How to reject army mobilization?

Question

My son served as an Army infantryman from 2001 to 2002, but I guess he's still in reserve today. now Army is calling to mobilize him, for the Iraqi war. I will not let him go even if they put me in jail (my son comes home about once a month, I'll make sure the mobilization doc does not get to him, for one thing). But is there anything else that we can do? We have been against this war from the beginning, but I guess they will not take this. How about this: He's our only child, and we are old? Also, his battlefield skills have faded long ago, now he's gained other skills and is working on an important FEMA project? Please help. Should we hire a lawyer?

Answer 1

He signed on the dotted line. Not you. He is of legal age to do so.

Soldiers (nor their parents) set policy. We enforce it, regardless of who the people elected to decide where we go.

I understand the reservations of a parent when their son is going to war, particularly if they don't support the war. Please support him. And realize 99+% of soldiers return alive.

Answer 2

Only child and being old might have flew back in the draft days, but in case you haven't noticed, this is an all V O L U N T E E R force. He signed a contract that has inactive reserve status on and I'll bet he didn't shy away from taking his VA benefits and GI Bill. If still has time on his contract, he's morally obligated to fulfill the contract?

It's really not up to you to decide anything for him or the government. Who cares if you're for the war or not, this isn't about which soccer team to play for, or deciding which company to buy your car from. Your son has an opportunity to do something useful; something he can be proud of just as today's WWII vets.

His battle skills have faded!?? Give me a break! A round whizzing past his ear will get his juices flowing. Try getting a couple of backbones, one for each of you.

Answer 3

Being the only son within the military no longer applies since this is a all volunteer force. That rule about being the only son was just for the draftees.....and we no longer have the draft.
Hiring a lawyer won't help, similar cases have already gone to the Supreme Court and were over-ruled.
Your son signed on the dotted line years ago, you sound like you weren't against his joining then.....just now you are against his deployment.
You can scream and yell, and dance all you want, but in the end it is your son that will have to face the music about not reporting if called. If he doesn't go when called he could face a court martial, be imprisoned, dishonorably discharged from the military with a bad conduct discharge. If that happens, he will NEVER work on any type of govt project in the future, including FEMA.

And yes I can speak, I am a currently serving, 27 year veteran of the military with orders to report overseas in the near future myself. I also have 2 sons, both in the military reserves facing the possibility of them being activated also. I have no wish for them to go, but I also understand that if they are called they have to go and honor their agreement with the military. I'd much rather go in their place if it were that simple.
You need to let your son honor his word and agreement to the govt and let him make his own decisions about his life/future.

Answer 4

You have no say in the matter.


edit: some of the other posters have stated it well. You will not receive actual papers anyhow - your son will and they are REALLY easy to reprint in the office while he's standing there! Missing movement is a UCMJ offense punishable by imprisonment (Leavenworth), dishonorable discharges and future ramifications. He's an adult who voluntarily joined the service, support him, pray for him and let him be an adult man with honor. Hiring a lawyer and contacting your congressman will only result in additional heartache in the end - embarassment for your son and possible ramifications as well; pouring money and time down a rabbit hole! Beleive me I understand the heartache and fear; the what if's? Yet I would rather know my husband was killed with honor and that he didn't run from his duty than that he was home in a cowardly fashion and then was killed in a car accident. God can watch over your son in Iraq just as well as in the States.

Answer 5

Unfortunately there isnt much that you can do to stop his mobilization. The fact that he is, is he is in the reserves, and that comes with the job. Even the fact that he is your only son will not stop them. If you are really old (I am not sure what that constitutes) and you are unable to take care of yourselves then there might be a chance. Just know this is the government and they have people they can send out to actually check the status of the personnel's claim. Your only other option is to write your Congressman and see if he/she can do anything to help. By holding the mobilization documents from your son, they will not come after you. They will go after him for failing to report for duty, and possibly going AWOL. Your son could then get thrown in prison because you neglected to let him know.

Answer 6

Well, the Army does give "hardship" considerations for members with exceptional family problems, such as a very ill parent, etc...
Being elderly is not generally enough reason for the Army to grant a waiver, though. You or your wife could stage an accident or fake a serious illness, but could your conscience reconcile that?
Such dishonorable acts would shame your son by proxy. Would you really rather he be branded with cowardice than possibly dying with honor?
Duty, honor, country. These are more important than your feelings about one elected President's constitutional use of his Military. As a fellow father, I can empathize with your natural, instinctive fears for your son's safety, but let him decide if he will serve with honor or choose shame. Don't make the choice for him: You do not have that moral right.
Best of luck to your family.

Answer 7

You probably are not going to be successful in resisting unless he can claim extraordinary hardship. I honestly don't know the rules these days, but I do know that what the administration is doing to the military is disgusting and immoral. Your son served his active duty commitment and should be left alone!
It is absolutely true that he is still subject to being called back to active duty, but the intent of the law was that such things would happen only in the case of general mobilization.
In fact, we should have general mobilization so we could protect our ports and increase our odds against terrorist threats. Instead they are picking on the people they can pick on, who can't legally resist.
I bleed for you and the other reservists and guard soldiers who have been yanked over to Iraq. We should have universal military or civic service in this country, and honor people who have put in their time - instead of exploiting them shamefully.
As a veteran, I think telling you to "man up" is also disgraceful.
Please don't think you can get around the problem by keeping his mail from him. You will have an almost impossible task to prove that he was not an accomplice, for one thing. For another, you don't want to be reading his letters from a jail cell.

Answer 8

It doesn't sound like you are saying HE doesn't want to go. If you don't show him the document, not only will you get in trouble, but HE will go to jail, and lose that nice federal job. You don't think the Army will find him? You're stupid. My advice is that you give him the letter, let him get done with this deployment. If he doesn't go, he is pretty much a "deserter". His job goes away, and he gets to go to jail. If you want to f*** your son like that, go for it. That makes you a s**tty parent. A lawyer won't do crap to help you. You son goes, or HE goes to prison.

EDIT: That only child crap? Its just that, crap. I was an only child, and the only male child of my generation in my family. I went to Afghanistan and Iraq. Your kid is going, get over it.

Answer 9

First of all they wouldnt put you jail, they'd put him in the brig for not reporting! Try talking with the Army Chaplain an explain that he is your only child and the only one left to carry on your name. But what does your son say about it? It ultimately is his decision! As for your comment about being against this war, I take that as your not supporting any of our boys dying to protect your freedoms! I will not comment further.....

Answer 10

instead of restraining her best buddy, Germany egged Austria-Hungary into commencing a conflict with Serbia. Germany completely envisioned Russia and France to then enter the conflict. The Schliefflen Plan replaced into to invade France via potential of Belgium as quickly as Germany replaced into at conflict with Russia. the style of plan devised years earlier WW1 broke out meant that a great ecu conflict replaced into what Germany wanted. A political reason replaced into that the Germans wanted a conflict because of the fact they observed Russia's speedy commercial enhance as of undertaking. And it replaced into of the opinion of the German intense Command, that the longer Germany waits, the harder it would be to salary a helpful conflict against Russia's straight away modernizing protection rigidity. The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand replaced into an threat for Germany to flow right into a conflict against Russia.