The Possibility of Mobilization

Top of the evening all...

Yes...the balloon could go up.  Yes...I can be mobilized.  According to federal law, the Department of Defense must give us 30 days notice.  Usually, the notice is much longer.  Anything less than that requires direct approval of the Secretary of Defense.

Not that it matters.  If the phone rang, I can and would be ready tomorrow.  Most of us would be.  It is the burden of commission and the burden of the oath of office.

Is there fear?  Perhaps.  Is there trepidation?  No.  We have a job to do.  We get it.

As I mentioned earlier though, goals must be clearly stated.  It is not reasonable to ask anyone to risk life and limb without knowing why.  It is not fair to our families to borrow us for the necessary amount of time without knowing why.  For those of us in the Reserve, it is not fair to our employers to have muddled goals when they are required by law to hold our civilian jobs for us.  They have the right to know why they are temporarily parting company with us.

I regret that my mobilization to Afghanistan was taken away.  It was the one of the most exciting things I would have done in my rabbinate in many years.  As well, we train for it.  We expect it.  It is like sitting at the starting gate, one foot on the brake, one on the gas pedal, and then being told to turn the car off.

By the way, Jennifer likely would not want me spending too much time in a combat zone.  Nonetheless, she has trained for this also.  She was somewhat disappointed that I did not go.

There is nothing on the horizon at this moment.  Iraq is over.  The President intends to remove troops from Afghanistan in 2014.  There are hot spots, but nothing that should require the reserve component.

Nonetheless, the motto of the United States Coast Guard stands: Semper Paratus - Always Prepared.

R/SCG