War Vet, 50, Stunned By New Deployment

[Ichingcarpenter]

Source: kcra

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A veteran who has been out of the military for 15 years and recently received his AARP card was stunned when he received notice he will be deployed to Iraq.

The last time Paul Bandel, 50, saw combat was in the early 1990s during the Gulf War.
"(I was) kind of shocked, not understanding what I was getting into," said Bandel, who lives in the Nashville, Tenn., area.
In 1993, Bandel took the option of leaving the Army without retirement and never thought he would be called back to action.

Calls to the Army and the Pentagon about how many men and women in their 50s are being called back to duty were not returned Wednesday.
Paul Bandel will be deployed overseas until 2010. His wife plans to move in with her elderly parents until his return.
Involuntary recall allows the military, regardless of age or how long someone has been out of service, to order vets back into active duty.

Read more: http://www.kcra.com/family/18398827/detail.html

[seemslikeadream]

1. unreal

they want to kill us all

[No Passaran]

70. What they don't tell you in that news report

He was an officer. He never resigned his commission and was just re-activated. Wrong? Yes. Illegal? No.

[Ms. Toad]

96. presumably he was receiving some benefits

by not resigning his commission that he would not have been entitled to had he retired.

Sounds like he misjudged the risks associated with accepting the benefits - sort of like all the peacetime enlistments who thought they would never be deployed.

[No Passaran]

98. yup

It never happens. Once an officer, always an officer.

[Boudica the Lyoness]

99. I think they do.

My son is 33 and has been in the air force for 14 years. He's a Tsgt and has always had a desk job. Last month they sent him to Wisconsin for less than a months combat training.

Sunday they shipped him off to Iraq.

I know where he's at and it is NOT an air force base. He's with people who have been trained to break thing's and kill people. The army and marines joined the military knowing they would be trained for combat and therefor mentally better prepared for it. He never would have joined the air force if he knew he'd be used as canon fodder. I never would have taken him to a army or marine recruiter when he was a teenager. Please don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the other branches. It's just we got fucked over by Bush really bad and I'm trying to manage my hate for the fucker.

Clinton was president when he enlisted in 1994.

[opihimoimoi]

2. Oh Oh...now its personal...my son was in DS1 with the 101 Mash Unit

I now wonder about his status...he is 42 and supposedly out of the Military.....I wonder now...

I should say///very worried....

[DS1]

12. He was where?

/sorry


I'm pretty damn sure I'm out of the military, did my 4 active 4 reserve, finished in 1998

[opihimoimoi]

15. Ft Campbell 101 Airborne....Mash Unit....Pharm Aide

Stationed in Saudi during DS1....got out as the war ended...took 4 months just to get released and home...

The lucky dude was with the NURSES.....OMG....

[thunder rising]

17. The last criteria is 40 yrs old (inactive) ... something funny about this fellow being called up.

[truedelphi]

36. If youhave a chance to check out the stats on CNN's site related to

Those who have died in Iraq, a surprising number have died while serving there as fifty somethings.

120 degree heat and long marches do not necessarily allow for a long lifetime if you are over 50, in the military and serving as a grunt. Add to that a staggering number of vaccinations (many of them not even tested, except on the troops themselves,) loads of bug spray etc and the older person's body is overwhelmed.

[MattBaggins]

89. The age for involuntary recall is not 40

and the 8 year agreement is squat as well. The day someone raises their hand as swears the oath of service; it doesn't matter if they serve just one day and get a dishonorable discharge, they can be called up for service up to 55 years of age.

[meatloaf]

79. Don't count on it.

I don't know if they've changed the paper-work, but when I enlisted in 86 in the small print of one of the myriad of forms it basically stated that should conditions warrant it, anyone who enlisted could be recalled at any time after they signed on the dotted line. Basically they own you for life if the conditions warrant it, and since they get to decide what conditions warrant what, well... you can see where it leads. And yes my retarded ass still signed. They haven't recalled me yet and I have my fingers crossed. The wife says she'll send me to Canada before she'll let them have me.

I'm still amazed at the number of people who didn't read every last page when signing and are surprised by this. But then I found it and still bought the b.s. that it would "never happen".

