Oh NO...They recalled Jamie back into the USMC!!!

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Jamie just called me to tell me he has been recalled! Im in shock. He has been out since 2/2007.

This is awful. He just closed on a new home on the 7th of this month. The baby isnt even a year old yet. We all know what being recalled means...Iraq or Afghanistan.

Ugh ugh ugh. I told him to tell them he has to take care of his disabled mother! Sigh...he did his four years.

Please pray that they dont make him go...dont know if I can go through all that worry after I finally got used to not worrying.
 

klmno

Active Member
Has he looked into trying not to go based on a hardship- sometimes (at least long ago) having a parent and/or child that does REQUIRE you to be home could prevent being shipped out. It might not work that way these days- I'm not sure.

This must be pretty tough- I'm sorry (HUGS)
 

Steely

Active Member
Oh Janet, Janet, Janet NO!!!
I am heartsick for you!
I will be praying hard as I know how.
Stay strong.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
It's called being in IRR or Inactive Ready Reserve, and yes; it means a soldier CAN be recalled.

IRR is the norm when a soldier is honorably discharged at the end of a tour and is not recieving compensation for service connected medical conditions.

Right now the military is hurting for cannon fodder.

I'm sorry to hear this, but sadly I am not all that surprised.
 

Hound dog

Nana's are Beautiful
Janet

I'm sorry. But this comes with military service.

I'm gonna keep body parts crossed and say a prayer that hopefully they only need him to train new recruits or something that will keep him stateside.

My newphew was called up again about 2 yrs ago. This is his 3rd time around. But at least this time they won't be sending him back to Iraq. He's got a desk job and is training new recruits.

((hugs))
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
It's just wrong. I feel very strongly that if our country wants to continue this war in the middle east, the only way to keep us strong is to re-enact the draft. I know that this probably gets a knee jerk reaction from a lot of people, but you're either a patriot or you're not. "Stop-Loss" (which is in reality a draft of enlisted men who have already served their time) is not right. Private armies (Blackwater, Haliburton) paid, compensated, and equipped better than our volunteer soldiers is not right. What happens if something happens at home? Who will protect us?

It's just not right. We are either for the war or we're not. If we are for it, we have to give equally, not expect those who have already given to keep giving until they have nothing left to give.
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Witz, militarily speaking, our country (and its soldiers) have always done better when we didn't have the draft. However, it does require some advertising, campaigning and educational programs to entice people in to our military services. But it does mean, the people we have are there because they have chosen to be.

Australia had the draft for Vietnam and it was a PR disaster as well as still causing ill-feeling in a lot of those who were drafted. Some dirty tricks were pulled to make the draft publicly acceptable - since then we've had a lot more success with recruitment.

I suspect if we hadn't recently changed so drastically in Australia, we could be looking at the draft. Our new PM never wanted Australia in Iraq but has committed our troops to stay in Afghanistan as long as needed. We also have a lot of local commitment in our immediate region, especially with East Timor and at times the Solomons. I think it's the peacekeeping activity that especially attracts a lot of our people into the armed services.

We also have Army Reserve, aka "part-time army" which attracts a lot of recruitment. They are on permanent IRR. husband used to be in Reserve, they were also often used in times of natural disaster. One year they were doing a lot of flood rescue. He was on standby for Cyclone Tracy relief in Darwin but wasn't needed, thank goodness.

What happens to a person's life, when they get recalled like this? I assume Jamie has a job - will it get held for him for when he gets back, or someone decides he's not needed after all? Something like this could really SNAFU your career prospects.

Marg
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Jamie is a member of the Deputy Sheriffs department which is a government job. There is a "maybe" chance that he can be ineligible for the recall if they classify his job as a first responder to either his job or disasters state side. They will hold his job for him if he has to go. We are somewhat hopeful because there are only 6 guys in the unit he is in to cover the entire county.

What is really tearing me up is that I could possibly have one kid in prison and one sent overseas. I dont think they make enough medications to get me through all that!
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am so sorry. I remember the fear during the first Gulf War when a recruiter with a problem with my bro called and told me that bro was being recalled and had to report in 14 days to be shipped to the Gulf. It was false in our case. I wish it was for Jamie.

I hope he can be kept stateside. This is so very hard on all who serve.

I think we need to handle the recruitment differently. We should also handle the poor way we equip and treat our soldiers differently. I think that ALL should have to register for the draft, not just males.

I will keep your family in my prayers.

Susie
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
The draft isn't popular here, either. I just find that what our government is doing with it's volunteer army is a lie, and dangerous to our national security. We have reserve military as well, but they're all overseas, or just returning, or just on their way back. They sign up for and serve 2 years then get suckered into additional one year tours of duty.

I'm a big old hippie from way back, and didn't believe in the draft when we had it for Viet Nam. I don't like the idea much now, either. But there is very little attraction for joining the reserves here. The government has lied to these guys, and keeps sending them back when their obligations have been met. It's against the law to sue the military, so there's not a darned thing they can do about it. My point is that if people want this war, it's time for them all to step up and start putting the money where their mouth is. There's more to patriotism than waiving a flag and shouting platitudes. We're either committed to this or we're not. I personally am not, but I can't see the justification in what the government is doing to our soldiers and their families. We either need to draft enough troops to keep our soldiers safe or bring them home. It's not right to lie to us or to these people who volunteer.

The law as far as the job goes is that his company has to offer him similar job with similar pay when he returns. They can't be forced to hold his exact same job for him.

Sorry for the rant. This gets me riled up.
 

Abbey

Spork Queen
Wow. Don't really know what to say, other than I'd be absolutely scared.

I'm such a hippy that these things bring back not such good Nam memories.

I wish you and your son the best of luck. I'd need a ton a sleeping pills. :)

I will be thinking of him and you and appreciating what he is doing for our country.

Abbey
 

Marguerite

Active Member
Witz, I think we're on the same page here.

In Israel males and females not only register for "nasho", nut all have to serve (unless there's a good reason not to). I think there are other countries too.

I wish you could see what the Aussie services are like. Well-respected as a career choice, they do a lot of peace-keeping and national disaster relief, they get a lot of positive publicity and they're also NOT above the law. We've had a few lawsuits in recent years where women who felt they were treated badly during training sued for it. Other cases keep cropping up - not floods of them, but enough so I know it is possible when needed.

I've known a number of people who used the armed services as a stepping stone for career training that could springboard back into civilian life.

I'd like to call myself a hippie, but I think I'm too young. Nimbin's big festival (answer to Woodstock) was during my last year at school. And with husband in the Reserves back then, I wasn't about to get involved in anti-armed services protests (I know, I'm a hypocrite).

Janet, fingers crossed that IF Jamie is recalled, he gets to stay stateside. Maybe they want to use him in training?

Also, a part of me feels a bit guilty. Our new PM just told George W that he wants Aussie troops out of Iraq as fast as it can be arranged. We're spread thin over here with all the recent escalation of problems in East Timor. If we can't help them, then a fledgeling country will fail and we'll be in big trouble on our northern borders.

Right now I wish I could clone Kevin Rudd and send him over to you guys.

Marg
 

tinamarie1

Member
Its in your military contract when you enlist. Its something they make you very aware of before you sign your papers. I think its just something that people don't expect. but what I have heard is that they are trying to send people there on shorter rotations, and stop the 18 month deployments. I know you probably know all this Janet, and I know you are a proud momma of your Marine. But with all you have been going through, Im sure this doesn't help.
I will keep you in & Jamie and the family in my prayers.
Hugs,
Tina
 
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