VT Call to Action – Stop Loss Bill in Congress

Call to Action – Stop Loss Bill

As follow-up to our previous article on Stop Loss, the Communication’s Director for Ohio Congresswomen Berry Sutton contacted me to ask that we spread the word on a bill introduced in Congress that would compensate those troops placed on Stop Loss. Despite reservations that paying off troops and families exploited by Congress, and any administration that condones the Back Door Draft, this is one great FIRST STEP to getting the shameful process STOPPED not PAID OFF.

The answer to Stopping the Back Door Draft IS NOT to pay off our troops as sort of a bribe, if Congress wanted to seriously STOP the BACK DOOR DRAFT it could by limiting the Pentagon’s ability to do so minus conscription or a National Emergency requiring THE DRAFT. There is no situation in the near future that has been defined by Congress or the Administration as a National Emergency requiring THE DRAFT, so there should be NO REASON TO DRAFT PEOPLE ON ACTIVE DUTY VIA A TECHNICALITY (the small print).

Congresswomen Betty Sutton of Ohio’s 13th Congressional District joined several other Representatives and a Senator from across the nation in introducing legislation that would compensate troops and military families who have been exploited by the Pentagon’s shameful practice of Stop Loss or commonly known as The Backdoor Draft.     

Our military family is asking that readers on several Veterans’ and Military Family blogs and forums PLEASE contact your state Representatives and Senators in Congress to get behind and co-sponsor the Stop-Loss Compensation Act in the Senate and House (S. 3060 and H.R. 6205).

A good source to Contact Your Congressperson or Senator is www.congress.org

This is not about being pro or anti-war, it is about QUESTIONING practices that harm our troops, hurt military readiness, negatively impact military recruitment, and could eventually lead our government to ‘no choice’ but conscription – THE DRAFT.

Candidates for President of both established parties are not calling for Bringing the Troops Home, both McCain and Obama are calling from redeploying our troops from Iraq to Afghanistan. That makes about as much sense as paying off our troops subjected to the Back Door Draft and calling that a FIX!

What are we expected to fight the Afghanistan War over again, because our government did not get it right the first time?

If both candidates expected and asked for full, unequivical, national committment from the American people, up to and including ALL sacrifices made during WWII to fight and win WWIII, our military family could go along with redeploying troops from Iraq to Afghanistan.

Bobby Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
The Mustang Major
Military Families Speak Out – OHIO

Newspaper Editorial: Legislators – Compensate Troops
South Jersey Local News Editorial Board

Article courtesy of New Jersey Local News and the National Veterans Organization headquartered in Washington, DC – Veterans for Common Sense (VCS).

South Jersey Local News
Jul 17, 2008

July 16, 2008 – Senator Frank R. Lautenberg (Dem-NJ) and Congresswoman Betty Sutton (Dem-OH) were joined by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (Dem – IL) and Congressman Walter Jones (Rep-NC) to call on Congress to compensate troops affected by "stop loss," a policy that involuntarily extends military service beyond an enlistment contract.

Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) have been
organizing nation-wide Stop the Back Door Draft
rallies since 2003

Colby Buzzell, a veteran from Operation Iraqi Freedom who was stop-lossed; leadership of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States and Veterans for America; and Kimberley Peirce, writer/director of the nationally-released feature film "Stop Loss" also voiced their support.

STOP THE BACK DOOR DRAFT HAS BEEN A CONCERN AND OBJECTIVE WAY BEFORE THE 2008 ELECTION AS THIS 2004 RALLY PHOTO SHOWS! It has certainly been on Republican Congressman Walter Jones mind since way back in 2005 when Bush made a special photo-op with ARMY logos as a backdrop to SHUT JONES UP! Remember the President’s Address to the Nation from an ARMY BASE. How come Bush no longer uses Army bases as a political rally? Who’s using them NOW?

Senator Lautenberg and Congresswoman Sutton have introduced a bill, the Stop-Loss Compensation Act in the Senate and House (S. 3060 and H.R. 6205), which would require the Pentagon to pay affected troops an additional $1,500 for each month their service is extended.

"After months and years of risking their lives, our troops are too often being told they cannot return home to their families as scheduled," Senator Lautenberg said. "The military made a deal with our men and women in uniform-and if our troops are required to serve longer than that commitment, that sacrifice should be rewarded."

"Since introducing this bill, soldiers have written to tell me about the negative impacts stop loss has had on their lives and the lives of their families. While stop-loss may provide a temporary fix for maintaining troop levels, the lasting result of abusing this policy will be to deter young men and women from joining the Armed Forces," Congresswoman Sutton said.

