How long c*a*n they put off the Draft

In the latest episode of that great new hit show "The Backdoor Draft", a 70 year old oral surgeon, who retired from the service for the second time in 1980, has been called back to service in Afghanistan. It's too bad that he didn't answer the phone, as he may have found a billet in Hawaii, but alas he thought the calls were a mistake. If this was the first story it would be astonishing, but by now it's just old news.

By R. NORMAN MOODY
Gannett News Service

Dr. John Caulfield thought it had to be a mistake when the Army asked him to return to active duty. After all, he's 70 years old and had already retired - twice. He left the Army in 1980 and private practice two years ago.

"My first reaction was disbelief," Caulfield said. "It never occurred to me that they would call a 70-year-old."

In fact, he was so sure it was an error that he ignored the postcards and telephone messages asking if he would be willing to volunteer for active duty to "backfill" somewhere on the East Coast, Europe or Hawaii. That would be OK, he thought. It would release active duty oral surgeons from those areas to go to combat zones in Iraq or Afghanistan.

But then the orders came for him to go to Afghanistan.

Today, Caulfield, a colonel from Satellite Beach, Fla., is an example of how the continuing demands of keeping ground troops in Afghanistan and Iraq are forcing the military to go to extraordinary measures to keep its ranks filled. He's attending to patients - U.S. troops, Afghan soldiers and civilians - at the Army's 325th Field Hospital in Bagram, Afghanistan.

He is one of about 100 over the age of 60 known to be serving. The Department of Defense couldn't provide exact figures.

"Those figures are around here somewhere I swear" No Fucking shit, the last thing the DoD wants out in the wild is the number of septegenarians and greatgrandfathers who are serving in combat zones.

Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, an Army spokesman, said the service has taken back some 350 soldiers who had already retired from the military. But some of those could have done 20 years of duty and still be only in their late 30s. He did not know how many of the returning retirees are 60 or older.

The reason, he said, is clear: "It's the continuing demand in the service."

The Navy has 36 medical personnel and 16 chaplains who are over 60.

There is one Marine between 60 and 65 currently serving.

The Air Force has 12 chaplains over 60 and 32 medical personnel between 60 and 65.

Interesting, the other Services seem to be able to provide the numbers of service members over 60, hmmmmm. This is apparently a voluntary situation and Col. Caufield has elected to serve, and while it is a testament to the man, the bottom line is if the force was not near the breaking point, he would never have had to make the desicion. I hope that he is able to save some lives, and stay out of harms way in that shining city on a hill known as Afghanistan.