Posted on 05/24/2004 2:32:59 PM PDT by Cannoneer No. 4
The U.S. Armed Forces are calling to active duty the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). These are soldiers in the reserve who are not assigned to a unit (and are thus not paid), but are still serving out there remaining time (that they signed up for) in the reserves or active duty. Until their time is expired, they are liable to call up. Some are going to be called up. This is rarely done.
There are 118,000 men and women in the IRR. All have received their military training, served on active or reserve duty and been honorably discharged, but still have several years of military service remaining to serve. When you join the armed forces, you agree to a certain number of years of active service, plus some more in the inactive reserve. There are also soldiers who joined the reserves and ended up in the inactive reserve. This is because they moved and could find no reserve unit near where they lived, or none with a need for their particular skills. Those in the IRR are supposed to keep the military aware of their current address and health status, but this is often not done. The National Guard has a similar category, the Inactive National Guard (ING).
By law (10 USC 12302), the president can declare a partial mobilization (which he has done) that allows putting reserve and National Guard troops on active duty for up to 24 months. The president can mobilize up to a million personnel this way. To mobilize more personnel requires a full mobilization, and only Congress can do that, at the request of the president. With a full mobilization, an unlimited number troops can be called up for the duration of the war, plus six months. A full mobilization allows the use of the Standby Reserves (former active duty or reserve troops who volunteer to make themselves available for wartime service) or the Retired Reserve (all retired military personnel automatically pass into the Retired Reserve.) The Standby and Retired reserves provide over 100,000 well trained and experienced personnel. The number is vague because eligibility for active service depends on whether the reservists could pass the active duty physical exam.
Saddle up.
WOW! Read this!
Supposedly, last I knew, I was currently ING.
And I hate hot weather.
The bag is packed.
6 years active duty and 2 years inactive reserves. All done for 8 years now. If I had got a call during my Inactive reserve time I would have thought it was a joke at first.
Happened to my buddy for the first gulf war. I stayed in Sonar tech school and he got called back up to go stand .50 cal watches in the gulf.
...sounds like you're next.
Sounds to me like I need to make a phone call (or 2).
I can't be called back, but I'll damn sure see if I can volunteer.
I can still drive a truck or work a desk.... or shoot, as long as I don't have to run.
How many are being called back the article isn't to clear..
Retired folks are next, then the draft would be after that. I get teased that they will be activating me but I tell them before they get to me they will be drafting folks and if their drafting folks it's gotten so bad that I'd have volunteered by then anyway.
Nothing next about it. They brought me back last year.
Hell, if I can get out of PT, I can do most of the rest. Tell me what you find out. Rather go as USAR than KBR. USAR gets to shoot back.
Unless I'm outside of the time limits of my ING status.
But IIRC, I still have the rest of this year left in ING status.
Okay, that's pretty studly. If you're called I'm sure you will do your duty and do it well.
Yeah, but you have valuable skills and aren't just a warm body. I'm talking about calling huge numbers of retired so they could send rear echelon type to the front.
I retired with over 30 and was "asked" back last year for a specific task. At the end of that I was given an option to remain but it would have been in an office stateside.
Wow is right - I guess it has happened before, but it's the first time I've heard of it happening.
When I signed up for 4 I didn't realize it was for 4 + 4 until late in the game. I didn't give the inactive reserve part much thought. I thought I was just going to be 4 and done, but 18 years later...
These call ups are "expensive" in the short term. There is no will to take regulars from Korea and Germany. Also, increasing the size the army and Marines a few or more active divisions is a long term cost - which would require taking money out of Star Wars and other lucrative techy stuff whose industries return big bucks as political contributions.
Active forces were twice the size they are now back in 1991 - with no draft. Libs rumor mills are beginning to whip up draft rumors since Kerry has little to run on but fear. Bush admin will do nothing to increase active forces to appropriate levels in this new world, as neither will the Dems. Both on the MIC dole.
Remember what Eisenhower said...
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