I was in the IRR when Desert Storm started. As a result, I was recalled and during the process, I was talking with the Sergeant Major about general "stuff" concerning recalls and that is the way he explained it to me. He stated that once my contract was completely fulfilled, I was no longer eligible to be recalled.
Same. But I know you were SF for a long time and around SF for even longer, whereas I was a support guy who was only in an SF unit for a couple of years, so if you knew for sure I wasn't going to bother asking anyone else for an answer. Since none of us on the site seem to know I'll ask someone who does--or at least should ;) I'll post up here when I get an answer, I'm now very interested.
Wow. I don't remember this, possibly because I was in Germany at the time.
They probably have to jump anyway, so no big deal. To me, it's kind of like when people get bent out of shape at flyovers for sporting events. Proficiency flights are needed anyway, so what does it matter where they do it. Just my $.02.
No different than a law day jump, or any other special jump.
The difference is special treatment based on sex. That shouldn't be allowed. How would a deliberate, explicit, and exclusionary "men only" jump have gone over? I would be equally opposed to something like that if it happened--maybe it already happens but I doubt it--because, you know, "equality."
Airborne ops are expensive and inherently dangerous. If we're already doing a jump for proficiency or training, I think in some circumstances it would be OK to rebrand the operation. "This month's mass tac proficiency jump is going to be in support of Operation Toy Drop." Something like that.
This goes back to the discussion we (the site) have from time to time about equal rights vs. special rights. If it's wrong to restrict privileges from a specific group based on race, ethnicity, sex, religion, etc., then it is equally wrong to grant them special privileges based on those same characteristics.
