Killing the goose

Elaine, as always an invigorating read, made a good point about stop loss orders that I never really thought through.

Enlistment is way down. By 42% according to the news. The "stop loss" orders are causing a rush to the exit by nearly all potential troops who might even remotely be sent to the grinding hell of Iraq.

The stop loss orders are not just unfair to current enlistees. They are just a plain bad idea because they dry up future supplies of soldiers. In the midst of increased danger and falling benefits, recruiting is going to get more difficult as it is. It certainly doesn't help to add the fear that the military can keep you beyond the time you signed up for to the equation.