Had I just gotten out of the military, I don’t think being reactivated for a war that’s increasingly unpopular would please me a great deal.
Digging deeper for help in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army is recalling to active duty about 5,600 people who recently left the service and still have a reserve obligation.
What was that guy’s name again? Shinseki? Whatever happened to him? Oh, that’s right: he disagreed with Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld.
I think this war is just a terrible tragedy and a mistake of epic proportion, but these people on the IRR list shouldn’t be too terribly surprised about this move. My husband was on that for a while after his 10 years in the Reserves and they’re pretty clear about the fact that you are still on the List, still eligible for call up if there’s a war. You have to check in every year, even. I get being pissed about it, but that article says people are or will be shocked about being called up, and they really shouldn’t be.
Except that you don’t expect it, so you’ve gone ahead with the rest of your life in the meantime.
I was astonished to learn that the obligation is now eight years rather than the six it was when I was in.