超级军网美帝61岁退伍士兵重返部队
来源：百度文库 编辑：超级军网 时间：2024/04/30 16:01:37
来源http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_back_to_duty_022809/
Austin Asher kept a Cuban cigar from his 2003 military tour in Iraq, and every time he walked into Whitey’s Army & Navy Store, he swore he’d smoke it the day they let him back in the Army.
A few weeks ago, the 61-year-old strolled into Whitey’s and fired that stogie up.
More than a year of push-ups, crunches, jogging and exercising his right to appeal to every military official he could think of — up to and including the commander-in-chief — had finally paid off.
To the amazement of some, and the confidence of others, Asher is wearing sergeant stripes again.
And now his wife, Jane, will have to add a sixth Blue Star in the window to those representing their four sons and a daughter serving in the Navy, Army and Coast Guard. The couple has four other children and three grandchildren.
Asher had served a combined total of 31 years in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve, including two tours in Iraq, until he was forced to retire when he hit 60 in 2007.
But the “Mess Daddy” — as he called himself, from his prior duty as a mess sergeant running chow halls for the troops — wasn’t ready to hang up his boots and fatigues.
He started sending letters and information packets to whoever he thought could help. He even traveled to Columbus and the West Coast on the chance he might hook up with units slated for deployment.
Asher hoped to return to duty as part of the Army’s Retiree Recall program, which accepts former soldiers — commonly medical professionals or those with expertise in civil affairs and operations — depending on skills needed and vacancies available.
More than 2,900 Army vets, about a third over age 60, have volunteered for the program, according to Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell of the Army’s Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
Currently, 1,069 are back on active duty, including Sgt. Asher, O’Donnell said. That number is twice that of last year at this time. O’Donnell said the increase may be due to a more streamlined acceptance process and more positions opening up for military retirees.
He added that in some cases these former soldiers have retired from their civilian jobs and find themselves with the time, skills and interest to do something providing “a sense of self, a sense of duty.”
Asher described some of his reasons for wanting to return in a letter last year to then-President Bush. Asher wrote: “I have had two great loves in my life, my family and soldiers. Working with and caring for our soldiers has been a blessing in my life. I am nobody’s hero. I do what I do from the heart. I take care of soldiers.”
Responses to his re-enlistment requests saluted Asher’s interest, past service and enthusiasm but were otherwise noncommittal. Four times, he thought he’d come close to joining units in the Army or National Guard, only to have those attempts fall through.
Asher said each setback only made him more determined to succeed. While waiting for a positive response, he kept in shape by dieting and exercising. He even borrowed a buddy’s military-style rifle just to make sure he still knew how to disassemble it and check for malfunctions.
He became a regular at Whitey’s, where mementos from his tours in Iraq are displayed. He shared his hopes and disappointments with shop owner Jim Thwait, who said he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Asher finally lit up that victory cigar.
“Physically, he’s a machine. He’ll drop and give you 50 pushups in a heartbeat,” he said. “But he was also a man on a mission, and he was not going to be denied. That’s just the way he is.”
Jane Asher was caught off-guard when efforts that she’d come to regard as some sort of retirement hobby for her husband actually led to another tour of duty. “I thought that eventually someone would tell him no, but no one ever did,” she said.
She said neither she nor the kids thought he’d make it but supported him nonetheless. Nobody tried to dissuade him. “Oh no, you can’t talk him out of anything,” she said. “When he sets his mind on something, he does it.”
But even her husband was initially stunned when orders to report for active duty finally arrived in January.
“Who am I? I’m just a mess sergeant,” he said after getting the news. “I don’t know how in the world this ever came to pass, but I must’ve fought the righteous fight or something.”
On reflection, he noted that he wouldn’t have been called if there wasn’t a vacancy for his military specialty in food service. But he also believed that persistence counts.
As he said, “It takes dedication and sincerity and a lot of gracious commanders who gave me encouragement and support.”
Otherwise, it was a good time for a Cuban cigar. “I’m out of here!” Asher crowed. “I’m the old man who can!”