[Sutton feels that the Pentagon is asking too much of the precious few who serve], "We have already asked our soldiers to sacrifice so much for their country, and they have honored that commitment with bravery and dignity. Now too many of them are being forced to go back. Compensating our troops for this continued sacrifice is the least we can do."

ACCORDING TO THE LA TIMES THIS DISGRACEFUL PRACTICE REACHED A PEAK IN 2005 AND CLIMBED WITH "THE SURGE." REGARDLESS IF YOU BELIEVE THE SURGE WORKED OR NOT, IS A "SURGE IN THE BACK DOOR DRAFT" WHAT WE THE PEOPLE REALLY CONSIDER A MILITARY SUCCESS? The PENTAGON has only been successful at AVOIDING THE DRAFT!

"The stop-loss policy not only undermines the voluntary nature of our armed forces, but it also hurts the morale of our troops by unexpectedly prolonging their service" [Congresswomen] Schakowsky said.
"Instead of turning its attention to providing incentives for recruitment [and inspiring young people to pursue military service as an opportunity to serve their nation], the Bush Administration continues to utilize a stop-loss policy, forcing those who have already completed the terms of their enlistment to return to the front lines. This legislation represents a small token of our appreciation for the troops who have been forced to return to Iraq because of the poor decisions and lack of planning by the Bush Administration."

"The persistent use of stop loss authority violates the spirit of an all-volunteer force and imposes a significant burden on our troops and their families. I have personally spoken to service members who have lost limbs after their service was extended," [Republican] Congressman Jones said.

"By requiring additional monthly pay for U.S. service members whose service on active duty is extended by a stop loss order, this legislation would ensure that additional service and sacrifice do not go unrewarded. It is also my hope that the Stop Loss Compensation Act would serve as an incentive for the Department of Defense to discontinue its reliance on stop loss."

Note: Congressman Jones, the Republican from North Carolina has been an outspoken critic of the administration’s handling of the Iraq War, and he has had the added pressure of having Fort Bragg in his backyard. His genuine concern is for the fair treatment and future readiness of our ground forces or he would never have bucked established party leadership. Major Hanafin

"Stop loss is a beautiful way to destroy troop moral and lower military recruitment and retention," Colby Buzzell said. "I’ve seen the effects of involuntarily extending soldiers’ service and I feel that the stop loss compensation act is the least we can do to support our troops, both those currently serving, as well as those who already have sacrificed for our country."

Note: If this bill is to be taken seriously in the House and Senate, far more witnesses than one Iraq Veteran will be needed to testify before Congress. Including those on active duty willing to speak out with Congressional immunity from Pentagon retaliation or harassment. Major Hanafin.

"Hundreds of thousands in the Guard and Reserve have set aside their families and lives and taken up arms to defend their country in the war on terror. Compensating our service members for this selfless but non-contracted service is appropriate and necessary-these men and women deserve no less for their extraordinary sacrifice," Frank Yoakum of the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States said.

Note: The Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States, among other passionate supporters of this legislation need to be placing pressure on their state governors and state legislatures to use state constitutional authority and ACTION to limit the federal government’s capability to Stop Loss, state militia members. Placing the focus and blame at the federal level when talking about State level troops that ARE NOT FEDERALIZED most of their career is SPINNING WHEELS. This distasteful practice can be stopped at local and state level, especially in Blue states and even Red state hit hard by the practice, such as North Carolina. Major Hanafin

"Of all the abuses borne by our service members since the beginning of our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, excessive reliance on stop-loss is one of the most egregious. Involuntary service negates the promise of our all-volunteer military. By forcing tens of thousands of troops to stay in the military, we have broken the contract that our service members willing entered into with their country," Bobby Muller of Veterans for America said.

Note: 21st Century Veterans Organizations like Bobby Muller’s Veterans for America, Paul Sullivan’s Veterans for Common Sense, and especially Veterans and Military Families within the anti-Iraqnam War movement have been the tip of the spear on QUESTIONING and CHALLENGING this shameful practice way before any politician focused their concern. Despite the fact that enhancing military recruitment IS NOT on the agenda of most anti-war groups. This is about long term military readiness not a debate over the war. Counter-military recruitment is a goal of the anti-war movement, and frankly Stop Loss serves to help counter-military recruitment more than demonstrations or protest at a recruiting station. Major Hanafin

"Senator Lautenberg’s and Congresswoman Sutton’s bill are important [FIRST] steps toward recognizing the incredible sacrifice that stop-loss creates."

