Publication:Chattanooga Times Free Press
Date:Sunday, June 12, 2005
Section:Front Page; Page:1

DISPATCH Iraq

By Edward Lee Pitts Military Affairs

CAMP CALDWELL, Iraq — A sign that frequently hangs on the door of Sgt. 1 st Class Timothy Retting’s recruiting office here reads, "Out walking and talking on the FOB (forward operating base)."

Sgt. 1 st Class Retting said he believes personal relationships are the key to keeping these National Guard soldiers, soon to be combat veterans, in uniform. Work ing to retain soldiers while the 278th Regimental Combat Team serves a year in Iraq keeps him busy, especially with speculation by some of a mass exodus once the reserve soldiers return home this fall.

The Centerville, Tenn., resident says the $15,000 tax-free signing bonus the National Guard is offering to most who sign up for six more years is bringing soldiers into his office. "That’s a good down payment on a house or a vehicle," Sgt. 1 st Class Retting said.

Since he arrived here in March, about 145 troops have chosen to re-enlist, he said, and only two soldiers have been unwilling even to talk about the possibility.

"People are staying in," Sgt. 1 st Class Retting said. "They are not running away from this."

But other 278th soldiers, citing a deployment that could reach a year and a half, including training, are not so sure the regiment will survive this mission unscathed.

"You are looking at losing 50 to 60 percent of the unit," said Sgt. Mark Saladino, 36, of Jonesboro, Tenn. "People can’t be away from families for 18 months."

Sgt. James Thompson, 45, of Morristown, Tenn., said he is ready to end his 23-year military career, as are a lot of other older 278 th solders he has talked to who have reached retirement age. Like many of the other older soldiers, he said he is on what the Army calls "stop loss" now, meaning his original enlistment was extended by the government.

"I’m done with it," he said. "I’ve grown up with the regiment, and I guarantee you if this regiment doesn’t lose 25 to 30 percent when we get back I’ll walk naked down Main Street."

THE NATIONAL PICTURE

Recruiting is difficult not just in Iraq. The Army National Guard is about 15,000 soldiers below strength, forcing the Guard to add more recruiters who must work longer hours to meet quotas, according to a recent edition of National Guard magazine.

Sgt. 1st Class Retting conceded the most common questions asked by those considering more years in the military center on the chances of the guardsmen being sent back here. Soldiers want promises they won’t spend another year in Iraq, he said.

"There is not a recruiter in the world who can say that," Sgt. 1 st Class Retting said. "I don’t have the answer. It is whatever the president wants."

However, Sgt. 1st Class Retting said since it takes awhile for a regiment to be demobilized after serving in a combat zone, he doesn’t expect the 278th to be activated again during the next two to three years.

Spc. Michael Light, 50, of Knoxville, said even the sizable bonus will not lure him to sign re-enlistment papers.

"They couldn’t give me $100,000 to extend here for another year," Spc. Light said.

But Spc. Michael Wilkerson, 25, of Henderson, Ky., who grew up in Lebanon, Tenn., said there was a simple reason he recently rejoined for six more years.

"They said $15,000, and I signed," said Spc. Wilkerson. He said he accepted the risk of being sent back here or somewhere else to fight. "More than likely I will be coming back. It’s fine with me but not OK with my wife. This is what I joined the military for."

Spc. Cory Howard, 25, of Bruceton, Tenn., who spent four years as a Marine before joining the Guard, said the chance to retire at an early age enticed him to agree to another six years.

"I’ve already got so much invested in it I might as well take it for the long haul," he said.

FAMILY TRADITION

Spc. Howard said serving in a combat zone made him more willing to stay because it validated his years of training.

Spcs. Howard and Wilkerson said a family tradition of military service also factored into their decisions to remain soldiers. Both are serving here under the stop-loss program, which prevents activated soldiers from leaving the military once their re-enlistment is up.

One sales pitch Sgt. 1st Class Retting said he can no longer employ after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks is how the Guard traditionally requires just a commitment of one weekend a month and two weeks a year.

"A recruiter cannot say, ‘You are not going to get deployed,’ anymore," he said.

According to Sgt. 1 st Class Retting, the most difficult part of getting soldiers in Iraq to reenlist is the separation factor between them and their families "Your spouse has a big thing to do about this," he said. "I always ask if they have talked to their spouse."

Despite this advice, Spc. Howard acknowledged he did not tell anyone about his decision at first.

"I didn’t want to listen to all the, ‘You’re going back there,’ stuff," said Spc. Howard, who added that his father eventually supported him. "It’s a sensitive issue for families back home, but somebody’s got to do it."

Spc. Wilkerson said he had to employ some creative tactics to get his wife on board.

"A t first I told her I was getting a raise and a bonus of $15,000 for doing a good job over here," Spc. Wilkerson said.

When he told his wife the full details, "she took it somewhat decent" before Spc. Wilkerson used part of the bonus money to buy her a piano and a pair of diamond earrings.

"It is a man thing," said Spc. Wilkerson, who has another surprise for his wife — the names of all the soldiers in his platoon here tattooed on his back. "You should be proud to say you reenlisted."

Both soldiers said other 278th troops teased them, and many called them crazy.

"You get a lot of jokes that you are stuck with the three stars of death," Spc. Wilkerson said, referring to the 278th’s unit patch containing three stars.

OTHER ENTICEMENTS

Sgt. 1st Class Retting said other factors enticing soldiers to remain guardsmen include education benefits, beginning with up to $4,500 a year in federal tuition assistance and the health insurance provided to the deployed soldiers.

Many 278th troops had no medical coverage before deploying. Every 90 days a soldier is here, he or she gets health coverage for one year. Sgt. 1st Class Retting said.

Having a 12-month tour overseas translates into four years of medical coverage and softens the blow for soldiers such as Spc. Howard, who left behind a 3-year-old son.

"If I had my choice, I wouldn’t (be here). But I’m not going to whine and cry about it," said Spc. Howard, whose son believes his father will never come home. "But maybe one day he’ll understand that his daddy did some good."

E-mail Lee Pitts at lpitts@timesfreepress.com

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