As I read va dare's unbelievably moving
diary, barely able to control my rage and my tears, I said, aww, screw it. I had been working on another piece for tomorrow, but clearly this issue is too important - indeed, it's a matter of life and death.
In writing a diary the other day, I did a little research on the "contract" the armed services have recruits sign when they enlist. When I actually found a copy of the document, and read it, I was flabbergasted. Well, let me be more precise: Part of me was flabbergasted - the other part was disgusted. Y'see, the contract that the United States government enters into with all new military recruits isn't a contract at all.
(Cross-posted at My Left Wing)
Hearken back to your college years, to those stultifying days in Business Law 101, when the late-spring heat and the droning of the assistant professor would render nearly the entire population of the lecture hall stupefied . . .
If you were able back then in your misspent youth to maintain enough coherence to actually take notes, and if you could somehow look over those notes today - provided you hadn't drooled all over them as your eyes rolled back under your eyelids, and your head sank slowly onto your desktop - you would see that a contract requires five main elements. What are those elements? Well, let's allow a document from our own beloved Department of Defense to tell us, shall we?
E1.1.3. Contract. An agreement that creates a legal obligation. The elements of a contract are: a mutual agreement; between competent parties; for a legal purpose; involving the exchange of legal consideration; and that creates a mutuality of obligation to perform between the parties.
Hmm. Okay. So! - one of the requirements is "a mutuality of obligation to perform between the parties." Which means that the contract must require both parties to do what it is they say they are going to do in the contract.
Now let's look at the document (PDF file) that every recruit signs when they agree to join up. First of all, it's not even called a "contract"; it's headed,
ENLISTMENT/REENLISTMENT DOCUMENT
ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES
There's your first clue. In fact, the word "contract" does not appear anywhere in the document.
But OK, look, here are some noble-sounding words, from Section B.8.c.:
c. The agreements in this section and attached annex(es) are all the promises made to me by the Government. ANYTHING ELSE ANYONE HAS PROMISED ME IS NOT VALID AND WILL NOT BE HONORED. [emphasis in original]
"Promises," see? Sounds good so far, all adult and like that.
But the real meat of the utter Orwellian-ness of the document is down a bit further, in Section C.9.b.:
b. Laws and regulataions [sic] that govern military personnel may change without notice to me. Such changes may affect my status, pay, allowances, benefits, and responsibilities as a member of the Armed Forces REGARDLESS of the provisions of this enlistment/reenlistment document. [emphasis added]
Which effectively means,
"Signing this document will have about as much impact on what happens to you in your military career as pissing in the ocean will to raise the tide."
Why even bother with the charade? How many times have you heard people, when discussing recruitment, talk about "the contract"? "Oh, my daughter's guaranteed to be sent to communications training; it's in the contract she signed." "Oh, my son can only be assigned to the Quartermasters; it's in the contract."
THERE.
IS.
NO.
"CONTRACT"!
Period.
No one who enlists in the U.S. military today is guaranteed that the U.S. government will perform ANY "obligation," real or implied, no matter what any recruiter might tell them, or what any "contract" might say. PERIOD. Once you enlist, THEY OWN YOUR ASS. Don't kid yourself by believing anything else.
Wait, it gets better.
Remember how we're in this Global War on Terror? Yeah, and remember how our President has told us that this war can't be won? And how it won't be won on his watch? Well, if the idea of being in a perpetual state of war makes y'all stateside sittin' by your televisions all warm and fuzzy, imagine how that 19-year-old who signs this piece of paper feels:
c. In the event of war, my enlistment in the Armed Forces continues until six (6) months after the war ends, unless my enlistment is ended sooner by the President of the United States. [emphasis added]
Remember a few months ago, when Jack Murtha got flak for saying that if he were a young person considering military service right now, that he would not join up?
After reading the above, would you?
UPDATE, from the comments: Clem Yeobright recounts his experience from boot camp:
1966
3rd day of Basic, the drill instructor gets up in front of the platoon :
How many of you are RA? (= enlistees; we draftees were 'US')
Half the hands go up.
How many of you got a commitment from your recruiter for a school or an area?
Almost all hands up stay up.
How many of you got it in writing?
A couple hands go down.
How many have it with you in your wallet right now?
About 5 hands are still up.
Well, take it out and tear it up, because you belong to Uncle Sam now.
le plus ca change, non?