Beautiful Bella

Photo: Scranton Times-Tribune

Sacrificing
So Jenna and Barbara Bush can be free

Her mother, a sharp, attractive lady, walked into my office last week. Bella and her mom have a big problem. A good citizen wanting to serve her community and country, Bella's mother joined the US Army serving nearly four years before returning home to be a mom. For the past three years, Bella's mother struggled as a single mom and developed into an aspiring business woman.

Bella's problem is that her military veteran mother must go back into the Army so the Bush daughters (and your sons and daughters) are in no danger of being drafted. Is this an exaggeration? No, it isn't. Mom's exposure to recall by the Army ends in less than 10 months. HOWEVER, Bella's mother is being forced back into the active Army for 400 days duty beginning the end of July.

The mother's attitude is that no good deed goes unpunished and she signed the contract. My attitude is that the Bush Regime is dismantling the US military. They are using it up and tossing it away like Senator Craig's or Congressman Vitter's used tissues. The IRR (that is what the extra years of commitment are called following active service) was established so that in a major international conflict ala' with the old Soviet Union there is a ready group of soldiers available while the country activated the military draft. The Bush Regime is using the IRR to avoid a draft for military service. Similar actions are being used on reserve forces but that is a story for another day.

No family is capable of caring for Bella while her mother is dragged back into the army. Her mother was seeking assistance to appeal the Army's decision. Now, an appeal is pending with the Army and ongoing. But how many other mothers and children are being torn asunder so this government does not have to own up to the real state of today's military? GW Bush's only strategy appears to be slinking out of office leaving a shambles for the next administration.

As you celebrate this Fourth of July, please remember those who still serve and spare a thought or two for Bella and her mom.

Comments

[catuskoti]

Crickey! Excellent piece, Hal.

[JessWonderin]

"stop loss" a DIck Cheney concept???? Figures . . . and what are the odds that the child of HIS daughter's gay marriage will ever know the loss of "mom" or "Mom" for even a few DAYS, due to serving our country???

[John Bruhns - Huffpost Blogger]

Hal,

Your blog is a strong dose of reality that most Americans are not aware of. This is a great piece -- thank you for sharing.

V/R
John

[HalDonahue]

Thank you. I am seeing more and more "they are volunteers.." they are to a point. But that does mean we use them up or we OWE (yes, I did say that word) them any less. These troops are no different than the minute men and the civil war volunteer regiments of old. I salute them every day but we are letting them down

[HalDonahue]

Thank your son for me and a happy 4th. It is always the chicken hawks and like all extreme conservatives they use up everything and give back or pay foe little...

[moesse]

Oh Hal! Beautifully written, tragically told, and pinpoint accurate.

The sad truth is, those that "reup" are the ones serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, and the biggest selling points are, they can include the service while over there, and get a big pot o' reuppance cash tax free if they do it that way.

My son and members of his unit are in a similar boat as Bella's mom: stop-lossed just weeks shy of fulfilling their IRR commitment.

And let's not forget who first implemented the modern day " stop loss program": It was Deputy Chickenhawk -in-Chief SecDef Dick Cheney during Gulf War I!