In subsequent days, as he went through various testing and training posts en route to his assignment with the Army’s I Corps, headquartered in Fort Lewis, Wash., Asher periodically phoned in progress reports.
“It’s like I got inside the cookie jar and somebody closed the lid and I don’t ever want them to open it.”
“I’ve met every standard they’ve thrown at me.”
“I’m just so proud to be able to wear this uniform one more time.”
“I’m having the time of my life. It’s all good.”
His current duty runs for 400 days, which his wife expected will be the last. “YES,” she emphatically confirmed.
But Asher scoffed and said, “Oh no. I won’t allow that.” He is, after all, the old man who can.
Eventually, yes, there will be an end. Even Asher conceded, “When they cut me off at 70, I’ll just have to retire gracefully.”
Maybe. The possibilities roll around the not-so-distant future like live grenades.
And the old soldier just smiles.
老家伙依照美国陆军退伍士兵重召计划返回部队,自愿回去做士官,而且文中还说准备招回2500个大兵其中三分之一超过60岁.呵呵,看来家有一老果然是个宝啊来源http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_back_to_duty_022809/
Austin Asher kept a Cuban cigar from his 2003 military tour in Iraq, and every time he walked into Whitey’s Army & Navy Store, he swore he’d smoke it the day they let him back in the Army.
A few weeks ago, the 61-year-old strolled into Whitey’s and fired that stogie up.
More than a year of push-ups, crunches, jogging and exercising his right to appeal to every military official he could think of — up to and including the commander-in-chief — had finally paid off.
To the amazement of some, and the confidence of others, Asher is wearing sergeant stripes again.
And now his wife, Jane, will have to add a sixth Blue Star in the window to those representing their four sons and a daughter serving in the Navy, Army and Coast Guard. The couple has four other children and three grandchildren.
Asher had served a combined total of 31 years in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve, including two tours in Iraq, until he was forced to retire when he hit 60 in 2007.
But the “Mess Daddy” — as he called himself, from his prior duty as a mess sergeant running chow halls for the troops — wasn’t ready to hang up his boots and fatigues.
He started sending letters and information packets to whoever he thought could help. He even traveled to Columbus and the West Coast on the chance he might hook up with units slated for deployment.
Asher hoped to return to duty as part of the Army’s Retiree Recall program, which accepts former soldiers — commonly medical professionals or those with expertise in civil affairs and operations — depending on skills needed and vacancies available.
More than 2,900 Army vets, about a third over age 60, have volunteered for the program, according to Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell of the Army’s Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
Currently, 1,069 are back on active duty, including Sgt. Asher, O’Donnell said. That number is twice that of last year at this time. O’Donnell said the increase may be due to a more streamlined acceptance process and more positions opening up for military retirees.
He added that in some cases these former soldiers have retired from their civilian jobs and find themselves with the time, skills and interest to do something providing “a sense of self, a sense of duty.”
Asher described some of his reasons for wanting to return in a letter last year to then-President Bush. Asher wrote: “I have had two great loves in my life, my family and soldiers. Working with and caring for our soldiers has been a blessing in my life. I am nobody’s hero. I do what I do from the heart. I take care of soldiers.”
Responses to his re-enlistment requests saluted Asher’s interest, past service and enthusiasm but were otherwise noncommittal. Four times, he thought he’d come close to joining units in the Army or National Guard, only to have those attempts fall through.
Asher said each setback only made him more determined to succeed. While waiting for a positive response, he kept in shape by dieting and exercising. He even borrowed a buddy’s military-style rifle just to make sure he still knew how to disassemble it and check for malfunctions.
He became a regular at Whitey’s, where mementos from his tours in Iraq are displayed. He shared his hopes and disappointments with shop owner Jim Thwait, who said he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Asher finally lit up that victory cigar.
“Physically, he’s a machine. He’ll drop and give you 50 pushups in a heartbeat,” he said. “But he was also a man on a mission, and he was not going to be denied. That’s just the way he is.”
