05-03-2003 13:36									#1
	Signs of the Times: The army has tracked me down: Now Should Horsie re-enlist? Suffering from ads?

There I was laughing at Sprayber and others who might get caught up in the train wreck known as George Bush's Iraq policy when a letter from the Defence Department arrived in my mailbox - thoughtfully redirected by my parents (rats!). It correctly quoted my name rank and regimental number (I'm a substantive infantry trained First Leftenant).

I thought it was an invitation to a regimental dinner but found instead a little survey from the Officer Comanding the ominously titled Standby Reserve Personnel Cell (prison cell? terrorist?) inviting me to reconsider my commitment as an officer on the Reserve List.

Apparently there's a new law which means you can't just hang out on the reserve list and reserves can be called up for active service.

Enclosed was an innocuous little survey with the following options:

. Resign my commission (wouldn't do that)

. Stay in the Standby Reserve

. Various higher categories of readiness up to the High Readiness reserve with 28 days "notice to move".

Now if any of you have ever been in the armed forces you would know that when you get an innocuous looking letter from the military its time to be afraid, very afraid

Aargh!!!!!!!!!!!! What should I do? Its a tough one.

	05-03-2003 13:41									#2
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Hide out in the Ayer Rock

	05-03-2003 13:43									#3
	Got spare money?

You have four colts. Remain in the stable.

	05-03-2003 13:46									#4
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

Yes but family life is a bit boring after a while.

	05-03-2003 13:51									#5
	Tired of ads?

you could live with me and we could mock fez's painting endlessly

	05-03-2003 13:51									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Call to Power 2

Introduce your kids to spraypaint.

	05-03-2003 13:56									#7
	Tired of ads?

Horse, is it THAT bad for the Aussie army? Are the boat people threatening again?

Have they turned the WW1 vets outa the nursing homes and steered them towards the beaches yet?

If you join, choose the block watch or something. You have such a nice family..."boring"...for shame!

	05-03-2003 13:57									#8
	Tired of ads?

The pay is good and tax free........the overseas allowance (danger money) is huge and also tax free......

	05-03-2003 14:38									#9
	Tired of ads?

Do the honourable thing. Fake some sort of incurable illness, like Alzheimer's.

	05-03-2003 14:42									#10
	Increase Your PM Length

LAZ, youre a card

	05-03-2003 15:11									#11
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

This may give you some ideas on how to get out of being shot.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2803753.stm

Are the military in Oz as desperate as in the UK? At least this guy has experience of desert warfare but I don't think the sight of him in his electric buggy would scare Saddam.

Seriously, the question is what you might get into. The son of one of my work colleagues is an ex-paratrooper and in our Territorials. He has been called up and sent to Cyprus (nice!) to cover for full time soldiers being sent out to the Gulf. If they are going to send you somewhere pleasant and safe and pay you then go for it but not if it means getting shot at in someone else's war.

	05-03-2003 15:19									#12
	Support Apolyton

If I'd been him I would have shown up at my barracks, and then claimed hazard pay for as long as it took them to discover the mixup.

	05-03-2003 15:32									#13
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by CerberusIV Are the military in Oz as desperate as in the UK?

Must be

It's interesting they are doing this.

	05-03-2003 15:51									#14
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

You in the army seems like a Svejk of the 21st century. For the good of your nation, fake a illness!

	05-03-2003 16:08									#15
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Oh yes - I'd be just like the good soldier Svek, doing my duty as the empire falls apart around me

	05-03-2003 16:10									#16
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

Tell the military "F*CK OFF, the war is WRONG"

	05-03-2003 16:14									#17
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

I'm not high ranking enough to do that

	05-03-2003 16:14									#18
	Got spare money?

Tell them you have leprosy. To make it more convincing, clench your pen in your fingers to give them impression to whoever happens to read the letter that you have no thumb.

	05-03-2003 16:24									#19
	Increase the size of your Attachments

quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse I'm not high ranking enough to do that

Well, the war is wrong so why not - then again as anti-war as I am I wouldn't really give a S**T what an army person told me.

No offence to you of course

	05-03-2003 16:28									#20
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Elden Tell the military "F*CK OFF, the war is WRONG"

Yes-yes-yes we know. But think about the taxfree money .

	05-03-2003 16:38									#21
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Originally posted by TheBirdMan Yes-yes-yes we know. But think about the taxfree money .

I'm thinking that it isn't worth the loss of innocent life on both sides.

	05-03-2003 16:49									#22
	Tired of ads?

Well I think the idea is they are seeing what officers they have available to fill gaps so the fit young professionals can go and fight. Kind of like a Dad's Army thing.

There's talk of deploying the reserve to protect key installations in the event of a major terrorist incident for example. I think that's what its about.

I know you might see it as a bit of a laugh but you don't expect to get a letter like that except in the event of war. It kind of makes this war seem more real if they are contacting old farts like me. I'll be 40 this year.

	05-03-2003 16:49									#23
	Full PM-box? Change here!

AH, I know how you feel. I was in the service for six years and I was more then a bit torn when my old unit got called up to be sent to Kuwait. I ended up just putting my name on an alternate list but declining to actually go to Iraq. I guess I felt I had done my duty when I went to Kosovo and I didn't want to take another hit to my civilian career.

Since you have a family and, I assume, a good civilian job I would recomend keeping as far down the list as possible. Don't resign your commision but don't be the first in line either.

	05-03-2003 16:57									#24
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

Well if you're not gonna do anything why keep your commission? You can keep the funny aussie khaki uniform hat y'know.

	05-03-2003 16:58									#25
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

I told Mrs Horse I'd have to lose weight and get fit before I would even consider putting a uniform back on.

She said yes! yes! do it!

One of my sons said "If I survive", could I bring back a laser gun

	05-03-2003 17:02									#26
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization 2

quote: Originally posted by Alexander's Horse "If I survive

Its a pretty big IF

I don't understand why people want to go and get themselves killed to get oil for America...

... Especially when they aren't even Americans

	05-03-2003 17:15									#27
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

SpencerH has got a good point.

Why do you want to stay on the reserve list if you're not willing to be called up?

	05-03-2003 17:18									#28
	Suffering from ads?

quote: Originally posted by Tingkai SpencerH has got a good point. Why do you want to stay on the reserve list if you're not willing to be called up?

He wants to be paid to do nothing (Untill they call on him and get him killed)

	05-03-2003 17:26									#29
	Got spare money?

Do the right thing. Resign.

	05-03-2003 17:45									#30
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Originally posted by Elden I don't understand why people want to go and get themselves killed to get oil for America... ... Especially when they aren't even Americans

No matter how many times daft people repeat it this is a nonsensical arguement. If getting oil as cheaply as possible was our policy then simply lifting the sanctions and letting Saddam do what ever he pleases would insure the cheapest flow of oil. Since we are not doing this it stands to reason that our motivation has more then just cheap oil in mind.

Also Edan you might want to read up about the history of anti-war protests during the Vietnam war. Many of the protesters claimed the allies were in Vietnam simply to exploit South Vietnam's "vast mineral wealth" and not to fight off communist invasion of the south.

Notice how Vietnam hasn't gotten rich off of mineral mining in the last thirty year? Hmmm, do you think this agruement might have been a red hering? The same thing is happening now only people are currently claiming oil instead of minerals as a motivation; the truth is of course else where.