[pasto76]

21. If this is news to you, as a former servicemember, then you havent been paying attention!!!

The media looslely reported on somewhere around 13,000 "back door drafts" at the start of the iraq invasion, but there was a lot of disinformation slung by the right and this never really took hold. They are notable because like this fellow, they have had a loooong break in service and are well past the age where they would be able to voluntarily re-enter the military. DOD claims that most of these have been associated with intelligence and linguist MOS, but I havent trusted ANYONE above a platoon leader since they _took away our atropine injectors_ while back here the chickenshithawks were still screaming about WMDs.

ANYWAY, yes, they can do this. NO, they should not. If Pentagon has to go to these measures, then they shouldnt have chosen to start this conflict.

This dude doesnt know ANYTHING about the current weapon systems, current COIN operations, and he is most likely "set in his ways" (speaking from experience with other older guys who came in during our deployment - no offense on him personally). This is hardly a recipe for a cohesive unit.

My freeper-esque friends have been hailing "the surge" as a great victory for Bush. Ok, the whole year I was over there, commanders were asking for more troops. He should have given them then. I am happy as a pig in shit that casualties are down 66%. Thats still over 300 of my finiest soldiers dead. Yay, Iraq took conmtrol of the green zone this week and everything is going swimmingly.

Except regular folks who have already served and completed their contractual obligation are still getting fucked. This is the real measure of how things are going.

Good luck

SGT PASTO

[proud progressive]

22. and we thought they were just spying on us

[Winterblues]

28. Are you saying that once an Honorable Discharge has been given

that person can then be recalled? I understand that being seperated from Active or even inactive duty is one thing but actually receiving a Discharge and then being called into Service is a real honest to goodness DRAFT. Not just some "back door draft" as you call it...I do not believe that is Constitutional unless the person were an Officer and we know they basically sign up for life....

[kenfrequed]

32. How accurate is this article

As a former 96B I am a bit concerned about being recalled. I was under the impression that as IRR, you could only be called up during the eight years from the date of your initial enlistment.




http://www.fourwinds10.com/siterun_data/government/fraud/us_government/news.php?q=1227479352

[Big_Mike]

61. It is very simple - he is an officer

As such, his appointment is for life. Officers can be recalled at any time, unless they resign their commission ow warrant.

Us enlisted swine don't have this issue. We owe only the eight years.

[Leftest]

83. Actually, at least back when I served all contracts were six years

With the first contract serving either three or four years at which point you could either reenlist, switch to active reserve or to inactive reserve. Which ever of the reserve choices were made; after the remainder of the six years was up that was it. No chance whatsoever to be recalled.

Of course I am referring to us enlisted swine. :)


Now then, where else do I recall in history where old men were brought to serve in time of war? Hmmmmmm? Would anyone care to elaborate on that one for me?

[kenfrequed]

101. Thank you.

I was pretty sure I had read that part of my contract right. I am relieved now.

[Hissyspit]

40. He hasn't been paying attention or else he is pretending not to have been paying attention so that

he can BRING attention to this. If he hasn't been paying attention, it's a shame he didn't find Democratic Underground about five or six years ago.

[Jackpine Radical]

55. Yo, Sarge. Welcome to DU.

BTW, you'll find a lot of vets around here.

I was an 11-B in the 1st Cav in 1967-68.

I'm now 63; I hope I'm not on their list.

[Obamanaut]

85. When I retired from the Navy in 1988 with 28 years (enlisted), I

didn't really "retire" but "transferred to the Fleet Reserve" susceptible to being reactivated for two more years. My retirement pay was called "retainer" pay. When my total time (actual service plus fleet reserve) came to 30 years in 1990, I received a really nice retirement certificate in the mail.

"Free at last!"

[seemslikeadream]

93. I will be thinking of you opihimoimoi

[atreides1]

3. ?????

This is really strange, I got out in 1991 after Desert Storm, and the Army hasn't bothered recalling me!

By the way I'm not complaining, I like my current relationship with the Army, there is none! And, I prefer to keep it that way.

[hobbit709]

4. "Hell no, I won't go!"

Call up shrub-he never fulfilled his term.

[gratuitous]

8. You can't desert a faithless government

This government has broken faith with its military; military folks have no further obligation to it.

[Marrah_G]

5. My brother was 42 when he was recalled from retirement to go to Iraq

He had been retired 10 years and had a child due born halfway through his deployment.

Oh yeah...he is Navy.

If you are an officer they own your ass.

[Breathe]

6. My brother is 42

and was eligible for retirement years ago ... but they won't let him retire. He's also US Navy.

