my illness merely sends them more business. :eyes:

[Deja Q]

7. What the fuck is going on? How in the name of hell can a 70 YEAR OLD

fight with as much musclepower as a 25 year old?!

Did yon 70 year old vote for Kerry?!

This goes way beyond insanity.

[JI7]

8. go attend events with Young Republicans

and bring copies of these type of articles along with forms to sign up for the military.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. Republicans are so obtuse. They elect a leader who has never

served on the front, and indeed, pulled strings so that he wouldn't, and then they sit back and watch him take them out, one by one.

That's a lot of hatred of minorities, gay and the poor to allow someone to do that to them.

[NEOBuckeye]

33. You might be surprised

Americans have a long history of cutting off their own noses to spite someone else's face. It's been going on between whites and blacks in the South for generations.

[steely]

12. Oh fuck, I'm only 48....

well I guess that on the bright side, if they come and git me, and I live a few years - I could get my 20 - or did they change that to 30 now?

Seriously - is it only a matter of time for me or what???

[wordout]

13. sorry, this guy volunteered

"I've been a soldier for 25 years," he said. "When your country asks, you do it."

probably a bush voter too.

[steely]

14. You NEVER volunteer in the Army.

That's a rule you learn very early on.

Yeah, he really thought he was going to Hawaii - poor sucker.

[ohioliberal]

15. Oh I can't wait

Till they call up my brother-in-law who fought in Vietnam, who is a big * supporter and I'll just laugh in his face!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[snippy]

19. Selective Service has been looking at a medical personnel draft.

An article about a medical personnel draft was buried in the Wall Street Journal this week.

Possibility of a Military Draft Of Doctors Worries the AMA

By CHRISTOPHER WINDHAM
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
December 8, 2004; Page D6

The Selective Service System said it is reviewing a little-known contingency plan for drafting physicians, nurses and other health professionals, causing concern at the American Medical Association, which voted yesterday to communicate with the agency on the issue.

The plan, called the Health Care Personnel Delivery System, was authorized by Congress in 1987 to handle an emergency need for medical personnel during a conflict. About 3.4 million male and female health-care workers ages 20 to 44 would be expected to register with the Selective Service if the president called for the plan to be put into action, and Congress approved.

A paper published this year in the Wisconsin Medical Journal, by Wisconsin Army National Guard State Surgeon Col. Roger A. Lalich, said that, though a general draft is not likely to occur, a physician draft is "the most likely conscription into the military in the near future." A Selective Service newsletter last year expressed a similar view.

. . .

The current draft plan resulted from legislation that requires the Selective Service to have a "structure" for registering and classifying health-care professionals. If authorized, about 36,000 health-care workers could be selected from 60 specialties, including anesthesiology, mental health, emergency medicine and neurology. Akin to a general conscription, selection would start with the youngest registrants.

In September there were about 8,000 active-duty medical personnel and 3,000 reservists deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Though the percentage of physicians activated from reserve components has increased since Sept. 11, 2001, a Defense Department spokesman said he knows of no plans to deploy additional medical personnel to Iraq or Afghanistan.

Write to Christopher Windham at [e-mail]

http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110247610882594172,00.html?mod=todays_us_personal_journal

[UpInArms]

22. There's no fool like an old fool. .......... eom

[City Lights]

23. The chimp-in-chief still owes America some time.

I think it's time he fulfilled his commitment. He likes to pretend he's a tough guy. It's time for him to put up or shut up.

[acmavm]

24. My gosh, we are officially the laughingstock of the entire planet. Not

like we weren't on the cusp before, but now, it is official. The desperation of this administration stinks to the heavens. Can you imagine the talk in the retirement communities? "Get your papers yet Sam? I got mine yesterday, I leave for basic in a couple of weeks."

This administration with its crazy fixation on war and conquest coupled with incompetence and a really bizarre denial of reality has crossed the fine line between sanity and the Twilight Zone. Anyone who has fooled themselves up to now thinking that there won't be a draft is just as nuts.

[reprobate]

28. What of the changes in the training schedules?

How will they have to change their training to accomodate the walkers?

[Redleg]

25. Oh boy. I'm only 40 and have only been out since 1992.

I guess I will have to drop a few pounds if they expect me to get into my BDUs again- either that or I can go to Canada.

[Mr_Spock]

27. I'm telling the old red-neck Bush voter at work to get packin'

He's like in his 60's and was recalled for Bush vs. Iraq I. He told me he was too old for Bush vs. Iraq II - huh!, put away the fishing pole old man, you're never finished serving your country, boy!

[Nordic]

31. Good Lord, this could be my DAD!

My dad is a 70 year old retired LT. Col from the Army.

Jeezus .......

I guess I should expect the call any time.

WTF is wrong with this country?

[alfredo]

32. You are never too old to get the

green weenie. Back fill my ass.