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I am an American Soldier---,http://www.army.mil/SoldiersCreed/flash_version/index.html

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..."I am a soldier, I fight where I am told, and I win where I fight!" -

--General George S. Patton Jr. West Point Class of 1909--


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As an American Soldier, our culture of accountability and responsibility reflect what we do as a nation, a military power and a culture. It’s the difference between other foreign governments and little bit of freedom we American’s hold so dear! As such, we must uphold the values of our country to the highest standards of professionalism and ethics, even when our enemy doesn't!" --That's the difference between a free civilized culture and a dying barbaric nation.
....Our military code of conduct requires it, our nation demands it, and the world audience expects nothing less!"
The most frequent misinterpretation about war is, some think it’s glamorous, magnificent and wonderfully sexy! The real truth is that is, -it’s ugly, damn scary and very deadly!"

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As an American Solder in the Army Reserves, and with thirty five years of duty to country, I am being made to retire. With countless deployments to overseas locations, leaving in the middle of night without sleep, spending weekends and months away from my family, two wars in southeast Asia and three tours to Iraq, I’ve been advised from the powers that be during a recent fourth deployment training to Iraq, at the lovely resort of Fort Dix, NJ that I have reached the age of the dreaded “Mandatory Retirement Date.”

Soldiers who have reached within a year of their "Mandatory Retirement Date are not allowed to deploy. !!! So I was sent home.

This came at a time when our country is at war on two fronts; faces other countless enemies; terrorism on the home front and is in the worse financial depression since the 1930's.

-- This all seems sort of ludicrous as I am sure there are other Soldiers with experience and maturity that are being put out to pasture...Its silly, but its true.

Even after the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, (Title 10 US Code) was amended and recently signed into law. The 2007 NDAA was amended to allow Soldiers to retire at 62 and not 60; the law is now amended to allow mandatory removal at age 62 instead of 60. Yet it is ignored.

But because the Secretary of the Army has made no change to the current policy, it goes unanswered, and the new policy is ignored.

The new law basically designates age 62 instead of (the old age limit) -60 as the maximum age, the act has not been put into place. Furthermore this would allow the 24 months time and grade to a promotion such as required to Master Sgt. for most of us older guys. Yet it goes on ignored!

For me, I was in the middle of deployment training for overseas back to Iraq when I left leaving feeling why even go through the training again if at the end of it I am being sent home? So, I packed my uniforms turned in my weapon and headed back home; -

Oddly, as American Soldiers we should practice what we preach. No discrimination, period. It should not be about age, race or gender! No other discrimination is allowed or tolerated ....why then allow such as thing as age discrimination?

So to the Army, an old Soldier says goodbye to an old friend – all things do come to an end. But its one that has made me sober of the responsibilities of a Soldier.

“---It is and always will be my proud privilege to serve my country for some 30 years of military service.”


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This site started out to show my work as a military media affairs Soldier; now with my retirement I want it to show my past and current work as a professional-photographer.
I have a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications and a Master of Arts in International Relations; I’ve been around the world several times and more recently, made the change from film to digital photographing with available light and shooting those motifs and the things I like.


---- Bill Sutherland-“ Sgtbilly.com”
Sgt. 1st Class/-NCO Media Affairs, USAR (soon to be Retired)