Military Families Speak Out Against Stop-Loss Policy
Critics call it a backdoor draft but the military calls it critical to national safety.
The policy temporarily extends a soldier's service to his country, whether that soldier wants to stay or not.
Sgt. Mark Bryant, 23, was one of the soldiers selected for an extra year in Iraq.
Before he left, Mark made a videotape for his son Tanner, 2, so he doesn't forget his father.
Tanner watches his dad on TV every day and talks to him. "Look it daddy. The giraffe!" the boy says as he holds a toy up to the TV.
In the video, Mark says, "Tanner boy, I love you."
Tanner will have to settle for the TV dad for a full year until his dad comes back home.
Mark's wife, Michelle, says her family is a victim of the military's stop-loss policy.
"It was so difficult to have to say goodbye knowing that some of them weren't coming home and it could be him," cries Michelle, 22.
Federal law can keep military units from retiring in times of war or national emergency.
That's what happened to Mark. A month after he finished his four year commitment he got stop-lossed and his service time was temporarily extended.
"It's so aggravating, because he signed up for four years and he put in his four years," says Michelle.
H. Thomas Byron, attorney for the U.S. Justice Department, sees if differently.
"It doesn't say he's promised he'll be released on any certain date," said Byron during a court hearing last week in Seattle.
"When they sign up with recruiters they don't mention that to some people. I don't think it's fair," says Michelle.
But Byron says recruiters do mention stop-loss. Byron argued a similar case before the 9th Circuit of Appeals just a week ago. He said soldiers are never guaranteed their service obligations will end on their termination date. Army policy says so.
Emiliano Santiago is a solider from our state who served eight years and got stop-lossed for 27 additional years -- an arbitrary date given for "administrative convenience."
Santiago sued the government and lost.
Both Michelle and Mark claim they never heard of stop-loss until it happened.
"I'm trying to speak for the people who feel the way I do. I'm not expecting everyone to agree with me, but it's how I feel," says Michelle.
For now, Tanner's TV daddy will have to do. When the videotape is over, he bolts up to the TV says goodbye, and gives the screen a big kiss.
Mark is due home in October but knows he could get stop-lossed again.