[Marrah_G]

13. It's scary

Hopefully your brother stays in the states or at sea. otherwise it's a long time to hold your breath.

[Jefferson23]

7. What a nightmare, poor guy, this is another reason not to join at all.

[thunder rising]

18. Ding Ding Ding!!!! That's the point. There are bad things that can happen to you

if you join up, that are not a possibility otherwise: Dishonorable discharge (no not the clap), recall.

[Sirveri]

67. you can only get dishonorable via court martial.

That generally means you've done something REALLY screwed up (eg. rape, murder, grand theft, assault, etc etc etc...).

[Mojorabbit]

9. My hubby is a 53 yo physician

and the army called his office Wed trying to recruit him.

[dana_b]

94. yep. I'm a nurse in my early 40s and still get

literature from them trying to get me to enlist. haha!! right...

[BadGimp]

10. I thought the article would reveal this was a mistake...

omg

[htuttle]

11. Same thing happened near the end of WWII...

...to Germans.

[thunder rising]

19. Yeah, but they lost ... uhhh never mind.

[LostinVA]

23. Yup, elderly men, ex-soldiers who were amputees, boys not even able to shave yet

Plus, using the younger boys of the HJ and the girls in the BDM to act as "civilian" air patrol via manning anti-aircraft guns.

[Another Bill C.]

14. I'll go

My reserve time was up in 1963. I still dream of being aboard ship. I've heard they've replaced the racks with bunks. That's living in the lap of luxury. If they'd give me my old rate back (ETR) I'd be packed in an hour. Have someone call me.

[thunder rising]

20. That makes you like what, 80? Go for it!!!

[Iggo]

16. But hey, it's not a draft, right?

At least they can say they saved us from the mean old democrats and their pesky draft.

[OswegoAtheist]

24. This isn't the first time this has happened....

Oswego "Damn Yankees" Atheist

[semillama]

29. Hilarious, thanks for posting that image! n/t

[Blue_Tires]

50. WIN

[sunnystarr]

63. Oswego New York? (nt)

[chill_wind]

69. Lol--- a DUzy, if ever! :-) n/t

[Generic Other]

97. CLASSIC!!

Stinking Bush administration!

[damntexdem]

25. We'll beat the enemy with our canes and walkers!

Kind of changes the meaning of "senior officer," huh?

Hey, for any recalls of people over 60, will Meals on Wheels deliver to Iraq?

[Fire1]

47. ROFLMAO!!!!

[proReality]

64. My 88-year old father is leaving for Canada first thing

in the morning.

[Bette Noir]

26. Unbefuckinglievable.

[skooooo]

27. If it were me...

..I'd say, "Get my jail cell ready!"

[Bigmack]

30. I gotta ask...

is a 50yr old guy a help or hinderance to his unit?

I was just a grunt, but I sure didn't want to be in the shit with "old" guys of 35 or 40.

[Kibby]

31. Huh?

Maybe I'm missing something here, but how can they recall this guy? I thought that after you served your eight years, as long as you'd completely separated from the military they couldn't touch you.

Does this mean that someone who has served can be called up for an Involuntary Recall, anytime, for the rest of their lives?

I have a lot of friends who are former soldiers. Most are supposedly free and clear...or so I thought.

Can anyone explain what gives?

[starroute]

33. He wasn't complete separated

From the OP: "In 1993, Bandel took the option of leaving the Army without retirement and never thought he would be called back to action."

[THUNDER HANDS]

34. why would you leave without retiring?

do you get better benefits that way? Seems like you would get less.

[MADem]

41. I don't get that either. My 214 says that I am "Subject to Recall at the Order of the SECNAV"

Maybe his says something along those lines as well.

Then again, I get a retirement check. I just don't get that bit about leaving without retirement....unless maybe he was transitioning to a federal job straight away and fell under the old "double dipping" rule.

I just don't understand what the deal is. There's more to this than we know.

[1776Forever]

35. Try 60- year olds - My son was in the Reserves with 2 that age.....

Drafting 60-year Olds Now?!? WTF?!?
by theophilus
Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 06:07:40 AM PST

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/8/23/9740/42676

My parents live in a gated condo complex in the DC area, and are friendly with the gatehouse guard, a Vietnam vet who served in the Navy Seals and in the Marines. The fellow, who is in his early 60's, was in special units that had lifetime call-up provisions.

