Friday, January 05, 2007
Merry Christmas, Come Back To Iraq
The Pentagon declared a war on the holiday season.
At CNN's Website, four "highlights" are singled out and boxed above the Associated Press story, "Army asks dead to sign up for another hitch," but, for some reason, the almost-impossible-to-believe second sentence didn't make the cut:
The Army said Friday it would apologize to the families of about 275 officers killed or wounded in action who were mistakenly sent letters urging them to return to active duty.
The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service. Included were letters to about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action.
"Army personnel officials are contacting those officers' families now to personally apologize for erroneously sending the letters," the Army said in a brief news release issued Friday night.
"The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service."
Why couldn't the Pentagon wait at least seven days before contacting 5,100 brave men and women who already honorably served their country in order to ask them to do it again again?
There are two agains in that last sentence, because pretty much from the day you sign up with the U.S. Military, you're asked over and over again to commit to even more years before your contract terminates (and thanks to the Army bunglers I couldn't end this sentence with "or you do").
It seems to me that 5,100 retired military officers are owed, at the very least, written apologies, since our government constantly assures us that - despite the Global War on Terror and talks of surge and rumours of Iran - there is no chance for a civilian draft, meaning that there should be no reason for heroes to have their holiday seasons spoiled (even if the only "holidays" observed by those veterans are the first and last days of the year).
|
