Sucks to be in the IRR.....
07-01-2004, 12:59 AM
#1
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Thread Starter
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Cary, NC
Age: 43
Posts: 418
Sucks to be in the IRR.....
damn.. I thought I was home free 
Wonder if the Marine Corps. is going to do it.. If so I'll be back in the green..
so be it...
see what else bush can screw up
ARMY Putting Ex-Soldiers Into Uniform
WASHINGTON — The Army is forcing thousands of former soldiers back into uniform to ease the strain on the service of long military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And some say the move is the equivalent of a back-door draft.
Army officials on Wednesday announced that 5,674 former soldiers — mostly people who recently left the service and have up-to-date skills in military policing, engineering, logistics, medicine or transportation — will be assigned to National Guard (search) and Reserve units that are scheduled to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. The first notifications are to be received July 6 and those units will deploy to Iraq.
They will be put on active duty for a minimum of 12 months and mostly likely serve for 18 months on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army said the Individual Ready Reserve (search) members who are recalled will be given at least 30 days notice to report for training.
The call-up is the first of its kind since the 1991 Gulf War, though several hundred people have voluntarily returned to service since the Sept. 11, 2001 (search) terror attacks. In many cases, the soldiers have been away from active duty for some two to three years.
Use of the plan was first approved at the highest levels of the Pentagon in January, Fox News has learned.
The reason behind the recall is the need for transportation specialists such as drivers and mechanics, logisticians and other combat services support soldiers, as well as military police and civil affairs specialists. Soldiers can petition for exemption based on medical or other limitations.
The Pentagon's policy is to not keep troops in Iraq or Afghanistan for more than 12 months.
Robert Smiley, the Army secretary's principal aide on troop training and mobilization, told a Pentagon news conference that more former soldiers, in addition to the 5,674, are likely to get called up next year.
Asked if the newly announced call-ups reflected poorly on the size of the Army or the quality of the long-range planning that went into the Iraq and Afghanistan operations, Smiley said: "No ... we don't think the Army is too small. This is good use of a manpower pool that is available to us. We could ask soldiers who have already been there to get up and go back, or we can tap this resource. This is good personnel management."
Col. Debra A. Cook, commander of the Army Human Resources Command, said although former soldiers in the reserve pool known as the Individual Ready Reserve are required to verify by mail every year that they are physically fit, many will be surprised to get called for Iraq duty.
"There's going to be soldiers who, yes, will be shocked," she said.
Raymond Robinson Jr., a senior personnel official at Army headquarters in the Pentagon, said many soldiers are from California and Texas.
"This is another indication of the urgent need to increase the size of the Army," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a sponsor of a Senate passed amendment that boosts the Army's size by 20,000. "The administration's assessment of the number of troops needed to occupy Iraq, fight the War on Terror and maintain the nation's military commitment around the world has been woefully inadequate."
People in the IRR have in most cases completed their required four years of active duty, but their obligation to the Army is not completed until another four years have passed, when they are required to do Guard or Reserve stints. Some service members join Reserve units as soon as they are released from active duty. Those who do not go into the IRR pool are eligible for call-up for the full four years post-active duty. Once their eight years of required service is complete, they are discharged.
A 'Pseudo Draft?'
Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that dipping into the Individual Ready Reserve amounts to conscripting people to fight in Iraq.
"If there was any doubt that this administration was conducting a pseudo-draft, this call-up should dispel that doubt," Larsen said.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., President Bush's presumed opponent in the fall election, has made similar complaints about the administration's use of Reserves and National Guardsmen. "A few weeks ago, the Pentagon announced an expansion of the stop loss program, effectively forcing thousands of troops to extend their deployments. At the time, that move was called a back-door draft. Today that back-door swung wide open," Kerry's national security adviser, Rand Beers, said in a statement.
"The fact is that this involuntary call-up is a direct result of the Bush administration's diplomatic failure to get real international help in Iraq. The situation on the ground in Iraq calls for more than a token training force from NATO. We need combat-ready troops from NATO to stand side by side our men and women on the front lines."
Kelly Taylor, a 28-year-old IT consultant who used to serve as a Marine corporal, said that activating the IRR, in his mind, is the "last step before a full-blown draft is implemented."
"A draft is not my concern though," he added. "As former military, I believe in doing what needs to be done to defend my country and keep it free. If a draft is required to carry out the mission, so be it."