Well, now the Marines have called him up. For combat operations. In Fallujah.

[IndianaGreen]

37. They won't call me back

I'm LGBT.

[Countdown_3_2_1]

44. Under Obama's new rules, "Yes You Can!"

He's changing all of that.

[orleans]

71. which one?

}( (you mentioned 4--that's a lot to be all at once!)

[sarcasmo]

38. I was done in 88, looks like I can still be called back, what a nightmare.

[classysassy]

39. Bring back

the draft,let get some blue blood on the front line.

[Orrex]

42. Someone please explain to me how this differs from a targeted draft

And, if it is a target draft, I propose a new one: draft all "contactors" currently working in Iraq; once they're in formal military service, they'll be accountable, and they won't be getting six- and seven-figure salaries paid for with tax dollars.


What an unbelievable story. Maybe they'll reactivate Audie Murphy while they're at it...

[Mari333]

43. bring back the frigging draft if they want to send 20000 guys to afghanistan

this is why the idea of upping troops to afghanistan is ludicrous...they are dragging 50 yr olds into the fray...because so many guys have been on 2 , 3, 4 deployments already..
this is unbelievable, but if they can drag 50 yr olds into it then the motherfucking neocons should go onto the front lines too..like limbaugh, and ann coulter, and bolton, and bush, and every m fucker who signed into pnac

just bring the goddamned troops HOME obama. just bring the goddamn troops all home.

[defendandprotect]

48. "just bring the goddamned troops HOME obama. just bring the goddamn troops all home."

Right . . . I don't know if we had that article about 20,000 more in Afghanistan

posted at DU --- ? But it is an unbelievable nightmare!

Our Treasury is bankrupted by war and corruption -- how about we "move on" . . .???

We need single payer health care -- and electric cars --- not a greater foothold

in the ME land of oil.

[asjr]

45. I believe that is Marsha Blackburn's

neck of the woods. Call her and tell her what you think! She thinks she is such hot stuff. Maybe she can tell the Chimp Hell no, he won't go!

[Azlady]

54. Yep, had an out of State friend go silent on us...

a year later he shows up.... 55, been out of the military for years. He was called to active duty & sent to Iraq. He has since gone twice, the 3rd call, he had a busted leg so couldn't go. FIFTY FIVE! The 2nd time around he was 57. A trauma nurse. Haven't heard from him for awhile again, so pretty sure he is over there again.
Please bring home our troops Obama.

[Fire1]

46. That's a fuckin' shame.

[leftcoastlefty]

49. FUCK 'EM. . .

I ain't goin'. . .

I was already forced to participate in one illegal, immoral war. . .never again!!!

[Ken Burch]

51. If they're in the process of drawing down troop strength, why would the Pentagon NEED to do this?

n/t.

[orleans]

72. i'm wondering the same damn thing. n/t

[Aviation Pro]

52. Currently there are about 75 men and women who are over....

...65 who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[bad_robbie]

88. Do you remember where you saw that?

I think I'm not alone in wanting a link to that source. I'd love to cite that figure to some associates, but I'm sure they'd demand a reference.

Thanks.

[Aviation Pro]

100. No source, anecdotal from a very credible O-6.....

....if I had stayed in long enough I would be one of those over-50 year olds doing the same.

[bookman]

53. I'm 62...

.. and I'm starting to get worried.

[FloridaJudy]

66. Me too

Several nurses I know who are in their fifties have been targeted by aggressive military recruiters. According to them, they're now accepting new officer candidates up to the age of sixty, and nurses are in high demand. But why the hell any person who's already a nurse would sign on is beyond me. The whole lure of the military for nurses used to be that they'd pay for your education - lots of smart, low-income women got into the profession that way.

But if they try to come after me, I'll wallop 'em with my cane. "Hey you recruiters! Get offa my lawn!"

[orleans]

73. "Hey you recruiters! Get offa my lawn!" ROTFLMAO! thanks judy! n/t

[dana_b]

95. haha!! you and Clint Eastwood!

I'm a nurse too in my 40s and get that stuff too. My clinical teacher was a major and at 58 had to go back in. Sucks.

[quidam56]

56. Soon Fascist America will be drafting children

Bush what have you done to U.S. ? http://www.wisecountyissues.com HANNITY'S AMERICA sure ain't My America.

[earcandle]

57. They want to reduce the population of older folks, who are

going to cost alot soon.

