Ex-Army reservist sues to avoid recall

[Kadie]

Ex-Army reservist sues to avoid recall

By TIM WHITMIRE, Associated Press

Last Updated: July 8, 2004, 08:25:46 PM PDT


CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - A former Army reservist who returned to civilian life in December - only to be recalled five months later - filed a lawsuit Thursday to avoid duty in Iraq.

Todd Parrish, 30, served four years of active duty and another four years in the reserves, a commitment he believed expired Dec. 19. The Army maintains he will be in a voluntary reserve status until he's 50.

The Army says Parrish never formally resigned his commission as a lieutenant, making him eligible for involuntary recall to duty. He received a letter May 10 to report for duty at Fort Sill, Okla., and is due Aug. 10.

Parrish says he did not know he had to resign. Believing he was free, he married, bought a house and began preparing for a career as a civil engineer.

more... http://www.modbee.com/24hour/nation/story/1483888p-8927360c.html

[Misinformed01]

1. "believing he was free"

nt

[DarkPhenyx]

2. Yup! That is absolutely correct.

I'm in the same boat myself, as are a lot of people, enlisted and officer, who are in for a big surprise soon. If you were ever in teh military I highly suggest you get in touch with your branch and find out exactly what your status is. Having a DD-214 does not mean they don't still own your sorry ass.

[havocmom]

9. And these call ups are NOT making the 'homeland' any safer

In rural areas, a lot of law enforcement, fire and ambulance staff also served in the military. Call ups in small communities are really messing with emergency preparedness and even day to day operations in some places.

How in the hell does taking the local response teams out of their communities make America safer? Iraq posed no threat. Small terrorist cells do pose a threat, and they cannot be fought with a large standing army doing crowd control in a foreign land.

Keeping local law enforcement, fire and EMTs in their communities would better serve the fight against terrorist activity in America. They can't do us much good sitting behind a hummer in Iraq, dodging bullets from people who never warranted being invaded. They deserve better than that and the defense of the American people requires more than that.

If invading other nations is so damned important and helpful, lets insist those policy makers in favor of it lead the charge themselves. Insist they demonstrate their rabid patriotism instead of just talking about it and calling any who disagree unpatriotic!

[geek tragedy]

15. Rock on!

Goddamn I get hopping mad at the Bushies and their "national greatness" bullshit.

[luaneryder]

10. My DD 214 has a reenlistment code

of 3 which means I am not qualified for service, but can reenter upon approval of a waiver. Wonder who initiates the waiver?

[atreides1]

13. Mine is 1A

But, I'm not an officer and my obligation was only for 6 years, and I did 13 years of active duty.

[BrotherBuzz]

19. My DD 214 reenlistment code is

"----". The box isn't empty, but deliberately struck with four hyphens. What the heck is that in code talk?

[Earth_First]

28. I am an RE3 as well...

however I am awaiting the day when they decide to initiate that waiver on their own and send me back to active duty...

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

26. Times may have changed but.....

....when I was in the Army (mid 1970's) I was told one only had a six year obligation. Under those rules this officer would not be eligible. If one's still eligible till 50 then I'm perhaps subject to this recall. I turn 47 next month.

Have the rules changed or is it different for officers?

[DarkPhenyx]

29. I don't think it's a rules change...

...though it very well could be. My active time was in the 90's. Best as I have ever been able to figure out it's one of those small clauses buried deep in the rules that says they pretty much own your ass forever. It usually isn't an issue unless you are a Doctor, Lawyer, or Indian Chief...people with special skills thaty don't keep a lot of on-hand in the "regular" services cuz they are too damn expensive. I count because I'm a linguist, but untill we start shooting at people who speak Turkish, French or German, I'm pretty safe.

[SoCalDem]

3. He should use the "Bush excuse"... or the "Cheney excuse"

it worked for them :)

[Atman]

6. What is that? Tell them...

...to FUCK OFF!?

[havocmom]

4. An issue we need to address and call it for what it is, not just a

back door draft, but martial law for an awful lot of our fellow citizens. Military personnel do not enjoy the same amount of rights and liberties as those who are not in the service. Military justice is different and your body is the property of the government for starters.

