Army to involuntarily recall former military members

[Katie]

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.

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.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/06/29/iraq.reserves.ap/index.html

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Army must be running real short of cannon fodder.

This is very bad.

[LifeDuringWartime]

2. has this ever happened before?

i didnt know such a thing was possible.

[skooooo]

4. I believe during 1st Gulf War...

..it happened. That's what I read, anyway.

[BOHICA06]

5. Yep...

1st Gulf War - I got my mailgram after being out 18-months - "Come on Down and Join the War!"

[bluestateguy]

3. The draft comes early next year (if Fmr. Gov. Bush is elected)

Anybody know where one can take Sweedish lessons?

[Jackpine Radical]

15. "Sweedish?"

Hvad är det? Svenska?

[zanana]

6. Is it drafty in here?

Involuntary means "you HAVE to", right? Sounds like a selective draft to me.

[mongo]

7. can they do this without congress' approval?

It seems like when you are discharged your contract with the military is over. Is there some fine print when you enlist?

If not, isn't this a draft, and doesn't that have to approved by congress?

[Ivan Zero]

10. I was USAF in the mid '80s

And my contract was for 4 years active duty and 2 years inactive reserve. It was explained to me as "like being in the Reserve but not having to report", and that I could be called up at anytime during those 2 years if the Air Force ran short of bodies.

[BrotherBuzz]

12. Bush* has a blank check for up to 30,000 IRR if this info is current

But Congress can close the spigot (sadly, not likely).

<snip>
Selected Reserve - Call To Active Duty

Section 12304 of 10 USC, authorizes the President, without a prior declaration of war or national emergency, to order not more than 200,000 members of the Selected Reserve to active duty involuntarily for any operational mission for not more than 270 days for purposes other than training under a Presidential Selected Reserve call-up. Up to 30,000 may be members of the Individual Ready Reserve. The emergency nature of a mobilization may require a rapid capability to assemble and deploy forces. Therefore, the Selected Reserve must be prepared to mobilize within 24 hours.

This category includes all Guard and Reserve personnel who have Selected Reserve agreements, whether trained or not, since they would all be subject to mobilization under the 200,000 recall authority. Those who have not yet completed required training would not be available for deployment on land outside the United States with their own unit or other units until completion of training. Active Guard or Reserve members, including those on full-time National Guard duty under 32USC 502(f), who are assigned to Guard or Reserve units will deploy with those units upon mobilization.

The Congress may terminate this call to active duty by a concurrent resolution of both Houses. All Selected Reservists called to active duty under this law are entitled to all reemployment rights and benefits provided to individuals under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.
<more>

http://www.military.com/Resources/ResourceFileView?file=guard_joining_reserve.htm

[Don_G]

8. I Expected It

After the invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq, the troops stationed there were without a long-term plan, guidance or support.

Those that have served are bailing out in record numbers and are telling their families and friends what's going on there.

The Pentagon doesn't have a choice but to call in every marker they can to finish the war long after Dimbo is gone.

[keta11]

9. Why is this necessary? Did they call up the 3rd

Freeper Expeditionary Brigade yet? I thought they have enough troops.

Oh, I forget!! Those brave heroes are needed to defend the homeland and their computer screens in case Al Sadr comes to attack.

[NashVegas]

11. duplicate

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x653108

[gratuitous]

13. This affects, what, 5,600? 6,500?

I've seen both numbers in news stories. In any case, less than 7,000 persons. Will that make a significant difference in any manpower shortages? Or is this the last they can call up before being forced to consider a draft?

[jbane]

14. This is a signal that...

This is a signal that the Army really is running out of options. When I was training Petty Officer I transfered people to the IRR. One time I asked about the possibility of any of these people being re-called/mobilized. The answer I recieved was that we would have to be desperate for people before that option was excercised. Looks like we are at that point.

[DemoTex]

16. I was discharged into the IRR (or the equivalent) in 1972.

Two months later I was notified that I had a critical MOS (101-CO) with a critical security clearance (Top-Secret, Crypto, Code-Word), and that I might be re-activated for more months in Vietnam, Republic of. I would have gone to Canada before I went back to what was then an obvious losers' hell-hole. I told my branch officer-coordinator at the Pentagon that. He sympathized with me. That was the last I ever heard of that shit. He also managed to forgive a debt of several thousand dollars that the military claimed I owed due to excess leave. He was a true guardian angel in a place known for hellish work against the serviceman.

[Moderator]

17. duplicate

Please continue the earlier thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=653108