"While researching and screening our [documentary] film STOP-LOSS, patriotic soldiers and family members said they were proud to have fought for and defended our country and, having completed their contractual terms of service, felt they had earned the right to move on with their lives. These soldiers claim stop-loss amounts to ‘recycling the soldiers who served and should be getting out’ and a violation of the promise of the volunteer army they signed up for," Peirce said. "I have observed some of the real costs of stop loss: fathers who hadn’t met their newborn children, soldiers who suffered psychologically and physically and soldiers who did not survive these extra tours."

Note: Stop loss, more than anything, has contributed to the rise in membership of Veterans groups with PEACE and AGAINST WAR on their logos and understandably so. Stop loss is an OUTSTANDING recruitment tool for the anti-war movement. Major Hanafin

The Stop Loss Compensation Act would apply both to service members who are forced to continue service after their enlistment is up and after their eligibility for retirement has been extended. The bill also includes a provision that would be retroactive to October 2001 to compensate any service member who has been stop-lossed since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Army’s stop loss policy can keep a soldier in service if his or her unit deploys within 90 days of the end of the soldier’s commitment. However, soldiers are not currently compensated for that extra commitment. On average, soldiers affected by stop loss now serve an extra 6.6 months.

Stop loss often takes members of the National Guard away from their civilian jobs and educational pursuits, and away from their posts in border security. This lack of available National Guard leaves the nation more vulnerable during national emergencies, such as earthquakes and hurricanes.

Note: see my comment above on this being an issue that State Governors and State Legislatures need to be dealing with, because it is not the nation that is vulnerable, but "the state(s) are vulnerable during national disasters and emergencies, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and of course tornadoes right here in our own backyard – OHIO. Governor Strickland (with or without partisan state assembly blessing) needs to learn to JUST SAY NO!!! I have no National Guard Units to spare. He only needs to order HIS Ohio State National Guard Adjutant General to place priority on homeland disaster preparedness and make out of state deployments a lower priority. This must include Air National Guard units that are efficient in air and related evacuation missions. Our state militia must have the capability to evacuate any large scale city in Ohio. I seriously doubt they do with a commitment to overseas deployments. Major Hanafin

Many of the soldiers who are deployed for multiple tours suffer from mental trauma following their service which has contributed to skyrocketing rates of divorce and combat stress. Suicide rates are up, with the Pentagon reporting that some 20 percent more troops committed suicide in 2007 than in 2006.

Divorce rates, which have been escalating since 2003, remain at about 3.3 percent, up from 2.9 percent before the start of the war.

Source:

http://www.veteransforcommonsense.org/ArticleID/10678

Robert L. Hanafin
Major, U.S. Air Force-Retired
The Mustang Major

Robert L. Hanafin

Readers are more than welcome to use the articles I’ve posted on Veterans Today, I’ve had to take a break from VT as Veterans Issues and Peace Activism Editor and staff writer due to personal medical reasons in our military family that take away too much time needed to properly express future stories or respond to readers in a timely manner.

My association with VT since its founding in 2004 has been a very rewarding experience for me.

Retired from both the Air Force and Civil Service. Went in the regular Army at 17 during Vietnam (1968), stayed in the Army Reserve to complete my eight year commitment in 1976. Served in Air Defense Artillery, and a Mechanized Infantry Division (4MID) at Fort Carson, Co. Used the GI Bill to go to college, worked full time at the VA, and non-scholarship Air Force 2-Year ROTC program for prior service military. Commissioned in the Air Force in 1977. Served as a Military Intelligence Officer from 1977 to 1994. Upon retirement I entered retail drugstore management training with Safeway Drugs Stores in California. Retail Sales Management was not my cup of tea, so I applied my former U.S. Civil Service status with the VA to get my foot in the door at the Justice Department, and later Department of the Navy retiring with disability from the Civil Service in 2000.

I’ve been with Veterans Today since the site originated. I’m now on the Editorial Board. I was also on the Editorial Board of Our Troops News Ladder another progressive leaning Veterans and Military Family news clearing house.

I remain married for over 45 years. I am both a Vietnam Era and Gulf War Veteran. I served on Okinawa and Fort Carson, Colorado during Vietnam and in the Office of the Air Force Inspector General at Norton AFB, CA during Desert Storm. I retired from the Air Force in 1994 having worked on the Air Staff and Defense Intelligence Agency at the Pentagon.