Sec. Gates: Stop-loss will continue through 2009 at least

[cal04]

During a press conference today, Secretary of State Robert Gates was asked whether he foresaw an end to the practice of stop-loss — where military personnel can be forced to remain in the military even after completing their enlistment terms — by 2009. “No, I don’t,” Gates replied, though he added that he opposes the policy, which many soldiers call a “backdoor draft,” and will work to end it:

As I’ve indicated before, I’ve pressed on stop-loss ever since I got this job because I don’t like it. But a significant percentage of those who are stop-lossed are NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) and the concern of the Army is that if you don’t use stop-loss you end up gutting a unit of its experienced leadership. But I hope that fairly soon, and especially with the draw-downs in Iraq, that we will begin to see a further decline in stop-loss.

Watch it:
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/12/02/gates-stop-loss/

Between May 2007 and March 2008, “the number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army rose 43% to 12,235.”

[GodlessBiker]

1. The ends justify the means, apparently.

[Breeze54]

2. Well, isn't THAT special!?

:grr:

[lovuian]

3. Gates shows his colors and Obama is showing his

I thought we were getting out of the War in Iraq

obviously not

[Hippo_Tron]

4. Was he speaking on behalf of the President or the President-Elect?

[Yukari Yakumo]

5. Bear in mind, 2009 is less than a month away.

Saying won't be done before 2009 is essentially saying it won't be done in less than a month.

Oh, and Chimpenfuhrer will still supposedly be in chearg for almost a month in 2009.

So this is really a whole lot of nothing.