Jane Asher was caught off-guard when efforts that she’d come to regard as some sort of retirement hobby for her husband actually led to another tour of duty. “I thought that eventually someone would tell him no, but no one ever did,” she said.
She said neither she nor the kids thought he’d make it but supported him nonetheless. Nobody tried to dissuade him. “Oh no, you can’t talk him out of anything,” she said. “When he sets his mind on something, he does it.”
But even her husband was initially stunned when orders to report for active duty finally arrived in January.
“Who am I? I’m just a mess sergeant,” he said after getting the news. “I don’t know how in the world this ever came to pass, but I must’ve fought the righteous fight or something.”
On reflection, he noted that he wouldn’t have been called if there wasn’t a vacancy for his military specialty in food service. But he also believed that persistence counts.
As he said, “It takes dedication and sincerity and a lot of gracious commanders who gave me encouragement and support.”
Otherwise, it was a good time for a Cuban cigar. “I’m out of here!” Asher crowed. “I’m the old man who can!”
In subsequent days, as he went through various testing and training posts en route to his assignment with the Army’s I Corps, headquartered in Fort Lewis, Wash., Asher periodically phoned in progress reports.
“It’s like I got inside the cookie jar and somebody closed the lid and I don’t ever want them to open it.”
“I’ve met every standard they’ve thrown at me.”
“I’m just so proud to be able to wear this uniform one more time.”
“I’m having the time of my life. It’s all good.”
His current duty runs for 400 days, which his wife expected will be the last. “YES,” she emphatically confirmed.
But Asher scoffed and said, “Oh no. I won’t allow that.” He is, after all, the old man who can.
Eventually, yes, there will be an end. Even Asher conceded, “When they cut me off at 70, I’ll just have to retire gracefully.”
Maybe. The possibilities roll around the not-so-distant future like live grenades.
And the old soldier just smiles.
老家伙依照美国陆军退伍士兵重召计划返回部队,自愿回去做士官,而且文中还说准备招回2500个大兵其中三分之一超过60岁.呵呵,看来家有一老果然是个宝啊
Austin Asher kept a Cuban cigar from his 2003 military tour in Iraq, and every time he walked into Whitey’s Army & Navy Store, he swore he’d smoke it the day they let him back in the Army.
A few weeks ago, the 61-year-old strolled into Whitey’s and fired that stogie up.
More than a year of push-ups, crunches, jogging and exercising his right to appeal to every military official he could think of — up to and including the commander-in-chief — had finally paid off.
To the amazement of some, and the confidence of others, Asher is wearing sergeant stripes again.
And now his wife, Jane, will have to add a sixth Blue Star in the window to those representing their four sons and a daughter serving in the Navy, Army and Coast Guard. The couple has four other children and three grandchildren.
Asher had served a combined total of 31 years in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve, including two tours in Iraq, until he was forced to retire when he hit 60 in 2007.
But the “Mess Daddy” — as he called himself, from his prior duty as a mess sergeant running chow halls for the troops — wasn’t ready to hang up his boots and fatigues.
He started sending letters and information packets to whoever he thought could help. He even traveled to Columbus and the West Coast on the chance he might hook up with units slated for deployment.
Asher hoped to return to duty as part of the Army’s Retiree Recall program, which accepts former soldiers — commonly medical professionals or those with expertise in civil affairs and operations — depending on skills needed and vacancies available.
More than 2,900 Army vets, about a third over age 60, have volunteered for the program, according to Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell of the Army’s Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
Currently, 1,069 are back on active duty, including Sgt. Asher, O’Donnell said. That number is twice that of last year at this time. O’Donnell said the increase may be due to a more streamlined acceptance process and more positions opening up for military retirees.
He added that in some cases these former soldiers have retired from their civilian jobs and find themselves with the time, skills and interest to do something providing “a sense of self, a sense of duty.”
Asher described some of his reasons for wanting to return in a letter last year to then-President Bush. Asher wrote: “I have had two great loves in my life, my family and soldiers. Working with and caring for our soldiers has been a blessing in my life. I am nobody’s hero. I do what I do from the heart. I take care of soldiers.”
