DoD Stop-Loss Press Release

by: Brandon Friedman

Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 15:53:40 PM EDT

So here it is, in its entirety. Feel free to pick it apart, read into it, ask questions, whatever. There's still a lot we don't know. I'm about to jump on a conference call about this. . . .

IMMEDIATE RELEASE
No. 179-09
March 18, 2009
________________________________________________
End to Stop Loss Announced
The Department of Defense announced today a comprehensive plan to eliminate the current use of Stop Loss, while retaining the authority for future use under extraordinary circumstances. This is an important step along the path in adapting the Army into an expeditionary force.
The Army Reserve and Army National Guard will mobilize units without employing Stop Loss beginning in August and September 2009, respectively. The Regular (active duty) Army will deploy its first unit without Stop Loss by January 2010.
For soldiers Stop Lossed during fiscal 2009, the department will provide a monthly payment of $500. Until the department is able to eliminate Stop Loss altogether, this payment will serve as an interim measure to help mitigate its effects.
"Stop Loss disrupts the plans of those who have served their intended obligation. As such, it is employed only when necessary to ensure minimal staffing in deploying units, when needed to ensure safe and effective unit performance," said Bill Carr, deputy under secretary of defense for military personnel policy. "It is more easily rationalized in the early stages of conflict when events are most dynamic; but tempo changes in this war have frustrated our efforts to end it altogether."
The department intends to provide Stop Loss Special Pay to eligible service members until the point of separation or retirement, to include that time spent on active duty in recovery following redeployment. Stop Loss Special Pay will begin on the date of implementation, and will take effect for those impacted on or after Oct. 1, 2008.
Stop Loss Special Pay implements the authority granted by Section 8116 of the "Consolidated Security, Disaster Assistance, and Continuing Appropriation Act, 2009." The appropriation is available to secretaries of the military departments only to provide Special Pay during fiscal 2009.

Brandon Friedman :: DoD Stop-Loss Press Release

Tags: Defense Department, Stop-Loss, (All Tags)

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DoD Stop-Loss Press Release | 3 comments

Why did this take so long? (0.00 / 0)

My question: Why, after 8 years of war, had the military (and, it seems, particularly the Army) not figured out how to operate without Stop Loss and Involuntary IRR Recall (until now)? I can absolutely understand dependence on these tools in the early years of war, but why have the services been unable to adapt to the current Op Tempo and satisfy their needs with service members in the scheduled Active Duty portions of their enlistments/officer commitments? Or have they been unwilling to adjust? Isn't there consensus that these policies are harmful to readiness in the long run?

by: dm @ Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 18:14:31 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Just not enough troops to fight two wars at the same time. (0.00 / 0)

by: Brandon Friedman @ Thu Mar 19, 2009 at 02:21:12 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Not Good Enough (0.00 / 0)

A good start--on paper, yes. But, the policy needs to be abolished altogether, not just halted. What's to say that a turn of events before 2010 doesn't kick back up, and we find ourselves in the same position? And, is not the IRR callup the same thing? Those who have already left service are in the same boat as those wanting to leave service.

Every deployment for every unit is a set of "extraordinary circumstances." It is only used for that purpose. And, it's funny they're willing to roll out the dough knowing that they're going to try to reduce those affected. Bush league if you ask me.

I'm not buying it.

by: 13 Stoploss @ Wed Mar 18, 2009 at 22:39:05 PM CDT

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DoD Stop-Loss Press Release | 3 comments

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