As a "prior service" (with two honorable discharges to my credit thus far) and as a career professional possessing many exceptionally rare and highly valued skills and an absolutely exemplary military record, I am indeed on their potential "recall" list, and always have been.

I was already happily back in civilian life in 1990, too, and yet I still ended up in Iraq, so this notion is not as far-fetched as you might presume. There are a LOT of guys my age (and older) serving with distinction in both Iraq and Afghanistan right now. I'm not even close to being officially "too old" to be called back, at this point, I'm afraid. And I am (once again) actually becoming a bit concerned that this may eventually come to pass yet again. I've already been contacted by the DOD several times in the past year and a half. So far it's been a "voluntary" request (always accompanied by a very generous monetary carrot), but they can legally compel me go back on active duty if they wish; that's very clearly stipulated in every soldiers initial enlistment contract. You never actually "get out" of the military once you've been in, you are just placed on the "inactive reserve" list, that's all. They can still call you back if they need to.

I would willingly go back into boots again to protect my country, that's never been in question. I will not, however, support Bush's stupid fiasco in Iraq in any way, shape or form, if I can possibly avoid it. I'm not willing to throw my life away for absolutely nothing. I have recently renewed my passport and made certain financial and travel provisions, just in case. Bush will just have to manage without me on this one. I'm getting a little too old to put up with the stupid, pointless political bullshit this moronic administration has come up with so far, I'm afraid.