Retired Ohio soldier returns to active duty

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Austin Asher kept a Cuban cigar from his 2003 military tour in Iraq, and every time he walked into Whitey’s Army & Navy Store, he swore he’d smoke it the day they let him back in the Army.

A few weeks ago, the 61-year-old strolled into Whitey’s and fired that stogie up.

More than a year of push-ups, crunches, jogging and exercising his right to appeal to every military official he could think of — up to and including the commander-in-chief — had finally paid off.

To the amazement of some, and the confidence of others, Asher is wearing sergeant stripes again.

Asher had served a combined total of 31 years in the Army, National Guard and Army Reserve, including two tours in Iraq, until he was forced to retire when he hit 60 in 2007.

But the “Mess Daddy” — as he called himself, from his prior duty as a mess sergeant running chow halls for the troops — wasn’t ready to hang up his boots and fatigues.

He started sending letters and information packets to whoever he thought could help. He even traveled to Columbus and the West Coast on the chance he might hook up with units slated for deployment.

Asher returned to duty as part of the Army’s Retiree Recall program, which accepts former soldiers — commonly medical professionals or those with expertise in civil affairs and operations — depending on skills needed and vacancies available.