The Army Wants You...Again! (Yes, Really.)

[babylonsister]

The Army Wants You...Again! (Yes, Really.)

Three years out of the army, diagnosed with PTSD, I recently got a nice letter from the pentagon saying they'd like me back in Iraq, pronto. They didn't even mind that I was a little sick. And I'm not the only one.

By Colby Buzzell


He never thought he'd need these artifacts of service in Iraq again, but in April of 2008, after having separated from the Army early in 2005, the author received orders to report to Fort Benning, Georgia, the following month.


Imagine that you graduated from college, and a couple years afterward your alma mater contacts you and says, Sorry, you didn't graduate from college. In fact, you have five weeks to drop everything that you're doing--quit your job, get out of your lease, put all your stuff in storage, cancel your Netflix, etc.--and report back to campus so that you can redo all the schooling that you've already done. And not only that, here's a Smith & Wesson .357 revolver with only one round in the chamber--spin the chamber, point it at your head, and pull the trigger. If you live, you live. If you don't, you don't.

The only shooting that I care to do from now on is with my camera, and I had just got done with the long and arduous process of getting my GI Bill activated and signed up for photography classes down at the city college when I received the large manila envelope in the mail with the words IMPORTANT DOCUMENT printed in all caps in the center of it.

Inside was a letter that said that I had five weeks (just enough time for all the illegal drugs in my system to get flushed out) to report to Fort Benning, Georgia--"Home of the Infantry"--for in-processing, and after that I'd be assigned to a National Guard Infantry unit. Purpose: Operation Iraqi Freedom. I love all-expenses-paid business trips, but I don't recall enlisting in the National Guard--I enlisted in the regular Army. What I do recall is my recruiter telling me that I wouldn't be called back up to active duty unless "World War III broke out."

When I joined up six years ago, I was under the strong impression that I'd be able to do my time, get out, and move on. Which is what I did, or at least tried to do.

I had no idea that the Army was going to turn into this psychotic ex-girlfriend that you'd need to file a restraining order against because the crazy bitch doesn't get the hint that there's no way we're getting back together again--ever!

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http://www.esquire.com/features/army-recall-0908