Topic: Are You Retired Military?
Lynann's photo
Fri 01/02/09 12:14 PM
If so you might want to start getting your affairs in order.

War Vet, 50, Stunned By New Deployment
Former Soldier Last Served During 1st Gulf War


Reported by Jeremy Finley

POSTED: 4:48 pm CST December 31, 2008

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. -- A veteran who has been out of the military for 15 years and recently received his AARP card was stunned when he received notice he will be deployed to Iraq.

The last time Paul Bandel, 50, saw combat was in the early 1990s during the Gulf War.

"(I was) kind of shocked, not understanding what I was getting into," said Bandel.

In 1993, Bandel took the option of leaving the Army without retirement and never thought he would be called back to action.

"Here he's 50 years old, getting his AARP card, and here he's being redeployed with all these 18-year-olds," said Paul's wife, Linda Bandel.

"I can understand, say, 'Here, we have this assignment for you stateside. Go do your training,'" said Paul Bandel. "But, 'Hey, here's a gun, go back to the desert.'"

Involuntary recall allows the military, regardless of age or how long someone has been out of service, to order vets back into active duty.

"Anger's not the word. I was more concerned about the financial impact it's going to do. My pay's probably cut in half," said Paul Bandel.

"Right now, I'm just in disbelief because it's like the disbelief that this could be happening 15 years after being out of the military. It's like a dream or a nightmare," said Linda Bandel.

The veteran is dusting off his old uniforms and torn between his duty to his country and obligations as a grandfather.

"I certainly never thought I'd be going back there at this point in my life," said Paul Bandel.

The last missile system the veteran was trained to operate is no longer used by the military.

Calls to the Army and the Pentagon about how many men and women in their 50s are being called back to duty were not returned Wednesday.

Paul Bandel will be deployed overseas until 2010. His wife plans to move in with her elderly parents until his return.

damnitscloudy's photo
Fri 01/02/09 12:20 PM
That sounds like a future Clint Eastwood movie. I will pray for his safe return drinker

THanner's photo
Fri 01/02/09 12:34 PM
This is unfortunate, however, not unheard of. As it says in the article, he didn't retire and opted to get out instead.

In your post, you said for retirees to watch out. This isn't correct. Here's an example why. I "retired" from the navy after twenty-one years of service. Now, at that time, I didn't actually retire. What I did was to be placed in the Fleet Reserve for another nine years. After those nine years I was officially retired. Add the two together and you will see that I did a total of thirty years. After those thirty years, I can't be recalled because of the contract I signed.

Another thing to remember is that the contracts that soldiers/sailors sign change from time to time. I believe that all of them say that if a person is under that contract and war or national emergency is declared, then the contract may be extended indefinantly -- that could mean any number of years.

It's really hard to know what situation this man is in without knowing what's in his contract.

Respectfully,

Tim

Thomas3474's photo
Fri 01/02/09 01:50 PM
It depends on how long your reserve status is.I think you are looking at a minium of 10 years in the inactive reserve.I know thats how long mine was.For the record I believe you can sign up as late as 40 years old now.So if you put in twenty years and do your 10 of inactive reserve you can still be serving at 70.When I was in the military it was not uncommon to see officers in their 60's still serving espcially if they were a enlisted person who went to a warrant officer.