Hey, I worked hard all of my life thinking social security
payments would take care of me. 

This is unacceptable that someone has stolen the treasury and
looted SSA! 

Follow the money and prosecute before we are cat meat! 

[Hardrada]

58. I was a conscientious objector and was classed I-W or something

like that. It took a lot of convincing to get my draft board to come around. I suppose they could call me up 40 years after the fact (I was released quite honorably) and have me work in some ER or locked ward like I used to.

[cliffordu]

59. Sheeeit. I could use the money. Of course they did tell me I can go back into

uniform right after Pat Nixon re-enlists......

[angrycarpenter]

60. happened to my uncle

He was called back because of his training since he has been out.


My earlier post on this from last year.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=259x14250

[orleans]

74. how is your uncle doing? n/t

[angrycarpenter]

87. He is doing good

Almost the minute they heard Obama was elected he also heard that he was coming home for good. He will return home in three weeks. We could not be happier.

[snot]

62. The article is no longer at that link.

[sunnystarr]

65. yes it is I just went there lol (nt)

[snot]

68. Weird, it IS there now, but I swear when I clicked on it earlier, I got

some kind of general page for the station with several stories but not that one.

Anyway, thanks for the story.

[orleans]

75. ugh. n/t

[happygoluckytoyou]

76. it is a good thing AMERICA does not mind increasing their 2TRILLION dollar war investment

[Rhiannon12866]

77. K&R. This is not new. "60 Minutes" did a story on this back in 2005. LINK:

Old Soldiers Back On Duty
Bob Simon Reports On Former GIs Being Ordered To Suit Up For Iraq
July 3, 2005


Chief Warrant Officer Margaret Murray did her active duty back in the '60s. (CBS)

(CBS) As the violence in Iraq persists, so has pressure to maintain the number of American boots on the ground. This is a problem, since lately, the Army hasn't come close to meeting its recruitment goals.

So, as Correspondent Scott Pelley first reported last fall, it's been drawing from a pool of semi-retired soldiers called the Individual Ready Reserve, and it's a sign that it needs able (and not so able) bodies to fill the gap.

Many of the men and women being mobilized in the Ready Reserve (9,000 so far) are not very happy about it. In fact, of those who were supposed to report to duty in April, nine out of 10 of them either applied for an exemption, or didn't respond at all.

But if old soldiers never die, as the saying goes, the Army isn't letting them fade away.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/06/30/60minutes/main705491.shtml?source=search_story

[Seldona]

80. I remember that.

Unbelievable.

[Rhiannon12866]

82. It is unbelievable. I remember one guy profiled on this show who'd been disabled while on duty,

couldn't run nor raise his arm, but they were calling him back. It's just insane!:grr:

[rasputin1952]

78. When bush gets out of the WH...

they should take him back to fulfill his duty...:grr:

[Seldona]

81. I'm sure Texans are thrilled.

Their skies are safe then.

[BlueMTexpat]

90. My thoughts exactly!

He began these wars ... let HIM be on the FL!

And while the Pentagon is at it, they should call up every single one of the chicken(sh**)hawks who aided and abetted BushCo in their warmongering and who is even remotely physically able to go.

:evilgrin: :bounce:

[Cronopio]

84. A military that promotes a lie like the Delayed Entry Program ...

... is very capable of this level of betrayal. The enlistment contract in the DEP is a legal bait-and-switch.

The military will screw people even before they get to basic training and has been doing so for years. I am sorry to see the honor and good intentions of American citizens and soldiers being so crassly and unapologetically abused and exploited simply because we have a volunteer military.

If Pres. AWOL wasn't commander-and-chief, we would be better off (marginally) if we had a draft. It least the military would be motivated to be more up-front about the obligations and risks, and the risks/obligations would be shared by more people. As it is, meeting enlistment quotas is all about legal deceit - to 18-year-old applicants *and* 50-year-old veterans.

[Monk06]

86. I seem to recall during the war of 1812 the US fighting a second war with

with the US over the practice of the practice
of Press Ganging, the forced conscription of
US citizens into the British Navy.

The Brits in the 17th Century have nothing
on the Pentagon in the second millennium where,
volunteering means giving up your freedom for life

[L0oniX]

91. LOL ROFLMAO

[SKKY]

92. I'm supposed to retire in 3 years...

...I wonder how that's going to work out for me.