# What's a Stop-loss policy ?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-stop-loss-policy/213994>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 18, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-stop-loss-policy/213994 "2003-11-18T23:20:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-stop-loss-policy/213994/1 "2003-11-18T23:20:52Z")

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And what does it have to do with improving the unit cohesiveness of combat troops ?  
[This article](http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2003/02/mil-030220-army-r-03-010.htm) reads like sanskrit. Can anyone clarify the issue ?

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**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2003, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-stop-loss-policy/213994/2 "2003-11-18T23:27:51Z")

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A “stop loss” order keeps troops from leaving the military if their skills are in demand.

Stop loss orders have been in effect for various categories of troops (ie, special operations soldiers, military police, etc) at various times pretty much continuously since 9-11.

As far as cohesiveness, a stop loss would keep an experienced soldier in the service during his deployment, so that a unit wouldn’t have to depend on a greenhorn for important duties.

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-stop-loss-policy/213994/3 "2003-11-19T02:52:31Z")

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Thanks **Ravenman**. Now the article makes sense.  
I was thinking it was some sort of insurance deal, which just made utter blithering hash out of everything.

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**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2003, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-a-stop-loss-policy/213994/4 "2003-11-19T03:42:38Z")

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It’s not just used for those military personnel that are deployed, either.

Put more bluntly, stop loss is the method by which the government tells military people that, even if their enlistment or commission is over and the time they agreed to serve is through, they can’t leave. Even if they had made plans, accepted a job, dreamed of being a civilian - they have no right to leave.

And it’s not forced servitude. It’s _legally_ forced servitude.

It looks like a duck. Sounds like a duck. Walks like a duck. But it’s not a duck.

I’m willing to admit stop-loss is necessary, but _damn_. Even as much as I loved my time in the Air Force, when I got hit with stop-loss I nearly snapped.