Army plans to recall 5,600 retired, disc
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| Wed, 06-30-2004 - 11:05am |
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/180111_army30.html
Army plans to recall 5,600 retired, discharged soldiers
Wednesday, June 30, 2004
By THOM SHANKER
THE NEW YORK TIMES
WASHINGTON -- The Army is preparing to call up 5,600 former soldiers for yearlong tours, mostly assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan, under a rarely used wartime program that allows the military to recall those who have left the service and did not join the Reserves, Pentagon officials said yesterday.
The decision was immediately cited by members of Congress as more evidence that the deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and, more broadly, for the global campaign against terror, have left the Army too small to fulfill all its missions. Likewise, the presidential campaign of Sen. John Kerry quickly issued a statement yesterday labeling the decision "troubling news."
Proposals to expand the Army already are being debated in Congress, where some lawmakers have described the large reserve mobilizations and other unusual steps to fill the rosters in Iraq and Afghanistan as an unofficial draft.
Pentagon and military officials have resisted calls to increase the size of the Army, saying they first would rather find efficiencies elsewhere in the service. They also warn that decisions to expand the Army would lock the Pentagon into expensive personnel budgets for years to come.
The nation's pool of former officers and soldiers who are subject to being recalled to service is known as the Individual Ready Reserve. It allows the military to select specialists with needed skills and has not been utilized in such large numbers since the Persian Gulf War of 1991.
"Remember, we are at war," said one Pentagon official who confirmed the Army's plans to mobilize 5,600 members of the ready reserve, which is to be announced later this week. (me: I thought that Bush had declared that the 'war' was over???)
Most of those called up will perform support and logistical jobs such as truck drivers, mechanics, administrative specialists, food service and engineering. One Pentagon official said military police will be included.
Members of Congress have been briefed this week on the Army's plans. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld gave the Army broad authority in January to reach into the Individual Ready Reserve, although the specifics of the new call-up were only approved in recent days.
The decision follows an announcement early this month that the Army would require all soldiers bound for Iraq and Afghanistan to extend their active duty at least until their units return home from their missions there, a move that could keep thousands of troops in the service for months longer than they expected.
That announcement, called "stop-loss, stop-move," expanded an existing program that applies to many troops already in the two countries and means that soldiers who had planned to retire, move to other Army jobs or leave the military when their enlistments expired will be required to stay for the length of their units' deployment in either of the two combat zones.
The Pentagon already is relying heavily on the regular reserve component. In addition to the active-duty force, the Pentagon as of June 16 had brought on to service 136,460 members of the Army Reserve and National Guard, people who voluntarily signed up to be on call and who generally have spent a weekend a month and two weeks a year in training. In contrast, the 117,000 names in the Individual Ready Reserve have not been associated with the armed services since their departure from the Army and have not been training.
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Heard one of those being re-called on the news this AM. He was not a happy camper.
Rarely used reservists may go to Iraq.
http://messageboards.ivillage.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=iv-elinthenews&msg=6776.1&ctx=128
Bush is president so he can have it both ways--depending upon desire. My opinion is "this isn't fair" then "what a way to ruin a life". Would have been better if they had just increased the size of the military regardless of Rumsfeld's philosophy.
This happened during the Gulf War too.
I wasn't recalled. But I guess a journalist is not a huge deal.
All I can say is Thank God. I have a totally different life now, and no one to take care of my kids.
I feel sorry for every one who was recalled, because that part of life is over for many of them. My prayers are with them.
Steph
"The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time."--James Taylor
Mom to Kaitlin and Benjamin!
Please visit my website!
http://www.stephworld.net
"Those who can make you believ
>"All I can say is Thank God. I have a totally different life now, and no one to take care of my kids.
I feel sorry for every one who was recalled, because that part of life is over for many of them."<
The guy I saw interviewed had been out of the service two years. He admitted he was out of shape & totally unprepared.
Many of these retired will suffer real hardships after being plucked out of their civilian lives & having to live on service pay & family separation. Just as the reserves have already suffered.
That was my son's day yesterday at an Army post in the States. He's young and in excellent physical condition but he's been doing this for almost three years now. All those inactive ready reserves have probably been physically "inactive" by comparison with active duty troops. To say that most of them aren't happy campers is truly an understatement.
The military is burning its candle at both ends. I can't believe that it will be able to retain the troops it has by any means except invoking the terms of the enlistment contracts with their loosey goosey clauses. Traditionally, the military has been conservative and voted Republican. Wonder if that will be the case this fall! And it wouldn't surprise me (though I'd be appalled) to find Bush reinstating the draft if he's re-elected.
Gettingahandle
Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.
>"That was my son's day yesterday at an Army post in the States"<
That's aweful day in day out. Is he training others? My DH was a marine & has mentioned how aweful those gas chambers were in boot camp.
>"The military is burning its candle at both ends. I can't believe that it will be able to retain the troops it has by any means except invoking the terms of the enlistment contracts with their loosey goosey clauses. Traditionally, the military has been conservative and voted Republican. Wonder if that will be the case this fall!"<
They're being treated in an appalling manner. I've been wondering the same thing about the upcoming Nov. election.
My son doesn't train others--he's still junior enlisted. DS had an unusually grueling day yesterday but that hasn't been typical. Looking back over my post I can see that it was misleading--he's been in the Army for close to three years but he hasn't been doing gas chamber visits and ruck sack marches daily during that time! Iraq probably taught commanders lessons about the need to be physically fit and tough. He and his unit went there at the onset of hostilities and came back about a year ago so they have some sense of what's needed. I just hope it's not more than that.
What I am finding ominous is the level of physical training that soldiers in a defensive artillery unit are being expected to master. Typically, all military have a certain score they have to attain on PT tests but it's usually the Marines; elite groups like Rangers, SEAL's, Special Forces, air-borne; and infantry that get the bulk of the demanding physical effort. I don't know what the future holds but I fear they're being trained for worse case scenario where it's not what they know but their numbers that count. Cannon fodder, in other words.
I'm a worry wart by nature so maybe my fears are pointless though the history of the past two years would seem to justify my concerns! As tough as it's been for us, it's a cake walk compared to many others. At least he's active duty, young, and unmarried with no dependents to support, either emotionally or financially. There are plenty of active duty with young spouses and small children. Really rough for them and it must be even worse for National Guard, Reserve, and inactive Ready Reserve now being activated. One weekend a month was the promise that many of them responded to. I wish I thought it troubled the conscience of the administration leaders but am not sure it does.
Gettingahandle
Ignorance is Nature's most abundant fuel for decision making.
>"all military have a certain score they have to attain on PT tests but it's usually the Marines;"<
My DH was in really good shape....... now it's slipped somewhat in over the 20+ years he's been out.
>"I'm a worry wart by nature so maybe my fears are pointless though the history of the past two years would seem to justify my concerns!"<
Who could blame you worrying about your son. Hope he doesn't have to go over there a second time.
>"I wish I thought it troubled the conscience of the administration leaders but am not sure it does."<
Do they really have a clue about the hardships faced by these service people?
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