Taylor did, however, say he was concerned that the military is spreading itself too thin.
"Why else would the Army need to activate inactive reserves?" he said. "Iraq is not our only threat but it seems that this one country is obligating our entire force."
The Army is so stretched for manpower that in April it broke a promise to some active-duty units, including the 1st Armored Division, that they would not have to serve more than 12 months in Iraq. It also has extended the tours of other units, including some in Afghanistan.
In January, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld authorized the Army to activate as many as 6,500 people from the Individual Ready Reserve, drawing on presidential authority granted in 2001.
Not until May did the Army begin looking in detail at the available pool of people.
At that point some Army recruiters caused a controversy when they contacted members of the Individual Ready Reserve and suggested they would wind up in Iraq unless they joined a Reserve or Guard unit. Some complained that they were being coerced to transfer into a Reserve unit.
In addition to the IRR soldiers called up, some 4,000 Guard and Reserve soldiers from other units that aren't being deployed have been shifted to soon-to-deploy units to fill needed spots.
The total National Guard and Reserve on active duty is now to 156,236.
Wonder if the Marine Corps. is going to do it.. If so I'll be back in the green..
so be it...
see what else bush can screw up
ARMY Putting Ex-Soldiers Into Uniform
WASHINGTON — The Army is forcing thousands of former soldiers back into uniform to ease the strain on the service of long military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
And some say the move is the equivalent of a back-door draft.
Army officials on Wednesday announced that 5,674 former soldiers — mostly people who recently left the service and have up-to-date skills in military policing, engineering, logistics, medicine or transportation — will be assigned to National Guard (search) and Reserve units that are scheduled to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan. The first notifications are to be received July 6 and those units will deploy to Iraq.
They will be put on active duty for a minimum of 12 months and mostly likely serve for 18 months on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Army said the Individual Ready Reserve (search) members who are recalled will be given at least 30 days notice to report for training.
The call-up is the first of its kind since the 1991 Gulf War, though several hundred people have voluntarily returned to service since the Sept. 11, 2001 (search) terror attacks. In many cases, the soldiers have been away from active duty for some two to three years.
Use of the plan was first approved at the highest levels of the Pentagon in January, Fox News has learned.
The reason behind the recall is the need for transportation specialists such as drivers and mechanics, logisticians and other combat services support soldiers, as well as military police and civil affairs specialists. Soldiers can petition for exemption based on medical or other limitations.
The Pentagon's policy is to not keep troops in Iraq or Afghanistan for more than 12 months.
Robert Smiley, the Army secretary's principal aide on troop training and mobilization, told a Pentagon news conference that more former soldiers, in addition to the 5,674, are likely to get called up next year.
Asked if the newly announced call-ups reflected poorly on the size of the Army or the quality of the long-range planning that went into the Iraq and Afghanistan operations, Smiley said: "No ... we don't think the Army is too small. This is good use of a manpower pool that is available to us. We could ask soldiers who have already been there to get up and go back, or we can tap this resource. This is good personnel management."
Col. Debra A. Cook, commander of the Army Human Resources Command, said although former soldiers in the reserve pool known as the Individual Ready Reserve are required to verify by mail every year that they are physically fit, many will be surprised to get called for Iraq duty.
"There's going to be soldiers who, yes, will be shocked," she said.
Raymond Robinson Jr., a senior personnel official at Army headquarters in the Pentagon, said many soldiers are from California and Texas.
"This is another indication of the urgent need to increase the size of the Army," said Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., a sponsor of a Senate passed amendment that boosts the Army's size by 20,000. "The administration's assessment of the number of troops needed to occupy Iraq, fight the War on Terror and maintain the nation's military commitment around the world has been woefully inadequate."
People in the IRR have in most cases completed their required four years of active duty, but their obligation to the Army is not completed until another four years have passed, when they are required to do Guard or Reserve stints. Some service members join Reserve units as soon as they are released from active duty. Those who do not go into the IRR pool are eligible for call-up for the full four years post-active duty. Once their eight years of required service is complete, they are discharged.
A 'Pseudo Draft?'
Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said that dipping into the Individual Ready Reserve amounts to conscripting people to fight in Iraq.
"If there was any doubt that this administration was conducting a pseudo-draft, this call-up should dispel that doubt," Larsen said.
