Support our Troops: End the Backdoor Draft
- by: Jenny Miller
- recipient: Senator John W. Warner, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee
Ask the Senate to honor the contract with our troops!
On July 8, 2004, General Cody, a top Pentagon official, told the House Armed Services Committee: "Are we stretched thin with our active and reserve component forces right now? Absolutely."
But rather than taking responsibility for our shortage of active troops, the Pentagon is shifting the burden of its inadequate military planning from policy makers to service men and women and their families. The Pentagon is using "Stop Loss" measures that require soldiers and reservists to extend their service even after their contracts have expired.
This year alone Stop Loss measures will affect approximately 7,000 active duty soldiers and 3,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists. These measures are clearly contrary to the concept of a volunteer army, and effectively constitute a back door draft.
The servicemen and women of this nation have proudly and without complaint served their country. Please sign this petition to ask the Senate Armed Services Committee to honor our country's service men and women by respecting their decision to end their military service at the end of their contracts.
Dear Senator Warner and Senator Levin,
I am writing to ask you to prevent the passing of further stop-loss measures. Stop Loss is a military policy that prevents troops from leaving the Armed Forces after their contracts have expired. These measures have been enacted 11 times in the last three years. This year Stop Loss measures will affect 7,000 active duty soldiers and 3,000 National Guardsmen and Reservists.
Stop Loss measures are little more than a band-aid applied by the Pentagon to temporarily deal with the severe shortage of troops. These measures are a political move that shifts the burden of insufficient military planning from policy makers and civilians to military personnel and their families.
The servicemen and women of this nation have proudly and without complaint served their country, we ask only that you honor their service by respecting their decision to end their military service at the end of their contracts.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
