Air Force STOP LOSS:
The Air Force has implemented STOP LOSS on two instances since September 11, 2001. The first time was right after the attack and effected all Air Force Personnel, both Enlisted and Commissioned. All separations and retirements were frozen for about one year. During that year most all Air Force Reserves, and State Guardsmen were ordered to Active Duty to beef up Homeland Security and provide extended Over Seas TDY Requirements.
My Reserve Squadron was activated and I did an additional year on Active Duty before being returned to Active Reserve Status. When Stop Loss was declared, there were two guys in my Squadron who HAD ALREADY SUBMITTED PAPERWORK TO GET OUT. One guy was planning on retiring after well over twenty years of combined Active Duty and Reserve Service. The other guy had decided not to Reenlist and actually thought that he was free of an obligation to report for the Active Duty Call up. Both the Retirement and Separation were due to go into effect between four days to one week after the official date of Stop Loss. Both were required to report and did their entire one year Call Up.
When our Squadron was released from Active Duty, there was then a flood of Retirements and Separations when Stop Loss was rescinded. At that time we lost most of their Senior Sergeants in the rates of E-6 to E-8. All stated they wished to get out before being forced into another tour of Active Duty.
Just before our invasion of Iraq, Stop Loss was again instituted in the Air Force and all Career Fields were again frozen. I personally had planned to Retire in April 2003 and had submitted paperwork to do so. That Retirement was delayed until December 17, 2003. Fortunately though, our unit was not again Activated and everyone was permitted to run out the second Stop Loss in Reserve Status instead of Active Duty. In this instance, I did not mind my Retirement being held up as I was promoted to MSgt. (E-7) due to the critical shortage of higher ranking Sergeants brought about by the mass exodus of Senior Sergeants when they were released from the first Stop Loss.
I agree with Dennis (LCPD24). Stop Loss is the breaking of a LEGAL CONTRACT between the enlistee and the Government, in which the Government backs out of a LEGAL CONTRACT they had previously made with the enlistee. Officers come under a different system as they accept a Commission for life and can Resign that Commission at any time. Obviously though paperwork has to be submitted before that Commission is resigned and Stop Loss then comes into effect if the date of that Resignation is after the date that Stop Loss is declared. When that happens, the Officer also must serve until Stop Loss is lifted and the Resignation is permitted to go through.
The Government uses the excuse that National Security takes precedent over an individual's enlistment or Commission. The ability of a Military Unit to complete their mission suffers when that unit goes below the specific number of personnel needed to complete that mission. To a certain extent that excuse is a valid one, although there are other ways of insuring that a Military Unit does not go below a certain level of personnel. The Draft and Enlistment Bonuses are two ways of making sure that a unit has all the manpower it needs to complete it's assigned mission.
Stop Loss is not a new idea. It was used during World War II although it was not called Stop Loss at that time. It was much simpler then because each new recruit, and person already in uniform at the time War was declared, was told that his service would be required FOR THE DURATION OF HOSTILITIES, without any specific length of service. I also believe it was again used during the Korean Police Action, although a state of war was never declared at that time. Vietnam was somewhat unique because Stop Loss was not instituted to the best of my knowledge. Apparently The Draft kept a steady supply of new personnel flowing in and out of each branch of the service. In most instances Career Enlisted Personnel were allowed to Retire and regular separations were permitted. Those not retiring or separating went back to Vietnam for two or three Tours of Duty because of the incentives to do so. Promotions and increased pay, just to name two. What do you guys and girls think?
To all my Vietnam Veteran Brothers and Sisters I again state: WELCOME HOME:
VIETNAM 1968
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