[godfry n. glad]

I'm still reeling from the "bureaucratic screw-up" that sent a Guardsman, whose stint was completed three days after his unit was to be shipped out to Iraq.

He petitioned to not be sent, in light of the end of his contract with the Army National Guard. The result? The Army reupped his recruitment for an additional 23 years! On top of the six years he'd already served. I could see them telling him he'd have to serve out his rotation abroad, but 23 years is excessive to the extreme.

He challenged it in federal court. And lost.

And they wonder why enlistments with the Guard have fallen so far so fast.