A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit challenging the Army's stop-loss policy, which is keeping many soldiers in uniform (and deployed) past the end of their contractual obligations.  In doing so, Judge Royce Lamberth said that the enlisment contract does specify that the government can extend the length of service.  He also noted that allowing soldiers to leave at the end of their contracts could lead to “substantial disruption and diversion of military resources.“

Substantial disruption?  I would say that the 7000 active duty soldiers already extended under stop-loss have already experienced substantial disruption of their lives.  And if 7000 isn't so many, then consider that 40,000 or more Reservists may be affected as well.

I understand the basic premise of the policy.  I would even grant that keeping a handful of soldiers in the interests of unit cohesion while their units are currently deployed, while not preferable, is certainly in the best interests of the Army.  However, keeping thousands of soldiers well past the end of their contracts is not going to fix the problems with troop strength that the Army is currently facing.