Responses to his re-enlistment requests saluted Asher’s interest, past service and enthusiasm but were otherwise noncommittal. Four times, he thought he’d come close to joining units in the Army or National Guard, only to have those attempts fall through.
Asher said each setback only made him more determined to succeed. While waiting for a positive response, he kept in shape by dieting and exercising. He even borrowed a buddy’s military-style rifle just to make sure he still knew how to disassemble it and check for malfunctions.
He became a regular at Whitey’s, where mementos from his tours in Iraq are displayed. He shared his hopes and disappointments with shop owner Jim Thwait, who said he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Asher finally lit up that victory cigar.
“Physically, he’s a machine. He’ll drop and give you 50 pushups in a heartbeat,” he said. “But he was also a man on a mission, and he was not going to be denied. That’s just the way he is.”
Jane Asher was caught off-guard when efforts that she’d come to regard as some sort of retirement hobby for her husband actually led to another tour of duty. “I thought that eventually someone would tell him no, but no one ever did,” she said.
She said neither she nor the kids thought he’d make it but supported him nonetheless. Nobody tried to dissuade him. “Oh no, you can’t talk him out of anything,” she said. “When he sets his mind on something, he does it.”
But even her husband was initially stunned when orders to report for active duty finally arrived in January.
“Who am I? I’m just a mess sergeant,” he said after getting the news. “I don’t know how in the world this ever came to pass, but I must’ve fought the righteous fight or something.”
On reflection, he noted that he wouldn’t have been called if there wasn’t a vacancy for his military specialty in food service. But he also believed that persistence counts.
As he said, “It takes dedication and sincerity and a lot of gracious commanders who gave me encouragement and support.”
Otherwise, it was a good time for a Cuban cigar. “I’m out of here!” Asher crowed. “I’m the old man who can!”
In subsequent days, as he went through various testing and training posts en route to his assignment with the Army’s I Corps, headquartered in Fort Lewis, Wash., Asher periodically phoned in progress reports.
“It’s like I got inside the cookie jar and somebody closed the lid and I don’t ever want them to open it.”
“I’ve met every standard they’ve thrown at me.”
“I’m just so proud to be able to wear this uniform one more time.”
“I’m having the time of my life. It’s all good.”
His current duty runs for 400 days, which his wife expected will be the last. “YES,” she emphatically confirmed.
But Asher scoffed and said, “Oh no. I won’t allow that.” He is, after all, the old man who can.
Eventually, yes, there will be an end. Even Asher conceded, “When they cut me off at 70, I’ll just have to retire gracefully.”
Maybe. The possibilities roll around the not-so-distant future like live grenades.
And the old soldier just smiles.
老家伙依照美国陆军退伍士兵重召计划返回部队,自愿回去做士官,而且文中还说准备招回2500个大兵其中三分之一超过60岁.呵呵,看来家有一老果然是个宝啊来源http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/02/ap_back_to_duty_022809/
Austin Asher kept a Cuban cigar from his 2003 military tour in Iraq, and every time he walked into Whitey’s Army & Navy Store, he swore he’d smoke it the day they let him back in the Army.
A few weeks ago, the 61-year-old strolled into Whitey’s and fired that stogie up.
More than a year of push-ups, crunches, jogging and exercising his right to appeal to every military official he could think of — up to and including the commander-in-chief — had finally paid off.
To the amazement of some, and the confidence of others, Asher is wearing sergeant stripes again.
And now his wife, Jane, will have to add a sixth Blue Star in the window to those representing their four sons and a daughter serving in the Navy, Army and Coast Guard. The couple has four other children and three grandchildren.
Asher had served a combined total of 31 years in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve, including two tours in Iraq, until he was forced to retire when he hit 60 in 2007.
But the “Mess Daddy” — as he called himself, from his prior duty as a mess sergeant running chow halls for the troops — wasn’t ready to hang up his boots and fatigues.
