Stop-Loss

I just recently watched the movie Stop-Loss. It's a 2008 movie about a soldier (Ryan Phillippe) who returns from a tour of duty in Iraq believing his duty is over only to find that he has been stop-lossed and must return to war.

I hadn't any idea that this policy existed. Stop-loss was put in effect after the 9-11 attacks and it was pushed further in 2004 when the Army was having a hard time recruiting new members, according to an article I read from The York Times (Shanker, Thom. "‘Stop-Loss’ Will All but End by 2011, Gates Says". 18 March 2009). I can't imagine many people actually want to go to war and kill people, and I feel as though this policy would deter people from volunteering any time if they know they may be forced back in. According to the article about 120,000 soldiers have been affected by this, and more than 13,000 soldiers can't leave the army because of it. These soldiers have to stay in the army for as long as their unit is deployed even if it means staying longer than their original time. By 2011 this policy will be "all but eliminated" says Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates. My scepticism will point out the phrasing, because "all but" does not mean "all gone".

The best part of all this is that each soldier affected by the policy gets an extra $500 a month while they are staying on duty longer than they were supposed to. I guess that this $500 is the price of their lives? Or maybe this money is supposed to make these men and women feel better about killing others? And make them feel less home-sick? I don't know. I can say I respect and support out troops and our soldier even when I cannot respect or support that cause for which they fight.