BS: No Age Limit??

Subject: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Deckman
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 10:29 PM

I just got a call from a friend. He was a Navy medic, many years ago. The Dept. of Defense sent him a letter asking him to re-up to train medics for Iraq. My friend is 67 years old!!! TRUE! I couldn't invent this if I tried. Boy ... we must really be hurting. I'll be 71 soon, and I was an Army medic ... maybe I should worry also? Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Peace
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 10:31 PM

Good Jesus.

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: WFDU - Ron Olesko
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 10:35 PM

Damn McCain - trying to get his peers involved.

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: GUEST,Guest;John on the Sunset Coast
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 11:00 PM

On its face this sounds absurd! But, if he has skills they can pass along... I note it was written to 'train medics for Iraq,' not that Deckman's friend would actually have to go there. Many seniors go back to former jobs helping newcomers. I'm not saying he should, but if he could be like a civilian contractor (as opposed to re-upping), stateside? Maybe?

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Peace
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 11:10 PM

Thing is, it maybe means an escalation of the war there.

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 11:13 PM

Hell, Bob, here's a story about a lady my brother knows personally:

She received a letter from the US Marines, recalling her to active duty because she was a trained Arab linguist. So, remembering "once a Marine, always a Marine," she put on her uniform and reported as ordered.

Granted, she hadn't used her Arabic language skills since she'd been discharged in early 1946.... (The Marines sent her home with a "Thank You For Being Willing To Help" letter.)

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Beer
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 11:15 PM

Does he have a choice? Can he refuse?

Beer (adrien)

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 11:46 PM

A request is a request. He can say, "No, thanks."

I would.

But I kinda doubt they're short of former Infantrymen.

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: Deckman
Date: 13 Apr 08 - 11:55 PM

Does he have a choice? Yes he does, as I understand it. He was never an officer, and as such, he cannot be "forced" back into service. If you ever were an officer and they want you again, you must resign your commision to be free of military callup. Of course you will also lose any finacial and medical benifits in the future.

I think what so startled me about the letter that my friend received is that it "came out of no where!" He's had NO contact with any part of the military for probably 40 years. And then wham ... "We need you!"

In my own situation, if they want me again (I was a trained combat medic) I'm sure they would lose a LOT of money. I've had one heart remodel job, one hip replacement, five eye surgeries, two hand surgeries. Wait a minute ... come to think of it, maybe I should volunteer. After all, I still need: another hip replacement, one more eye surgery, two more hand surgeries, and that's only starters! CHEERS, Bob

Subject: RE: BS: NO AGE LIMIT?
From: GUEST,Jack the Sailor
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 12:08 AM

Our former landlord in Alabama was in Iraq driving trucks for KBR. He was in his mid sixties.

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: artbrooks
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 12:51 AM

Under 10 US Code, Section 688 and 12301, only members of the inactive reserves and military retirees are subject to involuntary recall.

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 01:02 AM

I've heard about this mistake happening before. I think it is something that can be disregarded, or a polite note sent to remind them that this person is past retirement age.

I suppose you could be 90 and driving for KBR. They don't have anything to do with the military (other than the usual financial and political entanglement that Cheney has managed. . . )

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Deckman
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 05:06 PM

I just talked with the "kids" at the Navy recruiting office. I told them about my 67 year old friend. After they gained their composure, they said it had to have been a mistake on the part of Dept. of Defense. They said the cut-off year for re-up of enlisted men is 37 ... unless you were "deep CIA."

I think my friend got worried and drunk for nothing! CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 09:10 PM

I think your friend owes them a hearty thanks for providing the excuse to get drunk, Bob!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Rapparee
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 09:25 PM

Geez, Bob. I'm four years younger than your friend. You think I should reload? As my nephew said about the Marines, "I volunteered the first time. The second time they'd better send a squad or better."

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: GUEST,Chief Chaos
Date: 14 Apr 08 - 09:25 PM

The recall age is much higher than 37! It depends on how badly your skills are needed.

There are many enlisted and officers in Iraq/Afghanistan that can't get home even though their "contracts" ran out because they are needed so badly. The word "contract" in the military only has meaning when they expect the "contractee" to do something. This is one of the reasons it's so hard to get anyone to sign up for those particular specialties.

We have a similar problem because they made all of our cooks on the stateside and non-combattant bases and messhalls civilians. This means that the enlisted cooks are always underway or in a combattant country. Wonder why they don't sign up for more?

I think your friend is the vicitim of a glitch in somebody's database search.

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: GUEST,PMB
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 03:44 AM

Perhaps they are mobilising the Landswehr?

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 09:14 AM

Well, I'm ready! I've got my steel helmet, my Enfield rifle, my bayonet, and all I need are puttees and I'm ready to ship out and help liberate France from the Hun! "Send the word, send the word, over there...."

Come to think of it, I guess a uniform would be nice too. Marching of to face Kaiser Bill's army naked except for a helmet and puttees might be a bit cold.

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 09:34 AM

"We'll hang out our washing on the Siegfried Line...."

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: Rapparee
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 09:48 AM

I'm just a typical American guy
From a typical American town
I believe in Bush
And his big surge push
And keepin' Al Qaida down,
But when I got an invite to serve
I'd done been there before,
So when I got to that Recruiting Board
This is what I said:

"Sarge, I'm sixty-three
I got a bum left knee
And I'm living under a curse,
I got eyes like a bat
I was a tunnel rat
And my hearings gotten worse,
I got splashed with AO and I lost three toes
Got a VA disability
So if you need someone to go over there
It probably isn't me."

(Sorry, Tom.)

Subject: RE: BS: No Age Limit??
From: kendall
Date: 15 Apr 08 - 12:35 PM

HELL NO I WONT GO
HELL NO I WONT GO....