New York
An Army captain filed a lawsuit this week to keep his superiors from sending him to Iraq. Capt. Jay Ferriola, 31, said he had filed retirement papers in June, so forcing him back to active duty would amount to “illegal servitude.” The Army never formally accepted Ferriola’s resignation, and instead ordered him to join a military police unit in Iraq for 18 months. A government lawyer said the Army was suspending Ferriola’s mobilization until it could decide whether to let his retirement go through. The fight could have implications for other reservists who have been prohibited from leaving the service because they were needed in the field—a policy critics have called a backdoor draft.
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