ARMY ASKS DEAD SOLDIERS TO RE-UP

About 275 dead or wounded officers received letters from the Army, asking them if they'd kindly return to active duty. On Friday, Army brass offered an apology. CNN reports:

The letters were sent a few days after Christmas to more than 5,100 Army officers who had recently left the service. Included were letters to about 75 officers killed in action and about 200 wounded in action.

"Army personnel officials are contacting those officers' families now to personally apologize for erroneously sending the letters," the Army said in a brief news release issued Friday night.

The Army did not say how or when the mistake was discovered. It said the database normally used for such correspondence with former officers had been "thoroughly reviewed" to remove the names of wounded or dead soldiers.

The Army "regrets any confusion."