To all the retired and discharged service members, pack your bags.........

[skull1669]

Army to recall former military members
Tuesday, June 29, 2004 Posted: 12:43 PM EDT (1643 GMT)

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Army is preparing to notify about 5,600 retired and discharged soldiers who are not members of the National Guard or Reserve that they will be involuntarily recalled to active duty for possible service in Iraq or Afghanistan, Army officials said Tuesday.

It marks the first time the Army has called on the Individual Ready Reserve, as this category of reservists is known, in substantial numbers since the 1991 Gulf War.

The move reflects the continued shortage of troops available to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to fight the ongoing war on terrorism as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lt. Gen. Frank Hagenbeck, the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel, said earlier this month of the Army's troop strength, "We are stretched but we have what we need."

Pentagon officials have echoed that statement explaining that while the military is reaching deep into its resources, war planners have long had contingency plans such as this for when troops are really needed.

Several hundred members of the ready reserve have volunteered for active-duty service since the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Those who are part of the involuntary call up are likely to be assigned to National Guard or Reserve units that have been mobilized for duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to Army officials. An announcement is planned for Wednesday.

Members of Congress were being notified of the decision Tuesday, the officials said.

Unlike members of the National Guard and Reserve, the individual reservists do not perform regularly scheduled training.

Any former enlisted soldier who did not serve at least eight years on active duty is in the Individual Ready Reserve pool, as are all officers who have not resigned their commission.

The Army has been reviewing its list of 118,000 eligible individual reservists for several weeks in search of qualified people in certain high-priority skill areas like civil affairs.

[WallyG3]

This seems a little misleading - let me explain how the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) works.
When you enlist, you sign an 8 year contract. Whether the active portion is 2 years, 3, 4, 6, or 8 years, the total is 8 years. The part you don't serve on active duty is in the IRR. You don't have to do anything, you just are in a sort of call back pool. You have to report in once a year, to make sure your contact info is updated, and they try to talk you into re-enlisting. You don't really even have to show up for that, it's no big deal.

For example, I enlisted in 1994 for 4 years. I separated in 1998, and was on IRR until 2002. I never went to the yearly thing, and nobody cared. I received my Honorable Discharge certificate in 2002.

Bottom line - People who enlisted more than 8 years ago (before June 1996) will not be contacted. Besides, do you know what it would take to get my fat butt back in combat shape?

[Cskin]

Why don't they just shift troops from Germany, the Phillipines, and a small number from South Korea? We're talking 5600 troops. Isn't there something like 50,000 in Germany?

[Kilmer17]

Liberal spin spin spin

[afparent]

Originally posted by WallyG3
This seems a little misleading - let me explain how the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) works.
When you enlist, you sign an 8 year contract. Whether the active portion is 2 years, 3, 4, 6, or 8 years, the total is 8 years. The part you don't serve on active duty is in the IRR. You don't have to do anything, you just are in a sort of call back pool. You have to report in once a year, to make sure your contact info is updated, and they try to talk you into re-enlisting. You don't really even have to show up for that, it's no big deal.

For example, I enlisted in 1994 for 4 years. I separated in 1998, and was on IRR until 2002. I never went to the yearly thing, and nobody cared. I received my Honorable Discharge certificate in 2002.

Bottom line - People who enlisted more than 8 years ago (before June 1996) will not be contacted. Besides, do you know what it would take to get my fat butt back in combat shape?

yea, but what about retirees? Glad I retired from the Air Force even though I miss it.

[WallyG3]

Originally posted by afparent


yea, but what about retirees? Glad I retired from the Air Force even though I miss it.

All Reserve officers and enlisted personnel who are otherwise eligible for retired pay but are not yet age 60, have not elected discharge, and are not voluntary members of the Ready or Standby Reserve Retired Reservists may be ordered to active duty whenever required as determined by the Secretary of the Military Department (10 USC 688)
http://www.defenselink.mil/ra/second...tml#individual

I guess that's the price you pay for those great BX privileges.

[Lowghost]

I have been out since 83, I think they will pass on me.

[jbooma]

Originally posted by WallyG3


Bottom line - People who enlisted more than 8 years ago (before June 1996) will not be contacted. Besides, do you know what it would take to get my fat butt back in combat shape?

[Thiebear]

yepper, 11 years done... I did's me contract...
My BDU's wouldnt stand a chance... I'd look like a cucumber stuffed into a pea pod.....

Grab a large contingent from Germany... They are no longer touching the communist East Germany. The constant vigilence is now for what????

North Korea is still only 30 miles from Seoul....

[AJWatson3]

Originally posted by Kilmer17
Liberal spin spin spin

yeah, they are actually sending them on an all-expenses paid trip to hawaii...

[Fred Jones]

My BDU's wouldnt stand a chance... I'd look like a cucumber stuffed into a pea pod.....

I haven't been able to fit into my BDU's comfortably for about 10 years. I resigned my commission about 10 years ago and got out of the IRR.

How times has changed. Back then, 11-13 years ago, the Army was throwning people out and telling them not to come back. The Army also let people get out of their commitments and didn’t punish them just to reduce the size of the military.

[tex]

One more reason and one step closer to reconstituting the draft. Men and women between the ages of 18-49 could be next.

[Renegade7]

Originally posted by tex
One more reason and one step closer to reconstituting the draft. Men and women between the ages of 18-49 could be next.

Oh, joy.

[TLusby]

Originally posted by Fred Jones


I haven't been able to fit into my BDU's comfortably for about 10 years. I resigned my commission about 10 years ago and got out of the IRR.

How times has changed. Back then, 11-13 years ago, the Army was throwning people out and telling them not to come back. The Army also let people get out of their commitments and didn’t punish them just to reduce the size of the military.

I believe if you were a RA commission which was a West Point graduate or a Distinguished Military Graduate from ROTC your IRR timeframe is indefinite. I believe I am still indefinite since I meet that criteria. Does anyone else know for sure? 1989 would be a hell of a ways to go back.

[Stu]

Originally posted by TLusby


I believe if you were a RA commission which was a West Point graduate or a Distinguished Military Graduate from ROTC your IRR timeframe is indefinite. I believe I am still indefinite since I meet that criteria. Does anyone else know for sure? 1989 would be a hell of a ways to go back.

Those who accept a regular commission serve at the pleasure of the Commander-in-Chief until the day they die. You can be 90 years old in a nursing and be called back. But figure the odds of going back that far?