AIRMEN'S SERVICE EXTENDED 249 RETAINED AT EDWARDS.Byline: Jim Skeen Staff Writer EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE Edwards Air Force Base, U.S. military installation, 301,000 acres (121,805 hectares), S Calif., NE of Lancaster; est. 1933. It is one of the largest air force bases in the United States and has the world's longest runway. - The Pentagon's decision to extend its ``stop-loss'' order through January will keep 249 Edwards Air Force Base airmen in uniform a little while longer. The stop-loss order Stop-Loss Order An order placed with a broker to sell a security when it reaches a certain price. It is designed to limit an investor's loss on a security position. This is sometimes called a "stop-market order". allows the military services to retain individuals on active duty beyond their date their enlistments expire. Of the 249 people affected by the order at Edwards, 238 are enlisted en·list·ed adj. Of, relating to, or being a member of a military rank below a commissioned officer or warrant officer. enlisted Adjective personnel and 11 are officers. The order would have covered 323 people at Edwards, but 74 were deemed to be exempt. ``Those were people who were on terminal leave (taking leave time in conjunction with their separation from the service) and those who had shipped their household goods prior to Oct. 2,'' said base spokesman John Haire. The initial stop-loss order was issued Sept. 22 for active-duty and reserve personnel in order to preserve combat capability. Pentagon officials cited the conflict in Afghanistan and homeland defense against terrorism as the reason for the extension. ``The bottom line is that we are in the early stages of developing the wartime requirements, thus to release any career fields from stop-loss at this time would be ill-advised,'' Gen. John Jumper, Air Force Chief of Staff, said in a statement regarding the extension. The situation will be re-examined in January. ``Hopefully (by then), requirements will be better defined so we may be able to release some career fields from stop-loss,'' Jumper wrote. Under federal law, the president can ``suspend any provision of law relating to relating to relate prep → concernant relating to relate prep → bezüglich +gen, mit Bezug auf +acc promotions, retirements and separations during any period when members of any reserve component are on active duty under involuntary involuntary adj. or adv. without intent, will, or choice. Participation in a crime is involuntary if forced by immediate threat to life or health of oneself or one's loved ones, and will result in dismissal or acquittal. INVOLUNTARY. mobilization mobilization Organization of a nation's armed forces for active military service in time of war or other national emergency. It includes recruiting and training, building military bases and training camps, and procuring and distributing weapons, ammunition, uniforms, authorities.'' The stop-loss was last used during Operation Allied Force, the air war over Kosovo. |
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