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., President Bush's presumed opponent in the fall election, has made similar complaints about the administration's use of Reserves and National Guardsmen. "A few weeks ago, the Pentagon announced an expansion of the stop loss program, effectively forcing thousands of troops to extend their deployments. At the time, that move was called a back-door draft. Today that back-door swung wide open," Kerry's national security adviser, Rand Beers, said in a statement.
"The fact is that this involuntary call-up is a direct result of the Bush administration's diplomatic failure to get real international help in Iraq. The situation on the ground in Iraq calls for more than a token training force from NATO. We need combat-ready troops from NATO to stand side by side our men and women on the front lines."
Kelly Taylor, a 28-year-old IT consultant who used to serve as a Marine corporal, said that activating the IRR, in his mind, is the "last step before a full-blown draft is implemented."
"A draft is not my concern though," he added. "As former military, I believe in doing what needs to be done to defend my country and keep it free. If a draft is required to carry out the mission, so be it."
Taylor did, however, say he was concerned that the military is spreading itself too thin.
"Why else would the Army need to activate inactive reserves?" he said. "Iraq is not our only threat but it seems that this one country is obligating our entire force."
The Army is so stretched for manpower that in April it broke a promise to some active-duty units, including the 1st Armored Division, that they would not have to serve more than 12 months in Iraq. It also has extended the tours of other units, including some in Afghanistan.
In January, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld authorized the Army to activate as many as 6,500 people from the Individual Ready Reserve, drawing on presidential authority granted in 2001.
Not until May did the Army begin looking in detail at the available pool of people.
At that point some Army recruiters caused a controversy when they contacted members of the Individual Ready Reserve and suggested they would wind up in Iraq unless they joined a Reserve or Guard unit. Some complained that they were being coerced to transfer into a Reserve unit.
In addition to the IRR soldiers called up, some 4,000 Guard and Reserve soldiers from other units that aren't being deployed have been shifted to soon-to-deploy units to fill needed spots.
The total National Guard and Reserve on active duty is now to 156,236.
07-01-2004, 03:16 AM
#2
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Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Balad, Iraq (For now)
Age: 45
Posts: 155
Re: Sucks to be in the IRR.....
Yea that sucks. I'm in Iraq right now. I'm on my 3rd deployment in 2 years. This one is a year long the last two were 5 mo. and 1 mo respectfully. If they do a blanket stop-loss for 2-3 years like they are talking about then no one will be able to get out even if they wanted too!! I guess it is no longer a volunteer army. I am glad to serve but when you are given no choice but stay in that is shitty!! My time is up in aug. of this year and will be stuck in the army until they let me out. Just my 2 cents
07-01-2004, 03:37 AM
#3
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Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Cary, NC
Age: 43
Posts: 418
Re: Sucks to be in the IRR.....
I was in the same boat when I got out... I was suppose to get out in April 03 with terminal leave... but with the stop loss got out in Oct 03... spent my last 8 months over in Kuwait/ Iraq... fun fun fun for the whole family....
but hey if the want me to come back... (for 1-2yrs.) I'd just re-up and stay my 20......
stay safe over there... and try to stay out of the heat
but hey if the want me to come back... (for 1-2yrs.) I'd just re-up and stay my 20......
stay safe over there... and try to stay out of the heat
07-01-2004, 03:45 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: H.B.
Posts: 358
Re: Sucks to be in the IRR.....
So is this basically saying that the government is tapping their last resource? Pretty much after the election I should just sign up and not even wait for the draft.... :YEAH :YEAH 
07-01-2004, 06:17 PM
#5
I Chose to No Longer Post
Join Date: Dec 2002
Age: 42
Posts: 6,267
Re: Sucks to be in the IRR.....
I have 30 months left on a 60 month contract. I shouldn't worry about it, but it sure would suck to get caught in a Stop-Loss. I doubt the Marine Corps would institude that, but you never know. Good luck N-Ish with staying out. Move to Austrailia or something, I hear its' nice there this time of year!
07-02-2004, 06:48 AM
#6
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Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Denver
Age: 42
Posts: 7,643
Re: Sucks to be in the IRR.....
Originally Posted by Angel Of Death
I have 30 months left on a 60 month contract. I shouldn't worry about it, but it sure would suck to get caught in a Stop-Loss. I doubt the Marine Corps would institude that, but you never know. Good luck N-Ish with staying out. Move to Austrailia or something, I hear its' nice there this time of year!
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