He started sending letters and information packets to whoever he thought could help. He even traveled to Columbus and the West Coast on the chance he might hook up with units slated for deployment.
Asher hoped to return to duty as part of the Army’s Retiree Recall program, which accepts former soldiers — commonly medical professionals or those with expertise in civil affairs and operations — depending on skills needed and vacancies available.
More than 2,900 Army vets, about a third over age 60, have volunteered for the program, according to Master Sgt. Keith O’Donnell of the Army’s Human Resources Command in St. Louis.
Currently, 1,069 are back on active duty, including Sgt. Asher, O’Donnell said. That number is twice that of last year at this time. O’Donnell said the increase may be due to a more streamlined acceptance process and more positions opening up for military retirees.
He added that in some cases these former soldiers have retired from their civilian jobs and find themselves with the time, skills and interest to do something providing “a sense of self, a sense of duty.”
Asher described some of his reasons for wanting to return in a letter last year to then-President Bush. Asher wrote: “I have had two great loves in my life, my family and soldiers. Working with and caring for our soldiers has been a blessing in my life. I am nobody’s hero. I do what I do from the heart. I take care of soldiers.”
Responses to his re-enlistment requests saluted Asher’s interest, past service and enthusiasm but were otherwise noncommittal. Four times, he thought he’d come close to joining units in the Army or National Guard, only to have those attempts fall through.
Asher said each setback only made him more determined to succeed. While waiting for a positive response, he kept in shape by dieting and exercising. He even borrowed a buddy’s military-style rifle just to make sure he still knew how to disassemble it and check for malfunctions.
He became a regular at Whitey’s, where mementos from his tours in Iraq are displayed. He shared his hopes and disappointments with shop owner Jim Thwait, who said he wasn’t the least bit surprised when Asher finally lit up that victory cigar.
“Physically, he’s a machine. He’ll drop and give you 50 pushups in a heartbeat,” he said. “But he was also a man on a mission, and he was not going to be denied. That’s just the way he is.”
Jane Asher was caught off-guard when efforts that she’d come to regard as some sort of retirement hobby for her husband actually led to another tour of duty. “I thought that eventually someone would tell him no, but no one ever did,” she said.
She said neither she nor the kids thought he’d make it but supported him nonetheless. Nobody tried to dissuade him. “Oh no, you can’t talk him out of anything,” she said. “When he sets his mind on something, he does it.”
But even her husband was initially stunned when orders to report for active duty finally arrived in January.
“Who am I? I’m just a mess sergeant,” he said after getting the news. “I don’t know how in the world this ever came to pass, but I must’ve fought the righteous fight or something.”
On reflection, he noted that he wouldn’t have been called if there wasn’t a vacancy for his military specialty in food service. But he also believed that persistence counts.
As he said, “It takes dedication and sincerity and a lot of gracious commanders who gave me encouragement and support.”
Otherwise, it was a good time for a Cuban cigar. “I’m out of here!” Asher crowed. “I’m the old man who can!”
In subsequent days, as he went through various testing and training posts en route to his assignment with the Army’s I Corps, headquartered in Fort Lewis, Wash., Asher periodically phoned in progress reports.
“It’s like I got inside the cookie jar and somebody closed the lid and I don’t ever want them to open it.”
“I’ve met every standard they’ve thrown at me.”
“I’m just so proud to be able to wear this uniform one more time.”
“I’m having the time of my life. It’s all good.”
His current duty runs for 400 days, which his wife expected will be the last. “YES,” she emphatically confirmed.
But Asher scoffed and said, “Oh no. I won’t allow that.” He is, after all, the old man who can.
Eventually, yes, there will be an end. Even Asher conceded, “When they cut me off at 70, I’ll just have to retire gracefully.”
Maybe. The possibilities roll around the not-so-distant future like live grenades.
And the old soldier just smiles.
老家伙依照美国陆军退伍士兵重召计划返回部队,自愿回去做士官,而且文中还说准备招回2500个大兵其中三分之一超过60岁.呵呵,看来家有一老果然是个宝啊