If they own your ass til you are 50 even if you have served your enlistment and active reserve time, face it, the state owns you and that, my friends, is martial law through the back door for a good many people.

[Dhalgren]

5. We should all get ready to receive our "orders".

[ixion]

7. no doubt... if BushCo steals another election

we'll all be digging foxholes in the desert. :-(

[Dogmudgeon]

8. If BushCo steals another election ...

... the war we will face may well be a second Civil war.

At some point, they will have to realize they are riding a tiger that will turn on THEM. They have already lost the military, but it's still a close contest.

I hope that Stars and Stripes Online picks this up and makes every veteran aware of their murky status.

--bkl

[bavariantravel]

17. Star and Stripes

I have no doubt that Star and Stripes will continue their flag-waving. mindless reporting.

[Dogmudgeon]

20. Stars and Stripes has been very critical of Team Bush

They do allow the mindless military Freepers their space, but plenty goes to well-informed service personnel who make accurate, often devastating, criticisms.

I'd say that Stars and Stripes is "on our side" on the whole.

--bkl

[newyawker99]

23. Hi bavariantravel!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[nodehopper]

11. At this point I think both Bush and Kerry will restart the draft

unfortunately

[Narraback]

12. Wrong. Kerry has said no draft. Bush - just a matter of time.

http://kerryblog.blogspot.com/

(Scroll down to date)

Tuesday, May 25, 2004
Draft Unnecessary with Kerry's Foreign Policy

A student at Kerry's campaign stop asked whether the United States might reinstate the military draft because of soldier shortages in Iraq. Kerry said his foreign policy would make it unnecessary to have draft, and accused Bush of having a "clandestine draft" that has turned the National Guard and Reserves into "almost active duty."

[nodehopper]

18. Kerry said repeatedly we need more troops in Iraq

where is he going to get them? His domestic programs, while stop short of actually advocating the draft (so far), heavily promote military service.

I'll still vote for Kerry, because I am an Anyone But Bush person, but I think it's bizzarre that everyone sees Kerry as this Great White Hope, when he is to the right of even a Clintonian Democrat, which is pretty centrist/moderate to begin with.

I guess by next spring/summer we'll see whether the draft is started or not.

[MaineDem]

21. More troops in Iraq yes...but not US troops

Kerry says there should be a multinational force there not more Americans.

[nodehopper]

24. Like I said, we'll see. I hope not, of course.

[paulk]

25. where do you get that Kerry is to the right

of "even a Clintonian Democrat"?

Is that just your opinion? I'm curious, because there are very few political observers on either side of the aisle who would call Kerry a centrist/moderate...

[nodehopper]

27. well, the center has shifted so far to the right

in the last few years that you are right, a lot of people wouldn't call Kerry a moderate, but that is more indicative of the zeitgeist, than of Kerry's politics. How is Kerry Clintonian? His emphasis on the middle classes, his care to identify himself as a non-redistributionist democrat, his tax plan is similar to Clinton's 1992 plan, his deficit reduction fiscal platform. I am not saying this is a bad thing, btw, but he is more right than someone like Dean, who would have raised taxes, but had a better health care plan, and, obviously Kucinich. He is right around where Clinton was; he is pretty much a straight AIPAC hawk on the Israel/Palestine issue. He skirts the issue of US withdrawal from Iraq. His opposition to CAFTA is the first break in his pattern of voting for free trade agreements. And although he echoes the Clinton party line on abortion "safe legal & rare" he throws out ambigious statements like he believes that "life begins at conception," which is a defininte concession to a very right faction. There is more, but it's like three in the morning and I have to go to sleep. :)

[denverbill]

14. Damn. Voluntary reserve status for the next 20 years?

Do they tell all new recruits this crap? What a fucky situation. Not only do you not get paid, you don't get credit for time served or get to retire early. All you get is a 20 year commitment to be yanked from your civilian life and sent to get shot at.

[ixion]

16. I guess it pays to read the fine print...escpecially

when dealing with Uncle 'Merika.

[proud patriot]

22. This Pisses Me Off

I hope he wins his case :grr: