My Son told me he cannot be deployed for a year

[dogday]

From when he came home in November... He said Mom, they will not deploy me for a year... I said, Son, they will do whatever they need to do, and that may be deployment before the year is up... I said, have you not been paying attention? They do whatever they please....

What do you think? Would they break policy and call my Son up before November 07?


I say unfortunately yes, they will, and we need to end this war now....

[RaleighNCDUer]

1. Unfortunately, as I understand it, many many units have been

re-deployed short of the mandated down-time. I believe you are right.

[Squatch]

2. Dealing with this first hand, I can assure you that the 12-month

mobilization deferment policy (aka Dwell) is not worth the paper it's written on. I just sent 73 soldiers to Iraq, 1/4 of whom had just returned last year.

[Wickerman]

5. what Squatch said

regrettably, best wishes to you and your son, OP.

[Hangingon]

13. Result of PCS?

[Kagemusha]

3. Military "necessity" trumps goodwill policies. So, yeah, they would.

And at the rate it's going they probably will. The latest deployments are slated for 9 months after return, right? The latest batch in the media. Your son will be disappointed.

There's no getting around it so, just have to treasure every day. (Which everyone should do, really.)

[AllegroRondo]

4. Its already happening

NPR story this weekend was about 4th Infantry Division at Ft Hood getting ready to deply after only 9 months back.

[BlooInBloo]

6. Um, they're sending *injured* soldiers back to the front. I doubt they'll hesitate with UNinjured.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/04/09/injured_soldiers/

[orleans]

14. i was just going to look up this link for the op.

and i was thinking the same thing (this article even talked about pregnant troops!)

[BlooInBloo]

15. Hm. That's *one* way to swell (!) the numbers.

[dogday]

7. I remember the support I received from many of

you here at DU when my Son was in Iraq... I needed it then and I need it now...

Thanks everyone for being there for me to express my concerns and deepest feelings... :hug:

[Monkeyman]

9. I will be here if needed

[dogday]

12. Thank you MM, I will need all the strength and support

I can get from you and everyone else here... It is so difficult to bear...

[blm]

8. Our Navy pilot cousin is scheduled for September - but they've been told they'll

go sooner if things heat up over Iran.

[valerief]

10. Policy and Pelosi are similar-sounding and this admin hates them both. nt

[LynneSin]

11. DId you read this article in today's Salon

What bullshit these repukes claim they 'support our troops' when they are forcing the injured back into combat.

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2007/04/09/injured_soldiers/

Injured troops shipped back into battle
Salon has uncovered further evidence that the military sent soldiers with acute post-traumatic stress disorder, severe back injuries and other serious war wounds back to Iraq.

By Mark Benjamin

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April 9, 2007 | WASHINGTON -- On March 9, Army Spc. Thomas Smith was ordered to board a plane from Fort Benning, Ga., to deploy back to Iraq, even though he was known to be suffering from chronic post-traumatic stress disorder from a previous tour there. Only weeks prior, military doctors determined that Smith should not be allowed around weapons because of his PTSD symptoms, which included bouts of sudden, extreme anger. Smith's medical records, obtained by Salon, also show that doctors had "highly recommended" that Smith not be deployed because of his condition.

But that did not stop Smith's commanders from ordering him to Iraq as his unit, the 3,900-strong 3rd Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division, was rushing to move out as part of President Bush's so-called surge plan for securing Baghdad.

"I was told to have my bags in at midnight that night," for the flight, Smith said. "I was sitting there looking at these letters in my hand from my doctors," he recalled in a telephone interview. In order to follow the doctors' recommendations, Smith said, "I had to check myself into the hospital." He avoided the flight by just a few hours. Smith's condition was serious enough that the doctors there kept him hospitalized for nearly two weeks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. They called my friend's kid back 18 months after he was discharged

after TWO tours of duty and 6 years. The second time he was deployed, they sent him back on crutches. He had been injured and was still recovering. They sent him back INTO COMBAT on crutches.

You bet they will do whatever they want. Time to end this damn war.

[walldude]

17. The bill Bush is planning to veto

actually tried to address this, by making it mandatory to have a soldier get his one year off before redeployment. But for some reason or other Bush considers that "not supporting the troops". :eyes:

edit for speeling

[Rex]

18. Owned by the Government, let us hope it is over before then.

I hope he never goes back to that hellhole.