Multiple Deployments to Iraq?

Question

Hello, my son is a Marine and has deployed to Iraq two times. He's an infantryman, he's been through a lot, and has seen more than his young age should ever have seen. He has less than 10 months left in service out of his four year contract.

My son was just informed that they are sending him back to Iraq for the 3rd time. Sure, the military can do what they want but isn't there a regulation limiting the amount of deployments a person has to go through? One time was scarey, two times I feared for his life daily. The third time, I fear that this could be his death sentence. I am proud that my son has served honorably and am satisfied that he has given his all to our country. But, I don't want him to go back again. What's the best way to keep him stateside and to allow him to finish his enlistement honorably?

Any help or advice would be appreciated. Meet three of my son's close friends at the following web site:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/IraqCasualties/story?id=2770411&page=1

Answer 1

The military can involuntarily extend his time in service in order to send him back to Iraq. This has happened to a lot of our friends. There's nothing really you can do about it. He will get out of the Marines when he gets back from Iraq.

My husband was stop-lossed during his second tour in Iraq (he re-enlisted over there though, so it didn't matter). My mother-in-law absolutely freaked out when she found out he was going a second time. She was absolutely convinced he was going to die, and she told him so. PLEASE don't do that to your son. It hurt my husband's feelings to know the lack of confidence she has in his skills at his chosen profession. Support him unconditionally, and don't let him know how worried you are. Now my husband is gearing up for his third tour in Iraq. His mom isn't so bad this time, but I think this is just because her husband won't let her tell us. I know it must be hard to see your child go away again, but this is part of the life he signed up for. It's hard for me to watch my husband go away again, but I accept that it's his job and this is the life we chose. There's not really anything you can do to change the fact that he is deploying again, so just keep supporting him the way you did the first two times.

Answer 2

I read the attached article and realized that my brother was there at the same time as your son. He is a corpsman with the Marine Corps and this Feb or March will be deployed for his 4th tour. That is also the same time his wife will be delivering their first child. I too feel the same way as you in the thought process of "How many times can he successfully do theses tours"? But you have to have faith God and in your child. My mother experienced real depression the first few times but she found a group that helped her out called the Marine Moms. They get together and have meetings, fundraisers, send gift boxes and participate in parades. At least you can find others who are going through the same emotions as you. Hope this helps a little

Answer 3

You can write your senator or congressman. However I do not believe that they would do anything for you. Based on the fact that your son signed a contract with the Armed Forces, they can send him where ever they want.... I am in the same boat, and will see Iraq again before I can retire. But its what we do. I wouldn't expect anything else from your son. He is a soldier, and a good one from the sounds of it. Once his contract is up, he will have 4 years of inactive reserve, this is a man pool list that they can call from if need be. after that 4 years is up, he is completely finished with his term.

I wish that i had better information to offer to you ...

Answer 4

there isn't really much you can do. my husband was deployed to Korea for a year, literally flew from Korea to Iraq for another year. Came home for a year and is now back in Iraq for another 12 month tour. he may be able to reclass and change units to a unit that isn't leaving but only if he isn't already stop lossed, and he'd probably have to re-enlist which might just be worse for him. I'm sorry, it's so hard to watch loved ones go back again and again, I know how it feels. All you can really do is pray for them because this is their job. God bless

Answer 5

My son is in Iraq now and is due to come back any day. He tells me things have calmed down quite a bit, he is in Belad. He is in a transportation unit and is out on the roads a lot. He keeps telling me there are only 2 reason a soldier gets killed. 1) He gets stupid, or 2) God decides he has finished his purpose on earth, and the 1st is never exclusive of the second. Our prayers are with you and your son that God doesn't run out of things for him to do here on earth.

Answer 6

Sorry, but in his contract a 4 years can mean more...they actually owe more if the military wants them to stay longer. Peacetime, he'd get out at 4 yrs....

Please support your son, I don't think there is any honorable way to stay if he's supposed to go.

I'll (and I'm sure many others) will pray for him...

Answer 7

Unless the UCMJ (Uniform Code Of Military Justice) has changed, he must obey and no, there is no limit. He needs to be careful about how he approaches any attempt to avoid another deployment. "Malingering" in time of war is punishable by death. Orders are orders. Please don't listen to zclifton, his "advice" is exactly what I was talking about. I doubt he has ever been in combat and is absolutely clueless about cowardace, other than he is one and too ignorant to realize it. And sportyt should do something constructive with his life -- enlist! He too is probably too much of a coward.

Answer 8

It's the military, they don't have a limit. I have an older brother in the Army who is supposed to be deployed again also, and my mom is going nuts. Tell you son that i'm greatfull for what he's doing everyday he is over there, and that i appreciate that he is fighting for my family's and my freedom.

Answer 9

I'm in the Army and first off I want to thank you for being supportive of your son and I would also like to thank him. Every branch works about the same and we all work together, so; unfortunately there isn't much you can do about his third tour except for pray for him and all the other soldiers and their parents in the same boat as you and your family. God Bless.

Answer 10

Tell you son to go to sick call and tell the Doctor that he feels bad all the time. The symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder are, trouble concentrating, depression, startle response, feeling completely isolated emotionally, Rage or anger, Avoidance of feelings, alienation, Survival Guilt, Anxiety Reactions, Sleep disturbances and nightmares, Intrusive thoughts, and a inability to maintain relationships. Trouble finding and holding a job and so on.
In other words, your son is already in for a very long life of feeling as if he has lost something very vital to him, but he may not know what to call what he lost. What he lost was his innocence. He lost his normal belief in the boyhood notion of god he was taught. He lost his nerve so to speak. He lost his self-respect because he was afraid when others were getting killed or wounded. It is amazing how every soldier or Marine cowards in the face of combat, but none can really admit the depths of it. So they all feel like cowards down deep inside themselves. This is serious stuff, and your son needs serious counseling and therapy to recover.
The US military is know medicating the young soldiers and Marines and sending them back out to fight. This is a loaded time bomb they are creating. So get him some counseling immediately so that he can begin to come to an understanding of what is happening to him and other young marines on the front lines.