back door draft
n.— «One individual advised that he is being involuntarily recalled for placement in the Army Reserve, despite having been out of the Army for over two years. Apparently the referenced action is being taken because of the Army’s ongoing manning problems. I’m aware of the continuing liability for recall after separation, but among some of my correspondents the news that this “back door draft” is actually occurring was understandably greeted with surprise and concern.» —“Re: Recalls Occurring; Seeking More Info” by Lee Knoper Usenet: alt.military Apr. 5, 1999. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A California listener shares a couple of pranks from her time in the U.S. Marines, where unsuspecting recruits would be ordered to complete impossible tasks. She remembers that newbies would be sent to retrieve a bucket of frequency grease or a...
Is there such a thing as a “neutral” accent, and if so what does it sound like? And that quirk in the way southern Californians talk about freeways. They’ll say things like take the 405 and get on the 8. Why the definite article...