Tuesday, September 28, 2004

Bush & Supporting the Troops are Mutually Exclusive

I don't care how many cute little ribbon magnets you put on your SUV you intellectually lazy, Fox-Watching, Latte-Drinking, dockers-wearing, WWJD bracelet-bearing, putter-wielding, PDA-using, cell-phone talking, Rush-Listening, Podhoretz-Reading, Malkin-fantasizing, Bush-loving right-wing asshole!

From USA Today. An example of how many troops, or recalled troops, don't necessarily think that voting for Bush and supporting troops are the same thing. Something to contemplate for those of you who reflexively think otherwise, on those rare occasions you close your gaping maws and actually think.
Fewer than two-thirds of the former soldiers being reactivated for duty in Iraq and elsewhere have reported on time, prompting the Army to threaten some with punishment for desertion.

The former soldiers, part of what is known as the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), are being recalled to fill shortages in skills needed for the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Of the 1,662 ready reservists ordered to report to Fort Jackson, S.C., by Sept. 22, only 1,038 had done so, the Army said Monday. About 500 of those who failed to report have requested exemptions on health or personal grounds.

"The numbers did not look good," said Lt. Col. Burton Masters, a spokesman for the Army's Human Resources Command. "We are tightening the system, reaching the people and bringing them in."

Masters said most of the requests for exemptions are likely to be denied: "To get an exemption, it has to be a very compelling case, such as a severe medical condition."

The figures are the first on the IRR call-up. They reflect the challenges the Pentagon faces in trying to find enough troops for ongoing operations and show resistance among some servicemembers who returned to civilian life.


I just hope that opening paragraph was shrill enough.

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