Soldier mom plans to report for duty with kids

msnbc.com | 2-28-09

[cva66snipe]

Third, I believe when you serve your active time that should be it. I served 4 then had 2 inactive. I could have been called back but, luckily, I wasn’t. And I wouldn’t have liked it had I been.

That should be a mandatory limit on first enlistment contracts. No more total obligation than 6 years beginning the moment you enlist. To kids 18 or even adults in their early 20's a persons life at that age goes through many radical changes some of which simply may not be compatible with military service. I can see that rule relaxed for career oriented military from second enlistment on. By then you know what you want in life and can make a better choice which is better for the military and the individual as well.

Right now under the current terms of enlistment I could not in good conscience encourage anyone to enlist. I'm pro-military but current policies are not realistic.

[Bulldawg Fan]

Its a very sad story. Now get your family care plan ready and get your butt to Ft Benning.

[BBell]

When I got out of the service 20 years ago it was referred to as Individual Ready Reserve. I don't know if this was the correct term as I didn't care at the time.

[BBell]

I just remembered, inactive ready reserve if I remember correctly was something you could do on your own after your contract ran out. It was strictly voluntary and you had no obligation to do anything at all, not even one day a year. What you could do was earn points for retirement by doing MCI's and activating yourself at your own whim whenever you felt like it and there was a need for you somewhere. I remember it well as we would encounter these types on occasion. They were always laid back and experts in their fields but did not want the obligations required of the active duty,reserves or even the individual ready reserves.

[cva66snipe]

Thanks for that explanation. There was a guy in my NG unit 25 years ago who showed up for drills but was not as such paid or on the muster sheet. I do remember he couldn’t go out on Bivouac with us too. He was always at drills though as an unoffical instructor. I didn’t understand his status till now.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Individual Ready Reserve