Of all the e-mails and correspondence that I have sent out to senators and representatives, I finally received this one from Senator Nelson.  He very kindly explains the stop loss policy to me.  He doesn't seem to uderstand that soldiers here in the states are already under stop loss orders.  Its not just about troop rotation.  I understand it . . . I just don't agree with it.

Dear Mrs. Miller:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the "stop loss" military personnel program, and I regret the delayed response. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, this issue is very important to me.

As a result of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, President Bush authorized the Secretary of Defense to implement "stop loss" for various essential military specialties necessary to protect our country against future terrorist attacks and to properly execute combat operations around the world. This program was extended to cover service members involved in operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Secretary delegated authority to each of the individual services to enact this program, and the services have made separate decisions to implement and retain personnel essential to handling ongoing international conflicts.

I am well aware of the many sacrifices and demands this program has on military personnel, active and reserve, and their families. Personnel officials for each of the services are constantly working to establish and adjust required manning levels to meet the challenges faced by our country. Members of the Reserve and National Guard are under "stop loss" orders for the duration of their mobilization and until 90 days after they are demobilized. Because of the exceptionally complex and dangerous circumstances associated with troop rotation, active duty Army soldiers have been placed under "stop loss" orders for approximately 90 days while the current units in Iraq rotate out and replacement units rotate in.

I will continue to follow this issue very closely. Thank you for your service to our country, and please feel free to contact me in the future.



P.S. From time to time, I compile electronic news briefs highlighting key issues and hot topics of particular importance to Floridians. If you'd like to receive these e-briefs, visit my Web site and sign up for them at http://billnelson.senate.gov/news/ebriefs.cfm=

 

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